A Remedy for Lonely Hearts

by Violetta-Night Butterfly

[AU] Hired as a nanny and housekeeper into the House of Wesker, Sherry Birkin finds more than just a child to care for and a house to clean. She's got the mysterious and secretive Mr. Wesker, his ailing wife Stephanie, and their oldest son, Jake whose capricious and devil may care personality completely clashes with her own. Jake/Sherry, Piers/Helena COMPLETE

13. Crossroads

[Warning: This chapter contains mature content]

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Chapter 13:

Crossroads

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A week passed since the incident that caused Helena's sister, Deborah to be hospitalized. It seemed as if things had just gotten worse and worse. At first she was in stable condition, but over the course of a week she somehow wound up going into a coma.

The doctors told us all that she suffered a severe seizure over her third night there. They informed us that this seizure could have been a result of the trauma to her head - but none of us could shake the overwhelming feeling that something wasn't right.

No one - not even the doctors could answer as to what caused her to seizure after slowly recovering. Even worse, we had no way of knowing whether she truly recovered or not before the seizure - the reason being because no one was allowed to see her.

Everyone had to view her from a large open window where they could see into her room and observe her on the bed. What could possibly be the reason for friends, family and other loved ones to not be able to get close to her? It baffled everyone.

Poor Helena suffered the most - understandable since she was her only sibling. She was adamant about staying at the hospital until her sister reawakened. Piers had a difficult time convincing her otherwise, but eventually he managed to compromise with her - they would visit her every day in the morning and before going to bed, the rest of the day they would spend trying to help the police find Peter.

Peter seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. Jake had taken it upon himself to help Helena and Piers find him. I wasn't allowed to help because of Jake's concerns over Mr. Simmons presence at the hospital. He didn't want to risk me coming in contact with him so I had no choice but to lie low at the house. I wasn't even able to drop or pick up Mar from school unless Jake was with me.

Despite their searches for Peter, it all proved futile. The police apparently had gotten hold to him, questioned him and then for some reason they released him all in the same night.

No one knew why the police had done this – they weren't talking to anyone. I started to believe that something more dangerous was in the midst, something bigger than we could have imagined.

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I'd just finished washing dishes when I heard the front door open. Glancing over to Mar, I noticed he was obediently picking up the toys he'd been playing with in the living room area and coming towards me with them. It was Wednesday so Mar didn't have school and resorted to playing all day instead.

I accepted the toys from him and he raced for the front door - I followed him, knowing it was Jake entering and I wanted to greet him.

He'd gone out to help Helena and Piers with the search again. Judging from the grim look on his face, I knew the effort had been fruitless and the little amount of hope I had diminished. Another day had gone by and still nothing – apparently it was it too much to ask for some answers to at least a few questions.

I placed Mar's toys in the front closet as he hugged his big brother. The little sign of affection seemed to ease Jake a bit and I hoped there would be something I could do also to provide him some comfort.

"Hi..." I greeted him meekly as he sat Mar down to the floor.

"Hey Supergirl..." he responded softly, wrapping his arms around me. I held him there for a moment, wanting to wash away his troubles.

"Ew!" Mar exclaimed, scrunching up his face. "Adults getting all lovey dovey is so gross!" he stated.

I blushed and pulled away from Jake giggling. Jake laughed and ruffled his little brother's shiny blonde hair. "Say what you want little guy, you'll never understand 'til your older."

"It will still be gross even then." he retorted, Jake and I laughed again - it was nice to laugh after the week from hell everyone was enduring. "Can we go watch a movie in the living room?" he asked suddenly with big blue eyes of hope.

I smiled and nodded, holding out my hand to him. "Of course we can." I glanced to Jake and he gestured for me to lead the way.

As we started to walk, he came closer to whisper into my ear. "We'll worry about the sad stuff later, right now let's give him some time to have fun." I nodded after shivering from how close he was to my sensitive ear.

Mar sat on the couch as I went into the kitchen area and Jake searched for a movie on the living room TV's DVR. I opened the pantry closet and retrieved a box of extra buttery popcorn. I popped two into the microwave and then searched the pantry for the candy I had purchased the other day during my trip to the market.

I found two packs of Reese's candy and Kit Kat's. Jackpot!

"I gotta pee." I heard Mar say from the couch, a second later he had bolted for the bathroom. He sure could run for his tiny size - then again he was a super kid.

"Hey, Supergirl." Jake called to me.

"Yes, baby?" I love calling him that!

"Think you could grab us some drinks?"

I looked up at him as I sat the candy on the counter. The popcorn sounded loudly in the microwave as it popped. "Sure, but is there anything in particular you wanted?"

"I'll take a root beer. Might wanna give the little guy some water - he don't need any more sugar."

"Agreed." I said with a light giggle.

"You don't need any candy either, sweetheart. Remember - you're on a diet." he teased.

I groaned. "Oh come on, I haven't had anything sweet in three days..." I whined. "Can I just have a few chocolates? Please baby?"

He sent me a look over his shoulder and then turned back. "Eh, nope."

I sulked playfully. "You're so mean, Jake."

"Fine, you can have a few," I almost squealed with delight. "On one condition - you soak in the hot tub with me tonight."

I felt my cheeks grow hot. "O-Okay..."

He turned to me and smirked. "Tonight I'll put the little guy to bed and then you and I can spend some time in the basement - since Dad's not coming home tonight." he mumbled the last part.

I sighed blissfully. "I'm looking forward to it." I seriously couldn't wait.

The bathroom door opened and Mar came rushing out, hands wet from washing them and the belt on his jeans wasn't even fastened. I giggled at him and he blushed before fastening the belt and snatching a paper towel from the countertop to dry his hands.

"What is it? Did I forget to put towels in there?" I asked as I retrieved the popcorn bags and emptied them into three large bowls.

"No, I just wanted to help Jake pick a movie." he replied and flew over to his big brother.

"Let's see... We could watch The Lion King, 101 Dalmatians, Baby Geniuses, Stuart Little... there's a lot here." Jake said with his eyes locked on the TV.

"Hm..." Mar put a finger to his chin. "Tough decision - which one would you like to see Nanny Bear?"

I walked over with two bowls of popcorn and sat them on the table. "I haven't seen any of them so I'm not much help." I chucked lightly before going back to get the last bowl and the candy.

"Whoa, you haven't lived if you haven't seen The Lion King, Supergirl." Jake laughed and I frowned. For Pete's sake I was locked away most of my life! "But considering your circumstances, I'll cut you a break."

"Thank you." I smiled and sat the remaining goodies on the table. "I'm gonna go get the drinks. Pick a movie already you two!"

They decided on The Lion King since it was apparently one of the greatest movies of all time. Jake and I sat on either side of Mar while he was comfortably in the middle as the movie came on. It felt like we were at the movies with how dark Jake had managed to make the house. He'd drawn the curtains and turned off every light - he even threw a blanket over me so my skin wouldn't 'glow'. I was only able to reveal my face, which gathered some complaints from him from time to time but hell, it wasn't my fault - it was probably my DNA.

The movie was amazing. I could honestly see why they loved it so much. It was beautiful to see Simba grow and become king of the jungle. The whole story was fantastic and the songs were catchy and fun. I had a great time watching the movie with Mar and Jake - the former was cracking jokes relentlessly and Mar was really into the musical parts like I was.

It's like I've established my own family with these two.

I may not have had a strong bond with my real family, but I felt that family was not just linked to the people who shared my blood and genes. To me, family was tied to the ones who gave me those feelings of safety, love and happiness.

Family involved people who cared and loved me despite my flaws.

Claire and Leon would always be my real parents, I couldn't help but feel that way for them - they adopted me [sort of], loved me unconditionally and supported me through everything.

With these two, I imagined Jake as my annoying but lovable husband and Marlowe as our little genius son. The bonds I shared with these two brought complete and utter joy to my once lonely life.

As I hugged Mar and sang with him and hit at Jake when he would pinch me when I wasn't looking, I realized I wouldn't change a thing about my life.

This was one of the best moments I'd ever had.

---

"Which hot tub you wanna get in?" Jake asked me. It was a pretty tough decision.

There was the huge Jacuzzi and indoor swimming pool across from the bar and the other one next to Jake's room. The one next to Jake's room was more reasonable considering it was the two of us, but the other was magnificent.

The entrance was an oval shaped opening concealed by pretty beads only. The fancy lighting from the bar shined through into the room and that made the whole area a blend of colors and reflections from the water. The Jacuzzi was in the right corner, circular in shape and wide enough to fit plenty and entry was gained by climbing up just a single step. The pool was rectangular and stretched a great length, it was beside the Jacuzzi and accessed by some descending stairs.

The Jacuzzi had pink water, the pool of course was blue but there were other lights beneath the water. The whole room seemed to glow in the dark.

I decided to be reasonable. "The one beside your room is fine." I answered him. He took my hand and led me there.

On the way, we passed by what I recently learned was the home theater. This was the room that had drawn curtains blocking the windows. The room was big and had two rows of red microfiber seats that could rotate, massage, and more with just a button. In the front was a huge movie screen, the projector was above the seats on the ceiling. In one corner of the room there was a popcorn, snack, and soda machine - there also was a slushy maker. The last thing worth noting about the home theater room was that there were actually separate men and women's restrooms.

I hadn't gotten a chance to watch movies in there but Jake certainly had because he went on and on about how slow the popcorn machine was.

I stepped into the bathroom with Jake and he once again locked the door behind us. He turned on the lights and started towards the hot tub. He turned it on and started to light the candles along one end of the tub with some matches he retrieved from the cabinets near the sink. Once they were lit, he turned the light off in the room - I watched enchanted as the candlelight made shadows dance along the walls.

The room suddenly smelled of roses and oil - an intoxicating combination. I stood idly by with a shy smile as Jake's eyes traveled to me. I fidgeted under his gaze, unsure what to say or do.

"Um, I-I don't have a swimsuit to get in with..." I said meekly.

Jake chuckled softly and approached me with a fiery look to his eyes. "You don't need one baby girl. You don't wear a swimsuit in this." he purred huskily.

I shrank away from him, cursing myself for being so shy. "J-Jake I..." I was trembling. I knew what he meant - I was going to get in naked... with him. I was still so nervous about being naked in front of him - what if he didn't like my body?

Next thing I knew my lips had locked with his as he encased my face within his large hands. I melted and fell against him, he felt warm and so wonderful against me.

He gently pried my mouth open and slid his wet tongue inside. I moaned and started to wrestle tongues with him. He tasted like apples, his favorite fruit - it was yummy to taste on him. I pulled away to breathe but only for a moment as his mouth attacked mine once again.

He nibbled my lips and tasted every ounce of my mouth, he pulled away, and a trail of saliva from my mouth to his seemed to glisten under the light in the room. A second passed before he started again, nibbling my bottom lip gently with his teeth. His tongue licked at mine and I moaned softly when he sucked on it fervidly.

The feeling of his hot wet mouth and tongue wrestling against mine was exhilarating – it set my body on fire.

Jake pinned me against the wall and started to kiss all down my neck, and then his attention traveled upwards to my ear. He bit softly on the shell and whispered soft, sweet things to me until he started to nip and suck at the skin along my collar bone. I closed my eyes and whimpered feeling hot and needy with his affectionate gestures, my hands found their way under his shirt and I rubbed all along his muscular torso.

We needed this – it had been almost two weeks since we had any contact with each other – all the stress and drama was distracting but now all we had was each other.

I ran my small delicate hands over his six pack and upwards to his chiseled chest. My long fingers grazed over his nipples and I used my middle finger to play with them a bit. I was nervous about doing this but I couldn't help my curiosity.

He groaned a bit and licked at my chin before kissing my lips once again. He hummed softly as his hands traveled down my back to my jeans. His hand slipped down my pants to grip my ass cheek and give it a nice squeeze.

"I-I like that..." I breathed arching my back to let him clasp it again. He growled a bit in response and to my delight he gave it a firmer hold. I cooed and felt weak-kneed, I wanted him to do it over and over.

I had a pink blush staining my cheeks, my face felt warm from it and I was mentally drooling as I imagined how wonderful it would be to lick all along his chest while he touched and fondled me wherever he pleased. I pictured bending over and letting him smack at my ass. My mouth watered at the delicious but dirty thought.

I heard him chuckle and I just felt like dying of embarrassment. Why did I keep forgetting he could read my mind?!

Oh gosh I'm never gonna live this down.

"Shh, baby girl, don't worry - I ain't one to judge." he laughed and gave me a warm hug.

I shivered and met his eyes timidly. "Really? B-But it's so..."

He kissed me, I whimpered from the contact. "Forget it, we all got our kinks. Now come on, join me." he gestured to the tub full of bubbling hot water.

He started to unbutton his shirt and I squeaked and turned away, my face was completely ablaze. "What's wrong, Supergirl? You can't handle my good looks?"

I frowned, aware he was teasing me but I still felt shy. Oh just do it Sherry! The worst he could do is say you look terrible - but he's already said he finds you beautiful. I started to undress myself starting with my socks and then my jeans. Once I got down to my bra and panties, I lost my nerve.

Suddenly, I shivered feeling a hand - Jake's hand - tickle along the skin on my back.

Starting from the back of my nape, his knuckles ghosted down my spine until they reached my bra. He unhooked it with a single hand and my periwinkle blue bra slipped from my body and shoulders to the floor. I held my heavy, shapely breasts up by crossing my arms under them.

I trembled more as his knuckles continued their descent down my spinal cord to the waistband of my panties. I gasped when I felt both his hands come to linger over my hips for a moment until he hooked his thumbs onto my panties and slowly started to pull them down.

He slid them down my long, creamy legs and I stepped out of them almost robotically as I tried my best to not freak out. This was Jake, a man that I trusted with so much of me - he hadn't given me any reason to distrust him, so why was I so timid?

I gasped once more when I felt his lips feather and kiss under my left buttock. I peeked over my shoulder at him, and saw he was gazing up to me with a smile that just eased my fears. He kissed my right cheek and then rose up to do the same action on my lower back and love handles.

Jake stood up, tall and gorgeous, his arms came around my shoulders and he pulled my soft body against his hardened one. His skin felt good against me, warm too.

"Don't be shy, Sherry. You're beautiful." he purred into my ear.

I swallowed hard and steadied my breathing. "J-Jake?" he hummed in response. "You said everyone has kinks, what's yours?"

He chuckled deep and smooth. "Well, I like really like the idea of being your master, naughty girl." he nibbled my ear again and I felt moist between my legs. He came very close to my ear to whisper: "I just adore the prospect of you being completely at my mercy and willing to do anything to please me."

I bit my lip and wiggled against him. I felt his hardened shaft against my soft ass, pressing – throbbing. "Of course you would." I breathed.

"Come on, let's get in." he scooped me into his arms and I didn't protest at all.

As we submerged into the warm water, I let out a sigh feeling as if I were on cloud nine. It felt amazing on my skin and muscles. Jake had me sit across his lap with one arm supporting my mid back and the other on my thighs. We stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like ages.

I wasn't sure what was going on with me – I was so taken with him I just wanted to be near him whenever possible.

When I woke up in the morning, he and Mar were the first things that came to my mind. I wanted to kiss him every time I saw him - I wanted to bury myself in his embrace and just stay there forever. Wherever he went, I wished he would take Mar and me with him so we could all just be happy together.

What's this feeling? Why do I feel this way?

"Sherry?"

"Y-Yes?"

"You've got some big blue eyes…"

I pouted but a giggle escaped me. "Wow, you make it sound like I'm an alien or something."

He laughed. "Nah, I didn't mean it like that baby it's just you've got some big pretty eyes. It's cute on you." he pinched my nose and I fought him weakly until he let go. "I'll always take care of you, you know that don't you?"

I nodded, blushing. "Yes, I do."

"You look… nice naked." I was shivering now. He was getting curious, I could tell by how his eyes were traveling but he didn't go below my chest, he'd just shyly look elsewhere when he came close.

I had my arms covering my chest but I suddenly I didn't want to hide from him like this. He was such a wonderful guy – rough around the edges but still wonderful. "It's okay Jake, I don't mind you looking." I said honestly and moved my arms.

"Wow…" he awed as the hand on my thigh came up to hover over my exposed chest.

"What?" I asked awkwardly.

"They um… they float." I nearly passed out laughing and soon he joined me.

"I guess they do huh?" I choked out.

A moment later we had locked eyes once again, almost as if we were both unsure of what to do next. We were together, our bodies naked and together but we were both inexperienced – at least I had no clue what to do next. I kind of had a feeling Jake knew some things from what he may have heard on the streets or something.

A few more moments passed and finally, he spoke up wrapping his arms around my middle.

"Sherry?"

"Yes, baby?" I purred, trying to fight off the sudden warmth I was feeling between my legs again. His voice was so husky and deep, I loved how my name sounded on his lips.

"Mind if I uh... do things to you?" he asked raised a brow and smiled a bit unsurely.

I blushed and shook my head. "Not at all... but can I touch you too?"

"Sure." he breathed.

And that was when I knew we were about to take a new step.

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[Warnings for Mature Content]

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I whimpered when I felt his thumb pads rub circular motions over my nipples. I arched into his touch and shifted so I could straddle him. I blushed prettily when I felt his stiff length throb against my lower belly as I leaned against him. I kissed him softly on his lips as he squeezed and played with my breasts.

"Nice..." he purred before dipping his head. I gasped when he pulled my body up some more and his mouth made contact with my left tit.

He sucked on my pink nipple gently, stirring and teasing the hardened nub with his tongue. I felt the hand that wasn't gripping my soft mound come around my back and stroke my buttocks tenderly.

I could feel his thick flesh against the soft aching folds between my legs, I whimpered softly and started to grind against him. I groaned quietly and stirred as I tried to get to an angle where my clit could rub against him, I wanted to ease the ache, I needed to. Once I found it, I shuddered and started a slow grind. It felt amazing - the skin on his hardened length was soft but that stiffness was perfect for pleasing me.

He slid his tongue all around my sensitive nipple until he gently bit down on it. I hissed and grinded harder. He started to thrust against me and I cooed in delight. He suckled the tit a little more until he swapped the positioning of his hands and started to give my other breast some well needed attention.

I began to kiss at his forehead - there were sweat beads trickling down the sides of his face from the heat of the tub and room. The massage bubbles in the tub kicked on suddenly and the vibrations from them shot up right between my legs. I moaned and felt Jake wrap both of his arms around my middle and suck on my right tit like a baby.

I cried out in satisfaction as he grinded against my clit while still fondling my breasts with his warm wet mouth.

"J-Jake... It feels so good." I whimpered. I placed my hands on his broad shoulders and used them as a means to steady myself as I worked my middle more.

He pulled and sucked at my nipple until it was aching. I whined once he pulled away. He looked up at me and I slid down his hard body to kiss him feverishly. His tongue instantly shot into my mouth and he sucked mine again, groaning softly.

My fingers traveled to his nipples and I tried the same action he did for me. I caressed the hardened nub and even slid down enough to toy with it using my tongue. He growled and his hands came to my hair as he kissed my forehead whispering sweet words to me.

I used my free hand to rub myself - I needed something to stop it from tingling. Jake took both of my hands and held them around my back with one of his. I looked up questioning this but he shook his head with a glint to his eyes.

"Just use your mouth, naughty girl."

I felt flushed but wanted to play along with him. "As you wish, Master." the amused smirk on his face told me he liked my answer.

I sucked and nibbled on his nipples, earning myself a few more groans and grumbles. I was so needy just listening to his responses. I wanted to rub myself but I was unable - the ache had become overbearing now.

"Mhm, Jake, could you... oh gosh..." I whimpered when his free hand forced my head over so I could lick his other nipple. "Jake, I'm so achy..."

"I know, trust me - I know." he chimed almost darkly.

He released my arms and I sat up to rub his chest again. The massage bubbles were easing the ache for the moment until he would make his next move. I purred when I felt his hand cup my sex. He came forward and kissed me over and over while he played around with the folds.

"Wanna go to my bed so we can try something?" he asked me suddenly.

"Try what?" I responded, fervid with desire for him.

"Whatever feels comfy for you baby girl."

After a moment, I nodded and he scooped me up once more and stepped out the tub. He put the fire out on each candle and stepped into the next room. I only blinked once and I was on the bed - legs spread and back flat on the sheets. It was dark and I figured he planned this on purpose. He wanted to feel more than he could see because it gave him more satisfaction - I grew to know this about him.

"Sherry?"

"Yes, baby?"

"I wanna taste you. You okay with that?"

If there were any light in the room, I was sure I looked like a cherry. I knew he could see me but from what I could make out, his eyes were closed. Maybe he wanted to get more in tune with my body by just feeling instead of seeing.

"U-Um, sure..." I whispered feeling a bit cold now - I was wet from the bath and the fireplace was unlit.

I felt his hand linger on my outer thigh and I shivered. He came around to the side of me and with my eyes now adjusting to the dark, I descried his eyes were open now as he gazed at me with soft hues of blue.

"Your whole body is glowing." he said so softly I could barely hear him. "So pretty..." he was hesitating. Perhaps he's worried that I don't want his touch?

"It's okay, baby." I told him, rubbing his free hand as I remained in the position he'd put me in. "I know you won't hurt me and I'll let you know what's good and what hurts - though you always seem to do what's good." I smiled softly and couldn't help but blush.

His hand traveled from my outer thigh to the inner side and slowly to my exposed and eager sex. He tickled around with my outer parts of genitalia for a bit until he used his fingers to spread my lips down there. Once his middle finger grazed my clit, I jerked a bit and he left his hand there. He stirred it with his finger and I wiggled trying to get more from the action.

He realized my enjoyment and started to work the sensitive nub more attentively but with his thumb. I started moaning softly, stirring about as I enjoyed his curious fingering. He felt around for more sensitive spots and I let him, feeling absolutely special to him.

Jake moved to kiss my lips softly, I wrapped my arms around his neck so he wouldn't move before I tasted all of him again. I moaned into his mouth, he didn't stop his caresses while we kissed and I was pleased he didn't.

He got onto the bed down by my feet. He moved slowly between my legs and I felt shy but a bolt of excitement as he gazed at my naked body, waiting for him to explore more.

He smirked and winked at me before his head dipped and I felt his wet mouth devour my sex. He coated it with saliva before he tenderly began licking my labia, and then spread my sensitive lips again to suck on my clit.

I almost screamed at how good it felt.

"You like it?" he asked me before he went back to the job.

"Yes…" I breath over and over.

He held a hand on both of my thighs – close to the buttocks and then his hands slid upwards along the back of my thighs to the back of my knees.

A split second later, my legs were spread wide, his strong hands holding me in the position as he held my inner thighs apart. My wet center was in plain view for him – immediately, he began to lavish my sex with attention, his tongue experimenting everywhere.

I tossed my head side to side as I whimpered, moaned and cried out at the pleasure he was giving me. He sucked, licked and teased my sensitive clit, humming a tune as he did so. The feeling of his tongue down there brought me so much stimulation I was thoughtless. My entire body was shaking and I felt something stirring within me.

"Mhm," he hummed deeply. "You taste good, Supergirl." he drawled.

I half-moaned, half-cried in response as I tried to fidget but his hands held me firmly in place. Instead, I began to play with my breasts, arching my back as wave after wave of pleasure hit me. Jake kissed my clit and sucked on it some more before I felt his left hand release my thigh. He used that hand to trace along my wet, pink folds.

He poked and tested me, trying to find my entrance I assumed. Eventually he found it and he slid a finger inside my moist opening. I cried out and arched my back at the new sensation. I felt him lick at my clit some more as he began to pleasure me using his finger. It felt good too - the feeling of something inside me, pressing against something inside me that long yearned for attention.

He never stopped licking me and playing with my sensitive folds. "You're my sweet girl. I need you with me all the time, Sherry - cuz you're my girl. Mine. Do you understand that?"

Gosh he sure is a fast learner! He really was considering it didn't take him long at all to figure out how to make me squirm.

I grinded desperately on his finger inside me, he added another finger and I yelped at the discomfort at first - yet again the cooling effect came and I felt this sensation my body never felt before. It was hard to describe but I just loved it.

"You're my everything, Sherry - I wanna know if you understand that." Jake said hoarsely, his fingers pounded into my entrance. "Answer me or I'll stop."

"J-Jake please - please don't." I begged him, losing touch of reality.

"Do you understand me, Sherry - do you understand how much you mean to me?" his thick and powerful fingers hammered inside me, his thumb caressing my wet clit.

He moved further between my legs and hovered over me, he removed his fingers for a moment to put my left leg over his shoulder. I whined out a protest and squirmed, begging him to put them back. A second later, his fingers returned to finish pleasing my sweet spot.

He slid another finger inside I cried out loud before sitting up some to meet his beautiful eyes. I saw his stiff and long erection protruding out at me and I decided I wanted to touch him. I wrapped both of my hands on his beautiful thick flesh. It made my mouth water as I gazed at the pretty pale skin, the tense ball sack and pink tip. I wanted to taste it like he did for me.

I began to stroke his length. I wasn't sure what I was doing but I wanted to please him while he did the same for me. I wanted to feel release and I wanted him to feel it with me.

His fingering me intensified after I grasped his flesh in my small hand. He rested his forehead against mine, sweat coating the both of us despite the room temperature. I moaned and purred as I felt myself succumbing to his touch. I licked my hand and left a coat of saliva on it and started to rub a lot more slickly over his arousal.

"Do... do you like it?" I asked timidly. Please like it - please tell me I'm doing well.

His breathing was a bit off as he shuddered before replying with a dry sound of approval. He kissed me deeply and the drool from his mouth moistened my own. I repeated my earlier action and coated his flesh with more dribble. In response, he dipped his head once again and started to suckle my tit again salivating on it and running his tongue along my supple mound.

He pounded his digits inside me harder, going deeper now and zooming in on what I feared was the end.

"J-Jake!" I moaned his name as I felt closer than ever to him and relief. "I-I worship you too... I think I lov- Ah!" I cried out and arched my back as his fingers hit a wonderful spot inside me and with a flick of his wrist, euphoria took over me.

The next thing I knew I was seeing stars. My entire body was trembling, my eyes were wide in shock of everything I'd just experienced but I saw nothing but lights. I felt like I was floating, the aching was gone and in its place was calm... like I was resting on a bed of roses.

"Wow..." I heard Jake say before he laid beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled my soft body to his. "If that's us just fooling around... I wonder how you're gonna be when we get to the real deal." he chuckled a bit and kissed my forehead.

I nodded with a hum and yawned, feeling absolutely spent. I felt him kiss my lips before he whispered something but I didn't comprehend what he said because I had begun to feel sleep take over me. Before I drifted off, I tried to tell him how safe he made me feel, how at ease I was with him and how much I appreciated his care for me but if actually heard me, I wasn't sure.

---

[End of Mature Content]

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My eyes fluttered open. It took me a moment to remember where I was that morning. I was in Jake's room, in his bed - but I was alone. I groaned quietly and sat up in the soft bed looking around for the man I was with overnight. I looked down at my body, tangled in the dark satin sheets - I gasped once I realized I was naked.

Memories surfaced and I felt hot in the face. I'd gotten intimate with Jake - very intimate. We may not have had intercourse but we did take things to a whole new level.

I didn't feel regret at all - which was good right? I felt comfortable with what I'd done with Jake. He was very affectionate despite his tough guy exterior - I was even more proud of him for toning down his recklessness and showing more concern for his mother, Marlowe and of course me. He had even ceased his raging over his father's behaviors.

He was great - I adored him for everything he'd done so far.

But where is he?

I tried to crawl out of the bed but my legs felt quite weak. "J-Jake..." I croaked - my mouth felt dry. I wondered what time it was, I had to get Mar ready for school today and couldn't afford to run him late.

I noticed the bathroom light was on so I wrapped the sheet around my body and moved towards it. I tapped on the paper door thrice and waited patiently for an answer. Water could be heard on the other side until it cut off, a second later Jake slid the door open and greeted me with a smile.

Oh thank God.

"Mornin' Supergirl, you look well rested!" he greeted with a smirk, I caught a whiff of mint, he must have just finished brushing his teeth. There was a towel around his neck, on his bottom he wore a pair of black boxers. "I was just about to wake you."

I blushed and sort of hid behind the sheet I was wrapped in. "G-Good morning... and um yeah, I slept pretty well." my eyes traveled down his chiseled chest and I wanted run my hands on him once again.

"Good to know," he chuckled and allowed me to enter. "Then again, I figured you would after that orgasm you had last night."

I almost fell over. "J-Jake!" I fussed and hit at him.

"Relax! It was beautiful..." he purred and made a dive for my lips but I backed away quickly. "What's wrong, Supergirl?"

"I should go shower and freshen up before everyone else wakes up." I explained. "I need to be in my room or in the kitchen when Mar awakes - I like for him to feel comfortable and safe so I need to be consistent with him."

"I know, but I can't get a kiss?" he asked looking slightly offended.

"Sure," I kissed his cheek. "The rest can wait – I gotta freshen up!"

He scoffed and glanced at his watch. "Oh, yeah well it's 5:45 – you might wanna get moving."

"Right…" I fidgeted a bit, my cheeks reddened. "Th-thanks for the wonderful night, Jake. I think it was just what we needed after everything that's happened these past few weeks."

"I thought so too - and no problem, I'll do it again whenever you like baby girl."

I hugged him tightly, kissing his chest softly. "Thanks, I'd... I'd love that." I swallowed a lump in my throat as I recalled something. "Um, Jake? Did you... um, you know. F-Feel the same thing I did last night?"

He pulled away from me and tilted his head in what I assumed was curiosity. "An orgasm?" I nodded stiff and timid. "Heh, no I didn't - But don't worry about it, there's always next time." I smiled a little. "I uh, wanted to tell you that I liked pleasing you."

I blushed and looked away, my face burned hot. "Jake..."

"I relished making you squirm and whimper with need 'til you became lost in ecstasy before my very eyes." his voice was hoarse but soft.

I shivered and eyed him meekly as he kept his eyes locked on me. "So clean - so pretty... I'd do anything to see you look like that again – and that taste… delicious."

I backed away to the door, knowing that if I didn't get away now, this wolf-like man would catch me in his den and never let me go. "J-Jake, I have to go... could you unlock the door?"

He smirked. "Sure - but do we got a deal?"

I blushed and nodded. "Yes, I promise you'll see me like that again." I felt tingly just telling him that.

"Good." he reached around me with the key in his hand and unlocked the door, his gaze never leaving me. "Cuz you got an amazing body, baby girl."

"Thanks, baby." I whispered and kissed his cheek again. "I'll see you upstairs in like an hour, okay?"

"Gotcha."

---

Jake took Mar to school that morning so I was able to catch another hour of sleep before starting the day. When he returned I had already started on the laundry and was mopping the kitchen floor while the machines did their job.

"Careful, Jake - I just mopped there." I said when he entered. "You wouldn't want to slip."

"Yeah, thanks for the tip." he replied dryly. He sat on one of the stools along the counter and rested his forehead on his palm.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked him quietly, still mopping around the floors. I would have to break out the steam mop if the floor didn't shine anytime soon.

"You know what's wrong, Sherry." he scoffed irritably.

It didn't faze me, I understood his frustration but I only asked just in case something else had happened. "I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help you guys."

"If only we could get you in the room with her - then we could learn what the fuck happened. We got no leads, the cops aren't giving any damn answers and the worst part is we don't even know if she will ever wake up. She could be in a coma for weeks, months, years – hell who knows how long!"

I leaned the mop against the wall and came over to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. It was killing him inside to see the girl he thought of as a sister just struggling to keep herself together while someone she loved dearly was brutalized and no answers were being given.

"We can't even bring you into the hospital with that fucker Simmons running around. If he would just piss off then maybe we could try something - anything." He shook his head and sighed loudly. "But damn it I won't risk him trying anything with you."

"What exactly is so bad about him - I mean, he creeps me out but why do you and Helena hate him so much?" he shook his head again and I frowned. "Jake please, you have to start talking to me. I may not have known her long but I care a great deal for Helena - if there's anything I should know I would appreciate it if you could tell me."

It took him a while but he finally started to talk.

"Simmons is a no-good womanizing asshole. He uses women, abuses them and has no problem throwing them away after he's through with 'em." he growled before continuing. "He's always treated Babe and her sister like crap, beat 'em for no reason and continued to until Babe finally raised enough money to get an apartment for the two of them to get away from him. Unfortunately, Deborah's a soft-hearted chick - she kept going back and forth with the asshole. She's got a big heart and sadly that's where her struggles always come in."

"Peter?"

"Exactly. That piece of shit took advantage of Debbie whenever he could. He beat her, prostituted her -"

"Oh my God..." I gasped horrified.

"Yeah and that ain't all either. The loser had the nerve to make her drop out of school and do some drugs just to fuck up her life – she's gotten into college recently but it was hell getting her through high school with the guy looming around. Simmons never even cared, it was Babe who always struggled with the girl trying to convince her to leave her abuser and stop the lifestyle."

"How awful…"

"Ain't it? Well, I always tried to help her out with her sister but she always claimed it was her burden to bear so I left it alone most of the time. Babe finally started to open up about her sister's shit when we caught the girl piss drunk outside a bar. She was surrounded by drunk and horny dogs ready to have fun with her - you know how much I hate drunken dogs."

"How could I forget?" I replied.

"Well anyway, I demanded she tell me the story and she did. Later we found out that Peter had left Debbie there to whore her off to anyone for fucking 20 euros. That pissed me off so much that from that point on, every time Peter reared his ugly ass face I kicked his ass. Still that didn't stop Debbie from crawling back to him whenever she could."

"Goodness... why? Why stay with someone who hurts you?" I wondered aloud.

Jake shrugged. "Beats the hell outta me - but I call that shit weakness. Here she has Babe and me willing to keep kicking his ass for hurting her and she keeps crawling back - it's dumb as fuck. Debbie could get any dude she wanted with her looks yet she settles for a dickless douchebag."

I rubbed his shoulders hoping to ease his tension. "Maybe it's because of the abuse she suffered from Simmons." I almost hissed his name. I completely dropped the honorific, he didn't deserve it. "She wouldn't know any better if the only man in her life was abusive, right?"

"I guess not..."

"Gosh it's all so awful..." I rued quietly. I wished I could actually get inside the room with her, then all of this turmoil would ease and she would heal - that way everyone would smile again. Wait a second... that just might be it!

"Jake, Simmons isn't at the hospital all the time, is he?"

He snorted. "Hell no, he doesn't give a shit about her, he just pretends to."

"Maybe I could go to the hospital in disguise? I could buy a wig and -"

"I don't want to risk anything happening to you." Jake renounced and shot me a hard look over his shoulder. "Don't even think of it - there's no telling when he could show up, we don't even know what he could try to do to you and I don't wanna find out or I'll kill him."

I deflated and lowered my head. "I-I... then what can we do? We have to do something -"

"Sherry, please -" he spun around in the chair and took both my hands in his. "You just stay here where it's safe and look after mom and Mar. We're gonna find this piece of shit Peter and get answers soon - in the meantime, you focus on yourself for now and hope for the best, okay?"

"But Jake -"

He growled. "Damn it would you just listen?!" I flinched away from him and instantly his eyes softened. "Sorry... I just wanna keep you safe, Sherry. Why's that so hard for you to understand?"

He's afraid... but what's he afraid of? "Jake, why are you so concerned for me?"

He sighed. "For God's sake, Sherry! Remember when I was running around here like a chicken without a head and you started to tell me how important it was that I stand up and stop making rash decisions? You told me I needed to think about the people I care about for now on and I'm doing just that. I'm gonna take care of you no matter what."

I stood motionless and met his eyes meekly. "I... Okay, I understand, Jake."

"Sherry..." he sent me a demure look. "Can't you tell that I... -" he stopped and stood up. "Look - I'm sorry for yellin' at you, but just try to keep yourself settled for now okay? We might be relocating pretty soon so I just wanna try and help Babe as much as I can before we go."

"Relocating?"

"Yeah, to Finland." he said wrapping his arm around my neck to hug me close. "Let Firehead and that Hero of yours know so you can spend some time with 'em before we go."

"When are we going - how long are we staying there?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "My dad mentioned something about it being around Christmas but that's only a few weeks away. We might stay there for the rest of the winter."

I felt a mix of excitement and unease. On the bright side we all would be seeing new scenery for a while. The flip side was that I would be away from Claire for months in Finland and unable to help support Helena.

"There's no way we could stay here?"

Jake shook his head. "'Fraid not - you gotta travel with Mar because you're his caretaker and I'm not letting you, my mom and the little guy go without me there to keep you guys safe. I tried to convince the old man to reschedule but it said he had already made arrangements for our tickets and shit. I mean damn, I'm paying for it so you'd think he could reschedule."

"You're paying?" I asked with big eyes.

"Yeah." he smirked. "I told you I get paid - a lot." he chuckled a bit. "We got this agreement going on, I pay for the winter trip and that house in Florida - he pays for the rest."

"Wow..." I awed wondering just how much money did Jake actually make when he worked.

Just then, my cell phone rang loudly from my bedroom and I excused myself to go answer it. I recognized Piers number instantly and answered quickly.

"Piers? Is everything okay?" I asked hurriedly.

"Hey Sherry," he greeted me calmly. "Don't worry, Helena's doing alright for now and no news about Debbie unfortunately so I'm sure if I can say everything's fine."

"Oh... Well I'm glad Helena's okay. I'm so sorry all this has happened..."

"It's not your fault - but I'll give Miss Thing your condolences. In the meantime I was calling to see how you were. Jake told us about Simmons posing a threat to you - it just seems like he's out to get everyone lately."

I felt a pang in my stomach. It was comforting to know he understood the circumstances behind my absence. "I'm alright, how are you feeling? It must be hard trying to stay strong and be supportive in such a difficult situation..." I came from my room and saw Jake was sitting on the couch with his eyes closed. I moved over and sat beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder while I talked to my friend.

"Nah, nothing's too hard when it comes to my girl." he laughed a bit and I giggled. "I'm staying positive - it doesn't matter how much time passes, she has a chance to regain consciousness and we'll have to be patient for that time to come."

I smiled. "I like your optimism - it makes it easier to relax a bit." I rubbed Jake's thigh, hoping he would unwind some more. He looked tired and I wondered should I urge him to take a nap.

"When you've seen what I've seen, you learn to either fall apart from the pain or look on the brighter side. Anyway, Miss Thing's asleep here so I guess we won't be searching today. I think it's for the best, she needs to sleep more."

"She's staying at your place?"

"Yeah, we were at her house when we heard of what happened so she can't stand to be there at the moment - she's concerned that if we go there something else will go wrong. It really hurts her to see the only family member that she's bonded so closely with and was beside her when they had no one but each other... to see that person holding onto life because of a machine is devastating."

"Gosh, it's so devastating..." I whispered. "If you don't mind me asking, did Debbie have any friends? How are they holding up?" I was just curious.

He was silent for a moment. "Yeah, we talked to a few of them about Peter but none of them knew anything about his whereabouts and none seemed to be mourning much either – sad really, Debbie's a fun person so I can't understand this at all."

"Did you guys ever find out where she was when the attack happened?"

"She was on her way to the apartment. No one knows where she was coming from but her friends told us she said she was headed home."

"And there were no witnesses to the attack?"

"No one saw the attack but a witness heard it and called the police."

I considered this for a moment. "Did Helena talk to Deborah earlier that day, she didn't give any info on her plans for the day?" I looked up at Jake, noticing he was just staring at me - his eyes were unreadable.

"Helena was asleep when she woke up that morning. I know because I stopped by the house early to meet her. Debbie let me in the house and told me she was headed to class early because she had an exam to study for. That was around noon and apparently her class started around 16:00 [4:00 pm] so she said she was looking forward to the extra study time. I offered to drive her there but she claimed it wasn't far and didn't want to trouble me."

I thought some more on that. "Can anyone confirm that she made it to class on time?"

"... Her teacher Mr. Sera did. He said she came inside pretty stressed out but that's normal for college students on exam days."

"I wonder where she studied at. Is there a campus library that could have caught her on camera? Or maybe she never got a chance to study? Maybe Peter was the reason she came inside the classroom stressed...?"

"The police told us that they caught camera footage of her at the campus library entering at 14:20 [2:20 pm] and then leaving at 15:47 [3:47 pm]. That's what struck me as odd..."

"What did?" I asked him.

"The arrival time. It takes about 30 minutes for her to reach the campus on foot from Helena's apartment. So why did it take her until 14:20 to make it to the campus?"

Hmm, curious. That is odd. If Deborah left at noon, she should have made it to campus around 12:30 but for variable's sake the latest might have been 13:00 [1:00 pm]. Why did it take her over an hour to get there and could something have happened before she made it there? Piers says she was looking forward to extra time to study so why would she show up late for studying time?

"Is it possible for any of you to see the security tapes from the school?"

"We looked into that already." Jake answered me hoarsely. "Cops took it for evidence so nothing else to be done."

Piers must have heard him. "Yeah so that was a lost cause."

"Hmm, what about Deborah's cellphone? Maybe she received calls from Peter?"

"Cops took that too." Jake deadpanned.

I sighed. "Okay, now this I have to know - did they tell you guys where she was when she was attacked?"

"That's just it - she was found on the streets, bloody and beaten. The authorities said she was attacked elsewhere but they had no idea where and she was left in the area after the assailant thought she was dead. She was thrown in a dumpster in a busy area but no one saw a thing - only heard."

"So wait a minute, I'm... I'm confused. Someone called the police about hearing a disturbance somewhere and the police didn't find Deborah in the home or wherever - they found her in the garbage in totally different area? How would they even link the two together if they took place in two different places? It's confusing…"

"Confusing as hell, really." Jake slurred and wrapped his arm around me. "My theory? Debbie falls for Peter's tricks again and goes to his house to see him. He beats the hell outta her and thinks he's killed her so he leaves her in a dumpster somewhere and then skips town."

"I'd agree with Jake if it weren't for one key thing..." Piers said and a long drawn out sigh followed.

"What?" I asked, Jake looked curious too - his super hearing must have made it easy for him to hear Piers speak.

"If Peter did this, he would have had to have an injury to his hand and his home would be a blood bath."

"How do you know that?" I questioned, my interest tweaked.

"I'm a trained fighter and I'm sure Jake can agree with me when I say that stabbing someone would definitely result in physical injury to the victim and their attacker." I looked at Jake and he nodded with his eyes shut.

"There's more... if Peter were responsible, the police would have entered his home and arrested him on the spot because there would be no way he could clean it up and treat his wound by the following day - remember, they questioned him and he was released... perhaps there was someone else that caught their attention."

"You mean to tell me you think that sack of shit she called an ex-boyfriend isn't responsible?" Jake growled darkly - I rubbed his thigh to calm him.

Piers inhaled deeply on the other line. "I'll tell you why." he paused. "The other day, the police came here in searched the house up and down, taking Deb's computer for evidence and everything - trying to figure out who she could have met after she took her exam."

"Her professor, Mr. Sera said she completed her exam around 17:40 [5:40 pm] and left after that - which means it should have taken her 30 minutes to make her way back home. So something happened to her between 18:10 [6:10 pm] and midnight that caused her to get harmed."

"Now, the reason why Helena and I didn't panic earlier on was because she sent a text for Helena stating she would be hanging out with a few friends after class for a while and we could expect her back around 22:00 [10:00 pm] at most – this message didn't come until 19:23 [7:23 pm] exactly."

"The time seems off." I noted. "What could she have been doing for over an hour before she decided to send a text?"

"That's just it. I think the message didn't come from Debbie. It came from her attacker trying to cover their tracks." my stomach did a somersault. "Even worse, this person knew Helena's name – they knew Helena was her sister even though Debbie never listed Helena as her sis or anything in her phone – in fact, she had her listed under a different name, she was listed as Miss Thing – as per my suggestion of course but still – they even mentioned me in the text."

"Doesn't that point to that bastard of an ex of hers then?" Jake snorted. "What are the odds that her attacker would know you and Babe? It has to be Peter or someone we know.

I was trembling, this was really disturbing to learn. I put the phone on speaker so things could be less awkward with Jake playing the role of an innocent bystander with super powers.

"If you would let me finish Jake..." he snarled. "After that text, Helena and I paid the absence no mind until time flew by and then Helena started to call her only to go straight to voicemail."

"So, when the police came and searched the house the other day, I overheard one of them talking about a series of similar attacks in the area... it hurts to admit this but - I have a suspicion that Debbie might have been attacked by a serial killer."

Serial… killer?

"Piers, you shouldn't -" I put my fingers to Jake's lips to silence him.

"Please, explain Piers." I pleaded.

"I watched the news a few nights ago and saw some reports of a girl assaulted. The characteristics were the same. Someone heard screams and called for authorities but no one was found until later a girl turns up dead in a dumpster behind a local fast food restaurant. Apparently she's the fourth girl found this way - but for some odd reason, Debbie wasn't mentioned... maybe it's because she survived."

I felt a pang in my stomach as I remembered the guys attacking me and attempting to run off with Sheva. Could it be that these were the same guys? What if because they couldn't get Sheva and me that they sought after other girls and brutalized them?

Jake noticed my distress apparently. "Supergirl? You alright baby?" he wrapped his arms around me as I began to tremble even more than before. He took my phone from me and sighed. "Hey look we'll talk about this later, Jarhead - Sherry needs a moment."

I couldn't hear Piers response [Jake must have taken it off speaker] but Jake hung up shortly afterwards and started to hold me. "Now do you see why I wanna keep you safe?" he said softly and then he let out a long sigh. "I'll be honest - I noticed the link too. I won't talk too much about it cuz I don't want you to suffer from that night anymore but I realized the connection almost instantly."

"But you... beat them up so... how could they?" I looked at him.

"I should have killed them... but I didn't because I didn't want you to see anything like that."

I stared long and hard at him. Piers said Jake would know what he was talking about when it came to knife attacks - perhaps that would explain the scar on his cheek. Also, was it possible Jake had killed before? He spoke about how he could have done it so nonchalantly... did he...?

"Jake, you never suspected Peter from the beginning, did you?" I asked curiously.

He shook his head. "I want to but I know it wasn't him. It's easier to believe it was that douche but the truth is there's something much worse out there and the best thing right now is to move for a while until the person or people responsible for the murders are caught."

He kissed my forehead softly. "Believe it or not, over the course of the Halloween party, I talked to your Hero and found out why he and his partner were here in London. It's because of these cases."

Leon and Ada are here to investigate? "Really?"

"Yeah, in fact, before we left with the kids and while all of you were talking and playing around, he and I were actually talking about his reason for being here. They're here to look after you and Firehead but I told him I would protect you no matter what."

"He started talking about how Firehead was such a willful person and that he didn't know how to make sure she was safe so I -"

But Claire lives alone! "Jake, Claire is -"

"She'll be fine." he stated. "Steve knows the deal now and he's got his people undercover keeping a watch over her."

"Undercover?" that made me skeptical and amused.

"Yeah, Steve's dad works for the Canadian government as an agent and all that shit. Like me, Steve's made some friends all over the globe in the upper ranks and they willingly work for him. Not saying that he can't handle himself - he's a gun hoarder, he loves rapid fire guns and all that jazz - carries weapons on him everywhere he goes believe it or not."

"He does?" I asked incredulously.

"Yep, and I've got another shocker for you. Carlos, David and Thundercat are his personal bodyguards."

"Wow, you guys are all so... capable." I grinned. "But I wonder what Sheva's gonna do now that she's pregnant."

"Dunno but it won't be easy to do her job while carrying a kid around."

I nodded but something came to me. "So wait, you already knew something bad was going on around Halloween?"

Jake sighed. "Yeah, I could tell because a lot of girls were going missing... that's why once I saw those guys Halloween night running around, I had to stop 'em and ask questions. I didn't want you and the kids alone and trying to have a good time while they were around. If they had been responsible for the crimes then there would have been hell to pay if they touched what's mine."

"Oh Jake..." I whispered and snuggled deeper into his warm embrace.

"I just had to go and fuck up leaving you alone the other day while I did stupid shit..." he growled in frustration. "Listen, I know they hit you. I read that about you when we touched that night. I'm sorry but I was worried. I feel like I failed you... if it weren't for your powers you would have been brutalized and I would have been responsible... Fuck."

I felt like crying. "Jake please, don't blame yourself... I was the one who -"

"Stop, Sherry - you're not to blame. I should have known better. I promise you it won't happen again - I swear on my life that I will never leave you in danger again. Never." he pulled away to cup my face in his large calloused hands. "I swear it baby. I swear it."

I smiled weakly. "I believe you Jake, but I have a question for you."

"What is it? I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"You're a trained fighter like Piers, aren't you?"

A silence came.

I watched as he pulled away from me entirely and slouched over with his elbows resting on his knees. His head sunk and his shoulders hunched while he sighed and grumbled things I couldn't hear. I was about to ask him once more but he spoke up and stopped me.

"My mom and I didn't always stay with my Dad. When I was two years old she took me and ran away to a place called Edonia. We stayed there for years, struggling to get by because mom didn't really have much education and I was a kid. To get money, eventually I started offering my services to do criminal jobs - I was a kid so no one would suspect a kid was stealing goods or retrieving information for bad guys against the feds. I did this for a while until I turned 13. One day I came home and there was this big guy with scars all over his face. He told me he would hire me to do some jobs with big money and I took it without hesitation - even though my mom didn't like the idea."

"You became a mercenary?" he nodded slowly and I scooted over to him and rubbed his back soothingly. "Tell me what happened, Jake."

"I got put through some trials and stuff and I passed every single one without issue. I was powerful without even trying - he and all his people were impressed by me. They compared me to a man I'd never heard of but they repeated his name over and over - Albert. Albert Wesker."

"Your dad... How did they know of him?"

"I'll get to that..." he sat up and leaned his head back as he gazed at the ceiling. "It was my third mission with the guy and there was this explosion... Bang!" he emphasized it with an open and shut palm. "Edonia was always like this but that day it was different. We didn't even know who we were fighting against, we were just sent out there and when that explosion happened..."

"I remember looking around and it was dark, smoke was everywhere and all the others were dead except me... And then I saw him. He stared down at me while I laid there covered in blood and soot. He called me by my name as if he'd known me forever. I passed out shortly after that and when I woke up I was in a hospital."

"He saved you?"

He scoffed. "Whatever." I giggled. He saved you but you're too proud to admit it. "Well anyway, it turns out my dead beat father had actually been looking for us for years. Now that he had found us, he expected me to be a son to him and wanted to be a father to me. I hated him with a burning passion."

"Why?" I asked bewildered. I would have loved for my dad to come to me like that.

"He put us through a lot with his failed attempts to find us. We struggled every single day just to get by. I was a preteen when he showed up, I'd lived my entire childhood without him, I didn't know him for Christ's sake. Because of him, I wasn't able to enjoy my childhood. Whatever he did to my mom that made her leave him had placed me in a situation where I had no choice but to be a man when I should have been able to play and have fun. Suddenly he shows himself and I was expected to worship him or some shit. I wanted nothing to do with him."

So that's why Jake didn't like his father before I came along, he held bitter feelings from his childhood against him.

"Mom decided we should move in with him saying 'he's ready to do right by us now' or something. So we did and no matter what he did, I still hated his guts growing up – Well, until you came along and told me I had to let it go."

'Ready to do right by us now'...? Hm, Mr. Wesker must have been a pretty bad guy to make Mrs. Stephanie run away with Jake for all those years. Something must have changed about him to make her trust him again and move in with him.

He rubbed behind his neck with a small grin. "So yeah, I was once a merc, in fact even after he took us in - I still did some dirty work whenever the job presented itself but I officially stopped a few years ago. I came back with this scar you see -" he pointed to the long scar on his cheek with his index finger. "Mom flipped saying she couldn't handle the idea of the men she loved being in danger and begged me to stop or she would never forgive me, lock herself away in her room and all that mess. She never did have the best health so I took her words into consideration and stopped."

Can't handle the men she loves being in danger? Lock herself away in her room? And all this about her heath... could it be related to her panic attacks? This really got me thinking... It reminded me of what Ms. Excella had told me Halloween night.

Thank goodness, you're nothing like her. You've got spunk – there's a spark in you that won't let you crumble at the sight of danger.

Crumble... as in weaken from fear of a threat.

...they deserve women like us. Women who won't let them trample all over us while we hide away, afraid of them...

I traced the scar, earning a sharp intake a breath from him. "How... did it happen?"

"Got ambushed in South American jungles - everyone else had died and I was the only one left. A guy came after me with a knife ready to kill me, probably gut me open and take my head as a prize for his mantle -" I gasped and he smirked. "Relax, it doesn't matter what anyone tries my way, I'm indestructible - I'm built like a tank! A flimsy knife wound could never stop me! I took 'em all out and dragged my battered body to a safe house."

Could Mrs. Stephanie be hiding in her room because of Jake's behavior? But that's odd because he says he's stopped - and I believe him. That said, even if he was still making bad choices, that still doesn't mean she should run and hide away. She should confront him like I did and it wouldn't be hard because Jake listens to her quite easily.

She ran away with Jake before but that time it was because of Mr. Wesker... he wasn't 'doing right by them'. If she's the type who runs from what she fears... what's she afraid of now?

"Long story short, I recovered from the injuries, finished the mission and made my way home. The rest is history."

"Wow..." I whispered cracking a small smile. "You're incredible, Jake - to survive things like that takes one hell of a guy."

Jake grinned proudly and folded his arms behind his head. "Hn, what can I say? It's in my gene's baby girl!"

I could have been just like Deborah if it weren't for my abilities... "All of you are so tough... You, Piers, Helena – Sheva, Carlos and David are bodyguards for Steve who can even handle himself. Hell even Claire's taken some self-defense classes with her brother, Chris and Leon's self-explanatory..."

"And what do I have to prove myself? Oh yeah, I have healing abilities… Big deal. I can't even help everyone if I'm not near them..." I moped.

Jake wiped away a tear that started to fall from my eye. "Sherry, you're gonna be fine okay?"

"But I want to be stronger too Jake!" I shouted trembling. "I want to be able to defend myself! I wish I had some skills so I wouldn't be the weak one out of the bunch..." I couldn't help it - I started to cry.

I didn't want to sit back and do nothing while everyone protected me. I didn't want to run away and hide away from danger! I wanted to fight back - protect the people I cared for and prevent harm from coming their way. I wouldn't run - I couldn't. I wanted to fight and be a force to be reckoned with – even with my demure looks.

"Sherry - you don't have to fight. You're useful in your own way and I'd hate to put any responsibility like that on you..."

That pissed me off. "Jake please..." I cried. "I feel like I'm useless! I couldn't stand a storm when I tried to help your mother, Sheva had to help me get away from the dogs and even when we split up I had ran away and crumbled crying to myself in the dark until you came. I couldn't protect Sheva from those disgusting pigs, I couldn't even protect Mar from getting away from me – because of me, he was almost crushed by a bookshelf!"

"Sherry..."

"Face it, Jake – I'm... weak." I was falling apart inside. I never felt so much self-loathing before. I was pitiful. "In fact... if it weren't for my healing abilities... I wouldn't even be here -"

"Shut up."

"But Jake -"

"I said shut up!"

I flinched, my breath caught in my throat. He was looking at me with eyes of blazing fire. He was angry - flaming with rage judging from the look he was giving me. I was still as a statue, afraid that if I moved he would attack me.

"You try, don't you? You do your best where you can right?" he drawled to me, his voice deep and raspy as he watched me seething with anger. "So why the hell are you beating yourself up?"

I couldn't handle that gaze of his, I turned away. "I-I'm sorry..."

"Look at me." I shook my head weakly. "Look at me right now."

I was scared to. You're truly being weak, Sherry - you're running from your fears. How are you any better than Mrs. Stephanie? "J-Jake I... I can't."

I got up and made my way towards my room. I needed to compose myself before I did any more damage. I felt disgusted with myself - this was why I couldn't face him. I had degraded myself by being so pathetic and it made me feel awful.

When I got to my room I nearly screamed upon discovering Jake had made it there before I did - but he had been sitting on the couch when I left! How did he...?

Oh yeah... super speed...

He stared at me with cold eyes. "What's your problem, Sherry?" he asked harshly and I bit my lip from his tone. "Jesus Christ - you're doing the same shit Deborah did! I already swore to you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you ever again! Why can't you accept that?! Why won't you let me take care of you...?"

I sat down on the bed and hugged one of the stuffed animals tightly in my arms. It was a white fluffy bunny - fitting really, considering I felt like a helpless little rabbit myself. "Jake... I-I'm sorry... please can I have a moment to pull myself together?"

"You're asking me to leave you alone after you just said that to me? Heh - you're really a mental case right now." he let out a disgusted laugh and I didn't blame him, I was really out of it...

"Please, I'm so, so sorry. I've been trying to block that night out of my mind and it just... I can't seem to. I feel like I'm falling apart because I haven't truly accepted it. Please Jake, I just need a moment to get my thoughts together. I promise I'll come to you once I have." I leaned back onto the soft mattress and curled up on my side facing out the window at the cloudy day outside. I couldn't look at him - I felt I looked truly pathetic.

"I can't..." he said softly.

"Why?"

"Because I... I hate seeing the girl I -" he stopped again.

The girl you what, Jake?

He sighed loudly. "There's a reason I call you Supergirl, ya know. There ain't much you can't do and there sure ain't nothing you wouldn't do. So you're not a Kung Fu legend or whatever – who cares? You're still a fighter to me. It doesn't matter what you go up against, you try hard and don't back down. You stand up for those who can't and you're always trying to help whenever you can. You're a voice of reason where the most of us resort to violence and bitter anger."

"So what if you get scared and cry – there's nothing wrong with that. I don't care what anyone's told you in the past. Being afraid and crying does not make you weak."

I felt his hand on the small of my back. "I wanna keep you safe, Sherry. You're a force all your own, gentle and responsible but I see you as a girl who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove. You never give up and you don't back down. Heh, if I'm the man of steel - you're the lady of iron, you're my Supergirl."

"Oh Jake..." I felt stupid.

"I know you're scared baby girl, but trust me – you're always safe with me."

Scared… it's true, I'm scared. That's why I'm freaking out like this.

Here I was, lucky to be alive and healthy - unharmed yet Deborah was in a coma, her future lied in the hands of time. I had survived through her ordeal, yet I was wallowing in a pity pot instead of taking that experience and doing what I wanted to do all along – help everyone around me.

I shouldn't be so weak. I'd survived each of the experiences and yes I had endured because of the help I received from others but wasn't that what I always wanted?

I always wanted friends, people who I could care for and would do the same in return. And each and every single one of them had done just that - helped me because they cared about me.

What was really so wrong with getting help from others? I thought about Jake's words when he said that he didn't understand why Deborah wouldn't accept the help offered by him and Helena - I think I kind of understood now. She probably was like me – wanting to be strong on her own, make decisions for herself.

But I had walked that route before and it wasn't a happy one. It was a lonely life. Now I could see the effect of what happened when one tried to walk a life of solitude.

The difference between Deborah and I was that I didn't reject the help I received. I allowed people to help me, despite my former life of over-independence and even though I accepted assistance, I still didn't run from danger. I fought back to protect the people I cared for. I didn't hide even when I was scared, I stood my ground each time.

But for some reason, I was feeling unnerved. I didn't know how to stand up - I was still quite bothered by the memories of the men who had attacked me, especially after seeing how capable they were of brutalizing a girl. If I hadn't been able to recover, I surely would have been killed - it made me feel awful. I could have died that day and the idea of it... scared me.

I really am afraid...

I sat up and looked at the man I put so much of my faith in. He was crouched down beside me, rubbing my thigh soothingly. I felt like a jerk - I said such a horrible thing and all because I was scared. I probably scared Jake too - he was probably afraid of the same thing I was - that I could have been just like Deborah.

I managed a small smile towards him and he returned it. "Jake... please forgive me. I shouldn't have said such a thing... I wasn't thinking."

He shook his head. "Don't, you shouldn't apologize. I get it, you're scared and there's nothing wrong with that baby - as long as you keep reminding yourself that I'm here and I'm gonna keep you safe no matter what."

That's right, because you're always there when I need you.

I smiled warmly and put down the stuffed animal to extend my arms out to him. "I could use a hug right now."

He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze before collapsing softly onto the bed beside me. He pulled me on top of him and just held me there where I felt warm, safe and cared for.

"So in the next few weeks or so we're gonna head to Finland where I know you'll be safe but..." I just listened quietly as I rest my head on his chest. "If it would make you feel better, over the time we spend there, I could teach you a few things so that you can take down any dude that comes near you – at least until I get there and destroy them."

I practically squealed and squeezed him tightly which made him laugh. I showered him with kisses all over his handsome face until I got to his lips. I boldly pecked his lips three times repeating over and over: "Thank you!"

"So I take it you're feeling better?" he asked with a raised brow once I stopped. I nodded ecstatically in response to him. "Good, I hate seeing you like that. Promise me you won't do it again - that you're gonna remember how special and strong you are no matter what."

I kissed him once again. "I promise." I assured and buried my face in his chest to hide my reddened cheeks. "You're the best, baby..." I purred.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

---

Later that day, Jake and I went to pick Mar up from school. I went inside the building to get the little genius and when I returned, Jake looked more than troubled. I strapped Mar into his booster seat and asked worriedly what was wrong once I got back into the passenger's seat.

"I need to go – now." he said hurriedly but I gripped his arm.

"Jake, what's going on, please tell me." I begged as he started to pick up speed. Mar was in the back strapped into his car seat, quietly watching us with big blue eyes.

"It's Deborah." he said darkly.

I gasped. "Jake, please – take me with you."

"Sherry you know I can't –"

"Remember what you told me? As long as I'm with you I'm safe – remember?"

He stared hard at me. "You need to look after Mar, Sherry."

"Or I could come with you…" Mar said soberly with a blank face.

I looked back and forth between the two. "Jake please, Mar and I won't get in the way – but I'm tired of sitting at home helpless. Supergirl doesn't run from danger – you know that." I smiled.

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, how about this - you two stick with me, but in the event we're separated, Sherry do not leave Mar's side, understand?" I nodded.

When we arrived at the hospital, Jake led the way as I had no clue where Deborah's room was. I held Mar in my arms so I wasn't able to run too fast but once we finally made it, Sheva waved us over. Immediately, she put a brown wig on my head [that she pulled from her purse… ] and gave me some glasses – I asked why but she urged me to wear them anyway.

A second later I knew why I needed them – it was Simmons. I quickly put the glasses on – luckily they were prescription and I could see through them and then I straightened up the short bob cut wig, brushing the brown bang down on my forehead.

"At least this way he won't notice her on first glance." I heard her tell Jake. He had a brow raised when I looked over to him but eventually he nodded and asked for me to hand Mar over to him.

"I'll keep him for the moment, he'll notice you instantly with the little guy."

Simmons was inside the room talking with the doctors. He looked calm and collected as always but at some point he had the nerve to laugh at something. What kind of person finds any humor in their life while someone they call a daughter was suffering.

"You've been here all day?" Jake asked Sheva.

She nodded. "Steve told me to keep an eye out for Simmons. I called everyone and they should be here shortly."

"Why you though?"

She shrugged. "He doesn't know me from a friend of you guys or Deborah's. In the event he asked, I was told to say I was her friend and worried for her."

"What's he doing?" I asked watching him cautiously.

"I don't know, but out of everyone I've seen here today he's the only one who's allowed to go inside the room. No one, not even Helena has that privilege so what the hell's going on?"

I glanced over at Mar and rubbed his back. He was calm and doing the same thing the rest of us were but I wanted him to know I was still there for him. He side glanced at me and then back to Simmons. He was extremely focused on something…

I noticed Jake was on the phone now, it sounded like he was talking to Piers. "Piers and Helena just made it," he announced. "They're coming in now."

Sheva checked her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. "Carlos, David and Steve are here now too. Let's see what he's going to try."

Once the group arrived, Helena growled when hre eyes caught Simmons. She tried to rush inside but Simmons agents were blocking the way now. Piers and Steve sent me a confused look for a second but Sheva explained her reasons for disguising me.

"What's he doing in there?!" Helena shouted. "If I can't go then why is he able to?!"

"Stand back ma'am – the conversation is confidential." One of the agents told her after ushering her backwards.

"Get your filthy hands off me! That's my fucking sister in there!" I gasped when Helena punched the guy square in the face, knocking him clean to the floor.

Chaos erupted instantly. Hospital security raced over and tried to restrain Helena but at this time the other agent pulled out a small black object. I saw Piers race over and before it could make contact with Helena, Piers twisted the agent's wrist and a loud pop sounded out.

I saw Jake was missing – a single flash went past me and there was Jake holding down one of the security guards while Helena kicked the other in the groin. Carlos, David and Steve then entered the brawl as more security emerged.

It looked like a hundred car pileup.

Siren's sounded out in the hospital as calls for security became more frequent. I scooped Mar into my arms to protect him from getting trampled by the barrage of people running pushing others around.

I saw bodies flying – huge security guards were tossed into the air, landing on potted plants and other hospital furniture. Sheva came up beside me, a fierce look in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Mar and me. A second later we were bulldozing through the masses like football players. For a pregnant woman, Sheva sure was powerful!

As we closed in on the center bunch I could make out Helena straddling an agent while she pounded his face in. Carlos and David were taking down security left and right. The other agent and Piers began to engage in a violent exchange of blows with Piers delivering a debilitating uppercut to the guy that made him stumble backwards and fall onto a coffee table.

And then there was Jake. He was the one tossing the security guards. He was a one man army who just seemed to flash everywhere, smashing faces in one second and in the next he was sending people flying in all directions.

I looked away after hearing a loud whistle ahead of us. It was Steve, signaling for us to come to him. He was at the entrance to Deborah's room. As we neared him, a security guard grabbed Sheva and slammed her against the wall. I gasped in horror as he roughly began to restrain her.

I frowned and felt a power come to me that I never had before. I buried Mar's face into my chest so he wouldn't see anything and I did a low roundhouse kick to the guy's side that sent him tumbling over, clutching his ribs in pain.

Sheva got up quickly and wrapped her arms around me again, a smile on her face. "You're pretty tough behind that baby face – aren't you?!"

I grinned and looked down at Mar. He was smiling too. I did it! I kept them safe! I never knew I could be so strong!

As we closed in on Steve, the agent that Helena was fighting had knocked her off of him and dizzily made a lunge for Steve, asserting that none were allowed entry to the room. I held my breath but was stunned when Steve's foot collided with the guy's stomach and he pushed him back down to the floor with a forceful forward kick.

Wow... he really can handle himself. Claire's a lucky girl.

"Go on, Sherry!" Sheva shouted, pushing me forward into Steve's arms. "Get in that room and help her like you helped me!"

I looked back and forth at her and Steve. "But first…" I yipped as Steve freed one of my arms from Mar and pushed it inside his coat. "Feel along the back of my jacket and grab the first metal thing you feel." he said with a smile.

It was weird but I did as he asked, trying to stop blushing from being so close to him and pulled out a black baton. How'd that get there? "It's a stun rod, Sherry – if Simmons' tries to hit you, whack him with it. By then Jake should kick the door down and take care of the rest – good luck!" he said cheerfully.

I was speechless at first but then he punched the lock on the door and ushered me inside…

The doctor looked terrified as the door shut behind me. I stood there helplessly with Mar in my arms but the stun rod clinched in one hand. Simmons was surprised at first but then a creepy smirk crept onto his wrinkled face.

"Miss Birkin… is that you?" he purred and I frowned. "That disguise isn't very fitting for your natural beauty."

I dare you to try something you pig!

"What are you doing, Mr. Simmons? Why is it that you can see her but Helena can't?" I asked sternly, Mar slid from my arms and landed softly on the ground. He was beside me and he looked solemn as he stared at Simmons.

"That's none of your concern, girl. Go away." he spat darkly.

"He's trying to pull the plug on her." I gasped and looked at Mar. "He's trying to convince the doctor that Helena doesn't need to see her sister and it's best to end her life because she's a vegetable. I heard him."

I sent him the harshest glare I could muster. "Is that true?!" I demanded an answer.

He shot daggers at Mar and I stepped in front of the child so he couldn't intimidate him. "I'm up here, Mr. Simmons – I expect an answer!"

"She's brain dead! What good is it to keep her around?!" he exclaimed irately.

"She survived a brutal attack and you want to end her life without giving her sister a chance to say goodbye?!" I challenged.

"Um, sir…" the doctor started suddenly. "Did you want me to turn off the machine?"

"Of course I want you to. There's no need for dead brained women to keep living." he glared darkly at me and I frowned at him. "Pull the plug."

"No! Stop!" I sprinted over to stop the doctor as he reached to end Deborah's life.

Simmons grabbed me around my waist. "Do not get in the way!"

"F-Father…?"

Everyone stopped.

Deborah was looking at us!

She's… She's alive! I felt tears swell in my eyes.

The doctor pulled back from the machine and smiled. "Well, it looks like there's no need to –"

"Yes there is!" Simmons shouted suddenly and I flinched under his tone. "Pull the plug or I'll have your license!"

"B-But she's –" the doctor tried but Simmons roughly dropped me to the floor and back handed the doctor with such force he fell onto the machine unconscious… unplugging it at the same time.

Mar came over to me as I cried out in horror. He tapped me and pointed to Deborah – she was sitting up! My presence really was curing her!

A second later Simmons snatched me up from the floor and suspended me in the air by my upper arms. "You! You're the reason for this!"

I cried out in pain, unable to stop him. A moment later I fell to the floor as he yelled an anguished cry. I saw it was Mar – he'd hit him with the stun rod! Simmons crumbled to the floor and Deborah cried for him. She looked at me and frowned behind those bandages on her face.

"He's my father! How could you?!" she shouted. "Get out! Get out of here!"

"W-Wait – I'm here to help! He was going to –" she hit the alarm close to her bed.

Instantly the door opened behind me and security rushed inside. I grabbed Mar close to me and we were snatched away by the authorities and removed from the room. The brawl outside had still be raging on but now there were actual cops on the scene.

Sometime after that, everyone was taken to the police station.

---

Unlike everyone else, Sheva, Steve and I weren't taken into a holding cell or anything. They cuffed us to chairs in the waiting room and surprisingly they left Mar with me. Steve told them about Mr. Wesker and they shut their mouths instantly. The guy must have had some serious street creds.

I knew we were also in some serious trouble.

We were all going to be questioned about what happened and if we were lucky we would just be subjected to community service for a while but that was highly unlikely.

A while after we waited there, Mr. Wesker showed up and judging from the look he gave me, I knew I was going to be fired. I screwed up while trying to play hero, endangered Mar and even got arrested while he was in my care. I would fire me too... But it kills me to think I'll never see this little guy again... Tears came to my eyes.

"Miss Birkin," he said coldly and I looked up to him with a look of fear and misery. "You understand this is unacceptable behavior – and in front of my youngest son, how despicable."

My heart hurt. Is this what I would get every time I tried to help? "I understand, sir… and I agree."

"I will discuss this with you later." he looked to Mar as he sat on my lap, hugging me. "Marlowe, stay here with her. I'll bring your brother out shortly."

Turns out this was all a plan set up by Jake, Helena, Piers and Steve to try and help Deborah… but in the end – it was for naught.

Shortly after I was hurled away, the doctors had announced Deborah was dead.

---

A/N: One hell of a chapter! I hope everyone was okay with the steamy part in here. And this is officially the longest chapter ever. I really should have broken it apart – I apologize for the length – it just seems like a burden to make it this long but I couldn't find a good spot to split it at.

Things are really heating up for poor Sherry! Is she going to be fired? Only the next chapter will tell!

If you have any questions or concerns let me know! In the meantime, see you next update! Remember to R&R – it's good to hear feedback on the fic's progress!

See you soon!

- Vio