"-How could she have gotten out of bed-"

"-She was given an anesthesi-"

"-How'd she get-"

"- Her body was still hea-"

Kakashi had visited Aki the next evening to talk to her about a certain matter. Now he was staring at an empty bed, her oxygen mask, IV tubes and EKG monitors lying in the opened sheets.

While all of the doctors were huddled around Aki's bed, Kakashi thoughtfully looked at the window that was obviously wide open. Making sure no one was looking, Kakashi stuck his head out the window, and saw something dangle in-between two shingles.

Quickly swabbing it off of the roof, he saw that it was hair. His eye widened, and searched down below. He didn't want to shout her name for fear that the doctors would either go berserk or hysterical. Or both.

Something dripped onto his face. He wiped some of the liquid off, and rubbing it between his pointer, middle and thumb, he saw that it was blood that was lightly still warm. Kakashi turned to see the doctors had left by now.

"Aki?" He whispered to the night.

Nothing answered except the evening cicadas.

"Aki?" He hissed.

The cool night air brushed against his face and hair.

"That's it; I'm coming up." He whispered with a grin.

Gripping a shingle firmly, Kakashi started to follow the strands of hair and droplets of blood. Konoha hospital was by no means short. It was a pain. Kakashi had to avoid as many windows as possible so that he wouldn't scared the patient inside to death or catch unwanted attention. His fingers slipped once or twice on the blood, and he had to grip the wall with his chakra to keep himself steady.

Before he reached the roof, something glinted in his field of vision. Hooking a foot into a niche and a hand around the edge, he snatched the gleaming object that was snagged in-between the clay stacks. He looked into his hand, and saw that it was Aki's dragon claw pendant. He grew worried that she had fallen, but a sudden cough from on the roof told him otherwise.

"God, why did I bring this along…?" Kakashi struggled to climb the last few steps, and finally came to the top.

He looked around the vast roof of the hospital, and saw it had a rather nice view of Konoha.

"Aki?" he called quietly.

Another cough was his reply. He turned and saw a shadowed figure lying on the roof. He squatted down on the roof.

…………

Something jingled in her hearing. She didn't want to turn her head, but she did when she heard the familiar "mrow".

"Karma?!" The little kitten trotted over to her, purring.

Aki scooped up the cat, and hugged her so close it was like she was never to let go.

"I thought you were dead!" The cat looked at her as if to say "yeah right".

Aki saw that the cat's front arm was bandaged and probably stitched up underneath. Something dangled around her small neck.

"What's that you have there?" Aki slipped the cord off.

She held up the necklace, the ball glittering in the moonlight.

"Hey, Aki." She looked over the pendant to see Kakashi.

A violent blush took over her face, and she curled up the other way. Feelings of stupidity and regret started to take over her system.

"Aki?" A hand touched her shoulder.

She jumped slightly, and looked over her shoulder.

"What are you doing up here, Aki?" She turned over, lying on her back with her arms spread out.

"I can't see the moon from my room." She was wearing the hoodie she had stowed away in her bag and her baggy hospital pants.

Kakashi smirked, and gave a small chuckle. He sat down beside her, Karma sitting on top of Aki's abdomen.

"Aki, about yesterday-"

"Forget it. It's the past now."

"Well, I just wanted to say-"

Aki rolled over.

"Is something wrong, Aki?"

She said nothing while petting Karma, who was getting agitated that she couldn't lie on her favorite person. Kakashi sighed, and looked back at the moon.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Aki looked over her shoulder.

"So?"

Kakashi shook his head slightly.

"It's just that I've never noticed it like this before." He smiled.

Aki slowly turned back and curled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She shivered in the cold, her wrists still bleeding.

"This sucks." She whispered, looking at her bleeding wrists.

"Aki?"

"I guess this is somewhat like slitting your wrists…" She gave a wry smile.

Kakashi unnoticeably slipped an arm around Aki and pulled her closer. To hell with rationality. Aki looked at the moon with half open eyes, his warmth seeping into her shivering body. He gently rubbed her shoulder, his eye curved up in a crescent moon. She nudged closer to him, clinging to his warmth.

"But about yesterday…" She looked up at him.

He grinned.

"It was perfectly alright to ask for help, Aki." She looked at him with a pleasant look of surprise.

"Oh? Does that include the whole package?" Karma nibbled on her bracelet.

Kakashi chuckled, squeezing lightly on Aki's shoulder. She smiled, but already, she was starting to lose vision.

"Kakashi…"

"Well, maybe that was a bit rash but…"

Aki's eyelids struggled to stay open.

"I just wanted to say that…well…"

She passed out.

"Hmm? Aki?" He shook her shoulder gently.

Her head lolled in response to each shake, but her eyes remained closed. He smiled placidly, and gently rested Aki's head in his lap. Karma curled up in front of Kakashi's legs, and purred. He smoothed out Aki's hair, tied each of her wrists to stop the bleeding, and whipped out a copy of Icha Paradise. He flipped through the first couple of pages before giggling slightly and blushing. Thank God for the mask that was on his face.

…………

Sunlight and birds twittered in her senses. She slowly opened her eyes, rubbing her head.

"You awake?" She rubbed her eyes.

"A- A………ki?" She couldn't stifle the yawn.

She grinned.

"Hey, dude. Wassup?" Kage backed down slightly.

"What's wrong?" Aki tilted her head, confused.

"Aki? What are those on your face?" Aki brushed a hand against her cheek.

"Oh, these? Er, I don't really know for sure…" She shrugged, and smiled.

Kage didn't like this; what the hell was she smoking?!

"Aki? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine! I've just been released and I wanted to see you." Kage pulled back the sheets a little bit.

"What's wrong?" Aki rose an eyebrow.

"Aki. What's wrong with your eyes?"

{WRONG?! Oh, why that little-!!}

(Shut it.)

" "Wrong"?" She looked in the mirror.

"I don't see anything wrong."

Kage swallowed hard.

"Kage, what the hell is wrong?!"

"You are…"

"Kage…!" Aki's face was shocked.

"Ever since that dragon came out, I haven't had a decent night's worth of sleep!"

"You think I have?!" Aki scowled.

"You nearly killed me!" Kage started to shiver at the thought of those red eyes.

"But I didn't!"

"How was I supposed to know?! You probably would have killed me earlier!" She scuttled farther away from Aki.

"Hey, it's not MY fault for standing out there all vulnerable, now is it?!"

"So you DID see me! Why didn't you stop!?"

"You think it's easy?!" Aki's arms were akimbo.

"He's part of you! He should listen to YOU!"

"That's the thing, he doesn't!"

{Damn straight.}

(SHUT IT!)

"How will I know you won't lash out at me?! Or try and kill me!? Or-" Aki flicked Kage in the forehead.

"OW!"

"Dude, your mind often gets the better of you." Aki smirked.

Kage calmed down, but her fear was still high.

"I understand, Kage. You're afraid, I know." She tapped on her cheeks.

"These marks keep the big bad dragon away. I control him now."

{Oh no, you ain't!}

(Siku, what did I say?!)

{Meep!}

"I'll give you a day to think it over, okay?" She patted Kage on the head.

She got up and went to the door.

"This doesn't bust our friendship, by the way." She closed the door with a click.

…………

She looked around. What was wrong with these people?! She walked down the street to get back to her apartment, and they eyes from parents stared at her. Seeing the eyes made her uncomfortable. She broke into a run, taking a different path instead.

A few minutes later, she came across Story Rock. As if a bit of solace came from it, she sat down, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

"Ryu?" She looked up.

"Junshi?!"

"Ryu!! You're back!" The little boy wrapped his arms around her waist.

She smiled, ruffling the boy's hair.

"What story are you gonna tell me today, huh?!"

"Uh, well, I was thinking-"

"JUNSHI!"

Both of them jumped, and turned to look at a frazzled woman in her mid- 40's, holding a basket full of fruits.

"Junshi!! What did I say?!" she hissed, glaring at her son.

He squeaked, and tore himself from Aki. His mother snatched his hand, and dragged him off. Junshi looked back, tears in his small round eyes.

"I told you to stay away from that demon!"

Aki's spirit was shattered at those words.