Hey everyone. Hope you're all good. I thought I'd take a break from my work to put this up.Here is the next chapter.

Enjoy

Chapter Two: Found

The Embassy (Age 21)

Main Hall

Chloe and I stride into the large hall and immediately beginning scanning the area for potential threats. Small groups of people are clustered together, all dressed to impress. A few tables are dotted around, covered in fancy looking food and drinks.

Everything looks so decedent… but also so imposing.

I shift uncomfortably and resist the urge to grab my arm with my hand, my usual coping mechanism for my anxiety.

There are so many important people here… and a lot of guards too. It's making me feel nervous.

I feel their eyes on us as we walk through the hall and swallow hard to try and combat the sudden dryness in my throat.

I've never been the most socially gracious person, but it's even worse in settings like this. What if they notice…?

I clutch onto Chloe's arm tightly, who briefly glances down at me, her vibrant blue eyes looking at me worriedly. She offers me a small reassuring smile and squeezes my arm lightly, "It's ok. I'm here with you."

Her voice soothes me, calms my anxieties. It's always been that way ever since I can remember. I give her arm a squeeze back to show her I'm ok.

Thank dog she's here, otherwise I'd have probably chickened out and left.

I relax a bit, but not too much. The tenseness in my body is still present as we stand at near the door of the hall. My blue eyes dart around nervously as I take deep calming breaths.

Even with her here, this is still the most nerve wracking thing I have ever had to do… and that's saying something. Give me life and death situations any day of the week and I'll carry them out with expert precision, but put me in a dress in a room full of people and I'm a complete mess.

I exhale deeply, "I just get really anxious around this many people."

She squeezes my hand reassuringly, her voice gentle and soft so only I can hear, "I know. I hate things like this too. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

I second that.

She offers me a charming lop-sided grin, one I've come to know well in the time I've been around her, "At least I get to see you in a dress for once."

I nudge her playfully on the arm, "Don't get used to it."

She grins mischievously, a twinkle in her eyes. Then, she lets go of my arm and stands in front of me, her expression soft as she gazes deeply into my eyes. She clears her throat quietly, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks, "You really look beautiful, you know."

Soppy Chloe is always the best.

I reach up and begin to straighten her bowtie, "And you're looking very dapper in your suit."

She can't do it properly to save her life. I tried to do it for her, but she wouldn't have it. She has way too much pride to admit defeat.

Chloe grins at me sheepishly, "I'd better, it wasn't cheap," she takes my hand in hers and gives it a small squeeze, "Ready?"

Rachel places a ghostly hand on my shoulder, "Come on, Max. We've got this."

We have a job to do.

I glance around the room again, "As I'll ever be."

I take a deep breath and follow Chloe, her fingertips gently brush against mine every so often as we weave our way through the crowds.

"Max, glad you could make it," a deep voice booms from behind us. I turn to see a familiar figure walk up to us, a man with short brown hair, a beard and glasses wearing a black suit… Mark Jefferson. He has that usual look of condescension and that smug cocky smile plastered to his face.

He became the head of the CIA not too long after Chloe transferred there, which must be about four years ago now. It definitely helped that he has been so heavily involved in my training, considering how much of a 'success' they consider me.

He gives me a huge grin and I feel Chloe tense up beside me as he approaches us. She pulls me back a bit behind her defensively and draws herself to her fullest height as if she's ready for a fight.

She gets so protective of me… not that I mind. Its sweet she worries so much. I can take care of myself, but it's nice to know that someone else is looking out for you.

Mark stands in front of us, drink in hand.

He's a bit of a creep. He was fine when I was young, but recently I've caught him giving me some weird looks and he says things that rub me up the wrong way sometimes. He's never tried anything… yet.

"Maybe you should go for it. You might get some special privileges."

Dog Rachel, I hope you're joking.

Rachel chuckles at my embarrassment, "Maybe I am… maybe I'm not…"

You are out of control.

She grins at me cheekily and I shake my head lightly at her. Mark turns his gaze to Chloe and gives her a small nod, trying his charm. She stares at him, unimpressed and unaffected by his attempts.

She's never trusted him… I'm starting to think she's right to think that.

"Ah, Chloe. It's been too long," he holds out his hand to her, which she ignores, her jaw tightening.

She pulls me further behind her, squaring him up confrontationally, her blue eyes pierce his brown ones, "We have some important business to attend to, if you remember."

His eyes show a flicker of annoyance, but this quickly fades. He gives us a charming, if forced, smile, "Always so on the ball. Don't let me keep you," he skulks away towards a large group, glancing back to us once or twice as he walks away.

"Fucking prick. He is such a perv," she mumbles angrily under her breath.

They have come to blows more than once. Ever since he started running the CIA, he seems to be trying to push Chloe's buttons.

Rachel shows off her renowned roguish smile, "Maybe he's jealous."

Ew! I don't want to think like that.

Her grin only widens at my protests, "I wouldn't blame him, you have become a fine young woman, Max. I'm sure Chloe would agree. Anyone would be nuts to pass you over."

I sigh deeply and rub my temples.

Thanks for the heads up.

My hand brushes up against Chloe's, causing her to look over to me, the rage replaced with something gentler.

"At least I had you to protect me, right?"

Chloe sighs and runs her fingers through her faded blue hair, "Damn right. I'm not sharing you with anyone, especially not some creepy power hungry bastard…" she grins impishly at me.

Oh, no. That is a look I have seen too many times. Who knows what she's going to say next…

"…well, unless I was offered hella cash."

I playfully push her, "Hey!"

Chloe chuckles, "What? I said hella cash. That's a lot."

I roll my eyes at her, "Oh, yeah, because that makes it so much better."

Chloe looks down at the floor, suddenly taking an interest in her shoes. She gently kicks the marble floor, her voice hesitant, "It just… shows you mean a lot to me."

My heart beats a little faster at these words.

Oh, Chloe. Why do you do this to me? Among all the joking, you say things that are so tender and genuine that make my heart race. I'm never prepared for it.

Moving on quickly from her small show of affection and vulnerability, she scans the area thoroughly. Seemingly satisfied, she turns back to me, "Ok, you find somewhere quiet to do your thing. I'll get to shaking some hands and all that jazz. I think I get the worst part of the deal to be honest."

As I walk away, Chloe taps me on the ass and winks, "Meet you back here when you're done."

Soon I am left on my own with Rachel.

Ok, Max. Just like we practised. In and out.

I make my way over to the bathroom and sit in a stall. The toilet has a comfy padded lid.

Fancy. Much nicer than the toilets back at the base.

I take a pad of paper and a pen from my purse and get ready for the inevitably excruciating pain I am about to endure.

Rachel? You ready?

"Sure am."

I take a deep breath, preparing myself for this.

There is a large painting in one of the rooms upstairs. Behind it there is a safe. The documents we are looking for are inside. But there are guards and cameras, so you have to be careful, you got it?

Rachel rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, "We've been over it a thousand times Max. I got this."

Ok. Just checking.

I see through Rachel's eyes as she makes her way out of the bathroom, through the huge room full of people and up the stairs. The further she goes, the harder it is to concentrate and the more intense the throbbing pain in my head becomes.

Any chance you could hurry it up? My head is killing me.

"Hey, I'd like to see you try to find your way around this place. You got the easy job. All you have to do is sit there."

I push on through the pain as she makes her way to the security room.

Turn off the monitor so he can't see.

"Got it."

She distracts the guard by pushing his cup on the floor and turns off the monitor for the main office while he's cleaning it up. She goes to the main office and locates the switch for the safe, which is hidden in the lower right hand drawer of the desk. She manages to open the safe and flicks the document onto the floor, exposing the information we need. I have no idea what they are, it doesn't matter. All I need to do is write it all down.

Hold still.

I quickly scribble down the information I need, throwing the pieces of paper on the floor when I've finished them. A warm substance, presumably blood, runs down from my nose and my head becomes fuzzy.

I can't hold on much longer…

Someone knocks on the stall door and a muffled voice speaks through the locked door, but I can't make out what they are saying at all.

Shit.

Footsteps approach the door and an angry female voice fills the air. The door opens and a woman comes in. She picks up the pieces of paper strewn over the bathroom floor and leaves without another word.

I feel so weak and my head is killing me. Got to get back to Chloe. Come on, Max.

My world spins as I use the wall to steady myself and somehow I exit the stall without falling over, even though there were a few close calls. I stagger over to the mirror and check myself out. My skin is much paler than usual, my cheeks drained of all their color.

Man, I look rough. Hello, zombie face.

My fingers brush against the dried blood leading down from my nose.

Note to self, dried, flaking blood is not a good look on me.

I splash some cold water on my face, trying to get rid of the dark red trail coming from my nose and exit the bathroom. I inhale sharply, clutching at my throbbing head as I stumble over to the exit.

This sucks. Damn it, hold on a bit longer. Then I can collapse…

My bleary eyes fall on Chloe, who is sat on a chair at the side of the room. When she sees me, she stands up and smiles. Her smile quickly fades and turns sideways as my body slumps to the floor. Before I hit the ground, I am stopped.

"Whoa, Max. I got you," I can't hear anything, except her worried desperate voice, "…ax!... hear me?... MAX!"

My eyes open abruptly and I stare up at a ceiling I know all too well. I'm back at my room in the CIA base laying on the bed. I try to lift my head from the pillow, but immediately regret it when a searing pain enters my head, "Fuck!" I clutch at my head.

I feel like my brain is about to explode. Well, at least it would do wonders for the décor of this place if it did. This place has the worst decorating I have ever seen, all dull, no color.

I turn my head slightly and see Chloe sat on a chair beside the bed, her head in her hands. At the sound of my voice, she lifts her head up and sighs in relief, "Oh thank god. You're ok. You scared me so much," she pulls me to her and holds me tight, almost causing me to fall out of the bed.

I've never seen Chloe like this before. She usually plays it so cool…

"What… happened?" I mumble.

Her breath is warm against my neck, triggering the hairs on my neck to stand on end, "You passed out and I carried you back here."

I don't know how long I'm going to be able to do this without causing some serious damage.

She lets out a shuddery breath, her voice little more than a whisper, "Please don't ever do that again. I really thought I had lost you there for a second," she refuses to look at me, her head buried in my shoulder.

Chloe…

I put my hand on her cheek, lifting her head up to face me. My heart drops as I see the unshed tears welling up in her blue eyes, "Sorry."

She puts her hand over mine, leans into my touch and closes her eyes, "No need to apologize. As long as you're ok."

I reach up and hold my head with my free hand, "I feel like my head is going to explode, but apart from that I'm fine."

Chloe leans in closer and whispers in my ear, "This place is so fucked up. We can't live like this for much longer. One of us is going to get seriously hurt," she leans back a bit and stares deeply into my eyes, "I couldn't live in a world without you."

Chloe can say such sweet things when she's not trying to act all punk.

"Me neither."

Chloe grins at me, "I should hope so. We spent enough time getting to this stage. I'm not about to let anyone fuck it up just because some guys can't play nice with each other. Fuck them."

It's always nice to see this side of her. The one she only ever shows to me. The vulnerable and unguarded part of her.

"I do love your rebellious side," I chuckle.

She takes my hand in hers, placing a small kiss on it, "Well, get used to seeing more of it. The first chance I get, we are blowing this Popsicle stand. You with me?"

'Til the end.

"Always."

The Party (Age 13)

Samuel's Car

I shift uncomfortably in the seat of the car, staring outside of the window. Buildings and trees rush past me and my heart beats erratically at the thought of what I'm about to do next. My stomach churns in apprehension.

I've made a big mistake.

I tap Samuel on the shoulder, "Listen, I'm not sure about this. Maybe I shouldn't go."

Samuel turns to me with the usual serene look on his face. His voice is soft spoken and mysterious, "Oh, Max. You don't need to tell Samuel that meeting people is scary, but just because something is scary doesn't mean you shouldn't do it."

Easier said than done…

I look down at my feet and sigh, "I don't know anyone there, they might hate me."

Samuel stops the car in front of the house in the perfect suburbian neighborhood and turns back to me, placing a hand reassuringly on my arm, "You never know who you will find. Without people, there is no hope of escape," he smiles benevolently at me, "Go on now, find."

There he goes again with his cryptic clues. Will I ever understand them?

I reluctantly exit the car and Samuel drives off, leaving me alone again. Well, with Rachel of course. I glance over to the imposing door and bite my lip nervously.

No turning back now…

Rachel hovers beside me and smiles, "It's ok, Max. I'm here."

Having her here does make me feel a bit better. I'm not totally alone.

I take a deep breath and approach the door, tentatively knocking on it when I reach it. After hearing shuffling and footsteps behind the door it suddenly opens, revealing a short, pretty blonde woman with piercing blue eyes. When she sees me, she beams, "Hi, Max."

She works at the base where I'm stationed… or trapped as the case is.

She turns back into the house, "Nathan, come on I need to go," she steps aside and beckons me in, "Come on in, Max. Don't be shy."

A blonde haired boy motions to the room behind him, "Hey, Max, right? Come on, we're in the living room."

The woman turns to Nathan, "I'm off, darling. Look after your friends and don't do anything stupid, alright?"

He rolls his eyes and mutters, "Sure, mom. Whatever you say."

As his mom leaves the house, he opens the door to the lounge and walks over to a table in the right hand corner where a group of teens are sat at. The TV blares in the background behind them. On the table in front of them is a pile of presents and a cake. I follow him into the room and add the wrapped present clutched in my hands to the small pile.

Nathan introduces me to the group, "Hey, everyone, this is Max. She's in Unit 4 with my mom."

A guy with wavy brown leans forward in his chair with interest, "Unit 4? The paranormal department?"

Another guy pipes up, he looks like a jock, "Wooo… watcha do there? Bend spoons or speak to dead people, stuff like that?"

If only it were that mundane.

I shake my head and mumble, "No."

Nathan looks on amusedly as he claps his hands together, "Let's get this party started. I'll get the beer. Everyone else get the room set up. Max, take care of the music."

I feel like everyone's laughing at me. They probably are. Why did I even agree to come here?

He points over to the far left hand corner of the room at the stereo. I walk over, crouch down and start fiddling with the dial to check the options. I don't recognize any of the songs as I flick through.

No Alt-J for thee…. What the hell do I choose? I have no idea. I bet people wouldn't be into what I listen to…

"Need a hand?" a mischievous voice calls from behind me. I turn around to locate the voice and see a girl with long blonde hair smiling back at me.

Thank dog.

I rub the back of my neck anxiously, "Yeah actually."

The girl bends down and presses a button and a rock type song starts to play I would never have chosen.

"Thanks I have no idea what music is in."

It's kind of embarrassing to admit that.

The girl shrugs and places her hands behind her head, "No worries. It's cool," she points to herself with her thumb, "I'm Price, Chloe Price."

"I'm Max Caulfield."

She tilts her head to one side curiously, "I don't think I've seen you around before."

I doubt she would have. This is the first party I've been to. Mr Jefferson thought it would be a good idea for me to go.

"No, I… don't suppose you would have," I sigh.

Nathan comes back into the room with a crate of beer in his hands which he places down on the table. Everyone grabs one and begins drinking. My eyes wander over to the crate and I apprehensively point over to it, "You going over there?"

Chloe shakes her head, "Nah. I'd rather not get wasted for the first time around these guys."

Glad to know it's not just me…

She gently sways to the music and taps her fingers on her leg in time to the steady beat. She turns to me with a questioning look, "Want to dance?"

Me? Dance? I don't think so.

"I can't dance to save my life," I protest, not wanting to make a total fool of myself.

She scoffs at my pathetic excuses, "Sure you can. Come on, hippie. Shake that boney white ass."

She takes hold of my hands and drags me over to the dance floor. She jumps around animatedly, waving her arms and totally missing the beat of the music. If anyone else did that, it would look stupid, but somehow when Chloe does it, it looks amazing. Sure, it's chaotic, but beautiful. I have never seen someone move the way she is right now. It's enthralling and captivating. She catches my eyes sometimes. They sparkle and glisten in the low flickering light. I don't even pay attention to anyone else in the room, only her. Somehow, she gets me moving around as violently as she does. She grins at me as I move and I find myself grinning back at her just as much.

Maybe this party wasn't such a bad idea after all. I'm actually kind of enjoying it.

Chloe suddenly collapses into a chair on the side lines, "Phew. I am so tired now," she stands up abruptly, "I'm just gonna go pee."

I shake my head and smile at her, "I really needed to know that."

She smiles cheekily at me and gently nudges my shoulder, "Catch you later for the second part of our dance off," with that, she exits the room.

I look forward to it.

I perch myself on the chair and feel a small smile tug at the corner of my lips.

Chloe Price, huh?

I am broken out of my thought when the guy with wavy brown hair from before sits in the seat Chloe was in just moments before, "Hi. I'm Warren. Max, right?"

I nod, not saying a word.

Oh boy. I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable. I never know what to say to guys. How come I find it so much easier to talk to girls?

He slurs his words a bit as he speaks to me, "I haven't seen you at school before. You don't take classes on base?"

I shake my head, "I'm in a different programme with my own teacher. This is the first time I've actually mixed with people my own age."

Warren nods and leans back in his chair, "How you finding it so far?"

I don't think I'm going to be a big party animal.

I look down at my hands as I wring them nervously in my lap, "To be honest I don't really get what's so special about this."

Warren shrugs and takes a sip of his beer, "Parties aren't for everyone."

Especially not for shy introverted people like me.

I grab my left arm with my hand for comfort, something I seem to have been doing more and more recently, "Yeah, to be honest I'd rather be out there taking photos."

Warren stares at me for a while in silence. I keep glancing back over at him to see if he's stopped, but he hasn't.

It's kind of uncomfortable to be honest. I hope he stops soon.

He suddenly smiles at me, "You know, I'm sure you here this a lot, but you're really pretty."

Oh dog. Help me.

"R-really?" I stutter, wishing that the ground could swallow me up right now.

"Uh-huh."

This isn't awkward at all.

He shuffles closer to me, invading my private space. His breath smells of cheap beer, "You're not like other girls… I mean there's something special about you…"

I look down at my feet to avoid his intense gaze.

Oh dog. This is too embarrassing to listen to. I've literally only just met the guy and he's-

I am suddenly brought out of my thoughts when I feel something on my lips. My eyes widen as my brain finally registers that Warren is kissing me. The second I realize this I push him away hard enough that he nearly falls off his chair. He manages to steady himself by grabbing onto the back of the chair at the last second.

I shuffle back away from him and bring my hand to my lips, "Warren, what the fuck?"

He looks at me, his eyes unfocused and his brow furrowed in confusion, "Sorry. I thought…"

I stare at him incredulously, feeling violated and betrayed by his actions, "There's a thing called asking."

He looks down at the floor, scratching at his head and shuffling on the chair, "Well, I mean it's a party and all…"

I don't want to be here anymore. I'm leaving.

I stand up abruptly, ready to leave this awful place, but am stopped when Nathan grabs onto my wrist. He has a sneer on his lips and a cruel glint in his eyes, "Leaving so soon, Max? We wanted a demonstration of your powers."

I need to get out of here.

"No, no, no, I-" I am cut off when the others begin to surround me and push me.

"Come on, Max."

"It's a load of bullshit."

"Show us what you can do."

They slowly encircle me, blocking off all possible means of escape.

"I… don't have powers."

I frantically look around for a way to escape, but find nothing. I can't see Chloe either. She must still be in the bathroom.

Damn it. The one person who was nice to me isn't here. I have to go.

Their voices all merge into one.

"Sure you don't. You're just a little lab rat."

"Did you see her and Warren getting it on?"

"Oh… and she's a slut too…"

"I never wanted to invite her, my mom made me…"

"Yeah she's a slut."

"A slut and a witch."

They come closer and closer to me, "What do you do with witches? You burn them."

I feel a searing pain on my arm as one of them put a lit cigarette on my arm. My arm recoils from the pain as the skin starts to turn red and blister. They suddenly lift me into the air, their hands scratching at my skin. I try to escape to free myself to little avail, "LET ME GO!"

I squirm desperately as they violently throw me into a closet underneath the stairs and lock me in. I bang on the door, screaming and crying as they laugh and walk away. I hug my knees tight and my breathing begins to spiral out of control.

No, I don't want to be here. I want to go home. The darkness is when the monsters come. Shit!

My throat closes up, making it hard to breathe.

I can't breathe… I can't…

"Max!" Rachel's voice finally pushes through to me, calming my nerves a little.

Rachel.

She sighs in relief, "I finally got through. I've been trying for a few minutes. Calm down. I need you to have a clear head. I know it's scary, but we have to be strong."

I hug my knees tighter and swipe at my stinging eyes.

Why did they do that? What did I do to them?

Rachel sighs, "People need little excuse to be assholes."

What are we going to do?

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and lift my head from my hands.

"I'll go see who it is," Rachel goes out of the cupboard, her ghostly figure passing through it with ease. After a few seconds, she comes back in, "Max, it's that girl from earlier. Bang on the door."

I start pounding on the door with all my might. The footsteps stop in front of the cupboard door and a hesitant voice calls out, "Guys, this isn't funny. You're not scaring me. Knock it off."

"Max, you need to call out for her."

I try to speak, but my voice is choked, "Ch-Chloe. I'm stuck," I feel the warm tears fall down my cheek, my voice thicker because of it and swipe at my eyes.

Get it together, Max.

"Max? Hold on a moment," I hear shuffling and a quiet click as the door opens, revealing Chloe crouched there with a confused expression, "What you doing in here?"

I launch myself at her, nearly knocking her backwards, but she manages to steady herself before she falls back.

I am so glad she came by when she did. Any longer and… and…

I feel something on my head and glance up to see it is her hand, "Hey, it's ok."

As she strokes my head, I begin to slowly unravel, "They… they locked me in here."

Chloe hugs me tighter, "What? Why?"

I whisper into her neck, "Because I'm a freak, that's why."

She is silent for a moment, then gently breaks away from me, "What makes you say that?"

I sigh, "You don't know, do you?"

She raises a strawberry blonde eyebrow in confusion, "Know what?"

Why would she know?

I worry my lip between my teeth.

Do I risk it all and show her? What if she rejects me like the others?

"Max…" Rachel whispers in a hushed tone as she looks on at me.

I look around to find there are a lot of cardboard boxes in here.

Rachel. Make that box over there move.

"You sure?" she hesitates, sensing the apprehension in me.

I nod. Rachel gives me one last look, one last chance to change my mind, then lifts the box up into the air. She moves it and nudges Chloe with it to get her attention. Chloe turns to look at it for a second, then looks at me expectantly. She abruptly swivels her head back to the box, staring at it in disbelief. She runs her hands around the box to make sure it's not a trick then turns to me, shock in her eyes.

You will never fit in, Max. No-one will ever accept you.

My body instinctively closes in on itself as I ping the bands on my wrist, not looking at her, "See. I'm a freak I told you," the tears threaten to fall again, stinging at my eyes.

"No."

What?

My head snaps upwards, "No?"

Chloe bites the inside of her lip and pops her head out of the cupboard. She then leaves it slightly ajar and sighs, "I'm going to let you in on a secret. Can you keep a secret?"

I nod, "Yes."

A small blue butterfly flies in through the crack in the door. It suddenly morphs into a white kitten before my eyes. It shakes out its fur, puffs out its fluffy white fur and looks up at me, blinking as it assesses its surroundings. It meows and purrs at me, brushing up against my leg.

I glance up from the kitten with my mouth agape, "How… how did you do that?"

She offers me a sad smile, "Because… I'm a "freak" too."

I didn't know there were other people like me. They never said anything before… just another secret they've kept from me.

"I've… never met anyone like me before," I admit.

Chloe stares at the white kitten as it curls around me, mewling, "There aren't too many, no. I think you're the first one I've met too."

I scratch behind the kitten's ears which makes Chloe move her head slightly and close her eyes, "Oh that's the good spot."

I stifle a giggle, "You can feel that?"

She opens her eyes a fraction, "Yep, don't… don't stop now. Tease much."

I giggle and scratch again. Both the kitten and Chloe close their eyes, the cat purrs and Chloe lets out a content sigh. It's a truly strange sight to behold.

"Can you feel everything?" I stop so she can answer me properly.

The cat sits up proudly, gazing up at me as Chloe replies, "Not when I touch him, but when others do, I can feel it and visa-versa. Well, we haven't tried everything, but at least for most things. It's not like I can taste it when he eats cat food or something. That would be hella gross."

This is crazy and amazing. That there is even someone like me is already insane, but to have someone of a similar age is just mind boggling.

"That would be," I agree, "Does he have a name?"

Chloe tickles his chin, "Bongo. He can also transform into the butterfly you saw earlier. Pretty crazy, huh?"

Bongo stares at me intently, watching my every move, his gaze seemingly piercing my very soul.

"I think it's nice," I mention as he comes and gets settles in my lap, looking up at me adoringly with bright blue eyes, much like Chloe's. They are focused on me intently.

I couldn't have pets at the department. While Bongo obviously isn't your average pet, but still he acts like any other cat would.

Chloe shifts into a more comfortable position, "If I train, I could potentially increase the number of animals he can transform into, which is useful. Before, Bongo only turned into a kitten. They call the kitten form a "base version", whatevs the hell that means."

I wonder if it's similar to me and Rachel.

Bongo paws at my hand impatiently, demanding my full attention as I speak with Chloe, "So, can you see through his eyes?"

Chloe closes her eyes momentarily in thought, "No, it's not like that as such. We're just sort of connected and we do our own stuff. We can't get too far away, but we're training to increase that distance."

So a little bit like me.

Bongo playfully nips at my finger. I waggle it and he bats it with his paw playfully. Chloe stares at him, a small smile forming on her lips, "He likes you. That's rare," he latches onto my finger and starts to groom it. Chloe sighs, "Bongo, knock it off. No-one wants your slobber over them."

He ignores he and continues to lick at my finger. I giggle at the situation, "I don't mind."

Chloe shakes her head and smiles at me, "Maybe you are a freak."

I push her playfully with my free hand, "Hey!"

She laughs manically at my comment and then looks at me inquisitively, "So what's the deal with you?"

I stare down at Bongo, who has given up on grooming and has opted to curl up on my lap, "I have a girl called Rachel, who is connected to me. She looks a bit like a ghost. I don't know where she came from or what she is really. She talks to me and helps me see and do things I shouldn't be able to."

Chloe tilts her head to the side curiously, "What like read minds?"

I haven't tried that before. That would be quite a useful skill to have.

I glance over at Rachel, who offers me a smug smirk, "She helps me see memories and move things without touching them, stuff like that."

Chloe seems impressed, "Sweet."

Oh, look at us two, bonding over our weird powers.

"She never does as she's told though," I narrow my eyes at her.

Rachel grins defiantly at me, "Damn right I don't!"

Chloe smirks and looks down at Bongo in my lap, "That sounds familiar. Bongo here is a complete rebel, like me. Aren't you, you little sod?"

She tickles his tummy, causing him to stretch and purr loudly. I join in, running my fingernails along Bongo's fluffy white belly. Chloe has a mixed expression on her face as my fingers tangle in Bongo's long white fur.

"You ok?" I ask.

Her brow furrows in confusion and she bites her lip, "Yeah, Bongo's just never been tickled on the tummy before, at least by someone else."

"Really?"

Chloe nods, "Bongo doesn't usually get this much attention where I'm at. Not like that anyway. I just have the sudden urge to roll around on the floor is all."

The mental image alone is enough to make me giggle, "You might hit your head."

Chloe looks around and rubs the back of her neck nervously, "Yeah, I might. Not really the biggest space or anything, is it?"

I hadn't really realized how close I was to her before. I don't think Chloe had either, given her sudden bashfulness. Our feet are almost touching in this cramped space and I swear I see her blush slightly, but she turns away before I get a proper chance to see, "Uh… yeah… so… this party kind of sucked ass, right?"

I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I think it's safe to say that it sucked.

"At least I got to meet you," I mention.

Chloe beams at me, "Yeah. I'm glad for that bit. These guys are kind of assholes. I wanted to get out a try it though. You know?"

I thought I wanted to act like a normal teenager, but I guess I'm not.

I nod, "I think that's the last party I'm going to. At least where I don't know everyone."

Chloe looks down at the floor and waggles her finger along the floorboards. Bongo's ears prick up and his eyes grow big. He gets ready to pounce on her, "What happened while I was away?"

Too much stuff. All of it horrible.

I stare down at Bongo, watching him follow Chloe's finger intently, "Some guy kissed me out of the blue without even asking me."

Chloe looks up, her face stoic, her eyes hard to read, "Which one?"

"Warren."

She rolls her eyes and Bongo takes this opportunity while she is distracted to pounce. He nips playfully at her finger, "That guy just doesn't take a fucking hint. Sorry that happened to you. He tries it on with everyone. Does he think girls are Pokémons or something?"

Maybe.

"Boys are hella gross," she states.

Had I only known that…

"Yeah."

She continues more confidently, "I have more charm in my little toe than that guy has in his entire body. That douchebag wouldn't know what to do with a girl."

We have some fighting talk here.

My eyebrow raises questioningly, "And you would?"

Chloe winks at me, "I would. I bet I kiss way better than he does."

I think for a moment, then in a decisive moment I say, "I tell you what. You kiss me and I can compare."

Chloe's eyes hold uncertainty and she swallows, "Wait, you… you want me to kiss you?"

I'm kind of surprised I said that. I wouldn't normally. I'm usually so shy. No going back now…

I clear my throat nervously, "P-purely for science of course."

She raises an eyebrow skeptically, "Science?"

I nod, "Yeah, experimental science."

She strokes her chin for a moment, then shrugs, "Sure. If it proves I'm right. I won't back down from a challenge."

My heart rate picks up at her words, "O-ok then."

We sit there awkwardly for a moment, neither of us sure how to start. Chloe's eyes suddenly show determination and she leans in, pressing her lips gently on mine. She shyly moves her lips against mine, an action I mirror. I tentatively grab for her hand and reaches out for me, intertwining our fingers.

This is so different from when Warren did it. I feel my body heat up and shivers are sent down my spine.

I feel something digging into my back, but I couldn't care less right now. I'll deal with the consequences of that later. I can taste the slight hint of orange.

Is she wearing lip balm?

Before I have the chance to properly decide she pulls away and gazes into my eyes. Her cheeks turn pink as she hesitantly stutters, "So… what's the verdict?"

Wowser. Did that just happen? It all seems like a dream. Maybe it is. If it is, then it's the most awesome dream I have ever had and I have no plans to wake up anytime soon. It only lasted for a few seconds but… but it felt so…

I sit there in a daze for a couple of seconds, trying to process what just happened. When I finally regain my senses, I clear my throat, "Not sure."

"What?"

I play with her hand, moving her fingers from side to side, "I need to test more. You know, increase the reliability and all that."

Chloe's eyes show a knowing glint as her face leans in closer to me, her voice low, "I'm sure that could be… arranged."

She kisses my nose, then my cheek and finally my lips. Bongo rubs up against my free hand, purring his chops off. I stroke behind his ear, causing Chloe to spasm slightly.

"You ok?"

Chloe looks dazed, "That was… weird. I've never had that happen so strongly before," she shrugs and continues our kiss. I try Bongo's ear again which causes Chloe to shudder, "You're enjoying this way too much."

"Maybe."

She offers me a lopsided grin, "So, enough data now?"

I knew from the first time that it was way better. First of all, I wanted to do it.

"I think I have sufficient data."

Her blue eyes show a slight hint of uncertainty, "And…?"

Bongo stares up at me expectantly.

"And I can safely tell you that your hypothesis was correct."

Chloe grins victoriously, "Told you."

I haven't ever felt anything like that before… it was like the air was full of electricity.

"Obviously, we might need to… test again in the future."

Chloe gives me a charming smile, "I would happily participate in your experiments."

Is this even happening right now? What are the odds?

I hear a car horn from outside and look down at my watch, "Shit. I… have to go."

Chloe offers me an uncertain smile, her voice wavers slightly, "Maybe I'll see you around, yeah?"

I squeeze her hand, "I hope so."

I'm kind of reluctant the leave… but I have to before they send out a search party or something.

I briefly press my lips against hers again, then run outside and hop in the car.

Wowser… I don't know what just happened, but I'm glad it did. I guess this party wasn't a total flop after all.

I sit there smiling to myself like the complete dork I am as we drive back to the base. I touch my lips with my hand and can still taste the orange on my lips.

I want to see her again. How do I find her? I wonder…

"Samuel," I call out hesitantly, "Do you know a girl named Chloe Price?"

He glances in the rear-view mirror, "Samuel recognizes the name, yes," he smiles at me in the mirror, "Glad to see you're taking Samuel's advice. Find her, Max."

I intend to, no matter what.

The starting of Pricefield. Yeah, so I have already diverged a lot from the actual story of Beyond Two Souls. Have a great day guys and see you next time.