5

So... I don't think I ever replied to people's reviews for the last chapter... sorry... I got really distracted by a few things... Whoops. Actually, I don't think I'm going to reply to them anymore... Everyone basically say the same things, and it gets really redundant. Just know that I really appreciate all reviews you guys give me. I'll answer them if you ask me a question, or you say something I think is completely necessary to answer. But just know I probably won't answer them. Sorry... I have a lot going on.

Anyway, it's AkuRoku day :D Yay! I have no idea what to do with it. I mean, I guess this counts, and it's kinda AkuRoku, but.

So, there probably won't be a chapter next week for reason's that will become clear when I post the next chapter. Also, I'm going to be going on certain meds in a few days, so if I disappear off the face of the earth, blame my meds. They're supposed to numb my mind so I can actually focus on things. Which doesn't make ANY sense, but oh well.

So, enjoy this chapter, I'm sorry Olette is somewhat OOC, review, answer the poll, check out Hypochondriac, and I'll see you... eventually.

~Sunechirei

Full Chapter Title: Teamwork is essential- it allows you to blame someone else

For some reason, I couldn't stop staring up at the sky. The gray and white swirl was dull, boring, and sullen, but at the same time comforting. It's like the weather knew about my irritation and sadness, and was representing it so well. I didn't care that the snow, cold and wet, was tickling my face, chilling it to the point of extreme discomfort.

"God dammit...," I muttered, closing my eyes. "Where the hell are you?" The back streets of Hallow Bastion were dark. I doubted that the sun would shine through no matter what the weather was like. It was so shadowed in the alleyways.

There was no way I could find him in these conditions. But I knew he was back here somewhere. If he could find his father, then I could find him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I didn't want to talk to Mom at the moment. Well, I never really wanted to talk to Mom, but especially not today. She'd guilted me into staying at home for the week of Thanksgiving, so I had no choice really but to listen to her, but...

"Yeah Mom, perfectly fine. I'm not upset at all that my boyfriend has gone missing and won't contact me or answer his phone. Totally fine." Mom didn't seem too impressed by my sarcasm.

She crossed her arms and glared at me. "You're ridiculous, Roxas. You're not the only person who's ever lost someone close to them."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. This is what happened to Dad when you ran off, I shouldn't be complaining. Whatever. Go away. See you later." She glared at me, but didn't move. "Bye!" I tried to wave Mom away, but it was like she was grounded there by an annoying bunch of roots. Stupid trees and their inability to move because of roots.

Wait, why am I thinking about roots? Or trees? What the hell?

"Roxas...," Mom warned, "this is getting out of hand. I think it's time for you to get off your butt, and start socializing with your family, and friends."

"Don't wanna."

"Good." I was confused by what Mom said, then she held out my phone. I have no idea how she got it, seeing as it was in my... oh wait, I'd forgotten it on my bedside table. Wow, I feel horrible. Axel could have contacted me at any moment, and I forgot my phone. "Call Olette. She wants to talk to you."

That was all Mom said before she tossed my phone onto my lap. I couldn't believe what was happening. It was like some kind of intervention, only there was no way she could make me actually call Olette back. Well, I thought that until I discovered a message on the front of my phone threatening to cut off all my money until I stopped being a wuss.

Mothers...

So I really had no choice but to call Olette, who I hadn't talked to in quite a while. I felt like a bad friend, but I had been busy and in a small crisis.

Only, I didn't call her. She called me.

And I answered.

"Hello?"

"Roxas I swear if you hang up on me I'm going to drive up to Radiant Garden, tie you to a chair, and force you to watch kids shows for twenty hours while keeping you awake with boiling water being slapped onto your face!"

I ended up holding the phone away from my ear during the second half of Olette's rant she was yelling so loudly. I could still hear what she was saying, though. Kinda entertaining.

"I'm kinda tempted to hang up on you now," I had to say, snickering. That was probably the first time I laughed after Axel's oh-so-wonderful disappearance. I would say it felt nice, but I was too distracted by Olette yelling at me again to really pay attention to it.

"Don't you dare you little mother fucker!" So, apparently Olette has a potty mouth. "I have been trying to contact you for the past three weeks, but have you been answering your phone? No. You've been fucking ignoring me, and when I finally call your mom, she tells me that you've been depressed and Axel's disappeared and you've been taking it really hard and so I keep trying to get in contact with you but-"

"Hey, hey! Calm down. I'm not going to hang up on you. I was joking." I don't really know why, but I had to start laughing at the silence on the other end of the phone. Olette didn't find this funny, though.

"You don't sound very depressed, Roxas. You sound really happy, actually," she snapped.

"That's because I'm not," I said rolling my eyes, even though I knew she couldn't see me. I was too entertained by the whole thing for some odd reason to really care. "Mom was exaggerating. I've been fine."

"Yeah, so fine. She told me you had to be kicked out of work by your dad."

"I did not!"

"Kairi said that too."

"Kairi? You talk to Kairi?"

"Yeah, we became good friends the last time I was out there. Didn't you know that?"

"No...," I was somewhat shocked, slightly annoyed, and completely frustrated at the fact they hadn't bothered to tell me this. "Well, you know what, I'm fine. Everyone else is just overreacting and I have no issues with this whole thing. Sure, I'm a little irritated, but it's not that big of a deal."

"Yeah, I so believe you."

"What's up with you today? First you threaten me, then you start cussing, and now you're being sarcastic." It was the weirdest thing. Normally, Olette was kind, and sweet, and loving, and never really got angry. It was a weird change.

"You're what's up, Roxas. You and your stupid problems."

"Stupid problems?"

"First, you hate Axel, then you start dating him, and Hayner is too freaked out to talk to you, then your parents have issues, and now Axel's gone and you're flipping out." I tried to protest but she cut me off with her yelling. "No, shut up. For as long as I've known you, nothing bad has ever happened, but all of a sudden, your life has so many fucking problems, and you started becoming a whiny son of a bitch who needs to grow up."

Whoa. Yeah. She just... said that to me. In a very pissed off voice.

She was right though. I guess it took her yelling at me to realize that I complain about my life a lot when I really don't need to. "So?" I wanted to see what she would do about me acting like a selfish jack ass. That would be really entertaining to hear. Only, she didn't actually freak out on me, like I wanted her to.

Instead, she sighed, and I guessed slapped her forehead then left whatever room she was in . "Look, I need to talk to you about something else, so shut up and listen to me."

He was nowhere to be found. As I searched, the gray sky slowly turned black, leaving me stranded in darkness. I wanted to slap myself when I realized I'd forgotten a flashlight of some sort, but I couldn't have known I needed one. The only other area of Hallow Bastion I'd been in actually had street lights, and I had a guide, so it was easier to traverse.

Not this time.

"Olette, I don't need to talk about anything, and I'm not going to shut up." I could care less that I was just digging a deeper grave for myself. "I'm perfectly fine and I just need some sleep. I'm tired, you know?"

"Don't give me shit. You're going to listen to me, or my threat still stands."

Really, there was no choice for me other than to listen to her. "Fine. What do you want to tell me?"

"Do you know why Axel left? Your mom says you don't, but you sound really calm, like you know something other people don't." She just had to ask me that.

"Yes, I know why he left, and I know where he went-"

"What!"

"Stop yelling! Ellie just told me a few days ago."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why did he leave? Where is he?"

I didn't really want to tell Olette. She was kinda irritating me... actually, she was really irritating me, I just didn't want to say that or she may kill me. Or tell Hayner, who already hates me. Besides, it was none of her business. Sure, I knew that Axel was looking for his biological father in Hallow Bastion, but it's not like I could do anything about it. No matter what I said to him, according to Ellie, Axel was dead set on finding this guy.

Basically, it would be impossible to talk him out of his goal.

Eventually, I told Olette what was going on, who Axel wanted to find, why he wanted to find him, and where he was looking for the guy. Her reaction was annoying.

"You know where he is and why, yet you're sitting on your ass and not looking for him? What kind of boyfriend are you?"

That's pretty much what I asked Ellie when she told me where Axel was. Though, it was more like I asked her what kind of friend she was, rather than boyfriend, because that wouldn't really make sense if I asked her what kind of boyfriend she was. I mean, she's not a guy, or so Riku tells me.

"Look, I get that Axel told you not to look for him, but you're worried about him, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Then you should ignore his wishes and go find him."

"Mom, how would you feel if I went to go look for Axel?" I had asked Mom this after my conversation with Olette. She seemed shocked when I first told her, but after a the initial reaction, she was happy.

"Olette convinced you, didn't she?" I could only nod, before Mom pulled me into a hug and told me that I should go find him, make sure to be safe, and to try and be home before Christmas. That was a week ago.

As I searched through the back alleys of Hallow Bastion, I thought about the conversation with Olette, and about how many weird ass things have happened to me, and how much they've changed my life. Also how I've been acting recently. I didn't use to complain every other minute... I guess doing something you really don't want to tends to make you a whiny brat.

Damn.

Suddenly, something caught my eye. A figure, laying on the ground in the distance, snow piling up around their body. It looked familiar, almost nostalgic.

I stumbled down the street, trying not to fall flat on my face.

It looked like him.