It wasn't until late the next morning that Berto showed signs of waking up. His head moved slightly as he groaned and that woke Shock who detached from me and flew over to him, stretching.
"Can't an Ultralink get some rest?" Shock complained as he hovered over the scientist who shifted on the bed before slowly opening his eyes. "Oh you're finally awake." He said as Berto stared at Shock then around the room, confused about where he was. "In case you're wondering you're in the Medical Bay. You fainted…yesterday I think."
"I fainted? Why did I…?" Berto asked as he sat up slowly and that's when he caught a glimpse of who was lying on the bed opposite his and his chocolate-brown eyes went wide. Puzzled Shock looked over at where he was staring and he sighed.
"Before you panic she's okay. She just needs to rest for a while." Shock explained as Berto climbed off the bed and wandered over to me. "Doctor Alexander said that she'll recover from her injuries but it'll take time so for now she's confined to this room. I'm not looking forward to telling her when she wakes up." As he watched Berto stood looking down at his friend before gently reaching over and stroking my forehead.
"Gracias a dios. When you both vanished I thought…" Berto began to say and he swallowed suddenly, afraid he might start crying again. "Well I'm just glad you're both safe. I still can't believe that Makino's gone for good." He said and Shock nodded. "Hey what happened to Dredd and the Mega Elementor?"
"The Mega Elementor's is the Stasis cells. As for Dredd and Naught…they up and disappeared before Makino went boom. So you guess is as good as mine." Shock answered as he flew over and hovered beside Berto. "Should we go after them?" He asked and Berto shook his head.
"For the moment I think we should take a break and wait for Jessie to recover. After that we can go looking for him. How are you by the way?" Berto asked the Ultralink who shrugged.
"After a rest I'm pretty good. I'm lucky that Jessie used her Turbo Flare otherwise we probably wouldn't be having this conversation right now. That was some fast thinking by her." Shock told Berto who managed a grin. As they stood there footsteps approached and as they looked up Max and Steel walked in.
"Hey guys." Max said as he walked over and stopped in front of Jessie's bed. "So you're finally awake." He added and Berto raised an eyebrow at him. "You went completely white and passed out. If I hadn't caught you you would've hit the floor."
"I actually don't remember much. I think someone said something about Jessie and then everything's a blur after that." Berto replied and when Max, Shock and Steel exchanged a look. "Okay what's going on?" He asked as his eyes narrowed and after hesitating Steel finally spoke.
"Doctor Alexander told us that Jessie's heart stopped twice while they were working to save her." He told Berto and he stared at them for a few seconds until that sunk in. Then his face went pale again and Max shot forward, worried the scientist would pass out again. Thankfully he was only a bit shaky though he had to be helped onto a bed. Taking a deep breath he managed to calm himself down.
"So she died twice?" He stammered and when Max nodded he closed his eyes for a long moment. Once he opened them he looked at his friends. "Ella va a estar bien?" He asked and when everyone stared at him he cracked a grin. "Is she going to be okay?" He repeated in English this time and Steel nodded at him. Running a hand through his hair he sighed. "That's a relief. I hope she wakes up soon."
"Me too dude. I can't believe she managed to destroy Makino and survive. That is one impressive girlfriend you have." Max said and Berto chuckled. "We're going to check on my mom but call us when Jessie wakes up." He told Berto and Shock before he and Steel left. Turning back to me Berto looked down at me and that's when Shock asked him a question.
"How are you?" He asked and Berto raised an eyebrow at the question. "You kinda freaked out, for lack of a better word, when you couldn't find me and Jessie. I heard you scream."
"Oh yeah." Berto said as he blushed and Shock shook his head. "I did didn't I? I thought I'd lost my friends and when I couldn't find you two…my emotions got the better of me."
"Hey its fine. Personally I thought I'd lost Jessie when she collapsed and that would have made me cry too. If it was possible." Shock told him and Berto smiled at that. "So you're not alone."
"Thanks Shock." Berto said as they looked at their friend who had an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose. "What should we do?" He asked and seconds later his stomach growled making Shock laugh. "Okay I guess that answers that question." Deciding to get some breakfast Berto walked into the hallway but not before giving me a kiss on the forehead. After he left Shock hovered over me for a moment before following his friend. Several hours passed before everyone met in the Com Room to discuss their next move.
"So after Makino's defeat we lost Dredd and Naught. Thankfully we managed to capture Mega Elementor in the meantime. The question is where would they have gone." Forge said and Berto leaned forward to use the keyboard.
"From what we can tell just before Makino was destroyed they left the battlefield and so far we've been unable to locate them." Berto said as he brought up a map of Copper Canyon. "They could be hiding anywhere in the canyon or even the surrounding area."
"It's strange that for someone supposedly working for Makino he left without actually trying to save his master. Makes you wonder if Dredd was really working for Makino." Jefferson said.
"Or working for himself all along. I wouldn't put it past him to only have his best interests in mind." Kat put in.
"Maybe he was hoping Makino would perish in battle. Take out the only obstacle in his path and possibly N-Tek at the same time." Max said and Berto nodded in agreement, still angry about his friend getting hurt in the process. "It makes sense."
"I know what you mean. He's twisted enough to let someone else take the fall if his plan failed and maybe that was his plan for the beginning. Which leaves us with this question; why side with Makino? What did he hope to gain?"
"Power." Shock spoke up. "That's what he's after. He wants Turbo energy and maybe by siding with Makino he hoped to gain more power."
"Que es un monstruo." Berto growled as he stopped typing for a moment. "We have to find him." He added and everyone nodded. In the end Forge asked Kat and Jefferson to fly over Copper Canyon and see if they could stop anyone from the air. Seeing as Max had school in an hour he left but made sure to keep in contact in case he and Steel were needed, After they left Forge spoke to Shock and Berto, asking them to stay at N-Tek.
"Why Chief?" Berto asked and Forge sighed before answering.
"I want you two to keep an eye on Jessie. After what happened she needs you two to look after her. Can you two handle that?" He asked and Berto nodded. As soon as he rushed to the hangar Berto leaned back against the keyboard and Shock stared at him.
"He thinks I'm too emotional." Berto said and Shock sighed. "Maybe he's right. I did break down when I thought my friends were…dead. But can you blame me?" He sighed then looking down at the floor.
Flying over Shock tapped him on the shoulder and Berto looked up. "Don't let it get to you. Want to go and check on Jessie? Maybe she's awake." He suggested and after a moment Berto nodded before they walked to the Medical Bay. When he reached my side he found that I was deeply unconscious and even though he knew it would be probably a few days before I woke he still seemed troubled. Noting the look in Berto's eyes Shock pointed out that I needed some time to rest so my injuries could heal. Then I'd be back fighting bad guys again. That actually made Berto chuckle and he started feeling a bit better about the outcome of their battle against Makino. Eventually they left me to rest. A few days passed as I rested and soon my condition improved enough that I didn't need the ventilator anymore so the oxygen mask was removed but it wasn't until another full day later that I showed any signs of waking up. Working on repairing several vehicles and C.Y.T.R.O Berto wasn't able to check up on his friend as often as he liked so Shock decided to stay by her side. Then at 10 am that very morning Shock was hovering around my bed when I groaned suddenly and his eye went wide. Quickly he moved next to my head and gently placed one of his hands on my shoulder, carefully shaking my shoulder to get a response. When I groaned again and moved my head slightly he grinned and quickly shot towards Berto's lab.
"She's waking up." He told Berto who quickly put down his wrench and raced towards the Medical Bay. The second they did I groaned for a third time before I slowly opened my eyes and then quickly closed them again when the bright light of the room made me wince. Walking over Berto looked down at me and asked how I was feeling.
"Where…am I?" I whispered as I put a hand to my forehead. "Why does…my head hurt?"
"You passed out after destroying Makino and you've been unconscious for four days now. How do you feel?" Berto said as he gently stroked my forehead and I managed to smile at him.
"Like I got slammed by a spaceship. Wait a sec…did you say Makino's gone?" I asked and when they both nodded I stared up at the ceiling for a moment. Concerned Berto asked if I was okay and I laughed.
"Yeah…but I can't believe…we won. After everything he's gone forever. We did it!" I shouted before I started coughing.
"Whoa are you okay?" Shock asked and once I stopped coughing I gave them a tired grin.
"Yeah…I'm okay. Just a little tired…after everything that's happened." I muttered as I yawned. Noticing Berto giving me a worried look I reached over and took his hand in mine. "I'll be fine. Just…need to sleep." I mumbled as my eyes began to close and within moments I had fallen asleep. Offering to get a doctor to check on me Shock left me with Berto. As he waited for the Ultralink to return he stared down at me, surprised that I was okay other than being really tired. Once Shock returned with Doctor Alexander he checked me over, making sure I was breathing alright and that my pulse and heart rate were steady before he turned to Berto and Shock.
"This is pretty amazing but she's going to be fine. Her injuries have just about healed up and she needs to rest for a few more days then she should make a full recovery. If you need me just call." Doctor Alexander said and Berto thanked him. After the doctor left the room Berto sighed, relieved that I was going to be fine.
"That's definitely great news. I was really worried when she took so long to wake up." Shock said and Berto smiled. "Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."
Of course I was pretty exhausted and it wasn't until half a day later when Berto and Shock came to check on me that I began to mumble something. Leaning over Berto tried to work out what I was saying and that's when Shock saw me smile. Before Berto had time to react I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck before pulling him down towards my mouth. Suddenly I kissed him full on the mouth and after a moment his eyes closed and he returned the kiss. Forgetting about Shock being in the room we kissed for almost a full minute until he coughed and I gently let go of Berto who blushed.
"Now that's the best way to wake up." I smiled and Berto burst out laughing while Shock rolled his eye at the both of us. "Hi guys. So what did I miss?" I asked them as I rubbed at my eyes.
"Not much really. We did get you checked out and you're going to be fine." Shock told me and I grinned at the good news. "Well there is one slight problem. " He added and I frowned slightly.
"Uh oh." I muttered as Berto gave me a grin. "Do I want to know?"
"It's not bad news. You just need to stay at N-Tek for a while until you recover completely. And you're sort of confined to the Medical Bay as well." Berto explained and I groaned. "It's not that bad." He added as I tried to sit which I failed at. Still pretty weak I lay there and sighed. "Look I'll make it up to you so quit complaining." He added as I fixed him with a stare.
"Alright fine. So how exactly will you make it up to me?" I asked and he grinned at me making me wonder just what he had planned. Of course I didn't get to find out until the next day though it was worth the wait. Early the next morning I was woken by someone walking into the room and as I lay there, pretending to be still fast asleep, I tried to work out just who it was. Because I could hear footsteps I knew it wasn't Steel or Shock though that didn't exactly narrow my choices down. Then I heard a voice and judging from the accent I knew who was speaking.
"Jessie are you awake?" Berto asked and I noticed that he was very close to me. When I didn't answer he chuckled and leaned down towards my face. As he did I felt his lips brush mine and I couldn't help letting out a giggle. "Hey I thought you were asleep." He said as I opened my eyes.
"I've been awake since you walked in." I replied and he grinned at me. Managing to sit I watched as he took something from behind his back. As I looked on I saw him holding a small cake in the palm of his hand and I smiled as I noticed a candle sitting in the middle.
"I wanted to bring you a birthday cake but since that wasn't possible…will this do?" He asked as he lit the candle and I nodded. "Happy 17th birthday Jessie. Even if it is a few days late." He added and I giggled before blowing out the candle. "Did you make a wish?" He asked me and I nodded before he halved the cake and we each took a piece. For a few minutes we ate in silence. "So did you get what you wished for?" He eventually asked and I grinned at him.
"Yep." I answered and when he asked what I wished for I put my hand behind his head and pulled him forward into a kiss. When the kiss ended a few seconds later I blushed slightly as I let go of his head and he sat back. "You of course." I told him as he looked on a bit surprised. Then he smiled before moving closer and leaning in. As we kissed this time he wrapped his arms around my neck and ran his hand through my hair and I smiled as I thought that this was the best birthday present ever. After we both came up for air Berto chuckled at the silly grin I had on my face.
"You look pretty happy." He said as he leaned over and nibbled my neck. When I giggled he gave me a smile as I turned my head slightly and he kissed me, nibbling my lips a little. Once we broke apart even he had a silly grin on his face. "How are you feeling?" He asked me and when I sighed he chuckled. "Pretty good huh?"
"Wonderful." I replied and we both laughed. Wrapping his arms around my waist he sat behind me and I rested my head against his chest. After a few minutes I began to doze and when he noticed me snuggling closer he smiled. As he shifted over getting comfortable I opened my eyes and realized I was using my boyfriend as a pillow. "Oh…sorry Berto. I guess I'm still a little sleepy." I yawned and he stroked my cheek.
"Maybe you should get some rest. I can come and check on you later if you want." Berto suggested as I sat and rubbed my eyes with one hand. When I gave him a nod he grinned and leaned over to kiss me on the forehead. Lying back I soon fell asleep and before Berto left he sighed, relieved that I was alright.
The next day I shifted getting comfortable on the bed before I heard Shock talking to me and I opened one eye to find him staring down at me. "I thought you were awake." He said as I yawned, shutting my eyes again. "Come on. Its morning and you should be up." He told me and I sighed as I finally opened my eyes.
"Hey I'm the one recovering so why can't I sleep?" I complained and that's when I heard someone chuckle and I grinned as Berto joined Shock beside my bed. "On second thought…" I added as I sat up.
"So how are you feeling?" He asked me and when he saw the grin on my face he chuckled.
"First you complain then suddenly you're fine." Shock commented and I blushed slightly. "Anyway are you okay?"
"I feel a lot better and my head doesn't hurt anymore." I replied as I stretched my limbs. "My back aches a bit but that's probably because I've been lying down so much lately. Maybe I should walk around a bit more." Offering to help me to my feet I gave Berto a nod and after carefully climbing off the bed I stood. Still feeling weak Berto wrapped an arm around my shoulders and together we walked into the corridor as Shock flew around us, probably still worried that I was going to collapse or something. With Berto supporting me I managed to make it to the cafeteria without falling over. Though as he helped me into a seat I did feel a bit woozy and when I put a hand on my forehead he frowned, worried and asked how I was.
"A little lightheaded. Probably because I've been unconscious for so long. I probably just need something to eat and drink." I commented as I continued to rub my forehead and he gave me a smile even if he still looked uneasy. Once he left to get me something I sighed and rubbed at my eyes fighting my growing exhaustion.
"You still look pretty tired. Maybe you should rest in the Medical Bay again after you finish eating." Shock suggested and I gave him a nod as we waited for Berto to return. When he did finally return, holding a tray in his hands he found me with my head drifting towards me chest before I suddenly blinked and he sighed. Setting down the tray on the table he gave me a smile.
"You look pretty tired. You should rest after you eat." He said and I gave him a tired laugh.
"Shock suggested pretty much the same time." I told him and he nodded. Thanking him for bring me something to eat I started on the burger and after a few minutes I felt much better. As I sipped my cola I asked what I had missed over the last few days.
"Well so far we haven't found Dredd or Naught. But the good news is that Mega Elementor is safely contained to the Stasis Cells. Plus Prism, Blast and Chomp are still secure too." Berto told me and I smiled as I finished my drink. It was then I began to feel really sleepy and I yawned suddenly. "Maybe we should walk you back. You look like you're about to fall asleep." He said and I yawned again, too tired to argue with him. Carefully taking my arm he led me back to the Medical Bay and the moment we stepped inside the door my legs gave out. Quickly catching me Berto helped me onto the nearest bed and I sighed as I sat heavily. "You okay?" He asked me as I ran a hand through my hair as my vision blurred. When Berto asked me something and I mumbled something he quickly asked Shock to watch me for a few minutes while he went and got a doctor. After he raced away I rubbed at my eyes, wondering why I couldn't see properly as Shock hovered in front of me. By the time Berto returned with Kat I was ready to keel over and she hurried over to me. Taking a penlight from her pocket she knelt in front of me and asked me to look towards the wall in front of me. Not sure why I did as she wanted and she took my pulse as well before putting the light away and standing.
"Jessie has a mild concussion. Just let her get some rest and she'll be fine. If she starts feeling sick come and get me." Kat told them. After they agreed to do just that she left me with Berto and Shock who were watching me as I kept blinking.
"You should rest." Shock said and I shook my head at him, suddenly being really stubborn. "Here we go again." He sighed and I fixed him with a stare.
"I'm not being stubborn." I replied and Berto put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "I'm so not." I added and he chuckled. Frowning at the pair of them I crossed my arms. Rolling his eyes at me Berto sat next to me on the bed and I moved over, turning my back on him.
"You figure this out. She's your girlfriend." Shock commented and left the room before Berto could think up a comeback. After the Ultralink was gone Berto focused his attention on me but I still had my back turned to him. Almost instantly he had the answer and after a moment I felt him reach around and wrap his arms around my waist. I turned my head and watched him, my eyebrow raised slightly.
"What's wrong?" He asked me and after a full minute I sighed before I moved closer.
"What happens to me now?" I said to him and it was his turn to look confused. "Now that Makino's gone for good where do I go from there? I finally avenged my parents' deaths so what happens now?"
"So you think that because Makino's gone you have no purpose?" He asked me and when I nodded he smiled. "Just because we managed to stop him doesn't mean there won't be other battles down the road. Besides I want you to stay here at N-Tek. Like your mom wanted you to and…well it's what I want as well." He added blushing a little and I smiled. "So you're here to stay whether you like it or not."
"Thank you." I whispered as I leaned back and rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes. As I sat there I felt Berto tighten his grip on me and within a few short minutes I had fallen asleep in his arms. Exhausted I didn't wake up until a long while afterwards and that was only because Shock showed up. Prodding my arm for a few seconds I finally opened my eyes and he sighed, apparently relieved that I'd woken up.
"We need to link up soon." Shock told me as I sat and stretched, only to see my hands beginning to glow. "Oh right." I added and flew over before linking. The glow vanished in seconds and I heard him sigh.
"That's a relief. How's your head?" He asked me and I grinned as he detached and hovered in front of me.
"I'm not feeling dizzy anymore so that's a plus. Quick question where is everyone?" I asked as I rubbed at my eyes.
"Berto's in his lab, as per usual, Max and Steel are at school and everyone else is looking for Dredd. So it's just us at N-Tek." Shock replied and that's when I heard a bark. As I looked over at the door I heard a bang then Furbo came racing in and after leaping up onto the bed he instantly hid behind me.
"What's wrong Furbo?" I asked as the dog whimpered and that's when Ven Ghan walked into the room. Before I had time to work out just what was going on he aimed his gun at the dog and I glared at him as Furbo cowered behind me. "Ven Ghan? Why are you trying to shoot Furbo?" I asked as I grabbed the dog and hugged him against me, my eyes narrowing at the Ultralink hunter. After a moment he aimed the gun at the floor his eyes never leaving Furbo. At least I think so, I can't really tell with his helmet on.
"He attacked me." Ven Ghan replied and I blinked confused. After a brief explanation I giggled and that confused the hunter. "Why is that humorous?"
"He wasn't attacking you. He does that to everyone he wants to be friends with." I told him and he nodded slightly. "Furbo knocked me over the first time I met him but he's just being friendly." Apparently sensing that Ven Ghan wasn't mad anymore Furbo wagged his tail and barked before jumping down and running over to him. I fought the urge to giggle when Furbo suddenly grabbed Ven Ghan's gun in his mouth and took off with it, leaving the hunter to race after him.
"I think Furbo wants to play fetch." Shock said and that set me off. I was still laughing when Berto walked in and stared at me.
"Okay did something happen?" He asked as I laughed and Shock rolled his eye at me before explaining.
"The short version is Furbo wanted to play with Ven Ghan and when he knocked the hunter over he thought it was an attack. Everything's fine now that he knows Furbo was only playing…except he kinda grabbed Ven's gun." Shock told him and Berto raised an eyebrow.
"That…hic…was pretty…hic…funny." I giggled in between hiccups. "I wonder if…hic…Ven's gotten his gun…hic…back yet." Probably worried about Furbo Shock took off after them and left me with Berto who walked over.
"Going off topic but how are you now? Aside from the hiccups of course." Berto asked me and I gave him a grin. "That's a relief. You didn't seem like yourself earlier so I was kind of worried." He added as he sat beside me. Soon I managed to shake off my hiccups though now my stomach hurt and I grimaced which made him stare at me.
"My stomach hurts now. Dumb hiccups." I complained and he laughed at the face I pulled. "Not helping Berto." Grinning at me he asked if there was anything he could do to help. "Know how to get rid of a sore stomach?" I asked. Before I knew it Berto placed his hand on my stomach and began to rub it. "Hey what are you doing?" I almost yelped and he smiled at me as he continued and after a few seconds my stomach felt a little better so apparently he knew what he was doing. Or maybe it was because it was him. After a few more seconds of this I made a noise in my throat and he stopped as I blushed.
"So you like that huh?" He asked and after thinking about lying I ended up nodding, unable to hide the smile on my face. "You are pretty interesting. You're a powerful Turbo user that can go toe to toe with anyone who's also completely helpless when it comes to me." He said and I tried to disagree but it was hopeless as I soon found out when he reached across and pulled me against his chest. Unable to get away I sat there as he started rubbing my stomach with one hand while he held me against him with the other and I rested my head against his chest, sighing as the pain began to lessen. Eventually the pain vanished and he stopped though I didn't notice as he continued to hold me. "Feeling better?" He asked and I snuggled closer. Leaning down he gave me a kiss on the top of my head and I smiled. For a few minutes we just sat together and then I faced him and tilted my head back. Giving me a smile he leaned down and we started to kiss, his lips brushing mine before he nibbled my lips and, reaching behind my head, he gently ran his hand through my hair before pushing my face against his. Once he did Berto pulled me closer then he leaned down and I sighed as he kissed my throat. I was really beginning to enjoy what he was doing and of course as luck would have it Shock walked in at the exact moment as he nuzzled my neck. I had just laid back and he had started kissing my neck and throat when Shock coughed and I made a frustrated noise as Berto stopped kissing me and turned to look at the Ultralink.
"Way to ruin my fun." I complained before I finally sat up, crossing my arms and Berto chuckled as Shock flew over.
"Sorry to ruin your amorous activities but I have some great news for you. Since you've healed faster than Doctor Alexander said you would, probably because of your Turbo powers, you're allowed to leave the Medical Bay. On one condition." Shock told me and I grinned, happy until I heard the condition and I frowned slightly.
"I have to go back to school? I save the Earth from Makino and I still have to attend school. Figures." I replied though I suppose I should be thankful that we were safe. "Fine whatever. When do I go back?" It wasn't until the next week, three days later that I rejoined Sydney and Kirby back at Copper Canyon High School. Even though I was actually looking forward to studying, and I know that's strange hearing me say that, it was nice not having to worry about fighting to save Earth from an alien invasion. Little did I know that the peace wouldn't last forever. It never does for me.
The end?