I'd like to go ahead and capitalize the following sentence:

OMIGAW WAIT OFFA MAH SHOULDERRRRS.

I have officially completed Hostage; my first official fanfiction ever. I'm so happy. It's taken me two years and a lot of guilt about not updating to get here, and now that I am I can finally finish my other plots without the regret of forgetting this one! Thank you all SO MUCH for reading and reviewing; you have no idea how much impact you've all had on me as a writer. Honestly, fanfictions are just a way for me to practice, but having real people read is just so cool. If you could all review this one last chapter, I swear I'll love you forever!

After the chapter I have a list of the songs that didn't get mentioned in this story that I either wrote to or planned while listening too; basically, it's the song's soundtrack. Not many, but they're there. So if you're interested, please look!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Kai slowed to a stop outside of the door. Finally, after all this time, this planning, this waiting. No trouble, no side tracks, just motivation. Tala stopped beside him, but Kai hardly noticed. He relaxed his grip on the gun in his hands for a moment, taking a deep breath. Calm. He must be calm. Another deep breath. To his left, Tala was also mentally preparing himself. Then, as if they were walking in to great a deal old friend, the two of them opened the double doors side by side and strolled in.

Empty. Or at least, it seemed to be at first. It was a large room, with mahogany bookshelves and a grotesquely colored Persian rug. There was a huge desk with a large leather chair behind it, and as their eyes swept patiently around the room, they spotted him.

Stout, round, bald. Standing with his hands behind his back, facing the floor-to-ceiling window. Heavy red drapes were drawn aside so that one could see the snowy world on the other side of the glass. The man remained still. For a moment, he seemed not to have noticed the entry of Kai and Tala at all.

"I was wondering when you would get here, Mr. Hiwatari." Dickenson said calmly. "I've been waiting."

Neither Kai nor Tala said anything. They closed the doors behind them, and Tala locked them.

"How are the others, I wonder? Such good children. In hindsight, I almost feel guilty about the things that have happened. But then…"

A thoughtful air swept around the old man as he turned gracefully to face his guests. Kai narrowed his eyes several notches and felt his teeth clench. The very sight of this man's face stirred an unconscious feeling of detest and excitement in him.

"I suppose I benefited directly anyway. So I don't much care."

Dickenson strolled, limping oddly as if his leg were in a brace, to the desk and pulled open a drawer while Kai and Tala slowly lifted their guns, expecting him to withdraw a weapon. To their surprise, Dickenson lifted a beyblade into the light, its deep blue gear rings glinting gently.

"You should have known better then to go to Pavlov, my boy. Despite our rivalry, your grandfather and I always had a good understanding of one another's sources."

Kai blinked, his teeth gritting. Beside him, Tala's face darkened and his gun lowered, but Kai remained in full alert.

"I'm surprised Pavlov accepted something like this. Expensive, yes, but… there must have been another catch to the deal?"

Kai took a deep breath and lowered his gun completely now, letting his arms fall to his sides. By example, Tala did the same hesitantly and looked from Kai to Dickenson and back again, suddenly feeling out of place.

"No?" Dickenson mused after a long pause, and laughed gently. "Well then, I suppose some things are meant to stay secret."

"Why work with Matherson?" Kai asked, abruptly changing the subject in an ill-fated attempt to get answers. Dickenson looked up at him slowly, over the rim of his glasses. Suddenly, he looked a hundred years old, and the familiar comfort he once provided flashed through the room. He said nothing, moving slowly to the side of the room where an old piano had been unnoticed until then. Tala and Kai followed him closely, but as he sat carefully and straightened his jacket, he appeared completely harmless. Gently, he began to let his fingers wander over the keys in a beautifully simple and graceful melody.

"Well, fair is fair. He had been under my wing, learning the art of corruption for several years when he finally asked a favor. I felt I owed him, you see, because he had done so much for me without asking anything in return."

He shifted to his right to get a higher key and then with one hand, turn the page of musical notes. Continuing the same tune gently, he continued to speak.

"I was already planning the hostage situation and his request seemed too petty and simple. Of course I was happy to oblige. Shame, really, that he wanted one of the White Tigers. Such good children, really, I've known them for quite some time. He specifically requested the youngest and that was the only problem; he was never really alone to snag in a hostage situation. But, you see, I left that up to Slade, which worked out fairly well until the second attempt."

Kai slowly began to move toward Dickenson, still playing beautifully. The piano was aged, giving the sound a nice ring to it that only time could grant. The noise seemed to soften Kai's footsteps, but it didn't matter; Dickenson glance at him several times anyway.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Yes. But I have another."

"I'm not surprised." Dickenson chuckled good heartedly. "Go on then, my dear boy, feel free to ask."

Kai nodded and stopped several feet from the piano. Behind him, Tala had moved to check the room for bugs, cameras, or other traps.

"Why has he continued this? Why is he so bent on the one kid?"

Dickenson spent several moments tuning one particular key before continuing.

"Well he is a very particular boy, when it comes to health. His medical history provides quite a unique chance at study and Matherson obviously has something special planned for him. The preparation going to waste would be such a financial lost, well… I'm sure you can understand."

"Hm." Kai set his jaw thoughtfully, remaining oddly calm. "Unique meaning his ethnicity?"

"Yes, that too, but if that were the only case then any of them would do, no?"

"I suppose."

Dickenson smiled, his eyes falling closed as he continued to play. "Yes… I do believe it's some variation of some mental growth pattern that sets him apart. It's a strange study. He's not smarter or dumber then anyone else, but the way the brain develops is strikingly different then normal. It's common with premature babies, I believe. I've been told it's fascinating, but I've spoken with him before, and he doesn't seem that different. A little bipolar, I think. I wouldn't know, of course, I'm not Matherson."

The chuckling returned gently. Kai sighed and listened to the music as Tala came up behind him and nodded to show that there was no danger. Kai nodded back and looked toward Dickenson, absorbed in his playing.

"You know," The old man said thoughtfully, "This piece was my favorite when I was a boy. It could lull me to sleep and wake me up in the morning. My mother played it beautifully."

Kai sighed again, finally acknowledging that it was time.

"Dickenson, you know why we're here."

"Yes, yes, let me finish the piece. Please."

Several more notes. He ended it with a flare and sat there for a moment, smiling with his eyes closed. Tala rolled his eyes, unaffected by the emotion, while Kai remained straight faced.

"Any wisdom you wish to impart on us?" Kai asked, lifting his gun slowly. Dickenson opened his eyes, the smile remaining.

"Yes, actually."

A pause. Kai waited, gun at the ready. Dickenson glanced at him before looking back at the notes.

"Never mettle in the affairs of angry Russian youth."

Kai remained silent for a good long moment as Tala stepped back and looked toward the door. Taking a deep breath, Kai nodded.

"Duly noted."

Bang.

-x-x-x-

"Listen, I truly hate to be a bother, sweetheart, but you need to stop that whimpering, okay?"

"I-I'm sorry, it hurts really b-badly…"

"I know, sweetie, I know."

"How? You're stomach isn't r-ripping open!"

A sign. "Yes, but I have been shot in the stomach. And had my fingers blown off. And many other injuries that you don't need to know about, but I promise all rival having torn stitches."

Kevin sniffled and looked down at his stomach, his arms greedily wrapped around it. Slade sat beside him, offering little counsel on how to diminish the pain. Instead, she took a few deep breaths and looked over at Rei, who was positioned by the door with the pads of a defibrillator in both hands. He was ready with them, in case someone tried to come through the door, which wasn't as paranoid a theory as it sounded. Halfway up the stairwell to the third floor of the hospital, the power was cut, and they were plunged into daytime darkness. The elevators wouldn't work, and they felt far too vulnerable on the stairs; every blind corner was a potential ambush. Seeking solace in a hiding spot, they left the stairwell and quickly found an unlocked room to call base.

No one spoke. Kevin's short breaths and the gentle hum of the defibrillator were all that created noise, and as time moved on, both became louder. The machine, having not been built for such an extended use, provided a more stirring hum, while Kevin slowly began to gasp for air. Rei sighed and put down the paddles, deciding that no one would be bursting through the door anytime soon, and crossed the room to where the two were huddled.

"Kev," Rei began softly, kneeling down before the younger. His mouth opened expectantly, as if doing so would summon the words on his mind, but nothing came and as Rei knelt there in silence, Kevin looking at him devotedly, Rei realized something. There was nothing to say. No words to utter that could make Kevin suffer any less, or make them any farther away from the hospital, or make the situation any less serious. Closing his mouth again, Rei just sighed and leaned forward until his forehead was against Kevin's, his eyes closed.

"Don't cry." He whispered. Somehow, Kevin managed to suppress the whimpering with a sniffle or two. He kept breathing quickly, and though his eyes continued to water, no more sound was made.

"Rei?" Kevin whispered back after a moment of silence.

"Yeah Kev?"

"I'm sorry I called you gay like it was a bad thing." Kevin whispered. Rei blinked. What? When did Kevin do that? Rei leaned away a little, his eyebrows narrowing until he remembered the conversation he had had with the younger only a few hours prior;

"By the way, you really look camp like that, Rei."

"Camp? What the hell does camp mean?"

"It's an adjective. It means to act or appear gay or effeminate."

After a still silence, Slade began to chuckle. It grew, slowly, into a full laugh, and when she finally took time to breathe, Rei was sitting back on his ankles glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, that's just so inappropriately dramatic. Sweetie, I know you have a feeling on impending doom about you, but you'll be fine. Didn't I promise you that already?"

Kevin looked down at his lap sheepishly. "Yeah…"

"Well then stop doubting me."

"Excuse me," Rei cut in, "But at least he's keeping a realistic outlook on things."

"Oh is he? Well at least I-"

And those, such simple words, with such a happy sounding ring to them, were the last words ever spoken by Victoria Slade. For at that moment, with the three of them distracted, the door to the room flew open, and before they even registered the sound of the gun firing, a bullet pounded into Slade's chest with so much force that her body shook. Kevin cried out in shock while Rei wheeled around, wide-eyed.

The doorway was filled to the brim with Matherson. Gun in hand, the man had apparently taken the time to bandage his broken nose and clean the blood off his face. It was, however, evident on the front of his shirt. He stood there, smiling, and before Rei could even move, he noticed the defibrillator and shoved it clear off the tablet it was on. Sparks erupted as it smashed against the floor, but it was forgotten as quickly as it was noticed. Advancing, Matherson lowered the gun. He was moving too quickly for Rei to think of a plan, and Kevin just sat, hidden behind his only defense, looking between Slade and Matherson.

"I'm tired of this, boys. Rei, if you don't move you'll end up like her. Understand?"

Rei remained, frozen in confliction and fear. Matherson lifted the gun again, pressed it to Rei's forehead, and somehow summoned the power to make Rei moved away from Kevin quickly. Once he was gun, Matherson scooped Kevin up swiftly and easily. The younger yelled, his abdomen ripping and bleeding as Matherson slung him over his shoulder carelessly. With his gun still pointed at Rei, he backed out of the room.

"Try anything heroic and you'll regret it, Mr. Kon. I'm afraid I'm going to get my way, so you might as well just give up."

"Rei, help me!" Kevin cried, struggling weakly against Matherson's grip. Petrified, Rei remained, grinding his teeth as he stared down the barrel of the gun. Matherson was out of the room and heading down the hall by the time the gun was lowered, and Rei crept to the doorframe. Maybe he could sneak up on him and-

The sound of gunfire rapidly changed his mind. Beside his face, the doorway caught a bullet, just sparing Rei's life. He ducked back into the room, heart racing. From down the hallway, Kevin cried for his help desperately. Though muffled, Rei could hear Matherson bark at Kevin to 'Shut the hell up', and then Kevin groaned in pain.

Rei remained hidden, ready to cry, his mind racing and his heart pounding. Some part of his mind knew that he would regret this moment of the rest of his life, and yet, there was nothing to be done; no way to get to Kevin without being shot fatally. He pressed his palms against his forehead and growled in anguish, completely lost in what to do.

"Aaahh!"

Rei jumped. Down the hall in the direction that Kevin had been carried off in, Matherson suddenly roared in pain. Rei jumped to his feet and swung around the doorframe. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

On the floor, rolling over toward the wall was Kevin, and there was Matherson, his head bleeding. It took Rei several seconds to recognize that Kevin had pulled a rather large picture frame off of the wall and slammed it into Matherson's head.

"You little shit!" Matherson roared, turning suddenly to get revenge. Rei burst into a run, somehow making it down the hall before Matherson even reached Kevin. With a swift kick, Rei knocked the man down and pulled Kevin a foot away before turning to defend himself. Matherson turned back, saw the situation, and decided to look for the gun.

Turning back around, the first thing that caught his eye was the black handle of the gun. Some kind of joy overcame him as he began to pull himself forward toward the weapon, but as he drew near it, something caught him off guard;

A foot stepped onto the gun, preventing Matherson from grabbing it. Looking up with wide eyes, the man's green eyes met a pair of crimson orbs glaring back at him.

"I can't leave the two of you alone for even a minute, can I?" Kai asked, looking toward Rei and Kevin blandly. Rei blinked several times before he laughed and looked toward Kevin, who was smiling.

"I mean is not getting abducted that hard for you, kid? And Rei, seriously. Stop crying. You look camp."

It was Kevin's turn to laugh gently. Rei just smiled. Up along side Kai, Tala appeared, smiling that smug smile that, for some reason beyond even him, seemed to make a situation better.

"God damn." He uttered. It was the only thing he was to say to anyone beside Kai for the next couple of hours.

"So," Kai said, moving on with things, "You're the prick who started this whole headache."

Matherson rose to his knees before stopping. He looked up at Kai with a glare.

"I assume your presence means that Dickenson is dead."

"Yes." Kai said simply. Rei's eyes widened, but Kevin groaning gently turned his attention down to the younger.

"Right. Well." Matherson said. Slowly, he began to smile. "You going to shoot me too, then? For causing all of this trouble?"

Kai looked at him seriously before smiling back. "You'd like that. But I'm afraid someone has to take the blame for all of this."

The smile on Matherson's face faded away. Panic taking over, he rose suddenly and turned on his heal in some half-hearted attempt to flee, but before he could even take a step, he was cut off again.

There, behind Rei and advancing fast, were at least seven armed police officers ready to fire. Realizing that there was no where to run and no way to escape, Matherson froze in his tracks and stared.

"Hands on the wall, now!" One of the officers barked. The second the mass of police had positioned themselves between Matherson and Rei, one knelt down beside Kevin and checked vital signs and asked what was wounded. Before Matherson could even place his hands on the wall, he was tackled by three officers who cuffed him and frisked him. As he was lead away, struggling and yelling, Rei heard him swear revenge. Brushing it off was his first impulse, but realizing that the last time they thought they were safe, they were indeed not, made him uneasy. What if this still wasn't over?

"Rei." Kai said, his hand falling into place on the neko-jin's shoulder. Rei looked around, jerked from his thoughts, to find Kai's strangely knowing face.

"You happy it's over?"

A pause, before Rei allowed himself the right to sigh. He nodded, even smiled as he and Kai moved to follow the stretcher that had taken Kevin down to the ER. As Tala moved up along side Kai, a strange, almost alien feeling of calm swept over Rei, who for the first time in weeks felt like he could relax.

-x-x-x-

"They're darling, aren't they?"

"Do you have to say that about every toddler you see?"

"Of course I do, they're all darling."

"You're too maternal for your own good."

Mariah rolled her eyes and shot a dark look at the other. "Oh, stuff it. Who asked you?"

"No one ever does." Kevin retorted simply with a smile. Mariah rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"Oh my god, look, they're hugging!" She squealed after a pause. Kevin shook his head and muttered something beneath his breath.

"Don't be rude." Chris hissed, nudging him. He looked up and smiled as their eyes met.

"Yo, wait up!"

Turning, the three saw Ripple and Lee rushing towards them, out of breath. Reaching the three, the two stopped and leaned forward, gasping for breath. Despite the brisk cold air, the sun was out and flowers were sprouting; winter had passed, and as the world began to thaw, new life sprang forth all around them.

"What's with you two?" Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. Lee looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"What do you think? You could have waited for us, you know."

Mariah waved her hand, excusing the notion. "Oh please. You're the ones who missed the train, not us."

Ripple stood upright. "'N you, my own sister! I'm shocked, Chris, shocked."

Chris giggled, looping her arm around Kevin's. "Well I'm sorry. With Stripback gone to college, no one is around to keep you on time for these things."

"What part 'a sister don't you get? That's your job!"

"Oh please!" Chris retorted sharply, "I am not your keeper Russell J. West, don't you dare make me out to be."

Ripple stopped short and blinked, suddenly speechless. Beside him, Lee began to laugh.

"'Russell'? Seriously?"

"Hey, shut up! 'Snot my fault my parents suck."

Chris gasped and turned suddenly, pulling Kevin along as she stormed away. Mariah smiled and followed, prompting Lee to tag along as well. Ripple stared after them a moment before defeat and panic flashed across his face.

"Wait, sis, I didn't mean it! You know I love Ma and Pa!"

"Then you would at least show them respect, you emotionless pig!"

Kevin began to laugh. "Chris, I'm sure he didn't mean it. Besides, he's the reason we're together; you can't forget that."

Suddenly recognizing this, Chris blinked and then sighed. "How long are you going to hang that over my head?"

"Hanging over? Chris, you're taller then me."

"Only by an inch!" Chris whined, pouting. She hated that she was taller then Kevin, for some reason.

Gradually, despite complaining and nagging and laughing and joking around, the group made it to their destination. Sobering significantly, they entered the small private cemetery and fell quiet. Though the magnitude of what was going on wasn't as strong on Chris or Ripple, the three White Tigers were blank faced in an attempt to cloak regret and disappointment. Passing several oak trees and elaborate grave markers, they joined the group gathered around a large tombstone.

"Hey Tyson." Kevin said softly as he stepped into place beside the world champion. Tyson looked over at him and smiled weakly.

"Hey Kev. How's the leg?"

The neko-jin sighed irritably. "When are people going to stop asking me that?"

"When you lose that limp."

"I'm not limping!" Kevin hissed. Emily shushed the too of them, but Kevin continued in a softer voice. "It's not that noticeable, is it?"

"Yeah. Well, it's not if you don't know what happened to your leg, but everyone here does, so…"

"Yeah, yeah. Well, whatever."

Silence. No one really spoke, expect for snippets of conversation that were to hard to make out to try. After a time, Rei stepped forward and drew the attention of everyone.

"I know, in the end, Stanley Dickenson was our enemy. He betrayed us, and hurt us, and used us as pawns in his game. But we need to remember that we were shaped more by him then we want to admit; he was supportive and helped us become what we are. And as much as I hate what he did…" Rei glanced at Kevin, who was gazing at the grave marker, lost in thought, "We need to remember him for what we all thought he was. We need to try."

Several people nodded. Most remained silent and still. After a time, people began to trickle away, moving toward the small chapel to speak with one another or collect their own thoughts. When all that remained was Max, Rei, Lee, and Tyson, Lee spoke.

"You know, we were the four in the room on that afternoon when this all started."

Max nodded. "We were laughing at something."

"Can anyone even remember what?"

They all murmured some form of 'no'. There was a pause. Then, Rei turned and walked away, toward a large oak tree with green buds sprouting through frosted branches. Below it, a much smaller, less expensive tombstone was set into the ground, and before it, hands in his pockets, was Kevin. He looked sad and happy at the same time, (if such an expression is even possible,) and as Rei stepped up beside him the younger looked up, smiling sadly.

"Hey Rei."

"Hey Kev."

Silence. Both looked down at the grave marker with considerable dejection.

"I guess we own her a lot."

Kevin nodded. "It could have been you."

Rei sighed, shifting his weight from his left to right foot.

"Do you think she'll go to heaven?" Kevin asked in a soft voice, his words ringing with the clueless curiosity of a child. Rei glanced at him.

"I thought you didn't believe in heaven."

"I don't. You do."

Rei nodded thoughtlessly while he processed it. Then, looking back at the grave marker, he wet his lips and closed his eyes.

"Yeah. I think she will, Kev."

"But you hated her."

"She saved your life."

"After shooting me."

"Do you not want her to go to heaven?"

"No, I…" Kevin stopped short, looking up at Rei with an oddly curious look.

"I just don't know why you think she will. I thought you hated her and stuff."

"I did. But I think she meant well. I think she just had a hard time finding her way."

"And she did?"

"Yes." Rei nodded. "She did. Because of you."

"Really?"

"Yhep."

"Okay."

After another long silence, the two turned and walked back toward the others, who were slowly beginning to leave.

"Let's go get lunch."

"Pizza?"

"Sure." Rei laughed. Kevin smiled. As they left, several blossom petals fluttered through the air around them and peppered the marker they had just been at, drawing a strange amount of peace and beauty over the gray stone and drawing attention to the epitaph;

"Nothing in this life is certain."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

xChewy: Falalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala.

Kevin: … After all that suffering and madness… All I get is pizza?

xChewy: Madness? This is Sparta, dumbass. God. Read the signs.

Kevin: If you weren't my only fan I would have you killed.

FINAL WORDS: For all of you that read this story, thank you so much! I'm sure you already read the sappy shit at the start, though, so I'll skip that.

MOOSIK:

Overall theme: Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking – Snow Patrol

All The Same – Sick Puppies

Clair De Lune – Debussy (The piano piece Dickenson plays in this chapter)

Pursuit of Happiness – Nuno Bettencourt

Mutiny – Pendulum

Nothing Left to Lose – Mat Kearney

32 Ways to Make You Smile – Backseat Goodbye

Accidentally In Love – Counting Crows (Potential ending song. More like 'OMG I finished Hostage' victory music, but I'm throwing it in here.)

THANK YOU!!!