Savin' Me

Melanie collapsed onto her bed; her thin form bruised and battered falling onto the soft white mattress, her blood staining the material in some places. She groaned and turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling through her blurred vision. She closed her eyes again, 'Damn Hiwatari' she thought. Yes, she had been beaten by him again! She heard the door being open and shut tightly. She flinched slightly, her body tensing up when she heard footsteps getting closer to her bed.

A hand rested down onto her stomach and she winced and bit her lip to hold back a yell of pain. Her eyes shot open and she looked up into lavender eyes, the same eyes that always held nothing…but strangely, held something this time. Bryan looked down at her with a hint of worry in his eyes, "You should have been more careful." He scolded.

Melanie sighed, "Look Bryan if you came here to lecture me, I'm not in the mood. I know, I screwed up, thanks for rubbing it in." she told him, closing her eyes again.

Bryan sat down next to her body on the bed, "So what, you're going to leave yourself to lie here and die from blood loss?" he asked angrily.

Melanie turned her head onto the side, "Yeah that was the point. It wouldn't make any difference if I died or lived, I'd just be better off." She whispered.

Bryan glared at her angrily, his eyes no longer holding worry, "Well it makes a difference to some of us." He replied sternly. Standing up, he went to the small bathroom and brought back to the bed a small first aid kit. "Take your jacket off." He ordered.

"Excuse you?" Melanie yelled, her eyes snapping open and staring up at him with confusion and anger in them.

"Look I'm not comfortable doing this either but I don't want you dead." Bryan yelled, "Now take off the damn jacket." He repeated. Melanie stared up at him confusedly and fearfully, "Don't worry I'm not a rapist or anything." He assured her.

"Yeah I know that but I still don't get why you're helping me." Melanie said.

"I just am now be grateful and hurry up; I don't have all blasted night." Bryan complained.

Melanie looked up at him for a second, unbuttoning the tight denim jacket and pealing it off her body. Bryan took the blooded jacket from her and put it on the floor next to him. Melanie lifted her black top slightly, showing him her bruised and cut stomach. Bryan took some antiseptic cream from the first aid kit and started to rub a little into the cuts on her stomach. Pain jolted through Melanie and she grabbed his wrist and pulled it a few inches off her stomach. Her head rested back as she winced, trying to keep her grip on Bryan's arm and trying to suppress her pain.

"Its internal bleeding, you can't stop it now. Just go or you'll get caught." Melanie whispered, finally letting go of his wrist.

"I'm not leaving you to die so you can forget it." Bryan yelled coldly.

"What the hell do you want me to do then? I lost and now I'm dieing, live with it." Melanie yelled back.

"I can't live with it and I won't!" Bryan yelled. Melanie was about to speak again but her eyes widened and a trembling hand moved over to her mouth. The back of her hand was placed against her mouth and blood spluttered out and onto her hand. "Melanie you can't die. You've taught me so much and I won't be able to live around here." He told her, stroking her arm softly.

Melanie looked up at him; she pushed herself up into a seated position as Bryan just stared at her in confusion. She found her footing and pulled herself up to her feet, staggering over to the bathroom. She walked inside and shut the door without another word, leaving a heartbroken Bryan in the bedroom. "Why doesn't she want me around her?" he whispered to himself.

"Because she doesn't want you to see her die." A voice said from behind him.

Bryan looked behind him, seeing Tala in the doorway with his arms crossed. "I can't let her die." Bryan whispered, "She taught me too much…"

"In return for you helping her. Now it's her time to go and you have to face it." Tala told him regretfully, walking over to him. "Come on. Lets get some food in you." He told him, grabbing him by the arm and leading him to the door.

Bryan took one last glance toward the door, sighing, he allowed himself to be led outside of the bedroom.

---2 Hours Later---

Bryan walked through the halls, his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked up and sadly stared at the front door of the room he used to love the most, Melanie's. "Go inside." Tala told him from behind him.

Bryan shook his head sadly, turning his eyes away from the door when for the first time he actually felt tears well up in them, "I'm just not ready to." He whispered.

"I'll come with you." Tala told him, pushing him toward the door and opening it.

Bryan looked up from where his eyes had stared at the ground and lavender eyes widened when his eyes set themselves on a figure in the bed. Green eyes stared back at him, a weak smile planted on Melanie's lips as she stared at his shocked expression. Spencer and Ian stood by her bed, looking back at Bryan with smirks. "Happy to see me still in one piece?" Melanie asked with a weak voice.

Bryan stared on at her, his jaw dropping slightly as he tried to find his voice through all the confusion, "Yeah…of course but how?" he asked.

"She's our friend too Bryan, we couldn't leave her to die." Spencer replied for her.

"Yeah so Spencer here decided to help her out and he actually saved her. Turns out his nursing skills were good for something." Ian said with a smirk at the older blader.

Bryan walked closer to the bed, looking down at her, seeing the thick bandages through the covers, her shoulders bare where the bandages hadn't covered. He smiled, thinking of something to say, "So he can see you naked but I can't?" he asked jokingly.

"Bryan…" Melanie started, "I would have rather died…but I didn't…because you didn't want me to, so does that really matter right now?" she asked.

"Not really." Bryan said, "I'm glad you're ok." He whispered.

"We all are." Tala said from near the door.

"So…let me get this straight, you knew about this?" Bryan asked, turning back to Tala.

Tala stared at him for a second, thinking of the right answer, "Yes?" he tried.

"I'm so going to kill you." Bryan said, running after Tala threateningly as they both raced out the door.

Melanie laughed softly, "You two better go; they're going to need you, Ian, as a referee. And they're going to need you to help out whoever loses Spencer." She whispered to them.

"Yeah, I better go." Ian said, running out the door and round the corner the other two had turned to.

"Same here. I'll come back to check on you later." Spencer told her.

"Thanks. Come down here a second." Melanie told him. Spencer kneeled down to her level, getting a small kiss on the cheek and blushing slightly, "Just a little thank you." She told him.

"Words would have been enough." Spencer told her, walking to the door, "I'll be back later." He told her before finally leaving.

Melanie smiled, lying back into the mattress and tightening the covers around her for some added warmth. The bedroom door creaked open after a few minutes, she opened her emerald green eyes and looked up into worried ones that stared at her from across the room. Bryan locked the door and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Are you happy I'm alive?" Melanie asked.

"Of course." Bryan replied, his hand moving onto hers and clutching it tightly.

"Good…you won't be so lucky next time." Melanie whispered, closing her eyes.

"I hope there isn't a next time." Bryan whispered back, clutching her hand.

"Well, heaven isn't opening up for me." Melanie replied with a weak laugh.

Bryan raised an eyebrow, "What about hell?" he asked.

"Satan thinks I'll take over." Melanie replied.

They both laughed and Melanie looked back up into Bryan's eyes, she pushed herself up, resting with her arms behind her back for support, "You shouldn't be…" Bryan started, being cut off by soft lips on his.

Melanie pulled away, "I know." She whispered, nodding, "Thanks." She said, lying back again and her other hand moving onto his own.

"For what?" Bryan asked confusedly, a rosy tint still on his cheeks.

"For savin' me." Melanie replied, her hand stroking his cheek as he rested against the soft skin when it touched him. They had now fallen and they had fallen hard, leaving them both there till practice the next day, huddled up against each other for added warmth from the cold air that constantly blew into the bedroom. The room they had their best and worst times. "Why don't you ever let me look out for you?" Bryan asked while Melanie's form rested in his arms.

Melanie looked up at him, "I'd ask you the same question." She whispered.

"Just…let me look out for you from now on." Bryan told her, tightening his hold on her.

"Maybe…we can look after each other?" Melanie suggested.

"I'd like that." Bryan whispered.

Blood loss finally drained Melanie and she fell asleep in Bryan's arms. He stared down at her, how can a girl as young as her could have gone through so much hell and still be alive. Because he saved her, he saved her life and now he realized that all she needed was some saving. "I love you." He whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Melanie smiled and turned her head onto the side, "I love you too." She whispered sleepily.