Well that's my exams all over for a few more months which means I should have more time to make sure my stories are update according to my schedule. I've done well so far:P

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade

The Bitch and The Deer

Hilary had fallen asleep. Kai's rough calculation predicted it had to have been between twenty and thirty minutes after Tala had. She'd given no warning but after ten minutes of saying nothing, Kai had discovered that the silence was due to her vacation to the land of nod. She was remarkably more cute than Tala when she slept. Her arms were folded across her chest in a huffy childlike manner and her face appeared to be pouting even more so. Kai felt himself smiling softly as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. He'd not properly looked at her yet; he'd not had the chance. She was very pretty; not what he'd call beautiful but very goddamn close. There was a unique flair about her that seemed like a drug no one could ever get enough of, like heroin for heart. Her skin was pale but flawless and it looked so smooth. He wanted to touch it, to feel the silkiness himself. Under normal circumstances he'd probably already have turned on his charm that seemed to always get him his ladies. Unfortunately, running from a murder was not what Kai would list as a normal circumstance. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to drag Hilary into the mess anymore than she already unwittingly was.

She stirred and opened a sleepy eye. She stretched, back arched liked a cat's and smiled drowsily. "How long have I been asleep?"

"No more than an hour and a half," Kai answered as she yawned herself back to the land of the living. "We're not too far from New Mexico. I think if we keep up this speed then we should be there by seven thirty. Of course, there might be some traffic as it approaches rush hour but I'm not too familiar with the traits of these roads."

Hilary took the map out of the glove compartment and traced the pencil line with her finger. "I might be wrong, but isn't this the sort of quieter road? I don't think it's the main one…then again I'm not one for reading maps."

"It is a by-road. Like a said, Ta...Paul and I are on a very tight schedule so we planned this route taking into consideration traffic and popularity of the roads."

Hilary sat back and watched him carefully and with intrigue. "Do you always do that?" Kai looked away from the road for an instant and Hilary could see he was confused. "Talk so formally, I mean. It's like you're giving an inauguration speech or something. You should relax and be…more causal!"

"Like you?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. "Miss Hooker?"

She folded her arms in mock insult and pointed her nose into the air. "I don't believe that was called for. Everyone makes mistakes in their lifetime, right Alex?"

Don't I know it. "Sure."

Her laughter lightened the air in the car like a bell. "Tell me about yourself. I know practically nothing about you and you anything about me. Let's get to know each other since there's nothing else to do. Have you always lived in Mexico?"

For a moment, Kai considered telling her nothing true and making up his entire life. Everything else so far had been a lie. There was something in her ruby eyes, though, that told him to be as truthful as he can. Liars had to have a goddamn good memory and he was sure that Hilary was certainly more intelligent than she first seemed. If he slipped up too often, she was bound to point it out and maybe even become suspicious.

On the radio, Elvis Presley began to sing 'Suspicious Minds.' Kai laughed to himself.

"Well, Paul and I have always been friends. We originally grew up in Russia where I lived with my grandfather and he lived with his parents. It was…a normal childhood, I guess. We were wealthy but never spoiled. At least, not to the extent of some people." He glanced at her briefly to see if she was listening to him. She was. Intently. "Our two families had always been friends, well, in business. They were partners, you see. So when the time came to broaden their horizons they chose to expand to America and that's when we moved to Mexico."

"Mexico isn't in America, dummy." Hilary giggled. "Didn't you tell your parents?"

"I know. But Mexico seemed to have better living prospects for us while the company continued to be successful in the northern part of the land." He cleared his throat as he realised that he was babbling on about something Hilary really didn't care about. She wanted to know about him and as much as the family business concerned him – he hadn't been fooled when he was allowed to study his own choice of course at college, he knew he would one day inherit the company – it was never a passion of his. He had never liked the idea of his life being drawn out for him. "Anyway, I went to school in Mexico's finest boarding school – with Paul, or course. And then we both went to the same college but studying different courses. I'm majoring in business management and Paul in chemistry." He grimaced. "Personally, I was thankful to leave all that science crap behind when I left school but Paul couldn't get enough of it." Shortly after that we kidnapped and murdered one of our best friends. Now we're on our way to Mexico with you, but let's not go there, Kai thought.

Hilary laughed heartily. The sun shone through the windscreen and made her entire face light up. "You and me both. Though I have to admit, science was always one of my strongest subjects. Particularly chemistry. I suppose that was just as well since my parents were so keen on my becoming a doctor just like them." She laughed again but this time nervously. "Sorry, I was asking about you."

Kai shook his head. "There's not much more to tell. I'm pretty sure your life was much more interesting."

"Weeelll," Hilary folded her arms and looked up at the car's material grey roof as she collected all her memories. "I grew up in the Orange Country and I always have. My parents were doctors – both of them. I had a typical rich kid upbringing. You know… parties, boyfriends, prom, etcetera. But I was never really happy. I always knew that my life was only what my parents would let it be. My real passion was fashion. In fact, I was pretty damn good at designing clothes and such stuff that I'd sold one or two of my ideas to my friend's parent's fashion labels. That never really made my parents happy. They thought that it was a road that would take me no where. They never really cared about what I wanted, only that I was making the family look good. As you know, that's when I ran away." She tilted her head and looked at Kai with a glint in her eye. "That's where you came into the story. You know the rest anyway. Now, after a month of struggling, I'm on my way to Mexico with two complete strangers and have lost all traces of the sense I was brought up with." Despite her serious tone, Kai could sense the faint trail of humour behind it. So faint he almost had to be a bloodhound to sense it.

"You know my life story. Surely we're not strangers anymore?"

Hilary smiled. "I guess we're not." She was silent for a few seconds as she looked at him closely. Kai could feel her eyes and it unnerved him. "But I still think there're things you're not telling me but, hey, we've only just met so I can't blame you." Her eyes widened as the song changed on the radio. Her entire face lit up as the recognition dawned on her. "Hey, I love this song!"

"I know this song…" Kai recalled it was Meredith Brooks' 'Bitch'. Garnet used to play it all the time when she was getting ready to go out. He smiled fondly as he remembered her singing into her hairbrush at the tender age of twelve, not quite understanding what the song was about but knowing enough that it was her personified.

"I hate this song!" Tala muttered from somewhere in the depths of the back seat.

"I hate the world today," Hilary sang, smiling. "you're so good to me, I know, but I can't change. Try to tell you but you look at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath innocent and sweet…Yesterday I cried. Must have been relieved to see the softer side." Kai smiled at her singing, not entirely sure if she had the words right but not entirely caring either. She wasn't the best singer, or the worst but she looked as if she was having a hell of a time doing it – like a drunken person on karaoke. It was cute. "Come on, Alex. You must know this bit."

Kai shook his head, laughing at her eagerness.

"Spoil sport!" She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm a bitch. I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint. I do not fee l ashamed." She tugged playfully at his arm to join in but he declined once again. "I'm your hell, I'm your dream. I'm nothing in between you know you wouldn't want it any other way." The way Kai was watching her filled her with an unusual feeling. It was a mixture of intrigue and wonder but also uncertainty. It was no surprise to her that he was intimidated by her eagerness; most people were. But inside that uncertainty could she see desire? Not for her, maybe but what she represented? She was freedom. Freedom was her and was that something he wanted too?

"So take me as I am," Meredith serenaded them both as Hilary mouthed the words instead of singing. "This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man. Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous and I'm going to extremes, tomorrow I will change and today won't mean a thing."

Hilary joined in again with her good friend Meredith. "I'm a bitch. I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint. I do not feel ashamed. I'm your hell, I'm your dream. I'm nothing in between you know you wouldn't want it any other way. I thought you said you know this song!"

"I do but that doesn't mean I want to make a complete ass of myself by singing it." He shrugged. "Besides it's a girl's song. What kind of guy would sing a girl's song?"

"You're among friends here! Don't be so up your own backside. Just when you think you got me figured out the seasons already changing. I think it's cool you do what you do and don't try to save me. Join in with this bit and I promise I won't make you sing again."

Kai rolled his eyes. "I'm a bitch, I'm a tease, I'm a goddess on my knees when you hurt when you suffer I'm an angel undercover," Hilary smiled and joined in with the duet. "I've been numb, I'm revived. Can't say I'm not alive. You know you wouldn't want it any other way."

"That is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever heard. Well done guys." Tala smirked to himself in the backseat.

Hilary folded her arm underneath her and bowed to Kai, smiling. "Thank you for doing me the honour."

"Just don't ask me to do it again."

Hilary grimaced. "Trust me, I won't. I'm almost sorry I got you to join in."

They looked at each other and laughed. "Thanks, Hilary," he said, solemnly.

The radio announcer introduced the next song which was one Kai had never heard of. Thankfully, that meant he would se saved from another wailing of song words on his part. Singing had certainly never been one of his many strong points despite his musical ability. Hilary seemed as if the song was a stranger to her too. Thank God. Kai wondered if she wouldn't have tried to teach him it before the four minutes were up.

He chanced a glance at her.

She was now busy looking out of the window at the barren landscape. It wasn't much of a view but she still seemed fascinated by it, just as he was with her. There was something about her that was entrancing – like music for his eyes. She was like the wind – refreshing but untameable. He was sure that under her carefree demeanour, though, that there was a streak of vulnerability that she probably didn't know she had. It was only by chance that he and Tala had seen it on the night they first met. He had seen the fear in her eye but also the fire to fight it. Even if they hadn't turned up to save the day, Kai imagined she would still have found some way to get out of the situation.

Next he looked at Tala.

To his surprise, he saw that he was awake. Wide awake. With an unreadable look on his face he was watching Kai and didn't turn away when Kai caught him. He felt unnerved. Tala had been acting strange ever since this morning. Was his friend losing it? Could he be next? The worms under his skin crawled at the thought. What would happen to Hilary then? Poor carefree Hilary with no insight into the demons that were congregating in his mind. Was it possible that she could be next on their hit list? Perhaps he should look out for the next forest…

A deer suddenly ran across the road. Kai saw it at the last second and turned the wheel sharply to avoid it causing the car to halt in the middle of the road and Hilary to scream in surprise. The whole car shuddered as the occupants recovered from the unexpected stop. Kai saw that he was panting, his chest heaved up and down and his eyes were wide.

"Alex!" Hilary's voice was shrill. "What the hell happened?"

"I saw…" Kai looked around him and saw that there was no sign of life anywhere, let alone a deer, "...something. At least I thought I did but I guess not." He swallowed hard and turned the ignition on. He could have sworn that he'd seen the beast run in front of him, eyes so wide and wild that he could see the whites.

"Shit, Alex," was all Tala said.

"Shit, Alex indeed!" Hilary harrumphed, trying to hide the adrenaline pumping through her body that was making her heart race with the rest of the world. "Next time you think you see something, ask for confirmation, will you?"

Kai smiled without smiling. "I will."

He pulled the car onto the road again and they begun to drive. No one said anything. Except the DJ. He seemed to be having a hell of a time to himself, laughing and joking and playing songs like he didn't have a care in the world. If only everything was like that, as simple. What Kai wouldn't give to lead the life of the announcer, of Johnny Whathisname. Johnny Whatshisname who lived in a house with his beautiful wife and kids who didn't need to care about anything since he paid other people to do the worrying.

Kai half expected a police car to pull up beside him any moment now to arrest them with their cocky smiles and goodworkboy swaggers. They could then go home to their families and eat their meatloaf and watch their gameshows while he and Tala rotted in jail or fried on the chair. He didn't know which one he preferred.

Now that was a direct lie. He knew what he wanted and what he didn't want and what he didn't want was to die. It wasn't that he was scared of dying. He just didn't want to. He wanted to live his full life. He deserved to live his full life. He'd never done anyone wrong before this and even then it had only been an accident. A fatal one, it seemed, but an accident none the less. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Garnet was now at peace while his whole world crumbled around him with the demons in his head reminding him of that fact every minute, every second. It was entirely her fault. Pure and simple. If she hadn't provoked him so much he wouldn't have lost it and none of this would be happening.

God, how he missed her…

He just wanted her to be there like she had been before. He could blame her all he wanted but he knew it was no use. He would love her always and forever, forever and for always. If not as lovers than at least as friends.

A sign told him that New Mexico was still quite a while away. He looked at the car's clock. He was fairly certain they'd get there by the end of the day.

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