Title: Deleri

Author: BethCarielle

See Chapter One for Disclaimer and Details.

Chapter Three

            "Dana!  Dana, no!  Don't take her, please don't take her!  Dana!  No…no…Dana no…"  Claire's voice trailed off, echoing in the in bleak hallway.  She slumped to the floor, tears slipping down her cheeks.  How could they?  How could they?

            "Claire?  Claire!  Claire, wake up…wake up," Darien's voice entered her dream, along with being shaken by one shoulder.  Claire opened her eyes to meet Darien's, which were filled with concern.  "You're ok Claire, you were dreaming," he explained seeing her confused expression.

            "What time is it?" she whispered.

            "Three AM."

            "How's Bobby?"

            "Out of surgery, in recovery again.  Not even on a ventilator," reported Darien, pride touching his voice.

            Claire nodded and rolled her head, her neck was cramped from having fallen asleep in the chair she had settled into five hours earlier.  Groaning she sat up, catching Darien's gaze again.    

            "Who's Dana?" he asked gently.

            "Dana?" Claire answered sotto voce. 

            "Yeah, you started yelling for them not to take her," explained Darien again.  Claire tore her gaze away from Darien.  How could she possibly explain?  No one knew.  No one could, just like most of her life, no one could know.

            "She was…she is my…my daughter," she whispered, barely audible.

            "What?" questioned Darien incredulously.

            Claire looked up, panic setting in, what had she done?  No, no one could know.  Oh God, what had she done?  Claire stood up and left the room, making her way blindly down the hallway.     

            "Claire!  Come back!  Claire!" Darien called after her; he had seen the pure fear wash over her.  Was this was she was hiding?  Was Dana the reason behind what was happening?  And who was Dana?  Claire's daughter?  Darien shook his head, he couldn't believe it.  Claire had a daughter.

Claire was pacing the hall outside the recovery room.  Her blind retreat from Darien's questions had led her to Bobby.  She checked with the surgeon, the doctor, and the nurses and his prognosis was good.  She had been right; some sutures had failed and had allowed a blood vessel to empty into his lung, causing the distress.

            She didn't know where to go, or what to do.  She couldn't believe she had told Darien about Dana.  What kind of danger had she just put Dana in?  She knew Dana was safe as long as people didn't know about her.  Claire would never forget the day she realized she was pregnant. 

            Her handler had appeared at her door the night she had found out.  "How could you?  Do you know the danger you have put Matt in?  Yourself?  Our organization?  You little slut!" she screamed, slapping Claire across the face.  Claire stumbled backwards, completely stunned by her actions.  The woman hadn't shown one emotion in the last three years.  "You have to terminate.  Now!" she demanded. 

            Claire tried to say something in her defense but was silenced by another slap.  Anger building, she stood and caught the woman's arm as she moved to slap her a third time.  The woman's eyes widened at the show of defiance. 

            "I will not terminate my pregnancy," Claire responded forcefully, spitting each word at her handler.

            "You have to.  It's too dangerous.  You're off this assignment.  We'll place you somewhere else," said the woman, speaking quickly, nodding to herself.

            "Matt has a right to know!" insisted Claire.

            "No, he doesn't, not if there's a chance we'll lose him.  Not to mention that blackmail possibilities if companies like Stratagen found out.  You do remember Stratagen don't you?" she asked threateningly.

            Claire nodded mute.  If it was that dangerous for Matt to have the emotional attachment, what did it mean for her?  Maybe she should terminate the pregnancy, make life easier.  No!  Damn it, this was one thing that was hers, something she could control.

            "So reassign me, get me away from here, from Matt," she said with a forced voice, tears blurring her vision.

            "Yes, yes we will.  Immediately.  Start packing."

            And that was the second time she lost a man she loved.  She was assigned directly to The Agency in Washington D.C., not as a Keeper, but as a scientist, working once again on genomes for the duration of her pregnancy.

            Dana was born early in the morning, a squalling, pink bundle with her father's dark hair.  Claire wept knowing Matt would never know his daughter.

            During Dana's early years Claire became the typical single, working mother, daycare, doctor visits and the occasional "Mommy and Me" activity at the local YMCA.

            She had just celebrated Dana's fifth birthday when she was told she was to be reassigned again, as a Keeper.

            "What about Dana?  I can't possibly integrate her into a Keeper position."

            "Yes, we know," her new handler had replied.  She had been assigned a new one soon after the first one had hit her.

            "What do you mean?" asked Claire as realization hit her, "No!  Never!  I will not give up my child!  You can't take her!"

            "She'll be safe, she'll be cared for.  When your contract with us is up you can get her back."

            "Contract?  I never signed a contract," seethed Claire.

            "You did by agreeing to be Kevin's Keeper 14 years ago rather than spend the next 50 in federal prison, which is still an option."

            "How long is this fucking contract?"

            "Until we decide we no longer need you."

            "So you mean I might never see Dana again?"

            "We're not that horrible, we just have an important case."

            "When?"

            "You have four weeks.  You're being assigned to our San Diego office.  The Official there is Charles Borden, who's currently operating under the front of The Fish and Game Department."

            "And where will Dana be?"

            "You won't know.  Like everything else, if you don't know, others won't know and she can't be used against you."

            "What's the assignment?"

            "Kevin's back."

            "What?"

            "Under our employment and resource, Kevin Fawkes has developed a biosynthetic gland that once implanted under the cerebral cortex, secretes a hormone known as Quicksilver, allowing the subject to become invisible.  Preliminary rodent testing is positive; however the first human trial was cut short by an unforeseen occurrence that rendered that trial ineffective."

            "Biological invisibility is only a theory."

            "It was," her handler replied, stressing the verb.

            Claire was given the pertinent records and information regarding the so termed QS-9300 project, the new test subject was as of yet, unselected.

            Claire spent the next week trying to decide how to explain to Dana what was going to happen.  Each passing day was torture, knowing each moment she was closer to losing her daughter.

            Early one morning Claire was woken by the sound of pounding on her front door.  She opened it to be informed that an unknown terrorist entity had infiltrated the QS-9300 project and that Kevin was dead.  She was needed in San Diego immediately to deal with the new test subject, who was ironically enough, Kevin's brother, Darien Fawkes.

            "You said four weeks, I'm not ready, I haven't told Dana!" screamed Claire.

            "We didn't know who Dr. de Thiel was when he joined the project.  The Official has Darien occupied to The Agency's advantage at the time being, but Arnaud de Föhn orchestrated a toxin in the Quicksilver requiring constant observation and treatment.  You are Darien's new Keeper.  You have a day.  What ever you need from here will be shipped to your house in San Diego."
            "I don't have a house in San Diego," replied Claire bluntly with disgust. 

            "You do now.  Report to The Agency headquarters tomorrow at 7am.  Bring Dana."

            Claire was slumped against the wall outside Bobby's room.  Tears stung her eyes as she remembered the events that led her to San Diego Agency office.  Along with becoming Darien's Keeper, her other research was moved to San Diego, including Gloria, which was convenient enough since that's where Gloria's family was.

            Now, after trying to put the past behind her and only crying herself to sleep two nights a week, her past was coming back at the expense of her friends' lives.  She picked herself up off the floor and slipped into the public restroom.  Splashing cold water on her face, she tried to smooth her hair back into place, she was a wreck.  She left the bathroom to almost literally ran into Darien.

            "Dahrien!" she exclaimed, side stepping to avoid hitting him.  He looked at her, knowing something was wrong.  All the events of the past two days, her dream about Dana, all of it was connected.

            "Claire?"

            "Yes Dahrien?"

            "Tell me."

            "I can't."

            "Why not?"

            "Because it might cost your life, my life, or Dana's."

            "How old is Dana?"

            "She'll be seven in a month and a half."

            "Where is she?"

            "I don't know."

            "What does it have to do with all this?" he asked, indicating Bobby in his room, the cast on her hand and the helplessness she must have obviously felt.

            "I'm sorry Dahrien, I can't tell you," she repeated, moving in and hugging him quickly.  She needed to go, get away from them, out of Delta Eight's facilities, where she couldn't draw anymore harm to her friends.  She'd meet her handler and ask to be reassigned.  Tears blurred her vision once more as she realized she would probably never see Bobby, Darien, or Alex again.

"Where's Claire?" asked Alex, standing at the front of Bobby's bed.  Darien looked up at the sudden break in silence.  Bobby had been conscious earlier, but was sleeping now.

            "I, uh, don't know.  She was upset earlier, probably went to track down a shower or a bed or both."

            "Upset about what?"

            "I don't know really, something about Dana."

            "Who's Dana?" asked Alex confused.  She had only just gotten out of a meeting with The Official in charge of Delta Eight.  She had given a complete report in as much detail as she knew of the events of the last two and a half days.  It was now 4am; she had been in the meeting for five hours.

            "Uhh, yeah, found out a couple of things about The Keeper.  Dana is her daughter," replied Darien, pausing to let the news sink in.

            "Her daughter?"

            "Yeah.  I have no idea what happened, although I think she's alive."

            "You think?" demanded Alex, her voice rising with the emotion of her own experience of losing a child.  She shushed herself when Bobby stirred.

            "Yeah.  Sorry Alex.  I know you know how it feels."

            Alex nodded and stared straight ahead.  Could this have a connection to Chrysalis?  Had these baby camps and kidnappings been happening for longer than they had thought?  Was Dana Chrysalis progeny too?  Like her James?  "What else did you learn?"

            "Uh, well she sort of admitted that Dana was connected to all of this."

            "Connected how?"

            "I think who ever has Dana is responsible for this."

            "So, we find out who has Dana, and we find out who almost killed Bobby."

            "Maybe.  Claire said she couldn't tell me because it would put Dana at risk, and us."

            "So what do we do?" asked Alex.

            "You're asking me?" replied Darien incredulously.

Claire found herself outside the Delta Eight Official's office.  She had never initiated a meeting with her employers, or captors she thought bitterly, her handler just always appeared.  She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

            "Enter!" commanded a rough voice.

            She turned the knob and gave the door a push.  It opened to reveal a large oak desk with an equally formidable man sitting behind it.  Did all Agency Officials have to meet some sort of weight minimum she wondered absently.  The man looked up, giving Claire a once over.

            "Yes doctor?" he questioned.

            "I, I want to be reassigned," she said quickly.

            "But the QS-9300 project still requires your attention."

            "So I'll brief someone else.  You have to have someone else."

            "There are others, who meet the required specifications, but you're familiar with the subject, he trusts you."

            "No, I don't think he does.  Please, place me somewhere else."

            "We don't need you anywhere else."

            "Send me back to DC, let me have Dana back," whispered Claire.

            "Is this what this is about?  Some belated maternal want?"

            "She's my daughter, I have a right," responded Claire forcefully.

            "She's not safe with you."

            "So assign me to her!  Send me where ever she is!"

            "We don't need you in the Chrysalis Program."

            Claire stood shocked.  Dana was with Chrysalis.

            "Fawkes?" a rough voice whispered, bringing Darien from his unconsciousness.  He groaned and stretched, he really needed to quit falling asleep in chairs, it was killing his neck and back.

            "Fawkes?  You awake?" asked the raspy, Brooklyn tinted voice again.

            Darien blinked.  "Bobby?" he whispered back.

            "Hey partner," replied Bobby with a slight smile.

            "God Bobby, you gave us a scare, was afraid I had lost you at one point."

            "What happened?"

            "Some sutures didn't hold when you were transferred.  Vessel started pouring blood into your left lung again."

            "Where are we?  Delta Eight?"

            "Yeah.  And how come you never told me about DE?" asked Darien, shortening the name of the installation to initials.

            "Need to know partner, need to know."  Even post surgery, Bobby was Bobby.  Darien grinned, grateful that his partner was still around to banter.  "Where's The Keep?  And Monroe?"

           "Uhh, Keep's resting, Alex is with her," lied Darien. Truthfully neither Alex nor himself had been able to locate Claire, or get someone to tell them her whereabouts.  They had been taking turns sitting with Bobby and searching the compound.

            "Fawkes?"

            "Yeah?"

            "Don't you freakin' lie to me," warned Bobby managing to sound slightly threatening.

            Darien grinned again; damn he was glad Bobby was going to be alright.

            Alex was roaming the halls for the third time that night.  She had tried every door to every office, closet, boardroom, and bathroom and had not found one trace of Claire.  She had tried questioning the guards at the secure passageways and was ignored.  She had concluded that Claire must be on one of those inaccessible levels, but she wasn't sure why, not to mention, what kind of clearance could The Keeper possibly have that she didn't?

            Sighing she leaned against the wall of the bleak white hall that looked like every other passage in the building; was there some sort of ban on color or artwork?  Maybe even a strip of wooden molding along the floor to break up the monotony would help.

            Alex went back over what she had learned.  Claire had vanished into the facility after telling Darien about Dana.  Dana was somewhere, supposedly safe and alive.  Bobby was recovering after his second trip into the OR and she had left Fawkes with him.  She had found out from a doctor that The Official was stable and was being kept at Memorial, under discreet guard, for the day for observation.  He was to be transferred to Delta Eight later that day.  There was no information on Eberts; Alex hoped that no news was good news.  Alex caught herself mid-yawn and looked at her watch, she had been awake for almost 24 hours.

            Pushing herself away from the wall she traced her steps back to Bobby's room, she was beginning to know this place too well.

            "Hey Monroe," Bobby greeted Alex weakly as she walked in.  Alex's eyes widened in surprise at Bobby's current state.

            "Hobbes…wow, how are you feeling?"

            "I've been better, but I'm alive," he whispered.  "Heard you shot my partner," he ribbed her.

            Alex actually blushed, nothing like shooting your own man.  "Umm, yeah.  How are you, Fawkes?"

            Darien moved his arm experimentally, thanks to the pain medication he felt pretty good.  "Not bad, Monroe.  Guess I should consider myself lucky you weren't actually aiming for me," he said smiling.  "What did you learn?"

            Alex's smile faded as she motioned towards Bobby with her eyes.

            "He knows," replied Darien, "He threatened to put another bullet in me if I didn't tell him," said Darien disgustedly with humor.

            Alex nodded.  "Well, I've been all over this place three times, no sign of Claire.  Guards won't tell me anything, Borden is being transferred here later today," she reported.

            "Eberts?" questioned Darien.

            "No word," answered Alex grimly.

            "I'm sure he's fine," croaked Bobby.

            "Yeah, Eberts is capable," agreed Darien, "Remember when the SWRB took over The Agency?"

            "Yeah, he made it then," agreed Alex, trying to convince herself.  "Are you good for a little longer, Fawkes?  I seriously need a shower and some coffee."

            "Yeah, yeah, go ahead," replied Darien, waving her towards the door.

            "Hey, guys?  I don't need a baby-sitter," piped up Bobby.

            "I don't mind, Hobbes," insisted Darien.

            "Fawkes!  Get out of here!" demanded Bobby.

            Darien sighed and shrugged, following Alex out of the room, he could use a shower too.  "Hey Alex!  Wait up!" he called, he had no idea where the agent dorms were.

"What do you mean the Chrysalis Program?" demanded Claire, thoughts of Jared Stark, Alex's son James, and the genetic tinkering they were so fond of crowded her mind.  What could they have done to her Dana?

            "Doctor!  Calm yourself," commanded the Delta Official.  "It's not the Chrysalis you've encountered while in San Diego."

            "You mean the horrible things they do are sanctioned?  By our government?"

            "No, no, you misunderstand.  Jared Stark and the people he works for are a splinter group we've been trying to control.  Your work in San Diego has been part of that effort. 

            The Chrysalis Project started as a sequestered community for children whose parent or parents could be compromised by the child's very existence.  Angelique GraBois was hired as counselor and in very much the same way Arnaud de Föhn infiltrated the QS-9300 project, Angelique worked a web of contacts throughout Chrysalis, managing to plant subversive ideas in certain minds, eventually forming a powerful group of scientists, researchers, and administrators.  They kidnapped 20 of the sequestered children, all of whom have since been returned to either their parents or Chrysalis, and began their eugenic conquest.

            When the kidnapped children had been liberated they decided to use their own gametes and a national alliance of fertility clinics to obtain 'surrogates', much in the same way Alexandra Monroe was used.

            They have been operating for the last 36 years."

            "And why haven't they been stopped?  Those children are never going to age past 30.  They could be facing severe physiological, psychological, and physical anomalies and maladaptations."

            "Yes, we know.  We have been unsuccessful in tracking them.  The efforts of the San Diego office have been as close as we've come."

            "So where's Dana?  Assign me to this Chrysalis Program," said Claire, her stomach twisting at the request to be part of Chrysalis, even though it wasn't what she had seen first hand.

            Darien was hovering outside the women's locker room, waiting for Alex to emerge.  He had managed to get fairly clean since he couldn't actually shower due to the wound through his shoulder, and was feeling edgy.  He instinctively checked his tattoo.  Only one segment was red, but he would really feel better if he knew where Claire was.  He was going to need Counteragent sooner or later.

            "Alex!" he said as she stepped through the doorway.  She jumped and turned to Darien, question on her face.

            "What?  Everything alright?"

            "I'm going to need Counteragent soon," he admitted.

            "Let me see," said Alex holding out her hand.  Darien gingerly extended his right arm; the pain medication was wearing off.  Alex inspected the snake tattoo and sighed, "Fawkes, there's only one red segment."

            "So?"

            "So, you stay visible you won't need Counteragent for another five days."         

            "Umm, I would rather not wait that long.  Sort of a healthy paranoia."

            "You're starting to sound like Hobbes."

            "Am not."

            "Darien!" Alex said warningly.

            "Ok, sorry.  Why don't you go crash?  You look like you could sleep for a couple of days."

            "You don't look so hot yourself," she replied, the idea of sleep sounding like a sweet promise.  "What about our missing Keeper?"

            "I have a little invisible sneak and peek planned."

            "That's why you wanted Counteragent."

            Darien favored her with a bored stare.  "Ok, ok, do what you will, just don't get caught and stay out of the girls' locker room," said Alex heading towards the dorms.

            Darien shook his head and went the opposite way, back towards Bobby's room, hoping he wouldn't get lost in the fluorescent white mausoleum.

"We can't assign you to the Chrysalis Program."

            "Why not?"

            "We need you here."

            "Don't you see what happening?  I'm getting people hurt, killed even," said Claire, thinking about Agent Greene, "Get me away from here!"
            "No one can get in here, you know that."

            "No, I don't know that.  No one was supposed to be able to find me, remember?!"

            "And no one has."

            "No one has?!  One of my friends has had to have emergency surgery.  Twice!  I don't know if you've noticed but my hand and cheek are broken and the Harding Building is in ashes, and we were almost run off the road on the way here.  I think someone has found me!" screamed Claire, he face flushed with anger.  "I'm a danger to the QS-9300 project!  Darien could be next!  Do you understand?  Your pet project, the precious Invisible Man, could end up in the morgue and you know as well as I do that the gland is irretrievable.  That last CT scan proved that.  It's too entwined with his brain structures, removing it would damage it beyond use!" continued Claire, panting as she tried to pull oxygen into her lungs after the tirade.  "Get me out of here," she demanded icily.

            Irretrievable huh?  Why hadn't she told him that after that last claustrophobic CT scan Darien wondered as he stood outside the office door where Claire's unmistakable British accent had led him.  What did that mean to him now?  Darien shed the Quicksilver and glanced down at his wrist, watching another segment turn red.  That was six; he had been invisible for about 15 minutes, trying to locate Claire in the labyrinth.

            Claire whipped around as she heard the unmistakable tinkling sound of Quicksilver being shed.  "Dahrien?" she called out, no use pretending he didn't know where she was, most of the floor had probably heard her yelling.

            "Darien?  Darien Fawkes?" asked the DE Official confused.  Claire ignored him and opened the door to reveal a semi-sheepish looking Darien on the other side.

            "Hey Keep," he offered.

            "Dahrien," replied Claire, voice middling between annoyance and relief.

            "Mr. Fawkes?" asked the DE Official irritated.

            "Yes?"

            "How, when…how did you get here?"

            "Your cameras and motion sensors don't detect temperature, I suggest you install thermal scanners, oh, and make your door locks harder to pick, double pinned chambers at least," replied Darien nonchalantly with a nod of his head.

            The DE Official remained silent, his face showing no trace of emotion.  This little punk was giving him pointers on the security of his building?  How dare he?

            "So, uh, Claire, when are you coming back downstairs?  Alex and I were getting worried; oh and Bobby's awake, already yelling at me," Darien informed Claire, smiling.

            "I'm not coming back, Dahrien," murmured Claire.

            "Uhh, well I'm going to need a shot soon since I spent 15 minutes tracing these freakin' hallways, trying to make sense of where I was.  Another thing, consider floorplan maps on the walls, Chief," said Darien, directing the last part to the DE Official.

            Andrew Jacobson had been The Official of Delta Eight for 22 years and he had never encountered an Agent quite like this Mr. Fawkes.  Why had he been selected again he wondered, searching his memory.  Oh, yes, Kevin Fawkes' brother, he made some sort of deal, anyways…  And he let his thoughts fade.

            "There are two vials of Counteragent left from The Keep, Dahrien, and I'll get the lab here started on a new batch before I leave."

            "Leave?" asked Darien startled.

            "Yes.  I've asked for a reassignment."

            "But you can't leave," replied Darien eyes wide in disbelief, his Keeper couldn't just leave him.

            "No she can't, and isn't," interjected Jacobson.

            "Sir, please," pleaded Claire.

            "No.  You're staying on the QS-9300 project," replied the DE Official firmly, standing from behind his desk.  Darien stood still in the tension filled room, it seemed as though one spark would set off the whole room.

            "Sir, I beg of you, please.  For Dana's sake, for mine, for Dahrien's," she finished in a whisper.

            "I'm sorry, Doctor.  We'll increase security," he started, glancing at Darien, "Official Borden is being transferred here within the hour.  Doctor, I suggest you get some sleep," finished Jacobson, ending the conversation.

            Claire remained still, lips pressed together in a thin line; she took a deep breath and spun around, letting herself out of the office.  Darien nodded at the DE Official and followed her out.

****

            "Monroe?  Alex?  Alexandra?" called a soft voice from beyond the closed door.  Alex rolled over; she was warm, comfortable, and really didn't want to get out of bed.

            "Alex?" came the voice again, accompanied by the door being opened a crack.  She rolled over again so she was facing the entryway and saw Darien poking his head into the room.

            She yawned and said, "Howlonhavinibenoot?"

            Darien chuckled and opened the door fully.  "Ten hours, Alex," he replied.

            "Mmm," said Alex acknowledged as she sat up.  She felt much better.  "Did you find Claire?"

            "Yeah."

            "Why didn't you wake me?"

            "You needed the sleep."

            "Where is…was she?"

            "Upstairs with the DE Official.  Speaking of Officials, our very own Charles Borden is resting comfortably."

            "Claire was talking to the DE Official?"

            "Yeah."

            "Why?"

            "She wanted a transfer away from the QS-9300 project," reported Darien sullenly as his smile faded.  He still couldn't believe that his Keeper wanted to abandon him.  Darien shook his head, chastising himself, Claire didn't want to abandon him, she wanted to protect him, by removing herself.

            "A transfer?  To where and why?"

            "She wouldn't speak to me at all after we left the DE Official's office.  She's locked herself in a dorm room down the hall.  I heard her crying off and on before I hit the sheets as well.  She's still quiet now, I think she finally fell asleep; she was up longer than you.  From what I overheard, she feels she's a danger to the project.  She knows who's doing this and the DE Official does too, I'm sure of it, but I still don't know who it is," replied Darien.

            "So the higher ups know what's going on while we're left in the dark, fighting for our lives,' responded Alex, more to herself than Darien, who nodded in agreement.  "How long has she been quiet?" asked Alex.  Darien glanced at his watch, which partially covered a now all green tattoo.  Claire had kept her word and got the DE lab started on a new batch of Counteragent and had given him another dose from the vials rescued from what was left of the Harding Building laboratory.  "Almost seven hours," answered Darien.

            "Let's wake her and get her to talk to us," said Alex resignedly.

            "But she hasn't even gotten seven hours of sleep," protested Darien.

            "I know," replied Alex apologetically.

            Together they quietly walked down the hall to the room that Claire had shut herself into.  Darien quickened his pace when he saw the open door.  Bursting into the room he was greeted by an almost sterile cleanliness.

            "Where is she?" questioned Alex in a whisper.

            "She's gone," murmured Darien, astonishment tinting his voice.