Hey everybody I've actually had this finished for awhile but the site was giving me problems so I couldn't update anyway here's the chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.

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24. Dark Times

A year later and the group of friends were now living very peacefully in the Hiwatari home. The place had needed some fixing up and for the first few weeks they all worked together to return the happy household to its former glory. Though it was hard work once done they enjoyed the fruits of their labours and settled in to live life the way it should be lived happy and free. The five friends had grown from the hardships they had overcome and now the love shared by the two couples had become more stronger than ever before over the past year. The older Balkov was now an adult and though he wanted things to move a little faster he knew that Kayla was still a girl and not wanting to push his luck he wouldn't force her into doing anything that she didn't want to. Kai was also anxious to take his relationship farther but he was younger than Bree and knew that they couldn't truly be together at least not yet, wanting to get his feelings out to her he settled for a proposal and the two lovers were engaged to be married once Kai turned eighteen.

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It was now Kai's sweet sixteenth and his friends' gift to him was to allow him and Bree to spend the day alone all to themselves.

Once the lovebirds had returned from a romantic dinner the blue haired boy gratefully said, "Thanks guys I'd have to say this has been one of my best birthdays ever."

"No problem you two deserved a night out anyway," Tala replied with a wry grin on his face.

"Hey, you still have that cat we gave you that one Christmas?" Bryan asked knowing the answer.

"Course I do I keep him in my room," the boy replied by this time he had pulled Bree onto his lap the way he always did when the group were joined together in the cozy living room.

"Yeah Bry he sleeps with the little thing every night," Kayla added looking up at the man who sat next to her on the coach with a bright twinkle in her eyes.

Knowing the truth of the statement everyone save for Kai burst out into fits of laughter that only began to die away when the boy sent each of his friends one of his famous menacing death glares.

"If you're going to start getting all defence like that how about putting me down," Bree inquired from her seat on the boy's lap.

With somewhat of a hurt look entering into his eyes the boy asked, "What you don't want to be here with me anymore?"

"No," she simply replied.

"Fine, be that way then."

Kai was about to set her down but another look into her blue sea like eyes told him that his love was only teasing.

"Oh that was cruel Bree I'm gonna get you for that one," he retorted and snaking one of his hands around the girl began to torture her with an assault of tickling.

"Kai stop it," Bree managed to let out between laughs.

"I don't know if you've had enough yet," he replied still tickling her.

"I give please stop."

"Say you're sorry."

"Ok I'm sorry now cut it out," she cried near dead from laughter.

He let her free and again pulled the girl who had somehow reached the floor during her torment up into his arms to perch neatly on his lap.

"Now that you two are done goofing around how about a look at the news," Tala suggested switching on the TV.

The screen flashed on showing a reporter standing in front of the city's jail and the words that shot through the speakers of the television shocked everyone in the room.

"Today's top story, owner of Balkov Abbey Boris Balkov has just escaped from jail. This crazed man is a menace to society so everyone keep on the lookout as our police make it their top priority to bring this man back into custody."

Everyone was quite peaceful in the quiet mood of the room but when the words of Boris' escape reached their ears all five of them jumped from their seats.

"This is impossible how could that bastard get loose,' Kai blurt out being the first to speak.

"Who the hell knows Kai but I can bet you where he's gonna go next," Bree replied angered as well.

A little frightened Kayla wondered, "What are we going to do?"

"Only thing we can do hope he doesn't find his way here and if he does we fight him," Bryan stated not wanting their new quiet life being disturbed.

Tala always being the voice of reason in the little group spoke up, "Don't worry guys I bet Boris doesn't even know how to get to this place."

"And if he does," Kai asked.

"Do like Bry here says and fight him I think we've all had enough of the damn guy."

"Hey guys it's getting late maybe we should call it a night," Kayla suggested leaning her tired head on Bryan's shoulder.

"Good idea Kayl," Bree agreed and the five of them went up to the second floor of the house off to bed.

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The group was still jumpy as to whether or not they would be paid a visit by Boris by the time that supper rolled around. Bryan sat with his love patiently waiting for food at the table while his sister cut them pieces of meat off of a roast she had cooked for the meal. Kai was also sitting at the table but not for long as Bryan noticed the other boy get up and saunter over to Bree.

Sweeping his arms around Bree from behind Kai asked, "Hey need some help?"
"I'm fine Kai you'll get your food as soon as everyone else," she replied clearly distracted from her task as he made a move to kiss her.

Typical Kai coddling my sister and making the rest of us wait for dinner. Speaking of the rest of us Tala isn't back from work yet I hope he hasn't ran into trouble, the purple haired boy thought irritated with the prolonged wait.

Now being adults both Tala and Bryan had gotten jobs with the new Russian BBA that Mr. Dickenson had introduced after the fall of Biovolt. Bryan's red headed friend had gone in that day protesting that it would be unfair for both of them to take the day off allowing him to keep an eye on things staying with Kai and the girls.

At that moment there was a crash from the living room and instinctively Kai placed himself between Bree and whatever lurked in the other room.

Bryan saw the purple head of his father come into view and like his friend he moved to put himself between the one he loved and the evil man who wore a wicked grin on his face.

"If you children do as I tell you no one gets hurt now Hiwatari step away from the girl," Boris ordered the evil man clearly hoping he would get the chance to toy with them.

"Boris, get out," the younger boy replied coldly, his eyes narrowed with hatred.

"So you wish to defy me as always then and here I thought you were a smart boy. Bryan, come over here you two are coming home."

"I hate to break it to ya but for one thing our so called home was burned to the ground a year ago and for another I came to my senses after the Championship realizing that my actions were wrong," he reasoned staying right where he was ready to defend Kayla if things came down to it.

"You're just as much of a lost cause as little Hiwatari here I think these brats are putting a bad influence on you two."

"Nope more like the other way around you're the one who's the bad influence Boris," Bree defended speaking for the first time since the man arrived.

"Enough chatter wench you will come with me or need I start punishing you for your disobedience," the man said stepping closer to the couple.

"You lay a hand on her you bastard and I swear you'll be dead before you realize what hits you," the blue haired boy defended.

"You would have been such a great warrior young Kai but now all you've become is a pathetic weakling at the mercy of his worthless emotions," the man snorted and drew out a gun.

No one was given time to react and before Bryan knew it one of his two best friends fell to the ground, blood spewing from his chest where the bullet had hit.

Bryan and the wounded boy's sister darted over as Bree knelt down beside him.

In a weak sounding voice Kai said, "Bree, sis I love you, Bry you and Tala will look after them for me won't you?"

"We will dude don't worry," he said grasping a shocked Kayla in his arms.

"No Kai you can't go," Bree cried clutching his hand tears trickling down her face.

"Sorry Bree I just wasn't quick enough, I'll miss you my lovely angel," he gasped out allowing himself to smile and the hand held by the girl went limp.

Rising to her feet Bryan's sister grabbed hold of the butcher knife she had dropped in the distress of seeing their father again.

"I don't care if you are my father you had no right in taking his life and now you bastard you are going straight to hell," she yelled and with a thrust of one of her powerful arms the knife tore through the cursed man's neck his decapitated head lolling to the tiled floor.

The girl fell to her knees clearly unable to handle anything more as she hid her watery eyes in her hands.

Here I thought losing Ben was bad but now Kai and Dad are gone too. Even if Boris was evil and deserved it for shooting Kai he was still our father. But Kai why did my best friend have to die? And here there was a time when I thought I'd be happy to see his pale form on the ground but not now, now I just feel pain, Bryan thought looking down into those red orbs that had now gone out only moments before being so full of light.

Bryan's gaze now turned to the little girl in his arms who had broken out into tears her brain finally registering what had happened.

"He can't be gone not Kai too. This damn place is cursed, CURSED," she burst out in pain and tore away from the room.

The boy was about to go follow her when the phone began to ring.

"I'll answer the phone Bryan you should go talk her," Bree said in almost a whisper.

"Will you be alright sis?" He asked feeling concern and worry for her as well.

"Yes I'll be fine now get going," Bryan's sister insisted and leaving to find Kayla he heard her answer the phone.

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Going to the one place where she felt safe Kayla went straight up to her room. Collapsing to her bed she buried her face in the pillows and cried her heart out.

I'm the only Hiwatari left now. Mom and Dad left me and now Kai's been taken from me too and all in this damn place, she thought unable to stop the tears.

By the time Bryan found her she was nearly asleep and sitting down on the edge of her bed he said, "I'm sorry Kayla I should've seen it coming, I should've put a stop to my father."

Looking up with her tear stained eyes she saw that pain plagued him as well.

"It's not your fault Bry it's just I feel so alone," she confessed and plunged into his broad chest.

The man she loved embraced her and as she again drifted off into sleep she felt wet droplets against her skin. As the young man comforted the nearly asleep girl and stroked her silk like hair he too crying for the loss of a friend who had been like a brother to him.

She could sense the affliction within him and wanted to help but with the loss of her brother and exhaustion from what seemed like endless crying her eyes drooped closed and the girl passed into a long dreamless sleep.

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At the other end of the phone Tala asked, "Hey Bree is Bryan around?"

"He went to go talk to Kayla please come home Tala," her voice sobbed through the phone line.

"What happened, what's wrong?"

"Boris," was all she could say.

"Damn him I'll be there as soon as I can," he answered hanging up the phone.

Tala ran back as fast as he could barging into a room with a shattered window and shards of glass everywhere. Ignoring the chaotic state of the room the red head dashed straight for the kitchen, his piercing blue eyes taking in the scene and seeing Kai's lifeless body his heart plummeted into darkness.

Setting aside his own pain Tala went to the girl at Kai's side and asked, "Are you alright?"

She just looked away in answer and he caressed the purple haired girl into his arms.

Allowing her head to rest on his shoulder as tears continued to drip from her eyes Bree said, "Boris is the reason he's gone so I killed him my own father."

"Shh it's alright Bree if only I had been here maybe I could have saved him," Tala said ashamed that he hadn't been there for them in their time of need.

"It's not your fault it's damn fucking Boris'."

"But I should have been here. I'm an only child and he and Bryan are like my brothers but now one of them is gone."

"I miss him too Tala but just like with Ben we'll learn to accept his death and move on. We can't change the past but we can make sure nothing like this will happen again in our future," Bree said and together the two remained there in that warm embrace trying to comfort each other.

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Almost a month had past and ever since that moment in the kitchen Tala had been unable to bring himself to look at his deceased friend's lover. Bryan and Kayla seemed to be dealing with grief their own way and never left each other's side frightened of what might happen if they did. Bree however was like a lost puppy neither eating nor sleeping all that much since the incident and looked worse off than the rest of them but Tala just couldn't bring himself to go to her in the pit of his stomach he felt ashamed and guilt.

Adding to the tension the funeral that had been thrown for Kai sent fresh pain to the remaining four of the group plummeting their moods further earning them all even more agony. The red headed boy walked down the streets of Russia taking careful care not to stray too far from the house.

He needed some time alone and as he walked his mind dwelt on dark thoughts, What am I going to do now that Kai's gone. I've felt something for Bree for a little while now but what kind of person would I be if I betrayed his trust and went after his girl? How could I live with myself stealing the woman one of my best friend's loved?

"I know you're up there buddy come on Kai give me a sign what would you want me to do?"

He wasn't sure why he had said that it seemed pretty stupid and pointless to him seeing how they all knew Kai was dead and there was no possible way he would've been able to hear or answer him. Suddenly a bouquet of roses fell from the sky and landed in the boy's arms.

This made Tala feel a little spooked but glad with the approval he said, "Thanks dude," and turned around heading for home.

Re-entering into the Hiwatari home the red head went off in search of Bree and after a while he found her sitting outside on a bench that stood on the patio leading out into the backyard.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked keeping the bundle in his arms from her line of sight.

"Go ahead," she replied still looking down at her shoes.

"Don't you think that he would want for you to be happy?"

"Yeah but it still hurts."
"I know Bree just hear me out Kai wasn't the only one to have feelings for you, you know," he said gaining a shocked look of uncertainty from the girl beside him.

"But Tala we couldn't."

"As I said he'd want you to be happy," he replied a wry grin formed on his face before continuing, "While out walking from some stupidity I asked him for a sign and these just happened to drop down to me from the sky."

When he came to the word 'these' Tala pulled the bouquet from behind his back and placed it in her lap.

"It's a nice story and all Tala but seriously."

"Bree apart from Bry he was my closest friend never would I betray him or do something against his wishes. As strange as it sounds I'm telling the truth," he pleaded.

"I don't know what would Kai think about this if he were here?"

She asked and then very coincidently Kai's old stuffed cat flew from the window above them landing on the bag the roses were held in.

"I think that's his way of saying go for it," Tala joked wrapping his arms around the girl.

"Well alright then," she finally replied after some thought and allowed him to peck her lips with a gentle kiss.

"I know it takes time to heal but none of us especially Kai would want you to be too miserable," Tala commented and smiled his crystal blue eyes dancing full of light with the bond he had gained from the wonderful girl.

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Well there you all go, Kai dying was sad but now Boris is finally dead YAY. I think this calls for celebration everybody maybe even a new chapter coming up in the next couple of days. I know it was a little sad but I tried to leave off on a somewhat happy not anyway review and tell me what you think.