Disclaimer:  I don't own Zoids… Except for a little Gun Sniper and Dark Horn… hehe

Author's Note:  HAHAHAHA!  I'm finally finished with this thing!  I'm sorry I rushed the end, but I'm getting a bit impatient with this whole thing.  I have to thank everyone for reading this and stay tuned for my next few stories =)

Reunions

Leena was stunned.  Harry was wearing an apron, and though his hands appeared clean, his face and arms above his elbows were all black from soot and grease.  His skin seemed much tanner to her, and he seemed… filled out.  No longer lithe, his arms and shoulders were definitely muscular, though you couldn't call him a hunk quite yet.  He was still pretty skinny, and his face seemed tired and he looked a little worn out.

He turned his head at the sound of her voice and froze.  The only things that hadn't seemed to change about him were his green eyes.  They sparkled exactly as they had when she had last seen him, and they hadn't lost their sadness.

"Leena…"  He whispered.  He was still holding a dishrag, and seemed undecided on what to do.  "Leena I-, Gah!"  Harry the Zoid, had adopted the odd tactic of trying to tear Harry the human's pants off.  "Hey there little guy," he picked up Harry the Zoid.  "It's kind of nice to see you remember me after all this time."

"You remember him?"  Leena was stunned.  She'd thought Harry had forgotten all about their childhood together.  He'd acted like they'd never met before when they met as enemies on the battlefield for the first time.  He'd never said anything…  Why didn't he say anything?

Leena ran over and hugged him, which stunned Harry.  He could feel the blood rushing all the way to his ears.  He must be like a tomato.  "Harry…  I'm so happy that you're alright."  She squeezed him tighter, and the Zoid made a little protesting noise and gnawed on Harry's Greasy T-shirt. 

"You… You were worried about me?"  Harry was puzzled, she was supposed to hate him.  She'd never shown any real affection for him before.  His guard immediately went up.  She wanted something.  "Leena-"

SLAP

"Whaddaya mean?  Of course I was worried about you!"  Leena screamed at him.  Harry was holding his face where she had slapped him.  This was a turn.  The little Dark Horn leapt out of Harry's arms and hid under the table… That couldn't be a good sign.  The thought was reaffirmed when Leena grabbed the nearest pot, and chucked it in his direction.

Harry barely dodged it, and looked for a safe sort of base.  "What did you want from me?"  He cried avoiding a coffee cup.

"A letter, a note.  Something!"  She continued to chuck kitchen utensils, and he continued to dodge them.  "You… You just disappeared!  Not a trace of you.  Anywhere!"

"What do you care!  You're engaged to your true love," Harry was using a pan as a shield now.  "I thought you always wanted me off your back!  Well I was!"  He deflected another coffee cup that bounced of the pan and shattered. 

"I never said that!"

CRASH

"You fired on me when Leone (sp. Someone please!!) had me prisoner!"

SHATTER

"You stood me up for the date."  Leena hurled a cast iron pot, which dented Harry's shield.  "I waited for hours in the park for you to show up!"

"Hello!  I was kidnapped!"  Harry abandoned the pan for a hiding place behind a counter.  The crowdedness of the room hindered his evasive abilities. 

"Your sister hasn't left me alone!  She's sure-" Leena hurled yet another pot at Harry, this one missing him by less than an inch, "hell bent on pinning me for your kidnapping."

"How's that my fault?"

"Do you have to ask?"  CLATTER  "You didn't even tell your family."

"It's nobody's business but mine!"

"You've been gone for a year and a half!"  Leena chucked more plates, "A year and a half Harry!  They were going to give you up for Dead!"  A spatula flies.  "DEAD!"

"Well I would have said something before then."

CLACK

Leena quickly crossed the room and grabbed Harry by his collar.  "And what about me Harry?"

He rose so he was standing looking down at her.  His green eyes were focused and intent, and challenging.  He grabbed her arms and pushed her back a little.  "And what about you Leena?"  His voice was a hoarse whisper.  "Why are you here?"

"I- um… That's none of your business!"  She stammered.  Harry had never looked at her like this before, it made her very uncomfortable.

"What's the matter?  Your true love leave you?  So you came running to me for some help?  You need a free place to stay eh?"  His grip on her arms tightened, but she didn't notice.  He'd hit the truth so close, she couldn't deny it.  She couldn't hold it in, she started to cry, and tried to yank away from him.

"Shut up!  Just shut up!"  she cried hoarsely.  Seeing her cry snapped something inside of Harry.  He cursed himself for wanting her, for trusting her, for loving her.  She would only use him again, he was sure of that, but… 

He drew her into his arms and rocked slowly side to side, calming her.  He drew in a sharp breath when she returned the embrace, nuzzling her head into his shoulder.  "Harry-" she began.

"Shhh."  He squeezed her closer to him.  She was desperate, "Don't say anything Leena."  He didn't have enough heart left for lies, not enough left to be broken again.  Even though she might think she meant things now, she was in a lot of pain, and didn't know what she wanted.

"But what am I gonna do Harry?"  She sobbed.  He didn't know they had kicked her off the team.  He didn't know that when she ran away she didn't even pack anything.  What could she possibly do?

"You can stay here Leena,"  he said softly.  "On one condition…"

Leena stiffened a little, afraid of what he was going to ask of her.

"You have to quit the Blitz team… And join the Champ team…"

It was so ironic she almost laughed.  "Consider it done, Harry."  She nuzzled closer to him.  Enjoying the protection his arms gave her.  Everything was going to be all right…  Everything is always all right in the arms of someone you trust.

~-~-~~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

            Bit Cloud was sticky, sweaty, and all around smelly, as he and the Liger 0 combed the barrens for a sign of Leena.  The Liger growled unhappily as it trudged along for the third straight day in a row.  They hadn't even gone in to get food or anything.  The Doc's voice rang loudly around in Bit's head, which still hurt by the way.

"Either you come back with her, or you don't come back at all!"

The man had been irate when he sent Bit and Brad out.  Jamie combed the territory from the sky, searching for any sign at all.  All he found was bad news.  In the direction that Leena was headed, there had been a huge sand storm, everyone and everything that had been almost completely buried.  He couldn't find Leena's Gun Sniper's signature with in 300 miles either.  So she had either made it to the next town, was buried too deep to pick up, or was abducted by aliens.  Bit had checked the towns ahead, and prayed to God she wasn't buried.  His best hope was really the alien thing.

In the distance he could see a Whale King.  It was the first sign of another person in a whole day.  He hailed it for a little conversation, hoping for some information.  He was quite surprised by the face that appeared.  "Harry?"  Bit's eye involuntarily twitched, he still wasn't personally fond of the heir to the Champ fortune.  Harry on the other hand, looked quite pleased to see Bit.

"Hey Bit!  Whatchya all the way out here for?" 

"Ha… that's a long story.  When did you get back in?"  Bit was just a little curious as too the timing of Harry's arrival and Leena's disappearance.

"Oh, I've been around for a while."  Harry shifted uneasily, the small talk was a little tense for even rivals.

"Listen, have you seen Leena around?" Asked Bit, cutting to the chase.  "We got into an argument the other day, and she took off."

"Yeah, we picked her up a few days ago," Harry said and cocked his head when he noticed the bandages wrapped around Bit.  "The thing is we've been looking for the Hover Cargo and can't find it anywhere."

"Sure!  I'm sending you the data now!"  Bit's hands shook slightly.  He was happy that Leena was all right, but under the circumstances…

Brad came on screen at that moment.  "BIT!!"  He didn't look very good either.  It seemed the doc held them equally responsible for Leena's disappearance.

 "Uh… Hi Brad," Bit smiled.

"You little-"

"Leena's ok."

"……" 

"Harry's taking her back to the Hover Cargo as we speak."  Bit looked away, "Where are you?"

"…Close enough to send a transmission…"

"Then do that.  The doc should be happy now."

"…Bit"  Brad's tone was cautious.  He could hear the tension in Bit's voice when he said Harry's name.

Bit cut off communications and headed back at top speed for the Hover Cargo.  Today there was gonna be one big, and interesting reunion he was sure.

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

*Back at the Hover Cargo*

            "Leena!"  The overjoyed cry of Steve Torros could be heard all across the base.  He hugged her close, nearly suffocating her.  "We were so worried about you, looking for you every where."  He then held her at arm's length, "HOW COULD YOU??!!"  He seemed to be turning on a dime for jubilant to irate father.  "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?  You could have been caught by bandits, in a sandstorm, by the back draft-"

"Daddy please,"  Leena loosed herself from him, "The back draft is dead."

"Feh!  That's their story," he retorted.

"Ahem,"  Harry cleared his throat.  He'd been standing in the back for about an hour.  He wanted Leena to hurry up and make her decision before long, otherwise offer him somewhere to sit.

He was immediately sorry, as he was rewarded with a no less than dubious glance from Torros.  Steve Torros had been at his wits end.  His daughter hadn't shown any particular interest in men, at least not until some months ago with Bit.  Since then, they had given her nothing but misery.  She was only 17 anyway, he'd sworn she wouldn't date till she was 35.  Let alone marry.  Which is exactly what Harry and Bit had been trying to do as of late.  No one would take his baby girl away from him now!

"Daddy, could you please call everyone together?"  Leena shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.  "I… I have an announcement to make."

Oh, dear god… Torros's heart jumped thrice into his throat.  "Sure sweet-heart."  He faked a smile.

"Thanks Daddy," Leena smiled the way she did when she knew she would get exactly what she wanted.  And they all headed for the rec room.  Steve made a general call to all the people in the base.

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

            Bit and Brad made a 'Fresher' appearance, followed by Jamie and Naomi.  Bit seated himself next to Harry, who had seated himself at the end opposite everyone else… which I suppose made Harry and Bit opposite everyone else… Except Leena!  She stood in the middle of everyone making sure she had their attention.  She was obviously very nervous, and tried to keep a cap on her emotions as she said what was so hard for her to say.

            "First of all I'd like to apologize for running off before, because it was immature, and totally uncalled for."  She sighed, it seemed to nullify Brad that she'd apologized, and they all settled down… except for Harry, who waited in anticipation, and Bit who was on end because Harry was waiting for something more.  "While I was gone however, I decided that it was time for me to leave the Blitz team."  Everyone gasped, except for Harry.  Bit bolted from his seat, nearly knocking Harry over.

            "So you and Harry just happen to meet up out there, and now your switching teams!"  Bit fumed.

            "No!"  Leena clenched her fists at her sides.  She couldn't do this.  Harry looked on in horror, she knew he thought she was going back on their deal.  "I… I just…"  Leena shook her head looking for the right words.  "I don't want to battle right now.  I really don't have my heart in it the way I used to… My priorities… they've changed."

            "That's alright sweet-heart," her father said soothingly.  "We can do whatever you want here."

            Leena shook her head sadly, "That's part of it Dad, I don't belong here.  I'm leaving the base."

            "But… Where will you go?"  Her father was in shock.  He didn't get his baby back just to watch her fly away again.  Surely…

            "She'll be staying with me," Harry interjected.  He looked straight at Leena answering her silent question.

            "You?!"  Leena's father growled.  "But Leena isn't going to battle anymore, what use do you have for her on your team?"

            "I'm not battling at the moment either,"  Harry stated flatly standing up, and facing Steve Torros.  "My Whale King has become a transport and repair shop for wandering Zoid warriors.  She'll stay in one of the rooms while working for me.  There's plenty of room there for her to work, and I can keep any Zoids she might later need."

            Torros's hands clenched into tight fists of rage, and he glared down at Harry.  Harry didn't flinch an inch, and it looked like things were about to get violent.  Jamie jumped behind his side of the sofa, and Bit ducked around his.  The both peeped out behind their shelter, and Brad ducked under the table.  He earned a glare from Naomi, but shrugged it off.

            Naomi turned to study Leena, who seemed to be caught in some decision.  Naomi recognized it, Leena was deciding whether she would ultimately stay or go.  If things got physical, Harry would lose by default if he laid a fist on her father, which meant he would lose officially if he didn't.  Which meant this would be totally up to her.

            Just as Torros rocked back on his heals to deliver the first blow, Leena stepped up and linked her arm with Harry's.  "Daddy please, I'm sixteen and this is my choice to make."

            But you're just a baby!  He wanted to scream.  My baby…

            Ultimately Steve unclenched his fists, and hung his head.  "Do you need to pack?"  He asked.

            "I just have a few things…" she whispered.

            "Brad, Harry, go help her."  He said, "If anyone needs me I'll be in my study."  Then, Steve Torros walked away feeling like he was a million years old.

            Harry followed Leena, and Brad trailed a bit behind since he had to crawl out from under the table.  Naomi was probably never going to let him live that one down…

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

            The three had packed most of her things in near silence.  Brad and Harry only said anything when they asked her if she wanted something, and she would either nod or shake her head.  She sat on her bed, realizing that this would probably be the last time she lived with her father and brother.  She unlike her brother, was officially moving out, and there was something so final about all this.  It made her want to cry.

            "Well that's everything," Brad remarked uncomfortably.

            "You guys go ahead," Leena said.  "I need to talk to my dad before I leave.

            "I understand," Harry nodded, carrying a couple of boxes.  He led the way but Brad lingered.

            "Leena…" he said in a low tone, "I didn't get Naomi to replace you-,"

            "I know Brad, and don't worry about it," she said with a half smile.  "I've needed to do this for a while now."

            "So you and Harry?…" he let the question trail off, not really sure if he wanted to know the answer, wondering why he'd asked the question.

            "I don't know…" she sighed and left.  He followed after Harry, who was already a ways down the hall.

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

            Leena knocked on her dad's door.  And when he didn't answer she just entered.  "Daddy?"

            Her father was slumped over his desk, his face in his hands.  She walked over too him, and he made no reaction what so ever.  She put her arms around his shoulders in a loving hug, and realized he was crying.

            "Why do you have to go baby?"  He whispered.

            "Daddy it's something I have to do," she said softly.

            "We can get rid of Bit," he said hopefully.

            She laughed softly, "It's not all about Bit Dad.  And you can't get rid of him, he got us into class S."

            "He didn't do it alone you know," her father protested.

            Leena laughed again, "Where were we without him Dad?  What were we?"

            Silence…

            "Besides, Leon went his own way-,"

            "Leon is 19 and don't even try to say it's the same thing because you know its not."  He sighed.  "You're only sixteen, that's no time to be leaving home!"

            "Daddy, I'm not a baby anymore," Leena said trying to sooth her father.

            "But you are a baby," he insisted, "My baby…"

            "I'll always be your baby," she said, "I just need to sort some things out now."

            "Why can't you do that here," he pleaded, "why Harry?"

            Leena sighed.  "I really don't know what's going on with me and Harry Dad.  I don't think I can handle serious relationships really yet.  But," she paused, trying to form her emotions into words, "He's looking for something out there, and so am I, and I just figured that if we went together… we might find it together."

            "You'll be good wont you?"  he sighed at last, he was looking down but past his desk.  He was looking into some thought, whether it was how to tie her down and keep her there, or how he was going to let her go she couldn't tell.

            "Of course Daddy," she assured him.

            "Ok then," he said.  He gave her a last long hug, and watched his baby leave.

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

            Meanwhile in the Whale King…

            Brad and Harry had set down Leena's stuff in her room.  Harry figured that Leena would know where she wanted everything.  He turned to leave, but Brad was blocking the door, arms crossed as if waiting for some kind of explanation. 

            "Well?"  Brad cocked and eyebrow.

            "Well?…" Harry responded not looking the least be interested.

            "Assuming this was your idea, why aren't you happy?"  Brad leaned back against the doorway.

            "Happy."  Harry said the word in such a vague tone, it sounded foreign.  "Happy," he said again, as though analyzing the meaning of the simple little word.  It was at this moment brad realized that Harry was not the Harry he had known some time ago.  That something was very wrong.

            "You don't lover her anymore," Brad breathed.  Harry was a ghost of the energetic, enthusiastic, and pitifully hopeful young man that he once was.  Brad shook his head.  "What a tragedy.  She comes to you just as you fall out of love."

            Harry pushed past Brad.  "I'm afraid the only tragedy here is," he muttered, "that I will never stop loving her."

~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~-~~

Later outside the Whale King…

            Brad and Jamie waited outside, to see their teammate off.  Bit was over by Harry, and things were… awkward, as they waited for Leena.  Bit eyed Harry, who returned the stare evenly.  Bit then stuck out his hand.

            "Truce?"

            Harry accepted it nodding, "Truce."

            Brad too walked over, gripping Harry's shoulder, a little harder than he needed to.  Brad was surprised at the muscles that rippled under Harry's lean exterior.  "You'd better be good to her," was all he said, and that was all they really expected of him.  The mild threat tough out of character, was no more out of place than anything else that had happened so far this evening.

            "Is everything set?"  A light female voice called.  Everyone turned to see Leena walking out of the Hover Cargo.  Harry nodded to her, and she gestured that he should go in ahead of her.

            Bit walked over to her, not meeting her eyes.  "Leena…  I'm so, so sorry," he whispered.  "I just…"

            She hushed him with a little soft kiss on the lips, pressing her engagement ring into his palm.  "I'm sorry too Bit.  I just wasn't ready for any of this."

            "Leena?"  That was Jamie, he shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.  He was such a cute little boy. 

            "Jamie…"

            "This is for you… I'll miss you, we all will."  He pressed a wrapped gift into her hands and took off embarrassed.

            From the closing mouth of the Whale King, Leena watched as her friends waved her good-bye.  And she wondered why it felt so bad to say good-bye.  They would see each other again plenty, but it was like things were changed between them.  It was more than teams that separated them somehow, something deeper than that.  Little Harry the Dark Horn made an appearance at her feet.

            She picked up her cuddly and violent little friend.  It chirped at her and relaxed in her arms.  She'd hidden little Harry from her father, afraid he would break her little toy.  Even then he was more precious than any other toy she'd been given, and it returned that love.

            "Regrets?"  The soft voice startled her, and little Harry looked over at the human Harry and made a happy whirring noise at him.

            "I was just wondering if we should worry so much at our age," she responded.  "By the time we really get old none of this will matter."

            "I wouldn't say that," Harry shrugged.  "Things might seem less important later on, but that doesn't mean they aren't important now."

            "Huh?"  Leena looked perplexed.

            "Never mind that," Harry chuckled, "I confuse myself sometimes."  Leena was about to retort that she had understood, but Harry gestured her to follow him.  "Let's see what we can set you up with for work around here."

            Leena sighed and followed him though the Whale King.  There were a million things on her mind, a million things she would have to figure out on her own.  Harry was here, and so was Megumi, and that was nice, but somehow, she felt that nobody could help her sort out her bizarre emotions.  She's was glad to get one thing off her back though, she wouldn't have to battle for a while.  Whether she could keep herself from rushing back in was another thing…  But that wasn't something to worry about now.  Now she had to worry about the relationship she and Bit would have, how to deal with her father, and Harry… there was also Harry. 

            'Ah well,' she thought.  'I've gotten myself into this mess, and I'll get myself out someday.'  She continued through the halls of her new home, and winced as Harry said something about cooking.  He'd obviously never tasted her cooking before.  The Whale King seemed to grow in size now that she knew she'd call this place home.  And it suddenly became unfamiliar and cold to her, making her wished she'd stayed back at the Hover Cargo.  Whishing she could be transported to her room, to her friends, to the way things were before they got so screwed up…

~The End~

Author's Note:  Ah yesh, much rushed ness at the end ne?  All… eleven… excruciating… pages!  I could write so much more… It's all here, in my head… yet lacking motivation.  Maybe it's just 11:38 at night and I have a splitting headache and I can't sleep… Hmm… I do intend to write something that follows along the lines of this story, but is more centered around my characters, and will differ somewhat in the way the characters interact with each other, hopefully less OOC than in this one… Oh well, it's my world now…  Muahahahahahahaha!!!…. *Ahem… Thank you for reading all!