One Month Later

***Chase's POV***

We work together seamlessly, silently in training. This is the eighth time we've run through this simulation and I'm basically on autopilot at this point so I allow my mind to wander – as much as I'm able to, anyway. I find myself contemplating the past few weeks. There's been a definite shift in our dynamic since that day we learned where we really came from, and it hasn't been all good.

We've all become much more distant towards each other. I miss the training sessions where we'd be able to make a joke when something went wrong or lend a helping hand without anyone flinching at the contact. Now we work next to each other, but not together. You could almost drown in the silence that lays thick between us.

Adam holds a deep anger that I've never seen a trace of before inside him. Despite his super strength and the infamous bionic brother toss, he never used to be casually violent. Now he spends a lot of extra time doing combat training – often working so long and hard that Mr Davenport has to force him to stop. At first I thought he just wanted a distraction, but once, in a rare moment of confidence, he told me that he never wanted to be unable to protect us again. That's how I know that the love is still there.

Bree, on the other hand, only ever comes to the lab to sleep or for training. Sometimes not even then. She spends long periods of time somewhere upstairs, either completely alone or with Tasha. I don't know what they talk about, but she's always a tiny bit brighter after they've talked. Even when she's in the same room as us, she's not really there. Her mind is always either completely and painfully focused on whatever task she's doing, or somewhere else entirely. Even if I could talk to her, I don't know what I'd say.

I spend most of my free time with Leo, now. I never really understood him before, but now he's the only person who I truly know where I stand with. Honestly, I'm thankful for the shred of normalcy that he's maintained in this family. He still races Adam at breakfast, walks with us to school, and cracks his usual cringe worthy jokes between classes. The only sign of this all affecting him at all is that his grades have raised slightly as he throws himself into school work to escape the silence.

My train of thought is abruptly broken when Adam trips over and falls onto me. I swing my arm out to maintain my balance and Bree charges full speed into the rock wall.

"Adam," I groan in frustration while Bree cries out my own name from where she landed on the floor.

"I didn't do anything! It was Adam!" I protest.

"You used your molecular kinesis to fling me into the wall," she groans in explanation. "Ow, I think I broke something."

"Okay, that's it," Mr Davenport finally intervenes. "No more training today. Bree, Chase, come see me."

Bree and I glance at each other in shock. Mr Davenport's been pretty detached during training lately and hasn't attempted to resolve a squabble between us in weeks. I think he figures if he can't fix the big problem, there's no point with the rest. I help Bree up, noticing she's holding her left hand protectively against her chest. We go over and look at him expectantly.

"All right, what hurts?"

"My wrist," Bree replies. "I put my arm out to stop myself but I couldn't. Why did you push me so hard?" she asks me.

"I didn't!" I protest again. I think this is the longest conversation we've had all month.

Mr Davenport doesn't say anything, just takes Bree's wrist and gently examines it. For a few minutes, it's silent but for Bree's quiet gasping as Mr Davenport hits a tender spot.

"It's not broken," he eventually concludes. "Just badly sprained. I'll wrap it up and you'll have to sit out on training for a while, but you'll be fine in a couple of weeks at the most. Now, you're sure you didn't just glitch?"

Bree just nods.

He sighs. "Okay, Chase, what happened?"

"I… I don't know." I really don't think my molecular kinesis glitched, but I can't think of anything else that could explain it. "I swear I didn't do anything. I was just going through the simulation then suddenly Adam fell on me and I lost my balance. I wasn't even thinking about Bree." I leave out the part where I was essentially daydreaming.

"Hm. Well, obviously something happened. I'm going to check both of your chip logs." A brief quiet settles over us while Mr Davenport opens the files. Quiet seems to have become the norm around here lately. I wordlessly get out the first aid kit and start to wrap Bree's wrist. She doesn't protest, which at this point I'm counting as a success. I glance up every so often while I wrap, but her gaze remains firmly fixed on the floor.

"Huh," Mr Davenport finally breaks the silence. "Apparently, neither of you glitched. Chase, you unlocked a new ability which you accidentally used on Bree when you lost your balance. Force amplification." I must look shocked because he continues. "It's similar to your molecular kinesis with an element of super strength – I'm guessing it's another side effect of you guys combining your bionics to fight Krane. Basically, you can manipulate the amount of energy emitted by on object. In this case, you took the kinetic energy that Bree had and multiplied it."

"So, my fault then. Sorry, Bree."

She actually almost smiles. "It's okay. Good luck with your new ability."


At first, I was happy for Chase unlocking his new ability. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised that it wasn't fair. He got an ability, while I got a curse. A curse that has driven my entire family into an uncomfortable silence. I know that life is never fair – I know that possibly more than anyone – but I still wish it was. Maybe then I wouldn't be sitting here, alone, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my wrist and desperately fighting the tears gathering behind my eyes.

I'm completely lost in thought when the door to the conservatory cracks open and Tasha looks in.

"We're all going to sit outside and watch the fireworks soon. We'd love it if you'd like to join us."

She then leaves and I take a moment to gather myself before following her downstairs. I find everyone sitting in the driveway and I join them with a small smile but don't say anything because Mr Davenport is apparently sharing his – very lengthy – resolutions.

"… Finally, and most importantly, I want to make a conscious effort to be there for my kids and my family. We've faced a lot of changes recently, and they've left us divided and distant. But somethings got to change, and the New Year seems to be the perfect time for it. If I only get the chance to realise one resolution next year, I want it to be this one.

I know he means well, and I really do feel the love behind his words, but I can't help but feel guilty. It's my fault that our family is falling apart. If I hadn't unlocked this stupid ability then I would never have dredged up all these old secrets and everyone would have been happy, just like we were before.

Tasha goes next, resolving to learn to cook and start going to yoga classes – she invited me to join her, and maybe I will – and to actually win the award she was nominated for earlier this year.

Adam mumbles something about getting stronger and faster and paying more attention on missions before quickly passing over to me. I don't know what to say. I haven't put any thought into it at all – I barely even registered that the New Year was approaching at all. Time doesn't really mean much when you remember every moment like it only happened yesterday. Everyone's looking at me expectantly, though, so I decide to just speak simply and candidly.

"My resolution is to forgive myself, and to forgive the people who have hurt me in the past. I just want to be happy again."

Everyone looks briefly taken aback, but thankfully Chase starts with his resolutions before it becomes too awkward. I don't think anyone was expecting me to be so honest, or to even say much at all. I don't listen much to Chase and Leo – my heart is racing from the huge risk I just took telling everyone my true feelings.

They'll think I'm weak now.

And even as the fireworks explode over Mission Creek and my family all let down their walls for the first time in weeks, smiling and hugging and laughing, I don't feel like celebrating. The words replay themselves over and over in my head.

Forgive myself.

Be happy.

They'll think I'm weak.

A/N: As promised, a fast update! New year was two and a half hours ago so the second half of this chapter is fittingly based around resolutions. What did you guys think? A couple of you have left suggestions in the reviews, and I promise I'm trying my very hardest to work them. Please keep leaving reviews and suggestions, I love getting feedback so I can improve my writing. Thank you!