The next time Lexie woke, there was muted light coming into the room. Both men were still asleep. She wanted to go back to sleep, but something was wrong. It felt like the inside of her skin was itching. Anxious, like something was pulling her.

She slipped out of the covers and crawled down the middle of the bed. When her feet hit the ground the pull intensified, feeling like hooks around her bones and she followed, moving unerringly through the dim ship. Every step made her feel heavier, the air dense around her. It felt like trying to run underwater.

It pulled her into a room she'd maybe seen once in passing. Nothing extraordinary, just the typical piles of books and exotic trinkets that filled the rest of Duke's- maybe of her- home. Tilting her head back and forth, she pulled her feelings back, and Mara stared around the room with her mind.

She finally found the source of the pull- the beautiful, small old silver box. It was freezing to the touch, and the pull was so strong she had to hold her breath and arch her back, cradling the box to her as she made her way back to the bedroom, where she knelt next to Duke's side.

She took a moment to just look, appreciating the way he looked asleep- no masks or fear or worry. A tiny smile was on his lips, suggesting happy dreams. She didn't want to wake him, but what had started as pulling turned to mad shaking that got continuously worse, her body reacting to the box.

She put a hand to his face, whispering. "Duke? Duke, wake up. Duke?"

He twitched, blinking at her. "Best. Dream. Ever."

She couldn't stop her smile, but she was serious as she spoke softly, trying not to wake Nathan. "I wasn't snooping, I swear. There was this pull, this attraction... I don't know what to call it. Duke, can you tell me anything more about this? I know the big one, but this isn't the same. Something is different."

Duke didn't move, but his brow furrowed as he whispered back. "It held the key to the murder-Mara box. Nothing else but bad memories."

"Duke, this box is Aether-touched. Something else is going on." Lexie jerked, panting.

"It's screaming, Duke. It's screaming."

"Lexie, sweetheart, why are you shaking? What can I do?"

"I don't know! It hurts! Give... give me my backpack. I need Aether."

Duke leapt from the bed with cat-like agility, bounding to grab her bag and hand it to her. He quickly pulled on some pajama pants and sat on the floor, pulling Lexie's back against his front as his arms enveloped her, trying to help calm her uncontrollable shaking.

Lexie yanked the bag open, pulling out an orb and crushing it. "Hold on to me, Duke." Breathing heavily, she touched her blackened hand to the silver.

A brilliant, blinding blue light flashed, and there was a woman before them. Not solid, a holographic recording. Beautiful, lush dark hair, long, elegant limbs. Mara gasped. She knew this woman.

"Two." Mara whispered. "Your mother, Duke."

They didn't have time to say more. The image started speaking, voice quiet yet strong.

"Four, if you get this, I'm not there. Gods, I pray you get it if I'm not there. The Hunter went after Three. Killed him somehow without the bond harming me. I can't get anyone from home to respond. He's going to kill us all, and the Cause... I don't even want to know. He's after you and nobody knows why.

"I broke the leash, Four. I don't know how long it'll take him to find me, I'm just praying for time. I'm pregnant, in Haven. One wiped out half the population of my sector. I didn't know where else to go. Your sector is the only one that's halfway safe. He's playing some kind of game, I can't understand the rules, so I don't know how to fight!

"I met a man here, Simon Crocker." Mara saw a rare smile playing on Two's face as she talked about him.

"He's charming and funny and brilliant, and he loves me. I wish you could meet him, he's amazing. I don't know how long I can keep us hidden though. Especially with Three gone and nobody answering.

"Look, I locked all the Thinnies I could find here. Maybe it'll buy us time. But if I don't make it, get a message to my baby. Please, Four. Tell him how much I love Simon and him- it's a boy, I just know it. Tell him that my whole life has been dedicated to helping people. I will never leave him on purpose, but if One comes, I'm going to do my best to lead him away, keep my family safe. Let him know I'd do anything for him, and tell him that I picked his name to remind him that he's special. More than a human, more than one of us. He'll have the very best of both our races.

"His father is Aether-touched. I guess you guys call it "Troubled" here. My Duke is going to be so special. If you find him, take care of him. I know how hard it is being born with a job, and tell him I'm sorry. He's the only one who could possibly help you stop One. His father's family absorbs Aether from others who have been affected. You're the one who gave them the Gift, Four. You trained with me, you know what that means for my baby.

"Tell him I love him. That I live for him, and that every moment he's growing inside me, I'm loving him. Gods, I'm trying to give him a lifetime of love every day, because I don't know how long we'll have. Make sure he understands. When he's grown, love him as much as I do. I'm low on Aether, but I'll try to leave more messages if things change.

"Four..."

The hologram Two chuckled, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I heard One say your name is Mara. My name is Illeana. We're more than numbers. I did the math- I know when you'll come back to your sector, how old my Duke will be. Teach him anything I can't teach him myself and please, please let him know he was conceived in love. Born in love. Wanted and adored. As long as I live, I'll be loving him and fighting for him. Hundreds of years, and he's the one thing I'm truly proud of.

"I'll be careful, but Duke is all that matters. Please, Four. Mara. Help him when I can't. And tell him I'm sorry to leave this burden on his shoulders.

"If the Gods are merciful, I will see you again. Be careful. If you fall... everything falls. I believe in you, though. You were the best of us all. I meant what I told you in the lab. "

Two kissed her fingers, holding her hand up, the frosted Maze visible on her wrist. Mara kissed her own fingers, touching them to the fingers on the flickering image before Two- Illeana- faded away.

Duke's arms tightened around Mara.

"My mom... loved me?"

Mara wasn't even trying to fight the tears, letting them fall freely. "Of course she did, Duke. She loved your dad, too. Oh Duke, I'm the reason your dad went fanatic. If One hadn't fixated on me, Three and your mom would be alive. I ruined your life. I'm so, so sorry."

She wrapped her arms around herself, gripping Duke's arms where they were wrapped around her.

"Shh. No. Stop. You didn't make him do this. You saw what she said. She didn't blame you and neither do I. Come on, sweetheart, we've faced enough looney-toons. You gonna take the blame for them, too?"

Mara fought to control her breathing. It was time to be there for Duke, not go back to the guilt-cycle that had made Audrey push everyone away before the Barn. She rose to kneel, turning to wrap her arms around Duke, straddling his legs.

"Oh Duke, I'm sorry. I wasn't... I wasn't thinking right. It's about you and your family. Your mother. Are you okay?"

"The things she said about my dad..."

"Sorrow changes people. Especially if he couldn't understand why she ran. But One isn't here, there haven't been any signs of him yet. If he got to Two, why isn't he back? I need to send out a scout, see if I can get anything on her. Is... that okay? Or do you want me to let it be?"

Duke pressed his face against her neck as she held him. "Do you think there's a chance she could be alive?"

"If she could stay a step ahead of One... yes, I do. He's more vicious, but she was smarter. Otherwise, why hasn't he shown up? But only, only if you're okay with it. I grew up with her, but she's your mom. Your choice."

"Any danger in looking?"

She considered carefully- this was not a time for rash decisions. "He knew when I was in the Void. He knows Howard is dead. He's going to come looking at some point. The Aether won't lead him... honestly, we're always in danger. I think it's safer to at least try to find out what happened to her. To be prepared. But only if you're okay with it."

"Do it." Duke muttered.

Mara carefully took another orb, pressing it to her lips and whispering before she crushed it and blew, the dust flying off to do her bidding.

"I haven't explained about you to Nathan. It's your business more than it is mine. We'll talk to him together when you're ready."

"What did she mean about saying something in a lab?" Duke's voice was rough.

Mara sighed, pressing her forehead to Duke's.

"During one of the last rounds of serum injections, she said she wished I was her sister. I told her I didn't- that it was hard enough seeing the other subjects dying, carted out by the truckload like garbage. I couldn't bear it if she was my sister and I couldn't help her. I didn't mean to be unkind, I did love her like a sister. But I kept imagining she'd be wheeled out with the next batch of corpses."

They were silent for several moments, just holding each other, lost in thought.

"Still doesn't make the love less real. I'm okay."

"I'll figure it out, Duke. I promise. If she's alive, I'll do my best to bring her back. Obviously the sector system has fallen apart with Three gone, Two breaking the leash and One off doing whatever it is he does. Sadly, Haven really is probably the only safe sector. I'm not going to bother trying to contact the Cause. If they blame me for One going rogue and driving the others off, they're probably more dangerous to us than One."

"Will they come after you?" Duke sounded worried.

"I doubt it. Like I told you before, you have to be different to navigate the Void. I'll check to see if the Thinnies are still sealed, though. If someone does come, they'd have to cross somewhere else and travel overland, and I'll set emergency warning transponders. Anyone else from my world crosses over, that will let me know immediately, let me be prepared."

"Us. Let us be prepared."

"She asked me to protect you."

"She said I was the only one who could help you. She said to train me. We're a package deal, Lexie, you said it yourself. We fight together."

"I love you, Duke. I'm going to try to earn the love you've given me. I want to deserve you. Please, please forgive me. For everything- your parents, your childhood, for being such an idiot before. I'm sorry. I caused you so much pain and I never meant to."

He put a finger against her lips. "There's nothing to forgive. None of this was your fault. I'm just grateful to have you with me."

She hugged him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.

"Hey Mara?"

She wiped her eyes, sniffling. "Yeah?"

"It's officially morning, and you don't snore. Will you still move in with me?"

A small, teary chuckle escaped her. "If you want me to, yes."

Duke smiled, hugging her hard. "Let's do it today, okay? No more waiting."

She kissed him, leaning into his embrace. Suddenly her body went rigid, she pushed herself up and ran for the bathroom.

Oh crap. There was no more stalling time. He had to tell her.