Alright, third chapter's up! I just want to add before I begin that a lot of people have been mentioning the song "The City is at War" by Starship Cobra; that was in fact the inspiration for this story's name and one of the songs I listen to when I write it! That's probably why the song sounds a little similar! ^^ Thank you so much to: DeNiSaY60, Aindel S. Druida, Emerald Moonrose, infinityinmirrors, xLion-Heartx, RealityInABottle, The Hollow Fairy Wolf, Shinimegami7, b4k4 ch4n, cneko2, andhearts, Shukakku the adorable raccoon, FlurryDivider, krad, flammula, ooXloveXoo582, Bane-Dane, RavenGhost, Keira-93, ramen-is-my-goddess, Velvet Chaos, Taryn Eithne, Yudis, and CloudedMirror for reviewing, I always appreciate it! Please enjoy!

O

Chapter 3

"Shit, that's going to need some stitches."

Squall grunted in agreement as he slowed his bike to a crawl, just having entered into the Second District. Zexion had dropped them off at the train station after Riku and Squall had changed their clothes in the back, the two leaving the loot in the van as they bailed out just in time to catch the train back to Traverse Town. It was nearly 3 in the morning when they got back into town, Squall having spent the entire ride trying to hide the fact that he was bleeding rather heavily. The bullet graze on his shoulder had been deeper than he thought and he had been lucky Zexion had the foresight to pack a small first-aid kit, otherwise he would've been bleeding all over his seat on the train. Riku had somehow managed to wrangle Squall into giving him a ride, at least until they got into the Second District. And since they had just arrived, "Alright, time for you to get off."

Squall could only assume Riku gave him an annoyed look, the pale man perched behind him on the seat. "First, are you going to go to the hospital for that?"

"Why so concerned?"

"I'm concerned because if you go in, they'll realize that's a bullet wound and start asking you questions."

"Then I'll take care of it myself."

"Using one arm?"

"Look Riku, what are you getting at?"

"I mean to protect myself I'm going to stitch you up. So let's get this over with."

"And where do you propose you 'stitch me up'?"

"Uh, your house?"

Squall pulled the breaks tight, pitching Riku forward as Squall turned around to glare at him, "You think I'm going to show a professional hitman where I live and bring him into my home?"

Rolling his eyes, Riku let out a breath of air, "I swear I'm not going to break in during the middle of the night and kill your wife and kids, alright?"

Skipping over Riku's comment, Squall got right to the point as he gave Riku a flat stare. "There's no way in hell I trust you enough to let you near my house."

"Well do you know anyone else who will stitch up your bloody gash without questions?"

Squall fell silent. It's not like he could ask Sora to do it. He was planning on just taking a bunch of pain killers and keeping it bound up until it healed but, as much as he hated to admit it, Riku was probably right. If he didn't want it to get infected, it would need to be stitched up. But to allow Riku into his home…

Inhaling to calm his nerves, Squall closed his eyes. "If you…you ever come to my home uninvited, I will break your neck. Understand?"

He got a small laugh in response, Riku leaning back a little, "Please, don't threaten me. Although, since it's coming from you, I might be convinced to believe it. Now, let's get going. I want to get to sleep eventually."

As nervous as it made him, Squall found himself left with no other plausible choice than to let Riku help. Besides, it was late. Chances were that Sora was already asleep, and the boy was a heavy sleeper… "Fine. But you'll have to be quiet."

"Who's doing who a favor here?"

Squall grimaced and bit his tongue. Riku was lucky that he needed his help. "Whatever."

It didn't take long for Squall to pull up in front of his house, shooing Riku off the bike so he could park it back in the alleyway. Glancing back at Riku only to find the man glancing around in apparent boredom, Squall let out a sigh and walked to the front door. Pulling the house keys out of his jacket pocket, he let himself and Riku in, not bothering to lock the door behind them. He was going to make sure Riku didn't stay long.

Sora had left the lights on again in the front room, making it easier for Riku to move around as Squall led him directly to the hall bathroom. As soon as Riku was inside, Squall closed the door before ducking down to dig through the cabinets. He knew that he had medical supplies stored somewhere down here from back when Sora played sports. That boy would come home with more injuries than could be imagined, although he would always be smiling. Ah, there the first kit was, buried way in the back.

Setting the white case on the tiled countertop, Squall turned to Riku, "Let's get this over with."

Riku snapped the kit open as he rolled his eyes, "Then sit down already."

Grudgingly dropping down onto the toilet seat cover, Squall shed his jacket, wincing as the leather brushed over his wound, the bindings having loosened a bit during the trip home. Walking over, Riku sat down on the edge of the tub and made short work of pulling off the rest of the old bandages, a small frown spreading across his face as he caught sight of the bullet wound. "You sure you don't want something to knock you out a little before I start? This might get nasty."

"The painkillers wouldn't kick in in time. Besides I've had worse."

"Ya, well, just don't freak out on me or I'm out of here."

Squall gave him a deadpan look and Riku shrugged his shoulders before pulling out needle and thread, "Hey, you're the one getting your skin sewn up."

The next twenty minutes passed somewhat as a blur to Squall, the soldier trying his best to block out the world as Riku worked on his arm. Luckily, the man either knew what he was doing or was confident enough to accurately make it up as he went because he worked cleanly and quickly. Before Squall knew it, Riku was snipping the excess thread off, the man sitting back to observe his handiwork, "Not too shabby if I say so myself…"

Glancing down at it, Squall frowned. Riku was no medic but it wasn't too bad for an amateur. Not wanting to look at it any longer, he quickly pulled his jacket back on as Riku washed his hands off in the sink. "You're welcome by the way."

Squall grunted out a thanks as he stood, rolling his shoulder before grabbing some pain meds out of the medicine cabinet. Taking two pills dry he heaved a sigh, leaving the bottle out on the counter, "Do you need a ride home?"

"I'm a big boy, I can walk home by myself. Don't I get at least a drink for my services?"

"I'll buy you one the next time we're out."

Smirking, Riku raised his hand. "Alright, I get the hint, I'm leaving."

"Good. I'll show you ou—"

Squall froze as he was interrupted by a soft knock on the bathroom door, his heart dropping down to his stomach as he heard a sleepy voice murmuring from the other side. "Squall, that you?"

Riku raised a brow as Squall inwardly swore. Shit, Sora was not supposed to wake up. "Go back to sleep Sor. Everything's fine."

"'s someone else in there with you? I thought I heard voices…"

Damn his brother's curiosity. He wasn't going to let this go and it would be more suspicious to make a big deal out of it. Looking over his shoulder to give Riku a warning glare, Squall cautiously opened the bathroom door to find Sora standing in the hall in his pajamas and his hair still sticking up in all directions. He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his hand, the teen pausing as he caught sight of their visitor.

"Um…Squall? What're you guys doing in the bathroom?"

Thinking on his feet, Squall stepped out so Riku could escape the small space, "Just wanted to go somewhere so we could talk without waking you up."

"Oh…Did you just get back?"

"Ya, we worked late tonight. Just go ahead back to bed."

"Hi," Pushing passed Squall, Riku offered a hand, a charming smile on his face, "My name's Riku, I work with, Squall here." Squall twitched at the sound of his real name passing across Riku's lips. That's right; Sora had already called him Squall twice. This was not good.

A smile spread across Sora's face as he reached out to shake the pale man's hand, his sleepiness having evaporated, "I'm Sora, his brother. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Sora." Throwing a wink back to Squall, who was fuming at this point, Riku grinned, "Well, I'd better get going. See you back at work Leon."

Glaring holes into his back, Squall watched as Riku sauntered out, immediately locking the door behind the hitman. Sora walked over to meet his brother, peeking out the window to watch their visitor retreat back onto the darkened streets, "He seemed nice! Do you work with him everyday?"

"Unfortunately. Now Sora," Squall turned to his brother, leaning down so that they were eye to eye, "I need to ask something of you. If anyone from my work, or anyone you don't recognize, comes over again, don't answer the door unless I tell you it's okay. And if you have to let them in, always refer to me as 'Leon', not Squall, understand?"

Sora blinked in confusion, "Why?"

"Just…they call me 'Leon' at work so they won't understand if you call me Squall. Alright? Promise me you will Sora."

Surprised at his brother's seriousness, Sora could only nod, "O-okay."

"Good." Letting a long breath escape him, Squall ran his fingers through his hair, suddenly feeling ridiculously tired, "Now how about we both get some sleep?"

Sora nodded again, slowly relaxing again as his brother slowly began to unwind, "Okay. Tomorrow's Saturday so you can sleep in, right?"

A smile slipped across his face at the news. "Ya, I guess I can. How 'bout I make us brunch tomorrow?"

Sora's face lit up, "With your pancakes?"

"Of course. Now, let's make sure you get back under your sheets…"

Grinning, Sora hurried off toward his bedroom, the 15-year-old practically diving under his covers as he buried himself into his bedding. Squall smirked and waited until his brother was settled before ruffling the teen's hair, "Now get some sleep. I don't want you falling asleep in your breakfast."

"You too."

"Right." Squall's smile softened, "Me too."

Watching Sora close his eyes, Squall stepped back and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Squall walked down the hall to his bedroom and made short work of changing into his own sleepwear, throwing his work clothes into the corner to be washed. They smelled like gunpowder. After a quick trip to the bathroom he practically collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion washing over him so quickly his head barely had a chance to hit the pillow before he fell asleep.

The air was hot and dry as the military jeep rumbled over the sandy terrain, every jolt sending the occupants inside the vehicle bouncing into the air. Dust was flying into the car from the opened front window, the air conditioning having broken years ago. Squall held on tight to the door handle, the next shake sending him flying against the person sitting next to him. Scowling, the man pushed him back into his seat, his blond hair plastered to his face with sweat under his helmet, "Can't you even keep your seat Leon? Get a hold of yourself."

Scowling, Squall tightened his grip, managing to hold himself steady at the next bump, "Whatever Seifer. You'd be all over the place if you weren't carrying that cargo on your lap."

"Wanna switch?"

A man in the passenger's seat turned around, shooting a grin back at the two flustered soldiers, "Can't you two get along for a few minutes?"

Seifer was the first to snap back, clearly not in a good mood, "Mind your own business Dincht. And would you close that damn window? It's getting hard to breathe back here with all the crap flying in."

"Fine, but don't blame me when the place turns into a sauna." Zell muttered the last bit to himself as he manually rolled the window up.

The air inside the jeep slowly cleared a bit without the constant influx of dirt as they continued to hurry towards the bunkers. They had been assigned to make a trip to town to restock some of the supplies and, as if the trip wasn't dangerous enough already, enemy troops had been active in the area. Which was why everyone in the car was currently decked out in full body armor with loaded weapons resting on their laps. Or, in Seifer's case by their feet.

The man on Seifer's right let out a small murmur, falling silent before nervously speaking up, this time in a coherent sentence, "Hey, I, might be imagining it but I thought I saw something…"

Seifer, still annoyed from before, scowled at the poor man, "Well did you see something or didn't you?"

"I, I think so. I mean, I think I saw a flash out there."

Squall perked up, leaning forward so he could see across the car and outside the man's window, "What do you mean, 'flash'?"

"It was just like this flash man, I don't know how else to describe it. Sorta like something metallic."

Squall met Seifer's gaze, the two putting their differences aside to share a concerned look, before Squall turned back to the other man, "We should keep our eyes open."

Zell had his eyes glued to his own window, examining the desert landscape. "You don't think we should check it out?"

The driver, their commanding officer, frowned, "No, we need to get back. We're short on time."

The soldiers shared an uneasy glance, Seifer letting out a small growl at the other's silence before speaking up, "I don't know Anderson, it seems like something we should look into."

Turning to look over his shoulder, their commander's frown deepened, "We'll check it out tomorrow alright? Settle down and sto—"

The rest of his sentence disintegrated into the air as Squall's vision was suddenly filled by an explosion, screams and the sound of crunching metal pounding against his ears as the jeep rolled once, twice, then a third time. Daring to open his eyes as he felt the car came to a rest, Squall did a mental check. He seemed okay, alive at least. His leg hurt like hell; it was at least a sprain, probably a break. Squall got his seatbelt off and forced the door open, slamming his good foot against it until the car door popped open.

The jeep had thankfully landed right-side up, although the frame had been so beaten that the roof was crunched down on top of them. Glancing over, Squall caught sight of Seifer slouched over the box that was in his lap, a small trickle of blood coming down from his hairline. Shaking the man's arm, Squall heaved a shaky sigh as Seifer's blue eyes flickered open, a moan coming from the passenger's seat at the same time. Seeing that Seifer was alive, Squall looked up front, "Zell, you alright?"

"Y-yeah…Ah, gods, what the hell…? What the hell happened?"

"We got hit, probably a RPG." They had been having trouble with the enemy getting a hold of rocket-propelled grenades for a few weeks, but this was the first time that they had used one on a supply run. "Hey, Seifer, you awake?"

"Mmn…Leonhart?"

Zell looked back and, seeing that Squall was able to get his door open, began to struggle with freeing himself in his seat, "Hey, get Almasy and Harris out so I can crawl back there."

"What about Anderson?"

Pausing, Zell's shoulders seemed to fall a little and he shook his head, "Naw man, he's gone…"

Squall's heart beat a little faster; their commander couldn't be—"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure."

It was then that Squall noticed the splatter of blood on Zell's left arm and knew not to ask again. From his spot behind the driver, he couldn't see the carnage but, from Dincht's expression, it wasn't pretty. Steeling himself, Squall pushed his legs out of the broken jeep and grabbed Seifer's arm, pulling the man toward their escape hatch. Slapping his hands away, Seifer shook his head as if to clear it before pushing the cargo box off of his lap. Scooting across the leather seat, Seifer practically clawed his way out of the wreckage, tumbled out onto the sand with a wince.

Looking back in the car Squall realized that Harris wasn't going anywhere either. The man who had first caught sight of the enemy had clearly not made it through, his head having smashed into the window hard enough to shatter the glass, blood beginning to pool in the seat. Turning his head before he saw more, Squall forced down some vomit and caught Zell's eye, the man immediately understanding.

Shaking his head, Zell motioned for Squall to get out before crawling into the back seat. Purposefully avoiding looking at the fallen man, Zell continued to crawl, pushing his weapon out before him before Squall hoisted him out of the wreckage. Sucking in a breath of air, the three survivors stared at each other, the moment shattered by the sound of gunfire.

Swearing, Squall grabbed his weapon, Seifer and Zell doing the same as they used the ruined jeep as a shield. Not feeling able to stand up, Squall army crawled underneath the vehicle, ignoring the oil leaking down onto his helmet as he tried to locate the enemy. Watching from the corner of his eye as Seifer positioned himself near the hood and Zell moved toward the trunk, Squall's vision finally focused in on two figures running across the sands.

The men seemed to spot them as well because the next shots they fired came dangerously close to their targets. Hearing the sharp "ping" of bullets bouncing off of the frame of the car above him, Squall ducked as sand sprayed up into his face. "They're carrying automatics!"

"Ya, I noticed!" Seifer growled as he took aim, his face enraged, "I got the one on the left."

Hearing the other SeeD load his gun, Squall flicked the safety off of his own weapon and took aim at the man on the right, "Zell, I got the right. Cover us if we miss."

"Gotcha, I'm on clean-up."

As they raised their weapons, Squall was sure that the men would stop running toward them. Taking aim, Squall zeroed in on the man on the right, exhaling as he prepared to fire. They weren't stopping, seeming determined to get closer in order to get the best shot possible at the SeeD. The sight made Squall hesitate for a second but their devotion to their mission didn't seem to phase Seifer as he fired. The sound shook Squall from his surprise and he made sure he was still on target before firing his own weapon.

He saw his bullet fly into the man's chest, shock on the man's face as he fell to his knees, blood starting to blossom on his chest through his shirt. Squall couldn't turn away, even from this distance able to watch the life fade from the man's eyes before he collapsed forward into the sand.

All of a sudden, the man's head lifted, his eyes still glazed over, and raised his gun and fired, the bullet flying right between Squall's eyes.

Gasping, Squall sat upright in bed drenched in sweat, his hand immediately flying to his forehead to try and staunch the blood. Finding his forehead free of any wounds, his heartbeat slowly began to slow, Squall's hand trembling as he moved down to clutch at his sheets. He was at home. In his bed.

Wincing as a dull pain shot through his bicep, Squall slowly laid back down. What a nightmare. Unfortunately it had really happened, up to the point where the man he shot came back to life…in reality, he had stayed down. Trying to shake the memories away, Squall ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn't thought of that it months…it had been his, Seifer, and Zell's first real combat experience, trainees fresh from training camp. He had carried back the worst injuries, his leg having been stuck in a brace for three weeks. But why had he thought of it now…?

It must've been that man that Riku killed that night. Last night, whenever the hell it was. He had died in nearly the same way, a single shot to the chest, and had gone down with that same look of shock.

He had thought that he had been prepared for anything when he signed up for this new job but he hadn't counted on the emotional toll. He thought he had left that behind when he had returned to Traverse Town. Apparently he had been wrong.

Staring up at the ceiling, Squall tried to forget, letting the rhythmic sound of his own breathing continue to calm him. He wasn't sure if he could continue to put himself through this sort of stress. But it wasn't like he could easily escape the deal he had made with Zexion; what's more, it wasn't like he could easily find another job.

He would just have to continue in his current line of work while looking for another job on the side. He would have less time to rest up if he went out during business hours to look for work, but if he could find something legitimate it would be worth it. With this thought in mind he pulled his covers back up over his body, a chill having fallen over him since the sweat he had been coated in had dried, and slowly fell back into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

Cloud looked up from his computer screen as he heard Axel's chair creak, signaling that the other man was getting up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Home! It's almost midnight and I gotta get my beauty sleep…"

"We're still going through the files."

"Ya, and we've been doing that for the past eight hours! We ate lunch and dinner in this room and I think I've worked enough overtime for today." Axel eyed him for a moment as he pulled off his tie, "I'm beginning to think that you're taking this case a little personally Cloud."

Cloud glared up at the redhead but Axel was saved a scathing response when Roxas burst into the closed office, a small glare on his face, "Cloud! I hate to say it but Axel's right! You said you'd take me home three hours ago!"

Sighing, Cloud leaned back in his chair, "Sorry Roxas…just let me finish this up, alright?"

The smaller blond scowled, "That's what you said three hours ago."

"Don't worry," throwing an arm around Roxas's shoulders, Axel pulled the surprised man to his chest, "I'll drive you home Roxy."

Cloud gave his partner an even stare before leaning forward and closing down the windows he had open, "I don't think so. I'll be ready to go in a few minutes Rox. Axel, you'd better be ready to hit the streets tomorrow morning, we've got some fugitives to track down."

The next morning, Squall woke up to the sound of the shower running across the hall. Blinking slowly, he glanced over at the clock on his bedside table. 10:34am. He raised a sleepy brow at the sight; this was the latest he had slept in for over two years. And he had to admit it felt rather nice.

Freeing himself from a tangle of blankets, Squall stood up and stretched, his muscles a little sore from all the strain they had been put through last night. Hearing the shower shut off, he waited a few moments for Sora to vacate the bathroom before opening his bedroom door and trudging into the room himself, still not completely awake yet. The shower helped, and by the time he had dried off and reemerged into the hall his eyes were fully open and his thoughts coherent.

Moving back into his room, Squall glanced at his closest then grudgingly changed into some clothes despite the urge he had to wear his pajamas around all day. He was going job searching after all; showing up to an interview wearing only cotton pajama pants would probably not be the best first impression to make upon a future employer.

Squall found Sora in the family room, the teen's eyes glued to the television screen. "Saturday morning cartoons? Really?"

Sora jumped then turned on his brother with a small pout that was probably supposed to be a glare, "Don't sneak up on people!" A look of confusion passed over his face, "Why are you dressed already?"

"I'm going into town after breakfast."

"What for?"

"Just some errands. Probably a grocery store run too so if you want anything make sure it's on the list before I leave."

"Alright! How can I help with breakfast?"

Squall smiled as Sora bounced up from the couch, "I can take care of the pancakes if you want to make some eggs and bacon. Will that be enough food for you?"

Sora's stomach chose that moment to let out a loud grumble and the teen grinned, "Should be! Just make a lot of pancakes!"

"How many do you want?"

"Five, or six, or seven!"

Shaking his head, Squall headed for the kitchen, "Let's start with four each and go from there…"

Breakfast turned out to be quite the affair although he and Sora managed to pull out a good meal in the end by some miracle. After he had washed the huge amount of dishes that had accumulated Squall located Sora, who he had shooed out of the kitchen, and told him that he would be back as soon as he could.

It felt too weird to ride his bike after he had used it in his getaway last night so he opted to walk. It had been a while since he had the spare time to just stroll through town and the quiet was nice. He reached the First District before he would have wished, his brow furrowing slightly as a small crowd of weekend shoppers came into view. He still didn't feel ready to run into any old acquaintances, didn't feel like talking in general.

Luckily he didn't seem to be recognized or, if he was, no one approached him. However, that was the only luck Squall had all day. He went into every shop on the square to ask if they needed help and every single one of them turned him down. The shopkeepers were always apologetic which occasionally made the sting worse. He needed a job, not pity.

Completely frustrated, Squall stopped by the grocery store like he told Sora he would. Picking up some fresh food for dinner, he slowly wandered back toward the Second District. He couldn't let the day's results phase him. He would just have to keep trying, that's all there was to it. Something had to come up eventually.

Sighing as he walked up to his home, he unlocked the door only to be met with the sight of Sora rushing toward him, a skateboard in the teen's hands. "What are you up to?"

Sora paused at seeing his older brother, surprise written across his face, "Squall! You're back! I was just going skateboarding."

"When did you learn to skateboard?"

"A while ago I guess; I'm not very good yet, but I'm learning! I'm trying to get back in shape so I can try out for the soccer team next semester."

Tilting his head to the side, Squall considered his brother for a moment before shrugging, "Just put a helmet on before you go out."

"Okay! Oh hey, did you get something for dinner?"

"Ya, so don't stay out too late."

Sora grinned and nodded, squeezing passed Squall to hurry outside. Squall watched him disappear around the corner, undoubtedly heading for a more open space in the courtyard, and let out a little sigh. It would be nice to go out just for the sake of having fun sometime again…But right now he had groceries to put away.

Walking into the kitchen, he set the heavy bags onto the counter and immediately pulled out the items that needed to be kept cold. The walk had taken about half an hour and he didn't want anything to get ruined just because it had melted or spoiled or whatever. Pulling the things he would need for dinner as he went, Squall had just finished when he heard a soft cry. Recognizing his brother's voice even from that distance, he immediately dropped what was in his hand and went out to investigate.

Leaving the house, he hurried down the street and around the corner, his heart quickening slightly as he caught sight of his brother sitting on the ground next to his skateboard, clutching his arm. Spotting him coming, Sora looked up and gave Squall a sheepish smile, "I fell off the board."

Sighing, Squall squatted down next to him and pried his hand away from his wound. Some of the skin on his arm had been scrapped away and Squall could only assume that the teen had fallen onto his side. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Come inside and we'll get you fixed up before dinner, alright?"

Sora nodded, still looking slightly ashamed, almost mad at himself, "Sorry, I didn't want to make you worry…"

Squall blinked before his face softened and he hauled Sora to his feet by his good arm, "I'll worry about you no matter what you do, it's my job as your older brother."

This coaxed a small smile out of Sora who grabbed his board and let Squall pull him back towards their home. Once they were inside, Squall continued to guide Sora until they were in the bathroom, Squall trying not to think about how he himself had been patched up in that same room not more than a few hours before. Easily finding the first aid kit, having know exactly where it was now, Squall turned back to his brother, "Go ahead and sit on the counter."

Sora nodded and hopped up. Squall moved closer and gingerly rolled up Sora's sleeve, a frown spreading across his face. Large bruises were beginning to appear on the teen's thin arm, blood still streaking down toward his elbow. "Hold on, I'm going to clean it."

Grabbing the softest towel he could find, he gently began to wash all the debris from the abrasion. Sora winced a little but kept himself still, a small crease appearing on his forehead as Squall pulled a small bottle from the kit.

"This is going to sting."

Sora nodded again, biting his lip as Squall soaked a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide. Seeing his anxiousness, Squall rested his free hand in what he hoped was a comforting manner on Sora's shoulder. It seemed to help because Sora relaxed a little, even as Squall pressed the cotton to the edges of the wound. A small hiss of pain escaped the teen, his eyes watering although no tears escaped.

"I'm done Sor, you did great…" Squall's voice trailed off as he took another look at the scrape. It was still bleeding and the bruising almost seemed to be spreading. It should have began to clot up.

Grabbing a roll of bandages from the kit, he quickly wrapped Sora's arm, watching his brother to make sure he wasn't pulling it too tight, "Does that feel okay? Too loose, too tight?"

"No, it feels alright but, it still hurts a little…"

"It will probably hurt for a few more hours at least." Grabbing the bottle of painkillers he had been using all morning, Squall was about to pass the bottle to Sora when he noticed that the bandage he had just wrapped around Sora's arm was already beginning to be stained red. Tilting his head in confusion, Squall's brow furrowed as he put the pill bottle down and gently pressed on the bandage, his thumb coming away stained with Sora's blood. It should have definitely started to clot by now.

Looking up at Sora's face, he noticed that the teen had grown paler. Bitting back a curse, Squall unwrapped the scrape to see what was going on, a spark of panic lighting in him. The wound was still bleeding readily, as if Sora had fallen two seconds ago.

He was startled by Sora's voice, his little brother obviously nervous because of his worry, "What's wrong?"

"That painkiller's going to have to wait, it'll just thin out your blood. You're not clotting." That wasn't the only thing that was bothering Squall. By now, most of Sora's side that had hit the ground was covered in bruising, his face undoubtedly only saved because the boy had been wearing a helmet.

"…Squall, I feel funny."

There was no way Sora could be feeling normal; blood was still trickling down his arm, a small puddle beginning to form under the boy's palm. The wound hadn't been that big but at this rate...he was loosing way too much blood. "Has this happened before Sora?"

"U-um, no, I don't…I haven't gotten hurt for a while…"

Shaking his head, Squall picked up Sora's wrist and counted his pulse. His blood pressure was already dropping. "Sora, we need to get you to a hospital."

"Mmn, no…'m fine…"

Sora shook his head as emphatically as he could but Squall knew that if he lost any more blood things could become dangerous. Squall rewrapped the scrape in a new roll of bandages, pulling the guaze tight to make sure that it was compressing the wound. Picking Sora up despite the teen's weak protest, Squall carried him into the living room and set him down onto the couch before picking up the phone. Dialing 911, he quickly requested an ambulance, keeping an eye on Sora as he spoke with the operator. The boy's eyelids were drooping and it looked like he was probably going to pass out soon.

An ambulance arrived soon after, Squall loosing track of everything in the flurry of activity except for Sora, barely remembering to lock up the house behind him before jumping into the back of the ambulance. He kept a tight grip on his brother's hand, even as Sora fell unconscious.

As soon as they reached the hospital Sora was whisked away on a stretcher by nurses and Squall was herded into a waiting room. There was nothing he hated more than waiting idle while someone he knew was in danger. He had experienced the feeling multiple times, but this was the first time that the other person was a family member. His anxiousness nearly making him ill, Squall forced himself to sit down in one of their uncomfortable chairs. Grabbing a random magazine, he began to flip through it, his eyes registering nothing but blurs of color as the pages turned. He knew Sora would be okay; this was a good hospital and blood loss was practically never fatal if treated quickly. But the fear of loosing Sora wouldn't leave. He was the only family Squall had left, the only real thing that kept him sane. There was nothing worse than this.

Time passed strangely, simultaneously feeling both like a few seconds and days. Finally one of the doctors came to meet him. Hurrying to his feet, Squall walked over to the man, "How's Sora?"

The doctor gave a calming smile, flipping open a file he had tucked under his arm, "Your brother is just fine Mr. Leonhart. In fact, he is almost ready to be taken home. He regained consciousness about fifteen minutes ago but I think he is ready to leave. I can't blame Sora, he's been here for far too many hours for a boy his age."

"What happened?"

Undoubtedly seeing a bit of guilt in Squall's eyes the man shook his head, "Don't worry Mr. Leonhart, what happened was neither your fault nor Sora's. It's because of his Leukemia and the medicine he needs to take. The two combined create a situation where Sora bruises and bleeds easily and his blood is unable to clot properly. We've stopped the bleeding but the bruises are still there. The damage however is only superficial and the bruises should fade away within two weeks, give or take a few days. If you have any other questions or if you notice any further complications, don't hesitate to call my office."

"Yes sir. Thank you."

"It's no trouble. Now, follow me and I'll take you to Sora."

Squall followed willingly and was led to an outpatient room where he found Sora sitting on a cot, his right arm professionally bound, a nurse fussing over him much to the teen's chagrin. When he saw his brother, his whole face lit up, "Squall! Am I allowed to go home now?"

"Yeah" Walking up to him, Squall did a quick visual once-over. Sora looked much better. His color was back and most of the bruising was hidden underneath the bandages, "Feeling okay?"

"A lot better!"

"Let's get you out of here then. Are you okay walking?"

"Yeah, it should be fine." Testing his strength, Sora scooted off of the cot, wobbling only a little before he regained his footing, standing solidly on two feet. "No problem!"

Keeping a watch on him out of the corner of his eye, Squall and Sora walked back out to the reception area so that Squall could check Sora out. While he was speaking with the woman at the desk, he told Sora to buy himself a water bottle at the gift store, both so that he would stay hydrated and so that he wouldn't hear what Squall knew was coming.

"Good evening sir, how can I help you?"

"I'm checking out Sora Leonhart."

Pulling up a few files on her computer, the secretary nodded at him, "Here he is." Printing out a receipt, she tore it off and passed it over to Squall, the man wincing as he saw the total. He knew Emergency Room visits were expensive but still…His parents had bought health insurance for both their sons and it lessened the blow a little but it was still a lot of money they didn't have.

Pulling out a checkbook, Squall quickly wrote out a check for the money, knowing that he had just enough in the bank to pay for it. The woman accepted his check and he filled out the necessary paperwork, locating Sora leaving the hospital store. "Hey kid, I'm ready to go if you are."

A wide smile spread across his lips, "Yeah, let's go!"

As they walked through the hospital doors and out onto the darkening streets Sora fell silent for a few moments. Glancing over at the usually talkative teen, Squall raised a brow, "What's up?"

"Just…I'm sorry…for, what happened."

Seeing that he was truly upset about the matter, Squall shook his head, "Don't worry about it, at all. It wasn't your fault."

"But if I hadn't fallen off—"

Squall interrupted him, "Sor, I would be more bothered if you stayed inside the house all day. You like to be outdoors, you like sports, and just because you're sick doesn't mean you should become someone you're not."

Smiling softly, Sora glanced up at his brother, "Thanks…"

Squall nodded and a few minutes later, Sora started up a conversation, complaining about school and how much he hated math class. Squall listened half-heartedly, his mind distracted as they walked home. He hadn't counted on Sora needing further hospitalization but it was clear that he needed to reconsider how much money he was going to need. Any job that he got in town would have paid enough to cover the necessities but he was going to need more money to keep Sora healthy. And there was only one job he knew about that would be able to pay that much. And that was to work for Zexion.

When they got back home, Squall had Sora relax in front of the TV while he fixed dinner, the preparation interrupted by the phone ringing. Grabbing the phone before Sora could get up, Squall used his shoulder to hold it up against his ear as he continued to chop vegetables. "Hello?"

"Is this Squall speaking?"

Recognizing the voice immediately, Squall turned toward the corner so that Sora wouldn't be able to see his face, "Zexion…how did you get this number?"

"I believe you gave all of your personal information to my coworker at the job search agency. Your home phone was included."

"Use my cell number instead."

"Very well, I will ask you for it when you next come to work. I called today however to let you know that you should bring a duffle bag or backpack with you on Tuesday. I have completed our last deal and you will be getting your share. I assume you will be returning; occasionally our new recruits will try to quit after their first job."

"I'll be there."