CHAPTER 22

Slowly coming back to reality he blinked a few times. He didn't know how long he was standing there for. All he saw was the worried face of Sei and next to him the ever blank face of Sanada. Looking around he realized he wasn't that far from his home. Sei bent down and brought his hand up. As if on instinct he flinched his head away. Sei ignored the reaction and held the boy's head wiping the tears on his cheeks away with his thumb. He then stood back up and looked down at the boy.

"Ryo-Chan?" Ryoma was still felt slightly lost. His Master had told him that he was complete but why... He couldn't remember exactly but there was still one more experiment he went though after this one. He had just remembered but he couldn't quiet place what the last one was. He brought his hand up and laid it on his chest before closing it into a fist. He thought to himself. 'I'm no longer Ryoma. I was made to be Beauty. Ryoma is dead.' It hurt to say those things to himself even if he wasn't admitting them out loud.

Letting out a sigh he dropped his hand back to his side and looked towards Gen and Sei. He really wanted some comfort but like hell he was going to say that to them. He didn't like others worrying about him. Instead he grabbed one of their hands in each of his own and pulled them along. The two exchanged glance and they both know without even saying it to the other that Ryoma had found out something that he was not going to be saying anytime soon.

When they had entered the house Ryoma said nothing and just went straight to his room. Shan was in the kitchen busy preparing dinner when Sei and Gen both entered and sat at the table.

"Where's Ryoma?" Getting a shrug from his nephew and then telling him that the boy ran to his room. Shan stopped what he was doing at looked at the both of them. "What happened today?" With that they... well Sei explained all the events that had occurred up to the cat snapping out of his trance and Gen just sat there and listened nodding his head once in a while in agreement. Shan told Sei to keep an eye on the cooking and that he was going to check on the boy.

Upstairs Shan found Ryoma sitting in a corner rocking himself. He had his hood still up with his arms wrapped round his legs and head buried in his knees. It was like he was hoping to make himself as small as possible so that he would disappear. Shan sat down and brought the boy into his arms and on to his lap.

"Are you going to tell me what you found out?" The cat didn't answer and just cuddled into Shan's arms more. "Ryoma..." Shan was then cut off.

"Can I have one of those scan things?"

"Which one?"

"Those one's when they do of skeleton and the other of the inside of you like kidneys, liver and so on." Squeezing his arms around the boy tighter he rested his head on the boys and spoke.

"I thought you weren't interest?"

"Well, I kind of got curious." With a small chuckle from Shan he stood up with the boy in his arms.

"Alright, I'll contact the Atobe's and get a privet place set up with Dr Oishi." He held Ryoma like a baby as he carried them down the stairs. "Only you and him will know the results unless you wish to tell anyone else. But Doc will be sworn to secrecy. So please talk to him about it afterwards." He entered the kitchen with Gen and Sei watching them as he sat Ryoma on one of the free seats. The boy looked at the two across from him.

"What?" Raising his eyebrow slightly, Sei asked.

"Feeling better?" With a nod from the boy just as Shan placed a can of Ponta in front of him. Shan left the room saying he had to make a couple of phone calls. The two Rikkaidai students watch the boy for a bit longer until Gen voiced his question.

"What happened?" Ryoma looked at him and then back at the table.

"I... I had a flashback." He swallowed hard. "One of the experiments changed me a lot more then I like to admit." Ryoma had no idea. He didn't want to say the full truth but he didn't exactly want to lie either.

"Experiments?" Gen asked again. Now that was something his grandfather left out. Sei seeing the cat struggling decided to speak up.

"Yeah they found him in a what everyone thought was an abandoned research facility. They use to test a lot of animals there. But got closed down in the 1970's due to animal right's and so on." It was then Shan came back and announced.

"Ryoma they can set every thing up for tomorrow. You'll be going to the Atobe's mansion since it will be easier to get the equipment and people really can't ask questions about it seeing as all the staff want to keep their jobs at the end of the day." With a nod the boy finally opened his ponta and drank.

"Atobe's?" This time it was Sei who was confused.

"Oh, yeah. I never told you. We call them Ryoma's sponsors. They pay for everything the boy does. From letting him play tennis in school to all his medical bills and so on." With a nod confirming he understood, Gen sat there surprised for once. That was when Sei remembered.

"Ah, now that I think about it didn't you and Keigo Atobe date for a couple of months?" Gen saw the smile on Sei lips and he knew he was doomed. Ryoma stood up in his chair with eyes that slightly sparkled.

"Does that mean you and him made love together?" Shan started to rub his temple and Sei laughed. Gen in fact had been so caught off guard by the question he done a thing that was completely out of his character. He had a small blush appearing on his cheeks and a small groan left his lips.

"That means yes in Gen's language Ryoma." Sei couldn't be more happy. Ryoma and his one track mind really did come in handy. Ryoma had a habit of forgetting things in a blink of an eye if someone brought up something more interesting. He will probably remember later what made him so down but they will get to that obstacle when it comes.

"So did you do it like Seiichi and Syusuke or do you have a different method?" Ryoma sat himself back down and waited for the answer. Gen looked at Sei and then asked the boy his own question.

"How would you know how they do it?" Ryoma didn't comment and Sanada knew he would have to make a compromise. "You answer my question and I'll answer yours, but you have to go first."

"Deal." Gen saw Sei from the corner of his eye had paled slightly. "I walked in on them. They where being very loud and I went to investigate." As he said this Shan once again left the room so he wouldn't have to listen anymore. "There I found him under Syusuke. Before Syusuke that is fell off the bed." Gen sat there with his eyes slightly wide. "Your turn." Sei couldn't believe this had just backfired on him.

"Me and Keigo where the same. But no one fell off the bed" That was all he said but Ryoma seemed happy to of had an answer. Sei looked at Gen shock. Normally Gen kept his private life... well... private. Gen looked at Sei and replied to his unasked question. "He answered me and so I owed him that much."

Dinner had come and gone and Genichiro had left. Sei had left for bed at about 9 and was asleep in less than half an hour. Ryoma was wide awake thinking about tomorrow. He was scared. You never know the results could be and it might be even worse than he's already imagining. Figuring out that he was never going to get to sleep this way he got up and walked around the house. He knew Shan wasn't going to be back until tomorrow since he was helping set up the stuff.

Eventually he gave up and ended up standing in front of Seiichi's door. He didn't knock since he didn't want to wake the other up. Entering he looked at the lump on the bed. He was still having an inner war deciding whether he should sleep on the floor or on the bed. Ryoma had just made up his mind to sleep as close to the bed as possible. He was about to make his way over when he saw the blankets moving.

Sei had heard the boy come in. He decided to keep still and listen to where the boy was going to go from there. When he heard the kid take a small step forward he decide to help him. Moving the blankets off of himself, he sat up and looked at Ryoma.

"Ryo-Chan? What's wrong?" The boy grabbed his tail from behind him and started to unconsciously stroke it.

"I can't sleep." Sei smiled at him. The boy had his ears down and was now watching the tail in his hands. Sei moved over slightly and patted the bed next to him.

"Come sleep here then." Ryoma didn't need telling twice and he walked to the bed and laid down now waiting for Sei to do the same and to put the blanket over them. With that Sei did settle down and wrapped his arms around the boys waist. Thinking to himself he then asked. "Are you wearing Shan's shirt again?" Sei could see the golden orbs look up at him and with a nod from Ryoma he replied.

"Yeah, they're comfortable and there really long. I always sleep in them." With a small smile, Sei kissed the boy on the forehead before wishing him a goodnight.