Chapter 35
A Matter of Family
The next few weeks that followed were fairly uneventful. Jesse spent most of his time resting. Just like Notch had said, he was healing fast, a perk of being revived by a deity. But he was still very weak at most times, confined to either the bedroom or the living room.
Ivor stayed at the house as well, mostly to ask Steve and Alex questions about the different worlds they had visited, and their experiences as the Immortals.
Lukas and Petra took turns staying at the house with Jesse, or training, while the other went with Aiden to help around the repairing village.
Steve and Alex remained relatively busy, most of their time was spent helping their home town. This took time, conditions were no longer favorable, with winter now closed in upon the town. Steve and Alex were also still slowly healing from their battle with Herobrine, the enchantments doubled with the extensive power used in their deity states left little remaining energy to heal quickly.
They spoke with Jesse on occasion, and they did spend time with him. But they respectfully kept their distance for the most part. They never spent any alone time with him, someone else was always in the room.
It took a few weeks before Jesse realized they were afraid too. Despite Jesse's constant hints that he bore no grudge, or resentment; Steve and Alex deep down were ashamed. They pictured themselves as a failure in his eyes.
It left Jesse feeling stuck on how he could tell them that it was okay, that he was okay. But they never were alone, they couldn't bring themselves to do it.
So, he was rather surprised when Steve actually spoke to him as Jesse sat alone one crisp winter morning. Winter was in full force now; the snow was on the ground the First World had gone into a sleep. It wasn't very early in the morning, rather late actually. But winter kept the light to itself.
"You should be in bed resting…"
Jesse stopped swinging on the porch swing. He adjusted his jacket, a gift from Alex when they had to visit a snow biome temple. He tightened it around himself, adjusting the fur lining. "I'm sorry, but I've been cooped up so long. I needed fresh air."
Steve closed the front door, puffs of hot air escaping his mouth each time he breathed out into the brisk winter air, "It's freezing out here though."
Jesse adjusted his jacket awkwardly again, "I'm again. I was just going stir crazy. I'll go back in if you want me to."
"It's fine, it's really up to you." Steve softly laughed, "I understand."
He looked at the adult, slowly inspecting up and down, "What's with the walking stick and backpack?"
Steve looked at his gear, "One last hike before the winter sets in…." He hesitated. "Umm…."
"Yes?"
"Would you like to come with me? Are you feeling well enough to walk?"
"Really?!" Jesse glanced into the house, knowing everyone else was probably still asleep. "No one will freak out if they wake up and find me gone?"
"Alex is awake," Steve looked into the house as well, "If you go get a scarf, I'll go in and tell Alex the plan.
He stood, excited that Steve seemed comfortable enough to spend time with him again. He hurried in the house while Steve went to fill Alex in. Steve was already outside, by the time he came back, readjusting his pack on is shoulder.
"Alright, where are we going?"
Steve hopped off the porch, "An old place of mine."
Jesse followed and together the pair trekked off. They went past the village- its lights all out as its residents slept. They went over the bridge, and down the road in the direction of the Portal. The river quietly made its way along under the bridge vanishing into the woods.
They walked about a mile, maybe two; it was a slow progress. Jesse still wasn't up to full par, and Steve wasn't exactly running a marathon either. So, they stayed their own pace the time passing by as they trekked. After the second mile or so, Steve suddenly veered off the road and into the woods. There was no path, no marked trail….
"How do you know the way?"
"I'll never forget it. I may not be able to remember a lot of things with thousands of years of memories…" Steve said quietly, "There may be no more path, but I can still see it in my own way."
"Last time I was here," Jesse said, "I was apparently lost of hours. It only felt like a few minutes though."
"This forest started when this world was made, it is very old." Steve explained, "Old and full of magic I suppose. It can mess with whatever and whomever it wants."
They walked quietly for some time, only the crunch of snow under their boots. The forest itself was very quiet. The only sound was Steve humming a tune. He occasionally sang a word or two, "If all the snowflakes…. were candy bars and milkshakes…."
The song eventually trailed off but the hike continued. The sun had risen over the horizon, lighting up the sky highlighting the vibrant blues. The entire forest started to glow in bright whites, stark black shadows making patterns in the snow. It was pristine and perfect, not a track was in sight. The trees without their leaves stood like silent guardians all around. It was hard to believe that this was the same dark and scary forest from all that time before.
It was so beautiful.
"I like this time of year," Steve said suddenly, "Most of the spawns like to hibernate. It's nice and quiet."
"I can't imagine not having spawns around," Jesse replied. "This world really is one of a kind."
"It is…"
Steve pointed to a spot in the frozen river, "That's a good place to fish, trout are big and the spiders are few."
Jesse froze.
"Come on kiddo! Let's go fishing today!"
Steve noticed Jesse's footsteps skip a tempo, he looked back, "You alright kid- Jesse? Do we need to stop?"
"No, no, I'm okay."
Steve stared a second longer before nodding and looking back forward.
Jesse paused, biting his lip. "Actually…Steve?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can- can you tell me what happened that day?"
"What day?
"The day you…." Jesse trailed off.
Steve stopped walking, "Oh." He said quietly, "That day." He started walking again.
"Look I understand if you don't want to talk about it but-
"No no…." Steve stopped walking again, he sighed heavily, "It isn't a matter of if I want to or not….Maybe we should sit down for a bit."
Jesse settled down on a nearby stump "Can you?" he asked as Steve took of his pack and leaned into a tree.
"I guess you more than anyone deserves to know." Steve replied, "It feels like forever ago now. But I guess it started out like any normal day…."
The fish wasn't dead yet, not even close. It wiggled and writhed in the water filled basket still trying to escape. It slapped its captors tail in the face with a thick tail, just to show its displeasure.
Jesse squealed in delight anyway.
Steve laughed and pulled the excitable toddler onto his lap, "Comer here buddy, leave the fish be."
Jesse mumbled something in his youngster speak, clapping his hands joyfully. His cheek was red and wet where tail had met skin, but he seemed unfazed.
It had been a successful fishing tip so far. Five fish were in the bucket and Jesse only slightly attempted to eat a puffer fish.
The fishing pole tugged in Steve's hand.
Jesse let out another ear splitting delighted squeal.
Steve shook his head, but he was laughing. With all the racket his son made, it was a wonder they caught any fish at all.
"Wreel!" Jesse cried.
"Yes, reel, very good."
Steve easily pulled the bass from the river, roughly five pounds. Not too big, but still good, "Look at what you caught Jesse." Jesse giggled, clapping those little hands in delight.
Steve set Jesse onto the ground next to him, and grabbed his net, "How about we take all this to Mommy eh Jesse?" Steve turned around, the fish wiggling in the net, "Gah! Jesse!"
His son was head first in the bucket, doing some fishing of his own.
Steve dropped his pole and scooped his son out, "Jesse!"
Water ran down the toddler's head, out his nose and mouth, but he let out a bubbling wave of laughter, "Phish!"
Steve let out a relieved breath, "Okay time to go home I think."
Jesse cheered, wiggling eagerly. Steve set him down and the youngster burst off into a adorable waddle towards his horses, Apollo and Artemis. Steve shook his head for the hundredth time, and released his last catch into the bucket; closing and locking the lid.
At the horses, Jesse was already trying to climb up Artemis. The beast was patient, having gotten used to the youth's antics long ago.
Steve stood and nearly tripped as his first step was met with a irritated squeak. He looked down, giving Rueben a slight frown. The piglet wiggled at him, knowing full well he was under Jesse's loving protection.
Steve had planned to get rid of the run be merely setting him free when Rueben was big enough to survive on his own. But Jesse thought he was going to kill the animal, and like scene out of some child's book, Jesse would have none of it. Now the pair were inseparable, Rueben often rubbing it in, and Steve couldn't do a damn thing.
Not that he minded really.
He attached the bucket to Apollo, all while Jesse babbled away down below. He picked up Rueben next, the little piglet squealing a little. But he settled down once on the back of the horse. Steve then scooped up Jesse, and resting him on his hip, made his way towards Artemis.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Yeah!"
Steve jumped up, Jesse screaming in delight and landed on their horse. Artemis grunted slightly, looking back at Steve not amused. She looked forward again after he gave her an apologetic shrug.
"Go!" Jesse cheered.
Artemis moved forward as commanded, careful not to go too fast. She kept a steady trot, enough to pacify Jesse and keep Steve at ease. They did not need to ride the horses, not really. The house was only about three miles away. Honestly Steve probably would have been faster on foot, but Jesse just adored those horses. It allowed him time to enjoy the scenery anyway.
Alex's hunch about this world had been correct. It was full of beauty and potential. Like all worlds it had its spawns of course, but they were rarer here, and less aggressive than the ones in the First World. It was a great place to raise the crazy child of two equally crazy Immortals.
Steve glanced down at Jesse. The boy happily talked away to Artemis. Even though the horse could never speak back it didn't seem to bother either of them. Steve wondered casually if Jesse would always be good with animals no matter how long or brief his life would be.
Would his son be an Immortal as well?
Three things happened in that next moment.
The forest was deathly quiet, Steve noticed, save for the distant rumble of a far but quickly approaching storm. Rueben suddenly let out a terror filled squeal, cutting though the silence like a knife. So loud and prominent in fact, it even stopped Jesse's talking. Artemis and Apollo stopped, nearly knocking Steve off at the sudden halt.
"Artemis, move," Steve urged his horse forward.
The animal refused to budge.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Steve slid off, "Hang tight okay Jesse?"
Steve grabbed the reigns and began walking. Artemis and Apollo followed, but they were reluctant. Artemis kept trying to turn around, but Steve's firm grip on the reigns stopped her. His horses had never acted in such a way before. He'd owned both since they were born. Steve knew they were as loyal as they come.
He should have known right then, that there was something wrong…
But he didn't.
Steve stopped at the clearing of his own, and comfortable little wooden cabin, on a small patch of farm land. Artemis was tugging on the reigns, frantic, angry.
The silence had his attention now.
But it was the unhinged door of his house that made his heart stop.
Steve drew his sword, leaving Jesse with the horses, know it would be safer for him if there was an intruder inside. He stepped into the threshold, moving around the crooked door. "Alex? He pushed the door a little wider to squeeze all the way in. It opened with an aching groan, the hinges bent and barely holding.
"Alex?" he repeated, a little more urgently this time.
The lack of answer only heightened his fears.
The living room was a disaster, furniture toppled from one corner to the other-
Blood, there was blood staining the wall.
"Alex?!"
Steve ran into the kitchen, but he slid out on the tile, crashing and landing hard into a thick puddle of blood. "No!" It was everywhere, staining the tile and the walls. But his beloved wife was nowhere to be found. Steve scrambled up, blood staining his hands and clothes, "Al-"
"She's gone Steven…"
The Immortal froze at the living room entrance. He slowly turned around. "Herobrine." He snarled out.
Casually sitting on the stair rail leading upstairs, Herobrine was putting his shirt back on. It was covered in blood stains and slash marks. He popped his head through the upper hole, lifting part of the shirt up to wiggle his fingers through one of the holes in the desecrated fabric, "She's kinda a pain with the kitchen knife…"
Steve said nothing, just barely but nervously glancing towards the front door, knowing his son was outside.
"So, where is the little bundle of joy brother dear?"
He glared, "What?"
Herobrine smiled, "It has been a few years since we've last seen each other. Last I checked – before you kindly collapsed that water temple on me- you and Alex were planning on starting a family." His smile dropped, "I warned you Steve what would happen if you did."
"We have no child-"
"Liar," The demon pointed upstairs, "Already found the bed and the clothes. Frankly, I'd prefer if we'd go back to our three-player game. I let you keep Alex, but a child…" he tsked, "But tell me anyway, do I have a niece or a nephew?"
"You haven't been a part of my family for a long time," Steve said coolly, "Should I choose to start a family it is not in your power to decide. Now," He tensed, his sword catching fire, "I suggest you leave."
Herobrine faked hurt, the white orbs glinting. "I thought we were special? Guess I'm going to have to get my point across the hard way," he sighed. "You can't stop me Steve, I will kill your child." He looked towards the front door, "Wouldn't happen to be outside, would they?"
Steve roared and lunged, grabbing the fire poker from the smoldering fireplace. Herobrine whipped his head back forward. He barely blocked Steve's sword on its down swing, but was unable to stop the poker from meeting his eyes.
"Augh!"
Steve swung the poker up, then down, impaling Herobrine in the leg leaving him pinned and blinded on the stair rail. It didn't stop him from trying to attack though. He swung out, nearly catching Steve in the throat with his own knife.
Steve fell back and out the door, scrambling away.
"You can't run!" Herobrine roared, as Steve fled his home.
Steve lit his hands on fire and with one heave launched a wave of fire towards his home. It went up like a torch as the inferno hit, the heat wave rolling out of the explosion was immense.
Jesse wailed, startled by the fire and the blood covering Steve.
Steve scooped his son off the horse, snapping the reigns of the post. He grabbed Rueben next, freeing Apollo as well. The horses bucked in a frenzy as they fled. Steve trained them as loyal as he could, but even his best could never face the monstrosity inside his burning home.
A whistle of a blade caught his attention, nearly muffled as Jesse released a blood curling wail. Steve ducked, Herobrine's sword embedding itself into the tree behind him. He turned to face his burning home, despaired to see Herobrine had survived the inferno.
The dark Immortal crawled from the door, his flesh burned and his leg bleeding profusely. He looked up at Steve, his eyes seared and damaged, but his body was slowly mending, "Too weak," he rasped out through burnt vocals.
Jesse sobbed in his ear.
Herobrine stood, pulling the poker from his leg. "Not lethal enough."
Rueben screeched.
"Fight….or run Steve?" Can you beat me and protect your child at the same time? Can you spare their fate?" Herobrine spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Papa!"
Steve turned and fled.
The boulder missed Steve by only inches, and that was only because he was holding onto Jesse.
Steve rolled, keeping is son and the pig tucked close he slid down a muddy bank and backed into a small river cave. Thunder roared, lightning flashed and rain poured down in pelting waves, all the while Jesse wailed.
'Shhh, shhhh." His wife's blood had long since been washed from his clothes and skin, having been blasted off by the rainstorm. But Jesse was still in a state of terror no matter how much he tried to sooth, "Jesse, it's okay, we're okay."
His son still cried, adding on to the deafening gale. The trauma was burned deep into Jesse.
He was only so lucky that Herobrine could see as little as Steve could hear at the moment. Damaging his eyes always left the Dark Immortal disoriented and angry. He was shooting in the dark, attacking only where he could pick up a sound. The few times Herobrine had been close, Jesse's enchantment protected the both.
He couldn't keep this up forever though. Herobrine would eventually corner him, and even Steve wasn't sure how effective the enchantments could be for Jesse.
Another chunk of something hit somewhere outside, shaking the small damp cave. Jesse wailed, clinging to Steve as tight as his little fingers allowed.
"Shh, Jesse it's okay." Steve soothed, he untucked his amulet, rubbing the stone till it glowed. "See? We're okay." His son whimpered, grasping onto the glowing blue piece of jewelry.
"I know you're close brother dear~"
Steve stiffened as Herobrine's calm and even voice cut through the gale. "I know you're here~" The top of the ceiling cracked and Steve fled the cave just as it collapsed in on itself.
He took a running leap, lunging across the river rapids.
"Gotcha!"
Steve felt something solid hit him in the back and he cried out in pain, Jesse screamed as he toppled forward. He tucked his son and the piglet close, but at the cost of making his landing. Steve landed hard, rolling and smashing into a tree on the opposite side of the river.
Herobrine tore up rock from his side of the water, "Nowhere to run now!" he roared, hurling the masses of debris at the trio. Steve tucked Jesse close, covering his head.
The rock shattered inches from them, scattering everywhere and hitting everything save for Jesse. Herobrine's expression twisted into one of confusion and rage, "What is this?!" he demanded. The immortal being took a running sprint and leapt over the rapids.
Steve scrambled up and mentally forced the water to bend to his will. Tendrils of ice cold river water shot from the rushing currents, snapping around Herobrine's waist and yanking him into the water.
The river froze over in an instant, the surface beginning to crack like glass. Steve turned and fled. He didn't have anywhere safe to run, they were on a mountain, he could tell by the terrain there were only cliffs and steep drops ahead. Behind him the river shatters ice shooting into the heavens. But Steve didn't look back, he found the first edge and without taking a second glance held his child and Rueben close and jumped.
"You can't run forever Steven!"
Steve waited till the pair turned their horses and left the clearing before he too turned his back and moved away.
I promise I'll come back for you Jesse.
Leaving his child with two complete strangers was not ideal. But Steve could sense goodness in their hearts. He knew Jesse would be safe with them until he returned. But it still crushed him inside as he put distance between him and his precious boy.
Herobrine shot out of the dark, sword already swinging.
Steve summoned his blade, barely able to block in time as Herobrine met him head on. Steve flipped back, landing roughly on a fallen tree. He leapt off it, landing again in a clearing as Herobrine followed after him.
"No little beastie?" Herobrine chuckled, "Left them in the woods to die eh?"
"My child will not be harmed by you, not now not ever." Steve snarled, "Already well out of your reach."
"No matter…" Herobrine scrapped his sword along the mud, "I will eventually find them, but until then your little one will suffer because Daddy, never came home." He swung.
Steve blocked, parrying around his brother and stabbing for the ribs, "Why should this matter to you!" he demanded. He flipped as Herobrine went for his legs, kicking up mud. "This has nothing to do with you!"
"This has everything to do with me!" Herobrine sucked water from a nearby tree whipping it at Steve before the other could come in for a lunge, "That you dare pretend to be normal! That you dare disregard who you are! You are a god!"
"I am no god! And neither are you!" he ducked, feeling the sharpness of the water slice into his cheek.
"You have a sniveling little brat and pretend you are nothing! You cannot ignore who you are Steven! You cannot live a normal life and ignore me!"
"You never had a say!"
"I can handle Alex, but your child." Herobrine landed onto a fallen tree, "Your child is your everything. And nothing, nothing in this world or any of Notch's damned worlds will stop me from taking everything from you."
Thunder rumbled above and lightning flashed.
Steve's blood boiled, "You will never harm-" he parried a blow, snapping Herobrine's diamond blade.
"I will! And I assure you it will be in the most agonizing way possible!" Herobrine roared, twisted around Steve's follow up attack.
Herobrine's boot came into contact with Steve's chest, knocking him across the clearing. Steve slammed into the mud, rolling from the impact, his sword knocked clean from his hands. He got up onto his hands and knees, looked desperately for the blue blade in the mud.
"Wonder how long it will before your child figures you are never coming home!" Herobrine sneered, racing forward with his broken weapon.
Steve slid away, his backside coming to a stop against a boulder.
No!
Herobrine was grinning, "You've lost Steven!"
Looking past his brother, he snapped, "No! You have!" He dodged the blade, it barely missed his throat. He set both his feet against Herobrine's chest, and shoved hard. The force sent his brother flying right in to the branches of a fallen tree.
The first large branch tore out of Herobrine's chest and he stiffened, a startled pained sound escaping his lips. He reached up, gripping the branch, as blood dripped out and bone cracked. "Well played…" he rasped out.
Steve slumped down the boulder, chest heaving, "You….won't get to my…child…." He panted.
Herobrine grinned, blood staining his teeth, "Neither will you."
A pain blossomed in the middle Steve's stomach, and he looked down to see the hilt of Herobrine's blade. The other had thrown his sword at Steve when he had shoved him away. Steve slowly pulled out the blade, feeling the broken jagged weapon sliding through. He shakily removed it, the sword hitting the mud. But the damage had been done. He could feel it; his liver had been punctured, the poisons seeping into his body.
A fatal wound.
I'm sorry Jesse I -
Herobrine laughed, "And by the- erg- time you get back…" he laughed. "I'll already be here."
"You can't touch-" Steve coughed, "You can't touch my-my…" he cringed. "Alex and I have- enchantments in place. You'll never, not matter- no matter what form you take- you will never be able to touch our child."
Herobrine sneered, "Then….neither will you."
"I- I won't stop till I get my..."
"Think about it Steve," the other said, "Do really….do you really want them looking over their should their whole life? Do you want your precious little one to live in fear for as long as they live? They'll- they'll die by me or they'll die fearing me- me either way…I will win." He laughed.
Steve stiffened.
Herobrine kept laughing, kept laughing as he took his last breath in this world, "I…will…never….stop. And without…your gift…" he trailed off, eyes slipping closed.
Steve let his head fall back, looking up at the pouring sky, droplets splashing thick and hard on his face. He clutched his wound, tears slipping out of his eyes.
Gift?
His heart seizes.
The amulet!
Jesse doesn't have his amulet!
Steve lets out a broken wail as death takes its claim.
Steve's eyes shot open and he immediately leapt out of the clean cotton bed, "NO!"
Notch was on his feet in an instant, "Steve wait."
"No! I have to get back! I have to get to Jesse!" Steve looked frantically around the one room cabin, "Where is the damn door."
"Steve you need to-"
He whipped around to face his father, "Why didn't you warn me? Why didn't you say anything?!"
"I tried to get a hold of you!"
"Jesse is alone and I need to get to him! And-Where is the damn door!"
He finally found it, both of them. Steve froze. "No…."
"Steve if you'd just let me-
"Is he there?!"
"What?"
"Is. Jesse. There?! Is that what you were trying to tell me?!"
"No! Heaven's no!" Notch flinched, "I'm trying to tell if you need me-"
"Need you?!" Steve raged, "You weren't there when Herobrine did what he and you haven't been there since, what makes you think I can expect you to do anything for Jesse?!"
"Steve just wait you have to know. Herobrine-
The door slammed shut behind him and Steve awoke inside of his home in the First World.
"Alex!"
He heard the bang of the front door, and heavy footsteps up the stairs. He climbed out of the bed just as the bedroom door burst open.
Alex looked at him, winded, hair in disarray, eyes clouded with fear. She looked at him, tears pooling in the green orbs, "Steve! Oh, nonono!" she whipped back around, running down the stairs.
"Alex!"
"I was giving you some time, if you didn't come here then you made it- I- I should have just gone!" She stopped at the bottom turning around and grabbing his arms, "Is our baby safe? Steve please tell me he didn't-"
"I got Herobrine, Jesse is safe."
"We have to go, we have to get back!"
A thought was tugging on the back of his mind a lingering whisper. Steve looked over shoulder, even though he knew the crossroads door was no longer behind him. His father had said Herobrine… "Alex I think-"
She was already going out the door. "Steve hurry!"
"Alex wait! Jesse doesn't have his amulet!"
But his wife was gone, already trekking a grueling pace towards the portal gate. Not even slowing down as she entered the village ruins. "We have to beat him to the hallway then! We'll follow the maps!"
Steve ran up behind her as she got to the door, "Alex!" he gasped out.
"We don't have time to talk! We have to get back!" Alex jumped through the portal
Steve followed through, gasping as he entered the hallway. The signs, their maps. It was all gone. Every marker and label on every door in the portal hall had been destroyed.
Alex stood just a few feet away ahead of him, frozen in place. "No..No…..no…."
Steve joined her and looked at the one solitary sign remaining on the floor.
Which door? Which door? Can you even recall?
-Herobrine.
Steve freezes, his heart clenching. Because the sign is right. Thousands of years of memories, crammed into his mind and he can't remember which door is theirs. Which door is Jesse's and without the amulet they'll-
"No…." Alex brings shaking hands to her mouth, shaking her head. Because she's thinking the same thing. "No. No. No!" her skin cracks around her wrists, and her shaking amplifies. "No! No! JESSE!"
She collapses to the ground in a wail, a wave of power bursting forth from her as she succumbs to her grief. The energy that spreads out is hard and strong, some of the frames on nearby portal doors crack, killing their magic and making them go dark. Pillars snap and topple, shattering as they hit the ground.
Steve is buffeted back slightly by the force, the First World door groaning in protest behind him, but it holds. He realizes as he looks at the ruined hallway, that….
Notch had been trying to warn him.
"My baby…my baby…" Alex sobs. She remains on the floor of the desecrated hall, rocking back and forth on her knees as she cries into her hands, "Jesse my baby!"
Steve drops down pulling her in, trying to contain his own emotions as his wife relapses back and forth into her deity state. "We'll find him Alex."
Alex clings onto him, wailing, chest heaving.
"We will get him back."
"We looked for days, weeks, months." Steve said stiffly. "But there were twice as many doors, and neither of us had been there since your birth. Herobrine destroyed everything. And without your amulet we….we couldn't…"
Jesse was silent, watching as Steve struggled to keep going.
"By the time we thought we were getting close, he was back too." Steve continued, "He'd attack and if we lost he'd tear down all the markers and labels again. It just kept going. We tried everything, even the Immortal's gate and…. I couldn't get what he said out of my head. About you, looking over your shoulder your whole life." Steve took a shuddering breath, "We….I …..we discovered….we couldn't protect you. We couldn't see you die. A chance of you having a life without us was better than living in fear from someone who was after you since birth. We didn't want to see you die Jesse and…..We went back here, to the First World…and we never left. We failed you."
Jesse swallowed, looking down at the snow as he trekked, "You never left?"
"Only once, over a year ago. I had this feeling, this call. You were in danger…." The adult took a deep breath. "I went through the Immortal's Gate, I just let it take me where ever. And I ended up in this world, and there was this thing. It devoured everything and I…"
"The Witherstorm," Jesse gasped.
Steve didn't answer, "It had taken so much of the world, and I thought…this was where he was. Now he is gone."
Jesse said nothing.
Steve suddenly stopped talking and walking as well. Jesse looked forward and was surprised to see the cabin. The place where he had been at the beginning of this wild adventure.
"Wait, is this your house?"
"Yes," Steve said, voice barely hearable.
"I thought you had a house in the village. Lukas thought it was the one with all the fancy jewels in the walls?"
"I did on occasion, it was hard though. It was more of a temple than a house. Try sleeping when there is a statue of you downstairs." Steve opened the door of the cabin, "No, this was my first home, my first house. Everything very dear to me, everything important, I keep here."
Jesse entered the cabin once again, the air inside as brisk as the outside.
This was Steve's cabin, he realized. Suddenly the quaintness of the building had whole new feel to it.
Thousands of years ago, a single human alone in a vast empty world; had built his home here.
The thought of being in the first house ever created was overwhelming.
Steve kneeled down and picked up a book from the floor. The journal Jesse had dropped what seemed like an eternity ago. "That's your journal?"
"One of them anyway," The adult flipped through the book a moment. "I keep a diaries and write down every day of my life, so I can remember. But sometimes, I take important things, and I put them in separate logs. When Alex and I were searching for a place to raise you; I would document the ones we found fitting. It doesn't have exact locations, but it will help you find a general area for you to begin your search." He stops thumbing the book, "This is the one, I'll translate it when we get back."
"That will help," Jesse says, "Thanks."
"Had I known you were….I wish I had thought of this…" Steve cringes and shoves the journal into his pack.
"It's not your fault-"
"Jesse, we wanted so badly to have you with us," Steve says, "We thought what we did what was best. We thought staying away was the only way to keep you safe, because we couldn't protect you last time, because-" he flinches, "And you still almost died. And- and-"
"I know."
"We didn't want to leave you…" Steve says quietly. It's something he's been saying for years, Jesse could tell. It was a mantra to remind the Immortal of his biggest failure.
Herobrine had been wrong.
Jesse wasn't their biggest regret.
Losing him was…..
Jesse ponders on this a moment, he shoves his hands into his pockets. Then heart pounding, he moves closer to the broken man. "You know….It's kinda funny actually," he says after taking a second to gather his courage.
Steve looks at him, confused.
Jesse himself looks out the window, watching the snow lightly fall. "Axel, Olivia and I used to have this game when we were kids. We would go out looking at all the adults and try to pick who we liked best to be our parents. You know, wishful child thinking. But being here, I couldn't help but think about that all over again. Like how cool would it be, if Steve and Alex could have been my parents?" Jesse laughed, choking slightly on emotions, "And look at that, we were related!"
Steve stared.
"Look, what I mean to say is" Jesse continued, turning back to Steve, "I know you tried. I understand that you didn't want me looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. I get it, you wanted me safe."
"Jesse-"
"Just….let me finish?" Jesse let out a deep breath, "I know…it's going to take awhile. Accepting something as big as this is never easy. But I want you to know, that I ….I want to make this work. I want you to be my parents still."
Steve's eyes widened a little.
Jesse swallowed, throat thick, "So what do you say….Dad? Do you want to try? Because- cause I really do."
Steve said nothing at first. Jesse fought back tears at the slim prospect that Steve hadn't meant a word and didn't want him at all. But then suddenly Steve looked away, taking a shuddering breath. Then there was a choked cry, and tears were sliding down his cheeks. "If…If that's what you – if that would make you happy."
He almost cried in relief, "I was afraid you were going to say no, you took so long."
Steve looked back at him, eyes sparkling though tears. "I would never….ever not want you."
"I'm just so bad at speeches, I-"
"Genetic thing, my old man wasn't very good at them either."
Jesse smiled, "He really doesn't like it when you call him that."
Steve choked on a laugh, "Talked to him then?"
"Yeah, we played Uno," he answered.
"Sound so much like him."
Jesse shifted, "Are we….are you okay?"
"I'll be better when we tell Alex." Steve smiled softly, reaching out and running a hand along Jesse's cheek. "Jesse…" he mumbles, "My Jesse…."
Jesse let out a cry then, and Steve pulled him in, hugging him tight. "You came out better than I ever could have done," his father whispered
Jesse bumped foreheads with the other, "You would have done a good job."
"You're sweet, delusional – like me- but sweet."
Jesse laughed, clinging tighter to the person he had come to care greatly for. Steve was his father; and all those years missed didn't matter. He was here now, and that was a wonderful feeling.
"We should get back," Steve whispered, "Ale-" he paused noting Jesse's muffled laugh, "You're Mom is going to being getting lunch ready by now. And we have till dinner to get back. We don't want your friends to be worried."
"Heaven forbid if I scare them again."
The pair laughed, leaving the cabin behind. The air now slightly warmer that it had been before.
It was going to be okay.
Alex caught them both as they returned by dark. She smiled at Steve, hesitating slightly as he and Jesse approached together. "Did you have a good trip?" she asked softly.
"More than you know hun," Steve rubbed Jesse's arm, "More than you know."
She looked between the pair.
"We…I want to….."Jesse smiled, "I was hoping...m"
Alex's mouth parted slightly, a small gasp escaping her lips, tears pooled in her eyes.
"I - I want us to be a family. I hope-"
Alex hurried to him and hugged him tight, sobbing into his ear. "Oh Jesse, I'm so sorry!
"I know you tried," Jesse whispered.
She squeezed tighter, "I'm going to always be here, I will never-"
"I know." Jesse assured.
Steve joined the hug, and for a moment, they were all one, a broken family mended together in a hug. A warmth and love so strong that the air around them no longer held it's chilly bite.
"Ivor that is not how you cook- gah!"
Alex pulled away, rubbing the tears out of her eyes, "Oh, trouble in the kitchen." She laughed, lip quivering slightly, "Duty calls."
"Yeah, you don't want Ivor burning your house down."
Alex smiled, kissing his nose, and departed for the house Steve following after. Jesse got up the steps just as Ivor stepped out of the kitchen, smiling sheepishly as Alex and Steve walked by.
He looked at Jesse, "Aiden has no respect whatsoever."
Jesse smirked.
Ivor settled against the house, "We're glad you are back, Lukas was beginning to worry," Ivor coughed.
"Doesn't he always?" Jesse laughed softly.
"True." Ivor placed a hand on Jesse's shoulder, "Are you alright?"'
"Yeah, um, Dad and I just….needed to clear some things up."
The elder raised an eyebrow. "Ah, so you have decided to accept them as your parents then?"
"Yeah, I do."
Ivor glanced into the house, "I suppose this means you finally found what family means then, you are complete."
Complete?
Notch's words echoed in his mind.
"You have had love and family in a one of a kind form that many do not see."
Jesse looked into the house, seeing everyone prepping for dinner. Lukas was trying to fold the napkins always while trying to jab Aiden with a fork who in turn was armed with a spoon. Steve and Petra were laughing, hardly bothered by Alex's half hearted scolding as they 'snuck' early tidbits.
He thinks about the people who he can't see, the ones who had always been there for him. Olivia would be here, fussing over making everything perfect. Axel would be eating already. And Reuben...well...He wonders what it would look like, with both halves of his life brought together.
Complete thought?
"You are in the unique position to define what your family is."
"No," Jesse says.
Ivor looks surprised.
"I've always had it," Jesse stares at the scene before him, smiling. "My family isn't complete, it's just gotten a little bigger."
Next Time on MCSM: Immortal's Child:
"I understand what matters now. I know it's going to be okay."