"Raimundo …" Began Kimiko "Let me explain."

But it was too late, Raimundo had walked forward, punched Jack clear across the face, lifted him up by his shirt and shoved him up against the wall of the dark alley way.

"Raimundo!" Screamed Kimiko as he proceeded to slam his knee into Jack's groin.

She ran over to him and grabbed his arm, making him let go of Jack's shirt. Jack fell to the ground with a groan.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Shouted Kimiko, giving Raimundo a shove.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Said Raimundo, staring at her in disbelief.

"That … it was a mistake!" Shouted Kimiko in desperation.

"Oh, thanks." Said Jack hoarsely and Raimundo punched him the in the face, making him fall backwards again.

"You were kissing him! Jack Spicer!" Raimundo said, spitting the words out in disgust.

"It was a mistake!" Said Kimiko again.

"What's wrong with me?" Asked Jack, staggering to his feet, only to be knocked backwards by a punch from Kimiko this time.

"Oh, really?" Asked Raimundo, pulling out the print out of Jack and Kimiko hugging by the pond.

Kimiko looked down at the picture, trying to come up with some kind of explanation. Jack stood up and groaned and Raimundo promptly hit him in the nose again. He fell back. Kimiko's mouth was opening and closing silently, nothing could escape her lips. She couldn't explain it in a way they would understand.

"I think you have to tell them," Said Jack, shielding his face from any on coming fists.

Kimiko sighed.

"Not here, back at my house." Said Kimiko, so quietly that they were barely able to hear.

As she looked back up into the cold expression in Raimundo's face, she couldn't have felt lower than if she'd been standing under his boots. His face was filled with a mixture of hatred and hurt. Looking past him, Omi's face had the same hurt expression that Raimundo's had when he had first seen them and Clay and Dojo both looked slightly ill. What the hell had she done?

Raimundo paced up and down in Kimiko's living room, occasionally stopping, opening his mouth, closing it again and continuing to pace. He seemed to have lost his voice.

"Do you remember when I received a letter from my dad?" Asked Kimiko, wringing her hands as she spoke to them. Jack was sat on the other side of the room to the Xiaolin Dragons and with good reason considering Raimundo had attempted to hit him again twice since they had sat down.

"Omi, you remember right?" She asked and Omi nodded, "Well, when I turned up here, I had a suspicion what my dad might be asking me. We had fallen on hard times and he had a solution, but … it meant a … an arranged marriage."

Raimundo stopped pacing and stared at her as it fell into place.

"You don't mean …" He began and Kimiko nodded.

"It turned out that the guy he wanted me to marry was Jack Spicer, whose parents, it turns out, are actually fairly normal!" Said Kimiko, "I wasn't going to go through with it … neither of us were, but then we came up with a plan …"

"Why don' I like where this horse is turnin'?" Asked Clay, watching from beneath the brim of his hat.

"We decided that the only way my dad could get the company back on its feet was through this arrangement, but we didn't really want to get married so," Kimiko took a breath, "We decided to fake it."

"A pretend marriage?" Asked Omi, very quietly.

"We would get married, I'd tell you that I was going to be staying in Japan for a couple of months and then, we'd get divorced and I'd go back to the temple without anyone knowing what had happened!" Explained Kimiko.

Raimundo stared at her in disbelief.

"So you decided the best to convince your parents it was real was to kiss in an alley way … without them knowing where you were … with no idea that you'd be kissing … that's how you were going to prove it them?" He asked, "Without them ever knowing?"

"That was a mistake!" Said Kimiko again, "The hug was a mistake as well! I was feeling vulnerable and he just … happened to be there."

Raimundo glared at her and then turned to Jack.

"And you?" He asked, "Were you feeling vulnerable too?"

"In a way …" He began, "I mean …"

Raimundo stopped him there; this was too painful.

"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Raimundo, "Then we could've come here and helped you!"

"I … I didn't think you'd have to know …" whispered Kimiko, almost crying.

Raimundo suddenly turned and walked out, Omi followed and Clay and Dojo both got up. Clay looked at Kimiko.

"I'll talk to them," He said, stopping her as she made a move to follow them, "You don't want to make it any worse."

Clay left, Dojo wrapped around his arm, leaving Kimiko and Jack alone in the room. Kimiko burst into tears and sat down, her hands covering her face. Jack stood up and went to sit next to her.

"I'm sorry," He said, "But it's their problem, not yours."

"Don't!" Shouted Kimiko, pushing him away, "Don't pretend that you care!"

Jack's face turned slightly pink.

"I wasn't pretending," He said quietly.

Kimiko looked up, her tear-streamed face looking strange with the complete surprise. She stood up and stepped away from him.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"I know what you're thinking!" said Jack hurriedly, "I'm just messing with you, but … I think I've always … liked you."

She took another step back, disbelief as clear on her face as it had been on Raimundo's.

"And …" He continued, "I … that's why I didn't stop you from kissing me earlier and … I think you may like me a little as well."

"I don't think so!" Shouted Kimiko.

"Then why did you kiss me?" He asked.

"Because … I was upset!" Shouted Kimiko, feeling the lame words would give her some comfort.

"I don't buy it," Said Jack.

"Well start buying!" Said Kimiko, "I've never felt anything towards you expect disgust! You make me sick!"

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you blushing?" He asked.

Kimiko could feel her cheeks burning now.

"Listen!" She shouted, "Nothing has ever or will ever happen between us! I hate you! I hate the sight of you and I think this is a big mistake!"

She went to the door, but Jack's hand was against it. She glared up at him. He drew closer to her, then stepped back, rolled his eyes and held the door open for her. She ran out and then out of the front door as well.

Jack slammed the door shut and rested his forehead against the cool wood.

"You can fool yourself Kim," He whispered, "But you can't fool me."

"Raimundo?" Shouted Kimiko, looking around, "Rai?"

"What?" came a sulky voice from behind her.

She looked around and saw Raimundo sitting on her front wall.

"Where are Clay and Omi?" She asked.

"Walked straight past me," Said Raimundo, shrugging.

Kimiko stepped closer.

"Can I sit down?" she asked tentatively.

"It's your wall princess," He said, moving over slightly.

Kimiko sat down next to him and watched him in silence. His face was blank as he stared through the darkness up at the stars, which were shining down like fairy lights on a Christmas tree. Neither of them spoke for a while.

"Why did you do it?" Raimundo said so quietly she could barely hear.

"I … I didn't mean to … I just …" She took a breath, "I think I forgot who he was for a moment."

"That's not what I meant," Said Raimundo, "I meant why did you lie to us? Why didn't you tell us that you were having to do this?"

"I didn't think you would understand …" She whispered, "And now I'm even more confused than when I first showed up! Jack's telling me he likes me, Omi's so upset it hurts and you …"

Raimundo glanced sideways at her.

"You knew about Omi?" He asked.

"Difficult to miss," She said.

"Why didn't you say anything to him?" Asked Raimundo.

"Because that would've messed up our friendship because I never felt the same. He's my friend but I could never date him." Explained Kimiko.

"But you can kiss our enemy in a dark alley way no problem?" Said Raimundo, looking fully into her face for the first time.

Kimiko glared at him for a moment.

"I don't except you to understand," Said Kimiko.

"You right, I don't." Said Raimundo, shrugging.

"I just want you to know it was an accident!" Said Kimiko suddenly, "I was teaching him how dance and he tripped, we fell back, we were laughing and then … I'm not sure. It just happened."

Raimundo nodded. Kimiko looked at him. His brown hair had started growing down into his green eyes giving him a slightly sulky and hidden look. She got the urge to look into his eyes. She lifted her hand and ever so gently brushed his hair out of his eyes. He turned to her and she smiled. For the first time he smiled back. They grew a little closer and …

"There he is!" Called Clay, running around the corner.

Omi followed and Dojo slithered down his arm to the ground.

"Hey guys!" Said Kimiko, a little brighter than before.

Clay looked from Raimundo to Kimiko. They had moved slightly further apart when they had rounded the corner and they were both slightly pink.

"What's up with you two?" He asked, "Are you two cool again?"

"About as cool as we're going to get considering!" Said Raimundo, standing up.

"Kimiko," Said Omi, "I have thought about it and I understand your actions. However, dishonesty is not the best policy!"

"I know Omi, can you forgive me?" She asked.

Omi nodded and smiled broadly at her. Raimundo looked from one to the other and understood. If Kimiko had ever told him that they could never be more than friends, he would never act to warmly towards her as he did now, nor to whomever she may choose …

Jack watched from behind the curtain as Kimiko and Omi hugged. He had been watching for a good while now. Looks like he wasn't the only one Kimiko was stringing along for her own entertainment. The tart. The question was, which guy would she end up choosing?

In all fairness, he was already ahead by a little distance, she hadn't actually kissed Raimundo. She had kissed him. Jack had got the first kiss and Jack was the one who was most willing to fight for the girl because he didn't care if he hurt the opponents. He wasn't friends with them.

He put a hand on the glass and watched as they all started talking and laughing normally again. Even if he wasn't friends with them, he still wished he could be, but he wasn't stupid enough to fool himself into the idea that it could ever happen. They all hated him. Even Kimiko, even though he was still convinced hatred wasn't the only thing she felt towards him.

"I hate you …I hate the sight of you …"

Kimiko's harsh words echoed in his head. He really cared about her, but she hated him. How could he prove that she hadn't seen everything that was inside of him? There was a heart inside of him and it was beating uncontrollably every time he saw her, thought of her, ever since that first time he'd seen her crying under the willow tree … with the shafts of light on her face … her hair falling over her pale skin … he had never seen her more beautiful than at that moment in time.

And still those words burned his heart like a red-hot poker being stabbed through his chest. All he wanted to hear was that she felt the same way as he did. And he would, he would make sure of it.

(A/N) How you all doing? Hope you're enjoying this. Tell me what you think. I'm not sure where to go with this, but I've got a plan. (Evil laugh) however, you'll have to wait till next time to find it out and I might just say, Katnappe may not have made her last appearance and that may not have been her last evil plot …

Lots of luv Becky.