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"Katherine"

It was late at night and the hybrid children were supposed to be sleeping; but something told Katherine to stay awake. It was a voice she had heard before and quickly learned to heed, so she turned over onto her side to see Sara lying on her cot staring at her palms. Sara's shaquarava had emerged before the others in their group and she had better control and more range than anyone else. Katherine's own shaquarava tingled and made her palms itch, but had yet to emerge, but then Sara was quite a bit older than her so maybe there was time.

In spite of her resolve to stay awake, Katherine was tired and it was hard to keep her eyes open. She had just began to drift off when she head light footsteps passing by. She opened her eyes and blinked at the sight of Da'an standing in the doorway, gazing at the sleeping forms for a moment before continuing down the hall.

Katherine did not know why exactly she decided to follow him, it was definitely not was she was supposed to do and she was not a trouble maker like Ryan or Sara, but something urged her too. It was cold and she wrapped her arms around her body and shivered before she grabbed her silvery gray blanket and draped it about her shoulders, she felt better except that her feet were cold. It took her another moment but she located a pair of socks and after slipping them on, she ran slightly to keep with Da'an.

She followed him back to his audience chamber before hiding in an alcove. There were several Volunteers and her experiences had taught her that while Da'an would be receptive and understanding of a late night visit, the Volunteers certainly would not. They would make sure that Na'ran found out and then she would be punished. Katherine shivered at the memory of Peter, one of the older group, who had tried to run away. They had implanted him with a CVI and he immediately became cold, distant and mean.

I'd better get back before they find out I'm gone and decide to implant me! Katherine decided. She started back to the room when she bumped into someone. As soon as she saw who it was, she started shaking.

Agent Sandoval, Zo'or's protector.

Sandoval grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into a nearby office before she could cry out.

"What are you going out here?" He hissed.

"I wanted to see Da'an." She whispered.

"Why?"

"I don't know! Something in my head told me to!"

Sandoval knelt down until he was on eye level with her. "Katherine, I am going to tell you something but you have to promise never to tell anyone about this conversation, ever. Can you do that?"

Katherine nodded.

"Do you know what a CVI is?"

"Sure. Peter got one after he tried to run away."

"Its good that you already know what they are. Listen to me Katherine, listen very carefully, I know that you are a bright child so I'm sure you will understand what I am telling you. Not all the Taelons approve of how Da'an has been proceeding with the hybrid program. The physical growth rates of you and the others have slowed progressively to that of Human norm. The Synod wants to use hybrids to fight the Jaridians and a girl who looks like a Human eight year old is not going to be much good at that. The Synod has decided to proceed with a combination of a special CVI and gene therapy to accelerate your growth rate. The procedures are set to begin tomorrow."

"I don't want to become like Peter!" Katherine whispered. "He changed after he was implanted, it was like part of him went to sleep and hasn't woken up."

"I don't know if you are aware of this, but I have a CVI. It's broken down somewhat but implantation is certainly not something I would wish on a child. If you want, I can help you leave, but if they find out you cannot tell them who helped you."

"I can keep a secret." The girl insisted. "But what about the others?"

A shadow crossed the protector's face and for a moment Katherine thought she saw tears forming in his eyes. "Its too late now, they are starting with Beta group tonight. You will be reported missing soon."

"Why save just me?"

Sandoval ruffled her hair. "Do you know who your parents are?"

Katherine was perplexed. "No."

"Your human parents were William Boone and Siobhan Beckett, they were both green-eyed redheads like you. Beckett was someone I cared about very much and I know that she wanted children very much. I was unable to save her or Boone, but I can save you."

"I wish I had known them."

"They were good people, Katherine. Right now I'm going to take you to the back-up portal, I want you to remain where I send you until I come for you. It might be a while, so you will have to be patient."

"Okay."

"But first I'm going to need a little bit of your blood."

"Why? More tests?"

"No, I have to convince everyone that you are dead."

"That way nobody will look for me?"

"Smart girl."

* * *

Da'an stood by his window overlooking the city of Washington. He was appalled by what the Synod had ordered done to the hybrid children. After the hybrids created by the Hartley children had been brought to Washington, Da'an had received permission to begin the creation of still more hybrids. He had been pleased that his project was at last being permitted to continue, until he learned what was becoming of the children altered by Stephen and Belle.

One of the older boys, Peter, had been sickened by the killing and had tried to run away. He had gotten no further than the portal platform before a Volunteer officer subdued him. The next day Peter had been returned to his training group, but he was changed. Having seen it before, Da'an knew immediately what had been done to the boy.

Da'an had been concerned about the two groups of new hybrids ever since their growth had slowed to Human normal. That had been a development that he had not been prepared for. The hybrids created by the Hartley twins had grown rapidly, as had Liam, but those children had hybridization forced on them and of course Liam was Kimera, not Taelon. He had managed to stifle the plans to forcibly accelerate the children's growth for quite some time, but his tactics had failed. Zo'or took over the project hoping to curry favor with the increasingly pro-T'than Synod by bringing forth a new weapon for use against the Jaridians.

It was too late now, all the hybrids had been implanted and the treatments had begun. Three had died from the procedure and the rest seemed mere automata in comparison to what they had once been.

And then there was Katherine.

Da'an could not help but feel closer to the little girl than he was to the other children, and not just because she was both his daughter and Boone's. He had wanted to use Liam's DNA for one of the children but that would have proved too risky as the children's DNA and progress were scrutinized by the Synod. Still, he had found ways to spend time with the young hybrids. Many was the time he had done to the hybrid's chambers and young Katherine would awaken and they would converse in low voices.

A maintenance worker had found traces of blood later revealed to be hers inside one of the ducts leading to his office. Katherine must have tried to come and see him but have been scared off by the Volunteers and chosen the duct system. How was she to know that particular duct had a sudden drop that led to the embassy's inner workings? The child would have been incinerated on contact with the enormous amount of Taelon energies stored there.

Da'an lost control of his form and stared out at the city. Katherine had always loved the view, especially at night.

* * *

Katherine smiled as she saw Agent Sandoval walking toward her. She ran up to him after picking up two sheets of paper from a nearby table.

"Hello Katherine, I just came by to see how you are adjusting."

"I drew this for you, and this is for Da'an ever though I can't give it to him." Katherine said handing him a pair of homemade crayon drawings. Sandoval smiled at the two carefully rendered portraits, the drawings looked remarkably like him and Da'an.

"These are really good, but why is my suit red?"

"I lost the black crayon, it rolled under the desk and its too heavy for me to move." Katherine explained. "Besides I like red."

"I guess a little artistic interpretation is permissible."

"I really like it here."

"Good." Sandoval kissed the girl on the cheek and picked up the two drawings. On his way out he stopped to speak to a young couple.

"Are you sure you want to go through with the adoption?"

The woman nodded. "We tried to adopt for so long, and Katherine is a special child. I write freelance and don't mind home schooling her until we are sure she can fit in with the other children. I honestly don't know what I would do without her now."

The man nodded in agreement, a huge smile on his face. "I'm teaching her all about baseball. She was one heck of a curve ball, and when we went camping last weekend we showed her all the constellations, she really loves the stars."

Sandoval smiled. So much of what he did resulted in curses and tears it felt strange to be thanked. He knew that he would need the memory of this feeling.

* * *

Da'an noticed something lying on his chair and he picked up a piece of white construction paper that had been folded in two to form a card. On the cover was a remarkably detailed picture of himself that had obviously been rendered by a child. He opened the card and blushed at the sight of the painstakingly printed Taelon characters down in purple.

Da'an,

-Katherine

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