AN: Thanks for the reviews! They're as sweet as candy, but without all the calories. I'm so glad that people are liking this story. I'm amazed that some people get up early to read the story! I live in California, and post about 1 pm local time. Please, put comments or questions or suggestions in your reviews. I've found the one's I've gotten very helpful. And now, enjoy!

Chapter 18

Two hours after the fight between Jesse and Lexa, Katie unlocked and opened the door to the mansion. Shrugging out of her jacket, she hung it up in the coatroom, grabbed the box containing the legal papers and her computer, and headed up to her office. Treading up the stairs and down the hall, she thought about the conversation she had had with Lexa. She had found the fuming elemental in what was to be her bedroom, aggressively setting up the furniture and bedding in the room.

"He lied to me, Katie." She threw a pillow onto the bed. "How can I trust him after that?"

Katie felt she had do defend her brother. "I'm sure he's lied about things before."

"Of course he has. But they were little things, or for missions. Otherwise, he's always told me the truth, especially the big things. And don't think that just because he neglected to tell me at all doesn't make it a lie. The sin of omission is just as bad as the sin of commission."

"Lexa. You worked for the Dominion, right? They had secret agendas. How many times did you not tell, or flat-out lie to Jesse about something?"

"Those were mission related. Mostly."

"You can't have a double standard, Lexa. If Jesse didn't tell you about it, it was for a reason."

"He should have trusted me enough to let me make the decision!"

"You didn't trust him to make that decision when you let yourself be captured by the Dominion! Trust sounds like a big issue between you two, but I don't know enough about your relationship. Hell, I don't know enough about my brother, since I haven't seen him in 8 years. But you've got to remember that not all lies are malicious. Sometimes people lie or hide the truth to protect the ones they love. Jesse had a reason for what he did. You should talk to him about it."

Lexa had calmed down some by this point and she reflected on what Katie had said. "You're right. You're so damn optimistic-"

"You have to be. Sometimes it's the only thing that will get you through."

"- You remind me of Jesse."

Katie reached her office. She locked her computer in her desk, making sure to set it on its charger. Then she put the box of legal papers in the office safe. She left the room, locking the door out of a habit learned from living with roommates and many years in a wealthy Philadelphia home. She started down the hallway to her room, but froze when she heard a noise coming from one of the other rooms in the hallway. It couldn't be Josie – it was almost 9 o'clock, and Josie always retreated to her home in the dowager cottage by 8. Cautiously following the source of the sound, she came to a familiar door. All tension drained when she realized where she was, but still, she opened the door slowly.

As she had suspected Jesse was in his old room. He was sitting on the floor, below one of the World Cup posters, his back to the wall. The noise she had heard was a rubber bouncy ball he had been tossing across the room. She knew how he got past the security system, but didn't bother to ask how he had gotten through the locked doors. He looked up when she entered the room, but did not speak. He did, however, still his motions. After catching the ball, he drew up his knees and rested his forearms lightly against them. Silently, she shut the door behind her and moved over to where he sat. Reaching him, she settled down on his right side and leaned her head on his shoulder. The position was reminiscent of one they often assumed when they were sharing their feelings as children.

They sat there for several minutes in silence, the only sounds she could hear were his heart beating and his lungs breathing. Finally, Jesse spoke.

"When I first came to Mutant X, and met Shalimar, and later Emma and Brennan and Lexa, they all thought I was a spoiled, naïve little rich boy with a do-gooder attitude. I went ahead and let them think that. Adam knew the truth, at least part of it, but I don't think even he knew everything. When Noah left me at Genomex, I was mad at him. I was mad at him every time he had me shipped off to another private school or hospital. But he always came back for me; it never took longer than a year. I guess I kept hoping that he did love me, that he didn't like having me away for so long. But Genomex. God, it was horrible there. Subdermal governors and proton couplers and the pods. Did anyone tell you about those?"

She nodded, not wanting the sound of her voice to cause him to retreat. He needed to get this out. Shalimar had explained to her about Genomex and their little toys in one of the conversations they had had in the past week and a half.

"Those things were awful. I couldn't get out. I still have a bit of claustrophobia from those damn pods. I tried to keep my mind busy with other things. One of the things I did was count the days. When I got to 400 I gave up hope that Noah would come. I started hating him. I thought he loved me and he betrayed me. I started hating everyone who said they loved me. It was all a lie. I hated mother for never standing up to Noah. I hated Grandpa for letting him do it all those years. I even hated you because you didn't make them come get me."

"I tried. I hacked every database I could. I begged him to tell me where you were. Then he told me you were dead. I cried for days."

Jesse put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "I know that now. You even left my room exactly the same. Plus, you were only what, 15? There wasn't much you could do. Legally or illegally. The point, though, was that I shut everyone out. I didn't want to care about or trust anyone ever again. I didn't want to be betrayed again or betray anyone else like Noah did me. I didn't want to be left behind or leave anyone else behind. It didn't work, though. I guess I've got too much of Grandpa Lawrence in me. It didn't take too long for me to start caring about Shalimar, and Adam, and Brennan and Emma and now Lexa. And the same things kept happening. Noah came back, and I let myself believe that he had changed – but he didn't. He just betrayed me again. Emma died. Adam left – he let us think he was dead. It all hurt. And now Lexa's going to leave too. Her expiry date is in three days." His head fell back against the wall, and she could see the anguish in his face, the pain he was feeling in his eyes. But he didn't let himself cry.

"Jesse. You're not alone. I know what that feels like. You remember what it was like when Grandpa died. He was the one who looked after us – I felt like I was alone, except for you, and you were never here very long. Then, a couple years later, Father told me that you were dead. I've never been very close to him or mother. When he came back a couple years ago, it was just long enough to sign over control of every bit of Kilmartin Enterprises, then he left again. I felt like I didn't have anyone. I was happy when I was turned 17 and then left for college."

"I never went to college." His tone was slightly mournful.

Katie chuckled. "Jesse, you're smart enough that you could probably pass every single one of Colombia and M.I.T.'s graduate exams. You just got your education from experience, that's all. I made some friends in college, but never really got close to any of them. You've got a whole new family. And they obviously love you, especially Lexa."

Jesse looked away for a moment, then down into his lap. "I love them, too. Especially Lexa," he added, making sure that she knew that he knew what she was saying. He threw the ball across the room and waited for it to come back. "That's why I'm so scared right now. I don't want to lose them."

"When you care about your family, you never lose them."

He looked up into her face. "You're still my family. You can be part of the new one too."

"I'd like that."

"Yeah. You'll be part of the team. You've got some great research skills. Plus I wouldn't be the one stuck back at base for all the missions anymore." He gave her a playful smile.

Katie pretended to be indignant. But she was glad he was feeling better. "I'll help when and where I can. As soon as I'm done taking care of Kilmartin Enterprises."

Jesse nodded. He was proud of the way his little sister had grown up. He hadn't been there for her before, but he sure as hell was going to be there now. He looked at the bouncy ball in his hand. "Hey, do you remember when I dropped a bag of these down the chimney in Grandpa's office?"

Katie laughed so hard her eyes started to tear. "Oh, yeah! You should have seen the expression on his face when they started to bounce around the room!"

Jesse spent the next few hours reminiscing and reacquainting himself with his sister.