Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Thank you for all the lovely reviews!! I greatly appreciate them. :D! This is the last chapter of this lovely fic, but it's sequel, Stormy Saturdays, should be out soon. Anyway, on with the fic!

Thoughts: //blah blah blah //

Phone conversation: :: blah blah blah ::

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Tala leaned heavily against the side of the building, one hand clasped firmly over his mouth. He swallowed several times, trying desperately to get rid of the nauseas feeling he was getting at the moment. The redhead thought he was over his memories of Boris, but apparently, he was not.

Kai placed his hands on the redhead's shaking shoulders. He hadn't seen Tala this shaken up since his days in the Abbey. Kai frowned. He was worried. Very worried.

Tala shook his head, pushing most of the thoughts of the Abbey director to the back of his mind, though some still lingered. He felt a single tear roll down his cheek and quickly wiped it away.

//Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not supposed to be like this, all emotional and shit. Those things happened along time ago! But…maybe I'm just afraid he'll get out and come after me again. That thought's always there. Maybe all I need is a boyfriend that I feel safe around. Someone like Bryan… //

Tala's eyes widened slightly, and Kai wondered what he could be thinking about.

//Okay, I did -not- just think that. I couldn't have! The others will be out here anytime now. I've got to pull myself together. I've got a reputation to maintain. //

Tala stood up straight and pushed himself off the wall, smoothing out his clothes afterwards, though he could still feel himself shaking. He frowned. He wouldn't be able to walk to the limo without some help. His legs felt like they could give away at anytime.

Kai immediately took the hint, seeing the redhead stop moving and wrapped an arm around his best friend's waist for support.

//We need to get to the limo before the others come out, lest rumors start flying, and that's something I don't need right now. Why the hell did Mariah have to start something with Tala anyway? I thought she had gotten smarter and more mature, but apparently, I've given her too much credit. //

He tightened his grip when Tala hesitated and leaned toward him, now half carrying the redhead to the limo.

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"Rei-Rei!!! Why were you and Kai all touchy feely back there? Since when did you two become so close?"

Rei stayed silent and kept walking, trying to ignore the pink haired girl. Trying being the keyword.

Johnny rolled his eyes.

"If you had half a brain then you'd figure it out."

Garland, Tyson, Claude, Miguel and Emily all snickered. Robert gave Johnny a look, silencing the redhead from saying anything further.

Either Mariah hadn't heard Johnny's comment, or she was ignoring it.

"Tala's so overdramatic! I hardly insulted him! I could have said something meaner, but I didn't."

Kevin, who was currently walking beside the pink haired girl, glared up at her. He had grown more mature since the last tournament, something Rei noticed as soon as he saw him. Unlike his two teammates, he no longer held a grudge against the Russians, nor against the members of the former team BEGA.

"Just shut up Mariah. I think you insulted him more than you know."

Mariah scoffed and rolled her eyes at the green-haired boy.

"Oh whatever Kevin. Like you know anything."

Kevin was about to snap back at her, but stopped and fell back behind her, walking with Tyson and Emily, who looked at him approvingly.

Rei stepped through the automatic doors of the airport, heading towards the limo, the others following his lead.

-------------------

Michael and Rick sat in silent shock at Bryan's account of what had transpired the night before.

It was Michael who finally broke the silence.

"We should tell your mother."

To the two American's and Bryan's surprise, Max scoffed.

"Like she'd care. She didn't when you and Rick used to be mean to me during the last tournament. Why would she care this time?"

Michael frowned. The blond did have a point.

"What about your dad?"

Max looked out of the limo's tinted window.

"I've been staying with—I've been staying at the dojo. Dad went to America a few weeks ago to 'work out his differences with mom'."

Max's tone was bitter, a tone none of the older boys had ever heard him use before.

Michael was getting desperate. They had to get Max some help. He seemed okay physically, but mentally, Michael wasn't so sure about.

"Max, we have to tell someone."

When Max merely ignored him, Michael gave up, sending Bryan and Rick worried glances. They sat the rest of the time in silence, until the door to their compartment opened.

-------------------

Bryan, Rick and Michael all looked towards the door when it opened, Max still looking out the window.

Bryan frowned at the lithe redhead's appearance. He looked drained, but as soon as he saw Rick and Michael, he immediately put up an, 'I'm okay, everything's just fine' mask.

"Tala don't even start with the fakeness. They've already seen you so drop the act."

Tala glared back at Kai, but didn't argue, dropping his mask as quickly has he had put it up. Slipping in beside Bryan, he rested his head on the older Russian's shoulder.

Bryan frowned. He could feel, and see, the redhead shaking. Hesitantly, he placed his hand over the redhead's pale one that was resting on a leather-covered knee, making Tala's cheeks take on a pink tint.

Kai slid in and sat on the row with Rick and Michael, closing the door behind himself. The trio smirked when they saw Tala's obvious blush.

Tala's blush deepened considerably when Bryan decided to entwine their fingers and scoot closer, placing his free arm on the back of the seat behind Tala.

Bryan leaned closer, his breath tickling the redhead's ear.

"What's wrong? You're shaking."

Tala looked at his feet.

"Mariah."

Bryan's eyes took on hardened gleam.

"What did she say to you?"

Kai gave Bryan a look.

"Let it be Bryan. She just brought up some unpleasant memories for Tala."

Bryan's eyes narrowed.

"I'll kill that pink haired bitch!"

Kai rolled his eyes.

"I knew you'd be like this. That's why I didn't want it told. There's enough going on already Bryan. We don't you going and stirring up shit that's already been halfway settled. So just shut up. You're being too loud."

"How the hell am I being too loud?"

It was Michael's turn to roll his eyes.

"Tala's asleep, dumbass."

Bryan looked down and saw that the redhead was in fact asleep. He smiled slightly and shifted him so that Tala was practically in his lap, a much more comfortable position for the both of them. The older Russian still kept Tala's hand in his but the arm that was around the redhead's shoulder was now around his waist.

The trio on the opposite side smirked at Bryan who merely glared daggers at them.

"Don't say a word. Oh and Michael, if you ever call me a dumbass again, you'll be disfigured for life."

Michael rolled his eyes once again, still smirking smugly.

"Yeah, whatever."

He cast a glance at Max, finding him asleep as well. Michael stretched and leaned back into the seat. He hated riding for long periods of time. He was definitely ready to get out and stretch his legs.

-------------------

Rei wasn't happy. He wasn't happy at all. He had gotten stuck with three of the most annoying people on the entire planet. Lee, Ming Ming and Mariah. Sure, Lee was one of his best friends, but he was always trying to push the raven-haired teen toward his even more annoying little sister. If they didn't shut up, Rei thought he would kill them before they even got out of the airport parking lot. At least Kevin was there and he could now hold a decent conversation with him.

"Rei-Rei!! Why are you so silent? Why won't you sit beside me? I won't bite!"

Mariah giggled.

"Not hard at least."

Rei couldn't hide the mortified look in his eyes.

//Oh. My. God. She did -not- just say that. Why me? If there is a God, he probably just -loves- to watch me suffer. //

Kevin snickered at the look on Rei's face.

"Nah, I think he likes it where he is."

"Then I'll come over there!"

"There's no more room."

"Lee! Move! I wanna sit beside Rei-Rei!!"

Rei looked over at Lee, his eyes begging him not to move.

Lee blinked at this. He couldn't understand why Rei wouldn't want Mariah to sit next to him. They were practically dating, according to Mariah, after all.

Lee leaned over so only Rei could hear his words.

"Why don't you want her to sit next to you?"

"I—um, don't feel well."

"Oh."

Lee turned back to Mariah.

"He doesn't feel well right now. He doesn't want you to catch what he has."

Rei turned to look out the window, drowning out Mariah and Ming Ming's conversation, which had now turned to the subject of how some boys were just so considerate and how others weren't. He rested his head on the glass, hoping the ride would end soon.

-------------------

All the teams were glad to get out of the limo when it finally arrived at the dojo. Rei and Kevin were probably the first two people to scramble out. They had endured enough time with the other three to last them a lifetime.

Bryan, on the other hand, was one of the last people to exit the limo, having to find someway to move Tala without waking the younger Russian. Once inside, he carried Tala up the stairs and then onto Rei's room, laying him down on the neko-jin's bed and covering him up. The lilac haired male looked around, seeing Brooklyn, Claude, Garland and Miguel's things in the room.

//I don't see why they didn't just rent hotel rooms. It'd be a lot less crowded. Well, at least Tala has people he could get along with in his room. //

He cast a longing look at Tala before leaving the room completely.

//I think—no, I -know- I'm in love with him now. I'm sure it's not just lust anymore. God, why do things always have to get so damn complicated//

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Everyone, except for Max and Tala, was in the living room when Bryan came downstairs, trying to decide on what to do about food.

Rei was sitting on the arm of the chair Kai was sitting in.

"Maybe we should have a few people take a cab to a fast food place."

Robert nodded.

"I agree with Rei. We're all to tired to go out to eat, and quite frankly, I don't particularly want to ride in that limo again until I absolutely have to."

Kevin sighed.

"I agree with him."

Rei snickered at the look on Kevin's face.

"Then it's settled. Who's going to go get the food?"

The room was silent, no one speaking up.

Rei sighed.

"Okay, Garland, Robert, Claude and I will go get it. Bryan, do you know what Tala likes?"

Bryan nodded.

"Plain hamburgers, and I mean the only thing on it better be a hamburger patty. He's super picky."

A few people in the room snickered.

Rei smiled slightly.

"Okay, now who wants what?"

It took nearly 30 minutes for Rei to get everyone's order straight.

"Well, we're off."

With that said, Rei and the others left, leaving the rest behind.

-------------------

It had been nearly twenty minutes since Rei and the others had left, so Kai appointed Michael to help wake up those who had fallen asleep. Ten minutes after starting, they had awoken everyone except Max and Tala.

Michael looked at Kai.

"Who's easier to wake up?"

"Tala, probably. I've never really had to wake up Max before."

The twosome entered Rei's room and made their way over to the sleeping redhead. Kai shook him gently, making Tala merely groan softly and roll over.

Michael shook him the next time, harder than Kai had.

"Come on Tala. Get your nice ass up. The food will be here soon."

Tala's eyes blinked open and he glared slightly at Michael. Yawning, he stretched and sat up.

"I'm up…"

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped his boots back on.

Kai smiled slightly.

"Good. You can help us wake up Max."

The redhead stood up and stretched once more, smoothing out his clothes and his hair afterwards.

"Okay."

The trio left the room, making their way to Max's.

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Tala twisted the doorknob and pushed on the door, but to his surprise, it didn't come open. He tried it once more, but the door didn't budge.

"Kai…it won't open…"

Michael hid a frown.

"Maybe he didn't want anyone to disturb him."

Kai reached on top of the doorframe, but the key that was usually there, was gone.

"Something's wrong. The key's gone."

Tala looked over to Kai curiously.

"Then how are we going to get in?"

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"We're going to break it down."

Michael smirked and put his hat on backwards.

"On three."

"One"

"Two."

"Three!"

Kai and Michael's shoulders slammed into the door, tearing it off the hinges. They moved the door, Tala being the first to peer inside the room. Tala couldn't suppress a horrified scream, a hand going over his mouth. Kai and Michael dropped the door and they could hear numerous footsteps running up the stairs. They ran to Tala's side and looked inside the room. Michael gasped and backed up, not believing what he was seeing.

Kai's eyes widened considerably and he turned deathly pale.

"MAX!"

-------------------

Rei stood in line with Robert, Claude, and Garland, waiting patiently on the food, not believing how long it was taking. A sudden noise startled him and after a few moments, he realized it was his cell phone ringing.

He quickly answered it, not even thinking to look at the name.

"Hello?"

:: Rei, Get back here. Now. Forget the food. ::

Something was off. Kai's voice never shook when he spoke.

"Kai, we've already paid. What's wrong?"

:: Fuck the food. Get your ass back to the dojo, damn it::

Kai was beginning to sound panicked. Rei frowned and walked closer to the others.

"Kai, tell me what the hell is wrong! You're not acting right!"

:: Just get back here…::

Now he sounded desperate.

//Kai…what's going on with you//

Garland blinked. He could practically hear every word Kai was saying, though Rei probably had the volume all the way down.

Garland looked at Rei questionably.

Rei held up his hand, silencing any question Garland was about to ask.

"Kai, just tell me what the hell happened. What's wrong?"

:: Max…H-he…::

//Oh my God…//

:: H-he tried to commit s-suicide…::

Rei's eyes widened and the phone slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor.

-------------------

Tala stood at window in the living room, watching the flashing lights of the ambulance. He sighed, hugging himself. Things weren't going as he'd planned. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

He looked back when he felt a pair of strong arms encircle his waist.

Bryan.

Tala leaned into Bryan's embrace, his ice blue eyes once again looking out the window. Together they watched the stretcher containing the sickly little blond being put on the ambulance.

As the ambulance doors closed they both noticed something that wasn't there a few moments ago.

It was raining.

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Yes I know. I'm mean. Very mean. I just thought the suicidal!Max part up not to long ago. It wasn't in the original plan. Plus it's not really done that often. And I know, Kai's pretty OOC in the end, but he just saw someone he thinks of as family just lying there in a pool of their own blood. He's in shock.

But anyway, be on the lookout for Stormy Saturdays!

Please review! It makes me happy and it makes me update faster:D.