He was running late because he'd played one last game of G-Force with Andy, since it was one of the only ways he could chat with her anymore. They had some good smack talk when they played; it was a lot more fun than their regular phone calls or e-mails. Those just reminded him she was far away and depressed him.

Josh hurried downstairs and into the hallway, jumping the last three steps and used his arm to spin around the corner without slowing down. He called out, "See ya Mom, be back after four," before remembering that she was gone to a conference for the next three days. His dad was already gone to work too. His shoes practically put themselves on his feet; he really shouldn't have played that extra deathmatch. He sighed. A quick glance at his watch showed him he had less than five minutes to get to the Rack. He knew he could make it.

He pulled out of the driveway with the intention of speeding through the side streets when he noticed Amanda on her knees on the sidewalk a few houses ahead, her head in her hands. His foot itched on the gas pedal. He obliged it, but only to stop beside her. Without turning off the engine, he got out of his car and came up right beside her. Because they both worked at the Rack, he felt he knew her pretty well. It certainly helped that Kyle was dating her and she lived next door too.

"Amanda, you ok?" He put a hand softly on her shoulder. Work could wait a few minutes for her.

She turned to him, tears streaking down her cheeks. Her appearance stunned him. Without a word she rose to her feet. Still looking into his eyes, she said, "Thanks Josh. Go to work, I'll be fine."

"What happened?" He wasn't leaving that easily. She didn't look fine to him.

After a deep breath, she said, fresh tears forming as she spoke, "Kyle. We were in the kitchen when he collapsed. It looked like a seizure. I was going to call 911 when he took off after Jessi." She brought her hands to her eyes, "He ran like a machine, I couldn't keep up."

He ignored her last sentence; she was talking about her pod boyfriend, his brother. She should know he was barely human. "Is she in trouble?" When her breath caught in her throat and she stared into his eyes, he could see how badly he'd handled it. He tried to recover, despite being concerned for his sister Jessi. "That's how Kyle runs, I used to think he was an alien!"

No smile appeared on her lips, or her eyes. She shouted, "Kyle was on the ground in pain, grabbing at his chest, hyperventilating! When I got him lying down, his eyes started fluttering; his eyes moving back and forth really fast, I thought he was dying!" Shock rooted him; he'd never seen her so angry or upset. His instinct was to calm her down, make her laugh, or give her a hug, but he just couldn't do or say anything. His mind was blank. "I took two steps to the phone and he was on his feet as though nothing happened. He started running after calling her name..." After several sobs, she fell against him and clutched his shoulders and continued to cry.

He didn't wonder why he'd stopped for Amanda and he never completely forgot about work either, but when he appeared at the Rack thirty-six minutes late with a thoroughly soaked shoulder and a dishevelled Amanda in tow, their boss didn't ask any questions. He was thankful, and angry at his brother.

***

The wind whipped his hair as he ran as fast as he could. What normally took him on average five minutes sixteen seconds he had run in four minutes, three seconds. He felt empty, a gaping hole where Jessi had been in his heart. The hole even seemed to grow whenever he looked at it, it hurt so much.

He threw the door open and ran in, all his senses alert for danger. He immediately smelled that both Foss and Jessi had been there only minutes before, and that they'd left in Foss's black SUV. He could smell the exhaust; it irritated his sensitive nose. Despite this, he took a deep breath, searching for clues. Why would they leave in such a hurry, and more importantly what happened to Jessi? His eyes darted to the climbing wall, where her smell lingered. Maybe she had fallen...

"No," he whispered aloud as he breathed in dust and metal and plastics. He walked toward the centre of the large room. He smelled them both here but knew the scents could be misleading. In an enclosed space, even a large one such as this, when the sliding door had been opened to leave with the SUV, air currents would have surely moved scents around. He couldn't only rely on scents alone.

Nevertheless, he thought he smelled passion, lust even. There was also clearly anger and frustration. He identified Foss and Jessi to both have felt the anger and frustration but wasn't completely certain of the passion. It seemed like it was Jessi but it was so primal, he couldn't believe it had been her.

He looked around. The floor was painted cement, kept meticulous by Foss. The large climbing wall was to the right, and several tables heavily laden with psychology and sociology books were in the far corner. His elaborate computer system was hooked up in an adjoining room, locked. The door hadn't been touched in hours either he could tell that with his enhanced vision. There was no point in forcing the door when clues pointed elsewhere. If only there were clues! Nothing seemed amiss; this place just didn't change that much. Unless Latnok was on the move again; maybe it wasn't passion he smelled but euphoria. Maybe they'd been discovered and they were chasing down the person who'd found them. That didn't really sit well either.

Growing restless, he focused inward, toward the gaping maw for answers. From every angle, he could sense Jessi there one moment, and gone the next. The cut was instantaneous, of that he was certain. Yes, he was absolutely certain. He was concerned that it continued to grow but he dismissed it. She had to have fallen from the wall or maybe during their training she'd lost consciousness...

No, he interrupted himself. Even asleep he felt her there. The same would apply even unconscious. Only dead – he couldn't finish the thought.

He growled at himself. He needed to find her! He knew that if she were close to death, Foss would have left with her immediately without regard to cleaning up whatever accident had happened. But there was nothing there! They rarely left in the SUV; he hadn't even been in it in over six months. He dismissed his own recollection of the exact elapsed time.

He checked the entire warehouse for any sign he'd overlooked. He felt powerless. In all he felt that he wasted 23 precious minutes to confirm what he'd noted with his senses of smell and sight in less than two.

He went back outside. If Jessi were seriously hurt he'd have been contacted wouldn't he? He pulled out his cell and berated himself for not thinking it sooner. He felt so empty he wasn't surprised he'd not been thinking straight. Instead of coming here he should have called him right away. He punched in the code that Foss and he had agreed on for emergencies.

When he saw Foss's reply more than five minutes later he'd been panicking for four and a half. All his feelings dispersed when he read it. Utter disbelief was the only thing that seemed to register. He was supposed to have received a call immediately, or a return text indicating receipt of the message. Instead, he got the answer to a question he'd not asked, without mentioning its lateness. Which meant what exactly? He felt so empty, so sluggish.

His cell almost slipped from his slackening grip. He recovered just in time. Although he perfectly remembered the words displayed, he looked again before running home. He didn't care that he took 49% more time than average. He didn't care at all.

***

He didn't even go home. He first stopped at Amanda's house. Just as he knocked the door, he realized she wasn't there. Mrs. Bloom was though. She looked surprised to see him.

"I thought Amanda was with you," she said as she opened the door. There was suspicion in her voice.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Bloom," he paused. "I just remembered where she is; she's at work," he lied. He really hated lying – one reason was because he wasn't that great at it unless it was absolutely necessary.

He knew she didn't believe him. "You left her somewhere did you? She better be at work!" Her mouth opened as she was about to start yelling. At the corner of his mind he noted she enjoyed yelling at him, making him miserable. Instead of confronting her or telling her the truth, he simply backed away.

"I have to go." He raced into his house.

***

Why did he lie to her, Jessi thought as she eavesdropped on the short conversation from within her room. Where would Amanda be if not with Kyle? They were practically attached at the hip lately. She gritted her teeth; it felt so foreign not sensing Kyle but it was a necessary evil. She nodded to herself; that was certainly a fitting description. She had to agree with Foss that this was the best course. She also didn't feel like mauling the nearest guy because of something Kyle was feeling – for Amanda! It wasn't only embarrassing, but what if it happened while she was near several guys? Would she attack them all with her affection? She certainly trusted Foss but had no romantic inclinations whatsoever! It was like kissing Josh or Stephen!

Her jaw hurt but she bore it proudly. She wasn't fully dressed yet from her shower but that didn't bother her. She turned her back to the door when she noticed Kyle was rapidly climbing the stairs to her bedroom.

It surprised her that he didn't knock but simply burst in. He didn't waste any time, "Jessi, it's so good to see –"

"You didn't knock Kyle, what if I'd been naked?" Without her connection she couldn't tell if he even noticed she was only half dressed. Continuing to clenching her teeth, she put on her bra. She put on a black top and turned to him. His mouth was open, like a slack-jawed yokel. A fleeting thought passed her mind regarding TV as being a good source of popular expressions. When he continued to stand there, with a half smile of relief and a severely furrowed brow she began to question if she'd really had to sever their connection.

Her weakness was only for the briefest moments. Yes, it had definitely been necessary. She saw him struggling with himself already, his sense of smell getting the better of him.

She took a step forward, "Kyle, snap out of it!" She crossed her arms but stood ready to keep away from him if necessary. She knew all too well what they were both capable of. Despite her training and being generally stronger and smarter, she knew that with the right triggers he could do some wonderful things, like restoring her life. She pushed the thought away – it brought painful memories.

"You're safe."

She pursed her lips, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I hear you, and smell you," even without the connection she could sense the struggle, "but I don't feel you." His eyes pleaded with her for a valid explanation.

She couldn't give him the truth. She turned and said, "I love Declan." They both knew it was a lie the moment it escaped her lips. "You chose Amanda, you shouldn't be worrying about me."

"But Jessi," he started.

"I promised I'd be your friend and I am not going to change that. You should leave, you're feeling things you'll regret." She could scarcely believe she'd said that – if only he'd picked her! The intensity of the feelings looping through her would have then been welcome with open arms.

But now she had to push him away. "Go Kyle," she urged, while taking a step away.

He took three steps back, she could picture him at the top of the stairs when he turned to her and asked, "Why?"

"A necessary evil. I have to be free." To choose another she thought glumly.