Alternate Soul

Chapter 23

A Week Later

"Shannon I've been thinking."

"Please don't tell me about wedding plans. They haven't even decided on a date yet." He pretended to be annoyed but she knew he was only teasing.

"No, it's not about the wedding. I've been thinking about what Dr. Board suggested." She paused looking down at her hands. Shannon sat up on the couch paying attention now. He had been thinking about it too. "I want to try it." She said softly.

He had hoped she would want to try but had been afraid to bring it up to her. He knew it had to be her decision. "Are you sure Haley?" He asked her moving over to where she was sitting next to the window. "I don't want you to do anything you don't want to. I can wait for you as long as I have to."

Looking Shannon in the eyes she said, "I'm sure." then she turned back to the window and continued watching the cars go by but he could see that she had made up her mind.

"Who do you want it to be?" Shannon had to admit he was a little scared of who she wanted. He was afraid he would get jealous and that was the last thing they needed. "I don't care who he is as long as you trust him."

"I don't know. I mean I do have someone in mind but I don't think he can or will do it."

"Who? I have someone in mind too."

"You do?... How about the count of three we both say the name of the guy?" Shannon shook his head yes. "One..two..three.."

"Jared."

They both said at the same time. They grinned.

"Jared it is then. When do you want to do this?" Shannon asked.

"I don't know, we still have to talk to him."

"Ok, I'll talk to Jared and figure it out." Shannon hoped this was the right thing to do. He hoped it would get them back on track. And he was so glad that she chose Jared. He was the one person he completely trusted. He knew Jared would never try to take her away from him.

Later that night

They finally stopped for the night at a campground. They had been trying to stay off the grid as much as possible. They didn't stay at hotels or at the venues unless absolutely necessary. They didn't want to give the A2 a chance to set up a trap possibly hurting innocents.

Shannon approached Jared once they had settled in for the night. "Jared, can I talk to you?"

"Sure what's up?" He followed Shannon off the bus to the edge of a slow flowing creek.

"You want a beer?" Shannon offered as he took a swig of his he was nervous.

"Sure." Jared was a little concerned, Shannon hadn't drank in a long time and he never wanted to just talk. He opened his beer and took a long drink. "Ok, so what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong I just need to ask a favor and it's hard for me to ask."

Jared nodded. Now he had a feeling what this was about. "What is it? You know I'll help you if I can." Jared watched Shannon closely. He could see him gathering his courage. It was taking a lot for him to ask.

"You know that Haley and I went to see that Doctor last week." Jared nodded. "Well, she suggests that it could help Haley if we...if we..." he ran a hand over his face and lit a cigarette. "Damn I didn't think this would be this hard to ask, but it is."

"Go on Shannon, nothing you can say will surprise me." He, of course, knew for sure now where this was going. He understood how hard this must be for him to ask him to have sex with his girlfriend. Sure they had shared some women before but never one that one of them was in love with.

"Haley and I haven't had sex since you rescued her." He took a long drag and blew the smoke away from Jared. "The Doctor suggested that we have a threesome. She said if Haley had sex with two men it might make her see that not all men will hurt her." Jared stayed silent. "Haley says she wants to give it a try." He took another drag. "We both want it to be with you." Shannon glanced at Jared then continued. "We trust you and well...yeah...Would you do it? I understand if you can't because of Jessie and all. We don't know anyone else we can ask." Shannon turned back to the creek and watched as leaves floated down the current.

They had finished their beers before Jared spoke.

"If I agree to this I have to know that it's only because you both need this. It's not that I want to fuck her because I'm attracted to her...its just because you asked me to help. Everything will go back to normal afterward. No jealousies, no throwing it in anyone's face. You have to have it in your head and heart that I'm only doing this to make Haley better. I know I'm repeating myself Shan but I don't want any problems."

"No Jared there won't be any problems. I know this has to be done. I know in my heart that this will go a long way in helping her. I know this isn't for fun." Shannon lit another cigarette. "She trusts you, Jared. You were the one that found her, the first man she let touch her afterward that is why it has to be you."

"Let me have another beer and one of those cigarettes." Shannon handed them over. They both sat there on the edge of the creek in silence thinking. When Jared finished his cigarette he stood up. "Ok Shannon, I'll do it."

Shannon jumped up and hugged him. "Thanks, Jared, I'll never forget this."

He started walking away, "Just let me know when and where."

"Wait don't you need to talk to Jessie first?"

"She knows. She had talked to Dr. Board, she didn't tell me about what. She just told me if you asked me about what the doctor said that I should tell you yes. I assume this is what it was about." He was never going to tell Shannon that Dr. Board had him listen in because then Shannon would never trust her again and he knew she could help them both after all she had been right about them picking him. "Just let me know Shan."Jared walked away before Shannon could ask any more questions.

_________

"Well, what did he say?" Haley asked as Shannon came back on the bus.

"He said yes." He hugged Haley. "Come on let's go to bed. I'm exhausted. It's been a hard night." She followed him to their bunk and tried to go to sleep but her mind kept going over what might happen when they were together. She hoped she could go through with it. She desperately wanted things to be normal between them again.

________

"He asked me, Jess," Jared said as he climbed the stairs onto Jessie's bus.

"What did you tell him?" Jessie looked up from her laptop.

He flopped down onto the overstuffed chair. "I said yes."

"Ok when?" She looked back down at the computer.

"I don't know." He noticed that she was avoiding looking at him. "Look are you sure you're ok with this? I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"You have to do it, Jared. You have to help them." She kept working. "You're the only one they trust."

"What's so interesting on there. You're barely in this conversation." He was kind of annoyed that she wasn't in the least bit jealous or upset. In fact, she didn't show really any emotion at all.

"Sorry, my science friends have had a breakthrough in traveling. I have been able to give them more information thanks to Robert, and it looks like they have come up with something."

"Is it a way back?" Jared got nervous.

"Don't worry," Jessie noticed immediately the change in Jared. "I'm not leaving you. I've just gotten you where I want you. There's no way I'm leaving now." She laughed and kissed him.

He was still nervous and afraid that she would leave. He watched her as she kept working on whatever it was in the email. She was so beautiful when she was doing something that she loved and he didn't want to stop her. He just wanted her to be happy.

"Jared I think I need to fly out to Houston. I really need to be there to work on this. It will only be for a few days. You can pick me up on your way through."

He didn't want her to go but he knew he had to let her. "Ok, sure babe." But as he walked away to go to their bed he realized she had never answered his question.