000

"Denied? What do you mean denied?"

"As in, you can not land here. The entire airport is out of commission for the next few days."

The brown vixen closed her eyes and clenched her fists, fighting back the anger that had been simmering inside of her ever since she had been left behind by Fox. Of course she wasn't angry at him, she knew he had nothing to do with it. It was Krystal she was directing her anger towards, and her pink feline friend to some extent. Both of them had it in for her, thinking that simply by getting her out of the picture for a few hours that it would be long enough to change his mind, to choose someone else.

He loves me though, he always has. Its not like that blue freak has a chance, but I'd like to be there to watch her crash and burn, and it serves her right for trying to steal him from me.

But now, as she pointlessly argued with the head of flight control down at the airport, she realized that the vixen might have more than just a few hours with him after all, and that would not work. One way or another she was going to get to them, she would find him and prove once and for all to Krystal, and the rest of the Lylat system, that Fox McCloud was hers and hers alone.

He is mine. Whatever you try to pull will only show him how pathetic and desperate you are, so go ahead, do your worst. I know Fox loves me and I trust him more than you ever could. Within the next 24 hours I'll find you and enjoy the look of failure on your face when you finally realize you never had a chance. You're way out of your league Cerenian.

"Fine," she shot back, her voice hovering between calm and annoyed, "But you know as well as I do who my father is. I want permission to land at Terria within the next hour or the Cornerian International Airport will be getting themselves a new flight director. Understand?"

There was a period of silence, the flight director most likely wondering what he did to deserve this before finally replying with an exhausted sigh.

"Okay. There's an overlay of 10 minutes between two flights, one leaving for Titan at 8:30 and one coming in from Lunas at 8:40. If you can be outside of Terria at least 30 miles by the hour's half then I can probably get them to let you land."

A smirk crossed the fennec fox's expression as she saw the pieces continue to fall into place. "Perfect," she replied, "See, that wasn't so hard now was it?"

A growl began to come across as the response but she shut off the transmission and set a course for Terria. Now things were beginning to go as expected, and she could only imagine how perfect it all would be within the next 24 hours. Fox holding her, and Katt holding Krystal, gently comforting her as she tried to cope with the fact that the vulpine had never loved her at all.

What Fara didn't know was that things had already taken a turn for the worse without her physical intrusion being made, and the consequences were all but devastating.

000

The first three or four did the exact opposite of their intended purpose. Instead of putting out the fire that burned at his insides it was almost as if they enraged it, the alcohol being a fuel that increased the pain and despair nestled inside of him.

She hates me now. We're not even friends anymore, that's how much I fucked things up.

He took a final sip out of the bottle before sliding it to the left where it accompanied its other 3 empty counterparts along the bar. He had never been much of a drinker, having only intentionally gotten drunk once before after finding out his father was dead. The pain then was great, but somehow he had taken it much better than he was now. Losing his father was awful and it had stayed with him for weeks, but for some reason, maybe the fact that he was a war hero or that he died fighting, Fox could accept his father's death. He lost him, but got over it in time.

But losing Krystal was a wound that time could never, ever heal.

His hand rested on the bar, extended and open, an invitation that was soon answered by the barkeep who slid another bottle into his grasp. Without missing a beat the rim met his lips and the strong taste ran down his throat, slowly yet surely numbing his thoughts from all that he had screwed up. But it wasn't his thoughts that he wanted to numb, it was his heart. He had been at the bar for two hours now, not drinking anything for the longest time, merely sitting alone, thinking about ways to fix this mess. But finally the pain became too much and alcohol seemed like the only haven he could think of.

I don't know what to do anymore. I screwed everything up with Krystal, not that I ever had a chance in the first place, but at least then...at least then the possibility existed. But now, what do I do?

He pictured Fara in his mind once again, but the feelings that he had once felt towards the brown vixen were completely forgotten. He tried to pretend that he still felt something for her, but after all that had happened with Krystal, after realizing how much she meant to him, he knew that it had been the sapphire beauty all along.

There never was a decision. Fara was never in the running, she was just in the background messing everything up.

He figured that now, after all that had happened Fara would be the only choice he had left. But the more he thought about being with her, or anyone else for that matter, the more sick he felt to his stomach.

Krystal was the only one I wanted. She's the only one I could have ever been happy with.

He raised the bottle again to take another sip, narrowing his eyes in confusion as it continued to rise further and further upward without emitting any of its numbing nectar.

"It's empty bro,"

He lowered the bottle and turned to his left to meet his, apparently far more sober, bar partner. It turned out to be a cougar with a solid chestnut coat much like the vulpine's. He looked no more than 21, dressed like every other teenager in the world who was of drinking and partying age; cargo shorts, Nike's, white tanktop with a Letterman jacket thrown over it, gold chain across his neck, a white hat with a flat bill turned back to the side with a pair of sunglasses resting on top.

"Too bad," the vulpine answered normally, showing no trace of alcohol in his system as he sat the bottle beside the others, "I was really attached to that one."

"Hah, man your funny. Is that the beer talking or do you do standup or somethin?"

Had he been sober Fox would have gotten a better read on the cat and chosen his words more carefully, but after all that had went down, after all that he had messed up, most of his brain just told him to go along with whatever the hell came his way. Anything to forget about Krystal.

"Why? You want to hear a joke?" he asked, shooting the cat an annoyed look. The puma couldn't have been more than 3 or 4 years younger than him, yet it felt like he was putting up with a frat boy, when really he wanted to be left alone.

"Oh hey man, I didn't mean anything by it," he replied, turning back towards the bar and taking a sip from his own bottle, "It's just, you look like you've just lost your entire family or something ya know? I figured maybe some conversating might make you feel a bit better."

Despite the fact that the cat invented a new word in that last sentence the vulpine couldn't help but appreciate his depiction of his problem. It did feel like he had lost his entire family, it felt like he had lost his entire world, because that's what she was to him.

"Sorry," Fox muttered, looking over at the cougar, "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

A relieved grin crossed the cat's face and he nodded in understanding before extending a paw towards the vulpine. "Its cool, I understand. Name's Walker."

Fox returned the handshake and muttered his own name before turning back and raising a finger as the barkeep walked by, a returning nod from the hound confirming the vulpine's order for another pain reliever.

"So, let me guess..." the cat started, looking closely at the label on his bottle, "Girl problem?"

The vulpine stiffened for a brief second before brushing it off and taking another large sip from his bottle. He was 7 bottles in and well past his sober limit of 3, but even now he couldn't forget about her, and talking about it wouldn't help at all. But for some reason he didn't shy away from Walker's question, instead he went along with it.

"Yeah," he answered, knowing more questions would arise.

"Been there bro, been there. She leave you or what?"

A few moments passed and the vulpine thought about the question, doing his best to find a decent answer somewhere in his intoxicated thoughts that wouldn't make him look like a complete wuss. Yet no matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he fought against the alcohol in his system, he couldn't deny the one obvious fact, one that he would never forgive himself for.

"I never had her to begin with, and..." he added, more softly, "I never will."

A chuckle came from the cat and Fox looked up at him, not sure if he should be annoyed or depressed ever further. "Not with that attitude you wont," came the reply, "Did you even try to get her or are you just assuming?"

The vulpine was surprised at the maturity of the cat's question and he couldn't help but wonder if it was from his own experiences or simply the alcohol that was asking it. But either way, he still wasn't sure how to respond. He knew the scene at the restaurant was probably the closest he had ever gotten to her before, and even then he had failed miserably, starting the landslide of heartache and pain that continued to suffocate him even now.

Did I ever really try? I mean, I know I assumed, but did I ever really make a move? Of course not, I was too scared of her rejecting me, and that's what ended up happening.

NO. You rejected her! This is YOUR fault you idiot.

"I'm not sure," he finally replied, his thoughts filled with alcohol and emotion.

"You're not sure?" he asked, cracking a grin and placing his hand on the vulpine's shoulder, "Listen bro, you've got to at least try. You only live once ya know? Whats the worst that could happen?"

"She says no."

"And?"

Fox narrowed his gaze at the cat, not sure what to make of his overly optimistic attitude towards his currently spiraling life. Part of him hated how easily Walker saw this as, not knowing how much it hurt to find out the answer to something was the one you had been afraid to hear. But another part of him admired that same attitude and accepted his logic. He did only live once, which meant he only had one life to spend with her. If this was the case then he hadto try.

It's not like she ever said no? Sure she said a few things, but she never said 'no' right? She just thinks I'm in love with Fara, she doesn't know I really love her. Maybe...maybe I should give it a shot.

"Well, she kind of already said no," he answered, hoping for another reassuring statement from the cat.

"Kinda?" Walker asked, taking another sip of his beer, "That's no answer. Are you really content to live the rest of your life without her based on the statement, 'kinda'?"

Fox sighed and shook his head, instantly regretting the decision as the alcohol reminded him of its side effects and almost threw him off his bar stool. Walker steadied his grip on the vulpine's shoulder and held him in place, the effects of beer also evident in the cougar's gaze and telling him that the cat had been there longer than he had thought.

But despite his impairment he kept his cool. Unlike Falco who got loud and rowdy when drunk, Fox stayed quiet and secluded in his thoughts, or in this case to Walker.

"I guess not." he answered, finishing yet another bottle off.

Walker snorted in discontent, "Man you need to shake this 'Kinda' and 'I guess' attitude if you ever plan to make things right." The cat motioned the bartender over before adding, "Get me and my friend here something to give him a little confidence and me a little reassurance."

The hound merely shrugged and began mixing the two drinks, clearly not the stereotypical bartender that talked to his patrons about their problems and offered advice in return.

"Listen Walker...I..."

"Trust me bro," the cat interrupted him, taking the two glasses from the barkeep and handing Fox one, "If you ever want to make things right you need to ignore your doubt, that's the alcohols job, and just do what needs to be done."

He finished by clinging their shots together and, after making sure the vulpine was drinking his, consumed his own, pounding his fist on the bar-stand in shock at the taste.

"And that, my friend, is your job."

000

"So much for a night out on the town."

The amazing view before her was one that she would never forget, yet the memories that came with it would only make the pain that resided in her all the more permanent. The sun had finally sank below the horizon, which in this case was the Varpine Sea which rested in between Cornerian City and Terria, and with it had taken the natural sunlight that guided her way. Now the bright city lights overtook everything and from where the vixen was on the roof of their hotel she could look across the entire town.

Other than walking down the crowded streets and entering a few stores she had done nothing of any importance. She hated to admit that most of the time her mind was on the look out for the vulpine's all too familiar presence. But even as she made her way back to the airport she picked up no signs of him, not that she would've had anything to say had they met.

It was while she was walking down the crowded street that she met a group of vixens, not much younger than herself, coming her way, and for the first time she realized just how alone she was. Without Katt there she had no one to talk to, and with Fox giving himself to Fara she had basically lost all the friends she had ever made. Sure there was Peppy, Slippy, and Falco, but she didn't feel anything for them like she did Fox, and she certainly couldn't speak to them like she did Katt.

She sighed and turned back towards the doorway that went back down into the hotel, half hoping that Fox was, and wasn't, in the room.

I don't know what to do. I hate acting so emotionless in front of him. I hate having to hide how much I'm hurt, but what choice do I have?

By the time she had made her way back to their room she had decided that she would do nothing. She would let him make the first move, let him say the first words. As far as she was concerned she had nothing to say to him, at least not anything that would work.

God...when we get back to the ship...when he's back around Fara...I wont be able to stand that. I know I cant put up with it, and so does she, and she'll make sure she rubs it in my face.

Just imagining the smug look on her face as she clung to Fox like her personal trophy made her tear up and clench her fists in anger. She slammed the door behind her and made her way over to the bed, standing beside it and continuing to run the simulations through her head. She couldn't stop herself and it drove her crazy, imagining Fox and Fara together rather than Fox and herself. But what could she do? Whatever happened between the sapphire fox and the vulpine within the next two days, would any of it be enough to change things?

Part of her wanted to believe that the airport had been shut down for a reason, as if it were a sign telling her that fate was giving them another 48 hours to get things right before it was too late. But the same question continued to run through her mind over and over, and she kept giving herself the same disappointing answer.

How can we fix this?

We cant.

Instinctively she turned towards the bathroom, shedding her clothes in the floor and stepping inside the shower after the water became warm enough. This only reminded her of her shower on GreatFox those few days ago, before Fara's visit was unknown to them all, and before things got so messed up between her and Fox that they couldn't even talk to each other.

"How am I going to fix this?"

000