Everything = owned by Tecmo
nothing = owned by me

Chapter 10: Someone to Rely On
Phil exhaled deeply before he knocked the door.
"I hope you know what you're doing." he said out loud to himself. He rapped the door with his knuckles and within seconds Helena stood in the doorway. Cute... damn it Phil she's been crying, stop it! He chastised himself for even thinking of checking her out while she had clearly been crying. He came in and sat on a plush sofa.
"Do you want some tea or anything?" Phil nodded.
"Sure, do you have any Earl Grey?" Helena sighed.
"Yeah, heh, you North Americans and your Earl Grey." Phil took advantage of the slight smile she let cross her lips.
"Would you recommend something else?" Helena looked at him curiously and raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what, I'll try whatever it is you're having." Helena chuckled lightly and put on the kettle, then came back and sat next to Phil. "So what's up?" Helena then looked serious again, there seemed to be a new heaviness about her, the arrogant, sometimes even bitchy Helena was nowhere to be seen. Now a different woman was there, she seemed very distressed, even scared to an extent.
"I don't know, I just wanted some company I guess." she said quietly.
"I'm not buying that, what's on your mind?"
"Why would you think there was-"
"What's on your mind?" Phil repeated. "It's pretty obvious that there's something bugging you, the ears are open, what's on your mind?" Helena sighed again.
"Ayane." Helena said with a snarl. Phil didn't say anything.
The evil elf from last night? What does she have to do with anything? Phil handed her the tissue box she had been carrying around. "Go on."
"Ayane... killed my mother, four years ago." Phil let out a pained breath like he had been hit in the stomach.
"I'm sorry Helena, I didn't know." Helena slid closer to Phil and put her head down into his shoulder, he felt her tears moisten his sleeve.
"I was on stage, singing. The bullet was meant for me, I know it was, but my mother... somehow she saw it coming, and took the bullet for me." Phil wasn't sure what to do at this moment, he slowly placed his hand on the back of her head and lowered his face into the top of her hair. "All I knew at the time was the loud crack of the gun, falling down, and my mother's blood on me." She trembled now, she also brought her hands up around his arm, squeezing desperately. "I miss my mother Phil, I miss her so much." Helena's words made Phil's eyes water slightly also. He to had lost his parents when he was young, but not in such a violent fashion. She regained herself slightly and pulled her face out of his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be putting this on you." Phil shook his head.
"No, it's okay." She sniffed slightly, trying so hard to remain proper as her eyes were reddened and blotchy. "Have you talked to anyone else about this?" Helena shook her head.
"No, I'm going to be honest with you Phil, I think you're the first person I've met in this damn tournament who I think I can call a friend. I know we just met and all but I get a good feeling from you, I feel secure around you. Some of the other people are nice and all, but I don't know, I don't trust them." Phil left her side momentarily as her kettle whistled, he quickly came back with the tea.
"So." he started, "Are you saying you trust me?" Helena wiped her eyes with a tissue.
"Phil, you have been nothing but a gentleman to me and seem to be the only male I've spoken to who respects me as a person and not a sex object." Phil felt like a heel inside.
Oops.
 "The truth is, I, I have so much, but I have no one. My mother was all I had, and life without her has been so empty, I guess I'm finally allowing myself to realize that I need companionship." Phil listened closely then spoke.
"You have nobody at all?" Helena shrugged.
"I have a dog, he's all well and good, but it's no replacement for another human being to talk and laugh with, you know?"
Dude you are so in, this is your chance. Shut up! he argued with himself. He poured some milk into his tea, trying to cover the heavy sweetness of the French specialty beverage.
"I don't have anyone who I call a friend, and in the last couple days, you've treated me better than people I've known for years. Look I don't want you to think I'm trying to get you to eliminate Ayane for me, I want that bitch for myself, I've just been so..."
"Lonely?" Phil asked, hoping he was filling in the right word. Helena nodded.
"I just wish I had a friend sometimes, you know? When I'm not here I'm always doing my singing, which puts me in this lifestyle where I'm surrounded by people who only want to be near me for what I am, not who I am. Just once I would like sometime to be my friend because they actually like ME." Phil nodded. "And, I guess I should thank you for giving me that much even if it has been with small talk. The fact that someone wants to listen to me and talk to me because they're interested in what I have to say and how I feel... it makes me feel like a real person." She leaned out and hugged him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder again. "Even now just listening to me have my little tantrum has shown me that I can call you a friend, and you being my friend is one of the greatest treasures you could ever give me." Phil hesitated then took her in his arms and ran his hand through her hair, trying to comfort her, all the while arguing with himself,
Friend?! FRIEND?!? The hell is THAT about? Okay okay I guess friend is a good way to get started. What do you mean?? She needs a friend right now, not some guy trying to jump her. Oh lighten UP!

I think every guy reading this story can relate to poor Phil right about now. So now that the plot has thickened, what next? Keep on reading, there WILL be more fighting in the upcoming chapters I assure you.