SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY.
The wait's been really long, guess I don't have the greatest track record but I've got a few more chapters written and they just have to be typed and edited and as it's summer I will get as much done as possible. Trust me, I don't want to go through getting killed by Lady Fire and verbally abused by the other Court Members again. The chapters will be up.

As Usual Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chasing Futures

Chapter 1: Redheads

"What?"

The blonde man stopped from where he was pouring his precious coffee. He turned to the younger of his sons and repeated himself. "We're moving."

"I heard you the first time."

"Then why ask?" One pale eyebrow arched gracefully across the elder's face before he turned back to the pot.

"What? Because … You know what I meant. Why?" The teen's voice was angry but his father knew him well enough to recognize the hollow undertone to it. He winced.

"What's left for us here?" The blonde turned back to the frantic redhead trying to get him to realize that this decision was for the best.

"If we leave she won't know how to find us." The son's voice rose desperately trying to convince his father otherwise.

"Don't bring her into this." The redhead winced slightly at the dangerously low tone to his father's voice.

"Why won't you talk about her?"

"Why do we have to? She left us!"

The sudden scrape of the chair of one of the two bystanders as he stood, interrupted the now heated argument. The eldest redhead, face expressionless, hollow where he'd stood. Unable to take it he grabbed his father's coffee cup from his hand, shouldered past his brother as he escaped to the blissful oblivion of his room.

Two of the three left in the room stared at the now empty door frame.

Finally losing his patience the blonde turned to his younger son. "Now look what you've done."

"What I've done?" The teen yelled back.

"Shut up both of you." The girl stood from where she'd previously been sitting, her head in her hands at the table. "Will you two grow up. She's not coming back. Never. Ever." Tears dripped silently down her dainty face as she yelled at her older brother and father. "And listening to you two, I'm not surprised." Then she ran out of the room leaving the others to stare after her with identical hurt expressions.

Xion looked up as pebbles rained against her window. Probably Demyx, he was the first neighbor to welcome them in.

He was sixteen, like the twins, his blonde hair was styled into the weirdest mullet Xion had ever seen. He had large blue eyes that twinkled. He was probably the most musical person she'd ever met.

Naminé, his sister, was the opposite. While Demyx was loud, bouncy and optimistic, always quick to smile, Naminé was quite, reserved and shy. She was also Xion's best friend. Though she had blonde hair and blue eyes like her brother, and was the older of the two, she looked younger.

The two had lived with their older sister Larxeen and her husband Marluxia since their parents divorced. Their mom moved all over the country, bouncing from boyfriend to boyfriend. Their dad started living for alcohol. Neither wanted the kids so Larxeen took them in.

Sora and Roxas had taken a liking to Demyx and he was their first friend since they moved.

Yes, it had been a year since tired broken teens arrived in Hollow Bastion. Xion wasn't doing to bad; she'd even go as far as saying she was fine, well once she got the cry out of the way. She was learning to piece her life back together.

Sora and Roxas on the other hand, they were having trouble. But Roxas was starting to crack the annoying comments that she used to hate so much, and Sora was smiling a bit. If wasn't much but it was a start. Xion thought the difference was Demyx.

Speak of the devil, more pebbles flanged against her window.

She stuck her head out the window. "What do you want?"

Demyx smiled. He was standing on the front lawn, Naminé behind him.

"Get out here." He yelled.

"Why?" Xion called out.

"A new family moved in down the road. A single father and three kids."

"How old?" Xion hoped there would be someone Roxas could relate to.

"Fifteen, sixteen and eighteen."

She didn't know how Demyx knew these things but trusted him all the same. "I'll be right down."

"And bring Sora and Roxas if they'll come." With that Demyx turned and ran around to the front of the house. Naminé waved to Xion before running after her brother.

Xion turned and ran to her brother's room. "Sora, Roxas, up, we're going to meet our new neighbors."

Roxas was reading with his headphones in while Sora worked on his computer.

"New neighbors?" Sora asked excitedly.

Xion nodded. The scene spread before her looked do much like the one when they'd first arrived in Hollow Bastion that it made her sad.

But then Sora smiled slightly. He had just recently started doing that. It warmed Xion's heart to see it; maybe things were getting slowly back to normal.

"Great!" Sora jumped up and out of bed landing heavily. Roxas climbed gracefully off his own giving his brother a look.

Xion just smiled. "Come on."

The three siblings made their way out of the house and into the street. Meeting up with Demyx and Naminé they continued on to where they saw down the road a moving van.

Xion remembered Demyx and Naminé coming to greet them.

Xion had just finished her crying session and had left the room remembering to turn the light off.

She'd turned to find Cloud standing there looking at her. There was silence before he stated simply. "That was beautiful."

Xion looked down.

"If you're going to play we should probably clean it out."

Xion had smiled as the silence wavered on but she had had to ask. "Cloud, why do you have the piano hidden like this?"

Cloud had looked very uncomfortable and opened his mouth before closing it again, not quite sure what to say. Finally he'd just said. "I don't talk about it. Come on."

Xion had followed him out into the hall not quite sure what to say to that. There they'd found a blonde boy with a guitar slung over his back bouncing in the hall.

"Hey Cloudy." He'd had a huge smile on his face.

"Demyx, how many times have I told you not to call me Cloudy."

"Demyx had completely ignored Cloud and instead turned to Xion. "Hi, my name's Demyx. I live down the road."

His sister Naminé had come in then and introduced herself. She and Xion had became good friends fast to the point where Xion would go as far to say Naminé was the best friend she'd ever had.

Demyx, pulling her to a halt as she nearly walked into the moving van, pulled Xion from her thoughts.

They had arrived at their new neighbor's house. It was bigger than their own and more traditionally shaped. Square and white, it had large overgrown gardens, a large back yard and a gaping empty garage.

Two teen-aged boys and a middle aged man were bringing things in while a teenage girl stood over them ordering them about.

Demyx stepped forward. "Hi, my name's Demyx Ludo, I live down the road. This is my sister Naminé and..." He then proceeded to introduce them all. They all waved as he said their names.

"Hi!" The girl stepped forward. "I'm Kairi Shinra. This is Axel," She pointed to a tall teen with flaming red spiky hair and a large upside down tear drop tattoo under each eye. "And this is Reno." She pointed to the other red head. This one's hair was also spiky around his face but was longer that Axel's and he had it pulled back in a ponytail. He had red eye liner circling the corner of his eye. "And that's Dad." She pointed at the middle aged guy sitting on the back of the truck gulping down water.

He smiled "I'm Rufus Shinra."

"We live down the road. If you need anything we'd be happy to help." Xion said friendly. "For now why don't we help you bring those boxes in."

"Sure that'd be great. If you could help Reno there." Kairi began shooing Demyx, Sora and Roxas to help out before turning to Xion and Naminé. "If you'd like to help then go right ahead."

"Why aren't you helping?" Naminé asked puzzled.

"These boys are completely useless unless someone tells them what to do," Kairi said accusingly but a fondness in her eyes softened her harsh words.

Xion nodded. Before her and Naminé turned to help the boys cart the piles of stuff in.

It was late in the day, the sun low in the sky before they finally finished. They all sat sweating on the front porch drinking the lemonade Demyx had made.

Naminé had her sketch pad open in front of her and was sketching the garage filled with boxes and bags, and the now empty truck.

Demyx had fished his ever present bottle of bubbles out of somewhere and was happily polluting the air with them.

Reno was scrutinizing everyone while Axel was trying to get Roxas to talk.

Sora was talking to Kairi and Xion in the grass.

Reno jumped up. "Ah ha!" Everyone jumped. "I've got it!"

"What?" Sora asked looking absolutely petrified.

"Chickie." He said triumphantly pointing at Xion.

"Excuse me?" Xion asked, annoyed.

He pointed to the rest in turn.

"Crayon." Naminé.

"Sunshine." Sora.

"Grumpy pants." Roxas.

"Bubbles." Demyx.

Everyone had a different reaction. Naminé just shrugged. Demyx clapped excitedly. Sora started singing 'sunshine lollypops, and rainbows everywhere' under his breath while Roxas immediately started protesting his new nickname.

"Excuse me. I'm not grumpy."

"Ha! You talked." Axel yelled, jumping to his feet, pointing a finger accusingly.

"Will you shut up?" Roxas said warningly before collapsing into coughs as he breathed in a few of the many bubbles drifting through the air.

"Wait, why am I called Chickie?" Xion asked in a voice that said she was barely restraining herself.

"Yeah, why don't they have nicknames?" Roxas asked hoarsely gesturing wildly at Axel and Kairi.

"They do have nicknames." Reno said happily.

"Reno." Axel said warningly.

"Axel is Fire Crotch and Kairi is Kiwi."

Axel looked ready to blow. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me Fire Crotch?" He yelled as he launched himself after Reno who ran for his life around the front lawn leaving everyone else collapsing in giggles.

"Kiwi?" Naminé asked Kairi quietly. Kairi just shrugged.

"If you must call me something can't it be something why can't you pick something like Hotstuff?" Axel cried still chasing Reno.

"Okay Hothead." Reno answered smugly sending the others into laughter again.

It was then that Cloud turned into the driveway. Reno froze, Axel running into him.

Reno had a huge mischievous smirk on his face and when Cloud saw him he froze. Putting a hand to his forehead to massage his temples he muttered. "Don't tell me that's Reno Shinra."

"It's Reno." Sora said sadly.

"I told you not to tell me."

"Hi ya Cloudy Pouty Pudding And Pie." Reno said nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Hello Reno." Cloud said reluctantly.

"You know him?" Xion asked.

"Yeah, I used to work for his father. We met at a Christmas party and I think he fell in love with my name."

"But it's just so much fun." Reno said as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"Cloud!" Rufus asked surprised as he came out of the garage. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm just here to pick the kids up."

"Oh? I didn't know you had kids?"

"I don't. They're my cousins, but I'm their guardian."

"Why's that?"

Cloud paused.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to answer that."

Xion noticed Sora was starting to blink and shudder. Roxas's breathing was becoming labored. Though everyone was dealing with mom's death, the subject was still very, very tender.

"Um, Cloud? Maybe we should go." She hustled her brothers down the drive. He glanced over at her and noticed the situation.

"Well it was nice seeing you again." He followed them down the drive, helping to pull Roxas down the drive.

Behind them Rufus turned to Demyx who was still blowing bubbles. "Was it something I said?"

Demyx shrugged. "We've never been able get it out of them."

As soon as they got to the house Sora turned and buried his face in Xion's shirt. Roxas stood there blankly 'till Xion reached on arm out and pulled him towards her. He quickly copied her brother.

Xion didn't know how long the three of them stood here, embrace in the entrance way but when she looked up she saw Cloud holding a tray with four cups of steaming hot chocolate.

Seeing the sad hollow look in her eyes he put the tray down on the hall bench and put his arms around the three of them.

Xion leant against him and for a moment felt like they were a family again.

But after a long moment Cloud stepped away and the bubble popped. Pulling Xion's arm, Cloud led the three down the hall to what they now called the music room.

They had cleaned it out and added bookshelf where all the music originally in he boxes now rested. Roxas's guitar was in the corner, as well as the new ones Cloud had bought Xion and Sora when he saw how much they loved music.

Cloud gently detached the twins from her and pushed her toward the piano.

Sitting down on the bench she pressed her fingers lightly against the keys and began to play. The sweet notes of one of the twins' favorite songs, Building Castles in the Sand by the Philosopher kings.

At the music flooding the room he boys couldn't help it. Coming out of their daze Sora found the music on the shelf and began to pluck along. Roxas looked longingly at his guitar but didn't pick it up. Instead he just sat down beside Xion and sang along. Soon everyone was, previous pain forgotten on the soft dwells of the music. Everyone was a little sad when it ended.

Sora turned to Cloud. "Cloudy Pouty Pudding and Pie?"

"Oh shut up." Cloud said as his cheeks tinged pink.

Laughter ran through the room, the sound of Sora singing
Cloudy Pouty Pudding and Pie
Kissed the girls and them cry
could be heard over it as he skipped out of the room, Cloud running after him.

The other two just laughed at the sound of Sora's squeals as Cloud tickled him.

One thing hung over Xion though. Why hadn't Roxas touched his guitar? He used to always want to play this song, and whenever he didn't have his guitar and the song came on he would play air guitar. So what was with him?

But she pushed the unhappy thought from her mind as Cloud ran past the doorway, Sora followed close behind him laughing. This moment was too good to ruin with thoughts like that. So she just laughed and pushed it away for later notice.

A/N: Nothing really heavy, had to introduce the characters. And about that wait. Again, I'm sorry but As Already have the next Chapter typed and almost edited it will be up ASAHP.

R&R