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Description
The Aftermath

Part Two of Two

The wind sways the red spikes, uncovered and shifting through the breeze. Goggles down, Jack trudges through the sudden draft, taking literally one small step at a time.

“Why does she always have to pick the worst possible places-” Jack freezes, losing his breath.

His heart slows to a stop. Her raven pigtails blowing in the winter breeze, glowing azure eyes that stand out through the bitter cold and her brand new shapely and expensive coat…ink and yellow with white fur on the ends. She’s looking off in another direction, and tucks one of her curly sideburn extensions behind her ear before crossing her arms and shivering with the sudden draft.

Sighing to himself, Jack just watches her stand there. The wind seems to take the time to try and go around her as not to make her cold. She looks so delicate, though Jack knows otherwise.

“Jack!” Her cry alerts him.

Jack’s eyes refocus to see reality. Instinct drives him to walk towards her, his feet moving mechanically as his brain slowly warms up. She smiles as he stops before her…and to Jack, appears to blush a little as well. It may just be his imagination…or Jack Frost nipping at her porcelain face.
“Hey there Kimiko. Terrible weather.” His own twist on the infamous small talk they often shared before talking about anything interesting.

“Hey Jack. Sorry…my PDA said clear skies.” She apologizes sheepishly.

Jack shrugs. He lightly adjusts his goggles before wiping the frost from them with his ragged black sleeve. Kim smiles, warming his frozen bare fingertip a little.

“Well…I don’t see any clouds.” He smiles, slightly giving her a glimpse of his abnormal smile.

Kimiko turns her eyes from it and pretends not to notice. His teeth are not exactly white…so his unusually sharp smile does not directly catch her attention.

“I guess you should have checked for wind and not just rain…” Jack leans his head to the side trying to reach her over the wind.

Kimiko shakes her head. She stares at him for a moment before stifling an embarrassed chuckle.

“S-Sorry Jack. The cold gets to me.” Spying a log she nudges Jack towards it. “Maybe if I sit…”

“R-R-Right.” Jack stutters.

He would have to sit next to her.

Kimiko and Jack mumble a few comments about the uncomfortable weather as they head for the log. But as soon as the two sit they suddenly find themselves at a loss for words. They sit in silence for a few moments, Kimiko fumbling with her pigtails and Jack adjusting the goggles on his face. Kimiko breaks the silence.

“Jack…” She turns from him. “Do you know why I help you?”
He begins to blush, somehow finding a deeper meaning in her comment.

“N-No Kimiko.” He nervously quivers.

She looks up at the sky. “It’s because…you’re all alone.” Craning her head down so her chin is tucked in the soft fur of her coat Kimiko looses her train of thought.

The crisps air rushes by and on into the mountain and in-between the trees. For a moment Kimiko feels as if her mind left with the wind.

She breathes in the warm air circulating the fabric, and it almost revives her. “I know you have Good Jack…and Robo-Jack. But they… they’re not friends.”

“I have plenty of friends.” Jack falsely claims, digging his thumb into his black coat.

Kimiko turns to him, her eyes soft.

“I know Omi threatens you, though he’s tried to be your friend. I know Rai…well he plain just doesn’t like you Jack.” Giggling softly Kimiko wraps the curly end of her hair around her slender finger. “Clay doesn’t mind your antics much, when you behave.”

“I don’t need friends.” Jack grumbles crossing his arms and pouting at the cold itself.

Kimiko shifts her position to face him. A few stray strands of hair fall over her face. Jack is captivated instantly, not exactly by what she has to say…but to offer physically.
The raven strands float about her face with the light continuous draft that seems to encircle the two. Above all he can’t help but look into her eyes.

“Then why do you come to meet me?” Her question is straight forward and direct.

She waits for an answer. But Jack is still focused on her eyes. He blinks as he lets his brain run the sentence over in his head again before saying anything.

“Kimiko…” He begins to blush as he sees the fluster grow in her cold face. “…it’s because I need to get away from those other two once in awhile! And I don‘t need friends Kimiko…ugh, are you gonna start lecturing me again? I don‘t need this.” His entire attitude changes as he puts himself back on the defensive. Jack wraps his arms around himself and turns from her before sliding off the log.

“Jack…” Kimiko darts her mitten covered hand forwards to grab his shoulder.

He stops, he always stops. Anything for her and she knows it. Lifting slowly from her seat Kimiko fights a sudden rush of wind to stand. As her feet touch the ground she catches a bit of ice and begins to fall.

“Uh-oh!” Kimiko slips backwards, her arms flailing wildly.

Jack instantly turns to look and without a second thought throws his arms out and grabs a hold of the hood of her sweater. He does not posses enough strength to pull her completely up but leans forwards and grabs onto the log with one of his hands. He stops her from hitting the ground…one arm around her waist and the other behind him as he grasps with all his might to a branch of the log.

“A-Are you ok-ay…” Jack sighs.

Kimiko lets loose a held breath. She stares at him for a moment, and she notices everything beginning to move extremely slow…Jack’s grasp is lost with the morning frost and he tumbles on top of her.

Groaning, he props himself up and shakes his head. It is only her small whimper that alerts him that she is there. He looks down into her eyes wide and alarmed, her chest heaving up and down in long deep breaths. Jack rolls off of her and to his feet.

“Kimiko! I’m so sorry! Please don’t kill me! I was trying to help I swear!” Jack pleads clasping his hands together.

She gets up slowly and cracks her aching back. Looking down at the spot where she would have fallen she sees a pointed shard of bark sticking out of the ground. Touching the side of her sweater she feels the ripped fabric…and something wet…

“Blood!” Kimiko breaths looking at the faint red liquid on her fingertips. She feels her side.
It isn’t hers.

Jack holds onto his forearm now, hissing at the sting of the slash. He whimpers as he hops up and down in pain. “Holy mother of Chase Young! That hurts!”

Kimiko rushes to his side and stops him from bouncing.

“Let me see, Jack.” Tenderly she grabs a hold of his arm.

Leading him back to the log Kimiko assures him the wound is not that deep and that he will be fine. Jack sits reluctantly a bit ashamed at his behavior when he had just done something kinda cool for once. But Kimiko does not seem to mind as she rolls his sleeve back exposing the wound to the cold.

“Leave it open for a little bit. The cold air will keep it from swelling. Are you okay though?” Her small soft glove covered hand is resting over his.

Kimiko does not seem to notice their position. Two young adults sitting with each other on a log in the woods with a light layer of crisp snow blanketing the scenery…everything a romantic moment calls for.

But Jack is never that lucky and though he would want nothing more than to embrace her and even possibly…kiss her…but, it would never work.

“Thanks.” He sheepishly turns from her, his pale face aflame.

“Your welcome Jack.” She attempts to peer over his shoulder. “You sure your all right?”

“Yeah…I’m super…thanks for asking.” Jack mumbles.

“Jack…before I, uh fell…” Kimiko begins slowly. “I…I was going to tell you something and rather than never get the opportunity to say it, well…I’ll say it…”

Jack lifts his form just a bit and turns to her quizzically.

“What exactly were you going to say?”

“Jack…” Kimiko takes a deep breath. “I know you screwed up and I know you feel bad for what happened to your parents…but…really it’s not your fault. I know all you want is a friend…or something more…”

Jack had begun to tense, but her last mumble caught his attention drastically. He had to turn to her at that very instant.

“What was that?”

“That…the last-oh, nothing. I was…just rambling-I’m sorry.” Kimiko blushes and turns from Jack. “I was just trying to say that I lecture because…I kinda care what happens to you now. I think it’s the maternal instincts kicking in ya know. And now that I’m, more mature…I can see why you are the way you are, Jack.” She twiddles her thumbs. “A boy with all the brains in the world…who can’t stand to be in the dark. A super genius who couldn’t make toast if he wanted to…all brain, little common sense and no brawn to speak of.”

“Oh thanks.” Jack grumbles.

“No offense. Really you’re still a silly boy. All of the antics, the robots, the mishaps… It’s what makes you Jack Spicer, you know…and I guess I, respect that now.”

Jack’s ears open wider to sounds he never knew existed…words he had never dreamed of hearing with his name. Respect. Kimiko of all people…respects him.

Jack sighs heavily. That was everything he ever wanted to hear.

--

The table is full, a rare occasion for the Jack Spicer three-o. Jack is sitting at the head with his bowl of cereal and Robo- Jack and Good Jack sit diagonally to him on the other side. Good Jack constantly goes back and forth from his seat to the stove as Robo-Jack balances his fork on his nose.

“Cut that out. If you bend it, we can’t get replacements.” Jack waves his finger disapprovingly at his creation.
Robo-Jack lets the utensil fall from his nose. “What am I supposed to do then?”

It lands, the small tap of the metal hitting wood filling the silence before it falls over on its side unharmed and humming. Jack glares at his robot warningly.

“I dunno.” Jack mumbles as he picks up a magazine Kimiko gave him. “It is lunch time, why don’t cha eat someth’n?” He offers, his attention towards the bot decreasing by the moment.

“I would but I cannot eat yet…you’re negligent to upgrade me.” Robo-Jack monotony states as picks his fork up and begins to balance it on his finger.

Jack glares at his creation from the top of his magazine.
“Sorry…but a stomach, taste buds…time and money Robo-
Me. Plenty of time-no money.” He sighs as he shoves a good sized scoop of cereal into his mouth.

“Sure we have plenty of time…but without the parts and equipment the chances of you getting that upgrade is fairly scarce…” Good Jack sighs slightly distressed at the thought. “But when the world gets tough…smiling is a good way to say…in your face evil!”

He pours a quart of oil into a bowl and spins to the table. Setting it down before Robo-Jack, he pirouettes and leaps back to the stove.

“Oh Jackey…lease next time you see Kimiko…thank her for me. Without her we wouldn’t have any tea!” Good Jack begins to scramble his counterpart’s eggs.

“Yeah. Blah.” Jack glares at the tea. “I’d give anything to have all soda again…but tea is cheaper.” Jack sighs.

“Naturally. But do thank dear sweet Kimiko for me. You aren‘t on best terms with the dragons after all…we‘re so lucky she has been so kind.”

Jack lowers the magazine and slowly peers at his arm. Now it’s all wrapped up but before that Kimiko had held it so tenderly in the cold air to keep it from swelling. She was blushing and Jack…

“Why are you blushing?” Robo-Jack points with nothing better to do as he sips his oil. “I wish I could taste this so I can complain…blah.”

Jack ignores his robot and lifts the magazine to cover his flushed face. An article on winter fashion pops up in the mechanics monthly. A cute shapely girl with hips and bust in the same sweater Kimiko had…though she looked so much prettier.

“Are you thinking of Kimiko?” Good Jack pops up from nowhere, now cheek to cheek with his other half.

“Get away!” Jack shoves his good self off of him. “And so what if I was…not that I was!”

“She seems to be meeting you more lately.” Robo-Jack admits.

“And Kimiko does seem to be putting more care into the supplies she sends us…I remember when she used to leave out your precious junk food…and here in this box are pudding cups!” Good Jack cheers. “She must have certain feelings for a certain someone…” He pokes Jack’s cheek before pinching it full force. “How sweet!”

“Back off of it, goodie-goodie!” Jack smacks his other self from his face. “Kimiko isn’t like that with me…she‘s trying to be nice that‘s all. She feels sorry for us!”

“Let me see, Jack.” Tenderly she grabbed a hold of his arm.

“But she has been nicer to you lately.” Good Jack points out. “All of it seems rather genuine to me.”

“Do you know why I help you?”

“She seems to be headed somewhere with this unnecessary prevision action.” Robo-Jack interrupts. “She’s up to something…Kimiko would never be this kind to us. She hates us!”

“No offense. Really you’re still a silly boy. All of the antics, the robots, the mishaps… It’s what makes you Jack Spicer, you know…and I guess I, respect that now.”
Good Jack’s hand rests on his counterpart’s shoulder. “Jack…do you still feel the same way towards her?”

“Do you even think you have a chance?” Robo-Jack snickers.

“I know all you want is a friend…or something more…”

She had meant something by that.

“All you want is a friend…”

Something deep down behind the sentence, between the lines.

“…or something more…”

Kimiko was hinting, she must have been hinting…

“Something more”

So many indications with the word.

“…more…”

The other two take a step back from Jack. His white skin tinting brown and his eyes shut tight as his tail wraps around the chair intertwining through the bars. His spine cracks slightly and Jack slams his hand down on the table to relieve the pressure.

With a swipe of his hand everything on the table is thrown full force against the cave wall and Jack is left heaving before suddenly passing out cold, face down on the table.

“Oh Jackey!” Good Jack squeals jumping forwards to his counterparts side.

Shaking Jack lightly he is relieved to hear a few small coughs coming from him. Rubbing his back, Good Jack pries the staff from Jack’s hands. In his thoughts it had been instinct to grab a hold of it…an action that nowadays causes the boy more pain than pleasure in states like this.
Good Jack folds his hands together as he heads for the broom. He shakes his head making small tsk noises as he returns with a dustpan.

Robo-Jack takes a look at his creator. So vulnerable to his emotions at the moment. The whole matter makes him glad to be a Robot.

Poor Jack on the other hand, is unconscious on the table…and though his face is void of expression upon close inspection one can see the slightest faltering of his thick eyebrows.

Jack sits in his old basement quietly working on a robot.
Crashing through the wall comes the monks all dressed in black.

Jack squeals as he makes a run for it.
Out of nowhere a figure appears before him.
Jack stops as everything is silenced, viewing with aw the girl before him.

She is dressed in white, so beautiful and pure, truly an angel.

Jack reaches out for her and she takes his hand softly.
Kimiko pulls Jack to her, cradling him to her chest.
Jack sighs relieved…until he hears the screaming.
Out of nowhere the Xiaolin boys rips him from her.
Jack backs away but they follow.
A small cracking noise is heard.

Jack swings his clawed hand around once and all the boys disappear.

Kimiko runs away, terrified…and Jack cries.
Everything happens so fast. And indeed a small tear rolls down Jack’s cold cheek as he slumbers upon the table.

--

Swishing…with every thought, every outrage, every melancholy cheer…every sad whimper. The tail swished for everything, all day and all night. It had appeared after the nightmare…and even worse Jack was not even in possession of the monkey staff when he awoke. And when attempted, to his dismay Jack discovered he could not get rid of the thing. The tail refused to leave his person.
How would Kimiko take this? She would be worried most of all…she seemed to worry about him more and more these days.

“Jack! Stop starring off into space and come here!” She giggles as she ushers him towards her, as if there were magnets in her calling palms and he was a giant piece of metal.

Jack automatically heads for her, like a loyal dog he briskly walks in the melting snow. Stopping before her he returns her warm smile and follows her to the edge of the lake they often met at.

Her attire for today: pigtails, a vest with a navy blue long sleeve shirt and plain brown pants with some hiking boots.

“It’s so nice today, isn’t it?” Jack nods quickly. “I love the beginning of the year. What was your new years eve resolution?” She asks.

Jack scratches his head, thinking hard. “…to…uh. Um…well to not go to jail I guess.”

Kimiko chuckles, covering her mouth with one hand as it turns into a giggle. “It should be…to be a good guy. You need to repent.” She shoves her hands in her pockets and smiles widely. “You should consider it...at the least.”

“What…was yours?” Jack asks turning to her. He too shoves his hands in his pockets.

Kimiko’s face is covered with an instant hue of red. “Well…” She lets out a dry laugh and turns away from Jack. “My resolution…is to…tell this guy I like…that I like him…” She coughs. “More than just a friend.” Her hands flee her pockets and try to cover her red face.

Jack feels his heart sink. Raimundo Pedrosa, the tan, buff, spunky leader of the Xioalin Dragons. That’s who her crush is…who else could it be?

“Th-That’s a good resolution Kimiko.” Jack mumbles, digging his fisted hands deeper into his pockets as he slowly grinds his teeth. “I hope you get to tell him.” He shifts his eyes to her, and her beautiful blushing face.
“I will.” Kimiko states turning to Jack with a new kind of light in her eyes.

Something odd he had never seen before is in there. Sure there is the life…the fire, spark, respect…everything else…just something else added to it in the mere seconds she had turned away and back.

He barley feels his cheeks heating up as her half open eyes flutter her eyelashes at him.

Jack stares back, a small smile creeping over his face as her eyes continue to flutter. They are standing directly next to each other starring for the longest time, until together they turn to look at the water. They shiver every now and then with a small gust of new years wind.

“How are the other two?” Kimiko offers a chance to break the silence.

“They’re…fine. Good me says hi.”

“That all?”

“He said some other stuff…but, my tongue would fall off if I repeated something so sappy.”

Kimiko giggles. “Is your robot in good shape? He is the only one you have left…”

“I keep him in the best shape I can. He’s doing very well overall. Good me re-programmed him fairly well. He listens now…it’s hard though because I know he wants to be updated. Before I would have told him to forget about it, but he has been behaving since mom and dad…”
Kimiko lowers her head. “I know Jack.” She whispers. “You don’t have to remind me…or yourself…”

“It seems that, even though he’s a robot…he feels my pain and he understands. Before all of this he never listened or cared about what happened to me.”

“That’s because he spent all his time trying to be better than you.” Kimiko giggles into her shoulder. “Don’t you remember when he locked you out of your own house…and pretended to be you? Sounds to me like the bot wants to be human. We all do.”

Jack cannot help but sweat. His tail lashing beneath his clothes threatens to wiggle free but Jack takes a deep breath and it calms down.

“I want to be human.” Jack mutters beneath his breath. He had not intended for Kimiko to hear, he was just thinking out loud.

“Jack…you are human.”

“I guess.” Jack’s eyes halfway close as they stare beyond the water and into nothingness.

Kimiko shifts her position to stand between Jack and his thoughts. “You guess? Jack how can you say something like that knowing how you are?”

“How I am?” One of Jack’s eyebrows rise. “Kimiko I don’t think…”

“…You think too much.” She pouts. “Just don’t say that, ever again…”

Jack stares at her, the way he would his own reflection. He just does not understand. Try as he might…what is she getting at? Her purpose? Her angle? Her loyalties?

A soft small hand grasps his and Jack’s entire body jumps. He looks down at her, but she is looking at the lake. Mouth slightly open and head turned he bores the image of her in his mind…her hand holding his by the lake with a small gust of wind moving her raven hair out of place.

Something slides over Kimiko’s hand. It goes over the top, around the palm and wounds itself around her wrist. Kimiko lightly turns her head to see the small reddish brown appendage and trails it back to Jack’s coat. He is too busy starring at the lake to notice, and she is too touched to care…as it gives her wrist a small squeeze before slipping back into the Jacket.

“Jack.”

“Yeah, Kimiko?”

“If you ever…say, hurt yourself, would you be too ashamed to tell me?”

“Wh-Kimiko…there’s nothing wrong with me…” A
questioning look covers Jack’s face.
Kimiko pulls him closer to her, so that her shoulder is touching him. They both blush, but only Kimiko has enough control to allow herself to settle into a smile.

“We’re friends Jack.” She whispers, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Of course we are…Kimiko.” Jack says it like for the first time he believes it.

“Yes, good friends.”

“Friends.” Jack stops blushing as retracts his head into his jacket, growing a huge grin.

“Jack…I-” She mumbles something inaudible to Jack.

“What was that Kimiko?” He looks down towards her.

“Huh…nothing Jack.” She closes her eyes briefly as she breaths in the mountain air. “It’s hard to believe you did what you did Jack…” She suddenly returns to her old Kimiko tough tone.

Jack appears relieved rather than disappointed. “I can hardly believe it, Kimiko. To think though…all the times I went unnoticed with my inventions because I was hunting Wu…the one time I use them for something else…I get caught.” Softly he laughs.

“I’d like to visit your new lair.” Kimiko interrupts. The subject had to be changed lest Jack become upset. “Could I, Jack…have tea with you and the boys?”
Jack stares for a moment before feeling her hand tighten around his and he nods. As if in his own hand there was a button she could have pressed.

“Wonderful, Jack…I’ll be over Tuesday, I have the day off then…” She lowers her gaze to the ground.

“Anything.” Jack breaths the word, sounding far more desperate then he would have liked.

She just smiles…giving his sweating palm one more squeeze before letting it go. She begins to walk away, but stops and turns to him one final time.

“We are dear friends Jack.”

Description
The Aftermath

Part Two of Two

The wind sways the red spikes, uncovered and shifting through the breeze. Goggles down, Jack trudges through the sudden draft, taking literally one small step at a time.

“Why does she always have to pick the worst possible places-” Jack freezes, losing his breath.

His heart slows to a stop. Her raven pigtails blowing in the winter breeze, glowing azure eyes that stand out through the bitter cold and her brand new shapely and expensive coat…ink and yellow with white fur on the ends. She’s looking off in another direction, and tucks one of her curly sideburn extensions behind her ear before crossing her arms and shivering with the sudden draft.

Sighing to himself, Jack just watches her stand there. The wind seems to take the time to try and go around her as not to make her cold. She looks so delicate, though Jack knows otherwise.

“Jack!” Her cry alerts him.

Jack’s eyes refocus to see reality. Instinct drives him to walk towards her, his feet moving mechanically as his brain slowly warms up. She smiles as he stops before her…and to Jack, appears to blush a little as well. It may just be his imagination…or Jack Frost nipping at her porcelain face.
“Hey there Kimiko. Terrible weather.” His own twist on the infamous small talk they often shared before talking about anything interesting.

“Hey Jack. Sorry…my PDA said clear skies.” She apologizes sheepishly.

Jack shrugs. He lightly adjusts his goggles before wiping the frost from them with his ragged black sleeve. Kim smiles, warming his frozen bare fingertip a little.

“Well…I don’t see any clouds.” He smiles, slightly giving her a glimpse of his abnormal smile.

Kimiko turns her eyes from it and pretends not to notice. His teeth are not exactly white…so his unusually sharp smile does not directly catch her attention.

“I guess you should have checked for wind and not just rain…” Jack leans his head to the side trying to reach her over the wind.

Kimiko shakes her head. She stares at him for a moment before stifling an embarrassed chuckle.

“S-Sorry Jack. The cold gets to me.” Spying a log she nudges Jack towards it. “Maybe if I sit…”

“R-R-Right.” Jack stutters.

He would have to sit next to her.

Kimiko and Jack mumble a few comments about the uncomfortable weather as they head for the log. But as soon as the two sit they suddenly find themselves at a loss for words. They sit in silence for a few moments, Kimiko fumbling with her pigtails and Jack adjusting the goggles on his face. Kimiko breaks the silence.

“Jack…” She turns from him. “Do you know why I help you?”
He begins to blush, somehow finding a deeper meaning in her comment.

“N-No Kimiko.” He nervously quivers.

She looks up at the sky. “It’s because…you’re all alone.” Craning her head down so her chin is tucked in the soft fur of her coat Kimiko looses her train of thought.

The crisps air rushes by and on into the mountain and in-between the trees. For a moment Kimiko feels as if her mind left with the wind.

She breathes in the warm air circulating the fabric, and it almost revives her. “I know you have Good Jack…and Robo-Jack. But they… they’re not friends.”

“I have plenty of friends.” Jack falsely claims, digging his thumb into his black coat.

Kimiko turns to him, her eyes soft.

“I know Omi threatens you, though he’s tried to be your friend. I know Rai…well he plain just doesn’t like you Jack.” Giggling softly Kimiko wraps the curly end of her hair around her slender finger. “Clay doesn’t mind your antics much, when you behave.”

“I don’t need friends.” Jack grumbles crossing his arms and pouting at the cold itself.

Kimiko shifts her position to face him. A few stray strands of hair fall over her face. Jack is captivated instantly, not exactly by what she has to say…but to offer physically.
The raven strands float about her face with the light continuous draft that seems to encircle the two. Above all he can’t help but look into her eyes.

“Then why do you come to meet me?” Her question is straight forward and direct.

She waits for an answer. But Jack is still focused on her eyes. He blinks as he lets his brain run the sentence over in his head again before saying anything.

“Kimiko…” He begins to blush as he sees the fluster grow in her cold face. “…it’s because I need to get away from those other two once in awhile! And I don‘t need friends Kimiko…ugh, are you gonna start lecturing me again? I don‘t need this.” His entire attitude changes as he puts himself back on the defensive. Jack wraps his arms around himself and turns from her before sliding off the log.

“Jack…” Kimiko darts her mitten covered hand forwards to grab his shoulder.

He stops, he always stops. Anything for her and she knows it. Lifting slowly from her seat Kimiko fights a sudden rush of wind to stand. As her feet touch the ground she catches a bit of ice and begins to fall.

“Uh-oh!” Kimiko slips backwards, her arms flailing wildly.

Jack instantly turns to look and without a second thought throws his arms out and grabs a hold of the hood of her sweater. He does not posses enough strength to pull her completely up but leans forwards and grabs onto the log with one of his hands. He stops her from hitting the ground…one arm around her waist and the other behind him as he grasps with all his might to a branch of the log.

“A-Are you ok-ay…” Jack sighs.

Kimiko lets loose a held breath. She stares at him for a moment, and she notices everything beginning to move extremely slow…Jack’s grasp is lost with the morning frost and he tumbles on top of her.

Groaning, he props himself up and shakes his head. It is only her small whimper that alerts him that she is there. He looks down into her eyes wide and alarmed, her chest heaving up and down in long deep breaths. Jack rolls off of her and to his feet.

“Kimiko! I’m so sorry! Please don’t kill me! I was trying to help I swear!” Jack pleads clasping his hands together.

She gets up slowly and cracks her aching back. Looking down at the spot where she would have fallen she sees a pointed shard of bark sticking out of the ground. Touching the side of her sweater she feels the ripped fabric…and something wet…

“Blood!” Kimiko breaths looking at the faint red liquid on her fingertips. She feels her side.
It isn’t hers.

Jack holds onto his forearm now, hissing at the sting of the slash. He whimpers as he hops up and down in pain. “Holy mother of Chase Young! That hurts!”

Kimiko rushes to his side and stops him from bouncing.

“Let me see, Jack.” Tenderly she grabs a hold of his arm.

Leading him back to the log Kimiko assures him the wound is not that deep and that he will be fine. Jack sits reluctantly a bit ashamed at his behavior when he had just done something kinda cool for once. But Kimiko does not seem to mind as she rolls his sleeve back exposing the wound to the cold.

“Leave it open for a little bit. The cold air will keep it from swelling. Are you okay though?” Her small soft glove covered hand is resting over his.

Kimiko does not seem to notice their position. Two young adults sitting with each other on a log in the woods with a light layer of crisp snow blanketing the scenery…everything a romantic moment calls for.

But Jack is never that lucky and though he would want nothing more than to embrace her and even possibly…kiss her…but, it would never work.

“Thanks.” He sheepishly turns from her, his pale face aflame.

“Your welcome Jack.” She attempts to peer over his shoulder. “You sure your all right?”

“Yeah…I’m super…thanks for asking.” Jack mumbles.

“Jack…before I, uh fell…” Kimiko begins slowly. “I…I was going to tell you something and rather than never get the opportunity to say it, well…I’ll say it…”

Jack lifts his form just a bit and turns to her quizzically.

“What exactly were you going to say?”

“Jack…” Kimiko takes a deep breath. “I know you screwed up and I know you feel bad for what happened to your parents…but…really it’s not your fault. I know all you want is a friend…or something more…”

Jack had begun to tense, but her last mumble caught his attention drastically. He had to turn to her at that very instant.

“What was that?”

“That…the last-oh, nothing. I was…just rambling-I’m sorry.” Kimiko blushes and turns from Jack. “I was just trying to say that I lecture because…I kinda care what happens to you now. I think it’s the maternal instincts kicking in ya know. And now that I’m, more mature…I can see why you are the way you are, Jack.” She twiddles her thumbs. “A boy with all the brains in the world…who can’t stand to be in the dark. A super genius who couldn’t make toast if he wanted to…all brain, little common sense and no brawn to speak of.”

“Oh thanks.” Jack grumbles.

“No offense. Really you’re still a silly boy. All of the antics, the robots, the mishaps… It’s what makes you Jack Spicer, you know…and I guess I, respect that now.”

Jack’s ears open wider to sounds he never knew existed…words he had never dreamed of hearing with his name. Respect. Kimiko of all people…respects him.

Jack sighs heavily. That was everything he ever wanted to hear.

--

The table is full, a rare occasion for the Jack Spicer three-o. Jack is sitting at the head with his bowl of cereal and Robo- Jack and Good Jack sit diagonally to him on the other side. Good Jack constantly goes back and forth from his seat to the stove as Robo-Jack balances his fork on his nose.

“Cut that out. If you bend it, we can’t get replacements.” Jack waves his finger disapprovingly at his creation.
Robo-Jack lets the utensil fall from his nose. “What am I supposed to do then?”

It lands, the small tap of the metal hitting wood filling the silence before it falls over on its side unharmed and humming. Jack glares at his robot warningly.

“I dunno.” Jack mumbles as he picks up a magazine Kimiko gave him. “It is lunch time, why don’t cha eat someth’n?” He offers, his attention towards the bot decreasing by the moment.

“I would but I cannot eat yet…you’re negligent to upgrade me.” Robo-Jack monotony states as picks his fork up and begins to balance it on his finger.

Jack glares at his creation from the top of his magazine.
“Sorry…but a stomach, taste buds…time and money Robo-
Me. Plenty of time-no money.” He sighs as he shoves a good sized scoop of cereal into his mouth.

“Sure we have plenty of time…but without the parts and equipment the chances of you getting that upgrade is fairly scarce…” Good Jack sighs slightly distressed at the thought. “But when the world gets tough…smiling is a good way to say…in your face evil!”

He pours a quart of oil into a bowl and spins to the table. Setting it down before Robo-Jack, he pirouettes and leaps back to the stove.

“Oh Jackey…lease next time you see Kimiko…thank her for me. Without her we wouldn’t have any tea!” Good Jack begins to scramble his counterpart’s eggs.

“Yeah. Blah.” Jack glares at the tea. “I’d give anything to have all soda again…but tea is cheaper.” Jack sighs.

“Naturally. But do thank dear sweet Kimiko for me. You aren‘t on best terms with the dragons after all…we‘re so lucky she has been so kind.”

Jack lowers the magazine and slowly peers at his arm. Now it’s all wrapped up but before that Kimiko had held it so tenderly in the cold air to keep it from swelling. She was blushing and Jack…

“Why are you blushing?” Robo-Jack points with nothing better to do as he sips his oil. “I wish I could taste this so I can complain…blah.”

Jack ignores his robot and lifts the magazine to cover his flushed face. An article on winter fashion pops up in the mechanics monthly. A cute shapely girl with hips and bust in the same sweater Kimiko had…though she looked so much prettier.

“Are you thinking of Kimiko?” Good Jack pops up from nowhere, now cheek to cheek with his other half.

“Get away!” Jack shoves his good self off of him. “And so what if I was…not that I was!”

“She seems to be meeting you more lately.” Robo-Jack admits.

“And Kimiko does seem to be putting more care into the supplies she sends us…I remember when she used to leave out your precious junk food…and here in this box are pudding cups!” Good Jack cheers. “She must have certain feelings for a certain someone…” He pokes Jack’s cheek before pinching it full force. “How sweet!”

“Back off of it, goodie-goodie!” Jack smacks his other self from his face. “Kimiko isn’t like that with me…she‘s trying to be nice that‘s all. She feels sorry for us!”

“Let me see, Jack.” Tenderly she grabbed a hold of his arm.

“But she has been nicer to you lately.” Good Jack points out. “All of it seems rather genuine to me.”

“Do you know why I help you?”

“She seems to be headed somewhere with this unnecessary prevision action.” Robo-Jack interrupts. “She’s up to something…Kimiko would never be this kind to us. She hates us!”

“No offense. Really you’re still a silly boy. All of the antics, the robots, the mishaps… It’s what makes you Jack Spicer, you know…and I guess I, respect that now.”
Good Jack’s hand rests on his counterpart’s shoulder. “Jack…do you still feel the same way towards her?”

“Do you even think you have a chance?” Robo-Jack snickers.

“I know all you want is a friend…or something more…”

She had meant something by that.

“All you want is a friend…”

Something deep down behind the sentence, between the lines.

“…or something more…”

Kimiko was hinting, she must have been hinting…

“Something more”

So many indications with the word.

“…more…”

The other two take a step back from Jack. His white skin tinting brown and his eyes shut tight as his tail wraps around the chair intertwining through the bars. His spine cracks slightly and Jack slams his hand down on the table to relieve the pressure.

With a swipe of his hand everything on the table is thrown full force against the cave wall and Jack is left heaving before suddenly passing out cold, face down on the table.

“Oh Jackey!” Good Jack squeals jumping forwards to his counterparts side.

Shaking Jack lightly he is relieved to hear a few small coughs coming from him. Rubbing his back, Good Jack pries the staff from Jack’s hands. In his thoughts it had been instinct to grab a hold of it…an action that nowadays causes the boy more pain than pleasure in states like this.
Good Jack folds his hands together as he heads for the broom. He shakes his head making small tsk noises as he returns with a dustpan.

Robo-Jack takes a look at his creator. So vulnerable to his emotions at the moment. The whole matter makes him glad to be a Robot.

Poor Jack on the other hand, is unconscious on the table…and though his face is void of expression upon close inspection one can see the slightest faltering of his thick eyebrows.

Jack sits in his old basement quietly working on a robot.
Crashing through the wall comes the monks all dressed in black.

Jack squeals as he makes a run for it.
Out of nowhere a figure appears before him.
Jack stops as everything is silenced, viewing with aw the girl before him.

She is dressed in white, so beautiful and pure, truly an angel.

Jack reaches out for her and she takes his hand softly.
Kimiko pulls Jack to her, cradling him to her chest.
Jack sighs relieved…until he hears the screaming.
Out of nowhere the Xiaolin boys rips him from her.
Jack backs away but they follow.
A small cracking noise is heard.

Jack swings his clawed hand around once and all the boys disappear.

Kimiko runs away, terrified…and Jack cries.
Everything happens so fast. And indeed a small tear rolls down Jack’s cold cheek as he slumbers upon the table.

--

Swishing…with every thought, every outrage, every melancholy cheer…every sad whimper. The tail swished for everything, all day and all night. It had appeared after the nightmare…and even worse Jack was not even in possession of the monkey staff when he awoke. And when attempted, to his dismay Jack discovered he could not get rid of the thing. The tail refused to leave his person.
How would Kimiko take this? She would be worried most of all…she seemed to worry about him more and more these days.

“Jack! Stop starring off into space and come here!” She giggles as she ushers him towards her, as if there were magnets in her calling palms and he was a giant piece of metal.

Jack automatically heads for her, like a loyal dog he briskly walks in the melting snow. Stopping before her he returns her warm smile and follows her to the edge of the lake they often met at.

Her attire for today: pigtails, a vest with a navy blue long sleeve shirt and plain brown pants with some hiking boots.

“It’s so nice today, isn’t it?” Jack nods quickly. “I love the beginning of the year. What was your new years eve resolution?” She asks.

Jack scratches his head, thinking hard. “…to…uh. Um…well to not go to jail I guess.”

Kimiko chuckles, covering her mouth with one hand as it turns into a giggle. “It should be…to be a good guy. You need to repent.” She shoves her hands in her pockets and smiles widely. “You should consider it...at the least.”

“What…was yours?” Jack asks turning to her. He too shoves his hands in his pockets.

Kimiko’s face is covered with an instant hue of red. “Well…” She lets out a dry laugh and turns away from Jack. “My resolution…is to…tell this guy I like…that I like him…” She coughs. “More than just a friend.” Her hands flee her pockets and try to cover her red face.

Jack feels his heart sink. Raimundo Pedrosa, the tan, buff, spunky leader of the Xioalin Dragons. That’s who her crush is…who else could it be?

“Th-That’s a good resolution Kimiko.” Jack mumbles, digging his fisted hands deeper into his pockets as he slowly grinds his teeth. “I hope you get to tell him.” He shifts his eyes to her, and her beautiful blushing face.
“I will.” Kimiko states turning to Jack with a new kind of light in her eyes.

Something odd he had never seen before is in there. Sure there is the life…the fire, spark, respect…everything else…just something else added to it in the mere seconds she had turned away and back.

He barley feels his cheeks heating up as her half open eyes flutter her eyelashes at him.

Jack stares back, a small smile creeping over his face as her eyes continue to flutter. They are standing directly next to each other starring for the longest time, until together they turn to look at the water. They shiver every now and then with a small gust of new years wind.

“How are the other two?” Kimiko offers a chance to break the silence.

“They’re…fine. Good me says hi.”

“That all?”

“He said some other stuff…but, my tongue would fall off if I repeated something so sappy.”

Kimiko giggles. “Is your robot in good shape? He is the only one you have left…”

“I keep him in the best shape I can. He’s doing very well overall. Good me re-programmed him fairly well. He listens now…it’s hard though because I know he wants to be updated. Before I would have told him to forget about it, but he has been behaving since mom and dad…”
Kimiko lowers her head. “I know Jack.” She whispers. “You don’t have to remind me…or yourself…”

“It seems that, even though he’s a robot…he feels my pain and he understands. Before all of this he never listened or cared about what happened to me.”

“That’s because he spent all his time trying to be better than you.” Kimiko giggles into her shoulder. “Don’t you remember when he locked you out of your own house…and pretended to be you? Sounds to me like the bot wants to be human. We all do.”

Jack cannot help but sweat. His tail lashing beneath his clothes threatens to wiggle free but Jack takes a deep breath and it calms down.

“I want to be human.” Jack mutters beneath his breath. He had not intended for Kimiko to hear, he was just thinking out loud.

“Jack…you are human.”

“I guess.” Jack’s eyes halfway close as they stare beyond the water and into nothingness.

Kimiko shifts her position to stand between Jack and his thoughts. “You guess? Jack how can you say something like that knowing how you are?”

“How I am?” One of Jack’s eyebrows rise. “Kimiko I don’t think…”

“…You think too much.” She pouts. “Just don’t say that, ever again…”

Jack stares at her, the way he would his own reflection. He just does not understand. Try as he might…what is she getting at? Her purpose? Her angle? Her loyalties?

A soft small hand grasps his and Jack’s entire body jumps. He looks down at her, but she is looking at the lake. Mouth slightly open and head turned he bores the image of her in his mind…her hand holding his by the lake with a small gust of wind moving her raven hair out of place.

Something slides over Kimiko’s hand. It goes over the top, around the palm and wounds itself around her wrist. Kimiko lightly turns her head to see the small reddish brown appendage and trails it back to Jack’s coat. He is too busy starring at the lake to notice, and she is too touched to care…as it gives her wrist a small squeeze before slipping back into the Jacket.

“Jack.”

“Yeah, Kimiko?”

“If you ever…say, hurt yourself, would you be too ashamed to tell me?”

“Wh-Kimiko…there’s nothing wrong with me…” A
questioning look covers Jack’s face.
Kimiko pulls him closer to her, so that her shoulder is touching him. They both blush, but only Kimiko has enough control to allow herself to settle into a smile.

“We’re friends Jack.” She whispers, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Of course we are…Kimiko.” Jack says it like for the first time he believes it.

“Yes, good friends.”

“Friends.” Jack stops blushing as retracts his head into his jacket, growing a huge grin.

“Jack…I-” She mumbles something inaudible to Jack.

“What was that Kimiko?” He looks down towards her.

“Huh…nothing Jack.” She closes her eyes briefly as she breaths in the mountain air. “It’s hard to believe you did what you did Jack…” She suddenly returns to her old Kimiko tough tone.

Jack appears relieved rather than disappointed. “I can hardly believe it, Kimiko. To think though…all the times I went unnoticed with my inventions because I was hunting Wu…the one time I use them for something else…I get caught.” Softly he laughs.

“I’d like to visit your new lair.” Kimiko interrupts. The subject had to be changed lest Jack become upset. “Could I, Jack…have tea with you and the boys?”
Jack stares for a moment before feeling her hand tighten around his and he nods. As if in his own hand there was a button she could have pressed.

“Wonderful, Jack…I’ll be over Tuesday, I have the day off then…” She lowers her gaze to the ground.

“Anything.” Jack breaths the word, sounding far more desperate then he would have liked.

She just smiles…giving his sweating palm one more squeeze before letting it go. She begins to walk away, but stops and turns to him one final time.

“We are dear friends Jack.”