CHAPTER EIGHT- Jia Li

I stood waiting on the steps of the arena. I actually had the whole day off, and a purse full of yuan's. I felt really good. Well, good for a not-so-broke person. Last nights events kept replaying in my head. It was driving me insane!

Every time I thought about Tahno and I dancing, I would get this warm fluffy feeling and feel like smiling. It was so annoying, and I couldn't figure out why. Yes, I do read my romance novels, they do talk about these warm feelings. But I was sure, that either my body was betraying me, or he did something.

I don't know what. But I'm sure he was doing something.

Geez, I was so nervous right now. I had no idea what Tahno's surprise was, my palms were sweating and I glanced around waiting. The constant feeling of this whole adventure today, deep in my gut, I knew was not going to end well. Or maybe today I would get lucky?

Self consciously I tugged on the end of my braid.

And the most absurd thought popped into my head. Did I look nice? Would he like my outfit?

I groaned, shoulders slumping. What was I thinking? I felt like some hormone driven desperate teenager. The ones that always worried about how they looked, who was paying attention to them, etc. I groaned again. I was a teenager.

Seventeen.

Tahno was twenty.

He was three years older than me.

I must look like some idiot to him, I realized. I was freaking out now. I needed to calm down, and get a grip. I was losing my self confidence, my identity. Being around Tahno was making me crazy and I didn't like it at all.

"Chill out," a smooth voice said from right beside me.

I screamed, jumping into the air. He laughed at me, steadying me by my elbows and giving me a once over. Then he nodded with satisfaction.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied, "let's go."

He grabbed my hand, and took off down the dock. I struggled to keep up with his long strides as he hailed a taxi Sato-mobile. Pulling me in, we took opposite sides of the car, facing each other. I breathlessly watched as he tapped his fingers against the door anxiously. I was curious as to why.

"You know," I began a slight teasing tone in my voice, "I would think that a pro-bending champion would have his own Sato-mobile."

"I spent a lot on your dress," he reminded me. I immediately felt shameful, a blush spreading over my embarrassed cheeks. "But Shaozu has the Sato-mobile today, he wouldn't hand it over."

"Isn't that your Sato-mobile?"

"Yes, but I share it with my team mates," he said somewhat grumpily.

"Why?"

He looked at me with confusion.

"They're my team mates," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Are they your friends?"

"They-" he paused looking troubled for the first time since I've met him.

"Do they hang out with you like I do?"

"We go out at night, to parties- I don't see why this is so important," he snapped.

"There is a difference between friends, and team mates, Tahno," I soldiered on, despite his growing temper.

"I highly doubt that," he said unaffected. I shrugged. It was better to let him think what he wanted to think than to challenge it.

"So what's this surprise?"

"It's not a surprise if I tell you, Lani," he said in a sing song voice. I leaned back in my seat and watched him then. It was no use trying to get him to talk. And I was certainly fine with that. His brow was furrowed as we rode in silence. I was sure that he was mulling over my words.

Finally the Sato-mobile jolted to a stop and Tahno got out first. Then is a show of rare kindness, he helped me out. I looked up and gasped. It was the White Falls.

The glistening white water on the falls fell in a steady current. The houses ranged from small little buildings to sprawling mansions as the road curved on. The lawns were well groomed, patches of snow littered about. It was a little valley, but it took my breath away.

Tahno took my hand and led me up the drive of a sprawling estate directly before us. The Sato-mobile drove away, and I followed Tahno with my mouth agape. We climbed the white steps, to the large double doors guarded two large jade urns.

He reached into his pocket and produced a key. Quickly Tahno slipped it into the lock and opened the door, holding it wide he pushed me through and shut it behind us. I stumbled into the foyer of the mansion, raising my eyes I gasped at the rooms grandeur.

"Is this where you live?" I finally managed to ask after a period of silence.

"Actually, it's where I grew up," he admitted. My eyebrows rose, and I returned to looking at my surroundings. The walls were white and the foyer opened up into rooms on either side, separated with rice sheeted dividers, gilded with gold. Tahno led me down the foyer and into a hallway that opened up into a large kitchen.

"Thirsty?"

"Water, please," I asked. He went to a cupboard and got a glass, filling it in the sink. He passed it to me and gestured for me to take a seat at the table by the window. I took a seat and he sat down across from me.

He was being so nice, and courteous. Was he sick? I was getting a little suspicious. Taking a sip I cleared my throat.

"So you grew up here, where is your family?"

"Out for the day," he replied.

"I don't even get to meet them?" I said, a little saddened by this thought. Tahno pretended to pick lint of his tunic avoiding my eyes.

"I wouldn't say that," he drawled. I pressed my lips together.

"So . . ."

"Let me show you around," he said easily, rising. I stood and trailed after him as he led me to the stairs. On the first floor he led me past several doors, pointing out which one was his father's study, his step-mother's study, the library. He pointed out Jia Li's room and then Zei's, although he did it with some reluctance. Then he opened the last door, and led me in. I followed him into a well kept room, the walls blue, and along one wall were newspaper clippings and smack dab in the center a picture of Tahno himself.

I knew this had to be his room. The bed looked untouched, the dresser barren of any personal items.

"When I moved out, my father kept it ready in case I ever needed to stay here," said Tahno as he went to the balcony and opened the doors. I trailed after him and then stood next to him as we looked out at the yard. A beautifully manicured lawn, with flower beds waiting for spring to bring flowers to them.

"I used to obsess over pro-bending when I was younger," he said. I glanced over at him. "Begged my father to get the best teachers, went to every game, and trained constantly."

"Was it worth it?"

"Are you kidding?" he said as if I was crazy. "It was, and more. But I'm not sure my father ever really approved. I think he was trying to do what my mother would've done. Be supportive."

"Do you miss her?" I asked curiously. I never really remembered my mother, only some dreams, and a song. But I was curious to know if he remembered anything.

"Yes," he replied softly. "She was my mother."

A pang of guilt hit me. I swallowed thickly and tried not to think about it too much.

"After she died, we moved to Republic City, dad got remarried and I got a little brother and sister," he said calmly. He was so calm about, like it didn't really matter. Nervously I put my hand over his, and gave it a squeeze, not looking at him.

It was silent except for the roar of the water falls, and the wind whistling. It was the perfect moment, really. I really felt like Tahno was opening up to me, like we were getting somewhere. It almost felt like we were friends.

Suddenly a door slammed somewhere in the house and heavy footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs. Tahno stiffened, ripping his hand from beneath mine and sprinting to the door.

"Hello?" he called down the hallway.

"Tahno?" a voice replied, distinctly feminine. Then he was tackled by a girl, who wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. She pulled away and noticed me. Her green eyes narrowed slightly. "Who's she?" she said in an almost accusatory tone.

"Jia, this is, Lani . . . my friend," Tahno said to her. My brows rose and inside I was screaming with happiness. He finally called me his friend!And this girl was his little sister, Jia Li.

"Hi," I said quietly.

"She's rather shy," Jia stated bluntly. I blinked, somewhat shocked. Jia Li was short, her lightly tanned skin, one difference between her and Tahno. Her black hair was pulled back into two braids wrapped around the base of her skull. And she was more stocky than her water bending brother.

I honestly didn't know what to say next. How do you respond to something like that? So, I just stared at her and Tahno until he cleared his throat with some discomfort at the growing silence.

"Lani, would you like to see the pool?"

My face lit up, and I felt my lips parting to form a smile which he was mirroring until . . .

"No! Lani should come see the rink!" Jia Li said eagerly, clasping her hands together and giving Tahno a puppy dog look. He tried not to look at her and sighed with long suffering. To further her plight Jia Li stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. She truly did look too cute, and personally I gave in first.

"I'd love to see the, uh- rink," I told her. Jia Li's face lit up into a smile and she jumped into the air gleefully.

"Oh, I love you!" she cried, and grabbed my hand.

"Jia," Tahno drawled. Jia Li slapped her pouty look back on and stared at him, making him scowl. "Ugh, just be nice. Lani is very delicate." He wagged his brows at me.

"I can take care of myself, thanks," I sniffed, as Jia Li dragged me from the room and down the stairs. Tahno followed at his usual slow pace, or what I think I would begin to call the Tahno strut.

"Oh, daddy had it built for me when I was six," Jia Li told me eagerly pulling me down a hall near the kitchen and opening another door that led down to a basement. Uneasiness filled me, as the darkness met my eyes. "I just love coming down here when I have the time. Mother also likes to show me new moves, it's just wonderful!"

We descended the stairs, my one free hand seeking the wall for support as we just kept going, deeper and deeper. As a waterbender, I didn't like being in dark, confined places that at any time, could come down around you. Slowly burying you until there was no air and you suffocated.

The stairs ended, and I tried to keep from hyperventilating. Jia Li let go of my hand and suddenly I was all alone. The suddenness of it frightened me, and I wanted to stop being so scared, but I was scared of dark, tight spaces that I would get trapped and die in.

I heard Jia Li mutter a curse under her breath, and somewhere behind me Tahno let out a short mirthless laugh.

"Jia, watch your tongue," he said mildly. It was one small comfort that he was here. But I still felt like at any time, he and Jia Li would run back up those stairs and lock me down here . . . I shuddered. "Lani, where are you?"

"Here," I squeaked. He snorted.

"I know that, hold still, I'm going to find you, since Jia can't find the stupid lights," he said. In his voice I detected uneasiness, perhaps he too was fearful of this dark would be grave. Then I felt a hand brush my arm, and travel up it, then the hand paused as it brushed over my cheeks. My face heated up, because I knew this was Tahno, and he would certainly never do that if he could see. Luckily he didn't see my flushed face.

"There you are," he said with a smug voice, sounding relieved. His hand found mine and he wrapped it around the crook of his arm. Even though I couldn't see him, I could feel him next to me. Jia Li was still cursing.

"What is this rink?" I asked trying to alleviate my growing fear.

"Jia and Jichu use it to practice their earthbending," he replied. I frowned.

"Jichu? You have another sibling?"

"Jichu is my stepmother," he replied, an edge of humor in his voice.

"Oh."

"Found it!" Jia Li shouted and then the lights flickered on with a dull thud, which I saw was a massive switch on the wall before us. Jia Li beamed at us, and then her eyes flickered down to my hand wrapped around Tahno's arm, and then I realized how tightly I was holding onto him. I loosened my grip as Jia Li smirked at me.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked pointing at something behind us. I turned, letting go of Tahno and stood in shock. A large circular ring lay before us, littered with large boulders and generally things that a earthbender would bend. The floor was dirt, and along one of the walls was a bench littered with towels and water bottles.

"Wow, it's . . . amazing," I told her. Jia Li smiled and opened the door leading into the rink.

"Wait until I show you something that I learned the other day, you're gonna love it," she told me. I followed her into the rink, and sat on the benches.

"Show me what you got," I told her with a hint of amusement. Jia Li smiled at me.

"You know, I like you," she said before getting into a bending position and attacking Tahno.


OOO

I bit my lip as I struggled to hold in my giggle, as Tahno poked at his black eye. I stood behind him holding a frozen bag of water, that I had just frozen. Jia Li was in the other room laughing.

"Look at this," he moaned. "Look what Jia did to my face."

My face in the reflection of the mirror betrayed my emotions and he scowled at me.

"This isn't funny."

"I know, take the ice," I told him, handing him the ice. He grimaced as he put it against his eye.

"How does he look?" Jia Li shouted from the other room.

"Gorgeous," I said back.

Jia Li roared with laughter. Tahno muttered under his breath, most likely plotting revenge on the poor nine year old.

"Here," I told him, taking pity. I turned on the faucet and bended water around my hands and raised them to his face. He shut his eyes, peeping at me through his good eye as I healed him. "It will feel a little sore, but the bruising should be gone by dinner tonight," I told him.

"Yes, doctor," he drawled teasingly, smirking at my blushing complexion.


OOO

He dropped me off at the docks, so that I could get home on time without worrying Tenzin. I took the ferry back, because I wanted to see the island and feel the salty waves. I felt really happy. I finally got to meet Jia Li, see him get beat up by her. And he finally called me his friend.

Yes, I didn't like him. No, we would never really get along. But right now everything seemed alright.

Tomorrow was Korra's championship matches, that would determine if the Fire Ferret's would make it to the Final. I couldn't wait.


Busy week! I just couldn't wait to write this chapter. And I plan on furthering the Lani and Jia Li relationship here. Well, this chapter is the calm before the storm chapter, every thing is about to change!

I will start to reply to all my reviewers reviews, because you all have really good input. And here's a sneak peak at chapter nine!

I glanced over at Cheng, waiting for her to send me off. Today was the finals before the final and I did not want to miss the Fire Ferret's. Tugging at my hair I waited, already finished with my work. But then someone knocked, standing in the doorway. Cheng looked up the same time I did.

I couldn't help but gasp. He was gorgeous. Tall, lean and with a beautiful sort of mocha complexion bronzed like a god. I felt my cheeks heat up. I silently berated myself as he began talking to Cheng.

"I was told to come here and request a healer for my brother," he said, in a deep subtle voice. I blinked and looked away, he was way too good looking.

"Lani," Cheng said. I looked up at her. "Go with the young man." I was shocked, but nodded and joined this gold dipped boy of masculinity. I almost couldn't stand listening to myself. I was a freak. Silently we walked down the hall and into another ward.

"I'm Jiāoyáng, by the way," he said. "But you can call me Jiao." I smiled at him.

"Call me Lani," I said. His lips parted and he smiled warmly at me. -

Yep. Tahno be jealous. I may or may not do a chapter in his perspective, because this is about Lani, but you never know. As always read, enjoy, and review!

~Ciao