Bound Souls

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 25 (Calm Before the Storm)

"Honey?" Trina awoke to Jason calling from the kitchen. She threw on her pink robe and hugged it tight while making her way to him. He was standing amid a pile of boxes and scratching his head. "I know we moved some of your stuff in last night, but I don't remember all these." She curled her lips up and made her way over to the coffeemaker, which had already been turned on.

"That's because you were half asleep when we made the last trip, and Dad helped bring over some of the extra stuff." The aroma of coffee dazzled her nostrils and ensnared her. Her forearms slid over her stomach and she leaned forward, breathing in the smell. "Folgers."

She watched him step over a box and remove two mugs from the pantry above his counter. Trina grabbed the pot and carefully poured the drink into the cups. "So, I guess we should start unpacking?" Trina returned the pot to its proper place and took one of the mugs, holding it carefully with her hands wrapped around it.

Jason smiled at her and moved the mug to his lips. He was holding his cup with the handle. "Yeah." Trina positioned her mug just beneath her nose and hummed with satisfaction. "Where do you say we start?"

"How about right here?" She leaned back against the counter, standing hip to hip with Jason. Her eyes closed and she carefully sipped the warm liquid. It was strong and bold, just the way she liked her coffee. "Do we have creamer?"

"Yep." He put down his cup and turned around. She looked up as he opened the cabinet above the coffeemaker. There were several containers of creamer, each a different flavor. "Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, hazelnut…" He pulled down the one that said caramel macchiato and bounced his eyebrows. "You like caramel, right?"

"Love it." She extended the mug and thanked him as he poured a bit of the creamer in. She kissed his cheek, then brought the drink to her lips. He returned the creamer and grasped the edge of the counter while peering at the boxes on the floor.

It was a difficult task to move while having to deal with freeing Beck and the others, but she didn't see much of a choice. Beck brought up wanting her to raise their child, and she accepted after talking to Jason and her father about it, so they wanted to get all of the unpacking done now while they had a chance.

"So what's going on with Beck and the others now?" He picked up his mug and brought it level with his chin. His left hand pushed into his pocket and his thumb hung over his leather belt. "Are you planning on releasing Robbie, or doing the group séance?"

"The group thing will have to wait." She wanted to do that now, but it would be best to do it once Ahriman was dead. The problem was planning, there was no telling when the man would strike, but they were well aware he was waiting for Jade to deliver that child. "Apparently the baby's going to be premature, but we don't know when."

"Could he be planning on going after Robbie and Jade at once?" Trina leaned back and frowned as Jason sipped his drink. They hadn't quite considered that outcome, but it was likely. "How do you guys plan on keeping him from going after Jade?"

"I don't know." She lowered the mug to waist level and meshed her eyebrows together. "Beck was talking about bringing the fight to Ahriman then. Ahriman's going to be there, waiting, but Robbie has to be out of the picture first." Jason emitted a soft hum and tilted his head back. "We'll probably lead the ghosts to Ahriman starting in that room, not giving him a chance to take Jade. God knows that hospital is filled with dead."

"Will he anticipate an attack?"

"He might, especially if I'm there with Janan and Melinda."

"So…" He sipped his drink and turned towards her. "Don't be there." Trina raised an eyebrow and crinkled her nose at him. How could she lead an attack and not be at the place they needed to be? "Ahriman is terrified of ghosts, correct?"

"Yes."

"That one guy that crossed over, Ray, wants to help come back to lead that charge. Why not summon the guy and have him pull the hospital ghosts into a concentrated area so Ahriman doesn't feel he's at risk. While that happens, you and the other mediums can rally the city ghosts to be ready outside the hospital if he runs out of there, or at his base if he attempts to transport there. Wherever he ends up, the rest of us close in on him."

She felt her heart skip, then reached up to his face, cupping her hand around his cheek. His eyebrows rose as she kissed him on the lips. "You know how much I love you?" It was the best idea she'd heard all this time, and of course, she didn't think it would be too necessary to group the city ghosts anywhere else. "That's a genius idea, but bear in mind that a spirit can do things ghosts can't. Summoning Ray over to fight, he'll be able to immobilize Ahriman, making it impossible for the reaper to simply transport away-he'll be forced to stay where he is…"

"Even better."

"Yeah!" She snapped her fingers and paced to the right, gesturing with her hand. "While he's trapped by Ray and the hospital ghosts, we can start bringing the city ghosts in. He won't stand a chance." Her eyes flew to his and she bounced on her toes. "The idea is brilliant, Jason!"

Their doorbell rang suddenly and Trina flinched. She glanced to the right and frowned. "Expecting anyone?" She did not want to be in her robe when they had guests. Much less not with the way she looked, her hair was still a mess and she didn't have her morning makeup on. "I'm not even dressed."

"Nah, I'm not expecting anyone." He wasn't much better. Jason had morning stubble and an unbuttoned red shirt hanging over a white tee that was tucked into his long jeans. "Let me see what this is about." She followed him out to the living room and sighed when he opened the door. Mr. Sikowitz was standing outside, looking slightly distressed and nervous. "Uncle Sikowitz?"

"Jason, hi." Sikowitz clapped his hands together and smiled as he studied the boy. "It has been a while." The teacher looked past him and smiled at Trina. "And Miss Vega, you're looking wonderful this morning."

"That's not saying much." She chuckled sorely and stepped beside Jason. "So what brings you here? Are you just dropping by? Come in." Sikowitz nodded and entered slowly. "We weren't expecting visitors."

"Yeah, I'm sorry for the intrusion. I hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"You didn't," Jason replied. The man walked to the couch and Trina followed him, then sat beside him. Jason draped his arm out behind her on the couch and she leaned forward, setting the mug down on the coffee table. "What's up, Uncle?"

"Well, part of me did just want to see you." Sikowitz fell back on the recliner with a heavy sigh and stretched his arms out on the armrest. "How is Peggy, by the way?" Trina leaned sideways against Jason and looked up at him. Jason smiled back and shrugged.

"Mom's doing fine. She and Dad are thinking of moving back here from Texas. I guess my being here made up their mind, who knows."

"If they do, great." Sikowitz crossed his leg and bent his arm upwards. His forefinger pushed up the skin on his left temple and his brown scarf trembled as his shoulders dropped. The man's eyes drifted to the right and he shook his head slowly. "I've missed seeing my sister. Knowing that we may be allowed to cross over after all is hitting home, but I imagine Peggy has no desire to see her brother?"

"I'm sorry." Jason frowned and shook his head. "You and Mom might have been mediums but she denies it, so she doesn't even acknowledge you're still around. She doesn't want to, it's too much."

"I guess I understand." He lowered his hand and chuckled. "Still, she raised a good son." Jason closed his eyes and his smile grew. Trina moved her left hand across her body and placed it over Jason's, giving his hand a subtle squeeze. She placed her head on his shoulder and looked out at Sikowitz.

"How are you feeling about what's coming?" She asked the teacher. Sikowitz perked his head up and opened his mouth in a circle. The man's forehead creased and he closed his lips before shaking his head. "You're depressed?"

"I'm frightened, to be honest." Sikowitz raised a hand and circled it in the air. "I gave my life protecting those kids, trying to save them, but I find that I could very well have survived had I just stayed in there. Hell, had I stopped Damian from reaching into that pack, those bombs would have never gone off…" The man brushed his hand over his mouth and furrowed his brow. "But then I think to myself, all of us that were lost in the explosions, we have an entire year. It's painful to watch everyone being taken away, so what do I say other than I'm glad that Beck managed to get ahold of you."

"Well he needed help, all of you needed help."

"And desperately." Sikowitz lowered his hand and closed his eyes. "We'd all be lost without that." The man's eyes opened and his fingers swept through his beard. "But I didn't come just to talk about this, there's something else…Being a dead medium, I can't do what you do, but there are certain things that I do have."

"Oh?" She lifted her head and crossed her legs. This was interesting, but she didn't want him doing anything that might cause problems for him or anybody else. It was best that he leave it to Beck and the mediums. "What is it?"

"I can see things. Kind of like premonitions, but not quite. I know when something's going to happen but I don't know what's going to happen." She'd never heard of this, and certainly if a living medium were able to achieve such a feat, Janan and Melinda would have mentioned it.

The teacher heaved forth a heavy sigh and dropped his hand to his knee. "I know when Miss West is going to have her baby." Her heart stopped and her hand flew over her mouth to cover a gasp. If this information were accurate, then they could certainly plan things a step ahead of Ahriman. "I think, I just think that if I can have a chance to save them when I failed them before-"

"What do you mean failed them before?"

"The students that died in my classroom, Miss Vega. I didn't stop Damian in time." Sikowitz's voice broke and he began to tremble. "I couldn't stop the killer, and Damian took a few pauses…a few crucial pauses where I froze up. I might have been able to save Miss West, and I think…I think this vision is my chance to save her this time."

"You couldn't have known," Jason reassured, "No one would know how they'd react in that situation. It's not wrong that you froze up. You didn't fail them then, and you won't now." Sikowitz chuckled dryly and Jason moved his arm from behind Trina to cross it over his chest. "You said you think you saw when Jade's going to have her baby?"

"Yes." The teacher pointed to a calendar on the wall. His bushy eyebrows sank over his eyes and his lip corners embedded into his cheeks. "May 21st. May 21st at dawn." Trina clutched her chest and looked suddenly at Jason.'

"That's just two days from now," Jason muttered, "You're sure about this?"

"Positive." Sikowitz rose and balled his hands up. He looked sternly into Trina's eyes and his nostrils spread open. "Don't let Ahriman take that girl." The man bowed his head and slanted his eyes. "I stood there, watching in horror as Damian approached her from behind. Arms reach, his gun was in arm's reach, and he stopped. He stopped for ten seconds while Beck pleaded for him not to shoot-I could have grabbed the gun. I could have stopped him. I was a coward."

Jason rose with a sigh and walked over to his uncle. "You were no coward." Trina was in awe of him as she watched Jason pat the teacher's shoulder and gaze upon him with compassion. "You were scared, as anyone would be, but you did your best. Your actions, whether you realize it or not, saved lives. Maybe it didn't save Jade or Beck, but you saved lives…What about that girl that you escorted out of the school? Lucy? What happened to her?"

Sikowitz smiled as tears ran down his cheeks. "I heard she became a prosecutor in another state. She's got a successful life, a family, and…well…I suppose she is doing well."

"See?" Sikowitz fell back into the recliner and Jason knelt beside the chair. Jason put his hand on Sikowitz's forearm and continued to maintain eye contact with the man. "You got her out. You saved the lives of other students in your class, and I know from research that you helped usher other students and faculty out those doors before going back in for Mr. Oxford…I don't think anybody can fault you for anything. You were a hero, Uncle-and honestly, an inspiration to me whenever I heard mom talk about you." A glimmer of pride shot through Sikowitz's eyes and the teacher's lips curved into a bright smile.

"I-I'm an inspiration? Really?"

"Yeah." Jason looked over his shoulder and smiled at Trina before glancing back. "You know, Uncle? I used to grow up wanting to be like you, to be a hero to someone or at least to be brave and courageous. What you did took a lot of bravery-to know that you didn't cower, you kept going back in that school without knowing what was going to happen. You didn't know if it was just Damian or if there was anything else, so you calmed people and got them out-you died saving lives-so don't ever fault yourself and say you weren't. You were a hero, you are, and I think anyone that remembers you will remember that part of you."

"Thank you. For your kind words…"

Jason laughed and pat his uncle on the shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Uncle. Just relax, we're on the job. When Beck makes the call, Trina will be ready." Jason turned his eyes on her and she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Even now, she still didn't want to think of herself as so important. "I have every bit of faith that Trina will be able to help Beck and the others. She's devoted, strong, and won't give up…so don't you give up. That's not allowed."

"I won't."

"Be ready." Jason stood up and smoothed his hair back with his hand. "May 21st? We'll be ready."

"Do you think you can bring down a reaper? Do you think you can save those lost souls and all of the cursed?"

Trina pushed herself up and walked behind Jason. She wrapped her arms around his waist and clasped her hands together on his stomach, then set her chin to his right shoulder. Sikowitz looked up and met her eyes with concern.

"Beck wouldn't have asked me to help if he didn't think I could do it," Trina replied quietly. She didn't have time to be unsure of herself anymore. She still doubted herself, but she had confidence that they could win this. "Janan, Melinda, Jason and I will all be there, and each of us will be commanding a slew of ghosts-and I'll even have a spirit that has crossed over to lead the charge. Do I think we can win?" She nodded and flashed a confident smile at the teacher.

"I know we can."

So we have a time and date. I hope you appreciated the light moment at the start, I'm really trying to practice making my couples really you know, look and act like couples.