This story is set after Knuckle Up. I do not own 3 Ninjas.

Tum Tum is watching his brother's pace in their bedroom, popping a couple of jelly beans into his mouth, sitting on his bean bag chair. Wearing his pajamas. Sitting back, his attention goes to the ceiling; instead of wanting to listen to Rocky go after Colt for what he'd done at school that day.

"He had it coming, I put him in his place" Colt stated back as he sat on his bed and Rocky stands to face him. Colt is wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans; Rocky is wearing an olive green collared shirt that has 3 buttons at the top and dark blue jeans. "You embarrassed him and made a mockery of him. Now he wants to fight us" Rocky confirmed and restated what Colt's action had caused.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Colt stood up and stood in front of Rocky. Looking him in the eye as if daring him to come up with something better than the usual 'control your temper' because he wasn't even in a really bad mood when it happened. It just slipped out.

"Maybe not attack him left, right and center with the comments… I'm glad you didn't attack him physically but still. You should have backed off when I told you to" Rocky answered and Colt rolled his eyes to groan and turn away and look out the window.

"And now he wants to fight to settle all scores between us" Colt summed up and looked over at their little brother who is still looking at the ceiling. "What does the note say that he gave you when at the front door?"

Rocky put his right hand into his jeans pocket, he hadn't had a chance to look at it earlier because their Mom came up to behind just as he'd closed the door before dinner. Unfolding the lined piece of paper, Colt turned around to face him moved to stand next to him.

"9:45 12 Glenwood's Avenue, just Jeff and Sam" Rocky read out loud, to which Tum Tum then sat up and swallowed what he had in his mouth.

"What? That's not fair!" Tum Tum whined and his brother's looked at him.

"They don't have a quarrel with you Tum Tum, even with the Basketball game a while back. Besides if Mom or Dad catches us while we're out at least you won't get into trouble" Colt reasoned and Rocky walked over to their little brother.

"Be happy you don't have to deal with these guys, besides we'll be back before you know it" Rocky said with confidence and looked at his watch reading 9:30. Looking at Colt, "we have to get going… best option of Mom and Dad not knowing would be through my window."

Not a moment to soon the red light near their bedroom door began buzzing. Rocky going to the desk light and turning it off while Colt rushes to turn the red light and Tum Tum charges for his bed. Rocky and Colt jumping into their beds and pulling their covers on just as the bedroom door opened.

Mrs. Douglas smiling at her boys in bed, and closing the door quietly for Colt to quietly jump out of bed and Rocky to open his bedroom window.

Pulling up to the building marked at 12 Glenwood's Avenue, Rocky looked at Colt to see guilt written on his face. It is the public pool that has a security guard patrolling it at night. Pulling up to the front the guys attach their bikes to the bike holder, a security guard guy standing at the front door with a torch flashlight.

"You boys Jeff and Sam?" the guy asked, Rocky and Colt standing their ground before him.

"Yes" Colt answered and the guy smirked, crew cut hairstyle, sleeves rolled up to show his biceps and black slacks. This guy obviously loves to work out and intimidate people.

"My cousin Darren is waiting for you both inside," the guy said and he opened the door for them both.

Keeping their eyes ahead, Colt and Rocky don't even give him a second glance as they walk through the lobby to the double doors that enter to the huge pool. Once stepping through the brother's immediately see the big colored guy and his taller friend wearing their usual baseball caps and baggy clothes.

"Glad you two didn't chicken out" the tall dirty blonde one Darren commented and got up from the bleachers.

"Look, we just want to settle everything between us" Rocky said, calm and collected as he and Colt walk down the front of the pool, the shallow end and make their way to the corner to head down to where the bleachers are. Next the deep end.

"Oh yeah, we'll settle this all right. This is where you little punks and us finally end it all" the big colored guy said, Darren leaning against the ladder to go into the mid section of the pool.

"Well, what's going to happen?" Colt asked, putting his hands into his pockets.

Darren then got a big smirk on his face, "you see, that's the fun part" he then did a whistle and out from behind the bleachers came four of the rest of the gang of bullies. Walking up behind Colt and Rocky.

Colt and Rocky looked behind them and then at the two leaders, "six against two?" Colt said in disbelief. Making sure to hide the joy out of kicking their butts.

"Technically… two on one, seeing as how the little horsy thinks he's such hot stuff, two for him and two for Sammy. The other two which will be the both of us" the big guy used his thumb to point to himself and Darren.

"Will be watching form the bleachers, my cousin is not going to interfere with what is going on," Darren added and the four followers walked up behind Colt and Rocky. "If you two punks can beat up our boys… and ourselves if we see an opening – then we will no longer bother you in or out of school."

Rocky looked at Colt who shared the same look while the two leaders moved to the bleachers to watch their four guys getting ready to wrap their arms around the two guys.

As if on que both Rocky and Colt took a step backwards and thrust their elbows back to catch each of the four guys in the gut. Quickly turning around Colt shoved the one to his left to fall onto his back, turning to the one on his right he quickly punches him between the eyes to knock his vision fuzzy and then quickly kick the guy in the side to knock him into the water head first.

Rocky noticed the one guy immediately going to try and punch him with his left fist so he grabbed his wrist and then flipped the guy onto his back. The one on his right then coming up to grab him, Rocky quickly crouches down and punches him in the crotch to make the guy immediately crumple. Allowing Rocky to grab the top of his head with his right hand and snack the guy's head into his knee.

Looking over Rocky notices that Colt has gotten rid of one of his guys already and pushes his to him, "Colt!" Rocky stated and Colt takes a step back but holds his one foot out so the guy trips and falls close to where his buddy fell.

Looking ahead Colt sees the guy he'd shoved coming for him now, the guy swings his right fist at him for Colt to duck and kick at the inside of his ankle to make the guy fall to his knee. Quickly Colt grabs his nose between his fingers to see and hear the guy wince before letting go to flick him in the nose. Taking a step back as the guy starts to get back up, Colt does a tornado kick, hitting the guy in the shoulder and knocking him into the pool.

Rocky spun around to see his other guy scrambling to his feet to come charging at him, Rocky takes a step towards him and then does a flip just as he reaches him for the guy to stumble and spin around. Just as Rocky had landed he spun around to do a high kick and kicks the guy across the face, which leaves him to lose balance and fall over next to Colt. The guy rolling over on the tile floor up the edge for Colt to just give him a nudge.

The guy frantic when falling grabs Colt's foot, caught off guard by the last resort from this guy Colt gets pulled into the water with him.

"COLT!" Rocky calls out and rushes over to feel a hand on his shoulder pull him back hard. Spinning around, Darren attempts to punch Rocky in the head for Rocky to dodge and punch him in the under arm making Darren let go of Rocky's shirt.

Colt starts to climb out of the water while the goons are swimming for the ladder while the cousin walks over to the goons.

Rocky yanks on the hand that was holding him to pull him forward and then moves around to take out his knee while the colored guy comes over and Colt is on his feet and rushing over to assist Rocky.

Colt runs and then falls to his side and slides over to trip the big guy who just grabbed at the back of Rocky's shirt. Darren noticing Rocky coming off of him rolls away, just as the big guy immediately loses balance and stumbled while clinging to Rocky. Nothing for Rocky to grab as the big guy pulls him over the edge to fall into the water with him.

"ROCKY!" Colt shouts, his soaking wet hair clinging to his face along with his clothes sticking to his body to feel a hand grab the back of his shirt and pull him onto his knees as he'd tried to grab at Rocky once he noticed he was being pulled towards the pool.

The cousin holding his hand out towards the four goons, "your on private property, if you attempt to engage them a second time I'll report each of you to the police" he said in a stern tone and using his size to tower over them.

The big guy clutching onto Rocky and holding him under while gasping, "help! I can't – can't swim!" the big guy called as Rocky fights to get to the surface and barely getting a nick of air while the guy is trying to use him as a support to stay above the surface.

Colt sees Rocky struggling, the big guy flailing around too much to be able to get away, "he's drowning my brother! Let me go!" Colt ordered and Darren looked up in shock, not knowing that his pal couldn't swim.

Darren partially stunned in watching, but also notices that his buddy is staying above the surface. Colt looks over his shoulder to see that Darren is keeping his distance moves his legs out behind him and maneuvers himself to slide between Darren's legs and under him. Darren letting go at not being able to keep up as his attention was elsewhere.

Colt gets up and immediately tackles Darren onto the tile, grabbing his arm and he twists it around hard and shoves it up for Darren to cry out in pain and cringe. "CALL IT!" Colt ordered and Darren gasped, eyes shut tight and then looks over at his cousin who give shim a nod.

"F-Fine! You win!" Darren gasps out for Colt to release him, look up to see that Rocky's movement is next to nothing and the big guy in starting to go under.

Taking two steps back up to the bleachers, Colt charges off praying his shoes don't slip and luckily he goes off strong and once at the edge pushes off and dives into the water as the big guy had moved Rocky and himself out near the middle.

Swimming smoothly through the water Colt reaches the big guy and without hesitation punches him square in the nose to hear a splash from behind himself, Darren jumping in to get his own guy.

Blood instantly pours out of the big guys nose and he lets go of Rocky to grab at his nose, the big guy coughing and crying out. Colt takes a breath and goes under to grab Rocky and pull him up to the surface, wrapping his left arm around Rocky's under arm he starts to swim to the nearest ledge with the cousin running over.

Rocky's hair all around his face, is hanging loosely in his brother's grip as Colt hurries over to the pool wall to meet up with the cousin. Immediately the cousin reached down and took Rocky by the under arms and pulls him up over the rim and onto the tile to lie flat on his back.

Colt quickly pulled himself out as the cousin pulled Rocky away, Darren guiding his friend over to the same area slowly.

The cousin moves aside as Colt comes up to Rocky's side, tilts his head back, opens his mouth and places his ear over Rocky's mouth, "he's not breathing" Colt informed as Darren finally made it to the side of the pool for his friend to climb up the ladder and Darren to pull himself up over the rim.

"Do you-" before the cousin could finish his question of 'do you know CPR?' Colt leaned down, right hands fingers closing Rocky's nose closed and sealing his mouth over Rocky's he breathes out a deep breath into Rocky. Pulls back and does it again to release Rocky's nose and move to his chest.

"Come on Rocky… breath" Colt requested while his eyes are glued to Rocky's face as he pressed down onto Rocky's chest five times to move back to Rocky's face. Closing his nose up the two leaders stand to the side watching Jeff doing CPR on his brother and stare.

Blowing two deep breaths into Rocky again Colt moves to press onto his chest again, "Rocky come on man… stay with me" Colt stated, feeling tears rising to his eyes as he moves back to Rocky's face.

Sealing his lips over his brothers mouth again and closing Rocky's nose to blow into him, pulling away for a moment to get another breath and come back down to blow into Rocky again. Feeling his heart hammering into his chest, not having noticed it until now as it feels like it wants to burst out of his ribs.

Moving over to Rocky's chest, his eyes never leaving his brother's in the hopes that they'll open suddenly, under Colt's hands he felt Rocky's chest jump and then do it again for Colt to hurry back to Rocky's head and turn Rocky onto his left side. Towards Colt for Rocky to cough up water and start gasping and coughing.

Rocky then turned to look up at Colt to see his eyes glazed with tears, "Colt…?" Rocky said in a horse voice, and then as his mind started to clear he finally realized what had happened and what Colt had just done. Instantly Rocky sat up and wrapped his arms around Colt and Colt hugged him back just as tightly.

Colt could feel Rocky's fingers clinging to his cold wet t-shirt; Rocky can feel Colt's clinging fingers on his own back to realize he is cold and soaking wet. Taking deep breathes to feel his shirt sticking to his chest, however Colt's body heat warming him in their embrace.

I almost lost Rocky… because of what I'd done at school and because I tripped the big guy… I almost lost Rocky… to feel his strength and feel him breathing Colt thought as slowly Rocky let go of him and he did the same to look at one another in arms length.

"You guys won… had I known he couldn't swim I would have had this take place somewhere else" Darren said and then the cousin wrapped a towel around Rocky and Colt. Colt hadn't even noticed he'd gone.

"Let's go home Rocky" Colt said and Rocky shakily got to his feet.

The rest of the gang left the pool, the two leaders were the last ones to leave. After 5 minutes of riding in the late spring night air. Both having been quiet since leaving.

"We have to tell Tum Tum, if we wait until he is older he won't forgive us for not telling him sooner" Rocky stated and Colt looked at him with a puzzled look at first and then nodded in understanding.

"Can't wait for that chat 'hey Tum Tum, the night Rocky and I went out to settle the score with those bullies. Well to put it bluntly, Rocky nearly drowned but I revived him' yeah I see that going smoothly" Colt commented and shook his head as they stopped at a stop sign to look for any traffic before continuing.

"Just can't tell Mom or Dad… at least not for a while because then-" Rocky broke off and Colt raised a hand as if to say he understands what he's getting at.

A few moments of silence passed between the two, Colt wanting to say something before reaching home. Finally, "look Rocky… I'm sorry-"

"Colt don't-" Rocky started to cut him off.

"Rocky I need to… please" Colt requested and finally Rocky slowed down and pulled up onto the sidewalk to fully stop. Colt followed up next to him. Looking at him the streetlight on Rocky's face, Colt can see a mix of fear and calmness on his face, "if this is the heart-to-heart about all of the events of the last 24 hours…" Rocky started to warn him. Colt raised his hand to stop him from continuing.

"I need to say this Rocky…" Colt said sternly and watched Rocky finally go from being strong to letting his guard down. Seeing this Colt clenches his hands on his handlebars while looking at Rocky.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you earlier… when you told me to stop. I got us into trouble with the bullies of our school, which led us to having to settle everything between us and the bullies" Colt paused, looking Rocky in the eye to see he is in control of himself, no breaking. However in the corner of his eye he can see Rocky clenching his handlebars.

"I tripped the one leader… he pulled you into the water… I worked hard and as fast as I could to reach you. But I wasn't fast enough… I'm sorry you went through what you did because of me" Colt raised his hand to stop Rocky from saying something.

"To have seen you the way I did… and working… I never would have given up… I'm just really sorry. As I was afraid I'd just lost you back there" Colt finished to see that tears have slid down Rocky's face.

"Colt… I know you… I don't blame you for pushing their buttons earlier… I don't blame you for tripping the guy. I know you were just trying to help me as we always watch one another's back… I want to thank you" Rocky said and he wiped the newest tears away. His eyes red, Colt can see in his eyes that he is remembering back to when he was in the water.

"When I was… when I was being held under… I could strike the guy – he was just too big for me the handle and too frantic. I could feel my lungs burning for oxygen… I just kept hoping something would happen so that I could get the air I needed" Rocky then placed his hand over his chest.

"Feeling the water enter into me and take over… I felt darkness envelop me… and everything go dark" Rocky used his right hand to pull his bangs back from being in his face. His hand shaking, "to feel air in me… feel something pushing the water out… and then to see you. I knew you had saved me with CPR once my mind cleared… I felt overcome with joy… happy to be alive… breathing again… I'll never take anything for granted again Colt. I swear… but please" looking into his brother's eyes.

Tear stains all down Rocky's face, "do not blame yourself… I love you too much Colt" Rocky said and Colt got off of his bike, not caring that it falls over on the sidewalk to wrap his arms around Rocky in a loving embrace.

"I love you too Rocky… I can't lose you" Colt said and felt Rocky return the embrace whole-heartedly.

The End

Please tell me your thoughts on this story; I did my best to write the characters as accurately as possible. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I started to write how to get to the two of them telling Tum Tum but in the end it wasn't feeling right.

Right after I wrote my first 3 Ninjas story, I came up with the idea for this story, however the more I thought about it I felt it wasn't a good story. Then I couldn't come up with anything and started to go back to this one and planned it out some more and finally started to write it. I have another one in mind that will involve more action, but I also have a Stargate SG1 story in mind that I want to write up.

Finished: Tuesday September. 23, 2008 11:39 a.m.

By: SLITH