Warning: Graphic content.

Disclaimer: I do not own PH

XXXBlending Blood and TearsXXX

He thought about whiskey a lot.

The way it used to trickle down his tongue, tangy and bitter - sharp, as some would describe it. He missed the weightiness in his head after he downed enough to coat his stomach. And the blur his eyes would catch when he drifted back and forth between tipsy-naps.

Even the cheapest bottle of wine would do. Something red perhaps, or white would do just fine; just a sip to wet his mouth with. Maybe swish it around his teeth and breathe the potent fumes out his nostrils. It stung his nose sometimes, but it was well worth it.

Damn, what he wouldn't give for a hard drink…

He had been without alcohol for more than three months, longer than the time he had been without "Oz." And being without either one of them was leaving him feeling run down and desperate. If he could drink he would. The only reason he stopped completely was so he could keep a watchful eye over Jack. If it weren't for that, he would have his hands full with Oz, or at least full of liquor. And if he were lucky… he'd have both at the same time!

Gilbert shook his head to rid himself of those lewd thoughts. That mind frame was becoming more frequent as the months passed. It was then that he looked over at Jack again, the man glared back at him and Gilbert huffed and looked away. Unfortunately, the morning was dragging by.

"Promise me you won't think like that again."

"Only if you promise to kiss me like that everyday…then sure."

"I promise"

Gilbert broke that promise two months ago. And he was now paying the price. For the last nine to ten weeks, he shut down every thought concerning his relationship with the boy. If his mind strayed to thoughts of his peach lips, he'd calmly wash the dishes. If he began pondering on his sleepless nights in bed alone, he'd get up and start sweeping the floor.

The closest contact they shared was a peck on the cheek or forehead in the mornings before Oz's mind switched over. Beyond that, they had no physical relationship. And neither of them had been out of the house in two months.

That is, until today.

He had woken the boy bright and early, helping him get dressed and bringing him breakfast. Today was Tuesday and they would meet Doctor Thomas in town. Hopefully, he'd find out how to get rid of that seal once and for all.

Gilbert hid his suffering well, but in truth he ached for the boy's smile, his jokes, and laughter. He craved to hold him, and experience life with him outside of the mansion that had become a prison for the both of them.

Not to mention his craving for a hard drink, to help keep his mind off of the blond.

At the moment, Jack was sitting across from him in the kitchen. The man had been on his best behavior all morning. Believing that he would finally find out how to retain Alice's power, so the man was eager to leave.

He gave Gilbert another impatient look.

"He said he'd call when it was ok to go over there," Gilbert said, answering the unspoken question.

Jack snickered, "I wish he'd hurry up and call then. I can't stand looking at you for too long."

OOO

Sharon was sick.

A gradual cough had crawled its way into her throat, only taking two days to reach its full intensity. Then a fever sparked with it. It made Break skip work completely, bouncing between Sharon's bedside, the kitchen, and tending to Alice wherever he happened to find (place) her.

Alice hadn't seen Sharon since she became sick. Thanks to Break, she wasn't allowed to get near her, not even to say a quick hello. To make up for that Alice worked hard to crochet a pink scarf for her. It wasn't the best, but Sharon would be happy to see her practicing the skill that she spent hours teaching her.

At the moment, Alice busied herself by cleaning up the bedroom and trying on the new winter dresses that Break had bought her. The man had refused to invest in a corset to help hide her now noticeable stomach. He believed it would do more harm than good for her to wear one. Alice stifled a laugh when she recalled the small argument Break and Sharon had gotten into over it.

"I think Alice needs a new corset, her dresses aren't fitting the way they should,"

"I'll swallow hot coals before I allow her to wear one of those things,"

"All women wear corsets to hide their condition, you know that. She'll be stared at if she doesn't,"

"Are you advocating crushing our baby for the sake of saving face?"

"Crushing?! I'll have you know that my mother wore one while she carried me, and

I came out just fine,"

"hm…I'm not so sure about that."

"Xerxes Break, please save your smart comments for someone else. Anyway, this doesn't solve the problem of her ill-fitting dresses,"

"I'll buy her bigger dresses. See, problem solved."

And he did. The dresses were all so lovely, and Alice admired each one as she stood in the mirror and placed them against her body as if she were actually wearing them. When her hand smoothed down the fabric over her stomach, she didn't realize she was frowning until she looked back at her face.

The brunet was disappointed that she couldn't feel anything yet. No little movements, no kicking, and no "fluttery feelings" that Sharon told her she might feel - eventually.

Break was always laughing at her disappointment, telling her that she was "rushing the process." Still, it had been more than three months and she was eager to experience all there was to experience. She cradled the small bump that was there and closed her eyes briefly before she heard the door open.

"You're carrying small, maybe I'm not feeding you enough."

She giggle at his comment, "I can hardly finish the portions you give me. If I eat anymore than that I won't be able to fit through the door," she said, gathering some of the dresses in her hand so she could put them away.

He intersected her path and took the dresses from her, "Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. It would certainly force you to get more rest and stop over doing everything," he said, walking over to the closet to put them away.

She sat back on the bed and mulled over his words, "I don't over do things…."

"Really? What do you call this?" he gestured to the extremely clean bedroom.

"It was dirty."

"It wasn't. Because I cleaned it yesterday," he emerged from the closet and gave her a stern look that made her huff, "Please try to take it easy, love. I begin to worry when you try to do too much."

She sighed, reluctantly agreeing with him, "Alight…I'll slow down a little."

"Thank you," he smiled and walked back toward her.

"How's Sharon?"

"She's getting better. She's asleep at the moment," his expression became troubled, and Alice caught it right away.

"You have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"Like someone just ripped the stuffing out of Emily."

His laughter brought a smile to her lips. She moved over so he could sit down beside her.

"Actually, an 'all staff' meeting has been called today. I don't know what its about but I have no choice but to attend. I won't be gone long."

Alice didn't realize that her unhappiness was embedded in her expression. She had gotten too used to his constant company. When in actuality she understood that she was being extra spoiled by him.

The man had been cutting so many corners at work and she knew it was for her sake. She'd see him come home with huge piles of paperwork, and instead of going through it, he'd choose to rub her back instead, or take her out somewhere nice before pouring over the workload that was piled high in his office.

She was even guilty of watching him while he worked at home, causing his eyes to stray from the papers he was writing. On days like that, they'd always end up making love on the lounge chair in his office, or playing a card game together.

"That look in your eyes… it makes me want to burn Pandora down," his regret was evident in his tone. He hated having to leave her all the time.

She looked away, "I'm sorry. I'm not making this easy for you. Even though I told you I didn't want to get in the way of your work,"

"Its the other way around…," he leaned over and kissed her neck,"…Work gets in the way of me being with you."

She moaned softly when he laid her back on the bed, hand creeping up her side sneakily. She forced herself to shoo his hand away.

"Go on, I don't want to make you late,"

"If I'm late then that's my own fault," he said, capturing her lips. Alice allowed for a soft kiss before she pulled away and smiled.

"You're stubborn," she whispered.

"I know," Break claimed her lips again but she stopped him.

"We can finish this when you get back," she promised. He huffed with frustration, before he pecked her cheek and got up, "Just remember you said that," he threatened pleasantly.

She laughed mischievously, "I will."

"The servants are tending to Sharon. I should be back before she wakes. Remember, if anything seems strange in the house-"

She turned her eyes up playfully, "I know I know, you left Pandora's number next to every phone."

"Very good. I'll call you before I come home,"

OOO

As the carriage rolled through the snowy town Alice opened the curtain that separated her from the carriage driver.

"Thanks. I can walk from here."

"Are you sure, Miss Alice?"

"I'm sure. I'll be going back with Break so you don't have to stay."

"Alright then, be carful."

Alice was surprised to still have ended up in town that day. Usually, she'd be in town on Tuesday anyway. But she never went without Sharon, and because the girl was sick Alice planned on staying in that day. All that changed though, once the phone rang soon after Break had left to go to his meeting.

"Is that so…so you won't be coming to town today?"

"No, not until Sharon's better."

"Its too bad, I was hoping you could stop by my office. I'd like to take care of your appointment today if possible…"

"I thought you said Wednesday."

"I did. But, I didn't realize how booked I was this week…"

"I guess I can still come there if you want."

"That would be helpful."

"Actually… maybe we should just reschedule. Break wanted to be there for the appointment."

"Oh, I'll call him for you and have him meet you here. Pandora's only having a brief meeting today, "

"ah…Ok…I'll come right now then."

"Great. Please wait for me in front of the library; I'll meet you there. See you soon, Alice."

She made her way down the snow-covered street. Stopping in front of the library and standing outside the entrance. She waited for the doctor patiently, but as the minutes passed she thought she would kill some time by going into a store and buying a snack.

She stepped away from the building, preparing to cross the small street, but then her nose wrinkled. That smell…She instantly covered her nose, afraid she'd be sick if she continued to inhale it. She looked around anxiously, suddenly feeling too exposed. A deep roar came from somewhere down the street and gunshots rang out.

People were already running in her direction, screaming wildly as the sound of destruction ebbed closer toward where she was. Fear paralyzed her, the only time she moved was when she was knocked to the ground by a panicked person that she didn't even see pass her.

She braced herself, thinking she would be trampled, until she felt her body being lifted. She was scooped up and moved out of the alarmed crowed. When Alice looked up she noticed that it was the man from the store she was in last week with Sharon.

He placed her on the ground next to a building.

"You shouldn't be here. Are you alone? Isn't anyone here who can take you to safety?" he asked, looking down at her stomach knowingly. They both looked over at a building crumbling in the distance. This time, Alice began to see the creature's outline in the dust of the heavy debris that was rising up from the destroyed structure.

Not a second later, she heard a familiar voice.

"Alice, are you alright!" Doctor Thomas called from the other side of the street. He was in an alleyway. Most importantly, he wasn't alone. The last thing she wanted to do was answer him, because she was too distracted by who was with him.

Why are they here?

She instantly became unnerved, "I have to go…" she said to the man beside her. He helped her to her feet and Alice concentrated on getting away from there. But she didn't get very far. Oz already spotted her.

XXX

When Gilbert saw Alice, there was a feeling of relief that washed over him. He only had two bullets left in his gun and he didn't want to use them until it was absolutely necessary. That is, until he actually saw the Chain get close enough.

When Jack saw her, he wasted no time trying to release her power. As some of the dust cleared Gilbert could see that otherworldly wind surround her, lifting up her long hair and swarming around her body. But the transformation was halting. It took a moment for Gilbert to realize that she was trying to suppress it.

Something wasn't right.

The doctor called out to him, "Hurry! Stop him from releasing her power."

"Are you crazy!? We need her help, everyone will be killed."

"I'll explain later! Just do as I say- please," the man pleaded.

This is absurd, Gilbert mumbled under his breath as he made his way to Jack and quickly placed his hand on his forehead. Jack struggled in his embrace at first, but he finally saw the wind around her settle into nothing. He saw her drop to her knees in the street. The transformation was cancelled before it had a chance to complete itself.

For a moment Jack was only able to slumped against him, but soon, he turned to Gilbert and began to rage.

"Have you gone mad? Why did you interfere! I should feed you to that chain you poor excuse for a –Ummphh."

It happened in a flash, one second Jack was yelling at him and the next… he was out cold at Gilbert's feet; face first in the snow. When Gilbert looked up, he saw the doctor standing there holding a thick plank of wood in his right hand.

"W-why did you just hit him?" Gilbert asked in a daze.

"He'll only make this worst for her if he's awake," the doctor lifted Oz's smaller body from the ground and picked him up, "We must leave here immediately. I'll bring him to your carriage, please fetch Alice as well."

Gilbert was so stunned by the doctor's actions that all he could do was comply. As he limped his way over to where Alice was he heard the doctor call out to him, "Be very carful with her! Don't move her around too much."

Gilbert nodded and limped up to her, "Alice?" he said as he stared down at her trembling body. When she looked up at him he felt his heart lapse. He had never seen such a numb fear in anyone's eyes before. It startled him. And in another way, it made him sad for her. The way her eyes seemed to stare through him, blank and helpless.

Unexpectedly, she reached out her hand and griped his pants leg lightly.

"P-please….please help me…my…." she whispered.

Gilbert quickly collected her in his arms, when he lifted her he noticed two bright red spots in the snow. He looked her over, hoping to spot wherever she was bleeding from.

"Where are you wounded?" he asked her. She didn't respond, simply looked off into the sky that was quickly filling with Pandora agents. She lay lifelessly in his arms as he made his way to the carriage. He noticed that Jack was still very much unconscious, and the doctor had taken the drivers seat.

"Get in quickly, I'll take you back to your home, "the doctor called to him.

The carriage began to move as soon as Gilbert sat down. He could still hear the chain continue to rumble savagely down the street as the agents battled with it. He looked over at Oz who was lying across the opposite seat. Then he looked down at Alice who he kept in his arms.

Her eyes were still open and empty, completely unresponsive. He contemplated checking her for wounds, but thought better of it when he noticed the small swell of her stomach. Curiously, he let his hand hovered over it, thinking it was just an illusion made by her thick winter coat. To make sure, he gently placed his hand there….

Gilbert's hand shook as he pulled it away, heart beating fast. He swallowed deeply and turned his uncomfortable gaze out the window. For the rest of the day he would pretend he didn't know what he just found out.

OOO

"It is important that I stress to all of you how disappointed I am. I gave specific orders to have those contractors exterminated by the close of last week. Because of your negligence, an astronomical amount of damage is being done in town right now. And all those endangered citizens have you to thank for this crisis. I know exactly who disobeyed my orders, and I will be following up with those responsible," Break was already tired from saying that mouthful; he glanced wearily at the emergency report he just received.

They had been a few minutes away from closing up their meeting, then a call came in requesting reinforcements in town to destroy a Chain. The report proved that the contractors in town were the same ones who had been in the laboratory – they escaped.

The news infuriated him, but he kept his temper tamed enough to speak to the agents with a civil voice. Besides, it wasn't all of them; it was mainly Rufus he was upset with. The same person who volunteered to fund the contractors "extended stay at Pandora."

Break continued on, ready to go home to his love and give Sharon her next dose of medicine, "If there is nothing else anyone would like to share then we can plan the date for our next meeting -"

"I have something to share," Rufus interrupted, "Before everyone goes, there's something I'd like to show you all today."

Break stayed silent as he watched the redhead elegantly hand out one white folder to each of the members that were seated at the conference table. He almost scoffed at the audacity the man had to even bring something new to the table when he was at fault for the current Chain crisis they were facing. Even still, Break allowed him to proceed. And soon, all twenty-five agents had a folder, with the exception of one person –Break.

"The folder in front of you contains what I would consider the most groundbreaking find that this institution has seen in a very, very long time. Please look at the accompanying notes for further clarification as to what you're looking at in each photo."

There were gasps. Some adjusted their glasses, pulling the photos closer to their face so they could get a better look. Others shook their head in astonishment, whispering over to whomever was beside them to see if they were looking at the same thing and reading the notes properly.

Break looked on with increasing frustration and a bit of hidden anxiety as to what everyone was looking at.

"Is there a reason I wasn't given a folder?" he asked with a raised brow and a clipped tone.

Rufus smiled softly, "I apologize. Please William, will you allow our director to look on with you?"

The man excitedly shifted his body toward the white-haired man, genuinely smiling ear-to-ear. "You won't believe this, Sir. These findings are exceptional, I'm sure you'll be more than pleased," he said, sliding the folder over to the man.

Break quickly put on his reading glasses and looked down at the first photo…All the color drained from him.

An agent toward the middle of the table spoke up, "Can someone please explain to me how this is possible?"

"While I know much about this I don't have all the answers; our director is the one who is leading this experiment," Rufus said each word with a professional smartness, seeming to relish in the excited bout of mumbles and whispers.

Finally, a concerned voice broke through it, "Is this true, Xerxes?" Oscar asked.

Everyone turn toward Break to see what he would say but the man was too busy flipping through the documents, hands fiercely trembling as he viewed each photo, and read each medical note.

"Who took these photos?" he asked above a whisper, voice calm. He was ignored. No one could hear him over the excited chatter that was beginning to build again. That didn't stop him from raising his voice beyond that, though.

He stood up, seat hurled to the floor with the force of his actions, "WHO TOOK THESE PHOTOS!?"

Everyone went silent, looking at him with awkward expressions, before looking at each other. Smiles that were once on interested mouths receded into confused wobbly "o" shapes, while others cleared their throats uncomfortably.

Break's breath came out in violent pants of anger, red eye glowing wrathfully as it scanned the crowed table for the culprit who assisted his rival in such exploitation!

Rufus was the only one still smiling; he rose from his seat, ignoring Break and his question.

"What you're all looking at is evidence of something that was once incomprehensible to our imaginations. Chain Breeding. As the evolution of these amazing yet deadly creatures have made it possible for such a thing to exist. But only in certain cases, and so far only with human help. Isn't that right director?"

"How dare you! Why would you do this!" Break raked his clawed fingers against the table, crumbling the documents beneath his palms. Everyone was startled but his fit of rage did not faze Rufus. The redhead simply kept on talking as if Break weren't about to crawl across the long table and choke him. The conflicting reactions from both men caused confusion in the agents. They didn't know who to listen to, but Rufus's words captured their attention once more.

"Our research director has taken the risky and dangerous job upon himself. As a result, the creation of a chain-human hybrid is in process. As you can see in photos 1 and 2, and on page 1 of document 4."

The agents began to burst with questions, their scientific curiosity overshadowing the fury of their leader.

"When do we take her in for further test?"

"How do we know the gestation period is equivalent to that of humans?"

"What do we do with the specimen once it's birthed?"

"Is it possible to replicate this is experiment with the same host if this one is successful?"

Break was stuck in speechlessness, eyes darting around the table with complete unbelief as he listened to the way they referred to his lover and their unborn child.

He stepped away from the table feeling detached and cornered. His eyes landed on Liam who was looking at him. Liam lipped the words "Don't worry" to him, and silently got up from the table. He excused himself quietly, pausing at the door and looking back at Break to make sure the man understood what his next actions were going to be.

Break closed his eyes in despaired understanding, giving Liam a few small nods of permission. Before Liam nodded back once and left the room.

All across the table there were candid black and white pictures of Alice doing normal things, like changing into her dress in the bedroom, or sleeping on her back. He could tell some pictures were more recent than others because of the size of her stomach. One photo even caught her reaching for a baby bottle in a store window.

The camera must have been the "flash" she was always seeing.

There was one last picture of someone's illegal contract. It was fixed at the halfway point. And when Break skimmed over the medical notes, he realized whose handwriting it was.

His moment of detachment was cut short when the spark of betrayal and disgust ripped through him, and it didn't help that the agents continued on with their talk of "specimens and host"

"STOP IT! I will listen to no more of this!" Once more everyone quieted and looked at him.

"There is no experiment. Alice and I…we're in love. I was going to tell everyone when I was ready, but I feared it would stir a reaction like this"

Rufus's lips seemed to curl at the tips, "So you're admitting to tampering with research?"

"…."It was a trap question, one that Break hesitated to answer. Rufus had him exactly where he wanted him.

"You know that's an ultimate offense, and that the consequences are dire."

"Aren't we taking this a bit too far-" Oscar spoke up but was quickly cut off.

"Rules are rules, Oscar. They don't change when applied to our superiors. Will someone please escort Mr. Break to the interrogation room?"

Break backed away when three agents stood up and started toward him, he put his hand on his sword but was seized before he could use it. The agents led him to the door, "Let me explain!"

"You can explain to the chief director."

As they took him away, Break heard the last question that was addressed to Rufus, "Where is she now?"

"Alice will be in custody shortly, I have an agent picking her up in town."

Break began to speak fast and franticly to the agents who held him, "What is he talking about? Who has Alice?! Answer me! I won't let you people touch her! Let go of me!"

OOO

Something in her stirred finally. It happened when she felt her body being lowered onto a bed.

"Miss, bring me a large bowl with hot water, and a few clean towels please."

"Right away."

She was sure a door was shut…somewhere. The sharp sound of bed curtains quickly closing in around her followed. Suddenly, a feeling surged through her - restless, spinning, rattling.

"Alice…can you hear me?"

Her eyes were still plastered open with shock, unmoving, unseeing, only able to stare straight ahead. Another sound registered in her mind, something resembling short quick huffs that wouldn't stop flowing.

"You must slow your breathing. Try and take slow deep breaths,"

There was a violent sound at the door. A ghostly fear swept through her gaze, widening her eyes even more when she heard a voice of which she knew… but didn't know.

"Let me see her! I refuse to be left in the dark about this!"

"Calm down, you'll only hinder the doctor from helping her!"

The man beside her called out, "Please get him away from the door, it will startle her further,"

Her brow began to mesh together. There was so much noise; so much panic. She whimpered loudly, small hands rising up to cover her ears.

Her actions were interrupted when she sensed a cold hand on her cheek, "It will be fine…I won't let you lose it."

Lose what? Her mind asked what her lips could not. It was only then that she could feel the deep ache that resided in her lower body, like a soft throbbing of discomfort.

Finally, her eyes shifted to the side, realizing that the hand on her cheek was long gone. Through the opaque bed curtains she could see the figure of a man standing with his back turned toward the bed; he was looking through a black bag.

She moved herself up the bed a little more. Beginning to feel intimidated as she looked around the familiar room. When she heard the rubbery sound of medical gloves being put on, her amethyst eyes snapped back to the man.

His heavy sigh damaged the silence in the room. The sound was ominous, saddening. Alice's heart paused when there was another violent knock on the door.

"Let me see her! What's going on?"

Another frightened whimper escaped her. She wanted to hide herself.

"Get away from the door," the other voice outside said. She knew that voice too…who was that? Where was she?

The man approached the bed again, standing at the end of it. She looked at him, and he appeared surprised to see her alert. He leaned forward and gently took one of her ankles in his hand but she snatched it back and curled her legs beneath her thighs.

The sound of keys jiggling the knob made them both look over. The woman came in and struggled to lock the door behind her; her hands were full; a steaming bowl in one hand, and clean towels in another. The woman put them down then she left the room again. Locking the door from the other side.

Alice shook her head, heart pounding, trying to move further away from those gloved hands.

"Alice, I'm not going to hurt you, I only want to help."

Two fresh tears fell onto her dress, and the first clear question found its way to her lips, "Where's Break?"

"Please listen to me. I have to work quickly because your baby may be in trouble…"

Her heart stopped, "My…" slowly she looked down, noticing a small red stain on her dress hem. While the first scream built its way into her throat, his gloved hands reached out for her like shadows, taking her legs and sliding her further down the bed.

Ok, so this is the first half. Once again I'm too tired to edit the other half just yet. But hang tight. Things will get kicked up yet again in the next chapter. Can this get any crazier? YES. It can. You know...I look back on this story and think about how innocent it started out...it's come a long way I think.

Lina – if you're still reading this give yourself a pat on the back you hit the nail on the head like 80% of the way (You'll see why it wasn't 100% soon). Very insightful prediction. I'm proud of you. Thanks for reviewing.

Thanks for reading everyone

-Rage