Uhg, sorry it took me a while to update this one guys.

I had some chapters written up and then decided to scrap them since they weren't really important to the story, WHICH LEFT ME WITH NOTHING so I had to catch myself up before I could post. Bah!

Okies, so yeah. That last chapter was pretty cute, right? Aw, Marluxia's so wonderful and nice and perfect in every way and… Oh, wait. Damn. No he isn't.

Just keep in mind that EVERYTHING Marluxia does has a meaning behind it. EVERYTHING. If you've already read "Every Bit of You" then you know what the ultimate outcome is. If you haven't, well, just don't be surprised when things change.

Going out of town this weekend for my birthday (and going to be quite busy on my birthday this Thursday) so I can't make any promises as to updates on any of my stories. SORRY!

Without further adieu, ENJOY!

I don't know why I thought the trip to New York would be like the other trips Marluxia had taken me on.

This was strictly business in more way than one.

Firstly and foremost, he needed to stay on good terms with his father. I'd discovered that he and his mother had become somewhat estranged from his father after the death of his sister, mostly in part to his father placing the blame entirely on Marluxia's mother for letting them venture to New York unaccompanied.

This put a strain on their financial situation back home. Though it was unapparent at first, I slowly began to see that they were not as wealthy as they would like to have been. They were given a monthly allowance, just enough to get them by living the façade of a life that they did.

Thinking back on it, when I found out I should've known Marluxia had something on the side to earn all the money he threw around on trips and dinners and silly little gifts for me. He had to have…

… … …

"And this is the printing floor." Roxas said proudly. "All these printing presses have to be monitored carefully by an individual. Every two presses have a set of eyes on them at all times. That way incase anything goes wrong, we can shut it off right away and save ink and paper from being wasted."

Naminé nodded slowly and looked around the massive work floor in awe. Roxas had been appointed to take her on a tour of the company while Marluxia and his father talked business upstairs. "There really is a lot more too it than I would've imagined."

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how involved it is! It really is a difficult job to manage the whole company. I can't imagine what it must be like." Roxas smiled happily is he continued to lead Naminé along. "I'm so grateful to Marluxia for getting me this job. It really has been the best thing to happen to me."

Naminé smiled at Roxas sweetly. "I'm glad to hear that. He really is amazing, isn't he? He does so much good for others without a single thought about it."

Roxas nodded in agreement. "He could've turned me in that day. Worse, he could've killed me. Nobody would've thought twice about a murdered street thug. But he decided to give me a chance, and I guess I have you to thank in part for that. If you hadn't spoke up, who knows?"

"Oh, no…" Naminé shook her head with a small laugh. "He was just playing with you. He probably would have done the same thing regardless of what I had to say."

"Either way, I still owe you both a big thanks." Roxas grinned widely before pausing in thought. "Say, I just realized! There's someone I think you should meet!" He motioned for the girl to follow him as he lead her into the packaging area. "This is where all the books we print get divided up, packaged and sent away to schools, libraries and stores all over America. This is also where my living partner works, loading the boxes onto pallets and then onto the trucks."

"Living partner?" Naminé blinked quietly at Roxas in confusion.

Roxas nodded quickly. "Yeah, on my first day here I had nowhere I could really stay. Marluxia arranged for me to stay with him until I could get enough money to stand on my own two feet. But it ended up that in exchange for a little housework and teaching him to read, he let me stay permanently. So we're living partners."

"You're teaching him to read?" Naminé giggled lightly. "You mean he works for a company that prints books and he can't even read?"

Roxas furrowed his brow. "Don't be rude. He's Russian. Their writing isn't the same as ours so he doesn't know how to read our words. His English is really good though." He stopped in his tracks and pointed over in the direction where a large man stood packaging books away. "He's there. His name is Lexaeus, but he's rather quiet. He isn't too confident in is English."

Naminé stared at the man Roxas pointed to curiously. He was massive, his body almost frightening to someone as small as her. His eyes, however, were warm and despite his emotionless face… "He seems nice."

"Well, come on! Come meet him." Roxas started over to him, urging Naminé to follow. He stopped before his friend happily. "Lexaeus, meet Naminé!"

Lexaeus paused in the middle of packaging a set of books to look down at the two children before him. He nodded slowly to the girl before holding out a hand. "I'm Lexaeus."

Naminé accepted his hand hesitantly, the large appendage enveloping hers with ease, but also delicacy. "I'm Naminé. It is a pleasure to meet you. Roxas was just telling me about you."

Roxas nodded. "Yeah, but nothing bad. Just how Marluxia introduced us and such. Oh, I forgot to mention. Naminé is Marluxia's little sister! Did you know that?"

Naminé stifled a laugh and shook her head. "Oh, no. Really I'm…"

"Your brother is a great man." Lexaeus said with a kind smile. "He helped me get this job when others were hesitant to hire me because I can not read English text. He also helped Roxas, and many of the other workers here."

Naminé nodded slowly and smiled. "Yes, he certainly is wonderful. He does more for others than any person I've ever met. We're all very luck to have him in our lives."

"Oh, there you go again, Nami. Talking about me when I'm not around." Marluxia approached the three with a wide grin and jutted his hand out to Lexaeus. "It's been a while, Lex. I hope these two aren't talking your ear off."

Lexaeus shook his head. "Not at all, sir."

Marluxia pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it before looking to the others. "I have an idea. Why don't you two take a break and accompany Naminé and I to lunch? It'll be a great opportunity for you two to get more acquainted with her. I think it'll be important to grow a tight bond."

Roxas nodded eagerly. "Alright! Sounds great."

Naminé looked up to Marluxia in confusion. Why growing a bond with these two was important, she hadn't the slightest clue. However this was what Marluxia wanted and she didn't question it. As long as it made Marluxia happy, she'd do anything he asked.

Before too long, the four of them were out of the factory and in a car headed for Upper Manhattan. They arrived at a quaint little Italian restaurant and Marluxia ushered them in speedily. They took their seats, ordered their food and like every time they dined out of town, Marluxia had to excuse himself for a moment. Naminé watched him leave his seat quietly and make for the front of the restaurant. It was practically routine by now, but still irritating. "I swear, he does that every time!" She grumbled and crossed her arms. "Just once, I'd like to sit down at a restaurant with him and enjoy it without wondering where he's going."

Roxas laughed lightly at the blonde girl and shook his head. "It shouldn't matter. It isn't as though he's gone for hours on end, or anything. Right?"

"That's not the point." Naminé turned around in her seat and stared out the front window where she saw Marluxia standing, seemingly enjoying the cold New York afternoon. He seemed to spot something after a moment and make his way toward it and this only piqued her curiosity. She watched as he walked across the street and began conversing with someone, though she couldn't make out a face. All she could see was bright red hair, so bright that it almost seemed to be truly red rather than orange. "Oh, that can't be!"

Roxas cocked an eyebrow and looked at Naminé in question. "What is it?"

"That's the most curious thing!" Naminé spun back around in her seat and looked to Roxas with wide eyes. "In August, for my birthday, Marluxia took me to Boston."

Lexaeus blinked down at Naminé and nodded. "I've heard its lovely there."

Naminé sighed and shook her head. "It is, but that's not the point! When we went to Boston, he excused himself right after ordering just like he did today. But before that, I noticed a man with bright red hair leaving the restaurant as we arrived. Another time, I saw a man in Worcester walking away from the estate with the same bright red hair, only I couldn't see his face. Just the back of his head."

"So what?" Roxas shrugged. "There's plenty of Spudniggers around. Could be anybody."

Lexaeus nudged Roxas gently and shook his head. "Such language around the lady?"

"Oh! Sorry, Naminé." Roxas smiled sheepishly. "I meant the Irish. There's tons around, and lots of them have red hair. It isn't a big deal to see it often."

"No, this is different. I know this is the same man. I've never seen hair so red. It almost looks unnatural. This is the third time I've seen him, three different places and every time Marluxia has been around." Naminé turned back around and looked back out the window. "It can't be a coincidence. They know each other."

Roxas forced a laugh and shook his head. "There's no way. Do you think Marluxia would have a friend that you didn't know about? He's your brother! He wouldn't keep secrets from you, right Nami?"