Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a Gone fanfic, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. I'm fascinated by Caine, so that's who I decided to write about.

Disclaimer: I really wish I owned Gone, but that privilege does not belong to me.

All dialogue is taken directly from Gone.

This is written in second person, focusing on Caine during "the poof" in the climax of the first book.

You know Sam's there too, staring at the image of the mother that you never really had, but it's not him that you care about. It's her. You know, in some small part of your consciousness, that it isn't her, isn't real, but that doesn't lessen the intensity of your stare, the curiosity that you can't contain, when you speak to her.

"Nurse Temple." It's the only name you've ever had for her.

"Mom," she corrects, and you hate that it's taken this long for her to say that to you, even though you know that she isn't really there. "It's time for both my boys to join me, to come away with me. Out of this place."

"Why?" you ask her before you can stop yourself. It's the question that's been haunting you from the moment you found out about your twin, about the mother that never wanted you. "Why him and not me?"

"It's time to come with me now," she says, avoiding your question like she's avoided you for so many years. "We'll be a family. Far from here."

"You first, Sam," you tell him, addressing your brother for the first time in the presence of the woman who chose him. "Go with your mother."

"No," he says.

You hate him then, more strongly than before. He's been taking everything from you since the moment you were born, and now he's turning down the mom, your mom, his mom, who'd chosen Sam.

"Go, Sam. Go. Go. Go with her," you know you're shouting, out of rage and bitterness and hatred at him, at her, at yourself.

Finally, you give up. "Jack told you." He knew, then, how to stay.

"No one told me anything. I have things I have to do here."

She extends her hands to you and your twin once more, angry this time, and you're reminded more forcefully that this is not Connie Temple talking to you. She would never have tried to accept you.

"Come to me. Come to me."

You shake your head. "No."

But you're the man of the house now, Sam," she says, addressing him again. "My little man. Mine."

"No, I'm my own man," he answers."

"And I never was yours," you say bitterly, not caring for a moment that Sam is there, hearing your every word. "Too late now, Mother."

Her face breaks down, collapsing upon itself until a monster, teeth pointed and eyes flaming, stands in place of what used to be the woman who abandoned you.

"I'll have you yet," it roars, no longer trying to tempt you.

"What are you?" you have to ask, have to know.

"What am I?" it mocks. "I'm your future. You'll come to me on your own in the dark place, Caine. You will come willingly to me."

And even as you protest, as you tell the creature that it is wrong, you know that you're the one who's lying. As much as you hate it, it does not surprise you. Sam's the perfect one, and you're the failure. It's been that way since the beginning. You suppose you have your mother to thank for that.

Author's Note: What did you think? Reviews would be really appreciated, I'd love to know what your thoughts on this were.