Nearly a week after Yang's defeat...

Jake sat perched upon one of the tallest structures in New York,which was the Empire State Building.Not for any particular reason but just having a bird's eye view of the city at the moment was giving him some peace of mind,giving him a feeling of preponderance over the large metropolis.It suited him to get away from it all,even if most things that had once been threatened to be taken from him forever,were returing or had so to normal.

All had been forgiven between him and the Dragon Council,who had offered to make it up to him for not trusting his word on the matter of him having an evil doppleganger,but he in turn merely declined.Laoshi and himself had made a full recovery and even though the Council still wanted to make the arrangements for the two to move up in ranks,they had agreed it would be for the best to keep up the routine in which they were already well accustomed to.So things between him and his elders,as well as most of his close friends had been made patched up.Except for one,one he wished he could figure out.

They said that they didn't know how I had wound up in the hospital room,that I had,just turned up in my human form lying on a bed and the staff did the rest.He let the same,unremitting thoughts tumble through his mind,as he swished his tail slightly from side to side,his lepidote back pressed against one of the hard walls.How can I be sure if it was her or not?I looked into those eyes of hers before fainting,I-

"You look kind of lonesome up here all by yourself,want some company?"A meek and somewhat quiet voice inquired him from over some feet away,which made him turn to see Rose standing not far and much to his relief not clad in her Huntsclan apparel but it didn't surprise him to find her holding the Hunts staff in her hand,which she put down.

But to her reply,he only shrugged his shoulders as if he weren't bothered."I guess so."

She began to step forward,taking in Jake as she did,most of his wounds were healed and that pleased her immensely to even see him standing after the rough beating he had taken not too long ago.Her own inflictions had recovered quite nicely,only very light red marks remained on her chest and mild bruising remained on the side of her face.But the real scars weren't even visible to the naked eye,the ones she still felt she had caused.

Jake watched from the corner of his ebony eyes as she made her way over to him but with slow steps and kept a respectful distance from him as she turned to look out at the wide range of buildings that varied in size and the electric blue sky that sprawled without so much as a puff of cloud in it at all.It felt like the first time Rose had ever mentioned to him about the side of herself that she had had to fight to keep back,a side of herself she had tried to explain to him and in the end showed him.Whether it was too much or less.

"The Huntsman,"He finally spoke up steadily,deliberately opposed to what the two of them were thinking and feeling."I haven't heard anything on him since you told me about him returning Monday,is he planning on striking anytime soon or just biding his time?"

She moaned in exasperation of such an off-topic question but didn't argue with him on what they really needed to discuss,and yet he still kept from looking at her."He's almost got everything in place to go after the next skull but he won't tell me or those other two anything until tommorw at the latest;I guess a part of him still doesn't trust me after all."

The silence between them extended into an even longer length of time this time and even as Jake tried putting off trying to think about it,he found himself examining the situtation more closely,her presence aiding his musing.She and he were different,bottom line.As any two teenagers in love would be.Suddenly,it just came to him the message she had been sending...it was that of sharing.Rose had only wanted him to understand her more and showing must have seemed to be a better way then saying,she had exposed a side of Jake to himself more thoroughly,a side in which he had never bothered to try and see.

"Jake,"Rose finally said with a hint of desperation in her voice."I really-"

"Want to thank you."he cut her off,turning to look her in the eyes solemnly.

Rose only stood there staring into his,locking into their shadowy depths."For what?"

"What'd you mean 'for what',isn't it obvious?"He smiled a bit and explained calmly."For everything,even though things didn't go way they could have,maybe it was kind of right."

But she only shook her head at that."You nearly died because of my actions,"she avered in a saddened tone,clearly not allowing herself to accept his final decision in the entire matter;gratitude,as she turned to lean her own back against the wall."I thought I could come here today and have the nerve to talk this through with you but...I don't."

Jake thought for a moment and then asked her with meaningful evasiveness."You told me you did all of this to help me understand what you were going through better,right?"

"Right."

"And those were completely your intentions.Nothing besides them,right?"

She gave an odd look,the corner of her lips starting to go up."Are you going somewhere with this Jake or are you just playing a game so I'll stick around a little while longer?"

"Both."Jake admitted grinningly but turned serious."The point is,what's happened has happened between us and it isn't ever going to change but isn't it obvious?People make mistakes and yet that doesn't mean they'll always be outcasted by the people in their lifes,"he saw her divert her cerulean eyes to the ground and reached over to slip a claw gently under her chin,raising her face to meet his by the time he had gotten a chance to shift down to normal,until their lips where mere inches apart."At least not by everyone."

Rose allowed a small peck,before she fell into his arms and the two held each other in such a tight embrace it felt as though the world might cease to turn or just fall off of it's axis altogether.The time that had been between them where they hadn't fully understood the other one's inner feelings coupled with the anxiousty of their weekly seperation at that moment dissolved away.Even if they were found out by the Huntsclan in that one solitary moment,even though they both knew they were going to have to end their show of compassion for one another and reunite on the battle field as ones who despised one another,nothing mattered more to them at this moment,for faithfully together they stood.

"By the way,how'd you find me up here anyways?"he inquired her curiously.

"I used one of the Dragon Scale Cell Sensor balls I have.Do you still have yours?"

"Oh yeah."Jake laughed a little nervously,knowing it was a white lie."I sure do have it."

"Jake."Rose whispered into his ear,her voice as soft as rose pedals.

"Yes?"Jake whispered back,hopefullness hinted in his own;with something in mind.

"How did it work for you when you used it to track down Yang?"

He pulled away from her just a little,color rushing to his visage."Uh...great!Really great."

"Great."a playful smile crossed her puce lips."Because your paying me for losing it."

"Aw man..."

The End.

LP