A/N: these chapters are really hard to write. I hope the transition from action packed moments to boring chit-chat isn't as jarring for you all as it is for me XD. All of this is important to the story though.

Lily

Kamui was beaming; he had the flash drive in his fist and a ridiculous grin on his face. I knew things were going to be more difficult than he liked to believe but I didn't want to pop his bubble. Not just yet. I'd wait until we were in the car. I looked at Hiyama-san. He looked down, almost a little sick. I wondered what was bothering him, but it didn't feel right to ask. I still didn't know him very well and he didn't make an effort to know me. I turned to look at Luka; she looked under the weather too. I walked up to her and put a friendly hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully.

"I've been worse," she said, smiling a little. She brushed back loose strands of her long pink hair. I felt worried for her. It had only been a short while but I felt like I would enjoy being friends with her. I closed my eyes and turned forward. She wasn't much younger than me. I was in my late thirties and she was nearly twenty-nine, it seemed. She was still very young. I held back a sigh; I worried for my own children. I wondered now if they would ever enter high school. I reached into the pocket of the pants I had borrowed from Luka and felt my phone.

I resisted the temptation to call them. It was probably a bad time. I needed a way to know if they were safe though. What better way than a call? Why not, though? It wouldn't have hurt to give it a try… I held onto my phone, ready to pull it out when I was called at.

"LILY!" I looked up; it was Kamui, still at the car. I ran forward to him.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Can you give Luka directions to the emergency relocation hospital?" he asked. I nodded, I knew where it was as I had worked there before.

"I can but… what about Rin and Len?" I asked nervously.

"There will be time for that," Kamui reassured me. "I'm sure they are doing fine." I nodded a little sceptically. I had no reason to believe that they were alive. It wasn't like I had no confidence in my children. They were extraordinary, in truth. I didn't really understand that at the time. I walked through the sludgy snow and sat in the shotgun seat. I looked out the left window pensively and waited for Luka. I looked back at Hiyama-san and Kamui. They were leaning away from each other and there was an odd negative energy in between them; it felt forced. I shook my head.

Whatever their issue was it was not my business. Luka stepped into the car and everyone buckled up.

"Where will we be going?" she asked. I gulped and recited the directions to the hospital, and we were off. I stared out the window. The world glided by. I watched the people, staring at them with apathy. There was no point to their lives. They wouldn't even have lives soon enough! Every one of them would perish; it was survival of the fittest to the extreme. Japan doesn't allow their civilians to have guns; we were sitting ducks. I only hoped that other countries would be luckier, and what were we doing? Driving to a hospital! To be honest, I felt a little betrayed and lonely. Every step of the way I was becoming farther and farther from my children, and no one around me seemed to give a shred of comfort, not even the very least of sympathy. I attributed it to the fact that none of them had children at the time.

Not that I wished for sympathy, but good googly googus, would a little assurance hurt them? I looked at my phone again, ready to call when the time was right. It wasn't now; I was giving directions. I thought that after we made it things would be easier. Lazily I spouted out words, "left at the McDonalds," "right at the boutique," that sort of thing. Eventually we made it. I was growing to hate hospitals; even the word was starting to make me retch. I stepped out into slushy melted snow. The heat of the day was building. We were almost a city away from my house and the old hospital. I tried not to think about Rin and Len. I had to stay strong. I reached to grab my phone.

"Lily-chan, we're going in…" Luka said quietly as she stepped out.

"I'll go with you in a moment; there is something important I have to do," I told her. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Len. It rang a few times, and my heart raced. Who was going to pick up?

"Mom?" It was Rin.

"Where's Len?" I asked frantically.

"He's a little busy at the moment… where are you?"

"It feels like the other side of Tokyo but I can't tell. Where are you?" I asked, trying to cut to the chase; I needed to know if they were all right.

"Currently doing what you asked, running away from home…" She paused for a long time; I could hear Len yelling in the background. There was another voice that was familiar but I couldn't distinguish it. "Hey, Mom, since we can call each other any time, how about we save this for later? We're going to be in a bit of a tight spot. Text me?"

"Only if you promise to respond," I sighed nervously.

"Why would I not?" I heard her say before she hung up. I sighed, I was upset, and rightfully so.
The moment I call my children to see if they are OK, and all they can say is text me!? I suppressed my anger and walked into the hospital after the others. Gakupo was talking with the receptionist, Luka-san was sitting on the waiting bench reading, and Hiyama-san was sitting rigidly beside her, I chose to sit beside him. He stared blankly ahead of himself; he was clearly bothered by something.

"Are you alright?" I asked as sweetly as I could, he looked at me slowly; he looked scared, like I would bite him or something. He shook his head rapidly like a dog trying to dry off. Then he nervously ran his fingers though his hair to put it back in place.

"It's nothing." He said plainly, he was still rigid so I was unsure whether to take his word on it or not. I shrugged it off and stared at the floor. My jaw was slack and my eyes were unfocused, this was the last place I ever wanted to be…