Ill Repute

Note: So, this is what happens to me when these stupid muses of mine go on overdrive. At least I hope people are enjoying the ridiculous production levels I'm currently working at. My hands are going to get sore! I am, however, now participating in a Kingdom Hearts RPG, so I can at least channel some of the need to write into that, so I don't kill myself. This story is the first attempt at a multi-chapter story since I got back onto this kick, and I don't anticipate it being very long. It'll be somewhere between five and seven chapters, will likely (hopefully!) be finished by the time I get back home…

Warnings: Angst, angst, angst. Axel/Roxas pairing. Course language. Adult situations. Mature subject matter.

Disclaimer: This disclaimer will serve for the entire story… The characters from the Kingdom Hearts franchise are NOT mine, so please don't sue. The song "Half-Jack" is also not mine, but it belongs to The Dresden Dolls, and it is the inspiration for this story, hence the lyrics at the beginning of each story.

Description: AU. With no memory of himself, Roxas is taken to live in a halfway house for other runaways, abuse victims, and orphans who don't seem quite normal… AxelRoxas

Prologue

"He's awake, sir." The young doctor carefully shut the door to the boy's hospital room. "But I'm not sure he's ready to talk to you."

The officer had been sitting patiently outside the room for hours, waiting for her to simply tell him that the boy was awake. "That's fine." He stood up. "I suppose I can ask him questions later on."

She took in a breath, pausing to think. "Officer… I want to discuss something with you."

The man raised his eyebrows and stared down at her. "Yes?"

She looked around. "Could we talk in my office?" She waved him down a corridor and led him into a pristinely organized office, considering the stacks of folders on her floor. She gestured to the seat across from her desk and sat on the other side. She picked up a folder from one of the stacks on her desk and opened it up.

"I'd like to discuss Mr. Thomas's case with you, Mr. Leonhart." She sifted through the papers in the folder, pulling out what appeared to be a full description of the boy's status. "Have you found anything about the boy's family?"

Squall stared back at her. "I'm not sure I can discuss this with you… Doctor…" He looked down at the nameplate on her desk. "Doctor Gainsborough."

The woman stared intently at him. "It's in the best interest of my patient, sir… I really would like to share some of my findings with you."

"We've contacted them already. They said he ran away from home… I wanted to talk to him about it."

"Well…" She looked down at the paper. "Mr. Thomas has severe amnesia, induced by psychological trauma. His body is covered in wounds, both old and new, and scars that precede those. He seems to have endured brutal abuse for at least five years or more. His medical files, which I requested be transferred here from his regular hospital, indicate that he has a history of injuries, none of which were investigated."

Aerith took a long breath, trying to soothe her nerves. Her dream had always been to become a doctor and help people, but sometimes the people who came in to be helped had such tragic stories that it became difficult to bear. "Amnesia to the extent that Mr. Thomas is experiencing is psychological in nature… A defense mechanism of repression, in reaction to physical, and quite possible emotional, abuse."

"I… see." He sighed and laid his head on his hands. "I imagine that the physical evidence on the boy is enough to prove abuse… If what you say about his amnesia is correct, then it's enough to remove him from the household." He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. "This is going to get messy, Doctor."

"I know. It's worth it, though, if it can help him." She released a sigh and looked out the window. "Roxas Thomas is not the first abuse victim that's come to this hospital, Officer, nor will he be the last. Sometimes you can't prove it. Sometimes you can."

"I hope, for your sake, Ma'am, that his case is of the latter group." Squall stood up. "I'll have to go to the station to interview his father, anyway. I'm sure we can do something to investigate this. I'll be in touch." He nodded to the woman and left her to sit in her office.

Another sad sigh slipped through Aerith's lips and she stood up again. It was a short walk to Roxas's room, and she stepped inside slowly. He was looking out the window.

"It's a nice day." He spoke, not turning away from the window.

"Yes… It is." She acknowledged, pulling up a chair to the side of his bed. "Roxas… I have something I need to talk to you about."

He turned to look at her. "Is that really my name?"

She picked up his wallet from the side table. "Yes." She opened it up and pulled out an identification card with his subdued face staring back from it. "This is yours." She handed it to him.

He examined it for a moment. "Roxas… Thomas…" He gave the card back to her. "That's not me."

She blinked, but took the card back. "Doesn't it look like you?"

He looked back out the window. "Maybe a little… but I don't look that jaded, do I?"

She looked down at the picture again. The boy sitting in front of her did not look as hopeless as the one in the picture, that was certain. Maybe he seemed blank and emotionless, that was normal, but he was not hopeless. "No, you don't."

She breathed in slowly, looking out the window with him. "Roxas… things are going to get a little crazy in a few days. I've talked to the officer who is in charge of your case as a runaway, and made him aware of what I feel has happened to you. What we discussed earlier…" Her voice was calm, soothing even. "I want you to know that, no matter how bad it gets and how much you may not understand, that you may come talk to me whenever you need to."

There was a long silence before Aerith stood to leave. "You should rest, Roxas. You'll need it to recover well." She was almost to the door before Roxas replied.

"Thanks, Doctor Gainsborough."

End Prologue