Jake sat with his back resting against the limestone bars of where he had been told he would have to stay until further investigation into his claims of having his evil doppleganger released went underway.Though he hadn't bothered keeping up with the time,he could only guess that it was around eight or so as he glanced behind his shoulder and saw medium hue ribbons of vesper streaking west of the deep,lavender sky.

Sighing,he tried hard to ignore the knots of hunger that welled up in his stomach but knew it was his own fault for turning down dinner.I should have told someone other then my friends about Yang sooner,he thought with some self-inflicted resentment,Now Yang is off to who knows where and I'm stuck here without a clue if they're going to-

"Jake."A familiar,benign voice accosted him from behind and he turned to look over his shoulder once again but this time up at a figure moving over to him from under the occult of some palm trees nearby."Are you okay?"

Feeling his spirits lift a bit,he replied with a smile starting to work it's way across his visage."I am now.What're you doing here?I thought you had to get some things in order for when the Huntsman returns tommorow and everything..."his words fell flat as he suddenly agnised the situtation that she was putting herself in."Rose,you might get caught here on the island.I have to stay here until they find more on Yang Jake...you have to leave."

"I can't."She told him with determination firmly established in her voice as she began to walk up more to him across the semi-mossy grass,though the shadows still covered her body."I have to tell you something about Yang Jake,something very important I haven't mentioned yet."

"You mean you have an idea how to stop him?"He inquired her raringly.

But she shook her head and as she moved out into what amount of light was still available,Jake found himself gaping at her in horror,the Hunts outfit she wore was ripped in certain places,one large swipe mark ran all the way down her chest and one side of her face was badly swollen,as well as other scraps and scratchs that were visible on face and the certain torn parts of her attire,she was walking with a slight limp in her right leg.

"It's alright."Rose tried to calm him down."I fought him but he got away."she had to pause to rest for a moment and then continued up to the outside of the holding ceil,continuing when she was only two feet from it."And no,it isn't how you can defeat him.I don't know how to."

Furrowing his brow,he pressed him gently."Then what it is?I told you at the very beginning,it wasn't a good idea to get involved and now look at what's happened."his anger suddenly surfaced,as he muttered under his breath to himself."I swear when I get out of here,I'm going to mur-"

"I know how Yang got out."Rose told him in a quiet voice and that having caused him to look up at her again,she sat down upon the hard but smooth rock surface that was outside crosslegged,but refusing to look into his eyes."And I know how he has a few of his new powers."

"Say what?"he spoke in a befuddled tone,not sure if he heard right."You just said...but no.You couldn't have just said...what are you saying?"

She didn't speak for a moment,which only added more heaviness to the stunned air around them,until finally as the land became shrouded in a thin grayness,the whole truth became pouring out slowly and even tortured."I was struggling to keep everything in order...am still struggling but I was getting so fed up.It was like...I wanted someone else to know what it was like to struggle with two different lifes.I..."her words faltered."I placed..."

"No."Jake felt his way up to the bars as he could now just make out her face as she still stared downwards,her blue eyes seemed lusterless and hollow,as he felt the grips of the most disheartened truth he had ever experienced come over him,except for the ski trip."How did you?"

"In you're Grandfather's shop,I placed that potion through a special kind of teleporting setting and used the same kind of method Yang uses to work through you on Spud to pick it up and take it with him..."her words were now growing fainter and less willing then she had when she first began."I never intended things to go this far but they have and I'm sorry."

Silence fell before them for a long time and as the darkness now covered them completely,the ultimate blow from the one person he thought was on his side cracked within his ego,all the times she had helped him became unclear and the bitter rememberance of the fact that they were destined to be enemies,that everyone had told him not trust her now seemed more touchable,made him want to hit himself in repetition.

His mind slowly adapted clearly on the fact that she had used him and at the same time wanted to help him understand that and the love he had for her prevented him from taking it all out in trying to attack her.Which he felt like he could,could but didn't.Didn't because he could never hurt her.

"I know no ones perfect,"He began heavily,trying his best to give her the benefit of the doubt."But why would you do something like this when you didn't know the side effects like this?I mean,unless you do know...Rose,"his words came out in an indecisive sigh."How could you?"

"Because I wanted someone else to go through what I was going through and things went too far,I wasn't in my right state of mind I guess."She told him through the nightfall,sounding strangely matter-of-fact."I have to go."

"So it's just like that?"Jake voiced up,accusion now rising in his voice.

"I wish it weren't,but it is."she replied back wearily and he sensed her as she got to her feet somewhat shakily."Anyways,I need to get home so I can rest and be ready for the Huntsman.I'll...see you around sometime."

"You're not leaving."Jake rebuked her,his temper now skyrocketing."No way am I gonna sit back and listen to you tell me this crud,just so you can go back home and forget about it.I...I just don't get you,Rose."his facial features reflected his frustration."When everyone else thinks I'm the dirty traitor,you really are.When you said you'd help me,you were really the-"

"What more is there to say,Jake!"She snapped at him;when she went on it was in a more controlled,levelheaded manner."It was a mistake never meant to hurt you or anyone with.You wanted to understand what it was like for me,so I thought this was a way...but it wasn't.So that's why I got my head together and tried my best to correct it.But this is where it has come to,I guess.Once evil,always evil.I suppose it's just the way I am."

"It's not who you have to be."Jake told her softly,now getting to feet also."And it's not the side of yourself you want to be,I can tell you much."

"I know what you're saying,Jake.But I just don't know anymore."

"Yes,you do."He went on more encouragingly,seeing the pattern of what had happened."I know you've been through a lot...a lot that I might never understand but we can work through this.Just like we did the times when we found out about each other.Isn't it obvious by now?Everyone is going through different things in their lifes,you're life can't be the worst of all."

"How do you know?"Rose asked him,her voice nearly inaudible but had a teary sound hinted in it."You didn't have to grow up where every single moment of you're life..."her volume rose to normality."Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere and I really need to go.I am sorry about this Jake."

"What will help is if you'll stay around this time so we can work through whatevers going on."He told in a final attempt to make her see,reaching out and taking her hand as she moved further away."I want you to know how much you mean to me but I also want to talk this out...please."

Their time together seemed to Jake like it was coming to a close,like after all those days of waiting and longing for her,they were being torn apart just when things were shaping up.He did still feel aggrieved with her but the fact that she had tried to help correct what she had done wrong and the deep compassion he felt for her would not let him loose their bond.

Through all they had been through,they had somehow found a way in the end.Why not now?As the sounds of someone approaching,him guessing it was someone from the council to possibly inform him whether or not he would have to have his memory erased,the predicament only grew.

Finally,after what seemed like forever,Rose squeezed his hand in return and told him in a whisper;so he had to strain a bit to hear."I don't deserve any of you're empathy but I do want you to know I have always kept faith in you.If anyone can stop Yang,"she turned to look at him and she let a smile cross her beautiful face,as he saw her more clearly for the first time with his dragon eyes."It's you,Jake.So take care of yourself."

He was about to say something else,when her smiled faded a little and the former Huntsgirl dissolved away in a brilliant flash of emerald,leaving Jake with his hand still outstretched and yet he brought it back in,knowing that only time would tell if things would ever be normal between them again.

"I'll keep faith in you to,Rose."he susurrated out wistfully into the star-studded,celestial ebonyish,navy night and stood up straighter as the other person came up to where he still stood,asking now the most crucial thing that was on his mind other then his own problems."Will G be alright,sir?"

To Be Continued...

A/N:Ironic how that turned out and just so everyone knows,I have been planning that plot twist since the beginning of the story.But this certainly isn't going to end soon,though updates may not be as often.ttyl.

LP