The rain poured down heavily upon the tin roof of a small shack on top of an abandoned building. The two occupants residing inside it had claimed the small building as their home for the longest. It had been raining hard all day, hindering the two thieves from venturing out. So the two had opted to stay indoors for the remainder of the day and night. They had enough food to last them the night; they would go 'shopping' in the morning.

Jack sighs as he looks out a nearby window. He had been careful not to wake up his long time friend, Z, when he had gotten out of their bed and walked over to the window to watch the rain fall. He always waited until Z fell asleep to mope about. There was no reason to let his sour mood ruin her bright and cheerful personality. In fact, the only thing that brings a smile to his face is helping the other homeless folks get food and clothing… and just being with Z. They have been together on the streets together for five years. And even though times where hard, he would not take the last five years back.

Jack smiles briefly as he remembers the first time he met Z. He had to be around 14 at the time for Jack doesn't know the real date of his birth. He was busy looking through several garbage pins for food. He had heard someone crying. After finding enough food that wasn't spoiled or to dirty, he walked around the large bin and spotted the young Z, crying her heart out thanks to the cruelty of the world.

"Hey what's wrong," Jack had asked her. "Why are you crying?"

The 12 year old Puerto-Rican female had stubbornly wiped her eyes dry of her tears before looking up at the slightly older African American boy. "I'm not crying! And what do you care?"

"Who says I do," Jack had snapped back. But after seeing her flinch, he sighed and dropped down to the ground beside her. He opened up the banged up pizza box that he had filled with edible foods out of the bin behind them. "Hungry? It's not the best stuff in the world, but it's not spoiled, so that's a plus. It is probably not even a day old..."

Z didn't have to be asked twice as she digs into the pile of food that Jack had offered her. Jack grined as he watched her eat at a rapid place. It had been a good two days since she had last ate, before she took off running from her school and was attacked by those weird-looking robots. "Hey, careful now, don't eat it so fast, you'll give yourself hiccups. And save some for me. I have been collecting this up for a while now."

Z begins to eat on the slice of pizza slower. "Yeah. And... thank you for the food. It's good."

A friendly silence comes between the two young strangers as they eat away at the pile of pizza, bread, jelly beans and other such sorted items. Jack looked up at the dark haired-brunette, a smile on his face. "My name is Jack. Jack Landors."

Z finishes chewing up and swallowing the food that was already in her mouth before answering. "Elizabeth Delgado. You can call me Z."

"You homeless too?" Jack asked her as he slide closer to her, so they could talk better and not have to reach for the food in the pizza box that he was still he holding onto

"Kinda," Z had shrugged.

"Kinda," Jack had raised an eyebrow. "That's not an answer. You either are, or you aren't."

Z rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. At least someone was talking to her without calling her a freak or being mean to her. "Well, I ran away from the orphanage that I was staying at."

"Why?"

"I was being picked on by the other students in my school. And the teasing and the name calling only were worse at the orphanage. I just got tired of it all."

"That's not a real good reason to be running. At least you had steady meals and a place over your head." Jack tried to reason. He didn't want the rather cute Hispanic girl to be on the streets. He had seen what the streets can do young girls on the run. "Streets are no place for girls... no place for anybody really..."

Z had simply shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I'll find a way to survive. I've always had."

Seeing that the argument was going no where, Jack smiled and offered his hand to her. "Well, you are most certainly welcomed to stay with me. I know a great place that no one really occupies. Aside from me that is. It keeps me out of the rain, and it's a great hiding place. That's where I stay at. There's plenty of room."

"Really,"Z's eyes sparkled. The first person that has been nice to her since... forever is now offering her to stay with him. A friend and shelter! But her smile soon falls and she lowers her head. "No. You say that now, but once you find out what I can do… what I am... you'll boot me away like everyone else has."

"Now why would you say something like that," Jack asked.

"Because of this," Z's eyes had flashed and standing before the two, was an exact duplicate of Z. Same clothing, same pizza sauce stains around her mouth, same black biker's hat on her head… same downcast expression. "I'm a freak..."

Jack jumps up quickly, but his reaction toward Z's powers was quite the opposite that Z was expecting. "Whoa! There are now two of you! That's so cool! I thought that I was the only one with powers!"

"You have powers too," Z asked as she stood. She snaps her finger, which in turn causes her duplicate to disappear. She wipes her mouth on the side of her black leather jacket. "What can you do?"

Jack grinned. "Watch."

Jack had turned and walked toward the wall. Z's eyes widen once she realized that Jack had completely walked right through the wall beside the dumpster. A few moments later, Jack leans his head through the wall, smiling back at her before he pulled the rest of his body through the concrete wall. Even back then, he kept his hair in neat dreadlocks. "Cool huh?"

"Wow, that was," Z grined as she began to jump up and down in excitement. "This is totally cool! You have powers just like me! Well, not exactly like me, but still!"

Jack grasped her hands tenderly, signaling for her to stop jumping in place. Jack grins back at her. "So what do you say? Wanna come live with me? Living alone and collecting food by myself can get real lonely at times. And I don't really have any friends... not since I lost my mom and day and began living on my own."

"You lost your parents too, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Me too," Z replied. "And yes. I'd love to stay with you. If you don't mind.."

"I wouldn't have suggested otherwise..."

The sky above them began to rumble, letting them know that a storm was nearing the area.

"Come on," Jack replied as he grabbed the pizza box from the ground. He then grasped Z's hand and the two quickly head toward Jack's home, hoping to beat the rain before it begins pouring.

And thus, their partnership was born. For the past five years, the two have never really been far away from the other. They became like two peas in a pod, helping each other out and supporting the other. Even when they began stealing food and clothing for themselves and other homeless folk, they only had the other's safety on their mind. Though not related by blood, they consider each other family. The love they share for each other is simply just. Two tired souls, brought together at a young age.

Jack sighs once again, still watching the rain pour down outside. Its days like this that really bring out the sad side of him, the side that really doesn't let his beautiful friend see. But at the same time, these days always remind him of how he met her. She's very beautiful, Jack thinks to himself as he turns and looks back at his sleeping friend. They were able to find a better bed mattress that someone had thrown out. They claimed the mattress for themselves and moved it up to their little home, the same on that Jack invited her to stay in with him, five years earlier. I just wish that she didn't see me as a brother...

One would never know that she is homeless, much like himself. The two always had tried to keep an up-touch appearance, so that when they do steal, they won't look like two thieves. If they did look like bums, then the authorities would simply keep their eyes on them the entire time they went into public places, but then again, their faces are somewhat known by everyone now. However, whenever they did steal clothing for themselves, they didn't steal the good stuff, only the things that they were sure that people would simply look over.

The two are only trying to survive, not impress anyone.

Jack knows that they cannot continue to do this forever. There has to be something more, something better out in the world for them. After all, why would they have powers, and other earthlings do not? Was it mere coincidence that they had ran into each other, or where they fated to come together? As Jack ponders this, still looking out the window, he doesn't hear Z walk over to him. Only did he realize that she was awake was when her arms circled around his waist and she rested her head on his bare shoulder.

"What are you doing up," she asks, nuzzling against the back of his neck.

"Couldn't sleep. The rain woke me up." Jack replies, trying to ignore the feel of her breasts against his bare backside.

"It was raining when we laid down to begin with Jack." Z counters sleepily, but her ever present smile gracing her lips. "It's not going to stop raining simply because you decide to stare at it."

"I know," Jack grins as he turns his head and plants a kiss on her forehead; his short dreadlocks tangling into Z's finer hair. "What are you doing up? You were sleeping so well earlier."

"I got a chill. Then I realized that you were no longer lying next to me. Come back to bed Jack." Z blows a raspberry onto his neck causing him to squirm lightly. "Please Jack? It's cold..."

Jack raises a hand and caresses Z's cheek, grinning. "Okay baby. I'll come back to bed."

Jack turns around in her arms and his arms circle her waist. They have limited clothing, but they always had done their best to steal good, warm night clothes, with consisted of good wool and cotton. That was one of the few things that they spoiled themselves with. Jack allows himself to be dragged back to their mattress where Z then stands in front of him and pushes him down on it. She grabs the rather thick blanket and sheets and lies next to him, and covers them both with the thick material. She snuggles up against Jack and lays her head on his chest. She sighs and closes her eyes. Now with Jack beneath her, she is able to fall back to sleep, content knowing that he is there.

"I love you Jack," Z mumbles lightly, in that thin place between conscious and sleep.

Jack gently rubs her back. He continues caressing her back, even after she is asleep. He leans forward and plants another kiss on her forehead, and another gentler one on her full lips. He knows that she spoke that in the most platonic way possible, but it will have to do.

"I promise Z, things will get better," Jack tells her softly, knowing that she cannot hear him in her sleep. "We won't be on the streets forever. You and I, we're destined for something great. I know we are. That's why we were brought together... we are meant for each other."

Now content, his heart at ease, Jack wraps his arms around her and soon joins Z in sleep. The steady sounds of the rainfall on the roof continue on into the following day, forever serving as a remind of two tearful and sad soles being united.

END

This was my VERY fist PR fanfic, that I wrote back in 2005. I wrote it probably around the airing of the Episode Sam. Anyways, it also was the key element in my focus in on the Jack and Z romantic pairing. These days, its mostly Bridge/Z or Sky/Z fics that are in demand, but I have made it my sole mission to provide the fandom with a regular dose of Jack/Z fics, and hopefully entertain a few unbiased readers.

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