Chasing Fate (Sentinel & Guide)

Chapter 54

[A few of you have wondered about the uhhhhh, physical aspect. Here's an explanation! This is a super important part of SAGAK type stories, usually chapter 1 important, whoops. ]

The cameras flashed for a few moments while Jack traded his phone and brought Fate to sit in one of the spare chairs while he went back to autographing. Fate blinked the light out of her eyes to find herself next to none other than Kaylee Ann. 

The petite blonde's emotions were cautiously contained as always, but Fate could feel the tinge of hostility. It was clear that Kaylee Ann felt she was encroaching on her territory. It was pretty clear that Jack's schedule didn't need to be as packed as it was. He was retired after all, but she kept dragging him out to events and occasions. After all, as a "null" she didn't have much reason to hang around the Hammond compound while all the sentinels and guides were busy training. 

Kaylee Ann had purposely worked to make sure that this realm stayed separate from Jack's new home life. She'd even convinced him that Fate had had enough of being in the public eye, and to leave her to her own devices. 

It had been working swimmingly, going back to nearly how it was before Jack went off on his crusade to find a guide. 

Except...

He wouldn't accept anything out of his territory or really even out of state. He refused anything unless he could be back by nightfall so he could spend time with his blasted guide. She had to pre-edit all of the interview questions so that Jack wouldn't spend half the time talking about Fate. 

Fate, Fate, Fate. It's all she heard, if he was even talking to her at all. He spent more and more of his downtime smiling dopily at pictures of her on his phone. 

It was infatuation, and though it was annoying now, it couldn't last. After all, he seemed obsessed now, but he hadn't yet closed the door to his career. he was still in the public eye, still soaking up the attention and glowing in the flash of cameras. He was still Sigfried "Jack" Hammond , beloved sports personality. 

"You didn't need to come all this way," Kaylee Ann fawned, "I have all of Jack's contacts, in case of emergency. You know?"

Fate smiled back, folding her hands in her lap. Surprisingly, she'd gotten used to this sort of talk after running around with Martha. It didn't throw her off as much as before. After all, there were no surprises. Kaylee Ann hated her.  Fate was smart enough to know why. It wasn't the first grudge against her for the simple crime of existing. 

"I know, he just asked me to come up. We've got a clan issue to discuss over lunch. It's rather pressing. I'm sure he got you up to speed?"  

Kay's face faltered a bit, "No, he's been so busy commentating today. I'm sure it wasn't too immediate if he stayed on." 

Fate shrugged, "Well, I wouldn't say that. We're going down to the precinct to assist with the evidence. I hope nothing is scheduled for the next few days?" 

Jack hadn't told her. He hadn't mentioned a case at all. He'd stopped assisting in that kind of work when his Finchausen's symptoms flared up so badly that he couldn't be brought out by anyone but a strong guide. 

She remembers that day at the hospital. No matter how much she pinched him or yelled he simply wouldn't respond. The doctors had to remove her from the room to allow the hospital guide team in to revive him. She'd never felt so helpless in her life. She'd never hated sentinel powers so much in her life. 

Now he was going back to that dangerous thing that had put him in the hospital faster han any technical knockout, assisted by this interloper he'd known for a month.  And he hadn't even deigned to tell her about it.