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by Aufeis on Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:39 pm
Two Months After THAT ^
Emmet yawned as he laid back on the couch. Jessica had said she would visit today. It seemed as best the opportunity to tell her as any. Hell. Maybe she'd notice on sight, biokinetic and all. Gabriel had stepped out earlier to attend to something at the shop. But really he was trying to give mother and son some alone time. He sighed; he wished the two of them got along better. Jessica still harbored a deep hatred at his husband for past events. Why Gabriel disliked Jessica was a mystery to him. He pushed himself into a sitting position. He'd been pregnant for all of three days, yet it felt like four. He patted his flat stomach. The fact that a life was growing inside him was so thrilling. He'd had life inside of him a ton of times, this was obviously nowhere near the same. So it was still taking some getting used to.
Jessica looked up at the apartments. The last time she had been to a place like that with Emmet and Sylar had been the hotel she had tortured Claire and then learned that Emmet was her son. Sheâd had a glorious reunion with her sons. That was before the carnival. Before her sonâs heart had been broken, and he had, for some reason, married the guy. She hated the man for hurting her son so badly, and wondered what exactly Emmet saw in him that deserved his love. Despite all of this, she would try and cope with Gabriel. For Emmet. With a sigh, she pushed open the doors and got in the elevator, riding up to the sixth floor. With some hesitance, she knocked on the door.
Emmet looked up as someone knocked on the door. He took a deep breath and stood up. He padded over to the door and touched the handle. Slowly, he opened it âJessica, come in, it's been a while," he smiled as sincerely as possible. He led her towards the living room and sat down on the couch " So....how you been?"
Jessica smirked, âYou know, most people call their mother âMomâ, âMotherâ. Something along those lines. It wouldnât kill you to do the same.â She joked, knowing that the likelihood of her ever getting Emmet to seriously call her mother was somewhat slim, âIâve been good. Your new sister is coming along nice and healthy; canât really say Iâm surprised, though she has a lot to live up to, considering her brothers.â She smirked, âAnd how have you andâŠGabrielâŠbeen doing?â
Emmet returned the smirk "Of course...mother," He was still getting used to having a sister. Having a brother had been surprising, but that was because he was god, so never seeing him seemed as such. But that Jessica had crafted a daughter, he was unsure of how to feel really, "Hmm, yes, a mountain." he became silent when she asked how he and Gabriel was doing. She obviously didnât care how Gabe was doing. But, he was a part of it. âWeâre perfect, even more so lately....You see⊠" he paused as he felt his breakfast bubbling up. He flew from the couch and towards the bathroom, just barely making it to throw up in the toilet, "Ugh, bloody hell."
Jessica was caught by surprise when Emmet flew into the bathroom and lost his breakfast. She laughed a little, âOh come on, calling me mother wasnât that bad.â She joked again, rushing to his side, âEat some bad seafood or something or...â Her voice darkened as she let her voice trail, letting a hand rest on his shoulder. Doing a quick diagnostic of his system, her eyes flew open as his unspoken words were formed into an image. She stumbled back and tripped, falling backwards and catching herself on the couch, âYouâre PREGNANT!â She shouted, pointing at him with disbelief on her face, âHow!? How is that possible?!â
Emmet groaned. This wasnât exactly the way he wanted her to find out. But he'd take it, wiping his mouth off; he washed his hands in the sink and gargled. Finally he walked back into the living room and sat down âYes, Je-mom, Iâm Prego. As for how," he shrugged, "My husband has your ability, a little Biokinetic wammy and yeah."
Part of Jessica wanted to scream, part of her wanted to break down crying, and part of her wanted to embrace Emmet in a hug like the one she had given him the day she found out that both of her sons were alive and well. She couldnât decide which side of her disgusted her more. In the end, she didnât move from her spot and croaked, âYou should have let me do it. I didnât go to med school for nothing you know. Heâs a complete amateur.â
Emmet blinked. In truth he'd had no real idea of how Jessica would react to this, well after her initial reaction which was all too predictable. Being angry, breaking down crying, or hugging him. He was glad she'd picked none of these. They were not a touchy feely family âGabe and I talked about this while we were on our honeymoon. Starting a family, we went over it for a while and finally agreed on it. He wanted to adopt, but I wanted a child that was truly both of ours and suggested this. He actually wanted you to do it, your skill being worlds away from his, his exact words. But I trust him and wanted it to be him. He's spent the last few months researching, studying, and experimenting. We....consummated, last week and Iâm officially pregnant. Sorry for not saying anything beforehand. Gabe said to keep it secret, probably he was hoping I would change my mind, but nope, so here we are."
Jessica knew for a fact she would have told them no should they have asked her before hand, and was sort of glad that Emmet had gone through Gabriel to do it, but a part of her was hurt that he hadnât come to her about it. This whole thing was like a kick in the gut. Part of her wondered if it was because of Kaeira, but she wouldnât let herself believe that. They already had such a weak relationship as mother and son, he wouldnât get jealous because of Kaeira, âI guessâŠIâm happy for you then.â She said, but her voice was coated with something akin to confusion. Of all the things that she had expected when she was preparing for this talk, she had definitely not expected this, âIâm sure youâll make a great mâŠmoâŠâ She was almost literally choking on the words, unable to find the belief that this was really happening.
Emmet turned away, uncomfortable. Was Jessica hurt? The expression she'd made when he'd told her about preferring Gabriel to make him able to bear children over asking her. He looked at from her possible view point. Jessica sincerely wanted to be a mother to him and Godric. Maybe it was one of the reasons Kaeira was being born. The unrequited chance at motherhood denied to her. Helping in something so important could have been a chance for her to make their bond stronger. Tears poured from Emmetâs eyes "Oh, mom, Iâm sorry," he gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly, "Believe me; if not Gabe then thereâs no other person I would have asked. But just think; now youâre a grandmother.â
Jessica felt Emmetâs arms wrap around her, but she was numb to them. With an absentminded hand, she ruffled his hair, letting out an empty chuckle, âDonât worry about it. I would have said thereâs no way in hell.â She said. She choked back her own tears a little and sighed, âI donât know why it bothers me; I really donât have the right to call you my son anyway. I mean, really. Blood means nothing, after all, Iâve said it myself.â A few tears dropped down onto Emmetâs head. She cleared her throat and made to stand up, âYour hormones are acting up. Itâs part of the whole rollercoaster. Mood swings, morning sickness, backaches, fatigue, headaches, weird ass cravings. After this whole thing is over, youâll be back to yourself and everything will go back to normal.â She considered his comment about being a grandmotherâŠdid she want to be a grandmother? Especially like this? She didnât know, but in some respects, she felt like she was losing touch. Neither Godric nor Emmet really needed her. That much was evident. Fran could easily take care of Kaeira when she was born. So, really, what was she even still here for?
Emmet let go of Jessica and wiped away his tears. He'd read about it, but he hadnât been fully prepared for it all. He sat back down on the couch âYes, a grandmother. Obviously this is strange. All of it, but still. Iâm very happy for it. Gabe and I can have a family " he patted his stomach wistfully " Finding you and Godric has made me very happy, I know I don't show it much but " he shrugged " I am insane after all, but I love both of you and Kaeira as well " was this more of the hormones? Or his true feelings? Yes, it was the latter. He ran his hands through his hair, feeling the faint traces of Jessica's tears "Humanity is but a child, and children always need their motherâs."
Gabriel inspected the watch he'd been working on for the past ten minutes. He'd fixed it within a few seconds, but something kept his gaze on it. He finally sat it down and placed his spectacles aside. He wondered how it was going with Jessica. He'd decided to let them talk alone. Jessica had no love for him and while she was entitled to it, he couldnât shake his own dislike for her. He stood up and stretched out. Looking around his old watch shop, he felt a strong sense of recollection. Here he'd killed Brian Davis for his telekinesis, and had been about to kill himself before Elle intervened. Had she not....he blinked away the thought. The old pang of regret for his actions. Even now he bore the cross on his back. But Emmet made his life so much fuller then any ability could. He was thankful to both Brian and Elle for setting him on this path. It made all the betrayal, manipulation, and death worth it. Which was why he still held great anxiety over Emmetâs current state. Once they'd agreed to it, he had spent every waking moment he wasnât with Emmet, training his Biokinesis. He went through every book on human anatomy he could find. Such a procedure needed many test rounds. The homeless community had supplied that. He tried to keep the subjects around Emmetâs age, once again hadnât been too difficult. He went through over 300 experiments. The first fifty had been disasters and he'd quickly put them out of there misery. But as time went on, he slowly saw success. Around the 198th he was seeing great results. But it wasnât enough; he would not go through with it unless the success rate was over a hundred percent. Finally he'd gotten the results he'd wanted and altered Emmetâs body. They'd waited an additional three days to allow Emmetâs body to stabilize. Finally just last week, they'd consummated, it had been a strange experience for the both of them, but neither held any resignations. Gabriel teleported outside the door to their apartment. Enhancing his hearing, he heard the both of them talking. He considered going inside, but decided against it. Let them have a little more time. Instead he headed towards the store. He needed to pick up a few things for Emmet.
Jessica stood where she was for a few minutes. She was mulling over what Emmet had said, asking herself the same question that he was asking himself. Did he really feel this way, or was it just the hormones. The way he was speaking tugged at her heart like nobody ever could. The only true family she ever cared for was Emmet, Godric, and now Kaeira, âFor so many years, I wanted nothing more than to find you and your brother, you know that?â She wasnât sure how much of the mansion incident he knew about. Would Godric have told him about it, or would he have kept it to himself, âWhen you were born, I was sure that you would be my road to regaining my sanity. But Godric died, andâŠthings went to shit very quickly. I had lost everything, and then, over ten years later, I found you. Both of you. I canât tell you how happy I was. Probably the happiest I have been in my entire life. ButâŠâ She let out a dry laugh, âLook at me. Iâm not fit to be anyoneâs mother or grandmother or even sister.â She looked at her own hands, remembering the first time she had held Emmet and Godric in them, âWhy am I still here? I should have died in the explosion.â
Emmet pondered what explosion she was talking about. Then it came to him, Pinehurst. Boy had that been such a long time ago. Back when he and Flint were together. That reminded him; he and Gabe were supposed to have lunch at Angela's place tomorrow. He should probably bring something, but what? He was getting pretty good with his baking. Perhaps a cake, with Oreos and peanut butter. He snapped out of his tangent " Hmm, then ask why any of us are still alive? Youâre not the only fucked up person in this family. Iâve killed my share of people, Gabriel as well, albeit a smaller quantity. And who the hell knows how many people Godric has killed and/or eaten?â he leaned back to get into a more relaxing position "Don't you think I question my capabilities of being a good parent? Especially after all the infants Iâve...." he stopped and slammed his hand over his mouth as the memories came. Suddenly, they werenât so nice, now that he had a baby on the way. If anyone ever tried that, oh the things he would do. "Ugh, moving along. My point is nobody is exactly perfect. Not you, or me, or Godric, maybe Gabe, okay, not him either. But weâve all come a long way from the mindless slaughtering and what not. Youâre here and alive and whether you think youâre fit. You are a mother and youâre gonna be a grandmother, enjoy."
Jessica shook her head a little, âI just feel like you donât need me. You or Godric. And I wanted to be a mother so badly when I was pregnant with you. I donât know, just seeing you like this is a little heart breaking. Especially since you should both only be twelve if it wasnât for âAuntieâ Rose.â She growled the name, but otherwise her voice was even. She laughed a little when she finished, âI think your hormones are rubbing off on me. Iâll go back to being the psychotic bitch you know and love, and weâll forget this ever happened.â Before she finished her thought, though, a question came to her, âSoâŠare you technically my âdaughterâ now?â
Emmet smiled as Jessica seemed to be coming down, but his smile fell as at her last comment. His face turned a deep red. He looked down, his hair slowly smoking "....Well....I mean, with man equipment....I couldnât possibly and........If you have to look at it that way......this doesnât leave this room, anyone else we tell can use their goddamn imagination " he mumbled. He wasnât ashamed or anything, it was just, well weird. He was happy, but that fact wasnât something to get past easily âIf you wanna know the mechanic, you'll have to ask Gabe " he crossed his legs self-consciously " I must admit, I have a whole new respect for woman now."
Jessica laughed, âYouâre so cute, look at that blush.â She mocked, pinching Emmetâs cheek a little, âYou can come over to the mansion and visit Kaeira after sheâs old enough. Sheâll be so happy to play dolls and have tea parties with someone else. You can even play dress up together. And Iâll do up your hair and we can go shopping together.â She laughed, despite the fact that Kaeira would be working hard on her studies and on her training, âDonât worry, I wonât say anything to anyone else about his. Not like I have very many people I can hold a conversation with anyway; so, you going to go back toâŠerâŠnormal when this is over?â She asked, smirking a little.
Emmet rolled his eyes "Youâre a real riot. Of course Iâm getting my stick back when the babyâs born, V-sex is interesting but I prefer A-sex. Gabriel set it up that my body automatically returns to normal after the birth. Weâre already making plans; he's converting the guest room into a bedroom for little....you know we really havenât given any thought to names. I think Gabe wants a son, either way for me."
Jessica grinned, âOh? And what if you get lucky like dear old Mommy, hmm?â She asked, sitting back down on the couch, her grin falling and being replaced by a serious frown, âI know youâve noticed that your husband and I haveâŠanimosities with one another. Iâm not going to lie and say I like him. Hate is more or less a pretty good word for it.â If Emmet were to have to pick between her and Gabriel, she knew who he would pick, and she didnât blame him, âBut Iâm willing to try and get along; for you and for my grandchild that is on the way. But aside from him disliking me for disliking him, I can feel something else, like thereâs some other reason. You have any ideas?â
Emmet nodded âHeâs willing to do the same thing. I don't expect you guys to be all cumbaya and crap. But just try to be nice to each other, even if it is as fake as a three dollar bill. As for the deeper reason " he shrugged " He's the jealous type. One time he ripped some guys head off for tapping my shoulder and asking for directions. Though this was when he was Sylar, but you get the point. He just wants me all to himself, which he already has. Though I think he doesnât hate you as much as he used to. Thatâs a start."
âHmph. Heâs got a ways to go before I can say I like him, but knowing how important he is to you is a start I suppose. We wonât exactly be friends, but if thereâs one thing I can do that isnât killing and torturing, itâs acting.â She sighed a little, âYou knowâŠbefore the carnivalâŠhe asked me for my blessing, and I gave it to him, on the condition that he treated you well and never hurt you. I told him that I would kill him if that ever happened. I know thatâŠsome things are beyond our control, but I wanted you to be happy and seeing you in such pain that I knew I couldnât fixâŠwell, itâs a motherâs worst pain, aside fromâŠâ She let her voice trail. Flashbacks to the twins birth; it seemed like no matter what, nowadays, she couldnât stop thinking about it. What could she have done differently? She shook her head to clear away the thoughts, âAnywayâŠThe hatred isnât permanent. It just needs time to heal, and the trust needs to develop.â
Emmet nodded. He remembered the events after the carnival. Gabriel still lamented over it, even though Emmet had long since forgiven him. He loved Gabriel and that had never changed. The intense pain and sorrow he'd felt during that time had only proven how strong their feelings were. "I understand." Suddenly the front door swung open on it's own. Gabriel entered the apartment, his arms laden with bags. The door shut as he walked further into the apartment " Oh...Hello " he nodded politely at Jessica and smiled at Emmet " How are you feeling? "
Emmet shrugged " Pregnant. Otherwise peachy keen " he returned the smile, Gabriel walked into the kitchen and started putting the food away. Moving at light speed, he got it done in no time. He walked back into the living room and Emmet hopped up and walked over to him. Taking his husbands hand, Emmet hauls him over to the couch and makes him sit down, he then sat on Gabrielâs lap, his arm around the older mans neck. Gabriel relaxed as he felt Emmetâs body against his. The contact allowed him to check his loverâs status. All seemed well. He turned back towards Jessica, remembering his promise to be ânicer " to the woman " Jessica...how have you been?"
Jessicaâs face remained pleasant enough as Gabriel came in and put the groceries away and then sat down with Emmet. But there was a glint of hatred in her casual eyes as she looked at Gabriel. But she smiled at the two, âIâve been good. I hear youâve been learning a lot about Biokinesis. You know, you should have just come to me about it, I could have saved you a lot of trouble. I can still work with you on it if youâre interested.â In a way, she sort of wished he would decline the offer, so she could look the âbiggerâ person, but she wanted to make Emmet happy, and if bonding with Gabriel would do that, then she would try her hardest.
Gabriel nodded at Jessica and her offer, âYes. Iâve been studying human physiology extensively. Emmet was adamant that I be the one to change him. Iâm sure I have everything nailed down. But a more experienced personâs insight is refreshing " he spoke very pleasantly. Thankful for all the times as Sylar when he had to make use of his acting skills. It had made him a very good liar. Emmet smiled; an idiot could see the BS. But they were trying.
Jessica nodded, âWe could do it now, if you like. I have some time, as long as the two of you donât have anything going on tonight.â She said with a shrug. Really, she just wanted to get Gabriel away from Emmet for a while.
Emmet shook his head " Naw, I don't believe we do " he stared at his husband questioningly. In truth he'd wanted to cook them a romantic dinner and watch some movies and possibly engage in sexual activities " No, nothing. It's fine if it is for you " he kept his face composed and cheerful. He could see what Jessica was doing and it took all his self-control and maybe some for the future. But he would be the bigger person in this, and when it came down to, her knowledge exceeded his own, in Biokinesis, if there was a chance she could make things better for Emmet, then nothing else mattered.
Jessica stood up as she clapped, âExcellent. You meet me up on the roof when youâre ready.â She said, pointing to Gabriel. She turned to Emmet, âYou, Mr. Mommy, stay here and relax, and I promise not to break him.â She said with a smirk, before turning and heading out the door. This would give her the chance she needed to talk to Gabriel alone.
Emmet watched her leave and turned to his husband "Youâre both full of it, but at least youâre making an effort at," he smiled and kissed him. Gabriel sighed, it was all for Emmet. He kissed back, his hand roaming Emmetâs back. With reluctance, Emmet pulled away " Hey, you have something else to get to right now " Gabriel chuckled " Less fun " but he stood up " Do you need anything? " Emmet shook his head " Yes. But you have some training to do. I'll just watch some tv " with one last kiss Gabriel teleported up to the roof.
Jessica turned as she heard Gabriel make his appearance on the roof. She turned slowly, her eyes filled with not hatred, but anger, âOn the day of the carnival attack, you asked for my blessing for your proposal to my son. Do you remember what I told you?â She asked, her voice as steady as her gaze, âI told you to take care of him. To never hurt him. I was confident that you would make him happy. But you hurt him in the worst way possible. I know heâs forgiven you, as love makes you forgive, but I canât forgive you like that. You donât know what itâs like for a parent, even a parent like me, to see their child in pain. Until your child is born, you wonât know. Itâs heart breaking, knowing thereâs nothing you can do to help them. Thatâs why I hate you. You hate me because of my hatred for you, but thereâs something else. Care to tell me what it is?â
Gabriel listened to Jessica as she spoke. She'd voiced her opinion of this in the past. Her words still held a sharp barb to them. Emmet forgave him and he said thatâs all that mattered to him. But deep down he still held a self-loathing of the event. When she asked why he disliked her, he was unsure of what to say. Simply saying he hated her because of her animosity towards him was a lackluster answer, but still truthful, just not the whole of. He wasnât sure if he wanted to reveal the real reason. But he remembered his promise to Emmet and sighed, âYou really want to know? In all truth, I donât truly understand it. But, growing up, my father killed my mother right in front of me, right before he sold me to his brother and eccentric wife. Soon after my uncle left, leaving me with his wife, who I had convinced myself was my mother. She was unbalanced. She nurtured my desire to be special, better then anyone, in her own way creating Sylar,â remembering Virginia placed a sour taste in his mouth, âIâm not placing all the blame on her. When I went to her, seeking a way to stop Sylar, she saw only a way to live through me, free of the snow globe sheâd placed herself in. I killed her, on accident or on purpose, I donât know. I do know that youâre a much better mother, even if you donât have the experience of it. Emmet cares about you very much, even if he doesnât really know how to show it. I love Emmet and hurting him is what I regret the most and will never do again âhis expression shifted slightly âCall it idiotic if you want. But I canât help but think yourself could cause harm to Emmet.â
Jessica raised an eyebrow at his remark about hurting Emmet, âWhat exactly do you mean by that?â She asked, more surprised than angered.
Gabriel looked down, his expression stony "...A mother is someone who nurtures her children. The one they can depend on...But theyâre capable of more," he gripped his hands at his side so tightly that blood was beginning to drip off, " The dependency can turn to something evil, far more than anything a murderer is capable, to want to be the most important person in the childâs life.....even try to take the place of their lover." the last part was barely above a whisper. The blood dripping down started whirling around his fist as the memory came rushing back. He'd done such an admirable job of suppressing it all this time. He'd never discussed it with anybody, not even Emmet " I wanted to strike out on my own, tired of being stuck in the cage with her, she did all she could to make me stay, finally.... " his throat closed up and he was on the verge of crying. He couldnât say it, saying it would truly make it real " Just know that for all my hatred of you, I...respect you for being a good person to him, thatâs all."
She wanted to be angry at him for comparing her to his own step-mother. But she couldnât. Not really, when her own childhood had been shit, âI want to be a better mother than my family ever was to me. Hourly beatings, the drugs, the alcohol, the verbal abuse. It was a lot for me to cope with. And when I was raped, they threw me out, like some stray animal. There were plenty of times where I thought about killing myself. But to know that the child inside me needed meâŠit kept me alive for so long. Without them, I know I would have died.â She replied, her own eyes downcast, âMore or less, I want to say thank you to them for being there for me when I needed it the most. With them, I felt ways Iâve never felt before. Iâve never loved anyone before. But Iâd give my life for them. Godric, Emmet, and now Kaeira. Maybe itâs a motherâs curse, I donât know.â
She sighed, âThese negative feelings I feel toward you. Theyâre mostly driven off of emotion. Shit like thisâŠit makes it better. I just need time to forgive, is all.â Her eyes returned to his, âI wonât be here forever. We all know that. You and Emmet are immortal. And he loves you. So, Iâll ask you this one thing. And I expect you to honor this one, unlike your last promise. I want you to take care of him, when Iâm gone. Whether Iâm killed by my sister, or by old ageâŠI donât want him to be alone. If youâre going to start on this path, I want you to promise me you wonât deviate from it later down the line. Because if you hurt him again⊠Iâll fucking kill you.â
Gabriel couldnât help it. He smiled, for someone reason her words mitigated his earlier emotions. He wondered if his real mother had been like Jessica, tough and yet caring and gentle. Obviously this wasnât something he was going to say anything about âNothing or no one will keep me away from him or our children. This isnât a promise, it's an absolute truth and Iâm damn well going to keep it that way " he suddenly looked down a his hands. He'd dug his fingers in clear to the bone. He winced as he extracted them out. The wounds quickly healing over âAnyway, what do you have to teach me? "
Jessica smirked a little herself, âWhat have you learned already? Obviously youâre well versed in some of the more advanced aspects of the ability, and with your ability, you basically understand how stuff works.â She said, thinking aloud more so than actually talking to him, âAnd because you have other abilities, you donât need to use Biokinetic based speed or strength or sight. Have you figured out how to shut off pain and such yet?â
Gabriel nodded " Yes. Iâve practiced extensively with Biokinesis, altering my strength, speed, density of my skin and manipulating my bone structure. I use Biokinetic based sight techniques, I don't have any other sight altering ones. Manipulating human sex and shifting it over to another is the most complex thing Iâve done. Simply changing Emmetâs appearance to that of a female would have been somewhat simple; but altering his reproductive system required more work. I literally had to construct a vagina, while keeping his physical appearance male. His sex is in all technicalities female right now "
Jessica nodded, âYeah, he hinted as much when I asked him about it. Alright, so you know the body, but how much can you do practically? What techniques have you actually used through Biokinesis, not in theory?â She asked, crossing her arms, âWith Biokinesis, you can shift your shape, reattach limbs, turn your skin like a chameleon, increase skin density, all of it. If youâve learned all this, thereâs not a lot I can teach you except for a few techniques and how to counter-act them. My sister IS still out there, and she may just come to kill Emmet. Or you. And she DOES have the means to do it.â Her voice had drifted from its usual tone to one much more serious, "If she should hit either of you with her most powerful technique, a skilled Biokinetic is the only thing standing between you and certain death"
Gabriel went over a mental list of all of his biological accomplishments â Aside from altering Emmetâs sex, Iâve altered the density of my skin, mostly for defensive purposes, but I can do the chameleon trick, reattach limbs, I already have shape shifting, manipulate my bone structure, shift my size, manipulate biological aging, my hearing, sight. Iâve practiced with more internal techniques, giving cancer and taking it away, cellular destruction. I have some deeper knowledge of cellular based abilities. Marasmus, cellular transmutation, and degeneration,â his fingers twitched as she mentioned Sierra. He couldnât imagine the woman coming after them, but he wouldnât take chances, he was confident in himself, but only a fool didnât have several back up plans and adding one more certainly wouldnât hurt â What is this ultimate technique of hers and how can it be countered?â
âItâs a technique of my own design. For lack of a creative mind, I call it the Bio-bomb. Originally, it was a technique I invented to kill Peter if he ever got his hands on Emmetâs ability. Well, my sister knows it, obviously. It literally destroys a personâs genetic structure, making it impossible for them to reform. Which is why it would work against you, Peter, Emmet, and Godric. Without your genes, your powers donât work, and you canât reform. When I came up with it, I didnât have a cure for it. I never thought Iâd need it. After I hung out with you and Emmet for those monthsâŠI figured I ought to have it in case I needed it.â She said with a casual shrug.
Gabriel wasnât surprised Jessica had such a technique at her disposal. As she explained it, he went over a simulation of the effect over in his mind. She was right; an immortal wouldnât stand a chance against it. He clenched his hands again. The weight of Jessica telling him this wasnât lost on him. One of her greatest secrets, something she could one day attempt on him. Their latest conversation showed some hope for the future, but they were still in the present at the moment âI see. That sounds very hard to fight against; you really have a counter measure for it? âWhatever it was, he would master it, no matter what. He would keep his family safe from any and all threats that would most likely come for them. Both he and Emmet had bloody past and many enemies.
âIâm not going to lie to you. I donât even know if the counter measure will work. Iâve only ever used the technique once, andâŠwellâŠI never want to have to use it again, letâs leave it at that. At least, not if I have to sit in the same room as the guy. The Bio-bomb is painful as hell. Disintegration has got nothing on the Bio-bomb. Ten times more painful, at least. Obviously, the first step is to stop the signal from eating away at your genes and DNA and stuff. But the message for the Bio-bomb is incredibly encoded, down to the point where it could confuse amateurs. Obviously Peter was going to have Biokinesis, so it had to be tough to crack. It requires extensive training in and of itself to master. Secondly would be to literally tell your body to rebuild itself. Since your genes no longer work, youâd have to redirect the flow of cell production.â She explained.
Gabriel pondered this. It sounded very difficult to get by. A 99.99 percent chance of success, even if you manipulated probability. In truth, he hoped that he would never have to contend with such a device. But for the safety of Emmet, and himself he would learn this âSo, the best course for countering it is cracking the code of it and regrow whatever limb has been eaten away from the start â it sounded so much simpler then it was. He could only imagine how complicated the code was, but before all the others, understanding how things worked was his natural gift. He hoped he wasnât putting too much into this; the last thing he wanted was to develop paranoia âAlright then, where do we start?â
âWe can start whenever, but we need someâŠvolunteers.â She said with a cruel smile, âReally anyone will do. But I advise that you learn to turn off your ears or cancel out sounds, one of the two. The screams you get out of them are a horrible thing. Massive headaches and stuff.â She said, making an ear-plugging gesture. Her mind shifted to Emmet slowly disintegrating as his inhuman screams plead for her to help, and her face went dead pale. With shaken confidence, she said, âRound up a few people to play with and weâll start.â
Gabrielâs face didnât change at all as Jessica mentioned needing âVolunteers â. He figured as much. He reached out and teleported them to a warehouse. It was under Linderman's name, so no one ever went poking around it. It was large and expansive, with row after row of rooms, moderately clean, and spiffy. It was where Gabriel had been practicing his biokinesis. He led them to one room that was particularly big. It showed the tell tale signs of much use: the faint traces of blood on the walls and bits of flesh. Gabriel vanished for a moment and reappeared with five raggedy looking men. He found the homeless community to beâŠ.a valuable source for certain activities.
Jessica nodded, âAh yes, hobos: my favorite fast food and wonderful test subjects. Trial and error works the best. Iâll Bio-bomb one, you try and fix them.â She said, grabbing one of the dazed men and concentrated for a few moments. The man gave her a weird look before keeling over and screaming bloody murder. Jessica, who had her ears turned off, nodded and said, âClock is ticking.â
Gabriel quickly knelt down and pressed his hands against the screaming hoboâs forehead. His eyes rolled back as he started working. Heâd known it would be complicated. But this was beyond anything heâd ever thought existed. So much coding in the manâs genetic structure. He was literally being eaten alive by it. He quickly understood what Jessica meant after the screaming. It started out as nothing new to him; heâd heard the screams of pain so many times before. But soon, it grew to something so horrible; he couldnât imagine anyone actually being joyful at the sounds. As he shut his hearing off an image of Emmet flashed through his mind. He pressed on, sweat coating his forehead. He could feel the manâs legs slowly being devoured and poured more energy out. Even with Intuitive Aptitude, he was getting nowhere. What felt like forever, but had actually been an hour, Gabrielâs eyes came back into focus. He frowned down on the spot where the hobo had been. He turned to Jessica âLetâs try again â
Emmet flipped through the channels till he came to a movie playing. It looked interesting so he kept it on. As he munched on popcorn, a knock came at the door. He hopped up and headed for the door. There was a woman in a delivery uniform; a large box was balanced on her shoulder.
âHello, I have a package for the Jerome residence â
Emmet raised an eyebrow âWrong place, this is the Gray household â
The woman grimaced âShit. Wrong again, you know what. This is my last day on the job. Just take it â
Emmet shrugged âOk âhe led her into the living room and she sat the box down on the table. She looked around the room, her yes locked on one of Emmet and Gabrielâs wedding photos.
âThat your hubby? â
Emmet smiled fondly âYeah, my Gabey.â
The woman smiled âWell ainât that cute âshe gave Emmet a nod and left the apartment. Emmet burned away the top of the box and looked inside. On top of a bunch of cotton was a picture frame. Holding a picture of a family. A man, a woman, and a little girl. None of them was looking particularly happy. Emmet looked closer; there was something about the little girl that seemed familiar. He sat it down and ruffled around the box. Pushing all the cotton out, he found a large metal statue of a clock. He tried to pick it up, but it was excessively heavy. âChick must has been wonder woman âhe commented. It was rather well done. Sucks for the Jeromeâs.
Jessica grabbed hold of the next hobo, hauling him roughly to his feet and hitting him with the Bio-Bomb. She then shoved him at Gabriel, âOne of five hobos destroyed. Better get your head in the game.â
Gabriel caught the man and placed him on the ground starting again. No real difference from before, but he was slowing down the decay, that was something. Fighting against it was hard and draining, but he pressed on.
Despite not wanting to admit it, she had to admire Gabrielâs drive. She reasoned that it was for his own protection, but deep down, a part of her knew that it was to protect Emmet. She could feel the bond between them, however close to being nonexistent, strengthening. A wave of pain spread through her, but she ignored it, though she did manage to let out a small groan, before saying, âIt may take two Biokinetics to counter the Biobomb. One of us might simply not be strong enough.â
Gabriel nodded distantly. He had to agree with her. He was barely hanging on with this. He recognized her skill in her art. But if Sierra were ever to attack and Jessica happened to not be around, he needed to be stronger. Much stronger. He ground his teeth and for a moment, the decaying receded. He fought back harder against it. But soon it spread out faster and the man was gone. He wiped the sweat off his brow. For a brief moment, heâd had something.
Jessica sighed as the hobo disappeared after another strenuous hour and three minutes. She put a hand on Gabeâs shoulder and bit her lip, âDonât worry⊠Youâll get it sooner or later. Take a minute to rest, alright? You push yourself too hard and you wonât be there when Emmet needs you.â She said, her voice somewhat unsure, but also somewhat caring. She was about to say something else, but before should could, her hand tightened on his shoulder, the tip digging into his clothes as she doubled over in pain, âWhaâŠwhat the hell?â She gasped, noticing that her jeans were soaked, âOh youâveâŠgot to be fucking kiddingâŠâ The first real contractions hit like a tidal wave of pain. She recognized them anywhere.
Gabrielâs eyes widened as Jessica doubled over in pain. That and the wet spot on her jeans could mean only one thing. She was going into labor!! He quickly stood up, completely forgetting the other three hobos in the room and teleported them to Franâs.
Fran was looking over some charts when Gabriel teleported in with Jessica in his arms. âSheâs going into labor!! âHe yelled.
Fran blinked âI see âshe was out of her chair in an instant. Her large assistants flooded into the room, relieving Gabriel of the woman and carefully laid her on the bed theyâd brought up. Gabriel watched as Jessica was rushed from the room and down to Franâs lab.
âIâve been on standby for just the occasion âshe explained as she followed after them. Gabriel was lost on what to do now. Then he thought of Emmet. Surely, the boy would want to be there for the birth of his sibling. He teleported back to their apartment and before Emmet could even open his mouth to ask how it had went with Jessica, Gabriel grabbed him and teleported them back to the mansion.
Jessica was nearly oblivious to everything going on around her. The pain was overwhelming, and though she could shut off her pain receptors, something stopped her. If she turned them off, all feeling would be gone. She didnât want that. Not now. Thoughts flooded through her mind as she was taken down to the laps and relieved of her clothing, covered in something that looked like a hospital gown but wasnât. Tears of pain and happiness streamed down her face. Saying to nobody in particular, she asked, âGodric. Where is he?â She knew that Gabriel would be retrieving Emmet, but she wanted both of them present.
Godric was lying on his bed, his hand behind his head sleeping. Suddenly, the intercom in his room blared with Franâs voice.
âGodric, whenever you get the chance, come down to the lab. Jessica has gone into labor and will have the baby soon.â
Godric blinked twice and got up. As he left his room, he grabbed his jacket and threw it over his shoulders. He quickly headed for the lab and moved to Jessicaâs side âHow are you doing? âHe was honestly curious and concerned. Heâd never had an interest in the creation of life, his venomous nature not understanding it. Even when Jessica had first said she was pregnant, he hadnât really cared, but as the months rolled by and Fran drilled him on the nature of pregnancy, new lives coming into the world and all of that. It was truly fascinating. A moment later Emmet and Gabriel appeared. Emmet looked around till he saw Jessica in the bed with Godric by her.
âSheâs having the baby âGabriel quickly explained. Emmet nodded and went to join his brother at their motherâs side.
Jessica smiled, despite the pain, âNot long now, and youâll be saying hello to your new baby sister you two.â She laughed, before her laughter turned to a scream of pain, âI hope you have some fucking morphine, Fran.â The birth went over well, and soon the room was filled with the crying of tiny lungs. Tears of happiness poured down Jessicaâs face, âLet me see her.â
Godric and Emmet each took one of their motherâs hands and held on tightly as the birth began. Emmet laughed when Gabe looked over his shoulder and fainted âHope he doesnât do that nine months from now âEmmet thought to himself. Fran gave Jessica a shot of morphine and went to the front, she sprouted out a few extra arms âAlright Jessica, now push âafter all the screaming and cursing was over, it was followed by the tiny cries of new life. Neither Godric nor Emmet had ever seen such a thing before. The little baby girl, crying and covered in her mothers insides. Fran took the baby girl aside to clean her.
Jill had only recently returned from her latest round of clone slaughtering when a servant came to her door and told her of Jessica going into labor. The servant was slow and Unfortunately Jill didnât make it until just as the baby was born, unfortunately not being able to be there for Jessica as she had hoped to be beforehand. She decided that the new family needed a bit of time with the young one and deep down she felt as if she didnât have a place to even be there for this moment.
This was the family Jessica longed for, the one she had wanted. Godric and Emmet caring and being around her. She wouldnât deny Jessica this time, with all of her kids, Jill just wasnât part of that. She stayed back and pretty much out of sight for the most part. She wasnât sure if anyone noticed her, but their lack of saying anything, she assumed not.
âWow âEmmet said in amazement âSheâs like a little tea cup human â
Godric nodded âYesâŠ.our sister âstrange how easily it was to say that was to say. Emmet walked over to his husband who had just woken up.
âPhale, I hope you donât do that when itâs my turn â
Gabriel blushed âNever âEmmet laughed and kissed his cheek
.
âCome and see my little sister â
Fran had just finished cleaning her up. âYour daughter is the picture of perfect health Jessica âshe gently handed the little girl to her mother.
Jessica laughed a little. Her eyes were locked on her new daughterâs as she began talking, âHey there, little one. Welcome to the family. Our crazy, upside down, insane family.â She laughed weakly, âMeet your brothersâŠTheyâve been waiting anxiously to meetâŠyouâŠâ She felt something in her chest though. A dull pain that felt somewhat familiar. The EKG machine began to go off. Jessicaâs heart rate was plummeting. Soon the room was filled with the squeal of the flat-line, and Kaeiraâs wails. All she could think of was âHow?â Biokinetics couldnât have heart attacks. It wasnât possible. The light began to fade. No. Not now. Not fucking now. Not when she was so close. She had toâŠSierra. The thought rang out so clearly in her head. It had to be her. Somehow, someway, that bitch had done this to her.
For a moment everyone was happy, smiling at the latest addition to there family. Emmet and Godric were looking at their new little sister with great interest. Gabriel stood next to Emmet, both of them looking forward to the day they could experience what Jessica was feeling. But all the happiness quickly drained away as EKG machine began going off, followed by the long beep of the machine. Fran pushed past the gathering men and moved to Jessicaâs side âOn no, sheâs flat-lining, quick the defibrillator! âOne of the assistance brought Fran the piece of equipment and turned it on. Fran rubbed them together as the front of Jessicaâs gown was opened. âClear! â
She pressed it down as one pair of arms picked up the wailing baby and handed her for Godric to hold. She shocked Jessicaâs heart, but no response. She did it again, Emmet watched in shock as Jessicaâs heart stopped beating. Gabriel leaned forward, pressed his hand to Jessicaâs forehead, and attempted to assist her heart in beating again. But to no avail. âSheâsâŠgone âGabrielâs voice was barely a whisper. Fran nodded gravely and pulled the machine away. Both Emmet and Godric felt a strange tightening in there chest. Godric kept a steady hold on his sister while Emmet swayed slightly.
âNo, thatâs not possible. She canât be dead, no, no, NO!! âHe screamed, tears pouring down his face. Gabriel tried to hold him, but Emmet pushed him away.
âNO, YOUâRE FUCKING WRONG, SHE CANâT BE DEAD! âHe sobbed. His mind flashing back to all those years. When he believed Rose was his mother, hearing from that nameless asshole that she was dead. The pain was ten times worse this time. He glared at the infant in Godric's arms. It was because of her that their mother was dead. His stigma bled forth and the temperature in the room skyrocketed. Gabriel paled. Why did it have to awaken now?
Jill watched the scene unfold, her own body unable to move. Jessica had died? How could this have happened? Jill thought she could revive her, but for some reason she was still frozen in place, even shaking a bit. She really did care about the few family members she still had around here, and the thought Jessica had even died, hurt.
When Emmetâs Stigma awoke she wanted to run out and calm him down. The baby couldnât afford to get hurt. Just being born, it would be extremely tricky since nothing was ever exact with her ability. An infant just dying after birth was just too hard to revive, even for her, for once she went too far back to before birth, it was too late to undo. However luckily Godric intervened and protected his sister, by comforting his brother.
Godric stood there passively. He could see the hatred burning in his brotherâs eyes. However, he couldnât let anything happen to their sister. His own stigma awakened and for a moment, they just starred at each other.
Fran and Gabriel watched them, neither was sure if the other would attack. Finally, though, both stigmaâs faded and they looked away. Emmet sobbing and Godric holding back his tears, he didnât want them to get on the baby. Emmet walked back over to Jessicaâs bed. She looked so peaceful, of course. Sheâd just given birth, the most wonderful experience a person could have, and just after that, sheâd died. Gabriel tentatively put his hand on Emmet's shoulder. This time Emmet went to him, crying into Gabrielâs chest. Gabriel held him tightly. While their dislike for the other was still apparent. He couldnât help but cry a little himself, mostly for Emmetâs sadness, but a little for his own. Suddenly, Gabriel felt an odd warmth emanating from Emmet.
Emmetâs body started glowing. He pulled away from Gabriel, an odd look plastered on his face. He starred down at Jessica. The glowing from his eyes intensifying. He held his arms out and Jessicaâs body started glowing in a similar fashion. The glowing died down and Emmet fell back into Gabrielâs arms. The machine gave a beep of movement.
Jessica gasped, drawing in a breath, coughing for a moment before looking around the room, âWhatâŠthe hell?â She asked, breathless. She put a hand to her head and then drew it away, letting her gaze rest on her own hands, âWas I justâŠdead?â In all the years, she had never given the thought to the possibility of dying in childbirth. But now that she had just died and come back, she heaved a sigh of both relief and disbelief, âHoly shit.â She thought for a moment and spoke again, âEmmet. Godric. I saw how you reacted, when I wasâŠwhatever. No matter what happens, I need you to know this. Iâm not like you. I wonât live forever. When Iâm gone, I need to know that youâll take care of each other, and your sister.â Her voice was weak, but serious, âYouâre family. Thatâs whatâs important. Promise me, alright?â She paused until a thought triggered in her head and she looked at Emmet, perplexed, âI sawâŠa kid. He looked about your age, dressed in all black with a hoodie on. He said he fucking hates this family. You know him?â
Emmet sighed with relief as Jessica came back. He leaned back against Gabriel as he hugged him from behind. He wiped his eyes to get rid of the tears. Godric was still holding onto Kaeira, but was smiling with everyone. Fran had been sitting down quietly, mulling over what had happened when Emmetâs powers seemingly resurrected Jessica. She wasnât aware Emmet could do that and quickly jotted down some notes to go over later. Emmet looked down as Jessica spoke. He turned to Godric âSorry about that, damn mood swings â
Godric nodded, âIâm sorry as well. Mother is right, we will have to look after our sister â
Emmet was quiet for a moment, but nodded âYes âEmmet laughed as Jessica explained seeing someone
âOh thatâs just death; he bitches about seeing me, Godric, or Gabe from time to time. Pay him no mind â
Godric held Kaeira out to Jessica.
Jessica took Kaeira without hesitation, looking down into the childâs face, âLittle shit, tried to kill me. I think youâll fit into this family quite nicely.â She said, and laughed. She held out an arm to both of her sons, âWell, come on. Family hug, right now. I just gave birth, died, and got brought back to life.â
Emmet laughed and hugged his mother, Godric getting in on it too, the both of them feeling very happy. Fran smiled and joined in as well, Gabriel was a little put off, but with a gesture from Emmet, he joined too.
Jessica smiled a little as everyone piled on for the hug. Even her feelings of anger at Gabriel were forgotten momentarily as they all hugged. It was only interrupted by a small sneeze and a feeling of cold on the tip of Jessicaâs nose. As she looked down, she saw Kaeira staring up at her as well as a thin layer of ice glazing her nose. At this, Jessica started to laugh, giving Emmet a playful look while wiping the ice away, âHold your sister for a moment, Emmet. I need to get dressed anyway. Besides, Gabriel and I were on the brink of being best friends forever and discovering something incredibly important about Biokinesis.â She said, heaving her aching body up into a sitting position. She turned to Fran a moment, âCould you please have someone fetch a change of clothes from my room? I donât think I could make it up the stairs, to tell you the truth.â
As Emmetâs ability revived Jessica and she held Kaeria for the first time Jill smiled, although her body was still shaking as she still tried to stay out of view. Jessica was once more alive and her family embracing her with a hug. Jill turned around unable to watch anymore, as a single tear shed from her eye and ran down her face. It had been so long since she last cried, she didnât think that her tear ducts even functioned properly anymore. She raised a hand and touched the trail left by the lone tear. She looked at it as the shaking stopped, but another tear followed it down the same path. She didnât fully understand why she was crying but after a bit of though she determined it to be two reasons. The first being the scene that had just went down and thinking Jessica was dead. The second being the fact she couldnât bring herself out there, even now. She just didnât want to ruin things and even moreso now, she didnât want them to see her cry and seem weak.
Emmet starred at the baby for a minute then reached out to take her from Jessica. He cradled her carefully as the books heâd read said too. She was rather cute, his earlier animosity ebbing away, slightly. Fran brought out some extra clothes sheâd had stashed there for just such an occasion. âNormally a woman should stay in bed and rest after childbirth. But obviously that kind of thing doesnât apply to you.â
Gabriel nodded, if Jessica was up for it then he wanted to continue on with the training. He blushed as he watched Emmet holding his sister. That would be them in a few months. He hoped he would do a good job as a father. He seriously never considered it before, outside of a passing by thought. But the thought had become a reality. Emmet caught him starring, he smiled and mouthed the words nine months.
Jessica nodded, âIâm fineâŠI just need something to eat and Iâll be fine. My body is already resetting itself.â She said, moving out of the room and fitting her clothes. A black t-shirt, blue jeans, as well as putting on her new red jacket and her boots, she stretched a little before rejoining the rest of her family. As she came out, she noticed Jill, âGrandma! Awesome, thought you wouldnât make it. You wanna hold your new grand daughter? Feisty one.â She said with a tired smile. She turned to Fran, âI donât suppose you have a camera in here, do you? Need one for the scrap book after all. Thatâs what normal people do, right?â
Franâs video camera had been out the entire time, recording the birth and the familial moments. Emmet walked over to Jill and handed off his new sister " Hard to believe in a few months Gabe and I will have our own little bundle of. Oh right, everyone, don't wanna take the spot light away from Jessica and the babe. But Iâm knocked up and giving birth as well in about nine months " Godric nodded " Congratulations " Franâs eyes widened " Really? How? " Emmet shrugged " Ask Gabe, he did it with Biokinesis " Fran did just that and began barraging Gabriel with questions of how he'd gone about and whether he'd inseminated Emmet or did it through vaginal intercourse.
Jessica looked at Jill solemnly, âI donât ever intend to do that again, trust me.â As much as she would have loved to raise Kaeira from a baby, like any normal parent, they didnât have that luxury. They were all serial killers, and things were getting hairy with the government the way it was. If something were to happen⊠she wouldnât be able to bear it, âItâs time for the last leg of this little experiment. Jill, you know what to do.â She said as a single tear trailed her face before she quickly wiped it away.
Jill stared at Jessica as she spoke. She looked down at the little baby she held. "If that's what you still want. I will tell you though Jessie, it may hurt her somewhat. I've aged people and they've screamed, although I don't know if that's for the panic in mind, or pain. Either way just giving you the warning. Once I start, I don't think I'll be able to bring her back, definitely not to this age."
Jessica nodded slightly, âWe donât have a choice. As much as Iâd love to raise her from here, we simply donât have the time. If something happens to me, sheâll need to be able to fend for herself. She canât do that like this. JustâŠjust do it, okay? Before IâŠIâŠâ She trailed off, âJust do it!â She said irritably, the hurt in her voice evident. She didnât want to, but she had to protect Kaeira. Besides, if she was capable of coherent thought, nobody could take her away from her.
Jill didn't even flinch as Jessica almost snapped at her. "Very well." She said while tightening her grip on the baby. She sat down and closed her eyes. The baby began rapidly aging right before their eyes. As she began to cry Jill held onto her and put her head on her shoulder. She rubbed her back trying to calm the child down, but to no great avail. After about a half an hour the baby was about 3 years old and the crying subsided. Jill sat there still rubbing her back and whispering to her, hoping it didn't hurt that bad.
Emmet raised an eyebrow at the conversation Jill and Jessica were having. Fran stopped questioning Gabriel and turned to watch as well. Godricâs expression was as unreadable as always. Suddenly Jill sat down and Kaeira was aged to the age of three. Emmet whistled, âWell....Thatâs something " he was unsure of how to take this. One moment the girl was an infant and the next she was ready for kindergarten. Franâs camera was still recording everything and taking pictures. Gabriel wondered if there was another reason Jessica had decided to age her newly born child. He was aware of the governmentâs new procedures to specials. Was protecting her daughter all there was to it?
Jessicaâs face went from resilient, to broken up, to barely held back tears, and finally to crying as Kaeira cried for the next thirty minutes. She couldnât bear to hear it, but she knew it had to be done. It broke her heart as she could do nothing to ease the pain without hurting the child in and of itself, but the thought of turning off her ears sounded soâŠsoâŠmonstrous. As Jill finished up, she wiped away the tears and tried to compose herself. She didnât want Kaeiraâs first image of her mother to be that of her crying. Taking a deep breath, she walked over, put a hand to her own forehead and cupped her other around her daughterâs eyes, beginning to cellularly give Kaeira her own basic memories, transferring speech, motor control, identification awareness, and a whole range of other experiences to the girl. She would be like every other child her age, if not smarter.
When Jessicaâs hand fell away, she took in her daughterâs appearance. Instead of the blood red eyes she expected to see, her eyes were like bright orange flames, with ashen gray crosses etched in them. It was definitely the Stigma, but not like she had ever seen before. Her hair was streaked with both blond and black hair, forming a sort of striped pattern. Her skin looked normal, but there was something forbidding about it, as if there were something hiding behind that thin veil of flesh. When she spoke, she had a perfect voice, both innocent and dangerous, but subtly so, âMom. Brothers. Brother-in-law. Sister. Grandma. Itâs good to meet you all.â She said with an innocent smile as Jessica enfolded her in a hug.
The room was silent after the girl spoke. Fran had brought out a second camera for additional footage. Gabriel was taken back by the girlâs appearance. It was bizarre and yet normal in a strange mixture. What was this child? Emmet looked her over, âFreakyâ, he thought to himself. Behind his vision the stigma stirred, as if reacting, Godric was feeling a similar occurrence. "Hello to you too, sister,"
Emmet blinked, "Yeah, youâve grown up nicely, Kay."
Jill watched as Jessica came over and took the baby. She smiled after the child spoke. "Well hello, it's a pleasure to meet you Kaeira."
Kaeira giggled as her family replied to her, âThanks big bro.â She said to Emmet, then turned to Gabriel, âDonât you have anything to say to your new sister-in-law? Iâm insulted.â She faked a pout before she giggled again, and finally, she turned to Jessica again, âMom, Iâm hungry.â
Jessica raised an eyebrow and shrugged, âWell, letâs go find you something to eat, alright? What would you like?â
Kaeira rubbed her stomach a little and thought for a moment, âI dunno. I guess Iâll try whatever you eat. After all, I was âeatingâ while I was in your tummy anyway, right?â
Emmet laughed at Gabriel expression. The man was unsure of what to say to the little girl who was just an infant mere seconds ago âUm hello, Kaeira, how do you do? â Gabrielâs own stomach started growling. Excessive biokinetic use always made his high metabolism act up. Emmet took his hand âI think we all could use a bite to eat âGodric nodded. Fran smiled at Kaeira
âHello there, Kaeira. My, you look just like your mother and brothers. You know, Iâve read its good to commemorate events like this with photos.â
Jessica nodded, âGet one of all of us, then a group shot of just you five,â She motioned to Emmet, Godric, Gabe, Kaeira, and Fran, âAnd then one of me and Jill.â She said, retrieving a locket from her old pants pocket.
*************
Kaeira looked up from the food which she had been eating hungrily, but not necessarily without manners. Her eyes gradually floated to Fran, âFranny, is there something I can beat up that youâre done with? I know everyone wants to see what I can do, as Iâm sure you wanna know too.â Kaeira was smiling innocently enough, but something in her orange eyes marked determination. Jessica wouldnât say she wasnât interested in Kaeiraâs abilities, but she was more interested in her daughterâs safety. She had no training in anything yet.
Fran smiled, "Yes, I believe I do have something, Iâve had it stowed away all this time " she nodded to one of her assistants who lumbered off. Emmet had to admit he was rather curious about what the girl could do. Gabriel wanted to get back to his Biokinesis training, but his curiosity was winning out. Godric was wondering what he and Cyrus would do today, he nodded at his new sister as she desired to fight someone. He felt something, odd, he couldnât tell what exactly. A moment later the assistant returned with a deformed creature. It had multiple limbs sticking out, "Meet Jacob. I experimented heavily on him, or rather I suppose meet Jacob #12, I made a few clones. I was curious about his DNA, seeing how strong the offspring he fathered were; anyway this one has increased strength and speed. Should be an excellent sparring partner."
Kaeira got up from the table and sort of hop-skipped her way over to the place designated for her little brawl with this hulking monstrosity. Jessica bit her lip. Emmet and Godric had resurrection, so she rarely had to worry about them getting truly hurt in a fight. Kaeira, thoughâŠthey didnât know what she could do, aside from blowing ice around. Kaeira, though, looked confident when matched with the beast, âHullo Mister Twelve, Iâm gonna hit you, okay?â She asked with a friendly smile.
Jessica simply gave Fran a look and whispered, âIs that really safe? I meanâŠsheâs three and we have no idea what her abilities are.â
Jacob, if you could even call him that anymore, rolled an eye to focus on Kaeira. With the other, he focused on the people sitting at the table. Vague memories tugged at his brain, but nothing discernable. With a grunt, he refocused both eyes on the girl in front of him. The words âhitâ and âyouâ were the only things that registered in the creatures mind and it grunted slightly, making an almost laughing sound. Kaeira frowned at this and put her hands on her hips, âJust because Iâm little doesnât mean you get to laugh at me, you big meanie.â At this, she conjured up a snowball in her hand and chucked it at the creature. The snow burst on Jacobâs face and managed to get an angry growl from him. That shit was cold, especially on his exposed skin. With a bit of a roar, it began to charge.
Emmet smirked as Jacob was brought out. It was certainly an improvement of how he'd been before. Gabriel was confused, "Who is that?" Emmet shrugged " My and Godric's sperm donor, basically."
"Cryokinesis," Godric commented as he sat up a little straighter. Fran nodded in agreement, taking notes. As Jessica made her concerns known, Fran turned to her slightly, not taking her eyes off the fight, "Three, but very well developed. Don't worry, should it get too dangerous, Jacob will be subdued."
As the creature got closer to Kaeira, Jessica felt a tightening in her chest. Part of her wanted to run over and defend the girl, but she couldnât even move. But Kaeira hadnât even flinched as the creature bore down on her. It was exceptionally fast for such a large creature, but as Fran had said, she had experimented on it extensively. As he brought back a fist, Kaeira finally moved, just as quickly as the creature did. One moment she was standing right where the creatureâs fist was coming down, the next she was standing beside it, leaning against its leg, âYouâre not the only one whoâs fast, ugly.â
Jessica let out an audible sigh of relief. So the girl WAS like her brothers in that she had multiple abilities. So super speed and ice. Not a bad combo, she guessed, but not as versatile as Emmet or Godricâs, if thatâs all she had. Then, as if on cue, Kaeira looked at Jessica and Jessica just knew that the girl was disappointed with her motherâs assumption. Was that another ability? She smirked a little. What was this little girl capable of?
Clambering up onto the creatureâs head, she leaned down and hit him in the face with another snowball. Anyone could see she was just toying with him, but it only angered the creature more. With a surprisingly deft hand, he grabbed her and threw her towards the wall. For one heart pounding second, Jessica thought Kaeira was in trouble, but the girl slowed in midair and lightly touched the wall, literally floating down to the ground.
Emmet whistled as Kaeira showcased what she was capable of. He grudgingly admitted he was rather impressed. She was indeed his and Gods sister. Gabriel was greatly intrigued. She had just been an infant a moment ago. Her intelligence was greatly developed as was her control of her abilities. Godric was watching his expression ever blank. But he felt a strange emotion. Pride, he guessed. Fran was rapidly taking notes. When the girl had been thrown, Gabriel had almost used his TK to help her, but Emmet stopped him "She doesnât need it " Gabriel's eyes widened as she slowed down and floated to the ground. "Not flight exactly, levitation, Cryokinesis, Kything, and lentation."
Jessica sat back in her chair and let out a sigh of nervous relief. This girl was going to give her another heart attack. Kaeira was having a blast now, showboating in front of her family just how strong she was. Jessica, on the other hand, stood up and clapped a little, âI think weâre done. Thatâs enough trying to give Mommy a heart attack for one day, I think.â
Kaeira took her eyes off Jacob, âBut Mooooooom.â The girl protested, stomping a foot a little. Jacob, meanwhile, noticed Jessica stand up and call away Kaeiraâs attention. It was then that he struck. With an almost bladed appendage, he struck at the girl, impaling her on it. Kaeira let out a gasp of pain and felt warmth spreading from around the wound. Was that blood? Her blood? This was both puzzling and excruciatingly painful, but everything seemed to be fading a little. Only then did she realize what was happening.
As soon as Kaeira was lifted up by the blade, Jessica froze and went deathly pale. When it tossed the girl aside and her body flopped lifelessly to the ground, she let out a small cry of shock and fainted dead away.
Emmet smirked a little as Kaeira flopped lifeless to the ground. âHmm, a little too arrogant arenât we,â he expression changed as Jessica fainted and he was instantly at her side. Gabriel attacked the Jacob clone with fire, destroying it. Godric picked up the lifeless girl and carried her over to the table. Fran checked her pulse, but found nothing.
Emmet lightly patted Jessicaâs cheek âCome on now, sheâs gonna come back. It just takes awhile the first time around.â
The room was quiet for a moment as all eyes seemed to be on Kaeira, waiting to see if the child possessed the one common ability that her brothers possessed. For a few moments, nothing. Then, slowly, a small cracking sound began to fill the room as ice began to coat Kaeiraâs body, covering her completely and even spreading off onto the table for a ways. With a horrible breaking sound, the ice disappeared and Kaeiraâs eyes shot open, her face immediately taking on a look of fear. She looked around the room and started crying, clinging to Godric as if she was afraid sheâd be ripped away and hauled off somewhere. Through the sobs, she asked, âIs Mama mad?â
Godric was unresponsive for a moment as the girl held onto him. Finally he shook his head âNo, mother was just very worried. As was I,â he really had been, though it was strange for him to have feelings towards people; Cyrus, Emmet, Jessica, Jill, Fran, and Gabriel being the exception, âDonâtâŠDonât cry. Everythingâs alright â
Emmet felt a strange warmth in his chest as the girl started crying. Sadness he supposed. He really had no reason to utter dislike, yet anyway. âYeah Kay, momâs ok, just a little dramatic, understandable,â Emmet certainly didnât want to go through the kind of situation when his son or daughter was born. Gabriel was thinking the same thing. Another thing theyâd noted was that she did indeed share Emmet and Godricâs immortality. Gabriel helped Emmet set Jessica upright in her chair.
âShe should come to in a minute,â said Fran as she set her notes aside to give Kay a check up.
Kaeiraâs face was downcast as Fran moved to give her a check-up, tears still lingering in her eyes and on her cheeks as she released her death grip around Godric and instead held his hand, âIâm sorry.â She whispered, sniffling a little and waiting for Jessica to come to.
Jessica groaned and put a hand to her head, shaking it slightly, âMy head is killing me.â The memories came back and her eyes flew open, frantically moving around the room until they rested on Kaeira sitting on the table. Once again, she let out a sigh of relief and muttered, âIf this keeps up, Iâm not going to live until thirty.â Aloud, she asked Fran, âIs she alright?â
Fran nodded â Yes, sheâs perfectly healthy as before, with no signs she was ever injured.â She said as Godric brought the girl over to her mother.
Jessica took her youngest from her oldest with hands that wanted to discipline. Part of her was so furious with her daughter for her little stunt, but that anger called up the day her father had knocked her into the bay and then proceeded to beat her for almost drowning. With a light sigh, she hugged her daughter close and even planted a kiss on her forehead, âItâs okay. Youâre all better now.â She whispered softly, sitting the girl in her lap and bouncing a knee, âThatâs why youâre going to be training hard with your abilities and working hard on your school work. Weâll make you just as good as your brothers, wonât we?â
Kaeira nodded slightly and rested her head against Jessicaâs shoulder, drifting off to a comforted sleep. Jessica was left stunned by this, the surprise showing momentarily on her face before a soft smile crested her lips, âI guess itâs nap time. Someone help me up, would you. She should be put to bed and then Gabriel and I can finish his training.â
Godric took the sleeping girl back, carefully cradling her. Fran led him out of the room, to where she'd had a special room made for the girl. Emmet yawned " Well today has been very exciting, but I need a nap."
Gabriel nodded " I'll drop you off at home before we get back to training " Emmet wrapped his arms around Gabriel's neck, holding on closely. Gabe held his hand out for Jessica to take.
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