by S. J. West
Family, no matter how screwed up it might be, is always important.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Mason volunteers to help in the kitchens to cook supper for our band of refugees. I’ve never been a good cook, so I leave that part up to the experts. With my extra time, I decide to find out how my friends are doing and if there is anything they need from me. I start out with Leah, the youngest of our group.
I find her standing by a section of the wooden rail near the underground lake, peering out across it, as if contemplating the meaning of life.
“A penny for your thoughts,” I tell her as I come to stand next to her.
Leah looks over and smiles at me. “I’m not sure they’re worth that much, Jess.”
“Of course they are,” I say, resting my forearms on top of the railing, mimicking her position. “What’s up, Leah? You’re looking very contemplative.”
Leah sighs and looks straight down into the water. I can tell she needs a moment to collect her thoughts before putting them into words.
“When I lived in this reality, I always knew deep down that I didn’t belong here,” she starts out. “After you took me back to where I did belong, it was like everything in my life suddenly clicked into place. I was given a loving family. I was able to go to school like a normal girl. I even managed to find an amazing boyfriend.”
“Why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ coming in here somewhere?”
“But,” Leah says, glancing at me with a guilty smile, “now that I’m back…well…I’m a little confused, Jess.”
“I don’t suppose this happens to have something to do with Josh and his newfound interest in you as a member of the opposite sex.”
“It does,” Leah groans, hiding her face behind her hands, as if the admission is causing her a great deal of embarrassment. “What’s wrong with me, Jess? You know how much I love Joshua. I don’t understand why my feelings are so torn, now that Josh seems to like me.”
“You’re only human, Leah,” I tell her, giving her the out she seems to need. “You had a crush on Josh for a long time while you were here. Now he’s finally seeing you the way you always wanted him to back then. It’s natural to be flattered and possibly even a little tempted to see just how deep his affections run. But you need to decide what it is you want, and how much you’re willing to give up in order to have it.”
Leah lowers her hands from her face and turns her head to look at me.
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“Let’s say, hypothetically-speaking of course, that you decide this Josh is the one you want to be with. Would you be willing to stay in this reality with him if God allowed it? Or do you think he cares enough for you to travel back with us? I don’t think he would want to come to our reality and have to start his life all over again, even if God let him.”
“I didn’t think about it like that,” Leah says. “No, I wouldn’t want to stay. My family isn’t here. I couldn’t bear not being with Remy, Mama Lynn, Faison, you...everyone!”
“Then I think you have your answer, Leah. And be careful what you do here. I love you, but I won’t lie for you. If you think you can have a fling with Josh and not have Joshua find out, think again, little sis. Cheating is cheating, no matter what dimension of space you’re in.”
“I admit, I have been thinking about kissing him, just to see if I can sense a real difference between him and Joshua.”
“You know that isn’t right,” I say, slightly disappointed in her answer, but keeping in mind how young she is.
“Yes,” Leah replies, hanging her head in shame. “I know it isn’t right. It’s just so weird, Jess. When I lived here, all I wanted was for him to notice me and kiss me. Now that he’s finally showing interest, I can’t act on it. It just doesn’t seem quite fair.”
“Life isn’t always fair, Leah. And it’s these little tests of our moral character that can get you into trouble if you fail them. But you won’t fail in this situation. I’ve seen the love you share with our Joshua. He adores you. He loves you. And he’s the one you will be going home to. I know you will have a beautiful future with him because the two of you fit so perfectly together. You can’t deny how happy he makes you feel because I see it on your face every time the two of you are around one another. I see it on your face right now because you’re thinking about him. That’s true love, Leah. Don’t throw it all away on a ‘what if’.”
“You’re right,” Leah says, taking her arms off the railing to stand up straight.
I do the same and we face one another.
“You’re the best big sister a girl could ask for,” Leah says, giving me a tight hug.
“And you’re a smart girl for taking my advice,” I reply, hugging her in return.
I walk Leah back to the great chamber, and see that Jered and some of the others are carrying out ready-made dishes on carts to all the people waiting to be fed. Not wanting to be a leech, I decide to help them pass the food out to everyone.
As Jered and I are walking side-by-side, pushing carts with premade plates on them from the kitchen to the people in the great chamber, I ask, “So, earlier today, why did you and Sophia phase back into Brand’s living quarters at the same time? If it’s none of my business, just say so. I don’t necessarily need to know all the sordid details.”
Jered stops in midstride, forcing me to stop and turn to look back at him.
“The things that go on in that mind of yours, Jess,” Jered says, shaking his head at me. “We were definitely not ‘getting matches’ if that’s what you’re insinuating.”
Apparently, pretty much all of our friends know about ‘getting matches’ now. I really need to talk to Mason about changing our code words. We’ve obviously become way too predictable.
“If you must know,” he says, resuming our walk down the tunnel, “she wanted to talk about Tristan and how different she is in our reality as a man. She wanted to know the reason Tristan broke his bond with her counterpart in our world.”
“Did you tell her everything that happened?”
“I saw no reason to withhold the information from her. It’s not a secret to anyone. Why shouldn’t she know what an ass she turned out to be in the Origin?”
“How did she handle the news?”
“She seemed to take it well, as far as I could tell. I think she just wants to get to know Tristan better while he’s here.”
“Did she tell you much about her life?”
“Yes, she told me a little bit about her past. She said she left Robert after he had a child with Will’s wife, Peyton.”
“I heard a little bit about that also,” I say. “Apparently, Will orchestrated the copulation, because he wanted a Watcher child who could fly. Sounded a bit sick and calculated to me, but whatever floats his boat, I guess.”
“Yes, it does seem a bit bizarre,” Jered agrees.
My talk with Jered ends when we reach the great chamber and set out in different directions to deliver the meals on the carts we have.
Eventually, we get everyone fed, but, by that time, I feel too tired to eat anything myself.
As I stand just inside the tunnel entrance leading from the great chamber to the kitchens, I hear a friendly voice say, “You should really try to eat something, Jess.”
I look to my right and see Gabe leaning against the tunnel wall, watching me.
“You’re not my father,” I tell him with a smile, letting him know I’m playing.
“No, I’m not,” he agrees with a grin. “But I am your friend, and I don’t want to see you waste away to nothing. You’ve lost enough weight the past few years. You don’t need to lose any more, especially if you’re going to have another baby.”
“And, with that, you just gained my full attention,” I say, standing up straighter. “Have you seen something in a vision?”
“Give me your hand,” Gabe tells me.
I do so without hesitation.
Gabe clasps my hand between both of his and closes his eyes. I
see him begin to smile, and hope flares brightly in my heart at the implication.
“I do see another little one coming into your life,” he confirms. Gabe opens one eye to peek at my reaction before asking, “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“Of course I do!” I say, showing my complete impatience in such matters. “I’m not like Faison. I can’t wait that long.”
“It will be a boy,” Gabe says. “And I see him entering your future not too long from now. Actually, you might even already be carrying him. The details are a little fuzzy. I can’t be sure.”
I close the distance between us and give Gabe a tight hug around the neck.
“You don’t know how happy you just made me,” I tell him, openly sobbing with pure joy.
I feel Gabe’s arms go around my waist.
“I think I have a hint of it,” he says, squeezing me affectionately. “I felt like you might need some good news today, with everything that’s been going on.”
I pull away and take a step back from Gabe so I can look him in the eyes.
“That’s the understatement of the century,” I tell him. “I needed to know my future will be moving forward. I needed a little hope. You know how long Mason and I have been trying to have baby number three. To know he’s on his way is such a relief, Gabe. You just don’t know.”
A melancholy smile spreads Gabe’s lips, making me think he knows exactly how I feel. The expression reminds me to ask him a question.
“Earlier, when we were in Brand’s quarters, you gave JoJo one of those sad smiles of yours. Why is that?”
Gabe shakes his head. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
I narrow my eyes on Gabe. “Don’t lie, Gabe. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Gabe’s eyes falter as he averts his gaze away from me and to the floor for a second.
“There has been something bothering me,” he reluctantly admits.
“Tell me.”
Gabe looks back up at me and says, “You’re not the only one I’ve seen with a baby in her arms.”
It takes me a minute, but I soon realize who he’s talking about. “Is JoJo pregnant?”
“I think so,” Gabe says. “I’m not positive, though. I’ve seen a number of visions with her caring for a little boy at various stages in his life…but for some reason I never see myself with them. It bothers me.”
“Could you be seeing the visions through your own eyes?” I suggest, looking for a reasonable explanation. “Have you ever seen yourself in a vision that you were a part of?”
Gabe considers my words for a moment.
“Only if it’s a vision where all the vessels are present,” he says, considering the difference.
“Maybe you’re not meant to see your own future,” I say, hoping I’m right. “If you know too much, you might alter what’s supposed to happen.”
“You could be right,” Gabe agrees, but I still hear doubt in his voice. “Jess, if something ever happens to me…”
“Nothing is going to happen to you,” I interrupt him. “I will get you back home, Gabe Kinlan. I promise you.”
Gabe shakes his head. “Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep, Jess. We don’t know what’s going to happen here. None of our fates are set in stone. You know my visions don’t work that way. Something unforeseen could happen to alter them. So, if something ever happens to me, in this reality or in our own, I want you to promise me that you’ll look after JoJo and my son.”
“You’ll be there to take care of them yourself,” I tell Gabe. “But if it will make you feel better, I will always watch over them.”
“Thanks,” Gabe says as a look of relief relaxes his furrowed brow.
“Non!” we hear a very irate little French woman say. “I said it had to be white!”
Gabe and I leave our spots in the tunnel to find out what has JoJo in such a tizzy. When we reach her, we see that Brand is standing in front of her with a large plastic bag that seems to be filled with the supplies JoJo asked for. I notice him holding a bolt of leather in one hand that’s a maroon color.
“She is supposed to be wearing white!” JoJo says in exasperation, sounding on the verge of tears. “Not red, pour l’amour de Dieu!”
“I’m sorry,” Brand says, looking uncertain about how to handle the situation. “We weren’t able to find any white leather for you to work with. Honestly, I felt lucky to find any leather at all.”
“JoJo,” I say, coming up to her and touching her arm, “maroon is fine for now. When we get back home, you can make me another white one. I don’t think beggars can be choosers here. We’ll just have to deal with what we’re given.”
JoJo sighs and seems to calm down, making me wonder if perhaps she is already pregnant, and the outburst was just a hormonal reaction. Normally, JoJo is happy and even-tempered.
“My apologies,” JoJo says to Brand, coming back to her senses. “I do not know what is wrong with me. I have been rather touchy lately. Truly, I am sorry. Everything you’ve brought will do. Merci beaucoup, Brand.”
“Nina should be here shortly with a sewing machine,” Brand tells her, looking relieved that JoJo isn’t upset anymore. “We thought we would just set you up in the chapel area over there,” he says, pointing to the altar at one end of the chamber. “I don’t think it will upset God if we set it up as your work space.”
“I will need to work through the night,” JoJo says, looking around at the other people in the space. “The noise might bother those here.”
“They’ll be fine,” Brand reassures her. “Don’t worry. They’ve slept through worse than the noise of a sewing machine.”
“What can we do to help?” I ask JoJo, deciding the work will be a good distraction for all of us.
“First, I will need to cut out a pattern for your outfit. Then you can cut it out of this…leather,” JoJo says as she looks at the bolt of maroon material in disdain.
Gabe, Leah, and I help JoJo set up her workspace in the small chapel area. The rectangular altar works well as a place where we can cut out the pieces of fabric she needs for my new outfit. Gabe and Leah work at cutting short strips out of the scrap pieces of black leather Brand was able to find. They will be used for the talismans to protect the Watchers of this reality. When Nina arrives with the sewing machine, we already have all the pieces for my new outfit cut out. This frees up the space on the altar to set the sewing machine.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot we can do to help JoJo any further. She’s the one who has to work the material so that her power can infuse every stitch and roll of fabric. All we can do is make sure she’s comfortable and has everything she needs.
“Here,” Mason says to me, handing me a bowl of steaming hot soup as I stand leaned up against the altar, watching JoJo work, “you need to eat something.”
I take the bowl gratefully because I am a bit famished after helping JoJo cut out the fabric. I walk over to our set of cots, which are the ones closest to the chapel area, and begin to eat. Mason sits down next me, and we enjoy a moment of mutual silence as I dine.
I almost tell Mason about the vision Gabe had of our future son, but think better of it. I would rather tell him when we have a chance to be alone somewhere quiet and private. After trying to conceive for so many years, it seemed as though we weren’t destined to have a third child, but, thankfully, that isn’t the case. I am grateful Gabe was able to rekindle my spark of hope, and I knew I should share the news sooner rather than later with Mason so he can feel it, too.
“Do you know if Brand has heard back from Xavier yet?” I ask Mason as I finish my soup.
“Not that I know of,” Mason answers. “I’m sure he’ll tell us as soon as he hears something.”
“I wonder what the Tara in this reality will be like,” I muse aloud. “It’s a little hard for me to imagine her as the Indiana Jones-type, searching for lost treasure and all.”
“Your guess is as good as mine. Do you thi
nk her life as a child was altered in some way to make such a drastic difference?”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense. Tara’s only told me a little bit about her past. As far as I know, her father is still in prison for killing someone, but I don’t know the exact circumstances surrounding that event. And from what she told me, her mother was similar to mine, strung out on drugs and hanging out with the wrong crowd. She hasn’t seen her in years. She isn’t even sure she’s still alive. Her grandmother was the one who raised her since both her parents were MIA.”
Speaking of altered lives, I see Slade rolling around a cart, picking up the dirty dishes from peoples’ finished meals.
“Do you think we can trust this version of Slade?” I ask.
“I think so,” Mason says, without much reservation. “Since our Slade was bitten by a hellhound, we can’t really compare them against one another. I think we should keep an eye on him, though, since we know what can happen. But right now, I don’t sense any duplicity in him.”
I happen to notice Nina walk down the center aisle of the room, and watch as Rafe jogs to catch up with her to say something. Nina stops to listen to what he says then shakes her head at him. Rafe tilts his head, something I’ve seen him do when dealing with patients who refuse to take their medicine. His charming ‘doctor’ smile appears, and he says something else to her. Nina sighs and finally nods. Rafe holds his arm out to her, obviously wanting to escort her somewhere. Nina just stares at his outstretched arm for a moment, as if she isn’t quite sure what to do next. Hesitantly, she accepts his courteous act. After she loops her hand through the crook of his arm, the pair walks toward the tunnel leading down to the kitchen area. I can only assume Rafe is trying to make sure Nina eats something to keep her strength up.
Nevertheless, I find it curious, and decide to investigate a little further.
“We should probably help clean the dishes,” I suggest to Mason as I stand from my cot.
“Why? I could just tell you what Rafe asked Nina to do. There’s no need to go snooping.”
“I do not snoop,” I say, feeling a bit indignant about the accusation, even though it’s one hundred percent true. In spite of that fact, I sit back down with my now-empty bowl in my hands and ask, “So what’s up? Tell me everything you know.”