The Challenger

Chapter Fourteen: Together again

A/N: Okay so this is the last chapter, which has taken forever to post due to my computer buggering, itself up so I hope (for anyone still reading this story) you enjoy and thanks for all your support and reviews, as this was my very first fan fiction story. Now onto the story!!

Shadow slowly opened her eyes. "Why is everything blurry?" she wondered. She tried to sit up only to flop back down from an overpowering amount of pain.

Her vision soon became clear and she looked around her. "What? Where…am I?" she mumbled confused.

She then heard a door open and looked towards it. In came a nurse who was carrying a replacement bag for a drip.

"Oh you're awake!" the nurse exclaimed.

"This is wonderful news. I'll go tell the others immediately," she rushed out of the room.

A few moments later she returned with a large crowd of people. Shadow was overwhelmed by all of them and she began to feel dizzy.

She felt herself swaying and a man stepped forward to steady her. He laid her back down onto the pillow and smiled.

"Hi there Shadow I'm Dr. Collins, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Uh…dizzy" she replied.

"Alright Eileen is just going to change your drip bag over. You just need to rest you lost a lot of blood and your right leg has multiple fractures," added Dr. Collins.

"Great," she replied sarcastically "So I lived after all".

Dr. Collins just smiled and then turned to face the crowd. "Alright she needs rest so I am giving you 10 minuets then your all going to have to clear out".

With that he turned around and left the room.

The first person who approached her was Roger. "Oh thank goodness your alright Shadow," he exclaimed.

"Hey what can I say I'm a fighter," she replied.

" I brought some people to see you".

Shadow looked around "by some people does he mean an entire country?" she wondered to herself.

The whole hospital room was flooded with people most were teachers who she recognised, but some she didn't.

She looked up at Roger "Thanks," she added awkwardly. "Yeah just who I wanted to see my teachers, as If I don't get enough of them daily. Gosh even when I'm in hospital they're annoying me," she thought.

Roger smiled "I know what you're thinking but it's not them that I brought along". He moved to the side and two familiar figures stood behind him.

She couldn't help to smile when she saw their familiar faces.

"Shadow!!" Matt screamed as he bolted towards her.

He wrapped his arms around her and she gripped him tightly taking in his familiar smell. "I'm sorry," he sobbed.

"What?" exclaimed Shadow pulling out of the embrace. "What for?".

"I should have been a better friend, if I had been their for you then maybe you wouldn't be in here right now," he sobbed.

She just smiled "Matt," she mumbled.

He looked up at her. "You're the best friend I have ever had, you…your more then just a friend. Your like my older brother that I never had and I could never ask for more in a friend. Besides you do realise that I'm gonna' get a whole lotta' mileage out of this little emotional breakdown of yours. "

He laughed and she then pulled him close again.

Matt sat down on her bed and they both turned to look at Mello who was scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor uncomfortably.

He looked up at her quickly then looked back to the floor.

She sighed impatiently "Get your ass ova' here now Mello!" she shouted.

He looked up stunned then marched over obediently. "Good boy," she added. She then grabbed his wrist and pulled him down to hug her too.

Shadow felt Mello's body stiffen when she wrapped her arms around him. He put his mouth up to her ear and whispered "Sorry" into it.

Shadow just smiled and nodded, then he quickly pulled away, a crimson blush spreading across his face.

"Ha ha Mello's blushing!" yelled Matt breaking the moment.

"I am not!" Mello retorted ending his sentence by slapping Matt over the head. Shadow just laughed

"I guess I found my reason for living," she thought to herself.

"Oh Shadow I have one last person who wants to see you," added Roger. "You can come in now!" he called.

Shadow looked up at the door, she drew in a shaky breath as he approached. "Well," she mumbled.

The room was filled with tension. "I…I'm glad you're ok," mumbled the figure. The room was filled with silence for a moment.

"Thanks brother," she replied breaking the tension and the people in the room began to talk amongst themselves.

He looked up at her from under his bangs and gave a little smile. She returned it just as Matt started bugging her.

"So your gonna' have some pretty wicked scares ehy?" she sighed.

Shadow knew that her and Near would never be the best of friends let alone treat each other like family.

Heck as soon as she got out of here they would probably be fighting again and ignoring each other just as before. She knew they would always blame the other for their parent's death.

But at least now, at least for once in their lives they had smiled At one another. For now the two were on even grounds, it wouldn't last Shadow knew this.

But at least now she didn't hate Near, at least now she could actually say that she was, well starting to like him.

And even if Near would never be their for her as an older brother should be.

She knew she had two other older brothers to count on.

They were Matt and Mello.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed I really gave up on this story towards the end but your reviews helped me finish it yay!! Oh and looked out for Shadow in any of my future stories. OC's make them that much more fun to write.