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Title: Heart to Heart
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Disney and Square own it all; I only wish I did. Why in the hell cant I come up with these wickedly cool characters and twisted plots? Why?
Summary: Sequel to Burning Heart and Earth's Rebirth. A special assignment from Ansem sets Dilan's conscience on edge, and he reaches out to the only person that he knows can help, the one person that he though he would never speak to again; Xehanort.
Xehanort didn't speak for the next few days. He kept silent as Xavier fed him, bathed him, and changed his sheets everyday. He allowed himself to be carried to the bathroom without complaint, drank the liquids he was given without a fuss, and didn't ask for more again. Xavier didn't like his silence, but he knew better than to push him. As with Isa, trauma could not be recovered from instantly; it took time.
He did not say a word to the boy about his belief that he was a Replica, but since he was for all intents and purposes his father, he did more than he would have with any other patient. Of course, his other child aged patients had parents and other relatives to offer comfort and care. Xehanort had no one aside from himself. With any other patient he would have switched out with Taylor every now and then so he could go home and take a break. Not so with Xehanort. He cared for the child himself and refused to leave him. With Taylor insisted that he go home sometime, Xavier only asked him if he would leave a child of his alone in the hospital in the care of others, to which Taylor simply shook his head and stopped insisting. When Xehanort became frightened or upset, Xavier would gather him into his arms and hold him and croon to him until he was calm again. Xehanort disliked it when Xavier changed his gown, so he allowed the boy to do it himself, while providing as little assistance as possible. He also was terrified of getting a bath, especially of the wash basin that Xavier used for the task, which made him wonder if the boy's captors had used some kind of water torture on him. He was still too weak to bathe himself, but Xavier tried to ease his fear by leaving the wash basin outside the room and going back and forth to it as needed. The bath still frightened him so much that, once he was dried off and dressed, Xavier often had to wrap him snugly in a blanket and hold him on his lap until his shivering ceased and his tears dried.
That was another thing that bothered Xavier a great deal. No matter how frightened he became or how much pain he felt from his healing wounds and improperly set bones, Xehanort never cried aloud while awake. He cried quietly in his sleep now and then, but never when awake. From what he had heard while in the prison, Xavier knew that he was likely punished for crying, and it made him shiver every time he thought about it.
Seven days after his rescue, Xehanort was allowed to drink opaque liquids, and Xavier had to stop him from guzzling his first glass of milk. It was the closest he had seen Xehanort to full out crying as he reached frantically for the glass that Xavier had taken away from him with tears rolling unchecked down his cheeks.
"You must drink it slowly, Xehanort." Xavier admonished him gently "If you drink it too fast, you will make yourself sick."
Xehanort ignored him and continued reaching for the glass, looking as though he was going to start bawling at any second. Xavier sat down beside him and put one arm around him, though he held his other arm out to keep the glass out of Xehanort's reach.
"Xehanort," he said firmly "Look at me, Xehanort." The child ignored him and began to whine in distress as he continued reaching for the milk. Xavier finally set it down on a nearby table, which resulted in a frustrated wail from Xehanort, and gently titled the boy's head back to look him in the eye. He gently used his thumb to wipe some of the tears away. "Xehanort, you are not going to go hungry here. I will not make you go without like those monsters in the prison did, but right now you must be careful with what you eat and drink. If you have too much too soon and too fast, you will make yourself very sick." And quite possibly kill yourself, he added silently "I know you want the milk, but you cannot drink it too fast. If you promise me that you will sip it down slowly, I will give it back to you. If you start chugging down again, I will take it away. Do you understand?" Xehanort ignored him, and he wailed again as he struggled to get past Xavier to the milk. Xavier gently pushed him back and held him firmly. "If you want the milk, you have to agree to what I say. I will not have you set yourself back. I know that you're hungry, but those are the rules."
Xehanort finally stopped fighting with a sob, and Xavier wrapped his arms around him and rocked him for a moment. "It's alright, little one. Promise me that you won't guzzle it, and I'll let you have it." Xehanort looked up at him with puffy eyes for a long moment, and then he nodded. Xavier picked up the glass, but he held it out when Xehanort began to reach for it again. "Ah ah ah, remember what I said?" With a sigh of defeat, Xehanort let his arms drop to his lap, and Xavier held it up so he could sip from it.
"That's a good boy." he said quietly "Just sip it slowly." All too soon the glass was empty, and Xehanort tried to lick out every last drop. Xavier felt a rush of pity and anger. Pity for the abused child in front of him, anger at those that had hurt him so badly. He set the empty glass aside, which resulted in another distressed whine, and gathered the boy to him. Xehanort no longer flinched at his touch, though he still flinched at Taylor's, and he snuggled against Xavier side and closed his eyes.
"You can have more in a few more hours." Xavier told him quietly as he ran his fingers through the child's hair "But for now you need to lie down and sleep."
Xehanort was quiet as Xavier laid him down and tucked him in, and he fell asleep quickly. Xavier stepped into the office just as Alexander arrived with breakfast from home. Xavier greeted his little brother with a hug and a ruffle of his hair before he sat down to eat. He'd barely taken a bite of his eggs though, when he noticed Alexander walking over to the private room and peeking in the doorway.
"Alexander." he said warningly "Stay out of there."
"Wow, Xavier!" the boy exclaimed "He looks just like you!"
"Alexander!" Xavier hissed as he stood up and strode over to the door. Inside he saw Xehanort rubbing his eyes; Alexander had woken him up. "Go home, right now, young man. You've woken him up."
"Sorry!"
"Shhhh! Bit late for that, now get."
"Okay, okay." Alexander grumbled something and walked out, and Xavier walked up to Xehanort's bed. The boy was looking around in fear, frightened by the unfamiliar voice that he had heard.
"It's alright." Xavier soothed as he smoothed out the blankets "It was just my little brother. I'm sorry that he woke you." Xehanort looked at him anxiously for a moment before he hesitantly closed his eyes and went back to sleep, and Xavier returned to the office to finish his breakfast.
Later that day, as he was giving Xehanort his second glass of milk, the teenager spoke.
"He said that I look like you." he said quietly, and Xavier grimaced. He wasn't going to like this conversation; he knew it.
"That is true." he said as he held the half full glass up so Xehanort could sip from it "We do look quite a bit alike."
Xehanort took another small drink. "Are you descended from Lord Xehanort too?" he asked afterward.
"No." Xavier replied. Not in this body, anyway. he added silently.
"Then why do we look so much alike?"
"Everyone has their twin, I suppose."
Xehanort shrugged his shoulders slightly and finished his milk. "Why haven't my parents visited? Are they not allowed?"
Xavier set the glass aside and used a napkin to gently wipe the milk off Xehanort's mouth. "Your parents aren't here."
Xehanort looked at him in confusion, and Xavier couldn't help but notice the moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes. "What do you mean they're not here?"
Because you don't have any, aside from me. "You're not on the Destiny Islands, little one."
"How could I not be?"
"Those monsters that had you were keeping you on another world. When I took you out of there, I brought you here."
"Why can't you take me home then?"
Because you don't have one, at least not yet. "You're not well enough to travel now. I moved you before because I had to, but now you're going to stay here until you're stronger." Please don't hate me for lying to you.
"Can't you go and get them?" Xehanort asked desperately as tears began to track down his gaunt cheeks "Do they even know what happened to me?"
"No, I can't go and get them, and I'm fairly certain that they don't know what happened to you."
"But... why! Why can't you get them? You brought me here! That means that you can move between worlds right?"
"I don't know where the Destiny Islands are, child." Lie, lie, lie! "And right now I'm more worried with caring for you than searching." He reached out to hold the distraught child, but Xehanort yanked himself back and away. The sudden movement caused him to lose his balance and fall, and he nearly fell out of bed. Xavier felt his heart stop for a second – Xehanort was so frail that any kind of shock could cause him to go instantly into cardiac arrest – but thankfully, his hands didn't. He reached out and caught the boy by the front of his gown and hauled him back into the middle of the bed. Xehanort wiped at his eyes and nose with the back of his hand, and he didn't resist a second time as Xavier reached out and scooped him up. He sat down in the chair beside the bed and cradled him in his arms.
"If I could, I'd bring them here to you." he murmured softly "I know you want them, but it's just not possible to get them right now." Or ever, since my original's parents had been dead for years.
Xehanort sniffled and wiped at his eyes again, and he sighed in defeat and laid his head against Xavier's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Xehanort." Xavier whispered as the boy closed his eyes and went to sleep, exhausted by his short burst of movement. He didn't put him back in bed, instead he remained in the chair for a while, holding the sleeping child close.
Ten days after his rescue, Xehanort was well enough to get out of bed for short periods. Xavier and Taylor carefully helped him first sit on the edge of his bed, and then they carefully pulled him to his feet. His rail thin legs shook and wobbled under his weight, and Xavier kept his arms close to catch him if he fell. They walked him to the nearby chair and eased him down into it. Xehanort was shaking from the exertion as he sank down into the cushions, and Xavier waited until the worst of the shaking had subsided before he brought in something that he knew the child had been longing for: solid food.
It wasn't much, just a small bowl of flavored gelatin, but Xehanort's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw it, and he reached for it eagerly. Xavier pulled up a chair in front of him and held the bowl out of his reach.
"The same rules apply, Xehanort." he said firmly "You must eat it slowly, so just sit back so I can feed you."
"I can feed myself." the teen insisted, and Xavier shook his head.
"Not now, little one." he said gently "Right now, you're shaking so much that I'm sure that you would drop it if I handed it to you, and I don't trust you yet not to gulp it down."
Xehanort huffed angrily. "I hate this! I'm not a baby!"
It was nice to see that the boy still had some fire in him, though it picked the worst time to come out. "No, you're not a baby, but you are a very sick child."
"I don't want you to feed me! I can feed myself!"
"You cannot feed yourself right now."
Xehanort crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "If I can't feed myself, then I don't want it."
Xavier sighed and ran his hand back through his hair. "You cannot afford to skip meals right now, Xehanort. You must eat."
"I'm not hungry anymore."
"Don't lie to me. I know that you're hungry, so you either let me feed you, or you don't get it at all and I put you on a feeding tube instead. Which will it be?" Xavier clearly remembered issuing a similar choice to Isa during the latter's recovery years ago, and while Isa had agreed to do as he was told, he had not been a sickly teenager. Xavier really had no idea how Xehanort was going to react.
The boy hunched over in the chair with a surly look and said nothing for a while. After a few minutes had ticked by with no answer, Xavier sighed and stood up, intending to put the gelatin back in the refrigerator. He didn't want to put a feeding tube up the child's nose, but he would if he had to.
"Wait!" Xehanort said desperately as he turned to leave the room "Don't take it away! I want it! I want it. Please bring it back!"
Xavier turned back around to see the teenager reaching with both arms for the bowl with tears running down his face. Without a word he returned to his chair, and Xehanort didn't resist as he slowly spoon fed him the gelatin. Once the bowl was empty, he set it aside, and he was surprised when Xehanort reached out to him, looking as though he was going to burst into tears at any moment. He hoisted the child onto his lap and smiled when Xehanort laid his head on his shoulder and wound his arms around him. There were a few sniffles, and Xavier could feel tears wetting his shirt, but the teenager still did not full out cry.
"I know that you're frustrated and don't feel well," Xavier said gently "but you will get stronger, and you will start to feel better. It's just going to take time. We can't rush your recovery, or we risk making you sicker. I know it's hard, but just be patient, and trust me. I promise that I'll take care of you."
Xehanort sniffled again. "I do trust you." he said quietly "I don't know why, but I feel that I know you somehow. I feel like I've known you my entire life, but I'd never seen you before before you rescued me."
Side effect of being a Replica of me, I suppose. Xavier thought as he held Xehanort until the sniffling stopped. He then stood up and carried the boy back to bed and laid him down. Xehanort reached up to him, and Xavier gently took one of the boy's hands in his own and held it as he fell asleep, tired out by his short excursion out of bed.
"You've decided." Taylor said quietly from the doorway, and Xavier looked up at him, startled. He had completely forgotten that the other was in the room. He blinked owlishly at his mentor for a moment before he turned back to Xehanort. He brushed the boy's hair out of his face and tucked his blanket around him.
"Yes," he whispered "I've decided." He carefully leaned over and kissed Xehanort softly on the forehead, which caused the teen to stir.
"My mom kisses me on that same spot." he mumbled before settling back into sleep with a sigh.
Xavier smiled. "Yes, she did."
Over the following days, Xehanort continued to improve, and Xavier and Taylor began to plan the first of the many surgeries he would need to repair his improperly set bones. The teenager was still not quite strong enough for surgery yet, but they mapped out which ones they would take care of first and how often they would do so. They wouldn't have to wait for each bone to heal naturally either: Xavier's healing spells would take care of that instantly. The spells could also be used to take care of the ropey scar tissue that covered Xehanort's body, but that was merely cosmetic and so not a high priority.
At the two week mark, Xehanort graduated to other light solids aside form gelatin: rice, bread, and other grains, along with small pieces of chicken and fish.
"What kind of fish is this?" he asked as he nibbled on a small sliver of baked meat.
"Catfish." Xavier replied from his usual spot in the bedside chair.
Xehanort made a face. "I've never seen this kind of fish before. It's not salt water, is it?"
"No, it's a fresh water fish."
Xehanort made a face again. "Is there any salt water around here?"
"Nope, this world has no oceans."
"No salt water lakes?"
"Fresh water only."
Xehanort looked down at his plate – he was allowed to feed himself by then – and frowned. "That's why this place smells strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't smell the ocean here, and it's... strange."
Xavier nibbled on his lip thoughtfully for a moment as Xehanort turned back to his small meal before he asked something that he had been wondering about recently.
"How old are you, Xehanort?" He had never thought about it much at first; the child was a Replica and therefore couldn't be that old at all, but he was curious as to how many memories they had implanted in him.
Xehanort went absolutely still for a moment, before he slowly lowered his fork to the plate that was sitting on a tray across his lap. "I turned thirteen just before they... took me away."
They implanted thirteen years worth of memories!Xavier had to struggle to keep his mouth from falling open. Xehanort shivered, picked up his fork, and resumed eating, while Xavier tiredly ran his hand down his face. Why would they do such much if they were just going to lock him up and torture him?
"Xavier?" Xehanort asked hesitantly, and Xavier looked up at him.
"Hmmm?"
"Now that I'm getting better, are you going to look for my parents?"
Damn it.
"Not just yet. Not until you leave the hospital at least."
"I miss them." Xehanort said quietly as Xavier stood up, took the tray with the now empty plate away, and set it aside. He then sat down on the bed and gathered the child to him. Xehanort nestled close and closed his eyes with a sigh.
"I'm surprised that you haven't asked for them more than you have."
"I asked for them a lot after they took me away, but asking only got me hit, so I stopped."
"Were you afraid that I would hit you for asking as well?"
Xehanort nodded slightly. "I don't know why, but I trusted you the instant you picked me up off the floor back there, but I was still afraid that you would."
Xavier gently ran his fingers down the teen's hair. "Don't be afraid to ask me questions, little one. If I can, I will answer you. If I can't, I won't get angry. I'll just tell you why I can't answer."
Xehanort nestled closer and said nothing, and Xavier just sat there and enjoyed having the child in his arms. After a moment, the teenager spoke again.
"When can I leave the hospital?"
"Soon. We have to fix the bones that didn't heal properly, and then you can leave."
"Where will I go? Where will I stay?"
"You will stay with me and my family." Our family.
Xehanort nodded in understanding and fell silent, and Xavier held him until he began to tire. Like Isa, the boy tired quickly and easily, though Taylor and Xavier hoped that his youth would help him recover. He had not been near death at rescue either, which they hoped meant that he would recover fully. Only time would tell.
Xehanort laid down and quietly allowed Xavier to tuck him in, and Xavier sat beside him and soothingly stroked his hair as he fell asleep. He then walked out into the office where he found Taylor seated at the desk, and the older man looked up when he walked in.
"Can you watch him for a little bit?" Xavier asked as he slipped his coat on. It was early spring, and the days were a bit chilly still, while the nights were still very cold.
"Certainly, but why?"
"I need to go speak to my parents." Xavier sighed. "I've only told them that I'm looking after a teenaged boy; they don't know the full story, and I need to tell them before I bring him home. If he wakes up, just tell him that I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'll do that. Hurry back."
With a nod, Xavier walked out of the door and started off towards home. As he walked, he stuck his hands in his pockets and wondered what exactly he was going to tell them. His parents needed the full truth at least; he could trust them to keep quiet. He needed to figure out what to tell his brothers as well. Some of them, especially the quick witted Masa, would notice the stark resemblance quickly, so he needed to figure out what to say to them.
By the time he reached the farmhouse, he still wasn't sure what exactly to say, but the sight of his father standing at the chopping block in the side yard, chopping wood for the house's three fireplaces and two wood burning stoves made him push thoughts of his brothers aside. He needed to tell his parents first; his brothers could wait until later.
Jascha looked up as Xavier approached, and his broad smile warmed his heart. Jascha and Elissa may not have been his biological parents, but they loved him like their own and made sure that he knew it.
"Xavier," Jascha said warmly as engulfed his son in a strong embrace "We were wondering when you were going to come home. Is that boy that you've been watching out of the hospital now?"
Xavier shook his head. "No," he said quietly "he's still there, and Taylor's watching him for me so I could come home for a bit."
Jascha frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"I need to speak to you and Mama, privately. There is something that you need to know."
His father gave him a searching look for a moment before he nodded. "Alright then. Let's go inside and find your mother, and then you can say what you need to say." He set the ax down on the block, and then the two of them walked inside the house. They found Elissa in the kitchen as she was preparing to start dinner, and she greeted her son with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her cheerful smile faded when her husband told her that Xavier needed to speak with them in private, so the three of them went out into the house's small parlor and, after making sure that the ever curious Alexander was occupied outside with helping Akim bring the horses in, they sat down in chairs around the fireplace.
"What do you need to tell us, Xavier?" Elissa asked quietly, and Xavier didn't answer her for a moment. He stared into the dying flames in the fireplace and gathered his thoughts for a moment before he began to speak.
"Do you remember Terra?" he asked, and his parents blinked at the apparent non sequitur.
"Of course," Jascha said "Is he alright? Is he coming back here?"
"He's fine." Xavier replied with a small smile. "The last I heard, he's doing very well, and recently retook and passed his Mark of Mastery exam. No, the reason, I asked you about him is because remember how I explained that since I was in his original body, Even made a Replica of me, and then we put Terra's heart in it so he could be reborn?" His parents nodded, though they looked a little confused, and Xavier took a deep breath and continued. "Fourteen days ago, Even visited and told me of a teenaged boy that had been imprisoned in a prison that housed people guilty of committing crimes during the worlds' fall. Dilan is one of the guards in that prison, and he told Even that the boy looked just like me, so I went there and smuggled the boy out. He's the child that I've been caring for at the hospital."
Elissa covered his mouth with her hand as he eyes widened. "They imprisoned a child? Who would do such a thing? Why? What could a child have possibly done to deserve that?" Jascha put her hand on her arm, and she fell silent, though Xavier could see tears gathering in her eyes.
"As to the why," Xavier sighed. "I'm certain that, like Terra, he is a Replica of me, given life to take the punishment for Xehanort's actions. He even has the implanted memories of Master Xehanort's early life and childhood. He thinks that he is a thirteen year old boy that was abducted from the Destiny Islands. He's even asked for a his parents and got quite upset when I lied and told him that I couldn't get them because I didn't know where to look. He has no idea that he's a Replica." Xavier sighed again. "Since he's a Replica of me, I am the closest thing that he has to a parent."
"You're going to keep him, aren't you?" Elissa asked "Please tell me that you're not going to abandon that child."
Xavier laughed lightly. "No, I'm not. When he's well enough to leave the hospital, I'll be bringing him home."
Elissa smiled and nodded once. "Good."
"I'll have to tell him he's a Replica eventually." Xavier added seriously "But for now, he's too frail to hear such a thing. I know the others will notice the resemblance between the two of us quickly, but I don't want them to mention it, especially not where Xehanort can hear."
"Don't worry about your brothers." Jascha said firmly "We'll deal with that. You just worry about your child."
His child? Xavier smiled weakly and nodded.
"When will he be able to come home?" Elissa asked, likely already planning a welcome home party in her mind."
"Not for another week or two yet, Mama." Xavier replied "But it's going to have to be fairly low key. He was badly abused for just under a month, and he's only seen Taylor and myself since, and he's still a little frightened of Taylor. A big welcome would likely only scare him."
"I understand then that the usual boisterous activity will have to ease up while he's around?" Jascha asked.
"At least until he settles down. He becomes frightened so easily right now; just the sound of Alexander's voice was enough to wake him up and scare him."
"Don't worry; we'll handle it." Jascha stood up. 'I believe you had better get back to the hospital then. If he's still a little scared of Taylor, then he's going to be upset that you left him."
Xavier smiled weakly again and stood as well. "I suppose I should."
His mother hugged him, and he walked out of the room. As he walked towards the front door, he heard her exclaim to her husband. "Oh Jascha, this means we have our first grandchild!"
Xavier laughed quietly to himself as he walked out of the house and back towards the hospital. Grandchild indeed.
Xehanort was still sleeping when he returned, and he gently tucked the blankets around the sleeping boy and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I love you, little one. Sleep well."
Chapter 2 -- Chapter 4
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Rating: R
Disclaimer: Disney and Square own it all; I only wish I did. Why in the hell cant I come up with these wickedly cool characters and twisted plots? Why?
Summary: Sequel to Burning Heart and Earth's Rebirth. A special assignment from Ansem sets Dilan's conscience on edge, and he reaches out to the only person that he knows can help, the one person that he though he would never speak to again; Xehanort.
3.
Xehanort didn't speak for the next few days. He kept silent as Xavier fed him, bathed him, and changed his sheets everyday. He allowed himself to be carried to the bathroom without complaint, drank the liquids he was given without a fuss, and didn't ask for more again. Xavier didn't like his silence, but he knew better than to push him. As with Isa, trauma could not be recovered from instantly; it took time.
He did not say a word to the boy about his belief that he was a Replica, but since he was for all intents and purposes his father, he did more than he would have with any other patient. Of course, his other child aged patients had parents and other relatives to offer comfort and care. Xehanort had no one aside from himself. With any other patient he would have switched out with Taylor every now and then so he could go home and take a break. Not so with Xehanort. He cared for the child himself and refused to leave him. With Taylor insisted that he go home sometime, Xavier only asked him if he would leave a child of his alone in the hospital in the care of others, to which Taylor simply shook his head and stopped insisting. When Xehanort became frightened or upset, Xavier would gather him into his arms and hold him and croon to him until he was calm again. Xehanort disliked it when Xavier changed his gown, so he allowed the boy to do it himself, while providing as little assistance as possible. He also was terrified of getting a bath, especially of the wash basin that Xavier used for the task, which made him wonder if the boy's captors had used some kind of water torture on him. He was still too weak to bathe himself, but Xavier tried to ease his fear by leaving the wash basin outside the room and going back and forth to it as needed. The bath still frightened him so much that, once he was dried off and dressed, Xavier often had to wrap him snugly in a blanket and hold him on his lap until his shivering ceased and his tears dried.
That was another thing that bothered Xavier a great deal. No matter how frightened he became or how much pain he felt from his healing wounds and improperly set bones, Xehanort never cried aloud while awake. He cried quietly in his sleep now and then, but never when awake. From what he had heard while in the prison, Xavier knew that he was likely punished for crying, and it made him shiver every time he thought about it.
Seven days after his rescue, Xehanort was allowed to drink opaque liquids, and Xavier had to stop him from guzzling his first glass of milk. It was the closest he had seen Xehanort to full out crying as he reached frantically for the glass that Xavier had taken away from him with tears rolling unchecked down his cheeks.
"You must drink it slowly, Xehanort." Xavier admonished him gently "If you drink it too fast, you will make yourself sick."
Xehanort ignored him and continued reaching for the glass, looking as though he was going to start bawling at any second. Xavier sat down beside him and put one arm around him, though he held his other arm out to keep the glass out of Xehanort's reach.
"Xehanort," he said firmly "Look at me, Xehanort." The child ignored him and began to whine in distress as he continued reaching for the milk. Xavier finally set it down on a nearby table, which resulted in a frustrated wail from Xehanort, and gently titled the boy's head back to look him in the eye. He gently used his thumb to wipe some of the tears away. "Xehanort, you are not going to go hungry here. I will not make you go without like those monsters in the prison did, but right now you must be careful with what you eat and drink. If you have too much too soon and too fast, you will make yourself very sick." And quite possibly kill yourself, he added silently "I know you want the milk, but you cannot drink it too fast. If you promise me that you will sip it down slowly, I will give it back to you. If you start chugging down again, I will take it away. Do you understand?" Xehanort ignored him, and he wailed again as he struggled to get past Xavier to the milk. Xavier gently pushed him back and held him firmly. "If you want the milk, you have to agree to what I say. I will not have you set yourself back. I know that you're hungry, but those are the rules."
Xehanort finally stopped fighting with a sob, and Xavier wrapped his arms around him and rocked him for a moment. "It's alright, little one. Promise me that you won't guzzle it, and I'll let you have it." Xehanort looked up at him with puffy eyes for a long moment, and then he nodded. Xavier picked up the glass, but he held it out when Xehanort began to reach for it again. "Ah ah ah, remember what I said?" With a sigh of defeat, Xehanort let his arms drop to his lap, and Xavier held it up so he could sip from it.
"That's a good boy." he said quietly "Just sip it slowly." All too soon the glass was empty, and Xehanort tried to lick out every last drop. Xavier felt a rush of pity and anger. Pity for the abused child in front of him, anger at those that had hurt him so badly. He set the empty glass aside, which resulted in another distressed whine, and gathered the boy to him. Xehanort no longer flinched at his touch, though he still flinched at Taylor's, and he snuggled against Xavier side and closed his eyes.
"You can have more in a few more hours." Xavier told him quietly as he ran his fingers through the child's hair "But for now you need to lie down and sleep."
Xehanort was quiet as Xavier laid him down and tucked him in, and he fell asleep quickly. Xavier stepped into the office just as Alexander arrived with breakfast from home. Xavier greeted his little brother with a hug and a ruffle of his hair before he sat down to eat. He'd barely taken a bite of his eggs though, when he noticed Alexander walking over to the private room and peeking in the doorway.
"Alexander." he said warningly "Stay out of there."
"Wow, Xavier!" the boy exclaimed "He looks just like you!"
"Alexander!" Xavier hissed as he stood up and strode over to the door. Inside he saw Xehanort rubbing his eyes; Alexander had woken him up. "Go home, right now, young man. You've woken him up."
"Sorry!"
"Shhhh! Bit late for that, now get."
"Okay, okay." Alexander grumbled something and walked out, and Xavier walked up to Xehanort's bed. The boy was looking around in fear, frightened by the unfamiliar voice that he had heard.
"It's alright." Xavier soothed as he smoothed out the blankets "It was just my little brother. I'm sorry that he woke you." Xehanort looked at him anxiously for a moment before he hesitantly closed his eyes and went back to sleep, and Xavier returned to the office to finish his breakfast.
Later that day, as he was giving Xehanort his second glass of milk, the teenager spoke.
"He said that I look like you." he said quietly, and Xavier grimaced. He wasn't going to like this conversation; he knew it.
"That is true." he said as he held the half full glass up so Xehanort could sip from it "We do look quite a bit alike."
Xehanort took another small drink. "Are you descended from Lord Xehanort too?" he asked afterward.
"No." Xavier replied. Not in this body, anyway. he added silently.
"Then why do we look so much alike?"
"Everyone has their twin, I suppose."
Xehanort shrugged his shoulders slightly and finished his milk. "Why haven't my parents visited? Are they not allowed?"
Xavier set the glass aside and used a napkin to gently wipe the milk off Xehanort's mouth. "Your parents aren't here."
Xehanort looked at him in confusion, and Xavier couldn't help but notice the moisture gathering in the corners of his eyes. "What do you mean they're not here?"
Because you don't have any, aside from me. "You're not on the Destiny Islands, little one."
"How could I not be?"
"Those monsters that had you were keeping you on another world. When I took you out of there, I brought you here."
"Why can't you take me home then?"
Because you don't have one, at least not yet. "You're not well enough to travel now. I moved you before because I had to, but now you're going to stay here until you're stronger." Please don't hate me for lying to you.
"Can't you go and get them?" Xehanort asked desperately as tears began to track down his gaunt cheeks "Do they even know what happened to me?"
"No, I can't go and get them, and I'm fairly certain that they don't know what happened to you."
"But... why! Why can't you get them? You brought me here! That means that you can move between worlds right?"
"I don't know where the Destiny Islands are, child." Lie, lie, lie! "And right now I'm more worried with caring for you than searching." He reached out to hold the distraught child, but Xehanort yanked himself back and away. The sudden movement caused him to lose his balance and fall, and he nearly fell out of bed. Xavier felt his heart stop for a second – Xehanort was so frail that any kind of shock could cause him to go instantly into cardiac arrest – but thankfully, his hands didn't. He reached out and caught the boy by the front of his gown and hauled him back into the middle of the bed. Xehanort wiped at his eyes and nose with the back of his hand, and he didn't resist a second time as Xavier reached out and scooped him up. He sat down in the chair beside the bed and cradled him in his arms.
"If I could, I'd bring them here to you." he murmured softly "I know you want them, but it's just not possible to get them right now." Or ever, since my original's parents had been dead for years.
Xehanort sniffled and wiped at his eyes again, and he sighed in defeat and laid his head against Xavier's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Xehanort." Xavier whispered as the boy closed his eyes and went to sleep, exhausted by his short burst of movement. He didn't put him back in bed, instead he remained in the chair for a while, holding the sleeping child close.
******
Ten days after his rescue, Xehanort was well enough to get out of bed for short periods. Xavier and Taylor carefully helped him first sit on the edge of his bed, and then they carefully pulled him to his feet. His rail thin legs shook and wobbled under his weight, and Xavier kept his arms close to catch him if he fell. They walked him to the nearby chair and eased him down into it. Xehanort was shaking from the exertion as he sank down into the cushions, and Xavier waited until the worst of the shaking had subsided before he brought in something that he knew the child had been longing for: solid food.
It wasn't much, just a small bowl of flavored gelatin, but Xehanort's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw it, and he reached for it eagerly. Xavier pulled up a chair in front of him and held the bowl out of his reach.
"The same rules apply, Xehanort." he said firmly "You must eat it slowly, so just sit back so I can feed you."
"I can feed myself." the teen insisted, and Xavier shook his head.
"Not now, little one." he said gently "Right now, you're shaking so much that I'm sure that you would drop it if I handed it to you, and I don't trust you yet not to gulp it down."
Xehanort huffed angrily. "I hate this! I'm not a baby!"
It was nice to see that the boy still had some fire in him, though it picked the worst time to come out. "No, you're not a baby, but you are a very sick child."
"I don't want you to feed me! I can feed myself!"
"You cannot feed yourself right now."
Xehanort crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. "If I can't feed myself, then I don't want it."
Xavier sighed and ran his hand back through his hair. "You cannot afford to skip meals right now, Xehanort. You must eat."
"I'm not hungry anymore."
"Don't lie to me. I know that you're hungry, so you either let me feed you, or you don't get it at all and I put you on a feeding tube instead. Which will it be?" Xavier clearly remembered issuing a similar choice to Isa during the latter's recovery years ago, and while Isa had agreed to do as he was told, he had not been a sickly teenager. Xavier really had no idea how Xehanort was going to react.
The boy hunched over in the chair with a surly look and said nothing for a while. After a few minutes had ticked by with no answer, Xavier sighed and stood up, intending to put the gelatin back in the refrigerator. He didn't want to put a feeding tube up the child's nose, but he would if he had to.
"Wait!" Xehanort said desperately as he turned to leave the room "Don't take it away! I want it! I want it. Please bring it back!"
Xavier turned back around to see the teenager reaching with both arms for the bowl with tears running down his face. Without a word he returned to his chair, and Xehanort didn't resist as he slowly spoon fed him the gelatin. Once the bowl was empty, he set it aside, and he was surprised when Xehanort reached out to him, looking as though he was going to burst into tears at any moment. He hoisted the child onto his lap and smiled when Xehanort laid his head on his shoulder and wound his arms around him. There were a few sniffles, and Xavier could feel tears wetting his shirt, but the teenager still did not full out cry.
"I know that you're frustrated and don't feel well," Xavier said gently "but you will get stronger, and you will start to feel better. It's just going to take time. We can't rush your recovery, or we risk making you sicker. I know it's hard, but just be patient, and trust me. I promise that I'll take care of you."
Xehanort sniffled again. "I do trust you." he said quietly "I don't know why, but I feel that I know you somehow. I feel like I've known you my entire life, but I'd never seen you before before you rescued me."
Side effect of being a Replica of me, I suppose. Xavier thought as he held Xehanort until the sniffling stopped. He then stood up and carried the boy back to bed and laid him down. Xehanort reached up to him, and Xavier gently took one of the boy's hands in his own and held it as he fell asleep, tired out by his short excursion out of bed.
"You've decided." Taylor said quietly from the doorway, and Xavier looked up at him, startled. He had completely forgotten that the other was in the room. He blinked owlishly at his mentor for a moment before he turned back to Xehanort. He brushed the boy's hair out of his face and tucked his blanket around him.
"Yes," he whispered "I've decided." He carefully leaned over and kissed Xehanort softly on the forehead, which caused the teen to stir.
"My mom kisses me on that same spot." he mumbled before settling back into sleep with a sigh.
Xavier smiled. "Yes, she did."
******
Over the following days, Xehanort continued to improve, and Xavier and Taylor began to plan the first of the many surgeries he would need to repair his improperly set bones. The teenager was still not quite strong enough for surgery yet, but they mapped out which ones they would take care of first and how often they would do so. They wouldn't have to wait for each bone to heal naturally either: Xavier's healing spells would take care of that instantly. The spells could also be used to take care of the ropey scar tissue that covered Xehanort's body, but that was merely cosmetic and so not a high priority.
At the two week mark, Xehanort graduated to other light solids aside form gelatin: rice, bread, and other grains, along with small pieces of chicken and fish.
"What kind of fish is this?" he asked as he nibbled on a small sliver of baked meat.
"Catfish." Xavier replied from his usual spot in the bedside chair.
Xehanort made a face. "I've never seen this kind of fish before. It's not salt water, is it?"
"No, it's a fresh water fish."
Xehanort made a face again. "Is there any salt water around here?"
"Nope, this world has no oceans."
"No salt water lakes?"
"Fresh water only."
Xehanort looked down at his plate – he was allowed to feed himself by then – and frowned. "That's why this place smells strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't smell the ocean here, and it's... strange."
Xavier nibbled on his lip thoughtfully for a moment as Xehanort turned back to his small meal before he asked something that he had been wondering about recently.
"How old are you, Xehanort?" He had never thought about it much at first; the child was a Replica and therefore couldn't be that old at all, but he was curious as to how many memories they had implanted in him.
Xehanort went absolutely still for a moment, before he slowly lowered his fork to the plate that was sitting on a tray across his lap. "I turned thirteen just before they... took me away."
They implanted thirteen years worth of memories!Xavier had to struggle to keep his mouth from falling open. Xehanort shivered, picked up his fork, and resumed eating, while Xavier tiredly ran his hand down his face. Why would they do such much if they were just going to lock him up and torture him?
"Xavier?" Xehanort asked hesitantly, and Xavier looked up at him.
"Hmmm?"
"Now that I'm getting better, are you going to look for my parents?"
Damn it.
"Not just yet. Not until you leave the hospital at least."
"I miss them." Xehanort said quietly as Xavier stood up, took the tray with the now empty plate away, and set it aside. He then sat down on the bed and gathered the child to him. Xehanort nestled close and closed his eyes with a sigh.
"I'm surprised that you haven't asked for them more than you have."
"I asked for them a lot after they took me away, but asking only got me hit, so I stopped."
"Were you afraid that I would hit you for asking as well?"
Xehanort nodded slightly. "I don't know why, but I trusted you the instant you picked me up off the floor back there, but I was still afraid that you would."
Xavier gently ran his fingers down the teen's hair. "Don't be afraid to ask me questions, little one. If I can, I will answer you. If I can't, I won't get angry. I'll just tell you why I can't answer."
Xehanort nestled closer and said nothing, and Xavier just sat there and enjoyed having the child in his arms. After a moment, the teenager spoke again.
"When can I leave the hospital?"
"Soon. We have to fix the bones that didn't heal properly, and then you can leave."
"Where will I go? Where will I stay?"
"You will stay with me and my family." Our family.
Xehanort nodded in understanding and fell silent, and Xavier held him until he began to tire. Like Isa, the boy tired quickly and easily, though Taylor and Xavier hoped that his youth would help him recover. He had not been near death at rescue either, which they hoped meant that he would recover fully. Only time would tell.
Xehanort laid down and quietly allowed Xavier to tuck him in, and Xavier sat beside him and soothingly stroked his hair as he fell asleep. He then walked out into the office where he found Taylor seated at the desk, and the older man looked up when he walked in.
"Can you watch him for a little bit?" Xavier asked as he slipped his coat on. It was early spring, and the days were a bit chilly still, while the nights were still very cold.
"Certainly, but why?"
"I need to go speak to my parents." Xavier sighed. "I've only told them that I'm looking after a teenaged boy; they don't know the full story, and I need to tell them before I bring him home. If he wakes up, just tell him that I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'll do that. Hurry back."
With a nod, Xavier walked out of the door and started off towards home. As he walked, he stuck his hands in his pockets and wondered what exactly he was going to tell them. His parents needed the full truth at least; he could trust them to keep quiet. He needed to figure out what to tell his brothers as well. Some of them, especially the quick witted Masa, would notice the stark resemblance quickly, so he needed to figure out what to say to them.
By the time he reached the farmhouse, he still wasn't sure what exactly to say, but the sight of his father standing at the chopping block in the side yard, chopping wood for the house's three fireplaces and two wood burning stoves made him push thoughts of his brothers aside. He needed to tell his parents first; his brothers could wait until later.
Jascha looked up as Xavier approached, and his broad smile warmed his heart. Jascha and Elissa may not have been his biological parents, but they loved him like their own and made sure that he knew it.
"Xavier," Jascha said warmly as engulfed his son in a strong embrace "We were wondering when you were going to come home. Is that boy that you've been watching out of the hospital now?"
Xavier shook his head. "No," he said quietly "he's still there, and Taylor's watching him for me so I could come home for a bit."
Jascha frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"I need to speak to you and Mama, privately. There is something that you need to know."
His father gave him a searching look for a moment before he nodded. "Alright then. Let's go inside and find your mother, and then you can say what you need to say." He set the ax down on the block, and then the two of them walked inside the house. They found Elissa in the kitchen as she was preparing to start dinner, and she greeted her son with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Her cheerful smile faded when her husband told her that Xavier needed to speak with them in private, so the three of them went out into the house's small parlor and, after making sure that the ever curious Alexander was occupied outside with helping Akim bring the horses in, they sat down in chairs around the fireplace.
"What do you need to tell us, Xavier?" Elissa asked quietly, and Xavier didn't answer her for a moment. He stared into the dying flames in the fireplace and gathered his thoughts for a moment before he began to speak.
"Do you remember Terra?" he asked, and his parents blinked at the apparent non sequitur.
"Of course," Jascha said "Is he alright? Is he coming back here?"
"He's fine." Xavier replied with a small smile. "The last I heard, he's doing very well, and recently retook and passed his Mark of Mastery exam. No, the reason, I asked you about him is because remember how I explained that since I was in his original body, Even made a Replica of me, and then we put Terra's heart in it so he could be reborn?" His parents nodded, though they looked a little confused, and Xavier took a deep breath and continued. "Fourteen days ago, Even visited and told me of a teenaged boy that had been imprisoned in a prison that housed people guilty of committing crimes during the worlds' fall. Dilan is one of the guards in that prison, and he told Even that the boy looked just like me, so I went there and smuggled the boy out. He's the child that I've been caring for at the hospital."
Elissa covered his mouth with her hand as he eyes widened. "They imprisoned a child? Who would do such a thing? Why? What could a child have possibly done to deserve that?" Jascha put her hand on her arm, and she fell silent, though Xavier could see tears gathering in her eyes.
"As to the why," Xavier sighed. "I'm certain that, like Terra, he is a Replica of me, given life to take the punishment for Xehanort's actions. He even has the implanted memories of Master Xehanort's early life and childhood. He thinks that he is a thirteen year old boy that was abducted from the Destiny Islands. He's even asked for a his parents and got quite upset when I lied and told him that I couldn't get them because I didn't know where to look. He has no idea that he's a Replica." Xavier sighed again. "Since he's a Replica of me, I am the closest thing that he has to a parent."
"You're going to keep him, aren't you?" Elissa asked "Please tell me that you're not going to abandon that child."
Xavier laughed lightly. "No, I'm not. When he's well enough to leave the hospital, I'll be bringing him home."
Elissa smiled and nodded once. "Good."
"I'll have to tell him he's a Replica eventually." Xavier added seriously "But for now, he's too frail to hear such a thing. I know the others will notice the resemblance between the two of us quickly, but I don't want them to mention it, especially not where Xehanort can hear."
"Don't worry about your brothers." Jascha said firmly "We'll deal with that. You just worry about your child."
His child? Xavier smiled weakly and nodded.
"When will he be able to come home?" Elissa asked, likely already planning a welcome home party in her mind."
"Not for another week or two yet, Mama." Xavier replied "But it's going to have to be fairly low key. He was badly abused for just under a month, and he's only seen Taylor and myself since, and he's still a little frightened of Taylor. A big welcome would likely only scare him."
"I understand then that the usual boisterous activity will have to ease up while he's around?" Jascha asked.
"At least until he settles down. He becomes frightened so easily right now; just the sound of Alexander's voice was enough to wake him up and scare him."
"Don't worry; we'll handle it." Jascha stood up. 'I believe you had better get back to the hospital then. If he's still a little scared of Taylor, then he's going to be upset that you left him."
Xavier smiled weakly again and stood as well. "I suppose I should."
His mother hugged him, and he walked out of the room. As he walked towards the front door, he heard her exclaim to her husband. "Oh Jascha, this means we have our first grandchild!"
Xavier laughed quietly to himself as he walked out of the house and back towards the hospital. Grandchild indeed.
Xehanort was still sleeping when he returned, and he gently tucked the blankets around the sleeping boy and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I love you, little one. Sleep well."
Chapter 2 -- Chapter 4
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