...The Ones You Love.

Chapter Two: Bad Day At The Office?

Trent stirred from his sleep, realizing that Jane had come in from school.

"Hey Janey," he mumbled.

"Hey Trent."

Jane walked past him, and began to walk up to her room. Trent reached out and grabbed her shoulder gently.

"Janey..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Trent. Okay?"

"Janey, you've been in a funk for the past two months. You've never told me what it was about, or why you and Daria aren't hanging out with each other anymore."

Jane turned to him. "It's not like you're entirely happy with Daria either."

Trent shrugged, trying to make it seem nonchalant. "She's in love with someone else. It's cool."

"Yeah, right."

Trent sighed. "Janey, please? I thought we trusted each other. I thought we cared about each other."

Jane's expression softened. "We do, Trent. That's why...I can't talk to you about it yet, okay?"

"Okay. I'm just worried about you, Janey."

Plus worrying about you takes my mind off how my heart is falling into a big black pit, and I don't think it's ever gonna climb back up. Hey, that would make a pretty good song. "Big black pit, big black pit, now that I see you, my life's full of..."

"Trent?"

Trent looked up at Jane. "Sorry, Janey. Zoned there."

"Zoned. Like the Zon. I get it."

Trent frowned. "I thought it was the Zen."

"Opinions vary. Hey, you want some pizza?"

"Yeah, sure."

Jane looked for the phone. "Trent, the phone?"

"Jesse got disoriented today and tried to rescue it from hunting season. I think it's at the park."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll go get it. Back soon."

As Jane wandered out the door, Trent's eye went over to her discarded bag on the floor. Her notebook was in there, and it might hold some answers to Janey's problem.

It's like a diary, man. I can't.

But if it helped Janey...

Trent walked over to her bag, and rummaged through it. He found her notebook pretty easily, and began looking through it.

He wasn't expecting what he found there.

When Jane got home with the pizza, Trent was already gone.

Stacy looked nervously around her, and ducked into the empty classroom. As usual, Ted was there, waiting for her. She greeted him with a kiss.

Ted smiled. "How was your day?"

"Fine." Stacy didn't look fine.

"What's wrong?"

Stacy looked away for a brief moment. "It's Sandi."

"What about her?"

"Well, I know she was always nasty to me, and stuff, but she's just so miserable now..." Stacy looked at Ted. "I don't know if I can keep doing this."

Ted nodded sagely. "I understand."

"I mean, it seems so mean!"

"Stacy, I've done a lot of research on this topic, and everything says that revenge is perfectly okay. We'll just do it for a little while longer, and then stop when she's learned her lesson, okay?"

Stacy tried to smile. "Okay, Ted. I trust you."

Daria waited by the front door.

"I'm leaving in one minute, Quinn."

A shout came down from upstairs. "Daria! I have to look my best, you know."

Daria sighed heavily. Quinn walked down the stairs, immaculately dressed and coiffured.

"How do I look?"

"Think about who you're asking."

Quinn thought for a moment. "Okay. Never mind."

They headed out to the car.

"Why did I agree to this?"

"Mom and Dad are working late, and Stevie doesn't have a car."

Daria thought for a moment. "You're dating a guy without a car?"

"I have to work myself back into the dating scene slowly, you know. You know Joey, Jeffy and Jerry aren't talking to me."

"Ah yes. Nothing says romance like pissing your pants."

Quinn glared at Daria. "Just drop me off at Chez Pierre, and pick me up at 9. Okay?"

Daria shrugged and started the car.

Jake finished talking to Helen, and hung the phone up. He looked up to see Wendy and Horizon looking at him.

"You know," said Wendy. "When you two start your 'Jakey-Wakey' and 'Heleny-Weleny' stuff, you could remember that there are other people in the room."

Jake pointedly ignored her. "You know, you guys don't have to stick around tonight. I can finish up by myself."

"What else are we going to do?"

"Hey," said Horizon. "I have a life, you know."

"What are you still doing here then?"

Horizon tried to think of a witty reply, but nothing came. "Okay. Damn, I have no life."

Jake looked up suddenly. "Hey, who's hungry?"

"It depends if it's your cooking."

Jake sat back down again, chastened. "Never mind."

Laura walked in. "Mr. Morgendorffer?"

Jake looked up at the pretty brunette. "You can call me Jake, you know."

"Okay, Jake. Are you going to need me to stay late tonight? It's my sister's birthday."

Jake thought for a moment. "Nah. We'll be fine. Has Stephanie already left?"

The young woman stuck her head round the doorway. "Still here. Just finishing up some stuff with Chez Pierre, and then I'm done." She tilted her head to the side, her black hair falling to the side. "Do you guys live here, or something?" She left.

Jake, Wendy and Horizon looked a each other. "I could go for Chinese," suggested Horizon, lamely.

Daria watched as Quinn flounced into Chez Pierre. Okay, what now? No point in going home, there wasn't anything to do there. She didn't have anyone to call or talk to.

I know. I'll go to the park, sit by myself, and wallow in self-pity.

She set off.

Quinn listened patiently as Stevie prattled on about his sporting escapades, and tried to stifle a yawn. Her heart wasn't in this. In the past, she would have had him at her beck and call, regaling him with tales of her fashion exploits. Now, she could barely stay awake.

"Excuse me, Stevie. I have to use the bathroom."

Stevie paused for a brief second to let her get up. She headed to the bathroom, and took a look at herself. She didn't know who she was looking at. Now that the Fashion Club was gone, and her rivalry with Sandi with it, she didn't know what to do. Dating didn't even interest her much any more. Who was she?

I wonder if Sandi has this problem.

She sighed and left the bathroom.

And ran straight into Sandi Griffin.

Her eyes went wide, as did Sandi's.

"Sandi?! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my parents."

Quinn hadn't seen or heard Sandi close up for months. She was shocked by her flat voice, and the lifeless look in her eyes. She stared at Sandi for a full minute before she realized Sandi had asked her why she was here.

"Oh...I'm here with Stevie."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Sandi suddenly looked straight at Quinn, and said something Quinn had never heard her say before.

"Quinn, I'm sorry."

The she turned and left.

Quinn went back to her seat. Sandi and her family were nowhere to be seen. She guessed Sandi had probably dragged them all out. Stevie took her return as a sign she wanted him to start telling her about his legend, and obliged. Quinn sat back, and thought about Sandi.

Daria sat in the park, thinking about life and how much it sucked. All she wanted to do was see Jane, and she couldn't even get up the courage to do that.

Jane walked round the corner.

Daria looked at the sky.

Stupid fate.

Jane caught her eye, and moved to leave, but stopped short. Daria held her breath, and got up. She might as well get this over with. Maybe there was still a chance she could save their friendship.

"Jane, wait."

Jane turned round to face her.

"Please come here."

Jane hesitated, then came over to join Daria. They both sat down.

Silence.

"So," said Daria. "What are you doing in the park?"

"Trent vanished, so I went looking for him."

"Oh."

More silence.

Daria decided to go for it. "Jane, I miss you."

Jane looked at the ground. "I miss you too," she said quietly.

"Can't we still be friends? I know you don't feel the same way I do...."

"That's not it."

"What?"

Jane took a deep breath. "I...do feel the same way."

Daria was speechless. 'What?" she whispered.

Jane looked up at her, her eyes full of sadness and regret. "I love you, Daria."

Daria was speechless.

Jane smiled sadly, and looked away again. "I've been in love with you for over a year, Daria. I don't know when it happened, but one day I looked at you, and knew I wanted to be with you. Not just as a friend, but with you with you. If you know what I mean."

"Yes."

"You're beautiful, you know that? Remember when you got those contacts? I could barely stop looking at you. And you have the nicest smile I've ever seen. It brightens any day."

"Then....why have you been ignoring me?"

Jane's tone went grim. "Trent. I've hurt him. I was trying to set you two up, and now he's actually fallen for you. If we get together, it would kill him."

Daria remembered the look in Trent's eyes when she left him that day in front of Casa Lane. "Then, why..."

"Because I didn't want to lose you. Because I didn't think you felt the same as me. And if you two got together, at least you'd still be around me."

"Jane, I would always want to be around you. You're one of the only people that's ever gotten past my barriers. You made me fall in love with you."

Jane smiled a little at this.

Daria continued: "And this is killing me. I love you, and every day that goes by, I miss you more and more."

"I can't hurt Trent. He's all I have left."

"I know." Daria's expression turned to one of pleading. "Can't we still be friends?"

Jane looked away again. "Can you see me every day, and know that you love me, but we can't be together?"

Daria was silent.

"Neither can I. Goodbye, Daria."

They looked at each other for a moment. Jane moved in as if to kiss her, then pulled back, and quickly stood up and walked off.

Daria sat back in the seat, and put her hands to her face. She couldn't decide if what was worse - Jane not sharing her feelings, or sharing them, but choosing not to be with her.

The day at Morgendorffer Consulting wound up as usual. Jake had kept looking out of the window suspiciously all day, but he couldn't see anyone else watching them. Laura and Stephanie had already left. He stood up with a flourish. "Okay. It's a wrap for tonight, ladies. I have to get home, and meet my beautiful wife. What are you two going to do?"

Wendy thought for a moment. "I'm going to go get shitfaced, then get laid."

Horizon raised an eyebrow. "There's such a thing as too much honesty, you know."

"Shove it, Intern Girl. You're coming with me."

"Says who?"

"Look at you. You need it, take it from me."

Horizon moved to retort, but Jake cut her off. "As entertaining as this is, I really have to be getting home."

He moved to leave, then paused. He looked at the window.

Horizon walked over to him. "Jake, what's wrong?"

He turned from the window, and in one fluid motion swept Horizon into his arms, and ran forward to grab Wendy. Behind him, the front window of Morgendorffer Consulting exploded inwards.

Jake and Horizon pitched forward, knocking into Wendy, and the three were flung to the ground. Jake groggily got to his feet, and helped the two women get up. He glanced towards the flaming wreckage of the window.

"Let's go," he said.

They began running for the stairwell. A second huge explosion rocked the building, and Jake had to steady himself.

"What was that?" yelled Wendy.

"I don't know. Keep moving."

They reached the stairwell, and Horizon flung the door open, then recoiled in shock. The other two pushed past her to see what was wrong.

The entire stairwell was engulfed in flames.

"Shit!"

Jake turned around, and thought for a moment.

"The fire escape," suggested Horizon.

They ran though the corridors. Jake's mind was racing. It looked like his past was catching up to him. They turned a corner, and raced into one of the meeting rooms. Jake flung open the window, and began ushering the two women out. They raced down the fire escape.

A ripple of gunfire slammed into the wall beside them, stopping them in their tracks. Jake glanced over at the source. The air shimmered, and a sleek black aircraft came into view. Information flashed into Jake's head.

Whisper craft. Jet/helicopter hybrid. Fast, maneuverable, deadly. Cloaking capability. Armed to the teeth. He glanced quickly at the weaponry. 30mm cannon. Missile pod with a variety of lethal and non-lethal weaponry, according to the situation. Rearward defense pod. All this versus their nothing. Good odds, all right.

The cannon on the craft readied itself on them again.

Jake made a decision. As fast as he could, he shoved both of the women onto the fire escape ladder, and kicked the release lever.

The ladder shot downwards, Wendy and Horizon only barely able to keep their grips.

Jake flung himself upwards as the whisper craft fired. He grabbed a railing, the level below him exploding in flames, sending twisted metal debris to the street below. His escape route was cut off.

He pulled himself onto the fire escape - threw himself through a window. It exploded behind him, sending him flying across the room.

He landed hard. He smelt his clothes smoking, and pulled off his jacket, and threw it beside him. Got up - staggered into the hallway. An rifle butt hit him in the face, sent him sprawling to the ground. He hit the floor - rolled over to see four black-clad troops standing over him.

Jake lashed out with his feet. Knocked one to the ground, dazed another. He flung himself to his feet. Another blow to his face - he rolled with this one. Followed up by sweeping the legs out from under the guy. Kick to the face meant he stayed down. Two left; dazed and not dazed.

Not Dazed brought his rifle up, and fired. Jake tried to dodge, caught him in the shoulder. He paused for a moment in pain. Dazed had recovered. Smashed his rifle butt into Jake's ribs as hard as he could. Jake felt his ribs crack. Not Dazed kicked him in the face. The world went spinning.

Jake tried to gather himself. The two troops didn't give him a chance. Blow after blow after blow. Jake blocked as many as he could. In a matter of seconds, he was on the ground. Dazed gave him another kick in the ribs for good measure.

They stopped. Not Dazed pulled some advanced looking restraints from his pack.

Jake seized his chance. He rolled across the ground, and grabbed one of the fallen troops' weapons. He shot Dazed in the legs before he could do anything. Rose to his feet - too slowly. Not Dazed had dropped the restraints, bringing his own weapon to bear. Jake shot in the knees. He fell, but not before getting a shot off. This one caught him in the gut. He fell to the floor.

Horizon and Wendy hit the ground, hard. The force of the ladder's fall sent them both sprawling. Horizon was the first to rise. She pulled Wendy to her feet. They both ducked into a nearby alleyway.

"What the hell was that?"

Wendy shook her head. "God knows. We have to get away from here."

"Where?"

"I have a place we can hide."

"What about Jake? We can't just leave him there!"

"I have a plan."

Jake pulled himself to his feet with some difficulty. He staggered down the corridor, holding the rifle with one hand, trying to keep from bleeding to death with the other. He pitched forward, and the world went black for an instant.

I can't black out. Not here. Not now.

He reached the other fire escape. There were already troops rushing onto it from the ground floor.

Shit.

He raised the rifle, pushed a couple of buttons, and fired. The escape exploded, everything for several stores down falling to the ground in a hail of debris.

He turned away. Where now?

The maintenance stair way to the roof.

He could escape across the rooftops. He set off, and hoped that Wendy and Horizon were okay.

After a long and laborious trek, he reached the stairwell. He heard voices, getting closer and closer. They must have found another way in. They weren't going to have any trouble finding him; he'd left a trail of blood for them to follow.

Jake began climbing the stairwell. He paused halfway up, and fired a couple of shots. Explosions resounded around the building, and the way to his current position was blocked. He finished the climb, and crawled out onto the roof.

Before he could make a move to the side of the building, another whisper craft rose beside him. He staggered back, and brought the rifle up to fire. A shot rang out, and the gun was knocked from his hands. The cockpit opened, and a well-dressed, tall man in his late forties got out. His light brown hair ruffled in the wind, and he smiled. He began to make his way towards Jake.

Jake tried to rush him, but he effortlessly blocked Jake's attack, and delivered a powerful kick of his own to Jake's chest. Jake flew backwards, and landed hard, sliding into the ledge at the end of the roof. The blood was flowing freely from his wounds now, and it was getting harder and harder to stay conscious.

"Hello, Jake."

"Who...are...you?" Jake spat the words out, blood running from his mouth.

"My name is Alexander. Not the name I was born with, but a name I chose to take. In honor of my father."

Jake's heart began to sink.

"Alexander Hamilton Morgendorffer."

Jake's mind went fuzzy. "What..?"

"Not my real father, of course. The man who took me in. The man who raised me. The man who I owe everything to."

Alexander's mind flashed back to the first time he had met 'Mad Dog' Morgendorffer.

It was after he had been to Vietnam. He had only gone to 'Nam as a way to avoid prison. An orphan, he had constantly been getting into brawls on the streets, earning a reputation for viciousness. One day, he had gone too far, and almost killed someone. It took eight cops to pull him off the victim. The court had offered him a deal. Serve a term in 'Nam, or go to prison.

He'd opted for 'Nam. He excelled there. His reputation for viciousness was put to good use, and it was soon joined by a reputation for effectiveness.

One day, his patrol was ambushed by a Vietcong platoon, and the rest of his patrol killed. Single-handedly, he wiped out the rest of the VC by himself. They found him, gravely wounded, surrounded by dismembered bodies, laughing to himself.

He was shipped back to the states to recover. Whilst in the hospital, he was visited by 'Mad Dog'. He'd heard of him - who in the marines hadn't? Mad Dog had sought him out. He 'd heard about his exploits, and saw parallels in his own life. He was heading something new up, and he wanted Alexander to be a part of it.

Of course, he wasn't called Alexander back then. He'd taken that on later, to honor Mad Dog, a man who he saw as a father. Mad Dog saw him as a son, and he often talked to Alexander about his real son, the failure, the hippie. Alexander grew to hate Jake Morgendorffer, a man who'd hurt his adoptive father more than anyone else had.

They worked together for years, patiently putting their plans in motion. Alexander had been augmented, as had everyone else in the plan. he was faster, stronger, more agile than most other human beings on the planet. He surpassed Mad Dog's every hope, and the pride on his face was the greatest reward Alexander could have wanted.

When Mad Dog grew too sick to head things up anymore, Alexander was the natural choice to head the operation. Following his father's instructions, he'd began to put their plans into action.

Jake Morgendorffer was to be a big part of their plans. He was to be augmented too - to be what he'd never wanted to be - the perfect fighting man. All the things he had rejected were going to come back and bite him in the ass. He was going to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. And in the process, he would die too. Mad Dog would like that.

Being Jake, he'd screwed that up. Most of their servants (though not all) freed. The machine itself destroyed. And Jake Morgendorffer, alive and better than ever. Now Alexander was going to have to go to Lawndale and take care of business.

Business that included killing Jake personally.

That part particularly appealed to him. Alexander would never admit to anyone, but he was jealous of Jake. He was always acutely aware that Jake was the real son, and he was just a replacement. Alexander wanted Jake out of the way permanently, to be free from his shadow.

And now, Jake was lying in front of him, bleeding to death. Now he could be free.

Jake looked up, trying to keep conscious. Was this true? Had his father really adopted someone else as a result of his disappointment in his son? Something occurred to him, and he forced himself to speak.

"When did he take you in?"

"Just before he wrote you that letter." He smiled. "You remember: 'I have no son'?"

"But...he died after that..."

Alexander's face flushed with anger. "How would you know? You didn't even go to his God damn funeral!"

"My father...when did...he die...?"

Alexander ignored him, and pulled a sword from his belt. "Time to die."

Jake struggled to his feet. He couldn't make it the whole way, and sagged against the ledge. He glanced over the edge, made a decision, and threw himself over.

"No!" Alexander rushed to the side, in time to see Jake's body vanish into the flames. He pulled a small black box, the size of a cell phone, from his pocket. "Alexander here. He went over the side. Find him. If he's alive, bring him to me."

Jane walked back into Casa Lane. God, she needed Trent right now. She hoped to God he'd turned up. Sure enough, he was there on the couch. Oddly enough, he wasn't asleep.

"Are your pants on fire or something?"

No laughter. Instead, he turned to Jane with a hurt look on his face.

"Why did you do it, Janey?"

"Do what?" She got a bad feeling about this.

"Try to set me up with Daria."

"What do you mean?"

"Why, when you're in love with her?"

Jane sat down hard. Her voice was a whisper. "How did you know?"

"Your notebook."

"You read that?" A flush of anger.

"I was worried about you, Janey."

"I'm sorry, Trent. I am. I didn't mean...I just..."

"I know." Trent looked towards the floor. "I'm sorry for reading it."

There was an icy silence between them. Neither wanted to look at the other. Eventually, Jane picked up the courage to speak.

"What now?"

"I don't know, Janey. I'm hurt. I mean, I'm okay with you being gay, and everything."

"I never mean to hurt you."

"I know. I think we'll be okay. I just need time to think."

"How long for?"

Trent frowned. "I don't know. I really don't."

Trent got up, and began walking towards the door. Jane moved to call after him, but didn't say anything. She slumped back in her seat. Great. Now she'd blown off her best friend, and the woman she loved, and her brother wasn't talking to her. Jane was now at the stage she never wanted to be at. She was alone.

Guess I'd better hide the X-Acto knives, huh?

Impulsively, she picked up the phone, and dialed.

Jodie was sitting in her room, going over her summer plans. Finding summer plans wasn't hard, it was paring them down to the amount of time she had that was the problem. Of course, she had a lot more time now she didn't have a boyfriend.

Let's try not to think about that.

She sighed, and laid her head on her desk.

The phone woke her with a start. "Hello?"

"Jodie?"

"Jane? I didn't know you had my number."

"Um, yeah." Pause. "Jodie, are you busy? Stupid question. I'm sorry."

"Jane, wait." Jane sounded horrible. Her voice sounded like she had been fighting back tears for a while. "What's wrong?"

"Everything."

Jodie shrugged. "I don't understand."

"Just...tell me your problems."

"What?"

"I need to take my mind off things."

Jodie moved to protest, but Jane's voice came back, totally desperate. "Please."

She decided it would be a good idea. She started talking about all the events her parents made her do, and how she was sick of them sometimes. Then she added how she actually enjoyed some of them, especially the ones that involved helping people. She thought she could do a lot better job at some of them, if she gave up the ones she didn't like. Then she moved onto Mack, and how much she missed him, not as a boyfriend, but just a friend. Someone to talk to. She wished that they could look past the differences they had had, and be good friends again. She talked and talked, glad to get things off her chest.

"Wow," said Jane when they had finished. "I thought I had problems."

"Yeah."

"Why don't you talk to Mack - see if you two can't be friends?"

"Did you talk to Daria?"

Icy silence. "I have to go now."

"Jane, wait, I'm sorry."

"That's okay. Sore subject."

"I know. Hey, thanks for listening."

"Thanks for letting me listen. See you, Jodie."

Jane hung up. Jodie put her hands under her chin. She knew what she was going to do now.

Daria pulled up outside Chez Pierre. Inside, she was dead. She knew now that Jane didn't want to see her ever again. The person she loved the most in this world had rejected her. What was the point of anything now. She'd never find anyone as good for her as Jane.

She fought to overcome a wave of despair as it rushed through her.

The door opened, and Quinn walked out, accompanied by Stevie. He was obviously expecting a kiss or something. Quinn blew him off, and got in the car.

"God! That was the most boring date I've ever been on! And it's all your fault!"

Daria's eyes went wide. "Why?"

"You said once I should let guys talk about themselves for a change. And he did. All night! Sport sport sport!"

"The realities of relationships finally sinks home to you, huh?"

Quinn scowled. "What did you do all night?" She saw the look on Daria's face, and decided to drop it.

The rest of the trip passed in an uncomfortable silence. They ran into a traffic snarl up downtown.

"Damn," said Daria.

"I wonder what the hold-up is."

"Maybe another stressed out business man decided to take diving lessons from his office."

"Daria! That's sick."

The traffic proceeded at a snail's pace. Eventually, they caught sight of fire trucks, and police clustered round a burning building. The fire crews were fighting a valiant, but losing battle. The building was finished. A sudden horrible thought occurred to Daria.

"Dad," she whispered.

"What?" Quinn's face fell. "What is it?"

"That's where Dad's new office is."

"Oh God!" Quinn rushed out of the car, Daria following. They ran as close to the building as they could, until a fireman restrained them.

"Daddy!" Tears were streaming down Quinn's face.

"Officer, please. That's our father's office. We're worried..."

The fireman nodded. "I understand. But we went through the building already. There's no-one in there."

Daria pulled Quinn back. "Quinn, come on. He might be at home."

Quinn nodded, and they rushed back to the car.

They sped up to the house.

"We're here," said Daria with a touch of anxiety in her voice.

"I hope none of those people saw our license plate," said Quinn.

"Relax. They probably all have insurance anyway."

The car pulled up in the driveway, just as soon as Helen's SUV pulled up. Daria and Quinn rushed out of the car, and ran to Helen.

"Mom! Dad...he's..."

Helen looked at her with a look of worry. "Quinn, what is it?"

"Fire at daddy's office!"

Helen's eyes went wide. "Oh God!"

"Relax." They turned to see Daria in front of Jake's Lexus. "He's home."

They all rushed inside. Jake was seated at the kitchen table, reading the paper. "I don't get it. How can Sgt. Snorkel's dog have a rank? Oh, hey honey!"

Helen and Quinn hugged him tight. "Are you okay?"

"Okay, Quinn?"

"The fire at your office," said Daria.

"There was a fire at my office? Dammit!" Jake threw the paper down. "I bet those insurance people will try to stiff me. Well, they're not going to fool Jake Morgendorffer!"

"Oh, Jakey. I'm so glad you're okay."

Daria looked at him. "Those two women you work with. Were they at home?"

"Who?" Jake's face went blank. "Oh yeah. They were."

Daria's eyes narrowed. "Dad, is everything okay?"

"Sure, kiddo! I have to call those insurance people."

Jake, Helen and Quinn all left the room, leaving Daria alone, with her thoughts...

To Be Continued...