AN/ Hi.

I just want to say thank you so much to all of you who've read and reviewed, since the last update. The feedback has been amazing.

I hope you'll like this chapter. It's probably the most emotional chapter of this story so far, although it's not that sad... It will answer a lot of the questions around the teddy bear and the Brewer family's past though...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kickin' it.

Chapter 16

Jack's Past

I peeked through the window, trying to see what was going on. My mind was racing, searching for a way to stop my friends from going through with their plan. But I didn't have time nor the ability to do anything.

Suddenly everyone in the hallway stepped aside, lining up at the sides of the corridor as if to make way for someone important. I knew that they didn't do it out of respect for the one coming though, but to make sure that they wouldn't miss anything that was going to happen.

Jack came into view, making it through the crowd. He walked with his head held high as always, although I noticed that his steps were getting hesitant. His eyes flickered back and forth between the students that were all focusing on him. Some were whispering to each other, others were giggling slightly. Jack tensed and he was getting his guard up, I could tell, as he'd begun to figure out that they'd been waiting for him. He continued to walk towards his locker though, as I hopelessly watched the scene in front of me, unable to do anything to affect it.

All of a sudden Roy and his team's actions against Jack yesterday made all sense to me, and I realized what they'd been after. The boy who'd run off with Jack's bag had taken a picture of the pink teddy bear. A picture that had been edited and enlarged multiple times to cover Jack's entire locker. By returning the bag with the teddy still in it, Roy and his friends had made sure that Jack hadn't suspect a thing as he'd entered the school this morning.

Grace, Kelsey and Evelyn were standing in front of the locker, hiding the poster from Jack's view. The boy frowned in confusion, opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, when seeing them. But he never got the chance before the girls stepped aside, big grins spread across their faces.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes locked with the picture of the teddy. The teddy that he'd been secretly carrying around in his backpack for so long. His face dropped.

The students around him started to laugh and shout things through the hallway that I unfortunately couldn't hear, the glass window effectively blocking all sounds.

The crowd moved closer to Jack, who seemed to have frozen. An older boy that had gotten up behind him suddenly gave him a shove, making the rest of the kids go wild. Jack stumbled, regaining his balance just to get pushed by another guy. Recognizing the second boy as Adam, I felt my blood begin to boil. Why couldn't that jerk leave Jack alone?

I noticed the rest of the baseball team being there too. They were all up front, pushing and shoving Jack between them like a rag doll, never letting him get a chance to recover from one push to the other. Roy grabbed Jack's bag, wrenching it off the teen's shoulders. Jack turned and tried to reach for it, but was shoved to the side by another dude.

Quickly, Roy opened the bag and reached into it, while the crowd cheered. He grabbed the pink teddy bear and let the bag drop to the ground. Gripping it tightly, he lifted it into the air in triumph. The students squealed with excitement, so loud that even I heard it from outside. Jack jumped at him, trying to take the teddy back. But Roy was faster and he quickly stepped aside while throwing the stuffed animal to a girl further down the hallway. She in turn passed it on to another one, before Jack could reach her. The entire thing turned into a game and their laughter got more intense. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, continuing to pass the teddy between them as Jack desperately tried to get it back.

I don't know what was said or done, but Jack suddenly got face to face with Grace as she had stepped in front of him, with Kelsey and Evelyn –looking like me- flanking her. I could see her mouth moving as she talked and I did my best to try and read her lips, but to no avail. All I could see was Jack's eyes boring into her, his jaw clenched while his whole body tensed. Kelsey and Evelyn were laughing, finding whatever Grace said amusing. It was so frustrating to watch, especially since Evelyn was using my body which would cause Jack to think that it was me standing there, making fun of him…

Suddenly Jack had enough and he snapped. Jumping forward, he rammed his hands into Grace's chest, giving her one hard push. Her eyes widened from surprise as she fell backwards, hitting the floor. The smiles on the students' faces were wiped off and they watched with a mixture of fear and excitement as Roy quickly stepped forward. It was no secret that he held his sister very high and everyone was now waiting for what he might do after Jack having sent her to the ground.

Roy did not disappoint the crowd. With fuming anger, he swung his arm out at Jack, who caught it. Pulling on it, Jack caused the baseball player to come off balance, while he kicked his leg from underneath him. Roy fell, accompanying his sister on the ground.

Most of the kids looked shocked and it didn't seem as anyone could bring themselves to do anything as Jack grabbed his bag and quickly ran towards the exit. Grace was the first one to recover from the surprise and she jumped to her feet. Shouting something through the hallway, she pointed at Jack who had almost made it out. The students got jerked out from their trance like state and some of them tried to stop Jack from leaving, stepping out in front of him. Jack tried to move around them, but was grabbed by the arm and pulled back.

Grace was mad and you could almost imaging hot steam coming out of her ears as she grabbed the teddy that had been dropped on the ground in all the chaos. She had not intended that she would end up getting humiliated too and she angrily stomped towards Jack. Roy got up, making a hand gesture over his shoulder to his friends.

I began to slightly panic as I saw the entire baseball team come together behind him, before they all swiftly advanced through the crowd, closing in on Jack. My eyes flickered to my friend who was, despite all the kids trying to stop him, getting closer and closer to the door. The chances of him making it were slim though and I don't think that he would've gotten away if it hadn't been for the school bell ringing through the building.

The distraction that it caused was enough for Jack to have time to bolt through the exit, tripping slightly on the threshold as he did. Most of the students scattered, not wanting to be late for the first period. A few of them stayed though, curiously watching as Grace ran out the doors. Jack was already halfway down the schoolyard and picking up speed. Realizing that she wasn't going to be able to catch up with him, Grace screamed in frustration, throwing the teddy with all her might in his direction.

I almost smiled, finding it a bit amusing and strangely satisfying that everything hadn't worked out exactly the way she'd planned. Still they had managed to hurt Jack, and at the moment I didn't know how much.

"Let him run, Grace." Roy appeared by the door. "He'll be back sooner or later…" Grace sighed, before reluctantly walking back inside. As soon as they were out of sight, I flew down and grabbed Jack's teddy bear with my claws. It was heavy for me and it was tricky to lift with it. But once I got going it went a bit easier.

Now, all I had to do was to catch up with my friend…

~~~~Wings of Love~~~~

Following Jack turned out to be harder than I'd thought and I struggled to keep up while carrying the teddy bear. Jack didn't seem to have any plans on slowing down any time soon and he definitely didn't seem to have any particularly direction in mind as he mindlessly made it down the street leading away from town.

I had a feeling that he just wanted to disappear from everything. And being afraid that if I'd lose track of him, I'd never see him again, I pushed myself, flying as fast as I possibly could with my load.

As Jack reached the outskirts of town, where Willow Grove took it's beginning, he suddenly turned away from the road and ran in between the trees. By now my wings were aching and my lungs were burning. It had caused me to fall behind and when I finally reached the spot where he'd disappeared, he was already gone out of sight.

Slightly panicking, I flew in among the trees, looking in every direction for him. The deeper into the forest I got without any sight of him, the worse the discouraging feeling growing in my chest got. A lump started to form in my throat and I changed my direction, starting to fly in big circles, thoroughly searching the forest.

I didn't get very far though, until my wings finally gave in. Collapsing on the ground, I let go of the teddy bear. My heart beating hard against my chest, causing me to see black dots as I desperately looked around me.

It was a lovely morning and the sun rays leaking in through the orange foliage made the forest look almost magical. But I was too distressed to appreciate its beauty. The only thing that I could see was the emptiness that was the absence of Jack's presence…

Taking a moment to catch my breath, I heard something that sounded like a sniffle. I froze, listening. Could it be…?

Suddenly something moved not too far from where I was sitting, the sound of autumn leaves rustling. The ground formed a small hill before me, creating a spot on the other side that was hidden from my sight. It was from over there that the sounds had come from. Hoping that it was Jack who'd made the noises, I lifted into the air. The pink teddy was left behind as I barely had enough energy to make the short flight by my own.

Making it over the hill, I could see the area behind it clearly and almost instantly my eyes found Jack's school bag lying on the ground. I quickly averted my gaze, knowing that Jack couldn't be far away and just as expected; I spotted him just a few yards away. He was sitting with his back against a huge tree trunk, facing away from me. His knees were brought up to his chest, making him seem smaller than he was.

I moved closer, happy that I'd found him. But before I reached him, I abruptly stopped, hovering in the air for a moment while taking in the sight.

He had his forearms stacked upon his knees while clutching his elbows and his face was completely buried in his sleeves. A very faint whimper left him as his shoulders shook.

My heart sank, pulling me along with it and I landed on the ground as I realized that he was crying.

I'd never seen him cry before. Not in school or at the dojo where I had teased him countless of times, not when he was caught steeling or when Roy and his gang mocked him yesterday, not even when he'd been brutally abused by his own father had I seen him shed one single tear…

Looking up at the sobbing teen, I swallowed hard. What had we done to him?

Even if I hadn't personally been inside the hallway this morning, I felt like I'd been a part of this too. I knew I'd helped come up with all of this together with Grace and Kelsey, and hadn't it been for the fact that I'd been transformed into a bird this last Saturday, I would've laughed along with the rest of the students of Seaford High.

To say that I felt bad was an understatement. How come I would've described myself as a nice, sweet person without hesitation back when I was a human, when I constantly caused things like this to happen? How come I hadn't realized that we were hurting him? That I was hurting him? How come I hadn't seen that I was a bully? A bully…

Jack had started to cry harder now and the audible sobs leaving his throat cut painfully through me, my conscience was eating me up. Even though I only stood there, without uttering a sound, I think that he sensed my presence, for he started to speak.

"Nobody likes me…" he whimpered quietly in between sobs, refusing to look up. I wanted to tell him that that wasn't true. But I didn't have a voice, nor had I the time to show him the opposite before he continued, his voice cracking. "N-n-no one wants to…be with me. I try…" he stopped, sniffling in loudly. "I try to do good… I want them… I want them to like me… but no matter what I do, they'll always…"

He couldn't finish the sentence, his voice drowning in the strong sobs that forced their way out. His breaths came out short and sharp as he struggled to supply his lungs with oxygen. I stood watching him in silence. The lump I had in my own throat had grown big now and my chest ached unbelievable bad. I was on the verge of crying and I probably would have done it if I hadn't been a bird and physically incapable of doing so…

Believing that he would soon be done, having let out his emotions, I just waited. Minutes passed, but Jack continued to weep without seeming to be able to calm down. In fact it became worse. His shoulders were shaking hard now and the sobs were even louder. It was as if all the things he'd kept inside him for so long wanted out, all at once.

Starting to become really worried, I flew up and landed very carefully on his arm, right next to where his forehead rested.

"Etsip" I chirped quietly, barely loud enough to break through the noises he made. Jack whimpered, inhaling sharply before holding his breath as if to pause his crying. Slowly he turned his head up, revealing two very bloodshot eyes, flooded with salty tears that had made his eyelashes clump together and his red cheeks to gleam with moisture. He let go of the breath, letting it slip out his slightly opened mouth as he looked at me. Meeting his eyes filled with so much hurt and sadness got me to feel even worse if that was even possible.

"Tsip-siti," I tweeted softly. It was meant to come out as an 'I'm sorry,' but with the inner anatomy of a bird, that was all I could say. Jack sniffled.

"I wish that someone…just one would care to…" he started to speak fractions of his thoughts, his voice unsteady as he choked the words out. "…but no one does…Everyone in school hates me… Rudy doesn't seem to care… and dad…" he interrupted himself, whimpering as a few more tears left his eyes.

I moved closer and placed my forehead against his cheek, catching one of his tears in my feathers.

My act seemed to stop him from losing it again, if only just for the moment.

"What kind of father beats his own son?" He whimpered.

I couldn't answer that. All I knew was that Mr Brewer did not deserve a son like Jack.

The boy deepened his breaths, trying to collect himself. I, being so close to him, could feel him stiffening though. Worried for him, I took a step back and looked up at him.

His eyes were focusing on the ground in front of him and his face was completely blank as he must've wandered off into his own world.

"Sometimes I wish that someone would figure out what he's doing to me," he said quietly breaking the silence. "So that they could stop him from continuing…"

Hearing him say that, I briefly wondered why he hadn't told anyone about his father then. Things would have been so much easier for him. If he had just told me what really happened when I thought that he'd stood me up while planning Rudy's birthday party, I would've understood and we could've still been friends. I could've helped him and he wouldn't have to be stuck in the same house as that mad man. As if Jack could hear what I was thinking, he said; "…but at the same time I'm terrified to let anyone know."

I shot him a confused glance, wondering what the possible downside of asking for help could be.

"If someone knew, I'm scared that they might take me away…and I can't leave mum. She needs me..."

I slumped my shoulders, immediately seeing his dilemma. Sighing, I wished that I knew what to do, but I was just a teenager myself and I had my own problems that I really needed to be focusing on instead…

Jack continued to stare out at nothing as a few moments passed by.

I looked up at him, noticing his eyes beginning to water again and his jaw twitching slightly.

"Tsip," I said, afraid that he would start bawling again if I didn't get him to think of something else. Jack looked at me, hopelessness filling his eyes.

"What's wrong with me, Bucky?" he wondered, his voice wavering. I gave him a questioning look, wondering what he meant. "Dad, he says…" he stopped himself, his mouth slightly opened as he struggled to keep it together.

"Siptsi," I tweeted, urging him to continue.

"He calls me…" Jack sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "He calls me a freak…and he…he says that I've gotta behave, or else… I try, I really do, but…" He closed his eyes and hid his face again, placing his forehead back against his arms as he began to sob quietly once more. I moved closer and leaned against his head in an act of comfort.

"There has to be something wrong with me…" he continued, the words slightly muffled as his whole face was buried. "…dad says so…and everyone else thinks so…And so many people can't be wrong…" He had begun to cry harder as he spoke and the sobs where starting to get stronger, making it hard for me to hear what he was saying.

"I wish…I-I-I knew what it was…so that I could ch-change it…then maybe s-s-someone... would like me…"

I pressed myself harder against him, chirping soothingly. It was close to unbearable to watch him like this. His words pierced my heart like nothing else ever done, and I wished now, more than ever, that I could talk. I wanted to tell him that he wasn't alone. I wanted to tell him that I liked him and possibly even loved him.

I hadn't really been aware of it, but my feelings for him had changed during the time I'd spent with him. They had gotten stronger for every moment we were together and he had now become the most important thing for me in the world. Not even Evelyn's curse and my mission to get my body back could make me care as much as I cared for him. If it wasn't love that I was feeling for him, then I don't know what to call it…

The air was getting warmer around us as the sun continued to rise. Back at Seaford High, first period had already started. The teacher would note that Jack wasn't there, but I doubted that anyone would really miss him. I clenched my beak. Thinking about my so-called-friends and what they'd done made me furious. If I ever get back to my body, I'll make sure that they'll be sorry…

It took almost an hour before Jack finally seemed to calm down. I'd sat with him the entire time, feeling rather helpless as new tears constantly rolled down his cheeks.

Jack looked up, his face red. Slowly, he moved the arm I was sitting on to wipe his tears away and I lifted to the air for a moment before sitting down on his knee. His puffy eyes soon found me, which brought a faint smile to his face.

"You're my best friend, Bucky," he stated, making me blush. He'd called me that before, but back then I hadn't really believed that to be true. Now I was pretty sure though and it made me feel special.

Glad that he seemed to feel better, his breathing a lot calmer and no more tears falling from his eyes, I was suddenly reminded by the teddy I'd left behind the hill. I whistled cheerfully to keep him from worrying as I quickly took off. Jack looked at me slightly confused, but didn't say anything, continuing to wipe his face from tears and some mucus that had managed to escape from his nose despite the fact of him constantly sniffling.

I hurried, not wanting to keep him waiting. Having rested my tired limbs, I had much more strength now and it took me less than a minute to return with the teddy.

I dropped it right next to him and took a seat at the top of his knee again. Jack looked at the pink bear, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards into a bittersweet half-smile. Reaching out a somewhat shaking hand, he grabbed it and brought it up to his face as if he were to inspect it.

"Thanks," he said without taking his eyes off it. Squeezing it in his hand, he sighed. "It was Emily's…" he spoke quietly. So quietly that I thought for a moment that I had only imagined it. His eyes went blank as memories ran through his head. Memories that I hoped he would share…

I knew it was selfish of me, but I couldn't help but to feel a sting of jealousy by the mention of another girl's name and I hoped that it wasn't another crush of his. I didn't like the idea of sharing his heart with someone else like that…

Whoever this Emily was, must have meant a lot to him since he carried around her teddy wherever he went.

"I had a great childhood," Jack began and I immediately sprung alert, not wanting to miss out on one word of his story. "Mum, dad and I were as happy as can be. We lived in a great neighbourhood in the outskirts of Washington DC. There were lots of kids my age that I could play with and life couldn't be better… When I was nine, mum got pregnant…" he gave me a glance as if to make sure that I was still listening, before looking at the teddy bear again. "I was excited, of course, and mum and dad were overjoyed. They spent almost the entire summer preparing a room for the baby. And I helped out too…" He made a pause, as I started to put two and two together. If Jack's mum had been pregnant, that meant that he wasn't the only child… I felt a strange anxious feeling and I almost didn't wanna hear more, already having seen the outcome, I knew that his story didn't have a happy ending…

"We already knew it was a girl," Jack continued. "And the room was supposed to be pink, but after me protesting, they mixed in some blue –my favourite colour." His mouth formed a quick, faint smile at the memory that disappeared just as fast. "That fall, when the baby was just a month away, mum got ill… I remember dad woke me up in the middle of the night, telling me that mum wasn't feeling well and an ambulance was on its way. I'd never seen him so scared before, but I think I was too young to really understand how serious it all was. And of course, dad didn't wanna worry me more than necessary."

"Mum was lying on the floor next to her bed. She'd fallen out and dad hadn't been able to get her up again. She wasn't really unconscious, but close to it. We didn't seem to get any real contact with her. It was as if her eyes were seeing right through us and she mumbled things that didn't make any sense… The paramedics were quick when they got there and before we knew it they were already off to the hospital with her. Dad rushed me to grandma, dropping me off before driving after…" I sat as in trance listening to his story.

"The next day was like a long wait. Grandma was on the phone several times, talking to dad who was staying at the hospital. I talked to him too, but they wouldn't let me know much what was going on and when I asked, I was told not to worry… Later that day, when I was watching TV, grandma came in and told me that I'd just become a big brother…" Jack smiled, although his eyes were still watering. "I was so excited, I wanted to go to the hospital right away, but grandma said that mum needed to rest and that we would have to wait until the next day. When I think back, she wasn't as happy and excited as me. Of course she was happy for my sister being born and she even laughed at my excitement, but she knew a lot more than me and I understand now that she had too much to worry about to fully enjoy the news… We drove down to the mall that afternoon and I bought this." He lifted the teddy bear slightly for emphasis. "I gave it to Emily –that's the name mum and dad had agreed on earlier- the day after… She was lying in an incubator when we got there… They'd taken her out with an emergency c section. Her lungs were not fully developed, due to her early birth and to mum having suffered pre-eclampsia. I hadn't been aware of it, but mum had had the disease for a while and they had apparently done regular check-ups on her and the baby, during the last weeks, just waiting for the baby to be strong enough to be delivered… They said that the disease had been one of the factors that had caused the stroke mum had gotten that night…"

Jack swallowed, thinking again. The atmosphere felt heavy around us, almost making it hard to breathe. Jack sat absolutely still, his eyes fixed on the stuffed animal. It was as if he was afraid that one single movement would cause him to lose control over his emotions. With an as good as flat voice he said;

"The stroke was severe… Mum barely made it… She lost her ability to speak, her entire right side was paralysed and her memory had been severely damaged… They said that she would get better with time, but I don't know… Sure, she can move her right arm and leg, but her coordination is completely off, and she can make sounds and say a few simple words. Never full sentences though. And her memory…" The last word came out as a whimper, before Jack lost his voice, unable to continue. His lower lip trembled and more water made it to his eyes. Clenching his jaw, he did everything that he could to keep it together. He was silent for a moment as painful memories flashed before him. I just sat there, wondering how he had been able to cope with all of this.

"Emily's condition got worse," he changed subject, his voice shaking. "I was too young to understand that she was dying and I couldn't see why dad and everyone else were so worried… I remember I stood next to her, telling her about us. I told her about mum and dad, how they were the best parents that you could ask for." He smiled, inhaling sharply.

"She never got the chance to get to know them though… She died only three days after she were born…" Jack wiped his nose that had started to get all runny again. My heart was lying at the bottom of my chest as he continued,

"Dad took it really hard. He never was the same after that. I don't know how but we managed somehow to continue with our lives… And mum… She would've loved Emily…just like she loved me. She did everything for me. A-always made me feel so special, but now…" Jack's voice cracked and his face contorted into an expression of hurt, the tears finally spilling over. "…now, I doubt she even knows I'm her son…" he choked out and hid his face, beginning to sob again. I was sitting, too overwhelmed of the tragic in his past that I couldn't bring myself to do anything. And to think that I'd thought that I'd had a traumatic life, when mum and dad divorced… Compared to what he'd gone through and still was going through every day, it was nothing.

Jack's soft sobs filled the air and brought a distinctive contrast to the otherwise peaceful forest. Each one of them pierced my heart and I was tearlessly crying along with him. I just couldn't believe that he'd been carrying around this by himself for so long.

I don't know how long we sat there, but hours must have passed since we left school.

Jack finally stopped crying and sat staring at the trees in front of us. No one made a sound for a few moments, just enjoying the silence and the peace that embraced us.

Jack eventually sighed and started to get up.

"Tsip," I looked up hopefully at him, glad that he seemed to have picked himself up from his breakdown. He smiled at me as he brushed off his pants.

"We should probably leave," he said and walked over to his bag, putting the teddy back in it. I flew over and took my regular place on his shoulder. "I'm not going back to school, so…" he said, swinging his bag over the opposite shoulder. Turning his head, he looked at me with a slightly smug smile on his face, "…are you in for a trip down to the Fireguard people?"

~~~~Wings of Love~~~~

Jack knocked on the door, standing outside the entrance to 'the Brotherhood of the Fireguard'. I had hardly believed my ears when Jack had suggested going to the headquarters of the secret society. After everything happening this morning he still remembered my problems and he was more than willing to help.

Finding our way here hadn't been that hard since Jack already knew where it was. He had been outside the building several times before, waiting in the car while his father had made a quick visit, dropping or picking something up.

Footsteps were heard from the other side of the door and I noticed Jack tense somewhat. I was sitting hidden by his right side, clutching the fabric of his Tee. The button-up shirt he was wearing outside of it, hung loosely around me, covering me from all curious eyes. There was a small slit in front were the shirt opened, through which I could see parts of what was going on.

The door opened and a man who looked to be in his sixties opened. He had thin hair due to age, but wasn't bald. A grey moustache along with a pair of old fashioned glasses made it seem like he was from a different time. His small eyes looked suspiciously at the boy.

"Yes?" he said.

"Good morning…" Jack started hesitantly, unsure of what to say. The man raised his eyebrows, giving Jack a look that clearly showed that he didn't like him being there. Something that obviously made Jack nervous. "I-I-I was just wondering… Is this…? Could I…?" I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Jack's attempts to try and get to his point. Jack seemed to realize too, that he was making a bit of a fool out of himself, and he finally took a deep breath, starting all over. His next try wasn't much smoother though…

"What I'm trying to say is that I want to join," Jack blurted out just like that. The man looked a bit surprised at first, but quickly covered it up.

"I'm sorry, boy. But I'm afraid that I don't know what you're talking about," He started to close the door, expecting us to leave. Jack quickly put his foot by the door frame, stopping the door from fully closing. The man shot him a glare that was probably meant to scare Jack away. The teen stood his ground though.

"I'm sorry, maybe I didn't make myself clear…" Jack said surprisingly calm. "My name is Jackson Brewer and I'd like to join." The man's eyes grew wide.

"Brewer…" he mouthed to himself as he slowly stepped aside, letting us in…

Another long chapter...I'm really trying to keep them short...

As always reviews are highly appreciated and there will be a sneak peek of the next chapter to all who leave one (and has an account, so that I can pm you)

See you around

/MJ