Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination.

Dizzy: 6 Living Life.

Before Howard realized he had fallen asleep, he jolted awake. The sound of crunching snow just emerging from the howling wind sent his cold sluggish mind into overdrive.

"Vince!" He exclaimed to his comrade. Howard looked down only to see the pale man was nearly blue, a strange deathly pallor that had nothing to do with lack of sun. The small cloudy puffs of air Vince was producing were barely visible.

Desperately he felt for a pulse, only to find a weak, thready one, the beats coming far to slowly for anyone healthy. But then, Vince was hardly healthy.

What with the malnutrition, thinness, blood loss, injuries, strange mentality and general unhealth, Vince wasn't cut out for this sort of situation. It seemed to take all of the usually happy man's energy just to keep breathing.

It took a good while to fully coax Vince into even semi-reality. Pale blue eyes gazed dazedly up at him, giving off an almost halucitive look, a strange mix of hopelessness and hope. Miserable, desperate even.

Howard stared at the limp creature in his arms, overwhelming guilt crashing over him as he saw Vince's eyes failing to recognize him, looking scared and confused as to why he could barely move and was wet and cold.

Swallowing the lump of tangible grief in his throat, Howard spoke, perhaps merely out of familiarity, forgetting the footsteps outside.

"Hey Vince." The words sounded chocked and forced even to him, especially as he saw Vince struggling to grasp the concept of the words. "I know that were in a bit of a sticky situation right now... But I will get you out, and safe, and happy. I promise." He stammered out to the less then lucid creature.

"Ah-ha!" Came a triumphant voice. Howard all but spun around to see the leering face of Dixon Bainbridge staring at him through the cave entrance. Howard's stomach churned with hopelessness, this would be the end, surely.

He held Vince closer to him, but whether out of protectiveness, or the need for comfort, he would never be sure. It was only then that Bainbridge seemed to notice Vince; his eyes did a double take as they saw the state of him.

Howard was shocked by the primal look in the man's eyes. It was a look he imagined scientists would attribute to the primal instinct to look after and protect the next generation. Innate, naturalistic, the sort of previously unknown protective surge that made strangers run into the road to rescue the hapless, without self-concern for a few split seconds in time.

Howard was under no illusions that Bainbridge truly loved Vince, though that might be what the man himself called it. A sort of perverted protectiveness similar to that of overbearing parents, not entirely wanting to, or knowing how, to do the best for their child, but not wanting anyone else to share them.

Howard saw the fury and then felt Vince ripped from his lax hold, practically falling into Bainbridge's arms as if he'd been waiting for them all along. He supposed to a certain extent, which only cemented over time, that what Vince craved above all clothes was the acceptance and love of others.

Gasping like a fish out of water as Bainbridge lifted Vince securely into his arms, Howard struggled to grab at Vince's hand, desperate to not fail him for a final time, not like this.

As Vince felt the somewhat stunted sensation of prickly pressure, unable to identify hot and cold, he felt the world flare into sharper focus. Although this was probably due to the movement of position stimulating blood flow more then anything else.

He turned his head sloppily to the side, a sort of floppy jerking movement that made his eyes sparkle and feel fizzy, like that strange sweet you could get that crackled when you swallowed. As his gaze swam back into semi-focus, he saw Howard's small eyes, begging him to stay.

He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay with Howard, his new and first friend, other then the slightly sadistic Plan Pony, he just didn't know if he could. He ached and felt too tired to fight off the arms holding him, but he had to try. Howard had kept on trying for him, finding and saving him countless times in the last few days, he wouldn't give in to Bainbridge so easily this time.

It was his life, and for the first time after a long time, Vince remembered he had to fight for it.

"Howard," He chocked out, only the first syllable really being understandable, the rest trailed off. "Wan- stay." He managed to croak out quietly. Howard's eyes seemed to light up in disbelief, so Vince slowly tried to grab on to his hand, barely managing the motion, fingertips just brushing his skin.

It was enough luckily, Howard's disbelief turned to determination. Just then the man holding him jerked him sharply away from Howard into the snow, carrying him up a steep slope even as his mind fought with his body to escape.

Howard saw Vince disappear from sight, and swiftly as he could scrambled clumsily out of the cave and tripping and stumbling up the hill after them.

As he reached the top of the slope and staggered into the middle of the road, he turned around only to face Bainbridge's rifle.

His rival stood supporting Vince with one arm whilst holding the gun with the other, the most predatory grin Howard had ever seen upon his face.

"So Moon, it comes down to this." The smile widened. "I always knew I'd shoot you like a dog." He announced sadistically, before mystically managing to cock the gun.

"No, don't!" Vince yelped, firmly held against the man's side.

"What now! If you don't want to look close your eyes!" Bainbridge yelled at Vince, who flinched, but held his ground, figuratively if not literally.

"No. I don't want to go home. I'm staying with Howard." Vince was surprised with how calm and together he sounded, which was probably thanks to the adrenalin speeding up his heart.

"You'd choose Moon over me?!" Bainbridge bellowed, appalled.

"Yes." Vince announced finally.

"You bitch." He growled furiously, throwing Vince against the car and aiming for Howard, who had been watching, stunned, through the proceedings.

"NO!" Vince screamed as Howard realized Bainbridge's intentions. Feeling both speeded up and slowed down, Vince launched himself towards Howard. Howard begun to duck, and heard the loud bang just before Vince crashed into him, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

After a few seconds without any sudden pain, Howard opened his eyes. Establishing he hadn't been shot, he turned to look at Vince, who was looking at him. They both seemed to reach the absurd assumption that neither of them had been shot simultaneously, and turned as one back to Bainbridge.

The man looked genuinely terrified, staring at something on the ground. Howard and Vince slowly followed his gaze.

There on the road, was a strangely shaped pink head seemingly supported by tentacles, leaking a violent blue fluid from a bullet wound in what appeared to be a head lobe.

"Saboo you slag! You're lucky my organs are in the other lobe today, or I'd have you! This is an outrage!" Came a strange nasal voice.

"Well I'm sorry Tony, but you knew, were supposed to be prepared, that this may have come down to the crunch." Replied a dark, haughty looking man that seemed to be decorated with feathers.

"Oh here we bloody go!" Howard and Vince gaped as the two continued their shouting match, three exasperated, equally strange people looking on.

"Don't mind them, their idiots." The two turned to the familiar accent, seeing Naboo and Bollo gazing down at them.

"What happened to you, we only gone a few hours?" Bollo growled out questioningly.

"Told you you weren't qualified Howard, just look what you've got yourself into." Naboo sighed, before they were all temporarily distracted by Bainbridge having red dust blown onto his face and being taken away on a carpet.

Howard and Vince still lay gaping idiotically, so Naboo decided to take action.

"Come on, let's get you home. We just got our carpet upgraded, it's a family version now, much safer, better steering too." Naboo carried on as he and Bollo unfurled the new carpet.

Vince eventually closed his mouth and slumped against Howard, taking a deep breath and sighing, Howard joined him, both reveling in the fact that, at least for now, it was over.

Naboo and Bollo turned to them to see small, contented smiles playing about their faces.

"Yeah, wait till we get out the alcohol wound wipes, then who'll be smiling." The small shaman said sarcastically to Bollo, who nodded sagely. But neither could help a small smile spreading onto their own faces either.

The four of them all managed to clamber on to the carpet, the wind was steadily increasing in speed, and the temperature was falling.

Vince lay nearly comatose on the carpet as they flew, low to the ground to keep the temperature as warm as possible.

"Stay awake Vince." Howard urged him, shaking him gently. Vince made a small noise, barely reacting. Naboo seemed to sense his dwindling health, looking worried.

"He's got to stay awake, if he sleeps now he'll die." The shaman insisted urgently.

Bollo moved to Vince and lifted him into a sitting position, letting him lean on him. Vince moaned in resistance, but never opened his eyes. Howard stared in concern; he was feeling tired as well, but was able to keep himself awake.

Seeing the slow trickling of blood from Vince's arm he grabbed the limb and held on tight. Vince cried out from the contact, trying to flinch away but being held still by Bollo.

The movement spurred Vince into coughing once more. But the coughs were hacking, choking things, and Howard could only watch as his friend struggled for air over his own blood.

After one particularly violent cough, Vince began hacking up a worrying amount of blood. Howard and Bollo shared a glance as blood fell seemingly without resistance from Vince's mouth.

"We need to hurry Naboo!" Howard yelled frantically as Vince gagged on the liquid, clutching his throat as he failed to breathe.

"Lie him down!" Naboo commanded. Bollo did, tilting Vince's head to the side so the blood flowed out of his mouth scarily fast. "Don't move him, it should stop soon." But Howard could tell by the tone of his voice that neither option was good.

Howard could practically see the little remaining color drain from Vince. Eventually Vince's weak coughs stopped along with the stream of blood. But he didn't move. He and Bollo stared at the almost imperceptible movement of Vince's chest, listened desperately for the shallow shuddering breaths.

"Come on Vince." Howard pleaded, barely registering that the mountains were now far behind them. He tapped Vince's cheek, trying to get some reaction out of him, and panicking when he didn't.

He slapped Vince more sharply, knowing sleep was now death for him. Vince's eyelids fluttered between half open and closed for a few seconds before Howard tapped him again.

Eventually, with Bollo's help, Vince stared loosely and tiredly up at them. Even the blue eyes seemed to be giving up, having gone the palest blue he had ever seen.

"We're nearly there okay, just hang on Vince." Howard pleaded, not caring about the tearful sound to his voice, as he saw Vince's life slowly leaving him.

Vince gazed dizzily up at the sky above him, vaguely registering the inky blue of night becoming day as his eyes rolled back slightly, drifting to the side.

"No!" Howard pleaded desperately as Vince's eyelids shut slowly, a vague, dizzy smile on his face.

Luckily at that moment the carpet landed by the hospital and in a matter of seconds a nearby ambulance crew had spotted them and sprinted off with Vince strapped to a gurney.

Howard, Naboo and Bollo sat in the waiting room hours later. Howard's head had been cleaned and bandaged, as well as his other scrapes.

The jazz maverick had been systematically on the look out for both the doctor from before, and any sign of Vince coming out of surgery. So far he was glad not to see one, and disappointed to not see the other.

The tense atmosphere increased steadily as gradually the waiting room emptied, friends and lovers screaming and crying and laughing and praying as the good and bad news was gradually delivered to them.

Soon it was just the three of them, it was around midday, but none of them could think about food, they could barely speak to each other.

After what seemed like an age a middle-aged doctor came towards them, looking tired. Howard found he couldn't be sympathetic, the doctor hadn't seen how tired Vince had been, he shouldn't complain. Howard knew he was being ridiculous, but was too tired and stressed to care.

"Vince Noir?" He asked, and they nodded desperately.

"We've done all we can, he was in appalling shape though, without the recent injuries there seem to be several long standing ones, but I trust you were dealing with that, you were the ones that told us after all." The three nodded anxiously, they'd had to fill in several forms about themselves and Vince whilst they waited.

"Well, we've fixed the broken bones and punctured lung, and sewn up his cuts. Put him on antibiotics in case of infection, fluids and blood by an IV." The doctor ticked off slowly, and they took in the information.

"With any other patient I'd be confident of a full recovery, however, with the severe malnutrition and his underweight physique, we can't be sure. He should." The doctor added hastily at their distressed faces.

"It will be a slow recovery is all. He will need to go through therapy for his ankle, but not too much, the break seems to have healed shockingly well for some reason. And he will be weak for a while. He'll have to remain in bed for a few weeks without moving so that he can regain his blood and weight. So you'll have to make sure he stays put, after a week I think he can be moved home."

The doctor smiled as the tension slipped from Naboo and Bollo, and slightly from Howard.

"Now he'll be coming round from the anesthesia soon, so as long as you don't stress him I think it would be best if he wakes to familiar faces." He smiled as Naboo and Bollo practically dashed to the indicated room, but held Howard back by the shoulder.

"Now, you put down that Vince is an orphan, but is there anyone that we can contact? Another relative or guardian or something?" The doctor looked sad about Vince's plight, but also resigned.

Howard thought about all he didn't know about Vince's past, and about all that had happened with Bainbridge, including him being taken off on a magic carpet by shaman.

"No, I'm sorry, we're all he's got, but that's just fine for us, and for him too. He's happy." Howard finished with a smile, the doctor smiled back, and for the first time Howard knew for certain that Vince was happy with them, that he had chosen them over Bainbridge, and that was enough for Howard.

Entering Vince's room he saw Naboo and Bollo mixing a pink drink in a corner whilst Vince gazed sleepily at them, smiling.

"Hey little man." Howard said softly, sitting next to the bed and gently running a hand through Vince's hair. Vince sighed softly before looking up at Howard.

"Hey, thanks." He mumbled happily.

"Anytime Vince, anytime." Howard replied, feeling more content then he had in years. "Just hang in there a while, its going to be a long wait till you're back on your feet I'm afraid.

"Don't be too sure." Said Naboo knowingly with a grin, Howard moved back as he and Bollo came forwards with the pink liquid. Naboo injected it into the blood bag, where it camouflaged with the blood.

"You'll sleep a lot but you'll heal real fast, and they'll be expecting the sleep anyway, alright?" The shaman said, making sure Vince understood.

"Yeah, cheers Naboo." Vince slurred as he fell asleep, glad to be out of there as soon as possible.

"What did you give him?"

"Healing potion, he'll be fine soon."

"How long?" Howard asked laughing a bit, hardly believing it.

"Oh about a week?" Naboo answered, grinning hazily.

Sure enough, two weeks later found Vince and Howard standing cleaning out the zebra's.

Fossil had readily accepted Vince into the zoo, and soon Howard found out Vince could talk to animals, making the work fly by.

"I'm glad you're here Vince." Howard said in a sudden moment of gratitude towards the shiny person.

"Yeah, me too Howard." Vince answered simply; they both stared across the Zebra enclosure, shining in the sun.

"And I'm loving these guys, their genius, they don't even need to accessorize." Vince shot Howard his typical dizzy grin, and Howard couldn't help but laugh with him.

Yup, this was his life. And for the first time, he was living it.

The end!

::Whoop! Success! Please let me know what you thought and keep an eye out for the sequel!

::Thank you endlessly for reading, you've been beautiful, like a see-through horse full of sprite!

::Love you all lots! shadowtheo Xx