Disclaimer: I own nothing Kamen Rider.

Author's Note: We finally come to the end! I'm sorry about how long it took me to get this all done and posted. Hopefully there are people out there still interested and who will read. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated (any comments at all are greatly appreciated, but con crit means hopefully whatever I do next will be even better than this). Thanks so much for reading!

Part Twenty: With Numberless Dreams

Three weeks.

It's been three weeks since they brought Yuusuke here, and he still hasn't moved.

Or maybe he has moved, just a little bit here and there, but it could just have been Kaitou's imagination. Could just have been a random twitching of his hand, taking on a shape that's somewhat familiar.

They've removed most of the machines. They still have the heart-thing on him, but there's nothing attached to his head. Nothing breathing for him, not since day two or three. Still an IV in his arm, but Kaitou's not surprised by that. Any time you went to a hospital they seemed determined to stick a needle in your arm. Maybe it was a clever way to keep people from wanting to come.

Yuusuke still has the charm that Kaitou put around his neck, the gold edge just showing above the fabric of the hospital gown. It's a pretty thing, the blood-red stone in the center reminding him of Kuuga's red amadam. He's glad that the others haven't removed it, even if it doesn't seem to have helped at all.

Not that he expected it to help. Not really. Things like that never really worked.

"Back again, Kaitou?" Tsukasa lounges in the door for a moment before coming in. "I thought when you left this time it'd be a bit more permanent."

"This place has some perks. Like free meals." He takes a step back from Yuusuke's side. "Surprised you're still here. Thought you'd have gotten bored by now."

Tsukasa just shrugs. Natsumi, who came in behind him, rolls her eyes. Pulling a chair up next to Yuusuke's bed, she takes his hand. "Ignore those two and their complete ineptitude at showing affection. We'll wait as long as you need us to, Yuusuke."

No response. No twitch of movement, no change in the readings on the monitors still there. "How long are they going to leave him there if he doesn't wake up?"

He says it easily, nonchalantly, but Kaitou feels his throat tighten once the words are out of his mouth. Wrong, wrong, wrong, the thought of Yuusuke never waking up, and there's a ridiculous part of his mind that says he's made it more likely now by saying it.

Natsumi's voice is firm but not angry when she answers. "He's going to wake up. He's responded to us, a few times. Or tried to. He just needs more time."

"He needs something." Tsukasa's voice is quiet and thoughtful as he studies Yuusuke. "But I'm not sure if more time's it. Tsubaki says he's pretty much healed from everything. He should be able to do more than sleep now."

"What we went through was hard." Natsumi continues to hold Yuusuke's hand in a tight grip. "It's all right if it takes him a while."

"I know. I just feel like…" Shrugging, Tsukasa prowls around the bed, moving from one side to the other. "I don't think this is what he needs anymore. What he wants. I don't think this is good for him."

After pacing the room a few times Tsukasa nods once, slowly, to himself. Then he heads to the door.

Kaitou stares at Natsumi, who just shrugs.

It only takes a minute or so before Tsukasa comes back into the room, Tsubaki and Godai hot on his heels. "Just because I said that it won't kill him to take him off everything doesn't mean it's a good idea. We're monitoring him for a reason. You just need to be patient and—"

"How would you be doing if you were him?" Turning, Tsukasa stabs a finger at Godai. "The same room, day in, day out. The same world. The same people. Nothing to do. Doesn't give you much reason to wake up, does it? Doesn't give you much to hold on to if you want to, either. He's a traveler. Keeping him trapped here is about the worst thing we can do."

Godai hesitates for just a moment before nodding, a grin spreading across his face.

"Godai, no." Tsubaki spins on the other man. "What if I'm wrong? If that damn belt of his isn't finished healing, then moving him could kill him."

"No. They're well enough to move. They want to, even. They're just having trouble figuring it out again." Skirting around his friend, Godai moves up next to Yuusuke. "Tsukasa's idea is a good one. If it doesn't work, we'll bring him right back to you."

They have him out of the hospital gown in about thirty seconds, earning a squeaked protest from Natsumi. Tsubaki helps them take off the few sensors and catheters that were left, turning off alarms as he goes, expression alternating between grim and hopeful. Once they have a shirt and jeans on Yuusuke, Tsukasa tries to lift him.

And drops the smaller man back onto the bed with a grunt of frustration.

Godai reaches for Yuusuke's arms. "I'll help—"

"No." Tsukasa bites out of the word, bending down once again. "I can carry him. I've done it before."

He'd been a half-mad godling when he did it before, but Kaitou doesn't point that out. Just like he doesn't laugh at the awkward way Yuusuke's held in Tsukasa's arms, or joke about Tsukasa dropping the smaller man on his head and giving him more brain damage.

There's too much tenderness in the way Tsukasa's hands cling to Yuusuke, too much real worry and sorrow and need to help, to protect in his expression as he tries to cradle the other man. Sometimes it's just not appropriate to mock people. Especially not when Kaitou's maybe, sort of, feeling some of the same things himself.

Not that it'll stop him from mocking Tsukasa later. Tsukasa is never going to hear the end of this, eventually.

But not now. Not right now.

It's chilly on the roof, and Kaitou shivers despite his jacket. Yuusuke must be freezing, with only a single shirt between him and the wind that nips around them.

It's not bright. Dark clouds billow on the horizon, while a sheet of slate gray covers the sky immediately above them. It's not quite raining yet, but occasionally the wind sprays a fine mist against them, the moisture feeling ominous in the electricity-laden air.

For a long moment they just stand there, Tsukasa holding Yuusuke tight against him.

Tsubaki steps forward hesitantly, the expression on his face pained. "Maybe it was a good idea, Tsukasa-kun. But it's cold, and he's probably not thermoregulating well—"

"Yuusuke." Tsukasa sits down, letting Yuusuke's legs and bare feet settle onto the cold cement. Yuusuke's upper body he keeps cradled against himself. "Can't you feel that, Yuusuke? Wind. Blowing through the city. Rain. You can smell the rain, can't you? Better than the smell of any hospital. So alive, even up here, even with the smell of gasoline mixed into it. Hear that? Thunder. And that? People, Yuusuke. A whole new world, still waiting to be explored. So many new worlds, waiting to be explored. So you need to wake up. You need to come back to us."

Natsumi crouches down by Tsukasa, takes Yuusuke's right hand in hers. "We'll be as patient as we need to be, Yuusuke. But we need you with us. We need you here."

The fingers of Yuusuke's right hand twitch, tighten just briefly around hers. And is that a grimace of effort, there on his face?

Kneeling down on Tsukasa's left side, Kaitou reaches out and gives a sharp yank on the chain holding the pendant in place. "Come on, idiot. Yuusuke. Time to wake up."

Yuusuke opens his eyes slowly, blinking in even the muted pre-storm lighting. Tears spring to his eyes, start to trickle down his face, and his head falls in toward Tsukasa's chest.

"That's it, Yuusuke." Gently turning the other Rider's head back away from his body, Tsukasa grins. "Look around. It's all right."

"'kasa?" Yuusuke's voice is gravelly, slurred. "What… zobo…"

Kaitou frowns. "Did he just—"

"It's all right, Yuusuke." Natsumi shakes her head at Kaitou, running a hand through Yuusuke's hair. "We're in Hibiki's world. Not Asumu's world, a different one, but we're safe here."

"Ah. I know." Yuusuke turns his head away from Tsukasa, his hand slipping out of Natsumi's and down to the cement of the rooftop. Leaning forward, he closes his eyes, smiling as the wind blows another gust of water against them. "Biideragida… you told us. Me. You told me. I remember."

He tries to clamber to his feet, resulting in a mess of arms and legs as Tsukasa and Natsumi keep him from falling to the ground.

"Oh. Guriragen. Sorry." Staring down at his hands, Yuusuke slowly flexes his fingers. "Still figuring this out."

"Tsubaki?" Godai watches Yuusuke, head tilted to one side. "Why is he—?"

"Why are you asking me?" The doctor shakes his head, both hands rising defensively. "I saved his life. He is awake and a hell of a lot more functional than I was afraid he would be. Any other side effects are not my fault."

"Kaitou." Yuusuke grins and charges at him, tripping over his own feet after the first step.

"Yuusuke." He catches the idiot, because it would be too much of a shame if he fell and scuffed up the amulet. "You seem to be feeling better—hey!"

Yuusuke's arms wrap around his neck, squeeze tight. A little too tight, probably harder than the smaller man intended to, but it's obvious that he's still getting his coordination back. "We're alive. We're all alive and we're here."

"You're a little slow on the draw there, but yes." Patting Yuusuke on the back of his head, he wonders if it would be possible to undo the clasp and slip the amulet off without anyone noticing.

He's in the process of attempting it when Yuusuke suddenly presses up against him, burying his head against Kaitou's neck. "Garui. It's cold."

Tsukasa and Natsumi help him get Yuusuke's arms from around his neck. Each taking a shoulder, they guide the other Rider toward the stairs.

"Come on." Tsukasa smiles fondly at the smaller man. "We'll get your jacket from your room, and we'll go home. If you want."

"We do. I do." Yuusuke seems to get more coordination back with each step, though the way he's watching his feet says that there's still something novel about the experience. "I want to go home. And then I want to go… anywhere. Wherever you guys want to go. I want to go anywhere."

He laughs, a bright, pleased sound, and pulls Natsumi and Tsukasa in closer to him.

"You're still not completely better, are you?" Natsumi asks the question gently, trying to push his hair out of his eyes and back into a semblance of order.

"Close enough." Yuusuke smiles. "Gasigodo. Thanks, Tsukasa. I was getting scared, since I couldn't figure out how to wake up."

"No problem."

"Slight problem." Kaitou pokes Yuusuke in the back, causing the man to jump and trip, almost bringing Tsukasa down to the ground with him. "Why do you keep talking like a kaijin?"

"I'm sorry. I'll stop."

He looks so sincere about it, so grave, that Kaitou can't help but sigh. "You're sure you're all right?"

"Yeah." The manic edge is gone from Yuusuke's smile now. "Still healing a few things, so Kuuga's still working overtime, but we're all right. Better than ever before."

"Good. That's good." Drawing a deep breath, he waves at the others. "So, guess I'll see all three of you around then."

Tsukasa rolls his eyes.

Yuusuke's hand reaches for him, though he stops short of actually catching his arm. "Gagae."

Natsumi grabs his hand, though she doesn't hold onto it when he pulls away. "Come have dinner with us, Kaitou. Free meal. All right?"

He hesitates just a second before nodding.

Just for a free meal. Just for the chance to annoy Tsukasa.

And if he ends up staying, taking up his usual residence in the middle of Tsukasa and Yuusuke's room…

If he ends up making breakfast in the morning…

Well, someone has to take care of his treasures, because they're really damn bad at taking care of themselves.