The days after that passed in a blur. Hunter had sent her home, telling her that next time she had better have information for him. She would have. But not the note, that was her insurance. There was no way she could trust Hunter to keep up with his end of the bargain.

And what a bargain. It filled her mind, dulling her wits. She couldn't believe what she had agreed to - to become one of them, to switch sides. It was an utter betrayal of everything she stood for. The things she would be driven to do. It made her feel sick...

But there was also anticipation there, and that scared her too. She knew that her life had hardened her in body and mind, but she had never though she would come so far. But she had. Her own need for survival had surpassed her empathy and every value her parents had instilled in her from birth. To live she was prepared to kill, bloodsuckers or human.

"Shrapnel?" she whispered softly.

His face was turned away from her, staring off at the layers of newspaper cuttings covering the walls of his office. She doubted they were what he was looking at though. Knowing him, it was Jessica's face in his mind's eye.

"Shrapnel, please, I need to talk to you."

"Alexis, look...I know," he trailed off. "I know what you're trying to do. Laura's been trying to, but it's okay. This is how I grieve."

A pang of guilt hit her then. Somehow she had managed to keep herself cold and resigned about what she had to do, but seeing him there, in pain, it was infinitely harder. Of all the gang, she owed him the most. And of all the people in the world, he was that one that meant the most to her too.

"No. It's not that, I know. It's just..."

There it was, the true moment of no return, the unforgivable face to face betrayal.

"Since Jessica died, I've reconsidered what you said to me before. I've realized I was stupid."

"What I said before?" he asked, finally turning to face her, confused.

"About that group, about keeping our family safe."

"Circle Daybreak?"

"Yes."

Her heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, but her face was calm. Thinking about hurting Shrapnel flooded her with regrets and self loathing, but now there was excitement too. She was getting closer to her goal.

"Alexis...I know I made it sound...I just don't think I was the one that was right. You were." He sighed.

"What?" she asked, surprised. She hadn't expected that.

"I'm sorry Alexis." his voice thickening, as if he were about to cry. "I should never have thought that they could be trusted. Seeing Jessica...like that. It reminded me why we fight."

"Shrapnel, no. No. Don't you see, we can't fight, not like this. This group, maybe it's founded on concepts we can't understand, but I don't think their promises are empty. If there's a chance we can save anyone in this gang, we have to take it."

He looked at her sadly, pitying.

"Alexis. I understand. But, what happened wasn't your fault, please."

"I don't think it was my fault! I'm trying to do good here, trying to help!" she yelled. She didn't know why though, except that maybe his words had struck something buried.

"Alexis. You know I would do anything for you, and I would do it for any of you. But this I can't, because I don't want to lose you. I want you to be safe. And here is as safe as I can keep you."

She stood, suddenly so angry she wasn't sure what to do.

"Safe? I'm sure Jessica felt safe."

And then she turned and stormed from the room. Shrapnel didn't try to follow her.

Her breathing was coming hard, her muscles tense as if she were about to fight. She wasn't sure what had made her so mad, and lose control. His words maybe, accusing her of things she knew she felt, and making her felt guilt for what she was about to do. His soulful eyes trying to tell her everything would be okay.

Well it wont. We're all going to die, each and every one of us, and soon. Except me.

She leaned back on the wall, trying to control her breathing. 'Except me'. It burned through her, reminding her what she was aiming for. If she didn't cooperate, they would all die, and if she did, she would survive. It was a clear choice, the only one she could make. If Shrapnel knew what she was doing, he would understand. he would want her to live.

She had hoped for more information. More information meant more time, more time with them, more time where she could pretend what she was doing could be undone. But no, it looked like she was going to have to pull her insurance early.

When the next meeting finally came, she felt scared, but ready.

This time, to her confusion, the car ride seemed to go on and on. Instead of blacking out minutes into the ride, she watched as the city slid by her. Downtown. Suburbs. Forests. Out further from home than she had been in a long, long time.

Why aren't I being knocked out?, she wondered anxiously.

It wasn't that she wanted to be, but anything knew was a cause for alarm. Why would Hunter suddenly not mind her knowing where she lived? Unless this time their destination wasn't to his home. And that meant a complete unknown in terms of her future, which terrified her.

"Hey! Hey, where are we going?" she called out to the driver.

He didn't turn. Maybe the intercom was off, but it drove her anxiety deeper. Why wouldn't he answer?

She started to bang on the glass paneling separating them. Yelling and putting as much force into it as she could in such a confined space, but to no avail. The driver never moved, as if her were a machine, not a man.

Exhausted and bruised, she lay down across the seats and resigned herself to whatever was about to happen next.