Most of the Characters belong to well others soo..... I'm only playing with them for a little while I'll put them back none the worse for wear when I'm done Scouts honor.... If anyone noticed or cared a few of the characters are revisiting you just can't seem to keep them locked up once they get be a part of a story they just want more so here is my attempt to give them more...

It was dark Raine looked so alone sitting in the window seat staring into the nite.I wonder if she even knows I'm here she thought.Staring down at the coffee in her hand,she wanted to offer some comfort but there wasn't any really.

"You know" Raine said startling Sloan "this isn't the first time this happened." The phone interrupted whatever would have followed Sloan was tempted to ignore it hoping that Raine would continue maybe talking would help. She sighed moving,the moment was lost.

"Hello.Yes alright hold on a moment."Sloan moved turning the TV on glancing at Raine apologetically she said,"Walter said theres something on that will be of interest."Raine glanced at the TV indifferent and turned back to the window.The voice of the news anchor relentlessly ploughed on amid the chaos at the scene.."at this time the speculation of the murdered woman's identity and the grisly condition the body was left in has those residents along this exclusive beach front community" suddenly Rained stood walking stiffly toward the TV Sloan absently glanced up as Raine stood with her in front of the set.

"Walter hang on I'll have to call you back."Sloan concerned glanced back at the reporter's continuing dialog and Raine's ashen face .."Raine??"She shook her head holding up her hand, she reached down for the volume turning it louder the coroners office was wheeling out a body enclosed in plastic.The reporters final words added little, else but apparently it was enough."Did you know that woman,"Sloan asked?

Raine stared blankly for a moment the gestured to the phone "May I?"Sloan handed her the phone.Raine punched in the number from memory and listened no one answered.

Raine disconnected, handing the phone back sank onto the corner of the couch."I imagine that was Dr.Attwoods message that he and his superiors have done some investigating and know who I am..Or was.."

" And the woman," Sloan asked hesitantly.Raine looked up blankly, "the woman she echoed, the woman I think was my mother."Raine is there someone I can call for you? Family?The man that nite in the lab? Michael wasn't it?"She nodded, no her eyes were hollow and filled with despair.

"Theres a chance maybe it wasn't her..You can't be sure.."A sad smile curved her lips,a lone tear ran down her cheek she shook her head."We'll never know.."

"Why Raine?" "Because if she even makes it to the coroners her body will disappear or be destroyed we'll never know what happened."Raine leaned back on the couch her head dropped back to rest on against the cushions, tucking her legs under her and wrapping her arms around her body." Either way her voice trembled, this is much to coincidental."

They both sat there deep in their own thoughts, out of the blue Sloan asked "what did you mean this isn't the first time this happened."Raine lifted her head and turned it studying Sloan.Suddenly uncomfortable,"I'm sorry that was rude forget I said that its just my way of dealing with all this,"Sloan shrugged sadly.

Raine layed her head back against the cushions,closing her eyes after a moment she began in a husky voice."They want the kids growing up normal O inside you know what you are but they don't start isolating you or training you until your older at least sixteen or seventeen and if you show incredible promise I'm told then certain things are accelerated."

She tried to smile but it faltered and died,"I've heard Tom was one of those,I know Michael was.But until then you play with humans children,blend in with them like them even because kids all kids are refreshingly honest in their reactions until their taught differently."

"Yes she whispered you play right along beside them ..when she didn't continue Sloan thought she had said all she was going to say but after a few minutes she leaned her head up meeting her gaze, you know kids at nine and ten yrs of age can be cruel to those that are different.Maybe it was because I was so sensitive to what others felt that I just couldn't do it,"she sighed.

"I wasn't aware of it at the time but my mother shared the same philosophy so many did that coexistence was impossible.Emotions and feelings are a human trait that must be guarded against at all costs. She wasn't a cold woman just controlled,and I well thats all I knew so I wasn't missing anything until Mary."

"Mary lived near us at the time and was,she paused searching the right words slow.She didn't learn at the same rate as a normal human child,she didn't see things the same way a either.I believe she was retarded,but I never asked.Whatever it was she seemed fascinated with me,she had seen me out swinging at the playground in out neighborhood and somehow managed to get away from her sitter."

"She just sat an watched me the woman assigned to watch her finally found her. She was frantic she had never done this before you see,wasn't even suppose to be able to do this.Sloan smiled,"what happened then?"Raine shrugged,"well as with most kids I forgot her until a few days later I happened to be at the playground again with some of the other children like myself."

"She had done it again,unfortunately the kids with me being typical in this at least recognized she was different an started teasing her. At first I laughed along with them until I realized inside her there was a part of her that didn't even understand what they were doing.I mean on one level she understood from the tone of their voices they were being cruel but within her was all soft, gentle, accepting."

"Disgusted and feeling ashamed I got off the monkey bars where I had been watching them tease her and told them enough to shut up.As smart as they were so called suppose to be this was the most clever way of passing time they could come up with? I walked over to her and offered her my hand.I didn't think she'd take it I mean she didn't know me but she smiled the sweetest smile and took my hand."

"I walked her toward her house just as the sitter came running up panting thanking me scolding her.The woman took her other hand trying to get her to return to the house but she wouldn't let go of me.I could have forced it loose even then we're stronger than human children that age but somehow I just couldn't bring myself to."

" I met her mother that afternoon she was a single parent.I saw no evidence of a male in the residence anyway,she seemed grateful that Mary wasn't so alone anymore that she had some contact with someone close to her age.I should have known it couldn't last."

"I should have been more careful I knew what I was..I should have protected Mary better."

Raine seemed to be in deep thought,curious wanting to know what became of Mary Sloan asked."What happened next?"Raine frowned,"well I started going by there spending time with her reading to her sometimes. I'd draw her pictures she seemed to like that the best.She was such a good natured baby.Baby? Yes I guess I didn't realize it until I said it but thats just how I thought of her a baby,so sweet and trusting."

"Our species was just starting to learn, that for us the world was going to be a tougher challenge and hard choices asked from us but suddenly here I was worried about those like Mary that were no threat." Raine laughed a harsh sound devoid of humor,"I started questioning the worst thing you can do."

"Well as I said it didn't last I was kept busy for several days with various things and bad weather so I couldn't get over there until a week later.There was a for sale sign up and no one knew when they left the elderly couple next door said a relative had passed away leaving them some money."

"That now Mary's mother could afford to get her into that special school she had talked about in San Diego." "But you don't think so," Sloan added." No.. no I don't I went home.My mother met me at the door we just looked at one another,I had my suspicions about what had happened her presence confirmed it."

"It hurt so bad to breath and my heart was pounding so loud it felt like my head was going to explode but I swallowed the rage and pain and blocked her for the first time.There were several theories going around at the time shock brought on by volatile hormones of my age...Depriving me something I had come to care about..And this was the popular one since they reasoned this could be used again in the future on the others to teach them as well."

"The community was ecstatic of course I mean this is something they were just now trying to teach the adults and it was a slow going process because of the difficulty but at home at home there was a different reaction a wall of silence impregnable where there had once been none.I came home that day to hear my mother's voice raised in anger,she was furious you could feel it rolling off her like a wave at the beach. Underneath the anger was sold intent.I sensed she different."

Sloan leaned forward fascinated," what?" Raine sighed,"that was the first time I saw Stephen ,there was some thought he was on the same level as Lewis,and just as ruthless.I remember hearing talk that.."

Raine hesitated, "look Sloan I admire your curiosity and I appreciate that you temper that desire with your compassion.So I hope I don't need to remind you that I'm trusting you.You've helped me and been kind when it gains you nothing to do so.."

Sloan pulled back seeing her confusion Raine elaborated." I'd prefer what I'm saying to remain with only those in this room now..Please?"

"You've been honest with me I wont betray that.." She was anxious to know more,"So this Stephen was at your house? why?"Raine studied her a moment,apparently she came to some sort of decision because she nodded at Sloan.

"My guess is my mother's decision.I overheard him say she would have to tell the others tonite. I was standing on the stairs when he walked by he paused for a moment and stared at me and I could feel his mind hammering at my shields,even today I remember how empty his eyes were."

" There was talk,she swallowed her throat dry,that Michael was his son.It thats true then it explains allot".Sloan raised her cup to drink and realized it was empty. "Would you care for some coffee? Something to eat, you haven't had anything." " Some coffee would be nice," she leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes.She must have dosed off because it wasn't long before Sloan entered.

"I hope black is ok I'm out of cream."Raine jumped a bit,"no black is fine." "Did you ever discover what she wanted to tell them?"She took a sip of the coffee and grimaced,"well I followed them that nite planning on just that." I mean I had a hunch it was about me and this new found ability and somehow it was serious enough that my mother broke from group thinking on it."

"Unfortunately sneaking 101 wasn't my strong suit then because I was caught. Raine paused to blow on her coffee before taking a sip.

"What happened?" "Michael, Raine smiled half-heartedly, Michael is what happened,apparently even then he felt the need to babysit me."

"He was 5 yrs older than me already big for his age and the way he moved even then suggested that messing with him was not one of the more smarter things to do.Many were wary of him and gave him a wide berth."

" O I was furious with him," she grimaced.Her eyes met Sloans," he grabbed me from behind lifting me completely off the side of the AC unit I had been standing on."

"Apparently even knowing where the house was made it a cause for alarm so here he is carrying me off one hand on my mouth the other around my waist.Not a tough feat I mean I was small even then for my age.He was furious with me.I didn't even think he knew I was alive but unfortunately I wasn't going to be that lucky."

"I think back now if I had been less angry I might have been frightened.But he carried me off to his motorcycle with me kicking and trying to curse him the entire way..He got on shoved me face first across his lap and rode me home that way."

" Wasn't he to young for a license?"Raine smiled wryly,"of course but what I later came to learn was telling Michael anything is an exercise on a global scale."

"Did you find out what they talked about that nite?" Raine was quiet for so long she thought she wasn't going to answer."Yes my mother didn't agree that their solution concerning Mary was appropriate." Sloan inhaled, dreading to ask but needing the answer more,"they didn't kill her did they?"

"No her mother...It was the funds from an insurance policy you see that provided Mary with the school she was now at.." She sighed despondently,"she was alone now Sloan so very alone."

Sloan opened her mouth then hesitated not quite sure how to word it.

" What?"

"Not to sound insensitive but why didn't they kill Mary as well?"

"My guess she wasn't smart enough to tell anyone anything she knew anyway."Secondly, a retarded girl and her mother dying would cause more questions than just the mother.With them who really knows for sure.."

"So....mother was taking me and leaving and she wanted nothing more to do with the group.What I didn't realize was my mother wasn't exactly a nobody in this grand take over the world scheme so they weren't pleased to say the least."

" But her questioning their methods,prompted others there that had been having their own silent little crisis of faith to join her.So once united there wasn't to much they could do.Mother was...different after that though she added softly."

" She wasn't a Brady Bunch mom but she was less controlled and more approachable."

Sloan reached over and squeezed Raine's hand, "at least some good things came from it.."Raine looked at her one eyebrow lifted in question."Mary did get that school that she needed.She got them out your life and your mother you said changed for the better."

Raine laughed there was a edge of hysteria to it. She looked at Sloan thru a haze of tears,"Sloan you are from the glass half full school of thought aren't you? You better watch that.Karen was like that as well and look what happened to her."

Hearing how close she was to the edge Raine drew in a ragged breath closed her eyes and tried to remain calm. Please..she thought not now.

"I said they didn't do anything then but they never stopped monitoring us.And once again forgetting who and what I am,caused yet another to pay the price for caring about me."

And now..Now she whispered raggedly its happened a third time.."This time the price was to much to pay I've lost my mother and my closest friend.

"She looked up thru a cloud of hair, shaking her head with resignation "This isn't over yet Sloan no..I fear its just starting."