A/N: this is my new fic, on Higurashi. It is set 5 years after the events of Kai. (Note: in the anime, it never mentions ages, so I'm just gonna take a good guess.)

Disclaimer: I wish I did own Higurashi, but I don't.

It's Been So Long: Waking Up

Can you believe in this?

Shion sat by the hospital bed, listening to the repeating 'beep, beep' from the machines surrounding the bed. Soon, those machines would be switched off, or so everyone hoped, because today...

'Today, they're going to bring back Satoshi.'

Dr Irie had completed his cure, and the first person to receive it was the boy lying on the bed in front of Shion. The bonds holding his hands and feet had been removed. Soon, he was due to wake up. And when he had woken up, Shion knew that everything would be alright, everyone would be happy she was sure, and all the trauma she had undergone would disappear from her mind. It had been six years since his disappearance, and five since she found out the truth. Every weekend, she had visited him, read him books, told him about how everything was going, about how Satoko was growing up into a beautiful young woman, about Mion and Keichi's engagement, about anything that came to mind. Shion loved just being near him, she would give anything for him, she had already given a fingernail for him in the past, she would give her whole hand if need be.

Shion looked to the heart monitor, it looked the same as ever, the same pattern was appearing. 'Soon, he'll be off that machine, soon, he'll be back with us.' Then the bleeps suddenly started to get more frequent, and Shion realised what was happening. She turned to Satoshi again, and saw the boy's face had contorted slightly, then she saw the thing that she had waited six years for. Correction: things, his two eyes both wide open. Shion did not remember exactly what happened next. However, what she was sure of was that she ended up hugging a still slightly dazed Satoshi.

"Mi-mion? What's going on."

"It's Shion, and I'll explain later. I'm just so happy that you're back."

"Shion?"

"Yes, remember? I'm Mion's twin."

It all came back to Satoshi, the way Mion had been acting strangely, when she suddenly lashed out at Satoko that lunch time, when she gave him his alibi and revealed who it really was who had done all that. He had only known her as Shion for a day before... Then he realised where he was, why he was there, and what Shion meant by 'back'.

He looked down at Shion, "H-how long has it been?"

"Six years since you came here, I found out a year later."

"And, did anyone tell Satoko?"

"No, Dr. Irie thought it was best that she didn't know, she's still waiting for her Nii-Nii to come home."

Satoshi felt a pang of guilt, he hadn't been there for six years, what state was Satoko going to be in now? What would his uncle have done to her?

Shion noticed his pained look, and quickly answered his fears, "Your uncle left soon after your disappearance, he ended up being arrested for murdering some woman, and Satoko moved in with Rika, so she's fine." Shion smiled at him, "I've done my best to look after her as well, she's like a little sister to me, she even calls e Nee-Nee sometimes."

Satoshi was relieved, everything had gone better than he could have hoped for, and now he could enjoy his life with everyone again. "It's a good thing you didn't tell Satoko, she would have worried so much."

He wrapped his arms tightly round Shion, and he realised something else. Throughout his sleep, he had heard things, voices, especially one in particular, Shion's voice. He patted her head, and whispered in her ear "Thank you Shion, for everything."

Shion smiled, and slowly fell asleep in his arms. Satoshi sat holding her tightly in his arms for a while, until he noticed someone looking through the glass viewing panel. It was Dr. Irie, watching the touching scene. The doctor walked into the room. "Well Satoshi, you're finally up."

"Yes, and now I can get on with my life," Satoshi replied in a hushed voice, trying not to wake Shion.

"Well before you go I'll need to run a few tests, just to make sure you're alright, and that the disease doesn't come back."

"What disease?"

Irie looked surprised, then remembered "Of course, nobody ever explained exactly what was going on."

So Irie explained everything to Satoshi, about the Syndrome,about the clinic, Takano's betrayal, and what had happened since. 'Tokyo' had realised the importance of finding a cure to the disease when many of their men had fallen ill with it after they had been to Hinamizawa. As a result, the clinic had remained operational, and had kept its funding.

After everything had been explained, Satoshi looked blankly at the doctor, amazed by what had happened during his absence. "Then, doctor, does that mean that everyone else here in the village..."

"Has the disease, yes, including that girl that you're holding onto so tightly." Satoshi blushed a little and Irie laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure everyone would be overjoyed if you two got together, especially Satoko, then Shion would really be her sister."

Satoshi's colour deepened, "Who said we were going to..."

Irie laughed again, "Well if Shion heard you say that then she'd cry, do you realise how much you meant to her, she's come here every weekend to read to you, to tell you what's happening in the village. When I told her I'd found a cure she was ecstatic, and couldn't wait for you to wake up and pat her on the head again."

Satoshi looked down at the sleeping girl, she was beautiful, there was no doubt about it, and she had that innate patience and sweetness that her sister lacked, she was a wonderful girl, and if she really did love him, he should count himself lucky. He looked back to the doctor, "When do you want to do these tests?"

"Whenever you're ready, but sooner rather than later, but please don't wake her on my account," Irie stood up, "I'll leave you two alone for now, when she wakes up, Shion will show you up to my office."

Satoshi nodded and the doctor left. He looked down again at the figure in his arms. He wondered to himself exactly what he did feel for her, but that could wait for the moment, for now he just needed to hug her close to him. He looked to a clock on the wall, it read 12:20, about lunch time. He then realised something, he was hungry, as in really hungry. He hadn't eaten in six years, and now he was famished. He looked down at Shion again, and the voice in his head telling him to get food died away. He could wait to eat, but he did not want to wake Shion. 'I'll wait, she's waited five years for me to wake up, I'm sure I can wait an hour or so for her."

-------

40 minutes later.

The girl in Satoshi's arms began to stir a little. Satoshi had himself half fallen asleep, and was quite surprised when she started to wriggle. Shion lifted her head up and looked into Satoshi's eyes. He smiled, and she smiled back.

"Shall we go?" Satoshi asked.

"Yeah."

Shion led the boy up to the doctor's office. Then left to sit in the waiting room while Irie carried out the tests. She was happy, that was about the only way to describe her current state of mind. She had waited for six years to see Satoshi alive and well, and now her wish had been granted. She thought about everything that she wanted to do now that he'd woken up. She sat there daydreaming for a good half an hour before Satoshi came into the waiting room and walked up to her. She smiled up at him, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, but where to?"

"I dunno, you hungry?"

Satoshi remembered just how famished he was. He nodded. "In that case, how about the Angel Mort?" Shion asked him.

"Sure."

"Oh there's just one thing I've gotta do, gimme a minute and I'll be back," Shion said, and she walked into Irie's office. The doctor looked up on her entrance, as she said "Um... Manager, can I use your telephone?"

"Yes of course, feel free."

Shion lifted the receiver and dialed a number, she put the phone to her ear and waited, then after a few seconds, "Hello, Furude shrine house."

"Rika."

"Oh, Shion, hi, nice to hear from you."

"Um... Rika, could I talk to Satoko, I need a word with her, and I'm in a hurry."

"Of courseone second."

Shion waited, until a second girl spoke down the telephone, "Hi, Nee-Nee, how are you?"

"I'm fine thanks, I need to discuss something with you, so would you come out to lunch with me?"

"Sure, the Angel Mort as normal?"

"Yeah, well I'm setting off now, I'll meet you there."

"Okay, I'll see you then, bye."

"Bye," Shion put down the receiver, and left the room, while Irie put together the half of the conversation he had heard. His only regret about the current situation was that he would not be there to see Satoko's smile.

Shion entered the waiting room and walked over to Satoshi, "Time to go," she said.

They walked outside, and up to a car. It was black, and new enough that Satoshi could not tell what make it was. Shion opened the car and got in the driver's seat, while Satoshi got in on the passenger's side. 'Of course, she's 21 now, old enough to drive, the things I've missed while I was asleep."

Shion started the car, and they drove down the semi-familiar roads towards their destination.

-------

Satoko had just reached the restaurant, she had noticed Shion's car parked outside and went straight in. As she entered she caught sight of Shion's green hair, and she noticed someone next to her. Satoko blinked, stunned by what she thought she saw. 'That blond hair, it couldn't be...' She walked towards the table, and she turned to see a smiling Shion and...

"Nii-Nii." Satoko forgot her womanly ways, she forgot that she was 17, and ought to act it, she jumped straight at her brother, who caught her and hugged her.

"Nii-Nii."

"Satoko, I'm back, and I'm not going away again."

"Nii-Nii."

Shion watched the two siblings and smiled, she was happy for them. Then suddenly Satoko grabbed Shion and pulled her into the hug too. "Thanks Nee-Nee, for finding Nii-Nii."

Shion laughed, "With all these 'Nii's And 'Nee's this could get confusing."

The three just smiled at each other for a while, until Satoko broke the silence, saying to Shion "Well now that Nii-Nii's back, I guess you can really become my Nee-Nee soon." The blushes from the the two young adults were enough to trigger Satoko's trademark laugh. She normally controlled it in public, but she was too happy at the time to care.

Shion thought about what Satoko had just said. Of their close friends, only Mion knew exactly how she felt about Satoshi, or at least she was the only one Shion had admitted it to, back at her distinction. Shion wondered if her feelings were that obvious.

Satoshi was still wondering about his exact feelings for Shion, but decided that now was not the time for such ponderings. He should enjoy these first days back with his sister, and then he could wonder about everything else. He deserved it, after all it had been so long since he'd had the chance.

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A/N: That's all for the moment, this story will probably come in less frequent, but longer chapters than my previous ones. Please review to tell me what you think.

Bis Bald

BW

Corections made, as of 17/02/10