A/N: I do not own Ninjago. All I own are my characters and this storyline.
Alex and Jen Hartidge. Trainees at the Temple of Spinjitsu. After their father became gravely ill, they returned to their family to grieve. Their widowed mother unable to loo...
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"So, when did you say Alex's birthday was, again?" Nya asked Jenny. The two of them were walking through town together, looking for something for Alex's birthday. It was about a week after Cole's birthday.
"I didn't," Jen replied lightly. "Because I don't know." Nya glanced at her in surprise.
"How can you not know your own sister's birthday?" Jenny shrugged.
"She changed the date every year," she responded. "Until none of us could remember when it was." Nya laughed.
"Sounds like Alex. What're you gonna get her?" Jen smirked at that, pushing open the door to a knick knack shop.
"I'm glad you asked," she told her, then turned her attention to the old man with short, dark silver hair and glasses, who was sitting behind the counter. "Yo, Roberto!" The man, Roberto, raised his head, pushing his glasses back up his nose to see them properly.
"Ah, Jenny," he greeted her. "And who is this young lady with you? I don't recognise her."
"This is Nya," Jen replied. "Nya, this is Roberto."
"It's nice to meet you." Roberto smiled.
"And you. Alex's birthday again?" He knew it changed every year and simply wasn't bothered. He was like Wu, in that he just wasn't phased by anything: he watched everything happen while eating popcorn/sipping tea/whatever suggested he was amused by it.
"Yup," Jenny responded, popping the 'p'. "Got any dragon ornaments, by any chance?" Yes. Very specific. But Alex adored dragons.
"They're right over there." He gestured with his walking stick, and Jen went over to have a look through them. Nya stayed to talk to him.
"Actually, I was looking for something for Alex, too." Roberto smiled again.
"Have a look around," he told her. "See what takes your fancy." Nya thanked him, and began to browse. There was silence in the shop, for a while. Then Jenny picked out a dark purple dragon ornament, with silver scales and intelligent onyx black eyes.
"She's gonna love this." She whispered, more to herself than the others. Carefully, she took the ornament into her hands and laid it on the counter. "Just this, please."
"That will be two pounds fifty." Jen handed over the money, glancing over her shoulder at Nya as she did so.
"Found anything yet? I can pay."
"No thanks, I'm good," Nya replied. "And yeah. Think she'll like this?" She held up a small fox ornament, with the same onyx eyes as the purple dragon. Jenny smiled.
"Yeah," she responded lightly, taking back her own gift from Roberto after he'd wrapped it. "Thank you." The old man inclined his head in acknowledgement, then turned to serve Nya. Jen waited by the door, lost in a daydream about the coming Autumn Gala on the 20th. This time, she'd be in the midst of it, rather than standing at the edge and watching. It was both a thrilling and terrifying thought. Sure, she loved the attention, the reassurance that she hadn't been forgotten by everyone just yet. But.....wasn't that dangerous? If you were standing at the edge, you could see what was coming before anyone else. Even if they did forget you for a while.
Meanwhile, Alex was sitting with Cole on the temple wall. They were sharing babysitting stories about Jenny and Lloyd.
"I told Lloyd to go get batteries," Cole was saying. "Batteries! That was all he needed to get. But he came back with a twelve foot inflatable dolphin." Alex smiled.
"I know what you mean," she replied evenly. "I turned my back on Jen for a second. When I looked back, she'd found two more dogs and a demon duck." He laughed at that.
"I'm not sure who has the worse influence," he told her. "Jenny, or Lloyd."
"Probably Jen. She always was kinda carefree."
"That's one word for it." Just then, Nya's car pulled up outside the temple, and Nya and Jen jumped out.
"Hiya, Cole, Alex!" Jenny waved up at them.
"Hey, Jen and Nya."
"Al, I think I found you someone," Jen addressed her, tossing her phone up. Alex caught it and looked at the picture. "He's not bad looking."
"Hm," Alex hummed in thought. She didn't seem very impressed though. She swiped to the next photo. "Oh, she's cute."
"Her name's Sofia," Jenny replied lightly. "She's his sister. Want me to get her number?"
"Sure." Alex responded.
"Hey, shall we go in?" Nya asked. "I think Jay's cooking lunch."
"Who's babysitting?" Alex questioned her warily, as they made their way into the temple.
"Last I checked, it was Kai." Cole answered instead.
"Kai is babysitting Jay?"
"Um, yes?" Nya replied hesitantly.
"He is slightly more sensible than Jay," Jenny allowed. "But I can babysit Kai!" She skipped off to the kitchen without waiting for an answer, leaving Alex, Nya and Cole behind. Alex groaned.
"We're doomed."
The next day was Alex's appointed birthday. She walked into the kitchen to find everyone already waiting for her.
"Hey, Al!" Jen greeted her cheerfully, and handed over her present. "Happy birthday!" Alex smiled and opened the gift.
"Hey, thanks." Then the other Ninja came forward with their gifts. Before the day had finished, Alex had got a silver and purple knife from Lloyd, some muffins from Cole, a black t shirt with a silver dragon on it from Jay and a cooking set from Zane. Kai, as hapless and stupid as he was, had bought her a Kai doll. Jen and Wu tried not to smile at the sight of it.
"Wow...." Alex commented evenly, and set it aside. Jenny shared a glance with Lloyd, biting her lip to stop her grin from forming.
"Anyone wanna play Minecraft? Alex?" Lloyd asked then, changing the subject before his best friend lost it.
