For those who celebrate it, Happy 4th of July, yay fireworks. This is a very short chapter, sorry.

Chapter 11 – He Doesn't Look a Thing Like Jesus

Nurse Axel kept to his word. When we arrived home he started a bath for me with bubbles, so he could be in the room as well. He had left the room while I got undressed and climbed into the tub. Now he was sitting on the edge of it with a first aid kit, holding his hand out. "Come on Roxy, I need your hand." He insisted.

I was still stunned by Axel's actions tonight. He could've killed him. I gave him my hand as he requested. His knuckles were bruising from the force he'd put into his punching, and some were bleeding from where Xemnas' teeth had gotten in his way. There was murder in his eyes tonight. I have no doubt that he would've killed Xemnas had I not stopped him. And that scares me.

How could he be so close to murder one minute and gently wiping me hand with antibacterial cream the next. He acted as if he hadn't just spilt half a man's blood. The only thing that seems to matter to him is my wellbeing. He would kill for me and I'm not sure I could live with that. "Look at me Roxy. I need to clean up your face."

I looked at him and saw the caring green orbs I fell in love with. They almost made me forget what I've witnessed tonight, but the blood on his face an in his hair, which wasn't his, was a gruesome reminder. This man was capable of murder.

It was almost impossible to think that the hands tenderly touching my face were capable of such horrid things. "I think your lip may need stitches. I'm gonna go get you some clean clothes."

And yet, I still love him. It just proves, even more, that you cannot help who you love. My red-haired savior would do anything for me.

oOo

I knew Roxas would be upset; it's hard not to be after you're almost raped. But there was something more. He wouldn't talk to me and I couldn't figure out why. I grabbed his favorite pajama pants and a t-shirt then quickly made my way back to him, knocking on the door before entering.

As I entered, he continued to stare at the wall. Normally he would watch me or acknowledge me in some way. I don't know what I did wrong. Should I not have saved him? "I got your clothes Roxy. I'll wait outside the door while you get dressed, 'kay." He nodded without looking at me.

Did I really mess up that bad? I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if Xemnas had raped my Roxy. But why is he upset? Roxas opened the door, looking down, then walked to our bed to lay down, facing away from me. "Roxy, did I do something wrong?"

"No." He mumbled.

"Why won't you look at me?" I asked, "I'm trying, so hard, to fix this. Is it because I let you go home alone, because it's my fault that you were alone!?" I plopped onto the bed, my back facing Roxas, and threw my head into my hands. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to leave you alone. I was supposed to protect you." I cried. Yeah, I cried for the first time since my mom died.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder before it wrapped around my chest and was replaced by Roxas' head. He kissed my neck before whispering, "It's not your fault Axel." Then he continued placing kisses along my neck making his way up to my face, where he kissed my tears away.

"Then why won't you look at me? I don't understand. It feels like I'm losing you. It's like when I lost Saix. I can feel that it's coming, and I don't know how or if I can stop it." Tears were still falling down my face.

Roxas' arm left my chest and both of his hands grabbed my face and turned it so his azure eyes were looking directly into the depths of my green eyes. "You are not losing me. Do you understand?" I nodded, "I love you. It's just…you almost killed him."

"But I didn't." I insisted. It's true, I got carried away, but I didn't kill him, even if he did deserve it.

"But you would have. And you certainly seem capable of it." Roxas reiterated. "It scared me."

I wrapped my arms tightly around my little blond. It is my fault he's upset. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't want him to touch you." I sighed, "When you live on the street you have to know how to fight. I didn't mean to scare you, Roxy. I really didn't."

"I know."

"Do you want me to sleep somewhere else tonight?" I asked, thinking he may need some space.

"No? Don't you dare leave me?" Roxas said frightened at the prospect of being alone. "I don't want to be alone." Roxas clutched me tighter, bringing him closer to me.

"Okay, I won't leave Roxy, but I need t take a shower. You've already seen me naked, so I don't mind if you want to sit in there with me." He nodded at my offer.

Roxas sat silently on the counter while I took a shower. I watched as the water turned red with blood and ran down the drain in a grisly spiral. Now that I was calmed down and I knew Roxy was safe, I could understand his fear. That wasn't my blood. I had hurt someone, sure he's an evil person, but I had hurt him enough to have pints of his blood covering me. I did that.

After I was sure all the blood was off of me I dried off and got dressed behind the shower curtain. Then Roxas and I crawled into bed. He wasted no time wrapping himself around me. "I love you Axel." He murmured.

"I love you too, Roxy."

oOo

"His name's Xemnas and he's very tall, white hair, tan skin. Mmhm. Okay thank you." I woke up to Axel's voice. It sounded like he was in the kitchen. That had me jumping out of bed faster than a chipmunk on speed.

As I ran into the kitchen I saw Axel standing over the table looking proud of himself. When he looked up at me, standing cautiously at the edge of the kitchen, he said, "Hey Roxy, I made cereal?" I looked around the room quickly. Nothing was broken, nothing was burnt, and it was clean. Wow, a first for him.

"No injuries?" I asked skeptically.

"Well I didn't say that Roxy." Axel said with a smirk on his face. "Come tomorrow I'm gonna have a nice bruise on my eye." Now that I looked, Axel's eye was kind of red.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Oh, the kitchen opened the cabinet door into my face while I was getting bowls."

"You mean you, opened it into your face."

"No, it was the bastard kitchen, I swear."

"Okay Red." I sat down at the table with Axel. I'm surprised the worst he did was a bruise. I would've thought he'd drown in the milk or something. I don't know what I'd do without him. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh…uh, I called the police. Told them to patrol Xemnas' street."

"Oh…okay." We were quiet for a bit after that then Axel spoke up.

"Do you want to go to work or stay home?" He asked carefully as he shoved a spoonful of Lucky Charms into his mouth.

"Nothing happened yesterday. You stopped it before anything could. So we'll go to work and no one will know."

"Uh, Roxy, your face is pretty swollen and has lots of pretty colors." My spoon clattered to the floor as I jumped up from the table and ran to the toaster. I didn't know a face could turn so many colors. "Don't worry; I still think you're adorable."

"I look like something from a horror movie."

"Then you're a really cute something from a horror movie."

"Axeeel." I whined. "How can you even look at me? I'm disgusting." Axel stood up from his chair and walked towards me. I tried to turn away but Axel grabbed me around my waist and pulled me close.

"Roxy, Roxy, there is nothing that could make me think you're disgusting. It doesn't matter if your face is a million different colors and three times its normal size, or if you've got snots dripping out of your nose and your voice is all muffled from being stuffed, or even if you look like Two-Face from Dark Knight. I love you no matter how you look. So stop talking bad about yourself and realize you are absolutely beautiful, no matter what." I looked into Axel's sincere eyes and smiled. Again, I found myself thinking, 'What would I do without him?"

The next chapter is longer. Again it's going to be a few days before i update so i can continue to try to get ahead. I post my progress in my profile (for those interested on what chapter I'm writing).

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