A/N: HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE MOMS OUT THERE! Yes, it was all an unconscious dream after Kirihara had inadvertently knocked out our favorite bald player. Poor Jackal. And yes, Niou is still planning something… epic. You will actually see that in the next chapter (which will sadly be the last one for this story). Enjoy this one though!

Chapter 13 – Reality or Dream

It had been a week since he had been sent to the hospital because Kirihara had chosen to act like a fool after he didn't get his way. Seven days since Jackal had the weirdest dream, and only six days since he woke up with a splitting headache. Four days ago he was released from the hospital and told to rest at home, but today… today he was allowed to return to school (or the local psych ward for teens as some would call it). He made a promise to himself though, no more. Yes, he still wanted to help his friends where possible, but he decided he would not be a pushover any longer because what good was that dream if it wasn't telling him to stop saying yes to everything and to start saying no sometimes. Kirihara had to learn at some point in time that he would not get everything he wanted in life (you would have thought his utter defeat at the hands of the three demons would have taught him that though), and Marui had to learn that Jackal was more than just someone who could do it all. He was a person and therefore he had rights! Okay, so he wasn't Patrick Henry and declaring, "Give me liberty or give me death", but he felt very strongly about his new stance.

Getting up Monday morning, Jackal got ready for school (and had to endure a lot of fussing from his mother about how he may need another week off from tennis… since it was such a dangerous sport where he was hospitalized). As soon as he could escape, he bolted out the door and was half a block away before the woman realized her son had disappeared. It wasn't as if he didn't understand where his mother was coming from or why she fussed, but really enough was enough. He was a healthy teenage boy that as long as he stayed out from under Kirihara, he should live a long and healthy life. Next time the second year ace wanted to climb the fence, Jackal would walk the other way. Did he remember everything? Nope, but his team mates had told him everything that happened… still the dream seemed more real than reality. He paused in his walking, "What if this is a dream within a dream?" (It wasn't).

"What you standing around for? Are you still suffering from what Bakaya did to you?" Marui slapped his friend on the back. When he had left his house he saw his doubles partner five steps from the front gate standing there and staring off into space. It was a bit disconcerting, but as long as Jackal was alright… well, the tensai felt like he could hand a touch more crazy in his life… maybe.

Jackal looked around him and realized that where he thought was an empty space before, stood Marui, "Huh? Oh, I'm fine… I was just thinking."

"So that's what I smelled," the redhead teased.

Not quite getting what his friend was saying, Jackal's perplexed look increased, "What?"

He tried to hold it in, but unfortunately the tensai's laughter won out, "I'm sorry, but really? I think you might need to call your doc and tell him that your head is still broken."

Shaking said head, the defensive specialist grumbled, "No, I just have to deal with… never mind. Let's just get to school before we're late and Yukimura decides to put us in that torture chamber of his."

"You know that's just some weird rumor made up by the first years because our buchou is a touch sadistic. It doesn't really exist."

"Think about it… This is Yukimura, a sadist, smiles even when inflicting punishments, and likes to see you squirm… are you sure it's just a myth?"

Marui stopped, his body shaking as he sweat dropped, "Now that you mention it… We have to hurry!" He grabbed his friend by the arm and started running as fast as he could, while lugging his friend, towards the school. It was a good thing he had ate breakfast, a cream puff, and was chewing his favorite apple gum or he might not have the energy right now.

Running as they did, the duo made it to the school with a good twenty minutes to spare after they changed into their tennis uniforms. Apparently even the threat of torture was enough to make certain people high tail it so that they did not have to deal with a certain smiling bluenette… that and it would probably be better to stay on the good side of a certain fukubuchou since no one wanted to experience an earthquake or another tremor.

They both left the clubhouse and immediately went to the courts where they found the three demons of Rikkai Dai in deep discussion. Whatever they were talking about, no one wanted to know… well as long as it didn't involve them. Unfortunately for the doubles pair, the trio saw them and called them over.

"Marui, where's your letter?" Yukimura asked with a beaming grin on his face.

Cringing, the tensai decided it should be illegal to smile that brightly so early in the morning… or in Yukimura's case, ever. He scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, I figured since I already apologized and went to visit him while he was at home I didn't need to write the letter."

The smile increased, "And why did you think that?"

"TORUNDORU!" Sanada yelled and the redhead went flying to the ground skidding to a stop about five feet away (some will say they felt the ground quake, but this was just a light slap compared to some).

"Now, now Genichiro, let him explain," Yukimura said as he placed a hand on Sanada's arm, a silent order to stand down, "Bunta-kun?"

Hearing his first name, the redhead cringed some more, "Well, I didn't write one since I went and visited him every day and I apologized to him a lot. So I thought that would be okay."

"Sou ka. Jackal, did Marui go to visit you every day?" The bluenette asked the half-Brazilian. The times he and the rest of the team visited his tennis player, Marui had been with him, however, that did not mean he went on his own… although, the redhead probably had.

"Yes, he did. Um, what is this about?" Jackal inquired after taking a small step backwards away from his buchou and fukubuchou (although he didn't realize that he had stepped away from them... it was a defensive reaction).

Yukimura studied the redhead, who was still on the ground, and the bald teen standing in front of him for a moment before he made a decision, "Marui, you will be missing practice again this morning to write the letter. Any laps or special drills assigned this morning will have to be made up this afternoon. Be prepared. Jackal, I want you to take it easy today. If you feel the need to sit down, do it. I don't want you to relapse."

"What? I still have to…" Marui stopped when he saw Sanada take a very threatening step towards him, "Never mine. I got it!" He took the long way around and exited the courts at the opposite end so that he would not come near that slap happy teen.

Still a bit confused, Jackal asked, "What letter?"

"As part of their punishment, Kirihara and Marui were both to write letters of apology. They had until today to turn them in. There is an 86.78% chance that Kirihara's will only have one word," Yanagi explained.

"They don't have to," the defensive specialist tried to say, but he knew there was no real point in arguing, "Never mind."

His smile increasing a bit more, Yukimura nodded, "That's what I thought. Now, last week we had Kirihara and Marui cleaning the clubhouse from top to bottom. This week they should be returning to practice… I guess for Marui it will be tomorrow. As for you, I think it would be better if you didn't give into their whims as much as you usually do. If they have a problem with it, tell them to come to me. I don't want a repeat of what happened last week. Kirihara should have known better, but I guess he is still a child at heart."

Was he hearing things? Could this be true? Was his buchou really siding with him? Jackal thought he might have lost his mind and wondered once again if this wasn't a dream inside a dream… or would that be dream inside a dream inside a dream since he did dream of Fatima as well. Realizing he hadn't said anything to the bluenette's dictate, he bowed and said, "Hai."

"Excellent. You can begin your warm-up laps. Do 15 and then practice your swings," the buchou instructed and watched his specialist immediately do what he was told to do. After he was out of hearing distance, Yukimura said, "Renji, what is the chance he will actually stand up for himself?"

"Based on what I have observed and listening to what he said about when he was asleep, it is at 59.03%," the data specialist answered.

"That high? I'm impressed."

"Those two are not the ones you have to worry about right now though."

"Oh?"

Yanagi nodded, "I believe Niou is planning something and recruiting helpers. There is a 98.33% chance he will ask Jackal to help him."

Furrowing his brow slightly, Yukimura's smile only diminished slightly, "Jackal normally doesn't have a problem with Niou."

Sanada spoke up, "Niou can impersonate any one of us. So Jackal may get duped."

Yukimura couldn't help but chuckle, "Oh you're right. This might be interesting to watch."

"You're not going to stop it?" Sanada questioned.

"Maybe… we'll see if I need to," the bluenette answered in a sing song voice and spotted his second year ace approaching him with a piece of paper, "Is this your letter?"

"Hai!" Kirihara smiled and handed the paper to his buchou. As predicted it had one word writing on the paper, "Sorry."

"Sloppy, your paper is crinkled, and your kanji is an abomination!" Sanada really tried not to judge, but he couldn't help it. The second year really had not improved from one year ago when he issued the challenge, "TORUNDORU!"

Kirihara fell to the floor and skidded to a halt seven feet away (just so you know Yanagi was measuring and recording the data, thus it became available to me). Grabbing his now stinging cheek, he whined, "I did what you told me Mura-buchou!"

Bending over, Yukimura patted the second year's head, "Yes, but this was supposed to be a letter of apology for what you did, not just one word. Now, go into the clubhouse and write it correctly. You will miss practice this morning and have to make up your laps and special training this afternoon."

"But buchou," Kirihara turned on the waterworks in the hopes that it would get him what he wanted: to play tennis instead of writing an apology letter. It just wasn't fair.

"The sooner you get it done right, the sooner you can play. Remember what we said, you have to start being an example if you want to take my place next year… or I might pick someone else. Now, would a buchou cry about his punishment or would he do what he needs to for the good of the team?"

Sniffling the ace answered, "The good of the team?"

"Correct. Now, go and write a neat and well written apology letter so that you can practice again," Yukimura patted his player's head and then stood up.

"Okay," Kirihara grumbled. He knew it had been a long shot, but he was really hoping that Yukimura would cave.

Calling over his shoulder, Yukimura addressed the younger teen, "Oh and Akaya, no asking Marui to help you. If I hear otherwise… well, I don't think you will disobey me, will you?"

Kirihara sweat dropped and stammered, "N-n-no buchou!" He got off of the courts as fast as possible knowing when it fight and when to retreat. No, there was no way in hell he would go against Yukimura… he might end up in the torture chamber. Rumor has it that it is a million times worse than Fuji's, and even has a medieval rack (supposedly Inui crossed the Rikkai Dai buchou one time and was put on the rack. That is the reason he is so tall).

"Well, now that they have been dealt with, let's start our warm-ups everyone," Yukimura instructed his tennis team who seemed to be standing around watching everything, without trying to appear as if they were eavesdropping.

The moment Niou arrived at the tennis courts, he saw Jackal already running his laps, so without anyone telling him to do so for a change, he joined the defensive specialist and caught up to him quickly, "Hey Jackal, how's the head?"

"It's fine," the bald teen answered. He had been on is guard around the silver haired teen since regaining consciousness in the hospital. Something just told him Niou was up to something and it wasn't going to be good.

"That's good. So I was wondering if you wanted to help me with something. I'm not sure who told you I was planning something, but since you know, I could really use your help."

"No."

"Awe come on Jackal!"

"No."

"Please. You know, normally I don't beg. Puri."

"No," Jackal answered and sped up a little in order to get away from the other teen. He like Niou just fine, but he didn't not want to be caught in the middle of his net. That might mean life in prison.

Narrowing his eyes, Niou knew he had no choice but to use his last resort, "I'll take the brat off your hands for a week."

His step faltered ever so slightly. The offer was a good one and almost too good to pass up, but Niou influencing Kirihara… that was enough to make hell freeze over, not to mention what would happen if it actually took place.

Niou decided he needed to up the ante, "Ok, a month then."

This time Jackal tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground. That's it, the end of the world is coming! Breathing hard and terror in his eyes, he declared, "Hell no! Stay away from the brat. We already have our hands full with both of you separated."

Smirking, Niou squatted down next to his friend, "Piyo, if you don't help me, I will make I become his best friend."

Jackal face palmed. It came down to either help him or kill the planet, "Fine. I'll help." (Now I know what you're thinking… why didn't he just go to Yukimura? Well, it isn't like Niou is actually afraid of the three demons, and even if he was, it wouldn't really stop him. So Kirihara would become a victim regardless. No, helping was just safer for everyone involved).

Niou helped the bald teen to his feet and grinned, "Excellent. We can meet up after practice this afternoon to discuss it."

Shaking his head, Jackal could only pray this didn't land him in jail, this hospital, or the cemetery. Although, each one was a real possibility with Niou around... and with this thought he realized, this is too real to be a dream.