Jay blinked. He stared. Yet he still couldn't believe what he was seeing. Cliff Gordon, his biological father was standing on his doorstep with a big smile and sharp suit. He started to wonder if he should pinch himself. He had had dreams about this moment ever since he learned the legendary actor was his real father but he had given up hope of reuniting with his birth parents long ago. He knew what he was seeing, but his brain had trouble processing it. He looked past Cliff's shoulder and saw a fancy limo with a driver but no one else was there.

Why was Cliff here?

Where did he come from?

Was his mother here too?

How did he know Jay was here?

And why did he wait all these years to contact him?

"Is that really my boy, all grown up?" Cliff smiled, unaware of Jay's internal struggle, as his eyes looked the teen up and down in excitement and disbelief. Jay opened his mouth to speak, but the words died in his throat. What was he supposed to say?

Seeing his dilemma Edna approached and started rubbing Jay's back.

"Breathe, Jay." She said softly and held a glass of lemonade for him to drink. Jay didn't even acknowledge her or anyone else. He just kept staring at Cliff. As if suddenly realizing that other people were around, Cliff started to wonder if he had come at a bad time. He was about to ask that when with no warning the shocked look on Jay's turned to anger before he snatched the glass from Edna and threw the liquid at Cliff.

He cried out in shock when the cold beverage splashed on his face.

Everyone's mouths fell open in shock but Jay said nothing and slammed the gates in Cliff's face. Then he turned around and started sprinting deeper into the junkyard. Ed and Edna quickly chased after him, leaving the rest of the teens to stand there, wondering what had just happened. No one said or did anything until Zane moved to open the gates again. He knew that what Jay did was a spur-of-the-moment thing and that there was stuff that needed to be said between him and Cliff; so Zane was going to make sure the actor didn't take his exit yet.

When he opened the gates again Cliff was still there but he was a lot less happy.

"What kind of a place is this?!" He shouted as he wiped the drink off his face before it dripped onto his shirt. "Jay should learn some respect!"

"What were you expecting? A hug?!" Kai exclaimed in angry disbelief at this guy.

"What do you mean by that?!" Cliff glared at the brunette, to which Kai eagerly returned. Zane looked back and forth between them and knew this wasn't going to end well.

"Kai, why don't you and the others assist in finding Jay?" He said and Kai was going to argue but Cole and Nya practically dragged him away and the others followed. Cliff watched the group leave with a scowl. He could see where Jay got his attitude when he had friends like that. Once they were gone, Zane turned his attention back to Cliff. "Trust me, it's not typical for Jay to go for his guns first and ask questions later; he's a good person at heart, really he is."

"I should've never left him in this place," Cliff muttered under his breath, but Zane heard it and he frowned. He chose not to say anything, however, and reluctantly led Cliff inside and towards the trailer.

Zane could feel his insides twisting with an uneasy feeling during the short walk. He had no idea if he was doing the right thing letting Cliff into the junkyard, but he liked to think Jay would thank him for it. After all, when Jay was little he used to say his real father came back for him one day, and it seemed that day had finally come. Zane could only hope that that was a good thing...

It took Ed and Edna a lot longer than either of them would like to admit to find Jay. They searched the entire junkyard until they eventually found him in the den. He was sitting down and using a stick to doodle in the dirt. He wasn't drawing anything specific, he was just trying to take his mind off of the situation. He thought his birth parents had forgotten him and who could blame him? You would too after eighteen years of no contact.

He remembered one day asking about his birth parents after he learned he was adopted. He wasn't given much details; only that his mother was no longer around and his father wasn't willing to take care of him. When he was told that Cliff Gordon, the actor who played his favorite action hero, was his real father he thought they were lying to him. That is until they showed him his birth certificate, then he couldn't deny it. Kid Jay was sad that he, in his mind, had been abandoned, but teen Jay didn't know how to feel.

He was angry, excited, sad, scared, curious, and hopeful all rolled into one.

He jumped suddenly when he felt movement and he looked up to see Ed and Edna sat at either side of him. Ed's arm was wrapped around his shoulder and he was giving him a smile he hoped was reassuring. Edna was rubbing comforting circles into his back and kissed him on the forehead.

"Are you all right sweetie?"

"I've been dreaming all my life that one day my Mom and Dad would knock on that door and I'd get to know them; then what do I do? Splat!" He muttered angrily as he stabbed deeper into the dirt.

"It's natural for you to be angry after all these years." Ed sighed and patted the teen's shoulder in comfort.

"Why did he come back?" Jay whimpered as he fought to keep the tears at bay. He hadn't cried about his biological parents since he was six. He wasn't going to start now.

"You can ask him after he's wrung himself out." Ed joked but it fell flat. "Son, you won't expect too much, will you?"

"Like what?"

Edna frowned, trying to think of the right words that would make this easier. "What we mean is it's good of him to visit... but..."

"But don't imagine that big limousine's waiting outside to take me away from all this? I don't." Jay glared at the ground as if it was the source of his current problem.

"Oh honey, we just don't want you to get hurt." She said and Jay scoffed at that idea. He grew out of those silly dreams years ago. But the more he thought about it, the more curious he grew. For years he had wondered about his biological parents and knew all those answers were right at his fingertips. Maybe it's good that Cliff came. Now Jay could get to know him a bit better.

That's if he let Jay near him after what he just did of course.

Knowing he couldn't hide in the den forever, he took a deep breath and went to find Cliff. When Zane told him he left Cliff in the trailer, Jay was surprised he had stayed but took it as a sign. Ed and Edna hung back, knowing that this was Jay's moment and they didn't want to intrude. Jay, although hesitant, opened the door and went inside. Sitting in one of the chairs was Cliff. He had discarded his jacket and looked less excited to see his son, but to Jay's relief, he didn't look angry. There was silence in the old trailer as the pair stared each other down, both too nervous to speak for a moment.

"I'm... really sorry about the..."

"It's OK." He nodded and there was another pregnant pause until Jay cleared his throat.

"So, what brings you back this way?" He smiled weakly, trying to appear more relaxed.

"I wanted to see how you were doing... now that you're nearly an adult." He admitted and Jay couldn't help but light up slightly at that, but it didn't last. "That and I have to finish up some scenes for a new movie, so I thought I'd stop by." He shrugged, and Jay tried not to let his disappointment show.

"That's... great; I used to say you were a film star just to impress the other kids, but they never believed me." He confessed with a faint blush. Cliff laughed at that and smiled with nostalgia. The sheepish look Jay was sporting reminded him so much of Libber. He closed the gap between them and got a better look at his son. Jay stayed still, not sure if he should move or not.

"Look at your hair," Cliff commented as he combed his fingers through it. "You should put it up, and wear a bit of hair gel." He added and Jay snorted. Hair gel was more Kai's thing - even though he liked to pretend his hair was naturally like that- and he could just imagine the looks he would get he he showed up looking like his hot-headed friend. Cliff's smile widened even more at the sound of Jay's laugh and he couldn't help one of his own. "Let's get out of this place; a new set, a new chance to get to know each other?"

"Yeah!" Jay exclaimed joyfully.

"Go and get your stuff then; I'll wait." He offered and Jay ran out of the trailer to find his coat. After making sure Jay was out of sight, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Diana, it's me, any news?" He asked and as he listened to her reply he didn't notice the figure creeping in. Cliff's face suddenly broke out into a large grin. "Really? That's fantastic! I can't believe it! I can come as soon as he wants; just let me finish up here." He said and with that, he hung up. Just then there was a creek in the floor behind him and he turned, expecting to see Jay, but instead, he saw Nya glaring at him. "Gonna give someone a heart attack, creeping around like that!" He scolded, but she didn't look impressed.

"Hello, I'm Nya."

"Was there something you wanted kid?" He scowled as if the sight of her annoyed him.

"I'm Jay's girlfriend." She said and his irritated expression turned to shock then a smile, but she wasn't happy and suddenly got in his face. "Listen asshole, Jay's a sweet guy and I can tell that he didn't get that from you so listen close; you hurt him, and nothing'll save you from me, got it?" She warned and her eyes turned yellow from her anger. Cliff's own widened in surprise, not expecting her to be a werewolf, but he was saved from answering when Jay finally returned.

He smiled kindly at the two, unaware of the tension between them. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, and I just heard I got another role in a new show!" He cheered and Jay smiled, happy for him. "Let's go! We have some celebrating to do!" He exclaimed and all but ran out of the trailer and to where the limo was parked.

"Bye, sweetheart." Jay beamed and kissed Nya on the cheek before leaving. Nya said nothing and watched them leave, wondering if she was doing the right thing in letting them go...

Jay was always the first person to admit when he was wrong. He may have had his reservations about this day out with Cliff, but he couldn't help but enjoy himself. Cliff took him to all the best and most expensive sights in Ninjago. The coolest was some kind of fancy mall. Jay was in awe as he stared at the shiny floors and marble pillars. People would have to be super rich to shop here. Good thing his dad was a world-famous movie star. They went into every store and sampled everything Jay took an interest in. One day, he promised himself he'd come back there and do his own shopping. They soon ended up in a tailor's and Cliff paid extra for Jay to get fitted for his own suit. He smiled when he saw Jay walking out of the dressing room in a matching suit except his was various shades of blue.

Now Jay looked more like his son.

After their shopping trip, Jay suggested they head to Mega Monster Amusement Park, which Cliff happily agreed with. They tried every ride and all the food until Jay felt sick from all the sugar. He was having a great time with his long-lost father. The only downside was the two giant bodyguards that consistently followed them everywhere. Cliff said that they were for protection, but so far no one had bothered them, even with Cliff being a famous actor. Jay understood why the guards were there, but that didn't mean he didn't find them creepy. They would stand there like statues, not moving a muscle. They were also wearing big sunglasses so you couldn't even tell which direction they were looking.

Despite how weird they were, Jay was unfortunate enough to find himself alone with them when Cliff decided that he needed a quick bathroom break.

"So... how long have you guys worked with my Dad?" He asked, but they didn't even flinch in response. "Good talk guys."

"Well, well, if it isn't the junkyard kid!" A familiar voice called out not too far away from them. Dread pooled in Jay's stomach as he turned and saw Chad and his gang stalking up to them with a big grin on his face. Jay glanced at the bodyguards but neither of them had moved. "I thought I smelled something bad around here; if you're looking for a free bath the water slide's that way!"

"He's probably gonna meet his freaky girlfriend so they can ride the tunnel of love." One of Chad's minions joked and they all made kissing noises and laughing.

"Don't you losers have someone else to annoy?"

"Ew, it speaks!" Chad cackled so loud it hurt Jay's ears. "I didn't think trash knew how to talk."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Jay frowned and instantly regretted it. In a second, Chad's laughter stopped and his expression turned murderous.

"What the fuck did you just say to me you little shit?!" He snarled and charged forward, intending to teach Jay a lesson, only to be stopped by the pair of bodyguards. They blocked Chad's path, who skidded to a stop in front of them. They easily towered over the jock and he knew he would lose a fight with them. Thankfully a fight was unnecessary as Cliff chose that moment to leave the restroom, having heard the commotion.

Chad and his friends were frozen in shock at the sight of the Cliff Gordon standing before them.

Cliff glared at the group. "Are these people bothering you, son?"

"No Dad, they're just idiots," Jay replied, trying not to smirk at their gobsmacked expression. Cliff hummed in satisfaction and he and Jay walked away to enjoy the rest of their day, ignoring the jocks who called to Cliff for an autograph. Wanting to get away from the crowds for a while, the duo went onto the Ferris wheel for some privacy. As they rode around the Ferris wheel, Jay started telling Cliff all about his life, his school, his future plans, and his friends.

"And this is my girlfriend, Nya Smith." Jay smiled and showed Cliff a picture of Nya. Cliff knew he recognised her from somewhere and now he knew she was Ray and Maya's daughter.

"Yeah, I met her; she's a little firecracker isn't she?"

"Nah, that's more her brother's thing." Jay laughed as he recalled one Halloween when he stole all of Kai's candy and how angry he got. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his shoulders and Jay looked up to see Cliff smiling at him.

"I never forgot my little boy." He said softly. "I've thought about you every single day."

"I thought of you, too."

"Really?"

"Every minute, when I was little and I found out who you really were, and I was waiting for you to come back for me." He said and in a second the mood shifted and an awkward quiet filled the space.

"Jay, I-"

"Then I used to be scared you'd come back when I was at school, and they wouldn't tell me." He confessed and looked down in shame. "I didn't like being scared, so I'd get angry with them."

"I WANTED to come back."

"But why didn't you?" Jay asked, but instead of answering Cliff pulled his arm away and looked out the window. This response confused and angered Jay. "Was it my fault? Was I too much trouble? Was it because I'm a werewolf?"

"Do you actually think I wanted to leave you behind?!" He snapped before taking a moment to compose himself. "I wasn't much older than you when you were born, and after your Mom left I just couldn't cope after learning the truth but I tried my best; you were too young to remember but I loved you so much."

"What do you mean after you learned the truth?"

"Back in those days, the pack were very strict on the whole 'keep humans out of everything' stuff and they were so strict about it that I didn't even know Libber was a werewolf until after you were born and she didn't tell me, I found out by accident." Cliff laughed bitterly. "You were only a few months old and I was working all the time and she was left to look after you on her own one day we started arguing about it and she got so worked up that she lost control and transformed." He flinched at the memory. She chased him around the house until he managed to lock himself in the bathroom and called the police but they thought he was crazy for saying his wife turned into a wolf.

"What happened after that?"

"Libber tried to explain it but I didn't give her the chance and started distancing myself from her and you, and by the time I started getting used to the idea of werewolves she had disappeared and left us both behind; after that, I went off the rails." He sighed, recalling all the booze, drugs, and women he worked through during his grief. It wasn't until he got into a fight and had to spend By the time he came to his senses Jay was being put up for adoption and the pack convinced him that Jay would be better off without him since he was human, but Jay was a werewolf.

"Wait, I thought you tried to expose Mom to the world," Jay exclaimed, but Cliff looked shocked when he said this.

"What?"

"Wu and Misako told me about how you lured Mom into the woods after finding out and tried to take pictures of her transforming to release to the world!"

"That's not how it happened!" He exclaimed. "Ok, it's partly true, but not the way they described it." Jay gestured for him to continue, wanting the whole story. "Yes, I did lead her out into the woods and there was a camera there but I wasn't trying to expose her, not really!"

"What do you mean 'not really'?"

"Listen, you have to understand, when I learned the truth I wasn't thinking straight and I was terrified; she had already tried to attack me and I didn't know YOU were going to be a werewolf too and-"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Jay roared, unable to stop his eyes flashing for a split second. Cliff saw it and was scared, but he managed to push that aside.

"I was planning on taking those pictures to blackmail her." He admitted and Jay sucked in a breath. "I was scared for you and me, and I thought that if I had proof of her being that thing then she wouldn't try and hurt us; I realized quickly I made a mistake, but by then she and I were basically broken and before I could try to fix it she was gone." He quickly explained and Jay was lost for words.

"...Where is she?"

"I don't know, really I don't; she said she was going to be gone for her work for a few days and she never came home." "If I could I'd go back to when you were little and your Mom was still around do it better, but I can't." "I'm so sorry son, can you forgive me?"

He looked at Jay expectedly and Jay thought about it. Could he forgive Cliff? Yes, he was still upset at being abandoned for something he couldn't control, but the way Cliff spoke it didn't seem like that was the case. It sounded like Wu and the others had twisted the facts to suit their needs. In the end, it wasn't like Jay's life had been hell. In fact, he was doing alright for himself. He had great friends, loving parents, a perfect girlfriend, and a successful future.

"I can try." He finally admitted, and Cliff smiled in relief. He wasn't promising anything, but it was a start at least.

Soon the Ferris wheel ride was over and they had to leave. It was getting late now and Jay was getting hungry again so he suggested one last meal before heading home. Cliff knew where to go and dragged Jay to a small, cozy little restraint not too far from the amusement park. The minute they entered Jay was in love with the place. It gave off a warm, welcoming feeling and he could already smell the delicious meals being prepared. As soon as they were seated an older woman approached their table.

"There you go - on the house." She smiled sweetly as she placed the giant bowls of ice cream down. "Jay, isn't it? Your Dad talks about you a lot." She said, confusing the teen and he turned to his dad for some context.

"Oh, we go back years!" He smiled, already tucking into the frozen treat. "Gloria's been working ever since your Mom and I were dating; she used to give us drinks like this for free for being her favorite couple." He explained and Jay smiled before he began eating too. Cliff gave Gloria a little wink and slid over a decent tip for the ice creams, which she took.

The rest of the night was uneventful as the father/son duo finished their meals and left the restaurant. Jay checked his phone to see if he had any messages and winced when he saw it was almost 10 pm. His parents were probably freaking out and getting ready to send the search parties after them.

"It's getting late, I should call home."

"We don't have to ask their permission to stay out." Cliff huffed and Jay was about to disagree when a fancy car suddenly pulled up beside them and a beautiful woman around Cliff's age stepped out, and she did not look happy. When Cliff saw her his expression changed and he turned to Jay. "Can you wait just a minute?" He asked and without waiting for a reply he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the street, stopping just outside of Jay's hearing range. The teen tried to go over to them but was blocked by the guards. He wasn't going to let these creeps stop him though.

"Everything good over there?" He called out to his dad and the woman. Cliff looked back and forth between them before he groaned loudly and ran back over to Jay.

"You're right, they're gonna worry, you'd best get back." He said and turned to one of the guards. "Make sure he gets home safe."

"Aren't you coming?"

"Well, the driver knows where you live so you'll be fine." Cliff frowned but Jay still looked upset and couldn't help but glance at the woman, who was glaring at Cliff. "That's Diana, she's... a very close friend, and she needs me for something so I gotta go."

"When will I see you again?"

"I'll come for you tomorrow." Cliff gave him a reassuring smile and a big hug goodbye before he bundled Jay and the guard into the limo and waved him off as it drove away. Jay waved back weakly, hoping this wasn't the last time he saw him.

The drive home was quicker than he expected, yet he didn't know if that was good or bad. Neither the driver nor the guard spoke to him, despite his attempts, and when they pulled up outside the junkyard they drove off the second he was out of the car. Jay frowned as it sped away but decided to let it go. They probably weren't paid to make small talk. He turned to the junkyard and sighed in relief. The whole place was completely dark and there were no sounds.

His parents must have been asleep.

Not wanting to wake them, or answer any awkward questions, Jay snuck in as quietly as he could. He gently pushed the gate open, flinching when it squeaked, but when there was still no sign of people he relaxed slightly and stepped inside. The second he closed those gates, however, every single light in the whole junkyard turned on. Jay cried out as he was blinded and had to shield his eyes from the harsh lights. When his eyes adjusted he lowered his hands and groaned when he saw his parents and Master Wu all standing a few feet away.

Looks like he was going to have to answer those questions after all...

NEXT CHAPTER: Cole intervenes, but is it for the better?...