FicWad

Jackie sighed as she she wiped the sweat from her brow. She was currently fixing a car for a customer, and the weather was stifling. It was nice owning your own business, but she was thinking it was probably time to hire some more help.

Jackie had been living alone for three years while she attempted to get her life back on track. She had started a motorcycle business, mainly only fixing motorcycles, but the business had grown immensely in just a year. Her business was a respectable and now well-known one far and wide. It hadn't been very long until Jackie had hired a few highly-qualified employees to help her out and soon enough her shop was fixing and souping up anything and everything brought to them. From bicycles, to motorcycles, to cars, and even a few hovercrafts and small jets and planes. Jackie also had invented a number of extremely successful mechanical parts, and also sold some very rare parts that made people flock to her shop from all over.
Her small business had grown to a height Jackie had never imagined possible and it had distracted her and made her happy for a while. But that happiness was short lived. She soon found herself missing her friends, or more accurately, her family; which was what Mai, Valon and the others had been to her for most of her life. With this thought in mind, Jackie got on the task of searching out the people she'd left behind. It had taken her a long time, but eventually, she had gotten a hold of Mai; who in turn, had told her that Valon had left shortly after she did. Jackie was extremely disappointed at this, and even a little sad. But she knew deep down that it was best if she didn't go looking for him. She was finally getting used to life without the brunette and it wouldn't be wise to jeopardize that now just to see him again.
Mai now worked with Jackie and the two had taken to each other as if nothing had ever happened. Jackie decided that this would have to be enough until she was ready to search out and face Valon again.

Jackie twisted a stubborn knob on the engine of the car she was fixing.
"Why won't this thing budge damn it?" She muttered in frustration.
She wrapped a rag around the knob and twisted with all her might until it finally gave. She took the rag away and twisted it loose, but when it was open all the way, a jet of black oil squirted up and covered her face.
Jackie glared at the engine as if it had spit oil all over her on purpose. She then sighed and wiped the oil off her face.
"I need a break." She mumbled to herself. It was only then she noticed hysterical laughter coming from the garage door. Turning her head, Jackie saw Mai standing in the doorway, laughing herself to tears.
"That... was... too... funny!" The blonde woman managed between laughs.
"Yea. Hilarious." Jackie replied, attempting to sound irritable. But she soon smiled in spite of herself.
Eventually Mai stopped laughing enough to take a deep breath and talk, still grinning wide.
"Anyway. I came to tell you there's someone waiting for you outside with a job. It's looks pretty bad."
Jackie nodded and Mai left, still chuckling lightly to herself.
Jackie looked down at herself. She was wearing a white tank-top and faded denim jeans with rips in the knees. Her feet sported heavy, steel-toed work boots and her hair was simply pulled back and fastened in place so it was out of her face. She put the hood down on the car, and catching a glimpse of herself in the reflection, she saw dark smudges all over her face. This, along with the smudges and spots all over the rest of her clothes and body classified her as a typical 'grease monkey'.
Jackie smiled to herself. She was really in no state to meet someone, but she didn't really care. Who did she have to impress?
She grabbed a nearby rag and headed towards the door to the garage, wiping her hands as she walked. Just before she exited the building, Jackie caught sight of a yellow motorcycle she had been fixing by the door and frowned deeply. It was a lot like Valon's bike -- or at least, the one he had last time she saw him. Considering how much he loved it, she was sure he still had it. But the fact of whether he did or not was moot. Still, she couldn't help but think of Valon's smiling face. He had always been so at home with all this mechanical stuff. He would have been a great asset to have here at the garage. Perhaps she should search him out after all? Even if it was just to enlist his help?
Jackie shook her head and turned away from the bike, continuing on her way. She knew she didn't want to contact Valon for his help. She missed him terribly, and although she was slowly learning to live without him, each day was getting harder to forget about him. She want to see him, to see how he was doing, to just be close to him. But she couldn't have that. At least not yet.

Jackie exited the garage and squinted her eyes against the bright sun. She lifted her hand to her face and shadowed it over her eyes so she could see. Looking around, she saw someone leaning against a gorgeous motorcycle back-on to her with their arms crossed. This couldn't be the person Mai had been talking about, Mai had said the person looking for her had another job for her and that it looked bad. This bike seemed to be in excellent condition.
Jackie looked around but saw no one else, so with some slight confusion she called out to the person in front of her.
"Excuse me? I'm Jackie, the owner of the garage. Mrs. Valentine said you were looking for me?"
The person turned around and uncrossed their arms. It was obviously a man but Jackie couldn't see what he looked like because he was wearing a helmet with a tinted visor.
The man walked around his bike until he was standing in front of Jackie, then he reached up and took off his helmet.
Jackie's heart stopped and she immediately froze.
"Valon...?" She whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing. He smiled at her.
"She's right, I do need your help. See, I'm missing a part and apparently you can only find it 'ere. Think you help me?"
Jackie took a sharp breath and starred at the man before her with wide eyes. He looked absolutely gorgeous. Had he always looked this good? Had he changed? Or had their painfully long separation caused her to realize just how much she'd missed him.
After a long time, both her breath and heart seemed to start again. Jackie took a deep breath and forced herself to appear calm, trying desperately to will her breath and heartbeat back to normal.
"What are you doing here? And how did you find me?" She asked, trying to sound calm and indifferent.
Valon smiled at her.
"I got me ways." He said with a wink. "And I already told you, I'm 'ere for a part."

Jackie scowled at Valon and immediately her discomfort and joy at his surprise visit gave way to anger. After all the time she'd spent away from him, all the time she'd spent missing him and trying in vain to mend her shattered heart, all the time they'd been separated, the only thing Valon was worried about when they finally met up again was a damn piece for his bike. Even the look on his face was smug. She knew that look well. He was pleased with himself. He'd read her like an open book and knew exactly how she'd felt upon seeing him, knew how much she'd been hurting, knew what it meant to her to have him standing before her just then. And he didn't care! Or rather, he did, but not in the way she'd hoped he would and the way he should. He knew he could do what he wanted, say what he wanted, because she was putty in his hands. He could make her melt for him, make her do whatever he wanted. She was just another trophy on his shelf, another prize to be won. Well, he was in for a rude awakening! No way was she going to give in to his torment! If he didn't miss her, if he didn't learn his lesson, if he didn't care that she was gone or insisted on acting like nothing had ever happened between them and that things were just the same as they'd been when they were kids, then fine! Let him be that way! She wasn't about to give in. She'd show him that she could be just as cruel and indifferent as he could. Just watch her!

Jackie straightened and plastered a look of complete indifference on her face, even adding a small smile into the mix for maddening effect. She hadn't spent all those years mastering her emotions and such only to come up empty handed.
"OK. What part are you looking for?" She asked calmly. "We've got lots of rare parts you can only get here. I take pride in that actually. I started this business all by myself, without any help. It's nice to be on your own."
Jackie added the last part with an extra underlay of venom. It had been, of course, directed at Valon, but if it bothered him, he didn't show it. Instead, his smile widened; which didn't please Jackie at all.

Jackie opened her mouth to say something else but Valon grabbed her by the waist and pulled her tight to him, stopping any words she'd been about to say as she starred up at him in shock.
Valon leaned down until his lips were barely brushing hers and starred into her eyes.
"I'm missing me other half." He whispered, and without hesitation, he pressed his lips to Jackie's and kissed her.
Jackie's eyes shot open in shock and her body immediately heated up to a dangerous temperature that had nothing to do with the weather. She swallowed hard and starred at Valon. His eyes were open half-mast as he looked back at her. She couldn't believe what he'd just said. It was extremely cheesy and corny and so unlike Valon, but besides that, well, there were the implications behind it. His other half? That's what she was to him?
Jackie's head hurt from all her confusion. OK, so her plan had worked then? That was good. But she still wasn't ready to forgive him just yet. Not that easily. She raised her hand up and placed it on Valon's chest meaning to push him away, but Valon pressed his lips harder to hers, erasing any and all negative thoughts she had towards the brunette. Jackie moaned pitifully and finally closed her eyes, slipping her arms around Valon's neck and kissing him back hungrily.
Valon smiled into the kiss. Finally! After three years -- no, scratch that, after a lifetime -- of waiting, Jackie was finally in his arms, and she was finally his. All his. And he'd be damned if he was ever letting her go again.
Little did he know, Jackie had absolutely no intention of ever leaving him again. Words could not express her feelings any more that they could Valon's, and she wasn't about to let all that slip away again.

After a long time, the two finally pulled away and Valon starred down at Jackie with a big smile, ecstatic that it was returned. He then laughed and picked Jackie up, spinning her around.
Jackie laughed happily and starred into Valon's face as he spun her around, still expecting to wake up and realize it was all just a dream.
When Valon placed Jackie back on the ground, he leaned down to kiss her again, then picked her up and sat back on his bike with her in his lap, legs on either side of him.
They pulled away again, Jackie laid her head on Valon's shoulder and turned her head to face him.
"I missed you so much." She said softly.
Valon, looking down at her, smiled again and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I really missed you too." He replied. "I thought they were gonna 'ave to haul me off to the mental before long. It was hell tryin to track you down."
Jackie gave him a sympathetic smile.
"How long did you look?" She asked him. Valon frowned.
"I started lookin a few months after you left... I was in pretty bad shape at first. I got a small apartment in town cause I couldn't stand to live at the mansion, especially not alone. Reminded me too much a you. Mai and Joey left a little while after you and got married. She was real upset you weren't there."
Jackie frowned.
"I wish I was there too..." She said softly. Valon nodded and continued.
"They kept checkin in on me but I wasn't gettin any better, I just got worse. Mai eventually got scarred cause I'd slipped so deep and she was afraid I was going to do somethin stupid. She got mad at me, although I didn't care, and tried to tell me that you wouldn't want me like this. I didn't listen to anything she said, so Wheeler decided to open 'is big mouth. He told me if what I said was true, and you really did say all those things, then you weren't ever gonna come find me so if I wanted to see you again and tell you how I felt, I'd better get off my as and go look for you. Course, I nearly killed 'im, but when they left me alone, I got to thinkin. I realized the idiot was right, so I pulled meself together as best I could and got out looking for ya. I looked for ya for over two years and never came up with anything. I 'ad just started to give up and slip again when Mai got in contact with me. She told me you'd got in contact with 'er and that she knew where you were. That was about a month ago. I left where I was as soon as she told me. It took me a while but eventually I got here. And well, the rest you know."
Jackie smiled up at Valon, then gave him a tight hug.
"I'm glad you found me." She said softly. Valon closed his eyes and hugged her back.
"Me too." He replied with a smile.

When they pulled away again, Valon gave Jackie a playful smile.
"I didn't really know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't a grease monkey." He said teasingly.
Jackie laughed and gave him a playful push. Valon laughed back and secured his arms around her waist.
"Hey, beggars can't be choosers!" She replied with a laugh. Valon grinned.
"True. But 'ey, I'm sure I could love a grease monkey as much as the old Jackie."
Jackie laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck again.
"Good, cause this grease monkey loves you."
Valon smiled at her, then placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face upwards. He then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, showing her just how much he'd missed her.