The Beginning

She is freezing. Her fingers feel numb and her stomach is growling. She stopped eating the food a few days ago. It is just drugging her anyway and if she wants to escape she needs a clear mind. She needs to be herself, just one mistake and everything will be over. She can't let that happen. Not only for her, but also him. She has to see him again. Hence the plan she has figured out.

It's not thought over thoroughly but it has to be good enough. For now. It is easy enough.

She has to get the right moment. If she misses it, her plan won't work. She has one chance and she has to make good use of that. Not only won't her power be enough for a second time, but she knows she'll be punished for misbehaving, not eating her food, being clear headed. But worse is, that then he'll know that she has a key, nicked from one of the minions. And it will be gone and all of her efforts will be worthless.

Phoebe inhales slowly and then the door opens. With one hard slap she uses her telekinetic power to throw the man against the wall and then she runs. The cold metal of the key sharp in her hand. She thinks she draws blood by holding it so tightly.

But it doesn't matter. She has to go on, fight her tired body to not give up now. She is close. She is so close. The fear of what is going to happen to her and him if she doesn't succeed makes her go even faster.

Ten,eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Here it is. This is the door. She trips on her way to hurry closer and then fumbles with the key while trying to fit it in the keyhole. It is a little more difficult because the blood makes it slippery.

Then-finally it is open and she walks in, right to the little bed in the corner. She softly strokes over the white skin on her brother's face, leaving a few red marks on its way.

"Max, come on. Wake up, we've got to go."

"Who is Max?", he mumbles sleepily and just then fully looks at her, the brown eyes innocent and scared but at the same time it looks like he does remember her. Recognition flashing in his eyes, enough to make him sit up and look at her more closely.

"I know you, don't I?"

"Yes, you do. I'm Phoebe, I'm your sister. Come on now, we have to leave".

Without saying anything against it he stands up and follows her, taking her hand to make sure she is still here. She has no idea why, but he can always remember her. Or at least he knows that he can trust her. He couldn't take that from Max, no matter how much he tried.

"Where are we going?" he asks and Phoebe simply mumbles, "home."She is sure he has no idea what home means, at least now it has no meaning to him, but right now it is most important that he is with her. And for the moment, nothing else matters. They hurry along, not wasting another minute, Max' hand slippery in hers. It dawns to her, that it's her blood that makes it so hard to hold onto her brother's hand.

"Don't let go", she whispers back and she can feel instantly how his hand tightens around hers, his nails digging into her flesh.

"Come on", she urges him on, dragging him through the corridors. She has no idea where the exit is, but she knows, that when she stops, they'll be found. Her condition is very low, she hasn't run in a very long time, her limbs are tired and by Max' heavy breathing she knows that he can't keep up with her pace for much longer either. Better they hide for now. Phoebe runs to one of the many doors and opens up, closing the door once Max is safe inside.

"Maybe we should put something in front of the door", Max suggests but Phoebe shakes her head.

"No, they'll know then that we're in that room. We've got to hide for now", she tugs him gently after her. The room is big and dark. The furniture is made of heavy and dark wood. She guides Max behind a table and sits down, trusting that the darkness will keep them hidden from any searching eye.

Max looks around, still breathing heavily. For the first time in weeks she can look at him in peace. He looks wrecked, there are dark circles under his eyes, his face looks thinner and bones are showing from the malnourishment they both had to endure. But there is also a tiredness in his eyes and an underlying panic. She wonders where that comes from. Because he doesn't even know who he is? He can't even remember what he did to them. But maybe his body remembers and he just knows it's right to escape from here. She sure hopes so.

"We'll get out of here", she says to him, smiling. He returns the smile but stays quiet. They don't have anything to eat or drink for now, which doesn't make their situation any better. Phoebe can't even remember when she last ate.

"We need to get out of the building", she says to him.

"And how do we do that? Do you know which way will lead us out of here?"

She sighs and shakes her head. "No, I have no idea which way to go, but I do know, that if we don't act fast, we'll be caught. Can you run again?"

"I'll be fine", he says, his gaze caught on her hand. She forgot about the blood. It's already crusting and she wipes her hand on her gown. A red stain stays on her otherwise white fabric.

She takes Max' hand with her other one and walks to the door quietly. After she made sure there's nobody in the hallway, she starts to run.

"Come on, faster" she coaxes him. They keep running, but never see any guards. That's not right. Phoebe doesn't think that he wouldn't try to catch them again. But … maybe he didn't wake up yet? Maybe the blow to his head was harder than she thought. She dearly hopes so.

Her hope is destroyed suddenly, when they run around a corner. There, at the end of the hallway is the exit, she is sure about that. And before that are standing at least ten guards and more importantly, him.

"Turn around", she whispers panicked, but once she looks over her shoulder, there are also guards, staring at them, lacking any possible feelings.

"So nice of you to join us", he says, his sharp teeth piercing his lips. It looks unnatural.

"Well, you know, we don't want to disturb your party, we'll just leave", she says. His gaze lands on Max and Phoebe can feel how his grasp tightens around her hand. She likes that, it's kind of a reminder that Max is still there. He remembers a little bit, enough to know that this man surely is not a good one. She wonders whether her brother remembers what that creature in front of them did to them.

"Oh, but I can't let you leave, you are … the honoured guests of my little party", he steps closer, red lips glistering in the hallway light. Phoebe stays where she is. If she backs away, she knows that the guards will take them down faster than anything she knows.

"Just let us leave", she says, her voice sounding almost desperately. Her hand is shaking. Or is it Max'?

"You know I can't do that", he says seriously and then suddenly starts laughing. "Of course I can do that. I just don't want to. There still is so much to do with the two of you. I still haven't figured you out".

He steps slowly closer, stretching one arm out towards her. They don't have enough strength to fight back seriously. They'll be throw back into their cells, possibly never be able to see each other again.

She won't allow it.

Her hand grasps Max' tighter.

Barb swallows heavily, fighting her tears which are about to slide over her cheeks. She has to be strong for Billy and Nora. Although she wants nothing more than to cry. She wants to grab her comatose son and never let go of him until he wakes up.

If he ever woke up, she remembers the words of Max' doctor. There is no indication that he'll wake up. Barb feels tears welling up and closes her eyes, breathing deeply, but the pain from losing her son is just too big. She doesn't even know how to tell Phoebe. It's been months and all she does after school is coming right to the hospital, watching over her twin, reading him homework and telling him what is happening at home. Sometimes Cherry comes too. It's lovely to see how much the girl loves her daughter, that she doesn't mind spending her days in a hospital, talking to Max like he is awake. Sometimes Phoebe's best friend even can get her away, spend the day in a mall, in the park, just somewhere but the hospital and Barb is so thankful for that.

"Phoebe", Barb says, opening the door to Max' room. Her daughter looks up from her maths book. She has been doing her homework, talking to Max while she wrote down different equations for the different maths problems.

She still looks horrible. Her eyes are sunken in and her slowly getting more healthy body still shows bone. Her cheeks are redden and raw. Even though her bruises are all gone by now and her broken bones fixed, she looks almost as bad as the day they returned.

"What is it?", she asks. Her voice sounds exhausted and her red rimmed and tired looking eyes focus on her.

"We just talked to the doctor", she swallows heavily, stepping closer to Phoebe and then kneels in front of her, taking her hands in hers. "It might be time to let him go", Barb can't help her voice from getting thick and cracking at the last word.

Phoebe looks at her confused for a moment, then pulls her hands away from her mother, shaking her head violently. Her eyes are glistering with tears, threatening to fall over her red cheeks.

"No. No, you can't let that happen. He'll wake up, I know he will. He'll wake up and it'll be all right. We'll be fine. It's-", she stops, wipes a few tears from her eyes. "It's almost time. You see, he'll wake up soon".

It breaks her heart seeing her daughter like this, clinging to her twin brother like never before. And even though she can understand Phoebe, understands the urge to stay with Max until he is well, she has to let go. Otherwise it will destroy her. Phoebe needs to live again.

"Sweetie, he's been comatose for so long now. He won't wake up." it hurts Barb herself to say those words, but it is true and she has to live with it. She has four other children who need to be loved. She can't allow that Max' death will stop her from that. No matter how horrible it is to lose him. She feels like a piece of her is getting ripped out of her heart. This is not a situation a mother should have to live with.

"No. No, he will wake up, I know that", Phoebe mumbles, pulling her knees up to her chest and staring over to Max.

She wants to reach out, place her hand on her daughter's shoulder, but she shrugs it off, staring at her brother. Hot tears silently sliding over her sensitive cheeks.

It breaks Barb's heart.

Chloe is snuggling her head into the crook of her neck, small tears rolling down Barb's collarbone and into the soft fabric of her shirt. Billy and Nora are both close to her and Hank who has an arm around her, holding her tight to him. Phoebe is standing alone, next to Max, not even looking at them.

"You are letting him die", she said the day before, her voice full of venom she never knew Phoebe possessed.

They all said goodbye to Max earlier, tears streaming down their faces and now the doctor stands next to Max' life-support devices, about to turn them off.

Phoebe is standing there, unmoving and her hands balled to fists. Her head is lowered, her hair covering her face like a curtain.

"I am sorry", the doctor says and then turns his back towards the family, working on the machine. The heart monitor makes a horrible tone and then everything goes to hell. The doctor is getting pulled away by an invisible force, the heart monitor beeping normally again.

"Don't touch him", Phoebe hisses, voice cold and eyes blazing.

"Phoebe", Hank starts and then Phoebe flicks her wrist and all of them fall back. Chloe screams against her neck. Barb presses her hands against her youngest, shielding her.

"Phoebe, please".

"I'm not letting you kill him. He is not dead yet and he will wake up", the room starts to get cooler, Barb's breathing is turning into small clouds.

"Phoebe", Nora cries horrified, fisting the seam of her mother's shirt. "Phoebe stop it".

The teenager looks up, watching her family and then shakes her head, a sad and disappointed smile turning her lips slightly upwards. "No."

And then they black out.

When they wake up, hours later, the door is closed through Phoebe's freeze breath and their twins gone.