A/N: This was meant to be the final chapter, but I'm having some issues with the end...so in the mean time I've posted the first half of what would have been the last chapter. Apologies for it being on the short side.
When Alonzo was confident that there was no more flying debris he rolled off Julia asking. "You okay?"
"I think so." Julia said quietly, before grimacing in pain as she tried to sit up.
"What's wrong?" Alonzo asked, concerned by her paleness.
"I'll be okay. It'll just take time." She assured him.
"Are you sure?" Devon asked, kneeling next to her friend.
"I'm sure."
"Can you walk?" In response Julia nodded before saying.
"But I may need some help getting up."
"I can carry you." Alonzo offered.
"I know, but I'd prefer to walk." Julia said, causing Alonzo and Devon to reluctantly go to either side of the doctor and help her to her feet. When she was finally standing Devon backed away. Alonzo, feeling Julia tremor, hooked Julia's arm over his shoulder and stayed close.
"Can you walk?" Devon asked Danziger who was standing, although in pain.
"Sure. Let's hope the blast didn't take out the vehicles." The mechanic said as he gingerly walked towards where they had left the ATV and Rail. His concern for the vehicles causing Devon to grin.
The group silently walked back to where they had left the vehicles, no one knowing what to say to Julia. It was the doctor who eventually broke the silence when she came to an abrupt stop.
"What's wrong?" Alonzo immediately asked.
In response, quietly, but with an undeniable tremor, Julia said. "I should leave the group." Her words caused the others to spin round and demand.
"What?"
"I should leave." Julia repeated. "I'm endangering the group. I can't escape the Council. They will come after me. If I'm with you I will place you all in danger. I have to leave."
Whilst Danziger, Devon and Alonzo were too stunned to speak further Morgan asked.
"Are you nuts? Well obviously genetically you are screwed, but still. What good would leaving do? The Council are after her son just as much as they're after you." He said pointing at Devon. "Are you suggesting Uly leaves the group too? Of course not as that would be stupid. Besides, even if you did leave the Council won't know that. They'll find us first and torture us for information. They won't believe we don't know. All leaving will do is leave us without a doctor, which we were told would drastically decreased the chances of our survival."
Overcoming her shock at Julia's announcement and Morgan's speech Devon stepped towards Julia and placed her hands on Julia's shoulders and said.
"I know more than anyone how it feels when you want to protect those you love. How you'd do anything to keep them safe. But Morgan is right. Leaving won't achieve that."
"Bu-" Julia started only for Morgan to cut in again.
"Even if it did protect us, shouldn't we get a say?" He asked. "Personally I say you're worth the risk. I mean without you who'd cure us from the bugs and viruses that plague this planet."
"Morgan's right." John agreed. "Leaving us is more likely to put us in danger than protect us." He paused and looked Julia straight in the eye before adding. "Of course if you want to leave for you, that's a different question and no one will stop you. Do you want to leave?"
"Of course not, I just want you all to be safe." Julia said.
"So we're in agreement Julia is not going anywhere?" Morgan asked sounding relieved. He then waited for a nod from Julia before saying. "Good. But now we've dealt with that perhaps we should get back to camp."
"Yeah, we should get back and check on the kids." Danziger agreed. But sensing Julia and Alonzo needed time alone he looked at the couple and added. "We'll see you back at camp."
"How could you suggest leaving?" Alonzo asked when the others had gone, the hurt in his voice evident.
"I have cost you too much already." Julia said softly. "You heard them, if you go back they will punish you. You love flying and because of me you can't return, you can't fly. If I stay I could cost you even more."
Cupping Julia's face gently Alonzo said. "I chose to stand by you and stand against the Council. No one forced me to. It was my decision and mine alone. Maybe their threats are real, maybe they aren't, but that doesn't matter. Yes I love flying, but I love something else more. You." He paused and kissed her forehead before asking. "Do you remember just before the ship came? When I was talking about New Pacifica?" When Julia nodded he continued. "What I was trying to say then was I had come to a decision. I wasn't going back to the stations. I was going to stay with you. So you see the threats were meaningless. I had already decided I wasn't going back. I am staying with you because I love you. If you leave the group, I'm leaving with you."
"How can you say that? You heard what she said." Julia said. "You saw what I'm based on."
"Julia, you are not anything like your mother." Alonzo stated, not wanting to discuss if the projection was a true representation. "You're kind, caring and not completely insane. I love you because you are you." The pilot said. "Hey don't cry." Alonzo pleaded as he wiped a tear from Julia's cheek. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Julia said leaning into Alonzo's chest. "I just feel so confused."
"About me?" Alonzo asked, trying to mask his own insecurities and not to sound anything apart from supporting.
"No. Me." Julia tried to explain. "She was right about me. I was raised to be detached, to not have emotions. All my life I didn't feel anything towards her, but in there I felt….it doesn't matter. I don't know what I'm meant to feel."
"I don't think anyone would know what to feel if their mother did that." Alonzo assured her. "But everyone will be different. There is no right or wrong. You just have to accept what you feel."
"But I don't know what I feel. Everything feels confused. I don't know what is real. There is only one thing I'm sure of, everything else is a mess."
"Start with that then, what are you sure about?" Alonzo questioned.
"You. How I feel about you. Despite everything she said I know I love you."
On hearing those words Alonzo wrapped his arms round Julia and held her tightly against his chest as he kissed the top of her head.
A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. Final chapter up in a couple of days.
