Chapter 10 — Safe Haven

Mooch appears near the Healing Room of Titans Tower, with Sly lifeless in his arms.

"Sly!" Megan exclaimed, being the first person other than Mooch to see Sly's condition. She had a ice-pack on the back of her head because of the hit she took from Reptilius's tail.

"He's back?" Christina said, coming from around the corner. There were no tears on her face now.

"It's alright. I can sense that he still has a bit of life in him; he just needs time to heal." Mooch explained.

"I have him." Pouch said, taking her son and placing him on the resting bed.

Mooch walked over to Hippie, who sat outside of the Healing Room. Christina followed.

"How're the others?" he asked the bunny.

"Chipper and Crunch are doing fine. Slowpoke..."

"Yeah?"

"He's almost healed." Hippie finished. "He could get up if he wanted to, but for some reason he just wants to stay in the bed."

Christina eavesdropped on their conversation, and might have figured out why Slowpoke refuses to get up. She went back in the Healing Room to find the resting sloth.

Scorch was at the door.

"Mooch, Hippie... you can come and check on Sly." Scorch told them. He led them to the fox.

"What's the status?" Mooch asked Pouch.

"He only has 9% of his lifeforce. It's almost as if there was some other force keeping him alive."

"Hmm." Mooch uttered, pondering on the thought.

Megan walked to Sly's bedside with a green chakra aura in her hands.

"What's that?" Hippie asked.

"Using the Sharingan, I was watching Fleece and Ewey with their healing abilities. I call this my Medical Jutsu." Megan said.

"Try it out." Mooch said, pertaining to Sly.

The squirrel suspended her hands just over Sly's body and slowly mended it back together, almost like magic.

"What?" Pouch uttered, seeing the healing progress speed up exponentially. "25%... 50%... 75! Whatever you're doing Megan, it's working! 90%!"

The group saw Sly's eyes open. The fox first drew his attention to Megan.

"I kept your promise, didn't I?" Sly said to her after realizing where he was.

Meanwhile, Christina searched for Slowpoke after checking the Healing Room. It turned out that he was in his own room, down in the Suites. Before knocking, Christina felt a feeling of reluctance because she was worried that Slowpoke was mad at her since she did not listen to him before he left on the mission. Still, she felt that she was wrong for that. She knocked.

"Yo..." Slowpoke said, in his own welcoming way to say "come in". He saw the near-gothic skunk enter his room. "Hey."

Christina looked away from him defensively, crossing her arms, yet still slowly walking towards him. Half of her mind is telling her to run, but the other told her to stay and reconcile.

Slowpoke was watching TV, but he put it on mute, concerned for Christina. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Those cuts looked bad when I first saw them." she mentioned.

"Well, most of them are gone now... I'm just making sure that they stay gone."

She suddenly starts crying again.

"What now? Are you sure you're alright?" Slowpoke asked.

"No..." Christina replied, now on her knees. "I'm sorry for not listening to you before. I thought too much for myself, and I left you guys behind. I mean, I'm over Scaly now, but I still feel sorry that the team got hurt, especially you. Just don't hurt me..."

Slowpoke then turned the TV off, and moved closer to her.

Nearby, Chipper hid herself near Slowpoke's room to eavesdrop. She originally intended to tell Christina that Sly was okay, but she wanted to see what would happen between Slowpoke and Christina.

Slowpoke embraced Christina, who was startled by his arms around her body. "Christi, it's alright. You've had your feelings hurt and lost by Scaly... but at least it's over. Now, stop crying... I don't like it when you do that." He wiped one tear off of her face.

"What do you mean by that?" she quietly asked.

"I already told you before: I help because I care."

With no need for more words, Christina closed her eyes and smiled, truly knowing that Slowpoke really cared for her. She presumed that he was concerned so much for her because he doesn't have a sister.

Chipper walked off. "Oooh... I wonder what this means for them..." she thought, taking in the juicy moment.

Three days later, the rest of the Bean Titans returned to Home Base—which meant that the Moon Base is now fully operational. BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.

"Hey, Mooch. You up for Surveillance?" Sly asked him. It was a "game" that he created. The object of the game is simple: find a random Bean Titan and spy on them for as much time as possible without being detected.

"Okay. Where first?"

"The quietest place in the evening time: the Suites."

The gibbon and the fox soon entered the Suites, and immediately went into stealth mode until they found someone. After a few minutes, they first saw Christina exiting her room.

"Finally, somebody!" Mooch whispered.

"Why is she holding a purple rose?" Sly questioned, never seeing it before.

She was headed for Slowpoke's room. About the rose, it was Slowpoke who gave it to her as a gift. To her, that gift was two levels away from a marriage proposal. For one, it was purple—her favorite color. On the other hand, it was a rose—her dream flower. Those two details combined made Christina realize one thing: she wanted to be with Slowpoke. Despite their four-year age difference (he's 19 and she's 15), she wanted him because he was strong, caring and considerate... and that he calls her "Christi".

Seconds later, Slowpoke emerged from his room, now fully healed from all of his cuts. Seeing him, Sly and Mooch quickly ducked around the corner, still monitoring Christina, who stopped upon the sight of the sloth, with her tail waving behind her in happiness.

"Christi?" Slowpoke uttered, surprised that she was the first person he saw right outside of his door. It was somewhat evident that he liked her as well. "Um—"

Christina impulsively ran up and covered his mouth. She was lightly blushing. "Shh." she told him, putting her arms around his neck and pulling his head into hers. Still holding the rose in her hands, she started a very passionate kiss.

Sly was speechless.

"Didn't see that coming..." Mooch whispered.

The skunk stopped the kiss after a few seconds. "I'm sorry. What were you gonna say?" she asked him.

Slowpoke smiled. "Actually..." he started, putting his arm on her lower back and bringing her into him, "you beat me to it." He restarted the kiss, wrapping his other arm around her back and leaning his lips into hers.

It was a longer kiss, as they both ended up on the wall sustaining the lip lock.

Sly and Mooch stopped their Surveillance game, turning back from their moment.

"Any objections, Sly?" Mooch asked.

"Nope." Sly said, keeping his vow of not getting into Christina's business with the next guy of her choice.

"You're not bugged? That's new for you..."

"It's my promise."

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And that's it for BTA Part 6. Yes, Christina likes older boys. ;)

Tune in for Part 7!