CHAPTER FOUR
Emma watched Jesse drive away long until the car was out of sight. She was still overwhelmed by the images and the emotions she got off of him. If she hadn't touched him and felt all that she felt and saw the images that she saw, she would have been more at ease with his departure. She would have still been concerned for his state and well-being, but certain of his return. She would have thought, just as Adam and the others would have thought that all he needed was just some breathing space, some time to put things into perspective, time to cool down.
But now, Emma felt an unbearable dread. Jesse's pain was more than what the incident with Brennan and Shalimar called for. More than anything, she felt that the incident was just a trigger or an awakening of something that ran much deeper.
Emma instinctively knew that it had to do with the images she saw as she touched him. But she couldn't make it out. They were fleeting images of a woman, more of a girl and the overwhelming sense of loss and of guilt. It didn't make sense. She shook her head trying to clear it of the images still lingering.
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"Adam, I'm really worried about Jesse. I'm scared that he would do something rash." Emma said as she walked into the lab.
"Look Emma, knowing Jesse, all he needs is just a little breathing space. It's understandable that he would be upset about the events of the day. More than anybody, he's always harder on himself. Just give him some time. He'll be fine." Adam said reassuringly as he looked up from his research.
"I don't think so Adam. Not this time. Something's really wrong with him." Emma said pacing the floor as she began to explain to Adam the encounter she just had with Jesse, worry clearly evident from her voice.
Adam heard Emma's story and remembered again the tone of quiet submission in Jesse's voice during his encounter with Brennan earlier.
"What should we do?" Emma queried, interrupting Adam in his thoughts. "Should we go after him?"
"No. Not yet." Adam said shaking his head. "I think he still needs time to clear his mind."
Adam considered what Emma had said and the day's events. No doubt, the seeds of concern were beginning to grow but he knew Jesse longer than Emma. When things went wrong in Jesse's world, a little space and breathing room seemed to do wonders for the molecular. Besides, it would be crazy for Jesse to just take off like that. Sanctuary was his home, and had been for a good part of his life and Adam knew that his charge had no place else to go and no real friend or family to turn to. He had to belief that Jesse's departure was merely an attempt to get some breathing space.
"If anything, his com-link is still active so we can constantly keep tabs on his whereabouts. If he doesn't come back by tomorrow, then we'll go after him". Adam continued decisively trying to reassure Emma against her worries.
Emma wasn't convinced. Her feeling of dread was increasing by the moment but she accepted that, at the moment, it would probably do more harm than good to go after Jesse and drag him back to Sanctuary. Lost in her thoughts, she walked out of the lab leaving Adam to continue on his research into the renegade group that had attacked Mutant X that day.
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"We've re-established a reading, sir." Xavier, sat up from his chair as the voice came through his intercom. "Good! Very good! Make sure you don't loose it." He said obviously please that they didn't have to wait very long.
"Mr. Austin?" he called to his man who was standing in attention by the door. "I want you to send some of our best men out for this one. Oh and this time," he paused and looking at his man directly in his eyes, said ominously, "make sure, you don't fail..."
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Emma watched Jesse drive away long until the car was out of sight. She was still overwhelmed by the images and the emotions she got off of him. If she hadn't touched him and felt all that she felt and saw the images that she saw, she would have been more at ease with his departure. She would have still been concerned for his state and well-being, but certain of his return. She would have thought, just as Adam and the others would have thought that all he needed was just some breathing space, some time to put things into perspective, time to cool down.
But now, Emma felt an unbearable dread. Jesse's pain was more than what the incident with Brennan and Shalimar called for. More than anything, she felt that the incident was just a trigger or an awakening of something that ran much deeper.
Emma instinctively knew that it had to do with the images she saw as she touched him. But she couldn't make it out. They were fleeting images of a woman, more of a girl and the overwhelming sense of loss and of guilt. It didn't make sense. She shook her head trying to clear it of the images still lingering.
************************************************************************
"Adam, I'm really worried about Jesse. I'm scared that he would do something rash." Emma said as she walked into the lab.
"Look Emma, knowing Jesse, all he needs is just a little breathing space. It's understandable that he would be upset about the events of the day. More than anybody, he's always harder on himself. Just give him some time. He'll be fine." Adam said reassuringly as he looked up from his research.
"I don't think so Adam. Not this time. Something's really wrong with him." Emma said pacing the floor as she began to explain to Adam the encounter she just had with Jesse, worry clearly evident from her voice.
Adam heard Emma's story and remembered again the tone of quiet submission in Jesse's voice during his encounter with Brennan earlier.
"What should we do?" Emma queried, interrupting Adam in his thoughts. "Should we go after him?"
"No. Not yet." Adam said shaking his head. "I think he still needs time to clear his mind."
Adam considered what Emma had said and the day's events. No doubt, the seeds of concern were beginning to grow but he knew Jesse longer than Emma. When things went wrong in Jesse's world, a little space and breathing room seemed to do wonders for the molecular. Besides, it would be crazy for Jesse to just take off like that. Sanctuary was his home, and had been for a good part of his life and Adam knew that his charge had no place else to go and no real friend or family to turn to. He had to belief that Jesse's departure was merely an attempt to get some breathing space.
"If anything, his com-link is still active so we can constantly keep tabs on his whereabouts. If he doesn't come back by tomorrow, then we'll go after him". Adam continued decisively trying to reassure Emma against her worries.
Emma wasn't convinced. Her feeling of dread was increasing by the moment but she accepted that, at the moment, it would probably do more harm than good to go after Jesse and drag him back to Sanctuary. Lost in her thoughts, she walked out of the lab leaving Adam to continue on his research into the renegade group that had attacked Mutant X that day.
************************************************************************
"We've re-established a reading, sir." Xavier, sat up from his chair as the voice came through his intercom. "Good! Very good! Make sure you don't loose it." He said obviously please that they didn't have to wait very long.
"Mr. Austin?" he called to his man who was standing in attention by the door. "I want you to send some of our best men out for this one. Oh and this time," he paused and looking at his man directly in his eyes, said ominously, "make sure, you don't fail..."
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