Again. xoxo

A

It hadn't been too surprising to Dojo that Jack hadn't been happy to see them. The scene at the café had done nothing to make Dojo think that Jack was going to be a willing participant. After all, by the looks of the letter that had Chase's handwriting all over it and the delicate tinge of red across Jack's pale skin, Dojo would bet any amount of money he had, that Chase had, in his own way, told Jack how much he cared for him. But they couldn't let Chase be the one to save Jack. Dashi had given orders and they had to be carried out. Besides, the only way Chase knew how to save Jack was to sell his soul.

Dojo wasn't going to let that happen. So when Jack had rushed past the monks and back into the streets of Paris, assuming back to hotel room, Dojo had begun to formulate a plan. A plan that started with him quickly and quietly snatching the letter off the tablet and scanning the neat text.

Though he was interrupted when the monks had begun to pursue Jack through the streets, Dojo quickly whistled to signal the monks to stop, clutching the letter tightly in one small claw. They gathered around Clay as Dojo slithered down the big man's arm to rest in his palms, drawing the four down into a circle, as to hide Dojo from sight.

"What is it Dojo, we could have had him!" Omi said in a loud voice, immediately being shushed by both Raimundo and Kimiko. Omi looked sufficiently chaste for his actions but still muttered under his breath at why they had been forced to stop.

"Omi, we're going to have to be smarter than this. We have to get to Jack before Chase. Dashi has given the orders and you know how angry he gets when things stop going his way." Dojo nearly shuddered at the thought of going through one of Dashi's temper tantrum, honestly the man is a child, but he contained himself. Instead he thrust the letter into Kimiko's hand, with a quick "read it".

As Kimiko's eyes scanned the pages, and Omi peaked over her shoulder, Dojo felt more than heard, the whispered conversation of Raimundo and Clay directly above him.

"We need to talk." Clay whispered calmly.

"No we don't." Raimundo quipped, his eyes not on Clay's but on Kimiko's and Omi's faces, searching for signs of eavesdropping.

"Rai…"

"Don't. Just fucking don't. I'd never thought I'd say that Chase Young was right but here the fuck we are." The anger and hurt and betrayal that was barely contained in his tone made Dojo wonder what had transpired between the two. And why was Chase involved? This is what I get for hanging around teenagers. I could've retired. Been living in Fiji, but no, I had to do the right thing. God.

Dojo huffed quietly to himself and crossed his arms, looking up at Kimiko in time to see her let the pages fall gently to her side. "Dojo…I don't understand. Why are we helping Jack if Chase can help him? Isn't this more of a lover's issue?"

"Wait, since when have Jack and Chase been playing peek-a-boo?" Raimundo asked with disbelief.

"They aren't." Dojo snapped, "Not if we get there first. And we will. Dashi wants to speak to Jack about fixing his impending fatality. We are but servants to Dashi and the Xiaolin side. And the Xiaolin side wants Jack."

The four monks all gave signs of hesitance but Dojo's expression made them give the mandated nod of compliance. "Good. Now, let's keep it simple, we're going to go to Jack's hotel, and capture him. Then I, Clay and Raimundo will take him back to the mountains. Kimiko and Omi, I want you to go tell Chase that we've taken Jack. Kimiko?"

"Yeah?" The girl asked with wide eyed curiosity. This plan seemed foolishly easy. But then again, that seemed to work for them…so why avoid a perfectly good strategy?

"Handle this correctly." Dojo put as much feeling into his tone and gaze as he could, Chase will not be please.

"We will do so Dojo." It was Omi who answered with a serious face. Quickly he bowed to Dojo and pulled Kimiko's sleeve, "Let us go, I want to be there before Chase Young. To see where the best runaway course is."

Kimiko heaved a sigh but followed with a hushed, "It's escape route Omi, the best escape route." Dojo smiled as they walked away, thinking about how even after all these years, so very little had actually changed. Yet here they were, almost full grown adults with so many problems…and speaking of problems, Dojo glanced up at Clay and Raimundo, Why did they have to have a lover's quarrel, today of all days?

As Kimiko and Omi finally disappeared from sight into the crowds of Paris, Dojo pulled in a strengthening breath and turned to look up at the two teens who were looking anywhere but at one another. And I thought Jack and Chase were having relationship issues…sheesh.

"Ahem." Both sets of eyes looked down upon him. "Listen up. I don't care what happened; I don't want to know either. Keep your personal lives out of this until we get back to the temple safely alright?" Both nodded glumly. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he would if he had to be. He wanted to go home, back to his bonsais and long conversations with Fung and the other old monks.

Dojo felt a throbbing beginning beneath his forehead at the mention of home, hoping that it would subside, but knowing that it most likely wouldn't. "Let's go then. We need to do this fast and cleanly. No room for error here."

And they did. With all the grace and ease one would expect from the warriors they were trying to be, not the teenagers that they already were. Clay and Raimundo worked as well as any machine, but it was silent and cold, so very much like a machine. Dojo couldn't help but feel bad for yelling. But it had been the only way to really get the message through that this wasn't playtime. It had been easy to spot Jack, and easy to follow him. Easy to get into his hotel room without a single sign of trouble and easy to capture him without feeling the guilt of ripping two people apart in one's final moments of happiness.

Ten minutes later they were flying out of the city limits of Paris towards China. Jack was safely held by Clay's iron grip, Dojo's stomach in knots, hoping that Kimiko and Omi would be able to escape Chase.

But in the back of his mind, behind the headache and the longing for home and Fung, was the sickening sense they had forgotten one loose end.

Wuya.

A

Wuya didn't like being ignored. Or forgotten. But she'd rather be ignored then forgotten, at least when being ignored you knew that someone was aware of your presence. Being forgotten on the other hand, well, there really was no way of saying how detestable Wuya found it.

She had been so intent on watching the drama of watching Chase watching Jack while the redhead read the letter that had been so lovingly made, she had almost completely forgotten that everyone had forgotten her. And when the Xiaolin monks had shown up mere moments after Chase had left to go get ready to meet Jack, Wuya had almost burst out in laughter with the amusement of it all.

I mean this is better than the soap operas I found on basic cable. I wish this could be recorded! Wuya cackled as Jack rushed past the monks, even more so as she drifted lazily over the monks as they discussed the plans that were going to unfold. I would never have pegged Clay as Raimundo's type…then again he always was a whiny little bitch. She cackled mercilessly as she watched Dojo scold the boys for having a lover's quarrel, wishing she had been there to witness whatever stupid thing had made them fight in the first place.

After a few more moments of watching the monks in their own little drama, she turned away and let the tendril of smoke that as her body begin to drift away. She thought hard about what to do, the choices, the choices to make. After all, whatever she decided to do from here would truly affect…everything. It felt good to have the power back.

She knew that both Raimundo and Clay would go and capture Jack before dragging him back to the Xiaolin temples and feed him mercilessly to Dashi. Well, not precisely feed him to Dashi, more like sacrifice him. But then Dashi had probably been the one to issue the order, and Wuya knew better than mess with an order issued by Dashi. It had been fifteen hundred years, but she hadn't forgotten how powerful Dashi had been. Even now, knowing that he was alive, a shock to her system, knowing the rumors were actually the truth.

But now it didn't matter, after all, she wouldn't be able to stop them anyways. She could go and tell Chase about the plan, allow him to go after Jack, while she handled Kimiko and Omi. She felt a sickening taste overtake her mouth at the thought of the Xiaolin girl and bald monk. Truly, Wuya thought she belonged in a cultural exhibit of a modern museum, but it was better that Omi. The little wind-up doll belonged in the reject bin of a toy factor.

Wuya's brows creased in humor at the thought, and she gave a wheezy chuckle. She drifted through the air lazily towards the clandestine meeting spot of Chase and Jack. Well…what used to be the meeting spot, as of five minutes ago it was no longer so.

So, the question now is what to do? Tell Chase? Let him go save Jack from…well probably from whatever it is Dashi wants to do, though it is Dashi, maybe it would be better this way. Jack you little punk, who'd have guessed you, of all people, would be such a big deal? Certainly not me.

She frowned a bit. Drifting in a gentle haze towards the ground, she let the smoke condense into her solidified body, forming a skin tight short black dress with sky high white heels. Her red hair cascaded around her head, her customary bump long gone, and her heavy makeup in place. She smiled at the small group of tourists who stared at her with open mouths and posed when one of them lifted his camera and snapped a few pictures of her. Winking and waving she began to walk down the Parisian sidewalks.

Hmm…I could always to the right thing and just…forget all about this incident. Or…I could do the fun thing and tell Chase. I think I'll do the fun thing. After all…but her thought was never finished as she saw the two people she least expected to see walking together down the streets of Paris.

The Spicer parents. Wuya knew they were in town mending things with Jack, but she had always expected that they would be the people that took private cars everywhere. But there they were, clear as day. Both incredibly good looking, so much so that even she, with her ageless magic and beauty spells, glanced hastily in the store window next to her to make sure she looked…acceptable.

Do I…say something? Wuya's brow's creased, I…I should. As a last favor to Jack. Tell them he won't be showing up to dinner. Yes. I'll do that. And then I'll find Chase. This way…I won't feel…Wuya felt her heart and stomach drop at the thought of Jack's death, and all the damn pain she had caused that wretched little boy. So she pulled the top of her dress up, fixing her already perky breasts to be perkier than a camp counselor's smile, and steeled herself for the very unpleasant conversation that was about to occur.

She quickly crossed the street, placing her hand on her face and using a touch of magic to remove any wrinkles or signs of age that crept through whenever she traveled. Once again glancing into a store window and being satisfied with the early twenty-something looking face that stared back, she subtly began heading towards the Spicers. Mr. Spicer, in his fitted suit looked not a day over forty and Mrs. Spicer in her ankle length empire dress, and signature black acrylics and tight French knot could've passed for a model.

But Wuya sensed the wariness of the couple from fifty feet away, the scent that the superrich always had on them. Of fear, and world-weariness, the scent of suspicion and disgust for the common men that flooded the streets. Unconsciously she wrinkled her nose but straightened it again as she drew within hearing distance of the pair. Forcing a charming smile on her face she waved and said, with all the damn pep she could muster, "Mr. and Mrs. Spicer, what a lovely surprise!"

The couple stopped their conversation and looked up at her, slowing their steps, the confusion clear on their face. Wuya started jogging, in seven inch heels and a mini dress, until she was face to face with the couple, smiling wide she said, "It's so good to see you in person!"

"I'm sorry…do we know you?" Mrs. Spicer said in a cold tone, oh please you frigid bitch, I've seen puppies that look meaner, Wuya thought in response to the haughty glare, but merely smiled and shook her head.

"I'm a friend of Jack's actually! Wuya," She stuck her hand out and shook Mr. Spicer's hand and smiled at Mrs. Spicer. "He talked so much about you whenever we saw each other, and showed me your picture too, I've seen it so many times its uncanny!"

Mrs. Spicer seemed to relax slightly when Jack was mentioned, but Mr. Spicer seemed to sharpen, "how do you know Jack, and how did you know he was here. He's never mentioned you."

Wuya smiled bigger, "Well, you so rarely see him, he probably never got a chance," score for the witch, "And I actually live here, Jack called me and told me he was here, I've been with him all afternoon."

Mrs. Spicer smiled a little and Mr. Spicer relaxed, though both were still on edge. Wuya knew she had to say it now, or never. "Actually, I'm happy I saw you…I have something to tell you about Jack."

AAAA

Wuya sighed as she strode away from the café table where she had left the Spicer parents, the past twenty minutes swimming around in her brain like a shark in the ocean. They have got to be the most bizarre and ridiculously dramatic couple in the world, she thought with disgust. It wasn't that they were bad people, no, and they were clearly trying to come to terms with Jack's uniqueness and be there for their son…but still…

…"There is a cure for Jack?"

"Yes, Mrs. Spicer, and at this moment my friends are taking Jack to the doctor, who I can personally swear by."

"But…why was he not found before, we were under the impression that current medical science couldn't help Jack."

"This is not…traditional styled medicine you must understand but I can guarantee that by tomorrow night Jack will be able to meet you for dinner in full health."

"And just who are you to be telling us this."

"Mr. Spicer, as I have explained, Jack and I were close for many years, my friends are the most noble and trustworthy people in the entire world. They're practically monks they're so noble."

"Very well. But if Jack is not at dinner tomorrow night we will find you, you understand?"

"I would expect nothing less Mrs. Spicer, now I'm going to go check on Jack. I hope to see you soon. Ciao."…

…As she walked down the street, she pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and squeezed, her eyes closed. Inhaling through her nose she felt the tingling taste of nicotine fill her lungs. Opening her eyes she saw at the entrance to an alley not three feet away from where she stood on the sidewalk, were two teenage boys, smoking cigarettes, both trying to subtle steal a glance at her low cut dress.

Feeling the familiar bitch smirk crawl onto her face she pulled her dress down even farther until her black lace bra peeked through, and the gentle swell of her magical antigravity bosom even more so apparent. Walking over to the two, she place a hand on the taller one's shoulder and smiled sweetly, "Pardonnez-moi,mais pourriez-vouss'il vous plaîtme donnerune cigarette, je n'ai pasd'argent pour acheterle mien,je feraitout ce que vousvoulez pourun.S'il vous plaît?"

The boy smiled widely and flashed a look to the other one, and why wouldn't he? Pardon me, but could you please give me a cigarette, I have no money to buy my own, I'll do anything you want for one. Please? What else needed to be said to a man to make him do what you wanted? Wuya smiled as the boy smiled at her and made the obvious suggestion, a kiss for a cigarette. Smiling she took the offered cigarette and lit up, making sure to have both sets of eyes on the heave of her bosom as she dragged in the sweet poison.

Then when the boy gave a triumphant smirk and leaned forward, she smiled and blew the smoke out to the side, and leaned in, and when they were mere inches apart she brought her left fist shooting up and landed a punch square across the boy's cheek. The boy flew a few feet before landing on his side, out cold. She laughed haughtily and looked at his friend with a lifted brow, chuckling as the boy dropped his cigarette and ran down the alley.

Bending down over to boy's form she slipped her hand into his pocket and pulled out the carton of cigarettes, nearly full…and these are nice, she thought with appreciation as the smoke traveled through her lungs. Men, so damn easy to take care of. That should teach you to think with your dick, you horny teen bastard. She slipped the box between her breasts, adjusting it until it fit snuggly, laughing at her own mean thoughts. But that's what they got for messing with a redhead.

Demand a kiss from me? Please. She smirked as she continued to stroll down the streets of Paris. She had taken care of Mr. and Mrs. Spicer, now she had to go inform Chase of the change of plans. And most likely deal with the warlord's wrath over being outsmarted by the monks once again, not to mention being stopped from claiming Jack and ending a very, very, very, very long dry spell. An angry, sex deprived, and emotionally stunted beast.

Oh joy.

AAAA

Chase was giddy. Chase Young was feeling fucking giddy.This was unnatural. This was un-Chase like. This was an amazing feeling. He didn't want this kind of joy to ever end. To think that a silly little mortal had caused all this. It was so wonderfully ludicrous Chase cracked a smile to the empty space of his room. Walking confidently over to the mirror he looked himself up and down with feelings of approval coursing through him.

Chase smirked at his mirrored reflection in the hotel room he had procured solely for the purpose of showering and changing his clothing for his meeting with Jack. This was going to be the most fun he had had in year, in decades. In centuries in fact, and God that was a rush.Chase straightened the tie he had wrapped around his throat, making sure the dark green was good enough to match his eyes and hair.

He had painstakingly chosen what to wear; or more or less, painstakingly decided to trust Wuya's judgment on what to wear. The Converse on his feet were new, the jeans were black Chanel jeans, and the button down charcoal shirt was fitted and tailored by Gucci. And the infernal tie that had taken twenty minutes to finally get around his neck was a Dior original. He knew he looked good, he looked younger, acceptable to date someone Jack's age, someone his parents would...hopefully approve of.

This human side of Chase, this nervousness and excitement was without a doubt the hardest part of the entire day so far. It had been so long since he had felt all these things and now that he was feeling them, it was both wonderful and horrifying. He had never felt so weak and yet so strong at the same time, it was a very scary experience; Chase couldn't decide if he was comfortable with feeling this every day.

In fact he was starting to question why he was doing this whole thing in the first place. It wasn't like he neededJack. He had gone so long without someone to fill the void of boredom he could go forevermore without it, couldn't he? He didn't have to feel this...jumping of his heart and flipping of his stomach in the most painfully delicious ways did he?

No one needs that feeling, but everyone wants it. And you're lucky enough to have found it. A rare occurrence no matter the lifetime.Chase felt the weight and sense of those words crush his uncertainties. And he couldn't say he was ungrateful for it. This was a good thing. Jack was a good thing; for him.

Too long had he been living life a cold calculating man, not even a man, a monster. And yes it was true he would always be cruel, and he'd always be bitter and probably more than a little hateful. But maybe...just maybe it could change. To a place where the hatred didn't have to fill every single empty crack in his system.

Could that be what love was? Just a way of keeping the hatred where it was meant to stay? Chase sighed at his reflection. This was too much to think about at the moment. He only had a little while to meet Jack and he didn't want to be late.

With a last glance at himself he exited the room, being weary in case any more Xiaolin monks wanted to appear after amorous encounters. Walking down the hall, he kept up his guard, a habit from the olden days, actually…from every single day except today. Stepping into the elevator he allowed his brow to ease the crease of concentration and his breath to be released from his body.

Though when the elevator stopped two floors above the lobby Chase immediately tensed, though when the elderly ladies entered and began to animated talk in French Chase allowed himself into a more calm state of being on guard. But when he reached the lobby of his hotel without further incident, Chase let his shoulders relax.

"Chase." He turned his head towards the source of the call and saw Wuya sitting on one of the sofas that faced the towards the hotel lobby walkway. A cup with steaming coming off of it in her hands, her dress arranged perfectly and her hair done up; she looked very relaxed.

Except for the fact that she wasn't. Chase could see it in her eyes, she was tense, and that never boded very well for Chase. After all, the redheaded woman rarely, if ever, felt tense. So nothing good could possibly come from this. Even though she hid it well, as well as anyone could, but he could see it. And it made him tense.

So slowly, with a sinking feeling in his chest, something akin to fear, he sat down next to her on the sofa and faced her. Posture held up high, he looked directly into her greens eyes, searching for the reason of her discomfort but was unable to read anything in their depths, and that merely furthered his feelings of fear.

"What is wrong?" His tone spoke of his need to know, and he felt his heart speed with urgency as his brain began to attack possibilities, but the only one of any real plausibility, the one that he hoped wasn't true; Jack. "Wuya, speak now, I'm on my way to meet Jack."

"Chase…" She said with a sigh, setting her tea cup down, turning away from him, slouching over and closing her eyes, "you're not going to meet Jack."

Confusion. Anger. More confusion. "What…do you mean Wuya?" He kept his tone inquisitive, making sure that none of his anger or fear showed through, he would not allow these mortal feelings to cloud his judgment. She probably meant that Jack had changed their meeting time, being the lacking-in-time-management teen he was.

She turned back to him, and once again he felt a stab of annoyance at how guarded her eyes were, as if she was purposefully trying to stop him from knowing what she was about to say. He watched her chest rise and fall with the intake of a deep breath, though nothing could have prepared him for the words that formed on her red lips.

"Jack is gone. The monks have taken him back to China to see Dashi."

Chase saw red.

The suddenness of the rage startled him, but the ferocity overpowered the confusion. Never in his life had he felt such a burning anger, not after Hannibal had tricked him into become a beast. Not after Dashi had betrayed him, not even when the monks had time and time again undermined the Heylin side. No, this was the kind of deep rage than ran from the heart, even the blackened, shriveled up heart that Chase possessed.

He had been so close to having what rightfully belonged to him. Mere minutes from having relief from this disgustingly human ache being swept away in an ocean of red hair, an obnoxiously loud voice, and pale skin. Now he had nothing. The last half of the sentence didn't even matter to him. He could care less that the Dashi rumors were true, I want what is mine. And I will murder those monks.

He couldn't see Jack's face, he couldn't see himself with Jack, could no longer envision himself with the redhead, for surely whatever the monks were planning meant he wouldn't be getting his Jack back. Now all he could see were the monks, harming Jack, harming his Jack. Dirtying him with their filthy do-gooder hands. He stood and began to walk with the full intent of warping to China when Wuya's voice stopped him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Chase." Her tone was patronizing and it grated his nerves. Whipping around he felt his anger grow at the sheer amount of bitchy satisfaction that was all over her face.

He stalked back to stand directly in front of her and gazed down at her with a glare fifteen hundred years in the making. And the hussy didn't even have the decency to flinch. Just look up at him with a raised brow and a gentle pat of the seat of the chair next to the couch she sat on. Without breaking eye contact, he lowered himself into the seat, knowing he wouldn't get anything from her unless he played her game. God, how he hated her games!

"Wuya I'm in no mood. Explain. Now." The last part was hissed through his teeth and his face twisting into an ugly snarl. Wuya's smile only got wider, though, oddly enough her eyes held a sad sort of anger as well as satisfaction. And had it not been for that fraction of sadness, she would be dead on the ground.

"May I make a suggestion before you go and destroy every living thing between here and China, an impressive five thousand miles in case you care." She had set down her cup and looked at him with an expression so seriously calm it made him want to spit in her face and rescue his soon-to-be-lover.

"What?" He bit the word out with as much self control as he could muster, which at this point was very little.

"Allow me to go and take care of Jack, at least for right now." She added the last part when she saw the look of rage pass over Chase's face at the sentence.

"And why would I allow you to do that for me?" Chase's eyes narrowed at Wuya and she felt the familiar urge to look away but she held her ground. She knew how this could work, and Chase, while a devious mastermind, couldn't be trusted to not mess this up.

She looked him in the eye and gave a small smirk. "Because two of the monks are still here, waiting for you to show up for your meeting with Jack, it would seem rude to not show up now wouldn't it?" She watched with an impassive face as the thoughts of seeing the monks ran through Chase's mind, all the gory punishments he could deal them.

"So you're saying I should trust you to handle bringing Jack back to me without screwing me over? Give me one good reason why I should do anything you have suggested." Chase's tone was condescending, and Wuya though she felt a stab of dislike for Chase's distrust, also knew this meant she had won. Chase only ever looked down upon something he feared.

"Because you know that the one thing I can do better than you or the monks is manipulate. I'm sneaker, more cunning, and surprisingly I have fewer morals than even Hannibal." She felt pride in her own evilness grow in her chest, "So let's be honest Chase, darling," Her own condescending tone felt so right, "I can save Jack and have him back for dinner with his parents before you could cough."

Chase growled low in his throat, knowing that somewhere inside him, he knew she was right. "Very well," He said, "I will allow this to happen, only this once, after this Jack is my responsibility, and belongs to me. Understand?"

Wuya smiled and laughed, her head thrown back with the intoxicating feeling of success and adrenaline at the soon to come battle. "Of course Chase. All yours after today. Now listen to my plan, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

AAAAA

Soon we'll see.