Here's another chapter! Yay! One more to go before I run out of stuff that I've already written. . . -_- Dammit.

Anyway I hope that you guys like this chapter. It's a bit. . . more than before. I guess that means READ THE WARNING- please! :)

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Square Enix, not me.

WARNING: Parental/domestic abuse. But not in the conventional sense, and not to the character that would take forever to heal. Sorry guys, this kinda' stuff needs to happen before the nice, happy stuff happens.

Read, review, and fangirl on!

Chapter 7-

They meet outside the school. Beat, their friend and upperclassman, the two girls, and Neku. After getting together they'd all tromp through the streets to the Hachiko and sit in front of the statue waiting for Rhyme, Beat's younger sister to get there from her middle school. Then they'd decide where to go from there.

And that's exactly how it happens. Rhyme walks up to the group gives everyone a hug. It's been a few weeks since they've all been able to get together like this- with Shiki and Eri working on their designs, Beat trying out every sport in the school (then declaring that skateboarding is the only thing for him, disappointing most of the clubs), and Rhyme cheering him on.

Neku had missed seeing his friends outside of school. It'd been hard going home everyday, but the smile on his face now was worth it.

"Where should we go?" Beat asks, posing the question that everyone was thinking.

"I don't know?" Shiki shrugs and then teases, "You're the one that came up with this meeting- doesn't it fall upon you to pick?"

"Woah!" Beat sticks out his hands in defense, "I'm getting there. I. . . just thought that you guys might want to put in your two cents first."

They laugh at the expression on his face, and I place a hand over my mouth to stop me from giggling. Rhyme shoots a glance in my direction, but in reality it's at the Hachiko statue. A thoughtful look on her face.

"Why don't we just look around the 104 building?" She asks, saving Beat from any further embarrassment, "I'm pretty sure they've gotten some new shops in there since we've been."

"Great idea, Rhyme!" The other two girls chorus, then turn upon Beat, "See. Rhyme can come up with a good idea."

"I-"

"If we're going then lets just go." Neku interjects, cutting off Beat and patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah." Beat shrugs and starts to follow after Shiki and Eri.

Neku grins and takes off after him.

I'll be along in a minute. I take a good look at the Hachiko statue, contemplating my next actions.

"Are you coming?" A voice comes from behind me.

I turn to see Rhyme still standing there, looking pointedly away from me.

"I'll take that as a yes." She turns and walks after the others, and after a moment of staring I walk after her. Regarding her warily. 'Are you coming?' 'I'll take that as a yes.'

Can the girl see me? I sigh, it wouldn't surprise me if she can, she's full of surprises like that. She's been the voice of reason for years. But how long. . . how long has she been able to see me? I shake my head, Beat your sister has some definite powers. I just hope she's on my side here.

They 'terrorize' the 104 building for several hours. I watch in silence, sitting on the checkout counter, giggling as both Shiki and Eri try to get Neku to try on girls clothes.

On the way out Shiki poses a question for both Beat and Rhyme.

"Hey, guys?"

"Hmm?"

"Yes, Shiki?"

"Okay, so get this. Neku asked Eri and me earlier if we knew any boy names that started with 'J'. He's playing this game with someone, and he can't get the right name. Any ideas."

"What's going on?" Neku walks up, curiosity on his face, "I heard my name."

"'J' names!" Shiki announces proudly, "Beat and Rhyme are going to help!"

"Really?"

"Totally!" Beat exclaims.

"Sure." Rhyme shrugs and throws a glance at me.

She can definitely see me.

"Is it James?" Beat asks.

"No, it's not." Neku answers, after seeing me shake my head.

"Justin?" Rhyme supplies.

"No." Neku sighs, "Thanks guys bu-"

"Jirico?" Beat interjects.

". . . No." Both Neku and Rhyme say at the same time.

"How do you both know!" Beat pouts.

"Because no-one is named Jirico anymore." Rhyme and Neku grin at each other.

". . . You both suck."

And that's all it takes for them to erupt into laughter, soon the girls and then Beat join in.

After everyone calms down Eri speaks up, "Sorry guys. I'd love to stay, but I have to split. That essay due two days ago isn't going to write itself- as much as I want it to."

"I'll help you." Shiki sighs, "I actually got mine in on time." she waves a hand, "Guess that means that I'm out too. It's been fun. We'll have to do it again soon."

"Sure, see you." Neku waves easily, and the two girls disappear into the rest of the crowd.

"We should probably go too, Beat." Rhyme tells him, looking at the clock.

"I know." Beat sighs, let me just check out this last store and then we'll go."

"That's fine. I'm gonna' wait out here though."

"Got it. Phones, you coming?"

"I'm good. I'll stay out here."

Beat shrugs, "Whatever." he waves and heads into the store.

"Tired?" Rhyme asks, sitting down next to Neku on a bench.

"Yeah, but it's been a good day." He grins, moving over so both she and myself could sit comfortably on the bench. I shake my head at him, and continue to stand over by the large fountain, watching the water flow, just listening to the conversation. Neku frowns at me, and then turns his attention back to Rhyme, who had been following his gaze.

"Why won't he come sit down, Neku?" Rhyme asks.

". . .Who?" Neku asks confused. Looking around he only sees me.

"The boy. The one that always follows you."

"There is no b-"

"I can see him, Neku. I've just been quiet about it because you never knew that he was there. But you can see him now, and I don't see a reason to be quiet about it anymore."

". . .You've been able to see him?"

"Yes."

"How long has he been there?"

I shake my head at her. Mouthing the words 'no'.

"I'm not sure. He just appeared one day."

Neku sighs, not sure if Rhyme is telling him the truth.

"What has he told you?"

"Nothing." Rhyme shrugs, "I've always pretended that he wasn't there so I don't confuse you or the others."

"I've never noticed that she could see me." I tell Neku, walking over to the two.

"What's he saying?" Rhyme asks, Neku.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't hear him. I can see him, and I can see his lips move. But I can't hear any sound come out of them."

"Oh." Both Neku and I look confused, "Um. He said that he's never noticed that you could see him."

"Ask her if it's just me, or if she can see others."

"What?"

"Just do it."

"Fine." Neku huffs, but turns his attention back to Rhyme, "He wants to know if you can see others or if it's just him?"

"I can see others. But I keep my mouth shut. They don't like to be bothered."

"Tell her to keep it that way. Sometimes we act violently if someone other than our charge can see us." I tell Neku urgently.

"He says that you should keep it that way. That sometimes bad things happen to people that can see them when they don't want them to."

"Okay." Rhyme smiles, "I can do that."

They sit there in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Rhyme speaks again.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asks Neku and myself. We both nod, but Neku realizes that this is more of a question for me.

"Sometimes I see people that have a person with them, and then the next week no one can s-"

She cuts herself off when I lunge forward and cover her mouth. They both jump back startled.

"Don't talk about that." I tell her, even though she can't hear me. The expression on my face is enough to warn her to be quiet. That she's walking into bad territory. Neku looks at me in surprise, but she just smiles at me.

"So I can't talk about that. And if I can't, that means you don't know about it Neku."

"I don't know about what?"

The warning look is on my face.

"He doesn't want me to tell you. He really does look after you, Neku. I don't know what's so bad about it that I can't talk about it, but he's obviously afraid that it'll harm your well being."

"How wo-"

"I don't know. But I think that he'll tell you one of these days." She stands as Beat comes out of the store, "I think that he's the one that you're playing the name game with. 'J' names, huh? I'll keep thinking, Neku. Until then!" She waves at both of us, then runs off to join her brother.

After they disappear into the crowd Neku stands.

"Tonight we're going to start another game." Neku tells me, facing away from my position, "It's going to be like twenty questions. I'll talk and you answer in yes's and no's. You can pass if you want to. At least this will show me where I stand.

"Fine." I tell him, and he walks out of the 104 building. I glare at the bench and swipe it with my power, causing there to be a crack in it.

I know that Neku is going to the Wildcat first. Trying to gleam any and all the information that he can out of Sanae. He'll be safe there. It's not the first time that he's walked home by himself. He's a big boy. He really only needs me at home, which is where I go.

The mother is comatose on the couch- dead to the world as she sleeps herself into sobriety. 'Dad' on the other hand is swearing in the kitchen, burning something.

I lower myself to a lower frequency and take on Neku's appearance. I enter the house normally, not making myself too quiet or obnoxiously loud. The man hears me and comes out into the living room.

"So the bitch decided to come back after all?"

I nod, knowing that Neku wouldn't speak in this situation.

He pushes me into the wall, "Too afraid to speak, bitch? I'm not raising a wimp here!"

You're not raising anyone. I want to snap at him, but keep my mouth shut. He still has anger from this morning and the alcohol on his breath is nauseating.

"No, sir." I mumble, looking at the floor.

"Who gave YOU permission to talk!" He roars and left hooks my ribs. I feel several things crack and wince under the pain.

He notices.

"Baby can't take a little hit, can he?" The man mocks, "Well how about this?"

The hits keep coming, and soon he pulls out a switchblade. He doesn't do much with it, just carve a line into my cheek, right under my left eye.

After seeing the blood he gets bored. He pushes me to the floor and wanders back into the kitchen- probably to burn something else.

I wait a minute before I gingerly get up and walk up the stairs. I open the door to Neku's room and raise my frequency to one that even he can't see. I survey the damage to my person.

Broken ribs, fractured right arm, bloody cut on my left cheek. I sigh, I'm going to have a bruise over every inch of my lower body.

I decide that my ribs can be hidden, it's my face that can't, it's what needs to be bandaged to stop the bleeding. Gathering enough energy I appear in Sanae's back room. The one that I use to store medical supplies and other odds and ends that I might need on the job. I can hear the conversation out front, and listen in as I grab the bandages, disinfectant, and wet rag.

"So where is he anyway? I thought that he had to be around all the time, or something?"

So he's thinking about me, how sweet.

"He's not always around, Phones. He's there most of the time, but there are times when you're here or at school and he's not with you. If he's not here it's because he knows that you're safe." Sanae pauses for a moment. He knows that I'm in the backroom, "But you can be damn sure that he'll be at home waiting for you to get back."

I nod. There was a need to tell him that, but no reason to remind me. Sanae knows why I'm here, and it's not to play covert spy.

"On that note, Kiddo, you better head on home. I have a customer in the back that needs to be looked at, and J'll be getting antsy."

"Got it." Neku agrees, "See you Mr. H."

"You too, Neku." The door jingles and Sanae is left alone in the front of the store.

I'm almost done with putting everything on when Sanae comes into the backroom. He whistles.

"They got you good today, Boss."

"Yeah, but he should be fine when he goes home."

"Is that all the damage?" He gestures to the knife wound.

"That's it." He knows that I'm lying, it's easy to see in his eyes.

"Sure it is. Should I do a more in depth investigation."

"No." I tell him, outright, "Just keep the supplies back here and keep him happy."

"Isn't that your job?" He teases, but I'm in no mood for teasing. The painkillers had yet to kick in.

"No. My job is to keep him safe. Your job is to do whatever I tell you."

"Jeez, J. I was just joking." Sanae runs a hand through his hair as I stick on the bandage.

"I know." I sigh, "It's just been a really stressful day."

"I can tell." He says quietly, "Now you should run back and watch after the kid."

"I know, Sanae. I plan on it." With that I take my leave, but not before I hear Sanae's last comment.

"Take care of yourself."

Oh, if only it was that easy.

I get back before Neku does and I lower my frequency. When he comes through the main door I raise his own frequency to one of mine, which allows him to walk through the house undetected. It goes back to normal when he comes into his bedroom, where I'm sitting on the desk again.

"Hello Neku," I greet, and he pauses and shivers at my appearance. After using that much power I slightly glow, and my eyes take on a bright silver hue, "I believe that you wanted to talk to me about something."

*glad that you guys are sticking with it* Write more later!