Disclaimer: Okay.you guys put up with that whole disclaimer thing LAST chapter. So by now you should know what's up. I own nothing. Not even my soul. Well, okay, maybe my soul. But knowing you guys, you'll find a way to fix that, won't you?! BACK OFF! YOU'RE GOING TO BRUISE MY AURA! Okay, yeah. Forgive me; I'm having an insomnia attack. It's two in the morning. That's why the title for this chapter is so dumb.

Shadowfox and Jadefox

Chapter 2: Chaos and Crushes

The next morning, Dakota woke with a start. She had forgotten where she was. But once her eyes slid into focus, and she remembered the previous day's events, she relaxed. She crawled out of bed and looked in the mirror. She'd slept hard or....something. She smoothed out her hair and sighed. It didn't look bad, but it was going to bother her for a while. She opened the door to find her brother, about to come wake her up.

"Well, if it ain't sleeping beauty-or sleeping critter....never mind, you'll hit me. It's already noon, you know." Bit said, leading her out into the main room.

"Bit, let-let me-BIT! Let go!" Dakota yelled, not able to resist laughing. He used to do this when they were children, to her and her father both. When he had something 'cool' to show them, that's what he'd do. He let go and turned to her, smiling.

"You remember the last time I did that, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah. I twisted my ankle. You always were a numbskull. But I've never been able to stay mad at you for more than a day or so."

"One of the many reasons I continue to tick you off."

"You'll want to stop that, I think. Don't you remember yesterday?" a voice said from behind Dakota. She jumped and turned around, seeing Lena.

"Lena! Hi! Look, I'm sorry about yesterday....did I cause any permanent damage?" Dakota asked her.

"No, not really. Jamie might have some psychological issues, but....those might have already been there." She replied, taking hold of Dakota's wrist. "C'mon you, we're going shopping! You can't wear those clothes every day!" she said, leading her out into the garage. Dakota was beginning to think that everyone would do that eventually. Brad walked into the main room just after they ran off.

"Hey, I thought you were waking your sister up." He said, giving him an odd look. "Did you get scared?"

"No!" Bit yelled. "Lena dragged her shopping." Brad grimaced.

"Ah. A fate worse than death." Bit rolled his eyes and sat on the couch.

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Lena had pulled Dakota through shop after shop, trying to find something they both liked that was at a reasonable price. Not much was getting purchased. The only thing they knew was that they needed to go with more earthbound elements. Whatever that meant.

About the third hour into what would become known as the 'Great Romeo City Shopping Disaster', they finally found something they liked.

"Dakota, check this out!" Lena called. Dakota followed the path of rack- less floor over to Lena. She looked at her funny.

"You're yelling in a shop be-wha?" She stopped short. Lena was holding some clothes up to her. She smiled. "Lena, you may have started something here...."

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Lena and Dakota finally walked back into the main room a little while after dark. Lena looked thoroughly keyed up, and Dakota looked thoroughly alarmed. "I," Lena began, "Have had a stroke of genius!"

"Or MAYBE you've just had a stroke!" Bit called. Jamie risked a laugh, then turned around and left the room, glancing nervously back at Lena.

"I...I don't get it." Lena said, blinking. She shook her head and started pushing Dakota towards the bathroom. "Oh, you guys are gonna be SO mad at me for doing this, but you're not gonna believe....oh, you'll see!" And with that, she left the room, Dakota giving Brad and Bit backwards glances that read 'SAVE ME!'

"Something tells me that Lena's experimenting on Dakota." Brad said, smiling and getting up off the couch. Bit gave him a funny look.

"And something tells ME you've been looking at Dakota kinda funny since she got here!" Bit said, looking from his friend to the door his sister had disappeared through. Brad gaped at him.

"No way."

"Yes way! It's obvious! Yesterday, you didn't want to let go of her. This morning, what was the first thing you asked? 'Where did Dakota go?' Jeez, it's hopeless."

"It is sort of obvious, Brad." A voice behind them said. Doc Toros stood in the doorway. "You do look at her differently than I've seen you look at Lena. Or Naomi. Or anyone for that matter."

"You guys are ridiculous." Brad muttered, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hey Doc, have you SEEN my sister? Do you know where Lena took her?" Bit asked, leaning on the upper railing.

"Why, I believe I did see her. She was making her escape attempt from Lena. It didn't work. And I don't know where she's being held."

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About an hour later, after dinner-Lena had taken two plates back to wherever she and Dakota were, claiming that the 'process' could not be disturbed-the boys were sitting in the main room, still trying to guess what chaos could possibly be being unleashed on the elder of the two Cloud siblings. Then Lena came busting through the door. Bit yelped and jumped, falling off the couch, Jamie had grabbed the rail, and Doc stood up. Brad just sat there and laughed at Bit.

"I did it! I did it! I am brilliant!" Lena yelled, twirling in a circle. The boys stared.

"Uh, Doc.you're sure Lena's taking her medication like she's supposed to?" Brad asked, a little frightened. Lena gave him a look.

"I don't TAKE medication! Now shut up! Haven't you wondered at all what I've been doing with Dakota?" she yelled.

"A few odd things have crossed my mind. And then I threw up." Bit said, pretending to lose his dinner. Lena was on the brink.

"Well, THAT certainly is NOT what was going on, so quit fantasizing. THIS is what was going on." Lena said, pulling Dakota into the room by the wrist. She almost fell down the steps, but stopped short.

She was almost beyond recognition. Her hair had been straightened so that it shone in the light, giving her an almost immortal glow. It hung past her hips now, and two small buns were artfully held in place atop the sides of her head by golden webwork of fine thread strung with small false diamonds, sparkling under the room's lights. Around her neck was a thin gold chain, leading to a small heart, half made of diamonds. She wore a tannish, see- through shirt with flared sleeves, and it stopped just above her navel, which apparently was pierced, because it was adorned with a small, dangling fox footprint made of silver. She wore a long, dark-dyed denim skirt, beneath which you could barely see tan, platform sandals.

"Well, what happened HERE?" Jamie said, open-mouthed. Bit was making these funny squeaking noises; Doc was staring from Bit to Dakota. Dakota tried to walk down the stairs, but her heel slipped. She was waiting for the repetitive bump of her body on the stairs. But it never came. Brad had caught her.

"You just keep falling, don't you?" he asked, smiling at her. She smiled back. "You look elegant like that. Not that you didn't before, but...."

"Shut up while you're ahead...." Dakota laughed, correcting herself, taking off the sandals and standing on her own two feet. "But thank you. I don't think anyone's ever given me that sort of compliment before." She kissed him lightly on the cheek. Chaos erupted.

"HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE HERE!" Bit yelled, pulling Dakota away from Brad. "What're you doing?! "

"Uh, when have you been so concerned?" Dakota asked, giving him an abhorrent look. "Look. I'm 22. Let me live my life."

"Why are you being so difficult? Am I not allowed to be concerned about my sister?"

"Not now, you're not!"

There was a loud mewling sound, and about everyone jumped. "Brad, That sounded like your fox...." Jamie said. Brad shook his head.

"It's too light to be mine." He said. Dakota smiled and ran barefoot for the garage.

"That means it's mine!" she called. The whole team took off after her, and about half of them gasped at what they saw.

It looked to be a jade-green version of the Shadowfox. Except it was more slender by maybe an inch or two. Brad walked to where Dakota was standing in front of the mewling fox. "Who's this?"

"This girl is Jadefox, the prototype for the Shadowfox. And, according to Leyon, its mate. Like I believe THAT." She said, turning around to face Brad. Jadefox lowered her head to Dakota's level, and nudged her forward into his arms. Dakota turned her head back to her friend and gave her a look. "You're HILARIOUS, Jadefox. A regular riot."

"I think she's pretty funny. At least she has a sense of humor, right?" Brad said, glancing back at the Shadowfox.

"So does Shadow. He just....he's a punk." She said, laughing.

Bit stood there, watching the two of them and his sister's Zoid. A dawning feeling of trepidation swept over him, and apparently, it was visible. Lena put a hand on his shoulder. "What's up?"

"The Backdraft is going to want Jadefox back. And once they figure out she's here, they're going to come and get a hold of her." He said. "That and....I really don't want Dakota to be stuck on Brad."

Lena smiled at him. "Bit....she already is." She said, giving his shoulder a light rub. Bit sighed.

"Yeah. Guess you're right. I may as well accept it. She's older than me. And she can beat me up if I get in her way...oh God, she CAN beat me up!" Bit yelled, hiding behind Lena. She gave him a bleak look.

"You're dim, you know that? THAT'S probably what makes beating you up so fun. Hey....c'mere, let me try!" she said. Bit ran away, willing himself to go faster, willing himself to escape the red menace.

"Jamie....I think we may need to make some room in the garage for Jadefox." Doc said, smiling.

"Uh....Dakota's joining the team?" Jamie asked, looking up at Doc with a smile on his face.

"Why not? Besides, Brad wouldn't let her leave. He likes her too much."

"They ever gonna admit it?"

"Probably not."

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Okay! That was it! Chapter two! I know, I know. It's not that great. But I've been asked to continue this in AIM conversations, and....well....how can I refuse my fans? Wait. Whoa. I have fans. DUDE! That's awesome! Alright, let me shut up. Don't stop checking up on this story, you never know when chapter three will pop up! And the Talk Show should get updated soon! And also, if I ever finish a story, be sure to check back to them once in a while for little extras like bloopers, behind the scenes interviews, and songfics! I may even add them after a chapter or two!