LJP- The fire is a new thing, it took place after the kids escaped the Centre and the Centre was brought down. About five year later or so. And yes Bobby will try to be human and reach out to his son. But Bobby's stubborn and that is one trait Jeremiah has inherited from his biological father. Jamie and Jeff's parents did take the news a bit to calmly but hey we'll just call it shock. They aren't really important to this story but they might pop back up later on. MUCH later on.
I'll have to see about a slug fest between Bobby and Morgan but look for a lot of snide remakes from the kids directed towards Bobby. In the chapter after next you can look for a little romance.
Erikstrulove-For a second you had me extremely confused. Then I realized that you misunderstood. I think you've forgotten who Jer's Mom is. It's Jen not Morgan. And Bobby will be out in chapter 80. Chapter 82 is when he get's to talk to Syd
CHAPTER 66
ACCIDENT ALONG THE RIVER
June 22, 2008
9:02am
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Campgrounds
It's summer and the weather is perfect, two good enough reasons to go camping. Sam has the week off from work, so he and Jen volunteer to take the Black Files on a vacation. It's tradition for the Files to go on a vacation just the fourteen of them along with a few chaperones.
The year before Jarod, Sam, Jon, Ethan, and Lex took the group of kids camping. The kids had enjoyed camping so much that Sam doesn't mind taking the kids camping again this year. It also helps matters that somehow -Sam doesn't particularly want to know how- the kids have managed to procure enough funds to buy themselves a boat so that they can go fishing.
That's were they all are, on the boat heading out into deeper parts of the ocean to go fishing for dinner. Though they are fishing it's not particularly quiet on the boat, in fact it's rather loud and Sam doubts that many fish, if any will be caught.
The kids are being just that- kids. Joking around with one another, trading insults, and telling black mail stories over top of the loud music coming from the stereo system. Not that Sam minds the music, the kids have rediscovered their love for classic rock, -to be more specific, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Genesis- and are currently, blasting the music just loud enough that they could still make out each others words.
"So Jake how may times has Alex punched you now?" Marc asks the eldest Black File.
"Go to hell Marc," Jake grins tossing a worm at the boy. Sam loves seeing this side of Jake, it's the only time out of the year Jake truly relaxes and allows himself to be a normal twelve year old kid.
"Already been to hell Jake, and I'll be damned if I've got any plans of going back," Marc says cheekily.
"But Marc I thought you were damned, guess you'd better start making your reservation then," Alex quips.
"We've got to get them to clean up their language," Jen sighs burying her face into her husband's chest. The two of them are sitting a few feet away from the Files. Sam's hand is resting on Jen's stomach where their child is growing. This baby much like Amy has been a surprise. After Amy had been born Sam and Jen didn't plan on having any more kids. As it was they already had Greg, Jeremiah and Melissa. Even still they welcome the thought of a new baby, both always wanted a big family.
"I think you have Marc, confused with Lyle," Jeremiah says to Alex. Sam and Jen exchange looks at Jeremiah's words and then look over at the kids. The laughter and joking has suddenly dissipated and things grow serious.
"Christ, Jer when are you going to let it go," Greg groans, Sam makes a motion to get up and stop what will soon become an argument but Jen puts a hand on his arm.
"It's was going to come out sooner or later Sam. It might as well be now," Jen tells him. Sam sighs knowing his wife's words to be true. And though he doesn't put a stop to the argument he still listens, ready to stop it incase the argument gets out of hand.
"You want me to let go of the fact that, that monster killed our mother?" Jeremiah says calmly, too calmly for Sam. It scares him sometimes that Jeremiah shows so little emotion.
"If your still so angry at him why did you start writing to him?" Lissa speaks up. A murmur goes up and everyone begins to exchange looks. No one knows that Jeremiah had started to write Bobby letters.
"It was a letter. One, and I sent it because I had a question," Jeremiah replies.
"Really cause when I read it I didn't notice a single question. You want me to quote it for you, cause I can. It was pretty short, not even a paragraph," Greg says.
"What gives you the right to read through my privet things," Jeremiah hisses. "You may be my brother but it gives you no right."
"Maybe if you talked to Lis, and I about Bobby-"
"His name is Lyle, how can you even bring yourself to calling him that.? How can you forgive him, after everything he did to us?"
"Is it what he did to us Jer, or what he did to Alex and Alannah?" Greg snaps.
"What are you talking about?" Jeremiah asks.
"You've never given a damn about what Bobby ever did to you as Mr. Lyle. You only care about what he did to Alex and Alannah," Lissa says.
"That's bull shit and you know it Melissa," Jeremiah replies. "You know what? Screw this I don't have to take any of this shit." Jeremiah gets up.
"Where the hell are you going to go Jeremiah? We're on a god damned boat out in the middle of the god damned river!" Greg yells to his brother's retreating form. "You can't walk away from me this time."
"Watch me," Jeremiah calls over his shoulder.
"God, who knew my little brother was such a damned coward," Greg says just loud enough for Jeremiah to hear. He says it on purpose, wanting for Jeremiah to hear him and to turn around. It works.
"What did you call me," Jeremiah hisses getting into Greg's face. The other Black Files are concerned. Greg and Jeremiah have never fought before. In fact it's normally Jeremiah breaking up Greg and Melissa's fights. And even then the fights aren't serious, the only fights between the files that ever really come to blows are between Alex and Jake. But from the looks of it Jeremiah and Greg's impeding fight is about to surpass Alex and Jake's fights by a mile.
"You heard me," Greg says not backing down even though he's pretty sure he just saw Jeremiah's eyes flash red.
"I am not a coward and you know it," Jeremiah says jabbing his finger at Greg's chest carefully pronouncing each word. Seeing that things are starting to get out of hand Sam decides to step in.
"Boys that's enough," Sam tells them sternly forcing them apart.
"Yeah Dad you're right we don't want for Jeremiah to have to face too many of his inner demons in one day. He may not be able to handle it," Greg says snidely. "Don't want for little Jerry to go all cationic on us again." Jeremiah's eyes don't just flash red this time, they blaze red and stay that way as a ball of fire forms in the boy's hand. Greg backs away frightened by his brother.
"Jer man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Just calm down, okay bro?" Greg says trying to calm Jeremiah down. Jake realizing what has happened runs up to Jeremiah, placing his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.
"Jeremiah. You need to stop. Let go of Alex's powers and look at what you are doing," Jake says calmly. "Listen to my voice baby brother. Let go of your anger." Jake gets through to Jeremiah and the red haze that surrounds his brain dissipates. Jeremiah looks down at his hand and is shocked and frightened to see the fire ball. It is in that second he loses control and the ball of fire shots out landing near the can of gasoline.
The next few seconds are a blur. Jen runs over to her husband and the children. Realizing that the fire is creeping closer to the can and no one will be able to extinguish the fire in time Jake yells the only option possible.
"Jump!"
Aaron and Andros grab Alex and they are the first three over board, everyone follows their lead. Just as Jen and Sam jump the gas can explodes. The group swims as fast as they can away from the boat. A minute latter another explosion occurs and the boat is nothing but a ball of fire. Shrapnel flies every where and Jen is hit.
"Mom!" Jeremiah yells as Jen is knocked unconscious. He dives under water as his mother's body begins to sink. He manages to bring her back to the surface and Jeremiah thanks God that Jen is still breathing. With the help of his father, Jeremiah gets Jen to the docks.
When they arrive the rest of the Files are all climbing out of the water panting from the physical excursion. Seeing that his mother is hurt, Greg yells for someone to call for an ambulance. It arrives three minutes latter, Jen is still unconscious.
The group makes their way to the hospital Greg ridding with his mother in the ambulance, Sam taking the rest in the van. It is Greg who informs them that Jen has lost the baby. Upon hearing the news Jeremiah's face falls.
'I did this,' he thinks. 'I caused Mom to lose the baby.'
Two day's later the somber group returns home. Jeremiah doesn't speak the whole ride. In fact he hadn't spoken since he learned that his mother miscarried. Others try to get Jeremiah to talk, including his parents. Everyone says that it's not Jeremiah's fault. He wants to believe them but he knows otherwise.
At home he lays awake staring up at the ceiling of his room. He can't stand it anymore, not even bothering to pack a bag Jeremiah runs away. He hot wires his father's car and just drives. At dawn the next day he finds himself at the safe house in Bangor, Maine. It is there he cries over what has occurred. It is there he lets out all of his inner turmoil.
For five days he keeps himself away from his family, the people he loves, afraid that he might hurt one of them again. Frightened of himself and what he can do if he gets angry enough. Frightened of becoming like his biological father. Frightened that his family is afraid of him. That for the rest of his life they will look at him with underlying hate for causing his mother's miscarriage.
For five days Jeremiah broods in the dark rarely eating, except for when his stomach reminds him to. On his third day of brooding Jeremiah enters the kitchen and his eyes fall to the alcohol cabinet. He's only had a few sips of wine his entire life, but he pulls out a bottle of gin. He only knocks back two glasses before he passes out. When he wakes up his head is pounding and he feels ill.
Jeremiah makes it to the bathroom in time to throw up what was left of the offending alcohol. Done, Jeremiah empties the rest of the bottle of gin down the sink, with no desire to try and drown his sorrows in alcohol ever again. He goes back to brooding in the dark.
In the end it is not Jeremiah's parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or one of the Black Files that figure out where he is. It's a three year old girl who misses her big brother and is worried about him. She finds the number for the safe house and calls it. Jeremiah doesn't answer the phone when it rings, but Amy leaves her message. It's short, simple and to the point.
"I love you, always. Please...come home," Amy begs. Jeremiah is pretty sure that his baby sister is crying. Sitting on the couch in the dark, he listens to the message over and over for an hour before he makes up his mind.
He decides to come home... to Amy... to the rest of his family. He decides to face what he has done. When he arrives home at four in the morning everyone is asleep. Jeremiah makes his way to Amy, Jason and Jack's room. The little girl is snuggled between her Jace and her Jack. Jeremiah drops a kiss on the girl's brow and then head to his room. Kicking off his shoes and taking off his shirt Jeremiah climbs into bed and sleeps.
Two hours later he is awaken by several bodies that have decided to pile on top of him. It isn't until Lissa nearly hugs her brother so tightly that Jeremiah can't breath and Greg punches Jeremiah hard in the arm that Jeremiah realizes that he had scared his family.
He goes to see his mother and father next. They are in their room, Jen having been resting for the past few days, Sam taking a few days extra off of work to be with his wife.
"I'm sorry," Jeremiah whispers stepping into his parent's room.
"It doesn't matter baby. I'm just happy your home," Jen says hugging her son.
For two and a half years the river incident is never mentioned again by the rest of family out of respect of Jeremiah and Jen. And Jeremiah never mentions it again out of fear of what he did, out of the very real fear of what he is capable of doing.
Up Next: Jeremiah and Sam really talk. Bobby reflects on his relationship with his children. And Benny and Kaine finally have their confrontation.
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