I know this is a very quick update but I work tonight and actually have this morning off for once. I have some bad news. I might not be able to update as quickly as I been because I'm going to need to be at work for a lot of hours starting today. I'll try to update whenever I can. But lets get this one started.

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Chapter Six

Nanjiro pulled into his driveway and dragged Ryoma out of the car. Stumbling a bit into the door, Ryoma barely got his balance and only landed on one knee instead of falling flat on his face. "But, Dad!"

"No, buts. I still can control your life until you become and adult. You're transferring schools and getting away from that one and that tennis club. If I see you ever again with them then, I'll lock you up in this house."

"Dad…" Ryoma felt helpless. He wanted to never cause his teammates trouble again, but he didn't want to lose Fuji. His father was proposing a proposition that he didn't care for. His teammates didn't seem too upset with being involved. That is he hoped they weren't. Ryoma headed for the door. He wasn't going to stand for this. He only had two more years until he became an adult. He was sure there was something legally he could do.

Nanjiro grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back inside. "What did I just say?"

"You can't keep me here!" Nanjiro slapped him across the face, stunning the young man. Never had his father ever done something like that. Nanjiro was fun loving and gently. And now. Now he was changed by this event. It made Ryoma second guess his judgment towards his teammates. Ryoma took off up the stairs and ran into his room, slamming his door shut.

Luckily his parents kept his room the way it was. He flopped down on his bed and pulled the covers up as far as he could get them. He wanted to bury himself in a cocoon and never awaken again. He caused all this trouble and pain. People changed around him. Fuji went from seeing him as a talented tennis player to his lover, but did he really love Ryoma or was it just pity love. Then there was Nanjiro. He would always be proud of his son. Now there was a regret in his voice. He was ashamed of the boy that was once looking beyond being his father at tennis and becoming something more than what Nanjiro did.

Ryoma was starting to regret everything in his life. Maybe he should stop being a Seigaku Regular. Maybe this was all for the better, changing schools and leaving the past the past. But Akutsu was still out there and he could do anything to any one of his teammates just to get to him. How as Akutsu to know that he left them behind and went somewhere else. He knew deep down inside he still cared for every one of them so targeting the Regulars would cause Ryoma to react.

Ryoma rubbed his check still feeling the aftereffects of Nanjiro's hit. The phone in his room started to ring. His heart jumped, realizing that the second line was still set up. That was the first thing he begged his father years ago to set up for him. He knew that Tezuka and all the Regulars would call his house at different times to set up practice dates and all that. He didn't want his family to be bothered by them and Nanjiro agreed. Ryoma grabbed the phone by the third ring and prayed his father didn't hear it. "Hello?"

"Ryoma, are you okay?" Fuji asked, sounding worried.

"I'm coming to get in within the hour. I just got to sign the release papers. Can you hang on until then?" Ryoma closed his eyes and held the phone to the ear. Fuji cared, but how much of that care was actually love? Was Ryoma just seeing things he shouldn't? Did he have a right to ruin Fuji's life over something like this? "Ryoma, did you hear me."

"Dad is transferring me to another school. He doesn't want me to come near you or the others anymore. He threatened to lock me away in this house if I did."

"You're sixteen. You can make your own decisions. Don't let him push you around."

"He's my legal guardian until I'm eighteen. I have to listen to him. He could pull you into legal things if you piss him off."

"He didn't the first time I pissed him off."

"That's because he was too ashamed of me. Now, he's acting like he doesn't care what people think of me. He just wants to control me. Fuji, I'm sorry. I can't go with you. I have no choice."

"So you're just going to throw it all away. Our relationship. The tennis club. Everything! Just to follow some stupid rule your father slammed on you all because he thinks we are the ones responsible for putting you in danger. Did you even bother to tell him who Akutsu was after? Did you tell him that we helped you escape? Have you even bothered to tell him no? Stand up for yourself? Or do you like to have everyone else fight your battles? Ryoma, this is ridiculous. I can't believe you're even thinking about giving up our relationship just to follow Daddy's orders."

At this point, Ryoma felt the whole world fall down on him. Fuji didn't care about him because if he did he wouldn't be saying these things whether he was mad or not. He should know that legally Ryoma couldn't go with Fuji. Nanjiro would know where he was in a second. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'll lead Akutsu away from you. Inui can have my spot."

"Ryoma? Ryoma! Talk to me."

Ryoma hung the phone up and unplugged it from the wall. His world was lost and for once he felt completely alone. Alone and depressed. He dropped the phone on the floor and moved to the corner of the room where he could curl up and not be seen the second you opened the door. He let the tears fall and his heart break in a thousand pieces. What hope did he have left? He could care less if Akutsu came and murdered him in his sleep. Anything felt better than this throbbing pain in his chest that restricted his breathing. Ryoma didn't even hear the footsteps move away from his door.

His mother walked out the back door and up to the bell that Nanjiro was ringing. "Do you realize how much pain you've caused him?" She was angry at her husband. So angry that making her son happy was the only thing on her mind, and she didn't care what she had to do.

"It's all for the better, Rinko."

"Then you deal with him as he goes through his depression stages. Because of you he broke up with his boyfriend."

Nanjiro made a face. He didn't like Fuji being referred to his son as a "boyfriend." He let the handle go and stopped ringing the bell. "He talked to him?"

"Yes, and he told Fuji exactly what you said to him. Because of you he's going to endanger his life to keep this Akutsu away from the Seigaku Regulars."

"You have nothing to worry about the police are handling this."

"Oh, are they? The police were handling this before and they let him out for good behavior all so he could come and attack Ryoma again. Do you think you could protect him better than Fuji?"

"I can protect my own son better than anyone else in this world."

"Then protect him from his self destructive stage. If I'm not mistaken, he's probably up there plotting a way to keep Akutsu away from his teammates and find a way to take him down along with himself."

"And what makes you think he's thinking that way?"

"Anyone who's had his heart broken and restricted will think of a way to escape the pain forever."

Nanjiro sighed and paced in front of the bell. He knew that he could protect Ryoma. He could drive him to and from his new school. He was going to do that in the first place. With Ryoma being depressed like Rinko was saying, the boy wouldn't be in any mood to play tennis so he wouldn't have to worry about Ryoma wondering off to practice. It was completely possible for him to protect Ryoma until the police found Akutsu.

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stretches WOW! Straight forward chapter. I didn't break once. HA! I'm starting to like where my devil mind is pulling this. ducks away from 1CakeFujiEijiLUVR Sorry sorry I promise I won't hurt Fuji for much longer! LOL Well see you all the next time I can update. If I'm not too busy at work I'll write some there and just come home to type it up. Thank you for your patience and reading this new chapter. Please review!

Angel Dove