Jesse sat in the kitchen with hot chocolate in front of him. Breanna's words repeated on a loop through his head. He still felt that it would be up to Valencia to decide their status this time. Raw nerves, no sleep and the constant worry about Valencia were not doing him any good.

Now that she had Birgit, would she still want what they had?

Would she want to move forward to what they had spoken about years ago at that dinner in the safe house?

What if Birgit wouldn't allow Val to be with him or held something more vital than they had? Did that question even make sense? Groaning as he scrubbed his hands over his face before staring blankly into the steaming brown liquid.

"Mind if I join you?" a deep voice spoke from the kitchen doorway.

Jesse didn't look to see who was talking. He waved the person over. Lifting his mug, he sipped before looking up into the watchful gaze of Phoenix.

"Thought you were only going to be here tonight," he said.

"My sister was ready to go in twenty minutes after telling her about Michael's conversation," Phoenix sighed. "We either came, or I may have regretted my actions."

"She wanted to see Tina that badly," Jesse chuckled as Phoenix nodded, "how is the flame-throwing going?"

"Gladly, I have not done that in a while," Phoenix said, "it has been nice to simply live without being made to feel like a freak."

Nodding in understanding, Jesse sipped again, waiting for the question he was sure would come.

"Have you started crying yet?" Phoenix asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Why would I start crying?" Jesse frowned; that was not the question he expected.

"You're moping over that ..." Phoenix leant forward, looking into the cup, "... hot chocolate. I was wondering if you were going to start crying."

Jesse stared at Phoenix for a moment. There was no way he could get past giving this man a line. Besides, after what Phoenix had done for him in The Madhouse, he didn't really have an option but tell him the truth.

"Guess you know about Birgit," Jesse sighed. Phoenix nodded but remained silent. Jesse glanced away before looking back.

"Nix, what if she doesn't want me?" Jesse swallowed hard, "what if she decides that now Birgit is on the scene, she doesn't want to be with me or around me anymore?"

"You had me confused there for a moment, Jesse. Have you thought of asking her?" Phoenix spoke softly, "Val is the only one who can answer any of those questions."

"I know," Jesse sipped at his drink, "I'm too afraid to ask."

"Never had you pegged as a coward," Phoenix frowned.

"Have you fallen for a girl yet?" Jesse asked.

"Nope," Phoenix shook his head, "but I would not be moping around over a drink if I did."

"When you fall," Jesse said, "I hope I'm there to see it."

"Perhaps you will be," Phoenix said, "honestly Jesse... just talk to the girl. You're torturing yourself over maybes and what-ifs. I've never known you to be indecisive. What is going on? Don't tell me you're scared."

"I am, but this soul-deep fear is not the kind I'm used to," sighing, Jesse knew Phoenix was correct. Fear of rejection kept him from asking; he had never bowed to fear before ... why was he doing it now?

"What are you going to do?" Phoenix asked, narrowing his eyes on his friend.

"I guess the next opportunity I get, I'm talking to Val," Jesse swallowed hard, "depending on what she says, we'll take it from there."

Phoenix smiled, "Look like I arrived just in time," he sighed, "you're doing the right thing. Promise me something."

"What?" Jesse asked.

"Never doubt yourself again," Phoenix said, "the moment you do … disaster."

Jesse nodded, "Ain't that the truth. I promise."

"Birgit," Valencia whispered in the dark of their room, "you awake?"

Silence followed.

Stretching, Valencia wondered what Jesse was doing right then. She missed him. Finally, understanding his reaction to her the last time they saw each other, but it still hurt ... deeply. Now he knew about Birgit; she wondered if he would want to be around her. She ached to have him hug her again, to be allowed to hug him in return. Would he think her too weird now that she was two people instead of one?

Picking up her phone, she opened her gallery, scrolling through pictures of the two of them together, sighing against the tide of rising emotion. Valencia put on the lamp and took an empty journal from the pile; she absently began drawing. Letting her mind wander where it would and occasionally swiping at a random tear from the side of an eye.

"Who is Jesse?" came the whisper surprising Valencia, "you always guard this part of you even in your dreams, but I have known you long for someone. You've spoken of him, but I have never been able to see the truth behind your hurt and longing."

"You're sneaky," Valencia chuckled before sniffing, "Jesse holds my heart."

"That is why you guard him the way you do," Birgit said, "he is precious to you. May I meet him? Not the way we previously met, but the person he was ... is with you."

"I don't know if he feels the way he used to anymore," Valencia murmured, "but I would like you to meet under different circumstances."

"Thank you. What are we going to do about the woman called Daisy?" Birgit asked, "I have been thinking of her situation since we got the information."

"We need to formulate our plan more," Valencia said, "but we need to get her back. She is part of Tina's clones, therefore family."

"Phoenix is here," Birgit said, suddenly appearing alongside Valencia, edgy and alert, "I can feel him. He is powerful."

"Do you like Phoenix?" Valencia asked.

"I don't feel that way about anyone," Birgit said, "the last time we met in the Madhouse, he was a high-level experiment. One Darcia had completed. He was one of the privileged. Our meeting did not go well."

"I don't remember meeting Phoenix in the Madhouse," Valencia said. "The first time I met Phoenix was when Darcia was terminated before the World Summit."

"It was in one of your blackouts," Birgit said quietly, "I was trying to get us out, and he was still under Darcia's control."

"You said it didn't go well. How badly did it go?" Valencia asked.

"Not really well at all," Birgit sighed, "soon after that incident, Darcia locked me away."

"Phoenix told Darcia?" Valencia could feel Birgit's hurt over Darcia's actions.

"No," Birgit whispered, "she tortured him. Still, he didn't tell. One of Darcia's minions found footage of me."

Valencia felt Birgit tense and sit them forward, "What is it?"

"They are coming," Birgit whispered, fear tingeing her words, "many of them ... are coming."

"Let's get the journal with our solutions to our problems," Valencia said, standing as they walked to the dining area.

The door opened as they returned to the sitting area. Valencia felt the presence of eight people. Birgit started to disappear.

"Don't you dare," Valencia whispered, "you want them to trust you? You have to earn it and prove yourself."

"Fine," Birgit muttered, "I'll stay, but I'm out of here if Phoenix starts any of his nonsense."

Valencia walked them the remainder of the way into the sitting area smiling at the eight people staring at her.

"There are conflicting emotions," Breanna said, "someone is happy to see us, and someone is terrified."

"Birgit is terrified of Phoenix," Cara grinned, looking at the nearly seven-foot, heavily muscled man next to her. "Valencia is happy to see ... Jesse."

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Jesse glanced at Cara before narrowing his eyes on Valencia but remained silent.

"Why did you ask to see us?" Michael asked, his stare telling Valencia and Birgit he didn't trust them.

"We have come up with a few solutions, and if you would like to hear them," Valencia indicated the sitting area, "we would like to tell you."

Birgit and Valencia waited until everyone was seated before moving toward them. David tensed.

"It's good to see you all," Valencia smiled, keeping them distant from the group, "I'm only learning about some things that Darcia did to me. I truly had no idea she split me."

"Neither of us will be harming anyone," Birgit spoke. "Firstly, I would like to apologise for what happened when we ... I ... first got here. I'm sure you all know what happened to me in ... the Madhouse..." she hesitated, "... I did not realise Darcia had a twin, nor did I realise that I was in a safe place. Valencia has explained much of what has happened since Darcia ... imprisoned me."

"That doesn't excuse what you did to Rose," David said, "nor that you made Bre go up against Val."

"You are correct," Birgit hesitated; Valencia nudged her a little, "but I would like to help. Valencia and I have been talking. She knows what I am enhanced to do."

"Is it about the same as what Val can do?" Cara asked

"No," Birgit cleared her husky voice, "when Valencia was enhanced, I was enhanced alongside her. Valencia didn't know this part of her. She didn't even know I existed. We were a whole until Darcia did a ... procedure which divided us. The first few procedures Darcia does are general ones, as I'm sure you all know. What was done to Valencia was done to me. The difference came when Darcia started pinpointing certain abilities with her procedures. My abilities were linked to those, but the procedures not only honed and strengthened them. It gave me abilities separate from Valencia's."

"What Breanna went up against, was you, Birgit?" Jesse said, "not Valencia."

"Yes ... a terrified me," Birgit said, "there is no excuse for what I did, but I hope to make up for it and ... hopefully earn your trust."

"All in good time. Now we understand the difference," Craig said, "explain where cleaning up your mess comes in."

"I'll take it from here, Birgit," Valencia spoke in her clear melodic voice.

"They sound different," Cara muttered.

"They are different," Jasmine said, "one has almost infinite energy as a source. The other has strong telepathic energy."

"What are you saying?" Breanna looked at Jasmine.

"When I phased into your tech room," Jasmine sighed, "I was looking for Birgit to use to energise again, but I found only Valencia. Birgit's prison was broken when Valencia all but disappeared."

"Val can die, but Birgit can live on?" Jesse frowned,

"Not that simple," Jasmine said, "if you hadn't intervened, Birgit would have overwhelmed me with energy. You were the presence I knew from the Madhouse."

"Val," Breanna said, "you were going to take it from here."

"Yes," Valencia cleared her throat, "from what you have sent us, we understand that Jasmine will orb in and out with a device that Phoenix will build her."

"I'll have it ready for her in a day," Phoenix said quietly.

"Thank you," Valencia said. "There was an item of news on the broadcast we were allowed to watch that concerned us and gave us an idea to clean up the mess we made and protect everyone from being captured."

"How do you know we're going to be captured?" Jesse asked.

"It's always a possibility," Craig said.

"Go on," Michael said from where he stood next to the sofa, "what do you have in mind?"

"We chatted about why Madden would continue with Darcia's world domination plan when she was terminated," Valencia said. "Then we realised the two were probably going ahead with the same plan, but Madden may be piggybacking Darcia's plan for one of his own. Secondly, no one there knows that Darcia is dead. She probably has gone MIA often and then reappeared with fresh orders."

"That makes sense," Craig muttered, "go on."

"Madden wants to somehow hijack the energy summit," Birgit said, "sorry you took too long to get to the point, Valencia."

"Groundwork girl," Valencia muttered, "they have to understand where we got all this."

"Do you two need a moment?" David asked, clearing his throat.

"No," Valencia blushed, "putting these two together, we came to understand why Daisy is the bait."

"Bait?" Breanna frowned, "you mean it could have been anyone?"

"Yes," Birgit said, "even you. We think that was their initial target, but Daisy would do as well."

"We go for Daisy; they grab .... who?" Michael asked.

"Look who is in this room," Birgit said quietly, "not the people ... look at the abilities, the potential for destruction and disaster if those abilities fall into Madden's hands."

Craig gave a low whistle, "What better way to solve the world's energy crisis than have humans who can absorb and give off high energy."

"Exactly," Valencia said, "Daisy is the bait for us to fetch her and get caught."

"Madden is after Jasmine," Michael paced away from the group, "since the two of you divided..." he indicated Valencia and Birgit, "he is after you as well."

"Hold up," David said, "if Darcia was after those sitting on the World Summit and part of the plan was to get the Energy Summit on board," shaking his head. "What exactly do you think she is ... was planning?"

"Birgit knows but is too afraid to vocalise it," Cara said, "but I will speak on her behalf."

"We're all ears, Cara," Craig said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If you wanted to dominate the world," Cara said, "you'd have to have the authority to do so."

"Yes," David said, "but what has that to do with the Energy Summit?"

"You get the World leaders under your control," Cara continued, "you get them to give you a say in what happens to the resources the population needs. Water. Power. Shelter."

"Oh my heavens," Breanna stood walking toward Valencia and Birgit, "what is your plan to get Daisy back without helping that madman in his plot?"

"What level was I when you stood against me?" Birgit asked.

"That is Birgit, right?" Breanna asked; Birgit nodded, "Val in there with you?" another nod, "I'm not sure, but it took most of my ability to get you under control."

"What level are you?" Birgit whispered.

"A level six or seven," Breanna said, "why?"

"I never knew my levels for my abilities. I'm gauging my levels by measuring them against yours. Then we have an idea," Birgit said, "what we have seen so far is they are keeping Daisy in one particular apartment."

"Yes, Jasmine would take some of us to find and extract her," Breanna said, "what do you have in mind?"

"How many?" Valencia asked.

"Ten or fifteen," Breanna said, frowning as they looked down a moment before meeting her gaze again.

"Instead of risking so many," Birgit said, "only a few are required. We can do it quicker than you think."

"Wait a moment," Craig unfolded his arms, "how do you know where Daisy is?"

Cara stood staring at Birgit and Valencia, "It can't be."

"What?" Breanna turned to look at Cara, "what can't it be?"

"The device used to contain Daisy, and mute her abilities is the same one Darcia used on Birgit," Cara said, wincing. "The way it was used didn't have the same effect. Instead of containing her abilities, it has made Birgit immune to its effects. She was only worked on a few times before Darcia ... put her away for using her powers on Darcia. Birgit's levels are high, and she used her abilities on Darcia when the device was used on Valencia to keep her under control. She nearly succeeded in terminating her. "

"Is that true?" Breanna asked, looking at the pair in one body.

"It is," Birgit nodded, her voice more husky than usual. "After the second time it was used on Valencia, and she was unconscious, I got angry enough to locate the device and cook the circuits."

"You're coming with us, aren't you?" Jasmine rose from the arm of the chair, "what exactly do you plan to do?"

"You can carry people with you," Valencia said, "except you would only need to take a few instead of as many as before."

"Who exactly are we talking about?" Breanna asked, propping her hands on her hips.

"Jasmine, Phoenix, David, Cara, Jonathan, perhaps Frank and us," Valencia and Birgit said in unison.

"I could carry that many there and back with the addition of Daisy," Jasmine nodded, "but I would need a lot of energy."

"Where will you get Daisy?" Michael asked, "we don't even know which apartment she is kept in."

"We don't need to," Birgit whispered, "Daisy is getting fresh air on the roof; otherwise, she couldn't possibly have her signal getting stronger. Jasmine can take us to the rooftop while David protects us. Phoenix takes out the stairwell structure the moment Daisy is on the roof. Cara communicates our location to her, and I'll energise Jasmine if she doesn't get enough from the gadget and take care of the captors. Jasmine brings us all back here."

"Say that all works," David said, "what about the people at the Energy Summit?"

"Have any of you met Dr Madden?" Birgit asked, taking in the shaking heads in the room, "I have. He will go to any lengths to obtain his goal."

"Do you think he is crazy as Darcia was?" Breanna asked.

"Probably more and extremely driven," Birgit said, "the rumour I heard was they were lovers."

"That explains a lot," David said, shuddering, "but it doesn't help the people at the Energy Summit."

"If we successfully extract Daisy," Valencia said, "Madden will not have anything or anyone to use for the Energy Summit. He will try and contact Darcia. When there is no reply, he will send his fanatics out to find the people attending the Energy Summit or us. He could also do both."

"Do you think he will react badly when he learns Darica is dead?" Craig asked.

"It's hard to say, he may, or he may find her death freedom to continue with his own plans. The activity of the fanatics Valencia told me about will increase. If Madden is removed from "power", he will have someone else designated to take his place and continue, but I doubt it will be with his plans," Birgit said. "If we want to stop the world domination bit, I recommend taking him out and dealing with whatever happens afterwards."

Breanna paced back and forth, deep in thought, before stopping in front of the security camera. "Tina, get someone to help you find out who is attending the Energy Summit," Breanna said, "we need logistics and strategy."

Words on the screen scrolled, "On it."

"Who else has been listening?" Birgit whispered.

"Everyone not in this room," Craig stated, "you ask for a meeting with the decision-makers and leaders of The Enhanced Protectors Agency. You bet there is back up."

"I guess that makes sense," Valencia nodded, "given your history."

"Do you think we will be allowed to help?" Birgit asked.

"I'll think about it," Breanna said, walking toward the door, "you two have given me a lot to think about."

The rest of the group stood. Valencia's heart squeezed at Jesse's look of caution as he passed her, keeping his distance. She swallowed the swelling emotion and watched him leave.

"They didn't even want to know about all my abilities," Birgit sighed as they sank onto the sofa, "all they believe I can do is what they saw me do."

"We know what you can do," Valencia murmured, "this is a start ... it's a good start."

"We need to eat," Birgit said, "can we have hot chocolate today and a burger with fries."

"Fine," Valencia agreed, "as long we can have pasta tonight with green tea."

Birgit groaned but agreed to the compromise.