Chapter 2

Legal Disclaimer-If it was possible, I would own these characters, but due to fanfic, I can play in the driveway. All rights are someone else's.

Author's Note-All righty then. Nice to know you like what I have started here. Laily, or others, if you decide to archive this, please, just let me know where. I would appreciate an email...hint...Animiga, glad to know my other stuff is inspiring you, you have inspired me, so it's all fair! Aniki-No, really, I do have a life, I know you were kidding, but I have been considering going the professional route with my writing again, and this is actually putting me on a daily writing track. Thank you all for your kind thoughts. Oh yeah, while I am at it....Cliffhanger alert.

The shock of that one sentence ate at Jesse's angry persona. The thought of his mentor alive was one thing; the fact that he was also found was another. In his past four years with the Service, he had put tracers out on Adam, only for them to come back as unfound and unsolved, no one had seemed interested in finding "The Creator" or Adam Kane. Adam had been so good at creating identities that he had managed to erase his own, making him a fun case for the trainees in the cyber division of the Service. Jesse had even considered adding him to a terrorist watch list, just so a red flag might pop up unexpectedly, and he could call in those favors due to his position. As an agent, they used him, and in turn, he used them back.

That was the main reason he had joined the Secret Service in the first place. All his time with Mutant X had given him a unique understanding of the world, and how to live in it undetected. The only person who knew of his power was the President. She had been a friend to Adam in his early days and made sure that if any of his people were ever in trouble, they would have employment. She kept his ability a secret, and he in turn protected her life.

He found himself nearly falling onto a bench in the park and speechless. Shalimar watched the angry persona start to fade from his frame and her first instinct was to kick herself for even bringing the subject up. Jesse's feelings toward their last days at Sanctuary had internalized. Adam's leaving them again and his going with the Creator hurt more than any of them liked.

In her own life, she was just coming to terms with it. Brennan hadn't spoken for months afterwards, just stopped her every time she had brought it up. They had stayed together, both out of love and respect for each other, finding jobs they could do without their individual talents being discovered. Shalimar was now a very successful gymnastics instructor while Brennan taught karate and martial arts at the same school. They were comfortable, making money and helping mutants on the side. They were keeping themselves busy and away from the memories of that awful day. Today, the explosion, the terror and the tremendous feeling of separation had come to a head and she was going to force them all to face it, starting with Jesse.

"Are you in contact with him?" Jesse asked, his voice a near whisper.

"We had contact from him, and he was very interested in how all of us were," Shalimar stood behind him, "He wants us all to meet him. Lexa doesn't think it's a trap, but, I want to go."

Jesse didn't reply, his shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground. He was that way for a few minutes, trying to find the words to answer her.

"I can't get away from it," Jesse said softly, "I can get on with my life, have something resembling a normal life, and still, the past comes back to haunt me."

"What is so wrong, Jesse?" Shalimar asked him softly, settling on the bench next to him, "Why are you so angry?"

"That would take too long to explain, Shal," Jesse turned and met her eyes.

The sorrow that radiated in his eyes was scary. She had never seen him look this sad.

"I have time, " Shalimar said, putting an arm around his shoulders.

Jesse tried not to react to her touch. Getting the time off from work was going to be murder, let alone what Shalimar was going to find when they swung by his place. It was inevitable though, and he knew that she would have found out eventually anyway. It had to; it was a master plan to a life that he was realizing was still not his to live. He didn't answer her, but he stood up and put his jacket on.

"I'll go, but I have to make arrangements first, give me a ride home?" he asked, his look more of duty than need, "I walked here."

"Sure," Shalimar smiled at him, but realized it was going to take time to have that smile reflected back at her.

The drive was short; Jesse lived in one of the more discreet areas of Georgetown in a townhouse that bordered the water. It was beautiful and covered in light. Instantly it reminded Shalimar of the Sanctuary they had shared. She shook her head approvingly.

The mixture of plants added to the townhouse, Jesse kept the place up well.

"Beau and Angel found it for me," Jesse explained, pulling his cell phone out, "Sorry, I have to make this call, or we don't go anywhere."

He had to admit, he dreaded this call, because the second he made it, he was admitting acceptance. He was back with Mutant X from that very moment.

"Yes, this is Agent Kilmartin. I need to take Emergency Leave, time indeterminate."

He motioned to Shalimar to have a seat on the couch while he continued with the call, walking through his home gathering the items he knew he would need. He had pulled the emergency trip bag from the hall closet; he had kept one since his first day with the Service. He left it in front of Shalimar, loading it and smiled at her as the call continued, then stopped.

"Do you have to transfer me to her?" his voice was more of concerned annoyance, "It's not a national threat. I really don't want to..."

The voice on the other end of the phone didn't listen, just transferred him.

"Yes, Ms. President," Jesse looked coldly at Shalimar, "Yes, I need this time off, and yes, you are covered. It's my team, I put them in place, and you'll be fine. Thank you; I'll inform you when I can return."

With that, Jesse hung up the phone and put it on the coffee table, ignoring the odd look that Shalimar gave him. He turned and went into the bedroom, and came out seconds later in a t-shirt and jeans, carrying his boots.

"Ready for anything," he said, sitting down next to her, "But, I do have something to tell you. I really don't think you're going to like it."

"After you just having a phone call like that with the President, I don't think that anything will surprise me," Shalimar said, "What?"

Her answer came as the front door opened, opened by the other resident of the townhouse. It was a woman, her face hidden by a large grocery bag.

"Jess? You home?" The redhead asked, "I went and got us dinner."

Shalimar felt her blood run cold. She half expected Jesse to have someone in his life, and she expected to meet this person, but, the voice was a mere memory of a happier time. The woman put the bag down on the hallway table and walked into the living room.

"Emma?" Shalimar gasped.

"Shalimar?" Emma's reply was a mere whisper.