Chapter Two: Bushes and a Box of Tissues

Five Months Later:

"You can't be serious?" Xiayou looked at Julia and laughed. "You are?" Julia just blushed and looked away. "Oh my god duckie, you know what this means?" Julia rolled her eyes and laughed, no one had every called her Duckie except her mother and Nana, now Xiayou and Jin decided they wanted to call her that too.

"Of course I do… this means I'm gonna be away from my father for a good week with you… I think the only reason why he's letting me go is because Heihachi. Other than that… I know he would have said no. The funny part is… he asked if Jin was going and I told him of course and he got this kinda weird look on his face. It was kinda creepy. I didn't say anything… I was just happy he was letting me go." Xiayou looked at her and laughed

"Yeah well whatever the reason was Julia… I'm glad you're going be there… so why do you think he got that weird smile?" Julia shrugged her shoulders as they continued to walk around the mall. "Oh I got it… maybe he wants you and Jin to get married so he can get his hands on the Mishima fortune!" Julia looked over Xiayou; she just stood there for a moment or two. "Oh Julia I'm so sorry… I was just joking…"

"Xiayou its fine… for some reason I wouldn't put it pass my dad. Anyway it was the whole marrying Jin thing…" Xiayou nudged her and sighed.

"So you haven't told him I'm guessing." Julia shook her head and laughed. "Julia… you should!"

"I know Xiayou but I just can't… I really do like him… I just can't bring myself to lose his friendship… because I wanted something more." Xiayou stopped and looked over at Julia.

"What if he wants something more too? What if Jin is feeling the same way you do? What if…"

"There are only what if's Xiayou… but if it'll make you happy… I'll see if I work up enough courage to tell him during our holiday." Xiayou smiled brightly and began walking again.

"That's more like it. We have to make it perfect." Julia stood stunned looking after Xiayou.

"Wait I didn't say I was gonna do it Xiayou…. Xiayou… come back here… what ever you planning stop… stop it!" Julia yelled as she chased a laughing Xiayou throughout the mall.

Two Days Later:

Jin looked at the girl lying in the grass next to him… she was in his opinion the most beautiful girl in the world. She had her hands folded under her chin as she stared down at a lake that housed a family of ducks. He smiled and the picture she made… she looked at ease there.

"So… are you going with us this weekend?" Jin asked stretching out his legs.

Julia looked up at him and smiled. "I thought Ling would have told you by now."

"No she wouldn't… told me to ask you myself… that's why I'm asking… so we'll try this again, are you going with us this weekend?" Julia looked up at Jin and smirked.

"Well, since you asked like that, yes I will be in attendance this holiday." Jin nodded and looked away.

"In attendance… big words huh?"

Julia smacked his legs and laughed. "Hey, hey now… I can use big words."

Jin laughed and looked at Julia as she sat up. "So what miracle is this that your dad let you come along?"

Julia shrugged her shoulders "I don't know, he said I could go, and then gave me a lecture on my behavior and how I should act. I just left it like that"

"Well I say to hell with the way you should act… have fun this weekend Julia, you deserve it. Don't worry about anything that doesn't have to do with this weekend. Just sit back and relax."

"I'll try." Julia smiled and looked out over the lake once again. She could see a group of children playing around. She remembered when she was that young back in Arizona. Shaking her head she glanced at Jin, who was watching her. "What?"

Jin shook her head and smiled. "Nothing"

"No what is it?"

"Nothing"

"Right" Julia smiled and rested her head on Jin's shoulder. Smiling Jin placed his arm around Julia.

Julia walked back into her closet to pulled out some more clothes. She threw them on the bed and began to fold. "You've got everything you'll be needing duckie?"

"Yeah Nana"

"Then why in gods name are you pulling out and packing more?" Nana said picking up a shirt and folding it.

"Because I need options, anyway I have to have… according to Xiayou, a dress, a bathing suit, some casual clothes, and then I have to have some options, because I know myself and I'm gonna want to change my clothes."

Nana raised an eyebrow at her. "That's funny, never knew you cared about having options on what you wear… usually you don't care."

Julia laughed and continued to fold. "Yeah well this is different."

"I noticed lass; Jin is going to be there."

"Okay so maybe that's why…"

"Okay my back side duckie, you know that's why." Nana packed the rest of the clothes into Julia's suitcase. "When are they coming to pick you up?"

Glancing at the clock on the night stand, "In about an hour… unless Xiayou decided to come here early." Just as if on cue the door dell rang. "And that's her now."

Julia grabbed her bags and walked down stairs followed by Nana. Daniel had already opened the door by the time she got there. She looked up and saw Jin standing there by the door.

"Aye lass, he's one handsome lad." Julia looked over at her Nana with wide eyes. Jin on the other hand blushed.

"Thank you ma'am, I'm Jin Kazama." Jin said shaking Nana's hand.

"Aye name's Nana, duckie's caretaker… of sorts." Julia smiled and looked at Jin.

"She's my Nana, my second mother if you will." Nana blushed and turned towards Julia.

"Listen here duckie, take care and have some fun." Julia nodded and hugged Nana.

"I will."

Julia's dad walked into the room and looked at Jin. He walked over to him and shook his hand. "Nice to see you again Jin."

"Same to you Mr. Chang."

Julia watched as Nana walked out of the room. She had waved a good bye to Jin and left. Julia looked at her father and then back at Jin. "Well dad we're leaving now." Mr. Chang looked at Julia surprised, almost as if he noticed her there for the first time.

"Well then have fun and behave yourself princess." Mr. Chang said as he began to walk away, but before leaving the room completely he turned around. "Nice seeing you again Jin… take care of my little girl."

"I will and it was nice seeing you again as well, Mr. Chang." Jin waved and looked back at Julia. "Ready to go?"

"Please?" He nodded and grabbed her bags.

"Goodbye Daniel."

"Goodbye, Miss Julia, have some fun this holiday okay?" Julia nodded and followed Jin out to the car. She looked around and noticed it was an SUV and from what she could see Xiayou wasn't anywhere around.

"Um Jin… where's Xiayou?" Jin closed the backdoor and walked over towards the passenger side door.

"Didn't she call you?" Julia just shook her head. "Are you sure? She told me she did."

"No I haven't talked to her since the day before yesterday."

Jin looked up at the sky and laughed. He knew Xiayou would do something like this. "Well she went to China for the holiday to see her family."

"So she's not going to be there?"

Jin shook his head no and looked at Julia. "Nope, if you don't want to go. I understand. I thought she had called you and told you that I was gonna pick you up at eight; I mean you were ready so I didn't think much of it."

"No I just got up early, couldn't sleep and all so I decided to get ready, I also thought Xiayou would show up early. But Jin its fine… really, I'm glad she's with her family and are you kidding? Stay here? Nope, now open my door and let's get out of here." Jin smiled and opened the door for Julia.

They had been driving for an hour before Julia turned down the music and looked over at Jin. Jin looked over at her and raised an eyebrow.

"I was listening to that."

"Yea whatever" Julia said waving a hand in the air. "Anyway is your grandfather still going to be there?"

"Uh no he has some business to attend to." Julia smiled and looked over at him.

"So it's just me and you?"

Jin laughed and nodded "Yeah, just me and you on this one."

"So what are we gonna do? Forget about that… where are we going?"

"You mean to tell me you are coming along with me, and you don't even know where we're going?"

Julia shrugged and looked over at him while resting her head on the head rest. "Xiayou told me to ask you."

Jin laughed and looked over at Julia then back at the road. "Well then… we are going to Kamakura, my grandfather has a house there we're gonna stay at."

Julia just nodded and smiled at Jin. "Oh boy… Jin and me, alone in a house… oh boy… Xiayou, you really did it this time." Julia glanced at Jin; he looked deep in thought as he watched the road. One hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on the hand rest in-between them. He was biting his bottom lip lightly, something that drove Julia crazy. Smiling Julia looked back out the window. "Then again, this can be better the I thought"

Jin looked over at Julia as she looked out the window. He had seen her out of the corner of his eye looking at him, he waited until she looked away to steal a glance at her. "Good ole' Xiayou… I have to thank her when I get back home." Stealing another glance he noticed that Julia had fallen asleep. Pulling over to the side of the road, he reached to the back seat and pulled a blanket Xiayou had put in the car. Walking around to the passenger side of the car, he opened the door and moved the seat back carefully so that she was lying down. After covering her with the blanket he pushed her bangs out of her face and looked down at her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Closing the door carefully Jin climbed back in to the SUV and continued to drive glancing at Julia form time to time.

Julia woke up and looked up at the ceiling of the SUV. She sat up and looked around, they had stopped and Jin wasn't anywhere around. She noticed all the doors were locked and the keys were still in the ignition. She was about to get out when she noticed Jin walking towards the car. Unlocking his door, she fixed her seat and looked at him as he got in.

"What were you doing?"

"I had to use the restroom. Anyway you hungry?" Julia nodded and noticed the blanket.

"How did this get here?"

"You feel asleep, so I pulled the car over and made you more comfortable." Jin said handing her a sandwich.

"Well then in that case I thank you for making me comfortable and for the sandwich."

"You're welcome." Jin said taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Julia placed hers on the dashboard and looked around. "So where's the bathroom, I gotta go."

Jin looked up at Julia and smiled sheepishly. "Bathroom? Well uh… when I said restroom I didn't mean an actual restroom." Julia looked over at Jin and sighed.

"Spit it out."

"I went in the bushes." He said offering an apologetic smile. Julia immediately looked down at Jin's hands.

"Hand sanitizer." He said waving a little bottle in her face.

"Aw man…" She looked out her window at the line of trees and sighed. It was one thing to have to pee in some bushes, it was another having to do it in a forest where she didn't know who or what was hiding out there. "Okay here's the deal… you have to come with me." Jin looked up at her wide eyed. "Not to watch me, I would just feel better if you were close by." Jin nodded and got out of the car. He opened the back and pulled out a box of tissues. He walked over to Julia and handed her the box. "Thanks." She said grabbing them, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Now walk in and I'll stand here… facing the car." Jin added quickly. Julia nodded and walked in to the forest a little ways before picking a spot, she glanced back at Jin. She could still see him and she was pretty sure that if he was to turn around he'd get a pretty good view of her. Glancing around Julia sighed.

Jin stood at the edge of the trees looking over at the car. He felt bad putting her through this but it was quite funny, seeing her face when he told her about it. He heard the leaves rustling and knew she was coming back. He pulled out a little bottle from his pocket and handed it to her when she stopped in front of him. They stood there quiet for a moment before Julia started laughing. Jin soon joined in after.

"Wait till Xiayou hears about this one…" Julia said looking over at Jin

"Yeah can you imagine her here, she would have made me drive until we found a restroom." Julia nodded and grabbed Jin's arm and pulled him towards the car.

"So how much longer?"

"About an hour or so." Julia nodded and got in the car. Jin started up the car and they pulled back onto the road.

It had been an hour just like Jin said before they pulled up to a house nestled by trees. Julia was almost pressed up against the window when they pulled up.

"Whoa, this place is great Jin." Jin smiled and got out of the car; he looked back at Julia and noticed she was still sitting there.

"You plan on getting out anytime?" Julia blushed and got out. She walked to the back and gathered her things as well as some grocery bags Jin had brought along.

After the car was unpacked Julia followed Jin upstairs and down a long hallway. He was showing her to her room. He opened a door and waited for Julia to walk inside. Julia stopped a little ways in, the room was beautiful. A cherry wood four post bed, with sheer white curtains around the bed. Julia could tell the covers and pillows were all made with goose feathers. Looking to where Jin was she saw a huge sliding door with sheer white curtain, the same that were on the bed. He opened the door causing a light breeze to blow the curtains. She followed him out the door and stood stunted. There before her was a beach, white sand and clear blue water.

Taking a deep breath Julia looked over at Jin and smiled. He looked at peace, and for some reason he actually looked his age.

"This is beautiful Jin, thanks for inviting me and sharing all this with me."

Jin walked over to her and grabbed her hand. "I wouldn't share it with anyone else."

Julia blushed and looked down at their intertwined hands before looking back out at the ocean.