She awoke on a row of uncomfortable leather chairs. The metal dug into her back. "Is it time to go yet?" her voice was nasal, unlikable. Her brother, aged fifteen, sat on the floor, absorbed in the silent drone of the televisions out of reach.

"Jesus Christ, June, will you be quiet?" he had just hit puberty. A crop of zits gleamed on his forehead. "I'm trying to listen."

"You have no right to speak to me that way, Ray-ray. And those TVs have subtitles" Juniper Lee sat up, her head swimming. "We've been here in the middle of nowhere for twelve hours." Her eyes fuzzed on the orange sky through the huge glass panel. Planes lumbered in the distance, gaining enough speed to get them airborne. A troll chased it, club in hand. "Is it morning or evening?"

"Morning. And don't call me Ray-Ray." He stood up and sat next to her. "This delay is insane. I've had to call home six times now."

June sat up, hair flyaway and bedridden. She tried to comb it with her fingers. She was eighteen years old, and very cross. This was supposed to be her first time not flying with her parents. It was supposed to be enjoyable. She kicked her suitcase and tried to get comfortable in her chair. Being in an airport, she could not. Holding her head in her hands, she sighed. "I guess we're going to have to wait. Just wait. We'll be in New York eventually."

"I swear to God…" Ray-Ray muttered into his arms. He began hitting his head on the stiff seat. "I need a magazine. Something."

OOO

"Haley…eat the chocolate bar."

"Why should I?" At age fourteen, she no longer wore her hair in pigtails, but one long braid to the middle of her back.

Jake Long sighed. He was much too old for this kind of thing. "Because you haven't eaten anything all day…night…something." A shock of green tinged hair fell in his eyes. At age twenty, he still wore the same jacket as he did when he was thirteen. He had grown a considerable amount, however. "I'm getting too old for this. Please. Eat SOMETHING."

"If you're getting too old, then leave me alone." Haley turned her back. Sharp shoulder bones poked from her backless sundress. "I need to lose weight, anyway."

"NO YOU DON'T! You know what? Fuck this!" Jake threw the bar over his shoulder. A ravenous little child was bound to pick it up. "I'm not going to go through with this every time. If you do not want to eat, fine. STARVE."

"Fine!" Haley stormed off, suitcase in hand, heels clicking on the clean linoleum floor. Jake was twenty, and escorting his little sister from her boarding school back home. What he did not know, however, was that she had developed a neurosis about her body and what fueled it. When he had picked her up, she yelled at him for having the stench of French fries in his car.

He considered going after her, but he sank back into his seat. She would come back, as always. She was probably going to find an ice cream parlor somewhere, stuff her face and bitch about it as soon as they got on the plane. If they got on the plane, that is. He had been in Wisconsin for over twelve hours. The morning sun barely shone on the grey rugged floor. Looking around, he pushed his suitcase under his chair. An old copy of the New York Times lay on the chair next to his. Few people were at the airport at this time of day. The few that were were either homeless or Hare Krishna's.

The homeless made him feel as if he were in New York again. Or San Francisco. Anywhere but this cultural void. It was insane. The people had no accent, no ethnicity, nothing. All he could see of the locals was obesity and sloth. It was a nightmare. He began to long for the days when he had to save the world, using his reptilian blood to breathe fire and defeat enemies. Ever since he (accidentally) murdered the Huntsman, his list of enemies dwindled. He guessed that all the others relied on the Huntsman for inspiration, and now that he was gone, they had no quarrel with the American Dragon.

Trixie had gone to Tufts. Spud was backpacking through Europe. Rose had developed a habit for cocaine when her uncle died. She was in rehab. At least he did not have to worry about Huntsgirl anymore.

He no longer used that awful slang. He was too old, and wise, for it.

Grandpa was sick, maybe dying. That was why he dragged himself away from his studies in order to retrieve Haley, who had gotten a full ride at a boarding school nestled in the hills of Marin on violin. Or ballet. He could not decide which. She had not used her dragon powers since she was ten. He had not used his since he was seventeen.

He stretched around and tapped a girl in a green shirt holding a strangely chunky purse. She turned around, her almond shaped eyes bloodshot. "Do you have the time?" he asked wearily. "This delay has made time disappear."

She looked at her watch. "Four thirteen." She smiled. "On your way to New York too, eh?"

"Yeah." He rubbed his eyes. Holding out his hand, he half smiled. He was much too tired to make an effort. "Jake Long."

"Juniper Lee, but call me June."

"June." He yawned. He pushed himself up and plopped down next to her. "What are you going to New York for?"

"Family vacation." She pointed at her brother, gazing blankly at the television screen. "That's Ray-Ray. He is my little brother. We're here alone."

"I have a little sister about his age. Her name is Haley."

"Really" she scratched her head. "Was that the person I heard you yelling at a few minutes ago?"

"Pretty much. We're going back home. We just visited San Francisco."

"Really? That's where I'm from!" June shifted in her seat so she faced Jake, creepily amused by so small a thing. "Well, my family calls it Orchid City. But it's pretty much San Francisco. Isn't that funny? We must have been on the same plane!"

"Yeah. Planes." Jake muttered warily, yawning again. "There were a lot of hippies there. They kept offering me brownies."

"Filled with hash, I imagine." June lay back on the seat. "They aren't that bad, actually. Had one at a party by accident."

"Hmm." Jake's eyes widened. "But you don't smoke pot, do you?"

"No, but I have some friends who do."

"Me too. I called one of them Spud, but his real name was Ilya. I lost touch with him."

"Where'd you get Spud?" June laughed.

"The first time he was stoned, he thought he was a potato. Of course, it could just be Spud. You never know."

June giggled. Jake smiled.

I feel chemistry. June batted her eyes and jutted her chin. He's kind of cute. I wonder how old he is. I just turned eighteen…it could work.

Damn! Jake put his arms behind his head. It's easy to talk to this girl! And she's the first in a long time to me without looking like she'd rather be dipped in a tub of sulfuric acid!

Wait! Jake's rationality piped in. It sounded strangely similar to the calm octaves of Lao Shi. Your grandfather is dying! You have no time for romance! ESPECIALLY IN AN AIRPORT!

Shut up. Jake rebutted, wrinkling his forehead. I've been delayed twelve hours. I'll do whatever the hell I want.

"Where you staying in New York?" Jake simpered.

"The Four Seasons. My parents are already there. I didn't come because I was busy packing for college."

"You're eighteen?"

"Yes."

Jake silently did a victory lap inside his head. June crossed her legs and tried to comfort herself. She could not. She brought her knees to her chest and put her chin between them. Her purse dropped on the floor. A sudden squeak sounded from inside the large leather bag.

June gave a stifled cry. Ray-Ray had left and was getting a Snickers bar at the shop across the way. She gathered up whatever was in her purse and began stroking it. "Oh, I'm sorry Monroe!" she scratched her small, grey dog behind the ears. He looked resentful at being handled this way. "This is Monroe." June said offhand, looking at Jake. "He's my pug. He fits in my purse, so I bring him."

"Hi, Monroe." Jake rubbed the dog's head, messing up its fur. Monroe's eyebrows came together in rage…if dogs could have eyebrows…and growled. Jake took his hand away and raised his eyebrows. "You know, I also have a dog…he's a Shar Pei. He's here, too." Jake bent down and looked between his legs. He dragged his suitcase, or what was presumed to be his suitcase, out from underneath his chair. He picked it up. "This is Fu."

The large dog looked at Jake with hate in his eyes. "I hate you" Fu whispered.

"Fu! That's such a cute name for a Shar Pei!" June reached out and pet his back. Fu looked at Monroe with amazement. Monroe stared at Fu with hatred in his eyes. "Is it Chinese?"

"Yeah." Jake put the dog down. "Seeing as my whole family's Chinese…it just seemed to fit."

"I'm Chinese too!"

Monroe suddenly started barking frantically, trying to claw his way from Juniper's arms. Jake could only hear barking until it evolved to: "Fu! You bastard! Where's my money!" His voice was roughly Scottish. Fu's teeth showed in anxiousness.

"That dog" June's face turned white. Her lips were taut against her teeth. Jake's eyes opened wide. "That dog is talking!"

"And I don't blame him!" Fu spoke anxiously through his teeth. He stood up and held Jake's shoulder. "Monroe, buddy, how ya been?"

"Oh, I've been fine!" Monroe jumped down from Juniper's lap and stared Fu in the eye. His little paws were taut and he bore his canines. "I've only been a WEE DOG for FIVE HUNDRED YEARS! And that's not the worst of it! I've been in the care of the Lee family since I became small! Do you eat dog food every day? Are you cooed over by your guardian's idiot friends? YOU'RE STANDING! I'M NOT!"

"Hey, my friends aren't idiots!" June slapped the dog on the head. It growled.

"Fu! Keep it down!" Jake whispered anxiously. "People are around!"

"Kid, it's Wisconsin. People here aren't as open-minded as they are in New York. Nobody can hear us 'cept you and your lady friend." He turned to June. "My apologies, miss. How is the family Lee?"

"Fine…I guess." She blinked. "I was unaware there were other talking shar Peis who knew my name." She turned to Jake. "You're a Protector too."

"What the hell's a Protector?" Jake's head throbbed, the beginning of a migraine. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"For Christ's sake, laddie, where have you been?" Monroe faced Jake. "Has this idiot Fu taught you nothing?"

"He isn't a Protector, four legs." Fu put his hands where his hips would be…if dogs had hips. "He happens to be a member of the Lao Shi's. That family's been around way longer than your goddamn Protectors."

"Well isn't that special." Monroe snapped sarcastically. "Just because he's one of those Chinese lizards dun't mean I have to respect him."

"Monroe!" June spoke up, hands on her hips, "You be nice!"

"It's fine, but I'm confused." Jake faced June. "You have a talking dog." He pointed at himself. "I have a talking dog. You have a brother. I have a sister. My name's Jake Long, your name's Juniper Lee. Same initials. You…you probably spend most of your time with your grandpa, don't you!"

"It's my grandma," June muttered. "and she's kind of—"

"Sick." Jake finished her sentence. "This is insane! We're complete polar opposites of each other! You don't happen to have an insane Huntsgirl after your blood, do you?"

"No!" June was taken aback. "Why would I?"

"It's just we have so much in common. I thought you might have a Hunts-boy. And another thing, what was that about Protectors?"

"Not a protector, but the Great Protector. The Te Xuan Ze?" June sat up straight. "The Te Xuan Ze has been around for ages. The job of the Te Xuan Ze is to keep a balance between the magical world and the normal, human world using magic, strength, speed, et cetera. In other words, I protect the people of my city from the creatures that only I can see."

"Of course I know what Te Xuan Ze means. I'm Chinese too, you know." Jake sat back in his seat. "I basically have the same job. Only…I don't really have a title." The two words American Dragon were about to slip, but he stopped himself. "I protect the magical creatures from the people of New York!"

June faced Jake, sparkle in her almond eyes. "I'm really glad we met. You're just like me!" she extended her torso forward and locked Jake in a hug that knocked the air clear from his lungs. The bars of the chairs dug into her ribs, but she did not care. She held Jake out arms length. "I was worried I was the only one! Now that I know there's somebody in New York City, there have to be more Te Xuan…Ze's !"

"But I'm not a Te Xuan Ze." Jake caught his breath and pried himself from her arms a bit too forcefully. The sick feeling of forcefully breathing slowly taking full effect on his stomach, he glanced sharply at Fu. He bent down and whispered in his ear. "Can she know?"

"Sure, kid." Fu answered back. "Monroe knows Gramps. You already introduced yourself as Jake Long. Go ahead. You already blew it anyway."

"How did I blow it?" Jake muttered. He faced June's confusedly expectant face. "I…I can turn into a dragon. The American Dragon."

June gasped and put her hands over her mouth. "You're the American Dragon?" she whispered, shocked. "I've heard about you! The monsters I fight…they talk about this big red lizard beating the crap out of their relatives!"

"Well…really?" Jake blushed, but tried to hide it. He felt oddly satisfied. "Did I really beat on them that badly?"

"I guess so." June shrugged. "I guess there are magical creatures in New York too…we can get them together!"

"Oh no." Jake turned away, holding his face in his hand. "I don't go dragon anymore. My powers…are on hiatus." He faced June again. "My Grandfather's dying. I'm only going back to pay him my respects, then, once he's gone, I'm going back to Cal."

"Oh…I'm sorry." June touched his shoulder. "Then I guess I'll be doing it alone?"

"I guess so…but there's really nothing to do." Jake rubbed his neck. "I've officially retired. Ever since the series…of villains…ended…there haven't been any reasons to go dragon anymore."

"Damn." June held her chin in one hand. "I was hoping to be New York's Te Xuan Ze."

"Not on my watch." Jake smiled slightly. "There can only be one magical Asian teenager per coast. It's amazing we're coexisting right now. Who knew?"

"Hmm." June simpered. "I guess the world's in a slump. There used to be people who were one of a kind. It kind of makes me sad that we're so similar."

"Well…I'm older than you." Jake sneered playfully, "So you're pretty much my female copy."

"I'm liked by more people…and creatures" June rebutted. "So nyeh."