Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry, this chapter isn't as long considering my absence, but the next one will be. Please read and enjoy!

Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"A friend in someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself…" –Jim Morrison

Chapter 41 ~ A Pair of Beautiful Mountains

They took him away.

After Jay had passed out for the third time, Aaron rightfully decided enough was enough and took action. He had called for his subordinates to "ready the scintigraphy" and had wheeled Jay quickly out of the room. But not without ordering Cole to "Don't move!" and to press the 'call' button if he needed anything. What Cole needed was for Jay to be okay. He had wanted to grab his best friend's hand to reassure and comfort him with his touch, but everything had happened so damn fast. The only thing he had been able to do during the crisis was shout Jay's name.

Now, here he was: alone and laid up in a white room with nothing but the rhythmic beeps of his heart monitor to keep him company. Well, there were his thoughts too, which lately, had been feeding him different approaches and scenarios on how to broach the topic of his and Jay's relationship. But, unfortunately, none of them were as straight and narrow as he would've liked. Jay's likely response to each one was always a tossup. And others were just a flat "no", depressingly.

But given how he has acted to this point, and his lingering affection for Nya…

Cole sighed heavily against his pillows and ran a hand down his face. It was cruelly ironic that months ago, they had been in each other's way to get to Nya, but now Nya was in their way to get to each other. But the conversation had to happen. There was no way around it. Sooner or later—probably in the next few days or so, when Jay was feeling better, they would have their talk. He just had to be patient for a little while longer.

Right now, he needed a distraction. And his brain happily supplied him with one—in the form of an image of Jay's perfect, perky ass peeking out from behind his hospital gown. A miserable groan escaped the ninja leader's lips then as arousal surged swift and sure through his veins at an unstoppable rate.

God, why was this happening?!

Cole supposed it was mostly his fault. His feelings coupled with his dreams were making his growing attraction and love for Jay mount with each and every encounter. Each and every fucking second. But Jay shared the blame as well. The blue ninja had always, for the most part, dressed the most conservatively out of them all—always gratuitously covered. Thus, to have seen so much of him, in a dream or otherwise, had kindled the smoldering flame of lust within the earth ninja.

Jay was just too damn pretty. He always had been. Even at the beginning when Cole had first met him, he thought Jay had oddly delicate features, especially in the face. Big, almond-shaped eyes exuding the most shocking hue of blue, and long, fluttering lashes framed them, making any of his half-lidded, snarky expressions seem sultrier and more seductive. And his body… Sure, the azure ninja was tall (only a few inches shorter than himself), but he wasn't broad. He was lithe and supple. His muscles were toned, but more flexible than his, allowing for more graceful movements. He had seen Jay contort his body in unimaginable twists and angles. During training, during battle, even when he lounged around playing video games his body would be set in a position where most other people would find uncomfortable.

But if Cole was being completely honest with himself, more than wanting to satisfy his sexual urges with Jay, he wanted to dance with him. Of all things! He wanted to see how Jay would move his body then. He wanted to feel how Jay's body would respond to music. And not in that scripted, choreographed way like that time the four of them had to compete to win one of the four Silver Fang Blades against the Serpentine. Cole wanted it to be just the two of them. The two of them dancing to a random song and just moving their bodies naturally to the rhythm.

Cole knew that it wasn't technically a big deal. But for some reason, it was to him.

Ah. That settled him down a bit. Huh. That competition… His father… The last Cole had spoken to him had been over a week ago. He was getting ready to go on a Christmas tour with the other Royal Blacksmiths. Supposedly, it was a commemorative thing he did annually. The only problem was, Cole had no idea how long the tour lasted, let alone its route. His dad could be literally anywhere on Ninjago right now. And because he was so old-fashioned, he refused to carry a cellphone on him whenever he left the house.

Pop…please be okay…wherever you are… The sliding of the automated door roused Cole and he looked over to see who had entered. The bulky, orange decontamination suit was expected…but not the cane. Cole immediately jerked up into a sitting position, ignoring the flare of pain from his fractured ribs.

"Pop!"

"Whoa there, son. Let me come to you. You're injured, remember?"

Father and son reunited in an embrace. "I was just thinking about you," Cole said into the padded shoulder of the suit. "Worrying where you were and if you were safe."

Lou released his son and ruffled his hair with a hearty chuckle. "And I've been worried about you since this whole mess started. I knew you and your friends were going to be involved with the shower somehow, especially when the relay stations went kaput. You all are heroes, after all!"

Cole smiled. He was still and probably would remain ever grateful that his father ultimately supported his lifestyle. However, he still wished he hadn't missed out on attending and graduating from high school. That's what the Marty Oppenheimer would've been—a boarding school for high schoolers. Out of the clan, he and Zane were in the same boat. But for the nindroid, he was more or less homeschooled by his father. And to be honest, who needed school when you could already think faster than a supercomputer. Lloyd and Brad, of course, were special exceptions.

"But wait," Cole's brow furrowed, "how did you know about the relay stations? I was for sure information like that wouldn't be available to the public."

Lou parked himself on Cole's bed and leaned on his cane. "Oh, I didn't tell you? One of my RB buddies is a retired Secretary of Defense and he still has ties with the regime. I asked, he told," the aged Italian shrugged. "It was as simple as that."

"And can I assume that's also how you got clearance to come here?"

Lou smirked. "Yep. Although, I did get into a slight kerfuffle with the head doctor around here. But as soon as I explained who I was and my level of clearance in the Honeycomb, he simmered down."

"Oh, that's Aaron. He's uh…Jay's cousin." Why did he suddenly feel sheepish?

Lou's slate-gray eyes widened slightly behind the visor. "Really? Huh…I guess a little around the eyes they look similar. But Jay's face is much more delicate—prettier even. I still say he had the best voice out of all of you. And great energy to boot. I bet with enough practice and coaching he could be a great entertainer if he truly wanted."

Cole tried not to roll his eyes but did anyway. "Pop, Jay's a ninja like me, remember? And…" a pensive frown settled on his lips, "he's not doing too well right now."

Lou's frown matched his son's. Just looking at it, Cole knew without a doubt he would be his father's doppelganger when he got older. "Right, he's injured just like you are. And this whole quarantine schtick is because you two were exposed to some alien plant spores or whatever?"

"Yeah."

Lou eyed his son. "But the two of you are going to be alright and released soon, aren't you?"

"I hope so. No, I mean—yeah, yeah, we'll be out of here in a few days tops…"

"Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Cole shook his head for good measure. "Really, Pop, it's fine. We're fine—I mean, I'm fine. Really."

One of the Royal Blacksmith's thick eyebrows lifted. "That's debatable. So, what's wrong with Jay?"

Cole licked his dry lips. "He's… He has a serious head injury. And two broken fingers. And…"

"And?"

And, I'm in love with him… Sorry, Pop… Cole kept his mouth shut. He honestly had no idea how his father would react to find out his only son was in love with another man. He never had any romantic relations previously before he left home and Lou had very loosely given him the whole "birds and the bees" spiel when he was ten. Cole remembered the sour grape expression on his father's face during the whole thing as if the topic itself left a bad taste in his mouth. Yeah. His father never dated again after the divorce.

Plus, even though they weren't super religious, Cole was still raised in a Catholic home. In fact, his father had once told him that every Belmonte in their family was Catholic. In short, it just didn't bode well. It was just like the Marty Oppenheimer incident, only a hundred times worse. Cole didn't want to lie to his father. He thought he would be stronger by now considering all that he went through when seeing him again after so many years running away and doing his own thing. But he wasn't. Just the thought of disappointing him again clenched his stomach and broke his heart.

And it wasn't like he could soften the blow by saying: "But don't worry! Because of the alien spores, he was sprinkled with, he can now have babies like a woman can! Neat, huh! Doesn't that make everything better?" Yeah, that would go over swimmingly. It made him wonder how his future-self did it. Because he had to have told him, right? It would be incredibly helpful if he could channel a certain dream. Or maybe it would be better if I didn't have these dreams at all… No…I fuckin' love my dreams…

"Ah-hah! So that's it!"

Cole was so startled by his father's sudden outburst, he jumped, heart hammering. The cardiogram mirrored his spiked heart rate, but hopefully, it wasn't frantic enough to send a nurse running in to check on him.

"You're more worried about Jay than yourself." Lou chuckled at his son's shocked expression. "You've always had a big heart, son. You've just always had it under lock and key. I'm glad you've found a friend that you cherish so deeply."

Cole swallowed his heart back down. "Yeah, he's… Jay's my best friend, Pop."

Lou gave a nod of approval. "You need someone who's easy-going and good-humored to even out your bloated seriousness. And, he likes music. He really is a fine boy. Now that I think about it…I don't think I have a best friend. My RB buddies are my friends, of course. But I wouldn't call any of them my best friend. Huh. It looks like you one-up your old man in that department, son." The crow's feet edging at the corners of the aged musician's eyes stretched as he smiled. "Keep him close, and don't blow it."

Cole took his father's words at face value, even if they were heartfelt enough to put Jay in a more romantic light. "I plan to, Pop. Thanks."

The Belmonte men both faced the automated door as it slid open and Aaron and his team wheeled in a still unconscious Jay into the room. "Ah, Mr. Belmonte, you're still here."

Lou stood up. "Just Lou is fine." He peered down at Jay silently, brow furrowed in concern.

"How is he, Aaron?" Cole asked.

Aaron was quiet for a moment and Cole noticed how the members of his team fidgeted, their expressions not really anxious. But more intrigued. "His scintigraphy and CAT scan were both normal. However…" the doctor took a very deep breath, "…he started lactating. Profusely."

Cole's mouth opened and closed multiple times. He tried desperately not to think about that one dream he had. Unfortunately, it was a futile endeavor. No, no, this isn't the time! Focus, you horny idiot!

"Poor boy. That sounds terrible," Lou said, frowning. "Men aren't supposed to lactate. Is this an effect of the alien spores?"

"It…has to be," Aaron said slowly. He gave Cole a cursory glance, from which the younger Belmonte subtly shook his head with a shameful grimace. "Jay's a male. But that doesn't mean we don't have mammary glands. What's baffling is that his prolactin, cortisol, and insulin levels are higher than normally found in a man. In a woman, these act together to stimulate transcription of the genes that encode milk proteins. Thus, we can only deduce that this is also happening to Jay, along with the addition of oxytocin. Hence, his nipples' ability to release the milk."

"So he grew breasts?" Lou asked, then turned to his son. "Are you going to grow breasts?"

"Pop!"

"Actually," Aaron interjected, "Jay's pectoral muscles haven't lost their shape and form. They're still very solid. It seems like…everything is being critically regulated to a precise degree. It's incredible. And very scary, to be honest… But don't worry, from what we've observed so far, Cole seems to be immune to the spores affects."

"Hmm, only Jay then. That's simply tragic. And to top it off, he has such terrible injuries. This must all be a nightmare for him. Poor boy."

At Aaron's second glimpse in his direction, Cole averted his gaze to his lap, his hands trembling and fisting the sheets. Lou must've noticed since his voice soon lanced through Cole's inner turmoil. "Now, son, don't distress. Jay will be alright, just like you will. It's what you told me, remember?"

Cole lifted his gaze to meet his father's. He tried to hold steady. He tried to be strong. After a pregnant pause, emeralds lowered, afraid, and unsure. "Yeah. Thanks for checking on me. And I'm glad you're okay, Pop."

Lou affectionately fluffed his son's hair again before turning back to Aaron. "Well, after that weird and distressing news, I sure could use a refreshment. Cole, would you like something to drink?"

"No thanks," came the downtrodden reply.

"Then I'll be right back." Lou nodded politely at Aaron and his team on the way out. "Gentlemen. Miss."

After the elder Belmonte's exodus, the sound of his cane echoing in the ninja leader's mind, Cole could feel all eyes on him. "He doesn't know," he lamented. "And I can't tell him."

There was another round of silence until Aaron chose to break it. "Okay, team, take five," he said cheerfully, clapping his hands. "In other words, get out."

There was a chorus of groans and moans from Aaron's team as they too made their way out. Cole didn't know why they were so against going on a break until Aaron informed him. "I tell ya, I love them all to death and they're the best at what they do, but they're gossiping hens—Ian's the worst. Fayth already thinks you guys are a tragic love story, while Omar's wondering how many kids Jay's gonna have. Trust me, they don't need any more ammunition."

"Oh." Cole watched as the older Walker went to Jay's side and reattached him to the cardiogram.

"I'm just gonna say this—and again, I'm not trying to tell you what to do or anything. But something like this: sooner is better than later. Personally, I don't think you have anything really to tell him right now since you're not officially dating Jay. You two need to talk first before crossing that line. But more important than that… Cole…" cobalt eyes zeroed in on the black ninja, firm and grim, "…I don't mean to be a doomsayer or anything but…don't expect things to happen the way you want them too. Jay's one of the most sensitive and emotional people I know. Even though I haven't been around him in over five years, he's still the cousin I remember. Being a ninja may've changed him a little bit but not much. His humor is—"

"A defense mechanism," Cole interjected gently. "But he also uses it as some sort of deterrent—to bring levity to an otherwise grim situation. At first, I didn't understand—none of us did. But now we do. I especially am grateful to him. Jay keeps me grounded when things get particularly dire. And although I know he's insecure about some things, he has been trying to be more optimistic too. I accept him for who he is, Aaron. Jay doesn't need to put up any false pretenses around me. And he hasn't for a while now."

It took a full minute for Aaron to say anything else. But when he did… "Do you know his real name?"

Cole's shoulders sagged a bit. "Yeah, found out just recently. But he won't allow me to call him by it. No one else in the clan even knows. Not even Nya."

Aaron took a seat on Jay's bed, near his legs. Much like how Lou did when talking to Cole. "When he was eleven or twelve, I think…he hacked into government systems and implanted a virus to encrypt his name to 'Jay Walker'."

"Wha—why?"

"I don't know," Aaron murmured. "All I remember is him sobbing on the phone when he told me what he had done. It took forever for me to calm him down. I don't think his parents ever found out either." Cole was confused. What could've happened to make Jay so paranoid? And how the hell did he hack into government systems as a preteen? "And I see he's still using it…"

Cole shook himself, catching the doctor's words. "Huh?"

Aaron said nothing. Focused solely on Jay, he used a finger to lightly touch his cousin's fair cheek. "Jay has freckles, Cole."

"No, he doesn't." Cole's response was instantaneous. Of course, Jay didn't have freckles! And he didn't have to glance down at his best friend's slumbering face to make sure either. He's known Jay for over three years now. His beautiful and soft-looking face was committed to memory. He has sketched his face multiple times over the past month (in a non-creepy way). He held him naked under a spray of water! So what the hell way Aaron talking about?

The man in question gave him a side-long glance. There was something in the doctor's cobalt eyes that slightly unnerved Cole and made his anxiety spike. "To be his best friend, there's still much you don't know about him."

Before Cole's lips could form the appropriate question, the automated doors slid open once more and Lou returned. Aaron's countenance morphed into a mask of tranquil rationality and he offered a smile to the aged musician. "I'm not sure if your son explained the extent of his injuries, so allow me to set your mind at ease."

Aaron's reiteration of his condition blurred into white noise through the earth ninja's ears. It didn't make any sense. Jay's real name was one thing—a noncorporeal thing that could be easily misconstrued or hidden. But freckles? Freckles. His cousin, Emiliano, had freckles. Freckles appeared on more than just a person's face. They were likely everywhere. From what Cole recalled, they were on his back, shoulders, arms, legs—that day at the beach during the last family reunion he had attended was a fond memory with his extended family. Therefore, freckles weren't something that could be easily hidden when skin was exposed. And he had seen Jay exposed. And he had not seen one dot. A few scars, sure. But not one freckle.

I don't get it… He must be mistaken… Cole's gaze inadvertently fell on the pale and clear visage of his best friend. Yes, they all had their share of secrets. He would never claim to know every single, little thing about Jay. That much was obvious, but… Cole stared, transfixed at the twitching of long, dark lashes resting against the softest-looking cheeks.

"…don't expect things to happen the way you want them too. Jay's one of the most sensitive and emotional people I know…"

In actuality, it really didn't matter if Jay had freckles or not. It just perplexed and ultimately worried Cole that his best friend would go out of his way to hide something so natural about himself? Why? Just how deep did Jay's insecurities lie?

His bed wasn't close to Jay's anymore. He couldn't reach his hand.

Funny how he didn't have to think long before he decided what to do.

Jay's cousin and his father were still deep in conversation when Cole gingerly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand up. So strange… He was so scared earlier, but now he couldn't have felt calmer. It took little to no effort to push his bed closer to Jay's—just like it was before.

"Cole? What're you doing, son?"

When the beds connected, Cole climbed back in. Both Aaron and his father were staring at him, one wide-eyed and baffled. The other was just as calm as he felt, intrigued, and wearing a small, encouraging smile. Cole carefully took Jay's braced hand. It felt nice to be this close to him again.

Cole felt Jay's fingers twitch slightly, trying to curl around his as much as they could in the brace bit not quite managing. Full, baby pink lips parted to inhale a small breath. "C…ole…"

Cole smiled. "I'm right here, Jay. Just like I promised."

Those long, dark lashes fluttered until slivers of peerless sapphires revealed themselves once again.

"Hey, we gotta stop meeting like this, huh."

Jay croaked a laugh, a tired albeit beautiful smile on his fair face. "Don't I know it, man."

Cole could feel his father's eyes drilling into him and he took a deep breath to prepare his mind and his next words. "Pop, I—"

The tapping of a cane sounded. And without a word or a glance back, Lou Belmonte left the room.

Author's Note: No disrespect to the character, but from what little exposure we've had of Lou, he came off to me as rather old-fashioned. So, I thought it would be an interesting conflict for him and Cole. I personally think Jay's parents, Ed and Edna, would be a bit more progressive in that sense. But this is just my head-canon, so meh, take it with a grain of salt.

Also…JAY HAS FRECKLES! That explanation will come later, and it probably won't be pretty…

Next, we'll be back on the expedition! Where things are going to get really…Nah, I won't spoil it. Just look forward to it! And please leave feedback for me!