Max Comes Home Part IV

Part IV

Jessica awakes to find herself laying under a beautiful shade tree in Sisst’s garden on Edan.

<<How did I get here? >> Her groggy mind asks as she sits up and looks ahead.

<>

<> A familiar voice says to her. She stands and turns in all directions looking for the source of the voice in her head.

<<Quinn? >> She asks meekly, unsure if she had heard correctly or not. <<Quinn is that you? >> She asks again.

<<You know it’s me Jess. >> Quinn answers.

<<Where are you? How … Quinn? >> She asks still searching for the source to prove she’s not hearing things. She stops turning, facing downhill toward Sisst’s home. She closes her eyes to fight the tears of frustration and sadness welling up inside of her.

<<Jess>> Quinn says.

<<It’s not real>> She says half to herself and half to the voice.

<<Jessie>> Quinn says again. He has walked up behind her and puts a hand on her shoulder. <<Jessie turn around. >>

She turns around and looks up at the face she knows all to well. <<Quinn, Where have you been? >>

<<Nearby, Jess, always nearby. >> He says smiling.

<<I’ve missed you so much. >> Jessica says quietly.

<> He pulls her to him and hugs her tight. She apprehensively puts her arms around him too. When she sees that he isn’t just going to disappear. She hugs him back hard. <<Not too hard Jess, you might break something. >> He kisses the top of her head as she laughs softly. He pulls back to look at her. <<God, you are beautiful. >> He pushes a loose strand of hair from her face.

<<I’ve aged a lot this last year. >> She says smiling up at him.

<<No, you haven’t. Doesn’t matter anyway. You’ll always be beautiful to me. >> He says shaking his head.

<<Max is here. >> She says.

<> He tells her.

<> She says unsure of her own feelings. <<He’s Max, but he’s not Max. >>

<<He’s not Maximilliam. He’s Max, and he’s going to be around a long time. >> He tells her.

<<How do you know that? >> She questions him in thought and look.

<> He says smiling.

She smiles back sadly. <<Oh Quinn it’s so hard. >> She looks as if she’s about to cry.

<> He looks back over his shoulder. When he looks back at her, she has a sad look on his face. He pulls her into a hug once more. <> He hugs her harder then pulls back and kisses her softly. Then he pulls away from her and turns and walks away.

<<Quinn, don’t go yet, it’s too soon. >> She says to him.

He looks back at her. <>

<> She whispers back almost crying.

He starts to walk away again, when he stops and looks back at her again. <<Oh Jess, no more nightmares, O.K. sweetie, no more nightmares. >> He tells her, then turns and walks into the trees.

Jessica watches him go puzzled by his statement.

********

Jessica wakes with a start in her own bed. (Damn it was just a dream.) She sits up again hugs her knees with her head down. She shudders a moment almost like trying to shake the last bit of the dream away. She gets up, showers, dresses and goes downstairs. Jade is already there using the kitchen MACRO.

"Morning sleepy head" Jade says as Jessica walks in the room. "Jim has already been here. He took Q.J. and went to get a change of clothes for Professor. He said he’d be back shortly." Jade looks up from her screen when she doesn’t say anything.

"You alright, you still look tried. Not another nightmare last night, Jess?" Jade says as she gets up and pours Jessica a cup of tea and brings it and her own over to the island. "Here, it’s orange spice, you’re favorite. Sit down and tell me about it. You know you always feel better after you talk about it." Jade sits on a stool opposite Jessica. Jessica pulls out the stool and sits down. Takes a few sips of her tea, and closes her eyes a moment.

"It wasn’t a nightmare this time. It was so real though. I was in Sisst’s garden," and Jessica proceeds to tell Jade all about the dream she had that night. "And as he walked away he said no more nightmares. I’m not quite sure what he meant by that. Did he mean for me to try and have no more nightmares? Or did he mean that I wouldn’t have anymore nightmares? Like he knew I won’t have anymore or something. Like I said it seemed so real, almost like it really happen. I don’t know." Jessica shakes her head and drinks some more tea.

"Jess it was just a dream hon, don’t get so upset by it. It wasn’t really Quinn. You know he’s gone. It’s just your subconscious talking using Quinn image. You are trying to reconcile Professor being here, and the feelings we were having last night. OK hon. Look after we help the Professor get home or find his friends we will take a nice vacation to Edan. We haven’t had a good vacation in awhile. You, Jim, and I have been working way to hard lately. OK, Let’s work on the Professor’s problem first, then we will take a break. Jade reaches over and pats Jessica’s hand.

Jessica takes a deep breath. Jade can tell by the look on Jessica’s’ face, she is in for an ear full. She pulls her hand back across the table and says, "OOPS. What did I say this time."

"What you didn’t say is more like it. Why didn’t you just say; the dream wasn’t real. Quinn’s dead. We are going to do as little as possible to help Max. That I’m going crazy, that my feelings don’t matter. My subconscious, my ass. My subconscious is the one responsible for the nightmares. My guilt about not being here for Maximilliam and Quinn when they were murdered. Not for this dream, this one is different. My gut tells me that this wasn’t any ordinary dream and this Max is not just any Max either, like our Maxilliam. When has my gut been wrong, Jade? Was my gut wrong about Sisst, our Maximilliam about the Maggs or the Vylkara, or about the murderer Bennish? No, I just haven’t learned to completely trust it. Not when you and dad do not trust it or my judgment. I just wish for once the two of you would learn to trust my instincts. Stop babying me, and stop patronizing me." Jessica stops and takes a deep breath.

"I think you should keep your voice down Jessica. You don’t want to wake our guest." Jim’s voice startles Jessica. "Here are some of Maximilliam clothes. I still had some left."

"Where’s Quinn James?" Jessica asks stiffly.

"I left him at Shirley’s house. She’s been begging for him to come visit her. I figured today was a perfect time to do it. That way, none of us have to worry about him." Jim answers.

Jessica gets up and takes her cup to the sink. Then she walks back to her father. "Here I take those up and see if Max is up yet. We have a busy day ahead and should get started as soon as possible." She takes the clothes from her father. "I’ll call Aunt Shirley later to thank her for watching Quinn James." She walks past him.

He stops her. "Jessica, we aren’t babying you. We are just trying to help you."

"You guys don’t want me to make any decisions on my own. Neither of you trust my feelings or judgments of people or situations. I’m not a kid anymore. It’s time both of you realize that." She turns and goes up stairs.

Jim comes in and sits in Jessica’s spot. "What was that about? Did she have another nightmare?"

"No, I almost wish she had, it would be easier to deal with." Jade says. She then proceeds to tell him about Jessica’s dream and her reaction to it.

********

Jessica goes right to Max’s door. She pauses a moment, takes a deep breath, and knocks on the door.

"Hello, are you up yet?" She waits a minute trying to decide if she should knock again.

"Just a moment, Ms. Mallory." Jessica can hear movement from the other side of the door. She hears him approach the door, and open it. "So sorry it’s Mrs. Mallory is it not. I was trying to decide whether to come down in my pajamas or not. I was not relishing the thought of putting those clothes back on. I spent the last two weeks in them." He is in pajamas with a towel around his neck. He towels the side of his head. "I hope you do not mind, I took the liberty and showered. It was most enjoyable. Life’s little animates we sometimes take for granted." He smiles and laughs a little.

"Here’s some of Maximilliam clothes. They were cleaned before dad stored them. I hope they fit and are to your liking." Jessica says holding out the clothes to him. She turns to walk away.

"Did anything else happen last night, Mrs. Mallory? You don’t seem quite yourself. I don’t mean to imply I know exactly what that is, but you seem a little out of sorts this morning." Max asks concerned.

"Please call me Jessica or Jess. Thank you for your concern Max, but I’ll be fine. Just the usual rough night, nothing out of the ordinary really." She says with her first smile of the morning. "I’ll let you get dressed. Do you prefer coffee or tea in the morning?"

"Coffee, please." Max answers.

"OK, I’ll make a pot. Come down when you are done. My father is here, and we should all eat before we leave for Terra 75284.89. We might be gone most of the day." She turns and goes back downstairs.

Max closes the door, dries his hair some more with the towel and gets dressed.

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