Naw, I can't kill Jade, he's one of my favorite characters! I still don't know if my sister is reading this, because she doesn't like gay pairings. She read the first chapter, but that was before I actually turned it into a romance story. Hm...

I don't own ToA.

Read on!!

Jade didn't open his eyes. His head hurt too much, so did his back. There was probably some light right above him that would hurt his eyes. He frowned, still without opening his eyes, trying to ignore the pain. Suddenly, it seemed darker. He opened his eyes a crack, seeing that some one was holding the light that was indeed above him away. Following the persons arm with his eyes, Jade found himself Peony's blue eyes staring back at him.

"Jade? You awake?" Peony asked quietly.

Jade blinked a couple times, noticing his glasses were gone. "...What happened...?"

"What do you mean 'what happened?' You were almost killed that's what!" Peony said.

"I know that, I mean what about every one else?"

"...They're fine. What about you huh? Doesn't it hurt?"

"Of course it does." Jade frowned, for some reason, he felt very tired. Peony was quiet for a moment.

"...There was a lot of blood...when they finally pulled that dagger out of you...I don't think it'll ever wash out of your uniform..."

"...What else happened?"

"You had a cracked skull. Who ever hit you must have an iron fist, can you remember it all?" Peony asked.

Jade thought back, every thing in his memory that had something to do with that party was blurry, gone, or just flat out unrecognizable. "Not really."

Peony sat back in his chair, sighing. "They think Luke is their prime suspect, you know."

"It wasn't Luke." Jade shook his head. "Out of that fuzzy blur of a memory, I can still tell that Luke spent the whole time making a face at his cake...When do I get out of here?"

"Either when you're healed enough, or when I give the okay." Peony shrugged. "I say stay. You almost died Jade, and whether Luke tried to kill you, or some one else, it's unsafe. I don't want you to get hurt anymore Jade."

Jade sighed, propping him self on his elbows. "Peony-"

"Don't 'Peony' me!" Peony pushed his friend back down. "You always used to do this when you were a kid, and I'm not taking it anymore! Every time you get hurt, you just brush it off, like death is your friend or something! Well it's stopping! I don't like it when you get stuck in bed with an injury, and I know you don't like it either. So you're gonna sit here, get better, then you're gonna stay put some where until we catch this guy. I ain't letting you get up just to fall over again Jade!" Peony said, taking Jade's glasses from the bedside table as he did so.

"...Give me my glasses Peony." Jade said quietly.

"No."

"Peony."

"Tell me you aren't going to get hurt again, or try and get out of here, or some other crazy idea of yours." Peony said, holding the pair of glasses from Jade's reach.

Jade just sighed. "I'm not an idiot Peony, if I was going to try and get out of here, I would have done so already."

"And I would have stopped you."

"..." Jade stared at the wall across the room. He was stuck here, being fussed over by nurses and doctors either way. "I won't."

"Good." Peony smiled triumphantly. "Well, I'm hungry, I'm gonna find us something to eat. Want something?"

"My glasses."

"What, these? Why? It's not like you're going anywhere." Peony said as he walked out of the room to the kitchen. "Be back soon!"

He should have known Peony wasn't even intending to give his glasses back...

Luke had been imprisoned. Two years after being thought dead, and this is what he got? Tear sighed. She was sitting in the chair in front of his cell.

"You know they have good reason to put me here, Tear. I was the only one who really saw it." Luke said from inside the cell, his arms hung from the cell bars, swinging back and forth with boredom.

Tear stood up, walking towards him. "I know that! But..." she trailed off.

"Hey, come on." Luke cupped her cheek with one hand, running his thumb softy across her cheekbone. "Don't look so down. I would never try to kill anyone, you know that, Natalia knows that, and as soon as the council gets that around their heads, you know what I'll do?"

"Hm?" Tear looked up.

"Hm...Well I've been gone for so long...I'm thinking a cruise around the world. Just the two of us. How's that sound?" Luke grinned.

"Is that the best you can come up with?" Tear smiled a bit. "...I'd like that..."

"Then it's settled!" Luke started playing with her hair. "Too bad I can only get half my arm out there though..."

Tear reached up to brush a few bangs from Luke's face. "Why's that? Surely you don't think they would let you stick your whole head out."

"Hm, no, but," Luke grabbed her hand, and kissed it. "I can still do this." he kissed her hand again, and again. "I love you..."

Tear blushed slightly.

"I love you too..."

Peony stared down at the crackers and cheese. Was this all they had? Probably all they would let Jade eat anyway...He wasn't even sick. But apparently 'hospital food' as it had been dubbed, tasted very good, according to Jade and the last time he'd ended up here. Cheese and crackers...Well, maybe he'd bring something else for him and his friend to eat, or eat cheese and crackers for who knows how long. How ever long it takes for a stab wound to heal, even with seventh fonons.

Now all he had to do was remember the way back to Jade's room...He should spend more time in Baticul...Or just more time in a hospital...

And voila. My second chapter. Well, sadly to say, I won't write anymore for a bit. My Jak and Daxter story is calling to me.