A/N: Hey guys, it's been a minute, sorry about that! Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Hiro walked through the gate and once again the fog blocked his view. But soon enough it dissipated to find himself on a street facing, what he had to assume, was the heavenly version of SFIT.

"Huh. Didn't expect this to be here," Hiro muttered. He moved to step across the street and was suddenly inside the building, standing in a long hallway. It seemed to stretch on forever in both directions. In front of him was a closed door. As odd as the situation seemed, Hiro wasn't getting any bad vibes.

"Well." He knocked on the door which swung open slightly. He pushed gently and stepped inside. "Hello?"

"Hiro?"

No way.

Nearly jumping out of his skin at the unexpected voice, Hiro found himself in an empty lab, just begging to be used, along with Professor Callaghan.

"Callaghan?!"

The older man nodded, looking equally shocked to see Hiro.

"I can't say I expected to see you here, Hiro."

"Yeah, me either. How- when- did you-?"

"Die?" He smirked. "As I recall it was late on the 23rd. I had a heart attack at the jail. And you? You weren't exactly on death's doorstep last I knew."

"I got hurt in a fight. Impaled." The professor winced in sympathy.

"I can't imagine that was a fun way to go."

"Yeah, I can't imagine burning to death was either."

Callaghan sighed and the semi-cordiality was gone in an instant and replaced with a tension that was as thick as Aunt Cass's Infinite Layer Chocolate Cake. Hiro's fists were shaking they were balled up so tight. He knew this was heaven, but if an angel didn't come and stop him, he very well might deck Callaghan in the face right then and there.

"So I guess we're talking about this."

"Of course we're talking about this! You left my brother to die and I want an explanation!"

"You think I wanted to let him die?" Callaghan snarled, making Hiro take an involuntary step backward. "I had no choice-"

"Bullcrap!" Hiro shouted back. "Of course you had a choice! Everyone has a choice and you chose to let him die!"

"I had no choice," Callaghan repeated. "I had already lost everything. My daughter was dead and all I wanted was revenge on the man who caused it. And I think-" The fire in his voice died down. "And I think I knew that if I rescued Tadashi, he would talk me out of it."

Hiro hadn't expected that. But still. "That doesn't make it okay."

Callaghan nodded. "I know." He glanced at the door and said, "And I have a sneaking suspicion that once we're done here, I'll be seeing your brother." He turned back to Hiro and fixed him with a curious stare. "I have to admit Hiro, I would've thought you'd be a bit more… lenient after they determined the cause of the fire."

"What does that mean?" Hiro demanded. Callaghan's face fell, almost growing pitying.

"They never told you did they." It wasn't a question.

Despite Hiro's best efforts, he couldn't help the shadow of fear growing in his stomach.

"What-what do you mean?" But he could feel his bravado fading.

"Think back to the showcase. You said the microbots could be used for transportation and suddenly you were hanging over the audience, traveling across the ceiling. And then-"

"Sparks."

Callaghan nodded, face falling even more at Hiro's horrified expression. Hiro remembered now, seeing them out of the corner of his eye. On one of the pipes he had been traveling across, there had been a spark. He hadn't thought much of it and neither had anyone else, if they had noticed it all.

"It caused a malfunction with some faulty wiring. The fire spread faster than anyone could have predicted."

Hiro couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The shadow had become a force, filling his whole body with a dread he couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"No. No! No, no, no. It can't- I can't have been the reason my brother is dead, no. That was you. That was…" Tears had gathered in the boy's eyes and he hated how scared he sounded when he finished. "That was you."

"I'm sorry Hiro. I'm so, so sorry."

For whatever reason, that's what broke him. A heartwrenching sob tore from his throat as Hiro collapsed in on himself, balanced on his toes, arms wrapped around his bent knees. Callaghan waited, staring at the ground to give Hiro some form of privacy and shed a silent tear or two himself, that slowly turned to muted sobs.

"I'm so sorry Hiro." He wiped a hand down his face, but the tears kept coming and the words kept coming through the tears. "I never should have done that. I should have saved your brother. I'm," he hiccuped, trying in vain to stop his crying. "I'm ashamed of the man I've become." Hiro rocked back to sit down, knees bent and looked up at the professor. "Neither of us deserve to be here: you deserve to still be alive and I deserve much worse than this," he laughed sadly, gesturing around, encompassing heaven in general and then, paused.

There was the door they had come in, but now there was another door next to it.

And suddenly, everything made sense.

"One of us gets to go home," Hiro whispered. Callaghan nodded.

Hiro sniffed and wiped his nose before letting out a small laugh.

"You know, Tadashi used to speak so highly of you. You were his favorite professor. He told me about how you invited all your students over for dinner once or how you'd spend extra hours tutoring him, helping him finalize his original Baymax designs. He loved you." Now he turned to look the professor in the eye. "One thing I know about my brother is that he always gave second chances. And I think he would be willing to give one to you, if you'd let him."

Callaghan couldn't even speak the words, but mouthed a quiet, "Thank you."

They stayed that way for a moment longer, tension gone. The hurt was still there, but now it could give way to healing. Eventually, Callaghan sighed.

"I suppose I should get this over with." He stared at the door as if doing so would make it vanish. Hiro got to his feet, suddenly apprehensive about the thought of going back to the world of the living.

"Hiro." Callaghan dragged his gaze away from the door to the young boy. "Tell Abigail I'm sorry and that I love her. Whatever happens... whatever you decide to do with your life... you'll do great. Keep helping people, like your brother, like you and, you'll do great." He gave Hiro the smallest smile, a trembling olive branch, and Hiro knew in his heart it wouldn't be right - he wouldn't be alright - if he didn't take it. He smiled back.

"Thanks. Tell Tadashi hi for me and I guess I'll see him eventually." He let out a nervous breath on the edge of a sob. He didn't want to go. Callaghan nodded.

"I will. And thank you Hiro."

Hiro returned the nod and, in sync, they stepped forward and opened the doors.

::::::::::::::::

Beep...beep...beep.

"Hey, tell Aunt Cass hi for me okay? And give her a hug. And the others too. Gosh there's too much to say. It was so good to see you bro. I love you. Remember to use that big brain of yours. Remember, I can see you, yknow!" The barest feeling of a hair ruffle and a hug around the shoulders and then the presence was gone.

Beep..beep..beep.

"Aw I guess we'll have to wait on that dinner. But, that's okay. We love you Hiro!"

"We're so proud of you son. We'll see you again, don't worry. Give Cass our love." The soft feeling of a kiss on his forehead and being surrounded in a hug and the two were gone.

Beep, beep, beep.

And then, Hiro was back.

:::::::::::::::::

Even through his closed eyelids, the lights were blinding. Hiro scrunched his eyebrows and then coughed at the uncomfortable dryness in his throat and then at the realization that there was a tube stuck down it.

Being alive sucked.

He quickly took it back though as a hand grabbed his and another was placed to his forehead.

"Hiro? Honey? Are you with us?"

He groaned in response but leaned into Aunt Cass' touch and thought that nothing in the whole wide world could feel better. He cracked open one eye and then the other, blinking rapidly to adjust to the light. The smile on her face was enough to make up for the pangs he knew would come from missing the rest of his family.

"H Mm Caah."

"Oh, let's get that tube out of your mouth. Hang on."

She called for a doctor and the next fifteen minutes were spent being poked and prodded and examined until they deemed him good-enough-for-now and left him alone with his aunt.

Hiro sighed and made the mistake of glancing over at his aunt only to see tears in her eyes and, next thing he knew, being tackled (gently) in a hug.

"It's alright Aunt Cass. I'm fine. I'm okay, I promise." He hugged her back as hard as he could until she finally pulled away. "How long was I out anyway?"

"Three days. A long three days," she corrected with a laugh. "They had to resuscitate you - oh it was awful - you don't want to hear this."

"Tadashi says hi."

Cass stared at him. Then blinked, once, twice.

"You saw...?" Hiro nodded.

"I died Cass. I know that much. I- I went to Heaven. I saw Tadashi and Mom and Dad. They told me to tell you they love you. Ha, Heaven is great Cass. Tadashi had this huge lab! And Mom and Dad showed me around this garden."

Cass smiled in wonder and relief as Hiro talked on and on about what he saw and experienced there, including his talk with Callaghan.

"Did you know, about the fire?" he asked. Cass nodded.

"But I didn't ever make the connection between it and your microbots. I am so sorry Hiro."

"It's... ok. I'm coming to terms with it. Ha, who knew dying could be so therapeutic?"

"They resuscitated you four times before you were stable. And even then..." She suddenly clapped her hands on her thighs. "We should call the others, let them know you're alright."

"Wow," Hiro muttered and run a hand down his face. "Four times. Three days!" Cass paused in dialing the others to squeeze Hiro's knee.

"I'm so glad you're back."

Click. "Hello? Cass? Is that you?" Wasabi asked.

"Is it about Hiro? Is he awake?!" Honey Lemon yelled.

"HIRO!" Fred yelled.

"Dude!" Gogo bit back.

"Oh hi! Yes, guys, he's awake! Here, I'll let you talk to him." Cass shoved the phone into Hiro's hands with an excited smile on her face.

"Hey guys." He was immediately greeted by enthusiastic responses from everyone and he couldn't help but grin and thought for a moment he felt someone grinning next to him. "Do I have a story for you guys."

A/N: Tada! Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it, cuz I certainly enjoyed writing it. And remember, reviews make the world go round. :)