Chapter Six: Disease (JIN'S POV, Inspired by a Matchbox 20 song)
Author's Note: In this story, Nina is still out for Jin's blood, as are Heihachi, Kazuya (duh) and Hwoarang.

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Calleigh was a wonderful girl, really she was. She was just getting on my nerves. I do care a lot about her, but I am not an open book. "You wanna know about me? Ok, I'll tell you…" I said, a little more snappily than I meant to. In my mind, I was debating on whether or not to tell her about the devil gene. I decided she wasn't ready to hear about that yet, so I went through every other detail of my life. "Two people, Hwoarang and Nina Williams are out to kill me, every time I come near them, it's like that have some other ploy to take me down. But, it wouldn't bother me so much if it were just them. If that all isn't enough, my grandfather and my FATHER…my own damn flesh and blood, are out for me, too. My mother is dead, and the only relatives I have, like I said are out to kill me!" I felt tears coming to my eyes, but had to force them away. I had to remain strong at all costs. I couldn't let Calleigh see me like this. She knew me as a strong person, and if I let my guard down for even a second, that high thought of me in her mind might diminish. I didn't want that to happen.

The hardness had disappeared, and I saw the purest and kindest sympathy coming through Calleigh's eyes. She looked at me, and the smile that usually graced her face had disappeared. She could tell that I was on the verge of tears. Slowly and gently, she put her arms around me in the nicest hug I'd had since my mother had died. At first, I didn't want to hug her back, because it was her fault I was upset like this in the first place. If she hadn't made me tell her, I'd still be smiling and happy, but then again, it felt so good to get it all off my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and hugged her back. All of a sudden, I felt the tears become too overwhelming to hold back. I sobbed uncontrollably on Calleigh's shoulder, and all the while, while most people would be telling me it was ok, she just told me that it sucked, and she knew it did. I would have replied, but all I could do at the moment was gush. And she made me feel like it was ok. That made me love her all the more.

"Jin, I'm so sorry. I should have never asked. If I had known I would make you cry…" she tilted her head to the left onto mine, which was lying on her shoulder.

"No, I think I needed this…" I lifted my head, then placed my hands on her arms. "Thank you so much for being here for me, Calleigh. I feel so much better, knowing that I have a friend that won't turn away."

"Never…" she had the most amazing look in her eyes at that moment. I could tell she meant every word of what she had just said. "I'm always here for you, Jin Kazama. You're never getting rid of me."

It was so easy to lose myself when she was around. Those blue-green eyes held such depth; it would make the ocean cower in jealousy. One glance from those eyes, and I was at her command. I didn't know yet whether that was a good thing or not. I placed a hand on her cheek. Porcelain skin…dark peach, porcelain skin…covered her. The most amazing, shiny, soft, sandy-blonde hair poured down from her head like a golden waterfall. I could barely speak in her presence, but I managed to choke out, "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do, Jin. You can always count on me, ok?" she asked, the tone of her voice soft and gentle. It was almost as though my tears caused her to cry, because tears filled her eyes as well, now.

"Are you ok?" I asked, wiping a tear away as it fell down her cheek. "What are you crying for?" I pulled her back into a hug.

"Seeing you cry kills me. You don't deserve any of this, Jin. If I could change your past, and bring you all the happy memories you should have, I would do it in a heartbeat, really I would," she placed her tiny hand on my arm. She really did have tiny hands. They were almost half the size of mine. It was cute, really. "No wonder you turn to fighting…" she half-smiled.

"Well, partially that, but it's also partially because I feel I've gotten so good at it that it would be a bad idea to let my skill go to waste, you know?" I asked, looking into her eyes. "And now, you and I are going to compete together, which makes it all the more worth it."

She grinned. "Shameless flattery…" she stuck her tongue out. "Absolutely shameless…" she winked at me.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?" I asked, more confident than I had ever been.

"Now, don't get cocky…let's get back to your place, to practice…" she winked, and jumped down from the branch. The second she jumped down, she realized how big of a mistake it was, though. Her skirt almost flew up, but she caught it just in time, and landed with a thud on the rock. "OW!" she yelled, rolling over, and seeing the blood gushing from her knee.

I decided to be the valiant knight, and save the day. I jumped down from the branch, and scooped Calleigh into my arms. "Let's ride off on my…well…let's walk off," I winked at her.

She laughed, forgetting the pain in her knee. "Sir Kazama? That sounds weird…Lord Kazama? Even weirder. How about you just stay Jin, ok?"

I nodded in agreement. I could hold her like this for the rest of my life, if given the needed amount of time. I was in love, no way around it. But was it safe for Calleigh, to have someone with the devil gene inside of them, love her?

~~

Every little thing you do is tragic, all my life before was magic.
Beautiful girl, I can't breathe…I got a disease.
Deep inside me, makes me feel uneasy, baby,
I can't live without you, tell me what am I supposed to do about it?
Keep your distance from me, don't pay no attention to me,
I got a disease, and well I think that I'm sick.
Believe you me, while my world is coming down, honey.
You taste like honey, honey, tell me can I be your honey?
Please be strong, I'm telling myself that it won't be long
'Til I'm free of my disease.
~~ 'Disease' – Matchbox 20 ~~