hey everyone, i'm back! so, here's chapter 5, and there's a LOT of ZakxLina moments in this chapter. i know i said there was going to be an explination about Lina's mom, but i wanted to get this chapter out of the way first. so anywho, enjoy!

I was laying on my bed, throwing a rubber ball against the ceiling. It was a few hours after my confrontation with Van Rook, and i'd been laying there ever since we got back from Argentina. I was so confused, and i felt so helpless. How much more of my life was a lie? I felt tears welling up in my eyes, and before i could stop them, they started falling down my face. Someone knocked on the door just then, and I rolled onto my side, pretending to be asleep. I heard the door open and close, and someone walked over to me. i shut my eyes, hoping that whoever had come in here would turn and leave. But they didn't. i felt their hand on my shoulder, and i jumped and sat up. "ok, who…!"

"relax, it's just me!" i breathed a sigh of relief.

"Zak, don't do that!" he laughed.

"sorry, i just wanted to… uh, make sure you're ok". I nodded, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.

"yep, i'm fine". He shook his head.

"come on Lina, i know you aren't fine. I wouldn't be if that happened to me". i sighed.

"ok, so i'm not fine, but i'll get over it. i just need time". I felt tears coming again, and i turned away from Zak.

"look, i'm really sorry about all this" he mumbled. I looked at him.

"why are you sorry? you didn't do anything". He nodded.

"i know, but… i just feel bad for you". i blushed.

"thanks". There was silence for a few more minutes.

"hey, i just remembered something" Zak said, making me jump. It had been so quiet that i'd almost forgotten that he was there.

"what?" i said. He looked at me.

"i got a new video game a few days before you got here. i, uh, sort of forgot about it". he blushed. "so, do you want to try it out?" i nodded.

"of course, i haven't played a video game since i got here. let's go!" we went into "the game room" as i called it, the room with the huge tv. Zak turned the tv on and handed me a video game controller. "so, what game is this?" i asked, curious about the video games in the Secret Saturdays' universe. Zak put the game in the console, and pushed the start button. I saw that it was a car racing game. "racing, cool! I'm going to so kick your butt at this!" i said. Zak laughed.

"yeah right, i'm a master at video games! watch and learn Lina". I rolled my eyes.

"sure, whatever". We played the game for about 15 minutes before i started to get hungry. "i'm hungry, you want something?" i asked. Zak nodded.

"sure". he paused the game, and i ran into the kitchen and made some popcorn. As i was opening the bag and pouring the popcorn in the bowl, someone came into the kitchen behind me.

"hey Lina". I blushed and turned around.

"uh, hi Doyle". He laughed and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the bowl.

"what're you and Zak doing?" i blushed redder.

"um, just playing a video game". Doyle smirked.

"so you and Zak are getting pretty close, huh?" i looked at him.

"yeah, i guess" i said slowly. He laughed again. "what's so funny?" i asked. He sighed and shook his head.

"oh, nothing. just glad that you and Zak are getting along so well". I nodded.

"yeah, we are". I didn't really know what he found so funny about that, but i wasn't about to ask again. "i guess i'll see you later Doyle" i said, grabbing the bowl and turning to leave.

"he really likes you ya know". I stopped dead in my tracks, and wanted to say something, but i couldn't think of anything. So i just went down the hall back to the game room. Zak was there with Fisk, who'd apparently taken my place. I smiled. "wow, i'm gone two minutes and Fisk replaces me". Zak shook his head and Fisk handed me the controller, moving to sit behind me.

"i heard you talking to Doyle" Zak said. I nodded.

"oh?"

he smirked.

"so, how is your boyfriend?"

"oh he's… wait, my what?!" i turned to Zak, who wasn't looking at me and just kept playing the video game.
"c'mon Lina, i know you like Doyle". I grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it at him.

"shut up!" i said, laughing. In a matter of seconds we were just sitting there throwing popcorn at eachother. childish i know, but hey, it was fun. By the time the bowl was nearly empty, Zak and i were collapsed on the floor in laughter. Our laughter died down after a minute, and we sat up and looked at eachother. It remained quiet for a few more seconds before Zak started laughing again. "what's so funny?" i asked. He reached toward me and pulled a piece of popcorn out of my hair. We looked at it, then at eachother, and burst out laughing again. I smiled. "thanks Zak. I feel a lot better now".

"no problem Lina. We're family, and we have to be there for eachother". I blushed as he put his hand over mine.

"yeah" i mumbled.

"family".

well, how sweet was THAT?! i know it's probably really childish, but i am kind of childish(i'm 17 and i watch the Secret Saturdays and Wow Wow Wubbzy). i don't think it gets any more childish then that. but i hope y'all liked it, and i hope it wasn't too ridiculous. and i also hope it showed hints of the feelings forming between Zak and Lina. by the way, check out the links to YouTube videos i put on my profile. they're really awesome vidoes! that reminds me, would anyone be willing to do some fanart for this fic? i would totally do it myself, but i can't even draw decent stick figures! if no one wants to, that's fine, but if someone does want to, just PM me and i'll give you a description of Lina and the type of pics i want. thanx!

-FreddysNightmare1984