Due to time constraints, there will be no review response to this chapter. My deepest apologies! Please don't let that stop you from reviewing, because I do read and appreciate each and every one more than you could possibly know. If you had any questions for the previous answer that you really need answered, please contact me via LJ or email.

Out of them all, this chapter may have been the most fun to write.

Aya didn't know what was going on, but everything inside him that had ever been hurt was thriving on the attention.

Schuldig had woken him up early with kisses and teasing. He had "helped" him to shower and dress and taken him out to breakfast, saying only of Yohji: "He's gone to get you a surprise. You and I have all glorious day to ourselves."

Aya loved Yohji, but that didn't change the fact that he loved Schuldig, too.

And it had been far too long since he had spent some quality time with his telepath.

It was…nice.

So nice, in fact, that Aya found himself smiling and laughing, even flirting, with his companion. Schuldig's company had always been enjoyable, thrilling, exciting, but it was even moreso without the weight of Yohji's "death" hanging over Aya.

He was in love and he was bound and determined to enjoy it to its fullest.

At least for today.

He had learned, after all, how temporary such happiness could be, and he didn't intend to be fool enough to waste it again.

It had been a good day.

Every day had been a good day, every since he had woken in the hospital bed to find them both at his side. A part of him suspected that this new, wonderful existence was too good to last.

The rest of him was too happy to listen.

Aya and Schuldig had been laying together on the couch for nearly two hours now, Aya half-napping and Schuldig seemingly content to amuse himself by simply holding him, stroking his arm or hair, kissing him.

When Yohji walked in, the troubled expression on his face vanished immediately at the sight of them. He crossed the room quickly to kneel beside the couch. Without preamble, he cupped the back of Aya's head and leaned forward to kiss him – a wonderfully solid, heated kiss.

Schuldig gave the blonde a slow, languorous smirk as the taller man drew back.

"Is it done?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"What?" Aya asked.

Yohji looked at him, but kissed him again, rather than answering. Aya realized that there was something desperate about him that had nothing to do with passion. When the kiss ended, the blonde gathered him almost too tightly in his arms and buried his face against his shoulder.

"Aya…" he murmured, clutching him to him.

"Whatever is the matter, Sonnenshein?" Schuldig asked in concern, reaching to brush his fingers through Yohji's hair.

"Nothing." Yohji was obviously lying. It was also obvious that he had no intention of otherwise answering. "Just let me stay here. With you."

In the remaining days leading up to their meeting with Ken and Omi, Yohji was very quiet. He at last told Aya that he had gone to break his ties with his wife, but he refused to say anything else, refused to tell either of them what was wrong.

During those days, though he was quiet, he was also more affectionate than usual with both Aya and Schuldig. They certainly couldn't ask him what was wrong. They were both enjoying the increase in affection, and didn't want him to think otherwise.

But they knew that something was bothering him, and Aya wouldn't let Schuldig use his powers to find out. They were stuck, wondering.

"You two are going to behave yourselves, aren't you?" Ken asked by way of greeting as the trio walked into the lobby of his hotel.

"'Two'?" Aya asked.

A grin spread across his face.

"I think I can trust Yohji, at least, to behave."

"Hell," Yohji mumbled, "Someone must have messed with your memories, too."

Aya looked at him sharply as Ken laughed, but Yohji refused to look at him. Today whatever had been bothering him seemed to be worse than ever.

Schuldig just stared at Ken as the former athlete offered his hand to shake.

"If Aya can put up with you, then I can, too." Ken explained with a smile. "Truce?"

"He agrees." Aya said before Schuldig could take the opportunity to make an ass out of himself.

"You speak for me now, Veilchen?"

"Yes."

"At least pretend to hesitate before answering!" the telepath laughed, glancing over his shoulder as the lobby doors opened once more.

"Am I the last to arrive?" Mamoru Taketori asked pleasantly, entering with Nagi at his heels.

Ken greeted the youngest former Weiss with a smile and a hug. "I guess the party's all here then. Should we go upstairs?"

A characteristically huge smile spread itself across Mamoru's face as he returned Ken's hug and, over the athlete's shoulder, caught sight of Yohji.

"Yotan!" he greeted enthusiastically, eyes shining with moisture as he moved to hug the lanky blonde. "It's so wonderful to see yo-!"

His words were cut off sharply as, before he could touch him, Yohji pulled back and punched him. They all stood, frozen with surprise, as Mamoru went flying.

Yohji, body trembling with rage, moved as if to continue his assault, stopping only when Nagi neatly interjected himself into his path.

"Out of my way, Prodigy."

"I can't do that, Balinese."

"Bastard brings a damn bodyguard to a reunion – get up, Omi! Call off your dog, and get the hell up!"

The young man's hand went to his jaw, though he made no other move to get up.

"Yohji…why?"

"Don't! Don't you dare play that innocent act with me!"

"Yohji – chill out, man. What's wrong?" Ken asked. He considered approaching, but dismissed the idea due to the fury literally radiating off his friend. "Can't we at least do this somewhere private?"

"No one will notice." Schuldig informed him in a quiet murmur.

For the first time, Ken glanced away from the confrontation and noticed for the first time that everyone else was going about their business as if they couldn't even see the group of former assassins.

"Get up, Omi!" Yohji raged.

"I don't want to fight with you, Yotan."

"That's too fucking bad, isn't it!"

Yohji made to push past Nagi and attack again. The former Schwarz didn't move, but suddenly Yohji went flying backwards to strike a wall.

Aya hurried to the blonde's side, though Schuldig stayed where he was. The telepath was staring at Mamoru and Nagi with a small, suspicious frown creasing his brow.

Yohji picked himself up slowly, brushing off Aya's hands as the small redhead tried to help him.

"Just tell me why, Omi!" he demanded.

Nagi had moved to help his employer to his feet. Mamoru looked up, eyes large and innocent.

"Why what, Yotan?" he asked helplessly. "What have I ever done to make you attack me like this?"

"Cut the act, Omi! You stole Aya from me!"

The group became still and silent at Yohji's furious cry. The woman behind the lobby desk answered a ringing phone casually, neither hearing nor seeing them.

Mamoru had gone deathly pale at Yohji's accusation, but he attempted a humorous smile.

Aya began to shake as the truth hit him like a slap in the face.

"I don't know what these sillies have been telling you, Yotan," he said with a shaky smile. "But there's never been anything between Ayan and I. So how could I have possibly stolen him from you?"

"Don't. Don't pretend not to understand; don't pretend to be innocent!" Yohji's voice was quiet now, deadly. "You made me forget him. You stole my memories, my life…my Aya."

"Fucking…bastard…" Aya whispered, staring in disbelief at the man he had once called friend.

All expression vanished from Mamoru's face, wiped away as completely as if it had never been.

"Ayan…Yotan…"

"I want my memories back, Omi."

"My name is Mamoru."

"No! You don't get to be Mamoru, Omi! That's just an escape so you won't feel bad about betraying your fucking friends! You are Omi-fucking-Tsukiyono, and you know exactly what you've done!"

"It…he hurt you! You wanted to forget!"

"It wasn't your job to make that happen!"

"You don't understand!"

Yohji took a threatening step forward, but stopped as Nagi stepped in front of him once more.

"You've got a week, Omi." Yohji informed him, dropping his fists. "Find the telepath you used to take my memories, and give them back to me."

"You…?"

"A week, Omi. Or I'll fucking kill you."

"You can try." Nagi said quietly.

"He won't be alone." Aya assured him.

"No," Schuldig agreed quietly. "He won't."

Silence passed among the group.

"Yohji…you wouldn't really…" Mamoru said at last. "You couldn't…"

"But I could." Aya swore fiercely, eyes blazing with fury.

Mamoru dropped his eyes reluctantly and nodded.

The car ride home had been completely silent. Schuldig had been the only one steady enough to drive, and so he had taken the place behind the wheel, silently suggesting to Aya that he and Yohji sit in the back seat together.

Aya had agreed, and spent the ride pressed to the blonde's side, clutching his hand the entire time.

"Schuldig?"

The flame haired man glanced into the living room where Yohji had gone to sit – alone – when they'd come home. He reached out, absently brushing his fingertips against Aya's cheek before looking back to the smaller redhead.

"Go talk to Yohji," he requested quietly.

"You…aren't coming with me?"

A small smile. Schuldig drew Aya into his arms and held him tightly.

"This is Weiss business, and I've no place in it," he said quietly, nuzzling Aya's hair. "I'm going to go and make dinner – you take the privacy to work this out."

He pulled back only enough to kiss him, a gentle thing. Aya caught a glance at his lover's sad eyes before the telepath released him and headed for the kitchen.

Aya considered going after him, but knew he had to talk to Yohji.

Later. He wouldn't sleep tonight until he had spoken to the both of them.

"How did you know it was Omi?"

Yohji lifted his head from where it had been resting in his hands, and he stared at Aya as the man entered the room.

Aya returned his stare, eyes seeming to burn into his very soul, as he took a seat in the armchair across from the couch on which Yohji sat.

"I asked Asuka when I went to take the divorce papers to her," he answered at last, quietly.

"Aa."

Aya continued to study him, as if unsatisfied with his answer. Yohji leaned back in his chair, clenching his hands into fists.

"Gods. I want to kill him, Aya. I want to hurt him, make him suffer, and then I want to kill him."

"We'll get your memories back." Aya promised him quietly, unreadable as ever.

"It's not that he stole my memories." Yohji ground out, refusing to look at him.

"No?"

"He stole my memories of you, Aya. You!"

"Why does that matter more?" he asked softly.

"I love you, all right, Aya? I'm in love with you!" he glanced at Aya then, finding the man staring at him with clear surprise. "Is that all right with you?" he demanded. "I love you – and if I loved you half as much then as I do now, then losing you would have…" he hesitated, then shook his head. "It would have destroyed me."

"Yohji…"

"And he made me forget you."

He let silence fall, staring at Aya, Aya staring back at him. At last, Aya rose and crossed, sitting next to Yohji and reaching for his hand.

Yohji took it and squeezed it tightly, reaching with his other hand to cup Aya's face.

"I've wanted to tell you, Aya. I love you."

He leaned in to kiss him, but Aya drew back, fear in his eyes.

"I thought you would be happy." Yohji whispered. "Don't you want me to love you?"

"I am. I do."

"What's wrong then?"

"You said…you said that losing me would destroy you…but you've lost me before. I hurt you. I told you, remember?"

"Aya, I would forgive you anything."

"Don't give me promises neither of us can be sure of."

"There's nothing you could ever do or say to make me stop loving you, Aya. I swear it."

He reached for Aya, and this time the man let him. Yohji gathered him close and proceeded to do nothing more than hold him as tightly as possible.

It was a long time before Aya realized that they were being watched. The familiar weight of Yohji's arms around him, so tight and strong. The beating of his heart, the rhythm of his steady breathing.

The very scent of him.

It had all come together to lull him almost to sleep, forcing his doubts and fears and worries far away.

He was sure Yohji's eyes were closed, too. The blonde's fingers trailed slowly up and down his arm as he held him, and occasionally he would give a quiet hum of contentment.

But eventually, Aya realized that they were being watched. He opened his eyes and lifted his head.

Schuldig was standing with crossed arms, leaning his shoulder on the doorframe as he watched them with a strange, sad expression on his face.

"Schuldig…?"

"Don't get up," he said quietly. "You two look…sweet."

Aya sat up, concerned.

"Schuldig? What's wrong?"

He shook his head and gave a bittersweet smile.

"It's almost over, isn't it?" he asked.

"Over?"

"In a week, we'll have the telepath – and Yohji will have his memories back in full."

"So what?" Yohji asked quietly. Schuldig's eyes shifted to him for a moment, then back to Aya.

"So…" Schuldig sighed, shrugging with forced casualness. "Neither the Sonnenshien nor I will hate you with the return of his memories. He'll want to be with you, and when it comes to time to choose, he'll be the one you decide you want to be with."

"Schuldig…"

"I know you love me – but you loved him first. I've had plenty of time to resign myself to the idea. At least I'll have the lovely image of the two of you to take with me."

"Who the hell ever said I had to choose?" Aya demanded, rising and taking two steps toward Schuldig.

Yohji sat up quickly. "What?"

"Why the hell do I have to choose between the two of you?"

Schuldig and Yohji exchanged surprised glances.

"You…weren't going to choose?"

"No," Aya glared. "I wasn't. I didn't…I don't…" he sighed, forced himself to take a deep breath. "You both love me, don't you?" he asked helplessly.

"Of course, Veilchen."

"I think we've established that."

Aya nodded once, sharply. "And I love both of you," he stated. "And you love each other."

"Do we?" Yohji glanced at Schuldig, who only nodded.

"So why choose?" Aya demanded, wrapping his arms around himself as if cold. "If this all came to it's conclusion without Yohji hating me…with you…you both still loving me…then why should I choose? Why couldn't we all just…love each other?"

Yohji rose soundlessly, moved to stand near Aya. He wanted to touch him, to hold him, but somehow found that he couldn't.

"It's a good idea," he said quietly.

"Yeah," Schuldig agreed, approaching. "A good idea."

TBC