Disclaimer:

I do not own Weiß Kreuz or any of its characters. I just love them to no end and have a very twisted imagination. Please be aware that I am extremely poor so suing me will do you no good. Thanks.

Warning: NC-17 / Lemon Yaoi / NCS / Violence / Explicit Language

Pairings: Schuldich x Yohji / Aya + Yohji / Ken + Omi / Bradley x Nagi

FYI: { Telepathic speech } -- Inner thoughts -- [ Flashback ]

Author's note:

Finally, chapter 16 of The Hunted has arrived. Yes, it took me what seemed like forever to get this chappy out and I humbly beg for everyone's forgiveness. Hopefully though, this chapter will make up for my tardiness. It's a chapter demonstrating my usual flair for angst and drama. I couldn't help myself. As I've done in the past, I've once again taken upon myself the hard duty of torturing our bishounen. Well, emotionally anyway. Yup, it was a hard thing to do but it was just completely unavoidable. ^_~ Seriously though, I hope you do enjoy this latest installment. It's yet another stepping stone toward The Hunted's grand finale. *sniffles*

Well, that's it for now folks. Enjoy the fic and please don't forget to review!

Thanks to all,

Forsaken

The Hunted Part 16

Pain ---- It was all Aya knew as he fought to open his unwilling eyes. Come on, dammit. Wake up! Reluctantly, his eyes obeyed his commands and Aya blinked, trying to bring the blurry world into focus. He closed them, however, when the light seemed to just about spear his eyeballs in half.

"Omi, he's awake," he heard someone say from somewhere to his left, apparently having noticed the pained hiss that had escaped his dry lips.

Ken?

"Aya?" another's voice asked, this time from right next to him. "Aya, can you hear me?"

Unfortunately, he could. Omi's usually soft voice was ringing loudly in his ears, drumming through his already throbbing head mercilessly.

"Where am I?" he finally managed to ask, his voice raw and hoarse. His mind was in a daze, unable to process his thoughts quickly enough for him to derive the answers he wanted.

"You're at the Koneko ---- In your room," Omi replied. "Do you remember what happened to you, Aya?"

Aya opened his eyes and looked up at Omi, thankful that the light hadn't blinded him this time. "I . . ." Shit! Think, dammit. What the hell happened? What. . . . Then as if a curtain had been lifted from before his eyes, memories flooded his mind. "Yohji!" he yelled suddenly, startling the two men standing at his bedside.

Aya tried to get up, tried to make his weary body move, his violet eyes wide with panic and fear for his former lover. But his body protested fiercely and Aya fell back onto the bed with an audible groan of pain.

"Calm down, Aya," Omi implored, as he tried to hold Aya down. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Let me go, dammit!" Aya protested, trying to fend off Omi's hands even as he felt his body growing weaker with his every move. "I have to save him. I have to get him back."

"You're not going to do Yohji any good if you don't let yourself recover. Now, calm the fuck down!" Omi cursed, shaking Aya by the shoulders.

Surprised by Omi uncharacteristic outburst, Aya stopped struggling but remained tense as his violet eyes locked onto Omi's blue ones.

"What happened, Aya?" asked Ken from the corner of the bed near his feet. "How did you manage to get yourself out of the building before it collapsed?"

Aya could only gape at Ken as the brunette's words echoed in his mind. "You didn't get me out?"

Ken shook his head and Aya looked up toward Omi.

"No, we didn't," Omi answered. "We found you on the ground unconscious near a dumpster in the back of the building."

His brow furrowed as Aya tried to process what he was being told. How the hell? I passed out. There was no way he could've dragged himself to safety. He should've died.

"Aya?"

He looked at Omi and willed his self control to once again guide him. "I went back in to look for Yohji." Aya concentrated, as he tried to make sense of his jumbled memory. "I deduced that he was heading toward section H and went after him. When I got up to the floor," Aya took in a deep breath, "it was almost completely engulfed in flames. I managed to get to the room leading to the fire escape and . . . I saw Yohji . . . and Schuldich."

"Schuldich?!" Ken exclaimed angrily.

Aya nodded, feeling tired all of a sudden and he cursed at his body for its weakness. "The bastard did something to Yohji and he just collapsed."

"Mind control," Omi stated. "Schuldich's a telepath. A very powerful one at that. He could easily shut down your mind with a mere thought."

"Mother fucker," Ken spat.

"I tried to get to Yohji," Aya continued, "but the flames . . ." he paused, angry at himself all of a sudden; his inability to save Yohji a lingering pain that would forever haunt him. "I just couldn't reach him. Everything started to fade away and . . . I found myself on the floor. The last thing I saw was Schuldich leaping away with Yohji in his arms."

"Dammit, we have to do something."

"Don't worry, Ken," Omi assured his lover; the cold, hard look on his angelic face reminding Aya that Omi too was an assassin of the highest caliber. "We'll get him back."

"Schuldich is mine, understand?" Aya warned, his voice deadly serious, as he stared at the remaining members of Weiß.

Ken gave Aya a questioning glance, but nodded in agreement. Cold violet eyes shifted toward true blue ones, and Omi nodded as well.

"Just rest, Aya. You inhaled a lot of smoke and sustained a few burns to your arms and legs. You have to let your body rest."

Assured that Schuldich's life would be placed with his hands, Aya closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax. Omi was right. He had to be at full strength when he crossed Schuldich's path once again. He had to be ready.

I'll get you back, Yohji. I swear on my life. I'll bring you home.

The ticking of a clock was all that could be heard in the otherwise silent room, as the slender form on the silk sheeted bed laid unmoving . . . lifeless upon it. Eyes the color of emerald gems stared out into nothing as the dawn's early hue began to chase away the remnants of the night.

How long he had lain there, Yohji wasn't sure. Schuldich had left him shortly after they had arrived at the mansion that had somehow seemed familiar to him. He had been barely lucid when he'd been deposited gently onto the large bed in Schuldich's room, but he could remember seeing Bradley Crawford in the background. Schuldich had not seemed pleased to be back here nor had Crawford. Even half asleep, Yohji had been able to sense the tension between the two. Yohji could further analyze what he'd seen but that would require him to think, something he couldn't exactly do at the moment.

A thick haze was engulfing his mind, leaving Yohji disorientated and confused as he kept himself hidden within the soft folds covering him. A semi-coherent part of him yelled at him to continue fighting his way back from the pit of darkness that kept demanding his presence. But the other part of him, the scared and ashamed part, didn't want his mind to clear, didn't want reality to grab a hold of him just yet. Because once it did, he would have to deal with what he'd done and that was something he wasn't yet ready to face.

Perhaps, he never would.

So he allowed the veil surrounding him to continue shielding him from the real world, from the painful realizations that were waiting just a mere thought away to rip him apart. He didn't want to think, to comprehend, to function. He just wanted his mind to remain as it was: dazed, distorted and blessedly numb. Otherwise, it would become a cavern full of ravaging thoughts and hurtful memories.

His pleas, however, went unheard by the Heavens as memories poured into his sharpening mind, pulling him further away from the darkness that had been embracing him and bringing Yohji once again into a world of guilt and pain. A world where he had somehow allowed himself to fall into the arms of his enemy. He was lost yet again to the feel of vermilion hair brushing along his skin, of soft lips trailing a heated tongue down his naked chest, of strong hands roaming over his body, memorizing every inch of him.

No . . . No! Yohji cried inwardly. But it was to no avail. Nothing could purge the pleasured pain that had held him in a web of ecstasy as Schuldich's body had moved almost desperately inside of him. Even now his body was hardening at the recollection of their passionate lovemaking and Yohji whimpered in resignation for he knew that it would not be just a memory for long. Schuldich would come to him again and Yohji was somehow certain that he would succumb to the power the telepath held over him.

Gods! I gave myself to him . . . begged him to fuck me. ""Shit," he whispered hoarsely, despair latching onto him until he felt about ready to burst into tears.

He didn't know how this had happened, how he'd allowed himself to fall prey to Schuldich's manipulations. Worst still, he didn't know how Schuldich had somehow found a place in his heart. It was a small piece compared to the part of him that Aya still held firmly, but it was there just the same. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, to runaway from the nightmare that had become his life, Yohji couldn't stop himself from acknowledging the fact that the telepath meant something to him.

Tears were trailing down his pale cheeks and Yohji wiped them away with a shaky hand. Stop it, dammit. Stop crying. Stop thinking! But he couldn't. He just couldn't dispel the agonizing thoughts whirling chaotically within his mind. Couldn't prevent the guilt now assailing him . . . or the pain. They were intermingling with one another, imbedding themselves so deeply within him that Yohji knew he would never be rid of them. They would forever remind him of his weakness . . . of his a sin.

How would he ever be able to face the others again? To face Aya again? He had slept with Schuldich, had allowed his foe to take what had at one time belonged to the one he loved. How could he ever . . . Yohji frowned suddenly, as a faint memory whisked through his mind.

[ I love you, Yohji . . . ] Red-rimmed eyes widened, as that one memory gripped Yohji's heart in a tight vise.

Had he really heard those whispered words within his mind, words that had been projected along with a feeling of awe? Yohji pushed back a strand of blonde hair away from his face, as questions poured into his mind. Could Schuldich really be in love with him? Was it even possible for the 'Mastermind' to love another? To love at all?

Yohji buried his face into the pillow, his mind more confused than ever. What the fuck do 'I' feel for 'him'?

He had accepted the fact that he was drawn to the telepath. Whether it was through the other man's manipulation or through his own free will, Yohji was now bonded to Schuldich in a way that even Aya had never been. And it hurt. Hurt to know that the man whom he had loved with his entire being had never connected with him as a lover should have.

Aya had always held himself back, never trusting Yohji with his inner thoughts or fears. Not that Schuldich was any better. Then again, maybe he was. At least with Schuldich, Yohji knew his place. Even if the words of love had only been a part of his imagination, Yohji knew just by looking into Schuldich's eyes that the telepath hungered for him, needed him as he beheld a unique light within those evergreen eyes, a light that Aya's violet ones had seldom held for him.

Yohji's somber thoughts once again brought him to the question at hand. What did he feel for Schuldich? Was it just lust, just a physical attraction he was feeling? Or did his feelings go beyond that? Yohji's face twisted in agony as his heart began to ram against his chest, as feelings of despair once again cascaded over him.

How can you even think that? Yohji's thin frame began to shake as the emotions he had tried to keep at bay finally managed to break free from his control. You love Aya, dammit. Only him. You don't . . . You can't possibly . . . Shit!

{ Stop it, Yohji, } Schuldich's voice echoed within his mind, demanding his attention. { Just go to sleep, love. Stop thinking and just sleep. }

Yohji tried to fight Schuldich's influence, feeling the compulsion behind the man's words, but he found that he couldn't. Tired and emotionally drained, Yohji's mind was no match against the power lacing Schuldich's command. His eyes began to close of their own accord and Yohji could do nothing but let himself fall once again into the awaiting arms of darkness.

"Are you listening to me, Schuldich?" Bradley demanded, his voice deadly calm.

Schuldich sighed as he stood next to the open window in Bradley's office. Dawn was already upon them, reminding Schuldich of how tired he was. At least, Yohji's finally asleep, he thought to himself.. He, on the other hand, had barely slept before Bradley had come barging in on him. And so here he was, tired and in need of his lover's warmth, wishing for Bradley to go fuck himself.

Still angry about having been rudely interrupted by Bradley back at their other safe house, Schuldich would've preferred to ignore the man altogether. He sighed inwardly though, knowing that the matter at hand wouldn't get resolved if he did so. Something had obviously crawled up Bradley's ass, prompting the precog to go out in search of him. How Crawford had found him, Schuldich could only guess, but he did know that Bradley had retrieved him for a reason. What the hell is going on now?

Schuldich looked over his shoulder to where Bradley was standing near the fireplace. "What the fuck is your problem?" he asked belligerently.

Bradley's amber-brown eyes narrowed. "My problem is you and your lack of a brain. Do you even realize what you've done?"

Schuldich walked closer to Bradley, his stride angry and stiff. "Obviously not. So why don't you fucking enlighten me?"

"You've jeopardized our mission, Schuldich."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You were supposed to break Kudou, not fall in love with him."

Thankfully, years of experience had helped Schuldich to school his features, to hold back any emotion he was feeling, even anger and so he kept his face from revealing the truth behind Bradley's words.

"I haven't fallen in love with him," he denied, as he tried to think of a way to steer the conversation away from that particular topic. "I'm doing what you told me to do." Damn, that sounded so fucking weak. Shit.

Bradley sighed and turned away from him, his face turned toward the unlit fireplace. "I've had a vision," Bradley spoke softly. "More than one, actually."

Schuldich's heartbeat picked up its pace at the precog's admission. Fuck! Not good. What the hell had Bradley seen?

After a moment of silence, Bradley turned to face Schuldich once again. Schuldich swallowed at the sight of the other man's worried gaze. For Bradley to have let such an emotion to slip past his mask of indifference, Schuldich knew that whatever the Oracle had seen wasn't good, especially for him it seemed. Why else would Bradley be so upset? Gods, why can't I ever get a fucking break?

"What did you see?" he asked, dreading the answer.

Bradley crossed his arms, his gaze boring into Schuldich's. "Your death and that of your precious Kudou."

Schuldich felt the blood drain away from his face. No. No fucking way. ""How? Why?" he demanded.

Bradley shook his head. "Normally, my visions are quite clear. This time, however, they have not been. All I know is that by involving yourself with Kudou you have started a chain of events that will ultimately lead to both of your deaths." Bradley looked at Schuldich, his amber eyes darkened by the secrets he knew. "And Fujimiya."

Schuldich's eyes narrowed at the mention of his rival's name, his heart skipping a beat. "What the hell does he have to do with any of it?"

"He was involved with Kudou, Schuldich. He still cares for him. I've seen it. He won't let Kudou go without a fight. He will come after you. I've seen that as well."

"Let him come!" Schuldich spat angrily. "Do you think I fucking care? I'll kill him if he tries to take Yohji away from me."

"Really?" Bradley's eyes narrowed. "Then why did you save him, Schuldich, if you were planning on killing him anyway?"

Surprised but unwilling to allow Bradley to see it, Schuldich turned away and walked back toward the window. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

He heard Bradley sigh from behind him.

"Why must you play these games with me? You know damn well what I'm talking about so answer the goddamn question. Why did you save Fujimiya from the fire?"

Schuldich frowned at his reflection on the window. Why had he saved Aya? The man was his enemy, his rival for Kudou's love. Why the hell had he gone back to that burning inferno? Why had he saved his enemy? Why? Why the fuck did I do that?

Schuldich's hands fisted at his sides. "I don't know," he responded in a baffled tone. He turned to Bradley, his heart pounding against his chest as he repeated those haunting words, "I don't know."

Bradley moved away from the fireplace and walked up to him, his face grim with a knowledge that no human should bare upon his shoulders. Bradley placed his hands on Schuldich's face, forcing the telepath to look into his serious eyes.

"You saved him because of Kudou. Because it would hurt him if Fujimiya died. Can't you see what you're doing to yourself? You're letting your heart rule you and that my friend will lead you to your demise."

Schuldich pushed Bradley away from him, anger a live wire within him. "So what if I am letting my heart rule me? At least, I'm not being a fucking hypocrite running scared from what I'm feeling."

The brunette stiffened and Schuldich knew that he'd hit a soft spot.

"I may have fucked up royally in my life," Schuldich continued, "Made the wrong decisions in regards to Yohji. But at least I've been honest with myself."

"Schuldich ----"

"No! You've had your say. Now, it's my turn, goddammit!" Schuldich walked up to Bradley, his eyes green eyes sparkling with lividity. "Nagi loves you, you asshole. And you treated him like shit for it. All because of the fact that 'you' love him too." Schuldich watched as Bradley's expression grew stunned. "He told me, you know. Told me that you two made love. And I don't have to read your mind to know why."

Bradley turned away from him suddenly and Schuldich knew that his guess had been correct.

"You love him but you're too scared to admit it. To let it guide your actions," he persisted, "That's why your scared shitless right now. Everything revolves around a plan with you and Nagi's fucking all that up for you, isn't he?"

Bradley sighed. "My love life has nothing to do with your immediate problem. This isn't what we came in here to discuss." Bradley turned back around to face him. "You're going to die Schuldich if you continue along the path you're currently on."

He didn't want to hear this. "I'm not giving him back!" He's mine, dammit.

"Then you'll both die."

"How can you be sure of that? You said it yourself that your visions weren't clear." Schuldich was getting desperate. There had to be away to get past such a fate. What was the point in loving someone if you were condemned to die because of it? I'm not going to let it happen.

"I saw enough to know the outcome of your irrational behavior."

Irrational behavior? It was Schuldich's turn to sigh. "Don't you get it, Bradley? We're not in Rosenkreuz anymore. We're not even a part of Estet. We don't have to live by their rules any longer, don't you see that?" Where the words were coming from, Schuldich didn't know. All he could do was go with the flow . . . even if his next set of words would earn him a fist to the face. "And we don't have to live for revenge either."

Bradley glared at him and Schuldich actually swallowed in trepidation. Bradley was known to have excellent control over himself but when he let go of that control, when anger became strong enough to overrule it, the brunette was downright lethal. All of Schwarz had seen the other side of the normally calm Bradley Crawford on more than one occasion in the past and even Schuldich knew not to push past Bradley's limits; the precog's darker side something he never wished to see again.

Bradley, however, made no move against him and Schuldich continued to spill his guts.

"I don't know anything about living a normal life," he said, knowing that he was sounding less and less like himself, "About being loved or loving in return. I've had nothing but misery in my life, Bradley. And up until now, I didn't care if I lived or died." Schuldich took a deep breath. "But I do now. I don't know how it happened. How I fell for Yohji. How I learned to love him. But I do know that I can't give him up. If loving him means killing myself, then so be it. I'd be dead anyway if I lost him."

"But he will also die along with you."

"That's just something that I'll have to ensure doesn't happen." Schuldich tilted his head a bit as he looked into Bradley's eyes. "Fate is said to be set in stone, right?"

"Supposedly."

"Well, I don't believe in fate. Or in a destiny that's preordained," Schuldich said, grinning defiantly at the frowning brunette. "Since I became free of Rosenkreuz and Estet, I've had a hand in the molding of my fate. I've been able to decide what I should or shouldn't do. Whether I should live by my conscious or just ignore it." Schuldich shook his head. "Nothing you say or see will change that fact. 'I' chose my path. 'I' chose whether I live or die." His gaze bored into Bradley's, deadly serious and determined. "And I'll be the one to die in order to ensure that Yohji lives."

Bradley stared at Schuldich for a moment before he spoke. "Sometimes you simply amaze, Schuldich." Bradley sighed and ran a hand through his dark mane. "I've said all that I can say. Given you a chance to change what I've seen. Whether you will or won't, it's up to you." Bradley lifted a hand and gently ran his fingertips along Schuldich's cheek. "But know that although you're a stubborn bastard, I'll be here if you need me."

Schuldich snickered, 'touched' by Bradley's words. "I appreciate that." He looked up at the brunette and said in warning, "But if you ever tell anyone about how fucking sappy I just sounded, I'll find a way to kick your ass."

Bradley smirked and moved away. He sat at his desk and picked up a drink that he'd obviously left there previously. "You can go now, Schuldich."

Schuldich sobered for a moment. "Think about what I said . . . About Nagi." He turned away then, not wanting to get lashed with Bradley's tongue again and trekked across the room toward the door.

"Schuldich," Bradley called out, stopping him before he walked through the door.

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor and watch Farfarello. Keep him away from Kudou."

Schuldich's hand tightened over the doorknob. He wanted to know more. To know what exactly Bradley was warning him about. But by the closed expression on the precog's face, Schuldich knew better than to ask. Those few words were all the warning he was going to get. Reluctantly, he nodded in understanding and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

When he reached the stairs leading to the upper floor, a wave of fear washed over him causing him to stumble on the very first step. He gripped the wooden banister with his left hand and balanced himself, trying to fight back the oppressing feeling clutching at his heart. Schuldich took a deep, shaky breath and willed his pounding heart to slow its chaotic pace. Just calm down, Schu. Calm down. Nothing's going to happen to him. He's safe and sound upstairs in 'your' bed. Everything's going to be fine.

Determined not to let anything deter him from his chosen path, Schuldich continued up the stairs.

Fujimiya.

Fate.

Death.

Nothing would tear him away from Yohji. Nothing.

Two hours had passed since Omi and Ken had left Aya to sleep in his bedroom so that they could go downstairs and report to Kritiker of the mission's success and of Yohji's abduction. Typing rapidly at the computer, Omi was busying himself by hacking into other computer systems while he waited patiently for Kritiker's response. Too bad Ken wasn't known to possess the same virtue.

"Goddammit, why the hell is it taking them so long to answer us?"

Omi sighed, his eyes on the monitor as he continued to type rapidly. "There are necessary steps that must be taken before they can contact us. You just have to be patient, Ken."

"Shit, I know that," replied Ken, exasperation lacing his tone. "It's just that I can't stand it. This waiting to be told what to do. Yohji could be hurt or worst. We should be out there searching for him. Instead, we're just sitting around wasting time."

Omi closed his eyes, his own thoughts secretly mirroring Ken's fears. No! he berated himself. I have to think positively. Yohji's fine. He's fine. But before he could assure his lover with the same false words, Aya's voice sounded from the direction of the stairs.

"We're not wasting our time. It imperative that we do things the right way. One wrong move can cost Yohji his life."

"Aya, what are you doing up?" Omi scolded, noticing how stiffly the paler than usual redhead was moving as he walked toward them. "You should be upstairs resting."

Aya shook his head, sitting down slowly on the sofa in front of him. "I want to be here when Kritiker contacts you."

Knowing that it would be pointless to argue the point further with the stoic man, Omi rolled his eyes and turned his attention back onto his computer, typing away once again at the keyboard, searching for a possible clue as to where Schwarz could have possibly taken up residence. It was all he could do at the moment as futile as it seemed.

In relative silence, the three Weiß members waited for Manx's face to pop up on the large screen behind them. After a while though, Omi's voice broke the stillness that hovered over the room.

"Aya?"

"What is it, Omi?"

Omi stopped typing and took a deep breath, hoping he wasn't making a mistake by bringing this up. "Is Schuldich the reason why Yohji's been acting so strange lately?"

The question had been nagging at him since Aya had awoken a few hours ago. Omi had tried to shift his thoughts from following that line of thinking but he just couldn't. There were too many factors to take into consideration now, too many events clicking together. Things were starting to add up, revealing a startling picture that Omi couldn't stop himself from reflecting upon.

"Yes."

Both he and Ken, who was sitting next to him, turned to stare at Aya.

Aya sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back into the sofa. "I think that Schuldich . . ." Aya lowered his gaze to stare at the floor and swallowed. "I think that Schuldich raped Yohji."

The words hung in the air for a few stunned seconds before Omi whispered in horror, "Oh, no."

"Fucking shit!" Ken exploded. The brunette jumped out of his chair and marched over to where Aya was sitting. "When did this happen? How do you know for sure?"

"I don't." Aya looked up at Ken with cold, violet eyes tinged with regret, "But the night he disappeared during his shift a couple of weeks back is the only time I can think of that Schuldich could've caught him completely alone. If the bastard did rape Yohji that night, it would explain many things."

"Shit," Ken cursed again and began to pace back and forth across the room. "Like why he's been acting so weird lately."

Aya nodded and Ken fell silent, his body shaking with anger as he kept up his pacing.

"I knew something was wrong," Omi whispered, his eyes full of sorrow and self-recrimination for having failed his friend. "I tried to get him to talk to me. To tell me what was the matter. But . . . he just kept saying that nothing was wrong." Omi looked down at the fisted hands on his lap. "Dammit, I should've tried harder."

"Stop it," Aya told him harshly. "Yohji probably wasn't ready to talk about what had happened to him. Nothing you could've said would have convinced him otherwise."

"Aya's right, Omi," Ken said, as he walked to stand in front of him. He lifted Omi's chin and caressed his trembling lips in a comforting gesture. "You know how stubborn Yohji can be. So stop beating yourself up over this."

Omi sighed and put his hand over Ken's wrist, squeezing it gently. "You're both right. It's just that . . . Gods, can you imagine what he was going through? He obviously felt like he couldn't talk to us about it. Like he'd done something wrong. He must have been so scared. So alone."

I'm so sorry, Yohji. So sorry.

Lost in his pain for his friend, Omi failed to see how his words ripped into Aya's already guilty heart like a shard of glass on skin. After all, he'd been the first person to see Yohji that night two weeks ago. He should've known that something was wrong. But jealousy had overruled his better judgement and he had misjudged the situation . . . badly. I'm such a fucking idiot!

"Aya, are you okay?"

He sighed, refusing to look up into those worried blue eyes. "No. I'm not."

"It's not your fault either, Aya," Omi said to him, as if reading his mind. "You're no more to blame than I am."

Aya looked up then at the light-haired man, anger evident on his handsome features. "You're wrong. I have plenty to be blamed for."

"Aya ----"

"No, dammit!" Aya cut Omi off. It was time for the truth to come out. It was time for him to take the blame he deserved. "Do you remember that night you came to me practically begging me to go out looking for Yohji?"

Omi blinked at him in confusion. "Yes."

"I had promised you that I would go find him, didn't I?"

"Right. But I don't ----"

"I didn't."

Omi's eyes widened. "What?"

"I didn't go looking for him. I lied to you," Aya admitted, the guilt now pounding into him almost unbearable. "And because of my fucking stupidity, Yohji was left in the hands of Schwarz. In the hands of that bastard Schuldich!"

"Oh, Aya," Omi whispered, unshed tears glistening within his eyes.

"Don't you see, Omi?" Aya's face was covered in tears now, but he was too far gone into his misery to take notice. "If I had gone to look for him, I would've eventually realized that something had gone wrong. I would've found him and spared him from suffering. I let my jealousy -- my fucking stupidity blind me to what was happening to him. And now he's gone. He's in the hands of that sonofabitch!" Aya closed his eyes, his fears finally shattering his control, allowing the others to see just how scared and angry he was. "It's my fault," he whispered brokenly. "All my fault."

"Aya. . . . "

Gentle hands grabbed a hold of his face and Aya opened his eyes to stare into a pair of large, blue orbs full of sadness and . . . understanding.

"It's not your fault."

"But I wronged him, Omi. I broke his heart," Aya whispered, unable to keep his emotions at bay.

At that moment, he was no longer the self-efficient assassin who seldom showed emotion, who acted as if he could care less about those around him. He was Ran Fujimiya ---- the boy he had buried long ago deep within him so that he would be spared from the agony that had become his life ---- the boy who regretted every nail of pain the man he grown into had embedded into Yohji's heart.

"Yes, you hurt him," said Omi, his eyes full of caring. "I won't deny that you've made your share of mistakes. But we all have. And do you know why?" Aya shook his head. "Because we're human. You're human, Aya. And as humans, we tend to make mistakes."

Aya took in a deep breath, trying to calm his rebellious emotions, to get a semblance of his control back. "Knowing that doesn't make what I've done any easier to accept."

Omi moved away from Aya, feeling the redhead's need for space. "True," Omi agreed. "But you're forgetting one thing. In admitting our mistakes, we're able to not only learn from them, but to work toward rectifying them. Knowing what you now, gives you the power to obtain a second chance. " Omi's gaze bore into Aya's. "Are you going to throw that chance away because of guilt, Aya? Because that's what your doing by blaming yourself. You'll never be happy if you don't let the past go."

"Fucking shit, Omi. When the hell did you grow up?" Ken asked out of nowhere, his voice stunned.

Omi laughed at Ken's incredulous expression and Aya couldn't help but do the same. Ken blinked at them innocently and Omi and Aya began to laugh even harder.

"Obviously before you did," Omi retorted as he continued to chuckle.

Feeling a lot better, despite the fact that he'd just given the others a glimpse of 'who' really resided beneath his stoic armor, Aya shifted his gaze back to Omi. "Thank you," he said sincerely.

Omi smiled as Ken's arm wrapped itself around his shoulder. "No problem."

Suddenly the darkened room lit up as the screen on the wall came to life and Manx's face appeared on upon it. The three men fell silent in an instant, their demeanor once again reflecting who they were. Weiß -- Assassins in search of one of their own.

"I have some news for you," Manx stated, her green eyes serious yet calm.

Aya swallowed and held his breath as he stared into the screen, his heart, his very soul praying to the Heavens for a miracle.

TBC . . . .

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