Chapter 20
Legal Disclaimer-I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing them.
Author's Note-This is becoming a harder process as I reach the end of this story. Here's the deal with the delay-Work and the upcoming election are keeping me busy. I volunteered to "ironwoman" it on Election day, so I'm going to be VERY busy. All of you that have reviewed, I thank you. Kat, it's not what you think..hee hee hee. And I know I will write more after this one is done. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Four and a half hours later, Jesse Kilmartin awoke on his own to find his lovely wife asleep next to him. She had curled up on his chest, her need to be close to him as bad as his need. He watched her sleep, steady rhythm of breathing equal to his. She was out, and he knew that her fear and panic, along with what she had picked up from his through this past ordeal must have worn her out. He had wanted to soothe it for her, make it an easier burden, so a tremendous amount of his pain and fear he bottled up and kept inside of himself. He would have to work it out soon though, because he might just explode.
Exploding would be good though. He had held the secret of Emma's existence for years, held his pain over Lexa's choice in silence and forced himself away from his surrogate family. While it was wonderful to know that his own child slept above them, he also knew that he would have build bridges back to this life because now, he would never be able to leave it. But he had left a life behind. He missed the insanity of the White House. Part of him wondered if they missed him. The same old self doubt that he had was coming back in waves.
He needed to get up though, stretch his legs and try to put calmness to the situation around him. He could feel the others thoughts wandering around his head, their actions more on the mission ahead. The power of thought was intoxicating to him, he wanted to listen to their thoughts run, but he knew that he needed to think about his own sanity first. Remembering an old kata and meditation from his childhood, he mentally prepped a wall, knowing that he could be exposed to some serious thoughts as he approached his friends. Gently and slowly, he got up, leaving a pillow to replace him in Emma's arms. He kissed her forehead, knowing that she would sleep a little more. He slowly crept out of the room, pausing only to grab a shirt to pull on over his tank top.
He started upstairs, finally getting a good look at the rooms on this level. It looked to him like an industrial version of Sanctuary. Nice to know that Adam kept his ascetics. He walked up the stairs and into the great room, where Brennan and Lexa were working on the computers. He closed his eyes and thought about Shalimar. Where could she be? His answer was a vision of her curled up on a bed, asleep. Jesse cursed himself. He didn't mean to scan her, but his luck was that she was asleep. His image of stronger walls helped him gain a level of control.
He walked into the room and looked around. While their backs were to him, he could see Adam working in the medical lab beyond them. In front of him, Pierce was still asleep on the couch, the blanket that had been placed over him in a ball on the floor. Jesse smiled. It seemed like there was life in the new home as well.
"Well, well, nice to see you guys at work for once," Jesse said, walking toward them with little difficulty, he was stiff from sleeping, "And hopefully you haven't crashed Adam's system yet."
Brennan turned. It was good to see Jesse up and around. As his smile grew, he got up and let Jesse sit in his seat. Their eyes met.
"How you feeling?" he asked softly.
"Better," Jesse's reply as soft, "Thanks."
"For what? I got your back man," Brennan hugged him.
"Always," Jesse whispered in his ear, "And thank you for getting Pierce out."
"You would do the same," Brennan said.
Jesse looked across at Lexa. She was up as well.
"Jesse, I..." she started and he noticed that she had tears in her eyes.
He didn't let her finish, he just took her in his arms. In his embrace, she lost her tension, tears that had been building finally being released.
"It's okay Lexa," he said, rubbing her back, "I know now what I didn't know before. And I'm sorry that I yelled at you. You had to know how much it hurt. And I didn't realize that you did."
Brennan watched the scene. Jesse had been thinking in that pod, it was obvious. Lexa did still mean a lot to him, but the emotion had changed. They were good friends. They could probably still be a team, but that would take time. Sadly, they didn't have time. Jesse released Lexa and wiped a tear that had been rolling down her cheek.
"Thank you, I don't deserve it, but thank you," she said, meeting his gaze, "How are you feeling, anyway? Adam told us what happened."
"That I am a telepath now?I figured he would," Jesse replied, "I hope it didn't freak you guys out. I know I was pretty out of it when you came and got me, hey, what was that we flew in, some new form of the Helix?"
"Yeah, but we haven't found a name for it yet," Brennan replied, searching for a seat, "You got any ideas?"
"Yeah, The Strand," Jesse replied, "I think it would fit."
"The Strand, I like it," Adam said, walking into the computer lab, "You feeling up to this Jesse?"
"Yes, I am," Jesse replied, "What's the plan, guys, we going after the kids or what?"
"Yes, we are," Lexa sat down and turned the monitor so that Jesse could read it. She outlined the plan, securing the manifest from the trucking company that the Dominion had rented to move the children, the location and time of the transfer and the planned new location. They also planned to hijack these trucks, wake the children and put them in the proper homes. Jesse saw the progress they made in the short time and was impressed. This might just work.
"But the question is has the Dominion moved these kids? They don't know that we know about all the children," Lexa said, "I mean they know we have Pierce, he was in the outer room of that warehouse."
Adam agreed. They would know. The strange look the Creator gave him though bothered him. The man had treated him like a son, not like a colleague and had referred to the people in this room as his "repairable" mistakes. Adam's staying with him had prevented him from trying to "fix" them, but the results of his "repair" on Jesse had him concerned. The molecular showed no outward signs of stress from the ordeal, but, Adam feared what the internal signs would be. He knew that Jesse had a temper and when he was angry enough, a massed molecular was something you didn't want to deal with.
"They are still there," Jesse said firmly, "Like Brennan suggested, they would have a hard time keeping these kids at bay if they were awake. They'll probably try to get them out at night, which means we have to move quickly."
Lexa pointed to the monitor as the manifest listing changed.
"Just our luck, the first shipment is tonight, and it looks like it's two trucks," she said, "They might be able to get these kids out, but where are they going?"
"Elsewhere," Jesse replied, his mind echoing the children's pleas for help, "I don't think they were in there to start with, they probably get moved around the whole time."
"We do," a small voice said from the couch, "They move us all the time."
Jesse turned. Pierce was awake.
"Hi Jesse," he said, looking toward him, "You wake now?"
"Sure am," Jesse said, getting up slowly, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I was okay, but you were asleep when I went and got some sleep myself. "
He walked over to sit with the boy on the couch. Resisting every urge to hug him, he simply sat down next to him. Pierce curled up with him.
"You know about the other children, Pierce?" Jesse asked, watching the boy's eyes.
"They are still there," Pierce said, "Grandpa looks after them and some older guy with dark hair. They called us the Creator's new children."
"Grandpa?" Lexa asked, getting up to join them.
"The man who Uncle Adam looks like," Pierce replied, "He watches us and makes sure we'll be big as grown ups. At least that's what he says."
Lexa's acknowledgement that Pierce was referring to the Creator was both a calm look for Pierce and a horrified one for Jesse. The thought of the Creator being Grandpa made her ill.
"I'm sure he does," Jesse responded, his eyes locking with Lexa's, "You know we want that for you here too."
He had caught a bit of the thought she had and agreed with her. That man was not their father, and for him to think that made him angry. Very angry.
"Yes, and you let me run around, and not sleep all day," Pierce said, "You guys are cool."
Brennan laughed. The kid not only was cute, but on the way to adorable.
"Thanks," Jesse smiled, "Did you sleep well just now?"
"Yes," Pierce said, "Jesse are you my dad?"
Jesse stopped. He had been thinking about how he was going to tell him that. His own child was scanning him. It meant the wall he put wasn't working as well as he hoped, but maybe Pierce could see through walls. It was something that needed testing, he noted, and watched Adam's reaction. He then realized that thought was Adam's and not his. His brows raised slightly at the realization, then he looked back at Pierce. His son was waiting for the answer.
"Yes, I am," Jesse said, his eyes meeting Pierce's, "Is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, it is," Pierce said, "I had a feeling you might be. I heard Grandpa say that you were my dad."
"Do you know what a dad is?" Jesse asked Pierce, ignoring the sad look he was getting from Lexa, "Did your Grandpa tell you about Mom's and Dad's?"
"Yeah, he told me that I didn't have any, but, I have you," he put his hands on Jesse's arm, then turned to Lexa, "And you."
Lexa's face softened and Jesse could see the tears building in her eyes. He knew if he told her Adam's revelation it might hurt and she was not in a state where it would make sense. Lexa did the the most natural thing she could think of. She hugged Pierce.
"Lexa, why are you crying?" Pierce asked, "Did I upset you?"
"No, sweetie, you could never do that," Lexa said, "I'm just really happy that you're here."
Pierce smiled, his face lighting up. He finally felt like he was home.
The happy moment was interrupted by the computer's mail tone. Adam turned to the computer, reading the incoming message.
"Brennan, you need to go wake Shalimar, and Jesse, go get Emma," Adam said, turning back to them, "The trucking company needs one team to go get a delivery from the farm, and I want you guys on it. Lexa come with me, Pierce, want to come help Uncle Adam with some things?"
Pierce nodded as Adam's eyes met Jesse's. It was showtime. Lexa followed Adam into the lab. They would work as a team and the mission was to get the kids home.
As they passed each other, Lexa stopped Jesse. She pulled the ring off of her hand and put it on his ring finger. Their eyes met.
"You might need this," she said softly, watching their son run behind Adam, "And thank you for looking out for me."
"You're welcome," he said, praying that the wall he built would stay strong as long as she was around, "I know you would do the same, Lex."
Lexa smiled and walked past him. It was good to have at least on thing resolved in his life.