Brian!?!??!

[Hyunie]

He was just here...he can't just walk off...my God, he can't even walk yet.

With a frantic look in her eyes, the blue haired girl whipped around in a full circle, searching for her child. He was right here just a second ago, how could this have happened? She growled, slightly pissed off, though more worried than anything. What a bad mother she was turning out to be. Her feet moved automatically, a mother like instinct taking over her; making new friends? Who cares! Her baby was more important. God, she couldn't let him disappear; he meant everything to her.

"BRIAN!"

Of course, only being a year and some months old, he didn't even know how to speak yet, but it was still well worth the try. Maybe coming out to go for a walk around the park had been a bad idea. She had been talking to other mothers in the park when she had realized that her own little babe had gone missing, which, mind you, had caused quite an eruption from the other mothers to search and locate their own child. Brian only knew how to crawl, so he couldn't have gone far. Though, Hyunie had been talking with the other mothers for quite a while, as they gave out helpful hints of what to do in certain situations. They were also very kind to her, as usually people would shake their hads and such; but they must have seen the pleading look on her face, as information from the books weren't everything.

"Brian?!"

She called out once more, eyes looking around as she merely glanced past the mothers picking up their own children.

Sh!#.

[Chrynos]

The park was always a good place to waste time at, considering it was the only place nearby where he could be around peaceful nature and not be in a remote jungle at the same time. The New Yorkian was wearing a black leather jacket and a loose white shirt underneath, followed by a pair of dark blue jeans and lastly, a pair of black sneakers. And the most prominent of all of his belongings, the Ring of Horror. His last possession over from New York, save his bike and a single underwear, of course. He looked up at the sky for a moment, peering through his blue-tinted sunglasses as he gazed at the clouds as they floated by, ever so peaceful and carefree. He let out a chuckle, relaxed at the rather serene environment he was in.

Wanting to stay here longer, he lowered his head and searched for a place in his vicinity where he could stay put. He saw a bench, but it was occupied by a group of old ladies. So, he rested his attention on a nearby tree instead. Glancing at it for a moment as a way to confirm that it was indeed a suitable spot, the twenty year old paced forward, before letting himself down, propped against the tree trunk, crossing his legs. Letting out a sigh, he pulled his hands out of his pockets, closing his eyes as he let his head lean against the trunk. Too bad there weren't any breezes. The park was surrounded by buildings, after all. But heck, it was peaceful and relaxing anyway, and that was all Chrynos needed.

And then, he felt something on his right leg. Surprised, he opened his eyes, shooting forward so fast that his sunglasses flew off his nosebridge and landed on the grass in front of him. With his now-revealed right eyes, he looked at his right leg, only to see that a baby was now on it. The baby looked back at him, before letting out a cute chuckle as he sat himself down in front of Chrynos. The male let out a smile, but the smile faded as he noticed something about the baby. He felt oddly familiar.

"Now, my child. Where can your mother be? Are you lost?"

The baby shook his head, confusing Chrynos for a moment. The graduate then chuckled back, giving out adepe sigh after that. Well, it was time for a mother search. Picking up the child with his two hands, he carried it over his chest, before walking outwards once more, this time with an objective in mind. In fact, he felt so engrossed on it that he had forgotten to take his sunglasses, leaving it there by the grass patch. Soon enough, he heard a voice.

"Brian?!"

The baby let out a soft yelp. Well, he did respond to the call. Chrynos smiled. Looks like they found his mother. Following the sound of the voice, he saw a blue-haired girl calling out the same name over and over again. He was coming in from behind so he couldn't see her face, but he would soon enough. Pacing forward casually, he spoke out as he looked at the baby.

"Uhh, excuse me, miss, but are you looking for this baby?"

[Hyunie]

"Uhh, excuse me, miss, but are you looking for this baby?"

Hyunie whipped herself around, worry-filled eyes instantly landing on her child. Relief washed over her face as she let out an easy sigh, hands reaching over toward the stranger to scoop Brian out of his arms. She had momentarily forgotten about the stranger, only because she had been reunited with her baby. Holding him in her arms, she held onto him, her eyes closing as she thanked God for keeping him safe. Thanked God that the stranger wasn't a child-kidnapper, or a baby molestor, or anything of the sort.

"Brian, you gave mommy a good scare..."

She whispered, kissing him on the forehead, a light smile on his face. Finally, her head turned toward the stranger, eyes flashing with a hint of recognition before going away; it had only been there for a split second, but she had already taken a slight step back without realizing so. Hyunie smiled, and bowed toward the stranger, who looked a lot like Dark. The chances of meeting Dark in California were very low - incredibly low, almost impossible, especially since she already met Leon a couple days back. She convinced herself that this man was but a man who just looked like Dark - possibly God's way of punishing her for the wrong she has done in the past. Or Karma's way of saying, "Ha, gotcha there, didn't I?" Harsh? Kind of.

"Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

By then, Hyunie began placing little Brian into his little carriage, buckling him up. Safety first.

Safety is always first when you have a child.

[Chrynos]

As the woman turned around and scooped the baby off his hands, Chrynos could not help but stare at her, his jaws dropping and his eyes widening. She looked familiar. Too familiar. But who the hell was she? He felt a weird pain at his chest, causing the 20-year-old to clutch at his shirt, above his chest. He felt that he should remember who this familiar woman was, and yet, he couldn't place a name on her face at all. Feeling rather uncomfortable, he stepped back, giving himself and the small family some space as he took silent deep breathes, trying to ease this unusual pain as he lowered his right hand. Just who was she?

Was she someone from New York? Or a face he had seen during his travels from New York to California, then to Miami, then back here in California? He wasn't sure, but he was sure he had indeed seen her before. He just needed to think of where. And then, the woman placed the baby down into his carriage as she started to thank him. At that, he snapped out of his trance, realising that he had been staring at her the whole time. Closing his eyes and shaking his head to wake himself up, he opened his eyes and looked at her. How was she every going to repay him? Well, there really was no need to. Being an orphan, Chrynos knew what it was like having lost a parent. As if that wasn't enough, he was made to endure harsh training like a weapon. He did not want anyone else to go through what he had.

Lifting up his right hand hand, he waved at the woman, an indication that he never needed anything. Now, here was a chance for the two to realise who each other was. Chrynos was, after all, wearing the Ring Of Horror in his right finger. Destiny, or Hyunie, would have recognised it by now, considering Chrynos would wear it almost every time, though not as much as he used to wear their engagement ring, which he had yet to recover.

"Nah, it's ok. Can I ask something, though? Have I seen you before, cause you look oddly familiar?"

[Hyunie]

She stood up and stood behind his carriage, eyes looking back over as he waved a bit, as if dismissing what she had just mentioned before. Though it wasn't that she was thinking about. Her eyes had landed on his ring, the one that looked ever so familiar - the one Dark had always worn - the Ring of Horror. And, the ring certainly lived up to it's name. She was indeed, horrified, but not because of the ring, but because this was someone who she truly knew - the one she truly loved. Past tense; could she ever forgive him for leaving her?

But her thought continued onward; there was his Ring of Horror; where was his engagement ring? She took this as a sign, and gave a somewhat bitter smile, shaking her head in reply to Dark. This was, no doubt, Dark Chrynos, but she came to California to start a new life, one where Dark was not included. She had survived a year and a half without him, and she could very well survive the rest of her life without him as well. Where was he when she found out she was pregnant? Where was he when she wanted to go through an abortion? Where was he when Brian was born? What about when Brian had to go back to the hospital when he was three months old because he couldn't digest properly? What about when Brian was seven months old, where he wouldn't stop crying for days without end?

So why is he here now?

Exactly.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else, sorry."

Lie.

"It's Brian's nap time now, so I actually have to get going."

Lie.

"Thank you again."

While she spoke, she did not meet his eyes; no eye contact was made. She pushed the stroller, hoping to walk past him until Brian broke out in a cry.

Well crap, Brian.

You have the worst timing, ever.

[Chrynos]

Chrynos, after his own question, then snapped ito a subconcious trance, letting his own reflexes take care of himself as he let himself enter his mind, searching through his memories for an answer. She looked familar and felt familiar. Too familiar to his comfort. Whoever she was, she must have been close to him at some point. That was only reasonable explanation as to how he was feeling at that moment. But just who was she? He had seen her before. And then, an image flashed in his head. An image of books. Books? Library? Should be. He delved deeper into that memory, concentrating hard on keeping it there as he sent himself into a self-made flashback.

Then, he saw two figures, one obviously himself and the other too blur to recognise, standing in front of a computer screen. He concentrated harder again. At this moment, the blue-haired girl in front of him was stating her first sentence. He focused and focused hard. And then, everything cleared itself. That girl beside him was Destiny, the girl that had been in his heart, his dreams and nightmares ever since he left New York. Now that he had destroyed the Mafia, he should go back to New York, right? Realising that he was being led away form his flashback, he returned to the matter at hand. And then, focusing on his little flashback, he gazed at the screen and was shocked at what he saw. On the computer monitor was a picture who looked exactly the same as the girl that was standing before him.

And then, everything went back. How Hyunie turned into Destiny to start over a new life. How me met Destiny and slowly, she turned back to her original self. Other thoughts went back into his head. Destiny had been completely destroyed and Hyunie was back? Had she actually moved on without him? Was Brian his child? Or had she married another guy and conceived a baby, which was apparently named Brian? That thought felt the worst among the others. He had yet to move on, dreaming of her every night that passed when he was away. And having the same dream for one and a half years can take its effect on people. Then Hyunie, or Destiny, started to walk away, making him feel somewhat lost, hurt and depressed. A tear rolled down his face and not having eye contact with her meant that it was unseen. As Hyunie walked away, Brian suddenly let out a cry, snapping Chrynos out of his trance as he turned around slowly, lowering his head as more tears rolled down his cheeks.

Would she ever forgive him for what he did? Would she even talk to him anymore? Wait, does she even recognise him? She would have said something by then if she had. Had she completely forgotten about him? No, that was too painful to think about. And then, he heard barking in the distance and was reminded of another memory with Destiny. Trevor. He did not see that little puppy with Hyunie. Where was he? Then, he asked a question. Even he was unsure why he asked that particular question. Perhaps cause it killed two birds with one stone, alerting Hyunie that Chrynos had figured out who she was and inquiring about Trevor at the same time. And perhaps he asked this to save them the dramatic and painful reunion, of sorts.

"Destiny... Where's Trevor?"

He kept his head down as a few drops of tears rolled down his cheeks. One already left his chin, leaving a stain on the ground. He felt his heart being ripped apart and sewed together at the same time, never ending as more thoughts and memories entered his head.

[Hyunie]

"Destiny... Where's Trevor?"

Yeah, Destiny.

Where's Trevor?

Hyunie froze in her tracks, Brian's crying echoing through the park, her eyes glued to the vast tree just meters ahead. Her hands gripped the handles of the stroller tightly, her legs slowly giving up on her as she came into a crouching position, hands still tightly gripping the handle bars. So he had figured her out; big deal. She can start over new; break off all ties with him, move to another state, change her identity. She had done it before, she could do it again. And she would have, if he didn't mention Trevor; that meant he still cared, and up until then, she figured he was the one who wanted to break up. She didn't know what happened to drive him away, but blinking back the tears, she straighened up and fixed her demeanor, pushing the stroller farther away to take care of Brian.

"Why do you care?"

She hissed quietly, though loud enough for Dark to hear. She stopped the stroller and moved around to the front, looking down at Brian who was wailing. Unbuckling him, she picked him up and rubbed his back, making her way toward the swings and leaving the stroller there. If someone stole it, she could always get a new one; though in her current mood, she'd probably beat the sh&* out of them.

Settling herself down on a swing, she continued to rub Brian's back and swayed back and forth, working as a rocking chair as she quietly sang a song in his ear, trying her best to settle Brian down. There was a time when Hyunie never, ever wanted to have children; she swore it would be the last thing she ever did before she died, and that they would only be troublesome and in the way. Now, she was an actual mother, and she wouldn't give up Brian for the world. Sure, Brian was a handful at times, and yeah, she rarely got any sleep these days because he was crying all the time. And if he wasn't, then she'd be standing over his crib, afraid that he wasn't breathing. The things a mother would do for her own baby..

And as much as she knew Brian would question about a missing father later in the future... Not having one at all was much better than having one walk out of his life.

Right?

[Chrynos]

She stopped. He got her. With worry and care glistening in his eyes, he stepped forward. As she crouched forward, Chrynos' worry only increased, and so did his pace. He reached out with his right hand, wanting to just grab her by the shoulder, turn her around and embrace her once more. He missed the feel of her body against his. He missed the touch of her lips. He missed every single thing about her. And then, she stood up, shocking Chrynos slightly as he subconciously slowed himself down, until her words reached his ears. Why did he care? Chrynos was so utterly surprised by those words that this time, it was he who froze in his tracks.

He gulped down the awkwardness he was feeling, lowering his head to cover his eyes with his bangs as a tear rolled down his cheek. He had no idea why it appeared, but it simply rolled down his cheek. And the graduate did nothing to stop it. He simply let that drop of body liquid reach down to his chin, before dripping to the ground. He had left her without a word, fearing for her safety and now, he was reaping the seeds that he sowed. She felt that he had left him behind and now, she was angry at him for it. He gritted his teeth, mentally cursing himself and the Mafia.

It was only when Brian wailed again did Chrynos look up. He saw Destiny carrying Brian in her arms, proceeding towards the swing. He watched her closely, before gulping once more as he gathered his already shattered pride, pacing his way towards Destiny. The moment he got to her, he would simply state out the answer. A simple answer, but an honest answer nonetheless.

"Because I still love you."

[Hyunie]

When You're Gone - Avril Lavigne

She cooed at Brian softly, humming songs quietly as she rocked him gently back and forth, worry coming over her eyes. She was usually very patient with Brian, but now that Dark was here, she was eager to leave, eager to just get away from him. She knew that she would fall hard for him again if she heard him speak worry of her; knew her defense around her heart would crumble. She knew that her heart would also break from these events, would become fragile and weak. She knew she'd depend on him more than before, become more paranoid whenever he leaves. More protective over him and Brian, not to mention more bothersome and annoying. Hyunie didn't want to go through that; she didn't want to be bothersome, she didn't want to keep tabs on him. As much as the walls around her heart were already beginning to fall, as soon as Brian shushed up, she could re-build that wall. She could--

When you walk away
I count the steps that you take
Do you see how much I need you right now?

-----------------------------------------------
"Because I still love you."
-----------------------------------------------

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
All the words I need to hear to always get me through the day
And make it OK
I miss you

She broke.

The walls broke.

Crashed and burned.

She stopped swinging, stopped trying to calm Brian down; she stopped blinking, stopped thinking, and even for a while, stopped breathing. Mind went blank for a moment, until she broke out in a bitter smile. Her heart yearned for him; her heart broke for him. Her heart was hurting. Love? She was crying, tears continuing to fall from her eyes. Love?

I've never felt this way before
Everything that I do
Reminds me of you
And the clothes you left
they lie on my floor
And they smell just like you
I love the things that you do

[/center]

What was this? A typical drama? What would she do if Dark walked out on her again? What would she tell Brian ten years down the road when Dark disappears? Though she swore at herself mentally. What would she say when Brian asked who his father was? And how would she get rid of the "what if" questions that lie if she walked out of his life right now?

She stood up abruptly; Brian had magically stopped crying and was staring up at her. She wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve and turned to face him, a rather stony and cold look rather than a kind hearted one. It was all a facade; she had to keep strong. She did not want to falter, though unbeknown to her, she had already fallen. Hard.

All I ever wanted was for you to know
Everything I do I give my heart and soul
I can hardly breathe, I need to feel you here with me

[/center]

Her face began to soften up, and then she smiled; a forced smile. A fake smile. Another facade as she held Brian with one arm skillfully, her other outstretching. For what?

"Thank you for finding my baby! I hope we never meet again."

A handshake.

She was crying again, but she couldn't feel the tears rolling down her cheeks.

When you're gone
The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear will always get me through the day
And make it OK
I miss you

[/center]

[Chrynos]

He paced forward towards Destiny, or Hyunie, whatever identity she wanted to take on this time. And his pace only quickened as Hyunie seemed to suddenly come to a stand still, as if time stopped for her. She was motionless, her eyes staring deep into... Nothing. Nothingness. And then, she smiled. He did not need to know Hyunie enough to recognise the smile. He was hurting her. Hurting her more than he was hurting himself. It felt so wrong, yet Chrynos did not just want to turn around and walk away. He wanted to be there. He needed to be there. For her. For Brian.

He stopped in his tracks, frozen once more as tears rolled down his cheeks. By now, casual park-comers were already watching the scene, thinking of it as nothing but some kind of rehearsal for a drama, or it was already a drama itself. He knew that he was never going to leave he-... Them again. Never. He no longer had to leave, no longer had the Mafia troubling him. He was finally free from troubles and had been wanting to go back to New York to look for her, but in the end, he found her here in California and guess what? She did not want to be with him anymore.

As Hyunie stood up, Chrynos buckled himself as he continued his stride once more. He was not going to give up this time. He was going to keep on trying and trying, until once again, he had won her heart. But once more, for the fourth time, he froze on his tracks as he noticed the expression she had on her face. His jaw gave way, his mouth gaping open in surprisement. A smile came up. Chrynos grimaced in both pain and guilt. He could tell. She was faking it all.

Then, she stuck out her hand. Chrynos looked at it, hesitating for a moment. If he took that hand, he was going to accept what she just said. No.... No... At that, the graduate took a big step forward, his arms raised as he locked both Brian and Hyunie in an embrace, resting his cheek on the side of her head opposite where she held Brian at. He had his eyes closed, tears rolling down his cheek and entering both her hair and clothes.

"Please, Destiny... I love you... Don't do this to me... I love you..."

[Hyunie]

A part of her already knew he wouldn't take her hand, yet him stepping forward for an embrace was something Hyunie hadn't planned. She saw it coming; she could've taken a step back and avoided the hug altogether, but as much as her mind screamed at her to move it, her foolish heart kept her in place. Common sense was thrashing in her mind, knowing Hyunie would only break more in the process, yet her heart... Her heart thought otherwise. So stupidly, she remained still, the remains of her walls obliterating into dust, making the pain she kept away from her mind for the past two years come back twice as hard.

She tried keeping herself together, though when words spilled from his mouth, Hyunie began to choke on her silent sobs. If she walked away from Dark right now, what would happen? Would he feel the way she felt for the first year and a half? Would he feel the loneliness she felt everytime she slept? And herself? Would would happen to her? Would her heart heal with every step she took, or would it shatter knowing that she was walking out on him forever?

She leaned against him, making sure Brian wouldn't get squished in this embrace with her arms. Subconsciously, her heart was already in the process of accepting Dark again; subconsciously, her mind and common sense were backing down. She thought, what harm would leaning against him do? But by leaning against him, she was accepting him, and as much as her mind would deny that, it was the truth. Maybe in the back of her thoughts, she knew that leaning against him was only the first of acts; one thing would lead to another, and soon, she'll find herself in a whole new picture, with different obstacles and problems to overcome, but...

Life is all about hardships, right?

"When you left..."

There was so much to tell him, but at her current state, she could barely utter a phrase without choking them out.

[Chrynos]

She leaned against him. And he felt it. A smile slowly grew on his lips as, from his chest, a wave of warmth spread from his chest. He hugged her slightly tighter, lifting his cheek from her head as he turned it, this time resting his lips on her head. He missed her, honestly. He had half-expected her to push him away and walk away without a word, but apparently, life was not like those soap opera drama shows. And, for one whole year of torture, of feeling incomplete, he was back as a whole again. He had a family now. He had a new job now. A new task. And he was going to accomplish in that new task. To protect his family, no matter the cost.

When he left... When he left, he was dumb. He had been dumb. Too dumb to have thought of leaving Destiny at least a clue as to what happened to him. But honestly, he had feared that they would trace him to the clue, then trace it to Destiny. He did not want no danger to bestow on his family. But this time, if it happened again, he would be there for them, standing in between them and whatever danger there would be.

"When I left... I regretted what I did..."

He pulled away slightly, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers, the tip of his nose touching hers. He opened his eyes, looking deep into hers. It was not the same colour as Destiny's eyes, but it was her eyes nonetheless. He heard Brian made some funny gurggling noise as it placed one hand on Destiny's cheek, the other on Dark's shoulder. Dark continued to speak once more.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

[Hyunie]

And that was possibly one of the problems. When Dark had left, they had been engaged. As in, no secrets; you tell your spouse and together - together - the decision is made. Destiny - Hyunie - whatever her name is - was not helpless. She knew how to defend herself, and Dark leaving without anything at all was, so to speak, silly, childish, and unthoughtful.

She felt Dark shift, though she kept her eyes casted downward. He spoke of regret, and in a way, Hyunie partially understood. There was a time when she left Xash, that an unpleasant feeling resided inside her, even after she met Dark. Though with time, she began to understand that perhaps Dark was more well suited for her than Xash was. It was true, Xash and she got into many arguments, and they say arguments make the relationship stronger, though at the same time, Xash also had that playful flirtatious attitude. Whereas she trusted him, at the same time, there was doubt in the way back of her mind. He was her first love, would always be her first love, but now she did not regret anything. She had made wonderful memories with him, and he had Kaianna now. She gave a very small smile to herself; funny how things work.

She felt Dark shift again, and this time, she picked up her eyes and stared back at him, his nose tickling hers. Brian touched her cheek, and for a moment, she found that she could not speak. He asked if she could forgive him, though as she parted her lips to speak, no words came out. With a heavy sigh, she looked down, avoiding his gaze. Should she do it?

Slowly, she looked back up to meet his eyes. Since when had she ever felt shy around this boy? She leaned in, eyes blinking, almost hesitant, but in the end, she would kiss him. This would seem almost cliche, but if she couldn't speak it, why not show it?

[Chrynos]

She tilted her head, raising her chin as she neared her lips to his. Chrynos already knew what was coming to him, his lips curling into a smile as he closed his eyes, leaning forward too. And soon enough, he felt the familiar moisture of her lips as engrossed her in a somewhat passionate kiss, his right hand coming up from his side and resting on Brian's back, his left hand coming up to cup over her cheek. He was glad. Real glad. More glad than when he felt after having killed that Mafia leader after him.

He heard Brian let out a soft yelp of glee, bouncing on Destiny's arm as Chrynos continued to kiss her. He did not want to pull away. He just wanted to be there. With her. With Brian. With his family. With everything he ever needed. It was all there and now, Chrynos had finally received it. And then, he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers once more, his lips still curled to a smile and his eyes still closed.

"I missed you."

And at that, a tear rolled down his blind right eye. Once again, the graduate made no move to stop it, simply letting the drop of water roll down to his chin, before dripping down to the grass they were stepping on.

"I love you."

[Hyunie]

It was still almost hard for her to believe that Dark was here, beside her now; beside her and Brian both. She was relieved, yet at the same time a very curious as to how these events would turn out. She kissed back, slowly, remembering things from the past. It had been a while since she's kissed anyone, for that matter, and was trying to get the feel of things again. It felt nice, being once again in Dark's arms, and for a brief moment she had forgotten Brian was there, cradled in her own arms; probably not the best scene for an infant to witness, but it's not like Brian would remember this ten years down the road.

"I...had a lot of mixed emotions about you."

Hate, loathe, long for, etc., etc.

"Made me insane."

She closed her eyes and took steady breaths, feeling oddly calm with everything that had just happened. A new serene feeling she hadn't felt since... Since forever.

"I love you too."

Eyes opened again and she managed to hold Brian with one arm, using that motherly skill she had gain during the first few months after he was born. With her right hand, she wiped the tear off Dark's face and pulled away slightly, handing Brian over to him. She looked down at his little face, his tiny fingers tightly grasped around her hair, which he did often. She didn't mind, only sometimes he tugged and it was a bit painful, but he would always grasp onto her pinkie if it was in view.

"...Brian...this is daddy."

She smiled at the sound of that; Dark? A father?

She nearly laughed; she was trying not to.

There was still so much to talk about with Dark; what had happened during the past two years? Living arrangements? New York? 552? Wedding? Engagement?

Too many things to talk about. But they had time.