Authors note:

Updating has become quite difficult lately, with the sheer amount of work from university and dealing with people in general, and I'm sorry for that...

Chapter 8: Recovery

A lone shadow raced across the corridor across from the room Katt was in. She couldn't exactly make out who said figure belonged to, but they looked to be rather thin, coming to the logical deduction that it was Krystal. If it were just that, just her walking past, she wouldn't have batted an eye.

If that...

However there were multiple things which concerned her. For one, why was she moving so fast? Next, the direction; she came from the direction of the med bay, her location most likely her room. Did something happen? Now she wished she never left the group.

Quickly arising from her seat she set out to see what was going on, walking towards the med bay. Sure, she could go see Krystal, ask her about whatever, but at the moment it seemed that everyone was against Katt. At least, Fox and Krystal seemed to be.

'Not that I can blame them.'

She admitted to herself that she was being a tad bit childish, but her reasons were still solid. She hated Wolf; not even, She despised him. Deep rooted anger doesn't change.

Arriving at the med bay, she tried to peer around to see inside, unaware that the door could only be fully open or closed. To her luck, both residents were sleeping comfortably.

"Tch"... And from seeing this she instantly turned around, walking in the other direction. Left at a click of her tongue, the thoughts started to swarm her. Sure, he was a part of the team but was this all really necessary? It didn't take a genius to notice the contrast between how Fox acted with the two, annoying her even more.

'He doesn't deserve it. Nothing.'

It had been a day since the incident at Fichina, with the Great Fox finally nearing it's destination. The journey back had been a slow one due to the fact that going into hyperspace with somebody in a critical state was never a good idea.

Wolf started to rouse from his sleep, trying to gather his cloudy thoughts. Before he tried opening his eyes, he started to try piece together where he was. The first thing he registered was that it was warm. That was a bonus.

'So, not Fichina.'

Next, he was comfortable. He noted that he was wrapped up in a soft blanket. Was it a blanket? On second thought, it was too fluffy to be a blanket.

'What the hell? Where am I?'

Suddenly opening his eyes, he realised that was the most stupid thing he could do. Light flooded his senses, with his eyes feeling as if they were burning.

Rapidly closing them he reconsidered his options. He'd only just noticed a faint beeping emanating from beside him. The sound, quiet at first, started to amplify in volume. Driving him crazy, it quickly became unbearable to hear the noise any longer.

Attempt number 2. Repeating his previous attempt, slowly now, he began to open his eyes again. It was painful, but he could at least bear it this time. He could adjust. The first thing he saw was a white blanket, covering his body. 'So, I was right the first time? But, this doesn't look all that fluffy...' Looking up, he found the object of his concern.

An orange wall of fur blocked him from observing any further. 'Who the hell has orange fluffy pillows?' The more he dwelled on this, the more he came to the conclusion. Nobody has fluffy orange pillows. Moving further up, his head knocked into something. A muzzle, to be precise.

The pieces all fell into place, and he felt stupid for not realising it before. Well, not exactly. It was perfectly understandable why he hadn't thought of this before. Because it shouldn't. Why should he have thought of this? Never in a million years would he think of Fox, lying in the same bed as him, cuddling him!

The knock to the others muzzle caused him to start stirring. With a yawn, he opened his eyes, surprised at what he saw. A pair of violet eyes peered up at him, with an inquisitive tilt of the head from the individual which the eyes belonged to. It took a moment for him to register what was going on.

"Uh, Fox?" His voice rasped. "W... Why are you cuddling me?" The way he said it, so bluntly, was the force which made the vulpine recline, his face tingeing red under his fur. Wolf looked so innocent, weak, vulnerable, a stark contrast to the usual Wolf he saw.

"I-I mean, I'm not the only one." He retorted, at an attempt to keep his dignity. Wolf slightly felt numb, so he hadn't noticed at first, but now it hit him like a brick. He, too, was holding Fox. And close.

"What the?" He suddenly moved away, stopping their 'cuddle session'. All this resulted in, however, was sharp pains coming from his chest, causing him to recede in pain.

"Wolf! Be careful!" He quickly moved his hands to try ease the pain, acting as a form of comfort. His right hand ended up on his head, while his left resided on his chest, both rubbing gently. Wolf couldn't help the low vibration running through his body, but this... Why was this happening? He looked at Fox, his face looking even more confused than before.

"S-Sorry." The red returning to his features.

"Right." He looked pensive, thinking of the best way to get out of there. "Mind telling me what happened while I've been out?"

"Oh. OH!" Fox's eyes opened wide, realising he should have probably said so sooner. "Well, how much do you remember?"

"Not much. Star whatever attacked us, and we got hit with something. I think?"

"Right, so after Star Wolf atta-"

"They're not Star Wolf." The lupine looked slightly aggravated about this, with Fox not realising what he was saying.

"Sorry. Anyway, after we were attacked, we ended up crash landing on Fichina. I got away with a slight bump, but it wasn't the same for you." He looked somewhat sad when saying this, intriguing Wolf. "You were all cut up, so I took us both into the nearby base and started patching you up." Stopping momentarily, he thought back on how he acted back then.

Wolf couldn't help but smirk. "Heh, that's a change from the usual. Instead of you leaving me in the crash you helped," The look on his face showed that he wasn't too happy at this comment. With a cough, he continued "and then?"

"Before that, tell me. Are you feeling okay?"

"Okay? I guess... It still kinda hurts like, everywhere, but yeah. I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Anxiety splayed all over his face, and Wolf couldn't help be affected by this. "I mean, I want to know one hundred percent that you're okay."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, It was... I don't really know how to explain it really. A shock reaction?"

"S-Shock?" Now the lupine worried about what he could have said or done.

"Yeah, while trying to take out the glass shards, you suddenly grasped onto me, whispering to yourself. Whenever I tried to get out of your arms, you just pulled me harder, which kind of resulted in this" He gestured around with his arms.

"What was I saying?" 'From the sounds of it, nothing good...'

"I think it was something along the lines of 'don't leave me'." It's not the worst thing he could have said, but that didn't change the point that it wasn't good. "If you wouldn't mind..." Fox looked hesitantly into the lupine's eyes. "Could, could you tell me what that's about?"

"What makes you think it has to be about something." He was stalling now. He knew what that was without a doubt, what happened in his dream. This wasn't good...

"Well, that doesn't happen to most people without a reason."

Wolf scoffed at this, retorting with "Well, I guess I'm not normal then." He was losing his stoicism, and thus tried to turn his words against him.

"Wolf, that's not what I said nor meant. It's just..." Another pause, he wasn't having the easiest time forming his own words. "I want to, I mean..." He just couldn't, his thoughts infuriating him. "I want to help you." He clasped Wolf's hands together in his own, as if to emphasize this."I care about you..." Maybe he said too much. The agitated look on the lupines face showed this clearly, and Fox moved his hands away.

Once again, hearing the phrase 'I just want to help' resonated in the lupine.'Was that what he meant to say?' "You... Care?" Not many people had he heard that from. 'Maybe I should... Wait no! I can't let his lies get to me, he's just going to abuse it. Just like everyone else does. Like they all do... He can't sweet talk his way through this!'

"I mean, sure... I care about all of my team members." 'Right. Of course I do... Right?' "I want to get to know everyone better. Knowing I can trust my team mates, and they can trust me, it's vital to me and for the team." 'Right?' He had meant those words, but he was having trouble believing them. Thinking back, he didn't really know much about most of his team mates. Peppy and Slippy probably being the only two he could, being with them for most of his life. And the more he thought about it, he knew it was his fault he didn't know more about Krystal. Falco was always an enigma to him, and he left that be. Even now, he seemed somewhat antagonistic to Katt.

"Oh. Yeah, of course." He couldn't help but think on this. He could never say this about his old team. Maybe that's why he failed as a leader. At this thought, he visibly winced, concerning Fox.

'Did I say something wrong?' "So, can you please tell me what this is about?"

"Look, it's nothing, okay? I'm fine." He just wanted to forget this all, Fox never has to know.

"Wolf please..."

"I've told you, it's nothing!"

"I know that's not true. Stop lying and tell me!"

The lupines anger surged. This was a good tactic he found in a way to hide all other emotions he might be feeling, overpowering them. "It's none of your business! How about you stop lying to me? What's this really about, because I know for sure tha-"

"Wolf PLEASE!" the vulpine shouted, interrupting him abruptly. "Just, please, I know this is something that's bothering you. It's the same as before, the first time. You were shouting in your sleep, shaking. I know now, you were scared, of whatever it is. I wanted to help then, too, but you just shoved me away." Losing control of what he was saying, he continued. "Am I not good enough for you? You told Krystal the moment she asks but when I tried to fix it I get shouted at and called a creep!" His voice raising more and more with each statement. "Is it going to be the same here? Am I going to have to go get Krystal to talk to you now? And once again I get left in the dark regardless of how I feel about this too? Do you really hate me that much? DO YOU? I DON'T GET IT! I LO-"

A paw to his forehead stopped his rant in it's tracks. He couldn't help but wonder, what was he going to say? Fox was panting heavily now, his anger obvious. But when he looked up, looked into Wolf's eyes, could he stay angry? Did he deserve to be angry at this? The lupine was clearly taken aback, an apprehensive look in his eye, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. But most importantly, the most obvious and prevalent feature on his face, was the sorry look he was giving the other.

A genuine, apologetic look covered his face completely.

Wolf never meant to make Fox angry or upset about this, but he was so caught up in what he thought, what he wanted out of it, that he never even considered what others would think. And now, it was hitting him back at full force.

The two stayed quiet for an extended period of time, none daring to say any more. The only sound filling the room was the vulpine's laboured breaths and the slow recurring beeps of the life support machine.

Fox had closed his eyes in attempt to calm down, and it had worked. Eventually, the room fell into silence, Wolf's paw still lying on the gap between the others ears, slowly giving small, gentle strokes. 'He can't possibly be lying... Can he?'

After a while, Wolf shattered their silence. "Fox?" He stayed unmoving. "I don't hate you." Opening his eyes in response, he peered at the other in response. "I'm sorry. I get that you were trying to help but..."

"I should be the one apologising, it's hypocritical of me to shout at you and when I'm saying I want to help you..."

"Either way, I'm sorry... If you," he faltered once again, "if you want to know... I'll tell you, but just not now, okay? And not a word to the others." 'Should I be trusting him?'

"Are you sure?" His eyes seemed to light up in response, finally feeling accomplished in breaking down his emotional walls. He was getting closer, he hoped, to the real Wolf.

"If you really want." Finally reaching a compromise, Fox lowered his head with a sigh and a smile on his mouth.

"Thank you." Once again the two fell silent. Fox slowly started to rise from his side of the bed, coming to stand at the side of the bed.

"I should probably tell the team you're up. Stay here and don't move too much, okay? I don't want to see you bleeding out again by the time I get back." he joked, smirking at the lupine.

"I don't know, I might just get up and walk around just to spite you." Wolf responded, a grin on his muzzle too.

"Talk to you later." he raised his arm, his hand over his shoulder. Wolf grunted in response, and he left the room, the door closing with a click.

'What have I gotten myself into...'

Walking down the corridor, he heard someone in the control center. Poking his head around the corner, Peppy could be seen at his station, typing away, with the large backdrop of Corneria through the window.

"Fox?" Peppy was surprised to see him, turning in his chair to fully face him.

"Yeah, Wolf woke up a few minutes ago and I just thought I should probably tell everyone. How long until we land?"

"We're about 10 minutes off, and then you're as good as free. And I'm sure that all your time spent in bed you're ready to stretch your legs." he said, smiling.

"Great, I can't wait to get off. I don't know why but this mission has felt like it's taken forever."

"I'm not sure how much I can agree with you there, but I see why you feel that way."

"Okay, I'll go tell the others about our arrival and such, see ya later Peps." he turned and quickly walked away...

Only to be stopped before he could go. "Also, Fox?"

"Yeah?"

"How far do you plan on going with this?" Fox seemed taken aback by that.

"Huh? I don't know what you mean, is something up?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I guess my age is just getting to me."

"Uh huh?" He was very confused by now, but it didn't seem like Peppy was going to elaborate any further so he decided to leave it at that. "Well, yeah see ya..." This time he left with no interruptions.

'How ominous...' Fox thought as he walked down. It didn't help that it was Peppy who said it. It always seemed that he had some strange insight, as if he could see into the future, surprising them all multiple times in the past. Yet, he knew it was impossible, nobody could see in the future; it just gave him a bad feeling.

Fox, quickly told the other members of the team of their arrival, with nothing much noteworthy except for something in his meeting with Krystal. She seemed off to him, he didn't know what it was. She also seemed to slightly twitch when he brought up Wolf, and he had no idea why. Perhaps he could also talk to her after his ordeal with Wolf?

Returning to the med bay, Fox took a seat at the side of the bed, with Wolf lying behind him. He turned to face him, giving him a weak smile. "You were quick."

"Why, you wanted to be alone? There wasn't really much to do."

"No it's not that, it's just... Never mind." Wolf replied, stopping his previous train of thought.

"Okay? Peppy told me we'll be arriving on Corneria in around 10 minutes, and then we're free to do whatever." Fox started fidgeting with is hands, thinking on what to say. "When we land, I'll take you to the hospital, if that's alright with you."

"Hospital?"

"I just thought, it might be a good idea. Your wounds will heal even if we don't go but I thought you might want to get healed so you can actually do stuff, you know?"

"I guess that makes sense. Sure, I'll go, thanks." He looked up at the other with a smile.

"And I was wondering, maybe, uh," he trailed off, not sure if he should ask.

"Hm?"

"If you'd want to, like, hang out, or something. Talk, y'kno?" Fox looked away while saying this, not daring to look the other in the eye.

"Might be fun. I'm in." The way he casually answered made him wonder why he was apprehensive in the first place. It was only them chilling and talking, getting to know each other better.

'It's not like it's a date, right?' Fox thought, questioning himself. 'Yeah, it's nothing like that... Right?'

Loud footsteps were all that could be heard in this isolated wing. Slow, calculated, footsteps, knowing where they were going. Knowing all too much, having come multiple times before. How could she forget?

She opened the door slowly, entering the bleak white room, and then closing as silent as possible. Walking to the object of her desires, she couldn't help but feel her heart drop. No matter how many times she saw this, it won't stop. The feeling of sadness, it was strange.

She always believed she never needed this, but when it comes up in her face she can't help but wallow in grief. She sat beside the bed, looking at the other with a forlorn look etched upon her face. She could get over this, she hoped.

She clasped one of their hands into her own, looking down. It was wrong. It was unfair. It was cruel. All the things she could think of, why did it happen to him, to them. Everything...

"I won't let them take away everything from us again. This is his fault... I can't forgive him. Not again..."

"I will fix this..."

She suddenly felt the hand in her possession, and it was clasping back...

End note:

And finally, I managed to get the next chapter up. Kind of dialogue heavy, but I want to try develop their feelings, and thus trying to get them to understand eachothers first. I want to say I'll try update frequently over this Christmas period, but I'm not sure how much I can keep my word on it. Thanks for reading anyway, and see you next update!