If We Had Hearts: After Sora had selflessly sacrificed herself for Kairi and became a heartless, a nobody was created. Solitary, wandering, not sure how she became or where to go her Nobody walked the streets of Twilight Town only to be found by the Leader of Organization XIII. He gave her a purpose, he gave her a name: Roxas.

Author's Note: I realized a little too late that I keep switching Marluxia and Luxiana's names. Marluxia is a girl in this series of stories, Ailuna is her true name and Luxiana is her nobody name. I will be making the necessary corrections in the story once I've posted this chapter. If you guys notice any other name mix-ups let me know so I can make the necessary corrections! Thanks! .

Chapter 6: Familiar Face

~Day 50~

Roxas woke up, her head pounding and her body stiff from the long slumber. She slowly rose up touching her temple and looking around at her own room. When had she gone to sleep? How long had she slept?

She glanced to her bedside and saw the shells, picking one up she admired it and it's colorful shell. Her smile was soft and she barely noticed it had spread. It was the first time she'd smiled since she'd heard about Axel.

Axel…

Fresh pain twisted her insides and she clutched her chest. Running outside and down the halls she slowed her pace to a walk as she entered the mission room… and found no one.

"What did I expect?" she sighed and opened a portal for herself to Twilight Town. She grabbed ice cream, and stepped to her usual spot atop the clock looking out at the sunset. She'd just finished her stick when she heard Xion's voice.

"Roxas?"

She looked up saw Xion's relieved smile.

"Xion… what happened to me?"

"You were asleep for a long time," he started and crossed over to sit beside her. "Saix said there was no telling when you'd might wake up… but I'm glad you did."

"I kinda feel like a zombie though," she laughed a little and gasped some as he held out a shell to her. She took it in hand smiling.

"So you're the one leaving shells by my bed…"

"Mmmm, that's right. I've been picking one up on every mission. Hold it up to your ear." He suggested and pressed it to her ear. It felt good to touch her again, to see her awake, hear her voice. He watched her face as she closed her eyes and listened, watched the calm smile spread over those lips, and the urge to meet them push at his brain.

"I hear the waves… it's beautiful, Xion, thank you." She tucked the shell into her pocket and looked back out at the sun. "Too late for missions today… but I guess I'll be back on roster tomorrow."

"If it's too hard for you, I'm sure we can arrange for you to rest some more."

"No," She shook her head. "I don't want to just lay in bed… there's too much to think about in the quiet."

Xion nodded and scowled. His hands fisted over his black pants and he wished there was something he could do to give her back that spark of life Axel had taken away. He got up and stretched out a hand to her. She took it and let him guide her back, with her fingers curled possessively in his grip.

~Day 71~

Roxas found out that everyone at the castle had been destroyed. The pain in her chest continued to get worse the more she thought of it so she did her best to keep busy with missions. She had no partners now, left alone to deal with missions by herself. With half the Organization gone she doubted they were gonna leave her and Xion on training wheels.

For weeks she stuck to routine. Heartless, heartless, heartless… the more she destroyed, the more hearts she collected, the worse she felt. She didn't know the people these heartless used to be, didn't know what had driven them into darkness… but the freed hearts, the souls left behind… it all left a bunch of unanswered questions she no longer had someone to talk to about, and that just added to the already choking pain she was experiencing.

Xion was busy with his own missions to even show up for ice cream. Roxas was left by herself for the most part, and she didn't care for it. She'd become accustomed to having her friends around, of having that laughter and companionship. She wished, for just one day… she could be with them again.

Today's mission was relatively easy, some bubbles of dark energy had been spotted all across town and she was tasked with eliminating them. She had no problems searching around town and destroying them, and the fact that the mission was in Twilight Town made it easy to wrap things up here quickly and get ice cream straight afterwards.

She shot a fireball at the last blob and let her keyblade phase from her hand. She heard footsteps behind her… and the voice that spoke had her staring stunned speechless.

"Hey, Roxas, it's been awhile!"

Axel strolled up the long hill to her. He took a moment to assess her face. She'd gone pale and those big blue eyes were wide as saucers. He let himself laugh.

"What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Axel!" She rushed him and hugged him tight. Axel stumbled back, legitimately shocked at her actions.

"Whoa! Easy…"

"I heard… I had heard that everyone at Castle Oblivion had been annihilated!" She pulled back just enough to tilt her face up to his.

"Not me." He grinned and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm tough."

"You had me worried!" The first tear slipped down before she could stop it. Once again Axel look on shocked by this, and he gently cupped her cheek rubbing the tear away.

"Worry? We nobodies don't have the hearts to worry… you know?" He smiled at her, hoping to make those tears stop before they spilled over again. He hugged her again holding her close and just breathing in her scent. Damn he had missed her. "...but, I'm sorry anyway."

"Yeah…" She held on a moment longer before pulling back and letting that free smile spread. "I'll go buy us some ice cream!" She rushed off, the pain and choking sensation released from seeing him, and was replaced by sweet relief and happiness.

They made their way to the top of the clock tower and ate their ice cream slow as to enjoy each other's company as long as possible. Somewhere between the first bite and the second Axel laced his fingers between hers. The movement warmed her and made her smile.

"I missed you."

"Yeah? I told you I'd come back." Axel grinned.

"I know you did… but there's still this… ache whenever you go away. It's been really hard not having you here. When I thought you were gone… I cried."

"You… what?" Axel looked at her shocked. "That's not possible."

"Well I did… I don't know if it's as you and Saix said and I'm just getting memories of what my former self knows… but I don't have memories of my past like that. The only things I have are these sensations I get when I'm around you and Xion."

"Xion?"

"Oh yeah that's right. I started inviting Xion up here. He's my friend too!"

"He? I thought Xion was a girl." Axel let go of her hand long enough to scratch his temple. "I'll have to formally meet him. Still…" He took his free hand and turned her face to his and placed a firm full kiss on her lips.

"You know that your friendship with me is different than his, right? Its special… more intimate."

"Oh… okay… so you don't want him kissing me the way you do. Is that it?" She didn't know why that made her want to smile.

"That's exactly it. If he makes any kind of move on you. I want to know. We'll get along fine so long as that remains clear."

She nearly asked him if he was jealous… but the fact they were nobodies made that seem impossible. Then again everything she was "feeling" was supposed to be impossible.

"Okay. So what should I say if he asks why its different."

"Tell him its because I'm your first friend. And first friends have special privileges."

"Okay...but I'm pretty sure I'm his first friend so…" she laughed as Axel grabbed her by the waist and started tickling her. She laughed so hard her ribs hurt and she fell back on the stones with him panting breathlessly between giggles. "Okay… okay… I get it." She turned in towards him. "i'll tell him you're special to me, because you're the only one I want to be kissed by."

"That's perfect...say it just like that." He stroked her face then held her to him just laying with her in his arms.

"Axel… What are you doing?"

"Its something we special friends liken to call cuddling." He said simply.

"Oh okay…" she paused a moment stroking her hands up his back. "Hey Axel?"

"Hmmm… what?"

"I like cuddling."

~Day 72~

Axel knew he would probably get a lecture for not checking in, but after the adventures in Castle Oblivion he hadn't been up to facing Saix or the Superior. While he had all what he wanted to say written down in his own journal and in the letters he would hand over to Saix, he decided to rerun what he'd seen over in his head.

Number 13, Roxas, the Keyblade's chosen one, was the nobody of Sora. In order to take over Organization 13… Luxiana and Larxene used the powers of the witch Namine to take a part Sora's memories and manipulate her into their puppet. Their plan failed, a combination effort of himself and the young keyblade wielder. All who had betrayed the organization had been eliminated, and the rest were obliterated by the second visitor in Castle Oblivion no one had expected… Riku.

Riku had heard Sora was in the castle, and had made his way up the winding castle, defeating whatever organization member stood in his way. Axel had made sure to steer clear of that one. There was something about Riku chilled his blood, but more he was too focused on Sora. His curiosity in her power and abilities had him looking too deep and seeing too much. Each time he was around her, he felt odd. It was the same with Roxas. He felt compelled to protect and shield them which wasn't in his job description.

He veered off in his thoughts when his door opened, and had to hide a groan when he saw Saix stroll in.

"Why didn't you report in?"

"What, not even one little word of appreciation?" Axel countered, avoiding answering his question,

"All I've heard is that Namine has gone missing."

"There one minute, gone the next. I don't know how she got out." That was half truth. He had an inkling on who was responsible for her disappearance… but seeing as he didn't want to be put in charge of finding her and opening that kettle he bent the truth.

"You know searching every room in that place is impossible." Axel continued when Saix probed further.

"Did you at least find the chamber?"

"Come on, I would have told you that much." The chamber in question was called the Chamber of Awakening. It was a room that held secrets and The Superior was keen on finding what lay hidden inside. Axel had wanted to find it, for his own curiosity of the contents… but for the weeks he was there all he found was room after room of the same white walls and broken memories.

"I gotta hand it to yah, about Luxiana being one of the traitors. You knew exactly what was up from the start."

"I merely sent away those who were getting in the way." Saix said coolly.

"Whoa," Axel whirled and tried to laugh it off. "Was I one of those ones you wanted to erase?"

Their eyes stared for a good few seconds… Saix's bitter and stern face didn't change expression, but something about the eyes pierced Axel making his stomach churn with nerves.

"Good to see you made it back safely." He turned away.

"I disposed of Zexion by the way." Axel admitted, he didn't like having that tension, so he eliminated it by giving Saix exactly what he wanted to hear. Saix had risen in the ranks thanks to the elimination of his superior members. He was getting closer to being more valuable to his lord and leader and would soon be seen as a very valuable asset. When Saix said nothing, and merely walked away Axel frowned and turned his back on the door again.

"I moved things along, just like you wanted." Yet there was no gratitude, no praise… he shouldn't expect or want such things since he was a nobody… but the lack of it annoyed him.

There wasn't much of a punishment as far as his lack of information was concerned. They sent him on a mission with Roxas as a "slap on the wrist," ha jokes on them as he actually liked working with her.

The mission was a simple heart collection that turned into a tailing of a suspicious character. The city of Agrabah itself had originally been closed in by sandstorms, but thanks to a secret passageway they were lead out safely into the desert where they then found a cave shaped like a lion's head.

As they explored the inside, Axel paid attention to Roxas and saw the progress she'd made in ability since he'd been gone. She seemed a lot more calm and focused than the curious girl he'd left behind. She was growing into a strong independent fighter, and he admired it. There was more to her change though… she seemed, happy, cheerful. He'd been attracted to the owlish eyed female he'd left behind, but this new girl, with the quick brilliant smile, and sparkle in her big baby blues… had him by the throat.

He found himself wanting to be closer to her, wanting to spend more and more time with her. The few measly hours they spent on the clocktower eating ice cream just wasn't enough. When they returned to the castle, he stirred restless in his bed and just couldn't find sleep… and hoping to solve the problem he went straight to the source. He opened the door peering inside. Roxas lay on her side facing the window still in her robes but had kicked her shoes off. Her toes wiggled freely and played with the tucked sheet on the end of the bed, and he found himself smiling.

"You awake or do you just fidget in your sleep?" He said softly but caught her attention. Her head jerked up and she looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes blinking sleepily.

"I don't fidget… i just like feeling the fabric on my toes."

"Right…" He saw the shells on the bed, frowned at them. "What're these?"

"Hmmm? Oh they're gifts from Xion. I told you how I'd passed out for several days."

A comment that had twisted his insides.

"Yes."

"Xion would visit me everyday and bring me one from a world he visited." She sat up and picked the last one up. She held it to her ear and closed her eyes hearing the ocean again. "I wonder why he hasn't been by to eat ice cream… I haven't seen him since that day I woke up."

Axel scowled and he picked up the shells setting them in a nice neat line on her desk rather than the bed.

"Since you were out of commission he's probably been working all your missions. He's probably too tired."

"I guess that's true… still I'm awake now… I can handle my own missions. He should be able to come."

"He'll come when he's ready… until then, I'm still here." He sat down beside her and tucked hair behind her ear. "That's good enough right?"

Roxas clutched the shell in her hand, the same sense of worry she'd felt for Axel she now felt for Xion. She looked into Axel's eyes, sighed and smiled. "Yeah… it is."

"Hey, c'mere." He pulled her into his arms and lay down with her on the bed. He stroked her hair and let their legs tangle together. "He's fine. If it helps, I'll help you track him down tomorrow to ease your mind, okay?"

"Promise?" She said sleepily, the soothing sensation of his hand on her hair helping her to drift off.

"I promise…" and this, Axel thought with a soft smile… was what he was missing. He closed his eyes, and easily found sleep himself.

This chapter took longer to put up than I expected because of some mistakes I made in previous chapters. I plan on smoothing out some plot holes in between the other chapters, but it should be smoother sailing now that I've got it more planned out in my head.

Next Chapter: Identity Crisis