Chapter 5
Brennan and Jesse had practically run out the door even as Shalimar continued to threaten Brennan with bodily harm for choosing a place that wasn't even livable. Brennan actually was considering not going home after work until Jesse reminded him that if he didn't go back it would just make Shalimar's anger multiply by about a hundred percent. They worked straight through the day until finally their boss sent them home around five that afternoon when he was completely fed up with the two of them.
"What's up man, why are we going home so damn early?" Jesse asked when he told them to go.
"Honestly Jesse I wouldn't mind if you stuck around but since you and Mulwray here are a team you gotta go."
Brennan cringed. It was always a bad sign when your boss called you by your last name.
"Mulwray. Your work today has been beyond shitty. Even that kid from last week had less accidents than you today and dammit the majority of your work was damn near shoddy compared to your usual standard of competence on the job. So basically you are both on a three day weekend leave until you get your heads together and dammit they better be back on straight by the time you come back on Monday so help me God or you will be in a lot of pain. Do you understand me?" he said glaring at the dark haired man standing opposite him.
Brennan nodded, "understood sir."
Jesse laughed as they walked towards the truck after their boss had run off to see why the new kid was hanging upside down from the second story scaffolding.
"Well at least you being scared shitless of Shalimar had one good pay off. We get the whole weekend to work on the house to make it livable for the girls." He shifted the truck into second gear and headed for the smoother road home.
"You know Jess. I've been thinking."
"Damn, that's never good."
"I'm serious here Jess. If we take part of our checks and buy a computer and hook it up to the web do you think you could make up a couple of false documents for me?"
Jesse's brow furrowed as he shifted the groaning transmission up to third gear.
"What kind of documents?"
"Nothing really big." Brennan said, "Just basically a background. I've been thinking about trying to get a job with a salary, something more stable and permanent than this construction crap. The only thing that I can come up with that I am really good at and can still help new mutants at the same time is something that requires a good background."
Jesse laughed, "Sounds like you want to become a cop or something."
Brennan remained quiet. Jesse stopped laughing.
"Are you serious Brennan? You could get killed. Have you talked to Shal about this?"
"It would be a good job and with my connections in the underground I would be able to move up quickly. The police department is offering fifty thousand dollars a year base pay for someone willing to work the graveyard street run. But you have to have a good background and at least four solid years as a street beat cop. That's what I was hoping you'd be able to help with Jess. I need to do this. I need to do something useful. And if I get this position then Shal won't have to scrub other people's dishes and floors. I hate having to watch her go out and work herself to the bone like that. It's not right. So tell me you'll help me man. Tell me."
Jesse stopped the truck in front of the run down house. Brennan stared at him waiting for an answer.
"I'll do it. I was going to get a computer soon anyways and fix my background so I could get this computer tech job I saw listed in the paper. It pays good money too. I don't want to ever have to see Lexa in that damn Waffle House uniform ever again."
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The next two days they worked hard on the house fixing it up to livable standards. They put down a floor in the kitchen and replaced the tile and counters in both the kitchen and the three bathrooms. They replaced all the light fixtures and checked the plumbing and electricity.
The men's chance they had been waiting for came on Sunday night when the girls wanted to go back up to Home Depot to change the color of the paint that the boy's had chosen for the living room. It was too yellow. They argued for hours with Jesse who was trying to convince Shalimar and Lexa that a yellow living room would open up the room and be like a natural pick me up on their attitudes when they got home from work since it was so bright. Which then caused an entire argument that he quickly tried to disentangle himself from, about exactly what was wrong with their attitudes, in which he eventually dragged Brennan down with him. Brennan suggested the girls choose the color and while they were doing that he and Jesse would go pick up some groceries to put in the fridge and pantry so they wouldn't starve the next week or so. The girls quieted down at that and agreed.
When they guys picked them back up they didn't even notice the extra purchase the two had made until they got home and they saw them bring it in from the truck. Neither said a word but they shared a glance full of worry as they unpacked the groceries and put them away.
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"Brennan, why did you two buy a computer?" the blonde asked him later on that night as they were lying in bed.
His arms tightened around her slightly as he considered whether he should lie to her or tell her the truth. After a few minutes of contemplation he opted for the truth since she could always somehow tell when he was lying.
"Jess is going to create a false background for both himself and me so we can get better jobs and take care of you and Lexa better."
Shalimar tensed, he wasn't telling her everything. He was holding back. She knew it. That meant he was trying to protect her, shield her from some kind of news that she wouldn't like.
"What else Bren. What are you holding back? Exactly what kind of job are you trying to get that requires you to have a different background?"
She turned over in his arms so that she could see his eyes which were desperately trying to avoid hers.
"What kind of job Brennan?" she asked in a firmer voice.
Brennan sighed, "The police force Shal. I am going to try to get a place on the local P.D."
Shalimar lurched out of his arms and sat up on the bed.
"I thought we all agreed to lay low Brennan."
"We did baby."
"Laying low is not joining the police force Brennan. It's dangerous. You could get hurt. You could get killed." Her voice broke on a sob.
Brennan reached out and pulled her back towards him.
"It's gonna be okay baby. Don't worry so much. Jess is going to fix my background papers to the point that even he wouldn't be suspicious of them okay. And nothing is going to happen to me. I don't want you to worry about this okay honey? Promise me," He said lifting her chin so he could look her in her eyes. "Promise me sweetheart."
"I can't Brennan," Her brown eyes filled up with tears. "I love you so much. I can't promise you that I won't worry." She started to cry again.
Brennan laid there his eyes closed as he held her while she sobbed against him until she had cried herself to sleep. He fell asleep with her in his arms telling himself that she would adjust to the idea even as he berated himself for hurting her. For scaring her. It would be better this way. It would. She'd see it. Eventually.
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Jesse finished putting the final touches on both his and Brennan's paperwork and headed upstairs only to find Lexa sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket looking serious.
"What's going on Jess? And don't tell me nothing because you wouldn't have been at the computer all this time, which by the way you spontaneously bought today, if it was nothing. And don't even think of lying to me." she added when she noticed him begin to hesitate.
"All right babe," Jesse said with a resigned sigh as he sat down next to her on the bed after pulling off his shirt and stepping out of his work jeans so he was comfortable in his boxers and socks. "Honestly Lexa, Brennan asked me to create a history for him so he could try to get on here with the local police force and I decided to go ahead and give myself a good trail in electronics professionally so I could get this tech support job at a software company. We just want to make ourselves better and provide for you two better."
Jesse captured both of Lexa's hands in his own. "I love you babe and I don't want you to have to smell like grits and hash browns all day long. I know you don't like it." he said with a smirk.
Jesse's smile began to falter as Lexa continued to hide from him behind her hair and then as he noticed her shoulders beginning to shake he began to worry.
"Sweetheart, no. No, no, no don't cry. I didn't mean it. I'll go erase everything and work at the construction site forever if that's what you want baby. I'm sorry."
He paused as Lexa lifted her face up to his. She was bubbling over with mirth. In between fits of laughter she managed to choke out a response.
"I love you so much."
The blonde watched in disbelief as the brunette fell against him trembling with her laughter.
"It's no big deal that you both want better jobs," she managed to get out. "As long as you both stay under the government's mutant radar and don't take any chances then it's all fine." She sat up quickly, "but don't be expecting me to stay here all day just because you got a decent job. I'm going to have a job. Okay enough of this" she said laying down and pulling the coverlet over her, "It's time to go to bed. 'Cause we both still got shitty jobs come morning."
Jesse smiled and turned off the lamp before laying down next to the beautiful woman. 'I had better not tell her the job is as a computer tech for the IRS mainframe' he thought to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
Continued in Chapter 6...
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Author's Note:
Okay. Sorry it took so long. But back on Monday the 20th I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl that we named Lorelei Eden. She was 8 lbs. 4 oz. And 20 inches long. She is so cute!!! But we were in the hospital for several days after the birth and two days before the birth and then her dad had to go back to work and my car is still broken so I couldn't go anywhere with the baby until her dad came back home so I guess it's been awhile.
But anyways, I have the next chapter ready I just have to type it up and then post it. I warn you ahead of time-IT DOES END WITH A CLIFFHANGER. But my mind is absolutely flowing with Mutant X right now so my Harry Potter stories are on hold for the moment. Sorry. Gotta Go Baby needs her diaper changed. Doubt you all even read the author's notes anyways. Bye.