Hey guys, sorry I made you wait so long ^_^ Please forgive me? ;)

Garu: I don't think you guys should...

Me: Hey! Do you want me to get angry?

Garu: Ah...

Pucca: *Sweat drops* How could you save me from Tobe be be scared of her? She's a lovely psycho!

Me: Aww! Thanks Pucca! :D

Anyway, this started out as a one-shot preview sequel to 'Bitter Sweet Goodbye' but... well... It evolved into a larger idea so :D

So hope you like it! 5...4...3...

Abyo: Just get on with it!

Me: O_O... -_-... Run for you life stripper boy.

Abyo: Oh, ooo... *Runs* (\O.O)\ Garu- Help!

Garu: Hahaha, you have to be joking! Good luck with that Abyo ;)

Being in hospital wasn't so bad, Pucca argued with herself. Even if it is my birthday, she thought but not upset, more peaceful. Garu. He had left only moments ago but his warmth still hummed in Pucca's cheek that blushed remembering the sweet brush of his lips as they grazed the white shin situated there. He didn't say what he was going to do but when three chefs rushed into the room she guessed it was his doing. Linguine, Uncle Dumpling and Ho stood staring at the bandaged girl as if she were a ghost they didn't want to scare off.

Uncle Dumpling was the first to break the silence as he murmured lovingly, "Oh, Pucca." His deflated voice at the sight of her made Pucca grimaces. Did she really look that bad? She mustered a smile causing her three uncles to rush towards her to embrace her, which turned out to be pretty awkward with all the tubes and wires connecting to her body. She winced at the light pressure of their arms but her brimming eyes weren't because of physical pain. Thank you, she whispered to whoever had helped her survive though Tobe's horrific torture during her time as his captive. Her skin still chilled at the mere thought of his name that not even the warmth of her uncles could remove.

"Pucca..." Ho began, restraining himself from asking what had happened. Garu had quickly explained her condition but hearing it and actually seeing it were two completely different things. Shock still hung over the three guardians. Their Pucca had been through hell and back and they had no idea how bad the trauma had affected her.

"I'm right here, Ho," Pucca said carefully.

"But are you-"

"Are you alright?" Linguine finished knowing Ho couldn't bring himself to.

"I'm here and safe," Pucca answered, knowing that she had dodged his question as she dreaded to speak the answer. No, she silently whispered. No, I'm not alright. But I will be, she sternly growled as she looked on at her uncles. I have to be.

"Are your wounds healing?" Uncle Dumpling asked to fill the silence that was settling upon the group.

Pucca recalled Garu explaining that her legs would take longer to heal but the rest of her was healing with amazing speed. "Yes but it will take some time to get back to normal," Pucca grinned at them silently wondering what 'normal' was anymore. Was it hanging with your friends talking about stuff that didn't really matter? Was it being with family? Was it breathing evenly without nightmares attacking your conscious mind during the day? Okay, now she was being silly.

Ho nodded understanding that Pucca wasn't going to get out off the bed when she was discharged and run off like her normal self. Before anyone could speak again more visitors came streaming through the door. Pucca smiled lovingly at the new arrivals.

"Pucca, are you feeling better?" Abyo stupidly asked. But what were you meant to say to someone in Pucca's situation? Howdy little lady, still can't walk? Abyo couldn't even find pleasure in his own remark as he stared at Pucca's pale form. Her cheeks had begun to regain their colour but she still looked deathly white.

Ching regarded her best friend with an odd expression. She couldn't decide between breaking down in tears while screaming at Pucca for scaring her or dancing on the spot she stood as she sang the song of happy birthday. She decided on embracing her friend carefully. "Don't go off on your own again," she muttered in her ear.

Pucca laughed but the sound was hollow, "You betcha."

"Where's Garu?" Abyo asked Pucca, knowing that he must have been close as Pucca was here. Pucca looked up at the still shirted ninja and she made a jerking motion in an attempt of a shrug accompanied with a hiss of pain.
"I don't know, he left not too long ago."

Abyo nodded, "I'll be right back." Abyo swiftly left leaving Pucca with a friend who wouldn't stop hugging her and three uncles who were still thanking heaven and earth that she was back.

...

Abyo wanted to find Garu as he wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. He knew that if Ching had been in Pucca's position he would be far from okay. He'd be furious, guilt stricken, and most of all scared. Abyo questioned a few passing nurses on the whereabouts of a ninja with pigtails and a red heart on his t-shirt. It was weird how he no longer held the urge to impress the women, just one. He finally got a decent answer off the daydreaming receptionist who seemed to need some major sleep. He thanked her and quickly walked in the directions he was given.

He ended up in the small park besides the hospital where the baby lake silently listened for gossip. He spotted a slumped figure with two messy but definable pigtails. He strolled over to him and sat on the bench on looking the lake. His company barely speared him a glance as he sighed back into the bench closing his sleep deprived eyes.

"Don't you think you should be in there with her?" Abyo casually spoke as he squinted beyond the lake. It was still early morning and the sun was low in the sky making its steady way to the peak.

The man besides him sighed again but more frustrated than tired. He grunted.

"Garu," Abyo snapped. He couldn't believe his friend was acting like this when Pucca needed him the most.

"She should hate me."

"What?" Abyo frowned down at Garu who held his head in his palms as if trying to crush his own skull. He wasn't sure he had heard Garu's small words correctly.

"She should hate me," he said with more force. "She should despise my every breath. I caused this to happen and yet..." he trailed off. Abyo blinked down at him trying to figure out what was up with his best friend.

"What are you on about? She loves you. She has since we were little."

Garu shook his head viscously. Abyo didn't get it. Garu himself didn't even get it till he was coming back to the hospital after telling the chefs of Pucca. He had bumped into a furious Ring-ring who had been determined to find him again after their talk outside Garu's home. She couldn't leave it with him waking away. She got everything but she didn't deserve Garu. Garu should be with the best, the most beautiful. I could give you everything, was the words that Ring-ring had hisses at him, but he had chosen Pucca.

"What does she have that I don't?"

Garu just looked past her towards the direction of the hospital that cared for his love. What doesn't she have? He asked himself silently. A small smile tugged at his lips as he wondered how stupid he must have been to not have noticed it before. Ring-ring reddened as she realised she was being ignored. "Garu!" He didn't respond. Ring-ring began to tremble with annoyance as her autistic siren side begged to be released. Ring-ring blanked for a second and a cruel smile made its way onto her make-up covered face. Garu, having noticed that she had gone quiet glanced down at the blue haired girl who was looking at him with secret sheltered eyes. He didn't like the way she was staring at him with an almost mental smile.

"Are you-"

"She will hate you for this."

Garu blinked at the sudden interruption. He was about to ask if she was okay but her sudden sharp words made his own words halt on his tongue. "What?"

"I heard the accounts on what happened. She was taken because of you. All of that was because of you. You really think she can forget what happened to her? That you could possibly erase her whole memory of it?" Ring-ring laughed, but it sounded more like a whip striking the wall multiple times. Garu stepped away from the strange version of Ring-ring. She stopped her mental laugh at his movements, refocusing her wide dilated eyes on Garu who shifted uncomfortably. What was wrong with her? "She hates you. She may not realise it now but day by day she will sense this deep gut rotting sensation of pure hatred, and day by day she will begin to see the strings attaching this hatred to the one person she used to love. You. She will recoil from your mere proximity. She will hate you more than Tobe!" Garu couldn't listen to anymore of Ring-rings rambles containing sharp daggers aimed at his heart. He stormed by her trying to block her words from infecting his head.

Ring-ring, determined to get at Garu for his foolish decision, choosing Pucca over her, she dropped her voice to a menacing tone as she spoke an almost curse; "The truth will always hurt, won't it?"

Garu rushed away from the part of town that Ring-ring had cornered him in but his strides faulted as her words began to untangle themselves in his thoughts, infecting his hopes with their curses. Pucca hates me. She can't... But he didn't believe his own weak argument. He had wanted to go in to see Pucca but when he spotted the park bench he set towards it knowing that he needed time to clear his head.

"But hatred overrules love."

Abyo wasn't sure what to say, never mind do, with the weirdly pessimistic Garu. Sure, Garu wasn't the brightest when it came to having hopes for the future but he was still far from being this disheartened. Abyo sighed, absently tallying the amount people had been sighing heavily these days.

"... You should still be there for her."

Garu looked sideways from his position, head in hands, at his oldest friend. "And if she finally doesn't want me there?"

"Then you make a statement of staying there along side her." Garu sat up giving his friend a petite smirk.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you're growing up Abyo."

Abyo chuckled as he stood with Garu. "That's a big if."

The two ninjas walked into the hospital with two different states of mind.

So I hope this makes up for my lazy- Ah, I mean lateness ;) I know its a tad short but at least its posted, right? ;)

Me: Please review! :D

Garu: Or she may go haywire again... -_-"

Abyo: *Tied up and swinging from a tree about to be set alight* You're telling me..

Me: That was your own damn fault, and I love my loyal readers! I wouldn't hunt them down if they didn't review *Shifty eyes* No, no, no... That would never happen ;)

Pucca&Ching: Review and give Rachel an idea of what you liked and what she should do with the story!

Me: *Mubbling in a corner from lack of reviews* Pucca loves Garu... He's a pretty boooyyyy... Ninja's... Eat noodles... *Sniff sniff* Kissy chase... Kissy face TT_TT

XD Thanks for reading!