Author's note: Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews! Man, is Thomas in trouble for leaving or what? Ryan's threatening to get into his Gundam and come after him and Bit, and Schala85's Klary's gonna join him as well. I guess it's a good thing he's in Dracou Malfouy's cage. ^_~
Everyone fasten their seatbelts as it gets better from here! Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I guess I'd better put this in here this time. Nope, I don't own zoids. Just Morgan.
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The whole time she and Leena were searching for seashells, Morgan had tried to keep a discreet eye out for Leon to see if anyone told him of what happened. But when she saw him approaching them, her heart leaped to a wild beating inside her as she was bracing herself for the inevitable to happen. "Leena, your brother's coming this way," she whispered. "Do you think he knows?"
The young woman risked a glance. "I don't think so. He looks pretty calm. But in case he does find out, I'll stand beside you to make sure you both stay together."
"Thanks, Leena," she replied.
"Find any shells?" Leon's voice finally reached them.
Morgan turned with a smile that tried to cover up her nervousness. "A few. They're pretty small though."
Leon returned her smile, his own expression troubled. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked Morgan as he took her hand in his.
She almost stopped breathing. "Of course," she returned as they walked away a short distance. "What is it?"
He really didn't know how to approach this, but he guessed the direct way was the best. "Morgan, I found out from Bit who this Stigma Stoeller is. He's part of the Backdraft Group, which means your father was also, wasn't he?"
She tried not to let her relief show as she was no longer worried about how to handle this after having something worse to worry about. "He was," she answered. "He developed the Blade Liger to defeat the Liger Zero in battle, only the Backdraft wanted me to be the one to pilot it since they thought it was time I joined their ranks. He fought against it passionately as he didn't want any harm to come to me, but they still held true to their views.
"He vowed then to leave and go to the Zoid Battle Commision with everything he knew, saying he was taking me with him as well as the Liger. Not long after he was found dead, and the doctors pronounced it a natural death as opposed to foul play. But I knew better and so did Stigma since my father had told him of what he had done, and that's when he begged Stigma to watch after me, to keep me safe at all costs. It was Stigma's idea that I take the Liger and leave, which led you to me."
Leon gazed into her eyes for what seemed like forever before he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "If that's all it was, then why didn't you tell me in the first place?" he asked quietly.
She took his hand in hers and raised it up to kiss it softly. "Because I was afraid I'd lose you, Leon. The Backdraft are not very popular as they fight without any rules, something that could very well end up killing the pilot. I thought that if you knew about my past with them, then you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. And even after being together for only a short time, I knew that I didn't want to see you walk away from me after seeing me as I once was." Then she turned hazel eyes glistening with tears to his. "I'm so sorry, Leon. I know what I did was wrong....Can you ever forgive me for lying to you?"
He touched his hand to her face and drew her into his embrace, her head tucked underneath his chin. "Your past is a part of you, Morgan, a part that I cannot change. The way I see it, you were an unfortunate victim of an organization that makes its own rules just to spite those who would fight fair. Since you never fought for them in any battles, then I see no reason why I can't forgive you."
She pulled away from him just enough to look at his face, searching for the answer in his eyes even though he said he forgave her. Then she threw her arms around his neck and held him close, her heart overflowing with love for him. "Oh, Leon, I don't deserve you. I love you so much."
His soft laughter teased her ears. "I love you, too," he said. "Although I happen to think that you do deserve me, and that's all that matters."
Brad, Bit, and Jamie watched in silence as Leon took Morgan aside to speak with her, not even noticing Leena's presence when she came to a stop near them. "What's with them?" she asked.
"Leon just found out that Morgan may have something to do with the Backdraft," Brad answered. "I guess that's what he's talking to her about."
Leena's eyes widened in shock. "Morgan? No way! She's nothing like them!"
"Doesn't matter," Bit added, his voice a little harsh. "There's a chance she may be trying to steal my Liger from me again."
"Oh, come off it, Bit! Not everything's about you and your Liger! She wouldn't do anything like that! Besides, she's had her share of chances to do so, and if that's what she was going to do then she would've done it by now," she retorted.
"But how do we know we can trust her? She didn't tell Leon who she was, which means she might still be working for them. And what about earlier today? If she truly loved him, then she wouldn't have done what she did," he fired back.
Leena's fists clenched and she thrust her face into his. "You're just jealous, Bit Cloud, because she kissed Brad instead of you!"
"Am not!" he shouted.
"Are too!" she shouted back just as loud.
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
Brad shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of him. "Will those two ever stop?"
Jamie sighed. "You know what they say. Love makes the world go 'round."
"What was that?!?!" both Leena and Bit screamed as they faced Jamie, his own scream joining them as they chased after him up and down the beach.
Brad sighed and eyed Leon and Morgan once more, a smile appearing when he saw them embrace each other. Then his smile disappeared as he felt a pair of arms slide around his shoulders.
"Hey, Brad, I see you're alone," a female voice purred beside him.
He looked to see the owner of the slurred voice, and his eyes widened as he saw it was the girl from earlier that had tried to become such good friends with him, and judging from the smell of her breath she had had more than her share of alcohol so far. "What are you doing here?" he asked her as he tried to break her hold on him.
"I came here to see you, babe," she replied. "I saw that your girlfriend wasn't with you, so I decided to come and say hi."
He finally succeeded in removing her hold on him, but in the process sent her tumbling to the sand in a drunken pile. Embarrassed, he tried to help her up, and after a few tries she managed to stand on her own but still swayed a little from time to time. Then he saw at the same time Morgan and Leon walking towards them and the girl perking up at seeing her with another man.
"Oh my, isn't she the little slut?" she mused with a little laugh.
"Hey, watch what you say about her!" he corrected her. "After all, you're the one throwing yourself all over me, so what does that say about yourself?"
Apparently she didn't hear him or she chose to ignore him. Either way, she started off towards them, and he reached out to keep her from ruining things, but she was stronger than she looked as she pushed him away from her, breaking his hold on her to stalk towards the happy couple, the light of revenge blazing in her eyes. This little worthless piece of trash embarrassed her in front of everyone, and she wasn't about to let it go unpunished.
Hand in hand, they walked back down to the others with the biggest smiles on their faces which told them things were okay between them. But then Morgan stopped in her tracks as her smile faded when she saw someone heading towards them that she had never hoped to see again.
Leon glanced back at her with a confused expression on his face. "What is it?"
She swallowed deeply as it was none other than the girl from earlier that had been bugging Brad so bad, and her mind chose a good time to stop thinking as she couldn't think of a way to get out of this. And when she made eye contact with the girl, it was definitely too late then to do something.
"Leon, how about we go back to the hover cargo after all? I'm not feeling too well all of a sudden," she said, cringing inside as it sounded so lame but it was the only thing she could think of to get him away where Brad could take care of the girl and it would all blow over without any damage done.
He was beyond confused now at her sudden fierce need to leave. "Morgan, what's going on? Why is it you want to leave all of a sudden?"
"I told you, I'm not feeling well," she insisted. "I think it's something I ate earlier." And she wasn't joking as her stomach was tied in knots from anxiety as she knew that the shit was about to hit the fan, and she would be powerless to stop it.
*******************
Well said! The shit will definitely hit the fan in the next chapter! What will happen is anybody's guess. Will Leon find out, or will he be kept in the dark? Hee-hee! Stay tuned!
Oh, by the way...Thomas, I miss you!!!
Everyone fasten their seatbelts as it gets better from here! Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I guess I'd better put this in here this time. Nope, I don't own zoids. Just Morgan.
Wishing For Snow by Shelly
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The whole time she and Leena were searching for seashells, Morgan had tried to keep a discreet eye out for Leon to see if anyone told him of what happened. But when she saw him approaching them, her heart leaped to a wild beating inside her as she was bracing herself for the inevitable to happen. "Leena, your brother's coming this way," she whispered. "Do you think he knows?"
The young woman risked a glance. "I don't think so. He looks pretty calm. But in case he does find out, I'll stand beside you to make sure you both stay together."
"Thanks, Leena," she replied.
"Find any shells?" Leon's voice finally reached them.
Morgan turned with a smile that tried to cover up her nervousness. "A few. They're pretty small though."
Leon returned her smile, his own expression troubled. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked Morgan as he took her hand in his.
She almost stopped breathing. "Of course," she returned as they walked away a short distance. "What is it?"
He really didn't know how to approach this, but he guessed the direct way was the best. "Morgan, I found out from Bit who this Stigma Stoeller is. He's part of the Backdraft Group, which means your father was also, wasn't he?"
She tried not to let her relief show as she was no longer worried about how to handle this after having something worse to worry about. "He was," she answered. "He developed the Blade Liger to defeat the Liger Zero in battle, only the Backdraft wanted me to be the one to pilot it since they thought it was time I joined their ranks. He fought against it passionately as he didn't want any harm to come to me, but they still held true to their views.
"He vowed then to leave and go to the Zoid Battle Commision with everything he knew, saying he was taking me with him as well as the Liger. Not long after he was found dead, and the doctors pronounced it a natural death as opposed to foul play. But I knew better and so did Stigma since my father had told him of what he had done, and that's when he begged Stigma to watch after me, to keep me safe at all costs. It was Stigma's idea that I take the Liger and leave, which led you to me."
Leon gazed into her eyes for what seemed like forever before he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "If that's all it was, then why didn't you tell me in the first place?" he asked quietly.
She took his hand in hers and raised it up to kiss it softly. "Because I was afraid I'd lose you, Leon. The Backdraft are not very popular as they fight without any rules, something that could very well end up killing the pilot. I thought that if you knew about my past with them, then you wouldn't want to have anything to do with me. And even after being together for only a short time, I knew that I didn't want to see you walk away from me after seeing me as I once was." Then she turned hazel eyes glistening with tears to his. "I'm so sorry, Leon. I know what I did was wrong....Can you ever forgive me for lying to you?"
He touched his hand to her face and drew her into his embrace, her head tucked underneath his chin. "Your past is a part of you, Morgan, a part that I cannot change. The way I see it, you were an unfortunate victim of an organization that makes its own rules just to spite those who would fight fair. Since you never fought for them in any battles, then I see no reason why I can't forgive you."
She pulled away from him just enough to look at his face, searching for the answer in his eyes even though he said he forgave her. Then she threw her arms around his neck and held him close, her heart overflowing with love for him. "Oh, Leon, I don't deserve you. I love you so much."
His soft laughter teased her ears. "I love you, too," he said. "Although I happen to think that you do deserve me, and that's all that matters."
Brad, Bit, and Jamie watched in silence as Leon took Morgan aside to speak with her, not even noticing Leena's presence when she came to a stop near them. "What's with them?" she asked.
"Leon just found out that Morgan may have something to do with the Backdraft," Brad answered. "I guess that's what he's talking to her about."
Leena's eyes widened in shock. "Morgan? No way! She's nothing like them!"
"Doesn't matter," Bit added, his voice a little harsh. "There's a chance she may be trying to steal my Liger from me again."
"Oh, come off it, Bit! Not everything's about you and your Liger! She wouldn't do anything like that! Besides, she's had her share of chances to do so, and if that's what she was going to do then she would've done it by now," she retorted.
"But how do we know we can trust her? She didn't tell Leon who she was, which means she might still be working for them. And what about earlier today? If she truly loved him, then she wouldn't have done what she did," he fired back.
Leena's fists clenched and she thrust her face into his. "You're just jealous, Bit Cloud, because she kissed Brad instead of you!"
"Am not!" he shouted.
"Are too!" she shouted back just as loud.
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
Brad shook his head as he crossed his arms in front of him. "Will those two ever stop?"
Jamie sighed. "You know what they say. Love makes the world go 'round."
"What was that?!?!" both Leena and Bit screamed as they faced Jamie, his own scream joining them as they chased after him up and down the beach.
Brad sighed and eyed Leon and Morgan once more, a smile appearing when he saw them embrace each other. Then his smile disappeared as he felt a pair of arms slide around his shoulders.
"Hey, Brad, I see you're alone," a female voice purred beside him.
He looked to see the owner of the slurred voice, and his eyes widened as he saw it was the girl from earlier that had tried to become such good friends with him, and judging from the smell of her breath she had had more than her share of alcohol so far. "What are you doing here?" he asked her as he tried to break her hold on him.
"I came here to see you, babe," she replied. "I saw that your girlfriend wasn't with you, so I decided to come and say hi."
He finally succeeded in removing her hold on him, but in the process sent her tumbling to the sand in a drunken pile. Embarrassed, he tried to help her up, and after a few tries she managed to stand on her own but still swayed a little from time to time. Then he saw at the same time Morgan and Leon walking towards them and the girl perking up at seeing her with another man.
"Oh my, isn't she the little slut?" she mused with a little laugh.
"Hey, watch what you say about her!" he corrected her. "After all, you're the one throwing yourself all over me, so what does that say about yourself?"
Apparently she didn't hear him or she chose to ignore him. Either way, she started off towards them, and he reached out to keep her from ruining things, but she was stronger than she looked as she pushed him away from her, breaking his hold on her to stalk towards the happy couple, the light of revenge blazing in her eyes. This little worthless piece of trash embarrassed her in front of everyone, and she wasn't about to let it go unpunished.
Hand in hand, they walked back down to the others with the biggest smiles on their faces which told them things were okay between them. But then Morgan stopped in her tracks as her smile faded when she saw someone heading towards them that she had never hoped to see again.
Leon glanced back at her with a confused expression on his face. "What is it?"
She swallowed deeply as it was none other than the girl from earlier that had been bugging Brad so bad, and her mind chose a good time to stop thinking as she couldn't think of a way to get out of this. And when she made eye contact with the girl, it was definitely too late then to do something.
"Leon, how about we go back to the hover cargo after all? I'm not feeling too well all of a sudden," she said, cringing inside as it sounded so lame but it was the only thing she could think of to get him away where Brad could take care of the girl and it would all blow over without any damage done.
He was beyond confused now at her sudden fierce need to leave. "Morgan, what's going on? Why is it you want to leave all of a sudden?"
"I told you, I'm not feeling well," she insisted. "I think it's something I ate earlier." And she wasn't joking as her stomach was tied in knots from anxiety as she knew that the shit was about to hit the fan, and she would be powerless to stop it.
*******************
Well said! The shit will definitely hit the fan in the next chapter! What will happen is anybody's guess. Will Leon find out, or will he be kept in the dark? Hee-hee! Stay tuned!
Oh, by the way...Thomas, I miss you!!!