Chapter 3

AN: Not much to say except to thank X5898 for reviewing the last chapter.

Tegan wandered the streets looking aimless to passersby. In reality, her mind was in overdrive. Things she strove to forget kept popping up and she was trying her hardest to push the memories down by making mental notes about Terminal City. She popped her head into buildings, finding the infirmary and generator among other useful things.

With a sigh, she entered another building, fading into the shadows before realizing it was some sort of gym. She watched as X-5's sparred for a minute then slipped out of the building unseen.

She headed in the direction of HQ. If nothing else, maybe she could work some more on her bike. At least it would help her forget. Suddenly she was struck with a feeling of homesickness. She hadn't seen her home and her immediate family in months. She needed a vacation very soon.

Reaching her bike, Tegan looked around for her tools and cursed. She'd left her bag in Alec's apartment.

"If they go through it, I'm gonna have to kick some butt," she muttered.

She sat down on her bike and pulled her cell phone out of her sweatshirt's pocket.

Max walked back into Alec's apartment, confused. Logan, worried, stood as soon as he saw her.

"Max, are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, fine. But Tegan just jumped from the top of the building and walked away from it."

Logan looked surprised. "But…she's not Transgenic so how?"

Rolling his eyes, Alec shifted in his seat. "You miss the freaky cat eyes, Logan?"

"Manticore?"

"She says no, that it's natural but she could be lying," Alec told them.

Max and Logan both thought about it while Alec looked around his living room, trying to figure out what was out of place because something definitely was. With a frown, he walked over to the door and looked around again. Spotting the backpack behind a chair, he walked over and bent to pick it up.

"Seems our girl forgot something when she left."

"Good. You can go find her, give her that, and keep an eye on her," Max told him. "Try to get some more information on her."

Alec groaned. "Oh, c'mon, Maxie! Haven't I done enough babysitting for one day?"

"Nope, now go. And don't forget to look through that bag before you give it to her. Confiscate any weapons."

Logan waited until he was gone before turning to Max. "There a reason you keep sticking him with that girl?"

Smirking, Max shrugged. "Other than it's fun? And that I do trust Alec even though he's a pain in the ass? And other than the fact that he's VERY attracted to her so I know he'll actually watch her and not shirk the duty?"

"Ahhhh," Logan said, nodding.

"Uh huh. Now, I need you to continue researching her family. See if you can find out anything weird. Somebody has had to have seen something in all these years. Maybe Tegan was experimented on when she was kidnapped and that's why she has the eyes and such. Or maybe she was adopted and doesn't even know she's Manticore?"

"I'll look into it. What are you gonna do?"

"I've gotta figure out how to get more supplies. We are seriously short."

"All right. If I find anything I'll come find you," he told her, leaving Alec's apartment.

Max sighed, rubbing her hand over the back of her neck. "What the hell is going on here?" she muttered to herself before leaving the apartment and heading back to HQ.

Alec whistled as he walked around Terminal City, looking for Tegan. He finally found her, lounging on her bike with one foot on the ground as she talked on the phone.

She paused in her conversation when she saw him then looked away and continued to speak. "Uh huh, I miss you too. Call me if you decide to come out here and if you don't then I'll call you from Pennsylvania on our way back home so you can pretend not to be all excited and happy that I'm finally home. All right. Yeah, same here. Bye."

Looking straight at him, she cocked an eyebrow as she put her phone away. "You babysitting again?"

"Looks like it."

She nodded. "That my bag?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, handing it over.

"Thanks. I wanted to work on my bike before. Not so much in the mood now. So you guys should start restaurants and bars in here once the cops lay off. Start up your own businesses."

Alec looked surprised. "Uh, what made you think of that?"

With a shrug, she hopped off the bike. "I was looking around before. You've got some nice empty street-level spaces. Might as well put them to use right?"

"Yeah, true."

"Sooo, you wanna show me around," she asked, scuffing one shoe on the pavement.

"Oh, sure. We don't have much here though. It's pretty much your standard military operation."

"In other words, boring?"

Alec shrugged. "Hard to be bored when there's so much to do."

"Good point."

"Let's go this way. I'll show you the area."

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Alec looked at her. "Are you okay? I know Max fucked up but she's really stressed out right now."

Tegan stopped, looked away, then shrugged. "I'm fine. No big deal."

Alec looked at her, disbelieving. "Uh huh. Just so you know, I've trademarked the phrase 'I'm always okay' so if you use it, I get to collect."

Cocking her head to look at him, she laughed. "If you say so, buddy."

They both started walking again. Alec pointed out the few sights they had as they went along and Tegan looked around with interest. While she had seen most of it in her journey from Alec's apartment to her bike, this city the transgenics had carved out for themselves seemed to take on a new light when seen through Alec's eyes.

"I can get you supplies," she told him quietly as he stared up at a decrepit building.

He looked over, surprised. "Huh?"

"I can get you supplies to fix the buildings. And if you need food and medicine. Stuff like that. I can get you that stuff," she said.

"But…why?"

"Because you need them. I can see how much this place means to you. There aren't any strings attached to what I can get you. Honest."

Alec sighed and shook his head. "I'm in no position to be making any kind of decision like that alone, Tegan. You hungry? We can go to the cafeteria and pick up some food. Hopefully somebody competent has been cooking."

Tegan looked up at the building then at him before she nodded slowly. "Yeah, sure. I haven't eaten all day."

"Good. Then we'll find Max and ask her where she wants you staying," Alec told her as he marched to the building which housed the cafeteria. "You know, we were originally gonna call it a mess hall but Max said it was too military-sounding. So we settled on cafeteria. They have those in schools but Max said you can find them as a kind of restaurant on the outside also. Not that I ever went to one. But that's what she says."

"Yeah, there are quite a few out east," she said, kicking a stone as she walked.

He opened the door, holding it open for her. "You miss it?"

"A lot. I haven't seen my family in months. I've been working for far too long. It's time for a vacation."

"All work and no play makes Tegan a dull girl?"

"No," she told him, walking through the door. "All work and no play makes Tegan a tired and worn-out girl. I am never dull."

Alec led the way into the cafeteria and she watched with interest as he was greeted by a large number of the transgenics present in the room. The females especially seemed friendly. Tegan rolled her eyes and waited patiently for a full minute before looking around and spotting the food. She walked a few feet before a hand on her arm stopped her. Surprised, she looked back and saw Alec looking at her with pleading eyes.

"Now, girls, you haven't met our most recent resident. This is Tegan," he said.

Tegan sighed as her gaze was met by hostile female glares. "Hey, everybody. I'd love to chat but I'm starving. Haven't eaten all day. Alec?"

"I'll talk to you all later!" he called out before pulling Tegan towards the food. "If I have to deal with them again today I'll fucking shoot myself."

"What? Can't take a little female admiration?"

"More like female obsession! They're all looking for a mate. I'm not into that. Not with any of them."

"Got anybody in mind?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow as she grabbed a tray from a stack turned over by the counter.

"No. Not at all. I like being free."

She laughed. "Yeah, that's what my oldest brother said before he got snared in by his wife. Now he's happily married and a father to two beautiful little girls, who take after their only aunt…or so my brother likes to complain. He's hoping the next one is a boy."

Alec shuddered in disgust, making Tegan giggle as she made food choices. "What about you?" he asked.

"Me? I enjoy being single. I'm always too busy to have a relationship anyway. Plus, there's the whole thing where my decisions on who exactly I can be totally open with are quite limited considering the whole feline thing. It's either somebody like me or a person like my mom who helps us. And honestly? I like my freedom…not having to answer to some guy who isn't related to me about what I do. So yeah, single for now…but who knows what the future holds?"

Alec couldn't help but notice that she looked somewhat wistful as she stood there, her hand paused momentarily in the process of putting dessert on her tray.

They finished getting their food and Alec looked around before leading her to the most private table he could find in the corner of the room furthest from the entrance. They both set their trays down and sat, eating in silence.

Alec finished his food first and watched her as she shoveled food into her mouth. "So, tell me about yourself. How old are you? What's your family like? What's your home like?"

Tegan looked amused but shrugged. "I'm 21…or I will be in another week and a half. My family is…great. I can't imagine being without them. My mom is the most supportive person I know and she's completely brilliant too. My dad says I inherited her brains. He's the best. He wasn't really around as much when my brothers were younger. He was trying to make things safe for the whole family but by the time I was born things had settled down a lot and he spent a lot more time at home. Started his own company at some point before I was born. Set up the whole system we have now. Made enough money and contacts to secure our future in post-Pulse America. Together of course. My mom and dad are an amazing pair and together I'm convinced they can do just about anything."

'You want that for yourself,' he thought to himself as he watched her eyes gleam.

"But ummmm, yeah, my dad is pretty protective of us all. He's worked hard to make us all safe and when anything threatens that he goes a little overboard. I have two brothers who take after my parents. My older brother, James, is more like my dad in temperament. He's a bit aggressive. He works for my dad's company. My other brother, Sean, is more like my mom in temperament. He's kind of the businessman."

"And then there's you."

"Yup, and then there's me. Everybody says I'm a mix of my parents. Sean says I'm a weirdo," she told him with a big grin.

"You're close to him," he observed.

"I'm close to my whole immediate family. And then there are the cousins and such. I miss them all…"

"Dad, are you sure it was a good idea to send TEGAN to do this? You know how she is!"

"James, please calm down. Your sister will do just fine. And I think it's about time we gave her more family oriented missions. We can't hide her away from the people who kidnapped her for all of her life," Nicholas Armstrong said, crossing his arms and looking out the window of his home office.

"Why not?" James asked stubbornly.

Sean pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against with a laugh. "Because Tegan would find some way to get into more trouble if we tried to hide her. You know she torments Ames White from a distance. She's been doing it for years."

"With help," James declared with a glare in his brother's direction.

Sean just grinned with a shrug. "Not just me. I think most of the family has helped her out with that at one point in time or another."

James glared. "But not with quite the frequency as you and Colin."

Sean's face sobered and James sighed. "It's because we failed her."

"We all failed her, son. All of us. If we hadn't she wouldn't have been taken in the first place," their father declared without turning away from the view of field and trees.

Sean didn't bother to argue with his father. When his father spoke like that the subject wasn't to be argued and he more than anybody, except possibly his sister, knew. Rolling his eyes, he said, "Despite what James thinks, Tegan is very capable. We've all taught her various types of martial arts and the kid's even gone out to learn stuff none of us even bothered to learn. She won't be caught unawares by anybody LEAST of all White and his group. Plus, let's be completely honest here. Out of all the people you employ, Dad, she's the best at reconnaissance. Then you have to consider the fact that Tegan's a genius. If she DOES get in a jam she'll figure a way out."

"Just like she did when she was little," James said with a sigh of defeat. "All right, I'll shut up. Just…I don't want her getting hurt. She's dealt with enough in her life. She doesn't need more pain."

Nicholas turned to look at his two sons. "She'll have to eventually. It's a part of life," he told them. "Now, I believe your mother called us to dinner ten minutes ago. She'll be pissed if we don't get our butts down to the dining room soon."

Sean chuckled. "Mom? Pissed? You mean, she'll yell and then shake her head and laugh at us for being so caught up in family business. Then after dinner she'll interrogate us all to find out what exactly was holding us up."

A small smile appeared on Nicholas' face as he walked towards the door. "Perhaps," he said, leading his sons down to the dining room.

Colin dropped his backpack near the door, walked over to the bed, and let himself fall onto it. He'd been mapping out buildings all afternoon and all he wanted now was a hot shower and sleep. Unfortunately he still had to call home, wait for Tegan's call, and go out and get food. Socializing wouldn't be a bad idea either. He needed to talk to as many native people as possible to get a feel for the area.

He groaned again when he thought of all the work he had to do tomorrow. Hopefully he wouldn't run into White. He'd seen the man three more times since the initial near-encounter. White's presence was definitely going to have to be in his report when he called Uncle Nicholas.

"Brat had better call soon," he muttered to himself, stretching out on the bed and relaxing.

After she was done eating, Tegan looked at the time and cursed. "I have to check in with my cousin otherwise he's gonna come storming in here."

"He would do that?"

"Oh, yeah. Colin can be super protective of me sometimes…and by sometimes I mean pretty much always."

"Weird."

"Not really. You'd have to know the whole story to understand I guess. Grown up around my family or something."

"Hmmmm," Alec said. Standing, he grabbed his tray and stuck it on the top of a pile sitting on a nearby table. Tegan followed his lead and the two walked outside.

Tegan looked warily up at the clouds. "It's not gonna start raining before we get back inside is it? I don't like the rain. It's cold and wet."

Alec shrugged, glancing up. "Never know with Seattle. Let's find Max. Get you settled in somewhere."

"Gee, let's go to HQ then. I'd be willing to bet she's there."

He chuckled. "You've got her number already huh? She's a bit of a workaholic but it's not like she really has a choice."

"Yeah, could be worse. She could demand the work of all the people below her and then be off sunbathing on the roof or something…oh wait, right, no SUN to be sunbathing!"

"You're very anti-rain aren't you?" he asked with a grin.

"VERY! Plus I just came from California. It was nice and warm and sunny there. Much more my style."

"Ah, California. Beaches, girls in bikinis…yeah, much more my style too."

"Pervert," Tegan said, rolling her eyes with a grin.

"Well…yeah. You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all!" she exclaimed, giggling. "I grew up surrounded by guys."

"Well then, as long as you have no nefarious plots to rid the world of transgenics, I think we'll get along just fine, Miss Armstrong," he told her with a wink.

She giggled again then pulled out her cell phone as they made their way towards HQ. Pressing the number 6 on her phone she hit "Call".

Colin picked up his phone on the second ring. "Hey, brat. Everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is perfect. I'm currently being escorted to HQ by a very nice young transgenic by the name of Alec. We just ate an early dinner," she told him.

He could hear the smile in her voice and sighed. "You sure he's okay? Should you be talking in front of him?"

"Doesn't really matter. What could I say that I'm not supposed to say?"

"True," he replied. "I've got this sector pretty much done. I'll head to the next by tomorrow afternoon. I keep running into White though. His base of operations must be nearby. Probably in a sector bordering this one."

"Be careful. You do NOT want to get caught by Ames, Colin. Trust me on that. And fucking with that arrogant piece of shit is my job. You're just the accomplice so don't try anything."

Colin rolled his eyes and walked over to the window of his motel room. "I know, brat. So you've made contact and you're safe?"

"Yeah, I can take care of myself, Colin. Look, I want to get some supplies in here. The buildings are in desperate need of repairs and they need some food supplies if the state of the cafeteria food is evidence of what they have. We'll have to figure that out. I'm gonna take a look around the perimeter from the inside tomorrow and I'll call you about it then."

"All right. If I end up stumbling across White's headquarters I'm going to place some surveillance."

His young cousin growled softly and he sighed in exasperation. "Tegan, we need to know what the hell the bastard is up to. I promise I won't get caught. And I'll call you right before I go in and right after. Okay?"

"Fine. Do something stupid though like get caught and I'll kick your ass after getting you out."

With a laugh, he nodded. "Yeah, I know, brat. Look, I'm hungry. I'm gonna go get something to eat. You calling home or should I?"

"You. I talked to Sean earlier today. He knows I'm in and I'm sure he told Dad and James by now. And I'm sure James has told Dad that I shouldn't be here doing this blah blah blah."

Frowning, he couldn't really contradict her. Her oldest brother probably had done just that. Out of everybody in the family, James was the most protective of his baby sister. "In other words, you don't want to deal with James tonight."

"Not really, no. Tell Daddy that I love him though, okay? And tell him to pass the message on to Mama also? Oh, and tell them how much I miss them too!"

He grinned wryly, thinking of how much she sounded like the little kid he'd occasionally babysat as a child. "Sure thing, brat. Oh, tomorrow I'll send you what I have so far. You can keep the big picture and study it."

"All right. I'll have fun and make a big 3-D chart!"

Shaking his head, he told her, "You do that. You and your toys. I swear, kid, I don't know what I'm gonna do with you. I'm gonna go get food then call HQ. Get some sleep! Night!"

"Night, Colin. Stay safe," she said softly.

He hung up, looked at the door to his motel room, then down at the phone. Instead of leaving the room, he called his uncle's office number.

Nicholas Armstrong studied the emails on his computer with a frown before pulling up a detailed list of employees and what jobs they were currently on. He was still studying it, trying to decide on who to put on the newest job, when his phone rang. Picking it up, he absently said "Armstrong Securities."

"Uncle Nicholas," came the response.

"Colin. Is everything all right?" he asked, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"Yeah, just calling to check in. Tegan told me she called Sean earlier but I just wanted to tell you we're safe. Tegan's in Terminal City with the transgenics. She's made contact and is apparently getting along well enough that she talks affectionately of one of them. I'm scouting buildings. White's here skulking around though."

"Yes, James was worried about that. I suppose the concern isn't quite as great as it would be if Tegan were scouting though. Anything else?"

"Tegan said something about supplies for the trangenics. Apparently the buildings are falling down. And they need food. Probably medical supplies too. Maybe some weaponry."

"All right. I'll place some calls. Call me tomorrow?"

"Yes, sir. Oh, Tegan told me to tell you she loved and missed you and Aunt Aya."

Nicholas smiled faintly. "Tell her I'll tell her mother and that we love and miss her also."

"Will do. Night!"

"Night, Colin. Both of you stay safe."

Nicholas hung up the phone and ran a hand through golden hair. The soft rustle of fabric made his head jerk in the direction of the doorway, his whole body stiffening. His wife stood there, looking as beautiful as she had the first time he'd seen her decades before.

"Was that Colin?"

He relaxed and nodded. "Yes, reporting in. Tegan is fine."

Aya's body slumped in relief. "I didn't even realize how worried I was until just now," she admitted to him.

He nodded, standing up. "I know what you mean. She's our youngest."

"Our baby…and she's been through so much. I just want her to be safe and happy," she said softly.

"We both want that," he told his wife, crossing the room to kiss her lightly. "How about we go watch a late movie?"

Aya nodded with a smile. "Sounds perfect," she told Nicholas as he grabbed her hand and they walked down the hall together.