Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Ninja Storm characters, only Simone, Gabriel and any other character you don't recognise.

the real vampire: Thanks for the review. I got the hint, so here's your next chapter. You'll have to wait to find out if Hunter/Matthew did it.

Chapter 5

"Friend? You've got to be joking." Simone advanced forward, but Hunter held her back. He knew what she was about to do. He would do the same thing in her shoes.

"I know you hate me for what happened but, I'm back now and I'm not here to hurt you or anyone else. I just want forgiveness." Emma said.

Simone sacastically laughed. "You can't be serious? You expect me to forgive you for what you did? Hello, you teamed up with evil."

"Ok, so that wasn't my best judgement."

"You made Hunter do your evil work and tried to bring back Lothor."

Emma looked at the anger displayed on Hunter's face when what she did to him was mentioned. "I know, that was bad."

"You tried to kill me, my brother and my friends. Plus you tried to steal a power which didn't belong to you."

"Ok, so that was worse." Emma looked down at her shuffling feet. "Look, I'm sorry for what I did to you, to all of you."

"You expect everyone to just suddenly forgive you and leave it at that? For all we know you could turn again." Hunter stepped forward.

"I was thinking the exact same thing." Gabriel hadn't stopped glaring at Hunter.

That was the last straw for Hunter. "I dare you to say that again." He didn't appretiate what Gabriel just said, along with the fact that he was blatently accusing him of a crime he didn't commit and supposedly knew he was going to commit again. Hunter clenched his fist and faced down Gabriel. "Go on. Just try it."

"Why? Are you going to hit me? I think that just proves you're not as good as you try to make out to be." Gabriel didn't back down. He was a protector and fear wasn't part of his job description. He would gladly die for his charge.

Simone walked forward and stood between the two. "Stop it, both of you. Gabriel, I trust Hunter won't do anything. I've witnessed him being evil and he didn't do anything then. If anything, the goodness in him tried hard to break through. And Hunter, now is not the time to go picking fights with Gabriel. His intentions are good, even though he's going about it the wrong way." Simone blew out a breath. It was like being in a room full of kids. She looked at Emma without moving from her spot. She didn't want a fight to brew up again. "Like Hunter said before, for all we know you could turn again?"

"I don't have any physical powers anymore and I can't get them back, so I can't do anything."

"Physical? So you can still do minor stuff like cast spells?"

"Only for good and not for personal gain, they made sure of that."

"How?"

"They tagged me." Emma pulled up her sleeve and revealed a bracelet. "It's a bit like those ankle bracelets those ex-prisoners wear but with more power and consequences. As in I do bad, I go back for longer." She explained.

Simone was about to ask something else when she heard the front door close followed by her cousin yelling. "Simone where are you?" Footsteps were then heard coming up the steps.

"Quick, Gabriel get beack into the ring. Hunter," Simone pused him towards the bathroom. "sorry, but my cousin will freak if she finds you up here and then my dad will freak when she tells him."

"What about Emma?" Hunter asked as he entered the bathroom next door.

"She's fine here. I'll watch her, don't worry." Simone closed the bathroom door just as her cousin entered. The ring was still glowing on the dresser. Emma stood infront of it quickly.

It was after midday when Dustin finally left his room. "Ah dude, point me to the coffee."

Shane looked up and then looked back to the Tv. "You could've at least put on some clothes, man."

"I am wearing clothes."

"I mean more than boxers."

"Oh." Was all Dustin could say. He went back to his room. It didn't take long for him to come back out. "Dude last night was crazy."

"No it wasn't."

"I did something and I don't want you to totally go mad, but I..."

"kissed Dustin last night." Marah said as she sat around the breakfast table.

"No you didn't." Kapri wasn't paying attention at first. Then it sunk in and she looked at her sister. "You kissed Dustin? No way"

"Bro she's..." Shane started.

"A space ninja, I know."

"No, I was going to say, she's your student. Isn't that going to make classes a bit difficult."

"I didn't think about that." Dustin sat down next to his friend. "I couldn't help it."

"It was one of those, caught up in the moment things. One minute we're talking and the next,"

"Lip lock." Kapri finished.

"Exactly." Marah leant her chin on her hand.

Shane regarded his friend fo a moment. "You like her. You really like her."

Dustin blushed a little."Yeah. Who wouldn't. Dude what am I going to do? She'll want to, like, talk about it."

"Better you than me." Shane patted Dustin's shoulder. "Wait until I tell the other's."

Dustin sat back but quickly sprang back up. "No, don't."

"It's not like Marah won't." Shane laughed.

"So what are you going to do?

"Talk to Dustin." Marah decided.

"What's going on?" Simone's cousin, Jenny enquired. "I got a call from Hunter this morning telling me that you were working today."

"I was for a bit, but now I'm back. I would've been there all day but I had to meet Emma." Simone said. She saw Emma wave from the corner of her eye.

"Ok, well, hi Emma. Erm where's Hunter? I know he's here because I saw his car."

"He's in the bathroom. We were just about to all go out." Simone grabbed her ring and put it on her finger.

"Well before you disappear again, which you love to do, I need to talk to you."

"About?"

"About a work presentation party I need you to attend and a possible promotion I'm getting."

Simone hugged Maria. "Wow that's great, if you get it."

"Yeah and that's only half of it. It requires a move to New York. I wanred to tell you yesterday but you were sleeping when I got home." Maria said quickly.

Simone pulled away. "New York? Move to New York? Do I have to..."

"No, no. You can stay here. That's if I get it."

"But I won't be able to take care of this house all by myself."

"You can always ask a few of your friends to move in and help out. But none of your male friends. Female only." Maria smiled. "Come on, I need help unloading the shopping. Emma, you can help too. And Hunter." She shouted the last name and then turned to leave.

"So what's this presentation party then?"

"Well I have to get up on a stage in front of lots of people and give a presentation on...well you wouldn't understand. Other's will be doing it too and the best three will be asked to work in the New York offices. I really need you there for support and to suck up to the bosses. It will entail a shopping trip to de-pinkify you and get some very formal wear."

Simone laughed. "Can i bring a friend?"

"Sure."

"Can I bring Hunt...woah." Simone was cut off as she was pulled back.

"A presentation party? Have you ever seen me wear a tux? I don't even own one." Hunter complained. "And I don't do those formal party things. I don't like them."

"You've never been to one. Oh come on Hunter, just try."

"No way." Hunter finalised.

"Fine then, I'll ask someone else." Simone walked off to help Maria bring in the shopping.

Emma just looked at Hunter who looked back weirdly before asking, "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Nothing. I just never thought of you as...nevermind."

"No what?"

"As an idiot." Emma shook her head and walked off to help.

"I know you didn't seriously just call me an idiot." Hunter yelled after her. After all the evil she had done, she just turned around and called him an idiot. For someone who wanted forgiveness, she was going about it all wrong.

"Then you must be a bigger idiot to think that." Emma yelled back.

AN: I was going to do some Blake and Tori stuff in this chapter but I decided to do Dustin and Marah. Blake and Tori will be in the next chapter.