Welcome to my very first story! This story does contain mpreg, but it is not a traditional mpreg story. There is no sex or romance involved in the pregnancy process. This is not a family/parenting fluff story. This is an angst-filled drama, and the mpreg plot is merely the catalyst that sets everything in motion. This story means the world to me and I'd be thrilled to hear what you think of it. I hope that you will enjoy it just as much as I do!

Go on! You just keep running, but I'll always be there to bring you back!

"Good morning, Comrades. I have excellent news." Xemnas' deep voice boomed authoritatively through the chamber, echoing off the tall white walls. Twelve of thirteen seats were occupied by a sleepy-looking Nobody in a hooded black coat, each of them listening intently to Xemnas, who sat high above them all.

"We must all congratulate Axel for his diligent efforts, for it is thanks to his perseverance that our number XIII has been returned to us. Roxas was retrieved from the simulated town just yesterday, and he is currently under observation. All is well, my friends."

Xemnas gestured toward Axel, who instead of accepting his boss' recognition, stared at the floor, arms crossed, trying to block out the sounds of the "well done's" and the "way to go's." The last thing he wanted in this moment was to be applauded. He waited, tensely, for anyone else in the room to change the subject. Unfortunately, he did not exactly get his wish.

"It seems Axel is fatigued from such an accomplishment. I'll see to it that he gets an appropriate rest period."

Saïx's sinister voice sent a chill down Axel's spine. As expected, his words lacked any genuine concern for a fellow comrade. Axel could not resist looking up and glaring back at him, only to be met with the same cold expression the man had worn for the past several years.

"Why, thank you Saïx. What a gracious and thoughtful gesture." His response dripped with sarcasm and thinly-veiled contempt. Saïx was, as usual, unfazed by Axel's predictably sour mood.

Xemnas, thankfully, directed attention away from the two of them, addressing the Organization's team of more scientifically-inclined members.

"Vexen, Zexion, what is the boy's condition?"

Vexen cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. "Well, physically, he is stable. I understand that he put up a bit of a fight, sustaining some minor injuries…"

Axel winced as he heard these words, hanging his head. Zexion continued as Vexen's explanation trailed off. He spoke with a clinical tone, sounding flat and emotionless. "Mentally, there are some.. complications. When they took him from us, they stole a significant portion of his memories in order to restore Sora. He was able to get some of them back, but certainly not all of them."

Xemnas listened patiently, contemplating. Zexion continued with his analysis, "His mind is currently at work repairing the broken connections. When he is ready, he should awaken, but with a very incomplete memory, full of gaps and holes."

There was silence in the room again. Axel remained still as stone, absentmindedly examining the floor. He could hardly listen as his colleagues nonchalantly discussed his friend's condition as though he were a damaged machine.

"What will be his condition when he awakens?" Saïx's question broke the uncomfortable silence. Vexen hesitated before answering.

"He will be.. functional, but…" His voice trailed off again as he struggled to find the appropriate words. Zexion stepped in and took over the explanation.

"He may not remember any of us, or himself. He may not remember his time with the Organization at all. He could potentially awaken as a blank slate."

There was a shift in the air as the members all processed the information. Axel stroked his chin in thought, attempting to mask his reactions to all of this unpleasant news. "Maybe we can get his stolen memories back?"

"He certainly would be more useful to us intact…" Saïx chimed in with a slightly inquisitive tone.

"Interesting…" Xemnas pondered for a moment before addressing the scientists, "Vexen, Zexion, I would like you to explore our options. Continue your research into restoring Roxas to his former state. Axel, well done. Your skill and cunning has brought Roxas home. The Organization recognizes your excellent work."

Xemnas smiled and gestured to the room at large, "Dismissed."

One by one, each member vanished into their own corridors of darkness, leaving only Axel and Saïx behind. Axel glared menacingly at his comrade, daring him to speak. Saïx only stared back at him with the same dead eyes, then disappeared in a black portal as the others did.

Axel, alone in the chamber, stared contemplatively into space, lost in thought. His mind replayed the images from yesterday over and over. He rubbed his temples in exasperation, fighting the noise in his head, suppressing the tormenting illusions of guilt and sadness that tried to fool him. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he summoned a dark corridor and sank into the nothingness inside.

Zexion strolled into the lab to find Vexen hard at work, deeply focused on his computer monitor. His eyes were practically glued to the screen, wide and unblinking as numbers and diagrams scrolled by. He did not react to his assistant's arrival, likely not having even noticed that Zexion had entered.

"Good morning, Vexen."

Vexen jumped at the sound, startled. "I didn't hear you come in. Have you got the report on Roxas?"

"Right here. No change."

He handed Vexen the electronic notepad he always carried with him, peering over his shoulder at the nearby screen while Vexen poured over the data. "What's this you're working on?"

Vexen glanced briefly at the monitor before returning his attention to the notepad. "It's the schematics for my latest replica design. This will be the perfect opportunity to test my new model."

"The implantation model? You've finished it?"

"Yes, I've perfected it at last. All the flaws from my past models should be completely absent in this one."

Zexion stroked his chin as he scanned the information, intrigued by Vexen's findings. Vexen's previous replicas were perfect copies of their targets — almost too perfect. It was that perfection that ultimately led to their failure, requiring most of them to be destroyed. Zexion could not help but be curious about how Vexen had managed to correct such grievous malfunctions.

Vexen had stepped over to another console and was copying down the information from Zexion's report when his young assistant offered his perspective on the matter.

"Vexen… there's no guarantee that—"

"I'm aware of that. But we've managed to bring him into the zone of 'statistically likely.' I have high hopes."

"Don't you think he'll be a bit weak for such a procedure?"

"It shouldn't be a burden to him. It's designed to be non-intrusive."

Zexion, out of counters for Vexen's arguments, returned to studying the data on the monitor. The results were indeed promising, and he found himself feeling relieved of some of his doubts about Vexen's proposed experiment, but he could not quite cast off all of his apprehension over who would be involved. His thoughts were interrupted by the clatter of the notepad on the desk. Zexion looked up to find Vexen making his way toward the door.

"Saïx wanted to see me. Could you finish this?"

"Of course. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Zexion. I'll be back later."

As Vexen left the room, Zexion moved to the console where he'd been working and resumed the data transfer. He worked in silence for a long while, accompanied only by the soft hum of the machines. Unexpectedly, he heard footsteps approaching, looking up to see if Vexen had returned already. His surprise dissipated when he saw Demyx enter the lab.

"'Morning Zexion! Good to see ya!"

Zexion eyed him with suspicion, already beginning to predict the reason for his presence. "Good morning, Demyx. What can I do for you, today?"

Demyx fidgeted, tugging at the chains on his coat with a sheepish grin. "Well, you see, uh… so I had maybe just one too many last night and…"

Zexion rolled his eyes, having heard this story on more mornings than he could count. "And you want something for the headache."

Demyx dropped his arms, defeated. "Yeah… man I almost fell out of my chair in that meeting. I'm so dizzy…"

Zexion had already crossed to a cabinet on the other side of the room, rummaging through the shelves for a small vial. Upon finding it, he returned to Demyx but did not hand it over right away.

"Demyx, you have a problem."

"Oh come on, I've totally got it under control."

Demyx reached for the potion but Zexion pulled it away again. "That stuff will wreak havoc on your body, and long-term this stuff is no better. You need to lay off."

"Alright alright, Mom. I'll take it easy. But for now, I feel like someone is driving a spear into my forehead."

Zexion reluctantly gave up the bottle with a stern look before returning to his work on the data transfer. Demyx didn't leave right away, prompting Zexion to question him some more.

"Something else you need?"

Demyx cleared his throat, stammering and averting his eyes. "What? Oh! Uh… no, sorry. Anyway, thanks for this. Have a good day!"

He hurried out the door, leaving Zexion staring with a puzzled expression. Going back over the encounter, Zexion pondered for a moment what else Demyx would have been hiding, but came to no conclusions. Deciding not to dwell on it, he put it out of his mind. He glanced at the clock, disheartened to find that it was still so early. With a heavy sigh, he turned back to his console, and, absentmindedly watching the numbers scroll down the screen, he plunged himself back into his daily grind with his usual diligence.

The hours passed by slowly as Axel sat in the chair beside Roxas' bed, fighting his exhaustion, refusing to sleep. Roxas looked so peaceful, oblivious to all the gossip and secrets surrounding him. It was becoming less difficult to look at him as his wounds healed. His broken bones gradually mended, bruises faded, and the burns and lacerations turned to scars. He was looking like his old self again. But there were some injuries that would likely not heal so easily. Axel supposed Roxas might never forgive him for the violence he inflicted on his friend, all to save his own sorry skin. He would be well within his right — Axel wasn't sure he could even forgive himself.

He leaned onto the edge of the bed. The steady rise and fall of Roxas' chest was mesmerizing, nearly lulling him into sleep. He longed for a night's rest, but restfulness had eluded him for several days already, and he saw no end in sight to the nightmare's torments. He laid his head on his wrists, closing his eyes just for a moment.

He was angry. Looking his best friend in the eyes as he begged him to come home, feeling that ache for the time they had spent together, the painful emptiness as he watched him walk away, the powerful sting of having been forgotten… It all hurt so deeply that it seemed to burn him from the inside out. Roxas had abandoned him, casting off even the memories of their friendship. This was no longer just following orders. This was personal.

Rage boiled through his veins and he couldn't control himself. There was a flash of light and flames, the sound of metal meeting metal. Axel threw all of his strength into every attack, every blow laced with bitterness and grief. The scene became a blur of thrashing weapons, sweeping fire, blood and sweat flying in all directions. Out of the chaos shone two eyes, wide with fear, staring from the face of his opponent. All became dark, except for those piercing, terrified eyes.

"Axel! Axel, wake up!"

Axel's head shot up immediately at the sound of another voice in the room. He looked eagerly at Roxas, hopeful that it was he who had called out to him. Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to find Zexion standing there. Axel's body slumped with disappointment and he turned back to Roxas, leaning on his elbows again.

"Axel, you're not doing anyone any favors by sitting here all the time."

Axel sighed, knowing that Zexion was right, yet feeling compelled to stay anyway. "I'm just keeping him company, that's all."

"He doesn't need it, Axel. He needs rest. As do you."

"I'm fine. I have to be here in case he wakes up."

Zexion hesitated before responding. There was no guarantee Roxas would ever wake, and Axel knew that. His compulsive attachment to the boy was both intriguing and puzzling, a rather emotional response for a man with no heart. Zexion chose his words carefully in consideration of Axel's delicate state.

"Axel… you did what was necessary. You brought him home."

Axel remained silent. His case was made with the brutalized appearance of his friend. 'Excessive' did not quite suffice as a description for Axel's actions. Zexion continued when he realized he wasn't going to get a response.

"Forgive me if this is too forward, but it would appear that you are punishing yourself, perhaps to atone for some perceived sin, or to relieve a sense of guilt—"

"Zexion, you are well aware that none of us can feel guilt." Axel interrupted, growing annoyed with Zexion's detached analysis of Axel's psyche.

"Perhaps not, but we all remember what guilt feels like. And sometimes those memories can be so vivid that they can fool us."

Axel sat and pondered for a moment, considering the plausibility of Zexion's conclusion. Perhaps there was something to that constant ache in his chest. Perhaps the nightmares plaguing him were indeed a subconscious punishment inflicted upon him by his own mind. It would be a perfectly believable explanation, if he had a heart.

"You're reading too much into this. I'm just visiting my comatose friend, nothing more."

Zexion continued to tread lightly as he pressed the man further. "Axel… I can give you something to help you sleep."

"I don't want to sleep."

"Why?"

Axel instantly regretted his response, having no desire to explain the nightmares to anyone. He could appreciate Zexion's feigned concern, even though it was simply an official obligation lacking any emotional context, but he resented the scientist's bottomless need to pry.

"Look, I don't need it. I'm fine. Just let me be."

Zexion, sensing that this was a losing battle, reluctantly decided that it was time to let the matter drop. His only weapon was logic, and Axel seemed immune for the time being. His curiosity would have to go unsatisfied for now.

"You know where to find me, Axel."

Axel did not look up, only managing to sigh in response. He listened as the footsteps faded into the distance, and soon he and Roxas were alone again. Several hours passed as Axel, falling in and out of consciousness, watched Roxas sleep. It was nearly dawn before he decided to take Zexion's advice. Defeated, he shuffled out of the room, returning to his own bed.

He collapsed onto the mattress, feeling sleep ready to overtake him as he stared out the window. He reached beneath his pillow, searching for a moment before pulling out a small wooden stick with the word "WINNER" printed on it. He couldn't help but smile as the pleasant memories flooded into his mind. He clutched the stick tightly and closed his eyes. After only a few seconds, he finally drifted off to long-awaited sleep.