Title: Wouldn't That Save You?
Summary: Post Leap of Faith. "I'm broken. And you can't fix me." Stopping Jessi from jumping was simple. Teaching her, fixing her – saving her? Not so. Determined to help Jessi, Kyle isolates them and attempts to train Jessi while uncovering the reason for Adam Baylin's sudden reappearance. Sparks fly and the future will be rewritten. AU
Pairing: Eventual Kessi
Rating: T to be careful
Spoilers: Up to 2x13 – Leap of Faith
A/N: Lookie! Another story. Fox8 is currently rerunning Kyle XY and I came across this little scene at the end of Leap of Faith and naturally my mind formed another what if scenario. For those who are glaring at me I apologise for the lack of updates but I've been a little busy with year 12. But! The next week is pure holidays up the coast, ergo hello nothing by writing all day!
Enjoy! Oh and this will be a multichapter story exploring this alternate timeline where the following occurred. I really loved this end scene and the song, "Save You" by Matthew Perryman Jones. Kudos to those who can pick up the references to the song in this chapter!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the altered timeline.
Chapter One: Wouldn't That Save You
So, help me decide
Help me to make up
Make up my mind
Wouldn't that save you?
- Save You, Matthew Perryman Jones
Jessi Hollander, as she was known to others was scared. Scared shitless. Her legs were trembling and she could feel her heart beat out of synch to its normal rhythm. The small, dark room only added her uneasiness. Cement walls surrounded them; a strong disinfectant smell had permeated into the surroundings and was accompanied by the steady beeping to her left.
Tilting her head ever so slightly, Jessi's dark curls parted to reveal the monitor. Numerous coloured lines ran across the screen and occasional spikes interrupted the unbroken lines. It could have been considered beautiful. That is, if it didn't fill the teenager with fear.
But enough of that now. Jessi returned to her gaze to Kyle. Oh Kyle. The eager do-gooder, whose innocence gnawed at her heartstrings. Why did he have to be so good? It unnerved Jessi slightly how easily she came undone after one look into his dark eyes. And there he was doing it again. Just perfect – cue sighing. Shaking herself out of her inner monologue, Jessi walked around the edge of the table. Each footstep echoed throughout the small area and hours seemed to pass until she came to rest.
"Open your mind and focus." Kyle's timbre tone reached her ears and Jessi swallowed thickly.
Placing a hand onto the man's – Adam Baylin as Kyle had commented, arm she started slightly. It was cold. She raised her head and took a deep breath, gazing across the comatose body to land on Kyle; the blue light causing an ethereal glow to surround his down at his outstretched hand, Jessi slowly – painfully so, reached out and interlaced her fingers with boy wonder across from her.
Said boy released a breath, silently allowing the oxygen to escape his lips before mingling into the cold atmosphere. Heart hammering within his chest, Kyle tightened his grip on Jessi's slim fingers. This was his leap of faith. Looking for the best in people hadn't served him greatly as of late and yet he couldn't help but ignore the worse in the girl before him; despite the arguments from his family. She was broken and he could fix her. The trouble was did he have the right tools? Was Jessi Hollander simply too broken to fix? He hoped not.
Tightening his grip once more Kyle turned his focus to the man, his father in all intents and purposes, who lay immobile before him. He needed him. Why had their journey lead them to an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere? He needed Adam to guide them forwards. And so he cleared his mind and opened his heart, praying to find a connection.
Connections.
They seemed to be integrated into his life at the moment. His connection to Jessi, Madacorp's connection to Zzyzx and Taylor's connection to Foss. But this was one connection that Kyle couldn't, and wouldn't let slip away. Focusing his mind once more, Kyle strengthened the pathway with Jessi's help and waited for a whisper. A whisper of conscience to emerge.
A sudden impact caused his face to tighten and his mind to flinch. Something wasn't right. A second powerful impact, one that broke through his defences followed by another occurred. An exchange of energy followed and Kyle mentally gasped as Jessi reached into his mind and connected. Another connection. One that caused doubt and uncertainty to form. This wasn't right.
Rapid and chaotic beeping, shrill tones sounded vaguely in the background but Kyle was focused solely on the whisper that emerged from Adam. There it was the conscience that he had fought so hard to find.
"Kyle stop, she's betrayed you."
Eyes snapped open and met. Jessi flinched at the intensity in Kyle's eyes. That voice, it had ruined everything. Either that or saved everything. She wrenched her hands from the warm embrace and glanced around the room, her memory of their predicament returning and the hysteria within her rising. She couldn't help herself. Despair quickly began to fill her being and a dry sob died in her throat. She could never help herself. She had to get out.
"No." The hysteric cry was quickly followed by her rapid footsteps and the young teenager bolted from the room.
"Jessi."
Kyle's sympathetic tones chased after her and Jessi took a sharp turn, vaulting out the door in an attempt to escape from her actions. Regret and guilt fuelled her flight, legs pumping rapidly and flying across the forest floor; down the overgrown path that had lead them to the wretched house. Forage struck at her from both sides; even nature seemed to hate her. Join the club she thought bitterly. A club that had included herself since before she could remember.
"Jessi wait!" Kyle's footsteps sounded after her. No. Jessi gritted her teeth, loathing and hatred empowering her senses and spurring her feet onwards. She had to escape. She couldn't take this much longer. Her deep breaths and rapid blood pumping through her body echoed in her ears. He was getting closer. Emerging into the clearing Jessi redirected her body towards the torrent water cascading down the cliff. It was her way out.
A hand grasped onto her right shoulder, followed by a sudden increase in pressure that caused Jessi to halt and exclaim in surprise. A body twisted over her and anger flowed through her at Kyle's appearance. Taking a stance Kyle held his hands out, fingers splayed in an attempt to calm the erratic girl before him. A growl escaped Jessi's lips and she bolted forwards, weaving and trying to barge past the intruder. Left, right, right, left. Her every movement mirrored before her while Kyle robotically blocked her path.
Spinning around in desperation, fear filled the teenager once more when he appeared again. Why couldn't he just let her go? Her hysteria began to build again and she wrenched her body around, stumbling slightly when Kyle grasped her shoulder. Rage and frustration blinded her vision and Jessi took a swing.
Again and again she tried, only to be foiled by Kyle's agile movements and counterattacks. The fight itself resembled a dance, each partner matching perfect with the other and neither landing a blow. Her assault halted suddenly when Jessi's hand impacted his body. A brief pause followed and Kyle looked at the girl before him in slight disbelief. Similar feelings enveloped Jessi before common sense regained its rightful place.
Her wild attempts at contacting Kyle resumed. Her palm jerked out in front of her, slim fingers circled in an attempt to reach his throat. A cold hand enclosed upon her wrist. Thrusting forward her right arm, Jessi tried again only to meet the same fate.
"Why are you running?"
His shattered face was her undoing. The puppy dog eyes, the betrayal clouding his eyes and the disbelief etched into his face caused Jessi to stumble back, dry sobs finally escaping her throat. Couldn't he see? She was a monster. An evil creature that manipulated others. A cynical laugh bubbled out of her mouth. She lacked empathy and had no remorse.
"I did it. I got into your head. When you tried to connect with Baylin I took what they wanted me to." To hear the words flow from her lips caused something deep within her to recoil in shame and anguish pumped around her body.
"The information. Why did you take it?" Kyle advanced on her and Jessi could feel her heart break at the look still donned upon his face. The betrayal. He finally understood. No one could help her.
"I couldn't help myself." She was broken beyond repair, dangerous, crazy and hurt everyone around her. Why couldn't he see that? Blind rage engulfed her senses once more.
It was his fault. All of it.
Her teeth clenched together and her hands curled into tight fists. Her nails forced tiny imprints to appear in her skin. He had known her mission, what Madacorp wanted and yet done nothing! Instead of running he practically forced her into his mind. Instead of quenching her thirst, he had all but drowned her in the irresistible liquid of his conscience.
"You shouldn't have trusted me." Jessi turned and sprinted to the edge, the gravel unbalancing her slightly.
"NO!"
Her feet left the ground and she felt the wind begin to flow past her….. before a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and dragged her back.
Kyle yanked her body backwards, the added force causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the ground. The gravel dug into their exposed skin and for a moment, one brief moment their eyes locked. The moment quickly passed. Jessi attempted to stand, struggling to release herself from Kyle's tight grip. Jerking to and fro, she pushed and pulled against his strong arms; trying to reach the edge.
"Let me go!" Her animalistic cry caused the birds nearby to take flight in fear. Kyle's grip tightened slightly and he pulled the teenager into him, wrapping his arms around her body. Punches to his chest followed and steadily decreased until Jessi's body stopped jerking. Sobs began to wrack her body. Gentle fingers began to thread themselves through her brunette hair and Kyle placed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Jessi its ok. It's going to be alright."
"No it's not." The crying continued and she half-attempted to escape from the embrace before collapsing fully into Kyle's warm body. "I'm broken. And you can't fix me."
The fingers retracted and Kyle sat up suddenly, startling Jessi. Gently pulling her upwards, he placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to turn and face him. A soft smile graced his lips and he brushed away the tear tracks with his thumb. Their eyes locked and Jessi managed at watery smile.
"Don't think that way." He held her gaze before pulling her into a second embrace. Kyle protectively wrapped his arms around her frail body. "We're in this together." He murmured into her soft hair. Jessi altered her posture slightly to face him again.
"Help me decide. Help me to make up mind." She whispered softly, tilting her head upwards to look into his warm eyes. Pulling herself up to rest upon her knees Jessi held his gaze. "I can't be two people. I need to control myself. I did all those horrible things, I can't be saved."
Kyle raised a hand and tucked a strand of errant hair behind Jessi's ear. "I'll teach you. The same way Adam Baylin taught me." He kept eye contact with her. "Wouldn't that save you?"
Jessi nodded, allowing a small smile to appear before shifting and leaning back once more into Kyle. Arms resuming their previous position, Kyle allowed the calm to slowly wash over him. This was the beginning. He couldn't go back to the Tragers, not with Jessi still under the influence of Madacorp's tampering. No, he would save her. They were safe here, off the beaten track and no one would come looking for them. Here he could help her.
A sudden uncertainty filled Kyle and his eyebrows furrowed.
Would his family understand? And more importantly, what if Foss was right? What if Jessi was born bad? The argument of nature vs. nurture was famous and yet here, Kyle was afraid of the outcome if nature won the battle. Glancing down at the peaceful girl before him, his face softened and he leaned down slightly to rest it against Jessi's dark hair. That bridge would be crossed when they came to it. For now he would take the peacefulness for what it was, a gift. Kyle's eyes slowly fluttered close and his arms tightened, shielding Jessi. He would save her. He had to.