Me: Sorry I haven't updated in forever but I've been busy with family and all!

Tala:...I look like a dork in this...

Me: You do not! You look overprotective and sensitive!

Tala: Exactly. I look like a dork. Get it?

Me: Ignore him...please

Special thanks: to my reviewers and the author alerts, and the favoriting and you know the rest!

Disclaimer: I no own

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Kai asked nervously as Tala held onto his hand and lead him backstage.

"Relax, just tell everyone you're a stage hand," Tala shrugged. "Besides, you're the one who agreed to this." Kai blushed and muttered something incoherent. Tala smirked and pulled Kai behind a wooden support beam and into his chest.

"What are you doing?!" Kai demanded as his hands and his body was crushed against Tala strong chest.

"You don't want to get caught with the school play boy, do you?" Tala asked the wolf like smirk more present then ever. Kai glowered at him but Tala was looking at who was walking backstage with them.

"I don't see anyone," Tala whispered, frowning.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kai muttered.

"Not when there are still footsteps," Tala responded, pulling Kai closer to him if that was possible. Kai cheeks heated up and he buried his face in the space created by Tala's shoulder and neck. He didn't close his eyes because the fear of the nightmare he had had, had proven all too real.

Kai's Dream

"I see you…Where are you going?" the voice asked. "Kai, why are you running from me?"

"Stay away from me!" Kai shouted. 'How does he know my name?' he thought.

"Come with me, Kai…I'll make your death less painful," but that sentence had Kai running faster then he ever had in his life.

"Tala!" Kai screamed, hoping- praying with his life- that the red head would save him.

"He can't hear you Kai," the masked man teased. "Tala isn't here."

"Tala!" Kai screamed again.

End of dream state

"Kai!" Tala shook him gently. "What's wrong? You're shaking." Kai looked at him with wide eyes and realized that it was true. He was grasping the material of Tala's shirt just to stay upright.

"Don't leave me…" Kai whispered. "Don't leave me…"

"Kai?" Tala asked. Kai brought himself to Tala closer on his own will, which surprised Tala. Ever since his own choice to distance himself from Kai, Kai had taken Kai to distance himself as well.

"Why did you do it?" Kai asked. "Why did you avoid me for four years? Why did

you suddenly come back?" Tala hesitated before answering.

"I got tired," he said. Before Kai had the time to question him, a loud crash in the front of the theater caught their attention.

"Ian!" they heard Bryan shout.

"Shit, c'mon!" Tala said, pulling Kai's hand. Tala ran faster then Kai was used to.

"Tala, slow down! I can't keep up!" Kai said. Tala slowed his pace a little but only so Kai wouldn't fall and pull both of them down.

"Bryan, where is he?!" Tala demanded in Russian. Kai gulped. He must have been really worried to resort to their first language.

"Under here!" Bryan shouted, attempting to lift the giant prop with Hiro's help.

"Move dammit!" Tala cursed, meaning for Hiro to move.

"Move," Kai said, gripping Hiro's hands and taking his spot.

"Ready?" Bryan asked. The two other Russians nodded and they tossed the canoe off of him. The canoe made a loud 'thump' noise when they carelessly let it drop and rushed to Ian's side.

"You okay?" Kai asked immediately. "Go get Spencer someone!" Whispers ensured around them, unable to understand the Russian language.

"Get Spencer!" Hiro shouted, catching the gist of it.

"Damn, what happened?" Kai asked, cradling the small boy to his body.

"The canoe got loose," Hiro cursed. Tala looked up in surprise.

"No way," he said. "No way…"

"Tala?" Kai asked as Tala got up and used his legs as leverage to climb up the stairs and grab onto the ropes that had previously held the canoe.

"What's up there?!" Hiro asked. Tala cursed.

"Damn…" Tala shouted, kicking one of the wooden supports before coming down.

"So…? Hiro asked.

"Someone cut the damn rope," Tala said through gritted teeth.

"How do you know someone didn't just tie a bad knot?" Hiro asked.

"Because I retied it yesterday," Tala said. "And no one can get out of my knots." Bryan nodded, wincing. He remembered when he had pissed Tala and Kai off and Tala had taken it upon himself to tie him up and leave him there for six hours. Then he noticed Kai's heated cheeks and Tala's gaze upon the dual haired teen and rolled his eyes.

"Don't put his mind in the gutter, Tala," Bryan muttered. Kai blushed even darker and looked away, turning his attention to Ian.

"What happened?" Spencer asked the doors of the theater banging open as he and Julia rushed in.

"That fell on him," Bryan said and Spencer immediately kneeled next to Kai who was still holding Ian.

"Ian? Ian can you hear me?" Spencer asked. "Is there any-"

"Ung…Spence?"

"Ian!" Kai said in relief.

"Are you okay?" Spencer asked. "Does anything hurt?"

"I think I hit my head on the canoe before I blacked out…" Ian said slowly. Spencer put his hand on the spot where Ian was rubbing his head and the younger boy winced.

"That's going to be swollen for awhile," Spencer muttered. "Why on earth was the canoe loose?"

"Someone cut my knot," Tala grunted, seething in his anger. Kai bit his lip. He hadn't seen Tala like this for quite some time.

"Is he going to be alright?" Hiro asked.

"He'll be fine…I don't think he has a concussion but we need to get him some ice for the swelling," Spencer said.

"I'll get it," Kai said.

"Hey, wait up for me," Tala said as Kai easily got halfway up the stairs.

"I guess we're doing Phantom of the Opera," Hiro said.

"Why?" Michael asked. "No one even performed that!"

"Well, the canoe falling was just like a scene from it…although it hit Ian," Hiro frowned. "Spencer, I'm going to need to talk to you and the other boys." Spencer nodded in understanding, his eyes scanning the support beams and higher up. A flash of movement caught his eye. He smirked. Oh, someone was going to pay dearly.

"Tala!" Kai said as Tala was rushing ahead of him. He grabbed onto Tala's arm. The redhead finally stopped but he didn't look at Kai.

"What?" he asked.

"What do you mean what?" Kai demanded. "What's wrong with you? It's not like you cut that rope yourself."

"I might as well have!" Tala shouted. "That was my knot! I was supposed to make sure that it didn't fall and it did."

"You know, for someone who was forced to do this by detention you sure are-" Kai was cut off as Tala pulled him into a tight hug.

"What if that had been you? What if Ian hadn't just gotten away with a swelling?" Tala whispered. "We didn't catch that guy, Kai. He's still on the loose and he's going to get more violent and we don't even have a clue of who he is." Kai sighed and wrapped his arms around Tala's back, pulling him closer.

"It wasn't me and Ian did get away with a swelling," Kai said softly. "It's going to be alright…we'll catch the guy."

"Kai promise me something," Tala demanded, looking into Kai's crimson eyes.

"What?" Kai asked nervously.

"If this play gets anymore dangerous… I want you to quit," Tala said.

Me: ooh, cliffy...kind of...is it? I dunno...the chapter's kinda short...sorry...

Tala: Oh, give it a break!

Me: Fine, like always: please review and tell me what you thought!...even if it is to agree with Tala that he was acting like "a dork."