While you where gone

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Beyblade and related stuff are copyright of the creator.

::Prologue::

An excitement that hadn't been felt for years dominated the air between the two friends as the phone was hung back up. They couldn't believe it. Four years. After four years they were going to see their friends again.

The Blade Breakers were meeting up again.

Tyson looked at Hilary with barely contained excitement and grinned a huge toothy grin. Hilary, who felt almost the same enthusiasm as Tyson returned with a giddy smile of her own.

"I can't believe it!" cried Tyson, jumping on the spot, "In just a week we'll see all the guys again."

"I know, I know," replied Hilary in rapid speech and jiggling on the spot, "I can't wait to see them all! Max, Rei, Kenny." She paused for a moment; "I just wish we could find Kai..." again she stopped, then as though suddenly remembering something ran from the room with a little squeal.

Tyson who had begun to respond stopped mid sentence, "Well you know Kai he...hey where're you going?"

"We have less than a week to get a party organized, we have to get started!"

Tyson sighed and the hurried to follow her supposing that he should help her out.

A few weeks ago both Hilary and Tyson were sitting bored in a café in Bukuten Mall. They had just been to see a movie that neither could remember the plot of and were now sitting nursing their cups of coffee. The boredom they felt was so strong that even the delicious food resting invitingly on the plates in front of Tyson couldn't cure it. The food sat untouched. Silence reined at that moment between them until they both let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm really bored." Whined Tyson, drawing out the words in emphasis.

"Hmm... me too, Tyson"

"Lets go now"

"'K"

They stood, leaving the unfinished cakes on the tabletop and headed towards the car park. Hilary looked in the windows of the stores as they passed them. They walked in silence until Hilary saw something in the window of the sports store that made her stop in her place. Tyson who had kept walking glanced behind him and noticed that Hilary had stopped and was standing transfixed by something in a window, curious he walked back to her and asked, "What is it Hil?"

"I miss them" was her quiet reply. Her voice was weak and her eyes sorrowful as she continued to look into the window.

"Miss who?" however after following her gaze Tyson soon learned whom she was referring to. In the window was a framed photograph of a team of beybladers. He looked into the faces of the teens in the photograph all smiling widely for the camera. His heart ached as Hilary's did. The Blade Breakers smiled back at them.

They hadn't been together for years. Four years ago they had split and gone their separate ways and neither Tyson nor Hilary had heard or seen much of them since. Kenny had gone to the other side of Japan for a scholarship he had received from a private university and was now studying computer programming. Rei had flown back to China to his hometown, what exactly he was doing there they didn't know. Max was working with his mother back in America. Then there was Kai. They had no idea where Kai had gone, no one did, not even Mr. Dickinson.

Hilary looked back at Tyson, eyes wide and hopeful. "We should try to get a hold of them again. I want to know how they are doing."

"We should. I wanna see them, get the ol' team back together." He grinned; things would be so much more fun with everyone together again.

Tick. Tick. Tick

Why is it when you watch a clock that it always seems to run slower? Tyson could swear that it had started to go backwards.

"Come on... hurry up...DAMN IT!" his patience was reaching its limit. Come on seven o'clock. The minute hand took its last painfully slow movement towards the twelve and then clicked into place. It was know seven o'clock.

To say that Tyson was anxious would be an understatement. It would be like saying that saying that the Empire State Building was "pretty big". Hilary was feeling it too. She sat at the table with the food laid neatly before her nibbling on the chips and bouncing her leg agitatedly. The tension in the room was thick and potent. Any minute now they would be seeing their friends that they hadn't seen in four years. What if they had changed?

They had set the party up at Tyson's Dojo for old times sake. Many hours where spent in the dojo as the team trained. It was here that the team was really born. Currently the entire training room was decorated with streamers from the ceiling and Blade Breaker memorabilia strewn around the room. Dragoon sat waiting for the blades of the other bladers on a table on the sidewall in a trophy cabinet along with the blading awards the team had collected.

Sighing Hilary stood up and glanced at the clock Tyson was watching with such interest and began to speak, "They should be here any min...AHH! THAT'S THE DOOR!" She ended up screaming as the doorbell cut her off. She jumped and ran to the door and flung it open. Tyson soon followed.

In the doorway stood a handsome Chinese man with exceptionally long hair hanging down his back. He wore a traditional Chinese shirt with comfortable looking jeans. His face was kind and was adorned with a wondrous smile filled with joy. He looked at Hilary then to Tyson. None of them could speak. Rei's smile spread wider on his face and his eyes watered a little. He pulled them both into a tight hug slightly chocking them. Hilary, who had been a little shocked at finally seeing Rei hugged back equally tight and sobbed a little into the cotton of his shirt. Tyson however patted Rei enthusiastically on the back and laughed heartily. Finally Rei released them and laughed slightly.

"Tyson. Hilary. It's so good to see you both again."

"You too bud!" Tyson replied leading him inside, a sniffling Hilary followed.

"So I'm the first here then?"

"Yeah, we're expecting Max and Kenny any moment."

"Not Kai?" asked Rei with a frown and it was Hilary who replied, a hint of regret in her voice.

"We couldn't get hold of him, he's disappeared again."

Rei looked a little disappointed that one of his friends wouldn't be there. Tyson saw this.

"Hey! We don't need Mr. Sourpuss to have fun! Come on Rei, watcha been up to?"

Rei told them how he had been teaching the towns children to beyblade and had been doing some tutoring in his hometown until the doorbell rang again. This time it was Kenny.

"Oh my god Kenny! I love your hair!" was his first greeting after four years of absence.

"I didn't get such an enthusiastic reception when I got here." Pouted Rei jokingly.

"Come on Rei, you already know that I love your hair." Hilary replied glancing at then returning her gaze back to Kenny's hair. He'd cut it, it was now short and fashionably cut and showed his eyes that where behind thin-framed glasses. Hilary couldn't resist anymore and reached out to touch the new do. Kenny looked up at her warily, "um... it's good to see you too Hilary."

"Sorry Kenny, couldn't resist..,"

"Is that how you greet everyone Hil? I'd better take of my hat then..."

"MAXY!" A blue streak blue past them and sent Max tumbling onto the floor. A hysterical bout of laughter broke out into the night as the to old best friends greeted each other.

Many hugs and tears later the old friends settled down at the table to eat. Tyson's appetite had returned in full force and he was practically inhaling the meal. Rei, Max and Kenny smiled warmly at this. At least some things never change. They discussed what they had been up to and retold good memories shared.

Later that night as they sat together drinking, now slightly tipsy, they joked and reminisced about times past.

"Remember when we firsht got together?" Tyson slightly slurred.

"Yeah, we were all bunch of misfits!" laughed Rei.

"No one misfit Ted more that our very own forever cheerful capt'n though" laughed Tyson "though that was on purpose!"

They all chuckled appreciatively. It was true their stoic captain had in the beginning managed to make avoiding them an art form. Hilary sighed, "It seems that again he didn't want to be found." They all looked at Hilary, "It's like he's avoiding us all over again."

Kai's absence had created a lingering feeling that something was missing. Which was in fact true, Kai was missing.

"It would have been nice if he were here." Agreed Max nodding his head and looking at the floor. They each followed suit, deep in thought about their missing member.

Kenny chuckled "Yeah, even if he were to just to sit in the corner with his eyes closed."

"Damn him! I wish Mr. Disappear-without-a-trace-and-be-a-party-pooper would just be here!" Cried Tyson in frustration. He may have hated Kai in the beginning but over the years Kai had become more open and the other bladders more understanding. They all missed Kai, no matter how much he had tried to keep them away.

"I'd be careful what you wish for Tyson, it might just come true." Came a soft but powerful voice from behind them. Every head snapped towards the voice. A figure stood in the doorway cloaked in the darkness of the nightscape behind him. A tall and strong profile was born in colour as the figure stepped forward and closed the door behind them. Slate hair tied at the nape of his neck and brushing just below his shoulders. Dark clothing contrasting with pale skin. Thick boots slipped off by strong hands. Scarf lying gracefully over broad shoulder. Blue triangles and piercing yet amused eyes. The figure looked at each of them as he addressed them "You didn't think I'd miss desert did you?" he smirked.

"OH SWEET MOTHER OF... KAI!"

This is my first Fic! If you like it please tell me and I'll continue!

plot suggestions are welcome too!