Jack walked across town, his head hanging as he looked down at his feet. He hadn't really wanted to leave, but at the same time he didn't like Angel trying him so. He knew where he was headed as he walked, and so continued on his way, deciding it would give things enough time to simmer down until he got back.

As he put one foot in front of the other though, he somehow couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to that of Angel. How she had kissed him the night before, and with this thought he reached up and touched his lips with his fingertips. He remembered the tingle he had felt from the moment, and without warning, a smile formed on his mouth. However, the glee of the reminiscing suddenly went awry when the feeling changed to that of a chill and an undeniable familiar sensation he knew he had experienced before. Closing his eyes, he waited for the moment to pass and upon opening them again, he stared up at Wuya who now floated in front of him.

"Wuya," he stated not amused, "How did I know, and you know I hate it when you do that to me." He referred to her passing through his body.

"Jack," she hissed at him, "Aren't you concerned in the least about getting home?"

"Well," he brought his hand up to his chin, "At first I was, but now…I'm just not so sure." He shook his head. Wuya only stared at him skeptical, "And you are willing to give up everything for a mere girl?"

"What exactly do you mean by everything?" he asked, "The way I see it Wuya… I'm just simply giving up your control over me."

"What!?" she rattled, "What is that supposed to mean!?"

"No explanation needed." He told her and then continued on down the sidewalk. Before long, she was floating beside him still pressing, "Insolent boy, you can't just walk away, what about everything else!?"

"Not my problem anymore." He passed it off, "Now…if you don't mind…stop following me. I don't really want to be known as the freak with the ghost following him around."

"Jack!" she screeched out at him and moved in front of him. He stopped so not to pass through her and feel that horrible feeling again. Her eyes, which oddly matched the goggles he wore, stared him down, "I have a fresh new plan now. If you just come with me… I'll be more than willing to share the glory with you." She bribed.

"Wuya," he looked at her, "Not to say it isn't tempting, but at the moment I am predisposed with other things. Now," he walked around her, "Excuse me."

"You foolish boy," she stated as he continued on, "Do you honestly think that girl will like you when she sees how you really are, a whiney, prissy little fool! When you begin to cause her the same headache you have caused me… she will throw you to the side."

"Just as you have done before." He shot back as he turned. Going over, he attempted to poke at her, though he knew it would do no good, "You know Wuya you're not helping by making her see things either. I suggest you lay off."

Shocked, the ghost woman's mouth fell open, "You good for nothing imp! Is that a threat!?"

"Hmmm…" he once again pondered, "Maybe it is. Leave me alone Wuya. When I get ready to go home, I will go home and I won't need help from you to do it. For now, I just want to get my clothes I left and fix my heli-pack"

"Very well then," she hissed lowly as he once again walked off, "But as you will soon see… it's not a choice." Just as quickly as she had come, the purple apparition disappeared once again, leaving Jack alone just as he had requested.

Up in the darkened chambers of the mysterious cat woman, Wuya soon appeared and without even getting a word out of her mouth, the cat woman spoke, "I see he's going to need a little convincing."

"It would appear so." Wuya replied, "But it shouldn't be too hard… Jack is very fickle."

"Perhaps," the woman laughed, "But then again the boy is in love. Some say," she grinned fiendishly though Wuya couldn't see it due to her back facing out, "Some say love can conquer all, but… if we play the right cards, I think we can both get what we want."

"Persuasion," Wuya asked with a cackle.

"Persuasion," the woman turned now, her face glowing fiercely within the dim light, "Persuasion of the roughest kind… the kind," she curled her nailed fingers into a tight fist, "That will bring him to his knees."

"I like it," Wuya agreed, "I like it very much." She replied as both of them began to laugh evilly about the fact.

Stepping up onto the porch of Trent's house, Jack pointed his finger, pushed the doorbell and then waited. He stood there looking for a moment at his surroundings until the door finally opened and Trent peered out at him. Jack merely grinned at Trent and brought his fingers up into a wave as he informed, "Hello, I was just returning to pick up my things I left here."

"Oh, uhm, sure." Trent opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Jack into the house. As he closed the door once again, Trent told him, "Let me get my mom, she probably knows where they're at."

Jack's head nodded as Trent then left the room to go and find his mother. As he stood looking around the house once again, his eyes were quickly distracted to that of Raimundo coming down the hallway. Deciding he didn't want to be seen, Jack tried to take a few steps back to be out of sight, but Raimundo caught a glimpse of him just as his red hair disappeared around the corner. Before even coming completely around the hallway corner, Raimundo asked aloud, "Why are you trying to hide Spicer? I already saw you."

"I wasn't trying to hide," Jack lied as he stared up at some pictures on the wall, "I was just looking at… these, yeah."

"Yeah right," Raimundo looked at him skeptical, "So what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Just picking up my things I left."

"Things… yeah, seems you've been picking up a lot of things lately." He reached down and felt his empty pockets, "It was no surprise to me when the Shen Gong Wu I had came up missing."

"Well, you shouldn't have left it lying around." Jack told him.

"I guess I could say the same about your clothes." Raimundo grinned at him. Jack's eyes grew wide, but he then scowled as he looked to Rai, "What did you do to my clothes?"

"Oh, I don't know," Raimundo shrugged, "They might have accidentally fallen in the toilet. I guess you shouldn't have left them lying around."

"You didn't." Jack hissed.

"Oh I did." Rai teased as his eyebrows rose, but they both turned when Trent's mom came into the room. Going to Jack, she held his clothes out to him, which were folded neatly, his heli-pack lying right on top. As she passed them to him, she gave him a smile, "There you are. They were wet when I found them, so I washed them for you."

"Well," Jack took them happily as he passed a cunning grin to Raimundo, "Thank you very much."

"Think nothing of it." She told him, and then turned and exited the room again. Raimundo looked as though he wanted to scream, and the anger only grew as Jack cocked his head to the side and boasted, "By the way… Angel wasn't upset that you didn't come back. She just gave the couch to me."

"Yeah well," he hid the fact he was really hurt, "I didn't really expect her to be upset about it, so you can enjoy that freaking couch all you want." Jack simply leaned forward and stuck his tongue out at Raimundo, who returned the favor and stated, "I hate you Spicer, and I hope you get mugged and someone steals both of those Shen Gong Wu from you."

"Yeah right," Jack just laughed it off as he turned back to the door, "Who in this town would mug me? There's no neighborhood like that on the way back to Angel's place. So as you always say… get over yourself." And then with that, he pulled the door open and walked out leaving Raimundo behind. Once Jack was gone, Raimundo allowed a huge sigh to escape his mouth, and he sorrowfully went over and took a seat on the couch now, not feeling as cocky as he had before. Leaning in, he propped his elbows upon his legs, and then propped his chin within his hands. He stared across the room, a frown upon his face as he stated lowly to himself, "Angel."

Jack walked happily across town once again, his feet kicking up in front of him, and the thoughts of what he and Angel had said now slipped further and further from his mind. He had loved the fact that Raimundo had gotten shown up, but all the distractions within his mind, seemed to block out the black car that was now trailing him.

About twenty feet behind him, it rolled along slowly in the same direction he was walking, and from inside of it, two yellow piercing eyes glared out from over the steering wheel. The white muzzle of the perpetrator snarled up, and with one quick motion, he slammed his foot down on the gas causing the tires on the car to squeal out, as the vehicle leaped forward and rushed toward Jack in a fury.

Turning in a flash now, Jack stared wide eyed behind him as the automobile approached at what seemed like lightening speed. Veering off to his right, Jack just missed being hit by the car as he ran off into the grass, and then only stared befuddled as the vehicle continued onward. Sighing relief, he tried to overcome the fact that he had almost been run down, but the relief lasted only a split second as the car now slammed on its breaks and the reverse lights lit up as, with a loud thump, it screeched again coming back. Smoke flew everywhere as the tires spun, sending the car backwards, and yet even more smoke aroused as it came to a sudden squealing halt out on the street in front of Jack.

Jack watched for a moment as the door on the car opened, and the large white wolf man from the night before stepped out. His face was hideously angry looking, and his wolf-like lips were curled up in a snarl as Jeremiah growled, "You fucking faggot. You're dead!"

As if that weren't enough, immediately the other door opened up and three other guys stepped out behind their presumed to be leader. Jeremiah's large steel toed boots thunked loudly on the street as he started around the car, and in that moment Jack let out a terrified shrill scream as he took off running across someone's yard. The four guys that had gotten out of the car instantly went after him, seeming to tear at the ground as they all ran in pursuit of Jack.

Still trying to hold to his clothes, Jack ran as fast as he could through the yard, until he came out the back of it and into a wide field looking thing. Without hesitation he charged onward, determined to outrun the four big guys, but grew worried when he heard their footsteps gaining closer and closer. Squinting his eyes shut he pressed as hard as he could to run faster, but immediately fell forward as one of them reached out and shoved him in the middle of his back. The next thing Jack knew, he was falling, and his mouth and nose was filled with dirt from the empty field he now fell face first into.

His shirt was grabbed and he was twisted around, as another shrill yelp escaped his mouth, and yet another holler came to be as his eyes stared up at Jeremiah, who now had a hold of him. Straddling Jack, Jeremiah raised him up by the neck of his shirt, until their faces were just centimeters away, and rumbled, "Did you honestly think you could get away from me you prissy little fag!?"

"Eh, heh," Jack laughed nervously, "I thought it was at least worth a try."

"Angel," Jeremiah slammed Jack down to the ground, now kneeling over him as he stated, "Is mine. Not yours or anyone else's in this goddamned city! Do you hear me!?"

"Funny," Jack stammered, now finding it hard to laugh as his head began to ache from the blow, "She never mentioned you."

"I don't have time for your fucking crap," Jeremiah glared at him, and then brought his fist back, which then came forward with speed, knocking Jack right in the nose and between the eyes. Jack heard his nose crunch as Jeremiah's fist came in contact with his face, and reaching up with his hands, he now felt the blood pouring out.

"You broke my nose!" Jack cried out, unable to contain the tears now. Jeremiah only grinned down at him as he saw the boy crying, and then one last time picked him up and slammed him into the ground. Laughing out, he stated, "You are such a puss! I never thought beating the hell out of someone could be this easy! Stay the fuck away from my girlfriend you good for nothing punk." He then let Jack completely go, and before Jack knew it, all four of them were gone from sight, but they hadn't exited until one of them had given him a hard kick in his side.

Now, his face dirty and in pain, and bleeding, Jack shakily stood up to gather his things once again, but fell back down on his butt, unable to stand fully. Reaching out, he pulled his clothes to him, and then after bringing his knees up to his chest, he buried his face there and cried loudly. In that moment, he was wishing he could see his mother, but knew she wouldn't be coming anytime soon. Then, Angel crossed his mind and he knew he had to at least make it back to her house.

After recuperating for a moment, and coming to deal with the pain he now had in his face and side, Jack stood up from the ground and walked away from the field, back out onto the sidewalk, where he could once again find his way back to Angel's house.

Angel sat in the middle of her living room floor, playing with Mark, when Jack came through the door. Looking up from her position, she stared across the room at him, but stood up quickly when she noticed his condition. Her eyebrows drew down in worry as she walked in front of the couch and she asked, "What happened to you?"

"Your boyfriend." He replied to her as he threw his clothes upon the couch in front of him. Angel's expression refused to change as she slowly shook her head back and forth and questioned, "Who?"

"I don't know," he simply shrugged and walked on past her as he stated exasperated, "First he attacks me at the dance, then he tried to run over me on the sidewalk, and now… this. Who is he Angel, and why is he after me now?"

"Jeremiah," she told him as she once again met up with him, "But… he's not my boyfriend anymore. Come on," she took his arm in her hand, "Let's go get you cleaned up and I'll explain more if you'll let me."

"Fine," he gently pulled his arm from her, "But I need to go to the bathroom first."

"Okay," she nodded, "Meet me in my room when you're done. I'll take Mark and his toys to his room."

Jack merely nodded in agreement and then headed down the hallway and to the bathroom. Angel then proceeded with picking up her son's toys and carried them back to his room where she now took him to play.

After a few minutes, Jack stepped out of the bathroom and looked just down the hall at Angel's room then gradually started that way now wondering how he had ever gotten himself into this mess. Had he indeed lost the will to get home, or was it more than that, and if so… for what? With questions running through his mind, he reached out and tapped on the door. Angel's muffled, "Come in," came through the wall as he then pushed it open and stepped just inside the room. Looking around, he saw her standing over by the bed, but didn't budge until she motioned to the bed and told him, "Come sit down."

Walking over, Jack took a seat on the edge of her bed, still looking around the room as she reached over on the nightstand and opened a small box she had sitting there. Reaching into it, she pulled out some cotton balls and a bottle of alcohol. Jack's eyes fixated upon a poster on the wall and he stated, "I've never been in your room before." He stared at the poster a bit longer as she prepared the things she had been working on, "Who is… Mike Hullenger?" His eyes shifted up toward her.

"He's a part of a band I really like," she explained, now taking an alcohol soaked cotton ball in her hand and brought it up to his head, where some cuts sat. Gently, she ran the liquid over the area, causing Jack to yelp out as it began to sting and his hand reached up, stopping her from rubbing it. Angel only stared down at him as he gazed up at her and she told him, "Jeremiah is my ex-boyfriend. We are no longer together, but he still tries to act like we are. It's really not too uncommon for him to do this."

"So he normally goes around trying to kill people that have anything to do with you?" Jack asked, still keeping her hand from rubbing the alcohol on his head. Angel merely bypassed his hand and rubbed again, "I know it stings, but let me clean it, and he doesn't do that with just anyone, but well," she moved her eyes away, "Since you and I… well… he doesn't like people getting close to me like that. He freaks out and a lot of the time takes drastic action. I'm sure you got the "little punk, stay away from my girl" treatment, didn't you?"

"Actually," Jack blinked now as he watched her, ignoring the passing stinging feeling, "Yes… I did."

"See, he does this anytime I…"

Jack waited for her to finish the sentence, but when she didn't, he asked, "Anytime you what?"

"Anytime I get interested in someone. He tries to run them off so to speak." She informed him. Jack merely nodded, flinching again as she moved to a new cut. Silence overtook them for a minute, making the air seem uncomfortable, but as Angel finished up cleaning the cuts she looked down at him, sorrow in her eyes and voice as she stated, "Jack… I'm sorry for what I said to you this morning." She lay the dirty cotton ball over on the nightstand, "I wasn't intending on implying that you had anything to do with what was going on, I just simply asked because you're the only one that knows anything about this Wuya thing."

"I know." He had to look away as shame overcame him, "I told myself that after I had walked off, but…" his eyes made it back up to her as he thought of his encounter with Wuya, "I ran into her on my way over to get my things."

"You did?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "She said something about a new plan she had, and she asked me to go with her to help, but I told her I didn't want to."

"Why in the world," Angel thought aloud, "I don't know much about your world and what you were trying for, but what in the world would she have to do here? This city is dead as it can get."

"I don't know," he only shrugged, "She didn't give me details, just asked me to go with her and help her out. However…"

"What is it?" she saw the concern in his eyes, though they refused to meet with hers. Jack only sighed as he kept his gaze on the floor and mumbled, "She said you won't continue to like me. She told me I was annoying and prissy and that when you see this, you'll throw me to the side."

"And you're worried about this?" Angel asked him knowing it caused him great uneasiness. Jack nodded undoubted and looked up at her, seeming upset by her answer, "Of course I'm worried about it. I know I'm these things, and a weirdo, but until I came here, it was something I didn't worry about too much. It's different now though. I think about it all the time and hope that I don't annoy you and that you won't quit liking me for being… me." He shrugged.

Angel only gave him a soft smile at his insecurities, then told him, "Somehow, I feel that since we've met I've seen more of the real you than you've ever shown. I like that side I see… I like it very much. Just promise me you won't run away because of Jeremiah, and I can assure you things will be okay."

Jack was once again taken by her words and how much, though through different points of view, they thought alike. Reaching out, she pulled the goggles off his head and lay them over on her nightstand as she then suggested, "How dirty did your clothes get while you were getting dirt in your nose?"

"Ah," he shrugged, "My jackets really the only thing. The other stuff was rolled up inside it, so they're fine. Why?"

"Why don't you go get cleaned up the rest of the way? It will probably make you feel ten times better if you take a shower and get out of those clothes."

"Sounds good to me." He agreed and then stood up from the bed. Angel only watched him as he continued on out the door and down the hallway. Grabbing up the cotton balls, and after putting away the other first aid supplies, she also started out of the room, but was distracted by a knocking on the door.

Making her way to the living room, she saw Jack staring at the door, but she motioned him on as she finished putting the box up, and then went over pulling the door open. Her eyebrows rose as she greeted, "Raimundo? What are you doing here?"

"Hey Angel," he returned, though he seemed a bit nervous, "I'm guessing you might be a little upset with me for not coming back, huh?"

Angel only watched him for a moment and then shook her head slightly, "Na, it's alright, I understand it if you want to stay over at Trent's. There's no problem with that."

"So how have you been? I haven't seen you since Saturday night." He placed his hands behind his back, his head hung as he stared at the ground. Angel, unable to comprehend what he was up to, only nodded, "I'm alright. How are you?"

"Pretty good," he now raised his head and looked her way, "Though I would be better if I could see you during the day."

"Raimundo," she sighed and then walked over, taking a seat on the porch, "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I never meant too, but to play with someone else's emotions is just not my taste. I had to tell you how things were, and I did so to keep from hurting you, but somehow in the process I ended up hurting you anyway. I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't." she leaned in and propped her elbows on her legs and then rested her chin in her hands. Her eyes followed him as he walked over and took a seat next to her, and after a moment of silence, he shook his head, "It's okay, I guess you're right. It's better you told me, and to be honest I can't figure why I'm having such a hard time with it."

"Well, if it's anything like me in a situation like that; you get your hopes all up about something, only to find that things aren't at all what they seem. That seems to happen to me a lot, and when it does happen, a lot of the time it is hard to let go."

"Maybe you're right about that, so if that's the case, how do you help yourself get over it? I mean there has to be some trick to getting you out of my head." He grinned.

"Beat it with a rock." She grinned back. The both of them started laughing, but as it died down Angel sighed again, "I've felt like doing that to myself lately."

"Why's that," he seemed to perk up a little, "Spicer not all you cracked him up to be?"

"No," she shook her head, "It's not that… it's these stupid visions I have. They won't quit coming and anymore I just want my brain to stop functioning."

"Wait," he looked at her dead on now, his expression becoming solemn, "Visions? Are you talking about that dream you had?"

"No," she disagreed, "I am talking of the dreams I am still having only to call them dreams anymore just doesn't seem right. They are more than that, and when their real enough for the remains of it to be seen afterwards, I no longer classify that as a dream."

"What are they about?" he questioned.

"Most of the time… Jack. I don't want to go into detail, but the last time I had one was during my waking hours, and much too real to suit me. Then last night with the purple ghost lady…" she grunted and placed her hands to the sides of her head.

"Purple…ghost," Raimundo asked himself aloud and then his eyes grew wide as he reached over and took her wrist in his hand, "Are you talking about Wuya!?"

"Wuya?" she looked at him now, astounded, "You know about her too?"

"Of course I know about her. She's one of the worst for causing trouble back in our world. She's always trying to steal the Shen Gong Wu, and just like Jack Spicer, she's always trying to take over the world." He explained.

Angel couldn't take her eyes off of him as he spoke. She had really thought that Jack was the only one to know of the weird purple ghost, but it was obvious it was not true. Raimundo leaned in as he glanced into her eyes, his expression seeming firm as he asked, "Did you see Wuya, and if so when did you see her?"

"Well, I saw her out on the street last night, and then again in my room after I had went to bed. She told me herself that what I was seeing was no longer a dream, but at the same time it's not reality either. I'm not sure what it is, or even why she's making this happen to me."

"Listen Angel," He finally let go of her arm and after he had her full attention, he continued, "If Wuya is here, you should be very careful with Jack Spicer. He's always been like her flunky, doing as she asks and stuff. I know it may seem like I'm just saying this to try and sway you, but…" his eyebrows drew down in worry, "I'm only looking out for you. I know how those two are and the last thing I want is for you to be in the middle of whatever they are planning."

"Jack's already told me himself that he's not a part of it Raimundo. I have no reason to doubt him." She stood firm. His heart sank as she said that, but with a nod he only complied, "I kinda figured you would say that, but… for your own sake… keep it in mind. Please."

Angel didn't say a word as they exchanged glances, but the slight nod of her head let him know she understood just what he was saying. It being enough for the time, Raimundo stood up from the porch and took a spot in front of Angel. Her eyes only locked in on him as he held his hand out for her to see, "Oh by the way, you asked me how I do it." Reaching out to her, he placed his hand gingerly up under her hairline and called out in a low calm voice, "Wind."

Angel's eyes grew round as she felt the small gust of wind generate from what seemed to be his palm, blowing her hair up and around her face. Unable to speak, she only kept her eyes fixed on him as he then stroked her face and ended with, "I'll see you around."

"Bye." She called lowly as he then walked away from the house. Reaching up, Angel straightened her hair back and then stood up from the porch to go and check on Mark and to see if Jack was done in the shower yet.