Eight: Season 4

Episode 92: The Jareau Family

  Jade-
  "Your family needs to know about this." Daeva said.
  "Not until I talk to dad." I said, gripping Daeva's shoulder and walking to my parents's tent.
  "Dad, we need to talk." I said.
  "Oh...ok." Dad said.
  "In private." I said, looking at mom.
  "Let's head to the medical tent." Mom said, grabbing Lapis, Zeke, Elarza, and Seth.
  She gripped my shoulder and I smiled at her, patting her hand. "Why did you put Dr. Mort's chips inside of all of our heads?" I asked.
  Dad gasped. "I—" dad began.
  "Let me make one thing clear, I don't want any lies or half truths. Why did you do it? You fucked up mom, Zeke, and Lapis's lives, and for what?" I asked.
  "You have to understand!" Dad exclaimed.
  "Make it make sense dad." I said.
  Dad took a deep breath. "When you were born...you and your mom were deathly sick with a brain disease that no one knew anything about. I went to Dr. Mort and begged him, pleaded with him to save you and your mom. So, he put the chips inside of you and your mom's brains. Zeke, Lapis, Elarza, and Seth all contracted the virus too since they were all around your mom when she was pregnant with you. So...I paid Dr. Mort to put chips in all of your brains to save your lives. I even had him do mine when I started getting sick. There were consequences that he told me about, but I didn't care! I just wanted to save all of you. The chip had no effect on me but...your mom, Zeke, and Lapis all got an obsessive violent addiction and took it out on you, Seth, and Elarza to ease the overwhelming urges that turned them into monsters. I was away fighting, so I never had to see it. But, the chip was different for you, Seth, and Elarza. Elarza could read minds! Seth could use telekinesis! And you...you got the gift of intelligence! I never intended for your mom, Zeke, and Lapis to be forced into such a horrible thing! I just wanted to save all of you!" Dad said, in tears.
  I teared up. "You should have found another way! Mom hates herself for what she did to us! Zeke and Lapis spend every second of every day trying to redeem themselves because they feel the need to. Elarza has to listen to every single person's thoughts because she never knew what it was and couldn't control it! Do you know how dark a place some people's heads are!? Seth was taken from us when he was 10 and Dr. Mort turned him into a brainwashed child that destroyed his entire home town and became the host for a monster to save all of us!!! I have been poked, prodded, raped, and tortured for my brain! I can't tell you how much pain and suffering I am in! Dad...I know you had good intentions...but you ruined all of our lives! When were you gonna tell us!?" I asked, in tears.
  He looked down and away. "I—" he began.
  I scoffed. "You weren't gonna tell us, were you?" I asked, sniffling.
  "No...I wasn't." Dad said.
  "You need to. Mom, Elarza, Seth...they deserve to know. And you've hurt Zeke and Lapis enough. Keeping this secret from us? It's hurting their hearts. So come clean, and tell them why. Please dad." I said, hugging him.
  Dad sighed, and held me. "Ok." Dad said, and I nodded as he and I went to the medical tent.
  "Why didn't you just ask them to stay?" Dad asked.
  "Because this is something you have to tell them. I wouldn't ever forgive myself if they found out the way I did, because that would mean they wouldn't forgive you for a long time. And I would hate myself if I was the reason that our family was hurt so bad. You deserve forgiveness dad...just like mom, Lapis, and Zeke. And I know in your heart of hearts...you never meant to keep this from us for so long. Or hurt us. You were just doing your job, trying to protect us. But our family is strong...we can bounce back." I said, squeezing his hand and dad nodded as we got to the medical tent.
  "Come with me." Dad said, and mom, Zeke, Lapis, Elarza, and Seth followed us back to our family's tent.
  I stood beside dad, squeezing his hand reassuringly and he smiled. "I have been keeping a huge secret from all of you." Dad said, and Zeke and Lapis perked up, surprised.
  Dad explained everything he explained to me and when he was done Elarza and Seth looked for comfort from Zeke and Lapis. Mom walked to dad. "Jax...why didn't you talk to me about this when it happened? We could have tried another solution." Mom said, softly, gripping his shoulders.
  "I just wanted to protect you, save you and our kids and myself. I never wanted any of this to happen." Dad said.
  Mom lifted his chin. "For better or worse, in sickness and in health...we promised to always support each other. I'm so sorry that I couldn't do that." Mom said.
  "No! Lilith, I was just being a stubborn old fool trying to play hero." Dad said.
  Mom kissed dad on his lips, the five of us looked away, blushing, and then mom smiled. "You are and have always been a hero." Mom said, kissing him again.
  "Ah geez, we know you love each other, get a room." Zeke said, and they pulled the five is us in and we all hugged tightly.
  "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Dad said, kissing all of us atop our heads.
  "It's ok dad, you thought it was best." Zeke said.
  "And besides, we've all done something like that." Lapis said.
  "Things we regret." Elarza said.
  "Or things we didn't think through." Seth said.
  I smiled gripping my family tighter. "We've all made mistakes, that's just what people do." Mom said.
  "Our family is broken, but we're the Goddamn freakin' Jareau's...we always bounce back. No matter what." I said, as we all squeezed each other tighter.