Ever

The dividing lines of the highway whizzed past at break-neck speed, one dash blending into the next as John allowed his eyes to loose their focus and eventually slip shut momentarily. He sighed loudly, opening his eyes and rubbing his temples with his hands, trying to stay alert.

"Why don't you just take a nap?" came an exasperated voice from the driver's seat.

Sam had offered to drive over an hour ago, and in a rare moment of acquiescence, John had agreed. Now, he regretted the move because it gave him nothing to focus on except for his own thoughts - - it had been one year, four months, and twenty-two days (not that he was counting) since they had left Paradise, Ohio and Sara behind.

They had found Seven in China and Eight in Ireland, they were still searching for Five and Nine, but that was a good sign - - if he and Six couldn't find them, then the Mogs probably couldn't either. The Loriens had set up a home-base of sorts on the site of an old abandoned mining operation in Montana. No neighbors for miles, no one to complain about loud explosions and bright lights as they trained together, strengthening their skills, learning to work together.

John sighed loudly again, tapping his foot impatiently as the miles seemed to crawl by. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Sam was glaring at him in the darkness. He and Six had decided that Sam's ratty old 1950's pick-up was too conspicuous after the second old-timer had stopped them to inquire about purchasing it at a gas station. Belonging to his father, Sam couldn't bare to part with it, so now they used it as a farm vehicle instead. They had upgraded to a fully-loaded SUV for highway driving courtesy of Six's "unique" procurement skills.

Frustrated by the worries swirling uncontrollably in his head, John reclined the seat back and opened the moon-roof, gazing up at the stars as they flew by in the black. The stars had always been a comfort to him, even as a small boy when Henri had told him stories Lorien, John wouldd swear he could actually remember the way the night's sky had looked back on his home planet.

One year, four months, and twenty-two days. John hadn't seen or talked to Sara since the day they left Paradise. The explosion at the high-school had made national news, it wasn't safe to call or write in case anyone was watching the town. Now, there had been no activity, no Mogs for over a year, and the Loriens were getting stronger as a team, they could feel each other psychically now, sense trouble from afar.

Two days ago, John had awoken from another sleepless night plagued by dreams of Sara, and realized that he couldn't stand being apart from her for another minute. Sara was the missing piece of himself. Growing up, he'd always known there was a hole inside him, he'd thought at the time it was a mother or father or his home planet, but now he knew that it had always been her, Sara was meant to be both his home and his family. Being without her any longer was simply too difficult.

John had marched into the kitchen that morning, bag already packed, and informed Six that he was going back to Ohio and she was going to have to shoot him in order to stop him. Six had seriously considered shooting him for a minute, but Eight's girlish squealing and ramblings of "how romantic" had eventually led Six to toss up her hands in defeat.

"Don't do anything stupid" she had cautioned as he climbed into the car.

"I didn't know you cared" he had teased, sending her a cheeky smile.

"Don't be ridiculous" she had argued smartly, rolling her eyes "They kill you and I'm one number closer myself, that's all."

John smiled wryly at the memory, shaking his head. She had given him her favorite knife for protection, she cared for him whether she would admit to it or not. As it turned out, Six was actually sort-of motherly, in a Linda Hamilton Terminator 2 kinda way.

Sam of course, had insisted on tagging along to "watch your back". John had agreed, with the stipulation of "no guns". 120 miles, the signed flashed by, briefly illuminated by the headlights. He would see Sara again in only two hours.

It was 4 am as Sam pulled onto Sara's street, dimming his headlights and using the streetlights for navigation. Standing on the sidewalk in front of her house, John was suddenly nervous - - what if she no longer wanted him? The passing of time had changed nothing for him, but what if it had for her? John had always known that was a possibility, Henri had told him that humans don't love the way Loriens do. In his heart, John refused to believe it could be true, but he would know one way or the other in a minute.

Taking a deep breath, John scaled the tree outside her bedroom window, effortlessly leaping from it's branches and onto the roof. He knelt beside Sara's window, using his powers to unlock the latch and slide the window open silently. As he climbed inside, he could feel it even before his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Sara wasn't inside. Using his hands to illuminate the room, he spun in a circle, his heart falling - - it was empty, all her belongings were gone.

Sara was gone.

tbc.