A/N I had school off due to a religious holiday. (Not my religion, but a Jewish holiday.) But this gives me a chance to write! It may seem a little choppy but that's because my depression is back at full throttle this time, but I'll write just for you guys. About the whole song quotes thing...yeah...there are some bands that don't mind you using their stuff, but some have other ideas. I'll be careful!

"So I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling"- Nickelback, "Gotta Be Somebody."

Chapter Eleven - Shell Game (Episode 6, part 1)

"The breath flows to the finger tips, then down to the toes…"

We were back at Uncle's Rare Finds, Jackie offering up kung fu lessons. (At Jade's request, of course.) Kung fu had a lot of yoga involved, something I also did not know. Who knew a sport so rough could be so peaceful, too?

"Then the toes go up…" Jade high-kicked, "...the bad guy's nose!"

I almost fell backwards. Standing still was not my best forte, as I was very clumsy and distracted easily. I'd been told as a kid that I tripped over my own two feet. This definitely wouldn't be easy. I'd forgotten most of the lessons I'd taken as a kid already, and lost my balance completely when Jade kicked.

Jackie hooked his fingers on his jeans, giving Jade a stern look.

"What?" Jade stared back at her uncle in return. "He was asking for it!"

Jackie sighed. "Discipline, Jade."

"But I wanna be a lean, mean, Jackie Chan machine!" She punched the air, and I had to smirk at her enthusiasm.

"Don't be in such of a hurry!" Jackie scolded gently. "Slow and steady wins the rest."

"Chinese proverbs, right?" Jade sighed, allowing her hands to fall to her waist.

"Greek, actually," I corrected, recalling the philosophy class I'd taken in high school. One would think that fairy tales wouldn't be useful in life, but that has definitely turned out to be wrong.

"The story of 'the Tortoise and the Hare'," Jackie stated, kneeling next to Jade. "Once upon a-" Jade had already begun to ignore him, turning to go. "Where are you going?"

"Breakfast," Jade replied, an "obviously" tone to her voice. "Race ya!" She darted into the kitchen.

Jackie sighed audibly, running a hand over his face.

"She's a kid," I pointed out reassuringly. "I'm sure she'll grow out of this soon."

"She acts with impulse. I'm worried it will get her into trouble," Jackie admitted exasperatedly.

"'Get?'" I repeated, putting a hand on my hip. "Probably not anymore than she already has."

"You're right." He allowed himself to smile. "Let's hope it is not anymore than this. I apologize if she's been a bother."

"She's cute," I replied. "It's alright."

"Jackie!" Jade darted back into the foyer. "Come look!" She tugged Jackie into the living room, and I followed, intending to ask what she was so excited about.

However, by the time Jackie and I were able to make it into the living room, the TV had switched to a new cereal ad.

"Hmm, cereal," Jackie hummed, squinting at the TV. "We'll get that next time."

"No!" Jade moaned in exasperation, tugging at his tank top. I could see his broad chest closer now, with muscular, wide shoulders. "The rabbit talisman. It was on one of the turtles at the zoo!"

"How do you know this, Jade?" I remained skeptical. "You better not be fooling around…"

"I'm not fooling!" Jade's palm made contact with her forehead. "The turtle was on TV and the talisman was in the back of its shell."

"Jade," Jackie began, but I cut him off.

"Are you sure it was the talisman?" If Jade's suspicion turned out to be correct, we'd have to go to the nearby zoo and somehow pull the talisman out of the turtle.

"Of course I'm sure." The child looked at me with annoyance, similar to the looks she'd throw at Jackie.

"How on earth are we going to get it?" I stared down at Jade. "Go into the zoo and say 'Hey, there's a rabbit talisman that might have dangerous mystical powers attached to your turtle and we need to have it so we can pull it off of his back'?"

"Yes," Jackie answered simply, as if this was actually logical assumption.

"That sounds like a great plan," I shot back, "but some of us aren't exactly kung fu masters. Not to mention some people don't believe in otherworldly dangers." I didn't. At least, not until now.

"You may be right," Jackie intoned thoughtfully, shoving one hand into his pocket, "but you also may not be. We never know until we try."

"Chinese proverb?" I quipped flatly, giving him a blank stare.

"No." He shook his head, smiling. "Just advice from an old friend. By the way, the rabbit talisman holds a rabbit demon."

He said it so casually that I almost choked on the water I was drinking. "Whuu? How's a rabbit turn into one of those?"

I must have had a weird look on my face, because Jackie chuckled earnestly at my odd reaction. "No one knows."

"I guess that rabbit ate too many carrots," I commented tiredly, sitting back in the nearby chair.

Worst comes to worst, we didn't return in one piece.

I wasn't about to be destroyed by some rabbit demon, either.

Not on my watch.