Generations - Reunion

“You’ve been with him, haven’t you.” The tone was flat, but Princess could hear the barely-reigned in anger in Jason’s voice as he sat in their sitting room, a half-drunk glass of whiskey in his hand. He swung himself out of the chair and took a swig of alcohol, then flung the glass at the wall.

She felt it shatter next to her face, and the sting as a shard hit her cheek, and still she said nothing.

“Why did you lie to me, Princess? That’s what I can’t understand. Why the lie?”

“You would have wanted to come with me. I had to speak with Mark alone. Anderson requested it.” Her own voice was flat with exhaustion. It wasn’t late, but the emotions her discussion with Mark had roused had left her drained.

“Why you alone? If it was to do with G-Force it should have been all of us.”

She shook her head and leaned back wearily against the wall, her eyes closing with remembered pain. “No, Jason. It would have been a very bad idea for the whole team to have been there, to have heard what I’ve heard.” She slipped down the wall and huddled on the ground shaking. He was next to her in an instant, bending over and slipping his arms around her. “I haven’t heard it all yet, Jason, “ she whispered. “Neither of us could go on.”

She was crying again, harsh racking sobs borne of sorrow, anger and pain. “Oh, Jason! I needed you. We both needed you so badly.” She looked at him. “In spite of everything, Jason, you’ve always been the one there for both Mark and I. And we had no idea how badly we needed you until we tried to do this on our own.”

Jason was still angry, but he wasn’t sure whom he should be angry with. Princess? She’d lied to him about where she was and what she was doing. He wasn’t sure that there was a reason she could give for those lies that he would be able to accept. Mark? He’d been angry with Mark for eighteen years now, easy to let that continue. Especially since it was his fault Prin was in this state. Anderson? Definitely.

He looked down at her, and raised her face with one finger. What he saw there made him draw back, his anger re-focussing on her. Her lips had that pulpy, smudged look about them that showed that she had been kissed. His finger touched them lightly and he felt his rage surge through him again.

“And did your discussion include fucking him too? Did you need me for that as well?”

Her reaction was swift, and he was sprawled on the floor several feet away. She stood and moved further into the room, watching as he picked himself up. He wasn’t as graceful as he normally was, his movements slightly clumsy.

“You’re drunk, Jason.”

His smile was as nasty as the tone of his voice. “Far from it, my dear. I’ve been nursing that same drink since Chris got home and mentioned that you and the new Chief of Security had left the Security Centre much earlier. Chris was quite upset about that. Especially since your initial meeting had a few witnesses. Witnesses that saw his rather passionate greeting. Witnesses that included your son.”

“And did they see me hit him? Did they hear our conversation? Did Chris even think to come and ask me?”

“How could he?” Jason yelled. “You’d already locked yourself away with Mark, and then you both left pretty quickly. Obviously in a hurry to get somewhere. When were you going to tell me, Alexandra? What other secrets are you keeping?” His voice was heavy with sarcasm now and Princess cringed. Jason in full angry flight was something that they all tried to avoid, but she was angry now too.

How dare he question her actions in something that was professional rather than personal!

“To answer your question, Jason: No. Mark and I did not make love,” she used the term deliberately, throwing back in his face the connotations the other word had given. “Mark kissed me, yes. And yes, I kissed him back. But nothing else happened except a whole lot of talk and a whole lot of pain. Yes. He kissed me when he saw me. No – I wasn’t happy about that and let him know it in no uncertain terms. I’m sorry Chris saw it. I’m sorry he didn’t come straight to me – and don’t give me shit that he couldn’t get in. You know that Jenny has instructions that no matter what else is happening, Chris and Vivian always have instant access. Chris and Vivian know that too.”

“Mark doesn’t.”

“No, he doesn’t. But he’d not question my decision if I said it involved my children. You know that as well as I do.

“Jason, Anderson insisted that I speak with Mark alone. And I can now see why. I know why he left, and most of what he was doing whilst he was gone. Some of it is things that only concern Mark and I. But we needed to find a way to tell the rest of you without you all having to suffer the hell that I’ve had to in listening to it.

“I lied to you because I knew you’d react this way. “

“You didn’t have to lie to me, Princess. That’s what hurts the most. You lied,” he shouted. “You know the rules as well as I do, and you know they apply personally as well as professionally. How can we trust each other as a team, as a family, if we lie to each other? Did Mark encourage that?”

“No he didn’t, and I don’t need another lecture from you about the rules! Keep your voice down, Jason, and get a grip,” she was shouting now herself, and was angry at herself as much as at both him and Mark. Damn them both for putting her in this position. Damn Anderson for doing it. “Do you want to wake the children?”

“Too late for that, Mamma,” said Chris’ voice from the doorway where he was standing, one arm protectively around his crying sister.

“Sweethearts…” and she moved towards them. Her heart broke when they both cringed back, when Vivian broke away from Chris and ran to her father, flinging herself into his arms.

“Vivian!”

“Mamma, “ said Chris, “I think you and Dad both need some time to calm down.” She and Jason both looked at him sharply. This wasn’t their child speaking. This was the son of the Eagle speaking.

For both of them, it was like being transported back in time. Chris not only looked more like his father than ever, he sounded like him. For them both, it was as if Mark was there issuing an order.

“Viv, back to bed. We can talk about it tomorrow.”

The girl shook her head. “I want to stay with dad. He needs me.”

Jason hugged her. “I’m okay, kitten. Really. Mamma and I need to work some things out. Go back to bed.”

“Vivian, please remember that dad and I love you very much. But there’s a lot happening now that we need to sort though.” Princess put her hand on her daughters shoulder. Vivian shrugged it off and snarled up at her mother.

“It’s all his fault, isn’t it? It’s because Mark’s come back. I don’t care. I won’t let him be a part of this family. I won’t let him hurt Dad.”

Jason laughed. “Kitten, Mark and I have been hurting each other all our lives. I can handle it.” Inside, Jason wasn’t so sure. The game of competition and hurt had never before been this personal. This was the first time where they truly were on opposite sides of something. He looked down at his daughter and hugged her tighter. Mark couldn’t take her away from him at least. “Mama’s right, Vivian,” he hunkered down so that he could look her in the eyes. “We do have a lot of things we need to work through. And it’s not as if you haven’t heard us having a fight before.”

“Not like this, Dad. You’re scaring me.” The girl’s voice was quiet, and he could see the tears in the grey eyes so like his own. He stood up and hugged her close, and looked steadily at Princess standing to one side.

“Mama and I would never do anything to hurt you, Vivian. Even if we are hurting each other right now. How about I take you back to bed and sit with you until you go to sleep. Or are you to grown-up for your poor old dad to do that anymore?” He smiled down at her. Her answering smile was watery, but still there.

“I’m not too old for that, Dad.”

“Vivian, would you like me to come too?” Princess tone was almost pleading, and Jason’s heart went out towards her. Vivian’s rejection of her earlier had hurt her more than anything he could say or do.

Probably even more than anything Mark could say or do, either.

He shivered a little when he saw the look on his daughter’s face as she looked at her mother. He recognised it as one of his own expressions – usually used against Spectrans, however.

“Don’t bother, Mother. You’ve probably got other things to do. Like going back to him.”

That hurt both of them. Princess took a step backwards as the words and their implications hit her, and she turned to Chris, his own face registering his confusion and unhappiness. “Is that what you think as well, Chris?”

“I don’t know what to think, Mama. I do think that I had the right to know my Father had returned, though.” He looked at them both. “Dad, can I come up with you and Vivian?”

Princess’ face went pale. Both her children had turned against her. She moved towards the door. “I’m not needed here,” she said, striving to sound light, but only sounding heartbroken.
”I’ll see you all tomorrow morning.” She ran up the stairs to her bedroom and flung herself, fully dressed, onto the bed.

A bed that had at one time seemed too small when it contained their family in a tickle fight was now large, lonely and frightening.

She couldn’t stop the tears. She didn’t try. Tears for the years she had missed with Mark. Tears for the hell he had been through. Tears for the disruption of her current life.

Tears for her broken and divided heart.

Downstairs, Jason looked at Chris. “That was cruel, both of you,” he said sternly.

“I don’t think so, Jason,” said Chris. Jason started the use of his name in a tone that he knew from the boy’s father. “Mama’s lied to us all today, and she has to realise that she can’t do that without consequences.”

My god, thought Jason. He’s harder than his father could ever have been. Where in hell did he get like that? Jason didn’t like it. Didn’t like that hardness in the boy he’d pledged in his heart to bring up so Mark would be proud of him.

“It’s not your job to make judgements like that, Christopher. Not about your mother, your father or myself. And just when did I give you permission to use my given name?”

He shifted Vivian to one side, still keeping her close. He almost grinned as he realised he was mimicking an old stance of Mark’s – where he’d keep Princess at his side whilst confronting Spectra.

Mark. The White Shadow, it seemed, was influencing everything lately. Chris moved forward and faced him steadily. Thankfully, he still had to physically look up, but Jason would bet that wouldn’t be the case for too much longer.

“I think that when it comes to my parents, I’ve every right to make a judgement. Especially when it comes to a matter that relates to the G-Force teams. I’m not speaking to you as your godson, Condor. I’m speaking to you as a fellow member of G-Force who is concerned that three of the senior team seem to be embroiled in personal matters that will affect their performance in the field. We have a duty, and that duty must come before everything.”

It wasn’t Mark talking, Jason realised. It was Cronus. Cronus who put duty before all else. Cronus who had precipitated this whole disaster. For all their sakes, he knew he had to put a stop to this. He turned to Vivian. “Go on up to bed, kitten. I’ll be there shortly. I just need to have a quick word with your brother first.” He dropped a quick kiss onto the top of her head and, when she opened her mouth to speak, shushed her. “No questions, Vivian. Just go.”

She knew that tone, and nodded, unhappy, but obedient. She knew her father, and knew he would be up shortly. He’d keep his word and stay with her until she fell asleep.

Unlike her mother, who had lied to them all.

Vivian was confused and unhappy. She’d always known that there would be problems because her parents weren’t married. And now she was right. Mark. He’d been a legend in their household – the great White Eagle who had lead G-Force.

She snorted. He couldn’t be any better than her father. She’d grown up watching her parents train, watching dad put G-Force through their paces.

She’d always been able to separate the Swan and the Condor from Mama and Dad, but had been caught one day a few months earlier at a friends place when she saw some news footage of G-Force in action. It was rare that they were filmed, but a TV cameraman had been caught behind the lines and had managed to film the whole hand-to-hand battle that had taken place.

Oh yes – she’d watched it when it was first shown, with Mama and Dad teasing and laughing about their “performances”, and she and Chris had laughed too.

But, seeing it with other people, people who didn’t know who they were had changed her point of view.

Vivian now had a very sound case of hero-worship for the Condor. Unlike most girls her age, it wasn’t a crush (he was her father, and the thought of anybody wanting to pash Dad – except Mama – was sick-makeing. He was old! John Hall, who had just started training with Chris, now he was dreamy!) but she did think that the Condor was the most magnificent of warriors.

Nobody could be better than him. Nobody.

Vivian got back into bed and pulled out a photograph from under her pillow. She’d nicked it from the PR people. It was one of the small autographed photos that G-Force would send out. The Condor. Even the scrawl that she knew was Dad’s writing looked different when he was writing as Condor. And yet, it was as familiar as everyday to her. “You wouldn’t let anybody tear apart your family, would you,” she whispered to it. “You’d fight. I’m not gonna sit back and let him tear us apart.”

She slipped it back under her pillow and yawned. She hoped Dad wouldn’t be long. She was getting so sleepy….

Downstairs, Jason looked at Chris. He was determined to nip this nasty side of the boy in the bud.

“Let’s put this on a professional footing, then, shall we?” he said and raised his arm, transmuting to birdstyle.

“Remember, Shaw. This is by your choice, not mine.” The voice was slightly different, coming from the indigo-visored helmet.

Chris responded, his own grey fledgling style flashing into place. But he drew himself taller. All his life, he knew he was destined to be Eagle, like his father. He called on all his training, all his instincts to face down the man before him.

Jason smiled. He could see what Chris was trying to do, and knew that most of it was a defence mechanism against the hurt he was feeling. He’d go easy with the boy, but he wasn’t going to let him off lightly.

“Fledgling, you have no right to talk that way to a senior member of G-Force. Let alone the one who is currently the Commander of G-Force. Neither have you the right to call me by my given name. You will address me as Commander, Sir or Condor. Do you understand.”

Chris nodded, reluctantly. He knew he’d pushed it with the “Jason”, but had needed to penetrate his dad’s anger.

“However, you do have the right to raise a legitimate concern about the well-being of the team, and I thank you for that. It shall be taken under advisement.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

Jason smiled. “Now, do you think we can finish this charade, Chris? You don’t want to piss your sister off, do you?”

He de-transmuted, and Chris did the same. Jason pulled the boy close and hugged him. “Don’t take sides in this, Chris. Your mama needs you and Vivian. This is between Mama, Mark and myself. No matter what happens, she was right. We do love you.”

Chris hugged him back. “I still remember, Dad. I still remember what mama was like before…” His voice broke. “I don’t want her to be sad again, Dad.”

“Neither do I, Chris. All that Mark, Mama and I can do is try to work something out. But don’t you and Vivian make things worse by taking sides against Mama and I. Promise me that you’ll keep Viv in line.”

“I will, dad.”

“Come on, then. Time for bed for you. After I’ve looked in on Vivian, I’m going out. Look after Mama and Vivian for me.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have some things I have to do.”

“Don’t hurt Father too much, Dad.”

Chris ran up the stairs, and into his bedroom. Jason stood still, stunned at the boy’s insight. Damn. He was his father’s son after all.

He went into Vivian’s room and looked down at her, asleep, tear stains on her face. He thought she was more like her mother than ever. The black hair and porcelain complexion giving an air of fragility, covering the inner strength. This was going to be hard on them all. He reached out and stroked her hair gently, and bent down do kiss her on the cheek. “Sleep safe Vivian. And please let you have more of your mother’s nature than mine.” He knew this was a vain hope. In her nature, she was definitely his daughter. As he stood, he noticed the edge of a picture poking out from under her pillow.

He gently pulled it out and was surprised to see it was one of him as the Condor. One of those dreadful autographed PR things. One that was obviously treasured by his daughter.

He slipped it back under the pillow and made a mental note that his daughter deserved something better than the mass-produced stock photo. He’d organise it himself. A really nice one of the Swan and the Condor together.

He didn’t even think to question why she had what she had.

He closed the door and went up the final flight of stairs to their room.

Princess heard him come in and rummage on the dresser. She sat up, stiff and chilled from her crying bout.

“What are you looking for?” she asked.

“My keys.”

“Why?”

“I’m going out.”

”Where, Jason?”

“What is this? Twenty questions?”

“It’s late, and I worry about you.”

“Perhaps you should have thought that I’d worry about you before you spun your stories today. I’ve got something to take care of. I’ll be back when I’m back.”

He left and she heard him leave the house. A few minutes later, she heard his car start, and roar into the night.

She wondered where he was going, and his last comment penetrated her consciousness and then suddenly sat up.

“I’ve got something to take care of.” The words echoed through her mind.

She knew exactly where he was going, and what he was going to do.

She had to stop him.