IM SORRRYYYY! I know I haven't updated since September, and I have good reasons, but that doesn't excuse my absence. Since I've been gone for so long I think this chapter needs to be a little longer than the others to make up for lost time. As always, if you like this chapter or have an idea leave a comment for me, I do check them. It's because I get comments that I continue to write and be inspired, so thank you to all my loyal readers.

And onto the story!

Recap:

"Come on Amu, let's go inside!" Utau grabbed my arm and I flinched in pain. "What'swrong with your arm?" she asked skeptically and almost angrily. Then she rolled up my sleeve to reveal a large, purple bruise on my forearm. Her mother gasped in shock and she looked absolutely pissed. "Amu, I'll ask you this once; who did this to you?"

"I think we better go inside," said her mother as she opened the door to what I knew as finally telling the truth.

(Amu POV)

Dinner was cooking in the kitchen, the aroma of the food wafting through the room. The smell was delicious, and my empty stomach growled loudly.

"Amu-chan, when was the last time you ate?" A concerned Soko questioned.

"…" It's not because I didn't want to answer that I stayed silent, only because I couldn't remember.

"Amu!" Oh great, Utau was angry.

"I-I don't remember," It was barely a whisper, but somehow both women had heard.

"Oh, Amu. What's happened to you? You come here hurt and hungry. You've been in pain, and only now do you come for help?" Utau's words stung, but I deserved them. She must have seen the pain in my eyes, because she quickly added "I don't blame you or anything, I just wish you came sooner so you wouldn't be this hurt."

"I know, thank you Utau"

"Amu-chan, how about you tell us the whole story." Soko suggested from behind the counter.

I took a deep breath "It started when mom left for the Caribbean…"

(Ikuto's POV)

As I walked through the door with a couple of grocery bags in my hands, I could hear them talking in the other room. The smile on my face only cracked when I heard what they were talking about.

"He threatened her if I didn't…" She sobbed. "It happened for a couple of weeks."

"What made you run away?" My sister asked, her voice croaking every now and again. I could tell she had been crying, which meant the other sobs I heard were my mothers.

"She's gone," it was barely a whisper. "Ami, she died at school when the building caught fire,"

That's when the bags hit the floor.

"Ikuto, is that you?" Utau asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah," teeth clenched so tightly they could have broken at any moment. Utau walked through the door after that leaving Amu with mom.

"Leave her be for a bit, she's had a rough time," she warned.

"But-"

"No! She needs some time, Ikuto. You don't know the half of it, so don't even try. That girl has been through so much, she doesn't really need to think about any sort of complication; including you," She explained. I understood, but how can I stand living in the same house as her without losing it.

"I understand," pushing past her and ignoring the curious look of my mother, I head up the stairs to my room. Their chatter resumed soon enough.

"'You don't know the half of it.' I heard more than ya' think."

(Amu's POV)

Ikuto walked through the door without a word to me and went straight upstairs. Why was he so angry?

"So Amu, how do you want to go about this?"

"Honey there isn't much of a choice in this. As a responsible adult, I think we need to go to the police. They will know where to go from there." Souko said

"You're right, but I'm scared," the tears were coming again, I could feel it.

"You have nothing to be scared of, honey." Souko rubbed my shoulders. "You did nothing wrong, you'll be fine."

"M-m-mom w-will hate me" the sobs were uncontrollable.

"She could never hate you, Amu, don't be ridiculous." Utau chimed in.

"She already does! She called me a liar when I tried to tell her what happened. She probably even blames me for Ami's death just like she blamed me for papas"

You could see Utau's face twist. "She said what to you?!"

"She told me it's my fault that papa died, 'cause he was driving to pick me,"

"Oh honey, no one blames you for that. You couldn't possibly have stopped it," Sokou was always the best at consoling me when I'm sad.

My chest felt like it was being crushed and my head was swirling. "I think I'll head up to bed if that's alright with you guys?"

"Go ahead sweetheart, Utau and I will finish cleaning so don't you worry,"

"I'll be up in a little Amu, just don't hog the whole bed," Utau joked. It brought a slight smile to face to see her try to make me happy.

I climbed into the plushy pink covers and let the warmth and safety envelope me.

(Later that night, Amu's dream)

The beady red eyes loomed over me as I was back in that house on the table yet again.

"Hear that little slut?" he started "That's the sound of all those you love dying while you're here, doing my bidding," He was right, I could hear the cries of my little sister. It was almost as if we were there to hear her burn.

Just after her cries abruptly stopped, in came my papas labored breathing. I could hear the car alarms going off and the distant ambulance and firetrucks on their way, but they were too late, his lungs collapsed minutes before they arrived.

"Just remember, it'll always be your fault that they're dead. And now, if you don't, doesn't really matter if you do though, I'm going to fuck your silly little brains out!"

And the pain and torture started all over again. The whips were cracked on sensitive places, names were called and hair was pulled. At one point there was a knife slicing into my legs just below my crotch. He insisted it felt good, and my cried of pain were really cries of pleasure.

The door creaked open and my mother walked.

"You little slut! Why are you trying to steal my husband? Isn't it enough that you killed the first one?" she screamed running strait to us. The smell of liquor on her breath and the bottle in her hand made it quite obvious that she was drunk, and her drunk is one thing I couldn't handle.

"I'm sorry honey, she drugged me, striped me, and then just jumped me. I would never touch a creature like her when I'm married to a beautiful lady like yourself." He pulled out and squeezed her tight. They walked off together leaving me naked on the table, and too scared to move.

"It'll be alright," a very smooth, silky voice cooed. "I'm here, you're safe. MY Amu,"

(End of dream, or shall I say nightmare ;)

I woke up with tears on my face and sweat making the thin shirt I was wearing stick to my skin. I looked over only to see my heavy sleeping best friend her could sleep through the apocalypse and not even flinch. Yup, still as oblivious as ever.

I got up and went to the kitchen to get a drink. The cool hard wood floor made me flinch at first contact. I continued to pad my way down the stairs to the dimly lit kitchen only to find Utau's older brother standing there about to leave.

"Where are you going?" He literally jumped five feet in the air at the sound of my voice.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on people, it could turn out badly."

"That doesn't answer my question, and I don't like to repeat myself; where are you going?"

"I see all the tears are gone and that mock bravery is back. Now that's the Amu I remember," his smile/smirk almost seemed sincere.

"I don't remember you, yet I feel as if you've always been at my side. Is it just me being crazy or do you feel that too?" Words would just not keep themselves in my head where they belonged. They just kinda spilled out in word vomit and all I could do was hope he didn't think I was crazy.

He was taken aback at first by my sudden question, but his lips slowly turned back into the oh-so familiar smirk that normally adorns his face. "I feel it too, but I remember everything, so it is like you never left." He turned to the door fairly quickly after that. "You should go back to bed, I have some errands to take care of," the door shut quietly and I was left staring at a blank wall wishing for that feeling of safety to come back and wrap me in its arms. Yet, somehow that feeling walked right out the door with him; I hope I remember soon.

Sooo… How did you like it? I put a lot of time and thought into this chapter and where to end it, but I think it turned out well. I know where I want to go with the rest of it, not too much more 'cause I don't want to overcomplicate the simplicity of their soon to be love, but expect the ending to be in like three or four more chapters. Anyways leave me a comment and tell me how I'm doing. –Love Hiyotsui 3