CHAPTER 71 - Funeral and a new life.

The morning had come when Sakashi opened her eyes and sat up. She had been bandaged and well cleaned up. She looked around and realized she was back in the home that was bought for her. Sakashi looked over and noticed a picture in a frame. She picked the picture up and looked at it. She immediately began weeping. The picture was of her and kalebize smiling together with Leemodo in the background photobombing them. "Even when I couldn't remember you, my dear friend, you still stayed by my side." She mumbled before holding the photo against her chest and wept harder. "Kalebize." She softly mumbled as she felt her heartbreak. Leemodo stood silently behind the door listening to her weep and felt like comforting her. But chose to stay out of sight. She needed time alone, however, his heart broke for her. "Damnit kalebize! Why? You promised me we would die together!!." She began screaming as her tears fell heavier and heavier. Sakashi's heart kept hurting and began playing that moment when he died in her thoughts. She began blaming herself and wanted to die.

She smashed the frame and broke the glass. Quickly grabbing a piece of glass she slit her wrist aggressively. Leemodo suddenly ran to her and gripped her wrist and slapped the glass from her hand and wrapped his arms around her. Sakashi grit her teeth and tried to push him back but realized quickly he's not gonna let go so she just wept heavily into his chest before she gripped his shirt and screamed. Leemodo closed his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek. Activating his power he began to help calm her down. Sakashi could feel a sudden comforting presence from him and stopped screaming. However, she kept weeping rapidly. Blood trickled down her wrist and her body felt a tingle, craving more physical pain. Sakashi slowly began to grow numb to crying and laid in his arms staring off in space. Leemodo wouldn't let her go and only held her tighter the more she resisted or tried to pull away. When he felt her just laying in his arms he loosened his grip and looked at her. Sakashi looked pail and had no life in her expression. He knew she had become chronically depressed and sighed. He brushed her hair out of her face and shifted her to be more comfortable and held her into him. Sakashi wouldn't resist, she just began blinking blankly. Leemodo gently tucked his index finger under her chin and lifted her face so she can look at him. Sakashi looked at leemodo blankly as tears began falling again. Leemodo smiled softly and closed his eyes. "You know, he was truly a great man! He was an amazing friend of mine. And I will miss him too. I made him a promise to take care of you. So that I will do. Will you allow me to keep that promise and keep you safe?"

Sakashi shifted her face back down and looked to the wall; She kept silent. Leemodo sighed and gently lifted sakashi up and sat her up into his lap. With her back leaning against his chest she leaned her head back into his neck and wept. Leemodo gently grabbed her wrist and poured wound medicine on her arm before he wrapped her arm with an ace bandage. "Please be careful. I know it hurts but the best thing you can do for him is live life for him." Sakashi kept silent and blinked.

All-day sakashi had been in bed asleep. Depression had fully taken over her and caused leemodo to monitor her every move. He became so worried about her he forgot to take care of himself. After a couple of days of being depressed and hardly ate, leemodo did what he could do. And that's to just be there for her. He wouldn't let her sleep alone so he can make sure she doesn't hurt herself. Leemodo lost sleep for two days holding sakashi through many nightmares and anxiety attacks. Spike and chandler came to visit them often through the days to make sure sakashi and leemodo have everything they needed. Spike couldn't handle the constant mental breakdowns and got overwhelmed a lot. Chandler wished he could help her better but didn't know-how. He however would keep track of her vitals and medical treatments.

A few hours before the funeral leemodo walked into the room and looked at sakashi. "Hey hun, his funeral is soon. You want to get ready?." Sakashi looked at Leemodo silently and stood up, grabbed a black dress and stripped naked before putting the dress on. She could care less leemodo stood right there as she changed. However, he still turned around and would not watch. Sakashi didn't care about looking nice. She looked at the mirror and saw how dead she physically looked but shrugged. She walked out of the room and walked into the living room and sat on the couch to wait. Leemodo sighed and approached her from behind and slowly began brushing her hair. "Just don't let your appearance go hun. At least for his funeral." Leemodo calmly stated as he brushed her hair until it looked presentable.

About an hour later leemodo and sakashi walked into the funeral home. Sakashi saw his open casket and hesitated to move forward. She could see his dead body and began to tremble. Leemodo grabbed her hand and squeezed gently as he pulled her inside with him. Sakashi wept hard and sat in the front with leemodo and began feeling her heartbreak all over again. After the service started sakashi refused to look up. She listened to the speaker, then chandler. But immediately looked up as she heard the third person speak. She became wide-eyed and began breathing heavier. "Sakashi? You ok? You know him?." Leemodo asked in confusion. This man speaking was just reciting a prayer. After the prayer, the man looked at sakashi and smiled softly. Sakashi stood up and trembled but ran to him and hugged this man. Leemodo watched and wondered if he was some kind of family member she hasn't seen in so long. However, he was close to her. Sakashi turned around and grabbed the mic and suddenly began to talk but sounded jumbled. She wept hard at the beginning but began relaxing after this man placed his hand on her shoulder. Leemodo was assuming he is her brother but they didn't resemble each other at all. "My name is sakashi. The girl that loved kalebize from the first day I met him." She stated and began telling the story about how they first met. Leemodo shifted his head starting to figure out what is going on.

"And this man standing next to me here today is his missing brother! Hunter!! If he was alive, I know he would finally be able to rest easy. Kalebize would give you the biggest hug Hunter and be truly happy your still alive and safe. We searched for you for years." everyone who knew about kalebize looking for his brother became shocked. Leemodo looked at Hunter and wondered how he just magically appeared after kalebize searched for years. Sakashi looked at kalebize and smiled. "Baby I found him! I found Hunter! You can rest easy now baby." She stated with a smile while tears fell rapidly. Hunter smiled softly and hugged sakashi and gripped her back. Leemodo glared and felt skeptical. "Thank you sakashi," Hunter whispered.

After the funeral ended, sakashi asked Hunter some questions. Leemodo walked over and stood next to sakashi. "Well you see, I was a slave for years serving under this underground child trafficking place. It wasn't till I was their strongest favored slave that they decided to promote me as a butler to the boss. I was only set free because the boss died from a mob of cops attacking after finding the location. Once I was set free just last year I began searching for you and kalebize. I only knew about kalebize and the funeral when I overheard someone from the hospital talk about his funeral. I was devastated to hear and wanted to make sure it was true, So now here I am.."

sakashi looked down. "Why did you go to the hospital?." Leemodo asked. "I needed to clean out this wound because it was getting infected." He stated as he lifted his shirt and revealed a giant gash in his side. Sakashi gasped and looked at it. "What happened?." Leemodo asked calmly. Hunter sighed and pushed his shirt down. "I got into a fight with a man called Wesley. He tried to force me to join his gang. For some reason, he told me he knew who I was and if I joined him he would bring me to my brother because he knew where he was. But when he said I had to rape and kill women I told him to fuck off I can find my brother on my own. He didn't like that so he stabbed me in the side. But I knew I would have find my brother if he knew where he was. Knowing he was alive was enough for me." Sakashi began breathing heavily and nervously.

She became very panicky looking around and held her head and hunched forward shutting her eyes. Hunter looked at sakashi and became worried. "Sakashi?."

Leemodo sighed and grabbed her wrists and moved them down to her sides and wrapped his hands around the sides of her cheeks and gently rubbed her cheeks looking directly into her eyes. "Relax! Breathe sakashi. Inhale." He told her and inhaled. "Exhale." And exhaled with her. He repeated that method with her until she calmed down. "He's dead. He won't be around you anymore." Leemodo told her to keep eye contact and help her calm completely calm. Hunter immediately understood that man must have done something to her if he knew who kalebize was. "Sakashi, I want to talk to Hunter for a bit. Can you go with chandler for a few.?" He asked her calmly. Sakashi nodded and pulled away and began walking towards chandler before she stopped. Feeling lightheaded and dizzy she began to sway as if she's going to pass out. "I don't feel so good," Sakashi said before she hunched over and began vomiting. "Don't worry, ill take her. Just meet us there." Chandler told Leemodo while wrapping his arms around her keeping her to her feet. Hunter looked at sakashi worried and puzzled. Chandler gently helped sakashi stand up straight and walked her to the car asking her how she felt.

Leemodo sighed and looked at Hunter. "Wesley was one of the men who had kidnapped her and well. Physically abused her body. He was also the man who killed kalebize, so right now she's not only scared of his name because of what he had done to her but also tormented by him because she watched him kill kalebize." Hunter's eyes widened and became more puzzled. He looked over at the casket and grit his teeth. If I only found them sooner. I could have lessened his load." Hunter stated as he fought back tears. Leemodo sighed and placed his hand on hunter's shoulders. "Don't blame yourself, man, Nothing is your fault."

Leemodo and Hunter continued to talk for a few more minutes before leaving for the hospital.

*at the hospital*

Leemodo and hunter walked into sakashi's room only to find her staring at the floor. "Everything ok hun?." Leemodo asked her. Sakashi nodded and handed an ultrasound image at him. "Your pregnant?." Hunter asked suddenly. Leemodo already knew she was and so did sakashi. Leemodo already knowing who the father is sighed.

"Sakashi nodded in shame. "But it's not his. It...." she paused and held her stomach. "Wesley's?." Hunter asked. "No. Its." Sakashi paused and grit her teeth. "Azusa's I know hun." Leemodo sighed as he said it for her. "Who's Azusa?." Hunter asked.

"One of Wesley's gang members. But after he fell inlove with sakashi he changed his ways. He is currently being held in prison. However, she also fell in love with him too." Leemodo stated. Hunter looked at sakashi and wondered just what this girl had gone through. "The Baby thankfully didn't take any serious damage. The bleeding was from acute complications but I'm ok. It never got serious or life threatening. So I'm thirteen weeks pregnant. I still need to have weekly check up's to monitor the baby to make sure the baby is truly ok. Right now nothing serious is detected." Sakashi stated as she stared at the ground.

Leemodo walked over to sakashi and knelt with a smile. "I'll help you raise it, And also ayato is here safe and sound.." sakashi looked up at leemodo and smiled. I wanna see him soon just not right now. Where is he though?" She asked. "He's living with chandler for now. Ayato finally understood why we needed to take him and he knows he will see you again shortly so he's very cooperative." Sakashi smiled. "That's good."

After the first week passed from the funeral sakashi still became depressed and had many mental attacks. Hunter and leemodo worked together to keep her steady and calmer. Some nights were ok and some were crazy and overwhelming. However, having Hunter safe and sound helped remind sakashi she at least found his brother. But sometimes it only made her miss kalebize more.

About two weeks later, sakashi sat in the room silently looking out the window. Hunter walked into the room and suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her up. " Got a surprise for you." Sakashi looked uninterested but still decided to follow. She followed him into the living room and saw leemodo standing at the door holding a wrapped box with a bow on it.

"What is it?" She asked still uninterested. "Just take it and look," Leemodo said with a smile as he handed it to her. Sakashi took the box and opened it. She lifted a glass heart with what looked like sand spread and swirled around inside. After a couple of moments, she realized they were ashes inside, HIS ashes. Sakashi began to weep and held it close to her chest and began to tremble. "Thank you" sakashi silently spoke. Hunter and Leemodo smiled softly. "Your welcome."

After that day sakashi began doing better mentally and emotionally. Still having moments occasionally but she now she felt she has him always by her again. For three months she had emotional support from Hunter and someone to take care of her. Leemodo and hunter tag teamed together to help make her life easier. One day she decided to write a letter and face a traumatic past.

A letter to Azusa.