After they left, we all piled into the AV room and waited. No one felt like talking, so we just sat in silence, lost in our own thoughts. About thirty minutes after their departure, Colin radioed us to let us know they had arrived at the highway. After that, it was just waiting and watching. After a while, people began drifting in and out. Ben was my only constant companion, and he was surprisingly reserved. We sat side by side but barely said a word.

Anna brought us some lunch but didn’t stay long. Three hours passed with no word from Colin and the others. I started pacing back and forth in front of the screens. Kennedy and Stephen sat with us awhile but the mood seemed to distress Kennedy, so they didn’t stay long either. Cooper came in and out, in and out, but seemed incapable of staying still for long and Sean was completely absent.

“Where are they? Surely they got there without being seen. What could have happened?” I said, more to do something than expecting an answer. Ben just glared at the radio like he could will it to talk to him. Another fifteen agonizing minutes went by before we heard Colin’s voice.

“We hit a little detour, but we made it. We have to get things set.”

Ben acknowledged, but that was all. Silence again. It was terrible just sitting there waiting, but I couldn't leave. I felt a longing, like I was missing something I was used to having with me….tender affection and a deep desire...so small and so strong. Beautiful raven hair. I love it when she takes her teeth…

“Ben!”

He was startled out of his brooding. “What?”

“You... you're...I think I’m feeling what you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He was only half listening.

“I was just thinking of Mel.”

He sneered. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure we all are so…”

“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure no one else was thinking about how much you like it when she nips at your ear while she holds you down and…”

“Stop! Jesus.” He looked stunned. “I didn’t mean to...I didn’t even know I could do that!”

“Well, please try to stop, would you?”

“How am I supposed to stop what I don’t even know what I am doing?”

“Maybe it’s just with a particularly strong?”

“Oh, so I’m just supposed to stop feeling particularly strong about her?”

“I was just trying to help.” I took a breath to keep from smacking him. “Look, all I’m trying to say is concentrate, try to control yourself. Keep your shit in your own head and while you’re at it, stay out of mine.”

“You think I don’t know how to control myself? I could tell you things about yourself you wouldn’t like very much…”

I scowled at him. “What’s the matter Ben, mad that I found out you’re a real live boy? One who likes it kinky based on what I saw.”

He laughed mockingly. “At least I can settle on who I want.”

“What?” We were interrupted by the radio, the argument completely forgotten for the moment.

“We hear you Colin.” Ben said.

“Hey, we did it! We’ve got the truck. It’s only a couple of miles to the facility, so we'll be radio silent for a while.”

I sat down hard in front of one monitor. Ben came over and sat next to me. He looked so miserable I couldn’t renew the fight. “They’ll be ok Ben.”

“Shit! Oh, Shit!”

“Come on, it’s a crazy plan, but Colin knows what he’s…”

“No, not that! That!” He was pointing at the screen to his left. There was a black sedan coming up the drive.

“No, no, no...It can’t be. Not now.” I groaned as the car stopped in front of the house and Agent Knoll stepped out.

“I have to get rid of her.” I stood up.

But Ben pulled me back down. “No, Jemma, you can’t. Think. This is the whole reason Colin wanted you to stay here. If you go out there now and tell her to get out, aside from looking suspicious, we lose any chance of possibly ending this stupidity.”

I watched in horror as the agent, dressed today in a crisp, dark blue pantsuit, walked up the porch steps. I knew Ben was right, but how could I focus on this when I knew what was happening?

“Ben, go tell the others. I’ll go talk to her, but you get back here. If something happens you have to come tell me.”

“I’m coming with you,” he said.

“No, Ben. I can’t do this without knowing what’s going on here. You’re the only one I trust to listen.” That surprised both of us a little. “Please Ben, you have to keep watch here for me.”

I could see Agent Knoll standing at the door. She must have already rung the bell. I looked pleadingly back at Ben. He gave me a nod and made his way out. Sean was making his way to the door when I made it to the front hall.

“No Sean! It’s the FBI agent. I’m going to talk to her.”

“Not alone, you’re not.”

“Sean, I’ll be fine. It’s not like she’s going to hurt me now.” I pushed past him and waited until he moved out of sight before opening the door.

“Hello, Jemma.” She looked serious but less imposing out of her ninja suit.

“Hello, Agent Knoll.” I stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind me.

“I assume the agreement still stands? I am welcome here?” She sounded worried. I realized I must have been showing some of the alarm I felt. I tried to fix my face into something more welcoming.

“Oh. Of course, yes. What, uh, what can I do for you?” I had to do better than this.

The agent raised an eyebrow but otherwise continued normally. “Well, it seems I can surprise even myself with my persuasion skills. My superiors have decided negotiation is still on the table. I’ve come to talk over some arrangements they have proposed.”

“Arrangements?” I had to concentrate. Ben would warn me if something happened to the others, I had to focus on what I needed to so. “What arrangements?”

She looked around the drive, “Is there somewhere we could talk? Inside, perhaps?”

I nodded and turned toward the door, but hesitated before opening it, silently praying Ben had warned the others or was watching and could get everyone out of the way. I didn’t want her knowing any more that she had to.

As I led the way to the bar, I heard footsteps in the library, but when I looked it was empty. The entire front of the house appeared to be. Breathing a sigh of relief, I directed Agent Knoll to a seat at the bar.

“Can I get you something?”

“No, thank you.” She looked around. “This place is impressive.”

“Yes, we’re lucky. We have a lot of space. Makes up a bit for not being able to go outside.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I suppose it does. I told you I would do what I could and I think we can fix that problem at least. I’ve done my best to convince the director that you are not a threat. I don’t think he agrees, but he is willing to give you a chance. So, I’ve come here to tell you we are willing to drop all charges in exchange for a few guarantees on your part.”

“Charges, agent? You mean the ones that were brought against us simply because we exist? That’s big of your director.” I tried to moderate my tone. This wasn't the time to get snappy. “What guarantees is he looking for?”

She pursed her lips but otherwise let my sarcasm go. “You, and everyone under this roof, will submit your names and abilities. Our agents will interview you. You will stay on this property unless authorized to leave by us. And you will stop actively recruiting other changers.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

It was all I could do not to punch her. At least had the decency to look embarrassed by what she was asking. “What you’re proposing is no different from imprisonment. So you’ve come to tell us, instead of taking us somewhere to lock us up, you want to lock us up right here? And you expected us to agree to that? No Agent, those are not guarantees I can make.”

She sighed. “I told them you wouldn't go for it, but it was the best they will give.” She sat back. “I don’t know if you have been watching the news, but some of your kind are running a muck; taking what they want and hurting anyone that gets in their way.”

“No, I haven’t been, but that doesn’t change the fact we haven’t done anything. You don’t try to lock up an entire city when one of its residents robs a bank. You can’t judge us on the actions of a few. There are rotten apples in every group agent.”

“True, but these rotten apples can do whatever they want. They’re above the law, they’ve said so themselves. And they are the ones getting the attention. Can you blame people for being scared, for wanting us to control the situation?”

“And whose fault is that? Maybe people would have seen the changers weren’t all bad if you hadn’t forced us all into prison or hiding as soon as you became aware we existed. You’ve been fanning the public’s negative opinion of us from the start, so everyone would turn a blind eye to your imprisonment and experiments.”

“I’ll admit, there have been mistakes. But we have to move forward from here and we can’t take the chance that someone we let walk free will cause harm. People are scared…”

“Don’t patronize me. The fear is and always has been yours; the police, the FBI, the government, the people in power. You are afraid we will take you to task for your mistakes, your incompetence, your misuse of the power entrusted to you. You’re afraid you will get what you deserve.” What was I doing? This was not the way to get through to her. But I was angry...so fucking angry. Was this Ben again?

I could see her getting angrier, too. When I stopped, she looked incapable of speaking for a moment, but her feelings were clear. I took a step away from her while she visibly struggled to regain control of herself.

“You have no right…we are acting in the best interest of the citizens. The Phenix you call yourselves? Why? Because you’ve risen from the ashes or because you’re going to burn the rest of us to the ground?”

I was losing her. I had to stop this. The only thing I was going to accomplish this way was getting a raiding party dropped on our heads, and this was a terrible time for that. I looked to the AV room. Ben would tell me if something happened, they might not even be there yet. I had to do this and only this. It was my job and what Colin and Nate were doing meant nothing if I didn’t fix this. I tried to push away the anger and fear that may or may not have been mine.

“I’m sorry. I can understand why people are scared. But we are people too, Agent Knoll. People who have done nothing but try to make the best of a strange situation. We are scared. We have lost our homes, our families, our freedom, and for what? For the world to turn against us? Is it really any wonder some of us have turned against it?” I held up a hand to stall her. “I am not saying I think what they are doing is right. It’s not. I’m just saying it’s not entirely unexpected.”

“Alright. You may have a point…”

They’re inside… The thought exploded in my head and this time I knew it was Ben. It took everything I had not to scream. I needed to talk to Ben about control again if he was going to use his new talent like this. So they made it inside the facility. Damit, Colin better know what he’s doing. “Are you listening, Jemma?”

I scrambled to recall what Agent Knoll had been saying. “Yes, yes, sorry. The way I see it, we’re at the same impasse we were when we first met. Neither of us wants this fight, only now you have people out there without our scruples. You say you came here to offer us an arrangement, right? Do we get a counteroffer?”

“I like you Jemma. I didn’t want to, still don’t really, and I can’t really say why, but I do. And it’s because I like you I am going to tell you this. The people above me; the director, the government officials, other people with hands green enough to have pull, know things are going badly. But they are afraid of looking bad. I think they let me come here as a token gesture. I told you I knew you wouldn’t accept and I think they knew it too, and didn’t care. If they can say they tried, maybe it will ease their conscience and help them save face. They may not like the things that are happening, but I don’t know how much they will give to make them better.”

“So they would rather risk losing everything than give a little?”

“I think so, yes.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“I agree.”

“Then help us. Talk to them. Someone has to listen. We don’t want a war, but we will not live here like criminals. There has to be a compromise here...” Something’s wrong…worry, overpowering dread. I gasped in shock as Ben’s thought pushed into mine.

Agent Knoll sat up. “What? What is it?” She looked concerned and a little frightened.

“Nothing. I...I have to...I’m sorry. Can you excuse me for just a moment?”

“Wh…” I didn’t give her a chance to argue. I left her there and ran to the AV room. Everyone was there, crowded around the radio.

Cooper noticed me first. “Is she gone already? Are they coming back?”

“What? No, she’s still out there…”

“You left her out there! Alone!”

I pushed past him to where Ben was seated. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“They made it to where they’re keeping the changers and radioed they were inside and emptying the truck. They called back a minute ago, said they had them, but then something happened. Nate called back and said Colin was hurt. That’s the last we heard.” My stomach was in knots.

Cooper grabbed my arm. “You can’t just leave her out there!”

I pulled away. “How long ago…” Just then, the radio buzzed loudly. We all fell silent. Finally, Nate’s voice came through. He sounded winded.

“We’re out...back to the truck, but they’re following. We have to get to the SUV.”

Ben grabbed the radio. “Is everyone alright?”

“Colin’s unconscious. I don’t know. Some of the changers we had to carry. I don’t know.”

I was breathing hard. “What do we do?”

Cooper grabbed at me again. “You have to get back out there!”

“No…”

“He’s right Jemma.” Ben looked pale. “Remember, this is what Colin wanted you here for.”

“I don't…”

“We’ll figure this out. They’re out now. The best thing we can do for them is make sure there’s not a band of FBI agents waiting for them when they get here.” They were right. I took one last desperate look at the radio.

“I will tell you if anything happens, Jemma.” Ben looked solemn. “I promise.”

I tried to regain as much composure as I could before rejoining Agent Knoll. I hoped it was enough. My mind was only half there, but that was the best I could do considering. I found her sitting where I had left her, looking somewhat bemused.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I had to...deal with...something. Nothing important.”

“Yes, well, I really don’t know if there was much left to say, anyway. I don’t see how we are going to come to any sort of agreement when neither side is willing to give. Not that I blame you, necessarily, but it is what it is.”

“There has to be something.” I had to make this work. I felt like Colin and his group's success was tied to mine.

But she shook her head. “I don’t see what. I’m sorry, I wish I had more to give you. The problem is neither side has anything to offer. You want freedom and the big guys want you locked up. We’re a million miles away from even seeing a middle ground.”

“What if we did have something to offer them?” She looked at me skeptically. “No, hear me out. So the government needs us under control because people are scared. Because some of us are acting up?”

“That’s putting it nicely, but yes.”

“And we want our freedom and to prove to the world that we don’t mean anyone any harm.”

“...Ok?”

“So let’s work together.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Let us work for you.” Oh, the others might very well disown me for this. “You want us under your authority and you want the trouble makers under control, but you don’t have the power to do either of those things. We want our freedom and we want to stop being vilified, but we don’t have the power to get either of those things. So why not help each other? We take care of the changers causing problems, under your authority. You, in turn, publicize what we are doing, that we are helping, I mean. You can get rid of the threat, change public opinion and have some authority over us.

“Except you would still be wandering free, gathering others to you.” She shook her head. “They will see it as a growing threat.”

“But if we are working for you, we would have no reason to threaten you.”

“And just how do you figure that?”

“I’m asking you to make it public, tell everyone that we are working together, that we are the peacekeepers, so everyone can see that we are not the murderous crazies they think we are. So we can go back to having normal lives. As normal as possible now, anyway. At least live where we can leave the house if we want. But If we turned against you, we would just be proving everyone right. We would lose anything we hoped to gain. It would be shooting ourselves in the foot.”

She sat back in her chair. For a long time she just stared, studying me or thinking or both. I found it very hard not to fidget. What I really wanted was her gone. But I needed this to work.

“It might work.”

“What?”

“Yes, I’m always surprised when I agree with you, too. Your idea. It’s a way out for everyone. They save face and you get to clear your name. I would have to present it properly…”

“You think they would drop the law? Let us live here without restrictions?”

“I don’t know about that. But they might be willing to talk about changes. You will need to talk to them directly, of course…”

“What? Why?”

“Because this is above my pay grade. I can speak for you, but I think this is something you should do for yourself. And I don’t have the power to offer you the things you want.”

I looked to the AV room again. I would have to risk a lot to make this work, but it also might be our only way out. “When? When can you bring them here?”

Agent Knoll looked surprised. “I can’t. Let’s be honest here Jemma, I’ll have to convince them it’s worth even trying first, but there is no way I’ll be able to convince them it’s safe to come here. No, this will not get done on your territory. If you want to negotiate something this big, you will have to come to us.”

She was right. Even if I could convince them to come here, it would take days or weeks of talking and assurances, and even then they might not. I didn’t have that kind of time. “But how can you guarantee it’ll be safe?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure I can, but I’ll do what I can.”

“Ok, when can I go?”

“This will take time…”

“I want to do this as soon as possible. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we start making things right on both sides.”

She nodded. “Ok. Let me talk to them. I can contact you again tomorrow, but don't expect miracles.”

“I’ll be ready tomorrow at noon. You can pick me up here.”

“I just said no miracles. It might take more time to convince them…”

“Look, we both risk losing if we wait. You’ve got changers out there gaining strength. How do you think they are going to feel about any of this? We wait to work out the details and we risk losing everything. I’m sure you can make them see that.”

“I think you’re giving me a little too much credit.”

“You managed to keep them out of here and they let you come back. That couldn’t have been easy. You can do this.”

“Maybe. Alright. Tomorrow at noon. I will do everything I can to ensure your safety.”

I sagged against the door after she was gone. What had I just done?