Hey my fellow fanfictioners!

Ok this chapter has Jo and Jada together so I hope you enjoy it!

R&R


The Eyes of the Wolverine
Chapter 7
The Lake

"I'm not supposed to leave your house." I said though I wasn't really putting up any resistance.

"I just want to show you the lake." Jada said still pulling me along. "It's practically on our property. We'll just be gone a sec."

As we came out the back door from the kitchen she took me through a backyard overrun with weeds. An ancient sundial sat in one corner of the yard nearly lost in the tall grass surrounding it. On the other side of the garden was an arbor laced with climbing vines that had long since stopped climbing. More grass came up in between the rocks in the stone path we were walking on. Jada and I passed through the gate of a low wooden fence effectively meaning we were leaving the property.

It was then that I noticed the lake. It was still a distance away down a sloping terrain but it was enormous. I was just able to see the other side of it where more buildings sat on the other side.

With all of Rem Hai's updatedness it had kept the lake well hidden behind the wall of building facades that lined the street. As I looked behind me, I saw the backs of these buildings all lined up tightly against one another.

"Come on," she said apparently not intending on showing it to me from a distance. She and I continued down the slope.

As we came to flatter ground, she sat down where the grass from the slope became sand on the lakeshore. The sand lined a long stretch of the lake strand we were on.

As I sat down next to her I took off my sandals. Not passing up the opportunity, I stuck my feet into the sand letting it run in between my toes. The sand was warmed being in the sun all day despite the cool October air. As my feet dug deeper though, I found the colder untouched sand. Being autumn, the occasional fallen and discolored leaf glided across the water. The water of the lake lapped at the sand in its small tide like several rolling hushes. It's like the water was telling me secrets.

I wondered if Jada had known how perfect this was for me.

It reminded me of the creek back home. I scanned the area for rocks to skip, but didn't see any.

"I've always liked having this so close to the house. It's like a little escape from the city right here in the city. You know?

"Yeah, It's something else."
Why do I keep using that phrase around her?

"So you like it?" she asked.

I nodded looking across the water. "Years ago I spent a lot of time indoors. But I've always loved nature. It's so... unpredictable. Does that make any sense?"

Jada said "Have you ever heard the theory that there are no straight lines in nature? Nothing is naturally straight. Everything that is is made by us."

I shook my head. "I haven't, but I like that."

The silence between us was finally a comfortable one. Words weren't needed. Nature was our words. When the silence was broken, Jada had turned to me saying "You never did tell me that 'long story'," she said. "The one about you being adopted."

No I guess I haven't

There came that same feeling that only came when I decided I would tell someone about my parents. That feeling that I could tell her anything.

It had taken me by surprise the first time I felt it with Musaki having only met him a few days earlier. With Po it just felt comfortable. The feeling I could tell him anything was something I had felt with him for a while by that point. Now, with Jada, it not only felt comfortable but as natural as the other two.

The outcome was the same with all three of them.

And so I told her. I explained my 3 years of living with my birth parents, my dad's violent temperament, their secret occupation that eventually lead to our welcomed separation, how foster care took me to the Valley of Peace where I was eventually adopted, and how I had never seen either of my parents since. When I had started she gave the usual shocked look I had gotten used to, but after that she only nodded while I was talking. When I finished she said simply "I'm sorry."

"I don't know that I've ever forgiven them. I know I should but..." the lack of ending seemed an ending in itself.

After another moment she said "How come you didn't want to tell me earlier?"

I shrugged. "It seemed a little weird to bring up in our first conversation. Not to mention I've only told 2 other people, Po and my friend Musaki from back home. My adopted parents don't even know. But I've accepted it. In the end it was for the best. I have a better life now than I would ever have if I had stayed with them." Except now I'm being hunted down by a murderous lynx.

She paused again before saying. "You wanna know a secret of mine then? I think you're the first badger I've ever met."

I smiled. "Not much of a secret. I've been a lot of people's first if not only badger. Heck, I've never even met another badger besides my parents."

"Ok, then why don't I tell you one like you told me." she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

After a pause she said "My mom doesn't actually travel."

At first I was confused by what she meant. After thinking for a second I asked precariously "Did she
don't say "die"
pass away"

"No," she said glumly in unpleasant recollection. "She left."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I wasn't sure for a long time. My dad didn't even really understand at the time. For a while all he knew was that she wanted to end their marriage. Then he found out that another man was involved. She'd apparently been seeing him for sometime when it happened. We never found out who, but I assume my mom is with him now.

Now she looked at me. I could tell by her blue eyes that, just like me talking about my parents, telling it was reliving it.

"I loved my mom, I can't tell you how... devastated I was. I had never been that sad since the day my grandma died when I was nine. You know how when you're little for a while you think that your parents are so powerful? As you get older you realize they're not perfect but you still think that there's nothing they can do that's truly horrible. When this happened, that whole illusion just shattered."

Jo Dakota Crevan: She sounds like a free spirit.

Jada Zadora: You have no idea.

It made sense now

"How old were you?" I asked.

"It was 4 months ago. I was 12. We haven't seen her since." she said. "She wasn't even there for my 13th birthday."

The way I thought no one had been there for mine

She went on "It wasn't as hard on my brothers or sister. I mean they couldn't believe it when it happened either and they were really upset, but like I said, they're all older. They were able to handle it better. They were all already living out of the house at the time. They didn't have to go through that phase where she just wasn't around anymore." She began to talk slower as if talking to fast would cause something to break. "Sometimes there were mornings where I wondered if I could get out of bed knowing she wasn't going to be there. I don't know if I've forgiven her either."

I felt her pain. But more importantly I felt a connection of pain.
And I think she does too.

"I guess forgiveness is something we both have trouble with." As I said this I took hold of her hand. It wasn't a move I was trying. It was a genuine act of comfort. It honest to God felt natural.

What happened next seemed almost pure instinct. I saw her begin to lean forward, but I hadn't noticed until I found myself leaning forward too.

A second later our lips were touching.

I once heard someone say that in initiating a kiss, one person moves in most of the way and the other person closes the small distance left between them. But that didn't seem the case here. It was as though we moved together, each covering half the distance that separated us, neither knowing what was going to happen. And then it happened.

Her lips had a softness to their touch. I could tell they had never been kissed before. Then again, how would I know this? It's my first time kissing too. Were my lips as soft and divulging as hers?

We broke somehow only just acknowledging each other. Neither of us said anything. I wasn't sure what post-kiss actions were supposed to be. Was I supposed to say something first or should I let her. In stead we both went back to staring at the lake. It was almost as if it hadn't even happened. But I wanted to remember it as long as I could.

For that moment following, there seemed to be no one but me and Jada. The sun appeared to be perched on the crest of the buildings on the opposite side of the lake. The lake itself was calm. I didn't have a care in the world.

Once again, the silence was broken by her. "What get's you through?"

"What?" I asked surprised by the sudden question.

"What get's you through hard times?" after a second she added with a joking demeanor "Mr. Next Dragon Warrior."

I wondered why she felt the need to ask me this. Was it as though to her I had some divine intellect as a kung fu warrior? Then again I remembered when I had met Po and thought he had been so amazing, so full of knowledge, so awesome...

Not that he wasn't still all those things to me, if anything he was even more, but I guess I was used to it now.

But I knew it must have been because of our connection. Our shred experience, and the fact that she noticed that I was better adjusted to my situation than she was to hers.

"I guess that's one reason why I write. To just... get stuff out. Relieves alot of stress. I also have my faith. Some times I think my belief in God is the only thing that I always have."

"Do you ever get scared?" she intoned

Why do people always ask that?

"As long as I'm breathing, I get scared." I said chuckling.

"Are you scared now?"

"How much do you know?" figuring that at this point she couldn't be completely unknowledgeable of my life being in danger.

"As much as you know, I suppose. I heard what my dad told you all your first night here. I mean, I was just in the other room. I'm surprised he thought I couldn't hear him. I know about Severin. Dad also told me before about Master Shifu and the rest getting kidnapped and you having to save them."

My black ears turned puce.

"You seem to be brave." she went on. "I know I wouldn't be so calm if it were me."

I shrugged. "It's hard to be afraid of something you've never seen"

She said thoughtfully "I would think that would make it even more frightening."

"How do you mean?" I asked not understanding.

"Aren't we always afraid of the things we know little about?" she replied. "Things we can't see; a disease, deep waters, ghosts. Things where our imagination runs wild. We don't really know what their capable of."

Like a tocsin going off in my head, her new point of view gave me a new perspective that somehow hadn't been realized.

Crap just got real.

I suddenly felt very vulnerable outside in the open. Even though I had just told her that I still get scared, things seemed different than they had been a few seconds ago.

Worlds different

"Maybe we should get back." I said.

"Probably so," she said. We both stood up. I shook the sand off my feet and put my sandals back on and we began to walk up the slope again to the house.

Just as we were reaching the gate to the backyard, Jada stopped. "I just remembered. My dad is probably done working in his shop for the day. He'll be right in the kitchen working on dinner. He'd see us come in."

"What should we do?" I asked beginning to think what would happen if Master Shifu found out that I disobeyed orders.

Thinking it over she said "I'll go in. He won't think anything of me coming in. I go see the lake all the time by myself. You go out into the street and come in through the front door. I'll be there waiting for you to make sure he doesn't see."

The streets? Out in the open?

"There's a gap in between two of the buildings about half-way down the block." she said.

"Ok" I said. "I'll see you in a second."

From there we split up. It was hard to judge a block only seeing the backs of the houses. Finally about 11 buildings down I found the gap she was talking about. It was more of an alleyway where several trash cans and unused crates were stacked. Passing through I emerged into the streets, still busy for dusk but considerably less than the afternoon traffic. Keeping close to the buildings I made my way down the street back toward the house praying no one noticed the random badger. But attention was something I didn't need to worry about. A second later all the attention was turned up the street in the opposite direction of the Saxon's shop. Frantic screams and hollers erupted from a rufous 3 story building down the street.

"IT"S HIM!"

Soon after the door flew open and out came who I assumed was 'him.' I knew instantly that the lynx I was seeing was Severin.

If I wasn't panicking already, I definitely was when I saw, summoned by the shouting, Master Shifu, the Five, and Po running down the street toward the uproar.

With out a second thought I ducked into the nearest doorway. It was without a door, only long beaded tassels hanging from the top frame. I quickly brushed them out of the way and stood just out of sight letting them fall back into place jingling against each other.

I doubted any of them had seen me. Severin and the Masters had been pretty far away, plus they were probably too distracted to notice me.

"And to what, do I owe this visit?" came a voice from behind.

In the heat of the moment I hadn't even thought that I was actually entering a persons house. I had just hoped it was only one of the many public shops in the village. As I turned around, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Several standing shelves holding ornate bottles and candles in every size, color, and shape thinkable. I imagined it was built a similar way to my parents shop back in the Valley, that is, the shop in the front with living quarters in the back and upstairs.

I found this distracting to the point that it took me several seconds to take notice of the speaker. An adult female snow leopard.

I started "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Madam Weibao at your service." she said. Her voice was deep and insipid but I got the strong feeling that it wasn't her actual voice. Her introduction and hand motions were wide and without planning. As for her outfit, her dress was an assortment of dark paisleys with a bright red scarf worn on her head and large hoop earrings. Over her arms she wore a shawl that looked like it ought to be draped over a fireplace mantelpiece.

There was a circular table covered in a delicate shiny fabric with a whicker chair on either side and a silvery crystal ball in the center. My stomach lurched at how horribly cliche` it looked.

A fortune teller

"No, I mean I didn't mean to walk in here." I said trying to clear it up. "I was confused."

She held up a finger "Twas Fate brought you here, my dear."

Caught a little off guard by her statement I said "Actually a coach brought me here." I was getting annoyed already by her persistence of this

"And that coach was named 'Fate'." she said plainly.

Seriously?

I was waiting for her to tell me that she "knows all" or "sees things." I was still unsure if this was a clairvoyant who was trying to scam me, or one that actually believed the stuff they said.

"Come, sit, young brock. Let us look into your soon-to-be present."

At least she's not being too cliche by calling it 'future'

I wasn't too keen on staying there, but I needed some time to pass before I went outside again. So I followed and sat down in one of the wicker chairs. She sat down in the one across from me.

"Let me see your paw." she said.

I held it out as she had told me and she seized it hungrily as if she hadn't read a palm in months. She traced her fingers over my paw pads tenderly all the while muttering to herself.

After a full minute, looking at my paw as though my future were printed in words on it, she said "You have traveled in your life. You have allies; those that will help you, but... also you have enemies; those that will harm you." She let go of my hand with a look of relief and satisfaction as if expecting me to marvel at her prodigious powers.

I rolled my eyes. "Think you can tell me something that doesn't apply to everyone?"

"Ah, I see." she said gracefully pointing a long-nailed finger at me. "Still not convinced Did I mention that you are unsafe, in your current surroundings?"

I could have told you that.

"Then I guess I should leave" I said matter-of-factly getting up from the table not fully caring if it had been long enough. I'd find a way to sneak around the masters. I stood up and turned for the beaded doorway.

"Wait!" she said giving away her true voice which had a nasal quality to it. "I also sense that you have a guardian."

I froze mid-step and turned around. "A what?"

"One that watches over you." she went on. "One that wants to protect you."

"You mean... like my parents?" I said.

"Something else." she said softly. "Something different. The wolverine that walks with you."

"What?" I asked not sure I had heard her right.

"Are you aware that a wolverine is seeking a connection with you?" she asked.

"Yes, I mean no, I mean... I've seen him but I just thought that... I don't know, I imagined it or it was some dream." I was suddenly so sucked in by her words I hadn't realized how adrenalized I had suddenly become. "You mean this wolverine I've been seeing... is real?"

She smiled thinly. "The wolverine is, without question, real."

As I left her building I stared up and down the street without reason. Without it even registering how calm the street was now.

"The wolverine's real?" I said aloud.

Suddenly, it wasn't a question anymore, but a fact.

With a grin growing across my face I stated "The wolverine is real."


The wolverine is real. But Jo is still unsure who this wolverine is and why he even wants to protect Jo. As for Jada...

Well you'll have to wait till next time

Until then, maybe review