It was six am at the safe house, a small motel outside the city where Mithril's soldiers were staying after the attack; or at least the remaining soldiers. A few hours after Leonard's strike, Kurtz had found Akira floating in the ocean in his armslave. He had shed a few tears after seeing his dead best friend but decided to say nothing to Akira. There were absolutely no words for what had happened. They stayed in absolute silence all the way back to the safe house as he saw the young boy hold his father's corpse in his arms.

Now... all that could be heard in the motel were Akira's screams in anger and frustration in his room "I've lost it all! I might as well just give up! I might as well just die!"

Tessa hugged him from the back, "Don't you dare say that, please! We can't lose you, I can't lose you", she said, also with tears in her eyes. Akira hold her hands tight but he was so angry at himself for failing his family. He was all his sister had, but now he thought he wasn't good enough to rescue her.

"My mother and father are dead", he said with sadness and turned to look at her, "Why do you insist that I should I keep fighting?"

"Because your sister needs you Akira... We all need you… I need you...", she said looking into his eyes. Her words were so honest and warm. She put her hands on his face and looked into his eyes to cheer him up. She was so close and looked at him with so much love.

"I can't do this anymore", said Akira as she hold him close.

"You have to. For your sister and for you….. and me", said Tessa as she caressed his face. There was something in that action that he wanted to hold on to as strong as he could. Her eyes had broken Akira's shields completely…

He kissed her...

Tessa tried to push him away, but something took over her in that moment. She kissed him back, holding his head and tightening their embrace. He hold her tight towards himself in what seemed like centuries.

"He is too young", she thought to herself and tried to push him back again, but he kept on kissing her with passion, holding her tighter. After fighting in vain, Tessa lost herself completely in that kiss.

…...

"We can't", said Tessa as she stood up from the bed where Akira layed next to her, "We shouldn't had done this", she said to him and look into his eyes with a hint of sadness.

Akira just looked away. "I'm sorry too", he said to her, but deep inside he regretted no telling her what he truly felt.

She stood up and put on her shirt, she looked so beautiful. He couldn't continue keeping his thoughts to himself. He took a deep breath, look into her eyes and said, "You and my sister are all I care now, I wont lose you both... I don't regret this happening even when you do", he said and looked away from her towards the bedroom wall.

Tessa sat in the edge of the bed in silence. She also cared for him in ways she never thought possible, but it was wrong for them to be together.

"You are only seventeen. I'm thirty seven", said Tessa and looked towards the roof. Even though she had said that, she didn't looked a day passed twenty five.

"There are so many ways why this is wrong.", she said as she picked up her skirt.

"I don't think that way", he said and stood up from the bed. He picked up his clothes, got dressed in silence and left the room. In his head Akira thought that maybe she had done "that" because of pity after seeing him look so miserable.

As he left the room, Tessa drop herself on the bed. She couldn't believe she had let this happen, she was supposed to be the grown up. Yet somewhere deep inside her heart she had loved to be with him. She thought that what she had felt for Sousuke years ago was love, but no. The one she truly loved was Akira.

"Tessa he is too young...", she said to herself as she put the cover over her face in shame.

…...

"You did what?!", screamed Mao to the top of her lungs.

"Shut up!", said Tessa as she put her hands to cover the mouth of her stunned friend, trying to divert the other soldiers' attention in the lobby.

"You saw him when he was born! That little baby!", screamed Mao when she got loose of her friends grasp on her.

"I know! I don't know what took over me!", she said as she sat in grief in front of her.

"Are you sure this is not because of Sousuke?", asked her friend.

"I know that for sure", she said and she was right. Akira and Sousuke were so different in some many ways. And the way she felt for them was completely different.

"Do you love him?", asked Mao and took a large sip of her beer.

After some time, Tessa answered, "I don't know"

"Damn it! This is serious shit!", said Mao as she sat on her couch, "You could go to jail you know!"

"Shut up!, please!", she said as she put her hands over her face and tears fell from her eyes.

"What will Sousuke think if he was alive!", Mao said as she took another sip of her beer.

"I...", and then Tessa started crying again. She thought that her friends might be cursing her from heaven. That thought just broke her down.

"Tessa I need you to answer me something. Honestly", said Mao as she looked into her friends eyes, "Do you wanna be with him. Don't think about age or anything else. What does your heart tells you?"

"I… I do", said Tessa and cried again. Mao hold her friend in an embrace.

…

"You did what?!", screamed Kurtz.

"I did it because I love her", said Akira as he kept firing his gun on some cans in the motel's parking lot.

"And what was it like to have sex with the Captain?", said Kurtz laughing.

"I'm not going to tell you that!", screamed Akira in anger and aimed the gun at him.

"Now, seriously. What are you going to do?", asked Kurtz as he pushed the gun away from his face.

"I could die tomorrow, so I don't regret it. Right now the only thing in my mind is getting my sister back safe and putting a bullet through Leonard Tesstarosa. Maybe she just did that out of pity", he said and fired his gun with precession towards the target.

"No woman does that out of pity. But you do know that it's impossible for you two to be together", said Kurtz, which made Akira miss his mark.

"I know. It was a mistake, but one I don't regret", said Akira as he put his gun down, "I just want to keep her safe. I lost my father, my sister and my mother. I don't want to loose her too. I just wanted to hold on to her as hard as I could. I guess that was my mistake"

"You certainly did hold her tight as hard as you could", said Kurtz with a smirk. Akira just stared at him in anger.

"I really don't know what took over me. My father had just died! Am I a freak?", said Akira with a concerned look in his eyes at the thought of the events of last night.

"No… you were vulnerable and in pain. Sometimes we do strange things to avoid feeling hurt. I can't believe the captain took advantage of you", said Kurtz and gave him a pat on the back.

"Maybe I took advantage of her", said Akira and fired another round.

As Akira was aiming his gun towards a Coca Cola can. he saw, in the bottles reflection, a man aiming a gun at him. He immediately turned around and fired, killing the man instantly.

"We are under attack!", he screamed and handed a gun to Kurtz as they dodged bullets from behind a parked car.

"Fucking Leonard", said Kurtz as he shoot other men.

In the cafeteria, Tessa heard the gun fire and took out her pistol. Men ran inside the dinner and shot the soldiers who where sitting in the tables closest to the door. Other men took their guns and aimed at the intruders.

"We just want Testarossa-san. If you give her to us, we will leave you alone let you live", said a man. He seemed to be the leader of the group.

They were outnumbered and unprepared for the attack. There was no choice. She had to go with them in order to avoid more cassualties.

"If your men can guaranttee to leave my people alive, then I'll go with you", said Tessa as she stood up from her hideout.

"What the hell Tessa?", said Mao as she hold her hand to stop her from leaving.

"I have analyzed every scenario. Is the best action at this moment", said Tessa as she pushed her friends hand aside.

The man that took her into custody said, "as long as your men outside stop shooting and let us leave, we will not harm any of them. I give you my word". He pushed her towards the door and out into the parking lot were Kurtz and Akira were firing their guns.

"Tessa!", screamed Akira as he saw her coming from inside the motel in handcuffs.

"Listen to me! Stop firing or everyone will die. That's a certainty and you know it!", said Tessa, as he looked at him in anger.

"I won't", said Akira and aimed the gun towards the soldier.

"Don't be an idiot!", screamed Tessa. Akira knew what she meant and he understood that not firing the weapons will allow them to live, but he couldn't lose her. Again, that feeling of pain and helplessness.

"Tessa..", he said, but was soon interrupted.

"No Akira, please I know how you must be feeling but I'll be ok", she said with a fake smile.

Akira's heart broke into pieces but he knew he had to let them take her, the one she loved.

"I'll get you back. I promise on my life", said Akira and Tessa smiled.

"I know you will. I love you", she said.

"I love you too", said Akira as he saw the men put her in a car.

As the soldiers got ready to leave, Tessa heard through their radio, "kill them", kill them all".