first off I would like to give the same big thank you I always give toMari83for being my best reviewer. And this time I need to give a big thank you to Chimera452Bastfor being the only one of you other readers who was kind enough to review.

to answer a few questions: I corp is from the video game, I fixed the two name errors for Krit and Syl, we'll find out about the soldiers later, and normal DNA is a double helix and if you pull it straight it looks like a ladder 218's dna is a triple helix which would be a ladder but with an extra vertical piece running up the center so basically she has twice the genetic material that anyone else has.

All disclaimers apply and please please please review!


The young X-5 screamed in agony as they hit the ground.

Alec came up behind the gunman and sent him off to dreamland. Joshua kneeled next to Liz once he was sure the gunfire had stopped. Liz turned over so that she was on her back and screamed as Joshua put pressure on the wound.

"Max come quick! Alec, get the first aid kit!" the big fella yelled.

Max was almost immediately at his side. She lifted up Joshua's hand and looked at the wound. Alec finally showed up with the first aid kit.

Liz screamed again as Max tilted her up to look at her back.

"I need the saline and the gauze. The bullet went clean through and the wound looks superficial, but I can't be sure."

Max poured the saline into the wound evoking another scream from the young X-5. Max bunched up some of the gauze and gave it to Alec to put pressure on the exit wound, while she used the rest on the front.

Liz grabbed Max's free hand.

"Max… Sorry I caused so much trouble."

Max gave her a stern look.

"Don't ever be sorry. None of this is your fault, it's theirs and you should never apologize for them."

Max tightened her grip as Liz's body went limp.

"Leigh!...Leigh!"

"Don't worry Max, she just passed out. The bleeding stopped. I think she's going to be fine." Alec said calming Max.

They wrapped up Liz's wound and headed to a safe house left over from the Eye's Only era. It really wasn't much of a safe house, just a medium sized cabin a good mile away from any frequented roads.

Krit and Syl stood guard outside, keeping watch for any unwanted company. Inside the cabin, Max and Logan were working to clean out and stitch up Liz's wound.

The bullet had gone through and it really wasn't all that bad. What worried Max the most were the harsh bruises and cuts that littered Liz's body and the few broken ribs. Max knew the cruelties of being back at Manticore first hand.

When the job was done Logan joined the others in the main room and Max stayed with her little sister.

A tense two hours later, and Liz had finally woken up.

At the same time Alec came back from a trip into a nearby town with some bad news. Apparently Manticore was not going to be as understanding as Renfro was about 218's need for freedom.

They were continuously running something similar to an eyes only hack every 30 minutes.

It included a picture of Liz and a $500,000 reward.

Max shrank down next to Liz on the bed.

"This is a nightmare. We're not going to be able to go back to the apartment or even to terminal city. That will be the first place they look."

"We better give them a heads up." Alec proposed pulling out his cell.

"Good idea. I'll call Cindy and ask her to get some stuff from the apartment that we'll need." Logan added also pulling out his phone.

Max waited until Alec finished. "Do we know how far the broadcast goes?"

Alec thought for a second.

"Well it's broadcasting on SNN west so… at least the entire western United States." He answered a bit sarcastically.

Liz finally spoke up. "I know it's a bit extreme, but we could go back to my house in Ohio."

Everyone just kind of stopped and looked at her blankly.

She blushed nervously and held up her hands in surrender. "Or not… Forget I said anything. It was a stupid idea."

"Now hold on, that may not be such a bad idea." Logan said drawing his own odd looks.

"Slow down; before you condemn the idea think of the upside of this. Ohio is a very long way from here, so we wouldn't have to worry about Manticore. Liz would be safe until we figure this thing out. It could… be like a vacation."

Alec laughed. "Ya, a long ass drive across the country and then hiding out in some small ass town. That sounds like so much fun."

Liz crossed her arms and glared at him. "Where I'm from isn't that small, and the drive here was fun. It was like a big game of escape and evade."

"Well this time it isn't going to be a game." commented Syl, who was standing in the doorway.

Max smirked and glared at Alec "I've always liked escape and evade."

Everyone seemed to be on board with the idea except for Alec. He looked around and finally gave up.

"Hell, who knows maybe Ohio will be fun."

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Many days of driving later, Alec sat in the backseat of Logan's SUV loosing yet another game to Liz on her PS3. Snoopy barked as Liz gave the killing move and Liz laughed.

"You owe me another $5 Alec."

Max turned around in her seat in the front.

"How much is that now Alec? $120, $130?"

"Actually, it's more like $155." Liz said as she collected her five dollars and added it to her decent sized bank roll.

"Oh yeah, this is tons of fun." Alec said sitting back in his seat.

Everyone in the car laughed and Liz restarted the game.

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A few hours later, Liz and Alec were fast asleep in the back seat. The two X5s could not have looked more peaceful. Snoopy was sprawled out on Liz's lap, Liz was leaning into Alec using his shoulder as a pillow, and Alec had his head rested on top of Liz's.

Logan slowed the car as they exited the interstate and approached the entrance to Liz's hometown. It turned out that not only was the town a lot smaller than they thought, but it was a ritzy gated community.

Logan stopped the car a few hundred feet before the guard station.

"Well what do you think? Is it safe to go through?" Logan asked Max.

"I don't see why not. We can always just high-tail it out of here if it gets complicated."

Logan nodded in agreement and moved the car forward. "Do you think we should wake them up?"

Max glanced back at the sleeping X-5's. Snoopy cocked his head at her from his spot on Liz's lap.

"No we'll let them sleep."

As they pulled up to the guard station Logan rolled down his window. The guard on duty greeted them with a friendly smile.

"Good evening to yuh."

"Evening." Logan replied with a grin.

"Please state your business, hand over your guest passes, and I'll have you on your way in no time."

Logan fumbled with his words for a second before Max leaned over and addressed the guard.

"We are here with Elizabeth Brennemen."

She gestured to Liz, sleeping in the back "She called ahead yesterday and said you would have our passes."

The guard looked at his guest log. "Oh yes here you are. Miss Elizabeth requested 8 guest passes."

He pulled out the envelope and looked through the packet.

"Alright I have passes for a Mr. and Mrs. Logan Smith, and a child's pass for a Miss Evelyn Smith?"

Logan smiled. "That would be us and our daughter, who is in the car behind us."

The guard handed him the group of passes. "And here I have a pass for an Alec Smith?"

"That's my brother-in-law." Max answered pointing to Alec.

The guard nodded and handed Logan the pass.

"The last four I have here are for a Cynthia Cross, a Sylvia Andrews, a Kristipher Andrews, and a Joshua Canum?"

"They are in the car behind us." Logan replied.

"Alrighty then here is the sticker for your vehicle, and you are going to be heading to the Brennemen Manor. Go down this road, keeping to the right, at the 3rd light you'll see the manor on the left. The barcodes on your passes will open the front gates and the staff will take care of you once you reach the main house. If you'll pull through, I'll give these passes to your friends, and you can be on yur way."

Max and Logan thanked him with a smile and followed his directions to the manor.

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Alec had woken up just in time to see the big house sitting on the hill as they drove through the front gate.

"Damn! THAT's her house? Why the hell would she want to leave all this for Seattle? Man, I vote we stay here."

Max laughed. "This coming from the guy who didn't want anything to do with this trip."

They parked the cars in front of the house and everyone stared at the manor in awe. Before they could even begin to do anything they were greeted by the staff, which began unloading the cars.

Everyone just kind of gawked at Liz and she could only shrug.

She told the staff where to put everyone's luggage and gave them specific directions about what to do with both her and Max's bikes. She told the man to be very careful unloading them and to put them in her private garage.

Krit's mouth dropped open. "You have your own garage?"

Liz blushed. "C'mon I'll show you the house."

The butler opened the door and nodded to Liz and her guests. "Miss Elizabeth."

"Thank you Alfred."

Alec stifled a laugh. "You're butler's name is Alfred?"

Liz looked at him puzzled. "Yeah so?"

Alec laughed again. "Batman?"

"Come on you have to have seen Batman." Alec prodded when he didn't get a response.

Alfred gave a chuckle, but Liz still had a blank look on her face.

"Never mind." Alec said shaking his head.

"Nice to meet you Alfred. I'm Alec."

The butler nodded and Liz introduced the rest of the gang.

By the time they had finished the tour of the house, the cars were unpacked and Liz had shocked everyone with her nonchalant attitude toward her opulent home.

The group walked into the guest foyer, which was on the second floor. Everyone but Liz gasped at the view.

The property behind the manor was breathtaking.

The first thing that could be seen was the Italian tiled patio, complete with bar and giant hot tub, and a huge pool that looked more like a tropical oasis. Past that were huge gardens, and then the landscape faded into a pond and a beautiful wooded area.

"How much land does your family own?" Logan asked equally impressed with the grounds.

"Umm well I think the manor has about 5 acres, and the estate has, I dunno, 140, and the house is a half acre lot I think."

"Wait! You mean there is More?" Syl gasped.

"Man girlie, you got quite a spread don't you!" Original Cindy said draping her arm over Liz's shoulders making her feel less awkward.