Chapter Two – Doctor Fong to the Rescue

"That's all of them now," Pai said, looking at the group of tables he and Lettuce had moved out.

"Yes," said Lettuce, looking into Pai's dark eyes. "Thank you so much, Pai-san."

Pai turned to her and could tell from the tone of her voice and expression on her face that she truly meant every word she spoke. Feeling slightly awkward, he looked away.

Lettuce, however, continued starring into the alien-boy's face. He must be about eighteen or nineteen, and I'm just fourteen, she thought. I suppose it doesn't really matter though… I need to tell him now. I might never get another chance.

"Um… Pai…" Lettuce said slowly, bidding her face to remain the same shade. But when Pai looked at her, she found it much more difficult. Still, ignoring her quickly reddening face, she opened her mouth to say the words she'd longed to tell him for over a year…

"Lettuce! Come quick!" Ichigo called from a little way off.

Lettuce, followed by Pai, followed Ichigo's voice to find her, Masaya, Kish, Ryou and Keiichiro all gathered around the unconscious girl lying on the ground.

"We need a first aid specialist," Ichigo decided, after explaining to Lettuce and Pai what had happened.

"You think this is a situation that requires first aid?" Kish asked.

"Well… no," Ichigo said, bringing out her mobile phone, "but she still might be able to help…"

"Please don't tell me you're talking about Pudding."

"Well, you'd be surprised. She can really be mature sometimes…"

--

"Pudding is so glad Taru-Taru agreed to help Pudding with her chores, na no da!" Pudding announced brightly as she and Taruto entered her kitchen.

"Hey, I didn't agree to that!" Taruto exclaimed. "You talked me into it!"

"Taru-Taru wants to spend time with Pudding, and Pudding needs to do chores! Taru-Taru knows that Pudding's mother's dead and her father's never home."

"Wasn't that sensei-person supposed to be looking after you?" Taruto asked, recalling the woman Pudding had been so protective of and that he had turned into some sort of Kimera-chicken.

"Yes, but she still needs help, na no da!" explained Pudding as she began wiping the kitchen table. "Would Taru-Taru please go make Honcha's bed?"

Sighing, Taruto went upstairs to Pudding's brother's bedroom and, following Pudding's previously given instructions, made the bed in the far corner.

Just as he was finishing, a voice from the doorway said, "Hello, Taru-Taru. Come to help your girlfriend again?"

Taruto turned to see one of Pudding's brothers standing their looking at him.

"Don't call me Taru-Taru!" Taruto said in irritation. "Only Pudding may call me that!" And, because the boy was in the way, Taruto teleported back into the kitchen as Pudding's brother started calling down the stairs, "Taru-Taru loves Pudding!"

Just as Taruto was about to complain, the phone rang and Pudding picked it up. "Fong residence, na no da!"

Pudding listened carefully to the voice at the other end before saying, "Of course, Ichigo-oneechan, Dr. Pudding will be right there, na no da!" Then she hung up and said, "Come on Taru-Taru, we're going to Ichigo-oneechan's house!"

"Why? Is something wrong with the old hag?" (A/N: Yes, Taruto still refers to Ichigo as a hag.)

"No, a girl walk out of the trees and passed out, na no da! Ichigo-oneechan is taking her to her house and needs Pudding's help!"

"And you can help her how?" Taruto asked.

"With my many talents, na no da!"

"Pudding, I don't think any of your abilities include healing dead people."

"Not dead, Taru-Taru, unconscious."

"What's the difference?"

Pudding giggled. "You are so silly, Taru-Taru, na no da!"

--

On the other side of Tokyo, a thirteen-year-old girl with black hair in odango-buns, deep brown eyes and an air of arrogance was sitting in the back of an expensive-looking car when her phone went off.

"Why weren't you helping out at the café?" Ichigo demanded.

"Hey, I had an important ballet performance to attend," Minto Aizawa replied. "Besides, I doubt I missed anything."

"Nothing much… just a few old tables, scorched spoons and bent forks…"

"That's what I thought."

"… Oh yeah, and an unconscious girl lying on the ground!"

Minto's eyes widened. "What?"

"Sorry, got to go now. 'Bye!"

Ichigo hung up and turned to Kish.

"So, how's Minto?" he asked. The two of them, along with the girl, were in Ichigo's bedroom. The girl was lying in the bed, her features seeming darker against the snow-white sheets.

Ichigo rolled her brown eyes. "Still as snobby as ever. Now, I want you to stay here –"

"Why do I have to watch her?"

Before Ichigo had a chance to reply, the door opened and Pudding and Taruto walked in.

"Taru-Taru teleported me in, na no da!" Pudding explained at the sight of Ichigo's surprised face. "Hello, Kishu-oniisan!"

"Pudding-imoutosan," Kish replied.

As Pudding inspected the girl, Kish turned to Taruto. "Did you have fun with your girlfriend?"

"Oh god, not you too!" Taruto said, glaring at Kish. "Listen, I don't love her!"

"Sure you don't."

"Look, just because nobody likes you –"

Kish's expression suddenly changed, and he looked down. There was an awkward silence between them, broken only by Taruto saying through gritted teeth, "Sorry."

"Whatever," Kish replied, still not looking up.

"Pudding is not sure what happened to her," the nine-year-old blond-haired girl announced, "but she may wake up in a couple of hours so she can tell us, na no da!"

"What if she's poisoned?" Taruto asked.

"She isn't."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, na no da!"

"Wow," said Kish, "that's talent."

--

Scarcely an hour later, Kish sat alone in Ichigo's bedroom. Alone, that is, except for the unconscious girl. He watched her carefully, wondering if she would wake up before Ichigo returned, and if he'd have to explain to her that he was an alien, hoping she didn't panic.

Just as he thought this, the girl moved.