"There is no other way," Nyko called. I turned out the door to face the direction I knew the drop ship sat. The council had talked for hours over dinner, the decision had been made. The clan had reached out in attempt for peace and one of the leaders had been shot for it. I knew there was no other way.

"I know," I answered. I knew I should have felt, well, something anything really but I found myself unattached to the other sky people. I turned back towards my friends, the council had since disbanded and I was left with only Nyko and Jaxon now. I had only ate with the council when they had the need to question what I had seen and could share, once they were content I had been dismissed so they could deliberate.

"I am not concerned with the war," I told them truthfully. "It will end quickly."

I pulled my navy jacket closer around my body. It had been lined with heavy leather on the inside while I was gone, which I had no doubt was Jaxon's doing. It was no kevlar, but I appreciated the gesture anyways. Forcing myself to drop my hands and stop fidgeting I sighed before making eye contact with both men.

"What of Lincoln?" I asked, starting to address the proverbial elephant in the room. I briefly wondered if they had elephants on Earth still, but dismissed the thought as Nyko dropped his gaze. That didn't bode well.

"He is a traitor," Jaxon answered coldly. "He betrayed his people to help the sky girl and her people."

Since our return I hadn't even seen Lincoln, but had grasped that his welcome was far rougher than mine. I barely knew the other healer, and I knew he had risked everything for Octavia, but I couldn't see anything but similarities in their own situation and mine. Earth was difficult to say the least, and it was hard to pass by any comfort you could find.

"He was trying to help," I argued weakly. I knew nothing I would say would matter now, the council had made their decision, but it felt wrong not to try. "He was trying to accomplish the same thing I was."

"You were sent to negotiate with clear terms," Jaxon countered, using his stern non-amused tone. "He left and met with them in secret and was planning to abandon his clan when we are on the brink of war."

I hadn't known that Lincoln had planned to leave permanently. Though I wasn't surprised by the notion. I would leave this second if Jaxon asked me too.

I paused as that thought crossed my mind. I had never seriously considered how deep my emotions went, too absorbed in the present to dwell deeper. But I had already known subconsciously that it was deeper and truer than anything I had ever known before.

"He cares about her, there was never ill intent against the clan," I replied, pulling myself out of my thoughts. Now wasn't the time.

"Which is why we are exiling him," Nyko answered, his rough voice breaking the silence. The small mercy was shocking, I was almost sure we were talking about a dead man. "If he wants to leave with the sky girl, then so be it. One less body to kill. But he's made his choice, he can never return."

Good, I thought. That was a fair compromise. Maybe he could get Octavia out before the fighting, maybe everyone didn't have to die.

"And what about me?" I followed up. I hadn't negotiated peace, and while I had given them useful information I was sure there were still lingering doubts. Failures and traitors, two things that the clan had no use for. "I know Anya and Tristan are unhappy."

"They are suspicious," Jaxon agreed, not sugar coating the truth. "But they were out voted. The rest of the council agreed you have shown your worth, but make no mistake - you will be called upon to prove your loyalty again."

I nodded in response, there were no warring sides emotionally. I knew who I stood with.

"There is also the matter of our tribe," Nyko said, moving forward with our discussion. "It has been decided that the rest of our people will not join us here. Our village is safe enough, and we can not have enemies both in front of us and within."

"You still don't trust them?" I questioned. I knew that the others who had been sent down to Earth with me would feel no loyalty to the kids. We had spent months building trust and relationships with the tribe, why couldn't that be enough?

"A few will join us with the remaining warriors," Jaxon clarified. "But not all of them share the same loyalty as you Cole."

"It wouldn't be safe for them here anyways," Nyko added. "The other tribes don't know you like we do. They have a hard enough time accepting you, yet alone all the others."

That was a fair point I conceded. I had to watch my step everywhere in this camp, my own tribe knew me well enough but all the others just saw their enemy. I guess it would be better this way.

"We still have matters to discuss, find Penn and the others and get some rest," Jaxon ordered, moving from his seat at the table to move closer to me. "They are in the east section of tents."

I nodded, wanting to spend more time with them both but also wanting to sleep for the next week straight. With his hand on my back he led me out of the door. With a quick glance around us he turned me towards him and bent down so his forehead was against mine.

"You did good today Cole," he said softly, though with no room for argument in his tone. "With healing Anya, dealing with the captive, and the discussions this evening. You were strong."

I sighed happily, closing my eyes and enjoying the warmth radiating off of him, "I have a good example to follow. Would you expect anything different?"

"No," he answered, closing the distance between us and kissing me firmly before pulling away. "Now go rest, there will be no easy days ahead."

I just nodded again and turned to make my way to the tents, bundling my hands into the pockets of my coat. I stopped for a second as I heard Jaxon call out to me, turning to look at him from over my shoulder.

"Try to find your own bed this time," he said, with a slight smile. Well, with as much of a smile as I ever got from him. Lighting up I laughed and just shook my head - men.

Jaxon's POV

I watched Cole walk away, waiting until she disappeared into the tree line before returning into the building to finish with the other healer. She had changed since this morning and looked more like herself now, with her hair braided and not wearing those ridiculous sky people clothes that left her unprotected and vulnerable. I had made sure she had gotten her weapons back as well, she was safe again.

"She did well today" Nyko commented as I returned to my seat. I grunted in response. I had told her as much, but he didn't need to know that. The deliberations in the council had been closer than I had let her know, but she had convinced the others. But any hint of hesitation or a lie and she would have shared a worse fate than the traitor had gotten away with.

"We ride in three days," the healer continued. "Do you plan to take her with you?"

"No," I answered. She had training, but she wasn't trained. It would be too big of a risk for her, and too much of a distraction for myself. "She is your second, she'll stay with you."

"And if I had planned on fighting?" Nyko questioned, not backing down when I looked across the room to glare at him.

"Know your place healer," I growled. There was no love loss between this man and I. Our two tribes only joined together by necessity, and the only reason I was still talking to him was because of our tie to Cole. Who I wasn't going to let him put in danger for the sake of his own pride.

"Alright, alright," Nyko answered, biting back a coarse laugh. "She won't like staying behind though."

"She'll do as she's told," I replied, not finding this conversation nearly as amusing as he was.

"Yes," Nyko drawled, "because that sounds like the Cole we both know."

I felt my mouth twitch in annoyance. As much as I didn't want to agree, I knew he was right. Cole was hard headed and rash, acting first and thinking later. She would want to follow and fight, despite the danger. My dear, stubborn heart.

"She'll do as I say," I reworded, wanting to end this conversation. When it came time, she would listen or I would tie her to a tree if I needed to. She would not go back to those people.

"You look ridiculous," Penn teased, sitting comfortably on a rock as I tied the heavy jacket closed around myself.

"Can't look any worse than you do," I shot back, taking the gloves that Nyko handed me next. I had been pulled from breakfast by a somber looking Nyko who had only mumbled incoherently as he lead me the whole way through camp. Penn having nothing better to do apparently had decided to tag along.

"What are these for again?" I asked, pulling the leather gloves tight around my hands. We had stopped in front of the building that John was being held in, I recognized that much. But it didn't explain why I was currently being bundled up like I was getting ready for a sub-zero degree space walk. The thick coat, gloves, and bandana wrapped around my neck didn't look horribly out of place in itself. But paired with the fact that it was summer, humid, and hot as hell I felt a little silly.

"It's spread easily, can't have you getting sick," he half-answered, looking me over.

"Whats contagious?" I asked, trying to ignore the heat. "And why aren't you getting all wrapped up?"

"It doesn't affect me," he replied. He held up a clear vial that was filled with a tinged yellow goo, handing it to me once he was satisfied that my gloves were tight and snug.

"What is it?" I questioned, examining it closely. It didn't look familiar, or like anything else Nyko kept in our medical tent. Strange. Contagious. John. War…...Oh, this was biological warfare.

"It's a virus isn't it?" I answered, not giving him a chance to respond. He looked at me thoughtfully and nodded once. "What does it do?"

"It causes a fever, boils the blood," he replied.

"Will it kill them?" I asked, moving the liquid side to side as I played with the vial in my hands. It was obviously dangerous enough if Nyko was taking precautions with me, but it would have to be slow acting if they wanted to have a chance at infecting anyone at the drop ship.

"Some," he said. "But we don't use it to kill. We use it to thin the herd, weaken them before we strike."

I nodded in understanding, mostly to let him know that I was still listening. But my attention was locked on the vial, so much pain and death all in this tiny glass tube.

"And we are going to infect John." It wasn't a question, I had figured out the plan I just wished there was an alternative. He didn't belong back with the group anymore than I did. But I knew that the clan would never see it that way.

"Yes."

"And just let him walk out?" I looked up at Nyko now, focused on the task at hand. "They don't like or trust him Nyko, they aren't going to welcome him back with open arms."

"They'll take him if they think he has information on us, it will only take one person from their camp to touch him before it starts to spread" he shot back.

"You'll go in and treat his wounds," he continued. "Mix this with the healing paste. Give him water, and when you hear Penn yell for you, leave and forget to lock his cage."

"Why me?" Penn asked, startled at suddenly being brought into our conversation.

"You're already here," Nyko answered. "Might as well be useful for once."

"Just a careless mistake," I mumbled, ignoring them and running through the plan in my head. John would die if he stayed here I thought to myself. If I do this, he'll get to leave. The kids at the drop ship were as good as dead anyways, and maybe John could get away from them again before the attack. If he was going to live, then this was his only chance.

"Ok," I answered, resolved in my decision. "How long do I have before you call?"

"Five minutes."

"Give me as much time as you can," I asked Penn, before turning away from the men.

I grabbed a med satchel off one of the tables, making small noises here and there to alert John to my presence. He looked worse than when I had saw him last, bloodier and nearly half dead now. I grabbed a bucket of water I stopped for outside, and brought it and the tainted healing paste over to his cage. Unlocking the door with the keys Nyko had given me I crouched down.

"John," I called softly, trying to hide my reaction as he jumped away from me scared and shocked. "It's ok, it's only me. It's Cole."

With my heavy jacket and bandana wrapped around my face, I knew I must look like another 'grounder' to him.

"Cole?" he gasped, voice rough and pained. I nodded and grabbed the wet rag, I didn't have much time.

"Yes," I replied. "Look, they don't know I am here so I can't stay long. But I wanted to help, I brought some of their healing herbs. They'll help the pain."

He groaned loudly as I started to clean some of the wounds on his face and arms. If she had actually been trying to sneak in he would have already given them away. But I knew he couldn't help it, so I worked faster.

"Here, hold still," I told him, though he was already barely moving. I rubbed the paste into his cuts as gently as I could, knowing I was both helping and hurting him. By the time I had gotten the herbs into most of the deeper cuts and given him a few sips of water I heard Penn in the background yelling my name.

"Shit," I cursed, letting myself stumble backwards clumsily.

"Don't go," John called, still dazed but more alert than when I had entered.

"I'm sorry John," I told him sincerely. "I'm sorry for everything."

I could hear Penn getting closer, yelling my name along with a few other curses about how annoying I was.

I put the empty paste jar into a pocket in my jacket and rushed to put the supplies back on the table where I had found them. Closing John's cage but never locking it.

Penn's voice was right outside the door now. With one last look at John I took my exit.

"Is it done?" Penn asked, switching into his native language. I nodded and followed as he motioned me over away from the building. The healer was waiting for us in the same spot that I had left him in. I let Nyko take my gloves off, and untie the jacket after checking that the vial was secure.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Now we wait."

A little different from the other chapters with the switch in POV. This chapter was a building step towards bigger and greater things, so I thought I would include his thoughts as a change of pace.

Please continue to review and smoke signal the hell out of my inbox. It motivates me, and I love hearing your thoughts and suggestions.

-Sova