Date: ??/??/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Wade stood at the window, trembling inside.  She knew why he had come.  Her mind was an open book where he was concerned, and he had read every thought. She turned to face him.

“You don’t have to say anything.  I know why you’re here.”  she said quietly. He took hold of her arms, then slid his hands slowly to hers.  She closed her eyes at his touch.

“Wade, you have to face this.  You know now you are not ready to return to your friends.  You may never be ready.”

A tear slipped out from under her lid and made its way down her cheek.  His words hurt so much, only because they were true.  She had tried so hard to blend in here; she wanted things to be like they were before, and she thought she was on her way to fulfilling that dream -- until Quinn.  Thinking of being with him again after everything that had happened made her blood freeze in her veins.

When they all wondered into the Sassy Brass a couple of nights ago, her heart wrenched, but she thought she could handle dealing with their doubles.  She wanted to prove to him she would be all right.  But when Remmy had told her who he really was, turmoil bubbled up and never gave her a second’s peace.  Hearing that her real sister was among the group was the last straw.  She wasn’t ready for any of this.  She opened her eyes to stare into his.

“You’re right, Kryoptus.  Now is not the time.  I thought I could handle it, but I can’t.”  She buried her face in his chest and wept openly.

***

“It can’t be true!”  Remmy said in disbelief.  “Why would he be here with our Wade?”

“I don’t know, but that’s what I intend to find out.  I kept hoping that she wasn’t really ours, but after hearing her reaction to Kelly’s presence, I have the feeling she is,” Quinn said.

“Who is Kryoptus?”  Kelly asked.

“He is a Humagg that we met up with on another world,”  Colin answered.

Remmy muttered under his breath.  “A dirty, bastard Kromaggot.”

“I don’t understand.  What’s a Humagg?”

“Half-human, half-Kromagg.”  Colin explained.  “Kryoptus was . . .”

“All Kromagg, if you ask me.”  Remmy interrupted. “He killed the Humagg woman that loved him, and had no remorse about it.”

“So what do you think he’s doing here with Wade?”  Every answer they gave her just prompted Kelly to ask another question.

“Whatever it is, it’s no good,”  Maggie chimed in.  “My guess is that it has something to do with you, Quinn.  I say, we get Conie, and get the hell out of here while we still can.”

“I’m not leaving Wade with that bastard,”  Remmy growled.  “You can bet your life on that.  I left her in the hands of those animals once before; I’m not about to do again.  If you’re with me, fine; if not, I’ll do it on my own.”  He turned and headed toward the door.

“Remmy, where do you think you’re going?”  Quinn yelled.

“Where the hell do you think?”  He jerked the door open, exited, and slammed it behind him before the others could even think to stop him.

“Quinn.  I do not think we should let him go alone,”  Colin said.  “In fact, I do not think we should let him go at all.  We do not know all the facts.  It could be dangerous.”

“You’re right, Colin.  You stay with the girls; I’ll be right back.”

Maggie released a heavy sigh as Quinn marched out of the room.  She grabbed Kelly’s arm and headed for the bedroom.

“Come on, Kelly.  Let’s get dressed.  Something tells me we aren’t going to get anymore sleep tonight.”

Kelly followed reluctantly, and turned to speak to Colin.  “We will go and get my sister, won’t we?  Won’t we, Colin?”

He heard the fear in her voice, saw it in her eyes, and felt it in his heart. The answer to her question?  Of course, they would try.  But if that were the real Wade Welles, and she was in the company of a Kromagg half-breed, would any of them come out of this unscathed?

***

“Remmy!  Remmy, hold up!”  Quinn yelled as he caught up with his friend at the front door of the Dominion.

“Don’t try and stop me, Q-ball.  I would hate to have to flatten you, but I would, you know,”  Remmy said as he kept walking.  “I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

“No, Remmy,  I understand.  I don’t want to make a another mistake either.  I know we have to get her away from that guy, but we can’t just go over there and storm the place.  We have to have more details about their situation.  We have to have a plan.”

“Their situation?  Are you out of your mind, man?  What the hell are you saying? Are you implying that Wade wants to be with that bastard?”  Remmy was livid at Quinn’s words.  “Why I ought to deck you right here and now!”

“No, Remmy.  Please.”  Quinn was practically running to keep up with his friend. “Will you just stop walking for five minutes and listen to me?”

They stood right in the middle of the deserted sidewalk at three in the morning, with Quinn finally persuading Remmy to see to reason.  He convinced him to return to their room, so they could map out an organized plan.

Remmy was very uneasy about leaving Wade with Kryoptus for one more second, but Quinn sold him on the idea that she would be all right.  He didn’t mention the main reason for wanting to have a strategy.  No need to worry Remmy with the idea that there might be more Kromaggs in the area than just Kryoptus.

They retraced their steps and headed for their room in the Dominion.  Quinn’s brain raced with thoughts on how to take care of the situation.  Surely, the five of them could come up with a viable solution.  But no matter what, he would do something.  He wasn’t going to leave Wade with the Kromaggs again.  He had a second chance.  He wasn’t about to blow it this time.

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Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz