Wow, sorry about slow updating, I totally forgot about this story for awhile! . Don't worry, it should be closer together now.

Okay, onto the story. I had planned on ending it last chapter, but all the reviews I got said I should continue, so I put together a new storyline, and tad a! It's sure to put our beloved characters in their most dangerous situation yet.

This chapter takes place four years after last chapter, don't worry, the next chapters after that are mostly fillers.

Oh yeah! Sorry about the angst in this one, it begins to lighten up after next chapter. I must warn you though, next chapter has some violence in it. A lot actually with the introduction of two canon characters.

Recommended Songs to Listen to While Reading This Chapter: I'm in Here (Acoustic/Piano) – Sia, Soon We'll Be Found – Sia, A Warning Sign –Coldplay, The Only Exception - Paramore

Chapter 20, Four Years

Church watched Cobalt as he stood on the front porch of the fourteen acre plantation. The sun was setting off beyond a willow tree behind the fence that their dog was in the middle of sniffing thoroughly, like it were made of steak or fried chicken. It was warm, birds flocking through the orange and blue November skies. It never really turned into winter in Texas, but it did get cooler than what the residents were used to, so to them it was freezing. As a matter of fact, it was currently 68 degrees and Tex was wearing jeans and a light jacket as she sat on the rocker on the porch. It creaked a little each time she rocked it back, making it somewhat annoying after awhile. Church could tune it out already and listen to the birds singing and the occasional roar of a car out on the distant road.

Out here, sometimes he felt as if they were the only two people in the world, but the cars kind of ruined that, so the thought was usually dismissed after a moment. He wondered if Tex ever felt that way, but when he saw her face, he knew she didn't. It was usually a frown or some other aggressive expression like always. She'd never changed, never would. He loved her for who she was though, not who she had the potential to be.

He sat down in his bench only a few feet away and it creaked in response. The heat from the steam rising from his cup of hot chocolate filled his nose and he closed his eyes.

"It's nice out tonight," she said, and his eyes opened again.

"Yeah, it is."

Cobalt barked in the silence and neither of them bothered to look at him, they knew he was just chasing a squirrel or raccoon. He did that a lot nowadays and there was nothing either of them could do to stop him. The time they'd tried, he'd half dragged them with him and half walked them. Tex had gotten angry, but Church had tried to stay calm for her. It wasn't easy and of course he lost it, but hey, it's the thought that counts.

"Are you going to do it?" she looked at him, unsure what to say. What the Chairman had said, how he'd said it, how urgent he'd sounded, how truly worrying it all seemed. It was true, she would need to be there, but of course, if it was a trick to deceive her, to get her killed, she shouldn't do it.

"I don't know yet, Church. The only way I think I'm going to know my answer is if things really go to hell in December as I've been told." He set his glass on the table between them and laced his fingers together behind his head, his face in a scowl. Would it be too late then? If it wasn't, what would happen to her? There was a huge chance this could tear them apart in a perfect outline, leaving nothing left. He didn't want that to happen and neither did she, but both of them knew as well that the world's protection was worth more than their love.

"Please don't go, I love you, Allison." She didn't look at him, instead choosing to glare out towards the willow tree whose strings hung down, shading the area around it and under. Why was he doing this to her? Saying he loved her now, begging her not to do this? Was he truly even more self-centered than she'd wanted to acknowledge?

She got to her feet and started inside, muttering two things over her shoulder to him in a harsh sound that he'd not heard in a long time. "Don't love me. I'm going to call Wash."

He turned away from her, offering a muttered "okay" and the door was shut.

It was as if they were going through what had changed, things for the real Allison and Leonard and it was strikingly and fearfully playing out the same as well. It seemed as if they were stuck on a straight and narrow pathway that led only to one destination, the same one, with the same aftermath and result. Church didn't want to accept this just yet, but it was painfully obvious.

Almost as if sensing his distress, Cobalt made his way over to him and lied at his feet, letting out a high pitched whine.

Church reached down and stroked between his ears and down his back a few times, the texture of his furr apparent.

The candlelight dancing on the walls, the smell of wine and the sounds of fizzing, it wasn't the scene f perfection, the scenes in movies or even how it seemed to be in Church and Tex's life where it was all as perfect appearing as a magazine cover. Maybe it was because they were AI, but everything they did seemed to go just as they anticipated and they never looked imperfect or odd. A hair never seemed out of place, fitting the image of perfect models. Life just wasn't that way for everyone else, leaving them to be out of place. Oh how could they have missed it? They were out of place like a red blotch on a white wall, but yet, they'd needed help to put together the puzzle. Sometimes they were very confusing to others for many reasons, meaning that it was only an outer appearance that was "perfect". It made sense. After all, they weren't really human.

"You look agitated." Wash looked at Mass over his glass of wine, the reddish liquid shimmering and reflecting the flames dancing around on their wax pedestals. It looked smooth.

She appeared with her long hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and blue eyes with the flames dancing in them. There was a grin on her face like there should have been on his, but it wasn't there. This had her worried instantly and was only concerning her further as he stared at her with an almost blank expression. It'd been so long since she'd gotten a stare like that, so harsh and raw and it was destroying the mood created by the candles and other two cups of wine they'd downed.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured, setting aside his glass on the table behind him by the arm of the couch. He neared her and put a hand on hers that was still holding the glass she was balancing on her knees. "I love you, I'm just thinking too much about what the Chairman said to me."

"What did he say?" His face went completely blank at her question as if it either made no sense or he couldn't tell her, either way, she doubted she'd find out what it was.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'll tell you about it, but right now I just want to forget about it." He tilted her head up to look at him and she gave him a smile. He took her wine glass and placed it next to his and leaned in to kiss her. She puckered her lips and let him kiss her. It wasn't more than a brush of the lips, but he didn't seem to want it to be simple. He moved forward to actually kiss her and she moved away.

"Please tell me," she said stubbornly.

"Megan, don't do this to me. One day of the entire year and you have to be like this now?"

"You're the one that let it bother you." He glared lightly but scooted closer, having her now against the arm of the couch.

"Don't do this. It's our anniversary. For once could you not be childish? Just this one time?" He knows how to start ad argument, she thought. Idiot must not even realize it.

His berating gaze stayed on her intently, almost intense. There was no reason to fight now instead of tomorrow, but it was going to bother him more now than then. So she decided against waiting even though it was most logical.

"Please…"

"Megan, I can't tell you." He leaned forward and she caught his eyes. There was no escape, they were like traps and he knew it. That's why he used them to his best ability. She let him kiss her this time, her eyes closing and her arms going around his neck.

She would find out with time, this he knew, especially if what he'd been told was in fact correct, but for now, he wanted to pretend everything was as it should be. For now, he wanted to pretend they were just newlyweds with nothing to worry about. He realized that this was foolish, that you can't run from your problems, him especially, but sometimes he just didn't want to have to worry about them. Times like now.

He went to kiss her neck, trailing kisses all the way.

The more he tried to ignore it, the more he found it was bugging him. All of it was just so damn urgent, but yet he didn't know how to handle it. The Chairman had seemed serious, but he just wasn't convinced. Let's face it, command wasn't exactly honest, so how was he supposed to trust them? Was it simply a matter that he didn't have a choice in? If the things he'd said were true, then no, he didn't really, but if the things he said were a lie, then he had all the choice in the world.

"David?" He hadn't realized he'd stopped with his lips near her neck. "Are you alright?" She put her hand under his chin and he let her force his head up to meet her eyes.

He looked almost panicked, but cold as well. She looked concerned now.

"I'll be right back." He pushed himself away from her and got up, heading for the bathroom. She watched after him, her brows furrowed in worry.

He was really starting to worry her now. What had been said in that meeting? It had him all worked up, and he was pretty good with dealing with those sort of things. So whatever it was, it had to be pretty bad.

He locked and shut the door, turning on some cold water and splashed his face with it. The cool water seemed a lot colder once it hit his face.

There was too much to take in. How was he supposed to feel about this? More importantly, what the hell was the Chairman thinking if he's joking? Or if he's tricking them? You don't fucking joke about the extinction of an entire species, especially the one you're a part of. Everything seemed to be pointing towards that he was telling the truth, that everything he'd said was true, but still, Wash wasn't so trusting, he would be cautious about this, no need to jump to conclusions.

As he thought the last part, he found himself angry and stupid. No, there was a need, a hell of a lot.

He saw himself in the mirror, he looked kind of pale, angry too with rage in his eyes and a scowl. It'd been a long time since that image had been staring back at him, it was cold, heartless, he hated it and he knew that Mass would too. All he wanted was a normal life now. His enlistment had been over for two years now and it had seemed like he was just now adjusting to it and then this has to happen. All he did now was the occasional mission and paperwork.

"Damn it." He tightened his hands to fists and just as he went to turn away, the door creaked. Mass peered in.

He sighed, she could pick that lock without having to really try, of course.

"Tex is on the phone." She held her arm out through the crack with the phone in her hand, trying to look cute. She gave him her cutest puppy-dog eyes and looked as innocent as she was capable. Which was a lot, by the way.

He took it from her, giving her a few glances before holding it up to his ear. "Hello?"

"We need to talk, like, now. Meet me at the Director and Maine's old base in an hour," Tex ordered. She didn't care what the hell he was doing as long as he would come and meet her. Besides, this was a lot more important than whatever he was doing, that she was sure of.

"I'll be there." He turned the phone off and left the bathroom, Mass following him around like a lost puppy, or a kid left out of the loop for a surprise birthday party. For the most part he ignored her, but she was his wife and ignoring her wouldn't be easy.

"What's going on?" He set the phone on its charge and turned to her on his heel.

"I have to meet Tex."

"You're leaving on our anniversary?" He hesitated, not knowing what to say, because, yes he was. It just didn't sound right to say, "Yes, I'm leaving, Honey".

He put his arms around her first and she rested her head on his chest. He felt the warm of her, he knew she was there, but inside he felt alone and empty.

"Why don't you get a bath and watch a movie? I'll be back, I promise, and I'm all yours for the evening." She didn't say anything for a moment, but when she did speak, her voice was full of hurt. He'd never intended to hurt her, but he didn't have a choice in this matter. What was happening was so much bigger than what she could ever imagine.

"Okay, go hang out with Tex then." She pushed away from him and started for the kitchen. He hurried after her as she continued. "Just don't expect me to be here when you get back." She reached into the bowl on the counter, scooping up her keys and heading for the door without pause.

"Megan, please don't do this to me," he pleaded, following after her as he scooped up his own. "I love you so damn much, you can't hurt me like that." He could already feel the hurt in his chest, from what she was doing and she wasn't even touching the door yet. How could he just ignore this? How could he just pretend this wasn't happening? But what else could he do? Tex needed to talk to him and he needed to talk to her. Most people would say that talking on the phone would be his best alternative, but there was no way in hell that he could take the chance someone could overhear from bugs or by hacking phone companies. This was too major to get out from this circle, and he was pretty sure everybody else knew that as well.

"You don't act like it," she sniffled. "You always leave like this. And you won't help me with-"

"Look, I have my reasons for everything, but I promise you I'll be better. After tonight. I'll make it all up to you." She stared up at him with tear filled eyes.

"You'll…?"

"If it makes you happy," he complied reluctantly, bowing his head.

"But you'll be happy too?"

"Of course. If you're happy, then I'm happy. And if that's what will make you happy…" She saw in his eyes, even though there was some cloud for possibility for the future. She saw other eyes in his.

"I love you." She leaned into him and he wrapped his arms around her, wondering if he'd ever get the chance to make good of that promise. Time was running out, too quickly, but only if what the Chairman had said was true.

He felt like crying despite himself as he thought of her dead, as he thought of the possible outcome to all this. It felt like payback, like his sins were being paid for one by one with the people he loved. It was all wrong, even Tex could see that, and she was the goddess of darkness. But anyone who knew felt their darkness being lit up, reality taking hold. All of it seemed unrealistic, surreal, but yet it made sense. A nightmare as reality. As it began to settle in, he began to shake, his legs weak and he couldn't choke back the sobs rocking his body.

She looked up at him, confused by his cries, hoping it was happiness, but one look at his face showed that it was pure horror. "What did he tell you?" she asked shakily, knowing she'd never seen him sob like that. Not even when his father had passed away a couple years ago. It was utterly terrifying.

"I have to go," he choked out before leaving, not bothering with a proper goodbye. This was more than terrifying.

She felt panic surging in her body, heart rate rising and her breathing quickening. What was she supposed to do?

As he drove his car through the streets towards the abandoned facility, he couldn't help but imagine his horrors were coming to life before his eyes, dark black skies, a pitch black ground and lighting flashing. Hail began to pellet the ground the size of golf balls.

Before he could finish, he heard a honk and slammed on the brake, making him jolt forward a little. If he hadn't stopped, he would've hit the car right in front of him. It was a mere couple feet from the hood of his car.

Muttering a curse, he made a point to try and keep focus. His tears dried and darkness eclipsed in his mind. The massacre, the possibility of it, was incomprehensible. Billions, probably trillions dead.

He bit his tongue imagining what that might look like, he might throw up if he kept thinking about it. Their pale faces, bloodied carcasses. It was hideous.

His phone ringing startled him a moment later. "Hello?"

"Are you coming?" Tex demanded, sounding a little sick herself.

"I'll be there in a couple minutes."

"About time! Tucker and CT are already here. You feeling okay?" He paused.

"I'll be fine."

"You better be." And she hung up on him. But he didn't know that for sure. He couldn't stop imagining it. All of it.

Any questions? Comments? Something bugging you or find a misspell I missed? Please, let me know, the review button is just below this. ^^

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