Chapter six
Jesse stared at the dark man in the doorway.
"Maybe. Who wants to know?"
"Jesse, who is it?" Peter called from the kitchen.
"I have an interesting proposition for you." Xanatos said. "May I come in."
"Well, we're kinda in the middle of a meal." She opened the door for him.
"Diane, this man wants to talk to us."
Diane and Peter turned around and gasped in surprise.
They stood up to greet their 'guest'.
"Mr. Xanatos!" Peter said. "To what do we owe this. . .pleasure?"
"I came to discuss something regarding young Jessondra's future."
Diane eyed him suspiciously. "We're kind of in the middle of a meal, but you're welcome to join us."
"Why thank you." He sat down in the empty seat beside Jesse, and ate with them.
After dinner they sat in the living room drinking wine, or, in Jesse's case, cider.
"I came her with a proposition for Jessondra." Xanatos said
"Oh? And what would that be?" Peter asked.
Xanatos turned to Jesse. "How would you like to live in Castle Wyvern again?"
"How?" She asked suddenly interested in the adult conversation.
"Well it just so happens that I purchased Castle Wyvern and as we speak, it is sitting at the top of my skyscraper downtown."
"And you would let me come live there?" This couldn't possibly be the man Elisa so despised.
"Of course."
Peter stood up. "No."
Jesse looked at him.
He continued. "You have no right here. Get out of our house. Jesse will stay here."
"Very well. But the offer stands open." He said to Jesse and left.
Jesse turned to Peter. "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go! You didn't consider me at all!" she screamed at him, the tears coming to her eyes. She ran to her room crying, and slammed the door.
"What was that all about?" Peter asked. "And what did he mean by 'again'?"
"Maybe there's something about Jesse's past that we don't know. But she's right. You didn't even ask her opinion." Diane said
"But she's just a child and doesn't understand that that man is scum."
"She is almost sixteen, but she's not our daughter the way Elisa and Beth are. She is still in the custody of the state."
"Diane, what if he tries to adopt her?"
"We can't become attached to all our foster children, or it would defeat the purpose. But we can hope that it doesn't happen." She said and walked off to Jesse's room.
* * *
There was a knock at Jesse's door. "Jess, can I come in?"
"Do want you want."
Diane opened the door and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Jesse, baby what's wrong?"
"He didn't even ask me." she said through sobs. "He didn't ask me."
"Jesse, he did what he thought was best for you. He was only protecting his daughter."
"But I'm not his daughter."
"Jesse you don't want to go live with that man. He's corrupt beyond his years." Diane said stroking Jesse's hair. "But it's your decision."
* * *
Eyrie building
Castle Wyvern
same night
David Xanatos sat in his office sulking. A sinister look sat upon his face and he drummed his fingers on his desk.
"I will not be denied what I want. I will get that girl. Even if it's the last thing I do."
He took out a remote and pressed the single button. A panel on the wall slid open revealing his gleaming red exo-frame.
"Nobody can stop me."
* * *
Jesse sat in the back of the English class listening to the other poems that the class had written. Basically they were pretty pathetic. Her own poem had come to her around midnight the night before while she was thinking about what Diane had said.
"That was nice Cera. Next we have Jesse."
Jesse picked herself up out of her desk and walked to the front of the room. Nobody in the school thought fondly of her for two reasons. One was she hardly ever spoke, and two when she did speak, it was instigating a fight.
She took her place at the podium and began reading:
"O my love
For a thousand years I have sought thee
Thru Vikings and gypsy kings alike
With no avail for me.
When I left you
Your heart was stone
Turned by a magic spell
For something you had supposedly done.
I did not leave with a happy heart
For 'twas stone as yours
Cold with hatred, warm with longing
Would we be together once more?
I traveled to the ends of the earth
The watery gates of Avalon and beyond
I met up with others of the like
But none as lovely as you I've found.
My heart remains heavy, overrun with grief
As I think of your stone encased body and ask why?
I feel suddenly saddened
As I stare at the evening sky.
The one who caused my pain, I left
With the others I had befriended.
And now I wander the gates of time
Will my heart be mended?"
She looked up at the class, and suddenly realized that she had forgotten to disguise her Scottish accent as she had always done. Everybody was staring at her, their mouths hanging half open.
"Thank you Jesse. I'd have to say that was the best so far. It was so beautiful and, extremely deep. Class, would anybody like to comment?"
Nobody raised their hand. The class priss turned to the person beside her and said something barely audible. But Jesse's well trained ears caught it and her face became red with anger.
The two began laughing.
"What is so funny, Marie?"
The girl just shrugged her shoulders and began to write something on a piece of paper.
"Thank you Jesse, you can sit down now."
Jesse took her seat which was on the other side of Marie and paid no attention to the rest of the class for she was lost in a daze.
* * *
After school Jesse went up to Marie and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Can I help ye Jesse?" Marie said in mock accent.
"That's it, bitch, you asked for it." Jesse said and thrust her fist square into Marie's perfect nose.
The girl just started screaming and trying to defend herself, as Jesse delivered another punch to her eye. Blood was pouring from Marie's nose and there was a bruise forming where Jesse's ring had hit her cheekbone, when one of her friends pulled Jesse off her. It just happened to be one of the biggest, toughest girls in the school.
Her first punch hit Jesse square in the mouth and split her lip, the second her cheekbone, and the third broke her nose. Jesse began her attack. She hit the girl in the stomach, causing her to double over she kicked the girl in the side and that's when on of the teachers pulled her away.
"Alright girls, that's enough!" He said.
Jesse began crying, for the old wounds Marie had opened, and struggled as the teacher pulled her to the clinic. Two other teachers helped Marie and her friend, up. Marie took a out tissue and dabbed her nose.
"We're fine." she said and they walked off, or limped rather.
Jesse on the other hand wasn't.
As the nurse put ice on her eye, the principle came in.
"Who started this?"
"Marie Dubois." Jesse stated.
The nurse put more ice on Jesse's bleeding lip.
"Her nose in broken." The nurse said.
The principle turned to his secretary. "Get the girl's parents on the phone, and Jesse's too."
"There not home." she said through the ice pack.
"Mr. Staley," the nurse said, "her nose is broken and she needs to go to the hospital."
"Very well. I'll take her."
* * *
"Suspended from school! Jessondra Michelle, what were you thinking?" Diane scolded as she drove Jesse home from the hospital. Jesse just shrugged. "Well you're going to have a lot of time to think about it, because you are grounded."
"But--"
"No buts. You should know better than to beat up people. You're almost sixteen!"
"At least she got what was coming to her."
"Who has been putting these thoughts into your head?!"
Jesse shrugged.
"What happened to the smart little girl that we took into our home?"
"Maybe she's back in Scotland where she belongs! I don't know! Stop yelling at me!"
"Jesse you did something wrong and you need to be disciplined!"
Jesse began crying. When Diane stopped at a red light Jesse got out of the car and ran.
"Jesse! Come back here!"
Jesse ran all the way to Derek's apartment and didn't stop until she was in his arms sobbing.
"Hey sport! What happened?" he asked regarding the splint on her nose.
"Oh Derek it's awful. I broke my nose, got suspended from school, jumped out of a running car, and your mom hates me!"
"Hey it's okay. You'll be all right. I tell you what, why don't we go visit Elisa and then get some ice cream?"
Jesse nodded and climbed into his car.
* * *
"Then she jumped out of the car. Peter, she could be anywhere. I'm so worried!" Diane said.
The telephone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hey mom, it's me."
"Hi Elisa. Elisa, do you know where Jesse is?"
There was a pause.
"Actually, mom, she's here with me and Derek."
"Oh thank God!" Diane said relieved.
"She's a little upset but there is something you should know."
"What?"
"She's planning on moving in with Xanatos."
"No, Elisa you have to talk her out of it."
"I'll try, mom. But she's dead set against staying with you anymore. Bye."
* * *
"Jesse, you don't want to move in with that man."
"Elisa, I've made up my mind. Derek says it's a great idea."
"Jess, don't go. It's not how it used to be."
"Elisa, I have to go, I feel like I belong there." Jesse said and left the station with Derek.
Elisa watched them go and whispered. "Jesse, you don't understand. The gargoyles aren't there anymore."
Jesse stared at the dark man in the doorway.
"Maybe. Who wants to know?"
"Jesse, who is it?" Peter called from the kitchen.
"I have an interesting proposition for you." Xanatos said. "May I come in."
"Well, we're kinda in the middle of a meal." She opened the door for him.
"Diane, this man wants to talk to us."
Diane and Peter turned around and gasped in surprise.
They stood up to greet their 'guest'.
"Mr. Xanatos!" Peter said. "To what do we owe this. . .pleasure?"
"I came to discuss something regarding young Jessondra's future."
Diane eyed him suspiciously. "We're kind of in the middle of a meal, but you're welcome to join us."
"Why thank you." He sat down in the empty seat beside Jesse, and ate with them.
After dinner they sat in the living room drinking wine, or, in Jesse's case, cider.
"I came her with a proposition for Jessondra." Xanatos said
"Oh? And what would that be?" Peter asked.
Xanatos turned to Jesse. "How would you like to live in Castle Wyvern again?"
"How?" She asked suddenly interested in the adult conversation.
"Well it just so happens that I purchased Castle Wyvern and as we speak, it is sitting at the top of my skyscraper downtown."
"And you would let me come live there?" This couldn't possibly be the man Elisa so despised.
"Of course."
Peter stood up. "No."
Jesse looked at him.
He continued. "You have no right here. Get out of our house. Jesse will stay here."
"Very well. But the offer stands open." He said to Jesse and left.
Jesse turned to Peter. "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to go! You didn't consider me at all!" she screamed at him, the tears coming to her eyes. She ran to her room crying, and slammed the door.
"What was that all about?" Peter asked. "And what did he mean by 'again'?"
"Maybe there's something about Jesse's past that we don't know. But she's right. You didn't even ask her opinion." Diane said
"But she's just a child and doesn't understand that that man is scum."
"She is almost sixteen, but she's not our daughter the way Elisa and Beth are. She is still in the custody of the state."
"Diane, what if he tries to adopt her?"
"We can't become attached to all our foster children, or it would defeat the purpose. But we can hope that it doesn't happen." She said and walked off to Jesse's room.
* * *
There was a knock at Jesse's door. "Jess, can I come in?"
"Do want you want."
Diane opened the door and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Jesse, baby what's wrong?"
"He didn't even ask me." she said through sobs. "He didn't ask me."
"Jesse, he did what he thought was best for you. He was only protecting his daughter."
"But I'm not his daughter."
"Jesse you don't want to go live with that man. He's corrupt beyond his years." Diane said stroking Jesse's hair. "But it's your decision."
* * *
Eyrie building
Castle Wyvern
same night
David Xanatos sat in his office sulking. A sinister look sat upon his face and he drummed his fingers on his desk.
"I will not be denied what I want. I will get that girl. Even if it's the last thing I do."
He took out a remote and pressed the single button. A panel on the wall slid open revealing his gleaming red exo-frame.
"Nobody can stop me."
* * *
Jesse sat in the back of the English class listening to the other poems that the class had written. Basically they were pretty pathetic. Her own poem had come to her around midnight the night before while she was thinking about what Diane had said.
"That was nice Cera. Next we have Jesse."
Jesse picked herself up out of her desk and walked to the front of the room. Nobody in the school thought fondly of her for two reasons. One was she hardly ever spoke, and two when she did speak, it was instigating a fight.
She took her place at the podium and began reading:
"O my love
For a thousand years I have sought thee
Thru Vikings and gypsy kings alike
With no avail for me.
When I left you
Your heart was stone
Turned by a magic spell
For something you had supposedly done.
I did not leave with a happy heart
For 'twas stone as yours
Cold with hatred, warm with longing
Would we be together once more?
I traveled to the ends of the earth
The watery gates of Avalon and beyond
I met up with others of the like
But none as lovely as you I've found.
My heart remains heavy, overrun with grief
As I think of your stone encased body and ask why?
I feel suddenly saddened
As I stare at the evening sky.
The one who caused my pain, I left
With the others I had befriended.
And now I wander the gates of time
Will my heart be mended?"
She looked up at the class, and suddenly realized that she had forgotten to disguise her Scottish accent as she had always done. Everybody was staring at her, their mouths hanging half open.
"Thank you Jesse. I'd have to say that was the best so far. It was so beautiful and, extremely deep. Class, would anybody like to comment?"
Nobody raised their hand. The class priss turned to the person beside her and said something barely audible. But Jesse's well trained ears caught it and her face became red with anger.
The two began laughing.
"What is so funny, Marie?"
The girl just shrugged her shoulders and began to write something on a piece of paper.
"Thank you Jesse, you can sit down now."
Jesse took her seat which was on the other side of Marie and paid no attention to the rest of the class for she was lost in a daze.
* * *
After school Jesse went up to Marie and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Can I help ye Jesse?" Marie said in mock accent.
"That's it, bitch, you asked for it." Jesse said and thrust her fist square into Marie's perfect nose.
The girl just started screaming and trying to defend herself, as Jesse delivered another punch to her eye. Blood was pouring from Marie's nose and there was a bruise forming where Jesse's ring had hit her cheekbone, when one of her friends pulled Jesse off her. It just happened to be one of the biggest, toughest girls in the school.
Her first punch hit Jesse square in the mouth and split her lip, the second her cheekbone, and the third broke her nose. Jesse began her attack. She hit the girl in the stomach, causing her to double over she kicked the girl in the side and that's when on of the teachers pulled her away.
"Alright girls, that's enough!" He said.
Jesse began crying, for the old wounds Marie had opened, and struggled as the teacher pulled her to the clinic. Two other teachers helped Marie and her friend, up. Marie took a out tissue and dabbed her nose.
"We're fine." she said and they walked off, or limped rather.
Jesse on the other hand wasn't.
As the nurse put ice on her eye, the principle came in.
"Who started this?"
"Marie Dubois." Jesse stated.
The nurse put more ice on Jesse's bleeding lip.
"Her nose in broken." The nurse said.
The principle turned to his secretary. "Get the girl's parents on the phone, and Jesse's too."
"There not home." she said through the ice pack.
"Mr. Staley," the nurse said, "her nose is broken and she needs to go to the hospital."
"Very well. I'll take her."
* * *
"Suspended from school! Jessondra Michelle, what were you thinking?" Diane scolded as she drove Jesse home from the hospital. Jesse just shrugged. "Well you're going to have a lot of time to think about it, because you are grounded."
"But--"
"No buts. You should know better than to beat up people. You're almost sixteen!"
"At least she got what was coming to her."
"Who has been putting these thoughts into your head?!"
Jesse shrugged.
"What happened to the smart little girl that we took into our home?"
"Maybe she's back in Scotland where she belongs! I don't know! Stop yelling at me!"
"Jesse you did something wrong and you need to be disciplined!"
Jesse began crying. When Diane stopped at a red light Jesse got out of the car and ran.
"Jesse! Come back here!"
Jesse ran all the way to Derek's apartment and didn't stop until she was in his arms sobbing.
"Hey sport! What happened?" he asked regarding the splint on her nose.
"Oh Derek it's awful. I broke my nose, got suspended from school, jumped out of a running car, and your mom hates me!"
"Hey it's okay. You'll be all right. I tell you what, why don't we go visit Elisa and then get some ice cream?"
Jesse nodded and climbed into his car.
* * *
"Then she jumped out of the car. Peter, she could be anywhere. I'm so worried!" Diane said.
The telephone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hey mom, it's me."
"Hi Elisa. Elisa, do you know where Jesse is?"
There was a pause.
"Actually, mom, she's here with me and Derek."
"Oh thank God!" Diane said relieved.
"She's a little upset but there is something you should know."
"What?"
"She's planning on moving in with Xanatos."
"No, Elisa you have to talk her out of it."
"I'll try, mom. But she's dead set against staying with you anymore. Bye."
* * *
"Jesse, you don't want to move in with that man."
"Elisa, I've made up my mind. Derek says it's a great idea."
"Jess, don't go. It's not how it used to be."
"Elisa, I have to go, I feel like I belong there." Jesse said and left the station with Derek.
Elisa watched them go and whispered. "Jesse, you don't understand. The gargoyles aren't there anymore."