Author's Note: I own nothing.

32 Ripple Effect

Kevin didn't respond to their messages the next day. Gwen wasn't too worried, Kevin could handle himself. So they took Pierce as their fourth team member to track down the Forever Knights. They were too late to catch them but they did find a few clues that might lead to their next target. As night fell the team shared a smoothie at their regular spot when Jen started feeling a little off. She shook herself, it was probably nothing. Then as she stood to get her next smoothie her legs gave way and she collapsed. Everything hurt and there was no cause. She cried out as the pain intensified for a moment. Then everything went back to normal. She blinked. Gwen Ethan and Pierce were all gathered around her.

"What happened?" Jen shook her head.

"I have no idea." Pierce helped her to her feet.

"That wasn't normal even for you. We need to get you to medical. Come on." Ethan took her other arm and they helped her into Pierces truck. He took her back to the Hole and they made their way down to the small medical bay. There were getting to be more and more people in these areas. The construction of a main Plumber base on Earth was well underway, but so as not to disturb the current setup and possibly hinder their efforts the main Plumbers stationed on Earth the majority of the base was being built elsewhere under Bellwood. But the medical facility was up and running. The doctors looked her over but could find nothing wrong with her.

"I'm telling you I feel fine, whatever it is it's gone." The doctor nodded.

"So it seems, but we'd like to keep you overnight for observation, since it occurred out of nowhere. Just in case it happens again." Jen nodded to the Apollonite who was running the med bay.

"Fine." She pouted as the doctor turned back to his data pad.

"Rest, just for the night. Your file does say you don't like to rest so we're breaking protocol a little and letting your friends in to see you but only one can stay the night." Jen perked up as Gwen and Ethan entered the room.

"Pierce is filling out an incident report with Grandpa Max." Gwen explained. Jen frowned.

"Still no word from Kevin?" Gwen shook her head.

"Not yet. But he's a big guy he can take care of himself." Jen nodded, it was still odd that they couldn't get ahold of him. He usually kept his badge on. Jen shook her head.

"If he's not responding tomorrow then we'll go out and find him. He can whine at me that he can do what he wants when he explains why he turned his stupid badge off." Gwen smiled.

"Thanks Jen." Jen nodded to her cousin who gave her a sly grin.

"I'll let you and Ethan have some alone time." She winked and Ethan went bright red. Gwen closed the door behind herself and chuckled. Ethan rubbed the back of his neck.

"You're sure you're ok? What did the doctor say?" Jen smiled.

"They couldn't find anything wrong. I feel fine, they're gonna keep me for observation overnight, just to make sure whatever it is doesn't happen again." Ethan nodded.

"That's good right?" Jen shrugged.

"Yeah, would be better if someone could tell me what happened, it really fucking hurt whatever it was." Ethan reached out and took her hand.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?" Jen grinned.

"You could come up here and cuddle with me. I'm stuck here for the night, might as well have some company." Ethan smiled and glanced at the door.

"We won't get in trouble?" Jen shrugged.

"Do we care? We're usually in trouble at least that kind isn't likely to put a gun to our heads." Ethan snorted and settled onto the bed beside her as she grabbed a tv remote from the side table.

"What do you want to watch?" Jen shrugged.

"Not really picky right now, I'll probably fall asleep during it anyway." She flicked through the channels for a moment before settling on an action movie she'd seen a few times before.

That was how Gwen found them the next morning, Jen fast asleep in Ethan's arms. She snapped a photo of them and texted it to Kevin with the message, 'see what you miss when you up and disappear?' Still no response though. She heard footsteps behind her and looked back to see Viktor Valadis coming down the hall.

"Oh hello Gwen! Have you seen you Grandpa? There's some notes about the tech we've recovered from an old base that I'd like a second opinion on."

"I haven't see him since day before yesterday. Sorry." Viktor nodded and peeked over her shoulder and smiled at his son who had shifted slightly so Jen was completely in his lap, snoring like she was trying to wake the dead.

"I swear he could sleep through the end of the world." Gwen laughed and Jen jerked awake.

"I'm up mom!" She blinked and rubbed her eyes, a moment of panic flashing through her eyes as she didn't immediately recognize her surroundings but when she looked up at Ethan she seemed to relax.

"Not your mom, cuz." Gwen laughed. Viktor smiled.

"Good morning Jen." The Apollonite doctor stepped up to the door. He raised a bright silver eyebrow.

"I do hope you got some rest last night Miss Tennyson." She nodded rubbing her eyes and nudged Ethan until he grumbled awake. He yawned wide and blinked.

"Morning Sunshine." She made a face at him and gently shoved him off the bed. He squawked and laughed tossing the pillow that had come off the bed with him at her. She laughed as the doctor came in to take her vitals. He pronounced her fine to leave.

"Whatever it was it's gone now. It doesn't seem to have had any long lasting effects, did you do anything unusual last night?" Jen shook her head.

"Just the opposite, a routine bust, that we were late for because Kevin didn't show. Then smoothies and planning to bust up the Knights tonight. Nothing I don't do all the time." The doctor frowned.

"Well do your best to take it easy for a little while, if you absolutely have to be the one to go after the Knights take extra backup." Jen nodded, knowing that she was definitely going after the knights tonight. There was no way she was sitting it out. The Knights weren't even in her top ten heavy hitter bad guys since she'd beaten the Forever King when she was a kid.

"I'll do that doc, thanks." She hopped off the bed. "We need to find Kevin and Pierce." Gwen rolled her eyes as Jen snagged her shoes and jacket from where they sat by the door and pulled them on.

"Pierce is your idea of backup?"

"We don't usually take him with us, so yes." Ethan rolled his eyes at her as they left the base, dodging around a few Plumbers who shot them salutes as they carried equipment to and from the new main base. Grandpa Max wanted to keep it a surprise as much as possible so they went back to their usual hangout and found Pierce working away on the main computer console.

"Feel like busting some heads tonight Pierce?" Pierce grinned.

"Sounds good to me!" Jen grinned and scribbled down the address.

"Good! Meet us here tonight at seven. And bring some big guns. Something Ethan can handle." Pierce glanced at Ethan and nodded.

"You got it boss lady." Jen rolled her eyes.

"I'm not your boss Pierce I just find the best fights in town." Gwen laughed as Ethan shook his head at his girlfriend.

"You know most people don't consider that a good thing." Jen grinned.

"Oh, it's not a good thing." She pecked Ethan on the lips. "It's a skill." With that she headed for the elevator.