A/N: It's been some time. Honestly, all I can say is sorry for the delay. Since I have stopped writing for the fandom, my inbox continues to fill up with faves/comments/reviews, notifications about all my finder stories. There are at least 100+ people who have gone unanswered and for that I am sorry. I honestly pondered on picking up my other stories, but I am not sure if I will anymore. But I wanted to finish this one. It was my favorite and so many people loved it. A huge thank you to everyone who still supports my stories. Because of that I will finish the last chapter. Things may be different and I don't remember the plot all the way…

I'm a sophomore in college now…I can't remember what grade I was in when I wrote this. It's been to long. But anyway, for the last chapter of caged. I hope you enjoy.

(i also realize that on ao3, this story has an extra chapter. it's one that happens right before this; basically if you read it on ao3, it will be chapter 16. i didn't post that chapter here, i can't quite remember why)

"You can't rush this." Takaba's voice echoed through the living room as he caught Asami attempting to stand. He had trouble making it to his feet, and cursed himself when he stumbled back down upon the sofa.

"If it's something you need, then tell me. I don't mind getting it for you."

Asami remained silent, not yet ready to submit to the reality of his situation. It had been two months already, and while he'd been able to walk again, getting up quickly and walking long distances still served as a problem for him.

"I'm fine." He waved Takaba off as the younger man approached him. "I'll get it later."

Akihito sat down on the couch next to his lover and placed a comforting hand upon his lap. He knew this whole ordeal was difficult. A man of such power not being able to move as he pleased; such a thing made life difficult. He pitied Asami. Even if he was not vocal about it, he really did.

But still, this rehabilitation process would take time.

Ryusuke made a point to explain that it was a miracle his brother was able to walk again, and that progress would be slow. However, for two months, all had agreed Asami's recovery was fast, however, nothing happened over night and this was perhaps the hardest thing for Asami to accept.

His life was changing, constantly.

Hell, both of their lives were changing. Different paths, up until this point, had been both traitorous and helpful. Both positive roads to take, yet clouded by negative obstructions.

Even now, as Takaba sat quietly next to his lover, he wasn't sure if he had taken the right path. If he was taking the right path.

He thought back to the moment he took Eiyo with him, yet way before that, when he was the youthful twenty-three-year-old spirit, trying to make a living after graduation. Were those the right paths to take? Did he make the right decisions?

Getting hooked up with Asami, well…that answer was quite obvious.

But from then on out, what happened, didn't really work to aid him in the long run. He made progress when it came to escapes, or getting out of sticky situations, but in the end would he not just be crawling back to the prime source of the matter?

What he not just crawl back to Asami?

And this is where he sat now. Thinking of how this game of cat and mouse would play out, Takaba had realized that he very much did not want to be a player. Not anymore. The thrill was over, he'd played with his own life for too long now however…he wasn't quite yet willing to leave the cat.

He'd never be willing to leave Asami, no matter what. Which is why he knew this conversation would be crucial to everything. These next few words, and decisions would determine how both their lives played out.

"Eiyo you said…is staying with his uncle?" Asami's cold voice rang through Takaba's ears, pulling him back into reality.

"Yeah. Ryusuke wanted to keep him for a while." Takaba then took a deep breath and removed his hand from Asami's thigh. The older man noticed the sudden movement and gazed at him in confusion, however, Takaba continued with what he wanted to do.

"Asami…It's going to take some time for you to heal. And…I'm going to be here with you every step of the way. Not just because I need to be, but because I want to. Asami I want to stay with you, I want to raise Eiyo with you and any other children that may come along. I want to be that happy family…I want to have the family I've dreamed of for years." He didn't face Asami, but he could tell that as always, he listened in silence.

"And because of this, you should…no, you must change your life style. Change everything Asami! Stop the underground business, the underworld…just stop it, and please come back to me. Your weapons, your clients…all of that, is not as important to you as I am. And hell…Asami, I want to stay with you, I love you so much no matter what has happened in the past, but I have changed myself for you. The most you can do is change yourself not just for me, but for Eiyo as well."

If you can't, then we can't stay. He wanted to say so badly, but in the end, who was he fooling. If Asami willed it, Takaba would come crawling right back into his trap.

The only way he could truly be happy, is if Asami allowed drastic changes in their lives.

So in silence the two sat. None spoke a word for roughly ten minutes; Akihito told himself he would not speak until Asami did. But when ten minutes turned to fifteen, and so on…Akihito could not contain himself.

"What is your answer then, Asami? What will you choose for Eiyo and I? Will you change for me, or will you stay the same? Please think about it…"

This time, the two faced each other. Takaba, no longer afraid of the man he loved, stared him deeply in the eye as if he could kill him. Asami's expression remained impassive, however, he turned away first, facing the blank screen as he did so.

"I don't know. I'll think about it. I'll tell you my answer when I have thought it over."

Takaba knew that was the most he'd get. The most solid answer he'd get until it really counted for it, and until then, he would have to deal with it.

However, as time went on and Asami healed, the answer began to reveal itself.

Slowly, yet surely it did.

The long nights at clubs began to cease altogether. Asami was home earlier than normal, able to spend time with his family. The unspoken wall between he and Eiyo shattered altogether, and between the interactions the two had, it would have never seemed that they'd gone through pains in the past.

Yes, Takaba knew his answer.

Even if he didn't say it, even if he didn't proclaim it to the world. There was no loud apology, or anything of the sort.

Asami did what he did best as a fixer.

He repaired his broken relationships, and his broken life in silence.

It would take some time, to mend truly what had been hurt, but as Takaba looked on as his son and husband walked together aimlessly with large smiles on their faces, he knew it was getting there.

They were all getting there.

The End…

Again, thank you to everyone who stuck with me, and who encouraged and left me kind comments and remarks. Thank you for every friend I have made; I'm sorry I lost contact with you during my fandom changes, I hope you are all doing well. And I hope that you all enjoyed this ending, and this story. I liked writing it. I felt quite nostalgic, writing this chapter; the story brings me back to highschool days (which honestly isn't that great but like, high school did have some happy moments).

Anyway, again, thank you.

For the sake of a happier ending, let's say the baby that Keiko was going to have, Asami and Takaba adopted. I honestly don't know what I had planned for the baby or if something already happened to her but I mean, we'll just say this. And I actually read the recent update (yes, I occasionally still read the updates) with the baby, and that was the cutest thing...Okay, I should stop rambling. It will just be the last time for me to formally talk to you all I guess, and to formally thank you. I won't be updating any of my other Finder Fics, so that's why.

So one last time, thank you all so much. I hope life is treating everyone well.

Until next time, if there is one :)