Fanfic Archive: Redemption, 9
May. 28th, 2009 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texchan(Written: 2004)
Warnings: Bad Language. Violence. Shounen-ai (implied)
Summary: Yohji and a critically injured Aya find themselves drummed out of Weiss and on the run from Kritiker. Against this backdrop, they must locate and retrieve something very precious to the man who betrayed Aya ... a man Aya still calls his friend, despite all that has passed between them. When their options run out, the boys have no choice but to undertake a foolhardy mission that will end up putting Aya at Schuldich's mercy. Will our kittens be able to extract themselves from this mess and return to Weiss? Or will Schuldich get his revenge, after all?
Legal Stuff: As always, this story is intended to express one fan's genuine appreciation of Weiss Kreuz and its characters. It is just for fun and not for profit. If you have any rights in the anime described here and find the posting of this fanfiction offensive or harmful, please contact me, and I will be happy to remove it.
Author's Note: Story #3 in the "Nowhere Man" trilogy. Story #1: Nowhere Man. Story #2: Betrayal
Redemption
Chapter 9
Yohji checked his watch as he entered a convenience store about ten blocks from the coffee shop to purchase yet another pre-paid cell phone, some pretzels, and a soda. After paying for his purchases with cash, he traveled another several blocks to a park he had seen during an earlier reconnaissance of the area. He found an out-of-the-way bench and sat down to eat his pretzels, drink his soda, and wait. He didn't have any doubt Keiko was safe. Schuldich's goal had been revenge against Aya, and, no matter how evil or deranged the German was, Yohji didn't think he'd hurt a little kid, unless it served his purposes. Once he had gotten his hands on Aya, Schuldich no longer needed the girl. Of course, putting her at a Kritiker safe house made things a lot more difficult for Yohji, since he wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the organization at the moment. Knowing the German, Schuldich had probably seen using the safe house as a joke.
Yohji pulled the photograph from his pocket and looked at it once more. She really was a lovely child, and, no matter how much he wanted to hate Hank for what the Texan had done and for the danger he'd put Aya in, Yohji found he couldn't really hold it against the man. He figured, if he had kids, he'd have done the same thing. He damn sure knew he'd do the same thing to save Aya, or any of Weiss, for that matter. They were the closest thing to family he had. As terrified as he was at the thought of losing Aya, he couldn't even begin to imagine how the possibility of losing a child might feel. He was terrified, almost to the point of being frozen from the emotion, at the thought of Aya in Schuldich's hands, but, still, he figured it couldn't even come close to a person's feelings for their own flesh and blood. Suddenly, he understood why Aya had forgiven Hank so easily. In a way, it had been easier for the redhead, because he still carried the pain of his sister's accident. Perhaps it made Aya able to empathize with Hank's feelings of desperation and loss.
He ran his fingers gently over the picture, noticing for the first time that it had a date stamp on it, the kind the camera automatically attaches to some photos. The date was today's. He reminded himself he hadn't really thought Schuldich would harm the girl, but, still, he felt relieved at the small confirmation. Flipping the photograph over, he studied the address again, recognizing it as a safe house Kritiker rarely used. Still, it belonged to the organization, which meant he was going to need help getting the girl out of there. He hadn't wanted to involve Omi and Ken, but, now, there seemed to be little choice. He needed their ability to move freely within Kritiker, and, if he had any hope of finding Aya, he needed their access to secured electronic files and programs.
Yohji dragged himself away from his thoughts and checked his watch, feeling a little surprised to find he'd already been here for a couple of hours. It hadn't seemed like that long. He hastily pulled another Koneko no Sumu Ie business card from his wallet, and scribbled the number to his newest disposable cell, along with the following sentence: "Go to park".
*******************************************
Yohji followed the same routine as last time: waiting in the darkened alley across from the flower shop until the two strange Kritiker agents left, and, then, paying one of Ken's soccer kids to deliver the box containing the phone to his two teammates. As before, everything had gone smoothly, and, now, he sat at the park in the newly-"reclaimed" neighborhood, on the same shadowed bench near the entrance where he'd sat the last time he'd talked to the two youngest assassins.
After about an hour, his vigil came to an end. Ken and Omi entered the park and quickly claimed a seat on the bench almost directly across from his, just as they had the last time. Within seconds, Yohji heard the soft ring of his phone. He hesitated briefly, knowing full well Ken and Omi wouldn't hesitate to do whatever he asked, but also knowing it meant they'd no longer be completely free of this mess. Aya hadn't wanted any of them involved, and Yohji felt bad about throwing the redhead's intentions to the wind so easily, even if it meant saving Aya's life. Still, he didn't see any other way, and he thought he could limit their involvement to retrieving Keiko and, maybe, accessing Kritiker files regarding Schwarz, which somewhat salved his guilty conscience. Resolved in his decision, Yohji answered the phone on the third ring.
"Yeah?"
"Yohji?" Omi's voice squeaked over the phone, sounding small and lost.
Yohji felt a pang of guilt over what Ken and Omi had to be going through. He knew it had to be an emotional roller coaster, considering they knew nothing of what was happening, other than whatever lies Manx or Persia decided to feed them.
He smiled, knowing they couldn't see the reassuring gesture, but hoping it carried through with his words and tone of voice, as he said, "Yeah, it's me."
Ken's voice broke in suddenly, proof that he and Omi were, once again, employing a splitter to allow the use of two headphones and speakers, "What happened? Is Aya…?"
"No," Yohji replied quickly, cutting Ken off before he could finish. "Aya's alive; he's OK … I think."
"What does that mean?" Ken asked. He sounded jittery and angry, as if he wanted to fight with someone. Normally, Yohji would have been more than happy to rise to the occasion, but he let the ex-goalie's abrasive tone roll off of him, attributing it to the stress they'd been under for the past several weeks.
Yohji hesitated a moment, searching for the best way to tell them Aya was gone, grasping for words that would cushion the emotional blow. But, in the end, he couldn't find any "right" words, and decided to just blurt it out, "Schuldich has him. At the sound of two horrified gasps, Yohji continued, "I … I can explain, but it's a long story."
"We have time," Omi replied.
Yohji took a deep breath and, as quickly as he could, explained about Aya waking up about a week ago, their brief search for Keiko, their contact with Schuldich through the classified ad, and Aya's plan to trade himself for the little girl. He finished with, "So, today was the meeting with Schu. It was just supposed to be to arrange an exchange, but … I guess he had different ideas. When I got there, Aya was gone, and Schuldich had left a picture of Keiko, along with the location where we can find her."
"So … you found her … that's … good," Ken said slowly.
"Yeah," Omi whispered at the ex-goalie in a soft hiss, "but Aya's gone, and that's bad."
"I know that. I'm not stupid," Ken replied defensively.
"Look," Yohji broke in, "I don't have time to sit here and listen to you two squabble like a couple of school girls. I need some help, but don't feel like you have to. If you don't want to, or feel uncomfortable, just say no, and I'll go away, no questions asked. No hard feelings."
Yohji had barely gotten the sentence out of his mouth before Omi cut in, "Of course we'll help! Did you even need to ask? Name it."
"Keiko is at a Kritiker safe house," Yohji replied, slowly. "It's one that they don't really use, but still, considering that it's Kritiker and all…"
"You want us to go get her," Ken filled in. "Fine. Done. We'll go as soon as we get done here. What's the address?"
"I'm sitting on the bench directly across from you," Yohji replied. He paused as his friends both looked up, trying to see through the impenetrable shadows cloaking him. He chuckled, and continued, "When I hang up, I'll leave her picture on the bench. Give me a couple minutes to clear the area, and then come pick it up. Schuldich wrote the address on the back."
"All right," Omi said. "How do we get her back to you?"
"Use the phone to call the number I gave you today. I'll set up a meeting where I can pick her up. I want to get her back with her dad as soon as possible."
"OK," Omi replied again.
Yohji paused for a moment before continuing, hesitantly, "There … there's more."
"Yeah?" Ken asked, "What? Just … you know … name it."
Yohji took another deep breath and said, "Schuldich … I don't know … he's … crazy. I saw him today when he showed up for the meeting, and he's totally deranged … off his rocker. I think he's gone rogue from Schwarz. Even if he hasn't, he's acting alone in this; I'm sure of it. I … need you to contact Crawford … set up a meeting for me. I'm sorry about getting you guys involved, but I don't have any other options. I can't do it myself … I don't have the connections … or the time … and I'm not good enough with the computer to find him and contact him without Kritiker knowing. If I get killed by them now, we'll never get Aya back."
There was a long pause on the other end of the call. Yohji could almost hear the wheels turning in Omi's mind as the kid figured out how he'd do what the older man had just asked. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Omi said, "Yeah … sure. I … think I can do it from a public access terminal ---- you know, at an Internet café or the public library. But, it won't be easy. What should I tell him?"
Yohji paused for a moment, thinking. Finally he said, "Send this message: Wanted: Someone who can read my mind. Red kitten must be included. 126 S. Nekko Street Jan. 31 for details. Ask for Aya Kudou."
Omi paused, as if memorizing the message, and then said, "That doesn't give me much time to find him, Yohji."
"I know, kid. I'm sorry. But, considering how Schuldich is, Aya probably doesn't have much time, either."
"OK," Omi replied. "Don't worry. I'll get it done."
Yohji hadn't expected anything less, and was about to say so, when Ken's voice cut through his ear.
"What makes you think Crawford's going to help you?" the ex-goalie asked. "He is part of Schuldich's team, after all."
Yohji shrugged, a useless gesture, since he was talking on the phone to two people who, although sitting not even five feet away, couldn't see him. "I don't know," he said, quickly deciding honesty was the best policy. All things considered, it wasn't a time for them to be holding out on each other. "But, Schwarz has always been a team in name only. They don't seem to share the same loyalties we do. Crawford is all about keeping control. If Schu's gone rogue, I'm guessing he'll want to find him as badly as I do. Besides, he's a precog. It makes him do weird things that don't make sense to anyone else. Maybe this'll be one of those things."
"That's a hell of a gamble," Ken grumbled, almost under his breath.
"I know," Yohji replied, "But, it's the only card I have. I don't have any other choice."
That's not true," Omi countered, "I could …"
"No!" Yohji snapped, cutting the boy off sharply. "It's bad enough I have to ask you to contact Crawford, and that's a simple, in-and-out sort of thing, relatively speaking. If you start looking for Schwarz or Schuldich hidey places, someone at Kritiker will notice. I don't want you guys involved in this any more than necessary."
"All right," Omi muttered.
"One more thing," Yohji said, "Can you get two plane tickets and passports for Hank and Keiko? I want to get them out of the country before Kritiker catches up to them. It won't be safe for them here anymore, now that Schuldich knows about Hank, and Kritiker is hot on his trail, too."
"Sure," Omi chirped. "Where do you want them to go?"
"Houston," Yohji replied. "It's a city in Texas, in the United States. Hank is from Texas. I figure he can probably handle getting wherever he wants to go from there."
"OK," Omi said. After a short pause, he said, reproachfully, "You know … I knew where Houston was. I am the smart one, after all."
Yohji laughed, and said, "Yeah, I know."
"OK," Ken broke in, "We'll get Keiko, and Omi'll work on the tickets and stuff. If he can't get them together tonight, we'll let her stay at the shop. I'll tell the bozos watching us she's one of my soccer kids or something. We'll set up the meeting after we have everything together for them to leave. It'll be safer that way."
"Good thinking," Yohji replied. "OK, look, I've gotta go. Remember, give me a coupla minutes to clear the area before you come over here." As he spoke, he bent down to retrieve a medium-sized rock. He placed it on top of the photograph, to hold it in place. "Talk to you guys later," he said, clicking off the phone.
Yohji quickly rose from the bench, and, without a backward glance, walked across the park, in the opposite direction from Omi and Ken. He couldn't look back at them. If he did, he knew he wouldn't have the resolve he needed to stay out of Weiss long enough to find and rescue Aya. When he and Aya had been together, it hadn't seemed so bad, not being Weiss. Even being hunted by Kritiker hadn't seemed like such a big deal. But, now, he was alone, and he could feel the weight of his worry and the hopelessness of the situation crushing in on him. Just hearing their voices had made him think of home --- his soft, king-size bed, good times teasing each other and joking around at the flower shop, the times they would all go out together for the evening or to some stupid carnival or something Omi wanted to do. He could already feel his resolve melting, giving way to the desire to simply go home, a desire made all the stronger by his worry, hopelessness, and the fact he had always hated being alone, and he couldn't give in --- not now. Aya needed him. Aya was his friend, his closest friend in the world, probably, and he owed it to Aya to not give up so easily. Besides, home wouldn't be home if Aya wasn't there.
Warnings: Bad Language. Violence. Shounen-ai (implied)
Summary: Yohji and a critically injured Aya find themselves drummed out of Weiss and on the run from Kritiker. Against this backdrop, they must locate and retrieve something very precious to the man who betrayed Aya ... a man Aya still calls his friend, despite all that has passed between them. When their options run out, the boys have no choice but to undertake a foolhardy mission that will end up putting Aya at Schuldich's mercy. Will our kittens be able to extract themselves from this mess and return to Weiss? Or will Schuldich get his revenge, after all?
Legal Stuff: As always, this story is intended to express one fan's genuine appreciation of Weiss Kreuz and its characters. It is just for fun and not for profit. If you have any rights in the anime described here and find the posting of this fanfiction offensive or harmful, please contact me, and I will be happy to remove it.
Author's Note: Story #3 in the "Nowhere Man" trilogy. Story #1: Nowhere Man. Story #2: Betrayal
Chapter 9
Yohji checked his watch as he entered a convenience store about ten blocks from the coffee shop to purchase yet another pre-paid cell phone, some pretzels, and a soda. After paying for his purchases with cash, he traveled another several blocks to a park he had seen during an earlier reconnaissance of the area. He found an out-of-the-way bench and sat down to eat his pretzels, drink his soda, and wait. He didn't have any doubt Keiko was safe. Schuldich's goal had been revenge against Aya, and, no matter how evil or deranged the German was, Yohji didn't think he'd hurt a little kid, unless it served his purposes. Once he had gotten his hands on Aya, Schuldich no longer needed the girl. Of course, putting her at a Kritiker safe house made things a lot more difficult for Yohji, since he wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the organization at the moment. Knowing the German, Schuldich had probably seen using the safe house as a joke.
Yohji pulled the photograph from his pocket and looked at it once more. She really was a lovely child, and, no matter how much he wanted to hate Hank for what the Texan had done and for the danger he'd put Aya in, Yohji found he couldn't really hold it against the man. He figured, if he had kids, he'd have done the same thing. He damn sure knew he'd do the same thing to save Aya, or any of Weiss, for that matter. They were the closest thing to family he had. As terrified as he was at the thought of losing Aya, he couldn't even begin to imagine how the possibility of losing a child might feel. He was terrified, almost to the point of being frozen from the emotion, at the thought of Aya in Schuldich's hands, but, still, he figured it couldn't even come close to a person's feelings for their own flesh and blood. Suddenly, he understood why Aya had forgiven Hank so easily. In a way, it had been easier for the redhead, because he still carried the pain of his sister's accident. Perhaps it made Aya able to empathize with Hank's feelings of desperation and loss.
He ran his fingers gently over the picture, noticing for the first time that it had a date stamp on it, the kind the camera automatically attaches to some photos. The date was today's. He reminded himself he hadn't really thought Schuldich would harm the girl, but, still, he felt relieved at the small confirmation. Flipping the photograph over, he studied the address again, recognizing it as a safe house Kritiker rarely used. Still, it belonged to the organization, which meant he was going to need help getting the girl out of there. He hadn't wanted to involve Omi and Ken, but, now, there seemed to be little choice. He needed their ability to move freely within Kritiker, and, if he had any hope of finding Aya, he needed their access to secured electronic files and programs.
Yohji dragged himself away from his thoughts and checked his watch, feeling a little surprised to find he'd already been here for a couple of hours. It hadn't seemed like that long. He hastily pulled another Koneko no Sumu Ie business card from his wallet, and scribbled the number to his newest disposable cell, along with the following sentence: "Go to park".
*******************************************
Yohji followed the same routine as last time: waiting in the darkened alley across from the flower shop until the two strange Kritiker agents left, and, then, paying one of Ken's soccer kids to deliver the box containing the phone to his two teammates. As before, everything had gone smoothly, and, now, he sat at the park in the newly-"reclaimed" neighborhood, on the same shadowed bench near the entrance where he'd sat the last time he'd talked to the two youngest assassins.
After about an hour, his vigil came to an end. Ken and Omi entered the park and quickly claimed a seat on the bench almost directly across from his, just as they had the last time. Within seconds, Yohji heard the soft ring of his phone. He hesitated briefly, knowing full well Ken and Omi wouldn't hesitate to do whatever he asked, but also knowing it meant they'd no longer be completely free of this mess. Aya hadn't wanted any of them involved, and Yohji felt bad about throwing the redhead's intentions to the wind so easily, even if it meant saving Aya's life. Still, he didn't see any other way, and he thought he could limit their involvement to retrieving Keiko and, maybe, accessing Kritiker files regarding Schwarz, which somewhat salved his guilty conscience. Resolved in his decision, Yohji answered the phone on the third ring.
"Yeah?"
"Yohji?" Omi's voice squeaked over the phone, sounding small and lost.
Yohji felt a pang of guilt over what Ken and Omi had to be going through. He knew it had to be an emotional roller coaster, considering they knew nothing of what was happening, other than whatever lies Manx or Persia decided to feed them.
He smiled, knowing they couldn't see the reassuring gesture, but hoping it carried through with his words and tone of voice, as he said, "Yeah, it's me."
Ken's voice broke in suddenly, proof that he and Omi were, once again, employing a splitter to allow the use of two headphones and speakers, "What happened? Is Aya…?"
"No," Yohji replied quickly, cutting Ken off before he could finish. "Aya's alive; he's OK … I think."
"What does that mean?" Ken asked. He sounded jittery and angry, as if he wanted to fight with someone. Normally, Yohji would have been more than happy to rise to the occasion, but he let the ex-goalie's abrasive tone roll off of him, attributing it to the stress they'd been under for the past several weeks.
Yohji hesitated a moment, searching for the best way to tell them Aya was gone, grasping for words that would cushion the emotional blow. But, in the end, he couldn't find any "right" words, and decided to just blurt it out, "Schuldich has him. At the sound of two horrified gasps, Yohji continued, "I … I can explain, but it's a long story."
"We have time," Omi replied.
Yohji took a deep breath and, as quickly as he could, explained about Aya waking up about a week ago, their brief search for Keiko, their contact with Schuldich through the classified ad, and Aya's plan to trade himself for the little girl. He finished with, "So, today was the meeting with Schu. It was just supposed to be to arrange an exchange, but … I guess he had different ideas. When I got there, Aya was gone, and Schuldich had left a picture of Keiko, along with the location where we can find her."
"So … you found her … that's … good," Ken said slowly.
"Yeah," Omi whispered at the ex-goalie in a soft hiss, "but Aya's gone, and that's bad."
"I know that. I'm not stupid," Ken replied defensively.
"Look," Yohji broke in, "I don't have time to sit here and listen to you two squabble like a couple of school girls. I need some help, but don't feel like you have to. If you don't want to, or feel uncomfortable, just say no, and I'll go away, no questions asked. No hard feelings."
Yohji had barely gotten the sentence out of his mouth before Omi cut in, "Of course we'll help! Did you even need to ask? Name it."
"Keiko is at a Kritiker safe house," Yohji replied, slowly. "It's one that they don't really use, but still, considering that it's Kritiker and all…"
"You want us to go get her," Ken filled in. "Fine. Done. We'll go as soon as we get done here. What's the address?"
"I'm sitting on the bench directly across from you," Yohji replied. He paused as his friends both looked up, trying to see through the impenetrable shadows cloaking him. He chuckled, and continued, "When I hang up, I'll leave her picture on the bench. Give me a couple minutes to clear the area, and then come pick it up. Schuldich wrote the address on the back."
"All right," Omi said. "How do we get her back to you?"
"Use the phone to call the number I gave you today. I'll set up a meeting where I can pick her up. I want to get her back with her dad as soon as possible."
"OK," Omi replied again.
Yohji paused for a moment before continuing, hesitantly, "There … there's more."
"Yeah?" Ken asked, "What? Just … you know … name it."
Yohji took another deep breath and said, "Schuldich … I don't know … he's … crazy. I saw him today when he showed up for the meeting, and he's totally deranged … off his rocker. I think he's gone rogue from Schwarz. Even if he hasn't, he's acting alone in this; I'm sure of it. I … need you to contact Crawford … set up a meeting for me. I'm sorry about getting you guys involved, but I don't have any other options. I can't do it myself … I don't have the connections … or the time … and I'm not good enough with the computer to find him and contact him without Kritiker knowing. If I get killed by them now, we'll never get Aya back."
There was a long pause on the other end of the call. Yohji could almost hear the wheels turning in Omi's mind as the kid figured out how he'd do what the older man had just asked. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Omi said, "Yeah … sure. I … think I can do it from a public access terminal ---- you know, at an Internet café or the public library. But, it won't be easy. What should I tell him?"
Yohji paused for a moment, thinking. Finally he said, "Send this message: Wanted: Someone who can read my mind. Red kitten must be included. 126 S. Nekko Street Jan. 31 for details. Ask for Aya Kudou."
Omi paused, as if memorizing the message, and then said, "That doesn't give me much time to find him, Yohji."
"I know, kid. I'm sorry. But, considering how Schuldich is, Aya probably doesn't have much time, either."
"OK," Omi replied. "Don't worry. I'll get it done."
Yohji hadn't expected anything less, and was about to say so, when Ken's voice cut through his ear.
"What makes you think Crawford's going to help you?" the ex-goalie asked. "He is part of Schuldich's team, after all."
Yohji shrugged, a useless gesture, since he was talking on the phone to two people who, although sitting not even five feet away, couldn't see him. "I don't know," he said, quickly deciding honesty was the best policy. All things considered, it wasn't a time for them to be holding out on each other. "But, Schwarz has always been a team in name only. They don't seem to share the same loyalties we do. Crawford is all about keeping control. If Schu's gone rogue, I'm guessing he'll want to find him as badly as I do. Besides, he's a precog. It makes him do weird things that don't make sense to anyone else. Maybe this'll be one of those things."
"That's a hell of a gamble," Ken grumbled, almost under his breath.
"I know," Yohji replied, "But, it's the only card I have. I don't have any other choice."
That's not true," Omi countered, "I could …"
"No!" Yohji snapped, cutting the boy off sharply. "It's bad enough I have to ask you to contact Crawford, and that's a simple, in-and-out sort of thing, relatively speaking. If you start looking for Schwarz or Schuldich hidey places, someone at Kritiker will notice. I don't want you guys involved in this any more than necessary."
"All right," Omi muttered.
"One more thing," Yohji said, "Can you get two plane tickets and passports for Hank and Keiko? I want to get them out of the country before Kritiker catches up to them. It won't be safe for them here anymore, now that Schuldich knows about Hank, and Kritiker is hot on his trail, too."
"Sure," Omi chirped. "Where do you want them to go?"
"Houston," Yohji replied. "It's a city in Texas, in the United States. Hank is from Texas. I figure he can probably handle getting wherever he wants to go from there."
"OK," Omi said. After a short pause, he said, reproachfully, "You know … I knew where Houston was. I am the smart one, after all."
Yohji laughed, and said, "Yeah, I know."
"OK," Ken broke in, "We'll get Keiko, and Omi'll work on the tickets and stuff. If he can't get them together tonight, we'll let her stay at the shop. I'll tell the bozos watching us she's one of my soccer kids or something. We'll set up the meeting after we have everything together for them to leave. It'll be safer that way."
"Good thinking," Yohji replied. "OK, look, I've gotta go. Remember, give me a coupla minutes to clear the area before you come over here." As he spoke, he bent down to retrieve a medium-sized rock. He placed it on top of the photograph, to hold it in place. "Talk to you guys later," he said, clicking off the phone.
Yohji quickly rose from the bench, and, without a backward glance, walked across the park, in the opposite direction from Omi and Ken. He couldn't look back at them. If he did, he knew he wouldn't have the resolve he needed to stay out of Weiss long enough to find and rescue Aya. When he and Aya had been together, it hadn't seemed so bad, not being Weiss. Even being hunted by Kritiker hadn't seemed like such a big deal. But, now, he was alone, and he could feel the weight of his worry and the hopelessness of the situation crushing in on him. Just hearing their voices had made him think of home --- his soft, king-size bed, good times teasing each other and joking around at the flower shop, the times they would all go out together for the evening or to some stupid carnival or something Omi wanted to do. He could already feel his resolve melting, giving way to the desire to simply go home, a desire made all the stronger by his worry, hopelessness, and the fact he had always hated being alone, and he couldn't give in --- not now. Aya needed him. Aya was his friend, his closest friend in the world, probably, and he owed it to Aya to not give up so easily. Besides, home wouldn't be home if Aya wasn't there.