Picking Up The Pieces

Summery: I am thinking of changing the summery slightly to fit where the story is going. Maybe to something like "After the FAYZ everything is back to normal. Only Caine has a little problem with his sanity and mutants are being hunted down by the Lab. But otherwise, normal!" not those exact words but somewhere along the line. if anyone has any suggestions let me know.

Other Comments: Thanks for the reviews (Atchair, Arrowkid21 and sheepobsessed) and I wanted to say (mostly to Atchair) sorry, keep reminding me and i promise to add more detail. I normally just want to get my ideas down so quickly that I sort of skim it almost and don't write as much detail.


Chapter Nine

Caine smiled slightly and lay back on the sand, the sun was nice against his face and it was warming every bare part of his body, his eyes were lightly shut and his hair was pushed back from his face, keeping it out of the way. He lay with his fingers laced together behind of his head, only a thin dark blue towel under his body to keep his back from burning on the grains that had been waiting out in the heat all day, his dark blue sandles and sun cream was beside of him near his water bottle that had been half frozen to keep it cool.

"You working on a tan?" Sam grinned, running over, dripping wet with only a towel over his shoulders. Both boys wearing matching red swim trunks, plain that just reached there knees, otherwise it left the rest of there bodies bare.

"Yeah." Caine smirked "But I don't need to. Even pale and pasty I'm better looking than you."

Sam rose an eyebrow, he watched as Caine shut his eyes and slid his black sunglasses down off his forehead to cover his eyes again and block out the light from burning his eye lids. Then Sam ducked down, grabbed a handful of sand in both of his hands and dropped it over Caine's head. Caine spluttered and sat up sharply. He wiped sand from his lips and dusted his eyes before turning and glaring at Sam.

"You are dead." Caine snarled.

"Gotta catch me first." Sam smirked, stepping back.

Caine reached up, he slowly brushed a hand through his hair, rubbing sand from his hair as beside of he could. And then he began to raise his hand, to either throw Sam into the water or pull him so he could punch the boy, he hadn't made up his mind yet when Sam scowled and grabbed his wrist.

"No powers, Caine." Sam scowled, seriously. Joke aside.

"You think I'm playing?" Caine snatched his hand back "You got sand ALL over me!"

"Caine... We're on a beach?" Sam blinked, staring down at him.

Caine looked like he was going to swear fouly and lash out at Sam without any powers, but then he just smiled and shrugged, sighing. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Sam blinked down at him, then frowned, wondering where Caine was going with this.

"I'm going to the sea to get some of this sand off. You coming?" Cain asked, standing.

"Um. No thanks." Sam said, taking a step back.

Caine shrugged casually and wandered passed towards the water. Watching him, Sam smiled and sat down on top of Caine's towel. The holiday had been a better idea than they thought. Caine was acting quite good, he wasn't using his powers (well he used it every now and then but not against someone) and he had stopped being nasty about Connie. Almost called her mum once!

It was good for Sam as well. He had managed to stay calm and enjoy himself, not thinking of Nerezza, Zil or the lab where Caine might be sent. He was able to ease all the tension that had been building inside of him since the very beginning of the FAYZ.

And to make things even better... Caine hadn't switched all the while they were away. He remained himself, and although he had once climbed into Sam's bed after a short nightmare, he was still the usual Caine.

"Mum?" Sam called, walking over to the woman that was lying on one of the chairs and rubbing a lotion into her arm. She sat up and smiled at him, brushing some hair from her face. She looked quite beautiful and young in her hot pink swim suit. Probably a bit more than Sam or Caine wanted to see her, but many of the men seemed to enjoy seeing her dressed in a two piece.

"Yeah, hone?" Connie looked up.

"Can I get some money for ice cream?" Sam asked.

"Sure." Connie nodded, she reached for her bag but stopped, then suddely blinked and pulled her body away slightly, almost cringing.

Sam frowned and was about to ask why when water rushed over his body, slapping his shoulders and head so hard that his legs bent slightly and he ducked down. He was just beginning to dry off in the warm sun, Caine had used one of there yellow bucket to pour ice cold water back over him again. Then, Caine gently placed the bucket over his head and leaned over his shoulder, smirking.

"I'll have ice cream too" he said casually, like nothing had happened. Another point about Caine was that even though he was improving, he still never asked for anything. He demanded. Connie should really set him straight but she didn't want to spoil the holiday, so she let him get away with it.

"Sure" Connie repeated, lying normally again.

Giggly, Connie watched Sam pull the bucket off and scowl playfully at Caine. He wasn't really annoyed, mostly surprised and cold but he could accept the joke. After all, Sam had thrown sand over him. Connie watched as she reached over to her bag and pulled out her purse, soon she was handing the boys a five pound note and watching them both stroll back to the shops...

Back in Perdido Beach all of the kids were either left in there homes or in the vans. There were guards left on every street, keeping an eye on the other kids left behind, grabbing any mutants that they forgot and even some of the normal kids that they suspected as humans, they said they could not take any chances. They now had lists with pictures of any that are known and were not found. They knocked on the houses and checked them constantly, harassing anyone that they could.

"Let me get this straight..." the guard snarled, slowly lossing his patients "How long ago did your daughter go to the library?"

"Two days go" Astrid's mother answered innocent, smiling coldly like it was normal for her daughter to spend nights at the library.

"Right" the guard growled "And you're not worried?"

"Well, since you're still looking for her. Meaning you haven't found her, then no we're not worried." Astrid's father sneered, he was standing beside of his wife, having refused to sit down when they came in.

The guards ignored him "And does she normally take her autistic brother with her?"

"There are books there to help him." Astrid's mother nodded, though she was not actually very sure.

"And you still refuse to believe that she is not in the Library, despite the fact we have checked a dozen times?" he said, leaning forward.

"She's there." Astrid's mother nodded even though it was an obvious lie. She just smiled "Are we done? I want to get dinner ready."

The guards scowled down at her once again before turning and leaving without a word. Astrid's mother looked at her husband, her smile had dropped down a thousand times when she was sure the guards were gone. She could keep the smile while they were here but when she was gone they grew worried. Astrid's father just smiled down at her and held her hand.

"They haven't caught her yet. As long as they don't have her then she and Pete are safe."

Meanwhile, Astrid had managed to come out of her grandmothers cupboard and into the kitchen, she and Pete ate before her grandmother sat down on the floor out of view with them.

"I have been in contact with your parents" she whispered, afraid that they would be overheard. Guards had come to her home only twice but she wouldn't put it passed them to be spying on her. "Codded of course. Your father has a friend who's daughter was taken. So he has agreed to help and get you and Pete, hide you in his car, and drive you as far out of town as you can get. There, your grandfather will be waiting. He will take you to his home and keep you safe for as long as he can."

"I have to leave my home?" Astrid sobbed "My mother? My father? You?"

"I know baby" she wrapped her arms around her and rocked her back and forth "But it is for the best. You might be able to come home soon. Or we could visit you. But for now, we just want you safe."

"OK" Astrid sniffed, hugging Pete close, he squirmed slightly until she released her hold and he could see the screen of his game-boy again.

"Look after your brother..." her grandmother whispered.

"I will" Astrid whispered back...

As Sam and Caine sat, facing one another on the small metal table outside, they licked softly at there ice creams, biting the flake that was sticking out of it, not saying a word to one another. Soon, when Caine had finished his ice cream and was waiting for Sam he done what he always did.

"I'm gonna call Diana." Caine said standing up and pushing his cold metal like chair away.

"Again?" Sam looked up, a small bit of ice cream on the corner of his mouth "Didn't you already call her?"

"Yesterday, and I couldn't get through. The phone was turned off or something. Now it should be lunch so she should have it switched on looking through her messages." Caine nodded.

"OK then." Sam shrugged and blinked when Caine stared at him, hands on his hips, raising an eyebrow "What?

"Phone" Caine demanded, holding his hand out

Sam scowled up at him. He was waiting to see if Quinn or Astrid was going to text him. They hadn't tried to contact him since he left. But he knew that if he refused Caine the access to his phone then Caine would start using the "I only have one person to call and no one loved me enough to give me a phone while I was growing up. Remember, my parents tried to send me to the lab." It was annoying to listen to him start up all the time and Sam felt a hint of guilt. So he reached into his pocket, pulled out his old mobile, and held it out to Caine.

"Thank you!" Caine smirked sarcasticly, and walked off with the phone in hand.

Sam grumbled under his breath and returned to his ice cream...

Diana looked around with wide eyes, she had been crying but she didn't know when she started, she could barely remember anything. Her throat was sore and her body was ice cold, her chest was tight and her stomach felt as if it was searching for the food that she just did not have. She had been stripped from her skirt and white blouse into a long aqua blue like hospital gown and her body was lying on a table even colder than her own skin. Her wrists and ankles chained with what looked like hand cuffs to each end of the table. She was in a plain room and couldn't see anyone around her unless they were hiding under the table.

Diana swallowed but her mouth and throat was chalk dry, her heart hammered against her chest again and she tried to control her tears and her heavy breathing, but it was too hard. She was too afraid. Unable to even control her own natural body reactions. She tried to kick but every single one of her limbs was as heavy as led and her body was beginning to hurt all over.

Suddenly a door opened, Diana looked around, she hadn't noticed the door to her right before. It was a blend in to the rest of the wall around it. Diana watched closely as a tall man walked in, he was dressed in a white coat and had half of his face covered with a white mask, the only thing she could see was a bald head with piercing green eyes.

"Hello Miss Ladris." he said, his voice was thick like he had a cold.

"Where am I?" Diana sobbed, her voice came out a croak and it hurt to talk but she forced the words out quickly "What's going on? Who are you?"

"You're in the lab." the man said simply, ignoring the last two questions.

"What? No! You can't bring me here! You have no proof I'm a mutant! You have no proof at all!" Diana screamed but it came out more of a whisper because of her throat.

"We have other children with less proof." the man said, nastily, she couldn't see his mouth but she could hear the smirk on his lips.

Diana stared at him with wide eyes, then she blinked away tears, suddenly feeling a lot calmer, like she had worked everything out and she was going to be OK. Staring up at him with a blank expression she gave the smallest of smiles and said the first thing that came to her mind "My boyfriend wont let you get away with this..."

Caine frowned at the phone, he listened until finally she picked up, a lot later than she normally did "Diana? It's Caine."

"Um" came a voice. It wasn't Diana's "I'm so sorry, Caine."

"Exc and frowning sluse me?" Caine frowned, looking side ways at the phone.

"Diana... They came... She... She..." the person on the other line broke down into sobbs before she managed to choke out "They took her to the lab!"

Caine froze, the phone moved away from his ear so that he could turn and stare at the phone properly, his whole body turned ice cold and his mind just went blank. For a moment his fingers began to grow weak, and he felt like the phone was going to slip from his grip. But then he tightened his hold and growled.

"What happened?" Caine snarled, then shouted "TELL ME!"

Sam, who was just standing to go back to the beach, heard him shout and looked up. Sam stood and ran over to Caine's side, he went to grab him but Caine snatched a hold of his wrist and twisted, glaring at him, warning him not to touch him. Sam took a large step back and watched as Caine turned his attention back to the phone, demanding the full story.

It didn't take long before the girl, who identified herself as Lucy, a girl in Diana's class when she was taken, explained that she had found Diana's phone on the floor. She must have dropped it while being taken. Then Lucy went to explain how Diana had been kidnapped by the guards, like many of the other mutants. She told him it was happening everywhere but she was not sure why. Then she just sat there crying.

Caine tried to shout at her through the phone, to shut up, to tell him more. When she couldn't he hung up and threw Sam's phone to the ground.

"HAY! That was my phone!" Sam shouted, and stepped forward, he stopped when he saw Caine's face burning red and his fists shaking "Caine? What's wrong? Tell me."

"They have her." Caine snarled "They have Diana."

"Who?"

"The lab..."

Brianna looked around swiftly, her body tense and she was shivering, she waited only a few more moments, checking the road back and forth and then ran as fast as she could towards the house.

She ran to the side of the wall and jumped through the window without stopping. She skidded to a halt and ducked down, lying flat on her stomach, she was breathing hard but only because she was nervous at being caught rather than tired. She could run for hours without even getting a little out of breath.

Lying on the ground until Brianna was no longer shaking, then she stood and ran over to the fridge, she pulled it open and grabbed the largest bit of cheese she could use and the three chocolate bars hiding inside the room. Then she snatched up a loaf of bread and a large bag of crisps on top of the counter with three different flavors inside.

When her arms were full she went back to the window and tucked as much food into the waist band of her green shorts and down her light blue shirt that was neatly tucked into her brown belt, they would jumble around but they should stay in place while she was running.

Then, taking a deep breath, she jumped out the open window and began to run as soon as her feet hit the ground. Brianna darted down the road, making her way towards the safety of the trees once again. She just made it in time before there was a scream from further down, either a woman coming home to find her fridge open, or someone saw Brianna and freaked.

Those men at the Lab had managed to send out news to everywhere else that Freaks were dangerous, that they had killed and now everywhere was afraid of them.

Brianna came to a stop in a small clearing away from any town inside of the trees and all the food fell out at once. Hitting the hard ground and breaking open or tumbling over and out of the covers.

"Dekka?" Brianna hissed when the other girl showed no sign of coming out.

"I'm here!" Dekka called loudly, not afraid being overheard. No one was near them where they were and even if they where, Dekka and Brianna could get away with no problem. Running over from a bush, Dekka was holding a large bottle of clear still water, and another of diet coke.

"Where'd you get that?" Brianna blinked.

"I lifted them up in one of the houses. The babysitter thought it was a ghost so she grabbed the kid and ran, gave me the chance to snatch em up!" Dekka grinned, then nodded down at the food "Good work".

"Did anyone see you?"

"No. I managed to sneak along." Dekka explained, "Now come on, we better go."

Picking up the food again, Brianna followed Dekka further into the trees. They came to a nice tree with low branches and climbed up, hiding among the leaves on a thick branch, they sat facing one another and holding the food closely. The tree had lots of smaller branches all around it where they could gently place the food and drink with only a small amount of rustling from the leaves, otherwise they were completely hidden.

They had found this area and realized that there were hardly any guards around. This gave them a perfect chance to call it there temporary home. Dekka couldn't have been happier. She was being hunted by the guards in the first place, so she wasn't so worried and this wasn't a drastic change for her, but now she was on the run with Brianna! She could spend all her time with her and they looked out for one another. Just the two of them.

Meanwhile, Brianna was both pleased and upset. She was pleased she and her friend, Dekka were back again, and that she was not alone out here. But at the same time she missed her parents, she didn't understand why the guards were now suddenly after her. She was worried for those that were caught and she was confused. Confused people were always frightened people and Brianna was no exception.

"Want a cheese sandwich?" Dekka asked, holding out half of the sandwich she had just made.

"Sure" Brianna forced a smile and took a bite into the soft bread...

Caine charged back to the hotel, he didn't give Sam any other chance to ask a question. He just ran towards the large building where they were staying and towards the stairs, unable to even wait for the elevator. He was going to pack. He was going to pack and leave!

"Caine! Would you wait!" Sam demanded.

"I don't have time!" Caine snapped, he ran up to there room and tried to throw it open but it was locked and he didn't have the key.

"Caine!" Sam snapped, grabbing his shoulders "Caine! Think! You can't run back! First, we don't know where the Lab is! Second, we don't know what is going on! Third, we have no real way of actually getting back!"

"I have to save her." Caine hissed "How would you feel if it was Astrid?"

"OK. I get it. Let's just go back to mum first" Sam growled, sudden worry for Astrid. Was she OK? Was she caught like Diana?

"What can she do?" Caine shouted.

"First, she can give us the key to get our stuff. Then she can help get us a lift back home." Sam said, he took Caine's hand, something he never did unless Caine was switched. Caine scowled down at there hands before he reluctantly nodded stiffly and followed his brother back down the stairs and out of the hotel. All the while hoping they would not be too late to save Diana.