Sorry for the long update. I haven't had internet for a while. I just got it about two days ago, but I couldn't get on (my dad). Anywho, I know it's weird that I'm updating on Christmas, but I have nothing to do so it's the best timing. I have almost all of the next chapter written, and all of the chapter with Skye and Sarah, where pretty much Skye's whole story with her is pulled together. I also have a TON of music videos to upload on my youtube account (prettygirlstory). You may want to check that out ig you like music vid's (They're mostly pokeshipping (yay!)). Anyway, I hope you enjoy this episode and have a great Christmas Day. Thanks for sticking with this story!

Later everyone!

PG17

"Was it the third right?"

"No."

"Yes."

"It was the third right?"

"No it wasn't. It was the second right and the third left."

"You have it backwards!"

"Quiet you two!"

Ash sighed and Misty turned away at Gary's outburst.

"It was the second left and the third right." Gary moved to the front and led.

Misty smirked. "See?"

"Don't say anything." he warned. Misty only smiled lightly at his annoyance.

Alexi slowed down and waited for everyone to pass her before grabbing Keagan by the arm.

"Alexi, what is it?"

She bit her lip and watched them walk ahead a bit more. "I know Casey."

"Yeah, I heard you say it."

"He's… He's dangerous. He's proud and… he would hurt Makaila. He wouldn't hold back-on anything."

"Why are you just telling me this? Why not tell everyone?" Keagan whispered. He grew a bit more ancy as the rest of the group moved farther ahead.

She pulled in one more shaky breath. "I can help. I know him, but I would have to do it alone."

"Why do you always have to do things alone?!"

She closed her eyes at his outburst. "I'm trying not to be that way. But this time it really does have to be this way. I can distract him. He will be distracted. He's selfish and he hates me."

"But how is that going to help? A distraction? From what? Why don't we just walk in and take her?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know anything about the people here do you?"

He groaned. "Look I just… I don't want you to do anything unnecessary. I… I don't want you to get hurt."

She rolled her eyes. "Trust me I won't. I know him better than anybody."

"But that was how many years ago?"

She smiled. "Just trust me."

"…The reason you have to be alone is so he only sees you right?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah… something like that."

"So what if someone was with you, where he couldn't see them, just in case something went wrong?"

"That might work…."

He raised his head. "Then I'm coming."

Alexi smiled. "Good. C'mon."

"Wait, we have to tell the others."

"They'll know."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"So what do you think?"

Makaila shook as she was pulled forward. The room was small, but full of a variety of technology she had never even heard of. Eitan had been the one to pull her, and seated before them was a man. She estimated that he was roughly her dad's age. He had messy brown hair and matching brown eyes. Eyes that were currently looking directly at her and scrutinizing her.

He stood and walked forward looking her over. "She's small." He looked down at her feet and then made his way up from that point. "She has black hair, practically, but that won't do her much good when she doesn't have any strength." Makaila promptly kicked him in below his knee. He stumbled just slightly because of where she had kicked him and winced. "Well, I stand corrected."

Eitan pulled her back and forced her head back by her hair.

"Stop."

"Sir?"

The man stood up strait. "Don't do anything rash."

Eitan still looked rather confused, a strange look for him.

"Just let her go."

Eitan thought it was foolish but wasn't going to put up a fight against him. He nodded and slipped his hand out of her hair, and his other from her arm.

"You're Ash's daughter."

She pursed her lips in nervousness but stayed stubborn and didn't answer. It was all the answer he needed.

"So…" he straitened and wiped his hand quickly across his pants where she had kicked him. "You're strong and you don't look like you're planning on answering. Black hair too. You're definitely his kid."

She felt her pace quicken. He seemed to know her father, really know him. She had been told that her father was a grunt. A Team Rocket grunt. Her father. Her hands shook at her sides before she clenched them into fists to stop the quivering. The man noticed.

"Don't be afraid."

"I'm not." she hissed. The words were quiet but firm. The first words she had said in a while other than, "dad".

"Yes. Yes, you are. "Casey came very close to her and she stiffened. He narrowed his eyes and titled his head slightly. "But your eyes aren't his. Your mother's then?"

She bit her lip and backed up, trying to ignore the fear running through her body. "Why am here? No one will answer. I want to know now."

Casey stayed silent for a moment. "Your father. As a Team Rocket grunt his first child belongs here. That first child is you. The moment he agreed to be part of this organization he had already handed you over. That…and the fact that he would follow you here. A few of us have scores to settle with him."

Makaila's breathing had become uneven and quickly paced. She hadn't really expected an answer. "Why?" she whispered. "What did he do?"

Casey almost shrugged. "Various things. It depends on the person. He isn't exactly the most obedient person."

Her brow came together. Obedient?

"Hold on." He was so casual. It was completely different from Grant. He pulled something that looked similar to a walkie-talkie from his belt. "What?" She could see the shock clearly in his face. "What?" he asked once more, sharper this time. "Are you sure…? Where's Jason….? Keep him there. He can't see her…. Very good, yes keep me up." He placed it back on his belt and looked at Eitan. "Watch her."

Eitan suppressed a groan. "What now?"

"I have a visitor. I'll be back. Just stay here. Got it?" When Eitan didn't answer he added his title.

Eitan nodded and forced a "yes sir" through his teeth.

Casey walked to the door and very nearly slammed it behind him.

"Well, it's just us again."

Makaila backed away as discretely as she could, hoping he wouldn't hold her. She didn't seem to have anything to worry about as he simply walked by her and sat down in the large chair ahead of them. Makaila glanced back at the door.

"Don't even think about it."

Makaila looked back to him and sighed. "Why are you doing this?"

He shrugged. "It's just what I do."

"But why? I don't get it."

He shrugged again. "I don't really care."

"You don't want to know why you're doing something?"

"Knowing why won't change the fact that I have to do it."

"Well, why do you have to?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask so many stupid questions?"

She pursed her lips. "It just confuses me. You were always troubled but you were never bad."

He suddenly went very silent, and then… "It was an act."

"I don't think it was. I think it was you being yourself, while pretending to act."

He looked up at her and glared. "I've already warned you. I'd rather not have to go through with it."

"Oh, come off it!"

She walked up and sat down on the floor beside him.

"Go away."

"I would if I could."

He hissed his words. "You can't leave the room but your legs still work. You could back up."

"Why? Aren't you supposed to be watching me?"

"I can watch you just fine from here."

"You're not a very reliable grunt are you? Is that because you don't want to be one?"

He clenched his teeth. "You're suddenly very brave. Sure you don't want me to hit you?"

She let out an anxious breath. "You were never really bad."

"I beat up your friend."

She looked confused for a moment then her eyes opened in understanding. "Oh, that was you…. Where is he?"

"How should I know? He took off when the grunts came. Guess he cares more about himself than about he does about you."

The words didn't faze her. "He's just scared."

Eitan snorted. "Fine excuse."

"But if you always knew about him, why lie about it?"

"Because if people already didn't believe the things you said, they wouldn't believe you if were you to find anything out about me."

"I'm surprised you're answering me."

"I find no reason not to at the present moment."

"How did you become a grunt?"

His hands clenched and she noticed. "My father."

"Did he hand you over?"

He stood abruptly and walked a few inches to avoid her gaze. "Your questions are bothering me. Stop asking."

Her gaze narrowed then softened. "I understand."

He spun, his teeth clenched, and his hands shaking with the urge to take out his anger on something, the fact that that something could be her scared her. "You understand? Don't even say it! Your father held back, he refused to hand you over! He at least tried! You don't know how I feel."

She went silent just as Casey opened the door and very nearly slammed it behind him, locking it as inconspicuously as he could. He looked between the two and Eitan grabbed her by the arm, but she noticed that his grip was much tighter than before. She winced.

Casey rose an eyebrow. "Try not to break her arm. Now let's go." He led them not to the door they had come from, but to a back door. Eitan's curiosity arose.

"Where-" Casey stopped and tilted his head just barely behind him, his gaze landing on Eitan's with a sort of heat that scared Makaila. Eitan instantly stopped and lowered his tone. "Sir, where are going?"

Casey turned around again. "We're heading to test base room."

"Why?" Eitan asked it carefully, fully aware this was the last question he would be able to ask before Casey would loose his temper and do something that would bury him in some form of trouble.

"Makaila's to old and unreliable to be anything close to a grunt. We're sending her to testing."

Eitan's grip on her arm tightened and she bit her lip to hold off a cry, only to look at him and find he was doing it subconsciously.

"What's-" Eitan placed a hand over her mouth before she could continue. He shook his head, and the fact that it seemed more a casual pled action than an order stopped her from continuing when he dropped his hand.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Earlier…

When Casey had left the room, he didn't expect the reason he was leaving to be right outside his door. He smirked. "Alexi."

She stood in front of him, frowning back. "Casey."

"It's been a while."

She nodded. "So this is what you've been reduced to? Kidnapping children?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm over testing. She's going into testing so she's here. Even you know that. I'm even above your precious Jason. Don't pretend to know how things are now."

"So you're really going to hand a child over? I would think after that happened to you, you might show some form of mercy on someone else."

"You would think that after your last run-away you might try to avoid this place. What brings you?"

"Makaila."

Casey raised an eyebrow and then said, "Oh, you mean Ash's kid. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not really at liberty to release her. You want that, you go to the boss."

Alexi ground her teeth. "He won't let her go. You know that."

Casey smirked. "I wasn't referring to him, I was referring to Mark."

"Who… oh…."

"Yeah. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an order to carry out." He turned.

"Wait-You're not…You're not going to do anything about me?"

He shrugged. "The way I see it, I'll end up doing a bunch of work and you'll only end up running away again."

She smiled. "Probably."

He turned back to face her. "But if I don't do anything, then there will no doubt be something as a repercussion, so what should I do?"

She stiffened just slightly and he raised an eyebrow. "You're not alone are you?"

She didn't answer, and that was his answer. He turned and ran back to the room Eitan and Makaila were in.

Keagan jumped out of his hiding place and followed Alexi as she followed Casey. He slammed the door behind him and they both tried pushing it open before giving up. "She's in there. I know she's in there."

Ash and the rest of the crew came running towards them at that moment.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't hold him long enough."

Ash rushed to the door. "She's in there isn't she?" Both Alexi and Keagan nodded. Ash pushed on the door, but it didn't budge. "Help me!"

Everyone moved but Gary, Alexi, Brock, Skye, Taylor, and Michael.

Ash turned around to see them. "Help me!"

"It's no use." Gary voiced all of their thoughts. "That door's not going to open."

Ash ground his teeth. "So you're just giving up?! She's in there! How do you know it won't move anyway?"

"Try being a test subject sometime with a door like that keeping you in." Alexi whispered.

Michael nodded. "I was never a test subject, but they had a door like that on my door too. Didn't they have that on yours?"

Ash looked it over. The edges had a layer of rubber between them and the metal. Ash cursed. He had had a door of the likes, but he had never attempted to open it. "So what now?"

"He'll probably use a back door." Brock pointed out. "Anybody know what room this is?"

"It's kind of like a conference room." Skye offered. "If it's just Casey's, and guessing by his personality it is, then it'll lead to what ever he does." Skye shrugged.

"He told me what he does when he was out."

Keagan nodded. "He said he was over testing."

"Alexi, you know where testing is right?"

"I spent half my life there. They'll probably be going to the so called base."

"Ok, then lead."

Alexi nodded and took off, the others following her. As they neared she slowed down and motioned for the others to stop.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"I just… I heard something."

"I heard it too." Skye said. Nobody was surprised. His ears could pick up on anything.

Alexi looked down at her feet and bent down, pulling a needle filled with something from the ground.

"What is it?" Keagan asked. Alexi's eyes widened and she stumbled. Keagan caught her. Her hand went to her arm and then dropped as her eyes started closing.

"What happened?"

Keagan looked to where her hand had nearly touched to see something identical to what she had plucked out of the ground sticking out of her arm. He quickly grabbed it and pulled it out. She gasped but didn't do anything more.

"Where did that come from?" Michael asked. Everyone looked but saw nothing. "How are we going to get to Makaila-Hey. Is she asleep?"

Keagan's heart constricted in fear at Michael's words, but was relieved when he looked her over and found that she really was only asleep. "Yeah, must have been in the stuff. Anybody else know where to go?"

"The only other people there, were Skye and Taylor. Right?" Michael turned to the two of them.

Skye's eyes widened. "I've only been there once. I was a kid, I don't remember."

"Taylor?" Michael asked softly.

She bit her lip. "I'm blind." Skye groaned. "But… I remember some of what Sarah saw. And… I remember a tube or something, a big one with her in it. And before that… I think that was the room."

"Do you remember the walk there?"

"I don't know. It's really fuzzy."

"I-I'll lead." Skye pushed ahead, deliberately cutting into the conversation.

"I'm sorry." Taylor whispered.

"It's fine." He said quickly as if he didn't care, though he truly did.

Michael turned to Taylor in confusion but she didn't look as if she wanted to expand on the "memory" so he dropped it, and took her hand instead to lead her.

Skye was a bit blurry on the details. The halls all looked the same to most of the group.

"Skye, are you sure you know where you're going?" Misty asked uneasily.

Skye gritted his teeth. He wasn't sure how to reply to her. It came as a shock as he realized that they had never carried a conversation with one another. "I told you, I've only been there once. But if someone else has a better idea of how to get there let me know."

Misty fell silent and Ash wrapped an arm around her waist. "It'll be ok." he whispered, though he didn't feel to sure himself. Misty could only nod as she leaned against him.

Keagan adjusted Alexi on his back. "Guys… I'm getting tired. I'm going to stop okay? I'll wait here."

"I don't know if that's a good idea…" Michael said quietly.

Keagan looked over his shoulder. "She looks kind of… I don't know. I think she and I should stay here and let her rest a little easier."

Some of the group were uneasy about the decision but they all gave their consent more or less by not saying anything.

"Gary, help me get her off my back." Gary groaned under his breath but did it anyway.

Once Keagan had her supported he turned to the others. "You should go. Makaila needs you."

Skye went back to leading and left without a word, the others followed him.

Keagan let out a breath of relief once they were all out of sight and leaned Alexi against the wall before pulling up his right pant leg. He clenched his teeth and reached down, yanking a needle from just above his ankle. He gasped, He hadn't realized it would hurt so much. He closed his eyes and dropped the needle, suddenly feeling very tired but refusing to give into whatever it was.

"Alexi?" Alexi groaned and he shook her. "Alexi!" He stopped suddenly and stared. "Well… this is familiar isn't it?" He sighed. "C'mon Alexi wake up."

"Ugh, Keagan?"

"Alexi." he said in relief.

"Why do I hurt so much?"

"It's just from the needle. Not sure what. It'll wear off. There was more in yours than mine."

"You got some too?"

He nodded. "Alexi, listen. I know you're kind of weak, but can you tell me where to go?"

"Where are the others?"

"Alexi please. Just tell me."

Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, but she shrugged it off in her state. "Yes… I can take you."

"Thank you." Keagan pulled his pant leg back down and pulled her over his back. "Just lead."

"Mmm. You're pretty close already."

"Which way?"

"Uh… right."

Keagan had been almost sure that they wouldn't see the others and he was right. They arrived at their destination within minutes. Keagan looked at the door and then turned.

"Keagan?" Alexi muttered.

"I saw someone."

He stopped a different door and stared at it. "Alexi, I'm going to have to put you down."

She nodded and started slipping back asleep. He sat her carefully against the wall and watched her for a moment before opening the door.

The room seemed empty and he was disappointed until he saw another door leading out. He immediately ran to it, then quieted and leaned against it. There was a voice. He didn't recognize it, because he had never heard it. But that didn't matter.

He backed up and clenched his teeth before kicking the door with all his might, flinging it open.

The only man in the room in the room turned at the sudden intrusion, obviously surprised. Before he could begin to inquire who the man was, or why he was there, he was on his back on the floor.

Keagan's gaze softened, he looked the man over, his jaw clenched, his gaze set, and he stepped forward.

To stunned to move (something the men who trained him would have definitely punished him for) the man stared up at the Keagan who stood above him. It was obvious that the Keagan knew who he was talking to, but he had no idea who Keagan was.

Keagan didn't move for several moments, all of them were spent taking in the man on the floor, who stared back up at him in confusion. Finally he realized his compromising position, and he began to rise but Keagan pushed him harshly back down and after taking in a few calming breaths, asked a question almost impossible for him to answer….

"Remember me?"

Please review! Thanks!