Ren

"So you'll go be the first one to wish her a happy birthday?" Hachi asked. I could imagine her tail wagging hopefully.

"I have to retrieve Reira first. Then tomorrow we can both go and see her."

"You know where she is?" The tail picks up speed excited that somebody would be able to help Takumi.

"Yes, and don't worry I'll fix my mess. I'll bring Reira back then we'll go see Nana. You can protect me when I tell her all about my problem and she'll force me to quit. It'll all work out." There was a pause of silence before Hachi whined.

"I wish Nana didn't have to be alone tonight though. She must feel abandoned, but she'd never admit it." Of course I knew how lonely she'd feel. No one knew better than I did. We sighed our goodbyes resigned to face Nana's wrath in the morning.

Speeding on my way to see Reira I thought about Nana. Drinking alone. Working herself to death, to avoid going back to an empty apartment alone. Turning the television on in the morning and seeing whatever rumor the media was going to concoct about me speeding off to see Reira, alone.

"Aw hell," recklessly I swerved on the icy road turning abruptly and heading in the opposite direction as I made a phone call.

Nana

Fidgeting in the back seat I glared at Ginpei. Why had the idiot decided to cancel all of my jobs at the last minute? Giving an excuse like it's my birthday only got my hopes up. I hated to hope that someone was back at the hotel waiting for me in that room. I didn't want to go back there if Hachi wasn't going to be there and what made my stomach churn even more was the thought that she would bring Ren. I knew if I went to that empty room and spent my birthday alone, I'd feel abandoned again.

"Gin, come drink with me." My whines fall on unsympathetic ears.

He gave me a stern look pulling me from the car and ushering me into the hotel. He pointed me towards my room,"Go straight to bed, no more drinking all night."

'There's no one in that damned room. It's empty and I will be alone tonight and tomorrow.' I mentally prepared myself for the heartache that I knew awaited me. Gin practically shoved me into my hotel room which to my dismay was empty. The slamming of the door behind me made it seem so final, and the thought that everyone had something more important than me, brought me to my knees by the door.

"I don't want to see hi…m…anyway!" sobs choked me and I could barely whisper the words I desperately wanted to scream at Hachi.

It wasn't like I needed to scream though, when the only one there to listen is me. I already knew it was a lie so there was no reason to speak it out loud. Still I wished she were there so I could tell her to stop making me think about him. Beg her to stop making me miss him. Overwhelmed by my hopes being crushed in that dark empty void of a room I cried. On the floor with my arms wrapped around my knees and my face between them I gave in to the pain and loneliness of being abandoned again.

I cried so hard I nearly miss the soft rap of knuckles on the door behind me. It was quiet and indecisive as if the person didn't know if they can knock louder. 'Why doesn't Gin just come in?' I thought slowly standing up. Rubbing my eyes I figured he must not have been sure if I had fallen asleep or not. I wanted to pretend to be asleep so he'd go away.

'All he wants to do was remind me of Ren anyway. Isn't that what all of them want? So I'll go running back to him.'

The knock came again and the barely audible beat on the door irritated me to the point of screaming at the damn thing. He just kept on knocking, "What the hell do you want?" My head snapped up curiously when a short pause answered my hoarse scream.

"Is it alright if I come in?" The voice caused a whimper to escape me and I cried harder. I didn't move to open the door and I didn't reply to him.

I didn't want to open the door, afraid that he wasn't really there and paralyzed from the hope that he was.

"Nana, I'm sorry I haven't called and I've been such a horrible husband." His voice was so loud and clear it sent shivers down my spine and an unintelligible noise left my mouth when I tried to answer him. "Nana? Please let me in."

I opened my mouth and surprised myself when a strong, "no," slipped passed my lips, filling the cold silence with a deafening echo.

"Nana." He sounded broken and in pain, my name a cracked whisper.

Suddenly the words passed from Takumi to Hachi to me replay in my head, 'If you don't want to lose him, return to his side now!'

"Nana, please." Caving I touched the lock afraid that if I saw him it will be all over before I had a chance to decide if I want it to be over or not. More than though, I was terrified he wasn't really behind the door.

The click of the lock scared me and I jumped back hurriedly moving away from the now unlocked door. I panicked as the door knob began to turn and I ran.

A hand seized my wrist and pulled me back to his broad chest.