OK, this chapter is a bit long, that's why it took me so long to write it. I hope I don't bore you! Now its the summer holidays, I'm hoping to make other stories about MI High as well. I cant wait for next year, when it's going to come out again! Reviews are appreciated, thanks!

ibliniyxxx

There were several medics about the place, even though no one got hurt. Well, except Dan, but he was OK now. Kind of.

Tom had given him the ring with Keri's message, and he turned it over in his hands, unable to think about anything else. If she really still loves me, and it isn't a trap, could I bring her back? Or is she trying to kill me? He wondered. Dan had been thinking the same thing for about 20 minutes now. What could he do? He stopped pacing and lent against the wall instead.

From the corner of her eye, Rosa watched her son. She wasn't about to get involved in his personal life-he was a boy, she was a girl, she simply wouldn't understand what he was talking about. But she knew, vaguely, from what she'd been told, that Dan was very much in love with this girl, but her sister, Zoe, was vying for his attentions too. Now, Keri was gone and had been replaced with...

Someone. She had seen Zoe crying. Rosa had comforted her, even. She sighed. Maybe I should call Stark, see what he says, she thought. Then Rosa remembered: he was on a mission.

"What shall we do?" it was Tom, and his face was deathly white and tired. Rosa suddenly felt extremely grateful that her son had such devoted friends. Even though it was early, only 8 o'clock, they had all faced different kinds of trouble. Rosa went back to her evil roots, only to find her crush waiting; Stella had dealt with the press and various curious agents, as well as assisting Rosa to find her son; Frank treated the teens like his own kids, so to have them trapped or in any kind of danger, as it were, was extremely stressful for him; Zoe had come back, but had to deal with her sister being a murderous genius; Tom was generally worried for all his friends, and Dan... well, no one could imagine what he was going through.

"Can you talk to him?" she whispered to Tom. "I wouldn't really know what to say, being a former Crime Minister."

Tom smiled. "And his mother."

"Yes, and that. Now, please, go!"

Dan lent against the wall and closed his eyes.

"Dan, mate. Not an ideal place to sleep."

Dan opened his eyes. "Hey Tom," he said tiredly. "Just to get things straight, I'm not angry at you for giving me Keri's ring."

Tom shook his head. "Actually, your mother asked me to talk to you."

Dan looked over at Rosa, who was in deep conversation with Stella and Frank. Zoe had long since gone home, and Aneisha with her, to stay by her side. All three adults looked extremely worried. "Oh."

"Come on, mate. Lets weigh up your options." When Dan said nothing, Tom took it as a sign to continue. "OK. Keri could have killed you twice now (and we know shes capable of that) but she hasn't. She talked to me, gave me evidence of her love for you. She could've just as easily killed me."

"But," interrupted Dan, "She could be trying to lure us all into a trap, to kill all of us at the same time, and destroy MI9. Two birds with one stone."

Dan waited for Tom's answer to that, and received nothing. He looked at the ring. "This was Keri's favourite," he said quietly. "She found it on the Spectre mission. She was so happy." Angry tears began falling out of Dan's eyes onto his shirt. "And now she's gone. Forever."

Tom hugged his best friend. "She's not gone. Where there's a will, there's a way." His voice was on the verge of cracking. "We'll get her back. I promise."

Keri sat on James' lap, head tilted to one side, thinking. Had Dan got her message yet?

Would he even come? No, he wouldn't. He'd think it was a trap. And besides, even if he wanted to, Rosa and all the others would stop him. Had it been a good idea, though, to give the ring to Tom? If she strained really hard, she could just make out a memory...

Keri and Tom walk down the corridor of ST Hearts. They are arm in arm, and laughing.

"Seriously, Tom?" yells Keri, slapping him lightly.

"What?" he says, faking hurt. "Just because I may have tricked Mr Flately into holding a summer fair on the day I'm meant to go to Germany with my parents, doesn't make me a criminal!"

"Mr F is bound to-"

Keri gave a yell of frustration. Other Keri had realised what was happening, and had blocked her memories.

"Why wont you just give it up?" Keri yelled. It must have looked extremely strange to anyone else except James.

Because they're MY memories, not yours. Get out of my body!

"I made you," she hissed, her eyes flashing red in anger. "This body is mine."

I WILL NEVER LEAVE! EVER!

Keri opened her mouth to scream. James tapped her on the arm hastily, and said, "Why don't we follow through with our plan? Then everyone would know who is the ultimate force. The wonderful, amazing, respected, beautiful, genius..." James rattled off a list of compliments until the redness in Keri's eyes had gone.

"Did you include amazing?" she said sweetly.

"It was in there somewhere."

"Good. Lets go."

"We should probably get some sleep," said Stella. "Who knows what might happen tomorrow."

Dan nodded. "Lets go home." He took his mothers hand, and they both went through the KORPS base hatch.

"I'd better get to Zo's," Tom said. "I told my mum I'd be at Dan's, but... I don't think they'd mind too much if I crashed the party. I'd better call ahead."

In spite of herself, Stella smiled. "Tom... you cant crash if they know you're coming."

"Ah. OK. Then I guess I wont be crashing."

Frank sighed wearily as Tom made his way out. "For all the genius brains he has, and he cant work out what crashing is..."

"You wanna crash at mine?" Stella said slyly. Frank grinned cheekily back.

"Why, I don't mind if I do, Miss Knight."

KNOCKKNOCK. "That must be Tom," Aneisha said, putting down her spy pod. She had been keeping an eye on the news. Zoe opened one eye and looked at her.

"Cant we just lock him out?" she said lazily. "I cant be asked to open the door."

Aneisha threw a pillow at her. "I'll get it you lazy lump."

A few minutes later, Tom was dressed in his pyjamas and was sitting on Zoe's bed, along with the girl herself and Aneisha.

"We just seem to be a bunch of drama llama's, aren't we?" Tom said. To his great surprise, the girls burst out laughing. "W-what? What did I say?"

"D-dr-drama llamas!" gasped Aneisha. "W-who says drama llamas?"

"I do!" huffed Tom indignantly. "Meanies!"

This only caused the girls to clutch their sides and try not fall off the bed. Luckily for them, they fell into a peaceful, undisturbed sleep.

A few streets away, Rosa lay wide awake, thinking. What would Keri do next? Would she come after Dan? She didn't like to remind herself that it had all started heading downwards for Dan when she entered his life. However, she reasoned, I cant be bad karma. I'm his mother, for gods sake!

Light filled the room as her bedroom door opened. Instinctively, she reached for her gun, concealed inside the mattress.

"Mum? Do you mind if... Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?"

She let go of the gun. It was Dan. "Of course not. Come here." She opened her arms wide and Dan crawled into them. Like a small child, Dan was afraid. But unlike a child, Dan wasn't afraid of the dark. He was afraid of what might happen next. Dan fell into a sleep full of disturbing dreams and Keri's face.

It only took a few moments for Zoe to remember the events of the day before. She kept her eyes closed. Maybe it was all a dream, maybe she was still in Africa with her sister Ramona...

CRASH. "Er, sorry, Zoe."

It was Tom, and he was holding her new bottle of perfume-which was cracked halfway down the middle. The sweet scent was leaking out, and its aromas filled her nose. "That's OK, Tom. Where's Neish?"

"Downstairs making breakfast. Wanna go?"

"Sure."

They trundled down the stairs together, neither of them saying a word. Tom shot worried glances at Zoe every so often. Zoe knew he was thinking about how she might react to- well, anything. It's not like her first day went too great.

"Switch on the TV," requested Aneisha. Then she turned to Zoe. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Don't give me that. How are you?"

"I'm... I dunno."

"Hey Dan! Whats up, mate?"

"Tom! Put him on speakerphone!"

"'Kay, Neish," answered Tom, and suddenly Dan's voice filled the room.

"It's really complicated, I think I love Keri, but I know I like Zoe, and I don't think our history would allow us to be together. There's too many things left unsaid. Her leaving... me being shot, and kidnapped, and stunned, and so much has happened, Tom, that you cant even begin to understand whats happened to me. Theres so much I wish I could say, but it's best left unsaid. Even to you, man."

"Thanks, Dan. I needed to hear that," Zoe said.

Dan gave a horrified gasp. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. But it's OK," she replied. There was a huge bang outside, and all of them ran to the window.

"What..." said Dan, from the other end.

"The..." said Aneisha rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

"Hell," finished Tom.

Outside was a scene of utter chaos. Shops were being looted, several were on fire; there were screaming people in the streets, others barricading themselves in their homes; fire alarms were ringing, glass on the floor, children crying... It was something out of hell.

They all fell silent, and that's when they heard the TV.

"...Country in complete disarray as news spreads of the prime ministers disappearance-along with his advisors."