AN: Short as warned, but next chap we'll move into present tense and I promise it will be a big one. And to answer Guest: The three stories titled When Heroes Fall are the first three parts. DW and ROTF are part of the 'When heroes Fall' Saga/Series. Hope this helps. Thank you all again.
CHAPTER SIX: 1 DAY BEFORE
Bo's Voiceover: Family is everything.
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"How you doing Kiddo?"
"Kiddo?" She smiles at me, arms folded over her chest. The sounds of passing cars pulling her attention back to the street.
"Give me a break, last I saw you were seventeen and before that just a few hours."
"It's cool, Kenz has had some very colorful names for me."
"You don't say." Laugh escaping myself, coming to mimic her stance as a chilled breeze comes to pass. "She used to call Dyson D-Man."
"And Lauren Doctor Hot-Pants."
"She told you?"
"Oh yeah, bedtime was full of the great adventures of Bo and Kenzi." Warm smile faltering slightly, eyes dropping to the ground. "She's not happy to be back."
"No, not at all."
"I told her she didn't have to come, but she wouldn't have any of it."
"She loves you, she wants to protect you."
"And she misses you." She looks up to me, sad smile curving her lips. She really does look just like her mother. "I'm surprised you're not mad."
"Mad?"
"Yeah, cause I'm engaged. Kenz was not pleased. She says I'm too young."
"You are."
"Ah, so you do agree."
"Nope." Shaking my head, nudging her with my shoulder. "I knew Lauren was all I wanted from the first moment I saw her. I didn't exactly behave like I did, but I knew she was the one for me. And my life then was a mess. I was a mess. You on the other hand are not. So if you say she is your one, then I will be at the wedding with bells on."
"What does that mean?"
"You know, I don't know. I just know it's something you say." We share a bittersweet laugh. At least it's bittersweet for me, because in this moment I don't think I've ever felt so distant from her. "Besides, Kenz wasn't exactly all that much older when she and Hale-."
"Thank you! I told her that too. They were hardly together before they were engaged."
"Exactly, but true love."
"True love." She smiles so hard I'm sure it hurts. It must be what I look like talking about Lauren. "You know it's crazy. You and Lauren. Me and Ayesha. Kenz and Hale. Vex and Mark. Now Evony and Theo."
"Oh God no. Please. I can't handle the thought of them being true love it's so disturbing."
"It's cute! He's cute and sweet."
"He is and that's exactly why he needs to stay away from her."
"She isn't that bad."
"No, she's not-now." Shaking my head, the sound of a horn blaring putting me back on edge. "She's not, but he's just innocent."
"Everyone has to lose it sometime."
"Yeah." Nodding, glancing over my shoulder at the glass doors awaiting us. "Speaking of love, has Kenz-."
"Dated?" She snorts. "No. I think she's had a few one night stands, I can't be sure, but no one she ever brought home."
"Hm."
"Just between you and me I don't think she's put Hale behind her yet."
"I don't think she ever will."
"Eh, it's cool. She can live in me and Ayesha's guest house. We already have it planned."
"Are you coming in?"
"In a minute. Just thinking."
"Okay." Nodding again, trying to ignore the weight tugging at my heart. The realization dawning on me that I may not be a part of their lives in the way I imagined happening again one day.
Sighing, forcing myself to keep going I walk back into the clinic. Dyson, Theo and Ash walking up the hall. Mark and Ayesha turning down the left. Guess they haven't finished clearing it yet. He wasn't kidding about having unlimited resources. One second we're MacGyvering shit in the Dal and the next we're running an 'abandoned' clinic. To his credit it does look abandoned, right up until you get to Lauren's workspace. Then I feel like we've walked into NASA.
"Can you give us a minute?"
"Sure." Vex hops down from some machine I'm not even sure what it is.
"Vex, leave the forceps."
"Finee." He slams them down, box of goldfish in other hand.
"Both."
"Sharing is caring Doctor." He actually pouts as he pulls another pair from his pocket. "I'm beginning to think you don't care for me very much."
"You know when I said I hadn't met your brother, I think I lied." Laugh quiet as I watch Vex disappear behind the doors. Lauren completely focused on whatever it is on the computer screen.
"He's almost as impossible as you. He keeps taking my things. What does he need with forceps?"
"Real life game of operation?" Smirk growing as she glances up at me, eyebrow raised. "It is Vex we're talking about."
"He's housetrained."
"Mm-hm." Nodding unnecessarily, leaning against the table beside her. Looking from the screen covered in what looks like neon worms to her. "How are you feeling?" Hand coming to rest on the small of her back.
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Bo, really. Last night I was irrational, I shouldn't have acted that way."
"Babe come on, it's me. You have every right to be upset about this. I would have been ten times worse than you."
"The important part is I have an adequate lab now, I should finally be able to get some real answers."
"Just adequate? I can make a call."
"No, I'd prefer as little contact with Dimitri as possible."
"Lauren, this deal-."
"You don't have to explain, I already know you plan to kill him." Her chuckle forced, but the sad smile she shoots me seems genuine enough. "Kenzi told Mark. Mark told Vex. Vex told Evony. Evony told me."
"It's like high school."
"I have the homework to prove it." She lifts a vile, shaking it.
"Babe, really, are you going to be okay here?"
"Bo, you're leaving a small army here with me. I'll be fine. I can't promise they will be though. They seem to be a step away from cabin fever."
"They'll survive."
She nods, turning her back to me. I could push it. Force the subject. But sometimes things are better left for later. Besides, it's been a long time since she's had a lab to play with. Sighing I head to leave, Evony and Theo walking right in. Apparently knocking is a thing of the past.
"I'm showing Theo here our Doctor Lewis at work, back in her natural habitat."
"She's not a zoo animal."
"Don't you have some zomb-?" Evony stops herself, looking between Theo and me. "Don't you have a job to go do?"
"No fieldtrips today," My voice lowering as I lean in. "I want everyone here. Just because we need the lab doesn't mean we can trust Dimitri."
"No need to worry, we'll be on her like angry on a wet cat."
"Isn't he adorable?" Evony giggles, actually giggles as she holds onto his arm leading him further into the lab.
At this rate we could get our own reality show.
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Baltic Woods-West End-6:26 p.m.
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"I don't mean to question you, but was it such a great idea to not bring back up?" The sarcasm drowning his words, looking from the two 'loaned' guards on our right to the two on our left.
"I think we'll be fine."
"Did you bring me because you're trying to trust me or because you still don't?"
"I brought you because," Pausing as we reach the abandoned barn. The one that Dimitri's intel lead us to. Two guards each and a few infected shouldn't be a problem for us. What I'm worried about is the group back at the clinic. "I trust your skill and that's what I need."
"Is Lauren okay?"
"She's dealing."
"This isn't her fault."
"Thanks Mr. Obvious, I hadn't thought of telling her that."
"The area looks clear, but I'm getting nine heat signatures inside." Guard number four says, showing me on his little screen. Nine isn't exactly ideal, but we've faced worse. "Your orders?"
"Clean kills, as many as possible. Lauren says she needs more specimens."
"More?"
"They're deteriorating too fast. She said she needs their brains. I don't know, that's her area."
"You ready?" He asks, hand on the door.
"Let's do this." I nod and he pulls the door, hand going for my gun. I should have had it drawn before but hey, live and learn.
Slow steps, weapons drawn but instead of finding a nest of rabid infected we find domesticated infected. Eight of them crouched like wild animals in front of the ninth heat signature who is far from an infected. They snarl and lean forward as if readying to jump, but they don't. Their invisible leash seems to be too strong.
"Um," I glance over at Dyson who's giving me the same confused glance. "Are you lost?"
"Lost?" He chuckles coldly, hands folded over his stomach. There's something oddly familiar about him. The way he stands, the way his head tilts slightly forward and to the left as he stares through us. "No, I'm not lost."
"So you're just willingly standing there with a bunch of infected?"
"Infected? That's cute."
"What do you call them?"
"Pets. Slaves. Nothing." He shrugs, looking through me as though he's waiting for something. For what? He looks so familiar. Sure his black on black four piece and slicked back hair doesn't really scream original, but there's something there. "A product of my and my sister-in-law's genius."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, you haven't made it official yet." He steps forward, the infected parting as dogs would for their master. "What shall I call her then? Father spoke most highly of her."
"Be kind. Rewind."
"Don't listen Bo, it's a trick. A game."
"Your dog is right, this is a game." Another chuckle as he stops, arms raised from his sides and the infected seem to grow further impatient. "My move, your move, my move. We've been playing for a while now. Father told me to be patient, but when I found out that you had aligned yourself with the Count, I just had to see for myself if it was true."
"I don't—-what?"
"It was great to see you up close, truly. Watching from afar has been intriguing, but it just doesn't have the same feel. I must admit, I am a bit more excited to see our baby sister. She has been harder to find, until now of course."
"Don't you even-."
"Even what?" He laughs, genuinely amused. "I do hate to run, but there's much to do. Don't take offense to this, but it's not time for a family discussion yet and I'm not in the mood for a fight."
He drops his arms and the eight infected bolt toward us. These are different, they're faster. They're on us before there's even been a shot fired. I hear the sounds of their M-14s and Dyson's growl overlapping snarls and a scream from one of the guards. An infected on top of me, snarling and it's a position I'm getting used to. Managing to get my arm out from between us. Barrel just inches from his temple, other forearm pressed into his throat desperately trying to keep him at bay. Looking into it's dead eyes. No, looking into his dead eyes I hesitate.
But only for a moment.
My own shot makes me jump, but by the time I push him off me the others are dead along with two of the guards. Jumping to my feet, I look around as if expecting the mystery man to be here, but he's long gone now. Eyes falling to the pile of bodies, before focusing in on the one I killed.
I'm sorry.