Happy holidays and New Year guys!

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and otherwise supported me, you guys were definitely inspiring!

Here's another chapter, hope you like it!

……………

Chapter11

The moon inched up to the zenith and the stars shone unnaturally bright, but despite these distractions, Bit Cloud could not bring himself to focus on anything other than one person. This was the same person, he told himself warily, who had made his life unbearable at times, annoyed him to the point of madness, beaten him to a bloody pulp, screamed at him until he was deaf and chased him around the base until his legs threatened to give out from under him. But this was also the same person, said an unruly voice from deep within the chasms of his mind, who had believe in him when no one else would, the same person who laughed at his jokes when no one else got them, the same person who understood what it meant to be a zoid warrior, and understood it perfectly. Leena may not have been perfect, he realized, but neither was he, and it dawned on him that in her many flaws and imperfections lay her perfection, at least for him. Bit sighed and shifted his feet uncomfortably as he tried to dispel his thoughts. Liger gave a soft growl, and Bit pushed himself up with his elbows to see what had caught Liger's attention. Trina was busily pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders in an attempt to beat back the frigid night air, and standing up at the same time, dusting off her worn clothing.

They had been traveling for nearly a week now, and no sign of the Crash Cargo appeared, nor any trace of it having been there. As hopeless as the scheme had been in the beginning, it was even more hopeless now, and the little trust that Trina had won from Bit before their departure had all but diminished into open suspicion.

"Where're you sneaking off to?" demanded Bit acridly. Trina lifted her head to meet his eyes, surprised at his harsh tone. They were both tired, cold and hungry, but that was no reason to discontinue common courtesy…

"We're running low on firewood, and I saw a good bunch of it a little ways down the road" she said, pointing a frail finger in the direction that the sun had set. Bit grunted, unconvinced.

"Why didn't you stop earlier?" he said, letting an accusatory tone settle into his words. Trina sucked in a breath sharply, as though stung. She wet her lips cautiously, and stared into his brooding eyes with trepidation.

"I'm on your side, Bit. Why can't you see that I'm trying to help you?"

"How can you be on my side when you've made it clear that you're still on his?" He asked, angrily.

"You can't look at the world as though it were monochromatic! Just because something isn't good, doesn't mean that it's evil! You can't judge everyone by the same standards Bit! We were never meant to lead the same lives, and hard times prey upon strong minds just as much as they do weak ones! Tristan is no fool, but that doesn't mean that he isn't a victim as well! How can you expect to ever be called a hero if you give up on someone who is well within your ability to restore?"

"I don't want to be a hero," Bit growled, "I did not agree to this because I wanted glory or fame! I came for Leena, and only Leena!" Trina's features softened in the firelight, and the anger dropped from her voice.

"I know why you are here Bit, and I promise you that you have not come in vain, but if we are to succeed, then you need to trust me!" Leena continued to hold his eyes in her gaze, until he finally nodded his assent, however reluctantly.

With that, Trina disappeared into the darkness, her tallow shawl fluttering behind her noiselessly.

Amidst the winking stars, Bit wondered if he would ever see Leena again; perfect in all of her imperfections.

………………..

Despite Harry's dogged attempts, Leena had managed to keep her quarters Champ-free for an entire four and a half days, but it was the last half that was becoming difficult.

"LEENA!" came a shrill cry as Harry inevitably discovered another one of her ingenious booby-traps, "DARLING, I'M STUCK! LEENA! PLEASE LET ME IN!!!"

Leena smirked to herself and leaned against a wall as she watched Harry wriggle about, hanging upside-down from a rope which had bound his left leg to one of the taller trees. His desperate attempts to free himself were all in vain however, and Leena gleefully snapped as many pictures of the helpless zoid warrior as she could; this would be one for the wall...

Since she had nothing else to do, Leena had found a new past time; torturing Harry. She had always shunned his attentions in the past, and though he had been literally the only man in sight for about a month or so, the thought of being with Harry Champ was still revolting to Leena. So she had decided that if he couldn't bring her peace by leaving her alone, and he couldn't bring her happiness by being someone else, he could at least bring her amusement by just being himself… she had begun to become quite sedulous and keen at placing the right traps in the right places, and Harry had fallen into nearly every one of them…

Leena gazed upon her 'Wall of Harry,' fondly; it was covered in pictures of Harry in various traps, some painful, some amusing, and some downright embarrassing… But she certainly had to hand it to him; she thought wryly, he was definitely persistent.

"What's going on here?" queried a strange voice. Leena froze, she knew that voice… she turned to look out of the window and was rewarded by the sight of the very same annoying robot standing below Harry. "Is the girl causing trouble?" it asked in its spine-chilling, monotone voice.

"Not at all! Replied Harry quickly, "we're just playing a little game! right darling?" Leena tensed, but she knew that if she didn't go along with Harry, the robot would report directly to Tristan, who would not be as forgiving, and in all probability would send more of his robots to watch her.

"Yes, of course!" she said sweetly, "what did you think we were doing?" she asked the robot. The annoying metal bucket looked unconvinced, so she decided to convince it…

Leena swiftly pulled a loose string on her trap, which released Harry's foot, landing him on top of the robot with an odd 'crunch'.

"Well there you have it! It looks like our game's over! See you tomorrow Harry!" and with a flip of her hair, Leena disappeared into the apartment, holding her camera victoriously.

………………………..

Half an hour had passed since she had cut Harry loose, and Leena was busily trying to arrange her newest pictures of Harry on her wall. A knock resounded in the room. Leena lifted her head slowly, wondering who it could be, Harry wasn't smart enough to dodge her traps, and the robot certainly wasn't coming back any time soon. 'Either way,' she thought warily, as she armed herself with a kitchen knife, "better safe than sorry." Leena walked to the door and opened it quickly, there; standing with a large cast on his arm and a heavy frown on his face, stood Harry Champ. Leena made a quick motion to close the door, but he reacted with surprising agility and caught her hand.

"Leena," he said calmly, "we need to talk," and with that he released her hand and strode into the apartment. Leena gaped at him openly; this was certainly not the Harry she knew…

Leena scowled as Harry made himself comfortable on her sofa. True, he had paid for all of it, but still…

"What do you want Harry?"

Harry turned his head towards her, a strange look settled upon his features. "Leena, I understand that I may not be the perfect, and I know what you think of me, but please, all I've ever wanted was for you to be happy, so tell me; what do you hate about me so much?"

Leena was taken aback, in all her years of knowing Harry, he had never admitted to a single flaw, and now here he was, asking her to name them!

"Well…" she started uncertainly, "you're egoistical, arrogant, spoiled, self-centered, selfish, immature, annoying –did I mention conceited?"

By the look on Harry's face, she hadn't… Harry turned his head from her, as though he could bear no more, and suddenly noticed her 'Wall of Harry'. He got up and walked towards it silently.

"Do you hate me?" he asked, still facing the wall.

It was a simple question, and it deserved a simple answer, but somehow she could not bring herself to say it

"Why are you asking me this?" she said suddenly, pulling at her red hair in embarrassment.

"Just answer the question; yes or no?" He said, fingering one of the more memorable pictures.

Leena's mouth contorted angrily, what right did he have barging in here like this and playing twenty questions?

"YES!" she blurted out suddenly, "Of course I hate you! You've annoyed me more than anyone over these past years; and I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!!!"

Leena was flushed, her chest was heaving angrily, her fists were clenched and her teeth were as well, but Harry made no move to console her as he usually did. Instead, he turned around and walked towards her, looking her in the eye.

"Why?"

Leena unclenched her fists, and looked at him suspiciously.

"What is this all about Harry?"

"Do you want the truth?" he asked seriously. Leena nodded. "Then here it is; I love you Leena Toros, and I want you to love me back, but if all I do is make you unhappy, then I can't help but think that you would be better off without me."

Leena's eyes widened. Either the aging process was coming on way too fast, or she had heard him incorrectly; there was no way that Harry would willingly leave Leena.

"What's going on Harry? Why are you saying this?"

"Just tell me why you hate me and I'll leave you alone."

"I already have!"

"You told me what you hate about me, but not why you hate me."

Leena's eyes narrowed, none of this made any sense.

"Do you hate that I try so hard?" he asked, "or that I keep coming back, even when you push me away?" he said, pointing at the wall, "or is it that I believe in myself, even when no one else does?"

"N- no… you're just not my type Harry," She said diplomatically.

"Then who is your type?" he spat out angrily, "Tristan???" Leena gasped. "Because at the rate you're going, you're going, you're going to be alone for the rest of your life."

With that, Harry walked out, disappearing amongst the fragile greenery, leaving Leena rooted to the spot, mouth hanging open.