A/N- I know, fast update. I think it's because I'm getting more and more excited as the story progresses. This is the final chapter from the series; next we're going into what happened after Alia Leaped off the show. Stay tuned!

Korean Pearl- Wow, this is one of your favorite stories:is surprised: This is the only story on your list that is not Animorphs… wow. Thanks! As for Zoey, yes, she is a real person. If you look at the early chapters again, you'll see that Zoey did meet Alia in the present, did touch her, and did recruit her for Lothos. When Alia is in the past, Zoey is her link to the future, and appears in the form of a hologram. Only Alia can see her, because they are linked through Lothos. Until now, Zoey has only been an Observer in the past, only a hologram. Now that Alia has escaped, Zoey has Leaped back to find her. Her connection to the future is Thames, Alia's torturer back in the present. Lothos began to get a lock on her, but before he could zone in on her, she 'vanished' or was hypnotized. So they know she's in the prison somewhere, but they don't know who she is. However, that won't last much longer, as she's stopped being Angel and is once more Alia… hope you enjoy this chapter!

PippinDuck- Thanks for reviewing! I hope you like this chapter, as well as the original scenes at the end!

Disclaimer- The beginning dialogue belongs to Belisarius Productions and Don Belisario. After Alia Leaps, the rest of the dialogue belongs to me.

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Chapter 18- Freedom

You must make your own life, live your own life, and die your own death…or else you will die another's. –From Fondly Fahrenheit, written by Alfred Bester

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"Rumplestiltskin!"

It was as if someone pulled a veil away from my eyes. One minute, Angel was there, and the next…I remembered who I was, what had happened. Angel's mind and thoughts shattered. 'Liz' was Sam, and I was Alia.

"Sam?" I gasped. "Where are we?"

Just then, I heard a noise behind me. "Gotcha!" A voice cackled. I whirled around. "Holograms at your service, baby!" the man grinned.

I shivered, remembering my torturer in the Holding Chamber. "Thames?" I whispered.

Sam, seeing nothing, also said, "Thames? What?"

"You ready to die, sweet-cakes?" asked Thames.

"Where's Zoey?" I asked, terrified. I'd been discovered.

"Timing, it's all timing, baby!"

"Zoey's here, Alia," Sam explained. "She Leaped."

I turned back, hearing dogs barking. We had escaped from the prison, but they were following us! Zoey would catch up with us any minute. She would kill me, and kill Sam. I couldn't let that happen!

Maybe if we surrendered, she'd just kill me. I deserved to die. Sam didn't.

"Come on, we gotta get going," he said, pulling me up.

"It's over, Sam!" I cried. She would find us and kill us!

"No!" He said, dragging me along. "It's not over unless we say it's over."

"Its over!" I yelled. "Save yourself!"

"Ain't nobody getting saved tonight," Thames spat. "Zoey! They're over here!"

Thames popped out, ready to guide Zoey to our hiding spot.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Sam cried, grabbing me. We ran along again, but it was futile. Zoey would find me wherever I was. We were connected. And even if she didn't, my past would haunt me…after what I had done, how could I ever live a normal life?

"I can't run from myself!" I cried.

"Come on," Sam said desperately. "We just gotta keep going!"

We reached the street, and light fell on us. The light from the headlights of a car. Zoey's car. I saw her as she stepped out of the car; saw her without having to touch her because we were connected. She had a gun in her hands. She was going to kill us!

I couldn't let Sam die. Not now, not ever. Not after what he'd done for me! No matter what, I couldn't let that happen. Zoey would not kill again.

"Run, Sam!" I shouted desperately.

"No!"

"Save yourself!"

"No, no!" He tried to block me, tried to protect me. I didn't want protection, I didn't need it. Not any more. I struggled with him, fought him. I couldn't let him die!

"Come on, Zoey, its you or me!" I challenged, throwing Sam to the ground. Give Zoey what she wanted. My death would appease her. My life had brought only death to others. Maybe, my dying would give Sam life.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Zoey aimed. Stared at me straight in the eye, with hatred. How many times had I held someone at gunpoint, with that same look in my eyes? How many times had I killed? No more. No more.

Zoey, friend, hologram, enemy, killer, fired.

Somebody save my life!

But I didn't die.

I Leaped instead.

The blue light overwhelmed me, tingling, healing.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live, when you followed the ways of this world…but because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved.

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Warmth. Cool cloth on my forehead, stinging cut, fuzzy blankets, murmuring voices.

"Is she alright?"

"She's going to be fine. Just give her some room."

"Who is she, Daddy?"

"I don't know, sweetie. But she needs our help."

I blinked, trying to focus. Where…what…

Slowly I sat up, and began frantically taking in my surroundings. 'Where' seemed to be a small, cozy room with a fireplace lit inside it. Shadows from the fire flickered upon the walls. I noticed I was lying on a sagging couch, with a homemade quilt tucked around me. There was a cat lying on my feet. But how, I wondered, had I come to be here? The last thing I could remember… the last thing… what had happened to me?

"Well, now." It was a man's deep voice, reverberating throughout the room. "Are you okay, Miss?"

"I…where am I?" I asked, confused. I couldn't remember…

"You're safe," the man answered. "I'm Andrew Watson. This is my daughter, Stephanie. My wife, Carol, is making you some dinner. Are you alright?"

"Yes…I think so," I answered, unsure. I remembered Zoey, and a gun…why wasn't I dead? "I'm Alia," I offered, then instantly wondered if I should have given my real name. Maybe I was someone else. And if other people knew who I was, Lothos could find me… but it was too late to bite back the words.

Andrew smiled. It was a deep, warm smile, a friendly smile. "I'm glad to meet you, Miss Alia."

"Where'd you come from?" asked the five-year-old next to him. Her blond hair was up in a ponytail, and her eyes were full of curiosity.

"I…"

"Now, Stephie, don't wear her out before she has a chance to catch her breath," scolded a homely-looking woman with her hair in a bun. She placed a bowl of chicken soup before me. "Eat up, and then you can tell us what's happened to you."

Scarcely believing this was actually happening, I began to eat. I ate slowly, spooning each delicious bite into my mouth carefully, so as not to spill a drop. It was a good taste- a taste of home. It had been so long… so long since I had felt anywhere near this comfortable. I blinked away tears.

Outside, the wind whipped around the house. I caught glimpses of a barn in moonlight and I realized I was somewhere in the countryside. Where, I didn't know. Inside, the family sat around the fire, watching me eat. The father sat in a worn armchair, staring every once and awhile into the fire, as if contemplating a mystery. The mother perched at the end of the comfortable couch I was laying on, smiling every so often at me. And the little girl sat on the carpet with a kitten, eyes wide and staring at me. I felt uncomfortable, but I ate slowly so I wouldn't have to explain myself to them. Still, the moment came when I was done, and Carol quietly took the bowl away.

"Thank you, Mrs. Watson," I murmured. "It was…it was delicious."

She beamed. "Well now, thank you! It's always nice to find someone who enjoys my cooking." She set the bowl in the sink and returned. "Now, why don't you tell us what happened."

I didn't want to, I didn't want to say anything. I could lie… but I realized I didn't want to go on lying anymore. I wanted to be myself, whole and honest. And yet I couldn't tell them the truth either. They would never believe me.

The weight of their gazes upon me reminded me that I would have to say something soon. Maybe if I told them part, but not all, of the truth… "I was…I was running away from someone," I said slowly. "She…she tried to kill me…" I whispered.

The woman's face had gone white, the girl was staring at me in shock. But Andrew came up and took my hand as I began to sob. "I'm sorry," I cried, "I'm sorry…"

"Shhhh," soothed Andrew. "Shhhh. It'll be okay, Alia. Everything is okay. She didn't hurt you. You're safe now."

Carol stood up and took Stephie by the hand. "Andrew, I'm going to take Stephie to bed. You come up when you're ready, okay?" She glanced at me hurriedly, then took her daughter upstairs.

"But Mommy…" wailed Stephie as they ascended. "I wanna hear the story…"

When they were gone, Andrew turned back to me. With an effort, I had collected myself and was no longer crying. "Are you going to be okay?" He asked again.

"Yes," I sniffed. "I'll be fine." I paused, studying the blankets. "Why did…why'd you help me?" I asked finally, still astonished by my change in luck.

"Well, we couldn't just leave you lying in the street, could we?" he asked with a smile. "It was no trouble, really."

I nodded slowly. "Thank you. I…I guess I'd better tell you what happened…"

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he offered.

"But I do want to," I said with conviction. "I need to tell somebody…"

I kept the truth vague, admitting with difficulty that I had been a hired killer, and that when I had failed to exterminate a target, someone had come after me. I had fallen and hit my head, and knew nothing else.

He was looking at me quietly, searchingly. Then he said, "Well, now." A pause. "Maybe…maybe I better call the police," he said slowly.

I shook my head wildly, afraid. Lothos would find me! "No!" I exclaimed. Then, hastily, I added, "If anyone came after me, they're long gone by now."

"Just the same, I think I had better call." He stood up. "I'll ask them to do a search of the countryside, okay? You can sleep here tonight, and we'll figure this all out in the morning."

There was nothing else I could say, and I was extremely tired. I didn't understand why these people had opened up their home to me, but if they were willing give me a bed for tonight, I would be grateful. Even if it did mean that they had to call the police. After the story I had told him, I couldn't blame Andrew for being worried.

He led me up the creaking stairs. I caught a glimpse of something on the landing, and turned…and nearly fell down the stairs. It was a mirror, it was a reflection, but it was so much more than that…it was me.

I stared, drinking myself in. I hadn't seen myself in so long! Short, cropped auburn hair, blue eyes- my face! I was myself! I really was Alia! I grinned, and my reflection grinned back at me. My reflection!

Andrew was concerned with my reaction. "Alia? Are you okay?"

I blinked away tears as I said, "I'm fine. It's just that… I haven't seen myself… like this… in a long time." I barely got the words out.

Andrew smiled thinly. "My father had a saying like that, once. He used to say, 'If you cannot recognize the man in the mirror, it is time to step back and see when you stopped being yourself.' Although I guess in your case it would be 'woman in the mirror', wouldn't it?" He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Come on. It's late. We'll deal with this in the morning."