InsaneJournal

WHO: Jem Carstairs
WHAT: Thinking and working
WHEN: Monday night
WHERE: At his center
WARNINGS: Talk of addiction
STATUS: Complete Narrative


Jem had been in Madison Valley long enough to know that it had its moments. Sometimes good things happened during these moments, like when the children appeared, or when they'd been sent on a cruise. More often, though, it seemed, terrible things happened. They were turned into someone else, or, like this time, they were thrust into a horrible new land of pain and confusion. A nightmare version of Madison Valley that Jem was glad he didn't experience.

But it was the way of the place, and after how good Madison Valley had been to Jem, he found it hard to be angry. Back home, he would certainly have been dead by now. But this place had cured him, given him his life back. Will was here, and so was Tessa, the two people who mattered most to him. He thought that, on the whole, Madison Valley ended up with more in the positive column than in the negative one.

Tonight, Jem was working late at his newly opened Addiction Center. The place was a dream come true to him, he'd wanted something like it since he'd arrived here and been cured. Addiction was a very personal matter to him, and he wanted to do all that he could to help other people through it. This center was his first step. He had many dreams of what he hoped it could become, but most of all, he simply wanted a place for people who had suffered as he had to find peace, friendship, and support. He had found that in Will, but not everyone was so lucky as to have a parabatai.

Looking at the clock, he saw that it was getting quite late. Tessa and Will would almost certainly be home, and wondering what was keeping him. Grabbing his phone, he sent off a text to them, simply to let them know that he was alright, and that he would be coming home as soon as his work was finished. Ah, the joys of modern technology, with an easy way to communicate right at his finger tips. His heart surged with love as he sent the message to both of them. When had a man ever been as lucky as he was? When had someone so unworthy ever won the love of two such amazing people? He was truly blessed, as much as he had once been cursed.

Turning back to his paperwork, he realized the true reason that he cared so much about this center. It was because Madison Valley had cured him of his addiction. It was because he had been given so much here and his heart was so full and wished so badly to give back. If he could give just one person what he had been given - this freedom from the drug, this joy, this feeling that he was happy and had his whole life ahead of him once again - then he had served his purpose on this earth. Perhaps it was a lofty goal, but what else was to be expected from someone with the blood of an angel in their veins?