[[ Awesome, will do then ]]

Jack watched the event to the point where he was confident enough to swing his feet over the side of the dock and let them hover a foot or so above the water. He could still see the night sky in the reflection and it brought a smile to his mouth, especially when the light would catch a crest of a wave and become brighter, making it look like it twinkled the entire time. However, not long afterwards, Jack could see motion in the far corner of his sight range, specifically in the reflection of the water. He glanced out to the side where the dock fell away to the shore line and made out several silhouettes in the darkness approaching Jun and himself. Jack stood up and turned to face them, his dark eyes sharpening as he did so. Without even noticing, he took a step in front of Jun. Five or six of them- Jack couldn't tell exactly how many- had silently managed to make it all the way to where he was without a peep from his cell phone. The worst part was still yet to come. He only recognized one face, and that was of Tristan- the same guy who had hated him for quite some time. The others were of the people he hoped to have never met. "Ello, Jack."

Jun whirled around when she heard footsteps that weren't Jack's. Not long afterward, Jack had stepped in front of her before she could get a look at the group of boys who were approaching them. She noticed Jack's change of character and took note of it- these guys were probably out looking for trouble. Jun poked her head out just enough to get a glimpse of the group of boys. Her eyes widen when she recognized a few of the boys, two or three, as "bullies" during school hours. She only knew that because she had been a victim once or twice- maybe more- but she didn't remember. Jun didn't like these odds though, not one bit.

Jack gritted his teeth and stared forwards. 'What are these guys doing here?' he thought as he looked at them. He could tell that Jun had moved just a bit. "I might have been able to tell you sooner," he told Jun without looking at her. "Except there probably wasn't anything to be said for a situation like this." Jack tried to take the scenario from a bird's-eye view. 'If I can just push them in the water long enough to get Jun out of here..' he thought.

"Looks like we found his distraction," Tristan said again. "Distraction?" Jack asked, to which the silhouettes in the back began to murmur "Yeah. 'Jack, rendezvous at A6,' and you run off with this chick." Tristan moved his dusty brown hair out of his sea-blue eyes, making his distasteful expression more visible. He then turned back to his followers and muttered something about making up a story in the process. Right before they stepped past him, he pulled a leather-coated shoulder back from what appeared to be a leader with sky hair. "Keep the girl. -- Now, let me see.." Jack saw two of the assassin-like guys advance. "Noble Jack saves suicide-girl's life," Tristan continued. The rest of his mercenaries stepped forwards, strangely with no blades. 'What is this?' Jack thought, surprised. "Ah, and then they later commit suicide together and drown in the lake after a romantic meteor shower." Out of the blue, Jack moved forwards, swept his feet sideways, and performed a break-dance like move that knocked four people sideways and off into the water many feet below the dock. Except he missed one; a guy with sky blue hair and a lot of piercings. Ken. "Aw," Tristan said as Ken twisted Jack's every move into some two-handed lock. "Jun!" Jack called. Neither of them had enough strength to knock the other into the water, but that was all Tristan needed- a distraction of his own. He himself stepped around Ken and Jack to face Jun. "Then no one gets to see what really happens to you."

[[ /hand-rubbing-back-of-neck-in-shame moment/. I should see a psychologist. Mainly about these dark tendencies. Too many stories from the law-enforcement guardian of the household. It's messing up some of the clockworks. /taps-head/. Maybe. I dunno. If they're this inspirational then I guess it doesn't matter, but, maybe it does. ]]

Jun watched as the events unfolded right before her eyes- and all she could do was watch with wide, fearfull blue-green eyes. She watch Jack knock four people sideways, then clashed with Ken. Jun brought her hands up to cover her mouth and she stepped backwards again. She was so scared that she didn't hear Jack call her. Jun slowly moved her gaze to Tristan when she heard he feet move against the ground. "Don't--" She started to speak but found herself at a loss of words within minutes as if her entire train of thought had blow up without any warnings. Jun was terrified on the inside out.

[[ -giggles- i don't think you should- but it wouldn't hurt to... even though it's inspirational- i wouldn't want you to end up like me... i have to see one once every three weeks because of the mess-up house i grew up in- or go back to the loony-bin. i feel you Yume-chan, really, i do... ;~; ]]

[[ Mm.. Maybe I'll talk to someone who has a high degree in mental health, then. n.n~♫ I find it truly interesting that a person like me would have such a passion for these illicit subjects which make a person's skin crawl when my family has never been anything but a sanctuary. ]]

Jack tried to twist his hands free of the sky-blue-kid's grasp but it was no use. "How can you do this!?" he hissed in a harsh whisper, unable to see Tristan after the dark figure stepped by. "I get paid for it." Ken replied vacantly, his icy eyes reflecting some of the moonlight. Jack twisted again, able to move his feet but still locked in position. "And what if you die? Then what?" "My comrades get what I don't and split it. It's happened before." Meanwhile, Tristan took another step towards Jun. "Don't what?" he cooed, smirking. Then he paused with the dramatic effect of an actor. Jack could feel his blood boiling. "Gee, that's such a cute dress," Tristan continued. He reached out and put his hand on Jun's shoulder. "What if you and I got to know each other better?"

"Don't touch her!" Jack screamed. It echoed off the distant trees once or twice in the silence that followed and Tristan let go of Jun long enough to start to turn around. In that time, Jack had planted his feet and yanked backwards on the Ken's grip, causing the kid to be pulled forwards by his own hand-lock. Jack took one step sideways and swung the kid around and into Tristan, revealing the rage in Jack's eyes and causing Tristan to be pushed just enough to send him over the side of the dock and into the water. There was a loud crack when Ken, the unlucky last one half-standing, received a jaw-breaking blow from Jack whose force sent Ken head-first into the water as well. There was a brief second where Jack stood, his hand still balled in a fist, before he rushed over to Jun and took her hand. "Let's get out of here," he whispered quickly as he caught sight of some of the mercenaries recovering from their swim and starting to attempt climbing up the side of the dock.

[[ *toys with a Rubik's cube* ]]

Jun took yet another step back, bringing herself closer to the edge of the dock. She flinched when Tristan's hand came in contact with her shoulder, a faint whimper escaping her slightly quivering lip. Jun winced when Jack screamed as loud as he did. Once Tristan had moved her head, she sank to her knees with barely noticeable tears in the corner of her eyes. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that she wouldn't have be surprised if she would've had a heart-attack any second, and her nerves- they were shot to the point of numb limbs. Jun looked at Jack like a lost child when he had taken her hand, then she slowly stood on wobbly legs and nodded lightly. Not able to say anything.

[[ hehe, i know how you feel Yume-chan~ <3 only on a different level ^-^ --- lol! rubik's cubes are so fun~ ]]

[[ If you wanted we could change/delete Sophie .u. ]]

Jack felt crushed under a skyscraper of guilt when he fell off of his adrenaline rush and really noticed how scared Jun looked. Had they been alone he would have hugged her right then and there but he could hear the others close by and Jack refused to try and take on a gang of suspecting mercenaries. His one chance was right then. So, Jack squeezed Jun's hand and took off down the dock at a pace he knew she would be able to trail at. Once, years earlier, he'd been pulled along by one of his friends the same way and fell in love with the way it was so much easier to run at quicker speeds when someone else was leading the way. Jack shook his head, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at Jun as he ran. He knew that at some point he would have to call 911 and text his mom so she could look out for the house. 'This is such a mess--' he started to think before an image of Tristan floated into his head and he had to divert his mind someplace else. Jack slowed his running pace after the lake began to disappear out of sight. "Your house probably isn't safe either," Jack said. "Can we take Sabrina and head to the police station?"

[[ *rips the cube apart* Q.q... ]]

[[ nuuuuuuu~ i couldn't do that ;~; --- O.o ]]

Jun ran with Jack, keeping up with him the best she could. She kinda felt like she was run on air, it was an odd feeling- so she had to make sure she didn't trip. Jun was relieved when Jack began to slow down a little. Her eyes went wide and she looked at Jack, then down at the ground to watch her feet. "Y-yeah... Let's do that." She murmured.

[[ Lawls, alrighty then. n.n /typing-from mag phone ]]

Jack cringed just a bit when he heard Jun's voice, as it pained him to think about what she had to have been going through. Then, he finally stopped running, figuring that they were far enough out of sight of the mercenaries to be able to slow down and take a break. He could tell they were close to Jun's house, so he flipped his phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to his mom's cell phone-- "Please leave the house quickly, will explain later"-- before calling Jun's house phone. Jack then turned and walked backwards. He still held Jun's hand in his, afraid to do anything but keep her close. "Are you okay?" He asked. 'Stupid question,' he thought a millisecond later. 'Obviously not.'

[[ Yeah. I had to reassemble it to solve it again. ]]

[[ wait~ did jack text his mom- then call sabrina? i'm confused... gomen yume-chan ;~; ]]

[[ Daijobu desu, I've probably been typing like I have a computer virus as I think my dad gave me the flu /sick-either-way. Jack texted his mom and then called Sabrina since I wasn't sure if it was a land line. n.n Gomen, I couldn't get home sooner from practice- tsukareteimasu. Oyasuminasai~♫ ]]

[[ it's okay~ don't sweat it. my mind's just been a little scrambled here lately is all ^-^ <3 and i hope you feel better soon, dear -hugs- ]]

Jun nodded lightly. "I'm a little shaken- but I'm alright..." She said softly in a quiet voice, then she looked back up at him. "How do they know where I live?" Jun asked in the same soft voice.

Sabrina blinked when the phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?" She asked, since they didn't have caller ID so she didn't know who was calling her land line.

[[ I hope you feel better as well. n.n I'm used to intense practices (I actually just walked in the door from a tournament that started 11 hours ago >w<), sometimes it just takes a little much out of me. Do you play any sports? ]]

Jack resisted the need to hug Jun for the first time. He suspected that it might have had an effect opposite from what he wanted. Then he tilted his phone away from his ear for a moment while the dial tone repeated his key strokes with a small little tune. "To be honest, they might not." he started to say after the first ring, looking down in a concerned shroud of thought. "But there is this strange exchange of information between guys like those. One minute, they might not know where you live... In the next, they're kicking down your front door--"

Jack cut off abruptly when he heard Sabrina and turned the phone back into its normal speaking position. "Hi, this is Jack. Sorry for the late check-in, but would you do me a favor and head to the police station as soon as possible? Through the back door would be the best option, too-- or at least any way that isn't too noticeable. There isn't much time to explain but we'll be there soon to do so."

[[ thanks <3 ah, i like to play sports occasionally but not as much as i used to, just for the fun of it --- oh..my..god.. I LOVE your avi~ ^3^ ]]

Jun nibbled on her lower lip as Jack explained how guys like this sometimes worked. She didn't like it and it scared her. "I see." She said simply as casually as she could- wanting not to worry Jack in more than he already did.

Sabrina chuckled lightly. "It's alright dear--" She cut herself off in mid-sentence and listened to Jack's favor. "Sure thing, I'll be up there in a minute." She said calmly. "See you guys shortly." Sabrina added softly before hanging he phone up. She grabbed the keys to her truck and went out the back door- she would be closer to her truck anyhow so she wasn't complaining. OOnce inside her truck, she started the engine and headed to the police station. All she knew was that something wasn't right.

[[ Ne, if you're feeling down over long periods of time then you should go out and play them more~ I've read (and heard) that your body literally sends "happy" signals everywhere after you do stuff like that. n.n Whether it's a fact or just a self-fulfilling prophecy, it's helped me get rid of my nonsensical stresses (like random morning depression spells as opposed to the natural stress from finals next week <3..). Maybe it'd help you too? o: -- Thank you! >o< ]]

Jack listened for the click of a call ending and made a silent prayer for the mercenaries to leave Jun and Sabrina unscathed. Strangely, he had confidence that his own family would know how to handle the situation since Jack had gotten in plenty enough talks with them. That and they were practically psychic around their own kid.

Jack looked up as he closed his phone and returned it to his back pocket. He started to walk again, knowing that the station was nearby. He could see some of the brighter lights close by. Then, he turned so he could wait for jun and or maybe walk beside her if he felt comfortable enough turning his back on the distant lake. Jack realized that his wrists hurt from Ken's grip, especially considering that he tightened that grip to throw the guy practically off the dock had there not been another being in the way. "We're almost there," he reassured Jun.

[[ It's almost midnight~♫ <33 ]]

Sabrina reached the station within five or ten minutes- parked the truck, turned the truck off, got out, locked it, and waited for Jack and Jun by the entrance- praying for them to be safe.

Jun kept a hold on Jack's hand as they walked.

[[ gomen for the shortness- i'm a little rusty ._. ]]

[[ It's okay. Really, it is. n.n ]]

Jack could see the station growing bigger and slightly brighter as he neared it, but he chose instead to listen to the sounds; Jun's shoes and his own against the independent life that flowed everywhere. The skies had opened their arms, giving way to their beautiful display of sparkling dancers as well as breathed a soft, cool hush periodically that invoked a dull chorus of whispering leaves in the nearby trees, picking up the wandering stray with each drawn out breath. When nature finally blended into the humanity at the police station, Jack housed a relief that understated itself as a sigh. He stepped backwards once with the handle of the department's front door in his own hand and used his free hand to somewhat fancily offer the way inside as if, for a brief moment, he were a butler. There was nothing wrong with curing spells of fear with humor. Not in Jack's world. "After you, madam."

[[ Kind of a reference to my own police station nearby *~* There's a fake hot-air-balloon that looks like it goes through the ceiling on the inside with a big teddy bear in the basket. >w< Everything has to do with teddies- even downtown, there's a great big blue one in front of (and creepily peering into Q~O..) the convention center. ]]

Jun continued to follow Jack, and when the police station finally came into their line-of-sight, she felt a little relaxed. She giggled when Jack acted as if he were a butler and went to step foreword. All of a sudden- her world began to spin and before she knew it, it was lights out. Her fragile body hit the ground as if completely limp.

Sabrina had been called to wait in the back as she waited for her niece and her boyfriend, a police officer sitting with her at his desk.

Jack didn't have much time to hold the door open before he let go and tried to catch Jun, unfortunately reaching the conclusion that a split second was not the same as a few from a falling building. He cursed himself for not being as watchful and almost wished that he hadn't let happiness get the better of him as he knelt next to Jun. Jack stopped himself from reaching to her shoulder as the door of the police station ran into the back of his shoe like a door-stopper in the ground, knowing better that his nonexistent medical degree did not suffice as a hero's ticket. "Hey!" he yelled into the station where he could see people, such as the person behind the counter, moving to see what event had just taken place. "We need a medic, she's hurt!"

[[ i'm sorry~ i had a idea spurt and just had to put it down ;~; it made perfect since too- the timing i mean >w< ]]

The receptionist behind the counter quickly picked up the phone and dialed the number of the nearest hospital. After a few minutes of talking, the receptionist hung up and walked from behind the counter and towards Jack and the unconscious Jun. "They'll be here any minute, for now just get her inside." The receptionist said as they held the door open for Jack. "There's a lady here by the name of Sabrina, she said two youngsters should be behind her- I'm guessing you're the "youngsters"?" The receptionist asked in a half curious voice.

Jack nodded at both the receptionist's commend and question, but then he hesitated, mildly distracted by the fear of further injuring Jun by moving her even the slightest. Then again, he was at a police station and last he checked, all members of the police force were at least familiar with medical procedures since they worked hand-in-hand on many occasions..

With a small handful of movements, Jack carefully lifted Jun's fragile structure off of the cool, earthbound floor. He stepped past the receptionist and nodded again as a small thank you before he cautiously made his way over to one of the few doctor's office-type sofas that lined the walls of the police station. He set Jun down and only after that instant did he care to take a look around the rest of the room, soon finding Sabrina. He waved to her with a small attempt at a smile, fueled by only the dull embers that still burned inside his heart, because after the short bursts of stress and combat, Jack really had nothing else to draw a smile from.