Chapter 13

The woman seemed scandalized. "What did you just say?" she demanded sharply.

"I said that I am going to kiss my husband from now on wherever I feel like doing so," Jessica repeated defiantly.

The older woman walked towards Jessica and raised her hand to slap her but Wes stopped the hand right before it made contact with his wife's face.

"You have hurt your daughter enough," he snarled, showing the fire that consumed his blue eyes whenever he was truly angry.

"Get your hand off me!" Mrs. Smith snapped, tugging her arm out of Wes' grasp. The blond businessman wrapped his strong arm around his wife's waist. She put her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes with a dreamy expression. "What have you done with everything I taught you?" the woman snapped to her daughter.

"I'm in the process of getting rid of it," Jessica answered, her eyes still closed. She moved her head up, and, in an unexpected move, kissed Wes' neck. He closed his eyes in pleasure as well, and the woman put a hand on her heart.

"And now what? You are going to forget about your responsibilities? Are you going to start partying and forgetting about Bio-Lab?! Are you going to ignore everything your father taught you?!"

"I DOUBT I'LL BE FORGETTING THAT ANYTIME SOON!!" Jessica barked, her eyes open in anger staring fiercely at her mother, who, cold as ice, didn't even flinch.

"Your husband told me you were on the verge of death," the older woman said, looking at Wes, who had again drawn Jessica towards his body and was caressing her red hair.

"Yes, that's what released me from all of your craziness! That's what opened my eyes! I can't live the way you and Dad lived, because I love my husband, and I want to be happy! I want to have fun! Now that I'm married I will have all the fun you and Dad didn't let me have when I was a teenager! And I will have sex with my husband wherever and whenever I want!" She added this last bit mordantly, then she blushed furiously and avoided both Wes' and her mother's eyes. Wes put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it tenderly. She hugged him, burying her face in his chest, obviously embarrassed.

"Fine!" the old woman said angrily. "Destroy everything your fathers worked all of their lives for! Go and have fun! Have sex! Forget about Bio-Lab!"

"There's a time for work; and a time for fun," Wes said quietly. Jessica was shaking.

"I didn't ask you for your opinion, you careless stupid man!"

"Wes is very caring," Jessica said from Wes' chest. "And I think you have to go, Mom," she added, finally turning around to face her.

"Are you throwing me out?"

"Out of my life until you realize I can't continue to live the way you want me to," Jessica said, grasping Wes' hand tightly, her knees shaking. Wes took her hand, and wrapped his arm around her waist, to hold her standing.

Without any other word, Jessica's mother turned around and left. Jessica collapsed into tears after she left, and she hung from Wes' neck. He held her tight and led her to the bed, where he sat and she curled up in his lap, like a baby.

From the window of the room's door, Katie, Trip, and Lucas watched the couple. They had seen Jessica's mother walk out of the room from across the hall, and had approached the bedroom's door in hope of talking to Wes as soon as they could. But the image that had met their eyes was emotionally heavy, and they all stopped dead on their tracks.

"Where have I seen this before?" Lucas asked quietly.

"In Jen's apartment, ten months ago," Trip answered. "When we got there, Alex was holding her just like that, but Jen was unconscious. Wes's wife is distraught."

They stood watching the scene, until a deep growling voice made them all jump. "Now, what are you three doing here?"

They turned around. "Eric," Katie said nervously. "Hi."

********************************

"What's taking them so long?" Alex asked.

"Jessica just had a scene with her mother, the others are trying to respect the moment, she's crying, and Wes is trying to console her," Jen explained, her stare lost into nothingness.

"And who is going to console Wes when Jessica gets killed?" he asked irritably.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence," Jen said sarcastically.

"I mean it, Jen," he said. "You may not have noticed it, but I did." Jen blinked, losing her connection with Wes and looked at him. "Three mutants just left The Mistress' ship, and they are heading to the hospital."

"Let me help the others," she asked him.

"Hurry."

"Don't worry," Jen said distractedly, her gaze against lost. "They just got the help they need."

***************

"Hi," Eric answered with a sarcastic smile. "You haven't answered me," he snapped.

"Yes, well, um, we, I mean--" Trip began.

"Well, that IS a great thing to be doing here, can I join in?" The quantum Ranger asked, his usual bitter personality charming them like always.

"What he meant is that we have to talk to Wes," Katie explained.

"Too late, he's retired from the Ranger life. He's a serious businessman and is married now," Eric said shortly. "So whatever it is, he won't help."

"He will," Lucas said. "Because his wife being in danger is what we're talking about."

Eric stared at them, his face blank. He knocked on the door.

Wes looked up and saw him and his companions. Not without a curious look, he whispered something to Jessica, left her on the bed and walked towards the door.

"Guys?" he asked, breathless with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"We came here to warn you," Lucas whispered, his eyes fixed on Jessica. "Your wife's in danger."

More than you can imagine. Wes heard Jen's voice in his head.

"Jen?" he asked, looking around for her.

"She's back in the ship," Katie said.

"B-but I just heard her," Wes stammered.

"It's a long story," Trip whispered.

Wes, listen to me, you have to tell the others that three mutants are on their way to the hospital. Tell them to watch out for Jessica! Jen said into his mind.

"What's going on here?" Wes asked, his voice slightly angry. "Why are you back? What do you mean, my wife is in danger?"

Wes! I need you to tell--

"Shut up!" Wes snapped at her. "Go away, I have new responsibilities now." He looked at Eric and pointed into the room with his head. Eric entered and Jessica sat on the bed.

"Are you denying us your help? Even if this is about your wife?" Katie asked, amazed.

"Yes," the blond man answered and closed the door behind him as he entered.

"Now what?" Katie asked her two companions.

"We better go back to the ship," Lucas suggested.

Don't even think about it!! They heard Jen's desperate voice in their heads. The Mistress and three of her mutants are on their way there!

"Three mutants? We're going to need back up!" Trip said.

We're on our way! Jen called.

"She could have contacted us through the communicators. She always makes me dizzy when she communicates telepathically!" Katie complained.

In that moment, a woman yelled behind them, inside the room. They broke in and saw Wes and Eric, both in a fighting stance in front of a winged mutant, female, who was ready to fight them.

"I'm here for the woman!" the mutant, who looked like a butterfly, announced.

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Eric answered. "Wes, we'll have to fight unmorphed, I don't have my morpher with me!"

"You have to help me to protect Jessica!" Wes half begged.

Lucas, Katie and Trip entered the room. "Time for Time Force!" they yelled.

"Wes, protect Jessica, get her out of this room!" Lucas yelled as he and his teammates charged against the butterfly mutant.

**************************

Downstairs it was mayhem. Two mutants were attacking all the reporters posted outside waiting to hear about Jessica's miraculous recovery. Jen and Alex arrived, fully morphed, at the scene. As they dismounted their vector cycles, they were photographed by about a hundred cameras at once.

"Jen, you take the female," Alex told her. "I'll take the big guy."

"Let me take the big guy," Jen pleaded. "I can attack him better, I can stay away from him, I don't have to fight body to body, you do," she explained.

"True, but--"

"Save the pride for later, Alex," Jen chided.

"Okay," he agreed and charged towards the other female mutant, this one looked like a rabbit that had been put together by Dr. Frankenstein. As they fought they saw a shower of glass coming down, presumably from Jessica's window.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!!" Alex yelled at everyone. People yelled and ran away from the deadly falling pieces.

What Jen and Alex didn't notice was The Mistress running towards the building, perfectly hidden among the terrified civilians. She went to the elevator and went to the fifth floor, where Jessica's room was now. She got out of the elevator and saw Wes, Eric and Jessica running out of the room. Putting on her best concerned face, she ran to them.

"Wesley! Jessica! Eric! This way!" she called them. They looked at her for a moment, panting. "I'm with Time Force, come on!" she insisted. Wes took Jessica's hand and allowed the woman to lead them into an empty room, all the way across the floor from Jessica's room, where Katie, Trip and Lucas could still be heard fighting.

When they got in, The Mistress turned to them. She had a gun in her hand and a smile on her face.

To be continued.