Jesse was running down the road. He wanted to get as far away from the house as possible in case anyone decided to follow him. Not like anyone would. All they cared about was precious Tom with his wounds, he thought in disgust. If Dad or Larkin had been here and any one of them had been missing, even Tom, then they'd be out there now, searching. But now that his Dad wasn't there any more, Tom seemed to be in charge. The alien was back at the house with his Mom and little sister because everyone thought that being the alien gave him some authority. Or they were all scared of him and Mariel.

He got about three blocks away before he stopped running. He doubled over, wheezing. He'd just gotten out of the hospital himself. He didn't need to do any more damage to his body.

He straightened up and glanced around at the houses. How many of the families behind these doors were hybrids? How many people were being thrown out on the street by their own families all because they were normal humans? And it was all because of Tom. Tom hadn't warned the authorities; he'd just tried to make soldiers to take over the world or something. And it was like no one else cared. Rose liked him, Dad had worked with him, and even Dave was on Tom's side now. Why couldn't someone just believe him, Jesse, for a change?

Jesse suddenly stopped. They've got Rose back at the house. What if Dave can't protect her? What if Tom throws her in the water too?

Jesse started to run again.

Rose tossed and turned. This was a strange bed and a strange room and she didn't like either of them. She threw off the covers, or as best she could for her size, and crawled out of bed. Maybe Mom would read her a story. Or maybe she could swap rooms with Kira again.

She opened the door very gently. She had heard Dave being shown the spare room next to her and didn't want to wake him. She knew that her Mom and Daddy-Tom slept downstairs next to where Kira was now sleeping. She crept out of her room and across the landing.

"Rose?"

She jumped and opened her mouth to scream.

"Whoa, it's only me. Dave."

"You scared me."

"Sorry kiddo. I was just coming to find you."

"Have Daddy and Larkin come back?"

"No, I don't think they're going to be back till morning but you know what?"

"What?"

"I think your big brother's gone for a walk."

"Jesse. Is he ok?" She felt scared for him. Jesse had that gun and he'd shot it. What if he decided to shoot someone and not something?

"Oh, he's ok, yeah. Your Mom just asked me to go and find him and she said if you weren't asleep I should take you along."

"But why? Mom said I should go to bed."

"Yeah, but she said she wants to talk with Tom."

"Daddy-Tom?"

"Yeah, Daddy-Tom."

"Ok, I couldn't sleep anyway." Rose followed him down the stairs. She liked Dave. He was fun and would tell her stories about invasions of earth and aliens.

Tom had managed to leave his bandages alone for the time being. He was lying in bed with Mariel and had one arm wrapped tightly around her. She was already asleep but his mind was too busy to do the same. He was thinking over everything that had happened, but mostly about the five hybrids that were locked up and being experimented on down at the air force base. When he had seen them he had wanted so badly to get them out. They'd done nothing wrong; they didn't deserve that. Hell, no one deserved that. And that was part of the reason he hadn't even tried. The threat had been hanging over him ever since her words:

'…people who can have you down here…'

He hadn't wanted to be kept in that place another minute, let alone a lifetime. The look of utter helplessness in the five men's eyes and the hope that his presence had given them. He hoped they would be killed soon because he knew they would never be let out. They'd be there for the rest of their very long lives if no one did anything to help them. But right now all he was worried about was Larkin, Russell and their baby. Everyone else was safe; everyone else was with him; everyone else he could protect.

Kira was sound asleep. She was dreaming of happiness, a far away place right now. She was with Lewis and no one else. They were dancing in a ballroom, totally alone but for the music. It was a waltz and Lewis was twirling her around; they were laughing. They were free; it was as if none of the nightmare had ever happened. She was wearing a long flowing strapless dress but none of the puncture marks were there. Dad had said they would fade, but this didn't seem like a long time had passed. This could be a week or a month away.

She and Lewis were free. Like she always knew they would be.

"I waited for you." Lewis smiled down at her. "I would have always waited."

"How long?" She asked. "How long did you wait? How far away is this?"

"Not far." Lewis was suddenly sad. "But long enough."

She returned the sad smile though she didn't know quite why he was sad. "I'll be with you as soon as I can, I promise."

"What about your father?"

"He loves me. He'll be fine with this."

"I hope…"

But the dream had slipped away. In a few seconds it had gone and Kira had fallen into a dreamless slumber, with the only noise present the tick tock of the clock on the wall.

Dave glanced out over the last few stairs to check no one was around. He didn't know what Tom or Mariel would do to him if they found him sneaking the littlest kid out of the house... but they should be capable of anything by now.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked. He hated himself for deceiving her like this but there was no way she would leave her Mom and Tom if he'd told her the truth.

"Well, Uncle Dave is making sure we're really quiet so we don't wake up Mariel or Tom. They're very tired after today and they should get some rest, don't you think?"

Rose nodded and copied Dave's position of putting a finger to her lips. Dave grinned at her and started down the stairs.

As they reached the bottom Dave silently thanked the Underlays for keeping their house in good condition and any creaks out of the stairs. They were half way across the hall to the door when someone tugged on his jumper. He jumped but turned to see it was Rose. He glanced at the door but knelt down.

"You scared me kiddo. What's wrong?"

"Can I say goodbye to Mom and Daddy-Tom?"

"I told you they're probably sound asleep and they'll really need it after today."

"I'm not asleep." Dave's head shot up. It was Tom, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"Daddy-Tom!" shrieked Rose in delight, before running to him and being hoisted up.

"Ssh now Rose. Dave's right. We don't want to wake your Mom now do we?"

Rose shook her head and then whispered, "No."

"Good! Well Rosy, could you tell me what you're doing out here?"

"Mommy said to Dave that she wanted us to find Jesse."

"Oh she did? Well, why are you going?" Tom glanced at Dave and there was a cold fury in his eyes. Dave recognized it. It was the same look his Mom had had when his Dad had tried to take him away from her. Unable to hold Tom's gaze he looked down.

Rose was speaking again. "Dave said that if I wasn't asleep I could go."

"Well you need all the sleep you can get for tomorrow. What about Dave and I go out and find Jesse, and when we find him we'll bring him back and wake you up and you can see him. We may even bring a treat home for you. Yeah?"

"Yeah." Rose nodded.

"Well then off to bed you go, sweetheart." Tom smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. "Say goodnight to Uncle Dave. I doubt you'll see him again tonight."

Dave could hardly kneel down to hug Rose he was shaking so much. "Night Rose."

"Goodnight. Are you ok? Why are you shaking?"

Dave glanced up at Tom. "Just cold I guess."

Rose ran off and he thought she'd gone upstairs but a second later she returned with Dave's coat that he'd worn earlier. "Thanks Rose."

"No problem. Goodnight Uncle Dave, goodnight Daddy-Tom."

"Goodnight sweetie." Tom answered. But his eyes never left Dave's. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

Mariel rolled over and felt the bed beside her. It was empty. She reluctantly opened her eyes. Tom might need her help though he was probably taking a shower or walking. She stumbled once or twice on her way to the bathroom to see. It must have been at least five hours since she'd shown Dave the spare room and curled up with Tom.

He wasn't in the bathroom, nor was he anywhere around the house. She looked in on Kira and Rose but she thought that Dave would probably like his privacy. Tom must be out walking, she thought. Before she'd changed she hadn't really known what to make of it but now she always thought he must be out swimming. She felt happier in the bath till she knew how long she could hold her breath for, but after ten years Tom would have found out.

Tonight he was probably out looking for Jesse, or even Larkin and Russell. She'd never a met another man who cared so much about the people around him. He'd accepted her kids so easily. Taking on the role of Rose's second father and a friend to Jesse. What would have happened, she wondered, if Jesse had known about Tom right from the start? He would have tried to kill him for sure.

She stopped half way across the hall on her way back to bed. Jesse was out there and according to the evidence so was Tom. Jesse thought Tom had torn his family apart and Tom was looking for him. Larkin had told her about Jesse's gun. She knew that Tom carried one.

Her son and her husband were out there. They were both armed and Jesse was angry. What would happen if Tom found him?

Mariel ran to get dressed praying that Tom wouldn't.

Tom kept a firm grip on Dave's elbow. The man beside him was much bigger than he was, but nevertheless was quivering with fear.

When he spoke his voice shook. "Where… where are… we… going?"

"Somewhere where you and I can have a nice little talk."

"Come on man, I didn't mean any harm."

"I know Dave."

The gentleness of the voice would have made anyone who didn't know what he was relax but the problem was that Dave did know. He knew the tactic Tom was using only too well. He'd been terrified when his Dad had used it and it wasn't any better now. Especially considering that his Dad had half drowned him and hadn't been one of these things.

"Tom…"

"Yes Dave."

It was the repetition of his name. That subtle tone that showed no anger but a quiet sort of power emanating from all around him.

"I… didn't… mean any… harm."

"I know Dave. Get in."

They'd reached Tom's Sheriff car and Tom was pushing Dave towards the front passenger seat.

"Oh, no way man. I don't get in strangers' cars."

"But I'm not a stranger, am I, Dave?"

The gentle lilt in the voice. He could have just asked what the weather would be like tomorrow.

"Come on Dave. Get in the car."

Dave tried to take a step back but found Tom right behind him.

"Get in the car Dave."

Dave swallowed and forced himself to bend down so he didn't hit his head when he stepped into the car.

"Good."

Tom could have been praising Rose back at the house. Dave thought longingly of the house. A nice warm bed. Why had he been so stupid? Why couldn't he have just let it ride? They were all safe and they would have found Jesse, Larkin and Russ tomorrow. But now what? What was Tom going to do to him? Would they find his body tomorrow along with the others? Would he be one of these hybrid things? Or would these creatures or maybe Tom just kill him and be done with it, not bother to find Larkin and Russ and just have the nice happy family that Dave himself could never have?

Jesse walked through the woodland. He knew that if he rushed and ran he wouldn't find it. He had to be slow, methodical, and calm. He picked his way along the side of the road pushing the leaves aside and looking for the tell tale flash of metal reflecting the moon.

He had liked Tom in the beginning. He'd been fun to be with and lively, joining in the games that he, Kira and Rose had played. Russell had always told him not to get too close. Jesse had just thought that his Dad was jealous of the new guy, but now he wished he had listened. Because he had gotten attached to Tom as the guy who was really cool and wasn't his Dad. The guy who you could hang out with and talk to and feel like you belonged with.

But that had all changed. The world had come crashing down around Jesse's ears and the only thing that was keeping him going was the fact that he could stop it. He could stop Tom from hurting any more people. He could end it.

Jesse saw the flash of moonlight and picked up his quarry. He could stop Daddy-Tom, oh yes. And he would!

Mariel ran down the path. She had dressed in the warmest clothes she could find and was desperate to save Tom. How had this happened? How had she got from working nights in a hospital to chasing after her son trying to stop him from killing her husband? She shook her head. It would be better if she didn't think about that or what she was going to do when she found either one of them. Though basically she didn't want to think because if she did the image of Tom lying dead at Jesse's feet would spring into her mind.

Tom could sense something was wrong. Of course, Dave couldn't, and Tom found himself wishing for Lewis. One of his own who could confirm what he was feeling. There was something in the air and clichéd as Tom knew it sounded that was exactly what it was. He could almost smell it; it was his instinct over riding all else in him.

He was coming up to a fork in the road. One led out of town and was the one he had been planning to take. The other led down to the water and if he took that Dave would probably die of fright. But, as he paused the car at the split in the road, the path out of town emanated danger. It was the same track where Russell had held the empty gun against his chest and Tom had been so sure that he was about to die. Any human would have told itself that all they were feeling was a sense of what had happened in the past and gone right on ahead.

That human would probably be dead by morning Tom told himself, and turned towards the water.

Dave stopped breathing when Tom stopped the car at the junction. One way led to safety and the other led to death. Tom seemed to be drawing out the moment for as long as possible just to torture him and Dave wanted to shout at him to just get on with it.

But then Tom turned towards the water. Dave had never felt so scared in his life.

The track became more beaten and Dave bumped his head on the low ceiling. What a blessing it would be if he passed out. That would be good, yeah. Just like all the times he'd got so drunk he couldn't even remember his own name. Larkin didn't understand why he did it. She hadn't had to bear the brunt of their father's anger. She had no idea.

But a drunken stupor sounded nice right about now. To fall into oblivion and never surface. To never have to deal with the hangovers or fear of aliens again. To not be needed to go fishing for lights in the water or be trapped in a police car with a hybrid alien thing.

Yeah, that sounded nice.

Tom had heard Dave stop breathing when he'd stopped at the road and he'd heard the audible gasp when he'd taken the road down to the water, but since then Dave had been strangely quiet. He had expected Dave to beg for his life. But then he really hadn't done this before so what did he know?

The water wasn't in sight yet but he could feel it.

"It won't be long now." His voice seemed to have a mind of its own. Why did Dave need to know that? So that he knew when he could make a break for it? Did some unconscious part of Tom want Dave to escape?

The water came into view and Dave tried to shrink back in his seat, to get away from this madman. He thought if he made himself small enough then Tom would forget about him, maybe be hypnotized by the water and leave him alone. But although Tom stared at the water for a second longer than any human would have done he still pulled away from it.

Dave watched him walk round to his side of the car. His eyes never once left Dave, almost as if he was scared that he might escape if they did.

"Out." The single word was crisp and clear in the night air but the voice was like ice. Dave found himself shaking again as he turned towards the water. "Here." He turned back to see Tom holding out the coat that Rose had handed to him. He took it with shaking hands. "Put it on. You look like you're about to freeze to death."

This time Tom didn't meet his eyes but walked right past him and down onto the beach. After Dave had pulled on the coat he glanced at Tom, who was keeping a respectful distance from the water and the car… with the car keys still in it.

Dave looked nervously at Tom but he hadn't looked up. Dave could just get in the car and drive off. And when Tom got home he'd find officers waiting to arrest him and would never see the light of day again.

But something in Dave stopped him. He'd had enough of running away; enough of bowing out and letting someone else take the lead. He wanted answers.

Tom had given Dave the chance and he was genuinely surprised when Dave appeared beside him instead of driving off in the car. According to how he had been acting in the car that was the first thing any human should have done.

"I want answers."

Oh, of course. The curiosity of the human mind. That was what had made Dave stick around.

"I want to make one thing very clear." Tom turned and seized Dave by the back of the neck. Suddenly Dave wasn't the confident, curious human. He was a quivering child and with good reason thought Tom. It would be so easy to snap his neck. But that was the difference between being a hybrid and being a monster: control. So he kept his voice very pleasant and very calm. "I want to make something very, very clear. You will never ever try to take Rose or Jesse or Kira away from us again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I won't. It was stupid. I wasn't thinking. I won't do it again I swear."

"Good." As suddenly as he had seized Dave's neck he let it go and stepped back. "Now, what did you want exactly?" He turned to look at him.

"Uh, well… um…I."

"Oh come on Dave, get the words out. What do you want to ask me? Anything?"

"What's… happened to Larkin and Russell?"

"They've gone into the water." Tom turned back and looked out.

"Have you brought me here to look for them?" Dave knew he sounded hopeful but he was giving Tom a chance to make this all go away and for everyone to come home safe that night.

Tom knew what Dave had just done but he wasn't going to use it. Because he had to make Dave understand. "No, of course not." He felt Dave tense up next to him. "How could you find anything in this light?" Of course Tom could, but he wasn't going to say that. Dave might want to start looking.

"So why have you brought me out here?" Dave asked. "To kill me?"

"Oh Dave, stop being so over dramatic." Tom threw an arm around Dave's shoulders and pulled him with him as he walked towards the water.

"Then why?" Dave wrenched himself free of Tom's grip. Tom continued for a few paces and then stopped, glancing back.

"Why did you try to take Rose?"

Dave felt the need to answer him. If these were to be his last words he wanted them to be spoken in truth. "I was scared for her."

"Why?" Tom sounded genuinely surprised.

"Why do you think?" Dave was suddenly angry. "After everything that's happened do you think my sister and Russ would want their kids in a house with you and…" he faltered and stopped still staring at Tom.

"And Mariel?" Tom looked at him questioningly. "Because we're different you automatically think we would hurt the kids?"

"All the others have. People have been killing themselves and their kids."

"But not here! Can't you see that?"

"Yeah I know you're the missing link thing. You're meant to be making the difference."

"Well I hope I am or this thing would be a whole waste of time."

Dave shook his head. "Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't hurt them?"

"Yes!" Now Tom rounded on Dave. "I would never in a million years hurt those kids. Ever! But just cause I'm a hybrid I've got to be the bad guy! I have tried so hard to protect them. I fought so hard to stop Kira going into the water cause I knew what would happen. I tried so hard to keep Jess on your side. I've tried to be a good Dad to Rose. But the last ten years mean nothing because of the last few months. I was a hybrid all the time but I still tried. Something that's different isn't necessarily wrong, Dave. I just wanted to co-exist with humans but because of Russell that is never going to happen. Russell created this war, Dave, not me."

"I beg to differ!"

Dave turned but Jesse was staring right at Tom... and Tom was staring right at the gun in Jesse's hand.

"Hi, Daddy-Tom. Do you wanna check to see if it's loaded?"