A/N: This is my second American Dragon story (that I wrote not posted). I got the idea after reading through some of my earlier stories. By the way, I don't own American Dragon.

Chapter 1: Leaving

"Jake? What are you talking about?" Rose asked

"Look Rose. I have to do this. Lying to Dad, school, chores, dragon training. I feel like my head's going to burst. If I don't…I might do something drastic."

"Oh. So THIS isn't drastic?" she asked sarcastically. "Look. I have a plan to get rid of the Huntsclan. If we can get the skulls together, I can wish for the destruction of the Huntsclan…"

"That won't happen. Rose. That's the real reason I'm doing this. The vacation from the lying and the stress is really a cover. The truth is, I'm really keeping the huntsclan away from my family and the skull."

Before Rose could ask or do anything, Jake kissed her.

"Goodbye Rose." He said. "DRAGON UP!"

Rose watched as Jake transformed into the American Dragon and flew off.

When he was out of sight, she ran. She knew only one place she could go and get some straight answers.

0000

A few minutes later,

Rose entered Lao Shi's electronic shop to hear the owner yelling in Chinese.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"I'll tell you what's the matter." Fu Dog said. "One of the skulls vamoosed."

"What?" she asked as she looked in the safe for herself.

Sure enough, instead of three, she saw two Aztec skulls.

"It couldn't be the Huntsclan." She said. "

"That is true." Lao Shi said. "They would have taken all of them."

The phone started ringing.

Rose's mind went to her conversation a few minutes ago as Fu answered the phone.

Flashback

If we can get the skulls together, I can wish for the destruction of the Huntsclan…"

"That won't happen. That's the real reason I'm doing this. The vacation from the lying and the stress is a cover."

End Flashback.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lao Shi's Chinese swears.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"That was Jake's Mom." Fu said. "Apparently, he flew the coop."

"That's what he meant." Rose said to herself.

"What was that?" Fu asked.

"I think Jake took the missing skull to make sure the Huntsclan didn't get it." Rose said. "I bet it might have something to do with 88 and 89 seeing us together earlier tonight."

Flashback

"Nice moves out there." Jake said to Rose in an alley. He had turned human earlier and was meeting Rose.

"You weren't so bad yourself." Rose stated taking off her mask.

"So, dream date tonight?"

"You bet."

"Hold on. Eye of the Dragon."

Jake's eyes turned red as he looked behind Rose.

"We have company." He said.

"Come out!" she threatened.

Two young Huntsclan members stepped out. It was 88 and 89.

"You two are SO dead." She threatened.

"Not as dead as your going to be." 88 told her.

"You're letting a normal person see your identity." 89 informed her.

They ran off to go tattle.

"Meet me here in an hour." Jake told her.

End Flashback

"He's not taking ANY chances is he?" Fu asked.

"We were just lucky they didn't realize Jake's the American Dragon." She said.

"That is true." Lao Shi said. "Did Jake tell you where he went or when he will return?"

Rose shook her head.

"He just said he was going to keep the Huntsclan away from the skull under the pretense of taking a vacation from lying and all the stress involved in his life. Then he kissed me and flew off."

"What he might do," Fu suggested. "Is stop at various places. When he gets word of the Huntsclan, he might vanish again until he makes his way back to New York."

"The question is:" Rose said. "When will he return?"

"I have an idea!" Fu said dialing a few numbers. "Maybe I can get a hold of him."

"I'm sorry." A computerized voice said on the other line. "This number has been disconnected. Please hang up and try again."

"Say what?" The dog asked.

0000

At the Long residence,

Susan was sitting on the couch rereading Jake's letters with tears in her eyes.

Flashback

"Jake!" Susan called "Can you come here please?"

Silence.

"Jake?"

More silence.

Susan went up to her son's room expecting to see him lying on his bed. Jonathan had recently grounded him for sneaking out, and she had let Jake out for dragon duty. She heard him enter his room through the window an hour ago.

When she opened the door, she didn't see what she wanted to see. Her son.

"Jake?" she asked. "Where are you? This isn't funny."

She checked everywhere she could think of. She even went out of his room and knocked on the bathroom door. It was empty.

Susan went back into her son's room and saw two envelopes. One was addressed to her and the other one was addressed to her husband and herself. She opened the one for just her.

Mom,

Things have gotten too dangerous. According to Rose, the Huntsman is close to finding out my identity. I had to leave to keep you, Dad, and Haley safe. I took one of the Aztec skulls so the Huntsclan won't get all 13. If they want it, they'll have to go through me. I don't know where I'm going or if I'll be back. I wrote a separate note to Dad with no mention of magical creatures. My reason for him is stress. To tell you the truth, I was also getting sick of lying to him constantly. As for the American Dragon thing, I still intend to protect magical creatures, but Haley can handle New York. I've seen her in action. I have to go. I'm meeting Rose to say goodbye.

Love,

Jake

P.S. I'm not telling you to go tell Dad the truth, but I just wanted to remind you of the time when you grounded me for two weeks for time traveling on a school night. When Dad was captured by the Huntsclan, he DID defend us.

She quickly opened the other one.

Mom and Dad,

I'm sorry, but I can't take it anymore. Too many people are asking too much of me. The only reason I'm failing mythology is my teacher can't tell a unicorn from a regular horse and is constantly humiliating me. My girlfriend's uncle is extremely strict and overprotective, so we can't even go on a real date. Not that I have time for that between working for Gramps, babysitting Haley ever other night, and being grounded every other week. I need time to think. I don't know when or if I'll be back.

Love,

Jake

P.S. Sorry Haley. You'll have to make your own mistakes from now on. (She'll understand)

Susan covered her mouth in horror.

"Mom?" Haley asked entering the room. "What's wrong?"

"Jake's gone." Susan whispered handing her daughter the note in her hand as she sat down on Jake's bed.

"What? No." Haley asked as she read it. "I-Is this the entire reason?"

"No." Susan said giving her daughter the other note.

"The Huntsman nearly found out?" Haley asked.

"Apparently." Susan said taking her note back.

"What are we going to tell Dad?" Haley asked.

Susan looked deep in thought as she read the post script of her note over again.

"The truth." Susan said.

"Hola mi familia!" Jonathan said coming in.

Susan came down the stairs. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Twenty years of lies were going to come out in twenty seconds.

"What's wrong?" Jonathan asked.

"Jake's gone." Susan said.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

Before Susan could tell him anymore, Jonathan ran up to Jake's room and searched the closet and under the bed.

"Wh-Where did he go?" Jonathan asked.

"He doesn't even know." Susan said. "He…He's trying to keep us safe."

"Safe? From what?"

Susan left the room and led the rest of her family to the basement. She opened a trunk and took out a yearbook. She opened it to the picture of herself and Jonathan at the beach party with Jake walking away.

"What do you remember about this night?" Susan asked.

"Well," Jonathan said thinking. "I remember the dream I had. You and your family were dragons and our son from the future showed up. Then I was captured by these freaks and tortured for information about you guys being dragons. I was hit after pushing you away from falling rocks. When I woke up, you said that I hit my head after tripping over a boom box. Why?"

Jonathan didn't need an answer. The fact that his wife wasn't looking at him was enough to tell him.

"It…it wasn't a dream. Was it?" he asked.

"He's trying to keep us safe from the people who captured you twenty years ago." Susan whispered.

"So your family really are dragons?" Jonathan asked. "And…he really was our son from the future?"

Susan nodded.

Haley watched in silence as her father took the news.

"I need some time to think." Jonathan said leaving the two girls in the basement.

End Flashback

Now that Susan thought about it, she never met Rose. She had only heard of her in passing. There was a lot she didn't know about her son. And now, it was too late.

The door opened. Susan looked quickly in hopes that it was Jake changing his mind about leaving. That hope was dashed as another one took over. Jonathan had walked back into the house.

"Hey." Jonathan said a little uneasy.

"Hi." She answered drying her tears. "I guess you'll be leaving now."

"Now, why would I do that?" Jonathan asked.

"Because I've lied to you for twenty years." Susan said "And because of that lie, our son ran away."

"Susan." Jonathan said taking a seat next to her on the couch.

Flashback

Jonathan had taken a cab to the beach where he had view Halley's comet with Susan. As he stood looking over the ocean, everything made sense. Jake's constant tardiness, the fire alarms, the secrets, why Lao Shi hated him.

Now that he thought about it, he always knew deep down, that night he and Susan stood on that same beach twenty years ago, was not a dream. It was just the story of hitting his head was more believable than dating a dragon.

"I guess we'll just have to start over." Jonathan said to himself.

End of Flashback

"Jake will come back." Jonathan reassured her.

Susan threw herself in her husband's arms and sobbed.

TBC

A/N: I've decided to do previews.

"How was school?" Jonathan asked.

"Excellent." She said. "My mythology teacher is young, cute, and smart."

"I'm guessing Rotwood was replaced then?" Jonathan said.

"Yes."

"Good. That guy gave me the creeps." Susan admitted