Taking Chances pt.1

Six

(Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or alien races in this story but it would be so cool if I did. They belong to Pittacus Lore or James Frey and Jobie Hughes)

What happens when you put seven aliens and one human in a car? A lot of things can happen, that's for sure.

Nine was driving the car. John and Bernie Kosar were sitting shotgun. Marina, Ella, Eight, Sarah Hart, and I were shoved in the back. Ella was on Marina's lap, Eight was partly in the middle, Sarah was next to him and I was squished against the window. It sucked. A lot.

"How's everything going back there guys?" Nine asked us.

"How do you think? There are five us back here." I replied sharply.

"I'm guessing not that well." He said. John laughed. BK made a barking sound that sounded like laughing. I leaned back as much as I could and scowled. My temper had been short since John had found Sarah and sine he found out that she never gave him up to the FBI. Now he spent all his time with her. They were always holding hands. I always felt this fluttering in my stomach every time I saw him kissing her. It didn't bother anyone else at all. And I knew why it pissed me off a lot. I was in love with John. But John never noticed. It annoyed me so much.

Nine stopped in front of a motel near Santa Fe. I got out of the car feeling relived. I grabbed the fake ID that John made me and went to get some rooms. John and Nine came with me while everyone else got out of the car.

I walked up to the receptionist's desk.

"Excuse me we would like for rooms for the night." I told her. She looked up from her magazine.

"IDs please?" she asked. I handed her my ID. According to the ID card my name was Theresa Johnson, I was 21 and I was born on June 6th. John's sense of humor was so cheesy sometimes. When I first saw the ID I just shook my head.

The lady looked over it and the handed it back along with four keys.

"Enjoy your stay" she said dully. As we walked back to the group John and Nine were discussing rooming issues.

"Well, Nine you should room with Eight seeing as he's the only one who can put up with you." John said pointedly. Nine shrugged

"Sure, why not. Maybe I'll get him to hate me as much as you do" Nine said.

"I'll room with S…" John started.

"Johnny boy I think you and Sarah should be kept in separate rooms." Nine said with a devilish smile on his face. John punched him in the arm.

"I was going to say Seven or Marina, so really no problem there." He replied.

"Ella will be with BK obviously. She loves the little guy." Nine said.

"He is pretty lovable" John agreed.

"That leaves…" Nine started.

"…Sarah and I." I finished for him. Great, I got to be stuck in a room with the girlfriend of the guy I was in love with. Fun.

"Yeah, so that takes care of that." John said. Then he stepped towards the rest of the group.

"Okay so here are you rooms and your roommates. In 34 Sarah and Six, 35 Eight and Nine, 36 Marina and I, and in 37 Ella and BK. No complaining" he said. Then he handed out the keys. I walked up the stairs and down the hall to room 34. I opened the door and looked around.

It was a big-ish room and it had, thank god, two beds. I set my stuff down and looked around some more while Sarah unpacked. I saw there was a balcony in all of the rooms we shared. I stepped outside onto the balcony. It was nice. I reminded myself to come back out later. Sarah was done unpacking and was reading a book, which I found surprising since she was always with John.

I stepped outside the room and walked down the hall to room 36. I knocked on the door. Marina answered.

"Hey." She said

"Hi" I replied, "can I come in?" I asked. She nodded. I stepped inside. There was only one bed and John had set up camp on the floor. When he saw me he smile and I felt my heart melt.

"Hey there" he said casually.

"Comfy?" I asked him. He smiled.

"Yes" he answered. Then he sat up and hit his head on the bed corner.

"Shit" he said loudly.

"John, I told you take the bed" Marina said.

"I'm fine. Besides it wouldn't be gentlemanly to let you sleep on the floor" he said.

"Marina you must let him take the floor he has to be a gentleman!" I exclaimed sarcastically. Marina giggled.

"Are you sure you don't want the bed?" Marina asked.

"Not unless you want to share." He replied with a grin.

"Yeah I think I'll pass on that one." Marin.a replied.

"Good, because I will not take the bed." He said. Marina shook her head and I sighed.

"So Six what did you want?" He asked me.

"Well I wanted to see that you're okay and that you weren't annoying he hell out of Marina." I said truthfully. He chuckled.

"He's not that bad." Marina said.

"Well I guess he only annoys the crap out of me then." I stated. John smiled.

"That's right. I only annoy the crap out of you and Sarah." He said. Of course he had to bring up Sarah. That just ruined it for me.

"Well I'll be out of your hair. Speaking of which John you need a haircut" I said. John ran his fingers through his hair.

"No I don't." He said. I looked at Marina

"Good luck." I told her. Then I left the room and went back to 34. I opened the door and heard the shower running so I assumed that Sarah was taking a shower. I walked onto the small balcony. I leaned against the railing and looked at the sky. The sun was partially covered by clouds but otherwise the sky was clear. I looked at the sky and thought about Katarina. I missed her a lot and I thought about how I could have saved her.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice Nine come out onto the balcony next to me.

"What you thinking about sweetheart?" He asked me. I jumped a little and then turned to face him.

"Nothing" I said quickly.

"Really, nothing. That's surprising. Normally your brain is always whirring around ideas." He said. I glared at him. I prayed to god that Nine never got the ability to read minds. Everyone's lives would be hell if he did.

"I don't have to be thinking all the time." I said.

"I guess but here is something to chew on. Why don't you be all badass and tell John you love him." He said. I chocked on the air I was berating for a moment.

"How…, When did…, you…," I sputtered out.

"It's not that hard to tell when you have a legacy that lets you feel other people's emotions."
"Oh no" I groaned.

"What?" Nine asked.

"You can read emotions. Great now everyone's lives will be hell" I said. He laughed

"I'll try to use it for good only. But please tell John you love him" He said

"That'll work" I said sarcastically

"It will actually" Nine said

"Pray tell." I said.

"Well it will work because he loves you as well. He's always worried about you. I can feel it. He needs you Six. You're like his sun. His entire world revolves around you being alive and well. Trust me." He said. Then he walked back into the motel room. I just stood there in shock. John is in love with me. I kept repeating that on line over and over in my head for hours until the sun set. I hoped Nine wasn't lying. I made a mental note to kill him if he was.

I walked back inside. Sarah was lying in bed listening to her IPod. I slipped into bed silently and decided I wasn't going to take Nine's advice. I would just let nature run its course.

The next day I woke feeling exhausted. I barely slept last night. I kept seeing Katarina getting killed and Lorien getting destroyed. I kept waking up and then attempting to go back to sleep.

I slowly got dressed and packed. Then I walked outside. Everyone else was ready. John looked at me and I saw worry cross over his face. He walked over to me and smiled sweetly. I felt my heart beat faster.

"You look live been to hell and back." He told me. I sighed.

"Really John, everyone wants to have the first thing said to them in the morning 'You look like you've been to hell and back.' Really?" I said. He shrugged.

"You do have bags under your eyes." He told me. He out his hand on my shoulder reassuringly. I felt a tingling sensation where he touched me.

"I didn't sleep last night." I said defensively.

"And why was that?" He asked me.

"I kept dreaming of Katarina and Lorien. And how they were both gone in an instant and I could do nothing to save them." I said. John nodded looking solemn. He knew how it felt. He just pulled me into a hug and I buried my face in his neck.

"It's okay. It happens to all of us some days." He said. I pulled away from his chest. I saw Sarah glaring at us in the corner of my eyes.

"You should go. You know before your girlfriend spontaneously combusts." I said. He snorted

"If anyone is going to turn to ash it'll be Nine and it will be because of a lightning bolt from the great Maren Elizabeth." He said with a laugh. I shrugged and ignored the fact that he called me Maren Elizabeth.

"Probably. Well actually that's very likely seeing as he can read emotions." I said.

"Shit. He can read emotions. Our lives will be hell." He said. I laughed.

"That's what I told him when I found out." I said. But John wasn't paying attention and his head was turned around. He was looking at Ella with a fierce expression in his face. I tapped his shoulder. He turned around slowly.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I was having a telepathic conversation with Ella." He said. I sighed.

"About?" I asked him.

"It's nothing important." He said.

"Tell me John!" I exclaimed.

"it was about whether or not I should..." he said and then he leaned in close. The next thing I knew his lips were crashing against mine. It took me a second to realize that he was kissing me. Then my arms slipped around his neck and I deepened the kiss. It was like our first kiss. I never wanted it to end. He pulled away slowly.

"…kiss you." He said. I felt absolute joy bubble up inside of me as I smiled.