Jackson was staying with the team for the time being, but he paid attention to the news. He kept his eye on the world leaders, watching the changes he had brought about. In his absence, he had paid visits to the leaders of Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, and even the leader of Afghanistan. The never-ending battle over "promised land" needed to be resolved. Too much blood had already been shed because of it, much of it belonging to innocent people.
The Muslims, Jews, and Christians may all have different traditions, different interpretations of "God's will", but they all worshiped the same God. The God of Abraham. It was true that the Jewish faith did not recognize Christ as the son of their God, but their God was still the same God the Christians worshiped and the same as Allah whom the Muslims worshiped. The Quran and The Bible tell much the same story, only splitting off where prophets are concerned. They all regard the God of Abraham to be the only true God, however, and bloodshed over who owns which land presently and whether or not Israel should be a state, etc...
Father Time decided they needed to settle it. If they did not, and continued to shed innocent blood because of their religious debate, he would kill them. Starting with those with the most influence and control over their own specific armies. He did not subscribe to any particular religion. He viewed the entire topic of organized religion with a watchful passiveness. As long as situations did not arise such as witch-hunts and Holy wars, he did not see any reason people should not be allowed to gather in the name of their God.
He had been convincing, as he usually was, and he watched as things changed. Armies were recalled and soldiers sent back to their families. There was a wash of peace over the middle-eastern countries never before witnessed or recorded. He still had work to do and he had a feeling they would need reminding once in a while, but so far, things were going according to plan.
His next tasks would likely prove more difficult and the subjects less easily convinced, but he did not have any doubts as to whether he would be able to succeed.
The U.S. leader, the Russian leader, the leaders of China, North Korea, and the European leaders... these were going to take a bit of finesse. Maybe something would actually challenge him for once. He doubted it.
Jackson had not given the team any specifics as to what he had been up to while he was away, only that he had not been in the country. He had severed Orion's link with his sister so that she would not be in danger as a result of his actions. Even Father Time could not know or control everything. He was, after all, not, himself, a God. Even did he see other people's past and future when he touched them, sometimes things were not as clear as others. Such as in the case of the Raven and Macy Grey. They were hazy at best. He believed it was due to his own emotions and his feelings for the two women.
This left him in a predicament even he was not sure how to resolve. For the time being, he decided to do what most imperfect men did. Avoid the subject entirely. He did not believe romantic endeavors were wise for him at the moment, anyways, and so facing the problem was easily put off. He needed to concentrate on more important matters, such as the end of war. World peace. The balance between good and evil. Those kinds of things.
.........
Macy's heels click-clacked rapidly to keep up with Jackson's long stride as they left the old hotel to go back and report to the chief. They intended to stay at the hotel at night with the rest of the team rather than going back to their own apartments. Macy intended to collect her cat and feed her fish, but she would meet Jackson back at the hotel that evening.
She chanced a side-long glance at her partner and her heart fluttered. Jackson Wolfe was the only man she had ever loved and the only one she would ever love, she truly believed. Father Time, on the other hand, was a cold-hearted, unfeeling killer. In her opinion, his darker side corrupted Jackson and she hated it. Not just because Father Time had feelings for the deplorable Sasha, therefore bringing that into the mix to complicate things, but because his lawless judgement and execution of people were so far in contrast of what Jackson believed and held sacred that she did not understand how the two personas had manifested in the same man.
Jackson believed in the law. The constitution. Due process. Everything that made things fair and legal. He believed very similarly to how the Chief viewed things. Of course, some bending had to be done. Compromising, especially in the case of the vigilante team, but even they did not kill anyone if it could be avoided. They brought them to justice.
Of course, Father Time did not need a courtroom, judge, jury, or attorney. He already knew everything about a person by touching them. However, sometimes all of that was necessary for the public's sake as much as the sake of the accused. It placed Jackson in danger, in her opinion, the way Father Time dealt with his victims. If enough people ever found out and rose against him, well... He was superable. Not invincible. He was not exactly vulnerable, but he could be overcome if enough wanted to do so. It frightened her.
"Honey, how long do you plan to stay with us?" she asked once they were seated inside Orion.
She knew better than to believe he was back for good.
Jackson glanced over at her to make sure she was buckled before answering her question. She smacked softly at his hands as he tested the security of her seatbelt, avoiding her question on purpose, she was sure.
"I don't really know how to answer that, Macy."
"So you don't know then."
"Well, it's uncertain at this point. It depends upon the results of my work while I was away. How quickly things fall into place. Stuff like that."
Honey, are you going to tell me what you have been up to?" she finally asked, turning her body toward him and fixing him with her wide, blue eyes.
She knew he had been doing some important, yet possibly very dangerous things and she believed, as his partner, he should let her in on it. After all, before Father Time had been introduced, the two had not kept anything from each other. It hurt her deeply that Jackson no longer entrusted her with everything the way he did before.
"Macy, I..." he trailed off when he looked at her.
"What is it, darling?" she asked, reaching out and taking his chin gently in her hand so that he could not look away.
"I just need you to trust me."
"I do trust you, my love. Completely. You do not, however, seem to trust me, anymore."
She felt tears forming in her eyes and she knew how much he disliked it when she cried, so she fought to hold them back. She was a bit angry to feel them run down her cheeks in spite of her effort and she released his face in order to brush them away. She did not like the idea of her tears manipulating him in any way. It was not his fault she was sensitive.
.........
Jackson turned his eyes back to the road, feeling guilty and dis-loyal. He knew Macy was not happy with how things had panned out. He knew she did not understand his need for solitude now that he and Father Time were united. He was not pushing her away, but he knew that was how she felt. He still completely trusted his little big-bosomed, eccentric partner, as much as he ever did before. However, things were more complicated now, and he felt the need to shield her from any danger his work might bring upon her. The less she knew, the safer she would be, in his opinion.
Secretly, he also was quite aware of her judgement of his darker half. He felt the impulse to keep hidden from her the things he knew she would not approve of. It would take time.
"I'm not planning on leaving again any time soon, Macy," he finally said as they were pulling into the station. "I know how you are feeling and I want you to know that I love you. No matter what happens or what I tell you or don't tell you."
"Okay, darling," she smiled and whipped out a little compact from within her bosom. "Let's go talk to the chief and then we can figure things out."
She checked her makeup, applied lip gloss, and then hopped out of the car, seemingly happy again. That was good enough for Jackson. So long as she was happy, he did not feel guilty. He was also not in danger of the Chief's wrath if she stayed happy. Many things ruffled the old Chief's feathers, but one of the worst things a person could do to piss him off was to do anything to hurt Macy Grey. She was like a daughter to him.
They went inside and Jackson casually steered her toward the Chief's office, not allowing her to stop and make conversation as she was typically inclined to do. Macy was still a chatter-box and her attention easily averted to less important matters if he allowed it.
The Chief let out a gruff, "Enter!" when Jackson knocked lightly on his office door. He poked his head inside and grinned at the old man.
"Mind if we have a word, Chief?" Jackson asked, his hand gripping Macy's arm so that she could not escape.
"Of course not, Wolfe! Get your asses in here!"
Jackson opened the door the rest of the way and gently pulled Macy in after him and put her in front of a chair. She gave him an angry look, which he ignored, because she had just begun to say something to a rookie that was standing within earshot of the Chief's office door.
"Jackson Wolfe, how—"
"Macy, do you want to be here for the rest of the evening or do you want to go get your cat and get settled at the hotel?"
Jackson fixed her with a questioning look. It was also a look that should have told her no answer was necessary, but just as he suspected she would, she answered anyways.
"Of course I do not want to be here for the rest of the evening, darling, but I was just going to tell Geoffrey that—"
"Geoffrey doesn't care!" he barked, causing her to jump.
He immediately wished he had not said it so roughly when she began to wail.
"Chief! Darling, he's being mean, Chief! Sir! Do make him be nice to me!" she wailed in one long word.
Chief Munson glowered at Jackson and Jackson winced.
"Wolfe! What have I told you about harassing my little dove?" the Chief roared.
"Chief, I am not harassing her, sir, I wouldn't think of it," Jackson replied quickly and then had to sit back and catch Macy as she flew out of her chair and into his arms.
"Oh, darling, I know you wouldn't harass me," she said, her tears having instantly dried up.
She rained kisses onto his face as he tried, although not as hard as he used to, to avoid them.
"Macy..." he laughed, gently pushing her off his lap and back toward her chair. "Cut it out, Macy, we are cops!"
She immediately sat back in her chair and whipped out her lip gloss. She was humming her tuneless little tune before Jackson had even stopped talking, as though nothing amiss had even transpired.
The Chief also appeared to forget the entire incident and cleared his throat, sat back in his chair, and looked ready for disclosure. Jackson shifted his gaze from one to the other a couple of times and then filled the Chief in on their plans.
"I have some free time right now," he concluded, "so I will be at your disposal for the time being."
"That is good to hear," Chief Munson bellowed, and he stood up offering Jackson his hand.
Jackson shook the Chief's hand and then turned toward Macy to see if she would follow him or if she planned to chew the old Chief's ear for a while before they left. For once, she seemed to be satisfied with what Jackson had told him and she jumped to her feet, trotted around the Chief's desk to plant a kiss on the old man's blushing cheek, and then she followed Jackson happily out of the office.
Even with all of the powers Father Time possessed, little Macy Grey was still an enigma.
(Leave a comment. Let me know what you think.)