A/N: Hey all! Here's another chapter. I hope you're enjoying this little adventure. Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. I can take criticism.
Chapter 3
I would be a liar if I said I wasn't nervous to make the drive out to Morris Island that morning. Each mile that passed coiled the knot in my stomach a little tighter.
"Ready?" Mom asked me as the edge of the shore came into view. Everything looked exactly the same, like I had never left.
I nod and begin directing towards where Kit and I lived. She slows the car to a stop and glances over the building.
"This is it?" she asks.
"Yep. This is it." Taking a deep breath, I open the door and step out of the car. The ten feet from the curb to the front door are filled with anxiety and apprehension. There is no telling how this conversation it going to go.
With an approving nod from my mom, I ring the doorbell.
Kit is at the door moment later. He looks like he had just gotten up minutes before. Mug of coffee in hand, and clad in pajamas, Kit gazes at the two strange women on his doorstep.
Mom speaks first. "Kit?" she asks cautiously.
"Can I help you?" Somewhere in his eyes there is a spark of familiarity, but not of me.
"You probably don't remember me. I'm Colleen Brennan."
"Colleen? Cape Code Colleen Brennan?" His eyes grow wide as memories of my mom must come flooding back to him.
"It's good to see you again, Kit." The two of them, my parents, stare at each other. A strange sensation takes over me. This is the first time the three of us have ever been together. It's like we're a family.
Of course, Mom is the one to make it awkward. "And this is Tory, my daughter." Kit glances down at me. Since she didn't say 'our daughter' Kit probably thinks that I'm some other guy's kid. I look a lot more like my mom than my dad, so it's an easy assumption.
Kit finally finds his voice. "Why don't both of you come in?" He opens the door wider for us to enter. The townhouse looks exactly the same, except for of course, my things scattered around and Coop's bowl in the corner are missing.
Kit offers us seats in the kitchen and stands by the counter. "So what brings you all the way out here?" Mom and I exchange glances. We didn't decide which of us was going to be the one to tell him.
Since it was my idea to come here, I decide to take the initiative. "After fourteen years of it being just me and my mom, I decided that it was high time for me to meet my dad."
I study Kit's face as my words sink in. His expression turns from one of general surprise to one of general horror and shock. His eyes widen, and his mouth drops open.
"Your dad? You're in my kitchen, saying that you want to meet your dad. I'm the only one that lives here…that means…I'm your…" Before Kit gets a chance to finish his sentence, he slumps to the ground. Mom rushes to his side to try and wake him.
If the situation hadn't been so serious, I would have laughed. The last time I had seen Kit this shocked was when he actually found out he had a daughter. He even took the news that I had committed a number of felons better than this.
"Mom," I say softly. "There are some things I need to take care of. I need to go find the boys."
"You go. I'll take care of your dad. When he wakes up there are some things we need to talk about. Be careful though."
"No worries," I call as I head towards the door.
"For the past twelve hours, all I have done is worry," she yells back.
I step out of the townhouse and into the bright morning light. The smell of the sand and ocean greet me like an old friend. No matter how this whole mess resolves, I decided that I want to live here. After the past year, I could never live away from the ocean again.
Without Sewee to take the short way to the bunker, I have to walk across the sand. Thankfully it is still early enough that it doesn't scorch my sandal clad feet.
There is no way of knowing if the boys are in the bunker, so I take my time walking over. Explaining to them who I am is even more difficult than telling Kit. There is no way I can walk up to them and say, "Hey there guys. I'm Tory, one of your best friends."
As I reach the bunker I realized I made a mistake. This was our new bunker, the one that we found after our old one was discovered by Karsten. If my theory was right, and that none of our adventures had never happened, they would be at the old bunker. Cursing I turn around and make my way to the old bunker.
Shelton's voice is the one I hear first. Music to my ears. "I don't understand how hard it is to be one time once in a while. This is the third time this week!"
Hi's reply comes next. "Next time I say we just leave without him."
"And go where exactly, moron? Ben is the one with the boat!"
I approach the door to the bunker and take a breath. They must have heard me walking because Hi goes, "Here he is. Finally, dude!" The door swings open and my eyes lock with Hi's. "You're not Ben."
"What do you mean it's not Ben? Who else would be outside?" Shelton steps outside and stares at me, mouth agape.
"Umm, hi," I say sheepishly.
"Who the hell are you?" Shelton asks, glaring at me.
"And how did you find this place?" Hi added.
Now is not the time for me to panic. "My name is Tory Brennan. I'm Kit Howard's daughter."
"Kit has a daughter?" Hi asked. There was a tone of suspicion in his voice, like I was making it up.
"Yeah. Me. My mom and I just got here. She's explaining everything to him now."
Cue dramatic pause from the boys. A very awkward dramatic pause.
Hi is the first to break the silence. "Well welcome to Morris Island then or, as we like to call it, the end of the world. I'm Hiram Stolowitski, but you can call me Hi. And this is Shelton Devers." I smile. Hi had given me the same speech when I first got to the island after the accident.
They step aside to let me into the bunker. "So, Tory, how did you find our little hide-a-way?" Shelton asks, plopping down on the floor.
I was about to string together a lie, when the door to the bunker opens again. I whirled around to face the fourth member of my pack. Ben didn't notice me for a second, but once he acknowledged my presence his eyes went wide. "OK, I know I'm not so late that the two of you found time to replace me," he said cautiously.
"Ben, Tory. Tory this is Ben," Shelton explained. I casually waved to Ben in greeting.
A feeling of relief and joy swelled up in me. My pack was together again. Well, four of us at least. I still had no clue how I was going to explain to them how we are Virals and have crazy powers. But, at least I was able to get the introductions out of the way.
Shelton is about to say something when it hits. A burst of pain shoots through me. Gripping my head as if my brains are going to burst out; I sink to the floor. I'm vaguely aware of someone screaming, but I can't tell if it's me. Even when I first started to flare, it didn't hurt like this. My head felt like it going to explode like an overfilled water balloon.
After what feels like antagonizing hours the pain subsides. The pressure in my head releases and I'm able to open my eyes for a second. I can see Shelton, Ben and Hi all on the ground clutching their heads. It's not just me. Something is wrong with us. But what? And how?
Still a pack.
The words whisper in my head, just like when I was in the car with my mom. The voice is familiar to me, but I can't place it. The pressure returns to my head and blackness fills my eyesight.
…
I moan softly. My head feels like it was just run over by a train.
"She's coming around," someone says gently. I recognize it as Ben's voice. I crack my eyes open to see him peering over me. Concern was etched on his face. There is no sign of Hi or Shelton.
Gently, Ben eases me into a sitting position. The pulsing in my head is gone, but is replaced by a dull ache in my temples. With a nod to Ben, he lets go of my shoulder and I turn to see Shelton easing Hi up as well. I was right, all four of us were hit by the same pain.
"What was that?" Hi asks. "It feels like a thousand tiny leprechauns were drilling into the back of my skull.
Shelton nods. "Same here. Everyone ok?"
"I'm good," Ben adds. "But I think I'm going nuts. Could have sworn someone was talking to me during that."
That gets my attention. Did Ben hear the same thing I did?
"You too? I heard a voice too. I thought I imagined it," Shelton said in a fearful voice.
"Ditto," Hi squeaks out.
"What did you guys hear?" I ask. Every fiber of my body hoped that they heard the same thing I did. The words the voice spoke echoed in my brain. Still a pack.
Ben's brow furrows in concentration. He looks like he is digging deep to remember the words.
Finally he speaks up, "It makes no sense. The words 'tap into your powers'. Whatever that means."
"Make more sense than mine," Shelton mumbles. "'Bring out the wolf.' Is this someone's idea of a prank?"
We all look over at Hi, waiting for him to say what he heard in his head. Matching our gaze the words, "Remember who you are," Come out of his mouth.
I scowl. Each of us heard a voice in our heads referencing us being Virals. But how? From the looks of it, we were never Virals to begin with. If I never came to Morris then we never would have gone into Lab 6 to clean the dog tag. Then we never would have found Coop and wouldn't have become Virals in the first place. So where was this all coming from?
"What about you, Tory? A mysterious voice in your head with some gibberish?" Hi asks me.
"Yeah, I got something. But it's not gibberish to me," I mutter softly. "I know what it means. Have a seat, boys. This is going to be intense."