A/N Thank you everyone for the awesome reviews and for encouraging me to continue. After watching Ejecta last night, I had to write this because I'm so sad about the story line. I may or may not continue but at least in fan fic, now there's hope again.

"Find Julia." His thoughts were racing as his walk turned into a run, the field soon far behind him. He loved her – loved her almost from the moment they met. "What's wrong with me? How could I let myself be manipulated so easily? Why didn't I believe Julia?" His heart slammed against his chest as regret painfully washed over him.

He remembered how many times he had almost lost her and mentally berated himself for his current actions. Ever since the dome came down, he was there to protect her even when she sent him away, even when the consequences would mean his own death. And for some inexplicable reason, she felt the same way about him. "We're gonna be OK." "No, I'd like you to stay." "I thought you were dead." "I should have believed you, I'm sorry I didn't." "I miss you." "I love you." Her words came back to him and all the love and caring she so freely gave him. She urged him to save himself when they were trapped during the ice storm, willing to die alone so he could live.

Gasping for breath, he stopped, his hands resting against his thighs. He slammed his eyes shut against the burn he felt behind them. He couldn't stop his thoughts, the history of their relationship pulling him into the present and what he had done. He rejected her at every turn, told her to stay away, threw her aside just as he had his dog tags. Then he remembered his promise and almost sank into a bottomless pit of despair. "Julia, I want you in my life, whether we end up in Zenith...or wherever. That's a promise I can keep." He stood, a deep resolve taking over his being, a resolve to make things right, to spend the rest of his days making good on that promise. Moving forward once again, his mind continued the familiar refrain... "find Julia."

XXXXXXXXX

Christine stood in front of Julia, a pistol against her head with a sneer on her face. Junior was keeping her still, one hand grasping her arm cruelly, the other tangled in her hair, ensuring that she stayed in place.

"You've been a pain in my backside from the very beginning. You couldn't let things alone. Well, where has it got you? You won't save Dale, you won't defeat the kinship and when I've finished dealing with you, I'll hunt down the rest of your pathetic, little resistance and take care of them too."

Julia stared at her enemy defiantly, unwilling to show fear or defeat. "You think you have Barbie on your side but I know him. He may be buying into your "Dale, we need you..." spiel right now, but he'll begin to realize how much he hates being called Dale, how he has ensured that everyone refers to him as Barbie. He will see through you, your scheme at controlling us and it will be you to suffer defeat. You can imprison me, kill me, do whatever you want to me but he will overcome you."

Fury suffused Christine's face as she stepped forward. Her hand clenched into a fist, a fist that connected with Julia's cheek, cutting her lip, the blood trickling down her chin. She swiped away at it with her free hand, a triumphant smile masking the pain in her eyes.

"Bitch! How dare you mouth your delusions to me! I'm the Queen. I'm in charge and you are nothing!" Her madness and rage causing her to tremble uncontrollably. Her face was contorted,

twisting into a shape that was barely human.

"I'm more than you'll ever be, whether I'm dead and powerless or alive and working against you."

The guttural sound escaping Christine's mouth was frightening and completely inhuman. She took aim at Julia, both hands on the pistol she held. A shout from the treeline spun her around.

XXXXXX

Barbie's steps slowed as he began to hear bits and pieces of a conversation, words spoken but not clear enough to be understood. The sounds seemed to be coming from a stand of trees, close to where the mini dome had been found. Cautiously he approached and as he went further into the trees, he recognized Christine's harsh invective and Julia's soft but determined reply. He began to run, his heart pounding, praying to any God who would listen that he'd get there in time.

"Julia!" He cried out as he grasped the scene before him. "Christine, don't do it." He held his own pistol on her, moving forward cautiously. "I will kill you, make no mistake."

"You think you can save everyone, don't you? Well, you can't. I will do what I want."

From the corner of his eye, Barbie noticed movement from the opposite side, away from Christine & Junior's line of sight. He moved accordingly so that their eyes were on him. He wasn't sure who it was but if it was someone to help him out, he would make sure they had a fighting chance. One second went by, then another and another and he saw Norrie approach stealthily, the butt of a rifle aimed at Christine's head. She swung with all of her strength and the human/alien began to fall.

Just as Barbie began to breath a bit easier, he jumped at the sound of a gunshot and felt his heart still as both Junior and Julia fell to the ground. Christine had fired her pistol as she fell to the ground, the bullet meant for Julia, hitting both of them.

"No, no, no." Barbie whispered frantically as he rushed forward. He could see that Junior was beyond help as he quickly pulled Julia into his arms, searching for a wound. He saw an angry furrow along her forehead, the blood flowing freely but he could see that she was breathing.

"Julia, Julia, please, I'm so sorry." His words were laced with his tears of both relief that she was alive and regret that she had to suffer because of him. He rocked her against his chest, his hand smoothing her hair away from her face. Norrie handed him a cloth that he pressed against her forehead, grimacing at her soft gasp of pain. He kept a gentle pressure against the wound and was gratified to see the blood flow diminish as he lifted the cloth away. "I love you, Julia."

As from a great distance, Julia heard his words, felt his touch and her eyelids began to flutter. Slowly she saw his face come into focus and she saw Barbie, not Dale and she smiled at him. "I knew you would come for me."