Tokyo Ghoul and all it's affiliated characters are property of Sui Ishida

Sorry for the long wait guys!

Chapter 30

The Family: Book of First

He rubbed her hand gently as he hadn't even removed his coat when he came in. He only rushed home as soon as he received his news leaving his work almost immediately.

"Why are you overexerting yourself?" He whispered to his wife who only smiled softly as she gave his hands a gently squeeze.

She rose up in the bed that swallowed her small form as her weak frail body, looking even weaker than usual today, shivered with her movement. "You worry too much; I only wanted to take a walk in the garden." Her voice was soft and alluring but very weak and faint, seeing this wasn't how he left her this morning he knew his worry wasn't too much- it was exactly where it needed to be.

He looked at her as his eyebrows furrowed. Sometimes he felt like he never understood his wife but he knew he had known her perfectly well. He sat on the edge of the bed as he gently caressed her head.

"I just wanted to walk." She repeated softly her lips dropping into a small pout.

His hand tenderly slid over her luxuriant black hair that was slightly tousled from lying down. Down its length he went as he laced his fingers through her strands his eyes leaving it before landing on hers.

"You convince me to tie you to the bed sometimes."

"Only if you're willing to play with me."

He blushed lightly looking away as he cleared his throat. "Y-You mustn't be a hassle to the maids."

"I wonn't"

"You musn't worry your husband."

"I dwoon't"

"You mustn't…overdo it."

"I won't"

"Anabelle, you mustn't skip out on your medicines either."

"I dwon't"

"You have a habit of taking them late."

"That's because I'm preoccupied thinking about you, longing for you to come home. You always make me wait" She made an even more adorable pout leaning close to him as she reached for her napkin to cough. She wiped her lips folding the napkin as she smiled returning to giving him his hug. "Welcome home~"

He smiled hugging her a little too tight as he closed his eyes.

In the bed they laid as he kept her company till she fell asleep. Small coughs escaped her as he looked at her body in her arms which was so awfully pale and thin. He gazed into the face of his young wife who despite her youth would definitely die before him, maybe next week, maybe the end of the month... probably tomorrow, but it could even be tonight. He caressed her face smiling at the soft groan that escaped her as her small hands weakly tightened on his clothes keeping him there.

Even in your sleep you're fighting for me to stay by your side.

A maiden knocked on the door stepping in as she carried with her two pales of water.

"Sir, it's time for her to be cleaned."

She came in completely and rested the pales on the table as she moved to the drawers to prepare a new set of clothes. Slowly she put together bath oils and treatments used during Annabelle's bath. She walked to the huge windows and pulled the curtains finally prepared to clean her Ladyship.

"Was it the same today?" He asked getting up and walking across the bed to where she had left the napkin.

The maiden's eyes softened in sadness as she nodded. Her name was Volga. She had worked with them for almost seven years serving as the head servant of the house and previously the first maiden of Annabelle from her family. No one knew Annabelle better than her who had grown her like a mother loving Anna secretly as her own. It was no surprise she continued serving Annabelle when she married into the Terresi's household. "The high fever, the vomiting of blood…today when I brought her breakfast…she couldn't see, it was only for a few hours as usual."

He unfolded the handkerchief looking at it stained in blood as he swallowed deeply and gripped it with all his might from the deep pain and anger he felt. "I can save everyone…but I can't save her."

The maiden shook her head as she walked to him holding his hand as her eyes were filled with tears. "Sir Teressi don't say that! No one could ever love Lady Annabelle the way you do. She loves you with all her heart and she knows that this ill-fated and filthy sickness is beyond the hands and ability of what you can do."

"Tsk!" he covered his eyes as they watered and he felt the tears roll down his cheek.

I still can't save her!

Kai Terresi.

He was one of the best known doctors in Italy who was famous for his exemplary knowledge in medicine and his works of curing some of the countries fatal epidemics that would have killed hundreds of thousands if it wasn't for his profound skill. He worked not as a doctor like he used to but in the last 15 years a medical scientist. His most recent of 10 he had spent studying oncology in the hope of curing his wife who was slowly yet surely dying from a brain tumor. He was nowhere close to luck but his experiments where well enough to give his wife days of little to no pain when she was already presumed to die 3 years ago. He wasn't going to give up.

Never.

He had loved her for so long. Even if she was younger than him by much he loved her from whence he was a mere physician working for her family curing and treating her from she was a child.

He wiped his tears as he looked at her smiling at how beautiful she was in her slumber.

"At least she can have a proper sleep." He mumbled as he watched her for a while before leaving her room to her privacy.

He returned to his car as he drove out from the house looking at it in his rearview mirror.

Their mansion was a gift from her father as a symbol of his blessings. Even though her father had already passed away she was living longer than him even though she was sicklier. Her inheritance was great but all too pointless since she wasn't fated for long levity. Moreover her husband would gain it after her death but neither was he interested in riches and gain but more the love and health of his wife and passion for saving people.

He was almost at his workplace as on the road there were very few vehicles transporting. The land was dry and empty. It was by far the second worst season that the small city had experienced where crops and vegetation was scarce. The morning would be foggy and thick but as the sun came out everywhere grew hot and dry. Rain hadn't fallen for months and wells were slowly drawing close to getting empty. Days like these were bad for her. When the air was dry and the place was hot, the tension was thick and there was nothing more that small outbreaks of heat strokes and starvation. Her sickness seemed to favor it well and would strike out blatantly having its own way. It used to be worse; 3 years ago she had migraines that would slip her in and out of consciousness.

If anything made him feel like he was of any use it was his illegal surgery on her to remove some of the deadly tumor that had eliminated most of the cancer's effect. Nevertheless nothing he did helped completely. She would start feeling pain eventually, she would get bed ridden for months, he would have to feed her through IV drips and suddenly, she would thin so much that even he was afraid to touch her in fear that she would just…break.

He parked into the lot of the medical facility as he stepped out his car with his briefcase.

"Relax" he told himself fixing his long white coat as he removed his ID so he could enter the facility. "She's okay…She's fine."

"Sir Terresi it's here!"

"W-What?"

He walked into the labs as there was a big fuss about a new shipment that had landed from Tokyo.

"A live specimen" they whispered.

"It's alive and it could react."

For someone with a high status in the facility even he himself didn't know what it was. He took to his friend who seemed more informed as he stood speaking to the chief showing him some documents. Victor. Victor was short with black scruffy hair and a 'baby face' and a coaxing voice as many women would describe. As eye-catching as he was he wasn't the best of holding a woman who he usually had no time with because of his obsession with his work. Romance aside he was a man of great knowledge and passion for his study of cellular science. For more than 20 years he remained friends with Kai who was slowly approaching his mid-40s. Unlike Kai you couldn't tell his age at first appearance but starting a scientific conversation with him would bore you to death as he would speak what felt like centuries upon centuries of research and science. You would then feel like this was a very old wise man.

"What's going on?" Kai asked walking up to the two. A few people ran pass him bouncing into his sides on his way.

His friend ran to him holding his shoulders as he shook him. "Can you believe it- it's here! It's finally here!"

"What's here?"

His smile dropped as he gave him the 'are you serious' look. He stuffed the papers in the big pockets of his lab coat as he tapped his back encouraging him to walk with him.

"Maybe you haven't heard but I have been doing some research and found a new specimen."

"If you import any more fishes from Siberia our lab will become an aquarium and not a research department."

"Yes yes yes- I know that but this little fishy has legs…and arms…..and it can even speak."

He stopped in his tracks as he turned to him wondering what the hell he was talking about. "Have you finally gone mad? Human trafficking was banned a long time ago and with how reckless the economy has become, the western world throwing independences claiming their freedom and rights, you robbing that from a human of foreign nationality makes you a dead man."

"It's not a human." He said as he walked to the Restricted Special-Access Zone offering him the suit as they both began putting it on. After walking through the sterilization room they proceeded into the lab where the lights where shined in the glass cage.

It was a man.

"It's a m-"

"A ghoul they call it."

Kai turned to him looking back at the man in the cage as he knew what a man looked like. He was one himself.

"It looks like us, it can stay disguised as us but it isn't what you would call a man."

"Victor you're…what are you saying?"

He turned to the woman who sat in front a machine as he gave her the signal. "When we spoke with the Japanese they said we should do this first to justify with our own eyes. Now I will prove to you…that it is not a man."

The female pressed a button as suddenly a sharp blade slashed cross its hand and the limb fell to the floor.

Kai eyes widened as he walked to the glass looking back at Victor.

He was about to literally hit him. This was an innocent man!

He was about to yell when long red strings appeared out his body.

What was that?

What is happening?

They were like spider webs knitting away at his flesh as the limb was slowly in the most bizarre and cringing way- reconstructed.

Victor walked behind Kai as he looked at him staring back at the specimen.

"I told you…it is not a man."

2 weeks had passed quickly and kai kept finding himself lounging in the RSAZ where he would look at the subject for hours. He would watch young scientist dismember it for fun as they were instructed that this was high secrecy and no-one was allowed to know of it.

"Your intrigued." Victor said walking behind him sitting down as he had his lunch in his hand. Kai had skipped out on lunch today like he had been doing the past few days, weeks actually. Lunch time was an additional hour of research and lab testings- when he was home he slept beside and watched his wife giving her everything he had left in him. His love and attention and the small ounces of energy was all he had left.

"I heard that Annabelle wasn't doing so well. My ex-wife said she doesn't even hear from her anymore in letter or by phone. She really wants to take the kids over…I know Annabelle loves-"

"She wants to see no one." He muttered looking at the man regrow his leg as his face was numb. He had grown use to the pain and now….the need for death and for everything to be over was clear on his face.

"Kai…this is not alone for you to bear. As your best friend I feel bad too. You spend almost 20 hours every day in that lab testing and studying cancer cells. Even if you can save her kai…her body has become so habitable that it will only regrow in weeks."

"There might be a chance that we can still…that I can still save her."

"We. Okay…we. You and I were the ones who illegally performed that surgery on her 3 years ago when we knew for sure her last breath was coming. We removed that tumor completely… that was the elimination of nearly 78% of the cancer cells in her body. She was healthier than the average human! Yet- Kai, you and I both know…yet in only 5 weeks they regrew. She has become a hub and production for high cancer levels of cells. It is unavoidable."

Kai didn't respond he only looked at the man. His friend's words were however true. His wife was born to die. She was born to struggle with this sickness, live with it and die from it. So far she wasn't falling short of her destiny at all.

Victor remained silent for a while unsure of how he could change the topic. He saw the sadness on Kai's face and how broken he looked at the sound of the truth. He had some of the meal while following his friend's gaze to the new shipment that was the number one research topic in the building. "We broke down the result to reveal it was the cellular construction of it that makes it a ghoul. Other than that it has the fundamentals of a man. It's able to do that regeneration because of the Rc cells it possesses. It can heal almost every wound except a fatal injury. According to japan we should avoid any damage to the vital organs. Those can actually kill it."

He sighed getting up as he was too depressed and unfocused with the mention of his wife to focus on the work before him. He left work heading to his car as after closing the door a burst of rain suddenly started.

Everyone must be happy, I should be happy. The rain has finally come and the drought and hunger will end. The crops will regrow, our children will have food, our wells will be filled and the sicknesses with be reduced…yet- in this moment where such joy and happiness in being brewed I feel like the saddest person in this forsaken world. Annabelle…are you happy? Would you want to go out to the garden? I heard that the body can manage the cold rain for 90 minutes before developing a cold. A warm shower afterwards controls the temperature and reduces the chances of a cold because getting chilled causes blood vessels in the nose to constrict, affecting the defenses in the nose and making it easier for the virus to replicate. I might make you stay an additional 10 minutes if you want to. I'll give you anything you want…everything you want.

As the rain pelted down he grew even deeper into his sadness as he began crying. He wanted his wife healthier. He wanted to take her out of that room. He wanted to hold her and walk with her. To watch her smile day after day.

When he reached home the rain hadn't held up even one bit. He found Volga instructing the others to take advantage of the weather to fill the third well and collect additional water and tread the garden.

He solemnly went up the stairs going to his wife's room.

"Kai?" Her voice struck him as soon as he closed the door behind him. He reached for his wet coat removing it and hanging it on the chair.

"Should I ask how you know it's me?"

"Everyone else always knocks, and I could hear the footsteps and also…my husband is the only one that carries this scent."

She smiled softly blushing as she sat up looking aimlessly before her and hands lightly tugging and feeling at the sheet.

He sat on the edge of the bed looking at his wife as he removed his glasses putting them aside. He swallowed taking in the sight of her body.

"So your sight hasn't come back today either."

Her smile disappeared and she looked down into the sheet shaking her head.

"It's only been 5 days…it will get better."

He looked at her. She couldn't see it. She couldn't see how thin she was; she couldn't see how much color she had lost or how distant she seemed. She couldn't seem any of it.

"Anna…"

"Y-Yes?" Her cheeks went red at his sudden call as he hadn't addressed her so formally in a while. Her innocence was overbearing a little as even now her heart beated the speed it did the day he asked her to marry him, promising he wouldn't do anything that she didn't like.

"Don't die…"

The room was silent for a long while…the rain pelted heavily against the windows as the curtains were drawn draping to the floor as the chandelier flickered a little under the weakening current caused by the heavy rain.

"Kai…I won't."

"You don't know for sure. Why are you so positive, how do you know that you wont die? Every day you're getting weaker and you look like your about to die!"

The tears streaked down her cheek as small whimpers escaped her.

His eyes widened in shock as he saw her cry for the first time before him.

He yelled at her.

He raised his voice at her.

He frightened her.

He didn't know what he was more disgusted at, himself for getting angry and yelling at her or the sickness that was causing this.

"K-K-Kai….I'm"

He felt so upset as he watched her shake before him trying to form her sentence as the tears ran down her cheek. He was the worst by far for doing this to her. Talking like this to her. Watching her like this before him made him feel like he should just kill himself. Literally. Maybe after she died…yes…that was perfect…that was accurate. He wouldn't be able to go on living anyways. He could just kill himself after she died.

"K-Kai…" She sniffled looking up at him with wet eyes, "I'm so….I'm so scared."

He was shocked.

He looked at her as he watched her cry like the child she was…she was only twenty one and so young and innocent. She started crying as she reached aimlessly for him wanting to touch and hold him. He was still for a while taking in what felt like shock and motivation. She was scared. She was really scared. He definitely would not let her die.

He captured her hand pulling her to him as he held her to his body crying with her as the rain poured heavily outside. After an hour of long silence he felt her clutched tightly to his body when he came to as her breathing was well stabled. He hugged her a little tighter as he felt her head shift in his chest as he looked down to see her looking up at him.

Her voice slid through the noise gracefully as she moved a little, "I can't see…but I feel like I can see you." Bravely she carried her hand to caress his face as his breath literally left him and he felt his body lit with an electric wave he rarely felt. He blushed lightly as he cleared his throat moved deeply by those words.

"S-Silly. The power went out almost an hour ago…th-there is nothing you can see in this dark room. There is no light." He bluffed blushing heavily. It was not only her voice, it was also her touch. The softness of her skin against his cheek and how warming and smooth it felt.

"But…you are my light."

He looked at her staring into her eyes as for a moment it felt like she was definitely looking at him even though her vision was dulled.

"Annabelle…" Her name slipped off his lips as he leaned over gently pressing his against hers as he kissed her in the darkness. He was careful. She felt so small and fragile in his hand so when he held her like this he was fearful to do too much.

There were like soft untouched roses. Tender and smooth literally lighting the fire in the dark room of emptiness he had inside. The feeling he had from kissing them was as stirring as a thousand waves crashing unto the sharp rocks of a cliff or even the whipping lightening clashing in the dark cloudy sky. It was awakening yet at the same time drunken with passion and desire just brewing a sea of lust. These lips he loved and these lips he favored. His wife he loved and his wife alone, he adored.

"More."

He blushed as he hadn't pulled away properly. He nodded leaning back kissing her lips again this time more passionately as it slowly grew intimate. He gently laid her on the bed his hand supporting the middle of her back as he kissed her lips longer than they had ever done feeling her kiss him back almost on the same level. He rubbed his hands gently over side feeling her smaller frame slowly pressed up into him.

He paused to allow them both to catch their breath as he looked down at her below him. He could faintly see her but from what he saw she was still beautiful with her full pink lips and soft grey eyes. He looked at her. Longer…harder.

"More…"

Her hands laced around his neck pulling him to her as she bit her lip wanting exactly what she said. "…Kai…more…a lot more."

Gently…softly and what felt like the deepest and most sensual- he made love to her like it was their very last. He looked at her sleeping in his arms her naked body curled against his as his own felt warm in the cold and icy weather. He smiled kissing the nape of her neck whispering into his ear blushing softly as he realized the words he had said.

"You sleep so well because you know you are loved"

1 week later

"Kill it….kill it?"

Kai stood up as the chair fell back and he walked to the glass room grabbing some needles and test tubes.

"Kai- KAI! What the hell are you doing you can't go too close to the door. What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm going to kill it!" He growled as he got the knife and stepped into the room closing the door behind him as Victor literally flipped balls realizing that his friend literally stepped into the sealed room. He went and slipped the emergency switch as the vaulted thick metal doors closed shut allowing only a few to escape. He went to the glass knocking it as he tried to get his friends attention. He was too light on the information. That thing had killed almost 300 people!

"Sooo hungry," the man grumbled as he turned to see a familiar face. "You…every day you look at me…I bet you don't even understand my language…I don't even know which country I'm in."

"I'm half Japanese." He responded understanding what he said. "How are you able to do that? How are you able to grow back your body like nothing bad happened? "

The man looked at him. "May I eat you first?"

"Is that how you survive. You eat people?"

The man did not respond.

"Are their more like you?"

"I am a race. Just like humans."

"Then…how can a human become like you."

The man shifted in his restraint and looked at him. What did he just say?

"Are you trying to make me feel touched? You see me in this lab as an experiment yet you want to become like me."

"My wife…is dying. If she could become like you and regenerate and heal like you. Then she will not die. She wouldn't have to die."

"How do I fit in that equation? Must I feel pitied because she dies? I'm dying right now because I cannot eat."

"You can live."

The man looked at him.

"You don't know who I am but I am someone who can save you if you save my wife. Answer this one question and I will save you."

He looked back in the ceiling as he was thinking.

"Under one condition I will answer that question. If you feed me."

"I will feed you."

"Then you have a deal."

Kai swallowed. Was feeding this important? He just stroke a deal with him.

"Now…are humans able to become like you."

The man laughed loudly as he grinned. "You have no idea who I am, or why the Japanese shipped me here but that I can answer."

Suddenly a thick red rope began swaying behind him. It changed its density from becoming thick and short to very thin and elongated. It was hard to describe it as it moved as like a living object like a seaweed in the ocean, swaying aimlessly through the air but somewhat…controlled? The object suddenly erupted from him as the entire restraint was destroyed with his sudden strength. That was the only way to describe it as Kai realized the red rope was not a rope but something from the man's body.

This was the moment the ghoul was waiting for. To eat a human and gain enough strength to escape this torture. There was no way a stupid restraint like this couldn't hold him back?!

He attacked Kai dead on as it went right through his shoulder. The ghoul grinned staring at the man who stood there glaring into its eyes. It had been a while since he smelt the amazing scent of human blood. Yes- he was going to devour this man whole. If he did he would become strong enough just by having at least half of this man.

But as its anticipation grew it took note of the face expression on his possible meal. There was no fear, there was no shock, the sound of his heartbeat was steady and calm for someone who was on the verge of being killed. It was…different.

Suddenly its smile fell. "You…why are you not shocked? I just attacked you. I can easily kill you!"

"I do not fear death."

The ghoul raised an eyebrow. Suddenly the tables turned as kai took a step closer the object pierced through his skin pushing deeply through him as it grew thicker with each step he took. "For my wife, for her, no pain is anywhere close to what she feels- this doesn't even hurt one bit."

The tears rolled down his cheeks as he felt the blood trickling down his arm, the next step he took was more staggering than the last. He was not going to die like this and even if he did, he needed to save his wife…he needed to save Anna.

"You are the most interesting thing I have ever seen in my life."

It removed itself from him as kai fell to the floor wide eyed. It all happened so sudden that it was now he realized how close he was to being killed. He looked up to the ghoul who went back in the bed lying flat as it looked up to the ceiling.

"Yes. Humans are able to become ghouls."

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