Well, I survived! Just got my power, internet, and phone service back last night, so I'm posting an update. Sorry if this seems forced or something. I know I didn't really develop Mallory and Isaiah's relationship very much, and I don't know how attached anyone is to him because of that. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Please review, I have 20 people who have favorited this story, and only 11 reviews, and most of those are from the same person. I want to know what you guys think. Maybe there are things you don't like about the way I'm handling a character or something. I want to know who you like and who you don't, because once I get to season two I'm going to be juggling a lot of characters. Please review!

The next day, Mallory was standing outside Isaiah's apartment door, a sense of dread building in her. She'd had three weeks away to think about her and Isaiah's relationship, and she knew what she needed to do.

Mr. Crockett answered the door and smiled when he saw her. "Well, Mallory, long time no see. Where have you been lately?"

Mallory returned the smile and walked in the apartment behind him. "My friends and I took a trip to Mexico," she told him.

"Well, that sounds fun. Isaiah's in his room, I'll go tell him you're here."

She nodded and sat in a chair to wait. Nikki came in and grinned when she saw her. "Mallory! Hey, I missed you!" the girl said, giving her a hug. Mallory grinned back, but there was a bittersweet feeling to the reunion, knowing what was coming. Isaiah came out ready to go.

They got some food and went to the park to eat it. There was a tension between them, something going unsaid. After a half and hour of small talk and mild catching up, Mallory put her cup down and said, "We need to talk about something."

He sighed and faced her. "I know," he said. A moment went by where neither of them said anything, not wanting to actually end things.

Mallory sighed. "So, that's it, then," she said.

Isaiah shrugged. "If we didn't have so much stuff going on, then maybe…"

Mallory nodded. "Yeah, but things aren't going to slow down in my life. And you need to help your family heal. I'm a distraction, and honestly, I'm not good for you. You don't want to be a hero, and that's fine, but I keep dragging you into the life. That's not fair to you."

Another stretch of silence followed that. "Well, you know, Nikki's not going to be happy about this. You're still gonna need to come see her sometimes," he said.

Mallory nodded. "Yeah, I will. And, hey, you're still welcome in the cave, and your invitation still stands, whenever you want to use it."

"Thanks," he replied.

Mallory sighed and stood. "Well, I guess I should go," she said.

Isaiah got up and kissed her. "I love you," he told her.

Mallory sighed. "I love you, too," she replied, then made herself walk away.

She trudged into the cave to find that it was empty. Megan left her a note saying that she, Conner, and Zatanna had gone to a movie. She sighed and curled up on the sofa. She wanted to cry, but something was stopping her. She felt a deep ache of sadness and loneliness. She'd lost someone that had been by her side for over a year.

She heard footsteps coming from the lab and looked over the back of the couch. Wally walked in and paused when he saw her. "Oh, I thought you'd still be in Metropolis," he said. She shrugged. Wally walked in front of her and studied her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Mallory stared at him. His face held genuine concern and interest, which she found comforting considering they hadn't spoken since the day before when he'd been so mad about her sacrificing herself. She sighed. "Isaiah and I broke up," she said quietly.

Wally sat down beside her and got comfortable. "Well, tell me all the gory details. How many buildings did you guys burn down?"

She chuckled. "None, it was on good terms. We've just been growing apart, and we have a lot going on in our lives." He nodded. "Why are you being so nice? I thought you were mad at me," she said, not wanting to talk about Isaiah.

Wally sighed. "I am, but I'm still here for you."

"Thanks. You know that I would've gotten off the table if I could have, right? I couldn't focus enough to control my powers. If I had let them go, I would have burned the whole base down, and killed everyone in the room, including you and Rob."

He shook his head. "You could have escaped before he put you on the table, and you could have went to the bioship before Cas came to get you."

"But then you and Robin would have been left, and they would have killed you for sure," she argued.

Wally was starting to get mad. "See what I mean? We would have figured something out, or you could have come back with the whole team. You don't always have to be the one to make the sacrifice."

"You would have if things had been reversed," she pointed out.

"Of course I would have. But I would have gotten the team to follow me in so we would have backup, not try to do everything by myself."

Mallory shook her head. "I just don't get why it makes you so mad that I was willing to make the sacrifice," she said, starting to get mad herself. Her powers rose up, but they felt different. She shoved them down.

"Because I can't lose you!" Wally said, his voice urgent. Mallory stared at him, and he sighed. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you or Rob in the field. To anyone, really. And when I see you and Robin and Artemis taking all these extra risks, it scares me. You're not invincible. Something is going to happen one day if you keep putting yourself in the line of fire, and I don't want to see that happen. You mean too much to me."

Her gaze dropped to her hands as she turned what he'd said over in her mind. For the first time, she really considered what losing a team member would do to her long term. She'd been ready to give up when she'd thought Robin was dead, and if it hadn't been for the other members of the team popping into her head, she would have let the ritual proceed without fighting back. Wally was watching her, trying to read her face. Finally, she said, "All right, I'll be more careful."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "Are you gonna be all right?" he asked. Mallory chuckled sadly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. You should be getting home, anyway." He nodded again and pushed himself to his feet. "If you want me to come back, just call me," he told her. She nodded gratefully, and he, after giving her one last concerned look, walked around the couch.

He was on his way to the zeta tube when she said, "Why were you here, anyway?"

He turned around. "Um, I was checking on your test."

Her heart quickened. "And?" she asked anxiously.

"Well, I don't know that this is the best time to tell you," he said hesitantly. Her heart dropped. "What did it say?" she asked, even though he'd all but told her. He sighed.

"You're only 25% human."