A/N: This should be the last chapter…depending on how things go…enjoy faithful readers and followers of my humble little fic!

Disclaimer: Let me think…um…no…still not mine…
He dove to the left as he felt the bullets tear into his body. Three shots. He was only hit twice. Pain tried to take precedence in his thoughts, but it was shoved roughly to the side as he looked to Kaname. Was Chidori okay? He needed to protect her at all costs. Even if his life was forfeit, she must survive. Not only was it his mission, it was also his heartfelt desire that she live and be happy. He vaguely recalled a time in the past where she said they could make it out together, that she didn't want him to sacrifice his life to give her a chance.

He couldn't afford to be distracted. His faithful gun was in his hand and pointed towards their attacker as he rolled to a crouch and let off six shots. He felt the blood seeping into his clothes and then heard the small pit pat of little drops hitting the pavement below, making a small puddle. Wherever he was hit, it sure as hell was bleeding immensely. Wiping sweat out of his eyes he rushed his assailant, letting off another volley of shots. How many was that? Did he just shoot four more? Yes, change clips.

"Chidori, run for cover!" He panted.

"Sousuke." She was barely audible.

Sousuke ejected the empty clip and slammed the second home while running for cover behind the cement wall. Dirt and dust exploded in a spray around his face as two 9mm rounds tore through the corner in front of him. Stepping slightly to the right the MITHRIL soldier sent four more bullets at the Helmajistani.

He needed to conserve his ammo. He wasn't carrying as much as he usually did. Why didn't he bring his usual assortment of weapons? What had he been thinking? He had been thinking about tying the shoes of a certain blue-haired friend and helping her down the stairs. That's what he'd been thinking. Dammit! Now he only had his reserve, which he limited himself to when in the comfort of his own home, not what he typically brought into the field! Six bullets left. He needed to find a way to stall until back up arrived or get close to the guy to take him out. He turned and put his back to the wall, leaning against it for support, breathing hard.

He looked around at his surroundings. The bench Chidori had been on was to the right of him in the alcove against the back wall. The brown paper grocery bags were riddled with bullet holes while food matter was splattered everywhere, coating the nearby walls and Ms. Chidori alike. Kaname was huddled in the corner behind the bench, her back up against both walls and barely visible behind the bench slightly in front and to the left and a potted plant to her right.

The young soldier took in the layout of the battlefield. They were at a small train depot on the outskirts of town. From his position, the tracks were on his left and the small waiting area was on his right. It consisted of three cement walls, forming a small recess to keep patrons out of the elements. He could see two small benches butted up against the back wall and potted plants on the outside of each bench. There were two lights, only one of which was in proper working order. The other was flickering annoyingly on and off, giving the surreal feel of a bad horror movie he'd once watched. Around the cement structure there was light cover in the form of well-tended shrubbery and potted plants. Behind the building were larger trees that would provide better coverage and an easier way of getting around Sousuke if the bastard so desired. What's the best course of action, thought Sousuke, how can I end this without Ms. Chidori being harmed?

Sousuke ran through every possible scenario he could think of to end this situation without further bloodshed on his side. He didn't want to die any more than the next guy, but he would if it was done so while protecting Kaname to the fullest.

As soon as she heard the first shot accompanied by a grunt of pain, Kaname threw herself to the ground. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as her healing injuries painfully made their presence known. Tears swam in her eyes and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She had to keep a clear head. She needed to stay out of the way but maybe help Sousuke in any way that she could.

She pulled her legs against her chest and put her left arm tightly around her knees, trying to make herself as small as possible. She had to think. What should she do? What could she do to best help Sousuke?

"You there Kashim? You feeling all right? How many bullets did you take?" Maniacal laughter followed his questions.

Sousuke didn't like his options, the best one seeming to be playing dead and letting his attacker in close for the kill. He just didn't like that the bastard would be within shooting range of Kaname if that were the case. Also, he couldn't know for certain that his opponent wouldn't go around the building and come out next to her instead of next to him. He might just have to take his chances. Even though she was hurt, he knew Kaname was athletic and still had full use of her legs. She might be able to get away if he could distract this psycho. Plus, it looked like she managed to hide herself decently enough.

"Kaname, I'm sorry. I'm sorry… that I couldn't…couldn't protect…you…" Sousuke trailed off in an attempt to lull the enemy into the open.

Their eyes met briefly as the young soldier checked how many rounds he had remaining. She smiled as realization dawned in her intelligent brown eyes and watched as he slid down the wall, leaving a dark trail of sticky blood to mark his presence. He sat hard and slumped over slightly with both forearms draped over his thighs. He lightly held his Glock in his right hand, finger barely on the trigger. His head hung with his chin almost touching his chest and his shaggy bangs covered his eyes in a dark shroud. He was able to see through them, but others couldn't easily see his eyes were open and ever vigilant.

Seeing the amount of blood soaking into his clothing and pooling around his still form, it wasn't hard to force abject fear into her voice, "NO! Don't leave me. Please, Sousuke…I…please don't die. You can't die. I need you!" She wailed.

Their attacker turned the corner behind Kaname, surprising both teens with his sudden appearance. A crazy fire was lighting his eyes and there was a grand smile to rival that of the Joker's from the famed comic, gracing his face. He was looking directly at Sousuke and walking slowly in his direction. The gun was trained on his still and slumped form, making sure he wasn't playing possum.

Just the sight of the dark skinned man made Kaname freeze. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she saw his cold calculating eyes trained on Sousuke's slumped form. Her breathing increased tenfold with shallow substitutions of the real thing. She couldn't breathe. She was getting dizzy. She saw all the blood pooling about her friends still figure. She stared at the thick coating on the cement behind him, marking his slide down the wall.

Blood. It's everywhere, staining her world a deep shade of crimson. She can see it all over. It's soaking into her clothing and splattered all over her apartment walls. She can smell it; the sweet coppery smell of it fills her nostrils making her sick to her stomach again. She can taste the metallic tang on her tongue, making her want to retch. She can feel it trickling down the back of her neck, tickling as it slowly trails down her back and soaks into her school uniform. She can hear it dripping in a puddle at her feet as it streams from her shoulder making it's way past her elbow and pooling at her fingertips before falling slowly to the ground in a steady rhythm.

She sees his black eyes opened in bloodthirsty glee as he throws her against the hallway in her apartment, knocking the breath out of her lungs and causing her vision to narrow as her head makes sharp contact with the wall behind her. She gathers her resolve and slams her school bag into the back of her assailant's head. He turns around slowly toward her and pins his eyes to hers. Anger. Wrath. Hatred. He grabs her neck in a crushing grip, pushing her against the wall, cutting off her ability to breathe. She feels his hot breath on her cheek and ear as his face comes within mere centimeters of hers, "What? You want to play? Fine, I'll have plenty of fun with you, Princess."

He throws her to the carpeted ground, kicking her soundly in the stomach. Kaname gasps for the air she is already so short of. Lights are dancing in front of her eyes as her vision begins to clear and life-giving air returns slowly to her lungs. It's a short-lived victory as he grabs her right arm in a devastating grip pulling her harshly to her feet. Instant pain blossoms in her wrist as she hears a terrible cracking sound. She cries out in pain only to be tossed negligently onto a chair in her own kitchen.

Kaname knew he was going to tie her to the chair; nothing good would come of that. She stands up, cradling her right arm close to her body, as she walks towards the large butchers knife resting on the cutting board. She quickly snatches the object into her left hand and turns around to find the dark skinned man right in front of her.

He grasps her right arm and pulls it behind her, wrenching her wrist painfully and pulling it between her shoulder blades. She fells the immense pressure on her shoulder and the sickening relief as she hears a pop. She barely hears his whisper in her ear as the knife falls to the floor, "You thinking of attacking me little girl? I'll teach you!"

She couldn't move. She couldn't be strong for Sousuke. She couldn't challenge this monster. She couldn't fight him. She remembered what happened the last time she stood up to this lunatic. Kaname pulled her legs closer to her body as a small tear escaped and trailed down her still bruised face.

Sousuke could see the panic and fear filling Kaname. She was hyperventilating and there was absolutely nothing that he could do about it. He was "dead" after all and had to play as such until he could kill his enemy. He needed to know that she was going to be all right; he wanted nothing more than to comfort her. Hold her in his arms and tell her that everything would be fine, that no one else would ever hurt her like this again. The soldier took over instantly when he heard the Helmajistani speak.

"What? I've managed to kill Kashim so easily? It looks like I will get to have some more fun with you, Ms. Chidori. I was so hoping Kashim would be able to witness the torture I plan on putting you through once again!" He screamed with glee.

"Negative! Only I am allowed to address her as Ms. Chidori!" His gun was raised and gray eyes were on fire.

Sousuke's voice broke her of her fear. Courage coursed through her mixing with the blood in her veins and giving her a steely resolve. He would not hurt Sousuke the way he hurt her. She would not be afraid of this bastard. She would not lick her lips in front of the enemy! She clenched her left fist and jumped up from her hidden position behind the plant. No one was allowed to hurt Sousuke, no one!

The assailant's black orbs opened as wide as they could go as Kaname rushed him from behind and pushed him towards the train tracks. A loud report was heard as a bullet grazed the dark skin of the Helmajistani's exposed neck. Sousuke, taken aback by Kaname's impulsive action, rained a series of bullets in the direction of his target, hitting and grazing various parts of his body. Kaname screamed as she fell off the platform and onto the train tracks. She landed in a heap four feet below where she started. The teen opened her eyes slowly, disoriented from her mad dash and abrupt fall to the ground, to see the hatred shining out of black eyes. The blue haired girl scrambled back against the cement platform before realizing that the man was, dead? No, she could see his chest rise and fall. He must be seriously injured though.

Taking a deep breath and using the platform wall behind her for support, Kaname slowly stood upright only to be grabbed by the shoulders painfully and thrown to the ground. She landed harshly with her back against the train tracks and let out a cry of pain as her partially healed ribs creaked in protest of their rough treatment. Out of breathe, the injured teen was taken by surprise when the Helmajistani towered over her and slowly raised his gun. She couldn't move, but dammit, she refused to cower beneath this devil…this monster…this crazed lunatic! She serenely closed her eyes and thought to herself, I have no regrets. But that wasn't true. In the same instant that her eyes opened as she thought of her one regret, the sound of gunfire met her ears. Blood splattered warmly on her face as she realized this was the end and she would never get to tell Sousuke of her feelings. She never told him. Her vision dimmed then went black.

"SOUSUKE!"

Mao rushed around the corner, not expecting the amount of carnage she would see. Grocery bags were shot up with bits and pieces of produce covering the walls. Blood was splattered on the pavement by the tracks. That must have been where he was when he was on the phone with me, the sergeant major thought. Her eyes immediately went to that of her subordinate and friend, slumped again against the wall.

She rushed towards her fellow SRT member and checked for a pulse. Faint, but there nonetheless, steady too. Her eyes roved over his body searching for injuries. She spotted two gunshot wounds, thankfully that seemed to be it. He'd had worse she knew, but he had lost quite a bit of blood, which always worried her.

"Urzu 6, get yer ass down here now and call in the medics. These two are gonna give me gray effing hairs!" Melissa screamed into her communicator looking between Sousuke and the ledge where she knew Kaname to be.

"Roger that Sis!"

Kurz was shocked at the amount of blood covering Kaname's still form. He ran up to the unconscious teen and pulled the now dead Helmajistani from on top of her, tossing him carelessly to the side to be disposed of later with the rest of the trash. Shaking fingers felt for a pulse against pale clammy skin. A long-held sigh of relief washed through him as he felt a strong beat beneath his fingers. She hadn't been shot after all; he'd been in time!

He was still miffed that he messed up his first shot but was so thankful that he nailed his target on the second try. He wouldn't take the excuse of the crazed blue haired girl charging and knocking over the Helmajistani, thus messing up his shot. It was his fault. He then had to watch, through the scope while trying to find his next shot, that bastard knock Kaname around. He didn't usually take such pleasure from a kill, he didn't like taking lives honestly, but he couldn't stand to watch what was happening to his friends, especially a fox like Kaname.

Kurz smiled for the first time since this began. He gently shook Kaname trying to rouse her from unconsciousness. When he saw that wasn't going to work he went to Option B and scooped her up into his arms. He had a tough time getting back onto the platform with her until he realized belatedly that he could just lift her up and set her on the platform then climb up himself. As he lifted her for the second time to carry her towards Mao and Sousuke, her eyelids fluttered open and a soft moan escaped her pale lips.

"Sousuke?"

"Nah Babe, it's me, Kurz. You're okay, you're okay." The blonde soldier wrestled to keep his hold on the now struggling girl.

"Kurz? Sousuke? Where's Sousuke? He's ble-"

"Calm down, I'm taking you to him. Sis is already over there with him. Are you okay, Kaname?" Kurz' soothing voice and reassuring statements calmed the teen down.

"Thank you Kurz. You can put me down now if you want. I really think I'm okay and I'd like to see Sousuke." She smiled shyly as she was set gently on the concrete and steadied by her friend's hand under her elbow.

Kaname despite the newfound pain in most of her injuries, rushed to Sousuke's side. She could see he wasn't moving, which worried her more than it should.

"Sousuke? Sousuke! Please, don't die. You can't die," Her words were an unconscious repetition of those she had spoken earlier in the ruse to draw out the enemy, "I really do need you. Please."

"Sousuke? Hey, buddy, don't die on us now!" Weber tried to smile an award-winning smile as he grabbed his comrade's still warm hand.

Mao took charge and barked out orders to both Kaname and her subordinate, "Weber, you take his feet and help me slide him down to rest on his back. Kaname, take this jacket and push it against the wound in his shoulder, push as hard as you can with your left hand. Well, on second thought, almost as hard as you can push. I want him ready and as stable as can be before the medics get here!"

Kaname pushed with all of her might to stop the bleeding. She knew she couldn't lose him. She never told him how she felt. How many chances had she had already? Hong Kong. When she was crying on him in the hallway. On the train ride home, when he actually asked her what she had wished to say. While he was caring for her when she was injured. She let all of the opportunities presented to her slip through her fingers like sand. Why? Why was she so afraid of telling him? She felt the tears fall as she kept up her mantra, "Please don't die. I need you. Please don't die. I need you. Please don't die. I need you."

He awakened to the feeling of warm rain on his face. It was consistent with the melodious but distant voice keeping time with his slowly beating heart.

Thump…Please don't die…Thump…I need you…Thump…Please don't die…Thump…I need you.

He opened his eyes but was unsure of where he was. Lights were flickering in and out of his blurred vision making is hard to get a grasp on his current situation.

Where was he? He felt sort of, numb. He seemed to be under shelter, so how was he being rained on? His vision was suddenly filled with blue and brown. Blue, the color of the early nights sky over Tokyo and brown the color of the shifting sands of his earliest memories. It was a simple blending of his past and present and it was represented by…Kaname?

She was crying. Large tears were trailing down her cheek, mixing with the splattered blood attempting in vain to dry on her face. Why was she crying? What was going on? He saw blood too on her pale hand as she brushed aside his shaggy and unruly hair. Why was there blood on her hand? Why was there blood on her face? Was she injured? Was she okay?

"Ka…na…mae?" The name slipped past his lips on a painful breath as a look of worry and panic spread into his eyes.

"Sousuke? It's okay." She pushed harder on his shoulder eliciting a sharp intake of breath on his part.

"Kaname, are you okay? Are you injured?" He tried to sit up only to realize he was unable to, due to the pressure he now felt on his shoulders and hips. Panic blossomed full force as comprehension dawned that he was incapable of movement. The enemy was somewhere and Kaname was bleeding; yet he could do nothing to help.

"What's going on? Where's the enemy? Where are Weber and Mao?" Uncharacteristic terror filled Sousuke as he tried to unsuccessfully move again, reaching for a weapon that wasn't there.

"Shhhh…Calm down Sousuke. Melissa and Kurz are both here; they are trying to keep you from moving and injuring yourself further. So, if you don't mind, could you please stop trying to thrash around?" Kaname tried to smile, but she knew he was injured trying to save her yet again.

"Oh…uh- not a problem, then." He closed his eyes tight against a wave of nausea. No matter how many times one has been shot in the past, it's not a feeling you just get used to.

Kaname could see the amount of pain he was in. She empathized as her own injuries protested her movements, but continued to press with her left hand against the injury to his shoulder. She leaned down and brushed a chaste kiss across his cold lips, needing the contact more than he did.

His eyes shot open and he stared into the chocolaty depths inches from his face. He felt the tug of unconsciousness trying to drag him back down into its warm depths as she pulled back from his view. He shook his head slightly, refusing to pass out again. He wanted to be strong. He needed to be strong for her. He didn't want to leave her, not after she pleaded that very thing from him.

"Kaname?" His eyes were cloudy with pain as her name escaped from his lips yet again.

"Yes, Sousuke?" Her beautiful face came back into his line of vision, reminding him of some kind of earthly angel.

"I…don't want to leave you…ever…again. I…I…uh…"

"Shhh, don't tax yourself Sousuke. The medics just arrived. Save your strength for surgery and recovery, cause as soon as you get better, I'm going to hit you so hard with my harisen for scaring me like this!" Kaname smiled as she gently brushed her left hand against his cold cheek.

Her smile and gentle touch were the last things the injured soldier remembered before slipping into the warm embrace of oblivion.

A/N: Okay, so it seems I have one more chapter to write. It'll be short though. I just didn't want to make this one too long!! Gomen, Gomen!! Until next time, ja na!