Author's Notes: Here it is, the fourth chapter of That's the Way Life is. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: On first chapter.

Chapter Four: A Good Nights Sleep.

Kimiko pulled the covers firmly over her head as she lay there, listening to the storm. After her and Raimundo had battled it out in the pond they had gone inside and gotten dressed before grabbing a hot drink. She had noticed that it had started to rain but it wasn't important, then. But the rain had gotten heavier and the winds more ferocious and it had turned into a huge thunder storm that was shaking the very foundations of the Temple. Whimpering to herself she curled into a ball under her blanket. Trying desperately to tune out the sound of the thunder.

Raimundo loved storms, when he was little he had a habit of sitting on the windowsill and staring at the sky all night. The rest of his family hated them, they had a right to. Storms usually pulled down the circus tents, meaning that they would have twice the amount of work the next day. He didn't want his family to think he was odd; he got enough of being different from the kids in the towns they passed through. So he had contented himself with just watching them at night and pretending to hate them in the day. He just loved them, however tonight he loved his sleep more. Which was why he was sprawled across his bed, sleeping the night away without paying much attention to anything, including the dazzling display outside his window. So he was annoyed when he heard someone knocking on his door. Pulling himself out of his bed, he padded across the cold tiling to the door.

Please not another Shen Gong Wu and not at this time of night! He opened the door to find Kimiko standing there, a blanket wrapped round her shoulders. She looked sheepishly at him.

"Can . . . can I come in?" He nodded and stepped aside, allowing the petite girl to pass him by. Sitting back down on his bed, he looked at Kimiko who was fiddling with the corner of her blanket.

"Err . . . Kimiko?" She looked up and sent him a fake smile.

"Hey Rai, shall we have one of those cool midnight talks? You know where-" He had covered her mouth with his hand, effectively silencing her.

"What are you doing here?" She pulled away from him, her eyes suddenly interested with the pattern on his covers.

"Well, I couldn't sleep." She muttered, just as she did so a loud roll of thunder sounded in the distance. She jumped, a small squeak of fear passing her lips. A smirk rose on Raimundo's lips.

"You're afraid of the storm, aren't you?"

"N . . No." He smirked, there was a loud cracking sound and a bolt of lightning struck the ground near by. Kimiko squealed, her hands latching onto Raimundo's arm.

"Okay so maybe a little. Stop laughing." Raimundo paused in his quiet chuckled to look at her and frowned. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear, the grip on his arm was tight but shaking slightly. She really was terrified. Sighing he lay down, pulling her with him.

"Fine, you can stay in my room but you better not interrupt me from sleeping. Got it?" She nodded and lay down next to him, wrapped up in her own blanket.

They lay there for about five minutes before another lightning bolt scorched the sky, Raimundo jumped when he felt Kimiko launch herself into his back. Fighting the urge to groan in annoyance he rolled over and found that the girl had buried her face in his chest instead. The glare on his face softened, he couldn't get annoyed with her. She was just scared; rolling his eyes he poked her in the shoulder. He was getting soft, seriously. Since when had it become his job to comfort terrified girls?

"Kimi? You okay?" She looked up at him, her cheeks colouring slightly.

"No." He chuckled, typical of her to be blunt.

"Why are you scared?" She rolled over, propping her chin up on her hands thoughtfully.

"When I was young I went out on a walk with my family, it started to rain so they sped up to get somewhere dry and along the way I managed to loose them. We hadn't been walking in a very big wood but when I was little it seemed absolutely gigantic. I sheltered under a tree, not wanting to get wet and hoped that my parents would come back for me. They didn't.

"The tree wasn't that good a cover so I moved away to go and find a better shelter. Just as I did so a bolt of lightning struck the tree. It didn't really get me but I was young, so I checked myself over. Just to make sure that the lighting hadn't made my hair stick up on end, like in the cartoons." Raimundo snorted at that point, a small smile flickering across his face. He understood, he would have done the same thing as well.

"I was concentrating on myself more than the tree. I didn't notice it was falling till to late. I tried to get out of the way but couldn't. I was caught under one of its branches." Kimiko rolled over, now looking at the ceiling, fingers once again toying with the material on the bed.

"It wasn't a thick branch so I wasn't hurt too badly but I blacked out. I woke up the next morning to find people trying to remove the tree from on top of me. I came down with hypothermia as well as getting a broken arm. I've been scared of storms since." Silence descended upon the room as she finished which was broken seconds later by her. She gave a small squeak of surprise when Raimundo pulled his blankets over her; she rolled over and faced him. The boy gave her a warm smile before wrapping an arm round her waist, pulling her closer.

"You don't have to been scared, I'll protect you." He whispered in her ear, she smiled, breathing in his scent as she snuggled closer to him. A warmth flooding her as she placed a hand delicately on his shoulder. He was right, she didn't have to be scared anymore. She didn't understand what she what was going on with her at the moment; all she knew was that she felt completely safe in his arms. She felt content and happy, not the least bit frightened of the storm outside. And that was all that mattered.

Kimiko woke up feeling warm and for once completely at peace. Like the feeling she had in the morning after Raimundo had put her to bed but greater. She snuggled closer to her pillow, face buried in the warmth, she could faintly hear a heart beat.

Wait, warmth? Heart beat? Her eyes snapped open as her memory came rushing back, she looked up. Finding herself peering into the content face of Raimundo. She smiled, an action that Raimundo appeared to be making her do a lot lately, and gently traced the side of his face with her fingers. He looked so happy and innocent; much like his Ciao had done yesterday. She smiled to herself knowing how Raimundo would react to being called innocent. Brushing a stray lock of hair from his face she tried to pull away but Raimundo tightened his grip, mumbling something in his sleep. She paused, fighting with herself, she needed to get up and get ready for training so she really should just wake him up, he wouldn't be embarrassed. However she was enjoying these feelings. His arms being wrapped round her possessively was for some odd reason making her happy. She felt very special at this moment in time. Like she had been awarded with some grand prize. Struggling in an internal battle she hadn't noticed that he had woken up until she felt someone tug on one of her pigtails.

"Hey." She turned round and stuck her tongue out at him, thanking the gods that her problem had been decided for her. He let go of her waist, causing a disappointed feeling to rise in her chest. She fought it down and got off his bed, grabbing her blanket, she wrapped it round her shoulders. She looked back to the bed, where Raimundo was still sprawled across it.

"If you don't get up, you'll be late for training." He smirked at her, waving a hand indicating that she could hurry along.

"I won't be and even if I am it doesn't matter." Shaking her head Kimiko left the room, walking back down the corridors.

She didn't notice the man in the corner, watching her from the shadows. Or hear the dragon, that was wrapped around his neck, words.

"They are so made for each other."

"Everything in time, my friend, everything in time."

Kimiko raced down the corridor towards the training room, she was late. She wouldn't have been if it was for Raimundo, even when he wasn't there he could still get her into trouble! Her feelings, in short, were a tangled mess; she needed help. Serious help. She had thought what she had felt last night through a few times and realised that wasn't something you felt around a good friend. Which is why she had sent an urgent text message to the one person that could help her; Keiko. She had stayed in her bedroom, hopping from one foot to another as she waited for a reply. Hoping that she would answer before training started. However she hadn't and Kimiko had waited a little too long for an answer. So now she was left with sprinting down the corridors towards the training room. She threw the door open and was met with the annoyed look of Master Fung along with Dojo.

"Sorry I'm late Master Fung." His eyes locked onto hers and she felt as if he was reading her mind. He seemed to know so much and was so very powerful, she wouldn't be surprised if he could.

"It's alright Young Dragon." He said with a sigh as he found whatever answer he was looking for in her, "Come sit." Nodding she jogged over to the circle, taking her place next to Raimundo.

"I thought you said I was going to be late." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth. She growled at the back of her throat, making a promise to get him back later.

After making sure she had elbowed Raimundo on the way out of training she had wandered to her room to find she had an answer to her text.

'Call me.' Rolling her eyes she picked up her pink telephone, hitting the speed dial button as she collapsed onto her bed.

"Hello?"

"Hey Keiko, it's me."

"Hey girl, okay what's with the 911? You mentioned that you had some boy trouble."

"Yeah, you remember Raimundo?"

"The Brazilian kid?"

"Yeah. Well, he's a good friend of mine but . . ."

"But?"

"But recently I've been feeling you know, different around him."

"What kind of different?"

"Well, I'm really happy around him, I get that fluttering in my stomach when he's near me and I just generally want to spend time with him." Keiko laughed down the phone.

"Girl you know what that is."

"No I don't."

"Yes, you do. Quit denying it, you like him more than a friend."

"I what?!" Kimiko yelled down the phone, sitting up in surprise. Keiko was joking, she had to be.

"Come on, stop being so dense. You like the guy, you . . . Hold on." She could hear Keiko mumbling to someone in the background. "Hey girl, I gotta go. You should tell him you like him or something. Bye." The dialling tone rung in Kimiko's ear, tell Raimundo that she liked him? Not that she actually did, of course.

'Quit denying it, you like him more than a friend.' Keiko's words floated across her mind. She didn't like him did she? She couldn't . . I mean this was Raimundo she couldn't possibly like him.

Stop lying to yourself. You like him. Oh god, her conscience was right. She liked Raimundo . . . a lot. Groaning Kimiko burrowed her head in her pillow. When had her life got so messed up?

Raimundo sighed as he walked down the corridor. He was worried about Kimiko, for the last two days she had been depressed, ever since she got that call from her friend. That was about as much as he could get out of her before she had practically fled the room. She seemed to be avoiding him at all costs. What was confusing him the most though was why she was avoiding him. He hadn't done anything, that he knew of anyway, so why wouldn't she so much as look him in the face? Frustrated and annoyed, he wandered around the grounds aimlessly. Trying his best not to think of her or anything related to her. Which was rather difficult seeing as they were living under the same roof. Shaking his head he stared out over the pond. Which reminded him of the time they had a water fight, groaning he slapped his hand against his forehead. Why wouldn't life just give him a break?

"Something troubling you there partner?" He nodded at Clay who came to stand beside him on the bridge.

"Would that something have anything to do with Kimiko by chance?"

"How did you guess?" He mumbled sarcastically, folding his arms across the railing, burying his face in them.

"Well, you look sadder than a fluffy cat caught in a thunder storm. Tell me, what is it 'bout Kimiko that's making you upset?" Raimundo considered telling the blonde to mind his own business but then again he might be able to help. And even though he hated to admit it, he needed help if he was going to work out what was up with Kimiko.

"She won't talk to me; I don't know what I've done." Clay nodded, his eyes looking out at the pond to see if it held any answers. It didn't. Raimundo had checked.

"If you ask me she's just going through some personal problems or something. She probably needs a friend but is too proud to ask for help, kinda like you. Why don't you go and see her?" He looked over at Clay; there was something that the cowboy wasn't telling him. But did it really matter? If he thought that Kimiko needed a friend he was willing to go and help her.

"Thanks man."

"No problem." He said as he watched the brunette go towards the house.

"You forgot to mention that the personal problems had something to do with him." Clay turned round to face his teacher, a slight look of fear on his face.

"Don't know what you talkin' 'bout Master Fung."

"Yes you do. But I'd doubt he would have believed you even if you had told him." Dojo said, smiling as he slid out of Master Fung's sleeve.

"Do you think they'll end up admitting their feelings for each other Master Fung, sir?"

"I'm sure they will." The old man said with a smile as he watched the retreating form of the brunette. "I'm sure they will."

"Kimiko?" Said girl lifted her head off her pillow, slowly making her way to the door. She knew who it was; she always knew when he was around. Opening the door she looked up into his concerned green eyes.

I'd forgotten how gorgeous he was. She didn't really register that thought as he flashed her half smile.

"You gonna let me in?"

"Sure." She walked over to the pink chair in the corner of the room; dropping into it she waited for Raimundo to start talking.

"You've been avoiding me." He never did beat around the bush. Why would he change now?

But you don't want him to change do you? Ignoring the annoyingly always right voice in the back of her head she nodded at him.

"Why?"

"I've just been going through some rough times, that's all." He bent down into a crouch before her, resting his hands on either side of her legs.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No!" She declared, had she made him feel bad? How could she?! She never meant to make him feel awful as well! I'm such an evil person! "It's just me being stupid, alright?"

"Alright." He said quietly. Before a surprisingly, for Raimundo, nervous smile made its way across his face. "Does this mean you'll come to the carnival with me?" He said standing up and smiling at her again, though this time with a bit more confidence. The town, further down the mountain, held a carnival once a year to celebrate the end of winter and the spring beginning. It was really just a way to get people back into a partying mood again after the long cold winter but Kimiko didn't mind as long as they actually had the carnival. They were very good for shopping.

"Why me?" Stupid mouth, stop asking question. It doesn't matter why he asked the point is that he asked!

"Well, Omi spends all his time asking questions and I really don't get Clay and all his metaphors. Plus you're a lot more fun than them." She smiled; he was never one to compliment people unless he had to. Perhaps there's a slight chance that he likes me back.

"Sure, I'll come."

"Great, meet you by the gates tomorrow after training." He said, standing up and flashing her a grin. Kimiko pulled a pillow towards her, hugging it tightly to her chest. This trip would be fun, even if it was only as friends.

To Be Continued . . .

If any of you are wondering I didn't make Keiko up (though I hope I spelled her name right.) When Kimiko is talking to people on the phone it usually happens to be her friend Keiko. So I thought, why not include her? If she calls her because she managed to rope a cow then why not when she had boy trouble? Anyway, hope you liked it MM.