Title: Untold Truths
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: PG-13
Summary: see chapter one.
Warnings: see chapter one.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am making no money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
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A soft sound slowly pulled him out of the hazy darkness he had been in for quite some time. It sounded like...humming...of a small child... And it was coming from right beside him.
With a soft groan, he opened eyes which quickly pressed back shut when the brightness of the room assaulted them. Before he could adjust he felt the soft touch of a small hand on his face, stroking a bandage on his cheek.
"Ray okay?"
The unmistakeable innocence in the voice struck a cord in him and he forced his eyes open in order to prove to himself that it was really her. Sure enough, he could make out the fuzzy form of a small person with baby-blue hair, with a bit of purple added to the blur for her bangs. Her bright pink eyes grew more defined as his eyes adjusted to the bright lights that lined the ceiling above him.
"Saskia?" His voice was soft from lack of usage for the past few days.
The pink lips curled into a smile.
"You have a really nice voice. I always wanted to hear it." Mindful of his injuries, she leaned over to lay on his bandaged chest, wrapping both arms around his neck.
"You're okay," she said softly, more to herself than him.
"And so are you," he returned the embrace, never wanting to let go of her again. She was alive and well. But something didn't make sense.
"How did I get here?" he asked.
She sat up and he now realised that she too had several bandages on her, especially her arms and legs. A thick bandaged hugged her slender neck. Her skin was a shade paler than usual and she had lost some weight, increasing the fragileness of her body.
He started to remember; Saskia floating in a large machine with liquid...Tala standing next to Wolborg...Kai facing a dark form of a bitbeast...
"Kai!" he exclaimed when he recalled the situation he had last seen the bluenette in.
"I'm right here, Ray."
Startled by the voice, he twisted around to see the scarlet eyes watching him from where Kai sat in a chair a few feet away from him. It finally registered to Ray that he was in a hospital room.
"A rescue squad found us and brought us here." Kai stood from the chair and walked over. He had done nothing else but sit next to Ray as the tiger had remained unconscious ever since they had been rescued from the rubble that had remained of the arena when Dranzer Demon had finally been destroyed.
"You were fighting that thing...and it was aiming for you...and then everything went black." His attention turned to Saskia who sat next to him, small hands playing with his hair. The feeling was comforting and eased his concerns a bit. "I remembered seeing Drigger's power being filtered into Dranzer...And I was pushed down...Tala!"
The red-head was not in the room and he felt his worries return. They had lost him once already. Had he not survived again? He had used his body to shield him and Saskia but where was he now?
"Take it easy, Ray." Kai placed a hand on a slightly trembling shoulder. "Ata's alright. He was the one who dug the three of you out when the place collapsed. He only has some bad scratches and a lot of bruising."
"But where is he?"
Kai smiled softly at the worried tone in Ray's voice. Cupping a cheek to turn the golden eyes onto his, he said, "It's not every day that someone who died comes back to life. Ata's been upstairs with Natasia for five days. It is taking her some time to get over her shock at seeing him alive and she refuses to let him out of her sight for a while."
"I'll go get them!" Saskia suddenly offered, giving Ray a final hug before hopping down and running out of the door, closing it behind her.
"Her room? Upstairs?" Why was everything so confusing?
"We're back in the hotel, Ray. Remember I told you about the hotel having its own hospital?"
"Yeah...on my first night here." Had it really been that long since he had first arrived here?
"I wanted to get you guys back home as soon as possible. You probably won't remember, but Natasia came and sat with you every night. It was quite a shock for her to see us all back."
"For how long have I been unconscious?"
"A week. The doctors were getting worried. You weren't responding and they were affraid that the explosion had jarred your injuries. Also, something happened with the link you and Drigger shared and you also lost some of your energy."
"Is Drigger hurt? Was the link broken?" He started to sit up but Kai eased him back down.
"Our bitbeast are fine. They heal automatically once in their blade. They just need alot of rest for the next couple of days. Something that you should be doing, instead of trying to get up," Kai sighed when Ray again attempted to do just that. "The doctors will probably not allow you to leave the bed. You gave them quite a scare." He brushed the soft cheek lightly, "You gave me quite a scare..."
"So did you. I thought you were going to die. Dranzer Demon was so powerful and...I didn't know you were going to do that...I was affraid that I was going to lose you."
"I'm sorry, Ray." Finding gestures more effective than words, he pulled the chinese blader into an embrace, feeling a feeling of completement when Ray returned the hug. "I never wanted to scare you. But I knew you would have tried to stop me if you had known my true intentions. It was the only way to destroy that thing."
Closing his eyes, he allowed the older teen to hold him. He could feel the other's breath stirring his hair and slowly pulling back, he met the crimson eyes, locking them with his and made sure that the other could see his feelings clearly in his eyes.
Kai did see the love and devotion and cupping the back of Ray's head, he pulled the other boy's face closer until their lips met. With a tenderness many thought impossible for the phoenix, he placed a slight pressure on the lips and they responded, moving against his with whispering contact while placing more and more pressure until finally reaching the full level of their love.
Ray allowed himself to go limp in the strong arms, gripping the shirt front with trembling fingers as Kai's hand caressed his neck while the other held him against him. Unable to resist, Ray released his hold on the shirt to run a hand through the soft bangs that had always fascinated him. The gesture made Kai pull back slightly, a small smirk on his face.
"You've been wanting to do that for a long time, haven't you?"
Laughing softly, Ray nodded before running his hand through the dark hair while returning to the kiss. He allowed himself to be pulled unto the other's lap and curled against the strong chest, purring as the kiss deepened. Both arms wrapped around his waist and he felt safe once more. Everything else around them faded away.
Until a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Oh please, Dranzer Demon devouring Voltaire was less nauseating than this."
Pulling apart, the two turned to see Tala leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and brow raised. His injuries were indeed less as he had only a few visible bandages, though he wore a long sleeved turtle neck sweater and baggy jeans that probably covered up the rest.
"I thought you went to the market with Natasia," Kai said, resting his head on Ray's hair, not about to let the tiger go though Ray clearly didn't mind.
"We did," Ata sauntered over, blue eyes sparkling behind the glasses, "But a heavy snow storm made us come back. We got most everything on the list anyway."
"How is Natasia doing?" Ray asked, remembering the teary face he had left behind.
"I've never seen her this happy. You really missed something when she came into the room and saw us. She almost crushed Kai and me to death. Saskia wasn't released for many hours. And she had sat beside your bed and sang to you everyday since we've been back. Right now she's back in the penthouse, cooking and singing."
"I really missed her. It was so hard leaving."
Looking at the red-head, he suddenly became aware of how unbelievable it was to see the russian blader walking and talking again. It was as if everything before had just been a dream. A really bad nightmare. And he had finally woken up. Their friend was alive and with them once more.
"Tala..." Releasing Kai, he held out both arms, eyes brimming as the true weight of relief crashed upon him to look into those bedazzling blue eyes once more.
Ata's heart melted at the look on Ray's face and the shimmering of his eyes. They had become so close, so fast. It had been the worse moment of his life when he had laid there in a pool of his own blood. Not for himself, but for the ebony haired teen who had held and watched him die. Who had heard him take his last breath and felt his body run cold.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he returned the embrace, rubbing the tiger's back when he felt the wetness of joyous tears begin to moisten his sweater. They remained so for a long time before finally pulling apart.
"Don't want to get your boyfriend over there jealous." Ata winked while shooting Kai a sideway glance. The bluenette merely raised a brow and smirked.
"As if you're much competition."
Feigning indignant, Ata sat up straighter. "I'll have you know that lots of people go crazy over someone who can cheat death. I can have anyone I want, if I wanted to." He batted his long lashes to back up his statement.
Ray listened to the banter between the two friends and felt his heart swell. Demon Dranzer had been defeated. Saskia was safe. Tala was back. Kai was his. And soon he would see Natasia and the others again.
Just as he thought this, the door opened, silencing the two russians as a number of people walked in. Saskia, Natasia, Ivan, Jeremei, Raven and...Mr Dickenson? The little girl ran back towards them, climbing onto the bed and sitting down on Kai's lap, leaning against him as she watched the reunion with a big smile.
"You're awake!" Natasia pushed past everyone to get to Ray, engulfing him in a huge embrace that forced most of the air out of him. Tala hadn't lied about the being crushed to death part. But it didn't matter as he returned it with equal happiness. The cook's strong perfume brought back the good times they had shared and he smiled when she looked him in the eyes.
"I can ask no more in my life. All my children have returned to me." Natasia smiled, putting an arm around Tala who still sat on the bed. Ray could tell that she could still not get over the fact that the red-head was back. For his part, Tala felt the same way as he leaned against her, whispering something that made her slap him playfully on his shoulder.
"You've been spending most of your time in hospitals, Ray. I hope that this will be the last." Mr Dickenson came over, laying a chubby hand on the teen's shoulder. "I've been having a very hard time keeping the rest of the Bladebreakers at bay. They call every hour to check up on your progress for the last week. You have some explaining to do to them when you go back."
His eyes shifted from Mr Dickenson to Raven, who stood smiling widely, and back. The brunette's words came to him and he said, "You knew of this all along, didn't you, Mr Dickenson?"
"If you mean about the chips and Dranzer Demon, then I must admit that I did. The reason why the BBA first started the Bladebreakers was because we knew of Biovolts intentions and wished to stop it. We had counted on terminating both plans by winning the world championships but only succeeded in one."
"But...," he turned his eyes to Tala, "How did you bring him back? How is that
possible?"
"I had allowed the chip too much control of my thoughts and body," Ata began to explain, "When it had been damaged during the attack at the zoo it was beyond repair but it also tricked my mind into thinking that I was beyond help. I only *thought* I was dying; its influence was so great that my heart did indeed stop beating and my blood did stop flowing. But then I heard Kai's voice calling me back when I laid on the table in the morgue and I realised just how much I had allowed that thing to control me. But I was stuck between the living earth and the road to death. I wouldn't have made a choice if it hadn't been for certain people who knew of it all and were able to bring me back." He nodded towards Mr Dickenson and Raven. "All they had to do was download the saved information back into my body after having treated the wounds and I was breathing again. It was a pretty weird feeling though."
Stunned by the answer to the questions which had been whirling in his mind, Ray blinked as it all fell into place. Download saved information...? Tala's laptop! He was always on it. A theory came to mind and it seemed very ridiculous but he had to try it anyways.
"Y-You stored your lifesource in your laptop. Everything you ever did was saved on file using the chip in you. When you 'died' all Raven and the rest of the secrect service had to do was to download everything back into your body using the chip and then removing the chip, right? That's what Raven needed from the Abbey's files. Your blade-training and record filed?"
Ata couldn't help raising a brow in impress.
"You got it. It had been something I had done since I had awaken from my two year long coma. I had no idea of my iddentity before that time and it had scared me. Boris had been keeping track of it all and had downloaded it back into me, though I regretted it. But I knew it would be my only chance should the day come that the chip would take complete control. Now with the chip gone though I can't do that anymore. So I guess I'm going to have to be a bit more careful," he shrugged with a smile.
"So that was the urgent business you had to go to the day we were supposed to fly back to Japan." Ray turned back to Mr Dickenson, who had taken a seat. "I found it a bit strange how you had quickly changed plans."
"Yes, and I am sorry to have to keep you in the dark but this was an extensive operation that had to be handled with the greatest of care." The old man turned his eyes onto Kai. "Though sometimes a sudden change of plan was necesary."
Kai smiled slightly, stroking Saskia's hair as she sat in his lap playing with Mica, who had been sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.
"I guess we do stupid things when we really love someone." Kai said indifferently though he looked pointedly at Ray when he said this and the tiger blushed shyly.
"Since you are up now, I will bring down dinner," Natasia announced, giving Ata a final pat on his arm before rising from the bed. "You all must be very hungry."
"I think those two made me lose my appetite," Ata teased, snickering at the double glares his peers tossed at him.
"Like you weren't playing matchmaker," Raven took Natasia's spot on the bed as the adults started to converse amongst each other, leaving the younger generation to explain to Ray how they had been saved and all other details he had missed. Ending the story, Raven turned earnest eyes on Ray. "I told you you could do it."
"Thanks. But why didn't you tell me that Tala was alive and well?" Ray asked, remembering the sad look she had had in the car.
"I couldn't. It was highly confidential. Why, even I wasn't told that they had revived him. Imagine my shock when I had walked into the office to find him sitting quite comfortably in a chair, talking with Mr Dickenson like nothing had ever happened."
"I must say, that high pitched shriek you made was very stunning," Ata complemented, ducking smoothly when she took a swing at him.
It was then that Ray noted with a quizical look that she wore the wig and contact lenses of 'Claudette' once more. She caught his imploring gaze and sighed.
"I'm still undercover," she elaborated. "Dranzer Demon's case may be shut but I am still dealing with the fraud conspiracy including the McSnobbes. They are earning much more money than normal and we believe it to be some sort of scheme. That had been my official mission before I was called upon to assist with the Dranzer Demon case." She scoffed. "Compared to a dinosaur sized evil bitbeast who could have destroyed the entire world, a few extra million dollars on someone's savings account is a bit dull."
"Look on the bright side," Ata slung his arm around her shoulder, "Atleast now you get to spend more time with Tiffany."
Raven, or Claudette now, groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Can I atleast count on you to make her life a bit more miserable?" she asked almost pleadingly.
"It would be my pleasure. Always there to help a good friend in need." He kissed her cheek before ruffling her hair, purposefully shifting the wig.
"You? Ha!" Claudette retaliated by snatching the boy's glasses off. Which raised an interesting question in Ray's mind.
"Why are you still wearing glasses?" Ray asked from where he sat leaning against Kai, who was paying more attention to the adults' conversation. "Weren't they able to fix your eyesight like they did your injuries?"
Ata snickered and answered, "Yeah, they fixed it."
"So...what's with the glasses?"
"I like how they look. Kinda grows on you after a while."
"Man, I definitily missed you, Wolfie," Ray laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Touche, Kitty."
"Alright now," Natasia interupted, beaming to hear the hearty banter once more. "I need help with bringing down dinner."
"Yes, master," Ata bowed his head in mock worship.
Raven stood as well. "I can help too."
"Me too!" Saskia bounced where she sat next to Kai, holding Mica up high in the air above her head.
"If you want I can lend a hand," Ray said, starting to rise but Natasia quickly made him lay back down. It seemed as if everyone was keeping him prisoned to the bed!
"Oh, no! You just woke up and need to reserve your strength. I have all the help I need."
"Besides," A trademark smirk was the only warning Ata gave them, "Why have dinner when you can settle for desert?" He looked pointedly between Ray and Kai.
Kai, who had been talking to Ivan, caught the last part and, not even faltering in the conversation, grabbed the pillow he had been leaning on and threw it, catching Ata in the face. Everyone started to laugh and even Ray, whose cheeks had turned red, chuckled.
Feeling tired, he leaned back against Kai as the others started to file out. Ata blew them a kiss but Raven shoved him out, her laugher echoing in the corridor outside the room. Soon only Kai, Ray and Saskia were left. The little girl lifted her arms up and Kai obliged, lifting her onto his lap, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you, Kai. I love you."
"Always, Sassy. Always." Kai smoothed her hair and placed a kiss on her brow. His eyes slid to the bandage around her neck, just like the one around his, where the chips had been roughly removed. Though his had been ripped out more forcefully than Saskia's, her little body had reacted more to the loss of the small device.
The doctors had said that, while the chip had been removed, it had left some lasting effects. She would grow though never to the average height, her growth having been stunned from an early age. Also, her bones were still on the fragile side though lots of calcium would help them strengthen. But she no longer needed all the other medications and though her hearing would forever be altered by the leeching effects of the chip, he knew that all that mattered was that she was happy. Never again will she have to go through that again.
Ray watched the two with a smile. The tall, strong brother holding his small, fragile baby sister was a image he would remember for always. When Saskia crawled onto his lap and hugged him too, he held her close, recalling the very first day they met. That had been the beginning of the most amazing experience in his life.
"I go help Natasia." Kissing his cheek, she climbed off the bed and ran out, light blue hair swaying around the corner as she disappeared from sight, the door softly swinging shut behind her.
Closing his eyes wearily, he snuggled closer to Kai who wrapped an arm around him, the bluenette himself looking ready to nod off. resting his cheek on Ray's head. They remained so in comfortable silence. Kai started to run his fingers through the loosely tied ponytail, mind slowly drifting off into sleep, which he hadn't had since he had been keeping watch on Ray the whole week.
"It makes me wonder," Ray said softly, playing with the bandage on Kai's arm.
"What does?"
"What if I had been on an earlier flight? What if I had gone back to China? I would have never told you how I feel. I would have never found out that you loved me too. I would have never met Saskia or Tala or Natasia or the others."
"I would have never defeated Dranzer Demon," Kai added.
"Yes, you would have. You didn't need my help for that."
"I didn't need your help." He tipped the other boy's head back to meet the golden eyes. "I needed you. I need only you."
Ray smiled and closed his eyes as the warm lips pressed against his. Giving in to his love, he allowed his mind to wander as they kissed long and deep.
tbc..........
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Read & Review, please.
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: PG-13
Summary: see chapter one.
Warnings: see chapter one.
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am making no money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
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A soft sound slowly pulled him out of the hazy darkness he had been in for quite some time. It sounded like...humming...of a small child... And it was coming from right beside him.
With a soft groan, he opened eyes which quickly pressed back shut when the brightness of the room assaulted them. Before he could adjust he felt the soft touch of a small hand on his face, stroking a bandage on his cheek.
"Ray okay?"
The unmistakeable innocence in the voice struck a cord in him and he forced his eyes open in order to prove to himself that it was really her. Sure enough, he could make out the fuzzy form of a small person with baby-blue hair, with a bit of purple added to the blur for her bangs. Her bright pink eyes grew more defined as his eyes adjusted to the bright lights that lined the ceiling above him.
"Saskia?" His voice was soft from lack of usage for the past few days.
The pink lips curled into a smile.
"You have a really nice voice. I always wanted to hear it." Mindful of his injuries, she leaned over to lay on his bandaged chest, wrapping both arms around his neck.
"You're okay," she said softly, more to herself than him.
"And so are you," he returned the embrace, never wanting to let go of her again. She was alive and well. But something didn't make sense.
"How did I get here?" he asked.
She sat up and he now realised that she too had several bandages on her, especially her arms and legs. A thick bandaged hugged her slender neck. Her skin was a shade paler than usual and she had lost some weight, increasing the fragileness of her body.
He started to remember; Saskia floating in a large machine with liquid...Tala standing next to Wolborg...Kai facing a dark form of a bitbeast...
"Kai!" he exclaimed when he recalled the situation he had last seen the bluenette in.
"I'm right here, Ray."
Startled by the voice, he twisted around to see the scarlet eyes watching him from where Kai sat in a chair a few feet away from him. It finally registered to Ray that he was in a hospital room.
"A rescue squad found us and brought us here." Kai stood from the chair and walked over. He had done nothing else but sit next to Ray as the tiger had remained unconscious ever since they had been rescued from the rubble that had remained of the arena when Dranzer Demon had finally been destroyed.
"You were fighting that thing...and it was aiming for you...and then everything went black." His attention turned to Saskia who sat next to him, small hands playing with his hair. The feeling was comforting and eased his concerns a bit. "I remembered seeing Drigger's power being filtered into Dranzer...And I was pushed down...Tala!"
The red-head was not in the room and he felt his worries return. They had lost him once already. Had he not survived again? He had used his body to shield him and Saskia but where was he now?
"Take it easy, Ray." Kai placed a hand on a slightly trembling shoulder. "Ata's alright. He was the one who dug the three of you out when the place collapsed. He only has some bad scratches and a lot of bruising."
"But where is he?"
Kai smiled softly at the worried tone in Ray's voice. Cupping a cheek to turn the golden eyes onto his, he said, "It's not every day that someone who died comes back to life. Ata's been upstairs with Natasia for five days. It is taking her some time to get over her shock at seeing him alive and she refuses to let him out of her sight for a while."
"I'll go get them!" Saskia suddenly offered, giving Ray a final hug before hopping down and running out of the door, closing it behind her.
"Her room? Upstairs?" Why was everything so confusing?
"We're back in the hotel, Ray. Remember I told you about the hotel having its own hospital?"
"Yeah...on my first night here." Had it really been that long since he had first arrived here?
"I wanted to get you guys back home as soon as possible. You probably won't remember, but Natasia came and sat with you every night. It was quite a shock for her to see us all back."
"For how long have I been unconscious?"
"A week. The doctors were getting worried. You weren't responding and they were affraid that the explosion had jarred your injuries. Also, something happened with the link you and Drigger shared and you also lost some of your energy."
"Is Drigger hurt? Was the link broken?" He started to sit up but Kai eased him back down.
"Our bitbeast are fine. They heal automatically once in their blade. They just need alot of rest for the next couple of days. Something that you should be doing, instead of trying to get up," Kai sighed when Ray again attempted to do just that. "The doctors will probably not allow you to leave the bed. You gave them quite a scare." He brushed the soft cheek lightly, "You gave me quite a scare..."
"So did you. I thought you were going to die. Dranzer Demon was so powerful and...I didn't know you were going to do that...I was affraid that I was going to lose you."
"I'm sorry, Ray." Finding gestures more effective than words, he pulled the chinese blader into an embrace, feeling a feeling of completement when Ray returned the hug. "I never wanted to scare you. But I knew you would have tried to stop me if you had known my true intentions. It was the only way to destroy that thing."
Closing his eyes, he allowed the older teen to hold him. He could feel the other's breath stirring his hair and slowly pulling back, he met the crimson eyes, locking them with his and made sure that the other could see his feelings clearly in his eyes.
Kai did see the love and devotion and cupping the back of Ray's head, he pulled the other boy's face closer until their lips met. With a tenderness many thought impossible for the phoenix, he placed a slight pressure on the lips and they responded, moving against his with whispering contact while placing more and more pressure until finally reaching the full level of their love.
Ray allowed himself to go limp in the strong arms, gripping the shirt front with trembling fingers as Kai's hand caressed his neck while the other held him against him. Unable to resist, Ray released his hold on the shirt to run a hand through the soft bangs that had always fascinated him. The gesture made Kai pull back slightly, a small smirk on his face.
"You've been wanting to do that for a long time, haven't you?"
Laughing softly, Ray nodded before running his hand through the dark hair while returning to the kiss. He allowed himself to be pulled unto the other's lap and curled against the strong chest, purring as the kiss deepened. Both arms wrapped around his waist and he felt safe once more. Everything else around them faded away.
Until a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Oh please, Dranzer Demon devouring Voltaire was less nauseating than this."
Pulling apart, the two turned to see Tala leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and brow raised. His injuries were indeed less as he had only a few visible bandages, though he wore a long sleeved turtle neck sweater and baggy jeans that probably covered up the rest.
"I thought you went to the market with Natasia," Kai said, resting his head on Ray's hair, not about to let the tiger go though Ray clearly didn't mind.
"We did," Ata sauntered over, blue eyes sparkling behind the glasses, "But a heavy snow storm made us come back. We got most everything on the list anyway."
"How is Natasia doing?" Ray asked, remembering the teary face he had left behind.
"I've never seen her this happy. You really missed something when she came into the room and saw us. She almost crushed Kai and me to death. Saskia wasn't released for many hours. And she had sat beside your bed and sang to you everyday since we've been back. Right now she's back in the penthouse, cooking and singing."
"I really missed her. It was so hard leaving."
Looking at the red-head, he suddenly became aware of how unbelievable it was to see the russian blader walking and talking again. It was as if everything before had just been a dream. A really bad nightmare. And he had finally woken up. Their friend was alive and with them once more.
"Tala..." Releasing Kai, he held out both arms, eyes brimming as the true weight of relief crashed upon him to look into those bedazzling blue eyes once more.
Ata's heart melted at the look on Ray's face and the shimmering of his eyes. They had become so close, so fast. It had been the worse moment of his life when he had laid there in a pool of his own blood. Not for himself, but for the ebony haired teen who had held and watched him die. Who had heard him take his last breath and felt his body run cold.
Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he returned the embrace, rubbing the tiger's back when he felt the wetness of joyous tears begin to moisten his sweater. They remained so for a long time before finally pulling apart.
"Don't want to get your boyfriend over there jealous." Ata winked while shooting Kai a sideway glance. The bluenette merely raised a brow and smirked.
"As if you're much competition."
Feigning indignant, Ata sat up straighter. "I'll have you know that lots of people go crazy over someone who can cheat death. I can have anyone I want, if I wanted to." He batted his long lashes to back up his statement.
Ray listened to the banter between the two friends and felt his heart swell. Demon Dranzer had been defeated. Saskia was safe. Tala was back. Kai was his. And soon he would see Natasia and the others again.
Just as he thought this, the door opened, silencing the two russians as a number of people walked in. Saskia, Natasia, Ivan, Jeremei, Raven and...Mr Dickenson? The little girl ran back towards them, climbing onto the bed and sitting down on Kai's lap, leaning against him as she watched the reunion with a big smile.
"You're awake!" Natasia pushed past everyone to get to Ray, engulfing him in a huge embrace that forced most of the air out of him. Tala hadn't lied about the being crushed to death part. But it didn't matter as he returned it with equal happiness. The cook's strong perfume brought back the good times they had shared and he smiled when she looked him in the eyes.
"I can ask no more in my life. All my children have returned to me." Natasia smiled, putting an arm around Tala who still sat on the bed. Ray could tell that she could still not get over the fact that the red-head was back. For his part, Tala felt the same way as he leaned against her, whispering something that made her slap him playfully on his shoulder.
"You've been spending most of your time in hospitals, Ray. I hope that this will be the last." Mr Dickenson came over, laying a chubby hand on the teen's shoulder. "I've been having a very hard time keeping the rest of the Bladebreakers at bay. They call every hour to check up on your progress for the last week. You have some explaining to do to them when you go back."
His eyes shifted from Mr Dickenson to Raven, who stood smiling widely, and back. The brunette's words came to him and he said, "You knew of this all along, didn't you, Mr Dickenson?"
"If you mean about the chips and Dranzer Demon, then I must admit that I did. The reason why the BBA first started the Bladebreakers was because we knew of Biovolts intentions and wished to stop it. We had counted on terminating both plans by winning the world championships but only succeeded in one."
"But...," he turned his eyes to Tala, "How did you bring him back? How is that
possible?"
"I had allowed the chip too much control of my thoughts and body," Ata began to explain, "When it had been damaged during the attack at the zoo it was beyond repair but it also tricked my mind into thinking that I was beyond help. I only *thought* I was dying; its influence was so great that my heart did indeed stop beating and my blood did stop flowing. But then I heard Kai's voice calling me back when I laid on the table in the morgue and I realised just how much I had allowed that thing to control me. But I was stuck between the living earth and the road to death. I wouldn't have made a choice if it hadn't been for certain people who knew of it all and were able to bring me back." He nodded towards Mr Dickenson and Raven. "All they had to do was download the saved information back into my body after having treated the wounds and I was breathing again. It was a pretty weird feeling though."
Stunned by the answer to the questions which had been whirling in his mind, Ray blinked as it all fell into place. Download saved information...? Tala's laptop! He was always on it. A theory came to mind and it seemed very ridiculous but he had to try it anyways.
"Y-You stored your lifesource in your laptop. Everything you ever did was saved on file using the chip in you. When you 'died' all Raven and the rest of the secrect service had to do was to download everything back into your body using the chip and then removing the chip, right? That's what Raven needed from the Abbey's files. Your blade-training and record filed?"
Ata couldn't help raising a brow in impress.
"You got it. It had been something I had done since I had awaken from my two year long coma. I had no idea of my iddentity before that time and it had scared me. Boris had been keeping track of it all and had downloaded it back into me, though I regretted it. But I knew it would be my only chance should the day come that the chip would take complete control. Now with the chip gone though I can't do that anymore. So I guess I'm going to have to be a bit more careful," he shrugged with a smile.
"So that was the urgent business you had to go to the day we were supposed to fly back to Japan." Ray turned back to Mr Dickenson, who had taken a seat. "I found it a bit strange how you had quickly changed plans."
"Yes, and I am sorry to have to keep you in the dark but this was an extensive operation that had to be handled with the greatest of care." The old man turned his eyes onto Kai. "Though sometimes a sudden change of plan was necesary."
Kai smiled slightly, stroking Saskia's hair as she sat in his lap playing with Mica, who had been sitting on the nightstand beside the bed.
"I guess we do stupid things when we really love someone." Kai said indifferently though he looked pointedly at Ray when he said this and the tiger blushed shyly.
"Since you are up now, I will bring down dinner," Natasia announced, giving Ata a final pat on his arm before rising from the bed. "You all must be very hungry."
"I think those two made me lose my appetite," Ata teased, snickering at the double glares his peers tossed at him.
"Like you weren't playing matchmaker," Raven took Natasia's spot on the bed as the adults started to converse amongst each other, leaving the younger generation to explain to Ray how they had been saved and all other details he had missed. Ending the story, Raven turned earnest eyes on Ray. "I told you you could do it."
"Thanks. But why didn't you tell me that Tala was alive and well?" Ray asked, remembering the sad look she had had in the car.
"I couldn't. It was highly confidential. Why, even I wasn't told that they had revived him. Imagine my shock when I had walked into the office to find him sitting quite comfortably in a chair, talking with Mr Dickenson like nothing had ever happened."
"I must say, that high pitched shriek you made was very stunning," Ata complemented, ducking smoothly when she took a swing at him.
It was then that Ray noted with a quizical look that she wore the wig and contact lenses of 'Claudette' once more. She caught his imploring gaze and sighed.
"I'm still undercover," she elaborated. "Dranzer Demon's case may be shut but I am still dealing with the fraud conspiracy including the McSnobbes. They are earning much more money than normal and we believe it to be some sort of scheme. That had been my official mission before I was called upon to assist with the Dranzer Demon case." She scoffed. "Compared to a dinosaur sized evil bitbeast who could have destroyed the entire world, a few extra million dollars on someone's savings account is a bit dull."
"Look on the bright side," Ata slung his arm around her shoulder, "Atleast now you get to spend more time with Tiffany."
Raven, or Claudette now, groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Can I atleast count on you to make her life a bit more miserable?" she asked almost pleadingly.
"It would be my pleasure. Always there to help a good friend in need." He kissed her cheek before ruffling her hair, purposefully shifting the wig.
"You? Ha!" Claudette retaliated by snatching the boy's glasses off. Which raised an interesting question in Ray's mind.
"Why are you still wearing glasses?" Ray asked from where he sat leaning against Kai, who was paying more attention to the adults' conversation. "Weren't they able to fix your eyesight like they did your injuries?"
Ata snickered and answered, "Yeah, they fixed it."
"So...what's with the glasses?"
"I like how they look. Kinda grows on you after a while."
"Man, I definitily missed you, Wolfie," Ray laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Touche, Kitty."
"Alright now," Natasia interupted, beaming to hear the hearty banter once more. "I need help with bringing down dinner."
"Yes, master," Ata bowed his head in mock worship.
Raven stood as well. "I can help too."
"Me too!" Saskia bounced where she sat next to Kai, holding Mica up high in the air above her head.
"If you want I can lend a hand," Ray said, starting to rise but Natasia quickly made him lay back down. It seemed as if everyone was keeping him prisoned to the bed!
"Oh, no! You just woke up and need to reserve your strength. I have all the help I need."
"Besides," A trademark smirk was the only warning Ata gave them, "Why have dinner when you can settle for desert?" He looked pointedly between Ray and Kai.
Kai, who had been talking to Ivan, caught the last part and, not even faltering in the conversation, grabbed the pillow he had been leaning on and threw it, catching Ata in the face. Everyone started to laugh and even Ray, whose cheeks had turned red, chuckled.
Feeling tired, he leaned back against Kai as the others started to file out. Ata blew them a kiss but Raven shoved him out, her laugher echoing in the corridor outside the room. Soon only Kai, Ray and Saskia were left. The little girl lifted her arms up and Kai obliged, lifting her onto his lap, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you, Kai. I love you."
"Always, Sassy. Always." Kai smoothed her hair and placed a kiss on her brow. His eyes slid to the bandage around her neck, just like the one around his, where the chips had been roughly removed. Though his had been ripped out more forcefully than Saskia's, her little body had reacted more to the loss of the small device.
The doctors had said that, while the chip had been removed, it had left some lasting effects. She would grow though never to the average height, her growth having been stunned from an early age. Also, her bones were still on the fragile side though lots of calcium would help them strengthen. But she no longer needed all the other medications and though her hearing would forever be altered by the leeching effects of the chip, he knew that all that mattered was that she was happy. Never again will she have to go through that again.
Ray watched the two with a smile. The tall, strong brother holding his small, fragile baby sister was a image he would remember for always. When Saskia crawled onto his lap and hugged him too, he held her close, recalling the very first day they met. That had been the beginning of the most amazing experience in his life.
"I go help Natasia." Kissing his cheek, she climbed off the bed and ran out, light blue hair swaying around the corner as she disappeared from sight, the door softly swinging shut behind her.
Closing his eyes wearily, he snuggled closer to Kai who wrapped an arm around him, the bluenette himself looking ready to nod off. resting his cheek on Ray's head. They remained so in comfortable silence. Kai started to run his fingers through the loosely tied ponytail, mind slowly drifting off into sleep, which he hadn't had since he had been keeping watch on Ray the whole week.
"It makes me wonder," Ray said softly, playing with the bandage on Kai's arm.
"What does?"
"What if I had been on an earlier flight? What if I had gone back to China? I would have never told you how I feel. I would have never found out that you loved me too. I would have never met Saskia or Tala or Natasia or the others."
"I would have never defeated Dranzer Demon," Kai added.
"Yes, you would have. You didn't need my help for that."
"I didn't need your help." He tipped the other boy's head back to meet the golden eyes. "I needed you. I need only you."
Ray smiled and closed his eyes as the warm lips pressed against his. Giving in to his love, he allowed his mind to wander as they kissed long and deep.
tbc..........
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