Andromeda

The Inner Man – Episode 24 – Self

Chiko sat in the back seat of the car as Mashiro drove back home. The Doctor was finally letting Mashiro get back to normal daily activities, all though much of that was Mashiro threatening him with violence. There was little the Doctor could actually do to stop Mashiro, they both knew that too well. Chiko was just glad to have Mashiro back as well as peace and quiet for once. He did not know how long it was going to last like this, but he was hoping that it would be for a while.

Ever since they arrived in Osaka it had been nothing but one problem after another. They had not always been on the run, but with how things were at now it was only a matter of time before something happened again. Chiko tried to enjoy what pleasant times he had left before he lost it all again. It felt like everything would be coming to an end, at least that is what he was hoping. Though he had imagined the end being something different than what it turned out to be. Nothing was turning out how he had hoped it to be.

"Back to your gloomy self again, Chiko?" Mashiro said talking to him through the rear view mirror.

Chiko looked up at him braking from his thoughts. "Huh? Its just this paper I have to write."

"Can't be that hard, your only eight-years old. She can't expect that much from you yet."

"Yeah, but still I don't know what to write for it…"

- - - - -

"Now class you have one assignment over the weekend," Mrs. Shimasuke said stopping the students from leaving the classroom when the sound had rung. Everyone was letting out sighs and grumbling at being delayed from leaving. Chiko did not know what she was going to have them do, but he figured that it could not be too difficult. All of the students sat back down in their seats since Mrs. Shimasuke seemed insistent in not speaking further until they were all calmed down.

"Since I have your attention now, listen carefully. I want you to spend some time this weekend and write a few sentences describing yourself. You've learned a lot about Japanese and grammar already so put that to use. Make sure that you write properly, this will be good practice for you. I will call upon you on Monday to read it in front of the class."

"What?!" said most of the class at once.

"Something else you'll need to get used to as well. We haven't done as many assignments as we should have with you standing up in front of the class. So this will be good practice as well."

Most of the class was angry or afraid now thinking to Monday and having to be up in front of the class. Sakura seemed happy about the idea, but Chiko wondered if she really was afraid of anything. She was perpetually energetic beyond reason, a fact that boggled Chiko's mind all the time.

"I can't wait till Monday," Sakura said looking over at Chiko with a wide smile.

Chiko gave a weak smile back, "Yeah, can't wait…" He turned away for a moment as the rest of the class began to leave. 'What am I going to do?'

- - - - -

"I see what you mean. Yeah, that isn't going to be easy to write. But hey, it's only a couple sentences. You'll figure out something. I'll help you out."

"Only a couple sentences? My entire life I have is a lie and my real life doesn't exist anymore. I don't have anything to write about!"

"Yeah, well we'll figure out something. We've been through far worse and came through it alright, right?"

"I'd rather be fighting the syndicate at the moment."

"Scared of school more than the syndicate," Mashiro said laughing aloud from the front of the car.

Chiko's face became red as he looked away from Mashiro. "You try being an eight-year old for a day. It's not that easy."

"And you make it look so easy too with that cute, adorable face of yours."

"Stop teasing me!" Chiko turned away with his arm crossed in the back seat.

Mashiro laughed to himself again as they arrived back at the house. He turned the car off, but did not unlock the doors yet as Chiko looked up at him confused. Mashiro's face was serious for some strange reason. "You've changed a lot, Chiko. Whether or not you want to admit it or not, you aren't the same person three months ago when you first arrived. You're different now."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'm quite glad that you have changed, I get kicked a lot less these days," Mashiro said grinning to himself as he unlocked the doors. He walked out of the car toward the house.

"Hey!" Chiko opened the door and ran to Mashiro. He punched him in the back of the knee dropping him down to the ground. Chiko then wrapped his tiny arms around Mashiro throat strangling him as he dangled a little from Mashiro's flailing. "Take that back!"

"M-may…be…you haven't…changed…that…much…"

"You being nice to me just to make fun of me again?"

Mashiro grabbed Chiko's arm and pulled them away from his neck enough that he could get out of his grip. He threw Chiko across the lawn as he coughed on the ground catching his breath. Chiko ran at Mashiro again but was stopped by something suddenly that dropped him to the ground flat. Mashiro had the same surprise for himself as well.

"Stop fighting you two!" the Doctor said as he had materialized two metal large bears over them. They were pressing them both two ground making them impossible to move. "Fighting outside in front of the neighbors? Really have you no manners at all?"

Chiko and Mashiro pushed off the bears from themselves and grudgingly walked into the house. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go and work on dinner," Mashiro said trudging off to the back of the house.

Chiko walked over to the living room and set his pack down on table. He did not know what he was going to do about the assignment. There was the entire weekend to think about it and it was only a few sentences that he needed. But they were going to be hardest few that he had to write. All that he knew could not be said and all that he acted was just a lie. He did not know where there was some actually truth to be told. Even now as he was accepting himself as the person called Kohana, he was having trouble with taking on that persona.

It still felt like an act, even though he needed it to stop being an act and be the truth. If he could manage that then he might be able to survive in this body. It seemed like a simple thing to pretend to be a child. He did not have to worry about responsibilities; there was someone else that could manage them. He did not even have to think too much, just be there. That how it seemed it should be. But it was not that simple, he had more responsibilities now, because he had to make sure that he stayed alive. He had to be careful and not let things slip up. He had to protect the children from the dangers that he carried with him. There was always a moment that he was afraid that he might slip up and say something that made him seem like an adult. It was a never-ending struggle to keep himself quiet and know what was the right thing to say. And yet, even being careful he was not able to prevent everything, as he liked.

When Mr. Winter and Mr. Autumn attacked the school that day, he realized that not even the school was safe from those that were hunting him. They would try to get him at any time and anywhere no matter the cost to others. He could not protect them or keep them out of harms way then. All he had been able to do was run into a corner and hide away trying to convince himself that he was not the one that they were looking for. They were looking for Chiko Toyozama, not some eight-year old girl called Kohana Kitayama. Yet they went to great lengths to find him. They did not care who it was, children or adults. It was all the same to them and they took them all.

They took him along with other students and teachers to meet Mr. Autumn. It was then that he learned the faces of those that had captured them. He had a cold expression on face the entire time, one that reminded him a little of the Scarred Man. But there was an emptiness in the Scarred Man that he could not see in Mr. Autumn. He did not know if he was going to survive that night if they did not get what they wanted from the police.

- - - - -

He could remember that moment when he thought that he was about to die. She then saw the man next to Mrs. Toki step forward to address them. "Good afternoon class, I am Mr. Autumn and I have a new lesson to teach. Well more precisely I have a lesson for the police. Stalling has dire consequences." The man did not change expression or even emotion; he was completely cold in speech to them. He then turned away to look out of the window. "The police are hoping to get the government support in this matter and are attempting to draw out the negotiations. So it is time to show them that delaying has consequences."

Mr. Autumn then turned on the monitor that was attached via the window's electronic glass. On the screen could be seen a police officer, either the chief or the one in charge of the police outside. "Good to see you again, Mr. Police Officer."

Kohana could see the distaste the man had on the screen when he was addressed by Mr. Autumn by that title.

"What do you want, Mr. Autumn?"

"Well since you seem to think that I have all the time in the world to wait on my demands to be met I thought I might introduce you to my class." Mr. Autumn motioned to his men who pushed the students and teachers forward into view for the man on the screen to see. The man's composure cracked when he saw the children. "Now I have lesson to teach you. Not meeting my demands will result in a failure to pass."

Mr. Autumn then turned to face the teachers that were standing in front of the students still. He looked at the teachers careful, all equally terrified by their impending death. "Now, Mr. Police Officer. I have been nothing but a gentleman with you. I do expect the same respect. Now, I expect you would be sympathetic to the plight of these adults. However, you have not shown me respect, so I am afraid I cannot show you respect either."

He then nodded to his men who forced the teachers out of the way even though they were fighting and flailing their arms to try to help get the children out. One of the men beat one of female teacher with the end of his gun knocking her to the ground. The other two teachers immediately stopped their attempts.

Mr. Autumn then approached Kohana who happened to be in front of the students. He pulled her out of the crowd while Hakuro tried to hold on to her hand still. "This little girl seems like a nice girl. She probably receives good grades and soft spoken in class. She will be your lesson."

"No!" the man on the screen shouted. "Don't do it…Stop it right now! They are just children!"

Mr. Autumn then pulled a gun out from behind him and pointed it directly at Kohana, who stared at the barrel crying. "Too late!" His finger started to squeeze the trigger slowly as Kohana prayed that this was not the end.

- - - - -

It was not the first time that he had faced death. Though he knew death more intimately at that point than the first time. Even still he was afraid of what was going to happen to himself. Mr. Autumn could have killed him at that moment and ended everything for him. His life would have been over and the search would be finished as well. It might have been the best thing that could have happened to him. Nothing bad would have happened to anyone. They would not have been caught up in his problems anymore.

He tried not to think about it too much knowing that it would only make him feel worse. But it was hard for him to ignore at times knowing all of the trouble that he had caused them. Chiko hoped that it would over soon so that he would not have to see them get hurt again. It was his problems; they needed to be resolved without any more people getting dragged into it that did not have anything to do with them.

'It hasn't been all bad,' Kohana said to him. 'You had fun times with them as well. You shouldn't forget the times that you laughed and had fun. If you think only about the bad times then they'll only continue to dominant your mind and they'll have won.'

'Its not so easy to remember the good times when there haven't been so many. There have been far more worse things happening.'

'But don't dwell on them. What about the time that you went to that shrine? That was fun right?'

'You mean running around scared for our lives part of the time? And then being tricked by an old man who had nothing better to do with his retirement other than frighten children and tourists. Right, that was a lot of fun. I'll make sure I go back there when this is all over.'

'You looked like you were having fun.'

- - - - -

Kohana recalled for him the events as she remembered it. Chiko did not know how she happened to remember something that she was not even around for at the time. Though it seemed to be a non-issue since she was already beginning. 'This is more interesting than what is happening right now…' Chiko thought and sighed as he walked forward towards the direction. "If he saw something, then it is probably in one of the rooms, lets just check them."

"What about the rest of the class? We'll get left behind," one of the boys said.

"It's a shrine, how many hallways could there possibly be," he replied. The group followed up behind Chiko gathered around him suddenly making him jump. He looked behind himself to find that everyone that had stopped was now behind him. It was the four girls, Sakura, Kazuo and another boy. They all were more interested in finding out what it was, even if they did not want to admit to it.

Chiko slid open the first door finding nothing of interest, just a normal room for someone staying in the shrine. The next room was the same as well. The group was starting to get restless for not finding anything. Chiko really do not know what he was supposed to be looking for, but he kept search until he came to the far end room.

He was about to slide it open when the door glowed brightly. He jumped back as everyone else did. Everyone looked at each other not knowing what was happening, the light faded away after a moment. Chiko approached the door carefully.

"Be careful," Sakura said.

Chiko slid the door open quickly only to find that there was nothing in the room. Everyone sighed, though secretly disappointed that it was nothing. They were all about to return to the class, wherever that might have been, when the other boy screamed. Everyone looked in his direction, which was followed by the group of girls with Hakuro screaming as well.

Before them was a ghostly image of a woman, pale white and floating in front of them. It then suddenly dashed away through a wall. The girls were unable to move, but Chiko rushed after it along with Sakura who was giggling for a reason that Chiko cared not understand. Chiko rushed to the room that the ghost disappeared into unfortunately it was already gone when he arrived.

Chiko looked back to where everyone was still at, they were slowly coming towards him. Kazuo seemed a little frighten, though excited as well. It was obvious now that he had seen something, though it was a ghost rather than a person. But even that did not make any sense to Chiko, he did not believe in ghosts or the supernatural. There had to be an explanation to the ghost, one that could be explained.

"Want to chase it?" Sakura said smiling. "Looks like a lot of fun."

'See you were having fun then.'

'Stretching the truth aren't you?'

'You were spending time with your friends, so you were having fun.'

"Tch…"

"Dinner time!" Mashiro called from the kitchen.

"Finally, I don't need more trips down memory lane." Chiko walked into the kitchen to find the Doctor and Mashiro at it again. He sat down at the table trying to ignore them. The Doctor had yet another invention that was supposedly meant to help make meals and he was trying to get Mashiro to use. Mashiro naturally would refuse the Doctor's help when it came to cooking stating, 'That food tastes better cooked by one's own hands rather than the cold metal of a machine.' Chiko did not really care which way it was just as long as he got food that he could eat. And since the Doctor could not cook, Chiko sided with Mashiro.

"And you say I act like a child…" Chiko said eating calmly at the table while the two fought over rights to the kitchen. It was pleasant to watch at times for him. He continued through his meal until the two of them wore themselves out enough that they could only sit down and eat. This was just another dinner it became routine for them. However, it did keep things interesting if nothing else.

"Mashiro tells me that you have to write a report about yourself," the Doctor said in between bites.

"I wouldn't call it a report. Just a few sentences. They aren't old enough to write that much."

"He says that you don't know what to write for it."

Chiko quickly finished his meal and started to walk away from the table. He knew where this conversation was going and did not want to be there when the Doctor wanted to try to help him.

"Where you going?"

"Out of your reach."

"But I can help! I have just the invention that will help you!"

Chiko was already gone by the time that the Doctor was finished speaking though. The Doctor blinked a few times confused as to why he was speaking to an empty space in front of him. The Doctor stood up and went to look around the house for Chiko. Mashiro stayed behind and continued to eat with a mischievous grin across his face. The Doctor searched around the house calling out to Chiko. Chiko was staying one step ahead of the Doctor as they made several loops round the house. Mashiro watched the two of them play enjoying his meal by himself.

Chiko suddenly returned to the kitchen trying to hide himself behind the doorway from the back room in the house. Mashiro acknowledged Chiko, but continued to eat through his bowl of rice. The Doctor walked into the kitchen and looked around quickly before continuing through into the living room. Mashiro placed down his bowl, his meal finished. "Hey, Doc! Still looking for Chiko?"

Chiko glared at Mashiro, which turned to panic. The Doctor turned around to look at Mashiro. He saw Chiko hiding in the kitchen leaving him cornered now and unable to do anything. "I'm going to hurt you…"

"There you are Chiko, I've been looking for you all over the house."

"That was the whole idea…"

"I want you to try out my invention. I think it'll help you out."

'It'll be fun,' Kohana said suddenly.

'No, it won't be fun.'

'Please!'

'Why does this always happen to me?' Chiko sighed to him knowing that he was cornered, again. There was no way out of this and he knew it. He had been in this position too many times already to know when he was beat. Chiko relinquished himself to the fate that he would have to endure. "Fine, I guess if it helps."

"Excellent. Go sit down in the living room, I'll go get it from my lab." The Doctor ran off upstairs out of sight. The Doctor had set up a new lab for him to work in what would be considered their attic. Though it was completely inaccessible as Chiko remembered, their attic that is. He did not understand the whole process, but the Doctor set up some sort of strange dimensional rift or portal or hole, it was something. It was in the attic, but in another space completely as the Doctor explained it. It would have to be though considering that it was a massive facility that was far larger than the entire house, possibly even larger than the entire neighborhood.

The Doctor returned downstairs with a device in his hands and very excited. Mashiro sat in the corner smiling to himself. The Doctor placed the device on Chiko's head. There were a lot of lights blinking across it as well wires connecting around it. It sat somewhat uncomfortably on his head, but Chiko just wanted to through with it as soon as possible.

"Now, now that expression won't do. You're ruining my beautiful work with your sour attitude."

"This is my face, I'll do what I want with it!"

"Fine, fine. Now then it is ready. All you have to do is relax. The device will scan your thoughts and memories and come out with a few lines for you. Pretty simple!"

"Right…" Chiko cross his arms and leaned back into the couch staring at the Doctor. He did not feel anything, but he did not trust him to actually help him out. It was probably just an excuse to get him to be a guinea pig for an invention. "How will we know if it finds something?"

"It'll come out across this screen on the device I'm holding," the Doctor said showing it to Chiko. A few minutes passed and there was a beeping noise from the device. The Doctor looked at it eagerly to see the results. A moment later he was sweating profusely poking the device with his finger.

Chiko was not encouraged by the actions of the Doctor. "What's wrong, Doc? What did it say?"

"Er…let's try it again."

"What did it say?"

"Try to relax, Chiko and empty your mind," the Doctor said dodging the question.

"What did I say!" Chiko stood up from the couch wearing the device as it blinked angrily at the Doctor. He grabbed the Doctor's hand to try to look at it as he pulled away from Chiko. "Tell me!"

"…Fine…" Chiko let go of the Doctor and he adjusted himself before speaking again. "It says… 'I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill the Doctor! I'm going to kill Mashiro!'"

Mashiro burst out laughing nearly falling over in the chair. "Ain't that the truth. I think it's working correctly, doc!"

Chiko sat back down a little red faced, but he could not deny that they were the thoughts running through his mind at the moment.

"You have to let go of your thoughts, they are throwing off my invention! Now be serious."

"That's funny coming from you," Chiko said. The Doctor glared at him making Chiko feel a little uneasy. The man had a look in his eyes as though he could make his life completely miserable if he did not get what he wanted. For Chiko, he was already close enough to that to know how it felt that he did not want to see more. Chiko sweated in embarrassment and backed off the Doctor. "Fine."

The Doctor started the machine up again and they waited for the results. When the results came the Doctor stared at his machine blankly. He seemed confused by what he was seeing and kept looking back at Chiko as though comparing something. Chiko stared at him inquisitively wanting to know what the machine came up this time. "Well?"

"Umm…lets try again. I think you were too relaxed."

"Huh? Just tell me!"

"Well…umm…it reads… 'I'm so happy! It makes me so happy! I could do anything just as long as I'm near Daddy!'"

"Sounds like Kohana…" Mashiro said laughing again.

Chiko blushed turning red again, "How that thing pick up Kohana?"

"Well her thoughts must have been the strongest at the moment. Try again."

"This is getting no where…" Chiko let out a sigh and closed his eyes trying to concentrate. He did not know what the Doctor needed, but he just tried to keep in control. Unfortunately, he was suddenly seeing images in his mind of the Scarred Man. His mind was recalling his past when he first saw the man in Tokyo. He was remembering the time that he had almost died. Blood was everywhere around him, crawling up through his thoughts. It was becoming inescapable. Chiko did not know what to do other than to try to run away from the images.

The device on his head was flashing quickly through all of the lights. Soon it began to release smoke from parts of it as the Doctor became frantic. He tried to pull the device of Chiko's head, but it was too late. The device exploded in a plumb smoke surrounding Chiko's head. Once the smoke cleared out they could see Chiko's face. He was dazed and black marks from the explosion covered his face. The Doctor stepped back afraid of what just happened causing him to fall over the table.

He looked up from the floor at Mashiro blinking his eyes trying to recover. "I'd run if I were you, Doc. While you still have a chance." The Doctor dashed out of the living room leaving everything behind and disappearing to who knew where.

Chiko came around his hair frizzy and sticking up on end. He coughed up some smoke from his mouth as he recovered himself enough to see the Doctor missing and Mashiro in the chair grinning for no apparent reason. However, seeing Mashiro grinning only made him angry knowing that there was something that he was missing. After another moment of looking around he saw pieces of some machine lying around the living room. Chiko got up and looked around trying to figure out what happened when he saw himself in the mirror. It did not take him long to figure out what happened after that. "Where is he? I'm going to kill him!" Chiko ran out of the living room searching for the Doctor wherever he might be at in the house. Mashiro walked casually over to the kitchen and made himself some tea to enjoy the show.

The evening continued in a similar fashion until they were too tired to continue. Mashiro had finished drinking his tea and gone to bed along with Chiko and the Doctor, eventually. The morning came and Chiko was no closer to figuring out what he was going to do about the assignment. The entire day passed by uneventfully for them. The Doctor remained in hiding from Chiko and Mashiro carried out a few things in the city. Chiko lounged around the house out of it. He was still at a loss of what to write for class.

Sunday arrived and he was running out of time. It was the late afternoon and he had wasted much of his day penciling out sketches that he had in mind. He had hoped that it might help him think of something to write. Unfortunately, all it did for him was waste time and half a sketchpad of paper. He decided to go for a walk through the neighborhood and hoped that something might come to him while he was out. It seemed like a futile effort, but there had to be something in him.

As he walked along the sidewalk he could remember when they first arrived here. He had been depressed with everything that had happened and was blaming everyone and anything in front of him. At the time that was Mashiro, still was today, but he was not kicking him around for the same reasons as back then. Mashiro nudged Chiko waking him up, "We have arrived. This is the house."

"Huh, the house?" Chiko said blinking and pulling himself up to look over the dashboard of the car. The house was a two story white and yellow house with some steps coming down from the entrance. There were even a few flowers in the front and curtains were blowing in the breeze on the second floor window that was open. Chiko was expecting an apartment.

"Section Three has already dropped off equipment and the movers were here the day before. So there will be boxes and furniture inside. Ready to see your new place?"

"I guess." Mashiro opened the car door letting Chiko out. Chiko slowly walked around Mashiro looking up at the house, it was strange to get the sense that everything was so much larger than him. He was so short and everything around him reminded him that he was, it was disorienting the size difference. How was he going to reach anything being so short now? Chiko tried to dismiss the thought from his mind and move towards the house with Mashiro following behind.

He sighed to himself thinking about the first day. 'Been a long time since then. I don't even have my apartment anymore. Its all rubble.' He remembered the explosion that day and the men trying to save him from the bomb. All of his life had been in that place and was simply destroyed in a moment. Then he did not know the lengths that they would go to kill him for whatever he knew. He had not known that Section Three was trying to kill him at that point as well. The men with him probably did not even know, meant to simply die along with him. It was a terrible thing, they did not even value their own.

Chiko continued through the neighborhood seeing Sakura in the distance playing with Nobu. It seemed more like she was chasing him trying to get him to do something that he did not want to do. Chiko remained at a distance watching them. He smiled to himself thinking about those two. They were always with him and he did not even know why. Sakura stuck by him through everything, in spite of being the airhead that she was. And Nobu as well, he remained with him walking to school everyday. Even when he was subjected to so many injuries, he kept coming back the next day. It did not seem to make much sense to Chiko.

He kept watching them playing as Sakura handed something off to him and ran away. Nobu ran after her panicked. Chiko laughed a little watching them. Sakura was always causing trouble for him and Nobu. She caused trouble for a lot of people, but she was always so innocent even in all of the trouble she got herself in. Any normal child should be a complete wreck and traumatized by everything she had seen, all of them should be. Yet, they still managed to get through the day. It amazed Chiko how much they could see and still continue their lives.

Chiko slowly made his way to the wall that over looked Osaka. He remembered coming here before on the first day when he ran away. Mashiro had to look all over the neighborhood for him. He sighed to himself as he watched the sun slowly setting behind the horizon. He would not be able to stay out for much long. His problem was still unresolved though.

"You seem fond of this spot," Mashiro said.

"Huh?" Chiko said turning around to find Mashiro standing at the entrance of the playground. "It has a good view of the city."

"Yes, that is does," Mashiro said walking over to Chiko. He sat down on the wall as well next to Chiko. "At least it makes it easy to find you when you disappear."

"Hey!"

"Still thinking about what to writing?"

"Yeah…"

"It isn't easy. I can understand in part what you are feeling. You live a lie on a daily basis and try to make that lie your reality. It's not easy making that lie the truth and once you reach that point that it becomes the truth…then what becomes of you. Are you still yourself, do you even know who you are anymore?" Mashiro looked away from Chiko pausing for a moment.

"When I first met you I thought that you were just another spoiled celebrity. But you were the job and I had to protect you. You didn't care about anyone but yourself and getting back to your own life. You naively believed that you could return. But that's gone now. I don't see that when I look at you anymore. You may look like a child on the outside, but when I looked into your eyes I see an adult. You changed; you've seen the world. The real world in all of its ugliness. Its shattered you, but you managed to come back stronger. You've been tested and tried. It's shaped you to who you are today. The fact that you can't simply write out who you are is proof of that. Things aren't so simple to be summed up in a few words.

"You probably have enough memories in the last three months to write a novel. Just find what matters to you now. You have a new life here think only about that. Don't put it in the context of Chiko or Kohana. It's your life, however you have lived it. The person that is here is you, not someone made up. It isn't a lie anymore if you are living and not surviving. It's your life now, you've made it your life."

"Don't know how much that helps, but thanks. You're right; it is my life now isn't it. I had kept thinking of it as someone else's life that I had to be imitating and living. That it wasn't my own to live. I could just get through it and it would be over, I'd go back to my old life. But that is gone, has been for a while, it just took me until now to realize that fact. My life was destroyed in that apartment and when I almost died. This is my second life isn't it?"

"Yes, and its for you to choose how you want to live it."

"And I'll take my path one step at a time."

"Right!"

"Thanks, Mashiro. We've been through a lot, but you stay here to keep me safe. Even when you didn't have to anymore. Thanks." Chiko smiled looking at Mashiro as he looked back.

"I'll stay by your side even after this is all over. That's what friends do."

"Friends…been a long time since I've heard that," Chiko said trying hold back his tears.

"You've got more than just me, remember."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Sakura and Nobu, even Kohana. They might be just children, but they care about you just as any adult can."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I never really thought about it. They always seemed too different from me, the age gaps to say the least."

"Age has nothing to do with it when it comes to friendship."

"You're right. Thanks for coming out here. I think it helped me out."

"Ready to go back?"

"Yeah, I think so."

The two walked back to the house with night already set. It felt safe in the neighborhood for the first time in a while. Ever since Rachel attacked Mashiro that one time at home Chiko had not felt safe walking alone. Everyone seemed to know who he was now looking for him and picking him up off the street. But tonight he did not have that feeling anymore. He was able to go to sleep at ease without fears or concerns in his mind. Chiko woke up the most rested he had been since he could remember. He did not have a single nightmare.

Chiko woke up and took his shower while Mashiro was downstairs making breakfast. He got through his hair so quickly that he did not even realize it had only been twenty minutes. He was downstairs quickly before Mashiro was expecting him. Chiko set his things down on the table and walked over to Mashiro looking to see what he was making. He could barely see back the counter.

"Hey, you're done fast today."

"Yeah, can I help with anything?"

"Umm…you want to help?"

"Yeah!" Chiko said smiling at Mashiro.

"Sure…I need some eggs from the fridge."

Chiko walked over to the fridge looking inside to see that the eggs are on the top shelf and unreachable. He looked back at the table getting an idea. He grabbed the chair and dragged it across the floor as Mashiro watched him. Mashiro became distracted from watching Chiko that he burned his finger yelping out loud. Chiko pushed the chair up against the fridge while it was still open and stepped on it to get inside. His entire body was almost in the fridge trying to reach the eggs in the back.

The Doctor entered the kitchen still yawning, but confused seeing Chiko's rear end sticking out of the fridge. He walked over to Mashiro curious to know what was going on. "What's he doing?"

"Helping me with breakfast."

"Here's the eggs," Chiko said holding them up.

"Thanks."

"Anything else?"

"Well…"

"If you're going to help cook you should wear this!" The Doctor suddenly pulled out a cooking apron from seemingly nowhere.

"Okay," Chiko said.

Mashiro nearly fell over in disbelief. He watched the Doctor help Chiko putting on the apron still not able to believe what he was seeing. 'He bump his head last night or something?'

Chiko went over to the fridge and dragged the chair back and brought it up to the stove where Mashiro was standing. Mashiro was still in a state of shock that he did not hear him the first time. "Mashiro? Anything else I can help with?"

"Oh, yeah…you can stir this," he said blankly handing it over to Chiko. Mashiro barely knew what to say. He took a moment to sit down at the table watching Chiko. He seemed to be watching the food so intently. 'Wow, he looks pretty cute from back here.'

"Oh no! Mashiro!"

"What?" he said leaping up.

"I think the food is burning!"

"Don't worry! Its not too late!"

Chiko walked to school with a smile on his face talking with Sakura and Nobu. He laughed along with Sakura as she told him about yesterday playing with Nobu. Nobu stayed a little behind them blushing the entire time. Chiko grabbed Nobu up from behind them and walked together with him to school.

Class soon began and it was not long before Mrs. Shimasuke was calling on someone to start the presentation. Everyone was reluctant to get up in front of the class to read out loud their few lines about themselves. Mrs. Shimasuke was about to call on someone of her own choosing when Chiko raised his hand.

"I'll go, Mrs. Shimasuke."

"A volunteer. Glad to see someone is brave enough." Chiko walked to the front of the class with his paper in his hand. Mrs. Shimasuke looked over at him from her position. "So what did you write?"

"Well…this is what I decided to write when I thought about myself and who I am. Mashiro, Sakura, Nobu, Hakuro, Mrs. Shimasuke, Mrs. Toki, Kazuo, Daiki, Tsuneo…"

"Umm, Kohana those are names dear. You were supposed to write about yourself."

"I'll explain. When I tried to think about who I was it seemed too difficult to sum it all up. I had so much I wanted to say and so much I didn't want to say. Then I realized that everyone already knows who I am. Because I'm who I am today because of all of the friends that I have. My friends made me who I am today and I see myself through them each day. They help me to become a better person and do better in each aspect of my life. I came here three months ago afraid and confused without a home and now I feel like I have a home. Everyone's been so kind to me. They've help me get through a hard time in my life and see that its not all lost, that I still have plenty to look forward to."

"I see. That is quite deep. I don't know what to say, Kohana."

"Kohana!" Sakura said running up in tears to the front of the class hugging Chiko.

"Thank you, Sakura…"

Mrs. Shimasuke started to cry walking over to Chiko hugging him as well. Soon most of the class was standing up around him. Even Hakuro was nearby wiping away something that had gotten in her eye. Chiko smiled looking at Hakuro as Sakura and Mrs. Shimasuke were choking him. "Can't breathe! Someone! Help!"

Preview for the next episode:

"I can't believe we did flashbacks. Have we no shame?" Chiko says.

"Yeah, I know," Mashiro says, "For a moment there I thought that I wasn't going to have to do anything for the episode. Thought that it was just going to be a recap episode."

"I'm glad it did not turn out that way. It would have been so cliché to do what every other show does."

"Seriously!"

"So you ready for this? It’s the end, the finals. The moment where all answers are revealed and the truth is told."

"Taken long enough, I've been so confused for so long."

"That's no surprise."

"Hey, you don't know what's going on anymore than me."

"Well I figured it all out back in episode 2," the Doctor chimes.

"Yeah right. You didn't even know if you were coming back for another episode. And now we can't get rid of you!"

"I think you're forgetting something," Mashiro says.

"Huh, argh! Preview, dang it! Here we are at the end. On the next episode of The Inner Man, Scattered. When all of the pieces come together who is going to live and who is going to die?"

"Who will survive?" Mashiro says.

"Haven't heard that one before," Chiko says sarcasticly. "You better not miss it. There's going to be plenty of shins to be kicking. Tee hee!"