Silvan Arrow: Okay, this is the chapter everybody's been waiting for! And now I would like to introduce our special guests for the disclaimer… Give it up for the Blitzkrieg Boys!

Ian: Why do we have to do this?

Silvan Arrow: Because you guys are my favorite beyblading team!

Spencer: What if we refuse?

Tala: You don't wanna know…

Silvan Arrow: Now then, take it away Bryan!

Bryan: Why me? Ask one of the others!

Silvan Arrow: Because you need to get over your stage fright if you're ever gonna sort things out with Tammy.

Bryan: -gulp- Uh…Silvan Arrow does not own Beyblade or any of its characters. She just owns her OCs and this story.

Silvan Arrow: Thank you! I have received one submission for my art contest, thanks to she-devil-16, and the link is on my profile page. The pic is of Tammy and Umbra, and it totally rocks! I'm always accepting more submissions, so you can still do a pic if you want! Okay, on with the chapter!

Chapter 11: Confessions… It's About Time!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Bit beast mind-chatting with master

(A/N: This chapter picks up right where chapter 10 left off. The girls have just gotten back from shopping.)

The sun had dipped far below the horizon, sending the mountains into the dwindling twilight before nightfall. Kai was aroused from his light doze by a pair of headlights outside his window. Hmmm…looks like they're back, he mused.

I'm sure that makes you happy, Dranzer said.

Well, Michelle's with them, so…

That's not what I meant. You guys still haven't had dinner, Dranzer pointed out, trying to contain her laughter.

So? Not like I care…

Then why has your stomach been rumbling the whole time you've been asleep? the phoenix teased. And I seem to recall you dreaming about a pizza and…

All right! Knock it off! Kai exclaimed in embarrassment, cutting her off. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. Besides, it's not like I'll have to do anything about it. Tyson's probably staking out the door as we speak, ready to pounce on the girls to get them to cook something. Dranzer laughed brightly at her master's comment. Kai really did have a sense of humor. He just chose to hide it.

Have you ever considered a career in stand-up comedy? Dranzer joked.

Not. Another. Word. Kai stated pointedly. His bit beast wisely kept silent.

At the front door…

The chatter of the girls drifted into the quiet lodge as the door creaked open. "Ah, it's been forever since we had a girls' day out," Emily remarked.

"Yeah, last time it was a girls' day in, and we all know how that turned out," Amy said, sending a meaningful look to Eri and Michelle as they all filed inside and out of the chilly night air.

Michelle raised her hands in an innocent gesture. "Hey, it's not our fault you guys have a weird taste in-"

"FINALLY!" The girls all jumped and turned around to see a rather famished-looking Tyson. "I've been waiting forever for you to get back! We're all dying of hunger!"

"We said we wouldn't be back until AFTER dinner, you baka," Eri stated. "Or did you not catch that little bit of information?"

"Besides, Rei's here. Couldn't he cook you something?" Clara pointed out. "I thought he was supposed to be good at cooking."

"Uh…" Tyson trailed off.

"Oh great, I hate it when he just says 'uh,'" Hilary complained while rolling her eyes.

"Tyson, Rei's still unconscious," Max called from the main room as he walked to the foyer to join Tyson.

"WHAT? What do you mean Rei's still unconscious?" Mariah squealed in horror. "I swear, if you idiots did anything to him, I'll…"

"Calm down, Mariah!" a third voice exclaimed. Kenny came running up to join his delinquent teammates. "Let me explain. We were playing a board game, and Tyson snuck some catnip into his soda. He's been out for two hours."

"He woke up pretty quickly last time," Tyson said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Michelle sighed in frustration and slapped a palm to her forehead. "You guys can't do anything right, can you?" she asked in annoyance.

"Nope."

"Not really."

"Negative."

"Fine, I'll cook something. Eri, you're helping." Michelle grabbed Eri's wrist and dragged her into the kitchen.

"But…why me? They're not my teammates!" Eri protested.

"Oh…stop whining! It'll be good for you. Besides, you need to learn how to cook better so your team will stop ordering take-out every night," Michelle's voice trailed down the hall. The distinct slamming of the kitchen door abruptly ended Eri's string of unintelligible objections.

"Well…that was…" Mariam trailed off.

"…interesting," Tammy finished.

Tyson broke the awkward silence. "Oh boy! FOOD! I'll go get the rest of the guys!" He pounded up the steps and ran down the hallway, knocking on all the bedroom doors as he went. Spencer threatened to crush his windpipe if he didn't pipe down…

Once the guys had filled their stomachs, Tyson started feeling hyper again. Oh the horror… "Hey, I just got a great idea!" All eyes turned to him. "Let's play hide and seek!" (A/N: My friend Michelle gave me the idea for hide and seek. Thanks, buddy!)

Everyone did an anime fall, except Kai. He just sweat-dropped. "Where did THAT idea come from?" Hilary asked. "And why do we need to play now? It's getting late!"

Tyson crossed his arms and objected, "Well, we guys have been bored out of our minds all day while you girls just went out on a whim and left us high and dry."

"Hmm…he does have a point," Eri conceded, earning her some scary glares from some of the girls. "Eep! Don't hurt me!"

"Ah, I guess it couldn't hurt to play a couple of rounds," Michelle stated. When some of the girls gave her disbelieving looks, she winked at them. They caught her drift and immediately agreed to the idea. Only Tammy was left in the dark… "In fact, I'll be it first."

"YAY!" Tyson and Max cheered. They jumped up from the table, dragging along anybody that lagged behind. Everyone scattered to different sections of the house, leaving Michelle alone to count.

Eri hurried down the hallway, wondering where she could hide. 'Man, I always stunk at this game. I never can find a good hiding place.' Her mental ranting was cut short when a hand gripped her arm from behind. She whirled around to see Tala pulling her down a different hallway.

"Follow me. I know a good spot to hide," Tala said with a smirk. He opened the door to an upstairs balcony. A blast of cold air hit Eri in the face and made her shiver. "Quick. Out here."

"Are you crazy, Tala?" Eri hissed quietly so no one could hear. "It's dark, and it's freezing out there!"

Tala just shrugged. "Not even Michelle will think to look out here. Besides…" He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I can always keep you warm." Eri blushed bright red, and Tala took the opportunity to pull her outside and close the door behind them before she could utter another word.

Meanwhile, Tammy ducked into one of the bedrooms that had its door ajar. All of the good hiding places were already taken, so she was getting desperate. 'Hmm…must be Tyson's room,' she thought, noting how one side was trashed and the bed unmade. She heard Michelle yell, "Ready or not, here I come!" and frantically looked around for a good place to hide. 'Uh…the closet! Oh, that's so cliché. She'll figure it out soon enough.' She heard a set of footsteps quickly approaching. 'Oh crap…' She ducked into what she presumed was Hilary's closet, since it was tidy and actually had room to move around, and carefully shut the door.

"Hey." The voice behind Tammy made herspin around abruptly, but a firm hand clapped over her mouth before she could yelp and risk giving away their position. Bryan's face materialized in the darkness, and Tammy felt her heart speed up. He held one finger up to his mouth in a "be quiet" gesture and slowly removed his hand. "Looks like we both had the same idea," he whispered. Tammy's hand went for the door. "Where are you going?"

"To find a different hiding place. There's no need for her to catch both of us," Tammy lied, hoping Bryan bought her excuse. She still couldn't bring herself to face him since she was so unsure of her feelings toward him.

"Wait." Tammy gave Bryan a puzzled look and watched while his brow furrowed in concentration, like he was listening for the sound of someone approaching. After a few tense moments, he grabbed her arm and pulled her further back into the closet, behind the racks of clothes, where they both crouched down.

"W-what are you doing?" Tammy hissed. Bryan gave her a signal to hush as they heard Michelle enter the room, rummage around in Tyson's closet, and leave. Once she was gone, both teens let out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding. "Whoa, that was close."

"Yeah…too close," Bryan agreed.

Meanwhile…

Make sure to thank Falborg for tipping me off to their location, Michelle told her bit beast.

I shall remember to relay your message, Dramikun replied. Do you think she'll stay there or attempt to leave in favor of a more desirable hideout?

Are you kidding? Neither one will dare leave now that they think I'm on to their hiding place. Now to find the others. We'll come back to those two reluctant lovebirds later, Michelle said. She caught a doorway leading outside out of the corner of her eye. Hmmm…I wonder… Following her suspicions, Michelle opened the door leading out to the balcony. Speaking of lovebirds… Tala was leaning against the outside wall of the lodge holding a shivering Eri in his arms. He had already been forced to give up his coat, but she was still freezing. "All right, get her inside before she dies of hypothermia," Michelle said while rolling her eyes.

"Thank…goodness…" Eri said through chattering teeth. Tala smirked, picked her up, and carried her back inside.

Back with Bryan and Tammy...

Bryan glanced at Tammy and felt his heart stick in his throat. He had to know how she felt and why she was avoiding him; if he didn't speak up now, he might not get another chance. "Tammy…" She hesitantly raised her head to look at him. She only just then registered how cramped this closet was… "I have to know. Why have you been avoiding me all day? Did I do something to hurt you?"

Tammy looked carefully into Bryan's eyes, peering into the emotions his lilac orbs held. They were begging, pleading her to tell him. "I…don't know why," she replied slowly. "I guess I just panicked. I was scared."

"Scared? How do I scare you?" Bryan asked worriedly. He hesitantly reached out and cupped her cheek with one hand. "If I've done something to frighten you, please tell me and I'll make sure it never happens again." The feel of his cool hand on her face was so soothing, and Tammy found herself closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"…It's nothing you did," Tammy whispered. "Ever since yesterday at the amusement park, whenever I look at you…I feel strange. I've never felt this way before, and I didn't know what to do or how to react. That's what scared me." She felt a lump rise in her throat as a tearpushed throughher closed eyelids, only to be rubbed away by Bryan's thumb. She opened her eyes and looked into his kind expression.

"You don't have to be scared of your emotions. They just prove that you're human. As for me, I've just discovered a new emotion as well." He paused before adding. "Maybe it's the same one you're feeling." Bryan took his hand from her cheek and shifted his position so he was kneeling on one knee. He took her hand, looked her straight in the eye, and said with all the sincerity and conviction he could muster, "Tammy Ivanov, I'm…in love with you."

Tammy didn't move. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She couldn't even breathe. Is this the emotion she was feeling towards Bryan? Her frantically beating heart…the butterflies in her stomach…her sweaty palms…it all made sense. Thinking back on all the memories she shared with him, she now realized that she couldn't bear to live the rest of her life without him by her side. After a few moments of silence, which felt like an eternity, Tammy finally managed to croak out, "I…love you too."

In that one moment, with those four beautiful words uttered by the one he loved more than life itself, Bryan felt like his heart had just found its missing half. He leaned in, placed his hand at the back of Tammy's head, and gently pressed his lips against hers. At first Tammy didn't know what to do, but instinct took over as she kissed him back. Soon that soft kiss turned into a heated, passionate one, with both lovers closing their eyes, each one lost in a world that contained only them. Bryan nibbled on Tammy's bottom lip, begging for entrance. She opened her mouth wider, allowing him to slip his tongue in. Tammy fell back against the wall of the closet, and Bryan straddled her hips while he deepened the kiss and pressed his body against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and simply relished the sensation of having him here with her. Nothing else mattered right now except him. (A/N: For those of you who are thinking perverted thoughts, I'll just tell you right now that Tammy, like all of my female OCs, will remain a virgin until marriage.)

Meanwhile…

Do you think we've given them enough time? Dramikun asked.

Nah…they just now confessed. We'll give them some more alone time, Michelle replied with a smirk as she passed the doorway to Tyson's room. I can only imagine how Tala's gonna take this news.

End chapter 11

Author's Note: Yay! They finally confessed! I'm so happy with how this one came out. Sorry for the long wait, but I have been so busy that this was the first quiet afternoon at home I could find to finish this chapter. I had to spend two nights with my grandparents, away from my computer and internet, to help my mom with my grandpa, who had just gotten out of a nursing home. Then I had martial arts two days and three hours of scuba yesterday, so I was wiped out. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I plan on finishing this story in the next couple of weeks before I leave for college. Thank you for your continued support, and please review! I want to know what you thought of this chapter!