Hi guys! Sorry about the long wait, but I was traveling, then I had a whole lot of work for school...andyways, I'm back now! So, I've decided on a new setup. Every other chapter will be from Kim's point of view. The rest of the gang will get shapters, I promise, but not right away. And thanks to all of you who reviewed this story. Also thanks to those of you who favorited this story or put it on your alert list. You have no idea how much taht means to me.

I do not own Kickin' It. I only own the plot, some original characters, and some modified existing characters.

I couldn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, images of Jack and the Wasabi Warriors and the last time we were all together flashed through my mind.

"Aren't you coming?" I turn around just as I'm about to get in the car. "We can give you a ride, you know."

Jack smiles weakly and just shakes his head. "I'm just gonna go home. I'm not feeling so well."

I nod. Jack's been off his game all week, ever since that big family tree project was announced. Yesterday, Eddie even managed to beat him while they were sparring. It was worrying.

"Well…okay, then. Do you need a ride?"

Jack shakes his head. "I'll walk. I live pretty close by, anyways. Thanks, though."

I nod and step in the car. "See you Jack!" I call out the window.

Jack just nodded.

I shot up in bed. Something had clicked in my mind, just as I had been waking up, and now…it was gone.

For the rest of the day, I was too preoccupied with figuring out exactly how that last tournament and the project fit into all of this. Jack, who wasn't really Jack but was, and his sister, and all of that…it confused me. And by the end of the day, I had only decided on one thing: that project, the one about the family tree, was pivotal.

Everything had changed just after it had been announced. So for whatever reason, it had caused Jack's disappearance, then reappearance as a completely different person.

I just didn't know how.

I wanted to talk to his sister—confront her, really—but I knew I couldn't. She could be armed and dangerous for all I knew, and she could try to tab me the second I brought up Jack. But I had seen Milton talking to her the other day in the cafeteria. He might know something.

Sighing, I headed towards my last period class. It was decided. I would talk to Milton.

I caught up with Milton just as he was about to get on his bus.

"Milton!" I cried, wincing at the looks everyone shot me. It made sense, I guess, seeing as I was a cheerleader and he was nerd, but I had thought that they would have remembered the year Jack was here. We had all been friends then.

Milton glanced up from his phone. "Kim?" He sounded just as shocked as everyone else looked.

"Yeah. Look, we need to talk. Like, now." He motioned for me to continue, and I shook my head. "Not here, you idiot! In private!" He raised an eyebrow.

"I need to catch the bus, Kim…" I ignored him and grabbed his arm, dragging him away towards the back of the school. "It's an emergency," I snapped. "My mom can give you a ride home."

He looked uncertain, and I stopped pulling for a moment. He didn't try to run. "Fine," he said finally. "What exactly is this emergency?"

I frowned. I had planned everything out during last period, but the words escaped me. Milton tapped his foot and glanced at his watch.

"I'm waiting, Kim."

I took a deep breath. "There's no easy way for me to say this, Milton, but I'm going to just come right out and say it-" I paused. Then, before I could lose my nerve, I blurted out, "Jack's back!"

Milton blinked at me. A rush of emotions ran across his face—shock, disbelief, anger, and finally, annoyance.

"Kim," he snapped, "If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny. Jack. Is. Gone."

I shook my head desperately. "NO! No, Milton—do you honestly think I would joke about that?" The look on his face said yes, he did, and it stung, but I kept on going. "I'm serious. Jack really is back. But…he's, I dunno, not Jack. I ran into him in the library yesterday. He said his name was Jack Richards. His sisters that girl who started the cafeteria fight?"

Milton stared at me. "Kim, just because they have the same first name doesn't make them the same people."

I glared at him. "No, Milton, I mean he really was Jack. A nerdier, more awkward version of him, but Jack all the same. He even had the same moles on his cheeks!"

"Okay…" said Milton hesitantly. "Let's say you're actually right, by some miracle, and that really is Jack. Why would he be going by Richards instead of Anderson, and where did he get the sister?"

I shrugged. "That's the problem. He didn't recognize me. He doesn't know who any of us are, and I bet he probably doesn't even know his real name!"

Milton sighed. "Do you think you could point him out for me?"

I shook my head no. "He already left. Milton, I'm telling you this because I really need your help. I'm 100% certain that was Jack. I just…" He stared at me. "I just really want my friend back, okay? And you're smart, so I thought…"

Milton finished for me. "You thought I might know how to get him back to normal, right?" I nodded. "Well, Kim, I'm sorry. But that probably isn't Jack. You could just miss him so much that your subconscious is making you see things."

His voice was gentle and pitying, like everyone else had sounded in the weeks after Jack had disappeared. Like I was fragile. Breakable. Like I needed to be taken care of. I hated it.

"Milton. That is Jack. Whether you believe me or not is your choice, but I thought you might like to know, considering the fact that you were flirting with his sister yesterday. And he's your friend, too. And when we get him back, he's gonna need some friends. Are you going to be one of them?"

Milton stared at me. "Fine. I believe you. Now what next?"

Okay, so this chapter was shorter than I had planned. I don't quite like some parts of this chapter, so if anyone has any suggestions, please, review or PM me. As always, please review.

Next chapter: Milton.