blackamber- Hey! I kept my word!!

Amy- I am impressed

Sadie- as am I... I think I'll forgive you now

blackamber- yay! Also... if anyone hates this chapter, you're not alone... I'm none to fond of it either

Amy- does that even make sense?

blackamber- I'm not sure...

Bryan- You took writer's craft... you should know... and you're writing a novel! If you can't tell if a sentence makes sense or not how are you ever going to write a coherent story!

blackamber- I don't like you very much right now...

Amy- usual disclaimer

Amy felt horrible when she came around. Her head was aching- so was her stomach but she'd worry about that later- and her vision was extremely blurry. She had to blink a few times before she could clearly see the painfully white ceiling of the master bedroom- where she and Tala slept. She was trying to figure out what she was doing before she had passed out, but she couldn't for the life of her remember. It had something to do with her light-headedness and-

"You're awake," Tala's voice came from the right of her, "that's good. I was going to call the doctor, but I thought I'd wait to see how you were feeling."

Amy pondered how to respond. Good? Better? Both were lies, with the pain in her head she felt no better than like crap. Then realization hit her; he had said he might call the doctor. If the doctor came, he would clearly know what was wrong… and if the doctor knew what was wrong, he'd tell Tala. So she lied. "I'm feeling better… much better in fact. You don't need to call a doctor."

She hated lying to Tala when he was just concerned for her well being, but she'd rather he not know anything until she was ready to accept it herself, no matter how long it took.

"You sure?"

She had heard that question so much lately that it was getting on her nerves. "Yes!" she near snapped, "I'm fine now." She knew that probably looking at her was enough to tell him that she wasn't actually feeling better at all, but she could tell from the expression on his face that he was going to let this lie slide.

"Alright… I guess you would know best, right?" he said, half-joking, "but I think you should take it easy for a little while; maybe take a break from work and training Sadie."

"I can't do that Tala, you know I can't," Amy argued.

"Well, I think you should." Tala argued back rather roughly.

Amy was taken slightly aback by the harshness of his words. "Tala, there's something I need to talk to Ben about, I can only talk to him at work."

"Oh, so you'll talk to him but not to me?" asked Tala, snarkily.

"He asked me to come in today for an emergency, whatever the emergency was I need to find out," Amy continued arguing her 'cause, trying not to match Tala's tone, no matter how hard it was.

"Seems that that happens a lot now-a-days, doesn't it?"

"Tala that's not-

"We don't interact with each other outside of what we do come nightfall… and even then is it for the want of company… or to satisfy our lust?"

"What are you saying?" Amy sat up, glaring at him straight in the eye.

"I'm just saying that, perhaps, I don't like how close you and Ben are getting," he snarled moving closer to her. There was anger, frustration and slight concern in his eyes; yet there was still lust in his eyes, there was always lust.

"Tala, I understand where you're coming from," Amy said, struggling to keep her temper, "I'll just call Ben and he can explain over the phone, okay."

Tala was now really surprised; Amy would never take that sitting down unless something was really wrong. He sat on the edge of the bed studying her silver-grey eyes in disbelief. "Now I really know something's wrong."

"Tala-

"Don't lie to me!"

"I haven't been feeling well for a while. I don't know what's wrong with me, but it's nothing for you to worry about," Amy said still holding her tongue. "I know I don't have much to go on, but you have to believe me when I say that I don't know why I'm sick."

Tala sighed, "Alright… maybe… I over-reacted. It's like I don't know what's happening with you anymore, and when you passed out I panicked a bit, alright."

Amy smiled at him, her anger subsiding. Somehow, it always made her relax knowing that he cared about her this much. Her happiness was quickly replaced by confusion when she felt something wet running down her cheeks; and one look told her Tala was confused as well.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asked, much more gently than before, and gathered her in his arms.

"I don't know," she whimpered against his chest, "I just started…" She stopped feeling more tears falling. 'Oh God, it's starting… oh God, oh God, oh God.'

You can't tell me you're surprised?

Shut-up Hien!

Wow… you're mood swings are bad, Hien mocked.

"Maybe I should call the doctor anyway," Tala said, rubbing her back soothingly. For the first time in a long time, the feeling of lust went away, replaced by simple concern and love.

"No, no, it's fine," Amy mumbled, finding herself almost clinging to him, "I'll be fine." She forced her self to unlace her fingers, then proceeded to wipe away her tears. "See, I'm fine." As if to prove her point further, she attempted to get out of bed.

Tala, however, wasn't about ready for her go that far. With a chuckle he stopped her, "Relax Aim, if I promise not to call the doctor, will you promise to take it easy?"

"If you let me take half-an-hour tomorrow to see what Ben wants as well," Amy bartered, reminding herself very much of Sadie.

"Aim…"

"Fifteen minutes then. You can come along to play time Nazis too if you'd like," she tempted, her random passage of sorrow and confusion long passed.

"As tempting as that does sound, I'm going back to practicing tomorrow, so I can't. I'll trust that you'll return home if you start to feel worse," Tala said, giving in to Amy's request.

Amy kissed him passionately on the lips and then sank into his arms, whispering, "This is why I love you so much."

"Only this?"

"I'm joking, there are many reasons why I love you. That one is the reason why I love you right now." Amy smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Tala smirked at her, kissing her. He tried to be gentle, but it was only for so long could the teen hold back. The lust had returned, and boy was it egging him on.

Amy felt somewhat better come morning of the next day, however the nausea she had often felt before had returned with a vengeance, and this time it didn't come in a single brief flash. It was the first time she had slept in longer than Tala, and she was grateful for it. She imagined, had he been home, he would of heard her retching into the toilet from the basement.

It was after that little episode, that she felt much better –for the time being- and moved to get dressed to meet with Ben.

I don't think you should meet with him alone, warrior… something doesn't seem right, Hien warned, a deep growl in his voice.

You're worrying too much, I'll be fine, Amy reassured, if I truly am a warrior then I should be able to handle whatever my co-worker has dubbed as an emergency.

Only if you're sure, I can't help you this time.

Help me? Why?

Like the fort… barriers.

Don't worry! I'll be fine, you'll see, Amy stated, flipping out her cell and calling Ben.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Aim," Ben grinned as he unlocked the front door and let her into the school, "I really am."

"Yeah well, I wanted to come yesterday and all but-

"Don't worry, about it, you're here now right?" Ben said, still smiling.

"That's good to hear," Amy said, following him down the main hall, "so… what happened?"

"What?"

"You said it was an emergency… so what happened?"

"Oh, I handled that myself," Ben explained, his eyes darting slightly.

Amy caught that movement; the sudden uneasiness. Years of observing opponents taught her to catch things like that, he was lying, there never was an emergency. Her body tensed up, something was wrong.

"So I guess, since you handled the emergency I'll just go home," Amy said, backing up towards the door.

"Oh, what's your rush Aim?" Ben said, his face slipping into a look that was almost predatory.

"I have a boyfriend," she reminded, as if it would do any good.

"Who doesn't deserve you," growled Ben, advancing on her.

Amy knew for a fact that if she tried to fight Ben, she would fail miserably, especially since she had to worry about not only her life. She didn't exactly want to come to terms with it, but given the situation she could not help but think of it.

"Ben don't do this," she pleaded, "what about Tatiana?"

"Oh Amy, so out of it," Ben chuckled a little too darkly for her liking, "I broke up with her weeks ago."

"Why? You two were so-

"She wasn't you. I have had my eye on you for some time now." Ben paused, liking his chops, "Now, be a good girl, and don't squirm… too much."

If ever there was a time Amy wished her brother was in the country it was now, but he wasn't so all she could do was endure her crazed co-workers disgusting ideas of pleasure. She didn't do so quietly, however, she did squirm. She did end up fighting, now matter how pointless it was in the end, and she tried her best to raise an alarm- but that was kind of hard to do when your mouth was smothered.

Please… help… someone, she begged in silence, having not felt this helpless since she had been at the fort, however at the fort she could at least fight back without fear for another. Being pinned to wall in the main hallway had its advantages, for she could see the glass of the front doors, which meant there was probably a good chance that people walking by could see her too.

With this knowledge she fought harder, hoping someone would notice and would understand that it was a sign of help. However, no one stopped to look into the dark halls of the bey-shooting academy; no one stopped to look on the teenaged girl struggling to escape the grasp of her co-worker.

"Enjoy it while you can," she hissed with malice as soon as his lips left hers, "I'll see you arrested for this."

"Tsk, tsk Amy," Ben smirked savagely, "don't talk that way. You can't honestly make me believe that that bey-shooter satisfies you? You're here all day, surely you must feel something more for a man like me?"

"Perhaps I would, were you a man. But you're not, you, Ben, are a rat." If looks could kill, Amy would swear that the look she was giving him would cause her assaulter to drop dead- for he had backed up a little when she had shot it at him.

"Feisty huh? I never thought you would be." Just as quickly as he had recoiled, the smirk returned and he was all over her once more.

She growled in the back of her throat and made a note of biting his lip, hard. She pleased herself when he recoiled, cursing and wiping blood from his now bleeding lower lip. "How's that for feisty?" she mocked, trying to free herself once more.

Ben scowled at her, his blood staining his teeth pink as he bared his teeth. "Oh, I really am going to enjoy this now."

Just as he was leaning in once more, the front doors opened with a slam that caused both Amy and Ben to jump. However, in the long run, it was Ben who paled at the person who had interrupted his… fun.

"Tala," Amy breathed in relief, but to her boyfriend, it sounded more like surprise and fear- like he had just caught her doing something wrong.

Ben backed off Amy, clearly intimidated by the older boy, and rushed to his escape before anything could happen.

'Thank God,' Amy thought, exhaling slightly; her relief was short-lived, for as soon as her grey eyes met his sapphire blue ones, she knew something was wrong.

"Tala?"

"I knew it," was all he said, and it came out roughly, in snarling way. "I knew it!"

blackamber- GASP! Another cliffie!! (well kinda)

Amy- why do you keep trying to mess up our relationship?

blackamber- I don't do it on purpose… it kinda just happens…

Amy- I hate you…

Sadie- Yeah! How could you do this now, of all times!?

Amy- what does now have to do with anything?

Sadie- Well… because… well given what's happened and (coughs awkwardly)

blackamber- you guys read the quotes, you knew what was going to happen

Sadie- yeah but we didn't know it was going to happen so soon

blackamber- well it did say, for that one quote, in a not to distant chapter (or something like that)

Tala- well R&R