Ch. 3

Lettuce woke up to the birds singing outside her window. She felt her heart singing in the same happy, love-sick tune. A smile brighter than one she had ever worn settled onto her face. She found herself more than happy to go to work and be amongst her friends. She took a wonderfully refreshing shower, put on a blouse and a skirt and went out ready to greet the day. She arrived to work ten minutes early but thought that would be good to go ahead and start working.

However, when she entered the front door she found her co-workers and bosses sitting a couple of tables not in their uniforms. There were no customers in the café.

"Is the café closed today?" Lettuce asked innocently, wondering what was going on.

'Yes" Ryou answered. "We have been waiting for you."

Confusion clouded her expression.

"Come, Lettuce, sit down and have some tea." Keiichiro said with a slight smile on his face.

Lettuce obeyed.

"Now," Ryou spoke after a minute, "let's just get right to it."

All of them took a deep breathe.

Ryou continued, "Ichigo has informed us that you and a ceratin alien have been, 'seeing' each other."

Her deep red blush confirmed all suspections.

Ichigo explained, "I was on a date with Massaya after work yesterday and, I turned into a cat when..."Ichigo blushed slightly then shook away the thought, "I came through the park to get to the café and I happened across you two."

Lettuce could feel the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Just tell us Lettuce, " Mint began, concerned evident in her voce, "how long as this been going on?"

Lettuce nodded and wiped her eyes, "A few days ago, I was just going through the park on my way to work and some boys bumped me and when I started to fall, he appeared and caught me, then he kissed me, and I don't know what came over me, and I ran away, then he appeared again yesterday and kissed me again and I again don't know what came over me, then he teleported me home and then was gone."

From the mess of words that spilled out, they were able to figure out what happened.

"I'm so sorry, Ichigo. I hate lying but I couldn't believe that happened, and I wasn't planning on it happening again but...I'm so sorry!" Lettuce gave in to the sobs that erupted from her heart.

Ichigo got up from where she was sitting and went over to sit by Lettuce. She wrapped her arms around her in a hug and let her cry on her shoulder.

"Shhhh" Ichigo soothed as she patted her head, 'its' okey. It's not your fault."

Lettuce continued to sob quietly and shuddered.

"It'll be alright, Lettuce. But we can't let this happen again."

Lettuce stopped suddenly and looked up at Ichigo, "What?"

Ichigo smiled slightly and pulled away hairs sticking to Lettuce's tear stained face, "I said we can't let Pie take advantage of you like that again. From now on, one of us will walk you home when it's late. We are going to have to try harder to protect you."

"But..."Lettuce was at a loss for words. He wasn't taking advantage of me, was he? The thought never crossed her mind. Was he? No! He wouldn't! Would he? Why else would he do what he did? Was it love? I hoped it was because I... New tears formed in her eyes.

A small beeping sound came from Ryou's pocket.

"Girls! To the lab!" he ordered. And all obeyed, Ichigo leading Lettuce down the stairs.

Keiichiro and Ryou assumed their positions at the computers. Upon the screen was a map of the city. On the map, a red rectangle was flashing over the park.

"Alien activity in the park. Girls, get going!" Ryou ordered.

Upon command, the girls transformed into their hero outfits and raced towards the park. Lettuce's mind still swirling with confused thoughts. Ichigo's mind was also in a whirl. Her protective instincts were urging her to listen to them. She did her best to keep them in check.

At the entrance to the park, the girls heard a huge roar.

"They've got a Kirema anima!" Pudding stated the obvious.

They arrived on the scene. The monster was a fish creature, black and slimy, and spreading some kind of toxin into the lake. It roared and dark poison launched from it's mouth. The girls all jumped out of the way. The ground were the girls once stood had numerous steaming holes in it.

"Acid!" Zakuro exclaimed.

"Nice touch, don't you think, kitten?" Kish's voice came from above. The three aliens floated over the horrible lake monster.

"Come on girls!" Ichigo ordered the attacked.

Zakuro and Mint launched their attacks at the monster which caused it to cry out and spit acid in their direction. They jumped out of the way.

Pudding fired at the three floating aliens causing them to scatter. Then she fired another attack at the lake monster. It reached out with its claws and grabbed her.

"Pudding!" Ichigo shouted. Just then, Kish appeared behind her and grabbed her arm and waist. She struggled to be free.

Lettuce prepared for her attack when Pie appeared a few feet in front of her. Lettuce came to a halt.

Ichigo was still struggling with Kish while Pudding screamed from the monster's grasp. Tart had made a surprise attack on Zakuro and Mint and they found their plates full.

"Lettuce!" Ichigo screamed more out of fury than worry. Lettuce heard the rage in her voice. "Hit him!" Ichigo ordered.

Lettuce didn't move. She couldn't move. Her body wouldn't function. She heard both Ichigo and Puddings screams and couldn't move. She couldn't bring herself to attack Pie.

Ichigo cursed fluently out loud. Kish in shock loosed his grip slightly and Ichigo turned around and knocked him out with a foot to his head. "Strawberry Check" she screamed at the lake monster. It took a lot of her energy but the monster did finally disintegrate and return to a normal fish once more. The fish and Pudding fell into the polluted waters.

Mint, now finished with Tart, flew over and plucked Pudding from the murky waters.

Kish sat up and put his hand to his head.

Ichigo lost control of her wild cat instincts. Right in front of everyone, she pounced on Pie and sent him crashing to the ground beneath her. Out of her mouth came a angry wild cat roar with sharp cat teeth never present before. She reached her hand up and razor claws intended from her finger tips, she brought the claws down hard and across Pie's face.

He cried out as blood instantly flooded his face. Acting on all his fighting instincts as a man of the military and warrior fighter, he kneed Ichigo in the stomach and sent her flying off him over his head. She summer salted in the air above his head and landed on her hands and knees. Blood began seeping from her knees from skidding across the sidewalk.

Their eyes met and again she let out a fang filled wild cat roar from her position on the ground. Her ears laid back flat on her head and her tail twitched furiously. The next thirty seconds went by in a flash, they were moving almost to fast to see. Locked in hand to hand combat, they were punching, kicking, even biting on Ichigo's half until Pie suddenly dropped to his knees. Ichigo stood tall and towered over him. With a twitched of her hand her claws were extended again.

It seemed to be an end at last, until Lettuce rushed forward and grasped Ichigo from behind, "Ichigo stop, please!"

Ichigo stood still. Her Wild Cat half still wanting to finish Pie off.

"This has to end now." Ichigo's tone was emotionless.

Lettuce began to sob quietly. She knew the Ichigo she was talking to was not her friend and co-worker, it was Mew Ichigo with her heart set in saving the world and protecting the ones she cares for. No matter the cost...

"I won't let him take advantage of you anymore." Ichigo continued, her eyes burning into his, "He is just using you. He doesn't really care about you. It's part of his plan to undermine the Mews and make us vulnerable."

"No, it's not true..." Lettuce cried harder into Ichigo's shoulder.

"It is true. He has no love for you. No feelings for you. No concern nor compassion. He is a fighter. His love lies with his people and his loyalty lied with his master. There is nothing for you Lettuce. Don't let him fool you."

Something changed in Pie's eyes. He realized she was right. No, mostly right. He did love Lettuce with a passion but, his loyalty lied within Deep Blue. And his mission was to save his people. They were counting on him. On Kish, Tart, and him.

He felt his heart shatter at what he had to do next, he looked Ichigo straight in the eye, for Lettuce was sobbing behind her and stated, "I see you have discovered our plan, Mew Ichigo. We have underestimated you. But be assured, we will not make that mistake again. It is true what you said. Until, we meet again." Then, before he could no longer hold his tears at bay, he teleported away.

Ichigo looked up to Kish and Tart still hoovering in the air, something had changed in their eyes too. Then, they were gone.

Something was changing inside Ichigo as she regain control again. Her heart was breaking. She felt Lettuce's pain. She felt pain from Pudding. And she felt her own pain as well.

Lettuce was led away by Mint, Pudding, and Zakuro. Ichigo was left alone. She looked up to the starry sky. Silent tears ran down her face.