Six months later.
James cracked his eyes open and took in the sleeping form of Jennifer laying beside him. He smiled at her peaceful expression. There had not been much peace the night before. But then wedding nights were not known for being quiet and restful occasions. He still could not believe they had tied the knot. He loved her so much, but he did not feel like he deserved her. Especially after all the madness she had been put through.
It was amazing to him that she had stuck with him after finding out that he was the one who had been guilty of such incredible atrocities. Sure she really did believe that it was not him that had been in control at the time that the killings took place, but it was still his body and hands that had done it all. That knowledge alone seemed like it should have been enough to send her running for the hills. Instead, she had been the one that had been waiting for him to wake up from his successful surgery. She had been there for him to make sure that he made a full recovery. She never even brought up what she had gone through at the hands of Vixen, or the beating he had inflicted upon her. It amazed him that she was so willing to put it all in the past and focus on their love during the present.
He still remembered all of the extensive grilling he had gone under for Dr. Farnsworth. She had spent a lot of time with him both before and after the surgery to make sure that he was James and the other brain was Wraith. It had been gruelling, but he was up for it. He wanted his freedom and to put everything from the past behind him. A life away from being associated as a killer was all he could think about. A life with his love Jennifer was worth all the questioning in the world.
Dr. Romanov had indeed become famous for the surgery. Jennifer was still a nurse and always got medical journals. James liked to look through them from time to time, and he had gotten used to seeing Dr. Romanov's picture in them. It seemed that the medical community had just about sainted him over his accomplishment with the surgery. It was something that many doctors still believed to be improbable. After he had recovered, James had gotten used to being hounded by reporters that wanted to get the inside scoop into all of it. He preferred to let Alexi Romanov take up all of the limelight though. He did not want to be viewed as some sort of wonder. He just wanted to live his life and be happy with Jennifer.
He had barely gotten home from the hospital before he proposed to her. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he could not wait to spend the rest of his life with her. There were no dark thoughts when she was around. There was nothing but happiness and contentment. He was thrilled when she said yes and jumped into his arms. When he held her then, he never wanted to let her go. It was as if he had been afraid that releasing her would mean seeing her slip away out of his reach. He could not imagine a life without her light.
James rolled out of bed, careful not to disturb her. He liked how blissful and content she looked and he did not want to do anything to change her serene expression. James edged out of the bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom of the suite they were staying at in Cancun. He brushed his teeth in order to be able to kiss her without his morning breath fouling it up. James looked at the mirror and studied his reflection looking back at him. It was hard for him to believe that his face had ever belonged to somebody else as well.
He almost laughed to himself when he thought about how he should play the lottery. James felt like it would be a walk in the park for him to win. Out of all the billions of people on the planet he had been the one 'lucky' enough to end up with Wraith Parasiticus as it had been named. The only person to ever be diagnosed with such a condition. He had survived a surgery that many doctors would have never even tried or thought possible. Most of all, though, he felt lucky to have the love of a woman like Jennifer. That was something that continued to amaze him on a daily basis. In all his life, in all his dreams, he would never have imagined it. Even a year ago, he would have laughed if somebody told him that she would be his wife.
The image in the mirror changed. The face was no longer his smiling reflection. It turned serious and leaned forward. James rolled his eyes and put the toothbrush in the sink. Really? Why here and now? It had been such a nice start to the day. He really didn't want to deal with this prick. At least it was in the mirror instead of in his head. There was less pressure that way.
"Wraith, did you forget about me?" Link asked. "It has been so long since we have talked."
"Yeah it has." Wraith answered. "And I would prefer to have made it even longer. What do you want? Am I not doing what you would prefer? I am not killing anybody and I have no desire to start again. I am happy and content."
"You are content pretending to be somebody else? You like being married to a woman that really belongs to somebody else?" Link asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Look, it isn't my fault that James insisted on the surgery. He should have known that he was the parasite. He always was the imposter. That means that he should never have been with Jennifer anyway. She is my love, my destiny. He just got in the way for a little while." Wraith responded. "But he is gone now and I am James. The real James. I always was. Just because I have called myself Wraith in the past does not mean that is who I am anymore. Jennifer has tamed my heart and I am putting Wraith behind me."
"She has tamed you for the moment." Link countered. "Do you really think you will remain content? I don't think so. I know you too well. I have been with you always and I know your ways. You cannot change. You can only keep this up for so long before you need to kill again. When that time comes, when you feel the itch again, what do you think will come of Jennifer? How will she die?"
Wraith turned his head and glanced at the bedroom where Jennifer was still happily sleeping off their wild wedding night. He could not stand to think about anything happening to her. But he had to admit to himself that there was probably some truth to Link's words. Link did know him better than anyone. If he said that Wraith would get the itch, then Wraith probably would. Link always seemed to know what he was going to do and was thinking much better than he had ever been able to figure Link out. Link remained a bit of an enigma to him, operating out of his own interests that had always eluded Wraith. In spite of his distaste for the topic, therefore, he considered Link's question very seriously.
"Jennifer?" Wraith said slowly and with much deliberation. "I think she feels like a suicide."