There's a slight edit in Chapter 9, Sorry, I'm Not Sorry. It's not going to be important to later chapters, but it is significant to the story. It's near the end of the chapter, in case you're wondering. I forgot to add it in. Thank you for your cooperation.

Chapter 11: She's Alive?

"Why would you want to send me away?" Selena cursed under her breath when she saw the redhead standing at the bottom of the steps, looking up at her in shock. "Wh-when?"

"Hopefully, soon. It's a good thing I convinced your mother to have your passport made at an earlier time."

"My," Kyle repeated in surprise, "mother?" For her, it was rare for Selena to ever bring up her mother. It was a touchy subject for the two of them, and they didn't like hearing it, so it really was a surprise to Kyle when Selena said those words. She also wasn't aware that she had a passport...

"We're sending you to a boarding school. Away from here. Far away. You'll be fine there."

"Wait, what?" Did she say 'we'? Selena quickly turned and headed up, taking two steps at a time. Kyle shook her head of the initial shock and hurried after her, ignoring Kowalski, who was just as confused as she was. "Selena! Wait!" She took hold of Selena's arm and the two stopped in the middle of the upper level. The lady took her arm back, but didn't move or face her. "What are you talking about? My mother's alive? She's alive?" She didn't answer and Kyle felt tears coming to her eyes. "You told me she was dead! That she died in a stupid car accident! But she's alive?" Selena looked over her shoulder at her, her face solemn. "How could you hide this from me? I believed you!"

"And you don't have to anymore. Now get lost, kid." She snarled at the redhead before walking away, leaving Kyle sobbing on the spot.

"Selena..."

"Kalina," Kowalski placed a hand on the girl's shoulder but she shrugged him off and ran away. He sighed and watched her run out the door, followed by Private and Marlene. He saw Selena standing before an empty booth, staring blankly at nothing and he marched over to her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He snapped in her face but she didn't flinch, not even when he spun her around and slammed her onto the wall of a crystal booth nearby. "And what was that? Her motheris dead. Kathryn died in that 'car accident' years ago."

Her eyebrows creased deeply and she glowered at him.

"Not Katy. The other one. Penny. Penelope Wascher."

"Penny didn't marry Katy. Heck, Katy was fourteen when she was killed." Selena rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

"Doesn't mean Penny doesn't care. She does. She told me to split with the child before anybody could find out, most especially her dad. In any case, she's the one who adopted the girl the moment she could. I'm just the guardian. Why are you so concerned with her anyway? You've never cared about anyone but yourself."

"You're doing the same thing he did to me to her. You are leaving her alone. She doesn't deserve it, Selena."

"So you think her situation's similar to yours? It's not, Kowalski. Don't put yourself in it and stop with the pity. It's not working."

"I don't care what's working. You can't just send her away."

"Well, at least I'm thinking of her as still alive instead of dead while your father has plans for you to continue the regime. I doubt that has ever gotten out of your head. Do you plan on going back, K-"

"Don't you even insist on it. I refuse to be manipulated by a spawn of my father's."

"A spawn." Selena repeated in disgust, glaring at the man before her. "I didn't know I was such a disgusting creature to you."

"No, wait," he held a hand up and shook his head, trying to shake away the thought that had come up, "that didn't come out right. That wasn't what I wanted to say."

"Oh, we both know you speak your mind when you're mad. Don't deny what you've just said. I'm a SPAWN. In your father's cruel game of life and death."

"That wasn't-"

"I serve you and you alone, master." The lady hissed mockingly and Kowalski stepped back, shaking his head.

"Stop it."

"What's wrong, master? Can you not grasp the truth? Is it too much for you?"

"Selena..."

"You're supposed to call me 'bitch'. I'm your slave. That's how we play the game."

"Selena, stop. I don't, I don't-"

"You don't know what your father does, golden boy. You've been in the shadows too long, you don't know what he does up front."

"And you have? You've been locked up in a cage for weeks."

"So he lets you out...or in, shall I say?"

"No, no, he doesn't. I just wanted to check on you."

"Why?" She asked, the suspicion clear in her voice. "You could still hear my screams and cries, couldn't you? Why would you want to know what I look like when he-"

He suddenly cried out in Polish and glared at Selena. The female had her eyes wide open and she was staring at him like she'd never seen something like him before. He continued to talk rapidly in the same language, all the while, not noticing the drastic change in Selena from confident to cowering.

"Don't kill me." She murmured under her breath, though it wasn't audible to him at the moment. Her eyes drifted down and she started to shake. "Please don't kill me." She suddenly dropped to her knees and bowed down at his feet, snapping him out of his rant.

"What the."

"Please," she pleaded with clasped hands, still in a bowed position, "I'm begging you. I'll do anything."

His stance calmed a bit but he was confused at her behavior now.

"Selena?"

"I'll do what you want, please." She cringed when the man slowly got down on one knee and reached a hand for her face. "Don't do this to me."

"Selena, are you," he gently tilted her face up and his eyes widened at the sight of her glazed over ones, "are you there?" There was no emotion there, no sign of life. Like she wasn't even there at all. But her begging was real; the emotion in it was very raw.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I won't try to escape again, I swear. Please don't hurt me."

"Selena," he took hold of her arms and pulled her up into a sitting position, "it's me. Wake up."

"Please. I'll do anything. I'll, I'll, I'll-"

"Selena, wake up." He shook her a bit. "You're in New York."

"N-n-n-new," she stammered, still lost in her world, "Y-y-yo-y-york?"

"Yes, New York. In the Cast Out. You work here, remember?"

"Cast Out?"

"Damn the name of this place." He murmured under his breath before letting go of her, taking off his overcoat and folding the sleeves of his shirt. "How old are you?" She looked at him for a while before lifting a hand and counting on it. He felt his spirits drop and he shook his head, catching her attention. "Do you remember your birthday?"

"Birth-day? What..."

"Your name?"

"Ki-K-"

"Your real name. Not that...name." He sighed. "Your sister Callie?"

"Who?"

He finished folding his sleeves, even taking off the watch on one hand, and placed his hands on his knees as he knelt before her.

"Do you remember me?" She blinked at him, then shook her head. He nodded at this and lifted up his arms, making sure that they were beside each other and that she could see his wrists perfectly well. "Do you remember me, Selena?" She blinked again, but didn't shake her head. "Okay," he dropped his arms and moved closer, trying to see if the glazed look in her eyes was gone. It was. "Selena?" He shook her again. "Hello? Somebody there? Selena?" She just stared at him. "Do something! Anything!" She just continued to stare at him. "Slap me or something!" He looked down in defeat and looked back up, only to have a hand collide with his face. "...ow!" He held his cheek in shock while Selena pointed at him. Her eyes weren't empty now, and there was slight humor, probably from having the chance to slap him.

"You told me to slap you."

He blinked and dropped his hand, forgetting about the pain.

"Selena?" She looked around and raised a brow at him.

"Were you talking to someone else?"

"You're back! Oh thank you Isaac."

"Where," she looked around, "where'd I go?" She looked down at her bent legs. "And why am I on the floor?"

"N-nowhere, actually." He smiled sheepishly at him and quickly rolled his sleeves down while Selena watched in suspicion. "You kinda 'dropped' out of sight for a moment there, so it kinda looks like you went somewhere. Um," she looked up at him as he stuffed his watch into his pocket and proceeded to slip on his overcoat, "may I ask, when was your last visit to Melman?"

"Why'd I need to visit him? I'm fine."

"Right...maybe you should-"

"I know if I'm fine, alright?"

"Perhaps, but-"

"No. Why are you insisting? What happened?"

"Nothing."

After a few seconds of observing him, she crossed her arms.

"You're an idiot."

"And you're..." He started angrily, but quickly trailed, not wanting another 'attack' from Selena.

"What?"

"Nevermind."

"What is this?" The two looked up at a furious looking Julien, who looked worse, with his clothes all rumpled and his hair out of place. "A Japanese party? Get off my floor." Selena got to her feet, as did Kowalski, but the female grabbed Julien's shirt and pulled him close.

"Pipe down the tone, Jacobs," she snarled in his face, "or I swear I will call Javes back. You'll never hear the end of it." The Madagascan frowned deeply at Selena before pushing her hand away and walking away from the two.

He'd inquired about this so-called 'Javes' person, but she never answered him. Instead, she just picked up her tray and walked away, leaving him wondering. It was truly puzzling, but he didn't think Javes was important. He was probably the man Julien usually talk about, or to when Maurice and Mort weren't around once, that usually stayed in the corner and stared at him. He didn't talk about the man anymore thanks to Selena, which made Private feel better considering he had nightmares about the club's 'mysterious man'. And well, if Selena knew the man, obviously he was dead. Not that Kowalski believed that she could see the dead.

All the while, Skipper and Rico were there and they saw everything. The event surprised them but for the first time, Skipper didn't ask questions, adding on Rico's surprise. Perhaps Selena and Skipper had a connection he didn't know of. Somehow, that didn't settle well with him, and at the same time, he was glad they did. At least somebody cared for the Asian, aside from her best friend and Jay of course.

Just then, something Private said earlier entered his mind.

"Wait," Kowalski slowed the SUV to a stop beside the sidewalk and frowned at the boy, "what do you mean 'session'?"

Private averted his eyes to his hands. "Uh..."

"You've been getting tutoring lessons? From her?"

"She volunteered."

"And what am I? Deoxidized iron in chloride?"

The boy blinked at the man in confusion. "What?"

Skipper rolled his eyes and placed his hands on their seats, leaning forward so that the two would hear him.

"Could we just head to the lab already? Jay would have our rears if we don't get a start on that dead body." Skipper moved back and settled in his seat, looking out the window yet again while Private shivered at the mention of going into the morgue. They had just gotten the recent body from the latest crime scene and Private was doing his best not to puke at the image of the mutilated body that was embedded in his brain. He was going to have troubles sleeping again.

"Ah," Kowalski mumbled and set the car into motion, "forget it."

Barbie peeked an eye open, looked up at Rico, who was still sleeping, over at Skipper, who raised a brow at her briefly before turning back to the window and then at the rear view mirror. Kowalski was looking back at her but when he saw that she was awake all this time, he quickly looked away and stared at the road. Barbie frowned deeply, feeling the urge to kick the man out of the car, but remembered the oblivious Private sitting quietly an observing the outside world like Skipper. She shook her head and laid it on Rico's chest, closing her eyes. She made a mental note to kick the man's rear later, during training, for messing with her sister like that.

She saw what happened in the club; she wanted to run after Kyle but the sight of Kowalski cornering Selena caught her. Besides, Marlene and Private were already after the redhead, so she went to listen in. She was surprised at the quick shift in the Asian's behavior but she did have her suspicions about Kowalski being involved in the start of Selena's weird behavior, which only worsened just days after the encounter between the two. She already had sleepless nights due to the screams in the room next to hers but it was better than the guilt of not having Kyle being able to perform in school properly. She'd given her ear plugs to the redhead but it wasn't needed after the whole allergy incident. Selena had stuck to staying to the hotel room permanently, only coming to the apartment to help with chores, groceries or other things.

She wondered how Marlene handled it though. She was still her cheery self, but looking a little subdued. Surely she missed her friend too; it just wasn't too noticeable. She didn't particularly like Marlene, for some unknown reason, but it wasn't serious. Selena had commented that she was 'jealous' although Barbie just laughed it off. Now that she thought about it, maybe she was jealous of the brunette. After all, she didn't have to worry about someone wanting to kill her all the time and watch her back like an attack was coming soon.

Barbie suppressed a sigh and buried her face into Rico's side. Sometimes, she wished she was normal again. It was NOT normal to think that someone was going to kill you one day. It was worse when it came to Selena. Not only did she have an emotionally and mentally unstable sister but the lady was getting too jumpy nowadays. And, she still didn't know that Barbie was working for the SPA. If she knew, well, if. For now, she was still a 'computer consultant' to her, hanging out with her 'boyfriend' Rico.

She needed an excuse to hang out with the team after all. She wasn't great in science or strategies like Kowalski or Skipper and she did not like hanging out with people younger than her, she wasn't good with children, which meant that Private was out. So she had no choice but to announce to everyone that Rico was her 'boyfriend'. He was doing a good job of acting. Or, at least she thought it was acting. Sometimes it was hard to define if he was really acting or being very sweet when he kisses her on the cheek lightly or hands her a flower, specifically a pink daisy. How'd he know that? Did Selena tell him? They have been hanging out lately...

As if on cue, Rico opened his eyes slowly and stretched, before looking down at her like she was an insect. (Mind you, Rico loves insects.) His mouth curled into that crooked grin of his and he dropped his arms down.

"Mornin'."

"Uh, yeah. Morning."

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Why'd you ask that?" He nodded to her and she stared down at herself, clearly not understanding. She saw movement from the corner of her eye and looked up at Skipper, who was back to staring down the streets. She blinked and upon closer inspection, noticed a little red on his cheeks. "Why..." She blinked, looked down at the 'space' between her and Rico, at Skipper then back at Rico, before scooting away.

No wonder Skipper was looking at her like that; he didn't like public displays of affection, especially in his boundaries. But she'd been cuddling with Rico and she didn't even know it, so maybe he would be nice about it and not give her extra training...

"Uh," she licked her lips and continued to move away from him, "sorry. I was a little tired." Liar, as Selena would call you right about now. Or Chicken.

He nodded, a little sadly, and proceeded to look out the window on his side.

"'Tis okay." She looked away from him, feeling a little more than flushed. After all, she was guilty of giving Rico the notion that they could possibly be together. Not that it was impossible, but well, she didn't mix work with her relationships. The last time she did that, she got stuck with the name 'McHale', a hateful and pitiful reminder not to date again, and almost got Selena killed. Thrice. A fact that has angered Jay so much that he refused to let her change her name back to Valentine, even after getting the divorce down. Again, the name was a very hateful and pitiful reminder.

He's still not a bad guy, Callie... "No. Not again." Everyone, except Kowalski who took a look at her from the mirror, turned to her.

"What was that, McHale? Not again what?" Skipper inquired with the usual raised brow. Her cheeks burned even more and she felt like punching herself.

"Nothing..." She sang out softly, stared at her bag and pulled out her laptop, aching for something to do. "It was absolutely nothing, boss."