This is a project for the down time that I have-enjoy it. Tread Carefully.

-lace

(Jace Beleren)

"Ha! I beat you again, Kallist!"

"You've got to be a fucking mindreader, bro. There's no other explanation. Either that or you count cards."

"I'm no cheater, you know that."

"Hey, man. Check out the red-headed chick over there."

"I don't want a girlfriend, for the last time, Kallist. Plus, I don't like gingers."

"Bro. She's staring, hard. She's hot. Go talk to her."

"No!"

"You're going to die a virgin, Jace."

"Fuck off."

"I'll give you a twenty if you go fucking talk to her and stop being such a pussy."

"I don't have time for girls- school and work is plenty."

"JACE! GO!"

He pulls my chair out from underneath me- saboteur. I stand up and make my way to the other side of the room. She's not bad looking, but she's not at all my type. Her features are pointed and for some reason, I don't trust her at all. I look back at Kallist and he rolls his eyes at me and turns back to his game of poker. I'm convinced he didn't want me over there so he could hustle Jura and Zarek out of their money.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"So, um, I really fucking suck at this. I'm only over here because my buddy is an ass and is trying to hustle our other friends' out of money. I'd appreciate it if you'd just smile."

"How charming. What's in it for me?"

"I knew you weren't looking at me, you've been staring at Gideon all night. If you just fucking smile for the brunette over there, I'll tell them all you shot me down like the strong, independent bitch you are, and that you said you wanted his number, not the geeky, underfed kid who looks like he never goes outside."

"How did you even know that?"

"I'm observant. That's the reason they don't want me at their poker table. I can read people, red."

"I don't like your attitude. You are one cocky bastard. You need to be taken down a few notches."

"I guarantee my boys will do it when I tell them you shot me down."

"Well, it looks like we both win, don't we, stringbean?"

"Seems so. Now fucking smile."

The chick looks directly over at the table and winks-finally, a woman who appreciates my talents, even if they are self-deprecating. Maybe that's why she appreciates them.

I make my way over to the table and sit down.

"Well that could've went better."

"What happened, bro?"

"She told me she wasn't interested and to tell the one with the dark eyes and ponytail that she wants to dance."

Gideon spits Mountain Dew across the table, effectively soaking the cards and chips. Fucker. I glance down at my watch and turn to Kallist.

"Goddamn, dude!"

"Sorry! But I got somewhere I gotta be."

He walks over to the girl-I didn't catch her name. I didn't care to. Mom always said that I'd know when I knew-and she wasn't it. Kallist always said I'd never know, because I never talked to girls. I think he thinks I'm gay.

"If we don't get back soon-I don't want to hear Tezzeret's mouth, and I know you don't. We really have to go."

"We'll see you tomorrow, guys. Be safe."

Kallist and I head out to the car, I take the driver and he takes shotgun seat next to me. He goes to mess with the radio, and I quote Dean Winchester.

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole."

"Fuck you, dude!"

I drive the familiar back city streets of Baltimore, back behind Hopkins and eventually end up on the backroads that would lead us to Uncle Tezz's house. He's not an easy man to live with, he's a motherfucker, actually. My mother was a saint, but her brother, not so much. Kallist is somehow related to Tezzeret too, but it's not through mom. He's always been secretive about it. I've asked him if Tezzeret is his father and he vehemently denies it. He doesn't treat us any different, so I guess I believe him. I've only been with Tezzeret for about three years-since Mom was killed in Benghazi. Kallist has been there since he was four.

Kallist and I- we click. There's something about us that always has, I can always seem to anticipate what his next move will be and vice versa. We've always been friends, since we were small. We were always told that we are cousins, but we're more like brothers.

"Dude- the ginger, she killed you tonight."

"She'd been eying Gideon, and I knew it, idiot. I'd been watching her out of the corner of my eye all night. I told her if she humored me I'd give her the hook up."

"Damn, dude. You don't trust people at all, do you? She was fine as hell. That ass…"

"You are such a pig, you know that?"

"Eh. You'll live. You seriously need to find something to do besides read, Jace."

"I do other things besides read- I have a job and go to school."

"Why don't you ever go out and have fun?"

"I do- I just did, didn't I?"

"Come on, Jace. Go on a couple dates, have fun."

"Maybe when I get out of school. I'm not worrying about it right now."

"Whatever, Jace."

I'm about five minutes away from the house when it happens. The only thing I remember is swerving to avoid the guy who had been driving the wrong way. The last thing I remember is Kallist yelling my name, the blackness swallowed us whole.

My head is pounding, I'm so groggy. What had happened? I can't fight against the depressants floating around my body. I thrash as I fight to open my eyes. There's something in my nose and I reach to pull it out when a cold hand stops me.

My eyes bolt open and I'm in a white room with a bright light. There's something in my arm- I need it to be out. Now. I yank whatever it is out as Gideon and Ral fight to keep my arms down.

"Where am I? What's going on?!"

"Jace, calm down. You're fine, bro. Everything is gonna be fine."

"Where am I?!"

"You're in the trauma unit at were in accident, Jace."

"What kind of accident? Where is Kallist?"

"A drunk driver ran you and Kallist off the road. You have a broken wrist and a pretty bad concussion. You've been knocked out for the past few days."

"WHERE IS KALLIST?!"

"Jace, everything is going to be okay?"

"Do you not fucking hear me, Jura? WHERE IS MY BROTHER?"

"Jace, when you two were run off the road, you swerved into a telephone pole. The way you guys hit, your wrist got smashed in between the door and the steering wheel and the airbags gave you a concussion. But Kallist, Kallist wasn't as lucky."

"Where is he?!"

"Jace, he didn't have a seatbelt on. His head hit the windshield and he had a traumatic brain injury. They airlifted you both to the hospital, but Kallist, he was brain dead by the time that he got here. Tezzeret was the next of kin. He voted to not put Kal on life support. Ral and I, we tried to stop him so you could at least say your goodbyes, but he didn't hear any of it. Jace.. he's..he's..he's dead. There was nothing the doctors could do for him."

"Where is Tezzeret? Where is that motherfucker?! He killed him! He killed my brother!"

I make to get up, but Gideon and Ral stop me. Combined, they're too strong for me, especially in my drugged up state. Gideon repeatedly hits the call button for the nurse, but I refuse to let them sedate me.

"Get off of me! NOW! Get the FUCK off of me! Let me see him! KALLIST! KALLIST!"

The nurse makes her way to the room, but turns on her heel-no doubt for a sedative- when she sees me in the state I am in. I will not let them do this to me, they killed him... they killed him... I can't believe he's dead.

The nurse pushes the needle into the back of my thigh, and it's not long before the blackness closes in again, cloaking my mind, settling my body, I put all of my power into fighting the drug off, but it drags me under, deep into the vast abyss of my mind. There is nothing, no light, no happiness. The drug puts me under, but I'm smothering.

That day, the darkness overpowered me. That day, I swore I'd never see the light again.