Chapter Eleven: Strengthening Bonds
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Kina slumped forward in her chair. It had been several hours since the armor incident. Aivea was sitting next to her, trying to cheer her up without success.

"I've never been so embarrassed! Now everybody's going to think I'm a big chicken!" she half-whined, half-sobbed. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I think I need a hug…!"

Aivea gave her one. "There, there, Kina. Just relax for now. Besides, this time, it wasn't your fault! The armor stopped working on you, that's all!"

"I know…" sniffled Kina, "but it was still humiliating…"

Aivea gave Kina a tissue. "Well, maybe you could use something to get your mind off of it."

"…Maybe that would be a good idea."

Aivea smiled. "Yeah! Hmm…I know! You're always saying how much you like music, right? Why not play something soothing when you get home?"

Kina turned to Aivea, and gave a sad little smile. "Okay, I'll do that. Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime."

Meanwhile, outside the base…

"Uh-uh! No way! Not again! I'm not going through that kind of pain again!"

John was trying to convince Tommy to participate in another…celebration.

"Come on, man! We busted up one of their big players! It's worth celebrating!"

"It's not worth waking up to the agony! Forget it!!"

John sighed. "All right. I guess I can't blame you; those hangovers are hell. Where are you going to do, then?"

"I don't know. Probably go and get in some downtime at home. I almost died about a thousand times back there; I think I deserve it!"

John laughed. "You need to toughen up, my friend. But…you gotta do what you've gotta do. Take care of yourself."

Tommy chuckled. "I will, if you take your own advice," he said with a wink. John smiled.

A couple of hours passed. Both Kina and Tom were at their respective homes at the same time. They were both lying down on their beds.

"Aivea was right," thought Kina. "Maybe I'm just too sensitive for my own good."

"Perhaps John had a point," thought Tommy. "Maybe I could use some toughening up."

"I don't think I'll ever be happy," thought both of them in unison, though they didn't know it.

Kina got up to turn on her radio, then stopped. "Hmm…why not?" She picked up her telephone and dialed zero.

"Operator."

"Yes, I was wondering if you could find me any numbers for the last name 'Rickenbacker'?"

"Just a minute…there's only one. I'll connect you."

Tommy was about to get himself a drink when the phone rang.

"Huh? If that's John, he'd better not be drunk!" He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Uh…hi. It's Kina."

"Kina? Hello! How'd you find me?"

Kina sweatdropped. "Eh…I used the operator. Hope that's okay and all…!"

"Of course it's okay. What's up?"

Kina sighed. "You're probably going to think I'm weird, but…I wanted to talk to you again...in person, that is."

Tommy cocked an eyebrow. "Sure, that'd be fine. Where?"

"Uh…how about the big café by the park?"

"Okay, I'll see you there. Bye!"

Kina hung up the phone. "Well…that went nicely. Better get ready…"

About 20 minutes later, Tommy arrived at the café Kina had mentioned. At first, he didn't spot her because a group of Zentraedi were sitting at a table directly in his line of sight. He finally saw her when he went around them. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and black jeans.

"Kina!"

"Hello down there! How are you?"

"Neck's cramping a little, but I'm okay otherwise."

Kina smiled. "I'll fix that." She lifted him up to the table. "How's it now?" she said with a giggle.

"Much better. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well…Tommy, did you ever wonder if…you weren't cut out for your job?"

Tommy mused for a bit before responding. "When I started out, I did. Not so much anymore, though. Why?"

Kina blushed a little. "Well…I'd better start from the beginning…" Kina explained what had occurred: how she had gotten stuck in the malfunctioning lift armor and how she had panicked as they got her out of it.

"Hmm…well, to be blunt, I don't see why you're so embarrassed. That would've scared the hell out of me, too!"

Kina sighed. "I don't know. I guess I just have a tendency to let it all out when things screw up for me."

Tommy looked up at her with a combination of pity and understanding in his eyes. Not quite sure how to express it, he decided to walk over to one of her huge hands and put his own on top of it. It looked silly, but the point was made quite clear to Kina, who couldn't help but smile a little when she saw it.

"Kina, let me tell you something. I think it'll help you to not feel so embarrassed."

"What is it?"

Tommy grinned. "I lost my nerve in the cockpit once. I've been through the whole thing."

"Really?"

"Yep. I don't like to talk about it, but I think you need to hear it."

Kina raised both her eyebrows. "Wow…that's really nice of you!"

Tommy smiled. "One time, when I was still in training, I was trying to transform my fighter, and it got stuck in between modes. I nearly had a heart attack. It was just fine…and then there was this loud CLANK sound. I really thought the machine was going to tear itself apart!"

Kina gasped. "Oh! What had happened?"

"Turned out the gears had just rusted up a bit. It didn't take long to clear the jam and finish the change. But it scared me so bad that I almost quit!"

Kina's eyes were huge. "I…I'm sorry…"

Tommy smiled. "Don't be. You're not as embarrassed anymore, are you?"

"…No, actually. Thanks…I guess I did need that."

"Anytime. And then there was early this damned morning…"

Kina gave him a confused look. "This morning? What happened?"

Tommy suddenly clasped his hands over his mouth. "Uh…did I say something happened this morning?" he said with contrived laughter in a vain attempt to cover up his mistake. "Nothing, really!"

Kina gave him a sidelong smile. Tommy sighed.

"Look…um…I wasn't supposed to blurt that out, so…"

Kina laughed. "I didn't hear it."

"You're an angel, Kina."

Kina chuckled. "Why, thank you."

Tommy then blushed a little. "Uh…I really meant it…"

Kina lifted her eyebrows, and then smiled warmly. "Thanks!" She looked downward. "Um…I wish I…"

Tommy blinked. "You wish you what?"

Kina sweatdropped. "…I wish that…I wish that I could always be there to help you. You know, if you ever got into trouble."

Tommy blushed. "That's…damn! That's one hell of a kind thing to say, Kina. Thank you, and thanks for the times you DID save my life." Kina's light blush grew deep red. "I wish the same."

"…Really? You'd wish that for me, too?"

Tommy nodded. "I would. I mean it."

Kina beamed. "Tommy…thanks."

Tommy grinned. "Might not always be the most stylistic rescue like when I stopped that drone, but hey, that's what anti-projectile shields are for, right?" Kina laughed.

"Yeah, and don't forget to load up on ammo before you go out!" Both of them laughed together. As they stopped, they looked into each other's eyes.

"I never thought I'd meet such a wonderful person in my life," they again thought in unison.

As Kina ran a hand through her long emerald hair, Tommy broke the silence. "Kina, can I ask you something now?"

"Shoot."

"I'm just curious…do you like being a Zentraedi?"

Kina thought for a second. "It's a real love-hate thing. You see, even micronized Zentraedi tend to have a strength and stamina advantage over most humans. I love being able to walk long distances without getting really tired, and not freezing my butt off in the late fall. But…I hate being a potential hazard. I don't think I'd ever forgive myself for stepping on someone or falling on them."

"I understand. Sounds like a hell of a dilemma."

Kina chuckled. "Bingo. Now, right back at you. What's life like down there…ooh, shouldn't have phrased it like that…!" She snapped her fingers.

"No offense taken. Basically, you're okay as long as you remember to look up."

Kina laughed. "Yeah, I can see where that'd help!" She gave him a sympathetic look. "It must be awfully frightening. You know, falling like when that goofball rear-ended me in the park and I dropped you."

"Wasn't a picnic, I'll tell you that." He chuckled. "Not to mention the ground isn't the best thing to break a fall with." This made Kina laugh again.

"Good thing I always keep my hands soft, huh?" Out of playfulness, she rubbed the top of his head with her index finger.

"Whoa, easy there!" said Tommy good-naturedly. "I'm gonna need that later!"

Kina giggled. "Couldn't help myself." They laughed again.

Tommy reached with his hand and placed it on top of Kina's finger.

Kina suppressed a laugh. "Handshake?"

"Uh…working on it…!" Tommy repositioned his hand several times, thoroughly amusing Kina to no end. Eventually, he found a position that was close enough to a handshake. Even then, Kina moved her finger a bit too much, and Tommy was jerked down a bit.

"Sorry!" said Kina.

"No problem."

Kina gave another of her room-lighting smiles. "I appreciate the sentiment, though. It was…well, really sweet of ya."

Tommy sweatdropped. "Uh…thanks…!"

"Really. I mean it." Tommy couldn't find a good response to this, and just turned bright red. He then looked up at her, as if to apologize for not saying anything back. Kina half-sensed this and spoke first. "No, it's okay. You don't have to say anything."

Tommy sighed, and then chuckled. "…I think I need to sit down." Kina just smiled down at him.