Chapter Twenty: Going Back

"Well, I'm glad to hear you two made it out there safely! Give me another call once you've gotten a bit more settled. Love you, sweety!" Rachel's forced cheerful disposition faded quickly after she hung up from the phone call with her son.

She often found herself wandering aimlessly through the house now that Phoenix was gone. It was all too quiet, and it made her feel restless. For the last several years she had coveted those brief moments where she could get some work done without music blasting from the room, shouts and laughter from the backyard, or a door slamming somewhere or another, but now she felt that she couldn't being to concentrate without them.

All-in-all it ended up making her decision much easier. Of course she would be going to Shang Simla to see the International Sim Fu Competition. How could she not take this chance to reunite with the father of her child? She sat down to make the appropriate reservations, full of anticipation.

Despite waiting until the last minute, Rachel had been able to get a room in the same hotel that she had stayed at on her last trip and, as she arrived, she paused at the spot where she had said goodbye to Zhan. She had tried hard not to let herself think about her time with him once she realized that she wasn't going to get a reply to her letter, but being here now brought the memories back in a rush. It all seemed just like it had on that day so long ago, and for a moment it felt as if she could turn around and see him standing there beside her, a soft smile lighting up his deep brown eyes, ready to take her into his arms.

But no, he wouldn't know that she was here yet, she would have to find him at the dojo, where he would be coming to view the competition.

Of course he wasn't there, either, but the first round of the competition didn't start until tomorrow, so Rachel wasn't put off. She did find out, however, that they were still accepting last minute enrollment in the amateur division, which she qualified for. She eagerly signed up, and spent the afternoon practicing.

This was where she had met Zhan, but her skills had improved significantly since then. She remembered how he had stopped her from hurting herself on the balsa board, but now it presented no obstacle.

Nor did the oak, which she dispatched of quickly and cleanly.

The stone on the other hand...

As she held her throbbing palm, she felt a creeping doubt beginning to rise in her stomach. When she had decided to practice board breaking there had been a part of her that had expected to relive their first meeting - Zhan jumping in to rescue her before she ambitiously charged ahead past her ability.

That was silly, though, she admonished herself as she ate dinner at one of the local restaurants a while later. This wasn't some fairy tale or romance story where things like that happen. She would find Zhan tomorrow at the tournament, or, if not, he would see her when she was in the spotlight for her match and he would find her. It would all work out quite practically.

She repeated this assurance to herself the next day, when she arrived again at the Phoenix Martial Arts Academy and couldn't spot him in the crowd.

She was certain that he must be out there watching as she bowed before her competitor, and resolved to put up a good fight just for him, even if she was up against someone nearly half her age.

She won her match, but just barely, and not with enough points to qualify for the next round. But Rachel didn't mind, the bout had served its purpose and Zhan was sure to have noticed her.

To keep herself occupied while she waited for him to seek her out, she continued to practice while the competition went on, making sure to position herself near the entrance to the grounds so she could keep an eye out in case he missed her while coming or going.

When she became too tired to exercise any longer she moved to the chess board instead, although she spent more time staring out at the crowds in the field below than at the game.

She stayed until the Academy closed for the night before dragging herself back to the hotel, exhausted.

She followed the same pattern the next day, and the day after that, only leaving the grounds to eat or sleep, until the tournament was over and it was time to go home.

Rachel stood at the base of the stairway that stretched up to the hotel, hoping one last time for Zhan to appear, but it was no use. She had been wrong, he hadn't come to the international competition, and there was nothing more to be done.

Finally returning home, she stood in the driveway, dreading the silence that would greet her within. She couldn't stand the idea, so instead she took out her phone.

"Hi, Sahil? Yes, it's Rachel... I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner?"

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So, I basically decided that I didn't want to decide whether or not Rachel and Zhan got back together, so I figured I'd send her to China and, if they ran into each other at the martial arts academy I'd hook them up, if not, that was that. And, well, you've seen what happened. That doesn't necessarily mean that Zhan won't ever come back into the story, but I haven't made any plans for it at this point.

Rachel participated in the competition because, shortly before she left, she got an opportunity to win a sparring match in Shang Simla, which makes that the final opportunity of her opportunist roll, even if it's technically gen 2 now and I didn't have to worry about that anymore. It's going to be kind of sad leaving her behind, as she won't be as big a part of the story any more, but it's also kind of exciting to think about the future for Phoenix and Sadie. They were actually still living with Rachel at the time I took the pictures for this, but they're moved into their new home in Meadow Glen now, and getting started with their careers, which you'll learn more about next chapter!