Disclaimer: Only own the plot
Special thanks to Lionhearted21.
It was hard to keep her mind from running a search on "Mazikeen", but it helped that she had a room filled with knocked out or struggling to stay conscious shape-shifters. Given some of those shapeshifters were some of their people Chloe had had Jared and Abby feed the silver-infused cocktail into the air of the whole building.
10 more personnel were added to quarantine after reacting to the substance.
This was bad.
This was very bad.
A hundred and forty three passengers, plus cabin crew, medical and security personnel, and the 10 NCIS personnel affected…
"More than 200 shapeshifters," Vance breathed out slowly. "All congregated in one place – infiltrating our own ranks – they were planning on taking this whole facility over."
"Maybe, maybe not." Lincoln frowned. "Dean and Sam have gone with Tony and Ziva to investigate the apartments of our NCIS shifters – Anne, Abby and McGee are doing their technical wizardry – we'll know more once they're done."
Broyles eyed Tess, who was standing behind Chloe. "And you are doing what exactly?"
"My job," she responded crisply. "My primary objective is Agent Gibbs' safety. There's no way I'm leaving her side while surrounded by over 200 shapeshifters."
Broyles nodded, as if something he'd been wondering for a while had been confirmed. He didn't seem curious about Lincoln's presence, nor did he acknowledge Chloe, which really worked for her.
The blonde's mind was having a little bit of a meltdown as it tried to understand what exactly was going on. This sort of behavior was completely out of character for this species of shapeshifters. For one – unlike most shapeshifters – this species wasn't pack-minded, preferring to completely integrate with the life of the person they'd taken the place of. They wouldn't risk exposure by hanging together with others of their species – mounting a full scale attack on NCIS didn't make sense. And how did this play into everything else happening?
It didn't.
Unless…
Running out of the room to where her own computer was waiting, Chloe began typing into it, hacking into a feed she had no time to get a warrant for. She searched and finally found the right time stamp. Clicking the video file, Chloe pressed play and watched the footage until freezing a frame. Three pairs of eyes.
One lazered.
"Oh gods." Chloe leaned back hard against her seat. What the hell was happening here? What was she missing? There was something bigger going on.
Tapping her fingernails against the table's surface, Chloe frowned as a question popped in her mind. She went back to typing, bringing up the bio of every single shapeshifter identified – at least the bios of the people whose lives they'd taken over.
It was a lot, a lot, but knowing what to look for made the search quicker. Multiple hits spread cross the screen, which only made everything more confusing.
This wasn't an invasion or takeover. These shapeshifters hadn't even stolen other people's lives, not really. As far as Chloe could see, each individual had had a 'miraculous recovery' story, either having come back form an injury or illness that doctors hadn't had much faith that they would've – or having lived in comas for years before suddenly waking up. These shifters weren't stealing lives – they were merely taking over ones which would no longer be needed.
They'd had a great thing going for them – so why risk losing their hard earned anonymity with this move? Where were they going in such a hurry that they'd take this sloppy a risk?
Or what were they running from?
The answer had to lie somewhere, there was something she was missing. Everything was here, somewhere. She just needed to go over it again with a fined combed tooth, which she did. Several times, each time asking herself different questions, bringing up different scenarios, trying to find one in which this made any sort of sense.
How did a plane filled with shapeshifters fit in with a dealer of magical artifacts, a witch, and Agent Scott?
And then a theory hit her. Not one that would solve the case, but one that might put them closer in the vicinity of the truth. But to do that she needed to do some investigating of her own, needed to see the place herself.
"Tess?" She called out, knowing her protection detail was outside the door just hanging out and making sure she didn't leave and do something stupid on her own.
The door opened and Tess peeked her head in. "Yes boss?"
"You said you were allowed you to see her personal space, right?" Chloe reached into her drawers and threw some things in her bag before standing.
"You mean Calista Jane?" Tess asked, and when Chloe nodded, so did she. "Yeah, her boss let us see her prep room, but like I said, there's nothing there. Jared took pictures of everything though."
"I need to see it myself. Personally."
"I doubt the sleazeball owner will be happy that we're returning," Tess warned.
Slipping her badge into her pocket, Chloe grinned. "That's why you and Lincoln are coming with me."
*v*v*v*
While not having been invited, Philip had joined the threesome headed towards December's Lounge. He eyed the establishment, which was clearly preparing to open in a few hours. Like Tess had predicted, the boss was not happy to see them there again, but he'd had one of the girls show them to his office, where he awaited, obviously trying to appear like some hotshot Don Corleon type, but only really looked like a third-rate clerk at a porn shop.
"You already saw it," the man muttered unhappily.
"They did, not me," Chloe responded easily.
"Then you should'a come the first time," he muttered. "This ain't no charity. I was nice to yas before but ya can't keep thinking you can just waltz in here and-."
"Listen, there's a couple of different ways we can go about this," Lincoln declared as he leaned forwards, eyes on the owner. "Here's just two: you let us go and take another look and we'll be out as quickly as possible… or we go and get a court order for a warrant, and while we're at it we charge you with obstruction, possible conspiracy, check the status of your cleaning crew, as well as tie up your business in a long litigious-."
The owner let out a huge sigh. "Right this way." He stood and, after giving Lincoln a little glare, led the group towards the prep room.
Philip stayed in the back of the group, observing everyone, taking in their actions and reactions when they finally got to the prep room.
Chloe very visibly entered her own world and forgot there were other people around as she scrutinized every single details – wearing gloves to keep from contaminating anything-or something. He wasn't sure. He'd thought he'd had her pegged but now Philip realized Chloe Gibbs was weird, incredibly erratic and much of what she did nonsensical, yet it seemed to work somehow. That was why he'd decided to give every thing she did the benefit of doubt.
Tess really was a protection detail who branched out into investigative agent when her primary mission was safe and sound. Right now though, her primary objective was definitely not to investigate the room so much as it was to keep an eye on the owner and everyone else, securing the room and the blonde within. Philip had noticed her taking in how many people there were in the building, where they were stationed, everything.
Lincoln, for his point, leaned against a wall and just watched Chloe with a frown on his face. He didn't seem annoyed. No. that frown was more anxious than anything else, like he was expecting something bad to happen and was preparing himself so he'd react as quickly as possible. Which, given what Philip had seen of him, seemed to be Lincoln on default.
At first Philip had thought Lincoln as disapproving of Chloe's leadership as he'd been, or that they'd been some discontent or hostility breeding within him, but he'd seen enough by now to realize that wasn't the case. Lincoln's talents as an agent were being wasted because instead of being able to concentrate fully on the investigation he was focused on his boss. Not on her exactly, not in the typical way a man might usually focus on a woman, but she definitely was his focal point.
Chloe pressed the heel of her palm hard against her temple as she stared at a wall.
Lincoln frowned darker and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, personal-sized packet of Kleenex, which he placed wordlessly in her hand. Two seconds later her nose began to bleed.
"Thanks." Chloe's voice was muffled as she pressed the Kleenex to her nose, capturing the blood, yet not pausing in her investigation of the wall in question.
Philip couldn't see anything interesting about that wall, but then again he hadn't seen the sigils on the corpse, had he?
Benefit of doubt.
"You jus came here ta stare at a wall?" The owner asked in confusion.
Chloe visibly didn't hear him and was mumbling so softly under her breath Philip couldn't hear what she was saying. She opened her bag and searched through its contents absentmindedly before she found something and applied it on her gloves. Whatever it was, when she reached forwards and trailed her gloved finger against the wall in odd designs it didn't show up, not even as a glossy sheen.
When she was done, Chloe nodded to herself and turned to the owner. "So did you find her or did she find you?"
He blinked for a second. "Calista? She found me. Wanted a job. Said she needed money." He shrugged. "She was hot and could entertain, I figured why not?"
"What?" Chloe asked in utter confusion before she groaned and covered her face. "People can't hear your thoughts, Chloe. When are you going to remember that, Chloe?" She tried again after taking a very deep breath. "Sorry, I meant: did the witch know about the danger your kind is under and offered her services – or, when the plane was compromised and you realized it would be coming to us, did you search her out for a way to impede our investigation so your people could escape without us knowing what was going on – Agent Scott?"
Philip's eyes widened and his head swizzle towards the owner. He's John?
The owner's eyes were wide as well, and he turned to leave only to find Tess standing there, blocking the way, gun trained on him. Not even Philip, who'd thought he was at the back of the group, had noticed Tess moving during Chloe's monologue. He was highly impressed.
Lincoln gun was out as well, pointed at the owner, or Agent Scott.
John's a shapeshifter. Philip stared at his agent, who was now unrecognizable. Was John killed and replaced – or was he always the shapeshifter?
"How did you know?" John asked, very tired.
"A lot of things didn't make sense about this case, starting with you entering the building all hexed – yet the hexes were only meant to keep us chasing our own tails – quarantined in our own building – and away from the plane. The whole thing was confusing, and too coincidental for so many random things to be happening at the same time around the same plane… That's when I started with the premise that nothing was coincidental and everything was connected, which meant you were working with the shapeshifters and probably one of them yourself." Chloe continued to rub her temple. "These shapeshifters have survived hunting by completely immersing themselves with humans in a way that wouldn't draw too much attention to themselves, they're too careful to risk a move like this unless they had no other choice. It means they're being hunted, or running from something at least, and they wouldn't trust anyone but another of their kind to keep them safe. Since your girlfriend is clearly a witch, that meant the shapeshifter had to be you."
John Scott sighed as he hung his head in defeat.
"And I double checked my theory by accessing my department's file on you." Chloe didn't seem to notice John or Philip's surprise that the Fringe department had had a file on John before even meeting him. "You were in a motorcycle accident when you were a kid, the doctors didn't think you'd make it – but when they checked you the next morning you were conscious and quickly made a full recovery. That's your pack's MO, isn't it? Take the place of the dying—sustaining the same injuries yet using your quicker healing abilities to survive what killed the humans you replaced?" She pursed her lips. "I'm assuming there's a couple of you working in hospitals all across the nation to scout potential replacements."
John looked so nervous that he might puke. "We don't kill-we just want to live in peace. Maybe, if we don't give them a reason to-hunters will stop slaughtering our kind. We-."
"I know. Or, at least, I'd suspected as much." Chloe nodded as she drew towards him, hands clasped behind her back. "How can Fringe help?"
John's eyes widened. "Help?"
"Help?" Philip echoed the sentiment, but this time in derision. "They're creatures. Creatures who stole people's identities and crept their way into positions of trust where they can spy against us. If this has taught us anything, it's that these things cannot be trusted."
John flinched and lowered his head. "Sir, I apologize for the deceit, but my being a creature hasn't ever kept me from doing my job. I'm the man you always knew. You trusted."
Clearly that had been a mistake.
Philip had never mistrusted his judgment as much as he did at that moment. How had he not realized he'd had someone like John investigating The Pattern? No wonder Fringe had a higher clearance level than they did! At least everyone on that team were human!
"I don't share his prejudice," Chloe announced easily, drawing John's attention back on her. "There are evil humans and good creatures." She glanced towards Lincoln for some sort of backup, and to Philip's horror Lincoln lowered his gun, holstering it. "Tess-."
"I have been given the authority to override any order you give me if your order puts you in danger, ma'am," Tess interrupted, gun still pointed at John's back. "If he's really one of the good guys then he won't do anything to make me pull the trigger, so he shouldn't worry about my gun being trained at him."
A surprising smirk touched John's lips. "I like her." He sighed, his shoulders dragging for a second as he took in a deep breath, only to nod and level Chloe with his gaze. "I want Fringe to be given sole jurisdiction over our case, no one else."
"Done."
A muscle jumped in Philip's cheek. She did not have the authority to do that. Not when his division actually hired the creature using John's skin.
John sighed and nodded as he held out his wrists. "I'm ready to go in now."
*v*v*v*
Lincoln didn't trust Agent Broyles to let them handle this on their own in their own way. That was why, once they'd entered the Fringe offices he'd quietly asked Anne to not only make calling or texting in or out of the place impossible, but to instigate a little lockdown on their own. There were no sirens to warn those within, but should someone try to sneak out they'd definitely realize there was no way out, and should he be questioned Lincoln could remind Broyles they were detaining a 'high-level detainee who could not only change his appearance', but who'd already been given access to the building. Broyles wouldn't be happy about being kept confined inside in that way, but he'd be unable to truly argue with that reason.
Chloe didn't seem to have thought about this, as she'd instead taken Sam and Dean aside and was talking to them. The guys didn't seem very happy with whatever she was telling them, but given everything Lincoln wasn't surprised. There wasn't much to be happy about right now.
Thankfully the only ones in the interrogation other than John and Chloe were Tess and Lincoln himself – the rest of the team, and Broyles himself – were watching everything through the screens. So even though Broyles wasn't here to interrupt, Lincoln had no doubt the man was building a case against everyone very silently in his seat. Lincoln couldn't distract himself with those thoughts though, not with what was going on right now.
"You gave up your life as John Scott to become this man," Chloe commented as she eyed him. "What happened to the human you replaced?"
John sighed and leaned back hard in his seat. "He died years ago. December's Lounge has been a waystation for our kind when they're in trouble, a place for them to stay under the radar until they can either find a new body, or the heat is taken off of them and they can find a more permanent place. Ever since Ernie died in the 30s, one of our kind has assumed his mantle to keep watch over the strays and stragglers."
"How exactly does this work though?" Chloe asked curiously. "I thought you had to come into contact with the actual human to be able to take their shape – not just another shapeshifter in his shape."
"It only works with Ernie and a few select people who play similar key roles," John was clearly very uneasy divulging all this information. "Whoever wears them switches places every so often so they don't get attention due to their appearance not aging."
"So their appearance is the only thing that doesn't age, not the shapeshifter him or herself." Chloe tilted her head.
John nodded. "Those key identities are a mantle that's passed down to a select few who are charged with keeping our kind safe-a benefit of our ancestors' good relations with witches."
Lincoln hadn't had a case where supernatural beings of two completely different species worked together before, and the thought was more than a little intimidating. He understood Broyles' misgivings, hell, he had his own, but he wouldn't show any sort of dissension, especially not in front of Broyles. Once they had all the facts he'd talk to Chloe alone and share his concerns regarding this, until then he'd keep his own counsel and try to be as unbiased as possible, which, to be completely honest, wasn't that easy.
Was this what Peter would do were he here?
Lincoln had found himself asking that question over and over again. What would Peter have done? It'd started as a guideline to follow yet had quickly turned into a double-edged sword as Lincoln found himself questioning his decisions over and over again.
"So, John." Chloe folded clasped her hands together over the table's surface. "Why are your pack risking their anonymity and the safety it provides?"
John glanced towards the camera recording this, clearly uneasy, before he sighed and returned his gaze to Chloe. "We're not like many other shapeshifting clans, we don't have claws or fangs or heightened senses to protect us, we were given something else entirely, something which has kept us from being completely eradicated during the worse of the Hunting Wars." He leaned forwards and stared at Chloe. "We've got an instinct. For danger. And it's growing. Everywhere."
"What sort of danger?" Chloe asked softly.
Unease coiled in Lincoln's stomach. There was no way this could be related to their side project, could it? Clearly the question was running through Chloe's mind as well, but thankfully she wasn't giving anything away with her expression other than interest.
"What do you know about the beginning?" John finally asked.
"The beginning of what?" Chloe wanted to know.
"Of everything," he replied immediately. "The beginning of this world. Of humans and creatures. Of language and-."
Lincoln was glad his hands were on his thighs already and not visible under the table as he clenched them immediately in reaction. The beginning of language. The First Language. The language know one knew anymore, but Chloe kept scribbling out manically whenever she suffered through her fits.
Reed had said it was obviously important, although no one had been able to understand why. They hadn't really thought much of it, had just taken it in stride as yet another weird thing that happened when Chloe became overwhelmed with her Adept abilities and with the weakening of her bond with a temporary Bonder. They'd swept it under the figurative rug as something that would make sense once Chloe finally found a permanent Bonder. That was supposed to lessen, if not cure, her fits and everything that came with them – or so they believed.
But what if it was more than that?
What if this was a locked up part of Chloe's knowledge-base which was acting up because it could see things they did not? That it noticed signs they could not?
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. And God said, let there be light: and there was light." Chloe surprised him by quoting verbatim. She rested her elbows on the table and her chin on her laced fingers as she stared at John. "With current events being what they are I figured I should read some relevant resource materials."
Lincoln would've never considered the Bible a relevant resource material.
Peter might've.
Get your head in the game! You can't afford to overlook anything! Not anymore!
He made a mental note to start reading the Bible. It was right there on his list with finishing the books on quantum physics, world mythology, world religions, the Adept Files (as he was calling the extensive information Chloe had given him in regards to the Adept), as well as the various books on taking care of people with particular needs and other reference and resource material he had stacked up and waiting for him to dig in. It was a good thing he'd recently become an utter insomniac, as well as addicted to coffee, because with work and everything else going on around him he wouldn't have had any time to try and catch up on what he needed to do to make himself more useful in the organization.
Also, thankfully, many of those books were available in audio format so he could listen to them while exercising – because he couldn't let his body go to waste while trying to improve his mind. Without an Anchor Chloe was weak, both mentally, physically and emotionally, so without Peter to be there for her Lincoln had had to step up. He wasn't half the replacement he should've been, Peter was much smarter, but he had to try.
"You're talking about the beginning of humanity," John surprised them by saying. "Not about the beginning of monsters. God created man. He created angels. He did not create monsters."
Well, now that Lincoln thought about it he could get that. Monsters weren't exactly God's MO, were they? And yet, if God hadn't created monsters, who had? Who else had the power to create life? And why hadn't they heard of this person before? The thought that someone with that kind of power could be around, lurking in shadows and anonymity, was terrifying.
"Unlike your Father, the Mother of All has not forsaken her children," John continued in a soft yet happy tone. "Even in her own prison she weakens herself to send word to her First Children of the coming danger. We might be the first of her children to heed her call to seek shelter and hide from what is going to come, but we will not be the last."
"What does this… Mother of All… say is coming?" Chloe narrowed her eyes.
"A light which will burn the worlds with its fury," John whispered, clearly terrified. "I thought the Pattern was what would put this world, and our lives on it, in danger, that that was the danger we'd been feeling, but Mother has spoken. All we can do is hide within the recesses of the earth and hope that when the light burns the world, we will be safe deep within her." He sighed heavily as he leaned back against the seat. "But that will not be possible now that Agent Broyles knows, will it." He closed his eyes. "I will stay, I will suffer through any interrogation—will remain in prison—-will face the light and let it burn me to ash with the rest of the world—-but please allow my people to escape." His eyes opened as he stared into Chloe's. "Please give them a fighting chance."
Chloe stared into his eyes silently.
Lincoln knew she couldn't give him what he was asking for. It would be breaking all sorts of regulations. And John was right, now that Broyles and the base knew about the shifters there was no way that they'd be able to go free. People would view them as a threat, and they were. Even if John's story was true, that didn't mean anything.
Chloe continued to just stare silently at John, while John continued to hold her gaze and plead with his own.
Lincoln shifted a glance in Tess' direction, seeing the same unease on her expression. Her hand was on her holstered gun, clearly ready and willing to use it against the shifter if need be. Lincoln wasn't even sure whether she had tranqs or whether they were live rounds. He wasn't sure she cared either way as long as Chloe's safety was assured.
"You're not a threat, John," Chloe surprised Lincoln by announcing as she leaned back against the chair. "I asked you before how Fringe could help, and I meant it. Why do you think I didn't have the other shapeshifters at December's Lounge arrested along with you? Your pack is admirable. You don't kill innocent people. You take lives which are already gone. You're all also big into community service in one way or the other. I've been going through everyone's personal folders and you're good people." She grabbed her Suppressant, betraying the fact that something was happening to her, bothering her, but she was trying to push passed it and continue with this conversation. "I understand why Peter chose you. On paper you're amazing. But he didn't know what you are."
"I'm confused," John admitted. "Are you talking about Mr Bishop? Your consultant? What did he choose me for?"
"It doesn't matter now," she responded. "What matters is your girlfriend has finished freeing your friends from the quarantine they're in, and the building is very much blacked out right now. Everyone affected will probably have some form of memory loss."
"What are you saying?" Tess frowned. "If something were to happen the alarms—-."
"I deactivated them on our way in. I also lowered the wards." Chloe blinked at Tess, looking very confused for some reason. "How else was she supposed to be able to get everyone out of here?"
"Why would you do that?" Lincoln wanted to know, telling himself he had no right to feel a hurt that she hadn't trusted him enough to let him in on her plan. He didn't blame her, couldn't. He hadn't proven himself yet. He wasn't Peter. They both knew that.
Chloe's confusion seemed to grow as she looked at Lincoln. "Why would you ask me that? You know why." She then blinked, eyes wide. "You do know why? Right?" She flinched as she glanced between Lincoln and Tess. "I did share my plan with you guys, right?" When she was met with nothing but Lincoln and Tess' blank stares, Chloe groaned and grabbed her hair. "You have to verbalize your thoughts, Chloe! Why is that so hard to remember, Chloe?"
John just stared at her in utter confusion.
That part of Lincoln that'd been hurt at having been kept in the dark was relieved, and he was annoyed with it. His reasons for understanding her 'keeping him out of the loop' still remained.
The door suddenly flew open and Calista Jane stood there in jeans and a sequined shirt. She strolled into the interrogation room, ignoring the gun Tess had trained on her as she eyed John. "Hey babe. The family is still sedated, but safe and on their way towards our prior destination."
His eyes widened as he turned his gaze on Chloe. "You really did help them escape? Why?"
"That's what we'd like to know," Dean muttered as he strolled in with Sam behind him, his gaze on Chloe. "We only just barely got her to believe we'd knew she'd be there and were waiting to bring her in. She nearly hexed us too like the others. She got Anne and Jared before we could clear everything up, but Sam and I worked around that deviation to plan."
"What's going on, Chloe?" Sam wanted to know. "Why did you have us lower the defenses so she could break in?"
So that was why Chloe had pulled the brothers to the side when they'd first arrived!
"How did you even know the defenses would be down and you'd be able to break in this time?" Tess wanted to know, gun still trained on Calista.
"Because she told me," Calista responded with a 'duh' tone. She turned to Chloe with a smirk. "I still don't know how you saw the message board, but leaving a message in invisible ink—-how did you even know I'd get it?"
"You're resourceful," was all Chloe answered with a shrug. "I figured the shapeshifters left at the lounge would tell you where we'd arrested John, and you'd investigate it first, and you'd find my message."
Invisible ink?
Lincoln's eyes widened… Chloe hadn't been checking the wall, she'd been leaving a message!
The blonde turned to him and flinched. "I really thought I'd told you about my plan." The apology was clear in her tone before she cleared her throat and returned her attention to Calista. "I could really use a witch as strong as you from time to time. That was some impressive magic you displayed when you 'hexed' your boyfriend and got him passed my wards."
Calista eyed John before her gaze turned to Chloe. "I had to try and save them, but I couldn't risk actually hurting the Adept."
"And why's that?" Tess wanted to know.
"Because while I'm helping John's people get to safety, I refuse to believe some mysterious light will destroy us all," she replied. "There has to be a way to stop it from happening, and if there's anyone who has the knowledge to stop it, it's the Adept. There's been countless attempts at Apocalypses throughout the centuries - the Adepts know this, and even if she's not permanently bonded yet, that information is still in her." She raised her chin as she met Tess' gaze. "The only person in this room who isn't expendable is her. And I'm including myself."
Tess eyed Calista very seriously before she slowly, finally, put away her gun. "So we both agree on one thing, at least."
"So you really want us to follow the shapeshifters?" Dean made a face. "Protect them?"
Sam eyed John and Calista before he turned to Chloe. "That's not usually what we do."
"I know, but you're the only ones who can do this without it seeming weird," Chloe admitted. "You the Nomads, you're supposed to be on the road."
"You know what, if it gets me out of the damned psychological evaluation I'm in." Dean made a face. "I can't believe this is the better alternative."
Sam rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement to Chloe. "We'll go get everything prepared while everyone else is still out cold."
Lincoln watched them as they left, before he turned his attention back to the others.
"So, you're really going to let us go?" John asked in surprise. "But you'll get in trouble for this."
"I'll be getting something from you, something I need." Chloe leaned forwards. "I want all information you have about your Mother, her message, and the light that's supposed to destroy us." She glanced up at Calista. "That's where she comes in."
A muscle jumped in Calista's cheek but she nodded. "I can do it if Johnny says it's okay."
John didn't seem to understand, and then he did. "Do it."
Calista moved to stand between John and Chloe, placing her hands on their foreheads, and then her eyes flashed as she whispered: "Wohs reh lla ehs sdeen ot ees."
Chloe and Johnny's eyes clouded over, flashing like Calista's.
Lincoln stood, uneasy, as was Tess, but he stood his ground.
That was until Chloe and John both collapsed, unconscious, on the table.
Calista groaned, a hand to her head. "They're fine, that's just—-I couldn't—-they need to sleep. Me too. But we have to go. Now."
Tess turned to Lincoln.
Easing the sleeping blonde into his arms, Lincoln nodded. "Do it."
Tess sighed and nodded. "C'mon Top Hat. Let's get you and your boyfriend out here before I change my mind."
*v*v*v*
This entry in the series is coming to an end soon...