Okay okay, i know, I've been bad and haven't updated for about four or five months... Please forgive me.

Chapter 20

Ouch. Gaia could feel a massive headache coming on. Her eyes fluttered open, realizing she wasn't in a bed. This wasn't that unusual, it's happened after fights before. Gaia tried to sit up slowly, to test her body for anything broken, settling on her foot which was most definitely broken. She suddenly remembered the fight. That's when she realized that she was actually cradled in a boys arms. Luke's arms.

"Ah, crap," she proclaimed.

"That was… wow. I had never seen anything like that."

"Yeah, about that… How much of it did you see?"

"I came when I heard Joan scream, so I think all of it."

Luke had so many questions racing through his scientific head, but his mouth had lost function. Luke had been the one who pulled out his cell phone when he watched the man hit his sister. He called the station and whispered the directions.

"I just wanted to thank you, you know, for stepping in when you did."

"You're, uh, welcome. Does your family often try to inject each other with poison or whatever that was?"

"What, no, Loki can take most of the credit for that one. And it probably was just a sedative, not poison. You know, to drag me off to whatever ridiculous theory of destroying the universe by using my genes he's got in his pocket. That guy never can take a hint."

"He… oh."

"Yeah, not the best life, but someone has to suffer, so why not Gaia Moore? We messed up her genetic compound, why don't we throw some extra misery and pain in, to fill in the little gap where her fear should have gone?"

"Wait, fear? Genetic compound? I know you've got a lot to deal with, but would you mind elaborating on that one?"

"Oh, God. You don't know, do you? Shit! I thought your dad told you, already. God, I'm such a freak"

"No, my dad keeps work to himself mostly."

"Well, who doesn't know?" Gaia was not in a good mood, the way she was shouting and tears free falling. "Why don't I just fill you in? I'm fearless. No fear. Born without fear. My dad's a CIA agent, who taught me to fight and be a fucking genius, I was fighting off rapists and doing advanced calculus by third grade for Christ's sake. My uncle, you met him, Loki, who's my father's identical twin brother, killed my mother six years ago, to this day by the way, and my father left me at the hospital that day too. Everywhere I touch turns to death or misery. I'd jump off a bridge if there wasn't someone I have to save or fight off every hour of the day. There does that answer your question?"

Luke was stunned to silence. He finally found his voice and choked out, "Gaia, I am so sorry."

"Yeah, everyone's sorry. I had him this close," Gaia held up here thumb and index finger. "This close. If I could have stayed in there a little longer I could have killed him!" Gaia turned to Luke, now petrified of the sight in front of him. "I am no murderer, Luke. Don't get me wrong. But, you have to cut me some slack with wanting to kill the bastard who causes all of this crap in your life." Gaia noticed the police around her. Mr. Sanders came up to her.

"Everything all right, here?"

Gaia looked at him for a second and huffed. "You got a first aid kit?" she asked, not looking at him but at her swelling foot.

"Oh, ouch," he said, noticing it. "It think that's broken. Better take you to the hospital. Joan too. She could have a concussion."

Gaia rolled her eyes at him. Gaia was definitely not in a good mood. "Joan wouldn't have a concussion. She got hit on the neck, not the head. He hit her on the back of the neck. If he'd hit her on the side of the neck at a great speed, she'd be dead." They both looked at Gaia in surprise. "Can we just get my leg bandaged and get to the hospital? I'm sick of sitting on the cement."

A couple hours later, Gaia hobbled through the door on crutches, followed by Joan, Luke, and Mr. Sanders. Will and Helen looked up from their seats by the phone.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Sanders," Will thanked his colleague.

Gaia inched past him to go to the backyard, not ready to be cornered into a room with no safe exit. Gaia sat down on the porch, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Gaia." It was Will.

"Go back inside, I've already endangered your kids, I won't get you killed."

"Gaia, come on. You can talk to me. What happened with Joan and Luke?"

"Loki."

Will almost didn't hear her words but soon the word found its way to his ears. "Oh, dear God." He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off. "What happened? You saw him?"

"Yeah, I saw him. I had a little chat with him, after I got him away from your daughter."

"Oh, dear God," he said, with more meaning.

"It's been a while since my life turned crap, but you know what they say. It's just like riding a bike." Will gave a sigh. "I was close. I could have done it. I was so close. Just a little bit longer."

"What?"

Gaia looked over to Will slowly, holding his eyes. "I would have killed him."