AN: Retcon the rain. Houston rainy seasons are March, April, May and June. Since the timeline is going to get real messy if I move it few months more, so I just took the rain out.

Chapter Five: Date Nights

Halloween 2009

"Chess is stupid," his daughter complained while they pass the time, the food baking in the oven.

"Chess for the smart, and you're smart, right?" he replied while he pretended to look thoughtfully at the board. Though he understood the rules and knew how to work within them to win, but he had to agree with his daughter. Chess was stupid, simply because of the rules.

"Can't we play other games?" Elise continued, ignoring his question entirely. "Can I play with Hank?"

He sat up and turned toward the direction of his son's door, "Hank!" he called out.

"Yeah!" his boy yelled back, muffled behind the wooden white door.

"Elise wants to play!"

"I'm on the computer!"

"Get off the computer and play with your sister!" Patrick yelled back.

"Fine!" groaned the boy as his little girl scooted out of her chair cheerfully before she ran into the corridor.

Gordon shook his head softly and stood up from his place at the dining table. Sasquatch immediately looked up from the floor, panting and tongue rolling.

"It's Halloween, we can't go out tonight," he answered her sudden enthusiasm.

She gave a sad whine before laying back on her belly.

"Sorry, girl," he murmured to his dog. "Too many out there," he said, glanced at his window. The evening sun sinking behind the silhouettes of suburban houses, and he could see children out in the streets, ready for the night of trick or treating.

Pariah once was curious about this holiday.

The only holiday he had in the lab was that one-time Christmas deal, a certain Russian scientist just all of a sudden dropped a small box in his hand after their last mental exercise session.

"Knock yourself out, kid."

That was completely random and instantly set his mind suspicious. Was it another mental test or something?

Regardless, he opened it and learned that he didn't like candy canes, and they were overrated crap. He rather have his Hersheys.

As Philip Greene, he learned to dislike it as it meant strangers and kids alike would be knocking on his door and asking for candies, giving nothing back. If it was Christmas, singing carols or wishing Merry Christmas while subtly hinting at fundraiser schemes and donations. He preferred spending his time listening to blues and jazz in his solitude on the couch and have his thoughts cleared.

There was a sound of many clicks, like locks being turned. Gordon's head turned sharply at the general direction of his front door then grimaced. He already heard him miles away from how whispers amped up in his head. It was quite a surprise though since before arriving on his street, he would have changed course by then.

"Dad, there's this weird guy who looks like he wants to bust your knees!" Hank's voice called.

Of course, Patrick rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Make yourself at home," Gordon drawled when he walked in without further ado. He looked at him, brows wrinkled together before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "What exactly are you dressed up as? As far as I can tell you're wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase."

"I'm an IR-S agent," Alex replied stiffly as he paced around his living room. "It was the scariest thing I could think of." He shrugged, not entirely facing his direction.

"Now you're just making fun of me."

"What makes you think that?" The way he said it made him think he was just egging him.

"Your attempts at humor for one. And... this." The older man crinkled his nose at his choice of costume. For once, his brother in a business-office attire. "How did you get in?" Gordon demanded.

"Using the same trick that you used to make those black keys of your apartment," Alex replied drily.

"Maybe he's a hitman, List." He heard the small voice of his boy whispering around the corner. Gordon frowned at that.

"Is dad in trouble?" Elise whispered back.

Gordon shot a look at his brother. "Thank you, you know, for making my children think I owe money to shady type of people," he snapped at the listless Alex.

Alex just ignored that, not caring what his children thought of him. His nostrils flared, remembering the reason why he never visited this place. In a lion's den. The tendrils in him tightening and bristling, the subtle scent scraping against his skin, how the usual voices in his head just go so… silent, alarmingly silent every time he was nearby. Just him and his thoughts, and no other to rebut against the vicious voice of his own. Wasn't helping his mood at all, just added to it instead.

"I'm going," Alex snapped and immediately walked out of his house.

Patrick Gordon just gaped at his behavior then went after him. "You waltz in here, then you waltz out. Just no explanation!" He looked demandingly at his soured - well, more soured mood than the usual brother.

They passed by his children in corridor staring at the adults curiously when they stepped down the stairs and went out into his yard. Again, his younger brother paced around in that businessman attire.

"Dana's dating." The way he said it was snappish and vicious as if the word dating itself was a crime.

"Oh."

"Dad! Are you in trouble?" his boy interrupted, yelling from back in the house.

"Hank!" Gordon turned around and shouted. "Get back inside and play with your sister!"

"Do you want us to call the police?"

"Hank!"

"Dad, who is that man?" Elise joined.

The older man just took off his glass in answer and covered his face, massaging it. He gave an accusing look at Alex. "One single step into my home, and that's all it just needs! Dad, do you owe money? Dad, who's that shady guy you're hanging out with. Next, it's going to be: Dad, are you gonna die!" Gordon snarled at him.

Not even the businessman attire could change the mind of people once they looked at Alex's face.

The younger Blacklight couldn't care less. He couldn't even smile at the fact his presence had upset Gordon's household, well mostly Gordon. Still, the fact that his children immediately assumed the worst out of him did not bother him.

And all because Dana was dating. It was in his mind, like a buzzing fly that just kept whirling around his head no matter how much he waved it away, making him angrier than it was healthy.

"Why are you here, actually what do you want?" Gordon snapped.

"Heard the term three's a crowd?" growled Alex.

"Oh, she kicked you out? I could understand that since the mere look of that face would make everyone assume you're out to kill anyone in front of you!"

That was an exaggeration, the only person he now wanted to kill more than ever was Dana's boyfriend. The guy stank - well, smelled wrong. He felt wrong, struck him wrong, and all senses of wrong in Alex's douchebag radar.

"Cause it takes a douchebag to recognize another douchebag, right?" Dana had replied laconically when he voiced his thought about the useless meat sack she was interested in.

Real damn interested in, she actually introduced the guy she's been dating for more than two weeks to him - had to by the time since he was incidentally there and because she planned to invite him to the apartment. Most of the times she would have found fault in her dates before she does that, but this time was different.

His adamant repeated behavior when it came to what she did in her social life - particularly when it came to men and sometimes girls that grated on his nerves, resulted them having yelling match and him kicked out of the apartment before she finished prepping for her date - party, Alex! - tonight, and in other times when she was about to have a hangout at their apartment.

Friends, boyfriends and whatever shit… Alex had learned to grit his teeth through this typical social aspect. But when Dana starts to get a little too serious in her interest of another and only one, that was when Alex started to tick the invisible list of asses and jackasses to watch.

They couldn't afford being close and making mistakes when it comes to trust. Not that Dana would tell, of course. It was just he didn't want her to end up disappointed when they couldn't meet her expectations – high expectations since her future was a troubled one. She needed someone who would go through mountains and lava just for her, someone who would remain constant and stable just for her even when everything burst in the face - well that was Alex's opinion.

Wasn't sure about Dana's, but she was too easy-going with people. Perhaps it was why she was friendlier and made people relaxed around her.

This guy was the last guy he would think to meet those expectations.

Fuck him.

"You're not even listening, are you?" Pariah sighed at his glaring. "Zeus, don't you trust her?"

Alex scowled. Yeah, yeah, he trusted her. He just didn't like the guy.

"Think, Zeus. Think what it would do to her if you even so much as try to sabotage her relationship," Pariah began his lecture mode, fist on hips.

Oh here they go again, Alex rolled his eyes and just glared at Gordon's tree. The guy sure maintained his garden like a controlling maniac, he snorted. And yes, he knew what it would do to Dana. It would hurt her and crack that trust they had built, waste all those efforts, those silly activities Dana did to connect and understand him.

"You need a hobby, and a job. In fact, you're dressed for an interview tonight."

But… an idea crossed his mind.

"Dana stole your credit card," Alex blurted.

A wrinkle deepened between those brows. He then heard Pariah exhaled and rummaged through his pocket, pulling out the expensive leather wallet and flipping it open.

"My card is just fine." He showed the card nestled amongst the many others with a dry look on his face.

"That's because she put it back there in your last check on her," deadpanned Alex.

Gordon stared at him hard, reading his expression then narrowed his green eyes. "Mother... Fu - Murray Abraham," he corrected quickly in a hiss between his teeth, tone strangely quiet. "Those hundred dollars' debt." Pariah exhaled in realization, recalling the strange recent numbers that almost blended so seamlessly to his own.

"She hacked my cred?"

"Yeah."

"This is what I get for having a hacker as an acquaintance?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, it's on."

"What are you planning?"

Pariah just smiled sinisterly and answered, "It will make her new boyfriend suffer."

"I'm in."

"Hey, Cara," a warm breath tickle her left ear as a close presence leaned.

"Ben, I'm cleaning here," Dana replied calmly as she picked up the beer bottles off the coffee table.

"I'm helping." The man smiled and lifted the plastic bag filled with used white polystyrene cups. "Your brother isn't here," he pointed out.

"I noticed," Dana said drily.

"And everyone has left," he added, hand wrapped around her waist. "They had a great time."

Dana just rolled her eyes and smiled. "Not here," she answered quietly.

"What harm would it do?" he replied, tone quiet when he placed the bag onto the coffee table.

"My brother could walk in on us."

And they would be in shit trouble. Alex did not take kindly to strangers in their apartment. He would be livid and he wasn't the easiest roommate to deal with. That could be blamed on his personality. His benefits were that he left no mess, helped out with the chores, in fact, did most of the chores and groceries - well tries to.

But his territorial attitude, the huge personal zone - space was too small when it came to Alex - was not helping the awkward mood he always set when he was around. If not, the scrutiny he always applied onto his guests like a paranoid cop in a room full of criminals.

She noted this trait of his, and one of the most obvious signs of this was his prowling habit. He would walk around their apartment, check each room, the bathroom so casually once people left, even lying on the couch. Unaware that he was retracing the steps of her guest, reclaiming whatever scent they left with his. He became more active around the apartment every time there were people around. And he did this pattern of his unconsciously.

Reminded her of a male cat.

"Tell him to crash someone's place then," said her boyfriend.

Dana snorted. The only person who would willingly take Alex in was the only one there and would be the last guy in her brother's list. And usually, they get along like, well, like squawking seagulls screaming at each other with puffed chests and sneering scowls.

"Cara, I know you're shy, but c'mon." Ben looked at her, with a raised eyebrow, a warm smile still on his face. "I'm starting to think you're secretly a nun, a sexy nun."

"Oh fuck off, Ben." Dana laughed softly, pushing past him with glass bottles in her hand. "You're drunk. And I'm not a nun, I'm a mummy," she added.

"So." He shrugged, following after her into the open kitchen area with rubbish in his hand. "You could be an Egyptian Priestess, wife of one the gods. Same thing. I read somewhere they practice celibacy as well, and I'm sure they got mummified too."

Dana placed the beer bottles into the cardboard box, her shoulder slumped. "Do I seem stingy to you?"

Ben placed the rubbish beside the cardboard box and took her in his arms. "No, I think it's cute," he added with a soft smile. "I mean I'm all open if you have issues or something."

She smiled weakly. "I'm not avoiding on purpose," she protested quietly despite their current closeness. "But…"

The virus. Transmitted. Latent. Asymptomatic. Contagious. Infectious.

"But," Ben continued supportively.

Dana looked up and smiled at him. "You're a sweet guy, Mister Zombie."

"I can be a lousy guy, Cara," Ben replied honestly with a dry look on his face. "I just try to understand other people. That way when I fucked up, they'll try to understand why I did before absolutely gutting me of my intestine." He grinned.

But will you, though?

Dana opened her mouth then frowned when she saw a six-year-old boy in white on her couch with bottle in his hand.

"How did he get in here?" she murmured and immediately went over to the child.

Ben turned at her sudden change and noted the boy. "Hey, who's the kiddo?" he asked cheerfully.

"I -" Dana began.

"I'm her son!" the six-year-old cheered, taking her hand into his small one while still holding his glass bottle.

...don't know. Dana gaped at the happy boy.

"You have a son?" asked Ben, his easygoing tone sounded shaky as he came by over her side.

"Dad's a screw-up, are you a screw-up?" the boy went cheerily on as he turned his green doe-eyes on him.

Ben stepped back at the comment, blinking rapidly at the words the boy spoke.

"Is that beer in his hand!" He pointed at the bottle at the boy's side.

"What! No!" Dana broke from her reverie and snatched the bottle from the boy's hand. "It was soda," she sputtered while slightly steaming at the implication of being a bad mother as well wanting to shut the kid up for his mouth. Also who the fuck was this kid?!

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Ben asked accusingly.

"He's not my son!" Dana protested then wanted to swear violently for painting herself as a really bad mother, and would not help her case if she did.

Ben just stared at her with that… look, Dana wanted to scream at the moment. "Look," she began.

"Are you gonna be my new dad!"

Dana quickly covered the boy's mouth with her hand and gave a shaky smile at her boyfriend.

"Reboot in three," the boy countdown in her mouth before she could explain. "Two, one," and he touched Ben's hand with that grin still on his innocent face.

And the world froze, well only Ben froze. His accusing expression went still, brown eyes gazed off into space and then he buckled. Dana immediately grabbed him before he could collapse where he was.

"What the hell did you do?!" Dana screamed at the boy.

"Don't hack into my cred, Bee, or I'll make your life hell," said the boy grimly and he went up and snatched the beer bottle from her smugly. "Also he's gonna wake up with a hangover. And he won't remember me," the boy added frankly before walking off to the front door.

"Patrick?" She gaped with the still unconscious Ben leaning onto her.

"One and only." The boy turned, green eyes wrinkled in his grinning before leaving the apartment with a slam.

Ben got up with a groan, and he quickly covered his head with a pillow as he heard the thunderous vibration of a neighbor's Halloween party running way past bedtime. A deep crashing vibrated through the walls, he winced as he laid still.

Right, Halloween night. Party. Where am I?

He turned then frowned when his dizzying eyesight was met with the back of pixie platinum blonde hair. The woman beside him slept peacefully, fully clothed with a grey singlet.

Shit, what the hell happened last night. He was sorely pissed with himself that he didn't remember and stifled a groan as the gorilla in his head pounded against the inside of his skull, continued wrecking shit up against the wall of his skull. His stomach kicked him, hard enough for him to dropped from the bed. He noted that he wasn't in his usual room, in her apartment and made him quickly rushed to where the bathroom was; across the living room, right in front of the bedroom door actually.

After hurling his guts out, he zombied his way out to the living room, got a glass from the kitchen and glugged cold water before resting the cold glass against his head.

Dark and gloomy, a distant siren of a cop's car grew louder. The bright blue and red light flashed past the block, briefly shifting the apartment's eerie shadows. Ben just shook his head but shuddered, his muscles tight and screaming, the urge to just lay in the bed and cover his head strong and that feeling again. Jesus, he breathed quickly before opening his eyes. He blinked then noted two silhouettes seating on the counter in front of him, and the eyes as well.

Creepy green and menacing icy blue.

Both boys were grinning at him. "We're twins," they said simultaneously,

"Cara!" Ben yelled immediately. "Your apartment is haunted!"

There were many yelling among the Mercers with loud phone calls to Gordon that swung with, 'It's better using the money that should've belonged to grieving family!' to 'Less moral than hustling people off money? That's mighty rich, Bee!' 'You told this megalomaniac here, Alex!', then somersaulted off the building with, 'The guy is a fucking asshole!' 'I look into his mind, and he isn't the understanding type that you say he is, Bee.' 'Stay out of my fucking life! And no, Alex, I noticed how you try to threaten him! I don't know what you did but he won't step into the apartment!' 'You haven't heard the things he said behind your back, Dana!' 'Were you stalking him?!'

Chaos. Absolute total chaos. And like any human, Dana distanced herself quickly from the source.

Mandy just laughed at such news. "You are horrible, Philip," she said over the phone. "You better go apologize to her for that."

"I tried," he confessed lamely as he laid on the couch late at night, phone in hand and with the occasional distant neighborhood dogs of urban Houston breaking the silence.

"And what about your brother?"

"Camping the apartment's rooftop like a homeless hobo."

"Why don't you invite him then?"

Patrick laughed at this. "He hates my guts more than the feeling of rain on him after the incident. And trust me, Lin, I never have seen a hatred for water that strong. I think he has a serious case of hydrophobia."

"Then explain his sudden taciturn to be agreeable with you."

"We're a bad influence on each other?" Pariah said weakly. "He didn't actually ask me to do it, but I paid back, of course. I mean I egged him on with the idea of freaking out the guy, and it was Halloween after all."

"Philip," Mandy chided disapprovingly.

"I'm kind of wandering here, Lin. This is normal for a family, right?" he asked.

"The Halloween incident?"

"Yes."

"Families are known to be meddlesome," Mandy murmured.

He frowned at that, wasn't sure what to feel if this was good or not. On the other hand, he was far too meddlesome, deeply tangled in their current state of their life. It was best to step back.

Besides, he seriously doubted he was truly family for them.

"Oh by the way, how long has she been… y'know, ignoring you?"

"The avoiding period? About a week now."

"I think you're going to try harder apologizing, Philip. Not on phone, but face to face. This incident might turn into a thorn."

Pariah pondered at that. "Sure," he added, voice monotone.

January

The phone rang, and his eyes snapped open. He ignored it, but it persistently went on. The beep came and there was a snap.

"Gordon!" a panicking voice squawked. "Pick up the damn fucking phone, now!"

Pariah just laid still on the bed, his daughter stirred beside him as Hank snored behind him. Sasquatch whined from beneath his bed.

"Patrick, please! Alex is planning to dump the body, or worst, eat him!"

The sound of a small pattering of footsteps climbed up, and the phone was picked up.

"What, Queen Bee?" a voice snapped before the being glanced at family dozing in the opened bedroom, where Patrick Gordon slept with his children. "It's damn late in the night."

"You said you would help if an emergency came up."

"What's the emergency? You accidentally made an eldritch abomination?"

"No, but I broke someone's spine."

"...how?"

"We were kissing, he was- "

"Less descriptive and more to the point, Bee," he cut in.

"Things got hot, alright! And I was… well, I was hugging him… with legs… then ribs were crack."

"How did the spine break?"

"My arms were around his neck-"

"Okay, that's all I need to know," he quickly cut in.

"Also, he's bleeding a lot."

"Bee… what the darn hell were you doing?"

"... I bit too hard."

"Did a chunk came out?"

"No… but it might have."

"You stay there, keep the wounds close. Do not move him. Call the hospital. I'll use the virus inside him to slow down the bleeding."

"He's good as dead, Dana," Alex murmured at the body of her crime on the couch.

"No, no he's not!" Dana snapped. "And don't you dare move him or even so much as poke him, Alex!"

"The sofa is ruined."

"A guy is dying right in front of you, and what do you say, ruined sofa!" she snapped at her brother.

"Dana, that's a broken neck and cracked ribs. Plus, he doesn't look like he survived turning into a vampire," he pointed the heavy soak cloth pressed to the neck.

"Fuck!" Dana shouted. "Just fuck!" she screamed and threw the phone onto the floor, breaking the plastic. "Is going to take hours for Patrick to get here, by then he's bled to death." She breathed in and sink down onto the floor. "All because of me…" she whispered. "Just cause I… I had sex. I mean, Alex," his little sister looked up at him, her eyes started to gleam. "I'm not… I'm not going to have a normal relationship if this is the shitty things I get for trying."

Jesus, she was crying.

Dana was crying.

Alex looked at her uncomfortably then at the man laid face down on the couch. Probably hastily thrown there in her panic.

Well, at least they were fully clothed… ish. Alex looked away, trying not to imagine his sister in such a position with the man, or the stage they were in.

What made him any special anyway? He was just another useless meatbag Dana was interested. It was not like she ever got serious with any of them.

And she never brought any of them home…

But this guy…

Alex flickered his eyes onto the pale Caucasian.

"You like him?" he asked his sister, who was replacing the bloody cloth with another of her clean shirt.

"Alex… why are you asking a question like that, especially now?" his sister replied tiredly, voice strained and shaking. "We can't call the hospital because sure as hell they would be wondering what kind of human could rip out a man's throat in foreplay!"

"What really happened, Dana?"

"I lost it! It was… I…" she struggled, her face flushed with an uncomfortable look, her eyes briefly glancing at him with that face she made.

Siblings don't share this stuff… especially siblings who were distant, not just because they weren't of the same-sex.

"Were your emotions high?"

"Well... yes," she answered quietly then looked up sharply. "You sound exactly like Patrick with those questions."

Alex grimaced. "He's bleeding a lot."

"Too much," Dana whispered at the man beneath her bloody hands. "Way too much," her voice was low and quiet as she kept pressure with the cloth. "Don't die, please, don't die," she whispered to unconscious man breathing softly.

He's going to die. That's too much blood.

Was there any way… any way at all? If he was to be saved, he was going to need surgery to get those heavy stitching, and they didn't have any of those sorts of things in the apartment. Or blood packs to replace the amount his bleeding. He needs hospital. Alex stood there, fists tightening at his side. His sister bent over, whispering desperately at the bleeding man. They were helpless, Alex stared, then his eyes glanced at landline phone.

Hospital.

They couldn't though… questions would be asked. Not unless Pariah was there to manipulate the minds. Another group of minds to wipe.

Who's to say the guy would even live even if the ambulance came? He could very much die on the way.

"There has to be a way," he said quietly.

There has to be a way…

He remembered how he pressed his fingers against Dana's neck, he remembered the clammy unresponsive hand in his. He remembered the strange rush of sensations that were… familiar and so right.

He remembered infecting.

Alex hastily retreated back from those thoughts. No… no, he shook his head. Dana barely knew the guy, he barely knew the guy.

Why save him?

He could just easily kill him, intentionally or not. He was going to die anyway. And Dana would be sad… very sad. She would think it was her fault.

Well? He would die anyway. But at least… this way, they did something. Yet nothing.

"Alex, where are you going?" Dana asked, her voice verge of panicking at the sight of him leaving.

She needs you. He didn't pause, merely climbed the window sill after he slid it open. He turned and look at his sister, tried to give her a reassuring look.

"I'm going to hijack a nearby car," Alex replied then jumped out.

When you have two police cars chasing after one that swerved in the driveway, you know your day was just going to be one of those.

"You fucking jinxed it," Dave snapped at his co-worker as they stood out in the heat, finishing their smoke break.

He only smiled back. "Bets are this is an OD high on meth," he pointed at the car when the driver stepped outside with hands on his head. Another came out from the passenger's door but with a body in her grasp, willingly to stand out into the blaring sound of sirens and shouting.

"Someone help!" he heard her scream.

It was not her plea, but the color red of heavily soaked cloth that made him ran immediately as his friend paged the idle team in the ER.

Pariah stepped out of his car and walked up to the police station.

After going through bailing process, he stood before the jail cell and raised an eyebrow. The other criminals all sat on the opposite wall and avoided making eye contact at the scowling, cross-legged man in white shirt opposite of them. He noted how the police officer had taken away his leather jacket and brown hooded sweatshirt, which he was holding them now.

At the moment, Chase had blonde platinum hair, matching his sister's dyed one. Both of them though had decided to have green eyes, ones that would match his. Officially… they were siblings, half-sibling to them - never mind an almost decade gap between their age or him being old enough to be the girl's father.

The story they would tell that their very young mom married once, had him, then became widowed and somewhere along the lines, she had his siblings with another man.

Hence different surnames… and the difference in their hair despite his being lighter than their natural hair color, and if anyone found out their blue natural eyes, then they could use the difference of their fathers to explain away the colors. But there was a certain ironic truth in all the lies, the mother figures of their life were a wreck despite how much it made his eyes twitched.

From what he was told by Dana, she did not have a happy childhood, and that was one of the many factors for Doctor Alexander Mercer becoming the man that willingly smashed a vial of lethal virus amongst hundreds of thousands.

He wondered if Bee had ever had to follow her mother when it came to bailing out her troublesome delinquent brother.

Avoiding the past was not why Dana didn't go to the police station, she was dealing things at the hospital, and that left him to do her favor. Plus, he liked to be there when it came to official system procedures. He had to make sure there were no holes and no suspicion, else it would lead to potential investigations behind their backgrounds.

Luckily, Gordon's presence was not common in the Mercer's social life. Never had the reason, nor the chance to ever tell their story and he preferred it kept that way.

The relatives of her boyfriend though were a hurdle they have to hop through, called by the hospital. Time to tell the story that he had made the girl practice… much to the family hustler raising an eyebrow at him and the crisp liar glaring at him.

Boy, it's going to be awkward.

He tossed his brother's living clothes at him and silently waited when he got up. Zeus slipped the articles on, and pulled his hood up much to Patrick rolling his eyes at such a thuggish image he was putting up… in a police station with the memory of the perpetrator behind the Outbreak last seen in still fresh in people's minds.

Not helping any cops' opinions they had on him, probably thought he was going to be a constant visitor from now on.

They both walked out of the station in silence, and to his surprise, Mercer had followed him back to the silver sedan without a word.

He even entered his car willingly without being said.

The world is ending, wow, Pariah thought silently when he settled himself into the driver's seat.

Or maybe it was just his brother behaving in front of the station's camera. The engine started, and they drove into the busy streets of Houston.

Then he noted Alex's tic. The shifting. The constant shifting. The movement of his restless leg shaking. His scowl at the low roof of his car. Added to that fact the weight of his brother was straining the right side of his car, particularly the front right wheel, Pariah just gritted his teeth together while they sat in silence in the traffic.

"How's Dana?" Voice low, still gravelly, sounded neutral.

"She's dealing with her boyfriend's family," he answered and tapped his finger against the covering of his steering wheel, waiting for the front car to move.

And that was all they said for the rest of the ride.

Actually, he was still surprised Zeus didn't fling himself out of his car, what with the small enclosure, his sister being alone with strangers, and the fact he disliked everything about him.

"I'm going out," Alex said all of a sudden as they stopped at another traffic light.

Never mind, Patrick deadpanned silently when his brother got out into the rumbling and screaming traffics, in the middle of the street and slammed the door shut after him.

They hadn't even reached the hospital yet.

Gordon walked into the designated floor where they held the unfortunate soul. He stepped out of the elevator, then wanted to backtrack back in when he heard accusation, arguments… and Bee suffering under the embarrassment of having to explain what happened.

How did he happen to break his spines and ribs?

My boy was bled to death because of a human bite mark hit a major artery in his neck, how in Sam's hill?

What were you doing at the time?

Wait, are you saying you did this?

Your own hands… legs, and teeth?

Spinal damage could lead to permanent paralysis, even death! Do you know what you have done?!

Look, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. I don't know my strength… it was an accident. A stupid… embarrassing accident. A weak awkward laugh, but it sounded like close to breaking.

Gordon walked in, he noticed Alex was sitting on a chair, lips zipped tight but glaring lasers at the other family. Like a dog that had been commanded to sit and stay silent. His hood was down, and his menacing gaze and clear disapproval radiated from his corpse-pale features.

But from the inner grumblings in the hive, Alex had many things to say, mostly scientific plausible explanations of his sister's strength and the miraculous recovery status of their son, the rest were ugly, ugly words to the old couple.

She probably had told him to stand back. This was her battle after all. He glanced at the girl, strained from the many questions that weren't helping her growing guilty conscience.

"Mister and Missus…" Gordon called out when he reached Dana's side.

"Anderson," the fair-headed couples answered. "And you are?" the husband spoke.

"Gordon," he answered curtly, raising his hand. "Patrick Gordon."

Somewhere in the far end of the hive, he felt the sense of surprise. It wasn't like him to risk his current name and associate it with them. Courteously, the man grasped his hand. Patrick then turned to the fair-headed woman, raising his hand again in respect.

She too also met his hand.

Now he hated using this method, it felt like cheating. Other people could weasel their way out of this with mere words, but this method was foolproof.

Actually, he didn't give a flying fuck. He just couldn't help feeling… disappointment on using this method. Mandy Lin would be feeling the same as well if she was here.

But what he hated more was questions, questions lead to trouble. And trouble needed to be nipped in the bud.

He turned around when the old couple's eyes glazed over in their stare.

"Gordon, what did you do?" Dana looked at him quizzically but bordering on accusation.

"What he does best." He heard Zeus drawl.

Gordon ignored the jab and merely answered, "Giving them the chill pill."

Dana immediately started to tug through her pixie-short hair… still hadn't grown more even after these months. Then her green contact lens met his gaze with that disgusted look.

"Did you talk to him?" he asked and pointed at the soft dozing man with a neck brace and bandages heavily padding the area between his shoulder and neck. Gordon was sure there were heavy stitches beneath those.

"Yeah… not the truth or anything!" she added quickly and looked down, now with that saddened expression. "He freaked out." Her voice was quiet.

"Worse, he had an episode," Alex said quietly.

"Was he infected?" Gordon asked.

"You tell us."

Gordon swiveled his eyes sharply at the jab. Zeus merely twitched the corner of his nose before glancing away, eyes landed on the patient in the bed. "No."

"When I... bit," Dana began, voice quiet. "He, well, yelled pretty loud. Pulled back roughly. Bled more because of a loose… chunk and panicked at the apartment. Alex knocked him out."

"Good, a panicking heart would only speed up the bleeding," Gordon said.

"About the episode…" Dana exhaled. "It's understandable he panicked since he saw me, after all… I'm the one who put him in this position." Her voice was so bitter.

"It's just as you warned," said Zeus but he couldn't help hearing that tiny whisper from his brother's link in the Hive.

You were right. You won.

Yeah, but he wasn't hoping for it to happen, especially in this way. Actually, far from this kind of scenario. Winning meant shit in this type of scenario.

"Bee, I'm sorry." He grimaced at the girl's face.

Dana had quickly brushed away a hot tear. "Can't be crying now, would mess with the contacts." She sniffed loudly.

Alex was already standing behind her when she turned and rested her face against his chest, arms closed in around her, rubbing her back with her heavy shuddering and breathing filling the air.

Gordon stared at his siblings before looking away at the intimacy. His eyes fell on the patient.

"By the end of the week, he won't remember your face, who you are and everything."

He waited for a response, a snap or an argument against his statement.

Only her shuddering breath was the reply.

"Hey," Dave stared at the woman who looked like she was going through her contacts on the phone and cleaning it thoroughly. She didn't look like a smoker. Considering hospitals was a no-smoking area, a place of stress for both patients and staff, it was not uncommon for the spot to be occupied by them mostly.

She looked up at him then glanced back down, a quiet, "Hey," came.

Dave didn't know what to say. It wasn't really uncommon to see the emotionally upset at the hospital. Mothers bawling, fathers breaking down, infants squealing, men and women shouting obscenity.

Though, even how staff obeyed patient's confidential, stories still fleet around. They were the worst gossipers ever, but Dave couldn't help indulging.

"Uh, if it makes you feel better, your case wasn't the worst one out there," Dave said with a shrug, cup of hot coffee in his hand.

Belittling patient's problems is a big no-no, what the fuck are you doing, asshole!

She frowned in annoyance but turned slightly to look at him.

"Your… Ben's Physician, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "Assistant Physician," the EMT corrected. "Guy sure needed blood. Are you sure you're not in the vampire club?"

Joking the fact her boyfriend bled to death, really?! He wanted to slam his head against the brick wall, just to receive a concussion to stop his babbling.

The girl stared at him for a long time, she smiled softly but shook her head.

She smiled, that's good.

"You said my case…"

"Isn't the weirdest one out there? You be surprised how much foreplay is the cause of many… awkward bones broken." Dave laughed weakly. "Foreplay is tip of the scale… really."

That sounded dirty. You should stop, that's bad. Shut your mouth.

"That kinda… sounded wrong," Dave muttered aloud.

The young woman just laughed softly through her nose. "I don't know why I'm even laughing at this."

"Uh well, your brain is just helping you out through tough times. You'd be surprised how being miserable helps people find some obscure humor in things." He shrugged.

"In short, it's normal for me to behave like this," she summarized with a soft smile on her face.

She looked way prettier smiling.

Are you flirting, oh my God...

"Yup." Dave smiled back despite his conscience nagging at him.

A silver sedan drove up and the horn beeped. She shook herself. "Thank you," she told him when she stood up. "I mean… you helped save Ben."

"Just part of the job, miss." Dave then looked at the driver seat of the car she was going to. Thankfully it was a different man than the one sped into their driveway with her… actually, that same speedster was sitting in the passenger seat and glaring at him at the moment.

Okay, time to get back to work, Dave thought quickly.

Omake: Troubles

"Alex… I kind of need your help," Dana confessed… awkwardly at her lounging brother on the new sofa.

He looked up at her, concerned with that crease between the eyebrows. "What is it?"

She told him.

Alex just stared at his sister in frozen expression.

"Alex." She waved a hand in front of his face. "Earth to Alex?" She rolled her eyes at his unresponsiveness then he immediately groaned in pain, curling up on the couch. "Oh my God, seriously, Alex! You're behaving immaturely at this," she snapped. "C'mon!" She slapped his arm.

Oh just fuck it, she huffed and snatched the landline phone.

Gordon picked up the cellphone and pressed it against his ear. "Yellow," he said as he squinted and aimed.

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh, hi Bee," he greeted brightly then rolled the bowling bowl. It spun like a spinning top, doing a perfect curve over the slippery shiny floor and hit that troubling hard-to-reach pin in the corner.

"Why aren't you in the fucking state championship, Gordon?!" his teammate snapped.

"Look, I need your help," Dana's voice cut in the bowling alley's noise of falling pins and machines whirring to set up the next score.

Gordon raised an eyebrow, he covered the mouthpiece of the phone and turned to his teammate.

"I told you, I'm photo shy," he told his teammate quietly.

He walked past his teammates and sat down, waited for the familiar cycle of his turn.

"What is it, Bee?" he asked.

"I talk to Mandy… she told me… well, you can be the kind of help I need considering you have more experience in this," Dana answered.

"Ah, what was it again?"

She told him, and Gordon immediately distanced his phone from his ears, couldn't believe he was hearing it with unwanted thoughts and images popping up in his mind without his controls.

"I'm sorry, Bee…. I can't hear you, the signals are being a bit shaky here," Gordon babbled and ended the call immediately despite her talking. He just stared in space with bared gritting teeth.

Dana exhaled heavily, resigned. She expected that of course, Mandy warned her. But seriously, was there anyone mature enough here?! She slumped in her seat.

Well… there was Mandy. Good enough, she guessed.

And the internet too, a curse and blessing of mankind's imagination.

She thought Alex would be better considering he had the minds of how many fucking New Yorkers who probably would know a thing or two first hand.

It wasn't really that traumatizing, right?

"Wei."

"Mandy Lin," the voice of her ex barked. "Did you or did you not talk about our marriage life to a certain someone that I remotely don't want her to know?!"

Mandy screwed her thought in her sleepiness then recalled, smiled and then laughed loudly into the phone. He even avoided using the S word, and that got her another peal of laughter

"Lin!" her ex-husband whined. "How could you do this to me?!"

"What would you want me to do, Philip?" Mandy giggled. "I couldn't leave her high and dry. She's suffering the same problems we had in our relationship, less problems considering we have a bit more issues."

"Why? Why do you do this?" her ex continued to whine. "To me, after all those times together!"

Mandy just snickered at her husband over exaggeration. "Oh grow up, Philip. You should be happy for her."

Without caring about his protests, she just hung up on him.

AN: Everyone is immature in this story.