"I can stay with Kokichi while you go to talk with your uncle," Maki said slowly, putting her arms around me. I could feel Shuichi hesitantly give me to Maki...I felt a little abandoned in a way, but it's probably just me being clingy because of almost losing him multiple times in the last 24 hours...

I clung to my shirt. I didn't want him to leave me. I didn't want to be left alone again...I felt some tears come to my eyes as Shuichi arms left from around me. I felt Maki's there in replacement...but it wasn't the same. I wanted Shuichi to be holding me right now, but he isn't even here at the moment.

"Hey, Kokichi, it's ok I'm here while Shuichi goes to talk to his uncle. He just wants to make sure that he is accepting and calm so he can introduce you to him...but he also probably didn't want to take you out there while you are still tired." She said while I yawned. She was right. I am still tired...I feel exhausted. Like there is this force on my shoulders making it hard for my eyes to stay open...making it hard for me to do anything.

I shook my head a couple of times before looking back over at Maki. "Thank you for staying with me...you don't think anyone is going to come with you either?" I asked, rubbing my eyes with my hand. I could feel some tears still in the corners of them as I rubbed Shuichi's jacket against my cheeks. Maki looked over to the door for a moment before gesturing to the couch.

I realized I was still leaning against her. I quickly muttered a sorry before we moved over to the couch. I sat down pulling Shuichi's jacket closer to my chest, not wanting to let go of the scent that was attached to it...the warmth that was still on it from him.

"Yeah, I mean I was at the orphanage before I was taken away and made to be an assassin." She said with a frown. I could tell something was bugging her, but decided that if she wanted to tell me she would. Because honestly, it's not my place to ask.

"I had a friend back there that was going to get taken, but I took her place instead..." Maki sighed looking down at her hands. She clenched them and unclenched them again and again.

"I see," I paused putting one of my hands on her own. "Maybe we can stay together then! Because I know for a fact my parents won't want to come to get me!" Exclaimed with a small laugh. She smiled a bit at me.

"Yeah that sounds nice," She paused before she looked at me.

"We are almost 18...so we could probably go look for a place to stay," She said as I met her gaze. I smiled at her.

"Yeah, we could stay somewhere with the others," I said with a smile. Shuichi, we could be living together~ with the others, it would be nice...sure we will get on each other's nerves, but I'm sure we could all make it work. I mean I have been running an organization with members that come from all over! So, I'm positive we will be able to work it out!

My smile fell...DICE, where the hell are they? Are they ok working without me? I felt a serious expression take over my face as my gaze fell to the floor. Did they get caught? How have they even been doing without me? I asked myself putting my head in my hands.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Maki asked gently, putting a hand on my shoulder. I smiled a bit at the action but wasn't able to get it off my mind. I have left them alone for so long...so what if they aren't doing ok? I sighed running a hand through my hair.

"I'm just worried about DICE," I said, feeling a little guilty for saying the name out loud. Maki didn't seem to mind it and she just moved her hand away to put it back into her lap. I moved back in the seat so I was leaning back before I met her gaze again.

"I get that feeling, I'm worried about some people I left behind as well," She said but I could hear her add, I still feel guilty about leaving them all behind....She didn't say it outloud but I still heard it loud and clear.

"Yeah." I said looking back over to the door. What could they be talking about out there? What the hell could be going on- I cut these thoughts off before they got out of hand. Shuichi can handle himself so I shouldn't worry so much.

"So, are you planning on marrying Shuichi?" She asked, looking over to me with a small blush on her cheeks. I felt my face heat up almost immediately. Why does she ask that all of a sudden? I asked myself before I looked over at her and saw her eyes were a little glossy- ah, so that's what this is about. I thought to myself before gently taking her hand in my own.

"Yes, of course I am...I know you probably wanted to do that with Kaito huh...?" I asked quietly as some tears fell out of her eyes. I hated having to be the one to bring all the bad news... but reality is Kaito is dead...he died when we all were able to escape...

"Yeah..." She whispered before looking away from me. I stood up and walked so I was standing in front of her. This was before I brought her face into my chest gently rubbing her shoulders. I could feel her tense from the contact and she went to move away before slowly relaxing.

"It's ok to cry you know...we are all here for you...I know how much it must hurt to have lost him, but know you still have all of us and we are your family now." I said with a smile. I felt my heartbeat become slightly faster at the thought of having a real family. A 'real' family...not like the ones who always left me in the dark, not the ones who took my childhood away from me...not the ones who made me feel like dying, but the ones that want me to live, the ones who want me to continue on, so we can all live together.

I smiled to myself as Maki calmed down. She slowly moved out of the embrace before she wiped her remaining tears. "Thanks..." She muttered to herself before I went back to sitting next to her. It was silent for a long moment, but it wasn't awkward...it was more calming to me.

"Hey-" I started only for the door to be opened. Kyoko walked in with my...mother. I looked up at her with a glare in my eyes. I could tell Maki knew who this was by the way I reacted. God, I hate this woman...sure she raised me as best she could...but she took everything from me, and pretended that I was ok! Making me pretend I was OK! Making me think that all I was good for was being a good puppet for the both of them...taking my life away from me slowly as I became a well oiled machine with no way of being able to make my own choices...a perfect puppet for them to use and then toss aside when I was no longer useful or relevant.

Sure after getting out of the hospital they were more understanding, to an extent. But that didn't make me feel like I belonged there...I felt like dying was the only way I wouldn't be criticised for anything I did....that I wouldn't have all of my actions controlled as I wasted away as their own puppet.

"Kokichi!" She said running up to me with a smile plastered on her face. She smelled just as she had before, the smell of the home that used to be where i was trapped. I didn't say anything as she moved away from me.

"Ah, I would have thought you would be happy to see your mom-" I cut her off.

"You aren't my mother," I said in a cold tone making her sigh.

"But I am Kokichi and you should know your place as my son!" She beamed grabbing onto my arm trying to take me out of the room. I pulled away from her but she kept trying to take me with her. Eventually I pulled away making her fall back so her head hit the door. She got up with an angry expression on her face..now I have taken it too far. I looked down to my feet.

"This is why I shouldn't have come! You're a selfish brat just as you always have been." She spat before leaving the office. Kyoko called after her but once she planned to leave I knew better than anyone that she was going to leave.

"Kokichi," Kyoko said looking over to me. All I did was look to the side.

"Shuichi mentioned to me that your mother wasn't the best to you...so we are going to be asking you some questions about it as well as investigating them ok?" She asked looking down at me concerned. I felt some tears come to my eyes before I saw Shuichi enter the room. The only thing that crossed my mind as I ran towards him was that it was Shuichi!

"Don't leave me again please! I missed you!" I said letting some tears fall down my cheeks. I felt another male clear his throat making my breath hitch. Who the hell-

"So, you must be Shuichi's boyfriend?" The male asked, making me look up at Shuichi for answers. He smiled and gently patted my head.

"Yeah, this is my boyfriend I was telling you about! Kokichi Ouma," He said with a smile. I blushed at this, so this is his uncle...but isn't he.

"Well, it's nice to meet you!" He said with a smile before he pulled me into a hug. I flinched at the embrace but Shucihi gently rubbed my shoulder before joining the hug. I felt a little better that he was by my side...but that didn't help my confusion.

"Sorry, Kokichi this is my Uncle," Shuichi said with a smile. I looked up at the older man with a nervous glance.

"Yeah, sorry I should introduce myself," He said with a small laugh.

"My name is Sam Saihara," He said with a smile. I noticed that he had Shuichi's eyes. It made me feel a little happy that I was getting to know his relative, like a real boyfriend.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Kokichi Ouma!" I exclaimed with a smile. He held his hand out for me to shake and I took it in my own shaking it a few times.

"Nice to meet you as well! I hear that you are going to be staying with us for a while?" He asked with a smile. Shuichi blushed and looked over at me and Maki.

"Y-yeah, I thought it would be good if the two of you could stay over with us, because we have the room and-" I cut him off by pulling his face down to my level before kissing his lips. He blushed more at this and his uncle just laughed a bit.

"Shuichi you are still so easily flustered!" He said laughing again. Me and the others joined him in laughter and it felt good to laugh for the first time in a long time.

-We love a supportive uncle! I have another math test coming up next week...and I have to memorize a bit of formulas (aka 23 at least-) so I hope I am able to understand it all! Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoy!-

-ShuichiOuma010-