Author's notes: This is a long chapter you guys, sorry about that. I just
needed to get to a certain point. I didn't realize how far into the story
the point was. ^^' Enjoy.
Chapter Nine: Two Boys for Tokyo
Brad Crawford entered the area with a half frightened look on his face. He spotted them and rushed over. Schuldig's eyes widened slightly.
"Schuldig!" Brad cried.
"Brad..." the young German whispered.
/I knew you weren't dead./ Brad smiled. He wasn't dead. They hadn't lost.
Schuldig glared back at Julia, realization hitting him of what she had done.
"I didn't think you would see him again." Julia said simply.
"You just said that you thought.... next year...." Schuldig stumbled over his words.
"If he had been alive, he would have."
Schuldig's glare hardened. "Did you think he wouldn't live?" he demanded.
"He had a very slim chance." Julia said evenly. "I had all the chance in the world. I told him we'd see each other again." Brad murmured.
Schuldig grinned. His grin soon turned downward to a frown. "How did you get away from Rosenkreuz?"
"I drove." Brad replied.
"Obviously, but I doubt they just let you go."
Brad shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. It was a hassle getting the car."
Schuldig narrowed his eyes and entered his friend's mind. It was obvious he wasn't going to get any strait answers verbally.
The American muttered a foreign explicative and shot his guards up. "For heaven's sake, Schuldig, are you never going to learn?"
The guard was unexpected and the young German stumbled back slightly. "Give me a strait answer, then."
"I took the car by force. Gun force, if you have to know." Brad hissed. Julia noticed that underlying his feelings of panic and relief was pain.
"Why'd you do something so stupid? They could have hurt you or worse."
"Because I didn't have a vision of the plane crashing, that's why. I had to make sure my mind wasn't completely skewered."
Schuldig smiled slightly. "Thanks. How'd you get out of there without them hurting you?"
"I have good reflexes." he replied distantly.
Julia sighed. This was just great. There was no way on earth she could send him back. He'd be shot -again- on the spot. Which meant she had to take them both to Tokyo.
"So now what?" the golden eyed teen asked.
Julia kept her gaze on Brad as she answered. "We go to Tokyo. As quickly as we possibly can."
Schuldig grinned. He then stopped as he looked back at his friend, pain etched into his face, though barely visible. "Brad?"
Brad smiled at the younger boy. "Yeah?" Wouldn't let it show, couldn't let it show. It didn't matter now.
"Daijoubu?"
"Hai. Daijoubu." he answered, putting as much enthusiasm in it as he could.
Julia stood, leaving a check on the table. "We'll take the train. It'll be safer. If we crash, we'll be on the ground."
Schuldig nodded towards her and then looked back. "Don't lie to me," the young teen said quietly.
Brad watched him and the words echoed through his mind. /I was shot./ he finally whispered.
/How bad?/ his thoughts came quickly, worried.
/I think I was just clipped. Nothing major./ he replied. Julia walked two steps behind the boys, keeping her eyes and ears open.
Schuldig nodded slightly, satisfied for the moment. /Have you ever been to Japan?/
/Yes, twice. Have you?/ Brad asked, fiddling with one of the buttons on his coat.
The young German shook his head. /Nope, and don't know much of the language either. Oh well, I'll get the hang of it pretty quick. Anything has to be easier than English./
Brad smiled. /It's not that hard once you get used to it./ Julia stopped. "Boys, this way. We'll take the tram to the train station."
/I think I could speak it if my accent weren't so strong,/ he replied, turning with Julia. "Won't people be after you? From Rosenkreuz?" he whispered.
Brad shook his head with a grimace. "I don't think so. Not for a while."
As they climbed onto the tram, Schuldig looked back behind them, then turned to his friend. /What do you see in our future, Herr Clairvoyant?/
/Different things. Changes in us, for us. We should make the train okay./ he replied.
/What kind of changes?/
Brad frowned. /We're going to...you're going to have to get used to the idea of killing people, you know. That's what assassins do./
/I just don't want to end up like Geheim./ he whispered mentally.
/You won't. You could never be like that. We'll have to keep each other in check, ne?/ Brad said.
Julia caught his gaze and opened a mental link to him. /How bad were you injured, exactly?/ she asked. She had the feeling there was more than he was sharing.
Schuldig sighed quietly as he leaned against one of the poles in the tram. His ribs hurt.
/It was just a clip./ Brad answered her, fiddling with one of his buttons again.
/Then why can't you take his pain?/ Julia asked quietly. He started and glared at her.
The young German's gold eyes fixed on his two companions. He reached out, trying to find out what was going on between them.
Both Julia and Brad glared at him. "I really wish you wouldn't do that." Brad muttered. He looked back at Julia. /Maybe I just hadn't offered yet./
/Maybe you'll pass out if you do./ She replied.
"I really despise being left in the dark," the green-blond haired teen muttered.
"It's perfectly light in here." Brad retorted quietly. He set up a mental shield, disconnecting his link from Julia.
Schuldig glared slightly. "That's not what I meant, and you know it," he muttered.
"I know." Brad agreed. The tram came to a stop. "We get off here." Julia said.
The German followed after them and came up behind Brad. "What's going on?" he whispered.
"With what?" Brad whispered back.
"I'm not entirely sure, and that's the problem."
Brad shrugged. "There's nothing the matter." Julia stepped into a ticket window and began finding out times and docks.
Schuldig pulled his friend back. "Bull," he muttered. "There's something you're not telling me. I don't know what it is, and I'd like to know."
Crawford patted his back. "There's nothing. Let's just hope she finds a train, ne? I'm sure she'll get one....there." He pointed. And sure enough, Julia returned with tickets for that train.
Schuldig looked up at his friend, nodded and turned to Julia. "So when do we leave?"
Julia checked her watch. "About an hour. We have time to look around. We should probably get you looked at, Schuldig. I don't want you in any unnecessary pain."
"I'm okay," the young German answered.
"Your ribs hurt." Brad said flatly.
"Not too bad. Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure? It's not problem." Julia said.
"I'm sure," he answered with a smile. "Brad's the one that's been shot today." He looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye.
"I told you it was a scratch." He said with a glare.
/No need to get defensive,/ the young teen responded.
Brad ignored it.
"Well, we can look around the shops then, if you like. Or we can sit for an hour." Julia said.
Schuldig shrugged, suddenly seeming distant. "Doesn't matter to me."
Julia tossed him some bills. "Why don't you go look for some sunglasses or something, then? You might need them later."
Schuldig nodded and started down the hall. He glanced back to see if the dark haired American was following.
He wasn't. Brad watched him go, but did not follow. When he was out of sight, Julia grabbed his arm and hauled him to a bench. "Open your coat." she demanded. Reluctantly he did so. The bottom half of his shirt was soaked through with blood. "Jeeze, yeah, that's a scratch all right." Julia groaned.
Brad glared slightly. "I don't want him to worry about me."
"It would be better for him to worry than to know he couldn't trust you to tell the truth. Trust me, when you have a partner, no matter how much you want to protect them from every little thing, you can't. It just doesn't work that way." Julia said softly. "Now button it back up." Brad buttoned his coat and stared blankly in the direction Schuldig had gone.
Schuldig walked aimlessly, looking around. Sunglasses, eh? He frowned and sat down on a bench, his ribs aching. He wrapped his arms around his ribcage and groaned softly. Things would get better from here, he reminded himself.
Brad settled back on the bench Julia shoved him onto as she window shopped within sight. He closed his eyes and searched for Schuldig's mind.
The younger German picked up his name. He also picked up on the pain. /Ne, Brad, you all right?/
/I wanted to apologize./ the oracle thought quietly.
/It's okay,/ the younger boy answered.
/I lied, you know./
/About what?/
/The scratch./ he replied with a grim smile.
Schuldig stood, regretting it suddenly. /How bad?/ he demanded, keeping the pain down as he sank back to his seat, unable to go towards his friend.
/Forgive me if I do something selfish, ne, Schuldig?/
/Sure./
Brad wrapped his shields around Schuldig's mind and drained all the pain from the younger boy. He grit his teeth as he pulled the last of it into his body, but he didn't say anything.
Schuldig sighed and stood again, making his way toward where he'd left his friend. /Thank you. Now how was that selfish?/
Brad actually smiled as he drew in a deep breath. /Because I wanted you over here, and the only way to do that was to take the pain away./
Schuldig grinned. /Ya coulda just asked. I'd have come./
/Make it easier for you./ he said quietly.
/You never answered my question earlier. How bad was the scratch?/
/Let's call it more of a slash, shall we?/
/How bad?/
/I don't think it did damage. It's just bleeding, that's all./
/That in itself can do damage,/ Schuldig responded.
/No, really?/
"Yeah, really," the German's accented voice came from behind the raven haired American,
"So glad I have you around to tell me these things," Brad murmured.
The German grinned as he plopped down next to him. "Is there any way I can take some of your pain away?" he asked.
Brad shot him a sideways look. "Absolutely not."
"Why? You've done it for me plenty of times."
"That's the point. What fun would it be for me if you could do everything I could do?"
Schuldig grinned. "But what fun is it for you to sit there in pain?"
Brad leaned his head back against the top of the bench and shut his eyes. "Maybe I can just sleep for an hour or so."
Schuldig touched his shoulder, ignoring his earlier comment about not trying, and gave taking his pain away his best shot.
Brad realized what he was trying to do and jerked away. "Confound it, Schuldig, it's fine the way it is."
Schuldig shoulders slumped. "Why are you always trying to help me, but when you need it you reject it?"
"Because that's the way it's always been. I've never needed anyone, and no one ever needed me." Brad said quietly.
"I need you," Schuldig said quietly. "You're the first real friend I've had since I was seven."
Brad fiddled with the button on his coat. "It may be easy for you to admit it. But I've never...no one's ever...I can't..."
/You can't what?/ the young German's thoughts filled his head.
The American met his eyes and for once in his life had no idea what to say. /I can't say it, because when I say it everything's ripped away./ Brad shifted his gaze. /I don't know how to hold on to things like friendship./
/I guess you do what you've been doing,/ Schuldig responded.
/I guess so. I'm sorry./
Schuldig smiled and sunk down into his chair. /My offer still stand to take some of the pain from you. I don't know how much I can handle, but I can still try./
/I really rather you didn't./
/Give me a good reason why not./
/Because I don't want you to./ He said, trying to sound firm.
"That's an answer?"
"It's my reason. That should be good enough."
Schuldig's shoulders slumped slightly. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked quietly. I
The American hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. It'll be okay."
"It will or you will?" the young telepath asked.
"Oh, Schuldig." Crawford sighed. "Do you have to pick it apart?" He checked his watch. "We'll be leaving in a half hour."
Schuldig grinned. "Yes I do have to pick things apart or something will get by me."
"Let it get by you, ne? The world won't fall apart." Brad said.
"Mine will."
Irritation briefly flashed through the dark blue eyes, but it was gone as soon as it had come. Brad said nothing, choosing to twist the button between his fingers.
Schuldig looked away, pain slowly seeping back to his ribs. Brad couldn't keep it away forever...
Brad closed his eyes as he felt his grip slipping away. He mentally cursed himself. He was just tired. So very tired.
Julia smirked at the two and dropped a pair of red-tented sunglasses into Schuldig's lap. "I had a feeling you would be back here before you found anything."
Brad heard Schuldig thank Julia, but it sounded fuzzy. He hoped that meant he was falling asleep. Idly he wondered what Schuldig needed with sunglasses in Germany anyway. It wasn't like Florida.
Golden eyes focused on the dark haired young man. "Ne, Brad? Daijoubu?"
"Hmmm." He replied from somewhere far away. He was glad the voices weren't there anymore. He didn't know how Schuldig had put up with it for so long.
"Daijoubu?" the young teen repeated.
"Yeah, yeah." Brad muttered. There was still that voice. He somehow knew he'd be hearing that voice for a long, long, time.
Schuldig took one more glance at him, thinking about entering his mind again. His shields wouldn't be strong enough to push him back, the young German thought.
Julia shook her head and checked her watch. They couldn't miss that train. She had a feeling about it. It would be bad news for all of them if they didn't get on that train.
Schuldig ventured into his friend's mind, trying to find out if he truly was all right. He was careful not to let him know of his presence. Or at least he hoped he was careful enough.
If Brad noticed, he ignored it. He was to tired to even bother putting any shields up. He was too tired to even care if Schuldig dug around in his whole life up there.
A frown crossed the golden-eyed teen's face, but he left his friend's mind and laid his head back.
/Find anything interesting?/ Brad mustered up the energy to ask.
/Of course./
/Good. I'd hate to think I was a complete bore after all./
/You gonna make it onto the train?/
/Of course./
/Then you better get up. Julia looks a little rushed./
"Ah." Brad murmured.
Schuldig stood and extended his hand to help the raven-haired young man up.
Brad watched the hand for a minute before reaching up and grasping it. "Arigato." he whispered.
Schuldig nodded and pulled him up, feeling pain coming from his ribs. He ignored it as he followed Julia.
Brad walked behind them and an image flashed through his head. This place was going to be packed with people trying to make the late night train in about two minutes.
Schuldig looked toward him. "What did you see?"
"How did you know I saw something?" Brad asked.
"Your eyes go blank for a second."
Brad frowned. He'd have to work on that. "People. Lots of them. They're all going to try to make the train."
"Then we'll have to get there first," Julia stated.
They had reached the right platform. Brad had been a little off on his timing, and people surged into the station. The crowds immediately pushed their group apart. Julia reached the train and got on the ladder to try and see where the boys had wound up.
Schuldig tried not to yelp as someone bumped into him, renewing the pain, and worsening it as well.
Brad had lost sight of Schuldig, but heard him cry out. "Schuldig!" he shouted. He was jostled by the crowd, away from where the voice had been. "Schuldig!"
The young telepath heard his friend's voice, but couldn't focus on it. He couldn't pass out. Not here. Not with all the people around him. They had to get onto that train and leave all this behind.
Brad was getting frantic. He still couldn't see the green-blond hair. "Schuldig! Focus on me!" He barked. He grimaced as someone bumped into him.
/I'm trying,/ came the weak reply.
Julia had spotted the raven haired American and shouted. "Brad! This way! You have to get on the train! Where is Schuldig?"
"Schuldig! Keep talking to me!" he yelled. People gave him strange looks as they passed. The train whistle blew.
Schuldig fell to his knees, pain quickly becoming unbearable.
Brad saw it happen in his mind's eye, but couldn't locate the German. /Schuldig! Come on, where are you? Focus on me./ Julia watched him shove through the crowd trying to find the telepath.
/I can't... I'm sorry. Just go on./
/I'm not leaving you here. I won't. Where are you? What does it look like around you?/
/People. Lots of people./
Brad muttered a curse out loud. /You choose now to be sarcastic?/ the train's second bell rang. They weren't going to make it.
Schuldig stumbled to his feet. /I see you,/ he said quietly.
Brad's gaze darted around the ocean of people, trying to locate him. /Say something./
"Brad!" Schuldig called over, regretting it as soon as he did.
/I've got you./ Brad said immediately. There he was, about fifteen feet away from him.
Schuldig groaned as he felt darkness beginning to close in around him. It hurt so badly now.
Brad could see it coming. Schuldig wasn't going to hold it together much longer. The American fought his was towards him. They could still make it.
Schuldig felt arms hold him up just as he thought he was going to pass out. He looked up to see his friend. /Are we going to make it there?/
He held Schuldig against him, looking back towards the train. They could still make it. They had to make it, because if they didn't, Geheim's people would get them before they got another chance.
The raven-haired young man half carried, half walked beside his friend and they reached the place where Julia was standing. At that moment, a shot rang out in the hall.
Chapter Nine: Two Boys for Tokyo
Brad Crawford entered the area with a half frightened look on his face. He spotted them and rushed over. Schuldig's eyes widened slightly.
"Schuldig!" Brad cried.
"Brad..." the young German whispered.
/I knew you weren't dead./ Brad smiled. He wasn't dead. They hadn't lost.
Schuldig glared back at Julia, realization hitting him of what she had done.
"I didn't think you would see him again." Julia said simply.
"You just said that you thought.... next year...." Schuldig stumbled over his words.
"If he had been alive, he would have."
Schuldig's glare hardened. "Did you think he wouldn't live?" he demanded.
"He had a very slim chance." Julia said evenly. "I had all the chance in the world. I told him we'd see each other again." Brad murmured.
Schuldig grinned. His grin soon turned downward to a frown. "How did you get away from Rosenkreuz?"
"I drove." Brad replied.
"Obviously, but I doubt they just let you go."
Brad shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah. It was a hassle getting the car."
Schuldig narrowed his eyes and entered his friend's mind. It was obvious he wasn't going to get any strait answers verbally.
The American muttered a foreign explicative and shot his guards up. "For heaven's sake, Schuldig, are you never going to learn?"
The guard was unexpected and the young German stumbled back slightly. "Give me a strait answer, then."
"I took the car by force. Gun force, if you have to know." Brad hissed. Julia noticed that underlying his feelings of panic and relief was pain.
"Why'd you do something so stupid? They could have hurt you or worse."
"Because I didn't have a vision of the plane crashing, that's why. I had to make sure my mind wasn't completely skewered."
Schuldig smiled slightly. "Thanks. How'd you get out of there without them hurting you?"
"I have good reflexes." he replied distantly.
Julia sighed. This was just great. There was no way on earth she could send him back. He'd be shot -again- on the spot. Which meant she had to take them both to Tokyo.
"So now what?" the golden eyed teen asked.
Julia kept her gaze on Brad as she answered. "We go to Tokyo. As quickly as we possibly can."
Schuldig grinned. He then stopped as he looked back at his friend, pain etched into his face, though barely visible. "Brad?"
Brad smiled at the younger boy. "Yeah?" Wouldn't let it show, couldn't let it show. It didn't matter now.
"Daijoubu?"
"Hai. Daijoubu." he answered, putting as much enthusiasm in it as he could.
Julia stood, leaving a check on the table. "We'll take the train. It'll be safer. If we crash, we'll be on the ground."
Schuldig nodded towards her and then looked back. "Don't lie to me," the young teen said quietly.
Brad watched him and the words echoed through his mind. /I was shot./ he finally whispered.
/How bad?/ his thoughts came quickly, worried.
/I think I was just clipped. Nothing major./ he replied. Julia walked two steps behind the boys, keeping her eyes and ears open.
Schuldig nodded slightly, satisfied for the moment. /Have you ever been to Japan?/
/Yes, twice. Have you?/ Brad asked, fiddling with one of the buttons on his coat.
The young German shook his head. /Nope, and don't know much of the language either. Oh well, I'll get the hang of it pretty quick. Anything has to be easier than English./
Brad smiled. /It's not that hard once you get used to it./ Julia stopped. "Boys, this way. We'll take the tram to the train station."
/I think I could speak it if my accent weren't so strong,/ he replied, turning with Julia. "Won't people be after you? From Rosenkreuz?" he whispered.
Brad shook his head with a grimace. "I don't think so. Not for a while."
As they climbed onto the tram, Schuldig looked back behind them, then turned to his friend. /What do you see in our future, Herr Clairvoyant?/
/Different things. Changes in us, for us. We should make the train okay./ he replied.
/What kind of changes?/
Brad frowned. /We're going to...you're going to have to get used to the idea of killing people, you know. That's what assassins do./
/I just don't want to end up like Geheim./ he whispered mentally.
/You won't. You could never be like that. We'll have to keep each other in check, ne?/ Brad said.
Julia caught his gaze and opened a mental link to him. /How bad were you injured, exactly?/ she asked. She had the feeling there was more than he was sharing.
Schuldig sighed quietly as he leaned against one of the poles in the tram. His ribs hurt.
/It was just a clip./ Brad answered her, fiddling with one of his buttons again.
/Then why can't you take his pain?/ Julia asked quietly. He started and glared at her.
The young German's gold eyes fixed on his two companions. He reached out, trying to find out what was going on between them.
Both Julia and Brad glared at him. "I really wish you wouldn't do that." Brad muttered. He looked back at Julia. /Maybe I just hadn't offered yet./
/Maybe you'll pass out if you do./ She replied.
"I really despise being left in the dark," the green-blond haired teen muttered.
"It's perfectly light in here." Brad retorted quietly. He set up a mental shield, disconnecting his link from Julia.
Schuldig glared slightly. "That's not what I meant, and you know it," he muttered.
"I know." Brad agreed. The tram came to a stop. "We get off here." Julia said.
The German followed after them and came up behind Brad. "What's going on?" he whispered.
"With what?" Brad whispered back.
"I'm not entirely sure, and that's the problem."
Brad shrugged. "There's nothing the matter." Julia stepped into a ticket window and began finding out times and docks.
Schuldig pulled his friend back. "Bull," he muttered. "There's something you're not telling me. I don't know what it is, and I'd like to know."
Crawford patted his back. "There's nothing. Let's just hope she finds a train, ne? I'm sure she'll get one....there." He pointed. And sure enough, Julia returned with tickets for that train.
Schuldig looked up at his friend, nodded and turned to Julia. "So when do we leave?"
Julia checked her watch. "About an hour. We have time to look around. We should probably get you looked at, Schuldig. I don't want you in any unnecessary pain."
"I'm okay," the young German answered.
"Your ribs hurt." Brad said flatly.
"Not too bad. Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure? It's not problem." Julia said.
"I'm sure," he answered with a smile. "Brad's the one that's been shot today." He looked at his friend out of the corner of his eye.
"I told you it was a scratch." He said with a glare.
/No need to get defensive,/ the young teen responded.
Brad ignored it.
"Well, we can look around the shops then, if you like. Or we can sit for an hour." Julia said.
Schuldig shrugged, suddenly seeming distant. "Doesn't matter to me."
Julia tossed him some bills. "Why don't you go look for some sunglasses or something, then? You might need them later."
Schuldig nodded and started down the hall. He glanced back to see if the dark haired American was following.
He wasn't. Brad watched him go, but did not follow. When he was out of sight, Julia grabbed his arm and hauled him to a bench. "Open your coat." she demanded. Reluctantly he did so. The bottom half of his shirt was soaked through with blood. "Jeeze, yeah, that's a scratch all right." Julia groaned.
Brad glared slightly. "I don't want him to worry about me."
"It would be better for him to worry than to know he couldn't trust you to tell the truth. Trust me, when you have a partner, no matter how much you want to protect them from every little thing, you can't. It just doesn't work that way." Julia said softly. "Now button it back up." Brad buttoned his coat and stared blankly in the direction Schuldig had gone.
Schuldig walked aimlessly, looking around. Sunglasses, eh? He frowned and sat down on a bench, his ribs aching. He wrapped his arms around his ribcage and groaned softly. Things would get better from here, he reminded himself.
Brad settled back on the bench Julia shoved him onto as she window shopped within sight. He closed his eyes and searched for Schuldig's mind.
The younger German picked up his name. He also picked up on the pain. /Ne, Brad, you all right?/
/I wanted to apologize./ the oracle thought quietly.
/It's okay,/ the younger boy answered.
/I lied, you know./
/About what?/
/The scratch./ he replied with a grim smile.
Schuldig stood, regretting it suddenly. /How bad?/ he demanded, keeping the pain down as he sank back to his seat, unable to go towards his friend.
/Forgive me if I do something selfish, ne, Schuldig?/
/Sure./
Brad wrapped his shields around Schuldig's mind and drained all the pain from the younger boy. He grit his teeth as he pulled the last of it into his body, but he didn't say anything.
Schuldig sighed and stood again, making his way toward where he'd left his friend. /Thank you. Now how was that selfish?/
Brad actually smiled as he drew in a deep breath. /Because I wanted you over here, and the only way to do that was to take the pain away./
Schuldig grinned. /Ya coulda just asked. I'd have come./
/Make it easier for you./ he said quietly.
/You never answered my question earlier. How bad was the scratch?/
/Let's call it more of a slash, shall we?/
/How bad?/
/I don't think it did damage. It's just bleeding, that's all./
/That in itself can do damage,/ Schuldig responded.
/No, really?/
"Yeah, really," the German's accented voice came from behind the raven haired American,
"So glad I have you around to tell me these things," Brad murmured.
The German grinned as he plopped down next to him. "Is there any way I can take some of your pain away?" he asked.
Brad shot him a sideways look. "Absolutely not."
"Why? You've done it for me plenty of times."
"That's the point. What fun would it be for me if you could do everything I could do?"
Schuldig grinned. "But what fun is it for you to sit there in pain?"
Brad leaned his head back against the top of the bench and shut his eyes. "Maybe I can just sleep for an hour or so."
Schuldig touched his shoulder, ignoring his earlier comment about not trying, and gave taking his pain away his best shot.
Brad realized what he was trying to do and jerked away. "Confound it, Schuldig, it's fine the way it is."
Schuldig shoulders slumped. "Why are you always trying to help me, but when you need it you reject it?"
"Because that's the way it's always been. I've never needed anyone, and no one ever needed me." Brad said quietly.
"I need you," Schuldig said quietly. "You're the first real friend I've had since I was seven."
Brad fiddled with the button on his coat. "It may be easy for you to admit it. But I've never...no one's ever...I can't..."
/You can't what?/ the young German's thoughts filled his head.
The American met his eyes and for once in his life had no idea what to say. /I can't say it, because when I say it everything's ripped away./ Brad shifted his gaze. /I don't know how to hold on to things like friendship./
/I guess you do what you've been doing,/ Schuldig responded.
/I guess so. I'm sorry./
Schuldig smiled and sunk down into his chair. /My offer still stand to take some of the pain from you. I don't know how much I can handle, but I can still try./
/I really rather you didn't./
/Give me a good reason why not./
/Because I don't want you to./ He said, trying to sound firm.
"That's an answer?"
"It's my reason. That should be good enough."
Schuldig's shoulders slumped slightly. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked quietly. I
The American hesitantly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah. It'll be okay."
"It will or you will?" the young telepath asked.
"Oh, Schuldig." Crawford sighed. "Do you have to pick it apart?" He checked his watch. "We'll be leaving in a half hour."
Schuldig grinned. "Yes I do have to pick things apart or something will get by me."
"Let it get by you, ne? The world won't fall apart." Brad said.
"Mine will."
Irritation briefly flashed through the dark blue eyes, but it was gone as soon as it had come. Brad said nothing, choosing to twist the button between his fingers.
Schuldig looked away, pain slowly seeping back to his ribs. Brad couldn't keep it away forever...
Brad closed his eyes as he felt his grip slipping away. He mentally cursed himself. He was just tired. So very tired.
Julia smirked at the two and dropped a pair of red-tented sunglasses into Schuldig's lap. "I had a feeling you would be back here before you found anything."
Brad heard Schuldig thank Julia, but it sounded fuzzy. He hoped that meant he was falling asleep. Idly he wondered what Schuldig needed with sunglasses in Germany anyway. It wasn't like Florida.
Golden eyes focused on the dark haired young man. "Ne, Brad? Daijoubu?"
"Hmmm." He replied from somewhere far away. He was glad the voices weren't there anymore. He didn't know how Schuldig had put up with it for so long.
"Daijoubu?" the young teen repeated.
"Yeah, yeah." Brad muttered. There was still that voice. He somehow knew he'd be hearing that voice for a long, long, time.
Schuldig took one more glance at him, thinking about entering his mind again. His shields wouldn't be strong enough to push him back, the young German thought.
Julia shook her head and checked her watch. They couldn't miss that train. She had a feeling about it. It would be bad news for all of them if they didn't get on that train.
Schuldig ventured into his friend's mind, trying to find out if he truly was all right. He was careful not to let him know of his presence. Or at least he hoped he was careful enough.
If Brad noticed, he ignored it. He was to tired to even bother putting any shields up. He was too tired to even care if Schuldig dug around in his whole life up there.
A frown crossed the golden-eyed teen's face, but he left his friend's mind and laid his head back.
/Find anything interesting?/ Brad mustered up the energy to ask.
/Of course./
/Good. I'd hate to think I was a complete bore after all./
/You gonna make it onto the train?/
/Of course./
/Then you better get up. Julia looks a little rushed./
"Ah." Brad murmured.
Schuldig stood and extended his hand to help the raven-haired young man up.
Brad watched the hand for a minute before reaching up and grasping it. "Arigato." he whispered.
Schuldig nodded and pulled him up, feeling pain coming from his ribs. He ignored it as he followed Julia.
Brad walked behind them and an image flashed through his head. This place was going to be packed with people trying to make the late night train in about two minutes.
Schuldig looked toward him. "What did you see?"
"How did you know I saw something?" Brad asked.
"Your eyes go blank for a second."
Brad frowned. He'd have to work on that. "People. Lots of them. They're all going to try to make the train."
"Then we'll have to get there first," Julia stated.
They had reached the right platform. Brad had been a little off on his timing, and people surged into the station. The crowds immediately pushed their group apart. Julia reached the train and got on the ladder to try and see where the boys had wound up.
Schuldig tried not to yelp as someone bumped into him, renewing the pain, and worsening it as well.
Brad had lost sight of Schuldig, but heard him cry out. "Schuldig!" he shouted. He was jostled by the crowd, away from where the voice had been. "Schuldig!"
The young telepath heard his friend's voice, but couldn't focus on it. He couldn't pass out. Not here. Not with all the people around him. They had to get onto that train and leave all this behind.
Brad was getting frantic. He still couldn't see the green-blond hair. "Schuldig! Focus on me!" He barked. He grimaced as someone bumped into him.
/I'm trying,/ came the weak reply.
Julia had spotted the raven haired American and shouted. "Brad! This way! You have to get on the train! Where is Schuldig?"
"Schuldig! Keep talking to me!" he yelled. People gave him strange looks as they passed. The train whistle blew.
Schuldig fell to his knees, pain quickly becoming unbearable.
Brad saw it happen in his mind's eye, but couldn't locate the German. /Schuldig! Come on, where are you? Focus on me./ Julia watched him shove through the crowd trying to find the telepath.
/I can't... I'm sorry. Just go on./
/I'm not leaving you here. I won't. Where are you? What does it look like around you?/
/People. Lots of people./
Brad muttered a curse out loud. /You choose now to be sarcastic?/ the train's second bell rang. They weren't going to make it.
Schuldig stumbled to his feet. /I see you,/ he said quietly.
Brad's gaze darted around the ocean of people, trying to locate him. /Say something./
"Brad!" Schuldig called over, regretting it as soon as he did.
/I've got you./ Brad said immediately. There he was, about fifteen feet away from him.
Schuldig groaned as he felt darkness beginning to close in around him. It hurt so badly now.
Brad could see it coming. Schuldig wasn't going to hold it together much longer. The American fought his was towards him. They could still make it.
Schuldig felt arms hold him up just as he thought he was going to pass out. He looked up to see his friend. /Are we going to make it there?/
He held Schuldig against him, looking back towards the train. They could still make it. They had to make it, because if they didn't, Geheim's people would get them before they got another chance.
The raven-haired young man half carried, half walked beside his friend and they reached the place where Julia was standing. At that moment, a shot rang out in the hall.