Hello to everybody!

First of all I have to say a huge thank you for your reviews! I am happy that people here like both my stories. I should say that I haven't abandoned 'How it all began'. I have just started writing the next chapter for it, so Second Chance's chapter 6 might take a little longer.

I'm sorry for this. I can see people keep asking me to update as soon as possible so I'll do my best!

My special thanks to my beta Bitten Ry as always.

Enjoy…

A Second Chance – Chapter 5
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"Mai… please forgive me."

These were Mikoto's last words before she got out on the road. She ran and ran as fast as possible, as far as possible. Her eyes kept letting out tears, wetting her face, Mai's T-shirt… She had hurt two people that she loved more than anything in this world. People around her were staring at the young woman that was running on the street, passing by them at such a speed. She didn't notice them, just kept looking ahead…

Life is unfair. So unfair. There was no way she could choose Reito without hurting Mai. Or choose Mai without hurting Reito. 'Why? Why do I have to choose?'

She stopped running and stood panting in an alley, resting her back against the wall of the building. Her body was aching from the fatigue but it was nothing comparing to the pain of her heart.

'My heart… I wish I could split my heart in two and give a half to each one of them.'

At Mai's place Reito was looking at her and his eyes were saying that she had betrayed him. But she loved Mai so much! Why couldn't he understand?

'Maybe because he loves her too.' Her consciousness was playing the role of the devil's advocate. 'He loves her so much and he was hurt that you took her from him. And because you had slept with a woman.'

Mikoto's face took on a surprised expression. This thought had never passed her mind before. He had caught her with a woman. And this made her… gay? She had slept with men before, but after last night she wasn't sure that she wanted to sleep with a man anymore. Or any other woman. Her heart was beating for only one person and her body followed her heart.

'STOP!' She held her head in her hands. She had to put her thoughts in an order. She felt like going crazy hearing all these thoughts passing her mind one after another.

First she had to think of what she would say to Reito. She didn't want to speak to him about this. Not now, not ever. She wished that she could make him forget everything and they could continue living like nothing happened. But she couldn't. She knew that she had to explain everything to him eventually…

And Mai. She didn't have the courage to think about Mai. She looked so sad, so heartbroken when Mikoto left. She had asked Mai to forgive her but that wasn't enough. She could do nothing about the pain she had caused her.

It wasn't fated for them to be together after all.

Mikoto closed her eyes. Her eyelids made the last tears fall on the ground. There was only one solution in this: She had to get out of Mai's life as soon as possible.

Life without her would be a life without meaning, but she couldn't see Mai hurt anymore… She hoped that Mai would understand…

Again Reito was the reason she was leaving. Last time it was because she wanted to be beside Reito. He needed her there. And now… Now he could be an obstacle in her relationship with Mai and this would cause more unhappiness…

All her memories of the previous night were just like a dream now. And they had to remain this way. A pleasant dream… and she had just woken up. A dream that showed her what her life with Mai could be. A smiling happy Mai…

She looked around her. It took her more than a minute to realize where she was. She had to return home.

Her feet were walking at such a slow pace! She had to go back, although she didn't want to. She'd rather go to another planet than this.

Her eyes were fixed on the ground, without noticing how full of life the streets were. The world had died the exact moment she decided not to be with Mai anymore.

The half hour that elapsed seemed more like years for Mikoto. And finally she stopped in front of the gate of the mansion. She raised her eyes to take a look at the huge building before entering. This house was not welcoming her anymore…

She pushed open the heavy gate and walked into the large yard. The smell of the blossomed flowers reached her nostrils. Everything around her was so beautiful, so peaceful. She wondered what was waiting for her inside. Her hand dug inside her pocket and took her keys. She opened the door with a heavy heart.

'Here it comes…'

Mikoto looked around her. The house seemed empty. The clock on the wall showed 2 pm. Maybe Reito hadn't returned yet. Maybe Reito was still with Mai. A sudden panic made her spin quickly, facing the door again. What if Reito had hurt Mai? No, no. Reito was harmless and he loved Mai… He wouldn't hurt her!

But she wasn't sure… She had to go back to see with her own eyes if Mai was ok. At least physically… And then her attention was drawn towards the large dining room when she heard the sound of glass breaking. So he was here after all. The relief she felt for Mai's safety lasted for only a second.

Reito was here. She had to speak to him. Or she could go to her room and wait for him to calm down. She thought that the first was better idea. She wasn't a coward! She would explain everything to him and he would understand. Hopefully… She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Mikoto stood by the door and took a good look at the scene in front of her. It was Reito. Reito sitting behind the large table that they never used and in front of him an empty bottle of sake. In his hand was a broken cup and his blood was dripping on the table.

When she saw the blood she quickly snapped out of it and ran to her brother.

"Ani-ue!"

"DON'T CALL ME LIKE THAT!"

Mikoto stopped immediately as if she had crushed on an invisible wall. Reito was… mad. Mad and drunk. This was something that she had never seen before, nor expected ever to see. Reito who always seemed to have everything under control… Who loved her so much and had never said a bitter word to her. Now he was yelling at her and her feet were stuck to the floor.

She stared at him with an expression of terror. She didn't know what drunken Reito was capable of doing… Or saying. His last words were proof of that… Reito didn't bother to look at her when he spoke.

"You are not my sister anymore."

"Reito."

The sound of her voice speaking his name sounded so unfamiliar. She had never called him by his name before… But since he didn't want her to call him brother she had no choice.

"You're bleeding. Please let me take care of your wound."

"Don't come any closer!"

He opened his hand and the broken cup fell on the table. A large cut was clearly visible on his palm. The blood kept flowing out, creating a small dark crimson pool on the wood beneath his hand.

He watched the drops fall one after another. He wanted his body to bleed just like his soul.

"You betrayed me."

His eyes met Mikoto's for the first time that she came into the room. She was afraid, he could even smell her fear. That bastard Kokuyou had taught him everything about terror and fear. And nothing about love or kind feelings. Everything he had achieved in his life was out of his hard tiring efforts. But he wasn't so good in this after all. He hadn't achieved to earn what he wanted.

"Why? Why? Why!"

A question he was asking himself more than Mikoto. His sister was standing speechless. Still. His voice was killing her.

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? And what happens if you're sorry? Does this take back any of the things you've done?"

"I guess not." She whispered.

"Did you sleep with her?"

Mikoto closed her eyes. She knew that this moment would come… There was no reason to lie to him.

"Yes."

"Are you… a lesbian?"

He didn't expect that he would ever have to ask Mikoto this question. But he had to know.

"I… don't know. I haven't slept with a woman before yesterday."

"And you never will again!"

He grabbed the bottle and brought it to his lips, drinking the last drops of sake remaining.

"You disgraced our family. You disgraced me… I won't allow this anymore…"

Mikoto wished that the floor would open up and swallow her. This Reito was not the Reito she knew. Did her actions have such an effect on him?

"And if that wasn't enough already… You had to sleep with her?"

'I love her!' She wanted to scream this to him, to make him understand that it had to be her, it would always be her…

"You won't leave the house until I say so…" His determined angry voice echoed in the almost empty room.

"But-"
Mikoto's first thought was her job. If she continued not appearing there they would fire her. Today was already her first unjustified absence…

"No buts! You'll do as I say! And you'll stop working at the college! We are more than rich! There's no need for you to work!"

His voice was so far from his polite usual one! He had stood up and his eyes emitted pure anger. This glance was piercing Mikoto's body, Mikoto's heart… This was not her Reito. This was a stranger that was speaking words that the sake was putting in his mouth. She decided not to object to what he was saying.

She should wait for him to calm down. Anyway she had chosen to stay with him. Once he understood that this was a decision she had made on her own, he wouldn't have to lock her in the house.

A life without Mai would be enough torture for her. There was no need to make her live a life without friends, without contacting other people.

Saying nothing she turned around and got out of the room, leaving Reito alone, standing next to the table. She went in her room and locked the door behind her. The mattress of her bed welcomed her and she rubbed her face on the soft pillow. Her eyelids hid the eyes behind them.

One night away from this bed was enough to change her whole life. To make her brother hate her…

"Mai." She should stop saying her name. She should stop thinking about her. If only she could erase her from her memory, from her life. 'Do I want this?' No, she didn't. How could she ever ask for something like that to happen?

A small smile appeared on her face when she thought about the first time that she took a good look of Mai.

It was when she had woken up in Mai's arms at the school after the ship incident. She had felt so secure there, inside Mai's warm embrace! Most of the students were gathered around them, looking at the girls that were lying inside a burning cycle in the middle of the school yard. They all seemed speechless. Mikoto could remember that when she opened her eyes she had no idea what had happened or who she was with.

This was the first time that she looked carefully at Mai's face. She felt like sinking into these light purple eyes. The soft red lips curved upwards and formed the most beautiful smile that she had ever seen.

Since that time she was seeking her embrace all the time. Inside her arms, on her chest she had found what was missing more from her life. A person caring for her. Tenderness. Love.

A lump in her throat made her realize that tears were coming again. If she wanted to forget Mai she had a lot of work to do… Every single moment of her school life were moments she had spent with her. She had shared her life with Mai for so many years!

The memories were countless. If she ever managed to let some of them go, there would still be so many left! But she had to try to forget. Once again.

"Mai… Goodbye."

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"Oi, Shizuru! Hurry up!"

She locked the door and walked towards the motorbike. Natsuki was already on it, wearing her fit leather biker-suit. Shizuru checked for a moment the body of the woman and an amused grin appeared on her face. She never lost an opportunity to look at Natsuki's body, especially when she was wearing this tight suit… She sat behind her and wrapped her arms around Natsuki.

Natsuki turned on the engine and warned Shizuru woman as always.

"Hold on."

They started moving, their speed increasing as the seconds passed. Natsuki stopped the bike in front of KFC's and they got off.

Shizuru was making great progress in tolerating the incredible speed that they reached when Natsuki was riding her bike. This time it was only a light dizziness when she felt the steady floor of the pavement under her feet.

"Why do we have to eat here again?"

"Too many questions!" Natsuki passed the door first.

About an hour after that, they had finished eating and Natsuki was lighting a cigarette. Shizuru grabbed it and put it out on the ashtray.

"Do you think that black suits me? Because if you continue smoking these cigarettes I will be a widow someday!"

Natsuki laughed and stared at the woman opposite of her.

"Do you love me that much?"

"And more…"

The navy haired woman pretended a sad face.

"I can't stand so much love… When will you stop loving me?"

"Ara, ara! Does Natsuki want me to stop loving her? I'm so hurt!

Natsuki looked with love the woman opposite of her.

"If you ever stopped loving me, I would never forgive you."

Natsuki's face had become serious. She was looking into Shizuru's eyes when she was speaking. These eyes were dark crimson again. Natsuki often wondered how it was possible for the same eyes to look brown one moment and red the next…

Shizuru's hand reached for Natsuki's and their fingers entangled. She lowered her gaze on the two joined hands before facing Natsuki again.

"Natsuki, there is no possibility for this to happen…"

The wide smile on Shizuru's face brought a similar one to Natsuki. A young woman passed in front of their table and seeing her Natsuki remembered about last day's incident.

"One of these days Mai might thank you for something."

"Why? I can't remember doing anything."

"Yesterday you stayed late at school and I was bored so I asked her to come here and have lunch. I tried to tell you yesterday but you didn't let me finish. When we were eating Mikoto came in."

Shizuru's astonished face made Natsuki laugh.

"Do you believe this? And we ate together, the three of us! I left Mai alone with Mikoto after that. Maybe she'll try to beat me up next time we meet."

"I hoped everything went fine between them."

"Yeah, me too. I wondered what happened…"

"Why don't you call her?"

"You're right!"

Without wasting any more time Natsuki pressed the buttons and held the phone next to her ear. Mai's phone rang once, twice, three times and continued after Natsuki stopped counting. She knit her eyebrows in question.

"Where is she? She didn't answer her phone."

Shizuru checked the time.

"Do you want to stop by her house? Just to make sure she's all right."

"You are full of great ideas today, do you know that?"

"I'm always full of great ideas…"

"Yeah, right!"

The bike was almost flying as the pair was heading towards Mai's house. The sound of the bike stopped when Natsuki parked the vehicle next to her door. She stared at the open windows.

"She's inside."

Shizuru rang the doorbell and they waited. The time passed but there was no sign of Mai. She pressed the button again.

"Something's not right." Natsuki was beginning to worry.

"Mai!" She shouted Mai's name, wishing that nothing bad had happened to her.

She turned to look at Shizuru. The woman's serious expression showed her that she wasn't the only one concerned.

"Mai!"

The door opened and Mai appeared behind it. A Mai prostrated with grief.

"Mai! What happened?"

Natsuki ran to her and wrapped her arms around Mai's body. She pushed her gently inside the house.

"Please tell me what happened."

The volume of her voice was so low that her words were hardly heard. Natsuki could feel Mai's emotions passing from her body into her own.

Mai's arms were placed around Natsuki's neck and she broke down. Natsuki stood silently, holding the weeping woman. Shizuru stood behind Natsuki watching the whole scene.

Sometimes it was good for someone to cry. Tears left the body and with these some of the sadness and the pain. But maybe this wasn't one of these times. Mai seemed to have already cried a lot and yet Shizuru could tell that she wasn't feeling any better.

The sobs started calming down until Mai stopped crying. She raised her head from Natsuki's shoulder and looked at her green eyes.

"Mikoto…" Her voice hadn't returned to normal yet and her throat ached from the long time crying.

"What about her?"

Mai left Natsuki's embrace and walked into the next room. She threw herself on a chair and waited for the pair to sit down. She brought her hands together and entangled her fingers. With her eyes on her hands she started explaining.

"After you left us in the diner's we went to her house. I cooked for her… and left just after she had finished eating. I was afraid that Reito would come home. I didn't know what to say to him if something like that happened."

A small pause before she resumed speaking. It was really hard to remember all the incidents of the previous day and even harder to describe them.

"I came here and wasn't sure if I would see her again. And then the doorbell rang and it was her. I didn't know that I was capable of feeling so much happiness. I kissed her and she kissed me back… And there's more… We slept together and she spent the night here."

"And this isn't a good thing?"

Shizuru's calm melodic voice was interrupted by Natsuki's barking.

"This is great!"

Mai looked at the blue haired woman's excited face and she hated to take away her smile.

"This morning I opened the door to Reito."

She was right. The smile disappeared and her face turned white.

"He found out about us. And Mikoto left crying. I lost her…"

"And Reito?"

"Reito left without saying a single word. His expression, his eyes showed that he wasn't so pleased about this."

"I wonder why he came…"

They both turned to look at Shizuru who was now standing next to the window and seemed troubled. Natsuki turned to Mai and tried to help her calm down.

"How do you know that she won't come back?"

"I know… I know her better than anyone. Even better than Takumi." She sighed. "She chose her brother over me. There is no mistake in this."

"There is a great possibility that Reito came here looking for you and not for his sister." Shizuru's mind was working at full power all this time. "He loved you. I knew that although he never admitted this to me."

"He did to me." Mai's voice sounded flat.

"He did?"

"Yes. And I turned him down. And I'm sorry but if he came here looking for me I'd have to repeat it. There's no possible way I could let anyone inside my heart except Mikoto."

"What do you think?" Natsuki turned to Shizuru for advice. She was the calmer from the three of them and she always had a quick handy solution for cases like this.

"So you don't love him?"

"No." Mai's honest answer.

"What about her? Do you think she loved you?"

"I think so… That's what she said yesterday."

"Then you should go and speak with Reito. I can see that he's the only obstacle in your happiness."

"I don't think so. If Mikoto wants me then she'll come to me. I have made my feelings clear."

"And you think that Reito would let her come to you? If he still wants you then he won't give you away so easily." This time it was Natsuki that spoke.

Mai thought about these last words. Natsuki was right! She was a fool to believe that she should just wait doing nothing. She shouldn't let Mikoto go. Not again.

There was something she had to do. Mai knew that Mikoto loved her… She maybe felt obligation to be by his side but it wasn't right. It wasn't fair for Mikoto. She only had to make her understand, to make her open up her eyes and see the truth.

"I'll go!"

Mai's loud tone made the women jump on their seats. They looked at each other satisfied.

"But I'll go alone." Mai's sadness was gone. Her face looked serious, but she was smiling. 'We make our own life. If we don't try to force things to happen the way we want them, we might regret it for the rest of our life.'

She stood up and looked determined at the two women. What importance was Reito's opinion when Mikoto and she loved each other so much? She wasn't afraid for him. She never did. Not even when Kokuyou no Kimi was alive. Reito was just a man…

"I'm out of here!"

She started walking to get out of the room and then she stopped. She turned around and returned to the women, who were sitting side by side on the couch.

"Thank you! I love you!"

And before they had the time to speak or react she had bended her body and had placed a quick kiss on Natsuki's cheek. Natsuki's eyes opened wide as she saw Mai repeat the same action on Shizuru.

Mai ran out of the room and Shizuru looked at Natsuki and giggled.

"I think we gave her too much confidence…" Natsuki sighed.

"She'll need all of it. Reito is really tough."

Mai closed the door leaving the couple alone in her house. The light of the sun above her was blinding her and she raised her hand to shadow her eyes. She had to be strong for both her and Mikoto. This was the time to claim what originally was hers.

Life had given her a second chance and she'd better not let it go wasted. She started walking. Reito's mansion should be this way…

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This was chapter 5. I hope you liked it!

I'll be waiting for your reviews! Thank you for reading!

KISSES

Irina67