-Lightning-

I still didn't feel right, but at least I wasn't on the ground anymore. Or at least I don't think I was. Wherever I was now it was soft, and it felt cooler than it did before.

There was this annoying beeping coming from both sides of me, and there was something pricking my arm.

That's right..I'm not a car anymore… I slowly opened my eyes, wincing as light hit me. I looked around me.

I was in a hospital room, one for humans since I know Doc doesn't have anything to treat humans with...And I've been in that clinic enough to know it. I was in a bed, my jacket zipped open as a bunch of electrodes stuck to my chest trailing back up to the monitors.

It wasn't too different from Doc's clinic but it still was strange. Why was I here? I thought they wanted to leave me to die or something.

Ugh...What the heck is in my arm though? I looked down finding some sort of tubing sticking out from under a bandage hooked up to a bag of water. Or I hope it was water.

I reached up with my other hand tugging on it a little, pain shot up. "OW!" Note to self leave the weird arm tubing alone!

There was a knock at the door. "Hello?" A woman's voice called. "I heard someone yelp...Are we awake in here? The door opened a bit as the owner of the voice peered in.

She was fair skinned, different from how dark Maya was, and her hair was blonde with chunks of brown through out...And she looked pretty tired to boot.

"Ahuh…" I murmured. "M'up…"

Who is she..?

The woman came closer I could see a red cross on her collar. So she's a doctor...Or a nurse. "How do you feel?" She asked glancing to the monitors.

"Thirsty..Sore…" I winced bringing my hand to my face, it hurt just touching it. "And in pain.."

"That's to be expected...You got heatstroke, your recovering from it...And a pretty nasty sun burn too...Here." She handed me a glass of water.

Shakily I brought it to my lips drinking it. "Don't drink it too fast."

Too late, it was gone in seconds. For water it tasted amazing. "Thanks…Um...Do you have a mirror?" I asked.

She blinked. "Um...Hold on." She headed out. "HEY SHAYLIN! YOU GOT A MIRROR!?" She yelled down the hall. I winced.

Are all humans this loud!?

There was something yelled back as she caught something. "Thanks!"

I blinked wondering what that was all about. She brought something over flipping it open to reveal a mirror. "Here you go honey."

I took it looking at myself.

Honey blonde hair, that was messy, still had the same eye color I always had. Skin was tanned but really red on my face, sunburnt.

I was a human alright. Well guess I don't look too bad… "Thanks miss…?"

"Dr. Carmen."

"Thanks Dr. Carmen...Um..How long am I gonna be in here?"

"About a week at best."

I groaned sinking back down. Greeeaaat…

Dr. Carmen sighed patting my shoulder a little. "Hey your alive and your on the mend. You need to let your body heal...By the way..Got a name kid?"

"Lightning…" I yawned a little. "My name's..Lightning…"

"Well Lightning your in good hands...Try to get some sleep."

I nodded closing my eyes drifting back off.

I need to get home…

I need to get back to her…

Sally…
-N/A-

Sarah Hayes didn't know why things were turning out like this. She didn't know why their territory had been targeted for a race of all things.

Or why the plane that was helping them was now a human like them.

Things had been confusing. She was hoping her husband would help but he was being distant now. Staying away for long periods of time, or when he was home locking himself away, or keeping as distant.

Yelling at the kids. To which when they were out of the house she yelled at him for it. I don't understand...What is with him?

She wasn't sure and now he was doing something even more strange. Brody Hayes prided himself on being sober, he never had alcohol pass his lips before, but now any form of it in the house was gone.

It was during one of these binges that Sarah decided to do some investigating of her own. Brody was passed out on the couch, the kids and Dusty were in Propwash.

It was time to do some digging.

She went into their room looking around, going through things. She could smell something.

Something that was off. She knelt on her hands and knee's seeing something under the bed that wasn't there before.

A box, with something seeping into it. Pulling it out she looked to make sure Brody wasn't at the door. Opening it Sarah covered her mouth with both hands to keep from screaming.

Inside the box were parts...Machine parts, covered in oil and grease, gas. It's like blood...No…

It is blood….Machine blood. She felt sick to her stomach, why would he have this?

WHAT did he do to get these parts? And...WHO did he get them from?

A tractor? A harvester maybe?

She quickly closed the box and shoved it back under the bed. She looked up and jumped.

Andy was in the doorway looking worried. "Mom? What's wrong?" He whispered coming closer.

Sarah shook her head trying to breath deep to keep calm. "Nothing, nothing baby boy...Why're you back so early?"

"Olivia's tired, but since we could smell the stuff on dad we decided we're gonna go stay at Grandpa's for the night...Just wanted to make sure your safe…" Andy said quietly before starting to head out.

Sarah lunged up and pulled her son into her arms, holding him tightly.

"Andy…you know I would never put you kids in danger…" She whispered.

Andy felt tears prick his eyes. He brought his arms around his mother, he could feel her shaking. "I know...But I don't trust DAD not to...He's not himself…" He whispered back before pulling back.

Sarah nodded. "I'm...Going to talk to him...Give him a chance to make things right." She promised although she wasn't sure she could keep this one.

"If he screams at Livvy one more time I'm gonna beat him." He promised heading out and picking up his bags heading out to where Dusty and Olivia waited.

Sarah waited until she was sure they were gone before closing the door and locking it.

Turning she leaned against the door sinking to the ground. "Brody…" She whispered bringing her knees to her chest as a quiet sob escaped her.

"What have you done?" She asked knowing no answer would come.

WHY did you do it?

She couldn't do anything yet.

She could throw him out if she wanted to, but what if he just came back for revenge?

What if he really was just sick? She could find a doctor...She could get him some help.

She was too scared to look through the rest of the room.

"Sarah?"

NO!

-Brody-

I had a migraine, no...A hangover, I was stressed out they wanted me to develop more processes for the device. Program more then just car and plane into it. I managed to get more machines loaded into it but it wasn't easy.

I had never drank before in my life. Now the substance was a creature comfort, a numbing agent.

I could drink it as long as I wasn't going to be build up an immunity to it. I should tell Sarah...But I can't.

I want to but I can't.

They would be in danger if I told them. I have to hide it. I know I've said and done things I'm not proud of.

I know I accidentally locked Olivia out during a thunderstorm, it was an accident not intentional like Andy claimed.

I had threatened to shoot the dog.

This was all the alcohol talking. I was in a haze the entire time. Now I was awake again, feeling hung over and I could hear the bedroom door lock.

Getting to my feet I knocked quietly. "Sarah?"

I heard a gasp.

"GO AWAY!"

Was Sarah...Crying?

"Sarah? Sarah please...I'm sorry if I did something to hurt you…"

It went quiet before she opened the door.

"...You need to stop drinking. You're scaring the kids...You're scaring me…" She said peering out not opening it fully. There were tears running down her face.

That hurt, I hated to see my wife in pain. I hadn't seen her this upset since…

Since her brother died...

Jason Aldridge was her brother, her big brother whom she was so close to. He was the god father for Andy and was to be the same for Olivia...But he had been killed before Olivia was born. She never knew him.

She had been heartbroken, and I was worried that from how stressed she was that she might miscarry.

Thankfully she didn't but...It still was painful to see the woman I loved hurting so much.

"Sarah...I'm sorry…" I swallowed hard. "I...I didn't mean to…"

She growled this time. "I didn't marry you to marry a verbally abusive drunk!" This time she slammed the door open.

Her light brown hair had a white streak in it, as if something had scared her half to death. Her blue eyes that Olivia inherited flashed at me in anger.

"Sarah…" I backed up a bit putting both hands up. "Calm down...Your just tired…"

Sarah looked at me for awhile as her expression changed from rage, to hurt, to...Sadness.

"Brody...The kids are afraid of you...They're at my parents house because...Because they're afraid of you hurting them...You threatened to shoot Andy's dog, that dog you GAVE him when he was fourteen...To make him happy...You screamed at Olivia and told her to stop whining

when she tried to ask you not to go...She wanted her daddy...But Brody…" Sarah explained her voice tense and cracking.

That hurt...I knew better.. I shouldn't have been acting this way. Olivia and Andy were everything. I loved them so much.

But..She was right. This wasn't right.

I knew better.

I had made my children afraid of me. I had made my daughter cry.

I stumbled back.

"Sarah...I...I'm so sorry.." I swallowed hard.

Sarah shook her head. "Don't give me that...Make yourself sorry by becoming the man I married and had children with again. I'm going to my parents house to be with my babies.." She went to the door and grabbed her favorite green jacket...The jacket I gave her.

"Brody...I want to love you...But my children come first...You don't talk to me anymore…"

"Sarah wait!" I tried to grab her arm but she took off.

I watched her disappear down the street.

Sarah….

SARAH! I sunk to my knee's lowering my head. "SARAH PLEASE!" I screamed as it echoed.

Nothing followed. The dog growled at me from where he lay. "...Go find Andy…" I mumbled.

The only command Theo listened to from me these days was to go find his owner. He happily trotted out the door.

I was all alone in the house now. My chest felt tight, my eyes stung.

I closed the door gingerly and went to the kitchen picking up a bottle of brandy. Only this time I wasn't drinking it.

I chucked it out the window as it broke against the house next door. "AUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

What have I done?

What can I do?

...I know…

I went to our room and started to pack. If they wanted me to work...I would work. And I would be different this time.

If my kids hated me...Then I would leave. If my wife hated me, I'll leave.

As long as they were safe...As long as they knew nothing about what I'm really doing.

They'll be alive and safe.

I left locking the door and dropping my house key into the mail box.

I had left notes on the kid's beds and one on Sarah's trying to apologize.

I'm taking back control...While I still have it.

-Olivia-

I was sleepy, but I was too hungry to sleep. Grandma was making chili and cornbread so we were gonna have dinner soon at least.

We were sitting in the living room, Andy was polishing a rifle for Grandpa since he promised to pay him for it.

Dusty was reading a book but he was looking up every now and then.

I was looking at the pictures on the shelf.

There was pictures of Grandma when she was young in her wedding dress. She was so pretty…

And pictures of Grandpa holding mommy when she was a baby. There was pictures of someone else too.

Mommy said he was our guardian angel. His name was Uncle Jason and mommy said he was watching over us.

"Hey...What'cha looking at?"

I looked over to Dusty and quickly grabbed a picture off the shelf and ran back over.

"Looking at pictures...I wanna show you this one though." I smiled handing him the frame.

Dusty looked at it frowning thoughtfully. "Who's this?" He asked.

"It's Uncle Jason...He's in Heaven…He was mommy's big brother...Like Andy's mine…" I said quietly not wanting to upset anyone.

"Oh...I'm..I'm sorry…" He whispered.

"Don't be..I wanted to show you him cause...He's our guardian angel..He's watching over us...And I think he sent you us cause he knew we needed help."

"Olivia…" He set down the picture pulling me into a hug.

I hugged him cuddling close. "I love you…"

"I love you too…" He held me close. I was really happy...I had two brothers now...Andy and Dusty.

"Big brother.."

I was really tired though, I wound up falling asleep...But I felt safe.

I had my brothers…

I wish I had daddy back though…

Could you bring him back Uncle Jason…?