I don't know how long it is before I wake up again. I can finally open my eyes, so I try to take in as much as I can. What is wrong with me all of a sudden? Willing my every muscle just to let me open my eyes, my body finally listens. I scan my surroundings, hoping to get some idea as to who has saved me.

I'm in a truck with ...1, 2, 3, 4, people in the seats around me. Oh my god, am I laying on someone? This moment is slowly rising on my list of most embarrassing moments. My head is resting on someone's chest, and I can hear the faint flutter of their heartbeat. Calloused fingers are playing with my curly hair, and I feel oddly at peace, like nothing can get to me. I want to lay like this forever, but my curiousity wins, and I lift my head slowly to look into the face of my rescuer.

It's the guy from the bar. He's looking out the window. Hey, he's kinda cute. Get your mind out of the gutter, Liz, where have you seen him before? He feels my gaze on him and looks down. A grin appears on his face and he playfully says,"Hey, Sleeping Beauty's finally awoken." All the passengers crammed in the SUV are now staring at me. This guy may have saved my life and all, but nobody talks to me like that and gets away with it.

"Yeah, and her knight in shining armor's being an ass." I say drowsily, trying to shake the headache out of my head. Not working. In fact, it might just be a little worse now. Well, I learned a lesson-don't try out your supposedly smart theories until you are at least pretty sure it won't do damage. I need some Tylenol. Bad.

Grins break out on the faces of my fellow passengers, but whether it's from the comments or the expression on my face when I shook my head, I really don't know. Syl, who I just noticed is sitting next to me, gives me a hug. "Thank you. For everything." I whisper so that only she can hear, truly grateful that she helped me so much. Then, sitting up slightly, I ask the question that's been on my mind since I woke up, "So, not to be rude or anything, but who are you people and where the hell are we?"

The guy who I'm sitting on smiles, and is the first one to speak up."Well, I'm Ben, but you met me at the bar. You know Syl, that's Krit sitting next to her, Jondy's the one squished by the window, and Zane and Brin in the front seats." He says, pointing out each person as he calls their names. "And we are in the middle of nowhere, on our way to see our loving CO." Syl gives him a dirty look.

"What? If she wants the truth, I'll tell her." It's really getting annoying that no one will tell me what's happening.

"Can somebody fill me in on what's happening, please? I heard you all fighting in the hotel rom, and if somebody doesn't tell me what's up in the next two minutes, I'll either go crazy or throw myself out the window!" I say, my frustration finally getting to me. Syl looks at me, tears in her eyes.

"Eliza, do you ever have any strange dreams? Besides the one back at the hotel?"

"Yeah, but who doesn't? What's that got to do with anything?" I say, looking around. Can't they just get to the point already. I don't have that much patience right now, and I'd appreciate it if I was just told what the hell is going on.

"Well, don't our names sound familiar?" she says, looking at me like they should.

"Yeah, but you have common names. I've heard them before."

"Hon, we've got weird names, and where have you heard them before."

"Well, I've heard them"I say, thinking, "in my dreams."

"Those aren't just dreams, Liz, they're flashbacks. Of us. Your subconsious didn't invent us. You were in our unit until you were accidentally shot. We were told that you had died, but in reality one of the doctors hid the fact that you were alive from Manticore and got you put of there. He handed you off to his sister just before he was killed. You were told that you had an accident and couldn't remember, and wanting to forget, you believed that it was all a dream during a coma. Your mother made sure that you were as normal as you could be, so she made you go to the "physical therapist"."

"Yeah, what about it?" I say, shocked

"He kept on removing your barcode, and"

"I don't have a barcode." I say, cutting her off.

"Well, just barely." says Ben, grabbing two mirrors that Syl hands him from her purse. He pulls my hair over my shoulder and positions the mirrors so that I can see the faint traces of black on the base of my neck. Oh, my god. I've been lied to my entire life.

"We heal over time, Liz.You didn't need to go to him. Every time you went there he lasered off your barcode. And the pills he gave you? Tryptophan, to control your seizures."

"Oh my god." I say, not believing it.

"Sorry to lay all of this on you, but you wanted the truth." says Syl apolegetically.

"Yeah, and I'm glad I'm finally being told the truth. I do have a question, though. How'd you get out?"

"One of the nurses told us about you, She was nice, helped us, gave us extra food and medical supplies when we were hurt. Once we found out that you could make it out, we needed to get out and find you. To take care of you. You were te youngest, and we sure as hell weren't going to let you be in danger for long. We had other things to worry about, though. Lydecker had gotten harsher in his punishment as we got older. We were trained to the point of exhaustion. Then the seizures started. In the other barracks, a girl our age got them. They executed her, and all the others who had them. We didn't find out until it was too late." Syl says in a voice full of hurt. Her voice breaks, as does her composure. Krit puts his arms around her and kisses her forehead. She calms down a bit, but not much.

I'm crying, too, now at the story, and the thought of one of our unit being taken away. I want to know who it was, but I don't want them to have to relive it. Jondy finishes the story, as Syl is crying, and doesn't want to finish.

"After he was taken away, we were careful to hide even the tiniest tremor. One night, Max started seizing violently, and we knew that we had to escape. It was the only way" she says, her voice full of tears.

"How'd the doctor get me out? I mean, I'm taking a wild guess in saying that Lydecker didn't hand me over peacefully to him."

"Uh, you know that dream you had in the hotel? The one where you woke up screaming?" Brin says, turning around.

"Yeah, what about it?" I say, trying to hide the shivers that go up my spine at the mere thought of the dream. Apparantly I don't do a very good job, because Ben whispers,"Don't worry, Liz. I'll make sure you're never hurt like that again." into my ear so that only I can hear it. I relax a bit, settling myself back into my arms.

"Well, that did happen. You were shot, and that's how the doctor got you out, by saying that you were dead. It was a good plan, but Deck still found out, and has been searching for you ever since. Fortunately, we tracked you down after the escape and have been able to keep an eye on you ever since." Wow, that's so, so....so much of a privacy issue that I want to cry.

"I've been spied on for my entire life?" I say, apalled.

"Hon, what would you have done if Deck and his G.I. Joes came by and you thought you were a norm?" Ben asks softly.

"Thank you." I whisper, trying to rid my mind of the image that had flashed before my eyes.

An ackward silence falls upon us, and it takes a couple minutes to sm up the courage to ask the question that's been on my mind for a while. "Um, guys?" I say, trying to figure out the best way to word the questions without me sounding stupid.

They all look at me, worry in their eyes, I think that they think I'm sick again. "I have two questions. One: How did Deck never find me, and Two: What were you going to say when I cut you off, before. About the doctor?" They all exchange glances, and I know they've been hiding something from me. "What?" I ask after about a minute of silence. Jondy speaks softly.

"Well, the doctor your mother found for you is ex-Manticore, so of course he knows how to deal with your seizures and heat cycles and stuff. But he also knows how much we're worth, so he made a call to Deck. Before the G.I's came for you, he injected you with a virus Manticore sent him. We don't know how serious it is, though. That's why we've been so protective of you. We don't want you to get sicker."

"So, wait..am I dying?" I ask. I'm in shock, oh, God, please, please no. I don't want to die.

"We don't know. We think that Deck wanted you weak before he got you, but we don't know you long you'll be sick or how sick you'll get."

"You didn't answer my question. Am I dying? I know you know."

"You might be. But we don't think Manticore would want you dead. You're too important, too valuable. We don't know much about this, but we'll try to hack in to the database and see what we can find." What? That isn't true. I'm dreaming, that's what this is...one fucked up nightmare. Oh my god. I might die. I can't die. I've just met my family. I start hyperventilating. I can't breathe. Oh, god.

"Liz, just lay down, It's ok. You'll be fine." Ben whispers in my ear encouragingly.. I do as told, still unable to catch my breath. Holy shit, I might me dying...I can't die... I'm too young to die...I can't think straight...Deep breaths, Liz, deeps breaths. I close my eyes, shutting out the world...I'm safe, I'm getting better...please, God, let my be getting better...I can't die, I've just met my family.

I've never felt as safe as I do with Ben's arms wrapped around me, protecting me...he won't let me slip into the darkness...won't let me fall...

My guardian angel.

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A/N: Hope this clears up any confusion there might have been! Thank you to all of my reviewers...you brighten up my slush-filled days. Please keep reviewing and tell me what you think.

THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY REVIEWERS! I LUV YOU ALL (IN A PLATONIC WAY!!! :) )

molly jeane :D