Non-beta'd like the rest of this story, and posted really late so there are bound to be errors – but, in one day I've written nearly 5000 words and finished a story I've been avoiding for nearly three years. I just felt like I deserved to post it. I decided to end it here, that was pretty much the plan from the beginning. Who knows maybe there'll be a ficlet epilogue one day if anyone requests it via the review/comment section. On that note, I haven't written in ages so feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. And now, the long awaited (or forgotten about =) conclusion:

On the Ways of Your Desire

Chapter 11:

Aftermath, Red Morning Light

As the light faded Trixie woke first, it was still night and everyone still seemed to be unconscious. Fu was closest so she shook him awake. His yelp of surprise awakened Haley who had landed not too far away. Immediately Haley checked on her grandfather who had rushed over in attempt to protect her from the Orb's blast.

"We need to disappear," Trixie said, "fast."

Jake was still holding Spud and both appeared unconscious. Just as Haley began to wonder if she'd have to carry her brother, he began to wake. Lao Shi wrapped a comforting arm around him, pulling him in for a hug.

"I'm serious ya'll, we need to get moving, like yesterday." Trixie called over, noticing that other people were beginning to wake up.

Jake stood but wobbled and had to be supported by his grandfather. Haley limped over to Spud and used her dragon strength to carry him home. Hopefully, any witnesses would be too dazed to be considered reliable.

"Everyone that has possessed the Orb of Chablisha for any significant period of time has gone mad," Lao Shi began once they reached the relative safety of the store. Most of the gang appeared to be in shock. Taking the Orb from Jake's hands, Lao Shi places it in a small pouch retrieved by Fu. The two then proceed to store the Orb in the magic resistant box.

Haley (still in dragon form) sets Spud down gently. Jake had been pretty non-functional since they woke up, but at this point they were all a bit more worried about Spud who had yet to regain consciousness.

Lao Shi pulls Jake aside, along with the journal. "We need to make sure that this reality is the correct one."

Fu joins them, "Hey, Jake, are you with us."

Jake nods, clearly exhausted but coming out of shock.

As the trio sets about determining the accuracy of their reality, Haley runs out to buy a paper, just to make sure. She quickly returns and Jake confirms that this is not the headline he saw earlier.

Trixie looked at Jake and Haley. "Go home, both of you. I'll stay with Spud."

Both begin to protest but are quickly shut down by a stern look from their grandfather. This issue was clearly not up for debate.

On the way back Jake and Haley say little. They walk instead of fly, since in this universe, her arm is still broken. When they arrive, Jake begins an interrogation of his sister, baffled by her behavior. "If you thought that we were interested in each other … why were you hitting on Spud?"

She laughed at her brother's bewilderment, "I wasn't sure, I just wanted to get more information. Not like you were actually going to tell me or anything. Anyway, you guys weren't hanging out at all, so what was I supposed to do?" Haley's mood sobered, as she tried to let go of the residual memories from her other self. She promised herself that she would never let down Jake again, but she refused to drown in guilt anymore.

Jake noticed the change in his sister's mood and pulled her in for a hug. "Stop blaming yourself. You're the reason we're all still here, don't you dare forget that."

"So what about you and Spud," Haley asked trying to change the subject.

"I honestly don't know now. The way he looked at me, I kind of wondered if you might be right. I guess we'll see when he wakes up. Trixie was pretty eager to chase me out of there though, but as long as he's happy with her..."

"Do you love him? If you love him you should fight for him. I think you have the whole thing between them wrong,"

"Fine, I love him, but I want him to be happy!"

"What makes you think that Spud wouldn't be happy in a relationship with you?"

Jake's father walked into the kitchen. He had obviously heard that last question and appeared quite puzzled.

Haley turned to look at her father, who seemed oblivious to the whole situation. "Hey Dad!" Haley paused after that, she truly didn't know what to say, and for the first time in a long time, she found herself speechless.

Jake loved his dad, but if he had to choose, well, it wouldn't be a choice. 'Not that there was a choice even open to him,' he thought bitterly.

Jake's dad turned around and walked out of the kitchen without saying anything.

Spud woke up with a start. "Jake!" He called out, his mind still in the last moments of the battle.

Trixie leaned over so he could see her, "Its over Spud, everyone is safe. Jake is safe."

In hearing those words the tension drained from Spud's body, and he drifted off to sleep.

Trixie turned and smiled as Fu ran into the room on all paws. "He woke up briefly, but just feel back to sleep," she whispered as he got close enough. Fu looked for himself, using some sort of magical device to examine the sleeping figure.

"Good, he is just sleeping now, he needs it after having his brain traumatized like that."

"What do you mean?"

"My guess is that Tai Kokin attempted to change Jake's memories and thinking he was successful went on to do the same to Spud. When he encountered Spud, he used the opportunity to reveal the old memories to the new Spud. Sick bastard, probably enjoyed the pain it caused Spud."

Trixie was shocked by Fu's revelation. "Poor kid."

Spud woke again not long after sunrise. This time he was calmer. When Tai Kokin touched his mind with his poorly wielded power – they had been quite lucky that this guy was a little stupid and a lot of insane – he let some of Jake's memories slip through. While Spud was certain that Jake's memories had remained unaltered, he knew that Tai Kokin had viewed them.

Trixie yawned in her chair, looking over at a now alert Spud. "Hey man, how ya doin'?"

"Better. I need to see Jake."

"What's going on? Something wrong?" Trixie asked as Spud rushed out of the shop.

"What the hell, better go too," Trixie realized aloud as she dashed out the door to follow him.

Hearing this, Fu went to find Lao Shi, thinking 'The old man will definitely want to be there for this'. The only downside Fu could see was that he was about to lose a $100 bet with Lao Shi.

Jake sat in the living room explaining the situation to his mom. His dad was still nowhere to be found, and his mom needed to know about the fight, along with everything else that had happened. As he finished explaining Spud ran into the room.

"Jake!"

"Spud!" Jake leapt off the couch to embrace his friend, happy to see him awake and relatively undamaged.

Haley grinned from her 'hiding' place in the kitchen where her mother quickly joined her, knowing it would be best to leave the two boys alone.

"We need to talk, umm, sorry, I got some of your memories."

"What kind of memories?" Jake silently prayed to any being had the power that these weren't those memories. He then proceeded to mentally slap himself for being so stupid, 'Spud is safe, that's all that matters. So what if he has a few embarrassing memories of you or – oh no, if he knows.'

"Hey! Earth to Jake, you there?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry, what memories." Jake blushed, embarrassed even further by the fact that he was blushing. 'Oh my god, way to be lame Jake.'

Spud laughed at his best friend and decided to put him out of his misery. 'I really hope these memories aren't a plant or trick or – to hell with it,' Spud thought as he leaned in to kiss Jake.

Jake realized that he was being kissed by Spud a few seconds too late. Spud pulled away trying not to look worried. Jake realized his mistake and pulled them closer together returning the kiss. It was exhilarating, Spud moaned as he leaned into the kiss. 'Seriously, best first kiss ever.'

Minutes past, but they felt like seconds. They were distracted by a sudden flash. Coming up for air, they found themselves the subject of Haley's giggling and his mother's photography.

Trixie who had smartly entered through the back, avoiding the living room, had a hand over Haley's mouth trying to get her to quiet down.

Jake looked at his mom, worry clearly evident in his eyes. She smiled at him, appearing happy for her son, while attempting to hide the camera behind her back. This was an important moment in Jake's life, but she was worried about her husband's reaction.

Spud pulled Jake in for another kiss. 'If I'm hallucinating then I really ought to take advantage of the moment,' he thought while grinning inwardly, as his lips were otherwise occupied.

Jake's father picked this inopportune moment to return. He looked at his son, clearly still confused, and left the room. Jake's mother soon followed, hoping to change her husband's mind.

"He'll come around Jake, he just needs time, you know dad," Haley said in an attempt to comfort Jake. Knowing her words weren't working she needed some way to distract him. Well, Spud started doing a pretty good job of that, especially now that the guys' attention had returned to one another...

As Fu and Lao Shi entered the home, Haley's stomach took the opportunity to make itself known with a loud rumble. "Come on guys, lets make breakfast." Fu immediately went to join them in the kitchen.

Trixie looked at Jake, deciding to help Haley and lighten the mood a bit. "Yeah, maybe it'll stop them from making out."

The two girls looked at each other, knowing the full potential of teasing the guys had just opened themselves up to. 'All in good friendly fun, of course,' Haley thought with a downright sadistic grin.

Jonathan Long stepped outside, hoping that it would be more successful at clearing his mind than the his first attempt. 'First I find out that my kids are dragons and then this... I just don't know what to think.' He shook his head attempting to clear his addled brain. There were just too many thoughts and questions running through it for him to focus through the chaos.

"He may not show it, but Jake needs your approval," Susan said to her husband, interrupting his silent confusion.

He didn't respond and she looked towards her father for help, not knowing what to do. After the problems she had faced in her family accepting her own marriage, she couldn't bear to see it happen again to one of her own children! Resisting the urge to bash some sense into her husband's head she decided to go back inside.

Lao Shi stood next to Jake's father. He had known that once Jake acknowledged his feelings for his friend things would change within the family. In fact, he was surprised that no one had noticed before then. The boys could sometimes be quite obvious about it, you just had to observe them closely to see.

The tormented father sighed, "I just can't figure it out. It doesn't make sense, Jake has always been girl-crazy. Its just not normal!"

Lao Shi studied the conflicted man next to him. "Normal has never really applied to this family. Do not make the same mistakes I did." With those words he left the man to brood in relative silence.

Jake's father entered the room just as breakfast was almost finished. He looked at the happy family, friends included, and realized, that they weren't normal, and that – well, that was okay.

Seeing the nervous looks he got from Spud and Jake, he decided to address the issue directly. "As long as you're happy son, then I don't care who you're dating. I never want you to have to deal with what your mom and I went through. I'm sorry Jake."

And with that, things returned to normal, Jake grinning from ear to ear, clearly relieved. "Its okay Dad," he said as he went to hug him.

"So is there any food left for your poor old father?"

"Poor? Yeah right," Haley said, wondering if it would be a good time to negotiate for a higher allowance. 'Guilt is a useful negotiating tactic,' she thought preparing to attack.

"You do realize that in addition to Jake cleaning out our fridge we'll like have Spud over here too?" He asked his daughter, preempting her expected strike. Still, his mind struggled to grasp the budget necessary to feed both boys.