Reading over the previous chapter, I expressed my desire to not have the next update take three months to post. And it didn't.

It took almost two years to post.

I know quite a few people have stated that they wanted an update, but my desire to continue this story wasn't there until lately, so now here's chapter six. I hope there are at least a few people who will even remember this story...

Footsteps sounded upstairs, and Kira awoke in an instant. The creaking floorboards made the noise echo all around them, so she couldn't quite pinpoint exactly where the person was.

She found out momentarily, though, when the door that led to the ground floor opened up.

Kira could hear the wrenching of plastic against wood, as the person tried to work the pipe out of the door. He could not, though, and eventually he gave up and continued down the stairs. He was breathing heavily from having to exert himself trying to get the pipe out of the door, and he was mumbling something about "effort wasted."

After a moment, he reached the bottom of the stairs. It was night-time, though, and he hadn't yet turned the light on, so she couldn't make out any of his facial features. In a moment, though, he pulled on a chain and a lightbulb came on.

The man looked young, about in his mid 20s, with the makings of a beard covering his face. Kira recognized him from somewhere, but she couldn't quite place exactly where.

He looked over at Kira and smiled, seeing that she was awake.

"Division put up a hell of a fight," he said, "but we managed to fend them off."

"So..." Kira replied groggily, "you saved us?"

The man nodded. "Me and my girlfriend saw them loading you and your boy toy up into a van, so we followed them for awhile. They noticed us and tried to fight, but we overpowered them, and got you two away from them."

"So if that's true," Kira asked, "then why stuff us in your basement?"

"Division was coming for you two, and somehow they got tipped off that y'all were going to be here. I couldn't keep you upstairs, otherwise they'd have found you."

"How did you know they were coming here?"

The man coughed softly, most likely a result of the mildew down in the basement. "Got a tip-off from one of my buddies who still works for Division. See, I used to work for them too, and they think I still do. They don't know I've gone rogue."

"Like myself and Nick," KIra responded, motioning over to Nick's unconscious body.

"I see he freed you," the man said smiling. "I could care less; I figured he'd find a way to. What is he?"

"Mover," Kira replied. "I'm a Pusher."

The man inclined his head to them. "Bleeder. My girlfriend is a Sniff, but she's not here right now. She's at work, but she should be getting off here in a few minutes, so I might have to leave to go get her."

Kira was about to respond, when she saw a handgun floating in mid-air, just slightly not resting against the Bleeder's head. She motioned to him, and he flicked his eyes in that direction. As he did so, the gun cocked once.

"You move, you die," Nick said, standing up. His joints ached from lack of use, but he powered through it and stood upright.

"I mean you no harm, I promise," the man said, holding his hands in the air. "I'm the one who saved you from Division."

"So I heard," Nick replied. The gun floated back to him, and he caught it in one hand. "Just had to make sure you weren't going to change your story under pressure."

Nick's cell phone vibrated, and he took it out. When he saw who it was, he opened it up and answered it.

"Pinky, what's up."

He heard no answer, though, and when he looked at the phone, he saw it had dropped the call. Sighing, he shut the phone and put it back into his pocket. He shifted the gun to his left hand and replaced it in his belt.

"I can let you use my phone, if you'd like, to call him back," the man said. Nick nodded in appreciation, and the man led the way back up the stairs, with Kira and Nick in tow.

When they got into the living room, the man tossed Nick a cordless phone. "Call whoever you need to, talk as long as you want. I gotta go pick Emma up." He inclined his head to Kira in a show of respect, shook Nick's hand, then went out the back door.

Nick dialed Cassie's number, but didn't get an answer. He left a quick voicemail, telling Cassie that he and Kira were okay and that they would catch up with them as soon as possible, then hung up. He looked at Kira and smiled.

"Guess we might as well head back then, eh?"

Kira nodded, and the two of them walked out of the house together.

Meanwhile...

Cassie's phone rang as she was stepping out of Pinky's car. The caller ID read "Unknown Number" and she shut the phone angrily. A few moments later, her voicemail ringtone sounded, but she ignored it.

She and Pinky went up to the ancient, decrepit house that she had instructed him to drive to.

"Why are we here?" Pinky asked, wrinkling his nose at the stench of something dead in the yard.

"I already told you, because we're going to see Emma," Cassie replied testily. "She's a Watcher friend that I knew from years ago, and she might be able to help us find out where Nick is."

Cassie was about to knock on the door, when it opened slightly.

"You two should not be here," a voice inside hissed urgently. "Division is watching this place like hawks."

"Then let us in!" Cassie responded.

The voice was silent for a moment, then spoke: "Wow... I almost didn't recognize you, Cassie." The door opened the rest of the way. "Get in, quick!"

Cassie and Pinky ducked inside the house. They had no idea how she was going to help them, but at that point, one thing was clear.

Their options were running out. Quickly.

Well I hope you enjoyed this latest update. Hope to not take two years to post chapter seven... ^^;