Hey, minna! The long wait is over! I finally did it! Once again, I'm really sorry for the long wait. Hope you guys will like the double chapters. In celebration for this book reaching 13 K, this chapter is dedicated to @SouadElh. Thanks for the support! Stay awesome, you guys! Trouble out!

As I woke up, I felt a rough fabric brush against my face. Lifting my head, I saw that I was napping on top of a folded towel. I looked around on my bed and on my floor. No pillow to be found.

"Killua?" I yawned subconsciously. He must have went back to his room last night when I fell asleep. But where did my pillow go, and why was I sleeping with a towel? "What time is it?" I checked my cell phone to see that it was ten minutes until nine. I slept in pretty late. I then felt a twinge of uneasiness. Everyone else in the house was probably awake, maybe even had breakfast. Hopefully Killua would be waiting for me, and the only one. I was not up for round two of eating time with assassins.

I slipped out of bed and tip-toed to the dim window. When I peeked through the curtains, I saw that the rain hasn't stopped yet. At least the showers seemed lighter. Hopefully it would end by the afternoon.

I decided to go to breakfast in just my pajamas. It didn't matter to me anymore what I looked like. There was no way I could embarrass myself in front of Killua's family any further. There was no point in pretending anymore. Today Killua and I would come clean with his family, whether they would be happy about it or not, and if anything were to happen, Killua and I would back each other up.

I quietly opened the door and stuck my head out, sweeping left and right of the hall. The house was so silent, I could faintly hear the pitter patter of rain drops on the roof.

I wandered down the hallways without encountering anyone. It made me wonder if I was the only one awake at this time.

I finally made it to the dinning hall, which I assumed where breakfast was being served. Luckily I remembered where it was, which got me curious where Canary and Killua were. I should've texted Killua before I left my room. Just as I cracked the door open, I heard voices coming from the inside. "Killua, please reconsider." It sounded like Killua's mom. Was she having a conversation with Killua right now?

I put my eye in front of the opening, adjusting my position to get a better view, but kept the crack small enough to make them think the door was still closed. They were sitting across from each other at the table. I could only see Kikyo's back view and Killua's annoyed expression. He did not look happy.

"It's what your father and I want," Kikyo continued, sounding like a fragile mother who was too afraid to let her son leave the nest.

"That's the thing, mother. You never ask what I want. I want to be free."

"Free? What kind of freedom could you possibly want that we haven't offered?"

"The freedom to choose my own life. The freedom to go where ever I want to go, do whatever I want to do... and like whoever I want to like." Killua's voice softened and sounded more sincere.

Kikyo tilted her head. "Like? What ever happened with Shiki?"

"Mother, I told you a million times. I. Don't. Like. Her. I love Yuki." I covered my mouth, holding back my gasp. I was so moved that he would stand up to his mother for me.

"That girl?" The mention of me sounded disgusting to her. "What can you possibly benefit from her?"

Killua sighed. "Nothing. There's nothing to benefit from her. I already like her the way she is, and she accepts me for who I truly am. Why can't you see that?"

"But Killua, she's all wrong for you. We can find you a more suitable woman. There are plenty of girls out there your age who can match your strength and potential."

"But I don't want a girl who's up in my alley. I want someone different. Special. Yuki is special to me." I fought back the tears. Not only was Killua saying such kind things about me, he was also defending me against his own mother.

"But... But... I won't approve!"

"Well that's fine with me. I never needed your approval anyway." Killua stood up from his seat and was about to leave the conversation.

Kikyo's face looked down in despair. "All right..." she uttered. It was so faint that I could barely hear it. Killua stopped in his tracks and turned to his mother, intrigued. "I'll allow you two to be together, but only one condition." Killua gave his full attention. "Once you get married and have your first born, they must be raised and trained to inherit-"

Killua slammed his hand on the table hard, almost cracking the wood. His mother was immediately silenced as she flinched in fear. I too was startled. "Are you freakin' kidding me right now?!" Killua shouted. It was the loudest noise I heard all morning. It brought me wide awake, my heart pumping faster. "I don't even know where to begin with you! First off, you're thinking way too ahead of yourself. If I ever have kids, I wouldn't want to choose their futures for them, and I would definitely not have them to do anything with this family!" When he said that, it reminded me of mom's words. They both mean the same. "Secondly, like I said before. I don't care what you think about Yuki, because to me, nothing you say ever means anything to me anymore. But if any of you try hurting her or her family again, I won't hesitate to take any of you out." Killua kicked his chair back, stomping away with hands buried in his pockets.

"Don't walk away from me, young man. Who's going to take over your father's place and lead the family?"

"I'm sure Illumi or Milluki will fit the bill. They'll make you proud."

"W-why?" Kikyo stuttered. She threw her hands onto the table. "Why are you being such an disobedient son?"

Killua glowered at her with disgust. "You figure it out. Call me when you do. Until then, Yuki and I are leaving." He started walking again.

Kikyo stood up herself. "You have the blood of a killer, Killua. You shouldn't let it go."

"I'm not an assassin anymore. I'm a pro Hunter now. Get it right." I was so stunned by what just happened that I didn't realize that Killua was coming this way toward the doors I was leaning close to. I ran around the corner in my panic and held my breath as I listened to the sound of the doors opening and footsteps stomping down the other direction. I slid down against the wall until my tush bumped the floor, exhaling greatly in relief. I didn't want Killua to know that I heard all of that, and I especially didn't want him to see me the way I am now. 

Killua was right. Coming here was a mistake. Mom might have been a little right as well. Although it was completely biased, I should keep away from Killua's main family. After meeting the rest of his family, I could see how Killua and Alluka differ from them. They were a lot nicer and more open. Those poor things. They grew up here, trapped here for years, and I don't even want to spend another day here.

I hunched over, hiding my face behind my knees, letting the tears out. All I wanted was to help Killua, but I made things worse. I felt so lost, I didn't know what to do. "Young lady," I heard a man's voice. That voice sounded familiar. I raised my head up and cleaned my eyes to see who was calling me. No one was in the hall. "Come here." After hearing it the second time, I recognized it as the voice of Killua's father. It came from his bedroom. The door was slightly left opened. I walked toward it and slowly slid the screen door wider. No one but the ill man was in the room.

"Over here," he called out again in an intimate volume. I was confused, but also nervous. Was he going to give me a lecture too? He and his wife were probably double teaming on me. He will probably tell me to stay away from Killua as well. I kept these in thought as I kneeled down by his side.

"G-good morning, sir," I greeted, bowing my head. Although it all seemed pointless, I still kept my good manners.

He studied me for a good while. I got so nervous, he could probably see me shaking if he looked close enough.

"Tell me, what do you think of my son?" he asked.

I raised my face. "I think Killua's amazing," I answered. I made sure to answer honestly and choosing my words right. "He's very kind, funny, and protective. Um..." I scratched a sudden itch at the back of my neck. "There's a lot more I can say about Killua, but, uh, I can't think of them right now."

"It's fine," he replied, looking up at the ceiling.

"Really?"

"Yes. That is all I needed to hear." This did not give me a comforting feeling. What if I gave the wrong answer? He must be grading me very harshly.

"When Killua left..." he began. "that was when I realized how different we are. My parents raised me to be an assassin, and I him. He has the potential of becoming the perfect assassin, even surpassing me, but he's not like me. After seeing him yesterday, I can see how much he has changed, how much he has grown." His gaze shifted toward me. "You made quite an impact on him as well."

"How can you tell?" I asked.

"Yuki, is it?" I nodded. "I can tell you're not like us. If you stay close to Killua, you'll be around much danger. Is my son really worth that?"

"Of course! I'll do whatever I can to protect him," I said confidently.

"Then promise me this." He slowly moved his hand out of the covers. "Look after Kil for me." Suddenly, I had this new clear view of his father. I wasn't scared of him at all. This feeling felt so familiar. It was seeing a father wanting to protect their child out of love feeling.

I gently took his hand. It was cold and rough, but I held it with care. "I promise."

After I dismissed myself and quietly closed the door, I started walking toward my room through the lobby. Killua must be wondering where I was. "Well well well, look what the cat dragged in." I spun around, and then looked up. It was Shiki sitting on the railing of the second floor.

"Shiki. Don't scare me like that," I said. "What are you doing up there?"

With a ghastly smirk, she pulled out a katana from the sheath strapped around her waist. This did not look good. "If I can't have Killua, then nobody can," she said as she stood up on the railing with perfect balance.

I gulped in fear as I backed away slowly. "N-now, hold on, Shiki... Let's not get hasty here." I was afraid that something like this would happen. I didn't want to believe that she would actually kill me out of spite, thought she might be rational, but that crooked look on her face, I now realized she was crazy.

"Since you know so much about Nen, let me show you my special Nen ability." She extended her sword out and started rotating it in a clockwise motion. Levitating out of her poach was a stash of knives, circling her by her command. "I call this Sword Dance. I'm a Manipulator, so I can use this ability to command blades to my every will."

"Wow, that's super cool. Thanks for showing me," I complimented nervously, clapping my hands while backing away very slowly.

"I'm glad you like it, 'cause it'll be the last thing you'll ever see. The reflection of you being sliced in the throat!" With one whip of her sword, the blades targeted their sharp ends at me and fired.

"Ah crap!" I made a quick sprint for it and leapt. As I skidded across the floor, the last blade was only a toe length away from nailing my feet. Shiki jumped from the second floor and landed flawlessly on the ground. She fanned her sword again, the knives picking themselves up. I got up and started running again.

"Oh, so you know how to play cat and mouse too? It's my favorite game." Shiki laughed as she chased me with her minions of knives.

I turned at every corner to better my chances of dodging her weapons. Each time they missed and hit a wall, they would just pluck themselves out and track me again. I was beginning to grow tired of running. Even with my low stamina, Shiki still kept the same distance between us. She was playing with me, making my last moments a horrifying chase until I reach a dead end. Then game over.

"Why not turn around? Show me what you go-wWAAHH! Oof!" I heard a thump and clattering of knives. I stopped to look back and saw that Shiki's ankle was caught by a rod. That rod was connected to none other than Canary.

"Canary!" I was so happy to see her. Glad to see anyone to my rescue.

"Run, Miss Yuki!" she shouted.

"But..." It didn't feel right to just abandon Canary with this psycho killer for my sake, but if Shiki had her way, not only would Canary's chivalry be in vain, but she would also be punished.

Shiki kicked the rod away and swung her legs around to position herself upward. Canary raised her rod in front and both of their weapons clashed. "Go!"

With a heavy heart, I trusted Canary and kept running.

***

(Canary's P.O.V.)

"Get back here you rat!" Shiki yelled. She deflected my rod and tried running after her, but I immediately side-stepped in front of her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Shiki scoffed.

"Mistress Sazuka is a guest of Killua-sama. As his personal servant, I will not allow any harm come to her. My master's sake comes before you, Shiki-san." I extended my rod to her chest, showing how serious I was. Shiki-san copied the same gesture with a grim look.

"Then let's dance."

The combat commenced, my metal rod clanking and sliding against her family's katana. Shiki was a skilled swordswoman and the second heir of the Mitsuki family, so her skills outweighed mine. She will most likely be victorious, but I have to do whatever I can to buy Yuki-san some time. Killua is counting on me. She makes him happy. I must protect Yuki.

***
(Yuki's P.O.V.)

I felt bad for leaving Canary behind, but what was I suppose to do? I didn't know how to fight. I would only get in her way. I turned one last corner and stormed inside the first room to catch my breath. When I looked around, I saw Kalluto sitting by the window. He stared at me oddly, which was understandable.

"So-sorry," I heaved, getting off the door. "I was being chased, so do you mind if I hide here a bit?" Kalluto got up from his seat and calmly approached me. As he came closer, he dropped a fan in his hand from his sleeve, spreading it wide open with one whip of his arm. When I looked into his eyes, I saw hatred. That hint gave me enough time to react when Kalluto made a fast move, reeling his fan back and slashing it forward. I took a step back and flexed backward as far as I could. In that short second, the fan hovered over my face, cutting a few loose hairs over my forehead.

I bent back up petrified. Why was he attacking me? Kalluto pulled out a matching pair. "Whoa, hey! What are you doing?"

"No one can love Onii-chan but me," he said, then ferociously came at me again with both fans.

"Oh great," I grunted. Another psycho who was jealous of me and Killua. With quick wits, I stripped a tapestry that was hanging on the wall from its rings and threw it at Kalluto. He was caught off guard as the fabric covered him. "Sorry!" I yelped as I pushed him to the ground, taking whatever advantage I had to have the upper hand to survive.

I dashed out of the room, hearing the shredding of cloth, then slammed the door behind me and started running again. "How do I keep getting myself into these situations?!" I cried.

As I fled halfway down the hallway, Shiki appeared from the other end, her feet sliding across the floor. "There you are!" she grinned. It was one problem after another. As she advanced, I looked around and grabbed the first thing I saw. A flower vase. I threw it at her, hoping that she would back away or become confused for a moment, long enough to give me another head start. However, as the vase flew toward her, Shiki swiped her sword playfully, slicing the vase in half. It left a clean cut between the parchment and stems, water dispersing. As Shiki pulled her sword back for a second strike, I was thinking I was going to be a goner. Luckily, one misstep on a fragment of the wet vase caused me to trip, ducking right on time before that sword could cut my head off.

The swing was so powerful that Shiki's sword dug deep in the wall from impact. I scrambled and escaped again as Shiki yanked her sword out. "Come back here!"

I pushed through a door which led me to the outside. My bare feet splashed into puddles as the rain continued pouring none stop. I ran into the garden, hoping that I would find a safe place to hide. As I ran over the bridge, I heard a pelting noise of daggers drumming the floor board. It sounded close to my heels. I took a huge leap and splashed into a grassy puddle, spitting out the silts of mud.

When I was about to pick myself up and run again, a kunai flew and stabbed the ground right in front of me. I froze, then slowly turned my head to the source. I could see her emerging from the gray mist. "End of the line," Shiki said.

I turned my body over, desperately crawling backward until I was completely cornered. My back hit a rock, and the ground felt smooth and hard all of a sudden. I turned around and realized that I was trapped on top of Aria's grave, which seemed to also be mine soon.

As Shiki took her time coming closer, she picked up the kunai from the ground. Her katana was already stored in her sheath. The kunai was all she needed to end me.

I raised a hand up in defense. "S-Shiki, please! Don't do this. What will you gain from killing me?" I tried reasoning with her while begging.

"Simple. I'll have Killua all to myself." Her voice sounded so carefree, it made me feel even less assured.

"But killing me won't make Killua like you more."

"So what? Do you think your death will mean anything?" she asked, pointing her knife mockingly at me. "I mean, Killua has ruthlessly killed thousands of people. What makes you so special?" She laughed.

"I'm his girlfriend!" I sternly spoke. For some reason, my statement made Shiki laugh even more.

"Poor Yuki. You really don't know anything. Killua was born from the underworld. To us, relationships mean nothing."

She sounded just like Illumi. It made me sick. "If that's the case, then why do you want to date Killua so badly? You love him, don't you? Aren't your actions contradictory to what you're saying?"

"Ha! Love comes with many different meanings in different forms. The love that you know is just a soft word that gives the weak an excuse to show mercy and pity to one other. In this world, it's all about obtaining desires. I love power, and I also would like a boyfriend, so of course Killua would be perfect for me. It's survival of the fittest after all."

She stopped right at my feet. My time was running short. "But if you kill me, Killua wouldn't want to be with you at all."

"Ugh, here we go again. It's always gotta be about you you you. Let me tell you something before you die. It'll save you the trouble for the afterlife. Once your gone, Killua will forget all about you. He'll live on as if you've never existed."

For a moment, I thought Shiki stabbed me with her kunai right there, because those words struck me in the heart. Such hateful, cold words. I don't ever want to be forgotten by Killua.

"That's a lie," was the only come back I could think of.

This earned another giggle from Shiki. "Oh, is it? Do you know whose grave you're sitting on right now? And no, it's not yours. Killua was close with my sister Aria. In fact, a little too close. After she died, Killua didn't even shed a single tear for her. His expression was completely blank. A complete cyborg with no compassion at all."

"Shut up! Don't talk about Killua that way, and don't you dare talk about your sister like that before her grave!"

Shiki's face shifted to a look of disgust. "And what do you know about my bratty sister? She was a runt in our family, our shame. She was too sweet and innocent for her own good. That's why..." A crooked smile carved her face. "I ended her."

Lightning thundered, shadowing her entire front body but those crazed, crimson eyes. Eyes that thirst for the sight of blood shed.

"You... you killed her? How could you, your own sister!" I couldn't comprehend why she would do such a thing. Unbelievable, even for an assassin. I would never kill my brother Rin. Not even Killua has the heart to kill his own sister when his whole family was against her. Killua was nothing like his family, and especially nothing like Shiki.

"She was in my way, just like you, and just like her, it won't matter to Killua if you die. He'll only forget and move on. Now, enough stalling. Time to finish this."

Shiki raised her arm up, redirecting her weapon to face down for a more effective blow. I became so afraid that tears started pouring out. Was I going to die, right here in the rain where the water would wash my blood away? If it was all going to end here, I might as well make my last words count. "You're wrong."

Shiki's arm relaxed as she tilted her head. "What?"

"You're wrong! He didn't cry, not because he didn't feel anything. He didn't cried because he wasn't allowed to. He wanted to stay strong and show no signs of weakness because he was raised that way. He was just a kid doing what he thought was right. I've seen Killua cry. He would never forget me. You don't know a single thing about Killua." Shiki gave a tsk, annoyed. Although her words were unbearable for my ears, there was no way I could believe them. Although she and Killua may have a history, I know the present Killua more than she does.

"Shut up!" Shiki reaped her arm back. This was it. I closed my eyes and shielded myself with my arms. I waited, but the only blow I received was a gust of wind. I opened my eyes and was immediately relieved by the sight. Killua standing between me and Shiki, gripping her wrist.

"That's enough," Killua said sternly. He squeezed her wrist hard enough for her to wince and drop the kunai. After he threw her hand down, he turned toward me and kneeled down. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "You're late," I said.

"Sorry. Can you get up?" He placed his hands under my arms and helped me stand up. "Come on. Let's go." My legs were fully functional, but I allowed Killua to hold on to me. Being in Killua's arms gave a security and relief. I wasn't as scared as I was earlier anymore.

We walked passed Shiki, who was rubbing her wrist, her stare throwing daggers. "Wait!" she shouted. Killua and I stopped and listened. "Why? Why do you choose her instead of me? I'm twenty times more stronger than her. She has no class, and I've known you longer. Why her instead of me?"

I could feel Killua's hands tightening. "Because I love her," Killua stated firmly. "Something you could never understand. The things that I like about Yuki is everything that you're not. One thing's for sure, she would never backstab her own family." Shiki was taken aback. Killua must have heard our conversation. He knows the truth about Aria's death.

Shiki tried her best to smile. "It's our loved ones who hurt us the most. You already know that, don't you, Killua?"

"Which is why I could never like you. But with Yuki, I know I'm in good hands." I gave him a smile, resting my hand on his shoulder.

"Don't trust her, Kil! She doesn't understand us. She can never understand our kind!"

Killua's back faced her again. "You still never listen, don't you? I'm not an assassin anymore. I'm a pro Hunter." He flashed one more malevolent glare at her. "I also didn't like the way you talked about me. If you try hurting Yuki again, I'll kill you," he growled. This was the scariest I have ever heard him speak. Shiki must be mortified. "Go off yourself. You disgust me."

Shiki staggered back, as if Killua's words were a double-edged sword that impaled her straight into the heart. She dropped to her knees and started sobbing. "Let's go, Yuki." Killua put his arms around me, leading me away from the sight. I looked back, watching the crouched Shiki cry, mourning over her sister's grave, but for a different reason. As I listened to her whimper through the showers, a sad nostalgia twinged  inside of me.

"Wait," I stopped Killua. "I'm not done here yet." Killua looked at me confused. I turned around and started walking toward the crying girl. She lifted her head when I kneeled in front of her.

"W-what? Came here to rub it in?" She tried to force a look of anger, but her tears wouldn't stop. She was more overwhelmed with grief. When I motioned my hand toward her, she flinched. Shiki was actually frightened by me.

I persisted and gently placed my hand over hers. "Don't feel sad because Killua couldn't love you back. It just means he's not the right one for you. If he's not the one, then that means your Mr. Right is still on his way. Don't go chasing other guys who don't appreciate you."

[Press Play]

Shiki suddenly stopped crying. Trails of light cracked through the clouds, and the rain seized. Her dull eyes soon glimmered with revelation. The watery sunshine brought color into the garden.

To top it all off, I beamed a smile. "You should stop chasing others and let the ones who care about you chase you." When I looked at Shiki, her expression was awestruck, no words coming out of her gaped mouth.

There wasn't anymore for me to say, and Shiki still seemed too baffled for words, so it seemed right to finally end it here. She didn't seem interested in killing me anymore, so it seemed appropriate to leave her alone to think. When I returned to Killua's side, he raised an eyebrow at me. "Why were you being so nice to her?" he asked.

Our fingers intertwined as we walked away. "Because I know how it feels to have a broken heart, and it hurts a lot. No girl should go through that, not even my enemy." I also had the feeling that Shiki may not really understand feelings herself. Even though she said all those horrible things earlier, she cried, which meant there must still be a heart in there somewhere. Unlike Killua who left his home early, Shiki was still contained in a small world.

Killua looked at me strangely, but sighed and let the thought go. "You're really weird. But that's what I like about you."