Because of You

Sequel to: "This I Promise You"

Building a Family series

Written by: Chochowilliams

Disclaimer: I do not own Gravitation or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Summary: It is six years later and while Shuichi has moved on with his life, there are those who have not.

Warning: M/M, M/F, Sexual Situations, Romance, Angst, Drama, Fantasy, Infidelity, OOC, Language, M-Preg, OCs, Japan Natives: Surname first

Pairings: Shuichi/Eiri, past Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, Tatsuha/Ryuichi, past Maiko/OMC, Ayaka/OMC, OMC/OFC

Inserts: recap from chapter 8,

A/N: Originally, I was going to have Riku, Keitaro and Kane die in the accident, but got so many reviews from people wanting them to live that my muse allowed me to do so.

oOo

Last Time

"-chase the boys through the parking garage, ramming them countless times," Tohma continued. "Riku-kun apparently lost control of the car and plowed into a pillar-"

"It was her," Eiri whispered, not having heard a word Tohma said. His voice did not sound like his own.

Shuichi focused his dazed mind on Eiri as much as the fog in his mind would allow.

"It was her," Eiri reiterated. He lifted eyes glazed over with shock and disbelief. "She's been stalking us for months and now this…" God! Was this all his fault?

That got Tohma's immediate attention. "Eiri. What are you talking about? What is going on?"

Instead of answering, Eiri turned his attention from his brother-in-law to his husband. "Shu-chan."

Shuichi just stared back at his husband blankly, unable to process any of this.

"I am so sorry," Eiri whispered, his voice breaking with the effort to hold back the flood of tears threatening to spill over.

Shuichi felt numb.

It may have been gravitation that brought Eiri and him together, but Fate had cursed their relationship from the very beginning. This was just another sad reminder that they were not meant to have any semblance of happiness in their lives.

oOo

Chapter 9: Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

What had at one time used to be a source of pride for her had become the basis of her greatest shame. People used to look at her and her brother and coo at how much alike they looked. Often Yasashii and she were mistaken for twins when in reality they were nearly fifteen years apart.

Their parents had just about given up any hope of having any children of their own when her brother came along. They had already been well into their forties by this time. Then their mother had discovered she was pregnant with her second child. To say their parents had been surprised at this sudden and unexpected development would be an understatement. From what she learned from her brother, she had come this close to not being born. Apparently, not only their mother, but their father as well, was worried about becoming parents for the second time at their age. Not only was going through a pregnancy extremely dangerous for their mother at her age, but their parents were afraid that they would not be around to see their baby girl grow up. They were also concerned about just being able to take care of a baby. They were no longer as young as they used to be. In the end, their parents ended up going through with the pregnancy.

…But when she was five, Yasashii had been twenty, their father passed away after a massive series of heart attacks. Then a mere five years later when she was ten, they lost their mother. Their mother had been steadily going down hill ever since their father passed away until her heart finally just gave out. She passed away five years to the day she lost her husband. None of the doctors would admit it, but everyone in the family knew that she had died of a broken heart.

Her brother took her in after that. He became her mother and her father. He was the one who, for the next five years, took care of her. He protected her, guided her, and loved her as if she were his own.

…And then…

It was the end of her first semester in high school. She had opted to try for one of the most prestigious, exclusive private high schools in Japan and had, to her astonishment, actually been accepted. Physical Education was her first class of the day and it was just ending when she was called to the office. At first, she thought she was in trouble. She had not been able to think of anything that would warrant her to be sent to the principal's office, but at the time, it had been the only reasonable explanation. Once she entered the head master's office, though, she was given the shock of her life. Her brother, her only living relative, was gone.

There was a struggle…

…The railing snapped…

…He fell…

…He broke his neck…

…and died instantly.

Then she learned that Shindou Shuichi had been the cause of the fight. He had been the one who pushed her brother to his death. He pushed her brother through the railing. He was the reason why she was suddenly left all alone in the world. Her idol, the guy she had plastered all over the walls in her dorm room and in her locker and all over her notebooks and binders, was her brother's killer.

She had been outraged!

…But then…

The news began spreading all those vicious lies about her brother. They claimed that Shindou had been the victim not her brother. Her brother had kidnapped and assaulted Shindou. He murdered Shindou's bodyguards. Her brother had been stalking Shindou for the past year. He had hired some photographer turned bodyguard who had been fired from his position as Shindou's bodyguard the previous year to get candid shots of the singer to use as blackmail it was suspected. He paid an old school chum to get inside NG Production to spy on Shindou.

Lies! It was all lies!

How dare they badmouth her brother?!

Growing up, "Kremlin" had been a favorite game frequently played in her home. Yasashii had "come out of the closet" at a very young age. Their parents had not approved of their son's "chosen" lifestyle and when he refused to "act normal" so that he did not "dishonor and bring shame and embarrassment to the family", there was only one thing their parents could do. They could not disinherit Yasashii because he was their only son, so instead they pretended that their son's homosexuality did not exist. Thus the game of "Kremlin" was born.

When Bad Luck first hit the scene, her brother had been instantly infatuated with Shindou, along with millions of other people scattered across Japan. When it came out that not only was the singer gay, he was involved with none other than heartthrob Yuki Eiri, it became obvious that her brother's infatuation was more than a schoolboy crush.

Yes, Yasashii had been in love with Shindou.

Yes, he had been a little too obsessed.

Yes, his fixation with Shindou may have gone a little too far.

…But…

…the same thing could be said for almost every other Bad Luck fan.

Her brother was not responsible for all of those malicious lies people were spreading about him.

She knew her brother had a tendency to come off a little too forward and pushy at times so Karin could understand if Shindou had been freaked out when her brother first approached him, but that was not reason enough to blast him every chance he had and it certainly was not an excuse to push him to his death.

Yasashii had been Shindou's biggest fan and this was how the singer repaid her brother?!

Bullshit.

Bull-fucking-shit!

Then there were reports of how Shindou had suffered some spinal injuries in the fall that had killed her brother. Part of her was ecstatic. It was the least that bastard deserved after what he did to her brother, but another part of her did not believe that crap. It was heresy. It was just another ploy set in motion by Shindou to gain favoritism from the public and to vilify her brother's reputation even more.

She used to be so proud of how much like her brother she looked, but after that horrific day, her looks had given her nothing but grief. Her so-called friends, the teachers at school that used to dote on her good looks and excellent grades and even people she did not know looked at her scornfully from that day forward. They all treated her as if she had the plaque, as if she were to blame for the coming of the end of the world. She had been forced to drop out of school and change her name. She had been forced to move so many times in the past decade that she lost count. She had even gone in for plastic surgery, but it was useless. No matter where she went, no matter what she did, people always seemed to find out who she was and she was run out of town each and every time. She had turned into the world's number one enemy after Shindou murdered her brother. The worst was nobody would listen to her side of the story.

…Until she met Scott Keene.

She met Scott over the internet and found out they had a lot in common. They struck up a relationship and started to formulate plans.

Now those plans were finally in motion. She would get her revenge for her brother's death no matter what it cost her, no matter what she had to do in order to destroy Shindou…even those that he held dear.

oOo

Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan

Karin limped across the hall from the elevator to her small hotel room. She slid the key card into the slot, pushed down the handle and swung open the door. She stepped into her room and groped the wall for the light switch. When the lights above the vanity on the far side of the room snapped on, she shut and locked the door behind her, but not before placing the "do not disturb" sign on the door.

Grimacing with each step she took, she dragged herself the several feet from the door to the nearest bed and dropped down onto it face first with a grateful sigh. Flipping over, she laid an arm across her brow and stared blankly up at the ceiling hidden within the shadows of the small second-rate hotel.

Scrubbing her hands over her face, Karin sat up and stared down at her feet.

She could still hear the squealing tires and see Shindou's six-year-old twin boys in the back of the car screaming and crying. The crunch and grind of metal against metal echoed in her mind. She could feel the jolts as she slammed her car into the Hyundai. The boy Shindou and Yuki-san had adopted had been in the driver's seat. His face had been twisted into a mask of concentration and horror as he tried to gain control of the car. Then…

…And then…

Karin shook away the memories violently.

Suddenly, her pocket began to vibrate. Digging into the front of her black cargo pants, she pulled out her phone and read the LCD. It may have said "Unknown" but she knew who it was. There was only one person who would be calling her. She had half a mind not to answer the phone.

"Hello."

"I heard," said the familiar masculine voice over the line.

News travels fast, she thought, but they were talking about a world-renowned family here.

"Nice job," came the mocking comment.

"Thanks," she said blandly.

"That wasn't a compliment," Scott barked.

Karin winced.

"I thought I told you to get rid of Shindou! Not his kids!"

"…Well…"

Scott sighed heavily. "You're not beginning to have second thoughts are you?"

Karin's heart performed a summersault. "What? N-no! No of course not," she insisted over her rapidly beating heart.

"…Hm…"

Karin gulped.

"But now you're going to have to lay low for a while."

"Huh?" Karin blinked stupidly. "But why-?"

"Idiot! Because of the stupid stunt you just pulled! That's why!"

"…I'm sorry."

"Sorry's not gonna cut it, will it? Goddamnit! You just screwed up everything we've been working towards for months!"

Karin did not know what to say to that.

Scott sighed over the line again. "Alright. Here's what you do…"

oOo

Half an Hour Later - Somewhere in Upstate New York

Stupid woman. What the hell was she thinking? Yes, it was a good strategy to get to Shindou through his family, but they did not have Shindou did they? What they had was a fucked up plan and she had been the one to screw it up. The police might not know what she looked like, or that she was even a she, but they did have her generalities and they even had the description of her car. Now with the damage to the front end of her car, it was going to be even more recognizable.

"Scott!"

The door of the mudroom burst open. A youngish looking woman with shoulder length dark brown, almost black, hair scurried into the room with a frantic look on her face.

Scott turned from the scenic view of the woods surrounding his sister's cabin. "Matilda? Wha-?"

"You gotta get outta here!"

"What happened?" he demanded.

"I just heard from Sibilia! The police-They somehow found out you're here! You gotta get outta here!"

Scott did not need to be told a second time. He tore out of the house, nearly ripping the already flabby door off its rusty hinges. Flying down the rickety back wooden staircase, he ripped across the overgrown lawn and within seconds vanished amongst the dense brush.

With a worried look on her face, Matilda stood in the doorway and continued to watch the spot where her brother had disappeared just as the sound of sirens approached the house.

"Good luck Brother," she whispered.

oOo

Same Time - En Route - Osaka, Japan

He wished he had remained numb. Right now, he would not be feeling the tightness in his chest and the ache in his heart. His throat would not be stopped and his mind would not be racing at a million miles a minute. Shuichi slapped a hand over his mouth as a sob managed to wiggle its way through his lips as the hospital came into view. Tears prickled his eyes. A comforting hand slid up and down his back gently.

"They'll be alright, Shu-chan," Eiri whispered as he massaged Shuichi's back. "They are our sons after all."

Shuichi laughed through his tears. That they were. He dropped his head onto Eiri's shoulder and sniffled. He was just so worried. Who would want to hurt a bunch of children-his children, his babies?

Oh, please let them be alright! Please!

Sobbing, Shuichi turned as much as the seatbelt Eiri had secured around him when they left the house would allow and buried his tear-hidden face into his husband's shoulder. What was going on? Why was this happening? What had he ever done to deserve having his children ripped out of his arms? "Please, God, not again. Please! Not again!"

From the front seat of the van, Tohma took his eyes off the road just long enough to glance at his brothers-in-law in the rearview mirror. He would find out who was behind this and make sure they paid.

oOo

There it was.

Eiri's throat closed. His anxiousness about learning the fate of his boys turned into dread as the hospital loomed large and imposing before him. He felt nauseous.

On a normal day, Osaka University Hospital was, more or less, a half an hour drive from their house in Nara, but on this day, the ride into the city seemed to stretch on forever.

Eiri could tell when Shuichi spotted the hospital when Shuichi's death grip on his shirt tightened.

With a waterfall of tears sloshing down his wet face, Shuichi turned away from the sight and wept into Eiri's shirt, praying to whatever higher power might be out there to spare his boys.

With one hand gently stroking Shuichi's back, Eiri fingered some stray stands of hair out of his husband's face with the other. He planted a chaste kiss on top of Shuichi's head and whispered words of comfort in his ear.

Suddenly, a series of swift jolts stole Shuichi's breath.

Hearing a hitch in his husband's crying, Eiri grew immediately concerned. With Shuichi being pregnant, they had to be vigilant. Not only was he a pregnant male, which was extremely dangerous in and of itself, but it was a high risk pregnancy with him carrying triplets and because the nerves in his leg had not properly healed after the incident with Rinjin Yasashii nearly a decade ago, one misstep caused by his leg giving out along with the added stress of what they might discover when they reached the hospital could very well cause another miscarriage.

"Shuichi? What's wrong?" he demanded lightly.

Shuichi's hand flew to his swollen belly as the agitated movement continued. He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Shu…" Eiri warned.

Shuichi continued to shake his head. "It's nothing, Eiri. They just kicked me." Kicked was an understatement. It felt more like there was a chorus line in his belly.

Eiri nodded slowly, though he was not sure if he believed his husband. Wrapping his arms around Shuichi, he drew him back against him. "They'll be okay," he promised, more to comfort himself than Shuichi. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. He glanced out the windshield and froze. "Damn," he muttered. This was the last thing they needed. He watched the swarming mass waiting to greet them when they pulled up to the hospital in trepidation. "Tohma," he drawled.

"I see them," his brother-in-law said calmly from behind the wheel of the van. The Uesugi-Shindou family could not even sneeze without it making the headlines. He would expect no less then what was about to confront them.

As curious as he was, Shuichi did not want to see what kind of media circus would be meeting them. He had only one thing on his mind and that was getting to his boys.

oOo

Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan

The darkened room appeared to be empty. The flickering light from the television set that sat on the dresser across from the bed in the small, second-rate hotel cast eerie shadows on the walls. The covers on the bed were thrown back and gathered at the foot of the bed haphazardly. A trail of clothes cut a path across the room to a shut door opposite the door that led out to the hallway. A thin strip of light shone out from underneath the door. A special news bulletin went unheard as the sounds of a shower rumbled from behind the closed door.

"We have breaking news out of the entertainment world this afternoon."

There was a slight pause.

"It is being reported that Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri's adopted son, Kitazawa Riku, was taking his six year old twin brothers to do some last minute Christmas shopping when another vehicle apparently crashed into them from behind before fleeing the scene. Kitazawa lost control of the car and plowed into a pillar. He and his brothers were rushed to the Osaka University Hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time."

"The Osaka City Police Department is looking for the car seen fleeing the scene," continued a different reporter. "It is a dark gray Honda Civic with tinted windows and would have severe damage to the front end and driver's side. It was last seen heading eastbound out of the city. The police warn that if you spot this vehicle to call them immediately and not to approach it. The driver is to be considered armed and dangerous…

"In other news, Prime Minister…"

oOo

Kyoto, Japan

Digging into the dark, cavernous confines of what was more like a bottomless pit than a designer handbag she spent nearly all of last month's wages on, Shido Hela grumbled as she strode with long, irate strides across the empty parking garage from the elevator to her car. Stray strands of hair wiggled free from the tight, severe bun at the nape of her neck and teased her face as the breeze began to pick up.

Today had not been the red-letter day her horoscope said it would be. It had been one thing after another. She was glad it was the end of the workday because she wanted nothing more then to go home and relax with a glass of fine wine and a nice bubble bath.

Finally finding her car keys, she pointed the little black device on her keychain at her car and deactivated the car locks. They unlocked with an echoing "ching". After depositing her purse and briefcase in the backseat, Hela slid behind the wheel. Keying on the engine, she clicked on her seat belt then turned on the radio, switching the station to the news program "News Nation" that she always listened to on the way home from work. As she pulled carefully out of the parking slot, the deep voice of the station reporter spilled over the speakers and filled the small confines of her compact car.

"For those of you who are just tuning in, here is a recap of today's top stories."

Hela drove cautiously down the spiral ramp towards the exit.

"The Osaka City Police Department is looking for a dark gray Honda Civic this afternoon that was involved in a hit-and-run. The Honda Civic, witnesses claim, deliberately hit a car repeatedly that was occupied by three of Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri's children-"

That grabbed Hela's immediate attention. She reached towards the radio and turned the volume up.

"-sending the car spiraling out of control towards a pillar in the parking garage in the parking lot near Kinokuniya. All three occupants were rushed to Osaka University Hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time."

"Oh, wow," Hela breathed. She said a silent prayer for the family's wellbeing. Suddenly, a car pulled out in front of her. She braked hard a hairsbreadth's from T-boning the vehicle. "Come on," she cried in growing agitation as she laid into the horn. "Where'd you learn to drive you moron?!" The incompetence of some people, she thought. The idiot wasn't even looking! Today just was not her day.

The driver, who appeared to be a youngish looking woman, braked when she finally looked over her shoulder and saw Hela idling there, but Hela waved her on in annoyance.

"Might as well seeing as you're already out," she mocked.

The other driver raised her hand at her. Hela inclined her head slightly in return more out of politeness sake than anything.

"Jerk," she added under her breath.

As she waited, Hela's attention was caught by a dark colored car in the parking space besides the now vacant one the car she had allowed to pull out of had been in.

"The car," the news reporter was saying, "is a dark gray Honda Civic with lightly tinted windows and would have severe damage to both the front end and driver's side. It was seen heading east out of the city…"

The reporter's voice faded as Hela's full attention turned to the car before her. She was no car expert, far from it. She could not tell the difference between a Toyota and a Mitsubishi, so she had no idea what a Honda looked like, but what she did know was that this car was dark gray in color, looking almost black in the gloomy parking garage, had tinted windows and had massive damage to its front end and along the driver's side.

Putting the car in park and flicking on her hazard lights, she flung off her seatbelt and pulled her purse onto her lap. Digging through its crowded borders, she found her cellphone. Her heart was pounding as she dialed the number for the police.

She was not sure if this was the car they were searching for, but it was better to waste the police's time and look like a fool when she turned out to be wrong than to ignore the slim possibility that it was the car and be racked by guilt for the rest of her life for doing nothing when she could have done something.

oOo

Someone had spotted the black Honda Civic that the Osaka City Police Department was looking for abandoned in a parking garage in the heart of downtown Kyoto, just like dozens of other people who had seen it since the news stations had reported the police were looking for it. As he had been the closest to the scene, a mere five minutes away, Officer Ehara had been dispatched to check out the anonymous tip they had received. He was not holding his breath, though. Nine times out of ten, these so-called "leads" lead nowhere.

When he arrived and gave the car in question a quick once over, he understood why the tipster had been so sure that this was the car they were searching for. Yes, the car was a dark gray Honda Civic with tinted windows, but that did not meant this was the car in question, but then he saw the extensive damage to the front and driver's side and he knew the odds just skyrocketed.

Officer Ehara ran the plates. From prior experience, he knew in situations like these the car was going to either have been reported stolen around the time of the incident or someone had switched the vehicles plates, but the information that popped onto the screen proved his assumptions wrong. Not only had the car not been reported stolen, but the plates were registered for a dark gray 2002 Honda Civic, the same car filling his windshield.

With a snort, he shook his head. This guy was obviously no pro. The driver had no priors and no traffic violations, not even a parking ticket. His record was so clean it squeaked.

Ehara whistled.

Was this really the person they were after for the hit and run on the Uesugi-Shindou kids? Maybe if it had been an accident and the perpetrator had panicked, or something, then he would believe this was the person they were after, but according to the eyewitnesses, it had been no accident. So why would someone who appeared to be so "saintly", as it were, deliberately try to run a bunch of innocent children off the road? Had it been a case of road rage? He had seen that before, but never to this extent, though he heard horror stories from other cops, so it was not out of the question.

"Rinjin," the officer sounded the name out loud. His forehead scrunched in thought. Where had he heard that name before? He typed the name into the computer and the answer popped onto the screen. "Rinjin Yasashii-Deceased," he paraphrased from the report.

Now he remembered. This was the guy who stalked Shindou. He ended up murdering Shindou's two bodyguards before abducting Shindou as he was leaving for the recording studio. The guy held the singer captive and tried to murder him. There was a struggle. The railing, which had been loose, snapped under their weight, sending Rinjin and Shindou plummeting from the second floor of the condo. Rinjin's neck snapped in the fall. He died instantly. Shindou had been left temporary paralyzed.

"Only living relative is Rinjin Karin." The owner of the Honda, Ehara realized with a start. "Relationship to the deceased-Sister."

Sister? If she blamed Shindou for her brother's death, then that certainly would explain a lot.

He called in to dispatch about his find.

This woman had to be stopped. She may not be a pro, but she was dangerous. That was evident in the fact that she had no problem going after three innocent children and attempting to commit vehicular manslaughter-murder if she had this planned. If she would go that far, then what else would she do?

oOo

Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan

Shuichi was not sure how they knew they were inside the van pulling up to the emergency room entrance at Osaka University Hospital. The van was brand new, it being an early Christmas present from the Seguchis, and had darkly tinted windows. But as soon as Tohma turned off the busy main street and drove up towards the emergency room doors under the carport on the west side of the hospital, the mass of media personnel swarmed the van like vultures who had spotted a quick, easy meal. Shuichi cringed away from the sight and buried his face in Eiri's shirt. This was not something he wanted to have to deal with right now. All he wanted was to see his boys.

Eiri tightened his hold on Shuichi. "Seguchi…!"

"Don't worry," Tohma assured his brother's-in law. "It's been taken care of."

Eiri was not sure what that meant, but he trusted his sister's husband.

oOo

Somewhere in Upstate New York

"What am I being arrested for?" Matilda shouted angrily. "I didn't do nothin'."

"Matilda Schild, you are under arrest for suspicion of aiding and abetting a fugitive."

"You can't prove nothin'!"

Matilda Schild struggled against the handcuffs chewing into her wrists that trapped her hands behind her back and fought against the solid grips of the officers on either side of her as they dragged her kicking and screaming to the awaiting patrol car.

As long as her brother got away, she did not care what happened to her.

The woman officer on her right said, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?" (1)

Matilda ignored the swarm of police officers surrounding and invading her house. The news, both local and national, was disregarded. Her neighbors went unobserved, but she caught sight of Sibilia in the crowd and caught her eye briefly. Sibilia gave the slightest of nods.

Matilda sneered as anther patrol car pulled into the drive. They could bring any amount of their comrades as they wanted, but it would do them no good. Her brother was long gone by now. She went white when she read what was written on the side of the car. It was a K-9 unit. She prayed as she was put none-too-gently into the backseat of the police car.

Please, be safe out there, she thought to her brother.

oOo

Scott ripped through the thicket of undergrowth and tore past the abundant foliage, tripping over clumps of vines and exposed roots. Things reached out for him like hungry hands, scratching and clawing at his face, ripping at the button up shirt he had "borrowed" from a laundry mat; it would not do to be seen in his prison uniform as he was trying to avoid being sent back to jail. He flew through the forest like a lunatic, panic surging through him. Sweat danced on his skin, soaking through his shirt. His heart was pounding, beating hard against his ribcage.

Suddenly the ground underneath him vanished and he found himself staring down a ten-foot high overhang. He reached out blindly and was able to grab the trunk of a nearby tree. Hugging the tree for dear life, his pulse pounding in terror, he glanced with wide eyes over the jut. Below him was what he assumed was a dried up stream.

Risking a swift glance over his shoulder, a huge surge of relief swept through him when he saw that nobody appeared to be chasing after him. He sagged back against the tree and doubled over with his hands on his thighs and his head hung low, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

Scott glanced back over his shoulder in the general direction of his sister's cabin. He was worried about her. He had not known what to expect when he showed up at her door, but luckily, she welcomed him warmly and had even agreed to hide him until things settled down. Unfortunately, it seems that not everybody was as generous as Matilda was. He had to remember to thank Sibilia, his sister's neighbor and best friend since childhood, for giving them a heads up. A second later and he would even now be watching these woods through the backseat window of a New York State Police patrol car.

No. He refused to return to prison until the job was done. Shindou had to pay for what he did to his little girl.

Maybe what that idiot girl did was a good thing after all. He'd yelled at her for screwing up their plans, but now that he thought about it, it was tit for tat was it not? Shindou killed his only child and now with the help of Karin, Shindou was even now experiencing the same pain he has been suffering through for the past decade. He was raised to believe that two wrongs did not make a right. He knew doing this was not going to bring back his baby girl, but Deborah needed to be able to rest in peace and this was the only way to ease her suffering.

A sudden blinding flash of lightening illuminated the entire area briefly as if it were the middle of the day, taking him by complete surprise. Then there was a deafening explosion of thunder that ripped through the night air. Scott cried out as the ground suddenly gave away beneath him. He watched helplessly as the ground rushed up to meet him. All the air was pushed out of his lungs in one fell swoop as he slammed hard into the ground. He covered his head with his arms as wooden shards rained down around him.

When all was quiet again, he glanced behind him. Where just seconds before he had been standing was nothing more then the chard remains of what had been a tree.

The distant yelp of a dog slashed through the almost unnatural stillness that had followed the explosion.

"Shit," he hissed.

His heart jumping out of his chest, he ignored the buzzing in his ear and the annoying trickle down his cheek and staggered to his feet. He tore across the long gone stream into the thick grove of trees, pushing past the branches and undergrowth as they tried to hold him back.

The night sky flashed strobe-like with brilliant light. The air rumbled with a clap of thunder.

With a surprised yelp, he tripped over an exposed root. Regaining his balance and cursing soundly, he pushed back to his feet and continued his flight through the nearly impenetrable forest just as the sky opened above him and hard pellets of water rained down upon him in sheets.

Dammit! This was all he needed!

oOo

Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan

The elevator dinged as it arrived from the basement where the vending and ice machines were located, sounding unnaturally loud in the silence of the hotel. The doors slid open and Georg Henri, a graduate student studying Japanese History, stepped out of the elevator as the doors slid open. His eyes landed on who he assumed was a woman given her stature. He inclined his head in greeting. "Evening."

The woman mumbled something as she forced her way passed Georg onto the elevator.

Georg, as he started walking down the hall towards his room, glanced curiously over his shoulder and studied the woman. She seemed to be favoring one of her legs. Her head was lowered, causing her long blond hair to swing forward and veil her face. He could tell it was dyed because her black roots were starting to show. Her jeans were shabby and baggy. Sneakers that once were white were now grey with dirt and grim. The collar of her coat was turned up, shielding the lower portion of her face.

As the elevator doors began to close, Georg caught a brief glimpse of her face as she reached out towards the elevator buttons. Her eyes were blood shot and red rimmed. They appeared to be slightly puffy from what he assumed was a long stint at crying. He was wondering if he should go see if there was anything he could do for her when the elevator doors closed.

Shrugging the strange occurrence off, Georg pulled out his key card from the back pocket of his jeans and slid it into the slot. He pushed down the silver handle and flung open the door. Groping the wall besides the door, the track lights above the sink on the far side of the room went on. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him. Walking through the small, closet sized room, he rounded the bed and grabbed the TV remote off the bedside table where it sat besides the phone and the courtesy menu that had long since been out of date. He dimly heard the sound of a television from the room besides his as he pointed the remote at the television.

"-na was outraged today as President Bush awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal in a Capitol Hill Ceremony, the highest civilian honor," came the voice of the news anchor. "While the Dalai Lama claims that this high honor brings joy to the Tibetan people, Beijing is saying that the Bush-Lama meeting hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Chinese leaders wanted Bush to call off the meeting because they believe that the exiled Buddhist leader is a separatist and is pushing for independence for the Tibetan people, though the Dalai-Lama in his speech today said he wants sovereignty for Tibet under Chinese rule. China calls this a gross interference in Chinese affairs…"

Georg tossed the remote onto the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

"…And this just in. The Osaka City Police are looking for this woman, 35 year old Rinjin Karin."

A picture of a small woman with golden blonde dyed hair, high cheekbones and full lips under an aquiline nose flashed onto the screen.

"She is believed to have been the driver of the car that was involved in a hit and run accident earlier today involving three of Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri's children. According to sources close to the investigation, Rinjin Karin is the sister of Rinjin Yasashii, the man who several years ago stalked the singer…"

oOo

Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan

Endou Takayuki swung his legs off the desk and folding his arms on the cluttered desktop, studied the image of the girl on the screen.

"…If you have any information relating to the whereabouts of this individual, please contact the Osaka City Police's confidential tip line at 0990…"

Takayuki's frown deepened. Pushing away from the desk, he stood up and made his way out of the office to the front desk. The only sound in the deserted lobby was the sound of clacking keys.

"Damn," he whispered as he reached for the phone.

"Osaka Police Department Confidential Tip Line," came the calm voice over the line.

"Yeah, this is Endou Takayuki from the Home Lodge Hotel. That woman you're searching for? That woman who was involved in that hit-and-run? I believe she may be staying here at the hotel."

There was the sound of a pencil scratching. "You believe this individual is staying at-"

"The Home Lodge Hotel right outside the city, yes."

"Okay, Sir, please hold while I transfer you to the detective in charge."

oOo

Somewhere in Upstate New York

He was suddenly staring down the barrels of countless guns.

It was a freak storm. It appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. There was still a distant rumble of thunder and the occasional flash of lightening, but as soon as the torrential rains had subsided, they appeared out of nowhere like Green Men-and not the ones from Mars.

Scott slid on the slick undergrowth as he halted his hurried flight. Catching his balance, he straightened slowly and glanced around him. They were suddenly everywhere. He was surrounded. The rain that had been coming down in buckets until just seconds ago had concealed their movements from him. He swiped at droplets of water that dribbled from his hair plastered to his face. His clothes were completely soaked through and sticking to him. His breath was coming out in white puffs in the chilly early winter morning.

Beams from dozens of flashlights cut through the fog that was beginning to roll into the valley. Behind him, police dogs jerked on their leads at him, snarling viciously. They looked like they wanted to tear him to pieces. Their handlers could barely hold the dogs back.

Scott shied away from them.

He has had an intense dislike of dogs since he was a boy. One day when he was taking a short cut home, from where he could not remember, a pit-bull the owner of a pizza parlor brought to work with him everyday, a dog that snarled and barked at every single person who happened by, broke loose and chased after him. It bit his arm before running off. It did not bite hard enough to break the skin or leave teeth imprints, but it certainly left an impression.

Dozens of voices shouted at him from everywhere, each one speaking as one, each voice shouting over the others in order to be heard.

"Give it up Keene! There's nowhere for you to go! You're surrounded!"

"Hands where we can see them!"

"Get on the ground! Get on the fucking ground! Now!"

There was nowhere for him to go.

He could stand and fight what would be a losing battle, but one look at those sadistic looking creatures behind him and he was on his knees in the muck and lacing his hands behind his head. He snarled and glared at the state troopers as they crept close cautiously with their guns pointed at him, just in case he should try something. Doesn't he wish he could?

Goddamned son of a bitch, he cursed in his head. It was all up to Rinjin now. She'd better finish the job too.

oOo

Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan

Much to Eiri's surprise, Tohma drove the van right by the emergency room without slowing down. Eiri glanced over his shoulder out the back window as the gaggle of reporters and photographers who had gathered around the emergency room entrance hoping for the slightest glimpse of the infamous couple grew smaller. The various news crews, realizing their mistake-or so they thought-as to the occupants of the van, drew back and went back into waiting mode. Eiri smirked. Idiots, he thought. "Hey," he called out to his brother-in-law. "What the hell are you doing? The ER was back there." Not that he particularly cared, not with the vultures from hell guarding the entrance.

"I know," Tohma replied cryptically.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Where are you taking us?"

Hearing all this, Shuichi cautiously raised his head and saw that they were driving around the back of the hospital. Straightening, he rubbed at his tear stained face with the palm of his hand.

They drove by the adult care facility which was attached to the rear of the hospital then passed the loading docks and finally ended up at the east side entrance which was on the opposite side from where the emergency room was located.

Tohma pulled the van up under the carport. He turned around as much as his seatbelt would allow and glanced at Eiri behind him. "Told you it was taken care of."

Eiri snorted.

Tohma's glance shifted from Eiri to Shuichi. His signature know-it-all smirk slipped slightly. "Are you alright, Shindou-kun?"

Shuichi placed a hand over his belly and swallowed a grimace. "I want to see my boys," was all the young singer said.

Tohma nodded.

"Those wouldn't happen to be yours would they?" Eiri asked his brother-in-law.

Shuichi and Tohma glanced out the van's side windows and saw a group of men and women emerging from the hospital. There were six of them, three women and three men, all were dressed in black, all carried guns. Eiri wondered how Tohma managed to pull that one off, seeing as the only legal gun was a toy one, but Seguchi Tohma could get away with murder, and Eiri was sure he has, if he bribed or blackmailed the right people.

Tohma just smiled mysteriously.

Eiri gave his sister's husband a look that said it all.

Tohma chuckled. As he opened the driver's side door, one of the women stepped forward. She bowed as Tohma stepped out of the van and onto the sidewalk before slipping behind the wheel.

Eiri slid open the van's side door and helped his expectant partner, who was clutching his swollen belly, out of the van.

After Eiri slid the van's side door closed, the van pulled away and circled the parking lot.

"Eiri-kun, Shindou-kun, they will be your guards," Tohma introduced the remaining five.

Shuichi's eye went wide. Guards? Why would they need bodyguards?

It was then that he remembered Eiri's reaction when he mentioned that he saw the same car earlier today outside their house that he saw at his grandfather's funeral.

Then there was that mysterious package that came in the mail last month that Eiri refused to talk about. Now his boys had been in a serious accident. Was it all somehow connected? It had to be. You cannot watch as much television as he has and not picked up a few things.

And who was this mysterious "her" that Eiri had mentioned before they left Nara? Did it have to do with that package? Was it linked to the accident?

The wheels in Shuichi's head started spinning. Something was definitely going on, something that Eiri was not telling him and it obviously had something to do with the near fatal accident that almost killed his boys.

"I'm sure we'll be fine in a hospital, Seguchi."

The sound of his husband's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Humor me," Tohma was saying. He indicated the bodyguards with a sweep of his hand. "You remember Marcus and Blade."

Eiri turned his attention to the two black men who stepped forward.

"I'm sorry we have to meet again under these circumstances, Sir," Marcus said as he shook hands with Eiri. He inclined his head at Shuichi. "Sir."

Shuichi stared at Marcus flabbergasted.

"You speak Japanese now?" Eiri asked the man.

The boys were learning English in school and after much pleading and begging from Shuichi, Eiri started tutoring him to help improve his English. He gave up halfway through their very first lesson. Now Eiri knew why the baka nearly failed school. It was not that Shuichi was stupid; in fact if Shuichi had applied himself like he had in music and PE, then he might have become valedictorian, salutatorian or at least made it into the top ten of his class. Hell, the baka could have made it into the top one-hundred. Shuichi's problem was that he just suffered from a serious case of short attention span syndrome, on top of being borderline bi-polar and suffering from severe bouts of depression and possibly multiple personalities, and had a very limited list of things that interested him; things that he cared to spend more than five seconds on.

"Perfectly," Tohma replied. "I made sure they took some classes."

Marcus and Blade had been hired as Shuichi's bodyguards after Jacob and Koji were murdered by Rinjin Yasashii. At the time, neither one could speak Japanese outside of a few key phrases. It had been a good thing that Eiri was able to speak English flawlessly; he didn't even have a hint of an accent.

"I'm sorry to hear about your boys," Blade said when he shook hands with Eiri.

Eiri's heart gave a painful lurch, but his face betrayed nothing. He figured it was due to hanging around Tohma all of these years. At least one good thing came out of the older man being where he was not wanted.

"This is Satoshi."

Tohma indicated a man that reminded Eiri a lot of Koji, small and weak looking, but if this Satoshi was anything like Koji than his frail appearance hid a world of hurt. Otherwise, Tohma would never have hired him.

Satoshi inclined his head at the couple.

"That buxom beauty with the snow white hair is Maki." Tohma indicated the woman that was walking towards them. It was the woman who parked the van.

"Better not let my sister hear you say that," Eiri warned his brother-in-law. Mika was bossy, hard headed, and tough as nails and took nothing from nobody. She was the only one who would ever dare stand up to one Seguchi Tohma, besides Shuichi, but that was different; Shuichi was an idiot.

Tohma petted the air. "Not to worry. Mika knows she is the only one for me."

Eiri shuttered. That was something he would rather have not known. It was like finding out your parent's had a sex life.

"This is Kaoru." Tohma waved his hand at a woman with short-cropped hair. "And Sanami." The third female guard had long black hair slicked back into a ponytail. "They will escort you to your boys."

Tears prickled Shuichi's violet eyes. "Thank you, Tohma." He bowed.

Tohma inclined his head in return.

"Come on Shu-chan." Eiri reached out for him. Taking Shuichi's hand, he laced their fingers together. The six men in black circled around them as they stepped through two sets of automated doors into the hospital.

Shuichi halted just inside the second set of automated doors. His sudden immobilization forced Eiri to jerk to an immediate halt besides him.

"Shu?" Eiri glanced down at his partner with concern. "Wha-?"

"I want to know everything," Shuichi said with an emotionless voice.

Eiri blinked. "What?"

Shuichi turned to face his lover and father of his children. "Everything. I want to know everything that you're not telling me."

Suddenly getting the meaning of what Shuichi was saying, Eiri gulped and nodded. He should have been open and honest with him from the very beginning, but his old habit of doing everything he could to protect the singer was a hard thing to ignore.

"Sirs?" Marcus called out to them.

"Yes, we're coming," Eiri told the other man. He gave Shuichi's hand a little squeeze and escorted the contingent up to the front desk.

oOo

Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan

The sounds of the television could be heard over the rumblings of the shower as they drew nearer. It certainly sounded like someone was in there.

One of the uniformed officers glanced over the partial wall to his left down two stories to the lobby and pulled immediately back. He did not suffer from vertigo but staring straight down thirty plus feet with nothing more than a flimsy looking half wall, even if it was nearly five feet high, would make anyone a little light headed.

Takayuki used his master key to open the hotel room door. He stepped aside, plastering himself against the wall as the police swarmed the room with their weapons drawn. He inched his way out of the way.

Other then the light that was shinning out from under the bathroom door, the only light in the room came from the television that had been left on to the local news station.

"...And the Spice Girls are back...!"

The room was not much larger than a broom closet so it did not take long to conduct a thorough search. The room was empty.

"Shit," Detective Shigeno Shin cursed. "Clear!"

Detective Misawa Ren stood with his gun at the ready before the bathroom door. He motioned for one of the officers. The door was flung open. Detective Misawa rushed inside the steam-filled bathroom. Water thundered down from the showerhead into the bathtub. He could not see any sort of silhouette behind the shower curtain. He suddenly had a bad feeling. But just in case, Detective Misawa reached out for the shower curtain cautiously. Grabbing hold of it, he tore it open. "Dammit," he cursed. He lowered his gun. He knew it! "Clear!" he called.

They were too late.

oOo

"Are you sure, Mr. Henri? Take another look," Detective Misawa told the graduate student.

The woman in the elevator flashed through Georg's mind. "Yeah," he nodded as he studied the picture. "Yeah. This's the woman I saw," he told the officer.

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you, Mr. Henri."

Georg nodded and watched the swarm of officers curiously before disappearing back into his room, wondering what all the fuss was about.

"What you find out?" Detective Shigeno asked as his partner joined him.

Detective Misawa shook his head. "She's long gone. This guy," he pointed over his shoulder at Georg Henri's room, "saw her a little while ago getting onto the elevator."

Detective Shigeno nodded. They had expected as much.

"She doesn't change the plates on her car and checks in under her own name. She's either very stupid or very smart."

"Well, considering that she always seems to be one step ahead of us, I think that would be the latter."

They knew that all criminals made mistakes; that was how they were eventually caught-they became careless. However, this woman was different. It seemed like she did not care whether she was caught or not. In fact, she was deliberately making sure everybody knew whom she was and what she was doing. She was shoving it in their faces. Was it in fact true that she was out for revenge for the death of her brother? If that was the case, then they had a very dangerous criminal on their hands.

"Excuse me, Officers?" came a heavily accented voice.

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno turned to find Georg Henri sticking his head out of his room.

"Mr. Henri?"

"What can we do for you?"

Georg stepped out of his room. "I don't know if it'll be any help, but I remember something about that girl you were asking me about."

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno exchanged a glance.

oOo

Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan

Excusing himself, Tohma stepped out of the air conditioned lobby into the sweltering heat and pulled out his cellphone.

"Ah, Seguchi-san," a male voice greeted over the line. "I was just about to call you."

Tohma perked up. "What's happened?" he asked the man.

"Actually, Sir, Keene was just arrested about a mile from the home of his sister."

Tohma felt his mood lighten ever so slightly. "His sister's?"

"Yes, Sir. It seems his sister, Matilda Schild, was hiding him. She's been taken into custody and will most likely be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive."

Tohma's grip on his cellphone tightened. His knuckles turned white. Fury hardened his expression. So his information had been correct. Sympathizers had been hiding the attempted murderer. Family or not, how could someone deliberately harbor a man who tried to kill someone else out of some twisted sense of revenge? It was not like there was the slightest chance that Keene was innocent. He had been caught red handed. Then again, if this Matilda Schild woman were of the same mind as her brother, then that would explain why she would conceal Keene.

"The police apparently received an anonymous tip that Keene was spotted lurking around his sister's house. They're not absolutely positive, but they believe that the anonymous caller was in fact Albert Schild, Keene's brother-in-law."

That peaked Tohma's curiosity. "You don't say."

"Yes, Sir. Apparently, Albert Schild works nights for the New York State Department of Transportation and according to my sources, there's been bad blood between them for years since before Keene's arrest."

This was perfect. One down and one to go. "Has the suspect who nearly killed my nephews been identified?"

"Yes, Sir, she has."

"She?"

"Yes, Sir. They have yet to confirm that it was actually her, but as of right now the police believe that Rinjin Karin is behind the hit-and-run incident."

Tohma's blood froze. He forgot to breathe. "Is she…?" Part of him was not sure if really wanted to know.

"Yes, Sir. I'm afraid that she is."

Forgetting himself, Tohma cursed. She was indeed the same Rinjin Karin he had been told about not more than an hour ago who has been in contact with Scott Keene for the past seven or eight years.

Things were beginning to click into place.

Was Rinjin the woman Eiri had been referring to earlier? If so, then why did he not say anything? Why did Eiri not come to him for help? Why had he let it go this far? There was something more going on then he was privy to and before this day was over, he would find out what that something was.

"Her car was found abandoned in a parking garage in downtown Kyoto."

Tohma perked up instantly. "And?" he prodded.

"And a witness came forward claiming to have seen her in a hotel outside Osaka, but by the time the police arrived she was already gone."

"…Gone."

"Yes, Sir."

"…They let her go." Tohma's voice had gone very soft and even.

"Yes, Sir. But-!"

Tohma raised an eyebrow.

"They believe that she couldn't have gone too far!"

"Oh?"

"The witness claims she was limping like she hurt her leg and with her face plastered everywhere, someone is bound to spot her."

It seems his nephews had not been the only ones hurt in the crash. "So, what you are telling me is that she is still in the city."

"Yes, Sir. They believe that she is."

"I want her found and taken care of. Now!"

Tohma snapped his phone shut, ending the call without waiting for a response. He fisted the phone in anger. If she was indeed still in the city, then it was possible that she might be even now be making her way here to finish what she started.

Spinning on his heels, his long trench coat flying out around him, Tohma marched into the hospital.

oOo

Panic surged through Shuichi. The beating of his heart was the only thing he could hear. His legs carried him faster and ever faster as Marcus and Blade guided them through the winding, twisting maze-like halls of the hospital from the eastside where they entered to the emergency room on the westside where the woman at the front desk told them they would find their boys. She had called ahead to inform the emergency room that they were heading in their direction.

Satoshi and Maki flanked them on either side while Kaoru and Sanami protected them from the rear.

The closer the ER became, the more urgency and panicked Shuichi became. He forgot about all the secrets his husband was keeping from him. His sole focus became finding his children. His chest felt tight. With a lump lodged in his throat, tears prickling his eyes and blurring his vision and an ache in his heart, Shuichi burst through yet another set of swinging doors.

"I want Mama!"

"Mama!"

Gasping, his eyes going wide, Shuichi's heart just about stopped as he heard the unmistakable cries. "Keitaro. Kane!"

He would know his boys' voices anywhere. His heart beating a wild tattoo, Shuichi dropped his husband's hand and shoved his way through Marcus and Blade and, ignoring their voices calling out to him, Shuichi, with one arm wrapped around his belly, followed the whimpering as fast as his pregnant self could carry him passed a curtained area where muffled hurried voices could be heard. He barely heard Eiri and the contingent of guards following behind him.

Shuichi crossed over another threshold and panting heavily, found himself in an open area with a dozen beds lining the far wall. Doctors in long, white lab coats and nurses in brightly colored uniforms scurried about here and there. He paid them no mind as they glanced at him briefly in passing as he stood there searching the open room.

"Shuichi," scolded Eiri as he finally caught up to the younger man, panting lightly. He would have to start working out again. It was either that or quit smoking again. He was not sure which one was the more evil of the two.

Shuichi's eyes lit up. There!

"I know you're-"

Without hearing a word Eiri said, Shuichi took off across the recovery room towards a curtained area.

"Hey! Shuichi!" Sighing heavily, Eiri motioned for the guards and they followed the runaway singer. He was just as worried about Riku, Keitaro and Kane as Shuichi was, but Shuichi needed to take it easy. All this stress over the boys could not be good for Shuichi in his current condition.

Shuichi reached the far side of the recovery room where the whimpering was coming from and tore aside the curtain. His hands flew to his mouth as he gasped, tears streamed down his cheeks. "Keitaro! Kane!"

Two blond little heads turned towards him, their gleaming golden eyes bloodshot. Their hysterical sobbing was instantly cut short. "Mama!" came the chorus of voices

Overwhelmed, Shuichi collapsed to his knees as Keitaro and Kane jumped down from the hospital bed and flung themselves into Shuichi's outstretched arms. Shuichi held them and cried, rocking back and forth. His babies were okay. They were okay. At first, Shuichi thought he was seeing things when he saw them sitting on the bed when he opened the curtains, but having Keitaro and Kane in his arms again made the dream a reality. He thought watching them drive off earlier with Riku to do some last minute Christmas shopping was going to be the last time he saw them, but everything was going to be okay now.

Eiri fought to keep his tears at bay as he watched Shuichi reunited with their boys.

"Uesugi-san? Shindou-san?"

Eiri turned to see a smiling man in a white lab coat and a stethoscope hanging around his neck walking in their direction.

"I'm Dr. Li Ikuo."

Inclining his head in greeting, Eiri shook the doctor's hand.

Dr. Li was an older man slightly taller then Eiri with salt and pepper hair. His eyes behind the glasses were sharp and dark. His tanned faced was deeply lined.

"How are my boys, Doc?" Eiri asked.

He turned and watched Shuichi, who was weeping openly as he hugged the twins so tightly they would probably need a crowbar to pry them apart. The twin's loud wails echoed miserably in the stale environment. Four of the guards, two of them Marcus and Blade, surrounded them. Satoshi and Maki had remained with him.

"Other than some relatively minor cuts and bruises, both Keitaro and Kane will be fine."

It was a clichéd saying, but it did feel as if he had been holding weights ever since news of the accident reached him and now that he knew that his boys were truly going to be all right, those weights had been lifted. A huge surge of relief flooded through him.

"They may suffer from some whiplash and some other aches and pains in the morning due to the accident," Dr. Li was saying, "so I'm going to prescribe some aspirin for them."

"That's fine," Eiri nodded. "Hm?" He glanced over his shoulder when he heard his husband's soft, melodious voice. A gentle smile graced his face. Somehow, Shuichi had been able to pry the boys off him long enough to get up off the floor. They were even now lounging on the bed, the boys clinging to Shuichi like there was no tomorrow. Their hysterical sobs were lessening as their otokasan, or "mama" when they were either sick or scared, sang softly to them. They looked just about ready to call it a night. Who could blame them after the day they've had? Speaking of his boys… "What about Riku?" he asked Dr. Li turning back towards the man.

"Ah! Yes. Kitazawa-san. He is in surgery."

Eiri froze. His eyes went wide. In surgery? His heart starting beating wildly in his chest. "Is he okay?" He'd read a study on line from one of the local universities some time ago that claimed that the safest place to be in a car during an accident was in the back seat. The safest place in the backseat was in the middle, which strangely enough was the least popular site in a vehicle to sit. From that, he would assume that the least safe place in a car during an accident was more than likely the driver's seat.

"He's being taken care of by Dr. Amada Hirofumi so I don't know much about his condition, but I do know that he may have suffered some spinal injuries during the accident."

Eiri went white. He felt woozy.

"Someone will be out here to talk to you shortly," Dr. Li told the distraught father. He patted Eiri lightly on the shoulder and turning, vanished down the hall, leaving Eiri to try to cope with the devastating news.

Eiri turned slowly to watch his husband and their sons. How was he supposed to tell Shuichi that Riku might have been left paralyzed in the crash?

…To Be Continued…

1. Find out more about the Miranda Rights, the different versions different states use and the equivalents from around the world at: .org (slash) wiki (slash) Miranda_rights

A/N: For those who do not know, Upstate New York refers to all of New York State minus New York City and Long Island, which is referred to as Downstate. I live in North Tonawanda, New York, which is a region of Upstate New York referred to as Western New York (the western third of Upstate New York). Does that make sense?

Preview: "Her Package"