Hey guys! I'm going to go ahead and give a little bit of a **CENSOR** on this chapter, because it gets a little violent. This chapter was really hard to write, and even harder to put myself in the mindset of Kimiko, but I hope it turns out okay! I hope you all enjoy!
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Face Down
By: Sarah (xxxTDIAngelxxx)
Chapter Ten: Ju
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Raimundo awoke the next morning more comfortable than he had any other morning. His head lay on a plush pillow instead of a couch cushion, his body surrounded by a feather comforter. Most importantly, his arm was numb from the weight of Kimiko's head, still resting peacefully. The morning sun had just started to peak through the curtains, bathing her in a glow that made her skin shine like opal.
He hoped she remembered last night as vividly as he did. Their lips were barely separated from the park to the ranch. When they arrived, no one else was home, as they clumsily made their way to Kimiko's bedroom. Raimundo lifted her in his arms as the two fell onto the bed together in a tangled mess. However, that's when the kissing stopped. Neither said a word, simply gazing into each others eyes. Raimundo had no idea how long they laid there in each others arms relishing in the silence that surrounded them, but eventually Raimundo fell into a dreamless sleep.
He hated to leave now, afraid that any movement would shatter everything that had happened in the past twelve hours. His stomach, however, could sense someone cooking downstairs, and he gently removed himself from her. She mumbled quietly in protest, but quickly fell back into a deep sleep. Raimundo smiled to himself before slipping out the door. Jack and Omi were still asleep in the living room; Omi's head was perfectly balanced on a stray cushion while Jack lay in a tangled heap next to the couch. Chloe was standing at the stove, a thin robe wrapped around her body. Her hair was in a messy braid, and her eyes seemed redder than normal. She saw Raimundo and immediately perked up. "Well, if it isn't Raimundo. So good of you to return home; we thought we would never see you again."
"Oh, shut up. You all made it home just fine without me," he said, stealing a piece of bacon from a plate before Chloe could slap his hand. "How's Clay feeling this morning?"
"Not as bad as Omi, I reckon, but still not very good. He almost didn't want to wake up to care to the cattle this morning. But what about you? Where did you and Kimiko disappear to last night?"
"We just walked and talked. And other stuff."
"What other stuff, Mr. Slept In The Same Outfit He Went Out In Last Night?" she eyed him suspiciously.
"What? No, nothing like that. I do have decency, you know. We did kiss..." He gave a startled yelp when Chloe punched him in the arm.
"That's awesome! I want to hear every detail."
Raimundo opened his mouth to speak, but the wind carried a distant sound to his ear. He paused, focusing on where the noise was coming from.
"What is it, Rai?" Chloe asked.
Raimundo looked through the small kitchen window and saw dust kicking up in the distance. "Shit, you have got to be kidding me."
"What are you-" Chloe stopped when she saw the taxi approaching the house at an alarming speed. "He's not suppose to be here for a few more days."
"With everything that happened last night, I doubt this is a coincidence. Chloe, we can't let her leave with him. He-"
"I know, you don't have to say it. But we can't make her stay here either. Kimiko has to decide what she wants for herself."
"What she wants is to get away from this jerk who beats her." Raimundo's voice began to rise as he could feel his blood beginning to pump faster.
Chloe looked outside as the cab came to a stop at the bottom of the porch steps. Kenji slammed the rear door in a huff. "You better hide, Rai, Kenji doesn't know you're here."
"Oh, he knows that I'm here," Raimundo said, starring at the front door.
Kenji stormed in, causing Omi to lose his balance. His eyes immediately met Raimundo's, and the two glared at each other for what Chloe felt like was a lifetime. Kenji chuckled humorlessly to himself. "I knew that cowboy was a filthy liar."
"Hey-" Chloe began before Raimundo grabbed her arm.
"Where's Kimiko?" he barked.
"I don't see why that's any of your business," Raimundo replied.
Kenji smirked, "Oh, I see. You think after a few days of having her to yourself, you've won her?" he chuckled. "I hate to break it to you, padre, but Kimiko is mine and always will be. And I'm taking her back so we can leave this miserable place."
Kenji turned and stormed up the stairs. Raimundo moved to follow him, but was met by opposition from Omi. "Look, man, you don't know what he's going to do to her. He-"
"Raimundo," Omi interrupted, blocking his path. "This is Kimiko's fight, not ours." There was a yelp heard from upstairs, and Raimundo had to work to control himself. "She must learn to fight for herself or she will never truly be free."
Kenji stomped back down the stairs, Kimiko in tow behind him. She had none of her bags with her, her hair was tangled, and her clothes from the night before were wrinkled and disheveled. She kept her head low, her eyes trained on the carpet, as Kenji drug her by the hand to the front door.
"You don't have to do this, Kimiko. You can stay here," Raimundo pleaded.
Kenji stopped at the door, "she knows what she wants," he growled.
"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Raimundo shouted.
"Rai, please," she pleaded softly, finally looking into his eyes. Her blue eyes were red and glossy and defeated, and they were the last thing Raimundo saw before Kenji took her away.
X
Kenji opened his hotel room door in a slam, pushing Kimiko into the floor. "Get up," he growled.
"What is your problem?" Kenji hadn't talked the entirety of the car ride to the hotel. She had no idea what was making him act this way, but she had never seen that look in his eyes before.
"I said get up!" He grabbed her by her hair, pulling her to her feet.
"Kenji, let go of me!"
"Did you kiss him?" he screamed.
"What?" Kenji slapped her hard across the face. She grabbed her cheek, turning back to him with eyes of blue stone. "I didn't kiss anyone."
"You're a liar." He pushed her onto the bed. "I know you kissed that filthy hood rat. You're a liar and you're a cheater."
"You don't know what you're talking about," she spat. He straddled her, putting his hands on her neck.
"I watched you. I've been watching you. I saw you dancing in that club, looking like some sort of prostitute. I saw you kiss him in the park. I saw you crawl in bed with him. You're a disgusting whore."
Kimiko grabbed at his hands, but he was much stronger than her. She could feel her lungs fighting to expand. Her throat was closing in on itself, and she saw black shadows begin to creep into her vision. "Please, Kenji. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again, I was wrong."
"Liar," he said between gritted teeth. He released his hands from her throat only to throw her back into the floor. Her back slammed against the wall with a hard smack. He stood over her, like a man over a disobedient dog. She felt like a child: small, helpless, and insignificant. She had really done it this time. "You are going to pay for what you've done."
X
Kimiko sat on the hotel bed, her legs folded underneath her. Everything hurt. Every shallow breath sent a pain through her side, no doubt due to however many broken ribs she had. Her left eye was swollen shut, and ever inch of her skin seemed to burn with the threat of bruising. Kenji left a few minutes ago, to where Kimiko didn't know. She was just thankful to be out of the storm. After the fight, he picked her up and sat her on the bed, holding her gently. "I'm sorry, baby. I wish there was another way, but we need be faithful to each other. This will never happen again as long as you stay away from them, okay?"
Her mind was a hurricane. When she tried to focus on anything but her pain, her head would begin to swim. How did this happen? How did her life take such a turn? Her world felt unsteady beneath her feet. She felt like a ship stranded at sea, alone and desolate, without any hope of rescue.
No matter what he's threatened to do if you leave, it's better than what you're doing now. She remembered that hot day in the pew of that quiet church with Chloe. She had done it, she had gotten out, so why couldn't she? What was holding her back?
I'm going to fight for you. I hope you realize that she heard Raimundo's sleepy voice say. Last night was the happiest she had ever felt. It was everything she had imagined since she was a young girl. She didn't feel like she deserved to be as happy as she was, but he did. He deserved everything. He was waiting for her.
It is the duty of the Xiaolin temple to help those who ask for it. She felt her skin tingle, but not from the bruises. The sensation started in her chest and radiated out to every extension of her self. It was warm and tickled every one of her nerve endings. She closed her eyes, relishing in the nirvana. She held out her palms. Her fingers were bloody and her nails dirty, but that wasn't what Kimiko was looking at. She was starring into the flames that appeared before her, brightly dancing in her palms. The fire had came back to her.
Don't mess with the monk.
The dragon of fire had returned.
X
Everyone sat on the front porch in solemn silence. Jack was attempting a game of chess with Omi, but was still losing despite Omi's wandering mind. Chloe sat in a lounge chair, mindlessly flipping through a wedding magazine while Clay tied the same knot into a piece of rope over and over again. Raimundo sat on the steps to the porch, starring intently into the vast nothingness of the desert. His mind had long quit turning, and now it was as if something inside of him had shut down.
"We could call the police," Clay offered.
"The police don't exactly rush when it comes to this sort of thing. Plus, we wouldn't even know where to tell them to go," Chloe said.
"I could build us a robot to-"
"No," Clay and Omi said in unison, interrupting Jack.
Jack crossed his arms as Omi cornered his king in a game ending move. "Fine, whatever."
"Wait a second," Raimundo interrupted. "I think I hear a car engine."
The crew looked up and saw dust clouds beginning to form in the distance. Whatever was coming was too far away to identify. "I am most impressed with how in touch you have kept with the wind, Raimundo," Omi praised.
"It's not so much as keeping in touch, as it won't quit calling," Raimundo said.
The group tensed as the vehicle approached closer and closer. Raimundo struggled to hear any sign of who might be inside but was unsuccessful. 'What if it's Kenji?' he thought. But why would he come back here? There was nothing for him here. What if something happened to Kimiko? The thought had plagued him all day. It took every ounce of self control to force him to remain at the ranch house, to try and stay calm around his friends. If it turned out that something had happened to her, he wasn't sure how he would react or if he could control himself.
The taxi stopped 100 feet away from the porch, the dust nearly concealing the entirety of the vehicle. They heard the door close before they saw the figure begin to appear behind the shroud. She was almost unrecognizable. Her face was swollen and purple, blood stains splattered her clothes. Her stance was weak and fragile, but her eyes were not. Chloe sprung into action first, running up to her friend to make sure she was alright. The rest followed suit, approaching her with caution. Kimiko looked at each of them and wordlessly began to limp forward. She passed a sympathetic Chloe, a concerned Clay, and an angry Raimundo before stopping in front of Omi. She fell to her knees, not in a collapse, but in a kneel. "Teach me," her voice was rough and scratchy. "Teach me how to be a Xiaolin dragon again."
Omi smiled, kneeling down in front of his best friend, the closest thing he had ever had to a mother, the girl who would always take up for him, support him, and be patient with him. Now, it was his time to return the favor. "I thought you would never ask."