Hello my dears!!

First off, I would like to thank each and every person who reviewed, and also those that took the time out to just read the last chapter. I know it's dreadfully cliché, but it means a lot to me. -glomps all-

IMPORTANT: To all of those who have been following this fic from the point I started last year, you will be now be able to review again!! I've finished re-writing all the chapters that I had originally posted, and I would love to hear from you guys again. x3

So without further ado: Chapter Twelve.


Chapter Twelve – Discoveries

Lee sighed and stripped off the masking tape on the box of belongings in front of him, running a hand through his hair tiredly. It was the last of many boxes that he had taken back with him after he had left Japan over two weeks ago. As soon as he and his team, who were still bitter about his actions towards Kai, had arrived in their home village, he had purposely put off sorting through Rei's things, his pain still raw.

It was only after he had tripped over one of the boxes in his quaint little cabin did he realise that he had to get it over and done with before he wouldn't be able to face them at all. So for the past four days, he had been diligently sorting through Rei's possessions, placing various items in different piles to deal with later and chucking out any rubbish. He had mostly come across photo albums, kitchen equipment, clothes and other bits and bobs that Rei owned, and peeling back the top of this last box, he could only wonder what was inside.

Tossing the masking tape somewhere over his shoulder in the estimated direction of the rubbish pile, Lee peered into the box and felt his eyes widen. Everything inside seemed to hold some sort of sentimental value to his deceased friend. He gently lifted out a Chinese outfit that was years old, dating back to when the Bladebreakers had first formed and come together as one.

He fingered it carefully, remembering the day that Rei had left their village to pursue something better. He could still recall the anger he felt towards the raven haired youth for abandoning them and it shamed him. Blinking his eyes slowly, he shifted and placed the outfit in a new pile. He wanted to keep it. Treasure it. Regardless of how selfish that sounded, he need a part of Rei's past to be with him … the part that he hadn't been able to partake in.

He ran a hand over his face absently, not willing to dwell on his thoughts for too long lest he lose control. His hand fell to his side as he allowed his gaze to roam across the items still in the box. He reached out hesitantly, after a few seconds, and gently lifted up a small picture frame. The photo that greeted his eyes brought a small smile to his lips: it was a picture of them, Rei, Mariah, Kevin, Gary and himself when they were kids, barely seven or eight. It had been taken spur of the moment whilst they were in the middle of a snow ball fight, cheeks and noses red with bright smiles plastered across their cheery faces.

His smile turned melancholic the longer he stared at it, nostalgic memories of their childhood filtering into his mind. A deep pain welled up within him as he realised that all he had was memories now. The real Rei had gone. Biting the inside of his lip against his emotion, he forced out a sigh and placed the picture on top of the Chinese outfit without a second glance.

He dug through the rest of the items in the box meticulously for the next ten minutes, each time reminiscing on a part of his past, before shaking himself mentally and placing the items in whatever pile he saw fit. It was only when he got to the last item did he pause, hesitancy evident on his tanned face. His hand seemed to move of its own accord as it reached into the box only to retreat with a leather bound book. Bronze eyes studied it quietly for a few moments, an unsettling feeling tickling his senses. He knew that he had seen this book often over the last few years, but had never actually touched it, let alone been able to see it in Rei's possession …

… and holding it in his hand now, he felt strange, elated somewhat. For what he held in his hand was Rei's diary - solid proof of Rei's existence, of his thoughts and memories. His elation increased bit by bit the more he thought about it. This diary was a link between Rei and Lee – a connection to the deceased boy even in death.

Hands shaking, he slowly flipped the book over, studying it carefully, imagining in his head, Rei doing the same thing. He paused suddenly, doubt spiralling into his mind as he realised what he was eager to do: He was ready to infiltrate a private sanctuary … a private sanctuary that wasn't his … a private sanctuary that he had no right to see. His heart sinking at the thought, Lee sighed dejectedly and placed the diary on top of his growing personal pile.

He gazed at it intently for a few minutes, body completely and utterly still save for the barest rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He was drawn to it; anyone in his position would be. Would it really matter if he read just a few pages? Would it really betray the trust of his friend, his crush, who was now dead? Realistically speaking, there were no boundaries now. There would be no objections from the owner of the diary …

Reluctantly, he reached forward again and fingered the leather book delicately with one finger. His thoughts were primarily on the diary, pondering whether or not to just open it and read to his hearts content. For all he knew, he could stumble across something important. Just as he was about to reach out and open the diary, a loud growl echoed in his mind. He jumped, startled and scooted back away from the diary.

"… Galeon?" His bit-beast growled again in his mind, warning him against his actions, eyes flashing dangerously. Lowering his eyes, Lee felt a wave of shame consume him. "I'm sorry … I won't … I won't read it." The growl lowered to a deeply content purr and Lee almost chuckled, though he refrained from doing so, eyes straying dejectedly to the diary. He got up quickly, grabbing it in his ascent and stuffed in the drawer of his bed-side table. If he couldn't read it, then he knew he couldn't keep it in sight. A temptation like this could easily get the better of him.

A frown creased his forehead as he gazed at the shut drawer, unable to tear his eyes away. A heavy, abrupt knock managed to do the job seconds later, and he jumped, whipping around to stare at his door curiously.

He moved forward silently, and grabbed the handle in one hand before pulling it open. A petite pink haired girl stood on his door step, fidgeting slightly. Lee felt a warm wave of affection envelope him as he stared down at his sister. Her head tilted up and her eyes met his. She clasped her hands in front of her, wringing them slightly. "Lee …?"

He remained silent, just waiting for Mariah to say something.

"It's been ages since I've been able to look you in the eyes, let alone be around you for what you did … but I can't do that anymore," she paused, gazing at him intently, "You're my brother, and no matter what … you'll always be there for me, and it's just making things between us strained, and I hate that."

Lee smiled, wordlessly pulling the short girl towards him and hugging her to his chest protectively. "Thank you, Mari'"

Mariah relaxed into his hold, easily admitting that she had missed this. She hadn't completely forgiven Lee for his misdeeds, but after distancing herself from him and having to endure guilty and lost expressions from him for three weeks, she had to cave in. They had always been close and doing this had only harmed their relationship. "I still think you're an idiot though."

Lee merely chuckled atop her head. "I know."

Gazing over his shoulder, Mariah found her eyes widening, a strand of pink hair tickling her nose as she turned to look at Lee, curiosity splayed across her clear features. "Are those Rei's things?"

Lee nodded, suddenly feeling awkward. He had known for a long time, in fact, everyone had known about Mariah's infatuation with Rei. It had lasted a good couple of years, and had started long before Lee had discovered his own feelings towards the other. The pink-haired girl had been extremely upset by the boy's death, but had taken it in good stride, explaining to Lee that she viewed Rei as another brother, her infatuation, having not been returned dimming down into brotherly love. Though even with this little bit of knowledge, Lee still felt somewhat awkward.

She allowed her eyes to ghost over the little piles. "Found anything interesting?"

Lee rolled his eyes and stepped back, letting the girl over the threshold. "Have a look yourself."

Golden eyes, so similar to Rei's, lit up, and Lee felt a pang in his chest. The girl immediately bounded past him and proceeded to make a mess of his neatly arranged piles. Shaking his head, bronze eyes lightening with fondness, Lee closed the door and watched Mariah sift through the items and objects curiously, little exclamations escaping her once in a while.

It took him a while to notice that these exclamations were becoming sparse and less jubilant in his haze of thoughts. When he finally raised his head, he realised that Mariah had tears cascading down her cheeks silently as she took hold of the photo that had touched Lee earlier on. Without a word, he stepped forward and gathered the shuddering girl into his arms – both wallowing in united grief.

x.x.x.x.x

Hilary let out a puff of air, frustration evident on her features as she gazed despondently at a book she had been trying, and failing, to read for the past couple of hours. It wasn't her fault that her thoughts kept straying to Kai. After all, ever since Kiyoko had diligently sent her off to buy groceries, she hadn't seen the other boy. She only knew that he was resting and that he had suffered from something strange, somehow linked to insomnia.

She bit her lip as she pondered this quietly. Kiyoko had said that Kai was suffering from insomnia … but Spencer had mentioned that Kai had suffered from it before, after he had escaped from the Abbey. The symptoms were the same, but the effects were completely different.

Ruby eyes gazed blankly down at the book as these thoughts whirled around in her head. She was worried. That much was obvious. But she had absolutely no idea what to do. She didn't want to go barging into Tala and Kai's room and demand to see Kai, because, though a sound idea, would probably result in a good smack across the head. She thought about going to talk to Spencer and Bryan, but the blond had holed himself up in his room and had refused to come out unless something important had happened, and Bryan … well Bryan had headed to the gym as soon as he had gotten back to release some of his pent up anger and anxiety.

Then that just left Kiyoko.

Humming, Hilary put the book down, ignoring the fact that she forgot to mark her page, because really, she hadn't been paying a single bit of attention. She stood up and stretched, absently rubbing her arm as she headed to her door. Swinging it open, she poked her head out and peered around. Finding that no one was there and that the house was virtually silent, she tip-toed over to Kiyoko's room. She rapped on the door softly, and upon hearing a soft 'Come in', slid into the room.

Kiyoko glanced up from her notebook when Hilary came in, her hand pausing in its writing. Offering the other girl a small smile, she carefully put her pen down and placed the notebook on her bedside table, motioning for the slightly younger girl to come closer.

Returning the smile somewhat weakly, Hilary walked further into the room and finally took a seat on the edge of Kiyoko's bed, swinging her legs up and crossing them. Kiyoko watched her for a few seconds, studying her face intently before sighing.

"You're worried about Kai?"

Hilary merely nodded.

"Me too." Kiyoko paused, eyes averted to her window. "I spoke with Doctor Carlisle a while ago, and he assures me that this was to be expected, what with all the stress he's been through …"

"But …"

"But what happened, and what Spencer told me doesn't add up. I don't know … I just feel like there's something else happening. Or maybe I'm just reading too far into it."

Hilary remained silent, her mind working suddenly, "I don't think it's anything more than we think it is."

Kiyoko frowned. "No?"

"No. Kai's … been through a lot, and mentally and emotionally … I don't think he's too stable, so maybe, just maybe, this is just something that is expected from someone like him."

Kiyoko hummed in thought, taking Hilary's words very seriously. After all, Hilary has known Kai for quite a while. She smiled softly, silver eyes turning to focus on the other girl. "You're probably right."

Hilary grinned. "Of course I'm right." The grin dimmed down to an uncertain smile as ruby eyes gazed upon the fretful nurse. "Hey … how about we listen to some music to pass the time … you know, distract us a bit."

Kiyoko bit her lip in contemplation before nodding, brightening up at the spontaneous idea. Hilary grinned and jumped up off of the bed and flounced off towards the little stereo by the window. Flicking it on, she shrieked happily and grabbed Kiyoko's arm, proceeding to force the girl into dancing to one of her favourite songs.

Spencer growled softly, burying his head further into his pillow, attempting to drown out the sudden music filtering through his bedroom wall. As soon as he had made sure that Kai was somewhat fine, he had isolated himself in his room, but soon got bored of mindlessly watching the door and fell asleep. Now, that sleep evaded him as he grabbed the pillow and stuffed it over his head.

The music wasn't loud, in fact, one could barely hear it, but the vibrations it coaxed out of the wall and the floor were enough to jolt Spencer out of his nap.

He rolled over after a few minutes, deciding that it was pointless trying to get back to sleep. Kicking off his blankets, he crossed his arms behind his head and gazed up at the ceiling intently, mind drifting.

He realised belatedly, that the music wasn't the only thing that had woken him up … something else was bothering him. Scrunching his eyes closed, he thought of what it could be, but after twenty minutes of thinking and no conclusion, he decided to give up. Shrugging broad shoulders, he yawned and stretched, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed until his feet touch the carpeted ground.

A harsh thump echoed lightly through his room, and Spencer froze, a frown touching his forehead. He quickly shrugged it off, putting it down to Hilary and Kiyoko. Stretching, he stepped over to his cupboard and took out a royal blue jumper. Pulling it over his head as he walked, he left his room and went downstairs, in dire need of a coffee fix.

Fluffing up dishevelled blond hair, Spencer found his gaze wondering over to the CCTV screen focused on their front door and back door. Noting that the coast was clear and that nothing was amiss, he proceeded over to the coffee machine and made himself a strong coffee.

He sighed contently once he had his coffee mug in his hands and peered into the dark concoction almost lovingly. Inhaling the sharp, bitter aroma, he brought the mug up to his lips and took a long drawn out sip. He relished the hot liquid running down his throat, eyes closing in bliss.

Spencer could openly admit it: he was a coffee addict. He could barely stand going through four hours of the day without a cup of it. If he did, he would get irritable and had a small tendency to growl, but he had learnt to be careful who he growled at – Kai had gotten so annoyed at one point that he threw a mug at his head … and then proceeded to apologise profusely with Bryan cackling like a mad man in the background.

Spencer chuckled to himself at the memory and opened his eyes. Lazily, green eyes flickered back over to the CCTV monitoring screen, and suddenly widened. A breathless gasp escaped his lips and the mug in his hands shattered under the grip of Spencer's clenched fist. Ignoring the small stabs of pain in his fist and the burning of coffee on his flesh, he fled the kitchen and raced towards the front door, hoping that he wasn't too late.

He almost tore the door open in his haste to get out and pounded down the driveway, eyes flickering wildly in all directions, but there was no one in sight. The road was clear and silent. Shaking his head and running a tense hand over his face, Spencer tried to calm his racing heart.

Maybe he had imagined it … maybe …

"No …" He knew that what he'd seen was real. There was no mistaking it. Eyebrows drew into a pained frown as he whipped back around and back towards the house.

Completely forgetting to close the front door, he raced down the hallway and up the stairs, breathing harsh and heavy in his panic. His feet stumbled to a hasty stop in front of Tala and Kai's room, the door of which was slightly open.

Swallowing the lump that had settled uncomfortably in his throat, he reached a large hand forward and gently pushed open the door. The wood barely creaked or made a sound as it swung open revealing a scene that almost froze the blood in his very veins. "… Tala …?"

Pained blue eyes rose slowly, tears still trailing from them and down pale cheeks. "… He's gone … he left me …"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Spencer backed away, his broad back hitting the wall as he slumped down it, gazing at Tala in shock, hurt flitting across his features. "No …"

Tala turned away, hands fisting the chain in his hand, his body trembling with the effort of suppressing the sobs that ached to come out. He wanted to scream, to pound his fists into the floor. He wanted to run, to hide. He wanted to die. He couldn't live without Kai … yet he had let the younger boy leave without a word, without an attempt at dragging him back. He had let his soul mate walk out and he hadn't followed …

His tears fell harder, dripping off his chin and falling into oblivion. "Kai …" His body ached, his head hurt and his heart was bleeding. "KAI!" His anguished scream split through the air piercingly, heart-breakingly as he buried his face in his hands and finally submitted to the sobs that tore at his throat. "KAI!"


Dx My plot bunnies need shooting. xS -sighs- This chapter may not seem important, but I assure you it plays its part.

I'm afraid to say (though most wouldn't complain) that things WILL get worse soon enough.

But other than that ... did you guys enjoy the chapter?? Hmmm??

Review please!! -bribes with a chibi Kai plushie-