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Chapter 29: The Healing Process Part 3

Normal POV

"How many times, are you going to listen to that?" Tala asked, looking up at Kai, who was propped up by an elbow, with the right piece of a pair of earphones in his ear. "As many times as I possibly can." The blue-gray haired boy replied, leaning down and placing a kiss to his lover's forehead. "Thank you, it's beautiful." He added, as the song Tala had written for him started again.

"You're really starting, to creep me out." The redhead said, blushing a bit. "Kawaii!" Kai couldn't help say it. "That word sucks, seriously!" The younger said pouting. "You do realize, that pouting just makes you look, even more cute, right?" The elder asked, laughing a bit. Tala just sighed, damning the word to hell for good measure.

"Can you two cut it out, with the lovey-dovey crap? You're making me sick!" The two were interrupted, by none other than Daichi. "I can't believe I'm stuck sharing a room with you." Tala bit back, playing with the hem of his skirt. "Be nice." Kai said in a scolding tone, giving the him a pleading look. "Please, I'm not in the mood to deal with bickering idiots right now." He added quickly in Russian. "Fine. I want a kiss though." Tala supplied in Russian. Kai complied, causing Daichi to make barfing sounds.

"Could you be, more immature?" Hilary asked, as she entered the room.

"Oh great, the slave driver's here." Daichi muttered, as he tried to scratch his arm, but was prevented from doing so, by the giant kitchen gloves, that had been sewed to his pajama top. "Heh, maybe we should just let Hilary take over your care, since the scratching problem has been taken care of." Kai said, pulling Tala onto himself. "Stay." He commanded firmly, when his lover started to struggle. "I just want to get comfortable." Tala said, as he proceeded to do just that.

"Chicken pox suck!" Daichi exclaimed as he tried once more to scratch his arm.

"You should just give him a bath in a tub full of anti itch cream." Tala inputted, and began tracing hearts absentmindedly on Kai's arm when the blue-gray haired boy, wrapped him in a loving embrace. "I'm rich but I'm not, THAT, rich." Kai said, just as both their teammates entered the room. "I'm taking a walk." Tala declared, getting out of Kai's embrace a few minutes later, and quickly got off the bed.

"Aren't you, going to stop them?" Tyson asked, as Tala left the room, with Brooklyn close behind him. Kai chose not to answer, and turned his attention to Bryan instead. "When did Tala become bulimic?" He asked. "To hell if I know." Bryan replied bitterly. "What about the cutting?" Kai asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He did that a few times during the first month after you left the abbey, but he stopped once you started to keep in touch." Was the reply. "I know that it's better not to bother him, but his cutting has never been this severe, I'm not sure, that I can just, stand around, and watch him destroy himself." Bryan added, as he opened the window.

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Kai supplied seriously. "When I find Hiro, he's going to have, some serious explaining, to do to the cops." Tyson said suddenly. "What the hell will Hiro going to jail do? The damage has already been done." Ian growled out the words, clearly unhappy with Tala's current state. Tyson sighed. "Damn these gloves!" Daichi caused them all to laugh a bit.

"Why did you overdose on pills?" Brooklyn asked, as he and Tala sat down in a sun-room.

"I had a breakdown, and then Rei told me, that he and Kai were back together. I'm still not over my mother's death, among other things actually. Everything, felt meaningless. At the least, I thought, that in the next life, I could finally, be, with you." Tala sighed bowing his head, and hugging his knees to his chest, as he finished his answer.

"Why can't you do so now? Be with me I mean." Brooklyn asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know why. I'd like to, seriously. If I could bring myself to do it, I'd run away with you Brooklyn. The thing is though, that I can't do it, I can't take, being apart from Kai. It kills me, from the inside out, even if I fight it. Does what I'm saying, make any sense at all?" Tala rambled, lost in his thoughts, and voice working like some kind of broken record.

"I thought, that I could just make Hiro fall in love with me, and fall in love with him in turn, but it didn't work, I hated him too much, to fall in love with him." Brooklyn listened to the bitter words, unable to bring himself to say anything, even though he wanted to scream at the elder, that he wasn't at fault.

"I wanted him, to feel the pain, that he had made, me, feel. The best way to do that, was to tell him, that he was easy, that he was just a game, and that, I belong, to Kai." Tala didn't look at him, as he spoke and Brooklyn was glad, because every word, was a blow to the heart for him.

"It sucks, no matter how much I want to, I'm never going to have love without pain. You've never hurt me, I think I might be scared to try, to have a relationship with you, because I'm afraid that you'll hurt me deep down. Please, stop waiting for me, I can't be with you." He straightened up, and wiped a few tears away, looking at the younger sadly.

"Haven't you realized, that that's impossible yet?" Brooklyn asked, mirroring that look.

Tala thought of something to say, but sighed when he couldn't, and let an uncomfortable silence fall over them, eventually getting up, and heading back to the hospital room he would be stuck in, until he was deemed stable enough to leave. Brooklyn scratched his head, and let out a broken sigh, before following him, always staying a few good steps away, from the object of his affection.

"Hey Tala, please explain, explain why the hell, you would want to kill yourself." Ian supplied, in a royally pissed tone, as they elder entered.

"I would explain if I could. Whenever I try to come up with an answer to why I did it, all I come up with is a million different reasons, the biggest one though, would have to be, that everything, every little thing, felt fucking meaningless." Tala let out, rubbing his temples.

"You okay?" Bryan asked, ready to call for a nurse.

"I'm fine, just stop asking why, please, trying to answer, is giving me a headache." Tala replied, as he went back to his previous position on the hospital bed.

"Then let's change the subject. There's someone here who'd like to meet you." Tyson pipped in.

"I'm sure things can't get any worse, bring it on." Was supplied in a slightly bored tone.

"Zeo this is Tala, Tala this is Zeo. It's to my understanding that you two are just about the only ones on either of our teams, who haven't properly met yet." Tala was left on the hospital bed, when Kai went to get the green haired boy, and he quickly wrapped himself up in the blanket provided for him, missing the elder's warmth. He blinked a few times, as he took a good look at Zeo.

"Um, I guess I should start with a hello, but uh, I really kind of, sorta, want to say, get well soon. I know suicidal people, and self harming people don't really like it when they're told that, but..." Zeo had been eager for their meeting, but was left at a loss once he was before the only person in the world, who was like him, well slightly.

"At-least you, didn't ask why. You don't have to be so polite, or shy. I'm sure it bothers you as much as it does me, but I must ask, are you really an android?" Tala wasn't sure what to say either, now that they were finally meeting.

"It's alright. I'm not really bothered too much by the fact that I'm an android anymore. I was created through cybernetic experimenting, as a replacement for the son my father lost it's true, but my memories are real, and that's all that matters to me. That's all that has to matter, I know that now, thanks to Tyson and the others." Was Zeo's reply, nervousness, highly present, in his voice.

"The world, should really, have a St. Tyson day. First myself, and then you." Tala said, before turning his gaze, and offering the younger of the Granger brothers a smile, which Tyson returned, giving a thumbs up to acknowledge Tala's silent thank you, with a silent you're welcome.

"So, the rumors are true then?" Zeo sounded, a bit too hopeful about it, but Tala just laughed.

"That I'm part cyber? Yes, most of the bones in my body, are wrapped in thick wiring, and a quarter of my brain functions cybernetically. Kai would've ended up like I have, if he hadn't gone back to the Bladebreakers, all those years ago." He replied, wrapping the blanket around himself tighter. "This may be weird, but I feel better about not being human, knowing that someone is like me, even if it's only slightly." Zeo said after a few minutes. "I'm glad it makes you feel better. When I overdosed, one of my regrets was, not getting to meet you. I'm glad I'm here speaking with you right now." Tala said smiling again.

"Hey, no fair Tyson. Those aren't yours!" Max's voice suddenly reached their ears, and both turned their attention to him, only to find him trying to grab a bag of Hershey kisses from Tyson. "Shirley said, he can't have them, until he's stable, they'll just go to waste." Tyson said, throwing the bag to Enrique, who threw it back to Tyson, when Max tried to grab it from him

"I can't believe you're still playing a game like Monkey in the Middle, at the age of sixteen." Hilary said, giving Tyson a disapproving look. "Some things, never change." Kenny said, shaking his head. "You're going, to get us kicked out of here." Garland said, prying the bag out of Tyson's hands and tossing it to Tala.

"Thanks." Tala said, preparing to open it, but Kai snatched the bag away. "When you're better." He was reminded, by the blue-gray haired boy. "Hey Tala, sorry, but I have to go. I traded shifts." Sophie got about half way out the door, before Tala called her back. "Yes?" She asked. "Tell those fuckers, that if they know what's good for them, they'll keep their hands off you. You're a dancer, nothing else." He replied seriously.

"If it wasn't because I have to send money to my mother and five siblings, you know I would've quit long ago." She said before leaving. "Your parental side is to be feared." Kai inputted. "Damn these fucking gloves!" Daichi was more than pissed off. "Scratching won't help." Tala said, holding in a laugh, as he watched the little one, toss and turn, trying to get relief from the itch.

"I knew he was a barbarian, but even barbarians don't have such vulgar language." Mogami couldn't help mock him. "Be nice," Kai warned as he buzzed for a nurse. "Eh?" She asked, not really caring that he had just ruined her fun. "I'm going to see if I can get Hilary, put in charge of Daichi's care." He replied simply. "Stop trying to scratch, and I'll throw in a bath in anti itch cream." He added, causing Daichi to instantly cease his tossing and turning ritual.

"The mighty Kai has a heart after all." Garland couldn't help himself. "If you weren't Tala's brother, you'd be burned alive for mocking me." Kai bit back, giving him a glare with his left eye, and Tala a warning look with his right, effectively shutting Garland up, and stopping Tala from coming to his defense.

An hour passed, and Daichi was freed from the hospital, causing Kai and Hilary to leave. Kai demanded, that Tyson and Max go train, so they left as well, and Mystel and Moses chose, to go train as well. Robert and Enrique, left a half hour later, to do some sightseeing. Ming-Ming left because she had to go perform somewhere, and Garland left because Tala ordered him to watch over her, Kenny took that chance to take his leave as well, claiming that he needed to recharge his laptop.

"Got any fives?" Ian asked.

"Go fish kiddo." Tala replied.

"Got any sevens?" Zeo asked.

"This game sucks." Tala said bitterly, as he handed over his last card to Zeo.

"It helps if you have more confidence." Shizune said, just as Spencer entered the room.

"Hi." Tala supplied, breaking the uncomfortable silence that fell upon them.

Of all the friends he'd gained, and his teammates, Spencer had been the one person, who hadn't come to see him yet. Even people who had a terrible opinion about him, like Robert, Enrique, and Oliver, had come to give him their regards. "I'm going to go now." Oliver declared, putting the hand held video game he was playing in his pocket. "I'll take my leave as well now." Brooklyn had wanted to leave since his talk with Tala, but didn't want to seem obvious about it, so he waited. "Alright then. See you guys." Tala waved at them, as they left.

"Could you excuse us?" Spencer's tone was way too calm. No-one in the room, had to be an expert, to know they should listen, so one by one Tala waved goodbye to Ian, Bryan, Zeo, Shizune, and Natalia.

"You may hate me for it, but I gave Hiro a punishment he won't soon forget." Spencer sat down in a chair near the bed, after handing Tala a McDonald's bag. "I'm not eating this." Tala declared, placing the bag on the table next to the bed. "So, you're really bulimic then?" Spencer asked, tapping an arm of the chair with one hand, as though he had a nervous tick.

"It's nice to look in the toilet, and see that which reflects who I am deep inside. It's nice to see the ugliness that is me." Tala replied, hugging his knees to his chest, and placing his chin upon them. "I'm nothing, but filth." He said seriously. "I know," Spencer put his own bag on the table, and got into the bed next the redhead, pulling him into an embrace. "Tal, I know, that you don't, really, believe that." He smiled slightly, when the redhead began to cry. He could tell he was, because of the unsteady heaving of the being in his hold.

"Spence, I'm scared. I don't know who I am anymore, this isn't me. This pathetic being, that needs to be held like a child as he cries, this isn't me!" And he listened as the elder said things, that they both knew. "It's okay to cry Tal, it is." He whispered soothingly. "Help me, please, I'm afraid that I'll try again." And he sighed, knowing that the redhead, was far, from even half, of his former self.

"I won't let you, I promise." He declared seriously. "There are voices in my head, telling me that I should just, remove myself from this world, that everyone, would be happier if I did. I don't know how long I can fight them. Spence, I'm tired. I'm tired of fighting." The redhead's words hit hard, and for a while, Spencer wondered, if the Tala he once knew, would ever come back.

"If everyone would be happier if you were dead, do you think we would've looked for you so hard, when Rei told us, what you had set out to do?" He managed to find those words, and made the elder look at him as he said them.

"Whenever you think of killing yourself, remember my face right now. Remember the tears I shed, because I'm relieved that you're still alive." He added, having just noticed that he was, in fact, crying. Tala snuggled up in his embrace, drained of all his energy. "Is it okay, if I go to sleep?" He asked.

"May it be peaceful." Spencer replied, saying a prayer for what felt like the first time in his life, since the Demolition Boys had lost faith in most divine entities long ago.

Tala hadn't woken up, by the time he was told visiting hours were over, so he tucked Tala into the bed, placing Wolborg's blade next to him. Just before he left the room, a cold aura filled the air, and he turned back, only to see both of Wolborg's forms on the bed. The ice goddess was holding Tala protectively, and the ice wolf was layed out, ready to strike. Tala stirred a bit, and smiled when he saw his bit-beast, snuggling up in the ice goddess's embrace, after reaching out a hand, and petting the ice wolf.

"Thank you, Wolborg." He whispered. "Good night Tala." Spencer said, dimming the lights, knowing the elder would probably not, want them off, in his current state. "Good night, to you too Spencer. Thank you." Was supplied in turn. "Maybe there is hope." Tala whispered, before closing his eyes yet again.

"Good morning." Tala was surprised, to find himself in Kai's embrace the next morning. "Hey." He said, getting out of the embrace and off of the bed. "I brought you something more comfortable to wear." Kai said, pointing to the backpack next to the door to the bathroom. "If I'm not out in twenty minutes, I'm cutting myself." Tala said seriously, and went to perform every normal person's morning ritual.

"No cutting this morning?" Sophie asked, as she entered the room just as Tala came out of the bathroom.

"You say that as though cutting, is a natural thing." Kai said, not liking it one bit.

"Well, he cut in the morning, and then at some point in the evening, or early night, the three days, before his suicide attempt, so I guess you could say, it is quite, a natural thing, at-least for him. If he ever locks the bathroom door on you, then by all means assume the worst, because he cuts more, when he locks himself in, unfortunately." She supplied in turn, as she examined him.

"Sophie, I'm fine." Tala said, but let her do as she pleased, even when she pulled down the red striped white pants he wore, to make sure he hadn't cut his thighs or legs. "Congratulations, you've made it through another inspection." She said, making him laugh a bit. "Tala, cutting yourself isn't funny. Why do you act, as though what you do to yourself, is something laughable?" Kai was beginning, to get pissed.

"Chill out Kai. I know its not funny. What's funny to me, is that Sophie never stops me, and then she congratulates me, when she examines me, and I haven't cut myself." Tala said, buzzing for a nurse.

"Good morning." Shirley said, as she entered the room.

"Good morning. Can I have breakfast brought up?" Tala surprised even himself

"You're actually going to eat?" Shirley asked.

"And not hurl it back up?" Sophie added.

"What do you mean he's actually going to eat? You told me he had breakfast yesterday." Kai got mad.

"Ensure counts as a meal you know." Tala informed, calming Kai down.

"I told you he'd get mad." Shirley said, laughing a bit.

"Your joke's not funny." Kai growled out, crossing his arms over his chest.

"To answer Sophie's question, you might want to just bring me another bottle of Ensure Shirley. I don't know if I would, or wouldn't hurl up the food I ate later." Tala said, after some careful thinking.

"You can have as much Ensure as you want, but, sooner or later, you're going to relapse into your bulimia, once you're forced to eat solid food." Shirley reminded him, that all human beings, need solid food to live.

"I welcome it." He said simply.

"Fine. I'll get you another bottle." She said sighing heavily.

"Will you eat, ANY, solid food?" Kai asked clearly worried.

"The meals at the abbey were always great, and Paulo's cooking, is out of this world. That's just about the only solid food I'll ever eat, give or take a few fast food places." Tala replied seriously.

"So, what did you do when you were hospitalized back in Japan?" Kai asked.

"I had Ian buy me food, from a few of those select fast food places, that I can actually eat food from." Tala replied simply.

"Sometimes I just, don't understand you." Kai muttered.

"Hopefully these idiots will let me out of here, before Thanksgiving." Tala changed the subject.

"Hmm, what's important about Thanksgiving?" Kai asked.

"You said we'd be having Thanksgiving at your house again remember?" Tala asked in turn.

"Oh that, I almost forgot. You have three days to be cleared by the hospital, or else you can kiss Thanksgiving at my house goodbye." Kai said slowly, as he tried to figure out the date, since so much had happened in barely three months.

"I'll get out of here, whether they clear me or not." Tala said seriously.

"So much has happened, in just a little under three months. In barely a quarter of a year, you and Rei have turned my life into a ride at an amusement park, that never seems to end." Kai said sighing.

"Well I did tell you, to go to Rei, and end this roller coaster, but you don't want to." Tala reminded him, as he opened the bottle of Ensure Shirley handed him.

"If I'm with you, I'll gladly stay on this ride, forever." Kai pulled Tala into his lap, as he said those words.

"Kawaii!" Sophie exclaimed, when Tala curled up in Kai's lap.

"I'm going, to track down the person, who created that word, and murder them, I swear!" Tala declared twitching visibly.

"Sorry, sorry." She supplied, as she went to get some water.

"Sophie, why are you limping?" Tala asked, not having noticed it before.

"It's nothing, I just tripped while working yesterday." She replied, a bit too quickly. Tala got up, and went over to her, and sighed when she backed away. "You were raped weren't you?" He wasn't really expecting an answer, but when she started crying, he walked over to the phone, and started dialing.

"What are you doing?" She asked, from where she was sitting, in a fetal position by the window. "Getting someone to teach the bastard who hurt you, a lesson." Tala replied simply. A few minutes passed, and Kai had heard Tala give Spencer an address, as well as giving the blond permission, to punish the target, however he wanted, as long as it was non lethal. "Don't you think that Spencer's, a bit too much?" He asked. "Not at all." Tala replied, as he hung up.

-At a Café-

"You going to eat that?" Oliver asked, as he sat down across from Brooklyn, eyeing the other boy's melted cheese sandwich.

"You can have it." Brooklyn replied monotonously.

"Why so sad?" Oliver asked, after taking a bite out of the sandwich.

"Aside from the fact, that I can't have, the one thing I want, I guess I'm just sick of China." Brooklyn answered, almost emotionlessly.

"Sounds like you need a good fuck my friend." Oliver surprised even himself, with those words.

"Or maybe I should be the one, who overdoses on pills, oh screw it, there's no point in living, if I can't have him." Brooklyn let out the words bitterly, as he slipped to the floor.

"Who is this object of your affection?" Oliver asked, although he knew the answer, since Brooklyn had given the biggest hint ever. Forgetting about the food for the moment, he curled up under the table next to the elder.

"Why do you care?" Was asked in turn.

"I don't actually, but, its always good, to know who's name, your lover will scream, when he cums." The younger replied, once again surprising even himself. "And just when the hell did I agree, to having sex with you?" Brooklyn was getting ticked at the younger, and fast. "You didn't, but sometimes, its good, to do something spontaneous." And Oliver kissed him.

For some reason, Brooklyn chose not to stop him, eventually returning it. The shifted from an innocent exploration of each other's mouths, to a greedy war for dominance, as they fought tooth, and tongue, neither of them wanting to submit to the other. Eleven minutes passed, before they parted. Their war for dominance ended in a draw.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, when they broke apart for air.

"Why did you kiss back?" Was all the green haired boy had to say.

"It helped me forget." Brooklyn replied, and placed a finger to his kiss swollen lips.

"Maybe you should listen to Tala, and try to move on. You can't wait forever, no human could." Oliver said, after dragging Brooklyn into a laying position, and straddling him, careful not to hit his head on the table, that shielded them from any onlookers. Brooklyn let out a gasp, when the younger slipped his hands under his shirt, and pinched his nipples.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Aside from the fact that you're gorgeous, and I'd like to stop fantasizing about you, writhing beneath me, and begging for my touch, no reason, no reason at all." The younger replied, unbuttoning his shirt with his mouth. Brooklyn bit his tongue, to stop any sounds from leaving him, as the younger ravished his chest. "Ah!" He could stop himself from letting out a loud, surprised moan, when the green haired boy, lowered his pants to his knees, and squeezed his erection.

"You're, pretty good at this." He whispered almost breathlessly, as the younger gave him a blow job. "How many blow jobs do I have to give you, to make you say yes?" Oliver asked, between sweet kisses, as he cleaned up the mess Brooklyn had made when he came. "Just be aware that I like being seme." Was the serious reply.

"Not fair, not fair, not fair. I want to be seme." The younger said pouting. "Stop whining, and I may just consider, being uke for you." Brooklyn said, hoping that Oliver didn't catch onto the fact, that he thought his was cute when he pouted. "Really?" Oliver asked, in a way too cute voice.

"Now you're just being annoying. We'll do it both ways okay? Now lets get out of here, before someone catches us." Brooklyn made sure his shirt was buttoned correctly, and that his pants were on right, and not stained by his semen, before getting out from under the table, and quickly put on his black trench coat before getting started on putting on his gloves, hat, and earmuffs.

"That a promise?" Oliver asked, as he followed the elder's lead. "Maybe." Brooklyn supplied, in a teasing voice. "Were you uke for Tala?" The younger asked curiously. "For a little while." Was supplied in response, as they left the café. "So, you don't mind if I mention him?" Oliver asked surprised. "It's not like I'm going to fall in love with you kid. I'm just in this for some sex." Brooklyn replied simply.

"I was just asking so I could be polite. I won't mention him anymore if you don't want me to." The younger said, sounding offended.

"My apologies, I forgot how polite, and courteous, Europeans can be. You'd never know you were French, with the way you spoke in there." Brooklyn said, pointing back at the café.

"I surprised myself with my words actually. Perhaps it's because you're so gorgeous, that I can't control my mouth around you." Oliver said chuckling a bit.

"It would be nice if you didn't mention him actually. I think about him enough as it is." Brooklyn said, letting out a broken sigh.

Oliver wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything, that would cheer the elder up, so he just allowed himself to walk in step with the elder, towards the hotel they were staying at, watching the snow that was falling, in a calm state around them.

A/N: 514 reviews make me, a very happy girl! I give you, my longest chapter yet as a reward. I have good news. It turns out, I only have one class this semester in college, so updates should still be coming out rather quickly. This one was late, because I couldn't decide how to write the scene with Oliver and Brooklyn. I'm going to focus on Rei a bit next chapter. I have been neglecting the poor neko-jin, way too much. It took me a good while, to calculate just how far into the pregnancy he was, but I'm pretty sure its just under three months. Reviews appreciated as always. I hope you all had a, happy new year!