CHAPTER 48
ALWAYS THE LEADER
November 28, 2010
6:48am
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
Andros woke up to find that his sister and Jeremiah were gone. A part of him didn't believe that Alex would leave. An even larger part of him was hurting because his sister was gone.
Andros climbed out his bed, and made his way down stairs to the kitchen. His grandfather Sydney was already awake and sipping at a cup of tea. Jake and Rachael were there as well each buttering a bagel.
"Good morning, Andros," Spoke Sydney.
"Not really Grampa," Andros sighed, sinking into a chair next to his Grandfather.
"Andros what's wrong?" Sydney asked his grandson.
"Alex is gone. She and Jer left in the middle of the night," Jake spoke for Andros.
"What?" Sydney said. "Where are they?"
"She didn't tell me," Andros answered. "She said she was afraid that Air and I wouldn't believe her, and that she couldn't take that pain."
"Your parents, as well as Samuel and Jennifer are not going to be pleased with the disappearance of Alexandra and Jeremiah," Sydney replied.
"So who's going to tell them?" Greg asked entering the kitchen with Lissa and Aaron. Andros looked up at Greg and saw that he looked different, tired, but more mature, older as though over night Greg had aged ten years. He looked like Jake.
"I will," Jake spoke.
"Always the leader Jakey," Aaron said shaking his head in slight amusement.
"It's what I was created to be," Jake replied.
"You don't need to tell our parents Jake, Air and I will tell Mom and Dad. Alex is our sister after all," Andros said indicating himself and Aaron.
"She's his sis-," Aaron began but found himself cut off by Jake.
"That's fine Andy," Jake said shooting Aaron a meaningful look. Aaron understood that Jake was trying not to make waves. He understood that Andros was hurting, that Andros felt betrayed that Alex had left with Jeremiah oppose to one of her own brothers. Aaron nodded his head at Jake and Jake smiled. Jake was indeed always the leader.
Jarod and Morgan entered the kitchen a few moments later, Will and Alley right on their heels. Aaron got up and handed his mother a cup of coffee and his father a cup of tea as Will and Alley started on breakfast.
"Where's your sister," Morgan asked Aaron, and Andros as she noticed that her daughter was not at the kitchen table. The six Black Files met each other's eyes. Sydney coughed, and looked at his grandsons. Aaron and Andros grimaced at the thought of their mothers ranting, when she realized that Alex and Jeremiah had disappeared for parts unknown.
"Um... Katie left...with um, Jeremiah...early this morning," Aaron said nervously.
"When will they be back?" Jarod asked, his attention was mostly focused on the morning paper so he didn't hear the nervousness in Aaron's voice. Morgan on the other hand did, her gaze feel upon her two boys and Aaron and Andros suddenly found their cups of tea very interesting.
"Where did Jeremiah and Alexandra go?" Morgan asked sternly, the tone of his wife's voice made Jarod turn away from his morning paper. Will and Alley walked over to the table their task of making breakfast abandoned.
"Funny story Aunt Morgan," Lissa said. "We don't know." Everyone braced themselves for Morgan's outburst.
"What do you mean you don't know Melissa?" Morgan questioned oddly calm, but none were fooled they knew it was just the calm before the storm.
"As in the sense that they didn't tell us. You know your daughter Aunt Morgan, she's probably off on some crackpot mission," Greg said chuckling nervously.
"You're not helping Greg," Aaron whispered.
"Did they give any indication when they would be back?" Jarod asked, he was worried about his daughter and nephew but no where near as angry as his wife was.
"No sir," Jake answered.
"And no indication on where they may have been going to?" Jarod prompted.
"No sir," Aaron, Andros, Greg, and Lissa replied.
"No, she wouldn't have," Will whispered to himself. Jake and Alley were the only ones who had heard Will. Worried that Will might reveal what Alex and Jeremiah were up to, Jake felt that it was time to use the cover story Jeremiah had given him.
"They went to look for Adam, convince him to come home. I asked them to. Rach and I would have gone but we didn't think that Mom and Dad could handle two more of their kids disappearing," Jake said calmly putting a spin on the information Jeremiah had given him.
"Then they're in Ireland," Will said somewhat relieved. Greg, Lissa, Aaron, and Andros, gave Jake a sideway glance, not truly believing what the older boy had said. Alex and Jeremiah had seemed far to nervous about their mission for them to be heading off to Ireland to convince Adam to come home.
Morgan closed her eyes and sighed, she did not like the fact that her daughter and nephew had gone to Ireland alone. But they had gone at Jake's begging to bring Adam back. She couldn't truly punish her daughter for wanting to reunite her family.
"Lis, and I better go and tell Mom and Dad. I don't thing that they'll be too pleased," Greg said getting up from the table, Lissa right behind him.
November 28, 2010
7:28am
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
Andros followed Lissa and Greg's exit a few moments later heading up to his work room on the third floor of the mansion. He was in a funk and it wasn't until Jake had corned Andros and told Andros to get over the fact that Alex had left with Jeremiah did Andros realized that feelings of hurt and jealousy had fallen upon him.
But Andros couldn't help how he felt. He knew he was being stupid for being jealous, but Alex was his sister, not Jeremiah's. When the Black Files had been at the Centre Aaron, Andros, and Alex had been inseparable. They did the same things, had always known when something was bothering the other. It was as though the three of them had shared the same mind, they were so close.
As Andros sat in his work room taking apart an old laptop, the tried to figure out just when he Aaron and Alex began to drift apart.
"I realized it the day we were reunited with Mom," came a voice from the door way. Andros looked up and saw that it was Aaron. "Dad and Uncle Ethan had just brought Mom and Pete to the house. We were all sitting down at lunch when Will mentioned that he wanted a guitar. Uncle Ethan asked us which instruments we were interested in, I said guitar, you said saxophone, and Alex said piano."
"It sacred us, that moment. We were so frightened of not being the same. And it would appear that we still are, afraid of not being the same that is. It wasn't easy for her, Andy, to leave us behind. Think about it we're all fourteen and still can't sleep properly unless we're in the same room as one another." Aaron said.
"You're wrong you know," Andros said. "About when we started to drift apart, to wasn't then. It was almost a year before that. It was when Lyle branded Alex. Or no maybe it was when Jeremiah stood up to Lyle. Remember, It was right after Jeremiah learned about his mom, 'cept we didn't know it then. Lyle had come for Alex, and Jeremiah wouldn't let him take her. He started saying things, things he couldn't of known."
"Now that I look back on that moment, Jer's inner sense must have truly started kicking in. That was also the moment he and Alex started growing closer. He shouldn't of had to defend her, we're her brothers it should of been us," Andros practically yelled, slamming his fist on the work table
"Andy look, the thing we have to understand it that Jeremiah is Alex's brother too. He's our brother," Aaron said softly placing a hand over top of Andros's. "We were all raised with the mentality that were are all each others brothers and sisters. That's why we all have to share the same room to sleep at night. I don't know if you can remember but it wasn't until Jake and the others showed up, after our escape, that we started sleeping through the night."
"I just don't want to lose her," Andros admitted.
"We won't. We're stuck with Alex, for life, whether we like it or not," Aaron said with a grin.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Andros replied honestly.
November 28, 2010
7:31am
Charlottesville, Virginia
Russell Family Home
Amy was the first to wake up, Keegan, Jack, and Jason were still lightly snoring. In away Amy wished she was still asleep, Jeremiah and Alex were gone. They were the only ones who knew the truth about Kaine, and maybe, the only ones who could protect Amy and the boys from Kaine. According to Keegan and Jeremiah, Kaine was dangerous and one not to be trifled with.
Amy wanted so much to be with her brother, she had been tempted so many times to ask Jeremiah and Alex to allow Amy, Keegan, Jason and Jack to accompany them. But Amy knew that Jeremiah and Alex would more than likely be placing their lives in even more danger that of what Amy, Keegan, Jason, and Jack were in.
The tiny brunet climbed out of her red rocket ship shaped bed and went to wake Keegan, who was sleeping in the bed next to her's. She gently touched Keegan's shoulder and the young clone opened his eyes. As Keegan sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, at the same time Jason and Jack woke up they too rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.
Amy shook her head, a grin crossing her face. Her boys were something else.
"When did I become one of your boys?" Keegan asked yawning.
"No reading minds before breakfast," Amy told him. "You know the rules."
"You didn't answer my question," Keegan said in a sing-song voice.
"You became one of my boys when you became my brother, when you asked if you could be mine. Member?" Amy told him.
"But I'm your cousin, not your brother," Keegan said confused.
"In my eyes you're just as much my brother as my cousin, just like Jasa and Jack," Amy replied. "Sides I'd rather have you as adoptive brother than Kat as my adoptive sister."
Jason and Jack chortled. "I take it you and Kat don't get along. Why?" Keegan questioned.
"Kat's a girly-girl, who wears pink, and likes flowers and butterflies," Jason spoke, the only time he and Jack ever spoke openly was when it was just them, Amy and Keegan. Keegan had noticed this behavior and supposed that the reason Jason and Jack felt comfortable talking in the presence of Amy, and Keegan was because Amy and Keegan never pushed the twins to talk about what occurred on SL-27.
"Will I met this Kat?"
"Don't know why you'd want to. She's just a big baby," Amy scowled at the thought of Keegan meeting Kat.
"Don't worry Amy, I'll still be yours." Keegan reassured Amy.
"So you think they know Alex, and Jerry are gone yet?" Jack asked.
"They did what!" Came the voice of a male bellowing from downstairs.
"Well Daddy knows if no one else does," Amy said sarcastically. "Guess we'd better go downstairs."
The four children quickly brushed their teeth, and as they descended the stairs combed through their hair with their fingers. Everyone else had made their way into the livingroom upon Sam's outburst.
"Morning Daddy," Amy said as she bounded down the stairs the boys behind her. Sam was muttering to himself as he paced the livingroom floor, running his hand through his hair.
"I always knew that she would be the death of me, but Jeremiah. He's always had a level head on his shoulders. I can't believe he would just run off like that with out telling anyone," Sam ranted.
"Baby brother I don't appreciate you taking potshots at my little girl," Morgan sighed.
"Morgan you know Jeremiah never would have gone along, unless Alex convinced him," Sam told her.
"Jeremiah is more that capable of making his own decision," Morgan said her temper beginning to grow. "Or need I not remind you the time your son, disappeared for five days telling no one, where he was going. Not even Gregory, Melissa or Alex."
"Yes but, what about the time Alex felt that it was best for her to hotwire your car at the age of twelve and travel to Bangor. Jeremiah has never done anything as reckless and stupid as that," Sam retorted. Morgan was about to retaliate, when Mike suddenly spoke up.
"Enough," Mike hissed. The whole time his aunt and uncle had been arguing, Mike had been watching his brother and the other three children. Keegan, Jason, and Jack faces were contorted in pain, the emotions radiating off of Morgan and Sam were too much for the boys.
"Amy, why don't you take your boys to the kitchen? Will has breakfast ready for the four of you," Mike said, he meet his twin's eyes and Maddie quickly ushered the four children into the kitchen.
"Well that was right stupid, arguing in front of three empaths, two of which just came into their powers and can't control them, the third so in tune with the other two that he feels, and does what they do," Jake said hopping off of the arm of the couch he had been resting on.
"As for you two trying to blame each others child for something I asked them to do is just idiotic," Jake continued.
"Need I remind you who you are talking to Jacob," Sam warned.
"The man who raised me for the first eight years of my life, who set the groundwork for me to be the guy I am today. But you and Aunt Morgan are taking potshots at each others kids," Jake said to Sam and then turned his attention to Morgan "Yeah Jer, disappeared for about a week and told no one, but do you remember what prompted him leaving? He was so scared of what he did that he ran away as to not to endanger anyone," Jake then turned back to Sam.
"And yes, Alex hot wired Aunt Morgan's car, and went to the safe house in Bangor. But the only reason she even had the courage to leave was because I told her it was okay. She was going through some stuff that week, and no I'm not going to disclose that information," Jake said, directing his last comment to Morgan who had opened her mouth to ask about Alex.
"But the thing is none of that matters. Alex and Jeremiah went looking for Adam because I asked them too. So apologize to one another, and then go talk to your youngest kids because if you haven't noticed their older siblings have left and the little ones are kinda worried, you might want to reassure them that everything is going to be okay," Jake said, and with that Jake and the rest of the Black Files -save Alex and Jeremiah- went down to the basement to get their laundry done.
"Always the leader, Jakey," Andros could be heard muttering as the kids left.
Up next: Alex and Jeremiah arrive in Galway and Adam cathes them up on things on his side. The two also meet Benny and Steve.
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