They were left alone for hours. No water. No dinner. Just the damp ground and Wally's occasional grunts. Sleep did not come easily. Artemis was able to doze for maybe an hour or so at a time, but it was hardly restful. She was certain Wally didn't sleep at all.

"Any ideas?" he asked.

"Just the one."

"That idea never works. Also I just don't like it."

"I told you I'm not actually going to sleep with him. He just needs to think he has a chance."

"It never works." Artemis stared out the flap in their tent though she couldn't see much. The sun was beginning to set, and outside the men laughed and yelled at each other. The one who had brought them food earlier, the younger one, he hadn't returned yet. "Besides," his voice brought her back to the conversation, "how are we going to take down the whole came with just three arms?"

"I'll think of something." There was another minute of silence. "How's your arm?"

"Same. Just kinda a dull roar of pain now." He tried to sigh nonchalantly, but it only came out as a painful grunt.

"Think they're going to kill us?"

"They followed us half way cross the country, and took us to the middle of nowhere. If they wanted us dead, they would have killed us in the Jeep."

Artemis snorted. "To think, I could have died with no pants on."

"That would have been pretty nice way to go." Wally laughed for a moment, a true laugh before taking a pained breath. "Oh, humor hurts me."

"We shouldn't have been so reckless."

"Oh, that makes me feel much better about everything."

"No, that's not what I-" She was tired. So tired, and sore, and hungry, but the last thing Artemis felt was regret. Had it not been for the kidnapping, it would have been an excellent kiss. Maybe even excellent more than kisses, but that was just fantasy. "I just meant we left all our supplies on the shore. We should have checked our surroundings or at least locked the car doors."

Wally didn't say much after that. And no one brought them dinner or water. He would hold his hanger over her until his next meal, whenever that would be. Artemis willed the gods to send them someone with something to eat. Anything to eat. Even more of the lukewarm soup that had earlier. Anything to get Wally to talk to her again.

Artemis awoke sometime the next day to the feeling of hands on hers. A rush of blood went circulating through her fingers that she hadn't realized she needed. Her mouth was dry, and no words came. As she wiggled her fingers around, the figure behind her stood revealing the boy from yesterday. He gave her a bottle of water and stood.

"Breaking me out?" she asked. The water was warm, but it was clean. She missed clean water.

"Not quite. There's someone who wants a word with you."

"I see." Her brows furrowed as she walked over Wally. She gently kicked his legs before crouching back down. "Rise and shine." He didn't stir. How did he manage to sleep so well in the worst conditions? Artemis poured a small amount of water out on his head, only to realize her mistake when he jerked awake. Pain shot through his now awake features. "Oh my god, Wally, I'm so sorry! What was I thinking?"

"That's an excellent question. What were you thinking?" His voice was half groggy, half in pain.

"I was just trying to wake you up to get some water! Are you alright? Of course you're not. Are you…I don't know…functioning?" She brushed the hair out of his eyes, and his face seemed to soften. She smiled. "Would you like some water?"

"That depends on whether or not you're going to hurt me again."

The boy behind her cleared his through in an effort to hurry them along, and Artemis rolled her eyes. She tilted the water bottle for Wally to drink from, careful not to over pour. He winked and she stood up, tossing the now empty bottle back to their captor.

"Take me to your leader."

The boy lead her by the arm through the camp. Men sat about outside their tents, some eating, some cleaning weapons, one relieving himself near a bush. It was hard to tell exactly what time it was, though it had to be mid morning.

Artemis made careful notes about the camp. Most of the men had to share tents, and most of them looked at her like she was a piece of meat. She was being lead to the center-most tent, but just behind it she could make out one last smaller tent. There was no "door" or flaps to cover the front, and she could just make out a few stacks of crates and boxes. Supples.

The tent flap was lifted for her, and Artemis headed into the main tent. Sitting at a table in the very center were the man and woman from yesterday. He sat upright with his arms across his chest, and her legs her propped up on the table. The woman's eyes lit up, and Artemis watched a cat-like grin form across her face.

"You know, now that I see you two this close…it's uncanny," the woman said between sips of water. "Seriously, you had no idea?"

Artemis sat on the crate opposite the man and woman, studying their faces. Their very familiar faces. They were clearly related, though the similarities were subtle. She had his nose, and they both had moles just above their left eyebrows. It was what Artemis saw of herself in them that really surprised her.

The woman had the same shape eyes, down to the wrinkles and creases around them. Her cheeks had the same height to them, slimming her face in a delicate way. They could almost be twins were it not for the hair. Artemis's hair and eye color were the exact same as the man before her. His scowl was one she was all too familiar with. She was looking at two halves of her whole.

"Who are you?"

"Show me your arms," the man said.

"Oh come on. This is could be a really emotional moment." The woman gave Artemis a toothy grin. "I, for one, love reunions."

"Your arms. Now."

Artemis held her forearms up in front of her, though her jack sleeves remained at her wrists.

"Sleeves," he barked. Artemis pushed them up and returned her hands to the air careful to keep the backs of her hands facing them. She sighed as the man made a twirling gesture. Slowly her palms faced the two revealing the patches of dry, red skin she had been avoiding for weeks. The veins under her skin were dark near her hands, and the skin seemed more pox-like than it had been. It was honestly hard to tell, though. She never monitored it. The woman gave a low whistle, and Artemis dropped her hands.

"Bingo."

"You were born like that?" the man asked.

"That's what they say. Who are you?"

"An interested buyer."

"I'm not for sale. Who are you to me?"

"The answer's the same, girly. You're just-"

"No," Artemis interrupted him before she could stop. "We have the same face. You look just like me. Both of you."

"Technically you look like me; I was born first," the woman interjected, but neither Artemis nor the man found it amusing. "Fine. Why don't you tell her, dad?"

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Tell me what you know about the woman who birthed you."

"You mean my mother?" Artemis shrugged. "No much. Just her name, Paula, and that she was Asian. Well, I inferred that last part from…" She waved vaguely at her face before letting her hands fall back to her side. Her fingers anxiously picked at the crate she sat on.

"She was bitten while she was carrying you. Bite on the back of the leg injured some muscle. It was too much strain on the group. I left her in good hands."

"You…left her?" The room was spinning. If he left her, that could only mean…

"She was in no condition to travel."

"How…" Artemis struggled for a full breath of air. "You're telling me…" She took one last inhale. "Are we? Are you my father?"

"Sperm donor's more like it," the woman didn't look up from her fingernails.

"The needs of the many outweighed bringing a sick child into the world."

"You left her for dead," she said. Her fingers picked at a nail in the wood. "And I'm not sick. I've outlived every person who's been bitten. Because of her."

"We could sit here and talk about what a terrible person I am all damn day. Most people do. Doesn't change shit." The man spit. His anger made him seem to double in size. "But you're right. You sure as hell aint sick."

"So you're just going to take me, your daughter that you've just discovered, to be sold for science? Not that I want to get to know you. You can rot in hell for all I care. But you're seriously selling your own daughter off?"

"You're going to be saving millions."

"You're going to be making millions."

"An undetermined amount in the name of science. And my late wife."

"And you just expect me to go quietly? Hand myself over to-"

"They call themselves The Light," the woman, her sister. "They're going to start a new golden age, or so they say."

"You sound like a church. Real saints." He smirked.

"You'll come with us because its what your mother would have wanted, and because if you don't, that little ginger kid is going to have many more broken bones. Maybe a few missing."

She should have seen this coming. Of course Wally was the bargaining piece. Why else would they need both of them? Why wouldn't that be her luck? Artemis was certain they could see the wheels in her head turning. Trying to figure some way out of this. He only smirked, and she felt her shoulders droop.

"What do you want, exactly?"

"When the time comes, if you don't put up a fight, we wont have to put one up. It's all very simple. In return, he lives."

"I want him to come with me. Insurance that I don't act out." There was no telling what they would do to him once she was gone. Leave him for dead more than likely. It seemed to be his speciality. Her father considered for a moment before giving her a silent nod. "And I want his arm fixed. A splint, painkillers, everything. Or I start biting people. See how contagious I really am." It was a tall order, keeping him alive and in good health, but the man gave another approving nod. For the first time since she entered the tent, Artemis felt almost relieved.

"So much as one lick of trouble, and he's gone." this time Artemis gave a kurt nod before holding out her right hand to shake. He gave her a firm shake and firm look.

"I'd like to go back to my tent now."

"That can certainly be arranged." The same boy who fetched her earlier came in through the tent, ready to return her. Artemis stood and exited the tent. She watched him grab a small box from the corner before following her out.

Wally looked up at them as they entered the tent. "Please tell me thats a first aid kit. Or something to put me out of my misery."

"It's a first aid kit," he said. He placed the box on the ground in front of Wally.

"Wait, really?" Wally looked between Artemis and the other boy. "Then I really hope we're going home safe and sound tomorrow."

"Not a chance."

"It was worth a shot." Wally winced as his arms were released. His right arm was still swollen, worse than it had been before they were tied up. Beneath the swelling, there was a slight unnatural bend to it. His left arm tenderly rubbed his shoulder. His arm needed reset, badly. The other boy pulled a small wad of gauze and some cloth from the box, and continued to look around. "You'll need something to make a splint. And Tylenol. Or Something." Wally added. He looked up to Artemis. "I um…This is going to hurt, so could you hold my shoulders?"

"You're not serious." She looked down at him. "You really want to reset it?"

"It's not going to heal properly if I don't."

"It might only make things worse." Pointing to the boy she said, "You trust him with your arm? No offense."

"Offense taken." He closed the box, and placed all the supplies on top of it. "My name's Cameron, by the way, in case either of you care."

"We don't." Artemis's eyes never left Wally's. "You're sure about this?"

"Absolutely not. Let's do it."

She sighed. Artemis sat down behind Wally and wrapped her left arm around his chest. Her right arm looped under his shoulder to keep him in place. Her face rested beside his, chin atop shoulder. She looked at Cameron. "Don't fuck this up."

Cameron braced himself against Wally's knees and grabbed on to his wrist with both hands. Artemis felt Wally's left hand on her own. He exhaled, and Cameron pulled.

"Aargh!" There was a small popping sound and Wally yelled. Artemis held tight around his mid section as he doubled over. Cameron dropped the arm and reached for a small white bottle on the box. His arm was still swollen, but looked to have stopped bending. "Oh how does it hurt so much, but also feel better?" Cameron handed him two blue pills and a bottle of water.

Artemis took the supplies off the box and quickly wrapped the arm in a makeshift splint. She looked down at the scissors in her hand. Sharp scissors that Cameron was letting her use. Getting up, she feigned returning the objects, watching him as he handed the water to Wally once more. Quickly she hid the scissors in the back of her jeans, and prayed she didn't accidentally cut herself. One of them coughed, and she turned her attention back to them.

Cameron was already hard at work tying Wally up, this time his two hands in his front then tethered to the pole. Artemis sat back at her own stick and waited for them to finish. She squirmed around, careful not to sit directly on the scissors. They needed to be an angle where she could get access to them later that night. The handle peaked out the top of her jeans, but her shirt tail covered it just so. Cameron was none the wiser as he bound her hands.

Alternative Title: "Fun with Pronouns"

Thanks to everyone who didnt hate me when I never updated.