Emi woke up with the diary in her hand. It was 7 AM, much earlier than she would have liked to have been awake. She sighed and sat up, knowing she would not get back to sleep. She stopped and listened, hearing a low noise. Was it Walt snoring? No, it was much too loud and Walt didn't snore. She cautiously walked out and looked around her apartment living room. Nothing.

Emi rounded the couch and sat on something warm and moving. She jumped and looked down. It was Ray--Rage. She yelped, then got angry, then concerned. Why was he there if he knew she didn't want him there. Rage opened his eyes and looked up at Emi dully.

"Hullo Emi-chan." he muttered, then hugged his pillow. Emi angrily crossed her arms and glared down at him as she waited for reality to sink in. He jumped up within moments, fully awake. "Emi, yes, I know you told me to go, but I was about to leave and your dad was outside." Emi blinked. Her dad? What does---? "I promised I'd take care of you and if he saw me leave the night you got home...he'd...like me even less...." he finished dully. He had another thought, but didn't want to scare her away, so he kept it to himself.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked, sitting down. Rage looked down at her, deciding on how to answer. He didn't like her attitude. It rubbed him the wrong way. Every girl he was used to was always happy and never bothered with anger...but those were also the girls he left behind to stay here. Emi looked up expectantly. he sighed and sat down.

"When I came back up, you closed your bedroom door. I thought you were mad at me for coming up so I just fell asleep on the couch." he paused and looked at Emi's lap. Her diary was there, on an old date. Emi looked down, forgetting she had the diary and slammed it shut then glared up at him.

"I remember that day." he said. Emi looked away. "It was the day Walt got a cold and the rain ruined the plans we had made for the day. We spent so much time taking care of him, by nighttime, he was getting better and we both got sick. Remember?" Rage laughed, remembering. Emi was still silent. "...guess not...I'm sorry..." he said, getting up. Emi looked up at him, then away.

"See you later on..." he said, gently touching her shoulder. Emi twitched, the got up and went into Walt's room. Rage sighed heavily and left.

Emi closed the door behind her and looked at Walt, who was sleeping soundly. She sighed and walked to his bed and laid down next to him, hugging him with one arm.

"How do I take care of you?" she asked, trying not to cry. "How do I take care of you when you have no man to look up to as a role model?" she whispered hoarsely, crying. She thought about her father, that was ruled out immediately. She didn't even consider Rage. Ecks...Ecks could barely take care of himself, but any other man she knew were rude, crude and jerks. Ecks was all she had right now...despite his issues. She resolved to call him, but dropped off to sleep.

It rained all day. There was a glitch in the weather system so torrents of rain came down upon the city while the repair crew was fixing the system. Emi was curled on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and wrapped in a blanket. Walt was in his room, playing. There was almost nothing to eat...at least anything really tasty and easy to make. The cookbook had been thrown against the wall. There were pages that were marked 'Emi's Fave or 'Walts' Fave and it went onto Ecks and .... Rage. She sighed, feeling depressed and watching TV.

The door opened and Rage walked in, closing the door behind him. Emi was going to yell, but looked at his arms. They were filled with groceries that he began putting away.

"Figure'd you guys would be hungry. Rain is terrible. They had to open up drains so cars and Trans would continue going. I had to take the long way to get here--" he turned around, finished. "So! How's Walt doing?" he asked, smiling. Emi jumped to her feet and hit him in the chest.

"Get out! I don't want you in here or talking to him!" she said forcefully. Rage 'tisked' and ran his hand through her hair.

"Oh Emi, don't look at me like that, it ruins your pretty face." he said. He wondered if she would get mad. Getting no response, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Emi paused and kissed back, stroking his hands with her fingers and wrenched herself away.

"Go" she gasped, sitting on the arm of the couch. Rage shook his head and hugged her. Emi struggled against him.

"Emi! Hush!" he panted, trying to keep her still. He worried that Walt would see them fighting or get the wrong idea. She slapped him in the face. The slap flared up his anger and he shoved her onto the couch and stood over her. "Emi, all I wanted to do was help you and Walt. Why is it when anyone tries to help you, you push them away? Why did you push me away? All I wanted to do was help you take care of Walt and his condition!" he said, his voice rising. Emi sat up, crying now.

"I don't need help! Walt doesn't have a condition!" she threw a pillow at him. He threw it to the side and grabbed her arm.

"Emi, he's Schizophrenic. You know it and I know it and your father knows it. That's why he doesn't have any friends at school and why he sits in his room talking to himself! Emi, please stop...." he stopped and hugged her. "Please stop crying....its not taking him away...just one day a week where there are other kids like him. I love you both, I would never take you two apart." Emi pushed him away.

"Liar...that's all you want. Don't you know Walt is the only thing I have? Even if he is gone for one day it would tear me apart!"

"But he needs this! He's Schizophrenic!" Rage yelled.

"I'm a what?" Walt asked, poking his head out from his room. Rage closed his eyes tight and Emi saw just how much he really cared. She saw his pain that Walt may be hurt right then. "Rage?" Walt asked, tugging on his sleeve. "You're soaked...what happened?" Rage looked down at Walt. Emi could practically read his thoughts, but didn't really understand. He could talk to them now...or leave. Those were his options. He couldn't put it off. Walt had heard them yelling. Rage pat Walt on his head.

"Nothing...I'm just going to the Disco Zone for the weekend. I just wanted to see that you two were all stocked up." he said, getting up.

"But what was that thing you called me? Rage?" Walt ran after rage who was walking swiftly to the door. Emi got up to hold Walt back. "Rage what's a Schitzo? Everyone calls me that in school!" Rage paused in the doorway and looked at him.

"Walt...that's something only Emi can answer...or your father. I'm...going....now." he said and walked out. Emi's eyes widened. Somehow it seemed that something inside of her was empty. Whatever it was had left when Rage slammed the door.

"Emi?" Walt asked. Emi looked down, then suddenly, everything went dark.