Welcome back.
AAA
The helicopter ride to Paris had been uneventful, and Jack gave a long yawn as he slumped even farther back into the warm leather seat of the limo as it worked its way through Parisian traffic towards his hotel. Jack lazily looked out into the streets of the city of love and lights, watching people walk by, shopping, site-seeing, living.
He had lost two pounds in the last week. And he was coughing up blood, black colored blood. So yeah, he was definitely dying, but he had never felt more alive. He was finally doing things he had always dreamed of doing, dancing, singing, laughing, loving. It was fantastic.
A small smile crawled across his pale pink lips as he remember the previous night. He had been walking in London's shopping district watching street performers and munching on a hotcake when one of the dancers from a gang of gypsies had danced over to him and took his hand. Before he knew it he was dancing and bouncing along with the merry melody, laughing at the foolish things the young gypsy men did to impress their women.
He had even danced with one of them, Cam, his name had been, a tall muscular fellow with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. They had danced together and talked over tea and bread, and before the night was over Jack had walked away with at least three gypsy talismans, all resting gently around his neck.
He felt the limo braking and pulling into the curved entry to his hotel and he began to shift himself into the ready to be released position. Fathering his small bag and shaking himself into a more energized state, he smiled at his driver when the man opened his door, he quickly said 'thank you' and pressed a large roll of euros into the man's hand.
The bellhops rushed forward and took his bags and helped him slid into his coat, as the weather was a bit on the biting side, even in the early afternoon. Jack walked quickly into the lobby of the hotel and nearly gasped at the sight. Madame Brandon's Abode in Paris was truly a magnificent palace. High ceilings of gold and stunning alabaster floor let light from the giant crystal chandeliers sparkle and glitter all over the room. He gave a low whistle as he wandered through the room, his neck cranes to take the whole thing in. I gotta hand it to Madame Brandon, the chick knows her designs. Jesus the woman must be a frigging genius. Makin' all that money...
He walked over to the front desk and smiled at the young Asian woman standing there and asked politely for help, "certainly sir," she said with a slight French accent, "and what is your name?"
"Spicer, Jack Spicer." He said. Waiting the few seconds while she punched in the information he thought about what he was going to try to do for the rest of the day; he would definitely be going to dinner, and maybe try and fit in a ride of one of the famed river boat tours on the Seine. Before hopping into bed and sleeping. He forgot how much he loved to sleep now, back in China he barely slept, always trying to get stronger, or being on the alert for a new Wu or waking up from nightmares.
Funny thing was, he wasn't having any nightmares anymore, and he even slept through the nights. And it felt good. Especially since his dreams were filled with nothing but the most amazing things. Last night he had dreamt of Chase. And himself. On their honeymoon...
Chase carried him bridal style through the door of the cabana they had rented in Bora Bora. It sat on the edge of the beach, right above the water, the white sands of the ocean only a staircase away. Chase smiled down into Jacks eyes, laughing at the delicate blush that crossed Jack's cheeks as Jack looked around the room, taking in the beautiful furniture the modern kitchenette and the beautiful four poster king sized bed. Covered in rose petals. Jack sighed as Chase placed him on the bed before crawling on top of him, somehow now devoid of his shirt.
He kissed his way up Jack's neck and dedicate placed a kiss on Jack's lips. "You really did all this for me?" Jack asked with slight trepidation. No one ever did this for him, maybe Chase just had a motive.
"Of course I did my love, I want you to be happy, I want you to feel as beautiful as you are. I love you, ever single part of you." Chase's golden eyes had been hot with desire and love and Jack felt his fears disappear completely. He lifted his body, pressing his thin frame again Chase's muscled one. This enacted a growl from the Chinese man, who bent and attacked Jack's neck with gentle bites and licks.
Jack had always been sensitive. He was always very ticklish and super sensitive to touch so everything Chase did to him made him moan or cry out from pleasure. Chase was so delicate with him, treating him with such kindness Jack felt himself grow even more heated from love.
"Chase..." He moaned, his body twitching with desire, his arms wrapped around Chase strong shoulders and his fingers dug into the man's back as he ground himself against Chase, rolling his hips to buck against Chase's. He felt Chase's hard length pressing into his thighs and he maimed into Chase's mouth. Opening his legs he wrapped the around Chase's strong waist, arching into his body so Chase was pressing against the crevice of Jack's pale ass.
Jack giggled as Chase's hands gently ran across his ribcage, and Chase looked up into Jack's eyes. "sensitive there are we?" Chase said, a teasing glint entering his perfect features.
By the time Jack realized what was about to happen it was too late, "no, Chase please don't..." But it was too late, the bigger man began to tickle him mercilessly, and soon they were rolling on the bed together laughing and playing, as Jack knew they should. It was what he wanted more dearly than anything else. To be with this man, and just…have someone keep him warm and safe.
"Jack?" Chase whispered into his ear, his breath tickling the soft white skin.
"Yes?"
"I…I love you. And I want you to know, that no matter what, I love you and I will always be here for you. Just say my name." Chase's voice was husky with emotion, and soon Jack felt a tear slid down his cheek. He moved his hand to cup Chase's cheek, before he pushed their lips together.
It wasn't a soft kiss, it wasn't chaste, it was desperate. Jack wanted to burn up in this heat, wanted to feel nothing but this passion engulf him. Soon he felt Chase's hands roam again and he used all his strength to push against the bigger man.
They pushed against one another, desperate and hungry, moaning and violent. Jack moaned as Chase reached down to cup his member. Jack rubbed himself against Chase, feeling himself going higher and higher and higher until he felt….
"…Sir?"
Jack snapped back. Blinking once, then again until his surroundings came back to him. He was at the hotel in Paris, and from the look on the desk clerk, he had been reliving last night's dream very openly.
Jack felt the blush heat up his pale cheeks before smiling at the girl and muttering an excused apology before taking the offered card key from her and headed up to his room. However he was stopped when the girl called out.
"Yes?" He turned back to her, smiling and waiting to hear what she wanted to say.
"Your guest is waiting in the formal dining room on the fourth floor sir." She smiled hesitantly.
Guest? What guest I don't know what…unless…no they wouldn't. they couldn't. Jack smiled and nodded his head before continuing towards the elevator. He barely felt himself move, didn't feel himself get into the elevator and push the button for four, his mind was too far away, thinking like the old Jack, trying to call up any plausible solution, trying to remember the fastest exits, remembering where he kept his spare cash in case he needed to run.
The elevator opened up to the fourth floor and Jack stepped out. The sudden onslaught of noise awakened him from his revere. He moved slowly through the rooms, not stopping to admire the classic beauty of the design and architecture. Only keeping his eyes on any familiar face. He approached the bar area, filled with couches and coffee tables, where handsome couples strolled around and sat gracefully like mannequin's with heartbeats.
Jack felt his tension relieve. The front desk girl must have made a mistake. No one was here for him. Feeling relaxed he meandered over to one of the giant windows that faced the Eiffel Tower across the Seine river. The weather had quickly gone south, clouds rolling in and soon it seemed there would be rain. But he was here inside and he felt nothing could go wrong.
He looked up and down the row of tables in front of the window hoping to see a free table where he could enjoy the view.
Then he saw them. Sitting together at one of the sofas that was parallel with one of the giant windows near the edge of the room. Dressed in high fashion clothing with martinis in hand. Talking quietly to one another while staring out into the landscape. Her legs were crossed delicately and she rested gently on his shoulder, while his arms was around her thin body, looking every inch the power house he was.
His parents.
Jack felt his heart drop to his stomach before he felt the blossom of anger burn in his gut. How dare they come here and ruin his last few days. How could they do this to him? All he wanted was a nice quiet vacation. And yet….they had to ruin it. No they will NOT.
Jack swept across the room, eyes focused on his parents, his confidence growing with each step. They couldn't hurt him anymore. This time they would listen to him.
"What are you two doing here?" Jack spat out when he stood in front of his parents, looking down into their faces, rage apparent on his own.
"Jack sit down, we will discuss this—"
"Shut-up father." Jack said, enjoying the amount of shock on his parent's faces.
"Jack don't talk to your father—" He cut his mother off too.
"Give it a rest mother." He sighed heavily. "Now you two are going to listen to me for once in your miserable money obsessed lives got it?" He said it with such authority that both his parents nodded silently.
"I have lived my entire life feeling insignificant and weak and ugly because of you two. I'm now dying because of it. And the fact that the two of you have the sheer nerve to show up here, on my last few days of happiness, is just an insult to the Spicer name. You couldn't just let me die in peace could you? I went through years and years of being belittled by the two of you because of my albinism, a disease that one of you caused me! And you two have always used me as a weapon to hurt one another, and I don't care about whether you two are fighting now or not, though by the looks of it you're chummy as a whore and syphilis."
Jack's eyes narrowed and he hissed the last part, watching his parents faces go pale with guilt, and finally, finally, feeling the immense satisfaction of seeing his parents hear him speak.
"And just for the record, I love the fact that I'm gay, and I want you both to know how great I was at making money and how I am the best at whatever I choose to do. And it took me dying to finally figure it out. So if you two came here for any other reason than to apologize to me and actually attempt to be civil and polite to me and try to actually get to know your own son less than a week before his expected demise then you can get the hell out of Paris, because this city is mine." Jack spat out the last part before huffing, and collapsing into a seat.
"Jack…" His mother began, "I…well, darling I just…we are sorry." She set her cocktail down and stood up, before swaying over to sit next to him. Jack straightened and stiffed when she put her hand on his shoulder.
"We've thought long and hard about all this, and your father and I have decided…well we've been terrible to you. But you have to know that we're Spicers…we're terrible with emotion and love and anything remotely like it."
Jack gave a chuckle at that. It was true. They were all completely retarded when it came to emotion. Harrison stood and came over to sit next to his wife, "Son, are you sure there's no cure?"
"Yes. I'm going to die. We'd need a miracle to save me." Jack looked directly into his father's eyes, seeing, for the first time, what some would call…a father.
"Well then," his mother said, "no point in moping around is there? Jack, we'd be honored and delighted if you would join us for dinner tonight? Let's get to know each other." She smiled at her son, and he felt himself smile back.
"I'd like that."
AAAAAA
"And so you see, Master Dashi, that is our problem, do you think you could spare the Xiaolin magic for this purpose?" Fung stood at the top of Xiaolin mountain, inside the great temple of the masters, the grand rulers of the side of Light in their final resting place.
Dashi stood before the ancient master and smile down upon the sight, he had always like the Spicer kid, he had spunk. Pizzazz. Good sense of dramatics. And Dashi, being the great man he had once been, and the spirit he remained, had a thing for spunky dramatic pizzazz kids with a shit past and no future. It showed character, it showed class, and hell, it was downright amazing that Jack Spicer had done all this.
"Fung, dude, but he's on the Heylin side...last I checked they weren't exactly known for their honesty, how do you know this isn't a trick, the whole will isn't some sort of total lie?" Fung sighed at the question and turned away from the Great Monk to gaze up and around at the spectacle of the burial ground.
Alight with thousands of candles that floated gently on the stream of water that circled the small islands in the center, the whole chamber was meant to represent a world in perfect balance. The wall were carved in the form of temple fronts, and to an extent, they were temples themselves. Carved into the great mountain. Each small island that was connected represented a part of the world, from the softness of the forest in South America, to the frigid northern snows of Russia. The water flowed never-ending, from small pathways and streams, from waterfalls carved into the walls and small lakes in the islands, the giant cavern was a thousand years of dedicated monks carving and sculpting and growing with patience and love for their craft and beliefs.
Fung's head rose slightly to look directly at Dashi, and he sighed. "Many a year I have known Spicer, he may be a genius but he stunted emotionally. The sheer pain I was able to see in his face, not to mention the smell of defeat and death that lingered around him was overpowering."
Dashi swayed slightly and thought for a few moments, if Spicer is telling the truth then…saving him wouldn't be a bad thing, the kid could join the order…no, no, that would be a disastrous, this kid need something different… "Alright Fung, you have my word, bring Spicer to me and I'll make everything better."
Fung smiled slightly up at the grand master before bowing deeply, "thank you Dashi, now I have one final request?"
"Yep?"
"Can you possible send me back down to the temple? It's a long walk and I'm not exactly young any longer."
"Oh! Yeah," Dashi's fingers snapped and soon Fung felt the pull of magic, "see ya dude make sure you get Spicer here soon!"
And then Fung was standing alone in his chambers at the temple, the sounds of the monks training outside and the wind chimes met his ears, and he felt his body relax. Find Spicer. Now! The thought shot through his mind, remembering he was on a tight schedule, one that he couldn't miss.
"Monks! Young ones!" Fung cried as he strode quickly from his chambers, "Hurry, and find Dojo, you have a very important mission that you must complete immediately!"
AAAA
Chase had never liked French people. He didn't like the language, the food, or the architecture. Too ornate and gaudy. He who lives in giant decadent cave of wonders shouldn't be throwing stones. The voice in his head was starting to sound like Jack again. Much to his immense pain. And yet, even as the voice said all the little annoying things that normally Chase would have hated to hear from anyone, suddenly there was a strange need just to hear that little idiot's voice.
And so he found himself lashing out even more than normal, taking out every single annoyance in his pathway, from buses, to bikes, to monuments, to some poor old Canadian who really needed to learn that "no, I don't want to help you understand the bus route" meant "no, I don't FUCKING WANT TO FUCKING HELP YOU".
Damn Canadians.
"I've never seen you so upset Chase. This is probably the funniest thing I've ever seen." Wuya on the other hand was having a ball. There was nothing quite like watching her oldest friend lose his self control over a boy who he supposed didn't care about and was only here for her sake and for that of Dojo's.
"I mean really, I haven't had this much fun since the execution of the Tang dynasty elders." Wuya smiled sickeningly at the memory. She would always be a bitch. And God it made her feel good. "I still do not understand any of this Chase, this is so very unlike you…unless you have secretly been wanting Jack without telling me?" She kept her voice light. No need to upset the beast.
But even that slight jest seemed to be enough to push Chase's delicate nerves right over the edge. "I do not care about that little worm, I am here solely for the reason that Dojo requested that we see him. After this the dragon and I will be equal."
"Still feeling guilty about trying to eat Dashi's pet dragon hmm?" Wuya picked some dirty from under her nails and flicked it off into the river that lay beneath the bridge that she and Chase leaned against, the latter hunched over, golden eyes searching the water, the former leaning back and staring up at the Eiffel tower.
"You know, I think I've changed my mind about this city, I'm starting to think it might just be my new vacation spot. And the people seem genuinely sweet…well, at least the non-Canadian ones." She laughed out loud, her musical laugh making several tourists stopped and stared for a moment before going back to their own business.
Chase sighed and turned towards Wuya slightly, barely moving his mouth, "What do you think has become of him." There was no question about it. They both knew what was happening to the young genius, it hadn't been hard at all to track down his doctor's office and steal the medical file. But something about hearing, and saying it out loud somehow, maybe, just maybe would bring forth and answer they hadn't seen.
"By now his organs will have started to shut down, and black blood will soon be oozing from his nose and mouth if he doesn't eat enough. His brain will begin to short circuit his nerve system, he will be experiencing extreme pain followed by long periods of numbness, and he won't be able to be in the cold for much longer, strange how he's choosing Russia as his resting place. Country has more ice per square capita then people." She sighed and pushed herself off the wall of the bridge and began to stroll down the walkway towards the Eiffel tower.
The sun shone brightly above and soon she found herself pulling an umbrella from her sleeve to block the harsh rays of the sun. Tan as her skin was, she burned easily and she didn't fancy meeting Jack's parents with a burned body. Her high red heels clicked against the pavement as she approached the monument.
Chase fell instep beside her, and they made a formidably pair the two of them, her in her short red dress with high heels and her long flowing mane, him in a tight black shirt and business pants, armor at home. Thanks to their evil, they had kept their youth, only being in their early twenties. But the hardened look in their eyes is what kept people from bumping into them, kept all the street vendors away from them.
Soon they were in line to ride to the top, and they moved slowly with the rest of the world. Secretly they were both relieved to go a few minutes alone, slowly, normally, and mortally. It was a relief to no longer have to keep up the cold façade.
"You know no one will think any less of you if you like him, or whatever you choose not to feel towards him." Wuya said as they stepped into the elevator that would take them to the first floor.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Chase didn't look her in the eye.
"Darling, we've know each other a long, long time. I know you, I've known you. We both know it's been a long time since you felt anything other than hatred, or companionship. So I understand if you're struggling. But I think it's about time you pulled that stick out of your ass and got off your high horse and started living a little bit hmm? It might even be an improvement."
She stepped out of the elevator with the rest of the crowd leaving Chase standing in the back of the elevator until he too, walked off to the level. They strolled in silence to the restaurant where Wuya gave the hostess the name on their reservation.
They were lead over to their table, overlooking the Seine River and the skyline of the city of Love. Silently sitting, Wuya ordered a bottle of wine and Chase unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap.
When the wine was poured and Chase had approved it Wuya looked over to view her companion's face. There was something there, deeply etched into the skin and the eyes, that showed he was deep in confusing thought.
"Let's say I did have feeling, other than pure hatred for Jack." Wuya blinked, and focused on Chase's golden eyes, their gaze meeting. She slowly nodded, and he continued, "What am I supposed to do? Hmm? Declare passionate love for him? Confess that I dream of him during the nights?"
"You dream of him?" Wuya smiled even though she tried to contain it, "why Chase, I had no idea you were such a romantic."
"Silence witch." Though his words were harsh, a gentle blush painted the high cheeks and the arch of his nose. This is utterly embarrassing, why oh why did I choose to talk to Wuya about this issue. Though is it really an issue? Jack has wanted me for so long, it'd be so easy to just…take him.
"Chase?" He looked up into emerald eyes, the question apparent.
"What?"
"Didn't hear me at all did you?" She had an amused look on her face and she smirked when he shook his head, "I asked you if you were ready to order, this nice young lady has been standing here for about a minute." She nodded her head in the direction of the young French woman that stood patiently waiting.
"Yes of course." The smile came easily, and he rattled off a quick order in French, waiting for Wuya to finish ordering before turning back to face the redheaded witch. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking here Wuya. It's a rare thing for me, I know but that doesn't make it any easier."
Wuya felt her insides melt. And she knew that she would finally, finally, finally be able to tell Chase exactly what to do. "I have a plan. But you have to tell me exactly what you feel for Jack."
"I think…I think I might well, care about him."
"…Chase."
"Fine, damn you, I think he is…well he would be a good…companion."
Wuya oozed of skepticism.
"Ugh, my God Wuya what do you want me to say? That every time he comes crawling on his knees begging to stay with me all I can think about is how nice it would be to have someone with that kind of IQ around so as not to be bored? That it would be nice to have someone who I can teach and train with and have a conversation with? Someone who I can sit with and share warmth during a cold night? Someone who doesn't see me as a monster? Yes damn it Wuya, that if what I fucking want. And yes, Jack could give that to me." He huffed, his whole monologue done lowly and quietly but with vigor and anger.
Wuya sat back in her chair and smiled. Oh Chase, you've made this too easy.
AAAAA
"Dojo why does Master Fung wish us to recover Jack Spicer?" Omi asked the dragon as they touched down onto a rooftop near the center of Paris's Business district. The dragon shrunk back down to his lizard size and snaked his way up Clay's tall muscled body and sat himself onto the Texan's shoulder before turning his eyes onto Omi.
"Fung and I both need to speak with him about a very important Xiaolin matter. And unfortunately I don't really think Spicer will be very open to the idea…so I'm going to need the four of you to provide some muscle." Dojo said to Omi, his eyes trained past Omi to gaze into the center of Paris, hoping that his keen senses would be able to locate Jack before too long.
They were losing time. They needed to find the albino before it was too late, or Jack would be either dead or too weak to make the trip back to China. If we don't find him, then hopefully Wuya and Chase will…Dashi I hope to hell I wasn't wrong to put my trust in those two. Dojo let a small breath puff through his nostrils before turning sharply to Raimundo, "Raimundo, you've got the wind on your side, go and find Spicer. Now."
Rai looked at the small dragon and gave a quick affirmative nod, before jumping high in the air and was captured by a gust of wind. Soon the young dragon warrior was rushing through the air of Paris, keeping his eyes peeled for a flash of red and white, or hoping, maybe o hear that oh so unique squeal. Whatever you did Spicer I hope you're okay…I've never seen him look so damn depressed. He got rid of his lab, he isn't showing up to showdowns, he gave us all the Wu, I hope he isn't like, being blackmailed. Raimundo didn't hate Jack, but he wasn't allowed to like him. So with these confusing thoughts to follow him, Rai surfed the air hoping to find their albino frenemy.
"Omi, I want you and Clay to go search all the museums and places of interest…Spicer's probably going to want to be around culture. Find him." Dojo said before jumping off of Clay's shoulder to land in Kimiko's arms.
"Okay Dojo, what do we do if we find him?" Clay asked.
"Send up a signal and keep him there, the rest of us will be there shortly." The two monks nodded in the affirmative and before long they were up in the air jumping across rooftops in search of Jack.
"Alright Dojo, spill." Dojo twisted his body to look up into Kimiko's eyes. The gleam of knowledge was there, and the dragon sighed, I knew this would happen…women and their intuition. I tried to tell Fung but noooooo…wouldn't listen to the dragon, even if I DO have fifteen hundred years on him.
"I don't know what you're talking about Kimiko."
"Don't play dumb with me mister, I know you and Master Fung are hiding something, this isn't like you too…so tell me why we're really in Paris looking for Jack."
"I'd tell you, but I doubt you'd be able to keep it to yourself," he said jumping to the ground and enlarging himself until he and she were face to face.
"God Dojo, just cause I'm a girl mean I'm going to gossip? Seriously?"
"Why does it matter, you don't even like Jack."
"That's not true." Her eyes shifted focus to look to the side, and for the first time in a while Dojo began to question how well he actually knew these kids. Kimiko especially was an enigma, being not only female, but a fiery one at that.
"I had no idea that you cared for him."
"We all do Dojo; it's just hard to express it. Something's wrong with him, that much is easy to see. And it's not doing any of us any good not knowing what it is. Of course we like him; he's a pretty good guy once you get him away from all this being Evil shit." Kimiko toyed with one of her hot pink braids. Twirling her natural black hair in the extension she looked past Dojo to the Eiffel tower.
"He's dying. And we need to bring him to Xiaolin Mountain. Dashi wishes to see him." Dojo said quietly. Kimiko's head whipped back to face Dojo and her mouth was wide open, almost as wide as her eyes.
"He's what? We're taking him to….? But Master Fung said we can never approach Grand Master Dashi unless…" Her eyes darted left to right and her hands flew around with her words, wildly and without real meaning.
"This is important Kimiko, you cannot tell the others; this is supposed to be a secret."
Kimiko closed her mouth and her eyes focused onto Dojo's own. She nodded slowly, even though he could still sense the massive amount of confusion that surrounded her. "Alright then, come on girly, let's find us a Spicer."
She smiled slight and jumped off the roof, Dojo sailing behind her. All the while her mind was racing faster than her feet. Jack dying? But…And if Master Fung wants us to bring him to Grand Master Dashi won't he grant Jack the same type of immortality that Wuya has? But…is Jack really that special? Yeah he probably is. God I should've just stayed in Tokyo.
AAAAAA