A/N: I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!

I had MANY reasons for not writing for this long. School, drama, personal life shredding, depression, etc etc. Not to mention this chapter proves very difficult to write, and I'm still not sure about how it turned out. So you'll have to leave me good reviews to tell me if I did okay, okay? Plus, I miss hearing from all of you, it's pathetic!

I'm feeling rather guilty about my absence so I'm going to give out personalized thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!

voldemorts little cupcake: Your username is the epitome of awesomeness. I'm not too sure what you mean by 'altered quote'...But anyways, thank you for the review!

Zonkypuff: Welcome aboard! So nice to have new people, and so nice to hear about my IC-ness, as it's something I really work hard to get =) Thank you for reading!

Callie1121: You're amazing for your continuous support. Please leave me another review...?*Hugs*

Ociana: Lol, Sam doesn't think straight at the best of times so what can I say? *smiles*, but it's why I love him. And omg, you agree with me about Jack? Just when I thought I couldn't possibly love you more. Thanks for reviewing!

TheCheesePidgeon: I'm so happy you liked it, that line you quoted was a spur of the moment thing, so I'm glad it worked out =) You are amazing, you know.

slightlyweirdmostlyawesomeXD: Words do not describe my gratitude over your long and wonderful reviews. I don't even know what to say after that last one *sniffs*, I wish you weren't anonymous so I could PM you, but you should know I always read your reviews about ten times. Thank you so much =)

Unnamed Anonymous Reviewer: You know who you are, you landed me on the 60 mark =D Thanks so much for the review. I wish I had a name for you...

I can't believe how many of you actually read this story...

Disclaimer: I don't own Gone. If I did...No, I won't get into that today.

Chapter Thirteen

Reunion

Adrenaline. Blood. Surge.

Run! It was the only coherent thought in Sam's mind. Run. Run. RUN! He had to get to Astrid. He had to get to her before that vile, sick excuse for a human being did anything to his Astrid that nobody could reverse. Blood pumped through Sam's veins, filling his ears with nothing but the continuous thump, thump, thump. He vaguely registered that he had left Edilio behind, and that his long-time friend was shouting something to him, but none of that mattered in this moment. In this moment, nothing existed aside from Astrid.

Cutting through bushes and tree branches, Sam ran as fast as his still-half-asleep legs would carry him. It wasn't too far of a distance, but it felt like an eternity to Sam. Every breath he took, every step, every blink of his eyes, all he could think about was the seconds that Astrid was alone with Drake. He could bring himself to think about the things that Drake undoubtedly had planned for her, the only thing he could do, the only possible thing was to hope, wish and pray with all he was that he got to them before anything happened he couldn't take back.

Soon enough, Sam came upon the clearing. It couldn't have been more than seven seconds since Edilio freed him form his bindings, and thankfully Drake was turned away from Sam and hadn't seen him come up. But Sam raised his fire-producing hands as soon as he saw that sick psychopath kneeling in front of the woman he loved. Astrid continued to scream in fright behind the whip-armed man, it seemed Drake had tied her hands from the way she was struggling and flailing her legs. Bother of them seemed to be completely ignorant to Sam's presence but he wasn't going to wait for that to change to make his move. He couldn't stand the sight of Drake terrorizing his Astrid like this, that psychopath was going to pay dearly for ever thinking about touching her.

"...Bastard." He muttered under his breath before releasing his power unto the whip-armed boy.

Edilio:

Edilio watched Sam disappear into the underbrush, cursing himself.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He was left with an odd dilemma, here in this situation. He could very well follow Sam into the fight which he had so blindly raged into, but Edilio was nothing but aware of his own capabilities. Where he stood, he could get a few good shots at Drake with his pistol, if he stayed at a distance, which limited the odds of hitting him. But he could not engage in the psychopath up close, Edilio did not possess any power to speak of and such irrational actions would get him killed. But he could not abandon his friend, his companion in this time.

"What am I supposed to do?" He asked to no one. He was wasting time here, he was ineffectual and weak compared to those around him here, powerless and in the way.

Idiot.

This kind of thinking was unbecoming of him, he realized. In the FAYZ, he had never thought about what he couldn't do, because unlike now, he had never had the option of backing out. He always did as much as he could, no matter how little it was, and that knowledge was enough.

It would be enough now.

He reached into his pocked and pulled out a small walkie-talkie. Pressing the button, he began to speak into the device.

"I found them."

Lana, Sanjit, and Caine:

They were all assembled at the mine shaft, the former home of the Gaiaphage himself. Lana, like everybody else, was completely ignorant to the Gaiaphage's current state, whether it be still alive and present, or dead and gone. Lana always had one of the strongest bonds with the dreaded monster, and being here so close to it's 'home' had her nerves on edge. All the old memories she had suppressed and forgotten were coming back to her now, all those sleepless nights spent feeling the world-eater's presence, all those terrifying mental 'conversations' with the beast were haunting her.

So many memories of this godforsaken place and it's inhabitants; so much hurt and fear and blood. Lana had seen it all. She had healed those wounded in battle, she had seen her own body mangled and mutilated, she had seen, felt and touched the Gaiaphage, she'd watched helplessly as the children she couldn't save dropped like flies as the deadly sickness claimed them and she had seen the house-sized bugs devour more children creating more blood and wounds and bodies Edilio would have to dig graves for...

But then there was Sanjit. At the end of this vicious, seemingly never ending cycle of torture, death and despair, there was he, always with that happy, light-hearted smile upon his tanned face. During the time of utmost pain, utmost desperation, he was there for her in a way no one else would be. In a way no one else could be. He made her laugh and smile and remember what it was like to feel the bright, contaminating emotion that was hope. Lana had always been a rather prideful person, accepting other people's help made her feel weak and embarrassed that she could not handle herself. But Sanjit, he always gave to her, always, and never accepted anything in return. And although Lana hated to admit this ever to herself, he had saved her from so many things, she would forever owe him. He had saved her from inner turmoil and self-abuse.

He was also the only person whom had successfully managed to get her to quit smoking...for a time at least.

...He had saved her from those haunting shadows of dark memories which returned each and every night. Each time the Gaiaphage would come back to her, not in reality, but in her own deranged mind, Sanjit would talk to her about idle subjects, meaningless things until that haunting voice was gone from her mind.

He had saved her life, and she in turn had ended up cared for him more than she ever had wanted to care for another human being.

"...I'm about a mile south of the mine shaft- Sam just took off after Astrid- Drake's with her alone - I need back-up man, now!"

Watching as Sanjit listened to Edilio through the small device, Lana's heart speed up. Drake was with Astrid, alone. Lana had never purposely spent time with Astrid in the FAYZ, or after for that matter. To be perfectly honest, she had to admit the woman irritated her at the best of times. But Lana would never wish this upon her, or anyone for that matter. This was a fate too horrible to imagine, and she prayed that Sam, or anybody would get to that sadistic son of a bitch before he would lay his filthy fingers on her.

"Looks like we made it just in time for the big finale, eh?"

Lana turned to see Caine striding up towards were Lana was standing. Bypassing her, he headed straight for Sanjit purposefully.

"Stephanie's bringing the rest of the crew now-"

"They won't be here in time, we need to get to move now!" Sanjit cut Caine off. In response, Caine only smirked a knowing smirk, that egoistic look in his eye giving away his excitement for the upcoming conflict. Caine would always be Caine, Lana thought, always eager to show off exactly how big his-

"Feeling brave, Sanjit?" Caine asked, cutting Lana's thoughts off. Sanjit looked uncertain for just a moment before chiming in.

"Brave enough, let's go," he said to Caine. Lana drew the nine millimeter pistol Caine had lent her and was about to load a cartridge before Sanjit spoke again.

"You're not coming."

Lana looked up, finding those dark brown orbs staring at her intently, a look she returned with the harshest glare she could manage.

"Like hell I'm not, who the fuck are you to tell me-"

"He's right, you shouldn't come," Caine said, turning around to face Lana for the first time. His eyes were gleaming with excitement, yes, but also in those dark eyes was the signature clarity which Caine commanded, clarity showing he not only planned everything two steps ahead of the present, but also never wasted time with tasks which did not benefit him and him alone. It was the biggest noticeable trait he had come to possess after leaving the dreaded FAYZ, one which had made him undeniably more dangerous. He was no longer the angry, emotion-driven teen he once was, resentful of a mother whom abandoned him in favor of his brother, lusting, maybe even loving the girl whom could never trust him - no. He was much different now, he had gained stability, grown himself a set of strong legs able to hold himself up solitary. "If Drake so much as sees you, you'll be his first prey. He may be psycho, but he's smart enough to realize that if he takes you out, we can't recuperate from any wounds he might inflict upon us. We need you alive."

Yes, Lana had to admit, Caine commanded clarity. That made him a clear-thinking, egoistic, self-loving son of a bitch, as opposed to just an egoistic self-loving son of a bitch.

A hand laid itself down upon Lana's pistol, lowering it down slowly. She started when she saw Sanjit's dark, optimistic face smiling - always smiling, the bastard - at her. Lana hadn't even realized he had advanced towards her.

"We'll be alright. No need to worry," he said her before swiftly leaning down to take her lips with his own in a sweet, soft yet determined kiss. Just as it began, it was over, and he was turning to follow Caine down the dusty road.

"I wasn't worried, I - I couldn't care less!" She called out to him, knowing he would see right through her words just like he was always able to. The bastard.

"How sweet," Caine said, turning his head over his shoulder to look at her as he walked away, "Wait here for Stephanie and the others to arrive."

Scowling at the command, the hand that was hold her gun twitched.

I will not shoot them, I will not shoot them, she chanted to herself.

Astrid:

No, no, no, no NO!

Astrid kicked and bucked with all her might against the almost insurmountable strength of Drake's hold. His tentacle arm was wrapped around her waist, keeping her from struggling too much. Her arms were bound, tied above her head to a tree. Her wrists stung from the rope and she knew from the blood trickling down her forearms that they were bleeding too.

But she could bring herself to care. She couldn't bring herself to be bothered by anything other than the monstrous figure looming over her. She closed her eyes shut, hoping that if she could save herself from the visual of this, the one sense she could control, it would make it, if just a little more bearable. It was futile either way.

Astrid's heart pounded inside it's cage, desperately trying to escape from this predicament as much as she was. Hot, painful tears trickled down her cheeks as she continued to struggle.

"Awe, don't be that way, Astrid," Drake taunted as he tightened his grip around her waist. It hurt, it hurt so much. "Open those pretty little eyes of yours...Let me see all that fear you have of me, let. Me. See. It" He demanded.

Astrid kept her eyes closed, knowing full well that if she opened them she would see the sadists gleaming eyes filled with lust. It was a spectacle she wished not to see, and with every freedom she commanded about to be stripped away from her, she could still choose not to look.

In retrospect, it was probably a fortunate thing she did keep her eyes closed, for soon a blinding light had enveloped her, lighting her world even through her eye lids.

She knew that light, it's warmth and ferocity, she knew the fierce protectiveness it carried, she knew that green tinge in the blinding glow...

The light only lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough for Astrid to lose track of herself until she felt without a doubt the shocking relief of Drake's body being hulled off of her own. By now Astrid had gone numb with fear and confusion, she found she couldn't open her eyes. Fear and shock left them glued shut. She heard a voice, a very familiar but distressed voice, one that twinged longing in Astrid, she longed for that voice so much it hurt. Although she couldn't hear it properly, her hearing was fuzzy and distant as though she were wrapped in plastic.

Strong hands found her cheeks.

Hands, yes, she knew those as well. They felt warm against her tear-stained cheeks...

"Astrid! Astrid!" The voice was saying. She became aware quickly that she was shaking. Not due to cold or pain, but something else. Astrid knew the name of it, she's studied it in school, the psychology of traumatized persons directly after or during the traumatic event... the name escaped her. Her mind seemed foggy, if only she could remember the damned name...

"Astrid!"

Somehow, through the haze, Astrid managed to open her eyes.

Sam was there, all she could see was his face, fear-filled and anxious.

"Astrid, are you hurt?" he said to her, he sounded so scared, breathless...

Astrid couldn't find words, they tied around her tongue unable to escape. Opening and closing her mouth a few times before giving up on the action. She simply shook her head, blinking away the tears she could not feel fall down her face.

His arms surrounded her.

...Just like the thousands of times she had imagined them doing in the past seven months. No, it felt better. Much, much better.

She heard words in her ear, mumbling nonsense and half-completed 'what-ifs' - Astrid processed none of it.

Somehow in all the confusion, the little voice in the back of her head reminded her that Drake must have been close, and that to let her guard down was foolish. But that little voice also was telling her that letting Sam hold her like this, just as he had done so many times in the past, was letting her hopes raise only to be likely crushed once more and that she should be drawing back and refusing to let Sam touch her - so naturally, she payed that little voice to mind.

Because right now, in the middle of a torrent of madness and chaos, guarded by the arms of the one she loved most in her life, Astrid Ellison was exactly where she needed to be.

A/N: Yeah, no rape scene. Hope you weren't disappointed. Remember this is rated-t and as it is, I am pushing the limits of what really should be in a rated-T story.

Thanks again for everyone who reviewed last chapter. I can't believe I rest at 60 reviews. It'd be cool if we got over 100 by the time the fic ends. Then again, I'm just grateful for each and every review you leave me.

Sooooooo, leave me some now, kay? I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!