The antiseptic smell filled Jesse's senses making his stomach roll with nausea as he paced in front of one of the small emergency rooms serving the area. Valencia was there. Behind that door. His Valencia.

Even though he had succeeded in keeping how he felt about that feisty spitfire, lying motionless in the bed, from everyone else. He had not been able to dupe himself. The truth was more terrifying. On first seeing Valencia, Jesse had been smitten, infatuated. Something he had been many times before, and it had passed just as quickly. Still, as the years had moved from one to the next, he knew he was achingly aware of how deep his feelings for this woman actually went.

There were times when he had wondered if those feelings were reciprocated, but he had never asked. They were terrific friends, but he was unsure if she felt anything other than friendship. He was very aware their first priority was to protect the unenhanced side of humanity from the enhanced fanatics Darcia and Madden had created. After what had happened today, he knew he had been deluding himself. If she survived this, he would throw caution to the wind and talk to her, but first, she needed to wake up. Finally, he would admit what must be written on his face every time he looked at her.

Rose rushed out of the room, nearly colliding with his pacing form. She gracefully dodged him while glancing briefly at him. He watched her head across the large open area to the regeneration unit. Jesse frowned cocking his head a little to the right, listening intently. Was that a soft thumping?

Slowly following Rose, Jesse came to a stop a few feet from the unit. The cylindrical lid opened on a hiss, folding up from the side.

"How are you feeling?" Rose spoke quietly to the form inside, "can you sit up?"

The woman slowly rolled to her side before pushing into a sitting position. She was pale with dark rings under her eyes; her hazel brown eyes, now dark brown, wandered from side to side as though she was disoriented.

"Where am I?" her husky voice held an underlying melody.

"You're in the infirmary," Rose smiled, "your energy levels were low. We tried the regeneration unit. Looks like it worked."

"Thanks," her hand absently ran down her face as she glanced around the room before meeting Jesse's thunderous stare, "how is the other woman?"

"We're working with her now," Rose spoke softly, "would you like some water?"

"Please," she whispered, "you're the guy from before. The one I can't read or link to," she nodded, "you're like a brick wall."

"That's me," Jesse growled, "instead of asking for help, you nearly killed someone I care about."

"I didn't kill her," the words exploded across the room, taking the glass from Rose and watching her return to the emergency room.

"What do you call it?" Jesse spat, "what exactly is it when you suck the energy out of another human being to the point they are non-responsive?"

"She's non-responsive?" the woman paled further, the glass shaking dangerously in her hand.

"Oh, don't give me that," Jesse yelled, "you know what you did. You know how close you were to exterminating her before I stopped you."

"How dare you?" the woman ground out, draining the glass and setting it aside before sliding to her feet. "I didn't arrive here looking for exactly that person to do exactly whatever it is I did."

"You had a choice," Jesse shouted back, "you chose to take a life instead of asking for help."

"I was low on energy," her booming voice bouncing off the walls, "besides, I have never had a choice before; what makes you think I'd know I had one now?"

"Really, your energy levels were so low you could actually stand before targeting Valencia," Jesse snarled. "Don't give me that line about low energy and no choice. You went with what came easy."

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"Wouldn't you?" the shouted question didn't mask the whooshing sound of the door opening.

"Oh, you're awake," Tula's voice drifted to them, "and you've met Jesse. How wonderful."

"Who is that?" the woman's words dripped with disdain.

"That ..." Jesse glanced over his shoulder, "is Tula. If you try and suck the life out of her, you will answer to me."

"I don't walk around sucking the life out of people," the defensive reply came, "I hate doing what I do."

"Really," Jesse growled, "it didn't seem like it about forty-five minutes ago. You just latched on to the first soft target and sucked away."

A sudden icy feeling ran through his body; sucking in a sudden breath, Jesse glanced to his right and the intruder to her left. The clearing of a feminine voice was subtle. The glare given to both of them spoke volumes. Deafening silence filled the room.

"Tula and Hana advise that you two feel it necessary to disrupt the peace of the infirmary. Apparently, doing so doesn't affect either of you," Breanna pointed at Jesse. "You, I know about. You," she looked at the intruder, "I want to know why?"

The newcomer stared wide-eyed at Breanna before clearing her throat a few times. Suddenly she seemed speechless.

Clio and Craig glanced at each other, "Damn," Craig mouthed. Clio raised her eyebrows in response.

Jesse glared at Breanna, then the intruder, "She says it wasn't intentional."

"You believe it was," Breanna nodded, "time alone will tell."

Jesse sighed, nodding at Breanna's words. The intruder shifted uncomfortably. Did she feel Breanna's abilities? Why was she so edgy?

"I understand that you are Jasmine Calderone," Breanna addressed the intruder, "am I right?"

"Yes," her answer came on a sigh, "I hoped you wouldn't find out who I was …" she shifted a little, "I'll leave now."

Jesse immediately recognised the woman's name, and her words struck him as odd. Was she used to being told to leave? Why didn't she go home if she was the missing Mafia daughter? There had to be more to her story. Raging anger melted at the thought of what she might have experienced. Jesse tentatively released the new ability, letting it flex a little before allowing it to spread out toward Jasmine. Silently he put it to work while Breanna spoke with her.

"You could," Breanna said, "where would you go? Darcia's group of fanatics are looking for you; otherwise, you'd be anywhere else but here."

Jasmine nodded, "I've been on the run for nearly a year," she looked up then, her eyes darting over Breanna's shoulder, widening as she stilled, "why is he here?"

"Who?" Breanna glanced over her shoulder.

"Craig," Jasmine whispered, "how did you get him out of ...? Why is he here? Please, I didn't do what I did intentionally."

"Craig is my eldest brother," Breanna said, "he didn't come out of The Madhouse as an experiment. Craig joined us with the rest of his team to fight against Darcia and her fanatical super soldiers."

"He told you who I am, didn't he?" Jasmine whispered.

"Yes, he did," Breanna frowned, "why are you whispering?"

"He used to get really angry if anyone asked questions about him," Jasmine whispered, "I've seen how angry he can get … I didn't want that coming down on me. Besides, his anger was used as a punishment ... before."

"Since I have had my necklace deactivated," Craig said, moving toward the skittish woman, "I'm a lot less grumpy, and I hated being used as a punishment. I choose not to do that anymore."

"Good …" Jasmine's voice cracked; clearing her throat, she tried again, "good to know."

"Jasmine," Breanna said quietly, "why did you use Valencia to get energy?"

"She was the first open mind I could find," Jasmine said, "normally, I use a little from several people, so they only feel a little tired and are not affected too much. But when I tried to even it between them ..." Jasmine swallowed hard, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

"Hurt?" Jesse spluttered, "you nearly killed her."

"How is Valencia?" Breanna turned to Hana, hovering nearby.

"Stable," Hana met Breanna's gaze, "we had to restart her heart, but other than that, she seems to be coming back to us in a fashion."

"Can she have visitors?" Breanna asked.

"She wants to see you," Hana said, "no, she is not conscious, Jesse, but her mind is still there."

Jesse sagged into a chair, "I'll wait."

"Come with me, Jesse," Breanna laid a hand on his shoulder, "she is probably worried about you."

"Tula, do an evaluation," Breanna said, "Craig, talk to Jasmine and be nice."

"What about me?" Clio asked.

"Introduce yourself," Breanna said, stopping next to Clio, "and contain anything that may happen here."

Nodding, Clio moved to join the small, quietly chatting duo, leaving Breanna and Jesse to follow Hana.