Recalled to Life... Ch.1 (Part 5)
By Pearl/Bean

Liz came out of a café with her and Chun-Li's drinks. Liz remained uneasy around the Chinese ex-Interpol agent, *She's been wearing that look for the past two days!* She remembered hearing Chun-Li do her fireball attack from afar and even felt a large amount of energy coming from the front where Chun-Li ended the robbers. She looked Chun-Li again sipping her drink. Liz remembered that lost, blank look on her face; she displayed it the day she quit Interpol, also. It was the face Liz knew all too well and dreaded to see that look on her bestfriend. "Chun-Li…" She began slowly, "The holidays are coming up and I'm going back to America to visit my aunt and uncle for Christmas." Chun-Li only nodded. "Chun, I'd like you to come with me… to the States. You need a break from all your training and fighting." Chun-Li thought to herself, *I don't need a break. I need to train more. My power is gone!* -But something in her decided otherwise. "Yes," Chun-Li said softly as she decided to get her mind off the Kikoken, "I do need a break."

Moments later, the two were busily talking about their trip. "So where does your uncle and aunt live?" "My uncle lives in Los Angeles, but we can't stay with him because he only has an apartment. My aunt has a house a little larger. We'll have to squeeze in, but it's worth it in the long run." "So your aunt lives in Los Angeles too. Hmm, I've heard so much about that city. It must be a great place." "It is, but she doesn't live in Los Angeles." "Oh, where?" "San Francisco." Chun-Li stopped and thought. *Ken! Ken lives in San Francisco.* "What is it?" Liz asked. "Oh, my friend… my friend Ken from the tournaments. He lives there." "Cool, maybe you can give him a call." "Oh, I don't have his phone number or street address. -And gawed knows how many Masters are in the phone book." "Yeah Chun, right up there with Smith, Jones and Lee," Liz mentioned sarcastically. Chun-Li sighed, "Fine, maybe I can get his number and address from Ryu."

~~~ A week or two later in the United States ~~~

Chun-Li, Liz, and her aunt cruised down the golden gate bridge in the pheonix red convertible rental car. Chun-Li had her hair in her two buns and enjoyed the breeze against her face. Liz was driving and her aunt was in the back with her daughter. They were on their way to pick up Liz's uncle in law who happened to run a dojan downtown. Liz tried to talk to Chun-Li over the radio, "Chun! What about your friend that live in San Francisco?" "What?!" Chun-Li said trying to listen. "Your friend that lives in San Francisco!" "What?!" "Oh, nevermind!" They arrived to the dojan seeing students of all ages, races, and sizes leaving.

Liz's aunt and daughter hopped out of the car and hurried in. Liz and Chun-Li took their time. Chun-Li was confused on Liz taking her time to see her uncle in law that she hasn't seen for almost two years, "Aren't you anxious to see him? After all, he is family." "-By marriage," Liz said flatly. Chun-Li decided to leave it at that and walked in first with Liz following. She quickly saw trophies everywhere from tournaments that she never heard of. She looked at one huge one, "2nd place?! I wonder what the 1st place trophy looked like?"

"Obviously bigger and better," a male's voice said from the entrance of the dojan. She knew that voice. She spun around seeing Ken Masters resting against the door. She shrieked, "Oh my gawed!" She ran up and hugged Ken. Ken smiled at his old friend he met through tournaments. Liz was confused. Chun-Li saw Liz's face, "Oh Liz, this is Ken Masters. That guy that I was talking about that day we went shopping." Liz nodded understanding, "Oh, so it's a good thing you don't like to run up and hug total strangers." She grinned and shook hands with Ken. Ken returned her hand shake and looked at Chun-Li, "So, how have you been? How's Hong Kong?" Chun-Li, feeling a huge monologue coming on, decided to cut it short, "Oh, it's been quite peaceful now. Atleast since I quit Interpol." "Yeah, I heard about that." Chun-Li nodded, "Master Gen and I are co-running a dojan. Actually he's running most of it. I'm his trainee still." "You? -But you are one of the best fighters in the world and the strongest woman in the world." Chun-Li grinned at the compliment, but then she remembered that night at the message parlor and shrugged in response.

"So where are you staying?" Liz decided to respond to that question, "Oh she's staying with me at my aunt's and uncles." "Yeah," and another male voice said sarcastically, "You know how Liz likes to run us down in the holidays," Her obvious uncle said. Liz glared back ignoring his response. Ken took that response seriously, "Well, Chun-Li, why don't you and your friend come stay with me and Eliza. We'd love the extra company." Chun-Li and Liz were shocked. Liz's uncle was delighted. "Oh, I can't possibly do that," Liz quickly said, "Thank-you, but this is the holidays and I'd like to spend it with my family." Her uncle made a face and walked off. Chun-Li already felt imposing on Liz's family.

She didn't want to impose on Ken's family, "I-I shouldn't accept. It would be too rude and such short notice. Your wife, she probably would also-" "Ryu is already there," Ken said interrupting Chun-Li's sentence. Chun-Li was shocked, "Ryu? Here? How'd he get here?" "By plane," Ken said. "By plane? -But he hates flying." "I know, he just got back from his last tournament. He was talking about visiting China and Hong Kong to see you and Master Gen. I'm sure he would like to update you two on his tournament." "How is he? Did he get hurt badly?" Chun-Li felt something different when those words escaped her mouth. For some reason she didn't mean to say them. Ever since she talked with Ryu that night before their duel and she told Ryu she trusted he would beat Bison, she's always looked at him differently. She admired him, yes. She wished that motivation he had was hers. She would freely admit she wish she could be like Ryu. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out," Ken said.