When I let Karma look at the letter, she smirked. "So much for Shirako being a problem. I bet you're loving him for this." When Karma sat the letter down and glanced toward me, she saw only an empty bed. I had already dashed out of there to go and praise Shirako for his "awesomeness".

My own car! That was what the midnight blue car was for...Me!!

Shirako was busy getting lectured at by Tezla. "Do you have ANY idea what you've done?? All our careful plannning on hiding this place will go down the drain! You expect me to just let you go and pick up Stacy at her home and bring her here?! What good would that do?"

Shirako glared at Tezla. "I didn't tell her how to get here or anything about what we're doing! She thinks this is an Auto Repair Shop for rich people and we're mechanics. Come on, it could work!"

Tezla frowned. This wasn't going anywhere."Shirako! This has nothing to do with Brooke! She-"

"THIS HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH BROOKE! I invited Stacy because of Brooke's sadness with being away from her friends! Stacy's her BEST friend!! Brooke deserves to have some enjoyment, however little she can have! Please, let me go and bring Stacy here! Brooke needs her to be with her now! All this stuff, it's difficult for Brooke to deal with right now!!"

Tezla pondered over this. Shirako is being reasonable...he shows some major points on how this could benefit Brooke...

"Alright, Shirako. You have my permission to go and pick up Stacy. When will you leave to retrieve her?"

Shirako muttered, "Nine. Tomorrow morning."

Tezla held back a laugh. "You may go, Shirako." Tezla turned his chair around, busying himself with some paperwork. Shirako was more than happy to be out of the conference room.

I searched frantically for my brother, feeling the happiest I had ever felt since my stay at the Acceledrome. Stacy was coming! Here! I loved my brother now.

As I raced down the hall, I ran right into someone. "Oops! My bad.." Instead of grabbing his/her hand to help them steady themself, I felt metal. What?

I looked at the one I had collided with. I gulped. The LAST person I wanted to see.

"Sorry about th-," when he noticed who it was, that mischievious smile of his spread across his face. "Hey. Pleasure bumping into you."

I glared at him. He snickered. "Alright, I give up."

He gave me a quizzical look. "Give up?"

I never stopped my glaring. "You never told me. How and why did you get that mechanical arm? If you didn't want it, why get it in the first place?"

He didn't wink or even . Instead, he glanced at the "arm", which now hung by his side. "Did Tezla ever tell you about Gelorem?"

I nodded. "Of course. He explained all about the Silencers and the Drones. He also said that Gelorem had been defeated. That the MM and the TEKU both stole into the Drone's Headquarters to rescue you. He said that they succeeded."

"He didn't say anything else about that?"

"No," I answered him honestly. Where was he getting at?

"While Gelorem held me captive, she was trying to make me spill my guts about where the location of the Acceledrome was. When I refused, her little drone friends decided to make me one of their own. They started with my arm."

I gasped. He didn't notice. "As I was screaming for them to stop, Gelorem kept asking me about where to find the Acceledrome. I really didn't want to betray them to her, but at some point I must have. The next thing I knew, they dropped me down into the floor and kept me there until they decided to finish me off."

A tear escaped my eye and slid down my cheek. I mentally slapped myself. I was so emotional! It was embarrassing!

I tried to brush the tear away as fast as I could, to hide evidence. I thought that I had succeeded, until he chuckled and said, "You really are a strange girl to be crying over me."

I parted my lips to answer him, but he walked off, heading for the Metal Maniacs garage. I glared at his back, since his face was turned away from me. Then, I softened. I imagined how he must have felt to sit through the torture of having your arm completely ripped off...I shivered involuntarily.

I wanted to yell out Wylde's name when someone lightly tapped me on the shoulder. I yelped and turned around.

Of course, it was my guardian angel, Shirako.

"Hey!" I held him in the tightest hug I could. "Thank you so much! I can't believe you did that for me!"

Shirako smiled. "Choking!" he gasped, laughing. I released him and he pretended to crumple to the floor. I rolled my eyes.

"Quit exaggerating Shirako! I'm serious! That was unbelievably nice of you...what happened?" I questioned, being sarcastic. His only response was to whack me lightly on the forehead. It throbbed.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, rubbing my bruise. "You already left a mark there, remember?"

He smiled. "Again, sorry about that."

"When did you ever apologize before?"

"Oh, your right," he realized. "Well, I'm apologizing now."

"You are so-" I was cut off when I began to yawn. He chuckled at me.

"Sleepy," he finished, dragging me to my room. "You're in desperate need of some sleep!" He led me to my room, explaining the argument he had with Peter along the way. I groaned and rubbed my stomach. It was hurting something aweful.

"Brooke?"

I couldn't answer him at first. My stomach was on fire and my head began to spin. My throat felt as though I hadn't had anything to drink in days. I was having trouble breathing while my stomach was making me feel terrible. I almost slammed into the wall when I tried to walk into my bedroom. He quickly held me around the waist, wrapping my arm over his head. He led the way in, and I obediently let him.

I couldn't get to the toilet fast enough, it seemed to me.

My stomach had made a sudden lurch and I knew I was about to get sick. I darted for the bathroom. When I was able to lean my head in, I threw up.Oh, perfect! I expected Shirako to leave me, but he followed me in. When he heard what I was doing, he didn't flee the scene. He actually stayed with me the entire time. Since my hair was long, it framed my face, and I kept having to toss it behind me. Shirako searched frantically through the bathroom cabinets. I was too busy to know what he was doing or even care. I just wanted my stomach to get back to feeling normal again.

"Got one!" Shirako exclaimed. I had no idea what he meant. The next thing I knew, Shirako was sitting next to me. He gently fixed all my hair back into a ponytail. A hair tie. That was what he had been searching for...

", not again-" I began, another wave of nausea hitting me full force. I leaned closer over the toilet.

Shirako never left my side. He had been rubbing my back. When I was able to talk, I questioned him on why he bothered to stay with me.

A hurtful expression crossed over his face. "Because. Like I said, I'm never going to leave you again."

Man, I thought. When Shirako makes a promise, he sticks to it like glue!

"By the way, what was in the meatloaf we ate at dinner today?" I asked, my voice cracking. I didn't really want to know, but it would help me understand why I was now so busy throwing it all up in the first place and why my throat felt like sandpaper.

"Um, there was onions, seasoning, crackers, and mushrooms."

I threw a frightened glance his way. Mushrooms! Oh, I was allergic to mushrooms!

"That makes sense," I answered, my throat burning all the while. I swallowed and tried again. "I'm allergic to mushrooms, Shirako. You better take me to Loni. She'll know how to help me."

In a way, he irritated me. He was just so protective of me. It was beginning to annoy the crap out of me. But, I was thankful of the way he was. He was my only joy here at the Acceledrome. The only one who really, truly, cared about me. I was about to hug him, but held back. Shirako noticed this.

"What was that all about?" he asked, completely oblivious. I looked down. "I-I felt like hugging you, but I was afraid I might accidentally throw up on you."

Shirako laughed at my words and my current expression. This eased the pain, a little.

"Alright. Up you go," he commanded, lifting me out of my crouched position. Again, he held me at the waist, letting me put my arm over his shoulders. My head started swimming.

"Shirako! Slow down, okay? I feel a little dizzy. Plus, my throat hurts so much. I feel like I can't breath.." I rubbed my throat, trying to take deep breaths at the same time. He tried to lead me down the hall, but I stopped him.

"I can't," I gasped, letting myself go of his waist and leaning against the wall for support. I couldn't really tell, but I thought I had gone pale. Shirako froze, not knowing what to do. I growled at him to hurry and bring Loni here. He understood and took off, leaving me there alone.

In a way, it was comfortable. No one bothering me or asking questions. But, I wasn't at all comfortable then. It felt like my stomach was being ripped apart and my breathing wasn't getting any better. I slid down the wall, too sick to even try to stop myself. I closed my eyes and wished I was somewhere else...

"What are you doing out here? Trying to find privacy?"

I groaned. My eyes snapped open as I regretted being where I was. There was no way I could run and escape this person, or act all angry with him as I always do. I just sat there, completely uncomfortable.

Wylde smirked at my expression of surprise. "You always get into the worst situations, huh?" Wylde asked, coming over to sit beside me. I didn't care if it hurt. I hated being talked to like that.

My throat burned when I replied, "My situation wasn't so awful until you decided to show up."

At about that time, Shirako arrived with Loni. When Loni took in my paleness, my gasping for air, and the way I held my stomach, her expression changed to worry and sorry for how I was so sick. They both rushed over to me to come and help me stand. I refused their help by saying, "No, it's fine. I can handle it."

I was wrong, as usual.

At about the time I raised myself to stand, my stomach lurched and I fell. "Oh!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around in a circle to steady myself. I couldn't ,and I felt myself begin to fall backward. Before I hit ground, someone caught me by holding me from under my arms. I looked up to see Wylde there, smirking as usual.

"You never accept defeat, do you?" Wylde said, helping me to my feet. I glared at him.

When I was back on my feet, Loni and Shirako grasped both of my arms and led me down the hall.

Wylde followed. "Come on, Brooke. Just let me help you."

I thought for a moment. "There's one thing you can do." I smiled sweetly at him.

"Anything," he answered, smiling playfully back.

"Tell the cook to throw away anything that has to do with mushrooms." Then, Loni and Shirako led me into the infirmary, leaving a completely surprised Wylde behind me.