Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X, although I often wish I did! Any similarity between this story and others is unintentional.
AN: I just watched Sign From Above and I thought Jesse deserved a little break. I'm also taking the opportunity to do a little more Emma development. Please R&R.
Glory Days
Prologue
"Lemme buy you a drink," the rumpled thirty something man said insistently as he grabbed the arm of a pretty blonde who was waiting for her order. Jesse could hear the slurring of the man's voice even over the thumping of the club's music. Jesse sighed and looked back over at his teammates to make sure they were still waiting at the table. He had been in line nearly 10 minutes now, waiting to order some drinks. It was the first night out for Mutant X since Ashlocke's messy demise and they were determined to enjoy it. Even Adam had come along for the ride.
Jesse had his suspicions as to why Adam had chosen to join them this evening, but as long as the man didn't expect them to work, he was willing to leave them unvoiced. Brennan caught his eye and nodded to show that the others knew Jesse was going to be a bit. Jesse grinned and shrugged. It was a popular club and he wasn't surprised at the wait. Jesse turned back to the bar in time to see the drunk pull the unwilling blonde into a slobbery embrace. The woman shoved ineffectually at the man who was trying to force her into a kiss.
"Well, that's uncalled for," Jesse muttered under his breath. He pushed his way forward in the line, ignoring the complaints and a few insults that came from the others who had been waiting almost as long as he had. He kept his eyes on the bar, waiting to see if one of the harried waitresses or bartenders would come to the woman's aid. He appeared to be the only one aware of the problem.
Jesse laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "Joe!" he exclaimed, as if he had just found a long lost brother. "How long's it been?" With his other hand he gently pushed the blonde woman out of the way. He gave her a wink as he turned the drunk's attention away from her. She threw him a grateful smile, collected her drinks and hurried off into the crowd. Jesse spent a few minutes convincing the man that they knew each other. He even managed to get in his drink order. As soon as the bartender, prepared his drinks, he said goodbye to 'Joe' and promised to keep in touch. The bartender gestured to one of the waitresses to help him get the order to his table.
She brushed a lock of her dark hair out of her chocolate brown eyes and smiled tiredly at him. "I saw what you did for that girl," she said as they waited for the waitress to grab a tray. "That was neatly done. Not everyone would have gone out of their way like that. I was getting ready to call over a bouncer, but your way was definitely quieter than that would have been, and I just wanted to thank you."
Jesse smiled back at her. "No problem," he glanced around at the crowd. "My friends and I had heard that this place was popular, but that seems to have been an understatement. Is it always this packed?"
"On the weekends, yes. Ah, here's your server. Well, enjoy the rest of your night!"
Jesse made his way back to the table to find the girls had left Brennan to guard it alone. "Shalimar and Emma didn't want to wait. They drug Adam out to dance, but they should stop back in soon. What was going on with that drunk guy? Did you know him?"
Jesse took a moment to fill Brennan in on the story. His teammate chuckled. "We're supposed to be relaxing and good Sir Jesse still has to play the knight in shining armor. Did you get the blonde's number?" Jesse just rolled his eyes and handed Brennan his drink as the two men waited for their teammates to return.
Shalimar and Emma managed to convince their teammates to stay almost until closing time. It was a very tired, but very relaxed group who made their way back to Sanctuary that night. With a few yawns each of them retired to their respective rooms and settled in for a good night's sleep.
The Game Begins
Somewhere, in a dimly lit room, a phone rang. A grubby hand picked it up. "Hello?" the man answered gruffly. On the other end, he heard a feminine sigh.
"The time is set. You start tonight with the target you were shown. Can you complete the mission?"
"For the money you're paying me, I should hope so."
"I'm not asking for hope. I am asking you to confirm that the mission will be completed as I ordered."
"Look, lady, you worry about the money. I'll worry about bringing you the stiff's head."
"I trust you're speaking metaphorically. I want no witnesses and no proof but that which we have already discussed. I'll contact you tomorrow with the drop off point."
"I'll be here." Without another word, the woman hung up on him. The man brushed graying hair out of his eyes with a hand that only shook a little. This would be his opportunity to get back in the game, if he didn't screw it up. He pulled a crumpled photo out of his pocket and smoothed it against the night stand. He peered intently at the figures. The photo was dark; even with a flash a camera didn't do a great job in a crowded and smoky night club. Four figures were captured fairly well; a young man with dark blonde hair and dark blue eyes, the pretty brunette bartender, a young blonde curvaceous twenty something, and a rumpled looking drunk man. The would be assassin traced his grubby fingertip over his victim's head. "Yeah, I'll be there."