I stormed off down the hall, unaware of where I was even going, more preoccupied with biting back the compulsive urge to march right back into that office and yell at Tony some more.

What does he know of loss? Nothing.

He truly didn't. He was never around when I was little, and he was not there when my parents died. He did not know them, or me. He could not even be bothered to be there for their funeral.

He left me to go through burying my beloved parents alone.

The simple phone call I had received on the day would never suffice. If he really cared he would have been there.

My thoughts were interrupted when I ran right into somebody, hitting them hard enough I staggered back, but the human wall in front of me didn't budge an inch.

"Would you- Anastasia?"

My eyes stared into those of Dr. Short and my stomach dropped. He and Dr. Martin stood with Jayce, watching me in open perplexity.

Why? Why me? Why now?

"Are you alright, Anastasia?" Dr. Short asked, his expression immediatly shifting from puzzlement to concern.

I was concerned myself, so much so that my mouth was trying to form words but I honestly did not even know how to answer him.

He had never adressed me before, let alone by my name (I did not think he even knew my name to be perfectly honest).

"I- I am fine." I finally forced out, only when my eyes shifted from him to Jayce, who looked bored and utterly disconnected from the entire situation.

Jayce seemed bored and otherwise unphased by everything...

He seriously needed to seek out help for that.

Dr. Short narrowed his eyes in an unconvinced, suspicious mannor, and shifted so he was fully facing me while blocking my view of Jayce. "You do not look fine, Anastasia. If something is wrong you need to tell me."

Again with my name. Every time he said it I got a little more uncomfortable... and he was suddenly saying it a lot.

Something about the way he moved to place himself between Jayce and I did not sit right with me and the look mirrored in his eyes held something knowing. Like he knew...

But what could he possibly know?

I didn't know, but he clearly knew something.

"Well I am fine."I snapped right back at him. My suspicions were making me more defensive than I already had been.

He didn't know me, who was he to accuse me of being unwell? Further more, what did he care either way? Until two minutes ago he could not have been bothered to so much as look at me, and now he thought he had the right to question my wellbeing?

Before he could say anything else I pivoted on my heels and took off down the hall.

Seconds ticked by and I was beginning to think that the end of it, I had escaped... Until my ears pricked at the sound of footsteps following close behind me.

Great! Would anyone like to guess who that could possibly be?

I quickened my pace, fighting the urge to break into an all out run for the safety of my room. My door was in sight. Just a few more steps... I could make it-"

"Anastasia, please wait."

I whipped around and nearly cursed, Dr. Short stood a few paces behind me, his already dark blue eyes deepened to a color I couldn't decipher.

"Why are you following me?" I bit out. I would probably regret the hostility later, but I really wanted nothing more than to be away from the man, in my own room so I could cry in peace.

His hands fiddled with the hem of his lab coat, it was the first time I had ever seen the man look uncomfortable about anything.

"Clearly you are not alright. If you do not want to tell me that's fine, I just wanted to offer my assistance. If you would like to talk about what is troubling you..."

Oh, so now he wants to talk. Where was this urgency to speak when I actually cared to get to know him?

I battled with the urge to throw his offer right back in his face and remained calm. "Thank you, but I am fine."

He looked like he wanted to argue, and I was already bracing myself for the inevtiable. Let him just try it.

Finally, after an extended silence, he nodded once. "Very well."

Thank god.

Dr. Short turned to go, but stopped halfway and looked back to me. His eyes met mine and the intensity with which he looked at me left no room for me to doubt whatever he was about to say next.

"I understand if you refuse, but I will say it anyway. If you ever need to talk or you merely want someone to listen, I am right here, Anastasia. I may not understand what you are going through, but I want to help you nonetheless and I will listen without judgement. Never think you have to be alone."

He turned and left before I could say anything, which was appreciated because I had no idea what to say anyway.

Who knew Dr. Short could be so caring? His words had been so sincere and disarming, it nearly made me want to tell him what was troubling me.

And that honestly left me a little freaked out.

I turned and hurried into my room, before anything else out of the ordinary could happen.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me I sank to the floor and allowed the tears I had been holding back to fall freely.

I didn't have to be alone, but I had never felt more alone in my entire life.

~~~~~~

My clothes clung to my skin, dampened with sweat and only adding further to the annoyed state I appeared to be in.

The intensity of the sun had been blocked by the building I stood behind, but it was still too hot.

Beside me stood a man I did not recognize, but obviously knew. He was peering around the corner of the building, searching, but I did not know what for.

"I think it is safe." He whispered, turning back to me.

When my eyes met with those of my companion I immediatly recognized those inticing pools of liquid gold.

It was Jayce.

"Are you ready?" He asked, pulling my attention back to the present.

I nodded, though I knew in my heart I would not follow him.

He turned back around, peeking around the corner once more before breaking into a sprint for the building a short distance away from us.

I watched as he reached the other side and turning to see if I had followed.

My pulse was racing.

What I was about to do was so fucking crazy.

But it was time to make an example of the heartless man who had caused so much hatred and greif amongst these people... the very people who loved him for it.

Whatever I was about to do was going to kick off so much war, and bloodshed, and death... but it had to be.

I turned, ignoring Jayce who was waving me over to him, and walked out into the middle of the street.

"Anna!"

"Anna, hey!" My eyes snapped open and landed on the shadowed face of my uncle.

"What the hell, Tony?!" I hissed, scooting back away from him.

I was back in my room, lit only by the lamp on my bedside table. I was slouched over on the floor with Tony leant over top of me, dressed in his usual lab coat and work pants.

"You ok?" he asked, worry etched into every feature on his face.

I pushed myself up off the floor and brushed my backside off. "I am fine. Just fell alseep while I was thinking is all."

He did not look convinced, rising to his feet beside me, but did not push the matter. "OK... so I was wondering if you would like to help me out a little this evening."

I raised my brows, "Help you? With what?"

"I needed to fetch a few things from the supply cooler... I thought that maybe you could accompany me."

I stifled a yawn as I shook my head. Even if I weren't tired I still would not want to go help him. "I think I am just going to go back to sleep."

His hopefull look demenished, replaced with an unmasked dissapointment that had me regreting my choice to stay, but not enough to change my mind. "Maybe another time then. Good night, Anna."

He left my room without another word, gently pulling the door closed behind him.

Guilt crept over me and, like always, I had to fight the urge to run after Tony and apologize even though I truly had done nothing to warrent an apology to him.

Yawning yet again I decided to put the entire day behind me and just get some rest. Tomorrow would be a new day and hopefully I could start fresh with Tony then.

~~~~~~~~~

Four miserable hours had passed sense crawling into my bed, and I had done little more than stare up at my ceiling and count the tiny nail holes in it.

No matter how hard I tried, sleep wouldn't come.

Every time I would be close to drifting off my mind would revert back to Jayce and the conversation I had had with Tony earlier in the day.

I did not regret disagreeing on the treatment Jayce received, I just wished it had been with anyone other than Tony. As annoying and callused as he could be he was still all the family I had left.

But Jayce was a living being with thoughts and feelings of his own and I truly beloved he did not deserve to spend his entire life being punished for things far beyond his control. Nobody knew how he had come to earth on his own or why, but he had arrived here as a baby for crying out loud.

He was as clueless to his reason for being here as everyone else.

The longer I dwelled on the anomaly that was Jayce, the more I wanted to wake him again. I still had an overwhelming number of questions that only he could answer.

I lay there pondering long into the night, wondering where Jayce could have possibly come from and, more importantly, were there more here on earth?

Would I have even known if I had met an alien? Sense they were not the little green men I had envisioned all my life probably not.

When I could no longer take sitting in my bed with these unanswered questions, I got up and left my room.

Wondering down the always lit hall, my mind wondered back over the countless impending thoughts of my demise.

I was going to get caught. There was no way it could not eventually catch up to me, and when it did I would no doubt be facing sever consequences.

Waking Jayce the first time had been the most irrational, thoughtless thing I had ever done... but doing it a second time? I would go down in the history books as one of the dumbest people on the planet.

But I had to know what went on up in that head of his.

I had all but convinced myself to turn around and run back to my room, forgetting this whole thing almost happened again, but I was already inside Jayce's room, looming over the cryo tank.

If I was already here...

I punched in the code and waited while the tank lid lifted, revealing a soundly sleeping Jayce who looked so peaceful it were as if all of the years of hardening and emotional depravity were wiped clean of him.

Looking at him sleeping here I remembered why I had ever woke him in the first place; he was a living being who was very much in need of a friend.

If I woke him once and nothing horrible had happened maybe the second time wouldn't be so bad either...

After waiting twenty or so minutes, Jayce started to stir. He sat up, rubbing his face tiredly, not seeming to notice my presence right away.

"Hey, sleepy head." I spoke softly, hoping I did not startle him into killing me.

His head whipped around at neck breaking speed to stare at me with narrowed eyes. He was fully aware of what I had done. "Anastasia..."

I smiled timidly. He did not appear very pleased with my presence, just as I feared. "Yeah, that's my name. Don't wear it out."

He really scowled this time, clearly not in the mood for my antics. "Anastasia, this was not wise."

Of course it wasn't! I was willing to admit as much.... but not to him.

I clasped my hands together, something I done whenever I was nervous, a leveled an assuring look on Jayce. "Relax, Jayce. I found a way that practically guarantees I will not get caught."

Lies... Horrible lies. If Jayce were any better at deciphering fact from fiction he would have known this.

He narrowed his eyes until they were mere slits, clearly not convinced... Ok, maybe it really was that obvious I was lying.

"You are not a very convincing liar, Anastasia."

"It is fine! Everyone is sound asleep so we are not going to be caught." Maybe that was more to convince myself than Jayce.

I blew out a nervous puff of air and tried to pull myself back together.

"Why have you woke me this time?" He asked, seeming to accept my feeble excuse as an efficient answer, that or he really did not care.

"I wanted somebody to talk to."

"I am to be sleeping, Anastasia. Why do you not wake Dr. Croft... Or Dr. Short? He seemed concerned enough about your wellbeing today." He added, his jaw tightening just enough for me to notice.

What did Dr. Short have to do with any of this? And why did it seem to be the only thing I had ever seen Jayce react ill about?

My suspicions were mounting. "Um... Why would I do that?"

Shrugging he looked past me towards the door, his eyes giving nothing away. "They both are merely concerned for your well being, Anastasia... as they should be."

"And you are not?" I asked with raised brows, ignoring the fact he thought they had a real reason to worry about me. I was alone and upset, yes, but I was not going to kill myself or anything.

Surely he would admit he cared... even if it was just a little.

"No." He stated flatly. My stomach dropped at his lack of empathy. "Concern is just another form of weakness."

I mean... I had thought, given the last time I had woke Jayce, that he must have cared about me... Even if it was just a little.

I rolled my eyes, not even trying to hide my annoyance at his lack of feelings anymore. I mean- how do you just not care?! "Do you really enjoy being so dead inside?"

"I am not dead," he countered, but the monotone in which he spoke said otherwise, "quite to the contrary, Anastasia, I am just not as weak as you or anyone else here."

Alright, now he was asking to get slapped.

"I am not weak!"

"Then we must agree to disagree."

I groaned. This was how he thanked me for waking him? For giving him the opportunity to be himself without the doctors for once?

But I had given in to waking him.... even when I knew I shouldn't.

"Can you take me to see the stars?"

My head snapped up to state blankly back at him. After that little crack about me being weak? Hell no.

A sudden feeling of unease washed over me, so strong I could literally feel the off energy buzzing in the air all around me.

"I think tonight would be prefect." He got up from his seat on the ledge of the Cryo tank, walking to his closet. I stood there more than a little uncomfortable while he took out a pair trousers and pulled them on over his boxers.

What the hell was I supposed to do? I had no way of forcing Jayce back into the tank if he did not wish to go.

"Jayce... What are you doing?"

"We should see the stars." He replied, already slipping into a pair of boots.

"I hate being cooped up inside all of the time, too." I admitted slowly, taking one step back towards the door. "But I think it's best if we just stay in tonight."

"We could just leave, Anastasia." Jayce suddenly suggested, turning his attention back to me. His eyes were shrouded in shadows, but I thought I saw a spark of something in them...

Obviously there was no talking my way out of this... but I had to at least try.

"Jayce," I hissed, taking another step back as he started towards me, "do not even suggest such a thing! They would find us and we would both face serious charges!"

He stopped directly in front of me, his face drawing in a frighteningly serious look of determination. "Where we are going they will never find us."

I took another step back, my stomach suddenly falling to the bottoms of my feet. I had never suspected Jayce of being the reason for my downfall (not really, anyway) but as I took in Jayce as he now appeared before me, I was as left unable to deny that he was no longer the caged soul I thought I was helping, Jayce was a man with a plan- a man who knew exactly what he was doing, and had been doing all along.

Hurt and betrayal settled deep in my bones and sent tears springing to my eyes. I had been so wrong...

"Jayce... there is no need for-" Before I could finish my sentence Jayce had my legs kicked out from under me, cupping my mouth with one hand, with the other he jammed a needle into my forearm that, until just then, I had not even realized he was holding.

Wave after wave of panic shot through me and I fought to free myself from him. Thrashing, kicking, the whole nine yards, but Jayce wouldn't budge.

Discarding the needle he hooked his free arm behind my knees and scooped me into his arms.

I tried to scream, I tried to fight- to break free from his vice-like hold on me, but no sound was coming from my parted lips, and it was as if I was moving in slow motion. My limbs suddenly grew too heavy to move, no matter how hard I fought to use them.

By the time I realized we were outside of his room and in the hallway I could do nothing more than lay limp in Jayce's arms, staring up into his face in such wonder at how I had managed to land myself in this position.

How long would it take for them to discover what had happened and come looking for me? Would they find me in time?

My head lulled back, and the last thought to cross my mind was how I had been hurt and utterly betrayed... and how it was all my fault.

Then everything went black.

Ian's POV.

4:14 a.m

I couldn't sleep. After the troubling encounter I had had with Anastasia yesterday I could think of little else.

She had looked so distraught, how was I supposed to pretend as if I had not seen anything?

I couldn't, and god knows I tried. I had followed her without a second thought, just to make sure she would be alright.

And she wasn't, of course, but she refused my help, so there was little else for me to do but offer a few words and walk away. And that is exactly what I did, though it had ate at me all through the night.

Ignoring the warring thoughts inside my own head I moved to punch in the password on the keypad to Jayce's room.

It was a bit early to be waking Jayce, but I could at least start my prep work. Tony had never given me any grief over being in ahead of him before. Truth be told, he probably wouldn't even mention it, he was so used to my constant nocturnal walkabouts.

The door swung open and I moved to step in, but froze in the doorway. My entire body ran cold.

Nothing was out of place, except the lid to the tank had been opened and Jayce was gone.

I did not need to see her room to know that Anastasia was nowhere to be found. The icy chill settling over my entire body told me she was gone as well.

Jayce had somehow managed to kidnap her and steal off into the desert without tripping a single censor in this entire damn building.

Would he have hurt her? I doubted he would do it intentionally. That damn kid didn't know the first thing about humans and how they differed from him.

He could withstand so much more than she could...

Fuck.

My feet were carrying me down the hall faster than I could think, and that was the main thing I needed to be doing.

I needed to think, to rationalize this entire fucked up shit show Jayce had gotten himself into this time. I needed a plan of execution.