Author's notes: Another short chapter for you all :)

The week actually ran a lot more smoothly than I had psyched myself up for. I told Sarah that I was starting a new life here (truthful so far) and had next to nothing besides the clothes I stood up in (again, true) and I needed whatever money that I earned at the diner as quick as possible to get myself things that I needed (including bus fare to work). Sarah said she understood completely and was happy to give me my earnings at the end of each shift for the coming week. I managed to get myself toothbrush, pyjamas and an extra top along with a few other essentials by Thursday and put the Brown's washroom to good use with my current outfit. During a conversation with Jill, I had told her the plan and been surprised the next day with two new sets of clothes lying on my bed which included a light pair of trousers, a cream jumper, a lilac blouse and even a new pair of shoes. It was all very girly but, actually, I found that I loved every item. When I had thanked Jill over and over again for them Jill had just waved her hand in the way she always did and said

"Oh think nothing of it. Just a little welcome from Brian and me."

Daniel was true to his word and ran me back and forth to Miyagi's house to visit Tommy. The first couple of days had been rather tense and it was clear that Tommy was still grumpy about being there but as the week wore on he seemed to loosen up more and more. On Thursday, Daniel and I pulled into the yard like we had done every day. Usually Miyagi would be in the doorway to greet us but not today. Daniel looked confused.

"That's weird. Where is he?" He said (more to himself than me).

"Maybe he went fishing?" I ventured.

"Nah, his truck's here." Daniel said, pointing out the new truck that Miyagi had bought for himself once he'd had the money. He'd had to sell his old one to restock his shop. That had been no thanks to Mike who had stolen all the Bonsai trees that Miyagi and Daniel had spent so much time on during the whole "application form" dispute. I hopped out of the car and the two of us walked quietly up to the house. I put a hand out to open the paper screen door but Daniel put a hand on my shoulder. "Ssh! You hear that?" Daniel said. I listened. Miyagi's voice could just be heard issuing from the garden. Daniel grabbed my wrist and pulled me round to the gate. We let ourselves in, quietly and peered round the corner of the house and into the beautiful, Japanese-style garden where Miyagi and Tommy stood facing each other. Tommy had his eyes closed and Miyagi seemed to be talking him through a breathing exercise. I stared. I'd never seen Tommy look that peaceful before, even when he was asleep. "Let's go and say hi." Daniel said in a hushed tone. He was about to walk forwards but I stopped him.

"No no! We'll embarrass him." I said. "Let's just wait inside." We weren't there long before Miyagi appeared with Tommy in toe. I was shocked when she looked at Tommy's face. Not only was he smiling slightly but his bruises were healing at an alarming rate. He was still covered in blotchy red, blue and yellow but he wasn't looking nearly as bad as he had that first morning. His split lip had all but mended and the bruise under his eye was quickly fading. I smiled as I looked at him.

"Feeling better, Tommy?" I asked. Tommy smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Not there yet, though." He mused as he felt at the cut under his right eye, gingerly with a long fingered hand.

"Not long, Tommy-san." Miyagi said, busying himself with tea. "Be better soon." Tommy nodded somewhat awkwardly, seeming unsure as to whether or not he should bow at this.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Miyagi's house drinking tea, talking, swapping stories and I was thoroughly astounded by Tommy's apparent change of heart. He was still awkward and perhaps a little detached at times but Miyagi had obviously worked his magic on the young Cobra. Tommy seemed to be enjoying himself against his own will and something about that made me laugh into my teacup. I so desperately wanted to tell Tommy not to fight it and just let himself have a good time but, with Tommy being Tommy, I knew he'd interpret that the wrong way so stayed silent.

Feeling somewhat uplifted, I was taken "home" by Daniel that evening and, as if things couldn't have been any better, I was sitting in my room that evening, writing up a list of things I still needed to get, when the phone rang. I heard Jill pick up the phone, speak very fast for a moment or two then call me to come downstairs. I jumped the stairs like a five and a half foot tall wallaby and landed on the cream hall carpet (everything in this house seemed to be cream). Jill held the receiver out and I took it eagerly.

"Hello?" I said into the mouthpiece, not really knowing who to expect but silently hoping it would be Johnny.

"Hey, Jac! How's it goin'?" Came Bobby's voice. Far from being disappointed, I smiled.

"Great thanks! You're parents are being wonderful to me, Bobby. I can't think how to repay them." I said, happily.

"Yeah. Mom told me to tell you, don't!" Bobby said, laughing. I giggled too.

"Well I will find a way. Even if I have to hide money in the bread box, they will get paid." I said, determined. This triggered more sniggers from Bobby's end. "How are things with you guys?" I asked. "Been getting all your work done?"

"Oh yeah. Things are cool here too." Bobby said. Suddenly there was a clatter and laughs and I could have sworn that I heard someone yell

"Gah! Goddamit! Bobby!" I was startled.

"What on Earth is going on? Was that Johnny?" I said, half laughing. "Bobby? Hello?"

"Hi, Jac, sorry. Jimmy and Dutch had Johnny pinned but he got away from us for a second." I snorted with laughter.

"Why?" I asked.

"We're trying to keep the phone away from him." Bobby replied. I could hear Johnny's grunts against, presumably, the combined strengths of Jimmy and Dutch as they held him back (and Dutch alone was a force to be reckoned with).

"Gimme the phone, Bobby!" Johnny yelled. Wow! I heard that one! He couldn't have been far away. I concluded they must all share a dorm then, if they were all in one place this late at night.

"Aww! Baby wants to speak to his girlfriend." Came a sing-song voice.

"Shut your ass, Dutch!" Johnny shouted at him. I was almost wetting myself as I listened to this epic battle. I could almost see this scene in front of me. Eventually, however, I took pity on poor Johnny.

"Oh, bless him. Give him the phone, Bobby." I said, after a minute. There was a melodramatic sight from Bobby.

"Oh fine." He said. I waited but Bobby now seemed to be trying to wind Johnny up even more. I could hear him taunting him with things like, "C'mon then. Get the phone. Jac wants to talk to ya." This was punctuated by the odd

"Bastard!" From Johnny. I could only assume that Jimmy and Dutch were still holding him and Bobby, just out of reach, was holding the phone out to him. After what felt like an age, I finally heard Johnny's voice loud and clear.

"Hey, Jac." He said, breathing heavily, worn out by the boisterous struggle that had occurred.

"Hi." I replied. Still laughing. "You OK?"

"Well I just got indecently manhandled by two guys but, yeah, I'm cool." Johnny said, a slight laugh in his voice. I laughed too, seeing the implications in this statement. That was enough to freak Dutch out, I knew and, sure enough,

"Oh man! Gross! What the hell!?" came Dutch's voice from some distance away. Johnny and I took the last laugh.

I spent close to a full hour on the phone with Johnny. We started with each others' news but ended up just chatting about movies and chewing over old times like we were so used to doing. I couldn't help grinning myself to sleep that night with the warm, fuzzy feeling that everything was falling into place.