I am soooooooooooooo sorry and I really can't think of any good reasons/excuses as to 1) why this took so freaking long and 2) why it's so short. But I'm back on track now, so hopefully (when reading this, add a hell of a lot of emphasis on the word hopefull, will you) I shall have this done within the next two months... if I'm lucky... and believe it or not, I may have a sequel planned :D but I ain't too sure bout that yet... so yeah, here you go and again I AM SOOOO SORRY!!

Chapter 12 - Matchmaking Pro's And...And...Ooh! Ooh! FESTIVALS!

You know the gap between Christmas and New Years is really uneventful, even if you're living with the same idiots I am. Though the Russians added a little fun with Tala's mood swings that seemed to become more evident and then there was Ian's pranking, Spencer's intelligence that got Kenny so annoyed it was funny and then there was Bryan's mental state and masochist humour.

Oh but apart from that, I did get a call from Lee. I haven't heard from Mariah though, thank the good lords.

The conversation with Lee was amusing to say the least.

"Hey Lee, what's up?" I thought that if I went in not knowing what was going on then... ok yeah, I don't know what I was thinking, but hey, I thought I was doing all right at the time.

"I'll tell you what's up! My little sister is still balling her eyes out!" ah, so that's what that sobbing is in the background.

"Hey, Rei!" he whispered into the phone. "Don't believe what I say. Way to go man! Someone needed to bring my brat of a sister down to earth but if Mariah hears no yelling she'll be suspicious so, HOW COULD YOU?!"

I grinned; ah, that was Lee for you. "Quite easily, she's rather annoying."

"I totally agree that, that was the wrong thing to do!" he shouted back at me. See ever since childhood we had understood when the other was speaking code, so right now he's saying that he agrees with what I did and what Mariah did was wrong. Aren't I incredibly smart!

So yeah, that's how that conversation went down.

Then there was the other day when Bryan snapped and tried to strangle Tala. Apparently the 'snapping' happens a lot. We've witnessed it twice now. The first time he didn't try to strangle anything... actually; he just looked like he was having an average nightmare until it turned into a night terror. They are scary things to witness.

Moreover, Kai pulled me away and dragged me back to bed before it got to its worst, and he covered my ears as well so I'm guessing it sounds as scary as it would look. Hehe, I'm guessing... which means I'm thinking.... OH MY GOD!!! I"M THINKING!!!

Amazing, I know.

What else happened... let's see... you know what, trust me when I say you do not want to know! Now that I think (hehe) about it, I realised that every single moment was horrifying, in some way or another. (I got peanut butter in my hair again, nearly saw Tyson naked, got yelled at by Hilary, had Bryan try to kill me and he hadn't even snapped, made Kai furious, played doctors and nurses with Diachi, learnt the dance to Max and Tyson's theme song, learnt the fucking theme song, tripped up the stairs, kissed Bob a good thousand times and had paint sprayed all over me. And that was all on the second fucking day! And the day before that, Boxing Day, I got so many paper/cardboard cuts it would make a freaking emo jealous. And that wasn't the worst of it. Shall I go on? No? Didn't think so.)

But yeah, it's New Year's Eve, and we're going to some carnival fair-y thing. I don't know, all I knew was that it was supposed to be really fun and pretty. I was looking forward to the fireworks – more chances to kiss my smexy Kai Hiwatari.

Speaking of my smexy Kai Hiwatari, where the hell is he?

With a groan, I pulled myself from the couch and started searching through the house. I actually found them pretty easily, I'm just amazing that way... or it could be because he and Tala were leaning against the wall either side of the door that lead to the room exactly opposite from the lounge room? Nah, it's definitely the fact that I'm just amazing that way.

"What ya doin?" I asked, moving Kai's arms so that I could sit in his lap. His arms slid around my waist and he held me loosely.

Tala shrugged, eyes shifting to the door and then quickly back again. I raised an eyebrow, knowing something was up. However, I was a genius, and I knew too well by now that if either of the Russians did not want you to know something, they weren't going to tell you no matter how hard you strived for an answer. This is actually very irritating, especially when my boyfriend (SQUEAL!) is one of those deliciously hot Russians.

"Thank you Rei," Kai murmured, pressing his lips against the back of my neck after shifting my hair out of the way. I felt his eyelashes flutter against my skin as he leant his forehead gently on the back of my neck. And somewhere in there, I knew he had rolled his eyes at me. Aw, well, what can you do?

"Not speak your thoughts out loud?" Tala asked. "I'm just guessing here but that might help somewhat, kitty."

I AINT NO FUCKING KITTY!

And that sent them off into waves of laughter aimed at poor moi.

Later that day was not good, because Tyson, Max and Diachi managed to make Kai angrier then I have ever seen him. I mean, he was furious, and death was sure to come to someone.

I made a grab for his arm, which was shaking with pent up rage, but he turned away swiftly and I fell off the couch instead. And yeah, Bob and I are closer than ever! Hahaha, hahaha, haha - ugh!

Tyson was guiltily holding up a gold chain, snapped, and missing a very important pendant, which was now sitting in the palm of Max's hand, scratched and ruined after Diachi's freaking beyblade had ran over it.

How the hell that all happened, I don't know. I heard a lot of arguing, then screaming then silence. Then they came in, hands behind backs, and entered the living room where Kai and I were with Hiro and the Russians. They held out their hands, opened their palms and Kai froze, and then remembered how to breathe.

Now there is yelling, a lot of yelling. "Fuck you, Granger!"

"Kai," Tyson pleaded, as he began following Kai around the room. "Look, we didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

"It was my mother's! And she's fucking dead!" he screamed at them, eyes glistening wetly. "Where the fuck did you get it?" Kai paused and glared viciously. "It was on the bedside table... you took it from our fucking room!" and he lunged but Tyson managed to pull back in time.

Kai rounded in on them and Tala stood, grabbing them roughly and shoving them towards the couch. He turned to Kai and I thanked him for doing it because... well... I don't think I'd look good-looking like mashed up sushi. Hehehe...

There were words in Russian which I had long ago (half an hour) given up on understanding and then Kai was gone through the front door and my team was up on their feet and I was already grabbing my jacket when Bryan's voice came through.

"Leave him," he said calmly. I turned to him, meeting blank moonlight-coloured eyes evenly. "He's fine, he's blowing off steam." Then he smiled so sweetly, I forced down the motion that wanted to go 'aw' and instead I stared and slowly smiled back.

"Oh my god!" I yelled, suddenly remembering where we were going tonight. "A festival! We're going to a festival tonight!" and that ended everything and gained a hell of a lot of stares.

Kai returned some time later, noticeably calmer.

"Kai!" I exclaimed as he walked through the door, and I ran at him, arms held open. I jumped, hoping for him to catch me, but he smirked and hung his jacket up, and I smashed into Bob, giving him a large kiss that was originally made for Kai.

"Kai," said Bryan as I peeled myself from Bob. "Your boyfriend's cheating with the floor, aren't you worried?"

"Not so much about that than his mental state."

"Da," was the quiet Russian reply, and I managed to look up in time to see Kai wince at his own words as Bryan walked towards the kitchen, fingers curled inwards. I knew he was looking for Tala – who I hadn't seen much of lately. Huh.

"I shouldn't have said that," Kai muttered as he gently helped me up, and then embraced me properly.

After a couple of moments, Kai finally sighed and pushed against my chest. "Rei? Rei you can let go now. Rei!" and he tried to push me away, but my arms were latched around his neck, tightly too. Haha, go Rei! You are stronger than Kai Hiwatari! Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Bring it!

Oh, fuck! Do not throw hands in air when cheering! Dammit, Kai just got away! Fuck! Damn you, stupid arms!

"Oh my god," sighed Tala, who had just entered the hallway. He stared at me, face palmed and then walked back into the kitchen.

...I'm guessing what I said came aloud.

I joined the lot of them in the kitchen a couple of minutes later, once I was done yelling at my arms that is, and walked in on another dramatic scene which included Tala on one side of the room, and Bryan on another, both looking absolutely murderous.... that made no sense... oh well.

This time there was yelling in Russian, it's taking a step up, which is even harder to try to understand – trust me, I, the fantastic person that I am, would know. Now see, much as Kai used to, Bryan apparently has a habit of throwing the nearest object at whomever he is so incredibly mad at, so we could only watch as he grabbed the cutting board that had been sitting there, the wooden one, and threw it across the room.

Tala swore and turned to the side. The board hit the wall with a thunk and left a dent, somehow not piercing through the plaster like it did the last time Kai threw it at Tyson. You can imagine how well that went.

But it seems Bryan was smart, and realised that his accuracy with knives was a lot better than that with any other object, as we had discovered when Diachi walked into the kitchen during the night and suddenly found himself stuck to the wall by four knives that were pierced through his clothing. His scream was louder than my own, and I have a pretty loud scream, something I'm very proud of.

"Yeah except you sound like a girl," whispered Max, smiling at me despite the situation.

Anyway, (I glared at him), Bryan had now grabbed the knife block wooden chunky thing and was pulling the knives from it, starting with one of the bread knives. And he aims; he throws aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand he thankfully just misses.

"Oh fuck off Bryan!" yelled Tala. "Put the fucking knives away!"

Bryan sneered and threw another, nicking Tala's jacket and pinning it to the wall. Tala growled and jerked his shoulder free, ripping the fabric of his jacket. I pouted; I liked that jacket and was hoping to steal it for my own.

I wondered why neither Kai, Spencer nor Ian was doing anything to try to stop this, but they were looking on rather boredly, as though they had seen this happen a thousand times.

By now, Bryan was standing on the bench, two last knives in hand. He threw one, cursing when it missed, and then suddenly Tala, who had slowly been making his way around to Bryan, dived for the teen. He wrapped his arms around Bryan's knees and Bryan promptly fell on his bum. His knees hung over the edge of the bench and he stared ahead, shocked, before desperation flittered across his face and he dragged the final blade in his hand along his leg, tearing through the fabric and cutting his leg.

"I hate you," he whispered as Tala took the knife from him and pressed his forehead to Bryan's.

"I hate you."

"I know," Tala whispered back, stepping between Bryan's legs.

"I hate you... I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..." Bryan started shaking, his hand moving for the knife, but Kai was already taking it away. He pretended to trip on the way, bumping against Tala.

I held my breath, hoping my boyfriend (did I happen to mention how fucking much I love fucking saying that? No? Well shall I begin? I LOVE FUCKING SAYING THAT AND SUCK CRAP TO ALL YOU SORE LOSERS WHO WILL NEVER HAVE THE CHANCE BECAUSE HE IS MINE! MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ok, I'm done... for now...) had done it, but instead of Tala's lips meeting Bryan's, they brushed along Bryan's cheek and the shell of his ear.

"Shh," Tala hushed, as he wrapped his arms around Bryan, gently rocking him as he cradled the shaking teen to his chest. "I know, its ok." Tala's voice was broken and torn, blue eyes staring straight ahead, as he pulled Bryan in closer and Bryan's head rest in the crook of his neck.

"I hate you," Bryan whispered tiredly, eyes slipping close and arms falling limp.

Tala nodded, a tear slipping down his cheek and falling into Bryan's hair. "...I know."

Ok today was being very weird. I mean, it really, really was! Then everything that had happened was weird. But right now, we are heading towards the destination of the festival – see I still remember – and Tala and Bryan are on opposite sides to each other and that sentence made no sense but hey what do you expect from Rei Fucking, I-Am-Super-Duper-Awesome-Like-Scooby-Dooby-Doo, I-Have-A-New-Nick-Name, Nick-Name-Is-One-Word, Horrible-Speller Kon? Exactly! You see what I'm getting at!

Do you know that after all that wonderful, glorious thinking, we have still not managed to walk all the way to the freaking... freaking... fuck! I forgot!

"Kai-ai!" I whined, latching onto his arm and pouting as I looked up at him. "I forgo-ot!"

Kai sighed and muttered something under his breath, looking very sexy while he did so, then said, "festival, Rei, dear, festival." Aw! He called me dear! Yes, I am ignoring the sarcasm he used when he said it! Ooh, you are very observant!

There is something very dangerous about kebabs... it's got to be the sticks. I mean, they're so pokey! It's like BAM!! And you could lose an eye. I would know, I think I've nearly taken out at least one of everyone's eyes, almost got Kai seven times... and he only has two, so that would have been interesting. I also managed to stab my own tongue and then Kai's when I tried to feed him some. That was fun...

The paper lanterns were all glowy like and there were people everywhere. But it was fun, especially when I managed to convince my dear hot sexy make-others-jealous boyfriend to try every single sideshow game and he –naturally- won every single one... so I kind of have a lot of stuffed animals at the moment. You know, they're dangerous too. I have crashed into 11 posts because I can't see where I'm going, and then whenever I have to turn to someone, I knock 'em over with the toys. I've given up on talking to everyone because when I say things they don't exactly hear them right and seeing as... well let's not go into Tyson's genius interpretations. Ok, I just used a word that has 15 letters... that is majorly epic. Bow down to my awesomeness.

Hilary had yet to arrive, thankfully, because I really did not need to see her coming onto Tala and Bryan, as she had been doing the past couple of days. Mucho disturbing...o... mucho disturbingo... I dunno, does it look like I would speak any kind of Spanish?

"No, not really," Kai answered truthfully, shrugging when I mock glared at him. "Do you really think you'd be able to?" he challenged.

Oh-ho! He...he... knows me too well.

Later on in the night, and I was sick of watching Bryan and Tala avoid each other. Trust me, it's really annoying. I don't know why, but it just is. And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I just suck at matchmaking... which I do(n't).

But yeah, after whining pitifully at my boyfriend and gaining more weird stares from people (more meaning more than usual... don't you judge me!), I finally managed to convince Kai to help me. He's so sweet isn't he? And no, it had nothing to do with the fact that I threatened to sing Tyson and Max's theme song and do the matching dance in public until he agreed. He may have some dignity left, I however, do not.

"Bryan!" Kai called, his hand wrapped around my wrist as we weaved in between people to get to the dangerous-pale-haired-but-totally-sexy-and-it's-too-bad-I'm-with-Kai, Russian. Do you know that I am so smart I just managed to accidently degrade my own hot boyfriend?! My bad!

Bryan waited until we were standing in front of him before asking, -cough-cough-demanding-cough, "what the fuck do you guys want now?"

I raised my fists. Oh, yeah? Bring it oh-n pretty boy!

"Fuck off kitty," was all I got in reply. Yes, I still have the annoying talking aloud habit. Bloody freaking hell!

It took lots of convincing and threatening in a number of different languages, before we finally managed to get Bryan to agree with our plan, though he wasn't aware of our true goal.

See, there was this stage set up, with local bands performing. Our plan was to get Bryan up there and get him to perform, while making sure Tala was in the right spot to see said singing Russian, because as Kai had explained to me some time ago, Tala really wanted Bryan to play instruments again. Something happened to Bryan in the Abbey that stopped him playing music, and none of the Russians even know what it is.

So yeah, Tals will be really, really happy and then I shall pop up after they loving make out session in front of the huge crowd and be like 'oh yeah! I'm a genius. Yes, yes, thank you, thank you, this was my entire plan. You can contact me on...' oh well shit, I still don't know the Granger's home number.

"I still don't understand why I have to sing in front of all these people," grumbled Bryan while Kai sweet-talked the band about to go on to wait just one song so that Bryan and he could go on. That was apparently part of the deal my smexy boyfriend had made with Bryan; that he would go on stage with him.

"It'll so be totally worth it, trust me," I said as Kai started walking to us, smirking and nodding his head. "I know all."

"Well, fuck, I'm definitely screwed then, aren't I?" hissed Bryan as Kai grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him towards the stage.

I refused the urge to poke out my tongue... refusing...refusing...refu-oh screw him! Mmmmm! I poked my tongue out childishly, just as Kai looked back over his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and I froze, before waving sheepishly and darting off to find Tala.

I could hear the piano start up, and I glanced back to see Kai positioned in front of the instrument, urging Bryan to start. But Bryan had his eyes clenched shut and his hands in fists, so Kai sighed and started singing.

I have so much mental strength and determination, I even managed to resist the urge to stop and watch/listen to my sexy Kai. Do you how fucking hard that is?! You should all be bowing down to me, like right now. That's right, get down.... none of you are actually bloody moving, are you?

And judging by the stares, I just said my thoughts aloud... again... if only Bob were here, he would listen.

I am so good at finding people, do you know that? It's like some sensor thing; I just know where they are going to be. The fact that Tala and the others were already heading over at the sound of Kai's voice kind of helped, but that's not the point.

"Tala, hey, mind coming with me? No? Perfect," I grinned and grabbed Tala by the arm, and he opened and closed his mouth a few times. I know, I kind of have that affect on people. They are just so amazed by my beauty, and skill and –

"Bry...?" or it could be that too. Either way, your choice, I'm cool with it. "What's Bryan doing up there?" Tala asked incredulously, weaving quickly through the crowd to get to the edge of the stage.

We reached the stage just as Bryan and Kai noticed us, and if Bryan wasn't choked up before, he certainly was now. Kai smiled warmly at me, still playing and singing, and Tala was staring up at Bryan in amazement.

"Go, Bry, sing," whispered Tala, his hands curling by his sides. As though hearing him, Bryan turned to look away and closed his eyes tightly, shoulders shaking as he bit his lip. Tala growled and turned on his heel. "Figures."

I looked back to Bryan, eyes widening as tears fell down his cheeks. I tried to call out to Tala, but my voice was lost to the noise of Bryan's voice as he grabbed a guitar and mic, grabbing Tala's attention as he took over from Kai.

Tala froze in his tracks and slowly turned to look at Bryan, who was shaking, clearly scared but determined to do it for Tala. What the hell had Boris done to Bryan to make him afraid of playing music, I would never know but as Tala pulled himself onto the stage and wrapped his arms tightly around Bryan, and Kai grinned down at me, I knew that it didn't really matter right now.

"Because you live, I live, I live."

Though Bryan and Tala were now 'friends' again, I seriously, seriously was worrying about the state of their brains, because they DID NOT FOLLOW THE PLAN!!! Not that they knew about the plan, BUT STILL! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO KISS AND DECLARE THEIR UNDYING LOVE FOR EACH OTHER! AND YES, I HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME IN THE PRESENCE OF HILARY AND YES, I SHALL STOP YELLING NOW AND YES, I AM PRAYING I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING ALOUD OR YES, I WILL BE SERIOUSLY SCREWED. If there's a plus side, the fireworks are in two minutes and so I still have a hope of them kissing then. C'mon Tala! I can still claim to have set them up.

Tala was currently raving how great it was to hear Bryan sing and play again, and he hadn't left the quiet Russian's side since they hopped down from the stage.

Ok, ok, ok, ready?! "10, 9, 8, 7 – "

"Rei what the fuck are you doing?" Kai asked with a sigh, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Counting down."

"You're a bloody idiot, you're a little off... we should be starting to countdown..." he trailed off and I quickly added "what? So I just randomly started counting down while everyone stared?"

Kai nodded as he said, "now!"

We –meaning my team – began counting down at the top of our lungs, heads titled towards the sky. I think both Kai's eyes and mine looked over to Tala and Bryan as we neared midnight. I really prayed that at least one of them were a hopeless romantic, but as the fireworks started and I dragged Kai down for a kiss, nothing happened between the two.

Instead, Tala said something to Bryan, which made him smirk, before his eyes turned wide as he seemed to take in the true meaning. Laughing, Tala made to kiss Bryan on the cheek, but Bryan purposefully moved his head so their lips met, and it was Tala's turn to turn wide-eyed.

Smirking, Bryan whacked Tala up the head, before grabbing him by the collar and kissing him again.

Well then.... THEY JUST HAD TO BE FUCKING DIFFERENT, DIDNT THEY?! FUCK THE PLAN THEN! HAVE IT YOUR WAY, YOU HOT SEXY RUSSIAN BASTARDS! SEE IF I GIVE A DAMN!

"Rei!" snapped Kai, "will you shut the fuck up?!"

"Sorry, Kai!"

So yes, there you go. I finally got Bryan and Tala together after all this time. Two chapters to go :D and one of those is the epilogue so... :D again. And again, sorry bout the shortness of this chapter. I have a feeling the next two will be around this length too, but they sound better if I put them as seperate chapters, rather than the one. Truuuuuuuuuust me :D

Well thank you for all those lovely reviews, this thing currently has 126 or something (major squeal) and yes, I know, Kai and Rei finally fucking kissed! It only took me...10 or 11 chapters :D don't you love me?

Haha, ta-ta

Kavbj