CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR - I LOVE YOU AMI STAPELTON

Aaron didn't show up at his house that night either, he was out partying with the world. he went clubbing with Ami and Liz, Takeshi tagged along discovering its hard to dance with crutches.

the party was pumping and everybody was having a hell of a time until the fire alarms sounded. people started to panic and rushed for the doors, but the members of Team Satomi stayed inside, making sure everybody got out before making for the door. as they reached the exit, the clicking of metal met their ears as somebody cocked a gun. turning, they saw Jeff, "where are you going boy?"

"didn't the cops haul you in already?"

the man moved to the bar on the other side of the room, keeping the gun trained on the pilots the whole time. he grabbed a bottle off the shelf and took a straight shot right out of it. "ah! what do expect me to say to that? its obvious they haven't caught me yet."

"so what, you're gonna kill me, now?"

"maybe."

"what's maybe mean?"

"well, i think it would hurt you more if i killed one of your friends here... i have a most of clip left in here..." he took another drink from the bottle. "i could kill all of them and leave you alive and wounded."

"you're a bastard."

after taking a long drink that left a small trickle on his cheek, Jeff waved the gun dismissively, "i've been called much worse."

Takeshi took advantage of Jeff's distraction and threw the girls thru the door behind him, dropping his crutches as he did. Jeff's dulled reflexes and blurred vision allowed him only to graze Takeshi's shoulder. "Takeshi!" Aaron yelled as his friend fell to his knees clutching his shoulder.

"i'm alright."

"its me you want, you ass-crack!"

"not really," Jeff said as he stepped closer, "you're the one i want to suffer. that's why i went to your house first."

Aaron's face went pale, now the fact that Jeff had said 'most of a clip' came into sharp relief. "no..."

"it did crush me when my own son stood his ground against me."

Aaron charged Jeff, yelling in a beastial rage. he took two shots in the chest before grabbing the gun. with eyes wild, he wrenched the weapon from the man who seemed to stand still compared to his normal opponents. he pistol-whipped his step-father in the head and put two in his head before Takeshi managed to make it over and stop his crazed friend.

aaron dropped the gun, and began to sway on his feet. he could feel it, his lungs were filling with blood. each breath he took was getting shallower, at this rate he was going to drown in his own body. "a-mi," he begged Takeshi to call out to the girl Aaron loved.

Ami came running thru the door when Takeshi called, the sound of sirens in the background. "NO!"

Aaron felt blood starting to come up as he tried to talk, he didn't have long. "ami, i'm sorry."

"no, its gonna be fine," tears were pouring out of her eyes, "the fire medics are almost here. you're gonna make it."

Aaron forced a smile, "you know, that pendant looks great on you," Aaron had to pause to cough up blood. "ami, i was thinking i'd ask you to get an apartment with me, after the international tournament."

"i will! if you stay with me i'll do anything! dont leave me!"

the medics burst thru the door at this point, and took his from Ami's arms. their faces grim as the examined him. "get him to the hospital now!"

Aaron grabbed the sleeve of one of the men that put him on the gurney, and looked over at Ami, saying something almost silently. the answer was a nod. "he says he wants to you be smiling."

Ami knew what that meant, Aaron was hoping to have a smile as his final memory. she couldn't stop crying, but she replayed all of their time together and found that the smile wasn't forced, it came on its own.

"i love you Ami Stapelton," Aaron said, barely above a whisper

"Aaron... i'll always love you..." Ami broke down as the medics began to wheel Aaron away with a sense of extreme urgancy.