"Then I guess we'll just have to see who he chooses." Lexa said and then turned on her heal as she walked out of the room.
Two hours later.
Madeline quietly walked into the lab where Jesse was working. She smiled as she crossed the room to stand behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his body. "You doing alright?"
"I'm fine." Jesse answered with out stopping his work. "You know that I still haven't decided what I am going to do about this situation. It is too complicated."
"I just want to spend a little time with you." Madeline whispered, leaning closer against him. "Can't you spend five minutes with me?"
"Alright, but if you start back to trying to seduce me I'm going back to work." Jesse put down the computer and followed Madeline over to one of the sofas just outside of the lab. "It's hard you know, trying to decide between you and Lexa. I get the feeling that I'm missing something in this whole ordeal. Pregnant or not, it isn't like Lexa to try to kill someone."
"Jealousy is a funny thing." Madeline shrugged as she snuggled against him. "You know, for twelve years I kept trying to imagine this, and I never could. At first maybe, but as time went on I couldn't."
"What couldn't you imagine, Li?" he asked softly as he began to slowly trace his fingers up and down the woman's leg.
"The way it feels when you hold me like this." She smiled softly and tilted her head back to look at him. Her smiled widened in surprise when he ducked his head down slightly to lightly kiss her. "I could imagine your kiss, the way you used to touch me when we made love, your laughter, and even the way those baby blues used to flame up with anger when we fought, but never the way you felt when we cuddled."
"Hard to believe that is the only thing that you forgot in all those years." Jesse smiled slightly and closed his eyes. It felt good to hold Madeline again. "I used to think about you that way too. I could dream about it and it would all seem so perfectly real. It really wasn't all that long ago that I stopped having those dreams."
She let her eyes close slightly and relaxed herself. "Do you really love that woman enough o marry her and spend the rest of your life with her?"
"I really do love Lexa that much." he answered gently. "She and I have been together for a long time and I'm really happy with her. Trust me, Li, if I hadn't been sure about my feelings for her I would never have asked her to marry me. I care about her too much to play with her feelings."
"And even having me here again isn't enough to make you doubt your decision to marry her?"
"Li, I'm begging you. Don't start into this with me. I love you, and you know that. I'm just having a little trouble with sorting through a hundred different emotions. You can believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with who I love more. The only thing that I'm looking at right now is what is best. You are the first woman that I married, and I love you. We had a good thing back then, but you've lied to me, for whatever reason, for the last twelve years. Lexa is pregnant with my child, and while she has her secrets, she has never lied to that degree. I don't know what to think of her standing over you with that knife, but I do know that there was something wrong there. That is an undisputed fact."
"Jess, you can't tell me that you really think it is possible for something other than jealousy to have set her off. I mean, what could make such a strong willed woman do something that she really didn't want to do? It just doesn't make any sense to me."
"Right now I've got no more of a clue as to what made her do it than you do.' he sighed and then looked up to see Lexa standing in a doorway a few feet from them. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Li." he said as he got up and crossed the room to where Lexa was. "Have you decided to really talk with me this time?"
"I've got proof for you now, Jess." Lexa put a small cassette tape in his hand. "Please listen to it."
"Alright." he agreed with a sight and then walked into the lab and pulled out a tape player. "This had better not be a trick." He put the tape in and pressed play.
"Alright." Madeline's voice came in over the speakers. "Jesse and I spent a year together, hiding our relationship from Adam. We got married and he got kicked out of Mutant X. I ended up with some pretty vicious people on my tail so I faked my own death to keep Jess safe. It ended up that I was pregnant when I left, and when I gave birth my baby was still born. I've spent the last twelve years fighting to get back to Jess, and now that I'm here again I'm just as determined to hang onto him as you are. Of course since I'm not the one who tried to kill someone, I'll be chosen. Pity he can't understand that you know the truth about my powers."
"How did you get that on tape!" Madeline demanded as she stalked over to Lexa. "I was reading your thoughts to make sure that you told me the truth and that you weren't recording me! I knew that you would try to ruin everything with a stunt like that!" she raised a hand, ready to slap the other woman.
"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" Jesse yelled as he grabbed Madeline's arms and pulled her away from Lexa. "It all makes since now. I knew that Lexa would never have tried to kill you like that! You lied to me the whole time that we were together! You lied to all of us!"
"Yes, she did." A strong voice said. "She lied to all of us and she some how managed to trick all of us into believing her lies."
Jesse and Lexa stared in disbelief as Adam walked in, leading a regiment of guards that were wearing uniforms neither one of them recognized.
"How did you get here!" Madeline demanded as she struggled to get away from Jesse. "I made sure that no one could follow me!"
"But you forgot that I know you." Adam said as he pulled a thing ringlet of metal from behind him. "I knew that you would come straight to Jesse if you ever got out." he stepped closer to her and put the ringlet on her head. "They're going to take you back now, Madeline. You've caused enough trouble to last for a long time."
With one quick signal from Adam the guards moved in, put handcuffs on Madeline and led her away, leaving Adam, Jesse, and Lexa alone.
"What's going on, Adam?" Jesse asked. "How did you get here, and what, exactly, did Li escape from?"
"There is a lot to answer. First off, Madeline is a psionic. She can read thoughts and make people do what she wants them to do. That ringlet keeps her from using her powers and also breaks some of her will. As for how I got here, the explanation goes back to the last time that you saw me. When the Creator took me it was because the time had come or me to lead First Nation. Madeline was sent to us by them.
"She was deeply in love with you, Jesse, and even though you may doubt it now, you loved her just as deeply. When she was told to abandon her post she began to fray, and after her baby was still born she had a complete nervous breakdown. Among other things, she was convinced that the leadership of First Nation was against her having a baby. No one in First Nation wanted her to loose that child, they all knew that it was what kept her hanging on with out you. Chris, her father, was very much looking forward to a grandson that he could enjoy playing with during his retirement. When he came to comfort her about the baby she killed him in cold blood. She's been in a mental clinic with in First Nation since that day.
"She escaped about seven months ago, and no one can figure out how. She never would have made it here if they had told me sooner, but the lower levels of our bureaucracy thought that they could handle tracking down one mentally disturbed woman. When they told me what had happened I knew exactly where to find her. The only thing that she's ever asked for in the last eleven years is Jesse." Adam took a long, slow breath. "I was scared that she would have already done something here, worse than just lying to you again, Jesse. I was scared that she would have killed Lexa. I know that you are confused about her right now, but don't think that every thing Madeline told you was a lie. Anything about First Nation and its inner workings was probably the truth."
Lexa's eyes narrowed as she listened to Adam . "Why didn't you tell us about First Nation?"
"There were many reasons, Lexa." Adam said gently. "On is growing in you now. The last thing I wanted was for the four of you to give up your lives to join First Nation. I wanted to see you happy, with a future ahead of you." he looked down at his watch. "Now, I suggest we all go to bed and get a good night's sleep because tomorrow we have a wedding to attend."
The Next Day.
Lexa smoothed out her long, white skirt as she looked into the mirror to check to make sure that everything was perfect. After the last couple of days she was surprised to find herself about to be married. Her dress, a beautiful dress that reached the floor with its partially full skirt and beautiful skin tight bodice fit perfectly. It was even more than she could have ever imagined for herself. The veil was short, the hem reaching just below her chin, and her hair was swept up in a dramatic style.
"It's time for you to go down stairs." Elissa, Jesse's twenty-year old cousin, said as she carefully helped Lexa straighten the veil.
The use of the Keary family mansion had been the last thing Lexa had expected when she was planning the wedding, but Alisha had insisted upon it. The Keary's and Elissa were the only parts of Jesse's past life that were involved in the wedding. No other family or friends would go anywhere near it but even for that Lexa was thankful.
"Thanks, Lissa." Lexa smiled gently at the girl. "You'd better get down their yourself. The bride follows the bridesmaid you know."
The young blonde smiled shyly as she straightened out her own skirt and picked up her flowers, a bouquet of white roses that stood out brilliantly against her red dress. "Thanks for asking me to do this, even though it was only because Mrs. Mulwray is about ready to deliver."
"I'd have asked you anyway." Lexa gently answered and took one last look at herself. She picked up hr own flowers, a bouquet of blood red roses, and then went out the door just a few steps behind Elissa. When she got to the head of the stairs she was surprised to find Adam standing there instead of Brennan. "What's going on?"
"I hope that you don't mind this minor change in plans." Adam said as he gently took her arm and began to slowly walk down the stairs with her. "I asked Brennan to let me be the one to give you away."
"I guess one small chance is alright." Lexa agreed as they approached the door to the ballroom.
The organ was playing softly and Elissa was almost at the head of the aisle. The small congregation held their breath as the organ's notes changed and the Wedding March began to play. Lexa and Adam smoothly walked down the aisle to where Jesse was waiting.
"Good luck to both of you." Adam said as he gently kissed Lexa's cheek and then gave her to Jesse.
The couple took the last couple of steps to stand in front of the Justice of the Peace, a woman who both Jesse and Lexa had liked, who was officiating the ceremony.
"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of this man and this woman in holy matrimony." The woman's voice was warm but serious. "Who gives this woman?"
"I do." Adam stated clearly.
"Jesse, do you take this woman as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to honor, forsaking all others except for her, till death do you part?" the woman asked, even in her solemn role she was slightly smiling.
"I do." Jesse answered quickly.
"Lexa, do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to honor, forsaking all others except for him, till death do you part?"
"I do." Lexa answered, her voice already breaking.
"Repeat after me." the woman instructed as she looked at Jesse. "I, Jesse, take thee Lexa Marion Pierce, to be my lawfully wedded wife."
Jesse took Lexa's hands as he repeated the vows. "I, Jesse, take thee Lexa Marion Pierce, to be my lawfully wedded wife."
"To have and to hold, for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as we both shall live." the woman finished and waited for Jesse to repeat the vows to Lexa.
"To have and to hold, for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as we both shall live."
Lexa smiled as Jesse finished his vows. She was so close now, all she had to do was get past a few more minutes and she would be married to him.
The Justice of the Peace turned to look at Lexa. "Repeat after me. I, Lexa, take thee Jesse Blake Kilmartin to be my lawfully wedded husband."
Lexa took a moment to control her voice before she began to recite her vows. "I, Lexa, take thee Jesse Blake Kilmartin to be my lawfully wedded husband."
"To have and to hold, for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as we both shall live."
"To have and to hold," for a second Lexa felt herself begin to finally relax, there was not much time now for anything to ruin the wedding, "for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, for as long as we both shall live."
"Present the rings." The Justice waited until Brennan and Elissa gave rings to Jesse and Lexa respectively. "These rings are an outward symbol of you love and devotion to each other. Jesse, put the ring on Lexa's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
Jesse carefully slipped the ring on Lexa's left ring finger, up to the middle knuckle, and then slid it all the way down as he repeated the vow. "With this ring, I thee wed."
"Lexa, put the ring on Jesse's finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed."
Lexa held her breath as she slipped the ring onto Jesse's left ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed." she repeated in a soft whisper.
"If anyone knows of a reason why these two should not be joined in marriage let him speak now or forever hold his peace."
Jesse and Lexa held each other's hands tightly, both dreading the possibility that Madeline could have slipped away from her guards to try to put a stop to the wedding.
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The Justice said, finally ending their nervousness. "You may kiss the bride."
Jesse carefully lifted Lexa's veil and kissed her, their marriage officially begun.
The End!