Six Years Later

Rachel lay on the couch with her head propped up on her husband's lap. She was ecstatic to have time alone with him. Jack was a doctor who spent more time at the hospital than he did with his family. It wasn't really his fault since the hospital was understaffed but she couldn't help but feel neglected.

The house was quiet with the only sounds coming from the fire that was blazing in the corner. She needed this. One night to feel like a grown up not like the big kid she acted like when she was at work. This half human slash killing machine had found a job at a local day care center. She smiled to herself knowing how funny her dad would find the situation. She could kill a man with her pinky finger but none of the skills her parents had taught her meant anything when it came to babysitting.

"I took some time off of work," her husband brushed back the hair that was in her face.

"Really? What will we do with ourselves," she asked while giving him the best come hither look she could muster.

Jack leaned down and put his lips on hers teasing her lips with his tongue until she gave him access to her mouth. She wasn't sure why but Wyatt's face popped into her head at that moment and she broke apart from Jack. "I was thinking that we should go to Seattle and see your parents."

Rachel groaned no wanting to go through this argument again. It wasn't that he didn't know that they were transgenics because she had told him the truth when he had asked her to marry him. But she wasn't up to facing her past just yet. "I don't think that's a good idea," she sat up putting some distance between them.

"They haven't met me, Rachel. They don't even know that you are married. Not to mention another surprise."

Above the mantle was a picture of the two of them from their wedding. The ceremony had been small and intimate with only a few of their friends attending. It was one of the most perfect days she had ever had. The only thing missing had been her parent's presence. "It's just not the right time."

"When is the right time?"

"Mommy," she heard the scream coming from the back room.

They both jumped up from the couch running towards their son's room. Rachel flipped on all the lights as she went turning the house as bright as she could. When she opened the door her son was standing beside the bed hugging his blanket to him. Jack swept him up in his arms trying to soothe him. "What happened buddy?"

"There was a man outside my window," he got out between his sobs.

Rachel went on high alert trying to listen to any sounds on the roof. She put a finger to her lips warning her boy's to be quiet as she advanced towards the window to peer out. On the street below stood a man watching her. "There is someone out there. I want you to stay here and if I don't come back in ten minutes call the cops."

"Be careful," he gave her a quick kiss as she left.

Beside the front door was an umbrella holder; which housed one of the many guns she had strategically placed throughout their home. She grabbed for it and the bullets that were on the bottom. She had a son to take care of and none of the guns were already loaded.

Opening the door she saw the man that she had seen from the window. His clothes were dark and the light from the road sent a shadow over his face. "I hope I didn't scare Braden too much," he let out a sinister chuckle at his joke.

"Stay away from my son," she spat at him. The rage in her told her to shoot first, ask questions later but maybe he was the key to all the strange things that had been happening to her lately.

"Don't worry it's not him I'm after."

"What do you want?"

The man started backing up as a car pulled up next to him. "You will find out soon enough. By the way my boss asked me to give you this."

He tossed a package in the air before getting in the car and drove away.

"Rachel, are you okay. I saw the whole thing from the window." The boys ran out to her and she grabbed Braden pulling him into a hug.

"Braden, baby," she cooed into his hair. She wasn't sure she could let go. Her son's life had never been put in danger and it scared her more than she would care to admit. For once she felt sympathy for what her parents must have gone through with her. "Are you okay," she asked setting him back on his feet.

"I'm okay but I don't want to sleep in my room tonight."

"That's fine buddy. You can stay with us," Jack took Braden's hand and led him back in the house.

Rachel stayed behind for a second trying to catch her breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. What was going on? Her life in Kieran Falls had been quiet. Why would anyone want to hurt her family?

Her bedroom was brightly lit when she entered. Braden was on their bed watching a movie Jack must have put on for him. "What is going on," Jack whispered to her.

"I don't know. He said he wasn't planning on hurting Braden but I'm not so sure. He left this behind."

Rachel opened the envelope that held a folded up piece of paper.

This is payback.

Ray

"Who is Ray," Jack took the piece of paper out of her hands.

"Whoever he is I'm going to take care of him."

"Hon, I think it's time you went to your mother for help. We've found the house broken into and you have found countless of these letters over the last two months. We need help."

So Jack had finally won the argument about going to see her mother. Unlike before she was happy to surrender. Getting letters was one thing, having her son's life in danger was another thing all together. "I'll leave tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we all go?"

"He seems to be following me. Hopefully I can lead him back to Seattle where we can take care of him."

Rachel glanced over at the bed where Braden had already fallen back asleep. He was an angel and the best thing that ever happened to her. "I'm going to leave the address for where I'm going to be. If anything happens you come find me."

Late the next day Rachel pulled her bike to the side of the road to take in the Seattle skyline. The place hadn't changed a bit. The focal point was the space needle which her mother use to frequent when she was a child. The sky opened up at that moment and started pouring on her.

She headed back on the road glancing over her shoulder always expecting someone to be there. The feeling of being watched hadn't left her since she started out in the morning. Whoever this guy was, he was becoming a pain in her butt. For six years she had avoided Terminal City. Now she was being forced back to the cage she had lived in for eighteen years.

Rachel felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Someone was watching her and she didn't like. She turned her head and saw a car moving up beside her. Great, she thought to herself. There was going to be a fight a little sooner than she expected.

The car pulled up on her right side and she was about to make a smart aleck comment when she saw the gun. Rachel was thrown off the bike by the bullets that sliced through her body. The pain was instantaneous and she scrambled to get back on her bike so that they couldn't turn around and finish her off. Blood was flowing out of the wound in her side so she tore off her jacket and pressed it against her middle. These guys were asking for it but her only thought at the moment was getting out of there alive.

The white sedan took off at top speed heading back in her direction. She could smell the burnt rubber off the road and her nose crinkled in disgust. Pulling the gun she had tucked in the waist of her pants she shot one of their tires out and the car swerved and rolled over.

Rachel crumpled to the ground feeling light headed. There were two bullets that had gotten her and from the flow of blood coming out she had little time before she lost consciousness. The sticky liquid flowed through her hands and pooled on the road and looking around she found nothing to cauterize her wound with. The Seattle skyline blurred in her sight appearing as a vision. She needed to get help quickly. Where was the closes safe haven?

Wyatt watched Jenny pull away before heading towards his apartment. Their date hadn't gone as well as expected since he had found out that Jenny was in a hurry to get married. How could he explain to his girlfriend of three years that he was never planning on getting married? He had planned on getting married once in his life and that hadn't gone so well. She had turned up missing the week he had planned on asking her. Another problem was his work as Eye's Only. Mobsters and all kinds of loons had targeted him more than once since he took over the family "business."

His dad still worked with him on the projects but his mother had finally gotten him to hand the reins over to Wyatt. At first it had been a welcome distraction but it soon become monotonous. Once you trapped one bad guy it was the same as the others.

Against his better judgment he had gotten help from Max who seemed to put a strain on his parent's relationship. During one nasty fight his mother had explained to him that Max had been the love of his father's life. He hadn't been surprised by the news though. He had seen the look his father had given to Max was the same way he had looked at her daughter, Rachel.

Wyatt said a curse under his breath to the vixen that had stolen his heart and taken it away with her. He didn't understand why after all this time her face was still the last thing he thought about before going to bed at night. She had used him and discarded him. Not once had she told him that she loved him but he had bared his soul for her. How she must have laughed every time that he did!

Wyatt stepped out of the elevator and almost slipped as he opened the door. The floor was covered in a trail of blood. He drew his gun that had now become another appendage raising it in front of him. He walked through the house following the trail that led to his bathroom.

He kicked the door in and stared at the sight before him. Rachel was laying down in the fetal position with a blood puddle around her. "Rachel," he called out to her dropping at her side and pulling her in his arms.

"I couldn't get it to stop," she gestured to her side.

Pulling the fabric away he saw the bullet holes in her side. "What happened?"

"Ray," she whispered.

Her body went limp in his arms and he started to panic. What had she gotten herself into? Wyatt stood to his feet pulling her along with him. He needed to get her to a hospital.

He never thought he would see the day that he had to worry about Rachel. She was the daughter of two strong transgenics who had taught her everything they knew. He also remembered the cocky way she would throw her head back and laugh when he warned her to be careful. Most of their younger years she had been a female version of Alec and truth be told he loved that about her. "Rachel," he shook her trying to get her to open her eyes. "I need you to stay with me, baby."

Wyatt removed the drenched jacket she had pressed to her side and felt overwhelmed. What could he do for her? He ran from the room opening his drawers and pulled out a pile of shirts to press against her side as he called the ambulance to his apartment. Even on their best days the ambulance would take ten minutes to get there. By the looks of her she wasn't going to last much longer.

Her breathing was coming in rapid wisps and he was worrying that her lungs had filled with blood causing her to not be able to breath. His heart was racing feeling every moment that passed had taken years off his life. He loved this woman and was worried that her life was leaving her small frame and pooling in his hands. "You're going to be fine," he said to her trying to calm his own nerves as much as hers. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Five minutes later he heard a pounding at his door and felt a small amount of relief flood him. Her life was now going to be in the paramedics hands.

Thanks for reading. I would appreciate any comments!