Chapter 2-A Helping Hand

Disclaimer: I don't own Tekken or Namco at all in this story. They rightfully belong to their owners.

"Thank you guys for the party," Christie said walking out of the elevator with two colorful balloons and gift wrapped up in her right hand. "Julia and Asuka, I really appreciate what you guys done for my birthday today. I really had fun today."

The two girls smiled back at Christie. "Aw it was nothing Christie. We had to do something since your now twenty years old. Maybe you should start drinking some sake," Asuka winked.

Christie laughed and smiled at the young Japanese girl. "Asuka, you're not even eighteen years old yet. You shouldn't be thinking about drinking yet."

"I will be in two months," She said holding up two fingers, "And once I turn eighteen, I'm going to drink until I drop dead."

"Asuka, drinking is not good for your health, especially at a young age," Julia explained to her young Japanese friend.

Asuka rolled her eyes and Christie laughed at her two friends. "Well, thank you once again guys."

"You're welcome, Christie. We should get going now Asuka, we both have early matches tomorrow morning."

Asuka sighed, "Yeah your right; well, see you later Christie, goodnight."

"Goodnight guys," Christie waved at the girls while the elevator doors were shutting. She walked down the silent hallway towards her hotel room. Arriving at her door, she took out at the key card, swapped it through the scanner and opened the door when it clicked.

Upon entering her room, Christie laid out on the bed exhausted. Today was her twentieth birthday, and she spent all day running around with her friends, Asuka and Julia. She had a match up earlier; today, even though she didn't win her match against Heihachi, Christie was still able to have fun for the rest of the day. Asuka and Julia even threw a surprise party for her, and invited all competitors. The party was fun, but Christie wished her friends didn't invite the bitch, Lili. All Lili did was complain how her birthday party would have been better than Christie's; she said that she would invite all the A-list Hollywood celebrities. Nonetheless, Christie still had a great time.

Her cell phone rung; Christie rolled over on her side, picked up her black and silver phone, and answered it.

"Hello," she answered.

"Happy twentieth birthday my little angel!"

Christie smiled, realizing that it was her grandpa, who was physically ill the last time she saw him. She and Eddy, her mentor and friend, entered last year's tournament to find a cure deep inside the Mishima Zaibatsu facility. Even though she didn't win the tournament, Christie was still able to find a medicine that could heal her grandpa. She loved him very much; he was the only living relative Christie knew.

"Thank you grandpa, and how are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling much better by the day. So how did you spend your birthday? Did Eddy buy you anything?"

Christie got up from her bed and she began walking towards the closet. she slid the door open and grabbed a towel and rag. "Well today, I had a match and lost, then my friends Julia and Asuka set me up a surprise party just a few hours ago. I guess you can say I had fun. As for Eddy, he was sent home yesterday from the tournament because he had injured his knee in his last match but he did leave me a with a gift."

"Okay. Will you be coming home then because of your loss today?"

"If I lose one more match then yeah, I will be coming home. They changed the rules this year because of the many fighters that entered. If you lose more than three times, then you will not make it to the elimination rounds," Christie explained the rules to her grandfather.

"I trained you well Christie, and I have high hopes that you will do well this time. You may not be a veteran like all the other competitors like Eddy, but you are young and you are a lot smarter than them. You're bringing a new revolution to the Iron Fist; in time you will be recognize. Remember what I always tell you Chris: 'Patients is the-' "

"Key to success," Christie finished for her grandfather, "I know grandpa, you told me that since I was a little girl."

"And this little girl has grown up to be a very beautiful woman."

"Thanks grandpa," she smiled, "I'm going to take a shower now, so I'll talk to you tomorrow okay? I love you."

"I love you too my little angel. Goodnight."

"Night." After Christie hung up her phone, she then proceeded towards the bathroom. Turning on the shower, Christie stripped off her clothes, she then eased herself inside.

As she began rinsing off, Christie thought about her life so far, before she participated in the tournament. She was born into a wealthy family; her father was an extraordinary business man while her mother was one of the top nurses in Brazil. Christie lived a perfect life as a child. Her family always went go on a cruise every summer and the beaches. She practically lived near the beach; everyday and night Christie would lay out on the soft sands of Rio De Janeiro and would gaze at the sunny clouds, letting the water splashed on her feet. Life was perfect back then.

When Christie turned nine years old, her seemingly perfect life, came to a sudden halt. One day, when her father came home from work, he told both Christie and her mother that his company went bankrupt and he would have to sell it. From that day on, Christie parents went from being upper class to middle class; they had to move away from the beach. Even though Christie's mom still worked at the hospital, it still wasn't enough for her to support the family, for she was the only one working.

As for her dad, he became an alcoholic. Christie watched her dad change dramatically from a kind gentle father, to an abusive father and husband. There would be nights where Christie's father and mother would fight, she would hear her mother screaming, yelling and begging him to stop beating on her.

Christie remembered how her dad tried to rape her, but her mother would rather sacrifice her own body so Christie wouldn't be touched by her father. When she was eleven, that her dad tied both of them up and, in her horror, she watched her own mother be forcedly raped by her father. Since that incident, Christie never loved her father again, and a couple weeks later, her father was found dead. The police told them that he was involved in a drug scandal; he had been doing it since becoming a business man.

Christie turned off the shower, grabbed a white towel,wrapped it around her wet body and slowly stepped out of the shower.

She wiped the foggy mirror and stared at the image of herself. Her grandfather was right; she had become a beautiful woman.

'Thank god that I take after my mom's looks' Christie thought, as she put on her golden bracelet. Her mom had given it to her before she died when Christie was thirteen. Like her grandfather, Christie's mom was diagnosed with the same illness. At the time, there wasn't a cure and if there was, her mom will still be here cheering for her daughter.

Drying herself off, Christie heard a knock.

"Coming," she said, putting on a pair of green PJ's and a white tank top. While combing her wet hair, she opened the door.

"Oh my gosh! Steve!" Christie screamed when she she saw Steve Fox on the floor in a bloody mess. She quickly checked his pulse to see if he was still breathing, and sighed realizing he was still alive, but unconscious.

'What in the world happened to him? I need to get him in my room fast, before anyone sees him like this.'

Christie carefully picked up Steve, leaning him on her shoulder so she could put him inside the room. Easing the unconscious British on the couch.

"Steve what happened to you," She whispered, taking off his shirt, examining his wounds. "These wounds can't be from the tournament. I don't think he had a match today."

Christie examined the knife wound on his right shoulder, "Doesn't look like it went deep enough. I can fix that with the first aid kit." Christie dug in her bag, searching for the first aid kit, and once it was found, she began cleaning his wounds.

"You're lucky that you're unconscious right now; otherwise you'd be crying like a baby."

Steve moaned as he began to wake up from his deep slumber, and he heard a voice. Blinking he observed the room that he was in. He knew that it was certainly not his room because of the feminine smell. He tried to sit up, but a sudden sharp pain prevented him from doing so.

"Ah, bloody hell," Steve said, rubbing his injured shoulder..

Christie, who was on the phone, saw Steve waking up. "Hey look Asuka, I gotta go okay...yes I'll see if I can make it to your match alright...okay bye."

Christie quickly walked over to the boxer, kneeling beside. "Hey you okay?"

Steve opened his eyes, he saw a pair of brown eyes looking back into his blue eyes. "Chri-Christie?"

She nodded, smiling at him. "Yeah it's me."

Steve smiled back a bit at the Brazilian. Though both Steve and Christie saw one another during the tournament from time to time, they were merely acquaintances rather than close friends.

"Steve? What had happened to you last night?" She asked him, concern about his injuries.

Steve looked at his body; he had bandages wrapped around his ribs, shoulder and he felt one on his forehead. He rubbed his swollen cheek, and winced a bit.

"Steve, do you remember anything that happened to you last night?"

"Um, I do remember being with Hwoarang at the bar," He answered to her.

"Did a brawl break up, while you guys were at the bar?" Christie knew that Hwoarang has a habit of being involve in brawls. He told her himself that it was another way for sparring as he puts it.

Steve shook his head. "No, Hwoarang passed out and then I left him there. However, after I left the bar, I was being chased by some guys in black. I was shot in my leg."

Christie nodded, "Yeah, I noticed when I had stripped you."

"You stripped me?!"

Christie laughed, she got up from the floor and put on her jacket and slip on a pair of sneakers. "I had to clean up your wounds somehow, besides I left you in your boxers."

"You're supposed to take me to a hospital," He said, slowly raising up from the couch.

"What? You would rather have an old nurse taking care of you, rather than a beautiful young lad like me?" She asked, looking back and smirking at Steve.

Steve blushed, turning his face away from Christie, "Uhhhh..." He had to admit, Christie is pretty damn attractive, and he will like to see her in a nurses outfit.

She laughed at this hesitation, "Hey Steve, I'm going to Asuka's match, so I'll be back in an hour."

Opening the door, as was heading out, she added, "And Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Take a shower. You reek of alcohol." Christie then left Steve in the room by himself.

About an hour later, Christie returned from watching Asuka's match. With her victory, she was able to qualify for the elimination rounds. Christie hoped that she too can qualify for the elimination round. She heard water coming from the bathroom, and figured that Steve was in the shower.

Christie sat on the couch, she grabbed the remote and started changing the channel. Christie thought about what Steve had told her earlier about him being chased by guys in black. Quite frankly, she remembered back in the fourth tournament that a certain fighter was running away from the mafia. Could Steve one of those fighters? Were they after him again? So many questions ran through her mind.

Suddenly, a hard knocking came from her door. "Who could that be knocking on my door like that? Probably Asuka," Christie said to herself, walking towards the door.

Steve, who was in the shower, heard the loud knocking coming the door. Curious about the knocking, Steve quickly put on his clothes and cracked the door open to see who was at the door. His intuition told him trouble was coming.

When Christie opened the door, two guys in black stood at the doorway. "We're looking for a fighter by the name of Steve Fox. We have very important message...for him."

Hmm, I too wonder what Christie would look like in a nurses outfit... Anyway, the action is about to start. Look forward for the third chapter soon. Read and review