AN: Sorry for the delay in updates! My life has been super busy. School is almost over, and I've had exams and whatnot to prepare for...not to mention getting all the graduation stuff done. There just isn't enough time, ya know?

Chapter 5

She must have dozed off in the warm nest of his arms, because when she came to, the forest was behind them. Malachi was standing on the back porch of a two story house, the toe of his shoe rapping against the door.

“Let me in!” He said loudly.

The door suddenly jerked open. A young girl stood there, probably only a few years older than Danica. She had curly, flaming red hair and a heart-shaped face. Her green eyes were annoyed. “That isn’t our secret knock—holy hell, you’ve got her!”

He nodded. “Yeah. Move.”

She stepped aside, and Malachi walked into the brightly lit kitchen, where at least ten people were waiting.

“Malachi!” A young man with enormous glasses shouted. “What took you so long? I thought I screwed up. Rainey was about ready to skewer me—.”

“Bug, please.” Malachi used his foot to pull out a chair from the table, and he gently placed Danica there. He knelt in the floor in front of her and took her face in his hands.

“Danica,” he said softly, ignoring everyone else in the room. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” He wiped away the dirt and tears. She had leaves in her hair, and she was shaking madly.

She looked back at him, at his earnest brown eyes, mussed hair, and the previously crisp white shirt that was now muddy and torn. He probably felt as sick as she did. She could feel the fine tremors in his body, and suddenly she knew he felt just as terrible as she did. He was just doing a better job of hiding it.

“You should stop doing that,” he said, breaking into a smile.

She tried to laugh, but came out sounding like a sob. She let her head fall forward onto his shoulder, and he stroked her back soothingly.

“Please calm down,” he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing her hair.

Slowly, her breathing calmed and her shivering lessened. She felt him lift his head and ask someone for a glass of water. She heard the faucet run, and then he was gently urging her head up.

“Drink,” he demanded, helping her hold the cup.

She drank greedily. Her mouth had a bad taste in it from being sick—as she was sure his did. She kept him in mind and handed him the cup back with about half still in it. He obeyed her subtle demand and finished it off.

He stood, looking around at them all. “Where’s Rainey?”

A dark-haired man walked into the room then, eyes training instantly on Malachi and Danica. “Ah,” the man said. His hazel eyes froze on Danica. “I see you got it.”

“Her,” Malachi corrected sharply. “I got her. Just like I said I would.”

“I told you it was suicidal,” the man’s expression obviously said he wouldn’t have minded if Malachi hadn’t made it back.

“Rainey,” the flame-haired girl reprimanded.

“Stay out of this, Ginger.”

Ginger sighed and shook her head, muttering something about “testosterone”.

“You put us all at risk with your little adventure.”

“And if they’d gotten to her they would’ve used her power against us all! And then there would be no ‘us’ left!” Malachi shouted, putting himself between Rainey and her.

Danica’s mind reeled. I thought he said they sent him to get me. But they didn’t want him to get me?

“It was dangerous,” Rainey argued, raising his voice to match Malachi’s. “I asked you not to do this. You brought hell on this whole institution.”

“Oh yeah, because blowing up buildings is not going to bring down hell on us, right? Because you approved of that.”

“Damn it, Mal! You never listen—.”

“Neither do you! They were going to use her! To take over everything. Then we’d stand no chance. As long as we keep her away from them we still have a chance at taking them out.”

“At what cost?”

“I thought you were willing to destroy the Empire at any cost.”

“You know I am!” Rainey shouted. “But that thing is going to bring down the Empire on us all!” He gestured wildly at Danica.

Danica glared at him, enraged.

The room began to shake, a slow quivering that was unnoticeable at first. It grew stronger, until the noise was a cacophony of rattling furniture, and the occupants of the room had to grab something to keep from falling over. The empty cup they’d drank from vibrated across the table and fell off, bouncing harmlessly across the floor.

“Danica, please!” Malachi shouted over the roar of the house.

She looked up in surprise, and the room stopped shaking as though someone had cut the power off. Everyone turned to stare incredulously at her.

“That was her?” Bug said quietly.

“Stars above,” Ginger swore. “Malachi, you’ve never been that—.”

“That’s why I’ve got to keep her safe,” he said, cutting her off.

“I did that?” Danica asked, shrinking down into her seat.

He smiled. “Yeah.” He turned back to Rainey, expression hardening. “She’s not a thing. She’s a girl, and a valuable asset.”

“She doesn’t even have control of her powers,” Rainey argued, though his voice was softer.

“I can train her.”

Rainey laughed. “Really? How?”

Malachi glared. “I can still teach perfectly fine. I just have to limit the examples I show her.”

Rainey sighed.

“Rainey, please,” Malachi said softly. “If the Empire gets her, they’ll harness her power and we’ll all be doomed.”

“Train her,” Rainey said at last. “We’ll keep her safe.”

Malachi’s entire body relaxed. He let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. God, thank you.”

Rainey nodded once and left the room, flanked by a few others until only Malachi, Danica, Ginger, and Bug remained in the kitchen. Malachi leaned against the table, applying pressure to the bridge of his nose.

“She needs somewhere to sleep,” Ginger announced, moving toward them.

“She can have my bed tonight,” Malachi said, eyes closed in a grimace.

“No,” Danica said firmly. “You need your rest, too.”

“Yes,” Ginger agreed. “And I doubt she’ll want to stay in a room with Bug. She can stay with me.”

Malachi looked to Danica, who tried her hardest to look nonchalant. Ginger glanced curiously between them, reading their expressions.

“Hey, Bug,” she said, still eyeing Danica and Malachi. “Let’s go get sheets for her bed.”

Bug shrugged, clueless. “Okay.”

Danica let her head fall against the table as soon as they were alone, heaving a breath from her lungs.

Malachi knelt down in front of her. “Are you okay?” He asked.

She nodded. “Tired—and sick. And really—.”

“Intimidated?” He finished.

She nodded again. “And scared.”

“Well, I sympathize with your sickness. I’ve got it, too. Side-effects of sliding between worlds. None of the rebels here have experienced it.”

“Just you?”

“Just me.”

Danica closed her eyes. “I’m so tired.”

He chuckled. “Come with me.” Before she could open her eyes, he lifted her into his arms.

“Where are we going?” She asked, allowing herself to relax in his arms.

“My room. I’m going to give you some of my clothes to sleep in.”

Her head snapped up. “I forgot pajamas,” she realized.

He nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She demanded indignantly.

“You couldn’t fit anymore in that bag anyway.”

“Where is my bag?” She inquired. The last time she remembered seeing it was the forest.

“In the kitchen. I’ll get it later.”

He gave her a pair of gray boxers and a black T-shirt. They were both large on her, but they were also unbelievably comfortable.

He showed her to her room, which had two singles beds, one on either side of the room from the other.

“Just like college,” she muttered, sitting down on the springy mattress.

He chuckled. “Sure.” He sat down beside her, and Danica noticed, to her chagrin, that his weight on the mattress caused her to lean toward him.

She pulled her legs up and hugged her knees, eyeing him. He seemed oblivious to their proximity.

“You did well tonight,” Malachi said softly. “I think this is the worst part—adjusting, I mean.”

“Have you?”

“Have I what? Adjusted?”

She nodded.

Malachi shrugged. “Mostly. It’ll never be the same as it is for them, though. I mean, they grew up here.”

“Is it very different than home?” Home. Her heart ached for it.

He must have caught the look in her eye, because he sent her a sorrowful gaze before answering. “There are a few outrageous differences. People are still people, of course. The vehicles are different; the landscapes; and Tearn is much more advanced with artificial intelligence.”

“Do you ever miss it?”

He didn’t have to ask what. “You have no idea.” His voice was barely more than a whisper. “When I made it there, I almost didn’t come back. I considered staying there.”

She didn’t reply.

“I’ll show you around tomorrow. You’ll see.” He was back to business. When it gets too personal, focus on the task at hand. He stood up. “Get some sleep, Danica.”

He turned to go, but before he reached the door, she called out, “Malachi.” She jumped up. When he turned around, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered into his chest. “For everything.”

She could feel his warm breath in her hair. “You don’t need to thank me. I’d almost rather you didn’t.”

“Why?” She asked, pulling back just enough to look up at him.

“I took you away from everything you’ve ever known—.”

“To protect me,” she reminded him.

He shook his head. “This shouldn’t have to happen to anyone else.”

She rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “Everything will work out, Malachi. We’ll make it.”

He chuckled, arms tightening around her. She felt the blush rise in her cheeks and prayed he wouldn’t notice. To her horror, he gently pried her face from his chest and held her cheeks in his hands, smiling down at her. Either he didn’t notice the extraordinary heat there, or he was blessedly ignoring it for her benefit.

“Get some rest, Danica. I’ll be here in the morning when you wake up, and I’ll walk you through everything. I’ll show you anything you want. But right now you need to get your sleep. You’ve had a very long day.”

She nodded. She was tired; she could feel her eyelids drooping closed, and it took more and more effort to pry them back open every time she blinked.

“Good night, Malachi,” she whispered.

“Sweet dreams, Danica.” There was a semi-awkward pause, in which Danica noticed how close their faces were, but then he planted a butterfly kiss on her forehead and smiled. He quietly stepped out of the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Danica stumbled to the bed, her mind a blank space for the time being. Everything still felt too surreal for it to really click in. She burrowed deep down into the blankets, surprised at the softness of the mattress, and fell asleep as soon as her eyes were closed.

AN: Thanks for reading, and please review!