Kadance

9h

Borden gives Jayse a guilty look and slips away. Kadance lifts an eyebrow at that and watches Borden leave. " Ooookaaaayyyy, what was all that about?" Kadance turns back to Jayse after watching Borden leave the room.

Jayse looks at Kadance and has to forcefully keep his hands off of her. In a rather strangled voice he says, "Hurry and eat Kadance or get dressed, one or the other. I can't talk to you when you are like that."

Kadance looks at him strangely then down at herself. She's a bit rumpled and it's obvious that she's been sleeping, but she doesn't understand why that would bother anyone. So she looks back up to Jayse with a questioning look.

Jayse stares at her in disbelief then looks up and rolls his eyes. He answers her in a tight voice, "The way you look right now is taking my self control to zero. You don't want me to take you to bed until you've made a decision. I can respect that, even if it kills me. But if you don't make yourself presentable I'm going to take that as if you've made a decision and you want me as your life mate. Now please go. We really do need to talk, it's about Tommy."

At first his words startle her. She can't help but be pleased that someone like Jayse would find her so irresistible, but when he finished she wasn't smiling. His tone at the end was serious in a different way and she detected some pain though he masked it well. She gives one sharp nod and leaves the room.

She comes back showered and freshly dressed to find Jayse pacing about the small room. This is an abnormal activity for him and tells her that this is a subject of great importance. It sends a shiver of fear down her spine as she enters the room.

Jayse stops pacing once he becomes aware of her presence. He faces her and starts to speak then shakes his head. "The others will be up soon and this needs to be said in private. Let's go outside."

He holds out his hand to help her up and flanks her as she goes to the door. Now she's really worried. They've kept things light hearted here to help with the stress of her job and hence their job. She believes in an open policy, otherwise how could they help her? Now Jayse wants to keep this private. He escorts her out to the shooting range he'd set up and she stops and faces him.

"We're not going to get any more private than this Jayse. What's up?" Kadance can't help but be upset but she's trying hard not to show it.

Jayse is nervous and doesn't know how to start and Kadance's stare isn't helping. "It's about Tommy..."

He starts but can't continue. Kadance says in a dry tone of voice, "I kinda figured that when you told me to get dressed. Now what is it Jayse? Look at me and calm down. I can't do anything about anything if I don't know about it."

Jayse seems to deflate before her eyes and although this alarms her greatly she keeps it hidden and just waits for him to speak. Finally he does but he finds it hard to look at her as he does.

"Remember the talk I gave you about multiple partners?" He won't look at her so instead of nodding she gives him a short yes. The idea kinda makes her queasy, she doesn't think that she could do something like that.

Jayse does look at her after her short almost abrupt answer. "I see." And he did, she couldn't do it. He looks down at the ground to hide the pain and has to fight hard to keep control.

"Jayse what is it?" Kadance can feel his control slipping and is confused. The whole situation right now is confusing her. "I need to know what's going on Jayse, please tell me!" Jayse's reaction is causing her a great deal of fear now and she's losing her control.

Jayse pulls himself together with a great deal of effort. "Tommy is leaving the day after the reception if you don't choose him. And I'll do the same if you do. You're torn between us Kadance, but so are we. We can't be an effective team like this; you can't take us both and we respect that, but neither can we stay if you choose the other."

Kadance stares at him in horror. To lose one or the other is unacceptable and what would happen then would be unthinkable. She can feel the anger boiling up in Jayse. Losing Tommy would send it over. She rather thinks that the same would happen to Tommy.

And if she were honest with herself, the idea of losing either of them makes her self control slip as well. She's so lost in thought that she didn't hear what Jayse said next.

She shakes her head and stares at him in disbelief, "Repeat that once more, I don't think I heard you the first time."

"Tommy asked me to ask you, that if you choose me if you would still be willing to be mother to his children." Jayse says patiently again. Kadance stares at him not knowing what to say. Tommy wants her to have his children. It shocks her.

"I thought Tommy didn't want anymore children." Kadance asks still in shock.

"Until you. You can be artificially inseminated with his seed. He believes you would make a wonderful mother and can't think of a better woman to be the mother of his children." Jayse finishes then after a long silent pause continues, "I think he's right. If you do choose him I would ask you to be mother to my children as well." Jayse falls silent.

Kadance stands stunned into silence. It was almost too much for her. The night's coolness settles around her as the night silence is only broken by the sound of the night insects chirping and humming along.

Jayse is watching her and is worried by her unusual silence. The wan moonlight makes it hard for him to tell but he thinks that Kadance has turned even more pale than she usually is and looks about to fall. There are no chairs in the practice range and so he helps her sit on the ground and has her put her head between her knees.

After a bit she pushes up against his hand and looks at him with tears running down her face, "I can't loose you or Tommy." Her words are filled with fear at the thought.

Jayse hides the compassion he feels for her dilemma and merely says, "You have the three options only. You must choose one of those options."

The only option that might keep it all together is the one that he doubts she'll choose. He's not sure if even Kadance can stop him this time if she chooses either of the other two options. Relentless he continues, "And Kadance the sooner you choose the better for all of us. But at the latest right after the reception tomorrow night. Because after that Tommy will make the choice for you."

Kadance is unable to speak. She just looks at him in misery with tears running down her face. Jayse is unable to let her remain like that. He pulls her up with one hand while he searches for his handkerchief with his other. Finding it he hands it to her.

She wipes away her tears and then blows her nose. After which Jayse pulls her into his arms and just holds her. After several long minutes Jayse pulls her away, "I'm sorry Kadance, I know this puts a lot of pressure on you. But only you can make this decision and we'll all have to live with it once you do." Although he silently vows he won't be living long after it if she makes the wrong decision.

"We can't stay out here any longer. Tommy will be getting to his destination soon and I need to be inside once he is. We should have just enough time to get you some dinner and for you to eat." He gently guides Kadance back to the bunker and although the others are all there gathered around the monitor Kadance doesn't say anything and slips out of the room.

Jayse notices that she doesn't go into the kitchen to get food, but instead heads to her room. He suspects that she is going to cry some more and doesn't feel much like eating. He wishes that he could do the same.

Borden is the only one that notices the stark look on Jayse's face. He is troubled by it. Jayse is usually better at hiding his emotions then he is right now. It means the talk with Kadance didn't go well. That's not good for the team as a whole and definitely doesn't bode well for Gaia.

Jayse notices Borden looking at him and motions him to the kitchen. Borden nods and slips away to the kitchen to talk to Jayse. Jayse fills him in on the situation and Borden's fears bloom. "She truly doesn't like the idea of multiple mates. I just don't know how she'll be able to make the right choice." Jayse is almost without hope. "She knows that it's important to make the choice soon. I gave her the deadline Tommy gave me." Jayse shakes his head and looks down in sorrow. "I just don't know Borden."

Borden is unable to say anything and just gives him a comforting pat on the back. Then the others call out that Tommy is online. Time to rejoin the group and they silently leave the kitchen. Borden wonders how any of them are going to come out of this alive.