The Program

Chapter Thirty-One

While Annie talked with her own mother, this time on a phone, Bridget set up a way for her Annie's mom to be escorted to John's house with the rest of our families. 

I could hear Annie blubbering out the story of what was going on, saying in certain areas that she would have to explain later and that everything that was happening was for her protection. 

Jack was still upstairs. I wanted to go up and comfort him, but John had stopped me already. "Just give him some space," He had told me. "It's a lot to take in all in the same day. We'll tell him about his mom later."

Assuming he was right at that moment, I nodded and listened to him. But now it was five minutes later and I was stepping on the stairs and not caring what John said. I opened the way out once I got up there.

The old house was still the same old, rustic looking place I saw when we pulled up the first time. Jack wasn't inside, so I went out, checking to see if he was there. He was, on the steps actually. So, I sat, not saying anything.

"She would've liked you, Lexi." I turned to him as he spoke, resting my hand on his. He had been crying, that much was for sure as the dried tears still marked his cheeks. "At least one of my parents would have."

"Jack," I began but he started talking again.

Clearly, he wanted to say more. "Just let me say something before you go any further." I did a soft 'okay' and he continued. "I've never talked much about my mom to anyone. Or my dad for that matter. Now I definitely don't want to talk about him. But I just never felt the need to bring it up to anyone, you know? I didn't need anyone to see I was broken because I already knew I was, I didn't need to be reminded.

"Mom was so great. She would always make these cookies when I was feeling sad or whatever, saying sweets would brighten my mood." He clutched my hand and turned to me too. I went closer to him, our shoulders touching. "I never thought I would lose her. Then, that stupid fire. I always knew there was something iffy going on there. It was too different, seemed too planned out. And now it all makes sense."

"Jack, I-"

"They took my mom from me, Lexi." He choked out. "They killed my mom."

I had to swallow a lump in my throat as he leaned his head on my shoulder, his tears covering my shirt. My hands wrapped around him and held him close. "I-I have something to tell you, Jack."

When he brought his face up, his eyes were bloodshot and wet. "Is it similiar to the last thing you told me? Because if it is I really don't want to hear it right now."

"Your mother's alive, Jack." I said. His mood changed slightly.

"What?"

"They used her as leverage against Reid." I further said. "I don't know if she still is alive, but she didn't die the day of the fire."

Jack's breathing hitched and my heart fell. It was awful to see him so sad. "No. My dad said -Reid said she was dead. He would lie about a lot of things but his wife..." He trailed off, wiping at his tears. His green eyes shown brighter now, the wetness making them gleam. "Lexi?"

"Uh-huh. What is it?" I asked, rubbing his back in the most comforting of ways that I could.

"Do you think that Bridget will help me get her back?" His eyes were now filled with hope, and suddenly I saw the dream again, Jack as a little boy in a house with his family. No matter how you look at it, part of Jack was still that kid. And he needed his mom.

I held his face in my hands, wiping away a tear with my thumb. "Even if she won't, i'll do everything it takes to get her back for you, okay?" I breathed out. "I promise."

❒❒❒❒

As Jack and I made our way back to the safety of the hideout, he held my hand and kept me close. I could tell he was worried about asking Bridget if she would help, considering how she delt with things and how we had all noticed she wasn't a fan of going out of her way. She did what she had to in order to get results, but to her, Jack's mom would mean nothing.

Heck, Jack probably meant nothing either. To her, he was leverage.

"Everything will be fine, Jack." I mumbled, hanging onto his arm. "We'll get her back."

I saw him smile and tighten his grip on me, us walking over to Bridget and Jack not even able to get a word in before she spoke up. "My answer is no."

Jack's smile fell and he let go of me. "How did-"

"There are cameras all over this place, Jack." She turned to us. "I'm not stupid."

"Listen," I started. "There's no point in keeping Jack's mom locked up in a place with the very people that you yourself said you were trying to stop. I just think we should try to get her out, maybe even get some info while we're there. I'm sure Natalie would help us."

Bridget stood, addressing both of us as she said, "Neither of you are trained to take on this organization. It's one thing to be in a test, Lexi. You're a disrupter there, it makes you stronger than them. But out here, you don't even know how to fight correctly, let alone hold a gun, which you'd need to pull off such a task."

"Then we'll wait a few days, do some basic training." Jack suggested. "Just give us some supplies and let Natalie show us. Please."

"Let me make one thing clear, Jack. You are standing here right now because I am allowing you to be. I don't owe you anything, so don't expect it."

I got in her face, teeth clenched. "Why won't you just listen to him?" Bridget rolled her eyes, something that showed her annoyance well and didn't exactly fit the kind of person she was. I would have preferred a frown. She made a gesture, telling Jack to continue.

"I'm not gonna say something big. Not gonna do some long speech about what's the right thing to do. Because i'm being selfish, and I know it's dangerous, and that John, or Natalie, or Annie," He paused, looking at me. "Or that even Lexi could get hurt if we do this. If you want me to, and I would gladly do it, I will go alone and try to get her back."

"No." I stated, Jack staring at me hard.

"My point is," He began again. "I lost my mother once, now I can get her back. The last time I got a parent back it didn't go so well in the end. But this time, i'll never know unless I try. I just want my mom back. Wouldn't you do everything you could to get someone you love back?"

Bridget took off her glasses, cleaning them on her shirt and seeming to be holding something back in her emotions. "I lost my parents when I was really young as well." She placed her glasses on her face. "I would give anything to have them back."

"So does that mean that we're getting his mom back?" I asked.

"I'll think about it." She smiled. "Now, it's getting late. Natalie and the others are already making plans for you all to go home and get some rest."

Jack stepped forward, trying to hide his excitement about Bridget's consideration to get his mother. He did this by saying, "So, um, at separate houses or all at my house like everyone's parents?"

"I see no reason why Lexi and Annie can't stay there, it would be a lot easier considering everyone is already there. As long as all the parents are okay with it, and they allow Natalie to stay for other reasons..." She trailed off, thinking it over. "Yes, it should be fine. And safer. But please, go talk with Natalie about it now, I have work to do." She turned around right after that, focused on the papers layed before her.

Leaving her alone, Jack and I walked to Natalie who was talking with John and Annie. "We might be able to make a stop at John's house first, get the parents and go to each home. More than one trip would be needed. But Bridget said more than the one would be risky." She suggested.

"Hey, Natalie! Bridget said we could do my idea instead," Jack said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He actually looked pretty exhausted, I noticed as suddenly he pulled me down on top of him, causing me to sit in his lap and hold myself up a bit with my hands on his chest. "We're all going to my house."

"Oh, well..." Natalie was now thinking it through, John and Annie laughing at my awkward position on Jack. I stuck my tongue out at them in a childish manner. It just made them laugh more. "Sounds good to me." Natalie finally decided. "We'll go by Annie's and your house to get you both some stuff to sleep in and some...different things to wear." 

I was happy with this decision, the baggy clothes falling more and more by the second that were currently on my body. Baggy clothes were normally my friend, but not this baggy. But of course, something ruined my split second of dreaming. That something was Bridget as she heard our conversation from where she sat. "No time, Natalie. And it's risky given they have already been out and about once today to get Jack. They need to go somewhere and sleep? Fine, they can go to the Evans' house, but don't make it harder than it needs to be. Annie, Lexi, and you can borrow more clothes like what Lexi is already wearing. They're in that closet in the back." She told her, pointing behind us and then going back to her work before an objection could be made.

"Alright," Annie said, no longer laughing with John. I got up from the chair with Jack and he just smirked, putting it back where it was as he got up too. 

"Don't worry, i'm sure there's something you both can borrow at the house." John told her, glancing my direction too. "Not sure about Natalie though, maybe mom has something."

"Oh, i'm fine," Natalie waved a hand. "Let's just grab the stuff and go. It's been a long day and I don't know about you, but I need some pizza. Badly."

Annie looked shocked. "Wow, you really are a normal person. I thought for a long time you were all business, no fun."

"People can surprise you," She said back, walking to the closet and grabbing what she found inside. Me and Annie went after her. She handed each of us a backpack, grey and sturdy. She gave each of us grey shirts like the too big one I was wearing, some of them white and tan. We each ended up with two, one to wear tonight while we sleep and one for tomorrow to change into.

Natalie looked everywhere but found no shorts so we were stuck with the over pocketed black pants that were in there. I already knew I was going to be sweating all through the night tonight. 

There was also a pack of important items every girl would need at some point in life. And whether or not that point was coming again for Annie or myself anytime soon, we grabbed them. "If something happens, it would be kinda embarrassing to ask their parents if we could have some, you know?" Annie mentioned, shoving them in her pack. I nodded with what she said, agreeing completely.

Once we were done, the five of us went upstairs, leaving Bridget behind because she preferred to stay there for the night. 

On the way over, us teens crammed in the back and i'm sure breaking the law by not some of us not wearing a seat belt, the guard who drove us earlier to Jack drove us to John's house, Natalie already making a call to the nearest pizza place and telling the to meet us at the house. She instructed him not to go to the door, just wait until we showed up and got it.

Once we pulled into the driveway, opened the door, and me and Annie grabbed our bags from the trunk and I got Natalie's for her, we walked up to the door which was surrounded by the other guards. Natalie had the pizza in hand and the smell of it alone made my somache want it so bad it hurt.

Barely eating after I came out of a coma has really taken its toll.

"Well," John muttered as the door opened, now carrying Annie's bag for her and glaring at one of the guards. letting Annie go into the house before him. "This is gonna be fun."

❒❒❒❒

I had to add a few more sentences and some detail to this, this morning. But good thing I already had this written ahead of time other wise. I've actually got another awful migraine and just...I just feel like screaming.

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to @misscambil because I do always see when you read my story and as I always say, things like that make me smile.

But anyway, this isn't exactly edited and I don't know when it will be. But I hope you enjoyed it and vote and comment if you did.