Paths Cross

{16}

I woke up, this time, in a room painted with a softer color rather than the bright white I'd been waking up in for the past eight months.

I sat up groggily, opening my eyes slowly. As soon as I came to my senses and really woke up, Jesse jumped on the bed beside me and laid his head in my lap.

"Jesse! You're okay? Wait," I said, remembering something. "Why am I not dead?"

Jesse sat up, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear and meeting eyes with me. "It was the wrong serum, Nina. It was sleeping serum. The scientists that made it switched yours out because they knew what you would do. That you're smart enough."

"But what about yours? What about Jenkins, and... and everything?"

"Mine was the right one. But, like I said, they knew what you would do, and plus, they needed you more than me. They knew you would create a revolution, like we've been saying. Turns out most people working for Jenkins were secretly working against her. Jenkins is dead, Nina. The guards set an explosive in the atrium. All of us escaped before it went off, and they put the scroll in with her. It was destroyed."

I sat with an open mouth for a minute, taking it all in. Then I threw myself against Jesse, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him, and I started to cry.

"Everything's okay, Nina. It's going to be just fine, babe."

"I know, it's just... how did this all happen? This whole thing just turned itself around. It was horrible and now it's... better than it's ever been." I pulled away from him and looked at him, beaming.

"I haven't seen that smile in a while," Jesse said, a small grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"I haven't seen that one in a long time either."

Jesse laughed, shaking his head, then meeting eyes with me. "I love you so much, Nina. Do you know how long it's been since I told you that last?"

"Um... not that long ago. How long have I been asleep."

"About a day." Jesse sighed, his chest contracting. "Hey, do you want to see our little girl? She's pretty cute..."

"Yes!"

Jesse smiled. "Alright. I'll bring her now."

As he walked out and left me sitting in bed to look around the room I was in, I noticed it as my old room at Morty and Misty's house. So that's why I felt at home...

When Jesse walked back in with our baby in a soft, pink blanket and brought her over to me, handing her to me carefully, I looked at her face again, inhaling sharply and starting to cry.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I mumbled, kissing her forehead. Her eyes were closed; she looked so peaceful. And I was so glad all of us were at rest now, peaceful just like a newborn baby with both a mother and a father who loved her very much.

I looked at Jesse, smiling, and I saw that he was smiling too, wide. "What are we going to name her?"

"Oh. Morty, Misty and I already had one in mind."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Faith. She was our light and faith when we lost it. I'm also pretty sure she's why we're still alive."

"That's perfect. It suits her, and it has a lot of meaning. But what about her middle name?" I asked, looking down at Faith and stroking the small amount of silky, dark hair she had on top of her head.

"How about... Rokhlin? To keep your name in there somehow."

"Faith Rokhlin Andrews. It sounds perfect."

Jesse grinned, kissing the tip of Faith's nose and meeting his mouth with mine. I placed my hand behind his head, and closed my eyes, almost forgetting the feeling of his lips on mine.

"Nina?" Misty's voice said.

I let go of Jesse as he pulled away, standing upright and crossing his arms.

Morty stood there beside her, in the doorway and play-slapped her, scolding her. "Misty, I told you it was a bad time to come in! You interrupted them!"

"Oh, be quiet, Morty, I don't want to hear any more of that rubbish coming from your mouth," she said, making me laugh. She turned to me. "Oh, that sweet laugh. It's so great to hear it again." Misty ran over to me and hugged me tight, and so did Morty, on top of her.

"Morty, you're squishing me!" Misty said, her voice muffled.

Morty pulled away. "Oh, sorry. Well, welcome back, Nina. It's great to have you back." He turned to Misty. "It feels like we've been missing a part of our family."

Misty nodded. "Morty's right. It has. But now our family is back and fully pieced-together. Plus two more members!"

"Well, Uncle Morty and Aunt Misty, would you like to hold baby Faith?" I asked.

"Oh, I've done it plenty enough over the past day, Nina. My apologies, Faith, but I've been her mother for the past 24 hours. And I'm not ready to be a mother!"

"Come on, Auntie..." I said, laughing.

"No!"

"Fine. Uncle Morty?"

"Sure," Morty sighed, taking Faith and holding her, bouncing her up and down in his arms.

"And Nina, we're not Aunt and Uncle. At least in that way we aren't."

"What do you mean, 'in that way?'"

"Together. Like we're dating or married or something."

Morty cleared his throat, stepping forward. "Give it up, Misty, we fight like a married couple. It's pretty much like we're together as Aunt and Uncle or whatever, so I'm fine with it. Oh, and Misty -- speaking of that..."

"Speaking of what?"

"Well..." Morty scratched the back of his head. "You see, I've been wanting to ask you something, Misty."

"What?" she asked suspiciously, and both Jesse and I eyes each other and grinned.

"Well, Misty... ever since we became lab partners, I've always felt like we were something more. I was too afraid to ask you before because I thought you liked us as just lab partners, but... Misty, would you care to join me at the Science Fair tonight at the museum from 6 to 9:30 pm?"

Misty stared at him for a minute, her jaw hanging wide open, while we all sat in silence, awaiting her response anxiously.

"Yes!" she exploded suddenly. She hugged Morty tight around his torso, and then ran out of the room, saying that she was going to get ready for the science fair that night.

Morty walked over and leaned into me, mumbling nervously, "Did I do well asking her?"

I laughed, nodding. "Yes. You did very well. But you're still such a geek."

He smiled and pat my arm. "Thanks, Nina," he said, giving Faith back to me and walking out of the room.

I shook my head as he disappeared, still grinning. They were both the two biggest science geeks I'd ever met, but I loved them both to death.

"Nina," Jesse said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I replied, looking up at him.

"Ready to go meet with the public?"

I nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."