Skyl3r-M0on: Hello beautiful people! Here's the next and final chapter.

Ikuto: WHAT?

Amu: Excuse me?

Rima: Oh heellll nooo!

Skyl3r-M0on: Calm down! Yes, this is the last chapter. I had planned on making the story a bit longer, but I felt like this was the perfect place to end the story.

Amu: PLEASE NO! *crying*

Skyl3r-M0on: I'm sooorrryyy please don't cry :(

Amu's P.O.V.

"I'm here to see Hinamori Tsumugu." I told the nurse at the desk.

"Oh you must be Amu." She said as she got up from her seat with a clipboard in hand. She motioned for me to follow her and I didn't waste time. Ikuto was with me holding my hand for support and I was grateful for that. I don't think I would've been able to go through this alone.

"You won't have long to visit because the morphine might take affect any minute." The nurse informed.

I nodded and soon we were standing outside of his room. My heart was beating a mile a minute and my palms were sweaty with nerves.

"Here we are." The nurse said. "If you need anything I'll be at the front desk."

I shyly smiled and nodded before she turned and walked town the hallway we had just came from, leaving Ikuto and I standing outside the room that my father was in.

I didn't know why I came in the first place. He was a horrible father. An abusive, alcoholic, deadbeat father that didn't deserve my attention, and yet here I was standing outside his hospital room. What would I even say? Since he called me at school that one day all I've been saying to him was to get out of my life and to never speak to me ever again.

I took a deep breath and felt Ikuto squeeze my hand in reassurance. I squeezed back before slowly opening the door.

He looked like crap. More than usual, and the dark circles under his eyes did him no justice. There were a few scratches that covered his face and from what I could see from where I was standing he had to get stiches on a cut near his right temple. He was a wreck.

"I didn't think you'd actually come." He said quietly I almost didn't hear him. He didn't turn to look at me when he said it though. He gaze stayed straight ahead as he stared at nothing.

"Yeah well I'm here." I shot back.

"So why did you come?" He asked, this time he turned and looked at me. Ikuto and I walked further into the room, but kept a safe distance from him. It wasn't like he could do much in his condition, but I didn't was to risk it.

"I came to see if you're okay." I said softly.

"Why? I thought you hated me," He said. He looked a little shocked. "that you wanted nothing to do to with me."

I sighed and grabbed a chair near by. I pulled it close to his bed and sat down, Ikuto stood silently behind me. "Yeah, I know what I said, but you're still my dad, and also my last living relative. As much as I hate you, I still don't want you to die."

"But you'd just rather have me out of your life right?" He asked quietly. Now he was staring and fiddling with his hands in his lap. Now that I was closer, I could see that his left shoulder was wrapped up in gauze and that's where I assumed he got shot. So I guess it's safe to say that the bullet didn't hit any vital organs. That sent a wave of relief through me. He was okay.

"Well when you put it like that it sounds kind of harsh." I chuckled humorlessly. "But yes, it'd be best if you weren't in my life."

"But what if I changed Amu?" He asked as he stared me down, his eyes pleading and desperate.

I opened my mouth to tell him that it wouldn't work but he cut me off. Asshole.

"What if I stopped drinking, smoking, everything!" He begged. "What will it take for you to forgive me?"

I'd never seen my father cry. Ever. Not even when mom passed away. He kept it all in and didn't shed a tear because he wanted to stay strong. So I just assumed that him holding all those emotions in were what made him go to alcohol to cope. But right this second I saw a single tear escape and drip down him bruised cheek.

"I don't know if I'm ready yet." I whispered. This time I was the one fiddling with fingers as I tried to think. My mind was clustered and a mess. I didn't know what to do.

I hated this man more than anything, but I was so tired of it. I didn't like hating my own father. I mean before the accident he was the best father in the world. He was my hero and I miss that dad. The one that would watch movies with me when I was upset, the one that would take me out for ice cream whenever I aced a test. I miss him.

Not the father that's laying front of me with cuts and bruises all over him. Not this father who always smelled like liquor and smoke wherever he went. This father sickened me down to the core, but at the same time I didn't want to completely shun him out of my life. Deep down I knew that I wanted him in my life, but only after he got his life back on track.

"Amu, I'm willing to do anything for you." He pleaded. "Anything. I just want to be in my little girls life again."

That hit home. He always called my his little girl and I couldn't help the small smile that graced my face, but almost as quick as it came, it was wiped off and a stern look too it's place.

I looked him dead in the eyes to show him that I wasn't messing around as I said the next few words. "Go to rehab."

He looked at me like I'd grown another head. "What?"

"If you want to be back in my life again," I started. "if you want your little girl back, you're going to have to go to rehab."

He numbly nodded in understanding. "For how long?"

"A year minimum, or at least until the doctors say you're well enough again." Ikuto voiced from behind me. I had almost forgotten he was in the room. He had a very stern look on his face. I'd never seen that look before.

"Oh it's you again." My dad sneered. "Look I'm talking to Amu here not you."

"Yeah well I'm speaking for Amu when I say you have to be in rehab for at least a year." He shot back.

My dad scowled and let out a quiet growl towards Ikuto before looking back at me with a calm expression. "Do you agree with this low-life Amu? Do you want me in for a year?"

"First of all, don't call him that. His name is Ikuto." I said through clenched teeth. I didn't like the way he spoke to Ikuto. It pissed me off. Without Ikuto I wouldn't have anything at this point. He was like my anchor. The anchor that kept me level headed and calm, especially in times like these. "Second, yes, I agree with him, a year is all I'm asking for."

He scoffed. "You're taking his side on this?"

"Yes, he is my boyfriend after all."

His eyes widened. "You're dating this kid?"

I looked at him with narrow eyes and stiffly nodded. He was testing me and the results weren't gonna be good if he kept this up.

"You could do so much better." He said shaking his head in what I assumed was disappointment.

"No I couldn't actually." I said. "And even if I could, I'd still choose him since he's everything I want and even more, not to mention he's twice the man you'll ever be if you don't clean up your act."

He flinched at those words but kept quiet.

"Anyways," I said getting back to the real matter at hand. "are we clear? 1 year minimum. But if that isn't enough, then until you're stable enough to live without causing trouble for you or myself, then you'll have to stay longer. Also if this will motivate more into this, I will visit you once ever 2 weeks to check on your progress."

His eyes lit up at the last part. "Yes, yes thank you Amu. I won't let you down."

He had a wide grin on his face and for once he didn't look like the scary father that had haunted my dream for years. Right then he looked like the father that I missed and would hopefully have back in a years time.

Time Skip

I woke up with a start, cold sweat covering every inch of my skin. It was another nightmare. I was about my dad, but this one wasn't about him hitting it me or yelling. No, it was about him dying. From what I could remember I was at his funeral and he was being buried right beside my mom and all three of them were lined up. I was the only one at the funeral since neither of my parents had siblings, but I also wondered why Ikuto wasn't with me. I was by myself as I watched them lower the casket.

The thought of losing another family member made me shiver. I would be the last of my family alive and the thought scared me down to the core.

"Hey are you okay?" Ikuto asked as he sat up with me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck.

"Uh, yeah just a nightmare." I told him.

"What was it about?"

I sighed. "My dad died in my dream."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head. "No not really. Let's just go back to bed."

Time Skip

"So how did the date go?" Rima asked when Ikuto and I arrived at school. Rima and I walked ahead of him and Nagi to get some privacy.

"Remember how he described how he asked me out?" I asked. "The whole beach thing with the roses?"

"Yeah!" She squealed while nodding.

"Yeah it was like that with a little twist at the end." I explained with a smirk.

"Ouu a twist like what?"

"Well when he asked me out, I pushed him in the water before saying yes." I said with a chuckle.

"Pause." She said looking incredibly confused and slightly frustrated. "He only asked you out last night? I thought you guys were already dating?"

I shook my head and waved a hand at her. "Naw I only said that to make sure Utau kept her grimy little hands off him. She's been after him since the moment she transferred."

"Actually?"

"Yeah," I said. "and if you don't watch out she might try and steal Nagi, so keep a tight leash on him too."

Suddenly a dark and deadly aura surrounded her, making nearby people shudder in fear. "If she dare touched my man I would chop off her little arms and use them as chopsticks."

I laughed. "Well then at least give her a head start to run."

"What?" She asked. "Why?"

"Cause she's already latched on to him." I said as I pointed to the direction of the guys. Utau had her arm hooked onto Nagi's like she did with Ikuto that one time and boy did he look uncomfortable as he tried to shimmy her off. It wasn't working.

However, she was off him in seconds the moment she saw Rima approach them with confident and deadly strides to which she grabbed Nagi's face and dipped it down for a kiss. Much like I did when Ikuto walked me to class. She was marking what was hers.

I leaned against the lockers and chuckled when Rima hissed at her after breaking the kiss. Nagi looked at Ikuto confused as to what had just happen to which Ikuto just laughed and shrugged. He then retreated and caught up to me.

"Hey girlfriend." He greeted.

"Hey boyfriend." I said back with a grin. He trapped me against the lockers with his arms on either side of my head as he leaned down so we were at eye level.

"Guess what?" He asked with a smirk.

"What?"

"I love you, strawberry-chan." He whispered and this time a smile graced his face. Not his usual smirk, but an actual smile.

I stood up straight and took his face into my hands.

"I love you too neko-chan." I whispered back before pulling him down for a kiss.

This boy had weaseled his way into my heart and that's where he was going to stay.

He in the end was the one that saved me and mended my scars. Not the ones on my wrists, but the one in my soul.

THE END.

Skyl3r-M0on: I hope you liked the chapter. I want to thank every single person who read this story, it means so much to me that people took time ouf of their lives to read, favourite, follow, and review my first ever story. I also want you guys to know that I MAY do a sequel.

Ikuto&Amu: A SEQUEL?

Skyl3r-M0on: Yes a sequel. I haven't decided yet, but if I do one, it will be mostly about Ikuto's past, his parents, his brother and what happened in his past (you'll probably find out why he's not on the good side with the cops) and Amu's dad would probably be in it too. But that's all work in progress and I'll let you know what's happening in time.

Amu: Decide soon!

Skyl3r-M0on: Anyways, thanks again :D And special shout-out to my pen pal Claudime. I met her through this story and I couldn't be happier, she's like one of my best friends. Thank so much for the support 3