Chapter Seventeen: Talking

Rin excused herself after all the pleasantries had been made and the conversation had dulled. They had all been surprised to find that Kureno was the friend she had talked about, but didn't think much of it after a couple of comments.

She knew where the child's room was from previous visits to the house. He was the answer to all her questions. Akito had promised to tell her the answer if she brought the child to him. She had no idea what Akito had in mind for the child and didn't care. She was willing to do anything to get what she wanted.

He was still sleeping soundly. Good, she thought, that will make this so easier. She didn't expect much trouble from him anyway. He still wasn't talking so he wasn't going to yell for help. Kyo-kun was downstairs with the adults. There was no one to interfere. She walked silently across the room and opened the window. It was the only way out without a chance of being seen. She took the rope out of her purse and flung it out the window after securing it. Yuki stirred as a cool breeze blew into the room. Rin couldn't help the fluttering of nerves in her stomach as the mouse opened his eyes groggily, looking for the source of his cold. His eyes focused on her standing beside the window.

Yuki was up in her arms before his sleepy mind could process anything. Why in the world had Rin picked him up? Maybe Nii-san had sent her up to get him. He didn't notice they weren't going downstairs until the cold hit full force in the face. He opened his eyes again, scowling darkly, as he fully woke. She was going toward the window and the rope. A rope? Why was there a rope going out the window? Why were they heading toward it? He didn't want to go outside. Outside led to very bad things like the main house and Akito. He was not going outside. He kicked his legs back, heels connecting with Rin's stomach. He heard her grunt, but her grip only tightened. The six-year-old whimpered as Rin pinched him hard. Yuki immediately stopped struggling as tears stung his eyes. "You're not going to give me an trouble. If you do, you'll be getting much more than a little pinch. Akito is going to give me my answers."

Yuki's heart stopped at the head of the family's name. He didn't care what Rin did to him as long as it prevented him from seeing Akito. "Grab a hold of the rope and start climbing down. I'm going to be watching you." Yuki nodded, obeying, while trying to think of a way to get Nii-san's attention, he had to get his attention…

He didn't hear Rin jump to the ground, or her running footsteps behind him. Yuki cried out as she hauled him up by the arm and backhanded him. Rin didn't pick him up this time, simply dragging him by the hand. Yuki struggled against her, a heavy weight pressing against his chest. He had to do something. He had to do something now. He wanted Nii-san. He needed Nii-san. Nii-san was inside, and couldn't hear him walking. Without thinking another second, the child opened his mouth and screamed.

"Nii-san!"

Rin froze in her tracks, whirling on her cousin, backhanding him again. Since when had the child been able to talk? She threw him to the ground, covering his mouth. Yuki struggled against her, kicking and clawing, feeling no remorse for any pain he was causing her. He had to get to Nii-san.

His foot connected hard with ribs and his fist finally got her square in the eye as she grunted and rolled off him. He scrambled away, screaming for his brother over and over again.

Meanwhile, Ayame and Shigure were being their normal selves. They were being a bit quieter as not to wake Yuki. Kyo glared at them. Didn't they know they were grown-ups? Frustrated, he got up and headed to the doors to go outside to block out the noise. He was about to close the door all the way, but Shishou yelled for him. He sighed and went back, looking at his father expectantly. He smiled as he thought of going back to his father. There was no surrogate or adoptive father anymore. It was simply dad.

"Kyo, leave the door open so I can hear you if you yell." The five-year-old resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why would he yell for anything? He nodded, obedient to his father's wishes. He sat on the edge of the porch, dangling his feet over. He could still hear the adults talking, but he couldn't make out the words. It was still light out with an overcast sky. Kyo glared lightly at the clouds. He really didn't want it to rain. Kyo stretched out on the wood. Maybe he would take a nap. He had been a little sleepy for over thirty minutes, but hadn't felt like sleeping yet. Just as he was almost asleep he heard something, something like a scream. He frowned, huffed, and opened his eyes. Kyo sat up as he heard the scream again. He still couldn't hear what the person, he thought it was a boy, was saying. He frowned deeper as heard the scream again, and he finally heard what they were screaming: Nii-san. This person screamed the same word again. Kyo scowled again, jumping off the porch. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. Once it clicked, he immediately ran back toward the porch, yelling for his dad on the way.

"Dad, Yuki-kun's hurt! He's yelling for Ayame-kun!" He didn't wait for them to come out as Yuki's yells got louder. He sounded terrified. Kyo knew what it was like to be trapped somewhere, only wanting someone to comfort you, but knowing that it wasn't going to happen. He automatically stopped as his father's stern yell reached his ears, whirling around as Ayame and Kureno ran past him.

Yuki was still terrified, kicking and clawing with all his might. He could remember his taw-kwon-doe, but wasn't in the right position to do any of them. He yelled in pain as Rin's fist connected with his cheek. He had managed to throw her slightly off balance before so the full force of the punch didn't reach him, but it was enough to bring the small child to sobs. "Nii-san! Ayame! Help! Somebody!"

He was cut off as Rin covered his mouth and nose. Yuki assumed she would take her hand off in a minute, but she firmly kept it there. Yuki's lungs were screaming for air, trying to draw in air that simply wasn't there. Rin smiled, relieved as his kicking and punches became mere pats. The brat has finally shut and was being cooperative. She never heard anyone come up behind her.

Yuki's eyes fluttered close, but he immediately opened the. He had to stay awake, he had to keep fighting. His eyes closed, and this time they didn't open. He couldn't force them to open. He was dimly aware of some sort of pressure being removed from his mouth, but he was simply to sleepy to care. He knew he had been scared before, but he couldn't remember the reason. He heard voices around him, but he didn't know who they were.

Ayame was frantic. Kureno was restraining Rin as Shigure, Kazuma, and Kyo made their way through the woods to the foursome. Yuki was laying limply on the ground, barely breathing. He knew his heart had stopped at the site of Rin on top of Yuki smothering him. He gently shook his younger brother. "Come on, Yuki, wake up. You have to take up. You're breathing, just keep breathing."

Yuki focused on the voice nearest him and the hands on his shoulders. Nii-san, his brain supplied. He knew he needed to open his eyes. Nii-san needed him to open his eyes. He was saying so.

"Open your eyes, come on, open your eyes, I know you can do this. You're so strong, you're a strong little boy. You can do this simple thing, just open your eyes!"

Yuki very slowly opened his eyes, brain still groggy, but he had to stop Nii-san's worrying. The first and only thing he saw was Ayame's concerned face. "Yuki?" The child looked at him, raising his arms in a demand to be held. Ayame's face split into a huge grin, gladly giving into the child's demand.

Yuki leaned his head on his brother's shoulder as everything came back to as more and more oxygen went back into his lungs. It was amazing that he didn't have an asthma attack. Ayame was holding him tightly, rocking back and forth on the spot.

They were moving! Why? He didn't want to move, he didn't want to go anywhere! "Stop!" he yelled, panicked. Ayame immediately stopped, staring at the child in his arms.

"What's wrong? Does something hurt?"

A lot of things hurt, but not because Ayame had moved. "Where are you going? Why are we moving?" Ayame knew he shouldn't have been surprised by Yuki's scared tone, but he was.

"We're just going back to the house, back to home. It's okay, Yuki. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you. Hatori is going to came and back sure everything is really okay with you," Ayame said soothingly while rubbing the small of the child's back. Yuki thought about this for a second before nodding and placing his head back on Ayame's shoulder.

The tears didn't start until they were back inside the house with cups of hot chocolate in front of them. Yuki was just set his cup back on the table before hiding his face and bursting into sobs. These weren't quit, little sobs. These were huge, loud, hiccupping sobs that shook his whole body. Ayame held him closer, cradling the small body to his chest. Yuki clung to his brother with all his might, fright and relief rushing through him. He didn't want to think about how close he had come to facing Akito again. He knew he wasn't ready for that. He didn't think he ever would be. Rin could've killed him tonight. He could've died, but instead he was safe, snuggled in his brother's warm arms.

Yuki finally pulled back from him, smiling. Ayame smiled back wondering at the sudden change in the child's mood. "I'm talking. I can talk, Nii-san. I CAN TALK AGAIN!" Yuki laughed as he realized this and flung his arms around the man's neck, still laughing. Ayame laughed along with him, realizing for the first time that night, that he had talked. Yuki was talking again. His adorable, amazing, sweet, little brother was talking again!

What made it all the better as everyone realized that Yuki was talking again, having been to concerned or afraid for this sink in earlier, was that his first word had been to yell for his brother.

Author's Note: Completely corny and sappy I know, and not really up to usual standards, but in order to simply hopefully have a D in chemistry I, unfortunately, had to start paying attention in class, which cut a good hour of my writing time every day. I also started writing again on one of my original stories for a while, and then I started a Twilight fan fic. SORRY FOR THE DELAY!! It's better than last year though, and I'll try not to have such a long space between updates this time, but no promises. READ MY TWILIGHT FAN FICTION!! I just posted it a couple of days, and if you've read Twilight please go read it. If you like vampire and haven't read Twilight, go read it. It's awesome! THANKS FOR MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!! I have 149!! I only need one more to have 150!!! In only 17 chapters!!!!! THANKS AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!!