Lan was smiling like an idiot. Maylu was just gapping at Megaman while Megaman himself sat down hard on the floor.
"But how?" Maylu asked finally as Arieal recovered enough to hug and kiss Kailyn soundly.
"Kai's program! Kai was creating a program that could do this! Kai you're a genius! I love you!" Arieal said continuing to hug the other girl.
"I'm human?" Megaman asked looking at his hands.
"For now, yes," Kai said. Everyone looked to her. "Can we continue this in my office please… Not that Arieal!" she said to the girl who frowned but still clung to her arm. Maylu was dismissed. Kailyn plead it was more of a family matter. Lan said that until they were positive what was going on that she should go home. He promised to call her later though when he got home.
"How can I be human even with some program?" Megaman asked sitting in a chair. Lan was still grinning like a fool and staring at him. It was kind of nice… Lan was so engrossed in watching Megaman he didn't notice Kai talking to him till she threw something at him.
"OW!" he cried.
"It was only a foam ball!" Kai said. "Next time you'll pay attention." Her look said 'to something other than another boy at the moment'. Lan blushed slightly.
"What were you saying Kai, I'm afraid I wasn't listening…" he muttered to her.
"I was saying that I can't put Megaman back into the PET! At least not now… the reverse program is still not even anywhere near where this one was…" she told him.
"Megaman will have to stay with you as a human till it's ready," Arieal added. Lan smiled to them as the phone rang. It was Mrs. Hikari for Lan. He went into another room to take the call.
"Or until you become unstable," Kailyn said quietly. The two looked at her.
"Unstable?" Megaman asked eyes wide. "As in like…."
"As in parts of you faze in and out like bad reception on a TV…. As in you starts fading… Or you get really sick… If it gets to the point where you're constantly cold and weak, Megaman, get here immediately and I'll do my best to keep you stable till the program is ready. Once you leave I'll start working on it…. I'm sorry… That's all I can do," Kailyn said looking to him apologetically.
"I'll tell Lan about tha-"
"No."
"What?" he asked looking to Kailyn.
"My cousin cares much too much to tell him that…. Just act as if nothing is wrong, Megaman. I love Lan…. I can't stand to see him in so much pain over a possibility. I would rather him spend time with you while he's happy… But do check back in a week to see if the program is done. It was never meant to be a long-term physical form. Lan will have to help you out with something or another I'm sure…"
"Thank you Kailyn… For everything…" Megaman said standing before Lan came in.
"I told Mom that you were staying with us!" he said bouncing over to Megaman. "You can stay in my room with me still and borrow some of my clothes so that you don't have to wear your battle outfit all the time!"
Megaman smiled slightly. Lan was much too happy to warn about a simple thing that probably wouldn't happen anyway.
Arieal drove them back to Lan's house. "Take care you two…" she said before driving off leaving them out front.
Lan drug the boy into the house and told him to remove his shoes. Megaman did so, with some difficulty. Lan laughed and smiled the entire time. Megaman found himself blushing a bright red. Lan suddenly reached over and grabbed Megaman's helmet and pulled it off. Megaman blinked as strands of black-blue hair fell in his eyes slightly. Lan giggled when Megaman shook his head to see if it helped and became enthralled with the fact that his hair could move! He never knew it could.
Mrs. Hikari was a little hesitant about the whole thing but amazingly the boy knew what he was supposed to do. She was surprised the only thing that Lan really had to show him was where the restroom was, not what to do! And Megaman determined, mostly when Lan had instructed him to change for bed as he was falling asleep standing up, that zippers were not his friends. Lan giggled and batted his hands away and undid it for him helping the tired boy into pajamas. Lan changed and they climbed into bed for the night. Mrs. Hikari, though, was on the phone with her husband who was asking about the project Kailyn had worked on… he was more shocked than anyone that Megaman was in his son's bed curled into a ball facing away from the brunette asleep peacefully.
-------------------------------------------------
The next morning Lan woke up slightly to Megaman curled up by his side resting his head right next to Lan's on the pillow. Lan smiled and snuggled closer to the other boy. Megaman still made him feel safe, and worth something…except now it was a whole lot more than before…
---------------------------------------------------
"Morning Auntie!" Kai said as she entered the house. "I came to see how Megaman did last night…"
"Amazingly I think he was fine," her aunt answered her.
"That's good to hear," the teen said grabbing an apple and biting into it. Right then Megaman came down the stairs rubbing his eyes.
"Kai, there's something in my eyes…" he said stumbling towards her.
"Mega, its just sleep. Just do like this and you'll be fine," she explained wiping it out of his eyes for him. The boy blinked and smiled.
"Thanks!" he said brightly. Lan came shuffling down the stairs next and took a seat at the table, letting his head drop down and bang on it.
"OW!" he cried sitting up and rubbing his head.
"Serves you right!" Kai and Megaman said at the same time as they sat down together.
"Okay stop it," Lan said. "He's my NetNavi anyway!"
"I have to check on him. Like I said. The program was never meant to be permanent."
"I know…" Lan said.
"All I have to do is give him a quick check up and you two can spend the rest of the day together. Just call me if anything is wrong between the time I check him and the next one okay?"
"Of course," Megaman said.
"And you can't use Megaman outside of being a NetNavi. And right now you ARE human…."
"So what am I then?"
"Well, that's up to you and Lan," Kailyn told him with a smile.
"Umm… well.." Megaman began to think.
"How about…" Lan began. "Ryuu!!"
"Huh?" Kailyn looked at Lan. "Dragon?"
"Yeah! I mean, he's got wisdom and power and loyal and stuff. Just like a lot of dragons in myths!" Lan explained.
"I like it!" Megaman said. "But why do I need it?"
"Well you see," Kailyn coughed slightly. "I kinda need you too so I don't get fired…"
"FIRED?!" Lan and Ryuu exclaimed.
"Yeah… They're not happy with me. Since you know the program ran and all… but I mean, it's not my fault per say…."
"I just hope that World Three doesn't try to reform while I'm out here!" Ryuu said determinedly.
"Don't worry. As far as we know, Wiley is in a federal prison of the most high tech security in the world. Located in the middle of a dessert in a America!" Kai smiled munching on some toast.
"I hope you're right," the boys said as they ate.
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"Congratulations Doctor Wiley! You stole the perfect program!" said a man carrying a guitar as they walked down a long hallway.
"Shut up you fool! It ran in two places though…" said a red haired man.
"But…." Said the girl with them as she inspected her nails. "I know which Navi was removed from the net-plane…." The men turned to look at her.
"Who was it?" asked Dr. Wiley turning to her.
"That annoying blue one sir… He's real now…."
"Excellent….." Dr. Wiley chuckled.
***************************************
"Hey Lan! Who's your friend? And does he net-battle?" Dax asked the boy as he suddenly appeared, PET in hand in front of the brunette and his Navi.
"Heh. Well, Dax I have to say you've met him many times before and he does Net battle," Lan said before grabbing Megaman by the arm. "But Ryuu and I have things to do so I'll catch ya later!"
"Bye Dax! Better keep training with metal head!" Megaman called with a smile, as he was drug off towards Maylu's house.
"LAN! Megaman!" Mayl said happily opening the door for them. "So what's happening?"
"My name is Ryuu and I'm staying with Lan for a while till Kailyn can fix everything," Megaman smiled. His spikey hair was windblown and stuck out oddly. He wore a dark tank with a button down white top over it and dark blue board shorts along with sneakers.
"Did anyone recognize him?" Maylu ask.
"Only you did," Lan said as they sat at the kitchen table together. "Dax couldn't recognize him at all. And Kai says it'll be better to keep it all low profile for now… Which is the reason for the new name." Maylu nodded as she was filled in.
******************************************
"I can't believe it! This is so much fun!" Ryuu said to Lan as he kicked the soccer ball as if he was born to play. Lan smiled as he watched the boy play around. He just fit there with him in this way. But then again, he didn't belong here….at all. He sighed and looked down as his friend enjoyed himself.
"I'm sorry Lan, but LANN isn't a permanent program… I created it with you in mind, but there's nothing I can do. It is not meant to be permanent what-so-ever."
"Kailyn's right…" he muttered to himself before Ryuu plopped down next to him tiredly.
"What's wrong Lan?" Ryuu asked curiously. "You look, sad." He paused only to find what emotion he was looking for to describe the look on his friend's face.
"Nothing's wrong." The fake smile that Lan cast before getting up and kicking the ball away a motioning for Ryuu to join him hurt Ryuu greatly.
'I want to stay Ryuu. I can be with Lan but he doesn't seem to trust me now….' Megaman smiled to show that nothing was bothering him outwardly and began to play with his friend.
**********************************************
"Lan?"
Lan paused as he looked over at Megaman from his closet. He was trying to see what Megaman could wear the next day. "What?"
"Do you trust me?" he asked blinking at the boy expectantly.
"Huh?" Lan gaped at the boy that was sitting on his bed flushing a bright red at the steady gaze that seemed to see straight through him. "Ryuu, Megaman, what are you talking about? Of course I trust you! I trust you with my life!"
"Then why won't you tell me what's wrong?" the blue/black haired boy asked looking down. Lan blinked rapidly. "At the park. You said nothing was wrong but it's so obvious. And you won't tell me so I thought you didn't trust me enough… And I mean that I was kinda…..hurt, that you did that earlier…."
"Megaman…"
"You're supposed to call me Ryuu remember?" Lan sat next to the boy who was curling into a ball greatly trying very hard not to look at him.
"Ryuu… I trust you… I just… I was thinking about something that Kailyn had told me… I didn't want to bring you down because of some little thing. Understand?"
"Yeah… I guess I do.. I just don't want you to forget I'm still your friend…" Ryuu said with a smile as they flopped back together.
"I could never forget that Ryuu…. You're still Megaman to me…. Only so much more," Lan yawned as he turned over and fell asleep.
Ryuu turned on his side and watched Lan sleep. Some emotion was coursing through him but he didn't know what it was… It was strange. Very strange. He felt warm and melting. He felt light and happy. He felt, funny. But he smiled and snuggled down next to Lan and listened to his breathing letting it lull him into sleep.
During the night, neither noticed the fact that Ryuu's feet lightened in color as if someone was messing with the brightness knob on a TV.
**********************************************
"Kailyn?" Arieal asked as she walked into the lab room. The other teen girl sat at a computer staring at it intently while sucking soda through a straw. She was so completely engrossed in her work and project that she noticed nothing else.
"Kailyn Hikari," Arieal said as she switched the monitor off, while taking the soda away.
"ACK! Oh, Arieal! Sorry…. I don't want Lan to loose Megaman…" Kai said rubbing her eyes as she looked back at the black screen. "But if I don't keep working, he might…"
"He won't." Kailyn looked up at Arieal. "I love you chick. Why don't you get to the hotel, get some sleep and then I'll keep working on the program? Okay?"
"I don't think I have a choice," Kailyn yawned as she walked that way. Arieal smiled and watched her go before tapping away intently on the program configuration.
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AN: Yes here is Chapter Two!! ^_^ I am so happy with the reviews I've been getting…
Joey: Yeah, she was flippin out when she started getting so many so quickly….
Dai: But she loves you guys….
Pietro: Especially since you don't mind her bad spelling and terrible knowledge of it….
Draco: Please, continue to review… Thank you.