Woot! Chapter 6! And in response to one review, yes MISAO IS GOING TO COME IN! and I haven't forgotten about her. She is one of my alter-egos after-all. Don't worry I have planned a happy ending for everyone…and for once I have a question…I have heard something about Aoshi having something remotely to do with Enishi's kidnapping of Kaoru (or more specifically, figuring out who did it) WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE CLARIFY THAT FOR ME? Hell. I didn't even know he knew anything about Koru's kidnapping,

"who's a cow?"

heheheh. Another thing, does anyone know of any funny fanfics on Soul Reaver? (video game, Legacy of Kain) I was having an argument on whether or not anyone could make that funny….if nobody has….than I SHALL! (heroic poseis punched in face by dead, blue and scary) it'll be a challenge but I will. So beware. Anyway, on with the story at hand

"stay….stay…." Aoshi said to the mutt who was eyeing his fish.

I have been staying, now when do I get some fish? Jack thought, annoyed.

"when are we going to come to the next town?" Lee asked, tossing Jack her own fish.

"they get pretty thick from here on, maybe another day or so," Aoshi answered.

He felt something nudge his leg, he looked down and saw Jack looking at him pleadingly. He sighed and handed his fish to her and leaned back.

Lee frowned. " you really should eat more." She said, she remembered how far his ribs stuck out and how caved his stomach was. He opened one eye and looked at her,

"what? Are you my mother now?"

"no it's just…you…you're my lifeline, if you die, I'm screwed." Lee said quickly.

'nice save, Lee…like that was believable' she thought to herself.

"Fine! Starve if you want to. I'll learn Japanese on my own and live here!" She snapped at the look he was giving her. She turned and began messing with her laptop some more.

Aoshi looked to the sky, a memory of another little, determined girl came to him. He wondered how she was doing, it had been years since he'd seen her…all for the best though. If she'd followed him, she probably would've gotten involved with the Kanryu ring too.

"DAMN YOU!" Lee yelled at Aoshi, "EAT SOMETHING!" she pulled a small clear bottle out of her bag and threw it at him. He caught it (hello! Ninja! Like a plastic bottle is really gonna get past him!) and looked it over.

"what's this?" he asked studying the green container. It had text on it that he didn't understand.

"food." Lee said, annoyed that he'd gotten the better of her again without even trying. (how did he do that?)

"I figured as much. What kind of food Baka-chan?" he sat up and studied it harder, he finally figured out how to open the damned device. He grabbed the top and twisted it…nothing

"other way, Icicle."

Damn Megumi…he did so but it suddenly hissed at him like a snake. He instantly dropped it. It was alive!

"It won't bite you, it's just built-up gasses, I swear." Lee said laughing.

Aoshi got annoyed, how did she make him look like the idiot? He twisted it further and the hiss died to a gurgle. But now he could see the surface of the liquid moving, bubbling. There WAS something living in it! But it must've been totally clear…like rice noodles or something…just it moved.

"what is this?" Aoshi asked curiously…and slightly disgusted.

Lee grinned, "Mountain Dew! That stuff will give you a sugar high for days! Although…" she looked at the bottle apprehensively, "that might be the one Mitch spiked with beer…"

Aoshi looked back at the drink…beer? That was an alcoholic drink from Europe…right? If it was, that was bad…his body had always had an incredibly low alcohol tolerance.

"I doubt it is though. Just drink it, you need to eat something and the fish have all been scared away." Lee said dismissively.

He looked at the liquid and shrugged, if someone as small as Lee could handle it, he probably could. He drank it all, it was the oddest thing he'd ever had…

"heh…eheheh…" was…that a laugh? The muscles on his face tugged at his mouth. He couldn't help it. The feeling of the drink fizzed through him, it bit at the back of his throat and his stomach.

"ummm…are you all right?" Lee asked nervously.

He stared at the ground, jet black hair hung limply in his face…and a huge grin stretched across his face, giving him an even more insane look than usual.

His head shot up at her question, "NEVER BEEN BETTER!" he yelled happily. Somehow he didn't seem like the same person. He grinned like he hadn't a care in the world, he looked his age for once! Maybe even younger.

"know what? It's way too nice to be sitting around, let's get moving!" he stood and gathered his swords.

"WHAT? You mean now? But…you just barely got up!" Lee yelled in shock.

Before Lee knew what was going on, Aoshi shot off along the river, Jack sprinting along after him, struggling to keep up.

"what the-ICICLE! WAIT UP!" she grabbed her bag, threw the laptop in it, and sprinted after them.

Sure enough though, Aoshi and Jack disappeared from sight within seconds. Lee slowed down, then stopped. "Aoshi!" she called helplessly, "where are you? Aoshi!" she heard something… footsteps…but from where? "Aoshi?" the steps got faster and louder and closer… "what is that?"

Something hit her from behind with the force of a freight train and before she knew it she was going about as fast. Lee realized that she wasn't splattered on the cattle catcher of the noon metra, she was in a pair of strong arms that seemed to be coursing with energy. She looked into the face of Aoshi…wasn't it? Except a huge grin was stretched across it.

"damn kid! What IS this stuff? Now I know where all that boundless energy comes from!"

Lee didn't hear a word he said, she was utterly terrified. Something was seriously wrong, Aoshi was smiling, Aoshi was carrying her, Aoshi was smiling…did I mention that AOSHI WAS SMILING!

Now remember Kids, there are seven types of frightened women, the screamers, the squeakers, the strugglers, the fighters, the burrowers, the runners, and the huggers. Lee was a burrower. The faster Aoshi went, the closer she buried her face in his chest. The closer she got, the faster Aoshi ran.

"VIVE LE MOUNTAIN DEW!" he yelled grinning as widely as his face would allow.

About twenty miles later, Jack finally tripped over her own paws, and Aoshi decided to stop and set up for the night. He let the shaky Lee down to stand on her own feet. The grin was finally beginning to fade.

"are you back to sanity yet?" Lee asked trying to take a step, it would take a while for her to get her landlegs back.

Aoshi felt the adrenaline draining from his body along with his energy. He let himself drop against a tree and pushed the bangs from his face because they stuck uncomfortably. His breathing was still heavy and he was panting almost as hard as Jack, who had collapsed a few feet away.

"no, not quite yet…"

Aoshi gave a weak laugh, "Heh…well, that's not something you see every day." He let his head flop against the trunk of a tree. His vision began to swim and an odd feeling swept over him…that was too the one with alcohol in it.

He was turning even paler than usual. Lee began to get worried,

"are you alright?" she asked moving closer to him. He'd been running for a few hours straight, it was getting dark already actually.

He didn't answer. Lee touched his arm gently, "Aoshi…" he looked at her and gave her a gentle smile, "yes…I'll be fine, don't worry about me."

Lee didn't believe him, his eyes seemed unfocused, not quite there. Suddenly he turned to her, "Lee…" he spoke softly, And took hold of her wrists. He laid her down and he hovered above her. He wondered why he'd never realized she was so beautiful before.

Lee was officially freaked out now…. "uuummmmm….Aoshi? what are you-" he didn't seem to hear her, he leaned in very close and whispered in her ear, "lee, I need you to do me a favor…"

He nuzzled her neck softly, "please…." Lee was a little afraid and yet… she kinda liked this….

"what?" she asked quietly.

"I need you…" he said. For a moment Lee thought that was his entire sentence and her heart began to beat even faster. Then she heard,

"….to slap me as hard as you can…."

"what?"

"please, slap me in the face…"

"ummmmm…okay…." She wound up and smacked him as hard as she could, the sound reverberated off the trees and he fell with a thud, "thank….you…."

"OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?"

Aoshi pushed himself up off the ground and shook his head, "yes, I'm fine…..I believe that was the one with alcohol in it…." He sat up and explained, "I have always had a very low alcohol tolerance, I get very drunk very quickly and well….I get like…that…." he rubbed his face where a large red handprint was beginning to appear, "I needed that…"

He slumped against the tree and looked at lee again, "y'know….you look like somebody familiar….."

"huh?" lee looked confused at this out-of-the-blue comment,

"a little girl I once knew. Though, I think she may have been even more hyper than you…if that's humanly possible."

Lee let him space out for a moment or two then asked, "where is she now?"

Aoshi shrugged as he pushed away from the tree a little, "don't know….I left when she was ten"

He sighed, "she probably gave the old man hell when she woke up that morning..." a devilish little voice in the back of his head muttered, 'good...that's what he gets for torturing me all those years..'

His body was really feeling the energy crash now, his eyes wouldn't stay open, his muscles burned.

Lee felt kinda sorry for him and shuffled between him and the tree and rubbed his shoulders, (after all it was all her fault for giving him the stuff...)

He lost the fight...his eyes closed and he passed out cold before he even fell. When he did finally drop, he fell back onto the unsuspecting Lee, his head resting in her lap...awkward...

"ummm..." she looked around and tried to move but Aoshi was too heavy. Jack raised her head and gave Lee a look of, "oh-HO! And I thought he was scaaaaaaary, and weeeeeeeird, and craaaaaaazy..."

"shaddup, dog!" Lee yelled at the mutt. Then looked back at Aoshi and gave in to the fact that she was stuck and he was out cold. She sighed and brushed a strand of jet-black hair from his face...he looked so much less creepy when he was sleeping...

"you almost lost it..." that voice...cold and icy. Aoshi didn't even aknowledge it...didn't even blink. "you can't win, brother...if only a singly drink weakens you that much..."

it was right...he had cut it too close that time. he couldn't let her soften him anymore.

"that's right...you will turn to ice again..."

-

WOOT! Sorry for taking so long. I've been in school and really buisy and umm...kinda for got,

Gomen nisai...

Aoshi on speed