A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. (Please don't hurt me; it's only been a week) LOL I hope you guys are enjoying this story, but everyone who's reading this, please speak up and review. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, feedback/constructive criticism, what you'd like to read… Plz review! 6 reviews for me to update!

A girl with long brown hair and crystal clear blue eyes walked the streets of Seattle with her hands buried deep in the pockets of her jeans to keep her warm. She was of about 12 years old but no one noticed her as she walked past them. After all, it was a Post-Pulse city and they were used to seeing children being by themselves on the streets. Only those with kind hearts brought the children in from the cold.

Strangely, even though it was fairly chilly outside, the winds whistling in her ears, she didn't feel the least bit cold. It was actually more of a gentle breeze on her skin.

She didn't know where she was going really; she just knew that she had to keep on walking. She needed to find a place to stay before nightfall, a place where she could rest. Not sleep, exactly, because she found out she didn't really have the need to sleep. She could go days before feeling the least bit tired. No, she needed a place to let herself relax, a place where they couldn't find her.

They were a group of people that have been looking for her for a few years. All of a sudden, though, about a year ago, they stopped. She hadn't seen head or tail of them, but she wouldn't let down her guard. She knew that although she thought they were gone, she could very well be wrong. And even if they were truly gone, that didn't mean there weren't others. She knew there were because she had been feeling like she had been watched a lot recently.

She tried to rid her head of the images that had come flowing back at the thought of the people who had been looking for her, but she couldn't. She forced herself not to cry, for some reason crying made her feel like she was weak, like she had to be stronger. Or like she was stronger, and shouldn't be showing a weakness. She would only show her weaknesses in front of those who loved her, and now, because of those people, they were gone, and she had no one left.

Flashback

She had come home from school early when she had felt it wasn't safe to stay there. She didn't understand the feeling, but throughout the past few years she had come to trust her gut instinct.

As soon as she had approached her house, she had felt a strong sense of foreboding. She hadn't gone inside; she felt that if she had she would be trapped with nowhere to go. Instead, she stealthily snuck up to a window on the side of her house without making any noise. She didn't know how she could move so quietly without being heard, but then again there were many mysteries as to her past. She peered in and immediately regretted her decision. Her stomach lurched and she fought the urge to throw up.

There, inside, her mother, father, 2 year old brother and baby sister lay dead; all of their eyes open with terror. Her mother and father both had a bullet entry wound in the middle of their foreheads, and her brother and sister's necks lay at a strange angle. She fought tears at the horrific scene, but controlled her emotions and ducked down when she saw men in black uniforms hiding throughout the house. She could see some hiding behind the doors, their reflections seen in the mirror across from them.

They seemed to be waiting for something, an all of a sudden it hit her. They weren't waiting for something, but someone. Her. They were waiting for her to come home.

She turned around and ran from the house, ran as far as she could. She found herself on a highway, and made her way to a gas station where a truck was loading itself up with gas. She considered running in there screaming, to call the police and report that her family had been murdered, but once again her gut stopped her.

Don't draw attention to yourself, she had thought. She was startled at the words, but listened to them anyway. She jumped into the bed of the truck and hitchhiked. Soon they were off and rolling, and finally after what seemed like hours of driving, they passed a sign that said, "Welcome to Seattle".

Once the truck got into the main part o the city, she jumped off and landed with startling grace.

End Flashback

And that was how she found herself walking down the streets of Seattle, looking for a place to stay. A rustling at her foot caught her attention, and she looked down and picked up a piece of paper.

"Coalition for a transgenic-free Seattle," she read to herself. "Those who want to take a stand and get rid of the transies, contact Griffin Howard, leader of the union."

For some unknown reason she felt angry towards this Griffin Howard person. Didn't he understand that these transgenics just wanted a place in the world, wanted to be accepted?

She felt a bizarre kind of kinship with these transgenics. She had heard a lot about them on the news back where she came from, but she knew the news crews were being biased. They just wanted a place in the world.

Like me, she thought. I need to find my place. I thought it was with my family but although I loved them, I know I didn't belong with them. We were too different; we didn't look alike at all or act alike. I wonder if my parents ever knew that I knew I was adopted.

She remembered something about the transgenics. They're hiding out in a place called Terminal City. Maybe they'll let me stay with them. I know I'm not like them, but maybe they'll be kind enough to give me a place to stay.

With that, she headed off to Terminal City.

Faith rushed around frantically, searching for her sister in every room. Finally she found her talking to Ruby in the recreation room.

"We need the worst stuff we can get, and the more the better. We're getting more people in here and there are more people than weapons that they can use to defend themselves," Max was saying. "I want everything, AK-47s, Bazookas, Glocks, sniper rifles, small handguns, anything. Grenades, anything and everything we used to use in live ordinance."

Ruby chuckled. "This coming from the woman who won't touch a gun and hates to be in the same room as one."

Max looked at her dead in the eye. "We're losing too many people and weird stuff is going on that we don't understand. The Coming is coming, and we don't even understand what it is. There's that whole funky prophecy thingy too. I thought that those little black runes were gone but they're popping up again. There's no time to be scared of anything, no time for hesitation. Guns may not be on my Christmas list like it is for Zack, Alec, and Syl, but if worst comes to worst I will use one." She lightened up a bit. "Don't think ten years has made me a bad shot. I used to excel in target range, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember baby sister," Ruby said. "The others are getting ready to go on a few raids, and I'll be going with them in a few minutes. Logan thinks he's got a few leads on Zero's and Dawns whereabouts, and Alec, Mole, and Joshua are doing some recon to see if he's got the right place. The others are making good progress at sealing that door in the tunnel up, especially with Isabel and Michael making things float to lessen the work effort. Emerald's gone to get the ordinary gang, and some of the others have gone to do other things to help. Don't sweat it, Maxie. We all got your back. Just calm down and try to forget about your crummy-ass life right now."

"Gee, thanks," Max said dryly, but then she cracked a smile. "When we get Zero and Dawn back, we are gluing their asses to a chair. No more spontaneous evenings out."

"Ease up on them a little when they get back, though," Ruby said. "They're kids; they need to get out a little. Kids can't stay cooped up in a toxic area for long."

"Speak for yourself," Faith said, interrupting the conversation. She smirked as Ruby shot her a glare, and then turned serious as she looked at Max.

"411 on the DL? Dracula's gone," Faith said.

A look of exasperation came onto Max's face. "Gone? You're kidding me."

"Whoa, don't combust baby sister, we don't need a bonfire for a leader," Faith said.

Max looked at her with a dry expression on her face.

"You okay? You seem sort of stressed out," Faith deadpanned.

Max looked at her, her expression unchanged.

"Sorry," Faith apologized. "I just came to tell you that I'm gonna try to hunt the guy down. For all we know, he might lead us to Zero and Dawn."

Max finally nodded. "I'm going to buzz around, see what I can do. I might check up on Dix and Luke to see if they've made anymore progress with the tape."

All three women nodded and went their separate ways.

"Should've known you were behind this," Zero said.

"Who's this?" Dawn asked him. Then she registered his words. "This is White, isn't it?"

"Such a smart girl," White said.

"I'm talented," Dawn said. You just have no idea how talented I am.

A door burst open and a vampire ran in.

"Looks like your friends have lost their bargaining chip," White commented to Dawn and Zero.

"Looks like you've lost your sanity," Zero shot back.

White looked at him. "I am quite sane. You, however, and your little friend won't be when I'm through with you. You'll be just as nuts as my dear wacko brother."

"Poor Sandeman," Zero said, unknowingly repeating the exact words Max had told White a few months earlier. "One son's a wacko, the other a psychopath. Kinda feel for the guy."

"You will shut up about that idiot who created all you filth!" White yelled. "You have no idea what you're talking about little boy, you have no idea at all. He put you on this earth, created you, to be shunned and hated, feared. And yet you feel for him."

"I don't really think the guy knew that all the transgenics would be released," Dawn pointed out.

"Quiet!" he shouted.

"Have I mentioned how much this sounds like Manticore?" Zero asked Dawn.

"Yup," she said. She looked at the three people in front of them.

"So, are we gonna let them go now that I'm back?" the newcomer vampire asked.

"No, idiot," Mota said. "We're going to be exchanging them for the Slayers."

"You're both idiots," White said. "We're going to pretend to exchange them for 452, but when we have her in our custody then we'll kill them."

"Now seems like a good time to bail," Dawn whispered.

"How exactly are we going to ditch, Psycho, Dumb and Dumber?" Zero whispered back.

"By leaving this warehouse," she whispered back again. "Leave it up to me." She closed her eyes and concentrated hard to make a portal open up. White looked up at the sudden gust of wind.

"What the hell is she doing?" he screamed through the wind.

Dawn and Zero got up and ran towards the portal and walked through it. Immediately, the portal closed behind them, leaving White and the two vampires alone in the room.

Dawn and Zero looked around at their surroundings. They were on a farm and saw many cows being milked, farmers working hard under the harsh sun.

"Um, Dawn?" Zero asked. "Something tells me we're not in Kansas anymore."

A/N: Hey guys! Okay, I'm really sorry about that crummy chapter. And if Dawn's powers don't actually work that way, I'm sorry too. I've never actually seen a show where she opens up a portal so I may have written that wrong. If someone could give me a rundown of all the powers the slayers and Dawn have, and how to use them, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm sorry that this chapter hasn't been my best, but I really wanted to get something out because you guys have been waiting so patiently. Plz review everyone and give me some feedback. I hope you guys weren't disappointed. 6 reviews to get me to update!

Enormous thanks to –

MoonAngel23 – Thanks! No MZ in this chapter, I'm sorry. But I'm gonna update "Whose Love" soon so look out for it!

screaminheathen69 – Thanks!

morgan000 – Yay! A new reviewer! Thanks!

shygirl1 – Thanks! Plz update "What's Next" soon. And about what Logan believes will make Max his, that's gonna come later. Or is it here already? LOL Dun dun dun…

HoneyX5-452 – Thanks!

meri24 – Thanks!

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! I'm sorry if this chapter was a disappointment, I hope it wasn't! 6 reviews for me to update and plz give me some feedback. BTW, those who like MZ, I have a fic called "Whose Love" and for those who like MA, I have a fic called "Love Can Be Found Anywhere, Even In Hell". I'd appreciate it if you'd read and review. –aod78