Chapter 8:

Oracle

When we picked up Marlowe from school, he was beyond ecstatic. He begged Jake to carrying him home on his shoulders and he did - much to the little guy's pleasure. The walk back to the Wesker home was an interesting one, we all talked about movies, video games and anything else that came up.

Everything just seemed so normal - moments like these made me forget that Helena and Jake even did underground fighting, it was almost as if that had never happened, like I'd dreamed it all.

We made it to the house and the first thing I did was go to greet Mrs. Chambers and Mrs. Stephanie, then I took Mar to the kitchen to make him a little snack. Jake, Helena and Piers went into the lounge to watch a couple movies. They told me to join them whenever and I would see to it - but Marlowe came first.

I put Mar into his high chair and started to prepare him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - his favorite. "So, how was school today?" I asked lightly.

"It was okay." he said. "But I like you teaching me more. We have fun."

I giggled. "Aw, that's so sweet. I like teaching you, too - believe it or not, I learn a lot by teaching you." I shrugged after placing a jelly coated piece of bread over one with peanut butter. "I guess my old school teachers were right - there's never a limit on things a person can learn."

"Infinite expansion, Bear."

I rolled my eyes, humored by him and then a laugh escaped me. "You always say it better than I do, Mar." I split the sandwich into four pieces with a butter knife and placed it before him on a small plate. "Here - a gift for my super baby." I kissed his cheek and he pouted cutely – he insisted he wasn't a baby anymore. "Oh hush mister - I put it on your favorite plate!" I laughed.

He noticed and then his pouting ceased, replaced with a bright grin. "Thanks, Nanny Bear!" he bit one piece.

I walked over to the refrigerator. "You want some juice? There's cranberry apple in here and I see some orange juice too."

"Grape juice is in the back."

I blinked and pushed aside a gallon of milk and a couple of other items to find the grape juice exactly where he stated. "Oh! Thanks, buddy - " I peeked back at him. "You put it back here to hide it from Jake, didn't you?"

"He drinks everything!" he exclaimed with another pout - his mouth covered in remnants from the piece of sandwich he'd devoured.

"That's not very nice, Mar." I retrieved the juice and searched the cabinet for his favorite cup - the only one he would drink out of. "You wouldn't like it if Jake did that to you."

"But Bear - "

"Would you?" I pressed gently.

"No..." he lowered his head.

I smiled and brought his juice to him. "Next time, just tell me and I'll make your big thirsty brother save you some." I grinned. "If he bothers it anyway, I'll kick his butt for you."

He smiled. "Thank you, Nanny Bear. But we both know Jake could beat you without much effort."

I pouted. "True - but if I kick him -"

"He'll throw you."

"I could slap - "

"He might head-butt you."

"...You're right. He'd destroy me..." I was defeated, but it was fun while I it lasted. We both laughed. "Finish eating, okay? I'm gonna clean up the kitchen a bit."

When he nodded his consent, I began wiping off the counters and rearranging the items in the refrigerator for convenience. I could hear Jake and the rest blasting the TV's in the lounge, I could see they were watching a very action-packed movie. I fanned myself a bit, it was too warm in the house. I contemplated telling Jake to turn it the heat down but discarded the idea once Marlowe finished his sandwich.

I helped him out of his high chair and placed his cup and plate into the sink. I made soapy water for them to soak in - I would wash them after I got him cleaned up.

I took him into the bathroom and grabbed a few face cloths. I wiped his face clean of food as well as his hands. I noticed he was very much in need of a bath. Instead of lugging his tired behind to the bathroom upstairs [he was very sleepy now - and cranky because of it], I ran him a bath on the first floor and grabbed him a clean jump suit from the laundry room. Luckily I had hung it to dry the night before - he was supposed to wear it this morning but he wanted to wear his Spiderman shirt and blue jeans.

After enduring a barrage of tsunami's and tidal waves from him, I dried him, and dressed him. He'd woken up for the bath but his exhaustion returned. I picked him up and got ready to climb the stairs.

"I wanna sleep in your room, Bear." he mumbled tiredly.

"Alright, I suppose you want me to sleep too, then?"

"You got dishes to wash."

I groaned - him and his brain. I loved the little teddy bear but he thinks more than I did sometimes. "You're right, guess it can't hurt for you to sleep alone - you okay with that?" he nodded tiredly.

I carried him to my room and sat on the bed. I was about to place him there but he wouldn't release my neck. I had no choice but to lay down. I laid flat on my back and he rested his head over my breasts, right by my collar bone. He was out cold after a few minutes.

I was afraid to wake him - he was a nightmare if he didn't get his nap. Temper tantrums galore.

I sighed and flicked on the lamp beside my bed. I just lay there, quietly staring out of the tall windows in my room at the leafless trees outside - their branches swaying gently from the autumn breeze.

I heard footsteps in the hallway and then a tall dark figure peeked into my room. I blushed as Jake raised a brow at me and his little brother's odd sleeping position. I shrugged a little with a sheepish grin on my face. He shook his head at me but looked amused. He entered quietly and lifted him slowly from me, placing him on the bed beside me.

I placed a teddy bear near the little genius - he liked the bears in my room - they were the influence for the nickname he'd given me, as well as made him sleep easier.

I thanked Jake quietly and slid from the bed, brushing past him to tend to the dishes in the kitchen sink.

I grabbed the dish sponge and began to wipe away. "What's going on, you guys were watching the movie right?"

"Yeah," he said, he started going through the refrigerator and pulled out the grape juice. "Where'd this come from?"

Wouldn't you like to know? I giggled. "Save your brother some juice from now on, you glutton." I teased.

He huffed, catching the hint. "Figures, he's always hiding the juice." I laughed and he turned to me. "Hey, are you too busy to come outside with me for a minute?"

"I just have to finish these and then I'm free until he's awake." I rinsed off the plate. "Is it something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, but those two need space to talk - got a little emotional in there and I don't want to get involved."

I blinked. "Piers and Helena… emotional? Piers I can see but Helena's... not very expressive."

"She is, she just doesn't like to show weakness." he dismissed the topic with a wave of his hand. "Let's talk about something else."

I unplugged the sink then and let the water drain out. "I'm all done now. I just need to grab my coat and we can step out."

He gestured me to the hallway and I retrieved my coat from the front closet in no time. Afterwards, we walked to the living room area. He slid open one of the glass doors and I stepped out into the backyard, he shut the door behind us.

The temperature outside was steadily getting colder as the days went by. The breeze was cooler, the amounts of rain seemed to be less common and the skies darkened at around 16:00 [4:00pm] now.

Jake and I stayed close to the house, just in case Mar woke up and needed attention.

"What's on your mind, Jake?" I asked touching his shoulder gently. We walked side by side, going nowhere in particular. Our boots made a crunching sound on the leaves along the ground as we stepped.

He paused for a long minute, just staring at me - finally a smile came to his face. "Nothing really, I just wanted to..." he trailed off and I knew what he wanted to say.

He wants to spend some time with me.

I blushed and coyly reached for his hands, grasping them both in mine. "Jake... I want to, too." was all I could really muster out.

He pulled me closer and that ever familiar heat that arrived every time we were close. "I uh, meant to make you that coffee, but I really needed some air. If you get cold, let me know and we'll go back inside alright?" I nodded to him. "So, tell me about yourself, Supergirl."

"I was born in Raccoon City. It was small but I can't honestly say I saw much of the place - sights I mean." I laughed. "After I got away from my parents, I moved to a place called Tall Oaks with Claire and stayed with her for a few years. I got a job at a coffee shop and I worked there until I came here to Europe."

"What made you leave that job behind?" he asked me, releasing me and moving further into the yard.

I followed behind him and we approached a concrete and brick fountain. It stood erect in the center of the yard, a large bowl shape with a figurine in the center that was supposed to spill out water from some sort of pot in its hands. The water wasn't on - most likely because of the cold weather and leaves had overcome it and filled the bowl. It was still a beauty without the water.

Jake and I sat down along the bowl side by side.

I sighed. "Well, I was struggling to get by with my job. My landlord wasn't very nice and always seemed to find a reason to charge me extra. It just really was stressing me." I had to fight off the pain from these memories. I enjoyed my former job but I really wasn't happy at all with my life before coming with Claire.

Jake put his arm around me and I exhaled blissfully as I leaned my head onto his shoulder. "Jake, I'm so happy to be here. You have no idea how happy..." I whispered.

"I... kind of do." he said softly.

I gave him my full attention. "What do you mean, Jake?"

His gaze was to the grey sky, at nothing in particular. "I really don't want to talk about it right now." he shook his head and shifted uncomfortably.

Must be painful to talk about. I observed his scar and felt guilty for asking. I wish I could heal your pain - rescue you from your anguish and whatever may be the cause.

He turned to me slowly and met my eyes. "Don't worry about me, Supergirl." he smirked. "If anyone needs a helping hand - it's you." my eyes widened.

Did he just... No - No way, he couldn't have. For a moment there it was almost like he could...

Almost like he could read my mind.

"I just want to make sure you - you know... understand that I'm - " he coughed a bit and cleared his throat. He was so charmingly awkward at trying to court me. "I'm... here for you," he finally said and I felt my face heat up. "I'll do anything for you, Sherry." he grasped my hands in his and I flushed.

"Oh Jake," I breathed, slowly my gaze drifted to the ground and I pulled away from him. This is wrong. I work for him and his family. I can't do this - it's wrong. I shouldn't...

"Sherry..." he whispered, trying to pull me back but I struggled weakly against him. "It's okay, come here."

"Jake, please..." I pleaded softly. "I just - I don't know..."

"It's alright, Sherry." he touched my fingers so gently it was almost like he didn't. "Come here."

"Is this wrong?" I finally managed.

"Do you think it's wrong?" he asked. I leered at him and admired his lovely cerulean blue eyes. They were so lovely - their gentle semblance made them all the more stunning.

I wasn't sure if he understood what I was referring to, but I answered anyway. "I don't know..."

"How do you feel, Sherry?"

"I feel safe when I'm with you." I answered honestly. "I like being around you, Jake."

He caressed my hands in his. "I don't think it's wrong. You shouldn't either."

"Do you... even understand what I'm talking about?" I asked timidly.

"Yeah, you're afraid to be close to me because you work for the family and for some reason you think it's unprofessional of you to like me."

I was stunned - either Jake was pretty good at reading people... or he actually could read my mind.

But there's no way he could right?

"Am I wrong for thinking this way, Jake?" I questioned, fighting off the thoughts going through my head.

"I can't tell you how to think or feel, Sherry." he stated, locking eyes with me. "But - I'd like for us to think of each other as equals - not servant and master. You know, kind of like partners or somethin'."

I blushed. But I kind of like the idea of being your servant - Bad Sherry! Bad! "Thanks, Jake."

He smirked suddenly. "But if you wanna be my mistress - that's fantastic." I completely flushed and turned away, embarrassed. He laughed at me. "As long as you belong to me and only me." his arm came around my waist. "I won't hurt you - I'll be good to you, I promise... naughty girl."

I pouted. "Jake Wesker, if I didn't know any better I would ..." I paused and he raised a brow, interested. "No - no it's silly - never mind."

"Talk to me." he said coolly.

It's now or never... Better clear up my silly assumptions while I can. "It's just... sometimes I think you can read minds or something." I giggled sheepishly.

He stared at me for a moment and tilted his head to the side, observing me. "That's... a silly proposition."

"Yeah, I figured it was. I just -"

"Would you… be freaked out if I could?"

I know I probably shouldn't have been alarmed by this - but I was. I felt like he was alluding to me that he could - but he could very well have been teasing me. I tried to convince myself that there was no way he could read my mind but what if he could?

I started to recall all the times that it seemed like he could. I found myself realizing that he wasn't the only one. Claire could read me easily and Leon was especially good at it. Whenever I had a dilemma, those two could provide me with an answer quicker than I could register the problem.

Maybe Jake was like those two. He cared enough about me to read me without even trying.

The idea of this made me feel special – I meant so much to him that he was in tune with my emotions.

Or maybe I'm just very easy to read...

"I - I don't believe you can, Jake." I mumbled, finally gathering the courage to look at him. He looked sober, I couldn't tell if he was pushing my buttons or not – but I was sure he was. "Stop it - Jake." I begged, hoping he would stop playing with my mind.

"Why wouldn't you believe it?" he finally smirked and I felt relieved. "Is it because you're scared or you genuinely don't believe me?"

I'll challenge him a bit, just to see if he can or can't. "What am I thinking about, Jake?" I asked, meekly. I was thinking about Claire.

I just wanted to prove to myself that this was him teasing me once again. I wasn't sure how I would react if he really could read my mind – but the first feeling that I recognized was fear. I was afraid of the idea that my thoughts weren't mine to own anymore. Sure, I had nothing to hide but the fact remained that I felt vulnerable.

As he was about to answer me, my phone's alarm went off. It was meant to inform me that I should start planning dinner. As I reached for my phone in my coat pocket, the wind picked up just enough that it blew the hat I'd kept in my pocket out of my hand and up onto a tree branch a few feet away.

"Damn it!" I fussed and ran over to the tree. It was much too high and my hat was surely going to be swept away if I didn't retrieve it before the next gust came. "Jake, could you give me a boost?" I bit my lip to calm my nerves.

"Why don't I just get it for you?" he asked with a shrug.

Before I could respond, my jaw dropped in awe as Jake jumped onto the tree and began to climb upwards effortlessly. From one tree branch to another, he flipped onto the branch that held my hat and snatched it swiftly. He landed on the ground in front of me and held out my hat.

"Here." he said, nonchalantly.

"H-How did you?" I could barely form words as I took my hat from him – I just made a poor imitation of fish - trying very hard to make a sentence. "How did you - what the - what are you?"

He looked down at me, a solemn look to him. "Would you believe me if I told you I was superman?" he smirked then.

I rolled my eyes, sighing almost exasperatedly. I'd had enough of his tomfoolery for the day. "Absolutely not," I answered. The next thing I knew, I was laughing – I just knew that he had to be joking. I stopped after a moment and fell close to silence, his expression was troubled… "Jake...?"

"I'm different, Sherry." he said demurely, his gaze lowering to the ground. "I'm different from other people."

I didn't want to believe him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that he was telling me the truth.

Jake and I came back into the house after that awkward moment. I needed to check on Marlowe and he wanted to see how Helena and Piers were holding up. Jake hadn't told me what exactly was going on between the two 'lovers', but I figured it was within good reason so I didn't press the topic any further.

Before I could make for my room, Jake pulled me into a warm embrace. I blushed, wrapping my arms around him. To be honest, I was afraid of the idea of him being something like an alien or something. I could believe Mr. Wesker being an alien far sooner – but Jake was different from him, he was more human.

Maybe he's a vampire? Nah, he comes out during the day too often - plus he's too warm and doesn't talk about blood. Maybe a werewolf? That's ridiculous. I should stop... I felt ignorant for thinking like that. He was a living person – not some fairy tale monster out to romance me and lure me to the darker side of life.

"Supergirl," Jake started in my ear, a chuckle escaped him. "I'm not something supernatural so get that out of your head."

I squeaked. It's just a coincidence - just a coincidence. I will not entertain myself with this mind reading thing anymore. I mean it! "Jake..." I mumbled, not sure what I wanted to say.

"Don't be scared of me, Sherry - I'm not some monster." he cupped my face. "I'm just... different. One day, it will make sense, Sherry. When the time's right, I'll tell you - I promise."

His next action left me swooning. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, the contact sent an electric charge throughout my entire body and made my legs wobble. He pulled away from me, an almost simper look was on his face. A moment later, he entered the lounge and shut the door with a soft click.

I was trembling, elated by his affectionate gesture. Jake had kissed me - on my forehead yes but it still counted right?

I walked to my room, still feeling flushed but I had a smile engraved on my face. Jake had just made my day – nothing would bring me down and I was sure of it.

I flicked on the hallway light and peeked into my bedroom. I was pleased to find Mar still sleeping soundly on my bed, curled up with the teddy bear being used as a pillow for his head. He was just too precious when he was asleep for me not to stare.

I began to ponder on just what was the secret to Jake. I wondered if I could ask Marlowe but I was hesitant to do so. Whatever Jake was keeping from me had to be for a good reason.

Just then, Marlowe woke up. He sniffed a bit, and started looking around – most likely trying to find me. His eyes widened as his gaze met mine from my place by the door.

"Ghost!" he cried and started to toss around my bears and pillows, trying to find anything to hide under.

Not this again! I watched almost lethargically as he buried himself under my covers. I slowly approached. "Mar, it's me - your Nanny Bear, remember?" I tugged the sheets from him and he looked at me with wide ocean blue eyes. I tittered at his silly stunt. "This is the second time you've called me a ghost!"

He blinked and sat up to throw his arms around me. "Nanny Bear!" he beamed cutely. "You really should turn down that light - it's kind of creepy on you sometimes."

I knit my brows a bit, confused - I glanced into the hallway, noting the bright lights and then back to him. "Are the hallway lights bothering you? Sorry, it just seemed really dark -"

"No - I mean your light, Bear. You're too bright!"

"... Huh?"

He put his hands on his hips and sighed dramatically. "You glow in the dark, Nanny Bear. It's like you're a light bulb or something!"

What is he talking about? To say I was freaked out would be an understatement. "O-Oh stop it, silly. I do not glow in the dark like a lightning bug!" I exclaimed, dismissing his statement entirely - for the sake of my sanity.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." he hopped off the bed and sprinted out of the room towards the kitchen.

I followed behind him, trying very hard to ignore the thoughts brewing about in my head. I needed to let the thoughts go – Mar was always saying weird things, I needn't dwell on it.

In the kitchen, Mar opened the refrigerator and began digging through it. He retrieved the last of the grape juice [I would have to thank Jake later for being considerate].

"Is my cup clean?" Mar asked sweetly, handing me the juice carton.

I nodded and retrieved his Sippy cup from the dish rack. I emptied the juice carton into his cup, placed the top over it and returned it to him. He eagerly began to drink. I dropped the empty container into the garbage can and turned to him as I leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Mar?" I started, quietly. He turned to me, still sipping from his cup. "Um, can you read minds?" I asked awkwardly.

I'm ridiculous…

He stopped drinking and frowned a bit. "No... That's a weird question, Bear." he replied.

I nodded – confirming this to myself and then mustered some more courage. "...Can Jake?"

He stared at me for moment and then shook his head slowly. I let out a soft whistle, feeling relieved. "Nanny Bear?" I looked down to him. "Where's Jake?"

"He's in the lounge - he still has company." I answered, taking his hand. "Why? You wanted to spend time with your brother?"

He shrugged. "I can wait - besides, I have you!" he grinned. "Can we go play upstairs?"

"Sorry sweetheart, I've got to start dinner." I sulked.

He frowned, his face reddened as he puffed his cheeks. "That's not fair! I wanna play!" he slammed his cup on the counter.

"Mar, stop that!" I scolded. "You will not be slamming things in this house! That's unacceptable and you know it!"

"So? Jake gets mad all the time and you don't yell at him!" he retorted folding his arms across his chest.

I was taken aback by this. So Mar throws tantrums because he sees Jake doing it. I frowned, I would surely confront Jake about this. His acting out was rubbing off on his brother. "Mar, just because Jake does it doesn't mean it's right."

He still pouted, facing away from me. I sighed. "Marlowe please, would your father like to see you throwing fits?"

"I don't know - want me to go ask him?" before I could say anything, he darted from the kitchen and down the hall.

"Mar - no stop!" I shouted, chasing after him.

He was acting like this just because Jake would. I was distraught at the idea of him troubling his father over something so ridiculous. I wanted to stop him before he could reach Mr. Wesker's study but sadly he did and started knocking immediately.

"Mar!" I shouted finally able to snatch him up into my arms. He fought me relentlessly. "What on earth is wrong with you?! Stop this!"

"Let me go!" he fussed, kicking and thrashing about.

"Mar please -"

"Marlowe." He stopped instantly upon hearing Mr. Wesker's voice over mine. I shrank to the floor with him in my arms, trying to catch my breath. He really was a hand full when he wanted to be and he sure as hell could run fast for a little guy.

I raised my head to Mr. Wesker, he was clad in all-black like usual. I shook my head pathetically to him, hoping he wouldn't be mad that Mar had managed to get away from me once again. He appeared calm but it could have very well been the shades he was wearing.

"Mr. Wesker, please forgive me I - "

He held up his hand to silence me. "It is fine, Miss Birkin." his gaze traveled to Mar. "Marlowe, you shouldn't be giving your Nanny so much trouble. It's not nice."

Mar looked ready to cry. "D-Daddy I -"

"Now, now my son." he took him from my arms and I stood up to brush off my clothes. "Marlowe, you must behave yourself. Your Nanny will be busy for a few days - she doesn't need you to bring about mischief, understand?"

"Yes father." Marlowe murmured out dolefully.

"Thank you, Mr. Wesker." I intercepted mildly. "He wanted to play but I told him I can't at the moment. I just need to finish dinner and I'll be sure to entertain him." he handed Mar over to me and I hugged him tightly. "You forgive me, little guy?" He nodded gloomily and leaned his head onto my shoulder.

"This is all learned behavior from his older brother." Mr. Wesker stated rigidly. "Be sure to inform him it is unacceptable whenever it emerges."

"Yes sir." I conceived with a short nod.

At that moment, I noticed that a very strong aroma was coming from Mr. Wesker's study. It smelled like perfume - a woman's perfume. I couldn't really place the scent but I could make out about three different types mixed into one. The smell was so powerful that it made my eyes water.

I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the burning in my eyes - I wanted to change the subject. "Erm, I was about to make dinner, was there anything in particular you wanted this evening, sir?"

"I may not be here when dinner is to be finished so do not worry about me, Miss Birkin." he turned on his heels and returned back into his office. "No calls." I could hear him say before he closed the door in front of us.

Mar was silent in my arms, but his tears were starting to soak through my shirt and onto my shoulder. I adjusted him in my arms and gave him a smile - making my way out of the library and back towards the kitchen.

"Are you mad at me too, Nanny Bear?" he asked softly, his eyes puffy from crying.

I shook my head. "No. I understand you want to play Marlowe - there's nothing wrong with that at all - but it's not okay to throw tantrums because you can't get what you want."

We reached the kitchen and I released him slowly to the floor. He rubbed his eyes and peered up at me. "I'm sorry, Bear..." he started to cry and my heart hurt just seeing it.

I crouched down and pulled him into a warm embrace. "Shh, it's okay, Mar. I'm not angry, I forgive you."

"I love you, Nanny Bear." he choked out, wrapping his little arms around my neck.

I was taken aback for a moment. Besides hearing those words from Leon and Claire, I didn't hear them from anyone else. To hear Mar say those to me just made me feel sunny side up.

"I - I love you too, Mar." I felt a tear travel down my cheek as I spoke, but I meant what I'd said. It's amazing that I feel so strongly for this boy...

We pulled apart after a few heartwarming minutes. I wiped away his tears with a smile but I couldn't help but notice he was wiping at his eyes almost excessively. They were closed and suddenly he began groaning.

"Mar? Are you okay sweetheart?" I asked, worried.

"My eyes are itchy... and they burn. My nose does too." he whined, using one hand to rub his eyes and the other to rub his nose.

"Open your eyes, Mar." I gently tried to pry his hands from his face. "Come on, let me see..."

When he opened them, my own eyes widened. They were puffy, pink and watery. I gasped and picked him up and onto the kitchen sink, and then started digging through the cabinets to find some clean kitchen towels. "Jake!" I cried out, over and over, tears streaming down my face. "Hang on, Marlowe - please don't fight me - I need to rinse your eyes with some water okay?"

He must be having an allergy attack! But what's the cause? I frantically dabbed water around his eyes and into them whenever he would stop fighting enough to let me. "Jake!" I cried out once more.

The lounge doors flew open and Jake rushed to us. "What's wrong?!" he asked, glancing back and forth between us.

"Jake - please! Go get Mrs. Chambers! Hurry!" I begged him, blowing on Mar's eyes, trying to cool them.

Jake nodded to me and left immediately. A few moments later, he returned with Mrs. Chambers - Jake had thrown the poor woman over his shoulder and carried her to me. He let her down quickly and ushered her closer to Mar and myself.

"What on earth is going on?!" she asked, completely bewildered by his actions. She looked at Mar and gasped. "What happened?"

"Mar and I had a disagreement - he ran to his dad's study, Mr. Wesker came out and talked to us - I brought him back and he was crying and then I noticed his eyes were puffy and he said his nose was burning so I tried using some cold water to him..." I trailed off, I was rambling, tears streaming down my face. "I think he's having an allergy attack!"

"Allergy?" Jake echoed, curiously.

Mrs. Chambers observed Mar's eyes closely, and then asked him if he could breathe out of his nose - when he did, she nodded affirming something to herself. She amazed me with her calm demeanor - she was one hell of a professional. "Okay you two, calm down. He's intolerant to something, that's for sure but he's not in any serious danger."

"What?" Jake and I questioned in union.

She held a finger up to silence us. "One moment," she smiled at Mar. "Marlowe, are you feeling better?" he shrugged, sniffing and blinked his eyes tightly. "I'll take that as a 'getting there' - good, you're recovering."

"Sherry?" I was trembling as she looked at me. "Was he wheezing before you doused him with water?" I shook my head 'no'. "Let's see about any rashes…" she started checking around his body by lifting his shirt and jacket to check his skin, and then checked his legs. "None of those either... Hm, does your throat itch?" Mar shook his head.

"Was it something he ate?" Jake asked me.

"No, he woke up fine and hasn't eaten since." I answered.

Mrs. Chambers shook her head. "Itchy eyes and stuffy nose is more of a reaction to something like pollen than a food substance. Something in the environment that bothers the nose."

Like a perfume... I gasped. "Mrs. Chambers -"

"Rebecca, please. You're making me feel old, Sherry." she intercepted - quite seriously too.

"Rebecca," I corrected myself. "When he ran to his father's study, there was a strong smell coming from the room."

She tilted her head at me. "Like cologne - perfume maybe?"

I nodded. "Yes - it was very strong. My eyes started to itch too."

I looked at Mar and noticed he'd stopped scratching, most likely the water had helped with the burning, but I was concerned about his stuffy nose now. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Jake tense up. His fists were balled up and his gaze locked on the floor.

"Hm," Rebecca considered. "That's plausible - especially since your eyes were effected too and with little Marlowe here being so young, being sensitive to pungent odors and fragrances isn't abnormal." she ruffled his hair a bit. "That also explains his nose bothering him."

"Is he going to be okay?" I asked.

She tilted his head back a bit to observe the inside of his nose. "He's going to need some tissue to help with his runny nose," she tittered. "But besides that, he should be fine. His reaction is fading away rapidly - which is odd but it could be because he was removed from the source quickly enough."

"Oh thank God!" I sighed, relieved. I pulled him into my arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Mar."

"Next time..." Rebecca started with a dry tone. "I hope you don't send Jake to retrieve me." she chuckled. "He snatched me away from the movie I was watching with Stephanie and threw me over his shoulder like I was a rag doll or something!"

I giggled wearily. "Thanks for coming, Rebecca." I peeked around her, noticing Jake was no longer there. "Where did Jake go?"

She looked around and shrugged, confused. "He was just here..." she sighed. "Typical Jake, he's always a mystery. Well, I'm glad I could help Sherry - but I'm gonna head back to Stephanie to finish our movie. If he starts showing another reaction, shout for me and I'll bring him some allergy remedies."

"Thanks." I said and watched her disappear from the kitchen.

I looked at Mar and he smiled at me - I returned the gesture gladly. I was beyond relieved that he was fine. I was afraid that he was going to need rushing to the hospital.

I began to wonder where Jake had gone off to. The lounge door was still open so I was sure he never went back inside, the TV was off in there and Helena and Piers were nowhere in sight. I assumed they must have gone to the basement - that would have explained why Jake took a moment to reach Mar and I when I called him.

I'm sure he didn't go back to the basement - he would have shut the lounge doors behind him like he always does.

But where did Jake go if he didn't return to the basement?

I helped Mar off the counter and asked him once again if he was alright - to which he assured me he was. I tried to calm myself, confirm to myself that Mar was fine. However, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly - deciding to focus on making dinner for everyone - then I would go check on everyone just to ease my nerves.

I reached for a cook book and began to flick through the pages to see what interested me enough to cook it. Marlowe began playing around with a couple of his race cars in the hall right where I could see him. While I was lost in my thoughts, he must have grabbed his toys from my room [I kept a couple of his in there so we wouldn't always have to climb the staircase].

For a while, things were quiet. I had decided on something simple for the evening, yet something plentiful so that Piers and Helena would be able to eat too - a nice pot of spaghetti. It was 18:35 [6:35pm] when I completed dinner and I was relieved that Marlowe was still behaving himself - only he'd stopped playing cars a while ago. He had asked me to put him in his high chair so he could color in his coloring book - staying there while I finished preparing dinner.

"I'm all done." I announced to him with a smile. He cheered and handed me his crayons and coloring book, obviously he was ready to eat. "Okay, okay - I'll go put these up and then we can eat."

Jake still hadn't returned but I had calmed down about it. He may have decided to watch the movie with Rebecca and Mrs. Stephanie. Though the odds of that were low, I told myself I wouldn't dwell too much on it.

I turned to take Mar's supplies to my room. Leaving them on my bed for the time being, I returned to the kitchen and saw that Mar suddenly had that emotionless mask on. He scared me a bit - I approached him meekly.

"Mar? You okay -"

"Jake." was all he said.

I blinked. "You want me to let you out?" He nodded.

As soon as his feet touched the floor, a loud crash startled the both of us. I was so stunned that Mar got away from me once again. I gasped and shouted for him to stop but he kept going - back in the same direction that caused his allergies to act up - the library and most likely his father's study.

Another crash came and I forced myself to stand up and chase after Marlowe. I could hear him crying out for Jake and I felt a pang in my stomach.

I knew it! I just knew it!

If only I had been wrong.

When I came into the library, I was met with the shock of my life.

Books had fallen from the shelves, the circular wooden table in the center was snapped in two, and the entire shelf on one side of the room had collapsed. I stood there completely immobilized at the sight before me.

The ones responsible were Jake and Mr. Wesker.

They were fighting.

"Jake!" Mar cried out and tried to run towards him. I instinctively wrapped my arms around him to prevent him from getting hurt.

The two men of the Wesker household were fighting fiercely. Mr. Wesker's glasses were crooked, there was a small trickle of blood coming from his hairline - his mouth was bleeding lightly and he had a couple bruises. Jake on the other hand had a swollen eye, bloody nose and I could see the knuckles on his right fist were bleeding.

This is complete madness! Why are they fighting?!

I flinched as Jake's fist collided with Mr. Wesker's face. He recovered from it without issue and grabbed Jake by his neck, slinging him towards the center table. Jake landed easily - immediately running at his father for another attack.

"Jake!" Mar cried out, tears coming down his face. I was speechless, panic overtaking me.

What if they kill each other? Oh God, this has to stop - I have to stop them!

"Jake! Mr. Wesker!" I shouted, weakly. My throat felt dry and my stomach was in knots. "Stop!"

They didn't hear me, but that didn't stop me from trying - Marlowe helped me as we tried to get through to them. It was almost like they hadn't noticed we were there.

My heart stopped when Jake executed a powerful uppercut to his father, flipping him backwards. I watched as Mr. Wesker landed almost crouched over.

"Jake!"

He stopped then, he'd finally heard me. He gawked at me almost as if he were alarmed by my presence. A split second later - something flashed in my eye and I watched helplessly as Mr. Wesker delivered a debilitating kick to Jake's abdomen sending him flying backwards into the largest bookshelf in the library. He collided with it and then fell to the floor with a loud thud.

I gasped horrified - my hands came up to cover my mouth. "No! Jake!" I shrieked in terror. He placed both of his palms on the floor and tried pushing himself up - only to succumb to his injuries and collapse.

Next thing I knew, Marlowe had gotten away from me and darted towards Jake. I shouted for him to stop but a loud creaking sound hit my ears and I watched in horror as the bookcase started to tilt.

Oh no! Marlowe! Jake!

I don't know what came over me or how it happened but I managed to snag Marlowe back into my arms - but by then we were within reach of the bookshelf, a few feet in front of Jake.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion suddenly.

I could do nothing but stare helplessly as the shelf began to fall forward.

I took one last glance at Jake and our eyes met. I could see his eyes were as wide as mine were.

After that, I shut my eyes tightly, hugging Marlowe as close to me as possible, hoping to shield him from what was to come and prepared myself for the pain.

I waited for the fatal crash - for the floor to shake from the collision.

But it never came.

Nor did the pain.

I opened my eyes slowly and inhaled sharply, realizing I was no longer at the mercy of the bookshelf. I was a few feet away.

The bookcase was being held up - by Mr. Wesker! I was completely flabbergasted and watched with my mouth agape as he slowly pushed it back to its former place. That bookcase was surely over 500 pounds! How could he -

Where's Jake and Mar?

I blinked and stared disbelievingly at Mar. He was still balled up in my arms. He looked as shocked as I did with wide ocean blue eyes.

He was safe. That put me at ease.

I felt warm, this warmth was familiar and so was the smell of something spicy as it tickled my nose. It was then that I finally became aware that I was in someone's arms.

Jake's arms.

He was crouched to the ground, holding me bridal style in his arms. His eyes were closed and he was panting heavily.

He saved me…?But how? He was hurt - how did he move so quickly?

I stared astonished at him. Jake, you really are different, aren't you...?

"Jake..." I whispered.

He opened his eyes slowly - he looked ready to collapse. "Told you... I'd keep you safe... Supergirl..." he choked out, and smirked slightly.

Thank you, Jake. "Jake -"

"Miss Birkin..." I looked at Mr. Wesker tiredly. I felt Jake trembling with anger as he pulled me even closer. Mr. Wesker fixed his glasses but I could have sworn I'd seen his eyes glow almost orange... "I would appreciate it if you would have this mess cleaned up - after you tend to Jake's wounds of course." he turned away to make for his study.

Almost like nothing had happened.

"B-But - don't you need -"

"I'll be fine." he answered. He turned to look at Jake briefly, and then entered his study.

"Bye Daddy!" Mar bid him a farewell so cheerfully that I was shocked. Why were they acting as if nothing had ever happened?

"Behave yourself, Marlowe." was all he said before he shut his door.

I felt so tired suddenly, I blinked my eyes a few times - next thing I knew everything around me turned dark...

When I awoke, I was in my bed, Mar was beside me – snoring lightly in his sleep. I looked around and saw my room was dark, the clock on my nightstand said it was 21:09 [9:09 pm].

Was it all… a dream?

I sat up slowly and groaned, holding my head – I felt like I'd been hit over the head by a ton of bar lifts. I could hear the shower running in the bathroom next door and it made my eyes widen. If it was this late – what about dinner?

I slid quietly from the bed [to ensure I didn't wake Mar] and stumbled out into the hallway, colliding with the wall before dragging myself to the kitchen. My legs were so weak for some reason. I arrived in the kitchen to see the pot of spaghetti was still where I had left it. I wondered did I fall asleep after I made dinner or something.

I looked down at my clothes – realizing I was in a pair of my plaid boxer shorts and a sleeveless snow green t-shirt. I wasn't wearing that earlier.

What if that dream was real…?

Just then, the lounge doors opened. Piers and Helena emerged, their cheeks were a little pink and I wondered why.

Piers chuckled sheepishly, playing with his hair a bit. "Uh sorry – we got wasted and fell asleep in the basement. It's late isn't it?" Well, there was my answer.

"Depends on your definition of late." I responded with a dry laugh.

Helena approached me and wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling my body against hers. I blushed instantly and squealed a bit when she kissed my cheek. "You look cute, Sherry." she teased, with a smirk.

"Um, thanks Helena." I whispered, weakly pushing away from her. I wanted to play but I felt a little woozy. "Where's Jake?" I leaned against the counter, my palm on my forehead.

They looked at each other. "Not sure," Piers said. "We woke up and he wasn't there."

That must be Jake in the shower. I sighed. "Um, are you two really going to try to walk home in the dark? I could set up the guest rooms and -"

Piers laughed, dismissing my concerns. "Helena and I can handle ourselves, Sher – though Jake did promise us a ride…"

"Well, I think that's him in the shower so while you wait for him - I made some spaghetti – are you two hungry?"

"Hell yeah." they chorused and I giggled just a bit at their enthusiasm.

While I prepared them some spaghetti bowls and cups of water [I was sure water would help them more than anything else], they went to sit over in the dining room area. I overheard them talking about how Jake drank too but he didn't go to sleep like they did for some reason.

I noticed that someone had already ate some of the food – judging from the high chairs position, I was sure Jake fed Marlowe before putting him in bed with me.

How sweet…

I had a few questions for Mr. Wesker Jr. though – that's for sure.

"Am I in trouble?" If it were possible, I would have jumped out of my skin. I had no idea Jake had come in the kitchen – let alone was right beside me.

He wore a fitted black t-shirt and some matching pajama pants though they had red lines along the sides. My face felt hot as I smelled his intoxicating cologne. I gazed at his face and was shocked to see that he looked -

Normal. Not a scratch or anything to be seen.

Maybe I did dream it all. Maybe it never happened…

"It wasn't a dream, Sherry." I blinked at him before raising a brow. "But we'll talk about it later, okay?"

I sobered up and eyed him solemnly. "Yes - we sure will Jake Wesker."

He let out a breath and looked everywhere but at me before going to join Helena and Piers at the table.

Oh yes, Jake Wesker – you know you're in trouble!

I stood before the bathroom sink, brushing my teeth under the bright lights from the fixture. Jake had gone to take Helena and Piers home 30 minutes ago – leaving me to do my before bed regime.

I rinsed my mouth out once I was finished gazed at myself in the mirror. I wasn't really thinking about anything. I already knew what I was going to do once he returned. I was going to give him a piece of my mind – then thank him for saving my life as well as Marlowe's.

Or – the other way around.

Okay, so maybe I was thinking about it more than I thought.

I sighed, cleaning off the sink, putting up my tooth brush as well as the paste.

The door creaked open beside me and I turned to see Jake – he looked a bit nervous and I think it was righteously so. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, and then approached me.

"Sherry…" he started quietly and I exhaled softly, giving him my attention. "I'm sorry."

"You're always sorry, Jake – but you don't stop the behaviors." I stated.

"Would you just listen for once?" I grimaced a bit and waited for him to continue. "I screwed up again, I know that. I could have lost both of you this time…" he frowned and let out a huff. "I was just so pissed off."

"Why?" I asked, debating should I get closer or not. He was angry with himself more than I was with him.

"The perfume, Sherry - He smells like a goddamn woman." He was talking about his father. I was about to ask the significance of the fragrance but he answered me. "My mom's upstairs, Sherry – she's not the one making him smell like that. You get my hint here?"

My eyes widened. Mr. Wesker's cheating on Mrs. Stephanie? "Jake… do you have any proof?"

"What more fucking proof do I need Sherry?!" he shouted and I backed away. "My father's a fucking dog. Cheating on my mother while she's sick! Bastard doesn't even have the courage to look at her because of it!" he almost slammed his fist into the wall but I moved quickly and hugged his torso preventing him from it.

"Jake please! You'll wake Mar… just please calm down."

"Don't you get it, Sherry?! He's fucking scum!" his breathing was erratic now. "He doesn't do anything right. After all these years I'm still always cleaning up his mess – wherever he fucks up, I gotta fix it. Bullshit – that's what it all is. He mistreats his wife and my mother – so much that I have look her in the eye and explain to her that he's a pussy who can't be honest about his flings on the side. He doesn't even raise Marlowe – I fucking do. I always have…" he scoffed, bitterly and clenched his jaw.

I listened to him and felt like I was learning about him for the first time. I never knew there was so much going on in the house – and most of it was his burden to bear. No wonder he was so angry – he had no one to rely on.

Except me.

"Jake…"

"I'm not a good role model, Sherry – at least not anymore. That's why once you came along I left Marlowe in your hands. I always knew you would take care of him but the idea of you helping me out just didn't sit right with me. I've always done things on my own just like you have. So yeah, when you would explain your past to me – I understood your pain – every ounce of it." he shut his eyes tightly. "But I… I've changed."

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, holding him and leaning my head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.

"I wasn't always an angry guy." he sighed. "It's just – my father, he pisses me off. He wants me to be like him and the idea of that fucking freaks me out, ya know?"

"Why?"

"I don't wanna bring kids into the world and treat them like items instead of people – and I sure as hell don't want to bang anything that walks." he wrapped his arms around me. "Sure, the houses, the money and shit is great, but there's gotta be more to life than all of this…"

I nodded into his chest. "I understand." He wanted companionship, family and happiness, just like I did.

"You're different than me, Sherry. Your pain made you want to help others and you do it so naturally – you heal people from suffering. All I do is fight and cause chaos – scaring you and my little brother… and making my mom worry."

He began to hug me tighter. "That's why I hate my father so much – he makes me angry. He made me this way."

"Jake," I had finally heard enough – it all made sense to me now. "You and your father are two different people - but your fear of becoming like him has made you start to be." I pulled away to look him in the eye. I could feel the anger radiating off of him again, my words had disturbed him.

Before he could lash out at me, I spoke up to defend myself. "Listen Jake, no one's perfect – parents are just as stupid as the rest of us but we just don't notice that until we get older. Their mistakes just mean they're human."

He seemed to soften at this so I continued. "Since we don't like the things our parents have put us through – that should motivate us to be different from them – make different choices and do whatever we can so we don't make the same mistakes."

He seemed like he was considering my words. "Do you hate your parents, Sherry?"

I had to think about it… "To be honest – I don't know – but I don't think I do, because if I did, I'd be isolating Marlowe and wouldn't spend any time with him." I smiled warmly. "We are not our parents, Jake. Their mistakes are theirs to own just like ours are our own."

"Not when their mistakes are put on us."

I frowned. "Your father's actions have nothing to do with you, Jake – unless you let them. The truth is – you have to take responsibility for your own actions – the things you do are impacting the people in your life just like your fathers are. It's up to you to decide whether you want to be the man you know you are or succumb to being the man your father would like you to be. Should you continue down the path you're on right now, you will be like your father – cold and unconcerned about the emotional needs of the people you love – treating them like items and banging anything that walks."

That struck him hard – I didn't know I had it in me!

After a long and tense pause, he chuckled a bit. "Damn Supergirl," he smirked. "You sure know how to get to me."

I let out a huff. "Someone's got to."

He sighed and looked to the ceiling, nodding to himself. "I guess I do need to make a change, don't I?"

"Marlowe would love that." I said gently. "He needs you to change. He's started thinking it's okay to yell and scream at me…" I saddened a bit. "He said to me that you do it and can't see what's wrong with him doing it."

"Damn…" he shook his head, disgusted. "I'm sorry. I tried to teach him to be nice to ladies, guess my actions recently made him forget." he paused then let out another frustrated breath. "I'll do what I can to make things better."

"I'll be right by your side, Jake." I told him, rubbing his shoulder softly. A thought came to me then… "Jake, thanks for saving me and Mar."

"I'll always protect you."

"But how did you do it? You were hurt –"

He sighed. "Guess I've got some explaining to do…" he lifted me onto the sink and sat between my legs. I blushed heavily. "But if it's okay – can we talk about that another time?"

"Why?" I asked, dumbfounded. "There are so many things I don't understand – can you read my mind – why did you recover so quickly – why so fast –."

He put a finger to my lips, silencing me. "Because… there's so much more to me that you'll need to learn to truly understand it. Not only me, but you've got your quirks too Miss glow in the dark." he smirked. "Or maybe I should call you Miss healing touch."

I was utterly confused. "Why are you and Mar saying that about me and what do you mean by 'healing touch'?"

"I'll talk to you about it soon – I promise. Just not right now. I'm not too sure how to explain it yet and more importantly – I don't know if you're ready."

I nodded with a sigh. I could wait – especially with things about to get wild in the next few days, I didn't need anything deterring me from my priorities. "Alright, Jake – I'll wait, but there's one thing I need you to do for me."

"Anything."

"Promise me you'll keep your composure these next couple days." I pleaded softly. "I could really use your help." I grinned. "And plus – you owe me a coffee mister – and three chocolate chip cookies."

He smiled and cupped my face. I felt flushed when he kissed my forehead for the second time that day. I sighed, I was completely taken with him. His lips lingered on my forehead for a moment until he finally spoke. "Don't worry – I'll do whatever I can to make you and Mar happy, got it?"

I smiled, feeling secure with him. I knew I could trust him – there was something different about him suddenly, unlike the other times where I wondered did I not say enough, I knew I had finally gotten to him.

"Thanks Jake," I murmured. "For not being like your father."

He chuckled a bit and just hugged me tighter. "Thanks for being my sweet girl."

I knew there was a lot more to Jake Wesker than I could have ever imagined, but just how different was he – I wasn't sure.

I would just wait and see what he had to tell me.

Next week should be pretty damn fun. I grinned to myself – feeling anxious for the week to come.

A/N: Well, there's chapter 8.

Oh man, if I were Sherry – I don't know if I would be comfortable with the idea of someone being able to read my mind. [shivers] But can Jake really read minds? Maybe he's just really good at reading people – or maybe it has something to do with her touch… [Hint? Maybe!] And what's this about Sherry having a glow? All questions to be answered soon! XD

Thanks for the reviews everyone – they're much appreciated!

Now that I'm out of college on break for a while, I'll be updating faster. I'm so excited about the next coming chapters. There's so many questions to be answered and they will be coming soon.

The next three chapters are my absolute favorite and [drum roll] Leon's coming back for a cameo next chap! Yay! [hugs Uncle Leon]

That's right folks – next chapter is the Halloween Party among other epic events to come and I hope you guys/girls are ready for some romance because it's coming ten-fold the next few chapters. [It just seems like there's so much drama between these two lately but it was necessary for Jake to change – I fancy it's time for some happy times, romance and more of the other characters too]

Well, see you guys/gals next time – and don't forget any questions or concerns feel free to ask! If you see any typos of something odd please let me know! Thanks again and see ya soon!

-Vio