A/N: Once again I want to send a million thanks, cyber hugs, kisses and high fives to the people who keep reading, reviewing and alerting this story. Sorry for the lack of updates, it may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it's also the busiest! Now for kudos! Cyber high fives to beautifulness2005 for adding my story to her alerts, cyber hugs to The-Raving-Cheshire-Cat for adding my story to her favorites. Last but certainly not least, the most wonderful Trinideanfan, cyber hugs, kisses AND high fives for reviewing my last chapter. Every single review is important to me so...enjoy and review if you can!

As the extensive tour of his new surroundings came to an end, Saber had to admit that he was impressed. Dr. Rosen's superiors had certainly spared no expense in the elaborate and revolutionary design of their facility. He had seen multiple medical labs with the latest equipment and medications, training rooms, workout rooms...the list seemed endless. It was a beautifully gilded cage. The Reveal may have freed Alphas from their prisons of secrecy, but in this place, at this time, they were still inmates. They chose to pretend that they could open a door and leave at any given second. Fools.

He clenched his fists at the shiver that suddenly raced down his spine. Saber despised enclosed places. The thought of being kept against his will made him want to destroy things and hurt those who sought to imprison him. But he remained under control. He had learned years ago that the key to mastering one's fears was admitting them, and understanding why they existed in the first place. Saber was still on his way to mastering his fear, but he did understand it, and he would never forget the reasons behind his irrational fear.

"So what do you think of our little operation here?"

Rosen interrupted his train of thought as they returned to his office and he gestured for Saber to take a seat. Saber acquiesced, reluctantly. He was all about making Rosen believe that he was amenable to this forced captivity. Saber was more than willing to stay for a short period, if just to satisfy his curiosity. But when he got tired of Rosen and the bureaucratic hoops his little team was probably required to jump through on a daily basis ... his ass was outta there. Of course, one couldn't escape if the person with the key to your cage didn't trust you.

So Saber shrugged non-commitedly. He didn't want to seem obvious either. Rosen was no fool. He knew Saber's history better than anyone else still breathing. There was no way he would buy Saber's sudden consent.

"High tech. You seem to have some highly trained, powerful Alphas too. I can't knock your little club Rosen. Maybe..."

He paused and had to hold back a grin when Rosen leaned forward in excited anticipation.

"Maybe I'll stay a while and see what else you guys are cooking up here...if you don't mind that is. I'm sure you have to get permission from a higher up somewhere. My background..."

"Saber, don't worry about all of that. You just get settled in, I promise you. You won't regret joining us. Together we can do so much good ... help so many Alphas...help each other. Never forget one thing, Saber. We want you here. Not to study you, not to tap you, but because of all the good I know you can do. Leave the past in the past where it belongs."

"You seem confident your team will accept a new member right off the streets. I don't know about that. Gary seemed cool with me. I'm not so sure about the others. I need to know that they all have my back like I plan to have theirs. I don't plan to exit this plane of existence courtesy of a knife in my back, Rosen."

Rosen didn't appear concerned at all, so certain of his little club.

"We're a family here, Saber. We watch out for each other and we help each other. Don't worry, you'll fit right in."

"If you say so, Rosen. Forgive me if I reserve judgement."

Saber replied on a shrug. He wasn't convinced, but there was no need to harp on it. He would find out soon enough where his fellow team members stood when it came to his place on the team.

"Shall I show you to your room? You could unpack, freshen up before dinner in two hours. We'll be driving to this little Italian place."

Saber jumped to his feet and opened the door for Rosen.

"After you, oh wise leader. Take me to my cell ... I mean quarters."

Rachel P.O.V

Rachel didn't know why she cared what she wore. It was only Rosen's attempt at a welcome/get-to-know-you meal with that ass of a new team member, Saber. What kind of name was Saber anyway? Either he was named after a deadly weapon or he was an ode to a comic book villain. For all she knew, his middle name might very well be Tooth. At he thought of Saber's real name, Rachel fell into her chair laughing. As her chuckles subsided she sighed. What was it about the man that rubbed her the wrong way?

He didn't think she could cut it. That was his problem. Know-it-all, macho jerk. Like her gifts were so much less worthy than his?

"Jerk."

She muttered under her breath as she jumped to her feet and ran a brush through her hair in front of the mirror. With any luck they would only see each other at briefings. She had wanted to punch him as he stood in the conference room looking at her with a condescending, supercilious look on his face... and that was before he opened his mouth and questioned her place on the team. Her place! The only member of the team who had been working with Rosen longer than her was Nina.

Nina. Saber hadn't had much time for Nina either. As a matter of fact, he all but threatened her to stay the hell out of his mind. That might have gotten him some brownie points if he wasn't such a jackass. Most men found Nina pretty hard to resist, just look at Hicks. He was panting after Nina like a love sick puppy even though everyone knew it was the worst possible idea for them to get together.

Whatever. There was one thing Rachel knew with a certainty: Saber Periera was trouble with a capital T. She needed to keep her distance from her new colleague if she wanted to avoid problems.

Rachel was ready ten minutes later when there was a knock on her door. With one last glance into the mirror she grabbed her purse and headed outside to greet Hicks and Nina.

"Sorry we're late." Nina greeted her with an apologetic smile. "Someone had to persuaded to join us because he was feeling pissy."

"Pissy? I just didn't feel up to making nice with the new kid in the playground. He rubs me the wrong way. I think he's hiding something. That makes him a danger to all of us."

With a slam of the car door Hicks got behind the wheel and started the engine. Nina shook her head and twisted in her seat so she could look directly at Nina.

"I told Cameron that I understand exactly where he's coming from, but we won't figure this guy out if we refuse to have anything to do with him."

"Nina...you're not thinking of trying to push him are you?"

Rachel couldn't hide the shock and disapproval in her voice. She may not like Saber, but not liking someone and invading their minds...

"That's exactly what she wants to do, Rachel. Even though the bastard already threatened her. Even though he's clearly Rosen's new pet. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. She won't listen to me."

Rachel turned her attention to Nina, who was studying her impeccably manicured nails with the rapt attention a scientist would give the specimen under his microscope.

"Nina, you must know what a disastrous idea this is! Did that man look like he was kidding when he warned you off? He's dangerous, Nina. A man like that is gonna ask you nicely once, then..."

She shook her head.

"If you're so curious, why don't you just talk to Rosen?"

Hicks shook his head angrily and gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Maybe she just likes a challenge. Maybe it cuts a little that Saber barely looked at you before he zeroed in on Rachel."

"I don't think...what! Zeroed in on me? What are you taking about, Hicks?"

"He was most concerned with you Rachel. He wasn't threatened or weirded out by Gary, he actually seemed to like him. He was wary of Bill, didn't want to seem a threat, didn't want to turn up on Bill's radar too early in the game. He wasn't threatened by Nina, but he wanted to make it clear that she shouldn't try to use her gift on him or there would be repurcussions, serious repurcussions. I defended her. He didn't really view me as a threat, but he didn't want to back down in front of me, that would have put me in a position of power. But you Rachel. I think he noticed you front the minute he walked in the door. You were apart from the group, you made no move to introduce yourself. He was the most openly curious about you, but he didn't want to hear about you from Rosen. He wanted to find out all about you from you."

There was silence in the car as Rachel digested the information. She remembered her encounter with the jerk quite well, and she was certain that his only intent had been to belittle her and question her place within the team. When she said nothing in response to Hicks comments Nina finally spoke.

"I don't think he took any particular notice of you, Rach. Even if he did that has nothing to do with me wanting to find out more about the man we're going to be risking our lives with."

"Hicks is right, Nina. We all want to know more about this man. But all the curiosity in the world doesn't give you the right to essentially rape his mind just because you can! That's what it would be! You would be going against everything Rosen has been working towards with you. Everything. But the worst part of it all would be that it would kill any trust any of us for you and eventually, each other. If you could do it to him, knowing it was wrong, what would stop you from doing it to any one of us as long as you could find some way in your mind to rationalize it?"

Rachel shook her head and turned to stare out the window.

"You know you're wrong to even consider this Nina. And something tells me Saber is not someone you want to antagonize. Listen to Hicks."

The car pulled into the parking lot and Hicks switched off the engine, but no one moved. They must have been sitting there for five minutes before Hicks spoke. "We can't stall any longer. We're late as it is. He opened the car door and got out.

"Let's get this over with."

...Fifteen minutes earlier...

Saber took another sip of his Hennessy as he leaned back in his chair surveying the room. It was just his luck that the member of his team that he was the most interested in, had a problem with tardiness. He had arrived at the restaurant first, on time, with Rosen who had picked him up and driven him here. On the way, they had stopped to pick up Gary. They had been sitting around enjoying drinks and silence when Bill had finally turned up. Now they were basically just sitting around staring at eachother.

Well, to be honest, Bill was just sitting there staring at him with a speculative look in his eyes. He would definitely have to watch that one. Bill smiled and leaned forward.

"So how do you like out happy little home. Our little Alpha Homestead?"

Saber shrugged.

"I just got a little tour, then headed over to my room. Didn't really have a change to get a real lay of the land. Have you lived here long?"

Bill nodded.

"Since they opened the facility. It's just safer that way. Alphas may be out of the closet and into the streets, but there are a lot of people out there who are threatened by us. I have to think about my family."

That caught Saber's interest. Most Alphas were loners. They didn't marry, they didn't settle down and they definitely didn't have children. In the past they feared what their children would turn out to be. They worried about being accepted or found out by mates who they couldn't hide their gifts from. Ever since the Reveal, Alphas now had to fear for the lives of their spouses and children.

"You have a family? Living here at this facility?"

He asked with a frown.

"And they are aware of your ... activities?"

Bill nodded.

"It's just my wife and I... for now. We've been here right from the start."

He shrugged.

"I'll admit to being one of the lucky ones. My wife...it never crossed her mind to judge me or to leave me. She just loved me and accepted ...all of this craziness. I guess I was fortunate, my gift...it's not one of the more extreme ones, so it may be easier to accept. She's been ... she's been my rock. I couldn't have done this if it wasn't for her."

Saber smiled sadly.

"I'm glad you realize how lucky you are. Being alone...it weighs on you, you know?"

"So maybe this is just what you need then."

Bill said with a grin.

"Even though Rosen is forcing your hand."

When Saber made a move to protest, Bill held up his hand.

"Don't try to bullshit a bullshitter. I don't know who or what exactly you are, but I can't get anything on you from any of my sources. You're like a ghost. Rosen hasn't been able to wipe the grin off his face since you agreed to stay, and I know you have some serious power, cause Rosen keeps hinting at it, as well as how much we can learn from you. You've worked with Rosen before...a long time ago. But it ended pretty bad...so now, you're wary. Am I close?"

Saber leaned back further in his chair and his smile was genuine. He could get use to Bill's straightforward,in your face approach to life.

"You're getting warm. I've been on my own for a long time. I'm just not sure I'll be much hood as a team player."

Bill grinned.

"Rosen has a way of working the kinks out of all of us. You'll see, you won't even notice he's doing it."

Gary was starting to get irritated with the wait.

"Why are we waiting? I'm hungry. Dr. Rosen, you said I could have chicken parmesan. We should have ordered twenty minutes ago. Can we order now? I'm going to call the waiter now. Call Rachel and Nina and Hicks. They can give us their order over the phone. You'll order for them, right Dr. Rosen? Where are they?"

Saber had to hold back a bark of laughter at Gary's comments. You couldn't help but like the kid. He didn't care what he said or when he said it, as long as he believed it to be true. But the kid did raise a good point. He had been wondering where the most interesting Alpha had disappeared to. Had he intimidated her so much she couldn't bear to share a meal with him?

Rosen glanced at his watch.

"I don't understand what could have happened. I'll call Nina and see what's holding them up."

Rosen had already pulled out his phone, but Saber knew he wouldn't need it. Rosen started dialing as soon as the door swung open and they walked in. Nina was first, followed closely behind by Hicks who had a hand clasped possessively around her waist. But they weren't the ones he had been waiting to see. She came in last, glancing around apprehensively until she met his eyes across the room and he grinned...and waved.

"Don't worry about the call Rosen." Saber said, never taking his eyes off Rachel. "They just got here."