02-14-2019, 02:15 AM
Back in his own clothes, Jensen just looked at his reflection. The pants were a little more snug than he remembered. His hair was longer than he once kept it, styled loose around the collar where he formerly slicked it back neat and tidy. A paleness haunted his cheeks from years of shift work in Moscow. The tan, fit stage-presence he once kept was replaced. By what, he didn’t know. It seemed neither reflection, of what he once was nor what he has become, were the man he was meant to be.
He sent messages off to Jay and Natalie at one point, checking on the welfare of both. Jessika was a superb hostess, and they should want for nothing while under her (their) roof. As it seemed he remained the “man of the house”, he was more comfortable offering comforts than as liaison for guests.
He spent the next few hours in Jessika’s office on a conference video with someone from her offices in Austin. They would need a sterling story to accompany Jensen’s emergence, and for the most part, Jensen only nodded along. He answered a few questions periodically like whether or not he was in fact a channeler.
Ascendancy was going to be displeased if he didn’t return to Moscow, and the longer these discussions endured, Jensen was beginning to empathize.
Finally, when the call was ended and he was alone with his wife, he cleared his throat to acquire her attention.
“Jessika, where are our children?”
She looked up. Fingers laced against the flat of her stomach, “You’re interested in your children, again?”
Subtext understood. He nodded, “I’ve never not been interested in my sons.” A tightness gripped his chest, jaw tightening.
A brow lifted and Jensen knew the venom was about to spew. He lifted a hand. “Alright, Jessika. We need to establish some boundaries here. I’ve repeatedly pleaded for forgiveness. Clearly you don’t want to give it to me, and I cannot honestly condemn you for it, but if we are going to continue this arrangement, I hope we can cease with the sarcasm. We all know what I did. You’re not God to punish me for it.”
She seemed surprise by Jensen’s defense, but while the mask of her anger did not soften, neither did it release additional attacks.
“Very well.”
“Gabriel and Malachi are with my parents.”
Jensen nodded. “Colorado. Good. They should be remote and safe from what’s coming.”
Jessika shook her head, “No. They’re in Austin.”
“What?!”
Jessika smoothed her skirt and stood. “They’re close to me and safe enough. Most importantly, they’re inside state border. When our plan is revealed, I want them in Texas.”
“What plan?”
She smiled with eerie confidence.
He sent messages off to Jay and Natalie at one point, checking on the welfare of both. Jessika was a superb hostess, and they should want for nothing while under her (their) roof. As it seemed he remained the “man of the house”, he was more comfortable offering comforts than as liaison for guests.
He spent the next few hours in Jessika’s office on a conference video with someone from her offices in Austin. They would need a sterling story to accompany Jensen’s emergence, and for the most part, Jensen only nodded along. He answered a few questions periodically like whether or not he was in fact a channeler.
Ascendancy was going to be displeased if he didn’t return to Moscow, and the longer these discussions endured, Jensen was beginning to empathize.
Finally, when the call was ended and he was alone with his wife, he cleared his throat to acquire her attention.
“Jessika, where are our children?”
She looked up. Fingers laced against the flat of her stomach, “You’re interested in your children, again?”
Subtext understood. He nodded, “I’ve never not been interested in my sons.” A tightness gripped his chest, jaw tightening.
A brow lifted and Jensen knew the venom was about to spew. He lifted a hand. “Alright, Jessika. We need to establish some boundaries here. I’ve repeatedly pleaded for forgiveness. Clearly you don’t want to give it to me, and I cannot honestly condemn you for it, but if we are going to continue this arrangement, I hope we can cease with the sarcasm. We all know what I did. You’re not God to punish me for it.”
She seemed surprise by Jensen’s defense, but while the mask of her anger did not soften, neither did it release additional attacks.
“Very well.”
“Gabriel and Malachi are with my parents.”
Jensen nodded. “Colorado. Good. They should be remote and safe from what’s coming.”
Jessika shook her head, “No. They’re in Austin.”
“What?!”
Jessika smoothed her skirt and stood. “They’re close to me and safe enough. Most importantly, they’re inside state border. When our plan is revealed, I want them in Texas.”
“What plan?”
She smiled with eerie confidence.