A/N: thanks for commenting. I do try to stay light-hearted. Hope you enjoy this chapter and are not disappointed.

When Jack heaved himself into the window, there was no time to check his surroundings. So it was understandable that he was on defensive when he landed to find a group of people, most of them with guns pointed at him. Then there was a panicked shout of STOP and suddenly Kim flew at him and jumped into his arms. He noticed she was at least moving on her own, before she was talking into his chest that she was happy to see him finally.

Just like that he forgot the people surrounding them and took a good look at his girl. She was not visibly injured and appeared to be fine. Her clothes was a weird mixture of pajamas, oversized socks and his favorite cardigan. He asked her how she was, but before she could answer, that peacock interrupted, acting jealous and entitled. He tried to belittle Jack, but his defense came from the unexpected corner. It was truly amazing to see his friends come in with the unconscious baddie with them, being all chummy with someone from the Royal guard. Later, he would have to ask what exactly happened with Milton and Jerry.

He was grateful that Milton threw him that opening about leaving. Kim looked really cold and uncomfortable in her sleep clothes. Peacock was once again interfering and infuriating, but Kim was having none of it and really drove the point with the whole "united with Jack" bit and he almost felt sorry for Uval. Of course the peacock was not ready to conceded and tried to insult Kim because she friend-zoned him. Jack could not help himself and told the guy off, considering that the whole betrothal thing was his doing.

Before they could devolve into more bickering, the previously unconscious baddie came to and was threatening Uval with the gun. He had to give it the Royal guards, they certainly had busy jobs.

Jack stood in front of Kim, aware that this was not just a run of the mill petty criminals or some inept Black Dragon students. These people, all of them, had guns. And really, what was protecting any of them from the stray bullet? But, as afraid as he was, he stubbornly stood in front of Kim, because this was where he had to be - defending her with his life it necessary. He just really hoped that Uval was the real target here.

Then the guy turned to them and everything was happening at the same time. He saw the hand twitch and he threw himself of top of Kim, slamming her into the floor hard and only marginally aware that there were gunshots fired.

As soon as he registered the thought, the shooting stopped and he lifted his head to look around.

The shooter was lying on the ground, moaning as he held onto to an obvious gun wound. The other abductor, who lying next to him, was trying to sit up, but it was hard for him with his hands tied up.

Milton and Jerry were peaking from around the door, where they obviously retreated. His friends looked fine.

Prince was on the ground just like them, some of the guards lifting themselves off him. It was clear that the one who bonded with Jerry shot the baddie as he still held a handgun.

He finally turned to look underneath him to find Kim looking pale and scared, gasping for breath.

He freaked, he's not going to lie. Horrified that she was injured, he scrambled off her to check her for possible injuries, hands shaking and clumsy and fear making him uncoordinated.

"Kim, Kim, Kim..." he heard himself say. "Are you Ok? Are you hurt anywhere? Talk to me."

She gulped a huge and noisy breath and wheezed and coughed, until she finally looked at him, "God, you are really, really, hard."

The silence that blanketed the space was so sudden, it felt like the air itself was sucked out of the room. Kim, shocked and disoriented, tried to lift her head to see what was going on, but couldn't Something very heavy was lying on her, pressing her into the unyielding floor. She tried to wriggle, but found that all her limbs were tangled. She tried to just open her eyes then and saw nothing but grey. She blinked and the grey came into focus and she saw that it was a Henley weave of Jack's shirt.

Suddenly everything rushed at her: Jack in front of her, loud gunshots and yelling, body falling on her...

JACK!

She wanted to shout, but realized that she could not breath. Jack's strong body was so heavy that she simply could not inhale anything. His hands and legs were wrapped around her like he tried to tuck her under him entirely. And he was not moving... Worried, she tried to speak again, but the lack of oxygen was kind of an issue right now...

As she was beginning to feel light-hearted, Jack's weight was lifted off her and she saw his worried face hovering over her and his equally worried voice repeating her name again and again.

She was free to move and she blinked up at Jack's worried face, trying to suck air into paralyzed lungs.

After an eternity she succeeded. She hauled in her first lungful and promptly had a coughing fit, but eventually she succeeded and quickly made double entendre.

"Are you...?" She said and Jack smiled at her relieved, and she heard footsteps approaching them quickly.

It was Uval, his face appearing over Jack's shoulder. "Are you in any way injured, Kimberly?"

"I am not shot, if that's what you are asking. But I might be bruised a little now." Jack's face crumbled into a look of contrition and she really could not deal with it right now. She rolled to the her side and Jack leaned over to help her up. She used that moment tow wrap both hands around his neck and buried her face into the crook of Jack's neck.

"Thank you, you stupid and brave boy," she said to him, not looking into his face yet, because she was having this realization that he actually shoved her out of the bullet's way and threw himself on top of her as a shield. She shivered, her teeth chattering and she suddenly felt cold from inside. "You could have been shot, Jack... I don't think ... I don't think I could handle that..." she finally managed with an embarrassing choking sound.

"Yeah, but he was aiming for you, Kim. I don't think I can handle you being shot either," he was hugging her tightly to himself and she was not sure is the shaking she felt was only her shivering, or was Jack, too, shaking with the adrenaline letdown.

"You are still stupid and brave... Stupidly brave..."

"Yeah, but you like me anyway," he said with a hint of smile, even if his voice was trembling.

"I think we can upgrade that to love," she said and she did not care who saw or heard her confession right now. This amazing, and stupidly brave, boy was willing to take a bullet for her...

He stilled and she was momentarily horrified that he wasn't ready to hear that or return the sentiment, but he pulled back far enough to look at her with suspiciously bright eyes and whispered, "yeah? Well, you should know I don't risk my life just for any girl, love..."

Their next kiss was so breathtaking, she actually felt light headed. It was a good thing that Jack was still hugging her, because she felt like swooning.

"Finally!" She heard a shout and turned to see Milton high-fiving Jerry and the Royal guard, who befriended Jerry, was nodding along with a smile.

She still didn't care that other witness their moment, but felt a little self-conscious right now. She looked behind Jack to find Uval standing stiff with an impassive expression on his face. A small part of her felt a teensy bit sorry for him, but a much larger part wanted him simply gone from her life.

His guardsmand, the one still holding the gun, came up to him and spoke quietly, but urgently with him. Uval tried to argue, but then stopped and gave one short nod, and turned to them.

"I apologize for my earlier, unkind words, Kimberly Crawford. You did not deserve them. It is only my own disappointed hopes that made me cruel and unfair. I also would like to apologize to you, Jack Brewer. Once again you have proven yourself to be a courageous warrior, who would rather risk himself than see his loved one hurt. These scoundrels that dared to threaten you, Kimberly, would be met with the full justice in my homeland..."

In light of such courtly manners, Kim made to stand up, grateful for Jack's steady hand. It was then that Milton spoke.

"Your Highness, I would like to bring to your attention that at least one of the scoundrels have obviously had a change of heart. He is the one, who pushed the shooter and made him lose his aim. If it wasn't for him, either Kim or Jack would have been hurt."

The Young one... He tried to save her at the last moment...

"I, too, plea with you for clemency, Prince Uval. This young man tried to help me leave earlier. He deserves a second chance..." She spoke quickly, her heart pounding hard and making her head hurt. The danger of the situation she was previously in, was slowly getting to her and she was worried about the fate of this young man, who tried to help her.

"Traitor..." The Older guy wheezed and tried to kick the Young one, but was much too weak.

"It's you, who betrayed our principles. I knew what you planned to do to her. She did not deserve it."

She wanted to come closer and help him up, buy Jack's hand stopped her.

Uval looked pensive and asked the young man something in Hakhmakhi. There was a rapid exchange between them and then Uval nodded at the young man. He turned to Kim and was about to speak, when he was interrupted by a soft pinging noise. His head guardsman pressed a finger to his ear and said something to Uval in low tones.

Uval had frowned deeply and them finally addressed Kim and her friends.

"We have to go. Your authoriies are on their way here. Uness you plan to stay and explain all that took place this past hour, you should be leaving as well."

Jack nodded and started pulling her to the door. Milton and Jerry straightened and were ready to go, but Kim stalled.

"What about them?" She poited at the would-be revolutionaries.

"Their fate is no longer your concern, Kimberly." Uval told her with finality of the judge delivering the sentence.

"But... He tried to save me..."

"I shall take that into consideration."

"They need a proper trial. A lawyer, a jury... You can't be the only one deciding their fate" Kim wasn't sure why it was important to her to argue on behalf of people who kidnapped her, but, she guessed, the personal connection worked both ways.

"Your parents were right. You are much too American." Uval looked t her with a combination of tenderness and dismay. "Go now, Kimberly Crawford. I shall see you at your engagement party."

She still stood there looking between Uval and the Young man and Prince sighed, "I promise, his fate would be different from others."

He turned and left, his guard following him, dragging the injured man and leading the Young one away.

She still stood there shocked by the clearest indication so far of just how different Hakhmakhistan was from America, and that Prince Uval was a very powerful person in his country.

"Come on, Kim. We still have to get to our car." Jack said and she went with him this time, when he pulled her hand.

They were in the car, with Jerry driving them and Milton sitting on the front seat, and Kim and Jack cuddling in the back.

"What time it is now? I had no idea when I woke up..."

"It's almost noon. We'll drop your first and then I'll take guys wherever they need to be."

"No hurry, Jack." Milton spoke at them, "we missed the quiz, so I don't have to rush anywhere."

Was it just her, but Milton looked disappointed a little? She cleared her throat.

"Uhm... Milton, Jerry, I am really grateful that you came to my rescue. I... It's... It was dangerous and you shouldn't have come alone, but... Thank you." She spoke quietly, stumbling over words a little.

Milton's face took a slightly chagrined look and he shook his head at her, "No need to thank us. Well, me at least. I... I may have been the one who mentioned the engagement party on Saturday and it may have caused those guys to take you."

She knew what he was saying. The leader of that group did say that she was taken because she was not formally engaged yet, but she wasn't about to add to Milton's guilt.

"No. That is not it. You heard it all yourself. The leader wanted me to suffer, because he wanted Uval to suffer. Uval was the target. Always. And it didn't help that I pissed him off."

"How? Why?" Milton asked curious.

"Well, I did almost talk the other one into letting me go..."

Jack hugged her close and said, "I swear your sassy mouth gets you places. Bad and good." She laughed at that remembering her own musings about it.

"I am curious, Jerry. How did you save the head guard that he was so friendly to you?"

"Ahhhh... I... Don't know. I came inside and there were two guys fighting, so I hit one of them with a bat." Jerry sounded like he was still confused.

"Oh, well, when Jack didn't report in 5 minutes, we went in with those cherry bombs to distract people. Turned out most people were with you already and only the head guard was at the door. But would you believe it, one of the abductors apparently was hiding somewhere outside and when we got in, he was fighting the guard. He had a knife out and it looked bad, and that's when Jerry used the bat. I guess, it's just luck, that the Royal guard wasn't the one Jerry hit."

"What? Like I am going to sort them into good and bad piles. All I knew they were all from Hakhmakhistan." Jerry said exasperated.

"There you have it." Milton said with a long suffering face and Kim started laughing at the familiar byplay between her friends.

She laughed and laughed, Jack and others joining her soon, their laughter more of a relief at being alive, at being together, at being a safe.