This is for the guest who asked for Jade seeing Six injured for the first time.
I do not own.
"Daddy, daddy, can I have cotton candy?" Eight year old Jade pointed at the candy on the counter.
Six looked down at his daughter. "We're having dinner soon." Jade's face fell. "But we can split one now." Jade's face lit up as Six purchased one of the cones laden with pink fluff. Six lowered the cone to Jade's face. Her head dove into the cloud. The corners of Six's mouth twitched into a bemused smile. "Okay, that's enough. Save some for me."
Jade pulled her face back. With her small hand, she pulled off some and offered it to her father. "Here daddy."
Six carefully picked the candy from her sticky hands and placed it in his mouth allowing it to dissolve. Jade tore a large piece and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Come on." Six took her sticky hand. "Time to go." Hand in hand they strolled out of the candy shop. After taking a few steps, Six paused. He looked around suspiciously. Jade was too preoccupied with her cotton candy to notice. A squeal of tires came from a car as it rounded the corner. Six suddenly scooped up his daughter and dashed through the street. Just behind him, a barrage of bullets hit where he and his daughter was a few seconds before.
"Daddy?" Jade asked.
"Not now." Six said sternly. Jade immediately became silent. He ducked behind a building. A car zipped past them. Placing Jade down on the ground, blades flew from his sleeves.
"Daddy, has to go work. Be a good girl and stay here. Mommy will come get you." Six told his daughter.
Jade nodded solemnly. "Okay, daddy. I love you."
Six placed his hand on her head for a moment and then was gone. Jade ate her cotton candy as she waited for her mother. She was not worried at all. She knew her father was invincible and nothing could ever hurt him. She waited and waited and waited. She was tempted to leave but her father told her to wait so she would wait. Her candy was long finished and the sun was going down. Her legs grew tired so she sat on the ground. She yawned and began to doze off.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled she swung her little arms.
"Woah there, sweetie. It's just me." It was her mother. Jade happily threw her arms around her mother's neck.
"Where's daddy?" She asked jovially. Her mother grew quiet. "Mommy?"
"Sweetie, daddy isn't feeling well right now." She said in a low voice.
"Will he be better soon?" Jade frowned. That couldn't be right. Her father was never sick.
"We hope so." Her mother held Jade away from her face so she could not see the tears. "Let's get you home."
When she got home, her mother cleaned her up. She told them they were having pizza for dinner. She was thrilled. They only had pizza on special occasions but for some reason neither of her siblings looked happy. A few hours later, Aunt Beverly came and their mother left. Jade loved Aunt Beverly. She was fun but tonight she didn't want to play games. So Jade tried to have fun by teasing Kenji. However, he didn't respond to her. It was no fun if she couldn't get a rise out of her brother. After a few more tries, she gave up. She went to find Jasmine.
"What's going on?" She asked puzzled. "Why is everyone acting so weird? Where's mommy and daddy?"
Jasmine bit her lip. Jade frowned. "I know that look. What aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing." Jasmine gulped.
"You're a terrible liar." Jade snapped. "Now tell me."
"No, I promised. I can't." Jasmine whimpered.
Jade pounced on her. "Tell me!"
"No! No! No!" Jasmine cried.
The noise brought Beverly into the room. "Hey, is everything all right?"
"No! Jasmine's not telling me what's going on!" Jade fumed.
Beverly pulled Jade off her sister. "That's not nice. Now get to bed."
"I want to know what's going on now!" Jade demanded.
"In the morning. It's past your bedtime." Beverly said firmly.
"I'm not going to bed until mommy or daddy comes home." Jade crossed her arms stubbornly.
Beverly sighed. She looked at the defiant little girl. "Let me call your mother."
A few minutes later, she handed the phone to Jade.
"Jade," Her mother said crossly. "Don't give your Aunt Beverly a hard time. Go to bed, now."
"But mommy…" Jade whined.
"No buts! Go to bed now. I'll be home in the morning. Unless you want a big time out when I get home, listen to your aunt." Her mother hung up.
Jade in her fury threw the phone across the room but she stomped upstairs and flopped onto her bed. Beverly shut off the lights.
When Jade was sure that everyone was asleep she snuck downstairs. Using the memory on the phone she saw that the last call was from Providence base. Her parents must be at Providence. How was she going to get there? She went to the garage. Her father's jet plane was still there. She climbed in. She had watched him do this a million times. Punching a few buttons, she started the jet. A few more buttons later the plane was set to automatically head towards Providence.
0o0
When the plane landed, the Providence soldiers were surprised to see an 8-year old climb out of the cockpit.
"Where's my daddy?" She demanded to the nearest soldier ignoring that he had a very large rifle.
"This must be Six's kid." One whispered to another.
Jade heard her father's name. "Where is he?"
"Jade! What on earth are you doing here?" Her mother came running in. Jade was surprised to see how disheveled she looked.
"Where's daddy?" She demanded.
"Did you come here by yourself?" Her mother was still in disbelief.
"Where's daddy?" Jade was starting to get upset. She wanted to see her father now.
Holiday sighed. She picked her daughter up to calm her down. "Daddy's recovering right now. He was hurt."
Jade pushed back. It can't be true. Her father could never get hurt. She twisted out of her mother's arms and ran. Ignoring her mother's cries, she ran from the hangar onto the base. She ran through the corridors plunging headlong not knowing where she was going. In her little mind all she knew was that daddy had to be somewhere around there. It was then that she ran into Rex.
"Lemme go! Lemme go! I want daddy!" She pounded on her uncle. Rex held her firmly but gently. He didn't let her go. She kicked him, punched him, bit him, and wailed at him. She shouted childish insults and threats at him. He took it all quietly waiting for her energy to be spent. She finally broke down into tears.
Her mother showed up panting. "Oh Rex, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. Jade's a little upset but I think she's better now." Rex said calmly.
Holiday picked up Jade who was now bawling.
"Please, can I see daddy?" She said in between sobs.
"Calm down sweetie. Just breathe. I promise we'll go see daddy." She said soothingly.
Jade did her best to compose herself. When she did, Holiday carried her to the medical ward. Jade couldn't believe her eyes. Lying very still in the bed was her father. Wires and tubes stuck out everywhere.
"Daddy?" Jade was frightened.
"Daddy's… sleeping." Her mother said.
"When is going to wake up?" Jade asked.
"I don't know." Holiday replied tiredly. "We just have to wait."
"I want to wait here." Jade tried wiggle out of her mother's arms.
"No sweetie. This is no place for a child." Holiday said.
"Please mommy. I want to stay." Jade pleaded.
Rebecca looked into the tear-filled eyes of her daughter. "You can stay for a few minutes. Then Uncle Rex is taking you home."
"Okay." Jade agreed as her mother lowered her to the ground. She scrambled to her father's side. "Daddy, it's me Jade. Wake up, okay?" She waited but got no answer. "I'm sorry I ate all the cotton candy. I promise to give you half next time." There was still no answer. "Daddy?"
"Okay, sweetie. It's time to go home." Rebecca touched her daughter's shoulder. Jade sadly let her mother lead her to the door. Looking back at her father, she mouthed, "I love you."
She sat silently as Rex took her home. When they arrived home, Rex carried her to her room. He placed her carefully in her bed and pulled the covers over her.
"Uncle Rex?" She said in a small voice.
"Hmm?" Rex was halfway out of the room.
"I'm sorry I hit you." She said.
Rex gave her a half smile. "It's okay. I'm a lot tougher than I look. Good night, munchkin."
"Good night." Jade's eyes drooped closed.
0o0
When the light streamed into the room, Jade started to stir. She squinted her eyes trying to adjust to the brightness.
"Jade! It's mommy! Daddy's awake!" Jasmine came in excitedly.
Jade bolted up. Jumping out of her bed, she ran down the stairs. Kenji was on the phone. "She's right here." He handed the phone to Jade.
"Hello?" She answered hesitantly.
"Jade." It was her father's voice, a little raspy but unmistakable.
"Daddy!" Jade tried not to cry but a lump started to develop in her throat. "Daddy, come home!"
"I will soon." He said. "But I want you to listen carefully to me."
"Okay." Jade said apprehensively. She wondered if he was upset with her.
"I want you to remember that I'm still human. I can get hurt but I promise to the best of my ability I will always come home." He said.
"Promise?" Jade asked.
"As far as it's up to me…" He said.
"I love you, daddy." Jade said in a whisper.
"Back at you." Six answered. "See you soon. Put Aunt Beverly on."
Jade handed the phone to her aunt. When Beverly grasped the receiver, Jade ran to the treehouse. Climbing up, she sat in her spot. Pulling her knees in, she stared at the wall opposite her without really seeing it. Her father said he was human. He said he could get hurt. She closed her eyes. When she opened them, there was a determined look in them. "I'm going to help you daddy. I'm going to train hard and watch your back. That way, I know you will come home." She got up and climbed down the treehouse. She went back into the house. Everyone was too busy with their respective activities to notice that she walked into her father's office. There on a stand was her father's katana, his original weapon. She reached her hand out and touched the hilt before pulling back, looking around guiltily. She half expected her father to come in and berate her. No one touches his katana. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the hilt again and pulled it out of its sheath. Staring at her reflection in the shiny surface, she grinned. It was just the beginning.
I always pictured Jade wanting to be just like her father. She wants to protect and fight for what is right. The shock of seeing that her father can get hurt solidified her determination to be a great swordswoman so that one day she can fight with him.
I'm sorry if you wanted a story where Jade sees her father getting hurt but I can't see her sitting still like Jasmine did in my other story. Because I'm sure she would have busted out and tried to defend her father no matter what the odds. She has a little of his original impulsiveness (as shown in Six Minus Six). Hope you liked it.