Hey guys! So, there's four chapters left in Animo, which means there's four chapters left in My Animal! Excited? Sad? Disappointed? No worries, lovelies, as there will be a sequel! So, I hope you like this chapter. It's one of my favorites. I love Adam. I love him so much. Enjoy!

Chapter Thirteen: Heart

We ran toward the waiting jet, Thor trying his best to not jostle Mo too much. Her eyes were still shut; she was out cold.

Rogers and Stark jumped inside, tumbling across the metal floor. They regained their feet quickly and went back to the entrance, holding out their arms. Thor lifted Mo up and handed her over. Stark grabbed her upper body while Rogers took her legs. Once she was safely inside, Stark cradled her against his chest and disappeared farther inside.

Rogers crouched down and helped the rest of us get in. I went last, but as soon as my feet hit the floor I was sprinting toward wherever Stark had taken her. Turns out he was at the back of the large open space. Mo was still in his arms as there was no other place to put her. Natasha was nearby talking to Adam, who was slumped against the wall.

Finger pressed to his ear, Rogers rushed past me and over to Stark. He was talking hurriedly to someone. Most likely it was Fury. Hopefully he was requesting medical assistance; Mo and her brother didn't look so good.

I slowed my pace a bit and went to Stark's side. "Here, I can take her," I said quietly, holding out my arms. Stark nodded once and carefully transferred Mo to me. I adjusted her slightly, and then walked over to where Natasha and Adam were, leaving Stark to speak with Rogers and Fury.

"How is she?" Natasha asked as I drew closer.

I looked down at Mo's peaceful face, and noticed for the first time the faint freckles that dotted her cheeks, which were flushed. I brushed a curl back behind her ear; she didn't move. "Well," I answered after a moment. "She's not looking too good."

An alarmed looked crossed Adam's face, and he lifted his head. His blue eyes, the ones that matched Mo's perfectly, were wide with fear. Even beneath the dried blood and bruises, his eyes were bright. "She's going to be okay, isn't she?" he inquired urgently.

"Your sister is strong. She's going to be just fine." Banner walked up behind me and smiled down at Mo before looking to Adam. "She just needs a few stitches and some rest. She'll be up and around in no time."

Adam tilted his head. "Are you a doctor?"

Banner's lips pressed into a thin line. "Sort of."

"How can you be – " But Banner was already walking away to get involved in the conversation with Fury. Adam looked to me instead. "What does he mean?"

"He's a science doctor, not a medical doctor. But he's smart enough to know that Mo's going to pull through," I replied. "We all are, in fact."

Natasha gave him a reassuring smile. "She's in good hands."

Adam's eyes dart to my face. Within them I see a flicker of doubt. I try to smile at him, but it probably looked as forced as it felt. Instead of returning the gesture, he frowned at me. What was his problem? I looked down at Mo, still lying limp in my arms; a real smile tugged at my lips. It was probably nothing.

A little over an hour later, a perky blonde came sprinting toward the four of us. A white lab coat brushed around her ankles as she slid to a stop beside me. "Agent Barton!" she exclaimed, smiling faintly.

I tilted my head. She looked familiar. Where did I know her from? I thought back to November, to the fight on Thanksgiving, and the hospital visit afterward. The nurse that was there, stitching me and Mo up… Taylor Burns. That's what her name was! "Taylor," I replied, nodding in acknowledgement.

Her eyes flicked down to Mo. "Oh my God," she breathed, lifting a hand to her mouth. "They didn't mention she was this bad."

"You can help her, right?" Adam was staring at Taylor with a hopeful expression.

Taylor smiled at him. "Of course I can. Don't you worry. Are you her brother I've been hearing about?" Adam nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm going to patch you and your sister up, and you're both going to be good as new."

Adam, seemingly satisfied, attempted to get to his feet. As I had my hands full, Natasha stepped in and threw his arm over her shoulder, slipping her arm around his waist as she did so. Taylor's normally excited and silly expression hardened into one of strict professionalism. "I need tables, two sheets, and my medical bag," she said loudly. Thor went to get the bag while Banner and Stark wheeled two tables over. Rogers came jogging in with pristine white sheets gripped tightly in his arms.

"I need one on this side and one on the other," Taylor commanded. Everyone rushed to do as she wished. Rogers draped the sheets over the metal tables as soon as they were put into place. A cart was also brought over for Taylor's medical supplies. Natasha helped Adam get situated on his designated table. He leaned his back against the wall, sitting up to watch what everyone else was doing.

Taylor appeared at my side. "Lay her down here," she said quietly, motioning toward the table in front of me.

Cautiously, I lifted Mo up and set her gently on the smooth metal, lowering her upper body down slowly so as not to let her smack her head. In the meantime, I asked, "So, Taylor. Not to sound offensive, but why'd they send you? I thought you were just a nurse."

"I'm not offended, so don't worry." She grinned. "I've been promoted, actually. I'm not a nurse anymore; I'm a full-fledged doctor now. And Fury thought it'd be best for me to come, since you and Mo already know me. He came to me personally to ask."

My brow furrowed as I brushed Mo's hair back from her face again. "Why does it matter if I already knew you?"

"Fury said you'd trust me to help Mo more than a stranger. I wouldn't have to worry about getting thrown out of the jet."

I raised my eyebrows as my jaw dropped open a little. Fury said that to her? She burst into laughter then, pointing at me. "Oh, God, you're face!" She was giggling like a madwoman and she grabbed a handful of bandages out of her bag. "Oh, man, that's too funny."

I gave her a half smile. "Just so you know, I wouldn't have thrown you out of the jet. But I probably wouldn't have left your side, either."

Taylor smiled at me, a genuine smile. "That is so cute," she gushed. "Does Mo know?" She paused. "Actually, I don't think I know. I want to hear you say it. Come on, Agent."

I rolled my eyes at her goading but couldn't suppress a smile. "I may or may not be just a little bit in love with this girl," I murmured quietly, brushing my fingertips along Mo's arm, being careful to avoid the still-bleeding wounds. The white sheet she was lying on was already turning crimson. Hopefully we had extras.

Taylor squealed. "I knew it! I knew it! Ever since the day I met you two, I could see it in your eyes as soon as you woke up. You two are perfect for each other. Absolutely perfect!"

My cheeks heated up a little. She was talking really loudly, but I don't think she realized it. Someone cleared their throat from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder. Adam was watching me. He jerked his head at me, a silent command to go over to him. I swallowed sharply, nodded to Taylor, and gave Mo a last look before ducking my head down and striding over to Adam's bedside.

"You promised," he began as soon as I neared him. "that my sister would be save. You said you'd bring her back to me. What if she dies?"

I narrowed my eyes, but tried not to be too hostile. It was Mo's brother, after all. "I promised you we'd save her, and we will. You need to think positively. Taylor is one of the best that S.H.I.E.L.D. can offer; she'll get the job done right." Adam wouldn't look at me. "You have to trust us. Please."

A bitter chuckle escaped Adam's throat. "You know, the day after Mo's birthday I went into her bedroom to wake her up. I had it all planned out: I was going to tell her she was late for school, even though it was a Sunday. She always hated when I did that. She'd yell and scream and smack me, but I'd hit her with one of her pillows, and everything would be okay. We'd have a pillow fight. I'd let her win, all the time, because I liked to see her happy."

I was silent, waiting for him to continue. He shook his head and stared at his knees. "But when I turned her light on, there was nobody asleep in her bed. The covers were pulled up, the pillows were neatly arranged… It looked like nobody had ever slept there before. I panicked; I'll admit to that. I ran into our parents' room and woke them up. It couldn't have been later than seven in the morning."

He laughed dully and looked up, making eye contact with me before continuing. "They calmed me down and told me that Mo had been taken to New York with the heroes who stopped the alien invasion the year before. They told me that you all had promised to keep her safe, and not let her get into too much trouble. I was sad for a while because I didn't get to say goodbye to her, or wish her luck." His lips pressed into a thin line. "The police started an investigation soon after, because Mo didn't show up for school the next day. They had no clues to follow, of course. You guys are pretty thorough. We thought the secret of Mo's disappearance would be easy to keep."

I knew what was coming next: the fight only weeks after we took her. He went on. "And then we saw her on TV on Thanksgiving, fighting alongside the Avengers. We watched her save your life, you know. Did you ever thank her?"

"Of course I did," I snapped back. Did he think I wasn't grateful for all that Mo had done for me?

Adam laughed. "Good." Then his eyes hardened again, and he continued the story. "The news people wanted to do a story over Mo's disappearance the significance of a new heroine in New York. It broke my mom's heart to say that she had no idea who that girl on TV was. She went home and cried."

I opened my mouth to make a comment, but he held out a hand to stop me. "The tears didn't stop there. We spent Christmas alone, without Mo singing Christmas carols and insisting on drinking hot chocolate every night before bed. There were no sounds of her knocking things over in the kitchen as she made sugar cookies, so cheers whenever she wrapped the perfect present. We had none of that."

I didn't have the heart nor the guts to tell him what happened to Mo on Christmas. He'd have skinned me alive if I told him I kissed his sister without her permission. I tried not to give anything away as I paid rapt attention to what he was saying.

"Her friends missed her on New Year's when Jenna threw a party. Several boxes of chocolate showed up on our doorstep from anonymous boys on Valentine's Day, hoping that Mo had returned in the night. Mom did nothing but cry on Mother's Day, and Dad took out his frustration on our backyard grill on Father's Day. We had to buy a new one for the Fourth of July, when we turned down invitations from our neighbors to spend the afternoon with them."

Rubbing the back of my neck, I shifted my feet. I wasn't comfortable having this one-sided conversation; I hadn't even stopped to consider what toll her time with us was having on her family.

Adam wasn't finished. "And then I got taken in the middle of the night, by a man who said he was looking for my sister. When I wouldn't reveal her location, he stabbed and beat me, all the while mocking me with those creepy yellow eyes of his." His face twisted in disgust. "He said he'd already met her, but she'd slipped through his fingers again. He said he kissed her." He glared at me. "How could you let something like that happen."

"I'm sorry," I answered, ashamed. I knew that no matter how many times I said it, it was never going to be enough. It would never make up for the damage that had been done to Mo's family, let alone what had been done to her brother. "I'm sorry."

We were both silent after that. I took in Adam's bruised and bloodied face, his battered body, and blood-caked skin, and wondered how on Earth we'd gotten him into this mess. How had we even gotten Mo into this? What did the aliens want with her? She was just a normal human girl, with nothing to worry about but homework and boy drama. But, of course, that wasn't quite true. Mo was no ordinary girl; she was extraordinary, and she made the little things seem a million times better. Her smile could light up a whole room, her laugh could bring warmth to the coldest of hearts, and one look from those gray-blue eyes could bring a grown man (like myself) to his knees. She was a goddess among mortals, and she didn't even realize it.

Adam cleared his throat a while later. "I see the way you look at her, you know."

I raised my eyebrows at him, feeling a blush creep onto my cheeks. "Um, what?"

"Mo. My sister. I can see your devotion every time you look her way. Your face gets softer, like she's something precious." He grinned to himself. "And she is. Everyone adores her back home. She just has that effect on people. She had so many admirers in school, but none of them were ever good enough for her. She only had eyes for one."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Brendon," I forced out, feeling like the name was choking me.

Adam looked genuinely surprised. "She told you about him?"

"More or less."

A lopsided grin makes its way onto his face. "Brendon Masters. He's her friend Jenna's cousin, and a twin. I never really understood how she could like one more than the other, but I guess that's just the way she operates. Different from everyone else, you know?"

"She's really something, that sister of yours," I agreed, nodding my head.

"She's smart is what she is. Those boys that tailed her like lovesick puppies were the wrong sort for her. Partiers, drinkers, jocks… She didn't go for any of them. She only wanted Brendon, a boy who was an okay soccer player. He wasn't popular, he wasn't outrageously cool. He was just the only one she saw in a school full of able teenage boys." He chuckled. "I don't like the idea of her being with anyone, but that Masters kid is the best of them."

I wasn't sure if he was trying to deter me from liking his sister or just laying down the facts for me, but either way I wasn't feeling very encouraged. The way he made it sound, she'd been head over heels for him for a very long time, and for all the right reasons. He was more than just a pretty face to her. He was worthy of her attention.

"But the way she looks at you? I've never seen it before."

My head snapped up to fix a surprised gaze on Adam's face. "Excuse me?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but every time you look away, her eyes are on you. Always looking to see where you are, making sure you're all right." I gave him a look of disbelief. He held up his hands. "I've known that girl since she was born. I was there with our mom in the hospital. I know everything there is to know about her, including the different faces she makes when she's around people, depending on who they are. You, sir, must be something special."

I tilted my head. "What do you mean?"

Adam smiled knowingly at me. "She seems so happy around you. When she was being dragged away from us back at that alien place, she immediately looked to you for help. She trusts you more than she does any of the rest of them. She adores you. Don't you see it?"

I blinked a few times, trying to comprehend everything Adam was saying. The way he told it made it sound like Mo was just as in love with me as I was with her. That didn't seem possible, though. She wouldn't have reacted the way she did when I kissed her if she liked me like that. Although, that was several months ago…

"She's awake," Adam said suddenly.

I looked over to where I'd left Mo with Taylor. She was watching the doctor take a syringe and bottle of clear liquid from her medical bag, apprehension on her face. I looked back to Adam. "I've got to go help her," I explained as I started to move away. He nodded in understanding.

"Oh, and Barton?" I paused. "Don't think that, just because you get my seal of approval, I won't kick your ass if you hurt her."

I grinned at him and managed a wave before walking quickly over to Mo's side. Her eyes were shut, and a look of extreme pain was etched onto her features. "Is she all right?" I asked, looking at Taylor questioningly.

Mo managed a nod before the doctor could answer. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice croaky.

I automatically enveloped her small hand in my larger one. I smiled down on her, though she couldn't see it. "You don't look fine," I countered, taking in the pink stained bandages that covered most of her body. "You look like a shredded mess."

She glared at me with one eye. "Thanks so much," she said back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I smiled cheekily at her. "Of course. Anytime."

She opened both eyes and gave me a smirk. She stared at me for a long moment before her expression turned to confusion. "What were you talking to my brother about for so long?" she inquired, looking suspiciously at me.

I smoothed her hair back from where it was covering part of her face, trying my best not to smile. Adam's words were still swimming through my mind. She leaned into my touch, pressing her cheek against my palm."Nothing that you need to worry about, all right? You just need to focus on getting better. You and your brother both," I answered.

She turned away from me with a curt nod and looked to Taylor, who was gathering up more material for stitches. Both of Mo's legs were done, as well as her left arm. "Almost done," Taylor said reassuringly, smiling at her.

Taylor came around to my side and asked me politely to move out of the way so she could get to Mo's right arm. I begrudgingly let go of Mo's hand and stepped aside, tensing up as I waited for the needle to touch Mo's skin. I hoped that Taylor had numbed her up first; I hated seeing Mo with needles.

The doctor lowered the pointy silver object toward the gash in the crook of Mo's elbow, getting ready to stitch it up. As soon at the tip touched skin, Mo lunged upward and wrapped her thin fingers around Taylor's throat, baring her teeth with an angry snarl. "Stop," she hissed murderously. "That hurts."

I jumped forward immediately and grabbed Mo's wrist, trying to pull her away. I tried desperately to pry her fingers off Taylor's neck, but it wasn't working well. "Mo! What are you doing?" I asked in surprise.

Mo's head whipped around to face me so fast I was amazed her neck didn't snap. "She hurt me," she growled in response. Taylor's eyes were wide in terror. She looked pleadingly at me, begging me to help her.

"Mo, knock it off," I commanded, lowering my voice to a warning octave. "You can't just attack people like that!"

My attempts at pulling her away from Taylor finally succeeding, and I held her tightly against my chest, wrapping my arms around her shaking body. She struggled in my grasp, using her nails to claw at my arms as she squirmed. She was hissing and spitting and acting like a deranged cat. Her nails left gashes in my skin that soon started to bleed, but still I held on.

Rogers and Stark came running over, shouting at the both of us to find out what was going on. Taylor had stumbled over to Adam's side of the room, sobbing quietly with her arms wrapped around herself. Mo's fight for freedom wasn't relenting.

"Mo, listen to me. You have to calm down," I whispered roughly to her. She made no sign that she'd heard me. "Mo, please. This isn't like you. You have to stop. No one is going to hurt you, I promise."

Her struggles started to become weaker as unconsciousness began to take over. Before she collapsed back against my chest, however, she looked up at me with wide eyes. Amidst the normal gray-blue of her eyes, I swore I saw a faint trace of yellow around the black of her pupils. But then she passed out again, closing her eyes, and I was left to wonder if I'd just imagined the whole thing.

By the time Mo woke up again, Taylor had finished with her stitches and had moved on to Adam, who had been put under and was now sleeping soundly. Rogers and Stark were in the cockpit talking to the pilot. I sat by Mo's side, fighting the urge to scratch the Band-Aids that were stuck to the scratches on my arms. At least they'd stopped bleeding.

Mo's eyes snapped open, and I automatically checked for any sign of that yellow color from before. There was nothing there. She quickly tried to sit up, but I stepped forward and rested my hand on her back, helping her into a seated position. "Easy," I murmured gently.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice slurred from sleep. It was actually kind of adorable. Nonetheless, I looked away, unable to relay for her things she'd done, or the fear she'd caused Taylor to experience. "Barton," she said bitterly. "I asked you a question."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably and looked back to her, giving her what I hoped was a reassuring look. "Nothing much. You attacked Taylor, and then you passed out. You scared the shit out of all of us, though, and Taylor hasn't spoken since."

Mo looked down and buried her face in her hands, hunching over her knees. "I'm so sorry, Barton. I'm so, so sorry," she said quietly, feeling what was probably a sudden wave of guilt.

I moved closer to her and put my hand on her back again, rubbing the center of her spine in soothing circles, trying to calm her down. "Hey, it's all right," I said consolingly. "Nobody blames you. You've been through an ordeal today, what with the aliens and all. You just got a little crazy, that's all." She ignored me. Frustrated, I lifted her chin with my fingers and fixed her with a stern gazed. "Nobody blames you, Mo," I said again.

Again, she refused to acknowledge my words. "Where's Taylor?" she asked.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "She's working on Adam now."

Mo pushed herself off the table and got to her feet. Her knees buckled as soon as she touched down, however, and she had to grip the edge of the table to keep her balance. I tried to help her, but she shot me down. "I'm fine," she said unconvincingly.

I watched her limp over to Taylor, her legs still a little wobbly. I sat back down beside her "bed" and looked my arms over, taking in the angry red slashes and the boring tan Band-Aids. What had happened to her? She had never, ever acted like that before, and, quite frankly, it scared the hell out of me. Here was a girl who seemed so cheerful and happy almost all the time, but she'd just attacked someone who was trying to help her. It made no sense. And there was that thing with her eyes…

She was back before I realized it, trying to climb back onto the table. I stood up and assisted her; she seemed a lot more willing to accept my help now. Without any prompting from me, she reached for my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine. "Don't leave, all right?" she asked softly.

"I promise," I replied, giving her a warm smile. Seconds later, she was asleep.

I sat there watching over in silence for a few minutes, studying her face and trying to figure out her motives. Banner strolled over after a little while and stood on the opposite side of the table from me. "How's she doing?" he inquired with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "What the hell happened, do you think?"

He shrugged. "She's been put under a lot of stress lately. She could have just cracked under the pressure. It happens to the best of us."

I shook my head furiously. "No, no, not to her. Not to Mo. Her eyes, Banner. Right around her pupil was starting to turn yellow, like the shade of the aliens'." I was breathing heavily, trying to piece together my scattered thoughts. "I think you need to check over her again. I think Garfield may really have done something to her."

The next time Mo awoke was when the pilot guided the jet down into the middle of her hometown's football field. It was time to return Adam. I wouldn't allow her to get off the table on her own; this time, she didn't argue. I put my arm around her shoulders, and together we shuffled out of the jet.

I had to admit, I was a little nervous about seeing the people Mo grew up with. I was concerned that she'd do something to blow her cover and give everything away. That wouldn't be good.

"Mo!" someone called as we walked across the gras.

Stark was striding toward us, clutching something in his hand. "What?" Mo responded, turning toward him.

I narrowed my eyes at whatever Stark was holding, trying to figure out what it was. He paid me no mind as he pressed it into the palm of Mo's hand. It was the eye mask she'd worn to the masquerade ball.

"What the hell do I need this for?" she inquired, throwing him a suspicious look.

Stark pressed his lips together in exasperation. "Rogers thinks it would be a good idea for you to wear it once all the people start swarming us. We don't want everyone to know who you are just yet. Okay?"

Mo nodded in understanding. "Yeah, all right. Is Adam coming?"

I smiled. Of course he would be coming. Why else would we be here?

Stark wasn't quite as amused. "Duh. Why do you think we landed here? We're taking him home. He should be out shortly. Put that mask on." And then he was gone, disappearing back into the jet.

Mo slipped the mask down over her eyes and then turned to me with a grin. "Do I look like a stranger?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. Of course you do," I replied, not really meaning it. I smiled. "Mo, I've spent almost an entire year with you. No, you don't look like a stranger. But to people who don't know you as well, you'll look like a different person." She shook her head at me and looked away, but not before I caught her smiling.

A few minutes later, police sirens began to wail. Three cop cars skidded around the corner and sped toward us, tearing up the grassy field as they went. They stopped a few feet away from us. The people of the town followed shortly after. From the corner of my eye I could see Mo searching the crowd anxiously.

One officer, a man with a rather large stomach, strode toward us and stopped directly in front of me. "You," he said in an official tone, jabbing his finger toward my chest. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

I stuck out my hand, waiting for him to shake it. "Agent Clinton Barton, codename Hawkeye," I informed him. "I'm a member of the Avengers. You know, the heroes who saved New York from the Chitauri two years ago?" He merely blinked at me. I dropped my hand back to my side and went on. "We're returning a boy who was taken from his home almost four days ago. I believe this town has been missing one Adam Monet?"

The officer nodded, and quickly added in, "And his sister, Kristy. Do you have her too?"

Mo shook her head at him. "No, sir," she said formally. "Just the boy."

The officer sighed sadly, dropping his gaze to his feet. "That's a shame. Been gone almost a year. I don't know how her poor mother can stand it."

Mo tensed up beside me, looking stricken. I knew exactly what she was thinking: she wanted to see her mom. Ever so slightly, so the cop couldn't see it, I shook my head at her. Her blue eyes took on a pleading look. I shook my head again. Any sign of familiarity toward her mother would give her away for sure.

The rest of our team was beginning to exit the jet now. Thor had his arm across Adam's shoulder blades, leading him out at the front of the group.

"Is this your jet?" the officer asked, eyeing the team warily.

Mo pulled a cocky smirk and replied, "No, sir. We've never seen it before in our lives." He gave her a nasty glare, but she ignored him with a smile. "Where are the boy's parents?" she asked.

The officer waved his hand at us and motioned for us to follow. Mo was feeling strong enough to walk on her own, so I removed my arm from around her. Our elbows still brushed against each other as we followed the officer. Thor helped Adam limp along right behind us, and the rest of the group was just after them.

The crowd split into two groups and created a path for us as we approached, allowing us a full view of man and a woman. They were Mo's parents. Even though the man had deep green eyes, Mo was the spitting image of the woman, down to the slight build and the light sprinkle of freckles. Between the mother and father, I could see where Mo got her good looks from. Adam, too.

Mo's eyes filled with something close to sadness and directed her gaze at her shoes, refusing to look up. As soon as her mother caught sight of her battered son, she burst into tears. Thor helped him forward and handed him over to Mo's father. Their mother threw her arms around Adam and held him tightly, while their father patted him on the back, being wary of the injuries he'd suffered.

When the woman stepped back, she immediately looked to Mo, who looked like she was battling different emotions. Her mother's eyes welled up with tears once more, and she covered her mouth with her hands. She recognized her daughter, even with the mask.

Mo gave me a helpless look, begging me to allow her to hug her mom. I didn't say anything, but I didn't look away. My fingers brushed against the back of her hand, reassuring her. She looked back to her mom and shook her head, but gave her a small smile.

No sooner had Mo's mother dropped her hand than the crowd around us began to rush forward, pulling us roughly into embraces and nearly ripping our arms out of our sockets with vigorous handshakes. I kept my eye on Mo at all times, even as several people pushed me away from her.

Some huge woman pulled me into a tight hug, nearly strangling me in the process. I turned my face to the side to avoid getting a face full of chest and noticed that Mo was nowhere to be found. I politely disengaged myself from the lady's arms and straightened up, looking around wildly for her curly brown head.

By the time I found her, she was almost running toward a tall boy with blonde hair and green eyes. A smile broke out on both their faces. Whoever he was, he must have realized who it was. He matched her pace and met her halfway, pulling her into his arms as she looped her fingers through his collar and tugged him toward her.

I didn't register who it was until she stood up on the tips of her toes and kissed him. Brendon. It was Brendon.

I blinked a few times and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I turned my face toward the ground, trying to regain my composure. When I was sure I wasn't about to have a heart attack, I looked back up. Mo pulled back from the kiss right after, and the smile that stretched across her face was reflected on Brendon's. It was the happiest I had ever seen her before.

"Now, that is how it's supposed to be," I heard her say. At the same time, she looked my way. Our eyes locked, but I gave her a blank stare. Her words were like a blow to my heart. No doubt she was comparing that moment to Christmas Eve. What was I thinking?

I motioned toward the jet with my head, noticing that the rest of the team was starting to head back. She got the message and turned back to Brendon. I didn't bother hanging around after that. I knew I wouldn't want to hear whatever they said.

My heart was pounding in my ears as I made my way toward the jet. I heard Stark give an impressed whistle from behind me. "Quite a show there, Mo," he praised.

Mo didn't respond, but I knew she was close by me. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw her keeping pace with me, a grin lighting up all of her features. She was radiant, and it was all because of that boy.

I cleared my throat and looked away, pain taking over all of my senses. i was wrong, I was so wrong. Everything that Adam had been saying was a lie. Mo did not like me like I liked her. Mo did not like me at all.