Disclaimer: I (sniff) don't (sniff, sniff) own them! (Boo hoo!)
Time frame: Post-Freak Nation
A/N: Here's the next chapter, as promised. It might not be as good as the others, but hey, you can't win em all. Sorry about the wait…I had it written like a week ago, but with my sister's prom, and all this other stuff I had going on, I didn't have 2 seconds to put it up on the web. 2 maybe 3 more chapters, and it will be over. Thanks again for the reviews!!
Chapter 18
Auld Lang Syne
Dali woke up to light streaming in on her face. She figured that must be a good start to a good day…the sun hardly ever showed its face in Seattle. Alec was already up and nowhere to be found. So she sat up and stretched, before making her way to her room to get ready for the day.
When she entered the mess hall, it was already buzzing with activity. Here and there, transgenics and transhumans were eating, talking, and just relaxing in general…a sight rarely seen around Terminal City. She grabbed one of the rations, though the sight of them made her lose her appetite, and found Max, Alec and Logan all seated together. She could hear them, even before she got to the table.
"Alec, come on, I've been cutting you slack for the past week. What have you been up to anyway?" Max questioned him.
"It's nothing. I just don't feel like doing sentry duty today," he responded.
"Morning," Dali said, taking a seat.
"I was wondering if you were gonna sleep the whole day away," Alec commented.
"Yeah, well at least I don't snore," she replied.
Max and Logan looked at each other smiling.
"What are you two grinning about?" Dali and Alec asked simultaneously. That caused laughter all around.
Suddenly, Dali felt Alec nudge her, before pointing to the doorway of the room. The four of them turned to see Dominic and his new buddies coming in.
"Is Shorty holding Susie's hand?" Max asked.
"Looks like it," Dali smiled, "he's faster than I thought. I had him pegged for at least a week before some girl fell for him." She shook her head. "Gee, Alec, Shorty stole your girl from right underneath your nose, but I guess that means Logan won't have to worry about him stealing Max away anymore."
Logan shook his head. "Yeah, until the next prepubescent midget comes along."
"Hey," Max said resting a hand on his cheek, "there's only room for one guy in my heart, so stop worrying."
Alec rolled his eyes. "Ok, now I'm putting myself on sentry duty. Anything to get away from you guys." He gave a Dali a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you later," he muttered before wandering off out the door.
"Happy New Year people!" Dali heard a familiar voice call.
"What's up boo?" Max said standing to give her girl a hug.
"It's not New Year's yet, Cindy," Dali reminded her.
"Original Cindy is well aware that it is not yet New Year's. She's just practicing," she smiled and took the seat that Alec had previously occupied. "So how're things around this rat-trap you call a home?"
Before anyone could answer, Dominic approached them. "Dali, are we allowed outside the perimeter fence?"
"Absolutely not," she answered calmly.
"Why not?" he objected tenaciously, "It's broad daylight!"
"Yeah," she answered, "that's when the Conclave does its best work. Consider yourself a rogue warrior. You abandoned your post; betrayed your superiors. From now on, you're number one on their list of priorities. Not only did you not get them information that you promised, but you know everything about them, and you're out in the world. As far as they're concerned, you're public enemy number one, pal. So no, you cannot go outside the perimeter fence, even in broad daylight."
He sighed. "Fine."
"Hold up, hold up," Original Cindy interrupted them. "Who's this?"
"Oh, my fault Cindy, I forgot. This is my little brother, Shorty. Shorty, this is Original Cindy. She's a good friend of the family," Dali smiled.
"What's good, little man?" Cindy questioned him.
"Chillin like a villain my sistah," Dominic responded, bumping her fist.
"See, now that's what Original Cindy's talkin about. A lil brother who knows how to speak the word."
"Yeah, that comes from watchin too much television, and playin too many video games," Dali said.
Max suddenly looked up at Dali. Dali, can I talk to you for a second?
Dali looked over at her, quizzically, but nodded and the two stood up.
"Where you guys goin?" Logan asked them.
"Just for a walk," Max said, kissing him quickly. "We'll be right back."
"No," Logan said, grabbing her wrist. "You are not leaving me here with the spawn of Satan." He eyed Dominic warily, who narrowed his eyes at him, but neglected comment.
"Relax, Logan. He's got a girl now. We won't go that far. I promise. Besides, if he tries anything, Cindy will protect you." Max smiled and pulled her wrist from his grasp, and the two headed off.
"So what's the deal?" Cindy asked the Logan and Dominic. The two looked at each other, and then at her, but neither responded.
************************************************************************
As soon as they were out the door, Max began to question the young girl.
"What is up with this whole mind reading thing?" she asked Dali.
"Uh…I thought I explained that to you like two months ago…" Dali began.
"No," Max stopped her. Why can I do it?
Dali narrowed her eyes, and looked at her in confusion. What are you talking about?
Max raised her eyebrows. Hello! I'm doing it right now!
A look of realization crossed her face. "Oh."
"Well do you know why?" Max asked her impatiently.
Dali thought for a moment. "Possible side effect," she finally answered.
"Of…"
"The cure."
"The cure? Do I wanna ask why?"
Dali sighed. "The derivative for the cure was in my DNA. So I extracted some from my blood and used it to make the cure."
"You mean I have your DNA flowing through my veins right now?"
"You make it sound like a disease or something. It's not necessarily bad; it just happened that you picked up one of my physical traits. I thought that might happen. It's not that big of a deal though. If you wanna get rid of it, I can cook up something in the lab that'll turn of the electrodes in that part of the brain, and you'll be right back to normal."
"Chill. I didn't say I wanted to get rid of it. It's actually kind of cool. I just wanted to know where it came from. To be honest, I kind of started developing my sixth sense a while ago."
"Is that a fact?"
"Yeah, I don't know how, but back during this whole hostage situation in my old job, I knew White was making his move. Something tells me if we hadn't left when we did, I wouldn't be here right now." She paused for a minute. "Speaking of White, what are we gonna do about your brother?"
"I don't know," Dali sighed. "We're gonna have to keep him under close surveillance. I've got a bad feeling about this. I'm thinking White needed him a lot more than Dominic let on, and if that's so, then he's gonna be looking to get him back. I can't let that happen Max. I just got him back."
"Don't worry. We're not gonna let anything happen to him." Max's face abruptly paled, and she staggered a little.
"Are you okay?" Dali looked at her closely, concern heavy in her voice. She briefly placed a hand on Max's shoulder to steady her.
Max straightened up, and brushed the back of her hand across her forehead. "I'm fine. Just felt a little lightheaded all of a sudden."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm ok."
Dali sighed and smiled. "Let's just to try to get into the new year, with a smile on our faces. Sometimes that makes all the difference."
Max smiled at her, and they turned and together headed back towards the mess hall.
************************************************************************
It was about two minutes until midnight. Max had gathered everyone out in the courtyard. Apparently, a surprise had been set up for them. She stood looking out over the multitude of transgenics and transhumans spread over the blocks. This is my family…and no matter what, I'm responsible for them. I can only hope that once this whole War on Transgenics is over, they can try to find a way to make a life in this already crazy, mixed-up world. Logan walked up and took her hand.
"You almost ready?" he asked.
She checked her watch. "Almost," she smiled.
Alec and Dali stood by, watching everything. She loved New Year's. From the very first year she had stayed with the Kormans, they let her stay up to ring the New Year in, and every year, she enjoyed it. Original Cindy had taken it upon herself to spend a good three hours teaching everyone Auld Lang Syne so they could ring in the New Year 'the right way'.
Dali knew Alec knew what they were in store for, but he wasn't saying anything…and he wasn't thinking anything either. He had become good at that. Hiding his thoughts from her. It was getting harder to read him, and Dali didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She decided to let it go for the time being. She rubbed her hands together and blew on them to keep them warm. Alec stood behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, and she relaxed in his embrace.
Max raised the bullhorn to her mouth. "Ok, everybody! We're coming down to the last fifteen seconds. Is everybody ready?" A cheer went through the crowd, and Max began the countdown. "Ok, here we go…10…9…" Everyone joined in.
"8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1! Happy New Year!" The crowd burst into a chorus of Auld Lang Syne, much to Original Cindy's pride, and Dali turned to Alec.
"Happy New Year, Alec," she smiled at him. He smiled back, and his lips found hers.
Max laughed at them, and turned to Logan. "Happy New Year, Logan."
"Happy New Year, Max." His mouth covered hers, and the rest of the world was lost to them.
Dominic and Susie stood watching the two couples. Dominic scrunched up his face. "That doesn't look like much fun. How come everybody's doing it?" he asked Susie.
She cocked her head to the side. "Maybe there's something we're missing. Wanna try?"
Dominic turned to look at her. She's serious…better play it cool. He shrugged his shoulders. "Ok." He turned to face her, and took her one hand in his. She closed her eyes and leaned forward a little. Dominic sighed, and closed his eyes too, before closing the space between them. He could've sworn he felt a little spark when his lips touched hers.
Max turned and saw them. She smiled and nudged Dali, who turned to see them as well. They're so cute. Max thought.
A few seconds later, Susie pulled away. "That wasn't so bad, huh?"
Dominic blushed a little and smiled. "Actually, it was kinda nice. But I think I'm better at Escape and Evade." They both laughed. "Happy New Year Susie."
"Happy New Year Shorty."
Dali turned to Alec. "So what was the big surprise?" she asked.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Just watch." Seconds later, a boom went off, and a bright light filled the sky, followed by several others. Silence spread over the crowd as everyone was entranced by the bright colorful lights set off against the dark night sky. Alec let Dominic sit on his shoulders to have a better look, and Logan let Susie sit on his. They ooh-ed and ahh-ed through the better part of the night.
************************************************************************
The next couple of weeks flew by for Dali and Dominic. Dominic was getting used to living life around Terminal City. Soon, the questions about his whereabouts before he had landed there stopped, and he began to enjoy himself. He and JJ had become partners in crime, if they weren't trying to find ways to sabotage the soldiers on duty at the perimeter fence, then they were building stink bombs to toss into the girls' latrine. He also had Susie. Everyone just thought it was so cute that they were together; he really couldn't see what the fuss was all about. She was just a regular friend, who happened to be a girl, and sometimes they held hands. No big deal.
Dali was also slipping back into her routine at Terminal City. She was careful to keep a close eye on her brother though. Sometimes he and the X8 they called JJ got into trouble, but she put it off as boys being boys. They were just blowing off steam.
No further news had been heard from the Conclave or White. The situation in D.C., however, was becoming increasingly more intense. The president's daughter was adamant on wiping out the entire transgenic race. Every day, she took a step to get a bill passed, or held a rally in a town square.
Dali couldn't understand why people were so narrow-minded. All throughout history, people were being oppressed or discriminated against for some previous unavoidable wrongdoings. The more and more she thought about it, Dali was glad she wasn't an ordinary. They always seemed to need someone to blame something on.
************************************************************************
Max looked at herself in the mirror. For the past few weeks, she hadn't been feeling too well. For some reason, she couldn't keep anything down. And she was tired all of the time too. Of course, that could be because the nausea was keeping her awake at night. She had gone to see Rose in the infirmary, and Rose had confirmed Max's initial fears, and given her what Rose thought was great news: she was pregnant.
It had taken nearly a week, but Max had finally come to terms with the fact that there was a living breathing being growing inside her. At first, she was scared; then she was excited, but scared at the same time. It was probably just the hormones. The only problem now was how was she going to tell Logan?
************************************************************************
Dominic sat on his bunk, tossing a rubber ball at the base of the bed above his. He was bored. JJ had twisted his ankle when they were jumping rooftops the other day, and Rose, the doctor in the infirmary, had told him he would have to stay there for another day or so. Susie came into the room and sat on his bed.
"Hey," she greeted him.
"Hey," he responded, not looking at her.
"What's the matter?" she asked him.
"I'm bored. There's nothing to do around here."
Susie looked down at him with a gleam in her eye. "Well, Sean, Wendy and I were thinking of going outside tonight."
Dominic sat up and looked at her. "Outside the perimeter fence?" he asked incredulously.
Susie nodded eagerly. "Just for a couple hours or so. We'll sneak out, go have some fun, and sneak back in before anyone ever knows we're gone. Whaddya say?"
Dominic held her gaze seriously. "I say…it's a great idea. Let's do it."
************************************************************************
Max walked down the hall in the barracks towards Logan's room a few hours later, giving herself a pep-talk the whole way. It's gonna be ok, Max. You've taken down five 300 pound men all by yourself, and disabled a bomb, that could've taken out an entire city, in less than ten seconds. You can do this. She was so lost in her own thoughts; she didn't even see Alec coming towards her until she almost walked right into him.
"Max! Are you ok?" Alec looked at her anxiously.
"Yeah," she muttered.
"Are you sure? You look like death warmed over…"
"I said I'm fine Alec!" She pushed past him, and continued down the hall. Alec shook his head briefly, and walked away.
Max stood outside Logan's door a few seconds later. He had been working hard the past weeks keeping a special eye on surveillance to make sure they weren't having any security breaches, for Dominic's sake as well as everyone else's, and Dibs had volunteered to take over his shift so he could rest for a while. Max hoped she wasn't waking him. She knocked softly, and waited for his response. A few seconds later, it came.
"Come in."
Max entered, taking note that his hair was completely flattened on one side as he sat up on the bed. "Hey sleepyhead," she smiled at him, and walked over to give him a kiss on the forehead and then sat, running her fingers through his hair…trying fruitlessly to straighten it out.
"Hey yourself," he yawned. "Sorry…I just woke up, I was…" he paused, looking more closely at her. He put a hand on her cheek, and she tensed at his touch. "Max, are you feeling ok? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
Max looked him in the eye. Ok, you've been keeping this from his long enough. Now's the time. She sighed. "Logan, we need to talk."
His face paled. Oh, God…she's found someone else…after everything we've been through, I'm not enough for her…it's okay…it was bound to happen sooner or later. I'll just smile and put on a brave face. I mean, hey, it's her happiness that matters, and if someone else can make her happy…well…
Max almost laughed out loud. "Don't look so scared. It's not like I'm leaving you or anything."
Logan relaxed visibly, and a small smile crossed his face. "Well, what's the matter?"
Max paused, looking away, and Logan noticed.
He took one of her hands in his. "Max, whatever it is, we can get through it together. I love you. Just tell me."
She finally brought her eyes up to meet his. "I'm pregnant."
************************************************************************
Dali sat on the couch watching the news when Alec came in and sat down with her.
"And in political news, the president's daughter will be holding a press conference in downtown Seattle outside city hall in just a short while. Her presence has brought anti and pro-transgenic supporters alike out to the gates of city hall, each trying to make their points heard. Channel 12 will be holding live footage of the press conference…"
Dali turned to look at Alec. And the thoughts entered her mind with no warning.
"One day we will live in a world where we will not have to fear for the lives of our children…where we will not have to look over our shoulders to see if we're being hunted by a mutant, half-man, half-animal. Since the beginning of time, our human soldiers have done a fine job in battle, why should we need to send in animals to do our own job? Pretty soon, they'll be thinking that they deserve our jobs, our families, when will we be safe? The answer is when the entire transgenic and Conclave populations have been eradicated!"
A cheer could be heard, and then a single gunshot…and blood…blood everywhere… people running…people screaming…chaos…
"Dali! Dali!" the voice pierced the dark… "Help me!" it seemed to echo off the walls of Dali's skull. "White has me…warehouse…downtown…hurry!"
"Dali!" Alec's sharp voice pierced her consciousness. Dali jumped up out of her seat. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…where's the fire?" Alec asked her, standing and putting his hands on her shoulders to calm her down.
Dali looked into Alec's eyes. "Where's my brother?" she asked in a low voice.
Alec knitted his eyebrows. "He was in his room a little while ago. Why?"
Dali blurred out of the room and down the hall, with Alec close behind. She climbed the stairs to the third floor, where the barracks that her brother slept in were located. She threw the door open and flipped on the light switch.
Mandi jumped out of bed, and stood at the foot of it, standing at attention. "X7-803 is ready to commence training ma'am!"
Alec cocked an eyebrow. Must've been dreamin about good ole' Manticore. "Go back to bed soldier," he commanded. Mandi crawled sleepily back into bed without further protest, and almost immediately fell back into a deep sleep.
Dali had walked the length of the room. JJ wasn't in his bed, of course. The idiot had twisted his ankle skipping roofs, and was confined to the infirmary, more for his own safety than anything else. Mandi was there…Chris was there…but Wendy, Sean and Susie's beds were all empty…so was Dominic's.
Post: Ok, starting to draw to a close…I know, I'm disappointed too…but I'm not sure if I could keep the same storyline going forever…I don't have that kind of patience…or that kind of imagination. Nothing new would ever happen…anyway, I love the great reviews. You guys are AWESOME! I told myself in the beginning if I got 10 reviews by the end of the story, I would be happy with myself… and you guys have given me like…lots more than 10! So thanks again! Next chapter soon.
