Hey everyone! Thanks always for your reviews, you guys are too generous!!
Well, I'm finally done! The story is complete and there is also an
epilogue too. Aren't I good to you?!
All disclaimers apply.
Chapter 11: Sacrificial Protection
Mark heard the screech of car tires outside and knew inherently that they had arrived. He ran outside to meet them, and was met with a giant bear hug from Amanda; her eyes were brimmed with tears.
"Mark are you okay? I'm sorry, that was a really stupid question!" her voice was thick as she laughed nervously, trying to ease the tension. Although Steve was always getting himself into trouble, this time it was different and nobody knew how to act.
They broke apart, and Mark looked at Kealy. She looked as terrified as he felt. Jesse's a big part of this too, Mark reminded himself. He wouldn't have put it past Jesse to deeply endanger himself to save Steve, something which made Mark feel even more guilty. If he lost them both. . .Fear gripped his heart, as he tried frantically to keep calm.
"What do we do?" Jack said as he joined the group, Kate Lockley at his side; both looked anxious. Jack was gravely concerned for Steve.
"Jesse said something about a law firm called Wolfram and Hart. I suggest we start there" Mark asserted, trying to quell the feelings of hopelessness.
"I've dealt with them before, I know where it is!" Kate piped up, glad that finally she could assist with something.
"Hold on Mark!" Kealy interjected, "You still haven't told us what's going on!" Her face was alive with frustration and anxiety; her eyes were bloodshot as their gaze met.
Mark took a deep breath, sending much needed oxygen to his brain "Well, I don't know the full story, but what I managed to learn from Jesse was that Seville had had these people from Wolfram and Hart kidnap Steve. I don't know why. And then Jesse said that he was going there, and that he would get Steve back" He brushed a hand through his ruffled, grey hair.
"If Seville kidnapped Steve then there's only one reason why he would do that!" Kealy exclaimed, as the realisation of what Seville was planning hit her suddenly. "He wants to lure Jesse to him! He's going to kill him!" The panic was evident in her voice.
"We need to get to Wolfram and Hart right now!" Vaughn yelled, throughout all the chaos that Kealy's outburst had caused. "I'll call for CIA backup!"
* * * *
Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Wes and Doyle made slow progress up the stairs. The atmosphere between them was fraught, and each was fighting the urge to go back down there to Jesse. But Jesse had made his feelings clear, they were to take Steve to safety, and that was what they would do. They knew that what Jesse had done had been reckless, but they could not suppress their pride at having known such a person. Jesse was special all right, and they had felt an affinity with him; he was brave and selfless, and they would always remember him.
They were bracing themselves for a gunshot, and they knew that the longer the wait, the worse it would probably be for Jesse. God knew what they were doing to him down there. Any one of them would have stayed for him, but they could also see the bigger picture. It was better for one of them to die than for all of them to die; and Angel could not endanger the lives of his close friends.
Steve hung limply from Angel's grasp, but was showing signs of waking up. Angel knew he would guard the man with his life. The group had not managed to get halfway up the staircase before he had started to struggle. He leapt out of Angel's grip and was disorientated for a moment, his face screwed up in puzzlement and fear.
"It's okay!" Cordelia said, in as reassuring a manner as she could. "You're safe now!"
"Where's Jesse?" Steve asked angrily as he looked up, instantly recognising the faces around him. Part of him already knew the answer; if he was here with them, then Jesse had to be. . . "How could you let him do it!" His tone was accusatory.
"You know what he's like when he gets an idea in his head!" Gunn raised his voice, "He was hell-bent on getting you out of there! There was no stopping him! He said it had to be this way!"
So engaged were the group in their argument, that they didn't notice a figure pass by them in the shadows, his fear rising as he gleaned from their dialogue the knowledge that the thing he had feared the most was indeed about to happen. I haven't got much time! He thought desperately, drawing out his gun.
"Well we have to get down there!" Steve argued, "I can't let him die!"
"Do you want to get yourself killed!" Angel asked, grasping him by the shoulders, "What use is that? Jesse sacrificed himself for you! Do you want that sacrifice to have been for nothing by getting yourself killed?"
"That sacrifice should never have been made in the first place!" Steve whispered, his resolve weakening to devastation, Jesse was going to let himself die so that he, Steve, could live! It was too much to bear, as he realised that there was nothing he could do. If he didn't go down, Jesse would die, if he did go down, Jesse would die and in all likelihood he would too!
"I uh, I don't know what to do" he admitted, that was something that he rarely experienced, especially as a police officer; but it was precisely because he was a police officer that he felt guilty about not knowing what course of action to take. His mind took him back to his friends; would they ever forgive him for whatever he decided to do, for letting Jesse die or letting himself die?
"Join the club" Doyle said hopelessly.
"What am I going to do?" Steve's voice was thick with panic, and his hands were balled into fists.
Then they heard a shot. It rang out through the darkness and stopped their quarrel in an instant. It took a few seconds for it to sink in. . .
"JESSE!" Steve shouted. He ran forward, but was held back by Wes and Gunn, who looked devastated themselves.
"NOOOO!" Cordelia yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. Angel himself looked shocked, and none of them spoke as Cordelia shook with silent tears and Steve looked as if a train had hit him.
"I don't' care anymore!" Steve said determinedly, "I'm going down there and you can't stop me! He's going to pay for what he did!" He pushed them aside and stumbled down the stairs. They watched him go, feeling as if they should have stopped him, but knowing that they never could have.
* * * *
Jesse instinctively shrank back as he heard the shot echo round the large room, expecting extreme agony to hit him.
It took him ten seconds to realise that he wasn't dead. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw James Seville fall to the ground before him, his eyes shocked and wide with pain. Crimson liquid was blossoming out of a deep wound in his shoulder, and the man began writhing in distress. The gun, that only a few seconds before had been about to kill Jesse, lay discarded a few metres away.
Jesse tore his eyes from Seville and looked up. Lilah and Lindsay were standing on the other side of the room, their faces shocked and more than a little scared. Finally, Jesse's eyes came to rest upon his saviour; The person he had least expected to walk into the room.
"Dad?" Jesse asked softly, feeling like a small child.
Dane Travis stood framed in the doorway, a gun half raised in his right hand. A look of quiet triumph on his face. His gaze met Jesse's, and for the first time, there was a glimmer of understanding. Jesse could see the deep and heartfelt relief in his father's eyes, and had never felt so loved by the man on whom he had given up all hope.
"Jesse!" Dane exclaimed, breaking the spell "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just. . ." distractedly Jesse rattled the chains binding his wrists.
"Of course!" his father replied anxiously. For the first time, his gaze fell upon the two lawyers who were huddling in one corner, staring at the blood rising out of Seville's shoulder. "You two!" He growled at them, raising his gun, "Unlock my son!" While this was carried out, he spoke for a few seconds on his radio and called for a CIA pick up team for Lilah and Lindsay.
Dane Travis did not relax until the deed was done. Jesse heaved himself up and walked slowly over to his dad.
"I didn't know you cared" Jesse whispered, feeling as though he was dreaming.
"I never stopped caring" Dane smiled slightly, and then pulled his son into an embrace.
Lilah and Lindsay swept past, taking their chance to get out. "Dad, what about. . .?" Jesse protested as they went.
"Let them go son, they won't get past Angel!"
There was a moment of stillness, which was broken by scuffing footsteps and a heavily panting Steve running through the door. He stopped short at the sight of father and son, his eyes almost popping out of his head.
"Jesse?" Steve gasped, bewildered.
"Steve?" Jesse exhaled, equally bewildered. "I thought Angel took you to safety!" he continued, moving towards Steve now as Dane released his grip.
"I thought you got shot!" Steve couldn't help smiling out of sheer relief. He reached out and touched Jesse's shoulder, and said more seriously "I thought I'd lost you"
Dane sensed the importance of this reunion between the two friends, so he tactfully stepped out of the room and headed up stairs find Angel.
* * * *
The small convoy of vehicles that contained Mark, Amanda, Kate, Kealy, Vaughn and Jack screeched to a halt outside Wolfram and Hart. Tension was running high among the group; each worried in their own ways about Steve and Jesse.
Mark was at the head of the group as they hurried towards the front doors. Suddenly, a large group of people burst through them. Angel strode forward, his black leather jacket billowing out behind him. Cordelia was at his side, and Wes, Gunn and Doyle were holding between them a man and a woman.
Kate stepped in front of Mark, because he looked dubious about speaking to the vampire. "Angel, what happened? Where are Steve and Jesse?" She asked shrilly.
"I can answer that" a new voice entered the equation.
"Dane?" Mark exhaled in disbelief. "What the-"
"When I heard what Seville was planning, I came at once" His eyes showed a real fear at what might have been. He looked round at the group, guessing immediately the question that was at the tip of their tongues. "They're fine!"
Everyone smiled with pure relief as the weight lifted from their shoulders. They were okay!
"Where are they?" Mark asked, desperate to see his son and surrogate son.
"They're down in the basement, I think we should leave them time to re- acquaint themselves" Dane's eyes twinkled. "Seville's down there awaiting a CIA pickup. Don't worry" he added hastily at the look on Mark's face. "He won't be a danger!" Mark's taut features relaxed, and he grinned for the first time in what seemed like years.
* * * *
There was a heavy silence now between two men now, as each contemplated what to say. Both knew that words would not be good enough.
"Steve, I - " Jesse began. Steve cut across him.
"Jesse what did you think you were doing?" He accused, angrily. It was not out of anger for his friend, but more out of anger at himself. He had caused this!
"Oh, I dunno. Maybe, I was. . .saving your life!" Jesse joked, trying to hide the tension between them in the only way he knew how. He sighed at the irritated look Steve shot him, "Steve, you know it was the only way! I'd already endangered your life. I could never have lived with myself if I'd let you die so that I could live! And besides, you would have done the same for me! You would, wouldn't you. . .?" he added uncertainly.
"Of course!" Steve said immediately, "But that doesn't mean I agree with what you did! I'm just glad you're okay!"
"You and me both!" Jesse agreed. He glanced over at Seville, "Well, I suppose that's the last I'll see of him!" He laughed, a smile dawning on his face. Steve could see a shade of the old Jesse shining through, and it gave him hope that things could still return to normal between them.
"Jess?" Steve said, quietly, in a tone of voice which made Jesse turn back to him at once. He had to say this now, or the time would never be right. "I uh, I don't know where to start" he paused apprehensively, "I'm so sorr- "
"Steve you don't need to say this" Jesse stopped him.
"No Jesse I do. I'm sorry about the way I treated you; I acted like a jerk and all this stuff would never have happened if I'd just believed you" Steve was finding this very difficult, and Jesse could see this. He made a noise as if to speak, but Steve held up his hand. "I'm sorry about what I said about Jack, I couldn't see past him for a while. I just hope that things can go back to normal" he finished with a small chuckle, and looked up, at first unaware that he had been looking at the floor.
Jesse's eyes were warm and friendly he smiled at Steve, "Steve, I can understand why you didn't believe me, and I don't in any way blame you for what happened. All of this would have happened regardless of whether or not you'd all believed me" He could see his smile reflected in Steve's face, "And Steve. . .of course things can return to normal! I'm willing if you are!" He patted Steve on the shoulder.
"Friends?" Steve asked, finally sure of what Jesse's answer would be.
"Friends!" Jesse agreed enthusiastically, "Now, I think we should head upstairs"
As they headed towards the door, they were passed by some CIA operatives who raced into the room and began sedating the broken man on the floor, preparing him for transportation.
Jesse and Steve shared a grin as they knew that they could finally close the chapter of their nightmare.
Read on for the Epilogue. . .
All disclaimers apply.
Chapter 11: Sacrificial Protection
Mark heard the screech of car tires outside and knew inherently that they had arrived. He ran outside to meet them, and was met with a giant bear hug from Amanda; her eyes were brimmed with tears.
"Mark are you okay? I'm sorry, that was a really stupid question!" her voice was thick as she laughed nervously, trying to ease the tension. Although Steve was always getting himself into trouble, this time it was different and nobody knew how to act.
They broke apart, and Mark looked at Kealy. She looked as terrified as he felt. Jesse's a big part of this too, Mark reminded himself. He wouldn't have put it past Jesse to deeply endanger himself to save Steve, something which made Mark feel even more guilty. If he lost them both. . .Fear gripped his heart, as he tried frantically to keep calm.
"What do we do?" Jack said as he joined the group, Kate Lockley at his side; both looked anxious. Jack was gravely concerned for Steve.
"Jesse said something about a law firm called Wolfram and Hart. I suggest we start there" Mark asserted, trying to quell the feelings of hopelessness.
"I've dealt with them before, I know where it is!" Kate piped up, glad that finally she could assist with something.
"Hold on Mark!" Kealy interjected, "You still haven't told us what's going on!" Her face was alive with frustration and anxiety; her eyes were bloodshot as their gaze met.
Mark took a deep breath, sending much needed oxygen to his brain "Well, I don't know the full story, but what I managed to learn from Jesse was that Seville had had these people from Wolfram and Hart kidnap Steve. I don't know why. And then Jesse said that he was going there, and that he would get Steve back" He brushed a hand through his ruffled, grey hair.
"If Seville kidnapped Steve then there's only one reason why he would do that!" Kealy exclaimed, as the realisation of what Seville was planning hit her suddenly. "He wants to lure Jesse to him! He's going to kill him!" The panic was evident in her voice.
"We need to get to Wolfram and Hart right now!" Vaughn yelled, throughout all the chaos that Kealy's outburst had caused. "I'll call for CIA backup!"
* * * *
Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Wes and Doyle made slow progress up the stairs. The atmosphere between them was fraught, and each was fighting the urge to go back down there to Jesse. But Jesse had made his feelings clear, they were to take Steve to safety, and that was what they would do. They knew that what Jesse had done had been reckless, but they could not suppress their pride at having known such a person. Jesse was special all right, and they had felt an affinity with him; he was brave and selfless, and they would always remember him.
They were bracing themselves for a gunshot, and they knew that the longer the wait, the worse it would probably be for Jesse. God knew what they were doing to him down there. Any one of them would have stayed for him, but they could also see the bigger picture. It was better for one of them to die than for all of them to die; and Angel could not endanger the lives of his close friends.
Steve hung limply from Angel's grasp, but was showing signs of waking up. Angel knew he would guard the man with his life. The group had not managed to get halfway up the staircase before he had started to struggle. He leapt out of Angel's grip and was disorientated for a moment, his face screwed up in puzzlement and fear.
"It's okay!" Cordelia said, in as reassuring a manner as she could. "You're safe now!"
"Where's Jesse?" Steve asked angrily as he looked up, instantly recognising the faces around him. Part of him already knew the answer; if he was here with them, then Jesse had to be. . . "How could you let him do it!" His tone was accusatory.
"You know what he's like when he gets an idea in his head!" Gunn raised his voice, "He was hell-bent on getting you out of there! There was no stopping him! He said it had to be this way!"
So engaged were the group in their argument, that they didn't notice a figure pass by them in the shadows, his fear rising as he gleaned from their dialogue the knowledge that the thing he had feared the most was indeed about to happen. I haven't got much time! He thought desperately, drawing out his gun.
"Well we have to get down there!" Steve argued, "I can't let him die!"
"Do you want to get yourself killed!" Angel asked, grasping him by the shoulders, "What use is that? Jesse sacrificed himself for you! Do you want that sacrifice to have been for nothing by getting yourself killed?"
"That sacrifice should never have been made in the first place!" Steve whispered, his resolve weakening to devastation, Jesse was going to let himself die so that he, Steve, could live! It was too much to bear, as he realised that there was nothing he could do. If he didn't go down, Jesse would die, if he did go down, Jesse would die and in all likelihood he would too!
"I uh, I don't know what to do" he admitted, that was something that he rarely experienced, especially as a police officer; but it was precisely because he was a police officer that he felt guilty about not knowing what course of action to take. His mind took him back to his friends; would they ever forgive him for whatever he decided to do, for letting Jesse die or letting himself die?
"Join the club" Doyle said hopelessly.
"What am I going to do?" Steve's voice was thick with panic, and his hands were balled into fists.
Then they heard a shot. It rang out through the darkness and stopped their quarrel in an instant. It took a few seconds for it to sink in. . .
"JESSE!" Steve shouted. He ran forward, but was held back by Wes and Gunn, who looked devastated themselves.
"NOOOO!" Cordelia yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. Angel himself looked shocked, and none of them spoke as Cordelia shook with silent tears and Steve looked as if a train had hit him.
"I don't' care anymore!" Steve said determinedly, "I'm going down there and you can't stop me! He's going to pay for what he did!" He pushed them aside and stumbled down the stairs. They watched him go, feeling as if they should have stopped him, but knowing that they never could have.
* * * *
Jesse instinctively shrank back as he heard the shot echo round the large room, expecting extreme agony to hit him.
It took him ten seconds to realise that he wasn't dead. He slowly opened his eyes, and saw James Seville fall to the ground before him, his eyes shocked and wide with pain. Crimson liquid was blossoming out of a deep wound in his shoulder, and the man began writhing in distress. The gun, that only a few seconds before had been about to kill Jesse, lay discarded a few metres away.
Jesse tore his eyes from Seville and looked up. Lilah and Lindsay were standing on the other side of the room, their faces shocked and more than a little scared. Finally, Jesse's eyes came to rest upon his saviour; The person he had least expected to walk into the room.
"Dad?" Jesse asked softly, feeling like a small child.
Dane Travis stood framed in the doorway, a gun half raised in his right hand. A look of quiet triumph on his face. His gaze met Jesse's, and for the first time, there was a glimmer of understanding. Jesse could see the deep and heartfelt relief in his father's eyes, and had never felt so loved by the man on whom he had given up all hope.
"Jesse!" Dane exclaimed, breaking the spell "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, just. . ." distractedly Jesse rattled the chains binding his wrists.
"Of course!" his father replied anxiously. For the first time, his gaze fell upon the two lawyers who were huddling in one corner, staring at the blood rising out of Seville's shoulder. "You two!" He growled at them, raising his gun, "Unlock my son!" While this was carried out, he spoke for a few seconds on his radio and called for a CIA pick up team for Lilah and Lindsay.
Dane Travis did not relax until the deed was done. Jesse heaved himself up and walked slowly over to his dad.
"I didn't know you cared" Jesse whispered, feeling as though he was dreaming.
"I never stopped caring" Dane smiled slightly, and then pulled his son into an embrace.
Lilah and Lindsay swept past, taking their chance to get out. "Dad, what about. . .?" Jesse protested as they went.
"Let them go son, they won't get past Angel!"
There was a moment of stillness, which was broken by scuffing footsteps and a heavily panting Steve running through the door. He stopped short at the sight of father and son, his eyes almost popping out of his head.
"Jesse?" Steve gasped, bewildered.
"Steve?" Jesse exhaled, equally bewildered. "I thought Angel took you to safety!" he continued, moving towards Steve now as Dane released his grip.
"I thought you got shot!" Steve couldn't help smiling out of sheer relief. He reached out and touched Jesse's shoulder, and said more seriously "I thought I'd lost you"
Dane sensed the importance of this reunion between the two friends, so he tactfully stepped out of the room and headed up stairs find Angel.
* * * *
The small convoy of vehicles that contained Mark, Amanda, Kate, Kealy, Vaughn and Jack screeched to a halt outside Wolfram and Hart. Tension was running high among the group; each worried in their own ways about Steve and Jesse.
Mark was at the head of the group as they hurried towards the front doors. Suddenly, a large group of people burst through them. Angel strode forward, his black leather jacket billowing out behind him. Cordelia was at his side, and Wes, Gunn and Doyle were holding between them a man and a woman.
Kate stepped in front of Mark, because he looked dubious about speaking to the vampire. "Angel, what happened? Where are Steve and Jesse?" She asked shrilly.
"I can answer that" a new voice entered the equation.
"Dane?" Mark exhaled in disbelief. "What the-"
"When I heard what Seville was planning, I came at once" His eyes showed a real fear at what might have been. He looked round at the group, guessing immediately the question that was at the tip of their tongues. "They're fine!"
Everyone smiled with pure relief as the weight lifted from their shoulders. They were okay!
"Where are they?" Mark asked, desperate to see his son and surrogate son.
"They're down in the basement, I think we should leave them time to re- acquaint themselves" Dane's eyes twinkled. "Seville's down there awaiting a CIA pickup. Don't worry" he added hastily at the look on Mark's face. "He won't be a danger!" Mark's taut features relaxed, and he grinned for the first time in what seemed like years.
* * * *
There was a heavy silence now between two men now, as each contemplated what to say. Both knew that words would not be good enough.
"Steve, I - " Jesse began. Steve cut across him.
"Jesse what did you think you were doing?" He accused, angrily. It was not out of anger for his friend, but more out of anger at himself. He had caused this!
"Oh, I dunno. Maybe, I was. . .saving your life!" Jesse joked, trying to hide the tension between them in the only way he knew how. He sighed at the irritated look Steve shot him, "Steve, you know it was the only way! I'd already endangered your life. I could never have lived with myself if I'd let you die so that I could live! And besides, you would have done the same for me! You would, wouldn't you. . .?" he added uncertainly.
"Of course!" Steve said immediately, "But that doesn't mean I agree with what you did! I'm just glad you're okay!"
"You and me both!" Jesse agreed. He glanced over at Seville, "Well, I suppose that's the last I'll see of him!" He laughed, a smile dawning on his face. Steve could see a shade of the old Jesse shining through, and it gave him hope that things could still return to normal between them.
"Jess?" Steve said, quietly, in a tone of voice which made Jesse turn back to him at once. He had to say this now, or the time would never be right. "I uh, I don't know where to start" he paused apprehensively, "I'm so sorr- "
"Steve you don't need to say this" Jesse stopped him.
"No Jesse I do. I'm sorry about the way I treated you; I acted like a jerk and all this stuff would never have happened if I'd just believed you" Steve was finding this very difficult, and Jesse could see this. He made a noise as if to speak, but Steve held up his hand. "I'm sorry about what I said about Jack, I couldn't see past him for a while. I just hope that things can go back to normal" he finished with a small chuckle, and looked up, at first unaware that he had been looking at the floor.
Jesse's eyes were warm and friendly he smiled at Steve, "Steve, I can understand why you didn't believe me, and I don't in any way blame you for what happened. All of this would have happened regardless of whether or not you'd all believed me" He could see his smile reflected in Steve's face, "And Steve. . .of course things can return to normal! I'm willing if you are!" He patted Steve on the shoulder.
"Friends?" Steve asked, finally sure of what Jesse's answer would be.
"Friends!" Jesse agreed enthusiastically, "Now, I think we should head upstairs"
As they headed towards the door, they were passed by some CIA operatives who raced into the room and began sedating the broken man on the floor, preparing him for transportation.
Jesse and Steve shared a grin as they knew that they could finally close the chapter of their nightmare.
Read on for the Epilogue. . .
