The last chapter of Third Transmission (Transmission Ends) was basically saying: 'Hey. Hey you. Go write a story in which Six and Kyntak don't die in the end.' I am here to make that happen. (If you're wondering why I said Six and Kyntak, consider the part where Nai shoots Six in the heart and says: 'Now I'm all he's got.' What about Kyntak? Doesn't Lerke have Kyntak, too? If not, what happened to him?)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, or the beginning part of this chapter. I do, however, own any original characters as well as the plot line.

Oh, and I'm sorry, Jack Heath, if I'm ruining your big plans or whatever…. (and the fact that I haven't read the series in a while and I'm bad at writing alternate universes.)

Transmission Ends

He was sitting at a bus stop, looking at his watch. It had been hours. He was tired, and still hungry.

Two more minutes, Six thought. That's all.

The Square was deserted. Silent. Scrunched-up balls of newspaper scuttled past on the breeze.

He wasn't far from King's house. Right now, Young Six and Ace would be there, sharing their first kiss. Old Six smiled at the memory.

The sun rose over the wall of skyscrapers, slowly bleaching the fog above. It was a sunrise he had seen once before, but he didn't mind.

Despite the insulation from the Gomorrah's hull and the seawater, he had probably been exposed to some radiation when the bomb went off. He wasn't feeling sick yet, but he knew he was likely to need medication, and recovery time. No missions for a while – just bed rest while his doctor looked after him.

The seconds flicked away. Young Six would be walking away from King's house, Ace watching him go.

He wanted a phone. He knew he would see her in a minute, but he wanted to hear her voice now, for real, not just in a daydream.

I'm back.

You only just left.

He skipped to the good bit, the simple bit.

I can't wait to see you.

You too.

Something snapped Six out of his fantasy. A quiet sniffle from behind him.

He turned. His sister stood in the shadows of a nearby building. She was crying, arms crossed over her stomach.

Six got up, walked toward her. Made his footsteps louder than they had to be, so she would hear him approaching – although she must have already known he was there. He watched the tears flow, saying nothing.

She'd finally come to see him. He remembered his promise.

Anytime you're ready, I'm here for you.

Nai said, "You were right."

He wasn't sure how to respond. Right about what?

"Father doesn't love me," she said. Her voice wavered. "He… sold me."

Six's relief was drowned by his pity. He said, "I'm really sorry."

"I'm nothing to him," Nai continued. Snot leaked down her lip.

Her sniffles echoed across the deserted square.

"Move in with me," Six said. "Or Kyntak. We'll be glad to have you."

"He doesn't love me," Nai said again. "But he loves you."

Nai whipped out a gun out from seemingly nowhere, leaving Six to wonder where. It was aimed at his heart.

Six was too surprised to do much. And he knew Nai never missed.

"We're all he's got left; you, Kyntak and I."

I might die here, Six realized. No one would ever know what happened to me. Not Ace, not King, not Kyntak, not anyone.

"Nai," he said as soothingly as he could, "we still love you."

She didn't seem to believe him, but she didn't shoot him. "Really?" she sniffled.

He nodded. He was pretty much lying to her about this, but she didn't have to know. Anyway, he figured they would come to like her, as he had come to like Kyntak.

Slowly, she lowered the gun.

Six smiled, and Sammy's words flitted through his brain.

Have you ever heard of the multiverse theory? The idea is that there's an infinite number of universes, side by side, each slightly different so that everything that is possible exists in one of them.

In another universe, Six realized, I probably died today.

He reached out to take the gun from his sister's fingers. She resisted.

"Nai…" he said quietly. "Come on. We'll go to King's house. We can rest and get food and get cleaned up. Now let me have the gun."

She reluctantly let Six pull it gently from her fingers.

"Do you have a phone?" he asked.

Nai looked up, nodding and sniffling. "Yes."

"Can I use it?"

She frowned slightly, but pulled it out anyway and handed it to him.

He dialed King's home phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi."

"… Six?"

"Hi, Dad…"

"You're back already? You only left a few minutes ago!"

"I know. Can I talk to Ace?"

There was brief static as King passed the phone to her.

"I'm back." He said.

"You only just left," she said.

He smiled. "Yeah. It was longer for me. But I did it."

Six could practically hear Ace smile back. "I can't wait to see you."

"You too."

Nai was staring sadly as Six hung up and gave the phone back.

Six started walking to King's house. "Come on," he said, "it's not that far."

Nai plodded along behind him.