Yazoo opened his eyes as soon as he felt the rays of the sun gently touch his eyelids. He felt his pupil shrink as he opened his eyes, slowly adjusting to the light that hit him directly. He knew he had told the girl that he didn't care if she left the curtains open or closed, but she could at least have had the decency and common sense to close them if she expected him to rest a little more. How long had it been since he last fell asleep? It seemed like a couple of minutes, judging by the location of the sun outside his window. So much for sleeping in. As he continued to blink against the light, awakening further, he became aware that somebody was standing by said window, but it wasn't Sei.

He sat up abruptly, only to catch the person's attention. It snapped its head towards Yazoo, and for a few minutes, the figure stared at him, with strong arms crossed over its chest. Its hair was long, it passed its shoulders, and it was black with red tips. It partly hid its eyes; the human could almost pass by an eyeless creature, until Yazoo noticed a small reflection of the sun on the outside.

"So, you have awakened." It said. It was a he. The male raised his hands in order to tuck the hair covering his face behind his ears. There was a certain similarity between this male and Sei, except this human's eyes were cold and his features hard. Unlike his sister, this one didn't seem all too happy he was feeling better.

Yazoo could only eye him cautiously and nodded in approval.

"Sei told me your name's Yazoo." He continued.

Yazoo nodded again. "And you are?"

"Jake; Sei's brother."

"Ah, yes," said Yazoo, easing the tension on his body a bit. He still didn't trust him, though.

"How are you feeling?"

Yazoo looked at Jake. Not only did this man and Sei seem similar, they were, in a way similar in their attitude too. Or at least in the fact that they asked the same questions. Was this one asking out of genuine concern or just because he thought it was the ideal thing to ask? He wasn't sure, but he answered anyway. "Light headed."

The human nodded, as if thinking about something. "Are you hungry?"

Of course he was; it had been how long since his last meal? He was nodding and he stopped himself; he watched as Jake walked to the door and yelled into the hallway. "Hey! Yazoo's awake! Bring a plate for him."

So, he seemed to be disappointed that he had recuperated, yet he was offering food. If the human wanted to dispose of him as quickly as possible, then why not just kick him to the curb? He was feeling much better now; his back didn't feel as achy as it had a few minutes before when he had spoken to Sei; surely he could fend for himself. Or what, did the human not want to seem rude? "You are too kind," mumbled Yazoo, looking at Jake with narrowed eyes. "You and your sister. You are too kind. I hate it." Yazoo didn't know what made him say that; he wasn't one to express his feelings, usually. Jake wasn't like his sister; he gave off an intimidating air of kindness and danger mixed together which resulted very confusing.

Jake stood by the doorway, looking down at his guest with crossed arms. No, he thought after a few seconds. I don't think it's that, Yazoo. It's not hate.

The silence in that room grew to be very awkward and suffocating. The only noises heard were the clinking of metal against glass coming from the kitchen. Soon, these ceased, only to be replaced by heavy footsteps coming down the hall.

All of a sudden, Yazoo felt panic caress his being. It was the first time in so long; he had forgotten the uncomfortable feeling of his heart about to burst through his chest. It had never occurred to him that perhaps Jake and his sister knew Big Brother. What if the two people coming were friends of his? He didn't have his weapons; he had left them behind where he was found. Sure he felt much better now, but he still felt light-headed and he could feel his upper body rocking back and forth lightly as a result. He knew his balance was off, which would make him an easy target if by any chance Big Brothers friends decided to fight against him, which was more likely to happen. His eyes flew towards the window; he could stay and see who they were, or he could just jump out the window and run… somewhere…

Before he could make up his mind, two people walked into the room, catching Yazoo's attention instantly. The two figures stared back at him, with a smile on each face. Yazoo's heart almost stopped when he realized who they were. His eyes widened and he gripped the blanket so tight, his knuckles turned white.

"What… What…" he couldn't speak. His throat was so dry, it hurt to talk.

"Hey there, Yazoo," Said Loz. But it couldn't possibly be him, his hair wasn't silver!

"Missed us?" asked Kadaj. That young man couldn't be Kadaj. No way in hell that could be him!

"I saw you die." Were Yazoo's words before he blinked several times, more to make sure that his eyes weren't playing a trick on him.

"You know, I usually would settle for a 'Yes' to answer my question." Said Kadaj, walking to the bed and handing the plate full of food to Yazoo, who just stared at Kadaj and the plate like them both were some kind of disease he refused to have any contact with. "But I'll feel better if you just take the plate from me." Kadaj added.

Yazoo hesitantly took the plate from him, crossed his legs Indian style and placed the plate before him, still staring at his younger brother in awe. It was obvious to Jake that the guy was thinking this was all a dream. And Yazoo was definitely getting ready for the disappointment of when he woke up and he was alone in the room… or worse, still outside under the rain.

Minutes passed and the silence stretched. Okay, so maybe all this was really happening. But how? Sei had said she and her brother hadn't found anybody else earlier… so what was this all about?

"When… what… how?" he manage to say.

"They got here yesterday afternoon." Said Jake. He was now standing near the window again, in the exact same position he had been earlier.

"Sei told me nobody else was found besides me." Yazoo said. The tone in his voice carried a hint of stiffness, like if here giving the implication he hated being lied to.

"Yeah, she said that yesterday morning."

Yesterday? "How long did I sleep?"

"A whole 24 hours."

Yazoo couldn't believe his ears. OR his eyes. Yesterday… He had awakened; talked to Sei, fell asleep again. Yesterday, Kadaj and Loz were found and brought into this house as well. Yesterday… a whole 24 hours… It seemed like only a couple of minutes ago. No wonder his body felt much better.

"Don't worry Yazoo. We're here with you now," said Loz, who had moved beside his brother and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.

As reflex, Yazoo slapped his hand away and looked hard at the two people his mind told him were his brothers. He instantly cursed to himself and for once regretted having his mistrustful response when he saw that Loz had taken his hand back and looked about to cry.

Loz… he might look big, but inside, he was just a kid. A kid worried for his younger brother. A kid frightened at the thought that his brother had changed… and not in a good way.

"No," said Yazoo. "No, don't cry Loz."

"I'm not crying," sobbed Loz.

"Here we go." Kadaj rolled his eyes in exasperation; he'd been watching as the two interacted, and honestly speaking, it seemed like he was fed up with the same routine.

"Shut up," sobbed Loz.

"You shut up!" yelled Kadaj. He looked mad all of a sudden, like if he had been holding on to anger for so long it was unbearable and now the beast had come out.

"There's something wrong with you," said Loz, brushing the tears away, only to make way to new ones. "Ever since we came back, all you've done is get angry. I don't know what your problem is, but I can't take it anymore. You say there's no peace around here, but you're the one that's always causing half the things that get you mad. You're always ruining the quietness with your screams."

SLAP! Jake gasped at what he had seen, and took a few more steps closer to the three brothers. Kadaj was standing looking down at Loz, who had lost his balance and came to sit at Yazoo's bed. Loz had his hand on his reddened cheek, more tears running down his face. There was fear in his eyes, as he looked up at his younger brother, whose eyes flared with fury.

"Who do you think you're talking to? So high and mighty?" hissed Kadaj, his pupils widening vertically. "The only thing you're good for is crying. You wouldn't even be able to survive if I wasn't here!"

"Kadaj!" Yazoo was surprised to hear his own voice call out his brother's name firm with authority. Overall, he was surprised to see Kadaj talk like that to Loz, especially since he had never talked like that to any of his two brothers; that sneering attitude of his was always reserved for those who got in their way of achieving a goal, but now it had turned on them… the way he never thought it would. This was definitely a nightmare, it had to be.

Jakes voice made all three realize they hadn't been alone; he had watched everything happen. "The way the three of you talk, is like it's wrong to be loved by your family. Like peace is superficial… and a bad thing."

Kadaj's eyes narrowed further at Jake's comment, but when he saw that the human wasn't intimidated, he simply stated; "Mind your business, human; we're just not meant to get along with others, our own blood included."

"That's not true. Some people just can't get along with others, even if their life depended on it," said Jake, and shrugged slightly to get rid of the tension before leaning on a leg. "But you three are not like that. Not really. You lack experience, not capability. Being away from other people so long, seeing them all as obstacles to get to Jenova… it's natural that you'd be new to this sort of thing."

Kadaj turned away from Jake to face Loz, who recoiled. Jake continued. "You had a tough childhood being trained to be what you are. Well, making friends and getting along with others isn't easy either. You'll have to go through tough situations to figure things about you with others that you probably didn't even know you lacked."

"Human beings are so predictable and awful liars." Said Kadaj softly. Yazoo's gaze, who had been wandering on the bed sheets, turned to Kadaj's figure. His brother's head was bowed, his arms were stiff and so were his shoulders. His hands were clenched into fists, signs he was looking for a fight. Loz locked his eyes on Jake, waiting to see what would happen.

"You can say that." Said Jake, looking up at the ceiling, "But sometimes it only depends on how positive you are about things. You say that he wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. How do you know that? You know the world doesn't revolve around you. If you want people to get along with you, then you have to be willing to change a few things about yourself to make them feel safe around you. The same goes for that person wanting to get along with you."

"You know our past since a day ago; why haven't you done something to harm us?" said Kadaj, tightening his fists. Yazoo could tell his brother was gritting his teeth so hard, it was a miracle they didn't just break already. He always had been the most volatile of the three.

"There's no point," said Jake, shrugging again and looking at the trio. "What you did in the past makes you a dangerous person, true, but if you died and then came back, then it means you had to change something when you were alive. Just leave the past behind, and concentrate on how to be more kind to people and get along with them. My sister and I will help you; that's why we allowed you to stay here."

Wait a—Jake meant to say his intentions weren't to simply get rid of him and his brothers? "Truly?" asked Yazoo. Stillness was beginning to settle in the room.

Jake nodded. "You know, if you don't want to go, then just stay here."

"You know we can't do that," said Kadaj, his angry voice cutting through the peace; his body turning towards the doorway. "We have to go. Now."

"Kadaj, I want to stay here," Loz sniffled. "The ruins scare me." And by the way he was sitting next to Yazoo, it was also obvious he had enjoyed his stay in that house thus far.

"Jake, you said that we're dangerous," Kadaj said, still turned away. "And it's true. You have enough wisdom to understand that your future will depend on your decisions. You see, kind people are clung to. They are sought out and taken advantage of… by people like us. There's a reason I didn't want you to know some things yesterday. I… apre-ciate everything you've done on taking care of Yazoo and letting us stay, but I don't want to get you involved. It's not too late. You can still save yourself and your sister if you just let us go now. Because if we stay, that'll change. We don't need more ghosts following us."

"Is this the way you intend to go living?" asked Jake, beginning to lose patience. "Ears plugged? Eyes closed? Hiding, behind your hatred for your past? Is that the only way you can justify shutting yourself from the entire world? What then? Are you simply gonna wait for death? Completely alone?" His voice was rising without him even noticing.

Kadaj smiled, feeling the resentment rising in the human. If he could just get him angry enough to get kicked out… "I told you didn't I? I'm the worst from the worst," he said.

But his plan collapsed when Jake locked up his aggression and refocused his attention to the remnants on the bed. "Yazoo, you said before that you hated the way we treated you. Well, I don't believe it. You don't hate it." Yazoo looked at Jake, narrowing his eyes. Jake continued. "You're just not used to it."

"Stop it." Kadaj's voice was suddenly very close to Jake. He turned his head only to see Kadaj standing a couple of inches away from his body. He was staring into Jake's eyes furiously. "What are you trying to do? Do you look down on us?" he hissed. "Do you pity our miserable circumstances? Is that why you want us here? To make yourself feel better? Don't bother. We never asked for your sympathy. Just let us go and live in your own world. What we do isn't any of your business. I don't want to owe you!"

He looked back at Kadaj; he opened his mouth to tell him he had drawn the wrong conclusion, but before any words came out of his mouth, he felt his neck being wrapped by a cold hand.

"Shut up!" Screamed Kadaj, tightening the grip around Jake's neck. "We don't need your pity! We can handle this on our own! We don't need you!" Yazoo heard a whimper coming from Loz beside him and it was only understandable. Here Jake was, offering them a way out of the life that they knew; the idea itself was frightening, but thrilling too. Maybe a try wouldn't hurt. But as he saw Kadaj's ashen fingers dig into Jake's neck, he himself became afraid of what his brother would do; if he killed Jake, their chance of living a normal life would vanish. They could try on their own, no one ever said they couldn't, but without the guidance of a normal human per say, they would eventually go back to the life they had before. And as he thought all of this, the need hold his brother back overwhelmed him, yet he couldn't find the strength to get up from the bed and stop him, and his salivary glands had gone on vacation so he couldn't even utter a sound.

"Why do you care so much about us anyway?" Kadaj cocked his head, positioning his eyes to be at level with Jake's for a good challenge. "It's crazy! Most people would rather have nothing to do with us, but you… you're not afraid…You…" he couldn't finish. He blinked several times thinking he had to be hallucinating; Jake was still looking at Kadaj, but he hadn't made any attempt to make the remnant let go of him. He was still standing straight up, his arms crossed, looking at him coolly. No challenge in his eyes whatsoever.

Kadaj's expression began to change, his eyes reflected wonder, his mouth moved like if he was having a confusion tick, and his nostrils moved as if he was having trouble breathing. Maybe he wasn't being aggressive enough; in an attempt to keep the antagonism present, he tightened the grip on Jake's throat even more and moved him around like if he were to slam him on the wall, but it seemed he couldn't find the motivation to do it anymore. I could kill him right now, he thought, But something's not letting me.

Jake was careful to sound slightly curious as he prompted the remnant to finish his thought. "Me what?"

Kadaj found it amazing how the human's question wasn't insulting. "You don't give up…" whispered Kadaj. It was painful to talk; he felt a knot in his throat.

"Well, when change is underway, you're not supposed to give up," said Jake.

That's when the trio realized they lacked something important. Something that required effort to gain and yet at this very instant, it was offered to them like free samples of food people gave away in the supermarket. The opportunity to have friends, to get along with others, to leave all that violence behind, to start a new… to change.

Kadaj felt his hand let go of Jake's neck and backed away. His eyes were stinging with hot tears. Nobody had ever offered him a new life along with a friendship. Jenova spoke of a future where they were all happy, but… her promise dulled in comparison to what Jake was offering at this very moment. "It was my sister's idea…" He heard Jake say. His sister… the insane one suddenly didn't really seem so anymore. She was part of this new life, which in itself was insane, but also very thrilling. He looked back at his brothers.

Loz had tears running down his face as usual, but Yazoo… he was calm as ever. What was wrong with that guy? No matter what happened, he always showed himself indifferent, and this time was the same. Was he going to refuse and fight back the change? Should he too? Then a small smile broke on Yazoo's face; it was genuine, reassuring and so stunningly beautiful, Kadaj felt like he was about to collapse onto his knees. "You're right." Kadaj said. "Maybe… It's time to leave the past behind." It was going to take some time to get used to a new life; he was going to have to start all over, from scratch. All he knew about aggression, weapons, defenses, murder… all of it was going to have to be put away. He began to shake because for once in a very long time he was afraid again, unsure of the future…

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. "It's okay. Everything's going to be fine now." Jake looked at him, as he squeezed his shoulder reassuringly like a father would his son. Kadaj only nodded, and smiled sadly. For now he would have to pretend he was normal, just like everyone else. Maybe one day all that pretending would be over, and he could actually be normal…

I can't believe this is the same Kadaj from a couple of minutes ago, thought Jake as he walked back to the bed with Kadaj following. The one… whose cold eyes gave me chills…

Things went back to being peaceful in a matter of minutes and a few words. Yazoo was finally able to eat his cold food, clumsily. Loz had offered to help, but Jake shook his head and told him that he was having trouble eating because of how long he'd gone without using his arms. They all talked softly, as if making up for all the screams and loud voices that had been heard earlier.

Once he was finished eating, Yazoo decided to give walking a try. His balance was a bit off at first, having to hold onto Jake or Loz for support and even the wall; as Jake had said, it made him appear drunk. It had been a wild idea, he realized, to even think he would've been able to bolt out of the window earlier, when he'd felt threatened. He would've been an easier prey, with broken bones and such likely to have resulted as consequence for his inability to fully control his body at will. He could only feel thankful that the feeling of wariness had been in vain, because he felt unsure as to how long it would go before he could even behave like the sober being he was.

But as time passed, he was able to walk normally again. As his body regained its use, the slight ache still present in his limbs and back began to disappear gradually, until finally, his body was so warmed up, he could sit, stand, jump and such without much effort. He was reminded by Jake that he should take it easy for another few hours, but still walk around to ensure his strength and recovery.

A bit later, Jake examined his face, neck and wrists for the burn marks; he was unable to hide his surprise to find that they had healed wonderfully. "I guess aloe really does wonders." A sudden thought went through Yazoo's head. "There is something I don't quite understand," he said cautiously picking his words so another fight wouldn't break out. "Jake mentioned that what we did make us dangerous. He also mentioned mother. How did he know…?"

"Kadaj told him and his sister last night." Said Loz, also cautiously. He had been sitting aside like a little boy waiting on his friend at a nurse's office.

Kadaj ignored how cautious they were being around him, and decided to change the subject. "Speaking of whom, where is she?" he asked. "I don't feel her presence anywhere in this house."

An almost scary grin spread across Jake's face. "Well," he said, "remember about that deal we made yesterday?"

When the bell rang, Sei accompanied her friends to the entrance, and then walked home. Her mind was on how crazy that day had been, when she caught a glimpse of a person walking back and forth near the edge of the glowing forest.

It was tall, and it had long silver hair that trailed behind… it was funny, it almost looked like—"Yazoo?" she called.

He turned his head to her, his green eyes finding her brown ones. "Greetings."

"What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be in bed resting?" she asked, hurrying up to his side. She could feel a wide smile on her face; she couldn't believe he was already up and walking!

"I was tired of being in bed. Your brother told me you were in school and that you took this way to walk home, so I decided to wait for you and walk together." He answered, motioning way for her to walk. Ah, so that was the reason. Damn Jake, she thought, the man opens his eyes and instead of letting him rest a couple more days, he gets him to work.

"Well okay, thank you." She said, a slight blush on her cheeks. I'm going to kill you, Jake. "I hope you didn't wait here all day."

"No." He said, following after her into the forest. "I explored and found a few interesting places around here."

"Really?" And she meant it; he'd actually gone exploring? Like it was no trouble at all? There was something odd about all of this; Jake had better not have threatened him. "Like what kind of places? Can you show me?"

To her disappointment, he was shaking his head. "Not now. We have to go back home." Well, first things first, she guessed. Or maybe it was payback, for refusing to answer his questions the day before. When Sei fell silent beside him, he added, "Try not to look so disappointed; I am sure there will be other times."

"Okay." She looked up at him with a smile and couldn't help but notice he was really tall. The top of her head probably barely reached his shoulder. And she couldn't help but notice he was handsome too, especially since now he looked healthier and stronger than when she and her brother first found him. There was something about him, though, that had her wondering, and it took her a while of staring to realize that he wasn't wearing the clothes Jake had lend him to sleep in; he wasn't wearing his own clothes either. Instead, he seemed to be wearing … black dress pants and a white shirt with a tie?

Not that it looked bad on him; she recognized those clothes as the one's Jake used when he wanted to go to formal parties and reunions and such, and because Jake was a little more muscular than Yazoo, the shirt and pants fit him a little loose, but he looked comfortable in them. The tie that should've been snug around his neck was actually now hanging from his shoulders loosely as well, and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone, which just served to indicate he was indeed in a laid-back mood. Sei raised an eyebrow and began to ask, "Why are you—?"

"You brought my brothers home, am I right?" interrupted Yazoo. They both looked at each other, and she laughed. At what, she didn't know, but decided to answer his question first.

"Yeah. Were you surprised?" His eyes narrowed, not in a bad way; it was as if he were laughing silently.

"Very. They said that they had colored their hair so they could avoid recognition by the people in town when they were out and about the place."

She laughed again, this time remembering that Anna and Mimi had told her to let them know if she found out anything on the hair dye and towel being stolen case. Boy, were they going to think it weird once she told them… but wait, maybe it was better if they didn't know what was going on. She nodded; yeah that was the safest alternative.

They saw her house and then went inside. "Jake! I'm home!"

"He's not here," answered Loz, from the couch. He was wearing one of Jake's muscle shirts, and he also seemed in a very laid back mood. Well, wasn't it wonderful; all of them seemed to be adjusting just fine.

"Oh? Where is he?"

"He's with—"

"Hey, do you know how to cook?" Interrupted Yazoo, walking into the kitchen. "I am still hungry," He added.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec." Sei took off her backpack and put it next to Loz and then walked into the kitchen to find Yazoo getting pans ready.

Sei cooked for five, and then served Loz, Yazoo and herself. She had an interesting time showing them and explaining the basics on thanking for the food before eating a meal. When they finished eating, Jake wasn't back yet from wherever he was and Kadaj was still nowhere to be seen.

"So, where are Jake and Kadaj again?" asked Sei.

"Oh, he's with—"

"I hear voices outside; I believe that is them." Everyone shushed and listened; indeed, two voices were close to the house. It sounded a lot like Jake and Kadaj. It also sounded like they were in a middle of an argument.

"Wonder what's going on…"

At that moment, the main door slammed open and Jake yelled, "Wait! Kadaj! Listen to me!"

"Silence! You think it's fun to be pushed around like if I were an object? Well, I'll tell ya, it ain't!" Yelled Kadaj. They were in the living room now. Sei stood up and headed towards the room those two were in, with Loz and Yazoo following her, alarmed.

"Of course not! Well… Maybe it was a little bit fun, but that's not the point!" Said Jake, between breaths. "You need to get education to get a career!"

"I don't need a career!" Kadaj whirled around to face Sei's older brother whom he was trying to run away from earlier. "In fact, not having a career is my career! And I'm very good at it!"

"Hi! What's with all the ruckus?" Everyone turned to see the only female in the house.

Sei in turn noticed that Kadaj was also wearing black dress pants with a white shirt and tie, but unlike Yazoo, he didn't look comfortable at all; the shirt he was wearing looked bulky and bunched up, and his pants were too long; the tie seemed to be strangulating him and half the collar was pulled up over his chin. The image would've been comical if it weren't for the fact that his eyes were blazing with anger and his face was literally red with the emotion. And then it seemed as if hell was about to open it's gates when the remnant pointed accusingly at Jake and yelled, "This sick fuck put our identity at risk today!"

"What?" her eyes widened at this piece of information then she looked at her brother. "HOW?" Now she too was yelling.

Jake rolled his eyes at how overly dramatic the situation had turned and sighed. Before he could say anything however, Yazoo's voice drifted from the doorway, calm, cool and soothing as always.

"Oh, I forgot to mention it before, Sei." The mentioned girl turned to him, a questioning look in her face. Yazoo smiled slightly and then added, "Starting next Monday, he and I will be the new students at your school."