Chapter 34
Resurfacing Grief

.:Violet:.

Violet groaned as she woke up. Her throat felt dry yet her stomach kept churning that she felt like she was going to throw up. Everywhere on her body, she felt sore, even her head hurt with a headache. Suddenly, her throat had a slick coating of something gross and she could feel her saliva glands in her mouth over-producing saliva. Once she knew what's happening, she threw off her blanket and dashed to the toilet, disobeying her aching limbs. She made it just in time to the toilet when her stomach started to empty itself.

The smell was putrid and the taste was even worst. Once she was done, her arm shakily hit the flush of the toilet. She leaned against the wall and let the coolness of the tiles cool her down.

"Violet, are you alright?" She turned her head slowly to see Kai in the door way.

"I think so…" She muttered, scared to talk in case if it make her vomit again. She closed her eyes and she felt a cold hand on her forehead.

"Your body is overheating." He told her but she only moaned as a response and kept her eyes closed. She felt so tired already and her limbs feel sore. "You probably overheated when you were hung up yesterday."

Then the events from yesterday entered her mind. That was probably it. She wanted to open her eyes but her eye lids felt so heavy. She moaned once against to let Kai know she's still awake. She heard a sigh and then she felt her body jolted and the coolness from the bathroom tiles disappeared. She softly opened her eyes and saw that Kai was carrying her somewhere. She hated being weak like this.

She heard a door open and she saw that they were in her bedroom. Then Kai laid her gently on her bed and she was surprised that he was this gentle with her.

"I'll get Zane, he'll probably know what to do." And he left.

The headache left her head but her limps still felt shaky and weak and her stomach still churned. She heard the door open and Zane came in. He placed his hand on her cheek and it felt much cooler than Kai's.

"She's just overheating. Her body isn't able to get rid of the excess heat. The best we can do is just making sure she stays in bed with a bucket nearby and she keeps drinking water." She heard Zane said and he removed his hand and she blinked.

Stay in bed? No, that's not happening.

She went to stand up but both boys pushed her back down gently.

"Violet, you need to stay in bed. The past few times you ignored this advice but this time you need to." Zane told her sternly.

"Okay then…" She sighed and this time the churning feeling stopped. "Where's Lloyd? Where's Sensei Wu?"

"Lloyd is still with the serpentine and Wu left to find help."

"What?" She asked.

"He knows someone who can help us so just relax. He told us he'll be back within two weeks." Kai told her and she sighed.

.:Kai:.

Since he complained he was too sore before, the other's –excluding Violet- agreed for him to stay by Violet's side and make sure she stays bedridden. The others went to print off signs for the Fang Blades.

"Do you know what is really funny?" Violet asked him and he looked down at her. "I'm the more skilled fighter yet I'm always the one who ends up unconscious, bedridden or captured."

"That's true." He replied and he looked down to her face.

Her caramel was fanned out around her slender heart-shaped face. Her almond-shaped eyes were framed with long eye lashes but her iris always looked gorgeous. They were light lavender around the pupil but they grow into a violet colour and at the edge it was a very dark purple. Her skin was a fair colour and there wasn't a single freckle on her cute and small nose. Underneath that was the pair of lips he now dearly wants to kiss.

"Hey Kai…"

"…Yeah?"

"Can you tell me what happened after I passed out?" She asked him and he nodded.

"Well, I had to carry you down for starters. Right after that, we got captured and we were forced to fight with the samurai… Do you know who it is?"

"Well… Yeah."

"It's Nya! I couldn't believe."

"Stop getting off topic and- How did you find out?"

"Wait, I'll tell you in a bit. So we had to fight the samurai and-"

"But where was I then? And Lloyd?"

"Oh." Kai stopped and he looked at the door with a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, I carried you the whole time and Lloyd was still in his cage."

"You carried me?"

"Stop interrupting. But Nya then let us escaped with her Samurai suit while she went to get the weapons. The suit started to go crazy in mid-flight so it crashed. We got a bit separated from the other three but we were fine. Then Nya happened to crash next to us and that's how I found out."

"Do the others know this?"

"No." He replied and he grabbed the glass of water from the bedside table. "Come on, you need to drink some water."

Kai shuffled closer to the bed and with one arm, he helped her to seat up and the other hand helped her to drink the glass. He didn't understand why she was being so… obedient. It was unlike Violet to be doing this. Normally she would snap and say she's not a damsel in distress. Once she finished the glass, he helped her to lie down and he placed the glass back on the bedside table. When he looked back to Violet, she was asleep.

.:Violet:.

When Violet opened her eyes again, she looked down to her side to see Kai's head resting on his arms which were resting on the bed. His head was on the side and she could see his peaceful face. Even though he's always grumpy and serious, he looked peaceful and much younger.

Her hand rested on his cheek, her thumb softly stroked the skin underneath his eye. A wired sensation stirred in her stomach and a frown entered her lips and she slowly pulled her hand away.

What is she doing? Why is she caressing Kai as if he's her lover?

She mentally slapped herself and she complained it all on the sickness. She desperately hoped that she can heal up quickly so she can assist in the search of the Fang Blades; she already knew that they're the only thing that can release the Great Devourer… Is that Pythor intention? She can't remember if that was the other thing he wanted to do.

But it's a good thing that she's feeling better. She no longer felt nauseated and her limps no longer felt sore but there was a faint throb in her head.

She reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the glass of water. She shifted on the bed so she's in a sitting position but she made sure she didn't disturb Kai. Too late. A sleepy groan escaped his lips and his face twisted into discomfort and he slowly straightened his back. His eyes then opened.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good." She replied and she brought the glass's rim to her lips and she drank the cool liquid.

"How long have you been awake for?"

"A minute." She answered and she placed the glass back on the bedside table. She observed Kai as he stretched his arms over his head. "Do you know what the time is?"

"Let me check… it's two o'clock." He replied and she decided it was time to get out of bed. She swung her legs over the side but she didn't get to get her butt off the bed when Kai spoke.

"You're supposed to be bedridden."

"I'll repeat, I recover quickly. I'm sure I'll go crazy if I were to remain bedridden." She told him and stood up. She turned around to see him observing her closely.

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"No."

"Is anything sore?"

"No."

"Do you feel sick?"

"No."

"Do you-"

"Kai, I'm fine." She interrupted him but she displayed a smile. "Let's see if the others are back."

.:Kai:.

Unlike last time, Violet made sure to join in the boys' and Nya's conversation. It was weird with Lloyd and Wu absent from the table but the conversation was lively. Nya, Cole, Jay and Zane managed to print out many signs for the Fang Blades and they were planning to put it up tomorrow and the day after.

"Remember the story when Chester O'reily managed to save six little girls from gangsters a few years ago?"

"That was all over the news, he was a true hero. Wasn't he just a Liberian?"

"I think so." This time, Kai and the guys were discussing about Ninjago's ordinary heroes or people who went popular for saving other's even though they weren't ninja like him and the others were.

"What about Adam Debrѐ?"

"What did he do?"

"He was the one that risked his life to go into a burning building and saved a pregnant woman and two kids."

"Ah, him. He was actually a close friend to my father."

"Really?"

And the conversation went on like that. So far, Jay and Cole managed to think of ordinary heroes while he, Zane, Nya and Violet listened and added a couple. He couldn't help but stare at Violet throughout dinner. He was worried if she collapsed suddenly on the spot or she starts to go off into her own little world and lock them out.

"Do you guys know Christian Emerson?" Cole asked and Kai saw Violet stopped eating and her face paled.

"He was a police officer wasn't he?"

"Yeah, that guy. He was the chief of the police station over a decade ago and I must admit, greatest police men."

"Wasn't he the one that found an active bomb in a bus and managed to deactivate it the remaining minute that was left?" His sister asked and Kai looked around to the others, they focusing on the conversation, even Zane actually looked interested. He looked back to Violet to see her eyes casted down to her laps.

"But didn't he die when a gang of robbers tried to rob his house?"

"Oh yeah, that was years ago. His wife was that famous jewel crafter wasn't she? My father told me this a while ago and I can't remember the exact details."

"You mean Megan Emerson?"

"Yeah, her!"

"Both of them were killed though..." Cole ended grimly and Kai mentally gasped when he saw a tear escaped Violet's eyes.

"Isn't that story at least over a decade old?"

"Yeah but both of them were famous!"

Kai frowned when Violet roughly pushed her hands to her face, obviously trying to hide evidence of her crying. The others were too engaged in the conversation. Kai was about to ask if she was alright when the cordless telephone rang from the corner of the room.

"I got it." He said and he got up and headed to the phone. Could it be that Violet knew the two? Or were they her parents? No, can't be. Why would the daughter of a rich family ended up homeless?

"Hello?" He answered the phone.

"Hi there, by any chance do you know someone called Violet Emerson?"

Kai bit his tongue to prevent him from gasping. Does that mean she is?

"Just give me a moment," he then pulled the phone away from his face and covered the microphone with his hand, "Violet, someone on the other end wants you."

"Who is it?" At this Kai quickly put the phone next to his ear.

"Who shall I say is calling?"

"Ninjago's Finest Jewellery Department."

"Umm… Ninjago's Finest Jewellery Department." He replied back to Violet and he saw her face broke. But she stood up and took the phone from him.

"Hello..? Yes, I am… What?" The whole room fell into silence as Violet spoke on the phone. Kai watched as she leaned against the wall with a hand over her eyes. "I-I can't… No thanks…"

Kai looked back to the others to see them giving each other questioning glances.

"No, I can't sorry." And she suddenly slammed the phone on the charger, ending the call. She stormed back to her seat and she buried her face into her hands.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked her.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Her voice broke and Kai could see her knuckles turning white as they dug into her hair.

"Violet, are you al-" Zane started but suddenly, something snapped and her hands dropped from her face to reveal teary eyes. The girl Kai used to see was calm, snappy but always having her emotions at check but tonight she didn't.

"I said I'm fine!" She shouted which scared everyone. Jay fell back from his chair while Zane, Nya and Cole jumped in their seats. She then stood up, making her chair fly back and she stormed out of the room.

Kai didn't understand at all. Why would a daughter from a rich family end up being homeless? What is Violet's story?

Ah! 10 reviews *dancing*! I love you all! You guys are amazing! Sorry this chapter took a while but my friends and I are trying to raise money to help one of our team members to go to another state with us to compete in Volleyball. But thanks to: NinjaForver5, hpandthemaraudersrock, Mystery girl, xXSpinjitzuPurpleElementsXx, zane'sfangirl25, KaiRulesSuckers, legolover 101, DeliciouslyDangerous1, Mystery girl again (XD), LightningDanino23 and the guest.

And to answer some questions: Violet's potential will be revealed in the next chapter so guess what that means? She the first one! I know that CarlyShi208 and Mihoshi 2.0 knows but anyone else?

And Mystery girl, I love that poem, I'll probably put it in soon! ;)