Reunification

[Reno]

Sora and Orihime both jumped in surprise when Raine ran in - but then Sora sighed not surprised atr all. It was a small house and he knew the others would listen in no matter what but he wanted to at least give Orihjime a sense of security. He knew how nerve-wracking it can be to talk with all of his siblings there... they always kind of... got incisstent about things.

"Oh she's not bothering me!" Orihime said looking down at Raine. "And i'm sorry but I don't know where he is..." She looked up at Sora suddenly. "I did however come here with another purpose."

"What do you mean?" The brunette asked.

"Well... because Ryten's been declared... you know - I get a relief fund and I have rights to decide what to do with it.. and I know Ryten would have liked me to share it with his family." Orihime said, digging into her purse and handed over a pre-written check. "So this is yours."

Sora looked down... then his jaw dropped. "Fi....Fi....Five-hundred THOUSAND?!?!" He mouthed at the check then looked up at Orihime. "Are you SERIOUS?!"

Orihime just smiled and nodded. She knew Sora wouldnever know that he was actuallyt in fact getting the whole relief fund. She'd never tell.

[Jade]

Kairi's eyes narrowed and suddenly went wide when she heard the words and large number spit out of Sora's mouth as loud as they did. She then stared " Your... your giving them five h undred... thousand!?" Kairi shouted right back looking at the orange haired girl. Just who was she... normal people just didnt give money away like that... she had even heard in the past military family members losing everything that their sons owned because their wives didnt care and just took it all... but this girl... did she realize that was... that was all of it? Kairi had known of course because a few of her own friends had siblings die in the war, and their family had gotten the 500 thousand, but of course... that could never be enough to make up for the loss of that life... would Sora even take it...?

Raine gave a stare hearing the number " Is that munnies Sora? Can I see it?" she asked running over to her brothers side pulling on his leg reaching out for the check. Shed never seen that much munnies before! It even looked different it wasnt green like most of it!

Kenji was next to walk into the room, and so did the rest of the kids as they just stared... who in the hell was tihs girl..?

[Reno]

Iris stumbled into the room next to her brother, her own eyes wide. Half a million?! Just for relief money?! That was ridiculous!!

Adan stared at the check, but instead of shock or joy he just glared at it hatefully. As if a large amount of money could ever, EVER compare to Ryten. His big brother... was dead and the military thought they could make it all better with a check of money? That was fucking... messed up.

Sora's hands trembled as he started to the number, unable to believe this much money was in his hands. Unable to fathom a nubmer so high... and receieveing it all at once. If he took it... he could quit his job at the club, he could get a better, bigger place for his family he could -

"Getting ready for another date?"
"Eep!" Sora yelped, guiltly hugging his shirts to his chest. He was holding five of them - he couldn;t decide what to wear!
"Such a fucking girl!"
"S-Shut up Ry!" The brunette complained, pouting.
"Man, Kairi already loves ya. It's sickening really. Hey I got an idea! show up naked! You'll pass second base for sure! I'll even lend you a condom!"
"Yeah pass it all the way to my grave when her dad sees me." Sora said, the two sharing a glance and then bursting into laughter.

His eyes shut slowly, bowing his head, feeling wetness trickling down his cheeks, knowing it was tears. He and his family were fine even without money. they were happy in their own ways, surviving maybe not perfectly but well enough. They didn;t need the money... it would only belittle their big brother and he was not going to be the one to do that.

He shook his head silently. "I'm sorry I can't." He gripped onto the check suddenly and with a loud Riiiiiiiiiiip! tore it in half. He handed the pieces to Raine. "Have fun with it."

Maybe it was stupid and hard-headed... but he didn't care. He loved his brother too much to accept it. He wouldn;t overshadow his death into a 'good thing' by taking the money and getting things the family didn't need. then... all Raine would remember of Ryten was some guy who died and getting herself a new bed and lots of stuffed animals.

[Jade]

" S... Sora!!" Kairi shouted suddenly quickly snatching up both pieces of the check horror in her eyes " What are you thinking!?" she screamed gripping onto it as she stared down at the check blankly, he had done ALOT of stupid things in his life but this... this right here... " What do you think your brother would want you to do with this!? Just throw it away!? Or maybe use it to help your family!? To help your mother who is dying on that damned bed in the other room!? Or maybe to give your siblings an education that neither of them can afford!" Kairi quickly snatched Sora's arm turning him around and slapped him then poitned " Or maybe what about her feelings!? Your brothers wife!?"

Anger was boiling inside of her... right now... this was him... him once again not wanting help, pushing everything aside thinking he could take on the world all by himself! " You can't keep doing this! You can't keep pushing every bit of help that comes to you away!" but this time tears started to form in her eyes " Your... your selfish... your not even thinking about them!" she pointed again towards the younger children " Its all your stupid damned pride!"

Kenji's jaw nearly dropped when he saw it... Kairi... wow... he had never in a million years seen Kairi hit Sora, or yell at him like she was doing right now... it was.... it was a sight to see...

" Then what about your brothers funeral... do you even know how much a funeral costs!?" she screamed once again gripping onto his shirt. " You just don't... you don't think so get your head out of your ass!"

[Reno]

Sora winced as he was hit across the face, then looked at her, glaring. He let her yell at him before he stood. "Well KAIRI if you think you can raise this family SO much fucking better go ahead and do it! Be my guest! It;s not like I haven't fucking lost enough!" He pushed her hands away from him and stomped from the kitchen. He snatched up his keys that were sitting on the desk beside the couch.

"Sora where are you going?!" Adan cried.

"OUT!" He snapped back, opening the door then slamming it shut. The silence that followed his leaving was thick and uncomfortable. There was the sound of a car starting - and then tearing down the road. Sora was gone. for how long no one knew and for once.. no one knew where he had gone. Sora had NEVER run away from his problems before.

"You don't have to be so harsh." Orihime said to Kairi suddenly very softly. "I think... Ryten would of done the same thing had the positions been switched." The brothers', though widily different in personalities, had one big similarity. And it wasn;t selfishness... it was their stubborn pride. He had a feeling that notion came straight from... their father.

They were actually really close from what she understood. Even if their relationship had gotten... fickle and broken by their teenage years they still seemed to have a strong connection to one another. She knew... he must of been really hurting. And if she kenw Ryten then she had to guess Sora probably kept that pain bottled up inside like he did - hiding it away until it came out violetly and usually through stupid actions like ripping up half-a-million worth checks. "I can always right another one. Jus tlet him change his mind on his own." She said softly with a smile.

[Jade]

Kairi frowned looking at her, she just didnt get it... " Thats all of the money... why didn't you tell him...?" she asked suddenly a serious look on her face " You are willing to just give all of that up? I mean... most people... they would never ever think of doing something like that..." she sighed suddenly walking over towards the couch and sitting down, all she wanted was for this family to be alright. All she wanted was for them to be a part of her family... did Sora not understand that?

Raine wimpered slightly still not understanding the situation but ran over towards Iris hugging her " Iris is big brother going to come back...? He seemed really mad..."

[Reno]

Orihime stood, walking voer to Kairi's side and sat down next to her. "Of course I know it's all of it. but Sora's trying to raise four people at once along with taking care of his mom. He needs it tons more then I ever did. I was able to get by alone with Ryten ebfore I can do it again." she smield sadly. "I had a feeling he;d react badly to it though." She glanced at the woman. "Why are you just sitting ehre? Shouldn;t you go after him?"

"Of course He will." Irisi said assuredly, picking her sister up. "Nii-san just needs to cool down. Come on lets go play a game." she took her sister to their room.

Adan scoffed, also walking to his room, his trek silent and short as he got to his room, shutting the door loudly and collpasing onto his bed. He buried his head into his pillow and jsut tried to will the world away.

[Jade]

Kairi sighed shaking her head slightly " Ill make it up to him tonight... hes not the best person in the world to chase after when hes angry, he can be a cry baby at times." Kairi said giving a faint smile. She was going to make sure this family was taken care of... it was a part of her life... " So... what are you going to do now...?" she asked suddenly looking up at her. Rytens Funeral hadnt even been scheduled yet... she really wondered where this girl was even going to go...?

[Reno]

Orihime smiled slightly. "I guess I'll just have to figure that otu won't I? I cdan probably find a hotel soemwhere I already know this home is way too full."

~~~

Sora groaned as he drove up to his home, cutting the engine. "Don't go inside..." He hissed to hismelf, laying out across the front seat, curling up suddenly. He groaned feeling pain in his stomach. His eyes were burning yet his mind was all cloudy. "fuck Ryten how do you do it?"

Or should he say... How did he do it...

Sora grumbled, moving his hand uop to stare at his knuckles, seeing that they were all bloody and red. he had punched a tree with his left - punched a wall with his right. His right was hrting a lot worse.

"Jeezsus..." He stumbled voer his words. He smelt somewhat like alcohol - he HATED alcohol just like Kairi but... but his brother had loved it. Loved drinking it and washing his problems away through doing it. It didn't seem to work though, cause now he felt sick and irritated and lost. He was going off of the alcoholic high and into the state of hangover. In fact he could already feel the pounding headache brewing. "Jesus fucking hell Ryten this doesn;t feel good at all."

He sat up, stumbling out of his car, locking and shutting it from behind him. but he didn;t get two steps before he felt his stomach give a vicious jerk. He stumbled against the wall, shutting his eyes as he retched, liquid that smelled strongly of poisonious filth covering the ground. "Ugh... never again."

[Jade]

Men were staring over at Sora from a garbage can that had fire coming out from it, they were all homeless each and every last one of them. They all gathered in the same spot for warmth their hands put outwards, rags for clothes shoes torn. They were either crazy, alcoholics, or they even worse ones who didnt know who the hell they were. It as that very one that gave a look towards Sora, the kid was too damned young to be having trouble sin his life. It was unfortunate that he couldnt even remember what his life was like when he was young. He staggered his way leaving the group, his hair was black and grey shaggy and ragged, hadnt been washed in weeks, maybe even months, a beard covered his face aswell as a wool cap on his head.

He knelt down infront of Sora offering his hand " You want some help there kid?" he asked looking down at him, orange eyes shining. Most homeless stayed away from the 'normal' folk, they looked down on them for not being able to make a living of their own. But it wasnt necessarily their own faults... not most of their faults... but this time... he just felt like this one kid needed a helping hand... from somebody anybody... even if it was an old rotten bum off the streets like himself.

His orange eyes gleamed over Sora giving him a warm smile in return " Too much of that stuff will kill you, you know?"

[Reno]

He knew how bad this stuff was for him - so why did he insist on drinking it? what was he thinking when he did it? Abvsolutely nothing... well except Ryten.

Sora was slumped against the wall when the other came over and he looked up, eyes dim and sick with the alcohol running through his body. He looked up blearily towards the man, his eyebrows furrowing. Orange... eyes... "Dad?" He croaked, confused and lost. His head lolled forward again. "nngh..." He grumbled. "Did I die...?"

Why else would his father be here? His dad went to heaven right? "Where;s Ry...?" He croaked out.

[Jade]

The man gave him a weird stare when the words came out from the boys mouth " Dad...? What...?" he shook his head at him " I don't have any kids... im just a bum on the streets, and im pretty sure your alive." the kid must have been dillusional... why would he call him dad?

" Whos Ry?" he asked again still not certain what this boy was talkinga bout... " You... you want some help? You didnt lose your home too did you? Id hope not if you still have a car you know?"

[Reno]

"Dad...." He called again shutting his eyes. He coughed running a hand hrough his sweaty and spiky brunette hair. "home... Home... mom and the kids..." He mumbled. "Kairi's waiting there... need to get home... but I don;t remember where it is..."

His stomach gave another violent lurch but he swallowed down the bile. "I tried... driving home but... strange people lived their... and Ka....Kairi wasn;t at home... her dad was pissed though... I dunno what he said to me though."

Tears trickled down his face. "Ry's gone... he ran away again. Dad always was good at finding him... dad go find him..."

[Jade]

The man suddenly backed up from him " Listen... im Kyoji... I don't know why you keep calling me Dad... your weirding me out... but im more than willing to help you get home. But for now you just need to sleep this Alcohol off alright?" He put his arm around his shoulder helping him up and starte to walk off " I got a place you can rest... its not the best in the world by no means... but it is a bed... I mean... kind of... if you can call it a bed you know?" he chuckled slightly.

these names the kid kept saying were so weird... he really looked like he was in a a whole lot of stress, a bit too much for his age...

[Reno]

"Mmm....nngh..." Sora groaned as he was lifted up, stumbling all over the place as he was helped along the road. "Nnn... gotta go to work..." he mumbled blearily, leaning his head on the man's shoulder sobbing. "Dad why;d you die?" He whispered. "I can't do it..."

He didn;t know where this man was taking him, didn;t udnerstand half the things he was sayong or... anything really.