AN/ Hi everyone:) Got another chapter for you guys. This is the moment that you've been waiting for...

Thank you again for all the reviews and support. And Sapphire333, you didn't write in vain. I did see it and decided to sit down and work on the chapter the whole evening yesterday. That's why it's here already.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I hope you guys will enjoy it:)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kickin' it.

Chapter 22

My True Identity

Jack and I were heading down the street. Mr Brewer had a meeting to attend to, so he had reluctantly let Jack walk to school, with the same strict instructions as always. He'd been tense and it was something about the way the man had acted this morning that had made me figure he was worried for something.

I was worried too. It was Friday. The full moon was tonight and we would have to act now if we would have any chance at all.

Barely having made it out of sight from Jack's street, a red Ford screeched to a halt right next to us. I recognized the car immediately, having ridden in it countless of times as mum had given me a lift to school.

Jack stopped, looking suspiciously at the vehicle. There was no one else around, so it was obvious it'd stopped for him. The window opened up and a red-head lady looked up at him.

"What are you waiting for, Jack Brewer? Get in the car," she said.

I could tell that Jack didn't like the idea of jumping into a car with an almost-stranger and I had to lead the way. Leaving his shoulder, I flew in through the window and took a seat in Claire's lap. That made Jack make up his mind and he got in on the passenger's side.

"Good morning," Claire smiled at him.

"Morning," he mumbled, busy struggling with the seatbelt while looking back down the street in fear of someone having spotted him. Claire quickly picked up speed again and we were soon on our way.

"You didn't show yesterday," she said more as a statement. Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking down.

"Yeah…Things sort of got in the way…" he mumbled.

"I see. Not much to do about it now," she said and turned left, heading away from town. "We lost some time, but we can still make it."

Jack gave her a strange glance, wondering exactly what she was talking about.

"Where're you taking me?" he asked anxiously.

"Somewhere where no one will find us. It's crucial that we're alone."

Claire didn't mean to worry him of course, but in Jack's ears her answer must've sounded threatening and he looked at me worriedly. I gave him a nod, trying to reassure him that everything was alright.

"So you know Bucky?" he asked Claire, struggling to relax in her presence.

"Bucky?" She threw him a questioning glance.

"The bird," he clarified, nodding towards me.

"Oh, the bird. Yes I know her." Claire looked down at me.

"Her?"

"Ah, here it is," Claire said, totally ignoring Jack's last question as she pulled over.

Quickly finding a parking spot, she turned the engine off and put me in Jack's lap.

"Hide her," she instructed and got out of the car, before Jack had even unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Hurry up, we don't have all day," she said and walked towards the building that I instantly recognized as the Seaford bed and breakfast motel. It was a pretty shabby place, lying next to the highway, about 6 miles from town. I'd passed it several times, but I had never been inside. This time of year there were hardly any tourists and besides our car there were only two other vehicles to be seen and not a soul seemed to be around.

Jack hesitated for a brief moment, before he got out and followed Claire inside the lobby, with me safely hidden under his shirt.

A slightly chubby woman was sitting behind a desk going through some papers. She looked up as we entered, a small bell giving us away.

Claire got over to her and got the keys to a room that she apparently had booked earlier this morning. And before we knew it we were standing outside a door with the number 16 on it. Jack watched nervously as Claire unlocked it.

"After you," she gestured for him to enter. He did so reluctantly. Claire closed the door behind us.

"You can let her out now," she said.

Jack nodded and lifted his shirt away from me and I flew out. The room was small with only a queen-size bed and a desk with one single chair as interiors. There wasn't anything hanging on the light yellow walls, which made the place as homey as a prison cell.

Claire quickly walked across the room and pulled the drapes over the windows, blocking anyone tempted to peek inside. The place darkened instantly.

"I think we're set," she turned around. "Let's begin."

Jack hadn't moved one inch. It was as if his body had locked up and all he could do was to stare at the woman then the bed and then back at the woman again. I suddenly realized what he was thinking and I hoped that Claire would be able to explain to him before he would decide to leave or something.

Of course my aunt knew exactly what to do, as always. She was a lot wiser than I had given her credit for during all the years I'd known her.

Pulling out the chair, she turned it so that it wasn't facing the desk and the wall anymore, but the bed. She then sat down on the mattress casually, making sure that she left Jack a lot of room.

"Sit down," she instructed with a friendly smile. "I won't bite."

Jack hesitantly did as he was told, but he was as tense as ever. After everything people had put him through, trust wasn't something he gave away that easily. As soon as he was reasonably comfortable in the chair and I had taken a seat on the desk next to him, Claire began.

"I know this must be really confusing for you, and it's hard to know where to start…" She straightened herself up a bit. "As you already know, I'm Kimberly's aunt. I was born here like the rest of the Crawford family, but I moved away in my early twenties after having found out something about myself and my heritage..."

Jack looked at her interesting as she made a pause.

"What heritage?" he wondered.

"The legend, of course," she said. Jack nodded.

"So this… I mean all of this; you, Bucky and dad. It's all because of that legend?"

"Yes," she said. Even though he had expected that answer, Jack still looked like he had a hard time believing it. "As a Brewer I expect you're familiar with the story of Evelyn and Gabriella."

"Kind of…" Jack said.

"What do you mean 'kind of'?"

"Well, I barely knew any about it until two days ago, when Bucky insisted on me taking him to the Brotherhood of the Fireguard and their headquarters…"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him when he still insisted on referring to me as 'him'. I mean, both Evelyn and Claire had told him that I was a female.

"That's good," Claire said and looked at me. "I really hope that you got what I asked for."

I nodded and gestured for Jack to get his phone. He looked confused, but got what I meant and brought it out.

As he scrolled through the pictures, the one with Evelyn in my body showed up and Claire seemed to have caught a glance of her.

"What's that?" she asked. Jack looked up at her, not knowing if it would be a good thing or not to show her the picture of her niece.

"That's just…" he trailed off, not finding a good way to explain it and handed the phone over to Claire, letting the image speak for itself. The red-head's eyes grew wide.

"She was there?"

"Yes…" Jack looked uncertain. "Is that a bad thing?"

Claire inspected the picture before looking at me worriedly.

"Did she see you?"

I nodded, hating to give her that answer.

"Oh my…" she said.

"I'm sorry," Jack interrupted. "I don't understand. Can someone please tell me; what's going on?"

Claire quickly covered the worry in her face and looked at the boy.

"Of course," she said. "Long ago there lived a witch here in Seaford. She was…"
"I already know about Evelyn and what she did." Jack said. "I have a few questions though. You said it was no accident that Bucky showed up at my house. So why did he or she come?"

"She came to you because I sent her to you."

Jack looked at me sceptically.

"So Bucky really is a girl?"

"Yes, and not just any girl." Claire said. "She's my niece."

Jack glanced at the woman as if she were nuts. All Claire did was smile though.

"So what you're saying is that Kim's got a sister?"

"No. I'm saying that the bird is Kimberly."

I cringed as Claire dropped the bomb, hoping that Jack would be able to take it without getting too mad or upset. The boy did hardly react.

"So, Kim is turned into a sparrow? That's impossible," he said. "I've seen her almost everyday in school. Not to mention that I met her at the headquarters at the same time I held Bucky." Jack was raising his voice defensively, as if he expected Claire to not believe him.

"I don't doubt that," she said. "But I'm afraid that the girl you met wasn't Kimberly."

Jack frowned in confusion.

"When Evelyn realized that she was defeated and that there was no way for her to escape, she hid her soul in a wooden box. She cursed Gabriella and her family, just before she did and for centuries her soul laid safely hidden just waiting to return," Claire started to explain. "When I was little my father Henry Crawford used to tell me parts of the story. I…noticed certain things about me as I grew up. Things that other girls in my age couldn't do…"

"You're saying you're a witch too?" Jack said in disbelief, although there were traces of fear in his eyes.

"Yes, and no…" she answered. I looked at her curiously, remembering how I was afraid of her before, believing that she was a witch. I hadn't got my suspicions confirmed until now though and I listened carefully as she finally told us who she really was.

"I don't really possess any magical powers. But I have a gift. I see visions from the past and I can hear voices from those who once lived. I hardly call that witchcraft…" she said. "When I was 21; a blond, very beautiful girl appeared before me. Actually she awoke me in the middle of the night…"

"Claire, Claire Crawford..."
The voice was faint, yet impossible to ignore. The young woman stirred, slowly opening her eyes.
"Claire, Claire…"
Her name was repeated over and over, stronger and stronger. Sitting up in bed, the red-head noticed much to her surprise and horror that she wasn't alone in her room. Her scream got caught in her throat as she realized that it was just a girl. A girl that, in spite of her worn and tattered dress, possessed beauty that was only a few given. Her dark eyes held wisdom of the past and as she reached out a hand, Claire knew she had to follow.
"Come," her voice was like a veil, hardly noticeable in the darkness.
Walking hand in hand, the girl brought the young woman through the streets of Seaford. It was an odd night. The street lights were out and the roads were empty. Claire doubted that there would be anyone around to hear her scream for help if she'd need it. She wasn't worried though. In all her life she'd listen to her intuition and so far it had never failed her. She didn't think that this time would be any different. She needed to follow the girl.
Reaching the centre of town the girl stopped in front of the great town hall. It was probably the oldest building in Seaford, dated back to 1783. Made out of grey bricks, it had lived through centuries.
The girl let go of her hand and walked over to the first window to the right of the entrance. Placing a pale hand on the rough surface of the wall right under it, she traced the bricks until she found the one she was looking for. She gestured for Claire to come. Carefully, she placed the red-head's hand over her own. The brick suddenly started to wriggle. The concrete crumpled around it and fell like breadcrumbs to the ground. The girl stepped aside and Claire got the message.
With steady hands, she gripped the now loose brick and pulled it out, revealing a hidden pocket in the architecture, not bigger than a shoebox. Peeking inside, she saw what appeared to be a book, just small enough to fit in there. Claire looked at the girl, as if to ask for permission.
The girl just nodded. Turning her attention back to the hole in the wall, she reached inside and pulled out the black notebook with pages yellowed by age. It was so old it seemed as it would almost fall apart and Claire held it carefully, as she looked up again, just to find that she was all alone in the darkness…

"When I woke up the next morning I thought it was all just a dream." Claire said. "But to my surprise, I found the notebook lying next to my bed."

"Who was she? The girl?" Jack wondered, intrigued by her story.

"I didn't know it at the time, but that was Gabriella. Or a part of her anyway... Of course most of her has been dead since 1798." She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, whereas I felt chills go down my spine.
"So she's a ghost?"

"Yes, I guess you can call her that… I haven't seen her since she gave me her notebook with her collected work of Evelyn and the curse. Occasionally over the years I've heard her voice, but that's not really important." Claire continued. "I have naturally done a lot of research. I guess you can say that I've dedicated my life to it."

"Why?"

"You see, Gabriella's full name is; Gabriella Martha Crawford."

"So you're related to her," Jack stated. "And so is Kim…"

"Yes…"

"That explains the list."

"The list?"

"The list with names that I found in dad's office, almost a year ago," Jack explained. "Gabriella was written on top and the last name was Kimberly…"

Claire nodded.

"Evelyn cursed Gabriella and her family for generations. When I learned that of course, I started to try and find what that exactly meant…" Claire looked at me. "As the ninth generation arise, I will claim my prize…" She whispered, quoting the curse, before looking at Jack again. "Kimberly is the ninth generation from Gabriella. She was destined to open the wooden box and let Evelyn's soul free. I tried to stop it, but to no use…"

"What?" Jack looked if possible even more confused and worried. "Evelyn has returned and Kim was the one who helped her?"

"Oh, you mustn't blame Kimberly. It was decided by destiny over two hundred years before she was born that she would do that. She couldn't help it."

I felt slightly better after Claire had explained that to Jack, even though there wasn't a minute passing by that I didn't wish that I had never touched that box in the first place.

"Anyway, when Kimberly did release the soul, it entered her body, pushing her own soul away. Luckily, I was there, otherwise Kimberly's soul wouldn't have survived. I sent it to a sparrow passing by the window…"

Jack glanced at me, with a puzzled expression. I nodded, supporting Claire's story.

"Now Kimberly is trapped as a bird and I sent her to you to-"

"I still don't believe it's her," Jack interrupted, shaking his head while keeping his eyes on me. "Bucky can't be Kim."

"Why not?"

Jack's eyes got filled with emotions and he swallowed.

"Because Kim would never be nice to me," he said. His answer hurt real badly and I took a few steps closer to him, hoping that he could somehow see in my eyes that it really was me. Jack looked away though while muttering; "Kim hates me."

"That's where you're wrong, again," Claire said and grabbed her ugly feather-covered purse, reaching inside it. "Take a look at this."

My eyes widened in horror and I started to protest loudly, chirping and whistling as she picked out and handed Jack my precious and very private diary.

Jack inspected it for a moment, unsure if it was okay to read it.

I jumped up on the diary in an attempt to stop them, but Claire quickly shooed me away with her hand, before opening the book for him.

"Here…" she said, having found the page where I'd written about the first time I ever saw Jack. I glared at her. Clearly she had no respect for privacy.

The next minutes past painstakingly slow and I felt as if I was about to die from embarrassment as Jack read every thought that I'd ever had about him. From how I had secretly been crushing on him, having drawn hearts around his name, to that day when he stood me up and my disappointment slowly turned into anger.

I gave him a worried glance, knowing that the rest of my diary wasn't as nice. I had thoroughly described every time he'd said or done anything that I'd thought was rude, stupid or just plain mean. Page after page, I had vented my frustration over my crush turning out to be the opposite of what I'd imagined.

Now of course, I regretted every word I'd written. Thankfully, Claire grabbed the diary away from him before he'd reach the worst parts. Some damaged had already been done though, and I didn't dare to look at him.

"Kim liked me?" He sounded sceptic.

"Well, of course she liked you, and she still does," Claire blurted out as if things weren't awkward enough. "That's why I sent her to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go get a drink. It's hot today, isn't it?" She got up, receiving confused glances from me and Jack. "You two wait here. I believe you have some things to sort out… I'll be right back."

"Tsip," I tweeted, in trying to stop her, the thought of being alone with Jack now scaring me. Claire just smile.

"Of course I'll bring something to you as well," she said before closing the door and one of the most awkward moments in my life began.

Neither of us said anything for quite some time and both of us avoided eye-contact, but couldn't resist peeking at the other.

"So, you're really Kim?" Jack said eventually, fiddling with his hands nervously. I nodded and Jack gave me a nod in return, before he let his gaze fall to his hands.

It took him a while to digest that and I guessed he must be thinking about all the time we'd spent together; everything that I'd seen and everything he'd told me. He'd trusted me with all his secrets, and suddenly he got thrown in his face that I wasn't at all who he thought I was.

It felt strange. Just minutes ago we'd been best friends and now it was like sitting next to a stranger.

"I don't know what to say…" Jack shook his head, not looking at me. Carefully, I jumped down on his lap. He subconsciously opened one of his hands, letting me climb up in it. From there it was easier for me to see his face and the bothered expression that covered it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he didn't seem angry as I'd feared, more disappointed and upset. I looked at the diary, lying on top of the bed, where Claire had left it, as a thought hit me. Jack followed my gaze, and before I had made up my mind; if I wanted Jack to read more or not, he'd already reached out and grabbed it.

He opened it and put it on the desk, placing me next to it. I looked at him questioningly. Receiving a nod, I realized that he wanted me to show him what I had been thinking about. With slight hesitation, I turned the pages, until I found what I was looking for; the place where I had heard enough rumours and seen enough frustrating outbursts of the black-belt to develop a fear of him.

Jack read in silence, and when he was done he frowned concerned.

"You're scared of me?"

I pointed at the word 'was'. Jack glanced at me, before covering his face with a big sigh.

"I've been such a fool,"

"Tsip," I shook my head. If anything I was the fool. He removed his hands, revealing his face again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I never meant to scare you. I just…and dad...and I... you know…" he shrugged, as his cheeks got slightly red.

I pointed at the words in the book ; 'I know you like me' while whistling. Jack blushed even worse.

"Shut up," he said, not succeeding in suppressing a smile. A playful glint showed in his eye and he suddenly snatched the diary, quickly turning the pages.

"OMG! Today a new student joined our dojo," Jack read my own words out loud. "He's probably the most skilled martial artist I've ever seen my age, not to mention the hottest…"

Now it was mine turn to go red as a tomato and I quickly flew up and grabbed a few strands of his hair, pulling on them.

"His name is Jack and I swear I felt my knees go weak when he smiled at me," Jack continued to read with a smug smile on his face, totally ignoring me. "His eyes are gorgeous and his smile…"

Just then the door opened and Claire returned with two glasses hanging up-side down on a bottle of mineral water. Jack silenced immediately and I let go of his hair.

"Glad to see that you're getting along," Claire said and took the diary away from him. I landed on my friend's shoulder. Although embarrassed, I was relieved that he wasn't too mad at me.

"You're so into me," he whispered, earning a rather hard peck from me. Jack just grinned at my response, while watching Claire as she poured up a drink for him.

"Now to the more serious things…" the red-head said.

So Jack finally knows who Kim is and we learnt some things about Claire. There are still a few twists left though... This story ain't over yet.(and I who thought this was going to be a short story...)

Hope you like it anyway and please don't forget to review.

MJ