"Cage.." Rita slowly separated herself from him and calmly stepped away. "The whole world is at stake."

"The world can wait. Or reset itself for all I care. We have the time. More time than the world does."

"No! We don't! I can't take time for myself to just sit back and let my personal relationship with an egotistical jackass take front seat. While we are doing this hundreds and more are dying outside."

"Theyre just going to reset Rita! Do you honestly think that this game is ever going to end? I'm having my doubts! I've jumped about a hundred times and it's giving me a headache. I'm sick of it!" Cage sat back on the table staring at the beautiful but stubborn angel that was Rita. He tried to me mindful of his temper toward her not wanting to scare her off from his romantic intentions. But for her it was clear that was the last thing on her mind.

Rita snapped back immediately with a weary tone, "headache Cage? Really?"

"No need to sarcastic or anything. Jesus Rita."

"No I'm serious. How long have you had this happen to you?"

"A couple jumps. Dehydrated ok?"

"No! Cage for God sakes. They're adapting to our ability to reset the day. The alpha that you killed is killing itself so that we can't use its blood anymore! And if it does from blood poisoning, well so do we!"

William slowly rose from the metal table grasping the edge as tight as he could. His throat dried at her jumble of words. "That can't be true how would you know this? What makes you even think this?"

"Doctor Carter. When I was given the ability he tracked down the alpha whom I had killed. It was changing its blood chemistry to some unknown product. I think I just realized what it was that it was changing it to. Into poison!"

Rita, Carter, and Cage spent the next hour studying their blood chemistry. Unfortunately he was experiencing the first symptom of blood poisoning. From what they could gather it was a slow process but with each jump he and eventually Rita would get a little worse, until it would eventually kill them. Suddenly everything changed for Cage. When he looked at Rita he no longer saw a strong amazing woman whom he was slowly falling for; he saw a strong amazing woman who was soon to be a casualty. They thought they held the key to winning the war, but now it seemed that that lock was being changed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes staring at their battered shoes. Carter left not able to stand the tension any longer. The end seemed near. "I think this egotistical jackass is ready to put his personal feeling aside now and focus on the mission before it inevitably ends." He said very empty. Rita looked at him with the opposite expression; compassion and empathy.

Are you sure? I know you just found out that you were basically dying."

"So did you."

"Yes, but the difference between you and I is that I always accepted the fact that I was going to die in this war. You on the other hand have the hope of a child. And I envy that. You never thought you were going to lose."

"And if we leave now I just might win yet. So let's go." He replied still just as hollow. Rita turned Him around in one swift move grabbing his chin as well. He reluctantly stopped and looked her in the eye.

"It's okay to be scared of death as long as it doesn't control you. Fear allows you to feel." She said softly. Her face only inches from his just a little farther down. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek though it was filled with empty promises. She waited for him to respond, a breath, a word, anything. But instead they stood like this in silence for two minutes.

Finally but reluctantly Cage responded, "I don't feel anything anymore." This time he was the one to separate them. "We should go." He said softly this time with a slight bit of emotion. Rita didn't buy it though. To her, Cage wasn't the same person anymore. Dying slowly just wasn't his style.

Yusssss! Finally! No I never forgot this story I just ddint want to disappoint with a half hearted chapter. But some of you who keep following and commenting got me back into the zone. Thank you for the continual interest.