There’s another Fader there who will show you the way out.”
That’s so brisk and businesslike. Pure Jack. Grayson grabs a shirt and puts it on before heading past him. Grayson stares at him for a second or two, but in those shades Jack is wearing there is just his reflection, and Grayson goes. I know I should do the same. I stand up and start to hurry out, but Jack puts a hand on my arm, taking off the sunglasses so that I can see the pale blue of his eyes. I’m expecting hate there. Anger. Not the love that fills his expression in that moment.
“I wish I could have gotten here sooner,” Jack says.
I swallow. “Jack…Gray and I…”
“Later,” Jack says, cutting me off. Somehow, I don’t think he means it. He doesn’t want to talk about this. Not now. Not later. Not ever.
“Jack…”
“My priority is to get you out of here safely, Celes. We need to focus on that, and I can’t do it if we start talking about what happened here.”
“What about Johnny?” I find myself asking.
“Johnny?”
“That’s the name of Senator Hammond’s son,” I say.
Jack shrugs. “He’ll be safe now. Hammond can’t fade him without our help.”
I shake my head. “It isn’t that simple, Jack. He has a talent. A talent like ours. Well, more like yours. He can see the future.”
“Like I do?” Jack sounds surprised by that.
I shake my head. “Johnny can do much more than that. His father says that he can see things in the far future. Like thousands of years. That’s why he wants to fade him, to get rid of that gift.”
Jack looks at me. “He can really see that far ahead?”
I nod. “We have to get him out too. His father’s determined to fade him so that he won’t see something he does in the future, and it’s obviously big, whatever it is. Johnny might be able to tell us what is going on.”
Jack pauses, and I know that he’s trying to work out what to do.
“Please, Jack. He’s just a kid.”
Jack nods. “All right. I’ll try to find him and get him out.” He pauses. “I missed you, Celes.”
“I missed you too. Jack…” I go to kiss him, but he holds me back with his hands on my arms.
And through that moment of contact, heat pours into me. I’ve felt this once before, in the Others’ headquarters. There’s something about Jack’s touch that resonates with the power inside me, driving it to levels I simply can’t manage alone. I look down at the handcuffs designed by Senator Hammond’s scientists, and they melt. They simply melt. All that heat resistant material gives way in the face of our combined power like it’s butter.
I know I should run down the corridor then to join Grayson and the Fader assigned to getting us out, but I can’t. I was attracted to Grayson just now, but he isn’t Jack. We don’t have this kind of connection. There’s something more between the two of us. Something that makes me more just through his touch. And I love him. I love him so much that I’d do anything not to hurt him.
Jack sighs, and then kisses me. It’s a sweet kiss, a gentle kiss. It’s not about passion, or somehow claiming me back as his. It’s about showing me that he loves me every bit as much as I love him, and that moment makes me glow. Literally. Light spreads around us as our powers combine, and it’s an effort to pull back from him. I rub my wrists, trying to ignore the marks of the cuffs there.
“You need to go now, Celes,” Jack says. “I want
That’s so brisk and businesslike. Pure Jack. Grayson grabs a shirt and puts it on before heading past him. Grayson stares at him for a second or two, but in those shades Jack is wearing there is just his reflection, and Grayson goes. I know I should do the same. I stand up and start to hurry out, but Jack puts a hand on my arm, taking off the sunglasses so that I can see the pale blue of his eyes. I’m expecting hate there. Anger. Not the love that fills his expression in that moment.
“I wish I could have gotten here sooner,” Jack says.
I swallow. “Jack…Gray and I…”
“Later,” Jack says, cutting me off. Somehow, I don’t think he means it. He doesn’t want to talk about this. Not now. Not later. Not ever.
“Jack…”
“My priority is to get you out of here safely, Celes. We need to focus on that, and I can’t do it if we start talking about what happened here.”
“What about Johnny?” I find myself asking.
“Johnny?”
“That’s the name of Senator Hammond’s son,” I say.
Jack shrugs. “He’ll be safe now. Hammond can’t fade him without our help.”
I shake my head. “It isn’t that simple, Jack. He has a talent. A talent like ours. Well, more like yours. He can see the future.”
“Like I do?” Jack sounds surprised by that.
I shake my head. “Johnny can do much more than that. His father says that he can see things in the far future. Like thousands of years. That’s why he wants to fade him, to get rid of that gift.”
Jack looks at me. “He can really see that far ahead?”
I nod. “We have to get him out too. His father’s determined to fade him so that he won’t see something he does in the future, and it’s obviously big, whatever it is. Johnny might be able to tell us what is going on.”
Jack pauses, and I know that he’s trying to work out what to do.
“Please, Jack. He’s just a kid.”
Jack nods. “All right. I’ll try to find him and get him out.” He pauses. “I missed you, Celes.”
“I missed you too. Jack…” I go to kiss him, but he holds me back with his hands on my arms.
And through that moment of contact, heat pours into me. I’ve felt this once before, in the Others’ headquarters. There’s something about Jack’s touch that resonates with the power inside me, driving it to levels I simply can’t manage alone. I look down at the handcuffs designed by Senator Hammond’s scientists, and they melt. They simply melt. All that heat resistant material gives way in the face of our combined power like it’s butter.
I know I should run down the corridor then to join Grayson and the Fader assigned to getting us out, but I can’t. I was attracted to Grayson just now, but he isn’t Jack. We don’t have this kind of connection. There’s something more between the two of us. Something that makes me more just through his touch. And I love him. I love him so much that I’d do anything not to hurt him.
Jack sighs, and then kisses me. It’s a sweet kiss, a gentle kiss. It’s not about passion, or somehow claiming me back as his. It’s about showing me that he loves me every bit as much as I love him, and that moment makes me glow. Literally. Light spreads around us as our powers combine, and it’s an effort to pull back from him. I rub my wrists, trying to ignore the marks of the cuffs there.
“You need to go now, Celes,” Jack says. “I want
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