Well, I finally updated. Sorry it took so long, I got a little lazy.

Jade's head rested on Viper's bare shoulder. Her breathing finally steady, Jade lifted her head just enough to place a soft kiss on the Viper's cheek.

"I've been a real brat, huh?" She said finally. The hand that had been smoothing Jade's stilled.

"A brat? Jade, you're just young." Viper replied. "You can be a bit…stubborn at times, but you're growing." Jade pulled her embrace tighter, like a frightened child.

"I don't want to go back." Jade whispered. "If I go back-"

"When you go back," Viper corrected, "I know. We've started something we can't finish." Viper tried to sit up, but Jade's grip made it impossible for her to move too much.

"I think I heard something." Jade murmured. Viper listened carefully, then cursed. Footsteps steadily moved up the stairs. Jade jumped from the bed, closely followed by Viper. While Jade quickly dressed, Viper dove for Jade's window, clothes in hand, and managed to squeeze through just in time to avoid being seen by Jackie.

"Jade? What's going on in there?" Jackie demanded, opening the door and stepping inside.

"I stubbed my toe." Jade fibbed, rubbing her toe and feigning pain. Jackie didn't look persuaded but didn't push the matter.

"Viper's supposed to visit today. She's bringing the potion with her." Jackie said sternly. "You are going to drink it, Jade, whether you like it or not." Jade nearly opposed this idea, except that she remembered the shattered bottle in the street.

"If you say so, Uncle." Jade shrugged. "What good is it being an adult if I can't have fun anyway?" Jackie gave her a skeptical look.

"Are you feeling all right, Jade?" He reached up to feel her forehead.

"No." Jade said honestly, quite surprised at this revelation. Until Jackie had asked her, she had not noticed, but all of the sudden, she began to notice how uncomfortable she really was. The room was unbearably hot, and it began to spin unnervingly. Jade sat on the edge of her bed, and tried to steady herself, but couldn't quite tell if she were sitting up straight or on a slant.

"Jade?" The voice of her uncle sounded so distant. Was he really even there in the first place? Jade fought to remain within the safety of her body, but found that it was impossible to do so. No matter how Jackie yelled, Jade fell into a distant land of peaceful nothingness.

"You can stay like this longer, if you like." A voice called in the still dark. Jade squinted, looking different directions. She could feel herself walking towards the voice, but all she saw was a blinding light.

"What doe you mean?" The light before her took a human form, and as the brightness faded, the person in front of her looked remarkably like her adult self.

"You can be an adult the rest of your life, for a sacrifice." The mirror Jade repeated casually.

"What kind of sacrifice?" Jade wanted to know. Her clone smirked.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing that you'll miss, anyway." Jade looked at her double doubtfully.

"I don't know…" She hesitated.

"Think about it. I'll put the sacrifice on hold, and when you come to a decision, come back to me." The mirror image offered. "But you only have two days. If you don't decide by then, you become a kid again, and I keep the sacrifice."

"Well..." Jade murmured. The thought of her time with Viper earlier suddenly crossed through her mind. Jade went red in the face.

"Don't feel so embarrassed! It's perfectly natural that you should want to stay with Viper." The double explained.

"I'll think about it." Jade said decisively, "But how do I contact you?"

"The mirror, of course!" Her twin replied. With a bow, she said loudly "Until then!"

"Jade, are you all right?" Jackie asked. Jade's eyes flew open, then shut just as quickly from the light.

"No, not really." Jade confessed.

"Do you think you can still take the potion?" Jackie asked concernedly. Jade nodded reluctantly. Murmurs surrounded her, and Jade recognized Viper's voice among them.

"You WHAT?" Uncle yelled in frustration.

"How could you drop it?" Jackie demanded. There was no response. Jackie sighed in defeat. "We'll just have to wait for the effects to wear off, then." Heavy footsteps hurried up the stairs, and Jade opened her eyes just enough to see a very nervous looking Toru in the door of her room.

"Jackie, there is something wrong with Valmont." He declared, a hint of worry in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Uncle questioned.

"Yes, he was fine when he arrived." Jackie maintained.

"I'm not sure. He simply passed out." Toru admitted. "I tried to wake him, but it is impossible."

/Well, I was right. If Valmont is the sacrifice, I wouldn't miss him./ Jade thought to herself. But her other half chided her. /Don't you remember what you're uncle was like when he nearly lost Valmont the first time?/

Jade forced the thought from her mind. She had her chance to remain an adult, why not take it?