AN: well this has taken a while to put up but I'm sure that you're glad its here, unless….. Hmmm, I'm not sure when I'll update next but I don't think it will be too long

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Jamie Lucero was not someone a person would like to cross, in a dark alley or otherwise. His anger was feared by many, it was calculated and cold, and he utterly destroyed his opponent without the slightest hint of any mercy. He did not forgive and he will never forget.

He had been planning his revenge for months. Every detail had been perfected but he did not count on Sydney's teaching assistant.

The boy was a surprise and now was an encumbrance as well as leverage to his friends but he there was no problem that Lucero could foresee. Their escape attempt had been expected and Lucero's men were prepared for their flight.

Tomorrow his plan would be set in motion and Fox would be repaid in full.

---

"That was a total waste of time." Oscar stated as he rubbed his hands together. They were back where they started, which wasn't that bad.

Sydney didn't answer and kept vigil over Nigel. He was more or less all right. The bullet had only grazed his left temple. He was bleeding a lot but that tended to happen with facial wounds.

"Sydney," Oscar hesitated, "there's something else I need to tell you."

Sydney straightened up and listened intently to Oscar however she kept her eyes on Nigel's sleeping form. Boy, was he going to have a headache when he got up.

"Lucero might have gotten the impression that you had more to do with the death of his wife than you actually had." Oscar said.

Sydney looked up, "What?"

"Well, remember…"

Sydney had gone to Mexico for a nice relaxing two week vacation but as usual her plans went to hell. Maybe if she just went some where, where there were no other people she could finally relax. But no, she let Oscar convince her to go and visit him.

She should have known that something like this would have happened, being with Oscar often entitles getting into trouble because of the motley people he knew.

Sydney blocked another kick and jumped onto the bar table of the Costa Azul hotel.

Then again, this one was at least a little of her fault. But it was mostly Oscar's fault.

Oscar apparently owed money to Jamie Lucero since the second grade. Five pesos, which is equal to about fifty cents, used to buy candy and other assorted junk that only children would buy. However, Oscar never paid and Lucero never forgot.

Funny thing to be angry over and Oscar could just as easily pay Lucero now, but their relationship had become strained due to the fact that Oscar hadn't paid.

Then Oscar had the brains to hit on the guy's wife. She had flirted back but Lucero, of course, blamed Oscar for the exchange completely and, well, that lead to what Sydney was doing right now.

The guy Sydney was fighting was pretty good, street good but good nonetheless. Sydney jumped behind the counter as the guy threw a stool over the bar hoping to hit Sydney. Sydney found a few bottles, still full, of wine under the counter and glanced over the bar at her assailant. He was about to climb over the bar and Sydney threw the wine bottles at him.

None of the bottles hit the man, but Sydney was only using them as a distraction. As she threw the last bottle Sydney jumped back on top of the bar table and, from the bar, tackled the man to the floor.

Sydney quickly knocked him out and, ignoring the staring and stunned patrons, walked to lobby.

"Yeah, I remember that pretty well." Sydney said as her attention shifted towards Nigel once more as Nigel's face crinkled into a frown. Sydney gently caressed Nigel's brow and whispered softly until he relaxed once more.

"Ah…while you were doing that," Oscar continued, "I was…"

Oscar stood just outside the lobby door trying his best to 'woo' Lucero's girl. He knew it was a bad idea but the girl was just so damn pretty.

"Oscar!" a voice behind him yelled and Oscar turned to see Sydney angrily march out of the bar room and straight to him. She looked a little disheveled and completely pissed.

"What's wrong, Sydney?" Oscar looked shyly at her and gave her his best innocent smile. It didn't work.

"Your friend and I just had a little chat." Sydney glared, "We are leaving and you are in so much trouble."

Sydney grabbed him by his shirt sleeve and began to drag him towards the front door of the hotel. Oscar gave Lucero's girl an apologizing gaze and quickly turned to walk with Sydney.

They were half way to the door when a shout caused both of them to stop.

The guy Sydney was fighting with earlier had woken up with a nasty gash which bled freely and made a nice crimson trail on the wood floor.

The guy lunged at Sydney with a knife he had found but Sydney easily grabbed his arm and twisted, trying to get the knife.

The man held tight and broke contact with Sydney. He backed up and circled around Sydney until he blocked the front door.

Oscar was not wasting his time, what he was doing while Sydney fought for their lives was very important. He was currently soothing Lucero's girl, because it might come in handy later.

Oscar calmed her down and was walking her out of harms way when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Oscar looked over to see Lucero himself.

"Hi," Oscar smiled nonchalantly, "How are you doing today?"

Lucero's frown deepened and he gave Oscar an uppercut. Oscar sprawled to the floor and Lucero grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up. Lucero swung again and this time Oscar ducked and kicked out at the same time, kicking Lucero in the shin. Lucero staggered to the ground and Oscar took the opportunity to kick Lucero's face.

Lucero blocked Oscar's kick and flipped him to the floor. He jumped on Oscar and was about to knock his lights out when his girl yelled at him to stop. She came forward and to try and get Lucero off of Oscar but at that moment Sydney's assailant decided to, once again, lunge at Sydney, Sydney dodged him at the last moment. The assailant's momentum carried him into Lucero's girl. The knife plunged into her stomach with a sickening crunch, cutting through her lower rib cage.

Lucero forgot about Oscar and leapt up. Anger coursed through his veins as he charged into his own hired man. Lucero beat the guy senseless all the while telling himself that his girl was going to be fine and that the man had to pay.

"He thinks that you not only stepped out of the way but propelled the guy in our direction." Oscar finished.

Sydney nodded, "I suppose this is all revenge."

"Yep," Oscar said as he got under the thin blanket their captors provided and twisted around a little to get comfortable, "Get some rest, Sydney."

Sydney didn't answer, she wasn't tired and she wanted to figure a way out of this one. They weren't expected to be back in states for another three days. A lot could happen in three days and unless there was some huge emergency, no one was going to contact them. Mostly because it was spring break.

---

Light played softly on stone walls and silence filled the universe. Nigel lost himself, trying to pinpoint the exact color but it was impossible. The colors would not cooperate with him and continued their cryptic battle.

Nigel listlessly reached out a hand to touch the beautiful light, but once his hand touch the surface a painful fire instantly shot up his arm. He pulled away quickly and hugged against his body, when his arm touched his body the pain seemed to intensify. He used his working arm and tried to ease the pain. However, the movement made shot white flashes of lighting to the bone. Nigel gasped and doubled over. His stomach was rolling, twisting with the pain. His head pounded the rhythm and the fire in his arm danced with it.

Nigel dropped to the ground as the colors began to spin around him. The colors surge together in a whirlwind of light.

The colors continued to swirl and Nigel's stomach spun with them. Black spots entered his vision as he emptied his stomach.

---

Sydney watched Nigel's chest slowly rise and fall. Over the past three years they had been through so much together and Sydney knew that her life would be very different if Nigel weren't there.

He made things hard at times but his presence eased things for her in a way she couldn't explain. Sydney off handedly noticed that Nigel's breathing had become shallow and she slid off her cot and kneeled next to Nigel's.

Drops of sweat dotted his forehead and a frown graced his face. Sydney took the remaining cloth left over from Oscar's undershirt and wiped the sweat away. She lightly caressed Nigel's cheek and tried to soothe him but his breathing came faster.

His face twisted in unknown pain and his body shook with it.

Sydney held him down as the tossing became worse, suddenly he groaned and turned over onto his side, curling himself into fetal position.

Sydney turned and shook Oscar awake. "Help me."

Oscar rubbed his eyes and looked over just as Nigel leaned over the bed and threw up what little he had.

"Damn" Sydney cursed and hurried over to Nigel's side, avoiding the small puddle of vomit.

"Nigel? Nigel, are you with us?" Sydney asked as she cleaned him up with a spare piece of cloth.

Nigel answered with a moan then curled back into a ball and settled into a light doze.

Sydney felt Nigel's forehead although there was no sign of fever. She adjusted his sheet and kissed his cheek softly.

"Go to sleep, Syd." Oscar whispered, watching the small exchange.

Sydney lay down and stared at the ceiling even though there wasn't much to look at. It was of the same gray brick that surrounded them.

She heard sheets move and looked over at Nigel. He seemed all right now.

She needed to find a way out of this.