MAN! SUCH A FANFICTION RUSH! I'M HYPER NOW!

Disclaimer: IF I DID OWN STAR FOX, YUGIOH, OR STAR WARS, THEN WHY AM I POOR? (Okay…okay…calm down)

Encounter

Chapter 26

Desperate Measures

Joey stood there as he was staring at his mother. He couldn't understand why she was here to take Serenity back. Their mother, Marie, said that she could stay for a year, but it looks like it's going to be cut short.

"Joey, I need to take Serenity back with me," Marie said.

"Mom…I'm not letting you take Serenity away," Joey complained.

Falco looked back at the others, seeing that they're still behind him waiting to get in. He turned around and began to push everyone else out.

"Okay, okay; you all don't have to be in here," Falco said. "So just go on and file on out."

Grandpa acknowledged the request and left through the shop to go outside after getting his coat. No one else was leaving as they all were trying to stay in. Falco managed to push them to the shop door, but he couldn't get them out. Tristan looked back, wanting to say something.

"But…Falco-"

"I SAID FILE OUT!"

Falco made a strong push as he managed to get the rest of them outside. He locked the door and walked back into the living room, leaving Marie, Joey, Serenity, Fox, and Falco in the room alone. Yugi and the others were outside, trying to listen in to the conversation. The only problem is that they can't hear much and they couldn't see inside since the drapes were shut.

"Man, why couldn't we stay and listen?" Tristan asked.

"It's a family issue, that's why," Grandpa stated.

Everyone looked over to where Mokuba was standing as he appeared to be looking at something. Everyone else went over to him and was wondering what he was doing and what he had.

"Mokuba, what's that?" Duke asked.

"It appears to be a one way radio," Mokuba said. "Falco slipped it into my pocket when he was pushing us out."

"Well, at least we'll be able to listen in."

Back in the house, Fox began to pace around as he was listening to everything that Marie had to say. She kept telling Fox all about Serenity, about what she had to do to keep Serenity out of trouble. She was also telling him the reason why she left Joey behind.

"…and that's why I had to separate them, so that my ex-husband wouldn't follow us," Marie said as she finished ranting on.

"The way it sounds, it sounds like you don't care for Joey," Fox said.

"I didn't know how safe it was to have Joey with Serenity, so I had to separate them. When I let them back together, I thought things were fine, but they weren't. Serenity started to act differently, so I had no choice but to keep her away for some time."

"But you still let them communicate."

"That's only between those two."

"Look, ma'am. I, by law, am supposed to help negotiate peaceful reasoning between the two sides."

"I don't care; all I want is my daughter back."

"You can't take her, Marie," Falco said. "Separating these two will only destroy their lives even further."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Because of me," Fox said. "I lost my sister a long time ago…and I lost control of myself. I ended up falling down the wrong path, which led me to even more trouble."

"I understand what you're saying, but you can't do anything to stop me."

"Why would you say that?"

"I have the responsibility to protect my daughter from harm. She's been under my protection ever since I left."

"Mom," Serenity mumbled, "I don't want to go back."

"Serenity, you're coming back no matter what."

"Why?"

"Because of your so called friends, that's why!"

"That's not good enough, mother," Joey said.

"She's right, mom," Serenity said.

"Serenity, your friends will abandon you when you need help the most," Marie said. "There's no meaning to have friends if they're not there to help."

As she heard that, she felt a fire burning inside of her heart. She knows what it's like to have friends, but she also knows what it's like to lose them.

"That's why I need to take you back," Marie added.

Tears began to form in Serenity's eyes, beginning to feel the pain of the loss of Lisa's life.

"YOU THINK MY TRUEST FRIEND WOULD ABANDON ME?" Serenity yelled. "LISA WAS THE ONLY TRUE FRIEND I HAD! SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO UNDERSTOOD MY PAIN! IF SHE ABANDONED ME, THEN WHY DID SHE HELP ME WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HER? WHY DID SHE PUT HER LIFE ON THE LINE TO SAVE ME? MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHY WOULD SHE SACRIFICE HER LIFE FOR MY SAKE?"

Serenity began to heave from the pain of saying that, but this pain is something she had to express. Marie only stared at her, wondering if Serenity finally lost it.

"That's it. I'm going to take Serenity back with me."

Marie began to approach Serenity, but Serenity began to cling onto Joey's arm, wanting to stay with him. Fox went up to Marie, wanting to know more.

"Tell me…why are you doing this?" Fox asked.

"You want to know why?" Marie said. "It's because I don't want my daughter to feel the pain that I felt from my ex-husband. I don't want her to be raped like I was."

"True, but there's more that I have to ask."

"Like what?"

"…Why couldn't you take both of them?"

"I already answered that one. I had no choice because of my ex-husband. If I did take both of them, then my ex-husband would follow me to where I went with my children."

Fox only stood there, waiting for anymore reasons to his question. Marie went over to Serenity and took her by the arm, trying to take her away.

"Serenity, we're leaving now!" Marie said.

Serenity kept holding back from her, trying to stay with Joey. Fox looked over to see that Joey only stood there, doing nothing to help. Joey was being overwhelmed by all of these reasons, and began to believe in what his mother had to say.

"Serenity, go with mom," Joey said quietly. "You'll be safe with her."

Serenity looked up in surprise at Joey as he said that. She couldn't understand why he would say that, why he would do such a thing as to let her go. She knew him enough that he wanted to be with her, but he doesn't understand why he would let go of her like that.

"Joey…you…why?" Serenity asked.

"Because…of the recent events," Joey said. "I almost lost you during all of those times. Maybe you should be with mother. It'll be safer there."

"Joey, she's not safe anywhere," Falco stated. "I don't know why you would let Serenity go like that."

Serenity could only slump her head as she had no choice but to accept the truth. She began to think about those times where she was in grave danger, but she also was imagining things that she didn't want to think about, nor was it something she intended to think about. Fox looked over to see Serenity let go of Joey and began to walk out with Marie. One thing only bothered Fox and that's what he noticed at that moment. Just as Marie was about to enter the shop, she heard something ignite from behind her, causing her to gasp with fear. Marie kept hearing a constant low hum that created a chill down her spine. She turned her head slightly to see Fox standing there with his lightsaber active. The tip of the green blade was only half a foot away from her head, but it was enough to know the power of it at that distance.

"You'd better wait there because I have one last question to ask you!" Fox snarled.

"And that's what?"

"…How long…"

Marie only stood there, beginning to smirk from the question. She turned around, facing the tip of the lightsaber as she assumed to know the question.

"Are you wondering how long I'll keep Serenity?" Marie asked. "I'll tell you. It might be a year; it might be ten years; it might even be forever."

"That's not what I was asking."

Marie stood there, confused about what Fox would ever mean. Fox clearly knew what she's been hiding as well as what she's been doing. Serenity didn't feel a hand on her wrist and began to back off to the gifts she got. Fox still stood there with his lightsaber only inches away from Marie's face.

"…How long have YOU HAD THOSE TELEKINETIC POWERS?"

Marie's eyes shot open wide, surprised at what Fox asked. Joey and Serenity couldn't believe their ears as they never knew of what Fox said. Falco only stood there with a calm and cool look, but inside his heart, he knew that this discovery could mean a lot of trouble.

"Answer me!" Fox yelled.

"Alright then; I'll answer," Marie acknowledged. "I got these telekinetic powers when I left my husband for good. I used these powers to tap into Serenity's thoughts and know what's on her mind."

"But that's not all. You also used them to plant images into Serenity's mind, to create her mind in your own sick ways, and, most of all, you used them to lock Serenity away from life. You put a veil around her heart so that she doesn't become influenced by others thoughts, actions, and feelings."

"You don't know that for sure. What proof do you have that I've been doing those things?"

"…Because of what Serenity told me. She told me that Lisa was the only true friend she had, and that was something that hinted to me that you did something to her. I don't mind people giving their opinions to each other, but you forced Serenity to not have her own friends, to not have any affectionate feelings, nor would you permit her to open herself up to the world."

"And do you want to know why I did that? It's because I didn't want Serenity to end up in a place that I don't want her to be. If I didn't do what I did, then she could've easily been a street thug, a rape victim, or even a prostitute."

Fox stood there, pointing his lightsaber to her face still. He could feel her hatred for her ex-husband, for her son, and even for the Jedi.

"A great Jedi once told me that life is too fragile to destroy. One must take his or her own path to be able to live a true life. Following someone else only leads the follower to a false life. If someone doesn't take a path at all of their desire, then there's no real purpose intheir life."

"Fox…if what you say is true…"

Fox looked over to Serenity to see somethingthat he doesn't wish for. Serenity heldher lightsaber to her chest in a way that if the blade was to ignite anytime soon, it would instantly kill her.

"…then there's no reason for me to live."

Joey was about to run over to stop Serenity, but something stopped him in his tracks. Everyone heard the sound of a gun being loaded and ready to be fired. Joey, Fox, Serenity, and Falco all looked over to see that Marie had a standard 9 mm pistol in her hands pointing directly at Joey. Fox put his lightsaber high and back, ready to strike at Marie if he has to.

"You stay right where you are!" Marie threatened.

"Ms. Wheeler. Your mind has been plagued more than what I imagined. It seems like you abused the Force to the point where you lost your sanity," Fox said.

"I know what I'm doing, but I've finally made my decision. My son must die!"

"Mom, you can't. Why would you kill me, your son?" Joey pleaded.

"Because it's you that's been influencing her the way you have been," Marie said. "You're the reason why my daughter's been acting the way she has been!"

"Mom," Serenity mumbled, "the only thing you are is a cowardly bitch!"

Marie could only stare at Serenity as she heard that from her daughter. Marie couldn't believe what she heard, but she couldn't deny it either. Serenity stood up straight on her feet as her arm was hanging down with her lightsaber in it. She pressed the activation button and let the blade shine its blue light.

"Serenity, of all the things I've done to keep you alive and safe, this is the respect you give me?" Marie questioned. "And if Joey's your influence, then he should die for it!"

"If you try to kill Joey, then I will retaliate," Serenity threatened.

Without warning, Fox felt the desire to pull the trigger now in Marie. Fox was preparing himself to strike Marie down, but something caused him to stop. He felt a sudden spike in the Force, but the source was in the room. He put that aside and tried to go in to stop Marie from pulling the trigger. As soon as he managed to wind up for a swing of his lightsaber, he heard something that caused him to stop. He froze as the smell of gun powder filled the room as the sound of the explosion echoed in his ears with something else. Not only did the gun shot echo, but the sound of a bullet deflecting off of a lightsaber kept echoing in his mind. He looked over to see someone standing in front of Joey as she held her lightsaber up at a downward angle with her arms outstretched. Fox only stood there in surprise as he couldn't believe what he saw.

"Serenity…was that you?"

Before long, Serenity began to struggle to keep a vertical base, but something caused her to fall to her knees, and then fall to her side. As Serenity was lying on the ground with blood forming near the left side of her abdomen, Joey was beginning to doubt what he saw, but he couldn't escape the reality to see his sister dying.

"SERENITY; NO!"