Part VIII-BARING SOULS

Jinpei tossed and turned in the trundle cot that Ryu had set up for him in his marina house while the big man snored away in the tiny bedroom in the back. Between having his mind full and Ryu's rumbling slumber chorus, trying to get any sleep tonight for him was shaping up to be a losing battle. He sighed in annoyance as he listened to the buzzsaw symphony that streamed out from the partially closed door and cursed the fact that he had no earplugs to at least deaden the din. He propped his head on his folded arms as he stared up at the ceiling, counting cracks in the plaster and letting his brooding thoughts run free.

Jinpei thought about Jun and he hoped that she wasn't spending the night alone, crumpled on the floor of the Snack J, like he found her four nights ago. As grateful as he was when Ken came right out when he called him earlier, he was still miffed at him for leaving his sister the other night, especially when he had promised to stay with her. Jinpei wondered if Ken had done the same thing tonight as before, beat a hasty retreat from his big sister now when she really needed him. Aniki, can be so dense at times, it's amazing that he's our commander, onechan really needs him to be there for her and he should let her be there for him. I wish I had someone to be here and just listen to me or hold me while I cried. Onechan does but I don't want to bother her now. Something has happened between her and aniki, I just know it, they're really acting strange toward each other.

I really wish Maria was around. I've been thinking about her a lot lately and what wouldn't I give to talk to her all about this, to put my arms around her and cry into her silky golden hair. Aniki had told me that it was impossible to have a girlfriend and be a Science Ninja but he could talk, he always had onechan, and she's always there if he needs her even if he's too stupid to act on it. But, what about me? I need someone to be there especially for me and no one else.

Jinpei's thoughts were interrupted as he spied the shadow of Ryu's bulk as he entered the kitchenette to open the refrigerator to get a drink. The brief illumination of the interior light was extinguished as Ryu closed the door. He walked over to the cot.

"Jinpei? Are you asleep?"

"Nope. Can't sleep," the youngster answered as Ryu pulled up and straddled a chair beside the cot.

"Wanna talk?"

Jinpei sat up. "Uh-huh." He rubbed his eyes as Ryu reached over and switched on a lamp on the end table.

"Okay, shoot."

Jinpei eyed his best friend intently. "Ryu, do you ever get lonely?"
Ryu leaned back and scratched his head thoughtfully. "Sometimes," he admitted. "And sometimes I prefer being by myself."

Jinpei sighed impatiently, "I don't mean lonely in general. I mean, do you ever get lonely for a girl?"

Ryu pursed his lips in thought. "Ah I get it. You want a girlfriend."

Jinpei nodded, "Since Galactor and Katse are defeated, why shouldn't we begin to think about having normal lives?"

Ryu pondered that statement as he nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Yeah, I do get lonely for a girl. I'd love to find a girl to share things with me."

Jinpei sighed, "I've been thinking about Maria a lot lately. Boy, I wish I could see her again so I could talk to her," he added in a wistful manner.
Ryu asked, "What would you talk to her about?"

"Everything," Jinpei replied in a dreamy tone. "About my life, my dreams, my plans. About Joe-aniki and you and onechan and aniki."

Ryu nodded in agreement. "I'd like to have someone to share those things with, too," he sighed longingly.

"Aniki is so lucky, he has onechan but he doesn't care," Jinpei grumbled, his anger toward Ken reigniting. "He doesn't care about anything."

Ryu patted the boy's shoulder. "You're wrong, Jinpei he does care. He cares for all of us. And he loves your sister very much."

Jinpei sniffed derisively, "Yeah, well he has a funny way of showing it." He shook his head, "Sorry, Ryu but I've heard onechan cry over him too many times to believe that."

"I know that sometimes it seems that he doesn't care but take it from me, I know for a fact that he does."

Jinpei eyed him quizzically. "How do you know?" he demanded.

Ryu gazed steadily at his friend. "I saw how torn up he was when we thought she died in the jigokillers."

"Yeah right. Then he goes and slaps her when she comes up to him after we find her. Sorry Ryu, but you'll have to tell me a lot more than that to convince me that he cares. Especially after the way we came back to the J and found her the other night after he promised me he'd look after her. He's blown all of us off since the day--" Jinpei left off with a scowl.

"I know." Ryu tried to reason with the irate youth. "Look, buddy, Ken's got a lot of responsibility to the whole team. He has to make decisions that effect all of us. But he's human and he makes mistakes like we all do and to judge him is wrong. And right now, he's feeling really guilty about Joe."

"He should. We never should've left Joe-aniki there."

"True, but we had a job to do and we had to go and do it."

Jinpei frowned thoughtfully and nodded reluctantly. "I guess so," he admitted grudgingly as he laid his head down.

Ryu stretched and yawned as he glanced at the glowing digital clock on his table. "Hey, pal it's almost 1:00. We'd better get some shut-eye if we're gonna get up at 6:00 to get out to those fish." He patted Jinpei's head as he turned off the lamp and rose to head back to his room.

"Ryu?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Ryu grinned, "Anytime, Jinpei. Now go to sleep."

"Okay," he said as he drifted off.
The early morning sun was sending its warm rays in through the window and skylight, making Jun's room bright with daylight and it filtered through the lace curtains onto the still sleeping forms of the Eagle and the Swan. They lay together, Jun's back against Ken's chest with his face buried deep into the nape of her neck as they both teetered on the brink of wakefulness. Ken's eyes blinked open and he breathed deeply of the soft jasmine scent that had so inundated his senses since last night as his arms encircled the satin covered form pressed up against him.

Ken closed and opened his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. When he was convinced that he was indeed awake and that it was Jun actually in his arms, he allowed himself the luxury of letting his mind wool gather as he admired the beautiful girl snuggled up against him. Still in the arms of Morpheus, in the early morning light Jun resembled a child, all purity in pale pink and white. Her raven locks were spread behind her, splayed against her pillow. Ken sighed as he savored the way the silken strands felt against his cheek and tickled his nose. He moved as Jun stirred like a slumbering cat, stretching her arms sinuously. He noticed that she was slowly coming awake.

Jun took a deep breath and turned her head to face the window and greet the day like she did every morning. Her eyes opened slowly and focused on the cerulean blue of the sky peeking through the lace curtains. Her vision then fell on a pair of dark lashed smiling eyes of the exact same color, regarding her with affection. Jun returned the smile as she came to full wakefulness and she turned herself fully to face Ken who lay there watching her, his gaze as warm as the breeze from the window. She felt an inward tingle from his gentle appraisal.

She raised a hand to her mouth and yawned. "Good morning, Ken."

He grinned lazily at her. "Good morning to you, too."

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Uh-huh. You?"

"Hmmm." She yawned again. "First real rest I've had in over a week." She rolled on her side and rested her head on her hand. "How about you?"

Ken nodded, "Aa. Slept better than I expected to. This bed's very comfortable."

"It wasn't-too hard, was it?" Jun asked hopefully, referring to the sleeping arrangements.

Ken considered her for a moment as he tried to think of an answer. "It was a bit of a struggle till I actually fell asleep," he replied truthfully.

Jun bit her lip. "I'm sorry if I caused any problems. I just couldn't be alone last night." She turned herself away to leave but he reached to grasp her shoulder to stop her.

"Juni," Ken said softly. She turned to look apologetically at him. "Don't be sorry for making a way for me to finally sleep through the night," he added, taking her chin in his hand to raise her head to meet his gaze. "Lately, I haven't been sleeping that great, either."

They regarded each other deeply for a moment as Jun gently pulled away to sit up and get out of the bed. Ken watched her as she reached in the closet and donned a white short robe. She self-consciously ran a hand through her hair as she slid into a pair of fuzzy pink slippers.

"You hungry?" she asked over her shoulder as she headed for the door.

"Kind of." He got to his feet and reached for his trousers. He sat on the side of the bed to put them on. "You going to make breakfast?" he asked with a touch of wonder.

Jun giggled at his amazed expression, "Don't look so surprised. I can manage to make coffee and something edible without turning it to charcoal, my reputation not withstanding." She turned and entered the hall. "Coffee'll be up in just a bit," she said over her shoulder.

Ken sighed as he ran a hand through his unruly mahogany mane. He reached for one of Jun's combs and ran it through the stubborn locks, trying to tame them into some semblance of order. He finally gave up when it appeared that his hair was resisting the effort and he caught the whiff of freshly brewed coffee drifting into the room from the kitchen. He got up, disgustedly tossed the comb on Jun's vanity and joined her in the kitchen.

The kitchen in the apartment above the Snack J was actually a kitchenette that segued into the living area making a single room like a loft with the table where Jun and Jinpei took meals as a divider of the room. Ken took a seat where an empty mug with a spoon waited along with a creamer and sugar bowl. Jun, facing the counter, placed slices of bread into the toaster and pushed the lever down. She turned and carried the fresh coffee to the table to pour into Ken's mug. "I'm making some toast, okay? I also have instant waffles if you want." She went to the refrigerator to get butter, jam, and marmalade to place on the table.

"Coffee and toast will be fine."

Jun smiled warmly as she poured herself some coffee. She sat in the chair across from Ken and silently fixed the coffee to her liking, sipping the steaming liquid as he examined her with his intense azure eyes and a strange little smile curving his lips. She regarded him questioningly as she felt herself getting flustered, blushing from his uncustomary attention.

"What?" she asked a touch sharply.

Ken continued to smile. "Nothing. I was just wondering if you look this cute every morning."

Jun smiled shyly He's flirting with me! This is definitely is an unexpected but pleasant surprise. "Excuse me?" she asked coyly.

Eyes twinkling, Ken opened his mouth to say something else but the sound of footsteps in the Snack interrupted his train of thought as he turned his head toward the sound. The door at the foot of the stairs to the apartment wrenched open and the figures of Jinpei and Ryu chambered up the stairs in somewhat heated debate.

"Why didn't you tell me last night that you didn't have an extra pole? I'd have taken mine with me last night!" Jinpei snapped as he stomped up the stairs.

"I thought that you did take it," Ryu countered in an annoyed tone. "Now we'll have to go deep out to get anything and we'd better hurry to do that or the day's gonna be shot."

"And when are you gonna put that piece of junk you call a van out of its misery? It took us a half hour to finally get the damn thing started." Jinpei railed as he reached the top of the stairs. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Aniki, you're here!"

Ryu followed right behind and he too registered surprise at seeing Ken sitting there with Jun, both in an obvious state of undress. Although Ken had donned his pants, he remained bare chested as he joined Jun in her robe for coffee and that is what Jinpei and Ryu viewed as they came into the room.

Ryu's face was turning a bright shade of crimson as he stuttered, "Ah-ah."

Jun hurried to soothe the Owl's embarrassment. "It's okay, Ryu. Ken just spent the night here with me 'cause I didn't want to be alone. We're having some toast and coffee."

"Oh, you don't have to explain anything to me," Ryu said, still looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Toast? So that's what's causing all that smoke," Jinpei said sniffing the air and pointing to the toaster.

"Oh!"

With a shriek Jun leapt up from the table and scampered to the counter where the toaster was sending billows of smoke up to the ceiling. Jinpei snickered as the two charred pieces of toast popped up, sending the smell of burned bread throughout the room. Ken got up from the table and opened the window to let the smoke out.

Jun blushed and hung her head as Jinpei scoffed, "Well, onechan your record still stands. Worst cook in Utoland, unchallenged." Jun turned away from her teammates with tears spilling from her eyes and sat on the sofa dejected and utterly humiliated.

Spotting Jun's distress, Ken strode over to the table and with his hands on his hips regarded Jinpei with a scowl. "Jinpei, that's enough. Your attempt to be funny isn't appreciated," he said curtly in his best Eagle manner. He went to Jun to sit beside her and put a protective arm around her slumped shoulders as he cast a wrathful glance at the now repentant youth.

"I'm sorry, aniki," Jinpei murmured, cowed before his commander.

"Don't apologize to me, Jun's the one you need to say you're sorry to," Ken ordered, his tone brooking no disobedience.

Shamefaced, Jinpei docilely approached his sister. "I-I'm sorry, onechan. You know I don't mean to say anything to hurt you, I love you." He rushed at her and buried his head into her stomach in a bear hug.

Jun wiped away her tears and smiled tremulously, "It's okay, Jinpei. I know you do. I didn't mean to get so upset. You're right, I am a terrible cook."

"That's okay, onechan. As long as I'm around, I'll cook for you and take care of you," Jinpei declared.

Jun smiled gratefully at her little brother. "Maybe you can teach me. As you always say, I need to learn to cook if I ever hope to get married someday," she admitted ruefully, her eyes downcast.

"To a man in love, there's more to a woman than just her being able to cook," Ken said as he squeezed her shoulder in a comforting way. Jun gazed at him with a fond look.

Ryu caught the glances and action that transpired between the Eagle and the Swan and cleared his throat. "Uh, Jinpei, why don't you get that fishing gear of yours so we can get going, okay?"

"Huh?" Jinpei said blankly.

"Let's get going," the Owl said firmly, pushing the protesting Swallow toward his room.

Jun watched with wonder as she turned to Ken. "You get the feeling that we've been granted privacy?"

Ken chuckled, "That's our Ryu. He can be quite perceptive at times."

Jun agreed, "He does have his moments." She shrugged apologetically, "I'm sorry about the toast."

He grinned, "That's okay. Why don't we both get dressed and I'll take you out for breakfast."

Jun smiled sweetly at him. "Uh-huh."

Ryu and Jinpei came out carrying Jinpei's fishing pole and tackle box. They trouped over to the stairs and Ryu said, "We'll be seeing you, Jun. Ken," he added barely meeting his commander's eyes.

Jinpei eyed the two with a smirk, "Be good and if you can't be good, be careful." Ryu grabbed the giggling youth by his shoulders and pushed him down the stairs as Ken launched a pillow at the departing pair.

Jun shook her head in a tolerant manner. "He always has to have the last word."

"Yeah, well he needs to have a serious attitude check. He doesn't have to be teasing you all the time, there still is something called respect. After all, if it weren't for you, he'd have probably died on the street where you found him," Ken pointed out, getting to his feet and frowning at the stairs.

Jun felt a warm glow grow inside her at Ken's show of protectiveness. Having grown up with Jinpei, she learned a long time ago how to handle his quicksilver tempers and his relentless teasing. And being a part of Kagaku Ninjatai, she could easily handle anything that came her way. But she was pleased by Ken's desire to champion her.

She rose from the sofa, stretched then went over to Ken and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go get dressed, I'm hungry."

Ken turned and grinned at her. "After you, my lady." He made a courtier's bow and gestured with his hand.

Jun giggled and headed to the bedroom with Ken following.