Disclaimer: OK I guess this is the second to last chapter; I skipped in their world to Thursday so yeah. At least I have every thing else planned out except for one detail which I'll let you all vote on. I hope you enjoy and remember Megaman is not owned by me.

Chapter 8:

Birthday Surprises

"Happy Birthday Lan," Protoman said at the long table that Lan was sitting at alone as he at lunch.

"Thanks," Lan replied in a depressed tone then disheartened added, "I just wish I could really enjoy it."

"Why don't we head to your house, I'm sure Mrs. Hikari won't mind if we arrive early," the red net navi told him in an attempt to cheer the sullen boy up.

"I guess," he said replacing the PET into his pocket along with the Z-saber battlechip. He slowly dragged himself down the hall then out the front door. He saw Chaud's limo parked at the bottom of the steps and entered, "To the Hikari residence."

"I don't thinks so," Dr. Yami said as he turned around from the driver's seat and pressed the lock button then smugly told the boy, "Dr. Regal has plans for you 'Chaud' or should I say Lan?"

An Hour at Lan's house

"Bye Honey bye Lan," Regal said as he started toward the door.

"Where are you going dear aren't you going to stay for your son's twelfth birthday party," Haruka asked concernedly.

"I'd love to but I have to go to a meeting to discuss what happened the other day and I won't be back till late, sorry Lan," Dr. Regal acted, petting the boy on the head s Chaud secretly slipped something into the man's pocket.

"Bye Dad," Chaud replied as he watched the man walk out the door then began smirking to himself.

A few minutes later the doorbell began to chime, "Oh Lan the first of your guests has arrived," Mrs. Hikari said as she opened the door.

"Hey Lan. I'm sorry I didn't bring a present, I didn't even realize until yesterday I spent almost all my money on that battlechip I gave you last week after your accident," Mayl informed "Lan".

"It's ok come on in, you're the first to arrive," Chaud told the red headed girl then closed the door behind her.

"So we're the only one's here, wanna go up to your room?" Mayl winked then walked over to the railing.

"Sure we have a few minutes till everyone else arrives," Chaud said in a save tone of voice then followed her up the stairs. They entered Lan's blue room and as soon as Chaud closed the door their lips locked.

"Lan can you come down here!" Mrs. Hikari yelled up the stairs.

"Sure mom," Chaud yelled back then quickly kissed Mayl on the lips, "I'll be right back."

Haruka watched as "her son" came down the stairs, "Dear, come here a second," she told him as she patted the seat next to her on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Chaud asked concernedly because of the look on Lan's mother's face then sat down.

"Something happened…" Haruka started then started to cry, "to your friend Chaud, look."

'Oh no, if anything happens to Lan I'll never forgive myself and I'll be stuck this way forever," Chaud thought as Mrs. Hikari picked up the remote control and turned on the news.

Two reporters were shown standing in front of the Blaze Mansion, "We are here at the scene where one hour ago Chaud Blaze, the heir to the Blaze fortune, was kidnapped," the woman said into her microphone then the male Anchor took over.

"A half an hour later the boy chauffeur was found bound and gagged with a note attached to him saying that if Mr. Blaze didn't come to come to the docks in person with Half a billion dollars then it will be the end for young Chaud, More on this story when we come back," the man said then the weather womanappeared on the screen.

'Oh no, Lan," Chaud thought then ran back upstairs into his room without saying a word to the woman who was sitting next to him.

Mayl heard the door begin to turn and quickly got up from her seat on Lan's bed, "Lan I was wondering when you'd get… back," Mayl started but ended meekly when she saw the glistening tears in "Lan's" eyes.

"Please just leave me alone," Chaud mumbled then jumped on the bed and collapsed into a pillow.

"Lan what's wrong?" Mayl asked as she approached the crying boy.

"Don't call me that," Chaud yelled into the pillow.

"Don't call you what? I only said your name," the girl inquired worriedly.

"That's not my name, I'm not Lan," Chaud whimpered through the now drenched pillow.

"Lan what are you talking about? Should I go get your mom?" Mayl asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"No, just stop calling me that. I'm not Lan, I'm not Lan. It's all my fault, Lan's gone," Chaud said as he sat up on the side of his friend's bed.

"Lan you're not making any sense," Mayl yelled back at her friend.

"I keep telling you I'm not Lan, the real Lan's been taken cause someone thinks he's me," Chaud told her.

"Lan I going to go get your mo…" Mayl started but was cut off by the sobbing boy.

"Last Thursday me and Lan, we went into SciLab for a new Synchro experiment but something went wrong and the next thing I knew I was hear and I was Lan," Chaud looked at her as the tears trickled down his face.

"Let's just say I believe you, if what you're saying is true that would make you…" Mayl began in a shocked voice then the boy next to her finished.

"Chaud, didn't you wonder how Lan figured out how to multiply," Chaud said releasing a small laugh.

"Wait a minute, you mean I kissed… oh God I think I'm going to be sick," Mayl said holding her hands to her mouth and puffing out her cheeks then mimed throwing up.

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Chaud asked looking at the girl with a smirk on his red tear stained face.

"I guess not, why don't we just not talk about that for now, tell me what happened to Lan," Mayl told him then patted him on the shoulder.

"I just heard on the news that 'Chaud' was kidnapped an hour ago, and they're going to kill him if my dad doesn't come to pay the bail," Chaud told her then looked down, "and the truth is I'm not sure if I'm even worth the half a billion dollars to my dad."

'That's so sad, is Chaud's dad truly that horrible,' Mayl thought then hugged the boy in Lan's body, "Ok the first thing we need to do is try to figure out who did this, do you have any ideas," Mayl asked.

"The only person I can think of is in jail," Chaud sighed then looked into the girl's brown eyes.

"Then let's go," Mayl smiled at Chaud.

"But we don't even have a way of getting there," Chaud sullenly said then the two heard the doorbell ring.

"I think we can arrange something," Mayl smiled then got off of the bed and exited the room.

2 Hours Later

After an hour of security checks Chaud and Mayl, along with Yai were allowed into "Dr. Regal's" cell, "Ok Regal I know you're involved with 'Chaud's' kidnapping, now I want to know why and I want to know how," Chaud demanded making the scientist turn around and see him.

"Chaud?" Dr. Hikari whispered as he approached the now shocked boy.

"How did you know that?" Chaud asked with a confused look on his face.

"You told me Chaud, it's me Dr. Hikari, that night when I went to SciLab I found Dr. Yami there and he attacked me and then Regal came out of his hiding spot and knocked me out, I woke up the next morning in jail looking like this," Hikari explained.

"Then that means what happened to me and Lan wasn't an accident at all, this was all planned," Chaud contemplated, "wait a minute the stolen blue prints from the lab, Regal's creating his own synchro device."

"Yes and now he's planning on taking over your father, with his power he could do what ever he wants," Mayl figured out.

"We need to hurry," Chaud said then began to rush out of the cell.

"Wait where are we going, and what are you guys all talking about?" Yai asked in confusion.

"We'll explain on the way, but come on let's go, we don't have much time," Chaud explained then quickly exited.

OK I hope you all enjoyed. Only one chapter left and the big question is who will get the girl, Lan or Chaud. I'll let you decide. Please R&R.