-Dancing around the computer- I got over a 100 reviews!!! That is the first time in Firwu history, so to share my gratitude I want to do something for my readers. Since I can't go to your houses and hug you I shall write something for you? Do you want something to happen with Maki, Belliume, Sonate, Ken, or Nina that has nothing to do with plot? Well here is your chance. I'm taking request and I will write you any one or two shots, or longer. Yeah, not much of a prize since I'm always offering request but this is just another chance to ask! Thanks again and enjoy the chapter!

---

Chapter Twenty-Three: Belliume's Guilt

Nothing could out run this man. No obstacle could get in his way. No distraction was big enough to stop Belliume as he ran home for Maki. It had been two days, two dreadful days since Ken forced him to leave Maki in a terrible state.

He burst through the doors of his room, nearly knocking poor Nina over in the process. Once he made his way towards the cellar door he nearly tore the door off the hinges as he opened it.

Finally he made his way into the cellar. His heart stopped at what he saw. The pain in his stomach grew worse with guilt as he fell to his knees. His hands shook as he gripped his hair and pulled. Maki…was not there. (HAHA worried you)

Sonate scarf that normally worn, laid forgotten on the ground, right under were Maki was left. Belliume took the scarf and made his way up stairs. He was relived that Sonate had came but guilt of what he had done was sickening him.

Upstairs he heard Sonate voice. His brother was talking to Maki but he could not hear the boy respond to anything. As he got closer he heard more clearly. Sonate was attempting to cheer the child up.

He got to the door which was left a crack opened. He peeked his red eye through it to see Maki lying, bandaged up, and on his back. His head was turned away from Sonate who was sitting in a chair beside him.

Gulping, Belliume knocked gently on the door to warn them of his arrival and slowly opened the door. "H-hello." He greeted wearily.

Sonate cheerful expression turned angry and almost seemed violent.

"Hello Brother." Sonate greeted bitterly. "It's nice to see that you've come back." The words stung like a knife in Belliume's chest.

He looked down at Maki who was lying on his stomach. His back was layered with bandages that were slightly red with dried blood.

Youth before had also not acknowledge him since he entered the room. Maki stared Blankley at the wall, opposite of Belliume.

"Hello Maki…" Belliume slowly stepped over to the child. Maki did not respond.

Belliume stomach twisted tight into knots as Maki's silence continued to haunt the room.

"Please Maki, look at me." He neared himself to begging till Sonate grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

"Brother, Maki does not wish to speak with you." Sonate informed crossing his arms.

The imaginary knives in Bell's chest sunk in deeper. "He doesn't want to talk to me? H-he said that?"

Sonate chewed his lip and looked around the hall. "He didn't say that exactly but I know so!" He slapped Belliume's shoulder.

"Don't try to avoid the main subject!" Accused hitting him again.

"Wha…"

"What, the hell Brother?! I told you not let Ken get carried away!" Sonate yelled stomping his foot and hitting Belliume once more.

The knives couldn't possible go any further.

"I know Sonate and I-I feel terrible! But, please tell me what suppose to do?" Belliume snapped.

Sonates pink eyes turned violent vicious and dangerous. "For once in your life couldn't you have just stood up against Ken and defended that child!!!"

Belliume had no words. Sonate was right. It was his job to protect Maki from harm and he failed…

"How long was, was he?-"

"How long was Maki left on that hook?" Sonate finished.

Belliume nodded.

"About an hour I guess. At some point he managed to free himself." He paused poking his head in into Maki's room. "I found him unconscious on the floor." Neither Sonate nor Belliume spoke for a few moments.

"I want Maki to come live me." Sonate said causing Belliume to rub his temples.

"Sonate please, please do not start this again. You know Maki can't live with you." He told his younger Brother who began to pout.

"Well at least if he was living with me he wouldn't be beaten!" Sonate spat.

Belliume growled with annoyance. "If he lived with you, you would turn him into a damn infant!"

"I'd rather see him deaged than beaten to a bloody pulp!"

Both brothers again were silent, till Belliume looked up at Sonate apologicly

"I'm sorry Sonate, but you know you can't keep him. For now help me make things right with Maki, please…I really screwed up and I need your help." Belliume said.

The pink haired man sighed and rolled his eyes. "Your right and you did screw up. But, if you want him to talk to you, good luck. He won't even talk to me…" He looked into Maki's room again.

"I can't get him to eat or do anything. And, listen; don't threaten with spanking or anything like that. Just talk to him and wait till hiss's ready to talk to you." Sonate whispered.

"He's really hurt, I don't mean his back. Your hurt him Brother. Fix it." He allowed Belliume to pass and enter Maki's room.

Belliume sat in the chair beside Maki's bed. He waited in silence hoping Maki would say something first but nothing from the youth.

"Maki I don't even know how to begin to apologize to you." Belliume stat, Maki didn't respond.

"To be perfectly clear I screwed up be time. It must be kind of to think that instead it was me who screwed up and not you." Belliume chuckled hoping Maki would as well but the silence somehow became stronger and more awkward.

Too late to realize that was not the best choice of words.

"Sorry that didn't come out right…at all. Seriously Maki I so sorry and I do not except you to forgive me. I let Ken hurt you when I promised to protect you. So, you have every right to hate me." Belliume sighed.

'Hate him? Don't I already hate him…?'

"But, there is just one thing I want you to understand…I was afraid."

That got Maki's attention. He had yet to face Belliume or even acted to acknowledge that he was there but he was listening now.

"I know it's not an excuse but I admit I was afraid. I didn't know what to do…A man who has a lot of control wanted to come to our home and hurt you." Maki swore he heard Belliume's voice crack.

"If I didn't let him come, he would have hurt you anyway. I became small and let Ken over power me. I tried everything I could to stop him from coming near you but no matter what he was going to hurt you. I finally became so scared, that I took the easy way out." Belliume explained with his hand over his eyes.

He sighed and rubbed his face.

"Remember the whole Zaria thing?" Belliume asked

'I really don't want to hear about that right now…'

Belliume didn't fail to notice that Maki's shoulder had tensed up to the mentioning of Zaria's name.

"She threatened you and made you afraid. You told me you felt trapped and that you had no way out… I felt the same way, and like you I became so afraid that I too, took the easy way out and ended up doing the wrong thing. I regret what I did and I will do anything to make things right again." He told Maki was still faced away from him.

"I just wanted you to know that." The older man rose and left the room, and was adamantly glomped by Sonate.

"Brother, I had no idea!!!" Sonate cried dramatically into his brother's chest.

He rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "You were listening I see…" He said with his face growing slightly red.

"Oh yes, oh yes Brother I was! But, do not worry. I will get that stubborn child talking!" Sonate declared.

Belliume sighed seeing no point in stopping him. "Do what you want. I'll be in my study." He said leaving

Sonate entered Maki's room and sat in the seat that is Brother had vacated.

Sonate gentle placed his hand on Maki's head and stroked it kindly

"We both know what did was terrible, and like he said you have every right to hate him and be mad at him. But, sitting here like an emotionless doll is not the healthy thing to do right now…" He told the youth.

"You should cry, get mad, throw a fit, hit a moose, or go crazy!!!" Sonate said expressed passionately. "Just do something!" He was near begging.

Maki suddenly began to slowly rise.

Sonate stood as a reaction, hovering his hands over the boy. "Carful, carful, you'll hurt your back more." He said helping the boy sit up.

With a painful hiss Maki was sitting up, looking at Sonate, deeply in the eyes.

"You're right." He said taking Sonate by surprise. "I'm mad at Belliume and I'm mad at that douche Ken. I feel hurt and betrayed and all I want to do is…" he growled with anger, clenching his white fist.

Sonate smiled softly and rubbed Maki's shoulder gently. "Don't tell me, sweetie. Tell my Brother."

Maki nodded but held up his index finger. "I want answers first, from you." He stated sternly who nodded with confusion.

"O-okay…?" He let Maki continue.

"Why can't I live with you? At the moment I would rather go home or live with you, then face Belliume." He crossed his arms and looked away from Sonate. "I mean you told me I was suppose to originally be with you, right?"

Sonate chuckled, a little surprised how clever the child really was and his listening skills. "So you heard Brother and I?" Maki nodded. "Well I guess you'd find out sooner or later." He said getting up from his chair and walking over to the window that was still shattered from Jeroro's entrance.

"I can't have kids." He sated leaving Maki little confused.

"Yeah, don't you kinda have to be a lady to do that kind of thing?" Maki asked.

Sonate rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, but that's not really my point. I could never get a woman pregnant. Pulse women are not really my 'thing' if you know I'm saying."

Maki couldn't help but blush. "So why don't you just adopt a kid or something? There are plenty of orphans out there. And, what does any of that have to do with me?"

Sonate sighed, realizing his situation was kind of hard to explain.

"You see I don't want just any kid, I want a baby. And, I'm one to get very attached…" He paused seeing the still very confused expression on Maki's face.

He took a seat by Maki again and took his hand. "I already adore you Maki, even though we've only known each other for a short time." Maki leaned back a little, feeling a little uneasy. "If I had you as my ward I would get very, very, attached to you and most likely end up deageing you." Sonate told the wide-eye child.

'De-age me? As-as in turn me into a baby? Okay…That's little-that's very strange. I'm seeing Sonate in a whole knew way now. And, I'm a little nervous.'

Sonate knew Maki's reaction would be shocked; he was ready for Maki to freak out.

"You wouldn't do that to me even though I'm not your ward, r-right?" Maki laughed hoping to hear the right answer.

Sonate though for a moment, placing his finger on his chin. "Hmm well you would look pretty cute." He smiled dangerously, leaving Maki even more wide-eyed.

Sonate laughed again waving his hands in front of Maki's face. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" His face suddenly turned serious.

"Now what I'm not kidding about is that you should go and talk to brother, he is worried about you." Sonate told Maki.

The blue haired child sighed, slowly climbing out of the bed. "I guess I really shouldn't go talk to Belliume, shouldn't I?" Maki looked up at the older man who nodded.

"I think that would be the right thing to do." Sonate insisted

Maki sighed and smile weakly at Sonate before leaving his room.

Once out he walked, very, very slowly to Belliume's study, counting each second before he had to face the man.

Once at the doors of the study he stopped and……

----

Next chapter of LLGL: Maki finally confronts Belliume. What will happen? We'll things ever be the same between the two? Find out in the next chapter. Now with other news! Pictures of Maki and Belliume are my Deviant Art account. I'm Makiprincess. If you're curious to what they look like, take a look! Thanks again for the reviews. I just couldn't resist the cookie somebody offered me!