If you're not a fan of Lexa & Jesse, you probably won't enjoy the story.
While Shalimar & Brennan make occasional appearances, this is almost purely
J/L. Also, I'm pretty new to MX, so I may have gotten peripheral
characters wrong. I vaguely remember an interaction between Lexa and some
p.o.s. guy in the episode where her brother dies- Charles Carter. I've
elaborated on their relationship somewhat. Forgive me if I was totally
off.
Please note also that later chapters get rather smutty. Be forewarned.
Hearing someone beat the crap out of the unsuspecting punching bag at 4 in the morning was unusual enough for Jesse to go investigate. Walking in, he leans against the counter, observing Lexa Pierce take out her pent up aggression on the innocent object. She was like a sleek wolf- beautiful in part because one knew how much uncontrollable power she possessed. Before he began to feel too much like a voyeur, Jesse spoke- "What are you doing Lexa?"
Without glancing at him, Lexa continued to beat the bag mercilessly. "What does it look like Jesse? Go back to bed."
Grabbing a seat on the counter, Jesse continued to watch Lexa, captivated by the dangerous beauty. "I can't sleep."
"Need to burn off some energy? Grab a pair of gloves."
"You want to spar with me?" Jesse asked, incredulously.
"If the glove fits wonder boy."
Shaking his head, Jesse declined the invitation. "I think I'll pass."
"Probably a good choice," Lexa commented dryly as she practiced her round house.
"You thinking about anything or anyone in particular?"
Lexa didn't answer but lands eight kicks in a row, each deliberately placed. A timer goes off in the background and she backs away from the bag. She looks at him for the first time, her gaze gliding over his shirtless body as she took off her gloves. She makes quick work of a large Nalgene and plunges her hands into a waiting bucket of ice. Jesse notices then that there are three more empty bottles lying on the ground around the bag and counter. He hops off and starts to gather them. "Thanks Jess."
Nodding, Jess places the bottles on the counter. "How long were you at it?"
"A little over an hour." Pulling her hands out of the bucket, she grabbed some ice to rub down her shins.
Jesse grabbed a piece too, sat down across from her. He rolled up the right leg of her yoga pants and began icing her shin for her. "Any particular reason?"
Lexa watched him for a moment, debating whether to accept his help before answering. "I need a warm up."
Snorting, Jesse pointed out three already angry bruises on her legs. "For what, the Super Brawl?"
A smile slipped past the ever controlled brunet, and she shook her head. Finished with the ice, Lexa stretches and cleans up the room quickly, throwing her equipment in her locker to deal with later. She picks up a black duffle bag and swings it over her shoulder. As she closes her locker she looks over her shoulder at Jesse who was standing there expectantly.
"Where you going?" Jesse rubbed a hand thru his hair, a tell that he's nervous.
"I've... got a few things I need to do." She pulls a black vest out of the bag and zips up.
Watching her leave, Jesse jogs to catch up. "You want company?"
Looking him over, she stops for a moment. She runs a finger up and down his arm- if Jesse didn't know better, he would have sworn she was flirting with him. "If I let you come with, it will have to be our little secret."
Swallowing, Jesse nods.
Pulling a pocket watch out of her vest pocket, Lexa purses her lips. "You have three minutes to get dressed. You'll need shoes. I'll meet you in the kitchen."
As she heads to her room, Jesse stands there feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Without glancing back at him, she calls out, "Two and a half minutes left Jesse." The trance broken, Jesse does his best Tom Cruise ala Risky Business and runs to his room to get dressed.
Exactly two minutes later, he finds her already waiting in the kitchen. She nods to a mug of coffee. "For you. Two milks, two sugars."
He smiles, surprised that she knows how he takes his coffee. "Thanks."
She nods and pours something out of the blender into a 32 oz novelty cup from Wrigley Field. The raspberry colored drink barely fit into the cup, but Lexa finished the whole thing in less time than it took her to pour it.
"Work up a thirst?" Jesse looked at her in amazement.
"Something like that." She looks down at his feet at his new sneakers. "Those made for walking or show?"
"They'll get me from the Helix to wherever we need to go."
Putting the dishes into the sink, Lexa shook her head. "We're not taking the Helix."
"Just exactly where are we going? Should I be carbo loading to?"
She shrugs, pulls a Snickers bar out of the fridge and tosses it at him. "If you like. That should take care of the hunger inside you."
"Should we leave a note?"
"No need, we should be back by the time anyone notices. Look, do you want to come or not?" Taking his nod as a yes, Lexa relented a little. "I've done this a bunch of times since I got here and none of you has noticed before," she offered as if in explanation.
Curious, Jesse asked, "How often do you do this?"
"I don't really keep track," Lexa replied as they walked out of Sanctuary and into the clearing behind Sector C. She pulls a vest like her own out of her bag and hands it to him. "Here, put this on. And these," she adds as she passes him a pair of sun glasses.
"Lexa, the sun isn't even up yet."
"Just put them on Jesse."
Instantly he realizes that they're not sunglasses at all, but are equipped with night vision technology. "Where are we going again?"
"Springfield."
"Wait, that's like a four hour drive from here."
Putting on a pair of sunglasses of her own, she smiled. "Well, I guess we better pick up the pace then eh?" She starts to jog ahead. Turning around and running backwards, she waves at Jesse to follow. "Come on Jesse, it won't be as bad as all that, I promise. Just trust me, okay?"
Shaking his head, Jesse starts after her. When he catches up, they fall into a comfortable pace. After about ten minutes, he gets the nerve up to ask her a question. "Explain to me why we can't take the Helix?"
Something in her vest beeps and she stops him. Pulling out her watch, she flips the face up and for a split second he sees that the watch is more than a simple antique. "If we took the Helix, I'd have to explain the mileage for one, and more importantly we'd be easy to track. I like to think of these trips as an exercise in staying under the radar."
He gives her a look that lets her know he thinks she's crazy, and she smiles again. Stepping closer to him, she wraps her arms around him and asks, "Do you trust me Jesse?"
"Of course I do Lexa, you know that. I'm here, aren't I?" Hesitantly he wraps his arms around her, not sure where the conversation is going.
"Good, because I'm going to share something with you now that I've never shared with anyone. Not the Dominion, not Leo, not anyone. I'm trusting you to keep this a secret Jesse- you can't tell anyone about it."
"I... I don't know what to say."
Smiling that cryptic smile again, Lexa laughs. "Just hold on wonder boy."
Suddenly the world becomes a blur, the only thing that registers with Jesse is that Lexa is by his side, her arms wrapped around him, laughing. Twelve seconds later, things come back into focus. Lexa's arm's drop from around him and he stumbles back. "What the hell was that? Where are we?"
"What are the properties of light Jesse?" Lexa asks, resting against a large rock, watching him take in their sunlit surroundings.
"What- you mean- that's not possible. That's not on your profile."
"I don't exactly advertise it. It takes a lot out of me. I'm going to feel like shit unless I get something to eat right now."
"Where are we?" Jesse's amazement was evident.
"Springfield, Scotland, in Her Majesty's Commonwealth."
"You're telling me we just traveled at the speed of light?"
"Ehh, more or less. I haven't actually run the numbers in a lab. Hey, you still have that Snicker's? I'm feeling a little dizzy. I've never brought someone with me before."
He tosses her the candy bar and waits quietly while she eats it. When she's finished, he offers her a hand up, which she takes. "You okay?"
"I'll be fine. Let's go get some lunch."
He follows her into a small town and into a little café attached to a bed and breakfast. He watches as Lexa exchanges greetings with the locals, asking about their children and grandchildren with a perfect Scottish accent. When they enter the café, the manager motion to a table with a perfect view of the river and Lexa sends her a grateful wave.
After the waitress brings them some tea, Jesse begins to ask Lexa questions quietly. "How do you know these people?"
"I come here from time to time when I need to get away. I started the year I put Leo in the... when I tried to get him treatment. I have a cottage up the road, but I haven't spent as much time here as I'd like."
"How did you find this place?"
Lexa sips her tea. "A friend of mine, from a long time ago, used to talk about this place. So one day, I came."
"Don't they wonder how you get here?"
"They don't ask any questions, I don't give them any explanations." Their food comes and they eat in silence. Occasionally Jesse notices Lexa's eyes following a young boy as he races thru the café playing with his toy soldiers. A few people stop by to say hello to Lexa, and she greets them warmly and with sincere affection. She introduces Jesse to them as her friend, and while that raises a few eyebrows, everyone smiles and treats him kindly.
As they finish eating, church bells ring in the distance. The little boy's mother comes out of the kitchen carrying a birthday cake. Lexa smiles as the boy claps, and stands to leave. She leaves twice what the bill came to, and motions for Jesse that it's time to go.
When they exit, Lexa links her arm thru his and chews on her lower lip. He glances down at her. For a moment, he thinks she's about to cry, but just then a woman calls to them from across the street, and Lexa waives. The woman gestures them over, and they cross the street. Jesse smiles thru yet another set of introductions, and nods hello at the appropriate time and place in the conversation. The woman hands Lexa a bag full of pastries, which Lexa tries to decline, but graciously accepts. Jesse watches silently, amazed at this side of Lexa he's never seen before.
When they exit the store, Jesse takes her hand and gives it a tight squeeze. They walk along together quietly until they've left the little village behind. Jesse releases her hand and wraps it around her shoulders, giving silent comfort to her. He's not sure why, but he knows she's close to tears. Without a word she starts to sob. Jesse takes her in his arms and rocks her gently, rubbing her back.
The world slowly blurs, and a few moments later, he realizes they are back home. With amazement, he watches her deliberately replace each brick of the wall that separates her from the team- from him. Though he doesn't know why, he feels he understands her desperate need to build that wall a little better. She takes off the vest and the glasses, and he does the same. He folds them for her and puts them in the duffle, which he carries back to Sanctuary for her.
It goes without saying that they will not speak of what has transpired, between themselves or with others. As they enter Sanctuary, Jesse sneaks a peak at Lexa. He almost begins to question whether the whole thing happened at all. Outwardly, she does not reflect a thing.
They find Brennan and Shalimar eating breakfast. Tucking her hair back, Lexa opens the fridge, with a simple "Hey" in greeting.
Noticing how Jesse's eyes follow Lexa, Shalimar asks, "Where've you to love birds been?"
Lexa rolls her eyes and pours herself a glass of milk without bothering to ask if he wanted one as well. Jesse pulls the pastries out of the duffle and offers them to her. She takes them from him with a quiet "Thank you." Their hands touch for a split second, and Jesse knows she is thanking him for much more than the simple gesture. She takes the pastries out of the brown bag and places them on a plate. There are four pastries and four of them. She puts the plate on the table and takes a seat. Jesse sits down next to her.
Brennan reaches for one without thinking, and Shalimar slaps his hand away. "What?" he asks, oblivious to his breach of etiquette.
Lexa smiles and shakes her head, indicating that it's alright. "No, no- go ahead, please. There's enough for all of us."
Brennan gives Shalimar a victorious look, and takes one. They each take one, and Lexa offers a toast. "To the team."
Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa clink glasses while Jesse offers his fist as a substitute. Lexa hands him hers and gets up to pour another. Smiling, he says, "Thanks for sharing."
Their eyes meet, and Lexa nods. "Just don't get used to it." Her tone is light, but her eyes are not.
Please note also that later chapters get rather smutty. Be forewarned.
Hearing someone beat the crap out of the unsuspecting punching bag at 4 in the morning was unusual enough for Jesse to go investigate. Walking in, he leans against the counter, observing Lexa Pierce take out her pent up aggression on the innocent object. She was like a sleek wolf- beautiful in part because one knew how much uncontrollable power she possessed. Before he began to feel too much like a voyeur, Jesse spoke- "What are you doing Lexa?"
Without glancing at him, Lexa continued to beat the bag mercilessly. "What does it look like Jesse? Go back to bed."
Grabbing a seat on the counter, Jesse continued to watch Lexa, captivated by the dangerous beauty. "I can't sleep."
"Need to burn off some energy? Grab a pair of gloves."
"You want to spar with me?" Jesse asked, incredulously.
"If the glove fits wonder boy."
Shaking his head, Jesse declined the invitation. "I think I'll pass."
"Probably a good choice," Lexa commented dryly as she practiced her round house.
"You thinking about anything or anyone in particular?"
Lexa didn't answer but lands eight kicks in a row, each deliberately placed. A timer goes off in the background and she backs away from the bag. She looks at him for the first time, her gaze gliding over his shirtless body as she took off her gloves. She makes quick work of a large Nalgene and plunges her hands into a waiting bucket of ice. Jesse notices then that there are three more empty bottles lying on the ground around the bag and counter. He hops off and starts to gather them. "Thanks Jess."
Nodding, Jess places the bottles on the counter. "How long were you at it?"
"A little over an hour." Pulling her hands out of the bucket, she grabbed some ice to rub down her shins.
Jesse grabbed a piece too, sat down across from her. He rolled up the right leg of her yoga pants and began icing her shin for her. "Any particular reason?"
Lexa watched him for a moment, debating whether to accept his help before answering. "I need a warm up."
Snorting, Jesse pointed out three already angry bruises on her legs. "For what, the Super Brawl?"
A smile slipped past the ever controlled brunet, and she shook her head. Finished with the ice, Lexa stretches and cleans up the room quickly, throwing her equipment in her locker to deal with later. She picks up a black duffle bag and swings it over her shoulder. As she closes her locker she looks over her shoulder at Jesse who was standing there expectantly.
"Where you going?" Jesse rubbed a hand thru his hair, a tell that he's nervous.
"I've... got a few things I need to do." She pulls a black vest out of the bag and zips up.
Watching her leave, Jesse jogs to catch up. "You want company?"
Looking him over, she stops for a moment. She runs a finger up and down his arm- if Jesse didn't know better, he would have sworn she was flirting with him. "If I let you come with, it will have to be our little secret."
Swallowing, Jesse nods.
Pulling a pocket watch out of her vest pocket, Lexa purses her lips. "You have three minutes to get dressed. You'll need shoes. I'll meet you in the kitchen."
As she heads to her room, Jesse stands there feeling like a deer caught in the headlights. Without glancing back at him, she calls out, "Two and a half minutes left Jesse." The trance broken, Jesse does his best Tom Cruise ala Risky Business and runs to his room to get dressed.
Exactly two minutes later, he finds her already waiting in the kitchen. She nods to a mug of coffee. "For you. Two milks, two sugars."
He smiles, surprised that she knows how he takes his coffee. "Thanks."
She nods and pours something out of the blender into a 32 oz novelty cup from Wrigley Field. The raspberry colored drink barely fit into the cup, but Lexa finished the whole thing in less time than it took her to pour it.
"Work up a thirst?" Jesse looked at her in amazement.
"Something like that." She looks down at his feet at his new sneakers. "Those made for walking or show?"
"They'll get me from the Helix to wherever we need to go."
Putting the dishes into the sink, Lexa shook her head. "We're not taking the Helix."
"Just exactly where are we going? Should I be carbo loading to?"
She shrugs, pulls a Snickers bar out of the fridge and tosses it at him. "If you like. That should take care of the hunger inside you."
"Should we leave a note?"
"No need, we should be back by the time anyone notices. Look, do you want to come or not?" Taking his nod as a yes, Lexa relented a little. "I've done this a bunch of times since I got here and none of you has noticed before," she offered as if in explanation.
Curious, Jesse asked, "How often do you do this?"
"I don't really keep track," Lexa replied as they walked out of Sanctuary and into the clearing behind Sector C. She pulls a vest like her own out of her bag and hands it to him. "Here, put this on. And these," she adds as she passes him a pair of sun glasses.
"Lexa, the sun isn't even up yet."
"Just put them on Jesse."
Instantly he realizes that they're not sunglasses at all, but are equipped with night vision technology. "Where are we going again?"
"Springfield."
"Wait, that's like a four hour drive from here."
Putting on a pair of sunglasses of her own, she smiled. "Well, I guess we better pick up the pace then eh?" She starts to jog ahead. Turning around and running backwards, she waves at Jesse to follow. "Come on Jesse, it won't be as bad as all that, I promise. Just trust me, okay?"
Shaking his head, Jesse starts after her. When he catches up, they fall into a comfortable pace. After about ten minutes, he gets the nerve up to ask her a question. "Explain to me why we can't take the Helix?"
Something in her vest beeps and she stops him. Pulling out her watch, she flips the face up and for a split second he sees that the watch is more than a simple antique. "If we took the Helix, I'd have to explain the mileage for one, and more importantly we'd be easy to track. I like to think of these trips as an exercise in staying under the radar."
He gives her a look that lets her know he thinks she's crazy, and she smiles again. Stepping closer to him, she wraps her arms around him and asks, "Do you trust me Jesse?"
"Of course I do Lexa, you know that. I'm here, aren't I?" Hesitantly he wraps his arms around her, not sure where the conversation is going.
"Good, because I'm going to share something with you now that I've never shared with anyone. Not the Dominion, not Leo, not anyone. I'm trusting you to keep this a secret Jesse- you can't tell anyone about it."
"I... I don't know what to say."
Smiling that cryptic smile again, Lexa laughs. "Just hold on wonder boy."
Suddenly the world becomes a blur, the only thing that registers with Jesse is that Lexa is by his side, her arms wrapped around him, laughing. Twelve seconds later, things come back into focus. Lexa's arm's drop from around him and he stumbles back. "What the hell was that? Where are we?"
"What are the properties of light Jesse?" Lexa asks, resting against a large rock, watching him take in their sunlit surroundings.
"What- you mean- that's not possible. That's not on your profile."
"I don't exactly advertise it. It takes a lot out of me. I'm going to feel like shit unless I get something to eat right now."
"Where are we?" Jesse's amazement was evident.
"Springfield, Scotland, in Her Majesty's Commonwealth."
"You're telling me we just traveled at the speed of light?"
"Ehh, more or less. I haven't actually run the numbers in a lab. Hey, you still have that Snicker's? I'm feeling a little dizzy. I've never brought someone with me before."
He tosses her the candy bar and waits quietly while she eats it. When she's finished, he offers her a hand up, which she takes. "You okay?"
"I'll be fine. Let's go get some lunch."
He follows her into a small town and into a little café attached to a bed and breakfast. He watches as Lexa exchanges greetings with the locals, asking about their children and grandchildren with a perfect Scottish accent. When they enter the café, the manager motion to a table with a perfect view of the river and Lexa sends her a grateful wave.
After the waitress brings them some tea, Jesse begins to ask Lexa questions quietly. "How do you know these people?"
"I come here from time to time when I need to get away. I started the year I put Leo in the... when I tried to get him treatment. I have a cottage up the road, but I haven't spent as much time here as I'd like."
"How did you find this place?"
Lexa sips her tea. "A friend of mine, from a long time ago, used to talk about this place. So one day, I came."
"Don't they wonder how you get here?"
"They don't ask any questions, I don't give them any explanations." Their food comes and they eat in silence. Occasionally Jesse notices Lexa's eyes following a young boy as he races thru the café playing with his toy soldiers. A few people stop by to say hello to Lexa, and she greets them warmly and with sincere affection. She introduces Jesse to them as her friend, and while that raises a few eyebrows, everyone smiles and treats him kindly.
As they finish eating, church bells ring in the distance. The little boy's mother comes out of the kitchen carrying a birthday cake. Lexa smiles as the boy claps, and stands to leave. She leaves twice what the bill came to, and motions for Jesse that it's time to go.
When they exit, Lexa links her arm thru his and chews on her lower lip. He glances down at her. For a moment, he thinks she's about to cry, but just then a woman calls to them from across the street, and Lexa waives. The woman gestures them over, and they cross the street. Jesse smiles thru yet another set of introductions, and nods hello at the appropriate time and place in the conversation. The woman hands Lexa a bag full of pastries, which Lexa tries to decline, but graciously accepts. Jesse watches silently, amazed at this side of Lexa he's never seen before.
When they exit the store, Jesse takes her hand and gives it a tight squeeze. They walk along together quietly until they've left the little village behind. Jesse releases her hand and wraps it around her shoulders, giving silent comfort to her. He's not sure why, but he knows she's close to tears. Without a word she starts to sob. Jesse takes her in his arms and rocks her gently, rubbing her back.
The world slowly blurs, and a few moments later, he realizes they are back home. With amazement, he watches her deliberately replace each brick of the wall that separates her from the team- from him. Though he doesn't know why, he feels he understands her desperate need to build that wall a little better. She takes off the vest and the glasses, and he does the same. He folds them for her and puts them in the duffle, which he carries back to Sanctuary for her.
It goes without saying that they will not speak of what has transpired, between themselves or with others. As they enter Sanctuary, Jesse sneaks a peak at Lexa. He almost begins to question whether the whole thing happened at all. Outwardly, she does not reflect a thing.
They find Brennan and Shalimar eating breakfast. Tucking her hair back, Lexa opens the fridge, with a simple "Hey" in greeting.
Noticing how Jesse's eyes follow Lexa, Shalimar asks, "Where've you to love birds been?"
Lexa rolls her eyes and pours herself a glass of milk without bothering to ask if he wanted one as well. Jesse pulls the pastries out of the duffle and offers them to her. She takes them from him with a quiet "Thank you." Their hands touch for a split second, and Jesse knows she is thanking him for much more than the simple gesture. She takes the pastries out of the brown bag and places them on a plate. There are four pastries and four of them. She puts the plate on the table and takes a seat. Jesse sits down next to her.
Brennan reaches for one without thinking, and Shalimar slaps his hand away. "What?" he asks, oblivious to his breach of etiquette.
Lexa smiles and shakes her head, indicating that it's alright. "No, no- go ahead, please. There's enough for all of us."
Brennan gives Shalimar a victorious look, and takes one. They each take one, and Lexa offers a toast. "To the team."
Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa clink glasses while Jesse offers his fist as a substitute. Lexa hands him hers and gets up to pour another. Smiling, he says, "Thanks for sharing."
Their eyes meet, and Lexa nods. "Just don't get used to it." Her tone is light, but her eyes are not.