Hey everyone! I finally finished the chapter and hope you like it! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and read the last chapter and the rest of the story as well. You guys are amazing! Also, anthing medical that happens in this chapter, I did my best to look up and if it isn't true or doesnt make sense...I tried.

Saving Axel

Chapter 23: Healing

Roxas's POV

It hurt.

My body ached, and I just wanted to drift away if that meant the pain would go away. It felt as if someone was cutting into me and taking my insides out. In this limbo of pain, all I really heard was quiet murmuring. I hated it; it scared me. Was I crazy? Maybe I was dead. No, theysay you can't feel pain in death, so I guess it's good to feel this pain if it means I'm still alive. I don't know how long I had been sitting in this darkness, but the pain hadn't subsided at all, and the voices had gone. All was quiet. I was cold and just wanted to die. I could only curl up more in this cold hellof pain.

Then, there was sudden warmth.

I pulled my hands from my head; they felt warm and didn't hurt as , my body followed suit until the pain and voices were a distant thought in my mind. I stood up and looked around in the blackness until I heard a voice.

It was strong, filled with worry and anguish, calling out to me.

Roxas! Roxas!

I walked toward the voice slowly in the black, not afraid of being unable to see where I was going. I saw a distant light, and ran toward it as full speed. The voice grew louder, and a few others were heard as well.

Clear!

I felt a shock and stopped.

Clear!

Another shock, and I fell again and closed my eyes, the light forgotten and lost to me. When I opened my eyes next, I was screaming in pain because someone was actually cutting into me.

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Sora's POV

I hugged myself when I heard the screaming and felt like crying a whole new batch of tears. They couldn't give him any anesthesia since the pain suppressant almost killed him in the ambulance. When they gave him close to the dosage of a young child, he crashed again, and when they got him back, they had Leon sign a form saying they could perform the needed surgery as he was. The screams just continued, and I cried because there was nothing I could do to ease his pain. They said everyone's bodies react differently to the pain killers, and Roxas reacted negatively. They said it was because of the blood loss and the weakness of his recently revived heart that caused him to reject the anesthesia as well.

After a particularly loud scream, they stopped suddenly. I looked up worriedly, and dad ran down the hall. He stood beside me and a doctor walked out, rubbing his temples in annoyance, and it took a lot not to kick him right where it would hurt.

"We had to sedate him," the doctor began, and I felt my panic rising. I thought they said the medicines could cause another cardiac arrest? "Not enough to put him to sleep, but not little enough that it does nothing. A nice balance so he's in twilight and stops screaming and thrashing about," he finished and turned to leave. I walked forward.

"Doctor?" He turned back to look at me. "He's still in pain…isn't he?" I asked slowly, and he nodded.

"A considerable amount, which was part of the reason he was screaming. Now he won't know how to deal with the pain, and we can finish his surgery with haste," he said before going back into the room again.

"Dad?" I asked quietly, and he pulled me closer to him in a slight hug.

"Yes?"

"I don't know which is worse," I started, staring after the doctor as he walked back into the operation room. "Him screaming in pain and fear, or him being afraid and in pain, and not doing anything about it."

"Just pray that this will be over soon, alright? That's what he needs now."

Axel's POV

Shit! Fuck! God damn!

I stared at the door in front of the room, willing that nurse to walk faster. I barely cooperated with them until they had to sedate me. It seems stupid in hindsight; I mean, I had a bullet in my leg close to severing my femoral artery. I could have bled out and died, but there had been only one worry on my mind.

Roxas.

After he had fired that bullet with an arm that had a gunshot wound in it and fell, I didn't know what to do. I screamed out to him. He didn't move. When I tried to shake him awake he wouldn't move. I was scared he was~ No!

I will not even think that. Now that I'm all patched up, I just want to know how he is doing, and how the others are doing. Marluxia, Zexion, Demy~

Demyx! Oh, shit… I had almost forgotten about him. Poor Zexion, I can't even… Life is cruel.

"Mr. Lea!" The nurse walked in, and I stared her down which caused her to shrink back slightly under my gaze. "Your friend Zexion was already discharged, and Demyx is undergoing surgery, as is Roxas," she said, and I nodded.

"When Roxas is done, could he have the other bed in here?" I asked, and she nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," she promised and left the room. I adjusted myself slightly, which was a bit tough considering my leg was wrapped up so tightly. I turned my attention to the door again, waiting to see that spiky blond hair atop his beautiful head. Being that close to death, to losing him for good…

I just want to see him and hear him say my name so I know he's alright.

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Roxas's POV

I woke up finally, and I was in a room all alone. My throat was so dry; I couldn't even swallow my fear down. I glanced around the room, wondering where I was. The last time I woke up…the cold knife…cutting me. Those men caused me great pain, and I couldn't see their faces. I had been scared and had been in major pain. I tried to get away until they injected something into my leg. It hurt slightly, but soon it made me grow weak; too weak to fight back, but not weak enough to not feel the pain. Not too long after that did I pass out again.

Now I was here…wherever that was.

"Roxas?" I make no move to look toward the door. "I'm gonna check some vitals, alright? If you pass, we're gonna move you to a more comfy room," the nurse explained. She read a few machines and looked into my eyes and ears. She took a blood pressure reading from my left arm, and noticed me wincing. "Sorry, but until your heart gets a little stronger, we can only risk so much medicine," she said and finished shortly after, though I still had not spoken. She wheeled my bed into the hallway and toward the elevators.

"Your family is down at the cafeteria getting lunch and will be with you soon," she said as we waited in the elevator. I still hadn't moved, because movement hurt me a lot. She pushed me into a room, and I heard a small gasp. "Just as I promised, Mr. Lea," she said, and I had to turn my head. It hurt, but when she finally moved after getting everything hooked up, I saw his face. It was bruised and had a few cuts, but he looked okay to me. The nurse soon left and shut the door behind her.

"Roxas, what happened to you?" he asked, and I blinked. I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was just too dry. "Roxy, there's a drink right there." He pushed it closer to me and I reached out, wincing in pain at the action. I took a tentative sip, and once the cool liquid hit my tongue, I had to have more. I spilled more of the water on myself than what I drank, but at least I could speak again.

"Hurts," was the first thing out of my mouth. "Everything," I went on and closed my eyes again. I heard him sigh, and I opened them again.

"Damn, if I could get out of this fucking bed, I'd hold you, Roxas," he told me. He reached out a cut up arm, and it obviously didn't reach. I noticed the small silver ring on its chain hanging from his neck.

"Ring!" I gasped. I felt around for my own, but I couldn't find it. Axel frowned, not knowing what I was talking about until he realized his was showing. He glanced to the table between us and opened the drawer and pulled it out.

"It fell off back at the…place," he said hesitantly. "I kept it for you," he said, placing it on the table for me to look at. "I didn't want to have to tell you this, but he's alive." I knew who he was referring to. When I closed my eyes, I still saw that haunting green that reminded me so much of Axel. To even think Axel was that man's son was…impossibly difficult. When I had been sleeping through my surgery, he had been haunting my sleep, making me too late to save my friends, to save Axel. "I love you, Roxas," he said, and I looked to him, but said nothing. He looked away as the door opened, and Sora ran to my side.

"Roxas! I'm so relieved you're okay!" He smiled, and I just blinked again. Leon sat in the chair beside me.

"He could hardly eat," he informed me, and I blinked again.

"I guess after your screaming, and the sudden stop sort of freaked me out to no end," he said. I looked past Sora to see Axel's eyes wide at the news, but there wasn't much I could do about it. Sora ran a warm hand through my hair, but it wasn't the same as the warm hands I wanted to touch me right now. He sat on the bed beside me and talked until Leon told him to shut up. It was sort of funny to see Sora pout about it.

"If you're tired, why don't you take out your contacts," Leon suggested. "We had Riku bring a small bag of things for you," he said, and Sora pulled out my glasses and contact case. I stared at the case for a little bit. I was still in immense pain, and moving only makes it worse. I looked up to Sora.

"Can you…pull the divider and leave for a few minutes?" I asked, and he looked at me quizzically before doing what I asked. He pulled the small dividing sheet and left with Leon following.

"Don't trust me?" I heard Axel ask as I reached out for the case. I hissed and moaned as my arms stretched. When I had to prop myself up, it was on my right, meaning I had to take them out with my left hand. At that point, I was growling and murmuring under my breath about the pain. When I finally finished, I collapsed onto my back, unable to see anything from the blur of my eyes without correction. I felt something on my left arm and moved my right hand to the wrapped up shoulder wound and felt the dampness. I was bleeding again. "Roxas, are you alright?" I heard Axel call to me, but I just closed my eyes, exhausted

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Zexion's POV

"You've got to let me see him!" I pleaded with the doctors standing in front of the critical wing.

"Only family is allowed back here," the one said.

"But his parents aren't here! They're in Agrabah for their anniversary!" I yelled, and the one man reached for his pager.

"We've had to ask you multiple times to leave, and if you don't, I will page for security to remove you from the premises, Mr. Ienzo," he said. I stood down finally, and they turned to walk into the wing, the swinging double doors closing behind them as I watched dejectedly. I rubbed the small cast on my wrist and turned and walked away. The least I could do would be to see my other friends…

Who am I kidding!

I turned around and sat right beside the doors to the critical care wing. If this was the closest I could get to Demyx, then so be it. They didn't even tell me how he was! Now I'm left to sit here, hoping he isn't in cardiac arrest or already dead. No, I can't think about that. What Demyx needs is support, even if he doesn't know it. I sat beside the door, quietly watching people walk in and out. I didn't know how much time had passed. Finally, I curled up on the small bench and fell asleep, only to have nightmares of hearing the words, "He's dead."

I felt a hand shaking me awake, and I looked up and smiled slightly at Mrs. Harris, Demyx's mom. I suddenly felt very bad for lying about where they were, but I was desperate to see Demyx.

"That doesn't look like a comfortable place to sleep," she said lightly, and I nodded. "Why don't you come back with me," she suggested. "I'm a bit…scared. And John isn't here so~"

"Alright," I said, and we walked through the doors. When we stopped by the desk to inquire about his room, I spotted the doctors keeping me out before. When one recognized me, he just stared, looking ready to call security or something. Then he spotted Demyx's mom beside me and backed off. I just glared as I walked past.

I glanced at a clock as we passed it and found it was five in the morning. I idly wondered how Roxas and Axel were, but Demyx was my main priority. I let Mrs. Harris go in first and waited outside the door. As soon as she was in, a doctor walked in as well. I just stood outside the door dumbly. I didn't know what to do and…

"A coma?" I heard Mrs. Harris's panicked voice. I leaned against the wall and placed my hands over my face and slid down the wall.

A coma…oh, no… This can't be happening! I felt new tears coming, and I started to shake as they fell. Why? Why did this happen? Demyx… Not many people ever wake up from comas. I can't… I cannot live without him. I heard footsteps walk past, ignoring me. I heard heels clicking and looked up at Demyx's mom and found she was crying too.

"Come in, Zexion…please," she said, and I got up and slowly walked into the hospital room. The first thing that caught my attention was the noise. One was a regular sound, a beeping, and the other was louder and also regular. I finally looked at the bed in the room and almost cried out. Demyx had a small tube attached to his nose. There was a small covering over his mouth where a much thicker tube came from and connected with one of the machines. There were a few other things in that room connected to him, but the only machine I could really name was the heart monitor that was thankfully perfect.

"They put him on a heart/lung machine during as one of his surgeries. They would have lost him otherwise," she said, and my heart sank again. This can't be happening to me. I looked to Demyx's mom as she placed a hand on her son's stomach, and I felt terrible. Screw my own feelings; he's her son, her own flesh and blood. That's why she was allowed back, and I wasn't. I stayed back as she took a seat beside him and stayed silent, letting the machines fill the quiet room with sound.

"Maybe I'll go get some coffee," I said, finally deciding on an excuse to get out of the room, but she stopped me and stood up. When she walked by me she placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you keep him company, and I'll go," she suggested, and I knew better than to argue with her. We all knew. I walked and sat where she had been and placed a hand where his should have been, but it was covered with blankets.

His face looked so peaceful, like I was watching him during one of the thousands of times he fell asleep on my couch.

Except if I shake him, he won't wake. If I yell, he won't wake. If I kiss him…he won't wake.

It made me believe he was dead.

"Demyx…" I burst out crying, laying my head on his stomach as I cried. Why was life so cruel?

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3rd Person POV

The doctor stepped out of the surgery room as they cleaned up the man on the table. He spotted the police officer and waved him over. He walked over slowly, dressed in blue and black with a black cap that read TTPD, Twilight Town Police Department. When the man was close enough, he opened a notebook.

"He had a bullet to the chest, dead center," the doctor stated as the man wrote it down. "The bullet has been removed and the wound closed. He'll make a full recovery," the doctor finished. The officer nodded and turned to leave. His job was to take Alec Jackson in alive, but after seeing what happened to the teenage boys, his own son, he half hoped he would have died in surgery. He wasn't looking forward to telling the son at all.

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Axel's POV

When the nurse came back after thirty minutes, I asked her to fix the divider so I could see Roxas. She was a little hesitant at first, but soon performed her task. A little later, Sora and Leon returned and after seeing Roxas asleep, they decided to head home for a little bit. They had been nice enough to buy me a milkshake from the cafeteria, and I had been sucking it down, watching Roxas sleep with tormenting dreams.

I only assumed they were tormenting.

His eyes would clench and unclench as often as someone blinks and he would whimper too. What really made me freak out was when he woke up screaming once. They wouldn't let me see, but his screams eventually got quieter until it was just whimpering. They all left, and I saw Roxas sleeping again, but I saw the nurse taking care of a needle on her way out. I turned to him again and wondered when the sedative would wear off. I wanted to talk to him…or someone at least! I felt empty and alone, because I had no idea what happened to Demyx or Zexion at this point, and Marluxia still hasn't stopped by to be my eyes and ears. Not to mention Roxas was right beside me having nightmares and was in constant pain.

And this was entirely his fault!

As cruel as it may sound coming from a son, but I wish he would just die. I mean, there's a good chance he did since Roxas had shown us he can hit a target like no other and got him right in the chest before he could react. Now I've involved him in my father's revenge. I feel sick for doing that.

Maybe it would be best for him to leave. I reached for my jacket they had hung beside me and reached into the pocket retrieving two pieces of paper and read the one to myself.

Traverse Town Train Ticket

Car 3, Box 12

Departure: 4:00 a.m.

I was gonna ask him to runaway with me. Cheesy, right? Still, I wouldn't be able to wait and didn't want to risk not being able to keep my promise. Maybe this was a sign Roxas should leave. I heard a knock on the door and watched as a man from TTPD walked into the room.

"Axel Lea, correct?" he asked, and I nodded. He glanced to where Roxas was sleeping forcibly.

"That's Roxas Strife," I said, and he nodded.

"The one who shot Alec," the officer added, and I nodded again. "I'm sorry for what has happened to you," he apologized, and I stared. "I'll get right to the point. Your father is alive and will make a full recovery," he said quickly, and I stared at the white sheet covering my left leg and torso while my wounded leg was propped up on pillows to keep it straight. I played with the fabric between my fingers and sighed. Of course he would survive, right? I did. Sad to say it must be hereditary to not die so easily. "Good news is, we caught his known allies in the system, and they will be tried as well. Your father is looking at a life sentence here, Axel, with no way out. We have enough on him to keep~"

"Him away for good," I finished for him, and he paused as I looked up, glaring. "They said that last time too, but look where we are." I muttered bitterly. He nodded and soon left the room. I looked to Roxas who was moaning and whimpering in his sleep again. I wondered what he was dreaming to cause him such pain, but then again, we just came out of a hostage situation where we all could have very well died.

"Roxas," I called softly. "Roxas," I tried again.

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"You can't win, Roxas!"

"No, stop! Don't hurt him~"

BANG BANG BANG

"Axel! No!"

"Hahahaha!"

"Roxas… Roxas…"

"No!"

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Roxas's POV

I shot awake screaming again until I caught my breath. The pain hit, and I let out a moan of pain and felt tears stain my cheeks.

"Roxas," Axel said, and I turned to look at him. He looked so concerned. His green eyes filled with worry, red spikes ruined from a hand constantly running through them. I looked away suddenly, and I heard creaking.

"No!" I yelled, and it stopped. "Just stop, Axel. Stay where you are," I said, knowing he would get up and probably hurt himself. I didn't want to do this to him, but I really just wanted to get over this myself. I closed my eyes to sleep again, not sure if I would ever get a decent night of sleep again, but I had to try, right?

"Roxas…" Axel started.

"Just get some sleep, Axel!" I yelled, and he didn't say anything else after that. I pressed a button on the hospital bed, and after a few minutes, a nurse came into the room. "Can you give me something to help me fall asleep?" She checked the chart hanging from the front of the bed before going to grab something from a drawer in the cabinet. I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake me, hoping that when I woke up, this would be all over.

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Zexion's POV

I had been to see the others, but that was because the doctors forced me out when they needed to check Demyx over. I met up with Marluxia for dinner, but neither of us really talked. Then I went to see Axel and Roxas. Axel had been awake and cussing about not being able to do anything because of his leg, but Roxas was sleeping. Watching him sleep reminded me of Demyx, but Roxas could easily wake. Axel told us his dad was going to recover, and I was somewhat glad. That bastard deserved to face time in prison for a long time, but I had half hoped Roxas killed him with that shot. After watching him shoot my friends, beat them… It really does a number to your head.

I honestly questioned if I could ever be the same again.

I would be. I knew that, since I'm smart, but it just seems like I won't. I'll probably always remember that day, and I'm sure everyone else will. I wonder how much longer Demyx will sleep. It had been at least three weeks since that fateful day, and Axel was finally on his feet…well, on his feet and a crutch. His leg is still bandaged up pretty good, and it still hurts him, but he's making it okay.

Roxas hadn't been well. He was still in a lot of pain and wasn't sleeping well, plagued with nightmares. He would wake up screaming, and he would refuse to return to sleep. He woke up so terrified once, he shot himself up with an unknown drug and almost died. He's still in the hospital, and the other reason we still visit daily. Axel had stopped by to see Demyx earlier since he was on the first floor whereas Roxas was on the sixth. I hoped Roxas would be okay, because Axel was really worried about him.

He seemed worse off than me, and I'm the one who just watched. You would think I would have trauma or something like him. What does that mean? I bet Demyx would know, but all he does is lie there, sleeping. His mom visits often too, but she has started to think he won't ever wake up. I won't give up though.

"Hey, Demyx?" I asked quietly. "You gonna wake up today?" I asked hopefully, but the machine sounds were my only answer, so I returned to the homework I brought to do as I waited with him. "I told you about Roxas, right?" I asked, but silence was the only thing I got. "They said if he managed to behave normally this week, they might move him from the psychiatric wing and down to the normal rooms. If he's still okay there, he'll be allowed to leave."

"Axel's been bringing him homework every day and helping him out," I explained. "I wonder if he is even sleeping anymore." I laughed slightly. "Knowing him, he probably isn't." I stopped after a little, looking for some kind of response that he was actually listening to me, but the monitor they said monitored brain activity remained normal. "I wish you would have the same progress. Hell, I'd rather have you as crazy as Roxas instead of sleeping here," I said bitterly. Realizing I just called Roxas crazy, I paused and shook my head and reached out for Demyx's hand and held it. "Please wake up soon, Dem," I urged. He remained unaffected by me, and I sighed angrily and threw my book to the ground.

"God damn it, Demyx!" I screamed. "I'm sick of waiting! It's almost been a month, and I'm sick of waiting! I'm normally pretty patient, but this is pushing my limits! Now stop dragging your ass and wake up! For me!" I yelled with tears filling my eyes. A nurse ran to see what the screaming was about, and then she asked me to leave. I packed up my things as she watched me, making sure everything on Demyx was still in order. I looked back at him one last time. "I hope you're happy with yourself," I began, "Making me cry like this and making everyone worry." I left the room, heading for the elevator. I hit the sixth floor button and leaned against the elevator wall and cried. I was so lost without him. I even turned down the scholarship to that other college if it meant he would wake up and we could be together.

I wiped my eyes as the door opened and walked into the brightly colored area. It was different than the white and grey shades everywhere else since the mental patients were up here. I walked down the hall, listening to the random bits of conversations. Most didn't make sense since you only heard parts, but others were so weird, you knew something was off about the speaker. When I reached the only room in the hall with a closed door, I knocked and waited. I heard a step and something metallic hitting the floor and another step and that same noise. The door finally was opened by Axel.

"Hey," I greeted, and he smiled.

"Here I thought you were Sora with my dinner. Come in." He moved and winced as he moved his leg funny.

"Be careful, Axel!" I heard Roxas call. I walked into the room and smiled at the blonde. He seemed a little different…happier somehow, but it was because of the medicines he was on.

"Came at the prime time to watch Roxas be loopy," he told me as he limped over to his seat beside the blonde. Roxas hit his arm and laughed happily. I noticed he wasn't wearing his hospital gown, but shorts and no shirt. His upper half was wrapped up and a few new cuts were there that I knew were caused by his night terrors and a small splotch of red from where the bullet had pierced him three weeks before.

"Shut up, Axel!" he said and returned his attention to the homework lay out on his bed. "Gosh! I hate learning!" he called out, and Axel sighed. He was much more emotional, but he seemed a lot better than those weeks before. I had actually been there with Axel when Roxas snapped. He had literally woke up screaming at the top of his lungs so suddenly. He was yelling about something and hopped right out of bed. The needles and IV's on his body ripping at his skin as they were forcibly removed, and then he ran to the cabinet and pulled out the first needle and liquid he could find before falling and stabbing it into his chest.

We were too shocked to do anything, but when the nurse came, he seemed alright. That was until his heart rate plummeted suddenly and he almost died again. He was taken care of, and when he was medically alright, they moved him up here to be evaluated. He was given a few happy pills and has actually been more expressive and outgoing.

"I know ya do, but try these math problems yourself, and then I'll check them," Axel said. Roxas picked up his paper and began writing and Axel stood up and motioned for me to follow. I did, and we stopped by the door. "Why are you up here?" he asked, and I looked down.

"Has he had any nightmares recently?" I asked, and Axel's eyes narrowed.

"Don't change the subject. This was your Demyx time. Why are you up here early?" he asked, and I sighed.

"I sort of…yelled at him," I said, and Axel's eyes widened. "It's almost been a whole month, Axel! Roxas is just a week away from getting out of this place, but Demyx has shown no improvement. I was just…angry, and I snapped. The nurse was worried I did or would do something and asked me to take a walk. Also known as a polite way to say 'get the hell out,'" I explained, and he sighed. He glanced back at Roxas who was reading through his math book again trying to solve the problem, and he sighed.

"He'll wake up, I know he will," he promised, and I nodded quietly. "Demyx is a fighter. He won't go down that easily," he went on. "I mean, he took two bullets for you, Zex. One in the stomach, the other in the back, and he lived. He may be in a coma, Zexion, but he's still alive," he told me, and I nodded again. We were silent until Roxas announced his understanding with a bug smile to Axel.

"You never answered my question," I said, and he did nothing.

"Not one night terror or nightmare since he talked it out and started these pills," he said. "I don't like them though," he stated. "They've changed him, made him more… I don't know how to explain it. They make him different, but once he gets out, he's off them. Hopefully he'll be okay without them," Axel explained.

"Why was he so disturbed, but I wasn't?" I asked, and he looked at me quizzically. "It's just… I saw it all go down; I held Demyx as he was dying in my arms, but I was one of the first, besides Marluxia, back to school and was okay," I explained. "I just don't get it."

"Well," Axel started, "everyone's different, and you had people to talk to. You actually talked it out and stuff. Roxas likes to keep things to himself, work them out on his own, but this was just too much for him. He's too fragile, and that quality of keeping it in is the one thing I hate about him," he explained. "I had to coax him into talking by holding his hand after a very heated argument about how something was wrong and needed addressed. I've had to treat him even more delicately than before," he finished.

"Axel!" Roxas called, and he acknowledged him with a move of his head. "I finished the problems. Can you correct them?" he asked, and Axel turned back to me.

"Don't worry about it," Axel told me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Demyx will wake up, Roxas will recover, and we'll all be at school hating learning together," he said and flashed me one of his signature smirks. "Got it memorized?"

"Yeah… I do," I said, and he limped over and sat beside Roxas and kissed his forehead gently. He took the paper and began looking at the problems. Roxas twisted his hands nervously in the sheet over his legs. Axel had been right about him acting differently on the pills.

He had also been right about why I was alright mentally. I talked it out with Marluxia and Axel, not to mention Demyx's mom and my own parents. I had a lot of support and help that I welcomed in, but Roxas kept it inside. That's why he's the one sitting in that bed, giggling about nothing because the pills he was on created endorphins to make him happy and carefree. I bet Axel didn't even tell him about his father surviving. I turned to leave and ran right into Sora who was carrying a fast food bag with Riku carrying a bag of chips. I left the room and roamed through the halls for a little while, just thinking.

When Demyx woke up, I'd have to slap him for putting me through this, but not after kissing him passionately. I sat in the small court yard and watched the clouds travel across the sky.

Demyx loved this time of the year almost as much as he loved the summer. He enjoyed the slowly heating weather and the melting snow. I wish he was up to enjoy it with me, but those things can't be helped.

Would he be up to see graduation? He was supposed to make a speech as president of student council. Axel would have to make one if he couldn't make it.I watched a squirrel run across the grass and up a tree when my phone went off. I picked it up.

"Hello?" I asked, not bothering to check the ID.

"Zexion, come quick! It's Demyx!" Mrs. Harris yelled into the phone. I didn't even respond before hanging up the phone and running into the building again. I raced through the hall until I finally reached Demyx's room after getting lost a few times from my pointless wandering earlier. I knocked on the door, and Demyx's mom opened it.

"Please, come in," she said as she dried her eyes. "I have to go get something from the café," she said and walked past me. I was worried by her tears, so I walked in hesitantly. I didn't understand too much at first. I still heard the machines and Demyx hadn't moved but~

Wait.

He did move.

He was…looking at me!

He was…awake!

"Demyx!" I called and rushed to his side. He still had the many masks and tubes connected to him, so he couldn't speak, but just seeing his blue eyes brought me to tears. "You're awake!" I cried as I hugged him and kissed all over his face. "Thank God," I muttered in between kisses to his face. "Why didn't you wake up sooner?" I cried as I pulled away to glare at him. I wanted to ask him so much, to hear him talk, but he was still hooked up to those machines and it didn't seem like he was going to be taken off them very soon. I stared into his eyes and let my tears of happiness fall as he slowly moved a shaking hand to my face and wiped a stray tear from my cheek. I grabbed his hand and kissed it and held it to my forehead.

Axel had been right! He did wake up!

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Roxas's POV

"You ready to leave, Rox?" Sora asked as he swung my bag over his shoulder, and I nodded.

"Yeah," I said quietly as he wheeled my wheelchair into the hallway.

"Damn, now you're back to your quiet self again! I liked the open you; you were nice and bubbly, like me!" he explained, and I sighed.

"God help us all if there were more of you out in the world," Riku spoke up from nowhere. I laughed gently as Sora fumed. He continued to push me through the halls, and I sighed quietly. So much had happened this past month, and I was glad to get out of the hospital. I was actually excited to go back to school because my parents who visited a while back told me they would let me relax and get better until the summer and take me home then. I didn't know whether to be happy or sad about that, but at least I had a little more time.

Not to mention Demyx woke up last week. Zexion had been like how I was on those drugs last week. There was a constant smile on his face, but it was okay. He thought he lost the person dearest to him. Had I been in his situation, I would feel the same. I just wanted to get home, get a shower, and use my contacts again. I remembered a time I hated them, but after using my glasses for a month after months of contact use, well, I was sick of them.

"So, what do you plan to do when you get home, Rox?" Riku asked me when we reached the lobby. A nurse took the wheel chair as I stood up to walk on jell-o like legs.

"I wanted to go take some pictures and then come home to eat something other than hospital food," I said, and he smiled and nodded. Sora ran to start the car as Riku helped me to it. I sat in the front with Sora until we reached the house. I got out myself and took my bag too. Sora tried to stop me, but I wouldn't let him, and I walked into the house. Leon had been waiting in the front hall and quickly embraced me, and I hugged back too. Leon was a man of few words and usually used actions to express everything. That was why he and Yuffie had been perfect for each other. She would never stop talking, and he never would talk.

Yuffie…

"I'm gonna take a shower and take a walk. Is that okay? After being cooped up in that hospital for so long, I'd rather enjoy some fresh air," I said, and Leon looked to me hesitantly. "I just wanted to go see her to…talk to her," I said, and understanding passed briefly through his eyes before he nodded.

"If you aren't back by six, I will go looking for you unless you call and say otherwise," he said, and I nodded and then walked slowly up the stairs. I opened the door to my room, and Muffins ran toward me and rubbed up against my legs. I bent down, not moving my arm too much and pet her with my right hand and she licked it repeatedly. I finally stood up and grabbed a towel and went into the bathroom. I shed my shirt and stared at the wrap around my upper chest and the small scars along my torso. I ran a hand on them and sighed. I had done that in pain of my nightmares, but they're gone now. I talked it out with Axel's help and got some medicine to make it easier. I stared to remove the wrap and paused to look at the stitched up wound and winced as the air hit it. I got into the shower and turned the water on, letting it cascade down my body, stinging the wound. It had been a month, but I always ended up doing something stupid to open it again.

It hurt, but I didn't care too much.

Pain was better than being empty like I had been before.

I finished and dried myself quickly and gently. I put on clean boxers and rewrapped my shoulder the way the doctor had shown me and put a dress shirt on since I didn't want to move my arm too much. I grabbed my coat and walked down the stairs and out the door, knowing exactly where I wanted to be.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

This place wasn't as scary right now. It didn't make me cry, nor did it frighten me like it did the last time I was here. I walked through the rows of cold stone until I reached the oak tree and kneeled down and stared at the name on the stone.

Yuffie Anna Kisaragi Leonhart

April 22, 1965- January 7, 2010

Beloved Wife and Mother

You will be missed

"Hey, Yuffie," I started quietly, "I meant to come earlier but…things have been really crazy lately." I sighed. "My parents came to take me home, and then I was taken as a hostage by Axel's deranged father, and I was shot, right here." I pointed to my left shoulder. "I had surgery, but they couldn't give me any medicines to make it easier for me. Then I started having these really bad night terrors that got so bad I…snapped. They thought I was crazy, but after talking about things and those pills, I'm okay now."

"I'm glad for that." I turned suddenly, about to scream, but calmed down when I realized it was Axel. "This is a habit we both should break," he said as he walked closer to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Talking to the deceased," he said and kneeled beside me. "It's not like they can hear and respond like the living do. It's a waste of time," he sighed, and I shook my head.

"No." He turned to me. "I know she can hear me, and she may not respond with words, but events that happen around me show that she hears me. I know you feel that way deep down, Axel." He shook his head.

"After doing it as long as I have, you begin to realize it's a fruitless effort," he said, and I looked down again. "Sometimes when you're here, you wish you were with them. You begin to realize the many ways you can guarantee seeing them again and talking to them."

"You mean killing yourself?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Still, when you're here, you never feel quite as alive as you do any other time, which is what stops you from seeing them again," he said, and I stood up.

"Wanna go get some ice cream?" I asked, and he looked up to me, surprised I let the topic go so easily before swiftly standing and following me out of the cemetery. We walked silently through town, and I felt his eyes on me the entire time. We bought two ice creams and walked toward the station and sat at the top of the tower like we did so many times before.

"Does it hurt?" he asked suddenly, and I turned to look at him.

"What?" I asked, and he motioned to my left shoulder.

"You normally hold your ice cream in your left, but it's in your right," he said, and I shook my head.

"You know me so well," I said, and he nodded. "It hurts a little bit, but not as much as it did before," I told him, and he returned to eating his ice cream. "When did you plan to tell me?" I asked, and it was his turn to look confused. "About your dad," I added, and he froze.

"I-well-uh…" he stuttered, and I sighed. "I don't know, but you obviously know," he said, and I nodded.

"It was in the paper that he was going to be okay and was going to go to trial once he was well enough," I said, and he sighed.

"I was trying to protect you," he said. "You were so fragile those weeks, and I just… I didn't want to hurt you anymore than you already were," he said, and I got up and moved to his left and hugged him close to my right.

"I know, Axel," I said, and he hugged me closer and whispered how sorry he was about everything that had happened. "I know, I know," I told him softly as we stayed up there. I called Leon and ended up having dinner on the clock tower with Axel. Then we just hugged each other until we felt like leaving. I actually felt happy, and there wasn't a single underlying fear on my mind at all. Axel just had the ability to make you forget about everything. Just looking into his green eyes…you get lost in them. His warmth…so inviting. Life just stops when I'm with him, the world stops turning when he kisses me.

"I love you, Axel," I said as I fingered my ring. Axel reached his hand up and pushed the ring on the chain onto my ring finger slightly and kissed my forehead again.

"I love you, too, Roxas."

Bad news guys, only one more chapter after this *plays dramatic music*. Good news is the next chapter will be up really soon! Remember, the faster you review, the faster the next chapter gets up. Keep on being amazing guys!

Oh, and Thefifthturk (my beta's new name) aren't you so glad I didn't kill Demyx like I had planned? If half of you feared for that, thank her.