Maeter: Yay! Slop Doggy finally updated!!!

Slop Doggy: Yes. Finally. I'm done with tests, plus school's out!!! *happy face* *sad face* The last few weeks were horrible. First we were stuck in the same classroom from 8:20 to 3:50 during TAKS week, and then I had to take an AP exam over U.S. History. That was a brain killer. Then, the same day I took the AP exam, I had to take a Laying the Foundation test in Algebra II Pre-AP. I did not know anything on that. So my brain is fried.

Maurice: What brain?

Slop Doggy: …

Eureka: Maurice! Be nice to Slop Doggy. He was kind enough to do his first fan fiction about us, the least we can do is show him a little respect.

Maurice: Sorry, Mom.

Eureka: I'm not the one you should be saying sorry too.

Maurice: Sorry for insulting you, Slop Doggy.

Slop Doggy: It's ok, Maurice. I've been insulted by professionals.

Renton: I guess it's my turn to do the disclaimer. Slop Doggy doesn't own Eureka Seven in any way. He only owns OCs and the storyline.

Slop Doggy: Now, the moment you've been waiting for! The end of author's comments and the start of the story! The beginning of-

Eureka: Slop. You're rambling.

Slop Doggy: Right. Sorry.

Maurice: Wait. Did Slop Doggy just insult me?

Slop Doggy (quietly): And he says I don't have a brain.

Chapter 11: The Plot Thickens

"And this is where the kids and I sleep," Eureka said.

"Wow, it must be crowded," said Amelia.

"No, not really. We each have our own bed and toy chest, so it's not that bad," said Maurice.

He, Eureka, Renton, Maeter, and Linck were giving Amelia a tour of the Gekko while Tyler talked to the rest of the crew in the cafeteria.

"Um…" began Amelia.

"Yes?" asked Renton.

"Oh, never mind," said Amelia.

"What is it?" asked Eureka gently.

"I'm…uh…hungry," Amelia said hesitantly.

"Let's go see if Tyler's done talking with the crew in the cafeteria and I'll see if I can whip something up," said Renton.

"Really?" asked Amelia.

"Yup."

In the cafeteria, the rest of the Gekko crew stared in silent shock at the T.V. screen. Holland was the first to break the silence.

"How," he said hoarsely. "How is my brother back?"

"I don't know," said Tyler. "All I know is that this war is about to escalate something fierce."

"Wait a minute," said Talho. "If you were right there, why didn't you kill him?"

"Because if I did, then the 50 KLFs you see would have attacked all at once, and even I would be hard-pressed to fight 50 KLFs at once and live. And if I had not lived, Holland and the others would have lost their Evac option. Is that what you wanted to happen?"

"No but…"

"Believe me, if there was any way to kill Dewey without endangering the mission, I would have done so without a second thought. But I couldn't. Now can we wrap this up? Renton, Eureka, and the kids are coming."

Sure enough, the voices of the tour group were heard outside the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and the group came in.

"Hey, Holland? Can we make something to eat?" asked Renton.

"Huh? Oh, sure," said Holland.

"Heck, if Renton and Eureka are cooking, I'm staying here," said Ken-Goh.

"Don't worry. We're going to let Amelia try our cooking, so you'll get your food fix," laughed Renton.

"Awesome!" cheered Matthieu. "We get to have Renton and Eureka's cooking again!"

"Surely it wasn't that good," said Eureka.

"Are you kidding?" asked Hilda. "When Matthieu proposed to me, we went to a fancy restaurant and ate there to celebrate. When the meal was over, he and I were thinking the same thing: 'If only Renton and Eureka cooked for us.' Your cooking's easily that of a 5-star chef's."

"All right, we get it. We'll cook more," laughed Renton.

"Need any help?" asked Tyler.

"NO!" the entire crew yelled.

"Whoa, OK. Never mind."

Holland stood up and said, "Eureka, Renton. Can you save me something? I need to go lay down."

"Uh…sure, Holland," said Renton.

Holland shuffled his way to the door, Talho's eyes on him the whole time, full of worry.

After about thirty minutes, during which time the delicious smell of Renton and Eureka's cooking filled the cafeteria, causing the entire crew to drool, including Amelia, the couple passed out bowls of beef stew and plates of bread and salad. Without hesitation, the crew dug in.

"Oh, so good," said Maeter.

"Awesome cooking, Mom, Dad," said Maurice.

"Either you got better at cooking, or we're just not used to your cooking," said Gidget.

"I think it's both, Gidget," said Eureka.

Dominic, Anemone, and Amelia, being their first time having Renton and Eureka's cooking, didn't say anything. They just kept eating.

After a hearty dinner, the crew sat back, bellies full.

"God, I want to eat more, but I can't," groaned Matthieu.

"We'd better be careful with these two around," said Ken-Goh. "Otherwise, we'll be overweight in no time."

"This is a weird feeling, like my stomach is going to blow up. What is it?" asked Amelia.

"That means you're full, that you shouldn't eat anymore," said Renton. "You've never been full before?"

"No. The people who had me in that room wouldn't feed me a lot," she said.

The crew's eyes narrowed.

"Tyler, where was this rebel base?" asked Talho in a deadly voice.

"About 3 minutes into town," Tyler replied in the same tone.

"Should we-"

"I say so."

"No," said Holland over the speakers.

"But, Holland-"began Talho.

"No. Not right now, Talho. Just get us back to Capitol City."

"But-"

"Please."

The sheer pain in Holland's voice silenced any arguments Talho might have had. She sighed and said, "Doggie, set course for Capitol City. We need to let Jurgens and the others know about this."

"About what?" asked Renton.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," said Talho. "Just go back to your rooms and get a good night's rest. Amelia, we made out a room for you in Renton's old room."

"HUH? Then where am I supposed to sleep?"

"Renton, Eureka. Follow me."

The couple followed Talho to a door right between Renton's old room and Eureka's room.

"This is you two's new room," said Talho.

"Say what?"

"Yup. Since you two are a couple, we thought you should have your own room together."

"Um, Talho, are you sure? I mean, we're only 16. That seems like a big step."

"Come on, Renton. Who are you fooling? The entire crew knows that you'll marry Eureka."

"But…but I…but…" stuttered Renton, and then walked off, red in the face.

Talho grinned, while Eureka looked from Talho to Renton in confusion.

Tyler lay in his room, coughing in his hand. When he was done, he looked down at it and cursed quietly.

"The side effects are kicking in. If this war doesn't end soon, I'll be in trouble," he thought, wiping his mouth on a napkin, staining it red.

Renton walked toward the hanger, muttering to himself.

"Why does Miss Talho have to tease me like that? What did I ever do to her?"

Lost in thought, he almost hit the hanger door face first, remembering just in time to open it.

"Maybe I should work on the Nirvash, just to clear my head."

Almost reaching the Nirvash, he happened to turn his head to where the Oblivion was parked and noticed Tyler sitting next to the cockpit, his back to Renton.

"Tyler? What's he doing here?" Renton thought.

He did not have to wait long for the answer. Reaching his hand up, Tyler pulled down the hood he always wore. Underneath it was a mane of dark brown hair…and a drug-injecting helmet.

"Why is he wearing that?" thought Renton.

Setting the helmet down onto the cockpit seat of the Oblivion, Tyler jumped down and left, not noticing Renton.

Waiting until Tyler had left the hanger, Renton walked over to the Oblivion and climbed into the cockpit. Spotting what looked like a small briefcase, Renton propped it up on his lap and opened it. Inside were about 20 canisters of the drugs that Anemone used to take.

"Oh my God. Tyler's compromising his health just to help us," Renton thought. "If he keeps this up he'll die."

Renton: Wow, what a twist, Slop.

Slop Doggy: Thanks, I think it was a good twist too.

Eureka: You aren't really going to kill Tyler off, are you?

Slop Doggy: I don't know yet. But I do know that something big will happen.

Maeter: Really? What?

Slop Doggy: If I tell you, the readers will know.

Maeter: Then just whisper it into my ear.
Slop Doggy: Fine. *bends over and whispers into Maeter's ear*

Maeter: Uh-huh…wow…cool…No way!

Maurice: now I want to know.

Slop Doggy: Don't worry, Maeter will tell you.

Linck: Me too, me too!

Renton: When's the next update, Slop?

Slop Doggy: That, I don't know. But just keep an eye out to the horizon and remember to Review. I want to know how I'm doing, what I need to improve, etc. So until the next update, remember…

All: Have a safe, happy, fun-filled summer, everyone!

Be safe and well

Slop Doggy