A/N: It has been inexcusably long since I've updated, but here is Chapter 24. Take note here if there is anyone still reading my story... I will be taking the whole of Unexpected Aftermath down in the not-too-distant future and reposting an edited and improved version. My writing style has changed/improved (I think anyway) over the 7 years I've been writing this story and I think the whole thing needs a cosmetic rewrite with some additions that I think are missing from the original narrative. It will take me at least a few months to get through the edit, so I'm posting the last chapter that I've written for any readers who are still around :)

Chapter Twenty-Four.

Only a few minutes after Axel had left the house in pursuit of Reno, Seifer and Roxas, Yuffie stirred on the floor of the kitchen and groaned in pain as she opened her eyes a crack. It took a few more minutes before she could get her thoughts together enough to realize that an exterior sensation had dragged her awake and when she tilted her head around to see what the touch on her ankle was she let out another groan, this time one of denial and dread. The thing that had awoken Yuffie was the pressure of Leon's hand brushing against her leg and as she stared into her husband's pain-fogged gaze the events of the last few minutes hit her full force.

Without thinking Yuffie shot to her feet, utterly ignoring the spike of pain that nailed her between the eyes, and threw herself towards Leon, falling to her knees at his side and frantically assessing his condition. Yuffie was still staring at her husband's blood-splattered shoulder and trying to decide what the hell to do first when Leon cleared his throat and said roughly, 'You have to call Cid Yuffie, get him here to find Rox… And then call Ventus. Throw me a towel and I'll keep myself together, no, don't argue, you can call me an ambulance once the other stuff is done.'

Drawing on a deep-seated inner strength and holding back her disagreement with a supreme effort of will Yuffie rose jerkily to her feet and ran to find a towel in the kitchen drawer before handing the cloth to Leon and grabbing the phone off the bench. In tautly controlled voice Leon spat out the number for Cid's direct line and with one last worried look at the already blood soaked towel her husband was grimly pressing against his wound, Yuffie hurriedly dialled and held the phone to her ear praying for someone to answer. The drawn out tone of the phone ringing in her ear stretched Yuffie's nerves to breaking point and when Cid finally picked up she snapped harshly, 'Get back here! They took Roxas, it's a fucking diversion so get your men back here now!'

Without waiting for Cid to reply beyond a muffled obscenity Yuffie cut off the call and after a brief glance down at where Leon was still occupied with staunching his wound she gritted her teeth and made the second call, one she had been dreading. Yuffie's fingers trembled as she dialled Ventus' number and when he answered with a worried 'hello' she couldn't keep the tremor from her voice as she blurted out, 'You n-need to come home now Ven. They… Oh Gaia Ven I'm so sorry, they took Roxas! Axel went after them and the police are on their way and you…'

Yuffie broke off in mid-sentence when Ventus hung up on her without a word, and more terrified than she had ever been in her life she couldn't entirely choke back a sob. The situation would have been bad enough with just her wounded husband to worry about, but to have Roxas and Axel at the mercies of Reno and Seifer under her watch was almost more than Yuffie could bear. Breaking down however was a luxury that she couldn't afford and with a huge effort of will she forced away panic and knelt down by Leon's side, dialling once more and pressing the phone hard against her ear, praying that an ambulance wasn't far away.

Ventus almost fell out of Aqua's car as his girlfriend screeched into the driveway, and when he propped himself up against the bonnet he registered that an ambulance had pulled up scant seconds behind him and a pair of paramedics were running towards his house. His heart in his throat and barely aware of Aqua's presence next to him Ventus bolted towards the house and crashed through the door to see the medical team crowding around a body on the floor and getting ready to transfer the person onto their portable stretcher. Ventus only had a split second to take in the scene before he was knocked backwards against the wall by Yuffie who had tears streaming down her face.

For the first time in his life Ventus found himself utterly indifferent to the suffering of another person and it was only thanks to Aqua's quick reactions that Yuffie didn't go sprawling to the floor when Ventus shoved her aside and limped over to the stretcher where Leon was now lying. Struggling for breath and so close to losing control that his vision was greying out at the edges Ventus ignored the paramedic who was trying to pull him backward and in a voice that didn't sound like his own he gasped out, 'Leon… Oh Gaia's mercy… What happened? You… Rox… Fuck, Leon…'

Despite his injuries Leon was still lucid enough to raise his hand slightly and cut off Ventus' increasingly hysterical words. Ventus snapped his mouth shut and gritted his teeth in impatience and suppressed fear as Leon said in a shadow of his usual gruff voice, 'I'm sorry Ven. They took us by surprise and I couldn't stop them taking Roxas. Axel went after them, it was at least half an hour ago. Yuffie was out for a while, I'm not sure how long… Fuck, is that the cops? Yuffie called them just before she called you…'

Leon had cut himself off in mid-sentence and a moment later Ventus also heard the sound of sirens rapidly approaching. A voice in the back of his mind berating him for not even taking a second to ask how Leon was, Ventus spun around and headed out of the house again and he felt like he was floating above himself as he slipped and nearly fell in the puddle of blood by the door. Chief Cid leapt out of his car as it screeched to a halt in the driveway followed by three more patrol cars and Ventus drew on the last of his strength to shove aside the anger that threatened to take over him, tenuously keeping a grip on himself for the sake of his brother.

Ventus was two paces away from the tense looking Cid when the sound of his name from behind him stopped him cold and he turned around with his heart beating out of his chest to see Aqua standing in the doorway, tears in her eyes and holding her phone out to him. Time broke into strange fragmented flashes for Ventus and the next thing he knew he was standing next to Aqua and taking the phone from her with no memory of crossing the intervening space. The action of lifting the phone to his ear felt like it took an age but time came crashing back down on him, bringing him to his knees, when he heard Roxas' faint whisper in his ear.

Roxas had aimed the gun at Reno and pulled the trigger not fully expecting to hit the man enough to wound him let alone stop him from advancing towards Axel. So when the bullet smashed through Reno's body and took his life between one breath and the next, the teen fell to his knees, all his strength gone. Reno seemed to fall in slow motion and Roxas let out a faint sound of horror and denial, resisting the awful thought that he had killed someone until Reno's body crashed down on top of Axel and the boy that he loved cried out in agony and passed out. The sound of Axel's pain and the sight of the redhead's eyes rolling up in his head and his body going limp galvanized Roxas into action and he pushed himself to one knee, staring around in desperation.

Every sense Roxas had felt heightened to painful intensity and as he staggered to his feet he was deafened by the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. Pure chance meant that Roxas' wild gaze first fell upon the unconscious form of Seifer over by the wall and his breath caught in his throat when he realized that a glint of light half hidden by Seifer's coat was in fact the man's mobile phone. Roxas forced his unsteady legs to carry him forward and when he got near to Seifer he paused and took a deep breath, studying the man's sprawled body for any sign of consciousness.

Roxas managed to hold back for a full five seconds of observing Seifer before the lack of any movement became enough confirmation that the man was out to it and he stumbled forward and snatched the phone from its place on the floor. With the phone clutched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles turned white Roxas spun around and crashed to his knees on the ground next to Axel, ignoring the pain of the impact. As he futilely tried to shove Reno's corpse away with one hand, he thanked Gaia that Seifer's phone had no lock on it and jabbed frantically at the screen with his other hand.

Very quickly Roxas realized that there was no way he could move Reno and make a call at the same time so with a silent apology to Axel he turned his full attention to the phone. To Roxas' surprise, when he had been blindly pawing at the phone's screen, he had somehow managed to get into Seifer's contacts and glowing in front of him was Aqua's name and number, a coincidence that sparked a small ember of hope in his chest. His hands shaking so badly that he could hardly hit the call button, Roxas watched the barely visible rise and fall of Axel's chest and prayed that Aqua would pick up.

Aqua's tearful but confused voice was the most beautiful thing Roxas had ever heard and it took everything he had to hold it together enough to choke out, 'It's me, Roxas. Aqua where's Ventus, oh Gaia I need Ventus …'

Without his brother even having to say anything Roxas felt the second that Ventus took the phone and at that moment the strain all became too much for him and he could only whisper his brother's name before bursting into wracking sobs. Through his tears Roxas faintly heard a muffled thud on the other end of the line and then Ventus choked out, 'Rox, oh Gaia you're alive… Where… Where are you?'

If Aqua's voice had been beautiful to Roxas, Ventus' voice almost shattered the control that was keeping him from breaking. Gasping for breath through the force of his sobs Roxas managed to whisper haltingly, 'Send the cops… Oh Gaia, send an ambulance Ven, Axel's hurt and he won't wake up… Ventus help, I don't know what to do, I'm so scared…'

Through the phone Ventus let out a cross between a cough and a curse and there was an underlying frantic edge to his brother's voice that brought Roxas back to the here and now as Ventus said rapidly, 'Where are you Rox, the cops and medics are here, we just need to know where you are!'

As if he had been doused with the ice-water of insight Roxas abruptly realized that he had absolutely no idea where his abductors had taken him once he had been knocked unconscious and apart from knowing that he was in a tiny ramshackle building he had no way of answering Ventus' question. Staring feverishly around the room and searching for anything that might give him a hint of where he actually was, Roxas felt himself teeter right at the edge of hysteria before he was shocked out his panic by something totally unexpected. Roxas was right at the point of giving in to his mounting terror when he happened to glance at Axel and see a pair of out-of-focus green eyes fixed on him.

Axel's barely audible whisper cut through the silence as Roxas stared at him, the blonde teen frozen to the spot as Axel gasped, 'Tell him the Shadow Shack Roxas… He'll know, they'll find us…'

Roxas was still staring mutely, stunned that Axel was conscious let alone coherent, when the redhead unwisely lifted his hand and shoved weakly at the dead weight on top of him. In front of Roxas' eyes, before the dazed blonde could even move, Axel shifted wrong and jarred the blade in his side, letting out a strangled moan and passing out again. Jolted out of his fugue by both Axel's plight and the anxious voice of Ventus in his ear Roxas forced his voice to work again and snapped, 'The Shadow Shack Ven, send everyone to the Shadow Shack… Ax says, said, you'll know where… Fucking Gaia's love please hurry Ven, he's hurt so bad and I… I can't see straight…'

The phone went dead in Ventus' hand, but before the line cut out he heard a thud. For a split-second Ventus' heart stopped and he was sure that his legs were going to give way beneath him, but then his heart gave a painful lurch and with his suddenly rapid pulse thrumming in his ears he raised his gaze to look at Aqua. Opening his mouth, unsure what was going to come out, Ventus gasped out, 'They're alive, we have to go. Tell the cops the Shadow Shack, that's where they are, in the woods. We have to go now… Aqua, come on…'

Ventus barely got his last words out before Aqua grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the house, barrelling up to Chief Cid's car and shouting through the window, 'Get your men to the old abandoned house in the woods, the one the kids call the Shadow Shack. Bring an ambulance Cid, we don't know what we'll find when we get there.'

As Aqua was snapping out instructions to Cid, Ventus regained a little of his composure and by the time Aqua turned back to him he knew what he would do next. In a tone that brooked no argument Ventus said flatly, 'Follow me Aqua, we're going to get Roxas and Axel. The police better get their shit together if they want to find anything left they can arrest, because if I get my hands on Raffica or Almasy I'll fucking kill them.'

With his pronouncement still hanging in the air Ventus spun on his heel and began to limp as fast as he could towards the old, overgrown track that led to the Shadow Shack, but he had to pull up short after a couple of steps when Yuffie stepped in front of him. The tiny woman's face was stained with tears and she was deathly pale, but Yuffie's voice was steady as she said, 'I'm coming too Ven. The medics have stabilized Leon and I'm no good to Rox or Axel if I'm crying over my husband in the hospital. Let's go get the boys and bring some judgement down on the scum who took them.'

The three friends hurried off down the footpath before any of Cid's men had time to guess their plan and act to stop them and they ducked into the thick brush by the side of the road just as a squad of policemen set off for the more well-known track to the Shadow Shack. Moving as quickly as Ventus' painful leg would allow, the trio barged through the already bent and broken undergrowth and like Axel had done less than an hour earlier Ventus continually confirmed that they were on the right track by following the blood-splatters along the path. Ventus' leg was beginning to become a real problem by the time the clearing came into view, but he simply gritted his teeth and pushed on, determined to let nothing stop him from finding Roxas.

When Ventus caught his first glimpse of the shack through the trees all thoughts of stealth and caution flew from his mind. Before Aqua or Yuffie could stop him he broke into a stumbling run, heedless of the tearing sensation in his bad leg. From the outside the shack appeared abandoned and Ventus crashed against the door, oblivious to Aqua's frantic whisper that it could be a trap. The door was jammed shut in its warped frame, but Ventus simply drew back and threw himself at the wood shoulder first, bursting into the room with a ragged shout.

'Roxas!'

From the moment she had awoken on the floor and found both Roxas and Axel gone Yuffie had been tearing strips off herself for not doing more to outwit Seifer and Reno and she followed Ventus and Aqua with the intent to remedy her failure. Yuffie found that it was actually surprisingly difficult to keep up with Ventus as they crashed through the forest towards their destination even though the man was travelling on a barely healed broken leg and in the effort to keep pace she had no time to give any thought to planning before they made it to the shack. With her usually swift reflexes dulled by fatigue and the pain of her still aching head she wasn't quick enough to stop Ventus crashing into the shack blindly.

Yuffie could see over Ventus' shoulder into the interior of the dark room and as Ventus staggered and fell to his knees and Aqua began to scream, she struggled to make sense of the gruesome scene before her. The first thing that fell into place in Yuffie's comprehension was the image of Ventus kneeling beside his brother's unconscious body, clutching Roxas to him as he gasped for breath. Then Yuffie blinked and her gaze landed on the shadowy form in the background and she couldn't hold back the low cry that tore from her throat.

Behind Ventus and Roxas, Yuffie could see Axel lying prone on the floor under the spreadeagled and very obviously dead body of Reno Raffica, father and son covered with liberal splatters of blood. Feeling weak at the knees Yuffie forced herself to stay on her feet and feeling like she was detached from her body she stepped around Ventus and Aqua, fully expecting to confirm that Axel was dead but hoping against hope that she was wrong. Yuffie dropped to one knee by Axel's side and gently touched her fingers to the artery in his neck, but her detachment was blown out of the water when she felt a faint, thready pulse through her fingertips.

What no one had noticed in the shock of seeing Roxas, Axel and Reno was that over in the far corner Seifer was rapidly regaining consciousness. Whipping her head around and just about to shout to Aqua that Axel was alive Yuffie caught a glimpse of unexpected movement out of the corner of her eye and between one breath and the next she was in motion. Pure fury hot-wired Yuffie's brain and muscles and before anyone else knew what was going on she hurled herself across the room and stomped down on Seifer's hand as he reached for a jagged piece of wood that was half hidden in the dust on the floor.

Staring down into Seifer's glaring, hate-filled eyes Yuffie bared her teeth in a humourless grin and took her foot off the man's hand, beckoning with an insolent come-on gesture. Seifer surged up off the floor and lashed out at her, but Yuffie was ready.

With what looked like a mere twitch of her upper body Yuffie avoided Seifer's ponderous punch and spun so that she was facing his bowed back. Winding up and using all the power of her anger Yuffie whipped out her leg in a ferocious kick that collided with the back of Seifer's head and smashed his face into the floor, driving him once again into unconsciousness.

Yuffie turned around, breathing hard and trying to rein in the rage that still thrummed through her, and it was only then that she realized that Ventus and Aqua were staring at her in shock. In a strained voice that gave away the tenuous grasp she had on herself Yuffie growled, 'Don't look at me Ven, check Rox! And Aqua, help me get Reno off of Axel, he's alive but if the damn ambulance doesn't get here soon… Fuck, stop gawping and help me!'

Ventus had been stuck in a state of nightmarish slow-motion horror from the moment he saw Roxas lying sprawled on the floor of the shack and he had only come partially back to reality when events sped up around him and his attention was caught by a blur flashing past him. The sight of Yuffie taking down Seifer without breaking a sweat served to shock Ventus out of his fugue and he stared stupidly as she barked out her command for them to bloody well do something.

Slammed back into himself by the fear in Yuffie's voice, Ventus looked down for a brief instant at Roxas' pale face and then he went to yank his phone out of his pocket. Just as Ventus was fumbling with his suddenly resistant phone he heard the sweetest sound that he had ever heard in his life and he whispered to himself as much the unconscious Roxas, 'They're here… It's going to be okay… Just hang on…'

The door of the shack banged open once more and Ventus was swept aside in the whirlwind of activity that came in. Two large paramedics gently pried Roxas out of Ventus' grip and as he watched helplessly they began to methodically check the teen for injuries while another couple of medics rushed in to tend to Axel. Momentarily unable to force his body into action and barely feeling Aqua's arms around him, Ventus watched in a daze as Reno's corpse was carefully lifted to the side and Axel's blood-covered form was transferred to a stretcher.

Finally a swarm of blue-uniformed policemen came bursting into the small shack and Ventus couldn't even summon the energy to feel anger at the way they assumed control of the scene as if they had been on top of things all along. It was only when an officious police officer went to pull Ventus up at the same time that Roxas was lifted onto a stretcher that the blonde man blinked and narrowed his eyes, pushing away the policeman and stumbling to his feet on his own to stagger over to Roxas' side. Assisted by Aqua and barely able to walk in a straight line Ventus walked wordlessly out of the Shadow Shack by Roxas' side and climbed into the ambulance.

Roxas opened his eyes in pitch darkness, the ache in his head muddling his thoughts, but then he made the mistake of groaning which caused an explosion of pain that made his throat feel like it was coated with sandpaper and caught in a vice. Gagging at the agony in his throat Roxas made the second mistake of trying to roll onto his side on the hard bed and with that action pain hammered into every inch of his body. Through streaming eyes Roxas saw a tall shadowy figure stride towards him in the gloom and then he was face to face with Ventus.

With a vague sense of shock Roxas realized that Ventus was crying uncontrollably in shuddering, breathless sobs, but he couldn't make his voice work before his brother gasped out, 'Oh Gaia's blessing's Roxas I didn't… I thought… I didn't know when you'd wake up… You wouldn't wake up and I thought… I thought…'

Ventus' disjointed words trailed off and Roxas clutched his brother's hand helplessly, wishing that his throat felt less like it was coated with crushed glass. The sound of his brother's pain brought tears to Roxas' eyes and for a while he simply held onto Ventus' hand as if he was about to disappear. Then a thought slapped him across the face and he ignored the flare of pain in his head, sitting up in bed with a gasp. In Roxas' head, playing in jerky fast-motion like an old movie was the sight of Axel lying bleeding on the ground with Reno's broken corpse falling to land on top of him.

A roaring tore through Roxas' head like a rushing gale and he hurled himself off the bed, barely noticing that he sent Ventus sprawling backwards onto the floor. Ignoring his aches and pains and his agonized throat Roxas stared around the room wildly and rasped, 'Axel!'

Even as Axel's name left his lips Roxas saw the bed on the far side of the room and he crossed the intervening space on legs that threatened to give out on him at any moment. Roxas felt as if he was in a nightmare as he stopped next to the bed and stood there swaying slightly, looking down at Axel who appeared more dead than alive. The sheet that partially covered Axel only covered up to his waist and Roxas couldn't stop his gaze from flicking from the breathing tube hooked in through Axel's nose to the thick bandages wound around the redhead's torso and the mess of bruises and barely healed scars that told the story of the teen's relationship with his murderous father.

Roxas didn't notice when tears began to slide down his cheeks or sobs began to shake his body, but after an interminable time he felt someone's arm snake around his shoulders and then he was enfolded in Ventus' arms clutching his brother tight as he tried not to fall apart. Through his tears Roxas heard his brother clear his throat and he clung to Ventus even harder as the man said quietly, 'I know you're scared Roxas, but it's going to be okay I promise. Come here Rox, sit down before you fall over.'

Not wanting to leave Axel's side but in no condition to resist his brother's gentle strength Roxas stumbled back to his bed and sat next to Ventus, only able to stay sitting because of his brother's body propping him up. Forcing the words out through the gravel that coated the inside of his throat Roxas whispered, 'Oh Gaia's love Ven he looks like he's dead. How long… I don't even know how long I was out… What's happening?'

Ventus' usually strong voice sounded strained and thin and hearing his brother sound so close to breaking forced Roxas to claw back some semblance of self-possession. Sliding his cold hand into Ventus', Roxas listened tensely as Ventus said, 'I spoke to the doctors an hour ago Rox, you've been unconscious for a little over three hours. You're going to be fine as long as you don't talk too much and we keep an eye on your swollen larynx… Gaia's mercy Roxas I can't believe you came away from a one on one with Raffica without worse…'

There was a note of hysteria in Ventus' voice that would have normally had Roxas in full protective mode, but at that moment all he wanted to hear was that Axel was okay. Gritting his teeth in an attempt not to lose his shit Roxas squeezed Ventus' hand until his brother looked over at him with watery eyes and he said as firmly as his throat would allow, 'Ven, please, I need to know… Tell me about Axel…'

Roxas' insistence and the catch in his voice seemed to shake Ventus back to himself again and Roxas couldn't help but flinch at the expression of anger mixed with pain that crept over his brother's face. Ventus spoke in low tones but Roxas felt every word like a physical blow as he reluctantly said, 'They had to operate Roxas, by some miracle Reno's knife missed Axel's intestines and kidneys but it nicked his spleen. The doctors just spent the last couple of hours removing the damaged part and getting him stabilized. He'll be under for a while but they said he'd probably wake up on his own later tonight. They said he needs to be under observation but he'll be okay. Oh Rox… Talk to me…?'

While Ventus had been talking Roxas had been unable to take his eyes off of Axel's still form on the other side of the room and when he registered the worried question hanging in the air he shivered and whispered, 'I need to be by him Ventus. Can you help me over there? Please… I need… I need to know he's alive…'

For a moment Ventus seemed about to say something but when Roxas looked at him with naked appeal in his eyes he silently got up and assisted him over into the chair by Axel's bed. Momentarily forgetting that Ventus was even there Roxas slumped over the edge of the bed and gently, as if he was handling glass, took Axel's hand in his own, raising the redhead's pale fingers to his lips. The beep of the heart monitor in the background was the only sound in the room for a while and then Roxas murmured almost inaudibly, 'Are you still there Ven? Please don't leave, I need you too… I haven't even asked, how is Leon? I don't… It looked so bad…'

Aqua's electric blue eyes glowed with determination as she stalked through the hospital corridors with her fists clenched by her sides. On the ride to the hospital Aqua had been unable to offer much comfort to Ventus as he focused on his brother to the exclusion of all else, but about halfway through the ride Aqua had heard something that dragged her attention away from the man she loved and lit a spark of anger in her chest. From the front of the ambulance Aqua had heard the paramedics discussing the occupants of the other vehicle and she had felt a surge of rage at the knowledge that Seifer was alive and being brought to the very same hospital she was headed to.

Of all of Axel's group of friends Aqua had been the most affected by the revelation that Seifer had thrown in his lot with Reno and chosen to do the awful things he had done. Even though she had put up a good front to soothe Roxas, underneath she was boiling with uncharacteristic rage. Hearing that Seifer was going to be cared for by the same people who would be working to save Axel and Roxas rubbed away at Aqua's last nerve until she was barely able to contain the white hot fury that filled her. It was lucky that she was distracted by the ambulance's arrival at the hospital before she lost her grip entirely. The scuffle of unloading the teens from the ambulance and assisting Ventus diverted Aqua's energies for a while, but once she had Ventus seated and almost asleep in Roxas' room she excused herself to get some air.

Although she felt a little guilty for leaving Ventus alone with the unconscious Roxas, Aqua was so on edge that she felt Ventus would be better off without her around for a while, at least until she calmed down. Hoping that a short walk would burn off some of her nervous energy Aqua strode through the hospital corridors and tried to turn off her brain, but when she rounded a corner fifteen minutes after leaving Roxas' room she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. In her wandering Aqua had accidentally stumbled across the room commandeered by the police to use as their office while in the hospital and as she stared into the room full of blue uniforms an idea rose up in her mind.

As soon as the thought hit her Aqua was moving and moments later she walked in the police filled room doing a very convincing impersonation of a distraught and slightly empty-headed waif. From Aqua's first step into the room every eye was on her and she took full advantage of the attention, letting her eyes go glassy and saying in a shaky voice, 'I need to talk to an officer… Oh please, I really need to talk to someone…'

Three officers immediately hurried to Aqua's side and she forced a hitching sob as she was led to a chair. With the officers staring at her in worried confusion Aqua let the silence draw out a little longer before babbling, 'Oh officers, I'm so glad I found you! I've been trying to find out where my ex is, he's been injured and they won't tell me where he is… I need to talk to him and I thought you could help me… He's involved in the Reno Raffica case.'

Burying her face in her hands Aqua pretended to be overcome with emotion, but she listened closely as the two officers next to her muttered, 'She must be talking about Almasy, the accomplice. Isn't she one of the ones we were guarding in the Hakunetsu operation? What do you think she wants with that dropkick?'

Still heaving with pretend sobs Aqua stayed quiet and her patience paid off when the third policeman knelt down next to her and put his hand on her shoulder saying in a comforting tone, 'What's your name ma'am? I saw you around when I was on guard at Ventus Hakunetsu's house last week. Why would you be asking about Seifer Almasy?'

Aqua recognized the officer's voice as belonging to the man who had apologized for the abysmal handling of the whole Reno debacle by the police department weeks before and making a split-second decision she decided that the truth was probably going to be her best ally. Lifting her gaze to meet the officer's eyes and blinking back the tears that she hadn't actually had to fake Aqua said bitterly, 'My name is Aqua, I was with Seifer Almasy for almost half a year before he lost his mind and broke Reno out of the Bastion. I need to ask him why. It might be against the rules, you may tell me to go take a hike, but I need to look that bastard in the eyes and make him tell me what the fuck was going through his head.'

By the end of her outburst Aqua was breathing hard and she could barely control the rage that made her want to throw something, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her as she thought about the man she had given six months of her life to. There was a moment of dead silence as everyone in the room stopped to watch the drama playing out and Aqua deeply appreciated the policeman's composure as he ignored the onlookers and thought about her request seriously before replying, 'You're right, it is against the rules. The thing is, I'm currently in charge of this rabble while the chief isn't here and therefore that makes it my call. As it's my call, I'll be the one to escort you to Almasy's room.'

At the unexpected agreement with her request Aqua's mouth dropped open in surprise, but the thanks that she was about to stammer was cut off when the officer abruptly stood up and offered her his hand saying, 'We haven't been introduced properly, I'm Officer Tidus Zanar. Come this way Aqua and as long as you stay well back from the prisoner I can give you a few minutes to ask your questions.'

Still shocked that her plan had worked Aqua took Tidus' hand and stood up on shaky legs. As Aqua shook her head in astonishment Tidus looked around the room and stated flatly, 'You all heard me, I take full responsibility for this. I won't ask you to cover for me, but stay here and continue with the paperwork until I get back. We've all seen how this clusterfuck has gone and it's my belief that we owe this family and their friends a little something even if it is off the books.'

Tidus' understated denouncement of the situation caused a lump to form in Aqua's throat and she swallowed hard as she followed the policeman from the room. Silently Aqua followed Tidus to a room two doors down the corridor and as she walked she tried to control the feelings of anger, bitterness, disgust and betrayal that threatened to break through. When they stopped outside a door that looked exactly the same as every other hospital door Aqua expected Tidus to walk in in front of her, but the man surprised her once again by hanging back and saying with a wry smile, 'Go on. As long as you don't damage him too much I can probably get away this. Just… Keep it short.'

Almost in a daze Aqua nodded her agreement and then with a gentle push from Tidus she entered the room and let the door swing closed behind her with a click. The room was dim as no lights were on apart from the illuminated screens of the machines, but Aqua didn't need any light to make out the man lying prone on the hospital bed, obviously awake and staring at the ceiling. Feeling tendrils of rage snake around the grip she had on her emotions Aqua took one jerky step and then another towards Seifer Almasy.

Aqua stopped when she was still a few paces from Seifer's bed, but sound of her footsteps alerted him to her presence and he looked over to see who it was. Feeling as if she had passed through fury and into an icy sort of calm Aqua said softly, 'Hello Seifer. I see that you're a little indisposed. I have a question or two that you can probably nod or shake your head to answer… Do you think you'll humour me Sei?'

Aqua's eyes were locked on Seifer's and in his hazy gaze she could tell that he had heard her question and could see the rage that was seething behind her placid expression. Folding her arms and waiting for Seifer's brain to start working Aqua gritted her teeth when the man she once cared for rasped out, 'What do you want me to say huh? Do you want a sorry or some shit like that?'

The calm that chilled Aqua's blood allowed her to ignore Seifer's antagonism and she curled her lip in a faint sneer. In a tone that dripped with disdain she said, 'I don't want a sorry Seifer, I want to know why. That's all. Then I'll leave you in whatever passes as peace for you and hopefully I'll never speak to you again before I watch you get sent to Hollow Bastion for the rest of your miserable life.'

Seifer's humourless laugh echoed around the room jarringly and Aqua narrowed her eyes as he spat the words out, 'Why? You want to know why? Reno offered me something that no one else could, certainly not you, and I took the chance to have it, to have him. He wanted revenge and to help him get that I… Well, I got in too deep to turn back and fuck it if I didn't even want to. You know that the Bastion can't hold me right Aqua? Not me, not Reno, you'll spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder wondering if I'm coming for you. And I will.'

Anger ripped through Aqua with the force of a lightning strike, but even as her heart roared in her ears and she shook with the effort of not launching herself at the smirking man she realized something that made her pause; Seifer did not know that Reno was dead. Pushed beyond her breaking point and unable to stop herself Aqua stepped forward until she was nose to nose with Seifer. Staring straight into his eyes she murmured almost gently, 'You have nothing now Seifer, Reno is dead and you will rot in the Bastion. Nothing can save you and you will die alone and forgotten by anyone who ever had the slightest feeling for you.'

The look of sick disbelief and devastation on Seifer's face fractured the ice that had been protecting Aqua's gentle heart and she barely made it out of the door before tears began to stream down her face. Tidus' steady arm wrapped around her shoulders and the officer helped her through the corridors back towards Roxas' room, but Aqua didn't see the hallways around her or the man's worried face as he kept glancing down at her, she was trapped in her head overwhelmed by the pain and damage caused by the hatred of one man. When Officer Tidus stopped outside of Roxas' room and opened the door for her Aqua stumbled inside without a backwards glance and saw through blurry eyes that Roxas was awake and Ventus was sitting next to his brother by Axel's bedside.

Yuffie stood in the foyer at a bit of a loss when the ambulance arrived at the hospital and Ventus and Aqua followed after Axel and Roxas. With Leon, Axel and Roxas all in the hands of the medical professionals and Ventus and Aqua both occupied with their loved ones Yuffie felt very alone and now that there were no distractions she couldn't stop the creeping fear that stole over her. Never a woman to dwell or languish in inaction Yuffie squared her shoulders and headed towards the front desk, deciding that now she had done all she could for the teens she could do something useful and find a police officer.

Later Yuffie would attribute it to her peerless ninja skills, but it was actually pure luck that not two minutes after she set off to find and grill a police officer she ran into one of the few cops she didn't want to dropkick into next week. Hurrying up to Detective Paine who had propped herself up against a counter to fill out some paperwork, Yuffie cleared her throat and when the woman turned around she said, 'Um, Detective Paine? I know that you've got a lot you need to do, but I was wondering if you could let me know what's happening? I mean we know that Raffica is dead but we haven't heard anything about his accomplice…'

In the face of Yuffie's calculated and overwhelming charm, Detective Paine looked a little uncomfortable but said slowly, 'Look your husband has links with our higher ups who could tell him the details, but I can't help but feel bad for what you've had to go through due to police fuck ups on top of all the other hell. The word I've heard on the accomplice is that he's currently in surgery to fix the multiple fractures to his jaw and we have a guard of three officers on him to make extra sure that he makes it until his trial. I'm not sure if you want to hear this but Reno Raffica's remains are languishing in the morgue. Your friend Ventus might want to talk to some people if you don't want some idiot coming to find Axel Raffica and asking him stupid questions about funerals and such.'

Even if she had tried Yuffie wouldn't have been able to hide the grim smile of satisfaction at the revelation that Reno had no family who had come forward to claim his body and she met the Detective's gaze to see a small smile that was quickly hidden on the other woman's face. Marshalling all of the self-possession she had Yuffie arranged her face in a neutral expression and said calmly, 'My thanks Detective, this information will be of great comfort to Axel and the Hakunetsus. I need to go and find my husband now, but I will put in a word to your Chief as you've been one of the bright spots in this whole sordid ordeal.'

Turning away from the Detective, Yuffie strode off down the hall, feeling a little better in herself having done something that might be useful to her friends whenever she next saw them. Rounding a corner in the interminable halls of the hospital Yuffie flinched as an overwhelming need to see and hold Leon hit her and she sped up, suddenly realizing that she hadn't seen her husband since rushing out of the house after Ventus and Aqua. Not usually one for nerves Yuffie found anxiety worming in through her defenses and trying to fight off a creeping sense of dread she rushed through the hospital until she found her way back to reception.

A quick interrogation of the woman on the desk left Yuffie with the floor and room number that Leon was in and she sped through the hospital, trying to outrun the irrational idea that when she found his room he would be lying dead in his bed. Slowing her pace as she approached Leon's room, Yuffie found herself having to fight an atypical nervousness and it was only her inner strength that allowed her to walk up to the door and open it with shaking hands. The room was dim but Yuffie could see Leon lying in the single bed and she nearly collapsed with relief to see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Stepping so lightly that she made absolutely no sound Yuffie ghosted across the room until she was looking down at Leon's still form and she had to bite her lip against a gasp when she saw the heavy wad of bandages bound around his shoulder. Seeing Leon who had always been so strong and invincible lying so still with a pale cast to his tanned skin brought Yuffie to the brink of tears, but even as she stood and gazed at her wounded husband Leon stirred and opened his eyes. Clawing back some of her composure Yuffie murmured, 'I'm glad to see you're awake Squall, you had me worried you know? So what's the story, will they need to take your arm off?'

Yuffie silently sighed with relief when her attempt at humour brought a wry smile to Leon's lips and she couldn't help but smile back as Leon said in a feigned grumpy voice, 'You know I hate that nickname Yuff and you're only getting away with it because I'm lying down. Make the most of it while you can. Obviously you can see that my arm is still attached, before they gave me something to knock me out the doctors said that I was pretty lucky that the bullet missed anything vital and didn't hit bone. I always knew Seifer was a dick but it turns out he's a shit shot too. Yuffie… You're acting tough but I wouldn't be worthy of being your husband if I couldn't tell that you're hurting. Talk to me ninja, what's in your head?'

Falling into the seat by the bed Yuffie half-heartedly cursed how easily Leon could see through her but at the same time she sent a small prayer of thanks to Gaia for her perceptive husband. In a quiet voice far from her usual exuberant tones Yuffie stared at her hands and said, 'You'll probably never hear me say this again Leon, but I was scared. I was so damn scared that when I left you wounded on the floor to chase Ven and Aqua I'd come back and find out that Seifer's bullet had hit your lung and that you'd bled out on the floor while I was gone… Leon… Oh Gaia, what if I'd lost you?'

Yuffie was not often caught unawares, but she was taken totally by surprise and let out a strangled squeak of shock when Leon abruptly sat up and reached over, grabbing her with his good arm and dragging her onto the bed and into his lap. Squirming to try and avoid crashing into Leon's wounded arm Yuffie was just about to shove herself up off the bed when Leon gently cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him. As it always had Leon's deep voice soothed Yuffie's nerves as he growled, 'None of that Yuffie, I'll be damned if some pissant like Seifer could take me out. Look at me Yuff, I'm going to be out of here in two days tops. Now, come on, are you going to tell me what happened at the shack?'

Staring into Leon's eyes and being held safe in his arms allowed Yuffie to shake away the un-Yuffie-like timidity that had overwhelmed her and pausing to plant a quick kiss on Leon's lips she nerved herself and jumped straight into the story saying, 'Alright, so when we got to the shack we didn't know what we were going to find and I still can't decide if it was better or worse than we hoped for. Roxas was out to it on the floor and Ax… Well Axel was unconscious too, and Reno was dead on top of him.'

Yuffie's story was cut off by a low oath from Leon who said with a grim smirk, 'So, Raffica is dead then. He can rot in hell. Sorry love, continue?'

The glare that Yuffie had been levelling at Leon for being interrupted by all rights should have seared a hole in his face, but as soon as he broke off and conceded the floor with a rueful grin she sniffed and continued with a slight frown on her face, 'Ventus and Aqua went to check on Roxas and I thought Axel was dead until I found his pulse. We were all so distracted with the kids that I only noticed Seifer by accident when he started to get up from where someone had put him on his ass… Leon, I could've killed him, I kicked him so hard… Fuck, in fact I can't believe I didn't hurt him more for what he did to you and Ax and everyone…'

By the time she trailed off into silence Yuffie was grinding her teeth in both anger and frustration that she hadn't taken the one opportunity she had been given to visit karma on the man she had once considered a friend. As if he could tell exactly what she was thinking Leon chuckled deep in his throat and pulled Yuffie in for a lingering kiss before saying firmly, 'Knowing you I bet you gave that bastard more than just a headache Yuffie. And I am pleased that I don't have to worry about my wife being prosecuted for excessive force. Look Yuff, I know you're exhausted, but would you be able to do something for me?'

Because Leon was usually one to command rather than ask for help, Yuffie blinked and looked at him quizzically, mutely inviting him to continue. With a serious note to his voice Leon said, 'Will you find Ven and the rest of them and let them know I'm okay? And then if you aren't sick of playing messenger girl you can come back here and lay my mind at rest that those two kids are going to be alright. After that… Well I'd count myself lucky if you'd keep me company.'

There was an unusual vulnerability in Leon's voice and gaze and Yuffie realized belatedly that her husband was a lot more worried about their friends than he was letting on. Gifting Leon with a fond grin and a rather more than fond kiss Yuffie nodded emphatically and slipped off the bed saying, 'I've been worse than messenger girl before and you know that. Hang in there husband mine, I'll go be the messenger of good news to Ven and everyone. You better start clearing me a spot on that bed though love, because I'll be damned by all the gods if I'm leaving you in here on your own tonight.'

Half an hour after Roxas cried himself to sleep, Ventus simply sat next to Aqua who was dozing on and off and he stared into space. In his profession Ventus was well acquainted with the symptoms and devastation caused by post-traumatic stress disorder and he had dealt with it on a personal level before, but now that he was once again weathering the emotional storm he didn't know if he had the strength to bring himself, Roxas and Axel through it. As he stared at nothing Ventus tried to control the nauseating emotions that were mixing together in his chest; abject, pathetic relief that Reno was finally dead, fear for Axel's recovery and the impact of the teen's condition on Roxas, and also an irrational creeping terror that somehow things could get even worse.

A soft sound across the room made Aqua start awake and Ventus jerked his head up to glare at whoever it was had the potential to wake his brother and Axel. His frown quickly turned into a relieved grimace however when Yuffie stuck her head around the door and then slipped inside. Ventus went to stand up but quickly realized that his legs probably wouldn't hold him, so with a wry smile he put his finger to his lips before gesturing for Yuffie to sit down next to Aqua. Like a shadow Yuffie flitted across the room to the indicated seat and Ventus could see out of the corner of his eye that Aqua was looking at their friend with a curious expression identical to his own.

All it took was Ventus to meet Yuffie's eye for the woman to lean close and say in a low murmur, 'Are we okay to talk here? I mean, I'm not going to wake up Rox or Axel? There's actually a waiting room two doors down where I can make you guys a coffee if you want…'

Ventus deeply appreciated Yuffie's consideration and with weariness dragging at his bones he acknowledged that coffee would probably be his friend. Struggling to his feet and silently thanking Gaia for Aqua's supportive hand steadying him Ventus followed Yuffie to the door, trying to push away the image of the tear-tracks that marked Roxas' cheeks and the way Roxas' grip on Axel's hand hadn't loosened even in sleep. Promising himself that he would be back before either teen awoke Ventus squeezed Aqua's hand and walked out into the hall.

The waiting room was actually rather pleasant as far as hospital amenities went and at Yuffie's urging Ventus sank into an old but comfortable couch next to Aqua while his friend made them both turbo strength coffees. Once he had the hot coffee in his hands and could practically smell the caffeine Ventus decided that he was ready for whatever Yuffie had to say, so he cleared his throat and smiled at his friend saying, 'Thanks Yuffie. It's kind of good to be out of that room for a bit actually. Aqua at least got out for a walk, but I've been cooped up in there a little too long. So, you've got something to tell us?'

Even though he was excruciatingly tired Ventus had lost none of his observational skills and even before Yuffie spoke he could see the subdued smile in her eyes. Ventus leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as Yuffie said, 'Leon's awake if not moving about and he sent me to find you so that you wouldn't worry about him. For all he's a grumpy old man he didn't want you to think he was laid low by something as trivial as a bullet to the chest. Apparently the doctors have insisted on keeping him in for a bit, but he reckons he'll break himself out of here in a couple of days.'

At the good news Ventus grinned and then jumped when Aqua wrapped her arm around him and gave him a tight half-hug. Yuffie reached out to ruffle Ventus' hair and he snorted and pulled away with a grin as she continued with a slightly more serious tone, 'I also have some news that I'm glad we're away from the kids for… Reno's body is in the morgue with no one to claim him or anything. Ven… I hate to say it, but you're technically Axel's guardian and the officer I spoke to as good as said you would need to deal with it if we didn't want some moron cop finding Axel and asking him how he wants his dad buried.'

Ventus' grin had faded at Yuffie's grim tone and by the time she had finished her sentence he was hard pressed to hold back his anger at even the suggestion that Axel might have to deal with Reno's funeral arrangements. In a voice that was little more than a snarl Ventus said, 'The boys are asleep now, so I can take care of Reno Raffica's last arrangements. I'll be damned to the deepest hells if I'd make Axel think about that shit now or ever. What… Aqua? Fuck, are you okay?'

In the middle of his explosion Ventus noticed that Aqua had shrunk backwards in her seat and was glaring at the floor with a grim expression on her face. In response to his abrupt question Aqua glanced at him for a second and then returned her glowering gaze to the floor saying roughly, 'Reno isn't the only thing the cops might bring back to Axel Ven… I, uh, I didn't just go for a walk earlier. I couldn't talk about it before but you guys need to know… Sorry Yuffie… Can I interrupt?'

Suddenly pulled from his anger by a surge of worry for Aqua Ventus reached out to take her hand and when the bluette looked back up at him he murmured, 'Please Blue, tell us what you need to say. Fuck… I haven't even asked how you are in all this shit… I'm sorry Aqua.'

The uncertain look on Aqua's face made Ventus' heart hurt but he stayed silent and listened as his girlfriend said softly, 'I did start off just by going for a walk Ven, but I walked so far I made it to the other side of the hospital and found the room where the cops were working from. I don't even know what I was thinking, just that I wanted answers… I barged in and pretty much demanded that they let me talk to, uh, to Seifer. I didn't even think they would let me, but one of the officers seemed as pissed at the bureaucratic fuck ups as I was and took me to Seifer's room.'

From beside Ventus Yuffie let out a low growl and indeed he was hard pressed to hold his tongue and not curse himself for forgetting firstly that Seifer was in the same hospital, and secondly that Aqua was dealing with her ex's betrayal on top of everything else. He bit his lip as Aqua continued in a shaky voice, 'He isn't the man I knew, if I ever knew him… I guess that's good to know at least. I… He… I wanted to know why, how he could ever do what he did… I wish I'd never gone in. Ven… How could I have been with him so long and never known just how broken he was?'

At a loss for words Ventus mutely pulled Aqua into a tight hug and mentally blessed Yuffie when the woman moved in and wrapped herself around Aqua from the other side. Even with Aqua's face buried in his shoulder Ventus could still hear her as she whispered, 'All I could think about at the time was hurting him back so I told him Reno was dead… But Ven… Now all I want is for Axel to never have to see him again and he… They're going to have to talk to him to get Seifer convicted… I just want to hide him away so that Seifer can never hurt him again…'

Tears pricked at the back of Ventus' eyes as Aqua dissolved in tears, the last of his anger melting away and leaving him feeling humbled in the face of Aqua's selflessness. Holding Aqua and murmuring words of support in her ear Ventus swore an oath to himself in that moment, promising that no matter what happened he would make sure that he was strong enough to bring himself, his girlfriend, his brother, and Axel through the aftermath of the horror they had all endured.