<Episode 42>

She knew something was wrong when she woke up and nothing happened. Rachel waited a few more minutes, still nothing. Rolling over she saw his cot was empty. He was getting better at hiding the fact those nightmares were still waking him up, but they still happened like clockwork. Getting out of bed and into her jeans she went looking for him. Seeing only one other person in the hallway she asked, “Did you Jack?”.

“I saw him heading for the gym,” she replied.

“Thanks Tina.” She should have guessed that’s were he’d be. It was almost impossible to get him out of there for the past couple of days. As soon as Lance arrived, which was just about every day now, off to the gym they went. Rachel heard him pound on the heavy before she even reached the door. She stood by silently and watched. His face wasn’t as swollen anymore but it was still bandaged and bruised, and she subconsciously rubbed the bruise on her cheek. For several minutes he threw punches at the bag, occasionally mixing in a kick or a knee. He paused only long enough to acknowledge she was there before continuing. “Getting an early jump before Lance arrives,” she joked. She knew what he was doing, he was trying to tire himself out. “So what happened in the nightmare this time?” Jack lost his rhythm for a second and she knew she hit the mark. “You’re supposed to tell me when you have one,” Rachel reminded him.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he answered. Then he added, “For the forth time this week.”

“That kind of goes against our no more secrets rule,” She informed him. Sitting on the bench she patted the spot next to her to get him to join her. Reluctantly he did so but he was having a hard time looking at her. “Something in that nightmare changed, so what was it?”

Jack waited a few moments before answering, “I finally saw the other person the Drakan were going after.” He closed his eyes and put a hand over them, “They were going after you.”

She wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “Hey, I’m right here. Nothing happened.”

“I know, I just…,” he trailed off. Opening his eyes again he said, “I wish this nightmare would just go away.”

“So do I,” she rubbed his back. “But Dusty says it’ll go away when it goes away. So is Lance going by again today?” He said he was. “Why have you guys been training so much for the past week?”

“Because Sparky and Arron keep holding back on me.”

“Holding back on you? I don’t get it.”

“Mitchell is stronger and faster than I am,” he said looking serious. “System to system I can’t compete, but maybe I can hold my own if I get better fighting wise. And I can’t do that if people are going to treat me with kid gloves.”

“You seem to be holding your own to me,” Rachel told him.

“I’m basically just a street fighter while he’s been trained,” he continued. “I’m basically fighting on instinct instead of anything else. He mentioned two of the fights I’ve been in, the one with the bat at Dusty’s and the woman we faced when we were forced to move. He was right, I was lucky in both fights.”

“Luck had nothing to do with those fights,” she tried to tell him. “Mitchell doesn’t know…”

“You figured out the bats weakness,” he said. “And if that wasp didn’t get her spike stuck in that pillar I don’t think I would have gotten another opening. I need to get better if I’m going to have a chance when I fight Mitchell again.”

“You’re letting him get to you,” Rachel informed him. “That what he wants, to get in your head. You can’t be listening to what he’s trying to tell you.”

“I can’t help it if he’s right,” he told her.

“Come on,” she said getting up, “we both now you’re better than he thinks you are. Luck only gets you so far and you wouldn’t have lasted this long if that’s all you relied on. But if you insist on doing this you’re going to need your sleep.” Dragging him to his feet she added, “Besides you have another engagement today you have to worry about.” Rachel smiled at how confused he looked.

***

Everybody but Jack apparently knew what that other engagement was. Even Lance said they were going to get in what they could before he had to stop and shower up. Then he found out what it was, he was going to help some of the younger kids learn how to dance. He sat on a box waiting for the kids to show and asked Rachel, “Why am I doing this again?”

“Because you agreed to it,” Rachel said.

“I think you agreed for me,” he commented, “behind my back.”

“They asked you to do this a few weeks ago,” she informed him matter of factly.

“Was I in my right mind then? Because I don’t think I was.”

She didn’t miss a beat, “I don’t think you’ve ever been in your right mind. And you’re not getting out of this, you promised you’d do it. The kids have been looking foreword to this.”

“They just want to see if I’ll fall on my face.”

“Behave yourself,” she told him as the teacher brought the kids in. Jennifer, who was still holding on to Polly, was in the group and waved at him. Jack found himself smiling and waving back. Rachel made him get on his feet.

“Alright children,” the teacher said, “today we’re going to learn a basic dance. Jack and Rachel have agreed to help us out.” He snorted and Rachel shot him a quick look. “Now before we get started perhaps Rachel and Jack will show us how it’s done.” They turned toward each other Jack put one hand on her back and took her hand with his other while Rachel put her free hand on his shoulder. One more time he worried about how hard he was holding her hand and lightened his grip up a little.

“Ew,” a little boy said, “we have to touch them?”

“Wait until you get older kid,” Jack told him. With a smile he added, “Then they get really icky.”

“Don’t put thoughts like that in their heads,” Rachel chided him.

“Sparky lives down here and you’re worried about me?”

The teacher coughed, “Alright then, if you two are willing to show them what the dance is suppose to look like.” She put on some music and they started dancing. Every so often the teacher would explain what they were doing. After awhile she remained quiet and continued dancing.

“You’re better than I thought you’d be,” Rachel commented.

“I’m not a total klutz now,” he said.

“Did you mom teach you to dance?”

“Actually it was my uncle.”

“That seems a little… weird,” she said.

“You’re telling me,” he a greed. “There were a couple of times I think he got a wo…”

“Jack,” Rachel quickly cut him off.

“Right,” he said a she looked around and felt a little embarrassed. “I forgot the kids were here.”

They danced for a few more minutes before the teacher stopped the music. “Alright kids you saw how it was done so let’s give it a go. Rachel, do you two want to stay and dance with them?”. Rachel looked his way and they both agreed. Jennifer ran up to him and took his hand. “That’s the spirit,” the teacher said. “Come on now, the rest of you don’t have to be shy.” Slowly they partnered up and the music started.

“Ok kid,” Jack aid to Jennifer, who was still holding her bear, “tell Polly I’m leading.” Jennifer wasn’t sure what to do at first, especially with the height difference. He told her to step on his toes and let him to the work. That did the trick as she was excited she was dancing. Jack just happened to look up and saw that Rachel was smiling at them. He started to smile back.

After about a half hour, and several stepped on toes, Melissa came in and watched them for a minute. Rachel saw her and said, “It’s time to go already?”

“Afraid so,” she answered, “the van waiting for you in the garage.”

“Where are you going?”, Jack asked.

“Lances’ cell needed some help moving some things,” Rachel answered. “Melissa said it was getting pretty crowded the last time she was there and we have a few empty safe houses they can use. I figured I’d give them a hand. I mean after everything Lance and his cell has done for us it’s the least I can do.”

“I’ll help out too,” Jack said.

“That’s ok Jack,” she replied, “I think it would be better if I go alone this time.”

“Why? Are these safe houses in the middle of the city or something?”

“No, they’re in a secluded area,” she said, “but… Do you want to take this one?”, she asked Melissa.

“From what I understand a good chunk of his cell knows about you living here,” Melissa said, “mainly from those he took him while we moved. We’re just not sure if they’re ready for you yet.”

“You can’t keep hiding me forever,” Jack told them.

“Next time,” Rachel said, “I promise, but I really have to go.”

“Rachel,” Jack said as she reached the door, “be careful.”

“I always am,” she said, “unlike some people I could mention.”

Jack watched her leave and kept looking. Jennifer kind of giggled as she said, “You like her.”

He just looked at her, “Don’t start kid.”

***

Mitchell hated playing catch up, but being out of it as long as he was he really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. One of the first things he asked about was that new metal a couple of the guys mentioned. The one that could apparently pierce or slice through his and Jacks’ armor. Armstrong explained that it needed a slight electric charge running through it in order to be one hundred percent effective. They only thing keeping them from turning it into a bullet was the fact they couldn’t find a way to charge the bullet and maintain its durability. The first couple of attempts the internal generator was so big it made the shell so thin it shattered on impact during the first couple of experiments. And the process to refine the metal was a long one so any weapon production was limited at them moment.

So Jack’s “luck” saved his bacon one more time.

The next thing he learned about was this new scanner. They could detect Jack’s chip no matter what he did to cover it as long as he was in twenty feet of it. They scattered them throughout the city, just far enough apart that he could walk into any of them. The only problem with that was he stayed out of the city as much as possible. Even when he did those scanners mysteriously went down or gave a negative reading. So he and the rebels had to know about them. Mitchell was surprised nobody made a move to disguise them or move them to another location when that happened, at least put a couple under surveillance. That would have been the first thing he would have done when that happened.

Then there was the most interesting piece of news he heard, they had captured a cell. And some where willing to talk to save their own skin. Not that it did them any good but they talked. This particular cell was the quote unquote quick hit espionage cell, and they knew things. Like the location of several safe houses the main group was known to use. Right now they were empty but under constant surveillance. And he raced over in a hurry to a particular watch station when he got the word. He quickly met with the surveillance team that was stationed in a wooden shack not far from the house. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“See for yourself,” his man said while handing him the binoculars. He scanned every inch of that house. There where people coming in and out of it and it took a couple of minutes but he spotted a head of blond hair. That was Rachel alright. “Can you imagine what the boss is going to say when we bring her in?”

“Yeah I can,” Mitchell said not taking his eyes off of her. They were making this just too easy. “But who says it has to be right away.”

His man started smiling, “You thinking about calling an audible?”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“You thinking about getting a little extra payback for zapping you?”

“Not exactly,” he said. Oh he remembered her slapping that armor disruptor on his back. But more importantly he remembered Jack’s reaction when he hit her. “No, I’m going to see exactly how big of a chink she is in his armor.”

***

Melissa found it pretty easy to get into a new routine for her “strolls” as Rachel often called them. She had too otherwise she would have gotten lost pretty fast. Finding herself in the common area she found Jack hanging around the comm. area, leaning against the wall, arm crossed and tapping his fingers against his arm. Looking up at her he asked, “How much stuff did Lance want to move?”

“You’re acting like an old mother hen,” she joked. He looked back at the comm. area. Melissa didn’t want to say it out loud but she was surprised they haven’t heard anything yet too. But she decided not to add to his worry. “If Rachel is acting anything like she did when we had to move than she doing everything to maximize the space.”

“And he wasn’t out there either,” he said absentmindedly. The “he” being Mitchell of course. If she had to be honest it was a little weird seeing him acting this spooked. It wasn’t even like when he had his breakdown, the threat was in his mind then. Now that a ghost from his past popped back up he was just on edge. “And why didn’t Freidman tell us about it?”, she lost count at how many times he’d asked that one.

The only thing she could do was repeat what she told him before, “Because Anderson entrusted Mitchell to a specialist in spinal injuries. From what I understand he personally flew the guy in. I never thought my cousin would do that for any human.”

“I guess he appreciates a good suck up,” Jack commented dryly.

“Who would have guessed,” she laughed. The comm. started buzzing and his head snapped toward it. “See, I bet that’s them now.” She went over and put the call on speaker to calm his nerves if nothing else. “Did you guys get lost or something?”, she joked.

“Yeah, I like to speak to Jack please,” replied a voice she didn’t recognize.

“Who is…,” she started ask. The sharp spike of anger she got from Jack followed by the cold spot growing in her stomach gave her a clue.

“What did you do to her you son of a bitch!”, Jack shouted as he grabbed the microphone.

“Rachel’s fine buddy boy,” Mitchell responded. Melissa could almost see the smirk on his face. “You would have been proud of her man. She was able to get away and hide from us for a couple of hours. Too bad for her one of the guys is part bloodhound, literally.”

“If you hurt her,” Jack threatened.

“She’s fine Jack.” Then he added, “For now any way. Say in another hour and a half and who knows.”

“Mitchell I am going to…,” he started.

“Calm down,” Melissa whispered to him. “You’re giving him what he wants.”

“But I’m willing to give you a chance to come get her,” Mitchell continued. “Right now we’re on top of the Goldcup building. It apparently went out of business while I was out so nobody’s around. I even deactivated the scanners around the building for a couple of blocks around the building so it’ll just be the two of us. If you can get past me you can have her. Scouts honor. Times ticking away Jack, she’s waiting for you.” Mitchell cut off the transmission before he could respond.

Before anybody could say anything to him Jack turned around and punched a crate. “It has to be a trap,” Melissa said without thinking.

“Of course it’s a trap,” he snapped. “But I can’t…,” he couldn’t finish as he ran a hand over his face. “I can’t just leave her in their hands. Not after all we’ve been through.”

“We’re not,” she assured him as she walked over to him “We’ll think of a plan and get there before she knows it.”

Jack looked up and saw Sparky come in to see what the commotion was all about. Melissa watched as an idea seem to occur to him. Through the despair she got a glimmer of hope from him. She watched with a bit of wonder as she studied his face. She’d seem him react to a situation, she’d seen him jump in without question and she’d even seen him try to laugh things off. But this was the first time that she had ever seen him look like he was trying to form a plan. “Sparky,” he called out after several moments, “find Arron and Angie and meet me in the garage. I’ll explain once you guys get there.”

Jack started for the garage before Melissa could question him. “Angie doesn’t know how to fight,” she informed him.

He turned around but kept moving for the garage, “If this works she won’t have to.” Turning back around he ran for the garage.

She watched him for a second before turning toward to the guys manning the comm., “I know we have some people around that building. Tell them to look for those scanners and find out if they are deactivated or not. And if they’re not to turn them off or reroute the signal. Anything to help him out.” They went to work calling and she looked toward the garage. Despite her worry a small smile graced her lips, “And I thought love made you stop thinking.”

***

The trip to the building was uneventful, although he kept looking over his shoulder for an assault team van to come at him. It took a while when he reached the building but he found a way to get to the roof from the outside, of course it was guarded. He knew Mitchell wouldn’t make this easy. Carefully he approached the shock trooper and squeezed the boomstick to pop the electrode. Turning the ring just slightly Jack grabbed him from behind and jabbed him in the back. The trooper jolted for a second before dropping to the ground. For something he hadn’t used before the stun setting been coming pretty handy tonight, that was the fifth guard he had to take care of so far. Making sure nobody else was around he started to climb the fire escape, somewhat surprised there was no other guards station on it.

Jack slowed his pace as he neared the roof, peering over the side to check out the situation. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Rachel gagged with her hands tied over her head to a support pole for the Goldcup sign. Mitchell stood right in front of her. She recoiled as best she could as he reached out and stroked her bruised cheek, “That wouldn’t have happen to you if you didn’t interfere. Tell me, did Jack try to kiss it and make it feel better? I had the feeling he was into you before you guys cut and ran. So did you guys ever…?”, he made particular motion with his fingers. “Can he even do it?”, Mitchell laughed. Rachel looked like she as about to kill him herself, and probably had a few French words floating around in her head at the moment.

His first instinct was to smash his head in, but he was doing everything possible to ignore it. He was trying to stay focused on the scanner attached to his belt. Jack had about twenty feet before it went off from the chip in his head. He had to chance it. Guessing there was about thirty between them that gave him ten to figure out how to distract him long enough. Slowly he made his way toward Mitchell. Things were going good until some birds got startled and flew out of their nest. Mitchell heard it and turned around as he ran full speed. Mitchell got an arm up and the belt appeared but Jack tackled him before he could finish the sequence. Despite the wind being knocked out of him Mitchell was able to force Jack off of him. He got to his feet faster than Jack expected and started after him. They were on more even footing this time around and Jack was still barely able to keep up with him. Then Mitchell threw a straight right that Jack caught with his hand. It took a little effort but Jack was able to slowly push it back as Mitchell looked confused. A smirk grew into a smile as he said, “I’m guessing since they corrected all of the mistakes you can’t throw a one sixty fastball.” Before Mitchell could react Jack let go and punched him with everything he had.

Mitchell tried to get away but Jack stayed on top of him hammering away. He trapped one of Jacks legs between his and turned making him fall. Jack got up waiting for something to come at him, it didn’t. Instead Mitchell ran toward Rachel, jumped up and kicked the pole she was bound to. It fell backwards startling her. “Rachel,” he cried out. He didn’t see the fist coming.

“Transform!”, he said and finished the activation sequence. “You took you eyes off the ball Jack.” Mitchell punched at him full force and Jack barely rolled out of the way. “A rookie mistake.” Well this part of the plan just went to hell.

He threw the boomstick at Mitchell who blocked it and let it fall to his feet. It was enough of a distraction to let Jack activate his system, “Henshin!” Jack forced himself to calm down, Lance said loosing it or getting angry wasn’t going to help in this situation. Mitchell waved him on but Jack stood his ground. He tilted his head slightly, in confusion or amusement Jack couldn’t tell, then he came at him. Jack was doing a little better at defending himself this time around, but he was still lagging behind. He knew that was going to happen the moment the systems got activated. Too late to do anything about it now. Jack was able to get under a swing and deck him with an uppercut. Mitchell expected for him to follow up on it. Instead he ran for the staff and snapped it to its full length. Then he looked at the dial then at the meter, maybe…

He knew Mitchell taught him the basics of staff fighting, but probably still knew more than Jack did. Hopefully he didn’t know about this little trick. He went in fast attacking with the ends of the staff at any point he could. Like he thought Mitchell blocked them with ease, now if he didn’t see this one coming. Twisting the ring to full charge he was able to jam the end into his gut. While he appeared confused Jack used that second he had to pop the electrode and sent the charge into Mitchell.

He backed up a few steps and one more time the turbines in his belt started to spin as they absorbed the charge.”I thought you would have learned last time,” Mitchell sneered. Jack was counting on that as he backed away and moved to the side. Mitchell twisted the left pod down Jack didn’t see that upgrade coming, but he set his surprise aside as Mitchell jumped up. He jumped out of the way but he realized too late he was too close to Rachel. Mitchell landed a couple of feet in front of her and after a moment that part of the roof exploded. The pole she was tied to fell back even more, he scream was muffled by the gag.

“Rachel!”, Jack went for her. Mitchell pulled him back and punched him down. OK, screw the plan he had a new goal now. Jack went in hard and fast, catching the other man off guard at how viscous he was being. He didn’t care if he had a superior system Jack was not going to let him stop him. He racked Mitchell with punches and knees. Rachel muffled scream caught his attention again. The pole fell even more and it look like she was going to slide off and fall. Again Mitchell picked that moment to attack him.

He knocked Jack to the ground after several punches. Before he could do anything else a green wolf and a blue eel came out of hiding and attacked Mitchell. “Go!” both of them yelled.

Jack didn’t need any more encouragement as he ran toward Rachel. She started slipping more as the pole bent further and he ran faster. Jack jumped for it the same time she fell. He grabbed the rope binding her wrist with one hand as the grabbed the ledge of the roof with his other arm, “Gotcha!” He looked back to see Mitchell keep Arron and Sparky at bay. Then he looked across the street and shouted, “Anytime Angie!” Within moments a blue Drakan dove with dyed red and purple feathers on her head flew over.

“Don’t worry, I got her,” Angie said as she grabbed Rachel around the waist. They flew back with her saying, “Geez Rachel, you’re heavier than you look.”

Jack turned back to see Mitchell knock both of his friends away and look in his direction. He saw the meter start to flash in his visor as he pulled himself up. Mitchell ran at him as he got a foot on the ledge. Then he jumped, flipping over Mitchell and kicking him in the head to knock him foreword. As he landed he twisted the pod up and turned around to see Mitchell grab on to the ledge to keep from falling. Jack punched the slab between his hands and backed up. Mitchell looked at where he punched then at him, Jack raised up his hand and wiggled his fingers goodbye right before it exploded. Mitchell fell to the street and right into a passing garbage truck that kept on going. “I didn’t know they made night runs” Arron commented as he and Sparky walked up and watched the truck with him.

Sparky asked as they returned to their human forms, “Would that be considered ironic?”

“I don’t know,” Jack said, “but it sure is appropriate.”

***

Angie helped her untie her wrist and get the gag off. Then she flew her back over when they got the all clear from Arron. Jack ran over and wrapped his arms around her she put her feet on the roof, “Thank God you’re all right.”

She put her arms around him just grateful to be there. But she still had to say, “Don’t cut it so close next time.”

“There’s not going to be a next time but I’ll work on it.” He looked aver to Angie, “Thank you.”

“What are friends for?”, Angie said as she made her way toward Sparky. For some reason she felt him loosen his grip but his arms were still around her. So she tightened her grip around him.

After a few more moments Sparky asked, “You two want to get a room or something?” Angie elbowed him in the ribs.

“Shut up Sparky,” Rachel told him.

***

When they got back everybody crowded them. Melissa pulled Rachel away from him almost as soon as they got there. Rachel didn’t look like she wanted to go but he was quickly surrounded by people telling good job and couldn’t follow. About an hour later he caught up with her in an empty hallway. He walked up to her saying, “I thought I told you to leave the rough stuff to me.”

“Well you weren’t there to do anything,” she told him.

“You’re the one who told me not to go,” he shot back

“You choose then to listen to me?”, she said.

“I didn’t want to make a scene in front of the kids.” Both of them kind of laughed. She started off as he thought about that moment. He grabbed her arm saying, “Wait a sec, I never dipped you.”

“You never what?”, she asked confused.

“While we were dancing,” he explained, “I never dipped you.”

“It’s not that important.”

“Are you kidding?”, he said as he took her hand and held her close. “My dipping gets raves.”

“You’re crazy,” she laughed again.

“You know it.” Jack tried to imitate the music and they started dancing. After a few moments Jack bent her backwards and quickly brought her back up. She laughed despite herself, “See.”

“OK, I’ll admit it that was kind of fun.”

“Told ya.” It took a moment but Jack realized he wasn’t letting go of her.

“Yeah… you did,” she said looking him in the eyes. She wasn’t exactly pulling away either.

“Yeah… I… uh,” Jack found his head leaning toward her and hers lifting up to meet him. They almost kissed before a noise startled them. When they looked back they noticed both of them took two steps back.

The moment broken Rachel looked unsure as she said, “Dusty coming over to check me out. I told everybody I was fine, but you know how he is.”

“Yeah,” Jack said feeling nervous for some reason. “I better go find Sparky and them and thank them again for helping out.” They both headed in different directions. After a few minutes Jack was talking to himself, “I love you. I love you. Why can’t I say it when she’s around?”

***

Rachel ducked into the nearest women restroom and locked the door. Leaning against the sink she stared at her reflection in the dirty mirror. After awhile she said, “Just tell him you love him already you moron.”