AN: Sorry about the wait, guys. Three weeks is a record for me, I know. But I live! I've been so busy. I hope, I hope, there won't be another gap like this. But know I'm not giving up. I'm even working on another side Jori project. It should go up tonight - be sure to check for it. But it won't take precedence over this one.

I missed you guys ;3;

"Stop it." Jade mumbled, squeezing her arms tighter around the stirring Latina.

"Stop what?" Tori replied. She squeezed Jade's arm lovingly before trying to pry it away from her.

"Trying to get up." She yawned, nuzzling her nose against the back of her tan neck, kissing the spot lightly. "Stay here."

"Jade." The other girl whined. "It's nearly 11. I promised Norris I'd help him today... I need to go ahead and do that if you expect me to have time sit down with you and Sikowitz again and discuss your hand." She tapped the injured appendage lightly in reminder, noting how Jade's vice-grip loosened.

"Put Norris off today." She mumbled as she allowed her lover to slip free. Tori, clad only in her t-shirt, hovered over the prone girl and rolled her eyes.

"I promised." She pecked Jade on her full lips and smiled. "You can always get up and come with if you like."

Jade made some inhuman noise in response and rolled onto her side. "No. Sleep."

Tori chuckled softly and rolled off the bed before catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Rough. She cringed, running her fingers through her wild mane. Jade had turned it into one big knot – she liked to tangle her fingers and tug way too much. A shower was definitely in order to make herself even remotely presentable.

Jade dozed off again shortly after she heard the shower squeak on, the sound of the spray lulling her to sleep. By the time she awoke again Tori was long gone, the clock on her nightstand reading 12:30. She groaned, sounding much like a bear awakening from a long hibernation, and hauled herself into a sitting position, grappling for her shirt and pair of shorts. She needed coffee before she could fathom anything else today.

Andre was in the kitchen when she stumbled in, flipping pancakes on the stove. He glanced at her as she walked through the door and wagged his eyebrows at her. "Good afternoon, beautiful." She blinked at him before walking past, making a bee-line for the coffee. She was surprised to find it still hot, and looked back at her friend curiously. "Tori left about an hour ago… I knew you'd be up sooner or later."

"Thanks." She grunted, pouring herself a mug and claiming a seat at the table. Moments later a plate of food was shoved under her nose. "Why are you being so nice?" Jade demanded, her curiosity now evolved fully into suspicion.

"I just figure you could use the energy… seeing how you were so busy this morning."

Jade huffed and rested her chin in her hand; she wasn't as easily embarrassed as her girlfriend. "I'm sure you like what you heard, don't even try to convince me otherwise." She sipped her coffee nonchalantly.

"That's besides the matter." Andre countered. "Couldn't you pick a decent hour? I don't know what goes on up there, but I hear a lot of praising Jesus and a lot of Spanish."

"I make no apologies." She shrugged, taking a small bite of pancake. "Can't fight the mood when it strikes you."

"Spoken like a true poet." His eyes wandered down her pale throat. "You've got a bit of a love bite there, Cyrano."

"And I'll wear it with pride." Jade pulled back her raven hair and ran her fingers over the raised skin.

"I'd expect no less from you at this point." He watched as she picked at her meal for a moment. "Now… Feel like sharing details? Do you actually know what she's saying when she goes all sexy-Latina on you?" Jade smiled at him, her blue eyes flashing mischievously. Without a word she picked up her plate and mug and sauntered out the door. "Oh, that's cold!"

Sinjin waited anxiously for Tori in the diner across from Norris' home. His garage door was open, and he could see the pair working diligently over a new camera system he planned on installing at the city gates. Primitive technology, in Sinjin's opinion. He checked his watch impatiently; he had wanted to deliver Tori to the sisters first, she being the prime objective. It looked as if he was going to have to change his plans though – there was no way he could lure Tori away from Norris without gaining unwanted attention that could easily be relayed back to those who could track him down before he had a chance to disappear.

He wrung his hands anxiously before clenching them at his side, forcing himself to walk away and seek out the older scientist. Despite the fresh snow, people were flitting about the streets – in and out of shops and stores that dotted mainstreet. It worried him; though he wasn't popular in the community like Tori or Jade, he was recognizable – known to live with the two girls. What he wouldn't give now for another stormy day like they'd been having lately, one that would drive the citizens of Sanctum indoors.

He kept his head bowed as he made his way to find Sikowitz, thankful he remembered to grab his hat before he dashed out this morning; it helped disguise his wild hair and, consequently, helped him blend in to the crowd. He guessed that finding the older man would be easy enough – when he wasn't at Crenshaw's he was at the diner around the corner, having located a facility that made excellent coconut-cream pie. Sure enough he was there, sipping coffee at the counter and stabbing at a half-eaten piece of pie. He jumped when Sinjin hopped into the seat beside him. "Oh, boy! Don't surprise me like that." He clutched the front of his shirt and exhaled. "… Aren't you that one Jade's after? Are you sure it's wise to be in public?"

Sinjin laughed nervously. "Oh… you know. I'm sure everything will be fine. She'll calm down eventually, right?" The scientist stared at him, not breaking his gaze as he brought his mug to his lips. "Right?"

"Have you ever considered life on the run?" Sikowitz suggested, returning his attention back to his dessert. "I hear Jamaica is lovely this time of year."

"Well… I'm planning on moving, that's for sure." He smiled grimly. He drummed his fingers on the countertop as he glanced around the diner. "I've been meaning to ask you, which route did you take into Sanctum?"

"I didn't realize there was more than one." Sikowitz commented.

"Oh, the other's not incredibly well known." Sinjin nodded. "It's more of a walking path. It runs through a few towns that had cyberkinetic facilities." He watched the older man's brows twitch with intrigue. Baited, he thought to himself triumphantly. "I've been wanting to investigate. Norris tells me they've been raided clean… but who knows, right? And I really don't know if I'd recognize anything if I found it. I know you have a lot of experience in the field… I was hoping I could convince you to come with me?"

Sikowitz smiled, not entirely persuaded. "I'd probably have to agree with Norris. Anything worth taking in there will have already been looted."

"Who knows though, right? And even if it's not much, maybe it'd be something. I know Jade's looking for options for her surgery. Maybe we could find materials there. There's not really a lot in this town to work with otherwise… I just thought it might be helpful." He watched as Sikowitz demeanor changed almost instantly. Hooked. He knew Jade would be a motivating factor.

"I suppose we could take a gander… how far is it?"

"Not far at all! Maybe an hour's walk. We could head out now and get back before sunset." He could hardly contain his excitement as he watched the scientist weigh his options. This was it – his one chance. If he didn't take this bait any other attempts would be too suspicious to take.

"I guess the exercise can't hurt these old bones. All right. Lead on, odd-child." He slapped a bill down on the counter before shrugging on his heavy coat and sliding off his stool. He frowned as he watched the wiry boy practically skip out the door, sighing when he realized he'd just committed to spending quality time with the little weirdo.

Lara was dismantling her gun for the second time that day to clean it – time was passing slowly among the woods. "Thoreau didn't know what he was talking about." She muttered to herself, averting her eyes to the canopy above her as she systematically disassembled her old .45 – her father's pistol. Lillie was behind her, reclining on the hood of the Bronco in a patch of sun that was shining through a gap in the thick pine.

"I don't know. It's peaceful out here… no nagging neighbors, no work."

"Also no cable, no refrigerator, no plumbing."

"… Yeah, nevermind. Thoreau was a nutjob. When's spaz going to show up?"

Lara sighed and glanced down at her weapon, rolling the firing pin between thumb and forefinger. "I don't know. Hopefully before dark. I'd rather not tangle with the cyborg – "

The radio next to Lillie's head cut through their quiet conversation, startling the older girl to the point that she nearly impaled it with her hunting knife. "So we're just now leaving the city gates… should only be about an hour now." His voice was painfully and awkwardly forced, making both sisters cringe.

"I know, boy. You've told me a dozen times now. Good God, you're strange."

Lara frowned. "The scientist?" She deflated . After years of hunting she had hoped to capture Tori first, to study her, interrogate her, while they waited for Sinjin to return with Sikowitz.

"Seems so. And they're not too far out from what it sounds like. Are we ready for him?" She slid off the hood of the car and popped the hood before disappearing around the other side.

Lara returned her gun to the holster at her side and snapped in her sister's direction, motioning for the blonde to conceal herself. The younger sister, in turn, trotted towards the road in the direction of Sanctum, adopting a heavy limp on e she hit the cracked pavement. It wasn't long before Sinjin and Sikowitz rounded the corner and came into view.

This is the famous scientist? The man that almost rivaled Patrick West's genius? She couldn't believe it, and her utter surprise almost blew her cover. "Excuse me!" She waved, forcing a pained expression as they neared. "Excuse me... Sorry. Do you two live in Sanctum?" Her gaze settled pitifully on Sikowitz as she limped towards them. "Could I bother you for some help? My sister and I are trying to get there... She has pneumonia and our truck broke down just around the corner. Stupid me twisted my ankle in a rabbit hole on my walk towards town."

"Your sister is traveling in this weather?" Sikowitz knitted his brow in concern. "Is she okay to be left alone?"

"Probably not." Lara grimaced. "But we don't have supplies to keep us another night and I was hoping I could make it to town for help before the weather started up again."

"Where's your truck? I'm fairly good with engines. Perhaps I could be of assistance." He offered, extending an arm that she could use as support while leading them back. "If I can get it running we'll drive you to the gates... Your ankle seems to be in fairly bad shape."

"Oh, thank you! You have no idea how happy I am that you two came along!" She avoided Sinjin's nervous gaze and smiled, accepting the older man's proffered support. With her arm wrapped securely around him she was able to judge his strength – despite his sturdy appearance she found him to be rather off-balance. He buckled momentarily under her weight before readjusting to support her. She smiled absently to herself; at least he'd be an easy target.

They shuffled through the snow to the Bronco and Lara allowed him to lower her onto a nearby stump. She glanced at Sinjin and raised her hand, silently ordering him to stay where he was. Sikowitz made his way over to the exposed engine and tapped it experimentally to check the heat. "It's stone cold… how long did you say you'd been out here?" He asked suspiciously.

"Long enough." Lillie's appearance was preceded by the sound of her gun cocking. She trained her pistol steadily on his torso as she revealed herself. Her eyes were hard, her mouth pressed into a thin line; she was in work mode for sure, her body fully alert and prepared to react if necessary.

Sikowitz gripped the edge of the grill, swallowing hard but refusing to panic. "If you're looking for money we have none."

"Not money, Erwin… you." Lara explained, rising to her feet and walking easily to her sister's side. His face paled as dread washed over him, and he slowly backed away from the front of the truck. "I wouldn't move… She's trigger-happy. You don't have to panic. We just want you to come with us."

Sikowitz crossed his arms protectively across his chest. "Mother told me never to ride in cars with strangers." He retorted calmly; Lara realized he was stalling, quickly processing all the possible methods for escape. His eyes darted around and never settled for long on the women before him.

"We've got a long ride ahead of us… There will be plenty of time for us to answer any question you can throw our way." She smiled. "If you cooperate we'll let you ride in the cab."

"And the boy?"

Lara swore the younger boy was quaking in his boots. She rolled her eyes in his direction and sighed. "He's not coming just yet. He's got other business to attend to. Right, Sinjin?"

Sikowitz whipped his head in Sinjin's direction, eyes blazing. "You set this up?" He hissed angrily, daring to turn his back to the sisters to address him fully. "What have you gotten us into now? Fraternizing with outsiders? After everything your friends went through to save you and you – " He never finished his rebuke, as Lillie had cracked him sharply across the temple with the butt of her pistol. He crumpled to the snow in a heap, a bruise already spreading across his pale skin.

"Jesus, Lillie. We don't need to give him brain-damage." Lara chastised, kneeling to check his pulse.

"He'll be fine." The older sister dismissed, re-holstering her weapon and removing a pair of handcuffs from her belt. Lara caught them when she tossed them down and quickly restrained the scientist, and the sisters hauled him to the back of the truck and rolled him in unceremoniously.

"Where's Victoria?" Lara sighed, redirecting her frustration towards the younger boy.

"She's with Norris right now… I didn't want to risk drawing his attention." He explained. He walked towards the back of the truck and studied the prone body. "Are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"Focus." Lara snapped her fingers in his face to catch his attention. "The clock is ticking now. You need to get her out here, the faster the better. Do you understand?" Sinjin nodded, eyes as wide as saucers. "Well get going!"

He jumped but did as he was told, sprinting back towards the road in the direction of town. Lara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as the sound of his retreating footsteps faded. A moment later her sister wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulder. "Well… At least he's proven he's at least somewhat capable. We're halfway there." Silence settled between them before another softer sound interrupted it. Lillie was humming. Lara's grey eyes flickered open as recognition set in.

"Livin' on a Prayer. Really?" She shrugged off the taller girl with a huff and walked back towards the tree-line.

"Take my hand, we'll make it I swear!"

"I hate you." Lara groaned as the serenade continued behind her.

Jade stepped into the bright sunshine and, in longer than she could remember, didnt immediately scowl and avert her eyes. Sex had always caused a lingering euphoria, one that made her more pleasant and all around more tolerable. Sex with Tori was even better - it's why she was almost always in the mood, ready to ravish the girl whenever the urge struck her. When they were getting along (which occurred more often than not, surprisingly enough) the urge struck her frequently... When they weren't it struck her just as often, she just had no way to satisfy her hunger.

For the past few days Jade had been -starving-, and her mood had suffered as a result. Today, however, the world seemed more enjoyable, its citizens less irritating. Jade felt as if even the pain in her hand more bearable. All in all, it seemed like a good day.

Jade tucked her pale hands in her pocket and made her way towards the diner, intent on tracking down Sikowitz. They had made plans to meet there around an hour ago, and Jade hoped he'd still be there, sipping his fourth cup of coffee and downing his second piece of pie since lunch.

To her surprise he wasn't there when she arrived; another local had claimed his seat at the counter. She frowned and sauntered up the the counter, tapping her fingers as she watched the waitress finish taking an order. "Jade!" The older woman greeted, instinctively reaching for a mug and the pot of fresh coffee. "Your usual?"

"Not now, Helen." She shook her head, dark hair tumbling into her face. "Have you seen Slocum today? I was supposed to meet him here."

"Oh yeah, he was here... Left about an hour ago with that strange boy you live with."

Sinjin. A bubble of rage swelled in her chest, threatening to burst and send her on another rampage. She had forgotten about him after this morning's activities; his existence hadn't even left a niggling in the back of her mind.

"You sure I can't get you something to eat, honey?"

Jade glanced at her and spun on her heel, sulking out of the establishment without another word. Where had that little weasel gotten off to with her doctor? Her first stop was Crenshaw's office; he informed her that Sikowitz hadn't returned since he had left for their meeting. Her next stop was Norris' - maybe he had gone to offer his engineering services to whatever project they were working on today... Or maybe he was drooling over her blue-prints like a small child in a confectionary. Jade guessed the latter.

The pale girl halted suddenly as the mayor's home came into view, ducking quickly behind a telephone pole. From a distance she watched as Sinjin conversed with Tori, eyes narrowing dangerously as be placed a hand on her shoulder. Rule #1 was to never, -ever,- touch the cyborg upon penalty of slow, agonizing death. Her upper lip curled as she watched it retract after a moment - Tori's flawless skin had been blemished by his presence. That was -her- shoulder, and now She was going to have to reclaim it with affection, kiss away the stain.

Yes, she was being dramatic.

She just really hated this kid.

Before she could close the distance between them the pair took off in a slow jog towards the city gates. He held the heavy door open for her and she disappeared behind it. Even from this distance she could tell Sinjin was paler than usual; He was anxious about something. It didnt escape her, however, that even though the lines on his face indicated a nervous reaction, a small smile claimed his face.

"Where the hell are you going with my girlfriend?" Jade mused to herself, abandoning her hiding spot and following a safe distance behind. She'd tail them until she could either figure out where they were going or she determined that he couldn't run away; he had already proven that he was a speedy little bastard, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with him if he ran again. Hell, she couldn't keep up with a half spent cyborg. -maybe I should quit smoking- she considered briefly, only to scoff at the ludicrous thought.

As Jade approached became torn - to follow them now would surely alert Sinjin to her position. She could easily wait here for their return, grab him as soon as his beak-like nose came into view... But that meant she'd have to leave Tori with the little creep. Even considering the option left her feeling uneasy; something wasn't right with the situation, and she needed to keep a close eye on it. Newly resolved, the pale girl pushed open the gate, surprised to find that, despite its immense weight, it swung rather easily and (more importantly) silently.

The pair was already out of sight but Jade was able to track their path in the snow. She knitted her brow as she crouched and studied the ground - there were a few set of feet print marring the otherwise pristine snow. She counted three other pairs - 2 going, 1 returning... She frowned and rose back to her full height, eyes scanning the road. -what the hell is going on?- people didnt leave the city that often, they had no reason to. There was nothing out here for miles but wilderness - bears, wolves, moose... One particularly crotchety badger. Why would Sinjin of all people wander out here?

There was only one way to find out. The scientist started into a jog, cursing the fact that this was the second time in as many days that she'd taken up the arduous task of running. Within moments she was huffing, her breath escaping in ragged clouds. She rounded the corner in just enough time to see Tori's red hood disappear into the tree-line. Jade slowed her pace and followed suit, ducking off the path and continuing in what she assumed was still their general direction. That's when she heard it.

Tori screamed.

With renewed energy Jade plowed through the low-hanging branches, pine-needles slapping her in the face. She stumbled upon the makeshift camp seconds later to find Tori struggling against two unrecognized women. A heavy chain was looped around the cyborg's waist and up across her shoulder, a brunette held tightly to it as a blonde attempted to approach the fight with a taser. Despite Tori's superior strength she wasn't able to free her pinned arm.

Jade stood, dumbfounded, as she watched the scene unfold, the seconds dragging on like ages. A flash of movement behind the scuffle caught her attention, and her gaze settled on Sinjin at the back of the truck as he pointed a shaking gun at a bound Sikowitz as he struggled to free himself from his bonds. Her lips curled into a snarl... So he was up no good.

"Jade!" Tori had spotted her.

The scene stilled and all eyes settled on her; Jade desperately wished she had a gun… or any kind of weapon, for that matter. Standing before them now she felt crippled and defenseless. "Jade." Lara echoed. A smile spread across her face and she shot a cursory glance to her sister. "Didn't expect you to show up. How's the hand, sweetheart?"

"Let her go." Jade stepped forward, pain shooting up her arm as she unconsciously balled her hands into fists.

"I'd stop right there. We don't want someone to get hurt." Her pale eyes flickered to the taller blonde and Sinjin; both had weapons trained on her friends.

"What is this? What do you want?" She feared they might be Sweepers, or otherwise sent by enemies she had hoped to leave far behind in California. Something didn't seem right though; they didn't seem professional enough. They appeared rogue, mercenary. That, to Jade, was even more worrisome. She knew how to handle Sweepers, knew their protocols and restrictions. These women… She had no clue.

"We just need Victoria for a little collaboration project. Calm your tits, sister." The blonde chimed. Jade's frowned deepened – it troubled her deeply that one of them appeared to be an idiot.

After all, you never gave a gun to an idiot. Her eyes flickered to Sinjin as if he confirmed her theory.

"Sorry, sister," She sneered. "She's not going anywhere with you." She watched as her grip on the taser tightened.

"I don't think you have much room to argue. We do need Victoria… but Sikowitz over here, he's more of a perk. Expendable, if you will." The brunette countered, retrieving her own gun from her holster and letting it hang at her side. "If you cause me too much grief I won't hesitate to put a bullet through his head. Or yours, for that matter. I don't need you at all."

"Need me for what?" Tori demanded.

"It's a long ride, kiddo, we can talk on the way home."

"She's not going." Jade repeated through clenched teeth. She took another step forward, having spied a heavy branch mere feet away.

A muffled gunshot shattered the silence, the smell of charcoal and sulfur assaulted her nose. Tori screamed. The limb Jade had been inching towards was nothing more than splinters. The sudden noise surprised Sinjin and the gun fumbled in his hands before falling harmlessly to the ground.

And then all hell broke loose.

Sinjin dove forward, driving his shoulder into the boy's chest and propelling him backwards. With his bound hands he dug through the deep snow, searching for the weapon. He found it and hauled himself to his feet only to have it knocked clear from his grip by the blonde's roundhouse kick.

Jade took advantage of the brunette's distraction and lunged forward, wrestling for her own gun. She drove them both to the cold ground and Tori, now free to wrest herself from her bonds, struggled to do so quickly to come to Jade's assistance. The brunette's ringed fist connected with the side of Jade's temple and filled her vision with stars, temporarily disorienting her. Hands wrapped around her throat and her world turned upside down as she was rolled over and pinned to the ground. The pale girl coughed and clawed at the vice-like grip with her good hand and reached to her side to grab a handful of snow.

She hurled the snow and dirt mixture in the woman's face, blinding her. She screamed at the sudden assault and released her grasp on Jade's throat, only to smash her again in the face. She felt warm blood spill down her face and stain the pristine blanket on either side of her. Her head throbbed, she felt blood pounding in her ears.

And suddenly the weight vanished. Through blurred vision she watched as Tori dragged her away by her hair, her titanium arm impervious to the brunette's assaults. Jade scrambled awkwardly to her feet and forced away the dizziness and turned her attention to Sikowitz; Tori could handle herself easily now that the gun had been removed from the equation. She forwent searching for the gun, instead grabbing another fallen branch and charging into the fray.

She bashed Sinjin upside the head for good measure, smirking in satisfaction as he crumpled to a heap. She hoisted the limb above her head again to strike the blonde only to have her grab it on the downswing and have it deflected. Her momentum carried her forward into Sikowitz and they both tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs, he cracking his head on an exposed root and knocking himself out cold. Jade planted her hands to push herself to her feet only to find a heavy boot stomp down, its heel grinding into her wounded limb. She screamed and collapsed, pawing futilely at the leather and trying to drag her hand free. The pain was unbearable; she couldn't breathe, couldn't see, couldn't think about anything but the agony.

"Jade!" Tori's voice sounded in the distance, over the blood roaring in her ears. "Jade!" Nearer now… or was it further? She couldn't tell. The pain was making her nauseas and groggy.

Jade's screamed snatched Tori violently from her blind rage. Up until that point she was tossing the brunette around like she was a sack of potatoes, never fully landing a blow and only trying to incapacitate her. Her scream, her wail of anguish, shook her to her very core. The cyborg hurled the smaller girl into a patch of prickly holly bushes and charged towards the blonde. She grabbed her by the back of her neck and threw her to the side, away from her injured girlfriend. Before the woman could right herself she landed a few solid kicks, satisfied to feel them crack from the force behind her blows.

Tori could hear Jade still wheezing behind her, every gasp marked by a pathetic whimper. She had managed to catch a brief glimpse of the scientist's hand – it wasn't pretty. The skin was torn and bloodied; surely damaged even worse than before. All the misery they'd gone through, all the effort Jade and the doctors had made to repair it… ruined.

So she continued to kick, wanting this bitch to feel something close to the pain they'd been dealing with for months now. Any attempt she made to deflect the blow was futile – Tori's strength was far superior.

And suddenly there was pain. A strong, paralyzing force gripped her limbs. She could smell her skin burning, could feel the electricity coursing through her body. The taser. Tori dropped to all fours as the pain continued; she managed to raise her head just in time to watch the heel of a boot connect with her face.

Lara spit blood from her mouth and wiped her brow, glaring angrily at the unconscious cyborg. That had not gone as planned. Lillie released a pained moan into the snow, rolling onto her back as to clutch her ribs. "Broken?" The older woman coughed and nodded, reaching for a hand-up.

Lara carefully hoisted her sister upright and led her quickly to the tailgate, easing her down gently before returning to a still struggling Jade. The raven-haired girl had made it to her feet, her hand clutched protectively against her chest as she staggered towards Tori.

With a frustrated grunt Lara bent down and retrieved the discarded pistol. Even with her limp she managed to overtake Jade, shoving the younger girl up against a snow-covered pine. She held the gun against her forehead and released the safety. "I should kill you." She snarled, finger flexing on the trigger. Grey eyes met blue, each mirroring the other's blind rage.

"Maybe you should get blondie to a doctor instead." Jade wheezed in response, her gaze never wavering despite the weapon pressing against her skull. "My girl did a number on the bitch." Lara released another angry growl and reared back, cracking the pale girl upside the temple and knocking her out cold. She landed in a heavy heap on the ground and, for a moment, Lara considered releasing a round in her head.

"Lara." Lillie whimpered. She whipped her head in her older sister's direction to find her pointing to the unconscious cyborg. "Worry about her. We don't know how long she'll be out."

Lara sighed and, after a moment, reholstered her weapon. Lillie had a point. "And what do we do with them?"

"Sinjin could still be useful… but I don't give a fuck about either scientist at this point anymore."

"You have my permission to fire a few rounds into their brilliant skulls." Lara scowled, eyes narrowing angrily.

"Not worth the bullets… there's a river a ways down the road, though. Let's send them downstream."

Despite her pain, the younger woman smiled. "Downstream it is." She nodded. She limped back to her sister's side and took her hand carefully in her own, mindful of potential injuries, and rested their foreheads together. "Well… we did it. After all these years."

"Yep… and she kicked your ass." Lillie chuckled, clutching her ribs as she did so.

"She kicked your ass."

"Whatever. You totally got beat upside the head with the ugly-stick, courtesy of Victoria Vega."

"Keep it up and I'll dump you in the river too."

"You'll be too tired… I mean, you're already going to have to lug the four bodies into the back of the truck by yourself."

Lara rolled her eyes and aided Lillie to the cab, ensuring she was comfortable before she went about the task of securing the prisoners. The last thing they needed now was Tori coming to; they didn't have another fight in them, not for a long time. Despite her pain, despite her rage, she couldn't help but smile. Everything was starting to fall into place.

AN: oops... let's hope there's not another huge gap. Because that's a bit of a cliffhanger. :3