Prologue
(November 12, 1997. Age: 5 years old)
A young boy sits under the shade of a tree in the school playground; all the other children run around and play with each other while the boy sits alone. The other children always ignore him, with the exception of some of the older boys who tease and ridicule him for his strange looks. With impossibly white skin and hair and brilliant blood red eyes the young boy cuts a striking difference from his peers. His appearance alone isn't all that separates him from the other children, the boy is extraordinarily intelligent, a genius his teachers have said. But because of his differences the other children avoid him and he is always alone.
"Hello," a soft voice pipes up from in front of the boy.
It's the new girl from England, with a warm smile that lights up her silver eyes, warm copper skin and a cloud of red hair she's the strangest and prettiest girl he's ever seen, but why is she talking to him? Haven't the others told her he's a freak? Can't she see that herself? But that doesn't seem to matter to her as she sits down next to him under the tree.
"Can I sit here with you?" she asks quietly. He finds himself nodding his head and her smile widens, dimples form on each of her cheeks and the boy is transfixed. None of the other children have ever smiled this long or this nicely at him before.
"My name's Juliet Celandine, what's yours?"
"Jack, Jack Spicer." he finds himself murmuring through his shock.
"Well Jack, do you want to be my friend?"
"Why?" Jack is surprised and suspicious; no one ever wants to be his friend. Juliet just shrugs.
"Mrs. Rene- I mean Auntie said to make friends, and you look lonely. Plus I think your eyes are pretty, they're like Rubies!" Jack blinks up at her in shock; she likes his weird eyes? Everyone else thinks they're creepy. He smiles, just a little, at her.
"Okay," she beams at him as the teacher calls them back inside to continue class. She grabs his hand after they stand and begin walking back inside.
"Jack, I think we're going to be the best of friends!" Juliet says confidently, Jack finds himself agreeing with her instantly as warmth spreads through him from where their hands interlock.
"Yeah I think so too."
(March 9, 2000. Age: 7 years old)
"Jack you could do amazing things, you could hold the world in your hand if you just tried." Jack's second grade teacher had urged him after class that day, causing Jack to be strangely contemplative as he rode home with Juliet.
"I could have the whole world Jewels! All of it!" he later exclaimed to Juliet when they arrived at her house and were seated comfortably in her room.
"Jack you could do just about anything once you set your mind to it." Juliet replies in a distracted tone as she effortlessly finishes her homework.
"But Jewels think about it! If I ruled the world, no! If WE ruled the world, what we could do!" Jack exclaims excitedly.
"We? Jack I don't want to rule the world, It sounds like too much work." Juliet says simply while putting away her homework.
"Oh come on! It's not like you to be so lazy Jewels!" he teases "How about this then; I'll be the Evil Boy Genius and you'll be my mediator or advisor or something!" Juliet considers this for a moment while pulling out her sketchbook.
"Hm… works for me, besides 'Jack Spicer: Evil Boy Genius' has a nice ring to it don't you think?" she grins at him. Jack returns her grin and pounces on her in a hug.
"I knew you'd see it my way!" Juliet laughs turns the hug into a playful tussle
"Yeah yeah sure Spicer."
(June 12, 2000. Age: 7 years old)
"Jack what did you do." Juliet sighs as said boy runs into her room with his head down and covered.
"Nothing!" Jack replies quickly trying to hide under the heavy black jacket Juliet's Aunt had given him for Christmas that year.
"Hiding from me is not nothing!" She huffs "What in the world did you do to your hair?!" Juliet tugs the jacket from where it is covering Jack's hair, which seems to have changed from snow white to a lovely shade of neon orange.
"It wasn't supposed to turn out this way!" Jack exclaims frantically as Juliet's features turn from concern to childish glee.
"But why is it like that?"
"Well I uh, I mean. No reason there's no reason at all!"
"Jack..." Juliet cocks an eyebrow and looks expectant as Jack deflates under her stare.
"I wanted to make it look like yours so maybe people wouldn't look at me like I'm such a freak." Juliet's expression softens and she gently hugs the smaller boy.
"Oh my Ruby, you are just fine the way you are no matter what those idiots say." Jack nods sullenly and Juliet pulls away "But if you really want to change your hair I bet James can help you out with it."
"You're the best Jewels!"
"I know, come on let's see if we can find him" she says as she takes Jack's hand and exits the room.
(December 24, 2000 Age: 8 years old)
"Jewels look what grandmother sent me!" Jack says excitedly as he bounds into the den of her house.
"Just come right in then Jackie," Juliet's older cousin James mutters as he ruffles Jacks now bright red hair while walking into the den just after Jack. Jack pouts at the older boy and fixes his hair as Juliet looks up from her sketchbook.
"What did she send you Jack?" Jack shows her his Heli-bot while bouncing on his toes in excitement.
"She says it's for if I ever get into a pinch and need to get away quickly, what with my newly evil lifestyle." Juliet stands from the couch and peers at the Heli-bot before grinning.
"Well then let's get to teaching you to fly then, huh?"
"You are the best!"
"I know, now let's go." she says before grabbing Jack's hand and dragging him outside.
"Try not to injure yourselves!" James calls from his place on the couch.
(July 19, 2002. Age: 9 years old)
"Jack, That's just how it's going to be." his father says sternly before leaving the recently emptied bedroom that had belonged to his shocked son. Jack's father had only just told him of their impending move to China, as the movers carried that last pieces of furniture from their home. Jack had been at Juliet's Aunt's house before returning home to find it empty. China was so far from here, It wasn't the place itself he would miss but rather the person that would no doubt stay here. Jack's thoughts spiraled downwards at the thought of losing Juliet and he couldn't stop his tears from falling down his face as his sobs sound loudly throughout the newly empty house.
"Jack?" he hears the familiar soothing voice and hiccups loudly as he tries to stop his crying. A small warm hand grab his own and pull him down to the floor, where his head is pillowed into a soft shoulder. "Oh my Ruby, your Father told me everything." Juliet sighed as she rocked them back and forth while continuing "You left your Robot blueprints at my house so I came over to give them back and I saw the moving truck. Oh Jack I'm so sorry." she soothes, hugging him close and running a hand through his red hair.
"How are you so calm Jewels?" Jack asks miserably, wrapping his arms around her waist and absently fiddling with a curl of her long red hair to distract himself.
"Oh I'm not, trust me on that. But one of us needs to be calm right now or else this'll just be worse." Juliet says simply in a detached way. Jack risked a glance up a her and found her normally warm silver eyes dull and emotionless. Jack gulps as slight uneasiness forms in his gut, this isn't like his friend, that dull look doesn't belong in her eyes and he doesn't know how to fix it.
"Jewels?" Jack hiccups worriedly, and just as suddenly as it had appeared that look was gone. Juliet smiles sadly down at Jack as the warmth returns to her eyes.
"Come on Jack, no more tears, this isn't the last time you'll see me. I'm sure I can visit every now and then and we could always call." She soothes while wiping the tears from his face with her sleeve.
"Yeah you're right, I'm gonna miss you though," Jack nods and sits up, strangely at peace all of the sudden.
"I'll miss you too Jack, don't worry one day we'll be together again," Juliet promises as she helps Jack up from the floor "Now come on, maybe we can have one last sleepover at my house before you leave tomorrow!" Juliet says excitedly, Jack held tightly to her hand as they exited his house for the last time.
(December 11, 2003. Age: 11 years old)
"I can't believe mother made us sign up for these!" Jack complains as he slips on the ice again and topples into Juliet, making them both fall in a heap of awkward pre-teen limbs on the ice.
"Come on Jack! Chin up! You never know you might need this someday!" Juliet laughs as they shakily stand up again.
"What Evil Boy Genius needs to know how to figure skate?!" Jack whines and flails his arms to try and keep balance, Juliet laughs giddily before JacK's elbow rams into her shoulder and the fall once again with matching high pitched shrieks.
(October 20, 2004. Age: 12 years old)
"Jewels you're never gonna believe it!" Jack exclaims in to the phone the second he hears the soft hello from the other end.
"How many phone calls have started in this exact same way Jack? And how often have I been surprised?"
"Well almost none, but this is something even you don't know!"
"Jack I know everything"
"Not everything-"
"Everything"
"Well anyway, so I may or may not have found my way to ruling the world"
"Oh? Do tell," Jewels says sounding interested.
"Ok so there's these things called the Shen Gong Wu," Jack goes on to explain about the amazing day he just had.
(February 18, 2005. Age: 12 years old)
"So you know my evil idol?" Jack starts only to hear Juliet snort over the phone.
"Which one?"
"No need to be snippy"
"There is always a need to be snippy Jack." Jack rolls his eyes; he can practically hear the smirk on her face.
"Anyway, so I met Chase Young!" he exclaims
"Isn't he supposed to be a myth?"
"Well he's not! He's very real and very cool and a little violent, but whatever he's evil right?"
"Wait what? Violent? Jack did he hurt you?" Juliet's voice drips with sudden disdain.
"Not badly, but anyway so Chase Young…." He goes on to tell Juliet everything he knows about Chase young. To which she begrudgingly listens to.
(August 2, 2005. Age: 12 years old)
"Ok so maybe I did need the figure skating lessons".
Juliet laughs herself silly.
(October 18, 2007. Age: 15 Years old)
In a grand ballroom in an even grander mansion stands Jack, exceedingly better dressed than normal and alone. He sighs into the flute of champagne he swiped from a serving tray when no one was looking before taking a long sip.
"You know I'm pretty sure that stuff is bad for a boy your age" a soothing voice pipes up from beside him. Jack's head whips over and he grins at the sight of Juliet, dressed in a black princess ball gown and grinning giddily with a small lopsided wrapped present in her hands.
"Jewels! You made it!" Jack exclaims before pulling her into a hug, Juliet laughs joyfully before returning the hug as best she can and grabbing the glass from Jack's hand. Jack pouts at her as she moves to stand beside him and takes a sip out of the glass. "Hey that's mine!"
"Don't whine Jack, I'm saving you from yourself!" Julie teases before finishing off the champagne and placing the empty flute on a passing waiter's tray.
"Didn't you just say it's bad for someone my age?" Jack huffs but can't hide his grin as Juliet rolls her eyes.
"Ah yes but I'm far older than you remember?" She teases back before dodging Jacks responding playful shove and pins his arms against the wall with her back.
"Oh by like three months!" Jack laughs as his shove is dodged easily "Ugh, see even you can beat me easily!" Jack whines again as Juliet releases his arms.
"How's all that magical what's-it been going anyway?" Juliet questions as she smoothes her large skirt down.
"Not good really" Jack frowns and looks away "I haven't won a showdown in months, it's pretty pathetic honestly." he says glumly. Juliet bumps shoulders with him lightly to get his attention before smiling gently.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, look you're only fifteen and you're up against what? A thousands of years old lizard man and a creepy and equally as old witch? And those are just some of your other Heylin competitors! Don't be so down on yourself" She encourages, Jack smiles weakly.
"Thanks Jewels."
"Anytime Ruby, now let's go see if we can sneak into the gardens. A boy only turns fifteen once and he shouldn't have to spend it at some snooty family party." Juliet says before taking Jack's hand and weaving their way through party guests and towards the back garden.
(April 4, 2009. Age: 16 years old)
"Oh it's so nice to hear from you darling!" Jack's mother gushes over the phone and Jack peaks his head out of his lab to see if is safe to try and grab some pudding from the kitchen without running into one of his parents. Jack's parents had returned to the house briefly on one of their rare breaks from whatever lavish vacation or fancy work trip they were taking. Their presence was often something for Jack to be wary of since neither party was very familiar with one another, it mostly begins with awkward family dinners and slowly deviates to Jack hiding away in his lab until they leave.
"Oh look there he is now! I'll just leave you to it then!" His mother chirps when she spots Jack, waving him over to take their wireless home phone and winking at him for some reason as she hands it over.
"Uh hello?" Jack says warily as he retreats back to his lab with the phone.
"I think your Mother thinks we're in love," Jack sighs, relaxing at the familiar voice.
"Oh good it's you Jewels, she winked at me when she handed me the phone and I thought it was something bad."
"Exactly what have you been up to that you think your mother winking at you over a phone call is bad news?" Juliet laughs at the offended squawk Jack lets out in response.
"Nothing honestly! It's just, you know how it gets when they're around. High tension everywhere" He sighs tiredly as he leans against one of his work tables. "Why didn't you call my cell anyway? You never use the home phone."
"Well I did but you didn't pick up, I figured I'd try the home one to see if you left it in your lab or something. But then your mother picked up and I think she wants us to get married." Juliet says plainly with amusement lacing her voice.
"Of course she does, sorry for not picking up my music was on," Jack groans while rubbing his temple to stave off a headache.
"Oh it's fine, so your music was on? You only do that when you're deep in working, tell me about your robots." Juliet says, knowing It'll cheer Jack up. Sure enough it works and Jack is back to animatedly explaining the new design for his Jackbots a few minutes later.
(December 25, 2011. Age: 19 years old)
"You know I might actually be good at this if you were here" Jack sulks to the phone while his parents have another Christmas party upstairs.
"Oh Jack," Juliet says sadly. Jack laughs humorlessly.
"I know I know, I'm fine just the way I am, but I can't be just fine for this to work anymore. I need my Jewel here to help you know?" the line is quiet for a while until Juliet's soft voice pipes up once more.
"I'll talk to my Aunt; I might be able to get back soon once James graduates college."
"Thanks Jewels."
"Anything for you Ruby, just give me some time and I can be at your side again."
(May 2, 2012. Age: 19 years old)
"Happy Birthday Jewels!" Jack yells into his phone with a wicked grin.
"Jack, It is two in the fucking morning here. What the hell." Juliet groans tiredly as she rubs her eyes.
"I wanted to be the first to wish you a happy twentieth birthday!" He grins.
"You just wanted to get back at me for when I did this to you last year didn't you?"
"Yep! Now rise and shine gorgeous it's time to face the day as someone one step closer to being as old as you act!" Jack says theatrically, revenge is sweet.
"Excuse you, what do you mean by that?" Juliet huffs but she's already sounding more awake.
"Look all I'm saying is you've acted like you're five thousand years old since we were five and now you're one step closer to achieving your goal of being old as hell!" Jack laughs as Julie gasps in mock offence.
"You call me at my house and sass all over my way of living. Jack Spicer how dare you." Juliet chastises in a high and snooty parody of her usual voice.
"You love me, I'm the best friend you've ever had!" Jack sing-songs and grins when Juliet laughs.
"True, but you're still a dweeb," Juliet teases back before sighing "But I suppose I should tell you my secret now"
"Wait what secret!? Tell Jackie the secret!" Jack demands curiously.
"Well Jack dear I've been hiding something from you, I'm actually an immortal like that lizard guy you're in love with, I'm a phoenix who for thousands of years has been dying and being re born to follow the soul I promised to protect at its very first reincarnation." Juliet says completely serious.
The phone line goes silent.
Jack is frozen on the other side, mouth half open in another friendly retort as he tries to figure out if his friend is being serious, finally he laughs uneasily.
"Ha, you had me there for a second Jewels!"
"That'll teach you not to call me at two in the morning." Jack hears the smirk in her voice and relaxes at the realization that it was just a joke.
"Yeah yeah, whatever Birdy." he huffs as he slumps into the ratty couch in his lab.
"Anything for you Ruby," Juliet croons, voice sugary sweet, "Now since you've already woken me up, what are you doing today?" Jack launches into an explanation over his newest plan to get more Wu and the strange joke is quickly forgotten.
(October 9, 2013. Age: 20 years old)
"So I might have met someone" Juliet confesses to Jack over the phone as he tinkers with making his Jackbots a bit sturdier for battle.
"You what! Who is he! Or she whichever, not judging you"
"Her name's Jasmine, she's older than us but she's so interesting Jack," Juliet lets out a sigh of contentment, "We talked for hours, besides you I don't think there's ever been anyone to keep my attention so fully for that long." She admits.
"That's great to hear Jewels; I'll have to meet her sometime."
"Well of course! I need my best friend's opinion!" Jack laughs.
"Yeah yeah, so tell me about her," Juliet then proceeds to explain everything she knows about Jasmine to Jack, her tone showing how absolutely delighted she is.
(January 5, 2014. Age: 21 years old)
"So we're dating now" Jack chokes on the water he just took a sip of as the answers his phone to talk to Juliet.
"Wait what now? I thought you were dating Jasmine?"
"I am but there's no way my Aunt will make us be in a 'long distance relationship' for long. I just have to convince Jasmine to come with and then I'll be with you!"
"Well alright, if you're sure…" Jack trails off thinking about his long time crush on someone who will not be mentioned.
"I knew you would agree! We'll be Jack Spicer: Evil Boy Genius and Juliet: The Amazing again soon!"
"Whoa now, why do you get to be 'The Amazing'!"
"Am I wrong?"
Jack heaves a sigh, "No…"
(September 15, 2015. Age: 22 years old)
Jack checks his voicemail after another humiliating defeat at another Xiaolin Showdown; he has one missed call from Juliet.
"Hey Jack, I'm moving back close to stay at a family villa near by… I- I don't have anything keeping me here anymore, J- Jasmine ended it. It's bad Ruby. Anyway by the time you get this I'll probably be on a plane, s- so see you soon Jack. Bye" from the sound of the message Juliet had been or still was crying, it worried Jack since Juliet never cried, not even when they were separated. He was caught between anger at whatever Jasmine and her 'Better than everyone' attitude had done to Juliet and excitement to finally see his friend again after all this time apart.
"I guess I'll see her soon and judge it from there" Jack mumbles to himself as he goes to fix his Jackbots and wait for Juliet to call.