Tempest here! I couldn't keep you waiting so I decided to give you the next part sooner. I wrote this entire chapter listening to Touhou music so hopefully, it has influenced this chapter to be better.

Enjoy!

So, Koutei's had a panic attack, Yuri nearly had a mental breakdown, my brother died and I got shot in the shoulder by an escaped convict and my guardian that abused me. I hate Mondays. I felt the rain cover my face as blood pooled slowly from my shoulder. I heard more shots and I saw a tall man fall to the ground, his crazed face etched eternally with insanity. I heard Yuri screaming at me but it was drowned out by sirens. I smiled, knowing I had protected her. I hung on to her like a lifeline and I soon heard more footsteps follow. Miwa, Aichi, Koutei, Anya. Everyone was hear but their faces were filled with negative emotions. I started to cry. I blamed myself. If only I stayed and admitted my fate, maybe no one would be drawn into this. It was all my fault that I lay here, blood around me. I repeated this like a mantra, Koutei begging me not to say that but I couldn't hear him. The past always found a way to catch up. I tried to push it away but I instead pushed all those who tried to love me away. Soon, I felt darkness try to take me but I was soon awoken by a blinding white light. Was this death? As my vision cleared, I saw stark white walls around me. I was at peace. I tried to move but I found my shoulder gave me the most amount of pain ever. I looked and reality caught up to me. I was in a hospital, an IV drip attached to my arm, a heart monitor giving monotonous bleeps. I felt like I was hit by a bus. I just lay there in the bed, thinking. I was doing that a lot lately and I counted my lucky stars that I survived. Then it hit me. Koutei, Yuri, Gai. Where were they? Were they alright? As I tried to get up, hanging onto my IV drip as I walked, I started to collapse but was caught by someone. I looked up seeing a doctor with a kind face. I remembered him. Dr Burner. He was the one who helped me with my knee and getting used to it. I started to feel weak and darkness enveloped me once again.

ZZZ

I awoke to an orange sky. I looked at the clock to my side on the bedside desk.

6:00 pm.

It occurred to me that I slept for a long time. My shoulder started to throb and I was scared. I was shot. The reality dawned on me like a brick wall tumbling onto my back. Then, the door opened again and the Dr walked in.

"Young master Blake, how are we this evening?" He asked kindly. He was always courteous in his speech.

"Fine." I croaked.

"And honestly?"

"My shoulder hurts badly. I'm scared and anxious. I just want to go home Dr."

"And you will but only when we tell you that you can. You was shot straight through the shoulder. You lost a lot of blood which explains the fainting. Twice. But the good news is that you was not even close to death as Kenji Mitsusada stemmed the bleeding. He knows a lot about first aid and the like. I bet you would like to see them."

I nodded but soon I was feeling dizzy and tired again. I was weak but I tried to hold on.

"Don't fight it Blake, you lost a lot of blood. Just let yourself fall asleep and we'll talk into the morning."

I fell asleep, dreaming nothing at all.

ZZZ

The light streamed through the window, signalling morning. I sat up, feeling better but still in pain. The good Dr. walked in through the door again, carrying two trays of food. It smelt pretty good considering it was hospital food. He sat one tray down on my lap and a cup of coffee. God knows I needed the energy. We talked for a while and we soon came onto the subject of Koutei. He knew all about the incidents surrounding my life as the media got into every little crack of peoples lives. Not that I cared. It was better them telling it than me. And, from what I could tell, it was in my favour. The good doctor saying how little luck I had but was glad he saw a caring family.

"Dr Burner, You do know you're family as well. I wouldn't have made it without you. I owe you my life."

"No you don't. I opted to do the surgery myself as it was the right thing to do. It was because of your parents will I was able to pay of medical school."

"I can never repay you for what you have done for me though. "

"Actually you can. I was told that you blamed yourself for what happened. Is that still true. And don't you dare lie to me." He was serious. I didn't know if I did blame myself. But fate is always out of my hands with these sort of things. I had truly understood myself. But did that stop me. I spent a while wondering about this and then I said:

"No. I don't blame myself."

ZZZ

Several hours had passed and visitors had come and gone. Anya and Miwa was first, scanning me over like hungry buzzards but soon were able to relax. We talked, laughed and hugged. We were friend for ages after all. The came Aichi and Misaki, they took it upon themselves to do what they could for me. I didn't know Misaki too well as we rarely saw each other because of deliveries but we got along very well. She delivered a message from Jim, my boss. I was fired so I could live my life. Bittersweet moments. The last person I saw was Kai who came of his own free will. He told me because he wanted to talk. So we did. I told him my life, he told me his. Bot were sad and still had yet to have a happy ending. When I mentioned about Jenji and his behaviour though, Kai looked scared, almost like he knew something but I didn't press him. After visiting hours, I was led on my bed reading when I heard an argument. I looked through the window and saw Koutei arguing with a nurse about something. But I felt too dizzy to think so I started to fall asleep. Then I remembered. It was Wednesday. Tomorrow was Thursday. A day that I was dreading.

ZZZ

(Koutei POV) (A/N: Never saw this coming.)

This was not the greatest of days. I had been trying for two straight days with no sleep and ten trips to Costa Coffee to try and talk to Blake. I was worried. I knew he had left to try and give me space and it worked until I heard gunshots and sirens. It was pure instinct that I raced to find out if it was them. It was indescribable what I felt when I saw him on the ground in his own blood. I was sickening what Jenji, who was supposed to be jailed, was there with madness on his face. I tried shouting at Blake and then I heard him blaming himself. I then shouted at the police, who took it all with no threats. The must have understood. They gave us a damn payoff to stop us suing and after some persuading from Anya and Gai, I took it for Blake. I waited the entire night for the surgery to end and I refused to move from the lobby. I needed to know he was alright. I was still doing this now. I waited in the parking lot with my feet rested on the the dashboard. I would be the first to see him. I had to be. I soon heard tapping on the passenger window. It was that Dr...Burner. The one who saved Blake. I opened the door and invited him ito the car.

"Thank you sir. I wanted to talk if that was alright with you."

"Of course. You saved Blake after all. Thank you by the way."

"I didn't save him just... patched him up. I won't stay long but I wanted to know why you've stayed her for two days. If you wanted to see Blake you could have."

"No because everyone else was here and made appointments and took all day and I just haven't had the chance. I'm worried..."

"If he still blames himself. Don't worry. He does not blame himself at all and he told me this himself. He misses you Koutei. He's scared."

"And that's why I wanted to stay with him. Especially tomorrow.."

"I know. Well there is nothing I can do for today unfortunately but I can make sure that Team Caesar is there tomorrow and there all day." He then left and I knew that everything was alright.

ZZZ

(Blake POV)

I awoke suddenly realising what day it was. It didn't help when I heard:

"SUPRISE!" And three people jumped up from the side of the bed. The heart monitor beside me went crazy, earning alarming looks from staff but they soon knew what it was and turned back smiling. Koutei, Yuri and Gai had planned a party? The four boxes and cards and banner saying "Happy 16th Birthday" was dotted around the room. I started to tear up from the thoughtfulness of it all.

"I can assume you like it." Koutei said, a wide smile on his face. I could only wrap my arms around him and the others. My family was amazing. The day was all to ourselves and we spent it talking, joking. Soon, the each held a present in their arms each. Gai handed me his first and inside was a deep, royal blue deck case with a deck inside. I took it out and I almost dropped it. It was a Dimension Police deck and the front card was called Enigman Cyclone.

"Guys, how did-"

"Misaki and Shin spent the past week on it for you." Gai interrupted. Misaki and Shin were in on this? Yuri stepped up next with a slightly bigger box. I opened it tenderly and gasped. A glove that the professional carfighters used on circuits. It was the same colour as my deck box with a purple jewel in the middle.

"Why did you guys get me this? This must have cost you so much to get one and I'm not worth this much."

"Actually, they're free for those in a team." Yuri said, her grin growing. My heart skipped a beat as reality fixed itself into my head.

"Welcome to Team Caesar Blake." About know I started sobbing with happiness. The bonds of family did mean so much. This proved it. As Koutei stepped up, I was already happy enough. This time, it was a very small box. I opened it and I cried even more. It was a silver pendent, similar to the one that Koutei wore. I looked closer, on one side was a picture of all of us together. The other side was engraved with each of our names.

"Oh Koutei...You did this for me?"

"Of course. Today is special so we decided to make it even more special. And with this" he said handing me the final, large rectangular box, "it will be the best."

Once it was opened, happy memories of my family flew back to me. One of sweet melodies. Inside the box was a violin, almost the same as my fathers. It was the best I had seen. After playing a few chords, I found it was tuned perfectly and played softly and smoothly. I felt something on the side and I saw the engraving:

"Team Caesar."

We spent the rest of the day chatting about the future happily. As a family. I was finally at peace and I was happy. But that isn't the end of my story...

And there you have it. As the ending said, we're not through with Blake yet. Next time, we'll see him adjusting to a new found peace. Hopefully. I'll see how I feel. Finally, this chapter is dedicated to my English teacher who left this year, much to our class' protest. You should thank her for this story as she was the one who inspired me to give this a try so thank you Miss and best of luck for the future. Until next time, review and this is Tempest, signing off!