Wow. I am very thankful for all the reviews and feedback! I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Kessi fans - I'm sorry for making some of you sick with the last chapter. I'll try to make the sacrifice mean something.

This chapter is mostly fluffy.

I do not own Kyle XY or any of its characters.

The kitchen was in chaos as the Trager household all tried to help make dinner. Even Josh was doing his part by not eating anything. The bustle seemed to help with the atmosphere as everyone avoided looking at the place where the French doors had been. Stephen had called in the damage to the home insurance company and they had denied the claim since Stephen could neither confirm nor deny that it happened through a force of nature. So the doors would have to wait to be fixed until they could find someone to do the work. Kyle offered to fix them, assuming responsibility for their damage, but Nicole and Stephen would not let him. Every so often he would glance guiltily over at them when he thought no one was looking. He sighed at his perfectly julienned carrots and carried them over to Lori's waiting skillet. He almost dropped them when he felt a familiar tingle along his spine. He turned around to look at the figure walking into the kitchen.

"Jessi." Lori dropped her spatula and flung herself at the taller girl. "How are you? We were so worried." Jessi looked down at Lori and gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine."

"Thank God. There's a big radio give away coming up, and I'll need your super prize winning powers." Josh quipped also giving Jessi a quick hug.

Jessi shrugged, seeming a bit surprised at the attention. "Ok." She took a step and stumbled. Josh grabbed her elbow. Kyle took a step forward and froze in his tracks as he met Jessi's eyes. He felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him and quickly looked down, astonished that he was completely dry. He looked back up at her questioningly, but she avoided eye contact as Josh and Lori helped her to the kitchen table.

Nicole felt Jessi's head. "No fever." She put her hand on Jessi's shoulder, noting that the girl had changed her clothes. "How are you feeling?"

Jessi looked up at Nicole and gave her a tentative smile. "I'm fine Nicole. Thank you." She looked around the room, her eyes taking in everything. Kyle noticed that her eyes seemed to skim past him. "What happened to the doors?" A crease formed in her brow.

"Ahh." Nicole looked at Stephen and Kyle. "They got broken last night."

"Really? How?" Jessi seemed unconcerned, only curious. Her eyes were big, staring at Nicole, waiting for an answer. Lori and Josh exchanged a look.

"Uh… I'm not sure honey." Nicole shot a glance at Stephen and sat down across from Jessi. Jessi looked back at her silently. "Jessi, do you remember what happened last night?"

Jessi frowned. "Yes."

Nicole waited, then sighed. She'd almost forgotten who she was talking with. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"To the doors?" Jessi looked bewildered.

"No, to you, after about 6 pm. What do you remember?" Nicole asked looking deep into Jessi's eyes.

"I was in Kyle's room, pretending to be dead, and Amanda came by. She said she needed to speak with Kyle, and I told her that he wasn't home. And – "

Nicole cut her off. "Amanda told us this part."

"She did?"

Nicole smiled. "Yes. She told us she was in trouble and you helped her and that you downloaded some files. And then you had some sort of attack."

"I had an attack?" Jessi looked at Nicole confused, then she looked around the room, her eyes automatically going to Kyle before she quickly turned back to Nicole. "What kind of attack?"

"I don't know honey. I was hoping that you'd remember what happened." Nicole's blood ran cold. Jessi has a gap in her memory too.

Jessi was silent for a moment. "I don't… I was here. I never left the house. I don't remember leaving Kyle's room." Fear began to creep into her face. Nicole reached for her arms and drew her hands onto the table and held them. "It's ok Jessi. What was the last thing you remember from last night and the first thing you remember from today?"

"I was talking to Amanda. I told her Kyle wasn't home. She wanted me to break into Nate's room but I told her I couldn't leave so she would have to do it. I told her the plan, she got into Nate's room and started the download. She didn't understand what she was seeing, and said she'd wait for Kyle to tell her. Then…then… I woke up in bed." Jessi looked even more confused. "I don't remember getting into bed." She looked up at Nicole, eyes wide. "Why can't I remember?" She looked panicked. Lori wrapped her arms around Jessi's shoulders from behind.

"Kyle can't remember parts of last night either. Something must have happened to the two of you, but what?" Lori mumbled over Jessi's head.

Jessi did turn to Kyle then. Her eyes seemed to plead with him to explain what happened. Kyle lost his breath. He didn't know what to say and wished she didn't look at him that way. He walked over to her, kneeling down next to her chair, and reached out to smooth the hair from her face. She glanced coldly at his approaching hand and he stopped, putting his hands on his knees instead. "I don't remember what happened last night either. The last thing I remember was leaving the warehouse and then I was waking up in my tub. The rest is just…gone. I searched my holographic memory and there is nothing there." He felt little pinpricks of fear radiating off of her.

Jessi frowned, the thought of somehow losing their memories caused her muscles to tighten in alarm, but then another thought struck her. "So the bacteria worked?" Jessi asked.

Kyle smiled. Nicole let out a small laugh and Lori squeezed Jessi before letting go and walking over to her father. "Yeah. You're a genius." Kyle said.

Jessi smiled, a real smile, if small. Kyle beamed up at her. He felt like another weight had been lifted off of his chest, one he didn't even realize he was carrying until it was gone.

"So, do you think they know it was us?" Jessi asked.

Kyle stood up. That was something else that had been worrying him. If Nate caught Jessi and Amanda, then it was certain that their story was blown. Could Latnok have done something to them without their knowledge? "Jessi, I need your help." He turned to her but stopped speaking, noting the dark circles under her eyes. He wanted to search her memories and her to search his, but he didn't want to push her any further than she had already been pushed.

"What is it?" She stood up, taking her hands from Nicole, who looked back and forth between the two of them. Kyle could tell that Nicole would disapprove of them doing anymore today. From the shaky way Jessi had stood-up, he disapproved as well.

He looked around the room. "We can't do anything else tonight, but I'd like to see if Latnok is still at UDub in the morning, or what information we can find."

"Do you think that's safe?" Stephen asked. "I can easily find out for you instead of you putting yourself at risk again."

Kyle looked at the person who he came to think of as his father. He noticed the elevated heartbeat and determined look on Stephen's face and realized that Stephen was scared, but not for himself. Kyle smiled, "You're right." Stephen relaxed. "But be careful, we don't know how much they know."

"You said you needed my help." Jessi said, turning his attention back to her.

"Jessi-" he started but stopped. Her eyes dared him to say anything other than an answer to her question.

"How can I help, Kyle." She look she gave him was hard, cold.

Kyle was silent for a second, feeling like he's been punched in the chest. It seemed like everyone was holding their breaths. He held her gaze for a second in indecision before he answered. "I need you to track any indication of movement of a large shipment in the last 18 hours. We need to know if they are moving the equipment in the warehouse and if so, where to."

Jessi nodded and made to leave the room. Nicole's voice stopped her. "Wait –wait a minute." She sounded angry. "Can't we take a moment to rest? Kyle, something happened to both you and Jessi last night. Our home was damaged. We were lured out into the middle of the night. Can't we just – " She threw her hands into the air "stop! I need a break. We need a break. You and Jessi need a break."

Kyle turned to her, eyes searching. "Nicole – "

"No. Your mother is right. I'll check on the status at campus and we'll go from there. We could all use some rest." Stephen said coming to place his arms around his wife.

Jessi piped up. "I've already rested." Stephen gave her a look. "But… I guess… I need more?" She glanced at Lori, her source for understanding all looks parental. Lori nodded and gave her the thumbs up.

Kyle bit his lip. The guilt of putting his family through more problems ate at him. "You're right. I'm sorry." Stephen walked over and placed his hand on Kyle's shoulder. "I know this is hard and confusing, but we'll get through it." Kyle looked at him and nodded but remained silent.

Dinner was a quiet affair, with everyone trying to avoid the obviously relevant topics first and foremost in their minds. Kyle tried to catch Jessi's eye several times, but she surreptitiously avoided him, and retreated to her room as soon as she could. It confused him. He wanted to talk to her alone, really see if she was ok. He was unable to concentrate on anything anyone said to him after dinner and so excused himself from the living room, leaving the rest of the family to exchange knowing looks.

He knocked on Jessi's door as he opened it. "Jessi?" She was sitting on the foot of her bed, he watched her sit up straighter as he entered the room.

"What?" She didn't turn around to face him and her voice held a cold edge.

Her avoidance and harshness made him nervousness. He furrowed his brow and closed the door behind him. "I wanted to see how you were feeling?" He said softly, taking a few steps further into the room.

"What do you care?" Jessi stood, still not looking at him, and leaned on her desk with both hands.

He crossed the room in a few quick steps to stand not far behind her. "What do you mean? Of course I care?" Why wouldn't she look at him? He regarded her sloping shoulders and bowed head and reached out to touch the exposed part of her neck and upper back above the black tank top, not liking her posture. His fingers were an inch from her when she spoke again.

"I know you kissed Amanda." She said dryly.

Kyle's eyes widened in surprise and he dropped his hand. For a second he didn't know what to do with that information and Jessi shoulders slumped more in the silence. Kyle felt panicked. "Jessi, I'm sorry."

"Whatever. You made your choice."

The severity of her tone wasn't enough to mask the pain in the words, pain that lanced through Kyle upon hearing them, making his heart tighten in a vicious clench. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to breathe through it, and find his voice. "Jessi, I didn't choose – " but Jessi cut him off.

"I don't want to hear the lies." She turned and whipped past him, but Kyle was faster and caught her by the upper arm, her momentum turning her back towards him, nearly slamming her into his chest. She looked up at him defiantly, eyes blazing. She expected to see remorse, sadness, maybe a little confusion, certainly not anger flaming back at her. Her eyes widened a little.

"I have never lied to you. Not once."

Jessi looked at him for a second, surprised at the strength of his words, then nodded. "Ok," she conceded, but continued to stare back at him, challengingly.

Kyle could feel the adrenaline racing through him as he gazed into the big hazel eyes flashing unflinchingly up at him. As he stared into them, what he had been about to say disappeared, eradicated by the fire burning back at him. He could only stare at her, his anger changing into something else. Something he couldn't define, but equally as intense.

Jessi dipped her head up at him and raised her eyebrows. "Kyle, my arm."

"I know." He said breathlessly. Jessi's own anger faltered and she looked at him confused as she heard his heartbeat begin to increase.

"I didn't choose Amanda. I did kiss her, or let her kiss me, but it wasn't like that." He said softly.

"What was it like?" Jessi asked, slightly antagonistic but more curious about this sudden change in Kyle. He was looking at her like the night they found out about Sarah, focused, like she was the only thing that existed.

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye?" Jessi asked.

Kyle shifted his grip, so he was no longer grabbing Jessi, but holding her arm as he used his other hand to brush the soft waves of her hair away from her face.

"Jessi, I'd been hiding who I was from her for so long. She was the first girl…"Kyle paused, not sure how to continue.

"That you loved." Jessi finished for him with a tinge of sadness.

Kyle looked down at her. "Yes." He was unapologetic. Jessi nodded, as much as she didn't like it, the truth was the truth.

He wound his fingers further into her hair, slightly distracted by the feel of it across his skin, and tilted her head up to look at him. "It's not the same. As soon as I told her, I realized it wasn't the same. Telling her my secret was like telling my family. I wanted her to know, I wanted to stop lying. I was scared that she would look at me differently, like I was something strange. I care about her." He let go of her arm and brought both hands up to gently cup her face, slowly grazing his thumbs along her jaw.

Jessi's eyes widened under his touch, the power she could feel thrumming through him, that she could tell was only just held back as he looked at her. His hands began to quiver against her skin as he took a step closer to her, bringing their faces closer together as he looked deeper into her eyes.

"But when I felt you push me away when you were having a nightmare…the thought that you didn't want me…that I couldn't help you…"Kyle let out a quick breath, his feelings beginning to overwhelm him. He swallowed convulsively, trying to keep them in check. He let out another choked sound.

Jessi smiled up at him, brushing away a single drop that escaped from his tear filled eyes. He let out a soft breath of laugh as he did the same for her before drawing her sharply to his chest and holding her tightly against him. Jessi smiled into his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his back. They held onto one another, each simply needing to be needed by the other, feeling comfort in each other's arms.

Jessi was the first to pull away. "Kyle."

Kyle gently wiped the moisture from her face. "Yes?" he asked, looking memorized.

"The next time you say goodbye to someone, do it with words."

Kyle looked quizzically at her then laughed. "I will." He slowly bent towards her, hesitating a little to give her a chance to pull away.

Jessi rolled her eyes and grabbed the back of his neck, causing their lips to crash into one another in a hard kiss. Kyle's hands automatically went to Jessi's waist, pulling her closer to him, relishing the way she felt in his hands. Jessi smiled into the kiss and applied more pressure to the back of Kyle's head, nipping his bottom lip. On reflex Kyle's fingers clenched and dug into Jessi's back. He pulled back startled at his uncontrolled action and the bolt that exploded through him.

"Sorry." He said, breathing raggedly, searching her face to see if he'd hurt her.

"What for?" Jessi asked, breathing equally as ragged.

The door was suddenly thrown open. "Kyle? Jessi?" Nicole asked worriedly into the darkness.

"Yes." Kyle said, taking hold of Jessi's hand.

"Are you two alright? All the lights just blew out. Are you ok?" They could hear her searching for them in the dark.

Kyle exchanged a sheepish grin with Jessi, knowing that she had already adjusted her eyes to see in the dark. "Yeah, we're fine." He took a step towards Nicole, touching her outstretched fingers, with his free hand.

"Oh, thank God." Nicole embraced them.

"We're fine Nicole." Jessi said, squeezing Kyle's hand.

Kyle began to feel slightly guilty for scaring Nicole, and he was sure the rest of the family, so shortly after their home was broken into. He squeezed Jessi hand when Nicole wondered out loud what could have caused such a huge power outage as they followed her leading them blindly out of the room. Yes, slightly guilty, but he didn't regret it for a second.

Kyle jumped at the ringing in his pocket. He took out his phone and looked at it, not recognizing the number. He could see Jessi and Nicole stop as he answered it.

"Hello?" he said.

"Hello Kyle."

Kyle froze, his stomach dropping. Dread, fear, and anger coursing through him at once. "Cassidy."