Disclaimer: Peter Lee is mine the rest are Marvels.
A/N: If my attempt at Spanish is so horribly off that you're mortally offended let me know and I'll change it. Thanks to Chris for the help with some of the Spanish. But any and all mistakes are mine. And please remember to review….it takes a few seconds and makes my day : )
Italics are dreams.
Return of the Dragon
4
"Espera! Vuelto aquí!" (Wait! Come back here!)
"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap." Jubilee feet pounded on the dusty road, words gasping from her mouth each time she breathed. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears as the many gym practices aimed at agility rather than endurance came into play. The village quickly fell behind and Jubilee forced herself to keep on running, the men only a few minutes behind her. "Okay, I can think. Breathe first and then think." Desperately sucking in air, Jubilee looked around, sweat pouring off of her in the humid air. The land was fairly hilly and off in the distance she could make out the shore line and some buildings. On her right she could still make out the ocean and after glancing around for a few seconds, she headed towards the shore.
Once on the beach Jubilee was able to catch her breath. Unwilling to stop too long, Jubilee took off her shoes and slung them over her shoulder and began a distance eating jog on the edge of the water where the sand was still firm and the water could wash away her footprints. Twenty minutes later, Jubilee was satisfied that they weren't following her when a distance giggle stopped her. Ahead of her was a small girl, about six years old playing in the sand. She had black hair braided into loose pigtails, brown eyes and was dressed in a light purple cotton dress that came to about her knees. The girl looked up and grinned and then went back to her play of sticking sticks in the white beach.
Jubilee stepped up carefully, not wanting to scare her. "Hola."
"Hola." The girl shifted slightly to make room for Jubilee to sit by her.
"I don't suppose you speak English do you?" Jubilee asked mournfully as she collapsed on the sand next to the girl. At her blank look she nodded. "Of course you don't. Um...me llamo Jubilee."
"Me llamo Tita." The girl chirped cheerfully as she handed Jubilee a stick, motioning for her to do the same.
"Hey Tita, nice to meet you." Jubilee looked around and the desolate beach. The white sand seemed to stretch for miles in either direction with the occasional palm tree marking the distance. "Now, why are you here all by yourself?"
Tita smiled at her and waved to someone on the ocean, what looked to be a teenage boy on a small boat. "Carlos!!" Giggling she grabbed Jubilee's arm and waved to the boy who waved back.
"I better go, I don't know what he might do. Adios Tita." Jubilee hoisted on her backpack when she felt her arm being held by the little girl.
"No se vaya." Jubilee tried to pull her arm free but the Tita held on to it with a vice grip. "No se vaya." The little girl repeated insistently.
"What? No depart...no leave? I'm sorry I have to go."
Tita shook her head again and pointed to the shore. " Usted es seguro ahora. Usted será aceptable. La madre se ocupará de usted." (You're safe now. It will be okay. Mother will take care of you.)
Jubilee's arm began to hurt as the girl's efforts made her dig her nails into the older girl's flesh. "Ow! Let go! You guys are going to get into trouble with me okay? Apuro. Apuro grande."
"No! Usted es seguro. Usted es aceptable."(You're safe. You're okay.) Tita reached up and turned Jubilee's face to look at her in the eye. Jubilee's will melted at the deep brown eyes and she sunk down onto the sand tired. Tita patted her should with her free hand. "Usted es acceptable" (You're okay.)
Carlos, a teenager of about 17 walked up onto the shore, pulling the small boat behind him. He was a lot darker than his sister, and had wildly curly black hair that offset his dark skin in the bright sunshine. The little girl flung herself in his arms and he swung her around as she squealed in delight. After setting her down, he hauled out a net full of fish, bright colored fish trapped in the net still wiggling in their confines, and nodded to Jubilee.
"Hola. Me llamo Jubilee. Como estas?" Jubilee smiled at him, a slight blush burning her cheeks as she took in his well toned body and warm smile. "I don't suppose you know English."
"Yeah, I know English. My name is Carlos, nice to meet you Jubilee." Grinning at her, he wiped off his hand and held it out. "I take it you met my sister."
Jubilee shook his hand and looked at the little girl who had reattached herself to Jubilee's arm. "She's cute but you have to convince her to let me go. Some guys are after me and if you get caught with me I don't what would happen."
"What did she say?"
Tita looked at her brother in indignation, chattering too quickly for Jubilee's inexperienced ears to make out any words. He listened to her seriously and after she had finished he began walking up the bluff motioning for Jubilee to follow.
"Wait! What did she tell you?"
"Rosita said that you need our help because you're lost. Don't worry our mother will help you."
"Los malos hombres no le encontrarán con nosotros." (The bad men won't find you with us.) The small girl pulled Jubilee forward until she was following Carlos at a pace that the girl was satisfied with. Once she was certain that Jubilee wasn't going to bolt, she let go and scampered ahead, running back to check that Jubilee was still with them occasionally. Resigning herself to staying with them, for the moment at least, Jubilee gathered the other end of the net and helped carry it. As she placed the other end on her shoulder, she quickly fell into step with the young man and he grinned his appreciation to her, making no other comment.
They walked that way for half an hour, following the valleys of the hills higher upland until a small farm came into view. It was made out of battered wood and a few scraggily chickens ran around in the front yard, pecking at the grass. They were about ten minutes away from the house when a roll of thunder made them hurry.
Carlos fell into a jog and glanced at Jubilee who was beginning to breathe hard. "It's rainy season now, storms often come quickly and without warning. I'll go put the fish in the drying shed and Tita will take you in to see mother."
A sheet of rain fell just as Jubilee and Tita entered the house. It was a small building, with only two rooms but scrupulously neat. On one side there was a single bed, with a shelf of worn books above it and on the other side was a small table with two chairs and cabinets. A wood stove burned in the corner and on top a pot bubbled with a mouth watering smell. Stirring the pot was a middle aged woman, about 35 years old but the years had been kind to her. Grey hair peppered the dark brown hair that fell about her shoulders in soft waves, her blues eyes twinkled as she looked at her daughter, and she smiled easily, with well worn laugh lines creasing her face. She was dressed in a thin dress that clung to her body, the dark pink highlighting the rose in her cheeks. Jubilee smiled at the older woman, feeling instantly at home with her.
Instead of asking questions, the woman took their outer garments and hung them up on a hook by the door. Then she ushered the two girls to the table and looked at the younger one with a smile playing at her lips.
"Now, Tita, Quién es su amigo? Who is your friend?"
The little girl lit up and bounded over to Jubilee jumping in her lap, and poured out a long and apparently tragic tale (from what Jubilee could make of the 'Muchacha pobre, pobre, perdida' (poor, poor girl) that was repeated several times), patting her face comfortingly throughout the story. After she was finished she leaned back, satisfied that she had told the tale to her utmost ability and was ready to relax.
Her mother had listened carefully throughout the whole thing and then turned to Jubilee with a smile. "Well my daughter has just informed me that you are a lost girl trying to find your family. They were stolen from you and it's your job to retrieve them but you're also seeking the help of your friends who you've haven't been able to contact. She also says that bad men are after you."
Jubilee blinked rapidly. "Um I only told her my name."
The woman smiled enigmatically, pouring herself a cup of tea. "My daughter is special. She can sense the history behind a person and to some extent their future." She sipped the steaming brew, and then seemed to come sort of decision. "Call me Tante Rose."
"Isn't that French?"
"Yes, my mother was French speaking, my father was Spanish and since I married a Spanish speaking man…" She shrugged and peered at Jubilee. "My daughter only helps those that need it desperately. How can we help you?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to get you into trouble. Some bad guys are after me."
Tante Rose waved her hand dismissively. "They will not bother this house, you can be sure. Now you are looking for your family?"
Jubilee started to speak when the door flung open and Carlos walked in soaked to the bone. After he had changed and was dry, his mother served up some of the thick stew, carefully measuring out each bowl. Once everyone was served, she briefly bowed her head. "Bendiga la generosidad contra la cual comemos y protegemos ésos bajo esta azotea esta noche. Amen." (Bless this bounty and protect those under our roof tonight. Amen.)
As soon as she settled on the bed she nodded for Jubilee to proceed.
"I live with my uncle and three weeks ago he received a message from an old friend that he was needed in Mexico. The last letter I got from him was two weeks ago and since he was supposed to be gone only a week, I'm worried. I have to go protect him. I…stowed away on a ship and when it docked I thought we were in Mexico. I ended up here after being chased by some guys from the village by the docks. I tried calling my friends from the village but no one answered, so I'm stuck right now."
"Such an adventure for a young girl."
"I'm 16!" Jubilee replied indignantly.
"Age makes no difference." Tante Rose admonished lightly. Taking the empty bowls and putting them in a plastic container, she settled back down on the bed with some knitting, her needles clicking soothingly as the shack shuddered with each thunder and lightening flash. Jubilee's eyes began to grow heavy and she yawned, ducking her head behind her hand. Beside her Rosita was almost asleep, her small mouth mewling softly as she yawned and nestled her head in her arms. Tante Rose clucked softly as she put her knitting away and lifted the small girl on to the bed. "And now it's time for bed, things will look better in the morning." Motioning for Jubilee to lie beside the small girl, Jubilee shook her head, unwilling to take the obvious sleep place of the older woman.
"I've spent more nights on the floor, I'll be fine." Ignoring the woman's protests Jubilee lay down on the straw mat beside the bed. Across the room in front of the dying embers of the stove Carlos was stretched out and soon soft snores were heard heralding the presence of deep sleep and dreams.
*********
It was swelteringly hot as Jubilee hacked her way through the dense jungle, her machete cutting deep swathes in the greenery. She methodically made her way through the plants, cutting her path when suddenly the ground fell away in a cliff overlooking a temple in the distance. The jungle had almost completely covered the old building, swallowing it in the ages protecting it from prying eyes. Just as Jubilee knew the city before her was K'alakmul, she also knew this wasn't what was driving her hundreds of miles from home. With each step she took it tugged at her being, pulling her, forcing her, calling her to…the city…the place that needed her. Jubilee glanced back and could make out the faint outlines of her teammates through the heavy brush. As she turned to look at the horizon her foot slipped and the intense rush of fear and adrenaline hit her. The earth crumbled under her feet, and she grabbed onto the air unable to stop her plummet to the trees rapidly approaching. She could hear the screams of her friends as she tumbled in the sky when something heavy and hard hit her. As she blacked out she could barely make out the dull throbbing underneath her body as she as lifted from the fall and into the air.
***********
The throbbing became louder as Jubilee opened her eyes, and as she peered in the darkness for the noise she sat up in fear as she realized the door was being knocked on by some very angry people.
A/N: That's it for now…review please…and thanks to Metroprincess for all of the great support. : )
