A/N: Thank you very much to the following reviewers, it really does make my day to read all your comments! Just A Thinker, blackgem99, at-a-glance, cariadiorarua, LovelyxBunchaxCoconuts, Misstress of Darkness, PotterPhan21, Mystitat, aryasaphira, Allie Phantom, lizziepercush, Andrew Laplante, DxS Phreak, ShadowPrincess-Shekailaia, Teela32 and Cassie 101. Thanks! The song for this chapter is "Friends" by the 22-20s.
Over the years Josh had become good at speed-sketching, that was, sitting down with an open sketchpad with a stick of charcoal held loosely in his hand and drawing as fast as he could. Alex never really stayed still long enough for him to do anything else, but she made the most interesting poses when she was deep in thought though. He always focused on specific details of whatever pose she was in, the twist of a hand, the softness of flesh, the look in her eyes. His sketchbook was full of drawings of her, most of which she'd been completely unaware of at the time. At the moment Alex was reading propped up on her elbows, Alex was dyslexic and had difficulty concentrating on words for any length of time, this made her fidget more than usual. She shifted again before Josh had barely started his last sketch of her.
"You're making his job really difficult you know." Aaron pointed out not looking up from his own book, Alex sat up in surprise.
"Am I?" She asked innocently getting up and walking towards Josh. He watched her bare legs, they captivated him, she didn't usually wear skirts. She lent over his shoulder and looked at the pictures of herself and smiled.
"How come you always draw me so pretty?" Alex asked smiling. This was the point at which he should be saying something like 'I only draw what I see' or 'because you're beautiful' Josh told himself. Instead he just shrugged and mumbled, Aaron rolled his eyes at him.
Alex sat down again and attempted to continue reading, Josh went back to drawing her. Alex's recent accidental change of hair colour was interesting, it had bleached her normally jet-back hair snow white, only the front of it though. Her hair was about jaw-length and it framed her face nicely. Alex was an effortlessly skinny person, she ate whatever she wanted and still stayed that way, much to Aaron's annoyance with the effort he had to go through in physical exercise for the football team. Physically though Alex wasn't that special, but it was something more than her looks that caught Josh's attention, she had this effortless grace about her, other worldly almost, she had a slightly mystical feel about her as if she had one foot in this world and another in the next; the glowing green eyes helped this impression somewhat.
Danny walked through the living room where the three teenagers sat for about the fourth time in ten minutes, he watched Alex as he went by.
"Why does he keep doing that?" Aaron asked curiously.
"No idea. I think he's afraid I'm gonna blow something up again." Alex shrugged not looking up from running her finger under the words she was trying to read.
"Mmm, and I think we're gonna leave before that happens. I've got football practice and Josh needs to be forced to socialise." Aaron sighed getting up.
"I don't WANT to go." Josh glared.
"That's why I'm forcing you. Cya Alex." Aaron grinned pulling Josh out of the Fenton's house.
"Bye guys." Alex called after them.
Danny walked back through the living room looking at Alex out of the corner of his eye.
"WHAT!" Alex demanded exasperatedly putting her book down.
"What what?" Danny asked innocently.
"What's with the looks?" Alex continued irritated.
"Nothing. Do you feel okay by the way? That explosion not had any… unusual effects?" Danny asked curiously.
"Except from perma-bleaching my hair so I can't dye it back to black? No." she sighed remembering the hours of effort with a can of hair dye that had failed.
"No nausea… unconsciousness… weird hallucinations?" Danny suggested.
"No." Alex glared at him.
"Sure?" Danny pushed.
"YES! Urgh, that's it. I'm going to grandpas." Alex growled leaving the house. Danny heard the door slam and he flopped down on the couch.
"Maybe I'm wrong." Danny sighed to himself, "maybe, maybe she's fine after all."
Not too far away a teenage boy shuffled into a dark room lit only by a few computer monitors. A silhouette blocked the light.
"I… master, you called?" the boy said worriedly.
"Yes. The girl has found out how to make the machine. It's not perfect, but it works. You're going to take it from her, but first you must take her trust." The man said in a low voice with an evil chuckle.
"Yes master."
