The Art of Courting

Chapter One

By: Bellaluna

Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or its characters. Please don't go copying or stealing this fic though. I put a lot of effort into it.

Author's Notes: Oh snap. So I finished my other JackxKimiko fic, "You Remind Me" (which you should all go check out if you haven't yet) and I was inspired with a brand new JackxKimiko plot! Enjoy

Chapter One

Kimiko had been preparing for this moment for nearly all her life. Since she had been old enough to understand she had known what fate her parents had in store for her. At first she had been upset about it, but in time she came to accept it as part of her life. In fact it seemed to become the easiest choice in her life after so many other choices she needed to make. The fate of the world didn't depend on this one choice. The only thing depending on this choice was her life, and his. He would certainly be affected as well. Wouldn't he?

The only problem was she didn't know who he was.

Long ago Kimiko had known that her parents had settled her betrothal to some other couple's son in order to create a hopefully fortuitous bond between their two companies. She never objected to the idea of an engagement to a complete stranger. It was her duty as the only Tohomiko heir to honor her parents' wishes and do as she was told. Of course that didn't stop her from having a little fun with some other boys along the way. After all she was a normal, healthy teenage girl, though she wasn't even that anymore. Her twenty-first birthday was only a few weeks away. Now a young adult she was finally to be introduced to her soon to be husband; her fiancée. Despite preparing for this moment her entire life, Kimiko was still terribly, horribly nervous. There wasn't much that set her into such a state of nervousness, but then again nothing she had faced had been so…personal. Sure, becoming a Xiaolin Dragon was huge and life changing, not to mention dangerous, but it had never really fazed her. If anything it excited her, made her life a little less drab. However getting married was a change she couldn't even begin to fathom.

With a final gasp of extra air Kimiko reached out and pushed the large oak doors open and stepped into the already crowded ballroom. Several sounds of awe and revered whispers spread throughout the room as she entered it, wearing her recently purchased and tailored frosty pink ball gown. The light airy fabric swished noisily around her as she tried to calmly search out her parents, her cheeks turned pink from all the attention. She liked attention, but this was just ridiculous. She never liked the fancy ball gowns that her parents insisted she wear to balls and fancy dress parties. It was almost as bad as when her parents made her wear her kimono to meetings and other formal events. Almost.

Unsuccessful in the search for her parents Kimiko settled for any kind of familiar face, and yet she couldn't seem to find that. Of course she recognized many of the guests; all big business types, but none of them were people she was actually interested in speaking with. She was certain most of them would bore her to death with talk of business or overwhelm her with unnecessary compliments in hope to please her and thus please her parents.

Sighing, Kimiko turned, her dress swirling about her, ready for a retreat to the nearest caterer with a try of appetizers. She let out a cry when instead she crashed into the back of one of the surrounding guests.

"Oh!" she gasped as she backed away a step, steadying herself.

"That's alright," the guest replied as he turned to face her.

Kimiko looked up to smile at him but as her eyes came to rest on his the smile quickly faded. His all too familiar eyes looked just as shocked at she felt upon taking a good look at him. He was taller, yes, and his skin had a bit more color to it but that same hair, those same red eyes and the same black marks below those eyes, the young man before her was none other than…

"JACK SPICER!"

Immediately Kimiko leapt back, guests spilling out of the way and staring at the sudden upset that had taken place. Hiking up her skirt with one hand Kimiko assumed her usual fighting stance. She snarled at the once evil nemesis. They hadn't seen each other a number of years, but she was taking no chances. Who knew what he had waiting for her, just to ruin this crucial night.

Jack meanwhile had dumped the plate of appetizers he had held to the floor and stepped into a battle stance of his own. Kimiko had never known him to fight on his own, but who knows what he had been up too after he disappeared. She wasn't counting out his Jackbots though so she kept an eye out, looking all around.

Finally she dashed forward, her fist aimed at Jack's face. Much to her shock, Jack acted fast and almost on reflex grabbed her wrist, twisting her arm and pulling her body up against his.

"I didn't know you missed me so much Kimicup," Jack's eerie voice whispered in her ear, his lips all together too close for her liking. She shivered in disgust and found enough room to jab her elbow in Jack's stomach, causing him to release his hold on her and stumble back a bit. Kimiko spun and readied herself for another quick attack. Using a roundhouse kick she attacked Jack's legs, sending her to the floor, holding his stomach in pain. Kimiko closed in on him, ready to attack if he made any sudden moves. "Jack Spicer, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded to know.

"I could ask you the same thing," Jack groaned.

"I happen to live here Jack. You on the other hand…"

"You…what?"

Before Kimiko could respond to how stupid Jack sounded, not understanding the most simple of concepts, she heard the familiar sound of her father clearing his throat behind her. She carefully peered over her shoulder at him. "Yes papa?" she asked tensely.

Her father had a strange grimace on his face and her mother stood next to him, looking extremely distraught and completely embarrassed. Her face was red and her gloved covered hands gracefully covered her gaping mouth.

"Kimiko, might I ask why on earth you are pummeling your fiancée in the middle of the ballroom?"

"My what?!" "Her what?!" Both cries came simultaneously.

"Yes, Kimiko," her mother nodded, her hands coming back down to her side. "Kimiko, I'd like you to meet Jack Spicer, your fiancée."

"Trust me," Kimiko said bluntly. "I've met him and he is not my fiancée."

"Oh dear," her mother said fanning herself with her hand. "I'm afraid he is though darling. Long ago we agreed with the Spicers that you would be betrothed to their son."

Kimiko balled her hands up into fists, her teeth clenched together as she attempted to hold in her anger at the situation at hand. She risked taking a look back over at Jack who was now back on his feet, a bruise forming around his eye. She smirked at that for a moment, proud of her work, but the smirk was wiped away when Jack looked just as shocked as she felt. Was it possible that he had not known about their engagement either? Kimiko had naturally assumed that Jack's presence there was just part of another one of his evil schemes.

Though, then again, Jack hadn't pulled off any evil schemes in quite some time. After she and the other Xiaolin Dragons had successfully beat Wuya, Chase Young and Hannibal Bean, Jack had disappeared. None of them heard from him ever again, that is of course, until today. That didn't mean that Kimiko was just going to believe that Jack was now on the side of all that is righteous and good. People just do not change like that.

"Father," Kimiko seethed, her fists clenched at her sides. "Might I remind you that this is the lunatic who tried to take over your company?!"

Kimiko's father tilted his head to one side as he apparently processed this detail. "Oh yes," he finally said with a nod. "I suppose I do recall that, but it was such a long time ago.

"Yes, and Jack's parent's have given such high compliments of him, so there's no possible way he'd try such a thing," Kimiko's mother added.

"Oh indeed," Mr. Spicer said in agreement. "Jack has far outlived that silly little phase in his life."

"You know teenagers," Mrs. Spicer smiled. "They always go through a rebellious stage."

"REBELLIOUS!?" Kimiko exclaimed. "He tried to take over the world for crying out loud! Teenagers do not seek world domination in order to rebel against their parents! Do you even pay attention to what your son does!?"

"Kimiko Tohomiko!" her mother gasped. She snatched Kimiko by the arm and pulled her even further away from Jack. "Your father and I did not raise you to act in such a manner! Now apologize to the Spicer's immediately!" she cried at the Spicers, who stood back looking extremely shocked at Kimiko's outburst.

Kimiko nearly bit her tongue as she held back the rage building up within her. She was about ready to tear up the entire ball room and throw the punch in everyone's face. However, she was momentarily distracted when she heard the ballroom doors creak open once again. She peered over at the entrance and suddenly her anger seemed to dissipate somewhat.

"Fine," Kimiko muttered. "I'm terribly sorry about all this. Now if you'll excuse me, my friends are here."

Without another word Kimiko spun on her heels, her gown still hiked up in her hand and sprinted for the entrance. There ahead of her were the people she needed the most at that very moment. They were older, they had changed, but they were still her very best friends. With one final sprint she flung herself at none other than Raimundo, Clay and Omi.

"Oh guys!" she cried. "I'm missed you all so much and you won't believe what's happened!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong missy," Clay said in a now much deeper, rougher accent. "But I do believe I detect a bit of moisture in those eyes of yours. Having a hard evening?"

Kimiko gasped, unaware that she had shed any tears, and roughly scrubbed at her face, getting rid of any tears. "You have no idea," she groaned.

"Does it have to do with this fiancée of yours?" Raimundo asked, his hand forming a fist in the air. "Is he a total creep? Let me take care of him for you!" he offered, all too eagerly.

"Be my guest," Kimiko sighed and stepped aside so that the three boys had a perfect view of the pale red-head gathering himself together at the other end of the ball room. Immediately, all three of the mouths fell open and their eyes widened in shock.

"K-Kimiko," Omi managed to sputter out, still starring over at Jack. "Are you to telling us that your betrothed is Jack Spicer?" he asked, in complete and utter disbelief.

"Yes Omi," she said. "That's exactly what I'm telling you."