An Eternity of Change

Chapter 23

July 10, 1945

Jaylyn was relieved when the screaming stopped, though now she felt half deaf from it. Marie was still panting from the childbirth and Jaylyn was relieved the woman didn't have the strength to look at the twins... the dead twins. Their newborn bodies were warped. Limbs missing, organs on the outside of the body, one's neck was even broken... and those injuries were just the main un-descriptive ones. She would have to get rid of them; she knew where to take them.

"Boy or girl?" Marie finally spoke, though it was quiet.

"Girls..." She walked over to the door away from the woman. "Dead."

Marie's head fell back with a sob. "Both?"

"Yes." Jaylyn paused in hesitation before continuing. "There's a son though, he's alive, I took him to the other room after he was born."

"Can I see him?" Marie asked hopefully.

Jaylyn nodded. "Of course, just let me get something to clean those two up."

"Don't let John find out about them... please." Her voice was pleading. "He doesn't need to have grief at a time like this."

Grief would be the last thing Adam had, in fact Jaylyn was sure he hadn't been around in the last few months because he was hoping he wouldn't have to stop Jack from killing Marie. Unfortunately Sladen seemed to be behaving himself lately, at the moment he was guarding the house, waiting to warn her of anyone coming.

She walked over to him once she put the children in a towel and he gave her his normal creepy smirk, which she ignored. "I need you to bury this at the top of the hill."

"What is it?" He unwrapped part of it to see the dead babies. "Oh... This is an interesting sight... maybe I won't. Maybe I'll tell Adam you killed them and see what happens."

"He's not stupid like you are." She replied before turning back inside.

She went into the spare room and picked up the sleeping form of the remaining child before taking it back to where Marie was patiently waiting. When she saw the child a smile spread across her face, Jaylyn merely handed the boy to her and went to leave and find Adam to tell him they could leave. He'd probably kill someone from joy, which in his book was a good time not something bad. She shook her head wondering if that's really what she'd turn out to be like once she reached his age, then shuddered as she thought of how bad the world would turn once Jack grew a bit insane over time. Hopefully they found a cure to their curse by then.

It didn't take long to find the other immortal, he was already on his way back from town, skirting through the shadows and looking over his shoulder continuously. She even startled him just by walking into his line of sight before he recognized her.

"What are you doing out here?" He questioned, looking towards the house. "Has she died?"

Jaylyn could detect hope in his voice but beneath that was worry. "No, but she has a son."

"Good, we can start moving. The German's are moving in and at the moment we could be trapped if we stay." Adam quickened his pace, matching it with hers. "Get the weapons and have Ripper meet us by the lake. I'll get my son."

"What about Marie?" Jaylyn didn't particularly like the woman but she didn't dislike her either. "You can't kill her."

"I'm not." Adam's dark eyes held a darker menace. "I'll leave her for the Nazis."

A few hours later...

Jaylyn could hear them catching up, the dogs were hot on their trail, their barking and howling ever present. Sladen had finally betrayed them, just as they thought he would, they had come moments after Adam and her had gotten back. Marie and her son had been taken and Adam had only escaped because he had the weapons and attacked the Nazis from behind. Blood was still running down her arm and leg from the bullet wounds, making her pace slow rapidly.

Adam had fallen back to help but she could tell he would prefer to leave. As they went through a river to hide their scent she finally came to a stop. "Keep going without me."

"You can keep running." Adam urged with a glance behind her. "Come on, they can't catch us... we can't let them find out what we are."

"I'm staying to hold them off, just go." Jaylyn replied, knowing he'd have a better chance to escape if she distracted the soldiers. "If I don't they'll catch both of us."

Adam looked like he wanted to argue and he grabbed her wrist to start pulling her after him, but she pulled back and walked towards the Nazis. He left a few seconds later. Jaylyn started climbing the nearest tree, her wounded limbs screaming in protest, but she was satisfied with her position once she was able to look down on the ground below. The dogs came first, sniffing the ground and barking as they sniffed the area below, easily finding her blood trail... she shot them down. The soldiers' voices shouted as they heard the gunshots and Jaylyn got up and jumped to the next tree before they could spot the dogs. Once they were in sight she fired at them, three shots and three new bodies. The remaining four saw her immediately and raised their own guns to shoot.

She felt one bullet sear her side as she tried to put the trunk between her and them before firing again and injuring one. Another bullet to her knee made her cry out and she lost her balance, she fell with a dull thud and felt more bullets pierce into her flesh before darkness took over.

Adam heard the world go silent behind him and risked a glance back to see Jaylyn's limp body on the ground with the Nazis surrounding it, she obviously wasn't dead but even from where he was he could see the blood covering her. She'd basically been taken by firing squad on her own orders. A second later her body disappeared and fear drifted through him as the soldiers yelled and looked around before spreading out to find her, if they found her she'd be taken alive this time. He knew where she'd turn up but that was back past the Nazis, he couldn't risk going back for her. With that in mind he turned his back on the small woods and started running again before anyone noticed, or remembered, him.

She would understand why he abandoned her; Jaylyn had done it for him to escape after all. If he went back it would only hurt their chances. That's what he kept thinking at least. Adam slowed down again to look back, no one had followed him; he was safe for now. Safe to plan on how to get Jaylyn out once they caught her... if they did anything to her he would make their pain ten fold of whatever it was she endured.