Nic shrugged. "A little of everything," he replied. "What do you want to do?"

Laurel blinked, "What do you want to do?" she asked.

"It's your date," Nic countered.

"It's our date." she lobbed back.

"I want to do what you want to do," Nic replied.

"I don't want it to be all about me." she complained quietly.

Nic blinked, confused. "... So far, most of it has been about me," he observed.

Laurel blinked as well, thinking about it. Then she blushed a little, "Oh." she replied sheepishly. Then she looked thoughtful for a moment, "I'd... like to see the stars." she decided quietly.

Nic nodded, standing.

Laurel stood as well, slipping her arms around his.

So, they went in search of the stars. After awhile it was clear Nic wasn't exactly sure where he was going. But outside was a good place to start.

Laurel didn't seem to mind, when she got outside she took a moment to wrap Nic's arm around herself so ward off the cold before looking around. "Looks like we'll have to get out of the dome." she noted.

Nic glanced around a little before nodding. "... We should probably grab a coat first," he decided before heading toward Laurel's room.

Laurel sighed a little, "You're warm enough." she complained quietly but allowed herself to be lead to her room.

So he found a jacket for Laurel and picked one up for himself too along with his scarf before trying to find a way out of the dome.

It wasn't too difficult to get outside. The surrounding cliffs offered a nice view of the stars. Laurel continued to hold onto Nic's arm when it wasn't around her, wanted to be close to him. One look at the cliffs made her grip on him grow considerably tighter. But there were some flatter areas, plateaus, a bit further on.

Nic didn't seem to mind too much as he lead her to one of the plateaus with his arm around her.

Laurel looked up and sighed contently before picking a nice spot and sitting down, patting the ground beside her as she glanced expectantly at Nic.

So Nic joined Laurel, sitting beside her quietly.

Laurel leaned over, resting her head on Nic's shoulder and her hand on his leg as she looked up. "You can see a fair amount from here." she said quietly, breaking the silence as she watched the stars contently.

Nic didn't reply since she didn't ask a question.

Laurel's gaze eventually dropped from the stars down the Nic, "... I want you to kiss me." she suddenly said in a barely audible whisper.

Nic took his eyes away from the stars to look at Laurel. He just looked at her for a long moment before taking one of the scarf tails and putting it around Laurel's shoulders before leaning in and kissing her lips lightly.

Interestingly enough, this time is was Laurel who was more aggressive. There was undertones of pure, untouched curiosity as she grabbed the other tail of his scarf and pushed against him.

Nic didn't let Laurel get control, keeping it light. He let her be curious, but it looked like he had pushed his boundary way back and was determined to stick to it.

"You won't scare me..." Laurel whispered as she kissed his neck, slipping over his leg to sit in his lap.

Nic gently pushed Laurel away a little. "... It's not about scaring you," he tried to explain quietly. "... I want... to take is slow tonight."

Laurel blinked slowly at Nic, a hand resting on his chest, "You realize... this will probably be our last night alone together for a long time." she told him quietly. Despite all her seemingly calm exterior she was shaking slightly.

Nic nodded, face serious. "... So we should look at the stars while we can," he reasoned.

"You'll..." Laurel voice broke slightly and she swallowed, "You'll really wait... that long for me?" she whispered.

Nic kissed Laurel's forehead before turning her around toward the cliff and wrapping the scarf a little tighter around her neck so it would actually keep her warm.

Laurel was shaking a little harder now she buried herself into Nic's side and hid her face. After a few minutes she turned her head too look at the stars again, some evidence of tears but she she was smiling slightly.

Nic didn't say anything for a long time. Then suddenly he asked, "How does it go again?"

Laurel grunted lightly, "How does what go?" she asked quietly.

"... That star thing," he replied.

Laurel was silent for a moment, "You mean the rhyme?" she inquired quietly, "Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight... I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight." she chanted softly, wrapping her arm around his chest and squeezing him.

Nic nodded a little. That was what he had been thinking of. After a few moments, he repeated it back quietly. "... Starlight..."

--

Blaze sighed a little as she noticed the time. She turned off her tablet and started to stand. But as she glanced at Kale asleep, she stopped and sat back down. A few minutes longer wouldn't hurt. She hated leaving his side because this is exactly where her heart told her she needed to be.

--

"Starbright..."

--

A tear fell on Yue's tablet, blurring the faces of the siblings in the picture on the screen. But that bond was broken now. She turned off the tablet and set it aside before taking a deep breath. Maybe it was time for her to take a trip for awhile as well.

--

"First star I see tonight,"

--

Raven sat by himself, but not alone. He poured out his confusion and doubts to a face on his tablet. "But what does your heart say?" the face would ask. But Raven didn't know.

--

"I wish I may,"

--

Missy sighed as she took a break from her work and stared at her empty coffee cup. She had everything she wanted; the world at her finger tips. So why did she feel like she was missing something?

--

"I wish I might,"

--

Dan and Cong bumped into each other again. It had been happening more frequently lately. She showed him some of her artwork, and told him a secret that she hadn't told anyone else. And then he told her something not so secret, but had never admitted before.

--

"Have the wish..."

--

"... Just when I finally thought I had you figured out, I catch you looking at the stars."

Sheng turned his face away from the window and slowly smiled as Ling shook her head at him. He motioned for her to come closer, and she complied. "How did it go?" he asked Ling. As Sheng kissed the ring on Ling's finger, the man who had escorted her bowed slightly before turning to leave.

"Stay, Long," Sheng instructed, and the man stopped. "You're all the family I have left right now," he explained and Long turned back around.

Ling smiled at Long. "Yes, we've all become a family, haven't we, brother?" she agreed. After a moment, Long nodded slowly. Ling smile broadened a little. He had slowly started to become more like himself since Sheng had accepted and stood up for him.

"... So..." Sheng continued after a moment, putting a hand on Ling's stomach gently. "How's the newest member of our family doing?"

"Strong and healthy. You'll be proud of your son," Ling replied.

"I already am," Sheng replied quietly. "... And nothing will make me think otherwise..."

"... Sheng...?" Ling whispered. "What is it?"

--

"I wish tonight..."

Nic could feel the chill in his spine; the curse trying to manipulate his thoughts. But he fought it off. He'd get it right this time. He had to.

"What's your wish?" he asked suddenly after a minute.

"To be with you..." she said seriously as she leaned up and kissed his jaw before adding, "... until we die together peacefully in our bed from old age." she smiled, hugging him a little tighter.

--

An older woman with night black skin sat at her desk, drumming her fingers in a pattern absentmindedly. The door opened and a young man stepped inside.

She didn't bother to look up, "You shouldn't be here." she informed the intruder in a crisp tone. Akil only smiled, blue eyes flashing. After a moment, the woman looked up with sharp glance, "What do you want?"

"Can't I come to see my own Mama?" Akil teased in a happy voice which made the woman snort, "You haven't called me that in years." Akil shrugged, "I wanted to inform you in person." he said, eyes turned a bit wild.

The woman leaned back in her chair and raised her angular eyebrows slightly.

"They took the bait, Dalila. They took the child."

--

"What do you plan on doing?" Farren asked the young albino. Hayden ignored the older boy, he was focusing on a virtual map. "Our forces are already stretched too thin, we can't keep this up much longer."

Hayden chuckled a little as he eyed Farren, "You have so little faith in me." he mused and Farren sighed. "Now that we've ended out alliance with the blackies, we're free to make our move." he explained.

"Yes, but when?" Farren pushed. "All in good time." the boy answered, "We still have the upper-hand. As long as Wolfe and his little pet neonates remain blind to the most obvious facts, we have plenty of time."

Farren had to smirk at that, "You'd think with all their genetic enhancements, Thomas would have made them smarter. I'd love to see their faces when they discover that the thing they've been looking all this time is right under their noses."

Hayden had already turned Farren out, focusing on a map with small moving blue dots.

Nic didn't say anything else, going back to his own thoughts.

Laurel poked him, "What's yours?" she asked.

--


Wolfe sat alone in the pilot’s chair, his face as blank and cold as always. He was the calm, calculating leader. The man who never lost his control. Well that wasn’t true, he’d lost it once before… and he felt himself losing it again now. He’d kidnapped a child… an innocent child. When had this all started? Why had he let it get this far? The smothering feeling in his mind, his constant companion, was getting worse.

So many lives, sitting in his hands. So many lives, relying on him. So many lives, he’d already lost. With every life he took, he killed a part of himself. No matter his responsibilities, no matter what lives he saved by doing so… slowly but surely, he was becoming the instinctive fighting machine that they had wanted. How much longer could he do this… and not become one of the monsters he was fighting? He was terrified.

“Wolfe?” a young voice called from the door.

What a name. His name. As if his actions didn’t make him enough of a monster.

“Wolfe, you’re need in the conference room.” Zala explained.

Ryu looked over at her and nodded, no trace of emotion showing through to his face as he stood and followed her out.

--


Frei sat with Rosemary, slowly petting the large panda.

Bzzz. Ryu must be hurting now… he’d never knowingly hurt a child. There must be an explaina Bzzz. Raven’s mad at me. He must hate us. Taking him from his fun world and Bzzzz. What's that light, it’s too bright. Hurts my Bzz. Laurel and Nic are together. The jerk doesn't deserve her Bbbzzz. That noise, what’s that noise? The tiger's back… it’s walking towards me… how did it get here? It’s coming towards me… It’s going to-! NO, it’s not real! Eva it’s NOT. REAL. You’re seeing things. It’s not BZZ. Hurts… pain… Where’s Ryu? I need Ryu! It’s too bright. I can’t tell… I can’t tell what’s real.

Rosemary licked Frei’s hand, she sensed something was wrong. Eva’s face was the same as always, carved in stone. She had no way of getting out of her head. No way of pushing out of her mind. No way of voicing her fears. The knock to her head had made everything worse than normal. She'd been getting better at managing it. But now she sat in her silent world, surrounded by visions and terrors. She knew once she got to the point of having a fever, people would notice. But waiting was the worst part, it would only get worse.