Hello Everyone….PLEASEDONTKILLME! I know I took forever. I'm truly sorry. Despite my lack of updates there has been a surpising amount of positive feedback from all of you. I really do appretiate the reviews and support, I Probably wouldn't have finished this chapter tonight without it. So, without further ado, I present chapter 4.

Enjoy.

Chapter 4

Chase eyed Kimiko as she sat frozen in her seat, staring at him with a mix of shock and confusion. Chase winced inwardly as his mouth erupted into white-hot pain, the consequence for his previous statement. He was thankful, however, that Kimiko did not erupt into a second wave of fury. The time it took her to regain her composer gave him enough time to regain the use of his voice.

Completely unaware of Chase's pained expression, Kimiko made an almost silent inquiry.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't really know much about it." He replied and Kimiko knew something was strange as his reply seemed strained, almost as if he was having trouble breathing, along with the fact that she easily saw through his lie, something that would be normally impossible to detect when conversing with the man.

"You're lying." She accused and Chase cursed inwardly as his throat began to burn. Any more discussion of this and he would be unable to hide the agony that was slowly crawling down his windpipe. His hate for the Xiaolin was magnified as he thought of the past and his inability to do anything about it.

Kimiko narrowed her eyes as Chase ignored her statement, instead choosing to quickly snatch the water from the table and chug it down before slamming the glass back onto the surface and rubbing his throat.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kimiko snapped, her frustration at the lack of answers palpable. After a suspiciously long moment, Chase replied in a pained voice,

"Nothing,"

"Bullshit, I need answers and I know you have them."

"I don't know anything!" he replied, the fury in his voice surprising Kimiko but failing to deter her.

"If you don't know anything that why are you making such a scene?"

"My throat hurts, they must have used lemons in the pasta."

"What?"

"I'm allergic to lemons" he clarified, hoping such a ridiculous lie would satisfy Kimiko's prodding. He hated himself for being so weak. The pain was making his mind hazy. He needed to get Kimiko off of the subject. Luckily Kimiko seemed to buy the lie, looking slightly concerned.

"Do you need me to get you a Benadryl or something?"

Despite his pain, Chase looked at her in amusement, trying to keep up his usual attitude.

"A Xiaolin feeling concerned for someone like me? And yet, you were earlier raving about how improper our current situation was."

Kimiko scowled, "Well I can't find out about this whole marriage business until you're fixed up, seeing as I can barely understand your raspy speech at the moment."

"Don't worry about what I said earlier," Chase replied shakily as the receding pain began to blossom anew, "It was just a rumor I heard in passing, nothing more."

Kimiko's face blossomed into relief. She couldn't think of any reason why Chase would know about such a strange plan in the Xiaolin world. He was likely just trying to rile her, plans that were thwarted by his apparent allergic reactions. There likely was no such rumor, she reasoned.

"Trying to save face huh." The woman replied smugly and Chased realized the conclusion that Kimiko had reached. He thanked the Gods that this discussion would finally end. The pain began to recede and Chase regained a slightly stronger voice.

"Yes, well, I do make sport out of emotional manipulation." He said, feeding Kimiko's misinterpretation of events. Hoping to change the subject, Chase pointed to a man across the room.

"Ah, there is your father."

Kimiko followed Chase's gesture and saw her father on the far side of the room, animatedly discussing something with Richard Neely. The thought of his son's earlier shame filled her with amusement and her mood improved drastically. Chase also seemed to be looking better, appearing much more relaxed as he caught her father's attention and beckoned him over. The relief that Kimiko felt on his improved condition startled her but she attributed it to old childhood memories resurfacing. He wasn't the Chase that she adored as a child any longer. An enemy was an enemy, no matter how dear to her he had been in the past.

She was shook from her thoughts as the subject of her musings leaned into her from behind, the sudden action completely startling Kimiko, who had never noticed Chase leave his chair.

"I was not lying about our earlier conversation concerning Toshiro. Now may be the time to discuss this with him." He whispered into her ear as the man in question began strolling towards the two. Had Kimiko's mood not completely soured at that moment, she may have been more bothered by the feel of his warm breath against her ear. The involuntary shiver that ravaged her spine as Chase disappeared went unnoticed as Kimiko glowered at her approaching Father, whose happy face began to deteriorate as he noticed the icy glare

Kimiko was sending his way.

There was some serious explaining to be done.

The prospect of getting answers form her father provided a distraction form the terrifying thought in he back of her mind.

Chase Young never admits to a lie.

Black magic crackled through the air as Chase appeared in his citadel. His car warriors perked at the sound of their master's return but kept their distance as they noticed his anxiety. Chased crossed the atrium, barely noticing Wuya seated leisurely on his throne as he passed.

"Enjoy your little soiree?" She asked saucily.

"Get the fuck of my throne." Chase replied stonily, not even glancing in the witch's direction as he briskly walked to his chambers. The sound of a slamming door reverberated throughout the halls. Wuya raised an eyebrow at his odd behavior.

"Who put a bee in his panties."

After slamming the door to his bedroom, Chase loosened his collar before seating himself at the foot of his bed. He rubbed at his throat, still slightly sore from his earlier predicament.

"Dammit."

What had led him to say such a thing, knowing that it would only activate the curse placed upon him by those damned elders? He never planned on saying anything regarding the matter of Kimiko's eligibility as a bride. Not that he really could say much more than a sentence or two, but the seed was still planted in the woman's mind. Every rational part of his brain told him not to risk it, but the distress on Kimiko's face got to him. He knew he should never have gotten close to the Tohomiko family. Attachments were weakness in his world, but after fifteen hundred years, Chase broke his silent vow to never have emotional attachments.

Toshiro had become such an important friend to him. The man had been earnest and honest from the very moment he had met Chase when he was a teenager. He accepted Chase on a level the man had never seen from another human. There was no deception in him and that level of trust allowed the two to build a strong partnership. Together they built Toshiro's company form scratch and Chase was beside the man throughout everything. Toshiro was the closest thing Chase had to a best friend.

Chase introduced him to Yumi, the beautiful and loving woman who would become his adoring wife. Chase was present at the birth of the two's beautiful daughter, whom had taken a particular shine to since day one. He remembered on that beautiful spring day when he was given the honor of bestowing a name to the child in thanks, they had said, for bring them together. He was there on that rainy when Toshiro's world shattered as the birth of Kenji three years later had taken a fatal tale on Yumi. With Kenji requiring twenty four hour care and the man being so distraught, Toshiro was simply unable to provide for the toddler Kimiko like he should, forcing Chase to take her into his care. The five years she spent in his home changed his life as the little girl wormed her way into his heart. She was a beacon of light in his otherwise dark and desolate existence, providing something new to the eternity that had begun to tear at his sanity. The child had become so precious to him, and when he began to teach her some martial arts and discovered her affinity to the fire element, he vowed to never let true harm come upon her. Truth be told, when he discovered her recruitment as the dragon of fire he was silently relieved that she would be taken under the wing of a safe organization. The last thing he wanted her to do was follow his path. So, as much as it pained him, he knew having her as his enemy was best for her own growth.

These circumstances did not, however, make her any less dear to him. When he discovered the plans laid out for her he vowed to stop them at any cost. He knew what being a bride in the Xiaolin meant, had witnessed and been subsequently silenced to the secret atrocity done behind closed doors. He had already lost one important person to the horrid tradition, he wasn't about to loose another. Chased rubbed his throat a bit more forcefully at the memory of that past tragedy. He needed to act fast.

A groom has already been chosen.

Dun dun dun. Things are heating up!

Yes, Chase pretty much raised Kimiko from age three to age eight and that will be an important dynamic throughout the story as their romance develops. I felt that for the level that Chase is willing to aid her, their needed to be some kind of close past relationship.

In regards to updating, I just started College and things are pretty crazy. I haven't forgotten about this story and I will do my best to update. I will never drop it so hang in there. Even if it takes awhile I will update eventually, you can count on that.

Thanks for sticking with me, truly.

AF