A/N: Okay, I know my updates are not as regular as I promised but please don't kill me. I'm doing the best I can to meet your fanfic cravings so bare with me. I quote from one of my reviewers 'quality over quantity' so I hope this chappie had quality in it. It wasn't an easy one to write either.

A quick note: In case some of you may get confused, the words in italic represent a flashback and the words not-in-italic means present time. I'll not be using lines to divide between past and present but lyrics of a song. Get it? No? Don't worry. You'll get it eventually. So on with the story!

Oh, wait!

Many thanks to my loyal reviewers: faith, brezzybrez, desertskiez, Merffles, Moi, roseofsharon28, chibi Setsuna-chan, Shitza, Calli Maxwell, Kyoskittn885, dark Alley, dark angel, Sarah M.G, baby angel, kay1fire and para para sakura.


Chapter 45

The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone
We haven't seen the sun for weeks

The sky above her head was cloud, gray as her mood, as the gloom that filtered the atmosphere. The slight breeze had brew through the open grounds of the cemetery was chilling to the bone. It kissed her skin wherever it was exposed, stinging her eyes and biting into her button nose. A tightening sensation in her chest wanted to make her break down and cry. But what was there to cry? She had no tears left to shed. She felt nothing. Knew nothing except the cold painful fact she had no one else in the world that would care about her and loved her as much as her mother did.

She had…no one.

She stood over her mother's burial grounds, staring at the six-foot deep hole in the ground, at the gravestone picked and prepared at the end of the hole. Her woolen funeral suit was black, heavy and uncomfortably itchy; the creamy white blouse beneath was starched to a fault and every fold and crease dug into her sensitive skin, rubbing against it and made her more miserable than she already was. Jade knew the suit was meant to keep her warm from the biting cold but she couldn't care less of her own well being right now. Her eyes, a void of tears gazed emotionlessly at the pastor conducting the ceremony as his voice spoke on in a monotonous pace. Her mother's coffin sat behind the man, its lid still open for the last time. She could hear the words that fell from his lips but she couldn't grasp them.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of a wonderful person, a loving mother and dear friend. On the 8th of July, this soul was wretched from us by a brutal stabbing, taken before her time. Perpetrator was never caught but I believe our sister is now in a place far better than here for she has gone home to be with the Lord…"

He made it sound as if her murderer had done her a favor by killing her in cold blood. Numbly Jade looked around her, at the faces that have come to pay their last respects to her mother. Last respects? This was something young Jade couldn't understand. Why did grown-ups wait to visit until the ones they loved were dead? Why not visit and 'pay their respects' while that person was still alive to receive them? To her, it made no sense but there was little in her life these days that had.

There were a few people of whom she knew and even then she knew them vaguely, perhaps from a brief meeting or a friendly visit to her mother when she was alive. Most of them had gone over to her to express their sorrows over her loss and how she now was alone in the world. She hated that, hated how they would look at her, not with concern but with sympathy.

Only a few true friends of her mother had shown worry over her condition, wondering how was one as young as she holding up and coping with her mother's untimely death. Since the day she died, they were the ones who had been checking in on her, looking out for her. They were the ones Jade didn't mind and were grateful for.

Right now, as she gazed at the many black-cladded mourners that attended the funeral, she noticed the sad sympathetic looks some were casting at her. Her eyes drifted over them. There weren't many people at the funeral and for some reason she was glad. She wasn't sure if she could handle receiving endless notes of apology and sympathy without breaking down into a helpless pile of tears and sobs.

No, her mother wouldn't want that. She had to be strong.

Looking further, she then noticed a man standing at the back of the group, cloaked by the shadows of the tree he stood under. He blended in well for he wore black just like everyone else. And the look he casted at the coffin was filled with unspoken sadness as well as…regret. Jade frowned. She has never seen the man before although there was a distinct familiarity about him. She felt she should know him.

"…in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord. We commend to Almighty God, our sister, Ivy Raven. And we commit her body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless her and keep her. The Lord makes His face to shine upon her, and be gracious unto her. The Lord lift up his countenance upon her and give her peace. Amen."

Someone nudged her arm gently, making her tear her eyes away from the unknown man and turned them to the grey-haired woman, looking at her with warm tender eyes as she took her hand to lead her to where the mourners were forming a line to coffin.

"Jade, it's time."

To long too far from home
I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground

"...the bones are set and the damage to her broken ribs is repairable. She's lucky it did not pierce her lung or she would be a goner. Especially with all the other injuries she has sustained and the massive amount of blood loss. It's a wonder she's alive at all…"

Kai was hearing the doctor's words but his entire attention was on Jade. She laid on the hospital bed, bruised and lifeless. The only indication of life came from the heart monitor that beeped with every detected heartbeat. Black and blue marks marred her arms and her face and her body was bandaged to prevent the slashes and wounds on it from reopening. He was sure there were more that he couldn't see, hidden by the hospital gown. There was a fresh cut across her throat, almost a suicide wound. The nurses had stitched and bandaged that up as well. They had been very shocked and stunned by the amount of scars and injuries on her, both old and new. Jade never looked so weak and fragile as she did now with an IV tube and an oxygen mask to provide her with precious necessities. A separate tube was used to drain any unknown chemical from her blood system. Even the incident in Japan seemed pale in comparison to the state she was in now.

"Will she be alright?" Tyson asked, his voice speaking up in the background of the room.

The doctor, an auburn middle-aged man with a face that showed his years of experience in the medical field turned to look at the five boys that crowded the room. All their faces were etched with worry and fear for the single female on the bed. Lying to them would only give them false hope in her recovery. "I'll be honest with you kids. The drugs that we found in her body…it's similar to the drug we found in Alexis's system. However there are differences. We have already sent a sample to the lab to be analyzed and until we get back the results…there's nothing much we can do at the moment."

"But surely there must be something we can do." Max asked boldly, stepping forward. He half-expected his mother who stood at the doorway with Tyson's grandfather to stop him but Judy didn't for she knew how depressing and painful the situation was for her son.

"I'm sorry, kid. There's nothing you can do for her now." the white-coated man said with a solemn shake of his auburn hair. "Until we find out the kind of drug that was used on her, I'm afraid the chances of her ever regaining consciousness is almost zero to none."

"What?" Kenny gasped, his small frame trembling slightly from the realization of the doctor's words. "You mean…she-she's in a coma?"

"Yes." the doctor said. "I'm truly sorry."

"Give her the best treatment there is." Mr. Dickenson said, his expression tight with worry. "Spare no expenses."

"Don't worry, Mr. Dickenson. I have my best medical team on the case even as we speak. We'll do the best we can." the doctor promised.

As the chairman and the doctor left the room to speak with the other two adults, the entire room fell silent save for the steady continuous 'beep' of the heart monitor and the quiet breathing of each Bladebreakers including the injured one. Then Kai moved forward silently, breaking the spell to reach down and gently brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

Ray rested a hand meant for comfort on his captain's shoulder, offering words of assurance. "She'll be alright, Kai. She'll hang in there while they find a cure for her and Alexis."

"Yeah." Tyson offered, trying to sound encouraging. "Jade's strong. She will…she'll be okay."

Kai simply stared at Jade for a moment, his bangs covering any emotions his eyes might reveal from the Chinese boy or any of his teammates and friends. In that moment where it seemed as though time stood still, Ray wondered what was going through the slate-haired boy's mind right now.

Revenge on Boris for what he had done?

"Ray, Max, Kenny, Tyson." Kai said suddenly, his voice steady and clear, that of a leader. "Check on Tala and the others. See how they're doing especially Tala."

Tyson blinked, reluctantly to leave a friend. "Kai-."

"I need some time alone." Kai cut in tightly.

Tyson wanted to speak more but in the end he thought the better of it and nodded. "Alright, man. If you insist." silently he ushered out the other three who were equally as hesitant to leave Jade but complied anyway to Tyson's relentless pushing and shoving.

Kai heard the door close quietly with a soft 'click' but he did not look up. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on Jade, almost willing her to open her eyes. But he knew that was just wishful thinking. What she had just gone through in the last few days was…nearly impossible for any ordinary human being to experience and survive from. He knew from Tala what Boris had done to her. The tortures she had endured under the director's hand. He also knew of her escape attempt and her noble sacrifice to help Tala escape. She suffered physically and mentally injuries, some that would probably take a long time to recover from.

Especially without the presence of a sacred spirit.

Reminded, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist closed over something precious, something that was hers. Something that also lacked the spirit that once rested in the center. Carefully, he placed it in her open palm and closed her fingers over it. His eyes closed at the sight of the empty bit in the middle of the blade. All that has happened was his fault. It should have been him who laid on the bed, clinging on for dear life, not her. It should have been him who should have suffered under Boris's beating and experiments.

Not her.

He had failed her. He had promised her a life where she could stop running, where she couldn't hurt anymore, where she could have the life of a normal 16-year old. Where she wouldn't be alone anymore. Empty promises he couldn't keep in the end. She had trusted him with her most highly-prized possession and friend and he had failed her.

Draizer was gone. Who knows for how long?

It's my fault…

Pulling in a painful deep breath, he let it out in a ragged whisper. "Jade…I'm sorry."

I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go

"Mommy…"

She approached the open coffin cautiously, still hand-in-hand with the caretaker from the orphanage. In her other hand she held a white lily. Slowly she stepped up to the coffin and stared at the figure, dressed in a lovely white dress, lying in the coffin. Her mother's dark raven locks caressed her serene peaceful face. Her hands were cupped over a single flower, a perfect red rose, holding it to her still chest no longer rising and falling with life. She looked as though she was only asleep. She reminded Jade of Snow White or Sleeping Beauty only now there was no Prince Charming to wake her mother up.

Her mother was gone yet not one tear escaped her eyes. She had nothing left to shed.

"Mommy…" she whispered. "I'm sorry…"

Even in death, her mother looked so beautiful. Jade pulled her hand from the caretaker and moved forward. The caretaker remained a respectable distance as she allowed the daughter to bare farewell to her mother one last time. Standing on tip-toes, Jade placed the lily next to the rose and gently caressed her mother's cheek. She could imagine the heat that was supposed to tingle up her cold fingertips, radiating warmth through her. To her poor cold soul…so lonely now…

"Jade…"

The voice sounded like her mother's, a soft whisper. Frowning she concentrated hard willing herself to hear her mother's voice again. It came again but alas, it was not her mother's voice come to speak to her from the other side. It was her caretaker and she was calling her.

"Jade, it is time to go." the woman said.

Jade looked at her mother one last time, memorizing every structure of her sincere face, the peaceful expression on her face as she laid in death. Then she leaned forward, balancing herself over the side of the coffin and kissed her mother's cheek. "Goodbye, mommy."

The woman called her again and reluctantly with a heart so heavy that it hurts, Jade walked away from the coffin and stood at the side while the lid of the coffin was closed and carefully it was lowered into the hole prepared for it. Everything happened smoothly, all in silence. The sound of scraping dirt and pebbles was something the young girl would always remember as she watched her mother being buried. She did not turn her eyes away as the first shove of dirt was tossing unto the coffin. Or the next.

She just watched.

And all the while her tiny hand clutched a Beyblade to her chest, seeking comfort from her mother's legacy to her.

Tons of dirt were shoved into the hole and patted down into a neat low mount. The headstone stood at the head of the burial ground, marking the passing of Jade's mother, a memorial.

Written in gold to stand out against the black untarnished surface of the stone, the words read:

IVY RAVEN
1965-1993
HERE LIES AN ANGEL
DEVOTED MOTHER.
CHERISHED FRIEND
REST IN PEACE.

If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
My love

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes slowly dribbled into hours. But to the phoenix, time held no meaning to him as he sat by the bed, staring blankly at the still seemly lifeless figure of his girlfriend. He was exhausted after tonight's events. After the rescue, everything became a blur to him. The ambulance had rushed them all to the hospital and Jade was taken into operation. Tala was rushed away for medical care considering all the hurts he had sustained since the World Tournament finals and on Mr. Dickenson's insistence, a doctor had attended to Kai, giving him the usual check-up to make sure he wasn't fatally injured. In an agitated and restless state, Kai forced himself to silently endure the doctor's examinations. After the man had deemed him as okay, he had gone back to the hotel to change his clothes, for he stank of sewers and smoke that clung to his clothes. Then he returned to the hospital to check on Jade's condition and had found his team and Mr. Dickenson in her room after they had released her from the operation room.

His body was aching and stiff. A mild headache was beginning to drum into his skull, an after-effect from inhaling too much smoke. Even breathing left a painful prodding ache in his chest. In the background, the heart monitor beat again and the simple tiny sound made his head hurt a little more than before. A frustrated sigh escaping his lips, he leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through his spiked hair. None of his pain mattered in comparison to Jade's condition.

What did Boris do to you…?

A shadow fell into the dark room, illuminated by the light from the hallway outside. Kai knew, sensing rather than looking, that the Demolition Boys' captain stood at the door, looking in on the scene before him.

"The Brady Bunch is not here? That's a surprise."

Kai didn't smile at the nickname Tala had come up with for his team even though it would have been considered funny under normal circumstances.

"How's she?" Tala asked, speaking quietly.

Kai's eyes did not deter, did not shift to look at the other Russian boy. "She's in a coma. The doctor has no idea when she might wake up." he answered stoically.

"I'm sorry." the red-haired teen said sincerely. His face remained unchanged as he studied Jade just lying there in the bed not moving except to drawing in air. He knew what it was like to be in a coma. He recalled the sensations of not wanting to wake up, to be freed of all his worldly duties and pain. It had been enticing.

"Me too." Kai muttered.

Tala stepped into the room, a slight limp in his step to show for his bandaged injuries. He closed the door and moved to stand at the foot of her bed so that he had a clear visible view of her. It pained him to see her like this. "She'll be alright." he said, almost to himself.

"Will she?" Kai asked, not convinced. "Ray said the same thing. I didn't believe him then. Nothing's changed now."

Tala blinked, surprised to hear the hollow tone in Kai's voice. For as long as he could remember, Kai wouldn't give up or admit defeat so easily. Among the Demolition Boys, he was the one who had the fiery fighting spirit that Boris nor Voltaire could not quench out. Hence his appropriate match to his Bitbeast.

This…Kai, the one he stared at now, seemed…defeated. Lost.

"Kai…" he began, uncertain of what to say. Despite his brave words, his certainty that she would be alright and will wake up, he understood the doubt Kai was facing. They have been considered lucky given the situation. But what happens when that luck runs out? He looked away to stare out the window of the room and took a deep breath to steady his thoughts. "You know, Kai…I never thought you were one to give up so soon. Especially on Jade."

Kai glanced at him, unable to muster enough strength to glare at him.

"She's stronger than you think." Tala said, looking back at Jade. "You have no idea what she had to endure under Boris. You have no idea what he did to her. And despite all that she has suffered, she still managed to find strength to help me escape. I owe her my life and I will not give up on her. Jade will pull through this."

Kai looked away, somewhat ashamed. Tala was right. Time and time again, even though the situation had looked bleak for her, Jade had proven him wrong for she had always pulled through depending only on her own will-power and beliefs. She had beaten Alexis on her own. She had rescued the other girl from her Bitbeast's hold as well as Biovolt's and she had aided Tala in his escape. He had to believe she'll pull through this.

He believed in her.

So it's better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we said and did

Eyes narrowed in a deep concentration up to the point she was almost frowning, she launched her cerulean Beyblade with all her might. It landed in the dish in front of her, already moving in on the white Beyblade across her. She has only been here a month and already she fitted in well. She seemed to be handling herself well for a child who just lost her only parent.

Surrounding them watching the match in excitement and anticipation were the younger children very much like her. Children who had lost their parents when they were just a babe. Children who shared a passion for blading. Their excited cries and cheers filled the air of the orphanage as they waited for someone to make the first move. It was either the five year old raven-haired girl or her opponent.

Her opponent was a young girl about her age. Her wavy blonde hair reached her shoulders, framing a pretty face set with blue eyes that sparkled with excitement as she ordered her blade to dodge Jade's attacks. But Jade wouldn't have any of it. She had already anticipated her opponent's actions and her Beyblade swiveled directly into the other's blade path, cutting it off abruptly and sent it skidding from the curved dish.

"No!" her opponent cried in dismay, kneeling to retrieve her defeated blade.

Jade reached down and picked up her own blade before she approached the blonde girl. She offered a hand to the girl who looked up at her in surprise. "When it comes to Beyblading, you are fighting with your blade. The stronger you are, the more powerful your blade will be." she said with a smile. "That was a good match. I'm Jade."

The girl looked at her as though uncertain then she too smiled and accepted Jade's hand. "I'm Alexis."

Hurts us all the more
Its just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin

Alexis…

Tala stood at the door, gazing tenderly at the blonde-haired female blader of the Demolition Boys as she laid motionlessly in her hospital bed several rooms down the hallway from Jade's. Her body was bruised and bandaged to help her wounded flesh heal faster. An IV tube was attached into her arm and a heart monitor kept track of her general condition. The good news was she wasn't on life-support. She wasn't in a coma like Jade. The doctors assumed it had something to do with the two different drugs Biovolt had used on the girls. According to Kai, she had gain conscious once in the last couple of days and hasn't woken up since then.

She's fine. She's just sleeping, he told himself.

He entered the room feeling like a vampire. Needing an invitation before he could enter. Unfortunately the occupant of the room was unable to protest to his intrusion for she was unconscioused at the moment. His weary hurt body sank into the chair next to her bed, not realizing he was now in a similar position as where he had left Kai looking over his own wounded teammate and loved one. That he too might be feeling something for Alexis, similar to that of what the other captain had experienced when the Bladebreakers had accepted their new member months ago. None of that occurred to him as he simply sat there, looking at her.

He took her hand in his and held it. It was limp and cold. The warmth of his hand soon sent heat back in her cold flesh and a minute later, he felt a respond. A gentle squeeze.

Startled and hopeful, he looked back at her face to see her eyes flutter open and blinked. He whispered her name and she looked at him through confused blue orbs.

"Tala?" she rasped hoarsely and winced slightly for her throat hurt.

Releasing her hand, he poured a glass of water from the jug that was sitting in the table stand and handed it to her carefully, supporting the back of her head as she sipped it.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked when she had settled back into her pillow.

"Like I had my spine ripped out, my intestines blended together and my heart thrown into the mix but overall I'm fine." she said in one breath. Noticing his amused look, she frowned. "What? Don't believe me?"

"I believe you." he assured her, smirking. "Believe me, I do. And I'm fine by the way. Thanks for asking."

She shrugged, not offended by his sarcastic tone. "Liar. You look like crap." then she smirked and added. "Then again you had always looked like crap…"

"Great to see that you're recovering nicely." he deadpanned. Then with a smile and a warmer tone, he said, "It's good to have you back, Lex. I've missed you."

"Me too." she said. For a second, her gaze seemed to search for the rest of the team before she focused back on him. "How are the others? Bryan, Spencer, Ian…? Are they…safe?"

"They are safe." he assured her. "In fact, compare to us they could be considered fine. They got the other kids out of the abbey before Boris could execute them. Everyone's safe."

She nodded, taking in the news. Everyone she cared about was safe and sound. She had dreaded waking up in fear she might find herself back at the abbey and everything that had happened was just a dream. That she had dreamt that Jade actually came to save her and the others. And speaking of Jade…

"What about Jade? Is she alright?" she asked. When Tala did not answer, she drew alert instantly, sensing his uneasiness of the topic. "Tala, where's Jade? Is she safe? Tell me!"

Tala cringed, knowing well he would never be able to lie to her. Not like this… "Alexis…I…"

"Tala, where's she?" she asked again, her voice breaking a little in fear, in terror that she might have lost the one person who might have understood her, whom she cared about in return besides her own teammates.

He forced himself to meet her worried blue eyes. "Alexis, Jade's in a coma."

"What?" she whispered stunned. She just stared at him as though in a daze.

"The doctors have no idea when she might come out of it. Not until they could identify the drugs Biovolt injected into her system. Until then…" he looked down and shrugged helplessly.

Her body started to tremble as the tears, the emotions started to overwhelm her. Guilt and grief were forgotten emotions to Alexis. The abbey had forbidden her to acknowledge any sense of feeling for anyone or anything. Then Rashka had been fused into her and taken over her, leaving her to reside in a void of nothing. No emotions, no feelings whatsoever. Jade had been the only person to break through the hold the Bitbeast had over her and in some sense, saved her soul. Now that one person was lying in a coma with no means of waking up.

"Dear god, no…it's all my fault…" her words came out in choked sobs. Without realization, she wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself.

Tala watched her as the floodgates opened and tears that slipped down her cheeks and fell unto the bed covers. He felt at the lost. He was supposed to be her team captain, the one who knew what to do, the one to protect his pack. He never had the need to comfort any of his team members before for he was sure Bryan, Ian and Spencer would rather throw themselves off a building rather than be comforted publicly.

Alexis however was a different story.

So he did the only thing he could do. He sat down next to her on the bed and cuddled her in his arms. He pressed his cheek to the crown of her hair, muttering comforting words to her and simply held her as she cried her heart out.

I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go

"Come on, Jade. It's time to leave."

Jade looked up from the Beyblade in her hand at the grey-haired caretaker who had been with her on the day of her mother's funeral. The woman stood at the door, smiling gently at Jade as she held a hand out to the child.

Her eyes widened in confusion as she asked innocently and cautiously. "Leave?"

A man appeared behind the woman. She had not notice him standing there before. Jade took in his appearance. Obviously he was one to take care of his looks and dressing. He was well dressed, probably a businessman or a manager of some sort. His purple hair was sleeked with gel. Although he had a friendly smile on his face, she felt herself grow wary of him as he stepped into the room.

"I'm taking you home." he said kindly.

He had explained she had been chosen among all the children in this orphanage to be a part of a very special program that will help her enhance and develop her blading skills as well as ensure that she would receive the best education needed to survive in the harsh cold world.

Hesitatingly, the five-year old part of her accepted the fact that he maybe the nice man he seemed to be but some part of her, some primal part of her instincts refused to acknowledge the fact and they warned her to remain careful and wary of this man. Looks can be deceiving. Either way she did not have a choice in the matter even though she did not want to leave the orphanage. She had grown accustomed to it, grown familiar with its surroundings and made a friend or two. It was home to her.

The caretaker helped her to pack. There weren't much for all she had were several sets of clothes and her Beyblade. In ten minutes she stood outside in the freezing cold, suitcase on the ground on one side of her and the man stood a distance from her. He was speaking to the caretaker lady, apparently about some papers and documents. Nothing that concerned her at the moment. Bored, she looked around, hoping to get a glance of a familiar blonde-haired girl. Then she heard her name being called.

"Jade!"

Her gaze quickly singled out Alexis as the blonde girl ran up to her. She rested her hands on her knees when she came to a stop in front of Jade, panting heavily. When she had gain her breath a little, she straightened and looked strictly at the green-eyed girl who looked at her in confusion and expectation.

"So I heard you were leaving." Alexis said.

She nodded.

"Are you coming back?"

Jade glanced over her shoulder. The adults were still deep in conversation. She turned back to Alexis and shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Oh." tears appeared in the corner of Alexis's baby blue eyes but she bravely held them in and sniffed. "Will I ever see you again? You still owe me a rematch remember?"

"Yeah…"Jade said carefully. "Don't worry. We'll get to see each other someday and then we'll get to battle then."

"Promise?" Alexis asked. She held out her little finger.

Jade stared at the tiny finger in disbelief. "No way." she said, refusing to have any part in some stupid pinky promise. "I'm not doing that. A promise is a promise. I won't --"

"Come on! It won't kill you." the other girl actually stomped her foot. "Promise?"

Jade took one look at the determination in Alexis's set face and rolled her eyes. "Alright. Fine. I promise." she held out her own finger and together they linked them. A slight smile graced Jade's lips then, thinking how she was actually gonna miss the orphanage and especially Alexis.

Then they broke apart and shared a hug one last time before Jade picked up her suitcase to hurry after the purple-haired man who now waited by a limo, watching them curiously.

Jade climbed into the car while her luggage was taken care off by the driver. The purple-haired man settled into the seat next to her and in a kind fatherly manner starting telling her about how she was going to enjoy the place she was going to and how he promised he would make her one of the world's strongest and most powerful blader. Jade wasn't listening. She gazed out the window, staring soulfully at the orphanage, at Alexis who was waving as they drove away. She knew. Somehow she knew…

That part of her childhood was no more.

If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
My love



A/N: The words in bold italic are lyrics for a song done by Sarah McLaughlin and it's called 'Full of Grace.' It's a lovely slow song. It can also be found at the ending of the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 after she had sent Angel to Hell (if you know what I'm talking about…If you don't, then never mind…)

Okay, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to know first? Let me know in your reviews! You get to choose and find out in the next chappie! Aren't I evil! Nevertheless, R&R please!