Forgotten and Alone

Chapter Seven

The next two months were a trial.

Aya had made little progress with walking, but found speaking was just a matter of remembering and bringing his voice back. After the first few days he had taken to sleeping with Berkeley, though they had not had sex since that one time; it was too soon for Aya, he had to relearn many things about the man before he would trust him with such an act.

Yohji came around often; sometimes bring Omi or Ken with him. Omi didn't come often, every time he said Aya he would burst into tears. Ken stood around unsure of how to act, he would anger when Aya did something the old Aya wouldn't, claiming it was unfair and Aya should snap out of it. Yohji was the only one to understand, Omi could if he got over his hysterics, and Ken was just plain unstable and there was no predicting if he would or could understand past what he believed to be true and normal. Watching them react, Aya had to forgive them; he saw that they clearly were sorry and trying to make up for everything that had happened.

Aya started having strange dreams. Most of them were memory flashbacks as his mind adjusted to the change; But some where just plain weird. He had dreamed that he was in a jungle with other cats, all of them the big cats he had once seen at a Zoo. Then he was in a cage being experimented on by humans; he had spent the entire day hiding under then bed after that one. Schuldich had a hand in his dreams as well; they were sexual in nature with the German in a starring roll. After the second time Aya had one of those in as many days he figured out that they were not dreams but the telepath playing with his mind so the next time he had one he let the Cat take over and drove the man from his mind and kept him out.

He had figured out how to go into what he came to call Cat Mode and back into Human Mode with out much fuss and on his terms instead of having the Cat come forth at odd times. The only time he couldn't control it was when he was startled or frightened, which like with a juvenile cat happened often.

He slept a lot, as if making up for sleepless years. After voicing his concerns Berkeley called Dr. Kasa who told him it was normal as cats tended to sleep a lot to stay healthy.

Berkeley held Aya as they walk around the living room letting the redhead's legs get used to using the muscle that would keep him upright. It's a long drawn out process that was practiced everyday until Aya is too tired to walk around anymore and had to lie down.

Some day's he eats on the counter like a cat and sleeps on the bookcase, others he ate at the table normally with knife and fork and sleep in the bedroom on the shared bed. Most days he sat on the couch all day watching TV or at night staring out the window with nothing better to do and nothing he was allowed to do. Berkeley's books were all in English and all about Crime; which was an interesting discovery; he lived with a former cop. Being a former assassin and living with a former cop strikes Aya as funny and he laughed for an hour with no real explanation for the blond.

Nearly a month later Aya starts to feel funny. Finding the number for the Doctor when Berkeley was out, he discovers two things. One is the doctor is not a doctor for humans but a veterinarian; second was that he was starting to feel the first signs of going into Heat. This leads to a very embarrassing explanation of exactly what Heat is and why he's experiencing it.

After, he figures he's going to have to make a decision. He's figured out that sex last time was because he was in Heat, but has also figured out that this will be his third time, so the last time wasn't a case of taking advantage. Berkeley certainly was attractive there was no doubt about that and he was nice and caring enough. However Aya wasn't sure if sleeping with the man was a good idea while he was in such a state. The idea made him feel cheep and like a whore but instead of selling himself he was giving himself because he couldn't help it.

Berkeley found him under the bed crying and after fishing the boy out spent the next hour reassuring him that anything that would happen between them will be up to him and not because of some irrational lust. However not trusting himself Aya spends the week sleeping on the bookcase and stays as far away from Berkeley as possible. Berkeley let him to keep the peace even when Aya glares at him accusingly and tried to sleep with him.

After the week is over the redhead can't apologize enough until Berkeley kissed him fiercely both to shut him up and tell him he isn't mad. They make love while Aya was in a right state of mind, which becomes a routine Aya is happy to be apart of. They still had the daily sessions of walking around to get Aya's legs stronger in the right places, Yohji still stopped by almost every day and Omi's stopped crying every time he come along. As a gift, the three got Kritiker to give them a state of the art wheelchair so Aya can go outside with out having to walk until he could again. The four of them went to a movie that night and act like its old times and Aya can independently move without being carried or steered.

Aya had taken to going outside alone at night for a few hours to take in the fresh air and independence. The cat in him enjoyed these times alone and his human side just wanted to be out of the apartment sometimes. Berkeley came with him sometimes and they talked while exploring Tokyo together.

On one of his outings alone Aya discovered the factory where he lived for several months. The cats were still there and upon exploring the inside, he discovered the room hasn't been touched since he was last there. He found things that he remembers having and other things that seemed to have been things of necessity and interest. There is an entire space where there are objects that shown in the dim light.

Aya calls Yohji from a pay phone telling him to bring his old car that is bigger then Seven. While waiting, he packed up anything salvageable, clothes, blankets and a few odds and ends that meant something to him. Yohji looked around in interest until he figured out this was where Aya had lived. Aya doesn't say anything as his things were packed into the trunk and the chair maneuvered into the backseat. They were quiet on the drive back to the apartment and even Berkeley said nothing as the things were brought in. later, when the clothes were cleaned and other things put away did Aya cry.

Two days later, other things started to appear in the apartment. Omi had taken the time to track down as many things of Aya's as he could and used Kritiker resources to track them down. The boy might still be too young to be Persia at this point, but that doesn't mean he can't use his heritage to his advantage for a friend. During the day while Aya's asleep he brought over the things he found and every day the apartment looks more and more like two people lived there instead of one.

The day the Katana shows up Aya throws a tantrum and the weapon is removed. Yohji kept it on display in the living room at the shop where Aya could have it back when he's ready to take it. They found his assassin gear in the attic, but decided to keep it in a safe place just in case.

To even things out Berkeley found things that they both could share; both out of necessity and the urge to prove that they were in this together not apart. They picked out new dishes for in a fit of hysterics Aya had broken every dish in the apartment, they agreed plastic was safer just in case and found a store that sold just that in patterns that looked just like china. They shopped for groceries together and movies to watch on their new DVD player. Aya had never felt this normal in years and found he liked that his only worries were things to watch on TV and what would be for dinner.

However he knew that with his past, things like that wouldn't last and knew he must tell Berkeley what he really did for a living. But with the man being a former cop he is unsure if that's a good idea. He knew Berkeley would never turn him in, but he also knew the relationship will be over after he tells. He thought he should just move back into the shop, but that's unfair to them; and was unsure of what to do.

However Schuldich took it out of his hands during one of his outings. He was waiting outside the apartment building for Aya to come out so he can confront the former assassin. Aya looked him over and ignored him as he made his way down the street. He could, at any time, get away quickly by jumping onto a landing and taking the roofs back to the shop, but chose to let the man follow him at three miles per hour. Schuldich was silent though the first hour, unable to delve into Aya's mind to find out what exactly was going on.

Aya buys two hotdogs at a vender and handed one to the startled German then continued on his way.

"Ok, what gives?" Schuldich finally asked still carrying the hotdog and looking very bewildered. "I'm the bad guy, right? So why aren't you trying to fight me or running away or something?"

"Why?" Aya asked stopping at a small park and took away the hotdog eating it himself.

"Do you want me too? I could, I have claws."

Schuldich glared, "You're mocking me aren't you?"

"What gave it away?" Aya asked dryly, "Was it the fact that I'm not afraid of you or the fact that even in a wheelchair I can kick your ass."

"Could not." Schuldich snorted.

"Could too, its called screaming for help and having all the cops around here coming to my rescue." Aya said nodding toward a patrolman that was walking in the area. "People pay attention to me now, and even you can't do anything about it."

Schuldich gave him a grin that Aya had never seen on the man before. "I can and I will." He said hosting Aya out of the wheelchair, laid him on the ground and did something surprising. He pounced on Aya and tickled him with all the skill of an older sibling. Aya shrieked and laughed hysterically carefully not to touch the man with his claws as long as he wasn't hurting him. The patrolman glanced their way but passed them by with a shake of his head and a fond smile.

Schuldich sat back on his heels and grinned. "See, told you. That cop wont look our way again because he thinks were siblings having fun. If we fought it would be fair."

"You don't play fair." Aya said panting hard from where he still lay on the ground. "You don't fight fair either."

"Aww, Kitten, I'm hurt you feel that way." The German said and bent down to kiss him.

Aya turned his head away from the man and squirmed his way out from under him and into a crouch. They stared at each other for a moment then turned away from each other. Aya got back into the chair and they made there way back to the apartment where Schuldich left him. The redhead watched the German get into his car and drive off. He knew it wouldn't be the last time they did this.

He also knew it was only a matter of time before they had to face the facts.