***Okay, so I'm reading this sad Jaya AU right now, and I know it's going to end bad and make me cry my eyes out, but like a drug user on the prowl for their next hit, I can't seem to keep myself from reading it. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Yeah, I know I write angst, but like...when it all happens in my head, everything's different.

Also, my favorite villain is Pythor lately because he's so much fun to write about.

Okay, that being said, here's the first chapter of your double update. It's not angst. I don't know that I can do angst right now LOL Hope you like!

Fun fact: It's 5,500 words. I had to fit a lot into it, though, so...yep.

Also, please excuse the occasional innuendo/reference in this chapter. I apologize in advance if that's awkward for you - I try to keep my books kid-friendly, yet still accurate. I promise I won't make too many references <3

Also, there's a time skip here of 2-3 days from last chapter - given that it starts with Cole's POV, it was kind of hard to talk about that time skip, so this is just FYI.***

***(Cole's POV)***

You know what's difficult? Proving your ninja-training-home is worthy of foster home status, that's what's difficult.

All efforts to adopt Seliel have pretty much fallen through – Ninjago City law is such that single people and those under twenty years of age are highly unlikely to be able to adopt someone. That rules out everyone I know – Lloyd's mom, whose husband is a dark lord banished to another realm, any of the guys, and my dad. Jay's parents would probably be happy to offer, but given their age and the fact that they live on a scrapyard, I'm not holding my breath.

The only solution that I can think of is proving the monastery is suitable as a foster home and hoping Seliel doesn't get adopted away from us. I mean, she's about the same age as Nya, so it's highly unlikely she'll be adopted within the next year, but it still bothers me.

I show the government official around the monastery. "So this is our bunkroom. Our home is rather – er – diverse, given that we have several teenagers inconsistently living here. But Seliel would almost never be without adult supervision. There's Mrs. Garmadon" – who honestly shouldn't even count as a guardian, with how little she comes out of her study downstairs – "and me and Zane, who are both eighteen. Right now, we also have Jay living here, and he's eighteen. And then there's Nya, who's about Seliel's age. Those two are great friends. It'd be a shame to separate them."

As if on cue, Nya's door slams. She comes out fuming.

"Sel, you stole my conditioner again!" she yells, wrapped up in a bathrobe with her hair dripping water along the floor.

"I have more hair than you do!" Seliel retorts from her bedroom. "And since I'm the one who handles the moneybox around here, that conditioner is technically mine!"

I blush. I guess they both must have forgotten that today was 'pretend-like-we're-all-one-big-happy-family' day.

Nya turns and sees us, then blanches when she realizes she's wearing a short bathrobe in front of a stranger. Her skin goes pale, and she leaps behind her door, waving and smiling like nothing happened.

A plastic bottle comes flying out of Seliel's room and slams into Nya's door, barely avoiding her.

"Here's your stupid conditioner, Nya!" Seliel yells. "Go finish your shower and leave me in peace."

I cough, walking over to Seliel's room and poking my head in. "Uh...Seliel, we have a visitor."

"Oh, hey, babe," she says from her bed, her cast propped up over her footboard. "You look extra sexy today. Tell our guest that I'm unavailable right now, okay?"

I cough. "Not possible. He's Mr. Peters with the foster care system."

Her eyes widen, and she snatches her crutches from down beside her just as Mr. Peters himself makes an appearance.

"Dang it, I look like a live-in girlfriend," Seliel mutters. "It probably seems like you only keep me around for monkeyshines."

Mr. Peters raises an eyebrow, and I blush bright red.

Seliel rolls her eyes. "I was saying it seems like that, not that it was like that." She gives me a saucy wink, and I just blush harder.

She is not helping our cause!

She hobbles over to Mr. Peters and extends her hand for a shake. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Seliel. Do you recall the news last month about the Mechanic, the villain with the metal arm who tried to kidnap one girl and kill another? I'm his daughter, the one he tried to kill. And that other girl, the one he was going to kidnap and dispose of later? That's Nya across the hall – the one I threw the conditioner at. She saved both our butts. And you wanna know who payed all my hospital fees? These guys. Nope, I didn't have insurance, government-issued or otherwise, but these guys picked up the tab."

Mr. Peters swallows. "Oh! I – I had no idea."

"You don't even know the half of it. I've known Cole here since he was twelve years old, and we were the best of friends back then. I moved away, but when I came back to Ninjago City in February, he was eager to help me in whatever way he could. He and his friends let me stay with them after my leg surgery" – she taps her cast – "which was also courtesy of my evil dad. And they're probably the reason I haven't lost my mind or the use of my other limbs in the process."

Mr. Peters nods, dumbfounded by the influx of information.

"And that's not all. Cole and his friends are actually the secret ninja team that's saved the city so many times."

Oh, gosh! Seliel – she wasn't supposed to tell anyone that!

Mr. Peters blinks.

Sel laughs and slaps his shoulder. "I'm just kidding with you! Boy, I had you going for a minute there. Now, would you like me to tell you next about how these guys have saved me from being the friendless, depressed daughter of a drug addict, or how my grades have improved by at least a letter in all my classes since coming here?" She expertly guides him down the hallway and away from the mess I made.

That girl has a lot of charm.

"Psst," Nya whispers from around the corner. Her hair is now coiled in a towel, though the bathrobe isn't gone. She clearly hasn't finished her shower.

I frown severely. "Nya, go put on some clothes before that guy sees you half-naked again!"

"No! I've got a plan!" She motions for me to follow her, then disappears behind the wall.

Without much else to do – I only seem to ruin Seliel's charm, after all – I walk after Nya. She leaves a trail of wet drips to the kitchen.

I see her with a box of something, and I frown. "Nya, what's that?"

"One of Wu's teas I had out for Jay when he pretended to be sick. We give this to that government official guy, and he won't care that this place seems like a mess right now." She places a mug of water in the microwave.

"Um...isn't that a little...unethical?"

"Nope. Unethical would be taking Seliel away from us." Nya leans against the counter as the microwave runs.

That's when Seliel leads in Mr. Peters. "And this here is the kitchen, which is always stocked and ready for snacking. Eating disorder recovery would never have worked for me without these guys – I do an online program because of my leg injury, and I never would have had enough food around my old house to allow me to partake in that kind of program. I also wouldn't have had a computer or any incentive to get better without Cole and his friends."

Mr. Peters nods. "I can see that. Clearly, you've been well cared for here, but – "

Jay picks that moment to walk in. "Hey, Cole. Have you seen Nya? I was wondering if she wanted to test out the glider I made her today, and I was going to offer to use one of my old ones so we could try them out together."

"Um...tell me I'm not the only one who heard that," Mr. Peters coughs, looking flustered and somehow amused.

I ignore the man, gesturing to Nya in the corner.

I forget how little she's wearing.

Jay turns bright red and looks at the ceiling. "Oh – I – I – um..."

Nya huffs, obviously embarrassed as well. "I'm decent, Jay! You don't have to act like this is inappropriate or something!" For good measure, she rushes over to the fridge, holding open the door and hiding behind it.

Jay swallows. "I'm sorry, Nya. I-I just wasn't expecting...um...I'm gonna go now!" Still looking at the ceiling, he tries to walk out of the kitchen. However, he trips over a shrubbery pot and falls face-first into a fake tree.

Nya gasps. "Jay!" Disregarding her clothing choice, she runs to him and bends beside him. "You're okay, right?"

"Hey, guys," Kai greets, walking in. "Do you know if we have any more queso left in the – Nya Smith, what the heck do you think you're wearing?! Stop trying to seduce Jay and put on some clothes! Gosh!" He grabs her by the waist and tries to throw her over his shoulder.

"Kai!" Nya cries. "You're going to make me flash someone! And I am not trying to seduce anybody! I got interrupted in the middle of a shower!"

Jay rubs his forehead. "There was no seduction going on, don't worry."

Seliel grabs Mr. Peters by the arm. "I think we should go check out...the yard! Yes, let's go see how the yard's doing..." She pulls him out of the kitchen and toward the front doors.

"Kai!" Nya wails. "Let me go! Cole, you finish the tea. Jay, don't listen to a word Kai says! I'm going to go change into some jeans!" She wrestles away from her brother and storms off.

Kai helps Jay up, then snatches him by the shoulders. "Look, I know my sister is totally toned and all, but it's not your business to check her out. She's seventeen and – "

"Kai, I wasn't trying to check her out! I mean, yeah, she's hot and all – don't kill me for saying that – and I'm not saying I didn't notice – "

"Don't finish that thought!" Kai warns.

Jay holds up his hands placatingly. "Okay, okay! I get it! But I was trying not to give into that temptation to look – don't kill me for saying that! – and I decided I would just stare at the ceiling. And that's why I tripped and fell into this fake plant, and your sister ran over to help out! No seduction!" By now, his forehead has broken out in a sweat.

Lloyd storms into the monastery, looking incredibly angry. He has a towel wrapped around his neck from early-morning training.

"Hey, Lloyd," I try. "You've been pretty down the past few days. Anything on your mind?"

"I learned something I didn't want to know," he mumbles, grabbing an orange juice out of the fridge and chugging it.

"Do you want to share what's on your mind?" I ask.

"No." He crumples his orange juice bottle and tosses it across the room into the trash. "Who was that guy with Seliel?"

"Mr. Peters. He's here to see if the monastery is fit as a foster home." Something bugs me. "Lloyd, did you remember to close down the training course after you were done?"

His eyes bug. "Nope. And she's walking out there with that guy – "

Seliel's yell from outside sets us all into motion. "Lloyd!"

I pull open the microwave door and pop a teabag in the mug of steaming water. "Nya said this stuff would keep Mr. Peters from worrying about this place as a foster home. It's Anxie-tea. If he drinks it, we keep Seliel. Get him back inside, now!"

We all rush into motion. Lloyd and Kai run outside, Jay heads for the control panel to shut down the training course, and I steep Mr. Peters' tea.

A moment later, Nya comes back in wearing jeans and a t-shirt. "Where'd everyone go?"

"Long story. Let's just say that unless we give Mr. Peters his tea, Sel may be out of luck for a home."

"We're not losing her." Nya runs to the cabinet and pulls out a frying pan.

I eye her. "What's that for?"

"Security. We knock him out if things get rough."

I gape. "Nya, we don't – we don't just hit people in the head to fix our problems!"

"Do you have a better backup plan?"

"Yes! And that plan is that no one gets hurt!"

Mr. Peters' loud voice can be heard as the monastery door slams. "I think it is highly unlikely this would make a good home for Seliel or anyone, for that matter. The occasional innuendo joke and partial nudity is normal, I suppose, but a training course of that size and make could be quite dangerous! Now I understand why you live in the middle of nowhere – you don't want a Homeowner's Association after you!"

Lloyd pushes him into the kitchen. "Here, have a seat. We can talk about this – um – "

"After you've had something to drink!" I fill in for him. I set the mug in front of Mr. Peters. "It's a nice, warm cup of tea. Mm, mm, mmm!"

Mr. Peters frowns severely. "Stop trying to distract me! I will never sign anything allowing any foster child to stay with you!" He scoots his chair back. "Miss Seliel, pack your things. You will be leaving with me directly!"

Seliel raises an eyebrow. "No."

He turns red. "What?"

"No. I'm happy here. I'm not going to get myself into any trouble with a training course or whatever else you think I'm totally incapable of avoiding."

Dang.

Yup, that's my girl.

The man practically has steam pouring out of his ears. I think it's because he knows he doesn't have the power to physically make her leave.

"I'll have someone by in a few hours to pick you up, then – someone who will force you to leave this unkept, dangerous bachelor pad of a harem!" He stomps away.

Nya searches for words. "Did he just say Sel and I are kept for..."

"Monkeyshines?" Seliel offers.

Nya stomps up to the counter and grabs the frying pan, holding it up for Seliel. "Do you want the honors?"

"Heck, yes." She reaches for the frying pan.

Kai grabs it out of her hands. "Heck, no. That job goes to me. No one calls my little sister a kept woman and gets away with it!" He makes a run for the door.

Lloyd blanches, running after him. "Kai, no! They'll never let us keep Seliel if you give this guy a concussion!"

"He's already decided we can't have her!" Kai yells, lurching away from Lloyd.

Nya sighs. "Okay. We need a plan. I say we stalk this guy and see what dirt we can get on him, then blackmail him into submission. Or prove he's a phony."

Seliel smirks. "This is one of the few reasons why we very occasionally begrudgingly accept one another, Nya. Yes, I think blackmail is the way to go. You think surveillance is in the cards?"

"Yes. We need to call up Zane to run this guy through as many databases as we can, too."

"Definitely. I'm thinking an illegitimate child? Maybe an affair?"

I step in. "Okay, we need ideas from someone who doesn't spend her days reading gossip magazines from the supermarket."

Nya eyes me. "Cole, I think this may be our only option here – prove this guy's a total phony, or blackmail him so he'll take back anything he says against us. I think Seliel will have to stay with the foster care officials while we get this sorted out, but as long as we do a little surveillance tonight, we'll have her back soon enough."

***(Nya's POV)***

Cole stayed with Seliel while she packed up at the monastery today. Zane's been searching for info on this Peters guy all day, but hasn't found anything conclusive. Kai had to go back to the blacksmith's shop and open for the day, but he's been remotely searching for juicy secrets on his computer.

And Jay, Lloyd, and I have been following Peters all day in Jay's fixer-upper car. We sat outside an office building for three hours. Lloyd went through the pack of sour gummi worms I had in my pocket, leaving Jay and I with nothing but the two pieces of blue raspberry gum he had in his pocket.

When Peters finally finished up work for the day, it was around four in the afternoon. It's now nine in the evening, and we're getting exhausted watching his house from a discreet distance. This guy seems like the most basic person ever – no friends, no girlfriend or wife, no pets. He hasn't left since he got here.

Until now.

Lloyd, Jay, and I all watch in interest as his door opens. Not one, but two individuals walk out. If Seliel were here, she'd immediately say he was having an affair or something. That girl really does read a lot of gossip magazines.

Lloyd hands his binoculars to me from the front seat. "I can't make out any features of the person who's with him. See if you have better luck."

I squint through the binoculars, trying to see the individuals' features through the streetlights.

Then, just as the unknown person steps through the light, I catch a flash of green scales.

"Serpentine!" I gasp. "This is better than we thought. This guy – he might actually be a villain! Or, at least, in league with a villain!"

"Serpentine?!" Jay exclaims. "Like...he's having an affair with a serpentine?!"

I pat his shoulder. "There is no affair, Jay. That was just Seliel letting her mind run earlier."

"Oh. Phew." He shakes his head, and if this weren't so intense, I would be laughing.

Lloyd waits to turn on the car until Peters has driven a block. Then, he flips his lights on low and pulls out onto the neighborhood road, following him quietly.

"He's heading downtown," I murmur.

Jay frowns. "Downtown? What, does he want a burger this late at night? I don't think so. He seems too sinister for burgers. Maybe...pizza?"

"Jay, I can't figure out whether you're kidding or not right now," I muse, poking my head between the two front seats.

"I joke when I'm nervous, and this whole situation gives me the creeps. But seriously, he doesn't seem like he'd be into burgers."

I smile, shaking my head. Only Jay.

We follow the car downtown to the water tower – the same one Kai, Skylor, and I all trespassed at last summer. That was fun. I hope once they're married, they don't forget to include me in their adventures. I get that they want their alone time and all, but I love them, too.

Lloyd turns off his lights a ways down the road and pulls off in the tree line. The three of us all climb out.

I'm glad we dressed in dark clothing. We'll blend right in with the night.

We sneak through the nearby forest, trying not to be heard.

Jay frowns. "There's a vehicle nearby. It looks like...a truck? Do you think someone's meeting Peters here?"

Lloyd shakes his head. "That truck's been here a week or so – I've passed by it a few times when picking my mom up from her job at the university. But Peters and company could still be meeting with someone. Good thinking."

We creep toward the water tower. It's impossible to see what's going on, given that neither Peters nor his serpentine friend have flashlights. However, a conversation drifts over the wind to our position behind a nearby bush.

"So you did get her away from the ninja?" asks a British accent.

A...familiar British accent.

"Yes," says a deep voice. "And I tried to get the blue one alone, but I had no good opportunity."

Jay's intake of breath is sharp. "That's Nadakhan. That voice haunts my nightmares these days. But...he's working with Peters?"

"You're having nightmares?!" I hiss. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you. And my Nadakhan dreams definitely aren't as bad as the ones about my mom."

"You're still having those? You've been back at the monastery a week and a half, and you haven't come to get me at night once!" I can't believe this!

"Focus, guys," Lloyd reprimands.

Oh, yeah. I guess the mission at hand is kind of important, especially if Nadakhan is involved.

I blush. "Sorry."

The British voice curses. "There's some sort of debris over here I keep slithering in. Give us some light!"

"'Slithering'?" Jay breathes. "Does that mean...it's Pythor!"

"Shh!" Lloyd whispers.

A flashlight comes on, and sure enough, we see Pythor and Nadakhan. Accompanying them is another serpentine with green scales – the one who came with Peters earlier.

I wonder where Peters is?

"D-do you th-think it'll be enough t-to cause up-upheaval in the team by taking th-the girl?" the green snake asks.

Pythor sputters. "Don't doubt my judgment, Clancee. If we can just get the ninja of lightning alone, we can remove him as a threat, and we'll have nothing stopping us from – "

Lloyd suddenly rips off the loudest, most noxious fart I've ever encountered.

"Did you hear that?" Pythor asks.

"I d-didn't hear nothing," the green snake – Clancee – replies.

"It was probably just a bird," Nadakhan asserts.

Lloyd, Jay, and I all mentally breathe a sigh of relief. That was close.

"Gosh, Lloyd, what'd you eat?" Jay asks, pinching his nose.

I try not to breathe too deeply. "Yeah, Lloyd. You're going to get us caught based on the smell of your farts!"

"I'm sorry! I think it was whatever they put in those sugar free gummi worms! I'll go back to the Jay's car, okay? Then I won't give us away. You two keep up surveillance, though. And don't get distracted!" He quietly stands up and begins sneaking away.

"So the ninja actually bought that you were a government official?" Pythor asks.

Nadakhan chuckles. "They never questioned it."

Wait. Peters...is Nadakhan! This is perfect! If only we can prove it to the foster care system –

That's when Jay's phone blasts its signature audience laughter ringtone, and I blanch.

"You were followed?!" Pythor exclaims.

Oh, snap.

I grab Jay's hand, looking for anywhere new to hide out.

But there's actually nowhere for me and Jay to go. Like, aside from hiding behind the water a tower – a horrible idea, given that our enemies are lurking over there – we're done for.

Pythor slithers our way as Nadakhan growls, "I'll check the road. If they brought a vehicle, I'll be waiting for them to return there. We can corner them."

Oh, we are so dead.

As soon as Nadakhan poofs away, Jay grabs my hand. "Forest," he whispers.

I guess we have no choice but to run.

Jay's fingers tap a 'one, two, three' rhythm on my hand, and we go sprinting off into the woods at the last tap.

"I-I heard something soundin' like they were running for the words, P-Pythor!" Clancee speaks up.

We've been found out.

Jay drags me behind the bumper of the beat-up pickup truck we saw earlier, diving for cover before we can be spotted. He breathes heavily from adrenaline. "I'm out of ideas," he hisses. "Got a plan?"

I think. Hard. I mean, we don't have a getaway car, since Nadakhan's probably found Jay's junk vehicle by now. We're sitting ducks.

Sitting ducks who are...incredibly close to each other.

I realize now my forehead gently brushes his chin, and our breathing mingles in the night air. Warm puffs of breath tickle my hairline.

And that's when it comes to me.

"Jay, I really, really need you to be with me on this," I swallow, "but I think I can save our skins."

"I'm out of options. I don't care what your plan is, just as long as it gets us out of here!" He's beginning to sound snappy, anxious.

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Climb in the back of the truck."

He settles himself on one knee to give me a boost, and I climb my way into the truck bed, peering over the contents inside. Some jumper cables, an old chicken feed bag.

A straw-littered throw blanket.

Bingo.

Jay joins me in the back of the truck, laying down flat on his belly to avoid being seen. I snatch the throw, roll over so I'm on my back, and pull the duvet over us.

"What are we supposed to do?" Jay demands. "Hide under this throw? Are you nuts?!"

Probably so, with the plan I have.

"Listen, Jay, I need you with me on this. I promise I can get us out of here; just...follow my lead." And don't kill me after we're done.

"I've been following your lead, and look where it's gotten us so far!" He drags in a ragged breath as the voices come closer.

Pythor's following Clancee's directions toward where he heard us.

We don't have much time.

"Jay Walker, we're going to make it." I place my hands on either of his cheeks, begging him to look at me, to see the assurance in my eyes in the pale light of the moon. He just has to trust me for a moment, and everything will work out fine.

***Music Cue***

"I..." His eyes search mine, and he absently reaches out to cup the back of my head, creating a sort of pillow for it in the plastic truck bed.

"Okay," he says softly. "I believe you."

"Good." And I use the hands I've already positioned to drag his face down to mine just as Pythor's hushed voice comes close enough to understand.

My lips meld with Jay's, and his intake of breath is sharp. I'm sure he's surprised by my sudden move.

But if he only allows himself to give in, just a little, I'm sure instinct will take over and we can get out of this all right.

Then he sighs into me, and all coherent thoughts just seem to flood my mind. He brings his free hand around to frame my cheek, then to dance at my hairline as he teases strands of hair out of my short messy bun.

His fingers work magic along my scalp, and warmth, happiness, butterfly tingles...they all fill my tummy. For a moment, I'm sure I'm flying – there are just too many light feelings inside me to stay grounded. It's exhilarating.

Jay was my first kiss, and I'll admit that I was very new to the whole idea back in February. It was wonderful then. But this...I can't even breathe, it's so incredible.

My hands gravitate from his cheeks to his neck, just so I have something to hold onto. Where I was flying just moments before, now I'm falling – down, down, down, into something I can't help but feel. Jay is what I can cling to, what I can only hope will keep me steady in this rush of...euphoria? Fear? I don't know anymore.

But whatever it is, it's pure pleasure.

His heartbeat pounds against my chest as his hand that once cupped my head now travels to my waist, just so he can pull me closer against him. He moves like magic, sending ripples of delight down my spine as his fingers slide to the small of my back and pull me in. It's no longer enough to grip my hands at his neck; I crook my elbows there. Don't drop me, I feel myself beg. Don't let me fall that far.

But his lips move in some sort of promise rhythm against mine. Without a single word, his mouth tells me that I can trust him, depend on him, and fall as darn hard as I'll let myself.

Gosh, I didn't know I could kiss like this. I didn't know Jay could kiss like this. It makes me vaguely wonder why the heck more girls aren't falling over him...but then, they don't really matter now, do they? They're far away – far, far away. The only person who matters right now is Jay.

My hair is now officially out of its bun, and I don't want it back in there anytime soon. Jay's hand comes to cradle the back of my head again, just so he can deepen the kiss, and I know I would be weak-kneed if I were standing up.

"W-what the – "

"Teenagers," hisses a bored British accent. "Always looking for someplace to avoid parental rule."

"Sh-should we a-ask them if they've s-seen anyone around here?" asks a higher-pitched voice.

The British accent responds. "No, you imbecile! And let them know there are serpentine on the premises?"

"But – "

"They're unimportant, believe me. They don't even know anyone else is here. We need to keep looking before those eavesdroppers get away!" And the voices get further, further, further, until they're all but gone.

Not that it really matters. Nothing really matters when I'm melted against Jay like this, feeling incredibly loved and regarded and held. Something in the back of my mind tells me Jay and I aren't at a stage to kiss right now, but...golly, I'm falling harder and harder.

I pull back just a moment, needing air so badly. He takes my breath away.

Jay tries to press his lips against mine again, to return to that sweet bliss, but I chuckle against him, tucking my cheek next to his. "I have to breathe, Jay." Wow, that was hot.

But we're broken up. We're healing. We don't kiss.

Why does none of that seem to matter right now?

He pulls me closer against his chest. "You've had practice since we last did this," he swallows, breath teasing my neck.

"No, I haven't." I inhale a smell that's distinctly Jay – too many sweets, spiced body wash from his shower, cologne from his change this afternoon. It makes my heart thump faster in excitement and slower in comfort at the same time.

"You've had practice," he insists, his voice but a gruff breath on the summer breeze.

"No," I giggle. "I've only ever kissed you, Jay."

"There's just no way." He loosens his grip on me just enough to pull back and examine my face. To see if I'm lying. To see why I just kissed the life out of him.

To tease me with those deep blue pools of desire the world likes to call 'eyes'.

He brushes his fingertips over my skin, sending marvelous shards of attraction through me. "Nya..." He doesn't finish his thought, bending to rub my nose against his and kiss my cheeks.

"It worked," I smile softly, nearly forgetting why I'm speaking. "Pythor – he's gone."

"Huh?"

"Pythor. He didn't even realize it was us." I hug Jay tightly, resting my head on his shoulder.

"He – " His eyes light with realization. "The kiss. You...he thought we were just a teenaged couple making out."

Minus the couple part, Pythor was exactly right.

"And that's why you grabbed the blanket," he extrapolates. "To make it appear as though our make-out session could lead to...well, as Seliel puts it, monkeyshines."

I bite my lip. "I'm sorry. I – I know we're not at a kissing level, and that was really stupid of me, but...I don't know that we had a choice. It, um..."

He shakes his head. "No, no, it's fine. You're, uh, really clever. I mean, it'll replay in my mind all night, and I don't think I'll ever be the same again, but it's fine."

"Oh, Jay." Regret fills me. "Dang it, Jay, I – "

"Nya..." He shakes his head. "I'm on a high right now. Don't worry about the aftermath of our kiss yet – I just want to enjoy this feeling as long as I can." He clears his throat. "Hey, did you hear that?"

I listen closely. "Footsteps." They're faint, but audible.

"It sounds like Pythor's coming back."

I swallow back excitement, remorse, and desire. "And...you think we should continue where we left off, just for the sake of our cover." I mean, we really don't have a choice.

He leans his chest over mine, positioning his arms to pull me close, when –

"There you two are!" Lloyd whisper-shouts. "I was terrified something had happened to you! And..." He trails off, seeming to realize what an awkward position we're in.

Jay tugs his arms to his sides, and I tear off the blanket, throwing it toward the cab of the truck.

I cough. "Uh, we...hid under a blanket." And he'd better believe nothing was going to happen under that blanket. It was just lip action, thank you very much.

"O-oh?" Lloyd blushes.

Jay coughs. "Gosh, Lloyd, don't have such a dirty mind."

"I'm not even going to ask." He shakes his head. "Nadakhan's keeping guard at Jay's car, but I managed to sneak away before he could spot me approaching. We'll have to walk back to town and call the others from there."

"Yeah. Um, Jay, that reminds me...you should turn of your ringer so we don't get caught again."

He clears his throat. "Great idea."

Yeah. If I'd had said great idea earlier, Jay and I never would have made out.

I have a feeling this night is both going to make me curse myself and...make me want Jay Walker that much more.

***So that was steamy kissing scene #1 for this book, if you couldn't tell. There's one more toward the end.

It's also the hottest thing I've ever written. Was it too much? I'd love to know your thoughts on it. If you even had thoughts on it.

The idea of a kissing scene used as cover came to me from a book I've read before. I tried to change it up and make it my own LOL

And the beginning of this chapter was funny, if you ask me. Sometimes, I wonder if my stories are incoherent, but then I realize that the monastery is actually incoherent, so it doesn't matter.***