Finally an update! Life is settling down everyone and I'm happy to say that there will be a noticeable increase in update speed. Tomorrow is the last day of school then I have an entire month off to rest and catch up on my writing, both activities I'm looking forward to.

So, you've noticed by now that Axel and Roxas have been absent for a while. In fact the last time we saw them was in the hospital wing after Roxas was shot, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten them! I deliberately left them out of the last chapter entirely because they were…well read this chapter and find out what happened to our happy couple. Enjoy!

Chapter 24

Getaway

"Where the hell are they?"

Demyx squeaked and quickly shut the door he was beginning to open as soon as he heard the cursing. Realizing he'd scared him Riku calmed down, "Sorry, didn't know you were there Demyx."

"It's okay," Demyx said while waving a hand through the ajar door, "Can I come in?"

"Ofcourse," Riku said with a little laugh as the blonde pirate came into the cabin. As the day of Xemnas' return drew near the pirates spent more and more time on the ship to reacquaint themselves with the vessel they were all too familiar with. There was just one major issue which some people were taking better than others, "Have you heard anything?"

Demyx shook his head regrettably, "Nothing, and Axel's phone is still going straight to voicemail." Nobody had seen the couple all week and when they didn't show up at the hospital after the prison incident was made known it became clear they were no longer in the palace.

"Damn it…" Riku was under doctor's orders not to stress, the hole in his stomach still not healed and the deep slit down his arm wasn't doing much better, but at least his throat and head had healed up within 24 hours after he woke up. After the discovery of his missing first mate, as well as the one person who was able to override Xemnas' control over them, all Riku could do was stress, "They picked a damn perfect time to take a honeymoon."

"Calm down Riku, remember what the doctor-" Demyx silenced as he stabbed his dagger he'd been twirling between his fingers into the desk, the blade buried all the way to the guard, "…Never mind," he said with a timid smile. He wasn't about to correct someone as angry Riku. Demyx too was upset about the whole situation but he held onto the hope that they'd be back before the week was out and he tried to think optimistically. That was when he noticed something he knew he had to point out, "Um…Riku, you're bleeding again." Riku looked down and saw bits of blood staining his shirt where the reopened wound had bled through the bandages around them. At this rate the stress would kill him before Xemnas got the chance.

"Do you think this was a bad idea?"

"Ofcourse not," Axel, who had been lying on the couch upstairs, sat up and came over to the guardrail to look down at him, "We haven't gotten any real alone time since we've been on this island."

Roxas knew he was right but he was still having that horrible feeling that something was wrong. It had been his idea to take a vacation and Axel was just as excited about the trip as he was. Down on the cape on the east side of the island was the royal family's winter estate, far from society and a complete secret to the rest of the world.

Axel could tell he was still troubled so he came downstairs while Roxas was distractedly going through one of the closets in search of bed sheets. He jumped a little when he felt Axel wrap his arms around him and press their bodies close together, "It's just you and me Roxas, relax," he said right against his ear, sending a shiver up his spine. Axel knew how to make him forget everything and that was exactly what he was doing right now as he kissed down his neck leisurely. Roxas melted in his arms, tilting his neck to allow Axel better access to the soft flesh.

Axel grinned wickedly as he continued his assault on the skin, one of his hands coming up to Roxas' shoulder and pulling at the shirt so his kisses could travel further. Roxas abruptly stepped out of the embrace and turned on him with a flushed smiling face, "Let's go to the beach," he quickly suggested. Axel felt a bit deserted but the thought of sex on the beach was all too wonderful to pass up so he quickly agreed.

Roxas hurried out ahead of Axel after they'd changed, not at all troubled by the bad feeling he'd had earlier and instead only thinking about now. He stopped at the water's edge and stretched his arms up as he took a deep breath of the salty air. The sun was high, the gulls were flying, and the water was clear. This was the island he knew and loved but up until now hadn't fully taken in its magic, "Hurry up Axel!" he called back over his shoulder.

Axel was taking his time, and it didn't help that Roxas had left him to carry the umbrella, beach blanket, sand buckets, and bag of other things Axel didn't care about, "It's a beach Roxas, do you really need all of this?" he grumbled, trying to keep his eye on the prize though.

"Nah, but it's fun watching you carry it all," Roxas said with a grin. Axel, realizing he'd been played, dropped everything right there and Roxas knew he was in trouble. Free of the weight Axel took off after him much faster than Roxas could ever run, but with a surprised yell Roxas fled down the beach. Axel was catching up quickly and Roxas took an abrupt turn into the water and ran out deeper, still laughing until he realized Axel had stopped chasing him and was standing at the water's edge. Roxas had forgotten completely about Axel's issue with water and he hurried back to the sand, "Sorry about that." The only time he even touched the water was when the waves rolled in and sent it up to his ankles, and even that didn't entirely set well with him.

Roxas hugged him, deliberately getting him wet before asking, "Why are you afraid of the ocean?" It wasn't just the ocean though, it was lakes, pools, waterfalls, and pretty much anything that wasn't a bathtub or shower.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Axel quickly insisted, taking his hand and leading him away from the water, "I just can't go in it."

Roxas didn't understand and now was the chance to ask the question he'd been wondering about for a while, "Why not?"

"It's complicated," Roxas felt like there was something Axel was keeping from him and he wanted to know what it was since there weren't supposed to be any secrets between them. Axel's answer only made Roxas frustrated and he took his hand back and crossed his arms. Axel knew he was annoyed but just grinned and put an arm around him instead, "Don't be upset. You'll ruin beach sex."

"You'd better make it good if you want me to forgive you," was all Roxas said as he tried not to smile.

"That's the third time today," Sora said with a clear note of discontent in his voice as Luxord finished bandaging the wound with clean dressings, "You're never going to get better."

"Oh shut up," Luxord said, surprising them both, "Your brother is missing and if he doesn't come back before the weekend we're all going to die. He has the right to stress."

"Thank you Luxord," Riku didn't expect him to be on his side since he was a doctor, but something bothered him, "But why are you so relaxed?"

"Drugs," Luxord said simply and casually, "Lots, and lots, of drugs." The looks they gave him were of sheer disbelief but he merely shrugged and insisted, "I'm a doctor, I can prescribe as much medication for myself as I like."

Roxas stared up at the moon with a content smile, his arms wrapped around his knees and keeping the blanket pulled snugly around him. The air was chilly and salty, the scent blown in over the gentle waves that reflected the clear night's sky so beautifully. Axel started a fire not too long ago, just as it got dark, which continued to crackle and burn brightly as he sat next to it hours later. Thinking about Axel made him smile and look from the moon to the horizon. All of his worries were gone as soon as they were together and this time away from the others was just what they needed, their relationship stronger than ever. As lame as it would have sounded if he said it out loud, even to himself, Roxas couldn't help but think they were actually like a normal couple he used to imagine while he was growing up.

"Dinner time!"

Roxas looked over his shoulder as Axel came walking towards him from the deck of the beach house with a plate balanced on one hand, bright green swim trunks and a black hooded sweater making one odd attire for the redhead but he was very comfortable and that was all that mattered. Roxas had just learned tonight that Axel was capable of cooking, a feat he was quite sure his lover would avoid at all costs, "You're such a good little housewife," Roxas teased.

"This housewife can take your dinner back you know," Axel warned, stopping behind Roxas and looking down at him warningly with a grin.

Roxas leaned back against his legs and stuck his tongue out mockingly, "It's too late for dinner."

"Well it's your fault we missed dinner, remember?" Axel reminded him as he sat down right there, putting his legs on either side of Roxas and letting the blonde lean back against him. Roxas thought for a few seconds then grinned as he remembered, "Good to know you remember," Axel said with a laugh in his voice as he brought the plate around and set it in Roxas' lap.

"I still can't believe you can cook," Roxas said as he looked over the plate and realized something, "…It's raw." Several rectangles of rice were on the plate with assorted colors of fish atop them.

"It's supposed to be, it's sushi," the blank look on Roxas' face made it clear the food was foreign to him and Axel chuckled a bit, "I'm guessing it's only eaten back in the east." Roxas was taught never to eat food that wasn't cooked, his grandfather scared him and Sora into believing horrible life-threatening diseases came from uncooked food but Axel claimed it was edible. To prove he was right Axel picked up one of the rice and fish squares and put it in his mouth. Roxas watched and waited for the horrible life-threatening disease to take hold but it never did and Axel picked up another piece and held it up to Roxas' mouth, "Try it."

He trusted Axel but he eyed the fish for several minutes before shutting his eyes and opening his mouth. Axel put the piece in his mouth, deliberately grazing his tongue and lips. The rice was sticky and thick but it contrasted deliciously with the salty and slippery fish. It wasn't what he expected and was a unique taste he found rather addicting and before long he'd eaten more than Axel. "You liked it?" Axel asked as Roxas finished the last one and leaned comfortably back against him with a content sigh.

"Very much so," Roxas admitted, patting his belly with a smile, "Where'd you learn how to make that?"

"Growing up back on my island rice was cheep and fish was easy to catch so I improvised," Axel said, not expecting Roxas to look at him like he had something on his face, "What?"

"On your island? I thought you grew up with the circus," Roxas said, confused and curious.

"Nah, the circus was Riku's idea and that was only for two years anyway. Until I was 15 though I was normal," Axel said with a laugh, "What did you think?"

Roxas honestly thought he was born into the circus and never had he even considered Axel living a normal life; it just wasn't suiting for someone like him, "Tell me about it. I never knew you were normal." He didn't mean for it to sound blunt and he hoped Axel didn't take it in the wrong way.

Axel knew he meant no ill and he just shrugged, "It wasn't that eventful. After the folks abandoned me I skipped town to avoid the public's pity on the 'poor little orphan boy' and made friends with Riku. His dad let me stay as long as I worked and when…when things got bad we hopped islands and lived off his inheritance."

"How did things get bad?" Roxas noticed the break in his story and knew there was something Axel wasn't telling him.

"Don't worry about it. Nothing you need to think about," Axel assured him with a smile and a hug, "Anyways like I was saying, we hopped islands with his inheritance just taking in the sights. Then we were robbed blind and woke up on the court house roof with nothing but our underwear." Axel was grateful he didn't ask about that, the look on Roxas' face making it clear he wondered how that happened though. "We managed to stow away on a barge and wound up here where he suggested joining the circus. It was a source of income and the people there wouldn't ask about out history."

"And then he met Sora, and the ringmaster busted you both in the same night so you ended up running again," Roxas finished with what he knew, "Why didn't you tell me all this before?"

"It's not important, that's why," Axel reasoned as he let go of Roxas and lie back in the sand.

Roxas didn't believe that though, "I want to know everything about you Axel."

"Trust me, no you don't," Axel insisted without going into detail, leaving Roxas feeling like once again he wasn't being told something. He wondered what had happened back then that made them have to leave, what made him Axel? Axel clearly didn't want him thinking about that sort of business though and he laughed a bit, "Remember how I said fish were easy to catch? Okay so when I moved in with Riku I continued to make sushi, but from then on I just stole koi from the pond in the yard. Much easier."

Roxas couldn't help but laugh and he shook the blanket out before lying down on top of Axel, his hands folded on his chest and his chin resting on them while Axel pulled the blanket up over them, "It's you're turn. Ask me anything you want."

Axel smiled and brought one of the arms out from behind his back, wrapping it around Roxas securely, "Do you love me?"

"Ofcourse I do," Roxas answered with a smile, surprised by the question since he was expecting something about his own past.

"Then that's all I need to know," Axel said contently. That night the happy couple fell asleep right there under the stars, in love and wanting nothing more than what they had that night.

"What happened to you?"

"I'm fine."

"But those bruises are new and you're bleeding! Let me see…that's from a blade…what happened?"

"Mind your own business."

"Did he do this?"

"It's just from training."

"You're lying. Tell me what happened to you."

"Axel…Would you still be my friend if I killed someone?"

Riku opened his eyes, staring across the desk and out the curtained window. This wasn't the time to dream of things he didn't want to remember, not with enough already on his mind. It took a few minutes to realize where he was: the ship. He couldn't remember falling asleep and wondered if it was because a wound had opened up again and the blood loss caused him to pass out. There was no telling how late it was and he didn't bother looking at his watch, simply not caring, 'Why am I remembering such things now?'

He blamed Axel. He must've been remembering because of all of the stress that damn fool was putting him and all the others through. It was Thursday night, possibly Friday morning now, and Xemnas would be coming over the horizon anywhere between one and 48 hours from now; the one man that could kill them all with one look, and he would do just that. Riku couldn't contain an empty laugh. Xemnas wouldn't kill them. He'd torture them with as cruel of punishments as Satan himself could think of until they were in ruins mentally, emotionally, and physically; then he would force them to kill themselves.

Too many time these past two days had thoughts of Xemnas' return haunted him and he knew the others were just as haunted. Riku had reason to feel worse though, this was all because of him. He started the mutiny and they all trusted him, both then and now. He was supposed to be the one to free them from Xemnas' curse but now all they could do was wait for the return of their former captain and forever controller.

He wanted to hope like the others, hope that Roxas and Axel would return before Xemnas. Unlike the others though, Riku had seen Xemnas at his worst and he lost his eye to him during that meeting, and he knew cruel irony was always waiting around the corner to screw them over with bad fate.

"Riku?"

Riku quickly sat up and looked over at the chair across the desk from him, "Zexion? What are you doing here?"

Zexion looked like he'd been up for a long while, like always, but he looked more so worried, "I came to see if you needed anything. I got out of the hospital a few hours ago and Sora told me you were probably here," he seemed to remember something and he quickly reached under the chair to retrieve a brown bag, "Oh, I made you dinner too but…I think it's gone bad by now…"

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Riku asked. If Zexion had been here that long he should have woken him up or something.

Zexion shook his head though, "You looked tired so I decided to just wait."

"You have unmatched patience," he said with an empty smile, trying to not show how troubled he was.

Smiling at what he assumed was a compliment, Zexion fiddled with the bag in his hands, "So are you okay?" Riku didn't answer and he expected as much. Zexion was genuinely scared and held no hope of Roxas' return in time, his tired expression hiding that fact though. Riku could see he was afraid though, he knew Zexion better than anyone else on the ship and had learned to read him, "I'm a horrible captain aren't I?"

Zexion shook his head quickly, "No, ofcourse not, you're doing great…this isn't your fault Riku." He didn't believe that and Zexion gained energy, "I'm serious. There's nothing you could've done better, what's happening now is just…bad luck."

"…What should I do?" he's asked himself that question every second of every minute since this all started and he had to finally ask someone else.

Zexion smiled and stood up, "Pull yourself together for starters. You're our captain! We're all looking to you with that same question right now, so be the Riku we followed into this mutiny!"

Riku thought about what he said for several moments, was it really that simple? Only one way to know. "Where did you get that sudden burst of energy?" he asked with a bit of a smirk, the first one that didn't look false.

Zexion felt better and could tell he did too, "I've been sitting in that chair for four hours waiting for you to wake up. It built up…And now I feel lightheaded."

"There…it's done," Luxord said as he finished construction on his toast tower, "The almighty Tostian McSyrup."

"I really think you need to cut back on those drugs Luxord," Namine said warily as he got up with the intentions of scaling his tower.

"I think you need to get a tan," he said coldly in response, silencing Namine. Demyx quickly comforted her just as Luxord slipped trying to climb onto the table, falling to the floor and conking his head on his chair. While he was down Xigbar reached over and flicked his tower of toast, sending the crispy bread tumbling to the floor after their architect, who swore loudly as the sticky syrup pieces attacked him.

The atmosphere at the table was bleak as they all held their breath in hopes that any moment Roxas and Axel would come booming through the doors. The doors did open though but it wasn't Roxas and Axel that came in, it was Riku and Zexion but they seemed to be far more alive than the others. "Come to join the misery of our last hours?" Luxord asked from the floor, contemplating trying to lick the syrup off of his elbow.

Neither of them said anything and Riku came over to the table, banging his fist down on the table and with one loud noise, shocking the others back into their senses, "Listen up! If I hear any pessimistic talk like that from this point on there will be hell to pay. What makes you think we're going to lose?"

Nobody said anything right away, surprised by his outburst. Finally Demyx raised his hand, "Because we don't have Roxas and that means-"

"We're still under his curse," Riku finished, "So what? Demyx you've been under it for almost a year now. That's why you're all here now isn't it? I told you I'd get us out of this curse and I will do just that! With or without Roxas we'll beat Xemnas and whatever he brings with him."

Again there was a long silence as they all took in his words, life slowly returning to their eyes and even hope. Luxord pulled himself off the floor and stared across the table at him, "…Why are you so confident?" he sounded dry for the first time since this whole mess began and looked serious.

Riku didn't hesitate to answer and Zexion smiled a little from the doorway he'd been watching from, "Because I'm your captain." And like that there was new hope among the pirates.

So Roxas and Axel took a nice little honeymoon but they sure didn't pick a good time for it. Hope they get back in time…Whew, I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated, and rotten school work is really getting the better of me. This break is just what I need and I'm going to try and have a new chapter up by next Friday. Thank you so much everyone for being patient and I can't apologize enough for my absence. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know it's a bit short compared to others but it's sort of a transition that leads to the next one and they can't be pushed together. Thank you for reading and as always I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

If I don't get to update before Christmas I want to go ahead and wish you all a very happy holliday now!