"So Jackie, what went on de other night, huh?" Claude asked.

Jackie stared. The thieves were getting together for a meeting regarding recent actions by the Assassins. The meeting hadn't started yet, as Zoe, Genard and Emil had not arrived.

"What do you mean, Claude?" Jackie asked, knowing full well and not liking it.

"Well, we heard dat Emil spent de night here de other night, an' we were jus' wonderin' what happened, dat's all." Theoren replied in Claude's place. The two men were sitting with Jackie on the couch. Jackie wished she was anywhere else, or that Jean-Luc was around to hear what was being said. However, Jean-Luc, Tante Mattie and Mercy weren't even in the room at the time, so Jackie had nothing to do except face Claude and Theoren's questions.

Jackie took a deep breath. "I had a bad day. I was feelin' like total crap. I asked him to stay wit' me. Dat's it."

"Don' you t'ink it's a little soon for t'ings like dat?" Claude asked cynically.

When Jackie said nothing, Theoren continued again. "B'sides, has it ever occurred to you dat he's not really interested in you at all, dat he's jus' usin' you? C'mon, kid, t'ink of de age difference…dere's no way he's serious."

Jackie closed her eyes, silently willing the tears that were springing to her eyes to stay where they were. The ache in her heart was almost unbearable. But she couldn't believe that what Theoren was saying was the truth. It couldn't be.

"Dat's not true." Jackie whispered, looking at the two of them, violet pupils glowing dangerously. "He loves me. He said so."

Claude laughed. "If you b'lieve dat, kid, you're delusional."

Fighting back tears, Jackie rose and went to the door. "Tell Papa I'm sorry for leavin', but I' have some t'inkin' to do," she said shortly to the two men sitting on the couch. She left the mansion, shutting the door behind her just as Jean-Luc, Tante Mattie and Mercy came in from the kitchen, carrying refreshments.

"Where's Jackie?" Mercy asked.

"We were talkin' an' she suddenly jus' got up an' left. She said she was sorry, but she had to do some t'inkin'." Theoren explained. Both he and Claude were wearing the most innocent looks they could muster up.

"What did you say to her?" Jean-Luc demanded.

"Not'ing." The two men replied in unison.

Jean-Luc put his hands on his hips. "Yeah. Sure." He said sarcastically before turning to Tante Mattie, who nodded and said,

"I'll go after her. Keep goin' wit' de meetin'. Jackie an' I can get filled in later."

Tante Mattie returned to the LeBeau mansion three hours later without Jackie. She had looked everywhere, and the young woman was nowhere to be found. She entered the house and found the rest of the Guild sitting in silence. Zoe, Mercy and Genard looked concerned. Jean-Luc looked furious. Claude and Theoren looked sheepish. Mattie noticed all of that, but what she really noticed was Emil.

Emil was sitting slumped in the armchair, not looking at anyone. He looked like he was ready to cry any second.

Mattie walked over to him and knelt down. "I couldn' find her, Emil." She said softly, breaking the silence in the room.

Sighing deeply, Emil got up and headed out of the room. Before he left, he paused and looked at Theoren and Claude. "I will never forgive you for dis as long as I live. An' if she doesn' come back…" he said warningly.

Jean-Luc followed Emil out into the backyard. Rather than climb the tree, Emil sat at the picnic table. When Jean-Luc sat across from him, Emil said,

"How could dey say dat to her? An' after I told her no one would say anyt'ing 'bout any of it..."

"I don' t'ink she b'lieved any of what dey said, Emil." Jean-Luc replied, trying to reassure the heartbroken and worried thief.

"Den why did she go? Where is she? How come Tante Mattie couldn' find her?" Emil sobbed, letting the tears flow. For the first time in his entire life (well, since the Assassins had killed his family) he felt truly happy and he was scared to death that his idiotic friends had ruined it on him. On them…he knew Jackie felt the same way.

Jean-Luc got up and moved around to sit beside his young friend. He put a hand on Emil's shoulder and said, "I b'lieve she jus' had to t'ink, Emil. Maybe re-evaluate her own feelin's an' de situation itself. She'll be back. I don' t'ink you have to worry 'bout dat."

Emil sighed. "I wish I could b'lieve you, Jean-Luc, but right now, I'm not sure 'bout anythin'."

Emil wasn't the only person who wasn't sure about things anymore. Jackie sat on a stool in her friend Rene's diner, twirling her sunglasses in her hands.

"What do I do, Rene?" she asked wearily.

Rene leaned over the counter near her. "What does your heart say, Jade?"

"I don' know! Dat's de problem!" Jackie exclaimed in frustration. "De whole t'ing is conflicting an' I don' know what to do."

"Do you b'lieve what dey said was true?" Rene asked.

"Non. It can' be true. I don' t'ink Emil would lie to me, 'specially 'bout somet'ing as important as dat." Jackie told him.

"So why'd you leave, if you didn' b'lieve dem?"

"I guess b'cause what dey said placed some doubts in my head. I don' doubt Emil…I t'ink I doubt myself…"

Rene tilted his head. "Pourquoi? An' what 'xactly are you doubting?"

"I'm not sure…non, dat's not true. I do know." Jackie answered softly. "Rene, what if it doesn' work out? I mean, both Emil an' I are happier now den we've been in a long, long time, mais, wit' de age difference, an' dis foolishness dat Claude an' Theoren keep tryin' to stir up b'tween us…"

"Jade, if everyt'ing you've told me today is true…" Rene began.

"I love him Rene. I love him more den anyt'ing in de whole world," Jackie interrupted, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don' want to lose him, I don' want to lose what we have. An' I'm scared to death dat I'm goin' to."

"If it's meant to be, it will be. Didn' anyone ever tell you dat? You an' Emil have somet'ing special, an' I b'lieve from what you've told me dat what you have is goin' to last a long time." Rene told her firmly.

"So what do I do?"

"Go back to dat mansion, give dose two turkeys hell for doin' dis to you an' tell Emil how you feel. Tell him what you told me here. Don' let Claude an' Theoren ruin dis for you. Be bigger den dey are. Go back."

Jackie sighed and rose. "T'anks Rene. I needed dis talk. No more doubts. No more of dis nonsense. Dey can' win. I won' let dem."

She put on her sunglasses and walked out of the diner, heading back to the LeBeau mansion filled with a new understanding of her feelings and a resolution that she and Emil were going to come out on top.

Jackie shut the door of the mansion and walked into the living room. It was some hours since she had left, and as resolved as she was, she was still a little nervous, and she knew she and Emil had some things to talk about.

Jean-Luc was standing by the fireplace, looking at the pictures on the mantle, hands clasped behind his back. His long brown hair was pulled into its customary ponytail and hung straight down his back. He was lost in thought and didn't hear Jackie come in.

"Hi," Jackie said softly, walking over to him.

Jean-Luc turned and faced her, a look of concern on his kind face. He raised his eyebrows. "I wasn' sure you were comin' back."

Jackie looked away. "I'm sorry, Papa. I shouldn' have left, I jus'…I got scared. An' when I get scared, I run."

Jean-Luc's expression softened. "Come here, petite, " he said. Jackie moved closer to him and he wrapped his strong arms around her. "He loves you, Jackie. He loves you more den anyt'ing."

"I know. I love him too. I'm terrified of losin' him." Jackie whispered.

"He got quite de scare today when you left." Jean-Luc explained. "I t'ink you two should have a talk."

Jackie nodded. "Where is he?"

"In de back yard, probably in de tree. Dat seems to be where everyone in dis guild goes to t'ink or to be alone." Jean-Luc told her.

"T'anks." Jackie replied, heading towards the kitchen. On her way out to the back yard, she stopped at the refrigerator and got a bottle of water. Once at the door, she paused, with her hand on the doorknob, and sighed. The following conversation was not going to be an easy one. This little fiasco was the first thing of the sort to happen to them and it was a little unnerving.

Jackie sighed and opened the door, stepping out into the fading sunlight. With her keen eyesight, she saw Emil in the tree, and silently began to climb up. She chose a branch near him and sat on it, not saying a word.

They sat on the branches in silence, as it grew dark around them. Finally, Emil spoke.

"Where'd you go?"

Jackie sighed. "I went to see my friend Rene. I needed someone objective to talk to…"

"Did you b'lieve dem? I mean when I got here, an' found out what dey said to you, an' you were gone…what was I s'posed to t'ink?" Emil asked, his voice laden with the tears he'd been shedding all day.

Jackie sighed. "Non, I didn' b'lieve dem. How could I? How could I possibly doubt you, when you've never given me a reason to? I can doubt myself, t'ough, an' I did, I guess. I'm sorry…I jus' needed to t'ink."

Emil turned and looked at her, his blue eyes filled with sorrow. "So…what now? I mean, I love you. I love you more den anyt'ing else in de world, an' I don' want to lose you. But how do we fix dis?"

Jackie giggled. "I could always go blow up Theoren an' Claude for doin' dis to us."

"I'm serious, Jackie."

"So am I!" Jackie grinned. "Okay, so maybe not. Emil, de t'ing is, I jus' got scared. I kinda started playin' 'What If?' wit' myself an' it spooked me, dat's all."

Emil reached up and took Jackie's face in his hands, making her look at him. "Jackie. Do you love me?"

Jackie looked him directly in the eyes, how she felt about him showing plainly on her face. "Oui. More den anyt'ing. It was de idea dat I might lose you dat scared me so much." She admitted.

Emil sighed with relief and smiled at her. "What do I have to do to convince you, slay a dragon?" he laughed as they climbed down to the ground.

Jackie raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to join her. "Well…"

"Hey." Emil said, pulling her into his arms. "You'll never lose me. Ever."

Their lips met in a slow, deep kiss that made their bodies tingle. Then they walked into the mansion, holding hands and feeling perfectly content with themselves. They had weathered their first little shakeup and felt stronger because of it. It may not have seemed like a big deal to an outsider, but to dem, it was a very big deal.

Jean-Luc smiled when he saw them come in. "Everyt'ing okay?"

Jackie and Emil looked at each other and then back at Jean-Luc. "Everyt'ing's perfect, Jean-Luc." Emil replied.

"Mais, we can' say we won' continue to be angry wit' Theoren an' Claude for awhile…" Jackie laughed. "Dey gave us quite a scare today an' d'serve to be punished."