Chapter 18

Legal Disclaimer-Marvel, Fireworks, Tribune own them. By stating this and mentioning that this is a work of fanfic, I get to play in their driveway. Thank You.

Author's Note-Reviewers Rock. I cannot and will not believe that I have spent most of the month working on this fic. I'm over 70 pages and to say that I have never written this much in my life would be an understatement. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's your reviews that have kept me going and I do think now that I might just be able to write some of those original stories that are making me a little more insane every day. This is also a bit of an anniversary for me. I was very ill at this time last year and I am now very well. I promised myself that if I made it through this illness that I would write what came to me and this is the first big step. Thank you all for reading.

Now, onward-Chapter 18 awaits...

Lexa looked in every form of clothing bin that Adam had for clothes that might fit Pierce. She found a t-shirt that read "future Stanford Grad" and a pair of pants that would work until someone could make a run to a kids clothing store. Shalimar put Pierce in the bathtub and washed all the markings of a test subject from the child and laughed as he played with the bubbles. She toweled the small child dry and even combed his hair.

Lexa helped dress him and they stood for a few moments, looking at the child in a bit of wonder. Lexa felt the urge to hug him until she could hug no more but she held back. She didn't know if it was maternal instinct or just joy at the second chance she had been dealt. Life was being interesting again.

"So, Pierce, now that you're clean, what do you want to do next?" Shalimar asked.

"See Jesse," Pierce said plainly, "I want to know he's O.K."

Shalimar looked at Lexa. Jesse had wanted Pierce away from him while Adam worked on him. The kid had been through so much, he didn't want him to suffer more, seeing him being tested, prodded and poked. Diversion was the best tactic. Lexa knelt down next to him.

"How about we get you some food? Then we'll see how Jesse's doing, okay?" Lexa suggested, "You hungry?"

"I think so," Pierce said, his stomach rumbling loudly as an answer, "but what is food?"

Lexa and Shalimar exchanged a glance. This child had been in stasis so long he had no idea what food was. It was time to change that and bite back the sadness that came from a child who looked to be five years old not even knowing what food was. It was time to introduce him to French fries. Shalimar remembered they needed to go slow, but they were going to entertain this child. Not just for them, but for Jesse as well.

Adam ran the tests a third time, not looking back at where Jesse lay. The readouts were all the same, Jesse's genetic structure had been changed, it had remained stable though, which was about the only good news he had. The changes were permanent. The powers he had gained were growing, that was obvious, but he had to figure out a way to get them under control for Jesse's own sanity. He kept checking the molecular's structure. His main concern being that Jesse literally stick together and not blow apart like Gabriel Ashlocke did years ago. That reading came back clear, Jesse wouldn't cause his own big bang anytime soon. Adam also tried to run another scan, hoping that he would at least be able to give Jesse some control over this power, which he could now know was telepathy. If it came to be anything further, they would just have to wait and find out.

"C'mon Adam," Jesse said, his voice screaming boredom from where he lay on the examination table, "Tell me something."

Adam turned. The fact that Jesse was asking meant that he wasn't reading him. Emma wouldn't read him, that was something she established with Adam long ago, and the fact that Jesse had followed tract made him a small bit happy. It's never good to read a friend without their permission; it could lead to awkward situations.

"So far so good, Jesse," Adam replied, "Your structure is still very stable, for a man that passed his expiration date with flying colors."

"Past history, go on," Jesse said, slowly and gingerly sitting up, "What's the worried look for?"

"I can't do anything to change what happened with the Creator," Adam said, meeting Jesse's eyes, "Emma was right. You are now psionic on top of everything else. Looks like you've been made into a pretty powerful telepath."

Jesse took a deep breath and let it out. He had never admitted it to anyone, not even Adam, but the thought of another power to deal with was one of his all time biggest fears. Telepathy though, had its own cruelness. He was still a bit on the self-conscious side and now he would know what people thought if he read them. With the children's voices echoing in his head, he thought he had just gone crazy; but this was something he would have to deal with. He had to admit it was nice to know that the voices in his head now were not his own creation.

"Wow," he said softly, "Explains a lot."

"I know Emma has given you suggestions on how to control it," Adam continued, "Meditation I have heard works wonders. You build internal walls to get the thoughts of others out so that you can hold your own in. From what you were saying back in the compound, you were hearing all those children Jesse. I can get you in touch with other New Mutants with this ability if it will help you control it better. You will need to Jesse, to function."

"Just another curse to add on, huh, Adam," Jesse said, his eyes getting dark, "Why did the Creator do this to me?"

"I think initially to save your life," Adam said, putting a hand on Jesse's arm, "According to his files, you were dying from the gunshot wound you got in the diner."

Jesse nodded. It had hurt pretty bad. It was slowly feeling better, but it went through his shoulder. Muscle and bone were going to take time to heal. He turned and let his feet dangle over the side. Standing up, he leaned against the table so he could meet Adam eye to eye.

"Okay, I'm alive, a telepath, and that's good, how about Pierce? The tag was right huh?" Jesse asked, not needing to know the answer and not trying to scan Adam.

Adam took a moment before he answered.

"The tag was right. He is your son, as well as Lexa's," Adam replied, "His scans came back normal, and he's about four years old. That's at least what the bone scan is telling me."

Jesse smiled, a light beginning to shine in his eyes. He was right. Something instinctually told him that Pierce was his child. Something was bothering Adam though, he could tell. Even though he was now telepathic, the body language that Adam gave him screamed problem.

"What?" Jesse looked at him, "There's something you are not telling me."

"Pierce is above average intelligence. While his physical age is four, he has the mind of a 10 year old," Adam began, "The language skills alone are astonishing. While that can easily be explained by what he's been exposed to, he's got a different social development than most. He's a very bright child, and in excellent shape. Some sunlight will do him wonders, and I don't think he'll sleep for a while. It seems eerie to say that, because I think I told your parents that years ago about you."

Jesse laughed. He was a dad. This was a giddy feeling that he had prayed to have at least once in his life, and he thought he was going to have it when he found Lexa's pregnancy test. This time had a sweeter edge to it.

"Ok, what else? I know that getting him around people will help him, he's not sure about talking to people unless he's told its okay," Jesse said, "That kid has power though. He took me around the compound with his mind Adam. Don't tell me it was my power. He visited Lexa in a dream as well. Is he psionic as well?"

"That's where this gets interesting," Adam said, turning back to the monitor that he had set up near the bed where he examined Jesse, "I ran a scan on Pierce's genetic structure. He's yours, Lexa's and his psi talent comes from Emma. Turns out when they invitro'd him, they added her talents to the two of yours. This kid is going to be very powerful when he grows up."

This took Jesse for a shock. He was all three of theirs, genetically speaking. That explained a tremendous amount, but would be a nightmare to explain to a judge if custody ever became an issue. Pierce took to all of them like he had known them for years, it was hard to believe that this child even existed. Jesse was joyful to even think that he had a chance to be a father. It also didn't take a psionic power to realize what Adam was going to suggest next.

"He's powerful now Adam," Jesse replied, "I don't want to do what you're going to suggest."

"You might have to," Adam said, "Now is not the time to discuss it. You need to talk to Lexa and Emma. They have a right in this as well."

Jesse met his gaze. The mere thought of channeling Pierce's powers with a subdermal governor made him ill. The knowledge that he was going to have to discuss this with Lexa and Emma made his head spin. On top of that, he was now a telepath. No one could hide their thoughts on this one, it was going to hurt.

Jesse sat back on the table. He closed his eyes and tried to find a calm center. Strangely enough, he did. He also realized he was exhausted. All he really wanted to do was lie back down and sleep for a week.

"You need time to figure this out, Jesse," Adam said, "Sleep will help it. I have a room for you and Emma downstairs. Brennan went and got your clothes from the SUV at the diner. Rest, let all this sink in and then talk to them about it, okay?"

"Okay." Jesse agreed softly. Adam's logic was sound. Rest would help this. Summoning some will power he got up, yanked the blanket that he had been wearing off the table and wrapped it around his shoulders with some help from the older man.

"Adam, one more thing," Jesse stopped and met him eye to eye, "What about the other kids? Were you able to get them out of there?"

Adam's glance told him everything.

"That's something we're just going to have to do then, as soon as we can," Jesse replied, "Because I'm not going to leave them there."