Oooookeey-dokey! I have no idea where I'm going with this, but… we'll, lets just see, shall we?

Sean

Well, we only needed to wait about an hour before Nicole's father was free. He woke up, found there were about six animals ready to pounce on him, then demorphed.

Then… Nicole held him as he cried and thrashed, with Michelle, Alex and Seth not far from them, and finally… finally he was free. It was a relief to see the hint of a genuine smile on her lips.

The Yeerk was flung across the room, and my brother made a point of stomping on it. I guess he needed to get his anger out somehow.

"So, what now?" Elfangor asked, still holding close to his mother. In fact, so was Aerionna.

"Well, I guess we go get my mom, then blow this place to smithereens" Nicole said, as her father, Jake, lay in her arms. He was still a little more than disoriented.

"Not really" Lily was pacing now, that head of startling red her bobbing slightly as she spun on her heel, then walking back the other way… her intense green eyes seemed to stare into nothingness as she did… or… at something we couldn't see.

"Don't worry. She does that a lot" Zack was suddenly beside me, my parallel universe sort of brother, in a sense. Strange… he was what Seth and I could have become…

"Paces and stares into thin air?" Cody offered, coming to stand on the other side of me, half hugging Toni around the waist. She didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah. I guess that's what makes her… well, her" he walked off, then went to talk to her.

"What do you suggest then?" Alex asked, glaring at her. I could tell he really didn't like her. What I didn't know was, why?

"Jake and Rtaia have to stay here. Make it like there's nothing wrong. The rest of us will go down there… where Rtaia said she was… and get her before-"

"Before what?" Nicole asked. Her father finally managed to get up, and Nicole followed his lead.

"Before anything worse happens" Jake finished for her "My Yeerk… Visser Three… he sent her down there for betraying us… to work in the lower decks with the 'scum'…"

"You mean she's free!" Nicole cried, grabbing her fathers arm roughly.

"No. Sub-Visser Ten has her. I think… oh god I think I know what she is now!"

He told us, and then everyone started jabbering at once. Another plan was slowly forming between our group… but I hardly noticed. Mainly because as I was trying to listen, a dark head of hair went past me, grabbing my shirt and yanking me into a corner of the room where we sort of couldn't be seen.

I looked down at Michelle, narrowing my eyes at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Look, if I'm gonna die here-"

"You are not gonna die!" I chided. Seconds later she pressed a finger to my lips.

"Shh, and just listen to me for once!"

I shut up.

"Look, if I'm going to go down in a blaze of glory, I want to leave a good impression"

"Like what?"

"Like this" She leaned upwards, supporting her weight on my chest, and kissed me. French kissed me. I couldn't do anything but wrap my arms around her and kiss her back. It was so amazing, but so heartbreaking all at once. We'd come this far, and been lucky… but there is only so many times you can get lucky…

I don't know how long I stood there, holding Michelle, but when I heard someone clearing their throat behind us, I practically jumped away from her. There, was Alex.

"What's up?" Michelle asked like it was no biggie. Alex rolled his eyes, and when they looked at me, he glared. I instantly felt uncomfortable. Like I needed to get the heck out of there, right there and then. But Michelle suddenly had my arm, and was gripping it tightly.

"Did you just kiss my sister?"

"Ahhhummm… yeah? Why?" I tried to sound unnerved, but… hey, this was Alex. And he'd just caught me full on snogging his sister. Kind of hard not to be intimidated.

"Dude, you are sick"

"Not as much as you and Nicole" Michelle teased, and Alex went bright red. He growled a little, but I could tell he was seriously thinking about backing off. Then he looked at me again.

"You hurt her, and I'll be coming after you" he pointed at me, giving me that look that said he was serious. Then he walked off.

I think my heart actually started to beat after that. I looked down at Michelle, who looked strangely up at me. Then she giggled.

"Chellie, that was waayyy too-"

"I know! But it was… funny!"

I snorted, and let out a relieved laugh myself. Then I wrapped her in my arms, and kissed her deeply one more time. After all, she wasn't the only one who wanted to leave a good impression…

LittleMidgett and… everyone else! I am soooo sorry this was so short and boring, but… I just don't know what to do with it now! If anyone… at all… has any suggestions and comments, please… I beg of you… leave them and hopefully I'll be able to continue!

Also, this chapter? Inspired by a song by this girl called Brooke Fraser, Throw me a lifeline. Very good song...