Author's Notes
1. I do not own Xiaolin Showdown but I do love both of the series. I do own Gloria/Gizmo who is Jack's daughter in fanfiction; she'll be a character throughout the story and I hope you will all like her
2. This fanfiction is an updated version of a story that I had started writing in 2014 and stopped working on in 2016 due to a lack of time and inspiration. Unfortunately I lost the original files and thus have no other choice but to post an entirely new version of the story that was copied and pasted from the original and then edited. Hopefully this version will be grammatically correct and have less errors overall.
3. There will be more yaoi in future chapters, but if that's not your thing then luckily for you it's not in this chapter, aside from some kissing, and likely won't be in the next few either.
Thank you to those of you who have been reading this, I appreciate that there are people that find my writing interesting. Anyway, let's head on to the chapter; shall we.
Thankfully for both Jack and Chase, all thoughts of the women interfering in their complicated relationship were quickly put in the back of their minds as they continued to eat the enormous amount of food. Eventually, it became all too obvious that there was no way they'd ever finish everything and Cosette had the kitchen staff come back into the dining room.
"Anything that can be used as leftovers for another time please save, the rest is for you all if you want it." Cosette said in a very tired way, not even bothering to switch to French as she spoke .
"Understood Head Chef!" The staff said together, all standing attention in front of Cosette's chair.
"Easy now you all, I'm not cooking with you at the moment; there's no need to be..." Cosette started to say in an amused way, but got politely interrupted.
"With all due respect Ma'am I think we'll stick to calling you Head Chef, after all we will continue to be working with you in the next two weeks." A young woman said as the other chefs nodded in agreement.
"Well if that's what you all want, in any case you may all take the remaining food away." Cosette said with an amused chuckle.
Once again the kitchen staff stood at attention and were very quick to do as Cosette had said, in no time they had whisked the remaining food away from the table.
"I wish they'd all agree to relax when I'm not actually in the kitchen with them, but I suppose I'll just have to deal with it." Cosette said once the staff was out of earshot.
"You have their respect, that cannot always be said for a young female chef. With food as good as what we have just eaten I can say that you have earned it." Hera complimented in a polite way.
"You're too kind, thank you Hera." Cosette said blushing slightly at the compliment.
v"I simply speak the truth, speaking truths I do believe I am going to need to take an after breakfast nap before I can do anything productive." Hera said smirking at first before ever so slightly slumping in her chair.
"Now that sounds lovely, perhaps we should all rest for a bit while we digest; then we can figure out what to do from there." Jack's mother said in agreement.
"I also have to agree, after all it's hard to get anything done with a full belly." Vivianna said with an amused chuckle.
"Well then everyone, let's leave the dining room for now so the staff can finish cleaning the table. Jack, Chase, Hera, and Gloria; I'll have one of the robots Jack made for me show me where your rooms are so you can rest." Jack's mother said as she slowly stood up.
"No need for the robot Sylvia, their rooms are near Cosset and mine; so I can show them where their rooms are." Vincent offered.
"You just want to get Jack alone with you so you can give him an exam." Cosette said in a half teasing way to her husband.
"I do not, I'm merely trying to be..." Vincent started to say in an embarrassed way before stopping mid sentence because of the look on his wife's face.
"Oh alright fine, that is part of it. Though I do genuinely want to help them find their rooms." Vincent added in a clearly embarrassed way.
"Vincent, Jack just finished eating like the rest of us. Surely you can wait until he's digested a little bit." Vivianna said to her son in a scolding way.
"It's alright Vivianna, I'll let him give me an exam after he shows us where we're staying; easier to get it over with now then to have him ambush me later." Jack said in an amused tone.
"I would not ambush you." Vincent mumbled in a slightly annoyed way.
"Uh huh, sure you wouldn't. Anyway, can we get going before I fall into a food coma." Jack said with an amused chuckle.
"Right, follow me then." Vincent said, addressing Chase, Hera, and Gizmo; ignoring Jack's comment.
Though clearly amused by Vincent's reaction, Chase, Hera, and Gizmo wasted no time following him and Jack out of the dining room; it didn't take long until Vincent came to a stop.
"Gizmo this is your room, I put you next to Felix so you two can play together. Miss Hera, your room is the one just to the left of this one; since Jack informed me that you're Gloria's private tutor." Vincent said to both Gizmo and Hera.
"Thank you, this will make waking Gloria for her lessons much more convenient." Hera said looking pleased while Gizmo meanwhile didn't look overly thrilled.
"Now don't pout, Hera will give you plenty of time to spend with your cousin; but your lessons are important." Chase said to Gizmo who looked over to him and Jack in a clear attempt for assistance.
"Sorry kiddo but Chase is right, lessons are important too. Still, like Chase said, I'm sure Hera will give you time to spend with Felix and the rest of the family." Jack said kindly when without a word Gizmo looked at him in a much more pleading way.
"If it's alright with Hera then perhaps Felix could join you for lessons, he's always whining about how lucky you are to have a teacher already. As smart as he his for age this might be a good way to show him that you're on another level." Vincent said kindly as Gizmo quietly pouted for a moment and then quickly looked at Hera pleadingly.
"Well I certainly don't mind him joining for normal lessons, but I also will be giving Gloria less traditional teaching." Hera said in a slightly hesitant way.
"Oh that's alright, that'll just prove my point to my son; again, it's not that he's not intelligent but, despite being only a year older than he is, Gloria is used to having her teachers push her; whilst my son meanwhile has never had a tutor yet." Vincent said with a smile.
"You're not giving Felix enough credit Uncle Vincent, he can handle Hera's lessons just like I can; even if he is only three." Gizmo chimed in, crossing her arms over her chest in a very serious way.
"The boy has too much of his mother's energy, I have a feeling that when he's actually ready for school he'll have become more serious but for now he's never had any reason to rein himself in." Vincent said with an amused chuckle.
"Hera can make him focus, I know she can." Gizmo said in a confident way.
"I'm glad you have such faith in my skills, in any case I would be more than happy to allow Felix to join in with Gloria's lessons if he is interested." Hera said first to Gizmo and then to Vincent.
"I'll talk about it with him later today, assuming that you hadn't planned on giving Gizmo a tutoring session later that is." Vincent said, looking very pleased.
"I had not planned on it, no, today is all about reuniting with family. Tomorrow morning, however, I will begin lessons again; though because we are still going to be spending time with you all I will of course make sure that lessons do not run too long." Hera said calmly to Vincent, but also looking at Gizmo who looked slightly relieved by the statement.
"That sounds good to me, if Felix is really interested in attending lessons with Gizmo I'll make sure he's at your door bright and early." Vincent said with a smile.
"I appreciate that, thank you. Now then if you will excuse me, I will head into my room to unpack." Hera said with a polite bow before heading into the room she had been given.
"I'm going to go unpack too, Uncle Vincent, you can take my Daddy and Chase to their rooms." Gizmo said once Hera had left the hallway.
"Are you sure you don't want help unpacking sweetheart?" Jack asked curiously before Gizmo could go into her room.
"I'm sure Daddy, I can unpack all by myself." Gizmo said in a determined and excited way.
"Well alright then, if you're sure. Just make sure to come tell me if you decide to go find your grandma or the others." Jack said, smiling at how excited his daughter was.
"Okay Daddy I will. I'm probably going to nap though, my belly is so full." Gizmo said, rubbing her stomach for a moment and then happily rushing into her room before Jack could comment.
"She's already so independent, you should be proud Jack." Vincent complimented in an amused chuckle after Gizmo had gone inside her room.
"It is nice at times, I just don't want her to grow up too fast." Jack said with a slight sigh.
"I think most parents want that, still she's only four Jack; I think you're forgetting that." Chase said in an oddly reassuring way.
"Chase is right you know, though as someone with a child who is also growing up way too fast I understand how you feel as well Jack." Vincent said with an amused smile.
"Anyway, I'll take you both to your rooms now; they're just down the hall here and are right next to each other." Vincent added in a more serious tone.
"Of course my Mother put us next to each other." Jack said with an amused sigh.
"I could ask her to move me to another room if you like." Chase offered in a surprisingly considerate way.
"No it's fine Chase, I have no problem being in a room next to yours." Jack said kindly.
"Well with that settled why don't you both unpack, Jack my room is down the other way; back towards Felix and Gizmo's room. I expect to see you once you're done unpacking." Vincent said, noticing the slightly awkward mood and changing the topic.
"Yes Vincent, I will be there in a bit; I promise." Jack said with an amused chuckle.
"Don't worry Chase, it's just a quick exam. If anything important comes up I'll be sure to let you know." Vincent said kindly, noticing the slightest bit of discomfort in Chase's eyes.
"Thank you Vincent, that would be appreciated." Chase said in a grateful way, blushing just the slightest amount that Vincent had noticed.
"In the meantime I will be in my room relaxing, I will not be napping so do not be afraid to come in if you need me." Chase added, looking at Jack and Vincent as he spoke.
"Will do, thank you Chase. Now then, I'll let you both unpack." Vincent said with a smile before heading back down the hallway.
"You okay Chase?" Jack asked once Vincent was out of earshot.
"You'll think it's silly, especially given our relationship currently being in question." Chase said trying to remain composed but clearly feeling embarrassed.
"I'm not going to think it's silly, just tell me Chase." Jack said in a kind but insistent way.
"I know Vincent has been your private doctor for a while now and he's married to a woman but if I'm honest the thought of another man examining you is not something I enjoy the thought of." Chase explained as the slightest hint of a blush hit his cheeks.
"As I said, it's silly." Chase added, turning his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.
"Hey, it's not silly. It's actually kinda sweet that you're a bit jealous." Jack said in a kind but amused tone.
"Jack I am not..." Chase started to say in an embarrassed way, when Jack surprised him by cutting him off with a kiss.
"Yeah, you are; and like I said... It's sweet." Jack said once he pulled away from the very shocked dragon lord.
"Like you said though, Vincent has been my private doctor for a while now and he's never been anything but professional." Jack said kindly as Chase continued to look shocked for a minute.
"Also, if it makes you feel better I can tell Vincent that you'd like to attend my exam." Jack added kindly.
"That's kind of you to offer Jack, but I will decline. I have no right to be uncomfortable with Vincent examining you, he is your doctor and I... I am just an overly possessive fool with trust issues." Chase said with the slightest smirk as he composed.
"Chase it really is fine if you want to..." Jack started to say kindly when this time he was interrupted by a kiss.
"I will trust Vincent to examine you properly, I will trust that you trust him to do so." Chase said calmly once he'd pulled away from Jack.
"Now let's both go unpack our respective rooms, Vincent is waiting for you." Chase added as Jack stared at him.
"Okay, if you're sure Chase." Jack said as he regained his composure.
"I am Jack, now let's go into our separate rooms and unpack." Chase said with a nod.
Knowing there was nothing more to say Jack opened the door to his room as Chase did the same to his, once they were in their separate rooms Jack couldn't help but stare at his suitcase for a moment and chuckle to himself.
"Chase Young is jealous of my private doctor who just happens to be another male, who would have ever thought." Jack thought to himself as he slowly started to unpack.
"It's a good thing Vincent is married to a woman and isn't interested in men at all, I don't think Chase would have been able to resist coming with me if that wasn't the case." Jack continued to think to himself as he continued to chuckle out loud as he unpacked.
"It's kind of flattering to know he's jealous, not that I'm going to tell Vincent about it; I don't want to embarrass Chase any further." Jack continued to think as he put everything he'd unpacked away.
"Well everything is unpacked, I suppose now it's time to go see Vincent." Jack said out loud to himself once everything was put away before heading back to the door that led to the hallway.
Having almost expected Chase to have changed his mind and to be waiting for him, Jack was the slightest bit surprised to find that he wasn't; not wanting to keep Vincent waiting any longer, however, Jack ignored his surprise and made his way down the hall to Vincent's room.
"There you are Jack, you got here more quickly than I thought you would." Vincent said in an impressed tone after opening the door when Jack had knocked.
"Why delay the inevitable, you're going to give me an exam either way." Jack said half teasingly as he gestured into the room.
"You make it sound like I'm doing something wrong, I just want to make sure you're okay Jack." Vincent said in a serious way.
"I know Vince, I was just messing with you." Jack said kindly.
"Yes well, let's get on with business shall we?" Vincent said, continuing to give Jack a serious look.
"I'm all yours Vince." Jack said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.
Glad to hear it, I have all the basic equipment with me. Let's start with your weight, you were 195 pound the last time I weighed you." Vincent said as he gestured over to a small silver scale nearby.
"Alright, but I'm telling you right now that I don't weigh 195 anymore." Jack said with a sigh as he approached the scale.
"Oh I know, it's obvious just by looking at you, I still want to see how much you weigh now. Take your shoes off so they don't add any weight." Vincent said, waiting for Jack to do as instructed before turning the scale on.
"175, good god Jack... I thought you said that my bastard father was keeping you fed." Vincent said, visibly flinching as the results came up.
"Like I said, he fed me enough to keep me alive, I'm surprised I don't weigh even less than that." Jack said as he got off the scale.
"I hope you realize that I'm going to be expecting you to eat a lot over these next two weeks." Vincent said as he gestured for Jack to sit on his bed.
"Oh I know, and I'm planning on it; especially since your wife will be cooking." Jack said, holding out his arm as Vinvent pulled out a blood pressure cuff.
"I'm glad she is, she'll help you gain weight." Vincent said as he put the blood pressure cuff on.
"Blood pressure is normal, that's good. Let's check your heart and lungs next." Vincent said once he'd gotten Jack's blood pressure.
"Do you need me to take my shirt off or can I keep it on?" Jack asked.
"Is there something under your shirt you don't want me to see? If not then you keep your shirt on." Vincent asked as he pulled out his stethoscope.
"I got burned on my back a few days ago, I forgot to tell Chase about it so he wasn't able to do anything about it." Jack said, mumbling the last part without thinking about it.
"Has Chase become your new doctor then? Is that why he seemed concerned that I was going to be giving you an exam?" Vincent asked curiously.
"No Chase isn't my new doctor, though he is good with non-traditional remedies. As for why he was concerned well... as I'm sure you've noticed we have a complicated situation going on when it involves our relationship so I'm not sure he knows why he was so concerned." Jack said chuckling at first and then blushing.
"Yes I've definitely noticed, he's not going to get mad that I'm asking you to take your shirt off is he?" Vincent asked in a half teasing way.
"He knows that you've been my private doctor for a while, and despite the fact that we're trying to figure this whole thing out he said he trusted you to examine me properly." Jack said in an even more embarrassed way as he removed his shirt.
"Well I'm honored to hear that, being a he's a powerful Dragon Overlord the last thing I want to do is anger him." Vincent said with a relieved sigh.
"Wait, you know who Chase actually is!?" Jack asked, jumping up in surprise.
"Jack, sit back down, to answer your question; yes of course I know who Chase Young is, though admittedly I had thought he was a character in a tv show or game you liked as a child." Vincent said, waiting for Jack to sit down before continuing.
"Do you remember when your Mother showed Alana and I those training card things you used to collect, Chase was on one of them and I distinctly remember your mother mentioning it was your favorite and that you had more than one card; much to your embarrassment at the time." Vincent added as Jack sat on the bed and stared at him in shock.
"God you remember those cards? Please don't mention them to Chase, the last thing I want him to think is that I'm still an obsessed preteen." Jack said in a very embarrassed way.
"I'm sure he can tell that you're not, still don't worry; I won't mention the cards." Vincent said as he placed his stethoscope to Jack's chest and listened for a moment.
"I appear to have flustered you, your heart's beating a bit quickly for my liking." Vincent said in a half teasing and half serious way.
"I'm not sure what to tell you Vince, I didn't expect you to know who Chase was." Jack said looking embarrassed.
"It's my fault, but for what it's worth he seems to be well mannered for someone who is supposed to be evil." Vincent said, again in a half serious and half teasing way.
"Oh don't get me wrong, he's still an evil overlord; but you're part of my family... so he's not going to harm you, Felix, Cosette, or your Mother." Vivianna." Jack said, trying his best to be reassuring.
"Glad to hear it, but what about you Jack? I can see he has feelings for you and you for him but it's clearly complicated." Vincent said in a curious tone.
"Well I can tell you for certain that I'm his apprentice, we also been together sexually and that he definitely seems to have real feelings for me; but it's hard for him... he's not sure if it's love or lust and wants to figure it out." Jack explained, not knowing why he was telling Vincent all of this but wanting to regardless.
"I'm assuming you want to figure it out too, yes?" Vincent asked curiously.
"Yeah, I'd like to... I've had feelings for him since I was a preteen but now that I'm older things are a lot different; I respect his need to figure things out after everything we've been through." Jack explained.
"I see, well I'm sure that he appreciates it; perhaps I will help the ladies interfere after all." Vincent said in an approving way at first, mumbling the last part quietly.
"Oh no you don't, we're already going to have enough romantic interference; Chase and I don't need it from you as well." Jack said in a firm way.
"Relax Jack, I was joking." Vincent said, chuckling.
"Now then back to business, take a few deep breaths for me; then I'm going to look at this so-called burn on your back." Vincent added in a more serious way.
Without arguing Jack did as he was told, after a few deep breaths Vincent removed the stethoscope from his chest and moved his eyes to Jack's back.
"It looks like you still have a small burn mark on your back, it's not too bad though so hopefully you'll heal without being scared. You said this happened fairly recently so I'm assuming that my bastard father wasn't involved." Vincent said in a relieved way at first but also looking curiously.
"Well he wasn't directly involved but one of his goons was in a way, he's not the one who burned me but because he wanted me to get something for your father I got this burn." Jack explained vaguely, not knowing how best to explain what had happened.
"I'd ask for the full story but I've already taken enough of your time, you can put your shirt back on." Vincent said with a sigh.
"We're done already?" Jack asked in surprise.
"Would you prefer I continue the exam?" Vincent asked in an amused tone.
"No I'm good, I was just surprised." Jack said quickly, not wanting to give Vincent an excuse to continue.
"Very well Jack, you can head back to your room now if you'd like; I'll see you later." Vincent said with a chuckle.
"Oh and Jack one more thing." Vincent added as Jack quickly jumped off the bed and headed for the door.
"Yeah, what is it Vince?" Jack asked curiously.
"I really do hope you and Chase figure things out, I can't explain why but I really think you two belong together." Vincent said kindly.
"Thanks Vincent, I appreciate that and hope you're right." Jack said blushing slightly.
"I am, you'll see. Now go back to your room, I'll see you later." Vincent said before signaling that Jack could leave.
Without arguing Jack left Vincent's room and headed back to his own, part of him wanted to go talk to Chase about things the exam had gone; but the other part of him knew it would be best to let Chase alone for the time being. With that decided he headed into his own room, eager to get some rest and to digest the food that was still in his stomach.