AS22: okay, I gotta confess… just as Shawn Cebula as mentioned to me, I know I have been spelling Saiyan wrong in the stories. Blame me… it is the first way I ever saw it spelled and I've used it. You noticed I fixed it in my name, Angel Saiyan 22. Sayjin… I dunno… anyway, R&R, and please, point out my mistakes.

Also, the evil cliffie is defeated! This is one of my favorite chapters.

Cell-Katie: not ours…

AS22: also, if anyone out there is confused, try reading my other stories first, okay? I've gotten reviews from confused people, and it is all because they haven't read New Destiny and those sequels yet. Its like watching Harry Potter 3 before reading book 1, kay? Now onward!

Katie: finally…

Chapter 27: The Cave-in

It was hard to breathe. I didn't know if I had passed out or if it all just happened really fast, what I did know was that there was physically a heavy weight on my chest and it was dark.

I pushed the weight off easily and sat up. I felt pain on my forehead, and when I reached up, I jerked back from pain. More gently this time, I felt a long cut that was swollen and slightly bleeding.

We were still in the cave, rocks scattered the small area we now were locked in. Even though the rock was off my chest, I was still having trouble breathing. I didn't know if that was from fear, injury, lack of air, or a combination of the three.

My head was hurting, and instinctually I held my forehead and closed my eyes. There were no Ki signatures around the cave, so no one had found my Ki blast from earlier.

I checked over myself. My right leg was throbbing, but I couldn't see to tell if anything was wrong.

"D'rar!" When I tried to move it I got my answer. It felt broken, and I hissed in pain, swearing in Saya-jin.

(Damn!)

Besides that I seemed okay, but I guessed I also had some broken ribs, hence my labored breathing.

"Cell, are you okay?" I didn't get a response, "Cell?" I focused my Ki search inside the cave. His Ki was low, "Hey, Cell, answer me man."

I still didn't get an answer. I opened my eyes and looked around, but I couldn't see clearly. I lit up a weak Ki ball to light up the cave, but I still couldn't see him.

I sat up and focused on his Ki more accurately. It was near me, under some rubble, so I dropped the Ki and crawled toward his power level.

"Cell, come on man, help me out here. Where are you?" I started to move some rocks around.

I can't lose him again… I can't lose him again!

A pile of rubble next to me moved, and up out of it was Cell on his hands and knees, gasping for air.

"Cell, you okay?" I asked, maneuvering over the rocks toward him.

"I'll be fine." His arms gave out and he started to fall, but I caught him.

"Easy big guy." I put him down on his back as carefully as I could.

"Why are you… being so nice to me… all of a sudden?" he was having trouble breathing like I was.

"You tried to protect me. You've helped me more these past few hours than I'd like to admit to."

"So you're repaying me?" he asked.

"It's more than that…" I rolled over to my back, sitting against a large slab of rock.

"Save your breath, we're running out of air."

"I can't blast us out… can you?" I asked.

"It may make things worse in here… but why can't you blast?"

"I can't see straight." I admitted.

I heard the sickening sound of bones and organs rearranging. I looked over and saw Cell regenerating himself. Most of it sounded internal.

"You're hurt too. I have to get you to the rebels."

"Why are you still here trying to help me?" I asked.

"What you say about love must be true… I can feel it… and I know that to show the Empress how much I really love her… I have to show her she's wrong. This universe is wrong. If she hadn't lost the child…"

"When I lost my kids, I went nuts too."

"Empress Katrin isn't crazy!" Cell snapped/growled at me.

"I didn't mean…"

"I know you didn't… what happened to your family?"

"An android killed my mate and my two older kids. If it wasn't for Codie… I might have hurt someone…"

"He is your crystal, isn't he?" Cell asked.

"Yeah, he is… I lost my memory from the trauma of their deaths… he never abandoned me."

"Do I know this android?" Cell asked.

"You might… he was a combination of Android 17 and a hell-fighter android. Gero made him in one last attempt against Goku." the air seemed to be thinning out more.

"I should try to get us out of here. Save your energy." Cell sat up and moved around, pushing rocks away.

I was right… he does realize that all of this isn't right. He wants to help his mate, and he knows I'm the only one who could stop her… but I can't.

I felt a tear fall from my eye.

I can't… I don't have the Angel power. Cell can't get us out of here in time…

"This is no way for a warrior to die…"

"Don't say things like that… don't even think it. I'll get us out of here." Cell ordered. I didn't even realize I had said it out loud.

"How bad off am I? Tell me the truth."

"You right leg is broken… and… one of your lungs has collapsed."

"More air for you…" I said, laughing.

"You're already acting hysterical… you might be in fever. The rebels are rumored to have portable rehab-tanks. Hopefully that's true."

"How will… you… find them?"

"I have to, there isn't a how to this. Now shut up and take in short, shallow breaths. It'll give us more time."

He really does want to save me…

3rd P.O.V. - Cell

"Talk to me, Katie. Tell me you're okay."

"Huh?" she opened her eyes, and Cell saw a stream of light lighting up her face in the darkness.

"I got to some air, now talk to me. A little while ago you wouldn't shut up." He couldn't help but smirk as he leaned back against the wall.

"I'm sore as Jutir, but I'm okay." she inhaled deeply, but winced.

(Hell)

"So you can speak Saya-jin."

"I guess you're fluent by now, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I am." He confirmed.

"How long till we're out of here?" she asked.

"Give me a second and I'll break the hole wider."

"You've lost a lot of Ki." she said.

"So have you."

Cell got back up and broke the wall, filling the cave with sunlight. It was early afternoon. The hole was much bigger than he was.

"Here we go." He went over and picked her up, cradling her as he stepped out of the cave. With her leg broken and lung impaired she couldn't move on her own. Cell noted how tiny she looked in his arms, just like his mate.

"Cell…" she gasped in pain as he lifted her off the floor.

"Relax, I have you." he said. She looked up at him, and as he looked back into her onyx eyes he almost flinched. Katrin's eyes always did that to him when he looked deep enough.

"What makes you think the rebels won't kill us on sight?"

"I hoping your mate and Gohan will be with the group we find… they'll know you're not my mate."

"Not very logical, Android 21."

"Neither were you when you kissed me." he responded.

"…It was the only way I could show you love. You did the same to me when I was in that illusion. Remember?"

She's confusing me with the Cell she knew.

"That wasn't-"

"You knew you were going to die, but you fought at my side anyway." Cell looked down at her again. Her eyes were closed, but he could still see the tears flowing, "Kooler fired his Death Beam at me… why? Damn you, why?" she began to pound on his chest, but there wasn't any pain. Cell just looked down at her, heartbroken and grieving all over again. She was in fever, he could tell by the way she was acting and how she looked.

"What did I do?" he asked softly. This may not have been the most logical way to retrieve information, but he had to know what his counterpart had done to upset her so much. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"You said you'd never leave me, you couldn't because you were already dead… but you left me… you left me alone to fight Frieza in the illusion… you jumped in front of me. Then you were gone." Her voice was cracking, she was shaking from the tears.

"I won't leave again." he said.

"Good…" when he looked down, Cell saw that she was pressed in close to him. She was so comfortable around the Cell she knew, and now she was confusing him with her friend.

Why did I say that to her?

He looked down to see tears still fresh on her cheeks. Cell could tell she had fallen asleep.

She's upset, that's why. I love her like she says my counterpart loved her. It's a love that… it isn't like the love I shared with Katrin before… its like I care for her… like a little sister… or even Teela-h'reth?

Cell looked up to see the moon rising. It was already night again, it felt like it had only been a few hours since he last saw the moon.