Gaia's Champion Ch. 14

Though Luke had offered to help, he was just underfoot there. The Jaegers were kind, but direct in stating that his help was not required. He offered to bring them some food, as it was late and would soon be the early hours of the morning. They had accepted that as the one thing he could do, and he had now arrived with their orders.

"Hey Karla," Luke said as he pulled the van up behind her.

"Ah! Good timing, Luke! I could use a coffee right about now," she replied, shivering.

"You OK?" he asked, concerned for his new lady.

"I will be. Jan says it is expected when seeing death for the first time. He assures me it will pass," she said, taking her coffee from him gratefully.

"Carlotta? Your coffee, madam," Luke called out softly.

"Ah! Thank you, Lucas! It is much appreciated," she said with a smile. "Jan, take five and get you and your men something to eat," she called out.

"Ja. Jaegers, morgenmad!" (Yes. Jaegers, breakfast!) the leader called out into an earbud system. Almost immediately, the group of half a dozen men exited the mansion grounds and congregated around the van, each one eager for some grub.

"Tak (Thank you), Lucas," Jan said as he took both a coffee and breakfast bagel in hand, before stepping away to stuff his face. The other Jaegers were similarly thankful, as they enjoyed this little taste of North America. Some of them groaned in appreciation at the taste of the breakfast sandwiches.

"This food is good, but I'm sure it will make you fat," one Jaeger commented.

"Only if you eat too much of them and don't exercise. I'm a prime example of that," Luke replied with a bit of self-depreciation.

"I wouldn't worry Luke. You seem to be doing something about that now. According to Jason anyway," Karla remarked.

"Yeah. Well, I had my reasons for it," Luke replied with a sigh of regret.

"I can tell. You don't have to tell me about them now, or even tomorrow. Whenever you are ready, Lucas," Karla told him with a warm smile.

Luke couldn't help but shake his head, amazed that this woman not only got who he was but understood him! He knew that he'd still need some time to process shit, especially with what he found out recently. That this woman was giving him the space he needed to sort it out, it just amazed him! He was glad that Jason had directed him to this woman and would have to thank the man properly.

Luke finished his breakfast and glanced over to the other man who was there, helping direct the Jaegers. Darren Marston had turned against the men who he'd served, apparently because it was always in him to do so. From what Jason and Phalmina had told him, Darren wasn't fully in control of himself. It was his own father who was exerting his influence over the boy, allowing only the worst parts of him to come out.

Luke was still having trouble believing that, but he knew Jason wouldn't tell a lie. Not about something this important, at any rate. He sighed as he watched the man eat his donuts and drink his coffee, as he told the Jaegers what to find and where to find it. The mansion apparently had a lot of books and records hidden inside, and Darren knew where they were located.

Jason had stated that this information was vital to them knowing more about the Sons of Caesar and Luke didn't disagree. It was trusting that snide little shit's word that was grating on his nerves. Especially after all the shit he'd pulled, which is why they were there right now.

"Hey, you OK?" Karla asked.

"Yeah. I'm just having a tough go reconciling the fact that the little shit is on our side now," Luke griped.

"As am I, but so far, he's done nothing but co-operate with us and he has sent none of the Jaegers into traps," Karla gently chided him.

"You're right, but it's just awful convenient that he's the one who we have to keep safe," the man growled.

"Strange circumstances breed strange bedfellows. At least, that's how I think it goes," Karla replied with confusion.

"You are adorable!" Luke said with a chuckled as he kissed his lady. Karla responded in kind, humming into the kiss, her hands wandering. They broke apart to a feminine voice clearing her throat and saw Carlotta watching them with a mild stink eye.

"Ja, auntie, I will contain myself in public," Karla told her without being prompted any further.

"Wait, you do things in public?" Luke wondered.

"Ja. Why? Should I not display to the world what I think of the man I'm with?" she asked, giving Luke a look.

"No, go ahead and do that! I just didn't picture you as an exhibitionist is all," Luke told her.

"I am many things, Lucas. What you've seen in the last couple of days, only scratches the surface," she told him hungrily. Luke gulped audibly, half believing that Karla would devour him on the spot.

"Well then," he replied, feeling uncharacteristically confident, "maybe I'll let you see what kind of monster I am."

Karla's eyes widened, and she grinned, her smile dazzling the man. Luke was faking his confidence at the moment, but Karla appreciated his boldness. Her eyes smoldered, as though she wanted to just have him right there. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was her aunt and the Jaegers being present.

"Careful young man. Such words are liable to throw you down the rabbit hole," Carlotta quipped.

"Maybe I'm already at the bottom of the rabbit hole," he chuckled. Carlotta smirked at this comment, giggling as she went back to supervising the Jaegers as they worked. Karla sidled up to Luke and put her arm around his waist.

"If I hadn't already marked you as mine, then you'd have my auntie to contend with," Karla warned him.

"She would have made a play for me?" Luke joked.

"Yes, she would have. But she knows that you and I are... dating, so she will leave you be. She can be... hungry, but she's honorable in how she'll leave a man alone if he has a lady," the young woman told him. Luke let this piece of information sink in and he shook his head as he wrapped his head around the idea. He didn't have long to think on it though, as the Jaegers were coming back from grounds.

"It is done. We have accounted for everything of value here, but the boy says there is another location that we must investigate," Jan said to Carlotta.

"Another location? Where?" she wondered.

"It is a basement room beneath the church I go to. I was only made aware of it in the last few weeks. We keep more relevant information at this repository, mainly for easier access to the Sons," Darren informed them.

"Is anyone there now?" one Jaeger asked.

"Not this early and anyone who would be there later... is in there," the young man stated, pointing at the mansion.

"Godt (Good). We go for the church and clean out that site as well," Jan stated.

"We will need to get a move on, though. Other parishioners will start showing up and they tend to be... nosy," Darren warned.

"We will be in and out before anyone knows we were ever there," Jan smirked.

"It will be difficult, as many people who go there live close by," Darren told him.

"Dear boy, difficult is what we do. Before we leave, are you certain that you want to leave that man in there? You know he won't come out once we leave," Jan informed him.

"He deserves that fate, for what he almost did to me and my sister. For what he did to my mother," Darren stated coldly. Jan grimaced and nodded, understanding what the boy wanted. Jan's own father was a real piece of work, so he understood what Darren was going through better than most. He then turned around, looking for his friend, the demolitions expert of the team.

"Jukka? Is everything in place?"

"Ja. It will look like a fire broke out and was too much to contain. Made it look like vandals and pyros set it," Jukka told his commander.

"Godt. Set it off and let's go."

"Already done. Before we go to the church, I would like to stop by this place called... Tim Hortons?" he asked quizzically.

"You like the goodies they sell?" Luke laughed.

"Ja! Those... fruit explosion muffins?" the man growled in appreciation, which had everyone cracking up.

Luke had Jukka hop in the back of his van, while everyone else got into either Carlotta's car or the moving vehicle they used. They left the neighborhood, with no one the wiser to their presence. Maybe ten minutes after they had left, the fire trap set by Jukka had caught, the first flames licking up at the windows. The Jaeger had set it so that not only would the whole thing burn down, but collapse in on itself, burying all evidence.

******************************

"Damn! You've gone through more in a week than what most others go through in a lifetime!" Sheena said, her face and eyes displaying her surprise and amazement.

"This guy thought it was some elaborate prank set up by his friends," Phalmina scoffed.

"Given the kinds of hijinks that some of these friends of his get up to, I wouldn't put it past them to do screwy shit," Sheena told Phalmina.

"Really? Like what?"

"There was this one time, that a former friend of theirs was being such a disrespectful little shit, that Jason and the boys had enough of it. Remember Joseph Marks?" Sheena cackled.

"Oh damn! That asshole had that shit coming to him!" Jason replied, defending his actions.

"What? What happened?" Phalmina asked, intrigued as to what happened to Jason's once friend.

"Jason and his friends were hanging out one night during senior year. Joe was there, stirring up shit like he always does," Sheena started.

"Stirring up shit?" Emalia wondered.

"A phrase used to describe someone who likes to cause trouble," Jason explained.

"Oh!" the fairies smirked.

"Anyway, Joe was poking fun at everyone's respective families, which, for those who didn't really have family, was going too far. Some of the boys wanted to beat him up and teach him a lesson, but Jason had them back down. Joe was an experienced fighter and would have put them down without breaking a sweat. Jason here, had another idea," Sheena told them wearing a smirk.

"What they did was challenge Joe to a drinking game, which he normally would have won. But Jason increased the potency of his drinks by spiking them with gin. Once Joe was passed out drunk, they dragged him to the school and tied him naked to a chair," Sheena snickered.

"That doesn't sound so bad," Daelina scoffed.

"It wouldn't have been, but Jason and his buddies left him center stage in the auditorium, behind the main curtain. There was an assembly of the school held there the following morning. Jason pulled the curtain up so he could be seen so everyone, and I mean everyone, saw just how tiny the man's dick was," she cackled.

"You did that???" Phalmina giggled, imagining the look of horror the boy had worn.

"Like I said, the little shit had it coming," Jason snickered.

"As did Darren, with that shower soak you gave him as I recall. Are you sure that we can trust him? With what you've told me about the collection of knowledge the Sons have?" Sheena asked.

"Phalmina and I disabled a set of runes that was controlling him. He has Gaia's gift," Jason stated.

"Wait, what?!?"

"Yeah! It surprised me too, and I almost didn't believe him. But one of the major things that convinced me was the fact, was that his dad tried to shut him up. Darren told him to fuck off," Jason laughed.

"He did what?!?" Sheena gawped in disbelief.

"Yup! He told his dad he was dead to him and how he'd no longer control him. The level of control that Wayne had over his son was extensive. With the power that Darren possessed, I'm not surprised that he had to do it more than once," Jason said.

"Shit! Well, if you and Phalmina vouch for him, then I'll go with it. Any idea if they're finished with what's sitting at the mansion yet?" Sheena queried.

"Not yet, but I figure on giving them until mid-morning before I check on them. That gives us plenty of time," Jason told her.

"For what?"

"Catching up. You've been gone for a while, Sheena, and I don't know a damn thing about what happened. Or why you left! I'd like to hear your story and why you left all those years ago," Jason told her.

"Jason... it's complicated. I'm not sure you would understand the reasoning behind why I did what I did," she told him softly, stonewalling his efforts.

"Why did you leave?" he asked again.

"It's Shaman related, Jason. You wouldn't understand," she told him.

"I think I'll understand better than most. I'm a Druid who just kicked the shit out of a chapter of the Sons of Caesar, after they tried to take my power," he reminded her. Sheena found she had no real rebuttal for this argument and huffed in annoyance.

"I hate it when you destroy any arguments I have with logic," she grumped.

"Well, I learned from the best," he snickered while shooting a glance at her.

"Shut up!" while firing Jason with an 'I hate you!' look.

"Not gonna happen and you know it!" he grinned. "Why don't we go for a walk? Bring your friends along if you like."

"I think they're a little distracted at the moment," Sheena giggled as she watched them.

The entire wolf pack wagging their tails at the descriptions of meat that Xaera was telling them about. Jason chuckled as the two of them walked down the tunnel, leaving the glade. Phalmina looked as though she wanted to follow, but let them leave without causing a fuss. Though she wanted to go with them, the fairy woman could tell that this was a private conversation between two old friends.

"So, you want to know why I left you behind, without a word?" Sheena asked her old boyfriend.

"Yeah. I mean, I deserve that much at least," he told her, emotion rising in his voice.

"OK. But for this, I'm going to have to go back a little. Unlike you, who just came into your Druidic powers, I've always had mine," Sheena began.

"You had them the whole time?" he asked, going wide eyed at the thought of it.

"Yup. Ever since I was old enough to walk. Both of my parents also were touched by Gaia and could use her gift like I could," Sheena told Jason.

"Your parents were Shaman??" the redheaded man asked in shock.

"They were. My dad was an immigrant from Congo and my mom was a Haida native. When they met, they knew it was Gaia's will that they be together. The connection they both had to Gaia was strong, and my strength in the Earth Mother's magic was just as strong. In some ways, it was stronger than what my parents could manage," she grinned.

"Growing up was... interesting. I learned about the various things that were real, which the rest of the world that was myth. Of course, we had to keep a low profile, as the Sons were out in force then, searching for anyone who held a connection to Gaia. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what they do when they find such people," Sheena told him as they ambled through the forest.

"Nope. They tried to do it to me and almost succeeded! I'm just thankful that Xaera hit me with that spell in time!" Jason grimaced, still coming to terms with how close he came to death.

"So am I!" Sheena smiled warmly before she continued.

"When I was in Grade Nine, is when my parents disappeared. They left behind a note and instructions on what to do in their absence. They told me they'd come for me when they could, but how they had to run. I learned later that a small group of Sons had found them when they were busy trying to mend a rabid wolf," she sighed.

"I went to live with my aunt and had movers empty everything that day, so it looked like no one was living there. Per their instructions, the movers put everything in storage, and I was the only one to have access to the unit," Sheena went on.

"Damn! This honestly sounds like something out of a James Bond film!" Jason replied.

"When dealing with evil fucks like the Sons, plans like that have to be made. If you don't make them and execute them when necessary, you're dead," Sheena told him.

"No arguments there! I apologize for the interruption. Please, continue!" Jason implored her. Sheena smiled at this and did as he asked.

"My aunt, who was my mother's sister, knew everything that was going on. She was my mom's confidant with her family. Though, living with my aunt wasn't easy. She was often angry and resentful towards me about having to stay with her. I realized that as I got older that she was scared. Scared and terrified for her sister, and brother-in-law, not knowing if they were OK or not," Sheena muttered.

"It was just as senior year was ending for me, that I found the journals my parents had hidden in our belongings. They detailed everything my parents had done over the years. The thing that surprised me most, was them trying to fight against the Sons and their influence in our society. As I read, I found out why they were so hellbent on going after them," Sheena continued.

"Which was?"

"They had lost friends to the Sons' influence. Not anyone who could wield Gaia's magic, but people who had been great friends to them both. They were trying to expose the Sons and their ways to the world at large, so they could prove how evil and corrupt they were. I was pissed at them for doing this, but I understood their reasoning. Keeping their friends and family safe mattered to them, as it does to me," she stated.

"Is that why you left? To keep me safe?" Jason asked.

"It is. Right after I got out of high school, I started looking into the Sons, but for different reasons. I wanted to see if they knew anything about my parents. Where they were last seen, where they could have gone, anything to tell me what happened to them. A few of them must have been keeping tabs on me or something, because I got into a few scrapes with them and had to make a fast exit," Sheena glowered.

"That day I saw you last, just before you left. That was the day you had tangled with them, wasn't it?" he wondered.

"Yeah. I knew that they'd send more of their men after me and I had to leave. But I had to see you one last time, before I vanished. I didn't want to put you in harm's way, so I had to leave, to keep the Sons away from you," she went on.

"Where did you go?"

"Into the wilds, to places that the Sons would have difficulty tracking me. The wilder it was, the safer I'd be. I was on the run for a little while before I'd stumbled onto North Moon and her pack. They almost tore me apart, but once they saw what I was, they quickly took me into their pack and offered to protect me. I've been with them ever since," Sheena told him.

"You survived all these years, by yourself, in the wild?" Jason wondered, amazed.

"Well, not all the time." Sheena admitted. "During winter, I'd stay in a disused hunting lodge or summer cabins that were empty. It was cold as fuck in them sometimes, but it was better than being out in the snow."

"Since you were alive all this time, why didn't you try to contact me? Let me know you were alive?" he demanded crossly.

"Jason, I couldn't. I didn't want to risk your safety!" Sheena fired back.

"Bullshit! You could have sent something, anything to let me know you were OK. What we had..." he started.

"What we had, was more than what you're making it out to be," Sheena replied, cutting him off.

"I don't believe you," he scoffed.

"Believe what you will. What we had was fun, and all, but it was going to end, eventually. You know..." she continued.

"Fuck that noise!" he shot back, interrupting her. "I'm not over you and I never have been! Even though you left without a trace, everyone told me I should move on. I knew that I should have and found someone else, but I never could. You want to know why that is Sheena?"

"Why?" she asked, looking skeptical.

"That's because, even after all of this time, my feelings for you have never changed. You left so abruptly that day, that I never got the chance to tell you I love you," he told her.