Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness…"—Euripides

Chapter 2 ~ I'll Come With You

Something just didn't feel right inside Cole as he watched Jay vanish behind the door leading into the Bounty. There was a strange prick in his chest—maybe an ache—at seeing his friend's departure. Jay had smiled, and told him he'd keep true to his word. Their friendship would not suffer because of Nya, but in spite of that, Cole had searched those blue eyes and saw the sadness and melancholy that Nya's decision had caused.

No matter what, though…someone was going to get hurt.

Cole frowned in thought. If the tables had been turned…how hurt would he have gotten? He wasn't sure frankly. He liked Nya, sure, but…he didn't love her… Not the way Jay did. Cole tried to analyze exactly what he was feeling at the moment. Besides the strange ache in his chest, he felt…normal. Not content, exactly, for he felt no elation at hearing Nya's words. No relief, no new-found adoration, no rapture—just…normal.

If he was truly honest with himself, he had been more concerned for Jay at the time…and still was.

"Cole…?"

Cole's circumspective gaze left the door and fixed on Nya. "Are you okay?" She asked gently, her brown eyes dark with concern.

Cole made an effort to smile in reassurance, but let it drop once he realized it would prove false. "I'm just…a little concerned about Jay," he stated honestly, and it was Nya who gave him a reassuring grin.

"He'll be okay. He actually took it better than I thought he would."

Cole frowned. What did she mean by that? Couldn't she see how hurt he was? It made Cole wonder how well Nya actually knew Jay. The ache in Cole's chest was becoming a throb, he really needed to move. He was started to feel downright uncomfortable.

"Cole…?" The earth ninja's attention had unconsciously strayed to the door, but he looked down to Nya and saw her move closer to him. Her smile was warm as well as her touch to his arm, and her face was slowly inching closer to his.

What the… Really…?

"Nya, wait," Cole said. His tone was a little harsher than he intended, but it got her to stop her advance instantly. He regarded her with an air of calm and seriousness. "I would like to take things slow with you. I want to really get to know you, and find out who you are."

She looked slightly taken aback. "But Cole, you know who I am," she argued. "We've known each other for years now."

Cole's frown deepened. All of them have been in the company of the other for—yes, in fact—years, but people can live in the same space together without knowing the other. And that's what his relationship had been with Nya. At the beginning, he had simply known her as Kai's younger sister, and barely acknowledged her existence. It wasn't until after she had revealed herself as Samurai X that she became more than just "Kai's younger sister", and he had wished he had a—"cool sister like her…" But even after that, he had only accrued the vaguest information about her. He knew minimal, surface stuff, that's it.

Again, it made him wonder… Why did he act the way he did in New Ninjago City? He never had any prior feelings or attraction towards Nya. He never really interacted with her, never had any meaningful conversations. She simply approached him with her own feelings, and like a flip of a switch, he was fixated on the prospect of being with her. He asked no questions as to why Jay wasn't with her, or even if they were still together. He was so unlike himself, so inconsiderate. He had showed absolutely no concern for Jay's feelings, and who was once a dear friend and brother…became nothing more than a bitter rival.

Cole shuddered in disgust with himself. He had been taught better than that. Long before he met Jay and the others, he had been taught better than that. What kind of friend was I…? Despicable…

If they had had more time, Cole would've hugged Jay during their match at the Elemental Tournament.

Cole closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. When he reopened them, Nya was staring at him with a fair amount of vexation. "Nya, the only things I can really say for sure that I know about you is that your favorite color is blue, and that you're a very good inventor like Jay. I don't know your hobbies. I don't know your likes and dislikes." Cole shrugged. "I don't even know when your birthday is. I haven't exactly been digging around for information like that because you weren't especially close to me."

Nya's eyes widened incredulously, but Cole tried to calm her by taking both her hands in his. "Kai knows you because he's your brother, and Jay knows you because he was your boyfriend, but as for me, Zane, and Lloyd?" Cole shook his head. "All of us together could probably jot down what we know about you on a single piece of paper. But that can change, if you're willing to start over with me?"

Cole was willing to try at least, and from the bright smile Nya gave him, she was too.

"Okay," she nodded. "My birthday is December 12th."

Cole smiled. "And mine is April 23rd."

Only time will tell if this relationship between them would work or not. Cole released her hands and nodded towards the door. "I'm gonna go inside to take a shower. See ya, okay?"

"Okay, I'm going to stay out here for a bit. It's pretty nice… Will you join me later?" She looked hopefully up at him and Cole found himself actually having to think before he gave his answer.

"Hmm… Yeah, if you're still out here when I come back. I need to discuss something with Jay first."

After his shower, Cole just really wanted to make sure his best friend was okay. With a course of action planned out in his head, he was figuratively itching to get going now. So much, in fact, that he barely registered Nya's small "Okay" before he was off and jogging for the door.

Cole slipped inside the access and instantly breathed easier, relishing the cooler climate inside. He made a beeline for his room, but was suddenly stopped by Kai calling his name.

"Hey Cole!" The fire ninja walked up to him with the Bounty's mobile phone is his hand, his expression a little vexed. "Could you give this to Jay? It's his mom…I think. I gotta find Lloyd."

"Oh…uh…sure. Alright." Cole was perplexed, but took the offered phone anyway and made for Jay's room which was just a few doors down from his.

He knocked, and immediately heard rustling coming from the inside. "H-Hold on a sec!" Jay's voice yelped from behind the door, and Cole only had to wait another moment before the door was flung open, revealing a very wet and dripping, towel-wearing Jay. "Cole? What is it? I just got out the shower."

Cole was a little envious to Jay's freshness and wanted to take his own shower before coming to talk to him, so he quickly apologized and held out the phone for Jay to take. "Sorry, but it's your mom…" And remembering what Kai said, he added, "…I think."

Jay used a hand to push back his drenched bangs and cocked his scarred eyebrow at the other. "You think?" He asked suspiciously, but nevertheless, took the phone and held it up to his ear. "Well, um…thanks. Hello? Mom?" Cole observed Jay's brow scrunch in confusion. "Wait Mom—hold up… Why are you talking in…?"

Jay's expression kept its bafflement even as he easily slipped into his native tongue of Norwegian. And if anything, his face became darker and more unpleasant as more words were said. Cole stayed rooted to the spot, momentarily derailed from his one-stop route to his shower, and instead listened to Jay's conversation with his mother. Given, he didn't understand a single word of Norwegian, but he could read facial expressions and decipher speech patterns just fine. And if Jay was one thing, he was a very expressive person.

Deep blue eyes darted somewhere down and off to Cole's right as baby pink lips worked rapidly, frantically to eject foreign words into the receiver. A sharp intake of breath had Jay's chest heaving in stress and anxiety, and lastly the widening of those expressive sapphires, led to a once fair and supple complexion to turn pale and insipid.

Cole stared. "Jay…?" The Master of Lightning had stopped his hurried speech, and Cole's keen hearing picked up on the long drone of a dial tone from the phone. Did Jay's mother just…hang up on him? "Jay…?" He called again. Jay did nothing but stand there with the most stupefying look on his face before he shook his head once, spraying a crown of droplets, and started muttering to himself.

"Impossible… It can't be true…" He then hastily backed away from the doorway and into his room. Instinctively, Cole followed, not caring if he had permission or not. He had seen Jay panic-stricken before, but something about this time alarmed him immensely.

"Jay, what is it? What can't be true?" But Cole's bewildering inquiry fell on deaf ears as Jay simply grabbed another towel and started roughly drying his hair.

"Gotta go… Gotta get back there…"

Frowning, Cole had enough. He strode right up to Jay, ripped the towel from his hands, and grabbed both his shoulders. "What. Is it." Cole demanded, effectively locking his concerned greens with Jay's consternated blues. "Tell me what's wrong, Jay!"

Jay's breathing gradually got less sporadic, but his distressed dismay, unfortunately, remained intact. "My parents, Cole," Jay uttered in disbelief. "They're…they're getting a divorce."

Cole let his jaw drop. Inconceivable! Ed and Edna? Jay's old-worldly parents were separating? But how? Why? They always seemed so happy and so in tuned with each other. It just didn't make a lick of sense! Cole could barely swallow at seeing Jay's anguish. He not only sympathized with Jay, but empathized with him too.

Cole knew his next words would have to count, but before he could utter a single syllable, Jay stepped out of his grasp. "I have to go back there." Jay shuffled quickly over to his closet and took out a duffel bag. "I need to find out exactly what happened. Maybe I can fix it."

Go back? To fix it? Cole shook his head. Jay's "positive thinking" was more than a little futile this time, it was positively hopeless. When two people fall out of love, there's nothing anybody can say or do to make them stay together. Cole knew, because he tried the same thing. A long time ago.

"Jay…ah…" The blue ninja was already moving from dresser to closet, throwing clothes in—or in the direction of—his duffel bag. Cole bit his lip, knowing that his input could have negative effects, but he pushed forward. "Jay…sometimes things are out of your control. Love isn't something that can be… "fixed"."

"I have to try, Cole. I'd never be able to forgive myself if I just did nothing," Jay argued. He marched into his bathroom and gathered his toiletries. "Plus, I don't know the whole story. Mom was too…distressed to tell me everything."

Cole continued to watch Jay pack some clothes and other essentials, understanding his plight. And it's funny that he didn't have to think this time before he said his next words. "Then I'll come with you."

Jay paused in zipping up his bag, his face slack-jawed as he stared at Cole incredulously. "What? Why? These are my parents. This has nothing to do with you," he rebuffed logically, but Cole stood firm in his decision.

"True, but I still feel that you shouldn't face something like this alone. I want to come with you, Jay."

Jay stared at Cole, dumbstruck. But Cole knew in his heart that he wanted to be there for Jay in any way he could, and being by his side in this time of strife was what true friendship was all about. Cole was just about to state more of his resolve, when he saw Jay's cheeks redden slightly.

"Uh…I…um…. Well…that is…uh…" Cole smiled at Jay's loss of words and sudden meekness. There was definitely a first time for everything. After a little more tripping over himself, blue finally met green, and Jay returned a gracious smile to his friend. "Thanks, Cole. I really appreciate, but…" Trepidation creased his brow. "I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Won't that bother you?"

Cole waved him off, grinning. "Why would that bother me? I know you'd do the same for me. Just give me ten minutes, okay?"

Jay's face was still a bit red, but he nodded anyway. "Okay…if you're sure…"

"'Course I'm sure. I'll be ready in a sec." Cole backed out of Jay's room and made it to his in a few quick strides. He took a record-breaking shower and like Jay, shuffled about his room in nothing but a towel throwing clothes and toiletries in his duffel bag. Just to be on the safe side, Cole packed enough garments and undergarments to last a week, and hastily threw on one of his older ninja suits before rushing for the door.

He threw open the access just to see Nya with her fist raised, preparing to knock. She glanced at him worriedly and eyed the duffel bag slung over his shoulder. "Cole, what's going on? Jay just shot passed me without a word."

Cole had to hurry. "Yeah, something happened with his parents, and it's pretty serious."

Nya's face turned stricken. "Jay's parents? Goodness, they're not hurt, are they?" She asked fretfully, and Cole shook his head.

"No, nothing like that, but…" Cole rubbed the back of his head, his hair was still thoroughly damp, but he had no time to worry about that now. "Sorry, Nya, but only Jay can tell you if he wishes to. It's kinda private."

Nya looked skeptical, her hand resting on a hip. "But he told you," she pointed out, but Cole frowned at her reasoning.

"Listen, just inform everyone that Jay and I are headed for the Sea of Sand, because of familial reasons, and that we'll contact the Bounty once we've settled in."

Cole then moved to step around Nya. "Wait," she called, touching his arm, and he looked back at her with furrowed brows, "you're going with him?"

Cole resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. "Yes, Nya," he said with as much patience as he could muster. "Jay's my best friend, and I want to be there for him."

"No, I wasn't going to discourage your involvement, Cole." Nya grinned a small imperceptible grin. "I understand that the two of you are close. Look after Jay. I'll go and tell the others."

Losing his impatience with his new girlfriend, Cole smiled and touched Nya's shoulder in gratitude. "Thanks, bye."

Once Cole was back out on the deck, he spotted Jay already in the sky on his Elemental Dragon and rushed to join him by summoning his. Now aloft, Cole saddled up next to Jay. "Sorry, got a little side-tracked by Nya."

Blue eyes looked distractedly at Cole as if surprised to see him there and quickly shook his head. "Uh no…umm… You ready?"

Cole blinked, but nodded and the two were soon off, headed back towards the mainland. Their destination, the Sea of Sand.

Though they both wore hoods, the worry in Jay's eyes was ever apparent as Cole eyed him from the side, and he sent up a silent prayer to a higher power that no matter what awaited them at Jay's childhood home, they would get through it together.

I'm here for you, Jay.

Cole noticed that the mysterious ache in his chest was gradually ebbing away.

Author's Note: I used VelvetPersona's interpretation of the Ninja: ages, birthdays, nationalities, eye colors, etc. Makes it extremely easy for me to write. Please leave your thoughts!