Rim: Well, let's see, my mom has me waiting for the stupid people to bring a washing machine, and it's now twelve in the afternoon...what more can I say. Well, now that I have that out of the way, let's get on with the next chapter of Scars. Two more chapters after this one and then the big finale! Let's not waste anymore time, thanks everyone for enjoying the last chapter and on to the new one!

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Kai leaned against the wall, while he listened to what Judy, Bruce, and Mr. Dickenson said to him. They had yet begun to trust Tala, as if he was plotting something big by Boris and Voltaire. Kai of course kept reassuring them that the only thing Tala was interested in was Kenny's well being and recovery. For some reason, over the course of the past three days since Tala had regularly started coming to the hospital early in the mornings and leaving late in the evening, the three adults kept a cautious eye out. Kai's words not sinking in quite yet.

Looking up from behind his silvery bangs, Kai let his fiery shift over each one of them before holding up his hand. "I can understand your concerns, but like I said three days ago, there's no harm. Haven't you noticed how much more responsive Kenny's being now that Tala spends time here?"

"But..." Bruce started.

"Even the doctors say that his recovery from the state he was in to now is remarkable. All of which we have Tala to thank for it. I understand that you only want to safeguard Kenny's concern, but he's going to be fine. He's finally found someone he wants to place his trust in, let's not step in the way of that," Kai interrupted.

"It's just that...it's still hard for us to accept that Tala can...is..." Judy tried to find the words for it, but everything she thought of sounded horrible.

"Nobody that goes into the abbey is a bad person. Over time, it's the amount of abuse and neglect that you suffer that turns you cold. Believe me, Tala was never a bad person, he just had to play along with all of Boris's plans because he had no where to go, like everyone there." Kai turned his head towards the window, staring out at the snow covered rooftops.

Back at the abbey, Kai and Tala probably ended up the only people that trusted each other as much. When Tala first came to the abbey, Kai was the one that befriended the red head, showing him around and familiarizing him with things. Over time, though, Boris saw their friendship as a block for his plans, and somehow for a while, turned the two against one another. But things were becoming stable between them again. Tala confided in Kai like when they were kids, and Kai would listen as always.

"You know what he told me, the drugs that they pumped into his system before the Tournament Finals with Tyson made him begin to question what he was doing. Eventually, he won out over the mind control they placed on him and let Tyson win that final battle on purpose. He's planning to leave the abbey after Kenny gets better. He's tired of following along with Boris's ideas."

"Can we really trust that?" Mr. Dickenson inquired.

"I know him better than almost anyone else you can trust everything he says. Or rather what I say about him. You have nothing to worry about, just try to be thankful that someone is reaching Kenny." Before any one of the three adults could say a word, Kai had already pushed himself away from the wall and began walking away to the elevator. Once there, he hit the button, the doors of the elevator opened and he got in.

Pressing the button labeled four, the watched the elevator doors close while he sunk into deep thought. He had to find a way to get the others out of the mood they were in. Tyson was just beginning to eat again, and Max was still learning to smile again. Rei for the most part was trying to get the other two right-side up, but nothing worked. Kai had a feeling it wouldn't be until Kenny reached out to them that they would be themselves again.

But who knew how long that would take. Kenny was just being to trust Kai as he did Tala, but the full story of what happened to him was still a secret. When Kai confronted Tala with that particular subject, all the red head could do was shake his head; saying that every time he mentioned something towards the past, Kenny would change the subject or try to regress back into his shell. I would take a lot before the brunette gave away that part of himself to everyone.

"The ultimate sign that he will be able to move on," Kai muttered to himself as he heard the ding of the elevator as he reached his floor. The doors opened, and Kai stepped off, just as a doctor was about to step on.

"Mr. Hiwatari," the doctor said. Looking up, Kai recognized Dr. Kuprin, Kenny's doctor immediately.

"Doctor, I didn't notice you. Are there any changes in Kenny's recovery?" Kai questioned.

"Well, none for the worst. In fact, Mr. Hiwatari, he's recovered faster than most would in his situation. I think it has to do with your red headed friend. That young man is like an angel to him," Doctor Kuprin stated.

"I suppose so. After all, he's been without anyone to rely on for so long. The first person he learns to trust is the first person he will likely let into his heart"

"Yes, that's true."

"May I ask you a question doctor?" Kai looked up at the man with the dark brown eyes. "When do you expect to discharge him from the hospital?"

The doctor felt a smile grow on his face, looking down at the calm young man. Since the whole incident, Doctor Kuprin saw that Kai took this whole whirlwind of events and became a support beam for almost all those around him that knew the hospitalized young man. Doctor Kuprin was indeed impressed, but also slightly curious to what sort of hardships this dual haired teen went through to allow him to take such a drastic situation calmly.

"I was just coming down to tell you that it is okay for you to take him home today. His rehabilitation will probably go more smoothly if he's around others he knows. I have no reason to believe he will relapse. You can tell him the good news. I will go tell the others." The doctor pressed the button to make the elevator open and stepped on. Kai watched the doors close before he headed to the hospital room, a smile curling his lips up. This was a big step for everyone involved, but mostly Kenny.

Kai wondered as he reached for the doorknob how things were going to be now that he would no longer be in the hospital. Hopefully he had come along far enough to not regress back. Turning the knob, Kai pushed open the door. The smile on his face actually grew warmer as he quietly watched Tala holding a sleepy looking Kenny in his arms, the red head stroking his hair gently. With a short knock, he caught the attention of both young men.

"Kai," Kenny said softly, continuing to allow Tala to stroke his hair.

"How do you feel today?" Kai inquired.

"I'm fine," Kenny replied.

"That's a good thing," Kai nodded. "I just spoke with the doctor today, and he said that you're recovering nicely. So, he's allowing us to take you back to the hotel. There's no need to stay at the hospital now."

"I..." A look of fear entered Kenny's eyes as he stared at Kai momentarily. "I can't..."

"And why not?" Tala questioned. "This is what we've been working on since you woke up."

"I don't want to...they're going to hate me...and you're going to leave me," Kenny said. "I don't want you to leave me. Please, don't let me leave here."

"Kenny...Tyson, Max, and Rei don't hate you. And just because you're being discharged from the hospital does not mean that Tala is going to leave you. I'm sure that this idiot will end up spending the night now," Kenny assured.

"It's not like you will be able to kick me out," Tala grinned. Wrapping his arms around Kenny, he kissed the brunette on the top of the head. "I would never try to leave you, so you have nothing to worry about."

"But what about the others?" Kenny argued. "They have to hate me for this, because they haven't been back to see me."

"Not true. They're trying to give you space so you will be comfortable around them. They miss you a lot. And need you to be better. You can see it in Tyson's eyes, Max's eyes, and Rei's eyes," Kai stated.

"But..." Kenny started. Kenny bit his bottom lip, looking up at Tala, then back at Kai. He was afraid to find out if his friends hate him. He would not be able to take it. All these days he's spent in Tala's company made him realize that eventually he would have to confront things. Eventually, he would have to let someone in, and trust again, if he was hoping to not disappear from this world. In the past few days, he gained a courage he did not know still existed in his heart. He had a feeling it was due to Tala's guidance.

"We're both going to be right here for you," Tala assured. "Neither Kai nor myself will allow you to go through this alone. Trust us, okay?"

"I..." Kenny nibbled at his bottom lip, thinking things over. Finally, he nodded his head in agreement. He just hoped that it was true about them being there for him.

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Kai stared at the three individuals standing in front of him then gave a short sigh. They really weren't about to make Kenny feel any better about things with the way they looked. The only one that seemed to have it a little bit together would be Rei. Who currently had his arms wrapped around Max. Max was looking down at the floor, the sparkle in his blue eyes completely gone, leaving his eyes blank and blurry. Tyson's eyes gave no exact aim as they roamed over many objects.

"You really are the picture of happiness, aren't you three?" Kai could not help but let the sarcasm color his words. They could at least try to smile when Tala brought Kenny up from the hotel lobby. "This is Kenny's first day out of the hospital and he comes back to you three looking like zombies, try to liven up for him."

Max paid no attention to the words, or at least seemed not to. Rei stared at Kai briefly before turning his eyes back on his love. Tyson was the only one that eventually made the effort to answer Kai. His blue eyes seemed to hurt more than the others. Kai had to remember that before he met Tyson and the others, Tyson knew Kenny first, so it must be harder on him than anyone else to have to face Kenny after the incident in the hospital.

"Kai..." Tyson said quietly.

"Yes Tyson?" Kai replied.

"Is it true...? Is it true that he's okay enough to come home? Please tell me that we won't find him dead in his room or somewhere tomorrow morning. I would never..." Tyson's eyes tear up at the very thought of what Kenny told him days ago. He would never be able to take it.

Kai walked up to Tyson, wrapping his arms around the blue haired younger teen. "He's doing better than when we first started out. It's going to take a little more work for him to open up to us all the way."

"Will his smiles...will they still look so hollow and empty? Will his eyes look so dead and depressing?"

"No, they will be looking to see if you three can accept him again. Max...Rei...at least look at him when he comes. Try to show him that we're behind him and will be there for him," Kai said just as there was a knock on the hotel door. Letting go of Tyson, he gave them one more look before walking over to door. Opening the door, he moved out of the way as Tala walked into the room, Kenny following him quietly. Once the two were in the room, Kai close the door and turned to everyone.

"Rei...Max...Tyson...hi." Kenny was hesitant to say anything to them. They didn't look like the same people he traveled through the months with to get to Russia. Max's eyes had lost their sparkle, the sparkle that never extinguished once in all rough battles he had during the championships. Even the usual reflective and calm Rei seemed to have left in his absence. And Tyson...there was too many things about Tyson, Kenny noticed.

He had once been in love with the blue haired teen after all. Once? Why was he thinking once now? Didn't he still love Tyson despite his friend being involved with Kai? Was it it be because Tala was there for him? Did that mean that he loved Tala now? Had his feelings for Tyson finally subsided, in order to focus on this new love, or whatever it was that Tala insisted it was?

"Kenny...it's really good to see you," Tyson finally said after a long pause of silence. A smile tried to rise to his lips, but it faulted after a few tries.

"It's okay Tyson you don't have to smile if you don't want to. I understand," Kenny replied softly.

"Kenny...are you really okay?" Max looked up at Kenny, searching over the brunette for any sign of deception in what Kai told them.

"I'm okay enough to come home, I suppose..." Kenny answered Max's question.

"Oh..." Max lowered his eyes from Kenny. Kenny could tell that they were uncomfortable around him. He knew and understood that they didn't want to deal with him because of his situation.

"I'm going to my room now. I should rest up some more." Kenny was already walking down the hall before Kai or Tala could say a word. Hearing the door close from down the hall, both teens let out a sigh, then stared at the three younger teens.

"That went about as well as a snowball making it to hell and not melting," Tala voiced. "I guess it counts to say that they tried."

"They didn't try hard enough. Do you know that he was hoping you three would support him when he came back? He was afraid to come back because he figured you hated him, since you haven't come to the hospital since that day," Kai stated. "He wants to reach out to you, but you have to make the effort to reach out to him."

"I'll go find out if he's all right." Tala left the room, walking down the hall to the door that was closed and knocked on it. "Kenny."

"Go away," Kenny whimpered.

"Open the door," Tala said.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to cry, I want to talk to you, so open the door," Tala said.

"Just go away and leave me alone," Kenny sniffed. "I told you they didn't care if I was better or not. They hate me, I just know it. I want to go back to the hospital."

"You're not going back to the hospital, you're going to stay right here and recover you understand me." Tala reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it. To his surprise, it opened. Pushing the door open, he found Kenny curled up on the bed, tears trickling down his face into the pillow. Lifting his face up, he looked at where Tala stood in the doorway.

"Please, just take me back to the hospital," Kenny pleaded.

"No." Tala walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Walking to the bed, Tala sat on the edge, staring at his fallen angel whose heart continued to bleed with pain. "You can't run away, remember what I told you."

"But they hate me, how can I try if they hate me?" Kenny whispered.

"They don't hate you," Tala assured.

"Yes they do, I know they do."

"Stop saying that. It's not true. What do they have to hate you for? Honestly, I want to know because I don't see it," Tala said.

"They hate me because I'm like this, because I tried to kill myself," Kenny sniffed, the tears trickling down his face. "I lied to them about who I was I never showed them who I really was underneath. I wanted them to like me...I needed..."

"They don't hate you. They wouldn't still be here if they hated you. They're afraid of losing you for good. They need you to be better just as much as Kai and me. So get better for them." Tala leaned down and kissed away the tears that fell. Once finished, he pulled back, smiling down at the brunette. A light rose tint colored Kenny's cheeks as he stared up into Tala's eyes, the brunette bangs falling away to reveal misty blue eyes.

"How do you know? How can you tell?"

"Because, they're your friends," Tala said simply. "I doubt that if they weren't your friends, they would have cried for you, or even bothered to find out why you did it. Or even bothered saving you."

"Do you really know that for sure? Maybe they didn't want to have it on their conscious," Kenny voiced.

"Stop being so pessimistic, the first people to care about you in your life are not going to be the types to turn their backs on you. I'm not going back on my word, Kai's not going back on his word, and your friends are not going to go back on their word. Just tell them what they need to know," Tala stated.

"Tell them what they need to know...you mean...my past?"

"They need to know the truth, yes. Every piece of it, and I know once they hear it, they would never just walk away. But you have to want to tell them of your own free will. Your father can't take this from you anymore, this life you have. Just remember that."

"Tala, tell me why?" Kenny said, staring up at the red haired Russian.

"What do you mean why, Kenny?" Tala inquired.

"Why are you here telling me this? Why do you give me this advice without wanting something in return? I still haven't figured any of it out."

"I am getting something in return. I'm seeing you open your wings again to trust and smile. To live the way you were suppose to. The reason I'm here is because I love you. Now stop asking idiot questions you know answers to," Tala teased lightly.

"Tala..." Kenny thought he finally understood and in return, he figured it couldn't be so bad. This thing called love didn't hurt like he expected it to.

"Yes, what is it?" Tala inquired.

"I'll spread my wings once more for you," Kenny whispered. With saying another word, Kenny sat up and lifted the helm of his shirt. Pulling the shirt over his head, he dropped the discarded item on the bed. Turning his head away, he expected a gasp of surprise or horror...maybe even disgust to finally come to closure about Tala. But there was just silence. He could feel Tala's eyes on him, covering every inch of his upper body.

Kenny's breath hitched when he felt the cool touch on the beginning of his scar. Turning his head back, he watched Tala's eyes continue to study the scar, while moving his hand down the scar's path. Kenny felt a shiver travel down his spine towards Tala's touch. Something unfurled from him that reveled at the hand against his skin. Kenny closed his eyes, continuing to allow Tala to do what he wanted. Finally the hand reached the end of its journey and pulled back.

"Tala..." Kenny opened his eyes staring at the azure eyed Russian. He could see anger harden those blue eyes.

"If he wasn't in prison, I would beat the bastard's ass myself. How dare he damage you like this," Tala muttered, pushing Kenny back on the bed and climbing over him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Kenny panicked. Was Tala planning to...? No, he really wouldn't just do something without Kenny's consent. Well...Kenny hoped that he wouldn't no matter how much he might want...no! He couldn't think like that, not at a time like this. His heart beat raced in his chest as he stared up into those dark eyes.

"Hush, don't worry."

"But..." Whatever Kenny was about to say was tossed out the window as a pair of soft lips lightly pressed against his jagged skin. A path of kisses slowly descended the entire length of the scar until Tala came to Kenny's navel.

"I know my kisses can't heal the outside, but maybe I can kiss away the pain you still hold inside. That's what I'm trying to do. Do you want me to continue until it's all gone?" Tala asked, his warm breath hitting Kenny's already heated skin. All Kenny could think to do was nod he doubted a no was going to form.

"Ta...la..." Kenny let out another gasp as Tala continued to place feather light kisses across Kenny's body. His head felt light, as if he wasn't on Earth anymore. He could barely breathe and every time those lips kissed an area, he felt his body lift up into the kiss a little more each time. Eventually those lips found their way upwards until their lips touched.

Dragging out his tongue, Tala managed to slip his way into Kenny's mouth. Not that the brunette was putting up much resistance in the first place. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Kenny's arms found their way to wrap around Tala. When Tala finally moved back, he found they were both panting heavily. Under him Kenny was looking up at him with half lidded eyes filled with amazement.

"I love you no matter what. Your wings are still beautiful," Tala smiled.

"My wings are..." Tears find their way to sting his eyes again as he held onto Tala. "Thank you...but it's only because you made them be again."

"That's the first positive comment you've given me, progress finally," Tala said. "Are you tired of living in the darkness now? Are you ready to show the world how beautiful those wings are?"

"A little at a time," Kenny murmured.

"That's even better," Tala nodded.

"Tala."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you again."

"Thank me with another kiss then," Tala responded, leaning down to kiss Kenny again. Tala had a feeling that their parents could rest from watching over them now. Things would be fine. He had that feeling.

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Rim (yawns): Yes, that's about it. And we're winding down to the final two chapters. I don't have much to say, so I shall go start the next chapter of Sympathy.