The Burning Embers
"Never promise more than you can perform."-Publius Syrus
Chapter 1
"What's goin' on here?"
Jimmy looked to Yves determined to follow her lead. Yves could see Jimmy out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her.
"Agents, what can we do for you?" asked Yves calmly, her British accent slightly more pronounced than usual.
"You can start by tellin' me what's goin' on here," demanded John Doggett.
They all looked around the main room of the Lone Gunmen headquarters. It was filled with white boxes. Other than that it was empty. Not that there was ever much there after Langley, Byers, and Frohike had gone broke trying to locate and rescue Yves. John had a sneaking suspicion that if he searched the entire place he would find nothing, that everything was pack away in these boxes. Yves and Jimmy were going somewhere.
"We're relocating," explained Yves eying the boy between Agents Reyes and Doggett cautiously.
"What were you planning on doin'? Sendin' us a postcard after you left?" John tried to keep the anger out of his voice but he couldn't. He was angry. Everyone he could trust and depend on was leaving-Mulder and Scully and now Jimmy and Yves. Who would be next? Monica? The thought of losing her too was more than he could handle right now and he pushed that thought aside. Yet he thought, with the X-Files probably being closed and reassignment probable, she may not have a choice.
Monica reached out and put a gentle hand on John's arm at once calming and reassuring him. She was with him and they had urgent business.
But before Monica could say anything Jimmy chimed in angry, protective. "Those men are still after Yves. We need to find a safer location. We're still," Jimmy's voice broke for just a second, "we're still going to continue the guy's work. We're still here to help."
Monica nodded. "We're grateful for that because we do need your help. Mulder and Scully's lives are in danger. We need to warn them. But it's too dangerous to take Gibson with us. He's," they all turned to look at Gibson who steadily continued to look at Yves and Jimmy. "He's...," but Monica couldn't bring herself to say what Gibson really was: a miracle, a psychic. She believed it, but to convince them was another matter and she just didn't have the time. "The same people who are after Mulder and Scully are after him. They want him but if they can't have him they will kill him. We need people we can trust to look out for him, to keep him safe until we get back and can find something more permanent."
Despite his seemingly calm outward appearance, Yves could see the fear in his eyes. It was sad to see it in one so young. She knew what it was like to be hunted, always hiding, never knowing who to trust, always fearful they would find you, break you, bend you to their will.
But this was not her decision alone. She looked to Jimmy, although she already knew his answer. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and then she turned her gaze back to the agents. "We'll take care of him. When we get to our new location, we will contact you. After you get Mulder and Scully to safety, we can make arrangements for Gibson's."
John and Monica nodded their thanks. Monica turned to Gibson and put a smile on her face that she hoped was reassuring. "You're going to be okay, Gibson. These people will protect you until we get back."
Gibson could only nod, disbelieving but grateful for the sentiment. He knew those men would never stop until they found him. And as much as he was grateful for Monica's pure and genuine sentiment, knew that she, her partner, and these two, would try their best, he felt they would be unable to perform that which they had promised. People had often made promises that he would be safe, promises they always wound up being unable to keep.
"Never promise more than you can perform."-Publius Syrus
Chapter 1
"What's goin' on here?"
Jimmy looked to Yves determined to follow her lead. Yves could see Jimmy out of the corner of her eye, waiting for her.
"Agents, what can we do for you?" asked Yves calmly, her British accent slightly more pronounced than usual.
"You can start by tellin' me what's goin' on here," demanded John Doggett.
They all looked around the main room of the Lone Gunmen headquarters. It was filled with white boxes. Other than that it was empty. Not that there was ever much there after Langley, Byers, and Frohike had gone broke trying to locate and rescue Yves. John had a sneaking suspicion that if he searched the entire place he would find nothing, that everything was pack away in these boxes. Yves and Jimmy were going somewhere.
"We're relocating," explained Yves eying the boy between Agents Reyes and Doggett cautiously.
"What were you planning on doin'? Sendin' us a postcard after you left?" John tried to keep the anger out of his voice but he couldn't. He was angry. Everyone he could trust and depend on was leaving-Mulder and Scully and now Jimmy and Yves. Who would be next? Monica? The thought of losing her too was more than he could handle right now and he pushed that thought aside. Yet he thought, with the X-Files probably being closed and reassignment probable, she may not have a choice.
Monica reached out and put a gentle hand on John's arm at once calming and reassuring him. She was with him and they had urgent business.
But before Monica could say anything Jimmy chimed in angry, protective. "Those men are still after Yves. We need to find a safer location. We're still," Jimmy's voice broke for just a second, "we're still going to continue the guy's work. We're still here to help."
Monica nodded. "We're grateful for that because we do need your help. Mulder and Scully's lives are in danger. We need to warn them. But it's too dangerous to take Gibson with us. He's," they all turned to look at Gibson who steadily continued to look at Yves and Jimmy. "He's...," but Monica couldn't bring herself to say what Gibson really was: a miracle, a psychic. She believed it, but to convince them was another matter and she just didn't have the time. "The same people who are after Mulder and Scully are after him. They want him but if they can't have him they will kill him. We need people we can trust to look out for him, to keep him safe until we get back and can find something more permanent."
Despite his seemingly calm outward appearance, Yves could see the fear in his eyes. It was sad to see it in one so young. She knew what it was like to be hunted, always hiding, never knowing who to trust, always fearful they would find you, break you, bend you to their will.
But this was not her decision alone. She looked to Jimmy, although she already knew his answer. Their eyes met for the briefest of moments and then she turned her gaze back to the agents. "We'll take care of him. When we get to our new location, we will contact you. After you get Mulder and Scully to safety, we can make arrangements for Gibson's."
John and Monica nodded their thanks. Monica turned to Gibson and put a smile on her face that she hoped was reassuring. "You're going to be okay, Gibson. These people will protect you until we get back."
Gibson could only nod, disbelieving but grateful for the sentiment. He knew those men would never stop until they found him. And as much as he was grateful for Monica's pure and genuine sentiment, knew that she, her partner, and these two, would try their best, he felt they would be unable to perform that which they had promised. People had often made promises that he would be safe, promises they always wound up being unable to keep.