Summary: She was like a little stray cat, which desperately needed his help. He reflected that it felt good to be needed.

Not sure if this is as good as my other stuff. Haven't really proof-read it properly cuz I just wanted to get it up.

Stray Cat

It had snowed over night, big thick flakes, and the ground was coated in at least three inches of the fluffy white stuff. Of course, that meant that the first thing the Bladebreakers did was start a snowball fight.

If there was ever a final straw for Kai, it was that. He put up with their nonsense twenty-four-seven, but he was not going to partake in something as immature as a snowball fight.

It was for this reason that, at 11.30 in the morning, Kai found himself creeping out of the back door of Tyson's dojo and hurrying away from the scene of carnage that the others were creating in the front yard, taking care to ensure that the others could not follow his tracks and drag him into their mini-war.

He followed his usual route, favouring winding between the close-set trees of the forest rather then following the well-trodden path. There was little light down there, and it was somewhat colder then outside the forest, but it was also quiet and peaceful, which Kai welcomed.

He walked briskly through the trees, approaching the small clearing where he usually trained. Once there, he launched his blade into the snowy ground, and started practising, slaloming around invisible obstacles, and commanding his blade to complete complicated and difficult moves. He did all of this with a certain ease and grace, one which clearly demonstrated the reason why he was the captain of the Bladebreakers.

After a while, he decided he had done enough, so he recalled his blade. Of course, he was loath to even start returning to the dojo now; it would be far too dangerous. Tyson and Max would be at it for hours, and even though he was pretty sure Rei would take his side, he didn't want to take the risk.

Kai seated himself on a boulder which was propped against a tree at the edge of the clearing. He drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, staring out into the distance. Relaxing with a sigh, he quickly sank into his thoughts.

He was so deep in thought that when he was first jolted back to reality, Kai thought he had dreamed up the sound he heard. He listened hard, all senses on high alert.

"He- help!"

The second time he heard it, Kai was sure he was not mistaken. He jumped down from his perch, and turned around, trying to locate where it had come from.

A sudden scream pierced the otherwise still atmosphere of the forest, and Kai set off running as fast as he could in the direction it came from. He dodged around the trees, hurrying to get to the person who was obviously in need. It didn't take him long, and suddenly he broke in on another clearing.

The sight he saw before him would make even the most frozen of hearts bleed in pity.

On the ground, curled up into a defensive ball, was a young girl, about ten or eleven years old, with icy blonde hair and big violet eyes. She was petite and seemed to be of fairly average strength for her age. Her skin was extremely pale, and she seemed to be in excruciating pain.

Above her, there towered a man, around his mid twenties, Kai estimated. He had tanned skin and dark hair, and his eyes were a cold, stony grey.

Between them, a beyblade battle was raging.

At that moment one of the blades, a black one exuding a dark purple glow, gave the second one, this one light blue and exuding a yellow glow, a hard knock. The blue one was sent spiralling back.

The girl gave another scream of pain.

"Stupid girl, so weak!" the man taunted, attacking the girl's blade with his own repeatedly. Neither of them seemed to have noticed Kai yet.

The blue blade was really taking a beating, but it was still holding in, as if kept spinning by a divine force. Kai knew instantly that the girl possessed a bit beast, and by the looks of it, the man did too.

Kai's hunch was proven when the man suddenly summoned the great beast from his blade.

"Cerberus, Hell's Fury attack!"

The black blade rushed towards the light blue blade, swirls of darkness forming round it. The blue blade took a direct hit, and the girl, unable to defend herself, was thrown back against the trunk of a tree. Blood started to seep through her shirt.

Kai wondered how she could be harmed from a simple beyblade attack, but suddenly he realised. He had seen dirty tricks like that used before, at Balkov Abbey.

Wanting to step in, he started forward, but then stopped. It was over already. The blue blade was motionless, lying at the girl's feet, and the cruel man had recalled his own blade.

"Pathetic little girl!" He spat at her feet as he turned away, obviously intending to leave her there.

The girl cried out weakly as he walked away, but then the last of her strength left her and she fainted.

Making a split second decision, Kai gathered the girl up in his arms and set off at a run towards the dojo.

It took him longer that normal, due to his unnaturally heavy load, but he persevered and eventually arrived back. He barely noticed that the boys were still engaged in their snowball fight, as he dodged past them and entered the dojo.

Not even pausing to remove his shoes, as he ought to, to honour the owners of the house, Kai ran down the hall, and slipped round the corner into the room that he had been assigned. He gently laid the girl down on his bed.

Stepping back a step, he appraised her carefully. She was small, as he had thought, and she looked even weaker and more vulnerable now. Just the sight made Kai want to protect her, to go out and find that man and kill him… With his bare hands!

Shaking those thoughts away, Kai forced himself to focus on more current issues. He dug around in his closet until he came out with a small red bag, which he unzipped to reveal a small selection of first aid tools. He drew out some bandages and a pair of scissors, and then he set to work on the long gashes lining the girl's arms and stomach.

He was just finishing up his work, binding the last cut on her stomach, when suddenly, the girl stirred. Her eyes popped open, and she stared up at him with an innocent, confused expression.

"What… Who are you? Where am I?" she asked in a very weak voice.

Kai didn't reply, not sure how too. Instead, he just crossed the room and started to pack his things back into his cupboard.

Finally he spoke.

"Kai."

"What?" she asked quietly.

"My name is Kai. You were hurt, so I brought you back here."

"Oh…" Her voice trailed off. "I'm Rose." She shot him a tiny smile, as she curled her self up tightly into a ball, burying herself in the blanket on the bed.

"Thank you," she whispered suddenly, as she drifted off to sleep. She stared at him for a few moments more, before her bright violet eyes fell closed.

Kai stared down at the young girl on his bed. She was like a stray cat, he mused. One which desperately needed his help. It felt good to be needed, he reflected. It was not something he was used to, but it was definitely something he could get used to.

No, he decided after watching her for a few more minutes. She wasn't a stray cat, she was an angel. And for now, she was his angel.

… F I N …

AN: Aww, how cute, Kai's found a little stray kitty to take care of!

This came to me during my German class yesterday, and I just had to write it down! The idea is that Kai learns what it's like to feel needed, to have someone depending on him.

I just thought it would be a good idea.

Please R and R. Thanks.

That's all for now.

x Nikki x