My undeniable note: Howdy people…I'm happy to say that I was much more into this chapter than I was the last one or two. I think you'll enjoy this one very much…oh yes, you will. And a wicked number to do this in, huh? 13…OOooo Its a long chapter, but I promise there's one more after this. In fact, its already written and ready to go, save for editting and such. Ah, and since I haven't in the past few posts, I shall respond to your wonderful review comments!

SuperSanne: I know it was an evil cliffhanger…but I'm evil like that and I love to make people guess. It's what I do best ;) However, forgive me if I hadn't been clear earlier on where the zombies and samurai came from. If you get a chance to download DBZ Movie 12, you'll see what I mean. During that movie there was a disturbance in Other World where basically all the dead people returned to the world of the living. In it Frieza, his Ginyu Force and other baddies like that show up, not to mention other people from the past like samurai, Romeo's Juliet, Hitler and his Nazi army and other random dead people—including zombies. Since Cell hadn't been seen at all in that movie, my friend had come up with the idea of being able to use that movie's plotline to re-introduce Cell without having to completely work around things like I had to in the original story since that was during the series itself. I hope that sums it up for you :) And I do recommend that movie…Gogeta is great.

Aquasage: You're very good at analyzing things ;) hehe. That's all I'll say. I don't mean to cheat you out of a reply, but…yeah, I need to keep my mouth shut for just a while longer…

Draguna: hehe, isn't that how you feel when you're reading this? You kinda feel like lighting a fire under Cell's butt to get him to change his tune. You should try writing it…I almost feel guilty trying to keep him in character because of it XD

Reindeer Sausage: hehe, your questions will be answered in this chapter. And I discovered you posted a fic as well—I must go read when I get a chance! Actually, since the last chapter is written and will be posted shortly after this one, I will have time now since…the story is over :(

Thomas Drovin: A very good statement—Cell is very complicated. He's damn arrogant and really ignorant in ways too. I love him. But remember how he was created—he's really fighting a huge war within himself and he can't decide which side should win. But you will have your answer with this chapter.

Chapter 13: The Finale

There was a long bout of silence. Overhead I heard a few crows cawing as they flew by, but other than that it was like I was standing in a ghost town without even the company of a tumbleweed passing through the narrow, deserted street. The android was there physically, but I wondered if he was honestly there mentally. His eyes remained focused on my hand and I thought that maybe I had caused him to go into shock or something of that nature.

Saying anything more to push him to give me any sort of answer would've been a mistake, so I refrained from doing but standing there holding his hand. His skin, though different in color than my own, was smooth and polished, as if he never picked up a grain of sand in his life—however long that had actually been.

Without warning there was the sound of a jet fighters zooming overhead. I forced myself to tear my gaze off of his angelic face so I could look up to certain my assumption. Four flew past leaving a white streamed cloud behind them. I made a guess that they were going to fight off whatever dead creature was currently causing havoc.

For however long we were standing there was longer than I thought would have come about, not to mention longer than my patience could stand. I mentally urged him to say something, but his face, eyes now closed, gave me no expression. Finally, though, his hand pulled away from mine and curled into a lose fist.

"Its time," he said at last, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. "Farewell, dear Layrial."

The "dear" part had me a bit confused, but he was once again ignoring any sort of comment towards my question. He was a coward…maybe not in the physical sense, but most definitely in any other aspect of his nature. He was afraid of saying something that went against his ultimate design. Maybe he felt that if he expressed whatever was truly on his mind he'd be damned for eternity because he was going against his life's original purpose.

"You, Cell, are a coward," I said finally. What was he going to do; kill me?

Cell had turned to leave once again, but he stopped, his shoulders tensing. The "C" word, as I'm sure he called it, was like telling him to fuck off in any regular human language. I had called him a coward once before and I immediately regretted it. Though knowing that the worst punishment he could give me was putting me in a state within an inch of my life I stood my ground firmly and waited for the attack.

"I am not a coward," he replied rather calmly. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh?" I said. "Then why is it that you always manage to find a way to back out of that topic?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don't know why I'm interested in you? Hmm? Is your brain capable of handling that, Layrial?" he asked, his voice a little more tense now.

"Stop throwing back the insults, Cell," I told him. "By now if you don't know what your feelings are towards me then you're not as intelligent as I once thought you were. That, and you're only strength is your unnatural power. If that's the case, then you're no different than those dead men you just killed."

Cell turned around to face me and brought his hand up. I felt like my life at that current moment was being played out in slow motion. I watched his fingers wrap around my neck, but they didn't tighten like they had in the past. He merely stood there with his arm stretched out, his hand clutching my throat loosely, and his eyes looking very soft, very thoughtful.

"I wish I knew why I can't kill you, human," he said. "I wish I could just do it and rid myself of the pain and torment you've put me through."

"The pain and torment you've been in," I replied, my voice cracking from the way this conversation was going. I know he mentioned that I tormented him before because of how I somehow intrigued him, but to make it sound like I stood there and beat him with a cane made me feel utterly disillusioned.

"Yes," he replied. His other hand came up then and pushed away my hair; his fingers kept the locks tangled between them and his palm rested on the back of my head. "I hate you so much," he replied softly, "yet during the time I was in Hell I thought of you often, wondering what you were doing, wondering why you made me feel different than normal when I was around you…when I touched you."

"Cell," I said trying to stop him. I knew my voice was shaking. "Please stop…you're scaring me."

And he was. The way he was talking almost sounded as if he tipped the scale completely. He sounded like he had suddenly gone insane and in mere moments he was going to break my neck after he finished his little speech. My eyes were frozen on his mouth as he spoke, but I waited for his lips to form a smile, a last signal I'd get right before he would kill me.

"Layrial…I wanted you to come with me," he said. "Why did you refuse?"

My memory quickly searched all the moments I had spent with him. Yes, now I remember. He wanted me to go to wherever his "work" led him; from planet to planet he'd carry me along as whatever he wanted me to be…his mate? His bride? His slave? I don't know…but I knew why I had declined.

"Because you're a monster…"

"So you've said only moments ago," he said, his brow furrowing. "Don't think I hadn't heard you. Then again, perhaps it was lucky for you that you had made such a rude comment because I was going to come back and slap your face off your head. Instead, I saved your life for the fourth time today."

My good arm began to shake. I'm not quite sure why—whether it was fear or nervousness or the thought of what he had intended to do to me—but I couldn't help but still wait for that smile to appear on his face.

Although his hand finally left my neck I wasn't relieved…I was still scared as all hell. I had been in the presence of men before…I wasn't as innocent as some may think; but the way Cell was acting confused me beyond my wildest imagination. The tips of his fingers rand down my collar bone, down my breast and to my hip. He put pressure on the small of my back and pulled me to him.

Before I knew it my mouth was attached to his, and though I had been scared of him and had a distinct impression that this was the end of everything, I kissed him back. It was the most passionate, gentlest, most sensitive kiss I think Cell had and could have created.

"Layrial," he whispered.

I leaned my head away so my eyes could try to catch his, but I didn't see that beautiful color that brightened his face. They were closed and his head leaned against mine so his mouth was at my ear. "Please tell me why you think me a monster?"

My heart stopped, skipped a beat, and then stopped again. I could instantly feel the blood rushing through my body and my hands, (which had managed to rest on his chest), became clammy.

My voice shuddered when I tried to softly exhale…why was I so nervous all of the sudden? I knew the answer, but my heart didn't want to tell him. He was either trying very hard to be as romantic as one such as himself could get or this was a sub-plot to get me to fall for him once more before he destroyed the world.

Finally, though, I answered him; "You've murdered people because you hate that they exist. You take pride in seeing others suffer under your hands…including me."

"No," he said and pulled away.

I looked at him and waited for him to continue. I could feel a tear stinging my eye.

He smiled and released me, taking a step back and looking at me with…adoration. "You just helped me answer my own question," he said. "I can't bear to see you suffer…that is why I could never follow through with killing you."

I didn't know what to say…until my eyes caught something above his head. What hadn't been there before was now as clear as the nose on my face. A golden halo hovered above his crowned head, and it seemed that he was completely unaware of it.

"Cell…you have a halo," I pointed out.

He glanced up, his eyes forcing themselves to look up to their utmost limit. "So I do," he said. "Perhaps I've overstayed my welcome."

When I blinked and saw him standing before me I felt like I was dying a very slow and painful death. I didn't want him to leave. As much as I reviled him, as much as he had hurt me both physically and mentally, I wasn't prepared for him to go so soon.

"Cell, I need you to stay…"

For a split second Cell's entire body faded out and then returned. He gave me a genuine smile, his pearly-white teeth showing through between pale lips. He leaned down once again and kissed me as gently as he had before. Cell was going to disappear before my very eyes and I'd never see him again.

"Cell, thank you for saving me…all those times," I told him, trying to get every last bit of what was on my mind into the few moments we had left.

"You, Layrial, should be thanking yourself," he replied. When I gave him a puzzled look, he continued. "You kept me from destroying this planet. You saved your world."

"I…" The tear in my eye jumped out onto my face when I saw his body blink again, only this time he didn't come back to his full color. I could almost have sworn he was becoming more and more transparent.

Cell leaned down and put his lips to my ear one last time. They barely made contact, causing a small tickle, but I didn't move. "Je t'aime, Layrial," he said suavely.

And then, Cell was gone.