Me: Um... meant to update sooner? Eh heh... sorry about the long wait- here's chapter 12!

Thank you for reviewing my story and sticking with it! You guys are awesome!

Kai: What's up with the bold italics?

Me: The bold Itaclics are what you guys have already read for how Tala and Johnny got together but I thought it'd be easier for you guys to read the whole thing straight through then to go back and forth and back and forth... the Italics are how Johnny and Tala got together. Normal words with no bolding, etc., is their present time.

Tala: -sweat drop- they get the idea.

Disclaimer: I, -sigh- sadly for me, no own.

Me: Oh yeah, I was wondering... do you guys think I should put this under Tala and Johnny or just leave it as it is, under Kai and Miguel? It seems to be focusing more on them... -sweat drop-

Oliver: Please R&R!

New Years Eve Party

"What're you doing out here?" Johnny asked.

"No one wants me in there," Tala shrugged, staring at the snow.

"Spencer and Bryan are in there," Johnny said haughtily.

"What's it to you whether I stay out here or go in there?" Tala asked, still not looking at Johnny.

"It's freezing out here," Johnny shivered, pulling his jacket closer together.

"It's called 'winter.'" Tala rolled his eyes. "Don't you have the cold season back in Scotland?"

"You're seriously not cold?" Johnny said disbelievingly.

"I grew up in Russia," Tala reminded him, opening his hand to catch a snowflake. Then he turned and looked at the younger redhead. "The weather is a really sorry ass excuse to change a damn topic."

"I simply meant that its cold out here so you should go inside," Johnny said through gritted teeth. "It's called 'concern,' Tala. Maybe you should try it some time." He turned around, ready to go inside but Tala's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Wait,"

"What?" Johnny snarled, not turning around.

"You didn't answer my question," Tala said.

"What question?!" Tala was silent for a moment. Johnny turned around.

"What's...why do you care whether I go inside or not?" Tala asked, looking away. "No one wants me in there."

"I want you in there," Johnny said.

"Did Kai put you up to this?" Tala rolled his eyes. "He did, of course...go tell the phoenix to go-"

"He didn't!"

"What?" Now it was Johnny's turn to look away. The only difference was that Johnny was blushing madly.

"Kai didn't put me up to this, Ivanov. I want you in there," Johnny said. "Sure I'm not everyone but I'm someone and I'm sure as hell not no one!" He paused for a minute to look at Tala. The older red head was staring at him in shock and suddenly those icy blue eyes weren't as intimidating as they usually were. They were shocked and confused. Tala was a human, after all.

"But I want you in there, Tala," Johnny repeated quietly.

"You're right about one thing McGregor," Tala said, walking up the stairs and slightly past Johnny as he spoke. "You sure as hell ain't 'no one'..." and then the proud captain of the Blitzkrieg Boys was back. "Get your freezing ass in there cause I'm sure as hell not going in there by myself."

Johnny grinned, "Knew you'd see it my way." Tala watched the younger go in first with a raised eyebrow before he smirked and shook his head.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Tala said quietly.

"You say something Tala? Get in here!" Johnny ordered.

"No...I didn't say anything," Tala said, walking in and closing the door behind himself.

"So you decided to come in after all," Kai said as he walked towards him. "Thirsty? There's apple cider..."

"Nah," Tala shook his head. He didn't take his eyes off Johnny as the teenager argued with Robert about something.

"So what's going on with McGregor?" Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hm? Nothing," Tala said.

"And that explains why you can't take your eyes off of him," Kai rolled his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"You haven't looked at me once and you're talking to me," Kai said. "C'mon man, what's the deal?"

"He..." Tala hesitated. "He's not no one..."

"Oh?" Kai said. "Well, keep me posted...And get over there!"

Whoever said Kai was weak was wrong. Whoever said Kai was scrawny...well, maybe he looked scrawny but rest assured that what the phoenix blader lacked for in shown brawn, like Spencer, he made up for in hidden strength. He managed to push Tala to the other side of the room.

Johnny looked up just in time to see Tala's off balance (yet somehow still graceful) form collide into him. He dropped his cup and found himself trapped between Tala's arms on either side of his head.

"Crap," Johnny muttered as the apple cider set into his jacket.

"S-sor- uh, didn't mean too..." Tala said. "Kai..."

"Yeah, I know. I kinda saw," Johnny said.

"Um, yeah...we should... get you another jacket," Tala said weakly.

"I don't have another one here-"

"I have one you can borrow," Tala grunted. "C'mon." Johnny hesitantly followed Tala, not pausing to glance back at the staring faces.

Johnny sighed and laid down his book, rubbing his temples. He hadn't actually been paying attention to the Russian book- he'd been staring at the same page for half an hour.

"You spend a lot of time in the library lately," Kai noted as he walked in with a platter of tea.

"Please tell me that a cup of that tea's for me," Johnny groaned.

"It is," Kai chuckled. "I began making it when I noticed that you'd been on the same page for the past ten minutes."

"You came in here?" Johnny asked.

"Wow, you really were out of it," Kai commented, pouring a cup and handing it to Johnny.

"Thanks," Johnny sighed, sitting up a bit and taking the tea. "Damn, you make a good cup of tea."

"Or so I've been told," Kai said.

"Yeah, well let me tell you again," Johnny said. "You make one helluva good cup." Kai shrugged.

"I'm Russian."

"Hey, I'm Scottish,"

"Well what do you know?" Kai rolled his eyes. "If I weren't born in Moscow, we'd be from the same continent."

"You were born in Moscow?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," Kai said. "My mom was going to college there and that's where she met my dad." Johnny nodded and then Kai broke him out of his thoughts.

"So you want to tell me the rest of the story?"

"Story?" Johnny said worriedly, looking at the book.

"Not that story," Kai said. "The one where you and Tala got together?"

"Oh, that story... That story I can do," Johnny sighed in relief.

What mattered was that he was with Tala… and he really didn't care that people would talk and gossip. The gossip and the talk would be inevitable whether they got together or not- and he really wanted Tala. He had wanted to get to know the red head since he had scene him at the tournament. The red head was confident- he had a confident strut, he didn't let anything bother him... well, at least that's what the world thought.

But when Johnny saw him that one night, he suddenly wasn't part of the world anymore.

He was just Johnny McGregor.

And the red head sitting with his back towards the world was just Tala Ivanov.

Two months earlier-

Johnny was walking, his hands in his pockets as he walked angrily to his hotel room.

Yes, he had a short temper. Yes, the world knew that. So what was the point of suggesting anger management classes!

Johnny knew that Enrique had been joking but god, Johnny had wanted so bad to get away from his team! Robert, he could deal with, the purple haired aristocrat was his best friend. Oliver was okay, just slightly a little to feminine but Enrique-

"Tala, c'mon come inside,"

"What the point, Kai?" Tala groaned. Johnny stopped himself from turning the corner. He drew in a breath and pressed his back to the wall.

"The point is that someone could pass by. I don't care how upset you are now-"

"I am not upset,"

"Fine, you're not upset but later you're going to regret it if someone comes by." There was silence for a moment. Johnny's heart beat quickened. They hadn't gone inside, had they?

"I just don't understand. I'm a person like the rest of them. We all are. Even if we have a harder time showing it," Tala said.

"Well they're idiots. The only people's whose opinions matter are those who care about you," Kai paused. "And the Blitzkrieg Boys and I care about you. So quit pouting, alright?" There was a slight shuffle and Tala was off the floor. A door opened.

"Kai?"

"Yeah, I know. You're not pouting," Kai said and there was the soft sound of the door closing. Johnny looked down at the floor.

He suddenly wasn't part of the world anymore.

"So there was someone there..." Kai murmmered.

"You heard me?" Johnny asked, surprised.

"I had a suspicion," Kai shrugged. "I just didn't think that it was you," Johnny nodded in understanding.

Present time in the memory-

"Try this on," Tala said. "It's probably too big on you but its the smallest thing I've got..."

"So how long are you staying with Kai?" Johnny asked, taking off his jacket and slipping on the black leather jacket. "You wear leather?"

"Just until Mr. Dickenson gets the hotel arrangements setteled," Tala said, motioning for him to follow as he took the jacket Johnny had been wearing and walked out. "Then he's also coming with us. I go clubbing every once in awhile. Black doesn't really get stained." 'Okay, maybe more then 'every once and awhile...' he thought to himself.

"You're not going back to Russia?" Johnny asked, hope present in his voice.

"Not for some time. Kai would prefer it if we stayed here," Tala said. "Well, Kai and the old man." Johnny was quiet for a moment as Tala started the washing machine.

"You guys really care about each other, huh?" Johnny asked and Tala spared Johnny a glance.

"Don't you care about your teammates?" Tala asked, putting soap in the small load.

"I do but sometimes I wanna kill them," Tala smirked in understanding.

"I know how you feel. Ian's on the verge of becoming an explosives expert," Tala said, shaking his head. "And Bryan- well, you know..."

"Know what?" Johnny asked. "That Oliver likes Bryan?"

"So he did tell you..." Tala mused quietly, putting Johnny's apple cider stained jacket in the wash.

"Yeah, but only after I saw his notebook covered in "Bryan and Oliver" and other stuff," Johnny smirked.

"Wait aren't you dating Oliver?" Tala asked.

"No!" Johnny snapped. Tala's raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he came to me asking what he should do," Tala said. "I've got Ian on their case,"

"Oh and that means everything will be just dandy?" Johnny asked sarcastically.

"Well Bryan likes Oliver and Oliver likes Bryan so I don't see the problem," Tala shrugged.

"Wait, Bryan likes Oliver?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah. Why, surprisred? Bryan has feelings too," Tala snapped.

"No! Its just that... Oliver's convinced that Bryan doesn't like him- and he's kinda torn up about it," Johnny winced, avoiding Tala's glare. Tala softened his gaze with a 'hn'.

"Sor-- Touchy subject," Tala said. Johnny nodded in understanding. He shifted uncomfortably under Tala's gaze. Tala took a step closer, practically under a trance, and slowly reached to touch Johnny's face. He caressed the younger red head's cheek with his thumb- his face nearing Johnny's and then-

"Count down!" there was a shout (coughTysoncough). "Ten! Nine! Eight-!"

Tala jerked his hand away from Johnny's face like it was poison as he realized what he was doing. He took several steps back before turning on his heel.

"Tala-" Johnny said, trying to stop the wolf blader.

"Five! Four!

"Johnny, what're you waiting for?" Oliver asked.

"Three! Two!"

"Uh..." Johnny stared after Tala.

"One...!"

"Zero," Johnny whispered with the rest of the "count downers."

"Johnny?" Oliver tried again. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah," Johnny said. "C'mon, let's go..." he almost slung an arm around Oliver's sholders- a common gesture between the two of them since the team had gotten closer but... '"Bryan has feelings too,"'

"Hey, Oliver, I'm gonna go catch you later," Johnny said. "There's something I need to do..."

"Alright then," Oliver said, sounding surprised. "Uh, wait Johnny!"

"What?" Johnny asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Happy new year," Oliver smiled.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Same to you too," Johnny said. "And go stand next to Bryan! Sheesh, just tell the guy you like him already!" Johnny ran out the door and he was sure that Oliver was shaking his head and smiling.

"Stupid Tyson..." Kai sighed.

"Stupid indeed," Johnny grumbled. "I couldn't find Tala for-"

"Do not pull on the Christmas lights! Wreath, that is dangerous! Get down here! Miguel isn't gonna like this!"

"Is that Claude?" Kai asked.

"I... think it is," Johnny sweat dropped. Just as Johnny said that, there was a kitten with a mouthful and clawful of Christmas lights swinging by the window, Claude and Aaron chasing after it.

"I don't even wanna know..." Johnny muttered, picking his book back up. Kai had already gotten up and was already out the door.

"Why is my cat swinging from Christmas lights?!" he shouted. "That's dangerous!"

Johnny sighed and rolled his eyes. He was done with the temper thing... for now at least, he thought with a smirk. He heard the door close and he turned to look.

"Hey," Tala said, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"Hey yourself," Johnny greeted him. "Where's Miguel?"

"Outside with a surprise for Kai," the red head said smoothly. "You really didn't think that Miguel would let a cat- let alone Kai's cat, swing across a house on Christmas lights for no reason, do you?"

"No I guess not," Johnny sighed. "So what's this surprise that I had to keep Kai busy for until it was ready?"

"Why don't you come see for yourself?" Tala asked. "It's quite the spectical." Johnny raised an eyebrow and took Tala's hand as he lead him out.

"You're kidding!" Johnny gaped. "How the hell did he pull this off?!"

"Tyson helped," Tala said.

"Come by me again?" Johnny said.

"As an apology," Tala shrugged. "No big deal..."

But it was a big deal.

"Tyson..." Kai said. "How the hell...?"

"A lot of ice machines and some- okay a lot of help from the BBA," Tyson said. "Look, I'm sorry Kai. I was such a jerk and I don't expect to earn your forgiveness or your trust back yet. You aren't just a head liner...I don't know what got into me."

"So why is there an ice rink," Kai gulped. "In front of my house?"

"Well I heard Bryan and Tala say you love ice scating but you haven't gone since you left Russia," Tyson said. "And Miguel agreed to help me with it-"

"You're..." Kai said. "I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything," said a voice behind him. Kai turned around and automatically smiled when he saw his boyfriend.

"Miguel..." Kai said. "You too?"

"Yeah, me too," Miguel smiled.

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone," Tyson said, "Just don't make out in front of the children!" he skated onto the ice rink.

"You're crazy," Kai said. "Both of you-"

"I'm crazy for you," Miguel said. "Don't think too much... you don't need to forgive him just yet." Kai smiled as he was drawn into Miguel's arms and into a passionate kiss.

Oh yeah, this was bliss' doing... and a kitten swinging on Christmas lights...

Me: Wow, I didn't think that it'd take me this long to get this chapter out! Sorry about that!

Ian: She plans to wrap this up in one or two more chapters, we still have Tala and Johnny's story after all... and if she ever gets to the sequal, she has plans for Tyson...

Me: What did I tell you about my notes, Ian?! Give them back! -chases Ian-

Tala: -sweat drop- Uh...review...?

Miguel: Please?