Gen One- Chapter Forty Two

I shifted against the cushion, smoothed the hem of my dress, and fiddled my fingers. There were two main emotions coursing throughout my body. Boredom, and then a tingling sensation of dread and expectation. But, mostly boredom. I suppose I was happy that that was what I was feeling though. It was a much better state to be in than the mess I had been the first day of my capture. Jac had returned with my real meal twenty minutes after Stratus and Rusty departed. Given that I had only just stopped crying a few minutes before he reappeared, there was no option of me denying that something had happened due to my tear-streaked face. I had gone through plenty of struggles in my lifetime, but getting the words out to tell Jac what Stratus had done was rather high up there on the list. I told him both about what Stratus had just done as well as about his actions in the insemination room. Needless to say, Jac was horrified and very, very pissed. I was assured that nothing would happen to me again, and I was also told both Stratus and Rusty would be getting a brutal reprimand.

All in all though, the actions and the lack of action on part of the two goonies did have some positive effects. Using their incapability at following orders as the reasoning why he apparently could only trust himself to keep track of me, I was with Jac constantly. I was always kept out of hearing distance from the important matters, but I otherwise followed Jac around like a baby duckling as he dealt with whatever monotonous paperwork that was a large part of his job. I was only in my room at night so I could sleep, and then we had been forced apart twice when it was time for me to be inseminated again. The second time, where I had been given my plain jane dress to wear because it made it easier for Coralie to get at those certain parts, had happened yesterday, and the third session had finished half an hour ago. I had all but thrown out the hope that their efforts would fail. They had injected too much up me in order for that to be the case.

Whether I would soon be finding out if I was pregnant or not was not my main concern, however. It was the third day of my capture. The day when Jac said I would be moved to a new location. One that he had hinted was much more secure than the place we were at now. That made me think that whatever rescue plan he was concocting definitely had to occur before then, but I hadn't been to ask him very many questions at all. That was because it was Jac watching me, not Jacaranda Blossom.

     "Would you stop that insufferable shifting?" he barked, "I cannot concentrate with your constant movement, and I will bind you if I must in order to focus!"

I instantly stopped moving, and I stiffened so tightly I might as well have been a statue. Even though I understood his cold, demanding persona was just that, it was hard to believe it wasn't real. Now I was getting a first-hand look at what Jac had talked about with Mr. Blue. A wonderful, kind-hearted person on the inside who had to play the part of a callous, calculating employee lest he be eaten alive by his co-workers. It definitely made sense why Eden had never gotten on well with the other employees, for I couldn't see him as capable of pulling off the same ruse. Honestly, it was a miracle he had been able to last for as long as he did.

I felt better when, after glancing up and studying the arch for several seconds, Jac took the chance to give me a wink. I loosened my tense muscles and flashed a tiny smile back. I knew better than to push that familiar, comfortable air with him for more than a second or two though. Just like Jac had to act cold and harsh on me, I had to act timid and submissive to him. There was that vague sense of security Jac's position offered us, but even he had to watch his back. We never knew when someone was watching or sneaking around, which, Jac admitted once when he had the chance, was a common practice encouraged by The Company to weed out 'rebellious' employees. Most employees had thus become incredibly practiced at moving stealthily. Case in point, how the sound of footsteps suddenly could be heard on the other side of the arch despite it being dead silent in the hallway moments ago. I tensed further when it was my two favorite people in the world who showed up. I tensed even tighter than before as I avidly avoided Stratus' glare on me. I couldn't understand why he was shocked that I had eventually tattled on him. Why on earth would I not have done what I could to stop his aggressions?

     "The van is here," Rusty spoke to Jac, "We're able to move the goods to the warehouse now."

His words were clearly coded speak, although it was crazy obvious what he was really saying. It was time for my transfer.

I think I did rather well, keeping myself calm. On the outside anyway. My chest quickly replaced the boredom with bouncing nerves. I wish I knew what the plan was. Maybe I wouldn't be rescued until after I was in the new location. I could have to wait that whole week. The anticipation of not knowing when or where drove me nuts. The thought of having to spend even another day being captured nearly drove me to tears. I would have to endure and hope if that proved to be the case, but I truly didn't want to have to.

Jac motioned for me to stand after he quickly shuffled all his files on the table into a binder before shoving that binder into one of the desk nearby. Then I was lead out of the room like a crime suspect. Encased in a little circle, Jac walked at the front with Stratus only slightly behind. I was grateful for that as it meant he couldn't secretly pester me from behind without Jac knowing. I actually wondered if that was why Jac put him there and Rusty in the back in the formation. The four of us walked silently through the halls as I assumed we were making our way towards some exit.

Then I had a mini heart attack. I had grown used to the silence over the past several days. What I was not prepared for was the distant but still incredibly jolting BANG that rang out through the hallways. My head wasn't the only one that whipped in the direction of the noise. A brief pause of eerie quiet follow what was undeniably a gunshot before more blasts and distant shouts echoed out. All it took was for Jac to nod towards the unexpected fighting for Stratus to nod in understanding before taking off, his gun already in hand. It was as if a gunfight was what he had been waiting for given how quickly he disappeared.

I stood there with my hand on my chest trying to relax my furiously beating heart. Gunshots. Fighting. I highly doubted this was a common way for Company employees to settle arguments. Something was set into motion, and there were few reasons to deny that it had something to do with me. The brief debate Jac had with Rusty confirmed that.

     "You should go give him backup." Jac said.
     "My task is to get her to the van." Rusty replied, motioning towards me.
     "My words were not a suggestion. They were an order." Jac explained stiffly.
     "I do not see how leaving merely you to escort her is a wise decision when we are not clear on the severity of the situation going on."
     "I do have a gun of mine own, and I know you are quite aware of my capabilities in a fight." Jac snapped back tartly.
     "It is not you I am doubting. I just do not want to be the one getting in trouble if she gets away again, although I suspect most of the bosses' rage will fall on you..." Rusty pointed out warningly, and Jac was forced to cave.
     "I suppose you are right. Getting the goods shipped off first is more important than making sure whoever is causing this ruckus does not infiltrate the building further. We can send all the bullets we want through their heads after the objective is complete."

Rusty was satisfied with that, and he had no problems taking the lead when Jac commanded it. He mentioned something about having to take the "little exit" now that our original path was compromised. I flinched when Jac gripped my hand in his.

     "You don't even think about taking more than two steps away from me, because I will send a bullet through your foot if you try to run." he warned, giving me another wink since Rusty couldn't see.
     "Don't worry. The last thing I want to worry about at this point is doing anything that will end up with me shot." I promised.

We walked on- slowly and with cautious peeks around every corner. Minutes ticked on by. With Rusty so intently focused on scoping out our path, Jac's commanding grip turned into a comforting one. I'm sure he was able to see how the sounds of the fighting shook me up. My chest absolutely burned with nerves, so much so that it was if I had a major fever. Jac was letting his poker face slip due to Rusty's ignorance. He had failed to get Rusty out of the way so he could sneak me to safety on his own. I saw his gun rise once as he contemplated getting rid of him that way, but I understood there were several reasons why he had chosen to lower it. Neither of us wanted the noise to alert anyone to our location, for one, but there was also the fact that Rusty didn't deserve death. I wasn't all that fond of the guy given his lack of help the second time Stratus really went after me, but after that he had been kind enough in his own way. He had shown that he did think of me as a person who deserved sympathy unlike another person I could name.

     "Maybe we should hide until the problem dies down? I'm not good to anyone if I get caught in the crossfire." I suggested, trying to help Jac out with potential ideas as to how we could ditch the third wheel.
     "And risk getting surrounded, and you slipping off? Yeah, no. Nice try." Jac rebuked.

His words were stern as required, but there was a spark that appeared in his eye. My words had resonated with him on some level. My hand was let go of, and Jac motioned for me to stop walking. Rusty had absolutely no idea that anything had changed during the several seconds it took Jac to sneak up behind him. He was even able to signal to me to remain silent without raising suspicions. Just for good measure, I covered my hands with my mouth. It actually did help me from crying out in surprise when Jac hurriedly took Rusty's head in his hands and smashed it against the nearby corner. Rusty cried out and stumbled, but he was still conscious. Jac quickly remedied that. The solid punch he sent at Rusty's noggin was so powerful that it made the harsh slap I had hit Amaranth with look like a hit from a marshmallow. Rusty went down with a thud- firmly out for the count.

     "Here, help me with him," Jac requested, swiping a card from his pocket through a lock pad to open up the closest door, "We can keep him in here, and he'll be out cold perfectly long enough for us get away."

I grabbed Rusty's legs and helped Jac carry him into the dark room, which appeared to be an unused office.

The door was shut and locked again. Jac took my hand for a brief moment to guide me in the right direction, but before we had moved fifteen feet we were running. We passed door after door. We turned corner after corner. Even at the rapid pace we moved, the massive place we were in seemed to stretch on for eternity. I hadn't moved all that much in the past days, so the sudden physical exertion made my head spin just a bit.

     "This probably isn't the best time," I panted slightly, "But can I get any information on how this is supposed to go down?"
     "It's already been screwed up, apparently," Jac admitted, "Your side was just supposed to pose and take the place of the ones who were actually going to transfer you. We would have gotten in the van, and that would have been it. I'm guessing our guys somehow saw through their facade, which gave them no choice but to enter the building by force."
     "And now?"
     "We need to try and meet up with those from your side. As long as we can get you and me out of here, the main goal will be complete and I can let out the information that can take this damn Company down. God, this has seriously been the worst job ever. I would gladly take back my retail job at this point."

I couldn't help but to smile, even with the sounds of the gunshots and shouting growing alarmingly loud. The two of us turned a corner, and a flight of stairs at the end of the way came into sight. I trailed Jac closer than before, but he was soon grinding to a halt.

     "Stop! Stop! Move back!" he warned, putting his arm out to halt me and then furiously shove me away.

I wondered why on earth he was stopping us, and the blur of gray and green that barreled at us from the connecting hallway instantly answered my curiosity. I tripped to the ground thanks to my whole body going rigid with fear as I stumbled further away from Stratus. He was an even worse sight to behold than normal. Thick flecks of blood coated his face, and it didn't look like it was his. Jac had his gun out again and aimed to shoot, but Stratus tackled him with a vengeance. Their limbs flailed as they grappled with each other, and Stratus eventually slammed Jac into the wall.

     "I knew you were a fucking traitor!" Stratus roared in his face, "As soon as I saw how easily those bastards were moving through here- like they had been given a map! You're the only one who's allowed access to such information!"
     "Call me a traitor all you want, but I'm not deserting anything considering I was never loyal in the first place." Jac retorted back sharply, but calmly.

I cowered on the ground as Jac's comment set Stratus off. The two men took digging punches into each other. My heart skipped several beats when Stratus nearly nicked Jac's gun. Struggling to maintain control, Jac purposefully pushed the gun far away from the two of them as their quarrel ended up with them scrapping on the ground.

     "Ethereal, take the gun and run!" Jac commanded between throwing punches and dodging them, "Go up the stairs and take a right! We'll never get anywhere with this son of a bitch on our tails. I'll deal him with and then catch up!"

Stratus let out a roar as his blood lust increased. Jac had a difficult time keeping his grip on him as I timidly but quickly danced around the fist fight to pick up Jac's gun with a shaking hand. My first instinct was to raise the gun and take my chance. Stratus was right there. He would be so easy to hit. However, terror had me lingering too long. Stratus read my thoughts with ease, and within seconds he and Jac were tumbling all over each other. With that instant being the first time I had ever held a gun, there was no way I would be able to take a shot without accidentally hitting my ally. Then there was the fact that my resolve crumbled almost immediately. Even if it was Stratus, even if the injury wasn't fatal- I don't think I would have been able to pull that trigger. To see a blazing piece of metal dig into the flesh of another living creature....the idea made me shudder. I was not a fighter.

Struggling with what I should do, I took up off the stairs when Jac demanded I do so again. Leaving him behind felt purely despicable, and I shook harder with each step I took. How could I just leave him like that? How could I just trust that he would be able to handle himself? Sure, he barely looked phased with every hit Stratus landed and Stratus' own gun was nowhere in sight, but my confidence wasn't high when the last thing I saw of the two was Stratus slamming punch after punch into Jac's face when he pinned him to the ground.

I went up the stairs and took a right. When I reached another intersection, I froze. What way was I supposed to go now. Did Jac mean I was supposed to take every right I came across? That didn't seem right, but it did make sense on some level. This Company building was like a maze. There were no windows. There were no random decorations to help give me some sense of direction or clue as to which way I should go. The bare off-white walls stretched on and on, and there were far too many connecting hallways for a normal office building. I had to wonder if the irrational design was intentional. Someone who knew their way around could naturally move with ease, but for someone like me who had no clue about the layout I was incredibly lost and confused. But, if the place was indeed a maze, then Jac's instruction to go right aligned with an old trick to navigate labyrinths. With no choice and no other ideas, I cautiously jogged down the halls taking every right.

The trick appeared to be working. The gunshots grew louder. Honestly, it didn't make me feel any better. The employees here had the advantage even if my rescuers had the brief element of surprise. They knew which paths to take. They all appeared to have their own gun. It seemed more likely I would bump into one of them. And, when I head footsteps all of a sudden echoing out from behind me, that's exactly what I believed. Slow at first, they grew faster and more confident as the sound of mine reached them. I wasn't able to run fast enough. Terrified that every corner I could turn could present a new enemy, the person who found me spotted me before I was able to escape their sight. An alarmed cry was shouted out, and I forced myself to bolt. I stopped trying to determine if I should risk a left turn. I gave no thought to trying to spot any signs that could lead me to the exit. My pursuer called and called after me. I took right after right, silently begging I would find an open room to hide in.

It wasn't thirty seconds later when I lost hope and wanted to scream. Like every other maze, this maze had its dead ends. I practically ran literally right into one. My pursuer close on my heels left me no chance at turning around and heading the other way. I did have the option of running right into him and knocking him off balance or something, but there was only one choice I had that would be effective like I needed it to be. Spinning on my heel, my stomach churned with disgust at the very thought of what had to be done. My hand holding the gun lifted upwards as I spun. The horrifying truth that I actually had to do this made me numb. The tingling in my fingers made it feel as if I had dropped the gun instead, and the weapon did soon clatter to the floor before it could be used. The person on my heels had been even closer than I thought. I hadn't fully turned around yet when he clenched onto my wrist to render me vulnerable before I could get my finger anywhere close to the trigger.

I instantly forgot all about the weapon when my eyes caught a glimpse of the skin of the person cornering me. I knew the tone too well. I swore I would have collapsed from relief the second I recognized his face had he not pulled me towards him just as fast. Amaranth had barely gotten his arms around me before I began bawling.

     "I...thought you were...dead. I thought they...had killed you." I whispered through my thick sobs.
     "They certainly tried, but they clearly failed," Amaranth joked ever so slightly, speaking softly and gently rubbing my back, "That green and gray guy took off the second he saw that the other was leaving without him. The third guy and I kept fighting, and I had no choice but to shoot him in the shoulder when I got his gun."
     "What a-about Eden and Blaze?" I asked hesitantly.
     "Both fine. Er, they both were the last time I saw them anyway. The two of the are here as well. The attack some Company members tried to launch on their place of operation when you were taken failed when Blaze and Eden were able to get wind of the danger. Then Jac approached us in order to help, and holy shit I can't believe he of all people is Al's dad, but, anyway, he opened us the possibility of us being here now."

I nodded feebly against his chest. The surge of emotions and steady drain of adrenaline left me weak and exhausted. Being able to lean against Amaranth was the best medicine for that. Having been captured, it had felt as if the life and world I had lived in had been sufficiently beaten to death. In some ways, it was if it had never existed. Amaranth's presence brought it back to life. Hearing that Eden and Blaze were still somewhere fighting was as relieving as seeing Amaranth, but even just learning that Amaranth was alive was enough for me in that moment. We appeared to be in a relatively safe corner, so he took a brief moment to continue comforting me. His hold was so secure, and the kisses he placed on my cheek and then on my lips renewed some of my strength.

His fingers gently brushed away the tears running down my face before he took a step back. I was flashed a tender smile until his expression grew serious as he studied me.

     "Are you alright?" he asked with grave concern, "What have they been doing? This outfit they've given you..."
     "It's to allow them to get access to what they need more easily," I admitted, my face burning with embarrassment as my voice turned quiet and reluctant, "They captured me at the perfect time...when there was a good chance I was ovulating. They've already inseminated me three times."

Amaranth's expression grew even more serious and somewhat grim.

     "Has there been more to it than that?" he wondered, reluctant now himself.
     "Jac has been watching over me well, but..."

Once again, I couldn't get the words out. I knew I had to tell at least Amaranth the truth someday if our relationship was going to continue, but in that moment I shook my head.

     "I don't think now is the best time to talk about it." I mumbled.
     "I agree with you," Amaranth said, gunshots echoing from somewhere with perfect timing, "We need to get you out of this place first before we can deal with the consequences. We're holding the entrance, so if we can just get near there we should be safe. I'll take this too. Mine ran out of bullets before some guy swiped it thinking it would be useful. I'm sure he was in for a surprise when nothing came out."

Amaranth picked up Jac's gun from the floor, and his lips curled into a small smile when he caught the worried expression I was wearing.

     "Don't panic. I haven't shot anybody. I've just been shooting at them in order to get them off my back."
     "Do you have a lot of experience with guns?" I had to ask.
     "Well, Blaze might have been giving me secret lessons over the years in various skills I thought best not to mention to anyone." Amaranth admitted.

He rapidly proved that statement true. His hand took mine, and he led me on in an expert level. Amaranth definitely did have knowledge of the building's layout. He knew which corners to take, which ones to hide behind, and which one to avoid lingering at. The gunshots steadily grew louder, although there was some relief that came with the fact that there were far fewer of them than there were before. The fight was dying down. On the other hand, that added more worry to my chest. If the fight was stopping, that meant that there was less and less of a reason to fight. That, in turn, meant that one side had the strong advantage. Was it our side? Was it theirs? There was too much uncertainty. It didn't help that there began to be splotches of blood on the walls and drops and then tiny puddles of it on the floor. I feared with every turn that we would come across a body. I don't know what I would have done if it belonged to Eden or Blaze.

The structure began to change. The hallways grew more uniformed. Tiny windows appeared along the top part of the wall. Mirrors and pictures decorated the space underneath.

     "We're almost at the entrance." Amaranth confirmed encouragingly, ushering me along faster.

We would not make it to safety without encountering trouble though. From out of nowhere, two Company workers leapt at us. Amaranth pushed me in front of him, forcing me to run while he shot at the two men. I didn't know whether to be impressive or scared by his accuracy. The men quickly grew afraid as they only avoided death due to Amaranth purposely missing his shots, mostly sent at their heads, but only just. Still, they continued after us. The one with a gun tried to retaliate, but he got trapped hiding behind a corner once Amaranth and I took up position at a large intersection with four elevators and several potted plants. I could almost feel the edge of the building upon me. The entrance was closer than ever.

     "Head left!" Amaranth instructed.

His shots slowed. He was running out of bullets again.

     "Y-your left, or mine?" I questioned in confusion.
     "Yours!"

I took a step, but I stumbled once more in fright when movement coming from my right caught my eye. Fearing it was another enemy, my hand began reaching for Amaranth to alert him until I recognized the blessedly familiar face. The person wasn't an enemy at all. It was Blaze.

I smiled in joy at his arrival, but the happy emotion did not stay long. The relief on Blaze's face at seeing the two of us also vanished rapidly to be replaced by fear.

     "Am, MOVE!" he shouted.

Blaze was bolting towards the two of us with inhuman speed. He was already upon me by the time I shifted to see the danger staring straight at me. Blaze's appearance had distracted me from the arrival of someone I did need to be looking out for. Stratus was back- a gun he had gotten somewhere aimed in my direction.

I shrieked when the deafening bang engulfed the intersection. Amaranth had taken a massive jump to the side while Blaze barreled me to the ground. He jerked unnaturally as we fell, and he groaned as we hit the ground.

     "Blaze?!" I cried in panic.

I tried to inspect him for a wound, but he trapped me tight against him. I was pinned in his little cocoon of protection, and there was nothing I could do but lie there as three more gunshots rang out. Two blasted out at the same time. A tiny crackle of light exploded in the air above Blaze and me, and the sound of stray shots sinking into the wall revealed that the two bullets had remarkably hit each other in mid-air. The third shot followed almost instantly. I cringed and held my breath as, after it, there came a thud before a horrible stretch of thick silence.

Fear bubbled in my chest for Amaranth, but I could hear his heavy breathing and footsteps as he moved over to us. Blaze groaned slightly before loosening his grip. I dared to peek up ever so slightly over his shoulder to see something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. The corpse of a person freshly killed, sprawled on the ground in a puddle of his own blood with a hole through his head. To tell the truth, I hadn't the slightest clue as to what I felt seeing Stratus dead. There was a sense of safety knowing he was definitely taken care of this time around, but there was no sense of happiness that overtook me at seeing someone's son staring blankly up at the ceiling. I stared at him in shock before Blaze sitting up blocked him from my view.

Amaranth knelt down to help the two of us, but Blaze grabbed his arm as he stared down the hallway we had come from.

     "The others who were after you?" he questioned.

We all shifted our attention towards where they had been, but there was no life there anymore either.

     "Seems like they got scared off. The one had stopped shooting, so I think his gun was empty. They were probably content to let that guy take over the job for them," Amaranth said, his voice shaking slightly, and even more so when his gaze lingered on Stratus, "I-I wasn't trying to kill him. I was just t-trying to wound him to get him to stop, but he changed his aim towards you two and I..."
     "Amaranth, there was no choice. It was us or him, and you did what had to be done." Blaze comforted gently, his expression as kind and tender in a way I had never seen it before.
     "He's right," I added, doing my best to stop my own shaking, "I've unfortunately gotten to know Stratus over there quite well in the past several days. He was nothing but evil. He would have killed you and Blaze in an instant, and he would have shot me several times just for fun before dragging me off to wherever they were going to ship me."

Amaranth nodded and appeared slightly calmer, but it was clear that it was the both of us now who were going to have issues to work on once we were out of this horrible place.

     "Are you alright?" I asked Blaze to change the topic.
     "That guy's bullet, Stratus or whatever, it only just nicked my arm. I think it's barely bleeding. This is going to need a bit more attention though."

Blaze rolled up his pant hem to reveal a bullet lodged in his ankle. I sucked in a sharp inhale, and Amaranth cringed. He quickly proved that they had come prepared when he immediately pulled out some gauze, bandaging, and some emergency tape from his pocket to bind up the wound.

     "Only got it a minute ago. Just goes to show that most of these bastards can't aim for shit. The majority are cowering in fear deeper in the building or they've fled the property entirely. Our guys have pushed the front line pretty far in, so we should be safe getting to the front now." Blaze explained.
     "That's good, since we're going to have to move slowly with you." Amaranth said.
     "I'm impressed you could run so fast with an ankle like that." I remarked in awe.
     "Eh, well, it's not exactly like this was my first gunfight," Blaze revealed brightly before laughing loudly when my eyes went wide, "Hey, I did tell you I was a super spy. It's not my fault you didn't believe me."

Unfortunately, Blaze wasn't as cheerful when Amaranth helped him stand up a moment later. The pain was sinking in. I had to support him under his other arm in order for us to move with any sort of haste.

It only took us four more turns around four more corners to reach the entrance. It wasn't even until that moment when I spotted the outside world through the glass on the doors that I realized I had just spent the past three days underground. It was no wonder there hadn't been any windows. I craned my neck as I was desperate to see the sky and sun again, but there was a glimpse of something green that caught my attention. The more I leaned to look at it, the more I saw that it was the person I wanted to see.

     "Ethereal, go ahead and get on out there," Blaze chuckled, "The kid's got me. You need to show him you're safe more than you need to help me out."

I didn't waste a second. I dashed forward, and almost accidentally slammed into the door when I pushed instead of pulled. So lost in my desire to get out, I missed Blaze and Amaranth chuckling at me again.

Part of me feared that I had been wrong. That what I had seen wasn't waiting for me at all. It was one of those times where I was immensely glad to have been scared for nothing. Eden didn't disappear when I burst through the door. He remained exactly in place, the situation only grew better when Jac was there waiting as well. I hadn't spotted him at all. He looked a bit battered and ruffled up, but it seemed he had escaped Stratus just like he said he would. He had even beaten me out of the building somehow. Jac was in such a deep conversation with Eden next to the van that I assumed was the one I was supposed to be transported in until I rushed over to them.

It felt like a lifetime since I had seen Eden. It had been quite the whirlwind of big revelations and big happenings since he had stepped out Blaze's door. I was worried for a moment that I could only ever see him as different now, but I was wrong again. I could actually see him stop breathing when he spotted me. We shared a cliche movie moment as he lifted me up, spun me around, and held me in an embrace so tight that my feet didn't even touch the ground. I was crying. He was crying. I was smiling, and he had the most sappy grin on his face too. I forgot about the world around us. I never noticed how massive the building actually was or the large parking lot hidden in a thick forest of pine trees. I didn't hear Blaze and Amaranth making silly comments about us or notice Jac's content and satisfied expression. I was with my Eden. I was with my brother.

However, it was thinking that which caused a brief surge of bubbling anger to overtake me. Like I hadn't done for a long time, I gave Eden's back quite the firm smack. He had no choice but to put me down and stare my way in confusion.

     "Why didn't you tell me?!" I pouted at him furiously.
     "T-tell you what?"
     "That you are my brother!"

Eden shifted sheepishly and rubbed at his neck. He was forced to explain when I folded my arms in a huff.

     "I didn't want to take the risk. I trust you, Ethereal, but with as dangerous as our situation was I didn't want to do anything that could make things more difficult. If I told you I was your brother, you would have known Jungle and Field are your parents. The Company obviously knows who they are, as well as that I know them too. Jungle and Field have been watched like crazy since I took you. I knew you would never dare to try and contact them while we were in hiding, but even a simple internet search to learn about them would have been spotted by The Company. I didn't want to dangle temptation in front of you."

I continued to pout, but I had to silently accept that Eden was right. There was a strong chance that I would have tried to find at least a picture of them even if he had warned me not to do so.

     "Does it change anything? Knowing that we're related?" Eden asked softly.

He was scared, and it didn't take much effort to figure out why. He was afraid that I would love him more now, which would mean that my love for him before had been conditional. That he was only worth more to me now because of the blood we shared, and not simply because of the person he was. I didn't doubt that was another reason why he had been reluctant to tell me the truth.

He shifted nervously for a moment longer before I flashed a big grin up at him.

     "It doesn't change a thing." I revealed brightly.

It was difficult containing my laughter as Eden looked as if I had just laid a massive Christmas present before him. It was simply impossible for him to contain his joy as I spoke the words he most needed to hear. I received another crushing hug and a long kiss on the forehead. I had to wait a moment before I could ask the question burning a hole in my mind.

     "So, what now?" I wondered, glancing from Eden to Jac.

The two glanced at each other as well.

     "We're almost there. We've got the information we need. Now we need to just let it out to the world, and then we get to reveal you as Ethereal." Eden answered.
     "It's going to be a fun week then, huh?" I joked.
     "It's going to be quite a week to remember, that's for sure." Eden nodded.

I giggled, and I didn't mind at all when Eden couldn't help but to wrap me in one more hug.