Digging In

Dinner that night was fabulous. Jess showed that she was a real good cook by making a huge feast to celebrate the reunion between her and her son, as well as the princess and her brother. Jet tried his best to be out of the limelight; however Jess and Jessica kept dragging him back into it. Not only were the Blazing Guns and Maxwell Gang there, but many of the heads of the temple had arrived as well. They were all asking questions of Jet like, "Was it scary when you were trapped in that field?" or "How did you react to learning where your body came from later on?" As you can see, Jessica got around real fast.

"I'm gonna kill her," muttered Jet, "How dare she open her big fat mouth to all these strangers? I feel like an amoeba on a microscope. That's the last straw! After this moronic banquet I'm going to be leaving this crazy world. No more annoying teammates and no more annoying little sisters. Free at last."

Virginia was seated at the head of the table; as the princess she was given the highest ranking seat. But she didn't have anyone to sit beside her; that seat was reserved for the significant other of the highest ranking individual there. She only wished that Jet would be the one to come and join her at that position. In fact, she was considering inviting him over. At least he wouldn't be dogged if he was with her.

So that was why, in between dinner and dessert, the young girl approached her friend/crush. "Hey Jet. Do you want to come and sit next to me? I mean, it's the seat reserved for the one I love; and I know that my heart is telling me to do this. Besides, you won't be at the center of that mess if you're with me. And if anyone tries to bother you, I'll give them all a real earful about it," Virginia told the young man.

Jet replied in a hushed voice, "Well, if I do that, then I'll be telling everyone that I love you. I don't know what I want. And if I did know, I don't want it getting out in the open. So if you want to talk to me, you'll have to do it when all the idiots leave me alone and I get some peace and quiet. Now go back to your table; I don't need this embarrassment." With that, he turned away to further prove his point to her.

Virginia walked back to her seat; on the verge of tears. 'Why can't he just be honest with his own emotions once in awhile? I always ask myself that but never find an answer. He doesn't want to help himself. I will definitely give him a talking to after this is over and we have more time alone. Perhaps I can get him to open up. Well, if Jessica doesn't burst in and interrupt again. I almost had him earlier.'

'Whatever she thinks,' Jet mused, 'I won't be around. I'm leaving at my first chance to escape. This time, I'm not going to let the chatterbox or anyone else hold me back. I'll return to my good old life as a Treasure Hunter. No more splitting the cash four ways, no more team expenses to cut into my profit, no more annoying priests who can't keep their minds out of the gutter, no more really smart guys to make me feel like I don't plan well, and, best of all, no more chatterbox leaders to confuse the heck out of me.'

However, Jet still had to get through dessert first. And that was when Jessica was at her worst. She insisted on him helping her make her Ice Cream Sundae at the buffet. Then, she just had to make his. And in a really annoying gesture, she designed it in the exact same way she'd helped Virginia make hers. Then the young priestess, ever the matchmaker, continued to tease Jet about his fate with Virginia.

"It can't be fate you idiot! You're the one who made both our sundaes. What's your problem? I met her while I was a Drifter and that's our only association. Now you've got her wondering about me as well. Why can't you just shut up once in awhile?" Jet demanded of his sister; storming off to the hallway.

Jessica sighed and wondered, 'Why do you deny your feelings? Even Omoide knows that she's your beloved. She is able to see into your memory and make your deepest feelings come out. How can you try to fight your emotions? It will only cause you more pain in the long run. So tell her before its too late and she finds another. I'll bet there are lots of guys that could easily fall for her all over the planet.'

S...S

Jet snuck back to the house in order to find his belongings. He found his knapsack and picked it up so he could get out of there before Virginia returned. However, something fell out of the bag as he put it on. It was a small photo of the team. Gallows was standing in back with Clive; as they were the tallest. He had his hands out in a victory sign and his face was showing a goofy smile. Clive, on the other hand, was sitting there with a book in his hands. Virginia had taken Jet's hand into her own right before the shot had been captured. So the young boy was blushing from the action she took. But, he was also smiling.

The youth looked closer at his expression. Why was he so happy? All that was happening was Virginia had grabbed his hand. He should want to throw her off and yell at the girl. But he felt that it was a secret longing in his heart. To hold the girl; just as a lover held his beautiful maiden. Was that kiss he'd shared with her earlier really something he desired? It felt so right when their lips met. No one else had made him ever feel that way. Women's affections tended to be pretty low on his priority list as a Drifter.

As he looked at it, a tear fell from his face. "Why should I cry? I still have time. Perhaps I don't want to leave. I say so, say that I want to be alone, but I could have done so for a long time. Clive and Gallows don't make me want to stay; Gallows is just annoying and Clive isn't a fun conversation at the least. But Virginia makes me feel strange. Almost as if I have no control over my own body. I know what I have to do. I can't walk out. I have to stay here and be with her. Now, I know that she's the one I love."

His heart changed, Jet put the sack down and returned to the party. By now, the dancing had begun. Lo and behold, Virginia didn't have a partner. A few young priests were making advances at her but she shrugged them off and told them she didn't feel like dancing. Her face showed signs of sorrow. Jet bet, correctly it turned out, that Jessica had told her about his outburst; that girl had a real big mouth.

"Ginny," he said as he walked up, "I'm not going to leave. I promise that I'll never think about it again. Well, maybe the thought will cross my mind. But I'm not going to fight myself. I know my way now. I'll stay the entire night and continue to celebrate even if they bother me; I'm not running away any more."

"Jet, I'm happy for you. I know it's hard to try something new. But I agree, we can't run from our problems and emotions. We have to face them head on. So, how about joining me now? I want to know if you'll dance with me for the next song?" she inquired. Raftina only knew what his answer would be.

Teefa's Last Words...

Just call me Teefa, Mistress of Killer Cliffhangers. Well, Jet finally stopped running. That's what I think most of his anger is in game; he's running from his problems instead of facing them down. And Jessica hasn't been making them any easier this story. We'll see his answer in the next chapter.