Rose sat silently in the corner, cross legged. She watched the body of the Chinese Dragon. It had not yet reverted to human form but, according to the Dark Dragon, that would happen at any moment. She was to sit and watch the body, waiting for the transformation to come. Once that happened, she was to pack Lao Shi's body (which was, thankfully, much smaller in human form than it was in its dragon form) into the burlap sack Master had provided her with.

She fingered the sack, drawing it across her lap. She plucked at it. It made her think of old movies with dumb criminals. She also thought that it would stick out like a sore thumb. New York was full of strange people who did strange things all of them time. The police officers, therefore, were a little desensitized to odd activities happening around the city. Carrying around a burlap sack, though, approximately the size of a body, through several streets was going to seem strange. Take into account the fact that she wasn't just going to carry the body to Jake's, she was going to have to arrange Lao Shi on his doorstep, and she was nervous about being caught.

Rose knew she could get herself out of any situation. She knew she could disappear at the drop of a hat. She also knew that she would murder any policeman or woman that questioned her if she had to. She would much rather avoid any confrontations altogether. As soon as she had Lao Shi's body off her hands, the plan would be put into action more swiftly.

Soon, everything would be all over and the strange feelings within her would waste away.

That's what she kept telling herself anyway.

She was distracted from her thoughts by a flare of magic. It was exactly like the transformation swirls she had seen surround Jake on several occasions. The body was surrounded by magic for a brief second and, where there once was a dragon, there was now a grizzled old man.

Rose set her jaw and went about her task. The body had become stiff but, using her superior strength, she was able to bend and break the bones. She curled the body so that it was no more than a big ball and then she grabbed her sack. She opened the mouth of the sack as wide as it would go and spread it over Lao Shi's body. She then flipped the bag so that he was nestled at the bottom of it. She tied the top of the bag shut and wiped her hands off on her jeans.

"Master," she called sweetly. "I'm leaving now."

"Very well!" He shouted back. "Report back next when you here about the funeral plans!"

"Yes, Master!" She called.

Then, she hefted the bag onto her shoulder. As she stepped out of the lair, she thought of something. She didn't have to use the streets. She had been so blinded by her anxieties about walking through the streets with Lao Shi's decaying body; she had forgotten that she could just walk underground, along the sewers to get to Jake's. There was an entrance to the sewers just one street over from the electronics shop. And, by travelling underground, she could cut her time nearly in half.

She leapt into the closest sewer entrance and went down in the tunnels. As it always was in the sewers, it was smelly and disgusting. Luckily, her trip was short and she didn't have to spend a long amount of time battling through the tunnels. She surfaced by the shop and raced to the doorstep.

She didn't see anyone watching her, but she couldn't risk any nosy neighbours hanging around, peeking out their windows, and seeing what she was doing. The worst thing that could happen right now was not that someone would call the cops but, rather, that Jake would notice what she was doing.

Hurriedly, Rose dumped Lao Shi out of the bag and onto the step of his home. She, once again, rearranged Lao Shi. This time she wanted him to look like he'd been thrown there, dumped, rather than carried through the sewers. Once he was in a shapeless lump, Rose darted away, temporarily.

She hurried away, for the sole purpose of hiding the burlap sack. She tucked it underneath of a large dumpster, scraping the back of her hand on the pavement in her hurry to get rid of it. Once Rose had it hidden away, she strolled back toward Jake's, trying to look like she was just coming up the building. Once the front steps came into sight again, Rose took a deep breath and summoned her acting skills.

And then she screamed.

(-.-)

Jake was in the living room, tending to Fu. The ancient dog had demanded his attention for most of the evening. The Oracle Twins had been great help in caring for Fu but, hours earlier, the duo had randomly exclaimed that they had to 'meditate' on 'spiritual visions' and mustn't be bothered until they decided to emerge from their nest in the attic. Thus, Jake had been trapped at home, not out looking for Gramps, but taking care of his dog.

Not that Jake minded taking care of Fu. He had found it very relaxing to brew potions, just as the dog had instructed, and then helping Fu consume it. Now, he was involved in preparing a poultice to spread on Fu's broken bones. As he worked, Fu gently guided him along, while distracting the both of them from the thought of Gramps by telling long-winded, old stories. Jake was grinding some dried leaves when Fu stopped talking, ears pricked.

"What's up?" Jake asked, noting the change in the bandaged animal.

"I thought I heard something," Fu admitted. "Down by the front door."

Jake shifted, dropping the mortar and pestle he'd been using to grind the herbs. "Want me to go check it out?" He offered, beginning to rise.

"No, no," Fu replied. "I only heard it the once. Probably a stray. Don't worry about it. I'll let you know if something else makes a noise."

"All right." Jake settled back down on the counter beside the stove where he'd been before. Just as he was picking up his tools again, there was a women's scream from the street.

He darted down the steps, away from the apartment, and into the shop area. He threw open the front door of the shop and stopped cold.

Rose was down on her knees, in front of his front step. Tears were streaming down her face as she had one hand tucked under Lao Shi's limp neck, checking for some sort of a pulse. The look on her face told Jake everything he needed to know; he didn't even attempt to focus on his broken grandfather.

"We have to call the police," Rose choked out, dropping her hands away from the cold body of Lao Shi.

Jake didn't react. He kept looking over her shoulder, purposely not looking down at where his grandfather lay.

"Jake," she prompted slowly, as though she were talking to a very young child. "Do you have your cell phone on you?"

Without moving his eyes away from the spot he had decided to focus on, Jake reached into his jeans' pocket and removed his cell phone. Rose plucked it from his hand and dialled the police.

"911. What's your emergency?"

"I've found a body," Rose told the operator.

The woman didn't react with any shock. "Are you sure the victim is deceased?"

"Yes. He's cold. He has no pulse."

"Where are you?"

Rose told the operator Jake's address.

"And what's your name?"

"Rose," she replied, and realized she would have to give her last name. She parroted the last name she'd been given years ago, though for some reason, she hated to use it. "Rose Dawson."

"And how old are you?"

"I'm nineteen years old."

"Do you know the victim, Rose?"

"Yes. He's my boyfriend's grandfather. He's been missing for several days now. I was coming over to my boyfriend's house and I found the body lying there on the front step."

"Where is your boyfriend now?"

"He's right here with me. He and his grandfather lived together."

"A police car has been dispatched to your location. They should be there in under five minutes. I want you to stay on the phone with me until you've arrived, all right?"

Rose agreed.

(-.-)

It was two-thirty in the morning and Susan's phone was ringing loudly, next to her head. She groaned and groped for her pillow. She went to drag it over her head, but her husband was poking her in the side.

"Answer the phone, Su," Jonathan urged. "Or kill it."

Susan decided she would kill it. She reached for the still-rattling cell phone. She peeked at the screen and Jake's name stuck out at her. Because it was her son calling, she answered the call.

"'Lo," she groaned.

"Susan? It's Rose."

Susan sat bolt upright in bed, fear leaping into her mind and her heart found its way into the throat. Rose was calling her. Something had to be wrong. Oh God, it had finally happened. Jake had taken on something that he couldn't handle.

"We found Lao Shi and, Susan, oh my god, I'm so, so sorry."

It hit her all at once that it wasn't her son that she had lost. It was her father. It was her short, wise, white-haired, cranky, traditional father who was gone. The Chinese Dragon had taken on something that he couldn't handle.

"Where are you? I'm coming."

"We're at the police station. Jake's here with me. Hurry, please. He really needs you right now."

Susan hung up the phone and shook Jon awake.

"Babe?" Jon groaned, taking in his beloved wife's tear-stained face. "What happened? What is it?" He sat up and she explained.

"They found Dad. He's dead, Jon. I don't know the how or what or anything yet but Rose called me from the police station. She's there with Jake. Daddy's gone."

Jon pulled her into a tight hug. "We have to go, then."

Susan nodded. "Go start the car. I'll go get Haley."

Jon left to do as she asked, and Susan almost called her back. She couldn't be without his warmth right now, his steadiness, not even for one second. She steeled herself though and forced herself out of bed. She walked, stiff-legged, down the hallway to Haley's room. She kneeled beside her daughter's bed, listening to the in-and-out sounds of her breathing. Her beautiful, alive, daughter.

She placed a hand on Haley's arm, shaking her awake.

"Mom?" Haley murmured, rubbing her eyes and resisting waking up. "It's not time for school yet. It's too early."

Susan shook her again.

Haley flipped over and opened one single, wide eye and focused on her mother.

"Mom?" She questioned again.

"Honey," Susan started, not sure how to tell Haley about Lao Shi. She stroked Haley's hair and thought of the right words, though she knew there weren't any.

"It's Gramps, isn't it?" Haley cried, too insightful for her own good.

Susan nodded.

"Is he -?" She stuttered, unable to say the word 'dead' in conjunction with her loving grandfather.

Susan nodded again.

Tears began to spill over Haley's cheeks. She launched herself into Susan's arms, clinging to her mother as the two women began to cry together.

"Where's Jake?" Haley finally breathed, thinking of her big brother.

Where was he right now? Who was comforting him?

"With Rose. We're going to go see them now, all right? They're at the police station."

Haley stood up and took Susan's hand. Together, they walked down to the car where Jonathan was waiting. It was a long, silent drive to the police station where Jake and Rose were waiting inside for them, with a patient, understanding officer.

Haley jumped out of the car, running for Jake who needed her as much as she needed him.

I don't own anything recognizable. Thanks to my beta: NuGirl.

~TLL~