Chapter 13

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"Why is she always with him?" Raimundo muttered angrily under his breath, glaring at the scene in front of him with disgust. "She should be with us! We save her life after weeks of being imprisoned, and the first thing she does is run straight into the arms of her captor!" His lips curled into a snarl, and he forced himself to look away.

He was sitting with Clay and Dojo inside the main part of the Xiaolin Temple, watching Kimiko and Jack through the doorway. She was attempting to do what she could for his wounds, and from the look on Jack's face, he clearly wasn't enjoying it.

Clay, who had been tending to the small fire in the room, laid a heavy hand on Raimundo's shoulder. "Easy partner," he cautioned. His eyes wandered out to Kimiko, and he sighed as well. Raimundo was getting angrier by the minute, and this was not the first time Clay had to calm him down. "They went through a lot together…Kimiko is just makin' sure he's okay-"

"Kimiko is a lot more wounded than he is! If anything, he should be helping her, not the other way around. We should be helping her! We haven't seen her in over a month, and she still wants to hang around that scum instead of us. I wish I left him to rot with Chase instead of bringing him here."

"Cut Kim some slack," Dojo interrupted, slithering over to Clay's bag in the corner to find some supplies. "You don't know what she went through those past few weeks. Maybe she needs Jack more than us right now. Far as I know, he saved her life."

"Destroyed her life is more like it," Raimundo retorted back. "If it wasn't for him, she never would have been brought to Chase in the first place." His angered eyes fell back onto Jack, and they narrowed in pure disgust. Jack was like an idiotic, lovesick puppy they way he looked at her. Raimundo suppressed a gag, and crossly ran his fingers through his hair.

"You know what I think?" Clay said softly, looking directly at Raimundo. He turned and faced Clay in annoyance.

"What?"

"I think you're jealous of 'im."

"Jealous? Of Jack? What the hell, Clay! Why would I be jealous of trash like him?"

"Because he's with Kimiko more than you are."

"Obviously," Dojo agreed, rolling his eyes. "We're not blind, Raimundo…We all know about what happened between you and Kim."

"I love her, is there a problem with that?" Rai snapped defensively. "I'm concerned about her, and I want to make sure that she doesn't get even more hurt by hanging around Jack anymore." He glared at Clay and Dojo, but his eyes traveled past them and to the doorway.

"We know, Raimundo," Clay said gently. His eyes locked onto Rai's, and a moment of uneasiness passed between them. Raimundo scowled and got to his feet, not looking back as he headed towards the door.

"I'm going to get more water," he lied, picking up a large jar for effect. After a year of abandonment and destruction, the Temple lacked all of its previous modern conveniences, and they were back to gathering water from the river. "I'll be back later."

Raimundo closed the door firmly behind him, leaving Clay and Dojo staring after him with grim expressions.

"This is going to sting a bit."

Kimiko glanced over at Jack as she rung out a towel filled with hot water and prepared to lay it across one of the deep welts on his back. He was lying stomach down on a blanket in front of her, his head resting on his hands as he watched her wearily. He took a sharp intake of breath as the towel first hit him, and Kimiko flinched before continuing on.

He had no idea how Kimiko was still standing, nevertheless cleaning his wounds. Her injuries were only barely beginning to heal and he could see exhaustion in her eyes, but she kept going. Jack could only imagine what it was like for her, seeing his bloody back when she knew her own was deeply scarred beneath her bandages.

Kimiko put down the towel once the welts were clean and reached for a small jar of ointment Raimundo had found in what was left of the infirmary. As she began to gently apply it to his wounds, Jack's shoulders tightened in reflex. His body was soaked in perspiration from the pain, and he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out.

Kimiko finished quickly and grabbed a roll of bandages, while Jack slowly got onto his knees. She began to bind his chest tightly with the clean cloth, humming under her breath as she looped the bandages again and again around him. Jack watched her with weary eyes, trying not to feel guilty as her shoulders began to droop from the effort.

As Kimiko finished the last few bands around his lower back, a movement behind her caught Jack's attention, and he narrowed his eyes. Raimundo was coming up the path from the Temple towards him, an annoyed expression on his face. Jack's eyes met his, and for a moment, a look of pure hatred passed between them.

It had been like this ever since Jack had been rescued from Chase's dungeon. Raimundo had made it clear that he hated Jack, and he would not rest until he was gone from all of their lives…including Kimiko's. As of now, Jack was sure she was the only reason Raimundo hadn't killed him already.

He could understand why Raimundo would act this way towards him, but that meant that Jack would have to keep his guard up at all times. Clay and Dojo generally avoided him and spoke coolly to him when they needed to, but Raimundo was an entirely different story. Although Jack hadn't spoken to him since the night he was rescued, Raimundo made it easy to understand that he was the leader, and Jack had no place among the Xiaolin Dragons.

And Kimiko, caught between the two of them, was suffering for it. Although there was an unspoken rule that she would be left out of their struggles, Kimiko knew there was something wrong, and she was doing all she could to stop them from fighting. Until today, she had barely touched Jack and stayed by Raimundo's side, trying to keep him calm. She and Clay were both aware of his vicious temper, and Kimiko was afraid of what would happen if Rai found out just exactly what had happened between her and Jack.

As far as Raimundo knew, Kimiko had simply been bought and used for chores by Jack, where she discovered he was no longer on Chase's side. But before they could do anything, Kimiko was discovered, and Jack soon followed. He saved her life twice, first when he bought her and saved her from the clutches of another Heylin warrior, and second, when he cared for her in the cell. She denied that there was something more between them, but Raimundo had his suspicions.

"There!" she said in relief, finishing the final loop of bandages. "I'll have to change these in a day or two, but at least you're all clean, and hopefully, there won't be an infection." She brushed off her hands and lazily sat back on the blanket, a smug smile on her face.

Jack managed to smile back, though his eyes were still trained on Raimundo approaching them from behind. "Thank you, Kimiko," he murmured under his breath. She waved his comment off, and lay back onto the blanket.

"You save my life, I save yours, huh?"

Jack let out a half laugh, half scoff, and shook his head. Raimundo was almost upon them now, and Jack knew he had to watch what he said. Over the past few days, if he was even too friendly towards her, Rai was sure to step in. "Now it's time for you to worry about yourself…You're not invincible, Kimiko. Everyone wants you to rest, and you haven't stopped moving since you got here."

She rolled her eyes and sat back up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Jack, my element is fire…and I just got it back! Do you think I'm going to sit-"

"Good job Kim. I think he's going to live." A dark shadow suddenly passed over her shoulders, and Kimiko flinched. Even she couldn't miss the bitterness in his voice. But, she smiled anyways and looked at Raimundo, while Jack acted like he hadn't even heard him.

"I've done all I can, now we can only hope for the best. But, he's not in danger of dying any time soon. As long as I keep changing the bandages, he'll be fine."

Jack had been trying to keep as straight a face as he could, but it was hard to ignore Raimundo's burning stare and Kimiko's nervous glances while they spoke. He ran a hand over his stomach, feeling the stiff overlapping of the bandages, then looked defiantly up at the Xiaolin Warrior across from him. "Sorry, Raimundo. Look's like I'm going to be hanging around here for a while more."

Kimiko's weak smile faltered slightly as she glanced across at Jack. He was surprised to find that there was warmth in her eyes, and Jack smirked back, knowing it would do nothing but anger Raimundo.

Rai's eyes narrowed slightly, but he paid Jack no more attention. Instead, he turned to Kimiko with what appeared to be concern in his eyes. Jack dropped his gaze again, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Kim, you look exhausted. You've been out here all day…why don't you go inside and rest a little before dinner? You look like you need some sleep."

Kimiko uneasily looked at Jack again, but he didn't meet her eyes this time. "I guess…" she said slowly, though it was clear she didn't want to leave. "I'm honestly not that tired…I thought I could last until tonight."

"Kim, you're not healed yet, you need rest. Besides, I'm sure Dojo and Clay would like to see you…you've barely said a word to them since you came here. I'll finish cleaning up for you, just go inside."

"Jack, will you be okay?" Kimiko could sense the tension between them, even though they were both struggling to act perfectly normal. Her face hardened and she made no attempt to move just yet.

"I'll be fine. Raimundo is right, you do need rest. But thank you…for everything. I probably wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for you." She wasn't reassured, but Raimundo pulled her to her feet anyways, with a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. She slowly began to walk towards the Temple, looking back over her shoulder only once.

Jack and Raimundo, left alone, acted naturally until she was out of sight. Rai busied himself by collecting the jars of ointment and bandages, and Jack watched him with weary eyes. But, as soon as she disappeared into the Temple, Raimundo turned back to him, murder in his eyes. Jack rivaled his glare with a cold expression of his own.

"What is Kimiko to you?" Rai snapped angrily, his voice low. Jack stared at him, wondering what he could possibly say without making a death wish.

"Why?" Jack asked finally. "Are you worried about me taking her away from you?" His words were unfriendly and blunt, but the smallest bit of a smile played on his lips. Raimundo saw this, and grew angrier.

"Don't mess with me," he snarled, standing up. Rai towered over him, his muscles tensed as if he were ready to attack Jack. "I know you messed around with her when she was your slave," he spat the word, looking at him in disgust. "Kimiko hasn't said anything, but if I find out you even touched her, kissed her, or lay one finger on her when she didn't want it, I will kill you. I will take you out before any of the others notice, and rip you to shreds." Raimundo was perfectly serious, and Jack didn't doubt his threats. Especially in his condition, it would be child's play for Rai to kill him. Jack didn't stand a chance.

Instead of cowering in front of the all-mighty Dragon of the Wind, Jack stared back at him defiantly.

"But what if Kimiko wanted it?" he asked boldly. "Have you ever considered, for just one moment, that Kimiko might not want you? Did it ever occur to you that she could fall in love with someone else? I'll tell you this right now, Raimundo. Kimiko is not yours, nor will she ever be. I may have bought her, but unlike you, I have never treated her like property."

Raimundo stared at him, a deadly expression that Jack had never seen before on his face. As brave as he felt, Jack was beginning to think that talking back was not the best option right now. Chase Young's ferocity was nothing compared to the rage Jack was facing now. He had essentially just signed his own death warrant.

"You listen to me now, Jack," Raimundo growled, stepping forwards towards him. "The only reason you are alive right now is because of Kimiko. You may have fooled her with this little 'good' act of yours, but you haven't fooled me. Sure, she may have gotten to know you better when you kept her prisoner, but her place is with the Xiaolin Dragons, and always will be. Nothing will change that, and once she clears her head of all the torment you put her through, she'll see exactly what you are. A sadistic, no-good, heartless git like you always were. And if you thought for even one second that she loved you…you're wrong. Why would Kimiko want scum like you, when she's had me by her side all this time?"

Jack narrowed his eyes and glared back at him, disbelief written across his face. "Act?" he repeated scornfully. He couldn't help but laugh, and Raimundo bristled in front of him. "The only act I see around here is yours, Raimundo. Do you think Kimiko is never going to notice your little two-face façade? You're the only person she's been close to for the past three years, and she's been blinded by your friendship. Now that she's seen the outside world…It's time she saw exactly what you are…A jealous, possessive bastard who can't face the fact that his girlfriend fell in love with someone else. I may have changed sides because I saw what was right in this world, but I have never put on an act. I know who I am, and I'm not going to hide it from Kimiko."

Jack's lips were set into a fine line as he spoke, and he could see a vein throbbing in Rai's temple. Jack knew he was going to pay dearly for this later, but he didn't care. Raimundo opened his mouth to speak, but Jack cut him off before he had a chance to say anything.

"Look, Raimundo. No matter what we say, nothing is going to change the fact that we can't choose who Kimiko wants. I'm not willing to give her up and neither are you, but it's her decision, not ours. So you can play all the games that you want, you can try and lead her away from me, and you can even try to take my life if you're that desperate. But I am going to remain here for as long as Kimiko wants me, and you're going to have to deal with that."

Crack. A blinding light flashed through Jack's eyes and suddenly, he was lying on his back, a red-hot pain burning across his face. He slowly opened his eyes to see Raimundo standing over him, his fist still raised in the air. Jack tenderly felt his swollen flesh on his cheek and then looked up. He had never seen Raimundo look so malicious in his life.

Before he could say anything, there was another sharp pain to his side and Jack doubled over, clutching at his stomach. His face had gone white: Raimundo had kicked him directly on one of his wounds. Jack tried to get up to face him, but before he could, he was knocked back down. He grunted as his back hit the ground, and a heavy foot landed in the center of his chest.

Raimundo was staring down at him, his hair flying wildly around his head. In his hands, there was a swirling orb of wind. He was ready to kill Jack, and both of them knew it. Jack never took his eyes off of him as the pain in his chest grew from the constant weight. Their eyes locked onto each other's, and neither moved for a very long minute.

"Raimundo." A soft voice suddenly interrupted the ferocity of their moment, and Rai snapped his head away to look at the approaching figure. Clay was standing just a few feet away, staring at him with a hardened expression. Their eyes met, and Clay looked at him warningly. He didn't even pay attention to Jack, who was now finding it very difficult to breathe under the weight of Raimundo's foot.

Scowling, Rai allowed the ball of wind to die and he stepped off of Jack, making no attempt to spare him from any more pain. He stalked angrily away from the two and towards the Temple, never looking back. Clay glanced back at Jack, then followed him.

"I'll tell Kim yeh don't feel well," he said softly, though his words were cold. Jack didn't move as Clay spoke, and curled his legs up to his side. Apparently, he would be missing the meal tonight to allow Raimundo to cool down. That, he supposed, was a lot better than Rai killing him in Kimiko's presence.

He would have to be on his guard at all times, from now on. No one was safe from Raimundo's wrath.

Kimiko couldn't sleep. The moon had fully risen in the darkened skies, and its blood-red rays illuminated the Temple through all the broken windows. Clay and Raimundo lay on either side of her, already fast asleep. She rolled onto her side, and then, as a sharp pang of pain shot up her spine, Kimiko winced and went to her back. Her body was pumped with adrenaline, though she didn't know why.

A sudden shadow passed by the doorway, and Kimiko sat up in terror. The Temple was silent, save Clay's heavy snores and the now loud beating of her heart. She strained her eyes into the darkness, then almost cried out as a figure appeared in the doorway. As he came into the light of the dying fire besides them, Kimiko had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out.

"Jack!" she hissed. "What the hell are you-" She stopped abruptly as he put a finger to his lips, and motioned her to follow him. Kimiko glanced fearfully at her companions, then slowly got to her feet and tiptoed after him. Raimundo rolled over in his sleep and at the doorway she froze, but as he let out a deep breath, her shoulders sagged and she continued on.

Jack waited just beyond the Temple's doors, and Kimiko met him on the path. Jack pulled Kimiko into his arms, holding her as tightly as he dared. She went willingly and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Jack rested his head on top of hers, breathing in the scent of her hair. He closed his eyes as Kimiko wrapped his arms around his waist, and he merely held her tighter.

Finally, Kimiko let out a ragged sigh and looked up, meeting his eyes again. "I missed you so much," she whispered. Jack tried to smile as he stepped back, keeping his hands on her hips. He took her hand in his and led her away from the Temple. They stopped out of sight, in the gardens, where they both sat along the broken fountain.

"You don't know how much it hurt to be away with you," he murmured. Jack rewrapped an arm around her waist, and Kimiko scooted closer to him.

She suddenly felt liberated, in a way she hadn't felt since the skies first went black. In Chase's dungeons, their time together had been desperate and uncertain, but now, they both were free. She had time before she would have to face Chase again, even though she was desperate for a chance to finally bring him down.

As pleased as Kimiko felt, one look at Jack's expression made her feel uneasy, and she placed a hand on his leg. "Jack…what's the matter? Why did you come for me tonight?"

He sighed heavily and sat back on the fountain's edge, looking back towards the Temple. He knew she would ask, but after hours of thinking of an excuse, he had none. Jack didn't want to hurt her, but she needed to hear the truth about Raimundo. Slowly, Jack looked back to Kimiko, and softened his voice. "You know as well as I do that I'm not wanted here."

She scowled immediately and looked away. "Clay and Raimundo just don't see that you've changed yet," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "I know they hate you, but they can't just ignore the past. Neither can I, but at least I know you're different. If you weren't…neither of us would be here right now."

"If only it was that simple."

Kimiko sighed heavily and glanced back at him. "Jack, I know you feel unwanted, but Raimundo and Clay will come around. Just give them time. They trust me in bringing you here, and eventually, they'll trust you too. I know there's a lot of tension between you three, but it'll pass."

They fell into silence for a few minutes, and Jack wrapped an arm around her waist. Kimiko leaned against him, peaceful for the first time in weeks.

There were thoughts nagging at the back of both of their minds, both involving Raimundo. Jack was aware of Kimiko's previous relationship with Rai, but he wasn't sure what to think of it now. The Dragon of the Wind had tried numerous times in Jack's presence to make it clear that Kimiko was still with him. But, she had rejected (or pretended she didn't notice) his advances every time. Sighing, Jack turned to Kimiko, meeting her eyes without hesitation.

"What…is your relationship with Raimundo?"

She instantly tensed in his arms and looked away, unwilling to answer. In part, Kimiko was afraid to hear the words herself, but she sighed heavily and looked down at her hands.

"I…love him," she said quietly. They were engulfed in silence as Kimiko struggled to find the right words. "Raimundo and I were always the closest out of any of the Dragons, especially when we first came to the Temple. We were best friends, and when we grew older…we became more than that. I won't deny what happened between us…in the past year, we had nothing to live for except each other."

She sighed heavily and clutched her hands into fists. "But this past month…everything changed. He's not the same person I used to know. A month ago, I was so sure I would spend the rest of my life with him. Now, I don't know who Raimundo is. I don't know who I am; maybe I'm the one that changed. But I still love him so much…not like I used to, but he is one of the most important people in my life. I need him."

Jack pulled her closer to him, and she collapsed into his arms. He could only imagine what she was feeling right now. In the last few weeks, Kimiko had lost everything she had ever known-her friends, her life, her freedom- and she had been destroyed from the inside. Now, she was regaining her past life at a heavy cost. Kimiko was no longer ignorant of the devastation that had ruined the world while the dragons had been forced to hide, nor was she blind to the changes in her companions. Nothing would ever be the same.

After a few long moments, she laughed bitterly and wiped her eyes, then pried herself away from him. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath. Jack nodded and gently took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. She dejectedly looked down at their hands, and sighed heavily.

"And of us, Jack? What are we?"

He looked up to the moon before meeting her gaze, his eyes downcast. "We're two kids tangled in a world of hate and destruction. We're enemies turned friends, from two separate worlds. We should be impossible…but we're here, together. I don't know what we are, Kimiko….But I do know that I love you. And that's all that matters to me."

She was quiet for a long moment, the expression on her face indecipherable. "We shouldn't be together," she murmured under her breath. "I…have to stop Chase. I can't get distracted, the world is going to be destroyed without me…without us…and I can't do this without you."

The smallest of smiles graced Jack's lips, and he cupped her head with his free hand. Jack leaned in towards her, and Kimiko found that she was suddenly breathing very heavily. "I love you too," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Jack's smile grew larger before their lips crashed together, flooding his body with heat.

And by the Xiaolin Temple, the Wings of Tenabi fell wordlessly from Raimundo's hands. His face was hardened into disbelief and anger, and his hands clutched into fists. Rage was building inside of him, an emotion that came easily to him and was hard to relieve.

"No," he whispered disbelievingly. His voice turned to anger as he looked at Jack. This was all his fault. Raimundo would never be able to forgive him.

I'm going to kill him.

He didn't think of Kimiko at all, only his anger. With his chest heaving, he picked up the Shen Gong Wu. Raimundo didn't look back as he spread the wings, and disappeared into the night sky.

"Kimiko." Her name was whispered the next morning in the stillness of dawn, and Kimiko sleepily opened her eyes. Clay was there, kneeling by her head. His voice had been urgent, desperate.

"Clay?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "It's so early…What…What's wrong?"

"It's Raimundo. He's…gone."

Raimundo's eyes were heavy with exhaustion as he trudged through the town, his face obscured by a hood. The eyes of his companions watched his every step as he moved, from the sides of buildings and street corners. Even his own face stared at him, burning holes through his disguise. He was foolish to even think of coming here, but Raimundo didn't care. No one would recognize him anyways.

He had spent the last week flying from village to village, stealing what he could and hiding in the woods. Raimundo felt empty of any emotions except anger, and no thoughts except for revenge claimed his mind. He couldn't return to the Temple…not now.

Jack was a threat that needed to be eliminated. He had destroyed the harmony of the Xiaolin Temple, spread lies about his loyalties, and had almost gotten all of the Dragons killed in one way or another…And now he was trying to take the one person Raimundo cared about most away from him. Raimundo couldn't stand it.

He may have fooled them about who he is, but not me. I'll reveal what he really is.

Raimundo's anger had not cooled over the week. And now, he knew what to do. He returned to the town nearest to the Temple, where they had first started the Rebellion and stolen supplies. A covering of dark facial hair and his red, bloodshot eyes distorted his face. No one would think that he would return here. The idea itself was suicidal.

And quite calmly, Raimundo approached the Warrior's headquarters, where Chase's troops gathered daily and received orders. He paused outside the rough building and tore down a poster, crumpling it in his hands. Narrowing his eyes under the cloak's hood, he pushed open the door, and made his way towards the front desk. None of the soldiers inside took notice of him.

An older warrior was positioned at the desk, filling out reports of the day's activities. Raimundo stopped in front of him, still holding the piece of paper. The warrior looked up and scowled, annoyed to be disturbed.

"Can I help you?"

Raimundo slammed the poster down in front of him, and leaned forward. His voice was lower than usual and his face was hidden. The warrior looked down at the picture of the young man with unruly hair, then back to Raimundo.

"I can lead you to Jack Spicer."

((Review please!))