A/N: Well, only one person was slapped in the last chapter and I have to give a round of applause to Sanada for not taking out the entire tennis team… then again, we don't really know what happened when he dismissed the others, do we? Hehehe. Ok, in this chapter, you will see a little bit of Jackal's background (per my imagination for this story) and it might give insight on why he can't say no (FS'Briseis request). Really this chapter will only feature him… and a little bit of Yukimura at the end. Enjoy!

Chapter 3 – The Past

When Jackal had stormed out of practice, it dawned on him after he left the courts exactly what he did, and that is when the terror started to set in. He had just blasted past his buchou and not only had he done that, but he had also yelled at Yukimura. How he was still standing without his face broken from a torundoru, he wasn't sure. What he did know is that he wasn't going to stop to even collect his school uniform or his bag from his locker right now. It was too dangerous, and the risk was too great that one of the three demons would find him… and he could just imagine Yukimura getting his hands on the defensive player… he may never play tennis the same again. It may be better to say his prayers, write out his will, and say goodbye to his family now. "Oh why did I do that?" He cried out to the heavens as he kept running trying to put as much distance between him and the school as possible.

Out of breath and his muscles burning, Jackal finally stopped and looked around. He actually hadn't paid attention to where he was going, but he did know that sticking around his home wasn't safe and neither was the school. Then again, there might never be a secure place on the earth for him any longer. Noticing he was near the train station, he quickly felt around his pockets and realized his wallet was in his locker with his school uniform. The uniform wasn't a problem since he had others in his bedroom, the wallet though… well, he might as well kiss everything in it goodbye if Kirihara and Marui realize it was left behind.

Sighing, he shook his head and started to walk down the street at a more sedate pace. Now that he knew where he was, Jackal could find a place to hide out for at least a little bit. With no phone, no wallet, and only in his tennis uniform, his choices were significantly limited.

Jackal finally made his way to a park far, far (well as far as he could on foot) away from the school and his house before he finally sat down on a swing and allowed himself to rest. Today had been the straw to break the camel's back and now he feared for his life, "Great, this is all Bunta's fault." Groaning, he muttered, "Well, not all of it. Some belongs to Akaya… and I guess me."

He pushed himself with his feet as he thought about everything that happened today. Ever since he had met Marui requests like those had become the norm… albeit not so much in one day. When he was asked to dress as a girl, it had been the cherry on top that caused him to explode. Honestly it had been building for a while, but he never acted on his frustrated feelings; he would just give in and finally give everyone what they wanted from buying food to sewing an ear on a bunny. He did it all with some reluctance, but knowing he just wanted to keep the peace and make everyone happy. Smiling, he looked at the sand under his feet and knew exactly why he was the way he was… her and then him. He had met her when he lived in Brazil and she had changed him. Then he came along and never gave up on him.

Flashback…

A young Jackal was just five years old when he started going to school and met her… Fatima Martinez. She was in the same grade as him and declared Jackal to be her future husband. He tried to push her away time and time again, but she always came back with a vengeance and soon the two became best friends. They continued their friendship into the first grade.

As close as they were Jackal didn't understand why after school, they couldn't continue to play together. She was always disappearing after they were dismissed, walking the opposite direction of her home, and her parting words would always be, "Be good and I will see you in the morning Hara!" He really hated that nickname, but Jackal would allow her to call him that… not that he had a choice because the one time he objected, she wrestled him down to the ground and made him eat mud to obtain naming rights. It was not one of his prouder moments, being beaten by a girl, but that is when they had started to become friends. Fatima wasn't like normal girls. She liked to play ball, run around, wrestle, and could fight almost anyone in the school to get what she wanted. He sometimes wondered if she wasn't really a boy in the girl's clothes her mother made her wear.

Being the curious six year old boy that he was, he decided to follow her one day after telling his mother that he was going to play with Fatima after school. His mother didn't have a problem with it since she believed they were going to stay around their neighborhood, and then he got a huge shock. She walked straight into the poorer part of the city they lived in and walked straight up to two kids that looked about her age. The trio walked into a small restaurant together and then she left alone about thirty minutes later. Jackal continued to follow her and her next destination was the church where she helped out in the daycare room with the infants and then handed the nun her allowance. "What is she doing?" Jackal asked himself as he then started to follow her away from the church and then got another surprise.

"You know, you really need to improve your spy skills if you plan on sneaking around," Fatima snickered as she whipped around and found her friend about ten feet behind her.

He knew he was busted and tried to stammer through an explanation, "I… well I… I was just here because… I was shopping for my mother!" He was extremely proud of himself for thinking of that story on the fly.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Fatima stared him down, "Oh really? Your mother?"

Jackal lifted his chin a little higher and stomped his foot, "Yes!"

"Yah, when that one becomes true, I will be the president. So why are you spying?"

"I wasn't."

She moved fast and before her friend realized what was happening, she had him in a headlock, "Now you want to tell me why you were following me, or do I tell Monica Sanchez that you have a crush on her and are going to give her cooties?"

First, that wasn't even true. He didn't like girls and the only one he liked to hang around was Fatima, but that is because she acted more like a boy than a girl. Secondly, her headlock was really tight. Finally deciding it might be safer to admit the truth, he caved, "Ok, I was just wondering where you were going after school."

"Well, if that's all, you only had to ask to come along," she said as she released him and shrugged.

Feeling his neck and making sure everything was still attached properly, Jackal glared at her, "I asked you what you did and you wouldn't tell me!"

"Oh, well I went to dinner with some friends and then I went to church."

"Who were those kids?"

"Friends," Fatima stated simply before taking his hand and leading him towards their part of town, stopping only once to give a man on the street a few coins that she still had in her pocket.

"What are you doing? He is homeless and could have attacked you!"

Looking behind her, she smiled and she turned to face forward again, "Not him."

"Do you know him?"

"He is Carlos and he used to be lawyer that worked with my dad. He lost his wife and son in an accident and his life fell apart. The two kids that you saw, they don't have parents and so they live on the street and try to support themselves. I buy them dinner a couple times a week to make sure they have a meal. The church… well I just like to play with the babies. My mom and dad think I go straight to the church. They don't know about the other stuff, so don't tell or I will have to beat you up."

They walked in silence for a while before Jackal asked, "Why?"

"Because my grandmother always said that a little kindness can mean the world to the other person. You don't know if they are having a bad day or what their life is like. You only know what they want you to see. So if someone needs help or asks for something, you should help if you can," Fatima answered softly and the rest of their journey was spent in silence.

Twice a week, Jackal would go with Fatima when she left school and began to see what she meant, and they did this for two years. He started to get into tennis, but he never failed to be with his best friend when he could… and then tragedy struck. Fatima was bitten by a snake when she decided to cut through a field to get home faster one night, and by the time she was found, she was close to death. They tried everything at the hospital, but it was too late and she passed away the next day after giving her final words to her best friend, "Always remember to help those you can, be a good friend, and smile. You will be a great tennis player one day. I have something for you in my room, your birthday present. Make sure you get it and use it or I will haunt you. Look Hara, I get to be a real angel now and help lots more people. You were always my favorite person. I'm sorry I can't be your wife now. I do love you Hara."

Jackal nodded with tears in his eyes, "You were always my favorite person too." He didn't quite understand what was happening, but his parents ushered him out of the room after that and his best friend left him once the door was closed. She was gone.

His present turned out to be a racket he had been wanting and he did what he could to be the best tennis player he could be. Many doubted him, but the coach at the tennis club took a special interest in him. Jackal liked to think that maybe Fatima had something to do about it as an angel, but that was just a thought in the back of his mind he wouldn't share with others. The coach never gave up on him and Jackal worked hard to make the man proud, and he knew if he ever got the chance, he would never give up on others around him.

End flashback…

To this day it was hard for him to say no to people because if he could help them, he wanted to. That was what his best friend from long ago had taught him, but there had to be a limit somewhere, "Fatima, I think even you would have finally gone ballistic on them. Right? I mean, I can't wear a dress or do the list of fifty things they wanted me to do today. Is this some sort of test? You're testing me right? I help them, but come on… I am no saint! I mean hell, Yukimura is closer to a saint than me since he is called the child of God, and he will probably rip my heart out and eat it for lunch tomorrow. I am so dead. I swear this is you causing trouble up there."

Looking up at the sky, he realized how late it had gotten and he really did need to get home. Was it safe yet? His stealth skills had vastly improved since he was six, but were they enough to sneak past any sentries that might be lying in wait for him? Taking a deep breath, he said, "Well, I can't spend the night here… even if I want to."

As he started to head towards his house, Jackal knew he needed to think of a plan to placate the demons tomorrow… and that included Yanagi (hey he was a demon too), "Maybe a sacrifice? Bunta would turn the fire to caramel with all of his sweets. Akaya would probably survive a fire because I swear he is part devil. Who would be a good sacrifice? It might need to be one of the underclassmen. No, they are innocent in all of this." In talking to himself, he didn't realize he had already made it home until he looked up and saw the sign on his family restaurant. Walking up the back steps, he entered the house, "Tadaima."

"Good to see you back and alive… for now," Yukimura stood up from where he sat by the coffee table and approached his tennis player.

"Oh god, I am so dead," Jackal muttered.

"No, not God, but you're close," the bluenette teased giggling and watched as Jackal lost all color from his normally tanned skin and became paler than he was. Chuckling some more, he wrapped his arm around his defense specialist and felt the other teen stiffen and then start to shake as he lead him towards the living room, "Now, let's talk."