Omi sat motionless and silent, his eyes completely focused on the motionless body before him.

He was watching.

Waiting.

Any sign of life, any noise, any flinch, and he would see it.

The hour glass next to him poured its remaining grains into its lower half and, without taking his eyes away from Jack's body, flipped it over to start the process all over again…

For the eleventh time. Eleven hours, he'd sat like this in this tiny, silent room, not moving; just watching and waiting. The time dragged on, though he could recall almost every moment of what led to this.

Eleven hours ago, they'd whisked Jack away from Chase's citadel.

Eleven hours ago, Jack had gone silent.

And now, with eleven hours past, Jack had not made a movement or a sound. At the same time, neither had Omi. Everything prior to this wait had gone by in a flurry of desperation, grief, and fathomless anxiety.

He remembered hearing Clay calling Jack's name frenziedly.

He remembered looking back, seeing the bloody, motionless form.

He remembered the swirling montage of panic and chaos that filled the temple as they'd rushed Jack inside to this room.

But he also remembered the expressions on the faces of Master Fung, Dojo, Clay, Rai, and Kimiko. They reflected what he was feeling inside, but he stubbornly denied what his mind was screaming at him.

'He's not dead,' he chanted to himself.

Dead…

There was no way he'd believe that… There was no way he wanted to believe that… Therefore, he chose not to. Instead he chose this stubborn act of vigilance, uninterrupted by anything or anyone who dared tell him otherwise. He would wait for however long it took for Jack to awaken. He was going to be there for him.

That was what he'd wanted to promise before, countless times, but still deluded by a pipe dream of future villainy, Jack walked away from him. Yet, bound by the inkling in his heart, Omi felt pressed to pursue him, no matter what. In all of their temporary truces in the past, Omi had always wanted to trust Jack, to have faith in him, to call him a friend. Though each betrayal injured him worse and worse, he was still determined to discover and establish the connection to Jack he so desperately sought.

He wanted to give Jack the things that he sought in vain through villainy…. He wanted to give him confidence, support, compassion, friendship, and a place to belong….

'Was he…. Afraid…?' Omi thought to himself, absently flipping the hourglass again. Twelve hours. 'Was he so used to being left alone…. On the outside…?' Omi's eyes faltered. "Jack… What you want is right here… All you have to do is wake up…. And not walk away anymore…."

Jack looked around warily. He was surrounded by a blackness that seemed to be a living, breathing entity. There was no sound, and the fathomless darkness seemed to go on for ages. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small light. He squinted slightly, and slowly began walking toward it. It felt as though he were traveling for miles, days even, but the light was slowly getting closer.

"You are going to walk away from us again?" Jack suddenly felt something pulling on his jacket, and he turned back to see Omi. Jack felt his heart twinge at the look on the young monk's face; those small hands so desperately clenched upon his jacket, and those eyes…….

"Omi… Why are you here…?" Jack asked.

"Please, Jack…. Do not walk away… Not this time.."

"What..?"

"If you walk away this time…. I…. Will never see you again…"

Jack looked at the light, and then back at Omi with softened eyes. "What do you mean, Omi…?"

The young monk lowered his head, and Jack felt a swell of guilt as a tear rolled down Omi's cheek. "Each time you have walked away…. It has hurt me inside Jack… And if you walk away now, you will disappear…. I will miss you."

Jack regarded Omi quietly, and then took a step forward and knelt. The young monk glanced up with tear filled eyes, his eyes locking with Jack's. The boy genius' expression softened, and slowly, he held out a hand to Omi.

He remembered that face.

He remembered those longing eyes.

He wanted him to stay. It had been the same case after they defeated Wuya, and Omi had offered him an apprenticeship for the Xiaolin side… He wanted him to stay then, and he wanted him to stay now.

Omi looked at Jack, and then at his outstretched hand. "Jack…. You…"

Jack smiled faintly. "I'm not going to walk away from you anymore."

Their hands touched, and the blackness began to melt away into a dream-like mist.

Omi looked up as he flipped the hourglass once more.

Fourteen hours, but….

He'd heard a small, faint groan.

After all this time, there was an indication of what he'd staked out for…

Moving slowly so as not to make a sound, Omi knelt closer to Jack, surveying him like a hawk. He held a hand above Jack's mouth, feeling his body seize up in shock as he felt a faint breath warming his palm. He wanted to shout for joy. He wanted to rush out and tell the others… But his body refused to budge; all he could do was stare as life slowly began returning to Jack's injured body. Omi didn't care how long it took for more signs of life to appear; the hourglass had completely slipped his mind…

But Omi's breaking point came…

As soon as those ruby eyes opened….

"…….J-Jack….?" Omi whispered, timidly reaching a hand toward Jack's resting form. Jack regarded him silently through ruby slits, wincing as he raised his own hand, took Omi's, and let it rest slightly upon his chest. "I….. I thought….." Omi closed his eyes, straining to fight back stinging tears and keep his voice from wavering. "I thought…. That you were… I thought that I'd lost you…" Jack shifted and, carefully, he sat up and looked Omi in the eye before wrapping his arms around the young monk as tightly as he could manage. Omi held on just as tightly, and Jack felt a swell of happiness as the young monk began sobbing quietly.

A tear dropped from Jack's eye as well. "You won't lose me, Omi…. Not anymore."