Nans- there will be more Sydney I promise you

CHAPTER 64

BANE

December 10, 2010

1:03pm

Carthis, Scotland

The New Centre

Alex was still asleep when John and Bane entered her room. Alex had to admit that her room was a lot better than her old Centre room. She had an actual bed opposed to a cot, a nice wooden vanity, wardrobe and a table with two chairs. The walls were even painted a pale blue, not the gray cinder block Alex was use to. Not to mention the biggest perk of all, no cameras.

"Miss Russell," John called out softly. Alex's eyes opened slowly and she gazed around her room.

"So it wasn't a bad dream then," Alex said hoarsely as she sat up. She hissed in pain having forgotten that the gunshot wounds to her stomach would make it difficult to sit up.

"Here let me help you," Bane spoke noticing Alex's pain. He quickly made his way over to the girl's bed side and gently helped her sit up, using pillows to prop her up.

"Thanks," Alex said placing a hand on Bane's arms. Bane's eyes met hers and he found himself unable to look away from the deep blue pools of Alex's eyes. It was as though the girl was peering into his soul.

"I didn't know they made sweepers as young as you," Alex said softly.

"They normally don't. Master Parker pulled me out of the sub levels and requested me as his sweeper after seeing me display my hand to hand combat abilities," Bane told her.

"You're an assassin then, but with pretender abilities. In short you are me if I had never left the Centre," Alex said breaking eye contact with Bane.

"How did you know I was a pretender Miss Russell?" Bane asked.

"Don't you know Bane, it is believed Miss Russell is an empath. Then again no one truly knows what abilities she and her...brothers and sisters, possess," John spoke.

"Hello Johnny, are you ready to continue our conversation from earlier?" Alex asked.

"I thought that the three of us would have lunch first," John said "Roger is bringing our lunch down."

"As long as I'm not forced to eat any green goop, I'll be glad to have lunch with the two of you," Alex said. Bane let out a chuckle, he remembered all to well the nutritional supplements given to him when he had been a project.

"John's a good man there won't be any nutritional supplements for us. Although Dr. Spires has demanded that you go on an all liquid diet, but who knows maybe you can get some jell-O or pudding for desert," Bane told her.

"Smuggle me some pez and I'll eat whatever you give me," Alex replied.

"Quid pro quo," John said. "Tell me about my mother and I'll get you some pez."

"Always the extortionist," Alex mumbled under her breath. If there was nothing better to prove that there was still a part of Pete left in John it was 'Quid pro quo'. Peter's -as well as Adam's- favorite phrase. Adam and Pete were the Russell family's biggest pair of con artist. Somewhere along the line someone -rumor has it Chris- made the mistake of allowing the two boy's to read and watch Silence of the Lambs. Thus resulting in quid pro quo becoming the most dreaded phrase at home.

Yet at the Centre Alex was thrilled to hear it.

"So Johnny what do you want to know about your mother?" Alex asked when she Bane and John were sitting down for lunch. John was eating a pasta salad, Bane turkey and swiss on rye, and Alex chicken soup.

"Everything," John said simply.

"Well I don't know everything about her, but I do know a lot. She was a strong brave woman, who gave up everything, including her life for her children," Alex began. She told John everything she had learned from her mother of Catherine's childhood up until she married Richard Parker. By the time she was done with that segment of Catherine's life it was time for John to attended a meeting. He bided Alex and Bane goodbye, taking their lunch trays with them.

"He's a good kid," Alex said to Bane, when John left. "Considering everything."

"I know who he is, really I mean. Old man Parker stole John, from his family, from you," Bane said quietly looking down at his hands. Alex looked over at the sweeper.

"You say you know who John really is Bane. But do you know who you are?" Alex asked. Bane looked up at Alex his expression clearly showing he did not. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen. John found out my birthday and told me," Bane answered.

"Sixteen years is a long time to go without knowing who you are," Alex remarked.

"Actually it's only been thirteen years I was taken when I was three. I don't remember my parents though. I suppose there was a time I knew them, and who I was. But that's all in the past. Besides it's not like I'll ever be able to know what they were like. They were killed when I was taken," Bane told her.

"I'm sorry," Alex said.

"Don't be, it was a long time ago. What was it like for you growing up at the Centre? Did you always know who your parents were?" Bane asked.

"I didn't find out who my parents were till I got out. As for growing up at the Centre...it had it's high points and low points. Mostly low points, but I had my brothers and sisters. As the baby of the group, everyone looked after me, and the boys were extremely protective me especially since I was hit more than the others. Raines, Lyle and Cox were the ones in charge of us," Alex continued.

"Raines and Cox?" Bane gasped. Apparently he knew all to well of their reputation.

"Yeah. I was all too happy to hear that they died," Alex admitted.

"Miss Russell, they aren't dead. They're..."

"Don't tell me that they are here," Alex interrupted. "They can't be okay. They're dead."

"No they aren't. I mean Raines is close to being dead, he's been confined to a wheelchair for the past year but, I can assure you he is alive, and still has power here," Bane told her getting up from his chair and sitting on the edge of her bed.

"They...they don't know I'm here do they?" Alex asked the panic in her voice obvious.

"No I don't think so. They probably know someone broke in but I doubt they know it was you," Bane told her in attempt to calm Alex down. "Besides you have nothing to worry about, I promised John I'd protect you."

"Surprisingly I'm reassured by that," Alex admitted. Bane smiled at her.

"I'm glad. Now I believe you were telling me about your family," Bane prompted wanting to distract Alex from the recent news of Raines and Cox being alive.

"No I was telling you about growing up in the Centre. But I guess I that entails telling you about my family. I already told you I was the youngest of the Files. Jake and Rachael are the oldest of us..."

"I've met them before. I was nine it was right before they escaped. Jake's an...interesting fellow," Bane stumbled for the correct words.

"What can I say Jake's a leader. He may come off cold, but he means well," Alex said. "He willingly gave up his childhood to protect all of us. Even now he still does it."

"He and the rest of your brothers and sisters must be very worried about you," Bane commented.

"In truth I think I'm more worried about them. My family has the habit of loading ourselves with guilt. We blame ourselves for the littlest things. Not the healthiest habit in the world, and it tends to cause ulcers." Alex said. Bane laughed. "It's not funny," Alex said smacking his arm.

"Ow, that hurt. I thought you were suppose to be weak from being shot three times. I understand you actually stopped breathing," Bane said rubbing his arm where Alex had hit him.

"Yeah well, I'm stronger than I look," Alex replied.

"I'm beginning to see that. In fact I'm beginning to wonder if you even need my protection," Bane stated.

"Well considering I'm not at my top strength right now. And with the boogie man and the grim reaper still alive, I'm going to need all the protection I can get," Alex said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Bane said with a smirk. Alex let out a yawn that didn't go unnoticed by Bane. "Looks like you need to get some more sleep."

"I don't like to sleep," Alex stated as Bane removed the pillows that were propping her up and gently help lean Alex back.

"Yeah well you need your rest if you want to heal. And if you plan on getting out of here," Bane said mumbling the last part.

"I never said that I had any intention of escaping," Alex snapped.

"You came here for your brother did you not? Besides Miss Russell, people like you were never meant to be kept in a cage."

"People in general weren't meant to be locked up Bane. Yourself included," Alex replied.

"I've done some horrible things, unforgivable things. I think that the Centre is the best place for me, considering all that I have done," Bane said looking away from Alex. Alex put her hand on his and Bane met her gaze again.

"I don't know you Bane, but I can tell that what you did for the Centre you didn't do willingly," Alex said.

"And how do you know that?" Bane asked softly.

"Because I know you have a good heart. I can see it in your eyes. They say that eyes are the window to the soul. And you most defiantly have a good soul. You must if you don't mind looking after me. The way my brothers tell it, I'm not the easiest person to get along with. Apparently I have bit of an temper," Alex said smiling.

"I believe I caught a bit of your...temper earlier when Dr. Spires was in," Bane grinned.

"What can I say, my childhood made me a bit leery of doctors," Alex replied.

"Either way Spires was right and I insist you get you rest," Bane told her.

"I need music to sleep," Alex yawned again.

"Well I don't sing and I don't have a CD player so your out of luck. Although if you behave and try to sleep I'll see what I can find," Bane promised.

"I like James Taylor," Alex said closing her eyes, her need for rest beginning to win the battle. "Bane you'll be here when I wake up right?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Bane reassured her, squeezing her hand.

"Good. Oh and Bane, my name is Alex, stop calling me Miss Russell," Alex said and drifted off to sleep.

As he watched Alex sleep his hand still wrapped around hers, Bane came to a startling conclusion. He liked her. Alex was different from anyone Bane had ever meet during his life at the Centre. She was vibrant, so full of life. There weren't people like that at the Centre. The sweepers and Centre subjects seemed nothing more than shells of the people they once were. The majority of the subjects had forgotten how to live other than to serve the Centre, and to spend every waking moment in fear. As for the sweepers most had grown numb from living the life of a Centre sweeper.

But Alex brought life to this hell hole, to Bane. Something he didn't realize he had been missing until he meet the girl. Bane made a vow to himself then and there that he would make sure Alex escaped. As Bane had said before Alex shouldn't be kept locked away. She didn't deserve to be turned into another Centre drone. She deserved to be free.

The only question was, how was Bane going to help Alex escape. She couldn't even walk due to her wounds. Hell she could barely stay awake for more than two hours at a time. Bane inwardly groaned. What was he getting himself into? That was an easy question to answer...Trouble. All for a girl he just met.

Up Next: Jeremiah goes to visit Bobby. Adam calls his father. Jamie and Jeff phone home. We learn a bit more about Bane. And just what happened to Jeremiah out on that river.

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