Coming Together (Tèarmann Chronicles book 6): A Christian Urban Fantasy

by TR Moore Ede

  I went quiet for a moment. “I should probably apologize, too. I haven’t been the best either. It just sometimes feels like you spend more time with a Bible or listening to sermons or whatever than with me. And as I don’t really believe that god exists, it’s kind of hard. So it’s okay, and I’m sorry, too … I should have been more understanding when you opened up yesterday,” I whispered.

  Jessie slowly let her legs down. “I guess we need to start taking each other’s perspective into consideration.”

  “Probably,” I mumbled. “Especially when it comes to Miss Silver. I didn’t leave my parental figure, you did. So, I’m sorry about that, too.”

  She smiled. “Thanks.”

  “And I’ll try to be a bit more respectful about your faith.”

  “And I’ll try not to get so upset.”

  “You can’t cut down on your time with him?”

  “Not really. If I want to get to know Him better, I need to spend time with Him. If it helps, think of God as an actual person … except perfect. If you want to get to know someone, you need to spend time with them.”

  “My issue is that I’m trying to get to know you, and you always seem to be busy.”

  Jessie was quiet for a moment. “I’m still adjusting to everything-”

  “Yeah, I know,” I mumbled before letting out a long breath. “Sorry. With the memories come the feeling that we’ve known each other for a long time.”

  Jessie ran her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, I have that, too. It’s more frustrating because I think you understand, but you don’t. But I do promise to make more time for you.”

  I smiled before standing up and stretching. “All right, well since you’re not doing anything important right now,” I said, rolling my eyes at her crocheting, “let’s go do something.”

  “Jessica!” she yelled, as I grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of her room.

  I laughed and pulled her downstairs.

  A little bit later, we heard the front door close. “Hey Mom, Dad,” I said, entering the front hall.

  “Hi,” Jessie said with a wave.

  “Hey girls,” Mom said. “How was your time?”

  “Good-” I started.

  “Terrible. Jessica’s mean,” Jessie muttered, sending me a glare.

  I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t tickle you for that lo-”

  She punched my shoulder.

  “Hey!”

  Jessie looked away.

  I snickered. “Yeah, it was fine. How was the meeting?”

  “Good,” Dad said. “No asking or reading my mind.”

  “Aw, come on! That just makes me want to get Jessie to look even more!”

  “Which I won’t,” Jessie mumbled.

  “Come on, aren’t you the least bit curious?” I asked, nudging her.

  “We went through this in my bedroom already.”

  I huffed.

  “There will be trouble if you look or push it,” Mom said.

  “That makes it worse,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. I glanced at Jessie.

  “I can have the same thoughts as you, but unlike you, I don’t feel the need to verbalize them,” Jessie said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, if you didn’t say them out loud, then you might not take action.”

  “Her saying them out loud is actually better as we will have a chance to stop her,” Dad said, pinching my cheek.

  I sent him a glare as I pushed his hand away. “Really?”

  He smirked and rubbed my head. “Have you started the mission report?”

  I froze. “Yes? … No, no we haven’t. But we’ll do that now.” I grabbed Jessie’s arm and yanked her to the table.

  “I can walk on my own!” she snapped.

  “You don’t move fast enough!”

  Dad laughed a little before leaving us to it.

  Jessie pulled away. “I’ll get the paper, and you can get the pencils. I call mine when it comes to who gets the computer first.”

  I shook my head. “Doesn’t work like that.”

  “I’m not fighting you for it!” she called, leaving to get paper.

  I snickered. “If I get to the computer first, you may not have a choice.” I grabbed a few pencils and met her at the table.

  Jessie sent me a look as she plopped some paper down.

  I couldn’t help smiling.

  We soon settled and began to write our report. The first part wasn’t too hard, but as soon as we came to the part where we left Terry and rescued the alien, I was stumped. I tapped my pencil against the table a few times before looking up at Jessie.

  She gave a weak smile. We can’t tell them. I’m scared of what they’ll do to her. And I’m still afraid of what the Agency will do to us if the rest of them find out we have powers. Imagine what they would do with an alien.

  I cringed. I don’t want to imagine that.

  Sorry.

  I gave a long sigh and rested my head against the table.

  Chapter 4

  Jessie rested her elbow on the table. Her eyes shifted from her paper to me, a hint of worry present. Do you think Terry will tell?

  No. We can trust him. I exhaled a long breath and skimmed over the report, hoping that it would somehow help us think of ideas.

  But wouldn’t that be lying?

  My grip tightened on my pencil. He’s telling what happened during the mission. I didn’t tell him anything during the actual mission.

  Jessie frowned. That’s still kind of lying.

  It’s to protect the alien. If in World War II people were hiding Jews, should they have admitted to the soldiers when they came and asked if there were any Jews there?

  Jessie looked down. No.

  I gave a nod. This is a similar situation. If the wrong people find out she’s here, she could have terrible things done to her.

  Jessie nodded. That makes sense.

  I gave a small smile before letting out a long sigh. I pushed the paper away. “Can we give it a day? We’ve made a lot of progress.”

  “Sounds good,” Jessie said, standing up and stretching. “Hopefully a good night’s sleep will help.”

  “I hope so, too,” I muttered, glaring at the piece of paper.

  A good night’s sleep didn’t help at all. We still ended up sitting at the kitchen table, tapping our pencils for over an hour before we managed to get through our mission report with barely enough time to type it out.

  Thankfully, Dad was going to headquarters so he delivered it, which was a relief to both of us. Mr. Mason would have been able to see our nervousness and would have said something.

  The next day, Saturday, the phone rang. “I got it!” Jessie called. “Hello? Hi Mr. Quinn. I’m good, how are you? Glad to hear it, how’s Victoria? Okay, when? Next Saturday? I’d have to ask my parents- … oh, you already did.” She gave a small laugh. “Why am I not surprised? All right, you too. See you then, bye.” She hung up the phone.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, poking my head over her shoulder.

  She screamed and punched me in the face. She covered her mouth with both hands. “I am so sorry.”

  I held my jaw, laughing. “It’s fine. Your face was worth it.”

  Her hands dropped, and she frowned.

  “So, Mr. Quinn? What’s going on next Saturday?”

  She just stared at me.

  “Come on, this is what happens when you have siblings.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “I’m sure withholding information from siblings happens, too.”

  “It obviously includes me, so spill.”

  She huffed. “We’re going to Mr. Quinn’s house next Saturday. That’s all he said, nothing else.”

  “Not why?”

  Jessie shook her head. “He wants to tell us something.” She went over and wrote it on the calendar.

  “Like what?” I asked, following her, still rubbing my jaw. “And just a side note, you’re getting stronger.”

  “If Mr. Quinn told me over the phone, then he wou
ldn’t need us to come over to tell us.”

  “True. I wonder what it’s about.”

  “It’s about what he was talking to us about,” Mom said, walking in and grabbing an apple from the fridge.

  I tilted my head slightly. “And that was?”

  Mom smiled. “No hints. You will just have to wait until next week to hear.”

  I studied Mom for a moment. She wasn’t alarmed so it was probably good news, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes, which meant who knows what. “Please?”

  Mom shook her head.

  I huffed. “You’re giving me mixed signals!”

  “Stop looking for them!” Jessie said, whacking the back of my head.

  “But-”

  She covered my mouth. “I don’t want to know. If you say something it will probably make my week go by slower.”

  You know, covering my mouth does nothing, I mentally told her.

  Jessie glared at me. “Just don’t say it. I don’t want to know.”

  “Part of you does-”

  “Jessica!”

  I snickered. “You’re so easy to tease.”

  “Mom, make her stop,” Jessie muttered.

  “Aw, I love you, too,” I said, hugging her.

  “Mom!” Jessie yelled, trying to push me off. “Why are you so weird?”

  I smirked. “Because you react.”

  She frowned.

  Tuesday afternoon, Jessie and I were sitting on the couch, talking. “Just one time, please?”

  “If I go once, it’s not going to just be once,” I muttered, hitting my head back against the upholstery.

  “Church isn’t that bad. You said you wanted to spend more time with me, and there’s snacks.”

  I facepalmed. “You think snacks will draw me in? And besides, for the majority of the time you’re sitting listening or singing and not even interacting.”

  “Yet you think it’s fine when we hang out on missions and have even less of a chance to talk,” Jessie said, raising her eyebrows.

  “It’s more interactive than church,” I said, just before the doorbell rang.

  “That’s the point of after church, to socialize with other believers,” Jessie said.

  I got up. “Then you wouldn’t be talking to me.”

  She followed me to the front hall. “You know what I mean!”

  I smirked. “Perhaps.” I looked through the peephole. “And it’s Terry.” I turned to her, an idea forming that would hopefully stop her asking for a little bit. “If you can escape Terry by running around the main level and making it back to me, I’ll go with you sometime.”

  Jessie shrugged. “I suppose I have nothing to lose,” she mumbled. “I mean, it’s your way of saying no, right?”

  I just grinned as I opened the door.

  “Why does it look like you’ve both been standing there for a minute?” Terry asked, walking in. “And why’s the door locked?”

  “My parents are out, and I don’t like you coming in unannounced,” I said.

  “One day I’ll get a key to your door, and I’ll be here at any time.”

  “That’s just creepy,” Jessie mumbled.

  “You know how I mean it,” Terry said, patting her head.

  Jessie looked away.

  Terry looked at me. “Is there something wrong?” he asked, leaning his hand against the wall as he took off his shoes.

  I was quiet for a moment. I glanced at Jessie, and then back at him. “Jessie says she’s comfortable with you.”

  Terry nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

  “What are you doing?” Jessie whispered.

  I ignored her. “And yet you only go after me.”

  Jessie started to back away, slowly catching on to where this was going.

  Terry rolled his eyes. “Jessica, just because I’m like a big brother to you, doesn’t mean I’m one to her. Especially since I’m a man-”

  “But are you?” I flinched but maintained my smirk when he jabbed my ribs.

  “Yes I am. I’m not going to act like that toward her. She’s too shy to tell us if she’s actually uncomfortable or not,” Terry said, looking at her.

  Jessie’s shoulders relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

  I gave a small humph. “But it’s her fault.”

  Terry tossed his head from side to side. “Perhaps a little, but I don’t want her to become scared of me, or even more uncomfortable.”

  I leaned against the wall, a small smile pulling at my lips. I looked up at him. “What if Jessie thought that she could escape you?”

  “Now you’re just trying to get me to go after her,” Terry then looked at Jessie.

  Jessie blinked a few times as she backed away.

  Terry’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, was she telling the truth?”

  “Not exactly, but sort of,” she whispered then bolted.

  “Oh no, you don’t!” Terry yelled, running after her. Jessie dove under the table and used the chairs to keep him back. “Come on! I call that cheating.”

  “You’re stronger and faster!” Jessie said, moving toward the other end of the table.

  Terry circled around.

  Jessie kicked out a chair and hit him, then dashed out the other side, beginning her circle of the main level.

  My shoulders stiffened when Terry went after her instead of going around the other way. I could hear them, but they were out of sight.

  Jessie screamed at one point, but the chase didn’t seem to end.

  I frowned slightly.

  A few seconds later, Jessie nearly bowled me over, Terry right behind. She hid behind me, panting. “I am never doing that again,” she whispered, clutching the back of my shirt.

  “Goodness, she may not be as fast as you, but she is certainly full of surprises,” Terry said, finally stopping. “Well done, Jessie.”

  “How did she escape you?!” I snapped. “You’ve been training longer than I have!”

  “Jessie’s improving a lot,” Terry said, heading to the kitchen for a drink of water.

  I followed. “She’s better than you?” I asked, my eyebrows lifting.

  “No, but I underestimated her,” Terry said. He nodded at Jessie as he filled himself a glass of water. “Well done.”

  Jessie blushed a little. “A deal’s a deal,” she whispered, poking my shoulder.

  “No, no! That’s not fair!”

  She frowned. “Not fair? You put me up against a trained agent, but you’re saying that it’s not fair that I won?”

  “And what’s going on?” Terry asked, getting between us.

  “Jessica said that if I could escape you and get back to her, she would come to church with me one Sunday,” Jessie said, going to get a cup.

  Terry looked at her. He smirked. “Well then, looks like someone’s going to church.”

  Saturday soon rolled around, and Jessie and I were knocking at Mr. Quinn’s door.

  “Jessie, Jessica. I’m glad you could come,” he said, moving aside to let us in.

  “By the sounds of it, you would have rescheduled if we couldn’t. Jessica’s been slowly dying all week from curiosity,” Jessie said, sliding off her shoes and hanging up her coat.

  “That’s not true!” I snapped, whacking her.

  She laughed a little. “Sure seemed like it. So, what’s going on?”

  “Come into the kitchen. There’s where everyone else is,” Mr. Quinn said.

  “Everyone else?” I asked. I glanced at Jessie, then followed them.

  She shrugged as if to say she was just as clueless. Should we be nervous?

  I should be asking you that. You know him better!

  The three of us entered the kitchen.

  A group of people were sitting around the table, and they all turned to look at us as we walked in. Victoria Shack, Malissa Cane, Zack Cazard, Irene, Jason, and a girl I didn’t recognize. Her dark blue eyes glanced at Jessie and I for a moment, growing wide, then she quickly looked away, allowing her light brown hair to
cover her face.

  I tilted my head slightly. What was that?

  “Twinnies!” Zack exclaimed, waving wildly.

  Victoria grabbed his wrist tightly and brought his arm down. “Hi.”

  I gave a nod. “Nice to see you again … Zack, what did you call us?”

  “Twinnies,” he said, a huge smile plastered across his face. “How are ya?”

  I stared at him for a long moment. “Is wanting to slug you an appropriate answer?”

  “Yes,” Victoria said, glaring at him.

  He smirked.

  “Zack, please,” Malissa muttered, covering her face with both hands.

  “Bwahaha- ow ow ow,” he whispered, shrinking down as Victoria dug her fingers onto a pressure point on his neck.

  She stared at him with a blank face. “He’s been calling Jason and Irene oldies.”

  I facepalmed. “You need to keep him under control.”

  “I try.”

  “Hey!” he exclaimed.

  “Can we focus?” Mr. Quinn asked, placing cups of water on the table in front of two empty seats and gesturing for us to sit down.

  Victoria let go of Zack.

  Chapter 5

  I gave another glance around the room. “I know everyone but her,” I said, looking at the girl.

  She flinched before hunkering down a little. She stared at me, the fear clear in her eyes, and she was trembling a little.

  Victoria reached over and squeezed her hand, whispering something to her.

  “This is Eve,” Mr. Quinn said.

  “Do I know you?” I asked, leaning forward.

  Victoria flinched a little as Eve squeezed her hand until her knuckles turned white.

  “Mr. Rasper?” Eve whimpered.

  “It’s all right,” he said softly.

  She nodded and took a deep breath, seeming to try and calm herself.

  I folded my arms on the table, analyzing her movements and expressions.

  “Jessica,” Jessie said, putting a hand on my chair. She did a double take before leaning back. “Is someone else here?”

  “Our parents,” Irene said with a smile. “We found them last week.”

  Jessie smiled. “That’s great. I’m happy for you.”