Disclaimer: I don't own this. If you recognize this, I didn't create it.

Hey guys. New chapter. Finally. Sorry for the wait. :)

Chapter 3-

Jesse spent his last day talking to his grandfather, spending time playing with Skyler and enjoying his time with Brennan and Shalimar. And that night, Adam put Skyler's crib in his room and let Emma and Jesse spend their last night together. They made love slowly and easily, going at a pace that satisfied them both but allowed for Jesse's weakened state. When the euphoria faded and they both came down from their emotional highs, Jesse lay in Emma's arms and started to cry. "Jesse, what's wrong?" Emma asked, looking concerned and frightened.

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Emma." Jesse confessed, hiccupping slightly on her name.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Jesse, but we'll see each other sooner than you think. I promise." Jesse nodded and moved closer to her. "I love you, Jesse Kilmartin. Never forget that. And I'll be here waiting with Skyler for you to get out of your pod. And then we'll be a family, all right. Just you, me and Skyler."

Jesse sighed, closing his eyes. "I love you Emma. See you in the morning?"

"Absolutely." Emma whispered with a small smile and fond sparkles in her eyes.

Jesse snuggled close to her warmth and then fell into an easy and peaceful sleep. Emma closed her eyes and then slipped into sleep right behind him. The next morning found Jesse sitting on the scan chair, watching dispassionately as Adam checked his vitals and hooked him up to a whole series of monitors. "Are you sure about this, Jess?"

"I'm sure." He breathed, clenching one hand at the sight of the pod where he'd be spending the next two years. "I don't want to die and leave Emma behind. And if staying in that pod will make sure of that, then I'll spend the next two years in that piece of trash."

Emma came in, carrying Skyler and leading his other two teammates into the lab. Jesse smiled, grimacing as an IV slipped into the back of his left hand. "Hey." He murmured, accepting his son as Skyler reached for him. "What's the matter buddy?"

"Skyler doesn't want Daddy to go." Skyler said around his thumb, sniffling.

Emma grabbed a tissue and handed it to Jesse as Skyler's nose began to run. Jesse held the tissue to his son's nose, instructing him to "Blow." Skyler blew his nose obediently and Jesse wiped his nose before tossing the tissue into the trash. "Skye, Daddy has to go to sleep, but only for a little while. And Momma can bring you to see me whenever you want."

"Promise?" Skyler asked, looking so heartbroken by the whole situation that Jesse just wanted to cry.

"I promise, buddy. Daddy loves you."

"Skyler loves Daddy." He sniffled before throwing his arms around Jesse's neck and squeezing tightly, pressing a noisy kiss to his daddy's cheek.

Jesse kissed Skyler's grubby cheek and then handed him to his mother. Shalimar came forward and hugged Jesse tightly. "We'll see you soon, okay? Just remember that."

Jesse nodded, yielding his forehead to his sister's affectionate kiss. Brennan slapped his best friend's shoulder, displaying what Shalimar and Emma called, "Manly Affection". Jesse smiled, brushing his hair away from his face. "See you kid." Brennan said with a burly sort of warmth.

"You got it." Jesse said, before Adam helped him stand.

Adam had added braces to his legs so that he could at least walk with some help. Emma handed Skyler to Shalimar and slipped under her boyfriend's arm so that she could brace him on the short walk to the pod. Jesse hesitated for only a moment before he climbed in and started to tug off his shirt, laying back once his chest was bare. Emma held his hand as Adam fastened the electrodes and heart monitor to the flesh. "You okay, Jess?" he asked quietly, strapping his left hand to the platform next to him so that he wouldn't disrupt the IV.

Jesse nodded silently, keeping his eyes on Emma. "All right then. Emma, say your goodbyes and then we'll close the pod."

Emma nodded and leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to her soul mate's lips. "I love you. And this is not goodbye. This is merely until we meet again." She murmured, squeezing his hand tightly.

Jesse nodded, "I love you."

Emma reached toward the bottom of the pod and pulled the thermal blanket up over his frail form, hiding the sunken stomach and protruding ribs. "I'll be right here. Just watch me through the glass. I promise I'll be the last thing you see before you fall asleep."

Jesse nodded, squeezing her hand once more before releasing it. Emma helped Adam slide the lid over Jesse. Emma reached out with her abilities as she felt Jesse start to panic. Jesse, you're okay. I'm here. She murmured, looking down at him through the glass. Just watch me. I won't let anything happen to you, I swear.

Jesse looked up at her and then reached up with his right hand, pressing his palm and fingers flat to the glass. The tears that Emma had been trying to hide started to spill over as she laid her hand directly over his, fingers and palms perfectly matched against the glass. Adam was over at the computer console and spoke, "I'm gonna give him the sedative to put him into stasis now."

Emma nodded, her eyes locked on Jesse's. Adam pushed a button, causing a clear fluid to start flowing through the IV, spilling into his body. Jesse's eyes started to slide closed and before he fell asleep, his lips moved one last time. "Emma."

Emma started to sob in earnest as she felt him fall into a stasis sleep. His hand fell almost in slow motion until it rested across his chest. Emma dropped her head onto the glass, trying to contain her tears for her son's sake. Jesse's still and silent features proved too much for her and she got up, dashing from the lab, headed for the pond. Brennan moved to go after her, but Adam grabbed his arm first. "No. Leave her. She'll be fine. She's just overwhelmed. I don't think she realized that this was going to hurt as much as it did."

"He's alive. How the hell can this hurt her?" Shalimar snapped.

"I know. But it was probably too soon. She's been gone for nearly three years. She comes back and suddenly, Jesse's just too sick to stay with her any longer. The only thing to do was to put him in stasis until their son could save him. When all is said and done, it'll be nearly five years before they'll have been together like they used to be."

Brennan and Shalimar nodded, Shalimar's arms tightening around a crying Skyler. His daddy was sleeping and his momma was hurting. He wiggled free of Shalimar and ran, following his momma's pain and letting it lead him to her. "Momma?" he asked, seeing her.

Emma was sprawled across the platform, sobbing heartbreakingly. Skyler came over and smoothed her hair back. "Daddy's sleeping?"

Emma sat up, pulling her son into her lap. "Yes, baby, Daddy's sleeping."

"Is he gonna wake up?"

"Not for a long time. Daddy's really sick, baby. And so he's going to be sleeping until you can help him."

"Like I helped Auntie Natty?"

"Yeah, like you helped Auntie Natty. Come on, baby, it's time for a certain little boy's naptime."

Skyler nodded, resting his head on his momma's shoulder as she stood with him still in her arms. She carried him into Jesse's room and laid him into his crib. "Good night, baby."

"Night momma." Skyler said with a big yawn, before he fell asleep, his thumb securely in his mouth.

Emma squared her shoulders and moved back toward the lab. "Where's my sister, Natalie?"

"The GSA has her. We've already outlined a plan to get her back."

Emma nodded and moved toward her boyfriend's pod. "Jesse's sleeping and safe for the moment. And so, now we need to get my sister back safe."

Adam nodded and started to relay the plan to Emma. Emma listened, contributing to the plan as well as she could. "All right then, I think that it's time to go kick some Genomex butt. They kept me from Jesse for three years. And I need to work off my fury."

Adam nodded and sent Brennan and Shalimar to get ready to go. "Emma, I need to talk to you for a moment."

Emma looked back and immediately knew what the problem was. "You need to replace Jesse."

"Not permanently. Just until he's out of pod. And I know the perfect people. They hate Ekhardt even more than you do. They're twins, Leo and Lexa Pierce. Both could be valuable, and if they decided to stay after Jesse is better, it wouldn't be a bad thing." Adam admitted, knowing that Emma would need to be the one to convince. Her loyalty to Jesse was unmatched.

Emma looked at the wall, trying to decide what she thought. "Can I think about it for a little while?"

"Sure, Emma. Just get back to me when you can."

Emma nodded and kissed the top of the pod before leaving the room. She changed and then met Brennan and Shalimar in the Double Helix. She slipped into the pilot's seat and took off, needing the distraction to take her mind off of Jesse and his enforced slumber. Setting the Helix down, she shut it down, cloaking it from outside eyes. She grabbed a black leather trench-coat from the chair and slipped her arms into it. Brennan and Shalimar exchanged amused looks and then followed a determined and equally furious Emma down the ramp. Brennan and Shalimar turned to look at Emma, knowing that her connection with her twin sister was their best bet to locate one Natalie DeLauro. "She's this way." Emma said, pursuing the sense of her sister.

Brennan and Shalimar followed, keeping an eye open for any Genomex agents. Emma stopped outside a door and gestured. "She's in there."

Brennan nodded and looked at the lock for a moment before sending a bolt of tightly controlled electricity at it. The lock sprung, and Brennan kicked the door down. Emma and Shalimar followed him into the room, Emma crossing to the woman crumpled on the floor. "Natty?" she asked, coming to her sister's side.

"Emma?" came a weak voice as the body heaved upright.

"Yeah Natalie. I'm here. Just rest. Brennan, can you carry her?"

Brennan came over and gently lifted the woman into his arms. "Piece of cake."

Emma nodded and followed Shalimar from the room, Brennan taking up the rear. Shalimar stopped, looking around. "This is too easy."

Emma looked up just as eleven Genomex agents appeared in front of them. "Brennan get my sister to the Helix."

"But…."

"Go now, Brennan. We'll be there soon." Shalimar ordered, her eyes flashing feral yellow.

Emma took a few steps back and got into a ready stance. "You know what they say about payback?" she asked the leering man in front of her.

"That payback is a bitch." He hissed as he attacked the red-head.

Emma sneered, neatly knocking him back. "Yeah, well I'm the bitch."

Brennan managed to escape the agents and carried Natalie into the Helix. "Emma! Shal! We're at the Helix. Get here now."

The two women examined their surroundings, grinning at the downed agents. "That was nicely done, Shal." Emma said, with a laugh as she jogged toward the Helix.

"I have to say that right back. You kick booty girl."

"Thanks. Come on. We need to get Natalie back to Adam." She said, dashing up the ramp and into the Helix.

Adam was waiting for them in the hanger when the Helix landed. "Do you have her?"

"Yep. It was a piece of cake." Brennan said, lifting the injured woman and carrying her out of the belly of the plane.

Shalimar laughed, following. "And can I just say that Emma kicked some serious Genomex butt?"

"It wasn't that big of a deal, Shal. I was just working off some frustration."

"And punishing them for keeping you away from Jesse for nearly three years had nothing to do with it?" Adam asked, with a teasing smile.

Emma tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "Maybe a little." was her only answer to the good-natured teasing.

"Come on, bring her to the lab and we'll check her out." Adam said with a fond smile before he led the way to the lab.