Doesn't it suck that Meg hasn't made any new books yet for this series, I think it does. Well, here's my horrid attempt at becoming Jess, the lightning view. So lets see how it turns out….

Anathema

Chapter 1

People called this a gift? Waking up in the morning knowing where the lost were would seem to be a miraculous gift. Well, that's what you think. Sure, it's easy most of the time. You know with the typical child, getting their picture in the mail, sent by Rosemary, then that night I'd dream of an address or a description of where that child is and call up Rosemary, and tell her. She would take car of the rest, making sure the child got home to where he or she belonged. But then, there were the type of people that came strait to you, asking you for help, and sometimes, you can't exactly go to the cops to help you out. Like that incident with Keely, I had to go get her by myself, which didn't end up to well on my case, or on Keely's father's, even if they did end up together in the end. And then there was murder of Amber Mackey, looking into that almost got me killed, and what about that time when I had to go 'under cover' with Rob in that stupid Militia group to save that boy from being killed, Rob ended up in the hospital for that, he could have died and it would have been all my fault.

No scratch that, it would have been my gift's fault. Or maybe I could go as far as to blame Ruth. So, a gift you say? No I see it as a curse. Just look at me now. I had a black eye and a busted lip. Not to mention the all the bruises all over my body and my fractured rib.

I looked like crap, and I felt like it too. Looking at myself in the mirror, I wanted to slam my fist into Charlie Lloyd's face all over again.

'Who's Charlie Lloyd?' you ask. Oh, he's just your typical kidnapper/child abuser/rapist all in one. You know the type. He is in jail now, but two days ago, he was in his little trailer up in the mountains, with a little girl who didn't belong there.

Rob had come just in time. I had tried to keep from him what I was up to, but he got wind of what I was up to, and fallowed me that day, bringing with him a couple of his groupies. He came in just at the right time, which needless to say was when I was helpless on the floor. I could barley move, it wasn't my fault. See, I try to do good, by helping these people, and what happens. Well, what happens is someone gets hurt. Usually me.

So, gift? I think not. Despite what everyone says, this isn't a gift. It's a curse. Who cares what Dr. Cyrus Krantz says. This is NOT a gift, and not for the first time, I wish I had accepted that ride from Rob the day I had gotten struck my lightning. At least I wouldn't have this on my hands.

With that thought I started back for my bed when my cell phone rang. That's right, my cell phone. My mom got it for me after the incident with the militia group, telling me to keep it with me where ever I went in case "something" happened. Few people had that number, and the only two people that I could think of that would be calling were either the feds, i.e. Dr. Krantz, or Rob. It could have been Ruth, but what would be the point of her calling when all she had to do was open up her window and call my name?

I picked up the phone and saw that it was Rob. Got to love caller-id. (a/n okay, wrote that and the phone rings not even a second later :: rises eyebrows:: I'm psychic)

"Speak now or forever hold your Peace" I answered

"How are you feeling?" he asked

"Sore, and mad."

"You're not still mad at me, are you?" he asked,

"Rob, I can't stay made at you, you should know that by now."

"Okay, so then what are you mad at, then?"

I let out a sigh, before saying "It's nothing." I took a deep breath before I continued saying what I know needed to be said, "Umm, Rob, did I say thank you for coming with Chick and, uhh, helping out the other day?" okay, I know I didn't say thank you, but I was still mad, not exactly at him, but at the fact that I couldn't handle the situation by myself, like I thought I could.

"No, Jess, you didn't" Rob said, and I could tell that he was smiling, trying not to laugh. You know, how when someone is smiling real big, that get that kind of stained voice, well, that's what Rob had.

"Oh, well, thank you."

"Jess, can you promise me something?" he asked, sounding more serious

"Of course." I replied, not knowing what he could have in mind. (a/n – does anyone know a guy that actually keeps his promises? If so, introduce me. Until then, Rob will be that guy;)

"I want you to promise me that you won't keep things like that from me. When anything along the lines of what happened, any troubles that you have with you gift, I want you to tell me about it, Jess. Promise me?"

"Did you just call this a gift?" See? Everyone thinks it's a gift. Even Rob and he ended up in the hospital because of it.

"What else would it be?" he asked, confusion clearly in his voice.

"A curse?" I suggested, taking another glance in my mirror, to show at least myself my proof.

"But what about all the good you've done? All those lives you saved? Tones of children are safe, and they have you to thank because of it, Jess." I rolled my eyes when his deep voice came over the phone saying "how can you call that a curse?"

It was late and I was not in the mood to argue about this. "Alright, alright. It's a gift." I said, not actually believing the words that were coming out of my mouth.

"Jess?"

"What?"

"Do you really think that I'll buy that?" at my silence, he moved on. "I thought so, now are you going to make that promise?"

"What promise?" crap, why did he have to remember that? I mean, god knows I love the guy, and that's exactly why I couldn't tell him, then he'd been in danger of loosing his life. And I know that I would not be able to stand that. So I kept things from him, which I knew that if I made that promise, I wouldn't be able to do. He's Rob, I can't lie to him.

"You know very well what promise I'm talking about Jess. Don't play dumb." Why did he have to know me so well?

"Fine," I knew from past experiences that I wouldn't win with him, so I surrendered "I promise."

"Good, now for the other reason I called. I got the day off tomorrow, so I wanted to know if you'd be up to going for a picnic."

"Yeah, sure, what time will you pick me up?" I asked, happy to no longer be talking about my so called gift.

"I'll be there at ten, babe."

"goodnight, hun"

"night"

I hung up the phone, and made it into my bed with no more phone calls. It had been a long day, being the first day back from the hospital and all, so I was tired. Actually I was exhausted, and my last thought before I fell asleep, was that they were wrong, they didn't know how it felt. It WAS a curse. An anathema.

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When I woke the next morning, I felt, strange. Like something had been taken out of me last night as I was dreaming. Ha, dreaming, that was a wonderful that I had last night. Rob and I, alone, in the middle of the wood with just each other's presents to entertain us, and it did. The best part about it, is that for the first time, in a long, long while, it wasn't interrupted by the location of all the people I had seen on missing posters, which was weird since, I had seen a lot of missing people posters scattered through out the hospital. Yet, no dreams, no sudden upload of where little Suzie was located. Uhh, I don't think that's good.

My powers couldn't be…gone, could they. I mean, it's not like they were ever permanent. Ignoring the pain in my ribs, I rushed over to my dresser, where, laying on the top of it was a jacket that I had meant to give back Rob, but had been delaying as long as possible. Now, it should prove to be some use, other that warmth. I grabbed it and focused on it, forcing my mind to locate Rob. I had improved a lot since I first discovered this faster way of finding people. And after a full day of practice, I had gotten used to it, and I could now do it a lot faster than before, but now, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find were Rob was. Nope, wasn't coming to me.

I looked up into the mirror, and noticed there was a little smile creeping on to my face. The curse was gone? It's a miracle. I wouldn't have to worry about fighting any kidnapers, murderers, rapists or anything of the sort again, because I had nothing to put me in the way of them. I would have a harm free, NORMAL life.

Or, at least that's what I was thinking as I got ready and used all my effort not to skip to the Kitchen. I had ten minuets to get a quick bit to eat. I decided to make it easy and just popped some pop-tarts into the toaster.

"Morning, are you going out?" I turned around to see my mom coming into the kitchen.

"Yeah, Rob's coming to pick me up in a few." I said, grabbing my pop-tarts out of the toaster. "We're going to go on a picnic." I said with a huge smile.

"Jess, you have a broken rib, you should resting, not going on picnics." Oops, I forgot that my mom just might not approve of that little plan.

"Actually, mom, it's only a fracture." at the look she gave me, I rushed on with why I should be able to go. "Mom, it's spring break, and it's almost over. I promise I'll be careful, I wont get into any trouble, I mean, my ribs barely hurt anymore." That last part, yeah, it was a lie.

"Alright, fine, but you'll have to work in the restaurant tomorrow." Oh yeah, I was going to be hurting.

"Won't I scare away the customers?" at my mother's look I knew that if I wanted to go today, I'd have to do the working tomorrow. "alright" right as I was finishing my pop-tarts, I heard the all too welcome sound of Rob's Indian. I raced out the door, hey, I was excited to tell Rob what had happened. I gave him a big hug before getting on to the bike. I would have kissed him, but the busted lip kind of made me stop before doing that. Not that it didn't hurt to hug him.

"Why are you so happy this morning? Were you elected president or something?" he asked, kissing my forehead. "and be careful with your ribs, I don't want them to get any worse."

"Guess what I woke up to find not exactly there this morning?" I said with a big smile, Rob looked at me like I had lost it.

"No clue"

"I didn't know the location of any missing person!"

"Babe, are you saying that you lost your gift?" there we are, once again with the gift thing.

"I told you, it wasn't a gift. It was a curse." He looked like me like I was some poor confused child, and that actually made me want to hit him, but I refrained myself."

"Jess, one of these days your going to realize that what you had actually was a rare gift, and your going to wish you still had it." Wow, win did Rob get so touchy?

"Don't you get it Rob? I no longer I have to worry about you getting hurt every time I run into a new serial killer. I get to once again live a normal life with the guy that I love." Whoops! Didn't mean to say that last part. But then again maybe it wasn't such a bad mistake.

Rob smiled as he said "if this is what you want to make you happy, then, I'm happy for you too." He kissed my on the lips lightly, careful not to hurt me. Stupid busted lip! He got out my helmet, and helped me onto the back. "It's a long ride to the spot I want to take you to, so if you ever need to stop, for any reason, you know what to do." And then we were off. To where, I don't know. But I did know that I finally I had a normal life. No supper powers to cause me any worries, just me and my boyfriend riding through the wind.

Okay, I didn't know how this would turn out, so I ended this chapter so that I could have two options – 1, I could keep it the way it is and make it a one shot, or 2- I could make Jess's life a little more…complicated and make this into a full story. Which was my original idea, I just happened to think that what I have makes a cool one shot. But it all depends on you guys.

Leave it the way it is, or, continue it, making Jess realize what she really lost. Your choice

-love,

sky