"WHAT!?"

No way…

His ARM!?

I looked down at my leg and felt a chill go down my spine. My leg had been changed, but it pretty much would have been the case if they had taken me to the hospital. I would've wound up losing it.

But Jake… He didn't deserve that. He freaking played guitar, how was he going to do that with one arm?

No way…

No way….

The doctor bowed his head apologizing. "He's in room 202 he should be waking up soon…" He said before he got called away.

I felt stunned. I couldn't describe the shock. It wasn't me… But I still rubbed my own arm cringing.

"Andy?" Dusty nudged me gently with his wing. "You gonna be okay?"

"He lost his freaking arm…" I muttered. "His freaking ARM!"

-N/A-

Andy after uttering those words, wound up sinking to the floor, in just genuine shock. Dusty seeing the signs of a "Hayes Meltdown." got in front of him to shield him from sight.

The boy didn't have a full melt down but it took a bit before he actually had the courage to go to Jake's room and peer in.

Jake stared back out at him.

"J-Jake!" He said voice a little high out of surprise. "I thought you'd still be-"

"Asleep. Yeah...Check it out what those quacks did." He said lifting what was left of his arm up. A stump wrapped in bandages and gauze. Then he said something that took both Dusty and Andy for surprise.

"Think the chick's will dig it?"

The silence that followed was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"You just…." Andy started.

"Lost your arm…" Dusty continued. "And your asking us…"

"If chicks will dig it?" Andy finished both plane and boy giving the blonde a deadpan look.

Jake shrugged. "Figure I probably should count my lucky stars I'm not dead or lost worse. So yeah… Think I could hook girls with claiming it's a battle wound?"

Andy's shoulders shook as he clamped both hands over his mouth closing his eyes. Dusty blinked looking at him, nudging him a little.

"Uh you okay? Y-you're not gonna be sick are you?" He asked backing up a bit.

Andy let his hands drop as he threw his head back laughing. "BAHAHAHA! Oh gosh JAKE YOU IDIOT!" He laughed harder falling back landing on his backside.

Jake started to crack up. "Dude-Pfft hahaha stop it this is a hospital!"

"I CAN'T HELP IT! YOU MADE ME DO IT!" Andy roared laughing.

Dusty shook himself a bit as he backed up somewhat. "You two are insane."

"This is me being joyful!" Andy laughed wiping away some tears as he got up going over to his friend and offering a hand. Jake used his good hand to take it as they both held on tight looking each other in the eye.

"Kick the arse of the car that did this to me." Jake said finally after a moment. Andy gave a broad smirk nodding.

"Darn right I will… They won't see what hit them."

And off to war…. Dusty thought, though he agreed, he just wished they would at least give it a few days before deciding to go off. "Just take it easy…"

"Pfft..Dust when did we ever take it easy?"

"...Good point."

-Piston Peak-

Hailey couldn't sleep. The girl had eventually been sent to bed when her head kept bobbing during dinner, but after about an hour or so she had woken up and couldn't fall back asleep.

She was tired too but no matter how many times she turned over on her cot, she couldn't get herself comfortable.

She even tried the floor but when she was just about to doze off someone picked her up and laid her back on the cot, she pretended to still be asleep but she was wide awake now.

Darn their niceness….

So now there she was looking at the ceiling sighing heavily. Not only she was tired, she was bored as well.

Sitting up Hailey brushed her hair out of her face as she looked around yawning a little.

She saw lights outside, that flickered from time to time. A greenish yellow glow that she recognized as firefly lights.

Daddy said he'd take me firefly catchin' when we moved… But he never did… Hailey looked around to be sure the shop was really empty as she got an idea.

It wouldn't be bad to have some fun by herself right?

As long as she was quiet, she reasoned, then she could go outside. The girl carefully got out of bed, looking around for something to catch a few of the fireflies in. She found an empty mason jar and a lid and nodded to herself. This'll do.

She crept out of the workshop waiting until she was outside to put her shoes on to avoid making more noise.

When she was outside she was surrounded by fireflies, that flew around her, the lights they gave off familiar, comforting.

Hailey set down her jar and giggles trying to catch one, starting to chase some of them. "Come back! I just wanna see how pretty you are!" She whispered remembering to at least keep quiet.

Unaware she was being watched from the edge.

"There she is…" A machine whispered, a black cadillac. "Little twerp's actually up and running again."

"Pheh she won't be running when we're done." Another, another black cadillac said with an annoyed look.

Hailey wasn't aware of the danger as she managed to capture one of the fireflies peering in to her enclosed hands to look at it. She giggled seeing it glow as she let it go.

The quiet of the night was interrupted by the loud revving of engines. Hailey stopped short and slowly turned around to see one of the cadilliacs driving towards her.

Another was coming up from behind as she backed up into it. "L-Leave me alone!"

"Now, now be a good squishy… Can't have a totally unrecognizable body.." One of them sneered, the one in front of her.

Hailey whimpered shaking her head. "Please no...I don't wanna die!"

"Too bad!"

They revved their engines as Hailey tried to make a break for it, as they gave chase. The girl tripped over the jar as it broke, she fell covering her head expecting to feel the collision.

WHAM!

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

The car was rammed backwards, the other snarled and tried going for her, but it too was soon launched back.

Hailey couldn't see whatever it was, but the voice she could hear.

"Get away from her you punks!"

The cars eventually sped off, worse for wear, sporting dents, scratched paint and one of them a cracked windshield.

The girl stayed where she was shaking, trying her best not to whimper or yell.

The wind picked up, a breeze similar to the one Blade and Windlifter's propellers made when they got them started.

"H-hello?" She asked quietly.

"Hey there… You okay?" Whatever it was asked her, for now keeping out of view.

She nodded shakily looking herself over, she hadn't landed on any of the pieces of broken glass but she had gotten herself pretty far from Maru's shop in her running and she was a little shaky. "I'm okay...I think…" She looked around. "Where are you?"

The being in question soon came into view, a white and blue helicopter, with blue and yellow on his visor. "I think you already know my name…" The helicopter said, having a pale blue glow around him.

Hailey gasped as she got up. "Your...Your...Nick!"

"Yep, Nick Loopin' Lopez at your service." He said with his signature grin.

"Whoa… That's so awesome.." She breathed smiling back a little. "You saved me!"

"Well I couldn't let ya get hurt… That wouldn't have been right." He said looking her over relieved he had made it before they had a chance.

"Thank you.."

"Anytime kiddo."

She nodded before tilting her head to the side a little confused now. "But… How come your glowin'? And how come those bullies couldn't see you?"

Nick looked skyward as he mulled over how to answer this without scaring her. "I only let people I want to see me, see me...And as for the glow… Ever hear of Guardian Angels?" He asked her.

Hailey nodded quickly a look of understanding coming across her face. "Yeah.. I have…"

"Well that's what I am… A Guardian spirit… I watch over those that I care about and need to protect…" He replied with a smile.

"So you're my guardian?" The little girl asked in wonder.

"Yours and Blade's… Gotta make sure you both are safe."

Hailey surprised the spirit by giving him a hug, she was surprised she didn't fall through but she didn't mind. Nick gave her a nuzzle. "Thanks…Thanks so much." She murmured.

"Hey...It's all okay now…" He assured her noticing she had some tears in her eyes. "No need for those to come out.."

She wiped her eyes quickly with the back of her hand and nodded. "R-right…"

"Atta girl…"

Hailey nodded sitting down rubbing her eyes more out of exhaustion then anything else. "Tired kiddo?" Nick asked.

"A little bit…" She was interrupted by a long yawn as her head bobbed. "...Okay a little bit of a lot." She added smiling tiredly.

Nick chuckled giving her a nuzzle. "I'll take ya back to the shop, grab onto my landing gear and don't let go okay?"

"Okay." She got up doing so, as Nick flew her back setting her down just in front of the shop. She let go a few inches off the ground landing as her shoes made a sharp "click" on the pavement.

"Sleep tight kiddo… Don't go wanderin' at night anymore okay?" He didn't want to see that incident repeated and made a note to "visit" the cadillacs and give them another "warning" to ensure they didn't come back.

"I won't go wanderin'... W-will I see you again?" She asked looking at him with a hopeful look.

"Only if you want me too kiddo. I'll always watch over you and Blade." He promised.

"I'd really like that… Good night Nick.." She smiled before heading in falling right into bed.

"Night kiddo..." He flew back to his perch atop the shop disappearing from view.

Not gonna let anyone hurt her…. He made a promise and I intend to keep that for him.

When morning came, after breakfast Hailey made her way out of the shop carrying a can of oil, she had to be careful incase anyone asked. When she got out of view, but not completely out of the base she set it down and stepped back.

"Nick?" She called quietly. "I brought ya a present…"

The spirit came into a view he looked a little surprised to see the offering but sipped at it, savoring the taste. "Thanks kiddo… Usually don't need this stuff, but I'm glad to get it when I can. Still good even years later."

Hailey smiled sitting down letting him drink. It was strange, but cool at the same time.

"Did you tell Blade and them about what happened last night?" He asked when he was done.

She shook her head. "No… I don't wanna worry 'em.."

"You need to.. Just leave out the guardian spirit, part… Say someone you didn't recognize came in and stopped 'em… I don't want them freaking out…" Nick said, mostly thinking of his old friend if he knew he was still hanging around.

"Okay…" She gulped. "D-do you think they'll be mad I was out late?"

"I think they'll be more mad someone tried to hurt ya…. But don't worry...Those two chuckle heads won't be coming back."

Hailey sighed in relief and went closer hugging him trying to hide her face a little. Nick nuzzled her, whispering reassurances.

"Everything's gonna be fine…."

"Promise?"

"I promise. CHoP's honor."