Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, well, the plot I own, but nothing else.

A/N: First, I apologize for the wait and the way I ended the last chapter. Second, I apologize for how short this chapter is, but I have been having a bit of trouble with it. That asides, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as my others.

Ironic Circumstances

Chapter 11

Surfacing Secrets

Riku took a step back, his fingers leaving the soft fabric of Sora's bed sheets. He still had his eyes latched onto Sora's, currently blurry with tears he was desperately trying to hold back. The brunet didn't understand what was happening, all he could do was stare ahead. Riku muttered something under his breath, something Sora was unable to hear. The taller boy took several more steps towards the door, his back soon touching the door leading into the hallway of the hospital wing.

"Umm," Riku managed, "I'm really glad you're not hurt. I don't know what I would have done if you were in a worse condition."

Sora blinked a couple times, "Really? Would you really feel bad if I was hurt worse?"

The question sounded incredibly ridiculous to Riku, making him chuckle slightly. "Of course…you have no idea." Riku felt his eyes sting once more and felt for the doorknob just inches away from his hand. He grabbed the inanimate object and gripped it tight, letting its cool material press against his skin.

"I'd better leave, you should get as much rest as you can. The sooner you get out of here, the sooner you'll remember everything. Don't worry, you'll be fine."

With that said, Riku opened the door and left, leaving Sora feeling more confused than ever. He stared at the slightly open door, shocked to see his hand reaching outwards. Sora didn't remember moving his arm, then why was his hand stretching in front of him? It didn't make any sense to him, and it was simply exhausting thinking about it.

"Am I always going to be feeling this tired…is it always going to hurt? Do I even want to remember? Do I want to remember even if it hurts?"

He slammed the hand against the sheets, the fabric cradling it comfortably.

"Was…that boy crying? Why was he crying?"

The pain surfaced, a dull annoying pain against the sides of his head. He pressed his other hand against the bandages, feeling the material and not liking its texture. Sora looked to his side, eyeing the beeping mechanism and glaring at it maliciously.

"I don't understand…"

X

Vincent watched as Riku entered the car, his hair hiding the features of his face. The man wanted to ask if things were all right, but by the way Riku was currently sitting in the leather seat it was clear to the older man that things were far from okay.

"You ready to go?" He asked, knowing the answer already. "Or do you want me to drive you somewhere else?"

Riku threw his head against the headrest, rubbing his eyes with both hands as he mumbled his response. "Yeah, let's go."

Vincent didn't need to be told twice as he turned on the car and backed out of the parking space. He drove onto the main street, joining the multitude of cars zooming by at a variety of speeds. Riku's head eventually found its way against the glass window, his cheek pressing lightly against the surface. He stared into his own reflection, noticing the slight redness in his eyes. Riku was strong, cocky at times, even arrogant, but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to scream and cry. He was a dam just waiting to break, releasing with it not only tears but also all the emotions he was trying desperately to cling onto. But he thought back to Sora's current state and imagined his bedridden self in that unnerving recovery room. He knew he needed to be strong, become stronger and handle the situation like a mature adult. Crying would only show his weakness, and he was not about to break down. Especially with Vincent sitting not even three feet away. But it wasn't easy to deal with all the images currently swimming through his head. He bit his bottom lip at the image of Sora hitting the ground after the car impacted with him, something the silver haired teen just couldn't get over. For a split second the thought that Sora could have died flashed through his head, causing him to shake his head furiously.

"Riku? Are you sure you're okay?" Vincent asked, turning his attention to the teen. "I know I haven't known you very long, but believe me when I say that you can trust me with anything."

The silver haired teen shook his head again, this time a little more subtly. "Thanks Vincent…but I don't think I should weigh you down with any of this crap. It's just…something I was not expecting to happen."

Vincent pulled over on the street and put the car into park. "Keeping things bottled up isn't the best way to work towards a solution. From what I know…everything that happened was just a coincidence. There's nobody at fault here."

"I know it's not my fault, but I can't help but feel that I AM somewhat responsible!" Riku suddenly bellowed out. "None of this would have happened if I wasn't so fucking selfish and simply left Sora behind. But no, I just had to ask him to come along, to satisfy my need for him to be here."

Riku pulled his hands into fists as he let his head droop forward, his nails pressing uncomfortably against his skin. Vincent remained silent for a few minutes; simply watching Riku and trying to formulate some kind of response that would help him feel better. But even he was having trouble, for there were certain worries and suspicions regarding the circumstances. He went back to earlier that day, when he and Yunalesca made their way through the hospital, trying to find Riku. The raven-haired man watched the small confrontation between Yunalesca and the woman known as Beatrix, his eyes studying her features carefully. Then she walked off, but not before his eyes met with hers for a brief second. That's when Vincent realized that she was in fact, someone he knew.

"I'm sorry Vincent, I didn't mean to lash out at you. I'm just tired and upset right now." Riku apologized, turning his head and offering him a small smile. The older man simply shook his head, letting him know that it was quite alright and that apologies weren't needed.

"I understand Riku, this is all a shock at the moment, but it will get better. I mean…we all had to deal with Aerith's passing and eventually we got over it. But you're lucky, Sora is still alive and that's all that matters. Now…should I get us home?"

Riku nodded in agreement, allowing Vincent to get back into the traffic as he drove back to the condo. The skies were becoming more golden at this point and showering all the buildings and skyscrapers in its light. Riku watched as the neon lights slowly became more alive as night made its way. Vincent watched him out of the corner of his eye every so often, his mind elsewhere trying to comprehend a matter that sparked into life from his encounter early that morning.

X

She knew she wasn't supposed to be drinking, but Beatrix really couldn't help herself as she poured a good helping of brandy into a glass. The brown haired woman raised it to her lips and took a sip of the liquid, letting the burning sensation attack her throat as it went down. Beatrix let out a sigh as she placed the glass on the kitchen counter of her high story condo. She took a look out the giant windows, her eyes meeting the night and all that it offered at this point in the day. The neon signs were alive as always, cascading the streets in a multitude of colors. Beatrix fingered the phone only a few inches from her hand, having just finished a conversation with a very worried Baralai.

"Beatrix, I found out that Yunalesca and Riku are in Holly City and I've been trying to reach you all day, where the hell have you been?"

"Baralai, save it, it's to late."

"What do you mean it's to late? Don't tell me you already ran into them. Oh god, tell me nothing happened."

Beatrix walked into the living room, taking her glass of brandy with her as she made herself comfortable on the leather couch.

"It's a long story Baralai, but yes, I did run into Yunalesca. But there's nothing for you to worry about, I've got everything under control. I'll explain all the details later, but for right now I need some time alone."

"What do you mean you've got things under control? If you ran into Yunalesca something must have happened, I want you to tell me everything."

"I don't need to tell you a damn thing Baralai. We're not married so you have no right to ask me anything."

Beatrix raised the glass to her lips once more.

"Beatrix, please understand that I'm trying to get on good terms with Riku. If you said or did anything to him it's only going to be more difficult for me to get through to him. I want to know if anything happened so I can prepare myself."

"And I want you to understand that I want to be left alone right now. I'm not trying to keep anything from you Baralai, but if it was something I thought you should know then I wouldn't hesitate in telling you. I'll tell you eventually, but just give me time right now."

"Fine, but don't think I'll forget this, I'm holding you to your word."

Beatrix looked over several forms that Dr. Kadowaki had given her that day, one letting her know that Sora would be able to come home from the hospital the following day. Along were several pamphlets and papers advising her in how she could help with patients with amnesia. But the last thing she wanted for Sora to do was remember anything, so the pamphlets were useless to her. The brown haired woman continued watching the night sky, the glass of brandy becoming ever emptier and tempting her for more.

X

Riku and Yunalesca were already situated in their rooms for the night, leaving Vincent to mind the remaining servants as he walked the area of the dining room. He nodded in acknowledgement when the last few maids waved to him, letting him know that they were turning in for the night. The raven-haired man had a steaming cup of black coffee sitting on the table, the vapor rising in a wavy column towards the ceiling. His blazer was disposed of at the moment, along with the tie that usually adorned his neck. Vincent was one of the most calm and collected men anyone had ever met, but the look on his face was telling otherwise. There was something there, something one could tell was bothering him and causing him some kind of worry. He picked the steaming cup into his hand and took a sip of the bitter liquid, wincing slightly when it managed to burn the roof of his mouth.

"It's…been a while since I've last seen her," He thought, resting his hands on the back of one of the table chairs. "It's been a bit over a year…yeah, it was around the time that Aerith began getting worse…"

Vincent's train of thought was broken when he noticed Riku at the archway leading into the dining room, his upper half devoid of a shirt and showing off his well toned muscles. The older man found himself staring and quickly moved his crimson colored eyes away, finding the blank wall a much more appropriate place to look at. Riku didn't really pay it any attention as he walked through the dining room, his feet carrying him swiftly into the kitchen. Vincent followed after, making sure to keep some distance between him and the silver haired teen.

"Couldn't get to sleep?" the man asked, folding his arms against his chest and crossing a leg over the other as he stood against the kitchen door.

Riku nodded, opening the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of water. He quickly uncapped it and took a swig, allowing his dry mouth to savor the refreshing taste. The teen was wearing his usual emerald green pajama pants, appearing black at the moment due to him standing in the dark kitchen.

"I'm not surprised," the teen responded, taking the bottle with him as he walked back out the door with Vincent on his tail. "I mean, after all of this, I doubt I'll be able to sleep well again. I'm even more surprised I managed to sleep earlier today."

"It's understandable, would you like me to get you some kind of sleep aid?" Vincent asked, already moving past Riku.

"No, no, it's okay, I'll be fine. Umm…I was kind of wondering if I could ask you something."

The raven-haired man found the request amusing and nodded for Riku to continue.

"I had a talk with mom during dinner and asked her when we're going to be leaving. I mean, we were only going to be staying here a couple of days, but with Sora's situation…I thought maybe things would change. I know she wants to travel elsewhere, but I don't think I could handle being away right now. So…I was wondering…if I could possibly stay here on my own."

Vincent didn't find it surprising and was silent for a few seconds before answering. "If your mother says it's okay, then I don't see a problem with it. But are you sure you wouldn't feel bad if you missed out on the other portion of your trip?"

Riku faced the floor a couple feet away, letting his eyes dwindle. "I don't care…nothing is more important than making sure Sora is okay and that he gets his memory back. I know mom will be a bit disappointed, but I'm sure she'll understand."

"Well, it seems you have your mind made up. I don't think I could have the heart to deny your stay here. I'll have to contact Sephiroth about this though, just to let him know that you'll be staying here an extended amount of time." Vincent took another sip of his coffee, this time not scalding hot as last time.

"Thank you Vincent, be sure to thank Mr. Sephiroth for me when you talk to him. If you don't mind I'm gonna try and get some sleep, I want to head back to the hospital tomorrow and see how he's doing." With that said, Riku wished Vincent a goodnight and headed off down the dark hallways. Vincent took in a deep breath, taking the chance to run a pale hand through his long onyx hair. He eyed his watch, noticing it was close to midnight and figured he should head off to bed himself. Vincent had his own place located in the city, but Sephiroth made sure that he had his own quarters in the condo if he ever wanted to stay. Taking his cup of coffee with him, Vincent headed down an opposite hallway and into his room. The walls were red, much like his eyes, with the occasional piece of artwork hanging in black frames. One of those frames held a picture of him and Aerith many years before, with another black haired woman and a rather burly black man. Vincent offered the camera a small smile while the two women grinned from ear to ear. The other man simply had his arms crossed, giving whoever was taking the picture a dirty look.

"Those were the days," he trailed off, sitting on the bed. "I don't think there was ever a time that Barret smiled." For a quick second Vincent lost himself in his memories, wandering back to his college days. But he shook his head, letting out a sigh as he fell against the mattress, the things he was thinking about earlier rushing back into his head.

"Beatrix…why am I getting such a bad feeling from her? Could…I have been right all this time?"

X

Sora felt quite odd being moved around in a wheelchair, then again, he couldn't seem to remember ever seeing one before the nurse brought it in to his room. Dr. Kadowaki informed the brunet that he was being released and that his mother would soon be there to pick him up and take him home. Sora didn't really speak, but nodded at whatever it was the doctor was telling him. The bandages around his head were changed one last time before he was wheeled out of his room by a pretty blonde nurse named Scarlet. Her lips were smothered in a thick red lipstick and her hair was set back in a bun with the ends jutting outwards just slightly. They were currently going down one of the many halls of the hospital, with a variety of people walking to and from different parts of the building. There were other chatting nurses off in the distance, some giving the brunet a quick wink as he passed.

"You're going home today Sora, aren't you just so happy? I know your mother was very worried and she'll be so glad to have you back home safe and sound."

Sora wasn't sure how to respond to the question, not being able to remember what home was like made it impossible for him to come up with an answer. He simply nodded, only to grunt uncomfortably when he felt the bandages around his head constrict just slightly.

"Oh, did I wrap them to tight? Here, let me fix them for you."

"No, they're fine, it's okay," he was quick to let her know.

"Alright then, but let me know if you need anything at all. Now, your mother informed us that she would be waiting in the lobby so let's hurry."

They continued, eventually reaching a set of clear sliding doors leading to the parking lot. Sora noticed it was rather bright outside and smiled at how blue the skies were. He squinted slightly as he watched a figure walk from outside and into the lobby, a woman dressed in a black pinstriped suit jacket and matching skirt. It was the same woman he remembered from the previous day, holding his hand for about an hour before she left him. He then pictured that silver haired boy, the one that told him that she was his mother. His lips curved downwards at the memory, thinking back to the sad expression lingering on his face. Sora still couldn't understand why he would be sad, but figured that eventually he would realize why. The brown haired woman smiled at Sora and he returned the gesture, although he felt somewhat uncomfortable doing so.

"Hi sweetie, did you rest well last night?" she asked, bending down and placing a manicured hand on his overlapping ones. They were rather warm and found the feeling comforting.

"Yes…my head hurt every so often, but I was okay." He responded, seeing her stand back up straight.

"Aww, I'm sorry honey, I wish I could make the pain go away," she said rather sweetly as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, making sure to avoid touching his head. "Now, I've got to go see Dr. Kadowaki really quickly to sign some papers, so I'll have Scarlet take you out to the car."

Beatrix looked over at Scarlet and handed her the keys, motioning with her head to move on. The blonde did as she was told and began wheeling the brunet out the lobby doors. Sora turned slightly, managing to catch her back as she disappeared into the hospital.

"Isn't your mother just wonderful?" Scarlet asked.

Sora was once again put into a situation where he wasn't sure how to respond. Everyone was telling him that she was his mother, so he simply assumed they were right. But any loving feelings for the woman were not there, something that felt oddly right. Scarlet and Sora made their way through the parking lot until they reached a dark red BMW parked across two spaces. He looked at the way the vehicle was parked, and for some reason he couldn't help but smile. For some reason, he felt like he had seen this before. Scarlet let go of the wheelchair handles and unlocked the car.

"Alright Sora, let's get you in here. Do you need me to help you stand up?"

Sora didn't respond but tried to get up on his own, only to wobble back down in the seat when his legs felt weak.

"Here, let me help."

With Scarlet's assistance he made it in with no problem and let out a sigh as he rested against the leather seat. He watched as the blonde folded the wheelchair and placed it in the trunk; then followed by getting in and closing the door after her. Now, Sora knew he couldn't remember a thing, but he figured that Scarlet was most likely not supposed to get in. She noticed the confusion in his face and laughed, tossing he bangs away from her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, I should have told you earlier. I'm going to be your at-home-nurse. Your mother informed Dr. Kadowaki that she would feel more comfortable if there was someone at home to make sure you were okay."

"Oh…" was all Sora could manage to say. They remained in silence until Beatrix emerged from the hospital building, a small folder of papers secured underneath her arm. She got into the driver's seat and placed the bundle on the other seat, giving the duo in the back a quick glance before Scarlet handed back the keys. Sora was debating with the words in his mouth, unsure if he should ask what it was he wanted to ask. He didn't say anything until Beatrix pulled away from the parking spaces.

"Umm…mom?" he asked, the last word sounding odd to him. Beatrix acknowledged his words but didn't bother to look back. Figuring that she had heard, he continued.

"Umm, mom, do I have any friends?"

"Of course you do hun, but they're all gone right now. It's summertime so all your friends are on vacation. Why do you ask?"

Sora was fidgeting with his hands, picturing the silver haired boy in his empty mind. "Well…is it okay if they visited me?"

Beatrix looked through the rearview mirror, the reflection showing her with a pair of sunglasses. "If any of them were in the city then of course honey."

"So, it's okay that one boy visited me?" he asked, lifting his head.

The car came to a sudden stop, causing Sora and Scarlet to fall forward suddenly. The woman turned around, removing her sunglasses and peering at Sora as if he had said something completely out of place. He was feeling nervous at this point and felt that whatever he uttered shouldn't have left his mouth.

"What boy?" she asked coolly, cocking her head to the side. Scarlet simply watched, making sure not to interrupt.

"Umm…he came to see me last night. He's the one that told me you were my mother. I don't know who he was…but he looked sad."

Beatrix' face paled several shades as she turned her attention to the blonde nurse. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that he was not supposed to have any visitors!" she lashed out quietly, yet harshly. Scarlet had her mouth agape, but nothing seemed to want to come out.

"Mom? Are you mad?"

Beatrix turned to Sora, forcing herself to calm down as she regained the color in her cheeks. "No honey, it's okay. I just made special requests for you not to be bothered while you were in the hospital recovering, that's all."

"But…do I know that boy?"

"No! You don't Sora, he must have gotten the wrong room, now let's get you home so you can rest."

"But he told me that he was glad I wasn't hurt mom, he must…"

"Sora, stop, forget about him. Whoever it was is not important, I know all of your friends and it was someone you didn't know. Now, stop worrying about it otherwise you'll get a headache."

Beatrix pulled her sunglasses back on as she put the BMW into drive and sped off into the streets, earning her some honks from annoyed drivers. She muttered obscenities under her breath, making Sora feel uncomfortable. He was not expecting her to get so agitated by such a simple question, perhaps even shocked by her reaction. Scarlet placed a hand on his shoulder and offered him a smile as the car went on, squeezing slightly to let him know that things were okay and that he was not at fault for anything. But he couldn't help but feel so…weird by how she reacted. It was plain as day that whoever the boy was knew him; otherwise he wouldn't have appeared so affected when he was Sora laying in bed.

"I'm really glad you're not hurt. I don't know what I would have done if you were in a worse condition."

Sora replayed those words in his head a few times, realizing more and more that he must have some kind of connection with him.

"Riku…" he whispered under his breath, letting the two syllables drag out. He liked the name, and he found a warmth within it he couldn't explain.

"I want to remember him…even if it hurts doing so."

X

"What do you mean he's been released? Is there anyway I can contact him, I need to see him."

Riku was once again, standing within the walls of the hospital, having just found out that Sora had been released earlier that day. The nurse helping him shook her head at his last request.

"I'm sorry sir, but that is personal information that I cannot disclose to those that aren't family members of the patient."

"But it's very important I see him, he's suffering from amnesia and I want to help him remember things. Please, I haven't been able to sleep ever since the accident."

The nurse let out a sigh, "I'm sorry, but please understand, these are the policies I need to abide by. Now, I must be going, sorry for the inconvenience."

Riku didn't have a chance to retaliate as the nurse headed off, her footsteps dying as she went along. Riku was left alone in the hall, unsure of what to do next. He thought of his cell phone and fished the device out of his pocket only to place it back when he realized that Sora's phone was more than likely in Beatrix' possession. Riku was not about to risk calling and having her answer. Although, getting to yell at her and cussing her out was something he wouldn't mind doing.

"Fuck, now what am I going to do?" he muttered, running a hand through his long silver hair. He felt the weight of a set of keys in his pocket, having borrowed a car from Vincent. The raven-haired man was a little iffy about letting him drive through the city on his own, but Riku managed to coerce the keys out of him. Riku thought about Axel's driving and figured that he could not be anywhere as bad as he was.

"That's it!" he said rather loud. Riku sprinted out the building, realizing that if anyone knew where Sora lived then it would be none other than Roxas and Axel. The blonde was his best friend after all and Axel did date him for a while, so it was only natural for them to know where he lived. He got into the black Mercedes he borrowed from Vincent and headed off, dialing in Roxas' number as he drove. One ring, two rings, after the third ring he heard a crackling sound on the other side.

"Hello?"

"Hey Roxas, it's Riku."

"Oh hey Riku, how's it going? Have you gone to see Sora yet? Axel and I are going to go see him today."

Riku rolled his eyes, "Don't bother, he's already left. Apparently Beatrix took him home today and the nurses at the hospital won't tell me where he lives."

"Really? Oh man, now I feel terrible, I wanted to see him before he left. I don't want him to think that I abandoned him."

Riku felt a cold sensation run through his body, realizing that Roxas had no idea about Sora's amnesia.

"Uh, Roxas, I don't think you're going to have to worry about him feeling much of anything. There's something I should tell you."

Riku drove around aimlessly for the next few minutes, informing the blonde on what he already knew. Roxas remained silent for a few seconds following the shocking piece of information the silver haired teen had given him.

"I know it's shocking…imagine how I felt when he told me he didn't know me. I nearly broke down in front of him."

"Oh shit…this is horrible. If only we didn't go out that night…all of this could have been avoided," Roxas expressed, sighing heavily in the background.

"I know exactly what you mean," Riku replied, "but I need you to do me a favor Roxas. I need you to tell me where Sora lives around here. I need to see him for a little while."

"As much as I would like to help you Riku, I don't know where he would be. When they moved to the rural islands Beatrix sold their condo. I have no idea where they could be staying here. Wait, do you know why she even came back? Sora never told me anything about that."

Riku took a turn at a green light, passing by the Al Bhed shop where he and Sora had gotten their club outfits. "Sora said that his grandmother suffered a heart attack and was in critical condition. Beatrix came back to the city so she could stay with her for the remainder of her life."

Once again there was silence on both sides before Roxas spoke. "You mean old Brahne? That's not possible Riku, I just saw her up and about the other day walking her dogs Zorn and Thorn. I know she's on the hefty side, but she seemed perfectly fine."

It was Riku's turn to be silent for a few seconds. "What? Are you sure? But Sora said she didn't have much time to live."

"I don't know Riku, it seems like Beatrix lied about whatever reason she came back to Holly City. I'm surprised the old bat hasn't kicked the bucket yet, but she IS alive and she's fine."

Nothing was making sense to the silver haired teen. What possible reason would force Beatrix to lie to her own son? She hardly spent any time with Sora while they were in the rural islands, so he wouldn't have any idea. The only other person she spent time with was…

"Hey Roxas, I gotta go, I have to make another call."

"Alright, if I find anything out about Sora I'll let you know."

"Okay, thanks Roxas, bye."

He hung up, only to immediately flip the phone back open and dial another number. Riku couldn't believe it, how much more complicated were things going to get? There was the familiar ringing for a few seconds before someone picked up. Riku didn't waste any time before he got straight to the point.

"Don't think for a second that I'm calling you to make up. There's some shit going on between Beatrix and you that Sora and I aren't aware of and you are going to tell me this fucking second."

tbc

A/N: I am so sorry for the short length of this chapter, but like I said above, I've been having a bit of trouble thinking. That and starting this new job of mine has been kind of stressful. But…I am happy with the way things are going, because things are only going to become more interesting. Vincent touched the surface just slightly…