Chapter 14---I, Victim

Riku awoke to dim hospital lights. Nothing at all like the movies where there's bright lights and people hovering around weeping. In fact there was no one there. It hurt just a little, but then Riku figured it was best. He could say he spent the night at...damn. He didn't even have a good lie and he was great at lieing. Probably even better then Zexion...well, maybe not that good.

"Oh, you're awake!" The nure smiled at him and he scowled, trying to sit up. She hurried to his side, tsking him and pressed a buttong that lift the bed upright.

"Would you like to see your visitors? They've been here all night." Riku was stunned a moment. They...found him? They were here? He noddly, swallowing his nausea.

The small waiting room was filled with Riku's family and friends The nurse came out smiling and the group released one collective sigh of relief. Smiling nurses were good.

"I'm afraid we can only let one person in at a time, so who goes first?" All sets of eyes turned to Leon. He was pale, distraught and guilt-ridden. He stood slowly and followed the nurse, afraid of what lay ahead of him.

"Riku? Oh good! You're still awake. This young man came to see you first." The nurse left Riku staring at Leon in a mixture of horror and hatred. He couldn't decide what to feel for the man. Leon ,however, let grey eyes fall on the beaten and bruised boy on the bed, took two haggard steps forward and fell to his knees, tears stinging his eyes as he reached for Riku's hand. He didn't find it.

"I'm so sorry." He murmured into the sheets, as he felt Riku's fingers soothe his unruly, tanlged locks; all was forgiven. Leon risked a glance upwards to find tears running down Riku's face. The light from the window shone on him like angel and Leon felt responsible for his fall.

"I...I called for you Leon. They...I...I called for you while they did those things to me. But you never came. You didn't save me." Tears fell down Leon's face against his will as he kissed the boys hand, sorry beyond all reason that he couldn't be that broken angel's savior.

"I wanted to be angry at you, but it's not your fault. But I kept thinking how I wanted to say I was sorry and that I wanted you to look at me the way you did that first night at your apartment... now I know you never will. But I'm not angry at you anymore." Leon reached up hand to smooth back silver locks and kissed the boy's forehead.

"It's no one's fault but I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have acted that way. I shouldn't have yelled at you. Riku..."Leon's voice was soft and gentle and it made Riku panic, fresh tears falling faster now. A broad hand tilted his chin up.

"I'm still looking at you."

Sephiroth listened to the nurse as she told them about Riku's injuries and...condition. He held his head in his hands and wondered why. Wondered why he had never been there when Riku had needed him most. He'd always been a failure to the boy but he loved him so. Sephiroth thought it was in the way Riku's smile would catch the sunlight and you couldn't help but smile back. But really, he loved him because Riku was his son.

Zexion held a sleeping Sora in his arms and waited for Leon to come out. An hour passed. Then two. What in the world. Had they killed each other? He wouldn't really be surprised. Sora snored slightly and Zexion woke him up. Axel was on the phone with their mother, explaining the situation, holding the phone away from his ear as she shrieked. They were 'coming right over and don't you dare move mister!'

Leon finally came out, a thoughtful look in place behind a curtain of chocolate. Zexion looked up at him with a questioning gaze as Sephiroth stood to go in next. Leon nodded and sat, staring down at the floor. Zexion shrugged and finally noticed Sora standing at the vending machine. Dread coiled in his stomach as he noticed what the machine had inside.

It was full of Mountain Dew.

Riku smiled brightly at his father, a weight lifted from him after his encounter with Leon. Sephiroth smiled back and sat beside the bed.

"Will you be alright?" Riku thought a moment.

"I think so. It might take me a while, but I'll be ok. I have you and Zexion." Sephiroth smiled and ruffled his hair, making a deep laugh fill the room.

"That's my boy. So what do you say we...never go to Olive Garden again?" Riku smiled.

"I say it sounds like a deal."

A.n: woo small update for you to wet your appetite. Will Trista get hers, or will she get away with it? Dum dum dum!!!!!!!!!!! Review! mwuahaha!

P.s I'd like to point out the fact that rape is a serious issue. It severely affects your emotional and mental well being. You may never be the same ever again. Please don't think I'm brushing this off like it's nothing, I'm merely skipping the pschy-schematics for the purpose of moving the story along.

Ulti--