A Helping Hand

by little.tel

Jack Bruno has a habit of picking up strays in his cab. This is how the story would have gone if one of those strays had stayed with Jack and joined the Race to Witch Mountain. Another 'Helping Hand' in Seth and Sara's mission. Not Yaoi

2. Chapter 2

A Helping Hand

Disclaimer

I do not own Race to Witch Mountain or it's characters. The only things that I can claim as my own are LIX and the additions and changes that occur to the story's plot because of her presence. Though I really wish I could say that I owned Seth as well. Darn it.

Chapter Two

The cab had been speeding along the deserted highway for over four hours, and Seth was beginning to lose all feeling in one of his legs. He glanced down at the girl lying in his lap for the tenth time in not as many minutes, wishing she would wake up so that he could move. Feeling someone's eyes on him, he looked up to see that Sara had turned around and was looking at him and that Jack was watching him in the rearview mirror. He frowned at the two, but that only seemed to make them smile. Seeing the smiles, Seth felt another shiver run down his spine and he quickly averted his eyes. A sudden movement on his lap made him focus his attention downwards again.

With her eyes still closed, LIX let out a content purr as she wrapped her arms around the warmest thing near her. Her purr growing louder, she nuzzled her face into it before a surprised yelp made her open her eyes. Blinking slowly in both surprise and sleepiness, LIX found herself starring up into Seth's face.

"Um, hello," said LIX as she starred at him.

Seth didn't say anything in reply and simply remained frozen as LIX looked from her arms that were wrapped around his waist, to his stomach that she had just been nuzzling. Looking back up at his face, she stared at him wide eyed before blinking again, her face taking on a slightly pink tinge.

Without another word she pulled herself free and sat upright. Both of them ignoring the giggling and the chuckling emitting from the front seat they proceeded to stare out their windows.

In the front seat of the cab, both Jack and Sara were having trouble keeping their laughter quiet. After a few minutes, they managed to restrain themselves to simple smiles.

Looking from side to side, her smile changing, Sara announced, "We're here Jack Bruno."

"Here?" asked Jack incredulously, his own smile disappearing. "There's nothing here." As he spoke they drove over the top of a ridge, revealing an extremely old and decrepit house on the other side.

Leaning forward over the top of Sara's seat LIX, apparently over her embarrassing moment, cheerfully said, "Yes there is." Jack glanced at her when she paused before saying, "There's an old shack in the middle of nowhere."

Ignoring both Jack and LIX's comments, Seth turned from looking at the "shack" to look at his sister, who was smiling happily at him. Unlike the previous smile, Seth only got a sense of happiness from this one.

"Somebody's expecting you two right?" asked Jack, unwilling to leave the two all alone in the middle of nowhere. "Doesn't look like anyone's home."

"Don't worry Jack Bruno," said Sara, her voice reflecting the happiness that was on her face, "we'll soon be reunited with relatives."

"Okay." Jack took a deep breath, deciding to simply accept it and let them go, and read them the amount they owed. "Seven hundred twenty dollars and fifty cents. But after everything that went down today how 'bout I knock off twenty percent and I also-"

The sound of two of the cab's doors opening stopped Jack from continuing as well as the large wad of bills that Seth suddenly shoved in his hand with a hasty, "Here." The two sprinted the short distance between the cab and the front door, disappearing inside.

"Okay then," said Jack, slightly surprised at the speed with which the two had gotten out of the cab, "good-bye to you too."

"They sure left in a hurry," said LIX as she starred at the spot where the two had disappeared.

Ignoring LIX, Jack flicked through the money and quickly estimated how much the teenagers had given him. "Five hundred percent tip. That's reasonable."

Rolling her eyes at Jack's indecision about what to do, LIX pulled the money from his hand and, climbing out of the backseat, followed the path Seth and Sara had taken to the front door.

With an exasperated, yet slightly thankful sigh, Jack unbuckled and followed.

"Hey, you guys over paid!" called LIX, attempting to get one of the two to come back outside.

"By a lot," added Jack.

For a moment nothing happened and Jack was tempted to just give it up and return to the cab. The sound of glass breaking a few feet away, made both LIX and Jack jump slightly in surprise.

"Everything okay in here?" asked Jack as he pushed the front door open, LIX following right behind him.

"Something's not right," murmured LIX, her face showing her unease.

"What is it?" asked Jack as he picked up a broken table leg and held it as a makeshift club.

"Something in here stinks." LIX's face was extremely pale and she was holding one hand over her nose and the other over her stomach. "It smells like something's rotting."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but a small noise from behind the broken couch caught his attention and in an instant he had swung the broken table leg down. He felt it impact with the back of the couch, but when he peered over the edge he saw it stuck between Seth's shoulder and the couch.

Utterly confused and bewildered Jack mumbled partially to himself, "What just happened?"

Seth quickly shushed him with a hand over his mouth.

"Jack Bruno, LIX, you should not have jeopardized your lives by following us," said Sara her face once again filled with worry.

"What kind of trouble are you two in?" asked Jack, crouching down so that he could hear the two's whispered voices better. LIX remained standing beside him, her eyes darting around the room wildly.

"I suggest you return back to your vehicle," said Seth with a determined look. "Your services are no longer required."

"They're just trying to help," said Sara.

"Somebody's already been here looking for it," said Seth turning away from Jack so that he could make eye contact with his sister. "We can't trust anyone. Just us Sara." His voice was quiet and thick with emotion as he finished.

Sara nodded once to show that she understood. "We appreciate your efforts to assist us Jack Bruno, LIX, but my brother's right, we can involve you no further."

"Got it," exclaimed Seth excitedly as the machine he had been messing with beeped. Nodding to his sister he said, "Let's go."

"Hey, just tell me what's going on," demanded Jack, only to be ignored as Seth and Sara raced out of the room.

Making sure to grab the broken table leg, Jack quickly stood and followed after them, LIX a few steps behind. Glancing at LIX Jack worriedly asked, "You think you're gonna be okay?"

LIX gave him an abrupt nod. "Be fine." Her sentence structure suffered from the fact that she was trying extremely hard not to breathe.

Understanding, Jack nodded and made his way into the run down kitchen. With wide eyes he watched as Seth placed the strange machine he'd been messing with earlier on the side of the fridge and the fridge became the opening for a tunnel. The two blonde teenagers disappeared into the dark entrance followed a moment later by LIX.

Sighing softly to himself Jack commented to nobody, "Don't go in the pimped out fridge Jack."

Catching up to the teenagers in a cellar he saw Seth repeat the process of opening a hidden tunnel that was in the wall. This time he didn't pause to follow behind them, the broken table leg clutched tightly in his hand. Upon reaching the end of the second tunnel they entered what appeared to be a large underground cavern filled with plants. For a few minutes they all simply stood and stared, the strange glowing stalagmites putting them in a daze.

"What is this place?" asked Jack eventually. His voice seemed to break them out of their daze, but he didn't receive an answer.

Focusing on his machine again, Seth pressed a few more buttons and said, "This way." At his word, Sara quickly followed him off into the dense vegetation.

Still slightly stuck in the daze of the oddness of the cave, Jack had to run to catch up to them. LIX meandering along behind him, her hand still pressed firmly to her nose.

Seth's machine beeped more and more rapidly as he approached one of the glowing stalagmites. Running it over the surface, the machine went crazy trying to beep continually. Unable to contain his excitement Seth cried out, "Sara, it's here!"

Running to catch up to him, Sara was there in seconds, followed closely by Jack and LIX. She glanced at Seth and, after receiving a nod, removed her necklace. Placing the pendant on the top of the stalagmite, she took a deep breath and then plunged her arm into the sticky thing. A second later she pulled it out again, with a small machine held firmly in her hand.

For a moment, all Sara and Seth could do was stare at the small machine with looks of wonder and happiness on their faces. Looking at her brother, Sara smiled happily before returning her joyful gaze to the machine.

"What is it?" asked Jack, so thoroughly confused that he wasn't sure which way was 'up' right now. Behind him LIX moved closer to them, making their group smaller her eyes scanning the area.

"It is what we came for Jack Bruno," said Sara, her voice breathy with the sheer happiness that she was feeling. Her eyes practically glowed with joy.

"Is anyone else looking for it?" asked Jack, effectively bringing both Sara and Seth back down from their happy high. "Like the person who trashed everything upstairs?"

"We think so," said Seth completely back in his serious mode. "It is very valuable. Which is why it was vital we locate it first."

Knowing that the two teenagers probably hadn't thought everything through yet Jack asked, "What makes you so sure that whatever else wanted it, isn't still looking for it?" The look on Seth's face told him that they had hoped the other person would have at least moved on to look somewhere else.

"They are still looking for it," murmured LIX, drawing everyone's attention. She glanced at them before adding, "They were waiting for you to find it. Here they come."

The sound of something moving above them made them all cringe slightly. "Go, go," whispered Jack, urging them to crouch and head towards the exit. Lifting the table leg Jack stood, ready to try and fight off whatever was coming.

At Jack's insistence, the three teenagers moved out of the clearing so that they were hidden in the foliage. Hearing the movements getting louder and closer, the four made a circle with their backs to each other. A sudden movement a few yards in front of Jack made him yell, "Run, run, run!" Without hesitating the three took off, crashing through the vegetation.

Not thinking about exactly 'what' it was that he was charging towards, Jack took off running in the direction that the noises were coming from. Bursting into the clearing where Seth and Sara had found the machine, Jack found himself facing something tall and gray. Making the instantaneous decision to figure out what it was later, Jack swung his broken table leg at the thing's head like a baseball bat. The blow did absolutely nothing and a second later Jack found himself flying through the air, courtesy of the thing's fist.

Struggling to regain his breath from his impact with the ground, Jack pushed himself to his hands and knees and crawled beneath some bushes. Having hidden himself from sight, he lay there quietly as the gray thing walked towards where he had fallen. It stopped a few feet away from where he lay hidden and simply stood looking this way and that.

Looking around, the gray thing raised its right arm and pointed it at one of the glowing stalactites. As Jack watched, a small panel opened in the thing's wrist and a small cannon looking thing popped out. The cannon fired a blue ball of energy at the stalactite, which erupted into flames. As the stalactite exploded, Jack heard Seth and Sara's surprised yelps echo from the other side of the cavern.

The gray thing, also hearing the noise, turned and began heading in that direction.

Knowing that their position had just been given away, the three teenagers moved, trying to get back to the cavern's entrance.

"Jack Bruno!" yelled Sara, catching sight of the cab driver, she steered the three towards him.

"Kids!" shouted Jack. Another explosion right behind the three teenagers made Sara scream and cover her ears as LIX pulled her shirt over her nose. Seth pushed the two girls deeper into the vegetation as fire rapidly spread behind them from stalactite to stalactite.

"Go, go, go Sara!" yelled Seth, pushing his sister faster, LIX right behind him.

A stalagmite exploding two feet away from them sent the three flying through the air to land in a confused heap. Struggling quickly to their feet, the three took off again.

Seeing Jack again, Sara called out, "Jack Bruno!" but the gray thing suddenly appeared from behind her and knocked the machine they had retrieved from her hand. "Seth!" cried Sara, hoping her older brother could help her, but the thing just batted him away. "No!" cried Sara, tears actually forming in her eyes at the sight of her brother sent flying through the air.

Turning it's attention away from the two blondes, the gray thing bent down to pick up the machine it had knocked from Sara's hand, only to have the machine zoom through the air right back into her hand. Focusing all of its attention on the small blonde girl that it now perceived as a threat, the gray thing completely missed LIX running at it from the side to tackle it. The force of her lunge took the two deep into the foliage where neither Seth nor Sara could see them.

"LIX!" yelled Sara, beginning to run towards where the two had disappeared, worried about the girl. Jack's hand suddenly appearing on her arm stopped her though.

"Come on," said Jack out of breath from running. "Let's get out of here while we can."

Unwilling to move because of the danger LIX was in Sara asked, "What about LIX?"

Pulling her along almost effortlessly, Jack hurriedly said, "She'll be fine. It'd take more than that thing to hurt her."

Giving in despite their uneasiness, the two blondes quickly followed Jack back to cavern's entrance.

Jack motioned for them to keep running, but Sara shook her head, "No. We should wait to make sure LIX is all right."

"What about that thing you two worked so hard to get?" asked Jack, pointing at the machine clutched tightly in Sara's hand. "Shouldn't you make sure that's safe first?"

Seeing his sister's torn expression Seth jumped in, "I will wait and begin closing the portal." Turning to Sara he added, "Sara, you must keep it safe. I will join you after LIX returns."

Nodding to show that she understood, Sara took off down the tunnel, Jack right on her heels.

"LIX!" yelled Seth as he pulled the door to the tunnel partially closed. He starred through the opening, looking for any sign of the girl, as a massive explosion shook the entire cavern. Clutching the door tightly he saw LIX break through the vegetation running towards him, her shoes were missing and her jacket was ripped and singed.

Passing through she paused, but Seth pushed her farther into the tunnel yelling, "I will close the portal. Run!"

LIX nodded and, turning, ran around the corner.

Turning his attention away from LIX's retreating figure back to the door, Seth focused on forcing the heavy thing shut. Grunting with the effort of trying to make the thing move, Seth glanced up and froze momentarily. There, standing only a few feet away was the gray thing, his cannon-gun raised and ready to fire. Shaking himself into action, Seth managed to heave the door shut so that only a small crack was left open.

As he struggled with closing that final crack, he glanced up, just in time to see the thing fire. The door took the brunt of the blast, but the remaining portion that hit him, sent Seth flying into the opposite wall. Lying limp and in pain, he quickly lost consciousness.

"Seth!" screamed Sara as she heard the loud explosion. She tried to turn around and head back the way she had come, but Jack stopped her.

Lifting the struggling teenager over his shoulder Jack yelled back down the tunnel at LIX, "You get Seth. I'll meet you at the cab!"

LIX said nothing in reply, since she was already on her way back, and simply ran faster. Sliding around the final corner, she quickly took in the sight of the partially blasted away door and the unmoving Seth lying on the floor. Seeing the gray thing approaching through the blasted portion of the door, LIX wasted no time in lifting Seth's body up over her shoulders in the fireman's carry and racing back up the tunnel.

She had just exited the fridge when another large explosion rocked the area. Shifting Seth's weight on her shoulders, LIX ran out of the house and into what appeared to be a minefield made up of multicolored bombs. Dodging between the explosions she managed to reach the idling cab. Sara, sitting in the front passenger seat again, had opened the back door in preparation for her and she quickly slid in, setting Seth in the seat beside her. The instant the door was shut, Jack had stomped on the gas and they were off like a bullet. Putting as much distance as possible between them and the run down house with all of its abnormalities.

Though she was buckled in the front seat, worry for her brother made Sara sit in the same position that LIX had earlier in their trip, with her knees in the seat and her back to the dashboard. She watched with concerned eyes as LIX carefully buckled first Seth then herself. Seeing that he was lying against the door with his head in a rather uncomfortable position, LIX repositioned him till he was lying across the backseat with his head in her lap. Finished with her fiddling, LIX turned her attention upwards and was met with first Sara's worried eyes and then the reflection of Jack's amused ones.

"What?" asked LIX as Jack raised his eyebrow in question.

"Nothing," said Jack with a small grin.

Feeling the need to explain herself LIX said, "I just thought I'd return the favor for earlier."

"Oh, you mean when you were asleep on his lap?" asked Jack the small smile still on his lips.

"Um, yes," said LIX. Feeling like it wasn't enough she added, "He also looked really uncomfortable and he isn't exactly 'taking a nap' like I was."

"True, true," agreed Jack as he nodded his eyes having returned to the road. Glancing at her in the rearview mirror he added, "But that doesn't explain why you're petting his hair."

"Eh?" said LIX her head tilting to the side in confusion. At Jack's insistent stare she glanced down to see that she was indeed petting the unconscious boy's hair. "Oh," said LIX intelligently as she moved her hand away, "I didn't know I was doing that."

"It is alright LIX," said Sara quietly, her worried look had disappeared after watching Seth lay peacefully in LIX's lap.

Turning her questioning gaze to the blonde girl, LIX tilted her head to the side again, but didn't say anything.

Giving the confused girl a smile, Sara said, "I am sure my brother would not mind having you pet his hair."

Jack laughed at Sara's statement, making LIX blush slightly and turn her gaze away from them and out the window. Sharing a smile with Jack, Sara twisted herself around so that she was sitting correctly in her seat again. In the back of the cab, her eyes still trained on the dark nothingness that was outside the window, LIX's hand found it's way back to Seth's head and resumed it's previous motion without it's owner's awareness.

The cab drove on in silence for a few minutes before Jack glanced in the rearview mirror again and, with a chuckle that made Sara look back as well, said, "LIX, you're doing it again."

Looking down at her hand, LIX blushed bright red, but it disappeared quickly. "Oh, what the hell." She gave a small shrug simply let her hand continue it's movement back and forth, letting her fingers run through the blonde strands.

"Is my brother's hair particularly soft?" asked Sara, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

Starring down at her hand and the unconscious boy, LIX shrugged again and said, "I don't know how soft most guys' hair is, but Seth's hair is pretty soft."

Chuckling again Jack asked, "Well how is Seth doing?"

A low moan filled the cab at Jack's words as Seth's eyes gently fluttered open. Finally managing to focus his eyes and realizing exactly why he was starring up at LIX's face, Seth blushed and sat upright.

"Seth, how are you feeling?" asked Sara worry once again showing on her face.

"I am fine," said Seth as he rubbed his head a little.

"Well I'm happy you're feeling better," said Jack as the humor drained from his face, "cause you're going to need your strength to explain to me exactly what just happened back there!"

Seth and Sara looked at each other with unsure looks as LIX simply rolled her eyes at Jack's unique ability to change the subject.

After making that statement Jack brought the cab to a gentle stop and turned it off. Turning so that he could see both Seth and Sara at the same time he said, "So here's the deal, the cab doesn't move until your mouths do. So start talking."

"The information you are seeking is not within your grasp of understanding," said Seth making Jack focus his attention on him.

"We are dealing with issues outside the realm of your…world," added Sara when Jack and LIX didn't move to say anything after Seth's statement.

"Hey, I'm a cab driver in Las Vegas," said Jack making LIX stifle a giggle. "Okay, I have plenty of worldly experien-" Stopping mid-word as something caught his eye Jack suddenly asked, "What is that?"

Turning to see what he was starring at, the three teens saw a bright blue light heading towards them.

"Sara!" yelled Seth, his voice filled with panic. "We have to go!"

Nodding Sara turned towards the front and made a motion with her hand. The cab jumped to life suddenly making Jack start in surprise as he grabbed the wheel.

"What is it?" asked Jack.

Still starring out the back window, LIX replied, "It looks like a weird plane."

The 'weird plane' suddenly shot the road in front of them, making Jack swerve as the three teens hunched over in their seats.

"Hang on!" yelled Jack as he drove the cab off the road and down a hill. Seeing some train tracks at the bottom of the incline Jack headed towards them. Turning off the cab's lights, Jack drove them into a small tunnel and parked in the center of it.

As the cab stopped, Seth leaned forward and quietly said, "We can't let him destroy it Sara."

Sara nodded but didn't say anything.

LIX opened her mouth to interject something but was cut off by Jack's low voice asking, "Who is he? And this time I need real answers."

"It's a Siphon," said Sara, her voice fearful at the very name of it.

"What?" asked LIX.

"An assassin trained to pursue his target until his mission is completed," said Seth, clearing up exactly what a Siphon was.

"And his mission is?" asked Jack.

Before either Seth or Sara could answer, LIX said, "You two."

As she said it twin blue lights appeared on the ground in front of the tunnel, searching for them. The entire cab held it's breath as the lights got closer and closer. They knew the flimsy metal that surrounded them could never withstand the Siphon's weapons.

In the back of the cab, LIX's hand moved sideways till it made contact with warmth and then latched on, squeezing tightly. Seth feeling something gripping his hand glanced down to see LIX's hand placed in his. Glancing back up at her face, he realized she didn't even know it was there.

"Jack Bruno," breathed Sara, her voice utterly terrified.

"I know," whispered Jack, his hand slowly reaching for the key still hanging in the ignition. Just as he was getting ready to turn it, the lights stopped moving and then retreated altogether, making everyone sigh in relief.

Feeling warmth around her hand, LIX looked down to see her hand in Seth's without any recollection of having put it there. Blushing slightly she pulled it free and mumbled, "Sorry 'bout that."

Not quite sure what to do, Seth replied, "Um, it's okay."

Turning the key, Jack started the cab up and, with the lights still off, drove them out of the tunnel. They followed the tracks in silence for a while until they were eventually on a bridge.

Breaking the silence Sara softly asked, "Is there a safer route Jack Bruno?"

Glancing at Sara and seeing a fin break the fog beneath the bridge behind her, Jack quietly responded, "Not unless you know how to fly." At Jack's reply the three teens traded worried looks as Jack himself continued to glance past Sara into the mist.

A second later the weird plane erupted from the mist beneath he bridge and proceeded to shoot, missing them by only a few feet. Screaming, Sara curled into a ball in the front seat and covered her head with her arms. In the back, Seth and LIX clung to their seats as every explosion rocked the tiny cab.

"Stay down!" yelled Jack, as he finally managed to get them off the bridge. The cab entered another, longer tunnel, but this time the weird plane followed them in.

Seeing that the plane had followed them, Seth worriedly said, "Jack Bruno."

"Come on baby hold it together," muttered Jack to his beat up cab, trying to make it go faster. A sudden light in front of them, accompanied by the sound of a train's horn, made Jack yell, "Oh, come on!"

Realizing that they wouldn't make it out of the tunnel in time at their current rate of speed, Seth started yelling, "Faster, faster, faster!" with LIX joining in.

"It won't go any faster," yelled Jack, seeing that the speedometer was stuck on 100mph.

Turning to his sister Seth yelled, "Sara!"

Uncurling from her spot on the front seat, Sara made a movement with her hand and the entire cab shot forward, the speedometer rapidly changing from 100mph to 140mph.

Screams and yells of terror filled the cab as the exit to the tunnel came into view with the train only a few yards away from it. Sara pushed the cab even faster and they shot out of the tunnel just as the train entered it, barely missing the huge machine. A large explosion from behind them let them know that the weird plane had not gotten out of the tunnel in time as they had. A growing fireball following them, they quickly drove away from the crash.

Jack drove off road for a while till he managed to find a highway. Parking, he climber out and dislocated the tracking device that was placed in the engines of all taxicabs.

"We can't trust them," whispered Seth in his sister's ear, leaning forward in an attempt to make it so that LIX wouldn't be able to hear him.

"We can. We must," Sara whispered back, her eyes darting from Jack's figure outside to LIX's sitting beside Seth.

Speaking up LIX said, "You two do know that I can hear you right?" Seeing Seth's surprised look she added, "I've got good ears. Whether it's whispering or talking, if it's anywhere in near the cab, I can hear it."

Jack slammed the hood of the cab down, breaking off any reply that Seth or Sara might have given.

As Jack sat back down Sara began, "We know you are frustrated Jack Bruno-"

"No," said Jack, holding up his hand to stop her. "No more Jack Bruno this. Jack Bruno that. I've been asking for answers."

"You know the answers," said Sara trying again. "My brother and I," Seth starred at his sister but she continued, "are indeed not from your planet."

Laughing Jack said, "So that's it." He turned around so he could see the two siblings at once. "Mystery solved! You two want me to believe that you're both aliens?"

"My sister tells the truth," said Seth growing slightly annoyed.

"Really?" said Jack. "Well you don't look like aliens."

"What does an alien look like Jack Bruno?" asked Sara, upset that Jack wouldn't believe her.

"You know what aliens look like!" exclaimed Jack. "They look like little green people with antennas and laser guns, and 'take me to your leader earthlings', umoh."

"Jack," said LIX shaking her head at his ridiculous statement, "nobody knows what aliens look like, because nobody's ever met one."

"You require some sort of proof," said Sara. Turning to Seth she added, "He is worried we are insulting his intelligence."

"Ya think! You can't just drop the 'we're aliens' bomb just like that on somebody. Now I know I've seen a few weird things today, but you can't expect me to believe-" As Jack began his rant Sara sighed and lifted her hand into the air. As she did so all of the loose items in the cab started to levitate making Jack fall silent.

Seeing that Jack wasn't about to start ranting again, Sara said, "I have the ability to move objects with my mind."

"That's impossible," said Jack looking from her to the stuff floating around him.

"No, it's quite possible," said Sara, "On our planet as well as yours. You just don't do it because you haven't learned to use your full brain capacity."

"No," said Jack slowly, "I don't do it cause it's kinda creepy. And I'd really like you to stop."

Looking at the objects in the air, Sara turned her hand over and everything fell to the floor.

Rolling her eyes at Jack's low tolerance for the abnormal, LIX simply said, "Cool." Making both Seth and Sara turn to look at her.

"You are not troubled by the fact that we are aliens?" asked Sara.

"Nope," said LIX with a grin. "I think it's great."

"That does not necessarily mean that you believe us though," said Seth, making his sister frown at his pessimistic statement.

"Why should we believe you?" asked Jack. Both Seth and Sara stared at him incredulously; Sara had just levitated things in front of him. "I mean, you could just be government experiments or something," continued Jack. "They could have messed with your genetics and given you powers. Then you wouldn't be aliens."

"I believe them," said LIX giving Jack a hard look.

Jack was silent for a moment before he finally said, "Okay, you're aliens. Why are you on Earth?"

"Why are you changing your mind so easily Jack Bruno?" asked Seth his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I believe, so he believes you," said LIX. "It's easier for him if he just doesn't think about things like this." Jack rolled his eyes at her, but kept silent.

"Why would a government do such a thing?" asked Sara unwilling to give up Jack's previous statement. "Why would you believe that theory over the fact that we are aliens?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Jack throwing his hands in the air for emphasis, "maybe because our government is sick and twisted and set on creating super soldiers."

A gasp from beside him made everyone look at Sara. Turning around slowly till she was looking at LIX, she said, "You were a government experiment."

Jack gaped open mouthed at the blonde girl for a moment, before snapping worried eyes to the backseat. Seth was starring at LIX with a mixture of emotions on his face, while LIX herself was starring at Sara. Her face was pale and she looked terrified.

"H-how d-do you know that?" stuttered LIX her eyes wide.

"My sister also has the ability to read the thoughts of those close to her," said Seth.

Tears actually slipped from Sara's eyes as she whispered, "They made you…and 'conditioned' you…till you escaped."

"LIX," mumbled Jack worried about how she'd react to her secret being revealed.

Not looking at any of them, LIX pushed the cab door open and sprinted away, disappearing into the shadows.

"LIX!" yelled Jack after her, but she was already gone.

Looking back at Jack, Sara softly said, "I am sorry for upsetting LIX, Jack Bruno. I did not mean to."

Sighing Jack shook his head and started the cab up again. "It's alright. She just needs some time to herself."

"Why did she run?" asked Seth a confused and worried look on his face.

"She's afraid you'll think she's a monster," replied Jack his eyes trained on the road ahead. "She likes you two, she doesn't want you to think of her like that."

"We don't Jack Bruno," said Sara firmly, her conviction bringing a smile to Jack's face. "LIX is not a monster, she is a just a teenage girl."

"My thoughts exactly," said Jack. After a moment he added, "I'm sorry I didn't believe you two earlier."

"It is alright Jack Bruno," said Sara. "It is a hard thing to believe." Her face growing curious she asked, "Why did you only believe us after LIX said she believed us?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jack just said, "She's got a good nose. She can smell lies. You weren't lying. She also said you smelled nice earlier, that basically means you're nice kids and that she trusts you."

"She can determine a person's base character simply from smell?" asked Seth incredulously.

"She's had a lot of practice," said Jack.

Sensing that Jack did not want to answer any more questions on the subject Seth asked, "How will LIX locate our position if we continue?"

"She's a smart girl," said Jack nodding his head as he continued driving. "She'll find us the same way she found us earlier."

"LIX is a good tracker, is she not?" asked Sara.

"You could say that," said Jack.

The cab fell into silence as they drove the dark. Each of them lost in their own thoughts.