Yay! Five full pages, and huge paragraphs! Okay, guys. The story isn't over yet. I have plans for at least one more chapter and an epilogue which I have taken the liberty of writing over the past three days. I'm editing and revising them as we speak, but they will be posted this weekend. Sorry, but it has to end sometime. I won't be posting anymore headers or footers, and I probably won't get around to reading your reviews until Monday. Sorry guys, and thanks again for sticking around this long. See you on the other side! ^_^
Chapter Eleven
Getting The Truth
Roxas lay awake in his bed, racking his brain for some sliver of evidence that might clear his boyfriend. Growling in frustration, Roxas pounded his head with his fists.
"Think, think, think! There has to be something in here!" Roxas sighed, sliding out of bed and walking out onto his balcony. "Why do my memories always show up when I don't need them, but leave me when I do?" Roxas watched the city lights glimmer in the night like fireflies dancing in a summer breeze. He slid down to his normal spot, resting his head on the balcony railing. "I know he didn't do it, but how can I prove it?" Roxas rifled through is memories once more, hoping the answer would jump out at him. "I need to get back to the old house." Roxas stood with a courageous pride. Sliding his jeans on, Roxas quietly made his way out of his bedroom, shutting the door silently behind him. He made note which steps of the stairs he squeaked earlier week, just in case he would have to sneak out. Roxas made his way down stairs, leaping high over the last three steps, being especially noisy, he noted. Landing silently on the linoleum entry way, Roxas let himself grin cockily. The grin was short lived, however, as the kitchen light snapped on from his left. Roxas' heart leapt into his throat as he stared at Squall standing in the entry way.
"Where are you headed at this time of night?" Squall crossed his muscular arms, and leaned against the doorframe. Squall, looking seemingly out of place with his hair down, bangs hanging down the side of his face, wearing a muscle shirt and jeans, smiled softly down at the blond. Roxas started to talk, but his voice had left him. He simply hung his head, turning to make his way back to his room, when a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Roxas stopped and looked up at Squall who simply nodded. "Go get in the car. You're not going alone." Roxas silently thanked the tall brunet with a nod, and quietly headed out of the front door.
The car ride was short, being just down the road and around the corner. Squall parked next to the curb and grimaced at the charred house the show eerily in the moonlight.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Squall gave Roxas a concerned look. Roxas simply starred at the house, his memories reawakening inside his head.
"It's the only way." Roxas turned to Squall, an evil smile on his lips. "Unless you can think of something better." Squall grimaced again, getting out of the car and making his way to the police line still in front of the wreckage. Roxas climbed out of the car, eyeing the front door warily. Gulpping loudly, Roxas ducked nimbly under the police line, and made his way to the front door, grabbing the spare key from the hole above the door frame. Squall looked down at Roxas from behind him with an evil smile on his lips.
"If you pass out again, I'm leaving your ass here." Roxas smiled at Squall's attempt to break the forlorn silence as the two made their way into the house. The darkness seemed even darker as the two observed the charred interior of the house. Squall shivered internally, having been told by Axel to stay in the car the last time he had stopped by this depressing foundation. Roxas moved with his memories, walking into the living room to the left, humming the tune that had stuck itself into the back of his mind since he awoke in the hospital.
Squall moved over to a nearby wall and wiped a soot-covered picture off with his hand. Squall stared at the picture in silent reverence. The picture frame housed a family of three frozen in time. A tall, muscular man with blond spiky hair in a white muscle shirt smiled from the frame. The man, sporting a pair of welding goggles, held young blond boy on his shoulders. A woman with short black hair and a bandana on her forehead smiled next to the two men, a hand on the older mans shoulder. All three characters in the picture flashed a matching peace sign at the camera. Squall hm'd low in the darkness, a small smile creeping up his face. He pulled the picture down carefully, undoing the back of the charred frame and removing the picture that seemed to be unharmed by the fire. Roxas sniffed a little from behind Squall. The brunet turned slowly to face a silently crying Roxas, a look of pain on his face.
"Cid and Yuffie." Squall cocked his head a little in confusion. Roxas, wiping the tears away, carefully took the picture from Squall. "That was their names. My parents." Roxas looked at the picture, a pained smile crossing his lips. "I guess this and my memories are all I have left, huh?" Squall hm'd again, placing a hand on Roxas shoulder.
"Your memories keep them alive." Roxas nodded, and folded the picture to slide it in his front pocket, careful not to tear it.
"I still have some digging to do. I have't come up with anything yet." Roxas looked up at Squall who nodded.
"I'll be on the front porch." Roxas nodded in reply, heading for the stairs. Roxas followed the snake in the stairs again, hopefully for the last time, up to his parents old bedroom. Straining his eyes, Roxas looked into the door again, hoping something significant would pop out to him.
Roxas saw the flames again as if for the first time. Mimicking his movements, Roxas dropped to his knees, following the trance his memory had put him in. He could see the charred bodies of his parents. He could smell the smoke and burning flesh. He saw...
"THAT'S IT!" Roxas jumped to his feet, and raced down the stairs, flinging the front door open to meet a curios looking Squall smoking a cigarette and leaning against an unscathed part of the house.
"Do you have what you need?" Roxas nodded silently. Squall pushed himself off the house and extinguished his cigarette. "Okay. We have a stop to make."
Axel squirmed, his arms now handcuffed to the back of the steel chair he had been sitting in for the past... he didn't even know or care anymore. Time had lost its meaning somewhere in the last half hour. He spat a mouthful of blood on the concrete floor, using his shoulder to wipe off the remnants. Sephiroth had exited the room earlier, only to come back with the most malicious smile Axel had ever seen plastered to his face. Axel sighed in relief as the silver haired man had uncuffed one of his hands. A look of sheer terror had crossed his features when both hands were pulled back roughly, and he was once again bound. Axel looked up just in time to see the red light on the surveillance camera in the corner die as he was violently punched across the face. Half an hour later, Axel, beaten and bruised, had passed out from the abuse, his tormentor waking him with an ice cold bucket of water. Sephiroth had awoken him and knocked him unconscious five times so far, Axel lasting just a little bit longer than the last. Sephiroth reared back and punched Axel squarely in the nose, sending a light spray of blood to hit the wall behind the red head. Sephiroth rubbed his knuckles lightly, smiling still.
"You could just confess and this would end, you know?" Sephiroth's voice was too calm and smooth for Axel's taste. Axel spat another clot on the floor, grinning cockily up at the tall man.
"You..." Axel huffed, his left eye swollen, various cuts and bruises all over his face. "You... can never know... what those people... meant to me..." Axel huffed heavier as he spoke, swallowing with a dry throat. "I'll never..." Sephiroth didn't give him time to finish, simply rearing back again and punching Axel in the stomach. Axel's eyes went wide as he fought to breath, wheezing and struggling against his bonds. Sephiroth got on one knee, leaning in close to Axel's face.
"You know I won't let up." Axel wheezed harder, pain and anguish covering his face. "Why don't you..." Sephiroth wretched as Axel spat a mouthful of blood full force into the mans face. Axel's wheezing slowed, breath returning to the teen. Sephiroth looked down in disgust as he wiped his face off with a handkerchief he pulled from his front suit pocket. Snarling angrily, Sephiroth pulled his pistol from his underarm holster and clocked Axel squarely in the temple. Axel saw stars for a moment before everything went black. Sephiroth wiped the butt his pistol as Vexen entered the room.
"There's someone here for you, detective. Something about new evidence." Sephiroth scowled and followed Vexen to the front of the building, putting on his best social smile. He frowned as he entered the lobby to find Roxas yelling at the officer at the front desk, Squall standing behind him with his arms crossed.
Roxas slammed his hands down on the counter hard, causing the front desk officer to jump a little. "Damn it, lady! I saw what happened! It's just impossible!" Sephiroths' scowl deepened as he stepped up to the two newcomers. Roxas turned his head and instantly scowled back.
"You! Release Axel now!" Roxas began to run at the silver haired man, but was stopped short by a rough hand from Squall.
"Easy there, tiger. Have patience." Roxas calmed down, but made no effort to stop his 'fuck you' look at Sephiroth. The tall silver haired man in question simply... did he just glide?... over to where Roxas and Squall stood.
"I'm sorry, but you will have to come back tomorrow. The subject is being interrogated and..." Roxas stomped, stopping Sephiroth's speech.
"The HELL we will! You let him go now, or all hell is gonna break loose." Squall simply hm'd from behind the blond. "And, another thing! Don't ever call Axel a 'subject' again or I'll..."
"Threatening an officer of the law?" Sephiroth smiled down at the blond, taking the upper hand again. "In a police station no less? You do know that is a felony offense, right?" Roxas crossed his arms and looked up at the man coldly.
"Did you also know that it's against the law to hold someone for over 24 hours without any proof that they did the crime?" Sephiroth's smile melted, replaced by a deep scowl, his upper lip twitching slightly. Squall smiled proudly at Roxas, and nodded.
"He's right. You have no case, and I'm guessing no confession. You have to let him go." Squall and Roxas glanced at each other, sharing a delighted smile.
"I have evidence..." Sephiroth began, slowly loosing his cool as he was cut off by Roxas.
"Circumstantial evidence that won't hold up in court in the least. I'm a WITNESS!" Roxas jabbed a thumb into his own chest. "How are you going to stand there and tell me that a 16 year old bound and gagged two full grown adults, one of them the size of a sacoyia tree? I don't think so." Roxas crossed his arms, a smug smile on his face. Sephiroth, now fuming, rounded on the front desk lady who tried to sink under her desk, not wanting any confrontation.
"You! Draw up the boys paper work, and get him out of my interrogation room!" Sephiroth then rounded on Roxas. "This isn't over." Sephiroth stormed out of the entry way, leaving a pissed and slightly stunned Roxas to fume.
*splash*
Axel, shaking his head off, looked up defiantly at... Vexen?
"You're free to go kid." The bleach blond undid the cuffs that bound Axel to the chair, and left the room without another word, leaving the door wide open in his haste. Axel, slowly coming to terms with what had just occurred, rose to his feet and limped to the door, his legs being asleep from having sat on the uncomfortable chair for so long. As soon as he exited the room, he felt a cold chill and shivered. Not only was he soaking wet from head to toe, but the police station was at a not-so-comfortable 75 degrees (1). Walking down the hall, Axel could feel the stares upon him, knowing that he looked a sight walking out of the interrogation room. A blond officer walked up to him, and wrapped a towel around his shoulders.
"Don't worry son. You're with a friend now." The officer smiled down at Axel, who was reminded of his goofy friend, Demyx. Axel smiled back up, pulling the towel closer around himself as the officer lead him down the hall to the front entrance. Axel, though freezing cold, felt a warmth run through his blood as he laid eyes upon his blond lover fidgeting in a chair next to the front desk.
Roxas heart stopped as he looked up. There in front of him, bruised and battered, one eye swollen shut, stood a smiling red headed teen, wrapped in a towel. Roxas, slowly getting to his feet, let his mouth drop at the sight.
"Hey. Did you miss me?" Axel, shot a thumbs up, smiling widely. Roxas noticed that one of his front teeth was missing as he walked toward the red head slowly.
"Axel? What the hell happened to you?" Axel laughed bitterly.
"Well, you don't look too bright yourself, Rox." Roxas laughed dryly, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"I thought I had lost you, damn it!" Roxas, not caring that Axel was soaked, pulled the red head into a tight hug. Axel, holding the towel closed with one hand, wrapped his free arm around the blond's thin waist. Axel pulled back slowly, a curious look on his face.
"But... how did you know it wasn't me?" Roxas laughed, patting Axel on the shoulder.
"Are you kidding? Cid would have kicked the shit out of you!" Axel rubbed the back of his neck softly, remembering the sheer size of Roxas' father.
"Well, I guess you're right about that." Roxas wrapped an arm around Axel's shoulders, and pulled him close.
"Come on. Let's go home."
(1) Fahrenheit, for all of you in Eurasia. About 24 Celsius.