Pairing: Tala x Mariah

Rating: PG-13

Summary: After the world championships Mariah and Tala have an unexpected meeting...could this meeting change them both?

This chapter has been edited to remove the song.

Disclaimer: I don't own BeyBlades

Rescue Me

By Kaz

Chapter 7

'Don't panic,' was all Lee could think of, ignoring the line of sweat dripping down his head. He had no idea what to do, it was not as if they could avoid them... they were both in viewing distance and most likely would have been spotted right now. He quickly looked at Tala and found him staring into his drink, while acting passive and most likely praying to become invisible or something.

Mariah on the other hand had passed panic and was now near hysteria, her breathing had become harder, and her eyes were glazed in panic. Opening her mouth in a comical open and closed fashion, she was at a complete loss of what do to.

Lee deciding to take charge, grabbed Mariah's arm lightly and whispered sharply, "Calm down you look like you are about to have a panic attack."

"That's probably because I AM about to have one! Oh this sucks, I just wanted a nice quite time and …" she sighed sadly, and lowered her vision to her plate but not really focusing on anything.

"Maybe I should go?" Tala offered eager to avoid a fight, well in all truth a fight was nothing to him but for some reason he did not want to fight in front of Mariah.

"Don't you dare!" She hissed, "I will not have you running out on me this time, BBA or not."

Tala smiled at the girl and Mariah felt her heart jump but slowed down from the panic, right now she couldn't careless what everyone else thought, she was happy and enjoying herself, what was wrong with that?

"Ya all need to chill," came the opinion from Kevin, who was buttering a bread roll. "It's not like they can tell us who and who we can't see or anything. What we do as a team in none of their business."

Everyone stared at the small green boy in shock, intrigued he glanced up and asked, "What?"

"Kevin," Mariah gasped astonished, "That is the most sensible thing you have ever said!" And with that, everyone laughed heartedly at the green haired boy's expression, their troubles forgotten.

"Playing happy teams are we?"

They were all shocked out of their joy by the voice of Johnny.

Kevin snorted and Gary continued to eat, while Lee calmly said, "Yes we are, now if you wouldn't mind we would like to continue our meal in peace."

"I can't believe you Lee, what the heck is wrong with you; this guy was the one to steal all of your bit beasts and also injured me!" Cried an angry Ray.

"Actually Ray," Mariah smiled, "I think you will find it was Kai who stole our bit beasts, and Bryan was the one who injured you, not Tala."

Tala chuckled softy at the surprised faces of the others, looking up his eyes met Ray's.

"Well I am glad you find this funny, you are the one causing all this to happen."

"I'm not doing anything; you're the one causing a scene."

"Is that right?" Rat asked, slamming a hand down on the table.

"Yeah it is," Tala replied, standing up. It was obvious now, except perhaps to the girl involved that this fight was no longer about them meeting but about Mariah. Both boys started each other down, one's expression indicating something like, "You stay away the heck from her." While the other one's stating, "Who the hell are you to stop me."

However, before it could result in a fight, Tyson grabbed Ray's arm and said, "Come on I am hungry and they have our table ready."

Ray mumbled something under his breath but allowed Tyson to drag him away, his gaze never once straying away from Tala's own.

"Well that could have gone better, "Mariah said after her eyes met Emily's and a smile formed on the orange haired girl's face as she turned to follow her team mates.

"Yeah," mumbled Lee, before turning to Tala and said, "Never a dull moment with you around ne?"

And once again, the laughter rang out, the events of before disappearing.

Mariah skimmed the top of her glass with her forefinger as she sneaked a glance at Tala; currently he was talking to Lee and trying to cut his steak without getting it on him, laughing her face lit up as he looked at her, arching an eyebrow letting a real smile grace his face.

Lee watched the exchanging of expressions and sighed, yep, his sister was gone, and it seemed the red head did have a thing for her back. After all, a moody loner doesn't smile for just anyone. Shaking his head, he wondered if he hadn't of lost his brain. Which brother let's their baby sister associate with a dangerous man? However, Mariah's face that evening told him that he had made the right choice, she was so happy and that was how he wanted her to be… but still he knew… he could feel that something was about to happen… something bad and he wouldn't be able to stop it.

He heard her gasp, and looked to see her clasp her hands in joy. He was slightly puzzled before she exclaimed, "I love this song," as Eye's on Me played out.

'Oh,' thought Lee, looking to Tala, he saw that he was completely puzzled. 'Man,' he thought, 'This guy really knows nothing about women, no matter how tomboy Mariah is... she still is a girl.'

Slowly, he raised his hand, glad to see that his sister was looking at the dancing couples. Having Tala's attention, Lee pointed to Tala, then to Mariah and then to the dance floor. The expression on Tala's face told Lee all he needed to know… he knew nothing about dancing.

Tala meanwhile was slightly panicking, Lee wanted him to dance with Mariah, he knew nothing about music let alone how to dance. However, before he could ask, Oliver appeared and asked Mariah for a dance. Despite her surprise, she nodded and allowed the green haired boy to lead her to the dance floor.

"Dude," cried Kevin as soon as she had gone, "What are you waiting for, you can't let that girl man take your woman."

Laughing at Tala's shocked expression; he quietened down however, as Lee glared at him. "Well what did I say wrong?"

"My woman?" Tala asked. Kevin smacked his forehead and said, "Oh boy."

"Please do ignore my stupid team mate, but I have to ask, what does my sister mean to you?"

Tala looked at Lee for a moment before answering, "I-I don't know, it's like before I couldn't care less what people thought of me and what I did but she showed me how to live, to actually feel what happiness is and what is wrong from right… it's like she rescued me."

Tala looked up to see the shocked expressions of Lee, Kevin, and Gary. "Oh boy, he's got it bad," laughed Kevin.

"Got what bad?"

"Eh, never mind." Kevin sweat dropped before pointing out the dancing couple. "You like someone else dancing with her?"

Tala looked at the couple, Oliver had said something to Mariah, and she was laughing and nodding as he twirled her around. Another feeling rose up inside of him, not the one that he felt when she kissed him, no, this was a pricking angry type of feeling. Not realising what he was doing, he rose and walked towards them.

Lee and Kevin watched him go before Kevin asked, "Eh Lee? Did we do the right thing?"

"I have no idea Kevin, none at all."

Mariah was currently having a nice time, Oliver was a nice guy and he was making her laugh as they talked about the places he had been to and she herself wished to go to. However, she was driven of revive of enchanting places when a voice calmly cut across and said, "Mind if I cut in?"

Both teens stood in shock as the red head, looked down at Oliver, who quickly nodded and fled from the pair. Mariah held a question gaze as she titled her head, looking up at him.

"I have something to tell you," he said, his voice as low as a whisper yet sounding velvety causing the girl to almost shiver in pleasure.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding slightly husky as her eyes narrowed and a smile tugged at her lips.

He leaned forward and whispered, "I can't dance."

Mariah nearly fell over her feet as she heard what he said, laughing she hit him lightly and said, "It's easy, just place your hands here," she said as she placed them on her hip, "And I put mine here," she continued, as she drew her hands to his neck and clasped them at the back. "And we just sway to the rhythm," she finished off.

She lost herself in the tune as Faye Wong's soft voice rang out. Closing her eyes, she allowed Tala to led as she rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't care anymore, everyone just vanished, the entire room just dissolved and it was only them two alone in the world.

Mariah, held Tala tighter as she heard one line, the one that meant everything to her, the soft voice and enchanting words drawing her, making her eyes reflect her heart.

"Mariah?" Tala asked quietly, glancing down at her, he saw something different, her eyes, they were different… something was showing in them, something he had never seen before. He still didn't truly understand this feeling, but then realised perhaps he would never. Maybe it's something you have to experience before you can understand even in the slightest. But those thoughts, which were travelling around his mind, were slowly disappearing, all that he could see was her and all he wanted was her.

Very slowly, he brought his head down and lightly captured her lips in a soft passionate kiss, all that mattered to him right now was what he was holding.

Mariah froze slightly before returning all the feelings he was giving her, she was sure no fairy tail, no writer could ever describe what she was feeling right now. Nothing worked, her brain was mindless goo and her limbs were all paralyzed, but that didn't bother her, right now, all she wanted was Tala.

If he were thinking right now, he would have been glad that the other guys on his team weren't here, they would probably lose all respect for him, but he doubted that he would even care; their respect could give him nothing compared to everything she gave.

Both teens were lost within each other, no thoughts, no cares, just each other. Sadly, not everyone shared there happiness and the two suddenly found themselves torn apart, as Mariah landed on the floor and Tala got a fist in the face thanks to Ray.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Screamed Mariah, as Emily helped her up.

Both boys ignored her as they continued their glaring and fist exchanging. Ignoring the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, she looked at Lee, who arrived and both he, Kai and Robert decided to intrude and separate the two.

"That's enough Ray," Lee said as he grabbed Ray's fist, only for the teen to free it and land a sound punch on his former teammate.

"No it's not enough Lee! What is wrong with you? How can you let her hang out with that? How can you let him touch her like that? He is evil, he tried to kill us all."

Tala would have punched Ray in the face but Robert and Kai were holding him, so instead he growled and said, "Fuck you!"

"Easier there boy," said Robert as Kai gripped his shoulder tighter.

"While I do not approve of anyone touching my sister like that," Lee stated giving a hard glance to Tala, who stopped fighting, "You have no right to tell me how to raise her. I think you are forgetting something here Ray, you are no longer a White Tiger."

Ray stared at Lee for a moment before replying, "That makes no difference, I care about Mariah, and I don't want someone to hurt her!"

"What you mean like how you hurt her?" Kevin mumbled.

"That was different!"

"How?"

Everyone stopped and turned to face the trembling girl, "How was that different Ray? Is there a different kind of hurt? You hurt me Ray Kon! But you know what? I forgave, we all did because you proved to us you deserved a second chance."

Ray was silent as Mariah walked towards him, her voice calm yet laced with anger. "We all gave you a second chance, when you had walked out on us. We all gave Kai a second chance when he turned over to the dark side and so I am asking, if we gave you guys a second chance why the hell can't we give Tala one?"

Ray was silent as everyone took into account what the girl was saying. They all knew she was right, they had been selfish, and uncaring and downright wrong, but still some refused to acknowledge that.

"Because some people don't change." Johnny said, a few, Michael, Enrique, Steve and Eddie nodding. "How do you know he still isn't working for Bio volt!"

"What?" Tala shouted, being quiet for too long in his mind.

"In fact for all we know, you could be working for them as well." Johnny continued, his attention held on the shocked girl. "Yeah," he said, nodding as if it was all making sense, "You probably are." That was the last straw, Tala freed himself from his prison and lunged for the other flame head, growling loudly, the others also finding themselves drawn into the fight.

Mariah couldn't stand it anymore, it had all gone wrong, today was meant to have been perfect, and, not willing to take anymore, she pushed away from Emily and headed towards the exit, paying no attention to the cries behind her.

Once outside, she nearly fell down the stairs as her sobbing increased, she just wanted to get as far as away from here as possible.

Crying out as she stumbled over a stone, she quickly regained herself, then whipped her head around as she heard a noise and stopped dead.

Looking at the figure in front of her, she meekly asked, "B-Bryan?"

Hearing the others catch up to her, she felt her heart stop as another figure came out from behind the Russian.

"Boris…."

TBC