A whole lot of you are going to hate me for this chapter. They're finally fucking happy and I have to go and ruin it, huh? Well remember... three strikes... not two. (Please don't throw anything at me! There's a cute little guinea piggy sitting my my lap, and she's delicate!) Please note that there's some pretty violent bits in here... but I think you guys will have a little more respect (and maybe some healthy fear) of Saix after this. I always thought of him as a more noble individual. Behind all that Anti-social bullshit he's a pretty good person... good enough to risk his life for a friend.

Um... what to say?

Really just a bad situation all in all. And since sorinslayer4eva brought up the subject of fan art... go right ahead, if you want to do that. :) if you post it online somewhere, send me a link and I'll link it in my front page.

A read and review reminder on this chapter is extremely important to me right now. I really need some advice on this chapter because there's bound to be some parts that need fixin'. So enjoy (as best you can) this wonderfully terrible installment of Turpentine. (And please note that Saix decides to come and go as he pleases. He's done it for years... benefits of knowing where your buddies hide their doorkeys.)

"I wish… I could have died in your arms…"

Axel woke with a strangled gasp, managing to fall completely out of bed. He was sore so he just lay there, naked, his feverish, throbbing body pressed to the cold floor. Demyx was gone.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up."

Axel jumped, pulled the covers down around his bare hips and looked up. Saïx emerged from the living room.

"Shit. It's just you."

"Yeah. I just saw your dream," Saïx said softly, "He wanted to see the comet, didn't he?"

Axel thought about it a little, and then nodded. He was pretty sure that was the case.

"That comet… that's tonight, Axel. And he's not here," Saïx said ominously. "It's 6:30. You slept late, you lazy bastard. We don't have much time."

Now completely shameless, Axel threw off the sheet and lurched to his feet.

"Fuck."

The sky was red like blood.

--- ---

Axel panicked.

He ran through the streets screaming out his lover's name, trying to find that back alley he remembered, Saïx close behind, confirming landmarks. The redhead felt so hopeless. It broke his heart to know that he could very well lose his one true love tonight and all because he slept late like the idiot he was.

"Axel…" Saïx said with a shudder, "Forgive me. I won't tell you to look away. You won't. You'll never forget this."

The blue haired man pulled his mane up into a tight pony-tail, knotted it at the base of his skull. He smiled fiercely.

"It's been ages… but these hands know what to do. They always have."

A dark figure strode out of the alleyway, the black hood of his sweater jerked over his head. He hesitated when he saw the two men, reached for something in his pocket. Saïx moved with catlike grace, throwing himself into a run, gathering to jump. His lean body uncoiled like a spring, and he was right Axel couldn't force himself to turn away. Saïx soared through the air just as the gunman pulled his weapon. That terrible grin glinted behind the darkness and he pulled the trigger. There was a mist of dark blood and a loud crack, but no other sound. Saïx collided with his knees against the gunman's chest, effectively toppling him.

The gun clattered away into darkness and there was a loud wet snap. The blue-haired demon had practically ripped his attacker's head off his shoulders, and he was limping to his feet now, blood spilling lavishly from the new holes in his thigh.

"Go to Demyx!" the older man ordered, "I'll be fine. It's just a scratch."

Axel needed no more prodding. He dashed down the alleyway, long legs carrying him at breakneck speed. He felt his heart sink as he saw the sprawled form in the low light. There was lots of blood…

"Demyx!" he cried hoarsely, crashing to his knees, "Demyx, open your eyes, babe…"

"A…Ax…el…" he croaked, blue eyes just barely fluttering open.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, I'm here…" he whispered, "I wanted to be here for you, love."

"Love… y-you…" he whispered.

"I know, just hang on, love," Axel urged. Even though he knew he probably shouldn't, he picked the blond up and held him close against his chest. "Help's on the way. Just hang on, alright?"

"T-tired…"

"Shh. Don't talk. Just stay awake for me, alright?"

He could feel blood seeping into his clothes, but he didn't mind. He needed to hold his lover. He wouldn't let this, his very heart and soul, die.

There was perfect silence, filled only with the faint rasp of Demyx's labored breathing. Axel slicked back that thick blond hair and the boy smiled. He looked as white as the snow collecting on the corrugated metal roofs around them.

"S…See…" Demyx whispered.

Axel looked up, the ghostly white streak still and beautiful against the slowly bluing sky. He was surprised when tiny white snowflakes began to descend from nowhere.

"It's snowing…"

Demyx sighed softly allowing his head to fall against Axel's chest. The redhead snapped his attention down to the blond.

"Hey! Don't you dare go to sleep."

"No… sleep… 'til Brooklyn," Demyx breathed, bright eyes wandering about aimlessly. He was getting weak… too weak.

"That's right," Axel laughed, reaching down tentatively. He grasped the wound and made an effort to put some pressure on it. Demyx shuddered.

"That… h… hurts."

"I know. Just hang on, kid. You're stronger than anyone else I know."

He could hear the sirens now, watching snowflakes strike the pavement and vanish like they'd never existed at all.

"Demyx."

"Mm?"

"I love you," Axel whispered, leaning down to kiss his lover's ashen cheek.

Demyx smiled softly.

"Ditto…"

"Axel…"

"Saïx?" Axel called, whirling to look over his shoulder. The older man liked paler than ever, his shirt now torn up and wrapped up around his wounded thigh.

"They're coming… is he…?"

"Come here," Axel replied.

The blue haired man limped up to Axel's side, knelt heavily.

"Demyx…" Saïx whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

"'S alright…" Demyx mumbled, "'M glad… you did…"

Saïx reached down and placed his fingers to Demyx's pulse. His face was blank as he gave Axel that look that said "I really don't know…"

Things got hectic as soon as the police and the ambulance arrived. Saïx admitted that he'd killed the gunman, and Axel's heart wrenched when they took him away, handcuffed to a gurney to be treated. The paramedics came to examine Demyx, but they looked worried and a little doubtful.

"Can he be saved," Axel whispered to the larger of the two men. He was shocked at exactly who it was he was looking at.

"It's up in the air right now, but we got here just in time. Are you hurt?"

"Lex…no. Aeleus."

"Yes… but how…"

"Never mind that. Take this," Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a few business cards. He pushed one down into the man's front pocket. "Name is Axel. Commit it to memory."

"Aeleus! We need to get going now!" the other paramedic called.

"Can I come?" Axel asked quietly.

"I…"

"Aeleus!" the other man barked, running up to the hulking man. He gave Axel a glance and familiar cerulean eyes caught his attention. They were so blue they were almost violet. Though he was short the amazing sideburns and his hair was shorn close, the stocky build and the voice alerted Axel to the fact that this was Xaldin.

"Dilan, he wants to come."

"It's a good idea. The kid's going haywire since we separated them."

"Oh the irony," Axel breathed. "I'll come."

"Let's hit the road now! We don't have much time," Dilan yelled, breaking into full tilt, Axel and Lexaeus close behind.

--- ---

Axel woke lying across three of those uncomfortable chairs they put in doctors offices and… hospital waiting rooms.

"Sir… sir please wake up."

It was a smooth, nasal voice. Not necessarily unpleasant, but not enjoyable either. So familiar.

Axel looked up into eyes that were roughly the same color as his own, but slightly darker, and definitely far more sharp.

"We've finally moved your friend out of surgery, but he's still in critical condition. We're having a hard time stabilizing him."

Axel sat up quietly.

"Thanks, Vexen."

"Hmm?" the doctor stared down at him with a glimmer of confusion in his eyes, but still, there was an odd sense of recognition. Axel smiled sheepishly. He was actually pretty handsome at this age… probably only twenty-nine… thirty at the most. Minus the crazy glint he had in the old days, he was definitely attractive in his own right. "Excuse me. I never introduced myself. Tonight has been much too wild for this ER surgeon. Even Horowitz."

"Axel Brenton…"

They shook hands.

"There was minimal damage from the shot… but he had been bleeding for a good long while. Your clothes are a testament to that," Even explained. "We preformed a transfusion, but during the surgery he went into cardiac arrest."

Axel stiffened.

"Don't worry… we were able to resuscitate him quickly. There should be no lingering effects… I'm fairly convinced he will survive."

"Will you… personally keep an eye on him?" Axel asked, "I trust you…"

"I…" Even shifted his weight and pushed a generous length of his long dirty-blond hair over his shoulder, "I don't usually look after patients long term… but I'm sure I could make an exception in this case. I'm still a little worried about those sutures…"

"Thanks," Axel sighed.

"Because you're not family, we can't allow you into room at this time… we couldn't find any of his family, actually."

"He's under an assumed name," Axel explained, "I'm his… lover. His parents are in Florida."

"I see…" Even said, his voice suddenly very sad. "I'm afraid there's no exception on that, but there was another individual who came in and asked for you. He's in far better condition for wear. I'll have to consult Aerith. Last I checked she was on that one."

"Thanks again… you don't know how much I owe you…" Axel laughed, knuckling his bloodshot eyes.

"It's my job. But your thanks are… very encouraging," Even replied, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

The tall, stately blond vanished back into the ER's big double doors.

Axel waited for a moment before he pulled out his cell phone. These would be the hardest phone calls he would ever make in his life.

"Zell first, then Robert and Mary, and finally Xig and Marlu," he sighed. He scrolled down to the first name and pressed the call button.