Disclaimer: I still don't own Beyblades so none of the characters belong to me.

Last time-

"She just smiled at you didn't she? She doesn't ignore you or anything like that she just needs space. She needs her faith restored with the male race, hell the entire human race to come to it. I can do most of it but she needs the kind of love that I can't give her as well. Stuff Mai she can rot in hell for all I care. Don't tell her you are going just meet us here in the morning. I want to go about eight." Tala stirred the boiling water into the powder before adding some milk. "I'll be back in a minute, I'll just take this up to her and tell her to pack her things."

Kai nodded as Tala left the room carrying the cup carefully in his left hand.

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Chapter 22

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When Kai had arrived home last night he had a blazing row with Mai about him taking all the keys to his cars but he did not mention anything about going to France or about what he suspected she was up to behind everyone's back.

But now he sat on the plane beside Tala and he felt all his worries disappear the further he got away from Mai and home. He looked across Tala to where Jess sat looking out the window of her first class seat. She seemed better already though it could just be a show. According to Tala when he had told her she had taken it all in her stride. Even getting out of the bath to go and get packed before Tala had even finished telling her the plan for the next two weeks.

Flash Back Tala's POV

I walked up the stairs to Jess's bathroom to give her the hot chocolate I had made her for her nerves. I knock on the door and immediately was admitted into the interseptum of Jess's bathroom. I put the hot chocolate down on the shelf beside the bath and took a seat on the toilet once he lowered the lid.

"Mmmm, thanks." Jess said to me once she had picked up the drink from where I had placed it and taken a sip.

"I was thinking about going to France for a few weeks. What do you think?" Jess turned her full attention to me and gave me a funny look.

"By yourself?" she asked looking slightly hurt.

"No. I though seeing as you don't have school at the moment we could go to the Chalet for a week or two." Her face brightened.

"When do you want to go?"

"I've got three seats booked for tomorrow mornings flight." I told her. You could actually see her mind working 'only three seats?'

"Only three seat? Who is going?"

"It will be you and me of course and Kai as well. Mai had to go home earlier and it looks like she'll be gone for a while too. It's a bit of a bugger of me though. Kai says where she has gone cell phones don't work and the house doesn't have a phone." The lie slipped easily off his tongue even off it sounded a little patchy and far fetched.

"Why did she have to go?"

"I'm not entirely sure why, Kai didn't say but that won't stop us from having a good time." I watched the slightly depressed look wash away from her face before it was replaced with a huge grin that was completely contagious. Jess jumped out of the bath and threw herself at me soap sudds and all. I was frightened she was going to slip on the tile with her wet feet but she made it over to me without any trouble.

"You're the best Tala!" she yelled as she gave me a huge bear hug and then pulled away heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" At the moment she seemed to be missing a screw or two.

"To pack silly." She giggled.

"Jess." I threw a towel at her. "Take this with you, you might find you need it when you decide you want to get dressed." She shot me a look that conveyed the phrase 'My Bad' before she let out another giggle and headed out into her room.

End of Flash Back

Kai could only laugh when Tala told him what had happened minutes later when he re-entered the kitchen. It was so typically Jess that laughing was the only thing he could do.

They arranged to meet at Tala's place the following morning and would get a taxi to the air port to reduce the chances of theft on any of their cars before Kai left for the night and now here they were sitting on the plane on their way to France and hopefully normalcy or as close as it came.

Mai was irate. How dare they go off and leave her behind? What the bloody hell were they playing at? She had awoken to find Kai wasn't home but that wasn't anything unusual Kai was an early riser and was often over in the Volkov kitchen or sitting room by seven.

It was now ten thirty and there was no sign of him at school, or Tala. Neither of them were answering their cell phones and to add to it neither was Jess. Where the bloody hell were they and why the hell had they gone without her? They have no idea what Mai was doing behind their backs or so she thought.

As she walked down the hall in between classes Mai caught Hillary's eye and she was shot a funny look. Maybe Hillary though she knew where the boys were. Normally she did but not today at the moment there wasn't a lot she did know.

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"So tell me again Ray, why are we watching Mai? She's Kai cousin doesn't he trust her?" Ray shook his head. It wasn't that Max was stupid, far from it actually it was just the sugar that was coursing through his blood tended to get in the way of rational thought.

Ray had always been close friends with Jess considering they were in the same grade and because they had the same calm and caring nature they seemed to gravitate to one another in a platonic way. The two of them were very close friends. Even though they hadn't seen as much of each other as they used to at school before she started going out with Kai they often spoke to one another on MSN after school and often in to the wee hours of the morning.

But none of that had prepared him for the phone call that came out of the blue from Kai. He had trouble believing what Kai had told him but agreed to do as he was asked. It wasn't like he had to do anything immoral or illegal. All he had to do was watch what she did and who she talked to. That was all he had wanted, to know who she talked to.

"Because Kai wants us to watch her to see who she talks to?" Ray explained for what felt like the millionth time.

"But why?" Ray took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He wasn't angry with Max or frustrated he was just slightly miffed with the slightly younger boy especially considering he knew how smart Max really was.

"Because Kai thinks she is doing something to hurt Jess. Or planning to hurt Jess."

"But why?" Max asked again.

"We don't know why, that's why we're watching her Max. To find out!"

"I love it here sooooooo much!" Jess smiled as she pulled both Tala and Kai into a group hug. They had arrived at the Chalet and Jess was over the moon. Out of every place she had ever been in the world this place would have to be her favourite. Tala and Kai, though in a bear hug from Jess tried to keep a respectful distance between each other as they looked at one another and shock their heads this was the Jess they knew and loved. She may not be entirely back to normal but this trip was going to be a very good start.

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Annie smiled as she ran her hand over every surface in Tala's house. This place was beautiful and for the next few weeks the place would be all hers. Ever since she left her husband she had had this amazing light hearted feeling in her chest but then she had seen Jess. The feeling was still there but she was also angry. The feeling of inadequacy played through her but more often than not she managed to push them to the background. Feeling something wet press against her calf Annie looked down to see Jess's puppy Shadow pressing her nose against her. Smiling down at the five month old puppy Annie doubled over to pat the small sandy coloured animal.

"Ha, atleast you like me hey Shadow." Shadow wagged her tail vigorously smiling with the attention.

Kai, Jess and Tala say on one of the verandas of the chalet drinking lemonade and taking in the view. It was beautiful here and just sitting her calmed all of them. Across the meadow the first wild flowers dotted the hillside in bright spots of yellow, pink, blue and purple. The boys could see why the place had captured Jess's heart.

"So what do you want to do first?" Tala put down his empty class and turned his attention away from the hills and onto his baby sister.

Jess was quite for a moment before she realised someone was talking to her. "Ha?"

Tala smiled. "What do you want to do first?" Tala repeated. Kai sat quietly watching both his best friend and girlfriend interact. He liked doing that, just taking a step back and watching the world around him. You could often pick up subtle things about people that aren't usually picked up if you weren't looking. The way people acted when didn't think anyone was watching was the best way to judge. There was a saying that Kai took very seriously. 'Don't judge people on how they treat the superior bit how they treat the inferior.' If Kai judged everyone he knew by that standard a lot of the people he knew would be found wanting but the two people infront of him seemed to be the exception to the rule. Tala and Jess were the two finest people he knew. They were never cruel or unkind, they never judged people and always formed their own opinion of people without being influenced by others which were qualities that Kai greatly respected.

"Um, well I suppose I should get unpacked and then go to the shops to get some food. What do you plan on doing?" How that she was back in the real world Jess was interested in what was going on around her with the two boys.

"Well we will go and unpack and then we can go shopping with you if you like." Tala looked across at Kai for conformation. Kai nodded in agreement he had no problem doing things with Jess.

"But you hate shopping Tala. I'm sure you would rather do something here."

"No this trip is for you so we will do what you do." Tala told her smiling.

"Fine then. I'm going to go and unpack I should be ready to go in forty-five minutes." Jess stood and put her class back on the tray before carting it back into the kitchen.

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Five minutes later Jess heard footsteps coming up the stairs and she saw Kai walk down the hall past her room with his bags.

Jess stuck her head out of her door and called to Kai.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kai hadn't realised Jess had seen him and being watched wasn't on his mind so when she called out to him he jumped. Jess giggled at the look in his face.

"Arh, to the spare room down the hall?" Kai told her.

"Ha, arh, would you mind staying in her with me?" Jess was looking slightly nervous and it made Kai feel awful.

"Why would I mind? I just thought you might want your own space."

"No I don't want to be alone Kai. Please stay in my room."

There was no way that Kai would have been able to say no even if he wanted to. He began to walk back down the hall towards Jess and her room. Reaching her door Kai dipped his head and kissed her on the cheek. "Your wish is my command." Kai chuckled to himself as he saw a fait blush colour her sort cheeks.

Yeah I know not a whole lot happened in that chappi and I'm sorry but it will get better I promise. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me.

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