Hey everyone! So here is chapter four, as promised. I am really getting excited about this story :) Hope you enjoyed chapter three. For the next three chapter's, it's going to be in Ashley's point of view. I'll be switching back and forth between her and Chase.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing except for my characters.

ASHLEY

'I can't believe Chase!' I thought as I slammed my locker door shut with such force that all the lockers seemed to rattle. Picking up my messenger bag from the ground, I stomped in the direction of fourth period, the last class of the day: math.

Last night, while everyone discussed the mission, I had to leave. I couldn't stay in there and have Jack see me with a sour face while he had his reunion with his 'long-lost-brother'. I had finally agreed to work with them, after a very long discussion with Jack, about how much easier it would be on us, the mission will be over faster, how it would benefit everyone in the end, blah, blah, blah….I have nothing against the other team. I just don't want to work with them, especially Chase. But this is my mission, and I will finish it either on my own or with the help of my siblings who seem to take a liking to those…Those Lab Rats.

The bell rang just as I stepped into the classroom. I scurried to my seat next to my friends Dean and Zoey.

"Alright, settle down! Flip your books open to last night's homework." My teacher, Mrs. Williams, yelled over the students chatter. I completely forgot my homework, with the mission and everything. I groaned and slumped back in my seat.

"You look pissed," Dean said beside me. I turned my head to him, and winced as my neck scrapped the plastic.

"I am." Shimmying up in my seat, I opened up my binder, to make it seem as if I did have some work done.

"Want to tell us these juicy secrets?" Zoey asked from behind me. "We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come to math. You cut it pretty close."

"I'd rather not, and say I did." I sighed, and lowered my voice to a whisper when Mrs. Williams started to take up the homework. "I'll only say that it was a very rough night."

"I can see that," Dean said, and lightly touched his finger to the top of my cheekbone. "Where'd you get that-?"

"Mr. Cook, please refrain from touching Miss Davenport's face, and try to understand the subject at hand, where you are lacking." Dean blushed and put his hands below the desk as everyone snickered around us, and I sent a glare to anyone who dared start whispering about us. I believe I saw Zoey shake her fist and Ronnie Dorgan, whose atrocious laughing immediately subdued with one look from her.

When the class managed to calm down after Mrs. Williams re-started the lesson, Dean and Zoey began their questioning again.

"Why do you look so tired?" Zoey asked the same time that Dean demanded:

"Where is the bruise from?"

"Look, guys," I sighed and rested my head in my hands, feeling my eyes begin to close from exhaustion. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Ashley you have never kept anything from us. We have always told each other everything." Zoey whispered, and I could feel the hurt in her voice. I slowly turned in my seat to see her looking down at her math homework. Zoey, besides me, is one of the toughest girls I know. Whereas I'm more, dare I say dainty in actions, when dealing with situations. She is more: "Touch me you scumbag and you'll regret the day you were born."

I felt bad not telling her the truth, same going for Dean. She's right; we always tell each other everything. But I could never let the two most important people in my life, (except for Jacob, James, Jack and Anne) find out my real secret. I don't want them to think of me as a freak. That's why I vowed I would tell the truth about everything, except for anything about my life and my bionics.

But I didn't want them to think that I'm starting to keep things from them. Especially where we all have been friends for most of our lives, and I know them well enough to know they would bug me until I tell them. Then a thought popped up; I'll tell them about those Lab Rats, not using that name- I'll just say some of my dad's friends were over and I didn't get along with them. I'm still telling the truth, just not all of it.

"Look," I said, looking back and forth between Dean and Zoey. "I'll tell you, but not here. Meet me at my locker after school-"

"Miss Davenport." I whipped around at the sharp tone of my teacher's voice. "Would you care to enlighten us on you conversation that must be more important than my lesson?" More students began to giggle, but another look from Zoey stopped them. She's feeling better already.

"No Mrs. Williams." I said, embarrassed.

"Then turn around in your seat and pay attention." I did as I was told, silently, and looked over at Dean who gave me a small smile. Just an hour left of math. I wish the time would hurry up.

Finally the bell rang, and we stood up. Dean and Zoey said they would meet me at my locker as soon as they got their stuff put away and grabbed their backpacks. They also made me promise to stay put until they came. Their lockers were on the other side of Las Vegas High, so I figure now would be a good time to sort of piece whatever truth I have together, incase I need a back-up plan.

I walked up to my locker and opened it. Everyone was mostly gone, except for a few stragglers and a man sitting on the bench across the hall from me. He seemed occupied with his cell phone. I got my stuff ready, pulling out my binders and books - when my pen fell out and rolled down the hall. This is what I get for not putting the cap back on.

It stopped rolling and when I went to grab it, a large hand snatched it. I looked up to see the man who is -still- talking on his cellphone holding it.

"It's the right one. Got it," He said, looking at me while hanging up his cell phone and putting it in his pocket. "Here," He handed me my pen.

"Thanks," I said suspiciously, and took it.

"Are you Ashley Davenport?" He suddenly asked. I looked him in the eye and instantly didn't like him. Call it my animal instincts, but there is something off about him. He doesn't look suspicious, a tall man, wearing the casual teacher's wear, a head full of black hair with grey shining here and there. But his eyes - and let's face it, the sharp nose- did him in.

"Um, who are you-?"

"Ashley!" The man looked up towards the hall by my locker. I knew who it was, and groaning internally I slowly turned to see Dean and Zoey looking at me, waiting. They gave me away. I yelled back, telling them to give me a moment, turned around back to the suspicious man, and he wasn't there. Instead he was walking down the East hall heading towards the back parking lot, on his cell phone again, head low and walking a brisk pace.

"Strange..." I whispered before heading back to my friends.

"Okay," Zoey said closing my locker while Dane picked up my bag and handed it to me. "Let's go to In-and-Out Burger, there you can tell us what happened." She said. I nodded, and we all started walking.

"Was that a teacher you were talking to? I've never seen him around." Dean asked when we got out of the school. Walking towards the bus I shrugged.

"Not sure, maybe he's a sub. I just went to get my pen back from him." I honestly didn't know who that guy was, and I still don't like him or the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I felt Dean sling an arm around my shoulders, and him pulled me into a side hug. Zoey was struggling under the weight of his other arm. She was shorter than both of us and more fragile. I watched her, amused, as her grey eyes glared up and Dean demanding that his long arms stay off her and to himself or me. I blushed a bit. Dean was muscular and tall and very good-looking. He had these amazing light blue yes, and this golden hair any girl would kill to run her fingers through. Ever since we were five, everyone has teased us about liking each other. Zoey never put up with people saying that she was in love with Dean, so before third grade started, everyone knew not to bother her, and instead teased me. I looked up as our bus came, and got on paying my toll.

I used to like him. But now he is just my dearest and best normal friend, like Zoey. But sometimes when he acts so gentle towards me, like today when he had touched my cheek with the bruise, I can't help but wonder if he likes me. He is certainly unpredictable.

As soon as we got off the bus, we waked our way up the street to In-and-Out-Burger, occasionally pulling Zoey away from some store windows. Dean went up to order for us while Zoey and I grabbed a seat. I need to carefully plan out what I'm going to say. The last thing I want to do is rise suspicion, or worse get one of them hurt. I don't know where Richmond is, but I know he knows we are on to him, and he will probably do anything to stop us. I'll just stick to my story.

"So," Dean said, coming up with a tray full of burgers, fries and pop, and slid into the booth next to me. I took a drink from the tray, and stuck a straw in. Drinking it I looked at both their wondering expressions. "Let's start with the bruise."

"Well," carefully choosing my words, I retold the story I had modified from the original, and hoped it would work. I said I got the bruise from falling down my stairs and into a wall. It was true that I had fallen, but it was during fighting Richmond's men before Chase had shown up. I refused to mention that. I told them that I didn't like Donald's kids very much, how none of us had absolutely nothing in common (especially me and Chase) besides that we all liked science, and I just found out they would be staying with us for a while. That was true, I would be seeing them a lot from now on, at least until this mission is over. The thought of seeing Chase everyday made my fists curl under the table and my teeth grit. The first time I did that, while Zoey was asking how long they would be staying, I jumped when I felt Dean's hand on mine, slowly relaxing me. I looked up at him as he smiled. The guilt is still there...

"Well that sucks. They don't sound very much fun to me," Zoey said while finishing her fries. Looking at our tray, I noticed that both Dean and Zoey were finished, and I had only eaten a little bit of my fries and a few small bites of my burger. My drink was gone.

"I'm not hungry." Slumping in my seat I pushed the tray away.

"I paid four dollars for that!" Dean pouted.

"Chill, I got it." Zoey said, and started eating my unfinished meal. "Besides, as of lately she hasn't been finishing anything. Don't you notice this?"

"Yes, Zoey, actually I have. And here is another secret we are left out of." I slammed my head against the cushioned booth, and groaned.

"You guys!" I said, this time feeling a little angry about having to reveal everything about my life. "I am not keeping things from you. I don't know why I don't finish everything on my plate. I just haven't been hungry lately. Can we drop it?" I asked, softening my voice. "Please?"

"Alright. Were just concerned about you Ash," Zoey said in-between a mouthful of burger. "You seem less...Ashley, today." Laughing at her lack of better words to describe my mood, I reached into my pocket to grab my phone which was buzzing.

"I'm ok. Just tired and frustrated, that's all." Dean went to go throw away our garbage, and Zoey went to the bathroom. I looked down at my phone to see I have received a text message from James.

'Get back to the house, ASAP.'

I gave a quick reply saying I'll be there as soon as I can, and closed my phone placing it back in my pocket as Dean sat down again.

"You sure?" He said.

"Sure about what?" I asked, confused.

"That your okay?" My stomach twisted. This part of him, the sweet, tender, honest part he seemed to share with only me, besides his mom, made me believe he liked me. It makes me feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Not in a bad way, Just in a 'I'm-not-sure-what-to-do!' kind of way. I really didn't want to ruin our friendship. Right now, it's all I got.

"Yes, Dean I am sure." Giving him a reassuring smile, I sat up straight and began to pick up my bags.

"I got to go, James said I am needed at home." He nodded, and stood up to let me out. Sliding my way off the bench, my back cracked a bit from sitting in a confined space for to long. Wincing, I asked him if he could tell Zoey where I went, and then left when he nodded. Even if it meant going back to my house, where I will have to face Chase, anything would be better than having to look at Dean and not know what it is that he feels for me.

I hate not knowing something.

Well, what did you guys think? How was Ashley's first chapter? I really just wanted to introduce her. Oh and by the way, does the very last line remind you of someone else that we all may know? Hehehe...I didn't realise what I did until I went back and re-read the chapter, and while reading the last line I confused myself because I thought I was suddenly writing in Chase's POV. Just goes to show how much of a leader they both are.

Reviews would be magnificent, darlings :)

R&R! You guys make my day.

~monkey87