heeeyyy guys... so, um, yeah. i'm still alive. miss me? :)

for a long time i kind of thought i wouldn't write another chapter and i'd just leave the story where it was, suspense and all, but you guys didn't give up! random new people commented and subscribed and demanded more, so here we are. thanks for sticking it out :)

p.s. im super sick right now so if anything doesn't make even a little bit of sense- let me know. i'll fix it!

Alek

Blood. Everywhere. Trust me, I've seen wounds before, but this one's like nothing I've ever seen, and I don't think it's because it's the first time I've witnessed Chloe with bullet wedged inside her skull. Though, trust me, the image is taking all of my strength just to stand upright. Taking a few staggering steps closer, I stand directly above her and reach a quivering hand to touch her beautiful, pale, porcelain face. Jasmine looks up at me with blood shot eyes, and tears spill openly down her face.

"Jazz..." I whisper softly, trying not to let what's happening puncture through the numb shield I just created in the hallway.

"I just... I don't know what... I was supposed to..." Her voice breaks with every sentence she gasps out and before I know it she's sobbing into my chest. Instinctually, I wrap my arm around her back and make soothing noises, but my eyes and heart are on Chloe. I have to blink a few times, long and hard, because it seems like the impossible is happening right in front of my eyes. C'mon Alek, your whole life is impossible. Don't let reality trap you now.

"Hey. Hey, Jazz," I shake her lightly and tilt my head towards Chloe. "Look."

"I know, Alek," she cries. "Don't make me see it again, I can't..." her voice leads off in agony.

"No. Jazz, look." I say with more force this time, using both of my hands to shift her shoulders so she's standing directly in front of the bed. She slowly tilts her head up and brushes away the wet hair that was sticking to her face, and I hear an inaudible gasp.

And then we both watch as Chloe's forehead stitches itself slowly, her body mending on its own in a way only the Uniter's can. We witness the color slowly making it's way throughout her body, leaking its way through like permanent marker, as her system gives itself permission to live again. We stand there and we watch because we realize that we are entirely helpless. Jazz and I can only do our best to protect the Uniter, but once she's been hit, it's up to her to bring herself back to us. Breathless, I fall to my knees and grab one of Chloe's slender wrists, clutching her fingers in between mine. Jasmine still stands to my side, stunned, and I hear her muttering old Mai incantations that sometimes the healers use to thank Bastet for helping in a time of desperate need.

"It's ok, kitten," I whisper. "You're safe now. Return."

Simone

She stalled a few blocks away, fighting between the panicked need for survival and the growing desire within her to see the Uniter permanently destroyed. Straining to see behind her binoculars turned on the closest setting, she could barely make out the two Guardians standing together. It was a blurry image and certainly nothing she would depend on in normal circumstances, but for now it would have to be enough. She quickly pocketed any weapons that she was holding, and pulled out a long curly black wig with side swept bangs from her bag. If the Mai were half as good as she had been taught, they would have their soldiers out on the lookout for her. Therefore the first step was not to be her. Fake ID, fake social, fake identity. Simone might have been a Mai murderer, but Rachel Roseberry was a sweet, innocent new teacher, desperate to make her way through teaching her first high school classes. The principal had reminded her the day before to keep a special eye out for Alek Petrov, a brilliant mind. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered, she didn't need to be warned, he had been her number one target since her father had been murdered.

Brian

Enough, I'm done. I've never felt so in control in my life, as I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and automatically dial Jessie's number. I feel sick as I hear her voice and mine, playfully bantering as we remind the caller to leave a message.

Beep

I take a deep breath and begin talking before I can stop myself. "Look, I don't know how you know what you do, but I'm starting to realize that everything you've been saying is just a big bluff and I'm tired of playing puppet. I love Chloe and I'm not going to let you and your mind games get in the way of that. I'll figure out the answers on my own, find someone else to play with."

I quickly hang up, not giving myself the option of deleting my message or rerecording. I know it can't be this easy, and with a deep dread I prepare myself for the returning call.

i tried my best to leave this one on a happy note, just in case it takes me another few months or so to write another chapter (i really hope that doesn't happen, but with life you never know...) so hopefully i won't be getting comments that yell at me for making this story more suspenseful than the show xD

however i AM looking forward to getting comments that critique this chapter, the story in general or even my writing. you can even tell me your favorite parts if you'd like ^.^

remember- you inspire me to write, so keep up the inspiration!