MLaaTR: Maverick Hunter X

By Drewmaster

24. Chapter 24

Later on that day, about an hour after her repairs, Jenny decided that she needed time alone to herself, away from everyone else. It was fine considering the alarm and communicator built into her body. She flew over to Tremorton Park and found a bench to sit on and think about things for a while. She sat there with her eyes closed and thought about the situation they were all faced with. By this time, the sun had gown down for about two hours.

About ten minutes later, she heard footsteps. She assumed they belonged to a random person she didn't know considering the time of night and area of the park. They sounded odd, but they had familiar pattern. They sounded a little sloppy though. She finally opened her eyes to see a familiar face indeed.

"What are you doing here this time of night?" Jenny asked.

Sheldon looked in her direction and replied surprised "Oh Jenny, it's you. I guess I should ask you the same thing."

"So, you're not stalking me for once? Calm down, I was joking," Jenny said.

"Oh, okay. I thought you were being serious for a second. I'm sure you noticed the extra weight I'm carrying around. I call this armor I'm wearing the Mini-Shell. It looks awkward under my clothes, so I stayed out of public sight as much as possible. It's awkward to try to walk or run in, so I've been practicing to get used to it. I'd be a fool to think that I'm not also a target of the Mavericks. You seem…happier than usual to see me," Sheldon noticed.

Jenny stood up and hugged Sheldon.

In a slightly trembling voice, Jenny said "You have no idea what I've been through these past couple of days. Today was the worst. I can't turn to my own family right now because they are just as stressed as I am. I can't tell you all the details because of top secret security stuff, but…I need someone to talk to that has managed to keep themselves calm in this messed up situation."

Sheldon hugged her back and said "Don't worry about it. I'm here for you when you need it. I made that promise, and I'm keeping it."

Jenny pulled away from Sheldon only far enough to keep her hands on his shoulders. He could tell she was confused about something by the way her eyes were racing.

"Sheldon…you have always been…so nice to me. Even my own family…doesn't try as hard as you do. You really do mean it when you say you love me?" Jenny asked.

Sheldon blushed furiously and answered "Of course I do. Are you…okay?"

"I haven't had much time…to think about…the way I feel about you. I have thought about it a little bit lately though. I have to admit…that you are a really great guy. I don't remember a time when you've been an asshole to anyone who didn't do anything to deserve it," Jenny said with a slight smile.

"I try my best," Sheldon said.

Jenny's smile disappeared.

She looked down and said "Yes, well…that's good. I just wish I could say the same for myself. I've been made…painfully aware that I am quite the asshole myself. Don't you try to lie…just because you love me. I've treated people as though they were beneath me and as if my problems were greater than everyone else's for a long time now. I guess…what I'm really saying is; I'm finding out the hard way that, a lot of the things I thought were so important, are really just petty. Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not trying to kill myself again or anything. I only want to know how I'm supposed live with the realization, that I too, am a bad guy."

By this time, her voice was trembling.

Sheldon took a deep breath, and then said "I don't know how you arrived at that conclusion, but I can assure you that you are no bad guy. Bad guys don't attempt to recognize their faults and they don't try to find ways to overcome them. You may have been a bad guy by those standards before, but you're not anymore. Shoot: by those standards, everybody who falls under that category is a bad guy. In that case, I'm one of them in some respects. Robots aren't the only ones who have bugs to work out. By the way, thanks for thinking so highly of me."

"You're welcome. Thank you… for always trying to make me feel special. I really appreciate it. When this war is over, would you like to go out with me sometime?" Jenny asked with a smile.

Sheldon hesitated for a second, and then replied "I didn't expect…that. Of course, I would love to."

Jenny pulled him closer and kissed him on the cheek. She began pulling away, and was about to say something, when he suddenly lunged forward and kissed her lips. Shocked, she froze wide-eyed for a moment.

Sheldon pulled away suddenly and apologized frantically "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…"

Jenny cut him off by saying "Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt you. It's okay."

"I just…lost control," Sheldon explained nervously.

"You must've really been waiting for that for long time?" Jenny asked.

Sheldon was surprised to see her grin suddenly. Without warning, she kissed him back, and then wrapped her arms around him. A couple of seconds later, Sheldon hugged her back. They both lost control and started kissing each other passionately for about two minutes straight. When they finally pulled away from each other, Sheldon was breathing very heavily.

Smiling, Jenny said "I can't feel the same way your nerve endings can, but I did enjoy the new data my sensors processed. This really is the first time I kissed a guy like that. How did you like it?"

"I loved it. I never kissed a girl before you either, and I'm glad I have no one else to compare to," Sheldon replied.

"I'm glad you liked it. Why are you breathing differently all of a sudden? Oh, no," Jenny said as she realized why.

"Jenny. I don't want to lose you. I was afraid you might die against Smytus and Krackus, but I wasn't nearly as afraid as I am now. I don't want…to die either," Sheldon said as he began panicking.

Jenny's raised her now trembling voice and said "Believe me; I am so very afraid for my life. I don't want to die. I don't want you to die."

"This is the first time you've revealed your fear of death," Sheldon pointed out.

"I've never feared death much at all until recently. Now I'm terrified. I'm still so young. There is so much I want to do with my life," Jenny yelled.

Suddenly, they both heard a familiar female voice ask, "Do you fear death because you feel like you're too young to die, or is it because you're realizing your vulnerability?"

Once they saw her clearly, Jenny said "Melody!"

A second later, Melody charged directly after Sheldon with her right fist pointed at his head. Jenny screamed and blocked the attack with her left hand. Sheldon stumbled backwards a few feet before stopping.

"I thought you were on our side," Sheldon yelled.

"I am. I had no intention of actually hitting you. I planned to stop within a few inches of contact, but I anticipated that Jenny would stop me. Listen to me, girl. I understand what you're going through, but this is something you must learn to deal with. I suddenly became aware of my vulnerability when my father died such a painful death. I'm also terrified that the Mavericks are going to wipe us all out. The last thing any of us can afford right now is allowing that fear to hinder us in battle. You put yourself on the line just now to save him. You felt as though he was worth fighting for. That's the kind of motivation you need, now more than ever, if you plan to make it through this. You used to be stronger than this. You still haven't fully regained all of your strength since you tried to kill yourself. Back then, you felt like you had something worth fighting for. You've spent so much time feeling ashamed of yourself and becoming pissed off about everyone's flaws that you've lost sight of what's important. It would break my heart to see you devastated because you couldn't save the people you care so much for. I've witnessed too much pain already. I'm begging you. Find your reason to fight again," Melody yelled.

Melody pulled her hand away from Jenny's grip and stood upright.

"My mom was the only one to mention the fact that my strength has yet to fully return since the attack. She mentioned it about a month ago. My body thinks it's at top performance, but I know better. You're right. I've spent way too much time feeling ashamed of myself. I need to find a way to let go of all of that baggage I've been dragging around. I have to get my old strength back," Jenny said firmly.

"No! You have to find a way to become even stronger. Renew your reason for fighting, and let that reason fuel your strength," Sheldon added.

"Yes! You're right. That's what I need to focus on," Jenny realized.

"It's good to see that you have more skills than just robotics. You're a good man," Melody complimented.

"You're the first person to call me a man. Thanks," Sheldon said.

"I don't care if they have the most powerful army we've ever faced, if they want to destroy us, I will defeat them," Jenny said angrily.

"Looks like you're remembering your old self again. That's great. We need all the help we can get. I was afraid to help you guys out before, but I realized that if I don't, I would inevitably be destroyed later on anyway. If I do die, at least I'll know I tried to defend the Earth. What I mean, is that I plan to fight alongside you," Melody declared.

"That's great! Thank you. How long have you been watching us, anyway?" Jenny asked.

Melody grinned and replied "Long enough to see your first kiss. I was wondering how long it was gonna take you to give in to his persistence. But seriously, both you and Brad have managed to make robots like us feel like we're more than just appliances or weapons. Thank you very much."

"Speaking of which. I need to tell you something very important Jenny. If you ever find it in your heart to say that you truly love me, I want you to search your heart thoroughly first. The word love is too often wasted or misused. Love is difficult define properly. Everyone has their own interpretation of the word. I thought about it long and hard before I told you that I love you so that I would know for sure that I was telling…the honest truth. Don't just do it for my sake, but also for yours. I don't want you to end up feeling like you wasted saying something so important. Once a person realizes the gravity of making such a mistake, it will haunt them for the rest of their lives," Sheldon explained.

A moment later, Jenny said "I understand. I never thought about it so deeply before. I will take your advice seriously."

"You hit me pretty hard with that one, Sheldon. I would hate it if my relationship with Brad was destroyed because we realized at some point that what we called love, was only an infatuation. You've given me a lot to think about," Melody explained.

"I'm sorry I changed the atmosphere so much. We have plenty of time to think about all of this. There's no need to rush," Sheldon said.

"It's okay. I'm glad you told me that. On another note, now that you've decided to help, I think it would be a good idea to let the other's know. I know you might be uncomfortable about that, Melody, but it wouldn't be beneficial for this to be a complete surprise right in the middle of a major battle," Jenny explained.

"It's all right. I'm in as desperate a situation as you guys are in. It wouldn't help me to remain cooped up inside my home all by myself. I would be a sitting duck. Wherever this new building is, I'll go there with you. Our differences aren't going to help me in this situation," Melody said.

"All right then. We'll head over there in a minute. Before we go, there are some things that have taken place recently that are going to take you both by surprise. Just so you know, I'm not really all that comfortable with these turns of events much either," Jenny explained