****Chapter One: Three Months Later*****
Also Known As: Those Three Little Words
AN: Okay, Tawny's name belongs to Kara. Leila is sort of mine, sort of belonging to a friend. This fic is the sequel to Implications. I'm on an update bender, especially since the cancellation. Sniff. Anyways, a bit of an S/K shipper chapter. This chapter is alternate Designate This.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syl walked along the street, watching as the rain poured down. The rain was so terrible that any norm wouldn't have been able to see more than a few feet in front of them. Her hair was sticking to her face and her clothes were hanging off her, absolutely soaked.
There was a café up ahead and Syl went to get a cup of coffee. It was wrong that NYC was so rainy. Everybody stared at her, so wet. She wrung out her hair and sat down.
She was flipping through the newspaper when it rang. Her cell. A small red one, sealed in a zip-lock plastic bag in her coat pocket. She got it out.
"Hey."
"Hey kitten. Did you find…"
"Yeah, I did, she took the news pretty well considering Zack is a prisoner of Manticore, even if he's still alive," Syl snapped irritably, tapping the table.
"Calm done, kitsy." Krit soothed. "So, who's left on the Zack radar?"
"Jondy and Zane," Syl said. "The two best at Hide and Seek.."
"Okay, if they can play Hide and Seek with us," Krit said in a mischievious tone. "You and I'll play a game."
"I am not letting you rewire my baby again," Syl retorted. "Never. Don't even think about it. I had to take it to freaking New Orleans, to find Zane and get him to fix it. Then it cost me half a bloody…"
"Breathe, kitten," Krit laughed. "No rewiring jobs. I'll leave that to you and Zane then."
"Zane and I always made a mean explosives team," Syl agreed. "Now what's this game, you want to play?"
"One week. Solid searching. No calling each other unless it's a 9-1-1 emergency. Or something. Meet you at my place on Friday…lets say, clothes, optional?"
"You've been drinking again, haven't you?" Syl accused. "Damnit, I'll kill Tawny next time I see him."
A fuzzy noise and then a new, but familiar voice came over the speakers. "C'mon, baby sister, let Krit have his fun." Big brother Tawny, complete with bear DNA and built like one.
"I'll give you fun," Syl retorted. "Allowing Krit to take my baby apart and put her back together. She practically lost her soul…"
"It's a bike, Syl," Tawny laughed.
"Yes, and what did you call your bike? Um, Princess?" Syl said, enjoying the banter exchange with one of her favourite older brothers.
"Uh, yeah. Anyway, good to hear your voice again little sister," Tawny said. "I missed you."
"Missed you too, Tawn."
"Hey kitten," Krit was back.
"Okay, I heard that Jondy was in New Orleans or near there. Once I find her, I will call you, then we can have our little optional-clothes- rendezvous," Syl said. "Then, after everyone knows, you are taking me to Florida."
"Deal. Talk later, princess, when Tawny isn't mocking me," Krit said and hung up. Syl rolled her eyes and put her phone in her pocket. Sometimes, her siblings were infuriating.
*~*~*~*
//Syl and Krit dove through the forest, watching carefully for the X7s. Krit's hand jerked out and grabbed Syl's, pulling her along faster.
There was a shout and several gun shots. Syl jerked around to see behind them, but Krit kept firm grip…
Krit's hand dropped hers and Syl fell to the ground, the forest getting darker. She had put her hand in a puddle and it was sticky…like blood.
Two bodies – Max's body, bloody pouring out of the unseen bullet wound and Zack, his neck broken.
"Krit!" Syl screamed. "Krit!" She looked around wildly. There were bodies and faces everywhere – of her dead siblings – Tawny, Jondy, Zane, Ben, Brin, Jace and Tinga.
"Krit!" Syl screamed, standing up. "They are all dead…"
Suddenly, Krit appeared, pulling her closer to the boundary fence and a gunshot went off. Syl didn't turn around, but ran faster…
Krit's body collapsed against the fence, blood pouring from his upper chest, lower throat. His eyes remained open and unseeing…//
"Shit," Syl sat up, hand against her head. She was all sweaty and out of breath. She hadn't been sleeping well since Max and Zack died…and with the absence of Krit, Syl felt on edge and unsafe.
She slid out of bed and walked over to the window. Rain was pouring into the streets and even her small, two room flat was cold. Syl wore one of Krit's shirts and a pair of socks. The cold never bothered her.
She glanced around the room – her rumpled bed, with a small wooden table next to it. A book, her cell phone and a container of trytrophan sat on the table. The window was on the small side, with metal bars across it and no curtains. The carpet was itchy and was a dirty white colour.
Thanks to the position of the flat, the moon shone straight through the clouds into her room. It made her colder, somehow, as she went into the kitchen to get some water.
Krit
//We were down the hill, all of us – all the escapees. Dressed in fatigues and carrying guns.
"Down the hall, to the Director's office," yelled Ben. "Main exit left of there. Dump some of those grenades just before we get out, Syl."
The petite blonde beside me nodded, her blonde hair flying. I am glad Ben acknowledged Syl – her skills aren't really noticed by the others.
We ran into the halls of Manticore, our footsteps sounding loud and foreboding.
Suddenly, Zack freezes. "Dump the packs," he murmurs. "Dump them and run like hell."
We exchange glances, twelve bags are left in the hall way – we have maybe seven guns between us and no defence – everything, everyone we have is stuck in the middle of our childhood hell.
The other girls – Tinga, Brin, Jondy, Max and Leila are gone down the hall.
"Come on Syl," I hiss and suddenly, we're almost there. Almost in the admin area.
Tawny reaches out to slam the door. Then we're face to face with Her. Renfro, it must be. Short, platinum blonde hair and a twisted grimace of a smile.
"Welcome home, my wandering lambs," she beams. "And how easy was this? All twelve, safely home."
But we came here to avenge Tinga's death. And yet, Tinga and Ben and Brin – siblings lost to us – stand amongst us, watching her. Panic is written all over Maxie's face.
Syl whips her gun out; but like Eva, she is too slow. She hesitates for less than a second and I know… Renfro is faster, anticipating the move and Syl is dead before she hits the floor. Suddenly, I am left standing, with Tawny, Jondy, Zane and Leila, on the other side of the boundary fence.//
Krit opened his eyes and shook his head. Nightmares, he had them every night. About his siblings and the raid, the Escape and losing Syl…the promise of making sure they were all okay.
/I broke a promise,/ Krit thought with distaste. /God, I wish she was here./
A common thought these days. He had company – their brother, Tawny. And wherever Tawny was, so was Leila.
Krit stood up and turned on the TV, looking for some bad pre-pulse movie, trying to let him sleep without nightmares of guns and blood and death.
Syl
Syl drank her water, reading her book. She kept repeating the same line; her mind was wandering. Krit. She was completely focused on Krit. The week they had spent together before they split up had been some of the best days of Syl's life – waking up with his arms tightly around her and watching her sleep. On the Saturday, he'd brought her coffee in bed, and they laid there together until noon.
And just little things she had picked up – his pet names, the adoring smiles he gave her and the way, whenever he got scared or nervous, he'd reach for her.
/Damnit, this was meant to be a casual sex arrangement/ she thought. /I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't get involved, let alone with an X5 male. No emotions./
But her cell phone was tempting her. Krit's number was on speed dial. One button and he could be here, hugging her, loving her and…keeping her safe…
But Krit was her weakness. And weaknesses weren't tolerated…
/Best back up team Manticore has ever seen, Syl. Don't beat yourself up. It's better that you and Krit work together – together, you are better than Max or me or Jondy or Eva./ Some of the only encouragement Zack had ever given Syl. Maybe Zack had seen something happening between her and Krit.
Krit's cell phone rang. "Hello?" Even at 2 am, Krit was polite.
"Krit? It's me," Syl said, feeling nervous and embarrassed. What should she say? Take me now?
"Syl, are you okay?" His voice sounded concerned.
"I can't…I need you here Krit. The nightmares are getting worse," she said, the images of Krit's dead body etched firmly in her memory.
"I can be there tomorrow night, princess. I'll leave now. Try and get some sleep for me?"
"Planning to wear me out, are you?" her voice sounded tired and teasing.
"Oh yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you soon."
"Syl?"
"Yeah?"
"I missed you too."
Also Known As: Those Three Little Words
AN: Okay, Tawny's name belongs to Kara. Leila is sort of mine, sort of belonging to a friend. This fic is the sequel to Implications. I'm on an update bender, especially since the cancellation. Sniff. Anyways, a bit of an S/K shipper chapter. This chapter is alternate Designate This.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syl walked along the street, watching as the rain poured down. The rain was so terrible that any norm wouldn't have been able to see more than a few feet in front of them. Her hair was sticking to her face and her clothes were hanging off her, absolutely soaked.
There was a café up ahead and Syl went to get a cup of coffee. It was wrong that NYC was so rainy. Everybody stared at her, so wet. She wrung out her hair and sat down.
She was flipping through the newspaper when it rang. Her cell. A small red one, sealed in a zip-lock plastic bag in her coat pocket. She got it out.
"Hey."
"Hey kitten. Did you find…"
"Yeah, I did, she took the news pretty well considering Zack is a prisoner of Manticore, even if he's still alive," Syl snapped irritably, tapping the table.
"Calm done, kitsy." Krit soothed. "So, who's left on the Zack radar?"
"Jondy and Zane," Syl said. "The two best at Hide and Seek.."
"Okay, if they can play Hide and Seek with us," Krit said in a mischievious tone. "You and I'll play a game."
"I am not letting you rewire my baby again," Syl retorted. "Never. Don't even think about it. I had to take it to freaking New Orleans, to find Zane and get him to fix it. Then it cost me half a bloody…"
"Breathe, kitten," Krit laughed. "No rewiring jobs. I'll leave that to you and Zane then."
"Zane and I always made a mean explosives team," Syl agreed. "Now what's this game, you want to play?"
"One week. Solid searching. No calling each other unless it's a 9-1-1 emergency. Or something. Meet you at my place on Friday…lets say, clothes, optional?"
"You've been drinking again, haven't you?" Syl accused. "Damnit, I'll kill Tawny next time I see him."
A fuzzy noise and then a new, but familiar voice came over the speakers. "C'mon, baby sister, let Krit have his fun." Big brother Tawny, complete with bear DNA and built like one.
"I'll give you fun," Syl retorted. "Allowing Krit to take my baby apart and put her back together. She practically lost her soul…"
"It's a bike, Syl," Tawny laughed.
"Yes, and what did you call your bike? Um, Princess?" Syl said, enjoying the banter exchange with one of her favourite older brothers.
"Uh, yeah. Anyway, good to hear your voice again little sister," Tawny said. "I missed you."
"Missed you too, Tawn."
"Hey kitten," Krit was back.
"Okay, I heard that Jondy was in New Orleans or near there. Once I find her, I will call you, then we can have our little optional-clothes- rendezvous," Syl said. "Then, after everyone knows, you are taking me to Florida."
"Deal. Talk later, princess, when Tawny isn't mocking me," Krit said and hung up. Syl rolled her eyes and put her phone in her pocket. Sometimes, her siblings were infuriating.
*~*~*~*
//Syl and Krit dove through the forest, watching carefully for the X7s. Krit's hand jerked out and grabbed Syl's, pulling her along faster.
There was a shout and several gun shots. Syl jerked around to see behind them, but Krit kept firm grip…
Krit's hand dropped hers and Syl fell to the ground, the forest getting darker. She had put her hand in a puddle and it was sticky…like blood.
Two bodies – Max's body, bloody pouring out of the unseen bullet wound and Zack, his neck broken.
"Krit!" Syl screamed. "Krit!" She looked around wildly. There were bodies and faces everywhere – of her dead siblings – Tawny, Jondy, Zane, Ben, Brin, Jace and Tinga.
"Krit!" Syl screamed, standing up. "They are all dead…"
Suddenly, Krit appeared, pulling her closer to the boundary fence and a gunshot went off. Syl didn't turn around, but ran faster…
Krit's body collapsed against the fence, blood pouring from his upper chest, lower throat. His eyes remained open and unseeing…//
"Shit," Syl sat up, hand against her head. She was all sweaty and out of breath. She hadn't been sleeping well since Max and Zack died…and with the absence of Krit, Syl felt on edge and unsafe.
She slid out of bed and walked over to the window. Rain was pouring into the streets and even her small, two room flat was cold. Syl wore one of Krit's shirts and a pair of socks. The cold never bothered her.
She glanced around the room – her rumpled bed, with a small wooden table next to it. A book, her cell phone and a container of trytrophan sat on the table. The window was on the small side, with metal bars across it and no curtains. The carpet was itchy and was a dirty white colour.
Thanks to the position of the flat, the moon shone straight through the clouds into her room. It made her colder, somehow, as she went into the kitchen to get some water.
Krit
//We were down the hill, all of us – all the escapees. Dressed in fatigues and carrying guns.
"Down the hall, to the Director's office," yelled Ben. "Main exit left of there. Dump some of those grenades just before we get out, Syl."
The petite blonde beside me nodded, her blonde hair flying. I am glad Ben acknowledged Syl – her skills aren't really noticed by the others.
We ran into the halls of Manticore, our footsteps sounding loud and foreboding.
Suddenly, Zack freezes. "Dump the packs," he murmurs. "Dump them and run like hell."
We exchange glances, twelve bags are left in the hall way – we have maybe seven guns between us and no defence – everything, everyone we have is stuck in the middle of our childhood hell.
The other girls – Tinga, Brin, Jondy, Max and Leila are gone down the hall.
"Come on Syl," I hiss and suddenly, we're almost there. Almost in the admin area.
Tawny reaches out to slam the door. Then we're face to face with Her. Renfro, it must be. Short, platinum blonde hair and a twisted grimace of a smile.
"Welcome home, my wandering lambs," she beams. "And how easy was this? All twelve, safely home."
But we came here to avenge Tinga's death. And yet, Tinga and Ben and Brin – siblings lost to us – stand amongst us, watching her. Panic is written all over Maxie's face.
Syl whips her gun out; but like Eva, she is too slow. She hesitates for less than a second and I know… Renfro is faster, anticipating the move and Syl is dead before she hits the floor. Suddenly, I am left standing, with Tawny, Jondy, Zane and Leila, on the other side of the boundary fence.//
Krit opened his eyes and shook his head. Nightmares, he had them every night. About his siblings and the raid, the Escape and losing Syl…the promise of making sure they were all okay.
/I broke a promise,/ Krit thought with distaste. /God, I wish she was here./
A common thought these days. He had company – their brother, Tawny. And wherever Tawny was, so was Leila.
Krit stood up and turned on the TV, looking for some bad pre-pulse movie, trying to let him sleep without nightmares of guns and blood and death.
Syl
Syl drank her water, reading her book. She kept repeating the same line; her mind was wandering. Krit. She was completely focused on Krit. The week they had spent together before they split up had been some of the best days of Syl's life – waking up with his arms tightly around her and watching her sleep. On the Saturday, he'd brought her coffee in bed, and they laid there together until noon.
And just little things she had picked up – his pet names, the adoring smiles he gave her and the way, whenever he got scared or nervous, he'd reach for her.
/Damnit, this was meant to be a casual sex arrangement/ she thought. /I promised myself a long time ago that I wouldn't get involved, let alone with an X5 male. No emotions./
But her cell phone was tempting her. Krit's number was on speed dial. One button and he could be here, hugging her, loving her and…keeping her safe…
But Krit was her weakness. And weaknesses weren't tolerated…
/Best back up team Manticore has ever seen, Syl. Don't beat yourself up. It's better that you and Krit work together – together, you are better than Max or me or Jondy or Eva./ Some of the only encouragement Zack had ever given Syl. Maybe Zack had seen something happening between her and Krit.
Krit's cell phone rang. "Hello?" Even at 2 am, Krit was polite.
"Krit? It's me," Syl said, feeling nervous and embarrassed. What should she say? Take me now?
"Syl, are you okay?" His voice sounded concerned.
"I can't…I need you here Krit. The nightmares are getting worse," she said, the images of Krit's dead body etched firmly in her memory.
"I can be there tomorrow night, princess. I'll leave now. Try and get some sleep for me?"
"Planning to wear me out, are you?" her voice sounded tired and teasing.
"Oh yeah."
"Okay, I'll see you soon."
"Syl?"
"Yeah?"
"I missed you too."