One Final Goodbye

Ken and Jessica rush down to the street and quickly enter the new vehicle. Once inside, Ken notes there is another man aside from the driver. This man is sitting in the rear compartment with them. He is clean shaven and relatively young. This new man also seems to know what is going on with Ken. Just when Ken gets settled into his seat, the vehicle starts moving and the stranger begins talking, "Hello John, I'm Mike Chen."

Ken is almost startled by being called "John" by this stranger. He almost forgot that it was his new name. He nods curtly to Mike saying, "Hello."

Mike turns to Jessica, "We seem to be just on schedule. Things appear to be moving smoothly, Jessica."

She smiles, "Good, as long as this last leg goes as planned, we should be free and clear."

This trip is considerably shorter to Ken. He is not sure how much has to do with actual distance travelled. His stay with Jessica in her hideout allowed him time to regain himself and regain his composure. The appear to be approaching one of the smaller spaceports in the city. Their current path takes them towards a small ship near the edge of the landing field.

The vehicle stops near the loading dock of the small ship, an early Firefly class from Ken's recollection. However, Ken was never very good at identifying ships. He, Mike Chen, and Jessica emerge from the vehicle. Mike moves on towards the ship and starts talking with a man standing in the cargo hold. Jessica pulls out the small pouch of items she showed Ken during their brief respite.

Mike calls from the ship, "We're ready to go as soon as you board, John. But, please make it quick before the Alliance figures out what might be going on here."

Ken turns to Jessica who has stepped close to him. She hands him the pouch. Expecting her hand to fall away, Ken notices that she is holding his hand and the pouch. He looks up at her and sees tears forming in her eyes. He reaches his free hand up and wipes them from her cheeks. "Will you be ok?" Ken asks.

She reaches her other hand around Ken's waist and pulls him to her. He puts his arms around her and they embrace for a long moment. When they finally release each other, she looks at him as she says, "I will miss you Ken, always." Just then, he puts his hand on her cheek softly. She reaches up to him, pulling him down to her. They kiss, pouring the emotions they have never shared into their caress. In this moment, they finally realize how much they have meant to each other all of these years.

Just then, a yell from across the way, "John! Let's get a move on here!" The yell startles the both of them, breaking their embrace.

Flustered, Ken tries to stammer out something but the words will not come. He wants to ask her to come with him. She sees the look in his eyes and knows what he is trying to say, she answers him without hearing the question, "I cannot Ken. I have to stay here to be sure you get away. And, I don't know where they are going to be taking you." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a capture. She hands it to Ken. "Don't look at it now. But, it's something for you to remember me."

He puts it in his shirt pocket to keep it close to his heart. "I could never forget you, Jessica."

"You had better go. They're going to leave soon. I will try to find you, Ken," she almost yells as the engines of the ship start.

He grabs her for one last hug before heading off to the ship, "I will always look for you, Jessica!"

He boards the ship and sees her waving to him. He waves back just before the doors close him from her. And for the first time, he finds himself truly alone in the verse.