Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ There's Not A Thing I Would Change ❯ Take Me Away ( Chapter 11 )

~*~I apologize for the extremely long wait, but situations have gotten the better of me, including work and now college. Sorry.

Now, contrary to what the massive amount of reviewers think, this is not the last chapter. It's different than the other chapters, most definitely, but I hope you enjoy it.~*~

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Chapter Eleven: Take Me Away

 

The area around him felt soft, the air so light. Confused, the raven haired male struggled to open his maroon eyes, blinking back the heaviness they felt. Blue surrounded him, causing him to force himself to sit up. Looking around, Van saw a familiar sight he had not seen in a long time. The grass below him was swaying slightly from the breeze that blew, pushing his black hair back as well. He didn't have to turn around to know there was a large old tree behind him, protecting him from the sun's harmful UV rays.

Beside him, he heard a slight noise, causing him to look in that direction to be met with beautiful, innocent emerald eyes. The woman smiled as she rolled her eyes at him. “Jeez, Sparky. Tired much?”

Before he could answer, an extremely familiar voice spoke first. “Sorry, Tomi. Not all of us can handle a whole night out with the entire grade and then out on one of your adventures after only three hours of sleep.”

“Not my fault you were too stupid to try and sleep on the bus a bit. Always said I was smarter than you.”

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Van stood up and backed away to see not only his angel, but himself as well, only younger. Shaking his head, he took a few steps back. `How is this possible?'

Feeling a small amount of weight on his shoulder, Van turn around to see a sight he never thought he'd see again. Eyes wide in shock, he looked up to peer into the face of a man with a mustache and beard, dark maroon eyes and raven hair. He had a soft look on his features, as if there to comfort Van.

With a small smile, the man looked into the slightly shorter male's eyes. “This is very possible, Van. What you are seeing are very important moments in your life, your memories. These are not things happening now, but a reflection of what is important from your past. I'm here to help guide you as I tried to do from afar. I'm sorry I could not be there for you, son.”

“F-Father?” Van's mind was definitely hurting at this moment, contemplating how this could be possible. Last he checked, his father had died and was buried in the cemetery. At that exact moment, the clear blue sky changed into a gray one as rain began pouring down heavily. Looking around him, Van saw a bunch of people in black around a coffin as it was lowered into the ground. A woman with long black hair pulled three children into her as she cried, her tears mixing into the rain.

Van remembered this scene all too well. It was one of the hardest days of his life, the day they buried his father. Turning his eyes away, Van tried his hardest to tune out his mother's cries as Folken attempted to comfort Merle. It must have been so hard for her, seeing her parents die only a year before and then this. Didn't she suffer enough?

“Merle has suffered great loss in her life, but the one I was most concerned about was you, Van. You were the one that always wanted to play with your old man. We did have a strong bond, which I was grateful for. I remember one time when you wanted to try out for the baseball team.”

A small smile broke onto his face as Van recovered the memory. Looking up, he witnesses a boy and his father, throwing the ball around while laughing. They had been so happy and carefree back then. This was the day before the big try outs and he had begged his father to take the day off to train him. With a smile and a nod, Goau had agreed, claiming he needed to get his pitching arm back in shape. They stayed out all day, even went into the night. Even if he tried, Van would not be able to remember if he made the team or not. All that really mattered was the fact he was with his father.

Lowering his head, Van smiled a bit. “I was so little then. Was it second grade?”

Nodding his head, his father spoke. “Folken was looking forward to graduating and going off to Palas University. I found it rather ironic you wanted to go there too.”

Van smiled and shrugged. “I remembered what it looked like, so I thought `why not?' If Folken could get in, I sure as hell could too.”

A nice full laugh came from the tall man, a laugh Van had forgotten. It was nice to hear him again, but there was something that just wasn't right. It was as if he had a questioning the back of his mind, but couldn't focus on it.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Van looked at Goau, as if trying to connect with him again. Without looking at him, his father spoke. “Van, tell me about the time you joined a gang.”

Sadness took over him as the scenes changed, showing a young Van standing beside not that friendly looking guys. Then again, he didn't look to pleasant himself, with his all black ripped up clothing. He couldn't bring himself to watch the scene as they mugged a poor old man before throwing him on the sidewalk. Van shook his head, eyes focused on the ground. “I was so angry about what happened to you. I didn't know how to get it out. Mom was still grieving while trying to work, Folken was slowly taking your place at the company and Merle had her own problems to deal with. There wasn't really anyone around to help me. The gang was my outlet, my new family. I didn't realize the full impact of my actions until the day I saw Merle with them.

Looking up slightly, he saw a younger, angrier him coming out from an alleyway, looking over to where his “brothers” were teaching a lesson to their new victim. The younger self smirked and ran over to them. “Hey guys. Who do we have this time?”

The tallest smirked as well. “Some little kid, claiming she doesn't have her lunch money today.”

“Well then, might as well get some punches in myself.” As the boy pushed the others away, his eyes widened as he recognized the female. “M-Merle?”

The terrified and badly beat up girl tried to focus her big blue eyes on the familiar voice. Those eyes went wide when she saw what he was wearing, putting two and two together. “Van? W-what…?”

The young man closed his eyes and moved to stand in front of her. Opening his eyes, the maroon color took a more blood red color as he looked at his “brothers”. “This one is under my protection. No more harm shall come to her. Understood?”

The tall one he spoke to before stepped forward, an angry look on his face. “And what are you gonna do about it, Fanel? Remember who gives the orders around here. This kid is fair game, regardless if she's your girlfriend or whatever.”

His anger was rising, causing him to reach out and punch the man speaking right in the nose, possibly breaking it. That man was caught by some of the other men, apparently very angry. “You just made a big mistake, Fanel. Boys! Get `em. Show him what we do to traitors.”

While the gang was tying to form a circle around them, younger Van pushed Merle out of the way. “Get out of here as fast as you can.”

“But Van…”

“GET OUT OF HERE NOW!”

The girl didn't waste time as she went as fast as she could down the street, leaving Van to face off the entire gang.

Shaking his head, the present day Van looked away. “I don't want to see this memory again.”

Goau nodded as the memory dissipated. Sighing, the taller man looked ahead of him. “That was a very brave thing you did, to stand up from Merle and fight them all. If Folken had been just a few streets down, you might not have made it to the hospital in time. Your mother cried a lot when she found out the whole story, but in the end she was just glad you were alright. I don't know if she would have made it if you had died.”

Nodding his head a bit, Van looked at his father once again. “After a week or two in the hospital, they told me I could go home. The gang never bothered with me again, but my reputation still stuck, especially since I survived. I wanted a clean slate so I did my best to appear approachable. It didn't occur to me that would be one of the toughest things in my life, turning everything around. For awhile there, I felt like giving up, thinking it was just too hard.”

A smile crossed Goau's lips. “But when you began thinking about that, she came into your life.”

Turning his gaze to the memory playing before him, Van watched in amazement as a younger him confronted a brave emerald eyed female. She didn't seem afraid of him during his rant at all. “Calm down there Sparky. I wasn't doing anything. I saw this girl here getting beat up so I came over to stop it. Then you come over here to attack me?”

“Ha! I don't believe that for a second. You were standing over her!”

“To see if she was alright, you macadamia nut!”

A small laugh escaped his lips as a very familiar scene played out before him. “Yes, then she came into my life and nothing was ever the same. It was as if she was my lifeline, the one thing that could keep me on track. I fully became that person I wanted to be, all for her. Why didn't I realize that back then?”

The older male smiled. “Because you had never been in love before. It can seek up on a guy, believe that. I didn't realize I loved your mother until almost too late. She was about to marry someone else before I told her how I felt. Seems as if we both have bad luck with timing.” Chuckling a little, he continued. “I must say, she's a regular spitfire, with that sarcasm and all. Seemed to be your match. Oh, and nice nickname.”

Laughing a bit, Van nodded. “Yeah. That's Hitomi for you. It's too bad you couldn't have met her in person. You would have loved her.”

“I already do, Van. We may not have met face to face, but if she has captured my son's heart, then I love her as if she were apart of our family.”

The images changed around them as a younger Van opened the front door, showing a very nervous Hitomi standing on his steps. The boy smiled. “Come on in. I didn't think you were gonna show.”

“It was tempting, but I figured you'd hound me for the rest of my life if I didn't come.” The girl walked inside the house and looked around, unsure of her surroundings.

That smile grew on the raven haired boy's face. “I promise my family doesn't bite. They just wanted to meet you, that's all.”

“Merle knows me. Isn't that enough?”

“True, but my mother and older brother don't. So, they wanted to meet you. Why? Is the big bad Kanzaki afraid?”

A glare was thrown his way. “Very funny, Sparky. If I didn't know witnesses were in ear shot, I'd beat you for that comment.”

At that moment, a tall woman with kind eyes and long raven hair came into the room, wearing a lovely white tank top and a soft green skirt that came down to her knees. Her smile was warm and inviting. “Van, is this your friend you were telling us about?”

“Yes. Mom, this is Hitomi Kanzaki. Hitomi, I'd like you to meet my mother.”

The emerald eyed girl extended her hand in a proper greeting. “It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Fanel.”

Varie just smiled. “The honor is mine, Hitomi. And please, call me Varie. It's nice to finally meet the girl my son has been talking non-stop about.”

A small blush formed on the teenage Van's face while Hitomi looked surprised, annoyed and slightly amused. “Oh really? I can assure you they're all lies, whatever he's said.”

Mrs. Fanel gave a small laugh at her comment while Van cleared his throat. “Well, shall we get to that dinner you prepared, mom?”

With a slight nod of her head, Varie lead Hitomi into the dinning room where a modest, but fairly large meal sat waiting. Not only that, but Merle and a tall man with silver hair sat waiting as well. “Hitomi, this is my older brother Folken. Folken, this is Hitomi Kanzaki.”

The man labeled Folken stood up and walked over to her, raising his hand. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hitomi.”

A soft blush grazed her face as she raised her hand to shake his. “The pleasure's all mine. And please, just Hitomi will do. No need to be formal.”

Folken smiled as he nodded, showing everyone he approved of this girl. The young Van let out a sigh and showed Hitomi to her seat.

Smiling at the memory, the present day Van looked on as he spoke. “That was the first time she met the family. Right away, they loved her and treated her as a member, as if she was one all along.”

“Perhaps it is because ever since you met her, you have been a different person, my son.” Goau took a step forward, looking deeply into his son's memories. “The anger and hatred that consumed your heart melted away when she came into your life. It was as if she were made just for you.”

A sigh was heard, causing the father to turn and look at Van, who had his head down. His bangs covered his eyes as he whispered, “but I screwed up.”

Sadness overtook his father's features. “Tell me about what happened that night your junior year of college.”

As if sensing what he was talking about, the scene around them changed to a very white hospital just as a very worried and panicked Van raced in. “Please, where can I find Hitomi Kanzaki's room?”

That familiar nurse looked up at him. “Are you a relative?”

“You could say that.”

“Only relatives can see her.”

A soft voice broke through right before Van let loose on her. “Nurse, this boy is my daughter's best friend and is considered part of our family.” Both turned to see a weakened Mrs. Kanzaki trying hard to seem as if she meant business. The nurse only nodded and Van followed Maaya to her daughter's room. “She's in critical condition. They only brought her out of the ER a half hour ago. My poor little girl…”

When he entered the room, Van's heart shattered into tiny pieces as he saw Hitomi's bruised and broken body laying there. Slowly, he made his way to her side and gently took her small hand in his. It was cold to the touch, making Van shiver slightly. He continued to stare at her, not really believing this had happened.

Van sat by Hitomi's side, not moving an inch. “Oh Hitomi. Why did you go back to that place?”

A soft hand was placed on his shoulder as a sniff was heard behind him. “She's in a coma, Van. They think she'll come out of it in a few days though, but it all depends on this night. If she flat lines more then once, then…”

Van looked up at the woman and took her hand. “Don't think that. Hitomi's strong. I know she'll make it. I just know it.”

Nodding, Maaya left the room to get some coffee, and to clear her head. Van would not leave Hitomi's side. “Come on Hitomi. You are strong. You have to wake up as soon as possible. You can't leave me like this. You can't leave me alone.”

The scene flashed forward to when Hitomi flat lined, causing him to sit up and protect Maaya from witnessing what was being done to her daughter. When the doctor came out again, both ran back into the room. As the two sat by the girl's side most of the day, Van finally looked at his watch. “When is Kenji supposed to be back?”

Mrs. Kanzaki shifted in her seat as the thought came into her head. “Around seven tonight. Why?”

“It's 6:45 now.” Seeing her sigh, he spoke up again. “Would you like me to go pick him up?”

Shaking her head, Maaya stood up and stretched. “I should be the one to tell him what's going on. Besides, if I know you, you'll be right here when I return with him. Let me know if anything changes.”

With a nod of his head, the college junior agreed. “Why don't you get a good night's sleep? Hitomi wouldn't like it if you lost sleep over her.”

The older woman smiled. “You know my daughter very well. Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

With a sigh, Maaya nodded. “Alright, as long as you try to sleep too.”

“Yes ma'am.”

After giving him a quick hug, Mrs. Kanzaki left the room, leaving her daughter in Van's care. The boy looked back at his best friend, fear written all over him. Taking her hand in his, the young Van took a deep breath. “Don't make me out to be a liar, `Tomi. I told your mom you were strong enough to make it. Hitomi, you can't leave us. You… you just can't leave me like this. I… I can't make it without you, `Tomi. You're the one that's kept me hanging on, going through everything because you were there when I needed you. Please, come back to me. You still have so much left to do. We were supposed to graduate together, get great jobs and grow old with each other, staying best friends forever. If you're gone, what am I supposed to do? Who's gonna smack me when I do something stupid? Who's going to shoot sarcasm at me when I least expect it? Who's going to be the one to stand at my side forever? Hitomi, please… come back to me.”

In the background, the older Van watched the scene unfold with his father, who had placed a hand on his shoulder. Goau took a moment before he spoke. “You were the first person she saw when she awoke, weren't you?” A slight nod was what he received. “How did that make you feel?”

There was a moment of silence before Van spoke. “I felt so relieved, so happy she was alive. I was so scared that I was going to lose her. Then, when I saw her beautiful emerald eyes focus on me and her lips form a smile, I felt as if I had been given the world.”

“Hey there, Sparky. Not getting all sentimental on me, are you?” Both men turned back at the scene in front of them to see the broken Hitomi smiling at the younger Van. The man's expression showed great joy as he took her into his arms.

“Hitomi! Oh Kami. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

The girl's eyes were wide, but slowly closed as she accepted his embrace. “Gomenne.”

When he let go of her, young Van searched deep into her eyes. “What happened?”

Sighing, the girl shook her head. “Not now. I feel like a piñata.”

“Can't be. I didn't get any candy.”

“I'd hit you if I had the energy.”

Smiling lightly, the boy settled himself back in his chair and simply spoke with her as Goau smiled softly. “It seems to me you had already felt what your life would be like without her. Now, are you ready to look back at the current problem?” Van looked at his father sharply, almost afraid of seeing this scene once again. “Son, you have to face it sooner or later.”

With a sigh, he nodded, letting the current image fade into the banquet hall. It came into focus as a really loud smack was heard. The hurt and betrayed look in her eyes shattered his heart for the second time as he saw the anger in her eyes. He didn't blame her in the least.

Seeing her eyes begin to water tugged at his heart strings, almost forcing him to look away. The him of about two weeks ago went after her. “Hitomi! Wait! Let me explain-”

The girl whirled around and glared at man. “Explain? What is there to explain? You wanted a better job, a big score, so you lied to me and used me for your own benefits! You pimped me out for a job!”

“That's not it! Please, just listen to me.”

“No! I've had enough! I trusted you for years, Van Fanel. I have never felt more betrayed in my life! I never, ever want to see you again.” With that, Hitomi ran for the door, not taking the time to look back at him.

Shaking his head, Van looked away. “I don't want to see this anymore, father.”

“I'm sorry to say there's one more part that needs to be seen. Right before she enters the cab.”

As if on cue, Van squeezed his eyes shut as the cab scene played out for Goau.

“Damn you, Van Fanel. How could you? How could you do that to me? Not only did you change everything about me, but you betrayed and lied to me!”

“It's not like that. Besides, I thought you liked this new change. You did say-”

“I didn't change for him! I changed for you! Everything I've ever done since you put this ring on my finger has been because or for you! I never wanted to do this, but because you asked me to, I did. How could you not see that?” Goau watched as Hitomi took a step back towards the cab. As Hitomi looked at his son with great sadness and hurt in her eyes, she asked her final question. “Did you even see me at all?”

Van was obviously too shocked to answer, which was not good since Hitomi took his silence hard, turning her gaze to the ground. The head of the Fanel family watched as she slowly slipped the Celtic ring Van had given her so long ago off her finger and threw it at his feet. “Good bye, Mr. Fanel.”

The image faded away as the current Van turned his gaze to his father. “Satisfied?”

Shaking his head, Goau kept his eyes ahead of him. “I thought we taught you better than that, Van.”

“Mother said the same thing.”

“I'm not surprised. Did I ever tell you how I got your mother away from that other man she was supposed to marry?” After Van shook his head no, the older man continued. “I had known her for a long time, but didn't realize I loved her until she asked me a very important question. She asked, as her best friend, if I would walk her down the aisle and give her away. I told her no, saying I couldn't give her away to another man that wasn't me. It was then that I told her I loved her and we shared our first kiss. She, at first, pushed me away, saying I was too late. I couldn't enter the church after that, opting to sit on the steps outside. Next thing I knew, the doors swung open and there she was, running into my arms. She was about to say `I do' to the other man when she decided on true love, on us, instead of infatuation. That was one of the happiest days of my life.”

When Van shot him a confused and shocked look, Goau continued. “Moral of the story, never give up. You never know what will come at the last minute.”

“But it's too late.”

“It's never too late. You can't speak for other people's emotions, no matter how long you've known them.”

With a sigh of frustration, Van walked away from his father. “You don't understand! Hitomi is not the type of person to forgive easily. Once betrayed, it's nearly impossible to get her to even talk with you, let alone forgive you. Hitomi had a hard time trusting people before. I was one of the firsts in a very long time and what do I turn around and do? Betray her.”

A small smile formed on his father's face. “Improbable, yes. Impossible, no. Haven't we taught you nothing is impossible if you put your whole heart into it? Fight for her. You must fight like you have never fought before. It won't be easy and it probably won't come right away, but eventually things will work out as they were destined to.”

That caused the young raven haired man to pause. “What if we aren't meant to be?”

“That's something you need to find out yourself.”

As the scene around them changed into a fog, Van felt something tugging in the back of his mind, some question he had to ask. “Father, how is it possible for us to be talking like this?”

The smile that once graced the man's face disappeared almost immediately, causing Van to become concerned. “What's the last thing you remember, son?”

Taking on a look of complete concentration, the raven haired boy thought back to his last memory. “I was singing. I had the guitar in my hand and was singing up to Hitomi's balcony. I remember watching her eyes, seeing the hurt still there. It was as if she wanted to believe me, but couldn't. She… she shook her head and went inside her apartment. That's it.”

When his eyes rested on the taller male, Goau's face was very serious. “Do you not remember what came after that?”

A shake of Van's head was the man's answer.

Without a word, Goau raised his hand in the direction of the fog, causing it to stir as colors blended together to form a picture. Van was in this picture, looking defeated as he crossed the street, away from Hitomi's apartment building. Bright lights suddenly came his way, not to his knowledge. Current Van watched as Danielle cried out to him right before his body came in contact with the car hood, sending his body flying into the air.

Van watched the scene in shock. “I… I was hit by a car?”

The car sped away even before the body hit the cement ground. It bounced a few times before coming to a stop a few feet away from its original location. All persons surrounding the area reacted, running over to the body as one dialed 911 on their cell.

“VAN!!!” All heads turned to the emerald eyed female who was immediately at his side. Hitomi was frantic as she sunk to her knees. “Oh Kami. Van! Van, please open your eyes! Van!”

“The ambulance is on its way. Who was that jackass driving the car?”

“I think I saw blond hair.”

The sandy brunette was now cradling the boy's head in her arms as tears were running down her face. “Van, you can't leave like this. Not like this. Hang in there. Just hang on.”

Van looked over at his father during this. “Is… is that what happened?”

Without a word, the scene played on…

The ambulance soon arrived later, running over with a stretcher. “What happened?”

Gaddess was the one who spoke. “He was crossing the street when a car came out of no where and hit him.”

“Name and age?”

“Van… Van Fanel.” All eyes turned to the woman holding onto the bloody man. “He's twenty six years old.”

Nodding their heads, the paramedics went to work trying to care for the body, Folken having to drag Hitomi away. “Looks like he hit his head pretty bad. Possible for some brain damage.”

“Oh Kami. Please tell me Van's going to be okay.” Hitomi tried so desperately to get some answers from the paramedics, but they ignored her remarks, more concerned about getting him to the hospital as quickly as they could.

“We're taking him to Samurai General. You can all meet us there.” That being said, the men took Van's body to the waiting ambulance. Before they could shut the doors, a familiar female voice spoke. “I want to go with you.”

The men both shook their heads as they closed the doors. “No room, ma'am. It'll be safer for him if you were brought over by someone else.” With that, the ambulance took off, sirens blasting as they raced against time itself.

Van watched on as the gang all ran to their cars, Folken taking the panicked Hitomi with him. “This can't be happening. Not like this…”

The car was silent as Folken sped after the large white vehicle. Hitomi only looked straight ahead of her. “It's my fault, isn't it Folken?”

Still looking at the road, the man responded. “What makes you think that? You should know by now my brother has no common sense.”

“But I turned him away.”

A sigh came from Folken. “Listen Hitomi. After all he put you through, I'm not sure if you can ever forget that, the kind of betrayal he committed. The real question is, can you forgive? I know it's hard, since he only recently figured out what you are to him. It's even harder, considering you've been in love with him since high school. You have to decide just how much you love him, see if it's enough to forgive.”

The woman took a deep breath. “No matter what I think, it's probably too late now.”

Folken looked over at her before bringing his attention back to the road. “My father used to tell me that it's never too late. You can't speak for other people's emotions, no matter how long you've known them. Knowing Van, he'd be thrilled just to know you're willing to speak to him again.”

“And to think it only took a car accident for him to get that concept.”

“Hey, that's the guy you're in love with. What does that say for you?”

A small smile graced her lips. “That I've been a fool, wasting my life loving someone who only saw a friend.”

`Oh Hitomi…'

Before Folken could say anything, they came to the hospital. After parking the car, they both ran inside, the rest of the gang not too far behind. Running up to the main desk, emerald eyes peered into the face of a woman soon entering her elder years.

“That's the same nurse I talked to when Hitomi was in the hospital.”

Goau looked at his son. “We don't really have a great history with cars, do we?”

Van simply shrugged as the scene continued.

“Please, where can we find Van Fanel's room?”

The woman looked over at the sandy brunette, taking her in. “You a relative?”

Folken stepped forward. “I'm his brother and this is his… fiancée. How's he doing?”

Typing at the computer, the nursed looked up at them again. “He's still in surgery, but should be out soon. The doctor will come get you when it's safe for you to see him. For now, just sit in the waiting room down the hall a bit.”

“Thank you, nurse.” The pair walked off to the waiting room, doing as the name suggests. The night progressed in silence, some of the friends falling asleep on each other. Only two people stayed awake the entire time, a silver haired man leaning forward resting his chin on his hands, and an emerald eyed girl who constantly looked over at the door the doctor should have been coming from.

“Why is she staying there? I don't like seeing her this upset.”

“Don't think you have much choice about that, son.”

A man in a white lab coat came out with dark blue hair and thin rimed glasses in front of blue eyes that seemed to trap you. “Mr. Fanel?”

Folken shot straight up and went over to the man, who was a few inches shorter. “How's my brother?”

“Your brother has taken a massive amount of injuries, primarily to the head. Honestly, sir, it'll be a miracle if opens his eyes again. The next twenty-four hours are critical to his condition. I'm very sorry.”

Nodding his head, Folken shook the doctor's hand. “Thank you, Dr…”

“Hiragizawa. Dr. Hiragizawa.”

The emerald eyed girl's head snapped up quickly. “Hiragizawa? Eriol Hiragizawa?”

The doctor raised one eyebrow as he looked at where the voice had come from. He watched as the sandy brunette walked up beside Folken. “Hitomi Kanzaki? What are you doing here?”

The tall silver haired man looked back and forth between the two. “You know each other?”

Hitomi nodded. “We went to college together.”

Eriol still had his eyes wide. “I didn't expect to see you again.”

“Now's not the time to be talking about this. How's Van?”

Raising one eyebrow, the doctor looked at her. “You're with him?”

“You could say that…”

After a brief moment, the doctor sighed. “He's in intensive care at the moment. Technically speaking, only family members are allowed to see him.” Seeing her pleading eyes, the male sighed again. “If anyone asks, you're his fiancée. Got it?”

“Arigatou Eriol.”

Nodding his head, the doctor led the pair to the room where the raven haired man laid. The woman's jaw practically fell to the ground as she saw Van hooked up to numerous machines while his head was wrapped up in bandages. His body was also covered in bruises from the fall. “Oh Kami. Van…” Immediately, she ran to his side, taking his hand in hers. “Oh Van, I'm so sorry.”

Feeling the chair behind her, thanks to Folken, Hitomi sat herself right by his side, refusing to move. She looked over his bruised body, tears beginning to fall from her glassy eyes. The elder Fanel placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down slightly. “I have a feeling you'll be staying here with him the entire time. I'll go tell the others to go get some sleep and we'll update them in the morning. I should also make some phone calls. You going to be okay by yourself?”

A gentle nod was all he received as he headed out of the room, obviously unable to handle the condition his brother was currently in.

“Kami. Why do you have to be such a baka? If you weren't such an idiot, none of this would have ever happened. Why are you doing this to me? Haven't you done enough? I may be angry with you, but I'd never want you dead.” The tears were falling rapidly at this point. “Van, you have to come back. Who's going to be there for me when I need someone? I… I can't promise to forget, but I can try to forgive. You know that in itself is a big thing. You had about another ten years worth of hatred aimed at you.”

Shaking her head, Hitomi continued. “Why didn't you look both ways like always? Couldn't you hear the damn car? Van, please. I still need you. You're the only one that truly understands me. There's no one that could ever take your place in my life, nor my heart. Please, just come back to me. Please Van. Just come back to me.”

Van looked on, tears just about coming to his eyes. Even after all he had done, she still cared for him, maybe even loved him. “I've been such a fool. All this time I've had what I've always wanted right in front of me and I blew it.” Looking at his father, he asked the most terrifying question in his mind. “Am I dead?”

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep

Hitomi's head snapped up as she looked at the heart monitor machine, which was going haywire. Jumping up, she ran to the door. “Nurse! We need a doctor in here! Someone, please!! Help!!”

A few moments later, Eriol along with a few nurses ran into the room out of nowhere. “He's crashing. Hitomi, get out of here, now! Nurse, hand me the paddles.”

“Yes doctor.”

Eriol looked up when he received the paddles. “Hitomi, now!”

The girl slowly backed her way out of the room, speaking softly. “Van… Van…”

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep

Van looked at his father in panic as everything was whirling around them. “Is this it? Is this how it all ends??”

Goau did not answer his question. “Van, it's time to go.”

Backing away, the shorter raven haired man shook his head. “No… no! I want to live! I want Hitomi to forgive me and we live our lives as we were supposed to. I want to make everything right again!”

“Van…”

“Van!”

The boy shook his head. “NO!!”

“Van! We have to go now!” Goau grabbed his son, trying to take him.

“NO!!”

“Nurse, up the juice! We're losing him. Clear!”

“I don't want to go!”

“Van!”

“Van!!”

The boy looked at the scene again as a great force started to pull, him unable to resist anymore. “NO!!!!”

“VAN!!!!!”

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

And with that, he was gone…

 

 

~*~Wow… Now that's a great cliffhanger. Remember, killing the author is not good, considering THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER!!! *evil smile* Again, sorry for the almost three month wait, but I hope it was worth it. Granted, it's not as long as the other chapters, but I hope it still has a great impact. Any questions, leave a review or my email address is in my profile, which you all should be checking now and then for new messages from me.

Btw, the last chapter I mentioned about the Elimination contest. Well, I WON!!! Thank you to all of those that voted for me and made me number one in that area.

Now remember, I'm in college again, so the next chapter might take awhile. Gomen. Ja ne!!!~*~