AUTHOR'S NOTES: Whoa, it's been way too fucking long since I updated this. Over a month, yes? Sorry about that! I can't believe the response this story has gotten actually. I didn't expect it to have much popularity, but at 12 reviews and an uncounted number of alerts and faves, I must say that I am eternally grateful to my readers. I love you guys more than I can say.
So, uhm, about this chapter...I kind of like it. But I don't really know what I need to say about it. Besides the fact Tiedoll and a Station Wagon is entirely too fitting. Don't knock the Station Wagon. He almost had a Voltz Wagon Beatle Bus. Not that I could see Kanda riding in one of those. Uhm, there's more angst in this chapter. But really, what do you expect with this story? IT WILL GET BETTER THOUGH! ;n; It shant be angsty the entire time. c:


Twenty minutes or so had passed, I figured. We still hadn't moved, hadn't tried to move. Kanda still hadn't spoken. In fact, he hadn't really made any type of noise, not even a cry. He had never been the type for words, but this was nerve-wrecking. I couldn't figure out what to do. I couldn't even cry anymore. I had forced myself to stop. If Kanda was trying so hard to be strong, then I had to too, despite the fact a large piece of me felt like it was dying. I simply sat there and held him close, resting my chin on top of his head. One arm stayed around him, while the other ran through his hair.

It was completely different from all the other times I had done it. Before all this happened, when we would spend the night together, I would play with his hair as he was falling asleep. And while Yuu would never admit it, I think he liked it because his face would relax, and I think sometimes his lips twitched into a very faint smile. It comforted him I think. But now it didn't seem to be doing much of anything. He laid against me, as tense and silent as he had been when I first grabbed him.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to speak again, my voice coming out choked and raspy, "I'm…not gonna…let you go…ever again."

I don't know why I said it, but I noticed the fingers clutching my shirt squeezed tighter, and the arm that I hadn't been keeping up with was very loosely wrapped around my waist. It was as if he wanted to keep me there. Any other time that would have made me happy, but the usual punch in the shoulder and 'baka-usagi' would have been welcomed.

The sounds of Tiedoll's rickety Station Wagon echoed faintly in the alleyway. I was thankful help had arrived but didn't bother to move. A part of me just couldn't pull away from Kanda, not even for the few moments it would take to get to the car. Glancing up, I could see Tiedoll and Daisya silhouetted in the entrance to the alleyway. I didn't have to see Tiedoll's expression to know what it was. Despite all three of them being adopted, he treated his sons as though they were his flesh and blood. I don't think I've seen biological parents care about their kids as much as he did about his.

"Can he move?" questioned Daisya.

I hadn't thought about it. Kanda hadn't moved since I found him, but I hadn't really cared yet. All I cared about was the fact that I had him back, and he was alive. Everything else would come later, I guessed. I glanced up and shrugged. It was the best I could do at the moment. My own voice had died again. A choked sob escaped Tiedoll. Neither Daisya or I were surprised. Tiedoll had a tendency to be almost overly emotional.

Daisya sighed, placing a hand on his guardian's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get them to the car. Should we take him to the hospital?"

I looked down at the boy in my arms. He looked up at me for the first time, his expression clearly stating he didn't want to go the hospital, or any doctor for that matter. It wasn't unexpected. He was prideful and always had been. He didn't want anybody to see him like this, but I was worried about his health. He had been gone for two months, and it was obvious that he hadn't been anywhere good. I knew he wouldn't like the answer, but I glanced up at Daisya and nodded. Kanda's health meant more to me than him being temporarily mad. Yuu meant more to me.

It took quite a bit of strength to pull myself together and rise to my feet. It took even more to pull Kanda to his. He stumbled at first, and I made him put his arm around my shoulder. The first thing I noticed was that he was shaking, and I couldn't figure out if it was his nerves or if he was cold. I hoped it was the second. My Yuu was rarely nervous, but this wasn't my Yuu at all.

It was like some kind of cowardly body snatcher stole my Yuu and left me with this hollow doll-like Kanda. The others led us to the car. I wasn't sure who they were leading more, me or Kanda. Everything around me had faded out the minute we had found Kanda, leaving me with tunnel-vision focused solely on the boy whom I had missed so much. My arm around his waist tightened.

LKLK

The ride the hospital was long and tiresome. I don't remember much of it except for the fact the entire way there, I kept Kanda close to me. Of course, that wasn't much of a surprise to anybody. Kanda's head stayed on my shoulder, and his eyes were closed. I don't think he was sleeping though. I think he was just trying to block everything out, and it made me wonder just what had happened to him.

I didn't have to be told it was bad. Kanda wouldn't disappear without me for two months for anything good. We were best friends. Going back to when we were in kindergarten, we did almost everything together. But knowing that it was something bad wasn't something I liked thinking about. So I tried not to think about anything on our way to the hospital. I just sat there holding him close, my mind spiraling too much to do anything else.

LKLK

We arrived at the hospital some time later, and when the nurse tried to escort Kanda into an examining room, I felt what part of my heart that hadn't been broken already shatter. Nothing was said between the two of us when they were taking him to the room, but the look in his eyes said more than enough.

It was a look I hadn't seen in his eyes before, but I knew immediately what it meant. He didn't want to be in there by himself. There was an underlying look of fear was in his eyes, and it hit hard enough to make the breath catch in my throat. Almost instantaneously, I darted towards the door. A guard caught me, and I felt myself thrashing and punching to get in there. The fight was short lived. I just didn't have it in me to fight, and I fell to the ground in a heap, shoulders shaking and hunched over.

ENDING NOTES: Can I go ahead and say I don't actually like writing Kanda so...broken. It kinda hurts to do. I'm used to doing angsty Lavi. I mean, I RP as him a lot so yeah. But this whole thing will get better!

Once again, thank you for the (undeserved?) love.