A/N My depression is setting in AGAIN, which makes writing seem like...well, bleh. But I'm gonna try my best, for my faithful readers. I apologize for such slow updates. I have my first therapy appointment tomorrow, so hopefully that will help. In a couple days I'm going to clean up and edit this story so it doesn't seem so damn messy. Thank you for standing by.

"A company always on the run

A destiny, oh it's the rising sun

I was born a shotgun in my hands

Behind the gun

I'll make my final stand"-

Bad Company, "Bad Company."

Chapter Twenty-One: Dog and Piggy Show (episode 11, part 1.)

Uncle's Rare Finds was so quiet that I jumped when the phone suddenly rang.

I lifted my head off the desk and picked up the phone. "Hello?" My voice was still scratchy from sleep. What? I'd barely gotten any sleep last night because of weird dreams, mostly consisting of talismans, great, they were making their way into my dreams now, too) and the shop was basically empty, so I took a little rest.

"Macey, did you fall asleep?" On the other end of the phone, Jackie's voice was tainted with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

"No!" I immediately grew defensive. "I mean, maybe just a little…," I drifted off, my yawn giving me away.

He chuckled. "Is Jade nearby?"

"Yes, she is." My gaze drifted to Jade, who had ambled over to the desk, curiously. I put the phone on speaker.

"You're on speaker now," I warned, smirking slightly.

"Jumping Jackal? It's me, fearless hyena!" Jade leaned toward the phone.

"Jade-" Jackie began, but was cut off by an energetic Jade.

"Shh! Wise old goat roams near!"

If this was an inside joke, I wasn't apart of it. I was beginning to nod off again, but Jackie startled me awake, again.

"What?" His question reflected my confusion.

"Ancient rabbit has very long ears," Jade insisted, appearing irritated.

"What are you talking about?" Jackie and I exclaimed in unison.

Jade frowned. "It's Uncle's birthday! Where are you?"

Jackie groaned. "My flight had a layover in Bavaria." His tone grew more annoyed, "If I never see Bavaria again…"

Jade took the phone from me. "Jackal, this isn't about you!"

I laughed at the fact that she kept calling him 'jackal.'

"Don't worry, Jade," Jackie reassured her, and I could hear the sound of airport noises in the background as he lowered his voice, "My plane will arrive in plenty of time for Operation Surprise!"

"Cool!" Jade rocked back and forth on her heels, glancing at me warily. "So, whatcha' get him?"

"Uh…" Jackie hesitated.

"Jackie, don't tell me you didn't get something for him," I chided, taking the phone back from Jade.

"What can I say?" Jackie said sheepishly, "I've been...busy."

I shook my head. "Oh, Jackie," I sighed. "Lucky for you, we've got your back."

I heard the sound of an airplane number being called on the other end.

"That's my flight," Jackie announced. "See you later."

"Bye!" Jade and I exclaimed at once, hanging up the phone.

I was completely stumped.

What would Uncle want for his birthday?

*JCA*

Trying to concentrate on writing seemed a difficult task, at least when loud rap music was being blasted through the apartment.

"Jade! Jade! Jade!" The rap music was interrupted by Uncle's usual yelling.

I pinched the bridge of my nose between two fingers. I could feel a migraine coming on.

I opened my bedroom door and peered out of the crack. "Can you keep it down?"

"Sorry," Jade apologized with a grin. "All of the kids at school listen to it."

"Great," I said flatly, eyeing Jade apprehensively as she turned the music down- just by a couple of notches.

"Uncle!" Jade put her hands on her hips, pivoting to face Uncle. "You scared me!"

Uncle glared at her. "And the rock and roll noise is scaring away the customers," he scolded firmly, wagging his finger at Jade.

Jade clucked her tongue. "Tch, it's hip-hop, duh!" As if this was obvious to everyone. "Come on, Uncle Coolio, I'll teach you some moves!"

"My hip does not hop," Uncle sighed, reaching down to pick up a book off the floor.

"Neither does mine," I muttered, massaging my temples.

"Sure it does," Jade persisted, grinning wholeheartedly. "You just move with the Grand Master Groove!"

Her enthusiasm was cute, I had to admit. But how was a woman supposed to write a report with all the racket? Maybe I should start working at night instead.

Uncle had picked up a vase, but as he moved, it fell out of his arms and shattered. "I am like that vase," he said flatly, not bothering to pick up the glass shards off the floor. Guess who's doing that later. I sighed.

"Uh...valuable?" Jade suggested, looking down at the said vase.

"Old, and brittle," Uncle replied bitterly, and I immediately felt sympathy for Uncle. He was probably tired. Maybe I should pick up some things around the house for him instead of moping around.

"I will do research now." Uncle turned his back to Jade, kneeling to clean up the glass.

"But Uncle, we have cake!" Jade tugged at Uncle's shirt sleeve, ever persistent. "We have to celebrate!"

Uncle looked at her wearily. "When I am another year younger, then I will celebrate." He turned and walked down the steps, disappearing into the shop.

Jade and I looked at each other.

We knew something wasn't quite right.

*JCA*

Jackie arrived a few hours later, thankfully before night began to fall. Jade and I were helping him unpack his things.

"Jackie, has Uncle always been like all...you know, Uncley?" Jade asked as she picked up a stray shirt off the bed, studying it.

"No, Jade." Jackie smiled, finishing folding another pair of jeans. "When Uncle was young, he was just like me."

"Does that mean you're going to be grouchy, constipated, and smell like garlic when you're his age?" I snickered at Jade's accurate description of the old man, but then felt saddened, remembering his glum state earlier.

"Respect your elders, Jade," Jackie scolded, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"He seemed kind of...I dunno…" I hesitated, smoothing out a jacket. "Depressed, earlier. Just sad."

"Maybe we can cheer him up with a present and cake," Jackie suggested as I folded the last pair of jeans.

"Jackie, he even rejected the idea of cake," I added, then winced, feeling the same annoying headache from earlier in the day returning.

Something with Uncle wasn't quite right, and we needed to get to the bottom of it.

It was his birthday, after all.