Hey, I'm back! Libra didn't kill me, although I didn't get a chance to update yesterday. And I won't be updating tomorrow either, I'll be outta town and away from a computer, sorry. Okay, I promise a really long chapter today to make up for yesterday and tomorrow. So today's chapter has solid information on the kidnapping and the usual treachery of the 'coats (my nickname for scientists). And a small Fang/Libra moment. Read on my readers, you guys make me soo happy! Here's a tiny recap...

Previously in The Lost Experiment: Libra's story...

"C'mon, let's go." Libra snapped, leaping from the tree, her glare could've killed, "I want to get out of here."

Iggy got an odd smile on his face, well not odd for him but weirder than normal.

"Good morning to you too, Libra." he called, still smirking.

Libra paused midrant. She looked torn almost, she sighed. Turning to Iggy she said, "Good morning, Iggy. Did you sleep well?" She sounded almost pained to be so pleasant.

"Probably no better than you, heard you tossing all night. Did you end up sleeping in a tree?" Iggy asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, I did." Libra looked almost ashamed to admit it, "Leaves made it worse, ya know. Damn rustlin' all the time." she actually smiled.

"Yes, I understand. I get it all the time, my sensitive hearing is a life saver some days and others it just drives me mad." Iggy laughed, normal again.

Fang watched the two seep into a normal conversation, as if the tension had vanished at Iggy's greeting.

"I bet, you know what? I am hungry, can you pass me something?" Libra said, sitting beside Iggy.

"Do you really want it thrown at you? Don't ever say 'pass me' to Fang or Gazzy, I've learned that the hard way. You say hand me, not pass me." Iggy explained, glaring in Fang's direction.

"Eh, she's new. I'll cut her some slack, Ig." Fang spoke up, handing Libra the pack with food.

After that everything was normal and the three took of a few minutes later.

Fang POV

Libra flew at point with Iggy and Fang flanking her. She was yet again silent, she did that a lot when she was thinking. Fang hoped she wasn't worrying again, she was always worrying about one thing or another. Like Max, Fang thought wryly.

"Where are we going anyway?" Iggy called from beside Fang.

"Creston, Iowa. Home of the farmers!" Libra called back proudly.

"Do you know where that is?" Iggy asked, turning his head in Fang's direction.

"Why do you think she's leading?" Fang answered with his own question.

"Oh, right." Iggy muttered.

Fang looked beneath them at all the crop fields around the area. They had to be getting close. There were very little roads down there. Must not be a lot of people.

"This is it, guys! Down!" Libra yelled, rocketing earthward herself.

She was so graceful up to the landing point, then she stumbled and got a face full of grass, again. Fang heard her cursing herself under her breath, he couldn't help but shake his head, chuckling quietly. Iggy landed with Fang and hung onto his shoulder. "Well, is this your house?" Fang asked.

They had landed in the backyard of a regular house. It was a white painted house, two stories. Pretty normal, nothing sketchy, nothing that screamed : I used to be home to a mutant freak! Fang thought he heard Libra mutter something about "Was, and only was." Maybe he imagined it.

"Yep," she said, walking toward the front of the house," Oh good, Dad's not home, he's quite an overreactor. My brother will be on the other hand, consider yourselves warned." Fang could practically hear her roll her eyes," And my mom... of course is home." Her voice trailed off there.

Fang followed Libra to the front door, where she knocked. A woman opened the door and smiled. She had short brown hair like Libra and she had brown eyes. She looked like an older version of Libra, except the eyes. The woman seemed nice, not crazy or evil, but then again so did Jeb and he had abandoned them. Shut up, don't think of that here. Fang scolded himself, and shook his head to dislodge the thought.

"Valla!" the woman cried, coming outside.

She embraced Libra warmly, using her old name. She ruffled the girl's hair and turned to Iggy and Fang.

"Valla, who is this?"

"Um, Mom." Libra searched for words," um, this is..."

"Nick." Fang supplied, extending his hand, "This is Iggy."

Libra shot Fang a look that said 'thanks so much', and Fang returned it with a nod.

"I'm Julieanne, by the way." the woman told them, shaking Fang's hand.

Then she led them into the house. A kid, probably Gazzy's age, sat on the floor immersed in the cartoons he was watching. Fang sat on the couch and Libra sat next to him. Iggy stood still by the door, as Julieanne took her seat.

"Iggy, why don't you sit with Nick and Valla?" she asked warmly.

"Um, where?" Iggy asked, calmly.

"On the couch, where else?" Julieanne laughed, thinking this was a joke.

"Okay, can you tell me where that is?"

"Can't you see it?"

Libra sat up ready to say something, but Fang held her back. Libra's mom should find out herself.

"Nope."

"Oh, come now. This isn't funny anymore, have a seat." Julieanne thought this was getting old.

"Oh, it's funny is it?" Iggy said, turning on the sarcasm," Sure sure, to who? Not the blind kid, I'm sure."

"Oh! Oh my God. I'm so sorry Iggy. I- I- I didn't know." Julieanne stammered, visibly upset.

"Mom, stop. It's all good, my bad. I forgot to mention it." Libra stood and took Iggy's hand to show him where to sit," Here, Iggy. Sit, and please, relax. You're, like, really tense."

This is when the little kid realized that there were people in the house. His hazel eyes got real big behind his glasses as he took in Iggy and Fang, but when her turned to Libra he practically leapt to her and gave her a hug.

"Jeezums, boy. Didn't miss me did ya?" she teased, ruffling the boy's sandy auburn hair," Didn't have anyone to beat you at your own video games, huh?"

She laughed as the boy playfully pushed her. Then, Libra's mom ordered the boy to the floor, which he obeyed.

"That's Ian, my annoying yet sweet little brother." Libra whispered to Fang.

"Um, Valla?" Julieanne started.

"Mom, it's Libra now." Libra interrupted, with a slight curl of her lip.

"Oh. Libra, I guess. What brings you home with your, um, friends."

"News, Ma. News. As in the kidnapping of Laron, Matt, and Beth." Libra said, sternly.

"Do you know anything about it?" Fang spoke up.

"Well, you see they used to come by everyday," she started,"asking if Valla -I mean- Libra had come here yet. I always had the same answer, Laron always seemed the most down by this. I always invited them in, but they refused. It always was like that."

"Mom, when did you last time you saw them?" Libra asked, seeming distracted.

"The day before they were gone, all three came and asked about you. When I invited them in, they did accept. They said if you ever come back to tell you everything, they didn't think they'd be around when you did return."

"Okay, Mom. Have you told anyone else this?"

Julieanne shook her head, slowly. She looked sad.

"Thanks, Mom. Now, you can go back to what you were doing. Nick, Iggy, and I'll be upstairs. Don't you bug us, Ian."

The boy sheepishly grinned as they passed, Fang made sure he had Iggy this time.

Libra POV

I led the way to my bedroom, hoping it was still my bedroom. It was. I let the boys in and they sat on my bed. Which was still unmade, the way I'd left it. Everything was the way I left it. Except one thing, just inside the door on the ground was am envelope with my new name written on it in elegant script.

"What's that?" Fang asked.

"Dunno," I murmured, sitting on the floor.

I opened the envelope and my heart sank and skipped a beat at the same time.

"Libra," I read aloud," this is your one warning. You have left the Institute before we could finish our tests. If you do not return to complete them, by Sunday May eighteenth, your friend's lives will be terminated."

I gulped, holy crap (coulda said worse). Today was the sixteenth, we had two days left!

"Holy crap! What's this?" Iggy yelled suddenly.

Both Fang and I jumped, we were so immersed in the letter that we'd forgotten Iggy. I looked up see a rather fluffy silver tabby cat rubbing against Iggy's hand.

"Oh, that's Athena. My tabby, don't worry. She's nice." I assured, I placed his hand on Athena's back and she purred, "See?"

Iggy smiled and pet the cat. He was totally distracted, I sighed. I turned back to the letter and Fang who was clearly thinking about ways around the deadline.

"So, we have to get outta here and get to the School by Sunday. Wonderful." Fang mumbled.

"Yeah, pretty much." I sighed, I wanted to stay home a few days.

"Well, let's go!" Fang said.

I nodded, finding my old backpack. I stuffed clothes in the bag and my cell phone (I hoped it was charged), and I grabbed Athena from Iggy. I straightened her baby blue collar, touching the heart shaped name tag.

"C'mon, 'Thena. I've lived without you long enough." I put Athena in the top as she purred and mewed.

Fang rolled his eyes at my choice of the cat, but hey she meant something ok? We trumped down the stairs, told my mom bout us leaving, and after some protest she let us go. She did send us off with food though, ya gotta love concerned moms. Then, it was up and away, as Fang called it. I'm glad my mom didn't watch, I really didn't want to explain. Not now anyway. Fang, Iggy, and I flew as fast as we possibly could trying to get some ground made up.

Now, I was worried. Two days, to get to California! We wouldn't make it, the logic didn't allow it. Finally at nightfall, Fang suggested we rest and fly all day tomorrow. I agreed, though it made me feel defeated. Upon landing, I made a fire and let Athena out to play. Iggy took a real liking to the cat. He wanted to see what she looked like, so as reluctant as I was, I showed him. He ended fallin asleep next to the cat.

When Iggy was asleep, I sat by the fire with Fang. My thoughts wandered to my friends, their safety, and our deadline. I was probably hypervenilating, because Fang put his arm around my shoulders. He smiled at me, and I blushed. My thoughts suddenly shifted to him.

"What're you thinking of, right now?" he asked, glancing my way.

"You." I breathed, I couldn't lie.

Fang chuckled, "Really?"

I nodded, wondering what torture I had set myself up for now.

"What about me?" Fang asked.

"How you act and how you care for me before Iggy showed up." Again, I couldn't lie. Damn Fang.

"Oh, yeah. I gotta make up for all the time I've lost. Will this work?"

Before I could ask what he meant, his lips were on mine. It startled me, but it was better than Iggy or Laron combined. I leaned into the kiss, loving it. So, this is what Fang was aiming for before. I could deal with this.

"What the-?" Iggy bellowed, waking up.

Fang and I broke apart, he looked embarressed. I felt terrified, I retrieved my cat and pack and shot straight up. I flew in the direction of the School. I was probably on my own now, those two would fight. I'd have to save my friends from my arch enemies, alone... fun. Stupid teenage hormones, dumb blasted guys, flippin ackward kisses. My rant went on in my head. That's when I saw the lights of the school.

Dun-dun-dunnn! Haha, wow how was that for an apology? That's a heavy chapter, (hehe 80's term) what with the Fang thing and meeting Lib's mom and the evil note from the whitecoats. I still need OCs, haven't gotten anything yet. Review or PM me with ideas. Oh, yeah if any of you have read my story, The Flock, Hermilo, and I , then you probably recognized Libra's brother, Ian, as Hermilo. Who is truly my brother, sadly. He's much better in this than when he's Hermilo. Haha. Anyway, review.

Gazzy: Iggy likes cats?

Me: I dunno, I made that up.

Iggy: Of course you did, didn't care to even do research on me huh?

Me: Hey, at least I brought you back. Not like JP who left you at the E house.

Gazzy: She has a point, Iggy.

Iggy: Stay out of this, Gaz. So, you brought me back but Fang is still the main guy.

Fang: Only cuz I'm awesome.

Me: OMG, where are you guys coming from? You weren't here a second ago... uh oh.

Libra: Athena, calm down. We're in your head, remember? It's all in your head.

Me: Oh yeah. Okay, review and I'll bring back more characters to talk!

Flock: BYE!

Me: bye!