"Daisy," Tina hugged her tightly, "I've been so worried."

"Tina," Daisy gently returned the hug, "what happened? I felt the tug on my abilities."

"Oh," Tina blushed, "I hit someone."

"You," Daisy said, raising her eyebrows in surprise, "you hit someone?"

Tina shrugged, "I didn't like what they were saying."

"You need to be careful what you say around her," Iris grinned, hugging Daisy, "Calla and Rose are on their way."

"I'm fine," Daisy said, "really. They didn't do anything to me ... yet."

"They were going to," Rose said quietly, hugging Daisy, "Cara told me. She also picked up on Madden's thoughts while you were there."

"He was nearby," Tina nodded, "Breanna was worried he may be, but she was more worried about what he would do to Daisy."

"Why was Frank there?" Daisy frowned, "that was unexpected."

"Turns out he is an expert in stealth missions," Calla said, stepping through the group and hugging Daisy, "Iris is with Valencia at the moment."

"Is Birgit and Val okay?" Rose asked cautiously.

"Birgit wants to hurt Jesse more than anything," Calla sighed, "but she is more concerned about the sudden decline in Valencia."

"What's wrong with Val?" Daisy asked, worry etching her features.

"Seems that when Jasmine arrived, Birgit was let out of the prison Darcia had put her in," Iris said, entering the room with Jasmine and Valencia. "Birgit threw a tantrum, getting everyone's attention and caused an evacuation to ...here."

Not following what Iris said, Daisy frowned, "I guess a lot has happened since I was taken."

"A few things," Birgit said, stepping forward, "I'm Birgit. Valencia isn't... herself; she is taking a moment."

"Jesse being an idiot," Daisy sighed, "nice to meet you ... Birgit."

Birgit nodded her head in acknowledgement, "That is Jasmine," Birgit indicated to the other person standing next to Iris.

"Hey," Daisy smiled, "you shook things up ... did you?"

"I guess you can say that," Jasmine grinned, "I'm just sorry I got Birgit and Valencia into so much trouble."

Rose watched Valencia closely. Palpable caution on the air.

"I'm sorry, Rose," Birgit murmured, "I didn't mean to hurt you. Terror can be a very disorientating emotion."

"Trust is a very fragile emotion," Rose murmured, "you'll have to earn mine."

Nodding, Birgit smiled, "I hope that I will be able to one day."

"This is all very touching," Daisy said, "but do we get meals around here?"

"Hungry?" Iris grinned.

"Starved," Daisy returned her sister's grin, "show me where I can find food."

Grinning, Tina indicated for Daisy to follow Iris from the room, "Anyone else hungry? Go join the group."

Craig and David strode down the passageway toward the tech room. Two tall men, well-muscled, broad-shouldered and striding in unison, military-style. Stepping into the tech room, their raw energy drew attention, which neither noticed.

"Where was she in the logistics?" Craig asked as the two looked at the maps and paperwork on the large round table.

"Can't believe you punched him that hard," David chuckled, "not that I blame you. Still can't believe you actually did it."

"Bre may be tough, but she still deserves the respect any woman deserves," Craig said, sifting through a pile of maps, "plus, she is my little sister, so ..." he shrugged, "he had it coming."

"Do you think Phoenix can talk some sense into him?" David handed a map to Craig.

"If he can't, I'm sure he will pound some sense into him," Craig sighed, looking around the room.

"Yeah, I noticed Valencia isn't here," David said quietly, "there is a note on the monitor where she was working."

Walking across to the monitor, he pulled the note off, "Birgit will pound some sense into Jesse soon."

"What does it say?" Craig took the note, "gone with Iris to help Valencia mend her heart. Find him before I do."

"Birgit is very protective of Valencia," David chuckled, "I like her more and more."

"She is the tough side of Val," Craig nodded, "right now we need to keep looking for links."

"We were looking at these maps over here," Jarred said, walking past them to the table. "Val and Birgit were looking for links between other enhanced beings, while Calla was busy finding any corresponding information for the names found."

"Where are we with all that?" Craig asked.

"We have an update on the maps," Jarred picked up a set of maps they had missed, "the rest will have to wait until Valencia is back in a working mood."

"Where is Tina?" Craig asked.

"With Daisy and probably all the missing women," Jarred shook his head, "there is a line forming to chat with Jesse. Cara told us what he said to Bre."

"That was sorted out," David chuckled, "Craig punched him."

"Good," Jarred nodded, a grin spreading across his face, "hard, I hope."

"Yep," David grinned, "it was a flying experience."

Jarred chuckled heartily, "Then I think the line got less."

Cara came running into the tech lab just then. Bending over. Breathless.

"Cara?" Oran sprang from his chair, "what is it?"

"Tina," she stood panting, "pool room ... Jesse ... Phoenix ... Birgit."

Craig sprinted from the tech room, his long strides eating up the passageway. Ignoring the stairs, he grabbed the railing above and pulled himself onto the second flight taking the remaining stairs three at-a-time. Entering the hall, he looked around, finding the pool room on his right. The mounting energy waves could be felt rippling down the passageway toward him.

"Birgit," he yelled, "don't do this."

Entering the games room, he found Jesse pinned against the wall while Phoenix sat on the windowsill watching. The sight of Tina bent over in the corner with her hand over her ears, tears streaming down her cheeks, cracked the last piece of ice he had encased his heart with. Rage roared from him as he turned his attention to Birgit.

"David," Craig glanced over his shoulder, "get Tina out."

David quickly extended his hand toward his sister, doming her. She looked around, confused, until she saw her brother motioning for her to come to him. Immediately she rose and left the room.

"Dome her," Craig said as soon as Tina stood in the passageway, "Madden cannot find us here."

David snapped his hand shut, releasing his sister. Turning to Birgit, he flicked his hand open, doming her completely. The energy signature disappeared, and Jesse collapsed to the floor. He looked up, breathing hard.

"Don't hurt her," he gasped, "if you hurt her, Valencia will be hurt."

"Now you think like someone who cares," Phoenix shook his head, "you should have thought about that before Valencia refused to come out and talk to Birgit."

Birgit lowered her hands and swallowed hard against the collecting tears in her eyes. Anguish pulsed from her as she met David and Craig's guarded expressions. David released her from the dome.

"Where is Valencia?" he asked quietly, "Is she still there?"

"She is," Birgit swallowed hard again, "she won't come out of the door."

"Are you saying she decided to leave," Craig asks, "even though she is still alive, she will not engage with anyone?"

Birgit nodded, "All because of him," she indicated, Jesse coming to his feet, "I just wanted to talk. Try and reason, but he is so cold and calculating."

"So you thought frying him against the wall would help?" David shook his head.

"No," Birgit swiped angrily at her wet eyes, "he walked away from me."

"Oh boy," Phoenix muttered, "this happens when you have strong women and idiotic men."

"What do you have to say?" Craig asked Phoenix, "you stood by and let her endanger everyone."

"I would have stopped her if I needed to," Phoenix shrugged, "besides, I know when staying out of a conversation is the smart thing to do."

"Where is Breanna?" Jesse asked.

"Sleeping," David and Craig said in unison.

"If you have something to say," Craig said, "just don't."

"I only wanted to apologise," Jesse said quietly, "I was ... frustrated and took it out on her."

"Phoenix," David looked at the lounging man on the other side of the room. "Please take Birgit back to the tech room; perhaps she can irritate Val enough to come out and help with the sifting of the information."

"I don't understand," Birgit frowned, "what would irritate Val?"

"You haven't met that part of her yet," David nodded, "pick up wherever Valencia left off with her work and see how quickly she comes out to tell you how to do it."

"She doesn't like it done differently," Birgit said quietly, "huh, so she is a perfectionist. I'll give it a try."

Phoenix and Birgit left the room, leaving Jesse, Craig and David.

"What is going on with you?" David asked Jesse while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't know what ..." Jesse shrugged, his words trailing off as Craig took a menacing step toward him.

"Want to try that again?" Craig asked, raising his eyebrows while his hands fisted at his sides. Jesse seemed to deflate. He sank into a nearby wide-backed chair, resting his elbows on his knees while his hand dangled. Shaking his head, he sighed heavily.

"Valencia may think she wants me in her life," Jesse leaned back, looking up at the two men, "but she will find it difficult with Birgit around. I was thinking of leaving altogether when Birgit came in here and pinned me against the wall."

"You didn't say it," David said, "you thought it."

Jesse nodded, "I have a private mind. Even Cara says so."

"Then how...?" David frowned.

"I don't know," Jesse said, "Valencia was able to telepathically hear me."

"That ever happened before?" Craig frowned.

Jesse shook his head, "Never. Now I don't even know if I'm wanted."

"Valencia wants you," David said, "otherwise Birgit wouldn't be pinning you to the wall if Valencia was okay. Whatever your problem is ... sort it out."

David motioned for Craig to follow him as he left the room. Craig shook his head before following David.

Jesse sank back into the chair. Birgit had said some revealing things when she had pinned him to the wall. Valencia had disappeared. Unhappy. Heartbroken. Crying.

He had never seen Valencia cry. Ever. What was wrong with him?

"You're behaving as though Val has died or been replaced by someone," Cara leaned against the door frame, "life is never what you expect. Behaving as though you lost someone who is still there is the most idiotic thing I have heard."

"I thought you couldn't hear my thoughts," Jesse raised his gaze to meet hers.

"I can't," Cara said, "but I have watched how you have acted. Avoiding someone who cares about you and you care about."

"I thought she was gone," Jesse sighed, "I thought I had already lost her."

"Then she started behaving like someone totally different," Cara said, "she said things that hurt you, did things that hurt others, and you believed she was gone."

Jesse swallowed hard and nodded, blushing, "It sounds stupid when you say it like that."

"Did you not see what we all saw?" Cara frowned.

"I guess not," Jesse stood, "look, I appreciate everyone caring enough to stand in line to beat me up, but I just need to be on my own."

"No," Cara stepped in front of him, "Oran and I have been working on something on the side for Bre. You need to see this."

"I'm not in any frame of mind to be in the tech room while Birgit tortures Val," Jesse said.

"We haven't been working in the tech room," Cara said, "follow me."

Jesse sighed, "Fine. Lead the way."

Cara left the room, and surprisingly instead of walking to Oran and her suite, she took the passageway leading to the conservatory. Jesse followed. A chime on the door alerted the occupant to any arrival. Cara started singing a song in Spanish. Her voice was mellow, rounded and beautiful. Jesse felt blind-sided. This woman was a hard-hitting, gun-slinging, solitary combat unit with a beautiful singing voice of an angel. Oran's head popped up from the middle of the Cacti arrangement.

"He came," Oran sounded surprised.

"He doesn't have many options right now. Let's do this," Cara said, "have you booted up?"

"This morning," Oran said, "we always boot, sis. Are we really breaking protocol and telling him he is the problem," Cara nodded, "okay ... let's do this."

Jesse followed Calla around the row of plants to see a hollow in the middle of the plants where they had a camping table and a lot of equipment. Someone had to know this wasn't in the tech room.

"We didn't get this from the tech or supply room," Cara said quietly, "this equipment is new."

"Great, then no one really knows what is happening here?" Jesse looked around.

"Bre asked us to look into the energy signatures of everyone who has been through the safe houses," Oran said. "Valencia or now Birgit sifts through the information on their side; we pick up those who made it out of the facility have energy signatures close to Birgit's."

"Why are you doing this?" Jesse asked, "and don't tell me "because Bre told you to.""

Cara and Oran looked at each other before nodding, "We're doing this because there is a reason why Madden keeps following us. There is a reason why he knows where we are when we arrive. Bre was right; it is our energy signature. We were chatting with Jarred, and we discovered that Madden knows where we are not because he is physically watching but because he is tracking our energy."

"Each human has an energy level of sorts," Oran said as he worked on the computer. "Some are higher than overs, but the humans Darcia and Madden worked on have theirs at a more detectable level."

"You're saying they purposefully engineered the genes which give us more energy and thereby increased our energy signature," Jesse frowned.

"Yeah," Cara said, "that is the short version. Not only our energy signature but also our energy output."

"Madden could probably pop up at any moment because of our energy signals," Jesse frowned, "I told Breanna we should not have released Birgit."

"Oh," Oran turned to him then, "it's not Birgit giving us away."

"What? Are you sure? I know Birgit has been emotional, but apart from pinning me to the wall and helping save Daisy, she had her abilities in the open air," Jesse frowned. "If it is not Birgit. How is Madden finding us on an energy signal?"

"Glad you asked that," Cara said. "In the past half an hour, when everyone has been trying to contain Birgit, the highest energy signal has been...," they hesitated before moving to display the computer screen. "... you."

"What?" Jesse frowned, "how can that be?"

"Emotional disruption," Cara said, "you were programmed not to feel anything. Physically."

"Your Commanding Officer didn't think about emotional stress," Oran said quietly. "You may not feel pain physically or mentally, but when your heart is broken, aching, or grieving. You feel, and your emotional energy goes off the charts."

Jesse slowly moved forward, staring at the screens. A plan of their hideout stood in relief. Tiny dots with names attached lay scattered. Some moved while others were stationary. All displayed a named number.

"Some of these numbers are higher than others," Jesse pointed at those he noticed.

"Correct," Oran nodded, "those who are higher are either active or awake" he pointed to a cluster of high energy dots. "This is the training room," he moved his finger to another group of high energy dots, "here is the kitchen."

"This," Cara pointed to three dots far away from the others, "is us."

"There are two average numbers and one high," Jesse looked between the twins, "the high number is me?"

The pair nodded.

"It's higher than anyone else," Jesse muttered, pacing away into the conservatory, "how is Madden not finding us? That type of energy signal is high enough to trace."

"We have a jammer working," Cara said, "we can't take it with every time you leave."

"That is why Bre hasn't assigned me any tasks," Jesse sighed, sinking to the bench on the path, "I'm endangering everyone just by being around them."

"No," Oran said, "you're endangering everyone by not sorting out whatever it is between you and Val."

Jesse looked up, "How am I supposed to sort whatever this is between us if I cannot get past feeling responsible for what happened to her."

Cara opened her mouth as though to speak, but nothing came out. She looked at her brother, threw her hands in the air and turned back to the equipment, leaving Oran to reason with Jesse.

"How is what happened to Valencia your responsibility?" Oran said.

"I should have protected her," Jesse muttered.

"Are you serious?" Oran asked, frowning, "she is like she is because of something Darcia did to her."

Jesse grunted, not wanting to acknowledge the truth behind his words.

"Breanna's up," Cara called from her station, "Birgit and Val are nowhere to be seen."

Cara froze, "that is not good."

"What is going on?" Oran paced to his sister.

"Bre is coming this way," Cara shrugged, "something is going on with Birgit and Val. Their signatures are not here."

Jesse stood from the bench, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that neither of their energy signatures on the screen," Cara said, turning to face him, "you may have run out of time, Jesse."

The chime over the door tinkled, booted steps headed in their direction getting louder until a body joined them around a row of plants.

"Trying to talk sense into Jesse," Breanna said by way of greeting, "are you going to sort it out now, or must I put her on life support."

"What are you talking about?" Jesse frowned.

"David woke me," Breanna said, "Birgit and Valencia had an argument. Both of them went away."

"Went away," Oran frowned, "physically?"

"No dodo bird," Cara punched his arm, "emotionally."

"I'm having their body taken to their room," Breanna looked between the trio before settling on Jesse, "you are going in there with them until this is sorted out."

"What?" Jesse backed away from Breanna, "I'm not getting locked away again."

"You should have thought of that before you acted the way you did," Breanna said, anger in the rigidity of her shoulder and the balling of her fists.

"Both of you need to calm down," Cara said from the beeping panel pressing buttons while mumbling.

Oran came to help her, "The energy signature shield will not last if both of their signatures spike again."

Cara stood quickly, her eyes fixed on one spot. Oran straightened next to her.

"Cara?" he watched her before realising she was having a mental conversation with someone. Turning to the arguing pair, Oran tried to calm them down, but no one seemed to hear him. Glancing around, he found David coming around the edge of the plants.

"Odd place to have a standoff," David grinned at Oran and Cara.

"You told him about the energy signatures," David shook his head, "what is this about?"

"Valencia," the twins said in unison.

David sighed, nodding in understanding, "I could be here for a while."

"No," Rose said, running down the path, "no one will be here for a while."

"What is going on?" David turned toward the near frantic woman dropping the barrier around the still arguing pair. Cara put her fingers between her lips, letting out a piercing whistle. The silence directly after the noise was deafening.

"What's going on?" Oran asked quietly.

Rose drew in a deep breath, "Two things," she panted. "I need Jesse in Valencia's room, and Madden has helicopters heading in this direction. It seems that someone," she looked pointed between Jesse and Breanna, "gave our location away."

"Jesse goes with Rose," Breanna said quietly, "Cara, Oran transfer that information on the machine to the tech room. Bring the jammer. David, do you care to help take Madden on."

"I'd be delighted," David grinned as he followed Breanna out of their flowery place of conflict.

Cara and Oran worked quickly before following David and Breanna.

"Jesse," Rose spoke softly, "Birgit is trying to force Valencia out of her slump."

"Where are they?" Jesse asked, following Rose from the conservatory.

"I tried to fix the damage they are doing to their body, but without a resolution," she shook her head, "nothing I do will restore or heal."

"Let's get them better," Jesse said, "the fact they are like this is my fault."

"Yes," Rose said quietly, "no one will dispute that."

"Does everyone know my business," Jesse grumbled.

"No, we all have eyes," Rose said, entering the padded room.

Hana stood next to the still form of Valencia. The eyes were closed, but the body seemed battered from the inside. Hana turned to the entering pair.

"Stop them," she said to Jesse, "please."

With that, they left him alone to talk down a pair of rampaging women inside the body of the woman he loves.