A/N: The content of this fan fiction is strong but given that it won't be too graphic I've decided to leave it at a T-rating. It's a cool thing to try out an ADJL fanfic even now but whether I can keep the ball rolling with ideas and motivation might make my updates few and far a part. I appreciate any reading, reviews or feed back. So don't be shy. ;) Thanks!

Chapter I: Trigger points.

"Young dragon," the man's wrinkled face stayed firm for a moment before slipping into a wide, sincere smile. "Congratulations," he took his grandson's hands in his own. It was the eve of Jacob Luke Long's fifteenth birthday. And, as approved upon by the Council…

"I'm graduating." a grin spread across the teenager's own face, brightening his dark eyes.

"Yes," Lao shi assented in a deep, raspy voice, bowing his head.

"It's all because of you, Grandpa." Jake told him while taking his hands back and placing one on the short Chinese man's right shoulder. "It's been a struggle, but totally worth it!"

In a surprise gesture, even as Fu Dog and Jake's friends filed out from the back room, the American Dragon's grandfather jolted across the front table and clasped his grandson in a hug not unlike Jacob had given his father six months earlier. This caused Jake to let out a gasp. "Gramps," He whispered, still startled. But, finally, he leaned across and did it also.

It was so hard to resist a moment like this.

OoO

"Let's see…" Rose murmured to herself as she scrolled down her laptop computer's list of unanswered e-mails. "Huh." she frowned. "Nothing from Jake. But I thought I sen him a-"

When the girl checked her bilingual Spam box, she was surprised to discover a good forty e-mails dating back two weeks earlier. That was odd. Rose could have sworn her finals for a full college-course-class sophomore year application had not taken two weeks. But when she checked her filter she saw that it wasn't on the proper setting. Rose groaned and sunk her mop of honey-blonde curls into her arms; It had been two weeks since she had sent a single e-mail to Jake, three weeks since their last phone call - and two months since their last visit. Guilty tears stung her dark blue eyes and she sighed as she checked a pamphlet.

There was just so much going on in her new life; her college bound life; that any sort of long - distance relationship was becoming impossible. But, then, this wasn't your normal kind of relationship. Rose hugged herself and rested her forehead against the lament-wood desk.

It was so hard to keep from noting how controlled her life was even now.

How false and how untrue the fate of her wish had turned out.

But it was too late. Jake, like many other things in Rose's life, would have to wait.

OoO

"Later man!" Spud burst through the front door as Jake returned home.

"See ya, Jakey, got a date with Kyle." Trixie added coquettishly as she passed him on the opposite side of the way Spud took. "Yer mama's doin' fine; just keep an eye on'er boy."

"But, hey," the American Dragon tried halting them with a hand out. "What about-?"

"Your inaugural thing," Trixie called back.

"We'll totally be there to help you get ready for it tomorrow." Spud assured him loudly.

"That's not for two weeks, guys." Jake almost pleadingly tried to stop them.

But they were on their skateboards and racing off.

"Kyle, here I come!" Trixie declared.

"Stacey, for the win!" Spud laughed while striking his fists in air; excited for their out-of-the closest first advancement. Jake's hand fell dishearteningly to his side at their departing him:

"Uh, okay then!" He called after their shadowed forms. "See you…" his voice dropped to a softer pitch as he dropped his other hand limply. "Later guys. I'll… see you tomorrow then."

The teenaged boy took a deep breath and headed into his home with the start of a smile at the fact that him and his father had been getting along so great lately. Since Rose and he hadn't been able to see much of each other, they both had taken every other afternoon to get to know each other better. And since his mother was well on her way to delivering the newest addition of their family - Jake thought with a smile - it would only be getting better.

"Hi, Mom, Dad, Haley!" He called out happily to everyone, his thoughts shifting to how cool it would be to finally have a younger brother. "It's… Jakey! Your B-day boy now! Y'all around?"

But no response came.

Jake dropped his raised arms and wondered. As he continued to call out to them and start to check the house out, a note on the refrigerator caught his attention. The boy cocked his head to the side and strolled over curiously to pick the little adhesive sheet from off the top of the fridge where the freezer started. Shocked, Jake looked down at himself and noticed that his height had acquired another inch from the inch he had grown last month; He smiled.

"All right!"

What the note said, however, killed his brief moment of joy.

Jacob,

Your mother and I visited the hospital. Haley is coming home soon so you'll need to start dinner. We're very proud of you and will see you tonight. Happy pre B-day Jake-a-rooster in five daysers!

All our love,

Dad and Mom.

P.S. If your friends come over and say they we're checking in on your mom, think twice.

Five days! His birthday was tomorrow...

Jake furrowed his forehead and turned to glance over at the new game console that lay on the coffee table in the family room. He raised a brow wryly and crumpled the note up in a state of discontentment. Carelessly the teen whirled on his heel and tossed it into the pile of garbage by the fridge without looking back once. Reclaiming enthuse, he went up to his room to check his e-mail. She had to have remembered. Jake was the love of her life after all, regardless of what circumstances had arisen. There would never be another for Jacob.

To actually fall in love with someone else wasn't just hard to imagine; it was impossible.

OoO

Dressed in her casual sun dress, the Korean Dragon sat down on her computer and typed some e-mails to her family and friends back home. Interested to see how Haley had been doing now that she had graduated dragon training, Sun also checked her inbox. The sight of no replies from her former pupil saddened her a little - it had been a month and a half since she had taught the little now nine-year-old and nearly two months since she'd seen any of the Longs or even Lao Shi but such was life. The woman knew it would all go on eventually.

She was about to sign off of her flat-screen monitor when she saw that a notice had been passed along about Jake Long's inauguration into being the official American Dragon; It was then that she remembered it was his birthday. Sun shook her head at her occasional lapse in memory and sent him a quick e-mail to congratulate the young man. She smiled musingly:

Jake had always been such a case of doubt; she hoped with of all this his confidence had come up: Dear Jacob, Happy Birthday. I'm sure you and your family are doing well and I want to wish you luck on your inauguration in two weeks. I'll be sure to see you there in person as well.

Sun Park.

The woman hit 'send'.

OoO

Disappointment couldn't have shown more plainly on Jake's face.

"Nothing." He said aloud, glumly clicking off of his browser. 'Nothing' he thought now.

There wasn't one e-mail from Rose.

The languid-ridden teen was about to plop down on the bed and do his homework when a ping! sounded announcing the arrival of mail. Jake turned back around in his swivel chair excitedly and was grinning ear-to-ear when he clicked on the throbbing little box that had always secretly been his substitute pulse when he couldn't feel his own. Instead of wiping away his anticipation like everything else today had Jake could feel his curiosity perking up.

It was an e-mail from Sun Park.

After reading it with slight interest - and deciding against forwarding it to the delete box - a twinge of appreciation that someone had remembered his birthday came to Jake's heart. He clicked up a fresh, white reply sheet and started a longer e-mail back to thank the woman.

Sun,

Haven't seen or spoken with you for a while. Er, sorry. Yeah, I'm really psyched for the official dragon ceremony thing. It's cool you remembered after all these months about my birthday too.

Bye.

He clicked 'send' and leaned back in his chair a moment to think.

High School was just around the corner and eighth grade never felt like it had happened. In such a short time Jake was going to have full control of the city and all it's dwellings. In such a short time the barely fifteen-year-old was going to be entering young adulthood to begin a life that in the back of Jake's mind would be dull and devoid of all fun. He did want to grow up and he did want to make his family and friends proud. Mr. Long loved them enough to do whatever it took to ensure a safe city. What Jake wasn't so sure of is if he would be able to.

Ping!

The little square of the gray box seemed to pulsate just a little bit faster.

Jake smiled a limp, sideways smile and clicked on it to find it was in invitation from Sun.

Sorry we haven't seen more of each other as well, Jake. Listen, my thirty-fifth birthday is this month as well. If you wanted to ask your sister, I would contact Lao shi and see if the two would like to have a sort of August birthday celebration at that new tea shop that's a few blocks down from his shop. If your interested, just let me know and we will go ahead.

Sun.

The invitation was somehow strangely gratifying to Jake and he typed her a reply back.

I'll get right to it.

Thanks,

Jake.

He hesistated a moment but then backspaced and typed his real, full name instead.

Jacob Luke.

This new, odd feeling didn't leave him even as he tried to go and concentrate on his work.

To be continued…

Lavenderpaw.