Kim followed the group of the two teens and the security guards to Joan's office. She quickly asked Joan if Jack would get into serious trouble over the fight. Though she knew it wasn't her doing, she couldn't help but feel that it was somehow because of her. She hasn't missed Jack's hurt look and, she imagined, Jack now thought she was fraternizing with the enemy. It was laughable, of course. Kai may not be the total jerk she previously thought him to be, but there was too much bad blood between him and Jack for Kim to consider him anything other than an acquaintance at best.

That Jack would even think her capable of betraying him like that was really shocking. Some part of her was pissed off and wanted to yell at him that she was not his to expect any kind of romantic fidelity. That he really had no rights over her other than friendship.

Another part of her was a little pleased that his jealousy showed so much.

But a much larger part of her was sick and tired of the constant push and pull between them. She wanted to scream at him to make up his mind already and let her live with either choice he ended up making. She would love dating him. She would. She could honestly admit that her crush was long past the point of fading. She loved that idiot. As a friend. And so much more.

But existing in this suspended state of being so near, but not quite enough, was fraying her nerves. If she felt free to date, at least she could expect a good companionship with someone who wanted to be with her and was not afraid to show it.

Kim, deep in her unhappy thoughts, wondered into Phil's falafel shop. Phil greeted her and without asking gave her the usual order. She sat there picking at her food and feeling sorry for herself.

Eventually Phil came up to her and sat down.

"Kims, why you so upset? Did Jack do something to dishonor his name?"

"Why do you think it has anything to do with Jack?"

"You are like Khosrow and Shirin. It is always Jack for you."

At Kim's uncomprehending look Phil added, "Khosrow and Shirin were destined lovers. They had much troubles getting together, but she became his Queen. So what did Jack do?"

"Why do you care?"

"You were my pretend daughter once. You said to my mother that we were family. I care about you now. So tell Papa Phil what troubles you?"

Kim weighed her options and, in was a testament to how helpless she felt, she decided to give Phil the abbreviated version of the last week, minus the nudity part.

Phil was a surprisingly good listener and only started talking after Kim was done venting, "and now you know why I am upset. He won't take a chance on us, and he basically prevented me from having a chance with anyone."

"If it is a suitable mate that you seek, I know many a boy that would like to know you. You may not be as pretty as some of the Khakhmakhi girls, but we could work on that."

"No offense, Phil, but I'd rather not have you become my match maker."

"Yes, of course. You want Jack. You know in the story of Khosrow and Shirin, Khosrow saw her bathing once and was forever taken with her beauty."

Kim nearly chocked on her food and had to cough to clear her airways. Was this some sort of universal trope of human culture? She miraculously refrained from blurting anything out.

"That would be a big no, Phil," she firmly said.

"He also had to battle for his kingdom and kill his rival for Shirin's heart."

"Oh my god... My life is not even a telenovela anymore, but a legendary tragic love story. I reconsider. No more assistance from men."

"You know Shirin was often upset with Khosrow and told him once to leave her alone. She wrote him a letter."

"You mean she told him to cut the crap and shape up?" This part of ancient literature she can deal with.

"Yes. It was after he killed the rival. She wrote a letter and then poisoned Khosrow's first wife."

OK, that went south fast, Kim thought, "Are you sure it's a love story?"

"Yes, of course. The most popular one."

"You know, so much of you is explained right now."

Kim was silent for a while and then spoke, "There is one good point in that story. She let him know how she felt. I guess I have to do that too and tell Jack that this situation can't go on as is. Thanks, Phil."

"Anytime Kims. Papa Phil is always here."


Kim was going home taking a scenic route that took her a lot longer than usual.

She was somewhat relieved because she finally had a plan to resolve the situation. She was, of course, worried about the possible fall out, but she was sure that their friendship would survive the negative outcome. Maybe not right away, but they would find a way back to each other as friends.

She felt lighter and was skipping along the dirt track, when she stepped on a pebble that made her stumble and she fell, twisting her ankle and scraping her hands and knees.

"That's it! I officially hate this week. Can't wait for it to be over!" Kim exclaimed out loud, hurt and mad at herself for being clumsy. She carefully untangled herself and tried standing up, but quickly sat back down. Her ankle was hurt and she knew that she sprained it. Sighing, she went for the phone and realized that she turned off her phone in the movies and never remembered to turn it back on. She did it now and found that she tons of missed calls and messages. Three from each Milton, Jerry and Grace, one from Rudy, and at least twenty from Jack. So, he was released already.

She cautiously checked the messages from Jack: they ranged from 'hey, call me,' 'hey are you mad at me?,' to 'where are you?,' 'your parents told me you still in the movies,' to 'Kim, this is not funny anymore. I am coming looking for you.'

Well, it seems like they are going to have this conversation sooner than she planned. Girding herself up, Kim called her friend, crush, and first love knowing that everything would change after tonight.


Jack found out that Kai was really not as bad as he thought. Its not like they hashed things between them out, but Kai implied that maybe there is more honor in winning fair and square in the championships. He still maintained that in real life all methods were OK, but Jack guessed he could expect less of the trickery from Kai next time they face off in a match.

Jack was buoyed by his decision to open up to Kim about his feelings and asked her out on a proper date and maybe a Fall Dance. He had to endure a lecture form Rudy, who went on about responsibility and restraint until Kai and his sensei were out of earshot and then excitedly asked Jack if landed any good hits on his cousin.

Later, Jack checked his phone to find a message from guys telling him that Kim left before the movie even started. He tried calling her several times and left a few messages but got nowhere. Still full of the earlier resolve he went to Kim's home to seek the girl, who captured his heart. Kim's dad was surprised to see him and told him that Kim should still be at the movies. That's when Jack started worrying. He traveled the likeliest path from the theater to Kim's house several time now and was getting really worried about Kim. He called guys and Grace, who all told him that they have not seen or heard from Kim since the fight. Alarmed, but still willing to be reasonable, he asked Grace to call Kim to see if she was simply ignoring him. Grace called back to say that Kim was not answering her phone.

By now Jack imagined the worst. What if Kai's friends retaliated? Milton told him that they all went to see a movie, so the ambush was unlikely, but Jack still called Kai to confirm. His cousin scoffed at Jack's assumptions, told him that even Black Dragons had more honor than to attack one lonely girl, and offered to come and help looking for Kim.

Jack was beyond worried, but did not let panic overcome him. His thought were treacherous though and he imagined that Kim was taken, hurt, unconscious... He had to forcibly refocus his mind before he descended into sheer terror.

Soon the unlikely group of the Wasabi Warriors, some of the Black Dragons, Grace, Kai, and Jack assembled at the theater and spread out looking through every possible route Kim could have taken to get home. Naturally, Kai paired with Grace. Milton was with Jerry and Jack went by himself making sure to keep his line open so that he could get the call if someone found Kim first.

It was almost an hour later, when Jack seriously considered calling Joan or maybe police, that he got the call from the girl herself. With slippery fingers he pushed the button and at last he heard her voice.

"Hi, Jack. I am sorry, I left the phone off and did not turn it on until just now," Kim sounded apologetic and kind of breathless.

He was so relieved that did not even scold her for forgetting to turn on the phone and causing them all to worry about her. "Kim, I am so glad you are fine! God, I imagined the worst," he blurted out feeling the vice of fear relax and he could finally breathe better. "Where are you?"

"I am not sure exactly," Kim sounded like she was shuffling and he could hear rustling of leaves in the background. Worry struck him again, but before he could vocalize it, Kim added, "I tripped on a pebble and my ankle is twisted. I am on the path that goes by the creek that is behind my house." Worry for her safety transformed into worry for her well-being. Jack knew the path and was already walking in that direction, "I am on my way. It should be five to ten minutes for me to walk that portion of the path. Stay on the line."

He was marching down the path watching intently in the growing dusk for the familiar crop of gold hair. Just as he cleared the turn he saw her. She was sitting on the ground, her back propped against a tree and her one leg extended in front of her and another pulled close and she rested her hand with a phone on it. She heard him approach and looked up.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Jack was drinking in the sight oh her. She really was one of the prettiest girls he knew. Even with scraped up, bloody hands and knees and her clothes dirty, she looked lovely. The sun was setting and in that moment it found an unobstructed path to shine on Kim and she looked ethereal. Her dark eyes were lightened into a light amber, sparkling and bright, her hair shone like the purest gold and her unmarred skin was like the fresh cream. He was struck again by how pretty Kim was and he had to wonder what was wrong with him before that he willingly stayed away from this girl.

Kim blushed a little under his scrutiny and made a shuffling move, but soon stopped wincing at the pain in her ankle. Jack suddenly remembered that she was hurt and rushed to her side and dropped to this knees in front of her injured foot. He picked it up gently in his hands and carefully removed her shoe. Her ankle was already swelling and he probed it and made it turn this way and that. He was gentle and watched intently for any signs of discomfort as he did this and he noticed the shiver that run through Kim at his touch. She hissed in pain at one point and he, unable to stop himself in time, lowered his mouth to her foot and kissed the spot. Kim froze under his touch and made a sharp intake of air. He could not stop now. He kissed again moving higher to the ankle, then the shin, where there was a scrape, then the knee with a scratch on it. Kim began trembling soon after he began and by the time he reached the softer inside part of the knee, she gave a violent shudder and gasped a soft oh.

Jack was so turned on he had to drop back to his hunches and breath in and out several times before he could trust himself to speak instead of moan and growl.

"I... am... sorry. Wait.. No, I am not. Well I am, its just the timing. Argh... It is much harder than when I was brainstorming with Kai," Jack began stuttering and trailing off.

Kim raised her eyebrows and her eyes went round and big. "Pardon me, did you just say brainstorming with Kai? When did that happen? Last I saw you, the two of you tried to beat each other senseless."

"Yes, it started that way, but you would be surprised to know how much you can learn, how much things become clearer if you talk to someone," Jack spoke and Kim thought for the thousandth time that someone or something was absolutely interfering in her life, because how, how did he just say what she had realized herself.

Deciding that it was a sign from the universe, Kim said, "I agree. I believe that you and I can benefit from that as well. We should talk." The moment she said that she realized that it sounded like the most cliche beginning of the break-up talk. Wincing at her own shortsightedness, she plowed through, "I think that we can't go on like we have this past year."

Jack's head shot up at Kim's words and he started visibly retreating from Kim. "I see. Well, I guess you are right. I was gonna..." he did not get to finish, because Kim grabbed the front of his shirt and with a muttered 'for the love of god,' she pulled him close to her and kissed him.

He froze and it was now Kim's turn to start to pull away, but Jack put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, her legs going on his sides and she was now straddling him. Jack was finally doing what he wanted to do for the longest time and he increased pressure until Kim yielded and opened under his lips. He quickly took advantage and plunged his tongue in pressing her closer to his chest and enjoying the feel of her so close to him front to front. Her hands went to his hair and she pulled it out of the ponytail and played with it, scratching his head and pulling on the strands and angling him for a better kiss. They parted for air and were goofily smiling at each other still holding each other closer than close.

Jack finally caught his breath and asked what he wanted to ask since he left Joan's office, "Kim Crawford, would you be my girlfriend?"

Kim laughed and said in an undertone, "Take that Shirin. I bet Khosrow would have liked that too. No need to poison anyone." Seeing Jack's baffled look, she laughed again, "Yes, yes, yes. I'll be your girlfriend. Everybody already think that anyway. Let's make it official."

"Well, in that case. Will you come to the Fall Dance with me?"

"I am not sure I can, Jack. My ankle may not be up for it."

"I guess I'll just have to carry you during dances."

"You up for it, big guy?"

"Kim, thanks to you I am in the best shape of my life."

Kim just laughed and laughed, elated and happy.

"You still have to tell me who the Hussar and Siri are."

"It's Khosrow and Shirin and you would not believe their convoluted love story."

"Did they get together in the end?"

"Yes."

"Then it was worth it."

Kim kissed him again. She really did have a great boyfriend.

A/N: This is it. I hope you liked it. I appreciate your comments and I had plans for a bigger story, if people still have interest in Kick. I had two different plots percolating, so it might take me a little while to get going.

The story of Khosrow's and Shirin is a real Middle Ages poetic epic from Persia. It is quite a tale.