Nervous... I like this chapter actually... I mean, I've seen shit like this happen before and this is exactly how we all reacted. "No. Go Away! Stop! Ohmygodwhyareyoudoingthistome!" That's how it is... And Axel is being castrated by a belt buckle. OHNOES!

Sorry... I'm in a really goofy mood today. Did I kill it? Cause no one really commented on the last few chapters seriously. Be honest with me. I could use the help. (statement made moot over the daytime... My e-mail is really shoddy right about now)

Oh, and Zell's inexhaustable wealth is semi-explained here. He's really not an idiot. LoL!

Jehovah's Witness... hehe!

Demyx hiccupped, moaned cutely and hid his face in his hands.

"Don't be so nervous, kid," Axel soothed, glancing over only momentarily to smile. Just as quickly as he did, though, he shifted his attention back to the road.

"I can't help it… what if they slam the door in my face?"

"I don't think they'd do that. They can't."

"Can we just tell them we're with the Jehovah's Witness first?" Demyx moaned.

"Yeah right, Dem. We'd have better luck telling them we were the king and queen of England. Quit being so skittish," Axel snorted, "I wish it weren't so awkward, but you can't chicken out…"

"I know…" Demyx sighed, hiccupping again painfully, "B-but… it's so scary… I want to see Rose tonight… will you take me to see her, Axel."

"Of course…" he said softly.

"Will you come with me?"

Axel fell into an icy silence.

"Axel?"

"We're almost here…"

Demyx leaned back into his seat, buried his face in his hands again. This was horrifying enough to make him forget about getting an answer. He really didn't want to risk this as much as he needed to, and oh god… what if… he didn't want to think about the twelve-gauge in the closet… if life had continued as normal, it would still be there, staring at the ceiling, ugly as sin.

The car came to a smooth stop just outside the house.

It was still the same brick structure, but now the trim was painted white, there was a new porch, looking like it was probably made of redwood. There was a new garage, and the old one looked like it had been converted into a room… It was like a new place entirely.

"I don't wanna go!" Demyx cried, gripping the seat firmly, the look of horror in his eyes anything but false. He wasn't acting anymore.

"Demyx, don't make me drag you out of this car."

"No! Oh god no!"

Axel reached over gently, placed his hand on the younger man's chest, stroking soothingly.

"Step one: Stop hyperventilating. You're going to pass out."

"Okay," Demyx moaned, taking a noticeable step to calm himself.

"Step two… get out of the car."

"No!" Demyx cried, reverting to the exact state he'd been in before.

"Demyx!" Axel barked harshly.

The blond practically squealed in fear.

"Dem… Come on. Your Konstantine really wants you to get over this shit… He loves you very much, but we need to get this done."

Demyx sighed shakily, looking like he was about to cry again.

"You can do it, babe… I know you can… And your belt buckle is castrating me slowly."

This time Demyx laughed, leaned over and pulled the redhead into a crushing hug.

"You're sweet."

"You're sweeter. I'm nothing but a viejo verde," he laughed.

"What?"

"Dirty old man," Axel clarified. "It's probably the only thing I got out of my Spanish classes in high school."

"Oh… that's pretty sad…" Demyx muttered, "I'm sure I'd know a lot more French if I hadn't run…"

"Can we go?" Axel asked hopefully.

Demyx seemed to mull over it for a while, big blue eyes staring blindly out in front of them. He heaved a soft sigh and put his hand on the door handle, his face set in an agonized scowl. He looked like he was glaring at his worst enemy, when what he was really staring down was the innocent interior of a rather high-end vehicle.

"Okay… I can do this…"

He took a deep sighing breath, opened the door and stepped out, leaning drunkenly for a moment. Axel popped out the door quickly, waited for Demyx to close the door and locked the car instantly, earning a dark glare from the blond.

"I'm not taking any chances," Axel teased.

Demyx sighed and turned toward the house, walked gingerly around the front of the car, took Axel's hand in his, but he never actually looked the redhead in the eyes.

"Let's… let's do it."

"Okay."

They walked up the long gravel driveway, the smell of pine-trees and the Inter-costal waterway heavy in the air around them. Demyx seemed both pensive and nostalgic at the same time, his lovely blue eyes scanning every inch of the yard, bottom lip tucked firm beneath his teeth. He seemed to be trying to recall something he couldn't quite remember, and even though his hand was sweaty and he was gripping Axel a little too hard, the redhead didn't release his lover's hand. He was playing the security blanket in one way or another and it would be less than polite to reject the blond.

"Konstantine…?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you come all the way to the door with me?"

"Did you think I was going to stay in the car?"

"Yeah… kind of…"

"I'd never abandon you like that," Axel sighed, pulling Demyx's hand back to kiss the younger man's knuckles. The blond gave the barest smile, picked up his pace. The porch loomed, a strangely ominous thing, but he disregarded that, pulled the screen door back almost casually. He was familiar enough with this place, no doubt.

He stepped up to the door, and this time his grip actually tightened on Axel's hand, if that was possible. The redhead reciprocated it, jade-green eyes filled with worry.

Demyx planted three firm knocks on the white door, stepped back a little. There was a harsh voice and the sound of loafers on hardwood floors and Demyx cringed a little. The door swung wide and a tall, stately man with silvering dirty-blond hair and harsh gray eyes stared down at the two men. Axel imagined that this was probably what Atticus Finch would look like, no matter how the book described him.

The older man shifted his round glasses on his nose and spoke in an unusually soft, dignified tone.

"How can I help you young men?"

Demyx choked, looked back to Axel in utter horror. Obviously he hadn't expected his dad to get the door.

Axel covered.

"We're having some trouble with our car… Check engine light just popped on and we panicked. She's brand new, so it seemed a little weird."

"I see… what is it you have? I might know a little about it," the elder Dincht mumbled, "Mary! Mary, I need you to open up the garage if you would."

"Of course, Darling!" Demyx's mother cried back, "And Robert, Don't do anything that'll put out your back!"

Demyx squeezed his eyes shut, pressed a hand to his forehead.

"Are you alright, son? Go get inside and go to the kitchen. My wife'll get you a tall glass of sweet tea. That should put you to rights."

He stepped down out the door and clapped a hand solidly on Demyx's shoulder, then switched his attention to Axel.

"Uh, yeah… I'll show her to you… it's a Corvette, but it's kind of… well, you'll see."

Axel slipped his hand out of Demyx's grasp and the older man again urged him to go inside and get a drink, then followed Axel down the driveway.

Demyx entered quietly.

"Go ahead and come in, honey. Close the door before all the cold air goes out!"

"Yes ma'am…" Demyx croaked. He was panicking badly. His hands were shaking terribly as he wandered into the kitchen… almost everything was the same… except the little shrine of pictures devoted to himself and Rose… it was eerie and he didn't spend much time looking at it.

"So, young man," his mother said softly, "Let me get you that glass of tea."

"Uh… yes… thank you very much."

She looked the same as he always remembered, but her flaxen hair was streaked with gray now, there were new wrinkles at the corners of her mouth and eyes… she looked strangely old.

"You know," she laughed, setting the glass down in front of him, "You look so much like my son. He was a good boy, but I think… I know we went too hard on him."

"Oh no," Demyx replied absently, stirring the tea with his finger languidly, "He'd probably say you were a little rough, but I don't think he would have wanted you to suffer so much…"

He looked up to her shocked face.

"Sorry… mom…"

"Who are you?" she cried, voice suddenly filled with cold fear, "Who are you and why are you doing this?"

"It's me, mom… Eden…"

"No! No he's dead!" she cried, "Stay away!"

"Ask me, mom… what did I insist my name was before I ran?"

She froze, staring at him more in confusion than fear.

"Remember… I wanted you to call me Demyx… and I called Braig a different name too… Xigbar… And I was really good at swimming and I was team captain for a year… I jumped out the window and broke my legs… I had really bad asthma as a kid, but I eventually grew out of it. I had my… tonsils taken out," at this he rolled his shirt up and pointed to the scar, "when I was eight…"

"How could you…?"

Now she just sounded hurt.

"You used to try to teach me guitar… but I never wanted to learn… I play guitar now, mom. And… you always used to sing me that song… about the ladybugs? I was so little… I can barely remember…"

She looked up to him, still seemingly wavering between belief and acceptance.

"When I was seven, Seifer Almasy threw a rock at my head, and he hit me pretty hard. I came home screaming, remember?" he paused for emphasis, "And um… I had to get… nine stitches. Remember? I was so sad…"

"Eden…" she whispered, staring at the blond youth standing insecurely before her. "It's really you, isn't it? Oh Eden!"

He smiled as his mother leapt into his arms. Last time he saw her he was barely her height. He towered over her almost a foot now. She held him close, sobbing into his shirt clutching him desperately.

"I knew you weren't dead! I tried to tell them but they didn't believe me!"

"Shh…" he soothed, "It's okay, mom… I'm home now."

--- ---

"Well, damn. It's not on any more, but that's really bothering me…"

"It may be because you're still breakin' her in," Demyx's father mumbled, "But I'd keep my eyes peeled if I were you. There may be trouble, just don't panic if there is."

Axel cut the gas and slid out of the driver's seat, hoping he'd given Demyx enough time to work his magic… that is if he even had the balls to say anything.

"I forgot. Bad manners of me. My name is Robert Dincht," he said in his strange soft way.

"Axel Ignatius Brenton, artist at large," Axel said proudly. It didn't hurt to flaunt every now and then.

"Ah!" Robert laughed, "So you're the one? What luck. My son has an obsession with your works. He purchased a piece, I believe… the Thunder Lily, I think it was?"

"A fine piece, that one. It was a joy to paint," Axel beamed, "I almost regret selling it still."

"Did you have business with my son? I have the distinct recollection that you're based in Atlanta," the older man mumbled, fingering the silvery stubble on his chin.

"You're right. About meeting your son…"

"Zell Dincht."

"Yes, actually. Quite the coincidence," Axel laughed, still lying through his teeth, "He's commissioned me."

"Ah, I see. This must have been your payment, no doubt?" the older man queried, tapping the hood of the beautiful vehicle.

"Among other things. It's a lot more than I deserve. Trust me," Axel sighed.

"I'm not sure. You're quite talented," the elder Dincht said distractedly, "So, shall we go retrieve your companion?"

"Yeah. I wonder what he thinks he's doing. We're going to be late for a meeting if he doesn't hurry his scrawny butt out here."

"Hmm…"

They fell into step coming back up to the house.

"So um…"

"You're probably wondering how my son came by so much wealth," Robert stated simply.

"A little… not to be rude."

"It's fine. He's done well for himself. He's a brilliant man, actually. He graduated school early and now he helps design aircraft for the military."

"De… He never told me that," Axel slipped, trying not to sound suspicious. He got a hard gray eye, but it didn't seem to be a look of suspicion.

"Yes. He's created quite a few successful prototypes. He also designed some sort of protection program for computers or something of that sort. He caims it was something that was more of a mistake, but I'm not in depth. That program is where the vast majority of his wealth has sprung from."

Axel whistled. "He really didn't seem the type to me."

"He's silly. His brother was much the same."

"He… has a brother."

"Had," the man said coldly. They descended into an uncomfortable silence until they finally reached the door. "You can come in if you like."

"Thanks…"

They stepped in and Axel caught sight of a very plush living room with big leather couches and stark white carpet. Cherry wood floors in the hall and kitchen/dining room area set off the carpet in a lovely way. There were lots of different shades of red and even more white. Demyx's mother sat in one of the leather couches, talking animatedly to Demyx who was sitting opposite of her with his back to the other men. Both of them sounded really excited, and there were tears in his mother's violently cerulean eyes.

Axel could see where the family resemblance had come from. He may have been tall and lanky like his father, but his face, his eyes most of all, were like the trademark-stamp of his mother.

"Mary?"

"Oh Robert! Robert, come here!" she cried, leaping up from her seat and running to her husband's side, pulling him over to Demyx who stood nervously. "Robert, it's Eden! Our Eden has come home!"

"Mary… what are you thinking? Leave this poor boy be," Robert sighed.

"No dad… really…" Demyx half-whispered, a lopsided grin on his face. He looked like he was about to run screaming any minute.

"No… You… Who are you? Why have you done this?" the elder Dincht sneered, the polite veneer suddenly washed away. He was pissed.

"Demyx. Let's go," Axel said softly, "That's enough for today."

The blond looked up to him with defeated, teary eyes.

"I'm… I'm not going to try to convince you dad…"

"Don't you dare call me that, you fake!"

"… so I just want to say, I'm sorry I hurt you so badly… I never meant to be so… so fucked up."

"Eden! Don't say such terrible things!"

"Mary!"

Axel cringed, feeling horribly out of place. He slinked up behind Demyx, standing far enough that it wouldn't look strange but he could at least feel close to his lover.

"I'm gonna go now… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ever come here."

This time a tinge of bitterness that could even become anger if it were left to its own devices.

"Oh Eden! Don't go!"

"Did Zell put you up to this? How much did he pay you? The car was enough?"

"No, dad," Demyx sighed shakily, "I decided to come on my own. The car was a gift. I was supposed to be your Christmas gift from him, I guess… I'm sorry I disappointed you. I guess I am nothing but a useless fag after all. I still like boys, you know."

He ruffled his hair nervously and took Axel's hand, walking silently toward the door.

"Eden…" his father called hoarsely. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I forgave you a long time ago," Demyx replied coolly. "Have Zell tell me if you want to see me again."

"I will…" the elder Dincht replied.

They left, and as soon as they reached the first stop sign, Axel looked to his leaky faucet of a boyfriend and smiled.

"That went well…"

Demyx launched himself onto Axel and kissed him deeply.

A vehement agreement.