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Date Posted: 23:00:43 03/07/09 Sat
Author: Odelle
Author Host/IP: CPE0013f7f24246-CM0013f7f24242.cpe.net.cable.rogers.com / 99.234.121.213
Subject: When A Time Comes (Chapter 18)
In reply to: Odelle 's message, "When A Time Comes" on 22:50:15 03/07/09 Sat

“Okay, okay...Your attention, please,” Walter was standing, a fork in one hand, his champagne glass in the other as he chimed the side of it to gather everyone’s attention. His clinking of the fork to the crystal was a little less delicate than Nikita would have liked. The stemware was hardly sentimental, but it didn’t deserve the untimely fate Walter was quickly bestowing on it. “Shh...come on guys, Shh!” The crowd was laughing boisterously; the dining room teeming with members of their huge family. A myriad of different conversations were being engaged, and cross-engaged, over the banquet of delicious desserts recently flung and mauled into a mess of bright pastels.

Abandoning the fork and glass, Walter finally tried standing on top of his chair and bellowing “Quiet!!” At last hush fell over the big table, and all faces turned to him expectantly. “Wow, alright – finally. Okay, here’s a toast to Mister William Jones,” he turned to the young man in question, “Twenty is a big year, Liam. Very big. Without all the gushy nonsense, your loving family would like to wish you a bright and happy future. You have become an incredible young man, and we’re all very proud.” Raising his glass in salute, the young sandy haired man stood and raised his glass to Walter. Walter nodded, saluted, and they both promptly drained their champagne in one swipe.

“To Liam! Cheers!” Nikita initiated the reply, and the rest of the table chimed in with an identical roar. She smiled at the young man who poured himself another glass and picked up another piece of cake with his bare hands. She arched a brow as she watched; manners he may lack, but Liam was undoubtedly all grown up. He was certainly infinitely older than the tempestuous little boy she had found locked deep in the bowels of Section One, some three months into her reign as Operations. That little boy had looked at her with the concentrated reverence of one who knew precisely that she was his superior – but that he was bred for the position himself in the future. He hadn’t taken it well when she had removed him – removed them all – from Section, permanently. He was probably one of the worst cases, save maybe for Jak.

Nikita’s gaze shifted to the other side of the table and rested on the darker young man sitting just two seats from her. As it always did, her heart pulled when she looked at him. It wasn’t because of his appearance, actually; though that was becoming more and more shocking with each passing year. It was because of their personal history. Jak hadn’t moved in with her, as all the rest had. He had totally refused. Independent, contained, unmoved, strong, courageous – and ultimately broken – the little Jak Jones had taken her heart the moment she saw him. Of course it had to be said that Jak’s mannerisms weren’t genetic, as might be assumed. They couldn’t be simply because the older version was at his core a different man, as well. What Jak and his origins did have in common, was a devastating history that brutally carved the soul right out of their bodies. And Nikita could no more heal the boy Jak than she could Michael – though she had tried often with both.

Jak, the oldest of all the children, had opted to move in with another operative whom he knew, until by the laws of the city he could live on his own property. Jak had only come back to stay in their home, briefly, while she had undergone her “transition” into Centre. He had been a rock for her, then. Had even convinced her about the wisdom in taking up Guillaume’s offer. It was then that she had realized that she did in fact help the little boy she had found in Section. From his own words, Jak had confessed that he was very much family – not of the distant sort, just that he couldn’t be physically present all the time. When she had needed someone, though, he had been there. Since then, they had become an inseparable pair of friends. Not with the maternal relationship all the others favoured, but something incredibly deep and different altogether.

Sensing her perusal, the darker young man turned to her and smiled. His smiles certainly came easier than Michael’s, she mused.

“What are you thinking about with that look, Nik?” he asked quietly, relative to the noisy carousing.

She smiled softly and lied openly for his amusement, “Wondering why I haven’t received that Peru report yet.”

He laughed and flicked a grape at her in response – the only naturally-occurring food present at the table. She caught it and popped it in her mouth. Winking, she chewed absently and watched him return to his banter with Isaac. Unbidden, Michael appeared before her eyes. Rarely did Jak ever evoke his image; very rarely. And right now her thoughts about Michael weren’t an unsolicited memory, but instead a very current question: What would it be for Jak to meet Michael? Her eyes fell and she sighed. She could guess. And the answer wasn’t good.

After her morning impromptu shopping marathon two days ago, she had had entirely too much time to think about Michael. She knew, deep down, that this wasn’t going away. No – she knew deep down that she didn’t want it to go away. Didn’t want Michael to leave.

What a terrifying proposition.

Here was her life; her family, her friends, her home. And she had to – needed to – bring Michael to it, sooner rather than later. Jak alone, were he to be left in the dark about Michael, would retreat and be hurt by it. Nikita knew that Jak was abundantly aware of his created origins, and what role the great legend played in them. To withhold this from him would be viewed as a betrayal, plain and simple. She needed to tell him.

“Jak.”

Interrupting Isaac with a smile, he turned and faced her.

“Can we have lunch tomorrow?” She suffused her gaze with a private gravity, and he nodded quietly in confirmation. “Thanks.”

He gave her another sure nod, and then resumed his talk with Isaac. Nikita wondered what he would do, after their discussion. Exactly how he would react to her words was clear – he wouldn’t react. But he would do something. Jak was in fact still a young man, and his actions came with a speed that belied his age. And the consequences were often messy. She knew that ultimately Jak had her best interests at heart, but his youth made him trigger happy. She shivered, and shook off the unfortunate pun.

************

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