-…- means thoughts…

a long line of ------ means changing scenes

Don't belong to me, though I own beyblades and several manga as well.

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"Night," she nodded, and pulled out some more parts from her desk. Millennium Driger and Draciel still needed a little work. A few touch ups here and there.

Kenny looked at Ryu working. "Y'mind if I...help at all?"

"Don't mind, pull up a chair," she nodded waving him over. "I don't mind at all. You seem pretty bright, you could catch flaws I miss."

"Oh, thank you..." Kenny sat down next to her and put his laptop on the desk. "Although I dunno how helpful it'll be...but I have a lot of data on my laptop."

"It's fine..." she chuckled. "You seem pretty prepared. You might wanna consider a career in beyblade design. Having information like that is crucial to finding flaws and advantages."

"Oh, thank you..." He opened his laptop and opened a menu that displayed various Beyblades. Any Beyblade you could think of was probably there.

"You really have done yer homework..." she looks at the screen amused. "I have to use a PC because a laptop doesn't have enough memory to work with the machines around here." She pushes her small oval glasses to the bridge of her nose. "Fer some reason I can't figure out Millennium Driger gets knocked over really easy. And Millennium Draciel is abnormally slow... I haven't been able to find the problem yet. Working on it a few days too."

"Well...let's see..." Kenny pulled up information about Rei's current Driger. "Rei's all about balance...every part is perfectly coordinated based on both weight and strength...so maybe you'll need to find a defense ring that's also rather light..." Kenny clicked, "And as for Draciel...Draciel's a defensive blade, so you probably just over did it concerning the heavier parts..."

"Well let's see," she switched around some parts for others in her desk. After a while she was finished. "Let's try it out," and Kenny's words were true. "Wow... You're good..."

Kenny became slightly red. "Oh, well...after being around Tyson for so long you sorta get good at stuff like this..."

"You really are good. If you want I could get you a job here... I've been looking for an assistant, and you definitely have the knowledge for the job"

"Really? You could...? That'd be excellent...I'd love to!"

"You can start as soon as you want," she ruffled Kenny's hair. "You definitely have the potential to be a pro at this. Just have to ok it with my boss, which is easy."

Kenny smiled. "Thanks..." He yawned. "I'm getting tired...what time is it?"

"Ten thirty, no wonder. Come on I'll show you to the dorms," Ryu motions for Kenny to follow her.

Kenny followed her. "So how long have you been doing this, anyway...?"

"Professionally since I was thirteen..." she shrugged. "Only two years... Just do it a lot. I live at the lab..." -Since I have no where else...-

"I see...that's impressive..." Kenny smiled. "You have a lot of talent."

"I live on it..." she shrugs. "It's fun though. My favorite part is designing the bitbeasts... Do you have a beyblade Kenny?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, yeah..." Kenny pulled out his Beyblade, Hopper. "It was damaged during the previous World Tournament, but I managed to repair it...here you go." He handed it to her. "I'm not much of a blader though..."

"Maybe you an' me can give it a revamp tomorrow..." she suggested. "Make a millennium version."

"Really? That'd be great..." Kenny said, perking up.

"We'll make it our project, since you helped me fix the other millenniums, we'll fix up your Hopper... It'll be fun," She found an empty room. "Here you go," she smiled. "See you in the morning Kenny." She waved and headed to her own room heading to her cupboard and pulling out a bottle of her favorite wine pouring herself a glass to help her get to sleep.

"Uh...goodbye." Kenny smiled and walked into his room. He got himself dressed for bed quickly, and then he lay in bed.

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

She chuckled darkly to herself. "I thought I'd seen the last of that place... But then, whenever you try to forget something, it always comes back..." She puts the blade on the table to check the balance and smirks. "Alrighty then. Looks like you're about done buddy..."

-I'm gonna see what's up...- Kenny got up and walked towards the room Ryu was in. "Ryu...are you alright?"

"Yeah... I'm fine," -No need for you to know about me...- "Just finishing up a beyblade design..."

"Oh, okay...I just thought something was up...Tyson seemed...out of it."

"Well who knows with that kid?" she shrugs. "You almost ready to get to work?" she asks.

"Oh, yes! I'm more than ready!" Kenny said, somewhat stuttering in excitement.

"Alrighty then," she chuckles. "First we need to pick a design, probably similar to the original, but we improve the stats... The special thing about the millennium blades is the bitbeasts are capable of using two elements. So input the beyblade, the blade type, offense defense or speed, the elements, and the bitbeasts name..."

Kenny began inputting various data, all based upon his original Hopper. But, as Kenny had never had a real bit beast, he was lost as to what to put for that part.

"You need help?" she asks. "What do you want your bitbeast to look like?" she pulls out paper and a pencil.

"I...never really thought about it." Kenny said. "Usually, Bit Beasts are ancient spirits...not many people have actually made their own...I don't even know what mine would be..."

"Let's start with something easy... Its name is hopper, so probably some animal that jumps should be the base design."

"Well...I've always had this..." Kenny pulled out his original bit chip to show Ryu. It had a small cartoon frog with large glasses.

"It fits," she chuckles. "Let's work with this little guy then," she sketches it onto the paper. "Defensive offensive or speed?"

"Speed would probably be best..."

"Alright," She adds small amounts of aerodynamic armor to the sketch of the bitbeast. "This look okay?"

"That...looks wonderful. Thank you..." Kenny said. "It's perfect."

"Now you need to name the little guy and we scan him in, and work on the blade's design itself." She grinned. "It's pretty easy once you get the hand of it."

"I think Hopper'll work just fine..." Kenny smiled

"Alrighty," she writes Hopper at the top of the sketch and scans it into her computer. "Now we tweak the design of the blade itself and your buddy Hopper'll be good as new"

-So I'm finally getting a Bit Beast of my own..- Kenny smiled as he typed more into his computer, working on the design of the blade.

Once Kenny was finished Ryu showed him how to upload the design to the machine, and soon enough out came Millennium Hopper.

"Wow..." Kenny smiled, picking the Beyblade up. "It's wonderful..."

She ruffled his hair. "Yup. Good job. You wanna go show your buddies?" she asked.

Kenny slightly reddened. "Sure." He stood up and walked with Ryu to the kitchen.

"Go get em tiger," she grinned. -He's such a sweet kid...-

"Whatcha got there, Kenny?" Max asked.

"It's my new Beyblade...Hopper Millennium!" Kenny displayed proudly.

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

"We should get back..." Kenny said. "Get back home and see what we can figure out..."

"Exactly what I'm gonna do," Ryu says. -I'll run an omega search... The entire internet every language just those two words, demon and beyblade... something's bound to come up...- "We'd better leave quick... That Scales guy killed people in here. We dun wanna be on a murder scene without a culprit or an alibi. Let's go."

They returned to their home, quickly.

"Ryu...the rest are going to try and rest...but I want to help you search for some answers." Kenny said.

"Alright. Thanks Ken-chan," she smiled. "I'm lucky my computer's big enough memory wise for a full web search... That should come up with something..." she typed in her two key words and cringed slightly as one of the top results was an article on her and showing pictures of the foster home she'd spent thirteen years of hell in. "Come on..."

"Wait...Do we even know if anyone other than us and our new enemy recognizes these bladers as 'demons'? And if there aren't very many...Try searching for information on Brooklyn."

"Good idea... He's most likely one of them..." she typed it in, and it listed a ton of stuff. Mainly videos of his battle with Tyson. -Why does that keep showing up today anyway?- she asked herself.

"You can tell me, you know...Since we'll be working together.." -And since I...care about you..- "But if you don't want to tell me, it's okay."

"I'll tell you a little... You might as well know what you're getting into..." She sighs. "I was brought up in a foster home, that article had a picture of it... There were five others with me, and we all had to fend for ourselves... My talent was blading... I'd earn my keep getting prizes from local tournaments... If I won, great, if I didn't I was out of luck... That's why I developed my transformation, to be assured I'd win. My life generally depended on it... I was lucky..." She pulled out her two beyblades. "These two saved me more times then I can count. They're as close to family as I've ever known... What happened back then, is why I'm as messed up as I am now... It's simple..." she sighed. "It's why I wish this stupid transformation's go away now. It reminds me of back then... A constant reminder of how messed up I really am..." she shook her head. -That's... as...far as I'll go... now... I hope I don't regret telling him- "That picture has shown up again and again today... Like it's trying to root itself back into my mind..."

"..You're not messed up...you did what you had to do.." Kenny grabbed her hand, something he was often too shy to even think about. "...It's terrible...I'm sorry for making you tell me..."

"It's okay... I wouldn't've told you if I didn't trust you Kenny. It's probably about time I talked about it... hiding from it only works so long right? Just sorry it's you I burdened with it..."

"No burden at all...I'm glad you told me..." Kenny said. "Because I'm glad you...trust me."

"You're a good kid... Thanks buddy" she smiled softly chuckling. "It's kind of funny though. I used to be a lot like you." -It's why I took you under my wing. You need protected from the harshness of the world as long as you can. So you don't end up like me.-

"You...did?" Kenny said, getting slightly red.

"Yeah, when I was still a kid. Shy, kind of awkward, but still innocent, and kind to everyone..." She ruffled his hair. "You're a good kid."

His face got even redder. He loved when she ruffled his hair. "T-Thanks..."

"It's nothin. I'm only telling the truth."

He smiled. "Thanks...Er, I mean...You know what I mean..."

"I know... Don't sweat it Ken-chan..."

Kenny chuckled a little, "Alright...So...should we get back to our search?"

"Yup. Let's get to it."

"We need to try and get more specific with our search...but I can't imagine where we'd figure out Brooklyn's location..."

"...Hopefully some nice padded cell..."

"If only there was someway to figure out if anyone knew where he is..."

"If we knew about his family... We track them down. They'd know... I'd think..."

"Hmm..." Kenny thought. "I don't recall ever figuring out Brooklyn's last name, so that's out."

"Maybe on of these sites'll have it if we're lucky... if not there's always Sattilyte survailence..."

"Yeah...keep looking..." Kenny said, scooching closer to her so he could see the computer screen better.

"Let's try to search for a school with him on the register..."

"Good idea.." Kenny replied. Kenny's newly shortened distance between him and Ryu had caused him to, again, go red. It was a bad habit. He made a mental note to take care of that one day.

She pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. After a few seconds it found one. "Now... A last name... he's gotta have one..."

"Uh...Ryu..." Kenny was tired of being so weak about it. Brooklyn could wait. "...Can we stop for a moment...?"

"Sure. Something up?" She turned to face him as he seemed distressed.

"Uh...you could say that...There's something I wanna tell you..

"Yeah? What is it?" -Are you alright? Did I scare you?-

Kenny began to poke his two index fingers together nervously. "Well...I know this might not be the proper time but...if I don't say it I might explode..." He gulped. "You see...uh...well..."

"Just say it it's alright..." she put her hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, and say whatever it is alright?"

"Well...I..I..." Kenny took a deep breath. -Here we go...- "I...like you."

Ryu got an immensely surprised look on her face. She felt immensely flattered... And... well... had felt some sort of attachment to Kenny as well... More then just a mentor, mentee relationship. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to hold him close, protecting him from the harsh reality of the world… to keep him her sweet little Ken-chan "I like you too Ken-chan."

"...You...do?" Kenny could have sworn he just saw a pig fly. "...You...really do?"

"You're smart, sweet as can be. And you're modest. You know how hard that is to find? You're a good kid..." she smiled. "I really do."

"Wow...I uh...never thought...I mean...no girl's ever liked me before...I don't know what to say..."

"That's because most other girls now a days are stupid... You're too smart for them and they don't like that."

Kenny blushed. "So...what now?" Kenny knew many things, but wasn't exactly knowledgeable in this area.

She chuckled and pecked his cheek. "It's getting late. We should probably head to bed..."

"Oh, yeah...alright...good night then." Kenny said, standing up and beginning to walk to his room.

"You can share my room if you want, mine's bigger then yours, I've got the space," she smiled at him. -If this works out... I'll quit it all cold turkey. Drinking, everything.-

-S-Share a room?- "Uh, alright." Kenny smiled and walked with her to her room.

It was true her room in comparison to the dorms was gigantic. She grabbed his hand. "No need to be so shy about it..." -That's what lovers do...-

"Alright..." Kenny said smiling, gripping her hand. "It's just...new. That's all."

"I know..." she brushed her bangs from her face. "You'll get used to it though Ken-chan..." she grinned at the younger boy.

"Then let's get to sleep then." Kenny smiled, getting under the bed's blankets.

"Yeah," she nodded and gave Kenny an affectionate hug before drifting off to sleep.

Kenny too, after nervously pecking Ryu's cheek, drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

(These are prior scenes… to show how it started…. Tony Kenny, Ryu Me)

She serves Kenny and then herself. "What'd you want to drink Ken-chan?"

Alexandra held her head down. "Master... I know I've failed you once... Can you just give me one last chance to get them?"

"I suppose...since I am not yet ready..." He hugged. "But if you fail again, Alexandra, I will destroy you without hesitation."

"Just some water will be fine..." Kenny replied.

"Alright," Ryu nodded, getting Kenny water and pouring herself a glass of soda, trying to keep away from alcohol. That habit she was determined to beat.

"I understand sir... I do not deserve your kindness..." -I won't fail again!-

"You're right. You don't. Now, go prepare for another battle."

Kenny started sipping his water. "Thank you, Ryu." He smiled.

"You're welcome," She started nibbling at her food.

"Yes sir!" she nods, and heads off to her training arena. -I work until I can't stand anymore...-

Kenny began eating as well. "Delicious, as usual..."

"Glad you like it," she chuckles, sipping her soda. -Deep down you're a monster- those words were going through her mind over and over. Was it true? No... She was good. -I'd never be like that...-

"Something on your mind, Ryu?" Kenny asked. "You seem upset..."

"That girl just said I was a monster... She said 'Deep down you're a monster... just like me'" she shrugs. "It just bothers me... that's all..." -Can't help wondering it she's right...- "I'm just sensitive to that kind of stuff..."

"I understand...but I know you're nothing like her, Ryu." Kenny grabbed her hand gently. "I know better."

"Thanks..." She grabbed his hand back. "Thanks for having faith in me," -It means a lot...-

"I always will. It'd be silly to think otherwise."

"I'm glad..." she finishes her food and puts her dishes in the sink. -You're the only one...-

Kenny put his dishes in the sink as well. "I'll always be here. Don't worry."

"I won't..." She yawned. "Dunno why I'm sleepy... It's not that late..."

"Probably your battle. You can go sleep if you want. I'll be fine."

"Thanks... I'll see you in the morning..." she sends to her room laying down. "I'm not a monster..." she told herself, and pulled the cover over herself. everything added together was putting a lot of stress on her.

Kenny sat in the lab, working on trying to find out anymore information they could. "There has to be something..."

"What about the human she left behind?" Alexandria wondered. "The young one... I wonder if I could use him..."

Kenny searched even more. "There doesn't seem to be much of anything...but then again...it'd be easier if I knew what I was looking for..." He sighed.

Ryu fell into a troubled sleep. -What if I am a monster?-

"I'll at least try... They're the most similar... I separate her from someone she trusts like him and she'll go crazy," Alexandria told herself, plotting.

"There has to be something I can search for...but what...?" Kenny started doing background checks for random things vaguely related to the situation, hoping that something would come up.

"Since he hasn't been exposed to my poison, I'll take him out easily..." She clenched her fist. "This should work... heh"

"Nothing..." Kenny sighed. "Wait...What's this...?" Kenny clicked a link.

Alexandria packed her blade and left. She had practiced enough. "Besides... humans are weak... And any second he could find information on our hideout for his little friends to use..."

Kenny had found a page on ancient demon-to-human transformations. Apparently, they had occurred sporadically throughout history. "But what does this mean...?

She jumped up taking flight. "Its late, the human will be distracted..." her wings seemed to glow in the moonlight. She sighed. She'd been the result of an experiment... based on observations of ancient texts and the fact that there were some humans who'd found a way to the demon realm.

"If these transformations have occurred throughout history...how can we defeat those who have them...?" Kenny wondered.

She stands on the roof of the building, starting to release her poison dust into the air which got in through open windows.

Ryu tossed in her sleep. Some felt wrong.

Kenny coughed. -Feeling a little dizzy...- he thought. But he couldn't give up now...they needed to know this information.

"Soon enough... the weak human will be dead, Ryu will go insane..." Ryu's instinct forced her awake. "Something's wrong..."

Kenny coughed harder. -I...can't breathe...- He held his neck. -...I...-

"No... Please no..." Ryu sprinted. -Her again. Kenny!- She leapt down a flight of stairs. -You've gotta be alright!- "This'll be fun..." Alexandria chuckled darkly.

Kenny's sight became blurry. -...I can't...see...anything...- He attempted to stand, to even shouted, but he couldn't.

She got to the first floor heading for that lab. "Please let me be wrong... Ken-chan!" she pushes open the lab door. "Ken-chan!" She cradled him. "You're gonna be okay..." -I promise-

Alexandria chuckled swinging in the window, admiring her handiwork.

"...Can't..." Kenny coughed. He weakly pointed to the girl in the window. "...Her..."

"I'll take care of her don't worry..." Ryu's eyes went red even without transforming. Pure anger. "I should have killed you then... You won't live this time!" -You hurt Kenny... That's unforgivable.-

"And we won't settle it with tops this time sister. I'll bring you into service by force! No beyblades this time!" -Because I can't beat you that way-

"Be...careful..." Kenny said weakly. His breathing became more intense.

"You just worry about yourself... okay?" Ryu asked. "I'll be fine..." she pulled out her blade, facing Alexandria as tears threatened to spill. -I'll save you Kenny I promise...-

"Weakling little human. He's not immune like us sister. He has two or three minutes at best..."

"Don't...worry...about...me..." Kenny said, each word a struggle

-I'll always worry about you- She flips the blade into her hand. "You will pay dearly. I'll show your master now to mess with me!" -You'll be okay... You have to... You just have to!-

The two began fighting, Ryu's rage powering her up immensely. She has to force this girl to heal Kenny. Somehow... -Just hang on... You're strong Ken-chan... stronger then you realize.-

"Ryu..." He looked up, seeing Ryu fight. -Be careful...don't let her beat you...-

After a minute or two Ryu had Alexandria pinned the blade ready. "You're going to undo your stupid poison, or I rip you to unrecognizable shreds. Got it?" Alexandria did as she was told to lower Ryu's guard and attacked again. "There, you're precious human'll get better soon. We're still fighting don't FORGET!"

Kenny smiled, -All up to you...- and passed out, now free from the poison but terribly exhausted.

-I'll be with you soon Ken-chan- The fighting gets more intense and neither seems better then the other. Both have multiple bleeding cuts and bruises and the like. Finally Ryu emerges on top with her blade to Alexandria's throat. "You shoulda stuck to beyblades, it'd hurt less."

"Kill me then. I lose and my master kills me anyway..."

"Why let him? Why don't you fight back? Why would you let yourself be a tool like that?"

Alexa jerks her elbow backward. "It's the only way I know to live. I live and die by the words of a master."

Kenny jerked awake. He felt a little better, but then again he hadn't been passed out for long. He looked at Ryu.

-He's okay... Good-

"Masters obsessed with you and that other. The only reason he didn't kill me before is because he's not ready to fight himself."

"Choose a different master then. Throwing your life away won't change what you are!"

"Ryu..." Kenny didn't want anyone to die. "...Does she have to die?"

"I don't see any other way to stop her from trying to kill... I let her go before," -But I can't forgive her hurting you... I just can't!-

"If...that's what you have to do then..." Kenny said, still feeling weak.

"I'm going to finish this outside... back in a sec..." Ryu says, and teleports Alexandria to the roof of the building, the breeze picks up, Ryu clenching Alexandria's collar. "I'll prove I'm not a monster... I'll let you live..." She throws the demon to the ground.

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A/N

(To here, Tony played Kenny... I played Ryu and Alexandria From here on it's all me... There's more to it... much more... but I don't want to spoil it... It's based on a 70 or so page RP. But this isn't in the story it's my own work…. Just an idea I tacked on. Tony read it and said I should put it up so I am)

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She went back to Kenny's side. "I'm... Sorry... I should have know... I should have known she'd try something like this..."

Kenny coughed a few times. "It's okay..." he smiled. "I'm fine... you don't... have to apologize..."

"You..." tears flowed down the girl's cheeks. "You could have died... I was so scared..." -I had promised to protect you...- Kenny was still weak so she held him against her. -I'm such a failure...-

"Just... calm down... Stop blaming yourself..." she hadn't said it, but Kenny could tell. "I'm gonna be fine..." he got up, shakily, falling backward. Ryu caught him. "Still a little dizzy..." he chuckled.

Ryu picks him up. "I'll just get you to bed so you can rest..."

Kenny nods, his head resting on her shoulder as she carries him. He drifts to sleep to the light sad pounding of Ryu's heart. -Why were you treated so badly? It's not fair...- he wondered.

She lay Kenny down, kissing his forehead. "Night buddy..." She lays down next to him, and opens the drawer on her night table, pulling out her old diary for the first time in years.

-Dream like sequence-

A small playground, a sandy area near a broken squeaky swing-set, little kids standing around a beystadium.

"Hey, wanna come play with us?"

"Don't ask her, she's a monster, remember?

"Oh yeah..."

"I... am not..." a much younger Ryu begins to cry, and turns, running away, her hand clenched around a homemade beyblade. She gets back to the foster home she's lived in as long as she can remember, running into her room closing and locking the door. "Why... Why can't I be normal..." She sobs into her pillow.

A dark demonic looking wolf snuggles next to her. She buries her face in its mane like fur. "It's alright... I'm here for you... Always will be," it says in a gruff, but strangely soft voice.

Ryu sniffles. "I know... I just wish... someone else would be..."

The scene fades out. A new setting, a dark city night.

Another time, this time she's running from a crowd of people, she ducks into an alleyway panting. A different beyblade clenched in her fist. It glows, and a large lycanthropic beast with crystalline wings. It gets in front of her as the mob enters the alleyway. It fights them off. The mob runs off.

The beast goes to comfort its master. It pats her head. "They just don't understand that people are different... Ryu... Don't worry... It's gonna be okay... I promise..." the beast sits next to her. A while passes. "It's about time you get home, before they get mad..."

Ryu nods. When her foster parents get mad they get violent, she has the bruises and cuts to prove it. Her foster father broke her arm once for losing at a tournament. No one in that town cared about the monster so he didn't even get in trouble...

Ryu snapped back to reality and closed the book, placing it in the drawer, but forgetting to fully close it. She fell into a deeply troubled sleep, quivering most of the night.

Kenny woke up briefly and looked over at Ryu. -She looks so scared...- he thought, and, wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay... No need to be scared," he whispered shyly in her ear. "Stop shaking..."

At first Ryu shy'd away from the touch, but finally she calmed, her quivering stopped. -Ken-chan... I failed to protect you? How... can you care about a failure?-

Kenny snuggled against her and went back to sleep. -You're gonna be okay...-

-I tried so hard and failed... how can you still care?- She was used to, when she failed, people getting mad, yelling, screaming... And pain. Failure was often connected with pain, which is why she'd been so scared at first, even asleep of being touched.

The sun finally rose, Kenny woke up immediately. He looked over to see the open drawer, and curiosity led him to open the book inside. He started reading. -How... terrible...- he looked over at the still sleeping Ryu. -No wonder... You probably thought I was going to hit you like they did...- He slips the book back into the drawer and grabs his glasses. "I will never hurt you... Remember that..."

After a little while Ryu woke up, quite shaken. "I guess I never should have reread it..." she mutters to herself, shivering.

"Ryu? You okay?" Kenny asks putting his hand over hers.

"I'm... fine... God I need a smoke..." Her hands were shaking.

"You're not fine... Are you?" -Why are... you lying to me?-

"I had a... a nightmare... about when... when he t-tried to..." she quivered. "I killed him..." Her voice cracked. "Mom... I didn't mean to... stop it!" her eyes widened in terror her hands shook more. "I didn't mean to kill him..."

Occasionally she would fade from the real world seeing it as a memory. Her smoking usually prevented it, oddly enough, but she hadn't had one in almost, if not a full day. The cigarettes were a stabilizing tool more then anything because it unlike any medications doctors prescribed actually help.

"Ryu? Kenny was scared. He'd never seen anything like this, never even read about it. He wrapped is arms around her waist. "R-Ryu... Calm d-down... It's me..."

She jolted, panting. "K-Kenny?" she looked away. "God... I'm so sorry... I must have scared you..." -That hasn't happened in so long... God dammit..."

"It's okay... d-don't worry," -You sounded more scared then I was...-

"Did I... say... anything?"

"No..." -You... killed someone? I... I need to find out why... So I can help...-

Ryu walked outside pulling out a cigarette and her lighter. After lighting it, she took a long drag, letting the nicotine seep into her system. -I'm sorry I'm so fucked up... I... I wish you didn't love me... So you wouldn't have to know about me... I don't want you to be hurt... by my past...- tears leaked down Ryu's face. -I... I love you... and I don't want to fuck you up like my damn foster parents fucked me up... I'm sure... you could find... someone who'd be better for you..." -Someone less broken-

Kenny watched her through the window. "What are you thinking about that hurts so much?" he clenched his fist tears starting to trickle down his face as well. "Why can't you tell me? I-I love you... I just... I just want to help you..." -why wont you let me help..."

"I'm a monster... I'll end up tainting you... I can't let that happen..." the tears grew steadier. "You're the first person to ever care about me... And I love you more then anything else on this planet... I'm scared that you, the one person who cares about me... will turn out like me... because of me..." she flicks the cigarette to the ground. "I can't let that happen..."

Kenny walked down to greet her... and hugged her waist, as, that was about as high as he could reach, Ryu was tall and he was short. "I don't care about anything you've done... I promise..."

Ryu squatted down so they were level, hugging him back.

He lay his head on her shoulder, tears falling to her clean white lab coat. "The past doesn't matter to me... only the future. Only... us... and my friends... The past is behind you..." he grips her tighter. "I'm sure by now you've been forgiven..."

Now this stunned her more then anything else. "How can... anyone... forgive... a monster?..."

"You're not... As I said before... You did what you had to do..."

"Maybe... you're right..." she swiped at her eyes, feeling pathetic.

Kenny built up his courage, and did one thing he never thought he'd do... his kissed Ryu, right on the lips. He turned bright scarlet, but he did it. He nervously poked his tongue in her mouth and found it wasn't that bad, it tasted sweet and a little smoky, kind of like a marshmallow you cook over a wood fire.

Ryu was surprised at first, but she responded, every stroke of her tongue against his passionate. She'd never done this and neither had he. She'd never known love, not even that of a parent so this was stunningly new... But it was what she needed. They pulled apart to breathe. -This is the real start to my new beginning. And it's all thanks to you... My beautiful little Ken-chan...- "You know... You make me complete..."

Kenny held her hand, still bright red. "I know..." he smiled shyly and the two went inside. "That's what lovers do." he finished. Nothing else needed said.

The End... Or is it? If anyone has an idea how to continue, I'll consider adding to it.