f a n f i c t i o n n a v i g a t i o n
when the rain begins to fall
don't dream it's over
dare to dream
never underestimate fate
christmas treats
awards
recommendations
Part 34
You know those days where you could have predicted every damn thing that happened from the moment you got up in the morning till the minute you went to bed at night?
My life used to be full of those days. School, work, Max in his usual booth, Alex’s pitiable attempts to get Isabel’s attention, Maria preaching about how men were the root of all evil, ice creme binge fests, dates with nice but boring guys my parents approved off…
Yeah, today is nothing like those days. Current status: hostage situation.
Been a while. At least in Roswell, even those were small time. One crazy guy with a gun, several aliens, sheriff on our side…ah, the good old days when everything was simple. Nothing is simple about this situation.
We’re surrounded by the police and this time, I’m not on the side they’re trying to save. Because no matter how clear Alec has made it that he wants me to act like I don’t know him, that I’m not a part of this, I do and I am, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise should push come to shove.
And somehow I have the unmistakable feeling that my loyalties will be forced out into the open sooner than either of us would like.
I don’t even breath when Alec comes into Jam Pony with Mole pointing a shot gun at his head – can’t breath to be more exact, even more so once I see that Joshua is with them as well. This can’t be good.
Then Alec catches sight of me, horror flickering through his eyes for just a second before he looks away, very obviously ignoring me.
Message received. I don’t know you. Gotcha.
They rush through the building to the other side, throwing open the back door to escape. I hear shouting, and when the shot is fired, my heart stops. I just about die the moment I see the bullet hole in Alec’s jacket, blood staining the frayed edges of it. I practically choke on my own breathe…again.
Alec gives me a pointed look, obviously not happy with my “I don’t know you, you don’t know me” performance. Is he serious? I’m supposed to concentrate on my acting skills two seconds after he was almost killed?
Then, slowly, my ability to breath returns to me along with my senses and I manage to look away. Was this what it felt like when Sean got stabbed? Somehow I don’t believe it was.
So now I concentrate on my breathing, because that's the only thing in this fucked-up situation I seem to be able to control…somewhat. It takes all my willpower to just stay where I am, to refrain from making sure Alec’s okay, especially since I know exactly that he isn’t. Bullets tend to hurt like a bitch. Trust me, I know. Been there, done that.
I don’t even gasp when Alec takes the gun away from Normal, almost smile, despite myself, when I hear the hint of pride in his voice when he tells his boss that he prefers the expression “genetically empowered”.
But what really catches my attention – and finally manages to distract me from Alec’s wound, at least marginally - is how, from one second to the next, Alec goes into soldier mode. He’s giving out orders in a way that makes you think he was born for it.
Well, he was…kind of. Engineered is more like it.
Nobody even as much as blinks before doing what he says. He just kind of oozes authority, daring anybody to go against his orders. Nobody does, of course.
In any other situation, I would have been turned on, but these hostage situations tend to be a real mood killer. And I’m not even going to dwell on how Stone Age it is to be turned on by such a primitive form of maleness.
When M comes crashing through the window she just sneers upon seeing me.
Oh, I’m sorry, was I not invited to this party?
I sit down somewhere and kill time by watching Normal. Not like there’s anything else I can do. Besides, it’s the only thing I could do that might actually distracts me from other…things. Not that I think it will actually work.
It’s almost amusing, how out of it Alec’s boss is. He keeps staring at Alec, shaking his head and mumbling to himself. I think if his life weren’t already in danger he’d be on his way to flinging himself out one of the top floor windows. Funny, how life-and-death situations suddenly make you value life, no matter how much it sucks.
I remember what it felt like running from the FBI after we’d freed Max. Needless to say I was scared shitless, but at the same time I’d never felt so alive in my whole life.
Maybe it was the adrenaline. Does funny things to your body and mind if you overdose on it.
Or maybe it was the sudden awareness of how close to death we actually are throughout our lives. One agent who actually manages to hit the target he’s aiming at and it would have all been over.
The phone ringing snaps me out of my thoughts. I hear M demanding a vehicle. As if. I’m half surprised, half suspicious when we actually get it.
We let half of the hostages go, mixing a few transgenics into the lot just for good measure. When we get ready to move out, I step in front of Mole to be his hostage. Mole seems to be quite comfortable pointing a shotgun at my head but Alec glares at me. I ignore him. Really, what did he think I’d do? Join the first group of hostages that’s being released?
The minutes after that are a blur…opening the door, the gunfire, scampering back into the building. It takes me a minute to register that Cece got shot.
Oh hell. No, no, no…this is bad. This is so very, very bad.
My gaze flies to meet Alec’s and he doesn’t have to say anything. I nod and he quickly scoops up her lifeless body and rushes into the back room with me at his heels.
He places Cece on the floor, gentle despite his urgency and despite the fact that she probably wouldn’t feel it if he ran her over with a maxi-bus, seeing how she’s been shot in the chest and doesn’t seem conscious to begin with. I drop to my knees beside her body, not hesitating before placing my hand over her bullet wound, not thinking as I try to open the connection.
Shit.
It’s not working.
I gently slap her cheek, whisper her name, beg her to open her eyes, to just look at me for one tiny little second.
She does none of those things and I feel panic rising up inside of me. I blink back the tears, try to heal her again despite the lack of eye contact, despite the lack of connection between us, despite the fact that I’m shaking so hard that I can’t even keep my hand still. It’s not working. It’s not fucking working.
It takes me a minute to realize that I said that out loud, another to realize that I’m already crying. Oh god. She’s almost gone. She’s slipping away and I can’t stop it. I can’t help her. Why the hell do I have these powers if I can’t do anything when it really matters?
After a minute or two I slowly draw my hand away, not even noticing the blood that now covers it or the blood that has stained my shirt and my jeans. I glance up at Alec, and the look on his face kills me.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he tells me, his voice hoarse and strained. But he’s sincere, and I’m grateful for that.
“Thank you,” he adds after a moment, “For trying.” Then he looks me in the eye and says “It’s not your fault.”
I nod, not knowing what to say. Someday I might be able to believe that, but right now it feels like it’s all my fault.
My gaze lands on Alec’s bloody jacket. Maybe I couldn’t save Cece, but I sure as hell can fix up Alec’s arm. I reach up and ease the worn leather jacket that I’ve come to love so much off his shoulders.
“Liz…”
“Let me.”
After a moment he sighs, nods and so I go on. I let the jacket drop to the floor, push up the sleeve of the shirt he’s wearing underneath. I hardly even notice the blood anymore. There’s so much of Cece’s blood on me already, adding some of Alec’s hardly makes any difference.
I place my hand on his bullet wound as gently as I can before looking up and into his eyes. The connection is there instantly, hot and bright and burning. It soothes my soul, takes the edge of my panic and fear and sadness, despite the fact that his emotional state is not much better than my own.
With a connection so strong, healing him hardly takes any effort at all. It’s a pure flesh wound, the bullet didn’t as much as nick the bone and it didn’t hit any major arteries either. He’s as good as new within seconds.
“Thanks,” he whispers. I manage a small smile in return, nod, look away. I know that he doesn’t see it that way, but I can’t help but feel that I failed him when it comes to healing Cece. He shouldn’t be thanking me for something as insignificant as fixing up a little scratch. It’s the least I could do after not saving Cece. Hell, it’s not enough, not by a long shot.
Alec moves away and when he comes back he’s holding an old blanket. He uses it to cover up Cece’s lifeless body in an almost loving manner. I swallow hard, pick up his jacket and repair most of the damage. I don’t want to do it all in case someone gets suspicious, but I need to do something for him. Then, with a wave of my hand, I get rid of the blood that’s covering me. People will wonder.
Alec comes to stand beside me and for a second, just one second, I let myself lean on him.
-------
People’s attention is drawn to us when we go back out into the main room. They’re looking at us expectedly, but Alec just shakes his head, wiping the hopeful expressions off more than just a few faces. I don’t really know why I’m surprised at the vast number of transgenics obviously working here, but I had no idea that there were so many. Just like Sketchy put it...transgenic central right under Normal’s nose.
Actually, come to think of it, there are hardly any humans left at all. After letting the first round of hostages go, there’s only OC, Sketchy, Normal, and two or three other messengers left.
And Logan of course, who seemed to have been thinking that he was missing out on all the fun so he just had to join us here. Smart move. People normally try to get out of this kind of situation, Logan, not into them.
But when I think about it, all the humans left are on our side. Because despite Normal’s outwardly hatred and disgust and his very obvious dislike for M, I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to step between Alec and a flying bullet. Alec’s still his golden boy, even his transgenic status won’t change that. He just needs to get over the shock.
M and Mole are currently arguing about what they should do next. I role my eyes at one of Mole’s suggestions, role them again as Logan - being Logan - of course has to butt in. As unimpressed as I am by Mole’s idea to threaten to kill a few hostages, this isn’t really Logan’s business. He can stand with them if he chooses to do so, but telling Mole of all people what to do? Not so good an idea.
Not that Logan isn’t right about what he’s saying, but can’t he see that he’s not helping the situation? He should let M handle it. She’s probably the only one who can talk some sense into Mole.
Alec leaves my side after giving my hand a quick squeeze and joins them, subtly moving in front of Logan to exclude him from the decision-making circle, at least physically. Well, okay, so M isn’t the only one who might be able to convince Mole.
It’s fascinating to watch Alec. He’s talking to Mole and within seconds, Mole is nodding his agreement. I didn’t hear what he said, but I doubt that Alec likes the idea of killing some hostages any more than Logan does. He seems as good at persuading men to do what he wants as he is with women.
Suddenly the door out to the street flies open with a loud bang. Everyone whirls around, all the guns we have pointing at the opening within a fraction of a second. The person stepping through the opening doesn’t seem impressed though. She strolls into Jam Pony smiling, looking like she’s at a Sunday picnic instead of a hostage situation. The door crashes closed behind her again with a flick of her hand.
“Now this is what I call a welcome.” Then she shakes her head in mock disappointment, sending her long blond hair flying.
“Really,” she goes on. “I leave you alone for two days and look what happens. How do you always manage to get yourself into these situations?” she asks, directing the question at no-one in particular. She sighs heavily but the glint in her eyes betrays her...amusement?
It takes some time before I find my voice again. “Ava?” I whisper.
Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
back