Chapter Text
The night have been quite filled with questions in Jess' mind during her sleep, trying to find answers to all of those questions she has gained in the past few days and adding to that strange event last day but unfortunately for her, none of them got a proper answer, she wanted to know who fired that arrow, who was following her and who...who was knowing her? She tried to figure out any possibilities but she didn't find any of her propositions believable
Could be an old friend? Nah, impossible...
Does someone still believe Eden's Gate bullshit? Kim & everyone else told her they were all dead so it can't be that.
Maybe someone was indeed trying to kill her and missed her?... Maybe but no...
Nah, nothing was making sense to her
It didn't help her have a good night and when she woke up the next morning, she let out a loud sigh inside her room to be unable to find the answers she needed and she knew that her younger self would have been better than her and found them instantly but for now, she needed to get those thoughts on the side, avoid mentioning the event of last night and be focused on helping her friends & Hope County into getting rid of the Highwaymen, her answers would come soon or later...
She didn't directly leave her room, thinking that near her, in a box, there were her old clothes and she was maybe wondering if she was ever going to wear them again after all those years but like her unanswered questions and willingly, she thought it wasn't the good time for her to get back and claim the role she had years ago by wearing her outfit, meaning it will stay in that box for a long time before she could make a decision and only at that time, she will know that she made the right choice.
After that, she got her mind up and left her bedroom, only to hear once she passed the door, a loud voice
"Come on, Nicky, Nicky, have an old-time drink with your buddies!" Hearing that voice almost made Jess jump scare, how surprising it was and by that instant, she knew that voice was quite familiar to her.
"Guys, grow up a bit!" She could hear Nick's voice as she decides to get down the stairs and when she was going down, she saw...no way, she saw Hurk Durbman Jr. himself AND his cousin Sharky Boshaw...standing there next to the big table of the living room with Nick, looking annoyed. "Ain't going to drink your thing now, Sharky!" He warned as Jess couldn't believe her eyes & ears about what she was listening to...quite a way to start a day.
"Nick," That was Hurk speaking up, spreading his arms away. "Like old times,"
"No!" Nick repeated. "Last time I drink with you, I was so drunk I thought I was fighting some aliens back on Mars," He added as a point to his defense even if Jess could identify a small sense of humor in his tone as she was out of the stairs, the trio not paying attention.
"That was fun, okay?" Hurk argued.
"At the moment, yes but Kim almost killed me after that!" Nick went back before looking at Sharky. "Don't tell me you're giving your stuff to his baby," He pointed towards Hurk and that was something that Jess went eyes wide-opened.
"You have a son???" Jess was kinda shocked to hear that she decided to intervene, arriving behind the cousins, who turned around quickly.
"Hey, Jess," Sharky simply said, having turned his head around before he completely turned with a different look. "Aaaaah, the undead are here!" He screamed before he took Hurk with him and tried to jump over the table unsuccessfully, only managing to land on top of the table.
"I'm not a damn zombie," Jess rolled her eyes around, mixed between annoyance & laughter in her tone while Nick was more in the second part, seeing the two cousins trying to hide away.
"Uh?" Sharky peaked his head to look at Jess who, hopefully, wasn't like a zombie from a movie.
"Oh my god...oh my god, Jess is back!" Hurk then exclaimed, being the first to get on his feet with a better expression than his cousin on his face, also spreading his arms as he went to walk at Jess. "Jess, Jess, Jess, oorah!" He added before once in front of Jess, he really made a large hug that lifted Jess off the ground.
"Put me down, Hurk," Jess warned the hugger who didn't comply with her while Nick & Sharky were looking at them. "Hurk, put me down or I kill you," This time, adding a simple threat to her order and Hurk immediately do it.
"Sure, sure," Hurk sounded very happy. "Damn, Jess has returned!" He said again.
"Of course, ain't a zombie," She confirmed right towards Sharky.
"I knew you weren't a zombie, I was joking," He excused himself in a joking mood even if his face wasn't feeling the same.
"You guys...didn't change much," Jess was mostly talking about their behavior than their appearances whereas Hurk simply stayed the same-looking man but with some grey hair while Sharky was having a huge beard...and still wearing the same green vest.
"We didn't change a thing, we just live...our lives," Sharky explained with a small smile.
"Yeah, they just live like if we were in a Mad Max movie," Nick came up in the discussion, handing Jess something to eat and a small cup of coffee, something that Jess was able to taste again two days ago after long years...even if she wasn't much a heavily-drinking coffee person. "Sharksidous Erectus and Hurkmungus," He shook his head at the cousins.
"Hey, it's fun, Nick," Sharky argued.
"Nice," Jess breathed before she thought again about what made her intervene, her face going back through the same motions as before. "You have a baby?"
"Yeah, my son...Blade," Hurk replied in a tender voice, Jess was completely unfazed and...well, she wasn't really believing that Hurk himself have a son. She was liking Hurk as a friend but hearing that was for her was not possible...Hurk Jr has a son named Blade!
"And my nephew," Sharky added before the look on his face changed, looking at the main door was opened. "Oh crappy hell, I need to change his diaper now," He then started to walk away pretty fast.
"Wait for me, I need to sing him a song after that!" Hurk quickly joined him, walking the same way as his cousin. "See ya later, Jess," He gave a quick wave at her.
"Hey, no alcohol to the kid!" Nick advised the two who didn't respond to him, having already left the ranch, Jess staying in place as she was still processing that information: Sharky & Hurk were alive, living 'Mad-Max' style and Hurk has a son...that was quite a starting for this day.
"How long are they being here without being aware of that?" Jess demanded to Nick, one of her left fingers where she was holding that coffee cup pointing towards the door' direction.
"They came back earlier this morning," Nick responded, grabbing the few things that the cousins has put on the ground when they tried to escape the 'zombie' "The Captain, she brought them back here together,"
"She did that?" Jess took a sip of her coffee after asking.
"Yeah and like you did for me, she went east but this time, things were calmer than what she said to us before leaving again an hour ago," Nick answered as Jess finally moved to get sit on one of the chairs nearby. "She's been quite busy as she even went out last night after Kim told her about the two," He continued to clean up the remaining stuff and put it back on the table before he decides to sit too. "Since, I had them with me until you intervened,"
"Sounds like I arrived at the good time," Jess joked a little, drinking her coffee.
"Let's just say that I didn't sleep well last night," Nick huffed, taking another in his left hand another cup. "Had a nightmare where I relived the moment John damn Seed sever a part of my chest," He told her, his right hand going right over the spot he was talking about. Jess heard about this story during John Seed's final day...
"Same for me, couldn't sleep nicely for once," Jess complained.
"What did you get?" Nick demanded, curious.
"Thought about...the Deputy," She went up with a liar even if she would have preferred to tell the truth but saying that someone tried to kill her was not something to bring on the table, and mentioning...the Deputy...was enough to not have her explain her night. "I'm used to it,"
"Yeap," Nick could only say, finishing his cup of coffee before putting it back on the table. "I know you don't want to talk about her but..."
"What?" Jess raised an eyebrow as Nick was looking hesitating.
"Well...you know what? Nevermind,"
"Nah, nah, ask," Jess insisted & to be honest, she wasn't sure about herself on that.
"If you want," Nick was sounding okay with it but still not sure in his voice. "I never got to ask if she had someone in her life," He thought, Jess, putting her half-empty cup on the table at this, trying to remember if even one day, the Deputy spoke about that...
"She did tell us that," Jess younger's vision appeared just behind Nick, sitting down and nodding with her head before leaving...in time to give Jess the answer...
"She never had anyone," Jess replied with a lowered voice, almost looking down. "She wasn't the type of person to open up much,"
"It's true," Nick affirmed, Jess looking up at him with her arms crossed before a short silence appeared between the two, unable to tell each other anything, Jess surely tried to find any subject that wasn't related at all to the past, about the Deputy...why was it so hard sometimes to talk when a few times, she can easily speak her thoughts and now, it was simply hard to have a conversation without bringing back the old painful memories.
"Where's Kim?" Jess managed to bring the silence down by speaking up after that.
"Helping Carmina around, making sure everyone is in shape," Nick responded before he decides to go up his chair, pushing himself out of it with his hands over his lap. "Well, I need to get work on Carmina...my plane," He assured, Jess, nodding to it. "Making sure that plane will fly," He added.
"Sure,"
"Talk to you later, Jess, enjoy your breakfast," Nick advised as he leaves Jess alone in the building, walking out of it by the front door to go to his workshop...
Jess was all alone in the enormous living room...still can't believe they chose this place above, she could still think about that almost every day but at least, it was far better than how this place was looking years ago and of course, she would have to get along with that idea. Looking around and seeing no one was making her feel like all of those years alone, just hearing a silence while she was trying to eat, to rest a bit, and with basically, nothing to do but to stay on guard and made sure everything was good for her.
She took her time to finish her cup of coffee and eat something aside that was enough for her to last half the day before she decides to get some fresh air outside. The sun over the camp was the first thing that greeted her outside the building and this place was quite animated, a few kids playing near Nick's workshop, the cartography cabin looking quite busy, same for Grace as Jess could see her speaking with some people, the infirmary was working nice and a few people were working at the helipad between the main building and the old hangar.
Jess remembers she was told about the guy owning the helicopter: a Quebec named Roger Caboret who was apparently surviving by raiding the Highwaymen all around the country before installing himself here. She never had a chance to have a talk with the guy but one day, maybe she will, he was looking all time working on this helicopter than being open to talking...
She still didn't talk to all people around here, 5 days after she came back here...It wasn't her fault, she sometimes prefers to be alone...
"Open the gate," As she was going to sit down on the porch to think of what to do today, she could hear a voice that came outside the walls, precisely from behind the main gate of Prosperity, causing her to stay up as she witnesses the gate being opened widely and see who was coming in: the Captain Elizabeth &...Rush?
She could perfectly see Rush getting helped by Elizabeth...the man that brought her back to Hope County and that was made prisoner by the Highwaymen...was passing the gate of Prosperity...one on his legs having trouble walking, surely wounded.
"Mom!" Jess heard Carmina's voice coming at her left, walking fast to reach the duo "Oh, slow down, slow down," She almost went in front of Rush with her arms spread, Jess, moved in to join them too.
"Rush," She said, looking at the man that was looking in bad shape.
"Miss Black?" He was going to speak at Carmina before he saw Jess in front...his eyes couldn't really believe that he was seeing the woman he brought here alive. "Damn...I thought I was the only one..."
"You're not," Elizabeth told him, holding him by his left arm. "Good to see you, Jess," She added, causing Jess to give a small nod.
"Jesus, Rush," Carmina looked down at Rush's hurt leg, the pants at its side showing more damage than the other side. "They really did a number on you?" She demanded, worried.
"It's nothing," Rush sounded denial in his voice, Elizabeth immediately rolling her eyes around at that. "Day or two, I'll be fine," He supposed, trying to look at Elizabeth before he looks at the front, between Jess & Carmina.
"Did I hear right? You Thomas Rush?" A new voice added itself in the group and it belonged to Kim Rye, at the doorstep of the main building, a finger pointed at Rush.
"You must be Mrs Rye," Rush tried to walk towards Kim, now helped by Elizabeth & Carmina while Jess was staying near the latter. "Your daughter is tough as they come," He complimented as the trio were just one meter away from Kim who also stepped forward.
"Preaching to the choir," Kim exchanged a short gaze at her daughter with a quick grin. "Carmina, get the alcohol," She ordered as Thomas started to sit down, Jess replacing Carmina into getting him sit with Elizabeth.
"Got it,"
"Let's have a look at that wound," Kim said as the duo got Rush to sit on the wooden porch, with her staying behind Rush. "Careful,"
"You're gonna have to jig the socket," Rush advised as he spread his wounded leg.
"Did you see anyone in your group when they kept you?" Jess asked Rush, curious to know as a few lucky people from his group managed to get here alive.
"Nah...those people killed everyone that they captured, even the kids," Instead of Rush, it was Elizabeth who answered Jess' question, turning her head at the redhead, surely having been put aware of that by Rush.
"How did you find him?" Jess demanded, this time, directed at Elizabeth.
"Someone who was captive at the old mine managed to steal a radio and I caught the transmission," Elizabeth replied, now focusing on helping Rush with his leg along with Kim. "After that, I came in," She added
"Yeah, as she always does," Rush stepped in between the two aside conservation to add his opinion with a smile that was affected by the pain of his leg. "You got lucky those Highwaymen got...affected by the people I talked about,"
"Who?" Jess demanded as she could see with a quick eye, Carmina appearing outside with a bottle of alcohol in her left hand.
"People that looked like they came from the stone age, using bows." Rush started to say and suddenly, it got Jess's attention on those words...but also the look on Kim's face was kinda changing into a different one....and that was making Jess curious more than ever. "Tougher than me...I saw one woman taking at least 6 bullets and still killing three of those Highwaymen..."
"That's weird," Jess murmured.
"I heard someone said that...well, I heard one of those people speaking loudly," Rush continued, taking in his right hand the bottle that Carmina was handing him over.
"Let's get your leg better first," Kim suggested.
"What did they say?" Jess insisted, having taken Rush's wounded leg in her hands, preparing herself to make it stretch.
"Jess..." Kim turned her head at her friend where Jess could see that something was off...
"What did they say?" Jess repeated again at Rush who wasn't really paying attention to Kim's face before he went to drink a bit of alcohol for easing the pain.
"Uhm...they say..."For the New Eden & the Father," He...what?....
"What the fuck?" Jess' younger voice came into Jess' mind at this moment...hearing that word...Eden...Eden...that couldn't... Nah, that couldn't be a simple coincidence here...and now, it's looking like the world of Jess stopped for a long one second...Eden...the Father...the Father...Joseph Seed...
New Eden...
New Eden...
Eden's Gate...
Joseph Seed...
At this moment, Jess was almost giving a deadly glare at Kim...before she went straight into stretching Rush's leg with her hands without receiving a single signal and without making it fully ready...doing it as she fell under the shock that hearing those words...couldn't be a fucking coincidence...
"Ah, fuck!" Rush screamed, having his leg released by Jess and the pain caused just by what she did and it was enough to get him back up, making a few steps with her left leg starting to get better after each step...he was looking better now...but Jess was feeling different now...staying on the porch as Kim, Elizabeth & Carmina stayed close to Rush.
"Alright then," Rush started to turn around, tapping his left leg one last time. "Let's get things started," He suggested.
"Wow...stop," Carmina moved to stop him before he could walk away...Jess was exchanging a glare with Kim that wasn't showing anything good...and Kim felt it..."How about we rest first?"
"Mmh...good idea," Rush agreed.
"Get him somewhere else than here...I need to talk with Kim first," Jess then ordered with a clear voice towards Carmina. "Now," She added with a voice that was meaning it, her eyes unable to get off Kim for a good reason.
"Uhm...yeah...Captain, Rush...follow me," Carmina waved at the two who kinda accepted that the look on their faces was showing this was going to be a personal discussion...the trio then walked away from Jess & Kim.
"Inside," Jess pointed behind her with her right thumb over her shoulder.
"Jess, I..."
"Inside," Jess repeated again with a slightly higher voice, and quickly, Kim executed herself to do, walking past a soon-to-be-furious Jess who then followed her back inside her wrath started to show its effect when Jess slammed the door behind her to close it...
"New Eden...The Father...Was I lied to?" Jess demanded to Kim that didn't know where to go except not look back at her friend, both hands on the main table. "You told me that Eden's Gate...fucking Joseph Seed were six feet underground...and from what Rush told, they're above it!"
"Jess...I..." Kim couldn't find her world, her voice filled with incertitude. "I'm sorry but I...I had no choice,"
"No choice of what?" Jess repeated her words.
"If I told you the truth days ago, you would have done something bad," Kim managed to turn around but she couldn't bring herself to look Jess in the eyes...and those words started to give Jess the sad truth she didn't really want to believe at first...
"So, it's true..." Jess whispered on her side as if she was speaking with her younger self...it was damn true..."Joseph Seed is still alive...and he created another cult,"
"I'm sorry," Kim apologized, unable to look up at Jess who was clenching her fists but on her side, unable to really show any signs of anger despite the slammed door...why...she should be mad...but no..."I'm sorry to have hidden that truth...but if I told you that he was still around...you would have made something...I'm sorry," She sniffed, passing her left hand in front of her face.
"I'm just mad now..." Jess confessed with a breath...she didn't really want to be angry here but she has her reasons to do so...but she didn't.
"Listen, they've been peaceful for years and left us alone so we left them alone," Kim told Jess about this, sounding a small better.
"Bullshit," Jess muttered, didn't want to believe that Joseph Seed is 'peaceful' with his followers.
"That's the truth, Jess," Kim affirmed, Jess didn't want to believe it, she even turned around from Kim...all of those thoughts about them...back in her head..."They left us in peace, we let them alone," She told her again but Jess stayed with her back turned, looking down, eyes closes, trying to know what to do now...she couldn't do what she would have liked to do...as if something was avoiding her...she couldn't just really stay here...
"I need some time alone," She spoke up, turning her head towards Kim before starting to walk away, in direction of her room, going to retrieve her weapons and go out of Prosperity.
"Jess,"
"Leave me alone, Kim, I need time," She didn't interrupt herself in her walk, going upstairs without even looking back to Kim, sure & certain to get out of the camp for some hours, maybe even a day if her mind was going to mess up with her bad thoughts coming back together...damn...with what happened this morning...what she heard...Jess couldn't stay here and needed to think...now knowing that Joseph Seed was still in the living world when better people than him deserved better...it was the past coming back once again...
And now, she needed time to think...