A/N: Hey! I'm back! Chapter 20 time! Yay! Anyway...getting off subject...(well, not really, but u know what I mean). Review replies are at the bottom. :)

Choices

Chapter Twenty

When Granpa landed in a dark alleyway, it was a quarter till midnight. Rats. I still didn't have my dragon powers back yet. I had more pressing things to worry about, though. Like finding out why Rose was bumping and bouncing along behind us, and why she was in danger and that stuff.

Granpa morphed back into human form, and motioned for Rose and I to be quiet and follow him. I watched Rose carefully, to see what she would do. To my surprise, she obeyed, and Gramps, Fu, Rose, and I made our way to the shop, using all the back alleys.

Finally, we had entered the shop, and triple locked it behind us. I looked at Rose, who had just taken off her mask. "Hi, Jake," she said, smiling awkwardly.

"What's up with you Rose?" I asked, deeply confused.

She sighed. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"Okay..." so Rose began her story.

"I was actually planning to, you know, slay you when I saw you...I felt angry and betrayed. But I realized...I still cared for you. And when you made that comment about how if you didn't care about me, you would have let me die on that rooftop...So I decided to help you."

"I don't get it," I said truthfully. "I mean, you didn't help me. Dude, you were about to kill me!"

"That's what you thought. But honestly, how thick can you get? Didn't you pick up that hint that Victor dropped for you?"

"What hint?"

"When he went and apologized. He couldn't say that we were going to free you, because Huntsman was waiting just outside. So he said he was sorry."

"Yeah, but Huntsman said that it was just some superstition."

"That's what he thought."

"Oh."

"Can I finish?"

"Oh...yeah, sorry."

"Okay, great. So, I went to Victor's room (he was staying at the Lair for time being), and asked him if he would help you. At first he refused, but then I got him thinking about how 'perfectly innocent' (I'm sure that's not entirely true, but I had to say something), 'and helpless' you were. I told him that you had trusted him and neither one of us was being fair. So I convinced him that I would take the heat from Huntsman. And he agreed.

"While I stayed at the clan to, um, 'prepare' for the ceremony, Victor snuck out and went to Grandfather's shop, telling him you needed help. I met Lou Shi at the gate and helped sneak him inside."

"But why did you pretend that you were still gonna kill me?"

"Duh, Jake. They would have suspected me, and then I'd be in danger too."

"No, I mean after Gramps came."

"Oh, just to keep her out of danger. Otherwise the Huntsclan would track her down as well as you, and we don't want another teenager to protect," said Fu. "Trust me, you're quite a handful as it is Jake."

"I, well...thanks," I muttered, not wanting to meet Rose's eyes.

"No biggie. I didn't want to help in my ceremony any more than you wanted to be in it."

"Now, young ones, we must magically enforce shop and Jake's house, so the Huntsclan can't get in. They'll be after you shortly, Jake."

"I know...hey, the clan hasn't seen my house yet! Won't we be safer there?"

"I suppose, but your mother and father and sister...wouldn't they be in danger?"

"Not really, Gramps. Dad's on a business trip and Haley's a dragon and Mom...well she can get pretty fierce when the time comes. But think about it. The time probably won't come, because they don't know where I live."

"Very well. But I suspect your mother will have a fit after hearing what you have been through."

So we packed up the needed supplies, and headed for my house. I knew danger was coming up very soon, but I couldn't help feeling relieved. Rose did care.

A/N: Okay, not the most suspenseful ending. This is NOT the end of the story. There is still much, much more to come. Um, please continue to R & R, and I'll have chapter 21 asap. Love, EMcat.

~Emachinescat ^..^

Review Replies

To Catwater: I'm glad u like it...yeah, I did just post it last night, but I've gotten pretty good at updating quickly (you know, unless I'm grounded, sick, or my dad's...). Um, I kind of have an idea of this, but I'm not positive what it is...I feel really stupid asking this, but um, what exactly is a C2 community alert? Sorry, I feel majorly dumb here...Anyway, I'm glad u liked chapter 19, and I hope you enjoy chapter 20 as well. Love, EMcat...

To epobbp: Yeah, I know you would. I can tell you're a fair person. I'm glad u liked it. Luv, EMcat...

To Fuddog: I'm glad u liked it...I don't exactly remember what the last sentence was though...I've got the general idea, of course...but that's sad, 'cuz I wrote it...oops...yeah, it would be kind of embarrassing, especially if you were like a big hero, and someone comes in and you're tied to a pole. Yikes. I would probably freak out about being tied to a pole in the first place, though, so...anyway...I'm glad you liked it...oh, and I love that phrase you used, "Rose, you've got some 'spalanin' to do!" That was pretty funny. I saw Kim say something of the sort on an episode of Kim Possible the other day...except she was talking to Ron instead of Rose, of course. It was funny! Anyway, I'm getting off subject. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you like chapter 20. -EMcat