Chapter 10- Betrayal

Jack was gone when Kimiko woke up. She wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing: after all, she had tried to kill him last night.

Still sprawled into his messy futon, Kimiko could do nothing but lay and stare at the ceiling, her heart pounding. An unexplained energy coursed through her veins, making her heart pound loudly in her chest, and adrenaline distorting her thoughts.

What the hell am I going to do?

She forced herself to sit up and curled her legs to her chest, holding herself together by her knees. Jack could be anywhere right now, perhaps building something that would keep her immobile for the rest of her days….or maybe, even contacting Chase. She shuddered at that thought, and hastily looked around his room for a way outside that wasn't through his lab. There was a skylight overhead, but the glass looked like it was several inches thick. Kimiko wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Just go out. You're going to have to face him sometime.

I tried to kill him. God, what was I thinking? I'm not a murderer! I want to end all the killing, not take part in it!

That didn't stop you the night the Temple was raided.

She shivered at her thoughts and squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds. The only sound was her heavy breathing, and then, beyond that, she heard faint tremors of activity beyond the bedroom door. Another shiver coursed through her before she got to her feet.

I might as well get this over with.

Jack couldn't sleep. His hands were slick with sweat, and his knees were trembling profusely. He figured having an unconscious assassin in his bed would do that to him, but he couldn't control his body.

He had no idea how to calm himself or his raging thoughts, so he came into his lab and began to work. After all, he had several weeks worth of repairs to do after his Xiaolin visitors destroyed his work, and he needed to get started. Chase would be calling in the next shipment of robots soon enough, and Jack had nothing to keep him satisfied.

He nervously glanced towards his bedroom door for the hundredth time that morning, then hastily looked away. Jack uttered a curse to himself and went for his toolset. The screwdriver he tried to pick up slipped out of his unsteady hands, and rolled underneath his desk. Muttering another curse, he ducked his head underneath, just as the door to his room opened.

Jack jumped and hit his head on the underside of his desk sharply, then fell out from underneath of it. He cursed and jumped to his feet, whirling around to see Kimiko hesitantly standing by his bedroom door with one hand on the handle.

They stared at each other for a moment, saying nothing. Kimiko's face was pale and peaked, while Jack's was red with embarrassment. She soon lowered her eyes to the floor, trying to avoid his gaze. She pulled the door shut behind her but made no move to come forward.

"Morning…" he said, rubbing his head and turning away so she wouldn't see the redness of his face.

"Good morning," she replied uncertainly. The awkward silence returned, but in a strange way, it was almost…pleasant. Jack couldn't feel any tension between them, just a hazy sense of understanding. His face grew hotter, and he hastily turned back to his tools before he made a fool of himself.

"A-about yesterday," she stammered from behind him. Jack flinched but didn't look at her.

"Don't…worry about it. I have to go upstairs for a minute." He hastily made for the door without turning to look at her, his heart pounding even louder in his chest. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Jack bounded up the steps, leaving Kimiko behind.

He immediately strode to the kitchen sink and splashed his face with icy water. It did nothing to calm his raging mind, though his trembling body was shocked into submission.

What am I going to do?

Yet, before he had a chance to think, there was a large crash from downstairs, and a suddenly cut-off shriek. He scrambled away from the kitchen, his eyes narrowed in confusion. What the…

He quickly strode back towards the stairs, but a small flash of light caught his attentions from outside. The lights turned red and began to blare, and Jack only had time to widen his eyes in panic before the light became blinding

With an earsplitting crash, the front door was thrown down in a cloud of smoke and debris. Jack coughed and stumbled backwards, struggling to understand what was happening as all of his senses were assaulted at once.

What the hell is going on?

The smoke finally began to clear, and Jack suddenly felt sick. His body clenched in panic and fear as he saw the intruders standing in the doorway.

No…

Two large men dressed as roman soldiers stepped forward through the debris, deadly swords belted at their waists as they stepped through. Their eyes fell upon Jack, and their lips curved into a smirk. Jack stumbled backwards, before his eyes darted to the lab steps.

"NO!"

He grabbed a fallen brick and ran forward at one of the soldiers, intending to fell him quickly. He kicked straight towards the soldier's gut, then threw the brick as hard as he could towards his face. The soldier merely sidestepped and the brick shattered on the wall behind him. Within seconds, Jack was forced away as well. His heart was racing faster than it had ever been before, and he desperately tried to keep his footing.

Just as he prepared to rush at them again, the two soldiers lunged at him. Jack panicked and quickly dodged their grasp, and then slid behind them. He drew back his fist and punched straight at the back of one of their necks, but his attack was quickly thrown off as the warrior turned. Taking a quick breath, he swung his leg out and knocked one of the warriors off balance, then drove his foot again upwards towards his gut. His foot painfully collided with a sheet of metal armor and Jack stumbled away, cursing under his breath.

Panic was building faster in Jack as he darted his eyes to the lab door, seeing the warrior's eyes follow his gaze as well.

They know she's here.

Within a split second, the two men rushed for the door. Jack let out a strangled cry and quickly hurtled in front of them, prepared to fend them off at all costs. Somehow, he managed to reach the door before them, and threw himself inside. Jack forcefully yanked it closed and slammed a button on his watch. The door locked instantly, though the banging of the soldiers did not cease.

A bead of sweat ran down his face, but Jack didn't even hesitate before he hurled himself down the stairs. He felt freezing inside, and his mind was going numb from shock

They found us…They found Kimiko! I have to get her out, I have to run, there's no other-

He came to a sudden halt at the base of the steps, and Jack froze in fear. His eyes went wide in shock, and a wave of dizzy nausea ran through him.

Two warriors stood across from him in his lab, holding firmly onto Kimiko as she tried to wrestle free. They had forced her hand behind her back, while one of their arms was wrapped around her throat. There was a hand placed firmly across her mouth, and Jack could hear faint sounds of whimpering coming from her. Their eyes connected for a brief second, and Jack saw immense fear in her eyes.

Without warning, Jack suddenly felt himself be arrested from behind. He let out a snarl as the warriors from upstairs clamped onto his arms and forced him back. He tried to jerk free and get to Kimiko, but they were too strong.

"No!" he growled, trying to yank his body away from their tight grasp. "Get the hell off of me! Kimiko!" He didn't stop struggling as he kept trying to get to her, his movements frantic and filled with desperation. A familiar, haunting laugh echoed through his empty lab, and Jack felt his heart turn to ice.

"Well well well…What do we have here?" He turned his head quickly to see Katnappe stepping out of the shadows, a smug smirk on her face. His eyes narrowed in anger, and Jack began his struggles anew.

"Ashley!" he snarled at her. "What is the meaning of this?" The warriors yanked his arms painfully behind his back and held them there. He winced as he heard something crack, but Jack kept his eyes steady on her.

"Don't even try to lie, Jackie," she growled back, her eyes deepened in a glare. She walked between Kimiko and Jack, sneering at them both, before pausing before him. "I knew there was something wrong from the first time I came here...So many pieces of evidence pointed to you having that scum but I didn't believe it. But all the pieces fit together…You had her all along. And you defied Chase! How could you?"

She raised her hand and slapped Jack forecully across the face, her sharpened nails digging into his skin. He didn't even wince as she left bloody scratches across his cheek, and he instead stared at her with pure malice. Then, she spat into his face. "You traitor!"

He grimaced and took the hit, jerking forward in his captors' arms. Katnappe stared at him for a long moment, slowly shaking her head.

"You traitor," she repeated softly, a slight hiss in her voice. She whirled around on her heels and sharply walked away from him, leaving Jack brisling in anger.

"We're moving out; bring the girl," she ordered forcefully, and the two warriors holding Kimiko nodded. They began to drag her behind them towards the stairs, and Kimiko could do nothing but helplessly stumble after them. Pure fear ran through her eyes, and she managed to twist her head away from their rough hands. She fought frantically and wrenched an arm out of their grasp, frantically looking for him.

"Jack!" she cried, reaching for him as the warriors struggled to contain her twisting form. "JACK!"

"NO!" he shouted back, trying to wrestle his arms free. He looked desperately at her as her hand clawed at the air, and finally, Jack worked his own arm free. "Kimiko!"

In one short second, their fingertips managed to brush as the warriors struggled to keep them apart. Katnappe began to laugh at their pathetic struggles, a sadistic grin on her face.

"Why are you reaching for him, Kimiko? He…was the one who betrayed you."

Her fingers suddenly stopped short of his hand, and Jack saw confusion course through her gaze.

"Yes, he was the one to tell us exactly where you've been hiding this past month…And thanks to you, Jackie boy, Chase no longer will have any threats to his throne."

Their eyes connected, and suddenly, Kimiko's eyes went cold. Jack's stomach sank as he desperately tried to reach her again, but she slowly lowered her arm. Kimiko stared icily at him, a look of betrayal etched across her face. He could see the immense hurt in her eyes, and Jack felt his own body go cold.

"No…Kimiko, no! She's lying!" There was something in his voice that made his words sound weak and hollow, and he frantically tried to reach her again.

Icy blue met red, and a look of pure hate passed to Jack. Katnappe nodded, and moments later, one of the warriors struck her head with the hilt of his sword. Then, her eyes closed with a look of despair, and her body went limp in the warrior's arms. Jack could only stare numbly at her unconscious form.

"No," Jack whispered, sinking to his knees. A sudden thought came to him, and he weakly pushed a button on his watch. The white cuffs dropped silently from her wrists to the floor.

The soldiers dragged her body upstairs, and Jack's mouth went dry as she disappeared from his lab. The corners of his vision blurred, and Jack realized he was crying. His body began to tremble as Katnappe stepped in front of him, her eyes unforgiving.

He dropped his head and the lab went silent, leaving Katnappe staring at him with cold, red-rimmed eyes.

Jack was brought in a few days later.

His face was paler than ever and slightly bruised, adding a sunken look to his cheeks. There were dark shadows under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his hair was messier than ever. Jack's clothes were slightly torn and covered in splashes of blood. Some was his, some wasn't. He was mentally exhausted, but relatively fortunate in which he hadn't been tortured too badly. Yet.

At least I'm alive.

Jack shuddered as he passed under a stone archway, the sign of the entrance to Chase's lair. Two soldiers were clamped onto his arms, along with a jungle cat in front of and behind him. His wrists had been tied behind his back. They were more dragging than leading him, but Jack didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore.

He hung his head in shame as the group began to walk down a long, familiar stone corridor. Up until recently, Jack had walked it many times as a free man. His eyes wandered to a spot of blood on the walls, and he wondered if she had walked the same path as he did.

Kimiko. The thought of the girl made Jack feel lightheaded, and he tried to block her out of his head. For the past few days, he had been haunted by the look of pain and hate in her eyes as the warriors slowly led her away from him. Kimiko was probably dead by now, and it was all his fault.

She's dead…Because of me.

What have I done?

It's all my fault…God, how could I have been so stupid? I should have never bought her…Now we can never be free from Chase…She was our last hope.

The group came to a sudden stop, and Jack's thoughts were interrupted. He wearily looked up to see a large wooden door slowly swing open at their approach. A shiver ran through Jack before the warriors dragged him through.

He entered yet another familiar room that Jack had been in frequently in the past three years. Something told Jack that he should try to stand up straight and face what was coming, but he had no motivation.

It's all my fault…

Twenty jungle cats faced him, snarling as they circled a small raised platform against a wall with two stained glass windows. A large gold, throne-like chair was placed on the platform.

He despondently looked around, noticing that Katnappe was standing next to the platform. Her arms were crossed against her chest, and there was a look of malice on her face. Jack didn't bother to catch her eye.

His eyes wandered automatically to the platform instead, and Jack immediately felt a wave of cold run through him. Standing with his back to his audience, one hand placed on the armrest of the throne, was a man with long black hair and greenish armor. Jack kept his eyes on him as his guards forced him forward, and suddenly, he felt a surge of anger build within him.

Chase…He'll pay…I'll make him pay for what he did.

Within seconds, the sea of jungle cats parted as the warriors dragged Jack to the edge of the platform. Suddenly, there was a sudden blow to his back from behind, and Jack crumbled to the floor in a kneeling position. The warrior placed a heavy boot on his back to prevent him from getting up, while the other twisted his fingers in his long hair and yanked his head up.

A snarl came from the back of Jack's throat as he glared upwards at the figure. He could practically feel anger radiating from him, and he jerked his body to try and get free.

Chase Young calmly turned around from his position and looked down at Jack with an expression of disgust. There was a murderous look in his eyes. Apparently Chase was as angry as he was.

They stared at each other for a few minutes in that way. Jack refused to move his gaze as he narrowed his eyes. He swallowed as a swell of anger threatened to break free from him, and instead kept his gaze steady.

To his surprise, it was Chase who broke the tension first.

"I'm at a loss for words," he hissed at Jack. Chase curled his hand into a fist and turned away, snapping his fingers. The two warriors painfully holding Jack down stepped away, and Jack ruefully got onto his feet.

"You of all people to betray me…" Chase said coldly, looking at him with scorn. "I expected it from a weak creature like Wuya or Katnappe…But not from you. You swore your loyalty to me!"

There was a sudden blow across his face, and Jack felt himself fly backwards a few feet. He scowled and regained his balance, blood dripping down his cheek as he faced Chase again.

"After all I've done for you…" Chase snarled, advancing one him once again. "I protected you and your family, I financed you, and I gave you a high status within my court! If it wasn't for me, you would be dead! And this is how you repay me?"

Chase raised a hand to slap Jack and brought it down forcefully towards him. But at the last second, Jack's hand shot up and blocked the hit. The cord that had bound his hands fell to the floor.

He was breathing slightly heavy as he stared at Chase, not budging his hand from the defensive position. Chase Young stared at him incredulously, his mouth open slightly in shock. The room went silent as Jack stood up his full height, almost as tall as Chase.

"You were the one causing the killing. If it wasn't for you…Millions of people would still be alive."

Chase threw down Jack's arm and punched him, sending him flying again. "Why did you do it?" he growled, advancing on Jack forcefully. "Why did you betray me? Why did you protect that filthy piece of trash?"

"Even a fool could see my loyalties would never lie with someone like you!" Jack shouted at him, scrambling to his feet amidst the jungle cats. "And she wasn't a piece of scum like you! I protected her so that she could kill you!"

Jack knew his words were going to get him killed, but he didn't care. He wanted only to avenge Kimiko. His eyes lit with fire as he stared at Chase, feeling suddenly bold and daring.

Chase's arm stopped midair as he stared back at Jack, a sudden realization coming to his mind.

"You love her…Don't you?"

Jack froze and stared at him, words caught in his throat. The room was silent, and Jack felt twenty pairs of eyes suddenly rotate to him.

A haughty smirk lit on Chase's lips as he took Jack's silence as a yes. There was still anger in his eyes as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, the two men who had brought Jack in fastened onto his arms again. Jack let out a small cry of resistance and tried to get free, but to no avail.

"Bring him to her cell…He might as well watch her suffer her last days."

Jack took a quick intake of breath and felt his heart stop beating momentarily.

Kimiko…is alive?

He suddenly felt Chase looking at him, and cold once again swept through him. There was a sadistic grin on his face that told him something was wrong. Jack cringed as the warriors began to lead him out, watching Chase intently.

"I'll deal with you later…" Chase Young growled. He could hear plain hate in his voice before Chase disappeared out of sight. Jack stumbled and tried to walk on his own between the warrior's fast pace. His heart was pounding faster, and hope lit within him.

Kimiko was alive.

Jack's eyes were wide and alert as he was dragged down twisting passages, looking every which way for some sign of Kimiko. After a few minutes, he knew he was in part of a dungeon by the multiple heavy wooden doors and the jungle cats strolling between the corridors. He shivered as the conditions worsened and the air brought on a noticeable chill.

Finally, he saw a group of warriors positioned around a door at the end of the wing, and his heart picked up a beat. His guards threw him into the hands of the warriors, grabbing both of his arms behind his back while one of them opened the cell door. He could see nothing but darkness for a moment as the guards pushed him roughly through the doorway.

Jack stumbled inside as the door closed forcefully behind him. Shivering, he realized the cell was cold and damp and barely had any light. A small, barred window at the top let in only a faint red glow from the outside.

He could hear heavy breathing from somewhere in the cell and he quickly looked around for Kimiko in the darkness. It took his eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness, but then he saw her.

She was crouched against a corner of the cell, her wrists chained and attached to the wall behind her. Her head was lying against her knees, and he could see only the barest of movement as her chest rose up and down. She was wearing a set of red warrior robes, much like the ones she had worn back at the Xiaolin temple. But they were stained and torn, and there was an overpowering smell of blood in the air. Jack looked down at the ground where she rested, and saw that she was sitting in a puddle of her own blood.

"Kimiko…" he said quietly, relief flooding him that she was still alive. Jack could almost feel tears brimming in his eyes as he slowly approached her. She's alive!

"Oh god, Kimiko, I-"

"Stay away from me." A voice filled with malice and hate filled the tiny cell as Kimiko raised her head, glowering at Jack with hatred. Jack stopped cold in his tracks, his eyes widening. He bent down in front of her, disbelief clearly written across his cheeks. He reached out to touch her, feeling cold again.

"Kimiko…I-"

A powerful blow caught him in the chest, and Jack crashed into the stone floor painfully. It took him a few minutes to recover: Kimiko had knocked the wind out of him.

There was a small shuffling noise as she retracted her foot back against her body. "Don't touch me," she hissed. He could hear pain in her voice now, as her shaky words reached him.

Jack's heart dropped as he stared at her frail form in the darkness. She still thinks I turned her in…That it's my fault she's here.

"Kimiko," he said pleadingly, scooting towards her again on the slimy floor. "Kimiko, please, listen to me! I didn't deceive you! If I did, I wouldn't be here right now!"

"You're only here to hurt me more…I heard the guards talking outside."

Jack sighed exasperatedly, wanting to grab her shoulders and make her face him. He looked over her body, and realized that she was in terrible condition, even worse than the first day he had bought her. There was a desperate feeling inside of him as he stared at her pleadingly.

"Kimiko, damn it, listen to me! Why are you acting this way?"

There was silence.

"Kimiko…"

"You betrayed me!" she nearly shouted, jerking her head up to face him. There were tears in the corners of her eyes as she stared at him, anger spilling at her every move. "God, Jack! I spent three years on the run from Chase, watching my family and my friends die around me! I never could relax, or feel safe or anything! Even with Raimundo and Clay around, I was always afraid!"

The tears were freely falling now as she choked them back, her glare of abhorrence never lifting.

"But when I came to you…I felt safe. I thought you would protect me! I didn't feel like any moment Chase would slit my throat, or that his stupid cats would find me in the middle of the night! For the first time in three years, I felt safe, because I thought you would save me from all that!"

Jack was silent as he listened, unable to move his body. There was a small sob from Kimiko before she continued her voice shaky and filled with pain. Jack looked away as he listened, feeling a sinking feeling encase him.

"But then you had to go and reveal me to Chase…I thought you were on our side now, but it's clear where your loyalties have always been. I was wrong: you're just the same cowardly little git that I knew before."

Her words ended barely a whisper as she dropped her head, muffling her few tears with the thin fabric covering her body. Jack still didn't move as the cell went silent.

Suddenly, he heard a slow shudder from Kimiko as she contracted her body into a tighter ball. Moments later, the door to the cell opened as light flooded in. Two warriors stood in the doorway, their eyes focused on Kimiko.

"No," Jack growled, scrambling to his feet as they advanced. He stood in front of Kimiko and put his arms out, ready to fight them off from taking her. There was a kick from behind and Jack abruptly crashed to the floor, staring numbly at Kimiko.

The warriors undid the shackles binding her to the wall and dragged her upwards, then through the cell door. The heavy door closed, leaving Jack alone in the darkness. It was then that he remembered what Katnappe had told him what seemed like weeks earlier.

"They'll be hell to pay once she's caught. And since Kimiko's the last one left, she'll pay for all of them."

The screams started softly at first. Jack sat against the wall of the cell, holding his knees against his chest as he listened. They began with slight whimpers, echoing through the stone walls as Kimiko tried not to let her pain show. Soon, he could hear her begging someone to stop. Her pleas were cut short by another round of feminine shrieks.

Within an hour, he heard sobbing and a few full out, blood-curdling screams. Jack shuddered and hugged his knees tighter: it was as if he was being tortured instead of Kimiko. He couldn't escape the sounds of her pain as they grew louder and louder.

Another hour later, everything went silent. There were dark hollows under his eyes as Jack lifted his head. His heart was pounding faster than ever, and he listened carefully for any sign of activity. Jack desperately hoped that she was alright.

As if someone had heard his thoughts, the door to the cell opened. Jack scrambled to his feet as the same warriors advanced into the cell. They held a limp and bloody form between them. The figure stirred slightly, and Jack saw Kimiko wearily meet his eyes. The two warriors unceremoniously threw Kimiko at the floor. Jack dove forward and caught her before she collided with the stones.

Kimiko was unconscious before she hit his arms.

As soon as he saw her, Jack knew she was gravely injured. Blood was dripping freely from her back, and her clothes were almost shredded to pieces. It was a miracle that she was still alive, but Jack knew she wouldn't be dying any time soon. She was too strong for that.

Without a moment's hesitation, he set her down and ripped off his own shirt, exposing his skin to the cool air. Looking around, he noticed three pitchers of water and a few loaves of stale bread sitting in the corner opposite of her shackles.

"Bastards…" he cursed, before grabbing two of the pitchers and setting to work. Using his teeth, he tore his shirt into thin strips before lying Kimiko face down across his lap. Slipping off the top of her robe, he almost vomited at the sight. Her back was completely covered in blood and what looked like whip marks. Cursing Chase again, he dipped what was left of his shirt in the water and began to softly clean the blood off her body. There was no time for modesty now.

Kimiko tensed and made a whimpering sound as he cleaned the wounds, but she was still unconscious. He poured more of the water over her until all that was left was the angry red wounds. Jack grabbed the strips of his shirt and began to wrap them around her, as a makeshift bandage and to stop the bleeding. Once done, he pulled her tattered robes back over her shoulders, and stared down at her.

The cell went silent as he wrapped his arms around Kimiko, fully pulling the limp girl into his arms and against his chest. Her body felt cold, and for the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire, that was bad. Her head fell against his bare chest, and Jack felt a bit of relief as he felt warm whispers of air blowing against his skin.

He stayed like that for over two hours, constantly checking to make sure she was warm enough and that the bleeding didn't start up again. The cell grew darker with each passing moment, and he sighed as he stared at the wall.

"Why did you tell her that?" Jack shouted, angrily pulling at his bindings in the police cell. Ashley stood feet away from the heavy metal bars, her arms crossed. "Why the hell would you make a lie like that? I didn't betray her!"

"You may not have betrayed her Jackie…" she hissed, an evil smirk on her face. "But we did find her because of you… You see, that day of the rebellion, when the other Xiaolin Dragons, or imposters at that, were discovered…We knew they would use the rebellion as a chance to look for Kimiko. After all, everyone knew that she had been sold somewhere. So we tracked them, and they led us to you. You bought her, they found her, we found you. Simple, really."

"Then why did you tell her I betrayed her?" he growled. Jack tugged at the chains holding him back, using every last ounce of strength he had.

"To punish you," she said darkly. Jack stopped struggling as he noticed the malice on her face. "It's nice to know that at your darkest hour, you don't have even a single friend left at your side…Isn't it?" Ashley cackled as she turned away, walking out of his holding cell.

"Damn it! Wait! Tell me what happened to her! Ashley!"

A small noise interrupted Jack's thoughts, and he jumped as he realized Kimiko was coming to. Moaning softly, she stirred before opening her eyes, too weak to even move her body out of Jack's arms.

It took her a few moments to comprehend what had happened, but as the memories returned, she gasped and tried to jolt upright. Jack held on to her as she panicked, but eventually, he managed to push her back down into his arms. Her eyes were bright with fear, even as thick exhaustion and pain clouded her normally piercing gaze. Jack ignored her struggled and grabbed the pitcher along the wall, then gently held it to her lips.

"Jack," she whispered fearfully, trying to turn her head away. He let out a soft sigh of irritation, and pressed the pitcher more firmly against her.

"Shh, just drink this," he murmured. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly parted her cracked lips, and Jack tipped the water into her mouth until she could take no more. Kimiko pushed the pitcher away and tried to get up, but her body was shaking. After seeing how weak she was, her body slackened into Jack's arms, and he held her tightly. She shuddered once, and then pressed herself against him.

"I'm sorry," she said faintly. "I-I'm sorry for everything. I…believe you. I know you didn't…betray me…It was so cold…s-so cold…And my fire wouldn't come…I was scared…I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he responded softly. "It was….my fault. I thought I could hide you, and keep you safe. I should have moved you into hiding as soon as I bought you…But don't worry. I'm here now, and I'm going to get us out of here."

The words sounded hollow on his lips, and a faint smirk appeared on Kimiko's face. Her hand curled tightly around his wrist and she gave a squeeze, as if she was reassuring him.

"You saved me once, Jack…I don't think you can do it again. Not now."

Her eyes watered at the edges from the pain, and Jack flinched. He didn't speak again for a few minutes, and Kimiko slowly went limp in his arms. His own shoulders fell and he looked down dejectedly at her. Even Kimiko knew there was no way out…not this time.

He smoothed her tangled hair away from her face before laying her body against the ground. She didn't resist him, and Jack knew she had finally fallen asleep. With a sigh, he checked on her bandages one last time before laying down beside Kimiko, pulling her body close to keep her warm.

"I'm going to set things right," he murmured softly to her. Jack traced his fingers lightly over the contours of her face, lingering near the bruises along her cheekbones. Then, with a heavy sigh, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"I…love you," he whispered gently. With his face downcast, Jack slowly lowered his head back down to the stone, and closed his eyes.

The tears pooling under Kimiko's eyes finally broke free, and she wearily opened them before the pain threatened to consume her. Slowly, Kimiko reached up and put a hand on Jack's face, and his eyes flew open. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, and a faint smile crossed her lips.

"Love you…too," she whispered, barely audible. A tremor ran through Jack's body, and he could do nothing but stare at her in wonder.

He finally reached out to cup her face in his hands, and pulled her forward to kiss her. He tasted blood on her lips, and as he released her, Kimiko's eyes finally slid shut.

The cell went silent, and Jack was left with nothing but the fast beating of his heart, and Kimiko's clammy hands intertwined with his.