Zack awoke to an ear-peircing scream, even more excruciating for and X5 then the normal ear. Jolted awake Zack moved to Max's bedside half between the world of sleep and wakefulness momentarily unsure of where he was. The machines and the unfamiliarity of Logan's guestroom to him helped him understand Max's own confusion. He took three deep breaths before he had his hand on her shoulders.
"It's okay Max I'm here."
"Zack?" It was a breathless question accompanied by a wide-eyed glare.
"What's wrong Maxie?" Zack asked as her body bucked under his grip.
Max whimpered and let another animalistic screech past her lips and she shot straight up in bed dragging Zack along with her. Zack saw the problem straight away, the pillowcase was drenched in crimson blood and a metallic gleam caught his eye. Max's body had rejected the probe with the help of what Zack had done the night before. Max's body was bucking but it wasn't really a seizure, more of a twitch. She writhed in pain and moaned but couldn't seem to form the words to answer Zack.
"Hannah!" Zack called the woman in and Bling and Logan followed her. "Out." With that simple word Zack banished the two other men and shut the door. He turned pleading eyes towards Hannah.
Hannah gestured helplessly for a moment before her instincts took over and she began hooking Max up to machines to be able to just do something. Max's vital were erratic and her EEC waves were off the wall. Hannah sedated Max but in the state she was in it was barely effective. It didn't even take effect anymore then the slightly calm her. It helped to slow her heartbeat and bring her breathing and pulse rate back to somewhat normal levels. During this time Zack passed the room and muttered to himself being able to do nothing more. It was driving him insane. Eventually the sedative and the stress on Max's body took its toll and she passed out/fell asleep. Zack couldn't move from the room even though Hannah stayed by Max's side incase anything went wrong. Zack kept vigil because there was nothing else he could do. He didn't enjoy feeling helpless so he stayed by her side. Seeing Max with that close cropped hair was almost too much to handle. Max as a grown up soldier, an X5 that never escaped. It made him think of Brin. Thinking of Max as Brin was unimaginable. Thinking of Max as X5-452 was painful. Max being anything other then Max was simply unacceptable.
Jace paced the length of the room as Lucas's hand rested on the phone.
"No don't do it. I think I should call her."
"Alright." Lucas stepped back.
Jace moved to the phone and then backed away from it like it was a live grenade.
"No. You do it. I ... I can't. It's been eleven years since I've seen her. I can't just call her out of the blue."
"I'll do it then." Lucas leaned over to reach for the phone.
"No!" Jace put her hand over his. "Fine you can call her but I want to talk to her eventually. We need to catch up."
Lucas laughed. "I think you're more of a gossip hound then-"
"They trained me to be an information officer. What you call gossip was my job." Jace bounced on the balls of her feet. "What are you waiting for? Call her."
Lucas dialed the number Zack had given them and Jace paced. The ringing phone was picked up and answered by a male voice. "Hello?"
"May I speak with T-" Lucas cleared his throat. "Lisa please."
"Who's calling?" A Male voice belonging to Charlie Tinga's husband asked.
"Dr. Lucas Geer."
"Hold on a second." Charlie was taking every precaution imaginable.
Jace could hear Charlie in the background talking to Tinga asking if she knew a Dr. Geer. Tinga said she didn't. Charlie came back on the line.
"What is this pertaining to?" Charlie asked.
In the background Jace heard Tinga repeating the name Lucas Geer a few times.
"Her sister." Lucas said simply.
"Lisa doesn't have any sisters only a brother."
In the background Jace hear Tinga mumble that she once knew a Lucas Geer.
"She had alot of brothers and sisters." Jace said out loud knowing that Tinga would hear her.
"Is Lisa there? Just put her on the phone please." Lucas pushed.
"Charlie it's okay, go check on Case." Tinga said in the background and then took the phone from her husband. "Who are you?"
"Lucas Geer, Tinga." Lucas answered using her real name as a show of power.
"General Ian Geer's son?" Tinga asked.
"Yes. Well Dr. Ian Geer actually. He was a civilian, part of the medical unit."
In the background Jace heard a door slam closed.
"Okay what are you doing calling me at my house? And which sister are you talking about? And why is she with you?" Tinga's voice sounded angry panicked and rushed.
"I wanted to talk to you about Case and one of your sisters."
"Leave my son out of this. How did you get this number?" Tinga pushed the question holding her ground.
"Zack gave it to me."
"You've seen Zack? He hasn't checked in on the voicemail system in almost a week. What's wrong with Zack?"
"Nothing's wrong with Zack."
"Then why am I talking to a doctor? Why am I talking to a kid I knew back in a place I'd rather not remember? Who's sick?"
"Max is sick and Zack's taking care of it, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."
"Yes you already said that you wanted to talk to me about my son and my sister, so what's going on? Who are we talking about here Lucas?"
"Jace."
"Jace?" Tinga almost dropped the phone and suddenly sounded panicked. "You're calling me from Manticore?" She spat out the last word.
"No. No." Lucas rushed to assure her. "Jace got out."
"No. Jace stayed behind the night we escaped." Tinga suddenly sounded choked up.
"Jace broke free. She got sent on a mission to terminate a doctor who was taking care of a friend of Max's. Max convinced Jace to go AWOL. I need to talk to you about the reason why."
"So get on with it." Tinga bristled.
"Jace is going to have a baby."
"She is?" You could almost hear the smile on her face in Tinga's voice before it quickly faded. "I don't believe you. Put my sister on the phone."
"Alright." Lucas grinned and handed Jace the phone. "Tinga wants to talk to you."
"I heard her." Jace took the phone. "Thanks Lucas." Jace turned away from the boy. "Hey big sister."
"Jace?"
"Yes Tinga it's me."
"Jace you-" Tinga choked on the open ended question.
"Yes I got out." Jace answered not wanting the first new memory she had of her sister to be hearing her cry.
"So you're going to have a child? Please say it isn't with your breeding partner." The disgust in Tinga's voice was evident.
Jace laughed. "No." Her voice grew dreamy. "Victor, he was on of the gurads, and I had a relationship. It actually made my breeding partner angry because he coulod always smell Victor on me."
"Then you were happy there?" Tinga sounded full of disbelief.
"Yes and I miss him terribly." Jace sighed. "How are Case and Charlie?"
"They're great and Case still doesn't have a bar code."
"He's free then. How old is he now?"
"Almost six. How far along are you?"
"About five months as far as I can tell."
"Just about to burst, huh?"
"What do you mean Tinga?"
"Well cat's go after 58-70 days, roughly four months. Normal's usually go in around nine months and Case came along at the end of the sixth month." Tinga cleared her throat. "Case is calling for me. Listen don't worry too much. If you need me you can always call. If you really need me I'll come visit."
"Really?" Jace smiled.
"Of course little sister. Oh and Vitamin B6 and ginger tea will help with the morning sickness. God I swear I was still getting sick for two weeks after Case was born. Just hang in there soldier."
"I missed you Tinga."
"I missed you too little sister."
"Do me a favor and don't forget about me?"
"I never did. Now cheer up and call me tomorrow around 1200 hours. That's an order Jace we've got alot of informing each other on years to get out of the way."
Both girls laughed. In the background Jace heard a door slam and a boy yell out 'Mommy I wanna eat now.' Along with Charlie's voice apologizing halfheartedly. Tinga/Lisa was going to have some serious explaining to do.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow Jace." Tinga said softly.
"Bye Tinga, I love you big sister."
"Me too lil'sis. Good-bye and good luck."
They both cut off the line of communication and Jace turned to Lucas with tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
"I didn't really do anything." Lucas protested.
Jace shook her head fighting off an onslaught of tears and then too them both by surprise by hugging Him. Then she stepped back.
"I, I'm sorry my emotions are all, well it's just hard, I-" Jace stammered.
"Jace there's no reason to apologize." Lucas hugged her back tightly. Jace almost collapsed against him her knees giving way a little. "Jace are you okay?"
"Too much excitement." She sighed. "First Max, then Zack, now Tinga and they all have real lives on the outside. They're my family again."
"So do you now Jace and they always were your family." Lucas guided her over to the couch. "You should rest you look exhausted."
Jace shrugged. "Tinga said Jace came along a little after six months."
Lucas smiled down at Jace. "Hannah wouldn't miss your child being born. That's why she didn't want to leave, but she'll be back in plenty of time."
Jace started to cry again. "She's doing her duty but I miss her."
Lucas took her hand and patted it. "You're not alone Jace."
Jace nodded and clung to Lucas's hand yet rolled away from him to try and rest. "Wake me in an hour or so?"
"Sleep well." Lucas stroked the back of her hand as Jace's eyes drifted closed.
Zack slowly came fully awake to a foreign sound. Confused yet again by his surroundings he sprang to his feet at full attention ready for some sort of attack. All he saw was the guestroom filled with the machines that were helping to keep Max alive. Then there was Max. Max with her short-cropped hair. Max dressed in one of Logan's oversized white tee shirts that came down to her knees reminiscent of a hospital gown. Max, who they had tied down to the bed, restrained for her own safety. Max who was staring straight ahead at the mirror which stood across from the foot of the bed on top of the dresser. Max who looked longingly out of the window while fighting her bonds.
Zack didn't know what to do or how she would react. Max's face was tearstained. Her lips were quivering. She stared wide-eyed at what she had become in the mirror. The hallow shell of her former shelf. Her eyes were sunken back in her head completely devoid of any emotion. Her normally dark complexion was ghostly pale. She focused in on her short-cropped hair and shook her head. Her body convulsed with a sob and then the tears began to flow again. Watching Max breaking down was breaking his heart and he was still powerless to do anything. Zack, big brother and protector was lost. He slowly moved back to her side sitting on the bed and softly taking her hand. Zack didn't know what to say he opened his mouth and locked gazes with Max only no words came out.