om_main | Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie, late afternoon

Simon's father fires the next shot in the battle over Simon's loyalties. Jeanne-Marie feels when it hits Jean-Paul.

The letter had arrived by discreet courier, addressed to Jean-Paul in care of the Institute.

He read it once, then again, disbelieving.

By the third time, the shock had smoldered away to ash and rage was burning up from the depths of his gut to consume every thought in his head and beat of his heart.

He stuffed the letter in his pocket and began walking toward the door. He took each step slowly; it would take less than a minute to get to Virginia once he started flying, so he would need the extra time to figure out just how he was going to kill Simon's father.

Across the mansion, Jeanne-Marie suddenly sat up straight. There had been a weird restlessness growing in the back of her mind, but that spike of an urge to... do something fairly violent, she thought. That had not been hers.

She left her room, then darted across to the boy's wing with speed approaching her brother's, blowing by anyone who happened to be in the halls between here and there.

When Jean-Paul opened the door to his room, she was standing there, with the breeze of her wake ruffling her hair. Jean-Paul blinked at her sudden presence, trying to wrestle himself into a less homicidal state of mind.

"Jeanne-Marie? What is it?"

"That is what I came to ask you." She reached out and took his hand. "You are a little black raincloud and I felt it all the way in my room."

His jaw worked for a moment as he considered, but no. If he confided this to Jeanne-Marie, she would know what had happened and might feel obligated to protect him.

"It's nothing," Jean-Paul said. "Nothing of any significance at any rate. Just one more asshole among the hundreds crawling from the woodwork since we came out."

She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head slightly, examining him. It wasn't that she thought he was lying to her, but...

"What?" he asked, perhaps more sharply than he'd intended.

Right, now she knew it was serious. Jeanne-Marie reached out, put one hand on his chest, and forced him to step back as she stepped in. Then she closed the door behind her and said, "I felt it, you know. You cannot fool me."

"That isn't fair," Jean-Paul returned, frowning. "It is not as if you tell me everything, you know."

"The next time you show up at my door because you were emotionally punched from across the house, I promise I will tell you why."

That stirred more than a hint of guilt in Jean-Paul's mind. It always seemed as if Jeanne-Marie got the worst of his moods and never any of the positive aspects. He stepped away from her hand and began pacing.

"Simon's father is an amoral son of a bitch and I hope he dies a slow and painful death."

Now her expression took on a sharper edge: brighter eyes, lips pressed together. "That is very true, anyhow. What has he done?"

Jean-Paul blew a frustrated breath up through his bangs. They were starting to grow out and only fell back into his eyes again after a moment. "He...got wind that I might be in financial trouble. Which I am not. I'm just not competing anymore. So...unemployed is all. Anyway. He heard about it and decided it would be a great time to try and take advantage. He just offered me a lot of money to publicly break up with Simon."

Jeanne-Marie's upper lip curled and her hands clenched into fists. The money issue--well, they could discuss that in a moment. For now, the anger she felt was hers and hers alone. "He what? I will wring his neck."

Well, not literally.

Except... maybe.

"Too quick," Jean-Paul said wryly. "I was thinking more in the way of massive internal bleeding why I tell him exactly why he deserves to be in pain. Possibly in very small words."

"You always think these things through." Jeanne-Marie's tone mirrored his precisely. "So, you only just saw it? Simon doesn't know yet?" Poor Simon, as if his parents hadn't caused him enough trouble already.

"I only got the letter a few minutes ago." Jean-Paul scowled and finally propped himself up against the wall. "How the hell does someone grow up with everything he could want in life, and still become such a bastard? I mean...fuck, every aspect of this is terrible, but he wants me to make it public. He doesn't just want me to break Simon's heart, he wants the whole world to know it happened. He wants him humiliated. And he apparently thinks I would be willing to do it for the right price!"

"There is so much that is wrong with that..." Jeanne-Marie hardly knew where to start. Possibly because her head felt like it was buzzing with angry bees. "Not only does he think you can be bought somehow, but he actually wants his son to be publicly humiliated? What kind of man is he?"

"One hoping to teach his son a lesson," Jean-Paul said bitterly. "If I said no, he's lost nothing. If I said yes, then Simon might not have the heart to defy him again."

"It's true, seeing as Simon can hardly be more lost to him." Her hands clenched into fists. Then her brow furrowed. "How did he know--about the money?"

"I don't even know," he growled. "Maybe he knows one of the lawyers involved."

But she was slightly distracted now. "It is bad enough that he thought you would be so desperate? Or does he just have a low enough opinion of humanity that he thinks we are all as easily bought as he is?"

Jean-Paul snorted. "I would wager he has just that low opinion of me. I am the freak cavorting on TV and corrupting his son, after all. I get the impression that Simon didn't often go against his family's wishes before I came along."

"I am glad to see evidence of your good effect on him." A tiny smile flashed there, but Jeanne-Marie returned to frowning quickly enough, thinking of her brother's career. At least there was the inheritance. "He thinks he knows everything, but he doesn't even know his son, it would seem. Or that we have other money."

"That's yours," Jean-Paul pointed out. "And I'd prefer you keep it. I'm OK. I have some funds left and I'm not going to starve."

Jeanne-Marie shrugged one shoulder. "What's mine is yours; we are family. That goes for money and insults. What a horrible little man..."

"We are, and that is why I am not mooching off of my little sister unless the situation is desperate." He managed a faint smile for her. "So keep it. You'll have enough to figure out with the house and all. But yes...I think we can cross Simon's parents off of the Christmas card list."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, but felt no need to argue with a brick wall at that moment; they had bigger problems than his stubbornness. "What can I do to help? Tell me something or I'll start writing him terrible letters of my own."

"I don't know what there is to be done," he sighed. "It's not illegal to be an asshole. I just want to hurt him until he stops hurting Simon."

"Then so do I," she replied with a sigh. "I suppose there is some satisfaction in knowing he is already hurt or he wouldn't behave like this. Not much, but some."

"I wonder." Jean-Paul was pacing again. "He's more scared than hurt, I think. Worried about his image. His reputation. I haven't seen a single indication that Simon's feelings factor into this at all. And that worries me. If the bastard is determined to...to break him because of me, how long before he tries to use River as a bargaining chip?"

Jeanne-Marie was silent for a moment; she had to admit that it was true about Simon's father seeming more scared, but then, that was how to hurt him. He obviously didn't have normal feelings.

What concerned her was the rest, and what it would do to both Tams. "She is all that is left to bargain with, isn't she? I am sure he would try; he is obviously that kind of man. I wonder if the headmasters can do anything..."

"Maybe. I'll talk to Simon first, though. He needs to know what's happening."

Jeanne-Marie nodded. "Yes, of course. And he might have some better idea; he knows the man, after all."

"I'll...give it a little while, though. Until I calm down." Even as he spoke, Jean-Paul didn't seem as upset. He was slumping.

"Would you like to go flying?" she suggested. But no, it was the middle of the day and people might be around. "Or maybe just go have a snack--or drive into town for a coffee?"

"No...let's go flying." Jean-Paul caught her gaze, but the challenge there was not for her. "We don't have to be near the school. And we are already out."

She stood and pulled at his arm, smiling. "Perfect. Where should we go?"

Jean-Paul pushed away from the support of the wall. "Let's just run until we find a spot. Then we'll come back through town and find a place to load up on pizza."

She kissed his cheek and tugged him towards the door. If nothing else, she could help him to burn off some energy and settle down a touch. Her urge to strangle Gabriel Tam would just have to wait. For now.