I Need A Miracle 2

Part 3

Chifuyu and Takemichi are walking back home together since they live in similar directions. The hour is late and there is no light except for the stray street lamp here or there and the moon. While walking, Takemichi seemed to return to his thoughts. "Takemitchy?" Chifuyu called out to him. There was no response, Takemichi was simply mumbling to himself, vomiting his thoughts. "TAKEMITCHY!!" Chifuyu called again, louder this time, catching the others' attention.

"Huh? Oh, yeah what is it?" Takemichi was shocked out of his trance and turned to look at his friend.

"What were you thinking about just now? I noticed you were acting like that when Baji- san mentioned Kisaki too. What's up?" He asked

Takemichi's face flushed red from embarrassment that he had noticed. He scratched the back of his neck and chuckled awkwardly."You probably won't believe me but I kind of have an Idea of what Kisaki is going to do..." He said.

"Huh? Then why didn't you say anything?" Chifuyu pointed his finger at him with an annoyed expression. As they were speaking, Takemichi noticed they were passing by a park and led Chifuyu to come over and sit on the swings so they could have a talk. The park was barren and old, the paint chipping off of the surfaces. He told Chifuyu everything, from Hina dying over and over, to her little brother who was helping him in this operation, to the handshake that takes him back in time, to what had become of toman. He told Chifuyu that he had hoped to change it all by going back and preventing it. But it was difficult on his own when nobody would believe him. When he was done he looked to see Chifuyu's reaction expecting to see disbelief. Chifuyu didn't seem shocked at all though. Finally after a long moment Chifuyu asked, "Is that why you act different some days?"

"Y-yeah... I guess so." Takemichi murmured. He fiddled with his pants and looked down at his knees.

"If that's the case then... you've known Kisaki was bad from the start? That's why you punched him during the ceremony!" Chifuyu stood up, realization dawned on his face. Takemichi nodded his head. "So... what is he gonna do? Kisaki I mean. How will he hurt them?" Chifuyus face grew serious.

"According to Naoto... around this time... a boy went missing, kidnapped presumably, that must be Kiseki. And his mother..." he hummed in thought cursing his bad memory. "Ah! That's right! She was beaten so badly that she was put in the hospital!" Takemichi had said that more cheerfully than he meant to. He immediately apologized for sounding that way.

Horror painted Chifuyu's features, "What?! We can't let that happen! Baji- san will be furious..."

"I agree" Takemichi nodded his head in consideration.

"Did... did that report say Baji- san was involved?" Chifuyu asked, sitting back down on the swing.

"Well I'm not sure... he was supposed to die on Bloody Halloween... if he would have done something it hadn't happened yet." Takemichi told him regrettably.

Chifuyu cringed when he heard Baji was supposed to die, so he had known about that too... he must have been trying to stop it, he thought. "Well he's alive now so surely that must have changed! Why don't you go back and see how it went? Maybe we can find a clue or - or something." Chifuyu reasoned.

Takemichi reeled at the idea, "Mmm... I could, but it's kinda late, I'm sure kid Naoto and my past self would be really confused if I went over there for a handshake right now..." Takemichi sighed, feeling hopeless.

Chifuyu thought about it for a moment and then held out his hand. "Then try it with me! Maybe the reason it works with him is cause he knows about the future. Now that I know, shouldn't it work the same?" Takemichi wasn't sure what to say, he had never thought of that before .

He figured that it couldn't hurt to try, he nodded with determination in his eyes."Let's do it, let's save Y/n and Kiseki!"

"Put 'er there partner." Chifuyu said and stuck out his hand again. Takemichi shook it and things went black for him.

___________________________________________________________________________

A week had passed by with the three of them secretly watching over Y/n and Kiseki. Baji was very overprotective at home or when he was outside with either of them. He always seemed to be on edge, expecting something. Of course Y/n picked up on this. "What's the matter, Kei? Why are you so stressed?" She hung herself over his back and embraced him from behind, Baji simply grasped her forearm gently.

"It's nothing, just a few things going on with the pet shop." he told her. Y/n humed and pushed herself off of his body. She sat back on their shared bed and turned down the volume on the TV.

"Alright then, if it's just a few things then I should add something else to the list hm?" Baji looked at her as she said this. "Christmas is coming up, you know, quite quickly too. Don't forget to get Seki- chan a present."

Baji scoffed, "And what would he want for Christmas?"

"Well he did say he wants a cat..." Y/n joked. Baji shook his head.

"He can play with all the cats he wants when he's at the shop."

"Hmm..." Y/n thought for a moment. "Then how about a bike? He think I remember hearing him say he wanted to 'go fast like papa!'" She imitated her son's excited voice as she said his wish.

A small laugh squeezed its way out of Baji's throat. "Haha, like father like son they say. A bike it is then." Baji then climbed into bed with Y/n and reached over her for the remote. He turned off the TV and kissed her lips goodnight. "Let's go to bed, yeah?" Y/n smiled, proud of her success in wiping the frown from Bajis face. She reached to turn the light out and snuggled into his embrace, "Lets." she responds to him...