"Well, bye guys" said Lea waving goodbye to her teammates, she was leaving with the white tigers and Ray her boyfriend to go back to her home village.

"Bye, be careful and come back soon." Said Hannah, sad that her friend and teammate was leaving for a while but it was understood that she'd want to visit her parents and family.

"Bye Lea" said Lexy

"Bye! Come Back Soon!" called Keisha waving.

Lea smiled and waved to them as she and the others set off for home. Just them Mariah's hand latched onto hers.

"Big sister, how long are you going to stay? A year? 2 years?" asked Mariah

Lea laughed at the younger girl's childish behavior, "Mariah, I can't stay long. As much as I would love to stay a year or two. I have a team to get back to I don't want Lexy going crazy from Hannah's and Keisha's behavior.

The six of them headed off, back to their home town. Ray watched as Lea laughed at Mariah's genkai behavior. He smiled, she seemed really happy to be going back to see her parents. The two had been surprised when Tala, Lexy, Hannah and Parker surprised them with cheers of congrats for finally getting together. The two haven't told anyone else seeing as they still needed Lea's father's permission.

As the sun set that day, they decided to stop and set up camp. As Lea stirred the soup, Ray and Lee were setting up the tents. Kevin, Gary and Mariah were gathering food supplies for the next day.

"Dinner's ready!" called Lea.

She laughed as the other four: Gary, Mariah, Kevin, and Lee all ran for the table. Ray was just standing there shaking his head. "I forgot how they acted when it came to dinner time." He laughed.

She could only nod in agreement laughing. She saw Ray resisting the temptation from wrapping his arm around her. She giggled, he knew that they had to wait and she knew he'd wait as long as it took even though it hurt.

"Hey! Are you two going to eat or what?" called Lee gulping down the soup "Delicious!"

"We're coming" said Lea heading over to the table.

That night when everyone had finished eating and getting ready for bed, Lea took out her wooden flute and began playing it to help get Mariah to sleep. Lee just sat there listening as well as the other guys. When Mariah had fallen asleep Lea gently picked her up and took her to their tent to sleep. "Good night Mariah" she whispered.

When everyone else had fallen asleep, Lea snuck out of her tent and went to the river where she and Ray had decided to meet. It was somewhat a long way from the campsite but they couldn't have anyone of them know that they were on a girlfriend boyfriend status. When she reached the lake Ray was already there waiting for her.

"Hey" she greeted.

Ray smiled as he folded her into his arms, nuzzling her head. "Man, I thought I'd die from not being able to hold you all day."

She smiled "Aw come on it wasn't that bad was it?" she teased

Ray grinned, "Well, maybe but at least now I get to hold you and have you all to myself."

She laughed as they leaned in for a kiss. Just before the others woke up they headed back to camp and made it look like they had been sleeping. Lea "awoke" when Mariah had pounced on her.

"Big sister! Wake up!" she giggled.

Lea smiled as well, "Good morning, did you sleep well little one?" she asked using her nick name that she had given her.

She nodded her head furiously, "Very, did you?"

"Of course, I don't think I've had such a good nights sleep in a long time." Replied Lea Well of course I wasn't sleeping here I was sleeping on Ray's shoulder by the lake.

By night fall that day the six of them had reached the village. Mariah had grabbed Lea's hand and dragged her to where her house was, assuming that she had forgotten where it was. Lea laughed, "Mariah! I know where my house is."

Mariah stopped in her tracks, "Oh, sorry." She bowed her head.

"No its alright little one, your right maybe after all this time I had forgotten where my house was you did no wrong in assuming that." Replied Lea gently.

Once again, Mariah led Lea to the door way of her house. Mariah gave her a gentle push. She let Kevin in first seeing as he was her true younger sibling.

"Mother! Father! I'm home, and there are two people I want you to see, or meet or well yeah" said Kevin as he walked into the house.

Slowly, two elderly people came out; their eyes widened when they saw Lea. "Oh my god, Lea?" exclaimed her mother.

"Yes mother its me, I've come home." She replied with tears in her eyes. As she ran into her mother's embrace. Her father stroke her head gently, glad and relieved that his daughter had come home safely.

Ray and the others just stood there, smiling. Kevin couldn't think of another time when his parents have been this happy since Lea had left. Lea's father turned his head around and spotted Ray.

"Ray! You're here as well?" he exclaimed "Well, now that the whole village is back together I say that we should have a banquet."

"Thank you, honorable leader." Thanked Ray bowing.

"There is no need to bow Ray, but I see that you haven't change a bit." Laughed Lea's father.

"Father, Ray and I have some important news for you that we need to speak to you alone about. Well mother as well." Spoke up Lea, firmly.

Her father looked surprise as did the others but they complied.

Inside the house in the living room

"Well Lea, Ray what is it?" asked Lea's father looking at the two of them.

"You see father, while I had been away I joined a different beyblading team as so did Ray." Started Lea, she launched into the story. "So what I'd like to say is" she looks at Ray as he smiled back "That Ray and I have fallen in love"

Her father's reaction hadn't been what she had expected, he laughed. When he had stopped laughing, "Well, even before you were carried away by that river Lea I had known that you and Ray would end up together. And whether or not he left the village to find you or not I had faith that you two would be together. And I couldn't have asked a better person to look after my daughter."

Both Lea and Ray looked bewildered, "Father, I had always thought that you wanted me to make Lee my husband" started Lea frowning.

"You see my dear, I couldn't have trusted Lee the way I trust Ray. Ray is caring, gentle and compassionate. But Lee is too full of himself and self confident, he didn't have the virtues that I would have expected in your husband." Explained her father, Lea's mother nodded,

"I agree, ever since I first lay eyes on you Ray I had faith that you would be our daughter's husband."

Lea and Ray looked at each other happily. They now had permission to be with each other not that they would have obeyed it anyways. The two loved each other dearly and would sacrifice their lives just for the other to be happy.

At the banquet

The village leader (Lea's dad) stood up to get everyone's attention. "My fellow villagers," He started "Today two if our village members have returned home and may I now ask you to welcome back my daughter Lea and Ray Kon." He gestured as the two stood up and bowed.

"Now I have another announcement. Earlier this evening my daughter had informed me that she had fallen in love with no other then Ray himself. I give them my blessings and I couldn't have entrusted my daughter with anyone else." Said her father as everyone cheered.

Mariah could hardly sit still, she knew that she only cared for Ray as a brother, but she couldn't say the same for her brother. He just sat there stunned by the news. A girl that he cared deeply for, had been taken away by his best friend, just like the Drigger bit beast that should have been his. No he wouldn't let him get away with taking anything else that rightfully his.

Later that evening

Lea and Ray had left the banquet early to have some time to themselves. The two walked quietly, hand in hand. Sighing contently Lea rested her head on Ray's shoulder. Ray smiled as well as her wrapped his arm around her.

Unknown or well unseen Lee was hiding in the bushes watching their every move. Mariah had told him that he probably only cared for Lea like a sister. But her refused to believe that. He thought that he should be Lea's rightful boyfriend and owner of the Drigger bit beast. When he saw them lean in for a kiss, he felt his blood boil. He jumped out and interrupted them.

"Lee?" asked Lea and Ray in unison, bewildered of course.

"Yeah it's me. Lea, I love you. You deserve someone better then Ray. Like me." Said Lee as he reached for her hand.

"WHAT!" asked Lea shocked.

"HUH?" asked Ray looking completely lost.

"You heard me, Lea belongs to me and me alone!" shouted Lee "You took the Drigger bit beast away from me but I won't allow you to take away my love!"

"Lee. I love Ray not you and you can't change that!" shouted back Lea. "You're a nice guy and everything but your, your not Ray."

"Lee, your right." Said Ray calmly. Lea and Lee turned to him with surprised looks on their faces. "I'm not good enough for someone as amazing as Lea, but she loves me and I love her and that's all we need to know. I never took her away from you she just chose me over you."

"No! No…" said Lee backing up, shocked that he had just got turned down. "No…."

"Lee, I don't love you." Explained Lea one last time "My heart belongs to Ray, not you. You can't decide who I should love or who I shouldn't or even say who I'm too good for."

The couple left, leaving Lee with his own thoughts.

Lee's P.O.V.

Mariah was right, Lea would never love me and never has. If Lea isn't my soul-mate, then who is?