My goodness! It's an update! Please read and review. I actually have a lot of this story written...mostly about Lexa and Adam and how they came to be like they are...so on with the story!

Chapter 1

"Good morning angel." She felt a slight pressure on her shoulder as Adam passed behind her. The nickname was a joke that he didn't fully understand. "Everything go well last night?"

Chloe nodded slightly without moving her eyes from the computer.

"Still looking for our fourth mutant?" he questioned, pausing at the door.

"I've been looking for the past three months, ever since we established our link with the Dominion. And I haven't felt it yet."

"I know," Adam looked at her sympathetically.

"I'm going to get out of here for awhile – go into the city," Chloe stood to grab her keys. "I'll be back…eventually."

He nodded and watched her as she headed for the garage. Chloe surprised him every day. He knew she had an unspeakable background but he'd figured that she would learn to be herself again – since she was in a different environment than Genomex. Some days, he swore he was seeing Chloe, after she ran off she would return with a fiery sparkle in her eyes. But most of the time, her eyes were blank, icy blue orbs. His bond with Chloe had hit a plateau – it seemed like she chose to hold everyone at arms length, and nothing seemed to be changing.

Quick footsteps broke Adam out of his reverie. He turned to look at a concerned Taylor. "Chloe left again, didn't she." The teenager worshipped Chloe, even though Chloe tried her best to ignore her. Whenever Chloe disappeared for a week or two, it was Taylor who couldn't sleep at night worrying about her.

"Taylor, Chloe is never going to care about anyone but herself ever again. She's strong, she can protect herself," Adam said gently.

"That's just it. I know she can protect herself, but sometimes I don't think she wants to."

"I wish you would stay with me forever," Nick drew lazy circles on Chloe's bare stomach. He felt her stiffen and rolled his eyes. "I know we've had this discussion a thousand times – or at least tried to have this discussion. I'm going to keep bringing it up until we at least discuss it."

Chloe turned away from him, tucking her naked body under the sheets.

"You have so many demons Chloe, but you don't have to hold onto those anymore. We can be there for each other."

Chloe stared out the window, unresponsive.

Nick dragged a finger across her back, and then ran his fingers through her silky hair. "What happened to you?" He whispered.

She knew he could never understand her hell. She wanted to push forward with her life. Trust in others again. Love. Be happy. But as far as she was concerned it was an impossibility.

Nick rolled his eyes and huffed in frustration. "Why can't you tell me about your past?"

Chloe forced herself to remain calm. "I'm trying to move on with my life Nick. This is not something I want to remember anymore."

"You can't bury something that defines you," Nick replied.

Chloe tried to ignore his words, but they echoed through her mind, hitting home.

It was still chilly though the winter months were almost through. Chloe pulled her leather trench tightly around her body and stomped through the slushy city streets. It was one of the few times she would be return to Sanctuary as she left – sad, to put it simply. She and Nick's conversation regarding their future had gone further than it ever had previously. Chloe knew what she wanted to have with Nick, but she didn't know what she actually could give him.

A flash of light startled Chloe from her reverie. The feral was immediately on edge. Chloe followed a rustling into the alleyway, but there was no one there. She saw another spark out of the corner of her eye and was convinced she wasn't alone. Her tawny feral eyes covered her sapphire ones. She peered around the alley, seeking heat with her eyes. There she was, crouched in a corner, shivering to death.

"Hi honey. I can see you. I'm the same as you," Chloe spoke softly, approaching the girl. "Let me help you."

Suddenly, the girl was standing eye to eye with her. As their matching eyes connected, there was a spark of electricity between the two of them. They understood the cruelties of the world, and the pain. They had lived it.

Chloe knew she had found their fourth.

"Chloe, are you sure about this?" Adam watched the teenager be scanned by the computer. "She's so young."

"She's seen more pain already than you ever will," Chloe replied. Adam noticed a slight crack in her voice. He understood why she was so adamant about keeping this girl around.

The tests were complete and Chloe disappeared instantly from his side. His chest immediately tightened and jealously ripped through his stomach. Adam never thought that Chloe would find a fourth, nor did he think he would feel this way about it. Already this girl had a closer emotional connection with Chloe than he or any of the team members had. He watched the teenager for another moment, before letting them make introductions in private.

Chloe entered the lab quietly, gliding over to the newest member of the team. The teenager shot an angry glare at Chloe over her shoulder and spat, "What the hell is going on?"

Unperturbed, Chloe responded, "I don't think we were properly introduced. My name is Chloe Anderson. This is where I live, Sanctuary."

The girl gave her the once over before saying, "I'm Lexa Pierce. You said you were like me."

"I am a mutant." I'm a feral. My DNA is mixed with a cat's," Chloe explained.

"I can manipulate light, what does that make me?" Lexa questioned.

"A light molecular," Chloe answered.

Lexa nodded. "Do other people live her too?"

"Three others. We work together. You'll meet the others later. Look, the reason I brought you here is because I would like you to join us. You would live here with us, and join us for missions –"

Lexa jumped in. "Look, I'll join your team on one condition. You help me find my brother."

Chloe looked startled for a moment, "What happened to your brother?"

Lexa choked back a sob. "He's a shape-shifter. He disappeared. I've been looking for him for weeks!"

Chloe gently placed her hand on Lexa's and gave it a tight squeeze. "I'm sure we can help you. Come on, I'll show you around."

"What's going on?" Scott asked as Adam entered the kitchen.

"Uh, Chloe brought back the last member of our team," Adam confessed.

"Really?" Scott was incredulous. "They must be something, for Chloe to bring them back. I always figured you would end up choosing someone because Chloe was so picky."

"What do you mean?"' Taylor took another spoonful of Jello.

"Chloe seemed to have a connection with this girl. Like she saw herself in her," Adam said with envy.

Taylor frowned, a little angry at the idea of a mini-Chloe becoming close with her idol. Just then, Chloe strolled into the kitchen, followed by a teenage girl, gorgeous black hair tumbling down her shoulders and cold crystal blue eyes.

"Hey all, this is our fourth. Lexa Pierce, she's a light molecular," Chloe introduced. "That's Taylor, she's an ice elemental. Scott is a telekinetic psyonic and Adam is….human."

"Thanks Chlo," Adam rolled his eyes.

"Pleasure," Chloe smirked.

"So, Lexa, where did you come from?" Scott asked.

Lexa looked down, embarrassed. Chloe nudged her and said, "It's okay. I kidnapped Taylor and Scott from mutant prison." Taylor almost giggled at the utter confusion on Lexa's face, but the teenager managed to stammer, "I've been living on the streets."

"Been there, done that," Scott replied.

Lexa looked mildly appreciative of the psyonic's comment. "Here Lexa, sit next to me and have a bite to eat," Scott scooted over on the seat to give Lexa room. She sat timidly and only looked slightly uncomfortable as Scott teased her playfully. Taylor and Adam instead watched Chloe as she smiled one last time at Lexa before slipping away, no doubt making her way to her office. Adam and Taylor exchanged frowns. The elemental glared coldly at Lexa, causing the room to drop a few degrees in temperature – not once had Chloe ever smiled at her like that. She already hated this girl.

Meanwhile, Chloe entered her office. She flipped off her shoes and collapsed into her chair. Within a few seconds, Chloe's Dominion informant appeared on her monitor.

"Please tell me you have good news," the bearded man greeted.

"Hello to you too," Chloe spun in the chair.

The man rolled his eyes. "Chloe."

"I found our fourth member. Her name is Lexa Pierce. She can control light…she's fourteen years old," Chloe grimaced.

The bearded man sighed. "That's young. Are you sure she's not going to be a liability?"

"I'm positive," Chloe nodded.

"Okay, I trust your judgment," he agreed. "I'm going to send you the logistics of your first mission. You know Mason Eckhart?"

"Um, of course I know Mason Eckhart," Chloe retorted.

"Yeah, well, Genomex is growing too rapidly for our liking. We want you to shut them down. Permanently."