Note: Cyberchase doesn't belong to me, so once again, I need to inform you of how much it sucks that it doesn't. Because if it did, Ivy would really exist on the show, just to make ruling the Cyber Universe more frustrating for Hacker!

I know, I know! I'm a jerk! Things have been pretty busy around here, but I finally got around to adding something to this story. It's coming along…slowly, buts it'll get there. As long as every now and then someone reviews and lets me know that readers haven't yet given up on this fic. I have an Epilogue written up, the problem is I don't have an ending yet.

I hate it when I skip ahead like that! *slaps hand* That's a bad writer! Bad, bad writer!

Anyway, hope ya like this chapter. Let me know what ya think!

My One and Only: A Cyberspace Story

By LaurenShort-DisneyFan

Chapter 9: Strong Enough

"So, how's it coming?" Wicked asked, peering over his shoulder.

Hacker doesn't respond, still going over the new equations on the white board in front of him. He continues to murmur inaudibly to himself, the scientific lingo going straight over the witch's head.

Wicked paces back and forth, ringing her hands together impatiently. She hated not knowing exactly what was going on. She'd managed to catch the gist of it, and that was enough. But the thought of little Ivy on the verge of death was almost too heart-wrenching to bear.

The only thing she was entirely sure of was that Hacker's daughter was running out of time.

She stops pacing. "Have you found anything?"

Hacker says nothing at first, only pausing in his writing to take a step back to see it all clearly, scanning the board frantically, trying to piece everything together. She watches his expression change the longer he stares at the equations. It was difficult to see through the mixture of emotions on his face, but whatever he was feeling, it was far from relieved. After a moment, he closes his eyes, bowing his head.

"Well?" she asks quietly.

He rubs at the pressure points between his eyes, shaking his head. "As Inez would say…" He looks back up at the board glumly. "This is not good…this is not good at all."

"Huh?" Wicked raises her brow.

Hacker moves over to his computer, taking a seat at the console. "I'm afraid, it's a little more complicated than I feared," he says absently, looking through the pages of notes in front of him.

"Why do you say that?" She moves up behind him again, laying a hand on his broad shoulder. When he briefly glances over at the gesture, she almost pulls away. But when he continues, she decides against it.

"Well," he sighs, scratching the back of his head. "The good news is, there's most definitely a way to cure her. It's merely a matter of completing her DNA structure. Because she came out of the machine much earlier than anticipated…almost six days too early to be precise…her genetic makeup simply needs an additional contribution from the original donor; i.e. me."

"Okay." Wicked responds, trying to follow along. "So, what can you do, exactly?"

At this, Hacker turns to look up at her, but not before a split second glance at her hand again. "She needs an injection…it won't take long to figure out the precise dosage she'll need…but…" He cuts off, studying the tiling below his chair.

She grips his shoulder a little tighter. "But what?"

He's quiet for a moment before answering, choosing his words carefully. "It's a bit, hard to explain…but the best way to put it is, that, if I alone were to administer the entire amount she needs to stay online…" He clears his throat casually. "There's a rather large possibility that, I won't…uh, survive."

Wicked almost takes a step back out of shock. "You mean you could, die from this?" She shakes her head. "There has to be another way! It's too risky-"

"There is," he interrupts. "Though it would still require a substantial amount of energy from myself." His eyes lock with hers, attempting to hide his panic. "I'm afraid, my dear, this is where you come in…I, can't do this alone…and I feel I have no right to ask you for your help like this but-"

"I'll do it." She gives him a weak smile. "Just tell me what I need to do."

Hacker couldn't help but grin at the woman standing next to him. The two of them had been through a lot in the past…even if it was just attempting to concur Cyberspace together. Naturally, as always, their plans for domination failed again and again, only leaving them to despise one another, thinking that one of them would've been successful had the other not even been near them to begin with. And yet, despite their constant feuding…he found it nearly impossible to stay away from her.

Something always brought the two villains together…as if fate had a plan of its own in store for them. He just wished it would be on good terms for once.

He nods, grasping her hand briefly. "Thank you, Wicked." He then turns back to his work. There was no more time to waste. "Now then…according to my calculations, it's no longer safe for me alone to be the primary donor…not only because of the amount that she needs, but because I'm…well, I'm a…" He shrugs at her. "You know."

"No, I don't," she says. "What're you trying to say?"

He clears his throat again, this time more awkwardly. "Well, originally she was supposed to be male…but because her gender was altered, that could be the main reason for her system being unstable…if she had turned out to be a boy, I might've been able to handle it alone…maybe."

Wicked thinks on this for a moment before answering slowly. "So…because you're a man, and she's a girl…you're saying, that you can only donate a certain amount from your person…" She pauses, her eyes widening with realization. "You need a female donor."

"Precisely!" he proclaims, standing to face her. "But don't worry. It won't effect you the same way it will me…You'll be alright."

She eyes him curiously, seeing what resembled fear in his tired features. "What about you? If she needs just as much energy from me, then, won't it be the same for both of us?" When he doesn't say anything, her questioning look becomes frightened. "Hacker…What're you not telling me?"

The green cyborg looks down at her, biting his bottom lip. She may as well find out now, while he was still in good health. He takes a deep breath. "Wicked…Something's been happening to me…before Ivy came along. I'm not sure, but, it may have to do with my primary energy core."

He pauses, seeing her confusion. This required more explanation. "Alright," he sighs. "Long ago when I was first brought online by Dr. Marbles, I was equipped with an eternal power supply…like, uh, life-long battery," he adds, glad to see her nod in understanding before he continues. "That was before I decided to work against him and Motherboard. Once they'd found out I was no longer siding with The Good Guys, I was banished…here." He gazes out past her. "But not before I was stripped of that energy…without it, I've been unable to function at maximum capacity.

"It hadn't been a real problem, until just recently." He glances back at her sadly. "I'm getting old, Wicked…there's no doubt about that…but it's only because of that missing power source…it's the whole reason I've searched the darkest corners of Cyberspace; I've been attempting to replace it." He frowns. "And as you know, that hasn't been going very well."

She shakes her head. "No, it hasn't."

He shrugs. "Well, that's beside the point…the real issue here is Ivy. And with me being unable to use my full strength…" He sighs again. "There's not much I can do for her without doing real damage to myself. Now, I'm not saying that I wouldn't be willing to give up-"

She'd placed a hand on his mouth as she speaks calmly. "Hacker…we've already been over this. You don't have to do this alone. Remember?" She forces a smile for him. "Just, do what you can."

Hacker had to return the expression. It never ceased to amaze him how level-headed The Wicked Witch could be at times. He was glad that at least one of them was. But then again, she'd always managed to surprise him with her personality; one day she was bent on world domination while at his side…the next she was aiding Motherboard and the Earth kids in finding a way to either help cure her, or to stop The Hacker himself. He could almost swear that she had multiple personalities beneath that feminine exterior. It drove him crazy…in more ways than one.

"Um, Hacker?"

"Hmm?"

"You should, probably get to work…we'll be at Control Central soon."

Hacker shakes his green head, just now realizing he'd been staring at her a little too intensely. "Uh, yes. Of course…I'll just, um…" He clears his throat, not comfortable with the sudden flushed feeling of blood rushing up into his face. "Be over here…"

He quickly resumes his work, scribbling random things down on the white board in order to keep his mind on something else, but not before noticing that she'd also been turning a bit crimson.

"Sure ya don't want help with that? Cuz if yer tired I can takeover."

"No, I feel fine," replied the small girl. "Really!"

Ivy had just finished redressing in her regular clothes, now struggling with her shoe laces while Digit sat beside her, worry written all over his beak. He'd offered to stay with her in the examination room while the others went to the main control room to explain the situation to Motherboard, hoping she would have a solution. Though there was much concern for the child's health, it was decided that nothing be revealed to the girl herself just yet, not with her current emotional state. As much as he wanted to say something, he continued to force himself not let on that anything was wrong…unfortunately that didn't stop him from becoming extremely overprotective of her.

Despite her being the daughter of his greatest enemy, he still felt a type of bond with her, seeing as how they were both created by the same cyborg. He and the others had only been partially aware of Ivy's true purpose, but after discovering that Hacker's original plans had called for an adult son, there wasn't a shred of doubt in the cy-bird's mind that the evil green tyrant saw her as nothing but another failed attempt at dominating the cyber universe.

All the more reason to be concerned. He knew what it was like to be neglected, to have no one care about you. It was a feeling he hated to see anyone go through. Little Ivy was no exception.

He began to fidget with his wings. "Well, as long you feel up to it," he says, not taking his eyes off of her.

Ivy doesn't say anything, focusing all her concentration on pulling the white laces into a knot, still having to do the other foot. Her tongue sticks out the corner of her mouth, convinced she was making the task more difficult than it probably needed to be. Unfortunately, she hadn't made much progress, having repeated it a number of times, leaving a wadded up mess of shoelace instead the generic bow. She frowns, blowing at a strand of hair in her face.

"Delete made it look too easy," she grumbles, attempting to untie her mistake. "This is hard!"

Digit's eyes widen at this, forgetting about his anxiety for a moment. "Hang on. Delete taught you to tie yer shoes?"

She nods without looking over at him. "Sorta. I'm still learning."

"Delete," he states. "Tall metal guy…kind of a big nose, and a couple of antennae on his head? That Delete?"

"Uh huh."

He stares, scratching his head. "Wow…I didn't know he could tie his own shoes. I always thought Buzz did it for him."

Ivy giggles, attempting to tie the laces again. "That's what Dee Dee says! So he finally taught himself how. Only cuz Buzz got tired of doing it for him." She loops the ends slowly this time, proving to be more successful. "I've almost got the hang of it…he says I'm doin' real good." She beams at the sight of the perfect bow she'd managed on her right shoe. She throws her hands up. "Yea! I finally did it! See?" Ivy points at her shoe, beaming at Digit. "All by myself!"

"Nice job, Ivy," Digit said encouragingly, actually impressed. "Considering how old you are, that makes you a pretty fast learner."

"Mm-hmm!" She states proudly, reaching down to start on the other foot. "That's what Wicked said. She says I'm so smart cuz I got it from my Daddy, and that he's -" She stops short, the smile leaving her face.

Digit watches her curiously. "Hey…you okay, Kid?" he asked, though it wasn't hard to figure out what was wrong.

Ivy now stares at her shoes glumly, tying her second knot much slower this time. The sudden mention of Hacker hadn't been intentional. For a moment, she'd forgotten why she was there; to get away from him. She was still having a hard time believing everything her new friends had told her about the man she called her father. And yet, a part of her new that every bit of it was true. She could just feel it…probably because of her genetic connection with him. Doctor Marbles had explained to her that it wouldn't be too surprising if she'd inherited a few of his traits, including a bit of his personality.

But she wished he hadn't told her…it only made her more afraid of him.

She continues pulling on the laces, though isn't really attempting a bow anytime soon. "I'm just…not really used to hating him yet," came her soft reply. "I know I'm 'spose to, but…I don't feel right if I do…I feel, bad…Like it's wrong to, cuz he's my Daddy…" She looks to him sadly. "Is that dumb?"

Digit shakes his head. "Of course not. I mean, technically he is yer Dad, so it's not like you can stop caring about him just like that! And, the others don't expect ya too, either." He pauses, seeing her still solemn expression. He sighs, rubbing the back of his feathered neck, considering something. After a moment he finally says in a low tone, "Kid…can you keep a secret?"

Ivy nods in response. "I guess so."

Digit glances around the empty room cautiously before getting back to her, still speaking quietly. "Back when I still worked for Hacker, and he still helped the Doc take care of Motherboard…I used to feel the same way you do right now."

She raises an eyebrow. "Whatta ya mean?"

He shrugs. "Well, because, he built me. I was his first creation. I know it sounds a little weird, but, I sorta thought of him as, some kinda father." He places a comforting wing on her shoulder. "When I found out that he'd wanted to become a bad guy, I didn't know what to do! I mean, he made me, so I thought that meant that I had to be just like him…even though I didn't wanna be."

"What did you do, Digit?" she asked, afraid for what came next.

"Well…I stayed with him for a while…I even tried to convince him to switch sides again, to be a good guy, but…" He shook his head. "It was no use. It's just how he is…and when I couldn't get him to change his ways, I got away…came to Motherboard. She and the Doc took me in and I've been by their side ever since…and I couldn't be happier."

She stares at him for a moment before asking, "So…when you left, that was the right thing to do? Didn't you miss him?"

"Err, not really," he said uneasily. "To be honest, he's not the nicest guy in the world. He treated me pretty bad. But after I came to live here, I made a lot of friends, and it gave me a much better life."

"But…doesn't he miss you?"

Digit is thrown off by this, and tries not to laugh. "Uh, well, I doubt it. I really do. I mean, I know it's tough to hear and all, but, Hacker's not really known as the sensitive type…he never was very fond of getting too attached to anyone. He always used to say that it was a weakness to care about someone else more than yourself." He shakes his head. "But that's not true. If anything, it makes you a better person."

She doesn't say anything, finishing up the bow on her other shoe. This time she doesn't celebrate, only sniffing sadly. "I miss him."

Digit sighs, still comforting her shoulder. "Look…I know this isn't easy…but, it will be…and whether you feel right about all this now or not, there'll come a day when, you'll know what to do." He pauses, lowering his voice. "I hate to say it, but it doesn't matter what we tell ya about all this…what really matters is what you think about him…he is yer Dad after all."

Ivy wipes at her eyes. "But…it doesn't matter what I think, cuz he doesn't want me, 'member?" She sniffs again, unable to hold back a tear. "He wants a boy…not me. I'm nothing like him…I-I don't know what to do…Where am I, g-gonna go?" She began to weep softly in her hands. "I'm scared, D-Digit."

Digit continues to comfort her while she cries, gritting his teeth in anger. He'd always known that The Hacker was a selfish individual, but this was taking it too far. This girl was his own flesh and blood, and for him to be willing to cast her aside as though she were just another failed attempt at ruling Cyberspace was beyond evil. What made things more horrible was the news of her condition. Chances were, Hacker didn't even know yet. But if he did, it wouldn't surprise the cy-bird in the least if the green borg had already been willing to just let things take its course, rather than find a solution to help save her.

He couldn't wait for an opportunity to arrive where he could give his creator a piece of his mind. For now, though, Ivy's survival was much more important than his long term grudge towards the tyrant. He just hoped Doctor Marbles would be able to shed some light on all of this…and soon.

"This is indeed most troubling news."

The Cybersquad and Dr. Marbles look up at Motherboard expectantly, hoping she would have some idea as to what should be done about the girl now residing in the medical bay, especially after knowing what was soon to befall her. But upon hearing the tone in her computerized voice, they're even more at a loss.

"What should we do, Motherboard?" Inez asked. "She's just a little girl."

Matt agrees. "Yeah. We can't just let this happen to her. There's gotta something we can do."

Motherboard's image nods in response. "Agreed. Doctor Marbles, is there anything that can be done for young Ivy?"

"Well, yes," he responds uneasily, adjusting his glasses while reading over his notes. "As I've mentioned, her genetic structure is incomplete. We'll need to find a way to add onto it, but without doing further damage to her system."

"Great," Jackie said hopefully. "Just tell us what you need, and we're on it!" At this, Matt and Inez nod, going to stand next to her. "How can we help, Doc?"

He shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Unfortunately there isn't a reliable energy source that is in existence that we can use to sustain her for very long."

"But, what about that electro-root you tried to use a while back to help Motherboard?" asked Matt.

"Hey, yeah!" Inez adds. "And, the stones on Pompadoria? The ones Hacker tried to take last month. Wouldn't those work?"

"True," Doctor Marbles responds. "There are different forms of energy out in Cyberspace, but none that are suited for someone of this age, not to mention for this magnitude." He shuffles through the papers again, still rereading them. "Those are only temporary solutions that would require a generous amount to even be remotely affective." He looks to each of the teens gravely. "Remember; she requires power extracted from the original donor." He pauses, now looking to Motherboard. "The only person whom she shares a genetic connection with…I'm afraid you all know what that means."

It's silent within the group as the obvious suddenly becomes clear. Jackie is the first to speak, her voice small as she asks the question on all their minds. "You mean, there's no way you can help her, without him being involved?"

Marbles only nods once. "Correct…Without Hacker's consent, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. Perhaps, if I had more time I could think of something, but…" He stops, eyes cast downward, his notes feeling useless in his hands. "I never like to admit defeat, especially if it means relying on The Hacker for help." He gazes up at the larger monitor gravely. "But I don't see any other alternatives."

Everyone exchanges glances of uneasiness before looking to Motherboard again. She's silent for sometime, her digital eyes closed while she considers a course of action. Finally, her image omit's a sigh. This wasn't going to be an easy decision, but it had to be made. They were running out of time, as well as options.

"Despite what Ivy's creation may have been intended for, she is still a citizen of Cyberspace." She pauses, fighting to speak through the usual static. "She is also an innocent child…so she will be treated as such, regardless of who her creator is." She gestures down to the doctor. "I strongly suggest that you do everything in your power to ensure she stays online."

"But, Motherboard," began Marbles, almost protesting. "Without Hacker's cooperation, there's nothing I can do to sustain her, let alone restored to maximum health-"

"I understand Dr. Marbles," she says gently. "However, due to his actions, as well as his intentions in the past, I am strongly reluctant to enlist Hacker's help in the matter. Regardless of what his feelings towards the girl may be, there is no guarantee that this was not all a part of his original plans to begin with."

Jackie exchanges looks of confusion with the other Earth kids before addressing this. "What're you saying, Mother B?"

Motherboard turns her attention to the three teenagers once again, her gaze remorseful but serious. "Try to keep in mind what Hacker has attempted in order to gain control of the cyber universe. There isn't a doubt in my mainframe that…although rather difficult to consider anyone to be capable of such a thing…it would've been The Hacker's objective that we show concern for her…offer her help and aid in any way that we can…knowing that the only way to truly save her is if we request his assistance."

Seeing their mortified stares, she quickly adds, "I'm not saying this is the case…just that there will always be reasons to doubt Hacker…Never forget that."

Though it's difficult to believe what she says is true, they all nod to each other in agreement. Despite not liking her statement, the cybernetic ruler made a very good point; Hacker was infamous for his deception and treachery throughout Cyberspace, especially to the squad personally. But out of all the citizens to be weary of him, Motherboard and Doctor Marbles definitely took the cake…and it never ceased to amaze them how well she hid her hatred for the cyborg, unlike the good doctor, who had no problems voicing his opinions on The Hacker.

After a moment, Marbles sighs, adjusting his specs again. "I'll, see what I can do. To be honest, I'd prefer to steer clear of whatever 'help' Hacker could offer us, anyhow." He speaks to the Cybersquad. "I'm going to really need your help with this."

Matt nods. "Sure. Like Jacks said, just tell us what you need and we're on it."

Inez adds, "anything we can do to help poor Ivy."

"Good. The first thing I'll need you to do is go to Pompadoria and retrieve some of the stones residing in the streams throughout the site. As many as you can carry. In the meantime I'll work on a way to convert their energy into a more stable form that, hopefully, her body will accept as a substitute."

"Got it!" Jackie says. "Should we get Digit? We could use another set of hands. Er, wings. Whatever."

Marbles shakes his head. "Not this time, Cybermates. I'll need Digit here with me. Someone needs to keep a close watch on Ivy, just in case…as well as preoccupy her so she doesn't catch on to her condition…if she hasn't already, that is." His tone then becomes very serious. "Although time is of the utmost importance, you still need to keep in mind that Hacker may be watching us. So keep a close eye out for him…there's no telling what tricks he could have up his sleeve now…especially with Ivy in our custody."

Once they're briefed on what exactly needs to be done upon arriving in Pompadoria, Matt, Jackie and Inez make their way through Control Central towards the cyber coupe. It's quiet between them until Jackie is the first to speak, her tone somewhat agitated.

"Okay, so is it just me, or is something not right about all this?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

Matt raises an eyebrow at her. "Like how? Just seems like Hacker being Hacker. The guy's a mega-creep. But what else is new?"

"Jacks is right, Matt," Inez agrees. "Even for Hacker this all seems pretty drastic…I mean, I know he's put someone's life on the line before, but this?" She shakes her head. "This is just plain wrong! She's his own flesh and blood!"

"And you heard what Ivy said," Jackie points out. "She was calling him her 'Daddy'. I don't think even Hacker could go through with a plan like this after knowing his own creation thinks of him as a father!"

Matt frowns. "Ya know, that does make a bit of sense. Still…you heard Motherboard; with Hacker we can never be too careful. Even if this wasn't part of his plan, we can't just expect him to offer any help."

"Normally yes," Inez agrees. "But Ivy isn't like his other plans. She's…well, innocent. She didn't know anything about him until she'd met us."

"Yeah, and the only way she even found out was because she'd overheard Hacker talking about who he is and what he does." Jackie pauses, looking down at her feet as they continue walking, staring intently.

Matt sees this. "What's up, Jacks?"

Jackie hesitates, fidgeting with her bracelet. "Well…why didn't Hacker ever tell her any of that stuff? Think about it; who loves to gloat about their reputation more than him?"

"I know," Inez adds. "That's been bothering me, too! With as conceded as Hacker is, its hard to believe that he'd miss out on a chance to do just that. Especially to his own daughter!"

Matt stops walking. "Wait a second!" he projects, causing the two girls to jump and look on at him in alarm, seeing a questioning stare. "You guys don't think that's why Hacker left to her in the dark about who he is, do you? That he really does...care, about her?" He almost cringes. "Ya know, like, how our parents care about us?"

The three teens blink at one another for a moment, not sure how to approach this. Hacker's emotions hadn't always been a part of the equation when they'd dealt with him in the past. It was an entirely new experience that none of them truly knew how to address. Finally, Inez decides to take a crack at it.

"It, It's possible. I guess," she began slowly, looking to Jackie. "I mean, it's like you said; if she was referring to him as Daddy, then how could he not develop feelings for her…or whatever it's called when Hacker cares about something." She then shrugs. "Um, right?"

Jackie nods. "Yeah. And if that's true…and, he really does care about her-"

"Then," Matt interrupts. "Maybe there's a chance Hacker would actually wanna help…he might even be trying to come up with a cure, too."

"Or he already has one." Inez adds.

They exchange looks of uncertainty at first, wishing this would've come up in front of the Doc and Motherboard. With this now in mind, it seemed fruitless, not to mention a waste of time, to go after a something that wasn't even guaranteed to work, just a way to bide time until an actual solution was found. But judging from what Marbles had told them earlier, the cynical cyborg was Ivy's only hope at survival.

Their expressions eventually turn more considerate the longer they think about this. A choice had now presented itself to them, giving them an alternative. Whether it was the right one or not, was far from being clear.

"So…what's it gonna be, girls?" Matt breaks the silence, looking off to the side and spotting the dormant cyber coupe ready to depart with them aboard. "Pompadoria…or The Northern Frontier...?"

It doesn't take the Cyber Squad long to reach a decision, soon leaving Control Central behind, departing inside the small craft with Matt behind the wheel. Despite Doctor Marbles' warning to not do so, he engages the hyper accelerator. It was another risk the group had to take. A child's life depended on it.

To Be Continued…

Dang, things are getting intense, huh? So what do ya think? Did the gang make the right choice? Where are they headed? Will they get back in time before Ivy actually starts to get sick? How many more questions am I going to ask?

Find next time, and stay tuned…