I have not left an Author's note in a while, so here we go! I LOVE you all so much! I thank you all for reviewing, favoriting (not a word I don't think lol) and following this story! It makes me so so so happy to get online and see your reviews and likes. I know the updates have been slow but that is because I haven't had a lot of spare time to write recently, been crazy busy. BUT I am going on vacation this weekend, which means I get to relax and write. YAY! I'm hoping to get a lot written so my updates will be more frequent. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and remember, I love you all!

Chapter 19

Consciousness came back to Kenzi slowly. Her head was hurting, a dull pounding in the back of her skull. Her eyes hurt too, the backs of her eyes literally hurt. Her throat was dry and her body ached. She just needed sleep, she wanted to sleep, but she couldn't, she couldn't sleep, something was telling her that she had to wake up. She had to open her eyes. There were people in the room with her. Bo, she could hear her talking. Dyson too, they were arguing about something. Kenzi tried to focus, tried to listen. It was so hard to concentrate.

"I can't believe you did that Dyson." Bo was saying.

"I didn't have much of a choice Bo. I was dying quickly, I could hardly take a breath without pain flaring in my chest. Kenzi saved my life Bo. Sex was just a thing that had to happen in order for me to heal." He said. Kenzi felt a small tingle in her chest. Sex was just a thing that had to happen. She wasn't sure how she felt about that statement. She wasn't necessarily angry because it was the truth, it had to happen because Dyson would have died had it not. But at the same time she was sure that it wasn't just a thing right now. He'd kissed her, twice, that was not just a thing. She had to be sure of that, because despite everything telling her not to, she had developed feelings for Dyson.

"And after the sex, how do you feel?" Bo asked.

"What do you mean?" Dyson asked.

"Do you have feelings for Kenzi? After having sex with her, are there feelings?"

"Bo." Dyson said softly.

"It's a legitimate question Dyson. You obviously developed feelings for me after we had sex, so naturally I would think any girl you had sex with, you'd have feelings for." She said. She was being hostile and Kenzi didn't understand why. She loved Bo, but she'd flip flopped back and forth between Lauren and Dyson for just about three years, did she just expect Dyson to hang around and wait for her with his tail between his legs.

"Bo that's not true. I had feelings for you before we had sex, they may have been lustful feelings, but they were feelings none the less."

"Well do you or do you not have feelings for Kenzi?"

"She saved my life Bo, whether or not I have feelings for her is none of your business. What you do need to know though is this, she saved my life, and I am going to protect her and do whatever I can to get her better. I owe her my life and so do you and Trick. If it hadn't been for her we would still be searching for you two. So feelings should not be your concern right now. It should be your best friend."

"Don't you dare tell me how to feel. Of course I'm worried about Kenzi. She's been on my mind since I saw her face. She's my best friend and I want is her to be better. But I am allowed to ask a question or two. So stop acting so high and mighty like you've saved the world." Bo said. Kenzi knew this was taking a turn for the worst. She forced her eyes open and saw the pair standing all the way across the room, what Kenzi thought was a loud discussion was actually hushed whispers. How had she heard them? How had she been able to clearly hear their entire conversation? Their whispers were becoming louder and Kenzi coughed. Both their heads turned quickly toward her.

"Stop arguing." Kenzi said. Her voice sounded so weak she didn't want to talk anymore. It sounded like someone had been rubbing sandpaper in her throat.

"Kenzi." Bo said as she ran toward her. She dropped down onto the couch next to Kenzi and pulled her into her arms.

"Are you ok? How are you feeling? I am so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to do that. I was just so hungry, I'm so sorry, you know I'd never hurt you." Bo was talking so fast and every other word was an apology.

"Shh, stop apologizing, I know you didn't mean to. I'm not mad at you." Kenzi said softly. Bo squeezed her and Kenzi let out a small pained gasp. Bo pulled back quickly.

"What's wrong?" she asked, she was holding Kenzi at arm's length, looking over her.

"Nothing, just a little sore." Kenzi said.

"Let's see." Bo let her lay back on the sofa and she gently lifted Kenzi's shirt.

"Oh my god." She whispered.

"What?" Kenzi asked quickly. Dyson looked over Bo's shoulder and his eyes widened.

"Go get Trick, now." Bo said. Dyson rushed up the staircase and Kenzi looked down. There were black and purple bruises all across her stomach. Some were large, as big as a fist, others were small and long, like fingers, and from each bruise there were small black lines, like veins, or roots from a tree.

"What the hell is this?" Bo asked.

"I don't know." Kenzi said.

"Can I take this off?" Bo asked about Kenzi's shirt. Kenzi nodded and Bo gently lifted the long sleeved shirt up and over her head.

"Oh Kenzi." Bo said, worry and pity laced all through her voice. Kenzi looked down at her arms, there were no bruises, but the black lines were running up her arms from her wrists. Kenzi frowned and stared wide eyes at the black vein like lines. Pounding feet could be heard and Kenzi looked up as Dyson, Trick, Hale, and Tamsin came pouring down the staircase. Nice, here she was in just her bra with a room full of people staring at her.

"Trick, please tell me you know what this is?" Bo asked. He came closer and took one of Kenzi's arms in his hands. He stared down at the lines, his eyes seeming to scan each one individually. He followed the lines with his eyes and Kenzi watched him intensely.

"It looks like some form of an infection, but normally and infection comes from a wound and the lines are red. But these are coming from bruises and they are black. I've never seen anything like this before." he looked at the bruises and his eyebrows crinkled together.

"Kenzi, no one has grabbed you, or punched you here? Right?" he pointed to the bruises that looked like fists and fingers.

"No, haven't been punched or grabbed there." she shook her head.

"It um...it looks like whatever or rather whoever is inside you, is trying very hard to get out." he said they words as if he didn't even believe his own statement. Trick put his finger on one of the lines and followed it slowly up her arm. Making sure he stayed with it, he ran his finger over her shoulder, and down her collar bone where it stopped abruptly. His hand moved and his eyes followed.

"All these lines end, here, here, here." he pointed at each end and continued to say here to all the lines. All of them came to an end near her shoulders or right below her bra.

"Why are they ending?" Hale asked looking over her. Trick stared down at her and then his eyes widened abruptly.

"Look, they're all moving toward one spot, no matter where they come from, her stomach, her wrists, they are all moving toward the same spot." Everyone looked down at the lines, following their paths across her skin and then all their eyes widened slightly, similar to the way Trick's had.

"Her heart." Bo whispered.

"Trick what happens when they reach her heart?" Dyson asked. He released Kenzi's hand and crossed his arms.

"I don't know anything about what is going on, but if I had my guess, we'd treat it like an infection, and when the line from an infection reaches your heart, so does the infection, which means, you die."