A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you so much again if you are still reading, I really really appreciate it. And thank you for the very nice reviews I got as well, it always makes my day. I promised myself I would be better at updating, but I still haven't been able to. Work is still kicking my ass and I can barely keep my head out of the water. But I am trying though. I already got started on the next chapter, which will be more exciting.

*Spoiler Alert*

Alec will be back. Lol. I've missed him. But as I was writing this chapter, my roommate was watching "Supernatural" and I got too confused with my head overdosing on Jensen Ackles at once, that I just couldn't write him in this one.

Things had been taken care of pretty fast. Logan had met Matt at the autopsy room, where Dr. Shankar worked. Dr. Beverly Shankar was one of Logan's/Eyes Only associates, she would keep this quiet, as much as possible. Lily was there too, leaning against a wall down the hallway. She was pretty sure they didn't even know she was there and that was just fine with her. She was conflicted by what had happened and the stance Logan and Matt seemed to be taking. It's a good thing she knew someone with plenty of attitude who could back her up on this. Someone who just happened to storm in.

Logan turned around when Max barged in, surprised. "Max? What are you doing here? I told you I'd call you."

"I asked her to come. I figured we needed to be here, to get the whole story and not jump to conclusions." Lily took a step closer to the group and the men turned their gazes from Max to her. Ok, they hadn't known she was there. She felt sorry that she wasn't able to stop the bitterness in her voice. Oh well, it was the truth.

Max looked behind her and nodded at the redhead, who nodded back. "Lily." "Max."

Before Matt or Logan could comment, Dr Shankar came out of the room. "He's clean." She said as she exchanged a meaningful look with Logan. Matt looked disappointed and Max and Lily also looked at each other knowingly. "Not a trace of the pathogen found in the other victims."

Matt took her clipboard, shaking his head. "It makes no sense, let me go take a look." He entered the autopsy room and everyone followed him. The poor transgenic's body was exposed, so all his deformities were visible. Logan's eyebrows went up in shock and Max clenched her jaw and fists. The body didn't have much hair so it didn't take long for Matt to notice the barcode.

"That mark, it's not in your report, could it mean something?"

"It looks like a tattoo to me, not really relevant."

Matt looked up to add something but caught Max staring questioningly at Lily, who shook her head. "Why do I get the feeling you guys aren't telling me something? Lily, it seems like you are more involved in this than you say. I could swear you were at the crime scene, but I can't prove it. So, what's going on?"

"You killed an innocent man, that's what's going on." Max hissed. "I'm out of here, you coming Lily?"

"Give me one minute Max."

"I'll wait for you outside." Without a look to anyone else, she walked down the hall. Lily sighed, but she couldn't blame Max for being angry. Everyone had assumed one of them was responsible for this mess.

"We didn't have a choice to shoot; it looked like he was hurting the kid. And something did kill all those people…"

"It's ok Matt, we know. We will get to the bottom of this. Bev, did you get the lab results back?"

Frowning, Lily gathered all the results from the Doctor's mind and cut her off before she could answer Logan.

"Logan, I'm gonna go with Max, call me if you have more details."

"Don't you want to wait for the results?"

She smiled and winked at him, already knowing everything she needed to. She waved good-bye and left to meet Max outside.

"woooooooooooooooooooooooooho oooooooooooooooooo" yelled Lily in delight, her hands letting go of Max's waist. This was exhilarating. She couldn't believe she had never been on a motorcycle before. She had no idea it would be so fun. Now she had to have one. Although, it would attract a lot of attention, so maybe not the best idea after all.

Feeling that Max's patience was wearing thin, she giggled one last time and then remained quiet. She could tell her friend (friend?) was trying to say something. She waited a smile still on her lips.

"Lily, thanks for your help on this, on everything. It's nice to not be so alone. Logan doesn't always understand."

"Don't worry about it Max. They're my family too, and I want to help just as much as you do."

"But I'm the one who let them out, they're my responsibility. You could just decide to move on and not feel guilty."

"Well, once again, that just goes to show how little you know me. The whole reason I am here is to help, help all of us. Also, you have to remember I was trying to get everyone out too. And to me it wasn't just an afterthought; it had been my plan all along, for all of us to be free. You have no idea how much it sucks being left behind."

She stopped herself from saying more, not wanting to ruin the nice moment they were having. She felt Max tense a little, but she could tell she was really listening to her this time.

They pulled up at Joshua's house. Max wanted to show him the drawing of the transgenic and see what he knew about him. And then they could discuss the M.E.'s report without Logan and Matt's suspicions. When they walked in, Joshua was sitting in his chair, reading a book Lily brought him a few days ago. Max handed him a few items she had in her pocket, some beef jerky and an old chocolate bar and they hugged. Lily waited patiently for her turn, enjoying the happiness that filled her when she was near-by Joshua. It was truly something to treasure and she would never get tired of it. They grinned foolishly at each other and then she jumped in his arms while the big man roared in laughter.

Max raised an eyebrow. "What's that all about? I knew you guys got along but this is something else."

Still laughing, Joshua let Lily go but kept an arm around her shoulders. 'Lily and Joshua friends. Dog in their cocktail. It makes them happy." He let out a happy bark and Lily started laughing again. She looked back at Max and shrugged.

"Alright. Let me tell you about the report; we were right, it wasn't him. But, it was a genetically engineered pathogen that killed those people in Chinatown. We just don't know if it's something that leaked or escaped from a lab or if someone is exposing people on purpose. I don't know about you, but I intend to find out. Whatever it is, this thing needs to end, now. And I would be inclined to thing someone is orchestrating this intentionally."

"You picked all this up from Dr Shankar's head?"

Lily shrugged again. "It's what I do."

Max gave the police sketch to Joshua. "He was downstairs people. Didn't turn out so good."

"But he was good, Joshua. I saw him save a human boy from falling down a window sill. He was different, but good."

"People get scared, when things are different, little fella said."

"Yeah, but what I forgot to tell you is when they get scared, they can get really mean. I'm sorry." She looked at Lily. "So what do we do now?"

She sighed. "I think we're going to need more help on this. I think someone with contacts in the black market would be quite useful."

Max groaned. "I know I'm going to regret this, but you might be right. I'll call him. I know you guys are friends but you will ask him in a way he can just say no. He won't find it so easy with me."

Lily smiled in relief. She wasn't sure she was ready to talk to Alec yet. She had spent a lot of time putting him off her mind. But they needed the backup.

Later on that night, Lily entered Crash for the first time. Original Cindy had called and insisted they go out for a drink, since Max was sulking about Logan again. O.C's words, not hers, but she had to agree.

She looked around, surprised at the look of the place. Plasma TVs scattered on the walls, bike parts and lots of pictures. A few tables around the bar and a corner for pool tables completed the look. It was quite busy and looked chaotic, but she thought it was the intent.

Seeing O.C sitting close to the pool corner, she made her way over there. She was warmly greeted and a cold mug of beer was pushed in her hands. She smelled it, dipped her lips in it and wrinkled her nose. Cindy laughed. "What's wrong girl? You look like you've never tasted beer before." She paused when Lily didn't say anything. "You serious? Wow. OK, we're so getting another pitcher. You just wait a minute."

Lily took another small sip, not finding the beverage so bitter this time. She turned around and spotted Max sitting at the bar. She was doing her best to close her mind to everyone around her; that was why she didn't immediately felt the other X5. She was laughing at something the guy next to him said. He looked familiar, Lily had seen him before, but where?

O.C walked back to the table, a full pitcher in her hands and smirked in the direction Lily was looking. "Yeah, you see that too? Bunch of fools." She shook her head. "She came here with me, and then loverboy there walked in and batted his puppy eyes at her and convinced her to have a drink with him. She was begging me to keep her away from him last year and now look at this. Mistakes are going to be happening all over again."

Lily nodded. Ok, now she remembered the incident. "What was his name again?"

"Rafer. So, girl, you really never had beer before? I guess you were one of the ones who actually grew up in that place huh?"

Another sip, bigger this time. "Yes, I was. You know, this is weird. Technically, I know what beer should taste like, I know the chemical effects of it in the blood and I even know what it feels like to be drunk, but I've never experienced any of it for myself. It's an acquired taste I think. Not totally unpleasant."

"Max said your talents were different from hers. But what I really want to ask you is, what was she like when she was a kid? Was she always this tough?"

"Were her walls always up you mean? Yes, yes they were. That's how we were all raised. We were supposed to be soldiers, weapons. But she also always had a glimpse of a softer side too. She cared deeply for her brothers and sisters, as you know and she was also able to believe in dreams and appreciate beauty. They were always so special."

She shook her head, lost in thought and realized her glass was empty. O.C laughed and filled it up again. "You seem to be quite the dreamer yourself. Well, I do hope you stick around, not only because I like you, but because Max's family always leave her and it hurts her every time."

Lily held her glass up and smiled. "Well, I have no plans to go anywhere anytime soon and I could use some family myself. If they'll have me." She got up from her seat and grabbed O.C by the hand. "Come on, I've been watching, and I'm pretty sure I can kick ass at this pool game. It's just mathematics after all."

A few hours later, after many more glasses of beer and a lot of pool played, something tugged at Lily and she scanned the crowded bar. On the opposite end of the place, she noticed Logan sitting and talking to Asha. She sighed. She wasn't angry this time, because what caught her attention was that Logan had thought about Max. And of course, she knew that Max had been thinking about Logan pretty often too, even though she seemed focused on her conversation with Rafer. As if he knew she was looking at him, Logan turned his head and met her stare. He smiled at her, surprised to see her there. As Lily was still smiling, she also saw Max turn around and notice Logan. She snickered and nudged O.C. They saw the lovebirds stare at each other and smile, fight forgotten and forgiven. Amazing.

"Look at them, it could be almost sickening if it wasn't so adorable. It's like nothing else exists and time doesn't matter. It doesn't even seem to bug them that they are both spending the evening with someone else. It's crazy."

It wasn't so crazy. In a way, she envied them. No matter what was in their way, even if they couldn't be together, they were so sure of their feelings. They loved each other and nothing would change that. She shook her head in dismay. She didn't envy them, not really. But it was a nice thing to hold on to. Not everything had to be about war, violence and drama.

At the end of the night, she walked O.C back to her building; made sure she was safe and then went back to her own place. She was feeling extremely relaxed. She knew alcohol couldn't really affect her senses; she wouldn't be drunk per say, but she felt good. It had turned out to be a pretty good day after all. Tomorrow might prove to be different, as they had so much more work to do. But at least for now, Lily felt like she belonged and that was a feeling she would not trade for anything.

Thank you for reading :)