Disclaimer: I do not own I am Number Four. This is the property of Pittacus Lore (James Frey and Jobie Hughes)

A/N: This is maybe a year or two after they left Paradise, Ohio. No Logan in this one. =(

Accepting

Six heard all the stories about love from Katarine. A love that's so deep it physically hurts to be apart from someone. An utterly complete feeling when they're right beside you. Being able to walk around in circles with the one you love without growing bored. Willingly drown themselves in each others' eyes for an eternity. Six has heard all the stories in a lifetime and hated every single one of them.

"You'll understand when you're older." Katarine told her when they were still on Lorien. Six was barely four at the time but she remembers the loving smile Katarine gave another man from across the crowded room. She mouthed 'I love you.' which the gentleman gladly returned by placing his hand over his heart. Six remembered her younger self scrunching her nose in disgust and turning to her grandfather who chuckled and smoothed Six's brown hair out of her face.

Those words still haunt her today. You'll understand when you're older. But when is she older? Six always wondered. Five? Eight? Ten? All those are just useless numbers marking how many years she survived. Now at seventeen, is she finally old enough to understand? Six opened her eyes, stopping that thought process, and stared at the white ceiling of the fitness center they found.

Sam, John, and Six finally settled down in a decent size town, breaking out of the small town mold that their Cepans built them into. It took a lot of convincing on Sam's part, but the two Lorics agreed, quickly growing tired of the same routine. Six pushed herself off the mats where she did her stretches and flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes. She stood up and headed towards a treadmill, needing to focus on something else beside her thoughts.

John and Sam were lifting weights a few feet away. After months of training, Sam has grown to an even six feet young man with broad shoulders and lean arms. His hair was longer than usual in desperate need of a haircut. He was lying on the bench with John acting as his spotter. John has also grown over the months. His tan face seems longer and more serious with each passing day. His blue eyes have sharpened, taking in every little detail of the places they travel too. Girls in the gym are practically tripping over themselves, trying to get a peek of his handsome face and hot body.

"Hey," Six turned as she stepped onto an empty treadmill, seeing an attractive young man appear beside her. Six gave him a sideways glance and focused on the machine, starting at a human pace to warm up. The man is good-looking with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. He wore a white wife beater, showing off his sculptured arms and chisel chest. A cocky smile graced his lips as he blatantly stared at Six's slender body. "Do you come here often?"

"Are all you pick up attempts this pathetic?" She asked back, focusing on her jog instead. The guy was unfazed by her comment. She was use to the blind passes by any man but that doesn't mean she can tolerate it any longer. The guy wasn't going to give up though, choosing the treadmill right beside her, jogging away. She wasn't in the mood to deal with guy. It's been a few days since she had a decent sparring since John was injured by a Mogadorian attack. Fighting Sam wouldn't be fair. And Bernie was just too adorable to kick around, something Six won't admit to any of the guys.

"Wow, you're quiet a runner." The man muttered in astonishment. Six barely noticed her accidentally increase in her speed. Cursing herself, she faked a trip and allowed the treadmill's speed to push her back and off the machine. The man moved to check if she was fine which she waved off. "Shit, my fault for distracting you." He apologized as he held out a hand for her to take. "Let me treat you to dinner."

"Look, I'm sick – "

"Jane?" Six turned, stopping mid-sentence as John walked up, eyes narrowing at the man beside her. He backed off, as John placed a hand on Six's shoulder. "Are you ok?" He asked, causing an unnerving flutter to explode in the pits of her stomach when John looked at her like that. Subtle touches to her arm or back, telling her he was here for her making her stomach churn with an annoying that he could only coax out of her. She nodded her head as John looked up to glare at the man. "What happen?" His voice was harsh and maybe protective but Six convince it was only her imagination.

"Hey man," he said holding his hand out as a sign of surrender. "She just tripped while on the treadmill. I was just helping her." John's eyes narrowed, knowing it was impossible for Six to 'just trip' on anything. She placed a hand on John's sweat soaked shirt, drawing his attention away from the man. 'I'm fine,' she mouthed, conveying the message with her hazel eyes and subtle smile. John nodded his head and smoothed a strand away from her face. "Ok, I'll just leave…" the man finished uncomfortably before rushing off to the other end of the gym.

"You didn't have to do that." Six said as John lead her back to where Sam was struggling to hold the weight. John easily helped his friend, reliving him. "I was fine on my own." She murmured, sitting on a bench beside the guys, crossing her long legs in an Indian style. John gave her an easy smile and traded spots with Sam, benching his body weight and keeping a conversation with the female Loric with any trouble.

"So you wanted him to bother you? I had no idea." John said sarcastically, adding an eye roll just for her. Six admired his arms as they moved up and won at an almost leisurely pace. "Six, it looked like he was bothering you. You have two handsome guys willing to do anything for you. Use us." Sam snickered at John's wording which John glared at for. The guys chat with each others, trading dirty jokes much to the displeasure of Six. Tugging her ponytail free, Six crossed her arms under her chest and looked away, noticing the glare of every woman in the vicinity were focused on her.

"Do you have to play the boyfriend bit?" She asked, making sure no one else can hear them. John sat up, finishing his set and stared at the firm beauty across from him. Did she not see how every guy excluding Sam followed her every move? Is she really that dense not to notice how men stare at her long legs and drool? Six ran her hand through her thick locks of dark hair, drawing attention to her strong chin and high cheeks. Maybe she's truly oblivious of her stunningly gorgeous looks. John reached over, gently touching her elbow, drawing her attention back to him. "John?" She asked, looking at him with big hazel eyes.

"No one in the right mind would believe the brother bit with us." John reasoned, leaning in so his lips almost touched hers. If it was possible, her eyes grew even bigger. John smirked, noticing the hitch in her usually steady breathing. He closed his eyes, feeling her soft breath against his face. "Agreed?" He asked, knowing she'll agree eventually.

"Fine." Six murmured, moving away to calm her rapidly beating heart.

It was another dream. Six knew as soon as she saw the untouched forest and flowing river of clean water through the glass window. Sighing, she turned around to see a happy scene with two elderly people in an open kitchen. The woman had slowly graying black hair with soft green eyes. She was cooking something that smelt heavenly and chuckled at something the man at the table said. The man had a newspaper in his hands but his hazel eyes were focused on the woman in the kitchen. Six frowned as she recognized those hazel eyes, ones that she stares at in the mirror every day. This was her grandparents before the attack.

"Grandpa…" a little girl of barely four wandered out of her room. She had messy dark hair that fell into her innocent face. She wore a t-shirt that completely consumes her tiny figure. Rubbing her hazel eyes, the girl walks up to her grandfather with a sleepy expression. The man instantly scooped her up in his arms, tucking the precious child safely under his chin.

"What is it, sweetie?" He asked, tapping her nose lovingly. He smiled adoringly at the little girl before looking up at his wife. Four year old Six pouted at her grandparents ignoring her and tugged her grandfather's hand; bring his attention back on her.

"Grandpa, stop looking at Grandma like that!" She exclaimed which was met with a confused expression from both her grandparents. He asked her like what. "Like she's the only thing you need in the world!" It's a bold exclamation for a four year old but still valid. Both grandparents look at each other, not sure how to handle this situation.

"Sweetie, Grandpa doesn't look at me like that." She reassured, smoothing the girl's hair down. But the four year old still had a stubborn pout in place and crossed her arms for good measure. Her grandma sighed and kissed the girl's forehead tenderly. "I promise one day a boy will look at you like that, just like how your grandpa looks at me."

"But boys are icky!" She shrieked with a childish giggle following it. Her grandfather's rough chuckle filled the room with happiness and joy. He squeezed her close and tight, wrapping her with warmth. "You promise?" she asked with heavy hazel eyes. Her grandpa leaned down, kissing both eyelids before she drifted back into dreamland.

"With all my heart little one." He answered as he lifted her up to tuck in but not without on last loving gaze to his wife. Seventeen year old Six smiled at the lost memory before closing her eyes.

Her eyes fluttered open as the memory faded. She was sprawled across the double bed in their one bedroom apartment. The clean smell of machine detergent of the sheets filled her nose, lulling her into a peaceful state. She closed her eyes letting the happy memory replay in her head. Her heart tugged, remembering her grandparents' faces so vividly. It hurts seeing the loving look they would share constantly over her.

"How am I supposed to sleep when you're taking up so much room, darling?" John's voice broke Six's relax state of mind as she sat up to look at him. He was only wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, showing off his tan chest, and leaning against the door frame with a smug smile. Staying true to their cover, John and Six were forced to share a room while Sam happily slept on the comfortable futon in the living room with Bernie as his buddy. Six rolled her eyes and shifted over, giving John more than enough space on their queen size bed. "Thank you," he replied before falling onto the other side, causing the bed to dip down and up. "What were you thinking about?" He asked, turning to address the girl lying next to him.

"You want the truth?" She asked, smelling his aftershave and soap from his shower. He rolled his blue eyes. Of course he wanted to know the truth.

"A blatant lie would be nice too if it's a good one." Six smiled and John reached forward, tucking her hair behind her ear, silently wondering if her hair was always this soft. She wore her hair down to bed. Always stole either his or Sam's shit to sleep in. Always wore shorts that the shirt easily cover, creating an illusion that she had nothing underneath. Six has no idea the amount of torture she caused him just in her sleepwear. "So are you going to tell me?" He asked again, trying to distract himself from thinking about how close they were. A short distance he can easily breach by reaching over and pulling her flush against him. God… John thought, so much for not thinking about it.

"I had a dream of my grandparents." Six murmured, pressing her cheek against the cool sheets, unaware of John's x-rated thoughts. "I was thinking about how much they love each other. How deep Loric love really is." John blinked, not sure the word love slipped from Six's lips. She turned on her back, closing her eyes. They could hear Sam's soft snores and Bernie's nails clattering on the tile floor of the kitchen. Her eyes may be closed but John knows she isn't asleep.

Lying on his back with both hands resting behind his head, John also thought about love. Henri said Loric love last forever. That's what John also thought when he looked into Sarah's blue eyes. He thought his love for her could last forever. It was so easy to imagining a life built around her. But, when was the last time he thought of Sarah without Six or Sam reminding him? Days, weeks, months ago? That pull she had over him as lessen as the distance and time grown, as he spent more time with Six. Is she the reason? John thought as he opened his eyes and gazed at her profile. With more time spent together, John's need to protect her grown. He wants to see her smile and laugh daily. He wants to drown himself in those hazel eyes forever.

"We love for a lifetime," John described the feeling he thought he had for Sarah but slowly transferring to the girl beside him. "And even more after that." Six turned, sat up and gave him a small soft smile. His heart clenched seeing such an expression on her face. "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up to touch her cheek.

"It must hurt for you to be apart from Sarah." Six whispered. John could feel the sadness underneath her eyes. He leaned in close, resting his forehead against hers. His eyes fluttered close, feeling her soft skin against his. He held her hands tight in his, weaving them together. Somehow, John needed to convey that Sarah isn't the one he love or at least not like that, not anymore. But to Six, actions speak greater than words. He reached out and lightly caressed her cheek. Her eyes fluttered closed involuntarily and John couldn't resist as he tilted forward to capture her luscious lips.

John didn't do anything at first, just allowed her to grow accustom to the feel of his lips against hers. But Six isn't one to sit passively. Her hands snaked around his neck, pulling him closer. Her fingers thread through his hair, tugging in a painful but arousing way. John lowered her until she was lying on the bed with him trapping her. His hands lightly caress her skin – arms, sides and stomach – in a tentative manner. Each minute, Six grew bolder, arching her body against his. John pulled away and buried his face in her neck, trying to hide a moan.

"What was that?" Six asked in an airily voice. John opened his eyes, face still hidden in her neck. He could taste her skin, smell her vanilla scent, and feel her body pressed against his. She was looking up at the ceiling, one hand still wrapped around John's neck and stoking his hair while the other was playing with his bare shoulders.

"What I felt for Sarah," John explained as he sat up grudgingly, already missing the way her body fit almost perfectly against his. "What I thought was Loric love, wasn't. Six…" He unraveled her arm around his neck and placed it on his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart. "Do you feel that? Do you feel how rapid it's beating? This is how you make me feel." He stared into her hazel eyes, needing her to understand. "I…"

Six placed her fingers on his lips, not needing to hear his words anymore. She could see in his blue eyes. He has the same look her grandfather had. He has that look she hated before. Ok, maybe not so much now. Instead, she pulled him down so they were again pressed against each other. "Don't talk; we have more interesting things to do." John smirked before covering her lips again, feeling complete once more.

A/N: Wow, this is probably my biggest update. It was really fun to write this moment. Hope everyone likes it. Review please! =) I'm so excited for Power of Six coming out soon! Need to grab it but I doubt it'll mess up my update patterns. At least I hope not.