"…Jules." He's looking at her, strangely. She doesn't like this look, not the way he seems torn between being serious and…
Breaking down.
She frowns, focusing her attention on him fully, stepping to her father with a questioning look. His hand reaches out, but it's shaking as it lands heavily on her shoulder. He normally doesn't touch her like this, intimacy within the family was sparse. But he seems…remorseful.
"Julie…I…" He sighs, steeling himself before he speaks again, eyes full of tears.
"…I checked your health remember? Yesterday? You…we got the results…" Her heart twinges a little, nodding slowly. He makes a choked noise, then continues.
"You're…you're dying, sweetie. You have…3 hours." Her breathing stops, eyes wide as she stares up at her father. He…wasn't serious, was he? But the look on his face-
"This place was meant to keep you healthy…I don't know how this happened Jules I…I'm so so-" But she's backing away, shaking her head slowly. No…she thought her sickness was cured! That's why she joined the Burners! Her eyes fill with tears, and she turns and rushes off.
She has…she's got to tell them. Her dad doesn't chase her, eyes cast to the floor as the tears slowly roll down his cheeks and drip onto the floor.
She's within Motorcity within the hour, standing before the garage with tears in her eyes. That's how Chuck finds her, staring at her car while silently crying.
"…Jules? What-" He's cut off when she turns to him, and the pure emotion on her face stops him dead. Something looked like it was literally tearing her up on the inside, like she…like she was dying. She chokes, sobbing softly as she walks to him and slowly envelops him in a hug. He stay's mute, nervous but returning it.
"I'm sorry, Chuck…look after Mike for me…please." Her words confuse him, but he slowly nods, rubbing her back briefly. That is, before she runs off. He watches her go, confused, but doesn't move. Something doesn't sit right, mostly in her words. So, he begins trying to find any pieces of information he can from Deluxe.
Meanwhile, Jules is making her way to Dutch, who's painting. Her small arms easily wrap around him, face burying into his back. He jumps in surprise, but see's the familiar hands of the female Burner and smirks.
"Affectionate, are you, demon?" She mumbles something, which makes him frown a little. She's never really quiet, not like this, so he turns a little to look at her. She backs away, a broken smile on her lips. That, set's off alarm bells, but he can't do much before she plants a light kiss on his cheek, then scampers away.
He wonders briefly what that was, but decides he will ask later.
Mentally she's ticking everyone off, and decides she needs to tell Mikey. And Mikey alone. But not now, she has to say goodbye to Texas.
She finds him pounding at his Kane Punch bag, and calls out, softly.
"T-texas…?" The stutter is enough to stop him, casting a confused glance to the female. She wasn't the type for stuttering so why-
He becomes more confused as he finds lips pressed to his, briefly, before she pulls back and embraces him for a few moments.
"…uh, Jules?"
"…I'm sorry Texas I…I love you. I have to go talk to Mikey…just…I love you." The confession stuns him, eying her as she retreats to find their leader. In the end he's elated, and decides to wait till she's talked to Mikey before he says anything to her.
Mikey, is as per usual, lounging on Mutt. He hears her coming, opening his eyes with a smile-
But it drops when he see's how scared she looks, and the tears that don't seem to stop.
"Jules! What's-" Jules wraps her arms around him before he can finish. He stares down at his little sister, scared. Why was she being so…clingy? What was happening that scared her so much…?
"M-mikey I…I'm dying." She leans back, staring up at his stunned face for a few seconds. She's not lying, or playing. He can tell. Just by how scared and alone she looks.
"…W- how? This isn't…!" She raises a hand to silence him, taking a deep breath.
"I-…I'm Kane's…daughter. He made Deluxe…be-because of me." She rubs away some of the tears in her eyes, but she's still crying no matter what she does. She gives in, continuing her explanation while he's silent.
"I…I always used to get sick…The doctors said I was going to die…B-but Dad made Deluxe…and I was healthy again. I…I thought it was gone so…I assumed it was okay to come down here…" Mikey feels a twinge in his heart, sitting back down on Mutt's hood as he listens. Quietly, he opens his arms.
She easily falls into his embrace, shuddering as she cries.
"How long…?"
"…I only have an hour left…" His eyes shut, slowly. He nods, feeling the tears come on as he cradles her close. He buries his head into her hair, sobbing quietly along with her.
"M-mikey…Please…listen to me for a second…" He nods, reluctantly pulling back to look at his dying friend.
"P-please…live free…do it for me…" He nods again, bringing her back in to cry louder. She's slowly dying in his arms, and the others slowly gather as they hear Mike cry.
"Mike what's-…oh no…" Chuck stops before the others, glancing at Jules for a moment. His voice lowers to a whisper, cracking from emotion.
"Dude…Kane just announced that Julie Kane…Jules…is…she's dying." The other two Burner stare at Mike, who's holding the girl in his arms. Gently, Dutch moves over, feeling her skin. He winces, looking down as tears well in her eyes.
"…shit. She's…she's dead."