Author's Note: Hey folks, this is my very first Ninjago fic. I'll be keeping with some of the plot points from the series, so don't get bent outta shape if you see some conflicting things. Oh, and Zane still looks normal in this too. I didn't like the new character model. Dangerously strange... Please leave your thoughts! The fun begins now! Have a good read!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ninjago nor do I make money from this story. All canon characters are the property of Lego and Cartoon Network.

Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood…"—Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Chapter 1 ~ Best Friends

Jay plopped himself down on the deck of the Bounty and leaned heavily against the railings, his breath coming out in rigorous pants. No matter how much or how often he trained, he always ached in places he never knew he had afterward. He lowered his mask in an effort to take in more oxygen and wiped his brow free of sweat.

With both Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon serving as the Ninja's mentors, the aging Spinjitzu Masters saw to it to push all of their pupils to the limit. And after a grueling five hour training session, they pitted the Ninja against each other in a straight-away sprint for home.

On the plus side, though, Jay won. Yep, despite the crippling exhaustion he was now enduring, he had beaten his brothers to the Destiny's Bounty. A pleased smile flitted across his lips just as four pairs of feet sounded loudly on the deck.

Jay looked up, beaming at the late arrivals. "Heh, what took you guys so long?"

"Very impressive, Jay," Zane said while dusting off his pants. "I had thought that after our spar, your energy levels would be more depleted than that. You surprised me."

Jay gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah well, they're depleted now," he breathed.

"Still need to work on that stamina, bro," Kai chimed in, wearing his usual smirk. "I'm not tired in the least! You're just a little bit faster than me. That's why you won."

Lloyd wiped at the back of his neck. "Ah, the weather doesn't help either. It's scorching!"

Jay instinctively squinted against the sun's bright and unrelenting rays. It would be considered odd weather for late November…if the Destiny's Bounty wasn't currently docked in the Tropics. However, Jay never truly felt bothered by heat or even humidity. Having grown up in the Sea of Sand, he developed some sort of tolerance or maybe even immunity to the sun. He was delicately fair-skinned, but never got sunburned or even tanned, for that matter, regardless of how much skin he bared.

Jay closed his eyes, feeling the beads of sweat make slow trails down his face. Yeah, a little shade would be nice…

"Hey, c'mon. It's not good to just collapse on your rear after training."

The Master of Lightning gave a start at feeling the slight coolness of shade, and opened his eyes to look up at the one who spoke. Cole. The black ninja towered over Jay's seated form and blocked the sun with his muscled frame, and thus provided Jay with his momentary reprieve.

A black gloved-hand was extended to him. "C'mon," Cole beckoned again.

Jay smiled and took the offered hand gladly and was hauled effortlessly to his feet by the Master of Earth. Cole released his hand and used it to pull down his mask, smile already in place. "You know our two tormentors are gonna be here any minute. Anyone caught on the ground, gets grounded."

"I know, I know," Jay sighed and ran a hand through his damp chestnut locks. "But aren't we a little too old for that?"

Cole shrugged good-naturedly. "You would think."

Another grin made its way across Jay's face at his best friend's words. It was still very hard to believe that just six months ago, they had been at each other's throats over Nya in New Ninjago City. Their friendship had tethered on the precipice and had nearly been lost because of their childish behavior. But during the Elemental Tournament, they had found peace with each other, and their bond had been repaired and strengthened.

As for Nya, it's been two whole weeks since the Anacondrai's thwarted resurrection and Chen's ultimate defeat, and yet she still hadn't come to a decision about which ninja she would choose to be with: Jay or Cole. Neither man took it upon themselves to pester her about it like they did last time, and instead used the time they had away from her to spend with each other. Time, that Jay thought, was very well spent.

It was a nice change for Jay's heart not to pound in anxiety every time he saw Nya with Cole. He'd been keeping with his "positive thinking" and staying optimistic about the future. He was prepared for the best, but was also prepared for the worst. He loved Nya. He had for a long time now, and knew that he would have to safeguard his heart just in case she decided to break it.

"What was that, Cole?"

Both Ninja snapped into awareness and whirled around to the deep voice radiating with authority. Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon stood in the center of the deck, seeming to have materialized out of thin air. It was the elder brother of the two that had spoken, as he was giving the black ninja a very pointed stare.

"Uh…nothing!" Cole shook his head, his onyx mane swishing rapidly from the movement. "I didn't say anything!"

Garmadon then cocked a silvery eyebrow at Jay. "Is this true, Jay?"

"Yep, totally true!" The blue ninja yelped, already feeling flustered. Getting a scolding from Sensei Wu was bad enough, but getting one from Sensei Garmadon was a whole new breed of terror for obvious reasons. "Cole didn't say anything, and I didn't say anything either…noteworthy anyway… Well except now, because you asked me a question and I'm answering it! But that's not really important… Not that what you say isn't important, Sensei G! Mostly everything that comes out of your mouth is golden wisdom—no, no, platinum wisdom! Sensei Wu espouses golden wisdom because he taught us about the Golden Weapons—n-n-not to discredit you, Sensei Wu! I-I just—"

Sensei Wu moved his wide-brimmed straw hat downward to help shield the broadening smile on his lips while Garmadon puckered his brow in bafflement at Jay's red-faced ramblings. He was still learning that Jay had his own way of breaking tension—even at times when it's not needed—and could carry on for quite awhile if not stopped.

Cole placed a hand on Jay's shoulder and squeezed, leaning in close towards his ear to whisper, "Jay, you're digging a hole right behind you, but I'll catch you if you fall in."

Jay's mouth clamped shut and his deep blue eyes flickered to Cole gratefully before focusing ahead. "Yeah. Thanks."

The other three ninja smiled at their brother. There were just some things that would never change about Jay, but then again, the things that remained the same, the brothers wouldn't try to alter to begin with.

Confusion deterred by Jay's abrupt stop of false platitudes, Garmadon chuckled and gestured before him and his brother. "Stand before us, Ninja," he ordered, and the Ninja obeyed swiftly, forming a single line in front of their teachers.

"You all are very strong, but there is always room for improvement. However, strength is not always found within the individual alone, but also within numbers. Team unity and friendship is by far what begets true strength. And with each passing day spent amongst the members of your brotherhood, deep-rooted bonds are forged and fortified. And the strength from those bonds, in turn, spreads to the individuals. I pray that you all will never forget this…"

The Ninja bowed and chorused in unison. "Hai, Sensei Garmadon."

Garmadon inclined his head and turned to his brother beside him. "Wu, is there anything else you would like to add?" He asked, and the long-bearded sensei stepped forward.

"Thanksgiving has passed, but Christmas is right around the corner." Garmadon blinked, as did the Ninja. "Thus, it would be prudent to get your wishing lists completed as soon as possible. We will be heading back to the main continent tomorrow, and I pray that it will be snowing. That is all."

The Ninja blinked again. They knew the holidays were very important to Sensei Wu, but for him to bring up his fondness for Christmas right after a day of arduous training was pretty unorthodox. Jay was the first to get over his shock, however, and bowed with a smile. The others quickly followed suit.

"Hai, Sensei Wu."

Sensei Wu nodded. "Dismissed." He then showed his back to his pupils and made his way to the inner sanctum of the ship. "Join me for tea, brother?"

Garmadon followed with a sigh. "Is tea really all you drink, Wu?" He asked plainly. "Is sake still so abhorrent to you?"

Wu's bamboo stick tapped upon the deck as he walked. "Not abhorrent just…bad."

When the two mentors disappeared inside the Bounty, all of the Ninja broke into harmonious laughter.

"Geez was that weird!" Lloyd chuckled and Kai seconded.

"Hell yeah it was! But seriously though, more than the gifts, I'm looking forward to Christmas dinner." He lifted his arms and slung them around the necks of Zane and Jay, bringing the two ninja close to him. "You two killed it in the kitchen on Thanksgiving!"

"Oh yeah! I was happy to be alive it was so good!" Lloyd grinned merrily. "Nothing beats a great feast!"

Jay struggled against Kai's hold. "Yeah, yeah! Good, good, but could ya let go? I'm dying under here! You don't exactly smell like cherry blossoms right now!"

After Kai thankfully released his brothers, Zane graced Jay with a soft smile. "Yes, I concur that the two of us did exceptionally well last week, Jay. So if I could humbly request your assistance again for the Christmas feast, I'd be grateful."

Jay's eyes shined like brilliant sapphires. "Sure! No prob!"

He may not be a master chef like Zane, but boy did Jay enjoy cooking. To him, being in the kitchen was just as therapeutic as being in his lab. He puts his heart into all of his work, no matter the environment. His creativity and ingenuity soars while he works, and the outcomes—while not all complete successes—fulfilled him in a very satisfying way.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna go freshen up," Kai suddenly announced and began to make his leave. Jay looked around absently to find Zane and Lloyd already at the door. He was about to follow when he noticed Cole hadn't moved.

The happy grin fell from Jay's face as he gazed upon his friend's disheartened expression. "Hey…you okay?"

Cole sighed and turned to face Jay, his mouth etched into a hard frown. "How come Zane didn't ask me to help him too? I mean, am I really that bad?" Another dispirited sigh careened from his lips and his green eyes lowered to the ground. "Man… I thought I was at least improving some…"

Jay's jaw fell open as he racked his brain for something positive to say. Cole's cooking wasn't plain bad anymore per se just…a bit tasteless. Which in Jay's Positive Outlook Book was way better than bad. He worried his bottom lip a second more before reaching to touch Cole's arm.

"You are improving, Cole, so don't worry about it." The earth ninja raised his eyes to meet Jay's hesitantly.

"Really? You're not just saying that, are you?" He asked in a low, dubious tone.

Jay smiled easily. "Of course not. Remember? Just three days ago we all ate your meatloaf surprise, and no one complained."

Hopeful emeralds dulled and darkened. "Yeah, that's because we were all too busy rushing Lloyd to the Emergency Room to have his stomach pumped," Cole said dryly. "No one had time to complain."

Jay winced. Oh right… He had forgotten about that little escapade. The "surprise" to Cole's meatloaf surprise was that the meatloaf was made from armadillo. And unfortunately, Lloyd's stomach didn't agree with armadillo. Hell, Jay's stomach barely agreed with armadillo, and that's saying something considering he had a cast-iron digestive tract that handled his mother's giant scorpion stewpot growing up. But thankfully, he had muscled his way through the gag reflex, though the same couldn't be said for Kai…

"Okay, true…" Jay tentatively pushed forward. "But I think I know what your problem is…"

This brought forth an even deeper frown. "What?"

Jay inwardly braced himself. He really hoped Cole wouldn't take his observation the wrong way. "I think you're tackling way too difficult recipes, Cole. I mean c'mon…you once made a soup that took you three days to prepare."

"And it would've tasted perfect if Lloyd hadn't tampered with it!" Cole refuted angrily and Jay placated him with a quick nod.

"Okay, I'll take your word for it, but what soup takes three days to cook?"

"A special and com…pli…cated…one… Oh…" Cole visibly deflated and Jay offered him a lop-sided grin.

"See? All I'm saying is maybe you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew. Why don't you start off mastering the simpler recipes, and then broaden your horizons when you feel you're ready?" The sapphires lit up again in rapture. "Oh! Maybe like spaghetti! That's super easy!"

Cole looked like he wanted to agree, but the way those thick black eyebrows knitted together informed Jay that his best bud wasn't totally convinced.

"I don't know, Jay. I guess I really just want my cooking to be…y'know…memorable," Cole supplied with a half-hearted shrug. "And spaghetti just seems so ordinary."

It was Jay's turn to look dubious. "Oh I don't think anyone's ever going to forget the dishes you've made, Cole. But if you want them to remember the good and not the bad, then you have to start from scratch."

Jay smiled as Cole's crestfallen frown dissipated bit by bit. "You'll help me, right?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Jay burst. The lightning ninja's exuberance was totally infectious since Cole laughed as the blue-eyed man practically bounced on his heels. "Who else is standing here?! And I'll make it fun too—and check this, man!" Jay suddenly calmed down and regarded Cole with knowing.

"When a man hits rock-bottom, the only direction left to go is up."

Cole's eyes widened. "Thadeus Thatch…" Jay gave himself a mental pat on the back at Cole's surprised grin. "I…I honestly didn't think you were listening the other day when I segued into philosophy."

Heh heh…cute… Jay thought as Cole blushed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He gave a single-shoulder shrug and winked. "Hey, just because your element is pretty much dirt doesn't mean you're as boring as dirt."

"Hey!" Cole lightly punched Jay in the arm, resulting in the latter to erupt into laughter. The two joked around for a bit before they settled themselves against the railings. A gentle cross breeze sailed through and tousled chestnut and onyx manes serenely. The ambience between the two friends was quiet and tranquil, and both basked in, not only the sun, but in each other's company.

Jay let his eyes drift over the aqua waves as they crashed in rhythm against the Bounty's hull. It's true they'd all been in the Tropics for quite some time now, and even though he loved the beach atmosphere, he readily agreed with Sensei Wu that it was about time to get back to civilization.

I really should find the time to visit my parents… Maybe I will for New Years…

"Hey Jay…"

Roused from his stupor, Jay gave Cole his attention. The other was smiling gently at him.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Cole asked and Jay gave a slight start, having not expected his friend's warming inquiry.

"Uhh…I don't know really," Jay confessed, a small frown of thought creasing his face. "Truthfully, I haven't thought about Christmas 'til Sensei Wu mentioned it." He peered at Cole curiously. "Why?"

The black ninja shrugged. "Feelin' generous I suppose," he said lightly. "I'll get you something if you want."

Jay blinked in surprise before feeling a heartfelt smile slowly curve onto his lips. Warmth blissfully touched his heart at his elder clansman's caring nature. "Sure, okay…and I'll get you something too. Anything you want?"

Cole leaned back on the railings again and gave Jay a side-glance. "I'll let you know," he said shortly, but suddenly smirked. "And maybe we can make Kai a gingerbread man cookie basket."

Jay chuckled. "Oh yeah, he'd totally freak—heh heh…"

"Jay… Cole…"

Jay immediately halted his laughter and turned around, recognizing the soft and lovely voice. "Oh, hey Nya," he greeted casually and smiled at her picturesque form.

He felt his heart quicken as she returned his grin and approached him. Is this it...? He thought, his heart now thumping like a drum in his ears. Has she decided…?

Jay swallowed when she looked only at him. "I…I believe I've finally reached a decision…" Nya began quietly, and her long black lashes grazed the top of her vanilla cheeks beautifully as she blinked.

She then lifted her gaze up to him again. "Jay…" At the sound of his name, Jay's heart skipped a beat, but he compelled himself to listen. "…you and I had officially been together for a long time, and I'll never forget all the fun times we shared together. But…"

Jay's heart backpedaled and slowed until it felt like it stopped altogether, for it no longer pounded in his ears. Before the words were even said, he knew who Nya had chosen. He tried his damndest to keep his heart from breaking.

"But…" Jay peered deeply into those stunning chocolate irises, having done so over many candle-lit dinners and picnics. Before letting his eyes fall and flit to those cherry-red lips that he had—oh so many times—kissed and suckled. He had memorized those plump curves in an almost studious fashion.

He had listened, observed, and adhered to all of her likes and dislikes. He had kept every little piece of information and detail about her carefully sorted and stored in his memory, all in hopes that she would reciprocate. Jay was sure he could make her happy, and she was, if all those breathtaking beams and sparkling eyes sent his way were true.

But now everything was coming to a close. Mega Monster Amusement Park was, in fact, the beginning of the end. Maybe he loved her too much, maybe he tried too hard.

"But I need more than that, Jay… and I believe I can find what I'm looking for with Cole."

So I wasn't enough… Okay…

Jay swallowed the lump in his throat and licked his lips. "I know this…was a hard decision for you, Nya and…" Jay's lips twitched into a sad grin. "…all I ever wanted was for you to be happy, so…if you can find happiness with Cole then…that's what matters. He's a great guy."

Jay watched with melancholy as Nya's shoulders sagged with relief and she beamed up at him with those sparkling cocoa eyes. Well…it's finally over…

Jay tried to bring some relaxed cheer into his voice and shook himself. "Well, I think a hot shower is callin' my name, so…"

"Hold on, Jay…"

Releasing an internal sigh, Jay turned to Cole expecting to see some sort of smile, but was taken aback at his brother's somber frown. Jay blinked. Wasn't Cole supposed to be happy? Why did his eyes have a worried glint in them?

"This… This won't change anything between us, right?" Cole asked, gravely serious. Those green eyes were locked completely onto his blue ones, and never once wavered.

Jay felt his heart swell and perhaps, slowly start to beat again. He smiled. "I meant what I said at that tournament, Cole. I wouldn't dream of going back on my word, we've come too far to stop now. We're still friends."

The apprehensive darkness that shadowed Cole's face slowly ebbed and he returned Jay's smile.

"Best friends."

Cole lifted his hand and Jay immediately grabbed it tight with his.

"See ya later, okay?" Jay said, and released Cole. He then turned and touched Nya's shoulder. "See ya…" he repeated a bit more quietly, but with a smile still in place.

Another stray nor'easter blew over the deck as Jay made his exodus, and carried with it…a few stray tears.

Well…I guess I can return that ring now…

Author's Note: PLEASE LEAVE YOUR THOUGHTS! Constructive criticism is welcome! Especially from you VP!