First off, for my ONESHOT of The Price of Freedom (aka chappie one), thank you EVERYONE for your amazing reviews! You have no idea how much they mean to me :)

Second, It has been far too long. I look at some of my previous stories and hope that I will someday finish them. I am posting this second chapter to my FruBa oneshot (yeah I know, kinda defeats the meaning of a oneshot). It can either be taken as a second chapter (a fairly happy ending to it) or it can be taken as a oneshot by itself. I just figured that it would be easier to inform fans of my original oneshot of its' existence if I posted it as a second chappie. :) I hope it measures up to your expectations or preferably far exceeds them!

Love and hugs always, KAWAIIwolf-luvr (since someone had already stolen my original name from other sites = KAWAIIwolf. And yes, after more than 6 years, I am still pissed about it because it was my creation, lol)

Kyo's blank red eyes stared at the lower corner of the dark wall. The mindless thoughts drifting through couldn't remember the last time he saw sunlight. Sensei's grandfather had had the privilege of the small window into the garden, but he was not awarded that luxury due to his arrogance and defiance to God. Now, just to escape the rage, he obeyed God. It was just easier. He was still controlled. Even with him on the outside and Kyo in this place, locked away so he couldn't taint the world more than he had already. This was God's Will. If he disobeyed, he was still within reach.

His ruby eyes glanced up at the door as it opened and a woman brought him his bread, water, and the tough lump that may have once been meat. This marked another day's passing and was the only time he saw anyone besides God. He turned his eyes away, his heart heavy. Was it still worth it? He had made sure that he finally had given up his deepest secret to leave something behind to be remembered by. He could have kept it to the grave, but that pain would have been too much to bear, even compared to this suffering. Now that he was broken, the weight on his chest merely tugged him further and further over the edge. The hope that God would tire of him had long departed. The hope that the kindness that had once changed Kyo for the good would seep into God and soften his icy eyes as it had quelled the fire in his own was a hope that had died. God hadn't been visiting as much lately, though.

None of this stayed a coherent thought for long, nor peaked his interest. It was all the same. God had shown him how he could keep him on the cusp of death for weeks on end, till they all ran together and time had no meaning; the helplessness was worse than the torture. The thought that had kept him alive was that it was Kyo, not him, that was on the receiving end of God's wrath. Even that small victory was sometimes taken away in the agony. Nothing previously could have prepared him for this. If there had been any way, he would have ended this torture long ago. God held him there though. Heart and body. The mind had broken, but he still knew there was a purpose. To keep his wrath centered on him. Love made you willing to be a martyr; God knew this, despised it, and used it.

The sound of the food being dropped on the floor was what slowly brought him out of his stupor. Commonplace sounds wouldn't have affected his domesticated insensibility. The out of the ordinary caught his attention for the briefest moment though. A glance toward the door alerted him to another body coming into the tiny room. He slumped backwards into the wall and tried to avoid the gaze of God as his blazing eyes swept the room and settled on him. Akito's smile was a tight, angry slash on his beautiful face. Before Kyo could even register fear into his mind, Akito had him pinned backwards by the throat with a dagger pressed to his neck. Dimly, Kyo heard pounding above his head, but his eyes locked with his God's cold eyes and he heard nothing more as Akito ran the ragged blade deep into Kyo's soft flesh without warning. Kyo's eyes widened as his wound squirted droplets onto Akito's contorted face. God dropped Kyo, his purpose finished, and turned towards the door as the multiple footsteps reached it finally. Kyo was too stunned at first from the cold feeling spreading throughout his body, but soon automatically tried to hold the wound closed as he vainly gasped through the torrent of blood gushing down his throat. God grinned triumphantly as men poured into the room, a half dozen grabbing him and holding him down and as the room darkened, a few rushed to Kyo's side. The coldness was dissipating and Kyo decided that another breath was a bit too much effort.

'Finally…' was his final thought, a small smile upon his face.

The incoherent thoughts finally focused on the annoying beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"Fuck you." Yuki opened his eyes quickly in surprise. 'That was an ugly phrase to be coming out of my mouth…'

He sat up and ran his fingers through his long hair as he turned off his alarm. He trimmed his hair every now and then, but had let it grow out considerably in the last couple years, giving him edgier, even more feminine features than previously. Yuki sighed and slid out from under the blanket, straightening it before he went over to his dresser to choose his clothes for the day. Going downstairs, he grabbed the refrigerated leftovers from the previous night, heated them up, and tucked his legs under him on the couch. He changed the tv channel to the news and slowly tucked into his food.

'Just another violent day…' The news told of another shooting downtown, two men being thrown in jail after getting in a fist-fight at a local bar, and a raid on a mansion where a maid had given police a tip about a man being tortured in the basement for probably years, according to the opinions of the doctors who had examined him upon his hospital arrival. He was still listed as being in critical condition and they were still unsure as to whether he was going to live or not.

'This is just sickening.' Yuki changed the channel and decided upon watching something else. Yuki was fairly pale, but had been for a long time and the circles under his eyes only deepened. If days sucked the energy out of him, the nights were worse. Even now, blood red eyes haunted his nightmares, accusing him, pleading with him to be saved. Yuki remembered the months leading up to Kyo's disappearance, the emptiness, the lack of passion. Yuki couldn't forgive himself for not understanding until it was too late. It was easier to blame himself than blame Kyo for keeping it hidden. Yuki couldn't fault him. Even he hadn't known how he would have reacted to Kyo professing his love to him. Yuki rubbed his burning eyes. His chest felt tight, so he took some calming breaths and walked his trash to the kitchen. For years, it had seemed nothing could keep his mind off Kyo; it was even more-so now that he was gone. It's amazing what guilt and self-loathing can do to one's soul and spirit. Crushed seemed to be the only way to describe it. Yuki could only imagine in his nightmares what had become of Kyo. If Akito had been harsh on Yuki… Kyo would have had it ten times worse… Hatred was a good motivator for Akito… Yuki felt a quick tingle down his spine and tried to banish the goosebumps that appeared on his arms as the hairs raised on the back of his neck and his arms.

'The past is the past and I need to move on' Yuki told himself firmly, with a hint of anger.

Akito had held him by strings of fear for so long that, once the shock of him taking Kyo away had sunk in, Yuki was already gone. Enough had been enough. Of course, everyone in the family had searched the estate from top to bottom without finding Kyo. That was a given. Times had changed since then. Akito hadn't had the same hold over the Sohma's since Tohru came into their lives. Even Akito was changed, though he would never admit to it. Unfortunately for him, it seemed as though his health had taken a toll as the family drifted further apart.

Family was family, however. No matter how much denial you work up.

Yuki heard a car pull up to the house and recognized Shigure's voice as he neared the house. Yuki looked up and could see the pain in his smokey eyes immediately when he opened the door, reflecting a familiar emotion.

"What's happened?" Yuki urged, his throat tightening. Shigure wouldn't meet his eyes, his face held tight. Movement behind him drew Yuki's attention as Tohru raced out of the car and flung herself into Yuki's arms, grasping him tight just before the cloud of gray smoke enveloped them both and she was instead sobbing over a small mouse. Yuki felt tears building up behind his closed eyes as he hugged her back as best as he could, still not understanding.

"Akito was taken into custody last night…"

Yuki's eyes widened. "For what?" He asked in a small voice.

"They… the police received a tip…" Yuki immediately thought of the newscast and his mouth opened a little, comprehension dawning slowly. "Yuki…" Shigure saw the understanding in his eyes. "It's Kyo…" Yuki's head started swimming.

"Kyo," his voice echoed.

They found him.

Yuki felt sick to his stomach and started to have difficulty breathing. "They… they said he was tortured." Shigure nodded. "Where is he? Is he okay?" Shigure hesitated before he shook his head.

"He's…" Shigure stopped quickly. "I want you to come to the hospital. It will probably be better than an explanation from me…" Yuki nodded quickly, gritting his teeth and steeling himself.

Hatori quickly agreed to drive them. Yuki couldn't believe what was happening around him. After all this time… Yuki missed a step as they walked the long pale green halls towards the emergency care unit, but no one noticed. Yuki was suddenly terrified that Kyo was going to blame him for what happened. In Kyo's journal, Yuki had discovered the reason for Kyo's plight. It was ultimately Yuki's fault as he saw it. Yuki knew in his mind that it was only on Akito's shoulders, that he was the one that maliciously threw Kyo's life away, but Yuki's heart betrayed him. He felt numb with fear. How is he going to have changed? 'I'm not sure if I will be able to face him.' Yuki felt helpless as his feet betrayed him and kept bringing him closer and closer.

'Hatori, is Kyo going to be okay? What did he go through? What did Akito do to him?" Hatori glanced back at him and then exchanged a look with Shigure. There was something they weren't telling him, but they had just stopped outside of the door where Kyo lie beyond. Hatori showed a rare glimpse of pain in the eye that wasn't hidden behind his bangs.

Yuki had had a taste of the torture that Akito could dole out and couldn't imagine the pain that Kyo had been through. At least Yuki had been able to escape it. "When Akito realized the police were going to arrest him for his crimes, he tried to kill Kyo…" Yuki paled. Yuki closed his eyes and without another word, walked into the room. It was a sunny room painted a light yellow to make it look more open. A thin pale man with dirty, shoulder-length orange hair lay on the bed closest to the window. He looked nothing like Kyo. Yuki almost backed out of the room, but a few moments after the door opened, the man opened his eyes and fixed them on Yuki's and the painful recognition was obvious.

The dull lack of emotion was enough to break Yuki's heart, though. Yuki made himself take a few steps toward him. Kyo looked away, focusing on looking out the window. When Yuki reached the bed, he sank to his knees and placed his hands on top. He slowly reached for Kyo's hand, but stopped when Kyo flinched. Yuki shivered when he noticed the bandage around Kyo's neck that was just starting to seep through. He hesitated a moment and then flung himself across the bed, grasping Kyo tightly to him. Yuki could feel the tenseness in Kyo's battered body, but he soon relaxed and Yuki could feel a slight sob shudder his body before he grasped him just as tightly.

"I'll never let you go again."

It's short, but I think it conveys the story better than my first attempt at writing this tonight. Too much unnecessary background crap in my first attempt. Hope you enjoyed it :) Now for me to disappear for another 2 years, lol. :/ Love to all!