Sick Like Animals [James, Niko]

[Lala & Reese Degreas]

Lala pressed herself against one of the many trees in the space that could be referred to as the Campbell-Kilbourne’s backyard, her other half folded into invisibility into the backseat of James Campell’s car. Reese waited there, cramped but ready, her finger on the safety of her gun. They couldn’t kill anyone -- not yet -- but warning shots were as effective as anything. Lala watched the front door of the cabin intently. They’d arrived at the perfect time. Kilbourne was gone (Paulo confirmed this. Physical therapy), leaving his much less threatening son and husband alone.

Jesse had been extremely helpful in warning them about their biggest thread: the child. Nikolai Curtis was a weather manipulator and, being so young, one that was difficult to control. Fortunately for those looking to keep him under control, both of his parents were highly trained metahumans. The twins were banking on Niko’s control to keep them safe.

Lala’s muscles tensed as James and Niko exited their home, Reese receiving the same information as if she were seeing it with the eyes in her own head:

It’s time.

Reese poised to pounce as soon as the door closed, remembering the position of her sister in order to give the signal when the prisoner’s were secured.

[Dr. James Campbell]

"Come on Niko, hurry up. We can probably have everything put away before Chase gets home, and then we can make grilled cheese. How does that sound?" It was a nice day. Finally, it felt like spring was really there; the weather was warming up and the snow was almost completely gone, even the row of snowmen the kids had made out front had given way to nature. (Not to mention, Chase was doing well, healing up nicely. They were finally getting through this. And Nikki had been with them for almost a year now. There were plenty of reasons for him to be happy.)

The recruiter ruffled his son's hair and grinned down at him. "You've been living here for almost a year. If you want, we can have a special dinner for that, so start thinking about what you might like." A long time ago, Niko had started calling both him and Chase "Dad", so he figured they could have the adoption talk sometime soon. He wanted to adopt the blond boy; he'd wanted to since his first day with them. Nikki belonged with them.

James climbed into the car, and instantly felt uneasy. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

He didn't have time to tell Niko to run.

[Nikolai Campbell]

"Great,"Niko answered happily. Helping with any meal was enjoyable, but helping with simple meals was more gratifying because he knew he could do it. Niko's eyes shifted from James to scan the yard and the melting snow. In a weird way, he knew he'd miss the winter. It was a lot of fun with James and Chase. But if he missed it too much, he was sure he could work toward creating a day of snow at Hammel's campus with Chase's help.

"Really? A year?"Niko repeated before giving a nod and grinning at the prospect of a special dinner. A year was a very long time, but it sure didn't feel like it'd been a long time, now that James was stating it.

Unlike the older man, the boy was quite at ease as he opened the door and climbed into the front seat of the car. This moment didn't strike him as particularly dangerous- not with James there with him.

[Lala & Reese Degreas]

Reese leaped into action when the passenger’s door snapped shut, pressing the gun painfully tight into James' skull. "Do not make a single sound. Not the car horn. Not a peep." Reese instructed. "Niko...You know how a gun works." She turned her eyes to the small blonde child, the gaze remaining sickeningly blank. "I will hurt your Daddy if you make any trouble. Including using your powers."

Lala strode easily over to the car and opened the front passenger’s door, dragging the blonde boy easily into the back seat, surprisingly careful not to bruise his young flesh. Frankly, the twins hated using the boy like this. Children were special, in their minds, and didn't deserve to be dragged into anything. They needed protection. But right now? Gabe's revenge took precedence.

The long-haired twin pulled the boy into the back seat, placing him between she and her sister. Reese nodded to hair and Lala draped her arm around the boys back, a gesture that was almost effective. “Drive, James.” Reese instructed. “Just as if you were driving to school.” She withdrew the cold metal from James’ skull. “And if you draw any attention to us--“” She cracked back the hammer of the gun, the cold click punctuating her seriousness.”--I will be sure your son pays for it.”

[Dr. James Campbell]

She told him to be quiet. That was the only reason he hesitated for a second before pleading, "Let Niko go. He's just a kid. He's got no part in this." He didn't need names to know that this was one of the women who had hurt Chase. James tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said it again, "Let him go." He gulped down his choked breath and closed his eyes for a moment, then begged, "Please."

But another woman came and dragged the boy to the backseat, leaving James alone in the front. His mind, as always, was racing. Chase thought they were going to do grocery shopping, he was never going to know what happened to them.

James was visibly shaking as he turned the car on and started driving. He didn't know what else to do, not when the gun wasn't to his head anymore. When it was to Nikki's, he was going to do whatever they said.

I'm so sorry. James thought, as if that would help. Neither of them were telepathic, and it was probably better that way. He didn't want to know what the boy thought of his foster fathers for dragging him into this. I'm sorry I said that everything was going to be okay.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko remained silent when the girl produced the gun from the back seat. It was easier to be scared in silence anyway. James wasn't hysterical, so it was okay, right? He didn't know what he was supposed to do. James had to be quiet, but him? He didn't want to make it worse for them. Honestly, Niko couldn't make sense of what was happening. When one of the girls mentioned the gun and issued a threat, he finally found the will to speak.

"You don't have to hurt James. I won't do anything." Niko promised as he leaned toward his father, moving his hand to rest on James' side. He grasped lightly at his shirt more for his own comfort- to ensure James didn't move. Much to his dismay, a second girl appeared to remove him from James' side. Now there was reason to fear.

Normally, Niko would have politely insisted he be left with his father. Now he kept quiet and climbed into the seat with the one holding a gun. When she put her arm around him, he instantly recoiled from her touch despite the small space by ducking his head toward his chest and leaning forward. It looked almost like he was crying, the way he almost seemed poised to hold his face in his hands. But he knew better. Crying made it harder to control his powers. So, why was he letting his eyes mist over? This was scary, being in back with strangers who scared even an expert like James. Rain wasn't falling, so Chase's training was working. Chase...

The sound of the gun made Niko jump and immediately lift his head, his eyes now brimming with fear along with tears as he looked to James then Reese. Though she threatened, the simple fact that she hadn't shot it was relieving. He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, determined now to pay attention so James didn't get hurt.

[Lala & Reese Degreas]

“When your husband murdered our leader…He dragged all of you into this” Reese snapped, her hand tightening around her gun. She leaned forward, hissing angrily into James’ ear: “You’ve all got a part in this, and you will all pay.” She growled, sitting back when Lala reached around Niko to touch her arm. The touch wasn’t necessary, but playing human might save them later.

“Turn left on the next street.” Lala instructed, finally piping up from her quiet task of keeping Niko still. She didn’t have to do much, the poor child was balled up like a used rag between the members of the gestalt pair. Resisting the urge to brush the hair away from the terrified boy’s forehead, Lala looked down at him curiously.

“Close your eyes.” Lala whispered gently to him, tough she turned to look out the window. “It’s easier that way.” The sister’s ended in unison, falling silent except for when giving directions.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James recoiled from Reese's voice and bit the inside of his lip. This...this kind of retribution was what he'd been afraid of, but he'd thought, so long as Chase was nearby, they'd be okay. He knew his husband hadn't used his powers on anyone since Gabriel. He felt guilty for it, though it was in self-defense.

James doubted that these two would have any similar remorse after killing him.

And honestly, at the moment he was fine with that, so long as Niko was okay. He looked in the rearview mirror at his son, afraid that the boy would look up, meet his eyes, and see how terrified he was. (Or, quite possibly worse, what if he believed what the woman had said about Chase? But he couldn't say anything; he was afraid of what they might do.)

Driving through Pilot Ridge like this was surreal. He'd been living in the area for almost twenty years now, and had felt safe there. He'd hated it at first, yeah, but he'd never felt threatened until last year. Now, he wished that he and Chase hadn't been just joking when they'd tossed around the idea of moving to Montana.

James choked a little and tightened his hands on the steering wheel as his mind jumped to another terrible thought. What would Chase do if they killed them?

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko had known for a while now that Chase hadn't been mugged. But, murder? That was a far grimer prospect than a mugging. And it was a very cruel lie. But they weren't nice so it made sense that they'd lie.

"My dad wouldn't hurt someone. You've got it mixed up. Chase helps people. He wouldn't hurt anyone- he has other ways of making people listen to him." Niko explained, his voice subdued and muffled by his position. At least James could find relief in knowing the terrified look went unnoticed. Niko wasn't sure if he was really telling the girls or just assuring himself with his explaination.

When Lala's gentle voice offered a suggestion, he looked to her, his own expression showing a hint of comfort derived from her tone. It was short lived before Niko was looking back at Reese as she finished the sentence with Lala. He certainly didn't trust her and he didn't hide it. In his mind, he'd concluded that Lala was the nice one of the two.

"I-I don't want to..."Niko stammered nervously. "Where are we going?"

[Lala & Reese Degreas]

James had fallen into a terrified silence, something that brought a petty, smug pride to the heart of the Twins. But they were still unsettled by Niko’s obvious lack of information. Reese’s blood boiled, but she managed not to yell (or simply shoot James as she, at this point, wanted to). “You didn’t tell him your husband killed Gabriel while his back was turned?” Reese hissed quietly. Lala, pressed her forehead to the window, murmuring instructions to herself to keep from forgetting them. They didn’t leave the compound often enough.
Reese sneered, Lala’s nose wrinkling in a mimic of the gesture. “Or did he even bother to tell you?” She antagonized, shaking her head. She didn’t bother to wait for an answer. Lala looked back to Niko, her eyes cutting to the window. Her first instinct was to admit they were returning to the scene of the crime. Her response instead was:

“Home.”

After a long, mostly silent ride, the Twins instructed James to pull into the long drive of the compound. From the outside it looked as serene and regular as ever. No hints as to the small, heavily armed army poised to pounce inside.

“Stay with that one, Niko. And we remember what we said about your Daddy. Hold her hand and don’t let go” Reese instructed as Lala opened the car door and held her hand out to Niko, however reluctant he might be. When the blonde boy’s back was turned, Reese efficiently knocked the butt of the gun against the back of James’ head, waiting until he slumped forward into unconsciousness before exiting the car herself.

She reached into the driver’s side of the car and withdrew his limp form as if it were nothing but a large rag doll, shouldering him in a fireman’s carry. The gun hung out of the waistband of the back of her pants, its square handle a welcome pressure at the small of her back. She turned and looked up, sighing at the warmth of the blue sky. Lala did the same, mirroring her hope that someone out there, Gabe was watching.

The war was about to begin.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase really wasn’t fond of physiotherapy. It was hard work, and it hurt, and reminded him all too much of his old job, working in a gym back home. Only it was worse, because he was the one being encouraged to work. He was regaining his range of motion, but it was an agonizingly slow process. He just wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted to walk without a limp, go back to running around the house with Nikki, back to a love life with James.

Sadly, that wasn’t happening anytime soon. He knew that as he pulled up to the house, throwing his Jeep in park. He was surprised to see that the driveway was absent of James’ car. Grocery shopping didn’t take that long, did it? Well, maybe it would take longer with Nikki there. He wasn’t going to worry just yet.

He made his way inside, calling Milo as he flopped on the couch and flipped the TV on. The cat jumped up and purred his way into his pet’s lap, butting his head against his hand. Chase smiled and scratched the little animal behind his ears.

Half an hour later, no James, no Niko. Chase was beginning to worry. Giving Milo a gentle shove off of his lap, he pulled his cell phone out and called James. It rang, and rang, and finally went to voicemail. ... Maybe he’d left it in the car. “Hey, Jamie. Just wondering where you and Nikki ended up. Give me a call when you get this, okay? ... I love you.”

He let twenty more minutes pass before he tried again. Still no answer. He was starting to get antsy. He was starting to consider using the GPS on James’ phone to look up his location. But that was paranoid, wasn’t it? Unnecessary.

... Right?

He sighed, toying with his phone. One more time. He was going to give it one more try before he resorted to looking it up. He pressed the redial button and held the phone to his ear. What he didn’t expect was the voice on the other end. Nor what they said. His heart began to pound, and he begged down the phone for Nikki to be brave, and that he was going to help.

When the phone was unexpectedly hung up on him, he knew what he had to do. He dialled a familiar number and pressed the phone to his ear. “Pick up pick up pick up pick up pick – SEAN!” He practically choked out his friend’s name. “They have them. James and Nikki. They have them.” Oh God, he didn’t know what to do. Yet he was heading to his car anyway. “I’m going after them.”