A/N: Okay so I have to dedicate this chapter to Mikala (disneywholockain) bc she's a sick needy child with bleeding gums (happy now?)
A huge thank you to Anushka, as always, for the prompt.
Thank you to Sam (watsonyourmindd) for editing bc i'm a small excited child that cannot type.
And idk thanks to Michelle (pininglock) I guess even tho you literally did nothing for this chapter except fall asleep when you were supposed to read it?
As always I live for feed back please give me feet back either on here or Tumblr or with some trippy smoke signals I am a small needy child please give me feedback
I love you all so so so so much thank you for reading
-sh
It turned out that James was an amazing cook.
About half an hour later, they were all seated at the cabin's dinner table, practically inhaling the food James had set in front of them. Damon wasn't sure what time it was, but darkness was seeping in through the large windows. He was too tired to ask.
For several minutes, the only sound in the room was forks hitting plates. Apparently, everyone was as hungry as Damon was. Maybe the time travel had something to do with it. Damon decided that he didn't care and continued shoveling food into his mouth.
It was Roger who spoke first.
"So what did you mean when you said it wasn't a coincidence that we're all here?"
He was looking at James, his knuckles white as he gripped his fork.
James set his spoon down and cleared his throat. He'd already cleaned his plate.
"Think about it," James said, leaning back in his chair. "What are the chances that someone would attack Meghan and Damon at the same time. Someone had to know that we'd both come here. Whoever or whatever's doing this...they have us trapped, right where they want us."
James' words filled Damon with dread. He didn't like the weird new world he'd been thrust into. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see his classmates. He wanted this all to blow over. He didn't want to be here.
Damon could see that he wasn't the only one that James' words disturbed. Roger paled and Scarlett made a choked noise.
"But we weren't attacked," she mumbled, staring at her plate.
"That's true," James said. "But your father's been drunk before, and he's never almost murdered you." Scarlett still wouldn't look James in the eye. "I think someone put something in his drink. That's not so uncommon. Especially now."
Scarlett looked as if she were on the verge of tears. Damon could see her digging her teeth into her lip. He wished she would stop. It looked like it hurt.
"So you think it's not the Reformers?" Roger asked, still gripping the fork.
"I don't know," James answered, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the table. "I don't know how anyone else would be able to find Damon or Meghan in the first place." His eyebrows pulled together as he began to think.355Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnolu3P9vBt
"How does the Agency find them? I mean I know you guys are all over the place, aren't you? All over time? How does any of that work?" Scarlett asked, finally looking up from her plate.
Roger and James exchanged a quick look. Damon thought he saw James nod slightly. Roger leaned forward looking Scarlett in the eye.
"You have to understand," he said slowly, "This is all on a need to know basis. A lot of the information I'm about to tell you is classified. Do you understand that?" Scarlett nodded.
"The average human uses about ten percent of his or her brain," Roger began, as if he was reciting a speech he'd been forced to memorize. "There's a certain mutation, it's very rare, that allows access to a larger region of the brain's power. This mutation, it manifests itself in different ways, depending on how much more power it allows access to. Is this making sense?"
Scarlett nodded, her eyes fixed on Roger's face. "Kind of like X-men?" she asked.
Roger looked like she was speaking in a foreign language. "What's an X-men?"
Scarlett sighed, "Nevermind. So, Damon has this...mutation that lets him use more of his brain. So does Meghan. Different amounts of power, different...side effects. That's not so difficult to grasp, actually. But what I don't understand is why the Agency sends agents to protect them. Or how you find these...people."
James looked at her sideways, but said nothing.
"Right, well, we have ways of detecting the mutation. It's-it's a machine, and that's all I know about it honestly," Roger said.
"It's a lot of quantum physics that messes with the space time continuum that only about three people on earth are able to understand," James added.
"Anyways," Roger continued. "The kids with this mutation, they're really special. They do extraordinary things with their lives. The Reformers...they believe that people shouldn't be allowed that much power. That it's unnatural. They don't have the same technology we do, but they seem to have their own ways of finding these people.
"The Reformers. . . they're truly evil people," Rogers voice caught slightly, and Damon thought he saw James clenching his fists under the table.
"They'll stop at nothing to get what they want. And if that means killing children. . . . ." Roger trailed off.
Damon felt sick. He suddenly regretted eating so quickly.
"But that's why there's the Agency," James cut in. "To stop them, and keep kids safe."
"So you think that all of the Reformers are after Damon and Meghan?" Scarlett asked, her eyes moving from James to Roger, and finally resting on Damon. She gave him a small smile.
"No," Roger said at the same time James said "Yes."
They glared at each other for a moment. Damon could feel the tension in the air.
"The Reformers are a huge network," Roger said, not taking his eyes of James. "It's more likely that it's a smaller group. They break off sometimes, do their own thing. And there's a particular group that would know we'd be here."
James' eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"No," he croaked. It was barely more than a whisper. "No. They're dead. They have to be.
"Carter. . . he. . .I'm not sure he was. . . dealt with," Roger said.
"No," James repeated, his hand bunching into the table cloth. "He's dead."
"James-"
"NO!" James' shouted. Scarlett looked as scared as Damon felt.
"It's not Carter," James' voice lowered slightly. "It's not them. It's not possible."
Damon knew the situation was growing serious, but he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He was sad and exhausted and terrified all at the same time, and it was really taking a toll on him. He'd been stifling his yawns throughout the entire conversation. Scarlett's eyes finally fell on him, and worry clouded his face.
"Damon's exhausted," she said softly. "He's been through a lot today."
So have you, Damon thought, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Is there somewhere he can sleep?"
"Upstairs," James snapped. He was glowering at Roger. "First door on the right. I can show you."
"No it's okay. I can find it," Scarlett insisted, pushing her chair back and standing. Damon did the same, swaying slightly on his feet. He couldn't remember ever being so tired.
Before he actually knew what was happening, Scarlett had picked him up and they were going up the stairs. Damon muttered sleepily, and Scarlett stroked his hair.
She turned into the bedroom James had mentioned and set Damon down on the bed. He kicked off his shoes and crawled under the bedspread. It was the softest thing Damon had ever felt.
"I love you," he mumbled, his tongue heavy with exhaustion.
"I love you, too," Scarlett said. She flipped off the light, and Damon was asleep almost instantly.
He dreamt of Meghan.
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