What you can't see,

Can't hurt you

Chapter 15. waiting

"Kaede…I…" Miriam started, but Kaede cut in with a sigh. Miriam jumped slightly. She thought this moment might come; she thought she was prepared for it…seems she still had a long way to go.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I just thought you need to know," Kaede said, looking away with a small sad smile on her face. "Me and my big mouth." Miriam shook her head.

"No! You did the right thing! You could never do the wrong! I do need to know! Kai has been trying to convince me into telling you how I feel for weeks! I love you too! Don't feel bad!" She said. Kaede looked up in shock. Kai had told her that Miriam liked her back, but Kai said a lot of things.

"R-Really?" Kaede asked. Miriam nodded with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes! So don't worry!" she said. Kaede came forward, crushing their lips together. Miriam was slightly shocked, but soon recovered and responded.

Zzz

"Tala! Stop spying on them!" Zeo hissed quietly. Tala waved a hand slightly then went back to spying. "Tala! It's rude!" He looked away and made a puking face. Ozuma laughed slightly, Zeo just sighed. Shutting the door with a loud 'bang' Tala walked back to the other two. Emily was off doing some important hospital work.

"It's not rude…it's…observational." Ozuma grinned at Tala's reasoning.

"Yea Zeo, we need to know these things." Ozuma agreed making Tala laugh a bit. Zeo just rolled his eyes.

"I'll tell you what you need to know, that you're carrying Kaede out of here. We are being chucked out. Tala and Ozuma stared at me with big eyes.

"What? But Kaede can't walk…can she?" Zeo shook his head at Tala's argument.

"No, she can't that's why you two have to carry her." Tala mumbled something along the lines of 'Zhopa'.

"Yea, yea, so, when are we moving?" Zeo thought for a moment.

"When Miriam and Kaede are finished." Tala stood and shrugged.

"Ok, we'll go now then," He said and walked over to the door. Zeo looked at him sceptically, about to ask what he was doing, until the Russian opened the door. He just swung the door open with a grin on his face and stepped into the room. "Hey, love-birds, hurry up its time to go!" stepping out the room, his grin still in place, he shut the door and walked back over to Ozuma and Zeo. Zeo was staring at him, lost for words, and Ozuma was laughing.

"Man, they'll be mad at you now!" Ozuma said as he calmed down. Zeo scowled at then oldest.

"Tala! What was that for?" Zeo asked, slightly pissed off at the redhead. "There was no need!" Tala nodded.

"I want to leave, I was cooped up in that room ALL night and day yesterday, and now I want to get out. So they need to hurry up," Zeo sighed in defeat just as Kaede and Miriam came out the room, Kaede grinning triumphantly and Miriam slightly flushed and messy. Miriam was holding the limping Kaede "Finished?"

"Yea, want to go?" Tala nodded at Kaede's question. Walking over to the new couple, Ozuma and Tala took Kaede from Miriam. Miriam and Zeo walked behind the three.

"I'm so happy for you!" Zeo said merrily, he wasn't used to all the lovey-dovey stuff, but he did feel happy for the two. Miriam grinned and blushed.

"Yea, I'm happy for me too!" She joked. "But now we have to wait for you and Tala to get together." She said playfully, sighing at the end. Zeo blushed and frowned.

"There's nothing going on!" He said. He wished there was though, as much as he hated to admit it.

"There so is! He likes you back, I know he does even if he doesn't realise it." Zeo looked at the redhead in front.

"He's an idiot though, so he's like that." Tala looked over his shoulder.

"Who are you two talking about?" He asked, Miriam and Zeo grinned simultaneously and Zeo waved off the question slightly.

"No one, don't worry." Tala didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway. Zeo sighed slightly. Miriam nudged him suggestively, but he ignored her.

"I'll tell him if you want?"

"NO!" Everyone turned to look at Zeo and Miriam. Zeo blushed slightly. "Umm…sorry about that." Tala sniggered which made Zeo slightly angry.

"See, you like each other!" Miriam whispered again. Zeo shook his head rapidly.

"No! We always fight like cat and dog."

"But you like it when he teases you." Zeo looked at the back of the Russian's head. True, it was nice, and true, he DID kind of like him.

"I…guess…" Miriam grinned.

"And if it's me teasing you, you just through a fit!"

"Hey!"

"See!" Zeo huffed and looked away.

"Let's drop the subject." Miriam giggled and shrugged. She looked at the redhead, as she wasn't standing behind him, she could see his face. She smiled slyly at the look of concentration on his face.

"What's wrong Tala?" Miriam asked, snapping Ozuma and Kaede out of their conversation. He blushed slightly and shook his head.

"Nothing, don't worry." He said. Zeo came up to his side and looked up at him.

"You sure? I mean, you can always rest if you want! You had a bad fight I bet, maybe Emily was right and you should've stayed in bed-"

"You send me back to bed and I'll kill you!" Tala said warningly.

"Oh yea? Well I'm sorry about caring for your wellbeing!" Miriam sighed and smiled slightly as the fight went on. All they needed was for Zeo to open the door and she'd be happy.

Zzz

Tala sat on the arm chair, staring into deep space, eyes glazed and a coke can in his hand. He was pondering over Zeo and Miriam's conversation. He started listening after he heard the word 'idiot'. He didn't know why, but he wanted to know what they were talking about. However, now that he did, he didn't want to know anymore. He was still thinking his feelings for Zeo over, he couldn't bare it if Miriam did something before he was ready. Sighing, he crushed the can; it was just like Miriam to want to push them along, maybe later, not now. Hearing a door slide open then shut, he glanced slightly to his left, seeing the turquoise beauty that plagued his thoughts walk up to him, concern all over his face.

"Are you ok Tala? You seem kind of…out of it." Tala sighed again, but smile warmly at Zeo, causing the young innocence to smile shyly.

"I'm good, just got a lot of things on my mind…finding Kai being one of them." Don't get him wrong, he hadn't abandoned his ex, he was still thinking of where he would be. Finding Hiro would be nice as well, so he could knock some sense into the coach. He then noticed that Zeo was staring at his hand, which was dripping blood from the tears in the coke can.

"Doesn't it sting?" Zeo asked, prying the deformed can out of his hand. Tala shook his head. "They say that the smallest cuts hurt more, something about surface area, I can't remember that well." Tala laughed a bit.

"Isn't that science?" Zeo nodded and blushed slightly. "Well, you didn't seem like the scientific type to me." Zeo rolled his eyes.

"I'm not; it's about the only thing I was awake for in the lessons." Tala laughed again.

"You, goody-two-shoes, falling asleep in class?"

"I'm not that well behaved you know!" Tala shook his head. Zeo looked back at the hand. "I should go get a cloth."

"It doesn't hurt." Tala said, starting to lick the wound.

"Not for you, for the floor!" Zeo called as he left the room. The redheaded Russian shook his head slightly. That boy was so…Zeo-like. He then thought about how easily the boy surrendered to Brooklyn; what if someone else was to come along and…he shivered at the thought. He couldn't bare loosing Zeo, not now, not ever. It's just he wasn't ready…it was HIM not Zeo. Zeo was perfect, Zeo, as far as anyone had told him, loved him back. It's just whether he would wait. Zeo returned a few minutes later and started to clean his wound.

"Thought it was floor?" Zeo pointed to the place that Tala and Brooklyn fought.

"That's more important that a few drops of blood," Tala smiled. "And anyway, it could get infected." Tala hit his head against the chair.

"Glad one of us remembers that I'm not immortal." Zeo chuckled.

"You're an idiot; you know that…after all, you listened to Miriam and me talking, right?" Tala nodded. He should've known Zeo knew. Tala lifted Zeo's chin to look at him, a fine blush was spread across his cheeks, his eyes glittering with hope.

"Zeo…I'm only telling you this because I'm scared I'll loose you again but…I want you to wait for me." The hope turned to confusion.

"Wait…for you?" Zeo asked, Tala nodded. "I'm not sure I understand."

"I know what you and Miriam were talking about, you like me right?" A small nod. "And I don't want you to give up hope on me and go off, like you did with Brooklyn…but I'm not ready to start a relationship yet…I hope don't mind, you can say no." Zeo took the pale hand in his one tanned ones and kissed it.

"I'll wait as long as you want." Tala smiled slightly and kissed his cheek, every time he was with Zeo alone, the more he wanted to get into him…but he knew that would have to wait. Miriam then walked into the room and the two occupants were suddenly turned away and a meter apart. Miriam grinned.

"Hope I'm not disturbing anything." She said slyly, Zeo blushed and Tala put his arms round his head, going back to being his normal lazy self.

"Yea, and as punishment you have to go get me some tea woman." She snarled.

"What do you mean? You can make tea fine on your own!" She shot back, as they were arguing, Zeo looked at Tala with admiration and love.

'I'll wait as long as I have to Tala…I'll never stop.'

Zzz

Kitta had tended to Hiro's wounds and hurried off every day around the same time. Kai had his eyes closed and he was lying down, oblivious to the room, trying to pick something up from outside. Hiro looked at him, bored out of his wits. Kai sat up, slightly disappointed that the only being he could ever feel near the room was Kitta when he came to bring food and tend to any wounds. Hiro shook his head.

"No one comes here, they know you'll find them, they're not THAT stupid." Kai smirked.

"But they are stupid." Hiro laughed and shook his head. Kai lifted his head and turned towards the door in shook, two familiar auras coming closer. Hiro look puzzled.

"What's wrong? Is Kitta coming?" Kai shook his head.

"Something worse that Kitta…I know these people…they'll be here in about five minutes." Hiro looked towards the door expectantly. Kai lay down, forging sleep, and Hiro followed suit, not facing the door. Sweat dripped from the elder's forehead, patiently awaiting the arrival of the 'mysterious people'. As soon as the door opened, he rolled over, pretending to have just woken up.

"Kitta?" His eyes fluttered open and he gasped in shock at the white and red vision before him. "Brook? Is that you?" he said, blinking to confirm his assumption. Brook smiled that peaceful smile and nodded. Hiro stopped as he realised why the young man was here.

"I came to check up on the phoenix…I want to thank him for being here, his presence is welcomed…isn't it my friend?" He asked the person behind him. A tall man with purple hair and strange glasses came into the room, a cruel grin spread across his face.

"Hello Kai, it's been a while." Said bluenette sprang up and growled, almost as if he was an animal. The man laughed a crude laugh Hiro couldn't stand. Brooklyn turned back to Hiro and smiled.

"This is Boris, Kai's old master." Kai hissed at the word 'master', Hiro looked wide eyed at Kai. "As you can see, Kai needed someone to tame him, old people old memories really." Hiro frowned at Brooklyn, he wasn't anyone special, and he was just dragged into this.

"Why are you doing this Brooklyn?" He asked the redhead laughed, higher than Hiro had ever heard.

"Because I can! You're so naïve, Hiro, you don't think you can do anything, do you?" Hiro shook his head. "Then why get involved?"

"Because I can." Boris walked up to him and kicked him hard in the chin. Hiro cringed as his head hit the floor.

"Be careful of what you can do, sometimes it can kill you." Hiro smiled slightly. He said that to Takao sometimes.

"I know…I'm sorry." Hiro said, bowing his head. He knew that they must be dealing with some powerful people here. Boris ginned sickly again.

"Maybe there's hope for you boy." Boris said, using his foot to lift Hiro's face up, he flinched as he was met with a hard brown stare.

"Do your best, I'm not following you though, we've completely different goals." Kai then lashed at the man, knocking him to the floor. Hiro shook his head.

"Kai, you're stronger than that…don't leave me alone." Kai looked up and reluctantly got off the man and sat by Hiro. Boris got up, strode over to Brooklyn, and slapped him. Brooklyn fell down on the floor, eyes shut tightly from the impact.

"You can sleep here with these fools tonight for your insolence. Control your prisoners better." The man kicked Brooklyn's body so it rolled inside, and then slammed the door shut. Brooklyn sat up, rubbing his cheek, fire in his eyes.

"Hey," Hiro said, getting his attention. "You ok?" Brooklyn looked down shamefully and nodded. Hiro went to touch his arm, only to have the fiery-tempered redhead shake him off.

"Leave me alone Hiro! I used you, don't you get it? I provoked your brother and used you! I even managed to get your brothers 'boy-friend'! Hit me, be mad at me! But don't you DARE pretend to care!" Brooklyn shouted. Kai had calmed down a little and was looking at the red-head sympathetically.

"Don't pretend you care Tala!" screamed a bluenette. The redhead sighed and took the other into a hug. Kai chocked on tears and wriggled pathetically. "You don't know what I've been through!" He whispered angrily.

Pale arms snaked round the white material covering Brooklyn. The Redhead burst out into tears. "Do you even know what it's like?" He half shouted, half whispered.

"I don't Kai, but I'm willing to help you…what you've done is forgivable, but only if you're truly sorry."

"Being born into this? Yes…being abused and drawn by the power…yes." Brooklyn turned in the embrace and flung his arms round Kai's waist. Kai felt his tight shirt go wet quickly, silent tears ran down his cheeks as his head fell back.

Kai banged on Tala's chest angrily. "See…you don't know…I can't be saved anymore…I was born like this…I can't quench the thirst for power and blood."

"How did you do it? Stop the need for the fix?" Kai sighed. What would he say now? Tala was good at this, not him.

"I didn't," Brooklyn looked up at him, eyes wide. Kai nodded. "I still long for the sweet tang of blood in my mouth, but I long for the warm glow of the light more. I asked to be forgiven, for I wanted that more than power," He tilted the soft chin up. "What you've done…what we've done is forgivable Brooklyn, and when you're ready, I'll be waiting for you…we all will, you're welcome to come to us. I know what it's like, that's rare, but I didn't go to the light straight away, I thought I desired the opposite more…but I didn't. Then Tala found me, he welcomed me, he loved me, he did everything for me…it's the same for you, but instead of Tala, it's me. I owe so much to the light, and I'll save people to pay it back. Please Brooklyn, just because we're born into the power, doesn't mean that's where we belong." Brooklyn looked back down and nuzzled Kai's shirt do hard they fell back onto the floor. Hiro smiled at them from the other side of the room. The small white cell was big enough for the three of them.

Zzz

KittY: HA HA! I DID IT! ANOTHER CHAPTER DONE!

-looks down- I know, long wait, but it's here, done finished, after months of writers block I've finished this chapter and MAN was it hard!

I PROMISE you wont have to wait so long for the next one!

Ciao .

Kitty-cat