Vigilantes. Vigilantes killed Biggs. Vigilantes strung him up as a tenderized prize after breaking every bone in his body. Well, at least that was what the news reported, at least that was what that damned Senator McKinley said. The government had some new technology that could track human-looking transgenetics down and that's what they did. Vigilantes took justice into their own hands and killed the threat, killed the monster. It wasn't that they themselves were the monsters. No, of course not.

Kris turned off the television in disgust and tucked her knees under her chin as she sat on the couch and waited for Alec's return. There was no news of more transgenetics found, which led her to think hopeful thoughts regarding Alec and Max's safety, but nothing else was comforting.

They murdered her friend. She couldn't even begin to describe the feeling she had inside. Maybe it was a lack of feeling, a black hole where all the feelings and emotions were vacuumed up, gone. Or maybe it was that she was feeling too much: shock, despair, disgust, anger, revenge, sadness, and every other terrible emotion people hope to never feel. She couldn't tell. Did it matter?

She waited.

It was about ten at night, two hours after she had heard on the news about Biggs' murder, when Alec came home. He entered the apartment in a semi-dazed state. She got off the couch to meet him, but he turned away from her, towards the kitchen sink to wash red splotches off his hands.

Kris didn't know what to say. Was it Biggs' blood? Did Alec hurt the people who did that to Biggs? Was it their blood? After Alec was done washing and drying his hands, he looked at her briefly.

"You know what happened, right? I saw the news vans, you must know," he said, devoid of emotion.

"Yes," she replied sadly.

"I think I'm gonna burn these clothes," he added spontaneously, motioning to the clothes he was currently wearing. He wanted no tangible memory of this night.

"Oh, um, okay," she said. What else could she say?

There was silence. Kris was about to speak when Alec cut in.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said firmly.

"Alec..."

"Don't. I'm sorry, Kris, I know you hate it when I do this, but I can't talk about this. I just can't."

Kris inhaled deeply. "O.C. and I took the files out. A few minutes later, the Feds showed up, but they didn't find anything," she replied.

Alec nodded, grateful that she didn't press the previous subject further. "Thanks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was one o'clock by the time Alec and Kris got to bed that night. He hadn't held her nor kissed her at all since he got back. Some part of him foolishly thought he would break her. He laid there in bed beside Kris, thinking about the past few hours, how it changed everything. Biggs was gone. There was a way the X-series transgenetics could be distinguished. Niki was in shambles. Niki. Kris. What if Biggs had been Alec and Niki had been Kris? He would have been washing Kris' blood off his hands. Alec physically winched at the thought.

But there he was, laying in bed, physically fine. Kris slept, her back to him, physically fine. Biggs was dead. Niki was in the hospital. They weren't fine. No, no one was really fine.

He looked at Kris. Could he really just walk away from her like he planned on doing? He refused to let something happen to her, like what happened to Niki. He couldn't risk that. But he didn't want to leave. He wanted to be there with her, always, like he had said that rainy night when they were first together. Life was playing such cruel jokes on them.

He moved over to wrap his arm around her waist, kissing her shoulder blade through her pajama tank top in the process and savoring her clean smell. How could he walk away from all this? She shifted and leaned back against him before turning around to look at him.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he said quietly.

"Don't worry about it. Not like I could get much sleep anyways," she replied, placing her arm over his, which was still hugging her body closely against his. "You okay?"

There was silence.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Kris asked gently.

"I want to talk about it," Alec finally said. He would forget those thoughts of leaving her, he still had at least five hours until that happened.

"Okay," Kris said, stroking his arm affectionately.

"I miss him," he stated simply. "Max wouldn't even let us take him down, saying that it would be too suspicious and we would get exposed. We just left him there, dangling, while people stared at him with disgust. I should have gotten there sooner."

"You know damn well that you got there as soon as you could," Kris said firmly. "There was just no warning."

"But I'm his friend. We had a deal," Alec replied adamantly.

"What deal?"

"We had each other's backs. At Manticore, after Max and the others escaped, they tried to destroy any type of personal bond the X-5's had with each other. But one time, during an exercise, Biggs and I were in the group that had to be the prey and another group of people had to hunt us through a forest. I tripped on a tree root and hurt my ankle, so I couldn't run as fast. The last person in the prey group would be punished, which was the incentive to not be last. Biggs came back for me and helped me up and we ran away, so I wouldn't be last. That was when we were eleven. We were sixteen, when we went to Kezmekistan, I took a bullet to the shoulder for him that would have killed him. It's just, we had this silent agreement to watch out for each other and I let him down," Alec said quietly, his eyes glazing over slightly as he remembered his past.

Kris stroked his face gently and kissed his forehead. "You tried," she whispered in his ear.

"Not hard enough. After I got back from my mission which involved Rachel, Manticore was pissed at me cuz I didn't follow orders. As punishment, they locked me in this room with three transgenetics who were supposed to beat me. This was supposed to show that I was alone, but one of them was Biggs and he refused to beat me. He just held the wrench in his hand and stood there. They took him away and he never told me what they did to him for disobeying, but that was the type of guy he was, completely loyal. When Max shut down Manticore, I lost contact with him. I was so happy when I saw him at Jam Pony a month ago, so freaking happy."

"I'm sure he knew that," Kris replied.

"How?"

"Because you show people that you care about them more than you say it. And Biggs knew that you were his friend because you showed him. I saw it, so I know he did too," Kris replied.

"Thanks," Alec whispered, kissing her forehead. "I didn't to tell you this cuz I didn't want to put all my ugly past and shit on you, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I know you've had an extremely hard life. You have no idea how wonderful it is that you were able to beat it," Kris replied.

Alec snorted, unaware that he had been tearing in the first place. He wasn't beating it, it was controlling him. He would be going back to the way he was soon, survival mechanism, push everything he cared about away because he was poison to them, to her.

Kris kissed his cheeks, tasting the salty water on her lips. She didn't know what else she could do.

This would be the last night he would spend with Kris. He stood resolute in his decision. He hated not telling her before-hand, but she would fight him on this and he wanted this to end in peace, not a fight. Yet he felt so guilty for keeping this from her. But when morning came, he would be gone.

"Alec?" Kris asked, capturing his attention.

He looked at her, wanting to tell her but knowing that he couldn't. "I love you, you know that right? No matter what happens, no matter how this whole transgenetic thing is resolved, whatever, you know that, right?" he asked, desperation seeping into his voice.

"Yeah, Alec, I know," Kris replied, confused. "I love you too, no matter what."

He sighed. "Good."

"Alec, why are you asking me this?"

He shook his head. "You just need to know that, cuz who knows what's gonna happen when morning comes," he lied. He hated lying to her. He knew exactly what was going to happen when the sun came up.

Kris knew something else prompted his weird questioning, but she didn't press it. He had had a terrible day. So instead, she kissed him, slowly at first, and then it grew more passionate.

Five hours, Alec had five hours left with Kris before he was gone, gone from her life. He planned on using every minute showing her how much he loved her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kris turned around in bed to snuggle against Alec but only met cold air. She woke up quickly. Where was he? There was a note on his pillow. Since when did he write letters to her? In his hasty scrawl it said:

Kris,

It's not safe for us to be together. The government knows how to find the X'5 and that puts you at risk too. If something were to ever happen to you...well, nothing will happen to you. I quit Jam Pony. I know you'll worry about me, just like I worry about you, but please try not to. Be careful. I love you.

- Alec

She frowned, so that was it? She didn't even have a say in the matter? He broke up with her because it wasn't safe, but since when was their relationship safe? She called Jam Pony and told Normal that she was sick. He seemed devastated that Alec had left and questioned her about it, but she replied that she didn't know where he was.

This was what Alec was talking about last night, about how no matter what he'd always love her. He had known he would have to leave her. She couldn't tell if she was more hurt or angry that he didn't tell her to her face. She dressed quickly, left her apartment, and headed towards Terminal City. She hoped he was there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you mean you don't love me anymore?" Logan asked fiercely.

"Logan, please don't be upset, it's just, this isn't going to work," Max replied. She was lying badly and was surprised Logan hadn't realized it.

"I don't believe you," he replied. Well, Logan did pick up on it then. Max had to remain firm.

"You should, cuz if you don't, you're only lying to yourself. Look, we're just not the same," Max said.

"It never mattered to me that you are a transgenetic, I'm sorry that it mattered to you that I'm a lowly regular human," Logan replied sarcastically.

Max internally flinched at his tone. She didn't mean it! But this must be done. Alec and she had talked about it after they left Niki at the hospital, they both had to go through with the breakups. Alec had broken it off with Kris by writing some note, which Max thought was the most cowardly thing to do. She would at least give Logan the decency of a face-to-face breakup.

"I didn't think it would matter, but it does, I'm sorry. This just won't work."

"Is this because of Biggs? Max, I know you're scared, and I know you worry that by associating with me you'll inadvertently hurt me or something, but don't. I'll be fine, and my safety is my decision," Logan replied.

"No, Logan, it's not just that," Max replied. She lied again, it was exactly that. She didn't want any other man, she never did. And now she had to break Logan's heart in order to protect him. It was better this way...right?

"I cannot believe that you don't love me! I won't! After all this shit, after you getting caught by Manticore, after me thinking you were dead, after a year with that virus keeping up apart, you say that you don't love me? You didn't find some other guy and I didn't find some other woman when it got tough. We stuck it out together cuz that is when we are the strongest. Max, don't do this," Logan said passionately.

She couldn't look at him. He was right, but she need to make him believe that he was wrong. "I'm sorry Logan," she said softly.

"Sorry for what?" Logan paused and thought about it, his eyes becoming wide with even more shock. "There was someone else?"

Max froze. She hadn't meant that. Logan thought she had been with someone else? Well, if that would make him hate her enough to walk away from her, so be it.

"I'm so sorry," she replied, unable to look at him. How could she be this mean to him? Lie to him this much?

"What? Who?" Logan thought quickly of who Max could have been cheating with. The only man he ever saw her with that might pose a threat was..."Alec?"

Max didn't actually know what guy Logan could have been thinking about, but Alec would have to do as her pretend lover. She let her silence answer Logan's question.

"But...but he has Kris. He's completely devoted to Kris, I mean..." Logan rambled on.

Max sighed, she hadn't thought about Kris. Kris would be devastated if she ever found out. But Alec broke it off with her, so this plan could theoretically work. It was confusing and complicated, but it would have to work.

"I'm so sorry," Max repeated. She didn't know what else to say. She was sorry she ever loved him. It would have been a lot easier had they never met. She wouldn't have hurt him so much. They wouldn't have had each other, only to be torn apart by outside forces that threatened their lives.

Logan sat down, his face pale, his expression unreadable. He inhaled deeply and looked at her, sparks of anger in his eyes. "Get out."

Max swallowed hard and looked at him. She was so sorry! She didn't want any of this to happen. She never meant to hurt him. She walked towards the door.

Logan could hear the door open and quietly close after her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was harder to get to T.C. than she thought. The stench was totally grotesque at first, but then she got used to it. She knew where T.C. was, it was even in the news, but she couldn't actually find the entrance to the hub once she got there. It felt like she was walking in one dingy circle after another.

"Freeze!" a male voice shouted behind her. Kris could hear the cocking of a gun.

She froze. She must have gotten closer in her wanderings.

"Hands in the air, now!" he shouted again.

She followed his orders, trembling inside.

"State your designation!" he ordered.

Kris panicked. What designation?

"State it!"

"I don't have one," she replied.

"What do you mean you don't have one?" the man yelled furiously.

"I'm not a transgenetic," she answered.

"What the hell are you doing here, regular?" the male said disdainfully, pressing the barrel of the gun sharply into her back.

She gulped hard. He really was going to kill her. "I'm a friend of Max, X5-452, and Alec, X5-494. I need to speak to Alec, please," she managed to say through her fears.

She could still feel the pressure of the gun in her back, and then it disappeared.

"Follow me," the man said.

She turned around and looked at him. He wasn't an X-series. He had scaly, brown skin and dressed in camouflage. He walked away and she followed him, memorizing exactly how she got into T.C. for future reference.

Once they entered the center, Kris took a look around. It was quite amazing how they were able to derive so much use out of what she viewed as scrap metal and the like. People swarmed all over the place doing some sort of work, looking at her suspiciously for a moment.

"Alec! You have a visitor!" the scaly man said.

"What?" Alec's voice came from the second floor.

"Visitor!" the scaly man shouted back.

Alec gracefully leapt from the banister of the second story to the first. Kris was shocked that he just did that, having never seen him do that before. He smiled at the scaly man genuinely before looking at his visitor. He frowned.

"Thanks, Mole," he said to the man.

"Yeah, Alec. Just don't be giving out our location to all your chic friends, okay? Never know which one's gonna snitch," Mole replied, looking threateningly at Kris.

She held his glare and he left. Alec walked over to a little secluded room and Kris followed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her impatiently, once he closed the door. It was hard enough to leave in the morning, and now she was here and his defensive walls were crumbling.

She held up his letter. "This is a load of bullshit," she replied, equally annoyed.

Alec snorted. "It's actually all true. I suggest that you turn around a leave now," he replied arrogantly.

"I'm not leaving until you give me the real reason why you're doing this," she replied assertively.

"I don't have to do shit," Alec retorted. He didn't want her to know.

"You don't think you owe me at least a decent explanation? It's not safe for us to be together. It was never safe, Alec, but we never cared. Why do you care now? Yeah, they can find you out, but I don't understand why that would cause you to walk away from me," Kris said.

"I don't expect you to understand," Alec spat back. So much for ending their relationship on a happy note.

Kris sighed. "Why are you being such a goddamn selfish ass? I wake up this morning, naked in a cold bed and freaked out cuz I thought something happened to you, like what happened to Biggs. Do you have any idea what that feels like?" she said, anger and desperation in her voice.

She was completely lost. She should have known something like this was too good to last that long, she shouldn't have been this naive in the first place. No, she hadn't been naive, she had been trusting. She had trusted Alec not to hurt her, but he did anyway. But he had written that he still loved her so she just didn't understand...

"You didn't know that Niki was with Biggs," Alec said quietly, unable to look at Kris.

"What? Are you serious? Where is she? Is she okay?" Kris asked, worried.

"She saw him die, Kris. She saw them beat the shit out of him and string him up. And then..." he faltered, remembering the look of complete fear on her face.

"What happened?" Kris asked, fearing that she knew the answer already.

"Three guys cornered her when she tried to run away. They beat her, and...they raped her, Kris...left her for dead," Alec answered. There was a long silence until he finally said, "Do you get it now? Why I left, why we can't been seen together? If something happened to me, then fine. But by walking down the street with me on a delivery puts you in danger cuz these crazy, ignorant mobs will want to hurt you just for knowing me!"

Kris bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She understood, she was scared. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Niki felt. Alec must have been so scared when he saw what happened to Niki.

"Where is she?"

"She's in the hospital, she's a mess."

There was another long silence.

"So...what now? We just forget all of this and ignore each other's existence?" Kris asked.

"Basically."

"This is such bullshit!" she exclaimed, frustrated and scared and angry.

"It's not like we have a choice," Alec replied.

"There's always a choice," Kris replied hotly.

"Not when the alternative is the possibility of you getting hurt. We're like a virus, screwing up anything and anyone we come into contact with. Max is out right now breaking up with Logan too. Did you know that? The transgentics have to isolate themselves and it sucks and it's unfair but it's necessary...for survival," Alec explained passionately.

She sighed. "You're not a virus," she said quietly, crossing her arms and hugging herself. She couldn't describe the feeling inside. It was worse than a void, what was worse than a void?

Alec walked slowly over to her and rubbed her shoulders affectionately. "This doesn't change how I feel about you, please believe me. But we can't try to ignore the fact that this world is screwing with us anymore. This whole thing has to be resolved," Alec said, trying to sooth Kris, though he himself was an emotional wreck.

"How's this gonna be resolved?" she asked, putting her forehead against his chest.

"I dunno, but it will, eventually it will," Alec replied.

"And then?"

"Then we can eat sorbet together whenever you want," Alec replied, trying his best to smile. Kris smiled a bit in return, it took the edge off the indescribable pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: SO sorry about the delay in updating. I've had AP tests these past two weeks that I've been studying madly for, leaving no time to write. On top of that, this chapter went through so many revisions because I wanted to get it just the way I wanted it. The next update will be in about two weeks because I'll be going out of town for a whole week. Sorry, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review! Thanks!