Disclaimer: I do not own it. All I own of this is Gates and Sashia.

Thank you for the reviews...without support even the strongest of us would fall...(Feeling kinda poetic this morning)

Inside My Heart

Chapter 3

Mirage watched as Gates and Cliff entered. Everything around her seemed to freeze in place.

Cliff entered the inn laughing. Mirage had always known that Cliff would get along with Gates. The two were a lot alike. She couldn't help but to smile.

Fayt stood and approached the two. "Cliff. Good. Look, something's come up and I…"

"Hey, kid. Slow down."

Mirage was unaware that she had left the table until she found herself standing beside Fayt.

Gates smiled at her and bowed. "Sensei! Look! I found Cliff." He was clearly proud of himself.

"Sensei?" Cliff took his attention off of Fayt and locked in on Mirage.

Mirage fought the urge to blush, but her cheeks reddened anyway. She giggled nervously. "Hello, Cliff."

Cliff returned her nervous giggle. "Hey there Mirage…um…err…how are you?"

"Oh, wow," Sashia appeared immediately at Cliff's side and took his hand. She shook it. "Cliff Fitter, right. It's an honor."

"Um, yeah. Nice to meet you. You must be Gates' sister."

Mirage laughed. "Sorry. These are my pupils. Gates and Sashia Keen."

Fayt looked at Gates. "I'm Fayt Liengod. Nice to meet you." He shook hands with Gates.

"Well, Okay then. Look, Gates told me that Nel is missing. What's the plan?"

Mirage nodded. "We're leaving for Kirlsa in the morning."

There was a moment of awkward silence. Cliff looked at Mirage. Mirage looked at Cliff. Fayt, Sashia, and Gates exchanged glances.

Gates laughed. "Um, Sensei. Fayt could always bunk with us and you two could have some time to…um...caught up."

Sashia threw her brother a death glare. He winked at her. The rumor is that twins can tune into each other. That's an old Earth tale. With Klausian twins, it's a known scientific fact. They are able to communicate on a small level telepathically. She knew what he was thinking. She smirked as she nodded.

"Yeah, Mirage. You haven't seen each other in three years. I'm sure there's a lot to talk about."

Sashia and Gates both looked at Fayt. Fayt recalled the 'friendly' slap on the back earlier. "You know, that's not such a bad idea. Come on guys. I have…lots of questions about Klaus." Fayt handed Cliff the key and turned to the hallway.

"Hey, you could have asked me about Klaus," Cliff protested. But it was too late. The three had already disappeared.

Mirage chuckled. "We'll never get any rest out here. Let's go, Cliff."

Cliff looked at the key in his hand. "Yeah, you're right."

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Maria sat behind Marietta. Marietta was now captain of her own trading organization called Vulpine. Maria was happy to see that she had really made a name for herself.

"We'll be arriving in the Elicoor system in less then four hours and twenty minutes," announced one of Marietta's crew members.

"Good," Marietta responded.

Marietta twisted her revolving seat to face Maria. "Not sure if I like the new look. Short and blonde…just doesn't look like you."

Maria giggled. "Well, I had it long and brown for a while."

Marietta nodded. "Now, that I can picture."

"Captain! There's an unidentified ship within sensor range. They are hailing us."

Marietta spun her chair around. "On screen."

The screen blinked. The silhouette of a man appeared. "Ah, Miss. Traydor. It's good to see you are well." The man let out a sinister laugh.

Maria stood. "Who are you?" Her mind searched for that voice. Somewhere in her memory…

"That's a good look for you. I was always partial to blondes myself."

"State your name and business," Marietta demanded as she stood.

"My business is not with you. I would like to extend an invitation to Miss. Traydor." He pointed at the screen. "Transport to my ship, and I might allow the rest to live."

Maria squinted at the screen. Her anger rising. That voice. That laugh… "How the hell?" Memories flooded her. "I know who you are! But you're…" Her voice left her. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be him.

The man laughed harder before redeeming his composure. "Dead? Dead? Is that what you were about to say? Oh, I assure you, I'm every bit alive as you. Now, join me or your friends will know what it's truly like to cease existence."

Maria calmed her anger. This was not good. Her gut feeling had been right. Trouble was here and she had no choice but to comply.

"Give me two minutes to gather my things." She kept her voice solemn.

"You have thirty seconds. You don't need your things." The screen went blank.

"Communication ended. Captain?" The man working the controls in front of Marietta turned. Concern clouded his face.

Marietta looked at Maria. "What's going on?"

Maria shook her head. "I have to go. Be ready to engage defensive maneuvers as soon as I'm off the ship. I need you to find Cliff. I need you to pass a message to him."

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Cliff sat on the bed across from Mirage. She mirrored him. Neither looked directly at the other.

Cliff sat on the edge of his bed. He restrained his leg from twitching. He kept his hands in his lap.

Mirage broke the silence by laughing.

"Huh? What's so funny," Cliff smiled.

"It's not like you to be so quiet."

"Well…um…okay. So, what beings you to Elicoor?"

Mirage was suddenly overcome with a severe case of shyness. "I could ask you the same." She smiled at him.

He laughed. "Sounds like you're avoiding the question."

"Okay," Mirage responded. She took a deep breath. "I was looking for you." She closed her eyes.

"Me?" Cliff held his breath. "Well, you found me." He smiled widely. "Why would you come all this way to see me?"

Mirage shook her head and opened her eyes. His blue eyes penetrated her. She felt lost. He was sitting right in front of her and yet she felt like he was miles away.

His face softened. He waited patiently. He had known her for so long, but suddenly he felt as if he were meeting her for the first time. She just looked at him. He could feel his gut drop from under him.

She took a breath. "There's something I need to tell you, Cliff."

He tuned into her serious tone. He suddenly felt bad about the whole situation. He braced himself. "Whatever you need, Mirage. You know I'll listen."

"I left Klaus because I wasn't happy. I'm looking for that one thing to fill my life. To make life worth all the pain."

Cliff lowered his gaze to his hands. He didn't like the thought of her not being happy. "Mirage…Is there anything I can do? I mean, just name it."

"It might not be that simple, Cliff."

"Well, at least tell me why you came to see me. How do I fit in all this?"

Mirage remained silent. She was trying to form her words just right.

"What is it you are looking for? What will it take to make you happy?"

Mirage closed her eyes. "You."

She heard something hit the floor. She opened her eyes to see Cliff lying on the floor rubbing his head.

Mirage stood and went for the door. She really couldn't believe what she had just done. His reaction was nothing like she had imagined in the hundred scenarios she had played through in her head.

As she reached the door, she heard him tell her to stop. She couldn't. She needed to get out. She needed to breathe. She ran out of the room.

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Nel opened her eyes. Her head pounded as she rested on the cold metal floor. Shaking all over, she lifted herself up. As she sat, she resisted the urge to vomit.

She sat still for a while, letting her headache ease. When she was sure she could stand, she tested her legs. She stood, lost her balance and landed back on the floor.

"Oh by the grace of Apris, when I get out I'll…KILL YOU ALL!"

"Hold your tongue wench!" the guard outside her door yelled. His booming voice made her head pound again.

Nel leaned on the wall as she stood. She rested her head in her hand, but brought it down when she noticed a metal rind around her wrist. She studied the foreign object, but couldn't find any way to remove it. It didn't take long for her to notice the second ring on her other wrist.

She moved to the barred window and peered out. The two guards were leaning on opposite sides of the hall in front of her.

"I demand some answers!"

"Best to save your strength, Zelpher."

Nel froze at the familiar voice. "Albel? Is that you?"

"Humph," was her only response.

"Where are you?"

"Try the cell next door." He talked through the bars as he leaned his back against the door.

"That's enough you two." The guards left their post and neared the cell doors. "Stop your yappin' both of you."

Nel was really ready to give the two a piece of her mind. She focused her energy, preparing to fire another round of ice needles. She felt the energy flow through her body but abruptly stop. No matter how she focused, the energy was never able to complete its cycle.

She looked at the metal bands on her wrist. She knew that they were to blame. She tried again to find a way to remove the items.

"Jonnas! Gregory!" A voice called from behind the guards. "Open cell 3."

Nel looked up. A new guard approached. He was carrying Peppita, unconscious, in his arms. Nel watched in silence as the man moved out of her sight.

The sounds indicated that Peppita had been placed in the cell beside Nel.

The three men formed a group at the hall.

"So, we got another one."

"Nope, got two more."

"Where's the other one?"

"She was one of the three. She's being kept in the research wing." The three smirked and exchanged nods.

A device on the new guard's belt issued a soft beep. He opened the device and studied the screen. "Make that three more. This one's also another one of our special guest."

Without a word, the guard turned and left the area. Nel left her spot at the door and sat on the bed. She continued to inspect the metal bands.

She didn't know what was going on. She was locked up. Albel and Peppita were locked up…and there were two more. Her instinct was to find a way out quickly. She was in trouble, and so were her friends. And Albel…She shook her head. He was locked up too. Why did she feel unsafe with the fact that he had been captured? He had always been stronger then anyone she knew. If he was in trouble, then things looked grim.

Things were getting worst and she had to find a way out.

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"Hey, Fayt? Can I ask you somethin'?" Sashia sat on her bed in the dark room.

"Um, sure."

"Why are you still on this planet? Out of all the places to go, why stay somewhere that doesn't have the technology your use to?"

Fayt had just lied down. He sat up and looked in her direction. "It's kinda hard to explain. Technology hasn't really been a good friend of mine. It turned my whole life upside down and I just need a break from it." He scratched his head. He really didn't know how to put his feelings into words.

"Yeah," Sashia replied in a soft tone. "I guess I can understand that. It's no secret about what was done to ya. I just figured you would go back and visit Earth. The damaged has been totally reconstructed…so…oh, never mind. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I keep up with what's going on there. I still have some family and friends on Earth."

Fayt closed his eyes and remembered the last time he had seen his mother. She didn't protest when he told her he wanted to go back to Elicoor. Two and a half years ago he had decided to leave that life behind. His mother was saddened but she understood. So had Sophia.

He missed them but there just was no way for him to go back.

"Thanks Fayt. I guess we should get some sleep now. Night."

"Yeah. Good night." Fayt lay back down. He was almost asleep when he was overcome with an uneasy feeling. He recalled his goodbye from two and a half years ago. He couldn't help but to wonder how his mother and Sophia were doing. It had been eight months since he had last talked to either of them.

Something didn't feel right. Today had been full of surprises. First Mirage shows up out of nowhere and then he finds out Nel is missing. He was sure all his tension was simply from the 'excitement'.

He rolled over and finally found sleep.

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That sound. What is that sound? Why can't I move? What happened? I was…what was I doing? I was talking to someone. Who was I talking to? P…Peppita? Where's Peppita?

Sophia flung her eyes open. For a while all she could do was stare at the ceiling. Her head was fuzzy and her thoughts confused. She tried her best to remember what had happened.

She blinked a few times, trying to coax her memory. Then it rushed back to her all at once. The café and the encounter rammed, full force, into her head.

She gasped for air and sat up. Looking around she noticed she was in a cage. Four barred walls surrounded her. Beyond her cage was a larger room, half occupied by machines and computers.

She tried to focus on one thing at a time. The machines that filled the room were foreign to her. She studied them briefly. Turning to look around, she noticed two more cages like the one she was in. Both were bare, like hers.

She suddenly became aware of the hard cold floor under her. She had been abducted and placed in a barren cage. But by who? Fear overcame her. She pushed it away. Her first priority would be to learn what she could and find a way out.

She did her best to push the memories of the Vendeeni attack from three years ago away. She had been a prisoner then, and this felt oddly similar. Of course, they had never drugged her. They had been ruthless and unforgiving.

She checked herself for injuries. She was unharmed, and untouched…except for the restraining bands on her wrist. She immediately noticed the bands. They were a fairly new invention, designed for criminals. They were designed to prevent the use of symbology.

So, her captor didn't want her to use her symbology. Over the past three years, she had kept herself well trained in the art. She had also taken classes in self defense and kick boxing. She lived alone and did what she had to do to feel safe. Still, all her training never taught her how to defend herself against a gun.

She stood up, still shaky from being drugged. She held on to the bars, trying not to fall. Leaning her head on the bars, she heard a door open. She looked up.

On the other side of the room, the door slid open and two figures appeared. One was a man, dressed in the uniform of those who had abducted her. The other was…familiar…her face…

"Maria?"

The woman looked up, immediately locating Sophia. She had her wrist bound and was being pushed by the man beside her. She staggered slightly as she walked. Obviously, she had been drugged also…only not with something strong enough to knock her out.

She was led into the cage beside Sophia. The man pushed her in brutally and locked the door behind her. He glanced at Sophia before returning to the door. He didn't leave the room, but instead took up watch at the exit.

Sophia moved to the side of her cell. There was a small gap between her cage and Maria's.

"Maria, are you alright?"

Maria had landed on her hands and knees. She rubbed her head and looked in Sophia's direction. Instead of trying to stand, she slowly moved to the bars closer to Sophia.

Sophia got on her knees.

Maria looked up. "Sophia? So, he got you too."

Sophia shook her head. "He? Who? Maria, what is going on?"

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Mirage ran blindly out of the inn. She ran, with no concern for direction. Before she knew where she was, she found herself standing on the bank of one of the streams that cut through Sanmite Steppes.

She didn't know what she was doing. She had known Cliff for so long. She was sure his reaction would have been different. Either he would have immediately boasted his acceptance, or kindly stuttered his rejection. She didn't know what to make of the reaction she had received.

She sat on the bank, pulling her knees to her chest. She was thirty years old, but suddenly felt like a teenager again. She had always been able to deal with situations. She never ran away. Why was this so hard for her? Why couldn't she face what had just happened?

The night was warm, but the breeze chilled her. She shivered. The breeze wasn't cold, but she shook anyway. A single tear fell down her face. She rested her forehead on her knees, allowing her hair to cover her face.

A soft rustle broke the silence. "There you are."

Cliff made his way to her side and sat down. She couldn't move. She remained motionless as she listened to him.

Cliff sat there for a while and studied her. He only remembered one other time when she had revealed her vulnerability.

-Flashback-

Cliff pushed his way through the crowd. He had to find her. He searched the people but never bothered to ask anyone if they knew where she was. He had eventually found her sitting in the rose garden beside the funeral home.

He found the fifteen year old sitting alone on the bench. She sat still and didn't respond to him when he sat down. He could only imagine the pain she was going through.

Cliff had never really known his mother. She had taken by illness when he was only three. Since that time, he had come to see Mrs. Koas as the mother he never had. Her death had hurt him, but not as much as it had hurt her.

He put his arm around her shoulder. "Mirage, I…" He didn't know what to say to her.

She fell into his arms and cried. She had always been tough. Tougher then anybody he had known…anybody except her father. He was strong and kind. She clearly had her father's strength.

He held her as she cried. He had never seen this side of her and it pierced him. He let her lean on him and swore to himself that she would always have him there for support. Always.

-End Flashback-

Without words, he put his arm around her. He felt her grow slightly tense. He almost pulled away, unsure if he had done the right thing.

His took his other hand and gently found her face which was buried under her hair. He lifted her face slightly and bushed her hair away. Her eyes were closed and she was crying.

This was only the second time he had seen her cry. Guilt overcame him. He had caused this. He hadn't meant too. She had taken him by surprise and he never should have been sitting that close to the edge of the bed to begin with.

He reached around her and pulled her close. She remained curled up, her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her. She cried silently as he held her.

"Sorry," she said, her voice came out as a whisper.

He squeezed her lightly. "No, I'm sorry. It's not every day a girl flies through space just to see me." He tried his best to keep his tone light. That was Cliff…always light hearted.

He pulled his arm from around her and found her chin. He lifted her gaze to meet his own. She looked at him, her eyes searching his.

"I never should have left you. I'm sorry…so sorry." He kept his tone to a whisper.

"It was understandable."

He shook his head slightly. "No, it wasn't. I never stop thinking about you. We are a team and I feel like I just walked out on you."

"Cliff…"

He didn't let her finish. He leaned in and kissed her. She tensed again and he pulled back. How can I be such an idiot! He thought to himself. He never should have done that. Now, he would be lucky if she ever spoke to him again.

He was wrong.

She reached up and pulled him back to her, returning his kiss.

End Chapter 3

Blue Afterthoughts:

Man, these chapters are longer then my last fic. Hope everyone liked the end to this chapter! I know I did XD

How about making Albel the cool collective one and Nel the ready to kick some #$$ one? Albel's had some time to think, where Nel just got there. I think I would be ticked off if someone threw me in a room, locked the doors, and gassed me!