Author's Note: Sorry for the delay I've been in the process of moving.
CHAPTER 45
DISCOVERIES
November 27, 2010
7:37pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
Jeremiah was quite at breakfast that morning even for himself. He picked at his eggs half heartedly not bothering to enter in on the many conversations going on at the table. Like the one next to him in which Greg and Marc were discussing -or rather arguing- which of the six Star Wars movies was the best.
"I'm telling you Marc, Empire Strikes Back was the best. You've got Frank Oz as Yoda. Han frozen in carbonate. The ultimate Star Wars revelation... Hello! 'I am your father'. The best Star Wars line ever" Greg said counting off the qualities of his favorite Star Wars movie.
"It's Sith hands down Greg. You have Anikin's final transition to the dark side. And what about Obi Wan's and Anikin's final confrontation? It was perfect. As for best lines what about when Obi Wan tells Anikin that he was like a brother to him?" Marc retorted.
"Yeah well, Sith had Jar Jar Binks," Greg snapped.
"It was just a cameo and he never spoke," Marc glowered.
"Hey Jer. Which do you think was best?" Greg asked his brother.
"I prefer Jedi myself," Jeremiah said shrugging his shoulders not looking up from his plate. Greg and Marc sighed and went back to their argument.
"Jeremiah are you all right?" Jen asked noticing that her son had been quieter than normal a hard thing to tell since Jeremiah was always pretty quite.
"Fine Mom," Jeremiah mumbled. Yet both Jen's mothering instincts and her doctor instincts took over and she pressed the back of her hand to Jeremiah's forehead.
"You don't feel warm," Jen muttered. "Are you sure that your okay?"
"I said I'm fine!" Jeremiah snapped pushing his mother's hand away. A look of hurt crossed Jen's face and Jeremiah was ashamed that he had hurt his mother's feeling.
"I'm sorry Mom. I just have a headache. I'm going to go lay down for a while," Jeremiah said.
"Okay baby. Feel better alright," Jen said and pressed a kiss to the crown of Jeremiah's head. Jeremiah then got up and headed towards the stairs.
"I'll go take him some Advil," Alex said grabbing her and Jeremiah's half eaten plates and taking them to the kitchen to be washed.
Jeremiah headed to the room he shared with the rest of the Files. He turned off the lights as he walked into the room and then collapsed on his bed, slinging his arm over his eyes.
He hated what he had agreed to do. That he was going to violate Peter's mind. Shortly after the children had escaped the Centre they all agreed never to intrude in on a person's mind with out permission. At the Centre the children's minds had been their only sanctuary from Raines and his cronies. And yet Jeremiah was breaking his vow. And if he made the exception to break his vow this once what's to say he wouldn't do it again.
"Hey," Alex said softly entering the room and sitting on the edge of Jeremiah's bed a glass of water and Advil in hand. She offered them to him. Jeremiah nodded his thanks as he took the pills and water from Alex.
"You're scared about doing this aren't you?" Alex asked him.
"Yes," Jeremiah answered honestly. "It's different you know when it's just our group peaking into each other's minds. We've done it all our lives. And we never peer to far that we're intruding on each other's inner thoughts. But what Keegan and I are going to do... Alex it's wrong."
"I know. We can back out of this you know," Alex offered.
"No we can't," Jeremiah said. "We need to find out what's going on with Pete and this is the only way. So now what?"
"We have to be out of here in a few minutes to get our fitting for the wedding after that
we've got time to kill," Alex said shrugging her shoulders, she wasn't looking forward to getting fit for her bridesmaid dress. She was still trying to figure out how she was talked into being a bridesmaid and wearing a dress. "I think is wrong, having us go get fittings on thanksgiving."
"It's just us Black Files right?" Jeremiah asked.
"And Keegan, although now that I think about it he is one of us. So yeah just us Black Files," Alex replied.
"I'm a Black File now too?" Keegan asked entering the room.
"Why not," Alex said. "You're a Black File version two-point-oh."
"More like eight-point-oh,"Will spoke slightly startling the other three. "Alright you three what's going on?"
"What are you talking about Will?" Alex asked.
"Katie-girl you've never been able to lie to me don't start now. Let me ask again what's going on?"
"Nothing," Jeremiah said calmly at the same time he used his powers to borrow Keegan telepathy and placed mental barriers around his and Alex's mind that concerned the conversations they had the night before and the few moments before Keegan entered the room. It was unlikely Will would intrude on Jeremiah and Alex's privacy but Jeremiah didn't want to chance it.
Will studied Jeremiah's green eyes trying to figure out if the younger boy was lying to him, but Jeremiah was one of the few people Will had never been able to read without resorting to telepathy. So Will turned to meet his youngest sisters eyes. The two kept eye contact for a few moments before Will turned away, bothered by what he saw in Alex's eyes.
"Fine," Will sighed and left, it wasn't until after he had left the room did Will realize what he saw in Alex's eyes that bothered him. Over the years with out him realizing it, Alex had changed, she no longer confided in Will all of her secrets, Jeremiah had taken over that role. And the what disturbed Will most of all, Alex could now lie to her eldest brother.
"Great now we're lying to our family," Alex sighed burying her face in her hands.
"Technically no, as far as we know nothing is going on. We have no proof of anything," Jeremiah said.
"And now we're lying to ourselves to convince ourselves that we aren't lying to our family," Alex groaned. "Keegan you said it yourself 'the absence of the truth is a lie.'"
"And yet at times lies are necessary," Keegan "I learned that yesterday."
November 27, 2010
12:37pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
"Screw it, next wedding I'm wearing what ever the hell I want," Andros groaned flopping down on to his bed. He and the other thirteen Black Files -fourteen if you wish to include Keegan- had all gone for the fittings for the wedding. It had been a draining two hour and twenty nine minute ordeal. And Alex groaning over having to wear a dress did not improve matters any.
Not that Andros could blame his sister, her hatred for dresses had gone all the way back to toddler-hood when Alex, and the other girls had been forced to wear dresses. Until Alex had rebelled and went streaking down the Centre corridors, screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs. Andros giggled at the memory.
"I think the long arduous hours spent at the bridal shop have finally sent Andy over the deep end," Greg snickered.
"No I'm just remembering how Katie used to streak along the Centre corridors when Sophie tried to get her to were a dress. I'm surprised she didn't do it at the bridal shop," Andros replied and the Black Files -including Alex- cracked up at the memory.
"I was tempted," Alex said wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Hey I think we have it on DSA somewhere. I bet Aunt Jarod and Uncle Morgan haven't seen it," Jake spoke.
"Why don't we pass on that offer Jakey," Alex said she really didn't want a DSA -her family's version of home videos- with her most embarrassing moment from toddler-hood floating around the house for all to see.
"In other news all of that time we spent being fitted made me work up an appetite," Marc commented.
"Marc climbing the three stairs to the front door makes you work up an appetite," Cassie teased her brother.
"Why don't we go and see what the Phoenix twins, their better halves and the future newlyweds prepared for Thanksgiving?" Tobias suggested.
"And what they are going to have us do to help," Terra muttered.
"Uh maybe I'll just stay here," Greg spoke.
"Get up Greg, you aren't going to weasel out of helping this year too," Jake said pulling Greg out of bed. With that the rest of the Black Files got up and set off to the kitchen.
They joined the rest of the family for an exceptional Thanksgiving feast. Light banter accompanied the meal, even Jason and Jack joined in and it felt like old times. Had Alex known that it would be the last time she and her family would sit down at a meal their hearts and minds not burdened with the obstacles laid ahead she would have waited a little longer before offering to put the younger kids down for their nap.
November 27, 2010
1:42pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
"Jer what are you and Keegan doin'?" Amy asked her big brother as Jeremiah tucked Amy in for her afternoon nap. Behind him Alex was tucking Jason and Jack in their rocket ship shaped beds.
"Key and I are just going to take a peak into Peter's mind, baby girl. No need for you to worry," Jeremiah said placing a kiss on Amy's brow. Jeremiah then moved over to sit next to Keegan. "You ready squirt?"
"Yes sir," Keegan replied taking Jeremiah's hands into his own. The boys' job would be made easier since Pete was sleeping thanks to a sedative Alex had placed in Pete's drink. In a drugged sleep Pete's defensives would be down and it would be easier for Keegan and Jeremiah to peer into Pete's head undetected.
With their eyes closed Jeremiah and Keegan began to make their way into Pete's mind. They were instantly met with a barrier.
'You sure you can break it?' Jeremiah asked Keegan telepathically
'Yes,' Keegan replied wasting no more of his energy than necessary on words. With the help of Jeremiah, Keegan felt along the mental blocks in Pete's mind for the smallest crack that would lead him into Pete's mind. Keegan and Jeremiah were unable to find even a hairline crack.
Yet Keegan was not disappointed, in fact he was thrilled at the chance of a challenge. At the Centre Keegan would be given the task of prying into people's minds, over the years the task became harder but none were ever true challenges. But the blocks in Pete's mind did offer a challenge and Keegan relished in it.
'We will have to make our own door way then,' Keegan told Jeremiah, a grin crossing the boys features. Slowly Keegan and Jeremiah punched their way through Pete's defenses only to find the shock of their lives.
Seeing all that they needed to in Pete's -no Kaine's- mind, Jeremiah and Keegan quickly retreated back to their own minds only stopping to repair the hole in Kaine's mental blocks.
November 27, 2010
2:31pm
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
It had taken Keegan and Pete close to an hour to break through Kaine's mental blocks. In that time Amy, Jason and Jack had woken up from their naps.
"Well what did you see?" Alex asked her cousins. Keegan and Jeremiah met each others eyes both unwilling to believe what they had seen.
"Jer, Key what's wrong?" Alex asked the concern in her voice growing.
"Pete, h-he isn't Pete," Jeremiah stuttered. Alex nearly collapsed, as Jason, Jack and Amy exchanged confused looks.
"I-I don't understand," Alex gasped
"His name is Kaine, as in the evil clone Peter Parker. Originally his name was Cain as in the biblical character who slew his brother Able. Both names are fitting for Kaine is a clone of our Pete, one of three. He is the oldest, the youngest Seth died as a toddler from the flu. The second was Able, Kaine murdered him a month ago. He is dangerous Alex, a sociopath. He must not know that we know he is not Pete," Jeremiah whispered, Alex along with Jason, Jack, and Amy's eyes growing wide with fear.
"But where is Peter?" Alex asked.
"With Parker. That bastard mind wiped him, erased all memory of us. Created new memories of him being Parker's heir. Changed his name to John Sebastian Parker," Jeremiah said shaking his head.
"We must get him back," Alex said her eyes red with flames.
"We will get him back," Jeremiah said his eyes also red for he unconsciously had borrowed Alex's pyrokinesis. Amy found herself frightened never before had she seen her brother so angry, and she hoped that she never would because Jeremiah looked as though he were out for blood.
She was also frightened because the last time Jeremiah got truly angry and borrowed Alex's pyrokinesis he had lost control and a tragedy had occurred.
Up next: Alex tells Will what she, Jer and Keegan have learned but Will doesn't react the way Alex expected. And Alex and Jer make contact with Adam.
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