Murphy's Law (5/5)
by Anne Olsen
Rating/warnings this chapter: This Fic has been rated in accordance with the approved TTFF Rating System. OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) - PG - Angst, drama.
Author's notes: This fic is part of the 'Tears in Heaven' series. More info and stories in this timeline can be found at
It can be read on its own but there are references to previous stories in the arc.
This fic will also be archived at the new Expressions site.
Summary: The new breakout witnesses a grizzly murder, and insists that his new history teacher is responsible. Are things really that simple?
Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV television. Highlander is the property of Panzer/Davis, Rysher/ Gaumount Televison. Stargate SG1 are owned by Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Products.
Alex MacDonald belongs to me and shouldn't be used without permission.
Thanks to: Big hugs to Megan for her support and beta reading and to Wendy for her suggestions.
Feedback to: anneo @ paradise.net.nz
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Epilogue
Listening to Alex and Kevin's conversation, Jade couldn't help but smile at the way in which Kevin had taken the younger boy under his wing. Kevin seemed to have an almost nurturing side to him at times; she wondered if it went hand and hand with his empathic abilities.
"I'm going to head off, guys," Ami told them. "Mum wanted me to help with tea tonight, and I'd better not be late. You know how she worries if I am."
Jade nodded, glad that her mother was more laid back in her attitude towards Tomorrow People related matters than Mrs Jackson. Although Ami's mother was nice enough, she had a way with words that Jade hoped never to be on the receiving end of.
"I'm going to make tracks too," Adam said, adjusting the pile of textbooks he'd collected from the corner of the console room, under one arm. He'd been burying himself in his books even more than usual since his return from seeing Lisa. "I have an exam in the morning." He closed his eyes and teleported out just as Ami did the same.
"How exactly do I get home, again?" Alex asked, shuffling his feet and staring at the space where Adam had just been.
The poor guy certainly had a lot to learn about being a Tomorrow Person. /Shields first/, Jade thought, stifling a giggle, and then blushed when she remembered how she'd accidentally broadcasted her own thoughts of Megabyte.
Kevin smiled before breaking into what Megabyte liked to term a shit-eating grin. He was finding this whole situation very amusing for some reason. "Just concentrate and think about where you want to go, Alex. Follow what I do. It will be easier that way, at least till you get the hang of it."
Although it didn't appear that Kevin's words had done much to reassure him, Alex nodded. "I'll see you guys later, then." He closed his eyes and he and Kevin disappeared in a flash of white light.
"It's a good thing for the kid that I fixed the beacon," Megabyte remarked with a smirk. He paused for a moment before turning to give her a smile and Jade realised that they were alone for the first time in weeks. Bending to pick up her jacket from the floor she could feel his eyes following her every movement.
"I'm glad you didn't come with us, Jade." Megabyte said quietly, so quietly that it surprised her. "That body wasn't fun. Not fun at all."
A trickle of surprise ran through her. "Megabyte, I didn't know you cared."
"Of course I care, Jade," he protested, his face contorting into a momentarily expression of pain. "I know I don't say stuff like that much, but it doesn't mean I don't care."
He bent down and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. She glanced up at him, and was surprised by the emotion reflected in his eyes as they met her own. Unsure of what to do or say, she began struggling to her feet only to find a pair of strong arms wrapped around her as he lowered them both to the floor.
Hoping and wanting their closeness to be real, Jade leaned into his embrace. Blue light reflected off the side of the hold of the ship to bask Megabyte's hair in an eerie glow as she tilted her head to look up at him again. "Megabyte?" she asked, sure that it must be a dream, a fantasy born out of her own desires.
"That's me," he grinned back at her. "Don't worry Jade, this is real." Megabyte pretended to look hurt. "Don't you think I'm capable of this stuff? I am, you know. It's just that…"
Jade placed a finger on his lips. "It's okay, Megabyte, I know what you were about to say. I understand, really I do."
He kissed her finger gently and she sighed. /Maybe you should go and see dead bodies more often if this is what they do to you./
"Jade! Kill the moment much? I thought it was guys who were supposed to come out with comments like that!" Megabyte retorted with that lop-sided grin she loved so much. He'd been eavesdropping on her thoughts again. But this time, for some reason, she didn't care.
Pulling her closer, his lips brushed against her own, tentatively at first and then…
The loud popping sound was followed by an embarrassed cough. Jade opened her eyes in annoyance, the atmosphere that had been building between them broken in a single frustrating moment.
"Hiya, Al. Forget something?" Megabyte rose to his feet, having already moved away from her before he spoke.
Jade gave Alex a glare. She'd been waiting so long for this moment and he'd ruined it.
"Hey, Jade, there's always next time," Megabyte whispered. He grinned at her, a half smirk forming on his lips before he turned his attention to the new arrival.
"My schoolbag." Looking down at his shoes, Alex took a moment to examine them in detail, before shifting his eyes towards the view from the ship's window.
"Here's your bag, Alex," Jade forced herself to remain polite as she bent to retrieve it. She wrinkled her nose. "What's that smell?"
"I, er, dropped it in something earlier. Sorry, " Alex mumbled, his cheeks burning a fiery red. Taking the bag, he quickly checked the contents. "It's still there and in one piece. Cool."
"It?" asked Megabyte.
"I borrowed a computer game from my friend, Ryan. If I lost it he'd kill me," Alex explained.
"Computer game?" Megabyte visibly perked up.
Damn. Of all the things to bring up he had to choose computer games. Jade sighed, knowing that she had lost any chance of rekindling the moment.
Pulling the disc from his bag, Alex handed it to Megabyte. Jade edged closer to see which game would be responsible for ruining her evening.
"Cool!" exclaimed Megabyte. "I've got the game for the sequel."
"You've seen the sequel then? Cool." Adjusting his glasses, Alex dropped his bag to the floor. "I thought it was better than the original."
"Nah," Megabyte shook his head. "The original was better. Nothing can compare with the Eiffel Tower scene."
/You have got to be kidding./ Jade's heart sunk as she read the title.
/Attack of the Killer Cucumbers.
Oh great./ The perfect ending to what /should/ have been the perfect day.
******
Letting himself in the front door of his home, Bill paused after hearing voices coming from the direction of the living room. As Caroline and Millie were away visiting friends, it had to be Megabyte – home for once instead of out getting into trouble as usual.
He hung his coat on the hook by the door and yawned. He was getting too old for the all nighter he and Joe had pulled before he'd caught the flight home from Paris. A few years ago he could have handled the lack of sleep but not now. Although it would be easy to blame his inability to cope on any number of things, he suspected the culprit was more than likely the recent activities of Megabyte and his friends.
"How was I to know that touching that switch would make the screen blow up?"
Bill frowned at the unfamiliar voice. The door was open so he gave the room a quick glance. Jade was sitting on the couch, her face screwed into an expression of disgust, although her gaze was focused on Megabyte. His son was rolling his eyes in response to what had been presumably said by the third person in the room, a boy Bill had never seen before.
He coughed and all three turned to look at him. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your new friend, Marmaduke?" The boy sitting on Megabyte's other side grinned and Bill noticed that he was a few years younger than Jade, let alone his son. Fifteen, maybe sixteen at the most, though his height and build were deceiving.
"Hey Dad," acknowledged Megabyte, eyes glazing over for a minute as he shot Jade a filthy look. "This is Alex. Alex, this is General Damon, my dad."
Giving a tiny smirk, Alex glanced at Jade before rising to shake Bill's hand. "Pleased to meet you," he said, in an accent Bill couldn't quite place. "I'm from New Zealand," the boy continued as though the question had been spoke aloud.
"You're a long way from home, Alex," Bill sighed as realisation struck. Not only had Alex answered his unspoken question but the look he'd given Jade suggested a reaction to a conversation Bill hadn't been privy to.
"Ummm, Dad…" began Megabyte. Whenever his son started a sentence with that, it was a sign that Bill wasn't going to like what followed. "There's something I need to tell you about Alex…"
******
~Fin~