Chapter 7
When I woke up the next morning, I almost thought that the night before had only been a dream. A wonderful, bittersweet one, but a dream nonetheless. That's because when I opened my eyes, Jesse was gone, and usually, after nights like the one we had supposedly just had-that is, if it wasn't a dream-he would stay until I woke up.
But then, my bay window was closed. I almost never remembered to close it- in order to keep the morning fog out of my room-and Jesse had always-when he was around, at least-closed it for me. And I was fairly certain that I hadn't closed it the night before.
My question was answered, though, when Jesse materialized next to my bed a few minutes later.
"Where," I wanted to know, "have you been?"
Jesse jerked around, surprised. Obviously, he hadn't realized that I was awake yet. "I-" He shook his head. "I had to look into something."
I threw back the covers, standing up. "That's not what I meant." Was it my imagination, or did Jesse look distinctly uncomfortable?
"Maybe," Jesse said slowly, we should sit down. He motioned to the window seat. We sat and I waited patiently for him to continue. Jesse sighed. "Susannah. . . I don't know how else to tell you this." He glanced down at me, his gaze, as always, unreadable. Some things never changed. "I am working for the Agency," he got out finally.
I stared at him, gaping. "You're what?" I demanded, disbelieving. I couldn't imagine why Jesse would ever agree to work for the Agency. "You're joking. You have to be joking."
"No, I am very serious," Jesse said, sounding a little sad.
I felt deflated, and very, very confused. I wasn't sure what else I felt-if anything-but right then those were the two things I knew for sure that I felt. All I could manage to say-all right, croak-was, "Why?"
Jesse took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "It was the only way at the time that I could see that would free both you and Derek from the Agency. Even if it meant I might never see you again." He touched my cheek with his free hand, meeting my gaze for the first time. "But now. . ."
"Now what?"
Jesse sighed again. "Now, they have sent me with a. . . well, I suppose you might call it a mission." At my questioning look, he went on, "I have to find Paul."
This confused me. The last I had heard, Paul was doing time for murder. (A/N: Suze never found out about Paul being at the Agency.) "But I thought he was in prison."
"No." Jesse shook his head. "The Agency, apparently, found a way to get him out. He was released from the Agency shortly after you and Derek were." He frowned. "Only, recently the Agency has lost track of him. They do not know where he is or what he is doing. . . Or what he is planning." He paused for a second, and then said, "It is my job now to locate him."
I realized with a rather sickening feeling that, if the Agency had been watching Paul that probably meant that they were still watching me, too. But then another thought occurred to me. "What are you supposed to do when you find him?"
Jesse stiffened, and I realized that I'd struck a nerve, though I was quite sure at the moment why. But then he couldn't quite look at me as he answered, "I report it to the Agency."
And then, somehow, I knew. I knew the part he wouldn't tell me about-what was supposed to happen between Jesse finding Paul and then reporting it. And I knew that Jesse didn't feel too good about it. Or at least, I thought I knew.
Though, what possessed me to say what I did next is beyond me. Maybe it was the sort of forlorn look on Jesse's face, or maybe it was just because I wanted to let Jesse know that I understood-at least somewhat. But whatever it was, after a moment, I went, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
And then, when Jesse said "No!" a little too quickly, I knew for sure.
But of course, that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and do something.
***
A/N: It's a little short but I didn't want to write it all in one chapter. Now, who knows (or can guess) what the Agency wants Jesse to do? I think it's rather easy, but you never know.
When I woke up the next morning, I almost thought that the night before had only been a dream. A wonderful, bittersweet one, but a dream nonetheless. That's because when I opened my eyes, Jesse was gone, and usually, after nights like the one we had supposedly just had-that is, if it wasn't a dream-he would stay until I woke up.
But then, my bay window was closed. I almost never remembered to close it- in order to keep the morning fog out of my room-and Jesse had always-when he was around, at least-closed it for me. And I was fairly certain that I hadn't closed it the night before.
My question was answered, though, when Jesse materialized next to my bed a few minutes later.
"Where," I wanted to know, "have you been?"
Jesse jerked around, surprised. Obviously, he hadn't realized that I was awake yet. "I-" He shook his head. "I had to look into something."
I threw back the covers, standing up. "That's not what I meant." Was it my imagination, or did Jesse look distinctly uncomfortable?
"Maybe," Jesse said slowly, we should sit down. He motioned to the window seat. We sat and I waited patiently for him to continue. Jesse sighed. "Susannah. . . I don't know how else to tell you this." He glanced down at me, his gaze, as always, unreadable. Some things never changed. "I am working for the Agency," he got out finally.
I stared at him, gaping. "You're what?" I demanded, disbelieving. I couldn't imagine why Jesse would ever agree to work for the Agency. "You're joking. You have to be joking."
"No, I am very serious," Jesse said, sounding a little sad.
I felt deflated, and very, very confused. I wasn't sure what else I felt-if anything-but right then those were the two things I knew for sure that I felt. All I could manage to say-all right, croak-was, "Why?"
Jesse took my hand, squeezing it tightly. "It was the only way at the time that I could see that would free both you and Derek from the Agency. Even if it meant I might never see you again." He touched my cheek with his free hand, meeting my gaze for the first time. "But now. . ."
"Now what?"
Jesse sighed again. "Now, they have sent me with a. . . well, I suppose you might call it a mission." At my questioning look, he went on, "I have to find Paul."
This confused me. The last I had heard, Paul was doing time for murder. (A/N: Suze never found out about Paul being at the Agency.) "But I thought he was in prison."
"No." Jesse shook his head. "The Agency, apparently, found a way to get him out. He was released from the Agency shortly after you and Derek were." He frowned. "Only, recently the Agency has lost track of him. They do not know where he is or what he is doing. . . Or what he is planning." He paused for a second, and then said, "It is my job now to locate him."
I realized with a rather sickening feeling that, if the Agency had been watching Paul that probably meant that they were still watching me, too. But then another thought occurred to me. "What are you supposed to do when you find him?"
Jesse stiffened, and I realized that I'd struck a nerve, though I was quite sure at the moment why. But then he couldn't quite look at me as he answered, "I report it to the Agency."
And then, somehow, I knew. I knew the part he wouldn't tell me about-what was supposed to happen between Jesse finding Paul and then reporting it. And I knew that Jesse didn't feel too good about it. Or at least, I thought I knew.
Though, what possessed me to say what I did next is beyond me. Maybe it was the sort of forlorn look on Jesse's face, or maybe it was just because I wanted to let Jesse know that I understood-at least somewhat. But whatever it was, after a moment, I went, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
And then, when Jesse said "No!" a little too quickly, I knew for sure.
But of course, that didn't mean I wasn't going to try and do something.
***
A/N: It's a little short but I didn't want to write it all in one chapter. Now, who knows (or can guess) what the Agency wants Jesse to do? I think it's rather easy, but you never know.