***Another 4500 word chapter where I tie up loose ends, write you Jaya/Coliel fluff, and offer you some Smith sibling antics. This book has capped 41,000 words and is about the same length as "Untamed" <3

Only an epilogue left!***

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

"What information do you have for us, Commissioner?" I ask as Jay and I make our way into the bank.

He waves us over to a table where Lloyd and Zane are already seated. Kai and Skylor must have stayed at the police station to work on finding Nya.

The commissioner frowns. "I'm afraid there's not much to say. The Mechanic is a villain we've never seen before. He relies heavily on a weaponized metal arm." He sets a blurry photo of a man in front of us.

Lloyd squints. "Do you have any better shots?"

"Not still pictures, no. But I can let you look at the security footage." He readjusts his hat on his head. "This guy stole eight and a half thousand dollars earlier today. Police were able to track down a few of his cronies, but when he and his gang left, they all took different vehicles to throw us off their trail."

"And the Mechanic has eluded you?" I confirm.

"Yes. Why would I have you here otherwise?"

Jay laughs at my faux pas. "Du-uh, Boulder Brains."

I roll my eyes. "I was just making sure." I turn back to the commissioner. "What about the money? Have you tracked that down yet?"

"A lot of it, yes. We've recovered about five thousand dollars from the two vehicles we managed to catch."

Zane is the next to speak. "Do you believe the Mechanic is carrying any money with him, or is it possible he was just the leader of the operation? He may not want to attract unnecessary attention to himself by keeping a large amount of funds on his person."

"One witness said he did take some of the money with him," the commissioner replies. "He may not trust his crew to let him in on the funds if he lets them handle them all."

"Good point," Lloyd says. "Mind if we see that security footage now? Maybe it could give us a hint as to where the gang's headed. I bet they have a secret base."

The commissioner nods. "I got a copy of it earlier. Follow me."

He leads us back to a room with a DVD player set up, then hits a few buttons on the machine. The screen in front of us comes to life.

Jay leans over and whispers in my ear, "I really have to use the restroom."

I shush him. "It can wait. This is important."

"No, like, I really have to go."

"Stay here, Jay."

"I wasn't asking for you to tell me what to do. I was just letting you know." He pushes past me. "Catch me up if I miss anything good, okay?"

I roll my eyes. "Whatever."

The commissioner skips the video until he gets to a point a few moments before the break in. That's where we start.

He turns on the audio for us. "It's not hard to see what happens. The Mechanic comes in with four weaponed men – "

As he's speaking, the video shows the door bursting open. Shouts resound from a man in red and four figures clothed in black, and a shot rings out from one of the thug's guns.

"Everybody down!" a gravelly voice yells. It comes from the Mechanic.

It seems somehow...familiar?

Innocent people in the bank drop to the floor, gasping and screaming in terror.

The Mechanic steps more clearly into view. "Give me all the money you have in this place," he orders.

Again, with that voice! Have I met this guy before? I don't recall knowing anyone with a metal arm, especially one that can be used as a weapon!

That's when he steps right into view, and I do a doubletake.

He's older and a little thinner, but I could never forget those soulless, uncaring eyes as he stares down the camera.

"Stop the video!" I yell.

The commissioner pauses the footage. "What is it? Do you have any clue how to find this guy?"

My heart pounds in my chest, and I try to think. Gosh, I'm bad at thinking.

"I know who he is," I swallow. "It's Seliel's dad. Which means..." My eyes widen. "He could theoretically be back at their trailer right now!"

Zane holds up a hand. "Logically, a mobile home is not a safe location for a base."

"I don't know. I hope you're right." I rub my forehead. "But if he's got weapons like that...and he's already abusive. I think we need to stop by Seliel's, just to make sure everything's all right."

Lloyd nods. "All right. I'll go with you, and Zane and Jay can stay here to keep watching the footage and see if we get a better lead."

An officer comes running in. "Commissioner! I hate to interrupt, but we've just received a call from someone who says they need the help of the ninja!"

"We don't just send the ninja around willy-nilly," the commissioner rumbles. "What's the situation?"

"Domestic violence, I think." He gets back on the phone to confirm.

"Domestic violence?" I grab the officer's shoulders. "What's the address?"

He asks the person on the other end of the line, then rattles it off to me.

My stomach drops.

"That's Seliel's!" I yell, running for the door.

Lloyd and Zane fall into step behind me.

"Where's Jay?" Lloyd demands.

"Bathroom," I bite out. "He'll have to catch a ride with someone else. We don't have time to wait for him!"

As soon as I reach the parking lot, I unlock the earth drill and sprint to the driver's side. I have the vehicle started and moving before Lloyd and Zane can even climb inside theirs.

As I hit the gas and speed out onto the highway, my heart thunders. I can't believe it. Seliel's dad is the Mechanic. Maybe that explains why he's gone for long periods of time, though – maybe he's not always doing drugs, but instead has been planning this raid or getting that metal arm constructed.

The metal arm. Seliel never mentioned that. It must be new. I wonder where he got it at, though. He's not clever enough to build one himself, right?

Oh, golly, I hope she's okay. She obviously got access to a phone somehow, and she was able to call in about his violence. Why did he come after her? Just because he's cruel? Or was there another reason he stopped at the house, and she just got in the way?

I should've checked things out when I got there with her! I should've knocked on the door until she had no choice but to let me in.

I messed up. I failed her.

But then, I fail a lot of people. I couldn't make Nya stay at the monastery, haven't succeeded in persuading Jay to get counseling, couldn't stop Lloyd from causing immeasurable damage to the team that night when he got drunk...

And I suddenly understand what Nya's feeling. Maybe I'm not the source of hurt to those around me, but I sure am a factor in it.

I hope Sel's okay. I promised to be there for her six years ago, but I couldn't do that this time. No, scratch that. I could've been there for her, but I wasn't.

But I will be now.

I pull into the mobile home lot to already see flashing sirens in front of her house. There are police, an ambulance, a fire truck. I guess she must've called the generic emergency number.

Not bothering to turn off the earth drill, I slam open my door and drop to the ground. My feet pound across the pavement as I head straight for the nearest –

"Nya!" I gasp, seeing her seated on the edge of an ambulance. A paramedic dabs at a bloody wound on her forehead, but she pushes him away when she sees me.

"Hey, Cole," she says, her voice quiet, pensive.

I wrap her up in a huge hug. "How did you get here?" I laugh. "And you're okay. Thank the First Spinjitzu Master, you're okay! With you running away and all, I thought for sure we wouldn't find you." I pull back from our embrace to look at her. "Have you seen Seliel?"

She jerks her head toward a stretcher. "They're taking her in. Don't worry, she'll be fine – her dad was going to make her overdose on meds, but she didn't get very many in her system before I stepped in." She sighs heavily. "Where are the others?"

I don't answer, running for where Nya pointed out Seliel to me. "Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh – "

I finally reach the place where she is, and I grab her hands. "Sel! Sel, are you all right?"

Her eyes are unfocused, but she smiles slightly. "Cole?"

I sigh with relief. "Yes. Oh, my goodness. You're not dead."

"No."

"You scared me to death. What happened? Is your dad still a threat? Did – "

One of the paramedics taps my shoulder. "If you want a coherent answer, you need to talk to the other girl."

"You mean Nya?" I frown. "What's wrong with Seliel?"

"Her dad tried to force-feed her pills. She took seven in total. She should be okay after they wear off, though – we're just taking her in to monitor her. She did get a leg fracture, though." He smiles. "So, one of the ninja, huh? It's so nice to meet you. I – "

I don't really pay attention to what he says. "Hey, is it okay if I come with you? Ride the ambulance with you to the hospital?"

The guy shakes his head. "Sorry, no. Company policy. You'll have to follow in your own vehicle." He looks down at his watch. "Anyway, I'm off pretty soon, so we should probably get this operation on the road."

I scowl. Seriously? Does this guy not care that someone could've died tonight?

I turn back to Seliel, squeezing her fingers. "I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"

"'Kay. Thanks." She takes slow, measured breaths.

The paramedics walk her toward the ambulance, and I bite my lip, running for the earth drill.

Someone grabs my arm, and I turn. It's Nya.

"I'm going with you," she says resolutely.

"What? Have the paramedics finished checking you out? Did you talk with the police?" I shake her off my arm, continuing my trek to the earth drill.

"I'm not finished with the police yet, but...please, Cole. We'll work it out with the commissioner or something. I just need to make sure that she's okay." She swallows hard. "This is all my fault."

I look up to see an officer point to Nya. He begins walking toward us.

I shake my head, returning my gaze to her. "Listen, I get that you like to blame yourself and stuff, but this is about Seliel." Realizing how snappy I sound, I gentle my tone as I give her a side hug. "The others will be here soon, okay?"

As if on cue, Lloyd runs up behind her, wrapping her in a giant hug. "Nya!"

She swallows hard. "I'm going with you, Cole." She reluctantly gives Lloyd a squeeze, then wiggles out of his arms and runs to the passenger side of the earth drill.

I see the ambulance start to leave, so I jump into the driver's seat and start my vehicle. "Nya, you're supposed to stay here," I tell her, already pulling out onto the road.

"Not happening." She buckles herself in, then buries her face in her hands. "This is all my fault, Cole!"

The police officer who'd been approaching holds up a hand to stop us, but I don't obey, instead hitting the gas. "Look, Nya – "

"Shut up and listen to me. Did you know I've been staying with Seliel since last night?"

I blink. "Um...no. I didn't think Seliel would..." Keep that big of a secret from me.

I guess Jay was right.

Nya sighs. "Well, that's where I've been. And you know why her dad tried to kill her?"

My knuckles grip the steering wheel. "Because he's a lousy, good-for-nothing – "

"Yes, but do you know why he decided he had to kill her?"

My blood chills, and my voice comes out cold. "Nya, cut to the chase, please. My mind's not working fast enough to process anything."

"Because I confronted him, Cole! I put her in danger by confronting her stupid dad. I heard the door open when he got here and thought it was Seliel, but I checked first, just in case. When I saw her dad's face, I decided I was going to tell him to never come back and bother her again. I was stupid. And just as I stepped out of my hiding spot, he pulled out this weaponized metal arm and used it to shock me! I hit my head when I fell, and I was passed out for a while. When I came to, I was stuck in a closet, and my hands and feet were wrapped in duct tape. I got it off easily, but that's when I heard him asking Seliel to write a suicide letter, to take pills, to say her life was entirely meaningless!" She hugs her arms around her waist.

"I'm not following." All I heard was evil dad and Seliel and pills.

Nya swipes the back of her hand over her eyes. "If I hadn't confronted him, he wouldn't have come after her. He was just in the trailer to stash some money, but when I showed myself, he attacked. And he realized that he would have to shut me up so I couldn't tell the police what he was up to, so he locked me in the closet to deal with me later. But he also knew that if I went missing, Seliel would know. It was obvious I was staying with her. So his solution was to get rid of her, too. He thought he could cover his tracks by killing us both." She sniffs.

"That's messed up."

"And once again, I've almost killed somebody. I mean, once I came to and we pummeled her dad, I was able to save her, but...what if I hadn't woken up in time? Why am I so bad at relationships, Cole?"

I see the sign for the hospital and flip on my turn signal, exiting the highway. "Nya, I'm sorry, but I don't have good answers to anything right now. I'm just worried about Sel." I pass her my phone. "You need to call the commissioner and tell him you totally ditched the crime scene, and you need to call your brother."

She sets my phone in the cupholder. "Can we at least wait until Seliel's stable?"

"Nya – "

"Please, Cole. I can't call him right now. I'll break down, and I don't do breakdowns anymore."

"Nya, your brother has a right to know where you are!"

"And I'll tell him, Cole, but I can't take him chewing me out right now. I just need an hour or two to work out my emotions! Please?"

I grit my teeth as we reach the hospital parking lot. "One hour. And only because I know you really are emotionally taxed to the limits, and your brother can be volatile." I finger my phone. "Would it help to call Jay?"

"Right now, he'd make me break down worse than Kai. Let's just focus on Seliel. I'll be okay if it's just us three, you know?" She grabs a napkin from the dash and swipes it under her nose.

Guilt twists my gut. "We'll see. But in an hour, we are calling Kai."

***(Seliel's POV)***

It's weird for me to only remember bits and pieces of events, but that's exactly what's happening right now. I've been at the hospital a few hours – Cole and Nya have been with me the whole time – and I'm just now starting to get a clearer picture of what's going on.

On the bright side, I didn't take enough meds to need my stomach pumped. I'm just supposed to stay hydrated and let these wear off. And I'm already starting to drift back from dreamland.

Apparently, Nya made a few calls to her brother and the police. Cole let her hold off on calling them for a while, but half an hour ago, he said she'd put this off long enough. I guess I get to watch all the aftermath of her running away. Yay.

Nya's curled up in the corner right now, looking very alone. Cole's lectured her once or twice, as I remember. When he wasn't telling her off, he was next to me, telling me funny stories about our childhood while I was just trying to stay conscious.

I have a feeling that once I'm fully awake, he's going to be lecturing me, too. I lied to him about Nya's whereabouts.

Wow, I really haven't been a good friend to him lately.

I pick at my IV tape. "So...any word on when they're finally letting me out of this place?" Oh, how I love the ability to form coherent sentences.

Cole shrugs. "You should be good in a few hours. The doctors just wanted to make sure you wouldn't have any negative effects from the medicine." He eyes me. "But you are going to be off that leg until they can perform your surgery, so you're coming home with us."

"First of all, why would I want to go back to my trailer, after all that's happened? Second...I really can't go back there for a few days, anyway. The whole place is a wreck."

"I'll be happy to have you around," Cole shrugs. "But once you're fully conscious, you can bet I will be lecturing you on keeping secrets from me."

Knew it.

"Way to get that out there for the world to hear," I grumble, rolling my eyes. Send me back to dreamland, please.

He chuckles. "You're cute when you're sarcastic. I mean, that doesn't change the fact that I'm mad at you, but you're cute."

"Like that's any consolation." I can't help a small smile, though.

"So...while you were hazy, I checked out some eating disorder recovery programs on my phone."

"Why?"

He stares me down. "You need to get better, for one. For two, you need to be strong enough to kick butt. I'm done with people trying to kill you."

"Oh, right. Because I needed that reminder." I sigh. "So, my dad's locked up?"

"Yup. You and Nya whooped his butt. The police are still finding a way to get that metal extension off his arm, though. They've had to keep him sedated the whole time so he doesn't try to shoot them down. Lloyd and Zane are at the police station with them, just in case things go wrong."

"Huh."

There's a quick knock on the door. Before Cole can say anything to the person outside, Jay barges in.

"I'm here," he pants. "I'm finally here! You all left me at the bank, and I had to get a ride to the crime scene with a police officer, but then you all weren't at the crime scene, so I took a cab back to the monastery – I didn't have any money, but the guy was a big Cliff Gordon fan. And after that, I figured out from the police that you were at the hospital, so I took my car here, and I eventually learned what room you were in, and now – "

His eyes bug when he finally scans the corner of the room. "Nya!" He makes a running leap for her and wraps her in his arms, holding her tight. "You're okay!"

Her bottom lip trembles. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, my goodness!" He kisses her hair. "You scared me to death! Never just leave like that again! Oh, my stars, I was terrified something had happened to you!" He clenches his eyes shut as tears gather. "I'm so, so, so sorry, but I had to tell them where I thought you were hiding – at Ronin's, that is. Please don't be mad at me! I just got so worried that you'd fallen into trouble or something, and you know I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you, and – " His voice breaks on a sob.

Nya closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, steadying her own emotions. "It's okay, buddy. I get that you were afraid. Now, I can't tell you where I'm going next time, but – "

"Next time?!" Cole exclaims. "There is no 'next time', Nya. You're staying with us until you're eighteen, at least!"

"I'm staying until Kai and Skylor's wedding," she says resolutely.

Jay's reddened eyes widen. "Nya, you're not r-really still th-thinking about leaving, r-right? Life is awful w-without you! We n-need you!" He hiccups, weaving his fingers with hers. "I need you, N-Nya!"

She moans. "And this is why I never should have told Cole anything. It just causes more heartache." She runs a hand through Jay's hair. "Don't cry, buddy. I'm here right now."

Kai slams open the door. "Where is she? Where the heck is my sister?!"

I sigh. Here we go.

This is basically like the soap operas I would be watching on the hospital TV, if it weren't for Cole's team showing up.

Cole coughs. "Um, Kai, maybe we should take this slow. You know, Seliel and your sister have had a long night, and – "

Kai spots Nya, and his face contorts with emotion. He makes a grab for her and pulls her into his arms, picking her up off the ground.

"Hey!" Jay complains, rubbing tears from his eyes. "Wait your turn!"

Kai ignores him, his eyes only for his younger sister. "You're okay," he swallows hard. "You're okay." He pulls her close to him.

"Yep," she says quietly. "Can you put me down now?"

He swears. "Dang it, I was so scared, Nya Smith! I was actually terrified! Why would you just leave me?"

She looks up at the ceiling, trying desperately to avoid crying.

"Nya, why would you leave me?!" he repeats. "We need each other!"

"Kai, can we talk about this later?"

"No! I want to know, once and for all, why – "

Skylor storms in from behind him. "Kai Smith, you left me at the police station!" she fumes. "I had to teleport all the way here, and I can only teleport places I can see! Do you know how much energy that takes?"

Wait. I'm still stuck on the part where she can teleport.

Cole raises his voice. "Hey, heading outside would be a great idea. This is a hospital room, meaning there's a patient in here, and – "

Skylor spots Kai's emotional display and beams, teleporting to where he and Nya are. She enfolds them in a group hug.

"Sis!" she exclaims. She laughs out loud, then growls, "You're in so much trouble!"

"No surprise there," Nya sniffles. Saltwater dribbles down her cheeks.

Jay taps Kai's shoulder. "Look, you've had your reunion. Can I have Nya back now?"

"No!" he yells. "Nya, tell me why you want to run away from me! Have I been that bad of a brother to you? I thought we were doing better! I thought I was giving you enough freedom and not holding you to double standards and – "

"You're doing fine, Kai." She rubs her nose on the collar of her shirt. "Please let me go."

"There's no way in the Cursed Realm that I'm ever letting you go again," Kai seethes.

"He's right," Skylor adds. "I can read his mind. And I'm not letting go, either, so you're pretty stuck, Sis."

***Music Cue***

"Kai," Jay whines. "Please let Nya go. You're making her cry!" He tries to pry Kai's arm away from her.

"Get the heck out of here, Walker!" He snarls down at Nya. "You're grounded for a month for so many things. For running away, for lying to me, for riding a motorcycle without a license, for riding a motorcycle without a helmet, for going to Ronin's, for crying out loud!"

Nya swallows hard. "Go ahead. Just please, let me – "

Jay zaps Kai in the butt, and he jumps, letting Nya go. Jay then pulls her to his chest, places his lips next to her ear, and gently asks, "Do you want to go get a snack? I can electrocute one of the vending machines."

She smiles just slightly, scraping more tears off on her sleeve. "Okay, Jay Walker."

Kai rubs his posterior, glowering at Jay. "You little – "

Jay zaps him in the butt again, then takes Nya's hand and runs out of the room.

Skylor rolls her eyes. "Kai, you sissy! You're letting one little shock keep you from your runaway sister?!" She teleports out of the room, heading after Jay and Nya.

Kai scoffs. "I – wait for me!" He heads out the door, as well.

Leaving me and Cole alone. Very alone.

Cole smiles softly, shaking his head. "I have a feeling that will come to a quick end."

"Yeah." I pick at the bedsheet. "Cole – "

"Sel – "

We speak at the same time, and I feel my cheeks heat. "Um, you can go first."

He sighs, all mirth gone from his expression. "Why'd you lie to me, Seliel? About Nya?"

I hitch a shoulder. "Um...I guess you kind of deserve the truth, don't you?"

"I hope so." He plays with my fingers.

I let out a long exhale. "She...she was in trouble, Cole. She was scared, and she was reaching out for someone to understand her and give her a chance to work out her problems. I should know what that's like. I have a host of my own." My lips quirk upward. "Do you remember when we were kids, and I thought I should run away to avoid my dad?"

"Vaguely. Obviously, you didn't, though." He holds me with his brown eyes.

"Yeah, well...I know what it's like to be so trapped with your feelings of helplessness, you think you have to run away to defeat destiny." I mess with one of his soft black curls. "And don't you dare tell her I said this, but I took pity on her. I wanted to help her out in any way I could." I close my eyes, falling back on my pillow. "But you didn't hear that. Nya and I still don't get along, okay?"

I open one eye, just to see his reaction.

He thinks for a moment. Two moments.

Then, he slowly smiles. "You know, it's hard to stay mad at you long."

I let out a sigh of relief. "You forgive me?"

"I forgive you." He twines our fingers. "You know, when we met up again, I was attracted to you because you were mysterious. Rebellious. And, of course, we had an ages-old connection. I don't think that was enough to try to build a romantic relationship on." He softly kisses my cheek. "Today, however, I've seen that you have a big heart, a stubborn streak, and a fighter's spirit, and I know these feelings of mine will be around for a while. You're stuck in my heart, Sel."

I chuckle. "Good thing, or I probably would've slugged you. You're stuck in my heart, too, Brookstone."

He brushes the hair from my face. "Still reluctant to make our relationship official?"

"I'm not ready yet. I don't want to put you through the stress of my eating disorder. Maybe once we see that treatment's going well, you know?" A thought that twists my stomach.

His steadfast smile helps me feel a little better. "I'll wait for you, Sel. And believe me, I'll be rooting for you as your lovestruck friend every step of the way."

***Epilogue will be posted shortly <3***