I guess it's time for another disclaimer header. I don't own the rights to any of the characters from Princess Nine. The original characters are not based on any real person, living, deceased, or criminally insane.

Thanks to everyone for their reviews. I'm glad you're all enjoying this. I had written quite a bit of this before I first posted, so chapters came pretty quickly. I am now in real time, so to speak, so it may take longer to update. Please continue to read, and enjoy.

Pizza Party Pooper

Izumi walked up to the embracing women, waiting for them to finish. Sensing her presence, they both turned to face her.

"You're Emily Carter, the pro tennis player aren't you?" She asked.

"Ex-pro dear and it's been ten years since I retired. I'm surprised someone your age knows me."

"It's a surprise to me." Seira said, her eyebrows rising. "I mean you can tell you're an athlete, but a pro!"

"My father was an avid tennis fan before he died. He made a video of the semifinals of the U.S. Open the year Mrs. Watson got hurt. That was the match she had with you."

"That was you?" Amy said smiling. "She told me how you rushed to help her when she went down."

"That was the most grueling match I'd ever had. We went at it for over three hours, and we were both exhausted. I was up 4-2 in the fifth set when I miss-hit a backhand. Kimiko was charging the net for a smash, when she tore her hamstring. I can still hear her crying out in pain. If that wasn't bad enough, her momentum carried her to the net, and she flipped over on to my side. I was already heading for the net to block her smash, so I was the first one to her. She was so calm. After that first reactionary cry, she never said another word about being in pain. She even shook my hand, as I knelt by her waiting for the stretcher, and congratulated me on winning. While they were carrying her out, the crowd chanted her name, and gave her a standing ovation. She couldn't understand why, when she had lost. She was the darling of the press going into the tournament, this twenty-year-old Japanese girl who qualified for the U.S. Open. She was amazing to watch, so technically proficient. The other girls would try to pound it past you, but Kimiko would burn the lines, lob shots that grazed the net and dropped, or hit returns that would curve away. She was quick too. At times I was sure I'd have a point, and she would chase it down and return it. I visited her in the hospital after her surgery, and thanked her for a fantastic match. We kept in touch for a while after that, but life goes on and we stopped writing." Turning to Kimiko she asked. "What happened to you? You retired, and then disappeared from the face of the earth."

"I became involved with her father." She said putting an arm around Amy.

"I think I remember something about you marrying some baseball player. How did you two meet anyway?"

"We met while in physical therapy. He had injured his shoulder in an accident, and we were undergoing rehabilitation at the same time. I was always fending off guys hitting on me, so he became like an older brother at first. He was married to Corey's mom at the time. Her name was Lisa, and I loved her like a sister. You know I tried to make a comeback, but my leg injury killed my speed, and I could never get back to that same level. They cheered for me, but eventually, I decided to retire. I liked living in the U.S., so I applied for a work visa. Because they were expecting Corey, they hired me as a housekeeper. Actually, they brought me into the house to keep Lisa company while he traveled with the team. He only pitched for half a season, when he re-injured his shoulder and had to retire from playing, although they eventually hired him as a coach. When Corey was born, Lisa became depressed, and I was left taking care of him." Kimiko's face saddened as she continued. "She died two months later. We mourned her for three months before he told me he loved me and proposed. We got married about a year after that."

"So Corey never knew his real mother?" Seira asked as all of the girls turned to look at him.

"He's seen pictures of her, and there's video of her holding him, but no, he never knew her."

"That's so sad." Emma said, also looking at Corey. Then turning back to Kimiko, continued, "So what are you doing now?"

The two women became lost in conversation as they made their way back to the table. Amy and Corey shifted down to make room for Emma by their mother. As it turned out, Corey ended up sitting next to Seira. She smiled at him as he pulled in his chair. "Hi." She said quietly.

"Hey," he responded, "Are you ok with me sitting here?"

"Don't worry Corey. I've had time to think things over, and I'm not afraid of having a guy like me. It's actually kind of flattering."

"I'm really sorry. I never meant to make you so uncomfortable. I'm glad you came tonight; I thought I wouldn't see you again before I had to leave."

"I am too. I promise, no more running away. Let's just enjoy the rest of the week, ok?"

"That sounds good. So, how's the pizza here?"

"It's great. I should have guessed this was where they were coming to. I'm sorry you had to see me lose it like that."

"It's not something you get through overnight Seira. You stopped yourself, so that count's for something."

Activity behind them disrupted any more conversation. The owner, followed by two employees, came out, each carrying a large pizza. Setting the pan down in the middle of the table in front of Amy, the owner said, "One Chicago style deep dish, in honor of your achievement."

"It's huge." Amy said, "It looks wonderful, thank you."

"It's nothing." He said bowing. "I'm excited to have an American eating in my restaurant. I'll finally know if my pizza is any good."

"What do you mean?" Hikaru said from the other table. "We eat here a lot, and we always tell you it's great."

"I know, and I appreciate your patronage. However, she has eaten in New York and Chicago, two cities renowned for their pizza. I'm entered in a pizza bake off in Nagano, and I'm curious how mine compares."

"It's true I've eaten in those cities," Amy said looking at the owner, "but I'm hardly an authority on good pizza. Mom has been around the world, so she's probably a better judge."

All eyes turned to Kimiko. She smiled gamely, and offered her plate to the owner, who served her the first piece. "Emily, you're an international celebrity, you offer your opinion too."

When they both had their plates in front of them, they offered thanks for the food. Picking up knifes and forks, they cut off a piece, and put it in their mouths. They chewed slowly, eyes closed, testing every nuance of the flavor. The girls and the owner watched in anticipation. Emma moaned in delight as Kimiko smiled and said. "This is marvelous pizza! Truly as good as any I've had. Bravo!" The two ladies began clapping.

The owner beamed, and bowing deeply, said, "Thank you ladies, I can now go to the competition with confidence."

The girls dove into the pizzas in front of them, laughing and teasing each other good-naturedly. They were so caught up in their evening; they failed to notice two young men watching them from the take-out counter.

-

"Here you are gentleman, two large hand-tossed pepperoni pizzas. That's 1858 yen." The girl said cheerfully as she rang up their order.

"Here's 2000, you can keep the change if you give me your number." The one said, leaning on the counter.

"Not on you life." She said still smiling. Ringing it up, she handed him his change. "Enjoy your pizza."

Walking out the door, they crossed the street to the group. Approaching their leader, they reported. "She's in there. She's actually pretty cute. It's almost a shame to mess her up."

"Don't lose focus Kosuke. We got paid some serious cash to do this. If you want out, fork over your share and take off. I don't want any whining later on."

"No it's cool man, I'm in. One more thing, Seira Morimura's in there too."

"That bitch? I wondered what happened to her. So she's going to Kisuragi huh? We'll save her for later. Let's concentrate of the American for now. Is her brother in there?"

"Yeah, and he's as big as we were told. He seemed pretty laid back as he was talking with Morimura though.

"Alright, let's play it cool, and wait. Everybody grab some pizza, it's going to be a while."

-

The pizza was gone, and the group was leaning back in their chairs, nursing full stomachs. As the rest of girls resumed talking, Corey leaned over and said quietly, "Um, Seira, I was wondering. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"You mean besides sleeping in? Nothing definite, did you have an idea?"

"Amy's going to be busy taking entrance exams, so I'll be free all day. Would you like to meet for lunch, and maybe a movie?" He asked, his face going a little red.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Seira said loudly, looking around.

Conversation stopped; and all eyes turned to them. Corey, unhappy with the sudden attention, cleared his throat, and said just as loudly. "Yes Seira, I'm asking you on a date. I didn't think you would've had a hard time with the question. Or don't you believe I was serious when I said you were beautiful this afternoon? "

The other girls all looked at Seira saying, "Oooohh."

Seira's eyes narrowed as she leaned towards him. "I couldn't believe you were anything but serious, so what makes you think I didn't?"

"I asked you out in a private discussion, and you had to broadcast it to everyone. It's like you think it's some big joke."

"That not true. I was just surprised that you'd ask me out. I can't believe you'd think I was so low."

"Then why did you look at your teammates to see if they had heard? Are you that insecure that you need their approval for everything you do? Or would it be too embarrassing for the 'Oh So Magnificent Kisuragi Girls Baseball Team' to have one of its members date a lowly American farm boy?"

"What are you talking about? I don't need their approval for anything. I do what I want, in my own way. Is that why you think I ran today, because you're not good enough for me? If anyone is hurting the reputation of the team, it's me. Maybe I think I'm not good enough for you, did you ever consider that?"

"Right, you go to one of the most prestigious schools in Tokyo. If they found out you were seeing some foreign bumpkin, they'd never give you a minutes rest."

"Those spoiled little daddy's girls? I don't take any crap from them. That's the reason I'm suspended, because I was defending my reputation."

"Don't give me that Seira, you're a bully. The way you got in Yoko's face proves it. You think people will respect you if you're this strong, temperamental bitch that has everyone walking on eggshells around you. You need to attack those who inconvenience or annoy you. Suddenly, here comes this guy who treats you like a human being, and you start feeling things other than anger and resentment. Rather than admit to those feelings, you run away, or get belligerent, protecting your image. I thought I'd finally found someone worth getting to know, but you're just as shallow as those girls back home who were only looking for sex."

"You bastard! I told my therapist what a nice guy you were. What a crock. To think I agonized over whether I was falling in love with you. You're just like every other guy. You think you have all the answers, preaching to me about how I should act. Amy thought Takasugi was arrogant? Buddy, you're ten times worse."

"I'm arrogant? Who gets bent out of shape at the first sign of criticism? Girl, if they handed out prizes for being conceited, you'd need a trophy case the size of a city bus."

SMACK! Seira slapped Corey in the face, turning his head. "Take that back." She said glaring.

Corey slowly turned back to Seira and said sadly, "I'm sorry you felt you needed to do that. I won't apologize for telling the truth. If you can't handle that, then we don't have a future." Standing, he continued, "I don't like hitting people, especially girls, so I'm walking away. You were fine embarrassing me, but I turn the tables, and you attack me. You better get in touch with your shrink, because I think you need to go back for more therapy." Turning to the others, he bowed saying, "Everyone, I'm sorry to ruin your evening like this. Thank you for the meal. Please excuse me, but I need to take a walk." Then turning back he said, "Good night Seira, give me a call when you can act responsibly."

Seira watched him walk out the door, her stomach twisting into knots. 'How did it end up like this?' she thought. Looking at her teammates, she saw the disappointment in their faces. Looking at Emma, she saw her close her eyes and shake her head. An uncomfortable silence grew, until Seira jumped from her seat, and without a word, fled out the door.

"This is terrible." Nene cried. "We should have done something."

"It all happened pretty fast." Koharu added. "I'm not sure we could have done anything."

"Its nothing new to me." Yoko said looking away. "You never do anything when Seira's picking on me, so why would you do anything now?"

"I can't believe she hit him." Amy said grimly. "I thought Corey had gotten through to her."

"I can feel for the guy." Takasugi said from the other table. "One minute he's full of hope; the next he's being slapped. I'm glad you're not violent like that Tofu."

"Don't call me that!"

"He's such a tender hearted guy," Hikaru added. "Why is he attracted to someone like Seira?"

"I can understand why." Kimiko said, looking thoughtful. "Corey was just like her when he was younger. He's found a kindred spirit, but he needs to be more patient if he wants to help her through this."

Emma cleared her throat. Looking around, she made sure she had everyone's attention before saying, "I'm sure Seira would never forgive me if she found out I told you this. She wasn't like this the first time I met her. It was right around the end of summer before last, and she had just started running the streets. My ex and I had this little basement bar, and were surprised the first time she walked in. It was nearly midnight when this cold, wet, miserable girl came slinking in from the rain. 'What're you doing here girl' my ex shouted, 'get back home where you belong.' She timidly, yes I said timidly Yoko, walked up to the counter, and said, 'Please, let me stay here for a while. My parents are arguing, and I can't stand being there right now. I'll stay out of the way, just let me get warmed up a little.' The bastard always did have a soft spot for kids, so he said, 'Sure kid, grab the stool on the end. Hey Emma, we got any hot chocolate in this place?' 'Sure' I answered, and then bringing her a cup, we started chatting. She was so sad and weary of her parents arguing. She started coming in pretty much every night, bringing a couple other girls with her. The regulars treated them like daughters. If some bum got fresh, they got a face full of trouble. Eventually, life on the streets hardens you, and Seira was no different, by Christmas, she stopped coming to the bar. My ex went out looking for her one night, and found her and her friends in another bar drinking, and hustling pool. When he approached her, trying to talk her into leaving the streets, she told him to get lost. The last thing he told her before he left was, 'I know you're not this kind of girl Seira. If you ever need help, come see me and Emma again.' We divorced shortly after that and I opened my shop with the settlement money. Seira walked in one day looking for running gear. She told me she had gotten a scholarship to high school. I was so happy for her, but she acted like she was going to prison. I thought I caught a glimpse of the old Seira when she was in my shop this afternoon. Corey pegged it. She's afraid to look weak."

"Shouldn't we go look for her?" Nene asked looking at the door.

"I think she needs to be alone right now." Izumi said, "She embarrassed herself in front of us. We're the last people she wants to see."

"Is Corey going to be alright? He looked pretty sad when he walked out of here." Mao asked looking at Amy.

"He'll be fine. I don't think he's really given up on her. He was just disappointed and needed time to cool off, so he left."

"I'm sorry your party's not going so well, Amy." Ryo said sitting down next to her. "We didn't know Seira and Corey's situation. You were right to be concerned."

"Don't worry Ryo, I'm not upset about that. You guys have been so good to me, I feel like a princess."

"Forgive me if I don't curtsey in you presence, your highness." Izumi said derisively.

"What does that mean Izumi? Why don't you like me? What do you want from me?"

"Yeah Izumi," Hikaru added. "What's the big idea? You're acting like Amy's some spoiled brat that's been looking down her nose at us."

"To put it simply, I don't think she's told us the whole story about why she's here. I've seen the newspaper articles about you Amy. You were doing well playing baseball in the states. Are we supposed to believe you'd give that all up, just to come play with us? You're hiding something, and I won't trust you until you come out with it. Maybe you can fool everyone else with your good manners, and constant smile, but not me. Nobody's that perfect."

Frustrated, Amy stood up, and leaning over the table, responded coldly, "Izumi, I have tried to be friendly with you, going out of my way to soothe your anxiety, but you insist on being rude and insulting to me. I've had it. I never asked you to trust me. I only want you to accept me. You're right, I did well playing baseball in the states, but I didn't enjoy it. Here I can be part of something bigger; and I can play with a team that actually wants me. You don't need to know any more than that."

"So you admit there's something you're keeping from us? Why don't you want to tell us? Is it so awful that you think we'd turn our backs on you? If it could affect the team, I think we have a right to know."

Amy took a deep breath and then sitting down, said calmly. "I haven't done anything wrong, and I don't have any ulterior motives. I simply came to play baseball. If you think I'm perfect, you're wrong. I have my weaknesses, just like everybody else."

"I haven't seen any yet." Izumi said still unconvinced. "What are you so terrible at?"

Amy looked up as she ticked off on her fingers, "I'm a hopeless failure in the kitchen. My room's usually a mess. My mom needs to bug me about homework assignments on a weekly basis. I suck at tennis. I could go on, but I think that's enough skeletons for one day."

"Those are hardly shortcomings worth worrying about." Ryo said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Being on a team means trusting each other. Don't you trust us Amy?"

Amy looked at her, all traces of a smile gone. "Trust? That's not something you give away Ryo. Trust is earned, and I don't know any of you near well enough yet. I've been burned by teammates I thought were trustworthy. I'll give this team every bit of my ability, and I'll help out in any way I can, but don't ask me to blindly trust any of you, because I can't."

"Amy," Yuki said from the end of the table, "I think I know what you're feeling. My team in junior high didn't want me either. My game was so much better than theirs, winning the MVP award, they became jealous, and started tormenting me. I was so upset by their harassment I tried to kill myself. I was so distrusting of people I barely spoke, but the support and compassion this team showed me, gave me back my life. Do you know what they said to me? 'We're your teammates, and as long as your part of this team, you'll never be alone.' We won't betray you, Amy."

"We all stand by each other, Amy." Kanako added. "We needed to, to get through last year. Please believe in us."

"They all supported me even though I was a terrible catcher." Mao said with a gentle smile. "That support gave me the determination I needed to continue. I really want to catch for you Amy, but we have to be able to trust each other before I get behind the plate."

"If anyone deserved to be abandoned by them, it would have been me." Yoko said looking down at the table. "I lied to the coach about how good I was, and I'd never even held a baseball. I would run away from fly balls, and I was always sneaking away from practice. Seira gives me a hard time, but that's because I'm such an airhead. Over the past year, we've become almost like a family, sharing good times and bad. Don't you want to be part of that too?"

"I want that more than anything," Amy said, playing with a piece of crust on her plate, "but I can't just snap my fingers and make my feelings change."

"I was injured, and in the hospital last year." Ryo said, staring intently at Amy. "These guys drove a long way, on their own, just to be with me. Izumi even walked through a downpour when the road was blocked. Would someone who was untrustworthy be willing to make a sacrifice like that? It hurts that you feel that way Amy, but we'll still stand by you until we've earned your trust. That's what true teammates do for each other."

"Was that when you almost died? Ms. Himuro told me about that. It's good to know they were there for you Ryo. Someday I hope I can trust you all like that, but I'm still the new girl in town. Yuki, thanks for telling me your story. It took courage to share something like that with a stranger. I will tell you that my experiences were similar, but I'm not ready to share the details with you yet. It still hurts too much."

"Amy," Emma said warmly, laying her hand on Amy's. "If you ever need to talk, and feel you can't share it with your teammates, come see me. Lord knows I done it enough for Seira. I promise I won't judge you."

"What do you think I should do mom?"

Kimiko smiling gently, said, "That's for you to decide, honey. You're old enough to make that decision. One thing I want you to remember though is that I'm proud that you're my daughter, and no matter what you decide, I'll still love you."

"Thanks mom, you're the best." Looking around the table, she smiled weakly and said, "I'm sorry, guys, but you'll have to be patient with me. I'm just not ready to tell you yet. You're all great, and if we'd met last year, things probably would have been different. Please don't think badly of me."

"Amy, I'm sorry." Izumi said contritely. "If I'd known you had come here to get away from a bad situation, I wouldn't have pressed the issue. I'm with Ryo, I'll stand by you until that day you can confide in us."

"Thanks Izumi, that makes me feel a little better." She said, a tear forming in the corner of her eye, "You guys really are great."

"As a gesture of friendship," Izumi continued, "I'd like to invite you to spend the night at my place. We can watch a movie, listen to music, whatever you want to do."

"That sounds like fun. Is it ok with you mom?"

"Sure, go have some fun. But remember, you still have entrance exams in the morning, so don't stay up too late,

"Yuki, your schoolbag and uniform are still in my room, why don't you come too? You and Amy can share the foldout in the sofa."

"Sure, then Amy and I can talk a little more."

"Well," Nene said standing, "This has been fun, but I need to start gathering dishes if they're going to get washed."

Ryo stood and said, "It won't take long at all if we all pitch in. Let's get some more soapy water and help our manager who always does her best for us.

The girls scrambled, and finished clearing the table quickly. Even Hikaru helped with the dishes, although not without a little grumbling. When they had finished, Sebastian gathered everything back into its proper case, and carried them out.

"Thank you everyone. That was so sweet of you to help me like that. I am truly blessed to be manager of this team." Nene said bowing.

"It's about time we did something to help you out Nene. You're always giving one hundred percent for the team." Koharu said smiling. "If all the rich girls acted like you, school would be a lot more fun."

Kimiko walked up with Emma, "We're going to go catch up some more. You girls be safe going home." Then with a wave, they left.

The owner came up, and thanked them again for coming.

"Oh my gosh!" Ryo said excitedly, "The bill! We haven't paid yet!"

"Tell you what girls. Being you brought your own tableware, washed the dishes when you were done, and helped boost my confidence in my pizza, it's my treat."

"Are you sure?" Nene said holding her credit card.

"Yes, you've been good customers in the past. Let's call it my welcoming present to our young American guest."

"Thank you, sir." They said in unison, bowing, and then walking out the door. Saying their goodbyes, everyone went their separate ways.

-

Corey sat slouched on a park bench, looking up at the sky. Dark gray clouds were rolling in from the southwest. 'Looks like rain,' He thought, 'perfect weather for the way I'm feeling. Why did she have to do that? I've been friendly, respectful, and genuine in everything I've done with her. Why did she have to embarrass me like that, and why can't I get her face out of my mind? Corey, she's going to break your heart if you're not careful. I wish dad were here. He straightened me out; I sure could use his advice. Maybe I should go talk to grandpa.' He felt someone tapping his leg, interrupting his inner monologue. Looking down, he saw a little girl standing there. "Good evening, what can I do for you?" He said smiling as he sat up.

"Hey, how'd you get so big?" she said looking at him wide-eyed.

"My daddy is really big. So I had to grow to keep up with him. Where's you're mother?"

"She's back there." She said, pointing.

Looking in the direction, Corey saw a very pregnant young woman approaching. "Good evening ma'am." He said standing, and giving a small bow.

"Good evening, I hope my daughter isn't bothering you. She bolted the minute she saw you. We don't get many tourists in this part of Tokyo."

"It's fine. Actually, it's a nice distraction. I was feeling a little depressed." Squatting down to her level, he asked, "Hi, I'm Corey. What's you're name? I bet it's a pretty one."

"Kimiko." She said shyly.

"Eh? Really? That's my mother's name too. We're here visiting her parents, all the way from America."

"Where's that?" she said, her curiosity overcoming her shyness.

"Way on the other side of the ocean. Have you been to the ocean? It's beautiful."

"Mama said I was too little last year, but now I'm four," she said holding up four fingers, "and this summer we can go."

"That'll be nice. It looks like you're going to have a little brother or sister soon. Are you excited?"

"Yeah! Mama says it's a sister, so now we can play dress-up, and have tea parties."

"She won't be able to do those things right away. Your mama's going to need you to be a good girl because she's going to be really busy taking care of the baby. But you're a big girl; you'll help your mama take care of her, right? When your sister gets older, you'll have to look out for her, and show her how to do stuff. It's a lot of work. Can you do it?"

"That doesn't sound very fun. Are you sure I have to do that?"

"Yup, I know because I had to do that for my little sister. She'll be coming to school here next year, so you might see her sometime. She's really tall too."

"Wow." Looking over Corey's shoulder, she said, "Is that her? She has red hair just like yours."

Corey looked behind him to see Seira standing there. Rising to his feet, he said, "No, she's not my sister; I'm not sure what she is to me."

"She sure is pretty." Kimiko said innocently, "You should ask her to be your girlfriend."

Her mother took her hand, saying, "Come on, Kimiko, let's get home before it rains. I'm sorry, please excuse her."

"It's fine. I was thinking the same thing myself. Goodbye Kimiko, take care of your little sister."

"Bye-bye, big brother Corey." She said waving as they walked away.

Turning to Seira, he said, "How'd you find me?"

"I asked people if they'd seen a really big guy with red hair, and they pointed me this way. You'll never get lost in the crowd Corey." She said with a nervous grin.

"Did you chase me down for round two?" He said rudely.

"Don't be like that!" She said, looking away, a pained expression on her face, "I came to apologize for hitting you. Can't we start over?"

"Why should I? What guarantee can you give me that the next time I trust you, you won't catch me off guard again?"

"I never meant to embarrass you. I told you that before. You were right, I looked around too see if everybody had heard, but only because I was so proud a nice guy like you actually cared about me, I wanted them to know it too. I'm so sorry that things got out of hand. I don't like getting angry, it just happens." She took a step closer, "Corey, I want to spend time with you. I have fun when were together. Your so calm all the time, I'm hoping you'll rub off on me a little."

Corey stood there, just looking at her. Finally, sighing, he sat back down on the bench. "I guess I overreacted a little back there, didn't I? I just assumed you were putting me on the spot."

Sitting down next to him, she leaned against him saying quietly, "I'm the biggest misfit in that school. A day doesn't go by that one, of those spoiled princesses, doesn't point at me and whisper something to her friend. If it wasn't for the guys on the team, I think I would have put one of them in the hospital by now. How could I treat someone like that, knowing how much it hurts?"

"Seira, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was like that. The group of girls Amy and I met were really friendly, even excited about Amy being there."

"That's because they don't know your background. When they find out Amy is a farmer's daughter, they'll give her the cold shoulder too."

"That sucks. She came here to get away from intolerance, only to find it again."

"What do you mean? What happened to her?" She said sliding forward and turning to face him.

"I think Amy should be the one to tell you. It's not my place."

"Well, ok, I guess it really doesn't change things."

"Big brother! Help, big brother!" Kimiko came running up to the bench.

"Kimiko! What's wrong? Where's your mom?"

"Mama's sick! She made a scary sound, and fell down. I'm scared, big brother. Help my mama."

"Take us to her, Kimiko. Let's go help her.

She took Corey's hand, and pulled him down the walk. They soon saw her mother, lying on the ground with her knees up, leaning against a tree. When they reached her, Corey knelt down and said quietly, "Is it time?"

"Yes, she's two weeks early. My water's broke, and contractions have started"

Looking up at the sky, which had become ominous, Corey stood and turned to Seira saying. "I need you to run to the police box by the corner, and ask them to call an ambulance. I'll follow, carrying her." Leaning over, he said to Kimiko, who was crying, "Your mama's going to be ok. Your sister's coming, and she's just letting your mama know it. Kimiko, this is Seira. She's going to call an ambulance to take your mama to the doctor so he can help her. She's really fast; I bet she could give you a great piggyback ride. Do you think you'd like that?"

Seira squatted down, saying. "I never gave any one a piggyback ride Kimiko, can you show me how?"

"Yeah, my daddy gives me rides all the time." She said crawling on Seira's back and wrapping her arms around her neck.

Seira grabbed her legs, and standing, said, "Hurry. That rains not going to hold off much longer. Ok, Kimiko, hang on." Then she turned and was gone.

Corey could hear Kimiko's excited squeals as they went. He then gently lifted the woman in his arms. "Let's get you to a little more comfortable spot. It wouldn't do you or your baby any good to get caught in the rain. I'm sorry, I know this isn't too much fun being carried like this, but it's the quickest way."

"Thank you Corey, you and your girlfriend are being so kind. You even distracted Kimiko. I was worried she'd have to watch her sister be born in a park."

Corey blushed lightly. He was surprised that this woman assumed Seira was his girlfriend, but he decided not to correct her. "I'm just glad we were here." Then, looking at he sky again, he quickened his pace.

A policeman held the door as Corey entered the police box. The rain started as he set her down in a chair.

"Mama!" Kimiko cried from Seira's lap when she saw her. "Seira ran so fast, the wind blew her hair straight out! It was so much fun, can we do that again sometime?"

"That's up to Seira, honey. You'll have to ask her."

Smiling, Seira gave her a quick hug, saying, "Sure Kimiko, just not tonight." Kimiko then got up and went over to stand by her mother.

A policeman brought a blanket and put it around the woman. Turning to Corey, he said, "The ambulance is on its way. It should be here in less than ten minutes. Good job on getting her here before the rain."

"Sure." He said tiredly, "She felt so light when I first picked her up too." He said massaging his arms.

Seeing this, Seira got up from her chair and said, "Corey, come sit down. Let me do that."

"You sprinted all the way, and with Kimiko on your back. I'm sure you're tired too. I can't take your seat."

"I'm conditioned for running, it's not too bad. You just carried a sixty-five kilo adult three hundred meters. I insist." She said firmly.

Rather than cause a scene, Corey consented and sat down. Seira kneeled next to him and began kneading the muscles in his arm. "That feels nice." He said softly.

Seira blushed and said, "Be quiet. I'm nervous enough without you flirting with me."

Corey smiled saying "Sure, not another word." Then he silently watched her, wondering how he had gotten so lucky that this girl, no, this woman, had come into his life.

-

The rain soaked the girls as they hurried towards Izumi's house.

"I can't believe how the weather changed so quickly." Amy said her arms crossed in front of her. "The sky was clear when we went in."

"It's because were by the ocean." Izumi said huddling in her light jacket. "Tropical storms can pop up any time, but it's worse in the spring. Wait until the typhoon season starts."

"Hey babe, you're looking pretty miserable, how about we find a room and dry each other off?" They heard a voice say. Looking up, they saw the group of young men walk out of an alley, blocking the sidewalk.

"Not you morons again. Look, we don't have time to waste on you. We're freezing, and need to get home." Izumi said as she pushed one of them aside.

She was surprised when he grabbed her arm, holding her in a strong grip.

"Not so fast, babe. We're cold too; let's make some heat together." He said his mouth next to her ear.

"Let her go!" Amy said angrily. "Who do you think you are, grabbing her like that?

The leader walked over to her looking her up and down, saying, "Who are you, her lover? A bitch as big as you has got to be a dyke, or are you jealous? What do you say; do you want to give a real man a try for a change? Where you from? Your accent says you're not from around here."

"You'll never know. Now let her go, before I get violent."

The leader laughed, looking back at his crew, he said, "Watch out! The dyke's going to get violent." Walking up to her, he reached to grab her arm too, "I'm shaking in my boots. Now let's get down to some serious grinding."

He never saw the blow come as Amy struck him with the heel of her hand across his nose. Blood spurting, he staggered back holding his hand to his face. "Sonnuva, she broke my nose. Mess this bitch up!"

Taking a defensive stance, Amy prepared for the onslaught. "None of you will touch me or my friends as long as I'm standing." One of the crew charged her, throwing a punch with his right hand. Amy swept his hand to her right, and then brought her knee up into his stomach, doubling him over. She then brought her elbow down onto the back of his head, dropping him to the ground. The next attacker came at her more slowly, throwing jabs. Amy ducked them, dancing away. Frustrated, he lunged at her waist, trying to wrap her in a bear hug. Amy leapt back, and planting her left foot, drove her knee up into his chin. He fell rolling in pain.

"What's wrong with you? She's just one girl. How can you be having so much trouble?" The leader said wiping blood on his jacket sleeve.

One of the crew, looking around, spotted a piece of pipe sticking out of a trashcan in the alley. Running around the fight, he grabbed it. Turning around, he slowly crept up on Amy.

Yuki, who had been frozen in fear, saw this happening. As he got close enough to strike, she ran towards Amy crying, "Look out!" Jumping to knock Amy down away from the blow aimed at her head, Yuki caught it in the middle of her back. They fell together in a heap. Shaken, but aware, Amy quickly untangled herself, prepared for another attack, but the crew stood there, looking shocked. Izumi, who had been released when the fight started, ran to Yuki, who was lying still."

"You idiot!" The leader yelled, "You took down the wrong girl! This whole thing just blew up in our faces. Let's go!"

"Yuki! Can you hear me?" Izumi said laying her hand on the girl's shoulder.

Moaning, Yuki stirred. "Ow! That hurts!"

"You're a hero Yuki." Amy said kneeling down by her. "You saved me from getting my head caved in. Thank you."

"Izumi!" Yuki said, panic in her voice, "Something's wrong. I can't move my legs!"