SECOND CHANCES
By
Guardian Angel a.k.a. Monica

Timeline: After "Enemy within" (Day 49)
Author's E-Mail: guardianangel@home.net

AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Dedicated to Manuela, who bugged me until I finally finished this. *s* Love ya!

"You turned my life around, you picked me up when I was down...All my life, I pray for someone like you, and I thank God, that I finally found you." - KC and JoJo, 'All My Life'

Second Chances
By Guardian Angel

She couldn't believe they had left her. "*It isn't possible! They wouldn't do that. Alonzo wouldn't do that!*" Yet her heart told her it was true, told her to face the facts and move on. "Of course they had left her; she was a Council spy." Her skewed genes made her very practical, "*One of the many things Alonzo loved to tease me about,*" and she new that if she did not start looking for food, and more permanent shelter she would not survive in such a harsh environment alone.

As she started moving about the small clearing, looking for possible edible plants, "*Though how there could have been any here that I missed before I don't know! *" An image of Alonzo flashed into her brain.

*He looked so disappointed and at the same time, angry. "Can I really blame him? I would feel the same way if the person I slept with...God, how could I not remember that?" It doesn't seem like an experience that I could forget. I've got to stop thinking about him! He's not coming back... They're not coming back.*

With that thought fixed firmly in her brain, she once again started scanning plant samples for something edible. She worked all day, hoping to exhaust herself enough that she would actually be able to sleep that night. Whenever her thoughts drifted to Alonzo and the rest of Eden Advance she resolutely forced them back on track at least until the next time her mind wandered.

As night set in, and the clearing grew darker, she began to know the meaning of true fear. Every little sound, from a rustle in the brush to the sound of birds, suddenly sounded threatening. All the sounds she had loved, all the sounds that had comforted her when she was with Eden Advance now sounded deadly.

She huddled in her tent, her body tensing with each new sound. As she heard a new sound in the distance the spirillina bar she had been eating turned to dust in her mouth. The sound grew closer, and she realized that it was not new, indeed, it was achingly familiar.

*That sounds like the RAIL! But that's not possible. They wouldn't have come back. But what if they had been captured, or the vehicles stolen?*

As images of EA being hurt or killed filled her mind, she dashed out of the tent to hide in the surrounding bushes. The tent made her feel too exposed, too obvious. She burrowed into the bushes as far as possible, suddenly wishing she had grabbed something from the tent to use as a weapon.

*A sediderm, or even my glove. But they took the sediderms, only leaving me with the diaglove. Probably because none of them know how to use it.*

She was yanked abruptly into the present again as the RAIL roared into the clearing. She held her breath, as if whoever was there would be able to detect her by her shallow breathing.

She watched, stunned, as Alonzo climbed out of the RAIL and called her name.

"Julia!! Julia?"

*My mind must be playing tricks on me, but it's to early for delusions to set in, I'm not dehydrated or starving.*

As the thought that maybe she wasn't dreaming played through her mind, she watched Alonzo. He grabbed his magpro from the RAIL and approached the tent, still calling her name. Finding her tent empty, he stood in the clearing and shouted her name. She finally gave herself away. As he turned towards the almost inaudible sound he pushed aside a branch, and she was exposed.

Her tear stained face gazed back at him, those impossibly blue eyes cutting into his soul. He could see the pain and sadness etched deep into those eyes, as if it would never go away.

*How could we do this to her? How could I do this to her?*

All these thoughts ran through his head in a matter of seconds, before he slowly lowered the gun and reached in to pull her out.

She was trembling, acting like she couldn't believe he was really there. He cursed himself again for leaving her, all alone in this great wilderness.

He pulled her shaking form against him, supporting her slender frame as she gave into the tears that had been threatening to surface for so long. She clutched at his jacket before wrapping her arms around him, and holding onto him like a lifeline. He murmured meaningless words, reassuring her with his nearness and voice as her stroked her silky hair.

Finally her sobbing slowed to sniffles, and she pulled away from him.

"How did..." Frustrated, not quite knowing what to say, she tunneled her hands through her hair, pushing it out of her eyes. Finally meeting his gaze, she tried again." "Why are you here?" Why, why did you come back?"

"Everybody deserves a second chance," he said simply. "I know you can overcome this, leave the Council. I believe in you." There was a firmness in his voice that made her realize that he really did believe in her, and wasn't just saying the words to make her feel better. "C'mon," he said, reaching out to touch her cheek. "Let's go inside, it's cold out here. We have a lot to talk about." When she only nodded he took her hand in his and led her into the small tent.

He surveyed the interior, wondering how they had expected her to survive with so little. They had given her the bare minimum, a cot and blanket, a little food, her meager personal belongings and clothes, and a few other odds and ends.

As he sat down on the edge of the cot he patted the area next to him, inviting her to join him. She sat, but seemed lost in thought for a minute, and he left her alone, letting her sort things out in her mind.

"Alonzo, I...I can't remember...Anything." She stuttered, unable to meet his gaze, but plowed on ahead, needing to get this out."I mean, I know that we...but I can't remember! The whole period of time when I was taking Uly's DNA is fuzzy, like a dream, but that night I had increased the dosage, and now I cant remember..." her voice faded away as she stared at her hands, waiting for the angry words and bitter accusations.

She was surprised when he reached out and drew her close, resting her head against his broad chest. "I know, honey. I know. I realized it the next morning, when I asked you if what was wrong, and you had no idea what I was talking about. It's OK." As if sensing that she had expected him to be angry, he stressed the last words. "I am not angry."

Pulling her with him, he lay back on the cot, content to simply hold her for awhile. They were both silent for a time, before he finally asked what had been on his mind for what seemed like forever. "Tell me."

Understanding what he wanted to know, she thought for a minute, deciding where to start.

"My mother was very high up in the Council. She was hardly ever home, always on some mission or another." She paused again, getting her thoughts back on track as they drifted towards her unhappy childhood, before she continued. "Anyway, she was young, only about 22, when the Council told her that they had found a suitable partner for her. Ever loyal to them, she allowed herself to be impregnated. She never even met my father, it was all done with test tubes and needles. She didn't even blink an eye when they informed her that they were going to genetically enhance the fetus, they needed more doctors. The thought of refusing never even crossed her mind.

When I was born I was not allowed to go home for over two months. They kept me in the hospital to perform tests, making sure the skewing process had been successful. Finally satisfied, they allowed her to take me home. Once there, she promptly handed me over to a Council nurse to care for me, she was much too important to spend her time breast feeding and burping her new daughter.

Nothing really changed as I grew older, except that she started visiting me everyday, always talking about how wonderful the Council was, how they could do no wrong. When I was eight she told my nurse that I was to start joining her for dinner. Properly attired, of course. Dinner was a formal affair, and she always spent the entire time talking about her latest project, or how the world would be so much better if people would just give in and trust the Council. Dinner was just another chance for her to instill Council values in me, as if she and my nurse didn't do it enough already.

I learned early on that it would do no good to buck the system, to rebel. Disobedience always ended up with punishment, usually in the form of solitary confinement, so I could 'think about what I had done', and how ungrateful I was. Frankly, I could never think of anything worth a damn to be grateful to the Council for, but I knew better than to voice my opinion.

My mother always made sure that I knew that I was not really wanted, that she had only had me to please the Council. I was a burden to her, and she made sure I knew it.

As I grew older she put me in classes, always having to do strongly with medicine or science. When I was old enough I moved out of her house and into a dorm room that I shared with two other girls, both as loyal to the Council as my mother was.

I had no chance to rebel, no chance to defy the Council. My mother made it very clear that if I ever betrayed the Council in any way she would abide by their punishment, and I would be on my own." Her mind drifted off again, comforted by the steady rhythm of Alonzo's hand stroking her back, and the soft texture of his shirt beneath her cheek.

"Genetic skewing is rare, and I was almost always the only skew in my classes. A lot of the other students resented the fact that I didn't have to work as hard as them, and always excelled. They didn't realize that I would have done anything to be normal, like them, and have to spend my nights studying fueled on caffeine and sugar.

Medicine was really the only thing I loved, I think that even if I hadn't been a skew I would most likely have chosen to be a doctor. I often drowned my misery in my textbooks, and any other medical books I could get my hands on. This of course made my peers hate me more, but I was to the point where I almost didn't care. After awhile I got so used to the accusing stares and hateful mutterings that they didn't bother me, I simply ignored them. The books were an escape for me.

I don't know, maybe if my mother hadn't tried so hard, hadn't forced the Council down my throat at every opportunity, I might have been truly devoted to the Council. But because of the way she treated me, and kept reminding me that I had to be loyal to the Council, that nothing else mattered in life, I began to see faults. Things I didn't like, didn't approve of. I appeared loyal on the outside, even had myself believing that I was totally loyal half the time. When they assigned me to this mission under Dr. Vasquez I was actually pleased about it. I figured that it would be my chance to get away from the Council's influence, find out what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't realize until several weeks later that they expected me to report in, keep tabs on the group for them.

I think they must have suspected something, otherwise they never would have put the genetically enhanced daughter of one of their most influential members on a ship they planned on blowing up. It was their way of ensuring that I was not a problem, without having to take the blame for it.

When we landed on this planet, despite all our problems, I thought I was in heaven. Until I contacted Reilly for the first time. I put it off as long as possible, waiting over three weeks. But I swear, I NEVER told him our position."

"Shh...it's ok, I believe you." He shifted slightly on the cot, getting more comfortable, and pulled the thick blanket that had been crumpled at the bottom of the cot over them. The night had deepened, and it had gotten a lot colder since Julia had started her narration.

She allowed him to wrap them in the warm cocoon of the blanket before continuing.

"When Reilly found out about the connection Uly had with the Terrians he started to really scare me. He kept claiming that 'The Boy'- he never called him by his name, always referred to him as 'The Boy'- was his, and that I had to deliver him safely. Alonzo, if he gets his hands on Uly, he'll kill him. That much I am sure of."

"He wont. We'll keep him safe. He has Devon, Yale, and the rest of EA to look after him." There's no way he could get to him without alerting the whole camp, and invoking Devon's wrath. Which, when it comes to her son, I believe is akin to the wrath of God."

She smiled slightly at this comment. "She does have a temper sometimes Anyway, you know the rest. True saw me in VR..."

Sensing her insecurity, he sat up a little bit, tilted her chin up with a forefinger and forced her to meet his eyes."I'm not gonna leave you," he said firmly. "I did that once, and I regret every second of it. If Devon and the others won't except you into the group again, I'll stay with you. We'll get through this together, that much I swear to you." He smiled slightly as he saw her eyes fill up again, and threaten to spill over. "Hey, you're not gonna start that again, are ya?" He gently teased her, even as he wiped away a few stray tears.

-The End-

All comments or criticizm are welcome, send them to guardianangel@home.net :)

This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.