Author's Note: Whaaaaaaat? It's been over a year since I last updated? *scoffs* NO! I don't know what you're talking about...

I'M SO SORRY! Please pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease forgive me, my lovely readers! I didn't mean for a hiatus, I swear! But between writers-block and RL issues getting me all over the place... time ran away with me. I promise, I will never be so absent for so long again!

In any case, I do hope people are still here to continue this story with me! Please feel free to leave a review to let me know how you guys are doing and if you enjoyed the chapter. I hope 8,000+ words is enough to make up for my inexcusable absence.

Lots of love to ilovedracoDH for being my Beta!

Bonds That Tie Us

Drago tossed and turned, lost to restless dreams in the old rusted convertible in the junk yard. It was never pleasant dreams. Always visions of the past, of his blood on a dirty street road, of blue eyes pleading with him. And the voice. His grandfather was gone, but still the voice persisted, lurking in the back of his mind, taunting him with being almost clear but never truly in focus. Sometimes Drago longed for direction, for simple instructions on how to obtain an objective. The voice used to always make things simple for him. The last words it had spoken to him had been a series of instructions on how to achieve their shared goals. In his dreams, the voice slithered into his thoughts, spun around him, called to him. It was never real, though.

But on this particular night, Drago awoke with a start as a migraine slammed against his brain. He cried out, bolting upright. His scales shivered as if someone were stroking them the wrong way. A tingle raced up his spine. Magic hummed in the air like an electrical storm. The earth itself seemed to shudder. Drago's mind cleared of all thought, all dreams, and instead he was possessed by a vision that played before his very eyes. Dai Gui, an impressive hulking beast of a demon, leaping out of the earth and slamming his fist down to crack open solid ground. From the yawning chasm he created, a flower emerged.

Snapped back to his senses as quickly as he was drawn away from them, Drago leapt up to his feet. All thought of sleep was gone from his mind, his dreams forgotten. The earth chi was out and calling to him. Had it somehow escaped the Chans? Or was this a trick, a trap to lure him in? He didn't think so, because the vision was identical to the real thing from before. The only difference was that the vision hadn't told him where the chi was. That must mean it was floating around, it hadn't settled yet. All the better, he rationalised. If it hadn't found a place to settle itself, that would mean the Chans wouldn't know where to look for it either.

Drago opened his mouth to summon the Ice Crew, before remembering that he had sent them away. They were scouring all the corners of the city right now, searching for Chi, as he'd instructed. The pager was heavy in his pocket, begging to be used. But Drago hesitated for some reason.

He tried to tell himself that he just wanted to be sure of its location before he called them. It would be less grating on his nerves if the Ice Crew weren't constantly asking where they were headed, if they had to follow Drago on the hunt. He told himself he could hunt down the Chi's location, then summon the Ice Crew if need be. Desperately, he tried to tell himself that it had nothing to do with the image of his mother from the dream that flashed before his eyes.

Valerie groaned to herself as she stared into the depths of the coffee cup before her. It tasted bitter and rancid, but she recognised that she needed the caffeine kick. Her spine was stiff and sore, her backside felt like it had lost all nerve endings where she'd been sat in this uncomfortable metal chair for the past several hours. Eyelids as heavy as bricks, face aching and drooping off her skull, she felt more tired than she had in… actually, this was probably the most exhausted she'd ever been in her whole life. Even against Tarakudo, she'd gotten a couple of hours rest. Today was the first time in her life she'd gone twenty-four-hours. Unlike most people her age, she hadn't ever pulled an all-nighter before.

After the earthquake that shook the city, Valerie had been whisked back to Section 13. Uncle, Jackie and Tohru had left her quickly in order to hunt down all the demon chi that had escaped the containment unit. Captain Black, however, had put Valerie inside one of the interrogation rooms. She'd been there ever since. For hours the secret agent had questioned her on everything that happened since Shendu had escaped his stone imprisonment.

Valerie had tried to tell them what she could. But it was difficult for her to know what to tell and what to keep secret. She hated the fact that this was another issue where she had to lie – or rather, simply omit the full truth. Captain Black questioned how Shendu broke free. Valerie told him half the truth: she wasn't entirely sure. Captain Black asked what Shendu was after, to join Drago? To reobtain the talismans or maybe even the demon-chi powers? Valerie answered again with a half truth surrounded by full truths: he'd been after the Babylonian artefact at the museum, no he wasn't going to join Drago, and no he didn't want the demon chi. Captain Black wanted to know why Shendu had stolen Valerie. She told him it was because she was a history major that had done most of her papers on Babylon, which made her more informed on the subject.

And then he asked what had happened over the three days she'd been gone. Valerie wanted to tell him that nothing happened. Nothing that he was thinking, anyway. But she wanted to say all the things Black wouldn't believe. That Shendu had been gentle, he'd protected her from hypothermia, he'd taken her shopping, they'd sat in a coffee shop together, they posed as husband and wife…

She touched the bare spot on her left ring finger, the one that now felt empty since Shendu had taken the ring that had been there. A pang of bereavement hit her in the stomach. She didn't know why, exactly, it hurt to think he'd take the ring back. Of course, she told herself it was to sell the act to Jackie and the others that he was sacrificing her for his freedom. But still, it was odd to realise how attached she had grown to that singular piece of jewellery.

With no sleep, cold in her crinkled ballgown, and torn over her own inner turmoil, she was in the most depressed mood she could ever remember. When Captain Black finally released her, she didn't bother to hide her sigh of utter relief. Stiffly, she shuffled out of the interrogation room. Black graciously offered her a spare bunk to catch a few hours sleep, but she refused. After the night she'd had, she wanted the isolation and comfort of her own apartment and her own bed. She didn't know whether she wanted to cry or sleep first.

"All but one demon-chi has been recaptured," Jackie reported as he jogged down the hall towards them. Valerie winced when his voice seemed too loud to her sensitive ears.

"Which one?" asked Captain Black.

"The earth chi," Jackie said. "I've already got Uncle on a location spell. We should know where it is soon…"

Valerie's attention soon sputtered out like the spent wick of a candle. She went to move on, to continue her aching trek back to her own bed, when she felt a cold touch on her hand. She glanced down.

Jade looked up at her, eyes wide and glassy and bloodshot. Her skin was pale, she was shivering as if from extreme cold but sweat beaded on her brow. A clear fever. Valerie was honestly startled, she had never seen Jade look this sick before. What on earth could be causing this?

"Val," the girl's voice was a terrible croak. "I-I need to talk to you, I gotta ask you about the demons–"

Valerie's brows furrowed. Honestly, when she was obviously sick, she still wanted to know the juicy details about the adventure? This girl needed to get her priorities straight. Her own tiredness didn't help her temper – she'd just repeated the same story over and over, she wasn't going to do it again. "No, Jade. What you need is to go to bed."

"But I–"

"Jackie." Valerie called shortly. The man broke off his conversation with Black to look at her oddly for her tart tone. "Get this girl to a doctor. Or better yet, a hospital. All of you need to get demons off the brain…"

She didn't know whether that last part had been more for herself or them…

Nat arrived at Section 13 with a spare set of clothes for Valerie to change into before taking her home. As Valerie took off the ball dress, a part of her was tempted to throw it into the trash. Last night's memories had only left her with bitterness. Yet, despite everything… Valerie found she couldn't do it. Instead, she bundled the dress into a grocery bag and carried it out with her to the car. The moment Nat saw her, the demon hunter did the one thing Valerie least expected – she hugged her.

"Good to have you back, blondie," she'd whispered into Val's shoulder.

Valerie did her best to keep her composure. "Missed you too, psyco."

During the drive to her apartment, an awkward silence hung over the two women. Mostly, it was because Valerie was so tired, she was struggling to stay awake. But every now and then she could feel Nat's stare.

"Jackie didn't really wanna say what happened," Nat said eventually. Even though her voice was quiet, it still felt too loud interrupting the silence. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I just spent the past six hours talking about it," Val replied tiredly. "Give me a little time."

"You okay?" Again, she felt Nat's stare slide over to her.

Valerie sighed, sinking further into her seat. "I'll tell you when I figure that out."

Her head rolled to the side, and she stared out of the window aimlessly. For a moment, she debated leaning her forehead against the glass and allowing the smooth motion of the car to lull her to sleep. But as her sight became hazy, she saw a flash of green. Her heart leapt and her eyes shot open. She searched the shadows of the streets of downtown. Had her brain been playing tricks on her? But then she saw it. Not Shendu, as she had initially thought. It was Drago. He was climbing a fire-escape to get to the roof of a shop, his head peering this way and that, obviously searching for something.

A million different thoughts and emotions came crashing into Valerie all at once. Some good, others not so much. And with them came an urge she couldn't supress. "Stop the car!"

Nat slammed on the brakes, perhaps believing something was wrong. Valerie bolted out of the car and dashed into the alleyway. Not listening to her friend calling her name, she looked up the long fire-escape. Then, clinging to the railing, she began to climb the steps two at a time. "Drago!" she called. "Dra–"

His green head popped down from over the upper level, upside down. Valerie nearly lost her footing, startled. Drago did not seem to notice as he hurriedly flipped himself right-ways-up and landed on her level. The metal clanged loudly under the impact of his weight.

"Mom?" He reached out, as if to pull her into his arms. But his claws stopped just short of touching her. "You're okay? You're back? Chan didn't tell me!"

Perhaps she wouldn't have noticed before now. But she did this time, it confused and hurt a small place inside her why he didn't close that gap. She decided to let him have his space for now. "It was only a few hours ago."

"You're not hurt, right?" He looked her up and down.

"I'm fine." A long, awkward pause. Funny, Valerie thought, how she was always so willing to jump after her impulses, only for them to abandon her at the moment of truth. "Drago? I just… I wanted to say… Thank you."

"For what?" He'd drawn away from her in the pause, and now shrugged his hunched shoulders. "I didn't do anything."

"You worked with Jackie to help me. I know it probably wasn't easy–"

Drago snorted. "You got that right."

"But you did it anyway."

"Turns out it wasn't needed."

"That doesn't matter to me." Slowly she reached across the divide between them, to place her hand on his arm, just so that he might share the warmth and comfort of another. "You did good."

Drago looked down to her hand, and then back to his mother's eyes. And Valerie was suddenly swept away by the rush of something warm flooding through her chest. She realised that Shendu was right. Though the colour was different, the shape of Drago's eyes were so similar to her own. She smiled. The corners of his lips slowly lifted in return. And for one brief moment, Valerie could believe whole heartedly that this was her son. Stone by stone a bridge forged itself across the gulf of time and reason and began to cement itself in place–

"Hey!"

The two on the fire escape jumped apart as if burned. Drago looked around wildly, like an animal cornered. But he did not flee. That was something at least, Valerie noted. It would be difficult, she knew, but still her heart told her that the bridge had been started, it remained; the rest could still be built.

The clang of boots on metal rungs sounded loudly as Nat hopped up the steps to their level. Her green eyes were narrowed to slits, peeved. "Can I just say, jumping out of a car is soooo not good for anyone's blood pressure!"

"Hey there, Red," Drago smirked at her. He lounged against the railing, looking to all the world as if he were relaxed, but Valerie just somehow knew that he was still on edge. "How's it goin'?"

Having spotted Valerie first and foremost, as she fully stepped onto their level, Nat caught sight of Drago. She hesitated, glancing from mother to son, a little unsure of herself. "Oh, hey there… Drago… Val? What's goin' on?"

"I'm talking to my son. Never thought I'd say the words but…" It was such a strange moment. To be stood here, the three of them who had all been rivals or at least fighting on opposite sides at one point or another, and yet here they all were, talking and behaving civilly. And for the life of her, Valerie did not want it to end. "You know what? Why don't we buy you some coffee?" she said to Drago. "We could sit and chat… You've been here all this time, and I feel like we've not really talked."

The half-demon stared at her outburst as if she were deranged. "Errr, no offence, but I can't just walk in a coffee-shop. I'm not exactly a stunner."

"Actually, I am offended by that. I mean, I don't look that bad, and let's face it, you had to get your looks from someone half-decent."

Nat and Drago looked at each other, confused. Finally, the demon slayer said, "Is… Is that a joke?"

Like a drop that turns into a trickle and then a flow, Drago slowly let loose a giggle, then a chuckle, until he laughed. He laughed not at the atrocious joke, but at the hilarity of the situation. Valerie joined him in his merriment. And Nat just watched. Not because she felt excluded from the emotion of the moment, but because she couldn't help but stare. For the very first time, she saw for herself an alternate time, an alternate future. One where Drago were not considered the spawn of Hell and wanted to destroy the world. One where he lived in a world where he was loved and chose to fill his days with the careless joys all teenagers did. It was a world where Valerie did not always look haunted and indecisive all the time. It was something unique and flawed in its logic, but still very beautiful.

Was this what Valerie had told her about, Nat wondered? Was this the chance to do good? Was it possible to make that alternate world a reality?

"Seriously, though." Valerie said once the laughter had died away. "Why don't you come with us? We don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Any trace of happiness drained away from Drago's face. Valerie watched him build back up the walls he wanted to keep between them, attempted to make himself unreadable. But suddenly he couldn't look her in the eye. His claws fidgeted. "I… I just… I can't. Um, I'm working on something."

He tilted his head, his eyes unfocused, as if he were listening intently for something. It didn't take Valerie long to figure out why. "You can hear the Demon-Chi, can't you."

"Is one still out?" Nat demanded. "Which one?"

Drago's lips were pressed in a hard line at being discovered. "The Earth Chi. I've been tracking it all morning."

"If it's bothering you this much, then it must be close." Said Valerie. "Nat, call ahead to Jackie. Tell him the Chi is close. Drago? You coming?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. You did all the hard work. Why don't you come?"

He drew himself back towards the shadows, his feet dragging him back towards the stairs that led to the roof. "I don't think that's a good id–"

Unlike before, Valerie did not hesitate. She grasped hold of his hand between hers. Not firmly, not insisting. Just holding it. Getting to know the feel of his pebbled skin, letting him feel the sureness of her presence. "I promise we'll order in pizza after. Please?"

Once again, he stared from her hand to her eyes. She could see he was torn. Was that pain she saw? It was as if this choice was wounding something deep inside him, a knife to an old and badly healed injury. And eventually, something had to give. The scabs were torn away and the bleeding was allowed to run again. Drago closed his eyes and nodded.

Drago led them to a nearby skate-park. Being the middle of the day on a weekend, it was already filled with people. Mostly younger teenagers. There were separate groups of kids skating or cycling up and down the ramps, attempting to practice impressive spins and flips. There were a couple of kids only a few years older than Jade walking through and chatting. The park looked fairly new, only a few years old; only a couple of pieces of equipment had been spray-painted with graffiti. Valerie looked up and down the length of the park. If she were a demon-chi, where would she be hiding in a place like this?

Drago gave a little involuntary shiver. "The chi… it just got dimmer. It's been absorbed."

Not good. "Jackie and Uncle aren't here yet. Who has it?"

Closing his eyes, Drago's scaly brows pinched together in concentration. After a moment, he pointed out a clawed finger. "Him."

A boy who looked barely thirteen was picking himself up off the ground where he'd tripped and stumbled over his own feet when several skaters had raced past him. He wore thick rimmed glasses, his face scrunched up like it was too small for his head. He was lanky and skinny and uncoordinated as he attempted to heft his stack of fallen comic books back into his arms.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Nat murmured, unimpressed. "Well, this chi will be easy as pie."

Talk of the devil and he shall appear, Valerie thought, as Jackie, Uncle and Tohru came into the park. The Chi-O-Matic in Uncle's hand zipped and chirped as it led him straight towards the skinny teen. The three adults looked at the boy, heads cocked and confused. Clearly as uninspired as Nat had been. The boy looked back at them, as if he had felt their stares and now stood trembling like a deer in headlights.

"Aiiiya!" Uncle shouted. "Spotty teenager has demon-chi?"

"Wh-wha-wait, what?" the kid squawked in a voice that clearly hadn't fully broken yet. "Me?"

Jackie tried to replace a restraining hand on his elder. "Uncle, I know this boy. He is a friend of Jade's. They talk at the comic-book-store. His name is Larry."

"Larry?" Tohru attempted in his gentlest voice to approach the trembling boy, and Valerie winced. The big sumo was not the best choice for coming across as 'friendly-teddy-bear' to someone already spooked. "It is important that you come with us. Something has happened that we need–"

"You might know Jade," Larry shuffled back and nearly tripped over his own shoelaces, "but my mom always told me not to talk to strangers!"

And Uncle, as tactful as usual, decided to use that moment to whip out his pufferfish. "You will submit to Uncle's spells! He must extract demon-chi!"

From where they hid in the brush at the side of the park, Drago, Valerie and Nat, facepalmed. "Oh, this is gonna go swell…"

"Extract?!" Larry had turned a paler shade of grey. "Demon-chi?! Spells?!"

Jackie tried to stop him bolting. "Larry, please don't panic–"

"Get away from me!"

As Jackie tried to grab hold of Larry and restrain him, the boy's hands glowed blue and he suddenly sank three feet into the ground. Jackie overbalanced and almost tripped, his arms pinwheeling. Tohru bent to try and pluck Larry out of the ground like a flower, and Larry's hands glowed again. A tower of soil and rock suddenly sprouted from beneath Larry and shot him in the air higher than even Tohru could reach. It was as if the demon-magic were responding to Larry's desires instinctively, without him needing to even think about it.

"Wow, he's getting a hold on that pretty quick." Valerie didn't know whether that was impressive or worrying.

A green flash, as Uncle let loose a shot from his pufferfish. Larry dived out of the way, and as he landed on the ground, his fist struck the cement and a crack branched out as if the concrete were as flimsy as ice. It snaked under Uncle and threatened to swallow him whole, Tohru had to leap towards his Sensei and bundle him into his arms to tackle the old man away from danger.

Larry stood, staring at his hands in confusion and wonder. Slowly, a small excited smile spread across his features. Was it Valerie's imagination, or did this skinny comic-book-reading kid suddenly look taller… and… buffer? Larry turned, grinning sharp teeth. No, she wasn't imagining it, he was suddenly as well built as a bodybuilder.

Jackie noticed the change too, and launched himself at Larry. As always, Jackie moved with lightning speed, trying to catch his opponent's weak spot. Larry's eyes were wide, a little overwhelmed and unknowing of how to counter. When Jackie's fist swung for Larry's suddenly square jaw, a wall of earth erupted in front of him. Valerie winced at the pain she knew was there as she could hear the knuckles crack even from this distance. With a sweep of his hand, Larry split the protective wall in two wide enough for him to surge forward. On either side of him, sheets of dirt launched forward and engulphed Jackie like the wave of a tide, nearly burying him.

Now Valerie knew there was no imagining this. She could see Larry going through some kind of metamorphosis before her very eyes. His skin was turning dark brown, spikes sprouting from his arms, nails morphing into claws. Before, he had smiled and grinned like an excited child. Maybe he'd thought these exciting powers were like him becoming a super-hero like in his comics she could now see discarded and flying in the wind. But now, his smile was almost deranged. He was following every impulse his imagination came up with just to see the limits of his powers. Thoughts for how these powers might hurt others didn't seem to occur to him.

"The more he uses it, the more it changes him." Nat murmured.

"That's because of the dark-chi," Drago explained. "It's the same for all of them. They are related, after all."

Valerie pulled her gaze away to frown at the half-demon. "You're saying that the reason demon-chi is so bad is because it has something to do with genetics?"

"If my dad and his siblings were born from a primordial goddess, where do you think they got all their bad chi from?" he said it as if this were the simplest logic. "It's from their father; Typhon. His essence is inside every piece of dark-chi. It originated in him. That's why humans get transformed when they get hold of it. Their bodies can't take it, so they turn into a part of him."

"Larry looks like he's never swung a punch in his life. How could he turn into the embodiment of evil?"

"Powerful chi like that – Typhon's essence – when it gets inside you, all negative parts of yourself are heightened. That has its perks. Improved confidence bordering on arrogance, you feel a constant rush like adrenaline is always pumping in your veins; you feel invincible, like the whole world is there for the taking."

Nat grumbled. "Any drug has its lows, too."

"Yeah." Drago nodded. "Anger is the obvious one. But it's all the badness you feel too. Loneliness, depression. It gets so big you think it'll swallow you, so you run for the high hoping to escape it. That's why enough is never enough."

Valerie watched Drago carefully throughout his explanation. As if he knew she was observing him, he made a point not to look at her. Everything he explained seemed a little too well informed. Like he knew from personal experience. Was that what he went through each time he got hold of a demon-chi? Was it an addiction he couldn't shake, was propelled by destiny to chase? She suddenly felt her desire to see him free of this cycle of evil increase tenfold.

Nat puffed air through her cheeks. "If that's what just itty-bitty pieces of Typhon-by-proxy does to people… then I don't wanna meet the demon all-father, thanks."

"The story's not always black and white, you know." Drago muttered peevishly.

A very inhuman-like roar split the air, diverting their attention. In the park, Larry seemed to have grown another two feet in height as well as continued to fill out more. Horns had started to sprout from his head. He was now facing off against a recovered Tohru and Uncle, whom he now suddenly dwarfed. With a flick of a finger, another tower of stone erupted from the ground, a two-ton boulder perched precariously on top, wobbling threateningly. Before Larry could launch it and squash both humans, Uncle zapped his pufferfish, the blast hitting Larry right in the face. He yelled in pain and stumbled back, trying to get away, his elbow hitting the tower he had just erected. The boulder at the very top wobbled more, and then began to tip the wrong way down towards Jackie, who was only just managing to get himself out of his earthy prison.

Nat and Valerie were launching themselves into the fight before they even knew what they were doing. Valerie distantly heard Drago try to call after her, but she urged him to stay back. She and Nat split without needing to confirm with the other. Nat went to intercept Larry before he could escape. And Valerie tackled Jackie and pushed him out of the way as the boulder fell and tumbled down to smash into the ground where he had once been.

Infected-human stood off against the demon-hunter. Nat unsheathed her sword and readied herself for battle. Larry swiped at her, trying to push her out of his way. But Nat jumped upwards and kicked her heel into his chin. As Larry recoiled back, she slashed her sword at his arm, only enough to cause a small flesh wound on a normal human being. But the tonics and potions that doused her blade ignited the atoms of demon-energy, causing its host no small amount of pain. Frenzied by his agony and new anger, Larry leapt at Nat, trying to get at her with his bare claws. She held up her sword to block him, and once again, the moment his flesh made contact with her sword, he recoiled in pain.

Before she could drink in her smugness at how easy this battle was developing, Larry caught Nat by surprise as he struck the ground so hard, it seemed to cause a miniature earthquake beneath her feet. She pitched forward, unbalanced, and Larry took the opportunity to grab hold of her body in one massive gorilla-like hand. Nat's eyes bulged as her ribs were constricted. With a snarl, Larry opened a whole into the ground and shoved Nat inside. With another flex of his hand, he began to close the earth over Nat's body –

Lightning zapped into Larry's body, striking to his very core and threatening to tear him open. In the daze of pain he turned, and Valerie met his eyes with her icy glare, her palm outstretched, her scar glowing. "No one hurts my friends!" in the heat of her anger, she forgot to care that this was a teenager being manipulated by demon-chi. Instead she saw a threat to those she cared about and would not stand for it a moment longer. Fuelled by her anger, she felt the magic welling up inside her soul, and she reached for it just as Shendu had taught her to. Her scar glowed once more, ready to scorch her enemy from the face of the earth if she wanted it to!

"Hey! Mamma's boy!" called a voice.

Larry turned, only to have a green dragon-fist smash into his jaw, sending him to the ground, stunned. As Drago landed on the spot, Valerie threw him a look of: mamma's boy? Really?

"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!" They heard Uncle chanting as he and Tohru worked to extract the demon-chi from Larry's prone form. The boy was eclipsed in blue light for a moment, before it was sucked right out of him and into the Chi-O-Matic. Instantly, Larry returned to his usual form, unconscious from the exhausting strain upon his soul.

Jackie, having recovered from his brush with a grisly fate, ran to his saviour. "Valerie! You're here–" It was at that moment that he looked past her to notice Drago fishing Nat out of the earth, saving her from being crushed just in time as the hole that Larry had created almost collapsed right on top of her. Instantly upon seeing Drago, Jackie's mind jumped to the wrong conclusion. "Drago! You cannot have the Chi!"

Drago froze and looked from Jackie to Valerie. Once again, she noticed that torn look cross his face. He looked like a lost boy, unsure of himself or the right course of action. Abruptly, he held up his hands and said in an overly sarcastic manner: "Oh no, looks like you got it first, Chan. Guess I'll have to wait for next time…"

And in a flash of fire, he disappeared.

Jackie stared at where Drago had been, struck dumb. "Well… that was unexpected…"

"Could he have had a change of heart?" Tohru shrugged.

"Demons don't usually…" Jackie trailed off, before turning back to Valerie. "And what are you doing here? You are supposed to be going home to rest. How did you even know the demon chi would be here?"

"Um, intuition?" Valerie's brain scrambled for a convincing lie. "Y-You see! My scar! It tingled as soon as we got close. Makes sense, right? I'm connected to demon-chi magic now, so I should be able to do that."

Jackie exchanged a look with Tohru for verification, who only shrugged again. "That seems logical."

"Oh, but you are right, Jackie. I am beat." For emphasis, Valerie yawned and stretched. "Guess I'll just go home now, and hit the hay… You coming, Nat?"

Poor Nat. Covered in dirt and grime, and bruised all over, she was barely coherent enough to answer. "What? Oh. Yeah. Wait up."

Jackie watched the two women leave. He felt robbed of a proper response. He was almost certain (though he couldn't be completely sure), that Valerie had just outright lied to his face. Of course, he didn't want to think that; he wanted to trust what she said. He was grateful for her interference, truly. But something deep down just knew she wasn't telling the full truth. But then, when had she ever? a small voice whispered in his mind. Jackie had to admit, it was true. Valerie had a habit of compulsively lying to spare herself any bad reactions from those she loved. Some of those lies had been more harmful than others. And if she had just lied to him now, how was he to know when Valerie was telling the truth or not? In his mind's eye, an image of future-Jade surfaced. Her instinctive distrust of Valerie, her assuredness that the woman would turn to the dark side. Jackie couldn't help but think on it, no matter how much a part of him rebelled at the idea. Valerie would never consciously turn evil, he told himself. But didn't the saying go that the road to hell was paved with good intentions? Demons seemed to follow her everywhere; could it be possible, the voice said, that through them, Valerie could already be tainted in some way?

Drago passed through the streets for hours. A phantom meandering aimlessly, not able to fixate on a single place to haunt. He merely allowed his body to move him through space as his thoughts consumed his attention. There was a war raging inside his mind. The battleground was the encounter in the park, replaying over and over again as two halves of him fought tooth and claw to declare his predominant response. One side wished him to be agonised, the other seething.

His mother's words repeated in his ears, unwilling to be banished. They were the catalyst for his current indecision. A part of him had felt as if he had told her too much, that him allowing her to sweet talk him had been the cause of his failure in securing the earth-chi. Yet at the same time… it had felt good, to have her talk to him, touch him, and for a brief moment he'd been thrown back in time. That had been his undoing.

How many nights had he lain awake, trying to hide his tears whilst he wished for his mother to come get him from the hell he had been left in? How often had he dreamed of her holding him again? How many times had he bargained with the cruel mistress of fate, that he would do anything – anything in the world – if he were allowed to have his mother back again! And now it seemed like his prayers had been answered, even if they were long overdue. And yet… he was torn.

Those same wishes had been the fuel to feed the flames of his hate, those denied desperate pleads the backbone of his resolve. For too long now, he'd used the excuse of his aloneness in this cold and cruel world as the crutches to support him in his quest. Even now, when his mother offered him everything he'd long ago wanted, the thought of his enemies made his blood boil. No matter what she said, he couldn't forgive them. Not after everything that had happened. Something inside him would break if even Valerie asked him to forgive what they'd done.

But then, she wouldn't know, would she? Once again, Drago had to remind himself that this wasn't his mother. Yes, she was, technically, but this Valerie wasn't his version of her. She didn't have the same memories, the chemistry between them that he'd so long craved for was altered. It was a stab to his chest every time to be around her. Yet despite that agony, he craved her presence, as if he were still the lost boy in the gutter, waiting for her to return and take him in her arms again.

Whether by accident, or that his thoughts had led him there, Drago found himself right in front of his mother's apartment door. He stood there, uncertain of whether to go in or run away again.

Loud footsteps on the stairs behind him took away his choice as his mother rounded the corner, as if summoned by his thoughts. She looked at him, blinked, and smiled. "Hey, you're here."

That smile was almost exactly as Drago remembered it on that last day… He took a deep breath to steal himself for what he must do. "Look. I don't know what you expected, but today was a fluke. It's obvious Chan doesn't want me around, and honestly, I'd rather claw his face off."

Valerie's eyes widened as he prepared to leave for the corridor window he had swooped in through. "I can work on him!" she quickly reached out to stop him. "Once he gets used to the idea–"

"I don't want him to!" Drago spun on her. Valerie flinched back, and he realised with a bolt of smothered horror that he'd snapped his fangs at her. What was wrong with him?! He took a deep breath, trying to put away that flare of unexpected hatred. "Chan doesn't like me, and I will never like him. Face it, Mom. We're naturally on the opposite sides in this war."

"War?" echoed Valerie, recovering herself. "Drago, it doesn't have to be like that."

"Yes. It does. You don't know it now, but maybe someday you will."

"So I should just wait for the future to unfold itself and do nothing to change it?"

Why couldn't she just understand and accept?! "It might be your future, but it's my past and nothing can change it!"

Again, she reached out to him. "We won't know that unless we try–"

"I don't wanna try!" Again, he shook her off. Her simple touch before had landed him in this mess, he couldn't let it snare him again.

"Why not?"

"Because it's too hard!" His temper, his frustration at her, made him snap. "Jeez, do you really not get it? Do you not understand how hard you're making this for me? I'm back in time! I get to see my Mom, but she doesn't know me, or anything about me! And that hurts, damnit!"

A door down the hallway opened. A nosy neighbour come to complain about the ruckus. Drago grabbed the nearest, ugliest potted plant and hurled it at the greying woman. It smashed on the wall beside her head. With a squeak, she bolted back to the safety of her hole.

Drago turned eyes that felt like they were burning on his mother. "You don't understand. And you don't wanna understand!"

Finally, she found her voice, and yelled back passionately. "Yes, I do!"

"How?! How are you gonna–"

She lunged for him, and swept her arms around his shoulders. Drago froze. She pulled him against her tightly, her face buried in his shoulder where he was taller than her. Drago was unable to respond, his mind completely shut down.

"I'm sorry." She whispered in a voice Drago could barely hear above the pounding in his ears. "For everything."

Gently, slowly, agonisingly, he took hold of her shoulders and disentangled himself from her. He was drowning and acting numbly to try and find the nearest pocket of air. "It's fine," he mumbled. "You don't have to be…"

"But Drago… I… I am sorry. I'm just…" She ran a hand through her hair, shoulder's slumping tiredly. "I guess I'm trying to make up for everything. If I just knew why you were so angry with me–"

"Forget it. Forget I said anything." He was starting to return to his senses. Enough to know that the last thing he wanted was for her to think she was to blame for how he turned out. "It's not you I'm mad at, just… forget it."

Again, he made to leave. And again, her little hand stopped him. Just a small fist latched onto his coat. But this time, he didn't shake her off. They stared at each other for a long moment, the other unwilling to break the fragile silence, as if they would both shatter at the slightest noise.

"Look, Drago, I know you don't wanna tell me everything. But from all I've gathered, I can guess your past… my future… isn't a happy one. And for that, I'm so sorry."

He shut his eyes. "Please don't. It's not your fault. Really."

"But let me try and fix it anyway!"

"You can't. My past is past."

"Then let's build a better future. For both of us. Together."

"Mom, I don't know if I–"

Her other hand found his shoulder and slowly, she turned him to face her, holding him there. He felt pinned. Unblinkingly, she stared into his eyes; blue to red. "Would it be so bad if you could have a life, a good life, here, with me? Would being normal be so bad?"

Would it? Be bad? Again, his mind came to those years of wishing for this opportunity. With all his might, he tried to remind himself of why this couldn't happen, why it couldn't work out. He even replayed this very conversation as proof to his rational mind. But… would it be so bad to pretend, even if just for a little while?

The longing to be a boy again, to undo the last nine years of torment… It was something he was unable to deny himself. He nodded.

Valerie beamed, her eyes glistening with happy tears. Taking his hand, she slowly led him into her apartment, as if she thought he might flee. And in truth, he had half a mind to evade this frightening and uncertain world. This wasn't the promised future his grandfather had whispered to him so long ago. He felt like he was diverging from that path into completely unknown territory. The pager thumped against his hip inside his coat, reminding him of his one yarn of string still ready to lead him out of this deadly labyrinth.

Valerie fell into bed, ready to close her eyes and sleep for the next week. But her bones were singing with the rush of achievement. She couldn't stop herself from smiling. It didn't seem as if she had done much, and yet it also felt like a huge leap forward.

She tried to tell herself not to get too excited, not to pin her hopes on success too early in the game. But still, she couldn't hold back. Drago was here, he was going to work with her to be a better person! His emotional outbursts and clearly haunted mind troubled her. But Valerie was determined to eventually find the truth and right the wrongs of Drago's past so that they might both have a better future. It would be difficult, she knew, and there would be a lot of secrecy involved. But if it was all for the greater good, then it would be worth it!

Turning over, she found herself rubbing her naked ring finger. She sighed. Oddly enough, she wished Shendu were here so that she might have some advice. He probably had a better idea of how to curb a demon teenager. Shendu's words of her ignoring Drago up until now haunted her, and she swore to herself that she would prove them wrong.

It occurred to her that she had no idea where Shendu was. After the fiasco at the gala, he'd fled into the night and no one had told her if he'd been seen since. Was he still in the city? Or had he escaped to another hideout? He could be anywhere.

Mind turning, Valerie wondered if she might find her Other just as easily as he seemed to find her. Perhaps that mental link? How had Shendu described it? Like a phone call. Closing her eyes, Valerie lay there, and imagined her mind reaching out across vast distances like a phone-line. She pictured it reaching to Shendu's brain and connecting them together. Then, opening the line.

Although she wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting, Valerie had thought she would feel something. Maybe a tingle, or a rush of magic like when she harnessed their combined energies. In all the literature she read, there was always some kind of sensation when speaking telepathically. But nothing. There was absolutely no change. She tried again, imagining it a different way. Nothing again. This time, she tried speaking in her head, but there was no answer.

All of her previous pride in her day's achievements vanished in the disappointment of this failure. She curled into a ball beneath her covers, staring at the space where a ring might sit on her finger.

"I don't know if you can hear me," she said quietly out into the vacuum of the room. "Don't even know how this stupid link between us works. But I…" Words failed her. All this time trying to contact him and now she was lost. "I don't even know what I want to say. I got Drago to try and be on the side of good. A work in progress right now, but I'm hoping to turn him. Jeez, I don't even know if you'd be pleased by that or not. I don't even know where you sit on the line between good and evil anymore… Maybe that's why there's so many problems between us."

Her fingers curled into the silk of her sheets. The bed felt cold and lonely. Her room was too quiet, so she kept talking. "You know, it's not all bad. I actually like you when you tell jokes. You can be quite witty – sometimes in a good way, other times, it's a bit creepy. And you were always ready to talk to me, for hours it seemed. And you listened too. That was nice." Valerie sighed. "A long time ago, you broke my heart. But recently I'm finding out that it's healing, bit by bit. I can't deny that I feel…"

What did she feel? Her emotions were so confused, she couldn't name them all. But she recognised one: longing.

"I really wish we'd met a different way. The way normal couples do." After a moment, she chuckled. "How surreal would that be? Talking to a demon like: Hi, I'm Valerie. I love books and I'm very nerdy about history, especially ancient Asia. My favourite food is noodles and I hate cheesecake…"

She trailed off. She wanted to keep talking, but what was the point? Besides, twenty-four hours of no sleep were now starting to catch up with her. Eyelids heavy as lead, she surrendered. But just as she was on the cusp of falling asleep, she felt a slight buzzing in the back of her skull, and a voice came gently in.

'My name is Shendu.' He said. 'I'm a demon sorcerer with a truly terrible family. Despite the fact that I usually find human cuisine to be distasteful, I'm recently finding a shred of affection for the delicacy you humans call 'pigs-in-blankets'. Though, that is rather a degrading sentence to utter, if you ask me.'

Valerie smiled, though her eyes remained closed. 'You forget to mention something good about yourself.' she spoke back to him in her mind.

'Couldn't think of anything. Make something up for me.'

'Don't need to.' She yawned, the world of slumber pulling her under faster and faster, and she tried to get the words out before she sank completely. 'You have a nice singing voice.'

The last thing Valerie knew was a choke of surprise, before a lullaby gently swept her off to sleep.