A/N: Hey guys! I just LOVE Kyle XY and wish they didn't cancel it when it hit its peak but at least we can write! Now, I want to write this story but I need more ideas regarding the action portion of it... So please, please REVIEW! Please, I am begging! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful world of Kyle XY. :(

Chapter Three

Kyle's eyes opened slowly. A sharp pain went shot through his head. What happened? As he slowly remembered the recent events, he shot up from his fetal position, looking for Cassidy. It was hten that he realized he had been lying on the kitchen floor along with the Tragers, Jessi, and Amanda. He was still the only one conscious. The gas… Cassidy… he was gone.

They came for him? If Cassidy knew they were coming, why did he warn Kyle about the future? Why did he tell him that he would have to choose? Choose between what? Family and Jessi or family and Amanda? Or maybe Cassidy was simply trying to freak him out. If that's so, task accomplished.

Kyle moved around the room, checking for pulses. He thanked God that everyone seemed to be unharmed. When he got to Jessi he noticed her hair had landed in front of her eyes. He leaned down to remove it when he noticed a small scar on the back of her wrist. He could tell it was recent, but he'd have to ask her about it later.

As he grazed her face, Jessi's eyes slowly opened.

"Hi," she said with a broad smile on her face. Obviously not fully coherent.

"Hi. Are you okay?"

"Um… yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Jessi, we were knocked out by some gas. Don't you remember?" Confusion passed through Jessi's face and then recognition.

"Oh, yeah. Where's Cassidy?"

"He got away. I'm… sorry."

She sighed. "I guess it's for the best. I wouldn't want to have been responsible for your brother's death anyway."

Kyle knew she was joking but he couldn't help but respond, saying, "He's not my brother, and I wouldn't have blamed you. I could never blame you for anything."

At this Jessi looked into his eyes and saw that he meant what he said. Could that mean that he had… chosen her? Or did he mean this in a platonic, friend sort of way? She moved closer to him, sitting up and leaning on her arms. She was right in front of him. Her lips only inches away. Maybe the answer to her question could be found on those blessed lips.

And, of course, right as she was about close the distance between them, they heard a shuffling noise. Josh and Amanda had both woken up. Kyle moved away from Jessi quickly, too quickly. He moved away from her with a look of guilt on his face, a look that cut Jessi to the core. Her annoyance and anger surfaced quickly.

"Are you guys, okay? Jessi and I woke up a few minutes ago. We were probably a little more resistant to the gas but not enough to stay awake. I'm sure we could've overpowered it if we hadn't been caught by surprise."

"I don't know about Amanda, but I know that I just got some awesome sleep. Do you think he'll be back, though? Because if he is, I probably won't sleep that well ever again…"

"I don't know." Kyle carried a look of sheer hopelessness. Amanda walked over to him and slipped her hand in his, trying to show comfort that a lover shows. Kyle looked at her and then down at his feet. He mumbled something about having to tie his shoes and quickly released his hand from her grasp in order to do so even though both his shoes were obviously tied. Amanda gave him a surprised look.

She had never thought he would react that way to her touch. He had always loved holding her hand, kissing her. She looked at Jessi in annoyance only to see Jessi looking at her in what must have been the same look of annoyance.

Lori, Nicole, Foss and Stephen woke a few minutes later. Finding everyone else beginning to clean the kitchen.

"Finally, you're up! Now you lazy butts can actually pick up a broom and help!" Josh looked at them as if he had caught them sleeping through a shift instead of knocked out by an unknown gas.

"How are you guys feeling?" Kyle's eyes betrayed the worry he was trying to hide.

"Oh, you know, good." Lori's voice held her deep sarcasm.

"We're fine, Kyle. What happened?" Nicole didn't hide her fear.

"We were knocked out and Cassidy left. Other than that, nothing."

"Why did he warn us if he knew they were on their way, then?"

Josh rolled his eyes, "Come on you guys. He was just trying to freak us out. Let's just pretend this never happened. We should beat him at his own game."

Everyone stood in a moment of contemplative silence. Maybe Josh was right.

"Don't worry about it. I'll keep on eye the house. Josh is right. Just live your normal lives and if anything happens, then it happens. Kyle and Jessi have already proven themselves to be stronger than they look."

Foss looked sincere, and his words rung with his characteristic fierceness. Kyle looked at him gratefully. looked at the man that had saved his life more than once. He was like what Amanda calls a guardian angel, someone that looks over you and guides your footsteps. Kyle cuoldn't have lived this life without him.

"Thank you. Maybe Jessi and I should start training again, too. It came too close this time. If Cassidy hadn't threatened me… I don't know if I could have overpowered him if he still had the Taser."

"Sounds good. Rest for a few days and then we can start practicing. Same time, same place."

"Okay."

"I have to go then. Believe it or not, I'm still tired." And Kyle saw Foss give his first half-smile.

"Why don't you stay here, Tom? After everything you've done for us, that's the least we can do." Nicole asked.

"No,no, thank you, but I can't. I'm okay. Thanks. Good night." With that, he walked out the door.

"He was in a hurry," said Lori with eyes big.

"He's probably just going to see if he can catch them," responded Kyle with a sigh. "He's a really good guy."

"He is," replied Stephen. "Now let's finish picking up this glass and then… well, let's just see."

After the mess was picked up Amanda looked at her phone and said, "Oh my gosh! It's so late! My Mom is going to freak out! Sorry, but I have to get home, it's pumpkin hour!" ( A/N: I know, "pumpkin hour" is totally lame, but she actually says it in the show so I thought it was characteristic of her. …. And I wanted to mock her. )

"Here, I'll walk you home. Just as a precaution, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to walk alone at this time," said Kyle with genuine concern.

"Okay, thanks." And with that they left, leaving Jessi with a lethal grip on the broom. She walked quickly toward the window, unabashedly watching Kyle and Amanda as they walked slowly to her house. She even increased her hearing in order to hear their conversation. Jessi ignored the warning looks of the Tragers and simply focused on Kyle.

"So… wow." She heard Amanda say with a slight smile in Kyle's direction.

"Thank you for understanding. I was afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with me after I told you. That was probably one of the reason I avoided it for so long. I'm sorry."

At this point Amanda stopped walking and caught Kyle's arm. "There's no need for you to be sorry. And… I want you to know that I want you back, Kyle."

Jessi's stomach fell to her knees. Amanda had warned her but she had no idea it would be so soon. She thought she had just a few more days with a Kyle that could have belonged to her. She thought she had time! She turned away from the window, closing off their conversation from her ears. She ran through the kitchen, passing the bewildered Tragers with tears in her eyes and locked herself in her room. Jessi lay on her bed and quietly said good-bye to the man she could never stop loving but never loved her.

Kyle looked at Amanda in slight shock, but in truth he wasn't entirely surprised. Amanda had been acting a little more attentive tonight. And with the whole Jessi-lasagna thing he knew it was only a matter of time. His heart and stomach both gave flutters of delight as he looked into Amanda's eyes, but then he thought of Jessi. He thought of their almost-kiss that night. When he looked at her, he was always so confused .

His body reacted differently to Jessi. Instead of feeling delightful butterflies, he felt terrifying and thrilling electricity. It was mental, too. In his mind, Amanda was an angel that could guide him whereas Jessi was a lost friend that he needed in order to find his way, because they were both going to the same place but couldn't arrive without the other.

Kyle looked at Amanda's eager eyes. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"I care about you, Amanda. I love you. I always will, but I can't be with you right now. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"What do you mean because you were born in a pod? I don't care about that!"

"No, I know. I meant that it wouldn't be fair to you because even though I love you, I have… feeling s-"

"For Jessi." Tears erupted into Amanda's eyes. "Well, let me know when you decide. I love you and I just… I don't want to see you make a mistake."

"Um, okay. " There was an awkward silence and then Amanda turned and walked the last few steps to her door.

Kyle also made his way toward his house, but couldn't help but feel a kind of anger toward Amanda's words. He had never felt anger toward her before, but when she insinuated that Jessi was a mistake… he couldn't help but feel slight anger toward the girl he loved… wait, loves. Right?

When Kyle came back into the house he was greeted by warning looks from Nicole, Stephen, and Lori and then an amused look from Josh.

"What?" asked Kyle with his usual cluelessness.

"Kyle, I think you should go check on Jessi." Nicole's voice held sympathy and… caution?

Kyle gave left them with a confused glance and then preceded to Jessi's room. He could hear that her

heart beat was slightly erratic and she was gasping through tears. His jaw tightened. He hated seeing

her upset. He walked into her room and found her with her back towards the door.

"Leave. I don't want to talk."

"Jessi, are you mad that Cassidy got away?" Jessi's tear-stained face met his in confusion.

"Cassidy? This isn't about Cassidy. I don't care about him anymore… not right now anyway. I've decided

to try to ignore his existence."

Kyle sat on the edge of her bed. He put his hand on top of hers, offering comfort but Jessi pulled hers away.

"Be careful, Amanda might walk in." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm and a new burst of tears escaped her eyes. Kyle sighed.

"So it's about Amanda. Are you mad because I walked her home?"

"No. Yes." Jessi looked at the floor.

"Jessi, I'm trying to be fair. I can't be with either of you anyway, so why does it matter? Nicole won't allow us to be together and I can't jeopardize my friendship with Amanda, not now anyway."

"See? That's what I mean. You're thinking about right now whereas I'm thinking about today and all the days after. I'm thinking of my future, finally, for the first time, and mine depends on you. My future lays in your choice, and I want to know now. I want to know of it's worth hoping."

"Jessi…."

Kyle's face looked so passionate, so sympathetic, so handsome and so… so… confused that Jessi couldn't take it anymore. She sprinted out of bed and out the front door in a matter of seconds. Leaving a befuddled Kyle and gaping Tragers. She was leaving and had no intention of ever turning back.