Okay, here's the next chapter! Thank you my wonderful reviewers, annoying talking animal, vamina, RoseOfSharon28 evil blondie and Kenzie Jadenwie.You guys rule!

"Well Max , welcome back to the land of-you-wish-you-weren't-living!" gasped Tyson, panting noisily. Kai wasn't letting them off easily by any meaning of the word. Actually, Tyson was beginning to forget the meaning of the word easy... The day after Max was discharged, Kai had decided they'd all gone soft. Even Kenny and Max had had to join in. Results? Welcome to the third day of Hell.

"RIGHT, THAT'S IT YOU GUYS! AND STOP!" They all collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. "Okay, everyone. I want you all to run seven times round Tyson's house. That's a mile for those of you who can't work it out, ok, Tyson? All right, line up! Ray, do it in four minutes and not a second more, Tyson, Hilary, eight minutes or less, prefrerably less, Max, don't push yourself too hard but do it in under ten minutes, Kenny...um...just don't fall over more than five times, please. If I catch anyone DARING to walk, they'll be doing pushups for a month. I'll run this too, but only five laps, then I'll be watching you all from the finish line. Tyson, remember what I said about walking!"

" Nobody but Kai could call five laps of the do-jo only!" groaned Tyson. The others tried not to laugh.

"OK, 3,2,1...Go!"

Six minutes and thirty-five seconds later, Hilary arrived, panting, at the finish line.

"Good running, Hil!" said a suprised Ray.

"Thanks. I like running anyway, so it wasn't that hard." said Hillary modestly, trying to slow her frantic breathing down. "How did you do?"

"Not that badly actually, 3 minutes 20 seconds." admitted a proud Ray, who, in contrast to Hilary, looked like he'd just got off the sofa.

"Wow!" said Hilary, awed. "That's better than most pro athletes!" Next up was Tyson. As he stumbled in, Hilary snorted with laughter. "Somebody should tell him that lying spread-eagled on the floor doesn't help much! Hey look, there's Max!"

"He's done well!" commented Ray. Thirty minutes after the run started, Kai looked at his watch.

"That does it! Ray, come with me!" he commanded. Ray obeyed and the two of them jogged off to find Kenny. Five minutes later, Kai was pacing up and down the line of bladers. "Right, Ray, Hilary, very good, go sit down. Tyson...well I suppose you did manage it in less than eight minutes...five pushups because you're an annoying little idiot, then sit down. Max, not bad considering, go sit down. Kenny..." Kai paused for a moment, looking at the sweaty, gasping heap in front of him, then sighed. "Oh go on then Chief, you look like something the cat spat out."

"Right guys. Not good enough! Next time, I want-"

"Next time!"Max groaned "It was too hard this time, let alone next time!"

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Max!" Hilary hissed, nudging him playfully. "We all know that being in hospital for a month with a sky-high temperature is no reason to not perform your best!" she laughed.

"Good Kai imatation!" whispered Max, trying to stifle his laughter.

"I know!" grinned Hilary cheekily.

"Will you two kindly shut up?" Silence.

"That was your fault!" crowed Max gleefully.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Erm, guys?" Ray whispered urgently. "I'd stop that really soon if I were you..." They both turned around just in time to witness a glare that could have frozen a volcano. Kai turned away contemptuously.

"Anyway, as I was saying, tomorrow we'll be practising blading-"

"At last!"

"Tyson, ssh!"

"Sorry, Hilary."

"-so I don't want anyone being stupid or messing around." Kai looked meaningfully at Hilary and Max.

"Yes Kai." they said meekly.

Hilary tossed and turned fretfully, trying to run away from her nightmare.

Max crumpled to the floor, "I'm OK, Hil, don't worry about me...don't worry about me..."

Ray and Tyson bent over her, eyes full of concern as she lay on the practice room floor

Screaming with shock as her bitbeast emerged, her heart tearing in half with pain, worry and fear.

Falling, scared and confused, into Max's sea-blue eyes, magnified a thousandfold. "Don't worry about me..."

Hilary sat bolt upright, breathing hard and shaking. She was crying, she realised, big tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto her pink sleeping bag.

"Hil, you alright?" She looked to the side and saw a familiar figure sitting on his bed, staring at at her, blue eyes wide with concern. She flung herself at Max, sobbing as she buried her head in his shoulder. "Ssh Hilary, it's OK, it was just a dream. Everything's all right now, calm down, ssh, you're OK." Max soothed, inwardly wondering what had caused this much of a reaction in the usually composed Hilary. He hugged her tightly, watching as she slowly unclenched her fists and began to relax. He drew away as she rubbed her eyes fiercely and tried to smile. "You OK now?" he asked gently.

"Yeah," Hilary whispered. And she was, really, just a bit cold, she thought fuzzily. Max saw she was still shaking and turned round, rummaging through his suitcase till he found what he wanted.

"Here." he said. Hilary looked down and smiled. It was an old yellow teddy bear. "I always found him useful when I was upset." said Max, slightly embarressed.

"Thanks Max." she said happily, "He's great!"

"Remember, if you need me, I'm right here." Max said softly.

"Mmm..." Hilary fell asleep, lulled by Max's comforting presence. Good, she's asleep. Max thought. She should be OK now. Wish I could get to sleep, it's gonna be a really hard day tomorrow... Just as he drifted off, he found himself wondering how Hilary would cope with coming face to face with her bitbeast. Something told him she was scared of it... Really scared.

That's it! Hopefully, Kai was more in character this chapter.I hope you liked the teensy bit of Max/Hilary fluff.

Reveiw!