I do not own the SWAT Kats, or the OC Chris. SWAT Kats belong to Hanna Barbera, and Chris belongs to Chrissy-San. I have had major help with Chris in this chapter. Please R&R.

“Being the one on the stands...I know the way to go, no ones guiding me...” - Avenged Sevenfold 'Unholy Confessions'

Chris silently walked down the hallways of Megakat university. The initial rush of school getting out had ended and now it was just the few people who waited for traffic to clear before leaving. She gently ran her hand over her ears and through her hair, taking out the bungee holding it up in a pony tail and then putting it back up again. It had been about four months since she had began living with Chance and Jake, and somehow she was becoming attracted to Jake, the person she wanted to be with was a mechanic and probably didn't even look at her the way she looked at him. How did it start? Why does she have to listen to her heart beat faster and faster every time she sees him? She just didn't know. Looking up she saw the multi colored tiles in the hallway, blue, yellow, white, purple, and green all lined the floor, as did a single colored stripe on the wall depending on what hallway you were walking down. Stopping to take a deep breath she heard a voice.

“Hey Chris,”

She turned and in surprise saw Tyler Callahan. The kid who seemed to be depressed or shy every time she saw him “Yea...what do you need Tyler?”

“Can you drive?” He asked looking at the ground “I have a shift at the junkyard right after school in about thirty minutes, I was wondering if I could get a ride with you there?”

Chris looked at him and sighed “Yea, I was on my way there...come on, follow me,”

“Thanks Chris, I appreciate it...” Tyler nodded and followed a few steps behind her.

The next few minutes were awkwardly silent for both kats. Something didn't seem entirely right about Tyler, but Chris tried not to pay it any mind. He WAS just looking for a ride to work. After they got onto the road Tyler didn't seem entirely there, and Chris was beginning to get constantly curious at why he acted the way he did.

“Hey Tyler, why do you act the way you do?” She finally decided on the words she wanted to say.

“Since when do you care...seems like you just want to get to know me to do some damage later on...at least thats what others do, at least try to do...”

Chris raised her eyebrows and glanced at him as she came to a stop in front of a red light “I'm your friend Tyler, I don't hurt friends...so why do you act the way you do?” she asked the question again.

“What do you mean Chris?” He asked, seeming to be snapped out of whatever trance he was in.

“Like, your personality seems to change...and its odd to watch, one time you'll be depressed and another shy and polite...why?” She explained her question.

“Because...I guess I'm looking for who I want to be...” He replied with a hint of remorse in his voice.

“Looking for who you want to be?”

“You know...Jake has his personality...Chance has his...I have more than one...I guess, I'm not exactly sure...”

Chris started going again and continued to glance at him “So what happened to get you like this? No one starts out that way,”

“My dad died...” Tyler replied looking over at her “he made a lot of mistakes and...he was killed,”

“Oh...Tyler I'm-”

“Sorry, yea I know...I've heard it before...”

The ride was silent the rest of the way. Chris couldn't think of how else to keep the conversation going without doing more damage. She had gotten as much out of him as she was going to at the minute. That was good enough. They pulled into the junkyard and Tyler took a deep breath, waiting for the car to stop before opening the door and getting out. Walking inside he went to the small locker everyone had been willing to install so he didn't have to keep hauling his gear around and pulled out a white shirt, and the cloths that Jake and Chance had gotten him. Walking out he heard a voice saying something then a laugh.

“What the-” he was cut off as a large pile of trash was dumped in front of the garage.

“Delivery for the trash rats!” a small kat yelled jumping out of the large truck that parked as a larger one got out of the drivers side.

“Yea, not sure where they are,” Tyler dismissed it and walked over, sorting through the usual tools and grabbing a couple of wrenches and looking for a new bandanna to wrap over his head, he saw a black one and tied it around his head, feeling the ends reaching the bottom of his neck.

“Who are you?” the big one asked with a laugh “the new rat in the nest?”

“You could say that...you guys done or are you going to stand there like blubbering idiots for the rest of the day?” Tyler asked grabbing a pair of gloves and walking over.

Just as he asked the question Chance came running out “Aw man! We just cleaned up the last pile of crud you've left on our door step!”

“Just for you tough guy!”

“Well what a coincidence that I have something for you too!” Chance yelled pulling his sleeve up.

Tyler looked from Chance to the two other kats and sighed “Chance, I need some help on this car, mind?”

Seeming to snap out of his feelings of anger Chance nodded and scowled “Yea, sure, no problem,”

Chris heard insults from the two but didn't pay attention as they drove off, more interested with how Tyler handled the situation. Sighing she went back inside and saw Jake closing the door leading to the hanger, looking at her and walking to the door to the garage. Noticing the garbage he looked back.

“Burke and Murray?”

Chris nodded “Somehow Tyler got Chance to stop fighting without pinning him to the ground,”

Jake let a small laugh come from his throat as he walked back past her and sat down “Well lets let them work...”

“Something still confuses me about him...” Chris said after a few moments “he opened up a little bit earlier...and it wasn't much..”

“Give him time, all some people need is time and a friend,” Jake shrugged as he picked up the remote to the tv, flipping it on.

“Yea I guess...” She sat down next to him and leaned back.

Chance watched Tyler work and gave a half hearted smile. He had taken up the job pretty well, and it gave him and Jake some down time. He then frowned as he remembered Chris and her liking of Jake. During the past couple of days that Tyler came to work Chance would watch the way he looked at Chris and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor kid. But he just wasn't going to get a chance with her. Chance snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the hood shut and Tyler groan.

“There...the second car done today...” He looked at Chance and chuckled “so, when do I get paid?”

“Ask Jake, he's the one who hired you,” Chance replied leaning on the work table situated near the wall in the garage.

“Yea...Jake,” Tyler looked out the garage door and watched as storm clouds gathered overhead and lightning struck “great...I have to walk home in this...”

A noise that resembled a fire alarm went off inside and a few seconds after it was taken care of Jake burst out of the door “Chance, we have a problem! Come on!”

“Hold on who's going to give me a ride home?!” Tyler yelled over the thunder.

“Chris can-” Chance was about to speak when large pieces of hail began to slam on the ground “never mind, stay here!”

“Fine...” Tyler put down his stuff and walked inside.

Jake stopped next to Chris and looked back at Tyler “Keep him busy...find some way to get him distracted...”

“Easier said than done...” she replied as Jake ran back and started to climb down the hangar. Looking back at Tyler she saw him staring out the window “but at the same time oh so simple...hey Tyler! Hungry?”

He looked over and shrugged “Nah, not really...just thoughtful, if you can call it that...”

“Lets just call it that, sit down whats on your mind?” She cleared off a place on a small table and took a seat of her own.

“Just a lot of random stuff...” Tyler replied, continuing to stand “like why we moved in the first place...what my life is slowly becoming...stupid things like that,”

“Doesn't sound so stupid...” Chris winced as she heard the faint boom of the Turbokat taking off, but Tyler seemed to not notice.

“Sometimes I can't help but obsess over how 'stupid' it may be...I'm really confused though Chris,” he looked at her “I used to think I was who I was...just as simple as that...and now I get up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror...but can't see who I used to be...”

“Who was that?”

“Twelve year old Tyler Callahan...care free...happy...hopeful...” Tyler replied grabbing his dog tags “I used to want to be a pilot...just like my dad, of course then he started doing the wrong things...drugs...alcohol...just turned into the wrong person...”

Chris frowned, "I know how you feel...kind of..."

Tyler raised an eyebrow "what do you mean?"

Chris sighed, "When I was younger...my brother and I...well...we haven't seen our parents for awhile...in fact, they left us when I was only 16 and my brother was 14..."

"I'm sorry..." Tyler looked at the ground "what happened to your brother?"

"Well...he went off on his own to be...whatever he wanted to be...and I just moved here by myself...I haven't heard from him since..." Chris's reply was so soft, Tyler could barely hear her.

Tyler gave a soft smile "Well at least you have Chance and Jake," he scratched his head and was about to say something else when he stopped.

Chris sighed, "Yeah...both Chance and Jake made me feel right at hone here...especially Jake..."

"Especially Jake?"

Chris nodded, "Yeah...Chance is a cool guy and all...but it was Jake whom I got closer too...I can't understand why though...maybe because he kinda understands what I've been through...I should say..." Chris couldn't tell Tyler why though, since she knew Tyler hasn't really proven enough to be told about who she really was.

Tyler didn't say anything, just looking out at the storm "Everything alright? got something on your mind?" he asked trying to get the subject more onto her than him.

Chris didn't reply for a moment, "I'm fine...really...just..." Chris wasn't sure what to say...could Tyler be trusted knowing that Chance and Jake are the SWAT Kats? What would they say if they come home and hear that Tyler knows about their secret?

Tyler looked back at the ground and sighed "Ever like...someone but was never sure exactly why?"

Chris snapped her head up at Tyler at this question and blushed slightly as the image of Jake crossed her mind, "I...well...you might say that..." Chris rubbed her neck and shook her head, feeling her ponytail swish back and forth.

"Yea...me too..." he looked at her and tried to read her face but sighed when he couldn't.

"Who is it?" Tyler asked slowly getting hopeful.

Chris stared at Tyler, wondering if he was joking; a frown came across her pretty face as she said, "Well...he works here...if that helps..."

"Yea, three people other than you work here," he replied softly.

Chris sighed, "Alright, I always liked..." Tyler stared, his heart thundering when...her next words made it stop, "Jake Clawson..."

Tyler's heart stopped for a minute before smiling and nodding "Yea...I can see why..."

Chris shook her head again, "No, you don't...you see the thing is...ever since I met Jake, something about him...well...maybe it's because his shy and quiet personality is what made me like him...and it's not just that either. I always loved his strong smile. That smile on his...well...cute face that always got to me..." Chris smiled slightly and quickly frowned at what she said, "Please, don't tell Jake I said that about him. Or Chance, since he'll make fun of me until the end of time."

Tyler gave a dry laugh and nodded "Yea, no problem, secrets safe with me..."

Chris smiled at this and said, "Thanks a lot Tyler..." She turned and laid on the couch as she stared at the ceiling with a heavy sigh.

"Yea...like I said...no problem..." he got up from his seat and walked out to the garage, feeling his eyes getting misty he took a deep breath and stood out in the rain as it began to lighten up.

Chris watched him go and whispered to herself, "I wonder if I should really tell him about me being a human girl..."

The rain began to lighten up and the roar of a jet engine sounded overhead. Tyler calmly walked back inside and began grabbing his stuff, changing his shirt and pants before looking at Chris and walking out with a small smile. Chris watched him go and thought for a second, "Poor kid..." She suddenly heard the sound of a jet approaching. Quickly, she rushed over to see the Turbokat's slick black body going into the hanger. She rushed down the ladder and watched as the Turbokat slowly made it's way upward.

"Hey, you two kids have fun with us gone?" Chance yelled up from the open cock pit as he took off his helmet.

Chris smiled, as Chance and Jake took off their masks and jumped down to join her on the ground, "Yeah...we had a very interesting...conversation..."

"Awww, ain't that cute, the two youngest members of the junkyard team are hitting it off," Chance laughed and started to work his way towards his locker "I'm changing then I'm going to bed,"

Chris glared at Chance, "It was nothing like that!" She said, as Jake glanced over, "We just talked for a bit...and well...he just left after I told him I liked...um...whoever I liked."

He turned halfway and a grin was apparent on his face "Yea, whoever you like,"

Chris blushed, "I...well...it's not Tyler I can tell you that...he's way too weird for me anyway..."

"Ahhh go easy on him," Chance turned and continued walking "anyway, good night, sleep tight, yadda yadda..."

Once Chance was gone, Chris turned to Jake who stared for a second before walking over to his locker, "Um...Jake...how did it go...on the mission?"

"Meh, you know, the usual crazy kat," he replied shrugging and smiling gently.

Chris smiled and sighed, "Well...guess I better get ready for bed too..." she turned to move away when she felt a paw go on her shoulder; she turned to see Jake, looking slightly nervous, "Yeah Jake?"

Jake took a breath "Chris, who did you tell Tyler you liked?"

Chris stared, her heart thundering in her chest, it was hard to realize that Jake couldn't hear it, "I...it's...nobody! I was just telling Tyler to egg him on..." Chris stuttered, how could she tell Jake that she liked him that way?

"Whoa, alright, calm down Chris..." He gave a soft smile and shrugged "go ahead and do what you were going to do...I'm going to catch David Litterbin before taking a break from being awake,"

Jake walked out of the hanger and Chris watched him go. Once his light brown tail disappeared out of the hanger, she sighed as she started upwards as well, "Awe man...and I was THIS close to telling him...”

Chance groaned as he laid down and laid his arm over his eyes. It had been a long day, and the fact they had to rush out with the risk of Tyler seeing was worse. He didn't get why Tyler was such mystery , then again it wasn't really his business. The kid had potential to be a great mechanic, but maybe he could be great with something else. He had raw talent with mechanical parts and car engines, and with enough time he might be able to rival Jake's. He even had what counted most. Determination. Chance liked him, but he would need to see more of what he could do. After all, Chris might have a partner soon enough.