Special needs

"Ai?" Valere asked when Ai did not speak. The Nightstalker did not move. "Lady? What do you mean?" Betrayal sang in the young woman's voice. From her tone, she knew all about being lied to. "She hasn't lied to me. Has she?"

"Not yet." The Ethereal said firmly. "Ai? You know who I am." Ai nodded. "And…" The yellow alien pressed.

"And I do not remember whatever plan was made." Ai said quietly. "Probably for operational security reasons. I have not lied to Valere and I do not wish to. I am okay."

"Tell her." The Lady commanded and Ai felt the world fall out from under her as the Lady's power flared, but did not touch her. "Or I will!"

"Ai?" Valere asked softly. "You say you are are okay and then say it is not a lie… but…" The girl froze in mid-sentence. "No. No." Valere shook her head. "No. Not you too!" She declared. "Tell me that you can stay!"

"That would be a lie, Valere." Ai said softly, not daring to sit up even as the girl started to cry again. "I can't stay."

"No." Valere sank into what had to be a chair nearby form how she looked. "Not again." She said in a tiny voice. "I can't… I can't watch you die! Not after… Not after watching Mark die. I was so mean to him."

"Valere, that is not true." The Lady was gentle now. "You were in shock! He knew that. What he did shocked everyone who saw it! Even hardened veterans were shocked by how scary he acted and then how effortlessly he took out five combat trained and equipped beings. Two with a tiny knife." Ai stared at the Lady and then at Valere. "He freaked you out, Valere." Now the Lady scoffed. "He freaked everyone out. Hell, he freaked Colonel Kelly out and that took a lot of doing!" Ai had to snort in amusement at that. So true.

"I implied he was a just a thing!" Valere pleaded, putting her face in her hands. "I asked 'what' he was, not 'who'. He saved me and then I was mean to him and... And then he died!" She was sobbing now and Ai looked at the Lady who seemed to slump in mid-air.

"You think it is your fault." Ai said softly, disbelieving. "What Vahlen did."

"I WAS BAIT!" Valere screamed that and then her face fell. "I just…"

"Come here." Ai held out a hand that quivered in mid-air and Valere stared at it. "Valere, I am not going anywhere right now. Come here. Please?" She beckoned to Valere who stared at her hand as if not quite seeing it. "Valere, if I get out of the bed, a bunch of people will get upset with me. I don't want to upset any more people than I have. Please? Come here?"

"I…" Valere stared at the hand as Ai tried to keep it up but it sank slowly towards the bed. Valere rose from her seat and came to the bedside. "Please don't die!"

"I cannot promise that, Valere." Ai said quietly as Valere took her hand in both of the girl's own. "Even with all of my skill and training, I am mortal. I have a finite time and when that time is up, it is up. I can run from it, rail against it, fight it, but death comes for all mortal beings, Valere." Ai smiled a bit sadly. "I never expected to survive the war we fought, but I did. Every moment since then has been a blessing, Valere."

"Lady, we can get her to Doctor Cooper! He can do something!" Valere begged. "Can't he?" The Lady did not answer. "Lady?" Valere was sobbing hard now. "Please!"

"Valere, there are limits to my power and Cooper's skill." The Ethereal was sad, so sad. "I wish it were otherwise, but Ai is beyond those."

"No." Valere all but crumpled and Ai pulled her onto the bed, pulling the girl down to sit beside the Nightstalker's supine form. AI managed to raise her other hand to lay it on Valere's gripping ones. "No, please! Not again!"

"Valere, I heard that story many times." Ai said as the girl sobbed. "Once from the Matron herself. She was not there herself and never forgave herself for that." Valere jerked but Ai wasn't done. "Nothing that happened to you that horrible day was your fault, Valere. Mark's death was a tragedy but that too was not your fault. It was the fault of a witch who played God. He and his nest went into that situation knowing it was trap and assuming that they would be shot and killed if caught. They had no idea that Vahlen wanted them alive or why." She shook her head. "It was what they were. What they are." She corrected herself grimly when the Lady made a soft noise of dismay. Ai kicked herself mentally. Valere wasn't stupid. If she realized that Ai was from the future, bad things would likely happen. Ai had to be more careful. "Valere, I am going to tell you something that will bother you." She pulled the girl close to her mouth and spoke in a hushed whisper. "Even if Mark had known he was going to die, he probably would have done what he did anyway."

"But… That makes no sense." Valere could have pulled back, but she didn't and her pure black eyes were huge.

"Valere, it is the job." Ai said heavily. "My organization trained me with the ideal that it is a soldier's job to place himself or herself between those who cannot fight and those who wish them harm. Even under Advent, Mark's nest believed the exact same thing." Valere stared at her and Ai smiled a little. "It is not a safe job or a fun job. But you know what?" She raised her free hand from Valere's to caress the girl's scalp. "Sometimes, it is worth it."

"I never got to apologize." Valere said weakly as her tears increased in flow. "I never got to make amends."

"Valere, he knew." Ai said softly, pulling the girl down to lay beside her. "If he was half the man I heard of, he would not have taken offense at such a normal reaction to someone who was anything but normal." She was trying to make the girl smile and fought a sigh as she failed.

"He didn't blame you." The Lady interjected even as Valere hiccuped a bit and lay fully down next to Ai. "You know I was there, when he passed, Valere. I tried to save him and I failed." Again, so sad.

"From what little I know? I don't know if anyone could have saved him." Ai was very careful about what she said now. "What little I know of the nest and what the Elders did to them frankly scares me." That was perfectly true. Even Aroa had terrified Ai, but the Viper been kind in her own way.

"Anyone sane reacts that way to them." The Lady scoffed. "Not that 'I' am sane."

"No comment." Ai said as she stroked Valere's head and the girl slowly relaxed. "Valere, this untruth has hurt you." Valere mumbled something but Ai continued. "Do not try and take responsibility or blame for other people's madness. Yes, Vahlen used you as bait. Yes, they hurt you and might have done worse if given the chance, but they didn't. They were not given the chance. You did not pull the trigger that killed Mark. Do not assume the burden of the one who did. It is not on you."

"I feel it is." Valere managed even as her eyes slowly closed. "I feel responsible."

"I cannot change your feelings." Ai just kept rubbing the girl's head. Then she went still as her mind felt a nudge. From close! Valere was trying to read her mind! "Valere! No!"

"You are closed off. That is not natural. What are you so scared of letting me see?" Valere was on the edge of sleep, but the Lady was now sweeping closer even as Ai fought to keep the girl out of her mind. "You are not a bad-" She gasped and then fell limp as the Lady's tendrils touched her.

"Too close!" Ai said weakly. "Lady, I… I am sorry." The last thing anyone needed here was a temporal paradox or reality ripple. Psionic warriors could and had done both.

"Do not apologize for being a kind, considerate soul, Ai. You tried to get through to her." The Lady said quietly as she backed off a bit, but kept her tendrils touching Valere. "She is coming into her gifts far earlier than any of us thought she would. Such shocks as she experienced can do it, but I hoped for more time. Time to let her heal. Time to help her get past this. We have tried. We have all tried to help her past that mental stumbling block, but she cannot get past it. She blames herself for Mark's death even though it was never her fault."

"Lady, I am just a soldier. I cannot help her face such." Ai was just as sad as the Lady now. "I have enough trouble with my own emotions."

"How would Cobra handle her?" The Lady asked and Ai stared at the yellow hovering form. "I am out of good options."

"I am not a psi, Lady and we do not want Jian showing up!" Ai said firmly and the Lady made a noise of agreement. "That said? If Valere is a psi… I am betting she will be powerful if she could try to access my mind by touch." She paused and then hissed. "You cannot help her. I assume Alley tried."

"Alley and Arisha both did. They both like her and tried to help, but Valere simply cannot accept what happened." The Lady paused as Ai made a noise of thoughtfulness. "What?"

"Stop me if I go too far or too fast." Ai said flatly and then Lady glowed a little brighter. "Valere is coming into her powers. She has been targeted by my enemies. I am not sure why, but I can guess and all of my guesses are bad."

"As far it goes, all true." The Lady said, clearly bemused by this. "Where are you going with this?"

"I am not sure. Maybe I am just rambling, but I think I might know of one who could help." Ai admitted even as she pulled Valere closer, sharing body heat. "No matter what, the Cult is not touching this girl." That was firm. Cold, hard and merciless.

"Okay." The Lady allowed, not fazed by Ai's vehemence. "So, what?"

"How did X-Com deal with Jenni Parker's emergence?" Ai asked and the Lady recoiled only to freeze in mid-air as her tendrils stretched. She did not release Valere, which was probably a good thing. "You met her, or so I was told. She was very powerful by all accounts."

"That is putting it very mildly." The Lady agreed. "For a human, Jenni Parker was as scary in her own way as the nest was and is. Looking at her power was like looking at a star. Not as powerful as me, but raw. Untamed. Seething. She scared me." The Ethereal admitted. "If not for Jane Kelly, it would not have ended well for her or anyone nearby. We all fear that is what will happen to Valere. I did what I could." She said weakly. "I healed her the only way I could. I never planned on her developing powers. I should have."

"Lady, you are not a deity or perfect any more than the Matron is." Ai said firmly. "She was quite firm in beating that into us."

"Yeah, I bet she was." The Lady heaved an all to human sigh. "So, what? I can't help her. Alley and Arisha cannot help her. While she is with you there, the psis of Chimera can help her shield, but no more. The Sectoids tried, but they could not get past her blocks either."

"She is very powerful then." Ai said softly and the Lady made a noise of grief. "Lady, there may be one who can hep her, but you will not like it."

"Right now, I might even take the help of an Elder. Even knowing such would be a massive risk, I might. I love her. I don't want to lose her." The Ethereal who had refused to be affiliated with the conquerors of Earth said weakly.

"Lady, I do not know all of what happened during the mess with Jian and Lizbeth." Ai said softly and the Lady stilled in midair. "I have neither the need nor the right to that information. "I do know that Jian lost her temper and called in far more of us than she should have."

"Um, yeah." The Lady said primly. "It was a mess."

"I have to say, Storm Shadow was almost on Cloud Nine for a bit after he and his got back." Ai snickered at the Lady's odd tone of disbelief. "He hates politicians and the chance to scare one into losing control of his bowels made his entire group very happy sword swingers."

"The fact that everyone else in the Speaker's compound died silently before they grabbed him probably didn't help with his bladder control." The Lady said dryly.

"True." Ai snuggled close to Valere, laying her arm over the sleeping girl, but careful of the lady's tendrils. "Anyway, not to be outdone, a couple of my sisters told a few stories from their part in that mess as well. It is not every day Jain gets blindsided so badly. The nest took her completely by surprise when they disabled her flight pod and confronted her, thinking she had been there when they had been young. One of the ones who had tortured them as children."

"She wasn't." The Lady protested quietly.

"We know that. They didn't." Ai replied. "Thing was, there was an X-Com psi with Jian when the nest challenged her. He saw things that he has never spoken of. He may very well remember what happened. Jian said he was very well disciplined and powerful, but also smart enough not to push some things. My sister Biyu was making comments about courting him and HQ told her to shut up. Jian may have as well. Biyu usually doesn't stop until she has slept with her target at least once."

"As strange as my family is, I should not comment, but…" The Lady was more than bemused now. "That is odd."

"Yes, she is. Odd, annoying and one of the best drivers and pilots I have ever seen." Ai blew out a deep breath. "Anyway… Do you know an X-Com psi who wears a black skull mask?"

"I do." The Lady was intent now, her focus on Ai was unnerving, but Ai stuck to her guns. "Why?"

"I have been thinking about Valere and while Cobra never had dedicated psis in our ranks, we did work with them occasionally from other organizations. We talked and I remember one of them speaking of something like this." Ai blew out a deep breath. "Can you get me in touch with him?"

"I don't trust them, Ai!" The Lady sternly. "I can't!"

"The Matron said that, but she never said why. Can you?" Ai inquired.

"One of their people killed me." The Lady was very quiet now. Ai jerked, then stared at Valere who slept on. "It was a long time ago. The human had lost everything and he was not sane by anyone's stretch of imagination, but he killed me. He shot me while I was vulnerable and I died. I came back, but not as I was. I still remember feeling the shock of the bullets hitting me, tearing holes in my corporeal form that I had no way to heal as trapped as I was."

"Shit." Ai said with feeling. "I… I had no idea. Lady, I am sorry."

"How could you?" The Lady asked, her tone kind. "I am better. I coalesced my energy over several decades and woke up in world gone mad. Cooper among others have helped me deal with my past, but I still see William Carter's face, Ai. I am so glad I do not dream, because I would see his face and his gun spewing bullets at me in my dreams."

"And the modern X-Com?" Ai inquired.

"I am conflicted." The Lady admitted. "I admire Jane Kelly. If anyone had a right to go utterly mad, she did. What she endured throughout her war should have broken her. Instead, it honed her into a very dangerous weapon, but one with a sense of honor. They hurt Cooper, but then they helped him and… I… I am conflicted." She repeated sadly.

"You have every right to be." Ai said firmly. "So, let me do it. Let me ask." The Lady's intent was back on Ai and the Nightstalker nodded. "I too know Jane Kelly and I know how she will feel about what is happening to Valere. Do you trust me?"

"I do." The Lady said very softly.

"Then please, can you put me in touch with Director Jane Kelly and let me run with this?" Ai asked.

"It goes firmly against the grain, but yes." The Lady faded almost entirely from view as a monitor on one wall came to life. Ai stared as Jane Kelly's face appeared in it.

"Director Kelly." Ai said carefully as Jane goggled at her. "Forgive my inability to rise."

"Ai? Oh no! What did they do?" Jane begged Ai who stared at her. "Please tell me they didn't hurt you!"

"You sent them." Ai said and then chuckled. "You did say 'unofficial' backup, but that was bit more out there than even I had thought." Jane glowered at her and Ai shook her head. "Short answer, yes, they did hurt me, but they needed to know if I was telling the truth and they couldn't just be told. They do not trust. They cannot. They had to figure it out themselves. You know they can keep secrets." She chuckled at Jane's expression but then sobered. "Anyway, this is not about me. It is about Valere. She needs help. Badly."

"Valere? Alley said something about her. Something bad." Jane paused and then her face fell. "Oh no. No, please… I thought the Lady could help her!"

"So did she." Ai said quietly. "Apparently not. Thing is, 'I' may know of a way to help her, but I am not a psi, so I cannot do it myself. One of my sisters mentioned one who works for you." Jane stiffened anew and Ai nodded. "I need to talk to the guy in the black mask."

"Are you out of your mind?" Jane Kelly all but exploded on the monitor. "Do you have any idea what that will do? The Lady hates us! With reason!"

"I got her permission to call you." Ai said quietly and Jane stilled again. "She cannot help Valere. Maybe I can, but I need help to do it. Valere needs help, Director and I need a powerful psi to do what I have in mind."

"Which is?" Jane asked, clearly bracing herself for the worst.

"We need to show her the truth."