Disclaimer: I do not own the Mighty Ducks, or any of the characters. However I do own my characters Lis, Stealth, and Crystal. So please do not sue me.

Chapter Nine

Duke was running through the streets; searching for Lis, and praying that she was alright.

That's when he heard a soft, sad sound; the sound of crying, and soon he found Lis kneeling on the ground in the cold rain as she sobbed into her hands.

To Duke, it was as though he were watching a fallen angel crying. Her hair was soaked, and over her face. She was curled up, her elbows pressed on her knees. Her thin body bent over as she cried into her hands. Her whole body trembled, and he could here her weeping from where he stood. Sad, and heart breaking.

Duke now walked silently towards her as he knelt down beside her and then wrapped his strong arms around her shaking, cold, limp body. Embracing her.

"Don't cry anymore Lis," Duke begged softly, "You're not alone any longer, my dear Angel."

"Duke," she sobbed quietly.

"It's alright sweetheart; I've got ya, an' I'm not lettin' ya go," Duke promised as he gently stroked her soft, dark brown hair.

That was it, Lis couldn't hold her emotions back anymore. She had locked her feelings away for far too long, and could no longer force them back. She wanted to let it all flow free. Her yearnings for Duke were stronger than they had ever been before, and her heart ached so much. Her hands uncovered her face, and they clasped his burgundy and black shirt tightly. Her face was burried into his strong chest as she sobbed.

"Duke," Lis wept into his chest, "I love you, I love you so much."

When she said those simple words, Duke's embrace grew stronger as he held her as tight as he could. He could feel her tears soaking into his shirt, but he didn't mind. All he wanted was to hold her close to him, so she could no longer run away from him. For if she did, he felt as though he wouldn't have the strength to go after her anymore; it would hurt too much to run after her. Though deep down he knew he'd chase her forever if he had too.

"I love ya too, Lisbeth," Duke whispered; knowing deep in his heart that was her full name.

Then he once again placed his hand beneath her delicate chin, and he gently had her face him as he gazed down lovingly into her blue, green, yellow eyes. Her tears ran down her face as she looked up into his one dark, yet bright eye. She was so scared, and yet ready to allow her emotions for Duke to go free. The rain poured down upon her pale face until he bent his head down over her, drawing her closer to him. Closer and closer their bodies became as they wrapped their arms around one another. Then as the rain still came down on them; Duke closed his mouth over Lis's, their lips locking as they shared the same long, hot breath. Nothing could stop it this time, as the kiss deepened, they allowed their yearnings to be released. Their love finally freed to share with one another as the kiss became even stronger, just as the passion they had now became even more powerful as they held one another.

Now as they finally ended the kiss, Lis looked up the man she loved, barely breathing from the long kiss. Duke was the same with his breath now heavy and ragged as he looked down at her.

"I love you Lis," Duke said in a soft voice.

"I love you too Duke," Lis answered in an equally quiet tone as she tried hard not to cry.

Then he bent his head down again as he kissed the sad wet substance of her tears away.

Then shortly after, Duke spoke, "Let's get ya back home sweetheart, I'll carry ya if ya want."

Lis nodded as he carefully took her in his strong, muscular, but not bulky arms; and he began to carry her back to the lair.

Just then a gunshot was heard behind us and Duke felt an intense pain go into his arm.

Duke let out a cry of pain as he almost dropped Lis, but Duke held her securely in his arms.

"Duke!" Lis cried as he put her down carefully; and then gripped his arm to stop the bleeding.

They then heard an all too familiar voice laughing from behind them.

Duke and Lis turned to find Falcone and Crystal sneering at them, and snickering.

"I thought I told you to stay away from him," Crystal teased cruelly.

Duke immediately held Lis protectively with his right arm, allowing the wound on his shoulder to bleed so he could protect her.

"You can't save her anymore, boy; especially when you're dead!" Falcone jeered as he smirked fiendishly.

"No!" Lis cried as she held Duke tightly.

"Shut up brat!" Crystal growled, "You almost ruined the whole plan when you saved him at the banquet! He was supposed to be poisoned and die through intense pain that would kill him from the inside out! He nearly drank the concoction when you stopped him! I knew then that you had fallen for the pathetic thief, who couldn't even bring himself to kill a person! Weakling! His soft heart brought you to the lair, and it showed how weak he was when it came to a defenseless girl such as yourself; and another as well!"

Falcone laughed coldly.

Duke looked up; he knew that they meant Christina. Lis would find out, and then leave him the same way Christina had left him.

"SHUT UP!" Duke yelled quickly.

Falcone smirked even more, "What is it Duke? Should we not tell her how weak you are to be such a fool to fall for a girl twice! Just so you can end up dead this time! I wish she had killed you that night, so that our work would be done for us; but of course, it's never that easy. So now here we are, ready to do what she didn't!"

"Duke, what are they talkin' about?" Lis asked him gently in bewilderment.

Duke didn't answer her.

"It doesn't matter now," Falcone said, "Both of you shall die here and now! Shot or stabbed, it doesn't matter at all! As long as you both are killed!"

Crystal nodded in agreement.

Lis looked up at the other woman, "All this time I thought you loved Duke?!"

"I did," Crystal spat cruelly, "But then YOU came along and stole away my only chance to have him! He never noticed how I wanted him more than anyone else; and then YOU come and steal his heart away like it wasn't even hard to do! I wanted to be his girl! The one Duke desired, but instead he desires YOU! So I joined with Falcone, and if I can't have him, then you can have him on one condition!"

Lis was confused till Crystal finished, "The condition is that you both die together, before you can be happy together! Then Falcone will be leader, and I will be his instead!"

Lis's mixed eyes darkened when she realized out loud, "You never loved him! You only wanted him because he's going to be leader! You wanted the title of being the leader of the Brotherhood of the Blade's girl! YOU NEVER LOVED DUKE DID YOU?!"

Lis now looked up at Duke, who was staring at her in bewilderment. Then he smiled, for he knew that Lis loved him not for leadership; but because of how much they shared together.

Crystal glared at them enraged. How could she have known of that?! As she wondered this, the green eyed woman pulled out a gun and aimed it at Lis, "You'll die with him!"

Duke held Lis tighter, despite the wound on his left shoulder, "You won't touch her!"

Then Duke stood up as he drew his sabor and faced the two; while protecting Lis as she stood behind him. He ignored his injury completely now as he kept Lis safe.

With that another sword fight broke out between Duke and Falcone.

"Duke!" Lis cried, but she couldn't help; all she could do was pray that Duke's life would be spared during all of this.

"You're a coward," Crystal hissed as watched as well, "if you truly loved him, you would try to save him! Though all you can do is watch while he saves your own life yet again!"

"I do love him," Lis said more to herself than to Crystal.

Lis wasn't going to let the woman's words affect her anymore. She knew she loved Duke, and nothing could stop that anymore. Now that their emotions were released for one another; Duke and Lis's love couldn't be caged again.

That's when Lis noticed Falcone had tripped Duke and had knocked the sabor out of his hand; and it landed in front of Lis on the ground.

Now Falcone held his sabor at Duke's throat as he snickered, "Now you will die; and then the little brat will follow you! Then you two may spend an eternity together in death!"

Duke just spat at Falcone in a courageous reply; and then the falcon drew his sabor back. Ready to plunge the electric blade straight into Duke's heart!

"NO!" Lis screamed as she jumped in the way with Duke's sabor blocking the attack.

Though as she held the golden weapon, a shock went through out her entire body; therefore making it difficult for her to stay strong as she protected Duke from the killing blow. Duke then noticed Lis's drenched body being shocked by the energy from his sabor, and he jumped up quickly; though still bleeding, as he covered her hands with his to stop the attacking energy from killing her.

Now Lis's hands released the sabor as she fell limp into Duke's strong arms while he caught her before she fell to the damp ground of the streets.

"Lis!" Duke exclaimed as he saw her eyes beginning to close, "Lis, answer me sweetheart! Don't fade on me!"

Duke held Lis with her head upon his strong chest; while the rest of her body leaned heavily against him.

"LIS!" He begged as he looked down at her; though still holding his sabor up to block Falcone's attack.

He was holding her with his injured arm.

"Duke?" Lis asked weakly as she gazed up at him.

"I've got ya hun', jus' don't leave me!" Duke pleaded.

Lis smiled up at him as she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to her feet again. Duke held her tighter as she did this to support her. He knew that she was okay now.

"Thank Heaven," he whispered.

"She shouldn't have interfered!" Falcone growled.

"I won't let you take his life!" Lis said with a revived smile, "You're not going to take him from me now!"

With that Duke forced Falcone back for momentarily as he and Lis knelt down slowly before each other so he could make sure she wasn't hurt from the shock.

"Lis?" Duke asked when he found that she wasn't harmed, "Ya must be an Angel sent from Heaven ta have survived that."

"I'm not going to lose you Duke," was her reply as she hugged him tight now, "I love you."

Suddenly another gunshot was heard and Lis felt a pain go through her back.

Lis let out a cry of pain as she collapsed into Duke's chest once again.

"LIS!!" Duke cried as he held her, "LIS NO!"

"Duke...." was Lis's only soft and weary reply as her body grew limp against his; and then everything grew dark for her.

As Duke held her, he felt her growing weaker as she lost blood.

"Lis, hang in there sweetheart!" Duke pleaded; he had to get her to the infirmary.

Though first he had to stop Falcone and Crystal.

So Duke lay Lis down carefully, and then wrapped her in his semi-dry shirt to keep her warm. If she went into shock, he wouldn't be able to save her.

"Hang in there Lis," he whispered as he kissed her cooling lips briefly.

Then he picked up his sabor as he stood and faced Falcone again.

With that one last fight broke out between the two rivals!

This time Duke had the upper hand. With Lis's life fading, Duke knew he couldn't let Falcone stop them from going back to the lair. He had to win this time, or else she would die. The thought of Lis leaving him forever gave Duke the strength he needed to knock Falcone's sabor out of his hand. Then with one solid hit, he knocked him unconscious with the blunt part of the blade of his own weapon. After, the falcon was tied up.

"What about me?!" Crystal questioned with the gun aimed at him.

Duke glared at her fearlessly; knowing that she had been the one who had shot Lis in cold blood and hatred. He lifted his wrist quickly and fired a bolo puck around the dark haired and brown feathered woman that tied her up to where she fell to her knees.

There on the ground, Falcone and Crystal would wait for the cops when Duke would secretly let them know of two lost members of the Brotherhood.

Then Duke walked back over to a quickly fading Lis as he carefully lifted her up into his strong arms again.

"YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US HERE L'ORANGE!!" Crystal shrieked.

"Watch me," was Duke's solemn answer; and with that he left them there.

Now all that mattered to Duke, was not the Brotherhood of the Blade; but the life of the one he loved dearly. For now; Duke ran back to the lair, while holding Lis as strongly as he could; so that she wouldn't slip away from him; and he wondered if he would be able to save her from leaving him all alone forever?