A/N of 12-1-16: I don't own LEGO Ninjago, its characters, or "Ferris Beuller's Day Off"
LOL...I would love to know why this chapter has been getting so many hits the last couple of weeks XD Somebody please drop me a note-it can be anonymous-I'm just really intrigued! Later!
Chapter 28: No, Really. I AM Enjoying Myself...
**Cole's POV
Doomsday Comix was about two blocks from the Cool Beans Coffee Shop, so I took off for that destination to grab a couple of things for Lloyd and Arwyn and kill a little time until Zane and Kai got free to meet up with me again.
Otherwise, I wasn't sure how I was going to occupy my time while in Ninjago City. Sensei had told me not to come back before five, and it was just barely ten, so this was gonna be a long day for me.
As I walked along the sidewalk crowded with shoppers and tourists, my thoughts were on Arwyn. Her distraught look right before Wu had sent her to the training room, and how she had glanced back at me when she was walking away, was stuck in my head. Had she been hoping for my sympathy, or was she loathing me at that moment?
And what might she be enduring with our teacher? It wasn't like I wouldn't have worked her hard enough, but Sensei Wu could be really hard-core when he wanted to be, depending on how angry he was, so I knew she wasn't gonna be meditating or playing badminton all day.
I guess I wasn't paying much attention as I strode through the crowd, 'cause I swear I didn't see the scrawny guy before he plowed into me, or I ran over him, or whatever.
I noticed a jolt right before I saw this professional-type hit the ground in front of me. He huffed angrily and opened his mouth to say something he'd regret later, but thought better of it when he took a good look at me with a thunderstruck expression and politely shut it before anything spilled forth.
I was wondering if it was my physique or the scythe strapped to my back that kept him from being rude as I grasped his hand to help him up, but then I recognized him.
"Well, if it isn't Dr. Jin Kita!" With an unamused show of my teeth, I jerked him to his feet, keeping a firm grip on his hand, while I thought about crushing it. "This must be my lucky day! Sorry about knocking you down there." I reached out with my other hand to brush the dust from his elbow, causing him to flinch.
"Uh…yeah, pleasure to meet you again…uh…" He attempted to pull his hand from my fist, which I allowed after a couple of tugs.
"Cole Montanaro," I informed him with a stiff smile. "How've you been?"
"Just fine, thanks." He straightened the expensive jacket that matched his expensive trousers and shoes, making me feel underdressed in my alternative-metal T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
"Oh, and, sorry about that hole in your wall," I said, more as a reminder than an apology. I only regretted that was all I had done. "Better that than your head, though, huh?"
Narrowing his eyes, he responded with a little jab. "Is Arwyn still with you? Tell her I really miss her."
Yeah. I'll do that.
He must have seen something cross my face, 'cause he suddenly seemed in a hurry to flee.
I hooked his upper arm before he could. "Actually, yes, she is still with me, and doing very well," I hoped. "But, you know, she never mentions you, and I don't think she got that last check you meant to send her…"
Nervousness clouded his features as he avoided eye contact with me. "Oh, well, I guess my accountant didn't take care of that! I'll see to it…"
"That would be a great idea. Doctor," I advised him darkly as I freed him to run. "You can send it to her old address. A friend of ours will take care of the rest."
Widening the distance between us, he prepared to make his getaway. "Right! I'll take care of that as soon as I get back to the clinic. Sorry to rush, but I have appointments!" Ducking into the crowd, he was soon out of sight.
Well, that did my spirits a world of good! Little prick.
Reaching Doomsday Comix without further mishap, I perused the shelves for the latest 'Starfarer' and the last two 'ElvishQuest' issues, finding them easily.
At one point I paused with disbelief in front of a glass case which held a full set of the current uniforms of the elemental masters.
Where the frick did they get these? And those signatures are not ours!
Checking out a few minutes later, the gawking of the slightly-creepy cashier was making me a bit uncomfortable before he finally said, "Awesome replica ninja scythe, man. Did you get it at Comic-con last month?"
Comi-what, now? I wasn't sure how to answer that. "Um, no, I made it myself."
"Great job, then! It looks so authentic!" He seemed suitably impressed. I mumbled my thanks and soon found myself back on the street with my books in a bag.
Where to next? Scanning the shops lining the opposite sidewalk, I saw three possible places of interest: 'Veronica's Secret', an art-supply store, and an antique-jewelry shop.
Hmm …Might be jumping the gun a little to be considering a visit to 'Veronica's Secret', eh, champ? But, I like your newfound optimism!
I had to laugh at myself, not only for thinking I may soon be seeing hers, but because I considered sexy lingerie for Arwyn to be a waste of money. In my opinion, the best place for it was on the floor.None of my dreams about her featured intimate apparel. I didn't need straps and lace hindering me in any way when—and if—I finally got the chance to get that far with her.
Trying to focus on the present again before I stepped into the street and got hit by a car, I decided the art supply store was a safer bet. Strolling in, I purchased a good set of graphite and colored pencils since I had noticed hers had reached the stubby stage.
Right after that, I found myself walking up to the antique-jewelry shop next door, with no clue as to what I may be looking to get. I only knew that I wanted to present Arwyn with a gift a little better than sketch pencils and graphic novels.
As I entered the little shop, the middle-aged woman running it was impatiently showing a slightly dumpy, thirty-something guy in a brown gi the door.
"No, sir, I will not allow you to put up an advertisement for your dojo in this shop. I told you that last week!" I stepped aside and held the door open as she shoved him through it. "Try the comic-book store across the street, and don't come back here unless it's to buy something!"
Brushing her hands together, she turned to me. "Thank you, young man! May I help you with anything?" My scythe held her attention as she spoke. Kai was right about it being conspicuous.
"I'd just like to look around a bit, ma'am." Since I have no idea what I'm looking for.
She politely left me to myself as I browsed the cases of vintage jewelry, stopping at a display of engagement rings. I knew it was really premature, but I did like to plan ahead.
One in particular caught my eye. A flared, white-gold band held a marquis-cut amethyst with a set of pear-shaped rubies flanking it. That would be great, since I knew Arwyn's favorite color was purple. She wore it all the time.
"Is there anything there you'd like to examine?" The shop owner had quietly glided up to me while I imagined Arwyn lying next to me, wearing the ring and nothing else, both of us entangled in the sheets…
"Um…just fantasizing…," I confessed with a sigh. "It may be a little early for this kind of jewelry." She smiled at me kindly. While peering longingly at the ring again, a thought hit me. "I know the ruby is my birthstone, for July. What is the one for February?"
I remembered her birthdate was the twenty-ninth of that month, although it had taken me longer than I wanted to admit to figure out why she had chosen the times she had used to set our alarm clock.
"Amethyst," she answered right away.
Perfect! That has to be a good sign … Maybe they do layaway… Okay, seriously, Cole…?
"Would you have anything in amethyst and rubies that might be nice for a relationship that's not yet very serious?" Or which doesn't yet officially exist?
"Hmm…" She walked to a nearby case and, after looking through it for a minute, brought out a pair of stud earrings consisting of a round amethyst surrounded by smaller rubies. "These might be just what you're looking for."
"They are very nice," I agreed, admiring them. But… "I just need to ask…Can I return these if she hates me?"
The lady cast me a bemused look over her eyeglasses. "Don't you mean if she hates the earrings?"
"No, ma'am." I pressed my lips into a straight line. "I mean if she hates me." My confidence certainly hadn't lasted long.
After appraising me for a minute, she asked, "Would these be for your girlfriend?"
Scratching the back of my head, I admitted, "Well, she's not that…yet."
Another pause came as she looked me over carefully with a concerned expression. "Are you stalking this person?"
Startled by her suggestion, I denied it quickly. "No!"
"And she knows your name?"
I drew a deep breath as I rubbed my temple. "She knows everything…nearly everything…about me." Except how I felt about her. And the virgin thing.
"And what do you know of her?"
"Nearly everything." Except the thing Jay knew. And now Nya, too.
"Uh, huh." Checking me out with a curl to her lips, she arched her brows and stated, "Well, I cannot imagine why any young woman would hate you, but I don't know what you may have done, either." She dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. "No matter!"
Adjusting her glasses and studying the earrings in the light as she held up their little velvet box, she mused, "I think you would be making an excellent choice with these as a gift. If I recall correctly, the amethyst symbolizes peace, gives courage, and strengthens relationships. Rubies are considered the most powerful gemstones and signify protection and passion."
She paused and fixed me with a flirtatious look. "With these earrings, you could be stating that you wish to valiantly protect and defend her, embracing her serenity, increasing her courage, and fortifying your commitment to love."
Mesmerized by her words, I stared at the little, glittery gemstones. Valiant Valerio…?
I'm no hopeless romantic, but she had me sold. Heck, earlier I'd just been happy they were purple. "I'll take them."
I walked out of the jewelry store with the little box in my jeans pocket, my hopes up and my confidence bolstered. And I hadn't spent a fortune. Supposedly, the earrings had been half-off already, and, since she said she recognized my scythe as belonging to one of the 'brave, handsome ninja guarding our city', the charming jeweler had taken half off of that.
Right before I exited the shop, I had even noticed her removing the amethyst-and-ruby engagement ring from the display case. I was hoping she was graciously putting it to the side for a possible future visit by 'a brave, handsome ninja'.
Not long after that, my comlink vibrated. Zane and Kai were free and looking for me. Meeting up with them a couple of minutes later, we briefly discussed what the 'three amigos' should do for the day until I was allowed back on the Bounty and they could reunite with Sofiya and Renata for the double-date they had planned.
I still couldn't believe Kai was dating before I was.
As we convened, I noticed my spiky-haired teammate seemed to be much more interested in my zipper than usual, and, although I tried to ignore it, I was about to embarrass him about it when he attempted to do the same to me with a trademark smirk. "Uh, Cole? Not that I make a habit of staring at your groin, but I'm really hoping you have something in your pocket right now."
Biting back a sarcastic remark, I fished the little box out of my pocket, causing both men to take an involuntary step back and inhale sharply like they thought it held something radioactive or was a carrier of the plague. Kai went as pale as Zane, while the ice ninja stammered, "Cole, I-I understand you love her, b-but is this not perhaps a little soon?!"
Rolling my eyes, I lifted the lid of the small container and watched as they simultaneously sagged with relief and laughed sheepishly. I didn't tell them I actually did have a ring picked out, unless I felt later that Arwyn would want something different. They didn't need to know everything.
After they had calmed down, my fiery brother's attention was soon caught by the sight of the tallest building in Ninjago City. It held business offices and had an observation tower at the pinnacle. None of us had ever been there, so it became the first destination on our tour of the metropolis.
Reaching the top, we lined up along the slanted viewing platform, silently beholding the miniscule figures and vehicles on the streets below, until Kai asked, "Where's an exit? Wanna jump off this thing?" Zane and I hurriedly hauled him out of there before he had time to pull any crazy stunt.
Out on the street a few minutes later, we came across a four-star restaurant, the kind with a valet parking luxury cars and a glorified bouncer at the door calling himself a maître d'. Despite my protests, Kai ran in, exclaiming that it was about time for lunch.
The Dragon-Sword toter insistently tried to convince the hoity-toity stuffed shirt that, although we had no reservations, he and I were prominent Ninjago entrepreneurs and Zane was the CEO of a high-profile software corporation.
The maître d' wasn't buying it as he condescendingly eyeballed us in our T-shirts, jeans, and athletic footwear and made a comment about 'riff raff'.
As we were 'politely' escorted to the exit, I'm pretty sure Kai said something profane to the pompous ass, and I saw him flip him off. Back on the sidewalk, the three of us swaggered to the curb, and, with one accord, turned back to him and bowed with a flourish in both directions, toward and away. We should have been ashamed of ourselves, but, guess what?
The maître d' was not impressed, but apparently at least one diner was since she gave Zane a smack of approval on his back jeans pocket as she passed him.
Transforming our Spinjitzu weapons, we roared off on our respective vehicles as the valet yelled at me for scuffing a car door. Oh, well, he should try driving the Tread Assault in city traffic!
Driving away, as we haggled over our comlinks about where to go next, I thought about how it might be nice to take Arwyn to a place like that sometime soon. But I'd have to at least buy a tie first.
A little later, Zane, Kai, and I found ourselves munching on hot dogs and nachos at a Ninjago Gnats minor-league baseball game six rows up behind the batter's box. Our lunch there tasted a lot better than I could imagine the fungi and molluscs would have been at Chez Snooté (shay snoo-tay;).
I wasn't surprised when Kai started heckling the umpire with comments about his lack of vision and poor judgment. Those were not his exact words, his were much cruder.
Conversely, Zane knocked me for a loop when he offered to allow 'Blue' to view a slow-motion replay of the game so far so that his future calls might better reflect reality as everyone else saw it. Those were his exact words.
I kept my mouth shut and enjoyed the comedy, planning on denying I knew them if they got thrown out of the stadium. I was just appreciating the distraction from worrying about Arwyn, which I did about every three point four minutes.
**Arwyn's POV
After about three hours of intense Spinjitzu training, as well as stair-running, rope-climbing, and practicing conjuring my green, concussive energy, I was really wondering what the hell I had been thinking when I decided to go running alone. 'Soul-soothing' it had not proven to be.
As it was, I was getting exhausted just kicking myself for acting so selfishly and not considering all possible consequences, like dying during an unexpected Serpentine attack, or worse, causing the death of one or more of my beloved brothers.
None of that had even crossed my mind at the time. All I had been worried about was how unfairly I was being treated and trying to make myself feel better about my nonexistent love life. What a crybaby!
I had never been more ashamed of my actions than I was when Cole had screamed at me about what could have happened while I was out traipsing about cluelessly like a wood sprite.
It had only gotten worse when he had, much more calmly, reminded me of my duty to the people of Ninjago, and even more so when Kai had spoken his mind. I was so low at that point that I was certain all of my teammates despised me for my immature, irresponsible rebelliousness, and I would never be able to regain their respect.
And what of my chances of winning Cole's affections? When I had first faced-off with him, the look of disapproval in his striking, greenish-grey eyes had initially fueled my insolence, but after he had pointed out the error of my ways, it had stabbed me through the heart. He had definitely taken me down a notch or three.
If he even wants to be the F-word with you after this, you'll be frickin' lucky.
As for Sensei, I had the utmost respect for him, and was coming to love him almost as much as my adoptive father, Ryo. When he had voiced his disappointment, especially in front of everyone, I knew I'd hit rock bottom. The only way I could think of getting some absolution at that moment was through performing dogeza, and I knew even that wouldn't make it all better.
That morning he was not 'Chichi'. He was purely my teacher, and he spoke only to instruct me as I labored without complaining to complete every task he demanded of me. At least the work kept my mind somewhat occupied, and if I cried, I couldn't tell the difference between that and the sweat that dripped from my face.
Finally, he had brought my toil to an end for the morning, and we had joined Lloyd in the dining room for the simple sandwiches he had prepared. Although he was told that he couldn't speak to me, Lloyd communicated with me by speaking to Sensei about whatever he wanted me to know, like what he had ordered for supper from Cole. It did my heart good to know my little cousin was making an effort to make me feel better.
After lunch, my master took a break from his drill-sergeant role, and we 'relaxed' with tai chi in the training room with the heavy bag for a while. It was during the striking-the-tiger sequence that he posed a question instead of grunting an order. "For what reason did you lose all direction and act so waywardly?"
My kick was out of kilter, and I came down into a crouch less gracefully than I meant to, continuing the poses as I slowly answered, "I lost my focus when I become troubled after realizing that an aspiration of mine was more likely nothing more than a pipe dream."
Leading me through the poses, he scrutinized me silently for a moment before stating without a doubt, "This involves Cole." I closed my eyes to avoid cutting them toward him. "You must exercise patience and faith," he advised simply, then said nothing more for the rest of our practice, leaving me to reflect on his words.
**Cole's POV
My worrying about Arwyn just got worse after the game when we were wandering around downtown, and Zane suggested the municipal art museum. I thought about nothing but her as I viewed the breath-taking Renaissance and Impressionism works I knew she would have loved.
Of course, when we got to the modern-art section, our comments ranged from 'WTF?!' to 'I could do this with my feet!'
By the time we got out of there, it was close to the time Zane and Kai were to meet Sofiya and Renata. Kai started prattling away about how the law student was so hot and smart, and what a funny, yet, dry sense of humor she had, etc. A few minutes later, when we stumbled on a small parade, it was time for him to shut up already.
As if he was demonstrating his euphoria over meeting this new woman, Kai handed his sword and scabbard to Zane, then vaulted onto a passing float blasting Latin music and joined the dancers on it, trying a few sexy dance moves, but not quite pulling it off. The float riders pushed him off about a block later.
It was about four-thirty at that point, and my loyal brothers were anxious to abandon me and run off to start their dates. I was fine with that, since I still had food to pick up for supper before I could start the trip back to the Bounty.
I was getting more anxious as the afternoon wore on, anticipating getting home and trying to convince Sensei Wu to let me see Arwyn this evening. That's why I sat myself at the bar while waiting for my food order at Café Soos and ordered a Long Island Iced Tea.
Okay, so I got one without the alcohol, although I really could have used it.
**Sensei Wu's POV
As I had noted before, Arwyn was very like her mother, although she had not been with her since she was a toddler. She was strong-willed and could be very obstinate when she was determined to accomplish something. While I did not wish to crush her spirit, I also did not want her to develop a tendency to overlook her commitment to the team and her obligation to Ninjago in favor of her independence.
She had lived on her own just long enough to have become self-sufficient and self-reliant, so that she had to relearn how to be subject to the rules and routines of a group, and to think more altruistically.
She had also not yet developed the mindset that following orders and obeying rules was not an option in her situation. She may be the ninja destined to liberate Ninjago from the dark evil threatening all, but she was the target of much malevolence and had to learn to submit to limits placed in order to shape her and protect her for her future role.
Her mother had learned that the hard way. Mavé also valued her independence and railed against Garmadon's restrictions while in the Underworld, eventually rebelling and escaping his oppressive rule. When she came to me, I gave her all the freedom she needed, reveling in her jubilation at being unbound. Until we discovered her pregnancy.
From the powerful feeling which emanated from her, I was aware that the child she carried was the redeemer mentioned in the scrolls and became very concerned about the safety and security of both mother and baby. While she understood that Garmadon would be unlikely to simply let her flee from him without pursuing her, she was less vigilant than I, never having seen him at his worst.
I continually warned my love about never going out without my supervision or being far away from my protection, to the point, I must admit, of harrying her. Most times she was very patient with me, kissing me and reassuringly promising me to never stray. But there were a couple of times when she had become irritable and refused to speak to me for hours, purposely staying just out of my sight, though never far away.
But there came a day when she was not so careful. When she was about five months into her pregnancy, we had settled temporarily on the edge of a small village in the Valley of Nadirs at the foot of the Mountains of Impossible Height. I had grown up in the monastery in the mountains not far away and had always loved that area.
Near our hut, on the shore of a small lake, was a carefully-tended garden which I admired often. The colors of autumn were at their peak there, and I could spend extended periods of time gazing at the beauty of it all, especially in the early morning.
Knowing this, and also mindful of the fact that we would most likely be forced to relocate soon due to the incessant prowling of Garmadon's scouts, Mavé decided to capture the delightful vision of the garden for me without conferring with me ahead of time.
One morning just as the sun was rising, I woke abruptly to the uneasy feeling that something calamitous was soon to occur. In the first glow of daybreak, I could see that my beloved was not in our bed. Reaching out to find the linens cold, I heard her distant scream, and the blood froze in my veins.
Rushing out into the cool, crisp air at first light in only my pajama pants, with my staff in hand, I followed the sound of my name resonating across the lake. There, on a low rise above the garden, was Mavé, in a blue yukata, frantically struggling in the grasp of two warriors of the skeleton army. Several more surrounded them, celebrating their catch.
Furious at the sight of my unborn child's mother being handled in such a way by those vile and loathsome beings, I sprinted up the rise. Plunging into the small crowd of about a dozen skeletons, with little consideration for my safety, I utilized my Spinjitzu to scatter the majority of their bones to the four winds.
Screeching to a stop, I easily brought down the last three spares as they came at me wielding their weapons. Blocking with my staff and forearms, I deflected the shafts of their maces and axes, dodging their pitiful attempts to wound me. Landing several well-placed, powerful kicks to their sternums and pelvises, I then broke apart their wasted frames, sending them collapsing into small heaps.
Satisfied with my handiwork, I pivoted to concentrate on the two holding Mavé, only to become alarmed to find them dragging her resisting figure toward a portal they were opening several yards away. Hastily spinning again into my golden tornado, I was able to position myself between the portal and Mavé, halting their progress and facing her two captors.
One of the skeletons released her, advancing on me with his gruesome, eternal leer, raising his scimitar high. Having no time for anything impressive, I angrily thrust the tip of my staff into an empty eye socket, sending his promptly-dislocated skull flying with a quick, twisting jerk of my staff up and to the side.
Turning my attention to the last warrior, I saw that Mavé, unable to break the grip he had on her, had thrown herself to the ground, forcing him to bend in an attempt to lift her up again. Taking the opportunity, I swiftly smashed his skull with a forceful, downward blow from my bamboo staff.
The portal behind me immediately closed with a flash of light and a strong gust of wind.
Dropping my staff, I fell to my knees at Mavé's side where she knelt, crying, but unhurt, save for a few bruises, her arms protectively folded over our treasure in her lower abdomen. Gathering her to me, I said nothing as she clung to me, her weeping gradually slowing. I spied her toppled easel at the top of the rise as I scanned the area for more of Garmadon's troops.
After shattering the skull of every fleshless soldier I had felled, in order to prevent their resurrection, I carried Mavé back to our bed, holding her in my arms until her trembling ceased.
She explained that she had wished to present me with a painting of the tranquil scene I appreciated so much so that we might take it with us on our indefinite wanderings. After only a few minutes out alone, she had been surprised by the small contingent of warriors who had wandered in from the other end of the valley.
Knowing it was unnecessary, I did not bother to express my displeasure with her careless behavior before going back to the lake and collecting the bones for a watery burial. Convinced that the skeletons' presence there was a random incident, I allowed us another few days in that scenic area, during which time I vigilantly sat on the knoll above the garden at sunrise as Mavé painted her gift to me.
Mavé never again left my protection, until death took her from me. Years later, the painting she had risked her safety to create for me was one of the canvases lost forever in the burning of the monastery by the Serpentine.
I related this incident to Arwyn near the end of her day of training alone with me, to give her some insight into my relationship with her mother, and to instill in her an understanding of why her recent behavior was unacceptable and why I was punishing her so harshly.
She had, albeit courageously, ignored Cole's order to hide and avoid fighting if Serpentine boarded the ship during the attack a few days ago, resulting in her and Lloyd being injured and nearly being taken captive. She had then disobeyed my rule of not leaving the Bounty without a Master to go running alone. I was hoping that the current discipline would curtail any further carelessness related to her safety.
Noting the time on the clock that hung on the training-room wall, I rose from my lotus position on the tatami mat and left the room without a word, leaving Arwyn to her meditation. It was already five-forty, so I was certain Cole was back from his forced day in the city.
My noble student had been so dismayed by my commandeering of Arwyn's discipline that I had felt I was punishing both of them. Yet, I knew it would be more meaningful coming from me, and I did not want her to have feelings of resentment toward Cole for doing that to her, either during or after the day of training. I did not wish to make things harder for him.
I found him in the kitchen, setting the bags of take-out from the Greek-and-Lebanese restaurant on the counter by the sink. Lloyd was hovering nearby, gripping a comic book, and telling the tall young man how he had been bringing Arwyn and me beverages and keeping an eye on the bridge all day.
Spotting me, he quieted for a moment, causing Cole to look over his shoulder. Seeing me, the imposing ninja faced me with a tense countenance and bowed in greeting. "Sensei."
I nodded in acknowledgment. "I hope you enjoyed your day off, Cole. Come to the door of the aft-most training room in five minutes. Listen carefully. When you hear my staff on the floor, you will be dismissed." I left the kitchen as he stood by the counter questioningly. It was always best to leave them wondering.
Five minutes later, Arwyn was going through some yoga poses as I extinguished my incense. I had seen her eye the door a couple of times over the last minute, so I knew Cole was probably already stationed outside of it.
One last little thing…
She stopped her stretching when I turned toward her, still in the role of the stern teacher. "What do you believe you have gleaned from today's activities and the reason behind them?"
She stood straight and tall, quietly concentrating on my feet for a moment. "That I must always obey your orders and remember I am part of a team."
"And…?" I prompted.
She frowned as she searched for another answer.
I tried again. "And what of Cole…as your leader?"
Understanding came to her face, and her eyes cut toward the door. She hesitated before answering. "I must also o-…listen to him…for his directives come from you."
That had been difficult for her to say, but why? "Very good." The thump on the floor from the butt of my staff resounded through the room. "We are done. You have performed well, and you may now go. I will have someone bring you supper when you are more comfortable. I believe Cole has brought us something from Café Soos."
Arwyn bowed wearily to me and collected her towel. "Sensei, before I go, I have something to discuss with you."
**Cole's POV
What the hell is he doing?! Is he trying to make her despise me?!
Closing my eyes and putting my head back against the wall of the hallway, I heard the thud of his staff as I scowled and gritted my teeth in vexed disbelief.
The woman already had a hard time with having no independence. Did he have to make her vow to submit to my orders, too?! And I knew very well that she knew I was within earshot of them and had heard it. If she didn't hate me enough before, she certainly would now.
Lloyd was approaching me from the direction of the dining room as I pushed off of the wall and headed toward the bunkroom. After seeing me, he seemed a little worried. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Lloyd, everything's fine," I answered him, knowing I was lying. He continued to the training room and entered it without knocking, probably anticipating that they were finished for the day, and he could pick up their cups or something.
In the bunkroom, I stripped off my shirt and grabbed clean lounging clothes, preparing to shower before suppertime after running around the city all day. I was standing on one foot, working on pulling the other foot free of a pant leg, when Lloyd burst into the bunkroom, loudly calling my name.
Nearly falling, I slammed my foot to the floor and caught the armoire with one hand to steady myself. I was standing in my red boxer briefs with my jeans around my ankles while Lloyd hyperventilated like he had just run across the Sea of Sand.
"Is there a problem?" I asked irritably.
The color was coming back to Lloyd's face, but I know mine lost it when he blurted, "Arwyn told Uncle she wants to leave us!"
"Wh-What did you say?" Please let me have heard you wrong!
His eyes were tearing up as he repeated, "She wants to leave!" Odd how just a few weeks ago he was this upset because she had come to stay.
I shook my head and took a step toward my bed, tripping in my jeans. Making it to the bed and sitting with my head in my hands, I tried to remain calm. "What did you hear EXACTLY?"
"I walked into the room, and she said, 'I can't continue like this. I really want to go.' Then Uncle said, 'I understand why you feel you must leave.' Then they stopped talking 'cause I had walked in." His pleading eyes searched my face. "Please don't let her leave!"
Yeah, I was screaming the same thing in my head and fighting panic. Staring blankly past him across the bunkroom, I felt like I was going numb.
This cannot be happening!
I reached out and took him by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. "I will do everything in my power to keep her here with us," I vowed to him.
To keep her here with me…
