A/N 1: [insert very long, very boring definition of 'stuff', ranging from plotbunnies to flames] can be send to [email protected]. Yes, that's an e-mail address. No, I don't bite ^^

A/N 2: Look! Part 2! And here's hoping there won't be a part 3. I need a life -.-

SilentPegasus: Thank you ^^ And yeah, most of the chapter titles *are* meant to have a lot read into them, the last one included. There are a few exceptions, but most of them...yeah ;)

Maxwell Dark: 'Irrational' could be Jordane's middle name...

Tiger5913: *grins* True. *amused* They do seem to sleep around a lot.

Italics indicates thoughts/telepathy

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Chapter Eighty-Two: The Art of War

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"Well?"

Hal tensed slightly at the voice, recognizing it instantly, and she turned around almost reluctantly to face Ryan. She liked the guy, she really did, but she knew what he was asking, and she didn't want to deal with, not now.

"Well what?" she asked with deliberate casualness, buying herself a few more moments to gather her thoughts.

"Are we going to continue this truce?" Ryan asked, making a vague gesture. "If we're going to work together, we'll have to start planning today. It's only a matter of time before the police finds us."

His voice was calm and steady, but his expression revealed the stress he felt, and Hal knew that he was under just as much pressure as she was - and more, probably. Having the two teams under one roof was bad enough since tensions were unavoidable, and Jordane's situation had only made things worse. Just like Hal herself, her teammates were stressed and worried, and that worry had affected the Guardians as well. And know she'd have to deal with this, too.

"I'll have to ask Blade about that. It's not my decision," Hal replied. It wasn't true, but it didn't matter - currently, she was unofficially in control, but this way made it easier to deal with. Saying that she had to clear it with Blade first would buy her some extra time to think her decisions through, and that was something she needed.

"Yes, it is, Hal, and we both know it," Ryan corrected her quietly. "Nike is dead, Jordane is sick, and Blade is too busy worrying about her to care about the rest of you. The team is your responsibility now."

Unless, of course, he's smarter than he lets on, Hal realized with a sigh, knowing that he'd seen straight through her lie. She wasn't afraid of the responsibly - the past week had cured her of that - but that didn't mean she had to like the situation. Technically, Blade was in charge, and technically, Jordane was still second in command. Nobody had told her to take charge instead of them, but...what other option did she have? Ryan was right - Blade's concern was Jordane, and not the rest of them. If she didn't do something, who else would?

"Well?" Ryan repeated, and Hal sighed, silently admitting to both of them that the decision was hers to make.

"Let's continue things this way - working together should give us a better chance of getting away safely," she replied. "If anything happens, we'll have the benefit of numbers."

Ryan nodded, having already anticipated her answer. Everything considered, it had been the only logical decision. "I agree. Splitting up now would only makes us vulnerable, especially since they're already looking for us."

Hal didn't reply, but she didn't need to. They'd all seen the newspapers, seen the very clear and very detailed images of them. It was no longer a matter of if they'd be found, it was a matter of when.

"We should head south," Ryan continued. "Cross the border in one of the less populated areas."

"But we still have to get out of town first," Hal pointed out. "And with the cops, and FoHs, and just about everybody else looking for us, that won't be easy. All it takes is just one person to recognize us, and we're screwed."

"I know," Ryan admitted. "But if we stay out of sight, we should have a chance of getting out unseen."

"Yes, a *chance*," Hal repeated. "That doesn't mean it's going to go perfect. And if we get spotted by the cops, we're in trouble. Zach's still exhausted - it's going to take at least another day before he's back to normal. Pheonix won't have much water to work with here, and the rest of us only have short-range powers. And as far as I can see, your side isn't doing much better."

"Then we'll wait a day," Ryan replied with a shrug. "That way we'll have a better chance of handling it if something goes wrong." He sent Hal a pointed look before continuing. "I'm not stupid - I know that getting out of here will be dangerous, but right now, there's nothing we can do about it. If something goes wrong, we'll deal with it when it shows up."

Right. Hal nodded, reluctantly admitting to herself that he was right. Worrying now wouldn't help on anything, other than make them even more edge than they already were. The best option would be to stay for another day, and then leave - sure, there was always the risk that some other motel guest would recognize them and call the police, but it was a better option than trying to get away when half of them were more or less drained.

And Jordane needed the rest, too, Hal knew that as well. Physically, she'd be able to deal with the trip, otherwise Blade wouldn't have let her leave the hospital. But mentally? Hal had known Jordane for years, and what she saw now downright scared her. Jordane wasn't supposed to act like she did now - she never let anyone see her weaknesses, and to see her do this now was more than a bit worrying. Maybe another day wouldn't make much of a difference when it came to Jordane, but at least there was a chance.

"Then it's settled - we leave tomorrow," Ryan concluded, and Hal nodded absently, still caught up in her thoughts. "Oh - and one more thing..." Hal looked up at his voice, and Ryan waited a moment before continuing. "Nike is back. Jhonen's been talking to her since she died."

"What?" Hal's voice was low, disbelieving, but even as her mind tried to dismiss his words, the more rational part of her had to wonder how she could have missed it. Jhonen talked to spirits - what could be more natural to him than to talk with the woman he'd cared so deeply about?

"Suzuka told me. She saw Nike speak through Jhonen this morning," Ryan explained quietly. "Since I doubt Jhonen wants to tell anyone, I decided to do it. I figured you deserved to know."

For a long moment it was silent as Hal tried to come to terms with Ryan's words, then she nodded slowly. "Thank you," she said, somehow managing to keep the shock out of her voice. "I'll...I'll have a talk with him."

Ryan smiled faintly. "You're welcome. I'm not his teammate anymore, but I still worry about him. He's a good kid," he added quietly. And he was, wasn't he? As far as Ryan was concerned, Jhonen's only crime had been being too young and naïve to see through Blade and Nike's deception. He couldn't be blamed for what had happened, not with those two around to twist his mind.

"He is," Hal agreed, her voice just as quiet as Ryan's had been, already wondering what to say to Jhonen. She worried about him, too, and the knowledge that the boy she'd come to like and respect had someone like Laetitia in his head...it didn't sit well with her.

"I'll let my team know what we've decided, then," Ryan said, already heading towards to door, to the rooms where the others were. "We'll sort out the details later."

Hal just nodded absently, not really registering the words, her mind already on the situation with Jhonen.

Laetitia? Shit...

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It was strangely silent, the sound of the cars outside only a dull hum in his ears, barely worth noticing. Even the footsteps outside the room as the one of the others walked by was dismissed as insignificant, his complete attention focused on the sleeping girl on the bed. Beneath the angry attitude, she'd always been fragile, mere words sometimes enough to make her self-destructive tendencies resurface. She had been mentally unstable before, and with something like this to push her even closer to her breaking point...

Blade sighed and reached out, his hand brushing lightly against her cheek, her skin warm and far paler than healthy was. According to the doctor, her current paleness was a result of the last remains of the poisoning, combined with morning sickness, and the only real cure for that was waiting. Waiting and hoping that her body would be completely clear of the poisoning soon, even if that was the least of their problems.

She'd been asleep almost since they got back, her mental and physical fatigue having caught up with her, and some part of Blade couldn't help but be thankful for that. As long as she was asleep, he wouldn't have to worry about what she might do to deal with this situation, and he would get the chance to consider what to do next.

Because something had to be done, that much was certain. He knew Jordane, and he wasn't stupid - if she was allowed to sink into depression, it would only be a matter of time before she would try to kill herself, and he would not allow that to happen.

But what could be done? Much as he hated to admit his helplessness in this situation, he knew that there was very little he or anyone else could do for her. The doctor had, understandably, suggested an abortion, but as far as Blade was concerned, that was out of the question. He knew his Queen, knew how she thought and reacted, and going through something like that would only make her sink deeper into depression.

Doing nothing was out of the question, too. He held no delusions - he knew that if he let her go through with the pregnancy, the child would die, which was just as likely to drive Jordane to suicide as an abortion was.

And that left...what option? A healer? Perhaps...a strong healer might be able to reverse the damage done to the child, yes, especially this early, but healers weren't exactly easy to track down. Asking for Sergey's help would be the fastest way to find one, but after the price Blade had been forced to agree to last time he'd been in that situation, he wasn't about to use that option unless he had no other choice.

But he didn't have many other options. Healers were hard to find, and finding one here in an area he didn't know would be impossible, unless...

Blade looked up sharply, his eyes finding the door, murmured words from one of the other rooms just barely audible through the noise from the street outside, his mind catching up with the train of thoughts. He wouldn't have to track down a healer - there was already one within reach, and a strong one at that.

And all he will need is a little convincing.

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