Calculated Risk

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be mine. And that's okay!

Chapter 8: A Shift in Balance II

RJ sighed heavily as he struggled to meditate. Meditation, which was almost reflexive to him, suddenly needed his most intense concentration. He couldn't focus, couldn't calm his mind which was going over a hundred miles an hour. Two days ago he had been informed by his former teacher that one of the greatest evils in the known world was going to escape from his prison and attempt to wreak havoc on humanity once again.

That was one of the things that didn't quite make sense. Dai Shi had been imprisoned for millennia. Why now, all of a sudden, would he break free? Did the enchanted box he was trapped in come with an expiration date? And if so, why couldn't it expire in another several centuries now so it wouldn't be RJ's problem?

He exhaled sharply through his nose. Mentally whining wasn't going to solve any of his issues. Master Mao never lied. Dai Shi was coming. He was rising and RJ was charged with training the new warriors meant to take the evil entity down. One of the other things that RJ didn't like about this was knowing that Master Mao was supposed to be some sort of catalyst to Dai Shi being set free. The question was: how? There was no way that his former teacher was going to open the box himself—he wasn't insane or evil himself. What, was he going to set up some sort of series of events somehow forcing some hapless student to open the box?

RJ rolled his eyes. That made way too much sense and was exactly in line with Fran's type of thinking if he was going to be honest with himself.

His heart clenched. Fran…

A terrible storm was brewing and it petrified RJ to know that his girlfriend might be swept into the chaos of it all.

What was he supposed to do? Breaking up with her was out of the question. It would cause too much heartache for the both of them when their relationship was healthy and strong. RJ couldn't imagine not having Fran in his life and if he broke up with her then what reason would she have for walking into Jungle Karma? Yes, he knew she was a very loyal customer—with hefty discounts because he wasn't about to charge his best friend and love full price, bad business practice be damned—but Fran most likely wouldn't even want to walk into the place where her ex-boyfriend lived and worked.

RJ doubled over, his hand practically clawing at his chest, his breathing coming out in heavy gasps as he thought of possibly losing Fran. He would if they broke up pointlessly, he knew he would if he kept the truth from her and she inevitably found out about Dai Shi and Pai Zhuq. But to tell her and quite possibly put her life in jeopardy…

Ugh. He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

His mother's words floated through his memory, telling him that her relationship with his father had been made stronger when he had told her everything about his world. Well, until her father had become too much for her to handle; but that had nothing to do with the mysticism and dangers of the Order of the Claw. His mother also had faith in Fran. She believed that RJ's girlfriend would be clever and strong enough to take the upcoming battle with as much grace and courage as she could muster. RJ believed it too. He just didn't want to put any type of burden on her.

In the back of RJ's mind, another consciousness awoke, curling reassuringly around his own. The wolf spirit that RJ was bonded to stretched languidly, almost humming as he awoke. Your mother is right you know, the wolf spirit—and RJ really needed to give him a name—informed him. I've been observing Francesca from time to time and I know how strong and clever she is. She is good for you, cub. She balances you out and will be just what you need as you step onto the battlefield.

She goes by Fran, RJ corrected him almost reflexively. After all, Fran loved being called Francesca almost as much as RJ liked being called Robert. And I know she's strong and smart and just…amazing. But what if Dai Shi manages to learn that she exists and that she's connected to me? He will hurt her. RJ pressed his lips together almost painfully against the wave of panic he fought to quell at the thought.

He felt the wolf spirit settle down within his mind, easily picturing a violet tinged wolf lying on its stomach, watching him with placid golden eyes. As your mother pointed out, Dai Shi is not omniscient. Yes, he will most likely have spies under his command, that shadow dancer Camille being one of the best. But, so long as Fran is forewarned, I can see her being astute enough not to fall into his grasp. She will be fine, she will be safe. You run a pizza place and last I checked there wasn't any sort of neon sign, physical or spiritual that would inform evil of a Pai Zhuq master dwelling there.

RJ's snorted at his wolf spirit's words. Okay, perhaps he and RJ's mother had a point about Fran being resilient enough to take what RJ had to tell her in stride. It didn't make him any less nervous about Dai Shi being back and with Fran having any sort of potential of being in the crossfire. Yet RJ knew he could never keep such heavy information from her. Not in the long run.

Sighing heavily, RJ threw himself back onto his bed. He would tell Fran everything, bringing her into his world completely. Yes, he would offer her an exit and it would be something that he hoped beyond hope that she wouldn't take even if he respected her decision. But this would all happen later.

After a nap.

Fran growled low in her throat as her phone rang, rudely interrupting her reading. She was sentences away from the climax and she wanted to know what happened next, darn it! When Fran glanced at the display and saw that her supervisor from the library was calling, her ire dissipated instantly. She flipped open her phone and cheerfully said, "Good morning, Danielle!"

"Hey, Fran." Fran instantly became concerned at her boss's subdued tone. "Uh oh," she said. "What happened? Teens being too rowdy again? I know they have midterms coming up and this tends to be when the pressure starts to boil over."

Danielle managed a chuckle at that. "True, very true Fran. But that's not why I'm calling."

Fear instantly pooled into Fran's stomach as her mind raced, pulling up any and all mistakes she could have made while working there. She attempted to feign levity in her tone. "Oh?"

"The library is about to undergo some extensive and expensive renovations," Danielle explained. "I'm afraid we're shutting our doors for a long while and we're all being furloughed for the time being."

Fran gasped at that. "Oh no!"

"I am so sorry I'm the one who had to tell you this, Fran," Danielle lamented sincerely.

"Never mind me," Fran replied instantly. After all, her mother owned the apartment so she didn't have to worry about rent and she was careful enough with her savings that she would be able to cover the utilities bills and her groceries for at least a few months. "But what about the people who rely on the library's resources and support? Where will they go?"

"We have a list of other nearby libraries and bookstores willing to help our patrons. I even have a recommendation ready to go for you along with your final paycheck if you're able to come pick it up some time today."

"I have a meeting with my guidance counselor in a half hour," Fran said. "But I'll come immediately after."

"Great!" Danielle enthused. "I'll see you soon."

"You sure will!" Fran answered, wondering if her now former boss could hear the false smile in her voice. "Bye!"

Fran snapped her phone closed as soon as Danielle bid her farewell. She bit her lip against a sudden rise of tears in her eyes as her heart sank at the thought of no longer working for her beloved library. She didn't have her TA position at her college to fall back on because she knew that her coursework would be heavier in the coming semester and the library would provide better experience for her to utilize once she attained her degree.

She sighed heavily before shaking her head and tossed her phone into her backpack. Lamenting would get her nowhere in the end and she had to get to campus. At least she had RJ she could talk to. He always knew how to put a smile on her face, even without a single word.

At the thought of her beloved, Fran reached up and gripped the sun-shaped pendant he had given her, gently brushing against the mysterious pendant from her mother as she did so. RJ had told her that she reminded him of sunshine, but that sentiment went two ways for he never failed to pull her mood out of the clouds. With that notion in mind, Fran had a pep in her step as she swung her backpack over her shoulder and left her apartment, heading for her afternoon meeting.

Her visit to JKP could not come fast enough.

RJ wasn't being a very attentive entrepreneur. He was barely taking down orders let alone bringing customers the correct orders. His gaze kept flicking toward the door, waiting for Fran to walk through it. Waiting for him to dump the story of his past in its entirety on her shoulders. Praying that she wasn't going to dump him for holding things back.

Breathe, cub, his wolf spirit lightly chided him. Everything will be fine.

You know, I might be Mr.-Look-At-The-Silver-Lining, RJ replied. But something keeps telling me things won't be so fine.

Only one way to find out…

RJ's heart leaped into his throat as he turned to see Fran walking into Jungle Karma, a smile appearing on her face as soon as her eyes found his. His arms automatically opened for her to sink into and she did so with a long suffering sigh. He frowned at her sudden change in countenance and enfolded her closer into his embrace. "What's got you so down, Fran?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it," she pouted. Leaving the library for the final time was much harder than she had first realized and Fran feared that if she started to open up about it, the floodgates would be sure to follow.

"Alright," RJ replied softly. He hugged her tighter, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

After a moment, Fran frowned, noticing just how tight and tender their hug was, as if RJ was pouring all of his love into it. And if she wasn't mistaken, all of his fear. She leaned back a bit, "RJ…you're shaking."

He licked his suddenly dry lips. "It's just…" he took a deep breath and spoke his next sentence in a rush. "There's something I need to tell you and it's pretty hefty."

Fran did her best not to look overly concerned. "Oh?"

"It's not about us," RJ told her hastily. "I mean, it is, but it isn't. Definitely not a break up talk."

Fran sank in relief. "Well, that's good to hear…but then what is this about? Because the way you were talking, I was going to guess a surprise arranged engagement or something!"

"My mom would never do that to us!"

"True," Fran conceded. "But I know nothing about your father."

RJ snorted. "He wouldn't do that to me either, trust me."

"So then what is this about?"

RJ sighed heavily, not quite meeting her gaze. "Something about me, about my past."

Fran grew playfully sly. "You're not an ex-member of the mafia are you?" He laughed at that and shook his head.

"I'll explain as soon as I'm closed up," RJ said, feeling the lightest he had been in days. "It's a long story that's meant for you and you alone."

Fran eyed him in slight suspicion. "Alright…"

He kissed the top of her head. "I'll tell you everything in thirty."

"I'll be counting the seconds," Fran replied as she headed toward the stairs."

"Yeah, you and me both," RJ said softly.

RJ slowly made his way up the stairs as the reality of his revealing his past to Fran began to settle on his shoulders. It wasn't just explaining Pai Zhuq to her that made him nervous, though the more he thought about it; the more he realized that she would be able to take that part in stride—so long as she didn't (rightfully) tear into him for hiding it from her. It was the fact that Dai Shi was coming, a terrible evil heading into her path made him nervous and not just for her safety. What if she thought it was all too much and she wanted to leave?

He would let her go. He had already acknowledged it even if it would be completely heartrending to accept.

He didn't even realize he had tears in his eyes until Fran was in front of him, gently grasping his hands and asking him what was wrong. "What I have to tell you is going to be heavy," he choked out. "I'm so sorry Fran, but it is and I'm just so afraid that it's going to send you away which I'll accept, I swear I will but you deserve to know, you do, I'm so so sorry that I kept this from you and I love you so m—"

He was cut off by Fran's lips pressing insistently against his. She wrapped him up in her embrace, hoping that he could feel her love and assurance. His business was his, Fran acknowledged. Whatever was in his past, no matter how big or how scary, she wouldn't stop loving him. Particularly since he had already confirmed that it didn't involve a criminal background.

RJ held her tightly to him. He pulled her close, trying to pull her even closer as he deepened the kiss. He felt warm, electrified even as he realized he could feel Fran's love and her confidence as she gently stroked his cheek. She wasn't scared. She had even proven that earlier when they were in the restaurant and had merely seemed curious when he had said that he needed to tell her something he should have told her earlier. Fran wasn't angry and was here for the long run.

When they broke apart for air, Fran smiled teasingly at RJ, gently poking him on the nose. "Breathe, RJ," she whispered.

"Can't do that if you're taking my breath away," he pouted.

Fran giggled even as she felt heat cover her cheeks at his words. "Now there's the RJ I know and love. So," her countenance grew silently more serious. "What's this big, bad secret?"

RJ pressed his lips together as he tried to mentally arrange the best way to start explaining things to Fran. "Do you remember the first time you stayed the night here? The night of the storm?"

"I don't think I'll ever forget," she tilted her head as she studied him. "Why? Does this have something to do with when we exchanged childhood stories?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it definitely does."

"Okay…"

"Do you remember when I told you that the school I went to was old and full of tradition?"

When Fran nodded, RJ continued. "There's a bit more to that. You see, this school was secluded and as such, not too many people know of its existence. Only a selection of students are specially chosen each year."

Fran was surprised as she asked, "And your family managed to have someone from each generation attend this school?"

"Yeah."

"Alright," Fran said slowly as she took her boyfriend's words in.

"So this school…this academy is called the Order of the Claw. They teach this ancient mystical form of martial arts called Pai Zhuq."

Fran was definitely intrigued. "Order of the Claw…so these martial arts moves have something to do with animals, right?"

"It's not just the movements themselves," RJ clarified. "There's a point in every student's education should they deem themselves ready and worthy that they become bonded to an animal spirit."

She stared at him with wide eyes. "But there are so many animals out there both real and mystical! Just how many warriors are there that it's able to stay a secret? And what animal spirit do you have?"

RJ laughed, deeply relieved that Fran was indeed taking this all in stride. "I have the wolf spirit," he explained. "As for your first question, I don't really have an answer because unfortunately even a master such as myself is not beholden to all of the intricacies of the school's laws. As far as I know of, students both past and present generally know how to keep their mouths shut. But no one's really been punished for revealing things to family members if it's a necessity. After all, my mom knows."

"Wow…" Fran breathed as she continued to absorb RJ's story.

He gently squeezed her hands. "It's a lot to take in," he admitted. "Are you okay?"

Fran gave him a quick smile as she squeezed his hands in return. "I'm fine, just trying to put all of the puzzle pieces together. So! A wolf spirit! That actually sounds pretty awesome." Her smile faltered as she recalled what RJ had told her the night of the storm.

"You said that your family has been going to this school for generations and that your father was hoping that you would follow the family path…" She eyed him warily. "Your father's not bonded to a wolf spirit, is he?"

RJ sighed heavily, dropping his gaze from hers. "No, he's not. He's bonded to the shark spirit and he's resented it from day one when I received my spiritual partner. I haven't seen nor spoken to him in years once I'd had enough with his harsh attitude toward me."

"Well for starters," Fran winked. "I happen to think that the wolf spirit is way cooler than the shark spirit." She grinned when she saw RJ begin to smile. "And I don't know about you, but I think it's high time that your father realized that you are your own person, not his puppet, family legacy be damned. You became a master of your own right, it shouldn't matter which animal spirit helped you to achieve that."

RJ's smile grew broader as he pulled Fran into a hug. "How did I manage to find someone so understanding and encouraging as you, princess?"

Fran snorted. "You just so happened to be in the right place and the right time when I got knocked off of that ladder. And I'm accepting of all of this because I love you and I believe in more mysticism than you might think."

When RJ leaned back to look at her curiously, Fran smirked. "That's a story for another time." When he pouted at her, clearly put out by the fact that he was baring all to her while she still held secrets, Fran grew serious. "Because it's not my story to tell," she explained. "Just one that I know."

RJ sighed dramatically. "That's fair, I suppose."

"We'll just have to bookmark it for now," Fran quipped. "Now, back to your story because all of this doesn't sound so scary so what's the matter? Is some sort of maniacal enemy coming to threaten the school and you're being called upon to take up the lead into battle or something?"

RJ stared at his girlfriend in shock. "Are you sure that your secret isn't that you're a mind reader or something, because actually yeah, that's basically it."

Fran was flustered. "Um, no, I'm definitely not a mind reader but I do read enough books that would have some sort of plot like that. I was just…I was just kidding!" Her expression became incredulous. "It's actually true? There's something wicked this way comes?"

If it weren't such a serious situation, RJ would have laughed at Fran's reference. Instead he nodded, expression grave. "There's this spirit that some call the most vile evil imaginable. The baddest of the bad. His name is Dai Shi and he has the classic villainous designs of wanting to take over the world."

Fran blew out a heavy enough breath that it caused her bangs to flutter. "What evil entity doesn't want that?" She asked wryly. "How come I'm only hearing of him now though?"

"He was locked away over ten thousand years ago," RJ explained. "I received a message from an old mentor of mine that the trap he's in won't be able to contain him for very much longer. My role in all of this is to train the warriors meant to take him down."

Fran frowned slightly at that. "But if you're a master, why aren't you joining the fight?"

"I might," RJ answered. "However something tells me that part won't come until later. Really, I'm meant to teach and guide for the most part. My time on the battlefield will come when it's meant to."

Fran worried at her lower lip. She honestly didn't want to think of RJ on the battlefield, going up against some ancient evil. She didn't even want to think about innocent students who were supposed to take this Dai Shi down first. However the way he was talking, this appeared to be his destiny. She wouldn't try to talk him out of it. Instead she would put all of her faith into the man that she loved and hoped that he would make it through to the other side of it all alive and in one piece.

She jolted when she felt RJ gently cup her chin as he tilted her head back so they could make eye contact. "Are you okay?" He asked softly. "If this is too much—"

"You were right, this is heavy stuff." She reached up to cup his cheek, thumb lightly stroking the skin. "But never mind me, for I'll be okay. I promise. What about you? How are you doing?"

"Right now I'm just super relieved that you haven't run away from here screaming," RJ admitted with a weak laugh. "I'm scared. Not so much for me, but for your safety. For the students that I'll be taking on in the near future when I have little to no teaching experience whatsoever."

"What can I do to help you?"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm not sure. I haven't thought that far ahead; I just wanted to bring you completely into my world. Just…try to keep me grounded and sane?"

Fran giggled. "You're asking me to keep you sane? RJ, I'm not exactly the most fully qualified person to do that."

RJ rolled his eyes and kissed her swiftly. "You're more than enough to keep me grounded. Now, if you don't mind the change in subjects, why did you come in here earlier looking so sad?"

Fran sighed at his question, her countenance displaying the heartbreak she had worn so openly earlier. "I lost my job at the library."

RJ winced and hugged her. "I'm so sorry, Fran! What happened? Whose ass do I have to kick for hurting you like this?"

A laugh bubbled up from Fran's throat. "Well actually, the whole staff has been temporarily let go as the library goes through some pretty extensive renovations. So…you can beat up capitalism? Fire safety codes? I dunno."

Her boyfriend snorted. "Those dastardly fiends might be harder to defeat." He thought for a moment. "What about your teacher's assistant job? You can still fall back on that, right?"

Fran pulled away from the embrace, looking slightly shame-faced. "Actually no, I can't because I gave that up to work more hours at the library and with my own course load becoming more intense this upcoming semester, I knew had to give being a student myself all of my concentration."

RJ hummed as he continued to think. "There isn't any chance you would want to work here, is there?"

"Really?"

"Why not?" He shrugged. "You're already a great cook so I'm pretty sure that you can pick up the recipes here quickly. Maybe I can even incorporate some lessons in pizza making!"

She looked at him in bemusement. "And how exactly would you manage that?"

"Not sure yet," RJ admitted. "There is one other thing though."

"And what's that?"

RJ looked at her a bit abashedly. "Would you let me teach you self-defense? Just as a precaution?"

"Chip and the others in Briarwood have taught me a few things," Fran revealed. "But it's been a while and I'm pretty sure I'm rusty so yeah! Let's do this!" She paused. "But when would we do this?"

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I am." Fran smirked. "It's a date."

RJ pecked her lips. "See you then."

Fran was having a rather hard time concentrating on RJ's lessons. It wasn't helping when said man was constantly circling her, gently correcting her stance by straightening her arms or guiding her legs into the correct position. It was making her rather flustered and the fact that he had his hair tied back for this training session wasn't helping in the slightest. Rather, it made him all the more attractive on a whole new level.

Though within the first twenty-four hours after RJ had told Fran everything about his past she had felt a healthy stab of envy toward him living such a fascinating and mystical life, Fran soon found herself grateful that she had never been a student. If RJ was distracting her this much and they were already dating, she couldn't even imagine how she would fare if he were the TA and she were the student.

She would have probably fainted at one point.

Ten minutes later and she managed to surprise them both by breaking out of RJ's hold, hooking an ankle beneath his and sweeping his leg from underneath him, causing him to topple over backward. He tried taking Fran down with him, but she quickly evaded him and plopped down on his chest with a laugh as she pinned his arms above his head. "You seem to be in quite the predicament," she sassed.

RJ huffed. "I thought I would have had you! Your mind was a million miles away!"

Fran blushed and pointedly cleared her throat. "I ah, didn't realize how much touching there would be during this lesson."

RJ sent her a sly smile. "Just wanted to make sure your stances were precise. One false move and—"

She squeaked as RJ suddenly flipped them over so that she was the one pinned to the floor. "You're the one who's trapped," her boyfriend announced triumphantly.

"So it would seem," Fran huffed. She arched a brow. "Going to pull this on your own students?"

RJ snorted. "No, they should already know moves like this." He leaned down and kissed her nose. "You however, princess, are a special exception."

Fran blushed heavily. "Something tells me this isn't exactly in the Pai Zhuq student-teacher rulebook."

"Oh definitely not." He leaned back, frowning in concern. "Am I making you nervous?"

"No and yes," Fran admitted. "No, because you're my boyfriend and we kiss all of the time. Yes, because you're my boyfriend and I want you to kiss me, but I'm afraid that if you do, all my concentration on this lesson is going to go completely out the window."

RJ mentally scoffed. Like Fran wasn't completely distracting in her near form-fitting workout outfit she had worn to their lesson. Her own hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, several strands falling loose and framing her face. Her glasses were gone, contacts being worn instead. She always seemed much more self-assured when she didn't wear her glasses even if she was one of the smartest, sassiest people that he knew.

And the fact that she was lying underneath him…

He shook himself. Now was not the time for such a line of thinking. He grinned, almost teasingly. "Well, we can't have that." He got off of her and helped her to her feet. He winked. "That'll be extra credit."

Fran blew out a breath as she tried to get her heart rate under control. Her boyfriend was a hardcore flirt and apparently it was his mission today to get her to blush as often as possible. Rude.

Sending him a glare, Fran asked in an even tone. "Didn't you mention something about a Swoop technique?"

"I did," RJ confirmed. "But I'd rather not demonstrate that with you as it's a very advanced technique."

"Can you at least explain it to me?"

"It was created by one of my teachers, Master Swoop. He's partnered with a bat spirit."

Fran looked at him in surprise. "A bat spirit?" Wait a minute…a mystical technique relying on a bat spirit…

"Yeah," RJ smiled nostalgically. "It's a bit fitting considering Master Swoop himself is blind and—"

"Oh that's just mean!"

RJ frowned, almost affronted on his former mentor's behalf. "What's mean? The man is blind, the bat spirit—"

"Most likely relies on sound," Fran said in a near deadpan tone. "Even with something as soft as breathing." She crossed her arms. "And considering it's a martial arts technique, it also relies on sensing motion, feeling for vibrations within surfaces. If I were to take this one step further and consider the mysticism of Pai Zhuq, I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that one can also sense an enemy's aura."

RJ stared at Fran for a moment, processing her near perfect recitation of what the Swoop technique was. He had barely explained it to her. "Are you sure you're not a former student yourself?"

Fran snorted. "I'm sure. It's just not that hard to puzzle out."

"So you're just exceptionally astute. Duly noted."

She narrowed her eyes as she stared at him accusingly. "You're going to use this technique to kick your students' asses aren't you?"

RJ smiled as innocently as he could muster. "They're not cubs, Fran."

That caught her curiosity. "Cubs?"

"Er, think of it like the first years from Harry Potter," RJ elaborated. "Or I guess at least third graders in a normal American school system."

"The fact that those are two vastly different school systems aside," Fran stated. "I think I understand."

"Good!" He placed a hand over his heart. "And I promise not to kick their asses." A beat. "Much."

Fran rolled her eyes and sent him an exasperated smile. "I suppose I'll take it. Any chance we can move on to restaurant lessons now?"

"Thought you'd never ask," RJ admitted with a relieved smile. "I'm starving!"

Forty-five minutes later, the two were seated in the kitchen, digging into a freshly made RJ special. RJ perused his slice with a grin, Fran had been the one to make the pizza under his instruction but really there had been little for the man to teach her. The crust had barely even any char to it, something that RJ himself was notorious for. "I was right!" He exclaimed. "You are awesome at this!"

A self-depreciating comment about how it wasn't too difficult to follow directions and have a sense of time management rose to Fran's lips but she managed to quash it at the last second knowing that RJ would just tell her to relax and accept that she was awesome. She stretched her lips into a bashful smile instead and thanked him. When RJ reached for another slice, his sleeve lifted enough for Fran to make out a hint of a tattoo.

"Since when have you had that?" She asked, nodding toward his arm.

RJ grinned and rolled his sleeve up completely, brandishing a black tattoo in the shape of a claw mark. "Oh," Fran breathed. "The Order of the Claw."

"Exactamundo," RJ said. "I received it the day I became a master."

"I take it all masters have this mark?"

RJ nodded, his mouth full of pizza. He took a sip of soda before speaking again. "Hopefully I can guide my students into reaching master level."

"You will," Fran said with a self-assured nod.

He smirked. "I promise not to fall to the dark side if I fail." He laughed when Fran tossed her balled up napkin in annoyance. "Hey! That was a good one!"

"If you call them Padawans, I get to spray you with the kitchen hose."

"Nahh, they're still my cubs." RJ glanced back at his pizza, a considering look on his face. "I know that this is completely random, but you have to admit babe that's totally me…I think I should try to make a Mount Kilimanjaro pizza!"

"You're right, I have no idea where that came from but it's totally you," Fran laughed. "How on Earth are you going to pull that off?"

"I haven't the slightest but I can't wait to experiment."

"I'll have the fire extinguisher on standby."

Though there was a playful twinkle in her eyes, RJ couldn't help but laugh sheepishly as he went slightly red. "Yeah…good idea."

Fran greeted RJ at her door with a huge grin on her face. "Ready to celebrate the New Year?"

"We've got about six hours to go," RJ pointed out. "But yeah, I'm ready."

Fran snorted and pulled her boyfriend into her apartment. "Before we get this party started, there's a project that I've been working on. I need your opinion on it if you don't mind."

"Sure, but what project exactly? I thought you still had three weeks before the spring semester started."

"I do," she confirmed. "You'll see." She gestured for him to follow her the short distance to a closed door that he knew wasn't her bedroom; he had that path memorized when he took care of her during a small unfortunate bout of food poisoning that had nothing to do with his cooking thank you very much!

He stared at the door curiously. Fran's apartment was a two-bedroom; wouldn't this be her mother's room? When he voiced the question, Fran smiled and explained that her mother due to her job keeping her abroad for most days of the year that she had let Fran have complete control over the whole apartment and that when she did come back to Ocean Bluff, her mother tended to camp out on the sofa bed in the living room.

Fran nodded toward the door. "Open it," she encouraged.

RJ shot her a wary look before reaching for the doorknob and turning it. He was greeted by the sight of what was indeed a bedroom, but the style it was arranged in had him doubting that it was Fran's mother's room after all. There was a twin bed in the far left corner, fully made with navy blue bedding. Next to the bed was a worn recliner that was surprisingly upholstered in a deep violet. Just in front of the bed was a small, sturdy table with a heater and tea kettle on it with a single tea cup. On a small dresser was a portable DVD player with a stack of DVDs. A short stack of comic books sat next to the DVDs. There was a dartboard nailed to one of the walls with an old basketball hoop next to it. Further down was a chalkboard with markers filled with chalkboard friendly paint.

"This looks like a room meant for me!" RJ laughed. He turned to look at his girlfriend in amazement. "Isn't it a little too soon for us to be moving in together?"

Fran grinned. "Well yeah, but that's not necessarily what this is. When we were training the other day and you were showing me how to work the register at Jungle Karma, you mentioned being nervous. You felt like your space was suddenly being invaded and you made a joke about hiding in the supply closet if things became too crowded."

This was indeed true; he had said all of those things to Fran. It did feel like his space was going to be monumentally tighter, filled with complete strangers. At least when Fran had first stayed over, she had already been his friend for a month. Not to mention, these people were his students…students tended to go to their own homes, their own dorms after a certain amount of hours. His were going to be with him for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

And they were complete strangers.

Fran went on talking, completely unaware of RJ's musings. "So I created a safe space you can hide in if need be. I like to call it 'RJ's chill zone'!" She threw her arms open in a gesture of showmanship. "Ta-da!"

RJ was touched. He beamed and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "This is perfect, princess. Thank you."

Fran returned the embrace. "You're welcome!"

He swayed Fran. "Any chance we can go cuddle in the chair?"

She snorted. "You really have to ask me that?"

RJ snickered and lifted Fran off of her feet, walking the short distance to the recliner. He plopped down in it, pulling Fran into his lap. He rested his head atop of hers as she snuggled into his chest. "Did I ever tell you that you're like my favorite person ever?"

She giggled. "Christmas Day when I gifted you Dance Dance Revolution. I can't believe you've never owned one before!"

He made a face. "They can be expensive!"

"Well, it's not the latest model," Fran admitted. "But it seemed to be in pretty good condition when you and I played it." A second later she amended, "When I attempted to play it and you kicked my ass."

RJ laughed softly and cuddled Fran closer. "You'll find your rhythm."

She tilted her head so he could see the thoughtful expression displayed on her face. "Do you think we can turn it into some form of training?"

RJ grew excited. "Actually, yeah, I think we can. To hone in on agility, stamina and all the different ways the body will have to twist when dodging and when moving closer. Maybe that could be a fun ice breaker with my students!"

"Actually, there's something I've been thinking about when it comes to my new students but it involves a few phone calls to be made with possibly at least a few favors to be promised."

Fran shot him a confused look. "And just what have you been thinking about?"

RJ cleared his suddenly dry throat. "I've been thinking about seeing what I can do to connect with someone who knows how to access the morphing grid."

"The morphing grid…" Fran murmured as she sifted through her memories, trying to figure out why those words sounded familiar. Her eyes widened when she connected the dots. "Wait! You want them to be the newest team of Power Rangers?"

He looked at her, impressed. "You know about the morphing grid?"

Fran snorted and lightly swatted at him. "RJ, the morphing grid is common knowledge even to us non-Power Ranger plebs. Not to mention that the original team was called the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers."

"I thought the suits and the abilities that tend to come with them might help my students hone their connections with their animal spirits a bit better," RJ admitted. "In turn, it'll also help them be better equipped in defending the city against Dai Shi."

"Wow," Fran breathed as she leaned back against her boyfriend. "Sounds intense and I mean that in the best way possible." When he chuckled in approval she turned back to look at him. "What about you? Are you going to get a morpher? I know that you said you're going to be on the sidelines more or less for the time being, but you're still a warrior so won't you need one?"

"I'm thinking about it."

Sensing his hesitation, Fran prodded. "But?"

RJ shrugged. "I dunno, I guess part of me is still wondering why me for all of this. Why not one of the older masters? I mean, yeah, I graduated seven years ago but I've largely been making ends meet by working in restaurants all this time!"

"You're probably the one who is chosen to be the guide for these students because you're a younger master," Fran said thoughtfully." That probably makes you more relatable. Yes, you've experienced the real world, but you've got such a down-to-earth connection to life that probably makes learning how to live in the real world a much more palatable thing for those who are going to be freshly graduated students. Students who are coming from a secluded academy no less! It's possibly going to be quite the culture shock for them on top of having to worry about Dai Shi!"

RJ grinned mischievously into his girlfriend's hair. "There's one thing that'll definitely make me a very cool master to these guys."

"All the pizza their hearts could want?"

"There is that," he conceded. "But something that could actually be considered better. I've got television!"

Fran laughed and turned in her boyfriend's grasp so she could embrace him properly. "You've got several."

"Yes I do."

The self-satisfaction in RJ's voice was so thick that could Fran could practically feel it. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, smiling in fond exasperation. She straightened, looking at RJ considerately before pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead. She kissed him slightly firmer in the same spot before pulling away.

RJ snickered, his nose wrinkling in the way it would whenever he was exceptionally confused. "Um, babe, if you kiss me any harder, you're going to end up kissing the wolf spirit." He raised an eyebrow when he saw her blush and refuse to meet his gaze. "Wait, you were actually trying to kiss the wolf?"

Fran shrugged, an embarrassed smile on her face as she played with her hair. "You once told me that the wolf spirit resides within your mind." She shrugged. "I mean, I do love you, so how can I not adore something that's a part of you?"

He was both incredibly touched and rather flustered by her words. The odd yet fitting combination of bemusement and pride he felt emanating from his wolf spirit did little to help matters. A breathy laugh escaped RJ as he pulled Fran into a fiery kiss. The world around them faded for a long while as he managed to lean over and pull the lever that enabled the recliner to lean back completely without breaking their kiss.

When they pulled away, it was to the sight of giggling through swollen lips, disheveled clothes and exceptionally ruffled hair. "Well!" Fran gasped. "That was some reaction!"

RJ pressed a kiss to the side of her neck, grinning as he felt the heat of her skin as it flushed. "A simple thank you wasn't gonna suffice, princess."

"So I—" She broke off into a gasp as he continued to trail kisses down the side of her neck and pressed another one to her collarbone. "See…RJ, at this point, I don't think we're going to end up watching the New Year's Eve show in Times Square."

"We'll make it," he assured her as he pecked her cheek before leaning away. "Actually, I have a slight dilemma that I could use your input on."

Fran sat up and nodded, giving him her full attention. "Go on."

"So, when it comes to animal spirits, once they're partnered with a human counterpart, that human then has the chance to name their animal spirit. But…"

"You haven't been able to come with a name just yet?"

RJ looked exasperated. "No. In seven years I haven't been able to name him."

"Is it a requirement? I mean, names have power, but that doesn't mean that your wolf spirit has to have a name."

"No, it's not a requirement, but I would like to name him," RJ replied. "You're smart and you've read a ton of books so I was thinking maybe you'd be able to come up with something?"

Fran hummed as she thought. "I don't know too many wolf characters," she confessed. "That doesn't mean your wolf spirit has to have one of those." She stared into the distance as she continued to think. After a few minutes, she looked back at RJ. "What about Togo? I mean yeah, everyone knows Balto, but Togo was right there delivering vaccines to those kids in that fierce winter storm."

"Togo…" RJ repeated, rolling the name around his head and on his tongue. He lightly poked at his wolf spirit. What do you think?

It's a respectable name, the wolf spirit, now known as Togo acquiesced. Thank Fran for me, would you?

Of course. RJ beamed at Fran, kissing her once on the lips. "He loves it."

"Yay!" Fran cheered before scrambling off of RJ's lap, pulling him up with her. "Now c'mon! There's a New Year's party to be had!"

He laughed as he followed her out of his "chill zone". He squeezed her hand, smiling fondly at her. "Let's party!"

Okay so I did have it planned to keep going and end this chapter with the Rangers arriving but this chapter is already well over seven thousand words and that's without this author's note even! So chapter nine will have the rise of Dai Shi and the arrival of the Rangers to start things off. Gotta love outlines, they make writing these chapters so much easier.

Umm…did it seem like things were reaching when Fran was putting two and two together very quickly on some things? I just feel like between her being such an avid reader and the cousin of a known Power Ranger, she's going to accept things a lot faster compared to the average civilian. But maybe that's just me because I'm the author? XD

Oh and to trouble-scorn! Fun fact, my email never sent me your review, I stumbled across it when I refreshed my chapter page because I like to reread it and see where I could have tightened things that I tend to miss in editing. XD Hey! If you want to call any part of my work perfect feel free…I just got all flustered and sometimes I just tend to overthink things and get nervous. That's not on you, that's on me. Please note that I was also super happy to see that's what you think of my writing going forward!

As for work, there's not much I can do there. My schedule is whatever my manager gives me. My hours are long. I just need to take the time to write whenever I can fit it into my day between eating, sleeping and baking. The next chapter might take longer but only because I need to marathon the first few episodes to refresh my memory on the boys' personalities! And to get to know Camille again…for…reasons…