I was planning to put this out Monday, but I managed to finish this a day early :D. I guess if I actually do have time to publish this on Thursdays, I'll keep it as it is. If this is a one-off thing and I can't manage next week, then I'll move to Monday.

"Sigma?"

Sigma lifted her head slowly, noticing Maine for the first time. "Hi." She muttered.

Maine didn't miss the dullness in her voice. "Are you Ok?"

Sigma met his eyes, her face frozen. Maine looked back for a minute, confused. Without warning she smiled, straightening her back and looking like her usual bright self. "Sorry, lost in thought. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Maine shrugged. "Got bored, needed better clothes." He didn't mention how long he'd been putting off going to the mall, hating the fearful he looks he recieved. He had joined Freelancer to get that kind of fear, now he couldn't get rid of it.

"Oh, cool. Did you hear about Omega and Doc?"

Maine smirked slightly. Sigma couldn't be happier about that pairing, clearly. "Yeah, Doc called me right after Omega asked him."

"He excited?"

"Yup."

Sigma waved to someone behind Maine. Turning, he noticed Omega walking through the food court, two drinks in hand. He was looking at Maine with either confusion or anger. Maine decided upon anger.

"I'd better go. Nice seeing you."

"Um, Ok." She smiled at him as she left, and Maine wanted to smile back, but didn't want Omega getting any ideas. He liked Sigma, he had admitted that to himself days ago, but it had long been the pattern for him. Sometimes his build, voice, size and scars worked in his favour. Other times it scared everyone away, and made protective brothers despise him.

Donut woke on Sunday morning, and Simmons was proud of himself that he was relieved, proud that he could care for his friends as well as Grif.

Donut offered comfort, something which suprised Simmons. "Grif has been through hell and beyond. No car is going to bring him down." It was a stupid thing to say, but Donut's confidence made its way to Simmons. Maybe Grif would be ok. Maybe.

Sheila, too, helped now she'd gotten away from her own terror. She complimented Simmons on his bravery and dedication with sticking by Grif, something Simmons had no idea would affect him so much. Maybe because he didn't recieve much compliment in his life, or becuase it reminded him that people cared about him other than Grif. Whatever the reasons, those two managed to give Simmons the hope he needed to keep waiting.

Sister, on the other hand, wasn't coping too well. She pretended to, claiming that she'd rather be at home than at the hospital, reassuring everyone that she knew how to take care of herself. Which was true, but only physically. The aching worry that Grif mightn't come out of this unchanged was always on her mind.

Grif had replaced both her parents. He had raised her, ensured she had whatever she needed. He had protected and taught her, stood by her and helped her whenever she needed it. Without Grif, Sister had no idea what to do.

"I'll always be here. I'm not mum, or dad. If you're scared or hurt or upset, come to me."

That was what he had told her the last time she'd hurt herself. Sister had promised never to do it again, and he had promised to never leave her.

What if he has now? Sister told herself to snap out of it. She was not weak like she once was. And besides, Grif would come back. With that in mind she stood, heading to the kitchen to get herself some food and be normal.

It was a mistake; once she saw the knives her body froze. She remembered this feeling, the will to use her own body as a canvas, to release all that sadness turned into anger, to concerntrate on her physical pain so the pain in her mind faded. She knew herself. It would only be a matter of time until the part that wanted her to be strong gave up.

And Sister was scared, because Grif had been.

York knew who was calling before he picked up the phone.

"Has there been any-"

"North." York spoke firmly, "You will be the very first person I contact if anyone finds anything."

"Ok," North muttered and hung up. The fear and stress in his voice couldn't be more obvious. York sighed and turned back to his laptop. The information they had was almost all from Tex, and none of it pointed to where South and Wyoming might be held. His only relief was that there was a chance, at least, the two were alive.

I still have no idea what to do. York was the boss. He'd always liked that idea; he was in charge, no one could tell him what to do. But now he was expected to think his way out of this.

Tex had made his situation very clear to him when he'd tried to ask her for help.

"It's your job. You told them to go in there, you have to get them out of there, don't expect me or anyone else to do it."

"It's not my fault they were caught."

"You're the leader. It will always be your fault."

York sighed. He would remember that last sentece for the rest of his life. It will always be my fault. North will blame me if something happens to South.

What could he do, though? He had no clues as to where they were.

York had a list of every gang member before him. None could help South or Wyoming...

Gary! Gary had been good friends with Wyoming before he graduated. He was another hope.

Of course, there was the problem of contacting him. York had access to Valhalla's records, and therefore knew the O'Malley's number. He just didn't want to have to deal with Delta or Omega.

This is my job. Their lives are more important than my comfort.

The phone had barely begun to rung before Delta picked up. "Hello?"

Oh, great. Robot voice. "Hi. Can I talk to Gary?"

"Am I correct in my guess that you are York?"

Could have said that with three words dude. "Yep."

"Why do you wish to speak with my brother?"

"Um... It's a long story."

"And you do not wish to tell me it." Delta sighed, and York guessed he'd put the phone down. A few minutes later a voice even more robotic spoke.

"Hello."

"Hi, Gary?"

"Yes?"

"You still close with Wyoming?"

"I am. Why?"

"Uhm..."

"Is this to do with Freelancer?"

"Yeah."

"I would rather talk to you without my siblings annoying me. Where are you right now?"

"Sigma, I'm not dyeing my hair. End of."

"Ugh, fine." Sigma's moody voice didn't go unnoticed by Omega.

She's acting like that on purpose. She knows how it'll affect me. Omega looked up at her upset face and felt his stomach twist with guilt. "Ok, fine. Just the tips of my hair, though. Nothing else." Dammit. It worked.

"Yes!" Sigma attacked him with a towel, covering his clothes. Omega tried to focus on Sigma's cheery humming and not on the purple colouring seeping into his black hair.

"I hope Doc won't mind."

"He loves purple, remember?"

"Mh. I suppose so."

Sigma was quick; barely half an hour had passed before his hair was dry, short black now merging into dark purple.

"You look-"

"Stupid," Omega muttered. Sigma muttered another, kinder adjective, which he didn't hear. "Anyway, what's the time?"

"Seven-thirty."

"What!" Sigma grinned at his horror. His date was planned for seven-thirty.

"Sorry, just seven."

"You did that on purpose you evil little..." He trailed off, not really sure what he was about to call her.

Sigma grinned. "Still, you should probably get going. Bye." With that she pushed him towards the front door.

Omega left the house, heart racing. He was tense. This was his first date since Tex... Omega dearly hoped his relationship with Doc wouldn't end like it did with Tex.

"The percentages of that happening again are below five percent." Thank god for Delta and his logic. Still, Omega dreaded that five percent.

South's jaw really hurt. So did the back of her head. Her arms were aching too, weirdly positioned tightly behind her back. She tried to move them in front of her, but a burning around her wrists stopped the movement.

I'm tied up. Well, that explained it.

Her calm left her suddenly as the post-unconciousness haze cleared and her head pounded harshly. What the fuck? What am I doing here? Panicking more than slightly, South pulled at her bonds around her hands and legs, yelling curses to the walls. She couldn't see much of the room she was in. A crack beneath a door was the only source of light.

"Be quiet." The voice came from across the room. South was almost relieved to hear the familliar, annoying british accent.

"Wyoming?"

"Yes. Congratulations for figuring that out."

"Shut up."

"No," he replied cooly. He didn't say anything else though, leaving South to try and break the ropes around her limbs in silence.

"What do we do now?"

"There's little we can do at the moment. We wait, either for rescue or for whoever captured us to do something."

"Sounds fun." South had thought the mission was boring. Now she was stuck sitting here for who knew how long, and Wyoming was silent.

The light from behind the door, when it finally opened, was blinding. "You're both awake. Good."

South recognised the speaker; she was the girl the two had been tracking. Another familliar face was mohawk guy. Two other unfamilliar people stood by their sides, a very muscled man with short sleeves, and a creepy guy who would freak South out even without the weird smiley-face mask.

"What do you want?" South hissed. Afraid though she was, she wasn't about to show it.

"Information," Mohawk guy answered. "Why were you following us, for one."

South gave him an innocent little smile. "Why would we follow you?" Mohawk guy rolled his eyes. South hadn't expected him to fall for it. It was more a silent 'shut up I aint telling you anything' than an answer.

"Ok. Second question. Where's Allison?"

"Who?"

"He means Texas, South." Wyoming's voice was dull and patronising.

"Ah, so she's part of your little gang now. You have states for codenames?"

"No, we just call her that because she's from Texas." It was kind of true; Tex's nickname had been originally been given to her by York when he'd first tried to recruit her, due to the fact she had recently moved from central Texas. It'd stuck despite her refusal.

"Right. And your parents named you South?"

South glared at Wyoming. Totally his fault.

"Back on topic. If Tex is in your gang, you'd know where she is."

Wyoming replied this time. "No, actually. We have no idea where she is, due the fact we appear to have spent the last few hours locked up in a basement."

"A day, actually. And you're several floors up from basement." Girlie grinned, happy to call Wyoming out on his mistake. South wondered what had happened in the past day. North will be terrified, she thought with concern.

"But you'll know where she lives, where she hangs out."

"Nope," South replied, truthfully this time. "I don't give a fuck about Tex. Don't know what she does with her life aside from fucking Carol-"

"South!"

Shit. Mohawk guy didn't miss the slip-up. "Carol... Carolina, I'm guessing." Their silence confirmed his thoughts.

"So Carolina is in a relationship with Allison?"

South couldn't hide a laugh. Wyoming sniggered. "I think South meant to say Carolina's brother."

"Hmm... Ok."

"What's your interest in Tex anyway?"

"She was our best member. We need her back."

"Wait, what?"

Doc was exhausted. Happy, but tired nonetheless. He had forgotten all his stress in the last few hours; studies, his friends and his family didn't seem important anymore. He'd get around to it, did it matter? Doc grinned, knowing how foolish he was. He also wasn't one to deny his own feelings.

I'm in love with him. The thought sent joy through his body. He wanted to tell someone. Wash and Maine would scoff at him. They were 'tough', the kind of people that believed love was the worst tabboo word.

Donut! Doc grinned. Donut always got that stuff, and would adore the gossip. It was late, though. I'll tell him at school. Doc grinned, already forgetting Donut. Omega would be there too.

Right. So I suck at relationships so bad I skipped the actual date :P. Don't look at this fanfic if you want fluff guys. I deal in depression and gangs 'nd stuff. And it took me eight chapters to get to the Donut-Doc-Omega love triangle thingy I wanted. Seriously, I'm slow at moving plot.

Review with any critism, suggestions, ideas or comments and stuff. I'll see you Thurday or Monday :D

Oh! Right, one more thing. What are your opinions on flashbacks? Hate them in fanfics, like in small amounts, or what?