Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they belong to Square Enix/Disney and Tetsuya Nomura.

Chapter 21

Squall had left had once Cloud had made the discovery of the note on Roxas' pillow and the typical, stereotypical knotted bed sheets rope dangling out the window which had lead into the alleyway between their house and the neighbor's house. Cloud had asked him to leave in case it came to a point that Roxas may have run off somewhere and there was a chance that he might run to Squall's house as a form of protection and security because returning home was not going to be the thing on Roxas' mind because he knew his brother was going to be on a warpath if he did return.

"…Roxas," Cloud softly sighed as he read the note, crumpling it into a ball before storming downstairs to ring up Squall.

"Hello?" Squall answered groggily; he had been sound asleep when the phone ring and had fallen asleep the minute he had gotten home.

"Squall, its Cloud."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Roxas…"

"Now what's wrong?"

"He's gone."

"What do you mean 'he's gone'?"

"It's just like I said, 'HE'S gone'!"

"Calm down, he couldn't have gotten far…"

Squall started to get out of bed, pulling on his shirt and pants as well as pair of shoes, knowing Cloud, the next words would be for him to come over and help him go out and look for the boy. But that wasn't what Cloud told him next as the man went on with the conversation.

"Do you think…do you think he went to that place?"

Squall ran a hand down his face, "I couldn't put it past him, but he probably has his reasons."

Silence came over the receiver on Cloud's side…

"Cloud?"

"I'm here…"

"I suggest you not worry about him, I'm sure he'll make the right decision and come home…"

"I hope you're right…"

"Don't worry about him."

A voice could be heard in the background on Cloud's end as he heard what could've only been the sound of Squall turning around to look at the sight in his bedroom doorway, "Squall, what's wrong?"

The man turned to address the visitor, "Its nothing, Sora, just go back to bed," the boy seemed to take and heed the words as Squall returned to the call with a defeated sigh, "I'll call you back."

"I'll call you with any new news…"

"Good night, Cloud…"

"Night."

The became silent once more and it would remain that way for many days until something could come along to change that silence, but would it bring the news he wanted to hear or would it bring news that he did not want or needed to hear? As it was, only time would and could tell him that answer, no one had a simple answer for the questions on Cloud's mind. Only Roxas knew the answers.

The Organization XIII Family had gathered together in the Main Room of the Boss' home as Xemnas sat in the Drawing Room, reading an old literature book to keep him self busy; the others were around, but not too far away to be at the beck and call of the man should anything come up.

"Sir, it seems we have a Visitor at the front door," Lexacaus solemnly remarked to the man as he stuck his head into the Study.

A soft, dark smile crossed Xemnas' face as if he knew who the Visitor was, "Thank you, show the Guest in if you would please," the man softly closed the book in his hands closed as the doors shut, "…It seems the scapegoat I put in place has returned for the slaughter…"

Zexion was seated in the Living Room reading, "Hamlet"; it seemed to symbolize the Mob Family in a way minus the backstabbing to kill young Hamlet with the tragic end of Ophelia, Hamlet's Uncle, and Mother as well as young Hamlet at the end of the dramatic and macabre tale. Luxord and Demyx were playing cards while Larxene and Marluxia watched their game to see if Demyx would ever catch on that anytime he played against the Card Shark, Luxord, that the men was well known, well versed and a well played player at the game of Cards due to he liked to cheat. Xigbar and Xaldin kept watch at the doors as Saix appeared in the Drawing Room through a secret passage, to be at the Boss side in secret should the man need his assistance.

"The boy has returned?" Saix appeared at the man's side, a slight sound of a happy growl in his throat, almost guttural and filled with a blood lust in it in the way it wavered out of his voice.

Xemnas glanced up at the man, "Yes, he did manage to take the fall for all that happened back at the Club that night, but we need to make sure we can trust him to not have told the police all we've done and plan to do still," his voice was a mix of anger and hatred for the boy, but that had to remain hidden as the boy was escorted into the room, "Time to see if he' still worth keeping alive."

The door opened to reveal the blond teen with a smug look on his face, "Hello Boss, I'm back home," he respectfully removed his fedora, bending at the waist; it would be about the last time the boy would ever have to bow for any man.

The final curtain was preparing to fall for Roxas as he walked in and heard the door shut behind, the same was being done as what may have been the last time for the Twilight Jazz club; it was closing its doors one last time.

Luxord ascended to the Microphone for what may be the last time to introduce the Jazz band, "Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to what may be the last night for this hopping Jazz Club. So, I ask that you make this possibly last night the most craziest and loudest night this club has ever seen and the biggest racket the neighbor's have ever heard," the sound of a horn blowing started the band up into a lively chorus of sounds as the crowd roared into cheers and laughter, especially towards the last remark.

The Club gradually grew louder and louder as the music grew in sound, tempo, and speed; no one cared for the sweat beading on their brows, the sounds of the band, the sight of flappers dresses flapping with their beads into a variety of color and sight with the way the light hit the beads. It all danced in a flurry of sight, sound and lights; the same could've been said for the speed of the meeting between Xemnas and Roxas residing in the Drawing Room.

"Sorry to hear about your misfortune with the cops, kid," Xemnas calmly said as his eyes motioned for Saix to leave the room so that the two men could talk alone without interruption or witnesses at it may have been and would turn into.

Roxas watched the movements about him; he had been with the Family long enough to know to never let your guard down, "I guess you planned it that way, why?" the boy's voice was dripping with sarcasm, but his eyes were ever watching Saix's every move.

"Hmph, not only are you smart and bright, you also have a smart mouth and wit that may end up getting you to the top or…" Xemnas paused as he now stood in front of Roxas; his amber eyes glowing with anger, "get you killed."

Upon those fateful words, the Jazz Club's music struck up to a high fevered pitch as the music and dancers grew faster and louder as the band raced in pitch and tempo to create an even more lively tune that filled the Club and the dancer's ears, just filling them with the needed energy to keep up the speed and pace. A lively tune was playing as the band disregarded the numbing pain dancing through their fingertips or the blisters forming. The flappers sequences were nearly flying with the dresses as the boa feathers on the headdress bands about their heads seemed to resemble withering flowers.

"Keep it going boys! This'll be a night to remember!" Demyx shouted over the din as his hair started to become plastered to his head from the sweat that had beaded on his head from the heat forming in the confined Club.

Back at the Manor, those of the Family that had been sitting in the Living Room had tired of their previous activities as a small radio turned on a soft but upbeat tune in which the Members started to pair and begin to slow dance as well as softly sing along with the tune. Larxene had asked to join Marluxia upon the small dance floor to dance along with the tune as the others continued to softly sing along with the lively tune; the music, their singing and the sounds of the footsteps against the floor were helping to silence out the sounds between the Boss and Roxas in the Drawing Room.

"Why are you doing this?" Roxas gurgled out through the tightening, boa constrictor like grip on his throat.

Xemnas slammed the teen into a wall as he continued to throttle the teen as his hands wrapped tighter and tighter about the boy's throat, "I have reason to doubt your loyalties to this Family, you had plenty of time to tell the cops all you know about is and all we do!" his anger grew to a fevered pitch as he snarled out the words through gritted teeth as he watched and reveled in the way Roxas' face turned blue.

Roxas could feel his body and his eyes getting heavy as he started to feel light headed due to the lack of oxygen to his brain that was in long stretches of time being deprived from him by the man's squeeze on his throat. There were countless times he wanted to make a move or make his body go limp to make the torture stop, but it would be that simple. Xemnas wanted to cherish this. After what seemed like an eternity, his body finally gave in but as it started to do that, he felt those cold hands wrenched away, but why? The only fleeting sound he heard next was the sound of punches being thrown and then he heard his own body hit the floor. It was then that he had started to hear the all too familiar sounds of gun shots as they rang out into the night air, but he couldn't tell who or what the shots were being fired at and if they had hit their desired target.

"Roxas, Roxas…Roxas…come on, open your eyes, please, don't you go dying on me kid," there was a voice that was in Roxas' ears, far off and distant, but it was growing closer and clearer, "Open the door! For the love of God open th--"

"Get in here, I will not have you using the Lord's name in vain, come in quickly," the Minister of the Church that Axel had been pounding upon its doors, ushered him in before he caused anymore sound.