I was really needing a testosterone purge. I'd been cooped up in the house, with my girlfriend in school with Mr. Sympathetic.

That'd be Brett.

Jonesy had pulsed and said Brett was licking his wounds all day, making eyes at whatever girl would give him sympathy. It made me want to do a repeat performance.

Jade left the car running and I hopped in, throwing my gear bag in the back, my hand glancing the crystal that hung from the mirror as I moved in for a kiss. I didn't do one of the soft ones either that I could get away with when we were together all the time. I was feeling on edge. Hadn't seen her since the fight. Even though it had only been yesterday, it felt like weeks to me. I grabbed her behind her neck and with my other hand I wound that against the back of her and dragged her into my body, pressing my mouth over hers, digging my fingers into her hair. She molded her body to mine, moving against me and I gave a little groan.

I guess there was a couple ways to take care of the testosterone purge.

She pulled back, breathless, her face a soft pink. She giggled. "Wow, where'd that come from? Not that I'm complaining," she said with a whisper and a grin.

I shrugged. "Feeling cranked. Need to get to judo and work some of the stress out."

She turned in her seat and pulsed the truck into reverse. "I don't think you were too concerned over being punctual, Caleb," she smiled.

I let my restraint go and semi-tackled her unsafely while she drove, landing a bunch of pecks along her collarbone where the necklace I got her lay. "Stop! Caleb... I'm driving," she laughed, shivering a little.

"Ah-huh. Whatever, practice multitasking, Jade," I said, my words muffled against her flesh.

She must've pulled up to the dojo but I was still... busy. Doin' the Jade worship.

I stopped my nuzzle of her when there was a sharp rap on the glass of the truck. I whipped around, my lips hot from the assault of her skin and looked into my sensei's eyes.

Busted.

So busted.

"K, so this is so beyond embarrassing. I'm just saying... " Jade whispered.

I kept my eyes forward, on my sensei. Like I'd been taught. You never lost eye contact on the mat. Against an opponent. I'd have drills.

But I'd have more if I broke the gaze.

That I knew.

I carefully opened the door and he did an offensive jab before I could escape the confines of the cab. I was awkwardly hoisted, half-in, half-out of the car. No room to maneuver.

But of course, that was the beauty of it.

My head moved evasively, the air from his strike pushing against my chin.

Close.

I crouched and drove a foot sweep into his tender knee, exposed as it was, and he nailed me in the bread basket. My air squeezed out. If I'd been sloppy he'd have had me, but I'd kept my core tight like he'd taught me.

"I'm getting Jade!" Sensei screamed at me and my adrenaline surged in a sickening jar, ripping my guts up in a warm slide that felt like vomit in reverse.

I lunged at him, using my momentum without any of the finesse he taught me and Jade let out a scream.

"Roll!" he screamed.

I did, my shoulder landing with a bruising impact that made my teeth rattle, my legs following in a compact somersault that had me springing to my feet in a crouch, my hands one after another in defense formation.

He planted his hands on his hips and smiled. I straightened.

"Not bad Hart. Hated that lazy superman you just did though. I mention the girlfriend and you go sideways on your training."

It was standard lecture mode now.

"Don't abandon training that should be automatic because you want to get all emotional," he said.

My eyes flicked behind him and Jade was on her knees, hands gripping the car door that I'd left open before I flew out of there. "Is this... part of your training?" she asked, confused.

I laughed and shrugged. "He keeps me on it. You just never know with Sensei."

Jade looked over at him doubtfully. Taking in his contained strength, his muscular, compact body.

Poised for violence.

I wasn't real intimidated, but we were close in size. I looked at it from her perspective, he'd be scary for Jade.

Sensei Anderson must've thought so too. He moved forward in a non-threatening way. "I'm Caleb's judo instructor. Hunter Anderson."

Jade popped out of the truck and looked like she would shake his hand but he gave a little bow instead. She smiled and bowed back.

She loved getting out of touching if she could help it.

"Do you want to check out a practice?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Sure. I can do the homework later, I guess." She looked at me a little uncertainly, did I want her to stay?

I smiled. Dumb unspoken question, I always wanted her around. I held out my hand and she walked toward me, our hands entangled for the two minutes it took to walk into the dojo.

Anderson followed behind us.

CHAPTER 14

Jade

Jade sighed. If she had to go through one more clairvoyance sample she'd scream.

But looking at Gale and Garcia's faces, she just couldn't be selfish. She needed to try and find the DI. Match the sample to the perpetrator. Of course, Jade thought that there was a lot of people she wanted to kill from time to time. It'd been explained to her though. It wasn't a pissed off, spur-of-the-moment internal monologue of "I wish I could slay them."

It was a murder that was yet to happen. That's what had felt like a rotting oil slick in her hand. Someone that would kill. A teen.

Someone she very likely knew.

It wasn't an exact science either. That made her mad. There were no absolutes. She could touch the perp, as the cops called him, and if he wasn't on the wavelength he was when he wore the sample, she may not get it from skin on skin. It was the proverbial needle in the haystack.

And Jade was tired of looking.

Bobbi saw her frustration. "Let's take a small break, Raul."

He looked at Jade and nodded, seeing she was a little tired. They sat down at the cafeteria tables that were at K-M. Jade thought about how worried Caleb was that this was the school she was at today. Tulle counted it as extra credit. It was a field trip for high schoolers, Jade thought, remembering her comment.

*

"Just think of all the extra experience you'll gain from handling all those alien samples, Jade," she said. Then added, with a small smirk, "And all the focus you'll have available to you without Mr. Hart as a distraction."

Jade had just stared at her. It was Jade's conviction that Tulle thought entirely too often of she and Caleb. She frowned and the grin faded from Tulle's face. After all, Jade was emancipated and didn't really feel like she wasn't on equal ground with Tulle. She'd gone through all the stupid legal hoops to do it and now... by God, back off.

Jade had left without so much as a backwards glance. Not doing the ass-kissing that Tulle so obviously needed didn't help Jade out though. Tulle had her nose plugged up her butt every opportunity she could. Even Caleb had noticed.

Bry Weller came by while she was at the table, enjoying a Granny Smith apple, the cops were talking quietly together until his approach. Her face puckered slightly as the sour tartness filled her mouth.

"Hey," she smiled at him, pleased to see a familiar person.

"Hey Jade. How's it goin'?" he asked, eying up the cops.

"Okay," she said, giving a significant look to them. He nodded his understanding.

"Are you ditching class?" she asked with a grin.

"Nope, senior."

That's right, Jade remembered, he'd slide by this last year.

"How many classes do ya have?"

He held up two fingers.

"No way!"

He nodded, a slow grin spreading over his face.

Garcia said, "Hi, Mr. Weller."

He nodded at him. "Hi Officer Garcia," he turned to Gale and nodded to her too.

"Hi Bry," she said.

"Whatcha guys doin'?" he asked.

Garcia stood, his broad shoulders stretching the uniform he wore and Jade wondered if he worked out. She guessed he'd have to just to keep up with their group alone. Lots of rescuing with her friends. She frowned, thinking it be nice if they didn't always need rescuing. Which of course, made her think of her dad. Not that she wanted to. Ever.

"You know we can't really talk about ongoing investigations, Bry," Garcia stated, his eyes steady on Bry's.

Bry stared back at him, then his gaze shifted to Jade. "Are you in danger?" Bry asked, thinking about Caleb. That Caleb wouldn't be thrilled with Jade working with the cops.

"Of course not!" Gale said with too much enthusiasm and Bry's eyes narrowed.

Garcia watched them and said, "It's more of a suspicious activity than a real threat, at this time. She's not in any real danger."

What? Bry wondered, he didn't think there was fake danger. He didn't like it. He bet Caleb hated it. Bry didn't like some of the paranormal bullshit. Bry liked shit he could feel, touch. Annihilate. Yeah, that really worked for him.

He frowned at Garcia then his face cleared when he took in Jade. Caleb was a lucky dude, he had a gorgeous girlfriend that wasn't a rager. Nice. He'd be nervous as hell with a chick like that though. He took in her fragile beauty. She was tiny, and beautiful and... unprotected.

He gave her a thin smile, his feelings of unease at helping the cops there between them. "K, well, I'll pulse Hart and we'll do another hang session," he raised his brows in question.

"Sure," Jade smiled, that sounded fun. "Maybe you can get Mia to go too?" she said slyly.

Ah hell, Mia! Bry thought with barely contained anxiety. Now that was a girl, that one. But outta his league for sure.

"Yeah, sure," he said, raking a hand over hair that was almost a skull trim, it was so short.

Jade gave a coy smile. She knew Mia liked him, but she wasn't an aggressive girl. He'd have to make the first move. Jade thought about letting him off the hook, giving him a subtle hint. Then thought better of it. Shouldn't interfere.

Guys.

Speaking of guys... Jade whipped out her pulse as Bry walked away, collecting her lunch trash in one hand she headed over to the separator as the cops gathered their gear.

Initializing:

Stud.

Jade thought it was funny that Caleb felt so cool about customizing his contacts. Jade rolled her eyes. She'd had hers customized the day... no, the moment she got her pulse. She had to admit she loved that she was the Hot One. A sexy little smile curled her lips.

Hey-CH

pause in pulse communication.

You okay? emotive response med.-high- CH

sighs stop it! I'm fine, I'm with the power twins.-JLeC

Oh! And Bry came by at lunch and said he wanted to hang with everybody.-JLeC

K, cool.-CH

How are we going to celebrate you getting your car finally?JLeC

I'm gonna pick you up and we'll go somewhere quiet and spend some quality time together emotive response high.-CH

I thought you turned off your detector? JLeC

I did. The profanity-block! thing overrode my manual directive.-CH

Nice smiles- JLeC

Yeah, for you! CH

K, I'll see ya after supper? JLeC

nods I want a full report.-CH

Thorough, right? smiles- JLeC

Absolutely manual override on emotive detection.-CH

Jade smiled again, he was so sweet. Her heart sped a little at the thought of what quality time meant with Caleb. A subtle blush colored her cheeks before she responded.

Love you.-JLeC

Me too.-CH

Jade swept her thumb over the pad and thought her pulse to hibernate, slipping it in her front pocket of her jeans.

She turned, looking for the cops.

Garcia gave her a wave and she walked toward them, thinking about the icky ride back to KPH in the cop car. The back was always so rank.

Grodie.

*

Sophie

She was concentrating as much as she could, her palms lightly sweating, but realm was the same as always, like a soft cloud of nothing, whiteness... oblivion. There was not a solid thing in the world in there. Her terror of being attacked was draining her of the power to get to her acquisition point.

"You have to stay there for at least a full minute. That's only sixty seconds. If you don't stay the proper interim, you cannot reach your Point of Acquisition," Proctor elaborated.

For the hundredth time.

Sophie knew that, she understood what the hell she had to do. She was scared. Amanda had been attacked. Other girls were talking about a shadow form in their realms. She just knew with her luck that it would happen to her. And she wouldn't get out of realm.

She wished Buddy was in her AP class. But he was at another time block.

Her teacher leaned down close to her, his curly hair mingling with hers. "I won't let anything happen to you. I got to Amanda too, remember? You have to trust me Sophie."