Chapter 21: Training, Again

Aside from the concussion, we repeat everything. Today, which is a week before Christmas, Henri decides it's time to replace the kitchen table with the ironwood one he bought almost a month ago. It has been sitting on my truck this whole time. He also says that if I'm able to lift it with one finger, we can go for the truck next and then uproot the dead tree. On the way out to the driveway, Four rushing past by us murmuring Sarah's name stills us in our spot.

"It's acting time Sam."

"We're still doing it?"

"Of course."

We let them have their moment and take our time to go to the truck. I look at the black polished table and whistle, "What a beauty."

"Hmm, this better be worth it. Come on Sam, lift."

"Won't you be lifting?"

"In appearance only."

Of course. I look at the heavy beast and exhale, "Here we go." My eyes widen when I feel the excruciating weight. Henri on the other end stares at me hard, "Try again." I do so and nothing. I grunt.

"Again," says Henri for the tenth time and I suddenly find myself surprised when I feel nothing this time and lift it off the ground unevenly on my end.

"What happened?"

"You've never carried something this heavy before and so you're body had to familiarize with it first. As soon as it knew what it's up against, it absorbs everything and you're able to carry it without a problem."

The dulled heaviness reduced to a tingling sensation. I grin and shake my head. It seems that certain sensation is still there after all, albeit temporarily.

"Try with a finger this time."

Again, I do so: it crunches at first but then like magic, the table is lifted - by a finger.

"Wow!" I look back the house, "Do you think we've left them with enough time to reacquaint?"

Henri snorts and laughs, "Yup. Come on; let's bring this mama in."

I lift the ironwood and fix the uneven problem on Henri's end through telekinesis. Henry was right: the light feeling actually spreads. We both pretend that we are out of breath as soon as he pushes the door open. Four and Sarah comes out of the corresponding Garde's room all disheveled. Oh there will definitely be another serious talk coming. They are moving way too fast! We set the table down in the living room first.

"I don't even how you two can carry that thing! Do you need any help Henri?" politely asks Sarah, who is trying to regain her breathing.

He motions with his hand and tells her to help John put the old kitchen table out to the backyard instead.

Henri and I try to go at the same pace they do. A couple of steps first carrying the table, and then putting it down for some breath. Repeat. If Sarah isn't here, this would have taken us two minutes tops. I splash myself with some water, pretending to be sweaty. I then excuse myself, like Henri, to change. Refreshed, I prepare dinner for us: baked salmon topped with mayonnaise and seasoning.

"Sarah just came back from the trip to Colorado," explains Four as we all take our seats around the new kitchen table.

"It was amazing! There were probably thirty people helping out at all times, around the clock. The building went up so fast and it's so much nicer than it was before. We built this cat tree in one of the corners, and I swear the whole time we were there, there were cats playing on it."

~Excerpt From: Jobie Hughes. "I Am Number Four."

I could have been there with them if I wanted to but, a deal is a deal.

Before we eat, Sarah's mom pulls into the driveway; so I transfer her food instead into a container so that she could eat it on the way home. She gives Four a lingering kiss before leaving. Back to only just the three of us, Four starts the conversation:

"Do you think it is possible for us to be loved by humans?"

Henri, who is halfway putting the salmon-filled-spoon into his mouth, pauses. "What?" He puts the spoon back down. "What are you saying, Four?"

I wonder the same, but in reverse. If I'm supposed to be one of them now, is it possible for a Loric to love me? Am I supposed to be loved by one of them in the first place? I think of Emily Knapp. Does that mean we have no chance? I try to grasp the feelings I once felt for her; they still linger but they don't associate with her anymore necessarily - just with the possibility. Besides, it's not like we actually talked with each other before. Speaking of which, talk about unrequited…attraction.

"I don't think it's impossible…" Four lights up at this, "but only if they don't know what we are." He frowns dejectedly. "You have to remember that we're completely different from them. Our planet, you understand, has given us gifts. You know having Legacies is one of them, but so is being able to love completely. Without jealousy or insecurity or fear. Without pettiness. Without anger. You may have strong feelings for Sarah, but they aren't what you would feel for a Loric girl ." (Excerpt From: Jobie Hughes. "I Am Number Four.")

"But what about Sam?"

Thanks for speaking that out loud Four. I look at Henri with a do-answer-that-truthfully look. I am itching to know.

The Cepan hesitates, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" asks Four and I in unison.

He offers me a "We'll find out I guess", shrugging. I look down, my appetite: lost.

Four scratches his neck, "One more thing." Henri finally takes a bite of the salmon and chews. "Something happened between Sarah and I awhile ago." The motion stops. And by the stars I swear I don't know how I am able to push the water down my throat!

"Go on."

"I didn't know what or how it happened really, but I kind of, heard the beating of her heart - literally." I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they didn't go that far ahead but hmm...

Henri's eyes widens which makes me wonder: Is that it? Is that the sign? "You heard it? Are you sure?" He gets up from his seat, his meal unfinished. I sigh - all this food for nothing. He paces back and forth, "This isn't supposed to happen."

"What isn't supposed to happen?"

"Tell me Four, did she hear it too?"

"What, her heart beating?"

I want to smack him. Yes John her heart beating, because there's just that meaning to it.

"No" you idiot, I bet Henri wanted to say, "your heart Four. Did she hear it too? Wait a minute, were you too doing what I think you're doing?"

Four turns beat red, almost like a tomato, from head to neck. So they were on their way to going that far. I shudder. "We got interrupted. Before you guys came however, she asked me if I heard that, her hand finding my chest at the same time. The thing is, I heard it - hers - too, but I shake my head because I didn't know how to explain it. Then you guys came and maybe, hopefully, she had forgotten all about it already."

Oh geez.

Henri inhales and exhales. He pinches the bridge of his nose then leans his elbows onto the table, "It's proof John. She's the one. Your mate. And I doubt that she has forgotten."

Four's eyes sparkle as he sucks in breath. I don't know, "Is it her truly? Of course it's her. I knew it Henri, from the very beginning." I smile at this - that, I can attest to. "What do I do now? What do I say when she asks again?"

Henri's eyes lift, "Again?"

Four's head ducks down then like a kid, he peeks. "For future reference?" I don't know how Henri can be so calm right now. The Garde he raised is indirectly asking him for permission to be with his girlfriend-now-mate.

"I know," I cut in. They look at me all of a sudden - finally noticed I'm here eh? To clarify, I say, "Easy. You Four, will tell her the truth. She won't believe it, probably like I did since you'll be all serious about it and suffice to say it'd be predictable that she'll laugh. When she sees you aren't joking, she'll ask you to prove it. You know what to do after that."

The Garde turns to Henri, "I will show her." Oh yes he will. This statement isn't even one asking for permission. From now on, knowing that he has found his other half, Four starts the "no more secrets" rule. The question now is, how well will Sarah take them?

Henri rolls his eyes, "Ok. Though from here on out, her life is on your hands." Like my own is mine's.

"I'll die protecting her."

"I know."

"Uh guys?" I hate to break this moment but they were currently forgetting something, "her family?" Like a three-hundred-sixty degrees turn, the Four's mouth flips into a frown.

"First, we find out how she handles it. If everything's good, we stage her death," says Henri.

What? I blink. Then we run away right? Is this how it's going to happen? Four doesn't take the news lightly; "It's the only way John," I pipe in. "If we don't, her family will be endangered."

The strain he's in becomes evident from the clenching of his jaw, "But how?" His face full of sorrow. "I cannot do this to her."

Henri slams his hands on the table,"Damn Four! I warned you about relationships! But you very well insisted didn't you?" Four shrinks and Henri softens his voice, "You know what? Let's just see how she takes it first."

On the next couple of days, Four becomes very frustrated. He comes in, throwing his bag across the floor, exclaiming, "She doesn't want to talk to me!"

Henri and I look at him dumbfounded.

"She might think I want to break up with her or something. I don't know. She has been avoiding me lately. I tried talking to her but it's either a 'Sorry John, I'm trying to concentrate here' or 'John, Ms. so and so is teaching'. When I try to catch her during lunch, she squeezes herself into a full table."

"What did you tell her in the first place?" Henri asks.

"That night we decided to come clear with her, I sent her a text message 'I need to tell you something serious. Meet up tom, alone.'"

And now I'm thinking, is this guy really serious? If it was I reading that message, I'd expect some breakup crack incoming when we talk.

"What's wrong with that?" asks Henri.

Oh my stars, not him too! I guess, it's just a human thing.

"I don't know! Now what?" Four lifts his bag mentally, then slams it down. There's a never ending whack. Up and down, it goes.

"Call her now," I say.

He takes his phone out, "It's voicemail."

"Tell her you love her and that you've got big news for her." At least this way, she'll come prepared. "Also, tell her sorry for scaring her and that it's not what she thinks it is." Hopefully, she'll call back immediately.

Four tries again, repeating the exact lines. "Okay, now what?"

"We wait."

It only takes 10 seconds before his cellphone vibrates. "It's her," he announces with a hopeful grin.

"Well go ahead and answer it."

"Sarah? Hi. Wait, are you crying? Oh, why would you think that? You know I love you so much." Oh love, the things it could do. Four wipes his eyes too. No way: It really hurt that much just for not talking for days?

"That's us alright," whispers Henri to me. Will that be me with my one? Why am I even questioning it? Most likely. And worse.

"Great, you'll come right now? Okay, I can't wait. Love you, bye!" Four rushes towards me and gives me a hug. I pat him on the back awkwardly, "Thanks Sam. Don't know what would've happen without you."

I sigh. "Alright, alright! Glad I could help. We'll give you guys some privacy - my bakery needs some restocking anyway."

We meet Sarah on the way out; her eyes red like Four's. "Hi Sam, Henri. Is John inside?" We nod and she rushes in. I can't help but feel bad for her. Bigger news is coming up, possibly worse than breaking up, and she might not like it.

I drive my old man's truck to the super market. He bought it but never got to use it due to being abducted. It was left there rotting in the garage of my previous home, until I decided to take it with me to my new one.

"Easy Sam."

I look at the dashboard and realize that I'm currently driving at 70 mph on a non-highway road. It's really weird to rely on sight when it's supposed to be touch. I can't really feel the heaviness of the pedals or the wheel when turning. Moreover, every action I do has to start super slow. "You're right when you said super strength is so easy to ignore Henri," I grumble.

He chuckles, "The thing is, you'll get use to it and it will be like normal again. Slow down."

"Sorry." I adjust my dad's glasses which I still refuse to remove even though they wear me down further in my current condition. As long as it's unbeknownst to Henri that my eyesight is 20/20 without them, then I can continue to wear them as long as I like.

"Would you like to know what else are in Lorien?"

"Sure." Any new additions to Two's knowledge of it is always welcomed.

"We've got animals that could change their shape." This rings a bell. "Four had a flashback again and he pointed them out."

I squint my eyes while keeping them on the road, "Chimaera's right?"

"Oh so you already know about them."

"She knows about them."

Henri clears his throat, knowing full well what I implied. "Right." He opens the windows; they slide down with a squeak. "There is no need to explain further then. You see, he's starting to have more visions lately, even when we're not training. He mentioned a baby with them loaded into the other ship."

"In the museum?"

"Yes, though I've still no idea whether I should believe him or not since I did not see it. Actually, it's more like I don't want to hope that maybe there's another one just to be disappointed in the end."

"Hmm, it's not impossible. I'd rather hope than not - the thing is, did he or she survive? Because if the baby is a Garde unprotected by the charm, then we have no way of knowing her current state. On a positive note, they wouldn't know it too. Like with me."

He sighs, "I know. It just sucks that I never knew about a second ship until Four mentioned it. If there are Chimaeras there like he just described, then our chances of fighting the Mogs just skyrocketed."

"But they'd have their own too," I point out.

"Then we're even."

I gulp. Are we really? There might be seven or eight out there with Legacies, but thousands of them. This does not sound even to me but I say nothing, my eyes on the road. I wish our mission was as easy as driving without traffic, totally accomplished when arriving to the planned destination.