This chapter is a little longer, lot more going on.

Thanks again for reading. I'll update again on Tuesday!

A very special thanks to crisrrana75 for the first review I've ever gotten on the first fic I've ever posted.

This chapter is for you :)

Yuzu wakes to the sound of rhythmic beeping. It's somewhat dim when her eyes finally focus.

This bed isn't hers. This room isn't hers. Where is she? "What… What happened?" Her voice is so weak.

When she tries to sit up she cries out in pain. Her lower back still hurts like crazy.

Someone near her gasps and rushes over to her.

"Yuzu? Are you alright?" It's Yuya, and he sounds worried.

"Yuya… What happened? Where am I?" She can barely raise her voice above a whisper.

"You're in the hospital, Yuzu. I came home with your dad to give you the homework." His voice cracks. "We found you passed out at the bottom of the stairs."

"Really?" She barely remembers the events from earlier.

"They said you probably fell down the stairs. Yuzu, I was so worried about you." He gently takes her hand. Yuzu's entire body tenses at his touch and she draws in a sharp breath.

"I'm so sorry. Does that hurt?" Yuya pulls away, genuinely concerned.

"No, no it's alright. I guess I'm still on edge from the fall," Yuzu explains. She doesn't know why she had such a strong reaction. She's angry with herself for worrying him. He's never been the problem. He's still not.

"Where's Otosan?" Yuzu wonders.

"He's talking to the doctor. He was really worried about you, Yuzu. They almost sedated him when we got here because he couldn't calm down. He was too nervous to come in here… I think he just didn't want to see you in any pain." Yuya explains. "It was really hard seeing you hurt, but I knew I had to be there for you." He attempts again to take her hand and is all the more gentle than before. Yuzu has always found such a strange comfort in Yuya. By now she's learned not to question it.

"Thanks, Yuya. I hope you weren't too worried."

"Well not anymore!" He smiles. "Now that you're awake."

Yuzu just returns the smile.

"How are you feeling, are you hungry?"

"Very sore…" Yuzu frowns. "And no, just thirsty."

"I'll go get you some water." Yuya slowly releases her hand and runs out the door.

Shuzo is sitting on the floor right outside Yuzu's hospital room, his head in his hands.

"Principal! Is everything okay? What'd the doctors tell you?" Yuya crouches in front of him.

"My little girl…. She's my little girl." Yuya can hear Shuzo crying.

"Principal, is- is everything alright?"

"Yuya… Someone hurt my little girl."

"What? I thought she just fell. What do you mean?" Yuya feels his heart racing. What else could have happened to Yuzu?

"They found… They found bruises on her body that didn't come from the fall. They said it's possible she might have been…" Shuzo resumes his sobbing.

"Principal?" Yuya is terrified at finding out the end of that sentence.

"Yuzu might have been sexually assaulted…" Shuzo reveals. "They wanted to wait for more of her strength to return before running more tests."

Yuya feels his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. So much is going through his mind. When did this happen? Who could have done such a terrible thing to Yuzu? She's so kind and fun and caring… Who would want to hurt her?

"What? Are you sure?" Yuya feels like he can't breathe.

"They're positive it didn't happen in the fall. The bruises are at least a day old."

"So this just happened?"

"Apparently! And I had no idea my little girl was suffering."

Yesterday? But yesterday they were together. They spent the whole Sunday at You-Show practicing their dueling. When could this have happened?

Then it occurs to him.

He lost a few hours yesterday.

Oh. No.

Could he have been the one to do this to her?

Just the thought of harming one pink hair on her head is enough to make Yuya feel sick.

"My little girl…" Shuzo cries quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you."

Yuya feels the world around him moving in slow motion. This rage that he can't control… This darkness inside of him. What if it's made him do something awful?

He goes to get her water like he promised. When Yuya returns to her room he resists the urge to break down in tears. She's lying here in pain because of what he might have done to her.

Yet, when he walks in, she smiles.

She smiles at him.

"Thanks, Yuya." She still sounds so weak as she takes the styrofoam cup from him.

"Yuya? You look upset? What's wrong?" How could she still be concerned about him? How could she stand to be anywhere near him?

"Yuzu…" He feels nausea settling in the pit of his stomach. "I'm going to ask you something. Please… Please tell me the truth."

"Yuya? What's going on?" Yuzu regains some feeling and tries to sit up slightly.

"Don't strain yourself." Yuya gently pushes her back down.

"Yuzu…" He sounds like he's going to cry. "Did I hurt you yesterday?"

"Yuya?"

"Please. Be honest with me. I need to know." Tears are running down his face. "Yuzu did I do something terrible to you?"

"Help me sit up." Yuzu requests. Yuya slowly obliges. It feels wrong to touch her, even if it's to help her. He sets her cup of water on her bedside table and supports her as she moves to a sitting position. Every groan of pain she tries to hide causes Yuya's guilt to strike him in the center of his chest.

"Yuzu-"

"Listen to me." Yuzu puts her finger to his lips. "I want you to stop this right now." She orders Yuya.

"What aren't you telling me?" Yuya cries. "Yuzu, forget about my feelings and worry about yourself for once!" He yells at her. "What happened when I blacked out!?"

"I don't know, Yuya." Yuzu admits.

"I told you, don't-"

"Yuya, I left with the others. You were alone the whole time. You didn't hurt me." She places a comforting hand on his cheek.

"Yuzu…" His eyes are still full of tears.

"Yuya, you didn't hurt anyone. You could never do such a thing. Don't beat yourself up over this. It has nothing to do with you."

"So, I didn't hurt you at all? You're sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." Yuzu smiles. She's getting through to him with her hideous lies. Thank God. "I found you after it had passed. By then you were barely conscious. You know I'd have gotten my revenge on you already if you'd hurt me."

He takes her hand in his. "You don't know how relieved I am. I couldn't live with myself if I had done something to hurt you." Yuya confesses.

"If you're relieved then stop crying." Yuzu hates seeing her best friend in such distress.

"Yuzu, someone still did something terrible to you."

"But I'm okay now. I'm safe here with you, right?" Yuzu asks.

"Of course!" He doesn't hesitate. "I wasn't there when you needed me, but I hope I can make up for that."

"Absolutely. You're doing it right now as you keep me company." Yuzu wipes the last of his tears. "Don't cry, Yuya. It's okay."

"I just can't believe it. How could this have happened?" He wonders.

Yuzu sighs. "I didn't want any ice cream so I told my dad to go ahead with the others. I was wandering around and I guess I wasn't paying attention. I found myself in the shadier area of town." Yuzu has to make this up as she goes. But she knows by now that Yuya will believe her. She's convinced him that he's not involved and that's all that matters.

"I never saw who it was. He pulled me into an alley and told me if I screamed he'd stab me. After it…" She swallows. "After it happened I just went back to You-Show. You had just calmed down, so I helped you get to the couch so you could rest and then I guess I fell asleep too."

"Yuzu… I'm so sorry." Yuya gently squeezes her hand. "You didn't deserve this. It's so unfair."

"It is unfair, Yuya." She agrees. "But it's over now. I just have to be more careful."

"You shouldn't have to be." Yuya frowns. "That's what's so upsetting."

"I guess." She sees why he's upset, but can't really relate. This situation is in a class of its own but only Yuzu will ever know that. "You know it's not a perfect world, Yuya. There are simply ways to live with all this… Stuff." Wow… Here she is helping someone else to understand her rape. Not a perfect world? No kidding.

"I wish I could help." He sounds so lost.

"You know one way you could help?" Yuzu offers.

"What?"

"The juniors."

"Um… Sorry not following."

"I know you already care about them, but I just want you to promise me that you'll always protect them. I would hate to see if something like this happened to Ayu chan."

Yuya's eyes shut as terrifying thoughts of the juniors in pain at the hands of someone else.

It's hard enough being here and seeing Yuzu like this. He can't even imagine what he'd do, or how he'd feel if anything bad had happened to them.

It's literally the worst thing he can think of, even including his best friend lying in front of him in pain.

"Yuya? Hey, welcome back."

He didn't realize he was practically squeezing the life out of her hand.

"Sorry." Yuya says quickly. "I was distracted."

"No no, don't be. I'm sorry if what I said upset you in anyway. I know you, Yuya, and I know how much the juniors mean to you. I didn't want to put any bad thoughts into your mind. But… I just… I don't want you to see them get hurt like I was."

She's hoping that she reaches the rage inside him as well. She's begging and pleading that she is the farthest it will go in terms of his friends. Yuzu can handle herself. She can figure this out… Somehow. But those juniors are so young, so innocent. It breaks her heart just thinking about it.

"I promise, I'll always protect them." Yuya swears. "And although I should always have been doing this, I promise to look out for you too, Yuzu."

"Thanks, Yuya." Thank you, Rage. Please if you hurt anyone hurt me. Not those juniors. Please. Don't make Yuya do it.

"I'll be there for you every step of the way." Yuya plants a soft kiss on her hand. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Actually, there is something." Yuzu starts. "I'm very cold." She admits.

"Oh, I'll go get you another blanket." He releases her hand, but Yuzu grabs hold again.

"No!" She didn't mean to yell. "No, don't leave. I… I don't want to be alone. Can you just lay with me?" Her eyes are pleading.

Yuya's cheeks burn bright crimson. "Uh… sure, Yuzu." He clears his throat. "Of course." He says with more assurance.

After removing his shoes and placing his jacket over her shoulders, Yuya slides next to Yuzu. He places his arms around her and lets her rest her head on his chest.

"Thank you, Yuya. I feel so much better now." Yuzu says quietly. "So much better."

It seems her lies were so strong even she believed them.

Yuzu can't see them as lies though. They technically aren't.

She was thrown around, she was told not to scream, she was beaten, and she was raped. In the end, none of that was Yuya. So it doesn't matter if she tweaked the story a bit. Yuzu sees a big difference between her friend, and the darkness in his soul. Yuya does not. If she told him that this darkness made him do this to her, the consequences could be dire. Yuya would blame himself. He would hate himself. And Yuzu can't let that happen.

In a way, she didn't lie at all. She told him he never hurt her- and he didn't. That is all that matters. All that is important.

Yuzu feels safe as she lies in Yuya's warm and extremely comforting embrace. There's no way she could feel this secure if he had been the one to hurt her. His touch is gentle, his skin is soft, his heartbeat is strong, and his words are kind. All of this makes Yuzu feel so at peace.

"Thank you." She mumbles one last time before drifting off to sleep again.

The next morning, Yuzu sends Yuya home to rest and to let everyone else know that she's doing well. She spends the first half of her day dealing with the hospital's forensic nurses and staff along with the counselor she's been assigned. She hates every second of it.

"You'll feel some pressure."

"Just going to take a few pictures."

"Lie back. This might be cold."

"How are you?"

"Almost done, one more."

She blocks most of it out. It all just makes her feel miserable and inhuman. Yuzu would rather be left alone. When all the poking and prodding is finally done, Yuzu's counselor is the only one left.

"I'm just going to explain your options going forward." She's been so kind, and Yuzu almost regrets how cold she's been toward the counselor.

"Um…" Yuzu cuts in. "I kinda just want this all to go away." She mumbles.

"I understand. That was my first point. You don't have to pursue this further if you don't want to. It can all end here."

"I just want to move on." Yuzu replies.

"Of course. Sometimes this is the better road for victims to take, depending on their circumstances. Just remember you have a strong support system here at the hospital as well as your friends and family."

"I know." Yuzu nods. She doesn't completely agree with the counselor. If her situation were different, Yuzu imagines that she would press charges and try to put the evil bastard away. Yuzu would hate to let someone get away with such an evil crime. Since things happened the way they did, she knows her choices will be very different. She wouldn't want to put Yuya away for something he technically didn't do.

The counselor explains a few more things to Yuzu basically about life going forward. She only listens to about half of it before zoning out. She feels so cold. So alone. She wants to go home and get into bed. She wants time to attempt to organize her racing thoughts. The more these people talk about this the harder it is for her to forget what happened. If she can't forget what happened, that makes it harder for her to be around Yuya. She doesn't want that to keep happening. She doesn't want to blame him for something that isn't his fault. She wants to feel like she did last night- safe and at peace with Yuya right beside her. The more they force her to think about the gruesome attack, the harder it is for Yuzu to see Yuya for who he really is; her best friend. The dark glowing red eyes stare at her with malicious intent. The cruel voice yells at her to stay quiet. A rough hand covers her mouth when she can't contain her screams of pain.

The young girl's eyes glaze over with fear. The pace of her breathing quickens as she feels panic and anxiety grip her system.

"Yuzu? Sweetheart, are you feeling alright?" The counselor wakes her from the awful daydream. Yuzu manages to calm down before the panic takes a complete hold of her.

"I'm sorry." She breathes.

"Don't apologize. Are you alright?"

Yuzu shakes her head. "I want to go home. I keep thinking about what happened and it's making me feel even worse. Please, can I go home?" Her voice is a quiet whimper as she attempts to speak. "I just want Otosan." She pouts.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll just send you home with some information and you can look over it whenever you feel ready. Just know that if you ever need anything, I'm only a phone call away. You can reach me day or night."

Yuzu nods.

"I'll go have a word with your doctors."

The counselor sets a comforting hand on Yuzu's shoulder. "I'll send your father back in."

She feels Yuzu relax beneath her hand and smiles slightly. At least there will be someone with her through all this.

"Otosan, you look terrible." Yuzu says to her father who sits in the arm chair beside her bed. "Have you slept at all?"

He shakes his head. "Ever since we brought you here I've been a mess. This was the most terrifying moment of my life, Yuzu." Her father keeps his head down as he explains. "I was so worried about you that I couldn't even feel myself breathing. Just thinking about how much pain you were in made my heart feel like it was collapsing on itself." She sees tears running down his cheeks. "So no, Yuzu. I haven't been to sleep. After last night I don't know when I'll be able to sleep again."

"Otosan…" Yuzu feels terrible. Is he suffering like this because of her? She attempts to sit up once again only to find it just as much a struggle as before. When she makes the slightest sound of pain, Shuzo is up and at her side in a flash.

"Don't try to push yourself, sweetheart."

"Otosan, come lay with me. Like you used to when I was little?" She hopes that the good memories from the past will help to block out the painful moments of the present. For both of their sake. "Can you sing Mama's lullaby?"

"Sure thing, my sweet girl." Shuzo smiles sadly. He takes his fragile daughter into his arms and sits back on her bed. He quietly hums the melody of the lullaby his late wife sang to calm their precious daughter during the first few hours of her life.

"Don't worry, Otosan." Yuzu whispers. "As long as I have you and my friends, I'm going to be just fine. Please don't worry." She can't help the few tears that fall down her cheeks and onto her father's jacket.

Yuzu is able to leave the next day.

Her ankle was injured in the fall, so the hospital escorts her to the car in a wheelchair.

The ride home is uncomfortable, but bearable. She lies down in the back seat and rests her eyes. She wants to put this all behind her. The rape. The fall. The hospital. Yuya coming close to finding out the whole truth. Her father crying.

It's just too much. Too much to bear. Too much to think about.

Yuzu wishes that this was easy to move past. Like a bad day, or a tough duel.

But it's not.

She was raped.

Despite all her efforts and feelings about the situation, she can't forget that. She can't forget that a monster bearing a face identical to her best friend is the one who did this. She can't forget that she loves Yuya to the moon and back- but as more time passes it's harder for her to convince herself that she's okay.

The other night felt so perfect. So right. She wants it to always feel that way.

Somehow she knows It won't.

Yesterday, Yuya made her feel safe.

Today, just the thought of Yuya makes her think of the awful darkness.

It almost seems unfair. Yuya is not the darkness. He's so much more. So much better.

For reasons she can't explain and completely against her will, Yuzu's mind is melding the darkness and her best friend as a single entity. And she hates herself for feeling this way all of a sudden. After asking him to stay with her and feeling so much comfort in his presence, how could her mind turn on her like this?

He's waiting for her in front of her house along with his mother, Ayu, Tatsuya, and Futoshi. The three kids carry a homemade sign spelling out "Welcome back, Yuzu!" She's able to spot Futoshi's handy artwork right away.

"If you want to wait in the car, I can tell them you're not feeling up to a welcome committee." Her father says as he pulls into the driveway. He notices her discomfort right away.

Yuzu hesitates at first but then shakes her hand. "No, it's alright. I'll just say hi. I don't want them to worry too much."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to try to make sure everyone else is okay. Right now, try to focus more on yourself. It's okay to be selfish at a time like this." Hiragi turns around after turning off the car engine.

"You're right, Otosan, but I'll still go see them. Just for a few minutes." Yuzu knows her father is right. She doesn't really want to see anyone right now. She wants to be alone, wrapped in a million blankets and lying on a bunch of pillows.

Otosan said he would try to get as close to that as he could.

Yoko is the only one to approach the car. She smiles gently as she opens the door. Yuzu slowly moves to the edge of the seat. "Obasan." Yuzu doesn't hear how sad she sounds.

"They tagged along with me." Yoko smirks as she gestures to Yuya and the children. "I'm taking them home right now, but I wanted to see you." She brings a strong yet gentle hand to Yuzu's ice cold cheek.

"Call me whenever you need to, okay?" Yoko can see so much in the young girl's eyes.

Sadness. Confusion. Struggle.

"I will, Obasan." Yuzu tries to smile. "Tell everyone I'll be back at You-Show soon."

"I'll tell them no such thing." Yoko winks at her. "I'll tell them that they can support you from a distance and to send you positive thoughts. Don't think there's a time limit to your recovery, young lady."

Yuzu just nods and tries to heed Yoko's words.

"I'll have Yuya bring by some food tomorrow."

Yoko doesn't expect Yuzu to recoil at the mention of her son's name. Neither does Yuzu.

"I'll bring it by myself." She taps Yuzu's nose with her pointer finger and smiles. "Get some rest, my dear.

Yuzu nods once again. "Thank you, Obasan."

"Shuzo. Come take my niece inside. She's freezing." Yoko says to Hiragi.

"Talk to you soon." Yoko whispers and kisses Yuzu's forehead. Without much of a warning Yuzu pulls Yoko into a hug. People have been so busy worrying about her they forgot that a simple hug never hurt anyone. Hugs are warm and they always make you feel safe. She eventually releases Yoko and is reminded once again that she can call anytime. Yuzu might just take her up on that offer.

Shuzo walks around and takes his little girl into his arms. "We'll get you warmed up." He whispers to Yuzu, who just curls up in her father's arms and shuts her eyes.

Once inside, he lays her on the couch and places a blanket over her.

"Give me just a few minutes to set your room up, okay?" He keeps his voice quiet.

"Thanks, Otosan." Yuzu mumbles.

He shuts all of her windows and closes the blinds. He brings in two space heaters and all the extra blankets he can find. Hopefully this'll be enough to ease his little girl's chills. He takes all the pillows from his own room as well as the guest room and lays them all flat on her bed. Anything to make her comfortable.

When he brings her up, she thanks him yet again. He just smiles at her. "Anything for my little girl."

"But i'm not hungry, Otosan." Yuzu argues after getting into bed.

"You barely ate at the hospital. Even if it's just a little please, Yuzu, try to eat something."

The young girl leans back, far too comfortable to be more frustrated.

"I'll make you a bowl of miso. You know you love it."

Contrary to her prior reactions, at the sound of her dad's miso, yuzu's mouth waters and her stomach growls slightly.

"Alright. Just a little bowl." She pouts.

"What was that? You want a giant steaming bowl of my delicious miso?" Shuzo starts to walk away.

"Otosan!"

"No I think I heard you right. Don't worry, I'll be sure to make enough."

Yuzu groans. If only she could take out her fan and whack him over the head. But he's being so wonderful right now. She couldn't possibly. Besides she doesn't have the strength to do such a thing right now.

"Thanks, Otosan." Yuzu smiles just as her father shuts the door behind her.