A/N 1: [insert very long, very boring definition of 'stuff', ranging from plotbunnies to flames] can be send to hack_heaven@usa.net. Yes, that's an e-mail address. No, I don't bite ^^

Italics indicates thoughts/telepathy

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Chapter Seventy-Nine: Last Day of Innocence

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Daryn gasped, his lung burning from his fast breaths, adrenaline clouding his mind, making him dizzy, the rough blanket on the floor of the van digging into his palms. Emotions hammered against his usually so calm mind; confusion, fear, anger, panic, all caused by the danger he now found himself in.

Acting on instincts he never knew he had, Daryn got up, looking out of the dusty windows in the back of the van, barely aware of Hal's presence beside him, his mind still too unused to this kind of situation to focus on much at a time.

The sound of the engine mixed with the shouting outside, dark, heavy smoke from the cars clouding the sky, flames still licking up, caressing scorched metal, the unpleasant smell of burning fuel and plastic still stuck to his clothes, the sound of gunshots still ringing in his ears, and-

"Daryn!" Hal voice snapped though his daze as he continue to stare out the dusty glass in bewilderment, and he tried to focus on her but still...there was something, a nagging feeling of unease in the back of his mind that wouldn't let him look away. His eyes narrowed, watching the rapidly diminishing silhouettes among the smoke, and suddenly he saw something move, a brief flare of light, then something approaching the van fast, and his eyes widened as his mind caught up with what he saw.

NO!

The thought was instinctive, his mind drawing on his powers out of sheer self-preservation, his rational mind deep down knowing that it was too late, that he was too weak, but there was no time for the doubts to form as he felt his mind lash out defensively, desperately at the small grenade that hungrily closed in on them. He tensed, expecting to feel the brief, blinding pain of an explosion, but the only thing that followed was a sudden surge as his mind focused on the small object, and for the briefest of seconds he felt it respond, and-

He watched, wide-eyed, as the grenade turned away, hammering into a nearby building instead, the explosion tearing through the air, then Hal's voice as she turned to Jhonen, her voice urgent.

"It missed! Let's go!"

Still dazed, Daryn barely felt the van accelerate, his thoughts too confused to really register anything around him. He sat down again, leaning his head against the metal plates, the hum of the engine almost hypnotizing.

He felt the exhaustion set it, a dull throbbing in his head as his body reacted to his sudden loss of strength, and the last thing he remembered before giving in to blissful unconsciousness, was a single thought that kept circling his mind. The grenade hadn't missed...

He'd deflected it.

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The first thing he became aware of as he woke up again, was the hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him awake. He opened his eyes, and found himself staring confused into Hal's red gaze.

"Hey...wake up. We're here."

Daryn blinked, still not completely awake, but nodded and slowly got up on slightly unsteady legs. As he got out he frowned, noticing for the first time that they'd exchanged the vans for some normal cars sometime during the trip. He had a vague recollection of getting out of the van and into a car but the memory felt hazy, more like a dream than reality.

Daryn stumbled into the motel, ignoring the people around him, and make his way towards the room he shared with Zahra. He reached the door, barely able to focus for long enough to open it, then stumbled into the room and sat down heavily on his bed, resting his head in his hands.

Christ...

His head hurt, his body felt drained, but it was nothing compared to the confusion he felt about what he'd just been through. It wasn't supposed to have gone wrong...they weren't supposed to have been in danger. They should have been able to walk into the building, get the others out, and leave again without trouble. How could it possibly have gone wrong?

"Daryn?" He looked up and saw Ryan in the doorway, blue eyes watching Daryn concerned. "Are you okay?"

Daryn didn't reply, but curled up on the bed, leaning against the wall, and Ryan sent him a sympathetic look before crossing the room and sitting down next to him. For a moment neither said anything, then Ryan broke the heavy silence.

"I just...wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to help us, you know," he said, his voice serious. "You didn't even know us until a few days ago."

Daryn shrugged faintly, too drained to do much else. "You guys helped Zahra and me out of the camp...the least I could do in return was help you."

"Most people wouldn't have cared." The ghost of a smile touched Ryan's lips, and he continued. "Most people would have been too busy to worry about themselves."

"I'm not most people." Daryn finally looked up, brown eyes serious and far older than one would expect for a teenager.

"No...you're not," Ryan agreed, reaching out to brush a lock of blue-tipped hair away from Daryn's eyes, the gesture oddly calming on the boy. Somewhere deep down he'd wondered if they'd only kept him around for his powers, because he was useful to them - he wasn't particularly proud of those doubts, but they'd still been there, nagging at the back of his mind. But now he felt them slowly diminish, chased away by a few, simple gestures of concern.

"Did...did everyone get away okay?" he looked up, concern for his new friends obvious, and Ryan nodded slowly.

"More or less, yeah." Daryn frowned slightly, brown eyes questioning, and Ryan continued. "Apparently, Jordane is suffering from poisoning thanks to the drugs. Blade took her to a hospital. She should be okay soon," he explained, deliberately not telling just how bad the girl had looked. Even the fact that Blade was willing to run the risk of discovery by taking her to a hospital was enough to show that something was seriously wrong, but at the moment, Daryn had enough to worry about, and Ryan didn't want to add anything else to it.

Daryn nodded, his eyes feeling heavy as the exhaustion set in once again, and Ryan smiled faintly. "Get some sleep, Daryn. You need it."

Daryn nodded again, and lay down on the bed, pulling the covers closer, not bothering to take off his clothes. He was vaguely aware that Ryan quietly left the room, but he was too tired to pay any attention to it, his minds focusing solely on the tiredness he felt. He closed his eyes and curled up under the blankets, and surrendered to a deep, dreamless sleep.

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Darkness. The faraway sound of voices, barely a whisper to her hazy mind. Breathing - slow, steady, mingling with the sound of her heartbeat.

Jordane opened her eyes, then turned her head at the sudden brightness she faced, a soundless whimper escaping her lips as she felt her headache flare up, reawakened by her movements. White walls. White door. A no-smoking sign acting as mock decorating among the otherwise light colors.

A hospital?

Her hand moved subconsciously, lingering on her stomach, remembering the last time she'd found herself in a situation like this, almost expecting to feel the soft bandages beneath her hand.

"It's okay...you're safe now."

The voice, low and soothing and very familiar, caught her attention and as she turned her head, she found Blade standing by her bed, watching her. He reached out, brushing a lock of unruly hair out of her eyes, and repeated his words. "You're safe."

Jordane nodded, feeling the tension leave her body. She'd learned to trust his judgement, and the fact that his attention was focused solely on her, only served to calm her down further. If there had been even the slightest danger, he wouldn't have been this calm.

"What happened?" Her voice was low, hoarse, and she wondered briefly just how long she'd been there. Hours? Days?

"You fainted. I took you to a local hospital," Blade replied, pale eyes watching her carefully, concern visible. He remembered all too vividly the last time he'd seen her like this, pale and confused, and those memories didn't help the least on his concern.

Jordane frowned, her mind slowly starting to work again, catching up with his words. "We're in a public hospital? But-"

"They won't find us," Blade replied, cutting off her arguments. "We're safe here for the moment."

Jordane looked doubtful for a moment, then accepted his words and nodded slowly. "How long...?" She looked up questioningly, and Blade sighed.

"Five hours. They took some tests a while ago...we should get the results soon."

"What results?" Jordane asked, confused. "It's just poisoning...I just need some time to get over the drugs, that's all. I'm not..."

Blade brushed a finger lightly against her dry lips and she fell silent. "Just to be sure," he replied. "You fainted - they just want to make sure that it's nothing serious."

"But then they'll find out that I'm a-"

Once again Blade cut off her argument, dismissing her doubt before they could become any worse. She needed time to recover, and that wouldn't be possible if she constantly worried about their safety. "Then I'll deal with that. Leave the worrying to me. You need to rest, Queen."

The fond pet name had its intended effect as she nodded and allowed herself to relax a bit, deciding to trust his judgement. She frowned slightly, deciding to ask about the others, but the thought was cut off as she heard footsteps approaching the room. Blade tensed slightly and looked at the door, then relax a bit again as he saw their doctor step into the room. The man noticed Jordane, and sent her a paternal smile as he headed over to her bed.

"Awake, I see," he remarked, absently talking as he checked on her. "How are you feeling?"

Jordane paused, then sighed as Blade raised an eyebrow. "I feel dizzy," she admitted. "But other than that, I don't feel too bad."

The doctor nodded, apparently not surprised with the reply. "Yes...I'd expected that," he remarked.

The words made Blade frown slightly, concern once again visible in his eyes. "What did the tests show?"

The doctor paused, the brief silence enough to make Jordane's worry intensify again, and she felt Blade touch her hand, calming her down.

"The results showed poisoning, as expected," the doctor finally replied, then continued, hesitating for only a brief moment. "Power suppressant, to be exact, with the remains of sedatives as well."

"And...?" Jordane prompted, sensing that there was more.

The man looked at her, focusing solely on the pale girl in the bed. "Besides the drugs, your blood also shows an unusual high level of HCG." Jordane sent him a confused look, and the man continued. "You're pregnant, ma'am."

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