Notes and Disclaimers: I don't own GW, but I own the Saisos.

Chapter 9

Two days passed before Rose was allowed to speak, but Tesuki was patient enough to wait and he continued to visit his sister. On the day she could talk he went to her as soon as she woke up. He wanted to know about their parents and he had waited long enough to find out.

Quatre was in the room with Rose when Tesuki silently walked in. The twelve-year-old went right up to the bedside before anything could be said to him.

"Suzumi!" Tesuki said to get her attention.

Rose looked at her brother and then up at Quatre. She sat against the pillows behind her, her hair loose all around her, looking ruffled and a bit tangly, though she had just brushed it, but she had to do it one handedly, which made it harder. Quatre nodded and then left the room so the two siblings could talk.

"Tesuki, how have you been? I've been so wanting to know, but I wasn't allowed to speak." Rose said, relishing that she could use her voice now, although it was quiet and unused for so long. She didn't care what they talked about as long as she could speak.

"I'm fine. The guys are great! I think they like me being around. There's always someone to play a game with." Tesuki said his eyes bright and glowing.

"Good." She said as she bid him to sit on the bed with her. He did so and looked up at her with a serious glint in his almond-shaped brown eyes.

"Suzumi, what happened to Mom and Dad?" he asked. "Where are they?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, she hated to tell him, but she had to. "The soldiers…they…they killed Mom and Dad." She started.

Anger flashed through Tesuki, but as that passed he filled up with grief. Rose reached out with her good arm and pulled her brother to her. She joined him in his tears and comforted him as best she could.

"Is it true? They're really dead?" he asked choking back tears, though they kept flowing.

"Yes. I saw them." She replied.

"What about all those Oz soldiers? Aren't they going to come for us?" he asked, changing to the subject partly.

Rose couldn't answer, but the shadow that had been in the doorway for a minute said, "No." the two siblings looked up and found Heero. "We retrieved the bodies of your parents and then blew the place up. Your parents are waiting at the morgue for a funeral." He concluded and then left.

Tesuki cried for a little while longer but when he left the room he was slowly almost dragging his feet. Rose watched him go and then turned away as Quatre followed him (the blond had been nearby the door).

Trowa came in ten minutes later and found Rose trying to get out of the bed.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" he asked sharply, putting his hands on her shoulders but gently so he wouldn't hurt her.

"I want to sit in the chair. I'm tired of the bed." She said in a slight snappish tone. Then she sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm not used to staying still for a long period of time." She said.

"It's okay." He replied as moved his hands gently and picked her up. She winced as he held her but it was only for about a minute and he placed her gently in the armchair. Wincing a lot while she moved, Rose settled herself as comfortably in the chair as she could manage. When she no longer winced from the immediate pain of being moved she let out a sigh. She still hurt, but she wasn't moving, so it was dimming.

Trowa handed her some medicine which she took obediently and drained her glass of water. Then she asked him randomly, "When can I go to my home? Tesuki has been out of school so much I am afraid he'll be held behind and I now have karate classes to teach."

Trowa studied her for a long minute and then answered, "I think the answer is quite obvious. You won't be able to even drive for awhile, let alone being able to teach a very physical class. And then there's the matter of being made legal guardian of your brother. So you will not be leaving until you are healed." He replied with finality in his voice.

Rose sighed heavily and turned her head away from him. He left without another word and she picked up a book from the table beside the chair. She read for a long while but fell asleep, the book open on her lap.

Quatre found her like that and moved the book from her lap. Then he tucked a blanket around her, for he knew that if he tried to move her she would hurt so he left her like she was and left the room. Rose slept through the night in the chair and when she woke in the morning she found Tesuki sitting on the floor beside her, but sleeping with his head against the chair. She gently touched his head and stroked his hair. He woke up and then looked up at his sister. Rose discovered tearstains on his cheeks.

"Come here, Tesuki. Up here on my lap." She said softly full of sympathy.

"But-" he tried to protest. He didn't want to hurt his sister; she had been hurt enough.

"I want you to. If you hurt me I'll tell you." She said.

Tesuki took his sister's words to heart and tentatively climbed up into her lap. He settled lightly on her legs as she held him like a child. Rose stroked his hair as she asked softly, "What happened? What made you cry?"

"I had a dream about Mom and Dad." He replied in a whisper. "I dreamed about when we were taken."

Rose sympathized with her brother and held him, though she winced as she held him. She wasn't ready to hold people like that yet. But she kept Tesuki with her while he cried again.

Trowa found them as they were and at Rose's silent insisting, had him take Tesuki. Her brother had fallen into a fitful sleep, but didn't really stir when Trowa carefully lifted him from his sister. He cradled the boy in his arms and took him to the room that they had arranged for the boy.

Trowa returned a few minutes later and found Rose sitting still in the chair. She had a serious look on her face, but then turned it into a soft caring one as she looked up at him.

"Your brother is in bed. Quatre went to stay with him, along with Duo. Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Can I have some soup? I'm hungry." She said quietly.

"I'll be back." He said as he left the room once again.

Later that afternoon, Rose was determined to have a bath. But Quatre and Trowa both thought it a bad idea, since she couldn't walk, and that she would need help once out of her clothes. And they were both not wanting to be in the same room with her without her clothes on, not when Duo was still in love with her and in the same house.

"Come on. Just take off the splints when I'm in there. It's not as if I can't bathe myself!" she said seriously, though still using her quiet tone, but full of determination.

"But come on Rose. You can't even walk! How do you plan on getting out of the tub?" Quatre retorted.

"I'll figure out a way. Just please, can I?" she asked still determined to get clean.

Quatre and Trowa both sighed. "Fine. I'll carry you in there and take off the splints, but you call us if you need help." Trowa said, giving in.

"I will." She promised. Trowa gently scooped her up and carried her to the nearest bathroom. He set her down on the edge of the tub and unwrapped the bandages and took the splints from her arm and leg. He carried those as he walked out and locked the door behind him.

"Thanks Trowa!" she called after him as she ever so carefully slid out of the very over-sized shirt. She winced as she raised it over her head and then let it drop to the floor, she also had a little more trouble when she finally got her underwear down her legs. "Shit I forgot about a towel." She muttered as she sat there for a minute's rest. She looked around and spotted a cabinet above the toilet that was next to the tub. She carefully slid her body over to the toilet and then shifted her weight to sit on it. Then she rose on her good leg and reached for the cabinet door. Once open she balanced on her leg and pulled a towel and wash cloth down. Then she slowly lowered herself once more to the tub and turned the knobs so water ran. Plugging the tub she gently swung her injured leg into the tub first and followed with the rest of her body.

She spent a long amount of time bathing herself, for she kept having to take rest periods. But in the end she felt very clean and she even washed her long hair. She let the water drain out of the tub and realized getting out would be a problem. But she managed it without falling. She sat on the toilet to dry off and then she wrapped the towel around her body.

Someone knocked on the door, "Rose?" It was Quatre.

"I'm still here." She replied.

"I brought you some clean clothes." He said.

"Well I can't really get to the door and it's locked." She said.

"I have a key with me. Are you covered?" he asked, Rose could tell he was blushing.

"Yes. You can come in." she replied.

A key was inserted into the lock and soon the door opened. Quatre stepped inside and handed her a short kimono and undergarments.

"Tell me when you're ready to come out. I'll be the one to carry you." He said.

"Thanks Quatre." She said gratefully. The door closed and Rose took the towel off and dropped it down to the small pile of the clothes she had worn previously. Then she proceeded to pull the undergarments on and was grateful there wasn't a bra, for she knew she wouldn't have been able to wear it for long. It would have been too painful. But she slipped the kimono, which ended at her knees, on and then tied the belt in place.

"Quatre," she called when she finished. The door opened again and the blond walked in over to her. Just as gently and carefully as Trowa had, he picked her up and tilted her toward his chest so she wouldn't fall.

"Wait, can you stop in front of the mirror?" she asked. He did as she asked and she took in her appearance. Bruises were fading from her face, but her eyes moved lower and found a mark on her neck. "What is this?" she asked, reaching up to touch her skin.

"That's from the choker. Your brother has one too, but yours looks like a scar and it goes all the way around. Tesuki's is not as bad as yours." Quatre replied.

She lowered her hand and leaned into him, signaling to go.

He took her back to Duo's room and set her on the bed. He found the splints and wrapped them back around Rose's healing limbs. Tesuki came in as Quatre was finishing and he thoughtfully found a brush and went to his sister.

Quatre stepped away when he was done and left the room. Rose looked at her brother and noticed the brush.

"I can't do it one handed, not with my hair this long." She said. "It'll just look worse than it already is." She added.

"I'll do it for you." He replied, climbing up behind her on the bed.

"Thanks little brother." She said.

When he finished running the brush through her long black hair, he braided it down her back and ended it with a hair tie he spotted on the floor.

"That's so much better." Rose said as her brother came to sit beside her.

"Suzumi? When are we going home?" he asked quietly.

She looked at him, a calculating expression on her face. She then thoughtfully answered, "I'm going to get Quatre to take us when I feel ready enough."

"Okay. I just want to bury Mom and Dad so they will rest peacefully." He continued.

Rose was slightly surprised. Her brother had become so mature for his age of twelve years so fast because of the tragedy, and it would hurt him if she didn't heal and return to normal. She promised herself then and there that she would do what was best for him.

She hugged him with one arm and replied, "We will, I promise."

TBC

Note: It's almost completely posted. It's a good thing that I had this one finished…