


Tangled Webs

by Demonix Kata



Category: Zoids
Genre: Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-05-18
Updated: 2002-06-07
Packaged: 2013-05-11 16:11:59
Rating: M
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,447
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/784559/1/
Author URL: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/88357/Demonix-Kata
Summary: Jamie gets seriously injured and no one knows if he'll survive. Leena reminisces about their past and begins to fall for him. But Bit likes her! And what happens when she gets kidnapped? My first Zoids fic. Read 'n' Review!*COMPLETED*





	1. Personal Injury

Disclaimer: Does anyone out there actually believe *I* own Zoids New Century/Zero or its characters? But for legal reasons beyond my control I have to say it: I don't own Zoids/Zero or its characters. They belong to their respective creators. There. Happy now? Darned guys-in-suits. :P  
  
  
  
Tangled Webs  
by Demonix Kata  
  
  
  
Dr. Stephen Tauros was putting the finishing touches on his latest Zoid model.  
"There," he said, beaming with pride, "A perfect model of the Red Blade Liger. Oh, goodness, I can't wait to show this to everyone!"  
But someone wasn't in the mood to see a brand spanking new Zoid model. The door slid open and in walked Jamie, with a very aggrivated look on his face. A vein clearly made its prescence known on his forehead.  
"Hello, Doc," he said with contempt. Dr. Tauros gulped.  
"Uh...something wrong, Jamie?" he said nervously.  
"I just went through our databases and it seems you purchased a V6 Gunbuster for the Gunsniper," Jamie said.  
"Well, yeah, Leena's Gunsniper was in need of an upgrade. Is that so wrong?" Doc Tauros inquired.  
"OF COURSE THAT'S WRONG!!!!" Jamie shouted, "Do you know how much this will set us back?! We've already have enough debts as it is!!"  
"Sorry, but it just looked so darn cool," Doc alleged, pushing his two index fingers together. Jamie sighed and clasped his head.  
"You're making my headache even worse Doc," he said.  
"That headache still bothering you? I told you to take asprin."  
"I know, I've been taking it all week, but it doesn't seem to be working. I'll just have to take a bigger dosage, I guess." Jamie sighed again. "I'm going to the hangar and polish my Raynos. Just please consider returning that Gunbuster." He left.  
  
Brad sat in the kitchen, smoking a cigarette. He took a deep puff and smoke flew out of his mouth with the smell of tobacco wafting in the air. Bit Cloud walked in, looked at him, and shook his head in disdain.  
"Geez, Brad, since when did you start smoking?" he demanded. Brad looked at the cigarette nonchalantly, and took another puff. Then he said, "I guess I'm just nervous about the upcoming Class S Championship Tournament. I don't really know how else to relieve the stress."  
"You don't have to smoke. Just knowing Liger Zero and I are on the team is enough to do away with _any_ stress," Bit said proudly, followed by a cocky laugh. Bit noticed a plate of cookies sitting on the table.  
"Those cookies belong to you?"  
"No, they belong to...no one," Brad answered.  
"Well then, I'll help myself!" Bit gobbled down the cookies in less than a second and licked his fingers. "That was satisfying. Fresh from the oven, too. See ya later Brad!" Bit walked out the kitchen.  
The sound of a toilet flushing was heard, quickly followed by a slamming door. Leena walked into the kitchen and noticed Brad, who had now put out his cigarette.  
"Geez, Leena, what did you eat? I can smell it all the way in here," Brad joked.  
"Oh shut up! I didn't even...oh nevermind. That's not a subject to be talking about," Leena huffed. She poured out a glass of milk and walked to the table. Her expression turned into deep anger.  
"What...the hell...happened TO MY COOKIES?!" she screamed, staring at the crumbs in her plate.  
"Bit ate them," Brad replied with a an expression of uninterest etched across his face, eyes closed.  
"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr how dare he?!?!?!" she exclaimed and marched off to find him. Brad smirked.  
"That should liven things up. Things were getting rather dull around here..."  
  
"Leena, are you insane?!" Bit cried at the top off his lungs, running down the halls. Leena was chasing him with a HUGE frying pan, just itching to slam on top Bit's head.  
"I've had enough of your shenanigans this week, Bit Cloud!" she shouted, "You damaged my Zoid, you used my towel, you even used my toothbrush to clean the toilet!"  
"I couldn't find the sponge and I sure as hell wasn't going to use _my_ toothbrush. HEY!" Bit dodged a swing and kept running.  
"Now you eat my fresh-baked cookies. I haven't had anything to eat all day!!!"  
"Well there's more food in the kitchen, it's not like---YOW!" Bit didged another and started to gun it. He ran into the Zoid hangar hoping to find sanctuary, but Leena quickly followed.  
"Besides," Bit said, making a last attempt at a plea, "Brad said the cookies didn't belong to anyone! It's _him_ you should be after, not me!"  
"Yeah right? Why would Brad do a stupid thing like that?"  
"YEOW!"  
Jamie looked into his Raynos Zoid. He could see his own reflection and smiled a smile of satisfaction.  
"Not too shabby, if I do say so myself," he said as he climbed down the ladder. Pain shot up his head.  
"Ugh, bloody headache," he spat. Suddenly, he heard the screaming of a guy running for dear life and the shrill of a monster chasing him. He sighed (with those little anime mushroom clouds coming out of his mouth to boot!).  
"And now here comes Leena and Bit to make the pain even worse," he said, shaking his head.  
"JAAAAMIIIEEEE! HELP ME!" Bit yelled as he ran over to him. He stood rstraight in front of him and grabbed Jamie's shoulders.  
"I'm telling you this girl is NUTS! All because I ate her stupid cookies!" he yelled, gasping between breaths.  
"Well, it obviously wasn't so stupid to her," Jamie reasoned, "Why'd you eat 'em?"  
"Because that jerk, Brad, said I could!" Bit looked behind him and saw flaming fury. "Oh, no, here she comes!"  
"There you are Bit! You're gonna feel ten kinds of hurt when I'm through with you!" Leena threatened. She ran up to him and raised the frying pain, and brought it down with full force.  
WAM!  
A body dropped like a rock. Bit uncovered his eyes and opened them. He was still standing. He had jumped out of the way in time. But Leena was frozen in shock. Bit followed her gaze and gasped.  
"JAMIE!!"  
"Oh...my..."  
Jamie laid, lifeless, a giant bloody bruise plastered on his forehead. Completely knocked out.  
"We gotta get help!" Bit exclaimed.  
"Dad! DAD!" Leena cried.  
  
  
End Part 1  
Please Review! 


	2. 17 years ago

The waiting room.  
Brad, Bit and Leena waited in the waiting room of the hospital in the nearby city of Saith. It was the closest town to them so they immediatly sent Jamie to its hospital, hoping they could help him and find out how serious the injury was.  
"What I wouldn't give for a cigarette right now," Brad said, slouching in his chair.  
"Well, you wouldn't exactly find a smoking section in a hospital where they advocate good health," Bit said dryly.   
Dr. Tauros walked in.  
"I just got done speaking with the doctor," he said, "He says Jamie's head injury is pretty serious. They'll need to do some x-rays to see how badly the damage was done to his skull. It's possible that it could've been broken."  
"Guess we'll have to look for a new strategist for the Blitz Team. Thanks a lot, Leena," Brad said sarcastically.  
"Shut up Brad," Bit spat. He turned to Leena and said, "Don't worry about it, him. It wasn't your fault at all."  
"Yes it was," Leena said in a small voice, looking down. "If I hadn't let my temper tantrums get the best of me, Jamie would be all right."  
"No, I shouldn't have gotten out of the way. That smack on the head was suppose to go to me," Bit admitted.  
"But then you would've been in the hospital and it'd still have been Leena's fault," Brad pointed out.  
"I said shut up Brad!" Bit yelled.  
"Calm down," Doc ordered, "Look, what's done is done. We just need to......hope for the best." He took a seat and opened up an old magazine. It was silence for the next few minutes. Bit looked at Leena. She had her face buried in her hands, impossible to tell if she was silently crying. He put his arm over her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze.  
"He'll be okay. Don't worry," he said softly. Leena looked up at him with tear-stricken cheeks and nuzzled herself on to his chest. Bit stroked her back and comforted her.  
  
*Flashback: 17 years ago*  
  
Dr. Stephen Tauros was working on his latest Zoid model. It was almost near completion when a beautiful woman walked into his room.  
"Hey, there handsome," said the woman, kissing him on the cheek.  
"Is that my beautiful wife?" asked Doc playfully. His wife giggled.  
"Check this out," said the doc excitedly, "I just finished this model of the Lightning Sykes. almost looks like the real thing, eh?"  
"Oh Stephen, when are you going to quit playing with these toys," Doc's wife asked dryly. Doc shook his head.  
"Zoids aren't toys. They're a way of life," Doc explained.  
"AAAAH!" someone screamed. A young boy at the age of five ran into the room and grabbed onto his mother's legs.  
"What's wrong, Leon?" asked the woman.  
"Is Leena chasing you again, son?" Doc asked.  
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" screamed a tiny voice. A little two-year-old girl, with long pink hair marched into the room, with the look of fury on her face.  
"You took my cookies, Leon! Mommy, Daddy, did you know Leon stole my cookies?"  
"Don't worry, Leena, I'll give you some more cookies," said the mother. Leena stuck her tongue out at her older brother. He returned the gesture.  
The doorbell rang.  
"Ah that must be Oscar. He said he was going to bring a surprise today," said Dr. Tauros.  
"A surprise?" asked Leon and Leena with happy looks ontheir faces. Their mother smiled.  
Tauros opened the door and was greeted by an old friend.  
"Hey, there, Tauros! How the heck have ya been?" Oscar greeted with a charming look on his face. A stroller was at his side. He pushed it inside along with himself, of course. Leon, Leena, and their mom waited in the living room as Doc and Oscar came in with their little surprise.  
"So this is the baby Melinda gave birth to last week?" Doc observed. Oscar nodded.  
"A beautiful baby boy. Good looks courtesy of yours truly. Heh heh."  
"Oscar you never did tell me, what did you name him?"  
"Jamie. Jamie Alexander Hemerose. Beautiful isn't it?"  
"Sure is," Doc said with a look of approval. His wife came over with the children in tow. Leon and Leena peered over the stroller and saw a small infant, sleeping and as innocent as an angel.  
"Wow, he's cool!" said Leon.  
"Aww, he looks cute," Leena smiled. She tried to touch him, but Doc smacked her hand away.  
"Don't touch the baby," Doc scolded.  
"Oh, don't be a sourpuss," said Oscar. He knelt down and looked at leena who was cradling her hand. "You want to hold Jamie?" Leena nodded. Oscar unstrapped Jamie from the stroller and placed him in her arms.  
"Hold him carefully. Wouldn't want to drop him and break his skull, now would we?" Oscar laughed. Leena sure didn't. She held him as carefully as she could.  
"I want a turn!" Leon said. Oscar ruffled his hair.  
"You'll get it, don't worry little man," he assured. Jamie started to stir. Leena looked alarmed, not knowing what was going to happen. But Jamie woke up and looked up at her. He smiled an infant smile and cooed.  
"I think he likes me!" Leena exclaimed in happiness. Oscar, Doc Tauros, and his wife laughed.  
"Yep," said Oscar placing a finger on her small nose, "I think you're going to be his special friend. He seems to really like you. A lot."  
"I'm going to take good care of you, Jamie," said Leena softly, "I promise."  
  
I promise...  
  
I promise...  
  
I promise...  
*End Flashback*  
  
"...I promise..." Leena said softly.  
"Mmm?" asked Bit. Leena was still in his arms. Brad looked like he had fallen asleep, but you could never tell since he always had his eyes closed. Doc Tauros was still reading a magazine.  
"N-nothing," said Leena, getting up. "I just need fresh air."   
  
  
  
End Part 2  
What'dya think? Review! Remember if you read this and don't review that makes you a theif! So review!...please? 


	3. Prince Charming

Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I'll try to pump out more chapters as fast as I can. But only if you want it. I don't have support services on FF.Net so the only way I can tell people are reading my stories is if they review. So please review and tell me what you think. Good feedback and *well-constructed, intelligent* bad feedback is welcome. No flames, though, or I'll...I'll...do somethin' nasty or...whatever. :b  
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"So how long are we gonna stick around here," Brad asked, eyes still closed.  
"We're going to wait until the doctor gives us an update on Jamie's condition," Doc Tauros answered.  
"Well, in that case, I'm goin' out for a smoke," Brad said. Bit looked at Leena who was standing in the middle of the room.  
*I wonder what's going through her head,* Bit thought.  
  
*Flashback: 11 years ago*  
  
Leena was in a great big field, picking flowers. A lovely eight-year-old, without a care in the world as the breeze whizzed by her hair. She bent down to pick a pretty tulip when she saw a pair of feet right next to it. She looked up and saw a boy the same age dressed in a very fancy guise. A red cape hung from his back and his brown hair gelled up making it look like the wind was eternally racing through it. His royal look made him look like a prince. A man destined to be king.  
  
"Hello, there," Leena greeted smiling, "Who are you?"  
  
The boy cleared his throat.  
  
"My name is Harry Champ. I'm a man destined to be king!" he said proudly.  
  
"A man destined to be king? But you're just a boy," Leena said.  
  
"That's very observant of you," Harry said. He began to blush.  
  
"I'm Leena. It's nice to meet you Harry. I haven't seen you aorund here before," Leena noticed.  
  
"Leena," Harry sounded out, "What a very pretty name. Well, Leena, I just moved here and I just wanted to say," he took her hands into his, "That you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I've been admiring you from a far and I insist that you elope with me and become my queen. What do you say?"  
  
Leena laughed nervously, a huge sweatdrop falling from her face. Was this guy nuts?  
A little boy walked up to her from behind and tugged at her dress.  
  
"Leena, your dad wanted me to tell you to come in for dinner," said the boy.  
  
"Jamie!" Leena cried. An idea came to her. She immediatly thrusted her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. Jamie blinked in surprise.  
  
"What the?!" Harry cried. Leena smiled.  
  
"Sorry, Harry, but Jamie is my boyfriend already. It'd be wrong for me to cheat on him," she explained, "Besides, I love him with all my heart and wouldn't want to be separated for the world." Harry froze, mouth agape. Jamie was able to asses the situation and played along. He was incredibly smart for his age.  
  
"Yeah, sorry, mister. Let's go, my love," he said. Jamie and Leena locked arms and walked away, giggling.  
  
"Is that so?" Harry said, smirking. "Well, Leena I shall follow you to the ends of the earth until I win your love. Because my name is..."  
  
*End flashback*  
  
"...Harry Champ! I'm a man destined to be king!" yelled a voice at the receptionist counter.  
  
"Look, I don't care if you're destined to be Vash The Stampede! We don't treat robots here, only humans. Go to the mechanical repair shop down the street!" yelled the receptionist.  
  
"It's okay, Harry, we'll just fix Benjamin there," said Sebastian, the short robot.  
  
"We're not going to some rinky-dink repair shop!" Harry yelled. Then to the receptionist, "Look, I don't care one bit if you _don't_ do robots! I'm Harry Champ, a man destined to be king, and I deserve the finest and from what hear, this hospital is the finest! Now I demand you fix my AI robot, now!"  
  
"Don't make me call security," the receptionist threatened.  
  
"There goes Harry, making mountains out of molehills. My malfunction isn't even that serious," Benjamin said, rolling his cyber eyes.  
  
"Hello, Harry! How's it going?" greeted Doc from the waiting room.  
  
"Damn it, Dad, did you _have_ to call out to him?!" Leena screamed.  
  
"LEENA!" Harry shouted with hearts in his eyes. He ran over to her and nuzzled against her. "Oh, my Leena, how are you? What would you be doing in a hospital?" Leena pushed him away, folded her arms, and looked down.  
  
"I...I accidently sent Jamie here because I smashed his head. His skull could be broken," she said sadly. Harry starightened up.  
  
"Jamie is injured? Gee, I'm sorry, Leena. I know how much he meant to you. I remember when we first met, you tried to pass him off as your boyfriend," Harry said softly. Then he brightly added, "But don't worry! You'll have Harry Champ, a man destined to be king, here to cheer you up!"  
  
"Oh that's it, now I _really_ got go out for a smoke," Brad shot up and left. Leena shared a similar expression.  
  
"I think Leena should be left alone for a while," Bit said.  
  
"Nonsense! If Harry can cheer her up, then by all means, let him," Doc reasoned.  
  
"The best thing Harry can do to cheer me up is by leaving," Leena grumbled.  
  
"Don't be silly, Leena darling, just leave it to me, Harry Champ, a man destined to be king!" Harry laughed. Leena and Bit groaned in unison.  
  
The doctor finally walked out and called, "Doctor Tauros?"  
  
"Yes?" Doc answered. Bit, Leena, Harry, Benjamin, and Sebastian followed Doc as he walked up to the doctor. The doctor had a grim look on his face.  
  
"What is it?" Doc questioned.  
"Will Jamie be all right?" Bit wondered. Leena didn't dare speak as the doctor's expression said it all.  
  
"I'm afraid I have good news and bad news. The good news is, the x-rays revealed no skull damage to Jamie's head. As a matter of fact the only reaction from the blow was a bruise and nothing more."  
  
"Then what's the bad news?" Doc asked tentatively. The doctor sighed.  
"Through the x-rays we discovered something. Something dangerous."  
  
"What?" Bit demanded. The doctor bit his lip.  
  
"A tumor. Jamie has a tumor. And it has the potential to be deadly."  
  
  
  
End Part 3 


	4. Beauty of Zi

Note: Alright folks, in this chapter, I'm going to attempt to explain what happened to Leena's mother. I don't remember what they said in the show other than she is no longer with them. So I'm just going to assume she died. And so will you. Comprende? Muy bueno. Remember to review. It's what keeps me goin'. :)  
  
BTW, I love how everyone isn't 100% sure if this is Bit/Leena or Jamie/Leena. I love the ambiguity. But, watch out! It's all going to become pretty clear very soon.  
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"A tumor, eh?" said Brad, lifting a barbell, "Sounds pretty bad."  
  
"Yeah," Bit agreed. They were in the gymnasium part of the Tauros base, a. k. a. the S. Cargo.  
  
"What stage is it in?" Brad asked.  
  
"The doctor isn't sure as yet, but it looks to be in Stage 2. They could apply radiation to it to kill it off, but it has the potential to come back," Bit explained. Brad let out a huff as he gently placed the barbell on the floor.  
  
"Looks like all the headaches Jamie's been having was the result of a big blob in his head. Who'd of thought?" he said.  
  
"Yeah. I hope he's okay in the hospital. It looks like we'll be out of Zoid battles for a while."  
  
"And no Zoid battles equals no prize money. Nuts. Looks like we'll have to find part-time jobs to support ourselves until this blows over. Or he dies. Whichever comes first."  
  
"BRAD!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"How much of a jerk are ya?! Jamie's gonna be fine! The doctors will fix him up just right!" Bit yelled. Brad shrugged.  
  
"Just being realistic, Bit," he said simply. He got up and walked towards the doorway. Before he left, he turned around and asked Bit, "By the way, how are Doc and Leena taking this?"  
  
"Doc's in his room, building a Zoid model of a Raynos. Leena's in her room and she won't come out."  
  
"You gonna talk to her?"  
  
"I tried but she told me to go away. I really wanna help her out, but she keeps refusing me. This must've really hit her hard."  
  
Brad walked up to him and put a hand on Bit's shoulder.  
  
"Just hope for the best, Bit. Just hope for the best."  
  
  
Leena laid on her bed, her face buried in her pillow and tear-stricken. She couldn't stop thinking about poor Jamie. True, it was no longer her fault, but why did she still feel so bad? She actually did good by hitting him on the head and sending him to the hospital otherwise his tumor could have reached Stage 3 and it would've been to late. How could they have been so blind? His constant headaches, and his hand up on his forehead. Why did her father just tell him to take asprin and not take a further look at it?  
  
And why Jamie? He was always so good, so polite, no matter how rude she, Bit, Brad, or her father was. He always did stuff for them. He cooked for them, polished their Zoids, did their laundry whether they asked him to or not. And now, if they don't hurry soon, he could die. She remembered a similar situation when she was sick, except she had no threat of death. Jamie did his very best to show she was appreciated.  
  
*Flashback: 10 years ago*  
  
Leena laid in her bed, sick as a dog. She had been out of school for a week. She hated having to stay at home with nothing to do. Her only company was Oscar's wife who offered to babysit while everyone was away.  
  
She felt terrible, not only because of her sickness, but because of something else as well. Her mother's passing. She died in an accident a year ago, and she still felt terrible. Leon, too. He felt so miserable that he started struggling in school, backtalking to his father and eventually joined a gang. She could hear him and his father fighting now.  
  
"Leon, you have to do well in school! If you continue to fail you'll never become a good Zoid pilot not to mention do well in life. You _have_ to!" Doc Tauros pleaded.  
  
"I don't _have_ to do anything. So screw you, old man!" Leon yelled back.  
  
"What?! Don't you DARE talk to me like that!"  
  
SMACK!  
  
"Ouch! Damn you!" Leon screamed.  
  
"Don't curse at me! You want another one?" Doc threatened.  
  
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Leon screamed through tears. Leena heard the front door slam. Leon must've stormed out. Doc sighed.  
  
"He was never like this when his mother was around. I hope she's resting in peace," Doc said sadly. Leena heard a knock on the door. She tuned it out, not caring. She tried to fall asleep, but her coughs kept her up. Someone knocked on the door of her room.  
  
"Come in," she permitted. In walked a young boy of seven, right up to her bedside with his hands behind his back.  
  
"Hi, Leena!" he greeted.  
  
"Hello Jamie," Leena greeted with a smile.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, concerned. Leena coughed.  
  
"Very badly. I wish this Zi Flu would pass. You better not get too close to me, or you could catch it too," Leena warned. Jamie smiled.  
  
"Don't worry. I had an im.....imuna......immunization. I can't get the Zi Flu," Jamie said happily.  
  
"Lucky you," Leena said.  
  
"I have a present for you," said Jamie. Leena's eyes lit up.  
  
"A present? For me?"  
  
Jamie held out a giant red flower, with yellow sparkles in the shape of diamonds all over it. A very beautiful flower that girls dreamed of having.  
  
"A Zi Flower," Leena observed. Jamie placed it in her hands.  
  
"My mom's been growing them in her garden. I know this is your favorite flower and you haven't been outside in forever. So I brought a piece of outside to you. To make you happy until you get better," he explained.  
  
"I love it, Jamie. Thank you," Leena said softly looking at the flower. She really wanted to hug him, but she could barely get up.  
  
"Get well, Leena. I have to go now. See you later," he waved at her and he left.  
  
*End flashback*  
  
Leena loved the memory of Jamie giving him the Zi Flower when they were little. It kept her from going mega-beserk when someone pissed her off. Especially the very sweet way Jamie told her, "Get well, Leena." Such an innocent boy.  
  
"Get well, Jamie," Leena whispered and fell asleep.  
  
  
  
  
End Part 4  
  
A/N: I guess this chapter can be considered somewhat pointless. But I just want to warn you all. Things are gonna be a changin' and will get real messy next chapter. Stay tuned! ;) 


	5. A Dark Past, Act I

WARNING: Well the comedy, the sugar-induced sweetness, and the tameness of the past four chapters stops here. From this point on, things will get a bit darker. The subject matter will get a bit more, well, mature. I would like to tell you what to watch out for, but I don't want to spoil anything so the best thing I can say is VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. But if it's still problematic then I'll edit this chapter to have a better warning. Don't forget to review!  
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Early next morning was greeted by smoke and a pungent smell filling the air. Bit and Brad walked into the kitchen, coughing and covering their mouths from the awful smell.  
  
"What died in here?" Brad wondered.  
  
"My ability to cook," Doc said pathetically. He was at the stove and a charred blob rested in a frying pan. Who knew what _that_ was supposed to be.  
  
"I hope you boys don't mind cold cereal for breakfast," Doc said aiming a fire extinguisher at the stove.  
  
"It sure isn't the same without Jamie around. I hope he's okay," Bit said.  
  
"What about Leena? She come out yet?" Brad asked.  
  
"No. She's awake, but she won't come out until we go see Jamie," Doc sighed. "I'm beginning to worry about her as much as him."  
  
"Me too," said Bit, looking down.  
  
"We're here," said a familiar voice. Everyone looked up to see two people had made their way into the kitchen.  
  
"I'm glad you came, Leon," said Dr. Tauros.  
  
"Hey, Brad," Naomi said in that sultry tone of hers. Brad looked away, eyes closed, and slightly blushing.  
  
"Naomi," he managed to say.  
  
"Dad, I came as quickly as I could. I even had to cancel a Zoid battle I had today, to make it here as soon as possible," Leon said.  
  
"I'm just glad you received my call," said Doc.  
  
"Did you receive a call from the doctor concerning Jamie's condition? I'm very worried about him," Leon made his concern very clear.  
  
"Yeah. I'm very sorry to hear about your strategist. A tumor is tough," Naomi sympathied. Everyone nodded.  
  
"We've been through a lot, Jamie and I," said Leon.  
  
"We all have," said Dr. Tauros, "The doctor says to meet him at Saith General at 3:00PM, today. He should have the stats on Jamie's condition by then and tell us if the radiation did well at all."  
  
"Hey, where's Leena?" asked Naomi.  
  
"In her room. Neither Doc nor I can get her out of there. She's completely bummed out about Jamie. Then again, who isn't?" Bit said.  
  
"Perhaps she needs someone to talk to about it," Naomi suggested.  
  
"We tried. She doesn't want to talk to any of us," Doc said.  
  
"Maybe she needs a feminine ear," Naomi said winking at them, "You may kindly direct me to her room."  
  
"Down the hall and to your left. It'll be the first door on your right," Brad answered.  
  
"Good luck. I doubt you'll get anything outta her if Doc and I couldn't," Bit said. Naomi smiled.  
  
"You'd be surprised," she said, giving them another wink and left.  
  
  
Leena laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her arms folded behind her head. She really shouldn't have been so nasty to her father that morning when he asked her to come out of her room. But she didn't want to talk to them. She just wanted to be alone with her thoughts of Jamie.  
  
*knock knock*  
  
"I said go away," Leena yelled.  
  
"It's me, Leena."  
  
"Naomi?" Leena sat up in surprise. What was she doing here?  
  
"Mind if I come in?"  
  
"Uhn, no, come right in."  
  
Naomi opened the door and greeted her with a smile. She pulled a chair from Leena's desk and brought it near her bedside and sat down.  
  
"Hey there, cowgirl," Naomi said in that sultry tone again, "How ya feelin'?"  
  
"Why do you care? You don't like me," Leena replied. Naomi giggled a little.  
  
"I don't like you? What gave you that idea? The boys are really worried about you and I volunteered to talk to you," Naomi explained, "So, the way you're acting...it's about Jamie, isn't it?"  
  
"What was your first clue?" Leena said sarcastically. Naomi looked into Leena's purple eyes.  
  
"You've got bags under your eyes. You didn't get enough sleep last night," she said.  
  
"Wow, how observant of you! You should quit Zoid battling and become a detetective, because no one can solve such impossible mysteries and come to the conclusions you do!" Leena said with extreme sarcasm. Naomi frowned.  
  
"Leena, I really want to help you. And I can't do that if you're sarcastic," she said frankly.  
  
"I'm sorry," Leena apologized, "It's just that, one of the people dearest to me could die and I just can't be myself. You don't know how much Jamie and I have been through and what he's done for me. He's done things for me no other guy would have. He's even been with me through the darkest of hours," Leena said, tears forming in her eyes.  
  
"Darkest of hours? Explain. What exactly was the darkest hour?" Naomi asked. Leena hesitated.  
  
"I...haven't told anyone this before, but...it happened when I was thirteen and Jamie was eleven..."  
  
*Flashback: 6 years ago*  
  
Things weren't going so well. Dr. Tauros was working harder and longer hours and wouldn't get home until eleven 'o clock sometimes. He didn't even tell Leon or Leena what he was doing. Oscar's wife would constantly come over to check on them even though, they were old enough to watch out for themselves. But Leon was in a gang. Los Diablos, they called themselves. Leon had been in it for three years now. He started as a new recruit and slowly gained the respect of the pack. But one night, the gang leader got shot down by the leader of the rival gang called the Hellcats, named right after the Zoids. Leon was promoted to being the new leader and was constantly out and staying past curfew, doing who knows what. Of course, Doc didn't know, but he had vague ideas of what he could be doing. He would always bring his gang friends over when Doc wasn't around and they scared Leena greatly. She tried not to think about them.  
  
That saturday night, she went into the kitchen to get a snack. A plateful of chocolate cookies and a glass of milk should satisfy her. She brought it out to the living room and felt a breeze. The door was open. She set down the milk and cookies on the coffee table.  
  
"Dad?" she called out. She walked towards the door and closed it.  
  
"Leon?" she called again. No answer. Who else had the key to open the door?  
  
"Jamie? Mr. Hemerose? Mrs. Hemerose?"  
  
Doc had installed a great security system so not just anyone could get inside. A chill ran down her spine. Maybe she should call someone. She decided to just go ahead and watch television. She proceeded to find the remote when a pair of hands reached from behind her and grabbed her breasts.  
  
"Hello, Leena," said a raspy voice. Leena stiffened.  
  
"W-What are you doing here, Rick?" she asked. It was Rick, one of Leon's gang members. She couldn't believe her brother had given copies of the housekey to them. Must be in case of emergencies. But why did it have to be Rick? Whenever he was over, he would grab and poke at her breasts and slap and pinch her butt. She told Leon about it, but he kept writing it off, not even caring.  
  
"Just lookin' for Leon, babe," Rick answered.  
  
"He's not here," she said, "And get your filthy mitts off me. Please."  
  
"Fine," he said. But when he let go, he grabbed her shoulders instead and twirled her around to face him. His spikey black hair and rugged looks may impress many girls his age, but Leena didn't want anything to do with him. Out of all of Los Diablos, she hated him the most. He gripped her shoulders firmly. Like he wanted her to know his strength.  
  
"I'll just see you," he said.  
  
"Let go of me and--" Leena got cut off by a very fierce and hard kiss. Rick was forcing himself upon her. His hands left her shoulders and traveled down her arms and onto her waist. His hands slowly creeped under her shirt. Leena broke the unwanted kiss and tried to push him away.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded.  
  
"What do you think? Now shut up and let me have my way," he ordered.  
  
"NO!" Leena screamed.  
  
"Shut up!" he yelled back. He began tearing at her shirt. She tried to run away. No, this couldn't be happening! Shouldn't be happening! Finally, with one mighty thrust, Leena's shirt was ripped off. She fell onto the couch with a plop. She sat there in her bra, and Rick smiled and the beautiful view.  
  
"Now the fun part begins," he said evilly. He reached for her bra to unfasten it. Tears formed in Leena's eyes. No...this shouldn't be happening.  
  
"HEY!"  
  
Rick's head turned around. A young boy stood there, rage etched across his face. Jamie.  
  
"Shit!" Rick cursed, "Where the hell did you come from?"  
  
"Let Leena go," Jamie said through clenched teeth, ignoring the question.  
  
"Beat it, kid, and you had better not tell anyone what's going on in here or else," Rick threatened.  
  
"Let Leena go," Jamie said again.  
  
"Dammit, kid, I said leave!" yelled the rapist. He took out a switchblade and flipped out the blade. "Don't think I won't hesitate to cut you a new smile." He started towards Jamie.  
  
"Jamie, run!" Leena yelled standing up.  
  
"Sit down, bitch!"  
  
Leena sat immediatly. Now the waterworks had finally let out. They were both going to die.  
  
Jamie wanted to run away. But he couldn't leave Leena alone with this cretin. But he could never take down this huge guy. Could he?  
  
Jamie drew back his fist and slammed it against the guy's chest. Rick laughed.  
  
"You're pretty stupid aren't you, kid?" Rick taunted, looking down on him. Jamie drew back another fist. He thrusted it towards Rick's chest, hoping to hit him harder.  
  
Instead, Rick caught the fist midway. He took his blade and pressed it against Jamie's wrist.  
  
"I warned you, boy, now guess what I'm going to do?" he smiled. "First, I'm going to slit this wrist," then he pointed his blade to Jamie's other hand, "Then I'm going to slit that one, and finally," he pointed at Jamie's neck, "Right there," he turned to Leena, "That wouldn't be fun for you, though, would it? Me screwing you hard while your friend here drowns in his own pool of blood. But we can't all have our way, huh? Fortunate for me, though, 'cause I can." Rick laughed.  
  
WHAM!  
  
Rick's eyes bulged.  
  
WHAM!  
  
Another one. Jamie proceeded to draw back his foot and kick again, but that was unnecessary. The damage was done. He had kicked Rick in a place men _really_ don't want to be kicked.  
  
Rick dropped the knife and held both hands over his crotch. He dropped to his knees and crouched, with his stomach towards the ground. Jamie walked around him and kicked him in his side, hard. For what he planned to do to Leena, he wanted to make sure he _stayed_ down. Because no one was EVER going to get away with that. Ever.  
  
Once he made sure Rick was out, he walked over to Leena, picked up the remains of her shirt and gave it to her to cover herself.  
  
Then, in a soft and timid voice, he asked, "Are...Are you okay, Leena?"  
  
Leena sat quiet for a moment. Slowly, she threw her arms Jamie and cried.  
"Thank you, Jamie," she whispered, "Thank you......"  
  
*End flashback*  
  
"...later we called the police, but all we told them was that he tried to attack us. I couldn't mention what he almost succeded in doing. I was lucky Jamie had lost his key to the front door and used the back door. If he had come in the front door, Rick wouldn't have been surprised and would've probably killed him on the spot. That monster. He made me feel so weak, so inferior, so helpless! Ever since then I made sure no one ever treated me like that again. I would be strong and fearsome and nobody would dare cross me. I guess you could say Rick helped make me what I am today: a cocky, arrogant, confident that I'm number one type of girl. But I would have much rather learned that another way," Leena finished.  
  
Naomi was speechless. She absolutely had no idea what to say. She was seeing a whole new side to Leena. Finally she cleared her throat.  
  
"No wonder your taking his tumor so much more seriously then the others. Bit and Brad have only known him for what? A year? Two years? Yet you and Jamie have been together through thick and thin. You're closer with him then you think. You really have a history together. You love him," Naomi said. Leena raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Wait a minute! I don't feel for him that way! I don't love him! He's like a brother to me!" Leena proclaimed.  
  
"Uh...that's what I meant," explained Naomi, "I meant 'love' as in the 'love' a friend has for his friend or the 'love' a brother has for his sister. Not like as in lovers."  
  
"Oh," Leena said, blushing. Naomi smirked.  
  
"But the fact that that's the first thought that came to your head intrigues me. Maybe it is something more," she said.  
  
"Are you teasing me again?" Leena demanded, still blushing, but mad. Naomi shrugged.  
  
"Take it as you like it, cowgirl. But in the meantime, why don't you get some sleep? You wouldn't want to see Jamie this afternoon while cranky and grumpy would you?"  
  
"You're right," Leena said lying down, "I should get some rest."  
  
Naomi smiled.  
  
"Sweet dreams, Leena," she said and quietly walked out the door.  
  
  
  
End Part 5 


	6. A Dark Past, Act II

Here it is, Chapter 6! And thank you all for your feedback! To The EMPRESS and others who are wondering how I get these chapters out so fast, it's because I'm actually somewhat farther then what I post up at FF.Net. But that may not always be the case, provided that schoolwork doesn't bog me down. :b  
  
To Chaos and other Bit/Leena-shippers: Sorry to dissappoint you all! I'm just glad the more "rabid" B/L supporters aren't flaming me. I'm glad you all will continue reading and keep an open mind. Besides...ya never know what surprises I have in store!  
  
And to SuperKat and others who are wondering: You'll see how poor Jamie's doing soon. Just be patient! ^_~  
  
Anyway, the warning in Chapter 5 applies to this as well. And I would _really_ like to get reviews and feedback for this one. It's probably one of the most dramatic stuff I've written. Enjoy! (at least you had better enjoy...:b)  
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"I wonder how Leena's doing," Bit thought out loud.  
  
"Shouldn't you be wondering about Jamie?" Leon asked. They were sitting in the lounge room of the Tauros base, enjoying a cup of coffee.  
  
"I wonder how he's doing, too, but Leena's really beginning to worry me," said Bit.  
  
"Why?" asked Leon, putting down his cup.  
  
"I don't know. I guess, it's 'cause she hasn't said more than two words since we got home from the hospital yesterday. I understand how she feels terrible for Jamie. We all do. But she's acting like if Jamie dies, she'll just kill herself. I want to be there for her. I want to comfort her and be a shoulder to cry on. I just...I don't know," Bit said looking away. Leon smiled.  
  
"Awww," he said, ruffling Bit's hair, "Does wittle Bit have a wittle cwush on my wittle sister?"  
  
"Get your stinkin' paws off me!" Bit pushed his hand away, blushing a deep crimson red. Leon laughed.  
  
"I do not," Bit huffed in his defense.  
  
"You act like you're twelve," Leon teased. Suddenly his face softened.  
  
"Twelve," he repeated, "That's how old Jamie was. When he helped me see the light."  
  
"'See the light'? What are you talking about?" Bit questioned.  
  
"Sit for a spell, Bit Cloud. What I'm about to tell you, may change your whole perception of me," said Leon. Bit raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I already don't like where this is going," Bit replied. Leon cleared his throat.  
  
"Bit, I haven't always been this honest, hard-working, always-doing-the-right-thing kind of guy, you know."  
  
"Are you telling me, that you used to be...bad? Don't make me laugh!"  
  
"It's true. When I was younger I was part of a gang called Los Diablos."  
  
"You're kidding."  
  
"No. I was a delinquent. I didn't care at all for my father and my sister. I was a complete wreck after my mother died. But long story short, I joined Los Diablos. Bit, we did terrible, questionable things. We didn't kill anyone, but we sent plenty to hospitals. We stole and spent many nights getting drunk and......look, maybe I should just skip to the part where Jamie snaps me out of it. A lot of those memories I don't want to relive."  
  
Bit didn't say a word. He just looked at Leon, attentavily.  
  
*Flashback: 5 years ago*  
  
A dark Friday evening. Dr. Tauros was pulling in another late hour, working. Leena was sitting in the living room playing a Zoid fighting video game with Jamie. Ever since the incident last year, Jamie had always suggested spending late evenings with her whenever she was home alone. Leena didn't like being treated like a little girl ESPECIALLY by someone who was younger than her.  
But, she had to admit, she enjoyed the company. And she felt safe.  
  
"HA! Beat you again!" Leena yelled after her D. Bison totally destroyed Jamie's Iron Kong. She flashed a "V for Victory" sign and shoved it in Jamie's face. "I'm number one!"  
  
"You know, I just let you win," Jamie grumbled.  
  
"Suuure," Leena scoffed and cackled. There was a knock on the door.  
  
"I'll get it," Jamie offered, "Who is it?"  
  
"Tsurugi," yelled a voice from the other side. Leena opened the door. A tall, dark man wearing a long, brown trenchcoat and had long silver hair stood in the doorway. One of Leon's gang members, no doubt.  
  
"Is Leon here?" he asked in a dark, raspy tone.  
  
"Uh, no," Leena said nervously.  
  
"Blast," he muttered quietly under his breath. Then in a louder voice, "Well as soon as he comes home, tell him this: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight."  
  
"Huh?" Leena scratched her head.  
  
"He'll know what you mean. Good night," said Tsurugi and he left as quietly as he came. Leena shut the door and gave Jamie a questioning look. He just shook his head and shrugged.  
  
Shortly after, Leon made it home, looking tired and beat. He didn't even greet his sister, but it was okay. Leena was used to not being acknowledged by her brother. Hell, she wouldn't have even talked to him if she didn't have a message to deliver.  
  
"Tsurugi came by," she said, not taking her eyes off the game.  
  
"Oh? What'd he want?" Leon asked.  
  
"He wanted me to tell you: The wolves will howl at the moon at midnight. He said you'd know what he meant." No response. Leena turned back to her brother to see he had froze.  
  
"Oh, shit," he cursed under his breath, "Tonight."  
  
"What? What's going on?" Leena asked. Leon quickly darted to his room. Leena followed him. Something was definatly up.  
  
Once Leon was in his room, he looked around to make sure noone was watching. Once safe, he opened a drawer and took out a metallic weapon. The gun glistened in the night. He loaded the cartridge into its slot.  
  
"Oh my god!" Leena screamed. Leon turned around and saw she had been watching.  
  
*SHIT!* he cursed in his mind. He had been so blind, he forgot to close the door. Idiot!  
  
"Listen, Leena, you will NOT tell Dad about this nor will you follow me!" Leon said.  
  
"What is going on? How long did you have that gun? And what the hell do you plan on doing with it?" Leena demanded.  
  
"Damn you, Leena," Leon said raising the hand with the gun as if to hit her, "If you value your life whatsoever, you will stay out of my business!"  
  
"But I value _your_ life, Leon," Leena said, this time in a soft voice. Leon face softened for a second after hearing his sister's plea. But he quickly shifted back into his personality. He pushed past her and headed out the door. Jamie's eyes grew wide.  
  
"Did he have a gun?" Jamie asked incredulously. Leena nodded.  
  
"Now you know what _we_ have to do...."  
  
  
Five minutes to midnight. Los Diablos members were in a dark alley near an abandoned Moonbay, Inc. factory. The members were getting restless. Some loaded guns, others twirled their knives, and others just stood still, waiting patiently.  
  
"Well, tonight it all ends. The big showdown," said Tsurugi. Leon licked his lips.  
  
"I'd be surprised if any of them show up," he mocked. But he knew they would.  
  
"It should be anytime now," Tsurugi said, "Just promise the pack that you won't get killed. It won't be much of a victory, if you die."  
  
"Don't worry. What happened to our old leader won't happen to me."  
  
"Hey look!" yelled a Diablo. Everyone tensed up.  
  
"Is it one of those freakin' Hellcats?" asked another Diablo.  
  
"No, it's some broad with a kid!" he answered.  
  
Broad? Kid? Shit.  
  
Leon saw Leena and Jamie on their bikes, standing a good distance away from them.  
  
"What are you guys doing here?" he demanded.  
  
"We're going to take you home," Leena said sternly.  
  
"Uh, yeah," said Jamie, but he was scared out of his wits. A bunch of guys with guns and knives were glaring at them. Memories of Rick were becoming all too clear.  
  
"Leave, now!" Leon ordered, "Do you want to get yourselves killed?!"  
  
"Isn't that why you guys are here?" blared a voice. The rival gang had arrived. The leader loaded his gun. "Tonight, you're goin' down."  
  
Guns were blazing. Knives were being thrown and were plunging deep into their enemies' hearts. Leon ducked under a garbage bin. Leena quickly grabbed Jamie, covered his eyes, and slunk away into the darkness. Leon looked over the bin and fired. He heard the scream of an enemy. Tsurugi came by and sat next to him. Leon noticed fresh blood on his knife.  
  
"They've brought more men then we did," he informed. But he smiled, "But we out-gun them. Some of our guys brought sub-machine guns. They'll be able to take out a good chunk of 'em."  
  
"This place will be drenched with Hellcat blood when we're through," Leon said, smirking. But his smirk quickly faded. "But my sister, I gotta get her and Jamie outta here."  
  
"Leave them to me," said Tsurugi as he vanished from behind the garbage bin. Leon dashed and rolled away from the bin and fired at will. He shot four guys, but not in vital areas. They could live. If his friends didn't finish them off. Leon stood up to see if he could aide any of his gang-mates. Most had run out of ammo and we're hand-to-hand fighting or using knives. But there were still some with guns. He heard two more gunshots followed by screams. He looked in the direction of the target. His eyes grew wide. Tsurugi clenched his left shoulder with his right hand. Blood seeped through his fingers.  
  
"Tsurugi!" he cried out. But Tsurugi shook his head. He forced his wounded arm to point in another, more important direction. Leon's heart stopped cold. There was Jamie looking down with tears in his eyes. Leena. Lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The target of the second gunshot.  
  
Leon quickly ran over to her body, avoiding every attack. He knelt down and touched her neck.  
  
"Look what you've done! Look what you've done!" Jamie cried through tears.  
  
"Get her out of here!" Tsurugi yelled.  
  
"But what about you guys?" Leon asked.  
  
"What in the world is WRONG with you? You're sister's been shot and you're thinking about us?! Get her help now!" Tsurugi yelled.  
  
"What do I tell my dad?"  
  
"Idiot! She's dying!"  
  
Leon knew there was no way out of this one. None whatsoever. He carried her in his arms and quickly ran out of that bloodbath. He hoped Tsurugi would live long enough so he could thank him the next day.  
  
  
Leon was in the city hospital later that night. Dr. Tauros was pacing up and down the waiting room. Jamie and his parents were sitting with worry on their faces. Nobody looked at Leon.   
  
Leon remembered what his father told him, after he had explained everything just a few minutes before: "If Leena dies, if the only other important girl in my life dies, I will never want to see your goddamn face again."  
  
"Yes, sir," was his quiet response.  
  
Leon clenched his fists. He was filled with blind rage and flaming fury. But he was surprised by what happened next.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," Jamie said to him after a long period of silence. But it's not like Doc, Oscar, and his wife were paying attention to them, anyway. "You're thinking about revenge. You want to get the rival gang member who shot Leena and make him pay for what he's done."  
  
"You're very perceptive for a twelve-year-old," Leon smirked. Jamie glared at him.  
  
"I bet _how_ Leena got here in the first place, isn't even crossing your mind!" he said.  
  
"Are you saying it's _my_ fault Leena's in here? I told her not to follow me."  
  
"You idiot. You didn't realize the only reason she followed you is because she cares about you? Even though you've treated her like garbage for the past few years, not paying any attention to her, not acknowledging her existence and not even defending her when she was in trouble, she still cared for you and thought of you as her 'great big brother'? Even though, you got mad at her for calling the cops on Rick for attacking her instead of being mad at Rick for attempting force on your sister and let's not even talk about how she runs to you for help before anyone else even when you tell her to screw off and she knows that's all you're going to do. She always had a glimmer of hope that you'd turn around Leon. And so did I.  
  
Now, look. She even followed you to your gang war and ended up taking a bullet. And I bet she won't regret anything if you quit those stupid Diablos."  
  
"Shut up. I don't have to take this from a kid," Leon replied. Jamie let out an "urgh!" in frustration.  
  
"Is that all you have to say?! Don't you know how far Leena will go for you? She'll die for you, Leon! She'll die if that's what it takes for you to turn around. She'll die and...and...I don't want to see her die..." Jamie's eyes began to water. Leon couldn't take it any longer. He embraced the young child, and lost his cold, hard look. Jamie cried in Leon's chest as he stroked his back. Leon forgot this feeling. He forgot ever giving this feeling. And he promised himself never to forget again.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"...and that's when I quit. Obviously, Leena survived and from that day on I was clean. If you're wondering, yes, Tsurugi survived so I was able to thank him the next day. But I haven't seen him since, most likely because of jail. But I'll never forget what Jamie said to me that night nor will I forget Leena's 'could-have-been' sacrifice," Leon finished. Like Naomi to Leena's story, Bit was speechless. But his look of awe, soon became a look of approval.  
  
"Well," he finally said, "I'm certainly seeing you in a whole new light, Leon Tauros. I...I honestly don't know what to say."  
  
"Say nothing, Bit."  
  
"Okay. 'Nothing'. How was that?"  
  
Leon laughed. "What I meant was, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know the trials I went through and how Jamie fits into my life."  
  
"Well, I can tell you that I respect you on a whole new level, Leon."  
  
"What's going on in here?" asked Brad who had just walked into the room.  
  
"Leon was just telling me a tale," Bit said.  
  
"Oh," said Brad, "Well, the Doc sent me to get you guys. It's time to visit the hospital and see how Jamie's doing."  
  
  
  
End Part 6  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids/Zero or its characters. They all belong to their respective creators. BUT the characters of Tsurugi, Rick, and...uh...that hospital receptionist are mine. And the doctor too! So don't use 'em without my permission!...not like anyone would want to use 'em. :P But ya know...just in case... 


	7. Love Hurts

Yup...here's Chapter 7...sorry, can't really think of a witty intro for this one besides the standard "Thank you for your feedback" (which I really appreciate, by the way!) I'd glad people enjoyed the last chapter. Here's hoping you enjoy this one. Well enough of my jibba-jabba. Let's go!  
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The Blitz Team and Leon made their way to the city hospital. Naomi stayed behind to watch the Base. She promised not to look into their databases and uncover any "secrets" she could use to her benefit. They trusted her.  
  
When they reached the waiting room, they were very delighted to see the doctor waiting for them with Jamie at his side. But Jamie looked a little nervous. Not to mention, he had a brand new scar on his forehead.  
  
"Jamie, are you all right?" Bit asked.  
  
"Been better," he said, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"The guys here were pretty worried about ya. But I knew you'd pull through," Brad said. Bit rolled his eyes. Jamie noticed Leon was with them.  
  
"Leon! You're here, too?" he asked, happily.  
  
"Just wanted to be at your side in your time of need. Just like how you've always been at mine," he said. He turned to Leena, "Well, aren't you going to say something?"  
  
Leena looked down at the ground. "Um.." she started, but nothing followed. Why couldn't she say anything? Why was she nervous? She was happy to find out Jamie was okay, so why didn't she say anything?  
  
Jamie was starting to feel slightly offended that Leena wasn't asking if he was all right. Didn't she care about his well being? Didn't she care about him at all? Well any offense he felt, he didn't show it.  
  
"The doctor says I should be fine enough to work today, but he still recommends I rest first," Jamie managed to say.  
  
"Then so be it. You relax all you want. We're not in a hurry to start Zoid battling again," Doc said smiling, patting Jamie's back.  
  
"We're not?" asked Brad, unbelieving. The doctor stepped away from the group and motioned Dr. Tauros to follow him. When they were out of earshot of the others, he began to talk.  
  
"What's on your mind, doctor?" asked Tauros.  
  
"We had to undergo a long operation to remove Jamie's tumor. And even then, we had to apply radiation to shrink the rest. But I must warn you, that it has chances of returning."  
  
"Oh," said the Doc, his mood suddenly killed.  
  
"But if it does return, it won't be for a long time," the doctor reassured, "Just be sure to watch out for the signs when it does. If it does, I mean."  
  
"Thank you, doctor," said Dr. Tauros smiling. The doctor smirked.  
  
"Actually, I should thank _you_, Mr. Tauros," he said.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"You'll see..."  
  
  
"STRIKE LASER CLAW!" Bit yelled at the top of his lungs. The Liger Zero tore into its opponent, causing its command system to freeze.  
  
"It's great to be back in business!" Brad said happily as his Shadow Fox shot up an enemy Zabat. "You can finish 'em off, Leena."  
  
"Thanks, Brad," Leena said giving an evil smirk. After a long time, her trigger-happy needs were about to be satisfied.  
  
"WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!"  
  
From the control room on the hovercargo, Doc watched the battle intently.  
  
"Hurry up and win you guys! It's gonna take all the prize money from this battle to pay off that darn hospital bill!" he said, eyeing Jamie. Jamie reached behind his back and sweatdropped while laughing nervously.  
  
  
Leena walked along the corridor of the Tauros Base. The win from the battle earlier made her feel really good. It felt like an eternity since their last Zoid battle. Guess the whole thing with Jamie...  
  
Jamie! She remembered the meeting in the waiting room that afternoon and how she barely said anything. Not even a "Glad you're better!" or "I'm happy you're all right!" She didn't even say "Hello!" What was with that? For the past twenty-four hours her mind was on nothing _but_ Jamie. So why had she acted the way she did?  
  
Leena was so deep in her thoughts, she hadn't realized she stopped right in front of the control room. She glanced inside and saw Jamie, working at the computers. Exploring the databases, no doubt. That's Jamie alright. Just a few hours after leaving the hospital, even after the doctor suggested he rest when he got home, he was working. He probably even planned on making dinner tonight.  
  
*He's acting like he never left. Just going back to business.* Leena thought. She smiled knowing Jamie was well. So why couldn't she let him know she was happy for him? She was being nervous around him and barely talking to him.  
  
"This is silly," she said to herself, "I should go up to him and tell him how much I'm glad he survived and how much I missed him and how much...."  
  
"...you love him," finished a voice. Leena nearly jumped ten feet into the air.  
  
"Naomi!" she yelled in a whisper, making sure Jamie didn't hear, "Why are you still here?!"  
  
"I never left. Besides, your father invited Leon and I over for dinner. And you know we couldn't possibly refuse," she said, followed by one of her trademark winks. Leena narrowed her eyebrows and growled in anger.  
  
"It's not nice to eavesdrop on people like that," she said tersely.  
  
"Sorry," Naomi apologized, "So, what'd you tell Jamie today?"  
  
"Nothing," Leena said folding her arms and looking away.  
  
"Nothing," Naomi repeated shaking her head, "I knew that's what you'd do. You've never been one to express how you really felt about someone other than anger. That's why it kinda took me by surprise when you confided that story in me this morning. But I wished you would be able to tell Jamie how you really felt."  
  
Leena's face softened and she let her arms slide to her waist.  
  
"I don't feel anything for Jamie," she said, but not very convincing.  
  
"Oh please. You act like it's wrong to be in love with Jamie. Why is it so hard?" Naomi asked.  
  
"It's just not that easy," Leena said in a soft voice, "Jamie and I have been through too much. I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship by falling for him."  
  
"How is that jeopardizing?"  
  
Leena didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything. The topic was making her mighty uncomfortable. Naomi breathed a sigh and looked at Jamie, who was oblivious to the conversation going on outside. He was too enveloped in his work.  
  
"At least, tell him you're glad he's okay. Imagine how he must feel, everyone but his best friend asking how he was. And you haven't said anything to him all day. At least do that for him." As soon as she said her piece, she walked off and left the corridor. Leena knew she was right and proceeded to do what she had to do.  
  
"This strategy could work, but it would require Bit to cooperate with Leena. And Leena will have to hold off shooting her guns throughout the entire battle. Brad marrying his Shadow Fox has a better chance of happening then those two things," Jamie said. He quickly deleted the strategy. No way would that ever work out. He stood up to stretch. "Man, I've been sitting here all day. Better get dinner started."  
  
Two arms reached from behind him and brought him in close for a hug. Jamie nearly yelped.  
  
"Um, Leena, what are you doing?" he asked.  
  
"Apologizing," she said in a soft voice.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For not talking to you when we met you in the hospital today. I acted like I didn't care."  
  
"Yeah, I kind of got that feeling," Jamie said, but a smile came across his face, "But I'm glad that you do care. You didn't necessarily have to apologize, though. I know how you hate apologizing."  
  
"Not when I'm apologizing to you." This caught Jamie off guard. She said it softly and intimately. He hadn't seen "sweet Leena" since she was younger. He started to get really nervous.  
  
"Uh-uh-uh, Leena, what do you mean by that?" he asked in a tiny voice.  
  
"What I mean is...Jamie, there's...Did you wonder if we...um..." Leena couldn't say it. She just couldn't say it. "I need to go." She quickly exited the control room and ran to her bedroom. She plopped on her bed and rubbed the temples on her head.  
  
"This is too unreal! How could...how could I actually be falling for Jamie?! I mean, most people would expect me to fall for Bit! So why him?"  
  
Isn't it obvious?  
  
  
*Flashback: This Morning!*  
  
"...but I would have much rather learned that another way," Leena finished.  
Naomi was speechless. She absolutely had no idea what to say. She was seeing a whole new side to Leena. Finally she cleared her throat.  
  
"No wonder your taking his tumor so much more seriously then the others. Bit and Brad have only known him for what? A year? Two years? Yet you and Jamie have been together through thick and thin. You're closer with him then you think. You really have a history together. You love him," Naomi said.   
  
*End Flashback*  
  
  
...closer with him...  
  
...history together...  
  
...you love him...  
  
...you love him...  
  
...you love him...  
  
Naomi's words echoed in her mind. Yes. She loved him. Very much. She couldn't imagine feeling what she felt for Jamie with anyone else. She deliberated on her feelings for an hour. Yes, she loved Jamie. But did Jamie love her? Like a sister, yes, but did he want more?  
  
Well, there was only one way to find out.   
  
There was a knock on her door.  
  
"Come in," she permitted. In walked Bit Cloud.  
  
"Hey, Leena," he greeted, "Jamie told me you were in here. Are you feeling alright?"  
  
"Not really, but it's nothing you could do anything about."  
  
"Try me."  
  
"No, really, it's nothing."  
  
Bit shrugged. "Well, Leena, if you are feeling any sort of trouble, you can always talk to me. I'm willing to listen." Leena gave a half-smile.  
  
"Thanks Bit."  
  
"No problem." He took out a danish he was holding behind his back and took a bite out of it.  
  
"Anyway," he said after he swallowed, "Dinner's ready. You hungry? I sure am and it's great to have Jamie cooking again."  
  
No answer. Bit looked at Leena and his face completely drained itself of blood. Leena's eyebrow was twitching, her eyebrows narrowed, and her face giving him the deadliest of glares.  
  
"Is that _my_ danish?! Did you get that from my secret stash of danishes?!" she demanded.  
  
"Guess it's not so secret after all," Bit joked, sweatdropping. "......I'm outta here."  
  
Leena chased him down the hallway. Bit ran while munching down the rest of the danish.  
  
"Stop eating my food!" Leena yelled after him.  
  
"If you just shared more often, we wouldn't always be doing this!" Bit reasoned. Unfortunatly he tripped and landed on his back with a huge thud. With Leena landing right on top of him.  
  
"You moron," Leena spat at him, "I've really had enough of your games."  
  
"You're awfully cute when you're angry," Bit said.  
  
"What?"  
  
Bit instantly clasped his hands over his mouth and blushed.  
  
"What did you say?" Leena asked again, her anger now vanished.  
  
Bit reached out and stroked her cheek.  
  
"I said, you're awfully cute when you're angry. But then again, you're cute all the time." He brought his face closer to hers. *Here goes nothing...*  
  
"I love you, Leena Tauros."  
  
He kissed her.  
  
In that instant, Leena's world came to a screeching halt.  
  
He loves me? He LOVES me?!   
  
The words repeated itself in her head. Bit really did love her. He felt real love in his kiss. Not fake love like the kisses of her past boyfriends or perverted lust like Rick's, but actual love. But she loved Jamie! Jamie was who she wanted to be with! How could she tell him? Should she tell him at all? What about Jamie? What was she to do?  
  
Bit slowly broke the kiss and noticed Leena's silence. Now sitting up, he asked, "Leena? You okay?"  
  
Leena's face was facing the ground. Droplets were falling to the ground. Her tears.  
  
"Leena?"  
  
Leena finally looked up. Her eyes were burning with rage, fury, sorrow, and sadness all at once. Bit flinched.  
  
"Why...why must you complicate things for me?!" she sobbed. She got up, ran into her room, and slammed her door, leaving Bit all alone in the corridor.  
  
  
  
  
End Part 7  
  
Well? Whaddaya think? Please review! 


	8. Just Communication

Thanks for the reviews! It keeps me going and ensures I get new chapters up faster! ^_^  
And SuperKat, don't ya think Leena deserves some of the spotlight? This is a Jamie/Leena story so expect her to get some screentime, too, ya know. But this chapter should satisfy everyone's Jamie-lovin' needs. Please review and enjoy, folks!  
  
By the way, two points for anyone who can guess where this chapter's title came from. ;)  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Bit stood all alone in the corridor. He clenched his fists and his teeth, anger slowly seething through his soul.  
  
"Damn it!" he cursed, "I screwed up! I totally screwed up!" He punched the wall with a fist. "Why the hell did I think I had a chance?"  
  
  
The others were enjoying their dinner heartily.  
  
"Boy, Jamie, it's really good to have you back again," the Doc said, munching down his chow.  
  
"Oh come on, Doc, it's not like I was gone for an eternity," Jamie said blushing because all attention was on him once again.  
  
"Nonsense. When you're stuck eating Doc's crud for dinner, it would definatly seem like an eternity since you ate good food," Brad commented.  
  
"Then maybe you should cook your own damn dinner," Doc muttered.  
  
Everyone laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" Bit asked when he walked into the room, "Nobody ate my portion of the meal, right?" He was trying his best to look like nothing had happened.  
  
"If you were gone any longer, I would have," Brad said followed by a chuckle. Everyone was in a good mood. Bit was mad that he had to be in a crappy one.  
  
"Where's Leena? I thought I sent you to get her. Her dinner's almost cold," Doc said. Bit chuckled nervously.  
  
"She said she wasn't hungry," he lied. Doc made a frown.  
  
"Well that's not like her. Is something wrong?"  
  
"What could possibly be wrong? Jamie's better now. She should be happy," Brad said.  
  
"Yes, _should_ be happy. Maybe another problem's arisen," Leon proposed. Brad sighed.  
  
"So who's going to talk to her _now_?" he asked. Everyone looked at Bit except Naomi. His first thought was to say, "Well don't look at me!" but that would arouse suspicions. He groaned.  
  
"Well, I suppose I..."  
  
"...perhaps Jamie should talk to her," Naomi said, beating Bit to the punch.  
  
"Huh? Me?"  
  
"Yeah. I think you'd have the best bet, since it's you she's been missing all this time," Naomi explained.  
  
"I agree. Besides, you're the only one who's almost done eating anyway," Doc agreed.  
  
"Alright. I'll go see her," Jamie said standing up. He left the room. Doc looked in the direction he went.  
  
"Is he gone?" he asked  
  
"Yeah," Bit confirmed. The Doc put on a sinister grin and speared Jamie's dinner roll with his fork. After taking out a huge bite of it he said, "And I thought he'd never leave. Mmm, yummy!"  
  
  
Jamie walked down the hallway to Leena's room.  
  
"I wonder why Naomi was so quick to suggest I go talk to her," he thought aloud, "I guess she has a point if Leena missed me a lot." He reached the corner and saw the door to Leena's room and froze.  
  
"Should I go in there? Wait, why am I asking that? That's a dumb question. A no-brainer. I always talk to Leena so why am I freezing up now?" Realizing how dumb that was he proceeded to open Leena's door. His hand reached for the doorknob, but paused above it. Nervousness crept back into him.  
  
"Leena sure acted weird when I was in the control room. I honestly have no idea what that was. Am I really the best guy for this? Maybe I should go back and tell Bit to handle this one." He heard sounds coming from the room. Leena was talking. To whom he didn't know. Herself? Maybe that giant teddy bear she keeps? Yeah, she did do that a lot. Instead of knocking, Jamie pressed an ear to the door, seeing if he could make out what she was saying.  
  
*This is wrong,* he thought. *I shouldn't be eavesdropping like this. Wait what was that? Did she just say 'Bit'? What's going on with Bit? 'Love'? Wait, does she love Bit?! Man, I wish I could hear more clearly through this door! 'Kiss'? Oh my gosh! Did she kiss Bit? Does she love him? IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT?!*  
  
Jamie slowly backed away from the door. Now he knew why Leena was in there. Bit and her must've done something in the hallway and they kissed. What else could she have been saying?  
  
Okay, so they were in love with each other. Made sense. They were always flirting with each other and chasing each other around. It's what everybody guessed.  
  
So why did he feel hurt?  
  
Jamie rubbed his eyes. They were tearing. *Something must have got in them* he concluded. Sadness never occurred to him.  
  
The door opened and he jumped. Leena was surprised to see Jamie standing there.  
  
"Jamie! What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Um, um," Jamie stuttered, "Doc wanted to know why you weren't showing up for supper. He sent me to get you."  
  
"Oh. Is Bit there?" she asked. Jamie flinched at hearing Bit's name.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"How's he doing?"  
  
"He's-he's doing good. W-Why?"  
  
"It's nothing," Leena said. Then she put her hands on Jamie's shoulders and looked into his eyes.   
"Jamie, about what happened today in the control room. I just wanted you to...I wanted to tell you that I....."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nevermind. Just tell everyone I'll be gone for a while. I'm just going to take my Gunsniper out for a run."  
  
"Sure. Okay."  
  
They went their separate ways, Leena to the Zoid hangar and Jamie to the dining room.  
Jamie trudged along the corridors to the dining room. He was welcomed with laughter. Apparently, Leon just told a funny joke.  
  
"So, where's Leena?" asked Doc when he finally noticed him.  
  
"She's not hungry. She's going to take her Gunsniper out for a run. To clear her head or...somethin'..."  
  
"Oh okay. Guess Bit was telling the truth."  
  
"By the way, Bit," Jamie started. He couldn't believe he was going to say this. "Congratulations."  
  
"Eh? For what?"  
  
"For winning Leena's heart. She was talking about how much she loved you and enjoyed the kiss you gave her earlier in her room."  
  
Bit and Naomi nearly spit out there drinks!(A/N: Spittakes! Gotta love 'em!)  
  
"WHAT?!" they cried simultaneously. Everyone else was surprised as well.  
  
"Are you serious?" asked Bit asked. Jamie nodded, but he was very angry on the inside. He didn't know why. Bit shoved a fist into the air in triumph.  
  
"Alright! She _does_ return the feelings! I knew she did!" He was nearly crying.  
  
"I knew you liked her," Leon said smiling.  
  
"It was pretty obvious. All those times she was chasing you you were actually enjoying it, just glad you were getting her attention," Brad said smugly.  
  
"Wow, my young Leena in love. And with Bit Cloud no doubt!" Doc declared, "I can't imagine a more perfect couple!"  
  
"DOC!" Jamie yelled furiously. All eyes turned to him. He blushed. "Um, n-nothing," he quickly recovered. Doc shrugged.  
  
"I trust you'll treat her with respect, Bit Cloud. My Leena's very innocent and she's a virgin," he said.  
  
"Well, Doc, I'll try, but if Leena wants me really bad, I can't be one to refuse her, if ya know what I mean. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!............oh, you're serious?"  
  
Everyone, but Doc and Bit laughed. Bit was intimidated by Doc's intense glare.  
  
"Geez, you're all acting like Bit has Leena's hand in marriage!" Jamie exclaimed.  
  
"Well, I don't find it hard to believe that wedding bells may one day chime for these two," Leon said. Jamie slammed his fists on the table. All eyes turned to him once again and he immediately regretted what he did.  
  
"M-May I be excused?" he asked politely.  
  
"Well sure Jamie. Go ahead," Doc permitted.  
  
"Thank you," he said and got up from his seat and left. Naomi frowned sympathetically.  
  
"Anyway," the Doc continued as if nothing had happened, "Imagine the children after they marry. They'll have such wonderful children!"  
  
"Whoa, Doc, slow down! You're moving too fast for even me!" Bit said followed by everyone's laughter. Naomi tuned out the rest of the conversation, knowing something was very wrong with it.  
  
  
"Hey, Kenji!" called a bandit in a Zoid cargo hold. Another bandit looked down from a Lightning Saix.  
  
"Whaddaya want, Shinji?" called the bandit named Kenji.  
  
"Ready to go? The boss wants this done ASAP" said Shinji.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready. Are we taking the Hellcats or the Elephanders?" asked Kenji.  
  
"Neither. We take the Lightning Saix today," said Shinji crawling into a Lightning Saix. "You know what to do, right?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah. We go sneaking through the desert unti we find a wandering Zoid warrior, then we take him out and drag his Zoid back to the base for the boss," said Kenji.  
  
"After that we destroy the Zoid, tear it down, and sell it to the Backdraft Group as spare parts for cash!"  
  
"And we take the pilot to the boss. I wonder what the boss will do to him today."  
  
"I don't know. Think the boss is in one of his 'killing' moods?"  
  
Kenji laughed. "We almost got caught because of the last two, but it's not like that's stopped the boss before. I feel sorry for the pilot."  
  
  
  
  
End Part 8  
  
The only original characters here are Shinji and Kenji. The rest belong to the Zoids/Zero creators. East Japan...somethin'...  
  
Sorry if it was a bit short, but please review and tell me what you think! 


	9. Malicious Melee

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I really appreciate it! Oh, biggieG77 Brad was smoking because…I dunno. He seemed like a smoker to me. Maybe it was his hippie-like hair. ;) But he'll stop since I haven't done much with it since Chapter 3. We'll just say he's on the patch. ^_^  

Guess what? We're nearing the final chapters!  And I would really love feedback for this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this and would like to know what people think about it, especially the ending. Bet it won't be too thrilling, heh heh. *holds burn cream at his side*

By the way, I've upped the rating to R if you noticed because this chapter gets violent. And you can't forget the dark themes and language. Hope no one minds. Well, enough of my rambling. Go on with the story.

Wait, one more note: This chapter's a bit long. Now on with the story!

---------------------------------------------

Leena stared up at her Gunsniper.

"Life is complicated isn't it?" she said to her Zoid, "I just can't get my mind off him. Yet there's someone else out there who has that great love for me. I don't know what to do." She giggled to herself. "Listen to me. Talking to my Zoid as if it were human. Just like Bit." She crawled up her Gunsniper and prepared to take off.

"I need to clear my head. I have to get my mind off this. Let's go Gunsniper." And she took off into the desert.

Jamie walked to the control room.

"I'll just come up with some new strategies for the team. That should help get my head on straight." He sat down at the panels and started thinking. He brought up a picture of a familiar Zoid battlefield.

"Oh I got a great one. Brad could bank left here while waiting for Leena and Bit--" He quickly grimaced at mentioning "Bit and Leena" together. He shook his head. That was stupid! Why had he acted like that? His thoughts quickly turned to his actions at the dining room table. Everyone's cheerful face as he mentioned Bit and Leena were an item. Except his. Why was that? Why couldn't be happy for them? They were his friends after all. Yet he felt betrayed. Leena was HIS friend, his DEAREST friend. Even though she was loud and competetive and occasionally hit him. But not as much or as hard as she would hit Bit. Or anyone else for that matter. Then it hit him.

Could it be possible that he was...jealous of Bit? Jamie did have a small crush on Leena when they were younger, but his tastes evolved since then. Or did they just grow bigger? He folded his arms.

"Let me get this straight. Everytime I think of Bit and Leena I feel upset. But when I think of Bit alone, I feel upset and jealous. When I think of Leena alone, I feel upset and sad. Betrayed even. Like, how could she? How could she like Bit and...not me? After all we've been through. Oh, man. Is that it? Do I love Leena? More than a friend?...Yes, that's it. I love her. Oh, man," Jamie whimpered.

"Well isn't it great to have a kid who can connect the dots all by himself?"

"NAOMI?!"

Jamie nearly jumped to the high heavens. "What in the world are you doing over here?!" Naomi laughed.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I wanted to talk to you. You seemed upset at the dinner table."

"Yeah and now you know why. Just please, don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Why not? Some people have the right to know."

"But they'd all look at me weirdly especially Bit. Leena's his girlfriend. I wouldn't want him to stop being my friend because I could be a threat. Besides, Leena only thinks of me as a brother.  Not a lover."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Jamie. You'd be surprised at what may happen if you tell."

"Huh?"

"Just some food for thought, young Jamie. Catch ya later, cowboy," and off she went.

"I wonder what she meant by that..."

Leena skipped through the sand in her Gunsniper. The sunset looked marvelous today. So beautiful she wished she had someone to share it with.

"Jamie would love a sunset like this," she said to herself. She came out here to clear her mind, but her thoughts kept returning to Jamie and Bit. She still had to figure out what to do about them.

"Could things possibly get any worse?" she sighed.

Her Zoid jerked violently. Her head collided with the sidewall.

"What the hell?" she screamed.

"Stupid little girl," snickered a face on the comlinks, "Don't you learn things from movies? When someone says 'could it get any worse', it always does!"

Another face blinked on the other side comlink.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we'll just be takin' your Zoid now. HA HA!"

"Morons!" she yelled. She flipped a lid and pushed a button.

"WEASEL UNIT TOTAL ASSAULT!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

....nothing...

"WHAT THE HELL?!" she screamed angrily. The words "Out of Ammo" and "Missile's empty" flashed on her screen.

"Out of Ammo?! How?!"

Then she remembered Jamie was cleaning up the Zoids earlier today and emptied out their weapons. The Zoids were almost never loaded until a battle. And Leena had only expected to go out for a run.

"Damn it!" she cursed. The pair of Lightning Saix went behind her and aimed their guns and fired.

"Don't hold back! We aren't going easier on her just 'cause she's a girl!" Shinji said. Leena was jerking violently in her seat because of all the blows her Zoid was taking. Her head slammed itself on the dashboard very hard.

"Oh, man..." she said as she slowly blacked out. The Gunsniper's computer froze and collapsed.

"That was easy! Now let's haul it back to the hideout," ordered Shinji.

"Right!"

Leena woke up to find herself in chains. Her arms were chained to the wall and she was in a room. Didn't look like a dungeon. Just a room with no windows and a single door. Kind of like the room in a base. Or a hideout!

"Where am I?" she asked.

"The hideout of the Desert Bandits," said another. A guard was in the room with her.

"Where is my Gunsniper?" she demanded.

"Heh heh, you don't wanna know."

The door slid open and three men walked in. Two of them were the bandits that ambushed her earlier. The other was a taller man. Couldn't be that much older than Leena. He must've been their boss.

"Here's the girl, Boss," said Shinji pointing to her, "What should we do with her? Toss her out in the sand?" The three looked at her.

"Nope. That option's out. She's awake. We'll have to kill her," said Kenji. Leena froze. *K-K-Kill?*

The boss walked up to Leena and looked her in the eyes. Leena glared at him angrily.

"Leena Tauros," he said.

"What? How do you know my name?" she asked, totally in shock.

"You're the daughter of Stephen Tauros, leader of The Blitz Team."

Leena breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to the Blitz Team she _did_ become well-known. She was scared for a minute there.

"This is wonderful," he said sinisterly. "You're much prettier than I thought you would be." Leena wasn't taking any chances.

WHAM!

She kicked him in the place where men _don't_ want to be kicked. It had no effect. He smirked.

"Sorry, babe, that doesn't work on me anymore."

"I see you've chained women up before so you prepared yourself," Leena spat in disgust. The boss shook his head casually like he was answering a normal question.

"Nope. I learned my lesson after your little friend did it to me, oh so long ago."

Leena's heart stopped cold. Those cold, mischievous, lustful eyes. Only one person burned in her memory with those eyes.

"Rick," she said softly and fearfully.

"Tell her what she's won, Johnny," Rick said darkly. "Shinji! Kenji! Koji! Leave at once! I'd like to be alone with her so we could...catch up on old times." The three henchmen left while Rick laughed sinisterly.

"You wouldn't…you wouldn't dare do that to me…" Leena said, knowing damn well he would. Rick put his hand on her cheek. And kissed her. That same forceful and lustful kiss he gave her a long time ago.  After he broke it and smiled menacingly, he said, "Now for the fun part."

Leena closed her eyes, awaiting her fate. But surprisingly he walked off and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To give your dad a call," he said flashing an evil grin, "I told you. Time for the fun part to begin."

"Where's Leena? It's getting dark," Brad said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm worried," said Bit.

"I'm sure she's fine. Leena knows better not to stay out too late without telling us," Doc comforted.

"That's what has me worried," said Jamie.

"Hey, Dad, you got a call," said Leon.

"Put it up on the screen," said Doc. Leon did so. Rick's ugly, threatening mug appeared in front of them.

"Good evening, Doctor Tauros," he said casually.

"Hello, there! What can I do for you, young man?"

"Let's cut to the chase. I have your daughter." Everyone stopped cold.

"What?" Doc asked, now serious.

"I have your daughter," Rick repeated, "And I don't recommend calling the police. Unless you want your daughter's fate sealed as soon as possible."

Leon clenched his teeth in anger. Bit clenched his fists. Jamie was clutching the head of a chair. It was taking all his strength to _not_ break its head off. Brad and Naomi stood still, looking patient, but they were getting angrier by the minute.

"What do you want?" Doc inquired.

"You have until this time tomorrow to bring me one million dollars to my desert base," he held up a map of the desert area and pointed at where he was located, "And I want it delivered by Jamie."

"Jamie? Why him?"

"You are not in a position to be asking questions other than what you can do for me. Anyway, one million dollars delivered by your tactics commander by this time tomorrow. Got it?"

"And what if we refuse?" asked Brad.

"Hey, Koji!" Rick called out to his henchman.

"What is it, boss?" asked Koji, running up to his master. He had now appeared on the screen. Rick turned back to the Blitz Team.

"If you refuse," Rick began. He pulled out a long sharp knife and jammed it into Koji's chest. Koji's eyes bulged, his hands grabbed at the knife protruding from his chest.

"B-Boss...why...?"

"I needed an effective visual aid," Rick smiled.

"F...fu..." Koji dropped, with his eyes rolling up.

"That is what I did to my own man. Now imagine that being your daughter. I think you get the picture. Out. And I'll be seeing you soon, Jamie." The screen went blank. After a moment of silence, Bit slammed a fist into his other hand.

"That bastard!" he yelled.

"Damn," Leon muttered.

"Gee, that guy looked familiar. I wonder why?" Doc wondered.

"That was Rick, Doc!" Jamie said, "That was the guy that ra-, uh, attacked me and Leena years ago!"

"A member of my old gang. So this is what he's up to now," Leon said.

"What? You had a gang?" Brad asked.

"Now's not the time, Brad. I'll explain later."

"Doc, there's something I haven't told you," Jamie said through clenched teeth. Tears were forming in his eyes. "That guy, Rick, didn't just attack us. He...he almost killed me back then. He was going to rape Leena and when I walked in, he tried to kill me. Leena was real scared of him. He was going to do so much nasty stuff to her and...Doc, you have to realize Leena's in great danger in his care! There's no telling what he'll do!"

"Rape Leena? Well that tears it, we'll have to act fast," said the Doc.

"But where are we going to get a million dollars? We don't have that much money to spare. We have lots of debts to pay, not to mention our paychecks," Brad pointed out.

"Brad's got a point. Where will we get that much money?" Naomi asked holding her hands up.

"The money's not a problem. I've got everything figured out. Now if you'll excuse me I've got a phone call to make," Doc assured.

***************

"OH MY POOR SWEET LEENA! I'LL GLADLY SHELL OUT A TRILLION DOLLARS FOR YOUR SAFE RETURN!"

"Tha's nice, Harry, but you've already brought more than enough," said Doc. It was half an hour later and Harry was sobbing by the time he arrived at the Tauros Base.

"This is terrible! My Leena taken hostage by a bunch of heartless cutthroats! It's enough to make me want to die!"

"Alright," Doc said handing the suitcase full of money to Jamie, "You go in your Raynos and fly to the bandits' hideout. Deliver this money to Rick and kindly escort Leena home."

"Right, Doc. I'll be sure to bring her back safe and sound," Jamie said. He didn't show it, but he was very nervous. But he didn't care. Rick had Leena and no nervousness was going to stop him from rescuing her.

"Good luck, Jamie," Doc said with confidence. Jamie nodded and climbed into his Raynos.

"Bring her back safely, Jamie and don't let that jerk lay a finger on any of ya!" Bit said. Jamie took off into the night sky with a loud screeh from his Raynos. Once Jamie was out of sight, Doc turned to Bit and Brad.

"Now you two follow him in your Zoids. But don't let him or any of the bandits see you. I don't want them knowing Jamie's being followed."

"Okay, Doc. We won't let you down," Brad said.

"Leena, you'll be home soon enough. And in my arms once again," Bit said softly.

"In your arms? Wha? What the heck are you talking about?" Harry asked incredulously.

Bit climbed into his Liger Zero and Brad into his Shadow Fox. They quietly left the hangar, showing off their stealth capabilities and why Doc chose them to follow Jamie.

"Rick had better not hurt my sister," Leon said.

"Hey what did Bit mean by Leena being back in his arms?" Harry asked frantically.

"Are you sure this will work?" Naomi asked Doc.

"We can only hope," Doc said, looking up at the sky.

Jamie flew in his Raynos, with his mind only on one thing.

"Leena," he said, "That monster had better not lay one finger on you or else I _will_ kill him. I swear it. I saved you once. I saved you twice. I'm going to save you again." The Raynos dived into the Desert Bandits' base and landed in front of the hangar. He got out of the cockpit with the suitcase full of money and jumped to the ground. He gulped.

"I'm coming for you, Leena," he swore and headed towards the hangar.

"All right, he's going in," Brad said from a far off lookout point. He saw Jamie heading into the base's hangar through a pair of binoculars. He sat back down and closed the cockpit. "Let's move in."

The Shadow Fox and Liger Zero creeped through the night, making as little sound as possible. The two bandits, Kenji and Shinji, came out of another door of the base.

"This Raynos must have some very useful parts," Kenji observed.

"I know, these things are rare and expensive. I can't wait to take it apart and sell it to the Backdraft group." He pulled out a special knife with electrical sparks emitting from it. "Let's put these Zoid-cutting knives into action."

"Right," Shinji took out his own and started tearing into the Raynos.

"Oh no! They're destroying it!" Bit yelled.

"Quick, let's get out of the Zoids. The rest of the rescue will be on foot," said Brad. They jumped out of their cockpits and ran toward the base. The two bandits stopped what they were doing and looked at them.

"What do those guys think they're doing?" asked Shinji.

"I don't know. Who are they?" Kenji questioned.

Bit and Brad cocked their fists back and punched the two bandits in the face, causing them to drop their knives. Kenji was knocked out instantly, but Shinji still retained consciesness. Bit grabbed him by the shirt collar and brought him to his face.

"Where's Leena?" he demanded.

"Uh...uh..." Shinji held his bloody nose.

"Where's Leena?! Answer me, damn you!" Bit demanded again. Brad cracked his knuckles.

"In the base. First floor. In room 103," Shinji confessed in fear.

"Thanks."

Bit punched him in the gut and tossed him to Brad. Brad punched him in the exact same spot.

"It takes scum to work for scum," Brad said as Shinji slunk down and out of consciensness.

"Let's go!"

Jamie was alone in the Zoid hangar of the Desert Bandits' base. His knees rattled together. The room was empty. Not a single Zoid in sight.

"Why did Rick want me to meet him in here?" he wondered. He tensed up. A sound! A door was opening. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed.

"Just cast the money aside," Rick ordered. Jamie dropped it immediately and kicked it into a far corner. Rick closed the door and walked up to the young Raynos warrior.

"Jamie Hemerose. It's been a long time since you put me in jail."

"Well, you got what you deserved for trying to rape Leena."

"Ah yes, Leena. She sure was delicious."

Jamie gasped. "You didn't..."

"You would like to know wouldn't you?" Rick chuckled. Jamie bared his teeth.

"Look, you have your money. Now let Leena go."

"I will. Eventually. But first, I'd like to deal with you."

"What do you want?"

"Have you ever been sent to prison, Jamie?"

Jamie shook his head.

"I'll tell you what prison is like Jamie. It's a living hell. The meals were crap. They make you work in fields like dogs. They deprive you of your rights. And every night you have to watch your back to make sure your cellmate doesn't rape you and try to butt-screw you when you're not looking. Pray that your the stronger man in those situations, Jamie."

"I'm not sorry for you. You got what you deserved. Now enough with your sorry excuse for a sob-story and let Leena go."

"No."

"But we brought the money. What more do you want?"

"Your life."

WHAM!

(A/N: The following scenes would really go great with this song: http://www.vgmusic.com/new-files/Kirb64finbos.mid. Listen to it!)

It was like a hand-grenade exploded in Jamie's face. Rick's huge fist collided with it. Jamie staggered back and held his hands over his face. Rick got ready to induce another blow, but Jamie backed too far away.

"Fight me like a man, this time kid! No hitting below the belt!" Rick swung another fist to Jamie's head, but Jamie quickly ducked. Rick sidekicked Jamie in the gut, but Jamie was too fast for him. Jamie moved to the left and avoided another blow to the head.

"You're fast on your feet, kid," Rick complemented, "I'll have to go faster myself."

Rick elbow-jabbed at Jamie's jaw, causing him to fall back. Jamie was quick enough to keep him from falling to the floor.

"Ain't ya gonna fight back, kid? Or are you _trying_ to make this easy?" Rick taunted.

Brad flipped a bandit into another that wielded a gun. Both were out cold.

"Man, Brad, where'd you learn to fight like that?" Bit asked.

"I'm not just a mercenary for Zoid battles, Bit. You'd be surprised at what else I can do," Brad said flashing a grin. Bit had to return the smile. But his face quickly turned back into seriousness.

"We've gotta find Leena. Hurry!"

They bolted through the hallway and past an open door. They peered into it and saw a dead body with a knife in its chest.

"That must've been that Koji guy," observed Brad.

"That sick bastard," Bit said with contempt, "He's gotta be put to sleep."

"Agreed. Let's find Leena."

WHAM!

A second blow to Jamie's gut. Rick was getting frustrated. This was too easy!

"Dammit, kid, fight like a man!" he yelled. Jamie wiped the blood away from his lip.

*You want me to? Okay, you loser, I'll give you a real fight.*

Jamie drew back his fist and punched as hard as he could at Rick's torso. Rick let out an "Ack!" and held his stomach. He grew enraged. He and Jamie started to battle each other out, fists flying everywhere. Jamie executed a high kick and hit Rick's jaw. Rick grabbed Jamie's shirt collar and head-butted him, leaving a bruise where his scar from the tumor operation was. Rick threw Jamie to the ground, but Jamie's quick speed and agility helped him recover fast. Rick and Jamie squared off and ran at each other at full force.

"There it is! Room 103!" yelled Bit.

"Great," Brad said, taking care of the last of the bandit guards.

"It needs a key. I can't get it open," Bit said.

"Allow me."

With one swift kick, Brad knocked the entire door down. Bit was amazed.

"Man, you really gotta show me some moves one day."

Leena's head slowly looked up and saw her two saviours. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Bit! Brad!"

"We're here Leena!"

Brad removed the keys from the comatose guard's belt and unlocked Leena's chains. Bit grabbed Leena into his arms.

"Leena, you're safe," he said happily.

"Oh, Bit, I can't bear to tell you what I've been through," she sobbed.

"It's okay. We're here now," Bit stroked her hair as Leena cried into his chest.

"It's a happy ending. Now all we gotta do is find Jamie," said Brad. Leena's head darted up from Bit's chest.

"Oh no! Jamie! He's in danger!"

Bit and Brad looked at each other with questioning looks.

"You guys! If Jamie's actually here then he's done for! Rick is going to get his revenge once and for all!"

"Revenge? For what?"

"There's no time to explain! We need to hurry!"

"Then let's move!" Bit said. They ran out the doorway and into the hall. Brad stopped and knelt down by a fallen bandit.

"What are you doing?" Bit wondered. Brad picked up the bandit's gun and checked to see if it still had bullets left.

"We may need this," he said as he put it in his pocket. "Let's go."

Jamie threw more punches at Rick's face. Some connected and some failed. Soon, they both stopped for a breath of air.

"You certainly fight better than you did, years ago, kid. You're doing damage," Rick said, wiping blood off his lip. Jamie did the same.

*I've got to do this now. The special technique I learned from Brad. The Deathblow.*

He raised his fist and prepared for a final blow to the spot that can take down any man, as Brad said. He thrusted his fist at Rick. After this, he'll never get up again.

Rick caught it. Rick grabbed Jamie's wrist the same way he did years ago. He squeezed it, hard, with Jamie wailing.

"Hahaha! I was just warming up kid! Now I'm going to exact my revenge now." Rick pulled out a switchblade and pressed it against Jamie's wrist.

"Remember this, boy? What I was going to do? Here goes. First I'm going to slit this wrist," then he pointed his blade to Jamie's other hand, "Then I'm going to slit that one, and finally," he pointed at Jamie's neck, "Right there."

Jamie trembled.

"You're not going to do that..."

SLASH!

"I believe I just did."

Jamie's wrist was bleeding profusely. He screamed toward the high heavens while Rick laughed sinisterly. He grabbed for the other wrist.

"Now it's this one's turn."

SLASH!

Jamie was crying now. It was obvious he was going to die as he saw the blood streaming from his hands. Rick looked at the helpless lad.

"Like how you didn't feel sorry for me, I don't feel sorry for you," he said. Rick pressed the blade against Jamie's neck.

"If I slit your throat, you'd die within minutes. But I want you stay alive a little while longer so you can hear me taunt you until your death. Sooo..."

Rick rammed the knife into Jamie's torso. Jamie's eyes bulged. Blood sprayed from the wound and leaked from his mouth. He wailed and wailed hoping this was all a bad dream. Rick began to twist the knife, destroying as many vital organs as he could. Rick began to laugh. He was laughing maniacally. He was enjoying this! It was all just a game to him!

"HAHAHA! Yes! Die! Die, you little bastard, die! HAHAHA!"

Tearing, twisting, tearing, twisting, bleeding, laughing, tearing, twisting. No way, no how was Jamie getting out of this one. A million thoughts raced through his head, but they were all blurry. He was blackening out. Blackening out to comatose or blackening out to meet the Grim Reaper, he didn't know. All he knew was that he wouldn't be here much longer.

Sensing life seething away and almost non-existent, Rick backed away and saw Jamie drop with the knife in his chest. Rick stood and admired his work.

"Lovely," he said. He saw Jamie's blood on his hands and licked it. "The blood of my enemies is always thirst-quenching. Good-bye Jamie. It was an honor to be the one to kill you."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!!!" Bit's yell was quickly followed by the sound of a gunshot. The bullet raced towards Rick's head and pierced it, going straight through it. Blood splattered and Rick's body dropped like a rock, never to get up again.

Brad blew the smoke off his gun. He never missed his mark.

Bit, Brad, and Leena dashed over to Jamie's body. All of them, with wide eyes, stared at the body lying in the pool of blood.

"JAMIE!!!" all three yelled simultaneously. Brad and Leena knelt down. Brad pulled out the knife and tossed it aside. Leena cradled the bloody body in her arms.

"Jamie...no, please, no...Jamie...."

"L-Leena..."

"Don't speak. Save your energy," Leena pleaded. Her face was soon drenched with tears as her clothes were with Jamie's blood. Jamie grabbed Leena's hand, shaking as if he had Parkinson's disease.

"I'm going to die, Leena...."

"No! Don't say that!" she cried.

"Don't be ridiculous, Jamie! We'll get help!" Bit said.

*This is all my fault,* Leena thought. *If I hadn't gone out in my Gunsniper...if I hadn't been so chicken and just talked to him...no, this can't be happening!*

"I...d-don't...have m-much...strength left..."

"Jamie, you can't leave me. You can't. We're young. They're so much we haven't done together." 

Jamie gave her a half-smile, but ended coughing up blood.

"I-I'm sorry Leena...there's so much...I haven't told you. If I'm to leave this world...then I have to tell you this....."

"Forget it. We're calling an ambulence and gettin' you back to shape," Brad said. Jamie shook his head. Impossible. He let out his final words.

"Leena...I love you. Not like a f-friend...or like a sister...more than that..."

"Huh?" Leena asked.

"What?" Bit asked, but in a soft voice. Brad was intrigued.

"I love you L-Leena Tauros...and....good-bye..." Jamie's eyes rolled up to his head.

"Jamie! JAAAAMIIIEEEEE!" Leena cried. Bit rubbed his eyes as well and yes, even Brad Hunter, the hard-edged mercenary, started to get teary-eyed as well.

"No, Jamie...you can't die...I love you, too..."

Y'know, if I were really evil, I could end it right here and now. But I can't do that! I still have to write about the funeral and stuff! Hehehehehe! Soooo…

End Part 9

Heh, just kidding. Maybe Jamie will survive….or maybe he won't! Maybe it will just be a funeral! Who knows? Stay tuned!


	10. Webs Untangled

Well here it is folks. The final chapter. Not much else to say except I hope you like the ending.

To answer a final question from reviewer, di5tortion: Jamie and Leena are only two years apart with Jamie being two years younger than her obviously (those who have been with this story since it was first up may notice that if they go back to past chapters that I have edited them accordingly). The majority of Zoids fanfics have Leena being two years older than Jamie and since that seems a bit more realistic I decided to follow suit. And two years isn't a problem. Just a high school sophomore dating a high school senior. No biggie. If you find two years a problem then don't go into the Outlaw Star section where you'll find people pairing Jim up with Aisha. Now those characters have to be at least ten years apart!

Disclaimer – I do not own Zoids or any of its characters. I don't own Outlaw Star or Kirby either (the song from Chapter 9 was from Kirby 64, the final boss battle). Please don't sue me or I'll counter sue. Trust me, I'm VERY good at counter suing!

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Jamie's eyes flew open. He shot up from his deep sleep. *Where am I?*

There were bandages all around his torso and his wrists. Huh? 

He looked at his surroundings. He was back in the hospital.

"Déjà vu, eh Jamie?" said the doctor. The same doctor that had treated his tumor was at his bedside, to his right. Jamie put a hand to his forehead.

"How long have I been here?" he asked.

"About two days. We really thought we had lost you there. The meds thought you would have been dead on arrival. But thankfully, you just reached a state of comatose and we were able to get you here in time before you lost all your blood."

Jamie looked down at his wrists. He wondered how long Rick's scars would stick around.

"Two days, huh?" he said. The doctor nodded.

"You're friends were really worried about you. Your father even dropped by and actually grabbed my shirt demanding I fix you. I thought I'd have to get security to pull him off me," the doctor laughed. Jamie smiled.

"My dad really came?"

"Yep. Jamie Hemerose is your name, right? Oscar Hemerose was his."

Jamie examined his waist. Nearly his entire body was in bandages, the only skin showing was the upper part of his chest, his arms and his head of course.

"What about the rest of my friends?"

"They were worried sick. Especially that young lady over there," the doctor said pointing to the oppiste bedside. Jamie looked and saw Leena sitting in a chair with a Zoid catalogue in her lap, sound asleep.

"She refused to leave your side. She was determined to stay by you until you either woke up or...well, you woke up. No need to linger on the other choice."

Jamie stared at Leena, his face softening. The doctor chuckled.

"Yeah, we tried to get her out of here, but none of the security guards could touch her. Finally, her father gave her permission to stick around as long as she liked."

"She never left my side?"

"Never. Well, maybe except to use the bathroom or eat or something. But other than that, she never left. I even heard when the paramedics came to get you they had trouble prying your body out of her arms! She must really care about you."

"Yeah. I really care about her, too," Jamie said softly. The doctor smiled a warm smile.

"I'm sure you do, son. Now I'll leave you two alone so I can call Dr. Tauros and tell him you've finally awoken."

"Okay."

The doctor exited the room and closed the door. Jamie peered over the sleeping Leena. Was it really all true what the doctor said? Guess he'd have to ask her himself.

He shook Leena's shoulders lightly. The pressure being applied from his wrists hurt, but he didn't care. He wanted to wake his sleeping beauty up.

Slowly she awoke and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Carefully, she looked to her side and saw Jamie smiling at her. 

"Jamie! You're alive!" she exclaimed happily.

"Heh, yeah," he said playfully. She threw her arms around him. The pressure made Jamie's wounds ache, but he didn't care. He was happy to be in her arms once again. After the long hug, Leena looked at him in the eyes and slapped him.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Jamie asked, completely bewildered.

"Don't you DARE ever do that to me again!" she huffed.

"Geez! Sorry! I didn't mean to nearly get myself killed trying to rescue you! I promise I won't do it again," Jamie said rubbing his cheek. Leena giggled. She put her right hand and caressed his left cheek, softening the blow.

"Oh Jamie," she said, "I'm really glad you're with us. There's no telling what I'd do if you had died."

"I'm sorry I had to put you through that. I honestly didn't expect for all that stuff to go down back there. What did happen after I clocked out?"

"The police and paramedics arrived. So did Dad, Leon, Naomi, even Harry. The police arrested what was left of the Desert Bandits. The paramedics loaded you and the unconscious bandits on to ambulances and put Rick in a body bag."

"He's really dead?"

Leena nodded. "He'll never bother us again." She put her other hand on his other cheek and held his head making perfect eye contact.

"Jamie, you and I have known each other a long time. Our fathers are best friends and have been since their Zoid Academy days. We've been through alot and I can't believe I never said this to you. Jamie Hemerose, I...I love you. And I don't want you to ever leave me." She brought her face closer to his, closed her eyes and kissed him. Jamie remembered the last thing he heard before he went unconscious.

_"No, Jamie...you can't die...I love you, too..."_

So it wasn't a hallucination. Leena's feelings were true. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Leena's hands moved down from Jamie's head to his bare shoulders then to his back and rubbed around it. Jamie's body felt real nice to her, even with all the blood-stained bandages. Jamie's hands slid down from her back to her waist and pulled her into him. The pain from his wounds were beginning to seethe through him, but he ignored it. Pain would not ruin this moment of pleasure.

"Ahem!"

But the doctor would. Jamie and Leena quickly broke their kiss and sat back in their seats, blushing furiously. The doctor laughed.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, but I wanted to let you know, that Dr. Stephen Tauros is on his way. And you might want to know there are cameras in here," he said pointing to a ceiling corner where a video camera blinked a red light. Now their faces blushed even harder. The doctor laughed harder.

"You two are something else," said the old man as he left the room. Fucking moron Leena wanted to say, but she decided against it. He did fix Jamie up after all.

Jamie folded his arms and leaned back against the wall (A/N: Y'know, since he's sitting up on the hospital bed and...Yeah...), glad the awkward moment had past.

"So does everyone know? About us, I mean," he asked.

"Yeah. You were pretty public when you confessed your love for me on your 'deathbed'," Leena answered.

"How's Harry taking it?"

"Let's just say it would be best for you to not go near him for a while."

They both laughed. That was expected. Then Jamie proceeded to ask a more important question.

"H...How's Bit taking it?"

Leena looked down at the ground, sorrow in her eyes.

"I'm not sure. He hasn't said anything about it. Nobody has. As a matter of fact he's acting like nothing happened between us. He really worries me." 

Jamie had a look of uncertainty on his face. He started to feel pretty guilty.

"Um, Leena, did you...did you ever love Bit?" he asked. Leena thought for a moment.

"A little, I guess," she admitted. "I did have a small crush on him when we first met, but he was pretty obnoxious, competitive and cocky."

"And you're not?" Jamie joked. Leena shot him a look.

"Let's not forget how he always steals my food, walks in on me when I'm in the shower, and steals all the glory in Zoid battles." She looked at him. "But even after that I still liked him. But the thing is, you're the one I want, Jamie. You're the one I want to be with. I don't ever want to leave your side."

Jamie took her hand into his.

"You'll just have to explain that to him then."

"I guess you're right."

The door opened slightly and the doctor's head peered out.

"You're family's here," he said, the added a wink, "Just thought I'd give you all a fair warning."

*Family.* Jamie thought. He never really thought of them that way. But it was the perfect word to describe them.

Shortly after, they had arrived. Jamie was greeted by friendly and warm faces.

"Hey there, Jamie," greeted Doc, "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I did two days ago," Jamie answered heartily.

"Déjà vu, eh Jamie?" Bit said, (A/N: Yes, I know the doctor just said that a few minutes ago, but it felt right. So don't hassle me. :P) "Glad you're back in the land of the living."

"Nobody could get any sleep at the base," Brad added, "Even more so then the time you had a tumor."

"Well, I think you've seen enough of the hospital to last you a long time," Leon said, "What do you say we head on back home?"

"Yeah. That'd be great," Jamie agreed.

"Not so fast. I haven't made my entrance yet," said a voice. In walked a familiar face and Jamie's face lit up like a daisy.

"Dad!"

"Hello, son," said Oscar as he walked up to his son. He started patting him on the back. "Sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I tried my best ever since Tauros here called me about your tumor."

"It's okay Dad. Don't worry about it."

Oscar smiled and ruffled his son's hair affectionately.

"This must've been a pretty exciting week, huh?" he said heartily, "You get a tumor and survive it, then the day you come back you have to go on a rescue mission to place full of ruthless thugs and have a hand-to-hand melee with a psychopath, then after nearly getting killed you wake up from a two-day coma only to receive your first kiss from this beautiful redhead."

Jamie blinked in surprise.

"What the...how did you know about that?"

The doctor slunk away from the group quietly with a guilty look on his face.

"Heh heh...I, uh, couldn't resist," chuckled the doctor, "It was just so cute and adorable I just had to tell them all about it!"

Jamie and Leena's faces turned crimson again, except Jamie's was in embarrassment and Leena's was in anger. Why must EVERYONE always know her business?

"Yeah, he even showed us the video from the security camera. Now we know why you wouldn't leave his side," Leon joked.

"You're quite the kisser, Jamie," Brad added.

"Good thing the doctor came in when he did. There's no telling how far you could've gone," Bit chimed in. Everyone was laughing at their little jokes. Leena wanted rip each and every one of them apart. Jamie gave her hand a little squeeze.

"Don't worry about them. You know how they are."

Jamie's father went up to Leena.

"I don't know if you remember this," he said to her, "but when Jamie was first born I brought him over to your house to show Tauros and the family. You wanted to be the first to hold his little body in your little arms. Once he was in your arms his face lit up like th sun and so did yours. And I told you that you would be his special friend. Though I didn't expect it to be this degree of 'special' if you know what I'm sayin'." He gave a hearty laugh. "Am I clairvoyant or what?"

Leena held Jamie's hand and looked into his eyes.

"I remember it. And I guess you are, Mr. Hemerose. He is my very special friend."

And that's it! The End! My first Zoids fic is now complete! Sorry if you didn't like the ending, but it was the best I could come up with.

 I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and told me how good this story was and giving me motivation to continue until the end. And I'd especially like to thank all the readers who read this from chapter 1 to 10. I hope I didn't leave too many plotholes and/or unanswered questions. If I did, please let me know. I really had fun writing the first Jamie/Leena story on FF.Net (I know there's a Wild Eagle/Leena story by Lady Yami on FF.Net, but that's Wild Eagle/Leena, not Jamie/Leena. There's a difference!). Have I inspired anyone to write a Jamie/Leena story? I hope so! Me and Lady Yami can't be the only ones!

I don't know when my next Zoid fic will be or what it will be about. But hopefully you all will enjoy it as much as you did this!

Once again, thank you. Peace, I'm out.


End file.
