Anyone looking for Xiaolin Showdown screen caps? Click on my homepage in my bio. I warn you, I don't have too many yet, and most of 'em are of Jack and/or Kimiko (and Omi too, 'cause I just love that little cheeseball!), so don't be surprised or anything.

Oh, and FYI, I was in a hurry to get this out, so there may be more typos than usual.

Chapter VII - Red Handed

Soundtrack / Inspiration:

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
99.9F - Suzanne Vega
Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

Pale as a candle
And your face is hot
And if I touch you
I might get what you've got
You seem to me
Like a man
On the verge of running
99.9 Fahrenheit degrees

99.9F - Suzanne Vega

Papa!

Kimiko's hands unconsciously squeezed into fists. . .

. . .only, she'd forgotten to let go of Jack's fingers in the process.

As expected, he let out a screech of pain. The sound instantly caught her attention, and before he could even finish, her palm crashed down onto his mouth, muffling the rest of his scream.

"Shhh!" she whispered too loudly to really be whispering anyway. Jack continued to whimper under her restraining clamp, and yelped as she yanked him across the tiled floor towards the shower stall. Even as he began to squirm in her grasp, she only tightened her grip as she flung open the opaque stall door and, unceremoniously, shoved him inside.

"Get in there and KEEP QUIET!" she hissed in that same not-really-a-whisper voice.

"Kimiko, are you in here. . .?"

The bathroom door opened just as the shower door slammed shut. Kimiko spun around so fast, she nearly toppled over.

"Papa! What a pleasant surprise!"

Her smile was so squeaky clean, it sparkled. Mr. Tohomiko blinked.

"Kimiko. . .I thought I heard something strange just now. . .," he trailed off.

"Must've imagined it Papa," Kimiko was quick to provide an answer. Then, as an after thought, "It wouldn't be the first time."

He blinked a few more times, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"Ehehehe, yes, I suppose so. . .wait."

She froze.

Dear god he knows Jack's here!

My life is over!

"Kimiko, what is the first aid kit doing out? Did you hurt yourself?"

The Japanese girl stared at the kit as if seeing it for the first time. Then a light bulb went off inside her head.

"Oh! Yeah, clumsy me! I tripped and. . .uh. . .and scrapped my elbow! Yeah, and I needed a band-aid and I couldn't find one so I thought I'd air out the ol' first aid kit and wouldn't you know it there wasn't even a band-aid in there either! Some rip off, huh?"

Mr. Tohomiko blinked again.

". . .uh, yes, I suppose. Do you need me to find you one?"

"One what?"

"One band-aid. . .?"

"Oh. Oh no! No, that's fine Papa, I uh. . .I don't need one anymore. But thanks anyway!"

"I see. . .Kimiko, are you sure you're alright?"

She smiled harder.

"Of course Papa! Whatever makes you think I'm not alright?"

"You seem quite flustered. Your cheeks are bright red. . ."

Figures. Stupid Jack.

"Well, I-I. . .I just wasn't expecting you home this early!"

And before he could even ask what she was doing there in the first place, Kimiko crossed the floor, took him by the shoulders, and began steering him out of the room.

"Anyways Papa, I've got to take a shower and all that girly stuff, you know how it is."

Just as she'd gotten him through the doorway, a loud sneeze resounded behind her.

"What was that?" Mr. Tohomiko asked, his face more alarmed then his voice.

"NOTHING! Bye Papa!"

With that, Kimiko slammed the door in her father's face. She leaned against it, listening for any movement on the other side. She relaxed when she heard footsteps walking away, and slumped against the wooden frame, sighing in great relief. It was only when she cautiously made sure her Papa really had gone that she actually returned to the shower stall.

The minute she opened the door, he was in her face, pointing a finger at her nose.

"You are crazy woman! You could've shattered my one good hand, and than I'd have to rely on someone to feed me for a month! And what's the big idea, cramming me into a small space like that! You know I'm claustrophobic! Cripes!"

Unpleased, Kimiko pinched his cheek and pulled. Hard.

"You should be groveling at my feet right now! Do you have any idea what Papa would have done if he had discovered a man who was an accomplice of PandaBubba putting the moves on his daughter in his own house!"

. . .so what if she was exaggerating a little (a lot)? Jack didn't have to know that.

"Ow ow ow! Hey cut it out!" he slapped her hand away. "Wait. Putting the. . .what are you talking about?"

"You just tried to kiss me!"

"I did not!" he flat out denied, his expression somewhere between a scowl and a pout.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

This went on for about 5 five minutes, until Jack tried a new tactic.

"Hey, princess, did ya ever stop to think maybe it was you that tried to kiss me?"

It worked; she looked absolutely scandalized.

"I did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

Another 5 minutes went by before Jack threw up his hands.

"Forget this! I'm outta here."

He began marching towards the exit.

"Jack."

Her voice, now calm and collected, stopped him. He pivoted around.

"What?"

"I'll see you around."

His indignation instantly faded. In a rare moment of clarity, he knew exactly what she was really saying.

From now on, we're friends.

And he hated himself for actually being excited by the prospect.

Damn her and her womanly mood swings.

Taking a step back from the door, he voiced his hesitation.

"Kimiko. . .think about what you're saying. . ."

"I've already thought about it, Jack."

He stared at her long and hard, and instead of backing down, she only stared right back.

Damn again.

"I'm not so sure you have," he desperately searched for something to say that would break her resolve, "I. . .I just tried to kiss you remember?"

"I remember."

His lips became a thin line.

"So I can't guarantee it won't happen again."

"That's what my knee is for."

He winced, and turned so he was facing her head on.

"Dammit Kimiko! We've been enemies for the past five years, and you think we can just suddenly be friends, just like that?"

"That's exactly what I think."

His jaw hit the floor, and it was all she could do to keep from giggling.

"People change, Jack," she tried to explain herself as best she could. Then she smiled and said, "Besides, since the Shen Gong Wu have all been deactivated, and you've now been deemed neutral, I don't see any reason why we can't get along."

"Oh how convenient Kimiko," his voice was full of sarcasm, and it made her smile disappear. "You're forgetting my plot for world domination. That hasn't changed a bit. Guess that whole 'neutral' thing doesn't really work out then, huh?"

Her glower was enough to burn a hole right between his eyes.

Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say. . .

"Look, you don't wanna be my friend, ok Kimiko? There's a reason I don't have any," he validated, hoping she'd get the picture.

Her sudden movement caught him off guard, and before he knew it, she was standing before him and pointing a finger to his chest.

"Don't tell me what I do and do not want, Jack Spicer," she ground out through gritted teeth. "The fact of the matter is, you need human contact in your life, whether you want to admit it or not. If I have to force you to hang out with me, I will, and don't you think for one minute I couldn't do it. It's like I already told you, I'm not letting you give up. Not this time."

He gaped at her, allowing her words to slowly sink in.

So there was no escaping her, was there?

Well if that was true, he'd just have to make the best of the situation. Which he wasn't very good at doing, but he'd try. For her sake.

"You make it sound like I need to be saved or something," he mumbled, putting some space between their bodies. Her soft scent of lavender was starting to make him feel dizzy, and not in a bad way either.

"Maybe you do," she countered, with no venom in her tone, "I suppose time will tell."

"Right."

He started to move towards the door again, and just as he grabbed the door knob, she laid her hand on top of his, stopping him once more.

"Not that way. My dad might still be around. You'll have to go out the window."

He stuck out his chin and grumbled to keep his mind off of his increasing heart rate.

Stupid girls and their intoxicating perfumes.

Actually getting through the window was more of a chore than it looked, since it was small and he had to practically squeeze through it. Plus, they were on the second floor, which meant he'd have to climb down the lattice. What a pain in the-

"Jack."

One leg in and one leg out, he ducked back around to give her an irritated glare.

"What is it now?"

"I'll see you around," she repeated her earlier farewell, grinning playfully. He huffed, and managed to muster a weak smile in return.

"Yeah. See ya around, Kimiko."