Back again. I'm extra sorry if this turns out depressing. A certain someone needs to be kicked in his non-existent balls for breaking up via text. I don't own TMM.

Ryou knew the alien hideout now, he knew how to get on the offense. He could get the mews in shape again, go at them again. Another fight, but hopefully this time it would be successful. If there was one thing Ryou didn't understand it was the losses. His mews were just as powerful as before, sure the aliens could train hard, but they couldn't be that much more powerful. They were outnumbered, but had never been faced by all of them. If it came to that they would surely lose, so the offensive advantage was almost null and void. He sighed, why did it always come to a battle?

"You always knew what to say to calm me down, you always had such a level head, I've always loved that about you. I need you now. I don't know what to do, Zakuro."

"Last time I checked talking to invisible people was diagnosed as schizophrenia," he heard a very familiar voice say.

"Pai, you old devil," he said and turned to smile at the old alien general.

"The years have not been kind to you," Pai told Ryou.

"I'm aware, though it seems they have been kind to you, still have bulging muscles, your mind, and leadership."

"You still have leadership, and I'm sure you still have your mind. I talk to Lettuce often as well."

"They were great women, and I can't believe we lost them even after all these years."

"I know what you mean, Kish fought to come as well, but he was defeated by one of the younger aliens, Recruse, she seems like a strong girl."

"It would've been nice to see him," Ryou said.

"You've met his son, I presume?"

"Yes, twice. He hates me with a passion, and it's a shame. He's a lot like Kish."

"Yes, that he is, not much of his mother, except for the eyes."

"She, he has her brilliant brown eyes."

"His hair is from his father though."

"Forest green, but the style is closer to Ichigo's than Kish's."

Pai chuckled, "Yes, that's true, Koakov does wear his hair shorter than most."

"Have you checked on your granddaughter?"

"A few hours ago, why? You shouldn't have ever seen her, she doesn't fight."

"I noticed that, she was pondering something and then Koakov saw me, and well things weren't pretty when she tried to defend me."

"I'm gonna kill him," Pai's fist tightened in rage, and his muscles flexed menacingly. His usually calm , and cool head deserted him as images of his granddaughter battered and broken flooded his mind.

"Pai, keep your head, he was engulfed in rage, you saw Kish like that a number of times, you know it's not entirely his fault," Ryou knew Pai could do some serious damage when he wanted to, and somehow he didn't like the idea of his two best friends fighting because one had killed the others son.

"That doesn't excuse him from harming my granddaughter," Pai snarled.

"Pai, Lettuce wouldn't approve of murder."

"She wouldn't approve of what I'm doing now as is, I already know she doesn't."

"Then why do it? Why are we fighting?" he asked his friend.

"The same reason as last time, our races demand it," Pai said with a shrug.

"But we have a link we never did, look at Koakov and Saeka, look at us and Kish, we have evidence that it works."

"We had these links before, and they attacked again."

"We could just order our groups to stand down," Ryou suggested.

"They'll replace me, and prosecute me as a traitor. They'll send in your military," Pai said shaking his head.

"So, you're about to go meet your troops?"

"Yes, related to two of them, a child I had always considered to be my nephew, and then four new faces."

"Related to two?"

"I'm Hibiki's Great Uncle."

"Ah, well, I suppose I'll see you on the battle field soon?"

"Unfortunately, I can give you three days at most before that happens."

"My troops need at least that, thank you," he said and gave his friend a hug.

"I regret this more than you know, my brother," Pai said, grabbing Ryou's wrist in a warriors hand shake before letting go and teleporting off.

Noah smiled as Ana shifted in her sleep, he could tell she was going to wake up soon. And as much as he liked the smell of her and the warmth emanating from her, she was on the entry wound of the bullet, he tried to shift, but just didn't have the strength, "Babe," he whispered in her ear, trying to get the girls attention.

She snuggled closer and he bit his tongue to not scream, "Babe, you're hurting me," he said in-between clenched teeth.

"Just a few more minutes," she whispered, nuzzling his chest a bit.

"Ana, you're on the entry wound," he grunted, she darted up immediately, all thoughts of more sleep gone.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," she apologized.

His breathing came easier, "It's all right, it's all right, just a little painful," he said and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, her lower lip jutting out a bit.

"Positive," he said, planting a kiss on her lips. Ana was startled, but was a more than willing participant.

Someone cleared there throat and the two pulled away blushing, "Kids, you may have a room, but try not to make me want to separate you," Mr. Clay said, shaking his head.

"Sorry," Ana apologized, her cheeks a bright red.

"It's all right, I was only joking, your father has seen some reason and he said that we'll be keeping in touch during this so we don't have any worries about what's going on."

"Thank you very much," Ana said with a smile at her boyfriend's father.

"Yes, thank you."

"It's not a problem, and quite frankly I wanted to talk to him about flipping Noah anyway."

Coventry had his arms wrapped around Re-Ru protectively, comfortingly, "Recruse, you are perfect the way you are," he said, looking into her blank, distorted eyes.

"No I'm not," she shook her head, she didn't like him seeing her like this, but he deserved an explanation, "you say society is better, but it's not. Everyone is fake, and it's survival of the fittest, and people you love are often taken. They took my parents first, and then my little sister, and the only person I had left was my cousin, and they took her too, that's why I came, that's why I fought. I was very happy as long as I had someone, but then just after I lost my eyes, they took my cousin, and the priests would have taken me, and burned me as a witch, I just got lucky and beat Kish."

"Re-Ru, I had no idea, I'm so sorry," he said, squeezing her tighter, it was a strong hug without being painful.

"For what?" she asked with a half-hearted laugh, "for not realizing the prosperous suffer too? No one knows that, we all put on such airs so no one knows that."

"The difference is you're my friend," he said, "but I know what it's like to have someone taken, they took my father when he had just gotten sick, and my mom and my brother are sick. It's hard not knowing," he confessed to her. He always tried to be strong in front of the others because he was at the bottom of the totem pole, but Re-Ru knew how that felt, she was the youngest, and she didn't have eyes.

"I understand that, news of what's going on would nice, when General Pai gets here I'm sure there will be much to hear. Oh, and Cove?" she said his name with a seemingly innocent tilt of the head.

"Yes?" he responded.

"You can let go, I'm ok now."

"I don't believe you, but if you want some space that's ok," he said and started to pull away, grabbing hold of her hands.

"That'd be nice, thank you," she said with a tired smile.

"Good night," he said, and brought her hands to his together and kissed them, "and just so you know, if you need me at anytime feel free to come get me, because I adore you."

"Thank you," she said, "you're the only person here with any sanity, and I like that," she said, "but right now I need some time to think."

"Of course, it's late, good night," he said, setting her hands in her lap, and turning to walk out.

"Good night," she said as the door closed behind him, she fell back onto the bed with a smile before her thoughts turned back to her family.

Ok, that's what I got so far. Hope ya'll liked it.

~Cy