CHAPTER 94

TROUBLE

December 13, 2010

3:32pm

Charlottesville, Virginia

Russell Family Home

Jeremiah and Bobby walked back to the house in silence, neither bringing up Jeremiah's breakdown. In fact neither spoke over what had transpired back in the woods. Both knew that their relationship had changed for the better, but there were still many underlying issues that couldn't be solved in one afternoon. Bobby just hoped that he would be given the chance to improve his relationship with Jeremiah even further.

"Jer!" A voice shouted shaking Bobby from his thoughts. The voice belonged to Amy, who launched herself into Jeremiah's arms.

"Amy, sweetheart what are you doing out here?" Jeremiah questioned his sister.

"Everybody's out lookin' for you, Jer," Amy told her brother. "Daddy thought you might of run off to Carthis to get Alex. I knew you didn't though, if you had left you would have said goodbye to me Lissa and Greg first."

"You know me too well, Baby Girl," Jeremiah said pressing a kiss to Amy's brow. Amy searched her brother's eyes and frowned.

"Jer what's wrong, why are your eyes are red?" Amy questioned.

"It's nothing that you need to worry about. I was jest keeping some emotions bottled up that I shouldn't of done," Jeremiah told her.

"I worry 'bout you the most Jer," Amy said placing her palms on Jeremiah's cheeks. "I hear what Momma and Daddy and the other's say, they say you keep everything in and almost never let it out. And when you do let it out you sometimes lose control."

"I'm fine now," Jeremiah replied, surprised that Amy knew so much about his inability to control his emotions and abilities at times.

"You're not fine," Amy argued with her big brother.

"You're right I'm not...But I am better," Jeremiah amended.

"Uncle Bobby did you and my Jer clear things up?" Amy questioned Bobby. The young girl was very aware that Jeremiah and Bobby had many issues in which they needed to sort through.

"Jeremiah and I had a nice long talk," Bobby told the girl. Bobby found that Amy reminded him greatly of a young Lissa, and even more surprisingly Amy was a great deal like Alex.

"Good. Now we better get back in the house 'for Daddy sends out an actual search party," Amy declared.

"You're quite right," Jeremiah agreed, and he shifted Amy into a more comfortable position in his arms, and the three returned to the house.

"Where have you been?" Sam questioned when Jeremiah, Bobby and Amy entered the kitchen.

"I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. Bobby joined me," Jeremiah answered, setting Amy on the ground. Amy then ran off in search of her cousins.

"Jer, you need to get some rest, seriously," Sam said concerned for his son.

"He can't sleep," Bobby spoke. Sam glanced at Bobby and felt a swarm of emotions overcoming him, a major one being jealousy. The former sweeper couldn't help but feel that Bobby was trying to take Jeremiah away from him.

"Dad," Jeremiah said touching Sam's hand. Green eyes meet blue and Sam realized that Jeremiah was trying to let his father know that no one would ever replace him.

"Why can't you sleep?" Sam questioned, already knowing the answer. Jeremiah just sighed.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Jeremiah said softly. Knowing how much stress Jeremiah was under Sam didn't want to push the teen into talking. Instead Sam, pulled Jeremiah into his arms and ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Why don't you go and check on Gabriel. He, Zane, Keegan and Amy should be ready for a nap soon anyway," Sam suggested.

"Alright," Jeremiah said stepping out of his father's arms. On his way out of the kitchen he nearly walked right in to his mother. "Sorry Mom."

"It's alright sweetheart," Jen said, she then took a good look at her son and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Amy sent you huh?" Jeremiah guessed, a smile flashing briefly.

"She's worried about you," Jen replied. "So am I."

"I'm not alright...but I'm better than I've been. Bobby and I...we talked," Jeremiah said stumbling for words. Jen smiled and pressed a kiss on the top of Jeremiah's brow.

"I'm glad to hear that," She told him. "Now I believe you were heading somewhere?"

"Dad wanted me to check on Amy and the boys," Jeremiah answered.

"Don't let me hold you up then," Jen said and Jeremiah left to do as his father had requested.

With Jeremiah gone Jen turned to look at Bobby as did Sam. "What happened?" Jen questioned her son's biological father.

"We just talked," Bobby replied.

"About?" Sam promoted studying the man.

"Nothing in particular," Bobby shrugged his shoulders, meeting Sam's eyes, feeling for all the world like a little boy about to be reprimanded by his parents.

"You're lying," Sam stated. Bobby was mildly shocked if there was one thing he was good at it was lying.

"What makes you think I'm lying?" Bobby questioned.

"You looked me in the eyes and didn't blink," Sam replied. "Jeremiah, Lissa, and Greg does the same thing when their trying to pull the wool over my eyes. And come to think of it, so does our sister, and the rest of her brood. Must be a Jamieson trait."

"So tell me what happened between you and Jer?" Sam pressed again.

"He told me that he no longer hates me, but that he still fears truing into me. I told him that he could never become the monster that I am, not with the family he has to support him," Bobby answered.

"What else?" Jen asked, she had seen that her son's eyes were red from crying.

"He, he told me how he had simmed my reaction to learning that he, Greg, and Lissa were mine. That had I learned back then, I would have saved them. But he couldn't tell me...he didn't want for the man who murdered his mother to be his savior. I then told Jeremiah that I wished I could say I had some role in shaping him into being the wonderful man that he is becoming. He said that he wished the same. And then he cried," Bobby said simply.

Sam sighed, a part of him was relieved that Jeremiah and Bobby had finally gotten their feelings out into the open. And yet...Sam selfishly wished that it had been his shoulder his son had cried on.

"Sam... look you said it years ago, they're your kids. It's just like I told Jeremiah, he will always be your son, he has always been your son. I have no intentions of trying to replace you in Jeremiah, Greg or Lissa's lives. I just want to try and find my own place in their lives," Bobby said.

"I don't know if we can help you there... But we won't stop the triplets from getting to know you," Jen said softly. "You are a large part of their lives. A part that they deserve to know."

"T-thank you," Bobby said softly, and Sam was reminded that the man he knew as Mr. Lyle was gone.

December 14, 2010

4:51am

Carthis, Scotland

The New Centre

Alex awoke to a loud banging on the bedroom door. Bane nearly tumbled out of his chair next to Alex's bed. Across the room, Peter sat up with a start on the couch.

"Peter, Alex, Bane, wake up!" Came Ares's yelling from the corridor. "We've got trouble."

Bane ran over to the door throwing it open, revealing a wild eyes Ares. "Ares, what's going on?" Bane asked panicked to see such a frightened Ares.

"They're here. I don't know how but the Triumvirate found out. They sent sweepers, we've bared off all the entranced to our floor but they are going to make it through we can't hold them off for much longer," Ares reported.

"Tell them to send their commander," Peter spoke from the room in mere seconds the boy had managed to put on a pair of black slacks and a crisp white dress shirt and was in the process of putting on a tie. "I shall meet with him, he is allowed one bodyguard. Bane you shall accompany me. Ares, send for Airi tell her to help dress Alex. Once Alex is dressed have the rest of the group convene in here. We are going to surrender, but we will do so on my terms. That means we won't be split up," Peter declared.

"Peter what I don't understand is how they found out," Ares said.

"We were betrayed cousin," Alex spoke.

"By who?" Ares asked unable to believe that someone in their tightknit group had betrayed them.

"It was Minna," Derek spoke approaching the doorway. "I went to look in on her and she's gone. I-I can't believe that she could have betrayed us."

"We don't have time for disbelief Derek. We must move quickly now or all will be lost," Peter told the sweeper. "Ares, please go do as a bayed."

"Of course Peter," Ares said in awe of Peter's calmness. Taking Derek with him the two set off to complete the task that Peter asked.

"Alex, do you have enough energy to contact the others?" Peter asked his sister walking over to her.

"Don't you worry about it I'll take care of contacting our family," Alex said and cradling Peter's cheek in her uninjured right hand. "I'm proud of you Tiger. No matter what happens I'll always be proud of you."

"I'm scared that I'm going to screw this up. That this person will see that I'm just a ten year old boy pretending to be the chairman of this place," Peter whispered.

"We do what we can baby," Alex told him and wiped away a lone tear from Peter's cheek with her thumb.

"They're all looking up to me. Depending on me," Peter said.

"And they're all standing behind you, supporting you," Alex added. "Don't you worry about the others I'll take care of them. You just go and have your meeting."

"Yes ma'am," Peter said allowing for a grin to flash across his features.

"I'm not old enough for you to be calling me ma'am, Peter Simon Vincent Russell," Alex chided, yet there was no malic in her voice. "And straiten your tie, I know Daddy taught you how to tie your tie correctly."

Peter smiled fondly. "After my memories were changed, there was one of my old memories that always popped every few days, starting the day that my memories were changed. It was Dad straightening my tie as we got ready for Aunt Em's and Uncle Nicky's wedding."

"See there's that old Russell/Jamieson stubbornness. No matter what memories you have you'll always be Jarod and Morgan Russell's son," Alex stated. She then placed a kiss on her brothers cheek, a part of her frightened that she might not see him again.

"I'll be alright," Peter whispered, returning Alex's kiss. "And if all goes well I'll be back shortly."

"Midas you keep my baby brother safe," Alex pleaded.

"I'll guard him with my life," Bane promised.

"Thank you," Alex said softly. Peter stepped back from Alex's side and went to comb his hair, allowing Alex and Bane a moment of privacy.

"Worried?" Bane asked kneeling in front of Alex.

"More like angry. If I had figured out that it was Minna we could have put a stop to this. We'd be getting out of here instead of surrendering," Alex sighed.

"Hey, it's not your fault," Bane told her brushing back a stray lock of Alex's hair from out of her eyes, her hair was dark brown again. Alex had somehow managed to procure hair dye and have Airell return Alex's hair to it's original color. Bane liked it. "Don't blame yourself for this."

"I'm a Russell, Midas, blaming myself for something that I can't really control is what I'm good at," Alex smirked. Bane kissed her, both realizing that it could be their last kiss if things didn't work out for the good.

"Peter," Ares called knocking on the cracked door. "We're ready." Peter exited the bathroom, his hair combed down, tie strait, clothes pressed, and shoes shined.

"Bane let's go," Peter nodded in the direction of his bodyguard. Bane kissed Alex one last time and followed behind Peter. The two off to make some sort of deal with the Triumvirate's sweeper in charge, that would allow the group to stay relatively clustered together.

Up next: Alex alerts the group that she Pete and the gang have been compromised. Old faces return. Peter says goodbye to Parker Senior. And there are three more people who have ties to the Russell family and their past.