Sorry this is kinda late! I got home from school yesterday and fell asleep, then the next thing I knew it was almost 8 in the morning O.O I slept for a long, long time... *sigh*

Anyway, I have sad news; I'm going to be taking a break from all fanfiction starting on March 1st so I can work on my original story. This means that I'm not going to be writing, or posting, anything in Elephant for the entirety of March. Sadly. So, this is the last chapter that I'm going to post, and I know I'm guessing I'm going to lose a lot of readers since it's not going to update for fourish weeks, but that's all part of the writing game XD

Also, I'd like to thank my awesome new beta, Rocket-ship Romance, for helping me with this chapter :) Finally, there probably aren't any punctuation or spelling mistakes! XD

So yeah...

As always, please enjoy, and review (Thanks to everyone who has so far :D), and I'll see you guys in... uh... how ever many weeks March is!

Oh! Wait! One more thing! I'm having an issue. Right now I have a certain amount of chapters planned out for this story, but the number is bugging my friend because it's not a multiple of ten. What do you guys think, should I just ignore my friend with OCD issues and keep the amount of chapters I already have, or force myself to add three more because I'll never hear the end of it from her if I don't? Thanks!

Full chapter title: Humbug Resolutions

Okay, I was pissed.

Beyond pissed.

Absolutely furious.

And all of that rage was directed at Red, because the son of a bitch got me drunk. Yeah, you heard me; he spiked my stupid drink and got me totally wasted. He's a fucking asshole who needs to go die in a hole.

Luckily, my mother never found out, but Dad did, and he got sorta mad at me. No wait, that's wrong. He was really mad at me, but after I explained to him that it was the stupid red-head who got me wasted, he calmed down a little bit and said he wouldn't tell my mom.

"Oh come on, Roxie! It was funny!" My fist clenched tightly around the pen I was using to write, and it squeaked in protest at my grip.

"Go to hell," I hissed glaring up at him. Red just smiled.

"Roxie, you don't mean that!"

"Wanna bet?"

Red placed his hands on my desk and leaned forward, just like he always did, but this time the gleam in his eyes was different than it had been before, like he was completely certain of something that I had no idea about. "Sure, I'll take that bet. After all, you seemed very into me that night. Got it memorized?" My face flushed.

"Excuse me!" I slammed my fists on my desk and stood up, no recollection of being "into" Red three nights ago. I know for a fact that I was trying very hard to get him away from me, and then we started talking and then he said he was going to go get drinks, and oh God... he probably took that as me trying to flirt with him!

I was utterly disgusted at this notion.

"You heard me. Of course, you probably don't remember that, but it happened."

"Yeah, no it didn't. You're just screwing with me." I sat down slowly again, one hundred percent sure that Red was just messing with my mind, trying to get me to confess something, though I had no idea what. There was nothing to confess.

Leaning back, Red smirked at me and said, "I might be. But who really knows."

"You do." Silence fell over us, something I certainly wasn't expecting, but after a while of this awkward silence that was extremely uncomfortable and annoying, I asked, "Why didn't my dad fire you?" Red sighed, moved away from me and went to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall.

"It's a secret."

I clenched my fist in absolute frustration. This guy was going to be the death of me. I swore that if I survived the rest of this year without dying, it would be a miracle. I mean, seriously, a miracle given to me by the gods of New Years.

"Fine. Whatever. I don't car-"

"Axel! Roxie! I need to talk to you, now!" Again, with the nickname! Sora usually didn't call me by that stupid goddamn name, but Riku seemed to enjoy pissing me off. I swear, that guy is better to be around when he's high on cough medicine, even if he does throw knives. At least he makes amazing origami, which I'm told still helps him pass the time. I think Ellie complained about it once or twice. A day.

"What do you want?" I asked as the door slammed open, revealing a very red Sora. The strange thing was, he wasn't red because of embarrassment or anger, but because he was covered in red paint that was dripping off of him as though he were melting ice. It was getting on my dad's carpet, and I had a feeling that wouldn't sit well with my father. "Also, why do you have red paint all over you?"

Sora shook his head and stumbled into the room; the first sign that something was wrong. "That's not important," the second sign that something was wrong. Sora covered in red paint was something that he should have been bragging about, or not bragging if it was a battle between him and Riku, where Riku kicked his ass without any regards for how my father would react. "It's Ellie. She just... collapsed."

….

"Excuse me?"

I was expecting those words to come out of my mouth, but instead, it was Red who spoke, his voice low, dark, and sounding as though he were about to murder Sora for bringing this news. My jaw nearly dropped at the dangerous look resonating in Red's green eyes, and he pushed away from the wall towards Sora, his arms crossed. I could tell he was shaking.

"What did you just say?"

Okay, there was something seriously wrong with Red. Never, I mean, never had I seen him act like this before. It was similar to the time I asked him about his dating status, but this time he seemed scary, not just mad. Actually pissed.

"Um... Ellie... fainted. Naminé said that she and Kairi were talking to her in the lobby when she just... collapsed and-" Red didn't let him finish. He dashed out of the room, crashing into Sora before nearly knocking down the door. I stood up, most likely in shock, though I think there was something else in my thoughts... inaccessible, of course, but still, it was there. Well, I hope so because I certainly felt sick at that moment. Sora, on the other hand, was just standing in shock, staring at the swinging door with a pale face. "What just happened? Axel actually showed emotion other than-"

"Ellie's important to him," I said suddenly. Sora turned to me, eyebrow raised.

"What?" He shook his head. "I mean, I know the two of them are friends, but-"

"Re- I mean he told me once that he and Ellie have known each other for twenty-two years. I'm not really surprised he's acting this way." I was abnormally calm... why was I so calm... I mean, Ellie was a weirdo who had a strange view on life and was able to deal with Red like it was the easiest thing in the world, but she was still a friend, I think. She got me out of a few... interesting situations, and she's always been nice to me, so why wasn't I freaking out like Sora or Red?

Suddenly, I felt like I should go see what was going on for myself. "I'm going to go downstairs now...," I muttered.

"Uh... I think you should probably tell your father first." I turned to Sora.

"What?"

"Well, Kairi called me and told me what happened... I was supposed to tell you guys and Riku was supposed to tell Cloud, but he kinda freaked out like Axel and ran to go see what was happening. Which, you know, isn't surprising, but still... Cloud kinda needs to know." Sora laughed, and I briefly wondered why I had to do this, and not Sora who was sent to do Kairi's "dirty work," but it didn't seem like the moment to ask that. I had a feeling Sora wanted to go see if his friend was okay.

"Alright. I'll see you guys after I tell Dad," I said after a moment.

"Miss Elliot fainted?"

Miss Elliot? I didn't know Ellie's last name was Elliot... I wondered how many other strange quirks about the people I work with that I didn't know about there were...

"Um... yeah. That's what Sora said. I figured you shou-" My dad stood up, shutting me up in an instant, and turned to look out the window at the snowy grounds behind the building. "Dad?"

He turned, blue eyes sad for a reason I didn't know. Something probably happened to him when he was a kid or something that had to do with the hospital, because he said in a quiet voice, "It's New Year's Eve. Go see if Miss Elliot is alright. You guys shouldn't even be working anyway." Yeah... that wasn't weird at all... I couldn't help but think there was something... weird about my dad that day, but I ignored it, knowing I had to get to the hospital to make sure everyone was okay.

"Alright. See ya when I get home." Dad nodded, a signal he wanted me to leave, and I was happy to oblige.

It didn't take me very long to get to the lobby, but by the time I got down there, Ellie, Riku, and Red weren't there. Of course, there were lots of other people there, mainly those who work directly with, or under Ellie, but also some people who I didn't really recognize. I assumed they were here to figure out what was going on. Or Ellie saved their asses and they're genuinely worried... the first one was more likely. However, there were three people in there I knew for a fact were extremely worried about Ellie; Sora, Kairi, and Naminé.

They were standing near the door, Sora with his arm around Kairi, and Naminé standing a few feet away from them, alone. Slowly, I made my way over to them, well, to Naminé. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Naminé jumped slightly, and turned to me, her eyes wide with sadness, and looking as though she were on the brink of tears. Not waiting for an answer, I pulled her into a hug and whispered that was it was okay.

"She's going to be alright," I whispered into Naminé's hair, more for myself, than anyone else. "This is Ellie we're talking about. She's always okay."

Hospitals scare me.

I don't know why they scare me, but they do.

I think it may have something to do with the fact that every time I've been to a hospital something bad has happened to me or someone I know. I mean, the first time in my memory I was in the hospital, I ended up needing surgery to get my tonsils taken out, the second time was because my arm was broken, the third time was when my mom got the flu and I thought she was going to die.

She wasn't going to, of course, but I had a strange mind as a kid...

Plus, there's a bunch of sick, dying people in hospitals and there's... blood. I shuddered at the thought of this.

So, the fact that we were in a hospital, outside of a room where Ellie was hooked up to an I.V with an oxygen mask strapped to her extremely pale face, made me rather jumpy and nervous. Of course, the fact that it was New Year's Eve didn't help at all... wasn't this day supposed to be happy?

"Roxas? Are you alright?" Now it was Naminé's turn to be asking if I was fine. I wasn't, obviously, but she didn't need to know that. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and smiled down at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just hope Ellie's okay." Naminé nodded at my statement, and pulled away from me, heading over to the seats. I wanted to ask her the same question, but truthfully, I was afraid of the answer. I mean, I loved Naminé and everything, but I doubted I would be able to deal with her problems as well as mine... however, I knew she needed some kind of support, as she and Ellie were rather close, so I followed her over to the seats and sat down next to her. It wasn't long before she took a hold of my hand.

Now that I was sitting, it was easier for me to examine the area around me. Not very surprising, was the fact that the only people who had bothered to come to the hospital were me, Naminé, Kairi, Sora, Red, and Riku.

You know, now that I think about it, I thought this little group of people were the weirdest ones in the world, and that they had a clique going on in my dad's office was, well, horrible. But it didn't seem to take long for me to become a part of that group. Somehow, I got sucked into the vortex of weird people who work for my father, but I guess that makes sense. I mean, I'm weird, right? I guess it would be safe to say that these guys were actually my friends; good friends for that matter, and the fact that it took me seven months to figure that out is a little bit sad. You know what I mean? These people, who I ranted about to Hayner, who I wished I'd never have to meet again, had somehow replaced Hayner, Olette, and Pence, as my best friends.

When did that happen?

A sudden movement caught my eye, and I looked towards Ellie's room again, where the doctor was exiting with a disappointed look on his face. Riku immediately jumped up from where he was sitting and walked quickly to the doctor, as did Red. Sora and Kairi hung back a bit, but they did make their way slowly towards him as well. Glancing at Naminé, who nodded at me, I stood up too, and headed over to hear the news.

It didn't look like it was going to be good news.

"Are all of you friends?" The doctor asked, eying us suspiciously. Why he was so suspicious of us was a mystery to me, but I ignored it and nodded, as did everyone else. Quickly, I looked back to see if Naminé was still there, but she was gone. Strange... "Well," the doctor continued, "after the CT scan, we've discovered a bit of swelling in her brain, most likely caused by a concussion due to trauma."

Oh shit. That sounds really bad, I thought to myself, clenching my fist. Everything was going so well (kinda) and now this...

"What kind of trauma." I barely recognized Riku's voice. He hadn't spoken at all since we'd gotten to the hospital, and probably for a good reason. His voice was horse, small, hushed, like he had been crying, though I highly doubted Riku would cry unless he was hyped up on cough medicine again. "What kind of trauma would do this to her?" The doctor shook his head.

"Sadly, we can't really know until she wakes up-"

"You mean if she ever, wakes up," Red interrupted, sounding the complete opposite of Riku. "You said there was swelling in her brain. That's why she's asleep. Her brain isn't working properly."

"Well, yes-"

"Well, what are you doing to help?"

The doctor sighed and shook his head. "She's on and anti-inflammatory right now, which should cause the swelling to go down, but we're worried that she might have inter-cranial hemorrhaging, so she's on constant observation and-" I pretty much zoned out after that point, as the doctor started talking in his strange medical lingo. I had a feeling only Red and Kairi would understand what he was really saying- one being a genius and the other training to be a nurse. There was one thing said that caught my attention though. It wasn't long after I tried to zone out when Kairi said;

"I've done studies on concussions before, and this usually doesn't happen. How hard would she have to have hit her head?" Kairi had a point there. I'd had a concussion myself, and nothing happened to me. I just felt dizzy and had trouble remembering something for a while, but it went away after a few days.

"Well, normally this kind of thing would take a massive blow to the head, but if a concussion is left untreated, it can lead to very bad things happening, like this." He gestured towards Ellie's room. "I do believe she'll be fine, but when she wakes up, she'll have to stay here for a few weeks to make sure nothing else happens." This was enough for me. On the drive over, I had gotten a call from my mother, who made me promise I would tell her what was going on. It was so weird. This whole thing with Ellie has been bringing out a strange side to both of my parents; my dad being kind and understanding, and my mom fretting like I was the one in the hospital... I wondered what could have happened to the two of them that this is how they acted...

Slowly, I backed away from the group, hoping no one would notice me, and pulled out my phone, dialing my mother's number. It was only eleven o'clock, so she was definitely up. Walking through the nearly deserted halls of the hospital, I listened to the phone ring, and then her answering machine picking up. Another strange thing. Not really paying attention, I recited what I could understand from the doctor to my mom's answering machine, then hung up, seriously hoping she wouldn't call back.

It was then I spotted Naminé, sitting on the steps in the back of the hospital, shaking. As quietly as I could, I headed over to her, not completely surprised to find that she was crying. Well, sobbing, more like.

"Nami?" I called, not sure if she wanted me to see her like this. She waved for me to go away, so naturally I sat down next to her. "You can talk to me you know. I'm a very good listener." Naminé seemed to let out a short laugh, but it was soon covered by a sob. I sighed and leaned back against the stairs, allowing my girlfriend to calm down a little bit. Finally, she fell against me, grabbing hold of my hand again.

"Ellie never acts like she's sick, or in pain. I-I don't think I've ever seen her cry, or act scared. Even as her roommate, I've never, ever seen Ellie show any kind of emotion that would make people worry about her." She looked up at me. "And now she's in the hospital. How does that work?" I really wish I had an answer for her, but I didn't. Maybe Red would have one, being a genius and all, but he and Naminé were still fighting (I still hadn't figured out why), so I guessed it would be a bad thing to suggest we ask him.

We stayed silent for a time, just sitting there, holding hands like any regular couple would do, but the peace couldn't last long. It was then that Naminé's phone decided to ring. Smiling at me, she stood up and picked up her phone, answering it as though she hadn't been crying for the past ten minutes.

It amazed me how strong she was acting.

I could never do that if one of my best friends was sick like this.

"Hey, Roxie, where's Naminé going?"

It was Red. Of course. He just couldn't leave me alone, could he? I didn't really want to deal with him at the moment, but I felt the need to because someone like a sister to him was possibly dying, so instead of just ignoring him, I stood up and replied, "I don't know. Isn't she just talking on the phone?"

Red shot me a strange look. "Uh, no. She's leaving the hospital. Didn't even say goodbye to anyone and just ran out." He looked angry at this thought.

"Whoa, calm down there," I said, laughing nervously, "She's really upset about all of this, so I don't doubt she just wanted to get out of-"

"Oh, don't go making excuses for her, Roxie." Red turned on me suddenly, taking a step forward, which made me uncomfortable, and I took a step back. This was obviously the wrong move, as Red continued to move towards me, and likewise, I moved back, until I was trapped against the wall.

"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked, pressing up against the cool wall, trying very hard to become a ghost and pass through it. Sadly, that was impossible, so instead I was caged against it, Red being abnormally close to me. Again.

"Naminé has been acting like a bitch recently, and tonight is no different. She probably doesn't even care about Ellie."

Anger swelled inside me, and everything I ever wanted to say to Red came out in one burst of rage as I stomped angrily on his foot. He cringed in pain, but didn't move away from me, instead, staring at me with what I could only guess was rage equal to mine. My eyes narrowed. "Don't," I hissed, "say things like that about my girlfriend, you bastard." Red's fist banged above my head as he glared down at me, but he said nothing, so I continued. "What the hell is wrong with you. One minute you guys are acting like the best of buds, then the next it's like World War III is happening inside the office."

"Shut up," Red growled. "That isn't important."

I ignored what he said, acting as though he hadn't even spoken, "And what about today? You should me a sliver of humanity with the way you were acting with the news about Ellie, and then you come up to me and start calling my girlfriend a bitch and saying she could care less about Ellie." I grinned nastily, "I have news for you bud, Naminé probably cares more about Ellie than you do and-" I would have loved to finish my sentence, but I couldn't as Red's hand was now placed over my mouth.

"I told you to shut up." His voice was low, venomous, like it was back in the office. I knew this was getting to him, but I didn't want to stop. Not after everything this son of a bitch had done to me. Sure, earlier that evening I felt as though he were one of my best friends; well, not now. Calling Naminé a heartless bitch was the last straw for me. I could have cared less if this guy died in an accident. In fact, I wished he would, then I wouldn't be bothered by him ever again.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline, I grabbed Red's wrist and pulled his hand away from my mouth, a smirk on my face. "What's wrong? Can't take the truth? I would have though a genius like you could. Guess I was wrong." I leaned forward in a slight laugh.

At this, Red seized the collar of my shirt, and shoved me against the wall, hissing, "Don't push me." I continued to laugh, somewhat maniacally, glad that we were in a more secluded area of the hospital. Having Riku or Sora see me like this was not something I wanted, even if it probably would scare the shit out of them. I actually didn't even know I could be this malicious.

"Aw," I cooed, "is the big bad red-head angry? Ooh, I'm so scared." Another laugh, echoed in the stair well.

"Roxie, I'm warning you..."

I had a feeling that my emotions were getting the better of me, cause man was I acting strange at that moment, and part of me wishes I had listened and just shut up, because what happened next is something I never, I mean absolutely never thought would happen.

"Look, whatever the hell your real name is, nothing you can do will affect me in any way, shape, or fo-"

Once again, I was silenced as Red yanked me forward, and everything began to spin out of control. He certainly did a good job shutting me up, but this time, it wasn't with his hand. Oh no, this time, it was with his lips. I think my mind was screaming at me to do something, but my body didn't seem like it wanted to obey. A searing fire coursed through my veins, traveling through my body, and at the core of it, there was this tangle in my stomach that just kept bigger and bigger, something I had absolutely no control over.
The heat of our bodies quickly caused my brain to shut down. I couldn't think. I could only feel; feel Red and what he was doing.

And for some reason, I relished in it.

Finally, Red pulled away from me, breathing labored, his hot breath tickling my mouth as he spoke to me.

"My name," he whispered, his lips brushing against mine, "is Axel. Fucking. Get it. Memorized." The pressure on my collar disappeared, as did the warm body that had been pressing lightly against me, and I could only stare in shock as Re- no... Axel, walked away. He didn't even seemed phased by what just happened, just angry... irritated. At first I was in complete shock, my face burning, heart pounding, stomach turning, so I barely noticed him leave me, but after a time, I calmed down a bit, sinking to the ground as my legs turned to jelly.

What the hell just happened? I thought, feeling as though my world had just been turned around. There was no way... Axel... he was...

No. He couldn't be. There had to be an explanation for what just happened. I pushed against the wall, trying to heave myself up from the ground, but it seemed like I was in shell shock, as my body pretty much refused to move. So, instead of trying, I just gave up, pretty content to just sit there and wallow away. My thoughts were so scrambled at that moment, I was surprised when my watch beeped after a time of silence, and I was even more surprised when I saw the time; 11:55. It was five minutes till midnight. Five minutes until the new year.

This small action seemed to bring my thoughts back to normal, and I suddenly remembered where I was, and why I was there; in the hospital, for Ellie.

Again, I tried to stand.

Again, I couldn't.

A sigh escaped my lips as I placed my head in my hand and nearly groaned. What was I thinking? Nothing was making much sense to me right now, especially not those, feelings I had gotten, despite the fact that Axel had already left.

Axel...

That name was so easy to remember, I didn't know how I could have forgotten it so easily.

I glanced at my watch again- four minutes till midnight.

Somewhere, deep inside me, I knew I had to force myself up, that this wasn't such a big deal that I needed to act so girly, and that I needed to be there for my friends, as Ellie was still in her coma. But another part of me, a more dominant part, was telling my conscience that going out into the main room of the hospital where everyone was would be bad, seeing as my face was probably still red, and they would all want to know where I had been.

Another peek at my watch- three minutes left.

What the hell should I do now? I wondered, leaning my head against the wall, breathing deeply in order to calm myself, despite already being quite calm.

You have to talk to Axel.

There was a nasty voice in my head, most likely some kind of split personality of mine that thought they knew what was best for me, but obviously didn't as they told me to go talk to him. There was no way in hell I was going to do that. It would probably lead to something else strange happening. Who knew what that guy would do to me if I got close to him.

One more- one minute.

Almost miraculously, the strength in my legs returned, and I pushed myself away from the wall one last time, actually managing to stand this time.

Thirty seconds.

I made my way into the part of the hospital where everyone was gathered. It didn't surprise me at all to see that Kairi and Sora were sitting in chairs next to each other, holding hands, with Kairi resting her head against her boyfriend's shoulder, nor to see... Axel... standing alone by the window to Ellie's room, arms crossed, and it was even less surprising to me that Riku was in Ellie's room. He seemed dejected, alone, scared, worried, and about a hundred other adjectives that passed through my head the moment I saw his head hanging low, eyes seemingly shut, hands gripped tightly around Ellie's pale one, whispering to her.

I closed my eyes, wondering just what could happen now to make that poor man feel even worse.

Ten seconds.

I took a step forward silently.

Nine.

The feelings that I saw Riku having for Ellie tonight... I wondered what they really felt like.

Eight.

I'd seen it before with my parents; the two of them just sitting together on the couch, reading, saying nothing.

Seven.

But that just seemed normal, as they were married.

Six.

But Ellie and Riku were just dating, almost like it was no big deal, only I knew it was to them. Even more so than what Kairi and Sora showed, the two of them...

Five.

I could tell they loved each other.

Four.

I looked over at Axel, who too, was watching Riku, but when my eyes landed on him, it was like he could feel them as he turned to glance at me.

Three.

His eyes were soft, and I flushed, looking away from him.

Two.

Was this...

One.

"Hey, someone get in here!" Riku called suddenly. I glanced back at the room, scared to death that something else was wrong, but thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Ellie was stirring, trying to sit up, look around, like some kind of new year's miracle. As quickly as I could, I rushed over to the door, no longer caring that Axel had just kissed me, or that my parents had been acting weird recently, or that Naminé was still missing- none of it seemed to matter right now. When I finally managed to get to the room, Ellie was sitting up, with the help of Riku, and she was looking around in a dazed fashion.

"What the...," she muttered, pulling of the oxygen mask, "where am I-" Ellie didn't get to finish her sentence, as Riku suddenly wrapped his arms around her. "Riku? Are you crying?"

I wanted to laugh at that question. It was highly possible at this point that he was, Kairi certainly was, leaning against Sora's chest, her hands on his that were wrapped possessively around her. Axel was grinning madly, looking more like the man I'd come to tolerate over the past few months, and this caused me to smile. Ellie said something else, but I missed it as I was observing the room around me, but Riku's response certainly narrowed down what she could have said;

"Goddammit, Ellie. Don't you dare scare me like that again!"

Both Sora and I laughed at this, though Ellie still looked slightly confused, and I knew, at that moment, that I needed to stop being such a sissy and ask Axel why he did what he did. I mean, if Riku could cry, then I could do this.

I snorted to myself, realizing what my humbug resolution for this year was going to be; figure out what was going on in Axel's head.

... yeah... XD I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! On April 1st, then 2nd, you guys will get to find out what's gonna happen :3 That's right, when I come back, two chapters in a row! (April 1st is a Friday, so I figured, why not?)

~Sunechirei