Time to say goodbye...

Two weeks... Two amazing weeks the family had been able to spend together. But Emi's time was coming close, she knew it, she just didn't want her parents to know... She didn't want it to hurt them any more than it already was. So even as her last day began, she held a bright smile on her face. Uncle Takuya knew... but she even asked him not to say a word. Her daddy was going to be crushed... her dad as well... but even in the short two weeks they'd become close like what her and her hybrid father had been.

And it was tearing her up that she would be leaving like this.

They day rolled along slowly, she spent the day with her parents like she always did, come evening she was feeling very tired. Miku had been carryign her down the street on his back to their home, closing her eyes slowly she nuzzled against his shoulder... She was feeling scared... Much like when she was a child and she'd just had a bad dream... "Can I sleep with you two tonight?" There was a storm coming tonight... She didn't want to go through it alone...

Kanon knew something was up. Something was wrong with Emi. He didn't know what but he wouldn't ask. When she asked to stay with them that night he agreed automatically. She wanted her parents and they would be there.

"How about we have your favorite tonight? A nice seafood medley. Some mussels, clams, shrimp, lobster, calimari, oysters...and a baby spinach and fruit salad. How does that sound? With some tea...would you like that?" The girl on Miku's back smiled softly.

"Sounds wonderful, dad...a perfect meal for a perfect day..." Her voice was soft and she knew it would happen in the night. But there was no way of stopping it. Nothing she could do. They would be alright though. Kanon was a survivor if nothing else and Miku would be fine no matter what happened...they had eachother and she knew she was leaving them in good hands.

Dinner had gone just as smoothly as today, though Emi had to sit down to help, she helped none the less. And it had probably been Kanon's cooking at it's best. Though he was a fantastic cook all the time, tonight had been different, it was in a small way but it was there...

As the evening continued, so did Emi's strength, Miku simply passed it off as they had both overdone it today. Cause both were about to pass out as they stood to go upstairs. "We'll meet you in the bedroom sweetie... Kanon?" His hand extended for Kanon's taking it gently in his own before going upstairs, completely oblivious to anything bad in the air.

Changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, he moved to where Kanon was and wrapped his arms around him, "Today... no, the last few weeks have been the best... thank you." The blonde leaned up to kiss him as Emi came in, more than ready to cuddle her parents before sleeping. But not before scrunching her nose for some last minute teasing, "Ew... Dad is spreading his cooties." She smiled as she crawled up the middle of the bed and tucked herself in. This was the last time she'd see them in this life... As both her parents came to bed, she took their hands, holding them as she slipped to sleep, "Good night... I love you Dad... Daddy..." Miku smiled and kissed her temple, returning her affections before moving closer to her... It felt right to be near her tonight...

~Morning~

Miku woke up slowly... Emi's hand was still in his, but not the same way it had been last night. It was cold... still... stiller than what it should have been... "Emi?" He sat up, her hand falling limp from his own. "Emi... baby wake up... Emi." His voice was shaking, and the tears were building, "Kanon... Kanon!" Emi was pale... cold... not breathing... "Emi! Emi wake up please..." Emi was gone... And somewhere he knew it, he just didn't want to believe it.

"Kanon... Help... Please..."

Emi had come in and he smiled at her. Something in her eyes told him that she knew something she wasn't telling. He ignored it though as she came to lay between them. This was right...and he was hoping that all this was just a fluke. That Emi would still be there in ten, twenty years.

"Goodnight Emi. Love you."

~Morning~

Kanon woke up to Takuya being in the room...Takuya. No. He looked over to see a peacefully sleeping Miku and a crying Emi. She looked at her father and shook her head. She didn't want Miku awake for this. She hadn't wanted him awake...but she was glad to have him there.

"Da-d..." She was dying...Kanon was crying when he realised it and moved to hold her. He would hold her in her last moments like he had Miku...she would come back to him though...someway she would.

"Shh...just sleep sweetie...we'll see you again. You aren't leaving us forever...just a little while okeh? It's alright, it'll be alright. I promise." The last of her tears fell as she nodded and whispered one last I love you dad. Then she was gone...Takuya had her soul and was ready to release her. He was holding onto her dead form crying...but she didn't want Miku to be awake for this...so with Takuya's help he left the room. They went outside and released her soul to be reborn. He was sad and knew that when Miku woke up things wouldn't be the same. Kanon just knew something was wrong last night...

"Bai bai baby." The rest of the song played out in his head as he went inside. Takuya had another reaping to go to and he let him go...but he would wait for Miku.

"bai bai baby, don't be long...I worry about you while you're gone..." The song fit so perfectly well...and the tears fell.

Miku didn't understand... Kanon was gone... Emi was gone... It was like none of it had happened... Neither of them were there... like this had been some tragic story that had just reached its last few pages and left the reader going 'why?!' and angrily tossing the book... Thats what he wanted to do, he wanted to toss the book and there be Emi and Kanon...

Sobbing, and quite loudly at that, he pulled himself from Emi and the entire room in general... He couldn't take it... This had been too much... he didn't want to see Emi die... she was supposed to get better and outlive everyone. Start her own family, grow flowers, live! Closing the door, he slumped down against it and continued crying into his knees. They were gone... He didn't know where Kanon was, he just knew he wasn't there...

He wanted and needed to be with Kanon... so somehow, he'd found it in himself to stand and go downstairs. He saw a slumped form in the chair and went to it, dropping to his knees and laying his head against his boyfriends leg. His arms hung there completely useless as he just cried against him. He didn't know what to say, if there was even anything to say.

Kanon felt Miku on his legs and slid to the floor with him. He held him as they both cried. There were no words for this...nothing that could be said. There were only tears and loss.

"She loved you...so very much...she didn't want you t-to see...but she'll be back...she won't be gone too long. She'll come back to us..." He cried and started to sing that song again. It was sad and soulful...and just fit.

It hurt that Emi didn't want him to be there... but she didn't want to hurt him... it was harder to watch death than to wake up to it he guessed... But it hadn't made it any easier...

His arms finally came around Kanon and help onto him, his lover was hurting too. It wasn't just him... He'd just been a bit more irrational about all of it."I thought... when I found Emi like that... and then you were gone... that everything had died with her... It felt like it... but I knew you where here, I could feel you... I don't understand though... why couldn't I be there..." It was hard to talk... Emi was almost like a best friend to him... And his last memories... She wasn't in pain... she was happy...

"Never mind..." He knew why... she didn't want that to be ruined... Even in death she had looked at peace, like when she'd fallen asleep. That was why.

"Because she loved you...she loved you and knew it would be harder to let go if she saw you. She didn't want to see your sad face...and she knew if you were awake you would be the last thing she saw...and she didn't want the last time she saw you to be that sad face. It's harder to let go when you see them leave. She loved you...that's why." He knew that was the reason. Emi knew her death would be a hard hit to both of them but it would be harder to Miku. Kanon knew how it went and had survived...she knew he'd be okeh but Miku...she didn't want him to see the pain in her eyes in her last moments. Holding his hand was enough for her.

This was the first time he'd ever lost someone, and for Kanon this was twice... Tensing a bit he, moved into Kanon's lap and help himself closer. "... I'm not going anywhere..." It may have seemed odd and out of place, but that voice... his voice, it was different. Like the old Miku was trying to manifest itself if only for a moment. Pulling back he had the look in his eye that his Hybrid self had once had, except with quite a few more years behind them. Without a word, Miku's face told him it would be alright, that Emi had made it and she would come back... When they least suspected it, just like when she'd first came into their lives. Slowly his hand came up to cradle Kanon's face, it was easy to tell that this Miku was not the angelic one... though as he leaned in to kiss him, pulling back from the kiss had brought back the present Miku. Though without so many tears... What just happened?

His Miku...from so long ago...he was there...and he was letting Kanon know that he wasn't alone...no matter what his lover would be there. And that kiss...it was different from Miku's but so familiar. He loved it...he missed it. But then it was his angelic Miku again. He smiled sadly.

"She'll be back...she'll be back.."

"Kanon...?" He wanted to press it, but something told him not to... to just comfort him and get things prepared. "We need to call the counsel... so they can prepare things for her..." Her cremation... She'd be reborn and would be back. For now it would be just getting through the pain. But he'd be there, no matter what.

After the dreaded phone call and the sad collection of Emi's empty shell... they were left in silence. Neither one of them really ready or willing to speak... Miku however wanted to at least be close... and his eyes hurt terribly... everything did... Carefully he laid his head in Kanon's lap and looked up sadly at him. What would they do now?

Kanon started to pet Miku's hair as he looked down at him. There was too much silence...but silence was what was needed. He didn't know how to explain it. But that's what they needed...what they had to have. He just sat there and petted Miku's hair.

"I love you..." Kanon smiled to him and kept running his hands through his hair.

"Bai bai baby, don't be long. I'll worry about you while you're gone. bai bai baby, don't be long. I'll worry about you while you're gone. I'll think of you in my dreams, you'll never know just what you mean to me..." The song repeated itself and Kanon sang. It was such a sad goodbye...but he wanted to. He used to sing it to her all the time. Now it was true...and he hoped she'd be back soon.

Miku smiled softly before just simply curling closer to Kanon, "... love you too."

Laying there and listening to his lover sing... he couldn't help but to cry a little more. Not nearly as hard, but gently... quietly.

"She'll be back... before we even know it..." Turning to where he faced Kanon's stomach, he nuzzled into it. Emi would be back... She wouldn't be able to leave them alone, not now that they could actually be a family again. Tugging his shirt carefully, he looking into Kanon's watery eyes, "Can I do anything for you? Other than just being here?"

Kanon looked down as he felt his shirt pulled. Moving his lover so he was sitting up in his lap he brushed a little bit of hair out of his eyes. "Not really...just so long as you are here I'll be alright...so long as you're here." Leaning in he kissed him softly and held onto him. All he needed was Miku...to know his lover was there...that's all...just there...

Miku did just that, he stayed there with him and let the other hold him. They were quiet together... but all that matter was that they were together and Emi was no longer in pain... Though it hurt to not have her there. "You can have me for as long as you need me." Forever hopefully. He didn't want to leave this.

"And what if I need you forever?...would you stay with me forever?" He wanted him...to be with him until the end of everything...he wanted it. Miku was all he had now...his everything. He wouldn't go without him. He couldn't..he was too important to lose.

"I love you too much to let you go..."

Forever? Kanon wanted him forever? Oh this was good... Smiling a real smile for the first time that day, he cuddled closer to him, "Forever it is then... I wouldn't mind such a time period anyways, I get to spend it with you making you happy after all."

Wrapping his arms around him, he cuddled into his warmth... "I love you... I wont leave again..."

"Good because I don't think I could survive losing you again...not again." He smiled a little and kissed Miku softly. He didn't want to lose anyone anymore. Miku, Hyde, Emi...it wasn't fair and it hurt. But he didn't really have a choice but to move on. This time he wouldn't. He wouldn't let Miku be ripped away again. Not again.

"No worries... There is no Takeru here... There's only you, you're the only one who can tell me to disappear..." Miku's hands were stroking his hair gently as he leaned against him. They'd be okay as long as the stayed together... and forever sounded good.

Smiling up at him, he kissed his cheek and laid his head back on Kanon's shoulder, "We'll get through all this... together." Hopefully no more death would follow so they could live peaceful lives.

"I like the sound of together. I wouldn't be able to do this alone." He held tight to Miku and just watched as it started to rain. Emi's final goodbye. She always loved the rain...now she could say goodbye with the peaceful drops running down their windows. Tears...and a goodbye.

(end)