Jack and Jill IV

Chapter 34

It is now 2 weeks later

It had been a hell of a two weeks at that. Storm and Jayne still weren't really talking and everyone was betting that until they volunteered to talk no one was going to make them.

Jayne had conformed to Alexis's wishes and moved in with her. Still all that really meant was that now they were officially sleeping together and no longer hiding it. The sex didn't slow down or increase. It was still pretty much the same.

Kate got Rick ready for his day and put him in the pool while for the last week Alexis had convinced the puppies to come with her all the way out to the hydroponics station where all she really did was make sure everything was running smoothly and that none of the plants had died on them.

The greenhouse was even easier. She just made sure everything was watered and check to see if any pot wasn't growing something and if not try to figure out why and maybe dump it and start all over again. After she got Jill to tell her what to do.

Storm still stayed up all night and finally after a week of silence joined them at the patio and ate breakfast with everyone else before heading off to his hut to get some sleep.

Jayne was at the stables checking on the horses and waiting for Alexis to show up for another riding lesson. This morning was bath day for the mares followed by a very complete brushing.

Jayne was just checking the very last hoof when there was a series of car horn honks that sounded like they'd come from the front gate. That had him slinging his HK-47 over his back and securing his pistol with a suppressor. He hopped on a dirt bike, fired it up, and rode to the front gate.

Someone attacking wouldn't have honked first to announce themselves. What he found was amazing. There was not one truck but four and each of them had a trailer of various sizes and every trailer was carrying something.

Jayne quickly learned the man up front was the blacksmith from the city and the other three were there for the solar panels and windmill. So he unlocked the gate and let them drive in where they all ran into Storm who was holding a laptop in one hand. He was more than ready to blow everyone to hell and gone if necessary.

Since the blacksmith was there he chose to take him to the workshop personally while Jayne closed up behind all of them and took the others to the main house where everyone else was waiting for them.

oOo

"I wasn't really sure you were going to show up at all given what's happening," Alexis said to the young man in charge.

"We're based in Panama City and all we needed was for the stuff we ordered to arrive and once it did we might as well show up. You're only about an hour and a half out of town.

"Real live aliens, who would have guessed. The news is full of the shit that's going on in the States. Rioting, looting, not to mention something about large scale attacks taking place in three states. Something about militia. Hope those barely armed idiots knew what they were doing. You don't win shooting bullets at armored cars that have bigger guns than you do. Let alone a tank or a helicopter." Sometimes he just didn't understand people.

"Anyway, we need to see your electrical entrance and walk the site. Your plan might have been to put the solar cells on the roof. It's just that you said you have red clay tiles for a roof and you most definitely do. So we're going to mount them on a pole off of the house and dig a trench from it and the windmill to a small building that will house the equipment and batteries, then another trench to your main panel.

"We'll come and go each day till we finish," he told all of them save for Storm who was with the blacksmith.

"You don't have to. We have nine bedrooms and are only using three, I think. We can even feed you while you're here," Alexis offered. She wanted them to stay and actually finish. Not start, go away, and never come back again.

"Oh, we didn't consider that. We have families to go home to and we didn't bring clothes to change in to. I guess we'll have to discuss that," he replied.

Alexis shrugged. "Your choice."

oOo

The blacksmith was done in one day. He had come and was gone and Storm was back in his hut sleeping. The three solar installers had brought their own lunch.

By the end of their first day, that stainless steel pole was in the ground with concrete. The support frame for the panels was in place. The wiring from the pole to the modular building that was going to hold the equipment and batteries was already installed as was the wiring from the windmill location and another from the modular building to the main panel.

The windmill was lying in pieces on the ground near where it was going to be erected starting tomorrow. Once it was up two men would begin the installation of the solar panels while another man began work on the inside of the modular building.

The third day was all about wiring, then finally testing. It was late and they had a long drive home in front of them. Alexis made arrangements for their home office to be paid via a wire transfer after getting all the numbers she needed.

On the fourth day it was back to business as usual. Only this time everyone had taken a good look in the sunshine at their new solar panel system and windmill that was actually spinning.

All or most of the power they used was now made locally and the connection to the power company was an emergency backup.

Jayne stopped all of them save for Storm who was sleeping. "We have a storm coming our way." He tipped his chin at the clouds. "If you've got something you want to do outside better do it now."

"I'll find George and Gracie," Alexis said and headed out, starting with the pool area. Kate was right behind her to find Charlie and Lucy. Both of them found them all right. They were all crashed under the table on the patio sleeping.

"That must be one thing about puppies. They play hard then the crash hard," Alexis said with a smile and chuckled at herself. She and Kate were just thankful they didn't find them floating in the pool. That would have crushed both of them.

oOo

This time they ate indoors along with the puppies since it was raining so hard outside. Kate was still doing all the cooking and since no one complained she figured she must be doing all right so far. As usual she left something for Storm to warm up and eat when he got up.

"So is everyone happy now?" Alexis asked everyone save for Storm who was still sleeping or at least missing. "And by that I mean we have everything we wanted and went looking for. Solar, wind, and blacksmith have come and gone."

Kate started putting up fingers. "Puppies, puppy food, puppy shots, exercise equipment, lots of food, a dry roof, Jack and Jill. What am I missing?" She was running out of fingers.

Alexis took up the slack. "Trucks, dirt bikes, horses, weapons even if I don't want them but see the need for them, lots of hay and oats, well water, filters for said water." Alexis was running out of fingers.

"Friends and family." Rick only used two fingers and got nodding heads in return.

"When does the Weave fleet show up?" Jayne wondered since they kind of needed to be warned. "Don't want them taking one of those caps in the mouth. Once they reach orbit they're just another target to our radar."

Jack showed himself. "We estimate three days. We will begin issuing a coded warning for them not to enter orbit of this planet. Also as a coincidence we believe that the United States and Russian will be ready to fire another thirty caps in total at ships in orbit."

"So they're going to get an example of what we're capable of doing. Nice!" Jayne liked the sound of that. "They're both about to get a surprise."

"You're here so what happened to the militias that decided to take control of their areas away from the government?" Kate inquired since that had come up earlier.

"Your National Guard troops rolled in with Bradleys and tanks along with Humvees and various trucks. They each put up a small, short fight. According to the report, the National Guard had a total of fourteen injuries and no deaths. They are estimating that a total of thirty-four militia soldiers were killed and another forty-eight were injured. All of them are presently being held pending a trial.

"A fair amount of National Guard units are still in that area. There is also a report of damage to various buildings," Jack told them then disappeared.

Kate's eyebrows went up. "I guess that answers that," she stated. She also got up and went to look to see how hard it was raining now. She saw it wasn't raining as hard but it was still raining.

"It looks like we're trapped inside today," Kate told the others and it appeared it was going to last all day.

oOo

Alexis and Jayne had just finished running to their hut just as Storm showed up and found Rick and Kate still up. "Your dinner is waiting for you," Kate mentioned. He nodded his thanks then zapped it in the microwave, sat down, and allowed his clothes to dry out since he had run from his hut to the main house.

"You know you could trade off with Jayne instead of spending all your time in the dark," Kate suggested.

"I'm fine." Storm kept eating.

"Storm, you're still angry. I get it. But don't let being angry affect your ability to do your job. Living at night can't be that healthy. Ask him. Switch off every week maybe. Eat real hot food and not warmed up food. Let the sun hit your face before you go pale.

"VITAMINS! That's something we forgot to buy any of." Kate let her chin rest against her chest. It was possibly too late now. They would have to do without now or risk driving out to find some.

"I'll think about it." Storm wasn't going to admit that she had a point. He was stubborn that way.

"Fine." Kate washed her hands of it. If he wanted to be an ass and be stupid she would let him. For now.

oOo

Then one morning Alexis found herself alone with Storm. "Do you have everything you need? Do you need one of us to do laundry? Find something for you?" Alexis questioned him.

"No, I'm fine. I need to talk with Jayne about beginning to use the drone soon to see what's around us while the sun's out. Get an idea if anyone's moving." Storm wanted to be ready.

"Just don't pound him into the ground, please. I called you to protect my life and Dad's and not my virtue. Is it because he's your friend? Don't you trust him? Or do you fear I'll ruin him in some way?" Alexis asked him since he'd had time to calm down. They both had.

"I trust him with my life. I need him to keep thinking like that. If what I think is coming, being involved with you might cause a problem. He'll attempt to protect you at the sacrifice of everyone else or he's too slow and someone gets hurt.

"What we've been doing isn't meant for families. Losing Martha taught me that. He's a friend and I don't need him learning that lesson the hard way.

"Say they don't catch Bracken and he gets to Jayne by getting to you. You become Martha. I don't need him repeating my mistakes. Maybe you think I should've explained that to him. It's just that's not me. Call me hard and inhumane if you wish, but I learned things the hard way. Those events have made me who I am.

"And who I am is why you called me," Storm reminded her.

"What if he decides he wants out?" Alexis asked him. "That he doesn't want to be you? Help you, yes. Be you, no."

"And do what? Sit behind a desk?" Storm shook his head. "Ask him what he's done and ask yourself if he can just up and change. You're my granddaughter and I care, but don't fool yourself as to who he is and what he has done.

"Maybe one day I'll finally retire and find a place to just sit and relax and do nothing. Say ten to fifteen years from now. Jayne is twenty-nine years old and still learning. He has a future but it's not sitting next to you watching you run Richard's businesses." Storm continued to warn her. Was he trying to be mean to get her to think and listen? Perhaps, but she needed to take off her rose-colored glasses and see life as it was.

"I get it, I do. Have you even thought to ask him if he wants to change? Dad's rich. Even after all this he will still be rich. I've done all I can to make sure of it. Dad could start a new business and put Jayne in charge of it.

"I don't know what. Lead a security team maybe. People with money and enemies need protection. Maybe Jayne is more hands-on while he hires someone to handle the computers." It was an idea off the top of her head. It might work.

"You mean like Mission Impossible? That's Hollywood, you know that?" Storm queried.

Alexis rolled her eyes at him. "Obviously. I mean more like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It revolves around someone who offers up some interesting questions about the ethics of hacking. Is hacking okay if we're looking to solve a murder? Do large, greedy corporations deserve what they get if they're hacked?

"An operation like that will need people on the ground. Perfect for someone like Jayne. Is what you do so different? Your job takes you out of the States all the time. This one might keep him in the States," Alexis said even if it was just talk for now.

Storm thought about the jobs he did and the ones he had done with Jayne. What Alexis was talking about was different and conceivably far less dangerous. He would be working for himself instead of what Storm and Jayne did now. Or did before Alexis called him.

"I won't say no to that if it's what he wants and not what you want." He didn't want Jayne turning himself into a slave for lack of a better word to Alexis.

"Technically it would be Dad's money to start the company so Dad would actually be his boss though I've been running all of his companies since his accident. So that might mean me." If they did this and he took the job she might end up his boss.

"None of this is going to happen for months, possibly a year or more. Talk to Richard and talk to Jayne, but if he says no that's it. Don't think of trying to force him into what he doesn't want to be. It'll ruin both of you.

"Excuse me, I have work to do." Storm left her. He actually felt better now. He wasn't sorry for what he did. That just wasn't him, but he understood better now.

oOo

Rick was busy swimming while trying to avoid all the puppies that had worked out how to get into the pool, get wet, which was something they seemed to love to do, swim over to the board and walk out of the pool, and shake themselves dry. Then get right back in again.

The puppies stayed only as long as Rick stayed. When Kate switched him to using what exercise equipment they did have, that was when they were abandoned and went charging off toward the stable where they knew Alexis and Jayne would be.

Alexis was just being helped off the horse when all four puppies came charging in. Thankfully the horses had adapted to these four so the horse didn't panic on her.

"Is Dad done swimming?" Alexis picked out George to pet. "Ooo, you're still wet. You better be dry by the time you get in my bed or you're sleeping outside!"

"You might want to start getting them to sleep somewhere else soon or you're going to have at least two fully grown dogs trying to sleep in that bed. You know the bed isn't that big," Jayne reminded her. He alone took up a fair amount of space.

"Good point. They leaned how to swim pretty fast, so maybe." They could start tonight. But if they started whimpering at her and wanting up, she couldn't say no. So up they came. She was reinforcing behavior that was suddenly going to have to just stop and that wasn't going to work.

"I'm going to go see about feeding these four while you stay here." Alexis gave Jayne a quick kiss that he accepted. He returned her kiss and watched her leave, taking all the puppies with her.

They were both in pretty deep by now and he at least knew it. The big question was where was this going? Staying here forever and ever might be an option, but was it a good one?

Rick was working his legs when suddenly both Jack and Jill just appeared. "The Weave fleet has arrived. I have received a coded signal from them. They are inbound to this planet. I have warned them that there is an Amplitur fleet already in orbit," Jack told Rick and Kate.

"See if you can find Storm. I'll find the other two." Kate took off running dressed in a bikini to find Alexis and Jayne. She started with the stable where she was betting she would find Jayne.

Kate ran into Alexis first and had her go back and get Jayne. Then she ran back to Rick to help find Storm. However, by the time she was back Rick and Storm were outside and Storm was eating a sandwich he had made for himself. Kate tried to make lunch a real meal and not a simple sandwich, but she didn't mind.

Alexis and Jayne came running in with puppies hot on their heels. They thought it was a game and it was a good game according to their little puppy brains.

"Drinks." Kate got everyone something and Jayne got a beer.

"The Weave fleet consists of one hundred and twelve ships. Eighty one of which are troop transports," Jack started off with.

"About half of the original Amplitur fleet. You're losing," Storm stated.

Jack defended what was sent. "It is possible that they sent a fraction of the local fleet. Intelligence does anticipate the Amplitur attacking one of our planets soon. The rest of our fleet may have been left behind to defend it."

"Noted." Storm gave him that. "You're in contact, what are they saying?"

"I am updating them on all that has transpired since our first arrival here. It will take a few hours for them to digest it all and formulate a plan," Jack advised them.

"Tell them to stay out of Earth orbit. If the United States and Russian are about to attack more ships in orbit I'm betting we can't tell the two ships apart," Storm warned him. "Our radar will just say it's another ship."

"They did not know you had that capability. They want us to send data of this attack for them to analyze. For now they are parking near the planet you call Saturn and waiting. What happens next will be after your attack and when they have had a chance to analyze all that I have sent them."

"Dialog between this planet and the Weave fleet will either need to be in person or via secure communication. Meaning we go there or they come here," Jill advised. And by that she meant everyone there went to DC or the people in DC came to Panama.

Now if the Weave would send someone was yet to be determined.