It was the end of the college year, and the College with bustling activity as the students went about finding out their end of term grades. And in some desperate cases lobbying for extensions and or revisions to their grades. As the professors and assistant professors slowly took this time to make sure all their paper work was caught up and everything was submitted it should be, as well as slowly unwinding from the end of term and the usual craziness it invokes in the students as they attempt to cram a years worth of information all over again.

Looking up at the clock a young man sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose, it was nearly quitting time and he for one couldn't wait for the end of the day and the nearly two month vacation. Bemusedly he thought to himself that it might be two months he already had to start planning his class schedule, information he wanted to present and get everything set up on time. He sometimes thought what possessed him to go this route, and assuredly thought he might be crazy. Shaking his head, he got up and exited his private office and smoothly merged into the throngs of students going this way and that. Catching the glimpse of hair of the 'new' student in his class he called out "Ms. Klein? A moment if you would?" He said as he jogged to catch up to her.

Ann took a moment to stop when she heard her name, she was still getting used to answering to her last name. "Yes, professor?" she asked, gazing confused through heavily lined eyes.

Catching up to the young woman, the professor stopped about three feet from her and smiled happily. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your final Ms. Klein. It was perhaps one of the best I've read in quite a few years, and also of the fact that I know you were a late transfer in. I admire the hard work and dedication you put into everything." He said, as his eyes took her in and something seemed off. "I hope to see you in my class next year, and look forward to that unique perspective you have in your writing. IF you need anything don't hesitate to come here." He said as he reached out his hand to her in a friendly gesture.

"Thank you." The confusion didn't disappear from Ann's green eyes, as she shook his hand. She wasn't certain what it was about the way he looked at her that made her feel uncomfortable. "I will keep your offer in mind." She really had no intention of going to him for anything, she was surprised that the professor even knew her name. She had done nothing but try to keep her head down.

The young professor chuckled softly and ran the outstretched hand through his hair before saying "Ms. Klein though you have no doubt attempted to remained inconspicuous during your time here. That sadly isn't the case, I am not pressing for details or anything of the sort. Just letting you know that there are those who are willing to help if you ever need it. I know sometimes how hard things in life can be, and that certain events can often overwhelm emotions....." He trailed off as he realized how he was sounding and how weird it might have actually sounded if he where in her shoes. "I just hope you have a good summer, and hope to see you around next year. If your still interested we still have a opening for intern/co-op position I think you would be well suited for." He finished with a kind smile towards her.

"Thank you, professor." Ann repeated quietly. She was slightly uncomfortable with the attention he was giving her, all she wanted was to slip by under the radar. She fiddled with the chain on her tripp pants as she looked at him, "Excuse me, I have another class." she lied, trying to slip away without being rude.

Watching Ann walk away the young professor reached into his pants pocket and removed his mobile phone. "We certainly will keep an eye on you, if for nothing else to make sure we are wrong in our intelligence" He muttered softly to himself, before flipping the phone open and dialing a number by heart. Letting it ring till the other side picked up he said in a low voice "This is Agent Owens, subject is safely ensconced in the University. She has no idea about those looking for her, and may be able to help at a future date if she breezes through her Ancient Culture studies as she has been." He said quickly before the line went dead and he glanced around his surroundings too make sure no one was eaves dropping on what he had said. Satisfied he put the phone back in his pocket and retreated back to his office so that he could finish out the day and start his 'summer work'.

Ann glanced back over her shoulder as she walked away and saw him watching her as he spoke into his phone. She'd liked his class well enough, but something about that conversation, and the way he was still watching her, didn't seem right. She didn't like the feeling, she'd moved across the country to get away from being noticed.

"Anne!" a young voice sounded a few feet ahead and a young woman came skirting around the corner, she was dressed in black like a traditional goth but her was done up in high pigtails. She was exuberant in the extreme and overly friendly to everyone, which was odd considering how people viewed her. But it she didn't really care, she was just a bubbly person. "Did you get your grades yet for Prof. Owens course??" She asked, as she slurped on a caffeine filled drink. "I swear I knew everything on that exam it was so easy!" She babbled on as she finally skidded to a stop next to Anne and continued on babbling not realize Anne wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings.

Ann flinched inwardly at being called Anne. "No, I haven't checked them yet." She said in her usual, even tone. Finding a goth in a small Pennsylvania town was rare, and it seemed that Ann just had to find the strangest one in the whole state. But despite herself, she liked the other gothy girl. "What did you get?"

"I got a 93!!" She exclaimed as she was bouncing around like a energizer bunny, the rattling of the chains could be heard that ran down her legs. "I still can't believe that, I missed two questions that I know I knew going in!! I'm so mad at myself how could I mess those up they were so easy!" You could hear the frustration obvious in her voice as she rattled on and on. "By the way what are your plans for the summer, I wanted to know if you'd be up going to this new Art Expo that opens next month. Its supposed to be wicked cool a lot of the underground artists are going to be showing their work." The young woman continued on as she turned to Ann and put on her best puppy dog begging look.

Despite herself, Ann smiled. "Well, I'm not going back to California, so I see no reason why I couldn't go with you. Do you have a way to get there?" Ann was slowly starting to relax again, her confusion and concern from her prior conversation fading to just a quiet nagging at the back of her mind. Though that could have just been because thinking about anything but the task at hand with Cassie around was difficult.

Cassie grinned despite herself and squeeled before throwing her arms around Ann and hugging her tightly. "Your the best!" She said in extremely happy voice, "And yes, I'll have my car so we'll have transportation I just didn't really want to go by myself." Cassie said grinning and almost skipping down the hall way.

Ann laughed, a rare occurrence anymore. "It sounds like a plan." she said, returning the girls hug. She was a little bit relieved to find that there was at least one person in her new life who could still make her laugh after everything that had happened.

Cassie smiled happily and continued on her way, "So I'll meet you at your place around 4ish? It opens around 5, so want to get good spot for parking and maybe a bite to eat?" She asked Ann as they both continued down the hall.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Ann parted ways with Cassie and headed for the library to print off a paper before her next class.

---

Cassie was excited she'd been thinking about this gallery for a while now and just never had the free time nor the excuse to really go. And truth be told she didn't want to go by herself, she wasn't quite sure what to expect so she reasoned if she went with someone it'd deflect those weird creepy stalkerish types she seemed to attract like a magnet. She was sitting in her car and had the music up not loud enough to rattle the windows and have others complain, but loud enough you could hear it pumping through the car with the windows shut. She quickly pulled her hair up in a loose ponytail as she got tired of having it down. She honked the horn one time to let Ann know she was outside and waiting on her. She looked down at her dash clock and noticed the time, 'Still have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat on our way there.' She thought idly to herself.

Ann stuffed her wallet and phone into the pocket of her dark jeans and straightened her corset in the mirror before yelling good bye to her aunt. Once out the door, she hopped into the passenger seat of Cassie's red '76 Dodge Charger. She looked over at Cassie and gave her a little smile.

Cassie grinned at Ann and leaned over and gave her a quick hug, "Looking good hon!" She said cheekily as she put the car in gear and pulled away back on to the road. "So, I was thinking if you haven't had anything to eat yet we can stop at that little Pizza shack on the corner then go to the Gallery?" Cassie asked as she deftly pulled into traffic and accelerated her car. She loved her car, she helped her father put it back together and then before he passed away told her to take good care of it, which she had. IT was her baby and all her family new it. It always shocked guys how much she didn't mind getting dirty when working on her car or just about anything else she'd always huff and tell them she was going into Forensics so she'd have to get dirty if she really wanted too.

"Pizza sounds good." Ann said after returning her hug. "Nice car, by the way." this was her first time hanging out with Cassie outside of school, so it was the first time she'd seen it up close.

Cassie led the way back outside after both Ann and herself had filled themselves on fresh baked pizza. "That hit the spot." She said as she slowly slinked towards her car and unlocked the doors. Looking over the roof of the car she added on, "By the way I've never been to this place. So, I'm not entirely sure what they have in terms of art and what they are showing so I apologize ahead of time if there is anything graphic or another."

Cassie slid into the car and started it up as she waited on Ann to get in before pulling away out of the parking spot she head back out to the main road. Driving for about another twenty minutes they pulled up to a older brick building with large display windows. There were advertisements posted up on some of them about the artists being featured within and other events that were running at the same time. Catching sight of a close parking spot she accelerated and turned or more accurately slightly spun her car into the spot and deftly killed the engine after stopping.

After Ann caught her breath and pried her hand off the little handle in the door she turned to grin at Cassie, "Where did you learn to do that?!" she laughed giddily.

Cassie grinned at Ann, then laughed and said "My dad use to be a driver, and took some stunt driving courses. He taught me everything he knew about cars and how to make them really perform." She pulled the keys from the car and exited then locked the doors after Ann was out and had shut her door as well. Walking around the car she met up with Ann and they both started to walk to the entrance of the galley.

Unknown to them around the corner a pair of men where watching the young woman and one nodded to the other before moving away from the shadows and started to walk towards them. He was dressed in a black suit, that just screamed professional and more likely some form of government officer. He called out as he neared the woman "Excuse me, but are you Ms. Anne Klein currently living with Lynn Klein on Romaro Drive?"

Ann stopped laughing, and turned when she heard her name, "Yes, I am." she said hesitantly. She placed her thumbs in the front pockets of her jeans, feeling the pocket knife she always kept on her, "Who are you?"

The man slowly reached into the jacket inside pocket and pulled out a leather wallet and flipped it open. "Agent O'Reilly FBI, we've been looking for you. Something has happened to your parents Mr. Mike Klein and Mrs. Kim Klein. We need you to come with us." He said as he took another step forward.

Cassie watching this scene unfold could help but feel slightly numb this was supposed to be a fun night out. This is crap if she had anything to say about it, and the wheels in her mind where turning. Something wasn't quite right about this but she wasn't quite sure what it was at this point in time.

The girl's face paled, "What happened?" Ann asked. She took a tentative step towards the man but hesitated, "Let me see that badge." she had heard before of people making false badges, and it was as simple as finding her facebook page to find her parents' names.

The agent nodded his head, she was at least thorough after all the information they had on her she didn't trust easily. But he wasn't worried it was a Real ID, it was one of the many favors that were owed to those he worked for. The only way to truly know would be to know the system and try and find him. Even then as he thought about it he knew they could insert him in as if he had been there all along. "I don't know much Miss, only that they are in the hospital, something about a car accident or something. I'm sorry I wish I had more, but we have a plane standing by for your Aunt and yourself to fly you out there." He said as he gestured to a black sedan car off in the distance. "If you'd just come with me, we'll get this all sorted out."

Cassie was watching this with dread something wasn't right, why would they send the FBI on a task like this? Why couldn't it be routed through Red Cross, or a emergency phone to Ann's Aunt? Or in worse case the local police force?? Something wasn't adding up but she knew she had to act soon otherwise something was going to happen. She took a step forward towards Ann, and gently rested her hand on her should and whispered what appeared to be words of condolences and encouragement. But in reality was a warning, "Ann something isn't right why is the FBI here for you? Not a local police officer or even your Aunt? Follow my lead will you?"

Ann turned her head a little towards her friend and nodded, those had been exactly her thoughts. She was an ICE contact in both her parents' phones, if something had happened, chances were she'd have gotten a call from the hospital, not a visit from the FBI. She let herself tear up, trying to stall enough to figure out what to do

Cassie played the part as well of a grieving friend and asked "Agent O'Reily was it?" See the man nod his head, she forged on "Could you tell me how Agent Thomson is doing? Him and my father used to go way back, and my ol' man told me he was huge in this area." She said as she deftly slipped her hand in her purse and grabbed a hold of something and stood waiting.

The man was getting frustrated but wasn't about to let that show on his face, he needed this to go smoothly other wise it'd be his head he knew. Something was special about this girl, he didn't ask questions simply went with it. If they said they wanted her it was his job to get her. Smiling at them he said "Yeah.... Agent Thomson I heard he got a promotion a year ago and moved down to DC I think?" after thinking on the spot of trying to play along. "Now could we please get moving? We have a tight schedule to keep."

Cassie new the man was lying how she knew she wasn't sure she wanted to say, but needless it was going to go down and fast. She smiled at the man, and tightened her grip on something in her purse. "Well Agent O'Reily that's good news except for the fact that Agent Thomson is dead and has been for the better part of ten years." She said with a edge to her voice before she whipped her hand out and held a tazer which she quickly thrust into the man's chest and hit the button before screaming "RAPE! HELP HE'S TRYING TO RAPE ME!!" Grabbing Ann's arm quickly they both made a run for her car.

Ann gripped her pocket knife in one hand as she ran for the car and got in.

Cassie watched the man drop like a sack of potatoes as he was hit with just over 100,000 volts of electricty from the tazer. Once both Ann and herself where in her car she through the key in ignition and heard it roar to life before she through it in reverse and floored it out spinning the car out of the parking spot, she threw it in drive and stepped the gas all the way down. Her car roared to life as it burned out and she peeled out down the street before she looked in her review mirror and saw the man claiming to be a FBI Agent get up and pull something out. "Get Down!" She called to Ann as she heard the tell tale crack of a Gunshot ring out over the roar of her car before she skidded around the corner she heard glass shatter inward.

Ann ducked her head down, pulled out her phone, and diled 911. As soon as she heard the operator's voice she started talking, "There's a man impersonating an FBI agent outside an art show, he's armed." she gave the woman the location of the art show and looked up at Cassie, "You alright?"

Cassie nodded her head her hands glued to her steering wheel, she took a shuddering breath and winced slightly before taking a quick glance at her left side. It seemed she wasn't quite quick enough and some of the glass that shattered from the bullet shot impacted her shoulder. As the adrenaline started to fade a dull throbbing could be felt coming from her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm fine we need to get moving and I have a feeling that I know who they where unfortunately." Cassie said, as she let up on the gas slightly so that she wouldn't be pulled over by local law enforcement.

"You...who was he?" after a moment, Ann saw the pain in Cassie's face, "Oh my god, did he hit you?"

"No." Cassie lied, and elaborated "I think I pulled a muscle in my leg from the sudden running it's nothing that some time won't fix. As to who they where, I'm not 100% sure but he was no FBI Agent. But, he had a damn good ID which means someone who knows the system or can get into the system." She elaborated as she stopped the car at a red light. She turned her head and faced Ann and said "Who ever he was I wouldn't doubt if he had some very power or influential friends in very high places."

"Cassie...he knew my parents' names, and my aunt's." Ann's face was pale, "I think I should call them, tell them to be careful. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Ann, but that Badge it was real I've known people who could make pretty good copies but there was always something off. That had EVERYTHING, as in that was either a actual FBI Agent, or he had someone who got him..." Cassie started to say before being cut off as a black sedan came speeding up then swing from the left hand side nearly hitting the back of her car. "What the fuck!?" Cassie screamed as she swerved to the right as she just saw in the side mirror the car coming up and floored the accelerator to narrowly miss a collision. "Don't freaking people know how to drive??!!"

Ann felt panicked when Cassie mentioned the possibility that the guy had been an actual FBI agent, she hadn't thought that he might not have been lying about that. She was about to call her parents when the sedan came out of nowhere. As soon as she saw it, alarm bells went off in her head. Plain black sedan, unmarked, it had to be the people who were after her, FBI or whoever they were.

Cassie slammed her foot to the floor and felt her car roar to life and accelrate at a alarming speed, she was shifting gears like a professional racecar driver. While doing this she saw that the black sedan was about three to four car lengths behind them and gaining. Thinking along the same lines as Ann, she made a sharp turn around a few slower cars and focused on the road ahead of her before calling out. "Ann, take your phone rip out the battery and throw it out the window! NOW!"

Ann didn't hesitate, hands shaking, she snapped the backing off her phone, pulled out the battery, and chucked it out the car window. It was only once it was gone that she realized she needed to warn her parents about what was going on. She looked over her shoulder, trying to see the sedan. "Cassie, you need to find a place to drop me off. Whatever's going on, I don't want you to end up hurt for my sake."

Cassie shook her head, and her hair lifted up and spun around her, before focusing back on the road. "I think by now they know who I am and I think I'm more a liability then anything. No, I think best thing for us is to stay together and go some place to lay low." She said more to herself with thoughts running through her head. Quickly thinking she reached with her right hand into her front pocket and pulled out her own phone. She quickly checked it before dialing a number on speed dial and letting it ring. Watching the traffic with one eye she glanced over to Anne to try and ease her fears, but even she didn't know what to say. There where to many thoughts running about her head, and she was trying to think of a place both of them could lay low. She knew they'd have to dump her car at some point, and realized she could leave it at her friends garage and grab one of his with minimal questions. "We need to ditch my car and get a new one, I have a friend who owns a garage who can help us out. Lets get there and we should be safe for a lil bit and see if we can't figure out what's going on or contact your rents." Cassie said as she was watching the road.

Ann nodded, closed her eyes, leaned her head against the seat, and took a deep breath. She forced her breathing to even out, but she couldn't get her heart-rate to slow. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying desperately not to tear up. She hadn't cried in front of anybody since the cops found her back before she left California, she couldn't cry now.

Cassie focused on the road, she didn't quite know what to say to Ann to give her some form of comfort. In the back of her mind there wasn't really anything she could say, she really had no idea what was going on. She shuddered to think what would have happened if this agent guy whomever he was had approached Ann when she was alone. Or somewhere were she couldn't easily get away. Taking a deep breath she pushed those thoughts away, it would be of no use to her now freaking out and panicking. She had to keep cool, watching the signs on the freeway she deftly merged to a exit ramp and followed the road for a few miles, seemingly making turns at random but with a clear intent. About fifteen minutes later she slowed the car and made a left hand turn into a fenced off lot that had a large garage and a multitude of cars. Stopping and parking her car she turned to Ann and said "Is there any way you can contact your parents without calling them?"

"I could...Call a friend back there?" Ann couldn't think of any other way to get word to her parents, "But I don't have any one out here I could call to warn my aunt."

Stopping the car and shutting the engine off, Cassie turned to Ann and told her "Alright, there is a pay phone just over there." She nodded her head to the main entrance way to the garage and continued on. "What I want you to do is call your rents and Aunt. Tell them nothing specific just that you're alright and where worried and ask how their vacation went. EVEN if they didn't go on one. That will clue you in if its really them or not. Also if the phone rings for more then ten rings just hang up they are tracking you. IF your rents or aunt do answer keep it brief no more then two minutes. Got it?" Cassie said before opening her door and hiding a grimace as she had her face turned away from Ann. 'Gotta get this stitched up quick before moving on.' She thought as she leaned down back in to the car and told Ann "I'm gonna head inside so come in when your done k?"

Ann nodded and headed towards the payphone. She rummaged around her bag and found only enough coins for one call. Cursing, she dropped them in and diled her parents' number. Palms sweaty, she counted in her head as the phone rang. After three rings, she heard her mother's voice on the other line. "Mom? Hey, how was your trip?" she asked, trying to sound interested, but only sounding more shaky. What trip? came the voice over the phone, You know your father and I haven't been on a trip in-- "Mom, I need you to listen. There's somebody after me pretending to be feds and they know who you are. I didn't do anything illegal, I just need you to trust me. Go to a friend's place and stay there for a while. Warn Aunt Lynn too, I can't call her. I'm okay but I have to go, love you." Without waiting for any response, Ann hung up the phone. She took a moment to lean against the wall beside the payphone and finally let the tears run down her cheeks. She dried her eyes on her sleeve and pulled the sponge applicator for her foundation out of her bag and ran it briefly under her eyes, covering up the redness before she walked inside.

Cassie was in the back sitting on chair backwards her arms leaning against the back rest, her shirt and jacket laying on a table nearby. Dried blood could be seen splotched around her shoulder and upper arm. Sitting next to her was a middle-aged man that was covered in tattoos up his arm and peaking around his neck, he was slowly weaving what appeared to be thread of some kind along Cassie's arm. Her back tensed the muscles contracting tightly, her pale skin a stark contrast to the black clothes she wore, the only thing on her back was large dragon tattoo that spawned from the back of her shoulder blades and disappeared down her left hip. She sensed someone behind her and craned her head slightly and saw Ann. "I suppose you got through??" She asked as she winced again slightly and spoke again "And don't worry about this, its worse then it looks though Jacob could be a little more gentle."

The man called Jacob just chuckled and spoke in a deep raspy voice "Well if you didn't get shot at like a idiot you wouldn't be at my tender mercies now would you?"

"You said you didn't get hit." Ann was crashing, she was too exhausted to be hysterical, but her eyes looked a little bit hurt that she'd been lied to. "I told mom to call my aunt and go stay with a friend."

Sighing softly and taking her good arm she pulled her long hair away from her wounded shoulder and moved it over her unwounded one. Cassie looked up towards Ann and thought about a response for a moment before saying "I didn't say anything because it wouldn't have done any good, and you would have been more hysterical then you where. Besides I knew it was a graze and wasn't life threatening and we were close enough to where we needed to be that I took the calculated risk." Looking back to Jacob she could see he was almost finished and waited before continuing "I'm sorry I didn't say anything but I took what I had available and made a decision based on the information I had. It wasn't the best by any circumstance, but for whatever reason someone is after you. I'm glad to hear you where able to get through to your parents and warn them hopefully they'll take it to heart."

Jacob cleared his throat and said "Not my best work by any means but so long as your careful that should hold till you get it properly looked at. You should also some stuff left over" He trailed off before looking out towards the back his motioning clear.

Cassie nodded her head in thanks and slowly got up and moved her arm slowly and barely winced "Not bad work Jace." She said before moving towards the back before turning around and speaking to Ann "Give me a minute to change and we can get out of here. I have a place we can go to, to get some answers if you want."

Ann nodded, it made sense, she guessed she had been pretty hysterical back there. She found a chair and practically collapsed into it. She ran her hand across her eyes and then looked up at Jacob, "Thanks for helping us out." she said quietly.

Jacob bobbed his head slightly before moving around the table with a large trash can and pushing all the used bandages and soaked with blood towels and water into it as well as Cassie's old clothes. "Nothing too it but repaying a favor I owed her. She saved my neck a time or two and she called in a debt." He bit out with a rasp obviously something had happen to him to give him a speech impediment. Looking back up after getting everything almost cleaned up he motioned off to a corner, "There's a some day ol' pizza in the fridge if ya hungry"

---

Cassie sighed softly to herself as she disappeared into another room, she swore she'd never be back. Hell she swore Jacob that she wouldn't return to this place. This Life, that she had given up on fear of death and a for a new start. Jacob knew her reasons and wouldn't say nothing to anyone, and would look out for her to a certain extent but would always protect his neck first. Looking up to an old warn cabinet she pulled it open and pulled out a ratty old box before sliding it open her fingers glancing over some of the items.

---

Ann shook her head, "I'd rather not try eating just now." she said quietly. With everything that was going on and the places her mind kept wandering, she was unlikely to be able to keep anything down right now.

Jacob nodded his head and just fell sort of silent as he looked towards the back, where Cassie had disappeared to a few minutes prior.

---

Cassie was staring at herself in a cracked mirror in the room, a war was raging internal to her and a multitude of thoughts where running rampant through her mind. She had sworn on her mothers grave, and promised her father she'd give up this life, give it all up after she had her eyes opened. She had told him she was through that she was going to start over, make a new life for herself and get out of the life that was going to wind up killing her. But sometimes it wasn't that easy, she knew from first hand experience that she was never truly let out. There was always eyes on her, she accepted it as a fact of her knew life and grew accustomed to it.

She had let her guard down, and it had almost cost her, her life and that of her dear friend. She knew, or at least had a inkling of who that man was that had approached Ann. She thought for a brief moment when she saw him approach she had been found and discovered, but it all proved for naught. They weren't after her it was like they gave up on her and were actively searching for someone else now.

Mind made up about what she really needed to do, and the only way to really know for sure was going back to the one place she walked out on before she got her life together. The one place she knew that could give her the answers she was looking for, and the one place that might be able to help Ann as well. Looking back up at the mirror she looked at her shoulder where the bullet had grazed her, and scrunched up her eyes in concentration and slowly as the seconds ticked by the thread used to close the wound was slowly pushed out as the skin started to mend it self and literally sow itself back together. Cassie bit back a grimace at the weird knitting feeling till she felt satisfied it was closed enough and relaxed, looking over her work there was a slight pale scar that would always be there and rotated her arm and nodded that it was good enough for her.

Getting dressed in pair of skin-tight black jeans she slid a form fitting black shirt with short sleeves before grabbing a old leather jacket and sliding it over her shoulders. Hidden in the bottom of the box in a metal lock-box that she had opened she pulled out a small about five inch blade which she slid into a sheath wrapped around her ankle then pulled out a small pistol and checked the action before clipping it in the holster which she attached to the small of her back. Looking back at herself she adjusted her hair into a tight ponytail and exited the room.

When Cassie returned, Ann was deep in thought, opening and closing her pocket knife with flicks of her wrist. It was the one thing she'd kept when she moved out here from California. He had given it to her and taught her how to use it. Ironic that, she thought, Him teaching me to use a knife for defense when-- she snapped the knife shut as though cutting off the thought with the physical action. She couldn't think about that, not now, not ever. She looked up at Cassie expectantly.

Cassie saw Ann look up at her and figured it was time to come clean to some extent to what she knew and what may be happening. "Ann, I have a slight inkling as to what is going on and what might be happening. I don't have all the answers and what I do know is gonna only give you more questions. But the jist of it is, you remember those weird power outages about a year ago? The freaky weather happens, like middle of summer and it snowing? Or vice versa, total changes in climates for about two weeks then everything went back to normal?"

Ann just nodded, she doubted that anyone would have forgotten about those few bizarre weeks. Religious groups had said that it was the end of the world, but she had other reasons to remember that time... She shook off those thoughts again, "What does that have to do with the FBI, or somebody pretending to be FBI, looking for me?"

Cassie nodded her head, and continued on "Right, so what everyone doesn't know is that the cause of this disturbance was a close passing meteorite that passed within striking distance. What no one knew at the time is it was releasing a radiation into the atmosphere that slowly 'changed' I suppose certain things." She looked towards Jacob and smiled softly at him he nodded his head that he knew most of what she was talking about and had a idea were she was going with this.

"So that's it huh? Why you wanted out??" Jacob asked and looked intently at Cassie.

Ann just looked confused. She still didn't see how any of this had anything to do with the people who were looking for her.

Cassie just smiled and squeezed her eyes shut, her face took on a look of concentration before slowly her hair a raven black started to almost bleed out till it was deep crimson red.

Ann's jaw dropped and she gaped at Cassie's hair. "You...look good in red." was all she could think to say.

Cassie giggled slightly before looking in the mirror and striking a pose. "Well I guess it does suit me." She said thinking for a minute and trying to debate whether or not to keep it that way.

Jacob chuckled and coughed trying to hide it not to embarrass Ann at all before saying "So, this why you ran and didn't say goodbye?"

Ann shook her head slightly, glad for the reason to smile. "I'm sorry, but I still don't understand what's going on." she said apologetically.

"From what I've found out and learned, and realize I don't have the full picture. Is that something happened when that radiation hit the atmosphere. It wasn't instantaneous, but was subtle, slow, like something started to change or evolve in us." Cassie said as she closed her eyes again and slowly her whole body started to shift and shimmer till she was still the same height, and red hair but facially almost a exact copy of Ann that they could pass off as sisters.

"So...It's kinda like X-Men?" Ann asked trying to wrap her head around what Cassie was saying.

Shrugging slightly Cassie shifted her head to the side in thought before saying. "Yeah I suppose it is, that would be the most apt description I can think of. The bad thing is, there is a group of people who want to find out what this is and make us into weapons." She spat before looking over to Jacob and having a silent conversation.

"So the people who are after me are trying to weaponize some ability I don't even know about?" Ann asked. She shook her head and thought for a moment, "Or...are they after me to get to you?"

Jacob was silent for a moment giving thought to what Ann had said and in a part of his mind it did make sense. The crowd that Cassie and him had been with hadn't been the best. In fact they'd been little more then a gang with a small territory and if they had ever found out about Cassie's unique ability they would have used and abused it to no end as either a thief. Or something worse, shuddering at the thought he pushed that line of thought to the back of his mind and spoke up. "It'd make sense no? And I don't think it matters whether it was you or Cassie they were after. If you even have a possibility of having something similar you'd be a risk. There would be a great many people and or governments that would be dying to have their own special soldiers to wage war with. Especially if each one had a different technique." He finished quietly lost in thought.

Shaking her head for a moment at the some what mature and logical answer Cassie jokingly teased "Ok, who are you and what have you done with my grease monkey Jacob." She continued on a moment later and turned to Ann "I agree with him, whether it was me or you Ann I think we need to stick together strength in numbers and all that. I watch your back and you'll watch mine. I know of someone who can put to rest if you have the ability or not but it's gonna be a bit of a drive to get there."

Ann nodded, "You're sure you can trust this person?"

Rolling her shoulders in a shrug Cassie said "As much as ya can be sure about anyone, I didn't stick around long. I was in a bad place when I was there and didn't want to listen to reason. Plus mah Pop was in trouble with the wrong crowd for a deal gone bad I had to do a runner pretty much. But left me a open ticket if I ever wanted to go back just never did." Looking back at Jacob she smiled and asked "You got a spare ride laying about?"

Jacob scratch the back of his neck and looked to be thinking for a moment on what was still in decent shape and running in his shop.

Ann nodded thoughtfully as she listened to Cassie. She still had little to no idea what was going on, but she believed that she could trust Cassie. Not like she had much choice anyways.

Jacob nodded his head and motioned towards the back of the shop and said "Yeah you can take my baby don't do much driving and she's the best I got in the house that runs decently. Don' know how far ya got to go."

Cassie smiled and nodded to Jacob as she slowly started to follow him around the clutter to a large door that opened out back. "Ann ya comin? I know I have a lot to tell ya about and you probably got a million and one questions. Lets get on the road and I'll fill ya in best I can kay?"

Ann grabbed her purse and jogged after Cassie. "Sounds like a plan." she said, trying to raise her spirits.

Wandering out to the back of the garage the trio was met with a liter of cars each in disrepair or half built. Cassie following Jacob knew what he did on the side for extra money but didn't mention it. She also knew she had no ground to stand on cause she ran with Jacob in the past. Looking to the left and right she called out "Still the scrap yard I take it?" She jokingly said as most of the cars were rusted and heaps if anything.

Jacob chuckled a deep laugh, before rubbing his head and shrugging his shoulders. "Ya know me babe, can't keep my fingers off anything with four wheels." He said jokingly, as he pulled up to a smaller garage that had a padlock on it. Fishing around his pockets he pulled out a key ring and unlocked the garage opening the door. Inside where five pristine cars that you could tell where his pride and joy. Each one was meticulously clean and shown like a show floor car. "Why don't cha take the 370Z, it's the least of my favorites." He jokingly called to Cassie as he walked over to a brass color Nissan 370Z, he tossed the keys over and smiled. "Figure this makes us even for you saving my hide all those years ago."

Cassie smiled at Jacob bitter sweetly she knew in her heart that this was probably the last time she'd see him and so did he. Catching the keys deftly she said with false bravado "Ya think this makes us square Cochise? I saved your life twenty times more then this car is worth. But it's a start." Hiding her tears he embrace Jacob for a moment and whispered. "Get to ground and hide, something isn't right here and I fear for you." Cassie pulled away and smiled before getting in the car and starting it up.

Ann saw a lot more in the exchange than she thought they were trying to show. She wondered to herself exactly what their history together was, but felt it would be prying to ask. "Thank you very much," she told Jacob, "I really hope you don't get in trouble on our account."

Jacob grinned a crooked smile at Ann, "Think nothin' of it chica, been in a worse spot or two before." He smiled softly at her before said "Ya look after her ya hear? She ain't no superwoman no matter how much she thinks she can be. And you keep your head on a swivel, if this got Caz spooked it ain't no joke." Jacob smiled before reaching behind him and pulled out his wallet and took out some money and handed it to Ann. "Here take this too, if it's gonna get bad, your gonna wonna stay off ta grid. So that means no credit cards, banks, or atms."

Ann nodded soberly as Jacob talked. When he pulled out the money, however, she groaned. She didn't want to accept his money, but she knew he was right and she had only about $40 in her wallet. Enough for the art show ticket she never bought, and dinner with a little breathing room. "Thank you." she said frowning, as she reluctantly accepted the cash he handed her. "I hope I can pay you back eventually."

"Don't worry about it Chica, I figure its karma and ya owe me one at some point." Jacob said jokingly and moved to the the garage door and pushed a button to re-tract the door.

Ann nodded gratefully and followed Cassie.

Cassie started to the car and revved the engine a few times to get a feel for the machine. After setting everything where she wanted, she mentally calculated about a day and half driving to where they needed to go. Loathe as she was to return, she knew this was the only place she could readily think of that could give some semblance of a answer to the questions that Ann and her had. Watching Jacob through the windows of the car she lamented the fact of dragging him again in to her mess and prayed silently nothing would befall him for his assistance. She waited for Ann to enter and turned her head to her as she got settled. "So, what do you want to know?" She asked as she turned back forward again, and shifted the car into gear and slowly pulled out of the garage.

"Well..." Ann gazed thoughtfully out the windshield for a while, "To start, who are these people you're taking me to meet, and where are they?"

Merging into the traffic slowly, and easily Cassie pondered the question and really thought about how she could answer Ann. She knew some things but there were glaring holes at some points. "I suppose the best that I can give you, is that these people are sort of watchers in a sense. Scientist, Engineers, and what not. They study how evolution has taken it's course on man, but also look beyond our own world for new theories and answers." Cassie stated, as she watched the road "I guess you could call them the good guys? They want to know why it's happening and whether or not it's going to cause issues down the road. Plus they want those whom maybe are the pinnacle of new turn evolution to have a place to be safe not only from themselves but from the world at large." She continued as she thought about all she had been told at the time and all she chose not to listen to cause she thought she was in control. 'As if, I was ever in control' she thought to herself as she merged onto the interstate south bound and accelerated. "We're heading to a small town on the coast of Maryland, I was told if ever I wanted to come back this was where I should go." Cassie said, wondering if this really was the right decision, Her and her quasi-uncle Jack came to a understanding after she had hit rock bottom and slowly started to piece her life back together.

Ann nodded thoughtfully, the idea of humanity taking a new evolutionary turn was not a foreign thought to her, she just never thought she would see it in her lifetime. "And those people who were chasing us? Were they really feds?"

Cassie thought more on the question as she continued down the interstate watching the traffic almost lazily drift by. "I suppose the best I can guess and gather is he might have been. But I've had my fair share of run in with the Feds and something about him was off. There is a group for lack of a better word. That believe this evolution or change or whatever is happening to the human species, shouldn't be." She said as she thought about what she had seen before hand and what she knew now. "That said, they feel if they can't wipe them out before anyone else, they'll find a way to control it to make a new weapon to unleash on the world. Sort of like in WW2 with nuclear arms would be the best I can say."

Ann sighed, resting her face in her hands for a few seconds. "So what do I have to do with anything? Do they think I've developed a mutation or whatever? How can they even know if even I haven't seen signs of anything weird?"

Shifting her head to the side she thought about what Ann asked, truthfully she really didn't know the specifics. She just knew in general terms what happened. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure maybe they got some of your DNA from a blood test or hair/skin sample. Maybe there is some way to track them but something obviously pointed them in your direction. That's enough for me to be cautious and careful I'd think." Cassie said as she continued on the interstate and was watching the exits slowly pass by.

Ann stared out the window, thinking deeply. What were the odds that when people came looking for her, claiming to be from the FBI, she just happened to be with somebody who could explain why they wanted her and who could help her? What were the odds that after moving to the other side of the country this person had attached herself to her? She shook her head, if she let herself be suspicious of everybody then she wouldn't be able to trust anyone and she'd never figure out what was going on. She continued watching the road go by, slowly getting sleepy.

---

Leaning over and gently shaking Ann on the shoulder Cassie whispered "Hey sleepy head wake up, we are here." Before leaning back and shutting the car off. It had been nearly six years since she'd been here and to her it felt like just yesterday in all honesty. Nothing had really changed, it was still the same quite and serene place it had always been. Brick walls came up bout half way the height of a person and surrounded the property on all sides, the wrought iron gate was simple in its elegance and was closed at the moment. She knew the road continued on for about another hundred yards or so up to the main building. Shrugging, she got out of the car and leaned back pushing her arms above her head stretching and hearing her back crack slightly.

Ann got out of the car and surveyed the property as she too stretched. "What do we do now?" She asked, eying the closed gate. Was it locked? Her hand found the knife in her back pocket, it was comforting to know that she at least had some small form of defense if she should end up needing it.

Cassie shook her head and headed to just the side of the gate and there in the mortar was a intercom system. But just as she was about to push the button a sound of flurry and movement could be seen up on the property and people were moving about almost frantically towards the main building seen in the distance. Pushing the bottom she waited but a moment "Um... Excuse me was wondering if you remember me? It's Cassie Williams, I was here a few years ago and was wondering if the offer still stood? I have someone else with me that is need of answers...." She trailed off her mind running about what could possibly be going on.

Ann listened silently as Cassie spoke. She didn't know if she could trust these people, but it was better than just running blindly.


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