Title: All You Need Is A Little Hope.

Author: Jinx 0-0

Email: witness_the_power_of_cheese@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not Yours. Theirs.
Summary: Another X-5 shows up in Seattle a week after "And Jesus Brought a Casserole".
Spoilers/Time frame: Occurs before the escape in "Designate This".
Rating: PG 13







"Oh shit!" cried Hope as a searing pain ripped through her chest, causing her to fall to her knees. Along with the pain came a rush of images and voices. "Not again," Hope whispered, right before she passed out.

Flash

A girl being wheeled into some kind of operating room.

"Max!"

Flash

A heart monitor going flat

"The bullet went clean through. Her right ventricle is collapsed. She's gone."

Flash

A blond haired boy struggling against the restraints holding him down.

"Prep her for harvesting"

"No!"

Flash

The boy holding a gun to his head.

"Fight them, Maxie, never give up. X5-599, I've got a heart for you."

**********
Max. That was the first thought that entered Hope's mind when she woke up. And Zach. She just knew it was them. This wasn't the first time she had these flashy, voice thingies. Every couple of years Hope would have one. I have to go to Seattle. There's someone there who needs me. Someone who's about to give up. Hope thought. Her lips tightened. It had been years since she had been outside Marathon. Marathon was safe. It was home. No, home is where the heart is, she told herself. And my heart is with my family. Hope made up her mind. She was going to Seattle.

Five days later:

Hope winced as the floor creaked under her foot. Her eyes immediately went to the figure slumped over the keyboard to a computer three feet in front of her. The figure was snoring loudly and Hope could smell the alcohol on him from where she stood. Drunk, Hope thought with disgust, while eyeing the wheelchair in the corner. What could Max possibly see in this man? No man was good enough for her baby sister. Except maybe Zach, Hope thought absently. She was getting tired of coming up with possible scenarios about what might have happened to her brother and sister.

She sniffed the air again. Nope, way too much alcohol. He's not going to be able to help me any time soon. Hope stalked up to the chair Logan was sitting in and pushed him out of it. She rolled her eyes as he let out a low groan when he hit the floor. She sat down at the computer. After a few seconds of her fingers flying over the keyboard, she whistled. Damn...this guy was good. Very good. Almost too good. Hope's eyes narrowed as a sudden thought flew though her head. With the tip of her boot she nudged Logan onto his back, and slipped off his glasses.

"Well, if it isn't Mister Eye's Only himself." She growled grumpily, then she sighed. "I guess this means I have to make sure you don't do anything stupid and get your self killed," Hope said, even though Logan couldn't hear her. She turned back to the computer. She really didn't feel like going though all the fire walls and having to decode something ever two seconds. There was another way she could get in.

Manticore had made her a little different from the others. Sure, they all had their own special abilities, but Hope was different. Besides having all the twisted DNA, she had, well, Hope guessed you could call it software. Hope nervously licked her lips. She hadn't done this since she left Manticore. She slowly turned her hand palm side up. At her wrist there was a piece of slightly discolored flesh. It wouldn't be noticeable if you didn't know what you were looking for. Hope slowly let out the breath she'd been holding. With a slightly shaking hand she reached up and pulled back on the flap of skin. Hope felt a wave of nausea sweep through her at the site of the little plug that protruding slightly from her wrist. Trying not to think too much about it, she pulled on the plug. Hope shuttered slightly, as she felt mussels and tendons move that hadn't been used in years. There was a slight slurping sound as the plug slipped out of her arm. Attached to the end of the plug was a wires/tendons/vessels that allowed movement of the plug for up to eight feet of slack. With one last glance down at Logan, Hope moved back to the computer, and for the first time since Manticore, she jacked in.