A/N: This is a short chapter that details Fox and Katt for the most part. It isn't a long chapter and the epilogue isn't very long either. So again, short chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Star Fox. Nintendo and/or Rare do.

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Chapter 19: Aftermath

She never lost to Krystal and it hurt to lose now. That's all it was to Katt, a game. It was the first time she had actually 'lost' to Krystal and she was upset. Tears streamed down her face at the thought of losing Shane. She stood at the sink and let loose her disappointment.

She felt dirty and she once again caused a big scene that could've easily been avoided. It was quite obvious that she was used to getting her way. This was a moment where that just wasn't happening. 'This is Krystal…' Katt tried to calm down. 'She's your best friend. There's no need to be upset.' She now knew how Krystal must've felt. There was a knock on the door and she instantly knew that it must've been Fox. She opened the door and let him in and closed it once more. She wiped another tear from her face and looked at him.

"You want me to take you home?" Fox offered once more. He watched as Katt slowly nodded. "Let's talk." His words echoed in the closed environment. The words that Katt didn't want to hear at the moment but did.

"Talk about what? Talk about me; talk about Krystal…talk about Shane." She whimpered.

"Does it matter? This isn't like you. I've never seen you cry over a boy before."

"You don't even know me that well."

Fox put the lid of the toilet seat down and made himself comfortable. "But Krystal told me enough about you for me to have an idea." He lied. Actually Krystal didn't say anything about Katt really. Not about many of her past boyfriends anyway.

"Look, I don't usually look like this. I've never been turned down before."

"Then take it from someone who has; you'll live." Fox said in a serious tone.

"How do you know? This is a first for me. Plus, you're a guy! Boys don't get hurt."

"Shows what you know." Fox sighed. "I've been rejected several times. You learn to get over it and let it make you stronger. Not everyone you meet is meant for you."

Katt sat down on his lap. Her tears were dry and talking to Fox like this made her feel a little better about the whole thing. 'He seems a little like Shane.' She thought but for some reason couldn't seem to bring herself to think of him that way. Still, the feeling was good and so she wrapped her arms around him and cuddled close. "You said you've been rejected a lot…but how? The girls talk about you a lot."

Fox found himself able to wrap his arms around her but was a little too crushed by Krystal to think about Katt right now but the moment still felt good and having her there was good too.

"It's just a curse. All those girls that talk about me so…I don't like them like that. The ones that I do like I can never seem to get." He responded. This made Katt start to play with his hair and he didn't mind.

'What about me?' She wanted to ask but for some reason didn't. When it came to moments like this Katt usually spoke her mind. But seeing as how Fox had just lost Krystal she couldn't force the words out. Was this what they called 'sympathy'? She patted Fox on the back, "No curse last forever." She whispered. From Katt's mouth it was probably the most uplifting thing Fox had ever heard before. "Every curse has a cure Fox. You just don't know what, or should I say 'who' it is."

The words she spoke stood out in his mind. It wasn't just the words but the way she said it. It sounded humble and sincere and that made it believable. When Krystal said it, it seemed like she said just because it felt like that was the thing to say. But Fox could tell that Katt really meant it. "You think so?"

"Yeah. It can't be a curse if it doesn't have a cure right?"

Her arms were still wrapped around him and then she finally came to notice that they were still in the bathroom. "Let's go before they start to get the wrong idea." Katt said and Fox had no objections to that.

***

They were in Fox's car and on their way to Katt's house. Little words escaped them as their thoughts kept them hostage. They knew the things they wanted to say to each other but they just couldn't for some reason.

The ride home was short and sweet. Once at Katt's house she opened the door and stepped out. She stopped and turned to face Fox. "You want to come in for a while? Take your mind off things you know. Mine too."

Fox didn't think that much of it before he got out of the car and walked her to her door. They stopped just inches from the door as Katt unlocked the door and walked inside. "Nobody is home." She said as she walked in and turned on the lights. The house was entirely empty and silent. It was so quiet that you could hear the party from Bill's block.

The feline started upstairs towards her room and looked back and signaled Fox. "I've just got to put my stuff away."

Fox was growing a little nervous about being at Katt's home…alone. He hadn't been raised like that. But there was nothing to worry about so he shrugged it off and walked up the stairs to her room. He assumed it was the only room that was lit.

"You want something to eat or drink?" She offered. "We have juice, pop, whatever."

"I'm okay." He sat down on her bed and looked around her room, as Katt went downstairs to fetch something. There was a picture of Krystal and her on the nightstand next to a phone. They looked no older than maybe ten in the picture. They must've been such close friends…it would be a shame to see that whole friendship end on account of a boy messing it up. He grabbed the picture and studied it more, noticing something in Katt's eyes. Sadness. 'What did she have to be so sad about?'

Katt returned moments later with two cans of soda. Both were Pepsi and she gave one to Fox. "I just want you to take it okay?"

Fox smiled. "Yeah…" He set the picture back down. "Why are sad in that picture?"

Katt was silent. "I'm not really sad…just a little lonely I guess." She sat down next to Fox. "I was about nine when that picture was taken. Until about seventh grade I didn't have many friends except Krystal. I keep that picture to remind me of how much Krystal means to me." She tapped the can she was holding. "I know that I haven't always been the best friend to her but she was always there for me. In my joy and in my sorrow…except for now. She's with Shane."

"I know how you feel. Shane was like that too and now Krystal's come along and it's changed him."

"I'm afraid of losing her…but I don't think I've really showed her that." A tear welled up in her eye again. "I never really thought about it until now. Maybe me shoving all my boyfriends of the past in her face didn't make her feel like we'd be friends forever. I guess I had it coming to me."

"You'll be friends forever." Fox comforted her and wiped the tear from her eye. "Do you really think that a boy is going to destroy the friendship you two have? I think you'll both be fine as long as you never stop speaking."

"Maybe you're right." Katt sniffled and set her soda down and Fox did the same. "We'll be okay. I guess it's the fact that she's my best friend and she got a hold of him."

"Don't think of it as if you're fighting over a guy. Friendships that end because of that aren't really friendships if you ask me. If something so unimportant breaks up a friendship then what exactly did you have in the first place?"

This suddenly made Katt smile. 'That sounds like something…Shane would say.' She thought to herself. "You're a lot like Shane, you know that?"

"Krystal doesn't think so…"

"Maybe she just didn't see that side of you." Katt rested her paw on Fox's; "You're very kind and gentle when you need to be. But I thought that we came to take our minds off those two?"

"Yeah. But I'm still a little upset about it. She felt nothing that whole time. She lied to me Katt. She played me for a fool."

Katt shook her head. "She didn't 'play' you at all. She really did feel something at first but then she started to lose the feeling." She gave his paw a squeeze and found herself growing nervous. Her lips were suddenly trembling. "But I didn't." The words escaped her and now she couldn't' take them back. She thought right then and there that wasn't the right thing to say.

Fox looked up at her. "You didn't?"

"How could I? You're so you." She yearned to tell him more but couldn't do it. She knew what she wanted to say and what she wanted to say was 'you could have me if you really wanted me.' But the words were trapped behind this thing they called nerves. "You're here for me Fox and I'm here for you."

He cupped his paw with hers and they hugged each other. Katt gave herself into his embrace. Then she noticed it…he was more nervous than she was. "You're warm…" She held herself against his chest.

"So are you…" He replied and started to rub his paws up and down her back tracing out circles.

She nuzzled his neck and then they looked at each other and smiled. She pecked his lips and then licked them. She looked him deep in his eyes. She found herself trapped in his heart now. She licked his lips again and followed it up with a long and deep kiss that surprised the both of them but with something different in it. They both felt something.

He held her close and closed his eyes giving into that kiss. When the kiss was broken he sat there staring into her eyes. He caressed her cheek softly. She purred quietly to Fox's touch that made her feel comfort with him. This really was whom she was meant to be with.

They sat there on her bed in a warm embrace that lasted forever. Time stood still for them at that one moment. Fox kissed her forehead and she let herself come to rest on his shoulder and licked his neck. As they were cuddled like that Fox looked to see what time it was. It was only nine, but the moment felt so good. "I should go…" He said.

Katt had her eyes closed as she rested on his shoulder. "Don't leave yet…" She whispered.

He released her and stood up. He grabbed his pop and started out of her room. Katt sensed something and trotted after him.

He opened the door and felt Katt grab his arm. "You…you're just going to get up and leave?"

Fox looked back at Katt. "Katt…that WAS real and I don't want you to forget that it was. You've made me feel better and I can see I've done the same for you." He was getting at something and he held his head down. "But it won't last…" He suddenly said.

"You don't know that." Katt found herself feeling a bit of shame. "I want what Shane and Krystal have…" She covered her mouth.

Fox smiled and caressed her cheek. "We CAN have what Shane and Krystal have…but not now."

"But why?" Katt wanted to know.

Fox hugged her and kissed her forehead once more. "I can't explain it." He said.

"Try." She urged him, but he let her go and started to his car. She started after him and watched him get into his car and pull out of her driveway. She stopped at the edge of her driveway and watched him drive away. Somehow she knew that he probably wasn't coming back…

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A/N: Yeah I know, they didn't get together and you're asking why after that moment right? Well that question will be answered in the epilogue and that's VERY short.