AN: Just something to stitch all the chapters together. I will rewrite and lengthen this chapter in the next 2 weeks. (



Chapter Five: Jace's Arrival and The Plan

I woke up feeling like I was crammed in a cardboard box and I was freezing. I rolled over and realised I was on a fold out bed in Logan and Max's living room. I was sharing the fold out with Syl and Tinga. Syl was wrapped in the covers and Tinga is sleeping on the edge.

"Gimme some blankets, Syl, or so help me god, I'll hurt you," I threaten, pulling it.

Syl doesn't move, almost as if she's still sleeping, but I notice her grip around the blankets tightens.

"Gimme. Some. Blanket. Syl," I growl at her.

She pretends to sleep.

I grasp the blankets and yank them away from her. "Surrender, Syl," I say, as they begin to unravel.

"Noo!" she protests, suddenly turning over and sitting up. "Give them back."

There's a thump.

"Jondy! Syl!" yells Tinga, sitting up on the floor.

"Did we push you out of bed?" I wince.

"Yes."

"She started it," Syl says.

"Juvenile delinquents," Tinga mutters, pushing Syl and I across the bed. Syl goes sprawling and I fall onto the floor, a handful of blanket in my hand.

Rrripp.

"Whoops," Syl says.

"I give up!" I stand up and storm into the kitchen, where Max, Zack and …Jace are having breakfast.

"Jondy," Jace stands up and hugs me.

"Hey Jace," I grin and brush my hair out of my eyes. "Good trip?"

"Hell, actually. Maxine called my cell every 10 minutes to ask if she could come with me instead of boarding," Jace rolls her eyes and sits back down.

Zack hands me a cup of coffee. "Issues with you, Syl and the bedclothes?" he asks.

I nod seriously. "No. Way. In. Hell am I spending another night sleeping in the same bed a Syl."

"She hogs the bedclothes," Krit came out. "You in exile?"

I nod. "Tinga pushed me off the bed."

Zack snorted with laughter and soon the whole room was laughing.

"What's so funny?" Syl asked, coming out. "Not Krit's sparkling wit, obviously."

"Nothing good ever came from rhyming," Rain said, joining us. "So what are we doing today?"

"We are doing nothing," Zane spoke up. "You are going to go to school or whatever, while the rest of us stay here and work out a plan."

"A plan?" Max said doubtfully.

"A plan," Tinga agreed.

"Morning," Alec walked out wearing a loose t shirt and boxers…yum.

"Morning," I said, smiling. Maybe it was cruel of me to flirt with Alec in front of my ex-fiance (bastard) but I needed a rebound. According to Max, Alec is good at being 'rebound guy'.

"Rain. School," Zane said, motioning to a piece of toast and a glass of milk.

"I'll get Evie," Logan said.

I grabbed a muffin and sat on the counter. Alec and Zack were both gawking at me during intervals and it was unnerving.

Oh yeah, I'm still wearing my 'pyjamas'. I mean, I bet other people wear less to bed, but in a public forum, my attire probably was a bit obscene – a midriff, sleevless top and some boxer shorts I 'borrowed' off Syl when I can to Seattle the very first time.

Finally, we all gathered in the kitchen.

"Right – Jondy needs the unscrambling code to decode Evie's DNA, so we can work out why she's so special. And we need to get the 411 on the facility if X8-543 is captured. We go in tonight. Get what we can and get the hell out. Jace, when we get back tonight, call Maxine's school and tell them she'll be picked up this weekend. If Manticore or ViviSys get wind of her at boarding school…" Zack shrugged.

"We need weapons," Syl said, filing her nails.

"I'll go," Alec said. "Know a guy who can help us out."

"I'll come," I said quickly. "Keep you company?" Ooh, good way to sound like a frigging prostitute, Jondy.

Alec looked at me, shocked, but agreed. From the looks of all my so called 'brothers' none of them would be stupid enough to pass up that offer – if it was from the right woman, of course.

Ugh. I knew this wouldn't be straight forward. I knew it.

Hmm, I wonder where my halter top is…