Disclaimer: American Dragon; Jake Long does not belong to me. If it did, Rose's twin would have been recognized and this would be how things would've gone on after Homecoming. I also technically don't own Rose's twin, but I do own her name and personality.

AN: Shoot me now, for I deserve it. I promise I'm as tired of offering these excuses as you all are of reading them, but in my final semesters at college I have been swamped with work and homework. But the latter shall no longer be an issue: I graduated with my Bachelor June 9th! Therefore while I still have a lot of work and shall be searching for a better job, I will have free time to write as I please. However, there were a few stories that I had to cut loose due to having been involved in too many. Rewritten is not one of them, clearly. So again, I'm sorry and I hope you forgive me, those of you who haven't already deleted this story from their alerts/favorites. Enjoy the chapter ten.

Chapter Ten

Rose knew. On some subconscious level, Rose knew who she was and she knew who Jake was. He was sure of it—the book was proof of that! And she gave him the book, she wanted him to read it, so there was more proof that she knew. Even if she didn't know she knew, she did.

Jake just wasn't sure how to process the information. Calling her was impulsive and stupid, he realized as he sat on the old moth-eaten couch and looked at the blonde former dragon slayer. Blue eyes watched him with an expression of interest and mild confusion. He told her that he couldn't put it down, she thanked him for such praise, but now an awkward silence lay thick in the air. What could he say? What should be said? The American Dragon knew what he wanted to say, he wanted to tell her what she wrote was the truth, he wanted to tell her that she was the Huntsgirl and he made a wish to save her. He wanted her to know how he sacrificed his heart to save her...

Choosing a more tactful approach, he asked, "So, what's in store for Kevin and May now?"

"You'll find out in the next book," she told him with a smile that looked more like a coy smirk. She ran her fingers through her hair, "Is that why you got my number? To call me in for a mini-book club meeting?" Her tone of voice was light and slightly patronizing.

Jake wondered when the last time he blushed was when he felt his cheeks begin to burn. "Ah, no, not really. I just wanted to talk to you, I figured that talking about your book would be the easiest way to start."

She laughed. "You're already my personal hero, Mr. Long. I think we're passed the ice-breaker stage."

"Action is easier than talking."

"Okay, then I'll ask the questions and you answer them."

It had certainly begun that way. Rose asked him questions of his childhood, his family and friends, his work... soon questions were no longer needed and both were telling each other stories of their lives. Laughter and chatter replaced the silence and the awkwardness dissipated as old friends were reacquainted.

It wasn't until his phone rang that Jake realized that it had already passed midnight by forty-one minutes. He looked at his cellphone and Danika's face appeared, "I should take this," he told Rose who was checking her own phone.

"Wow, I didn't know it was so late. Go ahead, I have to get going home anyway."

"Hold on a minute and I'll take you home," he told her. Four rings after the initial he finally accepted the call, "Hey, Dan. Yeah, I know it's late, sorry. I got caught up helping Gramps with his inventory. I'll be home soon, yeah... love you too," he shut the phone.

"The girlfriend?" Rose asked with a small smile.

Jake looked up at her from his phone, "Yeah. I wasn't trying to hide you or nothin'. It's not like we did anything wrong or anything, it's just she wouldn't get it, y'know?" he told her, trying to explain his lie without looking like a jerk, or worse, a fool.

"As part of the feminine persuasion, I can understand why telling her that you spent all night with a blonde you barely know might cause a problem."

"So you know how she feels about blondes, huh?" he joked and she laughed. He stood up, "C'mon, I'll take you home."

"Always the hero, aren't you?" she asked as she grabbed her purse.

He held the door open for her and locked up the store. "You have no idea."

Jake Long was a sweet man. He was heroic and brave and though Rose knew him for such a short period of time, something sang to her when she was near.

Inspiration.

If nothing else, the author had found her muse. And there would be nothing else, Rose asserted to both her sister and herself—she admitted she found an attraction to Jake, but she would do nothing about it. He was in a relationship with a lovely woman. Rose knew she was lovely, having glimpsed the photo that popped up as Jake answered her call. Rose wouldn't ruin that. For that matter, she wasn't even sure that she could if she wanted to, which she didn't.

Besides, some forbidden, whirlwind romance wasn't the reason Rose came to New York City anyway! She came here to find what had been missing, to find the chapters and to finish the book! It would seem that she'd made the right choice in moving after all. Within the two months she'd lived here, she managed to push through over a third of this book and was well aware of where and how this one would end. The dreams became more intense during her nights here, particularly after she would spend time with Jake. Perhaps it was because he reminded her so much of her character Kevin, he embodied the same characteristics and style and Rose would certainly allow Jake to be cast as the adult Kevin should they ever make a movie franchise from The Slayer series.

She looked at her laptop. Was this the end for The Slayer? And what would happen if it was? Could she even write anything other than May and her dragon? It had been so long since she'd even tried. The fourth book in the series and getting so close to her ending, Rose realized that this may in fact be her final book and such an ending would be bittersweet. May will give her life to save her beloved by wishing the existence of all slayers away, including herself. The greatest threat to magical life would be gone, but the Dragon of New York would lose his first love. Many of the more vocal May/Kevin shippers in her fanbase would be furious, but Rose knew no other way to end the story. May would die. That was it.

"Well that's what fanfiction's for," Marie told her, being the only one who ever knew how Rose's books would end before they were finally ended. "The fans will probably either rewrite your ending, or find a way to bring May back, or they'll just pair the newly heartbroken Kevin with their own characters. You know, the usual." she grinned, "You know, Brad's got quite the collection of homoerotic Slayer fanfiction. He gender-bent May into Mike. They're actually not that bad a read..."

Rose grimaced, "Never tell me anything like that again. Ever."

Rose knew there were many fanfictions out there, and she enjoyed reading quite a few of them. Some of them, however, she could live happily without ever knowing about. "So you don't think it's awful?"

"Nah, but then I love tragedy. Brad will probably silently break down, but it's your story. If May has to selflessly kick the bucket, power to her." Marie mentioned as she sat on the back of the couch. "But if this is the end, what're you going to do? Continue it as The Dragon or something?"

"I don't know. I don't know what I would do with Kevin, he'll probably grow up and fall in love with someone new but I don't know if I can write about that. I might be as bad as my own fans." she laughed. "No, I'll write something else. Something unrelated... something new."

"It'll be weird not listening to you talk about slayers and dragons all the time. But... it might be good for you. I mean... you've been doing really good since you started writing all this stuff out but..." Marie honestly didn't know what else she could say about it... the entire ordeal was something she knew Rose didn't like to think about and perhaps Marie should let her just forget it all, but it scared her to remember and she was always worried that it would happen again.

Rose knew full well what Marie was getting at, "Look, I've been passed that part of my life. You know that. Just let that go, all right?" she looked at her with begging eyes.

"All right, fine. Just I worry—no, just never mind it. So, after it's done, are you staying here? Or are you moving back to Hong Kong?" Marie let herself fall backward into the couch, all Rose could see were her upward legs.

"I don't know yet. Not for a while, if I do decide to go back."

Danika didn't know what to do. She knew that Jake was hiding something from her. And now she knew that he was hiding something else from her too. She handled the book suspiciously in her hand, originally she hadn't thought of it. Perhaps Haley gave him the book to read, but Jake never read for fun and certainly not fantasy love stories. It wasn't until she noticed the spine was cracked open did she know he read it and then... that inscription.

To Jake,

The hero of New York, you're great. Thanks for everything.

Rose Whitman

How did Jake even know Rose Whitman? When did he meet her? Why was he a hero?

The questions stung her like angry wasps. As if the secrets he was hiding from her before weren't bad enough, he had to add more. She wanted to confront him. She wanted to demand an answer. All answers! But at the same time, she didn't want to nag and appear paranoid—she did trust Jake not to hurt her or betray her, she trusted that he loved her. But she couldn't help her suspicions that something was off here.

Unfortunately for her, though, even if she did confront him he would have answers ready and waiting. He was talented at brushing off her concerns and distracting her with well placed kisses and words of devotion and adoration. No, if she wanted the truth, she'd have to find other ways of getting it. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, placing the read book back on the shelf where she spotted it. She's have to find this Rose and find out what connection she had to her boyfriend.

I promise, promise, promise that the next chapter won't take nearly as long to go up. Seriously. I abandoned certain stories and finished Blazing Hearts so I will have more time for this one. Thanks again to those who haven't abandoned this story.