There aren't even words for how sorry I am that this took so long.

You all are amazing.

I was pulled out of my drug induced sleep by the sound of hushed arguing. My eyes remained shut but I could hear what was being said. I tried to open my eyes but they weren't cooperating.

"He has a right to hear this from you." Came Variedy's voice, he sounded angry but also worried. I fought down the dread that was starting to rise in my chest.

"I don't have the right to tell him." Vincent said, his voice quiet.

"So what? You confess your love and then just take off? You're not even going to tell him why?" Variedy hissed, I felt my chest squeeze tight and I fought against the drugs that were holding me still.

"He needed to know." was all Vincent said.

"I think he needs to know this as well!" Variedy hissed.

"You'll tell him." Vincent said and he sounded as if his mind was made up. "He'll understand, he'll probably even agree with my leaving." Here he paused and I could feel his eyes on me.

"Don't fool your self, he'll come after you."

"Then you have to make him understand!" This time Vincent's voice was the angry one. I finally fought my eyes open and let out a small gasp.

"What?!" I hissed and my hands clutched at the bed. I looked over but found only Variedy now. My eyes met his and I knew I wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "Variedy." I said. He came over to my bed side now.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asked.

"Enough." I hissed as the pain in my stomach made itself known. "Tell me."

"When Vincent was leaving the hospital after he got his cast removed Axle was waiting for him." he said. I went very still, my eyes locked on the far wall. "He told Vincent that he had a made a deal with the FBI to give them mine and Vincent real identity and he'd walk free. According to Vincent, Axle hadn't yet done that deal but it was his ultimate goal to get out of the charges that are being brought up against him."

"Why would your and Vincent's name be worth more to them then locking him behind bars?" I asked. Variedy let out a small dark chuckle.

"As bad as Axel is, his kill count is much lower then mine and Vincent's. There are some parts of the world where I am still publicly hunted and hated. Not me, I have many names and many faces. I've even worked for the American government on several occasions, so Axel dropping my name as the real name of The Assassin would put me in a very bad situation."

"So what did he want from Vincent in order to keep from spilling your name?" I asked.

"He said that all Vincent had to do was step aside. To stand by and do nothing." He said. I felt my stomach drop out.

"Oh god." I said, my eyes closed.

"He went back to the hotel where you were, knowing that Axel was following him, he knew Axel was going to attack but did nothing. He said that once you got into the parking garage he figured you both were safe, he wasn't expecting Axel to personally step up.."

"Enough." I said, my eyes closed. "So he did nothing to stop Axel but he still saved my life in the end. This is why he left?" I asked, my eyes meeting red and gold ones.

"Yes, said he had no right to be here when he was the reason you were here in the first place." His face was blank but I could see what he thought of that.

"Go and get him." I snarled as my hands clenched into fist.

"He's not going to just come back because I tell him too." he said. I glared at him.

"Since when the hell do you give people an option when you want them to do something?!" I hissed. "Bring him to me, I don't care how, though I would prefer that he was at least about to stand and talk of his own violation." A very dangerous smile was on Variedy's face as he turned and headed for the door. He pulled out his phone and pressed it to his ear when he reached the door.

"It's a go." He said. "Take him down, Roxas wants him."

"You already had the others on him?" I asked with a smirk. Variedy shot me a very smug look over his shoulder.

"I know you Roxas. You don't like cowardice any more then I do. And he can wrap it up in pretty excuses all he wants but he's running away. Running away is for cowards." Then he was out the door. I let my head fall back against my pillow as my mind raced through all that had happened.

The mother fucker really thought I'd just let him walk away from me? He had another thing coming. I set up and fought through the dizziness and pain that came from the movement. I swung my legs over the side of the bed to face the door and waited.

I waited at least ten minutes before the door banged open again. Phystie was the first one through, swinging what looked like a stun-gun I gave him a raised eyebrow as he shot me a sunny smile.

"We come bearing gifts!" he said. Next through the door was Zexion and Demyx, who both looked liked they gone a few rounds with a tough SOB. Next came the two tough SOB's, Variedy had Vincent's hands restrained behind his back in what I was betting were handcuffs. Phsystie grabbed the visitors chair and dragged it till it was facing me and Variedy forced Vincent into the chair. Phystie stood on his right, stun-gun poised for attack.

"Hello love." I said as angry red eyes met mine. "I didn't quite agree with you." He said nothing, just glared at me. "You almost got me killed." He opened his mouth but I raised my voice. "The least you could do is hear me out!" I snarled and he shut his mouth again.

"What you did is inexcusable, but not unforgivable." I said and his eyes went into slits.

"Are you insane?! I made a stupid call that almost got you killed!" he snarled.

"Almost." I said and he set back, his eyes slightly wide. "You have saved my life, far more times then you've almost taken it."

"Roxas.." he started to say but I cut him off again.

"But," I said. "Trying to run away like a coward?! That is hard to swallow."

"I am many things but a coward is not one of them." he said his voice cold and his eyes burning.

"I don't know, that was a pretty cowardly move." I looked to Variedy.

"Had coward written all over it." he said. Vincent pulled at the restraints and glared at me.

"When we make mistakes we take accountability for them!" I snarled and reached for him but crumpled back in pain. I hissed and everyone moved toward me. "I'm Fine!" I snarled and pushed them away to glare back at Vincent. I slowly pushed to my feet.

"Roxas.." Demyx said as he reached for my arm but I glared at him till he backed away.

"Let him go." I said, my breathing heavy. Variedy was staring at me but made no move to undo Vincent's handcuffs. I turned my glare on Variedy. "Let him go Variedy." I hissed.

"Rox.." Phystie started to say but Variedy cut him off by undoing the handcuffs. Vincent stood from the chair and everyone took a step back. I very carefully took a step forward. Then slowly made my way around Vincent. No one touched me or made a noise as I made my way, painfully toward the door. I stopped when I was between Vincent and the door. I turned, sweat was pouring down my face from the effort it took to fight down the pain just to stand.

"If you want to leave." I gasped out and fell to one knee. Everyone took a step toward me except Vincent. "DON'T!" I snarled and they froze. I looked up at Vincent. "If you want to leave you have to get past me. I am no coward." I said as my eyes met his. "If you want to leave you will have to kill me." I gasped as my right hand went to my stomach. It came away bloody. I looked up with a weak smile. "It won't be hard." Before I could fully collapse to the floor Vincent was there.

He hugged me to him as he kept me from falling.

"You fool." He hissed as he pulled me into his arms. "You stubborn fool. I'm not going any where." He said. "Variedy a little help here." He called over his shoulder. I felt myself slipping again. I wrapped my hand in Vincent's jacket.

"If your not here when I wake I will hunt you to the ends of the earth and make you suffer." I hissed at him. He chuckled and kissed my forehead before the pain over came me. They got me back into bed and someone must have got the doctor again because next I knew I was staring into a little pen light being asked random questions.

"I'm fine." I snarled and shoved the light out of my face. "Just a little woozy and in a whole lot of pain."

"Roxas, let him check." Came Vincent's voice. "We've gotta move you outta here soon, we need him to clear you first." I let myself relax back into the bed.

"Fine." I grumbled as the light reappeared. After a few minutes he started to probe around the wound and I hissed. "Alright!" I snarled. "That hurts." I glared down at him and he looked to Vincent.

"Rox, just let him finish and we'll get you outta here." Vincent said to me, his eyes almost pleading with me. I turned my attention to him as the doctor continued.

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"They are headed to the safe house, we'll meet them there as soon as you're good to go." Vincent said. The doctor sighed and finally pulled away from me.

"He should be hospitalized for a least another few days." He said and held up his hand to stop Vincent from talking. "I know that he can't so I am prescribing heavy bed rest, and very little action." He looked down at me with a slight glare. "I am starting to get the picture that your life is a little rough so I would take a few days to get some more rest before you go off and try to do anything to strenuous." I gave him dead eyes and watched the color drain from his face.

"I'll try." I said and he took a few steps back.

"I'll..I'll also send you with a prescription for pain meds and antibiotics to boost your immune system to help avoid infections." He said and then turned on his heel and left the room.

"Vareidy has already got the paper work filled out." Vincent said as he wheel a wheelchair over. I gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Paper work?" I asked. He gave me a very small smile which I didn't question. He put the brakes on the chair and came over to help me up. I hissed as my stomach protested to the movement.

"Easy." Vincent said, "Just relax and let me do all the work." I left myself relax back into the bed and he scooped me up and gently put me in the chair. My head spun for a moment but steadied out after a minute.

"Let's get out of here." I said and he pushed me to the door. We stopped for a moment at the nurses station to pick up the two scripts and then made a quick retreat. No need for people to start asking questions.

An hour later we were pulling into the drive way of a very nice home in the middle of a nice neighborhood where kids were playing on the street.

"Uh, Vincent are you sure we're at the right place?" I asked.

"Yes. It was the only property we could get our hands on quickly and anonymously." he said and he carefully pulled the suv into the attached garage. The garage door closed behind us and Demyx came out to help get me out of the car.

"Dem, there are kids playing in the street." I said as he helped lower me into the wheel chair.

"Yeah, we can't seem to convince them to go away." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"Isn't it a little dangerous for us to be set up in suburbia?" I asked as Vincent wheeled me into the house, Demyx holding open the door.

"Well we tried the slums but everything was taken. Phystie said as we entered the kitchen area of the house.

"It's only temporary, we're moving on tomorrow." Variedy said from the door way on the other side of the room. "Zexion just about has us set up to get back into St. Louis."

"Until then, you are going to be in bed, resting." Vincent said from behind me. "We need you recovered if we're going after Axel head on."

"Well the good thing is just about all of his men are dead. That makes him a hell of a lot more vulnerable." I said as I was wheeled to the table. A glass of water was placed in front of me.

"That's a point in our favor but we don't know where he is now." Variedy said as he took a seat next to me.

"Not even a slight clue?" I asked.

"Zexions looked a little but most of our time has been spent trying to get us back into St. Louis. He's been setting up decoys all over the US, leading whoever might be looking for us in four different directions. As far as anyone knows, we've split and run." Demyx said as he jumped up to sit next to Phystie on the counter.

"Has anyone heard from Cloud?" I asked and no one said a word. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I looked to Variedy. "Tell me."

"He called a few days ago to say that he and your mom are safe but that Leon is among the missing. Cloud has tracked down a few leads of people who made it out before the shit hit the fan but so far no one knows if Leon escaped or is one of the many John Does sitting on slabs in the coroners office." He said, his red and gold eyes meeting mine with out hesitation.

"I guess him going down there to help ID bodies is out of the question." I said with a sigh.

"Not unless he wants to be spend 3 life sentences in Alcatraz." Phystie said with a tired smile.

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"Hiding in St. Louis. He'll join us once we're back in the city and safely buried." Variedy said. I nodded and felt a small worm of worry in my gut for Leon but couldn't muster up more then that. I had bigger problems.

"And Axel?" I asked. "He know I'm alive?" Here there was a pause as everyone looked at one another.

"As far as the system knows, you died in the ER from a stab wound to the abdomen." Vincent said from beside me. I closed my eyes.

"Please tell me my mom knows the truth." I said looking to Variedy and he nodded. My shoulders sagged in relief. "Well that's another point in our favor, he thinks I'm dead." I let my eyes lock onto the table for a moment. "He's going to wish I was dead." Pain shot up my stomach and I clenched my teeth. "I am going to kill him." I snarled.

"Alright, lets calm down for a second." Vincent said as he pushed the water to me and dropped a pill next to it. "Take some pain meds, rest and then we'll worry about what we're going to do with Axel." I downed the pill and then the water.

"He dies." I said to the room. "End of story." No one protested. Vincent wheeled me from the room and took me down a short hallway and into a bedroom where a comfortable looking queen set waiting for me. I could already feel my eyes dropping closed as he lifted me from the chair and lowered me onto the bed.

"I don't see how I can be tired." I said my voice groggy.

"It's been a long day and your body is trying to recuperate and the little stunt earlier didn't help." he said as he pulled the blankets up over me.

"Hey you were the one trying to run." I said trying to muster up a glare but failing.

"I am a fool sometimes." he said as he moved toward the door. "Get some rest." I heard the door close but I was too far gone to care.

Moving day was always fun, but when your the one who's injured it's never a good time. I sat on the couch while the others cleaned up and got things loaded into they're respected vehicles. After a few hours the others joined me in the living room.

"Alright." Variedy said. "We're splitting up from here and all taking different routes into the city. Vincent and Roxas are taking the most direct route in. You'll be taking the black SUV out front, the windows are blacked out but I still want Roxas in the back seat. Vincent you are to wear a ball cap and sun glasses. I don't want this to be blown before we even get set up." Vincent nodded and I just kept my mouth shut. "Demyx and Zexion will go over to Memphis and then go up to St. Louis. Phystie and I will go up to Kansas city and the over to St. Louis. So we'll all arrive a few hours of each other. The address for the safe house is in the glove compartment in the cars. Let's get this over with." He said and we all gave our agreement before we headed out.

I was loaded into the back seat of the SUV and Vincent got into the drivers seat. He pulled all his hair up into a ponytail and pulled a black hat on. I reached forward and tugged on the ponytail and he shot a glare at me through the review mirror.

"Keep your hands to yourself." He said and I blew him a kiss. His attention went back to the road as he pulled the us out of the drive way and turned toward the high way. He reached over and opened the glove compartment and pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it back to me. I read the address and then reread it.

"Vincent, this can't be right. This is the same address as our last bass of operations when we were in St. Louis." I said with a frown.

"I'm sure its right, Variedy must have a good reason to reuse it." He said.

"This address was compromised." I said, "We were forced to run when a call I made lead Axel to us." Now it was Vincent's turn to frown. He pulled out a phone and handed it to me. I hit speed dial 1 and Variedy picked up after a few rings.

"Yes it's the right address." he said and I could just detect the hint of irritation.

"How do you know its safe?" I asked.

"I've checked, Zexion has checked, there is no way that Axel is able to keep surveillance up on the place anymore, not with everything going on right now. He won't expect us to set up shop in the same place twice." he said and then hung up. I glared at the phone and tossed it back into the front seat.

"It's right." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Vincent glanced back at me with a smirk.

"Don't take it personally. He's been grumpy for a while now." he said. I just glared out the window and didn't bother to respond. "This is an 8 hour drive. Try and just relax." he shot back at me and I groaned.

8 hours, and then hopefully we could get this over with.

8 hours, and then I could start planning Axel's death.

And it would be a lot more painful then a knife to the stomach.