Disclaimer: Still don't own anything!

Note: Hi, guys. I am SO sorry for not updating in…gee, I don't even know how long. Has it been a year, yet? More? Anyways, I'm sorry for that. And I promise that I won't just leave like that again, not without finishing this thing off, one way or another! So, hopefully from here I'll be updating regularly again! Thank you for your understanding!

Rashel agreed. "Let's go. Here, I've got front and Quinn will cover back. Thea and Gillian, you guys will take the middle." She shared a brief look with Quinn before making a quick decision. "And Iona, you'll be in the very center, too. I think you'll be safer with us."

Iona nodded, her wide eyes silently agreeing with her. Rashel grabbed her silver sheath from the ground and capped it on her knife once more before heading out the door. Almost instantly a werewolf was on her—pushing her down onto the ground with razor sharp claws and pinning the hand with her knife in it. Before she could kick out at him his head snapped at her neck…only to fall limply, huge teeth an inch away from her flesh. A large silver knife stuck out from its skull. Quinn pulled it out with a quick slick before offering her a hand. She nodded at him, took a calming breath, and continued down the hallway. She turned the corner without anyone attacking her, but down the hallway she could see a large fight going on, with at least four bodies lying, bloodied, on the floor. From behind her, she heard a quick inhale and then someone lunged in front of her.

Thea screamed. "Eric!"

Quinn POV

Thea's scream pierced through the scene of the battle, louder than any of the anguished cries surrounding them. It was a scream that could only be described as pure agony.

Quinn didn't have to be told what had happened. He didn't have to see. Eric was obviously one of the bodies on the ground, and he didn't have a way to take care of that…however, he could take care of the guys that were still alive.

Rashel seemed to have the same idea, and together they overtook Thea, plunging headfirst into the battle. He shared a glance with Rashel, and nodded—back to back maneuver, spinning technique.

His first opponent was the hardest. Only a werewolf, but an experienced one. He was quick to dodge blows, and his claws were sharp. However, he had been, from the looks of things, fighting for a while, and already had numerous wounds. Quinn, on the other hand, was sharp and ready to go. It wasn't long before he had a chance to burrow his silver coated knife into the creature's heart.

He pulled it right out again with a satisfying slick!

And from there on, it was plain music. With Rashel next to him, he could do anything, and they fought through the crowd with a speed and fury that even he didn't think was possible. The last man was down before he had a chance to sweat.

For a moment, he allowed himself to grin. He turned around, and met Rashel's eyes—there was an intense glow to them, a mixture of excitement and excersize that made her even more beautiful than normal. He squeezed her hand, sharing his feelings with her. She grinned. He leaned forward…and then Thea let out a sob.

He remembered where they were, and what had just happened, and immediantly sobered up. Thea was bent over a bruised and bloodied body, her golden hair hiding the man's face.

"Eric—Eric…please. Answer me, Eric!" She sobbed, incoherently. "Please. I love you. Don't leave—please…"

Thea's head rose, and she turned toward Quinn, desperately. "Please…we have to help him. I don't know what to do. But we have to! I can't live without him. What can we do?"

Quinn frowned; he could almost feel her pain, but if her soulmate was already dead, then he didn't think there was much he could do. From beside him, Rashel grimanced as well, as did the two or three other survivors.

"Well…" a voice said, and for a moment, everyone froze.

Thea turned back, unbelieveing, toward Eric, who was pushing at the floor, trying to raise himself into a sitting position.

"If that's the way you react to me a-almost dying…I should d-do it more often."

"Eric!" Thea gasped, and tackled the boy with a hug.

Eric winced, and Thea backed up, cautiously.

"I thought you were dead." She said, plainly, her face still holding the aftermath of what had just—almost—happened. Quinn instinctively reached for Rashel's hand, just to make sure that his own soulmate was still there. He often felt nervous and jittery when he wasn't touching her, or at least looking at her, like somehow she would just dissapear, and he would have no way to find her—just like the first time they had met. But she squeezed his hand back, and he could feel the silver cord connecting them, and everything was alright. He relaxed.

"So did I." Eric was saying. "A shapeshifter clawed me up, pretty badly, and I passed out for a while there. I only just regained conciousness. It's the strangest thing. I swear I saw the light…I was almost to Heaven…but then I woke up and it turns out the Angel was on earth, right next to me."

Thea broke out into tears, smiling as she sobbed.

"I can't believe you." She accused, half heartedly. "You promised nothing would happen."

"I'm sorry." He said simply, and their reunion reminded Quinn of something else.

"We should tour the center, and then get back to Poppy," he told Rashel.

She nodded.

"Thea, will you be able to get Eric back to the other daybreak center, alone? They can take care of his wounds there." Rashel said. "Iona can come with you, as well with any of the people here who can't fight, or don't want to fight."

She turned toward the survivors.

There was two men and one woman, besides Gillian, who opted to go back with Thea, as her soulmate was still at the other Daybreak center.

One of the men and the woman both had on Circle Daybreak uniforms, and although the woman offered to stay, Quinn could tell that neither had any fighting expereince.

The second man, on the other hand, was wearing regular clothes, and although he wasn't highly muscled, he didn't seem to be incompetent, either.

"I'll stay." He offered. He looked Quinn in the eyes; they were wise, solemn eyes—eyes that seemed much older than their body's age.

"Alright." He agreed. "You're on the team."

He turned back to Thea. "When you get back to the other center, send help. We'll try to round up any of the other survivors, and we'll have them wait near the entrance, okay?"

Thea nodded. "Of course. Can you stand, Eric?"

"I can try." He replied. Quinn watched as, leaning on his soulmate, Eric stood up. His face went as pale as a sheet of paper, but by the time Thea glanced up at him, he had managed to put a smile on his face.

"Come on, guys. My car's parked out front." Thea said gently, and the group of five went hobbling off in the general direction of the front door.

"Now that that's taken care of," Rashel said, a musing quality to her voice. "Let's go. Try not to get killed, okay?" The last sentence was directed to the new guy.

"Can't make any guarantees." He laughed, but followed them—after plucking up a fallen knife—silver—from the floor.

"You're not a vampire, are you?" Quinn asked suddenly, studying him as they turned the corner.

The teen shook his head, and gave up a reluctant smile. "No. Old Soul, actually. My name's Hugh Davis. I've been working for Circle Daybreak for a few years now."

"Nice to meet you." He nodded. "Quinn. This is Rashel—my soulmate."

"You said Quinn and Rashel?" Hugh asked, squinting his eyes at them, as if he was trying to remember something in the back of his mind. "Oh! You didn't happen to be protecting someone, a month or two ago, did you?"

Rashel gave a small snort. "Actually, we've been protecting a lot of people. But any one in particular you're asking about?"

"Yeah. My friend's uncle, and—and a few friends. The Uncle was a vampire. His name was Mr. Brackken. And Claire was one of the human…friends."

Quinn shared a quick look with Rashel, whose eyebrows were raised.

"Well, nobody fits that description," she said after a moment. "Unless those human 'friends' were actually family. Don't worry—we already know Jez is a halfie. You don't have to protect her identity or anything. We're on your side, you know."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, it's a habit. There's been some…misunderstandings with her heritage, you know?"

Quinn opened his mouth to respond, but just as he did, the group rounded the corner—and stopped flat in their tracks.

Collapsed in the middle of the hallway was a brownheaded girl, sobbing wildly, and wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her sporty tee-shirt.

Quinn was silent with confusion for a moment, and then both he and Rashel spoke at the same time.

"Mary Lynn!"

So there you go!

First chapter in a LONG, LONG time!

Hope you enjoyed it!

As always, R & R!

Thank you, hopefully will update soon!