AN: WARNING! This fanfic contains Loli, otherwise known as a relationship where there is a more than ten year age difference between the man and girl involved (loli being defined as when the girl is the younger of the two). If this offends you, turn away NOW.
This fic is a month and a half coming. It was made with extensive detail paid to canon - word for word, most of this is identical to the episode. I know the couple is unusual, but hey, if you want a plain romance with no originality, go dig up a chatspeak Raikim. (laughs) Seriously, though, give it a try. I worked hard on this and wold really like it if you read and reviewed. Just, please, no 'zomg!age difference teh evil' comments. First off, you were WARNED about that above. Second of all, my own parents have a nearly 20 year age difference, and so I tend to take those anti-age difference comments personally.
I own nothing whatsoever. At all. Ever, in any way, shape, form or fashion. All characters are property of the creators of Xiaolin Showdown. I claim nothing, make no profit off of this, and if anyone wants to sue me, I have an ultamatum: do not sue me, and I won't unleash my Xiaolin Showdown/My Little Pony crossover on the world.
Disclaimer aside, please enjoy!
From the moment he saw her, he knew there was something special about her.
It wasn't that there weren't any other women there. It wasn't that she was cute. It wasn't even the high priced technology she'd been holding when Master Fung had called her, although that was impressive. She was sharp as a horsewhip. He saw it in those blue eyes, so rare for a Jap. She was taking him in with the eye of someone who'd met a lot of people, someone whose mind was analytical. Instantly Mr. Bailey knew that she, of all people, would understand why he was visiting. The Brazilian kid with the green eyes thought it was weird. Omi was too busy marveling over cows producing milk. These kids had good hearts but were just plum stupid. Kimiko actually good like she was paying attention to him, something even Clay hadn't done in a long time.
But, Mr. Bailey rationalized, women often had a better sense of emotions. Kimiko knew he was just concerned, not trying to be intrusive or bud into the Temple's business. She probably respected him more right now than his own son did. She smiled politely at him, introduced herself and Omi and Raimundo, and then left well alone. She knew why he'd come, and it was not to talk to a bunch of teenagers, it was to talk to one teenager. Her considerate introduction reminded him of Texas manners.
Unfortunately, the dancey-prancey meditation moves struck a much more sour note within him.
"This looks like a mighty purty temple, Clay, but it don't look like the kind of training I had in mind when I let you come here," the statement wasn't meant to be taken as a personal affront, but to his surprise, Clay defended his Temple.
"Daddy, there's more to it than-"
At that moment Mr. Bailey glanced back at Kimiko. There was a glimmer of approval in her eyes for the Texan's loyalty. That was something that crossed cultures, apparently. Loyalty was important to her, and not just loyalty to the team, but loyalty to them as friends. Her eyes locked with his briefly and she knew that it was likewise with him. Mr. Bailey felt a curious sensation in his heart and broke the eye contact before he wound up blushing. He hadn't come to China to stare at a Japanese girl with big blue eyes like a lovestruck moron. The situation at hand! He had to think of what was happening, not what he was daydreaming! He cringed and looked away. Her expression hardened slightly and her eyes darted in Clay's direction. Mr. Bailey had the distinct feeling they'd just made a connection of some sort.
All this happened in two seconds. He marveled at how fast life came at people sometimes, whether it was on the ranch or elsewhere.
"I think it's time Clay came back on home to the ranch," it was a statement, not a question. The girl let out a sigh. He sighed internally. This was going to hurt her, Mr. Bailey thought suddenly. Why did he care?
"But the quest for the Shen Gong Wu is important!" Clay protested. Kimiko's lips turned up in approval. He could not be taken from the team so easily. The Brazilian boy nodded in agreement. These kids stuck together.
"More important than listening to your daddy?" It was a ploy, a test. Who was Clay more loyal to, them or him? Mr. Bailey knew the response before it came. Kimiko did not, and looked at him with intense interest.
A defeated sigh. "No, sir."
Kimiko's eyes hardened, but there was little disapproval in them. Family was family, after all. Mr. Bailey almost smiled. She could appreciate that Clay was loyal to him. She knew that love was a powerful force to be reckoned with, and, well, in spite of time apart Clay did love his daddy. Even though she looked sad, there was no anger. She bit her lip and toughened up. This was Clay's decision, forced though it may have been, and she was not going to say anything to further complicate the situation. He nodded once to himself in approval. So she wasn't a wussy girl who threw fits over little things. Good.
"The Xiaolin have always taught respect for the elders," Master Fung said quietly. He, too, seemed to be accepting this gently and easily. "If you wish for your son to return, we shall-"
"Heads up, folks!" a small dragon was slithering towards them, scroll in hand. "A new Shen Gon Wu coming through!"
Instantly the whole mood changed. They all grew serious, if not in mood, then in demeanor. It was like a wave of tension swept over the room. Kimiko glanced over at Mr. Bailey, who caught her gaze and yet again found himself unable to hold it. Something about those eyes was familiar, he thought to himself, and not in a bad way. In a way that left him confused and his heart pounding. But that which he did not think about could not confuse him, right? Right. When in all doubt, go into denial. So he turned to look at the dragon, having never seen one before. For a lizard, it seemed to be fairly smart.
Then the dragon had the nerve to say, "Hey, nice thinga-ma-bob."
"That's the Lone Star of Texas," Clay explained quickly, before things could get out of hand. He knew how sensitive his father was when it came to the Lone Star. "Been in the family for generations."
"It gets passed from daddy to son," Mr. Bailey added with not just a little pride. He saw Master Fung and Omi grasp the concept immediately. The idea of an heirloom was common in China, after all.
"Looks kinda familiar… I think I've seen one just like it," the dragon said.
Kimiko and Clay both raised an eyebrow simultaneously. Mr. Bailey rolled his eyes under his hat. Clay had clearly been here way too long if he was picking up little habits like that from his friends. In a funny way, it reminded him of himself and his buddies back in the old days when he was a ranch hand. Only he'd never had a friend like Kimiko. Vaguely he wondered what that would be like. He didn't hang out with a lot of women. Too macho for most of them, who just assumed he was trailer trash because of how he looked. (The thought of shopping scared him not a little, but a lot, too, which probably had something to do with it.)
"Dojo, the Shen Gon Wu," Master Fong reminded his dragon gently, and unknowingly snapping Mr. Bailey out of his reprieve.
"Huh? Oh, right!" the dragon unfolded the scroll, which had been kept in remarkably good condition. Master Fung identified what was on the scroll from a glance, having memorized this long ago.
"Ah, the Orb of Tornami," Master Fung spoke as if this was a routine explanation. And judging by everyone's faces, it was. "Its small mouth holds back a mighty flood."
"How do you make that little cartoon feller move like that?" Mr. Bailey asked. Kimiko giggled once before catching herself. Heat rose to his cheeks and he felt like a dang fool.
"This is perfect!" Clay cheered. "Daddy can come along for a Shen Gon Wu round up. Then you'll see why I gotta stay here."
"And you can tell me the ancient secret of making milk from cows!" Omi chimed in with a gesture of his hands, genuinely excited.
Mr. Bailey was about to say no, that Clay should come home, but then he looked at Kimiko. His mouth opened to say 'no', and as if she knew what he was thinking, her eyes narrowed at him and she nodded slightly towards Omi and Clay. Mr. Bailey glanced at him. Omi's eyes were big and shiny with the idea of learning to milk cows, and his smile was huge, like a small child bein' told that they were gonna ride a horse for the first time. He sighed slightly. He barely knew this girl and she was already making a play at his conscience. Women, honestly. He looked over at Omi again. He couldn't disappoint a child. It wasn't in him.
Then he looked at the team. Each of them, Clay had explained, were a part of a whole, like ingredients in a pie. If they were not together, the pie would not be pie; it was that simple. Mr. Bailey bit his cheek thoughtfully. He wanted nothing more than for Clay to come home, where he was needed and missed. However, it wasn't right to take Clay away from the team if they needed him right now. It just wasn't the Texan way to quit things halfway through and leave when things got tough. To do so undermined everything he'd taught his son about hard work and following through.
So he said yes to going along to find the Shen Gon Wu, if only for Omi's sake and his own peace of mind.