OnexOne (Kate/Piers)

Piers could sense that Kate was really worried about this, weather she showed it or not. He knew her pretty well to see that she needed to figure out how to get out of this.

"Maybe if you talk to your father...he might have an idea about how to get you out of this...or if he has more knowledge about what is going on."

"He doesn't know any more than I do about this-and I'm not risking his job and status so that I can evade yet another blood test. If this has to be on anyone, it'll be on me." she finished pulling her hair into it's typical ponytail.

Looking at him in the mirror, she sighed "You know me, don't you? You can tell how scared I am no matter how much I try to hide it..."

He nodded and went over to her, holding her around the waist and kissing her head. He sighed slightly and looked at her.

"I do and I can tell...but when you are around other people...of course I don't see it. And you do know it's alright to be scared...just a little bit. But I understand why..."

Damn, he really wished that there was a way to hide her or something...anything.

She gazed at their reflections in the mirror, a small smile coming to her features as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't know about being scared-someone like me, so stoic and unafraid all the time...like my father.  If he's ever been afraid, I wouldn't know anything of it.  I guess that's what happened when my mother died-I lost a chance to ever learn any real emotion."

"Except love, of course," she added after a moment or two "I know that emotion-it's what I feel whenever I'm with you." and, for once, she smiled a real smile.

He smiled and kissed her cheek again, "I feel love whenever I look at you...and protection. All I want to do is protect you and make sure your needs are filled before mine." (like his penis! xP)

"But if you feel a frustrated emotion and you need to cry...if you even feel that...I will hold you and you can use my shoulder..."

"If I ever do feel that, then I'll be sure to take you up on that..." but Kate didn't feel a lot of things. Most of it she just kept bottled up inside.

Just then, over the speakers came a message "Attention residents in blocks A1 through C6, please report to the medical bay."

"That's us-well, part of us. Let's go."

He nodded ad stood next to her, holding her hand. He was nervous...was this for the blood tests or was this for information about how it was going down.

He looked at her and smiled, knowing she would be strong during all of this. He looked at everyone and wondered if they were nervous about this...but he doubted it.

The scene in the medical bay was like one none of them had ever seen before. In the middle of the room stood a large, white box. All around it stood doctors, doing last minute checks and tune-ups before using the machine.

One of the doctors looked up and realized the room was now full of people "Ah, welcome." he said to them "I'd imagine you are all a bit...confused."

He just looked at them and then looked at his girlfriend and sighed. He hoped she didn't run away like she looked like she wanted to.

He just wanted to hear what exactly this machine was and why the hell they waisted their time on this. He sighed and just waited for them.

"This, ladies and gentelman, is the Omni-Directional Database Doctor, otherwise known as O.D.D.D."

Kate snickered.

"It is designed to speed up the process of a medical check-up by one hundred and fifty percent. How is this possible, you ask? You see, instead of doing each individual test it simply scans your body and collects all necessary information at once. You're in, you're out and you'll know within two minutes if you're healthy or not. Isn't science wonderful?"

Some people applauded, but the larger part of the room stayed quiet.

"Now then, which one of you lucky people will be first to step into our wonderful machine?"

Piers looked at her and asked, quietly, "Shall I go first? Or would you rather have someone else go first?"

He wasn't sure what to do but he couldn't of course let her go. He didn't want to lose her...other's wouldn't understand and they might talk about her mother and she would get pissed and probably punch someone in the face.

She looked at him as someone else volunteered "I need to get out of here...I need..." but it was too late. One of the doctors grabbed her arm.

"You next, then?" he said, leading her to the machine. A look of pure terror crossed Kate's face.

Piers had to think fast and he pulled her close to him, "I...don't think she is ready for that. She would like to see a few more people done before her."

Chris was right there and nodded, "I agree...how about a few more people and then MAYBE she will go."

But the doctor pulled her again, yanking her out of Piers' grasp "The lady looks confident.  I suggest we let her make her own choices."

Kate knew there was no way to escape this "I'll go." she said in a defeated tone.

Chris and Piers looked at her and then at each other. What where they to do at this point? Piers stood there and was really worried that the truth would come out and ruin her. Chris just watched and he didn't have much of a choice...he couldn't give her special treatment.

"Shit...what are we gonna do?" Piers asked.

"We pray for the best." he sighed.

Kate stepped into the machine, closing her eyes as the walls closed around her.  It made a noise as it scanned her and then opened up, allowing her to step out the other side.

As the doctors studied the results, she looked back to Chris and Piers.  A gasp and then a concerned murmur came from the group of doctors.

"Run." she mouthed to them as she was grabbed.  In an instant, she had shaken her assailants off and bolted out the door.

Chris and Piers saw this and they ran after her. They needed to go with her and they wouldn't leave her to fight for herself if it came to that. They ran and dissappeared from the doctors and began to catch up with her.

Kate ducked into her and Pier's room and began shoving everything into one large duffle bag. In her mind, she was calculating-it would take them a couple minutes to pull up the records to find out which room she stayed in, but after that it would take them only thirty seconds to reach her.

"Dad!" she said to Chris as soon as he had entered the room "Go pack anything and everything-we'll meet you at the door at the end of the hall in two minutes, okay? Go!"

He nodded and ran to get his things and he calculated another route if that entrance was blocked off. He packed everything he had, including the picture of him, Mandi and her. It was one of the few things that kept him going.

Piers packed as well and when they were done, he grabbed her hand and ran to the door they were to leave out of.

When they arrived, Kate took one last look behind her-she was leaving everything here behind.  Her friends, memories she had made-everything needed to be forgotten about.

She shoved the door open and, taking hold of her father's and Piers' hands, she ran out of there.

They both gripped her hand and ran with her. They didn't want to leave but they also DID want to leave. If it meant them staying together then they would go anywhere they could to be a family.

Piers squeezed her hand, knowing how she felt as they ran. Chris didn't look behind him, but in front of him.

Time jump!

Six months. Six months had passed since that day-six months since they'd made their daring escape and never once had they looked back. They were on the other side of the world now, safe for once in their lives.

Kate hung up a soaking wet shirt on a clothesline, looking out to see the children of the village running around and playing. Even though she and Piers had yet to have children of their own, she still loved them.

Piers was helping her and he would steal glances from her every once in awhile. He smiled when he saw her looking at the kids. She seemed happier now and more comfortable...maybe soon she would be able to actually show real emotions. But he didn't hold his breath.

"You know," she said absent-mindedly to him "If I wasn't so sure we'd be on the run soon enough...I might actually suggest we have a little family of our own. Oh, I'm certain my dad would love that-living proof that you and I are having sex."

He laughed and shook his head, "Yeah...just enjoy the screaming and the extra drill practices I would have to do because you would be pregnant and couldn't do any of it. Just what I want!"

He smiled, "But no...I wouldn't mind that either...if we could settle down, get married and have a little family...maybe a boy and girl if possible."