Out of the future

Chapter 8: To those we pray



Who am I?

Rachel Guevara.

My mission?

Blown to pieces.

Why am I here?

I don't even know anymore.

My life?

Is over.



I open my eyes slowly. Everything hurts. So that's what it feels like to almost fade out of existence. If I haven't already that is. No, it hurts too much, I must be alive. My head hurts and I want to sleep again. I might as well, seeing on how my parents hate each other in this year and I'm soon not going to exist, kind of cruel if you think about it. I was told that by coming here it might create an alternate reality, nothing will play out like it did in my world. But if one of them dies….

Mom and Logan might still get together and have some miserable little offspring. I don't know what'll happen to Dad or Aunt Jo, maybe they'll hook up, maybe they'll leave. We screwed up, Jesse. I screwed up. This is all my fault. It's always my fault. Mom went into heat and here I am. The little mistake. Little Miss Perfect.

Perfection. What an ugly word. It used to be fun until they started coming for me. Like when they sent that X32 after me when I was twelve. Running alone through the sewers, bleeding, with that thing after me. It's only a miracle that Dad found me when he did. They really love me though. Did I throw them together?……uh…I'm so confused right now…Is someone calling my name? All I can see is darkness.



()()()()()



"Rachel? Rachel?" I called to her, lightly shaking her shoulders. She seemed to be coming out of it, only to be dragged back in. That must have been horrible for her, and it'll probably be happening again some time soon but I'll probably be with her the next time it happens.

"Jesse is it?" asked the doctor.

"Yeah," I said moving a stray hair out of Rachel's face.

"They both seem to be doing fine."

Yeah, I know they're fine. Alec's still unconscious in the bed next to her. Pale as Death itself. I glance at his bandaged hand, that was a close call. His future self wouldn't have gotten hit, his fighting style is more controlled in my time than it is now. Probably because he and Max do it together and are quite the team. Manticore designed them to fight perfectly together, among other things. Rachel's just the two of them in one person. This is my fault. That Alec and Rachel are lying here. I should have told them about the poison, then maybe they would have been more careful. Rachel I'm so sorry. I shut my eyes tight and bring here lifeless hand to my lips. The doc patted my shoulder and left.

"Rachel WAKE UP."

I don't even know if she can hear me, and it's scary-she is so strong and to just see her lying here like this…my face feels wet, are these my tears? Dammit Rache, why? Why do I love you so much?



FLASHBACK

"Uh..no..uh Rachel you're doing it all wrong."

"Jesse shut up! I'll do it my way."

"If you do it your way it won't turn out right….here let me help you."

Jesse pushed her out of the way and grabbed the measuring cup. He then preceded to show her how to put flour in it.

"You put the cup in the flour and scoop it up, simple, no spoons," he said grabbing the small steel spoon she was holding.

"I don't see the difference."

"My ways faster, more efficient, and the right way," said Jesse sighing.

"Just because you and Logan can cook you think you know everything Eyes Junior," snapped Rachel grabbing back the measuring cup and dumping it into the large metal bowl.

"Now you try," said Jesse pushing the flour towards her.

"There's already flour in there."

"You need TWO cups, not one.

"So it's like this," she asked imitating exactly what he had done.

"Perfect," said Jesse, "You have got to be the first 19 year old I know who doesn't know how to scoop flour, let alone make cookies."

"My parents don't cook, and besides if they did I'd probably be getting my stomach pumped."

Jesse laughed and handed her two eggs.

"What are these for?"

"Put them in the flour."

"Like this?" Rachel set the eggs in the bowl shell and all.

"You're supposed to break them," said Jesse grabbing away the spoon that she had just picked up, "You take them out first, break them over the bowl and throw the shells away."

"This is complicated."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"Rachel!"

"What?" she asked putting her hand in the flour.

"Sometimes I think you're just doing this on purpose."

"Doing what on purpose?" she asked slyly.

"What are you?" His half finished question was answered when she threw a handful of flour in his face.

"That's it," he said wiping his face off with a dish towel, "That's it."

He grabbed the bag of flour and threw it on Rachel who screamed and reached for something to throw at him. She found the brown sugar and threw the bag at him. He tackled her to the ground where they were grabbing at the mess they made on the floor to throw at each other.

"Ahem,"

Jesse and Rachel stopped their cookie ingredient fight and laughing and looked up to see Logan standing in the doorway with a bemused look on his face.

"Um…okay…about the kitchen…." started Jesse as Rachel tried not to laugh.

The scene Logan had walked in on was that his perfectly spotless kitchen was now completely rearranged, sugar and flour were everywhere and a few pots had been knocked down. Complete that picture with Rachel straddling Jesse's hips, both quite out of breath and smiling….Logan's first impression was that she had went into heat.

"We were cooking," said Jesse trying to suppress his laughter, "trying anyway."

"This was your own fault," said Rachel getting to her feet.

"How is it my fault?" he asked, "you threw flour at me first."

"You doused me with the whole bag!"

"And guess who's cleaning this up?" said Logan.

"I gotta go," said Rachel quickly, "uh…Jam Pony stuff….in uh..a half an hour…..you know Normal if anyone's late."

"Except you and Alec," said Jesse, "Golden Girl."

"Shut up Cale," she said nudging him in the stomach and making her exit, leaving flour footprints all the way to the door.

"What were you really doing?" asked Logan.

"Making cookies."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes really! There's nothing going on between us honestly," said a slightly red Jesse going down the hall to get a mop.

Logan was about to try and get into the kitchen when he saw a white hand print right on the ass of Jesse's jeans.

"Nothing going on my ass," said Logan, shaking his head and going to inspect the damages.

END FLASHBACK



"Wake up Rache," Jesse whispered kissing her lightly on the forehead.



()()()()()



"What's wrong Boo?" I asked my girl over the phone.

Max just called going on about something I couldn't catch. Something like they got attacked, Alec's in the hospital and something Rachel, something like that anyway, I couldn't hear. I'm headin' over to Harbour Lights right know, what ever's going on I'm gonna be there for her. Something happened, my first thought was that she and Logan touched but all I really heard was mumbling about Alec and Rachel. I grab my coat and am out the door.



()()()()()





I just hung up on Original Cindy, hoping she caught some of what I had said. I couldn't even understand half of it. Alec's her father. Rachel's father. The father of my future daughter. Well if telling Logan that Alec and I were together didn't push him away, this will for sure. Now he's going to think that we're together together, but we aren't together, but I told him we were and I'm babbling again. I walk up to their room after I'm done on the phone. Jesse's gone, I hope he's okay. Rachel and Jesse can't be related. Alec was right they look nothing alike and that wasn't just brotherly concern back there. But Jesse's an X9, his mother has to be an X5. Okay Max, slow down! Take one thing at a time. Let's deal with Rachel and Alec right now. The first thing I'm going to do when they wake up is demand how it happened and beat Alec into unconsciousness again. Why didn't I see it before? They even look alike, no wonder she never stood beside him. They've got the same face shape, lips, their eyebrows are almost shaped the same too. But she's got my hair colour and nose. Her personality is like ours mixed together. She has my toughness and his cockiness, like in the warehouse when she didn't think we were followed. But she's alright. I hope she wakes up soon; I have quite a few questions.

"I guess Alec was good for something after all," I said looking down at my little girl.

"Who are you talking to Max?"

Alec startled me so bad that I nearly hit the roof.

"How long have you been up!"

"I feel dead thanks for asking," he said groggily.

He's still weak, and he better not have heard what I just said.

"No really what's going on? What happened? Where am I?"



()()()()()



Max and Alec, who would have guessed. I mean I knew they were together but I didn't think they were that together. Or would even stay together. Rachel's their daughter. Guess there was more than the virus-which-is-now-gone-by-the-way that was keeping us apart. Maybe she needed an X5 this whole time but never found one till now. This whole thing is just…I don't even know what it is…and not only Max and Alec but Jesse…he's my son, and an X9, and Max may or may not be his mother. But if Max isn't then who? She's the only female X-series I know….pretty much anyway, but I doubt I'd try to find one. This is too much.

"Logan."

I turn to look at who called me.

"Hey Cindy."

"Where's my boo at? She just called a few minutes ago mumbling something about a hospital, Alec, and Rachel," said Original Cindy.

"Long story," I said.



()()()()()



"So where are they going to be stationed?" I asked.

"Right around this area and then…"

Here I go again drowning other people out by my own inner voice. Where it's been hiding for the past ten years is anyone's guess. Something's wrong I can feel it. I knew I should've went with them or at least followed them or something. But I can't can I? Even after all these years and Zack's amnesia I'm still listening to him. He'll always be our C.O. but with all that's happening right know I'm probably going to be forced out into the open. If there's anything I've learned in all these years it's that I'm a great actress.

"Could you excuse me a moment, I just got a page," I said to them, exiting the meeting room. I look at my pager and notice it's one I've only seen once before. I get to a phone and dial.

"This is Jesse," said the voice on the other end.

"Hey," I said.

"We ran into some trouble getting the antivirus, Alec's in the hospital and so is Rachel."

"Omigod what happened?"

"The X38's carry a toxin in their claws, he got infected with it and Rachel…" he trailed off.

"She's Alec's isn't she?"

"Yeah," said Jesse, "How fast can you get down here?"

"15-20 minutes tops."

"Kay…uh….you're my mother…if you didn't already know."

"I figured there had to be a reason you paged me the first time, without anyone asking you to and and you're calling again."

"Yeah, hey we'll talk more at the hospital."

"Yeah…Jesse, how much do they know? In the future?" I asked.

"Everything, I heard it was a shock but now, you and Max are always trying to see who's more, I don't know efficient? Better? it's kinda funny."

"But it can still go either way."

"Yeah."

"You're taking a big risk."

"Dad knows Max is not my mother [I think] and I haven't faded yet, but hey! There's still time. Finding out about you might be a bit much right at the moment…"

"Just think of it this way, he lied to me about being Eyes Only so why can't I keep this from him for now? It's Max who should have known, I should have…"

"We'll deal with it when it comes."

"Yeah, we will."

I hang up the phone and pressed my face to the wall.

"Asha?" asked anS1W member

"What?" I asked.

"Are you coming back in?"

"I've got to go, it's an emergency."

I head out of S1W headquarters and got into my car. I looked in the mirror and realized that my hair was starting to turn brown at the roots again. I'll have to dye it again in a few weeks.



~*~*~*~*~

A/N: ....well?....r/r!

Disc.: Dark Angel belongs to Cameron/Eglee etc.