I cannot believe it. This is it, guys. This is the final chapter of the story. Enjoy and thank you all so much!

"You ready to go?" Yuzu packs the last of her books away and hoists her bag on to her back.

Yuya nods and grabs his own bag.

"Let's hurry, we don't want Obaasan waiting too long."

They leave the library and quickly make their way back to Yuya's to meet his mother.

"Tadaima." Yuzu announces when they get to Yuya's house.

"Welcome home!" Yoko shouts from the kitchen. "How was studying today? Did you guys make a lot of progress?"

They join Yoko in the kitchen.

"Yeah actually, we covered a lot of the math today." Yuzu takes a seat on one of the stools by the counter and Yuya follows suit.

"Yuya, how was your day today?" Yoko stops what's she's doing and focuses on her son across the counter.

He nods with a slight smile.

"Can you tell me how your day was?" Yoko says quietly.

Yuya looks down and takes three deep breaths.

"T-today today was… f-fine." He mumbles.

Since he's started talking again, Yuya has developed a slight stutter. He's so embarrassed by it that sometimes even when he can talk he'll choose not to.

"What did you focus on today in your studies?"

Yoko knows Yuzu pretty much answered all of these questions, but Hachiro Kun has told them that keeping him stimulated in conversation is great practice. Yuya shakes his head. He just doesn't feel up to this right now.

"It's okay, sweetheart."

He tries to speak but is frustrated when no words leave his mouth.

"Try again, my love."

"Geo-geometry. Mmm-more more stuff… About circles." That's it. He's done. He shakes his head and looks at his mom once more with pleading eyes.

He brings up both hands for Yoko to see and starts to sign.

"No more, Kaasan."

He was taught Japanese Sign language at the advice of his therapist. He hasn't completely mastered it, but can still communicate pretty well. Yuya has to learn how to feel comfortable using his own voice again. Something like that takes time and patience. Until then, he uses JSL to talk to his mother, who grew up with a deaf friend and already knew it. Yuzu is still in the beginning stages of the learning process, but she's always understood him whether or not words were used.

"You did a great job, Yuya. I love hearing you talk to me." Yoko smiles at him.

"I don't." He signs with a pout.

Yoko just resumes her previous task.

"I was baking cookies for Hachiro, do you all want the extra dough?"

"Do you have to ask?!" Yuzu hops down from the stool. "Yuya? Want some?"

He shakes his head, signing slowly so Yuzu can understand. "Not hungry for sugar."

His appetite has improved tremendously, but he still has so far to go. He went from nothing but protein shakes to a few bites of food a day to partially finishing a meal to a single meal a day. As of now, Yuya only eats about twice a day- on a very good day. He's regained some of his lost weight but he's still noticeably thin.

"What did you have for lunch today?" Yoko takes her last batch out of the oven.

Yuzu looks at Yuya to see if he'll respond. He doesn't. He just looks down, appearing ashamed.

"Yuya wasn't feeling too well today. I got him to eat some but not a lot of what I had brought."

Yoko knows she can't be too hard on him. He makes a great effort every day and she can't fault him when he has somewhat of an off day.

Having had her fill of delicious cookie dough, Yuzu sets the mixing bowl in the sink and rinses it. She joins Yuya behind the counter and reclaims her seat.

"Today was a good day." Yuzu playfully pokes her best friend. "But not a great day, don't you think?"

Yuya nods in agreement. He has his highs and lows and today was somewhere in the middle. Yoko turns around and faces her son once again.

"I still feel good, Kaasan." He signs.

"I know. I just want to look at you." Yoko has nothing but love in her eyes.

"Let's go meet Hachiro." She places her cookies in a plastic container.

"Yuya, did you hit the goal we set last week?"

"I think so." Yuya is most comfortable when around his therapist, Hachiro. It's the only time he doesn't feel embarrassed about the sign language.

"You think or you know?"

"I did."

"Can your mother back you up? Yoko San?" Hachiro turns his attention to Yoko.

"He did. Monday he ate a full meal- and we had a conversation with no sign language." Yoko vouches for her son, but she doesn't look too happy.

"Double whammy! Yuya, that's fantastic! How did you feel about that?" Hachiro inquires.

No answer.

"Yuya?"

"I felt good during dinner, but not afterwards." Hachiro notices Yuya's hands trembling slightly.

"Why is that?"

"I threw up again."

His bottom lip pokes out in a pout. The frustration is clear. He's tired of getting sick, but no matter what he does, it keeps happening.

"I tried not to. I tried really hard. But I couldn't help it."

"That's perfectly alright. A little bump in the road is nothing to be ashamed of. You still talked without signing and you ate an entire meal. That's an accomplishment." Hachiro points out. "This is going on the success board."

He takes out his Performapal Hippo stickers. "I really love these, by the way."

Hachiro peels one off and places it on his clipboard with Yuya's successes and failure chart. Right now they are probably even, but all of Yuya attempts are listed. Hachiro has almost run out of space in the attempts column.

Yuya never stops trying.

"So, Yuzu, how would you say Yuya has been since our last visit?" She comes to every other meeting with Hachiro at Yuya's insistence. He needs her support.

Yuzu thinks on it for a second.

"He's smiling more." She says quietly. "And he just put his pendant back on."

Yuzu remembered when she noticed him without it. He told her- or wrote to her- that he wasn't going to wear it until he felt like he could duel again.

"Is that so? Yuya, you ready to get back to those action fields?" Hachiro asks.

Yuya smiles and Yoko feels her heart leap almost out of her chest. What a beautiful smile.

"I miss dueling. I don't think I'll go back to you-show just yet, but I told Yuzu that I wanted to start practicing with her." Yuya explains.

"I don't think I'm ready to be around the Juniors yet."He admits.

No one besides Yuzu knows about the Rage. But Yuya hasn't hidden away his fears of losing his temper and hurting someone. He's still very certain that if he's not careful, something terrible will happen, and it will be his fault.

"Even at your very worst, you would never do anything to hurt them, Yuya." Hachiro says to the young boy. "I hope you remember that."

Yuya just looks down. That's what he thought before he found out about what he did to Yuzu.

"I don't trust myself." He keeps his head low, almost hiding his face completely as he signs.

Sad to say he can imagine himself laying hands on them. After Yuzu, he feels like he's capable of hurting anyone who has ever known him. His nightmares haunt him.

Futoshi lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

Tatsuya crying while holding ice to his swollen eye.

Ayu cowering in a corner with a bite mark on her neck- exactly like Yuzu's.

All of them say the same thing; "Please, Yuya oniichan. Don't hurt me anymore."

His heart crumbles to pieces at the thought.

"Yuya, stay with us. Open your eyes." He can hear Hachiro's voice. "You're okay."

Yuya didn't realize he'd closed his eyes. He didn't feel the tears on his face.

"Did you hear what Yuzu said?" Hachiro asks.

Yuya shakes his head. Still shaken from his horrific daydream.

"I said that he already knows he wouldn't hurt them. Even at your most vulnerable Yuya, it just couldn't happen. Trust me, somehow I know this for a fact. You would never ever hurt them." Yuzu repeats her statement.

She knows what she's saying isnt a guess. Yuzu has noticed that when it comes to the Juniors, he really does care about them. The only time he would become angry- if ever- would be because they had been threatened or hurt. Yuzu knows that the biggest spot in his heart is reserved for the people he wants to protect. She can admit (proudly) that the juniors take up slightly more space than she does. She holds another part of his heart for safe keeping. The vulnerable and fearful part of him. Yuzu is more than okay with that, for he has her entire heart.

"Do you believe your friend, Yuya?" Hachiro leans forward with a gentle smile.

Yuya nods without hesitation.

"It's alright to be scared. You wouldn't be human without fear. Just remember you're not alone." Hachiro reminds Yuya.

"I know…." Yuya starts. "That's why I want to start dueling with Yuzu again. She reminds me how much I love it… And how much I love being a part of You-Show."

"He'll be back in no time." Yuzu smiles. "Just so you know Yuya, the Juniors just haven't been the same with you gone. They're missing that fun spark you brought to dueling."

"I'll…" He breathes in… And out before bring his hands back up where everyone can see. "I'm coming back. Soon."

"It's great that you are progressing so well, Yuya." Hachiro says kindly. "I've heard great stories about your dueling, and how happy you always made the audience."

"Dueling makes me happy too." Yuya points out. "It makes me feel good, in here." He places a hand on his chest.

"Does anything else make you happy?"

Yuya nods.

"Tell me more about that, Yuya."

Yuya folds his arms and looks down.

He takes three deeps breaths.

"Kaasan and Yuzu."

He looks up in surprise and covers his mouth. That was... He just spoke aloud.

No stutter. No nausea.

"Kaasan and Yuzu." He says again.

"You… Make me… Smile… Again." He looks to his mother and then to his best friend. Both of them are still trying to pick their jaws up off the ground. Hachiro is smiling from ear to ear. He's so proud of how far Yuya has come.

"Thank you." They haven't heard him speak so clearly since before he and Ayu were attacked.

Yuya still has a ways to go before he feels normal again. Whatever kind of 'normal' that may be, he doesn't know. He can't say that things could ever be like they were before, but he has to believe it can be better. He has made his peace with Yuzu, and their friendship has never been stronger. Now, Yuya must come to terms with the aftermath.

Being attacked and brutally beaten- all while trying to protect someone he cared about- took a huge toll on him. He never thought anything would change. He only saw his life go from bad to worse. When Yuya felt himself falling further and further into darkness, he felt two hands take his own. His best friend and his mother. Without them, Yuya's despair would have been irreversible. He would have gained that bit of willpower necessary to end his life. He still cries every time he thinks about where he'd be without them. Because of these two, Yuya doesn't just think, he knows for a fact that it does get better. Pain is temporary. Love can heal.

Love is what healed Yuzu, and it's what is healing him now.

"Thank you."

I finished this story a while ago, but was so afraid to publish it until recently. I had never published anything before and I was so scared that my work wasn't good enough. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get such a positive reaction. I never thought that anyone would even come across this. I took a huge risk and I didn't regret it. You guys have been the most wonderful readers. Your excitement and feedback just gave me so much life. This is the first time since I was a super young child that I've let people read my work. The older I got, the more self-conscious I became. My writing became a secret, and up until the moment I published this fic, it still was. Thank you so much to Unknowedz, DB OP, crisrrana75, and jalen johnson. I loved how invested you guys were and seeing your reviews made me so happy! Thank you so much. You guys have no idea what this meant to me. Take care!

-Mimi