It was a pleasant day; the sky was blue with no clouds to damp the mood. There were masses of people wandering around not caring about everyone else's business; there was no need for them to. They were content in their own lives; why worry them with things that they would probably forget only a few minutes later or throw off as unimportant before carrying on with their important parts of their lives. The group of nine had made a turning off from the main busy streets somewhere before, Eiji couldn't say where because he had become lost with all the different rights and lefts he had tried, and failed, to keep count of from his house. Eiji gave a long sigh and blew a piece of his red hair which had fallen across his eyes several times, frowning at the piece when it refused to budge; his hands were currently unavailable as they were linked behind his head and providing excellent comfort. His tongue came out his mouth only by a fraction as he focused on removing the red tuff from his vision with only his breath. After several attempts it moved to the right and out of his sight and his gaze had followed it to the person walking next to him, his tongue quickly withdrawing. The challenge had caused some amused looks from several of his walking companions for the day. It wasn't the first day he managed to finally get outside; his parents had taken him finally after some persuasion on his grandfather's part, under close supervision, to the local tennis court no less. Only problem was on that first day they had only taken him to show him where it was from the house, and then taken him back almost immediately, but Eiji felt he was getting his freedom back again. That house had been driving him crazy. He swore he would have forgotten what colour the grass was if he had stayed inside any longer. Eiji flashed an extra bright smile at the black haired boy besides him before staring up at the sky, not watching where he was walking. He knew that their destination was going to the middle school they had gone to, Seigaku Gakuin he believed, no one was there as it was not a school day apart from one person called Ryuzaki sensei who apparently been their tennis coach, although no tennis bags, balls or rackets were being brought on the sensei's orders.

There was nothing that could dampen his mood at the moment, the trial of George Smith had been nearly going for three weeks straight but the final conclusion of the court and jury would be administered today, his grandparents had let him and Shusuke sneak out of the house with the rest of the boys whom they had become good friends, again, for a walk whilst the press where distracted and Shusuke's parents were seemingly also finally letting up keeping Shusuke locked away in the world. Eiji did a twirl mid-step bringing him slightly further forwards and bringing all of his thoughts back to the present day, which caused a chuckle to escape from two of the people walking with him. He turned around so he could look at the back of the group of the nine walking today before bouncing over to the black haired boy, his hands now dropped from their position from behind his head.

"Oishi!" He said excitedly, full of hyperactive energy, which didn't seem to be going down well with the stern and stoic Tezuka who was walking in the group of now three people at the back. Momo was bickering up in front with Kaidoh, followed by Fuji, Echizen and Kawamura, the honey coloured haired boy was having a nice conversation with the power tennis player, as Eiji had learnt, the left wrist was now no longer needed to be strapped to Fuji's chest and so now hung freely. Echizen did not appear interested in anything but his Ponta can which had been position at his lips for some time now, Eiji noted. Inui was behind them, muttering something as he scribbled in his green notebook. The hyperactive red head had tried once to look in the book over Inui's shoulder but found two problems with that as the data tennis player was much taller than him and Inui was very good at snapping it shut suddenly.

"Eiji," Oishi acknowledged with a smile as he watched the acrobatic player doing flips around him before coming to stand besides him bouncing as he walked in a way that only Eiji could. The boy was probably going to tell him of something that would have no relevance to anything at all and probably wouldn't make much sense but Oishi was going to listen anyway.

"Oishi. Do you think Shu… Fuji is happy?" Oishi blinked, he was not expecting a question like that to appear out of nowhere. The vice-captain turned his gaze to the tensai who was wearing a smile almost similar in appearance to Eiji's before looking back at the red head, confused now to why the question had come up.

"Yes, I think he is happy. We never knew the real Fuji before you two were … kidnapped. He always seemed to hide himself apart from at the nationals at one time when he was playing a single match and lost. But I would say he is happy Eiji. Why?" the red head stopped bouncing and was now walking at Oishi's pace. Tezuka had moved ahead and was now walking besides Inui, neither making any movements of talking to one another, just walking.

"Do you think he would still be happy even if I disappeared one day?"

"No Eiji. I wouldn't be happy and I don't think Fuji would be happy either. I don't think anyone would be …"

"Nya! No Oishi! I didn't mean like that silly!" Eiji interrupted Oishi's almost turned full on alarmed rant before it got any worse. "I meant like if I had to move away or something like that." The red head's face took on one of a deep sadness. Oishi could feel his heart beating like mad in his chest, threatening to burst through the rib cage as it started to slow its heightened rhythm.

"Why do you say that Eiji?" he asked after he was sure he would be able to get the words out. It concerned him slightly that Eiji would think like that at all, but he caught himself remembering that this was also a different Eiji to the one he had formed the Golden Pair with.

"I don't know my parents will enough to know that they will keep their promise and let me stay on at Seigaku with my siblings in Osaka and their life is now in Osaka mainly. In truth they are only really here for me." Oishi could see a pout forming on Eiji's face.

"Couldn't you stay with your grandparents then?"

"I don't think they would give me up so easily to my grandpa and grandma." Eiji muttered.

"But have been missing for a long time. I don't think your parents will move personally however this time even if you do move then you could try and convince them for you to stay at the dorms in Seigaku High. Its much harder for you to be admitted anywhere else now, Seigaku were very quick at accepting the transfer application. It could take months for you to be admitted anywhere else, well into the next year." Oishi pointed out. "Trust your parents Eiji and its not like you're going to disappear disappear again."

"Nya, your right Oishi!" Eiji said, a bounce coming back into his step as he skipped around and up ahead, leaving Oishi to pick up his pace and move quickly to join Tezuka and Inui, the latter now making comments directed in the captain's way about his game play.

Eiji glanced back as he bounced happily as he sped up to the front of the group over taking the bickering Momo and Kaidoh, which felt right to him. He couldn't explain it but hearing them bickering was natural, even though he had spent less time with the younger students. Fuji sent a more personal smile his way and Eiji sent one back speeding up and jogging to a point a bit further ahead in the quiet roads. He preferred the back streets to the main busy ones; it reminded him of the peaceful pace of England, which reminded him that he had also promised to type the first email out to Ushio tonight after Smith's sentence had been declared. His parents were most certainly loosing up in their protectiveness although not totally and it was still a heavy burden. He waited until the Momo and Kaidoh part of the group had caught up with him, still heavily bickering with each other over something that probably didn't even matter anymore, before racing further ahead. He was looking forward to meeting this sensei and looking at the tennis courts where he once played. He watched as Fuji broke away from Kawamura, the power player now taking an interesting in talking to Echizen whom had thrown his now empty Ponta can away in a bin they had passed. Eiji bounced where he was in the middle of a T-junction of a deep residential area, watching as the honey coloured haired boy started to jog towards him, clutching his left wrist to his chest with his right as he did so.

Eiji bit his lip and then started to bounce even more, if that was possible. "Hurry Shusuke!" he called out, not bothering to correct himself. If he was talking to other people then he would try and remember to correct himself but with the person he once knew as his twin brother he just couldn't do it. A noise distracted him from his shout, a skidding of a wheel, sliding of something; the noise came from his right. The road bended only a few metres away from him, so he couldn't see what was around the corner, but the skidding got louder before stopping. Eiji stared at it for a minute even taking a step back towards the wall to see if he could see anything but no more noise came and there was nothing in sight. He turned his attention back to Fuji who was getting closer and smiled waving his hand in attempt to get the boy to run faster, he was being slow. The reminder of the group was a good distance behind them but still in sight. He smiled when the honey coloured hair boy caught up with him and stood on his left.

"ShuShu!" Eiji said, watching a dangerous smile replace his normal one.

"Ei..."

In truth, Eiji didn't know what happened after that. All he could remember was that Shusuke had stopped saying his name mid-way and the skidding had been heard from very close behind him, way too close. It was loud and it had been accompanied by loud engine noises! He could guess from the lack of memories and time being too fast that Fuji had grabbed him and twisted himself so he was in between Eiji and what he presumed was the car. There had been no cry, only the tightening of the arms before a sudden force pushed Eiji backwards, onto the road. The only thing Eiji could be sure was that he must have blacked out for a few seconds and when he opened his eyes, that honey coloured hair was being dyed a deep red blood colour, with the black predator that was the cause of it was standing victorious over the unmoving body.


Now watch me run away! Cliffhanger and big one at that ... nya ... gomen! Just when you thought they couldn't get hurt anymore ...
and lol, just cheated one of the supermarket chains out of money and I didn't even realise until I got home and my sister pointed it out. I got a leg of lamb on a reduced offer and then got over half off it again ... won't be going to that shop for a while. It was supposed to be a surprise for my parents but it's now a surprise for me as well!
OH! This story hit 100,000 words last night! NYA! That's a lot ...

demoncat13: Thank you, I corrected that. And with your suggestion they were going to Seigaku middle school, I say were ...
ElementalCat: English is your second langauge? Its really good! Your english spelling is better than mine (and I do an English and history uni course ... nya!) and yes I brought in Yukimura because Rikkai is getting more comfortable with me as a school to write about.
Sherlockdetective99: I didn't realise that line suggested that, but now I think about it, it is a very omnious line. I think you might be mad at this chapter ... very mad ... and yeah I recovered very well!

I would like a review if you would be so kind enough to give one for me. Please?