NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

Kyle saw the huge mass hurling towards him and he quickly adjusted to catch him.

He didn't want Xing Han to get hurt hitting the floor, even though it was carpeted. However, there was no way that he would be completely cushioned by Kyle, but at least he would be less injured.

Xing Han found himself on top of Kyle, with Kyle having his arms positioned right under his armpits, somehow stopping him from falling completely on him. Before he could react, however, Kyle started tickling him.

"Aaaahhh!!"

Xing Han didn't want to lose and he held back - well, tried to - his laughter while he started flailing his hands all about. He didn't care what he hit, as long as he hit something!

Kyle deftly avoided the octopus hands and soon, both of them were rolling on the floor as each tried to get the upper hand.

Well, at least Xing Han was while Kyle was simply doing his best to allow Xing Han to release some stress without hurting himself too much. He could handle whatever punches Xing Han gave out - Father's cane whacks were far more painful, after all.

After a while, Xing Han finally stopped, and lay on the floor, panting.

"It's a good thing you wore your boxers underneath the bathrobe," Kyle commented, laughing.

"Pah," Xing Han said, while heavily breathing, "Don't think ... I didn't .. know ... you were ... letting me ... hit ...you."

"Meh," Kyle retorted, "Feeling better now?"

Xing Han sighed loudly, covering his face with his hands.

After catching his breath, he said finally as he put down his hands, "I guess. For now."

"But I'm just so confused. I've always taken Nitocris to be this annoying, and cold person. Yet, despite what I did, he didn't get angry. Is he holding back or something?" Xing Han asked, as he turned to look at Kyle.

Kyle sat up, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, if Big Bro Nic never said anything, then it's nothing. Trust me, if he was upset, you'd know."

"Yeah, he's always scolding me when I'm playing with you," Xing Han mused, thinking hard, "So I really was surprised he didn't do anything."

"Probably because he could see that you didn't mean it. I mean, you do look rather dopey when you're zoned out right after waking up," Kyle pointed out.

"I guess," Xing Han said, sighing.

Xing Han turned to look at Kyle then asked seriously, "Kyle, who do you like more? Me or Nitocris?"

Kyle looked at him strangely, "What sort of question is that?"

"Come on, you can tell me, I can take it," Xing Han said with a pout.

"I like you both," Kyle replied, "Though it would be more accurate to say love?"

"Love?!" Xing Han was almost hyperventilating, "What do you mean? How can you love Nitocris?! He's just your brother by marriage! I've known you longer!"

Kyle had a sense of déjà vu.

Xing Han was reacting in almost the same way his son did, when his daughter was born. In fact, the question was almost the same

'Who do you love more, Mama? Me or Liana?' he had asked, his face all sad and worried over the answer.

"Xing Han," Kyle said gently, "I love you both."

Before Xing Han could protest, Kyle continued, "When someone new comes into your life, you don't stop liking, or loving, the old one. Your love doesn't divide. It multiplies."

It was the same thing he had told his son. It was true then, it is true now.

"I love you, Xing Han, for you are my best friend and have always been there for me," Kyle said, "And I love Big Bro Nic because he helps me deal with the darkness inside of me."

"It's not about who I like, or love, more, okay?" Kyle said.

"Wait. Darkness? What darkness?" Xing Han asked, picking up on the most crucial part, "And why is Nitocris able to help you with that?"

Kyle had a far away look in his eye, something Xing Han noticed happened whenever he was thinking of something really heavy. So he waited.

"Xing Han, a ninja is an expert in espionage," Kyle said finally, and Xing Han nodded his head. He knew this.

"And as an assassin in the shadows," Kyle finished.

Xing Han's nodding of the head stopped.

"I chose this path specifically because of that," Kyle said slowly, "I needed to be able to kill, because I was murdered."

Kyle stopped for a moment, letting it sink in.

Xing Han looked at Kyle in shock.

Then, suddenly, his eyes watered and he glomped on Kyle, crying.

Kyle, not expecting this sort of reaction, was stunned and didn't know what to think. He rubbed Xing Han's back consolingly, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Just how much were you suffering all this time?" Xing Han sniffed, as he hugged Kyle tighter.

"Oh, come on, Xing Han," Kyle replied, "I was an adult when I died. It's not like my innocence was lost when I started learning it all."

"I was prepared, and I was willing. I didn't suffer in that sense," Kyle explained, "But with the Smith blood in me, each time I did, it boiled. Part of me loved it, part of me loathed it."

Xing Han nodded again, understanding. Kyle told him long ago about this infamous Smith temper and bloodlust.

"So the Smith in you loved it but the Kylie in you didn't," Xing Han said, "But what has Nitocris got to do with all of this?"

"Big Bro Nic has a lot of enemies," Kyle began slowly.

The fact that Big Bro Nic was the King of the Underworld is not something ordinary people should know. So Kyle couldn't tell him that.

"I help him get rid of dangerous enemies," Kyle said, "Criminals that would have gotten the death penalty anyway, so it's a win-win situation. Big Bro Nic is safe, I get to release stress."

"Killing is releasing stress?!"