This was my original chapter 2 of Foster care, before I had a completely different idea of how it was going to go! It's basically just Kai/Ray fluff, but I thought I'd put it up because everyone reading Foster care is being so nice about the distinct lack of any sort of Kai/Ray action! So, here's your Kai/Ray fluffiness!

If you haven't read Foster care, you might find this a little bit confusing! Just ask me if there's anything you really don't understand. Shane is (was) Ray's foster father, who abused him and was sent to prison for it.

Enjoy!

Ray swallowed nervously as he looked up at the imposing double doors of the courtroom. He felt Kai squeeze his hand gently.

"You okay?" Kai whispered into his ear. "Remember, you don't have to do this. You said your piece last time." Ray shook his head vehemently.

"No, Kai. I need to do this." He couldn't suppress a violent shiver running through him as he spoke. With a sigh, Kai pulled him into a tender embrace, stroking his hair calmlingly.

"Okay, Ray, okay. Do what you have to." He released the Chinese boy from his hold, planting a swift kiss on his cheek. "I'm coming in with you!" he said decisively, after a long pause. Ray sighed quietly. How many times had they had this argument?

"No, Kai." he said firmly. "You've got to go to your appointment." Kai scowled, his eyes suddenly dark.

"Yeah, yeah, I've gotta go tell yet another shrink about how when I was a little boy, my grandfather used me as his fuck toy." He laughed harshly. "What do you know? I'm even making up poems about it now!" His expression softened, became pleading. "Ray, please. I don't want you to go through this on your own..." Ray leaned forwards and kissed him on the lips.

"I know." he whispered, looking up at Kai. "I'll be fine. Sallie'll be here, after all." He pushed Kai gently. "Go on. Shoo." With a last, reluctant look back, Kai obeyed, walking away. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans, Ray swore softly in Chinese and pushed open the doors.

It had been six years since Shane had put Ray in a coma. Kai and Ray had moved in together as soon as Kai turned sixteen, a year ago now. Up until they had been forteen and fifteen respectively, they had simply been the closest of friends, bonded together by their horrific experiences, but quite abruptly, their friendship had moved up a little. Yes, that's right, they were gay. They had got vehement aggro from Kai's psychiatrist, and even Sallie had been doubtful, but they had ignored them. They were happy together, and no one could deny them a little happiness, not with their pasts. At least, that was their argument.

"Hello, Ray!" Ray looked up to see Sallie hurrying towards him. He summoned up a smile from somewhere inside him that wasn't a gibbering wreck and waved.

"Hey, Sallie." The blonde woman sat down next to him. Her career had tumbled after the abuse came out, but she was re-training as a primary school teacher, and as close to Ray and Kai as ever.

"How are you?" she asked, her usually cheerful face suddenly serious. Ray shrugged.

"Scared." he said softly. "He shouldn't be even allowed an appeal for what he did." He shuddered involuntarily, wrapping his arms round his stomach. "Great." he muttered under his breath. "Now I get the stomach aches again..."

"Again?" Sallie inquired. Ray nodded, wishing himself back home, curled up in the warm bed that he shared with Kai.

"I always used to get these whenever I knew he was around." he said quietly. Sallie frowned.

"Ray," she began carefully. "Are you quite sure that you want to - "

"Yes!" Ray said angrily, cutting her off mid-setence.. "I want to be here, because he's too dangerous to be let out! Za zhong..." he whispered bitterly. Wisely, Sallie stayed quiet.

Half an hour later, they were called in.

"Would the witness for the prosecution please stand?" Swallowing hard, Ray got up and walked towards the witness stand. "Please state your name and age."

"Raymond Xiao-Cheung Kon, aged sixteen." Good, my voice isn't shaking. He only half-listened as the judge read out the oath. "I want to affirm." His parents had been Buddhists, but he had almost forgotten the faith, and there was no way he was swearing on a Bible, not when he still had a vivid mental picture of his own blood driping down the pages of Shane's copy.

"Do you swear to tell the truth?"

"Yes, Your Honour."

"Very well. We are here to debate whether Shane Harrison, convicted six years ago of child abuse, should be granted his appeal for a lesser sentence." The judge motioned for a television to be wheeled in. "Raymond Kon, this was your last statement, recorded for the initial trial." Ray looked away very slightly as his quivering ten year-old self came on screen. His stomach twisted as the memories came flooding back.

"Ray, did your foster father hit you?" Silence. Ten year-old Ray bit his lip and wrapped both arms around himself, shivering. Sallie came into the picture, putting a hand on Ray's shoulder and telling him that he was safe in here, he could say whatever he liked. Eventually, tear-filled almond-shaped eyes turned again towards the television screen that showed him what was going on in the courtroom and nodded. He whispered a timid affirmative.

Sixteen year-old Ray clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms as the questions continued, as the defending lawyer stood up to cross-examine. He gritted his teeth together in remembered anger as this man declared that as a non-native English speaker with a less than perfect grip on the language, a recent recovery from a coma, and a mere child, he was unfit to give any kind of evidence. This claim was quickly rebuffed by Sallie and the prosecuting lawyer.

Finally, the television was wheeled away. Ray found himself shaking as the courtroom returned their attention to him. The lawyer in charge of the appeal stood, fixing Ray with a gaze that could have cowed a much older man. He demanded to know if everything Ray had said six years ago he still stood by.

"Yes." Ray replied quietly.

Three hours later, he stumbled out. His eyes burnt with the effort of composure and his stomach felt as though somebody was twisting it viciously. Probably Shane, he thought dryly, blinking tears away. Someone took hold of his arm.

"Come on Ray," Sallie said gently. "I'll give you a lift back. You're in no state to be walking around."

"I'm fine!" Ray inisisted. Sallie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, the amount of times you've told me that, Ray. When you were a child, every now and then you would look like you do now, and I'd ask, and you'd give me that same reply. I believed you then. But you weren't then, and you aren't now. Are you?" Ray shook his head slowly and allowed Sallie to lead him to her car.

Struggling through the film of tears in his eyes, he fumbled the key into the lock. As he was about to turn it, the door swung open. Two hands held either side of his face and tipped it up so that his almond-shaped golden eyes met Kai's deep crimson.

"I knew you shouldn't have gone." Kai stated emotionlessly. Ray laughed shortly, then found he couldn't stop, and suddenly he was weeping, sobbing and flailing against Kai's chest, breath shuddering out of him in hoarse, broken gasps. Kai put his arms around him and drew him inside, made him stumble over to the sofa where he lowered him down and stroked his head soothingly. "Ssh, Ray..." he whispered. "Ssh...ssh now, you're safe now." Ray shook his head wordlessly and a shudder passed through him.

"Not safe...me never safe from him..." In his distress, he had slipped back into the fractured English that was always his refuge when he felt most threatened. Kai sighed and knelt down until their heads were level.

"You're safe, Ray." he repeated firmly. He reached out and caressed Ray's hot, damp cheek. "I'm here. Everything's going to be all right." Ray nodded uncertainly, timidly.

"Oh, Kai..." He held out his arms blindly, a child begging for a hug. "I was so scared... He was there, in the courtroom, right there, just sitting there, staring at me and grinning..." A spark of pride lit in his eyes. "I showed him, though. He thought I'd be too scared to talk...and I was, but I talked anyway!" He laughed bitterly, slowly coming back to his normal self. Kai noticed the change with relief. Helping him to sit up, he moved to sit beside him.

"Don't ever do that again." he said, his eyes dark. Ray frowned, wiping at his eyes, confused. "You always put everyone else before yourself, Ray, and it's bloody scary at times!" He smiled ruefully and leaned forwards to plant a gentle kiss on Ray's forehead. "I don't want to see you like that ever again. It...it frightens me, all right? You did what you felt you had to do, and that's good. Forget about it now, please."

"How do I do that?" Ray demanded, his voice cracking. Kai smirked.

"I could think of a few ways..." Their lips met fiercely, tasting each other and the salt of Ray's tears.

"I'm so, so proud of you, Ray..." Kai murmured. Golden eyes gazed at him and full lips curved into that half-smile he loved so much.

"Thanks, Kai..."

Aw! So cute! Anyway, if you want a bit more in this little ficlet, then ask away! I quite like writing random fluffy bits! Please, please review!