Taking Control. (a Ninjago fanfic)

Chapter 75- Like Family

C O L E

I woke to sunlight.

Not a battle. Not a scream. Not the shattering of glass or the crackle of corrupted lightning.

Not to a broken leg, or a bruised face. Not to the smell of smoke or the yells of terrified people.

It was really nice, actually. To wake up naturally.

Just sunlight, bleeding gold over the wooden floor of the monastery, warm across my face. It didn't feel real, at first. Like someone had placed it there just to trick me.

But it was real.

We were ok.

I sat up slowly, joints protesting from the curled up position I'd been sleeping in that night.

I could hear the faint clutter of breakfast making in the kitchen- probably Zane and Pixal cooking together.

My ribs ached a little bit from the fight, but it was definitely getting better. I think I'd broken about 3, but they seemed to be healing well.

I could hear murmuring from further up the corridor, and recognised the soft sighs that Lloyd made when he was tired, and the fed up muttering Nya does when she wakes up.

We were all still here.

Still breathing.

And—after everything— still ok, I hope.

I let myself sit with that for a minute. Just watching the way my chest rose and fell in slow, steady rhythm. The feeling of the duvet between my fingers. The way the sunlight illuminated the dust particles floating in the air.

If you'd told me two weeks ago that I'd ever be able to rest like this again,I would've laughed in your face and then probably cried about it later.

But here we were.

"G'morning," a quiet voice murmured, followed by a soft knock on my door.

Jay.

He opened the door, hobbling towards my bed, one hand against the wall for balance. He looked pale, bruised, worn out in every way a person could be—but his eyes were clearer this morning.

Less haunted.

"Hey," I said, jumping out of bed automatically to help him stay steady. "You good?"

"Define good," he muttered, with a small grin.

"Not dead."

"Then yeah. Pretty good." The lighting ninja winked with a sparkle in his eyes.

"Any nightmares tonight?" I asked gently, scanning his face for any change of emotion.

Jays never been a good liar.

His eyes darkened slightly, and his smile tightened. "No." He managed to get out, trying his best to make me not suspect anything.

But oh Zaptrap, I know you better than you know yourself.

"Zane and Pix are cooking pancakes."

"Well what are we waiting for?" I murmured, knowing fully well that he didn't want to speak about it. And I wouldn't force him to.

I rushed forward,my stomach already rumbling in anticipation.

"We're waiting for me, dirtclod!" He choked, stumbling without my aid.

I scrambled back and grabbed his arm before he fell, hooking it over my shoulder and edging him forward.

He laughed, and that made me happier than I had been in a while.

~~~

"Jay," Nya said gently, placing a mug in front of him. "This has about three spoonfuls of honey and shitloads worth of ginger. Don't fight me on it."

He gave a lopsided smile. "Not planning to."

We were sitting at the table, waiting for Zane and Pix to bring the food out.

Rue walked in, rubbing her eyes blearily.

She was in one of Nya's old hoodies, sleeves swallowed past her hands, hair messy and unkempt. She looked... well, a little less like someone who'd been dead recently.

She was upright. Walking. Breathing.

And smiling, of course.

"I'm hungry."

As if summoned, the kitchen door swished open and Zane stepped in, carrying two plates like a waiter at a five-star café. Behind him, Nya followed with mugs of something warm and way too caffeinated, and Lloyd stumbled in last, yawning like he was personally offended by the concept of morning.

Rue stretched and joined us at the table, her hair nearly dragging on the floor, one sock missing, but smiling. Genuinely. And no one said it out loud, but I could feel it—we all felt it.

Relief.

Real, breathing, unspoken relief.

Across the table, Kai shoved a piece of toast into his mouth and mumbled something about the chicken knocking over a glass last night.

Jay laughed, a genuine, happy laugh.

Something in the air cracked open.

Softened.

We ate together like we always had. Nobody flinched. Nobody looked at Jay like he was dangerous. Rue leaned her head against his shoulder at one point and muttered, "You make a good headrest you know. Soft shoulders"

He gave a tired laugh. "Thanks?"

"Compliment," she said, eyes still closed.

Breakfast lasted longer than it needed to, mostly because no one wanted to move. The food was warm. The chairs were safe. And nobody had any bombs to defuse, shadows to fight, or worlds to save.

Eventually, Nya and Lloyd made their way to the living room, the faint sound of a cartoon theme song drifting back into the kitchen.

Rue followed after them, throwing the massive fact out that she doesn't know what a Tv is, and Lloyd gasping and telling her that she's been missing out. Kai was next, rubbing at his face and muttering something about needing to lie down in front of a screen for at least three hours.

That left me and Jay.

He stayed at the table, still slowly working on his tea, the mug cradled between shaky hands.

"You okay?" I asked, not pushing—just offering.

He was quiet for a second. Then he looked up at me.

"I think I'm getting there."

That was enough.

I clapped him gently on the back, careful not to hit any bruises, and stood.

"C'mon," I said. "Cartoons are calling. Zane's banned from picking the show this time."

Jay chuckled but shook his head slowly. "I'll be there in a minute, let me just finish this god awful tea." he grimaced in distaste as he took another sip.

I nodded, grinning, and left the room, turning back to tell him to just chug it down instead of making himself suffer with tiny sips.

And I walked toward the living room.

I could hear Lloyd and Nya arguing about what to put on. Pix sighing, Wu scolding them for not being more mature.

Just like the old times.

Just like two months ago, before this whole mess started.

Together.

Like always.

Like family.