Author's notes: First off, I'd like to thank Jessica for being a wonderful beta reader and putting up with my horrible grammar. Without her the chapters would have little errors everywhere driving everyone crazy. =P Second, I'd like to put in a plug for Villanelle's Jesse MX board. I spend much of my time there. ^_^ http://www.pure.flipblogs.com/index.php Come visit! The people are friendly and we have many stimulating conversations. ;) (It's also where Ally and I rave like lunatics about J/E)
Eve
Chapter 6
"Why isn't this working?" Emma nearly screamed at the computer in frustration. Seriously contemplating the cost it would take Adam to replace the machinery if she happened to "accidentally" hit it with her hand. Slowly tapping each key with her index fingers, she mentally sighed, realizing it would be impossible for her to find what she needed. She was going to have to face the fact that she was computer illiterate.
"You look like you want to kill the computer." The amusement was evident in the familiar voice behind her.
Looking behind her shoulder she gave Jesse a wry grin. "I don't know how to do anything." Facing the computer once again, she tried to turn it on.
Stifling a grin, Jesse leaned down and pressed a small button on the panel of the desk. Watching the screen flare up, Emma glared at the evil computer before her. "It hates me." She stated. "It refuses to do what I tell it to do."
"It is an inanimate object," Jesse answered, lifting the armrests to escort Emma out of the seat. "And it doesn't hate you."
Standing up, Emma watched Jesse slip into the chair, her head peeking over his shoulder.
"So?" Jesse looked up expectantly at Emma.
"So what?" She answered, placing a small hand on his shoulder to lean even closer to the screen.
"What do you need?"
"Oh." Craning her head around to look about, her eyes rested on Jesse. Biting the corner of her lip, she looked back at the screen to Jesse once more. "Could you not tell the others? Just for now," she quickly amended as she felt his uncertainty. "It's not dangerous, well at least I don't think it's dangerous. It's just some information. If it gets out of hand you can feel free to tell everyone what you find."
"What I find?"
"I need you to hack into Genomex's computer frame."
Opening his mouth to speak, Jesse tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "I'm almost afraid to ask this but I probably should know; why?"
"I want to find all the information there is on a Dr. Jonathon Tyler. He worked at Genomex around twenty years ago."
Her request seemed harmless enough and Jesse decided to go along. His fingers flew across the keypad, a mindless blur Emma was barely able to keep up with. Looking at him in envy, Emma scanned the monitor, trying to process the steps Jesse went through to get the information.
"How did you do this?" She asked in exasperation, as the Genomex's main frame appeared.
"Magic." Jesse grinned. Going through past employee files, he typed in Jonathon Tyler's name, grinning when the sheet came up. "Bingo." Lifting both hands he turned the seat to face Emma.
"Very nice Mr. Kilmartin." She replied.
"I do my best." He answered, watching Emma lean in closer to the monitor.
Jesse sat back, admiring his view of her scrutinizing over each word in the file. "Does it say what he did? What he was working on? What about this?" Emma questioned, pointing at the screen and directing Jesse's view away from her.
"What?"
"This, right here, it looks like a file number or something."
Scanning through the paragraph, Jesse frowned. "That's odd."
"What?" Emma prompted, after several seconds had gone by and the only sounds that answered her were the furious clicking noises of the keys.
Jesse nodded towards the screen. "Well when you first look at his file, everything seems normal."
"But?"
A small smirk on his face, Jesse continued to search through Genomex's employee database. "What makes you think there's a but," he asked, scanning the file with a sharp eye.
An arched eyebrow relayed Emma's feelings to Jesse loud and clear. "There's always a but."
"So true." With a flourish, he pressed one final key.
Error, unable to locate file, flashed across the screen.
"Why is it saying that?"
"It could be any number of things."
"Like?"
"Well for starters, someone could have deleted the file."
"Who?"
"No way to tell."
"Damn it," Emma cursed to herself. "How about the file name? Can you find out what it was called?"
"I don't know, but I can try to find out," he answered, his deft fingers searching out the elusive information. "Nothing," he shrugged in regretfully.
Clenching her fist in frustration, Emma's head perked up as she heard Jesse take another go at the keyboard.
"You're going to love me," he spoke out, as words whirred across the screen.
"What have you got?" Emma quickly asked, hope surging through her veins.
"It seems our dear friend Dr. Tyler ceased employment at Genomex 17 years ago."
"He left Genomex?" Her eyes were furrowed in confusion. "I didn't think people were allowed to do that. Can you track him?"
"Way ahead of you." He answered, breaking into the Departments of Motor Vehicles computer mainframe.
"I'm going to borrow the services of our city's DMV." Rolling her eyes at Jesse's casual use of the word borrow, she listened as he continued.
"If I run Tyler's Genomex employee picture through their photos and he has a license, the computer will find a match. Kind of like how we identify new mutants through the database picture files, except there are countless more people for the computer to scan through, so this could take awhile."
Biting her lip, she continued to lean over Jesse's shoulder, watching photos of the drivers blaze by. "I have time."
"I have a program up and running. There's not much you're going to accomplish by sitting here."
"So what do you suggest we do?" She asked, reluctantly dragging her eyes away from the screen.
"Well," he answered with a grin. "Since you seem to have so much free time on your hands, I thought we'd get some training in."
Distracted, she nodded. "Yeah, sure."
Getting up, Jesse hesitated for a moment, indecision written on his face as he stared intently at Emma's hand. With one last lingering look at the computer, Emma didn't seem to notice Jesse's personal dilemma. Ready to go, she took several steps and realized she was leaving Jesse behind. Turning her head to give him a questioning look, baby blue eyes piercing through hers sent small butterflies rampant through her stomach. Her small quizzical smile overwhelmed his brain with warm sensations and he steeled his nerves with determination. Quickly so he had no time to think, he strode towards her and clasped her hand in his.
Too surprised by his actions to react, Emma dumbly followed Jesse, his hand warming hers as he led her away.
"Well look at that." Shalimar stated, as she discreetly watched Emma and Jesse obliviously walk away with two identically foolish grins lighting up their faces.
"What?" Brennan grunted, pausing from his sit-ups to follow Shalimar's stare. Grimacing at the view, he briefly considered following the two to see what they were up to. Glancing back at Shalimar who was looking at the two with a meaningful smile, Brennan had a feeling she wouldn't take too well to any intervention on his part. Resuming his daily exercises with a renewed vigor, Brennan tried to erase the firmly imprinted picture of the two out of his mind.
"They make a cute couple, don't you think." Shalimar asked, lying on the floor with her head propped up by her hands, her mind still very much on her two young friends.
"They're not a couple," he grinded out of his teeth, his muscles burning from the strenuous exercise.
"Not yet." She amended, "And from the looks of it, not for long."
"Why don't we drop the subject," he interrupted, trying to kill the conversation.
"Looking a little tense there, Sparky," she joked, unable to prevent herself from digging further. "If you're not careful, you're going to start looking a bit green."
Avoiding the question in Shalimar's jesting voice, Brennan put his full concentration into his workout, trying to block the nagging voice inside his head that wondered if she was right. Jealousy, such a petty emotion, one he didn't know how to handle or clamp down. Uncomfortable with his thoughts, Brennan eyed Shalimar stretching languidly on the floor beside him.
"What?"
Sitting up, he rested for a moment before pulling himself up. "You want to work out?"
"Isn't that what we're doing now?" A hint of amusement lingered in her slow drawl as she knowingly eyed the direction Emma and Jesse took. "Or did you have something else in mind?"
Grabbing a small white hand towel to casually fling around his neck, he gave Shalimar an impassive reply. "Just want to get in a few kicks before dinner."
Laughing, Emma tried once again to throw a low energy psi blast at Jesse. "If you draw a target on your forehead this might be a little more entertaining."
"What?" He grinned, "Am I boring you?"
"Well since you refuse to seriously fight me," she drawled, "I could just as easily replace you with a steel wall."
"I'm hurt," the blonde gave a spectacular sigh, "that doesn't say much about my illuminating personality."
"Hey," Emma frowned, her eyes glancing behind Jesse, "what's Adam doing?"
Turning his head to follow her gaze, she took the opportunity to kick him in the chest. "Darn," she muttered. Ever agile, Jesse had easily caught her foot in both hands, a wry smile lighting up his face.
"Cheater."
"Sore sport."
Mischievous sparkles danced in his blue eyes and without warning, he pulled on her ankle so she lost her balance. With a squeal Emma tumbled forward, landing on an impossibly hard body, soft cloth tickling her chin. Tilting her head up to throw an accusatory glare at Jesse, her eyes widened and all coherent thoughts flew out of her head. His eyes were heartbreakingly blue, her breath catching at glimpse of hidden desire staring straight down at her.
An indescribable ache tugged in his chest, a deep yearning to mold her body to his unbearably strong. He was unable to tear his eyes away from her lips, thoughts of whether they were as soft as they looked dominating his mind. With her chest pressed so tightly against his, he could almost hear the steady soft beating of her heart. Her open hand barely rested on his torso, fingers splayed over his chest, burning his skin, causing a strong shudder to flutter down his spine.
Brennan's jaw tightened as he saw the closeness between Emma and Jesse. Unsuccessfully trying to keep his head clear of any anger or jealousy, the air around his hands began to sizzle.
"Training?" A self-satisfied smirk graced his face as he saw the two scurry guiltily away from each other.
"Yeah," Jesse answered, cursing Brennan inwardly for interrupting the moment.
"You up for a challenge?" Sparks of electricity flew precariously from poised fingertips, crackling with streams of fierce blue energy.
"That depends," Jesse answered, warily eyeing the dangerous elemental. "You challenging me?"
A bolt of electricity answered Jesse's question, nearly singeing the edge of his arm.
Emma could practically see invisible hairs bristling behind Jesse's neck. Poised for an attack, he stood still, waiting for Brennan to make a move.
"You know this might not be a great idea," Emma tried to intervene, nervous from the turbulent emotions spilling treacherously through the air.
"It's just a friendly sparring match," Brennan replied, never once taking his eyes off Jesse's tense body.
"We've done this a million times," his tone deceptively light.
Biting her lip to keep from protesting, she felt a reassuring hand on her left shoulder and turned her head to see Shalimar attentively scrutinizing each move the two males made.
"Don't worry Emma," she smiled, her eyes flashing with a hint of gold. "I'll make sure it doesn't get out of hand."
Boys are such idiots, Emma muttered under her breath, peeved at their childish posturing.
Catching a nearly imperceptible twitch of a hand, Jesse swiftly raised an arm to block, bolts of electricity narrowly missing susceptible flesh and bouncing harmlessly off his massed arm.
Emma let out a faint gasp as she saw the livid white flash course through the air, dispersing with a resounding crack several yards behind Jesse. Looking back at Shalimar wide eyed, Emma knew the feral was thinking the same thing- Brennan wasn't holding back.
His eyes narrowing from the force of the blow, undaunted, Jesse stood his ground. It seemed Brennan was shooting to win. A shame, since Jesse didn't intend on losing.
*********
A mouse directed the pointer over an unread email. Two clicks, a simple message appeared:
Getting close. Disappear.
~A
Halfway out of his seat, the message was deleted in a handful of seconds. Scattered files were quickly collected and tossed into a worn battered satchel. Plain gray disks swiped off the desk into an impatient hand. Eyes darting nervously at the clock, he hastily finished throwing random objects of various importance into the brimming leather bag. Snapping the laptop shut, he pulled out the plugs and shoved the slim notebook under an arm, grabbing the briefcase with his hand as he made his way towards the door. With one final glimpse at the place he had taught for the past fifteen years, he shut the door and left that life behind him.
*********
Breathing heavily from the exertion of defending himself from Brennan's relentless attacks, beads of sweat trickled down Jesse's cheek as he processed various plans of attack through his head.
In his peripheral vision he saw Brennan charge and Jesse promptly reacted, blocking a fist to his gut while his other arm was to slow in blocking his jaw, though quick to reciprocate with a ruthless blow to the side of Brennan's abdomen. Breaking away, the two crouched defensively apart, trying to catch their breath and recover from their inflected wounds, each cagily eying the other, waiting for the next move. Watching the abnormally brutal rivalry between the two from a slight distance, Emma winced at every forceful blow that landed, her nails digging deep ridges into her palm.
Nearly evenly matched in power, they were relying on skill and wits to gain an edge over their adversary.
The sparring session was free of the customary jests or sarcastic lines and comebacks, utterly silent except for the occasional thumps of hits connecting, now taking on a significance that even Shalimar was beginning to find unsettling. Watching the flurry of activity, her mouth flattened in a thin line and she considered jumping in. Before she could act, a strong voice froze all the occupants in the room.
"What's going on here?" Looking at the group in askance, Adam stared sternly at the two battered boys. Impenetrable tension swam between the two, muscles taut with bodies poised for combat. Clearing his throat, Adam eradicated any thoughts of a near future confrontation. Deciding not to comment on the situation, he let the air clear for a bit before he brought them up to speed.
Staring at the two with a mixture of worry and disgust, Emma glowered at Brennan and Jesse as Adam took deliberate strides towards the pair.
"I've had contact from a new mutant. I've set up a meeting with her at the park on Farrell. Shalimar, Brennan, I want you two to go meet her and settle her into a safe house. Get her acquainted and comfortable with her new environment."
"When do we meet her?" Shalimar asked, when it became apparent that Brennan was too occupied with other matters to take an interest in Adam's new assignment.
"I'd like you to get headed over there now. Her name is Grace Flynn, she's a molecular with the ability to self replicate. Jesse, I want you to find her in the database and send her profile to Shalimar and Brennan at the double helix."
Still uptight, Jesse broke his gaze from Brennan, to give Adam a diverted nod. "Yeah, I'm on it." For a brief moment his eyes unconsciously darted towards Emma, who was looking anywhere but towards him or Brennan. Stiffly he walked away from the group, a slight limp giving away the extent of his injuries.
Shalimar's sharp eyes immediately caught Jesse's awkward step. Looking towards him in alarm, she tossed Emma a pointed look, tilting her head towards Jesse's exit.
"I'll take care him." Emma mouthed, aware that Shalimar was uneasy over the injuries Jesse may have kept hidden.
"A few kicks?" Shalimar huffed when they were alone in the helix, irate over the injuries Brennan has bestowed upon Jesse.
Choosing not to answer Shalimar with the knowledge that any explanation could make matters worse, he buckled into the seat and started the plane. "Let's go."
Knowing Brennan had sustained as many blows as he gave caused her concern for his well being that warred with her need to smack him for being so difficult. Giving in, she settled for a curt nod directed towards his hip that had taken an exceptionally hard hit. "You hurt?"
"I'm fine," he responded without the slightest bit of hesitation, his eyes glued to the view screen.
"Of course you are." She answered, rolling her eyes, her hands mindlessly controlling the various switches of the aircraft. The rest of the trip was made in silence, each delving into their own personal thoughts.
"Hey." After aimlessly walking around the sanctuary for the past hour, guilty, she finally found herself hovering in the open doorway to Jesse's room with a medical kit in hand, her promise to Shalimar embossed in her conscious. Sitting on his bed, his back rested against the wall, his eyes closed, making it difficult to tell if he was asleep or relaxing.
"Jess?" His breathing was deep and even so she crept lightly across the room, reluctant to wake him. Figuring she could check for any surface injuries without disturbing him, she studied his face, marveling at the naïveté his face seemed to project in his sleep.
The corner of his lip was torn and bruised, dried blood marking his skin. Against her better judgment, her hand seemed drawn to his face, fingers scarcely skimming across the surface of his callous lips. Following the curve of his mouth, her finger lingered below the angry welt, tenderly brushing against his swollen skin.
About to withdraw, Jesse's hand shot up and effortlessly gripped her wrist, pulling her palm closer to rest against his cool skin. Eyelids opened, crystal clear irises peering at her from below. His gaze pierced through her soul, rendering her speechless as she watched him deliberately trace his jaw with her hand, leisurely grazing each finger across his lip.
"I'm going to patch that up now," Emma breathlessly babbled to herself while nervously snatching her hand from his to open the small white kit. Silent, he patiently waited for Emma to get the equipment out, blatantly studying her face with a tenderness that exhilarated and terrified at the same time. Fumbling with the instruments, she took the regenerator out and quickly set about to the task of sealing his cuts. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"I might have sprained an ankle."
Moving her hands to the hem of his jeans, she carefully tugged at the rough material until she had an clear view of his ankle. A deep hiss of pain ripped out of Jesse's throat when Emma prodded at the nasty bruise, various hues of dark blue and purple. "Ouch," she winced, looking at his ankle in distress. "We're going to have to get you to the lab to fix it. Do you think you can make it?"
Nodding his affirmation Jesse slowly used his arms to propel his body forward, stumbling when his ankle gave out from underneath the weight of his body.
"Here, let me help you." Emma rushed to his side, slinging his arm over her shoulder. "Let's get going." Grunting, Jesse shifted his weight on his good ankle so he wouldn't crush the smaller woman. A comfortable silence descended on the two, as Emma helped Jesse hobble to the lab.
**********
"We've located Dr. Tyler, sir," Gabriel was informed by a STRAND member through the view screen on his desktop. "We're awaiting our next orders."
"I want him here and alive," his deep voice was calculating and cold. "He should have the complete file of Project Eve. Find it."
**********
*Please note I know little of computers. I don't know what a mainframe is, it just sounded cool. If something makes little sense, it's probably because I did not know what I was talking about. =P*