Chapter 7

Chapter 24

A worried Max and Logan followed Logan's aunt as she hurried to Cat's room. Their joy at commencing their relationship was overshadowed by their worry for Caitlin. As they neared the doorway voices could be heard.

"NO! Stay away! Don't touch me!"

"I can't help you if you don't let me near you!"

Max entered the room quietly, Logan stood behind her. The scene before her was heartbreaking familiar. Max swallowed hard, it remained her so much of things she had tried hard to forget.

Cat was curled up in the corner of the room; her once shimmering hair hung loosely around her in knotted bangs. Her green eyes burned with unnatural fierceness, a combination of the drugs, her fear, confusion and general disorientation.

Max carefully approached, blatantly ignoring the doctors warning, "Screw your violently unstable crap." She thought angrily. As she neared the fallen girl, Cat retreated, backing herself against the wall whipping fearfully.

"Hey Cat, it's me Max." Max whispered soothingly.

"Max?"

"Yeah it's me my friend. Why aren't you letting the doctor treat you?"

"He's a doctor," was the soft reply.

"I can totally relate Cat, but they put something in your head we need to find what it is, unfortunately the only way we can do this is to trust the doctor," she spoke softly as if to a frightened child. She remembered vividly speaking to Tate the same way when he was afraid of the Normalies.

Caitlin reached out a trembling hand, weakly griping her wrist. Her intense green eyes were unfocused and glazed. When she spoke her voice was strained.

"Zack?"



Max knitted her eyebrows in confusion. Then she realized Cat wasn't in the present- she was back at Manticore and Lydecker's mocking words where echoing in her head. Max felt the bile rising at the back of her throat as she thought of what tortures her creator must have put this poor girl through.

"Zack is fine Cat," she said reassuringly as she gently helped the older girl up and led her back to the bed. Cat complied, drawing her knees up to her chest. Max and Logan exchanged worried glances before walking out of the room followed by the doctor.

"What have they done to her?" Logan hissed as soon as they had left the room.

The doctor regarded the enraged cyber journalist calmly before replying. "It's quite remarkable, she's been given well beyond the safe limit of numerous combinations of drugs but she is still resisting the effects," He said clinically.

"She's a wonder of medical science, lots of us can claim that title," Max snapped, "What about the whacked device in her head?" Max briefly outlined what Mary had done.

Doctor Carter nodded in approval at his college's methods. "What she did was correct, but it was at best a temporary measure. The only way to guarantee her wellbeing is to remove the CCI," he stated calmly.



Call estate 4 weeks later 11am


"Caitlin darling?"

Caitlin looked up from her book into the concerned face of her mother. It was 4 weeks since the removal of Manticore's device and she had made a full recovery- expect for the occasional headache or chest pain she was completely back to normal.

"Yes mother?"

"I think you should get out of house, why don't you go out with Jondy or Max?" Wendy asked.

Caitlin suppressed a sigh, over the past weeks she and the X5s had become as close as sisters. They were a constant source of support and advice in her seemingly endless quest to understand the enigma that was Zack. They had both threatened repeatedly to "Kick his generically engineered ass" if he didn't start acting like a boyfriend.

"Max is working with Logan and Jondy is doing her volunteer at the children's hospital, I really don't won't to disturb either of them," she replied.

"What about... Sam?" Her mother ventured hesitantly, knowing that her boyfriend was a delicate subject.

Caitlin fought the wave of emotion Zack's "name" brought. "No Mother."

"It just so happens I spoke to Pam yesterday, Megan is in town."

Caitlin raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. Megan was her best friend through high school. They had lost contact after graduation. Caitlin had always wandered what her best friend had done with her life.

"How is she?"

"I've arranged for the two of you to meet at Mary's Coffee Shop." Wendy said quickly catching the note of excitement in her daughter's voice.



Mary's Coffee Shop 2 hours later

Caitlin nursed a cup of hot chocolate as she stared out the window. People streamed passed the shop, each caught up in their own lives. A dark haired mother and her son came by the shop. The young boy was clearly eager to get to wherever they were going, dragging his laughing mother behind him. Caitlin smiled at the innocent picture. Another scene caught her eye, a happy, couple totally oblivious to the world around them.

The man gently stoked his lover's cheek, whispering sweet nothings in her ear, scarlet blush rose to the woman's cheeks.

Caitlin swallowed the bitter taste of jealousy why couldn't Zack be like that with her? A cynical corner of her mind mocked the idealistic notions of the romantic that still lay beneath the hardened cynic. She was in love with a man who believed every emotion was a weakness for God sake!

"What's up Kitty Cat?"

Caitlin whirled around to see her best friend grinning broadly at her.

Megan O'Neil was a fiery redhead with intense blue eyes that seemed to sparkle with perpetual mirth. Just seeing her friend's happy face helped to banish Cat's dark thoughts.

Caitlin embraced her friend tightly "I've missed you so much Megs."

Megan returned her friend's embrace, mildly surprised by her normally reserved friend strong display of emotion. Wendy had said she'd been through some rough times. Megan had always regretted not keeping in contact with her childhood friend.

"What wrong Cat?" She asked leading her old friend to a relatively quiet area of the coffee shop. Caitlin felt all the emotions she had kept buried come flooding up each competing for her attention.

"Nothing...everything...this whole damn world is screwed up."

"Okay Kitty, not to interrupt this whole monologue thing but the beginning is usually the best place to start," her friend commented.

Caitlin briefly contemplated telling her friend the whole story. The official story of her kidnapping was that she had been taken by an unknown group and held for her family's money. The press had snapped up the story, running stories on who the people were and how the had managed to kidnap one of the most well known figures in the world. They had taken extreme measures to ensure neither Max or Zack were identified. Caitlin could see it now "Mysterious strangers win hearts of elusive Cales," on every newspaper headline in the state. Aside from the security risk for the X5s, Logan did everything he could to avoid being in the spotlight. Caitlin knew that they would run extensive background checks on the X5s and it wouldn't be long before Lydecker caught on.

"Ah Kitty I'm sure staring into your cup with a bemused statement serves some therapeutic purpose but I'm still a fan of the whole talk about how you feel K?"

"I've fallen in love."

Unfortunately Megan had chosen that exact moment to take a sip of coffee. As the statement sunk in, she began to choke. Droplets of coffee sprayed in every direction as Megan began a futile attempt at regaining her composure. Caitlin watched her friend's reaction with some amusement.

"What? Who? How?" Apparently her shock had robbed her normally talkative friend of the power of coherent speech. Caitlin waited until Megan had regained her composure before answering. "It's a long story."

"I have all day."

Caitlin began to fidget, unsure of how to begin.

"Where did you two meet?" her friend asked eagerly.

"At the Karate Competition."

"Did you kick his ass?" Megan asked knowing Cat's talent in unarmed combat.

Caitlin smiled slightly and shook her head ruefully "He's good"

"Do you have a picture?"

Caitlin nodded, Zack was reluctant, because of security to have his photo taken, but she had managed to catch him at an unguarded moment. Rummaging through her bag Cat produced a framed photo and handed it to her waiting friend.

Megan whistled softly as she gazed at the photo in front of her. Zack was leaning against a doorway casually, a slight smile playing at his lips. She looked up at Cat and was astonished to see tears shimmering in her eyes.

Megan gently forced Cat to look at her, "Did he hurt you? If he has I swear I'll...." She stopped as Cat shook her head.

"It's not like that," she whispered.

Megan knew that Cat was not the most open of people and certainly wouldn't reveal her feelings in front of penitential audience. Glaring at the curious on looks she went to counter and paid the stout middle aged cashier. Megan walked back to the table, casting a worried glance and her silent friend.

The midday sun shone brightly as the two women walked towards the apartment block on the street opposite the coffee. As they entered the building Cat reflexively took note of all exits. "I'm spending too much time with them," she muttered.

"Did you say something Cat?" Megan asked as she led her towards the elevator.

"No."

The elevator opened with a soft hiss. As they made their way to Megan's apartment, the other tenants passed them offering friendly smiles. Cat followed her old friend silently struggling to regain control of her volatile emotions.

When they reached her apartment, Megan began to search for her keys. The door opened to reveal a darkened room and Cat felt herself tense as Megan muttered "That's strange."

Her suppositions were heightened when she heard somebody moving around the small apartment. Motioning for Megan to stand behind her, Caitlin silently entered every muscle tense.

Her senses rapidly adjusted to the darkness and she was able to make out the shape of a man. Moving swiftly Cat crossed the room grabbing the startled man by the arm and shoved him into the coffee table. The mysterious assailant led out a startled oath.

"Meg?"

The room was suddenly bathed in light as Megan switched on the light.

"Mike?" she asked.

"Yes it's me. Would you mind asking your friend to remove her arm from my neck?" the man asked between struggled breaths.

"Cat, do it," her friend snapped rushing forward.

For the first time Caitlin got a clear look at their "attacker". He was tall, solidly build short red hair and green eyes. He was looking at her as if she was a rabid dog. With an embarrassed flush Caitlin released the man from her grip.

"Thanks," he said dryly.

Megan gasped, "It was today Mike?" gazing around at the clearly romantic setting. Her twin couches were scatted with rose petals and the remains of meal were in various states of flatness on the table.

"Yes Megs, It's our anniversary today, I came here hoping to surprise you instead you come home with "female Rambo". Should I be worried?" he asked only half joking.

Caitlin smiled slightly at the backward compliment.

Megan laughed softly, "Mike, this is my oldest friend Caitlin, Caitlin this is my boyfriend Mike," she introduced the onetime enemies.

The two shook hands rather tentatively.

Caitlin knew that she would be the third wheel if she stayed and she wasn't into the whole bear your soul thing anyway. Shoving her hands into her pockets she prepared to leave. "Look Megs it was great to see you again, I'll call you, Mike nice to meet you sorry to interrupt your thing."

"Cat wait… you could stay…" she protested weakly clearly torn between her duties as a friend and as a lover.

"Don't worry about me I'll be fine," Cat said, quickly cutting her off.

Caitlin smiled sadly as she made her way towards the elevator. Megs deserved a good life with a good man. Her first impressions of Mike aside from the "trying to kill me thing" were good. Suddenly a hand rested on her forearm.

On impulse Cat whirled around and slammed her potential attacker into the wall. Suddenly reality blurred and merged with her nightmares. She was no longer in the apartment building. The doctors were standing over her gazing at her with dead, hollow eyes. Lydecker's voice surrounded her. "Because of you I will have X5-599 forever," those words chased themselves around Cat's tortured mind.

"Do you greet all men like this?" asked a dry voice.

Just as quickly as they had appeared the walls of Manticore melted away. Replaced by the curious, slightly bemused eyes of Mike. For the second time that day Cat released Mike.

Unnaturally bright colors suddenly clouded her vision. Searing pain ripped through her head as staggered a collapsed. In the background she could hear voices calling and shouting but they were fading away like the voices of dreams.

Blackness blanketed the swirling colors as she lost her last tenuous grip on reality.