Chapter Seven

Leonard....

Graceona, Loz, and I sat in the living room. None of us said a word, Graceona's focus on the floor. She hadn't said a word since the three of us got into the living room. Loz watched television but judging by the news anchor that blurred, his mind wasn't on it, simply using it as background noise. Though there was the noise it did very little to cut through the emotion that hovered the room. I sat back in my seat as Yazoo's words rang through my thoughts. He had gotten married, living the best of his life. I sighed. Why did the two of us have to come back here? The three of them were doing just fine without us. The thoughts of Yazoo seeming to think that our duties to my father were more important than his special day were heartbreaking. It was no wonder he had grown to detest us. I would also if I were in his position.

Graceona sighed. "Leonard, calm down. You're stressing me out, man."

I looked at her, but she wasn't looking at me. "Sorry."

Loz looked at the staircase as Kadaj entered the living room, causing Grace and me to look up. "Well?" Graceona asked as the younger brother looked at her, fixing the cuff of his long-sleeve shirt.

"Well, he's asleep." His terse response caused her to sigh.

"I think she wants to know how he is, Kadaj," Loz stated as the youngest brother looked at him, all emotions gone from his face.

"I get that, Loz. I'm not stupid," Kadaj looked at Graceona. "Why did you two even bother showing back up here? To hurt us again, to give us false hopes of this stupid family crap, just to run away again. What sick enjoyment do you get from it, you Graceona I understand you." His gaze turned to me. "But you, you're supposed to be the good guy, not very heroic, if I may say so myself you are perhaps no different than we are. You two have overstayed your welcome. Show yourselves out of our home and our lives. We're done."

I looked at Graceona who looked at him, with a sigh standing up. "Fine, come on, Leonard."

I stood up, looking at Kadaj. "No, we are family, Kadaj."

"No, we were family. We're not going to let you two make fools of us again." Without another word, the younger brother walked back upstairs, as I looked at Loz who sighed.

Come on, Leonard." Graceona said as she got my arm, leading me from the house. Once we got to the truck, I looked at her.

"We're leaving them again, Graceona."

She looked at me. "Didn't you feel that presence? Sephiroth was in Yazoo's room. The two of us can't take on the three of them alone. We have to fight."

I glared at her. "I'm not going to fight them, Graceona." I opened the door, stepping out. "You're going to fight all four of us. I'm not leaving them again." I slammed the door.

She sighed. "Leonard, don't do this."

I looked at her, walking back into the home. Loz still sat on the couch. He looked at me as I entered the home. "I'm not going to leave you three, Sephiroth influenced or not. We're going to get through this together. I'm sorry I let the three of you down, but no more."

I watched as Loz looked at me. "What are you doing back here?" I heard Kadaj hissed, at the bottom of the stairs.

I looked at him. "I refuse to leave you three. I know I messed up, but I want to make it right."

"You want to make things, right? Do you now? We're not interested."

"Come on, Kadaj, hear him out," Loz spoke up, only to get a glare from Kadaj.

"You have five minutes, Leonard. Then we want you to leave. We have no quarrel against you. Don't do something stupid."

"Stop letting Sephiroth control you, Kadaj. I know this isn't you. I understand I hurt you three and I understand you're angry with me. I get that, but if you don't stop this, the four of us will be in a fight against life and death. I've already chosen my side. I've chosen the three of you over AVALANCHE, over Graceona, as well as Kourtney. I think the sacrifice deserves over five minutes."

The younger brother looked at me. A flicker of emotion came to his face as it quickly disappeared. "That was your stupidity. I told you we were done. You made that choice on your own."

"You're throwing this new life away, out of anger towards my stupidity? Does it mean nothing to you, your job, that young girl you met? You're putting it all on the line for this?"

I looked at the teen as he looked at me. "Don't bring Autumn into this. You were the one that made sacrifices. I just want you to leave us alone. There is no Sephiroth intent on any of this. Not everything I decide is Sephiroth based."

I sighed. "You're throwing every memory we all made away, even new ones that could."

"Enough! Good Gaia, you're like a broken sphere. Are you going to make me listen to this for five minutes? You were the one who continually walked out on us. You made the choice. Did you just expect us to continue to wait on you to make a choice? Your five minutes are up, get going."

"Listen Kadaj, I know how hurt Yazoo was after the wedding. I was there, but he picked himself up and got back on the saddle. I'm not going to defend Leonard. But wasn't it Yazoo who said that it was Leonard that had done a lot for us? Yeah, Yazoo has his moments? But do you think he would want this? Think about it, Yazoo can be a pain, short-tempered, but he seems to care about Leonard. I thought you did as well. What is all this?" Loz pounded an angry fist on the table standing beside me, glaring at his younger brother. "you said there was no quarrel, but it looks like a different picture from this angle. You hated Graceona. Look around. She isn't here." Kadaj rolled his eyes, glaring at Loz. "Ask Yazoo, yourself, Kadaj. Stop making his choices for him. We have our thoughts."

I sighed. "Forget it, Loz. There's no need for you to be shunned. This is what you want, Kadaj?" The teen looked at me. "I can't stop you. I can't blame you. You got what you asked for. I'm sorry for being the worst person in the world. I'm going." I walked away from them and out of the house.

The space that Graceona's truck had once sat in caused me to sigh.

"Yo, wait up, would you?" I heard Loz from behind me. I turned to face him.

"What are you doing, Loz?"

"As big of a pain that Kadaj is, he sent me out here to get you."

I looked at him with a sigh as the two of us walked into the house.

Once inside, I saw Yazoo glaring at Kadaj, who was looking at the ground. "You have some apologizing to do, Kadaj. The decisions are mine to make. You don't own me anymore. Get to it."

I looked at Yazoo. "Don't worry about it, Kadaj. I understand why you did what you did. I've not exactly been the best father to the three of you, missing Yazoo's special day. I suppose I got what I deserved. Don't be hard on him, Yazoo. He just worries and cares about you. He was there for you when I wasn't. Cut him some slack."

Yazoo looked at me. "You're too forgiving." he sighed. "Grace will be here shortly. I can prepare you two a plate. I think I need to stay behind. The three of us have caused enough trouble." He walked from the room.

I followed along behind him. "Yazoo, you've not done anything wrong. We still want you to come to stay with us. We want you to. However, we're no longer entitled to hold you from your life. You have your own family to take care of. I'm asking you to stay behind, not out of anger, but because you have your own life. I wouldn't want anyone to separate Graceona and me, so I couldn't ask you to do something that I could never do myself. I love you and Sierra that much. You both deserve happiness. I have no right to take that away from either of you, and I won't."

Yazoo looked at me. "Thank you, Leonard. I wanted to be there for the two of you, but all day long I thought of not seeing Sierra and, even though I had the two of you and Kourtney, I felt alone. I love all of you, but I can't leave Sierra. Thank you for understanding how I felt without me having to come out and say it."

I got him into a hug, and he returned the gesture