Ok, guys. I SWEAR I'm trying to keep this under 10 chapters. But I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to do it. D: I can't write a short story to save my life, unless it happens to be a one-shot.

Somebody else gets an introduction here. X3 I really just love him no matter what role I put him in, damn it.

Oh, also! Going to Santa Monica on Sunday. You should come too! We'll hang out and ride rides on the pier! :D

Anyhow, enjoy!

After that whole ordeal, things did get better.

For a while I was sure Marluxia was mad at me for digging too deep. He hadn't spoke much the rest of that first evening and I was concerned I'd ruined not only my relationship with him, but Zexion's as well.

But the next day he was back to his regular cheery self and it was as if nothing at all had happened the day before.

We spent that Summer together, just the three of us. Most of our time was spent about town, enjoying the warm weather and beautiful sun. Life seemed to stand still that Summer…

Until we met him…

… … …

"So where are we headed to now?" Naminé asked curiously. "We've already been to the museum twice this month. There isn't much else to see that we haven't already seen."

"We could go to lunch." Zexion offered with a shrug. "Or we could go back to the estate."

"Perhaps." Marluxia placed his hands in his pockets as they continued to walk down the street. "But let's head to Boston instead and enjoy the weather at the beach. The cinema was rather dull today. We need some excitement!"

"You didn't enjoy Intolerance?" Zexion looked to Marluxia with a cocked eyebrow. "I thought it was interesting."

"Sitting still for more than an hour is difficult for me." Marluxia laughed softly and glanced at his pocket watch. "And it was over two hours long. We'll have to do something exciting now…"

Naminé giggled lightly. The more time she spent with the two cousins, the more she realized what polar opposites they were. Marluxia always liked everything to be fun and exciting while Zexion preferred the quiet and ordinary. It was the opposite of what one could expect given their ages. That wasn't to say they couldn't meet in the middle, however, which was what they usually had to do anyhow just to prevent an argument. She was just about to offer that they head back to the estate to go for a swim which was equal ground on what they'd both suggested but she paused as she heard footsteps rushing up behind them. She whirled around in enough time to see a boy about her age slam into Marluxia, the two toppling to the ground as Zexion pulled her out of harm's way. "Oh my!"

Marluxia groaned lightly and chuckled as the boy above him stood and clasped his hand, mumbling apologies. "No worries. No harm done." He let the boy help him up and dust him off, the youth still spewing excuses and requests for forgiveness. But as soon as he'd appeared he ran off again. Marluxia continued to dust himself of calmly. "How unfortunate."

Zexion looked up at his cousin worriedly, a scuff on his forehead releasing beads of crimson. "Are you alright? That was a nasty fall."

"Oh, I'm fine." Marluxia grinned widely and wiped the scuff on the back of his hand. He examined the small amount of blood curiously before shrugging it off. "Just a pickpocket. That's all. The unfortunate thing is that he stole my pocket watch. Had it been my billfold, I would've let him have it. It was only money and it was only a couple hundred. However, that pocket watch is important to me. I'll have to go get it back."

"Wait a second!" Naminé watched as Marluxia bolted after the boy. She glanced at Zexion and urged him on. "Come on, we have to follow!"

"Wait! Gentlemen and ladies should never run!" Zexion reached out to capture Naminé by the wrist but she was too fast. He stepped speedily after her and rounded the corner, but the two were nowhere in sight. He looked around in confusion until he heard a commotion in the alleyway just ahead. He peered around the corner to see that Marluxia had the boy against the wall and he was begging for mercy. Naminé was just a few feet away.

Marluxia turned to look at the two standing there just staring at him. He smiled and motioned to the youngster in his hand, yanking him out in the open for the others to see. "This is Roxas. Profession, pickpocket."

Zexion looked at his cousin worriedly and pulled Naminé back from the two. Although there was a smile on Marluxia's face, it was clear in his eyes that he was livid. "Alright, let's turn him over to the authorities and be on with our day."

Naminé shook her head. "He won't be locked away long enough to be taught a lesson. He'll steal again." Her eyes narrowed on the boy before them. Even though she'd been through a lot in her life, she prided herself on the fact that she never stole to get what she needed, even if it meant she went without. She despised people like this boy. Why shouldn't he have to earn a living like everyone else? Why should he get by on taking from others? "What are you going to do with him?"

Marluxia released his hold on the boy and let him fall to the ground. "That is a very good question, Nami. What am I going to do with him?"

"P-please sir! I didn't know." Roxas muttered as he rested his face against the ground. "I shouldn't have stole from you. I'm just so hungry and my family…"

"Your family?" Marluxia cocked an eyebrow and picked the boy back up off the ground. "What about your family?"

"My father just died a few months ago and my mother is very sick. My little brother and sisters need to be taken care of so I can't go out and work long hours like I need to because I have to be there to watch them. I've stolen what I can to get by. If anything happened to them, I don't know what I'd do." Roxas looked up at Marluxia pleadingly. "Please, if I'm arrested there will be nothing I can do to help them. They'll die. My mother is so sick she can't get out of bed. They're too young to fend for themselves!"

Zexion looked to Marluxia sadly before turning his gaze to the boy. "That's horrible…"

"It would be, if it were true." Marluxia glanced to Zexion. "But the truth is, that's a lie. There's a street gang around here. A bunch of orphaned boys that go around pickpocketing. When they get caught, they all feed their capturers that same story to escape punishment. A lot of times they'll even walk away with money."

Zexion blinked up at Marluxia in astonishment. "Really?"

"Yes really. Read the newspaper Zexion." Marluxia chuckled. "Things here aren't like they are out West. It isn't all glitz and glamour here like your Hollywood movies. It can be despicable, like the residents." He turned his eyes back to the boy in his hand. "Now, back to you. What are you doing in a gang at such a young age?"

Roxas looked up at the three in fear. "I just… you know, I got sucked in when I was still little."

"Still little?" Marluxia scoffed. "You're barely twelve, if that. You are little."

"I'm a man and I do what I have to do! I had no family to protect me so I had to join one. They taught me how to survive and I do what I have to do." Roxas scowled up at Marluxia. "Rich jerks like you, you'd never understand it!"

Naminé looked at the boy sadly. Actually, she understood all too well. She had nobody to protect her at a young age. That was when her pimp picked her up and provided "protection" for her in exchange that she do what she needed to do to live. She sucked in a quick breath before stammering out a solution. "J-just let him go." She looked to Marluxia and nodded quickly. "He'll return home empty handed and he'll probably get a beating worse than any punishment you could give him. Let's just leave him and go."

Marluxia stared at Naminé knowingly. This situation was no different than the one only seven months earlier with the two of them in New York. He forced a smile and released his hold on the boy. "Alright, I have a proposition for you instead."

Roxas stared up at Marluxia and nodded. "I'm listening."

"My father owns a printing business in New York. How would you like to go work for him? It'll be a good sturdy job with fair pay. You'll be able to get a home and out of your little street gang." Marluxia smiled. "And of course I'll be coming to check in now and then. We all will. Consider it an adventure."

Naminé stared at Marluxia in awe. His kindness really was astounding. She watched happily as Roxas nodded eagerly in acceptance and shook the older man's hand.

Marluxia did so much good for so many people…