Chapter 23.

'I thought Jessica was dead?' Kate asked Steve as they waited for Jaime and Jessie to come back indoors after stepping outside to speak privately.

'I thought that too Kate, I guess not.' Steve sighed unhappily as he walked through to the kitchen to put the kettle on, he knew coffee was going to be needed.

'You realise of course Kate has bionic hearing so, it's not likely to really be a private conversation.' Jessie noted as they stood on Jaime's front porch.

'Kate's not like that, she'll respect our privacy.' Jaime said as she wondered a little way down to her front lawn. 'How, how is this possible?' Jaime asked as she stopped and turned to look at her old friend.

'Oscar and Rudy.' Jessie simply said.

'Oscar and Rudy.' Jaime repeated, expecting more. Waiting for a beat and receiving nothing further, Jaime's patience ran thin. 'And? What did they do Jess?'

'Oscar put me out on a deep undercover mission.' Jessie explained, still not giving away much.

'For 12 years?!' Jaime exasperated said in disbelief. Jessie stood silent, not responding in any way to Jaime's response. 'Jess, 12 years? He had you undercover for 12 years, doing what?'

'Anything that was needed. Finding out the mole in the OSI, breaking down and breaking apart Fortress.'

'Fortress! What part did you have with the take down of Fortress?' Jaime demanded.

'Finding out all the intel I could get for us, that led to breaking them apart and finishing them.' Jessie explained. After a moment Jessie spoke again. 'I'm sorry about Chris, I know he meant a lot to you Jaime.' Jessie said expressing her sympathies. Jaime snapped round to her on hearing Chris's name.

'What do you know of Chris, or our relationship?' Jaime demanded walking up closer to Jessie, closing the gap between them.

'Oscar kept me up to date on how you were, he told me of your relationship with Chris, I'm sorry for your loss. I understand he was a good man, I wish I could have gotten to meet him.' Jessie said, watching Jaime's body language. Jaime held her eyes locked with Jessie before swiftly walking back up to her house, sweeping passed Jessie and storming back into her home.

'You don't get to say things like that to me, or mention his name.' Jaime said angrily as she went. 'He died trying to bring down Fortress.'

'I know that Jaime.' Jessie said following her in, shutting the door again after them, Kate and Steve looked on from the safe distance of Jaime's lounge.

'How would you know that Jess, how could you know that? You weren't there, you weren't with us, trying to stop it. You weren't there!' Jaime shouted at Jessie.

'Yes, I was Jaime.' Jessie calmly said, though her temper was rising.

'What, where? Where were you?' Jaime asked. 'Because it wasn't beside us, fighting alongside us. We could have used you Jess, I could have used you, I needed you and you weren't there!'

'I was there Jaime, just because you didn't see me, doesn't mean I wasn't there.' Jessie argued back her voice raising in anger.

'Where?!' Jaime shouted back.

'Pulling you out of the rubble after the explosion that nearly killed you!' Jessie replied. The two bionic women stopped for a moment, calming themselves, taking a breath. 'I was right there Jaime, I was just too late, a fraction too late. I found you and your team and pulled you out, carried you back to your extraction point before heading back in again.' Jessie stepped away from Jaime for a moment then turned back. 'You think I wanted this Jaime, you think I wanted to be considered dead by all those I cared about? Being out there alone, knowing that I was on my own, it was down to me, no safety net or hope of rescue. By all accounts, I was already dead. But then, what was I supposed to do, that's the trade-off isn't it? They give us bionics and our lives back, we give them our lives of service in payment.' Jessie bitterly said as she looked at Jaime, then round to Steve and Kate. As she started to calm back down again Jessie started to feel light headed.

'Jessica?' Kate called out to her. Jessie looked over to her, waiting for her to speak again. 'Your nose is bleeding.' Jessie brought her hand to her face, her finger tips to just under her nose, she felt the warm liquid on them, turning her hand to her eyes, she saw the blood.

'Damn it.' Jessie said before stepping back and then collapsing to the floor.

'How are you feeling now?' Rudy asked as Jessie sat up on the bed she had obviously been moved to after passing out.

'I'm fine Rudy, just over did it is all. I'll be fine.' Jessie explained as she brought her legs round to the side of the bed as she started to get up.

'Easy now, just sit for a moment.' Rudy advised as Jessie moved to get up.

'Seriously Rudy, I'm really OK.'

'You need to come in for a full medical, it's been a while since your last and…'

'I know, I know, my bionics need a tune-up.' Jessie finished for the doctor as she rubbed the back of her neck.

'How did Jaime take it, seeing you again?' Rudy asked as he packed up his medical bag.

'Well, you saw her when you got here, how do you think it went?' Jessie countered.

'I'm sorry Jess.' Rudy solemnly said.

'We can't change the past Rudy, just deal with the present.'

'What happened before you passed out?'

'Surely they told you?'

'They did but, I'd like to hear it from you.'

'Well, I tried to stop our mystery bionic man from taking Oscar, and ended up getting punched and kicked to the ground. Then talking with Jaime which, turned into a bit of an argument, shouting match. Kate noticed my nose was bleeding, I passed out, here we are.' Jessie explained as she stood and went to check herself in the mirror in the room.

'Did you notice anything before passing out, feeling dizzy, sick or anything like that?'

'I felt light headed just before, then things spun a little before I was out.'

'Jess, we have to get you in and checked over, this isn't the first, second or third time this has happened.' Rudy explained, worried.

'I know that Rudy, but there never seems to be the right time or safe place does there?' Jessie returned. 'I guess now the cat's out of the bag I could come in as normal and get checked?' Jess smirked at Rudy.

'I guess so, do it soon Jess, I'm worried about what might be happening with your bionics, I think that's why this is happening.' Rudy theorised.

'You think they're rejecting? A bit late for that, isn't it?' Jessie asked, just then Jaime knocked and entered the room.

'Sorry to interrupt, I thought you might appreciate a clean shirt.' Jaime offered handing a denim shirt to Jessie.

'Thanks.' Jessie took the shirt as the room fell to silence.

'Is everything OK?' Jaime asked looking to Rudy.

'Just fine.' Rudy smiled to Jaime as he shut his medical bag. 'Tomorrow Jess, make sure you come in to see me tomorrow. I'll leave you to it.' Rudy excused himself, leaving the room.

'You sure everything's OK?' Jaime asked watching after Rudy. Jessie stood walking around the bed as she unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, now stained with her blood.

'I haven't been in town for a while for a physical so, the doctor needs me to come in.' As Jessie dropped her shirt and picked up the clean one, putting it on, Jaime recognised the scars from Jessie's past injuries that made her bionic, whilst noticing a few new ones as well.

'Bit of a tune-up then?' Jaime asked trying to lighten the tone.

'I guess.' Jessie said as she finished buttoning the shirt. The two women stood looking at one another, so much to be said and so much unsaid. 'We should probably join the others downstairs.' Jessie suggested indicating to the bedroom door.

'Yeah,' Jaime agreed, opening the door. 'we probably should.' Jaime left the room first with Jessie following after.

'Hey, you feeling OK?' Kate asked as Jessie walked into the lounge.

'Yeah, thanks.' Jessie smiled to the young woman.

'Here, thought you might want this.' Steve said coming to her side, offering her a cup of coffee. Jessie smiled nodding to him in thanks.

'Has Rudy left?' Jaime asked not seeing the doctor anywhere in sight.

'Yeah, he said he had to report back in, with Oscar's kidnapping and all.' Steve explained.

'So, what's next?' Kate asked as she sat on the couch.

'Well, we figure out what's going on and get Oscar back.' Steve replied, Jaime stood by the side of him, nodding in agreement.

'How far are you on knowing what's going on?' Jessie asked sitting in the armchair by the side of Kate.

'Well, I think I have a plan. Think you'd be able to help us out?' Steve asked.

'I don't see why not.' Jessie replied.

'Maybe you should wait and see what Rudy says at your appointment with him tomorrow.' Jaime suggested. Jessie laughed to herself a little as she put her coffee cup down on the table in front of her.

'Get used to this Kate.' Jessie said smiling to the young woman, then over to Jaime. 'Sommers here can be pretty over protective.' Jessie said as she sat back again.

'With good reason Jess. You're only just back on your feet after passing out.'

'I know that Jaime.' Jessie replied, knowing full well that Jaime had heard what she and Rudy were talking about before she entered the room earlier. Jessie stood and walked to the entrance hall. 'Look, I have my meeting with Rudy tomorrow, I'll contact you after that, see where you are with plans.' Jessie took her coat from where it had been hung.

'You're leaving?' Jaime asked slightly surprised.

'I think it's probably best for the rest of the night Jaime.' Jessie said putting on her coat.

'Jess, I think it'd be better if you stayed here for the night.' Jaime offered.

'Why Jaime? There's no danger for me out there, I'm going to go, get some sleep and see Rudy in the morning as I promised him I would. Goodnight all, although, if that clock's right, good morning.' Jessie turned, opened the front door and left, closing the door behind her. Walking down Jaime's driveway, Jessie stopped as she reached its end and took a deep breath.

'How serious is it?' Jaime asked as she walked down to meet her, with her bionic hearing Jessie heard Jaime's low tone as she slowly walked down the drive.

'Honestly? I don't know.' Jessie sighed. 'But Rudy's concerned enough to order me in tomorrow morning so, serious enough I guess.' Jessie said as she buried her hands in to her coat pockets turning to Jaime as she joined her.

'It's happened before.' Jaime stated rather than asked. 'And you think your body's rejecting your bionics?' Jaime asked folding her arms across her chest as she waited for an answer.

'I think I haven't been in for a maintenance check for a while and some things need looking at.' Jessie said as she looked across at Jaime. The two women stood silent again. 'I'll speak with you tomorrow, Jaime.' With that Jessie turned and walked away to her car parked down the street, getting in and drove away. Jaime turned and went back into her home.