𝙷𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 [𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝]

Chapter 6

J.T.'s POV

I pull up to the building and see a light on in a window. I'm not sure I've ever been any more nervous. I have a feeling of dread as a knock on the door. I feel my heart drop as Alex opens the door.

"J.T.?" She asks very confused.

"Yeah," I say in an almost guilty tone.

"Come in," She says as she directs me into the house and into a living room.

"What are you doing here?" She questions.

"Alex, I need to ask you a question."

"What exactly do you need to ask?"

"Well... I'm not exactly sure how to put this."

"J.T... what is it?"

"Um... did you ever visit... Vincent... while he was in Afghanistan?"

"Yes... why?"

"While you were there... um... did you..."

I'm very glad that I didn't have to specify. She understands by the look on my face exactly what I'm talking about.

"Why do you need to know this?"

"Trust me, Alex, I promise that I have a reason."

"Fine. Yes."

"When you got back... did you... how do I put this..."

"Good gracious, J.T. just spit it out."

"Were you pregnant?"

She quickly stands up. She doesn't say anything. She just looks at me as if I had just pulled a gun on her.

"I believe you just gave me my answer," I tell her in a soft tone.

She sits back down on the couch. She stares at the ground for a moment before slowly nodding her head. I watch a tear slide down her cheek.

"What happened to the child?" I ask her.

"J.T., I did something horrible," she says with a breaking voice.

"You can tell me Alex, it's ok."

"I couldn't handle losing... Vincent. And she reminded me of him. Having her with me was a constant reminder that he wasn't with me. I couldn't handle it. J.T... I gave her up.... I gave her to an adoption agency. I don't even know where she ended up. She doesn't know who I am. She doesn't know who Vincent was. She doesn't know who she is."

"It's ok Alex. I have a feeling she's ok."

"Do you really think so?"

"I do. Alex, what is her name?"

"Leslie."

With that, I know. I know exactly why this kid can beast out. I know why she can do the things she can. She's Vincent and Alex's daughter.

Alex has read the look on my face, and she now knows that I know something.

"J.T., what do you know that I don't?" She asks.

"Ok, don't freak out," I say.

"You're making me nervous. What is it?"

"I know for a fact the Leslie is ok. She has a family. She's loved. Don't ask me how I know."
"How do you know?... J.T. do you know her?!"
"Yes, Alex. Yes, I've met the kid. Don't ask me how I know it's her. I do."

Alex bursts into tears. She seems overwhelmed by emotion. She does love her child, even after giving her up. She loves her... it's almost sad in a way.

After a while, I know if I stay here I won't be able to handle it. I decide I'm going to go compare DNA and blood samples from Vincent and Leslie. I want to see how exactly the experiments affected her and how it compares to Vincent. As I walk out the door, Alex hugs me and thanks me. She says she can begin to sleep at night knowing that her baby is safe.

I get into my car and go to the university. I test the samples in the lab. The samples are almost identical in the way they were affected. I would have hypothesized that Leslie's DNA would be more diluted, but it's not. All cells are affected. I take my results back home, and I don't even get through the door before I'm met by Vincent.

"What'd you find?" He asked. I don't have to have super hearing to know his heart is racing. He's never met anyone like himself besides his unit. He wants to know as much as he can about her.

"Well," I say as I pull the files out of my bag. "Both of your DNA are very similar in the way they reacted to the animal DNA. The reactions almost identical. That's why she can beast out like you. Her body reacts to adrenaline in nearly the same way. The only difference is her reaction is slightly more controlled."

    "Ok," Vincent starts. "So what exactly does that tells us?"

    How do I answer this one? I can't tell him... it would crush him...

    "Muirfield is somehow involved," I lie. Technically, in a way, this is true, but it's just not true in the way he thinks it is. I feel terrible for lying, but how exactly do you tell someone that they have a daughter they never knew about and doesn't know about them. There's just no good way to tell him. I know that I'll eventually have to tell him, but right now isn't the time...