Disclaimer: I own nothing except my gorgeous self.

So HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I got wasted and me and the toilet were well acquainted this morning. Pretty sure I'm going to swear off alcohol for awhile. Had a blast though. I hope all of your new years were in the presence of loved ones. And if not, then believe this year will be better.

This is the last chapter of Borderline before I take a short break and return in February. I will be still updating other stories throughout the break, so I'm sure those will keep you wonderfully entertained until Borderline's return. Why the break? Because rewriting, posting double chapters and such has put me behind, and I rather write ahead and work out all the kinks and keep to my promise of one chapter a week. So think of this chapter as kinda a mid-season finale. (Much like Tyson taking down Kane and beating Cyber-Dragoon in v-force).

So, because for some reason I can't see any of my new reviews (is anyone else having this problem? Like I know I have 153 reviews on this story, but I can only see 152 when I click to read them.) I'm just going to thank Tyka's Flower, Little A Granger, Angel Devastation, chibiduo, "Me", HibarixTsunaxlover, CorynOfHoole, Lun4el and marchellv for all the amazing support. To all my readers whom I can't thank personally, I love you too!

No warnings for this chapter.

Enjoy!


It soon became apparent that the tiny 1 bedroom flat was not big enough for the both of them and 10 cats. They were either tripping over a cat, Tyson's clothes or bumping to each other, and gods knew that the kitchen was much too small to have any more than one person in it at a time. On day 3, while Kai was at work (which Tala was so unbelievably happy for), and Tyson was spending time with Ray and Max, the dual-haired man started house hunting.

Yes, house. He needed something big enough to handle any unexpected house guests and Tyson had a lot of friends. What the former World Champion needed was something that was big enough to handle Tyson and all that came with him, and he could still disappear into his bedroom if need be. The major downside would be that he would have less excuses to cuddle the crap out of the bluenette, but he couldn't keep coming to his office to release his sexual frustrations.

Also, jacking off with an innocent kitten staring right at you was more than a little unnerving. Yeah...he needed a bedroom, a sound-proof one at that.

The ringing of his office phone forced him out of his musings.

"Hiwatari."

"It's been a long time Kai."

He froze as his stomach did a back flip. Not this. Not now. Not when everything was finally going alright.

"Mother...?"

"Very good, son. Yes it's me." he could hear the cold, emotionless tone and a small part of him died, while he clenched his fists. She hadn't changed at all.

"What do you want?" he struggled to keep his voice even.

"I have been nominate as a Deputy of Russia and I am confirming that I will have Hiwatari Enterprises support." There was no question. That was an order.

The CEO gritted his teeth. Typical. First time he hears his mother's voice in 11 years and its to ask if he will help her honour her bribes so she could get on the State Duma.

Honestly between her and his Grandfather, it was no wonder why we went mad with Black Dranzer's power. Even now; He craved power. To be the best of the best, but that involved crushing the mountain that was Tyson Kinomiya.

He thought about this logically. Completely ignoring the fact they were blood, it would be in his best interest if he knew someone in The Duma. Someone who he could control with money, it really was just a bonus that it was his mother.

He closed his eyes and tried to conjure up just one memory where she wasn't so cold and distant. All he could remember was his father. His father gave him enough affection for two parents before he was sent to the abbey.

Yet his mother was never cruel. Stern, yes. But he couldn't remember her ever raising a hand to him. Which had to count for something...

Right?

"Yes. You have the support of Hiwatari Enterprises." There was a long pause, but then...a sniffle. His heart raced. "...Mother?

A broken, watery voice replied. "I-I gotta go."

The ice barrier around his heart shattered. "Mom, wait!" to his relief he could still hear the muffled sobs. It all clicked into place. "Mother, he's gone."

"Y-your n-not m-mad with m-me?" she wept. "E-even a-after all t-the horrible things they did- That I-I let them do?"

Kai sighed. His mother had just been another victim in all of this as well.

Damn Kinomiya, the boy had really softened his heart. Or maybe just made it stronger? He had no fucking clue anymore.

He had no idea what had possessed him to say what he said next, "C-can I see you? We need to talk."

"I-I'm not sure it's a good idea. They're still watching us."

He didn't need to ask. "It's fine mother. Please take care of yourself."

"You as well." A pause. "I love you."

Tears pricked his eyes. "I-I love you too."

The line went dead.

Standing there in stunned silence, he tried to wrap his head around what just happened. His mother. His mother actually loved him...

A rage boiled up inside him. "AHHH!" With inhuman strength he picked up the black, metal desk and threw it against the wall. "I'm going to fucking kill you Boris! For all that you have done, I swear to God I'm going to fucking murder you!"

Hearing the ruckus, Tala rushed into the room to see the man who once refused to show any emotions, shaking in rage, on his hands and knees, punching the floor repeatedly.

"Kai!" he rushed over to the male, only to be violently pushed away before the teen started punching the floor once more. "Stop it or you're going to break your hand and never blade Kinomiya again!"

Mid-swing the man froze, and a tear-streaked face turned to Tala.

"Shit." breathed the red-head, before rushing to his friend's side and wrapped his arms around him.

Kai fell apart.

"I'm going to kill him. For torturing Tyson. For threatening my mother!" he sobbed.

"Calm down. Kill who Kai?" Tala asked soothingly.

"Fucking Boris!" he screeched.

Tala's blood ran cold.


For Tyson and Max it was the first time they could spend time together in nearly a year. Ray had decided to volunteer at the new BBA and Kenny was helping his parents at the family noodle shop. Laying down on the grass by their spot by the river, a gentle breeze tousling their hair, Max turned to Tyson and asked, "So did you and Kai really blow up an island?"

"Yeah."

At the somber tone in the bluenette's voice, Max became concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off and looked Max dead in the eye. "But if I tell you, you gotta swear to me you won't tell anyone, especially Kai."

"Cross my heart, buddy."

Tyson took a deep breath. "Ok, so here it goes: Kai and I went out to Dr. B's island for a beybattle," he began.

"Well that's pretty smart, nothing around for miles."

"Yeah, that's what we thought too. And at first it was great, we were really getting into it, Dragoon and Dranzer were having an all-out war, but, there must've been some left over bombs, and everything just went...BOOM!"

Max blinked. "Wait. How could you walk away from something like that?"

"That's the thing Max...we didn't."

The American looked at his friend with confusion. "Okay, now you've lost me."

"Just hear me out. When I woke up, everything around me was just destroyed, and Kai's arm...Kai's bloody arm was just lying there next to me."

Max's eyes widened. "Dude."

Tyson continued. "Yeah, so I'm freaking out and I find Kai under a tree, and he's just totally messed up. Blood everywhere. Leg missing. I couldn't hear anything and...and...he died." His bangs covered his eyes but Max could see the tears rolling down the tanned cheeks. Putting an arm around his friend, he rubbed his back.

"It's ok Tyson. What happened next?"

"Dranzer. I asked her to help and she gave me her power and I cried all over him, but nothing happened. And I thought 'what the hell' and I kissed him. I kissed him Max! And then, Dranzer's power healed him and he came back to life!"

"Wow, you must have some amazing kissing skills then Ty." he joked. "Then what?"

"I-I don't know. I passed out and when I woke up and Dranzer was disappearing. Kai said he sacrificed her to save me."

Max looked up at his Japanese friend in shock. "Wow, that's pretty heavy."

"I know, right?"

They sat in silence, and let everything sink in for a moment, then, "So you kissed him?"

Tyson grinned. "I kissed him."

"Wow. What was that like ?"

"If he wasn't dead...probably like everything wonderful and amazing hitting you at once...it just felt right."

"Dude...so he doesn't know?"

Tyson shook his head. "And he won't, right?" he glared.

"I'm not saying a word."

Tyson grinned a big, goofy grin. "Now they only problem is I want to kiss him all the time now. It's driving me crazy!"

Max laughed. "So why don't you? He sacrificed Dranzer for you, he might feel the same way."

"Hehehe, I will if you confess to Ray." Max looked at him alarmed. "You told me when we got drunk that time."

"Oh, drunk me has a big mouth...Well that's not fair! Ray has Mariah, and Kai glares at anyone that crosses his path."

"Ray also left her to come here, how many times?! For all we know Kai is asexual or into aliens."

"Are you kidding, you're the World Champion, who doesn't love you?"

"Awwww, do you have have a crush on me Maxie?" said boy punched him playfully, which started a wrestling/tickle match. At last when their laughter died down, they looked up at the clouds above.

"Y'know, this would be a lot easier if I did love you Tyson." said Max wistfully.

"I know what you mean buddy. But, if there's feelings there..." he trailed off, but Max understood.

"I mean, we could try. Never know, right?"

"Exactly." They smiled at each other, then slowly leaned forward and their lips locked.

They reeled back immediately, spitting and wiping their mouths viciously.

"Well so much for that." giggled Max.

"Yeah. Sorry dude, we're better off as brothers."

"Much."

They smiled at each other and looked up at the perfect sky. "So...what kind of flowers are we having at our perfect, imaginary weddings?" asked Max playfully.

Tyson chuckled, then scrunched up his face. "Arg! Do I look like I know anything about flowers? I'll just be happy if the damn bastard shows up!"

Max broke into a fit of laughter. "Yeah, though chances are that you would get sidetracked with a beybattle and be an hour late, and that 'damn bastard' would get sidetracked by kittens and you'd both show up at the same time- just before everyone gives up on you both!"

Tyson chuckled. "The sad thing is that you're probably right." He checked his watch. "Ahh! Is that time already? Sorry Maxie, I gotta grab Kai's 4pm caffeine fix!"

"Ooooh, can I come with? I wanna see where he works!"

"Yeah, but we gotta step on it!" the Japanese teen grabbed the blonde's arm and lead him through the busy streets of Bay City.

As they ran, a single thought entered Max's mind, Tyson, you have no idea how much I missed you buddy.


Setting foot in Kai's office- it looked like a tornado hit it. The desk was overturned, papers were scattered...There was a stapler lodged into the wall along with several holes.

"What are you doing here?"

Startled, Max and Tyson jumped and looked behind them, only to see Tala.

"Oh its only you, dude. Nice to see you again. Um, where's Kai?" Tyson asked warily.

The Vice-President hesitated, at a loss for words. One the one hand, Tyson could be exactly what Kai needed right now, on the other hand, Kai might need to be alone. Deciding to go with the barest of details, he answered, "Kai had an unpleasant phone call and I told him to go home."

"Yeah. This-" he motioned around the room. "-is more than an unpleasant phone call. The only thing that could make him this made is losing a beybattle or-" he tensed and glared at Tala. "What did Boris do now?!"

Violet eyes widened in shock, the kid was smarter than anyone gave him credit for. "That's none of your business."

"Yeah, whatever, I'm going." he ran down the hall then stopped. "Max, buddy, you coming?"

The blonde looked around the room nervously. "Um, if he's this angry, then you should probably just go Ty."

The bluenette shrugged. "Suit yourself." He took off.

Tala looked at the American. "Was that wise?"

Max smiled. "Yeah. Kai isn't actually mad at Tyson, plus Tyson has a way of worming his way past people's barriers. Worst case is they have a fight and Tyson crashes at my place and when everything has calmed down, they just- forgive each other, like they always do."

Tala looked down the hall. "Let's hope, for Tyson's sake, that you're right."


Tyson didn't even head in the direction of Kai's house, he knew that the Russian wouldn't be there. Whenever that workaholic got mad or frustrated, there was only one thing that he did. Heading back towards the river, he heard the ever-recognizable shout of 'Let it rip!'. He turned the corner and was met with the sight of the dark-blue blade smashing through melon-sized rocks.

Oh yeah- Kai was pissed and focused. A deadly combination. But it wasn't just his rage, the wind felt hot and there was the faint smell of smoke and you could feel the raw power in the air. The Phoenix was also enraged. There was something more to this than just Boris.

"How long are you going to stand there Kinomiya?"

Damn...he kept forgetting how sharp the man's senses were. "Just trying to figure out between 1 and Hiro-benching-me-for-a-match how mad you are."

"Hn, you heard about that, huh?" his lips curving upwards slightly.

Tyson's confidence soared, he was on the right track. "Oh yeah, Max told me after the last tournament."

"Hn. I should've given him a haircut."

Tyson snickered before becoming serious again. "So what's eating at you? I've already figured out it's something to do with Boris, but it's gotta be more than that if you and Dranzer are this angry."

The Russian seriously contemplated telling the teenager to mind his own business, and his younger self would have. But a part of him didn't want to keep any secrets from Tyson, and he was too worn out to fight it. Recalling his blade, he looked up and sighed, before walking over and sat on the grass, next to Tyson. "Remember when I told you I wasn't sure if my mother gave a damn about me? Well I got my answer." he closed his eyes, recalling her voice, which made him warm all over. "She called me today. As it turns out, my Grandfather and Boris threatened her. She wasn't allowed to show affection." he growled out the last sentence.

"What?! What kind of twisted psychopaths keep a mother away from her child?"

"Ones whose only goal was to create the perfect army. No attachments. Only reliant on the men they take orders from." His hands began shaking. "All these years, and I thought she didn't care."

Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, Tyson said, "You can't blame yourself man. There's still time to make this right." Kai shook his head. "Why not?"

"She's being watched."

Tyson clenched his fist and jaw. "I see."

They sat in silence.

"So what do we do?"

"If I had an answer to that, I wouldn't be here." Kai suddenly found Tyson in front of him.

"Kai, I swear, someday, you will be reunited with your mother again. I never got to know mine, but the thought of you being kept apart from yours while she's living and breathing, well it's just too sad. I am here for you, however you need me. You and I own the two most powerful bitbeasts on the planet, and we've survived everything until now. We'll think of something."

Slowly, a smile spread across pale, stoic features. "You're right. We will." Looking up at the sky, Kai thought, Hang on mom. We're coming for you.


There, that's it. The mid-season finale of Borderline. Still to come: Kai's birthday party and the tournament! See you all in February!