Chapter 7:
In the Long household the next morning,
"Are you okay?" Susan asked her husband.
"This explains a lot." Jonathan said after a night of thinking. "The fire alarm, the burnt curtains, Jake being late all the time, why your father hates me…"
"I'm sorry I never told you." Susan apologized. "I've been trying to find the right way to tell you since we were dating. It wasn't supposed to go like this."
"Hey Mom. Hey Dad." Haley said as she came downstairs. "Is Jake home yet."
"Not yet, Sweetie." Jonathan said before turning to his wife. "So, are YOU a dragon?"
"No. It skipped my generation." Susan stated.
"I'm one!" Haley said. "Dragon Up!"
Jonathan watched his little girl turn into the small pink dragon.
"Well, I have to admit, you are a cute little dragon." Jonathan said.
"So, you're not angry?" Haley asked as she flew to his lap and transformed back.
"Well, I'm a little upset I wasn't told the truth." Jonathan admitted. "But, I suppose you had your reasons."
DING DONG
"I'll get it." Susan said.
She opened the door to find her father.
"Anything?" Susan asked.
"They are trying their hardest." Lao Shi stated as he entered and Susan closed the door.
"I'm so scared." Susan admitted as she leaned on the door.
"Jake can handle it." Jonathan stated.
"Grandpa?" Haley asked. "What will happen IF Jake….well, you know?"
"Then you will become the American Dragon, Young one." Lao Shi truthfully told the girl.
Haley went silent
DING DONG
Susan opened the door and saw an African man carrying an unconscious Jake. He was breathing again, but his breath was labored.
"Well?" Susan asked.
"We've done all we could." The man said. "The rest is up to Jake."
"His room is upstairs." Susan directed. "I'll show you."
The mother showed the man to Jake's room. The African Dragon gently laid Jake on the bed.
"Is there anything we need to know?" Susan asked.
"He needs rest." The man said. "If…When he wakes up, give him something to eat. Broth would be the best thing for him in his present state. Also, he will not be able to…how did he put it? "Dragon Up" for a while."
"Thank you for your help." Susan thanked the dragon elder.
0000
The next week,
KNOCK KNOCK
Susan left the kitchen and opened the door to find Lily, Rose, Trixy, and Spud.
"Hi Mrs. Long." Trixy said. "Is Jake up yet."
"Not yet." Susan said.
"Oh." They said.
"I vill be the judge of tat." A man with a German accent said behind the kids.
"Mr. Rotwood?" Lily asked.
"Ah Ah! PRINCIPAL!"
"Whatever." Lily said rolling her eyes.
Rotwood went past the kids and up the stairs.
"Come right on in." Susan said sarcastically. "No wonder Jake hates him."
Rotwood looked in each room until he came to Jake's.
"Okay Mr. Long." Rotwood said. "Playtime is over. You've 'ad your fun, but missing an ENTIRE veek of school? Tsk tsk."
Jake was still except for his labored breathing.
"You really are injured." Rotwood said.
"Told you." Trixy said.
"Vell, I must be going." Rotwood said leaving.
"Good riddance." Rose said when he was gone.
"Hey Rose!" Trixy said as she realized something. "Have you been on a Dream Date with Jake?"
"Not lately." Rose admitted. "I've tried, but when I tried to enter his dream door, it was locked."
0000
The next week at four in the morning,
The door to Jake's room creaked opened and someone tiptoed in. The figure dragged a chair over to the side of the bed, and climbed onto it.
"Jake?" Haley asked. "Are you awake yet?"
Silence.
"Jake. You…You CAN'T…" Haley stated as tears welled in her eyes. "Whose mistakes will I learn from? Jake. Please. Wake up. The American Dragon is your thing. Not mine. It will hurt too much if I'm named American Dragon. Please Jake. Dad doesn't mind we're dragons. You HAVE to wake up. You're my big brother."
Haley covered her eyes as the tears fell. One tear fell on her brother's hand. She threw her head on the bed and started sobbing at the thought of losing her brother. Her hand fell close to where his laid. She was grateful everyone was still asleep. If not, she wouldn't be caught dead doing this.
She continued to cry even when she felt a hand grip hers. She lifted up her head to see her brother looking at her worriedly.
"Hey. Are you okay?" he quietly asked her.
"Jake?" she asked to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
He nodded.
She launched into a hug only to hear him gasp in pain.
"Sorry." She apologized.
"That's fine." He said. "How long has it been?"
"Two weeks." Haley told him. "We were starting to think…"
"Two weeks?" Jake repeated.
Haley nodded.
"We were so worried that you'd…" Haley started
"Hey. You can't keep the Am. Drag. down for long." Jake told his sister.
"I'm so sorry." She said. "If I hadn't joined the fight…"
"I still would have to save Rose." Jake told her.
"What it Rose wasn't in trouble?"
"Then I still would have saved whoever was in trouble." Jake said.
"Even if it was just me being shot at?"
"Of course. You're my little sis. I have to look out for you."
"I've missed you." Haley sobbed as she climbed into the bed and gently hugged her brother.
"I'm back Haley." Jake told her as he gently returned it. "And I won't go anywhere for a while."
"Jake?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you not tell anyone about…what I was doing when you woke up?"
"Your secret is safe with me."
Jake felt his sister relax and fall asleep in his arms.
He looked around his room and found the Dream Bracelet on his dresser.
0000
In the Dream Realm,
"And this door," Rose gave Lily the grand tour of the Dream Realm "leads to my dreams. This is where I discovered your existence."
"Where am I?" They heard Haley asked.
The twins looked around a corner and saw Jake and Haley.
"This is where I've been taking Rose on dates." Jake told his sister.
"Real romantic." Haley said sarcastically.
"JAKE!" Rose yelled as she ran to her boyfriend.
"ROSE!"
The two hugged.
"For future reference," Jake said. "My physical self would be in so much pain after that hug."
"I'll try and remember." Rose said. "Jake, you saved my life."
"You saved mine before." Jake said with a shrug.
"Go Lao Shi! Go Lao Shi! Go Lao Shi!" the quartet heard people chant.
"It's coming from Grandpa's door." Haley said.
The four opened the door and found Lao Shi disco dancing.
"That is wrong on so many levels." Lily stated.
"I REALLY didn't need to see this." Haley said.
"Let's leave Gramps to his dream." Jake said.
"Yeah." Rose agreed very disturbed.
"Haley? Wake up!" Susan's voice came
Haley disappeared.
TBC