Aryan's POV

I should have left when I had the chance. I don't know why I didn't. The moment I came back I knew. Then I wouldn't have to deal with this whole thing with Zane or Kai, who I still want to punch in the face, again. Jay had thanked me for saving him, it was no trouble at all. I always enjoy showing up assholes, but now, I was doing something that I sucked at.

Staying out of trouble.

After the whole fiasco that was last night, I stayed out of the way by cleaning, cooking, dusting, scrubbing and any other activity that would keep me out of the way. There was a slight spring in my step, having actually got some sleep last night. Sure it was medicated sleep, but beggars can't be choosers. I sighed, making a large circle with my rag across the spotless wooden floor. My swipes got faster and faster with each circle until I couldn't take it. I made a sound of disgust as I threw the rag against the floor. My legs were under me, my calves out towards my right side. I placed my hands down against the floor on my left, regaining my balance. What I really wanted to do, was hit something, and not a pillow or something soft. Then I thought back to the training room, mostly about the amount of sweat I had to clean off each of the machines, but there was something else, a device that had been long abandoned in the corner. If no one was in there, I could go. I could train. With a quick glance around, I pushed myself up, pulling off my boots with one hand as I did so. Once up on my feet, I stepped out of them one by one, letting my bare feet hit the damp wood.

I quietly shuffled down the hall, checking in each room as I went. I didn't see anyone in any of the open rooms, but as usual, the old man's door was closed. I crept quietly along the wall, the least likely place for me to hit a weak spot of floor since that was where the support beams were located. No creaks or cracks. No noise, no bother. No one would notice me. My hands, which were pressed against the wall before me, so they found the door seam before I did. They held on as my body turned quickly, my back still pressed against the wall, feeling the corners cut into the small of my back and in between my shoulder blades as I rounded the corner. The door, which slid on a track instead of turned on a hinge, so it was easy to close without making a sound. I watched as the seam of light disappear as the door slid into place. I smiled as I turned around, and my heart froze. This was one of the rooms with no window, it was pitch black. I took a shaky breath as my fingers desperately clung to the wall, looking for a switch, anything to activate the lights overhead. It was no use. I broke away from the wall and began to search up and down the wall with my fingers when I heard the growl. My throat let out an unwelcome sound of desperation as I felt fingers wrap around my ankle and pull, and as though a gift from a greater force, I found the switch and flipped it. I closed my eyes as the fingers were pulled back with a loud shriek, one only I could hear. I slid down the wall, opening my eyes as I fell against the ground.

I hadn't had an incident in almost four years. I had been so careful, so how could I have slipped? I felt my lips form an –o, letting out a thin stream of air. It didn't matter, all that matters is that nothing happened, I wasn't Taken. I stood up, steadying myself against the wall, but it was all made better by the sight of the forgotten device in the corner, waiting for me. With a grunt of effort, I pulled it out into the middle of the floor, laying out mats around its base. I poked gently at the spinning dummy, thinking of the good memories that I had with a device like this. It was a straight pole with six rotating parts, each with four straight pegs about a foot long. I gently prodded one, causing it to slightly turn. I smiled, yeah, this was great. I lined all of the pegs up with one another, and stepped into a gap. I took a deep breath, clinched my fists, and began.

I heard the thuds as the wooden pegs made contact with my limbs. Once I hit one peg, it caused the one on the opposite side to spin towards me, which I had to block. I constantly changed directions, and styles, blocking with one side, attacking with the other. Sometimes, I would work opposite, hitting one way with my arms, the other with my legs. The unknown rhythm of it all calmed me. Calmed me enough to the point of no return, I didn't even realize I was going in.

"Same old Aryan. Always thinking that violence can solve anything." I froze, one of the pegs swinging into the side of my head. I turned around slowly, rubbing the newly formed knot on my temple. He was leaning up against the weight rack, one hand dancing across the barbells, the other running through his hair. She was standing in the middle of the floor, her arms crossed across her chest. I turned back towards the dummy, fiddling with the pegs.

"Well, this is great. I was already almost Taken and now, I accidently let you two out. What a day." I looked down towards the floor, they looked just like I remembered them, only older. I always aged them as I did, it was the least I could do. I heard her laugh.

"He's really cute, Aryan. Why do you continue to push him away." I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, Audrey." I heard a thin stream of air come out of one of their teeth.

"Geez, Aryan," Cliff said with a sneer, "Lighten up." I felt a breath of air on my shoulder, one of them was obviously attempting to touch me.

"Why do you have your heart set on being alone? These boys…they could be your family. And the blond boy, Zane, he could be.."

"No." I cut her off. "I saw what love did to you and Cliff." They were both quiet for a minute, and for a moment I almost believed they left.

"At least we died together." I heard Cliff whisper, then his voice got stronger. "And if this bothers you so much, why do you insist on keeping us alive in your head?" I spun to face him, the anger flaring in my lungs.

"Because I lived! It wasn't fair! We were all put through that hell, why should I be the only one who gets to live?"

"Aryan?" I turned towards the door, only to find Jay standing in it, a look of pure confusion on his face. "Who were you talking to?" I spun around the now empty room and let out a weak laugh.

"It's a long story." Jay leaned up against the doorframe, as if making himself comfortable.

"I got time."

Jay's POV

Aryan laughed, but that didn't help her from sitting down on the mats that now covered our workout room. She smiled, as she crossed her legs and grabbed hold of her ankles, leaning back on her tailbone.

"Well, it all started when I was kidnapped." All the sudden she pulled one of her hands off her ankle and fanned out her fingers. "Cole told you, right?" I felt my eyes go wide.

"Oh, gosh! Was he not supposed to?" Aryan shrugged.

"I don't care as long as you don't go advertising it." She placed her hand back on her ankle. "Now, back to the story." She gazed off into the distance, as if recalling a fond memory. "Their names were Audrey Peak and Clifford Evens. They came after me, older experiments, not genetically engineered as young as me. She was four years older, he was six. They would have been 22 and 20." She paused, but I just couldn't let that silence stay.

"What happened?" Aryan's far away look disappeared.

"Because they were so late to be engineered, they relied on a life force to keep them alive." She sighed. "That life force happened to be my blood. I don't think I mentioned this to Cole, but when administered in small doses, it can save people dying from infection, poison, cancer, any other natural poison." She took a deep breath. "But too much, its lethal injection." She smiled. "That's why I couldn't have jumped yesterday, because I saw them, together, willingly ending their lives to escape Hell. They were lovers, they could have lived with me, but they chose not to. They took overdose together instead of a life with needles and flasks separating them." She nodded to herself. "I keep them alive in my head, I make sure they're remembered by someone. When I go to deep into my thoughts, they come to me. Give me advice, or rather, my subconscious gives me advice through them." I looked at her, quietly shaking my head.

"You kept people alive that you knew wouldn't be missed."

"Wrong. I bet their true parents miss them." I walked over and laid my hand on her shoulder.

"But not like you." She smiled.

"Not like me." I sat down next to her, letting out a breath.

"No one would ever miss me like that." She smiled.

"Not true. Your parents would miss you, dead or alive, they'd miss you." She nudged me with her shoulder. "And I can think of three people on this boat who would miss you." She stood up and offered her hand, which I took. She pulled me up, so our bodies were basically touching. "As for me, I would find a way to keep you alive." She leaned up and kissed me gently on the cheek. "You are never alone. Thanks for being my friend when no one else would." She walked into the hall. "Now, I'm going to find something to clean."