Thicker than Water (Sequel to Bloodthirsty)

Chapter Two

"Jay, my student..." Sensei approached with a weak smile. "It has been far too long. I almost did not recognize you."

Jay shook his head slowly, still stunned. "I- I can't believe you two are safe, a-after the attack, and-"

Wu placed his staff on Jay's shoulder. "That is in the past. We must focus on the future." He patted Lloyd's shoulder and stared ahead. "How is your daughter?"

"My- how did you know about...?"

"Your eyes reflect that of a tired father... and Nya was pregnant when Lloyd and I left, so I assumed it was your child."

Jay blushed, embarrassed, before nodding. "Yeah, um, she cries a lot. Nya's better at taking care of her than I am." He glanced at Lloyd, who was standing quietly with his hands behind his back. "You look different, Lloyd. Older. Has it really been that long...?"

Wu shook his head. "Lloyd had an encounter with Tomorrow's Tea. It aged him up a few years, but it was to his advantage. Soon he will face his father." Lloyd nodded along solemnly, staring into the distance. He looked so... tired.

Jay had completely forgotten about Garmadon and everything else. "So it's decided, you really are the green ninja..." He smiled softly at Lloyd. "You're gonna do great things."

"Thanks." Lloyd mumbled. It was odd to hear his voice slightly deeper than it was before.

Jay changed the subject and looked to Wu. "I don't live too far from here if you guys want to come over. It's really no trouble at all, but, uh..." He closed his bag tighter. "We don't exactly have any food..."

Wu waved his hand. "That's alright, my student, I only wish to see you and Nya again." He turned to Lloyd and smiled. "And of course we wish to meet the new baby."

Jay smiled and led them back to the house. "I'm letting you know now, she's a crier. The baby, not Nya. Which reminds me, I'm going to let Nya know you guys are here." Opening the door, he tossed the bag in and rushed towards Nya.

"Jay? You're back early..."

He held her by the waist and bit his lip. "Sensei and Lloyd are here and coming in the house. We need to keep everything a secret- I don't want him to know about anything."

Nya held up a hand. "Say no more. Go ahead and let them in, I'll tidy up."

Jay nodded and went back outside to invite their two guests inside. Both Wu and Lloyd surveyed their surroundings, smiling a little at their cozy family home. "We do our best to clean up around here. Nya should be around here somewhere..."

Right on cue, Nya walked inside the living room with a pitcher of water. "Sensei, Lloyd!" She grinned, careful to hide her fangs, and placed the pitcher on a nearby table. She rushed towards them and hugged them both tightly. "I missed you so much... Lloyd-" She pulled away and studied the young Garmadon. "You look different."

Lloyd's eyes snapped up from Nya's chest and focused on her, blushing. "I, uh, tomorrow's tea... and so do you... but, I mean, you look good." When Nya rose a brow at him, he pointed at her head. "You changed your hair. It's longer."

"Ah, uh, anyways..." Nya smiled awkwardly and turned to Sensei. "Where have you two been all of this time? It's been so long..."

"We've mostly been in hiding in Birchwood Forest." Sensei answered. "In the bunker where Zane and his father lived." He looked down sadly, twisting his staff. "After what happened, however, I often ponder what the correct sacrifice would have been- protecting my nephew and the green ninja, or staying on the Bounty and protecting my students from Oblivion."

Oblivion. The name sent chills down Jay's spine and the guilt from unleashing the monster upon his friends felt like a punch to the stomach. Desperate to escape Sensei's watchful eye, he held Nya's waist and motioned that he was going to feed the baby. As he left, he heard Sensei whisper to Nya.

"I am sorry. I should not have mentioned that name so freely."

Nya responded quickly. "N-No, please don't worry Sensei, we've all been thinking the same thing." She drew in a sharp breath and added, "Perhaps it's about time we begin talking about it..."

Closing the door behind him, Jay covered his eyes and felt his face grow hot with shame and anger. Why would Nya say that? She knew how he felt when it came to talking about Oblivion, especially after all that had happened because of him.

And then again, Jay thought, scooping his baby into his arms, maybe there was some good that came out of the whole ordeal. He filled the baby's bottle with more blood and let her drink. "Jeez, you sure were hungry." He laughed softly, watching the baby suck the blood until her bottle was completely empty. He cleaned her up and carried her to the living room. "Come on, Jay Junior, I think Sensei Wu wants to meet you."