Three Delivery "New Recruits - 2"

Blood, violence & angsty. Injuries all around, mild sexual content, 2 tiny instances of implied partial nakedness and mild language.

Part 2 for GAARA-N-SANURA-ALWYS! By request - including her OC's Sanura, 'San' for short and Ami, introduced in her Three Delivery fan fiction, .com/art/Three-Delivery-CH1-107711191

In this version, two girls, twin sisters are recruited by Kong Li to catch Tobey and Sid off guard and get rid of them so he can get to Nana and Sue and finally get the cookbook.

*Medical treatments in this fic are not to be used as a substitute for real medical treatment. If you have a compound fracture of your wing – see a real doctor . . . please!

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

Part 2

Nana watched long enough to see Tobey catch San, but she didn't have time to be relieved. Kong Li had Sid hanging over the edge in one of his bubbles threatening to drop him if they didn't surrender. Sid frantically tried to kick his way out of the force shield that contained him.

Sue dropped to her knees in surrender. She prayed it would be enough to save Sid. There was no guarantee there would be time for another daring monkey rescue so she reluctantly surrendered too and stood by Sue.

Sid stared at them through the side of the bubble with frightened eyes as Kong Li used one hand in a wave in their direction to put Nana and Sue both in one of his bubbles. From inside Sid's bubble, he screamed at them to fight back, but no one could hear him.

Once Kong Li had Nana and Sue trapped, he dropped Sid anyway!

The bubble vanished and Sid screamed as he fell. Sue and Nana tried to punch their way out of the field and Kong Li laughed maniacally. Sue dropped to her knees on the bubble's bottom and sobbed for her brother into her hands. Nana stopped trying to bust out and hugged her with tears running down her cheeks.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

Ami had been knocked unconscious when she fell behind the air conditioner unit. But all the screaming woke her up. She looked up at Kong Li standing near her, and it seemed he had forgotten all about her.

He was standing just a few feet away from her, controlling a field with one hand that kept Sid suspended in the air, just over the edge of the rooftop.

Ami figured there would be a good chance of moving without Kong Li seeing her. She glanced quickly over the side and moving silently, climbed over and down the side of the building, finding toeholds as she went. She was planning to move across just under the edge, and come up right behind Kong Li.

Just when she got under Sid, the bubble disappeared and he fell toward her screaming. He was looking up – the last thing saw was his trapped little sister's frightened eyes. Ami caught him by his belt as he fell past her and he slammed against the building lower than her.

When he slammed into the wall Sid made a small sound of pain through his teeth. He opened his eyes and upon seeing his predicament, he scrambled to find handholds. Now they were both hanging on the building right below Kong Li. Sid looked over at Ami and without a sound, mouthed 'thanks.'

Plan changed, Ami smiled at him and motioned for him to climb back around the way she came so they could get back up without Kong Li seeing them.

"Now Mei Hua you will tell me where the cookbook is." He waved both hands and split the bubble in two so that Nana and Sue were both alone in each force shield.

"If you don't tell me right now, Sue will join her brother on the street below."

Sue screamed at him, "You rotten old man! That's what you said when you threatened us with Sid's life, just drop me now and get it over with." Sue screamed so loud she could even be understood through the bubble.

Kong Li considered her demand, seriously. "I hate smart kids." He mumbled.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

In the crate there were a lot of wood shavings, and down in the middle were three huge vases spaced evenly apart. Each had bubble wrap and tissue around it! There was an army-type blanket wrapped around all three with more packing material in and around it.

"This crate has fragile stuff in it! If it survived me slamming into it, this packing stuff will be fine to wrap up my fragile friend's boo boo!"

"Hey!" Tobey frowned at her. It was about all the movement he could make without causing himself intense pain. "Fragile? When I'm better, I'll show you fragile."

San ignored his threat. She had plans about how he would show her that he wasn't fragile, but no time for that now.

"Bad news Tobey, the only way I know how to bandage a wing with a pressure bandage to stop the bleeding will involve moving it some. But don't worry I've taped up lots of sparrow's little wings after they hit the plate glass window at the orphanage, and some of them lived!"

Tobey looked worried and imagined himself running away. She saw him squirming weakly and smiled.

"We have to do it, we have to get you stabilized and the bleeding stopped so we can get out of here and get back to the battle. I don't have time to just sit and hold your wing – although I wouldn't mind doing it at all if we had no other appointments." She smiled sideways at him.

Tobey was scared. "Well, what are you gonna do?"

"After your wing is stabilized - I'm gonna get us out of here."

"How?"

"I don't know yet."

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

When she touched his wing, before the bones even ground together at the site of the compound fracture, he stuck his fingers between the boards on the deck to hold on. Seconds later, the first time it really hurt, he screamed into the deck and kicked involuntarily, but managed to keep his wings relaxed.

San had carefully moved his wing out straight first. He turned his head to the side and watched her sit down and put her feet against his shoulder and side, above and below his wing. She wasn't moving her own leg around very well and had to place it using her hands.

What are y . . ." he didn't get to finish.

With a jerk, the bones snapped back in place sending a spatter of blood spray on the deck and the side of Tobey's head. Tobey put his forehead on the deck and screamed again as he slowly pulled his legs off the deck again. Now his white forelock was stained with blood spray, giving it a pink appearance.

"Sorry Tobey – the worst should be over. Hang in there."

Tobey stopped screaming but still held on to the deck and panted.

"Yeah right – easy for you to s-say!" he sounded much weaker and San was getting more and more concerned about him.

She held several layers of the thin packing paper over his wound and squeezed to keep the ends of the bones from coming apart again. Tobey gritted his teeth and made a whining sound.

"Ok hold on!" at least that time she warned him. With one smooth movement she folded the tip of his wing in and held it tight, parallel to the broken bone. Tobey screamed and pulled so hard on the board that the nails squeaked as they loosened.

San packed more tissue paper around the wound and put the wooden slats in place over and under the wound. Then she tightly wrapped several layers of bubble wrap around his whole wing to keep it folded.

San held onto the bubble wrap and supported his wing with one hand while she felt under Tobey's stomach with her other.

"What are you doing?" Tobey's eyes opened.

"Raise up!" She instructed. He did, before he asked again. Tobey felt her pulling at his pants.

"Woah! What are you doing?" he would have pushed her hands away, but he hurt too bad to move. The way she held his injured wing - it was like she had him pinned! He was very frightened for a moment when he remembered that she had poisoned him only a few hours ago, he couldn't help but be a little scared.

"UP" she pinched his belly so he would lift it up higher. He yelped and sucked in his gut. She undid his belt buckle, pulled his belt out of the loops and took off her own belt. Making Tobey cry, she buckled and tightened the belts around his wing on each side of the broken bones to secure her makeshift splint.

"Ow!" Tobey looked up at her with tears in his eyes. "You know you have a wide mean streak don't you?"

"I've heard that before." She noticed Tobey was shivering again like he was extremely cold.

"And t-thanks San," he was trembling and painfully curled into a ball on his side.

"Glad I could help!" Crap, he's probably going into shock, she mumbled, but he didn't hear her.

San hopped back over to the open crate and forcibly yanked the blanket out, smashing all three of the large, fragile, probably very expensive vases in one movement. "Oops." She giggled and took more bubble wrap and the blanket over to Tobey.

She propped him up on his side with his splinted wing up high, and put a roll of bubble wrap under his head. Then she tucked the blanket in tight around him before hopping away again. It was only about three hops to the forklift.

San hopped up on its deck, and turned the valve on the propane tank on. She sat on the seat and leaned back to take her swiss army knife out of her tight front pocket. Tobey watched her lean forward and pull a wad of wires out from behind the steering column.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us our first form of transportation for the little trip we have to make."

The engine started.

"You're stealing the forklift! How's that gonna help? There's a fence with locked gates on the beach and we can't drive a forklift down Oleander Street!"

"Tobey, you seem so nervous, if it will help, don't watch me."

With the forklift running smoothly she hopped back down and put the lid back on the crate she all but destroyed.

Then she took hold under Tobey's arms and helped him stand. His wing hung limply and every time it moved, he gritted his teeth and whined. She pulled him up close behind her by his arm and forced herself to walk on her broken leg since Tobey couldn't hold onto her while she hopped.

San guided him to sit on the crate first and then rolled him up to lay on it. She covered him back up with the blanket and got back in the driver's seat. Only his wing was sticking up out from under the blanket.

"Now let's see, this lever ought to be forward." The forklift blades jerked up – bouncing the wooden crates and Tobey into the air.

Tobey cried out in pain when he landed back on the crate and looked back over his shoulder at San. "OW!"

"Sorry – I figured it out this time, but hang on just in case!"

There was nothing to hang on to so he just laid down as flat as he could as the fork lift bounced into a roll. San took it off the pier, and across a sandy area. Tobey saw the chain link fence ahead!

"Hey! Don't go through the fence with me out here!" it was as much a scared monkey screech as it was a statement.

"Calm yourself – I told you not to watch, put your head down and close your eyes." he did, terrified he would be shredded by the fence next. She turned away from the fence and went down the pier that had the little boat tied to it. Out of the shadows, near the man lift, two figures in dark clothing began to follow her.

Tobey felt them stop and heard the forklift engine shut down. He was relieved that they hadn't gone through the fence. They were stopped next to the little boat.

San hopped down and stood near Tobey. "Are you alright?"

"As alright as I can be." While San straightened the blanket she saw someone walking down the pier at them. She spoke softly.

"Stay here, stay covered up – we have company." Tobey started to look but San held his head down and pulled the blanket over his face. "I'll handle this! You just stay here and keep on looking like cargo."

Tobey frowned at her, "Maybe their security guards coming to claim their forklift."

"One thing I'm sure of - they're not security and I don't want them to see you - monkey boy."

"Ok, I'll stay here – I'll be your secret weapon! If things get ugly I'll be here to save the day."

"Ya right, just try not to break anything else."

She made sure Tobey was completely under the blanket and hopped behind the forklift to watch them approach the rest of the way.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

"Hey girly, what are you doing out here driving a forklift around alone? We can tell you don't work here."

"Yeah, you look like you've been in a train wreck!" He was referring to the blood on her shirt.

"Just having a rough day." San thought about asking them for help, but she could tell before they opened their mouths that no help was going to come from them.

She pretended to ignore them while she opened a little cargo compartment under the propane tank, but she knew where they were at all times.

"Rough day, huh? Well, we think you're planning to steal whatever is in those crates and we found them first."

"Yeah, we want to see what's inside, so we get 'right of first choice'." The shorter of the two kept adding to his friend's statements like he didn't ever have an independent thought of his own. She could tell who the 'alpha dog' here was.

"What? I'm not after anything in those crates. Go away. You can dig in them all you want, later – after I'm gone."

"Are you kidding? You think were just gonna walk away and let you have first look!"

"If you don't walk away, now - I'm gonna let you 'have it'!" She would have been happy to let them look at the broken vases, but if they did they would see Tobey.

The taller of the two smirked. "I just thought of something else, I wanna see under your shirt. If there's something under there I want, I get "right of first choice."

"Hey, I wanted that!" his friend argued.

"Don't worry, I'll give you what's left after I'm through with her."

"Look you morons - I don't have time for this. Just leave."

Tobey was getting nervous, it sounded like it was going to get 'ugly' and he hoped she could handle it, because as much as he hated to admit it, her 'secret weapon' would be pretty useless in a fight. He closed his eyes and wished real hard that he would change back, but wasn't surprised when he opened his eyes and was still a monkey.

The two punks had gotten real close to San. She turned to face them with her back up against the forklift and fire in her eyes. The tallest touched her shirt front.

Tobey gasped and started to move, but San exploded. She rocked back, using the forklift to lift her higher and planted her uninjured foot the guy's chest. The other one balled up his fist and swung at her, but she blocked it with a can she had in her hands before she sprayed him in the face with carburetor cleaner.

San wound up a couple of steps away from the forklift while she sprayed the guy. The taller of the two, got behind her. He grabbed her from behind with an arm around her neck and punched her in her already bloody back.

"That really hurt you jerk!" San yelled as he pushed her down.

They were behind the forklift and temporarily out of Tobey's view. The guy he could still see was still trying to wipe carburetor cleaner out of his eyes. He gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet using the frame over the forklift seat.

San squirmed when the jerk that had her pinned punched her back again. Then being the jerky moron that his was, he flipped her over to try to get in her shirt again. He had her pinned before he rolled her over.

Tears had welled up in her eyes from the pain he caused her in her back. So she was blinking when he turned her over. He thought she was scared and thought it fun, but he was dead wrong. He pushed her shirt and bra up and put his hand on her breast as he leaned down to try to kiss her.

Tobey had climbed up on the forklift, on top of it. Just as he was ready to jump on the jerk's back, San got her knee up and rammed it as hard as she could between his legs. He cursed and started to fall on her. She screamed, "Gross!" and launched him over her head.

After she pulled her clothes back in place, and got up the other guy grabbed her broken leg by the ankle and made her cry out in pain before she fell again. She pulled her leg back and planted her heel in his nuts too. He doubled over but didn't fall as he stumbled over to his pal. They both stood together, facing San as she hopped backwards against the forklift.

From above San's head, framed by the moonlight behind him, Tobey filled his lungs and screeched the most terrifying screech he could muster. He pounded his chest and flapped the one wing he could flap.

Both of San's attackers looked up. Matching wet stains appeared on the front of their pants before they turned and jumped into the water.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

San hopped to the edge, away from the forklift to watch them go and thought she never saw two jerks swimming so fast before. She laughed and turned to thank Tobey, but she looked at him just in time to see him sway and fall off the top of the forklift.

Forgetting her pain she leaped, launching herself with both legs and slid under him on her back, again. She caught him in her arms and skidded before stopping against the forklift's rear tire.

Tobey was face down across her stomach. San was gasping, trying to catch her breath. From the pain she felt she was sure her back looked like hamburger by now. Tobey was trying to get the deck to stop spinning by holding very still while he held back a wave of nausea. He really didn't want to barf on her.

"Oh Tobey! I told you to stay hidden! You could have killed yourself!" she scolded him breathlessly.

Tobey was being very quiet. Just when his silence was about to scare her out of her wits, he said "You're welcome."

San put her arms around him under his wings and hugged him tight. Her hand found the back of his head and she guided his face close to hers. They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity before their eyes closed and lips met.

San aggressively explored every corner of his mouth, and even when she came out for air, held his bottom lip between hers while she sucked, repositioned and went back in.

He relaxed into her kiss thoroughly enjoying it and when Tobey's lips finally released hers, it was only because he was in such pain he couldn't breathe. He seemed so relaxed and happy she almost forgot he was hurt.

The pained expression that crossed his face reminded her that they had responsibilities. Tobey put his hands down on either side of her shoulders and tried to push himself up to get off of her only to fall back down. If she didn't know him better, she would have thought he was looking for an excuse to stay on top of her longer.

"Tobey take it easy, let me help."

San helped him stand and he swayed. She saw how dizzy he was, and scooped him up across her arms. "Hey! Put me down." San put him back on the crate with the blanket over him. She lingered for one more moment staring into his eyes.

"Thanks Tobey, I don't want to admit it, but I guess I was in a little trouble there."

"Oh! You would have totally kicked their butts. I just wanted to scare them with my 'shrieking monkey' move."

"Oh man!" she said as if she just remembered something important. "Oh man . . . I just kissed a monkey!" She pretended to spit and wiped her mouth before she smiled and kissed him again.

"Those two morons really slowed us down. I better get back to getting us out of here. You close your eyes and rest." Tobey grinned mischievously at her.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

San hopped down into the boat and saw it had no paddles and no fuel in the outboard motor. It looked like it had been sitting there for a very long time and probably had things living in it that she would rather not run into. San found a little bag of tools with a wrench and pliers in it under a seat. The bag crumbled when she picked it up, but the tools were still usable.

Tobey was finally doing as she said, and had put his head down with his eyes closed, but now it worried her. San hopped out of the boat headed back to the forklift with the tools, but on her way felt Tobey's neck for his pulse.

He felt her gentle touch and in a small, weak voice told her "I'm ok."

"Good, stay that way!" San patted his knee through the blanket as she hopped by, heading for the back of the forklift.

She turned the propane off before she started taking the pipe apart that connected the propane tank to the fuel line. San put all the little pieces in her pocket of tubing, nuts, bolts, screws and other connectors that she took off the forklift.

She found a wad of dusty cotton, three paperclips, two rubber bands, a retractable writing pen and grabbed a small piece of bubble wrap. With the propane tank in her arms she hopped back down to the boat.

She placed the tubing and other things she found onto the bench in the boat and scooted the propane tank as close as she could to the motor. Then she started taking the motor apart.

After a few minutes she called up to Tobey, "Don't worry if you hear an explosion, it's just me getting us there faster. . . Tobey?"

She got no response and got tears in her eyes, as she tried to concentrate on what she was doing. Tobey was one tough guy, he stayed conscious through more of the agony than she was sure she would have.

She expected him to pass out anytime, and she guessed that he had. But there was nothing she could do for him – except to get them out of there and get help fast. San suddenly felt very alone.

Not wasting any more time, she got the motor put back together, and turned the propane tank back on. "Here goes nothing!"

After seven cranks and a pretty big explosion that almost knocked her into the water – with a cloud of black smoke the motor started!

San hopped back up to the forklift and scooped her limp 'flying monkey' friend across her arms. She limped severely on her broken leg but got Tobey placed gently on his side on the bottom of the boat, and packed more material from the crate around him and his wing to keep everything still.

She made sure the edge of the blanket and a wad of bubble wrap was under his head to keep his face out of the dirt and petrified fish guts on the bottom of the old fishing boat.

San steered the boat away from the pier and quickly toward the high rise where she last saw the magic battle taking place. It looked eerily still now.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

It had been almost an hour since Tobey went monkey and dived off the roof after San. Nana and Sue were both very aware that he still had not come back to the rooftop.

Sue was afraid to even think about all the things that could have happened to prevent his return, including more treachery by San. All San's tears and regrets she displayed in the boys room weren't enough to make Sue forgive and forget after she nearly killed Tobey.

Sue was more worried about Tobey than she was about herself, even though Kong Li controlled bubbles that she and Nana were trapped in. Kong Li threatened them with 'fates worse than death' or some such nonsense and started cooking a recipe right there on the rooftop.

Kong Li was still cooking. Nana was watching closely to see if she could tell what he was cooking so they could defend against it. Sue couldn't keep her mind off of Sid. He had died and it was probably her fault.

She kept kicking herself for believing Kong Li would actually release her brother if she gave up. Every few minutes she would hit herself in the head, repeating 'Stupid, Stupid, Stupid' – or she would kick the sides of the bubble. This magic bubble, force-shield thingy was the only thing keeping her from tearing Kong Li apart with her bare hands.

Ami peeked out from around the air conditioner to get everyone's positions. Sid stayed low and silently got behind a large vent about twenty feet away. Using hand signals with each other she and Sid came up with a plan. It was simple, but effective – hopefully.

Kong Li had forgotten about Ami and thought he had killed Sid, so when they appeared running at him from different directions – he freaked out and lost his concentration. Nana and Sue unexpectedly fell from the bubbles. Sue remained frozen for a moment as she tried to make sense of seeing her dead brother running at Kong Li.

Sid ran up to Kong Li silently and delivered a series of punches and palm strikes that were impressive indeed. He didn't even give Kong Li time to pick up his staff as he drove him away from what he was cooking.

Ami ran through and grabbed the recipe right out of Kong Li's hand and without missing a step ran over to give it to Nana.

Nana started reading, Sue joined Ami and they ran back towards Kong Li, just in time to take over as Sid fell backwards over what Kong Li was cooking.

"Ow . . . I just burned the crap out of my leg! - Dammit!" he cried and cringed holding his leg.

Sue ran to help Sid, and that left Ami to fight Kong Li. She landed on her hands with her back to Kong Li and kicked him three times before he could back away. He cursed and swung his staff at her. Ami blocked the staff and took his legs out from under him with a round kick.

"Sid." Sue squeezed the stuffing out of her brother hugging him. "I thought you . . ."

"I would have, but Ami saved me."

Sue wouldn't have believed it, but her brother was sitting right in front of her after she saw him fall off the high rise building's roof.

"Let's go back her up." Sue jumped up and ran to help Ami. Sid got up slower, the burning skin covering his leg demanding his attention, but once on his feet he ran into the fracas caused by the girls and Kong Li.

Nana ran over to the spilled pot with the recipe to figure out what Sid just fell in.

When Ami got thrown to the side, Sue moved in and took over, when Sue fell, Sid took over and they were driving Kong Li back. They were near the edge again as Sue attacked Kong Li. He struck her with his staff and jumped over her when she fell. He shot lightening at Sid and he leaped behind an air conditioner. The lightening blew a panel off of it.

Sue was on her hands and knees behind Kong Li holding her head when Ami delivered a kick strong enough to make him step back. He fell backwards over Sue and went off the roof! They all three ran to the edge and looked down.

Kong Li used his lightning spell to propel himself out past the rocks so he would land in the water. He landed right behind a small boat docked below.

They saw San standing alone next to a little boat and Kong Li was coming out of the water toward her. They could see the moonlight reflecting off of the turquoise streaks in her hair, and would have known her anywhere. But they couldn't see Tobey. Sid, Sue and Ami all took off running back to the stairs to get back down to the street.

Nana was frowning, and took a sample of the mess with her before she followed the kids.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

"It's been about an hour and Tobey hasn't changed back yet." San was talking out loud to herself while she pulled the small boat up to the rocks with him in it and tossed a loop of dry-rotted rope around a boulder hoping it would hold. The fog wasn't as thick here as it had been before. They were right next to the building where the battle had or was still taking place.

After sitting in the boat quietly for the few minutes it took to speed to the building, San was cold. Her back was freezing with her shirt soaked in sticky cold blood.

When she was pretty sure the boat was secure, she reached into the boat to get Tobey out. She paused, the thought of climbing under the blanket with him was very inviting and she was sure she could warm him up. But her sister's predicament lingered in the back of her mind. She cursed her responsible nature and started to put her hands under him to pick him up.

Cursing in the sky over her head made her pause and look up. A dark caped figure was falling at them. No time to pick him up, she dropped and covered him. Fortunately the figure fell into the water behind the boat. He moved through the water without swimming – leaving a sparkly trail.

San cursed under her breath when she recognized 'father' and jumped out of the boat to face him and protect Tobey. She hoped Ami and the others were on their way.

Kong Li walked up out of the water, and seemed to still be dry as he turned to face her.

"You! You evil, lying jerk! I can't believe I ever listened to you!" She stood pretty well, with a little weight on her leg, hoping Kong Li wouldn't notice her injury and 'try' to take advantage of her.

Thats right, he might 'try', she thought as she glared at him, patiently waiting for him to make the first move. She was sure he couldn't have seen Tobey still under the blanket.

"You will pay for turning against me. I've already killed your sister." Kong Li hoped to upset her more, just to make his victory sweeter. San just smiled, she knew Ami was fine and getting closer through the weird link they had as twin sisters. They each know every time the other one farts.

Kong Li didn't realize why San was laughing, but apparently his attempt to upset her didn't work. Kong Li yelled and ran at her. San was prepared and using only one leg leaped into the air and planted her foot in Kong Li's face. He almost fell but caught himself. She landed gracefully on one leg.

He charged her again and she rolled back and threw him over her head, back into the water. San gritted her teeth when she landed on the rocks on her back, but it was worth it to see Kong Li go into the water again.

She was still trying to get up when Kong Li flew out of the water at her. He swung the staff and hit her so hard she came off the ground and flew back towards the parking lot before landing in the rocks again.

The others were running toward her. Sue yelled, "Where's Tobey!"

Kong Li pushed the boat back in the water and jumped in without noticing that Tobey lying under the blanket even though his wing was sticking up.

San screamed, mostly at Ami – "Stop him! Tobey's still in the boat!"

Sid, in the lead jumped at Kong Li while he was trying to start the motor, his enemy ducked and Sid landed in the water as the motor started.

Kong Li started away, but as he picked up speed turned in a circle and aimed right at Sid, still floating in the water. Sue and Ami screamed. Sid looked just in time to see the little boat bearing down on him. The boat went by and they couldn't see Sid anymore!

"NO!"

"Sid!"

"Tobey," San was so frustrated, she wanted to get up and fly to the boat to crush Kong Li. But her leg hurt so bad and she was so tired, she thought she would pass out before she could even get up.

Then an idea revitalized her and she half hopped-half ran to Nana.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

Kong Li was laughing about his clever escape and he was finally sure that that reject in the water had been cut to shreds in the propeller. He opened it up some more and went so fast in the little propane-powered boat that he skipped waves.

In the ocean spray that rose in showers over the front of the boat, hands appeared hanging on to the edge, followed by arms and with the help from the movement of the boat timed just right, Sid came up and into the boat landing on his feet next to Tobey.

He charged Kong Li, being careful to not rock the boat too much. If he fell out of the boat with Kong Li, Tobey would be trapped unconscious on a runaway boat.

Kong Li cursed and fell back against the motor. He came up again swinging, hitting Sid in the jaw and making him fall back. He almost stepped on Tobey and noticed his injured wing showing out from under the blanket.

Blood leaked out from under the bubble wrap and the sight of that much blood, from his friend made him gasp and distracted him for the instant Kong Li needed to strike him with the staff again.

Sid grabbed the end of the staff and pulled. Unexpectedly, he pulled Kong Li off balance and Kong Li fell into him, they both tumbled out of the boat!

The motor turned slightly and the little boat started to go out to sea, then with no one controlling it, it went back the other way heading for shore. If there had been anyone awake in the boat they would have seen a giant winged beast flying straight at the runaway boat.

A winged monkey with soft pale fur and turquoise bangs caught up quickly, landed in the boat and shut the motor off. San, out of breath pulled the blanket off of Tobey. She saw he still hadn't changed back.

"Tobey! Wake up! Please!"

Tobey's eyes fluttered open and he blinked trying to get what he thought he saw to focus.

"San?"

"Yes, I'm glad you woke up!"

"Are you a monkey?"

"Why yes I am, I was afraid you wouldn't notice."

"Well yeah, you don't look much different"

San reached down and pulled him up as she slid down on the blanket by him. She pinched his nipple and planted an epic kiss on his lips.

"I guess saying I look like a monkey isn't so bad, you make a cute one, you know?"

"So do you." Tobey winced as he reached up with his sore arm and felt the soft, golden fur covering her wing. She folded it so he could reach better his touch was intoxicating.

Tobey put his hand under her hair and pulled her close by her neck. They kissed passionately again, but San realized Tobey was still hurting and there would be time for this later. When their lips parted, Tobey asked about the others, and San remembered she had flown over Sid floating in the water on the way to catch Tobey.

"Oh man, we gotta go back and find Sid - he's floating in the water somewhere. Nana gave me these, break one!" Tobey took a cookie from her and broke it. The light shimmered around him and in a blue flash he was human again. And most of his pain was gone!

He noticed San's monkey leg was still bloody, and she wasn't using it at all. "When you changed, your leg wasn't healed?"

"No – maybe when I change back?" She broke her cookie and after a golden flash, San gazed at her human hands. They noticed at the same time all of her injuries were still there.

"I guess you were right, as a human I don't have a wing to be injured. My arms still hurt from when they slammed into the forklift though." San saw he had bruises they couldn't see when they were covered with monkey fur.

"Oh well, let's go pick up Sid and get back."

They plucked Sid out of the water and went as fast as the little boat could go to get back to the others. Sid hugged Tobey like he hadn't seen him in weeks. "Are you sure you're not still badly injured, there was a lot of blood!"

"I'm ok, but I think San's leg is broken."

"You want me to steer?"

"No thanks, I'm fine."

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

By the time they got back to the others, Nana had already called a cab and it was waiting for them. They all piled in, Ami sat on Sid's lap. San got to sit in the front where she could keep her leg more comfortable. Nana sat between San and the driver.

Tobey leaned forward and played with San's hair almost the whole way to the hospital. It felt so good she leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. Sue wasn't so grumpy and was actually glad to have had San and Ami's help this time.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

Tobey and Ami got to go to the examination room with San. Tobey held her hand the whole time, except when they x rayed her leg. They were all exhausted and were really looking forward to getting home. "But where will we go San?"

"Our one chance to get out of the orphanage failed epically and I guess we'll have to go back now."

"Yeah, we have no place else to go."

Tobey looked so sad. He wished they could come live with them, but he knew Mr. Wu would never allow it. They were lucky he tolerated the three of them, and Tobey was sure he only did because of Nana.

The doctor came in and interrupted their thoughts. Ami and Tobey were allowed to stay with San even while her leg was set. She didn't cry or even yell, but she did nearly crush Tobey's hand.

The nurses cleaned and bandaged her leg first and then put on a plastic and Velcro splint. It was not a bad break, and the cast would have to come off to treat the wound while it healed.

When it was done the doctor and Tobey helped her turn over on her stomach so he could treat her back. She and Tobey were looking at each other, until San heard the doctor making noise and she looked at him. He was drawing local anesthetic into a syringe and telling her he was gonna have to put stitches in one of the lacerations near her shoulder.

Ami was already shaking her head. San screamed and started to lift herself up off the gurney to run! Tobey stood up and pushed her back down.

"What's wrong with her?" San was hyperventilating.

"She's terrified of needles. I know I know, it sad really." Ami giggled.

When she felt the doctor touch her back, just with his fingers, San screamed again and fainted.

"Oh man!"

The doctor checked her quickly, and reassured Tobey that she was fine and added, "at least now she will hold still."

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

Nana excused herself from the waiting room and went to the cafeteria. She promised to bring something back for Sue and Sid.

Sue was still so happy Sid was alive, "You know you nearly scared me to death back there – several times. I thought you died at least twice. I never want to feel that way again – so you better take better care of yourself."

"Yes ma'am – I will do my best ma'am!" he smiled at her. Sue slugged him in the arm and instead of laughing with her, Sid leaned back in the chair and moaned. No one else was in the waiting room at the time.

"Come on – I didn't hit you that hard." Sid's lip was quivering like he was gonna cry.

"It feels like my leg is on fire! Aggghnnnn." He cried.

Sue picked up Sid's pants leg as high as she could to look.

"It's gotta be from the recipe I fell into."

"I'll call a doctor!" Sue started to get up but Sid caught her arm. "No wait for Nana, she'll know what to do – I hope! Annnnn – I hope she hurries."

"I'll try her phone."

Nana picked up on the first ring and told Sue she was expecting this. She promised she would be right there.

By the time she got there, Sid had broken into a cold sweat and was shivering like he was extremely cold, but it was from the pain. Sue watched as his skin started peeling away from his leg! It fell off in small, crisp pieces like potato chips.

Sid kicked so hard his shoe came off. Sue and Nana pulled him down on the floor and Nana told Sue to hold him down, just as Ami came in. She gasped seeing Sid thrashing around on the floor and without asking, helped Sue hold him down. They looked at each other and each knew the other was frightened.

Sid managed to not scream as more chunks of his skin came off, but he kicked and tears welled up in his eyes.

Nana was mixing stuff she had in her bag, with stuff she found in the cafeteria. Sid threw his head back and screamed loud enough to get someone's attention in the hall. Ami jumped up and told them everything was ok, "Nana's a doctor" – and she shut the door.

Sid was really wishing he could pass out, but no such luck. The effect was all the way up past his knee, nearly to his hip, now and as hard as he tried to stay still, he kicked and arched his back trying to get away from the intense pain.

Sue and Ami held his arms and shoulders down while Nana ripped his pants leg open from the bottom up to his hip and took of his sock. Ami was closest to his leg so Nana handed her the antidote and told her to rub it in. Starting above the affected skin, Ami started rubbing in the mixture. Sue held both his shoulders.

Tobey came in announcing that San was done and would be down soon. Ami yelled at him to close the door and he did, and ran over to them. "What's wrong with Sid?"

"A recipe Kong Li cooked on the roof. Help us hold him still." Tobey held down the leg that Ami wasn't rubbing down with the weird green and purple paste. Soon they could all feel Sid relaxing. He let his head roll to the side and gasped trying to catch his breath. Sue looked again, and where all the skin had been flaking off, was filling back in, healing before their eyes. The chunks that had fallen to the carpet vanished.

"Nana! What was that?", Sid asked.

"A very bad recipe indeed. Used for torturing victims – called 'A fate worse than death'."

Sid thanked everyone and sat up. He saw his pants. "Oh crap! Another pair trashed! I'm not gonna have any pants to wear."

"No problem Sid, you can wear my silk pants."

Sid cringed. "Nana?"

"Don't worry Sid. We will make a trip to the thrift store as soon as you feel able."

"What a relief." Sid tore the loose cloth off at the top of his thigh like some sort of new fashion shorts. Tobey teased him cause he had no hair on his legs, Sid teased him back cause he didn't have any hair, 'anywhere'.

"You're both as smooth as babies' bottoms." Sue added.

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

When they got home, Nana paid the cab and it pulled away, and no one was even to the door yet. "Come on kids, step lively! There is still business to be taken care of waiting for us inside."

Moans were heard, except from Ami and San. They were silent and not sure what to do, weren't walking to the door, even slowly. San was leaning on her crutches. Nana noticed and got behind them herding them like sheep. Once they were inside, they saw Mr. Wu's Cousin Melvin sitting in a booth with a bunch of paperwork in front of him, and a strange woman in a business suit talking to him.

'Strange time for a tax auditor to visit." Tobey joked.

Melvin turned his attention to San and Ami when they came in.

"Girls!" Nana stepped in front of him and introduced everyone. Melvin spoke again.

"Girls, I know you don't know me, but I heard about your predicament . . ."

Nana whispered, "He heard a 'simple' version of your situation."

"My wife and I really want you to come live with our family. She couldn't be here tonight since we couldn't find a babysitter on short notice, and I know this is sudden, but please consider it. Sue Sid and Tobey seem to like me and Nana can . . ."

He stopped talking when Ami and San got to him and gave him a hug. "You can call me Melvin, or dad – whatever you're comfortable with."

Nana herded her kids to the kitchen to leave the new family alone to talk. "Nana! How did you do it?"

"When did you do it?"

"All good questions, but first let's take care of you three. Tobey, how are you feeling?"

"Ok, just really tired Nana."

"Go on up first and take a shower, nice hot water will make your strained and bruised muscles feel better. I will bring you up some soup to drink before you got to bed." He told them goodnight and went to get his things for a shower.

Sue and Sid had some soup before they went for their showers. When they went by, they saw San and Ami were still talking and laughing with Cousin Melvin. The woman in the suit was closing her suitcase and getting ready to leave so the deal must have been done.

Sid went up first and got his shower. Sue waited for Ami and San to get up before she went over to tell them they were invited to stay in her room on cots that night.

They went up together and Nana stayed to talk to Cousin Melvin. While Sid was in the shower, San knocked on the boy's door, Tobey yelled 'come in' and his tired face still lit up when he saw her.

She told him that they would be going to live with Melvin tomorrow and Tobey pointed out that sunrise was in about two hours. San grinned and gave him a kiss goodnight.

Ami was waiting in the hall for Sid to get out of the shower to tell him the good news. He held a towel around his important parts with one hand and hugged her with the other.

"I'm so happy you two found a family out of all this. Things always work out if you give it long enough!"

Ami leaned in, and so did Sid. Their lips met and she hugged him tightly with both arms. When they parted she said "thank-you."

"I didn't do anything."

"You did so much! Goodnight."

Sid felt dreamy, and waved at her. The towel he had been holding fell around his ankles.

Ami blushed "Oh, I like!"

Sid turned bright red – all over – and grabbed for the towel before he ran in his room. Tobey saw him and busted up laughing.

Goodnight Sid

Goodnight Ami

Goodnight Tobey

Goodnight San

Goodnight Sue

Goodnight Nana

Goodnight Tobey

Goodnight Sid

Goodnight Ami

ENOUGH!

[[[[[T|h|r|e|e| SAN |D|e|l|i|v|e|r|y]]]]]

End