Chapter 10

Legal Disclaimer-The rights to these characters belong to a whole bunch of people.

Author's note-Here you go. Sorry it took me so blooming long. Work is getting crazed again, and I am busy, but I am getting the rest of season one on DVD. Whoo hoo. I also thank you my reviewers. I have achieved a personal goal of getting more reviews than my first story. I thank you for that.

Here comes Adam. He's not alone.

The diner was a small place, located on the edge of a cliff and overlooking the edge of the mountains. Its overlook was beautiful. It had a sense of calmness to the chill of the oncoming evening air, and the locals it seemed, were not visiting. They were the only people there.

Emma took Jesse's hand as they followed Brennan, Shalimar and Lexa into the diner. Emma scanned the area before they went in, instinct running on overdrive. She and Jesse both felt that this was a trap. The diner and the area around it was clean. All she felt from the team was hunger, frustration and a bit of pure hurt from Lexa. She knew it was directed at Jesse, and while Jesse had finally gotten out what had been bothering him, she knew that Jesse was far from forgiving her. That was going to take time.

They entered the deserted diner. Tables were set like the diner was open, but the shadows were growing from the setting sun. Brennan went ahead of the group, hands at the ready to push electricity to protect them.

"Hello?" Brennan asked, every instinct going on alert.

Shalimar, Jesse, Lexa and Emma took up defensive positions behind him. Brennan moved forward, old instincts kicking into gear to look for movement. At the same time, Shalimar was reacting to the silence, while Emma scanned again for any sign of life. Jesse had taken a deep breath, massing and phasing still coming as reflex.

"Hello," the familiar voice said, from the shadowed table in the corner of the diner, "I'm the only one here."

Lexa turned. The man in the corner was extremely familiar.

"You had better be," she replied, "Otherwise, I think we will all kick your butt."

The man stood up and headed into the light. Even though gray had streaked his hair, the eyes, the smile and the attitude were still the same. It was Adam Cane.

"I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy," Adam smiled, "My god, it is so good to see all of you."

"And it's good to see you, are we alone?" Brennan asked, his guard still up.

"He's the only one in here, and as always, I can't read him," Emma admitted, "How's it going Adam?"

"Emma, my dear sweet Emma," Adam came toward her, "How I was so wrong to shut you out like I did. I'm so sorry."

Emma backed away from Adam. While it was great to see him, she wasn't too ready to touch him. Brennan still had worry, while Shalimar was playing off of his concern. Something didn't feel quite right. Lexa turned. Jesse felt like it was very wrong to be in a deserted diner. All of this ran over Emma in waves, her walls stood strong, but she felt the uneasiness.

"Adam, tell us you're alone," Lexa said, "Something is screaming trap here."

"No, Lexa, I'm not alone," Adam smiled, "I have an old friend of yours as an ally."

The door to the kitchen opened and a bearded man in a wheelchair rolled out. He stopped in front of the group and stared at Lexa.

"Hello Lexa," the bearded man said, his voice a bit pointed, "I supposed you weren't expecting to see me."

Lexa was stunned. The man who had been her contact with the Dominion was still alive, she thought he had died in the explosion in their headquarters. She never knew his name and she knew it would more than likely stay that way.

"That would be right, how do you," she was trying to find the right words, "You should be dead."

"I made it out of there, Lexa, but thank you for being concerned about me," he continued, "I understand all of your concern, but Adam and I are in a partnership here."

"Why couldn't I sense either of you?" Emma thought aloud.

"Adam's a clone, Em," Jesse replied, "Maybe that's it? Doesn't explain our bearded friend here."

"Yes, Emma can't read me because I am a clone," Adam said, his voice tinged with sadness, "It's good to see all of you. Together at last."

"Save the reunion speech, Adam, why are we here?" Jesse asked, Emma's sideways glance telling him it was okay, but to still be cautious, "And why is he here? And how come Emma couldn't sense him."

"Ah, Mr. Kilmartin," the wheeled man interjected, "Nice to see you're still the doubting Thomas. You think that Adam and I have lured you into a trap? Your wife couldn't read me because of training I have to control my emotions. Something I know that you practice in your new job. And you practice it to keep her from going insane. There's plenty of reason to think that we have trapped you."

"He's not the only one," Shalimar answered, her eyes flashing a brilliant yellow, "Why are you here?"

"Unity, if you can ever trust me again," Adam replied, sitting down at a table, "We have a mission that we wish to complete, and we want your help."

"So you want our help?" Brennan asked, a bit shocked, "Why the cloak and dagger then?"

"The only way to get all of you back together," Adam replied, "My time with the creator was eye opening to say the least. To find out that you were cloned, yet alone from a mad man, well, it has been an interesting time. I was lucky to escape and I have been living underground for at least two years now. Thankfully, Jesse, you left my plans in place when Sanctuary fell."

"Had to, you encrypted the files so deep that I am still working on them," Jesse admitted, "How did you get out of there, and why is he here?"

"He is the reason I got out," Adam replied, giving the man in the wheelchair a slight smile, "He managed to get me out of the creator's lair, and hid me till the time was right to find all of you."

"You were always full of surprises," Lexa said, raising an eyebrow to the man, "Although this does surprise me."

"You weren't the only one, Lexa," Adam added, "He helped me escape, helped me set up a new base of operations and helped me keep tabs on all of you. You have all become so successful."

"We got lives Adam, no big deal," Jesse replied, "What do you want us to do?"

Adam ignored the question. Jesse seemed horribly angry at him, and he knew the reasons why. Adam was the closest thing he had to a father and his reaction to his leaving the first time had Jesse in a tailspin. To leave him again was harder. He had become a fine young man, but he had been tempered. Rebellion was normal and expected.

"Shalimar and Brennan, you found each other, and found a life together, Jesse, your finding Emma was a one in a million chance and your marriage is one that is very strong, that is obvious," Adam continued, "Lexa, you showed strength and determination getting back into the game, I know in an attempt to save me from the Creator. Your work and sacrifices are not in vain, it brought us to today."

"Okay, so why are we here then, Adam, answer Jesse's question," Emma asked, "Or we go."

"I need you to help me save the future," Adam said calmly, motioning for them all to sit.

Jesse sat. He would at least give his former mentor the chance to explain himself. Brennan followed his suit and the others soon sat. Adam watched them for a moment then put his hands level on the table, not able to look at them as he started to explain.

"You need to understand," he said softly, "The reasons here are barbaric. The children of genomex are growing up. They have relationships, lives and children."

"Yeah, and?" Jesse's sarcasm was expected, the events of earlier still fresh in his mind, "It's normal for people to have children Adam."

"It's not normal when these children are being taken by the Dominion and the Creator Jesse," Adam shot Jesse an angry look, "They have taken children from the hospitals, faking death certificates and abortion records. They want the children so they can grow their own army, and this needs to stop and stop now."

Lexa stared at the man in the chair. What was he not saying. While Adam continued explaining the situation with the children, she began to suspect what her heart had been dreading. Jesse, Emma, Shalimar and Brennan listened in horror as Adam explained the experiments he had seen, the science that he had revered bastardized, and the need for them to stop this now. He needed their help and was not afraid to ask. It wasn't going to be easy.

"They have bred these children, and they are living in stasis pods," Adam said, looking up to face Jesse and Brennan.

"They're creating their own army," Shalimar said, "And they're using mutants like us to do it."