A World Away

by ripitupgenki

Years after Mu's defeated the courageous seven have settled into their new lives. What happens when Genki hides a deep secret from the rest. How will the others react? How will they deal with his world and his problems when he finally tells them? Warning: Lots of drama and dark themes. Main pairing is GxH & TxGR; there will be HxGR and GxGR as well throughout this story.

8. Amends

AAN: More Holly/Genki interactions this chapter. Hopefully, I can get a good solid resolution started for them going this chapter so we can move on with things. Hope you all enjoyed that 39 page monster last time.

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Amends

The two men walked for a little bit in silence as they made their way out of ear shot. Genki knew this was probably about Suezo's nonsense but he had never been able to figure the older man out completely either. After they arrived near an old tree Yosho turned to him,

"I'm sure you are wondering what this is about."

"I was assuming it had something to do with the accusations Suezo was throwing around." Yosho chuckled as Genki waited for his response,

"Partially, I never believed most of what he was spouting actually. It seemed far-fetched that both Holly and Granity were making visits just to have sex with you. Especially considering how reserved both women are most of the time. Besides, it was obvious that he was being vindictive in his rantings."

"I had heard how bad he got from Holly… I never imagined he would… try to hurt her that way. Especially since he knew I was working on a resolution for them both. Honestly, his accusations made it much harder for everyone involved. Holly does not trust him… and it will take a while for them to rebuild their bond even now. I just hope he learned his lesson." Yosho studied the young man a moment,

"All that over jealousy? Something tells me there was more to it than that." Genki gave the man a look that said, 'what are you really asking'. He sighed,

"Suezo… misunderstood Holly's bond with Granity. I get the impression he doesn't understand women very well, or females in general. Which would explain a lot with him actually." he chuckled and so did Yosho, "He was indeed jealous though. Holly has a very deep bond with Granity, the two understand each other and are able to comfort each other in a way that he couldn't understand. Although primarily, Holly is help Granity with some emotional wounds, it's certainly not one sided from what I can tell." he could see Yosho mulling that over for a moment.

"So, part of her visits are to spend time alone with Granity then?"

"Yes, I told them they could do so if needed. Suezo was constantly interrupting them before, which wasn't helping either of them."

"So was Suezo right about them being intimate?" Genki was mildly surprised at the question,

"I take it Suezo was accusing them of such?" Yosho nodded, "I would say that depends on your definition of intimate. Were they helping each other and having a heart to heart? Yes, they were definitely emotionally intimate in that regard."

"What about physically?" Yosho probed further, his appearance very stern now. Genki's eyebrow rose at this as he chose his words carefully.

"Most people are physical when they comfort another person. Whether that be from soothing touches or an embrace. If you are asking if they had sex, then I cannot answer that. I don't have a habit of interfering or spying when people are talking in private. I have not witnessed anything myself, if Suezo claims he did then the real question is what did he see? He often misinterprets things. Hell, he thought Hare and Tiger were gay because they fight like a married couple. I would warn against taking anything he says at face value." Yosho mulled this over, he could see Genki's point about Suezo being an unreliable source of information. Genki for his part was thinking of what to do now that the topic was open. * Should I probe him back? Worth a try I guess… * "Even if he saw something, he shouldn't have been spinning tales. They are working on healing wounds; he should have stayed out of it regardless of what they might have been doing." Genki could see he caught the older man off guard. Yosho's startled gaze found his, the two stared at each other for a moment before the older man responded.

"Are you saying you wouldn't care if they were…actually having sex?" Genki knew Yosho was starting to get riled up again, he hoped he could bring understanding so that Holly wouldn't have to deal with this. It was a gamble though; the older man had a lot of issues with new things concerning sex and marriage.

"That's exactly what I am say. That is between them, I trust both of them to make the best decisions concerning themselves. If they are comfortable doing that or it helps them in some way, then I don't see an issue as long as they both agree to it."

"You'd be ok with them being perverted!? With them doing something unnatural and forbidden?!" Yosho exploded, Genki didn't flinch back like the others though. He eyed the older man,

"I don't consider choosing to be intimate with another person to be perverted. Were you being perverted when you had sex with your wife? Being intimate is not unnatural or forbidden in anyway." His challenge left Yosho sputtering for cohesive response.

"That's… That was different! We were married. They are both women! It is unnatural!" Yosho's hurried explanation reminded Genki of Thomas, with an internal chuckled he countered back.

"There is no difference Yosho. Consenting adults are free to be intimate with whomever they choose. Being intimate is not the same as being perverted." He kept his voice even and firm showing he would not budge on this topic. * I am really beginning to wonder if he has ever had anyone challenge him like this. * Yosho looked furious but he seemed unsure of what to do about the younger man, he could see Genki's resolve.

"It is different it's out of wedlock!" Genki raised a brow and shook his head,

"Wedlock has nothing to do with it. At one time, the concept of marriage didn't exist and we took mates even then. People created society, society created government, and government created rules and restrictions such as marriage. These things are not set in stone, they can and do change over time as people and the society they make up changes." He paused a moment, "To my knowledge from when I traveled around this world, I never once encountered any societal normal about sex before marriage being taboo, nor have I seen anything that would indicate that homosexuality is forbidden. If it exists, it's on a smaller local scale."

"Just because the big cities are corrupt and perverted doesn't mean this village is." Genki studied him for a moment,

"I do not believe you speak for the entire village. You personally have a problem with sex before marriage and homosexuality yes, but that doesn't mean everyone does. What two people do alone is none of your concern." Genki paused before adding, "are you saying you would disown your daughter if she did make a choice you don't agree with?" Yosho was completely caught off guard, he growled before closing his eyes. Genki waited to see his response, giving the older man the time to come up with one.

"No, I wouldn't disown her…" His voice was soft, he seemed almost sad like he was grieving. His tone confused Genki, but he decided to end the awkward conversation here with his next response.

"Suezo already put her through a lot, do you really want to hurt her more by bringing this up? Does it even matter at this point?" Yosho seemed to calm down, he looked towards the younger man once more. His eyes still holding some anger,

"I suppose not at this point… especially considering the source of said accusations." He relented, they were quiet for a few minutes before he spoke once more, "So… from what you were saying before my daughter was under a lot of stress then?"

"Yes, she definitely was."

"Is that why you wanted to deal with him before you both spoke about possibly being together?" Genki chuckled,

"Partially yes, her stress was pretty high, and she tends to be… emotional when under such stress. But I also had a lot on my mind the past week. With our project done I had to present it to the clients and meet with them about a possible future contract. It's something rather stressful for me as well. I just figured it would be best to wait so we could both approach this without those added stresses." The older man nodded his understanding, he could understand that logic. Not much would get done if they were both stressed out.

"Well I'm glad you solved the issue between them. They were becoming very disruptive… You may be right about him not understanding women very well. They do seem to bond in ways we guys just can't understand." Genki nodded,

"It's my hope that now that this is settled down, Holly and I can work on things together. Granity has been… assisting us both with talking again."

"I heard she chose you as her second trainer." Genki nodded,

"She did yes, our bond is almost complete now. She has some things that are extremely hard for her still… it's my hope that we can work through those issues slowly. Both Holly and I want to see her heal from what she endured before she met us." Yosho again nodded, he sighed a frown appearing on his face.

"I don't remember much as Mu, but I do know she was abused and enslaved by her former… trainer, if you can call him that. So, I imagine that there as some things she does need a man for. She defiantly hated being touched before, but she seems relaxed around you now." Genki looked a bit surprised, he snorted and gave the man a smirk.

"I had always wondered about what you did and didn't have a memory of." Yosho smiled slightly as Genki gave him a nod. "Yes, your assumption is correct. Granity is learning to trust being around a guy physically again. Before it was just an instinctual response for her to push others away. I won't be saying any more than that on that subject." Yosho could see he wasn't going to budge on this topic, making him wonder if he would say anything about other topics. It took Yosho a moment before he asked his next question, he was still trying to get a read on Genki. The young man was proving to be a challenge.

"As far as you and Holly are concerned, do you think that you can actually manage living essentially dual lives?" Genki nodded,

"We can if she is willing to put in the effort. It won't be easy but is can be done. Though we still have a long road ahead before that can happen."

"About your world, can she immigrate? You said we are an unknown world." Genki turned his gaze towards the lake, he could see an undine enjoying herself as she swam through the water. He thought carefully on how to convey what he did have as knowledge.

"That is a complicated task, I can get her though the immigration process. However, there are some pretty big hoops to jump through. One of the biggest things is that Holly will have to agree to pick a country of origin within my world, she will have to stick to that story throughout the process. I know she hates lying, but it is the only choice if this is to work. It won't be entirely legal, but I have some friends that can make it look legal as far as the government is concerned. As long as it looks good on paper and we get it in the system without them detecting it; the government won't know the difference." Yosho looked shocked, he never would have imagined something that elaborate or that it would be technically illegal.

"Isn't that a big risk?! I mean if they find out that you forged documents…" Yosho was getting loud again, Genki cut him off before he could get anymore rile up.

"It is a very big risk, yes. Hence why I said we would have a long road before we can consider anything more. If Holly isn't willing to do that then we will know the answer. The only other option would be for me to live a double life and for us to only marry here. That would make things complicated with my family but if I explain things to them… and prove to them I'm not lying… it's workable." Genki sighed, he knew the risks and was always planning on telling Holly this. When he was younger, he hadn't been aware of everything, but now he understood that she might have been right all along. "Years ago, when we had our fight… I hadn't been aware of all this complex nonsense with the government. I guess I was a bit naïve, thinking things would work out easily for us. However, if she had asked me back then and I realized all this mess would happen. I would have left my own world for good to be with her." Genki waited to see what her father thought of everything now that he knew what would have to happen. Yosho visibly calmed down as he asked,

"You have too many obligations now to just uproot, don't you?"

"Now, yes. I no longer have the option of just up and leaving my world. I'm not as young or stupid as I once was. I know there is a good chance of this not working at all." He turned back to see Yosho staring at him, he seemed to be trying to figure the younger man out. "At this point the only thing I am seeking with Holly is healing. We both need to heal from what happened years ago. As much as I love her, we both need to agree on this fully. Whatever option we choose we will both have to abide by it if we are going to be together. Don't worry, I will explain everything to her beforehand. She will have all the information she needs to make an informed decision." * I hope this will be enough for him… *

"I appreciate you telling me the truth. I never imagined things would be this difficult… or be illegal in your world…I understand now why you are being so careful." He matched Genki's gaze,

"I would never lie about something like this. I have no intention of hurting your daughter." He could see the older man nod his understanding. Yosho hesitated a moment before he asked,

"About Holly… you wouldn't happen to know why she refuses to come to me with problems would you? She seems very reluctant lately to talk to me about anything." Genki raised a brow as he glanced over at the older man. * Was this what he really was after? I need to be careful… *

"I know that she has more than one reason for why she does most things. That has been true ever since I have known her, I don't see that changing now. However, she hasn't mentioned anything directly to me about you. All I could do is speculate as to why she won't' talk to you about certain topics." Yosho noticed how guarded he was, * Is he protecting her or unsure of my probing? It's hard to say. I think he knows more then he's letting on. *

"Then what in your opinion would be her reasoning?" Genki studied him a moment before sighing.

"It's hard to say for sure but my opinion is that she is too afraid to talk to you about some things. I don't know much about what she was taught growing up, but I know she dislikes being… judged harshly for things she feels strongly about." He could tell Yosho was listening, "Considering how you just let loose on me when I brought up a controversial topic, I can see why she wouldn't bother talking to you about such things. Unless she wants the added stress of being yelled at, she would probably avoid such topics around you. It's not like you're constructive in your criticism, you know." Yosho seemed to think this over, finally he sighed heavily.

"So, she thinks I'm too judgmental is that it? That I snap too easily?"

"Perhaps, that is just my opinion of the situation. You would have to ask her to know for sure. What I do know is that having your approval means a lot to her… that much has been true ever since we freed you. It would stand to reason that she would be… hesitant to bring up some topics if she thought you'd disapprove." Yosho looked like he was a bit surprised by what he was hearing, his brow furrowing as he tried to make sense of what Genki was telling him.

"Genki… I understand that when she first freed me, she was desperate for my approval… I must say I didn't think that was still the case." Genki seemed to think over how to respond,

"It's just my speculation, but I think essentially losing both her parents at a young age and then losing her whole village did some damage. She is… overcompensating as a result of that. I'm not even certain if she realizes that she is compensating for it at this point." Yosho seemed unsure of what to make of that, "I have had experience with this before, my cousin has… issues like this. My cousin… well took a destructive path as a result of her issues. I don't believe Holly is on that extreme of a level, but there still could be an issue for her that needs addressing. I will see what I can do as we work through things, I don't know any of this for certain. She is certainly a lot stronger mentally and emotionally than my cousin."

"So… her childhood left scars?"

"Scars that never really healed, I believe so yes. It's been left unaddressed this whole time." Genki sighed, "If I'm honest, I don't believe it was ever the portal she feared."

"What do you mean?"

"Years ago… I think it was the fact that she didn't know if she could get back home for certain that she feared, not the portal itself."

"You mean because of me?"

"Yes, she had only gotten you back… what 4 years before that? I think it was that interfering." As her father thought this over, he felt a deep sense of guilt. * I never should have left her… I never realized what that could do to her… *

"Do you believe she… can heal from this?" Genki nodded,

"Yes, but she is going to need to address it. She essentially has mild PTSD from losing those she cared about most. Hers can be dealt with but only if she is willing to work through it."

"PTSD?"

"It stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it's of type of anxiety actually. Unlike my brothers this one should go away if she addresses the root cause of it. With my brother it's a chemical imbalance in his brain causing the issue. With her it was a traumatic event that left a scar, physically she is fine so she can recover. Psychological events like this can be dealt with over time, though a faint scar may remain the major reactions will fade." Yosho seemed concerned, he hadn't realized how much he had hurt his own daughter.

"What would need to be done to help her?" Genki could see he was ready to do whatever it took.

* That's a good sign, it means he might be able to accept her if she tells him what she is holding back. *

"First, she needs to acknowledge the problem, you can't fix it if you won't admit that it exists in the first place. Next, she's going to need to work through those feelings with someone she trusts. Once she is ready then you can assist her as well. You both need to sit down and work through those unresolved issues and feelings from years ago. One of the key things you are going to need to do is to learn to not be so judgmental in your responses. Judging her for how she feels will cause more harm and push her away from you. I will tell you now, more than likely some of the things you end up discussing will be at the very least uncomfortable for both of you, if not painful. If it's not worked through by both of you, she will never fully recover." Genki sighed, he gave the older man a look that said, 'I shouldn't say this but'. "I can tell you she mentioned an incident that happened in the village as she grew up… it's a very painful… thing that happened to her. I do not believe you were there at the time and Holly didn't feel she could tell anyone about it back when it happened. I will try to get her to talk to you about it… but it might be difficult if she thinks you'll be… disappointed in her over it. You need to reassure her that she can talk to you about anything, that you won't turn on her just because you don't like what you hear. Make sure you keep your anger in check, if she fears speaking to you then she won't do it." Genki could see a change in the older man's eyes, he saw both guilt and remorse. * I hope he will change… I have seen what his words do to her… even when he doesn't realize he is hurting her. * Yosho was silent just thinking things over for a bit, Genki allowed him the time to think. He knew this wasn't going to be easy for either of them, he laughed inwardly realizing he was yet again helping others before addressing his own issues. * It's such a bad habit of mine… but this will cause problems later for us. * Yosho sighed and looked back to the young man before him,

* He does know more but won't say it because she lacks trust in me. I understand now. Perhaps he's right… I'm too harsh in my old age. Holding everyone to such high standards when I myself abandoned my daughter… I'm such a hypocrite. I'm glad he and I had this talk… *

"Genki… thank you for being honest with me. I never realized… that I was hurting her or just how much my leaving years ago hurt her." He closed his eyes, "If you can help her… please do so. I won't interfere… I know you won't take advantage of her. I promise to try to reassure her and to be less judgmental." Genki nodded, he placed a hand on the older man's shoulder making Yosho glance over at him.

"I will do everything I can to help." he paused, "I would like to ask something that might seem a bit odd."

"Go ahead." Yosho looked curious now,

"I'd like to know what is usually taught to young women when they come of age?"

"You mean about sex? Or about becoming a woman?" The confused older man asked,

"Both." Yosho gave him a look of suspicion, then sighed.

"I wasn't there for it but usually they are told about their cycle, what it means, what changes will happen to them, and just the bare basics of sex. Generally, this is done by the girl's mother or another woman. I assume Holly received her knowledge from the elderly lady who acted as her grandmother." Genki nodded his understanding,

"So, it's fairly generic then, just an overview of things? Nothing about anatomy, contraceptives, or safe practices?" Genki probed to get a broader understanding.

"No just a brief overview… though some women may discuss contraceptives it's usually closer to marriage age… nothing else… though I have to ask why you wanted to know."

"Some… issues came up over that. Particularly with Suezo… who assumed humans and pixies were alike. I ended up teaching her and Suezo a bit about human anatomy to resolve things."

"So, he was being a pervert again?" Yosho quirked a brow giving the young man a look of suspicion,

"Unfortunately, yes. He wanted a physical relationship with Holly… more physical then she was willing to allow." The older man just shook his head.

"It figures… he just can't seem to behave. He is always pushing her buttons lately… even chasing off potential suitors." He sighed exasperatedly, then glanced back over Genki, "Can I ask what you were taught?"

"About puberty?"

"Yeah."

"I was taught both sides, male and female in school. It is a class called sexual education. Classes cover everything from anatomy, to the mechanics and psychology of sex, pregnancy and its stages, diseases can be transmitted through sexual acts, as well as contraceptives and safe practices. It takes years to get through all the classes." The older man looked startled,

"I must say I'm not sure what to think of that…" Genki just chuckled, "Your parents didn't teach you?"

"Oh, they taught me some stuff. I had most of my questions answered by my mother, as my father was gone a lot when I was young, but he would go over things with me when he was home." He seemed to mull this over before asking,

"Genki… Holly mentioned what happened to your brother… about his disorders, what he went through recently, and that he was gay."

"I figured she might have after we spoke earlier. What about it?"

"What do your parents think of your brother being gay? Holly claims its normal in your world… but I'd like to hear from you about it." Genki was taken aback a little by the question but soon responded to it.

"Being gay isn't really a big deal in my world, though I wouldn't call it normal. Normal to me would mean that it happens as much or more often than being straight. It's still a minority of people that feel that way so it's not normal per say but it's not an issue either. My parents already suspected he was gay; so, it wasn't a huge surprise. They agree with me that love has no boundaries. If that's how he feels then its best that he is true to himself. Pretending to be something you are not can be unbelievably bad for one's health long term, especially mental health." Genki could see Yosho wasn't sure what to make of that response though he was encouraged by the older man discussing this without getting upset.

"What about the moral ethics of it?"

"My morals are not another's morals. One of the things I learned from studying history is that morals are not something set in stone, they are created by society at large and will change as society changes. Social changes can be good or bad, but the point is that pushing one's beliefs on another is almost never a good thing. There have only been a handful of cases where it proved fruitful to do so."

"What about it being unnatural?"

"Yes, perhaps being gay is unnatural as far as reproduction goes, however animals practice it as well. I have seen many times a male mounting another male and humping them. Usually this is done for assertion of dominance, but it still does happen. Besides if nature has anything to do with it then you don't have to worry about them reproducing now do you?" Genki could see his words hit home, "I will tell you this, nature doesn't determine everything when it comes to humans. If it did then our society would be set up a lot different." He smiled to the older man, "Holly told you about Akame right?"

"That she is with another woman, yes." Yosho frowned trying to follow Genki's train of thought.

"Akame is bisexual, she was dating me before she was with her new partner. She swings both ways as it were."

"Swings both ways?"

"She is attracted to both genders."

"You mean sexually attracted?"

"It's more than just sexual for her, but yes she does feel sexual attraction as well." Genki chuckled, "I know it may be hard for you to understand but for her the attraction to other women is more… emotional than sexual. Even with how emotionally aware I am, she couldn't find what she needed with me. With Mai, her partner, she can. They complement each other extremely well actually. I was surprised at how well they clicked when I first met Mai." Yosho seemed to need a moment before he responded again,

"Can they marry?"

"They legally can yes if they choose to. Akame is a bit… slow about such things. I believe it will be a bit yet before she decides to make it official in that sense." He waited to see the older man's response, though surprised that it was legal Yosho seemed to be really thinking things over.

"Holly seemed to speak highly of Akame when we spoke earlier. Though she was avoiding the topic of her being in such relationship."

"They both seemed to enjoy their chat, even if Akame managed to embarrass her a bit." He chuckled,

"Embarrass her how?"

"Akame… doesn't always filter what she says. So, when Holly tried probing her for information about me, she got more then she bargained for." Genki chuckled, "Akame apparently bragged a little about my prowess in the bedroom. It's not the first time she has done that. I'm used to it but for Holly… well she turned into a tomato."

"So, you two were… intimate out of wedlock?" Yosho snapped, looking both shocked and concerned at this revelation. He hasn't expected this from Genki, he had thought the boy to be relatively wholesome until now.

"Yes, though in my country that's normal. Very few wait till marriage. Sex isn't something that's shamed with us, it's just another natural act. People are encouraged to do things safely if they are going to engage in such acts." He shrugged, "I will be honest, Akame wasn't my only partner, however I do have my standards and rules about that. I won't engage in sex unless I see them as an actual partner that I could marry, and I'm emotionally invested in them. Akame and I were together 3 years, and we certainly didn't start out that intimate." the older man calmed himself then asked,

"Why did you two separate?" his confusion evident.

"Akame could see I wasn't truly happy… she was aware of Holly actually. She was the only one I told about this world who believed me. She has stated many times that she thinks Holly is my soul mate and that I should fight to be with her. It wasn't one sided, I knew that she too was unhappy with how things were going on some level, that I was burden for her. I had noticed her attraction to Mai even before we separated. I was the one who suggested they date, actually. We have remained close friends, but I stepped back and let her find happiness." he closed his eyes, "She wasn't wrong… I never did get over Holly… for some reason I couldn't let her go emotionally… even if I could mentally and physically." The older man could see this was painful for Genki, he hadn't realized how close the pair had been at one time. Shaking himself mentally he decided to extend a comforting hand. Gently he gripped the younger man's shoulder, hoping to bring a little comfort to him. Genki smiled, "Thanks" Yosho nodded, then spoke once more.

"For me… hearing all this is… shocking. I never imagined you would be… doing anything out of wedlock. As you said, your county is different, and I can't judge you based on my own." He paused a moment, "I would, however, like to know if you have any children as a result of your intimacy." Genki shook his head,

"No, I have always been exceedingly careful about that. Both my partners were also very careful as well, as neither of them wanted to become a mother right then." Yosho seemed relieved making Genki chuckle, "If I had a child, I would have married whoever it was with, regardless of my feelings. I would not punish that child for my mistake." He could see the older man understood him, Yosho looked towards the lake then back to him after a moment.

"Genki… you said you were a burden for Akame… what did you mean?" Genki hesitated a moment,

"She felt an obligation to remain with me." he paused thinking of how to talk about this, he could see an intense interest emanating from the older man. He wasn't sure about revealing this to Holly's father this soon. * I hope my words truly go through to him earlier… otherwise this will turn into a mess. * "Akame saved my life actually… I wouldn't be here now if not for her." Genki glanced towards the lake again, "I… haven't felt up to discussing this with the others yet. I didn't think any of you could understand actually considering how different this world is." He sighed heavily, "I didn't escape my families… issue with disorders. Like my brother I have depression and after my fight with Holly… well I gave up on life." he paused once more, "Akame found me; stopped me from taking my own life. She pulled me out of my depression. She knew of my issues and did her best to help me with them, trying the help me heal. But it was a heavy burden for her, and I never wanted her to feel such an obligation. That's why I was more than willing to let her go so she could enjoy life and not feel shackled to someone." the pair were silent for a moment, Genki chanced a glance towards Holly's father. Yosho looked unsure of what to make of this but there was empathy in his eyes. * perhaps he took what I said to heart. * It took Yosho a moment before he responded,

"It's hard for me to believe that you… almost lost to the pain you felt. Especially since you've hidden these issues so well from all of us…" he frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to comprehend what he had just been told. * How was he hiding this for so long… and why? *

"I'm sure it seems unreal to hear of this now… I… have always felt uncertain of talking about these problems with you all. Especially after the way I saw you react to Rick. I felt like… I'd lose everyone I care about if I said anything, so I kept everything inside and tried my best to keep it under wraps." He saw Yosho's gaze change, there was sorrow and guilt there alongside the empathy.

"Do you have anxiety as well, like your brother?"

"Yes, though mine has a much higher threshold before I have an attack. I have a third issue that pops up occasionally as well. I have ways of dealing with them, and medication for when I can't." Yosho met his gaze before asking,

"Does my daughter know?"

"Yes, Holly is very much aware of all three of my disorders. I spoke to her recently about them… I gave her a book to explain what I could not. It was my hope to bring understanding to this foreign concept before we went any further in our discussions." He could see that Yosho had a suspicion confirmed, "In fact, she got to witness an anxiety attack last weekend. Granity is also aware of my problems and she showed Holly how to help me. I could only offer minor instruction; my mind doesn't work well during an attack. I passed out on them after Granity gave me my medicine. Holly tried using her empathic ability to help me and got overwhelmed."

"Holly mentioned her ability… though not by that name. Did she pass out?" Genki nodded, "Stubborn as her mother." He shook his head, Genki smiled hearing him mention Holly's mother. "Will you be telling the others?"

"In time yes, I need to relax for a bit though. Honestly… I think Holly and I need to talk through things before I tell them. Part of how I deal with my stress is to pace things out and handle them one at a time. Having Holly's support while I deal with the others would certainly help me. For that to work… We will have to rebuild some of the trust that we lost." Genki sighed, "I still feel that wound she gave me emotionally, it never healed correctly. When she connected to me, I could sense she was also in pain. We both need to heal; only then can we hope to rebuild things and move on." Yosho nodded, he understood what the young man was saying. Holly had avoided the topic like the plague leaving their fight unresolved. It had left scars on them both, something they would need to slowly find healing from.

"From what you have told me… you need time alone with her to deal with this. I will trust that you two know what you are doing, and I will trust my daughter to make decisions for herself. I only ask that if you two… ever become intimate out of wedlock that you continue to be careful about things." Genki nodded,

"I highly doubt we will be intimate anytime soon. Neither of us are ready for anything like that. But I will be extra careful if we are, she won't get pregnant out of wedlock I assure you." Yosho nodded, he then turned back towards the house.

"Let's head back… you look exhausted." Genki smiled and nodded following him back to the house. As they walked Yosho spoke softly, "Don't worry your secret is safe with me… I won't tell the others about your issues." Genki looked over at the older man in gratitude,

"I appreciate that."

---

As they walked in, they heard Hare exclaim "No way!" making Genki wonder what was going on. He found himself the center of attention what he walked into the kitchen, Yosho was rather confused by what was going on as well but decided to get himself some tea rather then ask. He was used to their antics by now and wanted no part of it.

"Do I want to know why I am being stared at?"

"So, is it true that your city has buildings that reach the clouds?" Hare probed,

"Yes, it's true. They are called skyscrapers; they do sometimes touch the lower clouds in the sky. It depends on the day." Holly made note of his appearance,

"You look exhausted…"

"I am…" He could see the others were worried as well.

"Let's get you home, you need some rest." Granity rose and walked over to him, she placed a hand on his forehead. "you feel a bit warm…" she frowned; she was beginning to worry about him.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." He glanced to the others, "I'll see you guys later OK?" They all nodded,

"Genki needs to get some rest." Golem spoke, his concern etched into his expression.

"I'll walk you back Kid."

"Thanks Tiger." Genki grabbed his messenger bag and headed out with Tiger and Granity in tow. They both walked at a relaxed pace, Tiger leading the way while Granity was at his side. * he really doesn't look good… * Genki looked slightly pale, his exhaustion very apparent as they walked. What she couldn't see was that he was in pain again, his medication having worn off. Genki for his part just wanted to get home and go to sleep, that was his only goal. Once they entered the shrine, Granity activated the portal. She jumped through to help him on the other side, before he jumped though Genki spoke to Tiger.

"If you and Colt want to visit tomorrow night you both can. There is something I want to discuss with you both." Tiger tilted his head in confusion but then nodded.

"I'll have Holly tell you in the morning if we are going to visit." Genki nodded, then jumped through, leaving Tiger to wonder what that was about.

When Genki popped through he managed to land without injury, though Granity had to help him to his feet.

"Come on, I'll help you upstairs. You need rest and perhaps some medication as well."

"My temperature fluctuates when I'm sleep deprived, let me rest. I'll be fine when I wake up." She sighed at his stubbornness as they walked upstairs to his room. He shed his outer clothing quickly and got into bed. Granity noted that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. * He was really sleep deprived and exhausted. It didn't help that the salve Holly made was so painful for him. His ointment doesn't do that… I hope we didn't cause problems by using that salve. I mean… we haven't ever used it on a burn that large before. * She made her way downstairs to let Holly know he was alright before she took a nap herself.

"Hey Holly?" She spoke into the receiver.

"Yes?"

"He's fine, he fell asleep as soon as he laid down. I'll make sure he gets plenty of rest."

"Thanks for letting me know… I'll be over at my normal time."

"Alright, have a good night."

"You as well." Granity turned off the device after snorting to herself. * more like a good day over here… still I need some rest too. * she made her way back upstairs and slipped into bed with Genki, who didn't even notice her.

---

When Genki woke sometime later he felt Granity snuggled up against him. A smiled crept onto his face as he let the feeling of being with her wash over him. He had been alone for so long that having someone at his side made him feel both wanted and loved again. * Looks like I slept most of the day… Holly should be over in a few hours. At least I feel better now, I really just needed some rest after dealing with everything today. * Genki shifted to hold Granity close, he relaxed letting himself enjoy this small bit of intimacy. Soon his mind wandered to Holly, he knew they needed to talk. * This… will likely be my hardest discussion. I should try to talk to her a little soon, even if we wait till my week off for anything… in depth. I know she wants to stay over again; she won't ask as she doesn't want to push me. I should just offer it to her, we will need the time alone with both of us rested anyway. These opposing schedules are really an issue. * he snorted, * Yeah that will be a major issue if we do the duel lives… why is everything also so complex in my life? Not a single thing can ever be easy I swear… It is like the Kami hate me or something… especially since the time difference seems to be getting worse… I don't believe it was like this when I was younger. * He felt his partner stirring, his hand moved to caress her side gently after she stretched. He put his internal musings aside to focus on his companion. Granity smiled to him before leaning up to give him a gentle kiss. She rested her forehead against his after they parted.

"You seem to be feeling better."

"I am, I just needed some rest."

"So, how'd things go with Suezo?" she probed gently as her hand moved to his chest.

"I think we have it solved… Suezo was being very annoying as usually but after we got the anatomy thing settled, he seemed to understand. He also understands Holly much better now… She told him about the woman that abused her. Apparently, she was well known for abusing children, Suezo was livid that Holly had been hurt that way."

"I'm sure, he's always been very protective of her. Realizing she was hurt like that… I can imagine he was upset. So, he understands her wishes then?"

"Yes, he understands now. He apologized to us. Holly surprised me though, she confessed to him that she was bisexual. I wasn't sure she would do it actually." Granity looked completely shocked,

"How'd that go?"

"Very well actually. He accepted her without a fuss."

"I must say I'm surprised…"

"I was as well, but when Holly shot me a look before she confessed; I urged her to try. I could see he no longer wished to hurt her. He had seen the damage he had done already, and hearing that she was holding back her pain… well he wasn't likely to reject her."

"How'd you know he wouldn't though?"

"Intuition I guess." he shrugged, "I can't explain it… I just knew he was ready to accept her." Granity was silent for a moment,

"Is this the same intuition that told you that I was good deep down?"

"Yes. I can't explain everything I feel… I sometimes just… well know things without a real reason."

"Perhaps it's your ability?"

"It's possible..."

"So, what did Yosho want?"

"Many things, he was probing a bit about you and Holly. He was also after information about me and my world. I kept things vague concerning you, I did end up telling him that I believe Holly doesn't like the fact that he is so judgmental. He probed about some of the accusations, which I countered the best I could. I didn't tell him much more than that, though we did discuss a… suspicion I have about why Holly was so afraid of the portal. I got the impression he wasn't happy to learn that I had not be celibate all these years." Granity seemed intrigued,

"I imagine he wasn't happy; he is a big part of why Holly feels she has to be a prude about things. Honestly, she is tired of… suppressing herself at this point. She doesn't want to feel shame anymore." Genki nodded,

"I wondered when she would get to that point. I think I got through to him that he needs to be less judgmental if he wants her to discuss her problems with him."

"You think he will listen?" She raised a brow, Genki chuckled slightly at this.

"I think he will yes… I believe I got him to realize that his … harsh attitude is causing both of them problems."

"We can only hope… she really doesn't trust him right now…"

"Did something happen that I'm unaware of?"

"Yeah… it was a several months ago… Suezo… well was being Suezo… looking through his porn magazines. Mocchi saw them and of course had a slew of new questions. Holly found out and took the magazines; I'm assuming she burned them though I never did ask her what she did with them. Anyway, Mocchi asked a bunch of questions and Holly wasn't entirely sure what he was talking about. She ended up looking at the magazines to figure out what he saw and what he was asking about. Her father saw her, yelled at her for being a pervert before she could explain. They had a big argument before he found out that she was trying to figure out what Mocchi saw. He never apologized he just stormed off after yelling at Suezo." Granity sighed after recounting her tale. "Mocchi is still a little confused I think…"

"I imagine he is…" Genki seemed to be thinking this over. * So my guess was right. That would explain why she won't bring up anything controversial around him. * "Granity… has he shared… well extremely opinionated views on sex or marriage in the past?"

"Yes… all the time… I'm surprised he didn't berate you for having sex out of wedlock."

"He didn't… perhaps because of our prior conversation…" He glanced to her, "Has Holly said anything about distrusting him or being afraid of speaking to him?"

"A few times yes. She doesn't want to lose him… she really wants to make him proud. Though she is tired of lying… she is very afraid he will turn his back on her if she talks to him about such things." She looked confused, "What prior conversation did you have with him?" Genki smiled,

"He asked my opinion on why Holly won't talk to him. I didn't just give him my opinion on that though, I brought up a theory of mine on why Holly feared jumping through the portal so much at the time of our fight. I believe he realized that he needed to stop being so overbearing after I spoke to him about that. I also challenged his beliefs a bit, he seemed to back down after he realized he couldn't intimidate me like he does Holly."

"What theory?" She was curious now; she hadn't realized he had been looking into things with Holly so closely. He sighed,

"I believe Holly has a mild form of PTSD…. Losing both parents when she was young and then her entire village may have caused some damage. That's why even now she is clinging to her father to some degree… Yosho seemed confused by her… need for his approval until I stated my theory. However, as I made it clear to him, I will to you as well; this is just a guess on my part from what I have seen. I won't know if it's really the case until I speak with her more about it." Granity seemed to be thinking things over after he revealed this to her. He let her, his hand resuming its gentle caress of her side. She shifted to lay her head on his shoulder, her hand moving down to his stomach, just gently caressing there.

"You may be right… the signs are there now that I think about it…"

"Keep this between us until I confirm it. I only told her father because I could see he needed a shove. To see that he was hurting his daughter in his own way."

"I understand… so you will be trying to help her work through this as you both deal with things concerning your fight?"

"That was my plan yes." She was silent for a moment before looking up at him.

"Can we talk about your fight?" Her voice was soft and gentle, she knew this would not be easy for him.

"I can try… what did you want to know?"

"Did Holly give you any warning that day or before that something was wrong?" He sighed,

"No… not that I can recall. If there were signs, they were too faint for me to pick up at the time. I had no idea that she was struggling so much with her fear."

"Did she ever mention being afraid of the portal?"

"Yeah… we had discussed that before. She was afraid it wouldn't work for her like it did for me, that she would end up in the wrong location or not be able to come back home. I did what I could to help alleviate those fears, it didn't seem to work though." Granity could hear that he was anxious, his heart rate had picked up the moment she had asked. She carefully massaged his abdomen, waiting for him to relax a little before asking her next question.

"Was the portal what started your fight that day?" Genki seemed to think over this question,

"It wasn't the only thing we discussed that caused the fight, but it was a factor. We had discussed many things that day. Most of the discussion centered around the dual lives we would need to live." He paused a moment before he found his words again, "Holly seemed afraid of… well starting a relationship that might go nowhere. I tried my best to get her to understand that it could work, I would do anything it took to make things work for us. It wasn't enough though, she… was too terrified to try. I could see the fear in her eyes that day, far greater than I would have ever thought it would be. I asked if there was anything I could do to help her, it was then that she lashed out. I realize now that it was her fear that drove this, but it hurt a lot at the time. She told me there was nothing I could do. That she wouldn't date me, wouldn't start something we didn't know we could finish. That it would be unfeasible to even think of pursuing it, we would never get it to work. She told me love was not enough to make it work... that she could never be with me." His voice dropped off, but she heard him anyway. She could hear the heartache and anxiety in his voice, she nuzzled into him hoping to provide some comfort. "Honestly, the look in her eyes was what got me to stop. I have never seen her like that before or since… So, I accepted her decision. She made me promise to never bring it up again, practically begged me. I relented… I couldn't bear to put her through anything else." he closed his eyes trying to calm himself, Granity waited while he tried to relax, she had seen how much he was struggling to talk about this. When he seemed to be in control of himself once more, she asked her next question.

"How did you feel when she told you all this?" It took him a moment to respond, she felt his hand come to rest on her side as he dealt with his anxiety and pain. Trying to put what he had felt that day into words proved challenging to say the least.

"Like a red-hot knife had been stabbed into my heart. I felt… betrayed and used… The pain was overwhelming…" He took a few deep breaths before he spoke once more, "When she begged me not to talk about it again... it felt like everything I had been working towards with her had gone up in smoke… like none of it had ever mattered. Like my love never meant anything…. I did as she asked… not because I wanted to but because I had no choice." As he spoke his voice cracked letting her hear his real pain, what he couldn't hold back any longer. "All I could feel was that mind-numbing pain. By the time I got home… I couldn't stop myself from breaking down. At the time, my parents and brother weren't home… I was alone. I tried to call someone… anyone to help me… I didn't receive a response back. I know now that I wasn't thinking clearly… that I was blinded by my pain." Granity shifted now, pulling him to her. * Genki… you had no one… This falls on all of us… not just Holly. We all bear responsibility for your pain, for not asking what was going on. * She kissed his forehead, her actions helped him continue. With a look of shame, he continued his story, "It was that night that I… gave up… I couldn't deal with the pain and hopelessness I felt… not alone. Apparently Akame realized something was wrong because of the tone of my messages to her that night. She later told me she had a really bad feeling when I didn't respond to her message, she had sent it after I had… made my rather stupid decision. It's a good thing she had a key to my house and raced over that night. She found me before I bled out." Genki shifted slightly to remove his smart watch, after which he let Granity see his wrist. She hadn't noticed the marks until now, she carefully ran her fingers over them as she considered how to word her response.

"Genki… I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me the most… that you felt so much pain and hopelessness and had no one to help you." She saw his eyes widen at her response; he quietly watched her as she touched his scars. "I'm thankful that Akame found you before it was too late. That she could help you when you had no one else." He wasn't sure what to say, he wanted to assure her it wasn't her fault, he wanted to take the blame entirely but deep down he knew the truth. They had let him down when he needed them the most. They hadn't asked what happened… they had taken Holly's side without knowing what was wrong. Granity smiled gently and kissed his scars earning her a soft gasp of surprise. She then shifted to kiss him gently, letting him feel the love she held for him. Genki slowly returned the kiss wanting to feel what she was openly giving him. When they parted, she spoke softly, "I know you are still in pain and you likely still harbor feelings of betrayal. It's only natural after all you have been through to feel that way. It is my hope that you no longer feel alone or that things are hopeless." She rested her cheek against his and waited for him to decide what his next words were. She wasn't blind, she had seen the shame in his eyes as he spoke of his suicide attempt. * Perhaps that's why he never tried again… he felt too much shame from the first time. * For his part Genki was trying to deal with the emotions this conversation had dredged up. It took him a few minutes before he spoke again,

"Granity… I don't blame you or the others for what I went through. I could have said something… could have alerted at least one of you that something was wrong… I didn't. That fault lies with me alone. Yes… I do feel some betrayal, but those feelings have faded over the years. The only thing you or the others ever did wrong was not ask what was going on… I can't bear a grudge over that." He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. "I no longer feel the same hopelessness I once did, though the loneliness persisted until recently. You have helped me greatly by being here for me now. I'm very thankful for the companionship and love you have given me." He felt her smile,

"I'm glad I have helped you and that you feel better." She waited a moment before speaking again, "Do you think you can talk to Holly about this?"

"I can only try… I honestly don't know how that will go. I know she will listen now… that she has been pushing her fear back, especially now that she portal jumps so much. Honestly… I realize now that there were two fears at play that day… her fear of the portal… and the fear of loss. She was afraid to start that relationship, to be vulnerable like that because she couldn't deal with losing it all if something didn't work out. It took me years to understand that… to understand why she had suddenly freaked out on me. It makes sense now that I have knowledge on things like this. I should have seen it years ago, that she had emotional scars that needed tending to. I guess I was blind back then… and Holly wasn't going to tell me herself, assuming she realizes they are there at all."

"I don't think she realizes that she has such… deep scars from what happened. She only realizes that she was hurt." She pulled back to look at him, she could see he was struggling with his emotions. "Holly told me that she blocked out the memory of her sexual abuse… she didn't recall it until after she spoke to me about being called a whore. I think she hasn't worked through everything herself, to remember it all…"

"She probably hasn't… considering her past… I could see her blocking out such abuse. I figured that woman had abused her after she and Suezo spoke. She needs to talk to someone about it… she has to work through it, or it will continue to affect her." He opened his eyes to give Granity a look telling her what he was thinking.

"She barely managed to whisper it to me…"

"Granity… I know it will be hard, but you are the only one that can understand her on this. I can only relate so much… I may have experienced rape in my visions but that is still different than it happening to me. You know what she went through… she needs to come to terms with it. Talking to me would be rougher on her then if you speak to her about it." She met his gaze, holding it for a moment before sighing and nodding.

"I suppose you are right…"

"While you work with her on that I will try to resolve things with her. Once we… get a resolution started I will try to get her to open up about her fear of loss. I won't discuss her abuse with her unless she brings it up on her own. I want her to feel comfortable."

"If you two marry it will come up…"

"Perhaps, but it's my hope that by the time that happens, if it happens, that she can talk about it freely with me." Granity was silent for a bit, he let her think things over as he tried to relax. After a few minutes she spoke softly to him,

"Would you mind if I ask a question about your depression?"

"No, go ahead."

"Have you…been overwhelmed by it since you tried to kill yourself that first time?" She could tell she caught him off guard, he shook his head.

"No… I haven't since then… though I do still have suicidal thoughts from time to time, I haven't tried to go through with it again. Those thoughts only happen when I'm… vastly overwhelmed and alone." Her gaze softened, her hand coming up to his cheek, thumb caressing him.

"I'm glad you have been able to fight them off…" Her words were barely a whisper, but he heard them. She leaned in and kissed him gently, his hand moved to hold her there. This kiss remained gentle, showing him exactly how she felt, something he gratefully accepted. When they parted the pair relaxed together, Granity rested her head on his chest, her hand on his stomach. She knew he would need a little bit before they went downstairs. * He's been through so much… I only hope Holly understands that she must be careful with his heart. * The pair cuddled for a while until Genki felt like moving, he glanced to the clock then smiled.

"Let's head downstairs and get some dinner… Holly will be over in about an hour." She nodded, reluctantly getting up so he could.

---

When Holly arrived the house smelled wonderful, the aroma of their dinner still lingering in the air. Genki had made some beef ramen that night, Granity had enjoyed it immensely and showered him with compliments making him chuckle. Holly noticed that Genki looked a lot better than the prior night, apparently some sleep had been exactly what he needed. She took a seat at the table with Granity as he served some tea for them.

"You look a lot better than you did last night." Holly smiled to him, he returned her smile and nodded.

"I feel a lot better now that I've rested. I hope your night was uneventful after I left." She sipped her tea before nodding.

"It was, thank you again for helping get Suezo under control."

"It was my pleasure." Granity chuckled catching their attention,

"So, I take it he is ok with our relationship now Holly?" Holly smiled,

"Yes… he seems to understand it now. I don't think he will be fussing anymore. Thanks for teaching Genki so much about the bonds, it really came in handy while dealing with him."

"Oh?"

"Suezo wanted a physical relationship with her as you know. I pointed out to him that at one time they did have a physical relationship, it just wasn't sexual in nature." Granity nodded her understanding,

"I'm glad to have been helpful then." Holly glanced over at Genki now,

"What did my father want last night?" He noted she looked a bit anxious,

"Many things actually. He asked a bit more about my world, about the immigration process and what not. He also attempted to probe me a bit about both you and Granity."

"He was worried about Suezo's accusations?"

"Sort of, he wasn't worried about you having sex with me, he found that to be farfetched considering how we are right now. However, he was probing heavily about those accusations about you and Granity being intimate. I kept things as vague as I could without tipping him off that I was avoiding his questions." He saw her look to her tea now,

"Was he upset?" Genki nodded,

"Yes, though he was unsure of what to make of my responses. I did throw a bunch of doubt on it by pointing out that Suezo is an unreliable source of information. I also challenged his beliefs a bit, he was very angry with me but eventually backed down when he realized I would not budge."

"He can get pretty irate when he's angry…"

"I don't fear him Holly. He knows that now, he tried to intimidate me and failed." He snorted, "I faced Mu for Kami's sake, he's a joke in comparison to that." Granity chuckled at his comment making Holly smile slightly. Genki made a good point, he was just a man now. * At least father can't bully him… *

"So, he respects you?" Genki nodded, "What else was he asking about?"

"He wanted to know why you wouldn't talk to him about anything. I told him I could only give him my opinion, that I did not have a real answer for that." Holly sighed and glanced back to him,

"Did he ask your opinion?" He nodded, "What did you tell him?"

"That from my perspective that he is too judgmental. If he wants you to discuss things with him, then he needs to listen and be constructive in his responses." He saw her close her eyes as she thought things over, she sighed then looked back over at him.

"Well you're not far off on my reasons… I was afraid he would probe you about me."

"I know you have more than one reason Holly, his attitude is only one reason I'm sure. I wasn't going to speculate any further than then obvious reason." He chuckled; she glanced his way with a raised brow.

"Anything else come up?"

"A minor discussion about our fight. He was defiantly probing about that. He also asked more about my relationships. He seemed especially interested in my reasons for breaking up with Akame." She looked slightly annoyed,

"He is always probing… he means well but…"

"His attitude needs adjusting I know. He wasn't happy to learn I have not been celibate."

"He's very much against that kind of behavior… did he berate you?"

"Nope." He smiled as she looked startled. "I think I got through to him about being judgmental." She gave him a look that told him she was very suspicious.

"He never listens to anyone…"

"Perhaps they didn't give him a good enough reason to listen." He saw her brow furrow as she tried to figure out what he was talking about. "I will tell you later if you like. For now, I wanted to discuss something else." He made sure she was listening then continued, "I'm not sure if it's possible but during my week off I'd like you to stay over here. The time difference is going to make discussions hard so I figured you staying over would make things easier. I believe we will both need to be rested for what's ahead." Holly looked thoughtful a moment then nodded,

"I believe that we can arrange for that. We definitely need to be rested for this, yes. It won't go well otherwise." She paused a moment, "Will I need to bring anything?"

"Other than a change of clothes? No, I should have everything else you'll need." Granity chuckled

making him glance over at her in inquiry.

"Are you sure you have everything?" She smirked at him, Holly looked confused a moment before suddenly becoming beet red before exclaiming,

"Granity!"

"What it is a…"

"Shhhh! That's not something we should be discussing." Genki watched the exchange with confusion. * What on earth are they talking about…. what else could she possibly need… OH! Wow I never realized that was also a touchy subject. Though I suppose it makes sense. * He chuckled at their interaction causing the girls to glance his way once more.

"Yes, Granity I do have everything. Akame failed to pick up some of her… extra supplies awhile back. So, I do still have some around the house, just have to locate them." He shrugged, then smiled to Granity who suddenly burst out laughing.

"My you are well prepared if you have those." Holly was entirely red and thoroughly mortified by this discussion now that he was involved. He chuckled then gently touched her shoulder, rubbing it soothingly.

"Holly it's alright, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just a natural part of life." It took a moment before Holly relaxed, she glanced over at him still red faced but curious.

"I didn't think you knew…" She trailed off, unsure of how she wanted to phrase it.

"About the monthly cycle?" He finished, she nodded. "I know about that and a lot of other things Holly. Education is a lot different here. We are taught both sides, male and female." He saw her expression change once more. She seemed confused by his statement, her embarrassment wearing off a bit as she became more curious.

"Do you know about pregnancy as well then?"

"Yes, how it happens and all its stages. Even know some of the problems that can occur and why they happen." She seemed very interested,

"I've never met a man other than a doctor who knew much about that kind of thing. Though I suppose I know very little about your education, other than that it was far more extensive then my own." He smiled gently,

"You could always ask you know. I don't mind discussing it." He saw her nod and return his smile. "Holly there is nothing you cannot ask me, alright? I understand a lot more then you think I do, and even if I don't have direct knowledge, I can usually figure things out." She nodded though she did blush slightly making him wonder what she was thinking. It took her a moment before she spoke again,

"I'm not sure how extensive your knowledge is but there have been times that I've been overwhelmed while trying to preform my duties as a midwife…" He looked intrigued,

"Overwhelmed how Holly?"

"Well… as you know the doctor doesn't stay with us. He only visits once a month unless he is summoned to the village."

"Yes, I believe you mentioned that before when one of the men had a broken leg."

"There have been times that I have had to assist with deliveries that didn't go well…"

"Were they premature or something?"

"Sometimes yes… some were in breech… not all of those ended well…" she sighed, "others… well I'm not sure what happened… but they were bad." Genki reached over and took her hand gently, hoping to sooth her.

"You want more knowledge so things might go better next time, is that it?" she nodded,

"I would like to learn more yes." She could see him thinking, he then smiled.

"I don't have a ton of direct knowledge about deliveries, for obvious reasons, though I do know some things. However, I can definitely get you some learning material."

"You know where to look then?" Granity probed now, curious about how he gathers information. Genki nodded,

"Yeah, I know how to get ahold of information like that."

"How do you get ahold of everything?" He seemed to thing over how to convey his method,

"You remember the computer you saw me using before?"

"The one you looked up the crop information on?" Holly asked,

"Yes, what I was using was a search engine. Basically, a search engine will search then entire online network archive for information related to the topic you ask it about. The online network is quite extensive and contains information for all over the world. I can usually find anything I want to know and if there is a hard copy, I can often buy it that way as well."

"I'm assume they mail it to you?" Granity inquired,

"Yes." He could see she understood to some degree. "Here let me show you how it works." He brought his phone over.

"So that can search this network too?"

"Yeah, though small it is still a computer and it can connect to the network." He smiled as the girls nodded. "I'm going to use its voice feature since the screen is so small."

"Voice feature?"

"Yes, I can talk to it and it will answer back with the correct information."

"So, it understands speech?" Holly was extremely confused and skeptical,

"Yes, though there are times that it will miss hear something. It depends on noise levels in the room and if you are speaking clearly. Proper names often give it issues as well." He smiled, "Ok Google" He saw the listening feature pop up "Where is the San Andres fault located?" He saw it go to its searching mode; the two ladies watched it as well. The screen changed to show a picture of California as it responded to the question in a woman's voice. "Gulf of California. Here is a summary from Britannica. San Andreas Fault, major fracture of the Earth's crust in extreme western North America. The fault trends northwest ward for more than 800 miles from the northern end of the Gulf of California through western California, U.S." After it finished, he saw Holly and Granity exchange a look of awe.

"Does it always tell you the answer?"

"If it can find one yes." Granity shook her head,

"Some of the technology you use is just amazing." He chuckled,

"Genki will it respond to me?" Holly asked, he smiled and nodded.

"Yes, just be clear when you speak to it. You heard the phrase I used to activate it?"

"Yes."

"You have to say that first, it tells it you are talking to it. It will ignore you otherwise." She nodded,

"Ok, Google." She waited for the screen to come up, "What causes a breech birth?" The screen soon changed as is began searching. Soon they heard it answer her question, "Volume of amniotic fluid. Here is a summary from What to Expect. Too little or too much amniotic fluid can also cause a baby to be in breech position. Not having enough fluid makes it difficult for the baby to "swim" around, while having too much means she has too much space and can flip between breech and a head-down position right up to delivery." Holly looked thoughtful after it stated this, Genki smiled as she seemed to be considering the information. He knew that she would definitely want to learn how to use such resources in the future based on her devotion to her village.

"I'm going to assume this amniotic fluid is the water around the baby?" Granity asked him, he nodded. He saw Holly glance his way,

"Yes, it's not just water though. After we discovered that we gave it another name. There are a lot of other components to it, though it is mostly water." Holly seemed deep in thought for a bit, then spoke up.

"Genki would you be willing to teach me how to use these resources?" He nodded,

"Sure, I will still get you some reference books too though." She smiled to him,

"Thank you. This means a lot." He smiled,

"Not a problem Holly." Granity spoke up now,

"Holly did you get the rest of the list put together?" she nodded,

"Yes, I think we have everything now." She looked in her bag a moment before pulling out the list in question. Handing it over to Genki who looked it over,

"We tried to break it down into categories to make it easier for you. That's everything the village would need for the winter." He nodded,

"This looks great, easy to follow. Shouldn't take me long to find everything this way. The herbs will take the longest I believe but the rest is simple." He noticed a few unique items on the list, he didn't recognize them at first. Holly noticed his expression,

"Something confusing you?"

"Slightly, what are these for?" He showed her what he was looking at.

"Those are for births; we have two ladies due over the winter." He nodded his understanding. He made a note next to those so he wouldn't forget then put the list aside.

"I'll work on this over the next week, once I find everything, I will get it ordered. Then we'll have to figure out how to get it through the portal." He saw the ladies exchange a glance,

"Can you toss it through?" Granity asked, he seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"In theory yes… as long as it's not breakable. Though we might want a pad or something anyway just to make sure nothing gets damaged. I could construct a rudimentary cradle for some of the breakable items to absorb impact."

"Would that work though?" Granity seemed unsure if such a thing could be made.

"It should yes, I did an egg drop project in school years ago. The idea was to make a cradle to keep an egg from breaking after being dropped off a two-story building. Mine survived just fine, and this should have less impact then what a drop of that distance would have." He shrugged, as Granity raised a brow.

"I guess you would be the expert then." Holly touched his arm gaining his attention,

"Would you mind if we spoke about us for a moment? I'd like to know how you'd like to approach this and how much you can handle at once." Genki was caught off guard by her question, he closed his eyes a moment thinking over what she had asked.

"I don't mind discussing it, I knew it'd come up." He seemed to mull over his words for a moment more, "I'm still close to my edge stress wise so I can't do too much right now. However, we can lay out some plans if you like including how we are going to proceed. That shouldn't cause an issue… planning this out might help us both." Granity chuckled then stood up from her chair.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit. I have a book I want to get back to anyway." She excused herself making Holly raise a brow.

"Since when does she read this much?"

"Since coming here apparently…" He shrugged, before returning his attention to Holly. "Let's go to the living room." She nodded and they both moved to sit on the couch.

---

She knew he wasn't sure of things yet but the fact that he was willing to try gave her hope. * Maybe if we can get a plan worked out and some understanding between us… next week might just go much easier for us. Still what did he mean by 'giving my father a good enough reason to listen'? I guess I will have to wait for him to explain. * Genki surprised her by placing an arm around her shoulders, something he hadn't done in a long time. She glanced over at him, looking into his eyes to find him looking concerned.

"Holly… I know you are worried about what I said to your father. You know I would never tell him something you didn't want him to know." An eyebrow rose as he spoke,

"I wasn't aware I was that easy to read…"

"When it comes to certain topics you are." He heard her sigh,

"I know you won't tell him my secrets Genki… I just worry that he will… start probing more now that you gave him your opinion is all."

"Holly… I'm not stupid I know you are more concerned about how I got him to stop being so judgmental. Why he didn't berate me the way he would normally." She sighed then nodded,

"I am wondering about that yes…"

"I made him face that fact that his morals, his views of the world are not the end all be all. That he is not the one that speaks for everyone else. He tried pushing back on me but found that he was losing that fight since he had no concrete reason for anything he said. I even confronted him directly, asking if he would turn his back on you if he disapproved of something you did. He told me he would not, that he would never disown you or turn his back on you. I then told him that what Suezo said doesn't matter then, as it changes nothing. He seemed to let go of it after he realized that I was right. I also made it clear to him that as combative as he is, that I did not think you would ever ask him for advice. I know I certainly wouldn't want that hassle." Holly was quiet a moment, she leaned against him seeking comfort which he gave openly.

"I know you are tying to help… I'm not sure he will listen though. He might be more apt to monitor me now…"

"I don't think he will Holly… my intuition tells me he is ready to listen." She looked over at him, she knew his intuition was a strong as her own. "Trust me Holly. This will work out for the best." She sighed as she weighed things in her mind a moment. He waited to see what she would do,

"Did you two speak of something else?" She had picked up on the fact that he wasn't telling her everything yet.

"We did, we spoke about your fear of the portal and what I really think happened that day. I will be discussing it with you when you are ready to talk about it." Holly gave him a confused glance,

"What are you talking about? My fear was pretty straight forward… what else could there be to it?" He took a moment to find his words,

"Back during our fight… your fear wasn't of the portal at all. That fear was of something different, though it appeared to be of the portal at the time." Holly shook her head,

"I think I know what I am and am not afraid of Genki."

"Do you?" he gave her a quizzical look, "then answer me this, what truly drove your fear of not wanting to start a relationship that day? The portal could have been removed from the equation entirely, I even offered to do so. Yet it made no difference in your answer, which indicates that it alone was not what you feared that day." Holly's eyes widened in shock at his words, she wanted to deny it but as she thought back, she realized he was right. She distinctly remembered him offering to leave his world to be with her, removing the portal from the discussion. * Why did I say no? I know I was afraid and being illogical back then but still… with the portal gone why did I still fear it so much? What was it that I was afraid of? * a deep sense of confusion and then guilt washed over her, * I put him through so much and my reason wasn't even clear… now I understand why he left, why he avoided me and no longer wanted to talk to me about this. *

"I… I'm not sure what I was afraid of…" her soft voice came at length, Genki gently smiled to her. She looked over at him, confusion in her eyes.

"I have a guess based on what I have seen."

"Which is?"

"You were afraid of losing me if that relationship failed. Afraid to be vulnerable like that again." He spoke softly, he saw her close her eyes as she thought this over. He let her think as he held her, he knew it was possible he was wrong about this. Only she would know for sure, but she needed to look at it from a new perspective to really find the answer. * I can only help her so much right now. *

"You may be right… I was afraid of… getting hurt if our relationship were to fail. I felt so close to you back then that it frightened me… the last time I was that close to someone…"

"You lost them, didn't you?" she nodded,

"Yes…" He gave her a gentle squeeze moving to rest his head against hers,

"I understand." She let him be affectionate as she dealt with her emotions, "Are you willing to work through those feelings? If you don't tackle that fear at it's root cause you won't be able to move on."

"Yes… though… I'm not really sure how to deal with this."

"I can help you if you like."

"I would like that." She paused before asking, "Did you tell my father about this?"

"Sort of. I told him my theory which centered around what you had gone through when you were young. I basically alerted him to the fact that he had already hurt you back then and that he should stop doing so now if he ever wanted you to confide in him."

"You mean about him leaving me?"

"Him leaving, the loss of both your mother and later village. It did affect you whether you realize it or not. You have some unhealed wounds and scars from what happened, things have never been resolved between the two of you. He never told you why he left you behind did he?"

"No… he refuses to talk about it… or my mother."

"Hence the unhealed wounds." He felt her shaking slightly, he held her close as she processed everything. After a bit she calmed, "I will help you through this I promise. In return I will open back up Holly. This won't be easy for either of us, but I know we can do it." He could see she had been caught off guard.

"Genki… you don't have to force yourself to open up for me. I know you're afraid…"

"I will not let fear control me Holly. I want to resolve this; I don't like this hanging over us like this. We need to work through this together, we both need closure." She smiled softly then rested her head against his again, taking his hand and interlacing their fingers. Her actions surprised him, * She hasn't been this openly affection with me since our fight… * He held her gently just relaxing with her.

"Genki will you let me connect with you?" her voice came to his ears as a whisper, he replied in kind though he was uncertain of her intentions. * Her power is unique… I'm not sure we should rely on it too much. *

"Yes, I will." Holly smiled before placing her other hand on his chest. He felt her form the connection, soon he felt her emotions. She showed him her love, what she had always felt for him yet never expressed. He was a bit more reserved when she connected, she felt his uncertainty, his fear of being vulnerable. Yet she also felt his resolve to push forward, his love for her helping him combat his fears. "Have you always felt this way Holly?"

"Yes… at one time I tried to change it, to make it platonic; but it has always been this strong for you." He smiled, she felt him become more forth coming with his own love for her. Though he remained guarded on his other emotions. She knew it'd be awhile before he opened up entirely to her.

"Holly… once you realized that you had made a mistake, why didn't you try to talk to me? It's obvious to me that you hurt yourself that day, you were in pain. Why didn't you say anything?" He heard her sigh and felt a shift in her emotions, he felt shame and guilt emanating from her.

"Pride I guess… that and I really didn't know how to… talk to you about it. I could see how much I hurt you after the fact. The fact that you were avoiding me and the pain in your eyes… I guess it made me feel that nothing I could say would make a difference. I know I messed up, I should have confided in you that day, let you help me. Honestly, looking back on it now… it feels surreal… like it wasn't me saying those things to you. It's something I have never felt before or since..." She tailed off as he began to think things over, * Like it wasn't her? Strange even those having panic attacks know its panic or fear driving their actions… hmm. *

"Holly… can you remember exactly how you felt that day?"

"Yeah… why?" her voice filled with confusion.

"Can you show it to me?" It took her a moment to respond,

"I can try… I've never done that before… I'm not sure why you are asking this…"

"I promise I will explain after we finish, please I need to feel what you felt that day." He felt her hesitation, "Trust me Holly…" He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She relented, focusing on her memory she began to project her feelings from that day into him. Genki closed his eyes to focus on what she was doing. It was then he felt it, * Damn it… I never realized… I'm so stupid. I should have known something else was wrong that day… this explains a lot. No wonder she couldn't fight her fears that day. * He frowned as he realized the truth. "Thank you, Holly, I understand things much better now…" Holly stopped her projection feeling very tired, she rested against him as she recovered. Exerting her will over her power was an exhausting task, though she was getting better at using it. After a few minutes she looked over at him,

"What were you looking for?" She was more than a little curious about his reasons. She had never let someone feel her emotions from a memory like that, this was far more intimate then she had been with anyone else.

"I was searching for an influence, what you said made me wonder if there was something else at play that day." He smiled gently to her,

"You found something, didn't you?" Her expression worried as she waited for his answer.

"Unfortunately, yes. In the background I could feel a dark influence. You probably wouldn't have noticed it at the time due to your fear and the minor panic attack you were having." Her eyes widened,

"Wait… Panic attack?! But I don't…" He pulled her close,

"Holly relax please. I will explain." After a moment she relaxed in his hold, once he felt this, he spoke again. "I believe the dark influence I felt was the Evil Soul of Mu, it was using your fear against you. As a result, it triggered a panic attack while we were talking. It used that to drive a wedge between us. That's why it didn't feel like you were saying those words, it wasn't you at all." He felt her tense as he spoke, for his part he just held her close, trying to sooth her with his actions. Holly couldn't believe what he had just told her, she closed her eyes and focused on that memory again. Now that she was looking for it, she too could see and feel that dark entity at work. It was incredibly subtle, making it seem like it was her fear driving her actions that day. A few tears fell from her eyes and she dealt with this revelation. A sense of both relief and violation filled her, she leaned against Genki needing to be held. Genki pulled her into an embrace, giving her the security she needed right now. * I don't understand… why did it wait four years before attacking? How did I not sense it before… that something was wrong with me? It was trying to stop us both from ever being able to fight it. * she shivered and grit her teeth; a soft gasp came from her as Genki kissed her forehead. * He's not done that since… before our fight… *

"Holly, it's alright."

"No… I should have felt it before…"

"It was hiding Holly; it knows you would face it head on, if you knew it was there." She was silent a moment before she let a few more tears fall. Genki frowned seeing her so distraught, * Holly don't let this eat away at you. It wasn't your fault… *

"Genki… I feel so… violated. The thought of it being inside me… using me to hurt you. It sickens me!" Genki pulled back slightly, his hand coming to her cheek to wipe away her tears. Holly looked startled by the small act; she saw him smile softly.

"I'm sure it's upsetting to know it manipulated you. I understand, I would feel the same way." His thumb caressed her cheek softly, "Don't let this get to you though. It wants you to feel pain, to feel all those negative emotions. It feeds off them, and it's been using us both."

"Genki… it never got ahold of you…"

"True, but it wanted me out of the way. It knew of my condition I think, even before I did. It wanted me dead, so it used all of it's power to make that happen." Her eyes widened at this, "It was manipulating us both Holly, feeding off our pain and ensuring we wouldn't be able to stop it again." It took a bit before Holly could speak again; she had a lot on her mind now. Stopping her stream of thoughts, she focused on one thing, the evil soul was still around, and it wanted them gone.

"It wants revenge…" Her eyes found his, he nodded.

"Yes." He saw many emotions pass through her eyes; concern seemed to be the one that stayed the longest.

"We need to tell the others…"

"I would say we defiantly need to sit down and explain it to them, yes. I can drop by tomorrow morning to help with that." She nodded, leaning against him once more.

"I do feel better knowing that I wasn't trying to hurt you but still… the act was done by me." Her brow furrowed,

"Holly, I can't and won't blame you for that. This makes things easier for us both, I think we will be able to regain the trust we lost faster now that we know it wasn't all about your fear." She glanced to him,

"I can see that being true but aren't you still afraid."

"I am yes…" he closed his eyes, "that doesn't mean I won't push forward though." She gently took his hand again and interlaced their fingers.

"I'm just worried you will hurt yourself more by pushing things." He met her gaze before shaking his head,

"I will be fine Holly; I know what I can handle." Holly waited a few minutes before asking her question form earlier.

"How do you want to proceed then?" He took a moment to answer as he thought over what they should do. * She's defiantly very worried about hurting me again. I will need to reassure her as we progress. I would like her to let go of her guilt, it won't be productive to hold onto it. *

"I think the first thing we should do is discuss our fight directly. We can tackle our pain after we get our original fight resolved." Holly considered his words,

"That sounds reasonable, it's a logical start anyway." He rested his head against hers,

"Holly I want you to know, my love for you has never changed and it never will. Just know I am here for you; you don't have to hold anything back. I'm not going anywhere." Her gasped told him he'd caught her off guard,

"Genki I know you won't abandon me…"

"Do you?" his voice gentle, "We both know the truth, your fear that day was of losing me, of being abandoned again. Just like you were when you were young." He felt her tense slightly, "That's what the Evil Soul used to trigger your panic attack."

"Wouldn't… I need anxiety to have a panic attack?"

"No, anyone can have one if they a push too far mentally and emotionally." She frowned, as she thought about it, she realized his attack was different and much stronger than her own. Though it was years ago, the memory of those feelings had stayed with her. "At first, I thought you might have a mild case of PTSD, now I'm not so sure. Since Mu was involved in amplifying your fears it's hard to tell how much of it was him." She pulled back to meet his gaze, searching it after he'd said that.

"You think I have PTSD? From what?"

"You remember what the acronym stands for right?" She nodded and he continued, "I believe it's from losing your parents and village. Though perhaps some of it is from what Laura did as well. It seems to be very mild if it is there, only an extremely emotional thing would be able to trigger it, even then it would have to involve the topic in question. I could be wrong, it's just a hunch on my part. If you are willing, we can explore that and see if you indeed have it." Holly closed her eyes trying to deal with a sudden flood of emotion. Without asking she placed her hand on his chest and projected into him. What he felt cause his own heart to race. "is it the thought of having a disorder causing that?" * This is bad… *

"Yes…" she was breathing hard, her hands shaking.

"Find the root Holly, what is it stemming from?" she hesitated, soon she felt him projecting back. He was trying to calm her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his head against hers once more. "Focus, track it back Holly. I know you can do this, search for the strongest feeling." Holly did as he asked, slowly working her way through the jumbled mess of emotions. It took some time, but she found it, buried under everything else was the strongest emotion.

"Genki… I think I found it…. You were right." She let him feel it, then dropped her connection. Panting she leaned against him heavily, letting him hold her close. * So, it was the fear of loss… of being abandoned. That was not just Mu… no this is a case of PTSD. * before he could say anything Holly whispered,

"I do have PTSD… you were right… I'm afraid to lose those I love… to be abandoned for being different or for making hard choices." Genki recognized that she had accepted that something was wrong,

"Holly, the thought that triggered that was of your father wasn't it?" she nodded, "Will you let me help you heal?" After a moment she replied,

"Yes… can I heal from this though?"

"You can yes. But you will need to work through those feelings from year ago."

"I have to talk to my father, don't I?" her voice quivered as she asked, he frowned.

"Eventually yes. It's the only way to for you to fully heal from this. For now, just working through those feelings will help. We can take this slow Holly, there's no rush. Now that we know what the problem is it will make things easier. Just relax, everything will be alright." He gave into an impulse; gently he nuzzled his head against hers. His reactions told her that he would stand by her, this in turn helped her calm down. After he was sure she was alright he pulled back to meet her gaze. He could see she was still stressed but had calmed some, he smiled to her softly as his hand came up to brush her cheek. "I think we should start on rebuilding things between us, then when you feel comfortable, we can go through things concerning your past. You don't have to push yourself; this is a lot for both of us to tackle. I will tell you when I need a break, I expect you to do that same." Her eyes searched him a moment before she smiled,

"Alright, we will plan on that… I promise to tell you if I need a break." She paused, "Genki… thank you for being here. I've really missed being able to confide in you."

"Your very welcome Holly, I missed this too." He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers. Holly closed her eyes as she relaxed with him. * I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me… * She shifted slightly, her hand moving to his face tracing his jaw and cheek. She heard him sigh under her touch, they stayed like this for a bit before she pulled back. Looking into his confused eyes she smiled. Giving into an impulse and a deep-seated need, she leaned forward and let their lips meet. Genki's eyes widened as she did so, he was frozen for a moment before he relaxed and returned the kiss. His hand moving to her jaw. The pair kissed for a few minutes, keeping things gentle and loving. When they parted Genki rested his forehead against hers once more, his thumb tracing over her cheek softly. It took him a few minutes to find the words to speak, * I never thought she would do that… we never even kissed back before our fight. She never seemed to want it. * "Holly… have you been holding your feelings back all this time?"

"Yes… I wasn't sure of things before. That's why we never… kissed back then." Her voice just a whisper, he shifted to gaze to her eyes again.

"You don't have hold back; I want you to express yourself. I'm not going anywhere; I would never leave you." Her eyes told him that his words meant a lot to her.

"Thank you… I promise to show you how I feel from now on." He smiled, he leaned back against the couch and coaxed her to rest in his arms. She obeyed gladly, resting her head on his shoulder as he held her.

"We will wait to tell the others about your issues until later, if you feel like telling them at all. I only plan on telling them about Mu's influence. The rest isn't something they need to know." Her felt her nod,

"What about my father?"

"We will talk to him later. For now, we need to rebuild things between us, only then can we truly help each other. Let's stick to our plan and focus on our fight, then move on to how we both felt afterwards."

"Can you talk about it Genki?"

"I managed to have a conversation with Granity this morning… though it was stressful and hard for me I still managed it. I can with you as well, though I may need your help to get through it."

"I will do everything I can Genki. You aren't alone in this… I won't run from this anymore. I want to try again, to be together with you." Genki felt his heart swell with happiness at her words,

"Then we will try again Holly. This time we will fight for our happiness."

---

They were silent for a while just relaxing with each other. Finally, Holly decided to converse again,

"We really should get to know each other again… it's been so long." He chuckled,

"You are right. Anything you want to talk about or know?"

"You never did tell me what other reasons you had for remaining single." He raised a brow, * She's persistent I'll give her that. * he remembered that conversation from a few weeks ago.

"I suppose I can answer that." He paused as the thought of how to convey his feelings on the matter. "I already told you about the looks part, but it goes beyond merely hitting on me because I look good. I have had far too many lust after me; I hate it when women throw themselves at me just for sex. I'm not interested in superficial relationships or a friend with benefits arrangement. Crass behavior like that is a huge turn off for me." He could tell she was listening by her posture, "Another reason is money. I tend to hide my wealth because there are a lot of women here only interested in money. Trying the get me to buy them things or whatever. They don't actually care about me."

"I can see both of those things being a turn off for you. You have never been vain, superficial, or greedy. All of those tend to bring the worst out in people." She spoke softly as she listened,

"My final reason is a bit more complex… I have had those that want a 'pet project' as it were… wanting to 'fix me' as they see my disorders as something that can be 'repaired'. They are often arrogant and prideful even if they appear to be sweet at first. Disorders cannot be 'repaired' or 'fixed' the way some people think they can. It's not like a hole in a wall or a broken beam that can just be repaired." Holly nodded; she took his hand as she decided her next words.

"I understand that would be upsetting for you. I admit I don't know as much as I would like to about your disorders, but I have never thought they could just be repaired. I find that thought to be both foolish and insulting. People are never a repair project under any circumstance." She paused a moment, "All of your reasons seem to be very good, and sound advice for anyone dating." She waited a moment before she spoke again, "Would you like to hear about my experiences?" He glanced over to find her looking attentive. He nodded,

"I would if you are willing to share."

"I only seriously dated a couple of guys, like you I have issues with those lusting after me for my looks. I have never liked that type of man and I refuse to be just another notch in some guys belt." She felt Genki lean into her showing his interest. "I wasn't with either of them long term. The first one… well he acted like a gentleman for a while, but he really wasn't. He was deceptive and I left him as soon as he revealed his true colors. The second one was more promising; he at least wasn't trying to deceive me. Though he did take issue with my… concern of how my father would react to him and my lack of… desire to engage in more intimate activities. Mind you I had told him upfront that I wasn't going to sleep with him until I felt we would remain together." Genki noted her phrasing there * Hmm… so she was willing to have sex before marriage if she found someone willing to stay by her side. So, she doesn't have the same views as her father… *

"I take it that was a deal breaker for him?" He asked gently, she nodded in response.

"Yes, he wasn't willing to abide by those rules…"

"Then he wasn't worth your time if he couldn't respect you." His statement made her glance at him, she could see he meant those words.

"I haven't seen anyone since then… it was a hard blow to my confidence… that and I was feeling overwhelmed. Both Suezo and my father had been adding pressure during that time." She sighed heavily, "Honestly it's surprising I managed to date at all the way Suezo was at the time." Genki gently rubbed her side as he spoke,

"What was your father doing?"

"He wanted to… meet any man I might want to be with… I really don't know what he said to them, but he scared off a lot of them." Genki thought things over before he responded,

"If I had to guess he was pressuring them about their morals. If they didn't match with his… well much like me, he tried to intimidate them." His words came gently, as he knew she would be upset by this.

"I don't understand… why… why would he do that? Does he not want me to marry?" Holly closed her eyes as she spoke, unsure of how to feel.

"I don't think that's it. I can't speak for him; you would have to confront him to know for certain. I believe he was testing them, if they couldn't pass his test then he would rather you stay single. It's his way of protecting you." She thought that over before asking,

"Did you pass?" Genki chuckled,

"I have no idea if I did or not. But I wasn't going to let him stand in my way either way. It's not his choice to make even if he means well." Genki held her close, soon Holly shifted to gaze into his eyes.

"Would you have been upset if I had slept with one of those guys?" He smiled and shook his head,

"Who you sleep with is entirely up to you Holly. As long as you were doing it cause you wanted to, then I wouldn't care." He could see she felt some relief making him wonder if she had slept with some guy like he originally thought. He didn't ask though; he would let her tell him if that truly was the case.

"Thank you… I feel a lot better knowing where you stand on this." He nodded,

"Just remember that communication is the key to a good relationship. I want you to speak your mind Holly, you don't need to hold back your thoughts and feelings." She smiled and nodded her understanding. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned towards him again. His eyes widened briefly then softened, smiling he leaned in to meet her. They shared a sweet kiss for a moment before parting, Genki noticed she was blushing from the act. She turned even redder when he pulled her close, his arms around her waist.

"Genki?" she squeaked, he smiled to her gently.

"It's alright." He could feel how nervous she was, "do you need me to get Granity?" She turned crimson and hide her face now.

"No…" he kissed the side of her head, just holding her close.

"You got yourself all… hot 'n bothered, didn't you?" His whispered, she squeaked a protest before sighing.

"Yes…" He smiled, carefully he shifted his hold, using one hand to rub her upper back he whispered softly,

"Holly close your eyes and take a deep breath. Let it out slowly, let the tension in your body release at the same time." She hesitated again, trusting him soon she did as he asked. "Relax your mind, focus on your breathing. Take another slow deep breath, let the tension melt away with each exhale." Holly responded to his voice, following his instructions. "Keep your focus, just relax. Keep going with the deep breaths until you feel the tension inside you release." After he spoke those words, he let her do her exercise on her own. * Maybe if I teach her to meditate, she can learn to control when her arousal happens to some degree. Or at least be able to deal with it when she can't release it through sexual acts. * For his part he just kept quiet and still; his hand the only thing moving. His fingers carefully massaging her shoulder blades, shoulders, and neck; before returning to just rubbing her back soothingly. When Holly finally opened her eyes, she felt a lot better, her eyes found his as he smiled to her. She felt his hand still massaging her shoulders. The gesture very soothing for her,

"Thank you… I'm not sure exactly what you had me do there, but I feel much better."

"I had you meditate. It gave your mind and body a rest, bringing your focus back to where you want it." She looked thoughtful,

"So… that was meditation." He could see she was thinking over the process,

"It's what I use to mentally and emotionally reset. It works for me most of the time, even without going through anything deeper." Her eyes found his once more, curiosity prevalent within them.

"Can you teach me how to do a reset like you do?" he smiled and nodded,

"Yes, just remember it takes practice to release everything. It's like any other exercise, it becomes easier the more you do it."

"I understand, thank you."

"Anytime." He suddenly remembered something, "Oh, did Tiger or Colt say if they were popping over tonight?" Holly smiled,

"Yes, they both are." She could see he was happy about that,

"I was hoping they would, I had a few things to discuss with them. We can also let the know about Mu soul being a problem still." Her features grew more serious, she nodded.

"Perhaps we should discuss it with Granity now though." He nodded,

"Sure, let's go find her. Now that we know this, we are going to need help keeping watch for the Evil Soul when it shows up again. It didn't disrupt us for no reason after all." With a nod she rose and both of them went to find the reading pixie. * I just hope it's not too late to stop its plans. It got us out of the way years ago, who knows what it's been up to since. * Genki was very concerned but knew he wasn't the only one as he walked down the stairs heading toward the library.

AAN: Another lengthy chapter, sorry this one was so heavy. I promise there will be more humor in the next chapter. See you there and have a great Holiday season.