Casting a glance around Sanctuary as he entered, Jesse tried to shake
a little of the moisture out of his messy hair. It was still dripping, but
less excessively than before, having started to dry out on the way inside.
The rain had ceased shortly after Jesse had decided to head back inside,
and on the way down the mountainside, the sky had cleared somewhat.
Removing his leather jacket and tossing it onto a nearby surface, careful not to dampen any computer outlets, he walked into the large entrance of Sanctuary.
"Adam?" he called out timidly, not wanting Emma to hear what he had to say to their mentor.
The response he gained was a little different than he had hoped. It came from the computer on the desk to his right. A small, alerting beep.
He crossed to it immediately, and activated the incoming communication.
His brow furrowed at the scene that welcomed him. It was Adam, with Brennan and Shalimar in the background. They were on the Double Helix.
"Adam? Where are you going?" Jesse asked, seating himself on the edge of the chair nearby.
Adam looked into the screen beside him, and as he flew the plane, replied, "We got word of a rebel faction of mutants downtown that's kicking up some trouble. I know a couple of them, so I'm taking Brennan and Shalimar to see if we can sort it out before anyone gets hurt."
"What about Emma?" Jesse inquired, checking over his shoulder, suddenly very wary in the rest of the team's absence.
Adam smiled. "I trust you can take care of her whilst we're gone. I'll contact you if anything comes up."
With that, the screen went blank. Silence descended on the room.
Jesse swallowed dryly. Why hadn't they contacted him via commring when they had heard of it? He could have been of some use, surely. But, apparently, he couldn't, and was to be left behind. again.
He stood from the chair. Something wasn't right.
You're just being paranoid, he told himself sternly, forcing a small smile.
Jesse heard the tiniest of sounds from the corner of the room, and flinched, whirling immediately, seeing nothing there. He shuddered.
What was he so afraid of all of a sudden?
That was when he heard the footsteps approaching, though he could not see the figure. It frightened him, and he turned rapidly in all directions, hunting visually for the approaching threat.
Upon turning a full circle, he was shocked to the point of stumbling at the sudden presence of Emma before him, her face serious, stern, grave.
"Em. Emma, hi," he fumbled, smiling nervously, and then clearing his throat and composing himself.
Why was he so jumpy all of a sudden? Emma was his friend.
She stared, her eyes penetrating, boring deep into Jesse.
She was reading him.
His eyes went wide as the look of disgust and horror crossed her beautiful face. She looked furious immediately afterwards.
"Emma, wait, let me explain," he offered, but was immediately forced to the ground violently by an invisible force. Something tightened around his throat.
Emma constantly glared.
"Please, stop!" Jesse choked, grabbing at something that wasn't really there, his oxygen running short, and fast.
"I trusted you," she growled, and loomed over him.
Jesse closed his eyes tight, and managed to say, "I was trying to help you."
"How? By betraying me?" She screamed then, enraged, "Liar!"
The pressure around his throat ceased, and for a moment, Jesse was relieved, only to then be thrown forcefully across the room, slamming hard into a table topped by a computer. He crashed to the ground in pain, the computer and its components tumbling around him in a sparking mess.
"Emma," he cried, "stop! You don't understand!"
He could hear her pacing closer, and from beneath the table, see her booted feet approaching slowly. She knew she didn't need to hurry. She could find him wherever he hid in Sanctuary. Her mind was that mutated, her powers that honed.
Then it hit him. That was why Adam and the others hadn't alerted him to the situation. Emma had created it, forced the impression upon their minds, pushed them out of Sanctuary the only way she knew how.
And all so she could corner Jesse.
"I understand perfectly," she responded, her voice cold, filled with venom.
This wasn't the Emma deLauro that Jesse knew. the Emma he loved. This was something terrible, overtaken by her newfound possibilities, and her power. The plain, incredible power that she had. It was changing her.
Like Ashlocke.
Jesse scrambled to his feet, and sensing it, predicting its coming, he massed immediately, even though he was short on breath.
Her psionic blast struck his massed frame, and died instantly, irritating the approaching Emma.
Jesse returned to normal, and phased through the wall behind him quickly, avoiding another blast that followed shortly after.
He found himself in the lab, vials of brightly coloured liquids and DNA samples filling shelves and worktops all around the walls. The scanner on the ceiling was stationary, and the bed in the middle of the room was empty. Medical and scientific instruments alike adorned the room, filled cupboards, and were placed here and there on trays beside the bed and computers.
Jesse felt the rush of panic start to rise up in him again, and he forced it down, calming himself, disciplining his emotions so that Emma wouldn't sense his fear.
That was when the glass from the door smashed inwards, flying across the room like a sharp wind, forcing Jesse to throw himself to the ground swiftly to avoid being cut. He covered his head instinctively, and waited for the sounds of the smashing to cease.
But when he looked up again from beneath the protection of his arms, he saw Emma at the doorway, a look of sheer unmistakable, and utterly terrifying anger in her eyes. Her face was stoic, lacking of any emotion, most unusual for the psionic woman. Usually her featured were a pallet of fear, happiness, confusion, understanding, sympathy, and so much more.
Now it was all gone, replaced by the powerful rage she felt at his apparent betrayal.
A solitary tear fell down her cheek. Her expression did not change.
Jesse held up a hand, and he struggled to find the words to say to his friend.
"Emma, please, just listen to me, and I'll tell you why I have to tell Adam," he begged, stepping back away from her as she approached.
Then he wondered why he was being so afraid of her, and it hit him that maybe Emma was just testing to see how intimidated she could make him feel. Maybe if he showed her he wasn't afraid, then she would stop, and listen to him.
It's a long shot, he thought, but what option do I have?
So he stopped, standing up to her defiantly, his feet planted firmly on the ground beneath him, failing to move an inch.
"Emma," he began calmly, "I'm worried about you."
She did not flinch, simply continued in her silent approach, staring coldly.
"Look at what you're doing. You're trying to hurt me. and the Emma I know wouldn't do that, not for anything. I would never betray you, Emma."
He saw her face shift slightly, and he wondered if his words had moved her slightly, in any way.
But what happened was a little unexpected. She punched him, hard, harder than he had thought Emma capable of. He nearly lost his balance at the shock of the strike, but just looked back to her, and sighed. His face was full of compassion, and he hoped she could see it in his eyes, if not read it in his mind.
She hit him again.
The third time she reached out to strike, Jesse took a hold of her arm, and he felt the tension in her limb. Her arm was rigid, her muscles clenched.
He stared her in the eye, and said quietly, "I would never do anything to hurt you Emma. never. You know why?"
She reached out with the other arm to strike, and this time, another tear fell, and then another. Her breathing became rapid, and he could see her chest rise and fall in bursts. Her eyes welled with tears. She narrowed her eyes at him, and brought the arm down to hit him.
Jesse caught her arm, holding it firmly, but gently. He could feel her trembling violently.
"You know why, Emma? Because I love you," Jesse told her, his voice soothing.
"No!" she yelled, releasing the tears, and he watched as they tumbled from her eyes. She snatched back her arms, and proceeded to beat him on the chest with them, her strikes becoming weaker and weaker with each blow. She sobbed uncontrollably, her eyes screwed up tightly as she screamed in protest.
Finally, her screams became nothing but whimpers, and her hands merely patted him, so lightly he could barely feel her blows at all.
Jesse took her in his arms then, and embraced her, hearing her sob against him, holding her close. Her knees collapsed from under her, and he lowered her to her knees, he too kneeling so that he could keep holding her, providing her with the warmth and friendship he knew she so badly needed right now.
He soothed her with gentle words, whispers that everything would be fine, and no one was hurt.
She protested, insisting that she had hurt him, and she would never be able to forgive herself.
"No," he told her sternly, his words filled with kindness, "you could never hurt me, Emma. Never. I forgive you for what you tried to do. I understand, and I'm going to help you through this, alright? I won't let anything hurt you."
She quieted in her sobs, and embraced him in return, accepting the warmth and kindness he offered.
For what seemed like an eternity, which, in reality was only a few minutes, the two sat on the floor, in each other's arms, warming each other with their presence and kindness.
And their love.
Removing his leather jacket and tossing it onto a nearby surface, careful not to dampen any computer outlets, he walked into the large entrance of Sanctuary.
"Adam?" he called out timidly, not wanting Emma to hear what he had to say to their mentor.
The response he gained was a little different than he had hoped. It came from the computer on the desk to his right. A small, alerting beep.
He crossed to it immediately, and activated the incoming communication.
His brow furrowed at the scene that welcomed him. It was Adam, with Brennan and Shalimar in the background. They were on the Double Helix.
"Adam? Where are you going?" Jesse asked, seating himself on the edge of the chair nearby.
Adam looked into the screen beside him, and as he flew the plane, replied, "We got word of a rebel faction of mutants downtown that's kicking up some trouble. I know a couple of them, so I'm taking Brennan and Shalimar to see if we can sort it out before anyone gets hurt."
"What about Emma?" Jesse inquired, checking over his shoulder, suddenly very wary in the rest of the team's absence.
Adam smiled. "I trust you can take care of her whilst we're gone. I'll contact you if anything comes up."
With that, the screen went blank. Silence descended on the room.
Jesse swallowed dryly. Why hadn't they contacted him via commring when they had heard of it? He could have been of some use, surely. But, apparently, he couldn't, and was to be left behind. again.
He stood from the chair. Something wasn't right.
You're just being paranoid, he told himself sternly, forcing a small smile.
Jesse heard the tiniest of sounds from the corner of the room, and flinched, whirling immediately, seeing nothing there. He shuddered.
What was he so afraid of all of a sudden?
That was when he heard the footsteps approaching, though he could not see the figure. It frightened him, and he turned rapidly in all directions, hunting visually for the approaching threat.
Upon turning a full circle, he was shocked to the point of stumbling at the sudden presence of Emma before him, her face serious, stern, grave.
"Em. Emma, hi," he fumbled, smiling nervously, and then clearing his throat and composing himself.
Why was he so jumpy all of a sudden? Emma was his friend.
She stared, her eyes penetrating, boring deep into Jesse.
She was reading him.
His eyes went wide as the look of disgust and horror crossed her beautiful face. She looked furious immediately afterwards.
"Emma, wait, let me explain," he offered, but was immediately forced to the ground violently by an invisible force. Something tightened around his throat.
Emma constantly glared.
"Please, stop!" Jesse choked, grabbing at something that wasn't really there, his oxygen running short, and fast.
"I trusted you," she growled, and loomed over him.
Jesse closed his eyes tight, and managed to say, "I was trying to help you."
"How? By betraying me?" She screamed then, enraged, "Liar!"
The pressure around his throat ceased, and for a moment, Jesse was relieved, only to then be thrown forcefully across the room, slamming hard into a table topped by a computer. He crashed to the ground in pain, the computer and its components tumbling around him in a sparking mess.
"Emma," he cried, "stop! You don't understand!"
He could hear her pacing closer, and from beneath the table, see her booted feet approaching slowly. She knew she didn't need to hurry. She could find him wherever he hid in Sanctuary. Her mind was that mutated, her powers that honed.
Then it hit him. That was why Adam and the others hadn't alerted him to the situation. Emma had created it, forced the impression upon their minds, pushed them out of Sanctuary the only way she knew how.
And all so she could corner Jesse.
"I understand perfectly," she responded, her voice cold, filled with venom.
This wasn't the Emma deLauro that Jesse knew. the Emma he loved. This was something terrible, overtaken by her newfound possibilities, and her power. The plain, incredible power that she had. It was changing her.
Like Ashlocke.
Jesse scrambled to his feet, and sensing it, predicting its coming, he massed immediately, even though he was short on breath.
Her psionic blast struck his massed frame, and died instantly, irritating the approaching Emma.
Jesse returned to normal, and phased through the wall behind him quickly, avoiding another blast that followed shortly after.
He found himself in the lab, vials of brightly coloured liquids and DNA samples filling shelves and worktops all around the walls. The scanner on the ceiling was stationary, and the bed in the middle of the room was empty. Medical and scientific instruments alike adorned the room, filled cupboards, and were placed here and there on trays beside the bed and computers.
Jesse felt the rush of panic start to rise up in him again, and he forced it down, calming himself, disciplining his emotions so that Emma wouldn't sense his fear.
That was when the glass from the door smashed inwards, flying across the room like a sharp wind, forcing Jesse to throw himself to the ground swiftly to avoid being cut. He covered his head instinctively, and waited for the sounds of the smashing to cease.
But when he looked up again from beneath the protection of his arms, he saw Emma at the doorway, a look of sheer unmistakable, and utterly terrifying anger in her eyes. Her face was stoic, lacking of any emotion, most unusual for the psionic woman. Usually her featured were a pallet of fear, happiness, confusion, understanding, sympathy, and so much more.
Now it was all gone, replaced by the powerful rage she felt at his apparent betrayal.
A solitary tear fell down her cheek. Her expression did not change.
Jesse held up a hand, and he struggled to find the words to say to his friend.
"Emma, please, just listen to me, and I'll tell you why I have to tell Adam," he begged, stepping back away from her as she approached.
Then he wondered why he was being so afraid of her, and it hit him that maybe Emma was just testing to see how intimidated she could make him feel. Maybe if he showed her he wasn't afraid, then she would stop, and listen to him.
It's a long shot, he thought, but what option do I have?
So he stopped, standing up to her defiantly, his feet planted firmly on the ground beneath him, failing to move an inch.
"Emma," he began calmly, "I'm worried about you."
She did not flinch, simply continued in her silent approach, staring coldly.
"Look at what you're doing. You're trying to hurt me. and the Emma I know wouldn't do that, not for anything. I would never betray you, Emma."
He saw her face shift slightly, and he wondered if his words had moved her slightly, in any way.
But what happened was a little unexpected. She punched him, hard, harder than he had thought Emma capable of. He nearly lost his balance at the shock of the strike, but just looked back to her, and sighed. His face was full of compassion, and he hoped she could see it in his eyes, if not read it in his mind.
She hit him again.
The third time she reached out to strike, Jesse took a hold of her arm, and he felt the tension in her limb. Her arm was rigid, her muscles clenched.
He stared her in the eye, and said quietly, "I would never do anything to hurt you Emma. never. You know why?"
She reached out with the other arm to strike, and this time, another tear fell, and then another. Her breathing became rapid, and he could see her chest rise and fall in bursts. Her eyes welled with tears. She narrowed her eyes at him, and brought the arm down to hit him.
Jesse caught her arm, holding it firmly, but gently. He could feel her trembling violently.
"You know why, Emma? Because I love you," Jesse told her, his voice soothing.
"No!" she yelled, releasing the tears, and he watched as they tumbled from her eyes. She snatched back her arms, and proceeded to beat him on the chest with them, her strikes becoming weaker and weaker with each blow. She sobbed uncontrollably, her eyes screwed up tightly as she screamed in protest.
Finally, her screams became nothing but whimpers, and her hands merely patted him, so lightly he could barely feel her blows at all.
Jesse took her in his arms then, and embraced her, hearing her sob against him, holding her close. Her knees collapsed from under her, and he lowered her to her knees, he too kneeling so that he could keep holding her, providing her with the warmth and friendship he knew she so badly needed right now.
He soothed her with gentle words, whispers that everything would be fine, and no one was hurt.
She protested, insisting that she had hurt him, and she would never be able to forgive herself.
"No," he told her sternly, his words filled with kindness, "you could never hurt me, Emma. Never. I forgive you for what you tried to do. I understand, and I'm going to help you through this, alright? I won't let anything hurt you."
She quieted in her sobs, and embraced him in return, accepting the warmth and kindness he offered.
For what seemed like an eternity, which, in reality was only a few minutes, the two sat on the floor, in each other's arms, warming each other with their presence and kindness.
And their love.