Chapter 2: Peek a Boo

Caine's POV

I don't know why I went looking for Gaia. I just knew I had to find her. I had to see if she made it out alive, if she actually existed outside of the FAYZ. I know Sam guessed I went looking for her, but I'm not afraid of him. Sam would probably go to Astrid for advice on what he should do about this. Then they would probably try to track me down. I don't care. I have to see her. I have to see if my daughter is real in this real world or not.

Sam's POV

"We just have to make one pit stop" I told Astrid.

Astrid seemed confused. "What? I thought we were going right after Caine!"

"Not exactly." I answered in a monotone.

"Where to then?" Astrid asked.

"We're going to the house of Diana Ladris."

Diana's POV

Boy, was I surprised to see Sam Temple and Astrid Ellison at my door. Especially since I hate Astrid and she hates me. By the look on her face, I could see she wasn't all too excited to be here either. Sam looked like he was about to regret this. I don't really mind Sam much, I mean he is the brother of my boyfriend. Speaking of which, why would my boyfriend's twin brother be at my door with his girlfriend?

"Why are you here?" I snapped.

"Hello to you too Diana" answered a grumpy Astrid.

"Diana, I know it's weird for me and Astrid to show up at your door, especially without Caine, but we need your help." Sam said.

"Oh? You need MY help? With what?" I answered.

"It's Caine." he said.

That made me stop with the sarcastic tone. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with Caine?"

"Can we come in?" Astrid asked.

"Uh, sure I guess. But what's wrong with Caine?!" I started to get a little worried.

"Ok..um, don't freak out on me because Caine already did at night, but Astrid and I" Astrid glared, "I mean I think he went out to look for Gaia." Sam said.

My blood turned cold. I couldn't think straight. "Explain why you think he would do that." I started to feel hot tears burning my eyes.

"Ok, so Caine usually has these nightmares at night about the Darkness and that stuff, like he mumbles 'Hungry in the dark' and that stuff.." Sam started

I cut him off, "Yeah I know, I spent a while taking care of him after he went to the mine shafts and I lived with him on that island. Get to the point"

Sam seemed nervous. "Well, he woke up and cried so I asked him what happened in the dream and he was all like 'Oh, the usual. But you were in it and so was Diana .. and .. and', so I finished his sentence with 'and Gaia?' and I knew I was right because he lost it at that point. And then at breakfast when our mom asked us what we were going to do today he said he was going to look for a girl, a friend he 'met' in the FAYZ, and judging from his dream I came to the conclusion that he would look for Gaia because when he finished talking and was eating breakfast, he had a far away look in his eye"

I took a while to process this. "So why did you come here?"

Astrid cut to the chase. "We thought you would help us find Caine"

I laughed. "How would I know where he went?"

Sam had a look all over his face saying he didn't want to answer, so Astrid did it for him. "Because since you're the mother of Gaia, we thought you would know where he would look for her or where he might think she was."

I felt the hot tears I was holding back in my eyes. I had a flashback. Back on that island, where she was conceived. When Caine and Quinn were talking about going back to Perdido Beach, and I sensed her because of her power. I knew I was pregnant at that moment. I didn't want to believe it. I thought it wasn't possible, but it happened. I didn't tell Caine until before I left for Lake Tramonto with Sam and the rest of the group going there. I saw in his eyes that that made him want to come with me, but he couldn't because of his new responsibilities as king of PB. I remembered Drake catching me, saying how the baby was supposed to be reborn as the gaiaphage. Then I remembered the birth process. My baby was 5 months early, but she still came out nice and healthy. I named her Gaia, as the female version of gaiaphage, and that was how she became evil. I was easily converted to her side, while Caine was on the good side.

And then the flashback ended. I could sense that Sam and Astrid were looking at me while I had hot tears streaming down my face.

"I know where we should go."