Don't Touch Taruto's Girl

Pudding was working at the Café again, but she had noticed something odd. Ryou kept looking at her, and not at Ichigo. Finally she asked, "Ryou, is something wrong, na no da? You keep looking at Pudding."

"Meet me downstairs after work, I have to tell you something," Ryou said, and left.

This freaked Pudding out. What does he want to tell Pudding? she thought. What if he's firing Pudding? But why would Ryou do that? Unless… he found out about Pudding and Taru-Taru being together. Maybe Pudding shouldn't meet Ryou today. But if Pudding doesn't, will Ryou come after her? Pudding can't put her siblings in danger. Making her decision, Pudding finished work that day, and went downstairs to see Ryou.

Nearby, at the park: Taruto was waiting for Pudding. They had been meeting each other at the park almost every day. Taruto knew Pai and Kisshu knew about this, but since the three of them wanted to form a truce, he knew they didn't mind.

A while later, Taruto realized Pudding was late, and got worried. Then he told himself that she might be staying to clean up, depending on how busy the Café was. He had taught her to use telepathy, so she knew to call him if she got into trouble. Sighing, he settled down to wait.

Pudding, meanwhile, had gotten to the basement, but as soon as she entered, the door slammed shut behind her. Startled, she spun, and saw Ryou standing behind her, smirking.

Trying not to show her fear, Pudding asked, "What does Ryou want with Pudding?"

"I know about you and the alien," Ryou said.

Pudding was now really scared, and reached for her pendant, only to find it gone. "Looking for this?" Ryou asked, holding up her pendant.

"What is Ryou going to do to Pudding?" Pudding asked.

She got more worried when Ryou smirked, and said, "I'm going to make sure that alien doesn't steal you."

"Is Ryou a pedophile?" Pudding asked.

Ryou didn't respond; instead, he grabbed her wrist, his grip too tight for her to break. As he pulled her toward him, Pudding screamed telepathically, TARU-TARU! HELP!

A few seconds later, she heard, Where are you?

The basement of Café Mew Mew! Ryou trapped Pudding and told her he won't let you steal her! Pudding said.

He's going DOWN! Taruto snarled, and cut the connection.

Pudding started struggling against Ryou, but had no luck. Suddenly they both heard teleportation, and Ryou looked up. "How did you know?" he snarled.

"That's none of your business," Taruto said coldly. "Let Pudding go, now."

To both of their surprise, Ryou let Pudding go, but then took out a gun. "Pudding, get out of here," Taruto said.

"Pudding can't leave Taru-Taru," Pudding said.

Taruto sighed and concentrated, then snapped his fingers. Pudding suddenly found herself upstairs, and fell to the floor as Ichigo asked, "Pudding?"

Pudding ran to Ichigo and hugged her, crying. "Pudding, what happened?" Ichigo asked worriedly, kneeling to embrace the younger girl.

"Ryou is attacking Taru-Taru for saving Pudding…." Pudding wailed. "Ryou has a gun!"

Ichigo went dead silent, and suddenly Pudding heard her voice in her head as Ichigo screamed telepathically, KISSHU! Taruto's in trouble, come to the Café!

On it, Kisshu said.

Ichigo hugged Pudding and said, "Kisshu's coming, Taruto will be fine, okay?"

A minute later the girls heard two sounds; teleportation, and a gunshot. Kisshu appeared and asked, "Where is he?"

"The basement," Ichigo said. Kisshu immediately teleported again.

With Taruto: Taruto had managed to tie Ryou up with vines, but Ryou still somehow managed to shoot him in the shoulder. With the last of his strength, Taruto grew huge thorns on the vines, literally chopping Ryou up. As Taruto blacked out, he heard teleportation. Then everything went black.

The girls got worried when Kisshu teleported back in; he was carrying Taruto, who was unconscious. "Kisshu, what happened?" Ichigo asked.

"I think Ryou shot him in the shoulder," Kisshu said. "I'm calling Pai." He closed his eyes, concentrating, and sighed. "Damn. He's ignoring me," he said. "Probably daydreaming about Lettuce. I have to go drag him out, stay with Taruto. And try to stop the bleeding."

"Hai," Ichigo said. Kisshu teleported out, and Ichigo said, "Pudding, stay with Taruto, I'll get the first aid kit."

"K," Pudding said. Ichigo gently let her go, and ran to the back room, coming back with a wad of bandages. She handed them to Pudding, who took them and put pressure on Taruto's injury.

Two minutes later, Kisshu and Pai teleported in. Pai immediately ran over and said, "Pudding, let me see the injury."

Pudding took the bandages away, and Pai sighed. "I guess I have to take the bullet out first," he said. "Stay quiet, and if anyone else comes in, make sure they stay quiet too."

The others nodded, and Pai put a hand on Taruto's shoulder, then pulled it up in a sharp motion. The bullet popped out, and Pai threw it aside, then put his hand back on Taruto's shoulder, and his hand began to glow.

Ten minutes later, Pai said, "The injury's healed, but I think he'll need to rest for at least a day."

"That's not going to be easy," Kisshu said dryly.

"Taru-Taru can stay with Pudding," Pudding said. "Pudding will take care of him."

"And your siblings?" Kisshu asked.

"Pai-oniichan, Kisshu-oniichan, and Ichigo-oneechan can come help!" Pudding said.

"Okay," Ichigo said. "Kisshu?"

"Uh… sure," Kisshu said. "Pai will come too."

"What makes you think that?" Pai asked grouchily.

Kisshu whispered something in his ear, and Pai turned white, then said, "Fine, I'll help too."

"Let me guess, Kisshu's going to tell Lettuce one of your dirty little secrets if you don't," Ichigo said.

"Mmph," Pai said. "Kisshu, you can take the girls, I'll take Taruto."

"Do you know where you're going?" Kisshu asked.

"Uh… can you give me the image?" Pai asked.

"Sure, but you don't have an ounce of common sense," Kisshu said.

Pai growled as he picked up Taruto, and Kisshu implanted the image of Pudding's house into his mind. Then Kisshu took Ichigo and Pudding by the hand, and teleported them to Pudding's house.

They landed in the living room, and Pudding's siblings looked up from some game they were playing. "Oneechan, what happened?" Heicha asked.

"Ryou hurt Taru-Taru," Pudding said. "Pudding has to take care of Taru-Taru, so Ichigo-oneechan, Kisshu-oniichan, and Pai-oniichan will take care of you till Taru-Taru is better, k?"

"K!" her siblings chorused, as Pai teleported in with Taruto.

"Pudding, where am I putting Taruto?" Pai asked.

"Pudding's room," Pudding said. "Pudding will show you." She turned to her siblings and said, "Pudding wants you to be good for Kisshu-oniichan, Ichigo-oneechan, and Pai-oniichan, k?"

"K!" her siblings chorused. Pudding smiled and led Pai up to her room.

This left Kisshu and Ichigo with Pudding's siblings, and Ichigo said, "Did Pudding tell you that Pai needs to be kept out of the kitchen?"

"Why?" one of the boys asked.

"Everything will explode, and you'll have no house," Kisshu said.

"No house?" Heicha asked sadly.

"Only if you let Pai in the kitchen," Ichigo said. "If we keep him out of the kitchen, the house will be fine, k?"

"K!" the kids chorused.

"Ichigo-oneechan, can we tackle Pai-oniichan if he tries to go in the kitchen?" one of the boys asked.

"Just don't hurt him too badly," Ichigo said.

"K!" the boy said.

"Who's cooking if Pai can't?" another one of the boys asked.

"I am," Kisshu said. "You guys get to play with Ichigo and Pai."

"Kisshu-oniichan, you can cook?" Heicha asked.

"Yeah," Kisshu said. "Uh… what do you guys want for dinner?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs!" the boys all said.

"Heicha-chan, do you want that too?" Ichigo asked.

"Can Heicha have plain spaghetti?" Heicha asked.

"Sure," Kisshu said. "I'll go start dinner."

"Where's Pai?" Ichigo asked.

Kisshu closed his eyes and said, "Still upstairs. It looks like he's trying to convince Pudding of something. I'll go get him."

"Thanks," Ichigo said. Kisshu teleported out, and returned a minute later dragging Pai. He deposited Pai on the floor as Ichigo and Pudding's siblings giggled, and said, "I'm off to make dinner. Have fun!"

"We will!" Ichigo and Pudding's siblings said together. Pai just grunted.

"Pai, don't be a grouch," Ichigo said.

"Or what?" Pai asked.

"Or we'll tickle you, right?" Ichigo asked Pudding's siblings.

"YEAH!" the five kids said happily.

Ichigo smirked and said, "Now are you going to cheer up?"

Pai tried to smile, but the result looked like a werewolf, so the kids ran behind Ichigo. "Is Pai-oniichan a werewolf?" Heicha asked. "Cause that's what he looks like right now."

Pai groaned. "How come every time I smile, people freak out?" he moaned.

"It's creepy, that's why," Ichigo said bluntly. "When I said 'cheer up', I meant be nice to the kids, not smile and scare them."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Pai asked. "I don't know anything about human children…."

"Good time to learn, when you and Lettuce get married, you'll probably have children to take care of," Ichigo said.

"You're doomed," Pai said in monotone.

The kids squeaked, and Ichigo said, "If you tickle him, he's less scary."

Pai started backing up a bit, but too late. Pudding's siblings all jumped on him and started tickling him mercilessly. Pai screamed, and Ichigo burst out laughing. "Ichigo! Help me!" Pai shouted.

"Why?" Ichigo asked, giggling. "That's what you get for scaring them."

Pai groaned, but perked up as Kisshu called, "Dinner's ready!"

Ichigo sighed and said, "Okay, stop tickling Pai and go wash up for dinner."

The kids hopped off Pai and ran off to wash their hands. Ichigo sighed and helped Pai up, then said, "You should go wash your hands too."

Pai sighed and headed off, followed by Ichigo.

By the time they got to the table, Kisshu had set out everything, and was waiting. "Is Pudding coming?" he asked.

"You might have to drag her out," Ichigo said.

Kisshu sighed and teleported upstairs. Five minutes later, he came back and said, "Let's just save some for her, k?"

"K," the others said, and started eating.

After dinner Kisshu said, "Koneko-chan, can you help with dishes? Pai can take care of the kids."

"K," Ichigo said. "Pai, no more scaring them, got it?"

"Got it," Pai said. He promptly got dragged to the living room as Ichigo and Kisshu snickered.

With Pudding and Taruto: Pudding was still watching Taruto, who was still unconscious. Suddenly she noticed he was stirring, and asked, "Taru-Taru?"

Taruto opened his eyes and turned his head. "Pudding-chan?" he asked. "Am I at your house?"

"Yep na no da," Pudding said. "Pudding is sorry."

"Why?" Taruto asked, puzzled.

"Taru-Taru got hurt protecting Pudding…" Pudding said.

"I did that because I wanted to," Taruto said. "It's my fault for not dodging, so don't get depressed, k? I'll recover, and then we can go back to the playground. And now that Blondie's dead, we can form a truce, right?"

Pudding perked up a bit. "Right na no da," she said, good mood restored.

Taruto smiled, and Pudding smiled back. Then they heard from downstairs, "AAAH! ICHIGO! KISSHU! HELP MEEE!"

Pudding and Taruto burst out laughing. "I guess Pai can't handle your siblings," Taruto snickered.

"Pai-oniichan better get in shape for when he and Lettuce-oneechan get married, na no da," Pudding said, giggling.

More desperate cries were heard, and Pudding and Taruto just kept on laughing.

Worse than the last ending, but this one was kind of hard to do. My first PxT one-shot, requested by AnimeStarz12! Hope you like it! Review!