t/w: swearing, brief mentions of mental illness, and mentions of abuse/harrassment (not in detail, just Amu explaining the Saaya stuff)

vii

After Tadase awoke, he recalled how frightened Amu was due to the nightmare she had suffered. He looked down at the pinkette lying asleep beside him; she seemed much calmer than earlier in the night when she was thrashing about the bed. Tadase smiled tenderly. He wanted her to always look this peaceful when sleeping. He checked the time on his watch and gently sat up on the bed, taking care not to wake Amu up.

He had originally planned an emergency meeting with the student council but that had to be cancelled or postponed due to Amu not being released from the hospital yet. He could go alone and explain everything, but that didn't seem right, since he wasn't involved in Amu's situation.

"Amu-chan, wake up," he said softly, trying to nudge her awake without touching her injured shoulder.

Amu mumbled something in her sleep and changed position, causing Tadase to chuckle quietly. After a few more gentle proddings, Amu opened her eyes and looked at Tadase with half-closed eyes. She rubbed her eyes groggily, still staring a bit blankly.

"Can't I sleep for 5 more minutes?" she grumbled, pouting softly.

"Of course. I just wanted to tell you that I scheduled a meeting today." Tadase noted, stroking Amu's head. "I was just going to ask if I should cancel it or if I could go by myself, or if we can arrange a release early."

"Meeting?" Amu still sounded and looked drowsy. "But it's Sunday…"

"That's why I scheduled it today," Tadase explained. "It was supposed to be so we could talk as long as we wanted about this...situation without interruptions."

"O-oh!" Amu exclaimed, immediately feeling woken. It didn't help that the painkiller had worn off and left a dull pain in her shoulder. "I-I'm sure I can get an early release if I tell them I'm feeling alright."

Tadase looked at Amu with a furrowed brow and asked her, "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm not anemic or anything and I think that's the only thing they care about," Amu responded. "And also making sure my wound doesn't get infected, which could be proved after a check-up."

Tadase regarded Amu hesitantly at first, but finally sighed and got up. "Alright. I'll go get a nurse and call Ikuto so he can sign off on your release if you're allowed."

Amu nodded, and Tadase got up to leave the hospital room, nearly bumping right into the nurse as he left. He guessed that it was convenient timing, as the nurse was likely heading over to check on Amu. Once outside of the hospital room, Tadase pulled out his cellphone to call Ikuto.

The conversation was short and Ikuto at first refused to sign off on an early release. Tadase told Ikuto to decide if Amu was fit to travel after he arrived, and Ikuto reluctantly agreed. He even mentioned bringing Amu some clothes as a precaution. Tadase chuckled when he ended the call. This was the first time he had seen Ikuto act this way since they were kids when he was caring for Utau.

Ikuto arrived at the hospital shortly after their conversation on the phone ended. He had the keys to Utau's manager's car when he walked up to Tadase, indicating that he had borrowed it once again. As soon as Ikuto stopped in front of Tadase, he led him with no words through the corridors to Amu's hospital room.

Again, the timing was on their side because the nurse had left, right as Tadase and Ikuto made their way down the hall to Amu's room. Tadase bowed respectfully to the nurse, then opened Amu's hospital door and stepped inside.

"Look who came to get us," Tadase said, approaching Amu. "Did the nurse seem satisfied?"

Amu nodded. "She said I need to come by weekly so they can check on everything, but it's fine if I go whenever I want."

Taking a step past Tadase, Ikuto examined Amu carefully. "Are you sure everything is okay, kiddo?

Amu shook her head. "They said they'll give me a prescription for an NSAID in case the pain gets serious, but I don't need to stay any longer. I even double-checked with the nurse."

"So you see," Tadase said, turning to Ikuto. "She's fine. Or as fine as she can get."

Ikuto grudgingly tossed a small bag into Amu's bed. "Here, I guess?" he said.

Tadase laughed at Ikuto's reaction. "In case it wasn't clear, he brought you some clothes. Put them on and come out when you're ready."

Amu nodded slowly as she reached for the bag Ikuto had tossed at her and found it lying on the floor. Ikuto must have gotten the clothes her mother had packed for her by going to Tadase's house. She pulled out the clothing and looked at it, not expecting much because it was her mother who had grabbed it for her. She was surprised to find her favourite red plaid pants as well as a black mesh turtleneck. Digging further, she even found a red graphic tee crop top to go over the turtleneck. Sadly, that was it. At least Amu still held the beret she got earlier.

She got up from the hospital bed and removed the hospital clothing. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the bandaged up impact wound. She winced slightly as she pulled the turtle neck over her head and stuck her arms in the armholes. The outfit may have been cute, but Amu didn't like having to deal with a shirt that was so tough to take on and off. Nevertheless, she changed and went into the small bathroom within her room so she at least looked somewhat presentable.

Although Amu wasn't very confident in her appearance in the first place, she couldn't help but feel lousy looking at herself in the mirror. She didn't just wake up with her hair a mess; lately, she didn't have the energy to properly fix it in the first place. Not only that, but her eyes were puffy and black from crying and not getting sleep for days. It was honestly hard for Amu to look at.

For a moment, Amu wondered if that was what Saaya's plan in the first place; making her look ugly so Tadase won't like her anymore. She did like to emphasize how ugly she thought Amu was. Though Amu didn't even see herself as pretty in the first place, so it didn't make a big difference. She honestly had no idea what Tadase even saw in her.

Amu tried making her hair look decent, but eventually just threw it up in a messy bun. Thinking she was done, Amu went to grab the bag and leave. However, Amu found makeup in the bag, which surprised her. She didn't know if her mother had packed it or Ikuto had been considerate enough to provide some for her. Did that count as consideration? Amu shrugged nevertheless and applied a thin layer of make-up to look less like a zombie.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase called out, knocking on the bathroom door. "Is everything alright in there?"

Amu was startled by the sudden knock but sighed in relief upon hearing Tadase. "Sorry! I'll be out in a second!"

She hurriedly cleaned up everything and went out of the bathroom. Tadase, who had been waiting nearby, smiled when he saw her.

"I'm sorry for taking too long," Amu meekly rubbed her arm.

Tadase shook his head. "It's alright. I was just making sure you hadn't collapsed or something. We're already late, so I texted some of the others with an excuse. Ikuto-niisan went to deal with the paperwork."

Nodding, Amu followed Tadase to the desk where Ikuto was completing the paperwork. Amu still didn't comprehend how Ikuto had been able to sign release forms, but she didn't care as long as her parents were not involved. Ikuto turned to the two and gave Amu a careful glance before shrugging and directing them to the car he had borrowed.

They were soon at school. They arrived at the front steps about Amu and Tadase ran to the greenhouse at the back. While Ikuto had promised to stay for a bit and keep a close eye on them, he couldn't stay for too long, as he had promised to have the car back at a certain time.

Nagihiko, Kukai and Rima were waiting in the greenhouse patiently, sipping tea that Nagihiko had likely made. Tadase bowed in apology and took his seat. Amu sat down as well, leaning over Tadase to smile at Rima. Rima had been getting a bit friendly with Amu lately, though she was still cold and indifferent from time to time. As Amu leaned back in her chair, her arm brushed against Nagihiko's slightly. Unfortunately, this was near where she was injured, and she let out a gasp as a consequence.

When Nagihiko first heard Amu's pained yep, he turned to her in concern. "Amu-chan? What's wrong?"

Amu covered her mouth quickly. "W-what'd it sound like?! Maybe the chair squealed when I sat down?!"

Tadase gave Amu a concerned look, to which she simply shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. Tadase wanted to tell Amu something but decided he shouldn't so he just shrugged, moving on to the topic at hand. "Anyways, let's get to business. I wanted to talk to you guys about the situation with Yamabuki Saaya-san."

"Your ex?" Rima questioned blandly, sipping her tea. "Is this about why she was suspended?"

Tadase nodded. "We kept it under wraps for a bit but I think now is a good time to explain the situation. Especially to you guys."

When Tadase glanced at her, Amu muttered simply, "The situation...involves me."

Nagihiko tilted his head in Amu's direction and so did everyone else."Why would you have anything to do with her suspension, Amu-chan?"

"Uhm..." Amu looked down at her lap, regretting what she had just said. "W-well..."

Tadase gave Amu a reassuring smile as he took her hand under the table. "It's a long story. Should we start from the beginning?"

Amu chewed her lip but reluctantly and slowly told the story of Saaya's bullying, excluding anything that would make them worry too much. Tadase said she had to explain, but he didn't say how much she had to say. She also explained that they had found out due to the bullying that Saaya had Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and her being put into a mental institute. Though she was vague about it, she did mention that she thought Saaya was still trying to go after.

Kukai looked over at Amu. "Did that bitch try to hurt you, Hinamori?"

Amu bit her lip a second time, while Tadase squeezed her hand. He mouthed out, "Don't tell them yet if you don't want to." in which Amu nodded, just shrugging. Amu's topic of discussion was not pressed, so, after a moment of silence, Rima dabbed her mouth with a napkin as if she were ready to speak.

"So…what I've gathered so far is Yamabuki Saaya is a crazy bitch who is trying to hurt Amu, to which extent we don't know yet." Rima started summarizing. "Just because Amu wanted to be friends with Tadase and things progressed to romance?"

Amu said "Kind of" same time Tadase was saying "Not entirely."

Rima squinted and looked between the two. "I'm getting mixed signals here."

Nagihiko spoke up, "I think they both want to blame themselves, but neither thinks the other is responsible."

Amu was alarmed by how accurate Nagihiko's prediction was. Looking at her lap, she avoided everyone's eyes. After all, she did think it was her fault. Amu often wished she hadn't let her guard down around Tadase. If he hadn't let her guard down, she would still be treating Tadase and the others the same way she treated her other classmates. She would have been alone, but at least Saaya wouldn't have hurt her or abused her.

The reasoning voice replied that Tadase would neither be a friend nor a boyfriend to her; he would probably forget about her existence at some point. Tadase's friends would never have known she existed, either.

Amu glanced at Tadase, who was also obviously avoiding eye contact, and knew he was feeling the same way as she was. Her rational voice was right. Despite everything that happened, she wouldn't take back being approached by Tadase. She would never have thought someone like Tadase would like someone like her...but he did. She realized that the silence was long enough and that she ought to say something, anything.

"W-well..." Amu began, tripping over her next sentence. "I...I was just trying to say that Saaya needs to move on from Tadase-kun and focus on her health and mental stability."

Nagihiko put his hand on Amu's shoulder gently. "Wow, Amu-chan. You barely seem phased about this. You're so strong."

Amu felt her face turn red. "I'm not..." she whispered to herself.

Tadase knew how well she handled these situations the best, and she wasn't nearly as strong as Nagihiko made her appear. She subconsciously blocked others from knowing her true feelings because she wanted to save face. Was this because she didn't trust them yet? Or was this so they wouldn't take pity on her when they saw her in that light.

"He's right, you know," Kukai chimed in, agreeing with Nagihiko. "I know plenty of people who would break down and have panic attacks every night. They would probably even take the time off school to avoid their abuser."

Kukai's comment prompted Amu to recall what she had dreamed about last night. If it wasn't for Tadase, she probably would have cried all night. Thinking back on past nights, she had done just that without Tadase.

In reality, Tadase agreed with Kukai and Nagihiko; Amu seemed more confident after Saaya had been suspended even if recent events had since shattered most of her confidence. He wasn't sure how she was able to act this cool and calm and be somewhat collected even when she was thinking about a situation he saw her cry and get paranoid about. It was fantastic, however. Amu was truly a sight to behold.

"If I ever see that bitch again, I'll have to strangle her." Kukai half-joked.

"I don't know if you can see her," Tadase replied naively, taking the joke much too seriously. "But I don't think that's going to help the situation much anyway."

Amu patted Tadase's shoulder softly, laughing. "Tadase-kun, I think he was kidding."

"Well, I was half kidding." Kukai corrected. "I definitely would have...not so nice things to say to her, though."

Amu rolled her eyes and Tadase cleared his throat. "Well, since that's over with, is there anything else we need to talk about? Any complaints or suggestions from our fellow students?"

The meeting continued for about another half hour, but Amu had zoned out halfway through. She was wondering about her old friends. Yaya had seriously helped her out yesterday, but she was curious about how much Tadase told Kairi. Would Kairi tell the others? Was it a good idea to even involve them? For a second, she even contemplated the possibility of moving back to her old town, but that would just make it seem like she was running away from her problems. She didn't want to run away from this, she just wanted it to end.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase's voice shook her from her thoughts. "The meeting ended a little bit ago."

Amu jumped slightly and looked over at Tadase. "Huh, sorry what?"

"The meeting is over," Tadase repeated.

Amu looked around. Surely enough, everyone but Rima had left. Amu wasn't sure why Rima had stuck around. Maybe she was curious about the situation or maybe she was secretly worried about Amu and didn't want to show it. For some reason, the former seemed more likely, but the latter was certainly not implausible.

"Sorry, I must have zoned out." Amu laughed, rubbing her nape.

"What were you thinking about?" Tadase inquired, tilting his head.

"Saaya?" Rima jumped in, her voice curious

Amu shook her head. "I don't need to bother thinking about Saaya. She's not worth the energy."

Rima seemed impressed by the sassy answer Amu had given. "Good point."

"I was thinking about my friends. My old friends." Amu responded. "I was considering maybe going to visit them. Seeing Kairi and Yaya made me miss Nadeshiko too."

Tadase hummed in thought. Bringing Amu down to her home town would be a good excuse for Tadase to try and get help from Kairi. And it would be a good way to get Amu's mind off of things for a bit. He turned to Amu and smiled.

"Why don't we visit them next weekend?" Tadase offered. He looked at his watch and grinned. "Or, even better! It's still early, so…how about we go now?"

Amu's eyes widened and practically sparkled in excitement, not expecting Tadase to say that. "Really? We can go today?"

Tadase nodded, laughing softly at Amu's reaction. "Of course. I can ask my dad to drive us. Or we can take the train."

"Can I come?" Rima's question shocked Amu even more than Tadase's offer to go to see her friends. "I heard you went to school with Nagi's sister. I wanna see what she's like."

"Then it's settled," Tadase said. "I'll call otousan and see what we can do!"

Amu threw herself at Tadase, hugging him tightly, catching Tadase off guard at first. "Thank you so much, Tadase-kun! I really appreciate this!"

Tadase just chuckled and hugged Amu back quickly before remembering Rima was there and pulling away. Amu rubbed her head bashfully looked down, also realizing Rima was still there.

A/N: Ok so half of this is edited with a new chrome extention I found called WordTune but then it broke on me- PS, #notsponsored but I highly recommend WordTune. It's kinda like Grammarly but it allows you to highlight a sentence and change the wording if you don't like how you have it.

Sadly, it doesn't work properly on FFN, and since it's a browser extension it doesn't work on my word processors, so I had to copy it to Google Docs but whatever. Get's the job done (and sometimes it gives you really riduculous options; like one of the sentences I tried to fix was about Kukai saying he'd strangle Saaya if he could and WordTune gave me an option that said "I'd strangle Tadase if I could" xD ) and it's pretty helpful.

Anyway, I had a friend of mine read over this story (and the prequel) so if she gets back to me, she might also edit some of the next upcoming chapters. I'll let you know when/if that happens and I'll be sure to mark chapters that were edited by me vs chapters that were edited by her so it doesn't get weird/confusing.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter!