AN: I know this took a long time to get out, but it was for good reason. It took me a while to get out of my writers funk, but at the same time the person I modeled for Shane's old flame and I have a history, and in that history I've found love, and have found that I still love her. The only difference is this time the chances of our love growing can increase greatly. Jen, from the first moment I laid eyes on you I knew there was something about you that made my heart ping and my soul jump for joy. I want you to know that no matter where you go, and what you do, I'll be there for you, and my love for you will never waver, even if we are never to be together for the rest of our lives.

An Unavoidable Fate…The Future Meets the Present

   Shane was stunned. In front of him was indeed the one girl that he cared about more than anyone or anything. He didn't know if he was having a cruel trick played on his mind, but it felt like he was. He wanted to just scream thinking that this was still nothing more than a lucid dream and he would wake up realizing how much he missed her. "Shane, I'm here, I'm not a dream. I came all this way for you. I still love you."

   Shane could barely form words in his mouth, "J…Je…no…you…can't be here…you're…no…y…"

   Jen smiled and said, "Shane if I wasn't here could I do this?" She pulled him closer to her and kissed him gently on the lips. It was a warm kiss and felt very real to Shane.

   Shane's body relaxed a little and he thought for a second that this wasn't a dream. He then remembered last night about her being on the steps and freezing in the rain. It was real. Nothing was a dream. She finished kissing him and started crying, her tears ran slowly down her face onto his already slightly damp pillow. Shane looked into her eyes once more and moved his hand over to wipe away her tears. "Shhh…it's Ok Jen…I'm here now. You're here, you're safe…I'll protect you. I promise you." Jen wanted to move closer to him, but she was still ill feeling and hadn't much strength. Shane gently pulled her closer and held her head gently in his firm chest and cooed to her gently with words of love and soothing.

   "Shane…I…it's…been so long."

   Shane nodded, "I know Jen. I know…just relax. Get some rest and we'll talk when you are feeling a little better."

   "No Shane I want to talk now," she said between sobs.

   "No Jen, you are ill and need your rest."

   "But-!"

   "Jen…trust me on this."

   Jennifer didn't want him to leave her so she could rest. She wanted to stay in his arms as long as she could if forever was not long then longer. Eventually though she came to realize that he was looking out for her once more and she nodded up and down on his chest slightly. "Ok Shane."

   Shane still cooed to her gently and rocked her in his arms lightly. "Are you hungry at all?"

   Once again Jen's head moved up and down his chest slowly, "Very much. I haven't eaten in a couple of days."

   "Jen!"

   "Well I can't really pay for anything now can I with no money."

   Shane nodded and gently stroked her cheek. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'll go make you something to eat ok?" Jennifer nodded and cooed happily. Her body was in a state of total relaxation and she gave a slight sigh as Shane stayed with her for a few more minutes. Eventually Shane whispered to her, "I'm going to go now and make you something." Jennifer nodded to him showing no signs of resistance. Shane set her head gently down upon his pillow and went out into the kitchen for some food.

   Jennifer simply smiled a little and looked at the ceiling feeling warm once more. The cold pain of being alone didn't have its icy touch on her. She was with Shane…the man who had grown much, but still loved her just as much. Her eyes started to drop down again and she whispered, "I love you Shane."

A few hours later…

   Jennifer stirred a little and moaned. She felt weak still but her body was indeed feeling warmer and stronger. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around checking her environment like it was new to her. Shane's head was against the side of the bed and he appeared to be playing a video game of some sort. The TV was indeed a screen of marvel to behold. A weird looking creature of some sort was fighting something that appeared to be a dinosaur. Jennifer smiled lightly and said, "Having fun there?"

   Shane made a slight smile and replied, "Well, now that you're awake and sound a little better I would say I'm feeling a little better. I mean I am concerned about you."

   Jen moaned slightly happy and wanted to move her arm over to Shane's head just to touch it, but she didn't have the strength to do it. She whispered something and asked Shane, "Hey, I am kinda hungry what did you make me?"

   Shane smiled and said, "One sec while I get it for you Jen."

   Jen nodded and imagined vast amounts of food on platters served by butlers. It made her mouth water in delight and she laughed a little thinking, "Wouldn't that be nice if he did dress up in a butler's suit to bring my food to me."

   Shane returned a few minutes later and set a bowl of something on the top shelf of the head dresser to his waterbed. Then he gently sat Jen up so she could eat and put a pillow behind her back for comfort. "All we had that you can really ingest right now is ramen." Shane pulled out a pair of chopsticks and sat next to Jen helping the noodles into Jen's mouth. After each bite Shane would swirl the bowl with the noodles up a little to keep them slightly warm, and would get a small amount of noodles into the sticks before gently putting them into her mouth. After about 10 to 15 minutes the bowl was empty and Jen looked up at him with a smile.

   "Thanks."

   Shane nodded, "No problem."

   Jen looked over at the game playing on the screen and asked Shane, "What game are you playing?"

   Shane looked at the game and replied, "Monster Rancher."

   "Monster Rancher?"

   "Yeah, think Pokemon with more customization in monsters and more of a structured system of fighting as well as less rules to work with on creating monsters. Instead of gotta catch em all, it's make a monster and kick some ass."

   Jen giggled a little and said, "I thought you would be playing Final Fantasy or something like that."

   Shane shook his head, "Heck no. I've beaten all the FF's out right now."

   Jen looked at him and asked, "Hey Shane, would you let me play Final Fantasy?"

   Shane looked at her and shook his head, "You're still to weak Jen, and do you know how sick you are?"

   Jen shook her head, "I'm fine Shane, please."

   "Jen," Shane said his voice becoming a little firmer. Jen looked at his face and realized that he wasn't going to budge from his position. She looked away from him and Shane finished, "I ran some tests and Windstrom has determined you have lost a great amount of energy, and are very ill. You didn't eat anything for nearly 3 days before that ramen, and your temperature was about 80.9 degrees, that's VERY bad for you."

   Jen looked up at him again her eyes in tears. "Shane, how, why are you so nice to me still? How can you be like this after what I did to you?"

   "Jen…" Shane trailed off and sighed, "I don't care what happened after you left me. I don't care for the reasons. They were your own. I can't tell you what you have to do with your life. If I was your husband then yes I would have more say in your life, but I'm not. I'm not even your boyfriend, so who am I to say what's best for you?"

   Jen sniffled once and dropped her head into his stomach and cried. "Why…didn't…I stay with…you?"

   Shane put his hand on the back of her head and gently stroked her hair. "Because you loved someone else. You loved someone else more than you loved me, and as much as that can hurt that's life sometimes. I couldn't do anything about it. All I could do is let you be. I realized that there was something special between us, and you the same, but I also realized that by forcing you into something you didn't want to do was wrong. So I let you go, and decided to forget about you. Was it easy? Hell no. I would cry my ass off some nights because I thought I made the wrong decision not telling you how I truly felt about you. Sometimes when I fought I thought that something had captured you and all I could think about was rescuing you, but when I had won a battle I would realize, no, you weren't kidnapped, you weren't even there. I would fall to the ground and cry thinking that I had nothing left in this lifetime to live for. That the one thing I had wanted to defend more than anything had been taken from me. And after about a year it was gone, I forgot who you were, what you had done, all of it. I moved on. A year after that I decided I would never again don my armour. I refused to. I felt it was a burden if I had nothing left to protect. So I put it away. Three years have passed since then. You're no longer that same little girl I feel in love with. You've matured a great deal since then. You're body, your emotions, and your feelings towards others. They've changed and grown a great deal. Are you still the same person that I met many years ago? Yes you are. You are still the same girl I fell in love with. I will always love you no matter where you go or whom you are with."

   Jen was sobbing tears onto his shirt and shook her head telling saying, "I'm such a dumb girl, I'm stupid, I'm a failure. I screwed up. I don't deserve to live for my mistakes, and I don't deserve you."

   Shane looked down at her and lifted her face up to look at it tears and all and replied, "No Jen you didn't fail, you aren't stupid. You deserve someone like me, and you deserve to live."

   Jen looked into his eyes and noticed the dark blue irises had yet to show anything but truth. "Shane…how?"

   "Who did you come to when you needed someone most? To me it seems you came to me. You answered your own question by coming here. Have I cast you away for your decisions of the past? No, will I? No. You are still the only girl I really feel in love with. I would part oceans, battle the flaming depths of hell, and give my own life if it meant I could let you live. Jen, if given the chance I would get on my own knee and ask you to make me the happiest man in the universe. I was that serious about you. I may have only been 14, but when you do the line of work and things that I do, controlling and knowing your emotions are the first thing that you realize, and you realize if something is just a short thing or if it's a long withstanding thing you feel. I kept looking at my feelings, and there were things I didn't understand, and then there were things that I knew and could feel every time I was with you. I knew they were withstanding. I didn't know why they were withstanding, but I knew that I looked at this from a serious point of view. I could see you and me standing at that altar and giving our vows to each other. I realized that it would be many years before that would happen, but I would be willing to wait that long. I'm going to care for you no matter what happens to you though, I'm not your boyfriend, I'm just a good friend of yours."

   Jen smiled weakly and said, "That's why I fell in love with you Shane, because you're so warm and honest with me. You looked out for me and did what you could for me. It might have been almost 5 years since I last saw you, but you haven't changed. You are still the wonderful kid you were, and now you are a mature grown up man. You are the kind of thing girls' want in a husband. You are the kind of guy I want to be with. I've never met anyone as gentle, sweet, warm feeling, and honest as you. You've done so much for me, you sacrificed a lot for us to even be in a dating relationship, but you did it." Jen looked down and finished, "and I didn't realize it until I looked back on my life and realized everything up to a point not to long ago."

   "So you finally understood all that sacrificing I did was for you? All the stuff I had to go through at times was for your sake?"

   Jen nodded, "Yes…I understand that now."

   Shane sighed and put her head against his stomach again and sighed, "Jen, Jen, Jen."

   Jen hummed a little and whimpered a little as well. "Shane…would you ever…consider…you know…would you?"

   Shane sighed again and said, "Right now I'm sorry to say that is not a concern. The biggest thing right now is that I get you back to health. We'll talk about dating and such AFTER I get you better. I don't want you to be ill, and I don't think it would be a great thing if we talked about relationships while you're not thinking straight and not fully well."

   Jen was a little offended by his comment and said, "Are you saying I'm not fully able to make good decisions based on who I do and don't love?!"

   "Jen listen to me, you are ill. That's the first order of business right now. My job is to get you well. I'm going to do that no matter what. Ok?"

   Jen looked into his eyes again and saw nothing but a calm, warm feeling emitting from them. She nodded slowly and Shane readjusted the pillow and set her head back down on it gently. She asked him, "Hey Shane, are you going to sleep with me again tonight? You're so warm, can you hold me while we sleep tonight?"

   Shane blushed a little and replied, "Well last night was an exception. I don't think it would be appropriate to do something like that." Jen whimpered a little and started to cry again. Shane sighed and finished, "But if it'll make you feel better then sure I will."

   Jen giggled a little and said, "Thanks Shaney."

   Shane made a slight laugh and nodded.

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Somewhere in the distant future…

   The information officer rushed down the hall as fast as he could. He stopped in front of the door to the royal chambers and knocked on it softly. "Enter," a voice called out from the other side.

   The information officer came rushing in and kneeled in respect, "We have new information, sir."

   "Have you found the where they are hiding?"

   "Yes. We have a small enough area that we will be able to find the base within a matter of hours."

   "A matter of hours?" the commanding officer raised a brow.

   "Please sir, we do not wish to overlook anything."

   The commanding officer looked out the window of the castle and made a slight sinister grin. "Indeed it would appear so. I can sense your men are working hard to make sure they are thorough in their search."

   The information officer replied, "Sir."

   The commander nodded and turned back around before replying, "Be off then, and continue with your search." The information officer bowed again and took off shutting the door behind his exit. The commander turned back around and looked out the window the smile of earlier growing wider.

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Billings later the same day…

   Jen squirmed a little as she yawned a bit tired. It was getting late, and even Shane was a bit tired. Jen's body was slowly getting stronger and she had been able to slightly move her limbs earlier, which was a good sign. The time was around 10:30 and Shane had to get up early for work the next day. He yawned slipping into his basic sweats and shirt combo he slept in most nights. It was mighty odd that Shane changed without thinking about Jen lying in his bed right in front of him, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact she made a rather silly comment about how sexy Shane looked in his sweats. Shane winked at her getting a little giggle out of her. After changing completely he gently moved Jen over a little to give himself some room and slipped into bed. He wrapped his arms around her and hummed a calming tune to her. Jen smiled and made a few light moans of happiness cooing a little feeling warm and secure. "Shane?"

   Shane looked at her as best he could in the dark and replied, "Hmm?"

   Jen closed her eyes and replied, "Thank you…for saving my life earlier."

   Shane made a light chuckle in his stomach and said, "You're welcome Jen, I can't think of a prettier girl's life I could have ever saved.

   Jen's face blushed a little but couldn't have been seen in the darkened room and replied, "I'm glad I'm here with you now Shane. I feel so secure when I'm around you. So warm and relaxed. You're touch is so gentle to me. It's like a soft feather embracing my skin."

   "That's a pretty high compliment. You sure I'm that good?"

   Jen laughed a little, "Do you think I would have said it if I didn't mean it?"

   Shane laughed slightly, "Indeed true there."

   "Not just your touch. The fact that you're in bed with me protecting me like a husband would his wife. I was never held like this with my other boyfriend. Not in the five years we dated did I ever feel like I do now. I feel more love from you now than I did from the whole time I was with him. He didn't have the same touch that you do or the same warm feeling you emit when I'm near you."

   "Well there are certain kinds of guys in this world. All are different from each other, and some girls feel warmer around certain guys than other guys."

   "But you're different. You're not of this world. I'm not of this world. It was like we were made for each other. Like we had met in another time another place in another lifetime, and now we're reunited again." Shane unwrapped his arms around her and gently pushed the hair away from her face and put his forehead on hers gently. He re-wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him gently rubbing his nose with hers. Then before he could realize anything more he moved his lips closer to hers and kissed her gently. Jen hummed a little and whispered, "Please kiss me again. I didn't get the chance to really taste that one." Shane smiled a little and moved his lips to hers a second time. This time Jen responded to his kiss and moved her tongue into his mouth a little touching his tongue playfully. Shane's tongue returned the favor and the two tongues touched each other playfully until Jen's started to settle down and cuddle next to his. The second kiss lasted for about a minute and Jen felt like her whole body was fully recovered. After their lips parted Jen's eyes started to fill with tears and a sniffle escaped her.

   "Is something wrong Jen?"

   "Shane…I…I'm so happy, and yet, so sad in another."

   "Come on Jen, talk to me."

   "When I was…before I was with you and while I wasn't with you I felt like I was missing something very important in my life. Did I fall in love with someone else? I did and I admit it. When I found out he was cheating on me, I…I was so shocked that I didn't believe it. Eventually I put two and two together however and looked back at how our relationship was. There was little exchange of words beyond hello and good-bye, he always seemed to be missing when I needed him most, and worst of all…he had sex with a few other girls and was about to have it with me before I fully realized I had to get out of that before something bad happens. So I broke up with him about 3 weeks ago, and that same day I found an old photo of us. For some reason I looked at the photo and I realized that I had to come find you. I had to find the one person who cared about me and sacrificed a lot to be with me. I never really saw that until I looked at my relationship with you and then with my ex. You did a lot for me. You sacrificed a lot of time and effort to be with me. You spent numerous sums of money to buy me pretty flowers and take me out to dinner. You spent time with me when I was feeling bad. You did everything for me that I could have asked for, and then some, and how did I repay you? I left you for another guy. Am I happy I'm here with you? It feels so warm and secure here with you right now. I'm not so young anymore and I'm not so sure you'd still give me a chance to be my boyfriend again after how I left you. I want to know though, and please be honest with me Shane, because I want to know that my trip here was worth all the hell I went through just to come to you. I want the truth. Do you still love me and would you be willing to give me another chance?" Jen's eyes were streaming with tears and she sniffled after every few words.

   Shane kissed her on the forehead and whispered to her, "Jen, I still love you, and I won't ever stop loving you. You don't need to ask for another chance because I want to ask you if you're willing to be with me. I feel…incomplete without you. I feel like a vital piece of my soul is missing without you. Not getting the chance to lay here and cuddle with you and hold you close…it's hard. Jen I missed you. I will be honest when I say that losing you and not doing anything to try and keep you was the dumbest mistake that I have ever made. I feel that I failed myself by not saying something. Jen, I need you in my life. I love you more now than I did when we parted. I don't want to lose someone as special as you again. I won't let that happen. I'm going to keep my hand in yours, and I won't let go no matter how hard or long the road is. I let go once and you ended up in a situation that could have become very grave for you. I've been given a second chance, and I DON'T plan on messing it up. Jen…hun, I have feelings in my heart that are so indescribable that words alone cannot express them. I'd protect you with my last breath and then on my very soul if you were saved. I would LOVE to be your boyfriend again, and I want to do EVERYTHING in my power to make you the happiest girl on earth. They say Goddesses are a thing of myth and folklore. I say if that was true then why am I here now laying beside a Goddess whom I know I would be willing to spend the rest of my days with?"

   Jen's sobs were becoming so loud that all she could say was how foolish she had been about not giving Shane the chance that he so fully deserved. Shane put her head into his chest and just let her sob for the better part of ten minutes. Eventually she had stopped crying enough to where she asked him, "Shane, would you be willing to…hold my hand as we sleep tonight?"

   Shane cooed in her ear as she let out her last remaining sobs and replied, "You bet hun." Shane's hand moved down to hers and he clasped it intertwining his fingers with hers holding it in such a gently way that she had never felt before. She cooed a little in joy and sobbed a little more feeling so happy and yet so…sad for all she had done. She could remember the thoughts rushing through her head about how she had actually thought he wouldn't like her anymore or wouldn't respect her for leaving him, but those thoughts no longer existed. She realized that he wasn't going to abandon her ever again, nor did he ever. She realized that he was going to go through it all for her because he loved her more than one else in the world. Of all the beautiful girls out there he picked her. It was a feeling that she couldn't fully describe in words even if she tried. It was something that she knew his actions would show someday in the future.

Next Day…

   The sun was just creeping over the mountains that lined the eastern side of the valley in which the city resided upon. Shane moaned a little and heard his radio that he had cranked the volume up quite loud as his alarm come time for work. He pushed the snooze with a quick reflex almost jumping out of bed and waking Jen up with a start. "Huh, what where?!" she jolted awake. Her arms and legs moved a little more than yesterday thus symbolizing she was regaining her strength. She struggled a bit but somehow managed to get herself into a sitting position on the bed and looked over at Shane who was already getting ready for the long prolonged day that would wear him out and make him ready for the joys of sleep once more. "Wow, where do you work?"

   "I work with my father in the construction business."

   "Construction? Is that how you got so buff?" Jen joked around with him giggling a little.

   "Buff…heh, yeah right. Try the royal blood I have within my body. Working with my dad just makes me that much stronger though."

   Jen nodded slowly, "I see."

   Shane turned and looked at her. His torn cuff blue jeans and saw dusty Notre Dame shirt combined with his scruffy, and untidy dirty blond hair made him look ideal enough to be in the industry. "Give me a few and I'll get you something to eat. Ok hun?"

   Jen nodded slowly again as Shane left the room and slowly lay back on the pillow once more. It was now that the thought came to her, "My parents must be worried to DEATH about me! They must be doing some massive manhunt for me or something similar to that! I should call them up and explain to them that I'm with Shane. They've met him before. They know he's a good kid and all, but…they don't know he lives in Montana. I'll have to come up with something to explain all this and not get in trouble cause the way I see it if I can't get this one done I'll be in a LOT of trouble."

   Shane returned to his room and held in his hand a bowl of oatmeal still steaming warm. He moved over and watched as Jen forced her way back into the sitting position once more. "Easy now, I know you're getting well but don't push it."

   Jen gave him a slight smirk and shook her head, "You just keep forgetting I push myself harder than you want me too all the time."

   "And usually I'm right when I tell you not too, and then when you're wrong I have to save you."

   Jen looked at him a little more upset now and said, "Come on Shane don't be so tactless."

   "I'm not being tactless I'm just telling you the facts."

   "Sometimes it's best to NOT tell the facts."

   Shane just shook his head and replied, "Whatever." He handed Jen the bowl of oatmeal and watched as she slowly downed it. Afterwards she licked her lips and smiled a smile only so unique to her warm cherry face. Without saying anything Shane knew what she had thought of it and took the empty bowl from her leaving the room once more. She lay her head back down upon the fluffy somewhat scattered pillow of the bed and took a deep relaxing sigh. Her body did feel like it was more able than yesterday and she yearned to get back on her feet, but even she knew better at this point. Shane returned to the room and she turned her rested head toward him greeting him with a warm smile. Shane kneeled by her and gave her a light hug before kissing her on the head. "I'll be home around lunch time aright? You just stay here and rest for a while longer. Hopefully, when I'm done today we'll go to the mall or something." Shane winked at her and headed out of his room trekking towards his day ahead.

   Jen sighed again and curled back up into the warm bed. "It's been a while since I've actually felt this…healthy. I mean of course when you don't eat much for nearly 2 weeks yeah that'll happen, but my body feels better now that it's getting emotional and physical nutrition you could say." She shook her head at the swelling thoughts of love and gave slight giggles before drifting back asleep.

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

In the future…

   "Master! What are you doing?!" the young padawan asked.

   "Troops are closing in on our base and if we are to have any chance to change the future we're going to have to reveal the truth to them now."

   "But isn't it too early?!"

   The master stopped and looked at his apprentice, "If we don't do this then their fate will be the same as ours. It will be an unavoidable fate."

   "An unavoidable fate?"

   A sigh was heard and he shook his head, "Now is not the time to talk about it. I will reveal what I mean in time young one. For now get ready to leave ASAP."

   The young padawan nodded and scampered about rustling things up. A few minutes later she awaited upon a platform as her master did some last minute things. A rumble was heard in the distance and she yelled, "They're inside the building!"

   "Shit! Computer on my signal transport us to the year 2001 the city of Billings, location Rimrock mall."

   "Verified," the computer responded.

   "Master HURRY!!!"

   He turned his head around and saw the troops. He dove onto the platform and screamed, "COMPUTER NOW!!!"

   The troops fired numerous shots as the platform lighted up sending the two rebels somewhere in time. "Sir!" One of the troops radioed in, "They've escaped somewhere in time, my men are finding out where as we speak."

   The commander on the other end responded, "Good work, find them and kill them quickly, they can't reveal anything about what has happened or what is going on."

   "Sir! Yes sir!"

Back in the present…

   It had been a long day, the hours going by slowly, but isn't that how it can be sometimes? When the person you care about is waiting for you? Such crazy thoughts consumed Shane's mind. The drive home wasn't as monotonous as usual, but of course Shane had to remember that someone special was waiting for him at home. Thoughts of things past had suddenly flooded his head in an attempt to think about what type of conversation to indulge in. "Hmm…perhaps I should indulge in a piece of food first!" he laughed at his bad pun. Rimrock mall was just around the corner from where he was currently located, and decided that they would have just the thing to satisfy his undying hunger. He pulled into the parking lot and suddenly he could feel something extremely powerful somewhere nearby. His first instinct told him to be on guard, but his reactions were different. "Such a familiar feeling, like…my own." He looked out around him a bit and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just ordinary people leading everyday ordinary lives. "Hmmm…I better just keep my guard up just in case…and I hope that whatever it is…doesn't hurt Jen, or there will be INCREDIBLE hell to pay." He moved into the mall food court area and went to his by far favorite place to eat. The Flaming Wok *VERY good food mind you =D* Ordering his usual meal he sat down and took out the chopsticks they offered instead of the usual forks that most people used. Again Shane felt that feeling that he had felt earlier before. This time it felt MUCH closer. He looked around with spying eyes and found no person close enough that could give off such an incredible power. Still whatever it was that was giving that much energy off, was REALLY powerful, stronger than ANYTHING Shane had EVER felt before. He went back to his food and every now and then made a peeking eye to scan his immediate area. Just in case this thing were to show and invoke into hostilities. Eventually he finished his meal and disposed of it properly. Then he left the mall returning to his vehicle and scanned the area once more. SOMETHING caught his attention this time as he saw something move behind him. And it was carrying that feeling that Shane had felt earlier. Instinctively Shane shut his car door and dashed over to where the energy wave had come from. He spied around the corner and saw only a boy and girl holding hands, but…they were BOTH giving off MASSIVELY strong energy sigs. Shane walked around the corner acting like he knew nothing and walked toward them as if he were just on his way somewhere. Just as he passed by the couple he stopped and said with a warranting tone, "Who are you, and why are you here."

   Neither one of the couple turned around to face him nor the man replied, "I've come to tell you about…your future."

   "The future? Indulge me then."

   "There is much to indulge you in, and little time to explain it all."

   "Then maybe you should speak fast."

   "Maybe you should think before you SPEAK!" Both Shane and the male turned around and held their fist's mere millimeters from the others face.

   "Impressive, you're faster than I thought."

   "Funny, that's what I was about to say."

   Shane gave a prideful, part evil grin and said, "Alright then, give me the low down on this whole future thing."

   The male relaxed his body and took a deep breath, "The future is nothing more then a barren wasteland. The world will be overtaken by forces from beyond this star system."

   "Sounds like something I can handle," Shane cracked his knuckles.

   "That's what I thought, but…you won't be able to handle them. They're too strong for even you right now."

   Shane raised an eyebrow curiously, "Oh, and what makes you think that?"

   The male gave a slight sigh and looked at the young padawan, "Because…I'm the future self of you."

   Shane laughed and looked at the expressions of both the opposite parties. They were as stone faced as one could get, not even budging for a moment. "You…you're serious?"

   "Yes, I'm you Shane, 3 years from now."

   "He looks exactly like I remember him from that time too," the female spoke up.

   "Oh? And how would you know?" Shane from the present asked.

   "Because, I'm Alanna…or as you know her now, Jessie."

   Shane looked hard into her eyes and recognized her. "What the…Ok, NOW you have my FULL attention. WHAT is going on here Shane."

   In a couple of years a nation known as the Macini will cause a horrific climatic change to the world. They came from beyond the system and suddenly froze the entire world in ice. Few escaped and even fewer were able to escape the troops they sent after those who HAD survived. Eventually I thought I was the last remaining survivor, until one day I happened upon a young girl. Ironically it was the same girl I fell in love with back in Japan 2 years before, but my heart has changed much since I had known her, and while I still love her, I'm still re-discovering how much I care for her." The future Shane looked at her and smiled lightly, "and…hopefully after this is all over…we can live together forever."

   "Ok, so why is she called Alanna now? Why not just call her Jessie still?" the Shane of present asked.

   "In order to fool the Macini I had to change her identity of who she was."

   "Ok, you two are the last two people on the face of the Earth and you're worried about her appearance?!"

   "The Macini have the ability to seek out a face and home in on it almost immediately."

   "Ok, if that's the case then how did they NOT seek you out almost immediately? They HAD to have seen YOUR face and her new one at least ONCE."

   "We have special masks that allow them to not see our real faces. We look like disfigured headed monsters rather than human beings."

   "I should have known," Shane from the present snickered a little. Suddenly he remembered about the particle of energy that he had found while looking for what his mother had gone through. "Shane…I need to know something"

   Shane of the future looked at Shane of the presents' somewhat curious face change and replied, "Yes?"

   "My mother ended up in the hospital about…4 months ago, and I need to know, what happened to her?"

   Shane from the future turned away and looked like it was time bite the bullet. "So…you have a feeling about what happened I'm sure?"

   "What happened? Why did she end up with a piece of energy from the suit of armour?"

   "I…I infected her on purpose…"

   Shane of the present grabbed Shane of the future and slammed him against the outer wall of the store and said a in very angered tone, "YOU DID WHAT?!"

   "I had no choice…"
   "Had no…choice?!"

   "We had tried to get your attention SOMEHOW…but we couldn't get to you fully. Something or one prevented us from getting to close to you when you were in Japan. We tried through dreams, through physical contact. Nothing worked…"

   "So you just thought that damn near killing my…OUR mother was the right thing to DO?!" Shane of the present punched his hand into the wall next to his future self's head.

   "Shane…" Alanna said sorrowed.

   "WHAT!!!" both of them replied in unison.

   Alanna gave a slight laugh half expecting that to happen. "I'm sorry…but what else was I supposed to DO?! I don't want the future to end up like it is NOW. If I can change the future…my future…YOUR future…I'd gladly give my life."

   Shane of the present sighed and set his future self down his eyes closing and his expression feeling defeated. "What must I do now to have a chance in the future?"

   "I'm surprised you care for again…a good sign however."

   Shane of the present flipped off his future self and said, "Shut up…just tell me what I must do."

   "You'll need to get back your Meta medallion, if you want to have ANY chance at all of fighting these things. From there you will need to train yourself beyond anything you've ever KNOWN."

   "Return to who I WAS? I vowed not to don that armour again. I'm sorry, but…that is something I can't do."

   "Huh…I thought you would say that. Let me rephrase the question into something of a demand. You WILL don that armour again IF you care for ANYONE other than your pathetic self."

   "Watch who you're calling pathetic you poor excuse for being me."

   "Shane come on now! Both of you sound like immature little brats!" Alanna chimed up.

   Once again the eyes of them both looked at her and she ducked back down feeling the sting of saying something wrong again. "You want to know just how bad I wished I had decided to use the armour? How HELPFUL it would have been?"

   "That armour did nothing more than bring living hell to me and everyone close to me. You KNOW that I'm not lying because you LIVED through it all."

   "I'd go through all that hell again if I could have used it to save the people I care for. You'd be surprised that your sister lives the same life you do in retrospect she DIDN'T have a choice on her chance for using her powers like you do."

   "My sister? Hah! My sister is nothing more than a regular 17 year old on constant PMS it seems."

   The future Shane shook his head, "I'm not talking about her, I'm talking about your BLOOD sister, the one you DON'T know you have."

   "So suddenly I have another sister? Riiiiight, so now I'll see my 'other' sister running around in some crazy get up fighting evil like I did as Meta. Please spare me your stupidity."

   "Shane you can't tell him-!" Alanna realized Shane was going to say something to his future self but was stopped by Shane's hand.

   "There is no other way Alanna…I didn't want it to come to this…but it must I guess. Your other sister is your true sister from when you lived back on the Moon."

   "Riiiiight, and on this Moon I bet there's air for me to breath as well! Oh, look at that! THE MOON IS NOTHING BUT A GIANT ROCK!" Shane of the Present rolled his eyes and responded in a anything but believing voice.

   "You know I don't remember being such a cocky ass as you seem to be Shane."

   "Then again you never had yourself staring you right in the face saying things that defy any damn thing you've come to know."

   "And you think being Meta isn't defying certain…things?"

   "Hell no, I acquired the ability to be Meta when I was born. It's been with me since as long as I've known."

   "And you don't think that it was by fate that it happened?"

   "Of course it was fate…I was destined to save the Earth by utilizing the powers granted to me via that armour."

   "Man, you don't know ANYTHING about who you are then, but then again…I didn't either until I found out analyzing my energy waves and made some matches that I couldn't believe."

   "Ok then, tell me, who am I related to? Who the HELL is my sister supposed to be huh? What about my past or any of that do I NOT know that you do? Come on big guy start talking."

   "Shut up for a moment and I'll throw it all at you. You ARE from the Moon, but not the Moon from now, from the Moon nearly a thousand years ago when the damn thing still was livable."

   "The Moon was actually useable 1000 years ago? Since when was THIS discovered?"

   "I'm getting to that part! Just listen. Back during that time there was a kingdom that watched over the Earth just like Meta watches over the Earth now. It was called the Silver Millennium, and that is where you are ACTUALLY from. The kingdom was destroyed and you decided to be reborn without your memories of what had happened to your old life. You could only watch on as your mother gave her last dying breath to save her people. As she lay on the ground dead having used all her power you couldn't bear to be the last of your race…so you made it possible for yourself to be reborn as Shane and at birth be given your Meta medallion while not remembered who you REALLY were. You created Meta back on the Silver Millennium when you were only a handful of years old, and after that you watched over the Earth with the rest of the people of the Kingdom. The difference was you were not wanted by anyone except your mother, you were…an outcast in your own society. A male by birth was not permitted as heir…you are the heir to the throne of the Silver Millennium, and were not allowed to be given your place because you were not female. Your mother however could not go through with the rule that a male heir was to be killed. You were so young, helpless…and surprisingly brilliant. So instead of being killed, you were snubbed your birthright because you were not female."

   "So where is my father in all of this? I have yet to hear of you saying anything about a father in this whole flashback."

   "There are no records that your father existed…No one knows what happened to him, BUT…I did find that you DID have a father…he was not mentioned very often but from what I did find out about he had the same characteristics that we do in our somewhat…egotistical nature at times."

   "At least I know where that came from now," Shane of the present said with a light laugh.

   "One thing that still puzzles me is WHO is this sister?"

   Shane of the future sighed, "You've met her before. Her name is Usagi…Tsukino Usagi."

   Shane of the present just looked at Shane of the future and scratched his head, "Run that by me again? I'm related to WHOM?"

   "Tsukino Usagi. I believe you met her in Japan this last summer during your little retreat there for studying abroad."

   Shane laughed heartily and said, "I'm related to a JAP chick?! So where are my ancient Japanese roots? I don't have any I'm sorry to say."

   "Well I did tell you that she was your sister from a different time era."

   Shane sighed, "True…it is possible."

   "You did feel her energy signature didn't you? When you were in Japan."

   Shane shook his head, "No, I'm afraid I didn't. I felt something from that…Mamoru or whatever the hell Usagi's boyfriend's name was, but that was all. I felt a little thing from most of her friends…but it wasn't anything really."

   "Well Usagi's…friends are her royal court…when she lived back on the moon, and they all have the ability to turn into Sailor Senshi."

   "Sailor Senshi? Wait…you mean they can turn into warriors like…Jen does?"

   "That would be 100% correct. Jen is also a Sailor Senshi. She's…a bit different from the others…but she was also part of the royal court that protected the kingdom."

   "So the girl I love is part of the same group of people that protects the girl that is related to me that lives IN Japan."

   "Yes."

   Shane just looked around taking all of this in and sighed, "Why…why me."

   "I know that this all is a shock to tell you Shane. Really, I didn't know HOW you would take all this. I half expected you to flip out and try to kill me claiming I'm an imposter or something."

   "Let's just say that I've done a lot of growing up since you made your prediction."

   "In any case…right about this time is when Usagi and Mamoru are to be wed, and have a child."

   "Wait, Usagi was PREGNANT?"

   "Well she's NOT pregnant now, but the night of the honeymoon she does get pregnant."

   Shane made a bad joke and mumbled, "I bet Mamoru is just a machine."

   "In a sad sort of irony, I thought the same thing."

   "So 2 years from now the entire world will end up being changed and destroyed into nothing but a barren wasteland. The girl I met this summer, Tsukino Usagi is actually my sister from when I lived on a civilization that occupied the moon over a 1000 years ago, and will be able to do nothing about it."

   "That is correct. There was nothing that could be done. They came so fast and swept through our defenses so quickly it was like a plague that never ended until…everyone was dead."

   "But what happens now? What if they knew you went back in time to tell me about this? Surely they would do what they could to counter this in any way possible."

   "I know…that's why my time here is short…and soon I must leave this place…or else place the earth of this time in great danger. Now that you know the truth…use it in protecting this world. Please. If I fall in battle…I want you to not let my death be in vain. I want to have the future change so that I will be alive and happy with my friends and family…and you with yours."

   Shane of the present nodded. "You know I will Shane."

   Shane of the future smiled warmly, "Thank you Shane…now-!" Shane of the future turned around and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Shane…get away from here…NOW!"

   Shane of the present felt the same thing and said slowly, "What…is that great POWER?!"

   Shane of the future looked at his other past self and repeated, "Shane, LEAVE! If they find that I had been talking to you they'll KILL the ONLY chance we have at preventing the fate of the future!"

   Shane of the present looked on helplessly and nodded slowly, "Aright…just don't get yourself killed. I hope to see your face again soon. You know where I live."
   Shane of the future nodded, "Yes I know, now GO!"

   Shane of the present dashed away as Alanna and Shane ignited their beam sabers. "May you not have to endure the hell we've endured Shane…" Shane looked forward as a massive rift in the sky opened up. Down from it dropped 5 to 10 troopers. Each wearing thick coats of armour and about 20 pounds of ammo it appeared. Behind them landed a large Creature that looked similar to an octopus only It's arms were much shorter and it seemed to fit quite well into a suit of armour itself. "Well, bout time you came after us Forlic."

   "Ironic you would return to a time when you were just as weak then as you are now," the squid looking thing replied.

   "Ironic how you never shut up."

   "Well I'm going to shut you up if anything, then we'll SEE what you have to say once I've killed your worthless body."

   "Don't think I'll just roll over for you Forlic, cause your world is about to get ROCKED."

   "Soldiers…attack!"

   The troops screamed war cries and ignited beam sabers of their own. The fight…was on.

            *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Shane's house…

   Jen lay on the bed bewildered at what was taking Shane so long to get home. She missed him still, and she knew he was only doing his job, but she wanted him nonetheless. The more he was gone the more she wanted him. She looked at the poster that was on the ceiling but instead of the different players that lined it she imagined each one as Shane doing that pose and or certain gesture. She giggled to herself thinking it looked funny with Shane as the person in the picture. This only made her moan for him all the more. She decided that all she could do for now was sleep on it and just wait for him to come home and tell her that he loved her and he was home. She just had gotten to the point where she was about to fall asleep when she heard the front door shut and the light thumping that only Shane made when he walked instead of the usual heavy thump his parents made. She turned her body toward the door to Shane's room and closed her eyes gently waiting for him to come in and kiss her. Instead Shane came in and quickly went straight through the portal to his command center. Jen looked puzzled by this and was a bit hurt that he was so hasty to forget about her, but the only time she saw the expression on his face was when something dire was happening and it required his full attention. So she understood a little that something must have been going down. Something BIG. Eventually she would be told she figured. Shane was not one to leave her out of something like this, and even when he somewhat did, it was only because he cared for her. It was in this way she fell in love with him. He was always looking out for her, but trusted her at the same time that she could take care of herself. He was warm, gentle and just treated her with such…respect that only he did. No one else had given her such respect before. Shane's reply to this was usually, 'I'm just being me. I would expect no less from myself.' "Such high standards for himself. He puts everyone else before himself. It's such an…honorable quality."

   A few minutes later Shane returned to his room and took a deep sigh. "The journey will be long I fear."

   "Shane?" Jen said in a worried tone, "Everything ok?"

   "Hmmm? Oh…sorry Jen, I'm just…contemplating something. Actually…a lot of things. I'm sorry I barged in here without saying hi. I've just got…a lot to think about."

   Jen smiled, "Hey I know you do that at times, but you always make up for it someway somehow. You're such a wonderful person…and…I just…" Jen turned away crying feeling her heart bulge with pure joy, but within that joy pure sorrow and confusion.

   "Jen. Hey…" Shane sat down next to her and she immediately tried her hardest to hug him. Shane gently grabbed her and gently held her close to him. "Don't you DARE say you don't know why you deserve me. I know why you deserve me. It's because you're so much like me. You're so warm and caring. You put your personal feelings behind everyone else. It's what sets you apart from every other person in this world. It's what makes you who you are, and…it's what I love about you. It's what I fell in love with. You just being you."

   She looked up at his face and just looked at the calm that was within his eyes. They were warm and soft, yet confident and fearless. Jen felt like she was drawn into his eyes and whispered something softly that Shane barely heard. She remembered that last time she had seen his eyes this gentle and warm. It was the same day that she decided to leave Shane. His eyes were the exact same on that day. Brimming with such confidence even though the person he loved more than anything was willing to let her go. How could he be so calm about that? It literally tore her apart. Inside it was like having to cut the actual veins off from the heart. It hurt her that bad that she had to do what she did, but Shane's expression was the same now as it was back then. So full of confidence, and so gentle despite the painful parting. "Shane…how can you be so calm? How did you remain so confident when I left you? Your eyes…they're the same now as they were then."

   Shane laughed lightly and replied, "It's because I trusted you. I was hurt to the very core of my heart. I felt miserable for about the next few months after you broke up with me, but…I never doubted whom I was. I felt confident the day you broke up with me because I knew that if you were happy I would be happy, and now…it is the same thing. My confidence is based off the fact that you will be happy, and I've done a lot of good to bring this about even if it's not directly from me. If you're happy be it with or without me, then my job as a human being trying to other has been fulfilled. I would expect no less from myself. It's why I try to help anyone I can in anyway I can. I might say the wrong thing from time to time, I flaw like everyone else, but if I made a conscious effort to help someone, I won't feel guilty knowing I did what I could for someone."

   "Shane…you've changed so much…but…you're still the same warm friendly person despite all the change."

   "I thank you, and you are still the goofy, loveable, little girl that is about the ONLY person that can actually beat me up or come close to beating me up sparing wise." Jen just let her tears go softly and Shane finished with a slight tinge of pride, "but I think you won't have a prayer against me now if we sparred."

   Jen gave him as hard a punch as she could playfully and sniffled as Shane laughed at her punches at him, "You know I will kick your butt once I'm well enough."

   Shane laughed and stroked her cheek with his soft finger, "When you get better we'll just have to see."

   Jen cooed softly as she felt his warm hand gently move down her face like a comforting massage upon her back, only, instead of getting out stress knots the hands were calm and soft. Like a softly flowing feather moving across her face with ease. "Why am I so naïve sometimes?"

   "Naïve?"

   "Why do I make such…poor choices? Why do I do the things that I do?"

   Shane stared taking in thought and choices but responded with, "I don't know Jen. I think it shouldn't matter about the bad that's happened; it's what you do to make it better that counts. That's how I've lived my life…I've done wrong…and I've done right. When I do wrong…I ask God to forgive me for it, and I do what I can at that time, and for future times, to do what is right of the situation. I don't think you're naïve at all…I think you've made some bad choices in your life, but God has given you a chance to change those bad choices into better ones for your future."

   Jen nodded, "Hey Shane?"

   "Hmm?"

   "If God loves me…why does he let me do stupid things?"

   Shane's smile turned into something of a straight confused face and he replied, "If I knew the answer to that Jen, I would be God myself."

   Jen gently moved her head on his chest, "You might not be God, but you'll always be the person with the right thing at the right time, and you usually have all the answers to questions…so in a way you are my God."

   Shane laughed, "Don't put me up to high now, I'm just as fallible as you are. I'm just…less likely we'll say, after all…I'm human…and as humans we all are fallible…every…last…one." Shane took a deep sigh and remembered the words that were his past…he wasn't human truly. He was Lunarian…but he was human at the same time. He suddenly felt like he didn't belong in this world anymore…like because he wasn't a full human that he would be shunned, but then again he WAS leading a double life, and that never made him any less human before. This was different though. It was like he wasn't who he was. That Shane Jones wasn't anything more than a shell for someone else's soul.

   Jen could feel the change in his body and asked, "Shane? Are you ok? Is something the matter?"

   Shane snapped out of his whom am I thought process and replied trying to cover up, "Hmm? Oh, Yeah everything is fine, I was just thinking about the whole conversation we've been having."

   Jen wanted to believe him, but something about the way he felt at that moment told her otherwise. "You're not being troubled by anything? You feel a little…confused, and wondering."

   Shane made a slight laugh and replied, "If anything I'm just thinking about that long journey I have ahead of me."

   Jen still felt like he was holding something back but decided that it be best if he told her when he felt like it, rather than pester it out of him. "Ok, but if you need to talk, you know I'm here for you…despite my apparent lack of energy."

   Shane laughed lightly, "I know Jen. Just give it a few more days, and you should be well enough to walk again."

   "Days? Ha, hardly…I'll be on my feet by tomorrow."

   "You wanna get sick again? You can't push your body so hard when you're trying to recover. It's not like we're in the midst of a battle or anything."

   Jen rolled back onto the pillow off of Shane's chest and replied with a sigh, "Yes…I know that, but I hate being so…limited. I want my freedom!"

   Shane laughed, "If I were in your position I would be crying the same thing you are now." Shane's laugh turned to a straight face and something made the hair on his neck tingle up with activity. "What is that energy I feel closing in? It's…it's like pure evil!"

   Jen picked up the feeling slightly and shivered a little. "Shane…what's going on? Why am I picking up a feeling like this?!"

   Shane grit his teeth and thought, "What am I going to do? I don't have a chance against anything supernatural without my armour or at the very least my saber." He looked back at Jen with a concerned look on his face and clinched his fist. "Jen…don't worry about that feeling…I'll take care of it."

   Jen could see the sudden look of fear in his eyes. He tried to put on a good bold expression, but his eyes looked afraid. Something made him tremble but he forced himself to face this fear head on. Jen shook her head slowly and replied, "Shane what are you not telling me? I know you know what is up with that feeling. What is going on? What can I do to help?"

   Shane looked over at Jen and the fear suddenly vanished, and was replaced with a cold hatred that scared her, but seemed like the familiar look he had when he was in battle. While it looked cold and it did scare her, it wasn't hatred in his eyes but the courage to protect those that he loved, the courage to stand up to the "wrongs" and make them "right". Salvation in its purest and simplest form. "Jen…when I get back…IF I get back from this battle. Everything I know…I will tell you."

   Shane started to head out of the room but stopped when he heard the soft sound of tears and sobs once more. He stopped in his tracks and lowered his head slightly. Jen could barely see him through her tears and said, "Please Shane, don't get yourself killed. Come back to me…soon please. I've waited a long time to be with you, and I'd hate to lose you to something like this."

   Shane turned around and smiled at her full of confidence and pride, "Hey, I'll be back to wipe those tears away from your eyes. I give you my word as a warrior that I'll make it back here one way…or the other." Shane turned and headed out of the house. He had no idea how he would take care of the impending problem, but he knew that someway somehow, he would in the end walk back alive and victorious.

A farm on the outskirts of town…

   Shane stood waiting for his opponent fully knowing that by now it had sensed his energy and was making a beeline for him. "All I can hope for is a miracle…" Shane looked at the katana in his hand and gripped its hilt hard closing his eyes and trying to focus his mind. "No matter what…I'll protect this world from this evil, because it's what I was destined to do. To protect."

   The wind rustled by slowly and Shane's slightly short dirty dishwater blond hair moved just a bit. In the distance something came flying at him…fast. Something very unearthly and even less unattractive. One of its arms seemed to be clutching something but with how big the creature looked Shane couldn't tell what it was. As soon as the creature got to within a certain distance it touched back on the ground and stood as tall as it could on such firm ground. The creature was holding a young girl in one of its tentacles, and not arm as Shane had thought, and the creature looked something like a large squid. "So I was right…the you from the present does know something."

   "Hardly…all I know is something evil is here, and I'm just the exterminator."

   "The exterminator?! Hardly! You don't seem to see the difference in energy. Mine is FAR superior to yours, and you have not a single shred of protection over your fragile human exterior."

   Shane smiled pridefully, "Perhaps, but then again I've met a lot of things that are about as pretty and intelligent as this blade of grass, and they claimed a lot before I kicked their asses. What makes you so certain you'll fair any better than they did? Or is your ego so big that all you know how to do is wave those slimly tentacles and scare off your opponent, and when that doesn't happen call your mommy for help?"

   The creature grit his teeth and yelled, "How DARE you mock me! You will DIE for such an insult!"

   "Well if you're trying to threaten me you're not doing a very-" A tentacle came ripping across his face with such impact that it knocked him 50 feet in the direction of the punch. Shane growled a little and got back to his feet laughing as the tentacle creature approached him grinning from ear to ear like he had won the lottery.

   "What was that? I can't hear you…human."

   Shane just laughed, "Was that the best you could pull? I've felt pillows hit harder than you. Come on try again you girl."

   The squid whapped Shane with another tentacle and yelled, "NO ONE WILL DISRESPECT Squidile and live!"

   Shane lay on the ground laughing and said with pain in his voice, "You're pathetic, you hit like a girl and you have a girl's name, what's your finishing move going to be? Pillow puff attack?!"

   Squidile stabbed his tentacle into the ground sharply like a dagger, and impaled itself into Shane's shoulder. Shane screamed in agony and pain as blood seeped into the ground and through his shirt soaking it a sticky, crimson red. "Lucky flesh bag. I figured you'd stay still after the beating you just had."

   Shane laughed and coughed replying, "That was all you had? I've taken more pain from a pillow fight!" The girl being held in one creature's tentacles started to move and moaned a little. Squidile was distracted for a moment and looked over at the rustling girl in his tentacle. Shane took the opportunity and took one quick slice with his katana. Squidile had to react quickly, but was still wounded as 3 of his 8 tentacles were dismembered from his body. He growled a bit realizing that cold steel had gone right through his armour.

   "How?! How did that primitive weapon of worthless metal get through my Xentronioum Curiass?!"

   Shane let out a light laugh and looked as though the bleeding wound in his left shoulder did nothing to faze him. "It looks like you have a slight dis-armament."

   Squidile looked at the girl who was struggling slowly to get free. "It appears that I've underestimated how much time I can give you to react. You're much faster than you appear." The squid looked back at Shane and grinned a little. "Perhaps killing you will be worth the effort after all."

   "What makes you think you can kill me? Just a few seconds ago you had me trapped and injured, but it appears that now I have the upper hand."

   "Nnnnnnn…Shane?" the girl said in a hushed tone.

   Squidile looked at the girl again and laughed a little bit. "You mean him? His name is Shane? I thought Shane was the name of your…then that means…of course! Who else could use a weapon of old technology and cut right through futuristic armour?" The creature gave a watered laugh and said with a hit of glee in his voice, "This will be a WONDEROUS day. I'll kill the same person twice in the same day!"

   Squidile tossed the girl aside and she landed hard on the ground tearing aside dirt and tearing her clothes apart more than they were already. "What do you mean kill the same person twice in one day?"

   "Shane…he…he…" one of Squidile's tentacles flew through the air and ripped right through the girl's chest. Blood splashed as the tentacle went right through her body. She screamed and coughed up blood.

   "SILENCE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Squidile screamed as his tentacle removed itself from the girl's body and dripped with her blood.

   "ALANNA!!!!" A voice screamed from behind Squidile. The creature turned around and had no time to react to a massive slice tear through his body. Squidile coughed up blood and fell to the ground dead from the blow. The body of Squidile split into two pieces each one spewing out pools of blood. "Shane…" the Shane of the future held a beam saber in his hands with a massive wound bleeding from his stomach. "Are…you ok?"

   "Am I ok?! Are YOU OK?!" Shane ran over as Shane of the future collapsed to the ground coughing up more blood. "Alanna…set me near…Alanna."

   Shane of the present attended to Shane of the future's wound as quickly as he could but Shane of the future shook his head and pushed the treatment away. "Shane! What the HELL are you DOING?! Let me treat you!"

   "You…know just…*clinching in pain*…as well as I…do…I'm not going…to make…it. Alanna…set me near…my…love."

   Shane of the present could feel the tears in his eyes and he grit his teeth acknowledging his future self's request. "No…you can't…die."

   Shane of the present dragged his future self over to Alanna who wheezed for breath and moved her bleeding hand over to Shane of the future's hand. Shane of the future clasped his lover's hand and said in a dying breath, "Even in death…we'll…always be…together…Alanna. We'll be together… …forever…"

   "Shane…I…love… …youuuu…" Shane of the present watched through his tears as the two lovers of the future died in each other's arms.

   After a few minutes Shane looked down and said to the wind, "The present met the future…and now it's time to create my own future…with the one I love…"