Jim Bailey's mother drove the white-blonde Tyrusian Stranger down the smooth asphalt highway, its blacktop surface reflecting the heat of the midday sun with unbearable poignancy.

The 20-year-old car zoomed over the heated roadway with a great whoosh. Sunlight reflected off its dull olive green countenance.

Sonia was comfortable in the carried, despite the fact that it appeared to be a very shabby vehicle. Still, she was too polite to make such a rude comment to the driver, who was being so kind as to take her to find David.

Secret operation...not everyone knows about it... Mrs. Bailey's words echoed in Sonia's mind as the old car progressed down the road.

"I can take you to where I believe they might be." Jim's mother broke the silence that had cropped up between her and her passenger. "If we're lucky, we might pass their car on the road."

Sonia sighed deeply. God I hope so. She focused her intense gaze forward, through the slightly cloudy windshield. You're out there somewhere David...and I need to find you...

----

David stepped out from the car. He put his sunglasses on top of his ink black hair, pushing his bangs out of his face. Jim sighed with relief of being out of the hospital and practically ran with joy into the house; glad to be home.

"Doc, can you hack into computer files?" Angie asked abruptly in the driveway.

Doc raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm no pro, but I can get into someone's system if ya tell who's it is."

"Can you hack into government files?"

Stark stepped closer to her, "You wanna tap into the government computers? Have you lost your mind?"

Angie crossed her arms. "Well, I don't see a better way to find out about the Tyrusians. If Gordon's Bounty Hunters are still out there then we need to know as much as we can. I don't think the files we can get into would have that information."

Stark's dark brows crossed. "We don't know if the Bounty Hunters are still in operation."

"Then who killed that girl? I can't think of anyone else. The Bounty Hunters are enemies of us. They killed her. Gordon runs that group and if we can get into his files--"

"We don't know if Gordon's still alive." David cut her off. "The last we saw of him, he was hurtling towards the earth in a jet."

"He's Tyrusian. God knows what powers he has." Angie protested.

"She's got a point. I mean, who else would bring back the Bounty Hunters?" Doc questioned.

"Lomac." David said. "He works with Gordon. Or maybe it's someone else who works for him."

"Let's say this is true, not that I'm saying it is,"--Stark looked towards Angie who smiled coolly at him--, "Then we need more in this group."

"We can contact TFAO then." Doc entered the house through the basement and went straight for the computers.

Angie and Stark followed.

"Are you okay?" Angie asked, popping her head back out at David.

No... David sighed, "I'll be fine." He followed her onto the house, closing the garage door behind him.

***

"Um..." Jim watched as David paced his room. "David? Are you okay man?"

David stopped pacing the length of his room and turned towards him. "I'm fine."

"Oh..." Jim lowered his head. "You just seem so tense I thought--"

"I'm fine Jim." David repeated. "Can you just give me some space?"

Jim felt a tad dejected at his friend's sudden change in emotion. "Okay." Jim nodded and left David's room.

David sighed. "Jim, wait."

----

"So can you get in or not?" Angie stood over Doc as he typed away on the computer.

Doc looked up at her, a tad annoyed. "Hold on. First I'm gonna contact TFAO and ask for their help." Doc's fingers flew over the keyboard.

Stark sat down next to him. "How long do ya think we have?"

"I don't know. But I recommend not doing anything till TFAO gets back to us. It's risky as hell to hack into the government system." Doc petted Blue, near by, on his head.

The mangler growled with affection towards Doc and rested his head back down on the floor.

----

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried about ya." Jim slumped against the wall of the hallway.

David grinned a tad. "I know. I'm just in dire need of some space. I'll be fine." He reassured him, squeezing Jim's shoulder.

"Okay." Jim smiled back and left for the downstairs when David heard an approaching car.

"Wait." David held up a hand.

"What's wrong?" Jim looked around in confusion.

"You didn't hear that?" David asked.

"No."

"I must be hearin' things." David patted Jim's shoulder and proceeded down stairs to where Angie, Stark, and Doc were.

Angie and Stark had their guns at hand and where peeking out from around the corner of the wall.

David continued down to them. "What's goin' on?"

"Shhh." Stark cautioned. "Someone's here."

David took out his gun and held it down by his side.

Doc grabbed Blue, by the collar, and shoved him ahead. "I won't worry. As long as we have Blue, I don't think we have a problem."

Still Stark walked around to the fire door. "We left the garage door unlocked."

"Great." David opened the fire door just a crack and peered out.

"Mom!" Jim called from upstairs.

All four sighed with relief. Stark shoved his gun back into his holder. “She could have called.”

Jim came running down stairs, pass David and the fire door. He swung open the garage door and ran out to the driveway. "Mom!" He embraced her as she came out of the car.

"Jim, honey." She smiled warmly at him. "I have a friend with me. She says you know her?" Mrs. Bailey stepped out of the way as a blond haired girl stepped out of the car.

Jim's jaw dropped, "Sonia?"

David backed up a little, suddenly slapped across the face with emotion. Many different feelings consuming him: Anger, sympathy, contentment... He backed up a little more into Stark.

Stark, just as surprised as David looked over at him. Every seemed to be at loss of words so Stark stepped up, “What are you doing here?”

Sonia was taken aback by Major Phil Stark's icy coldness. God, I just got here, and already I'm welcomed warmly, she thought with bitter sarcasm. She gave Stark hardly a greeting before fully leaving the old car and stepping out into the garage itself. It was a small, stuffy chamber, filled with the noxious fumes of gasoline and engine oil.

Sonia turned and found Jim gaping in shock. She came forth to embrace him first, before turning her attention towards David.

David Carter... She released Jim and headed for the young man with hair as blue-black as an Old World inkwell and eyes that rivaled the sky in blueness. You were the one I came to see. However, only Sonia's eyes said those words; they dared not pass her lips.

...Which had always been cool. Sonia and David had never been romantically involved, though a part of Sonia had hoped that one day that would come true.

Her trail of varied emotions was shattered by a rock through glass that was Stark's persistent question:

"Tell us, young lady, why are you here."

Sonia's head snapped around to look him in his piercing dark eyes. I'm not intimidated, so you might as well drop your suspicions. "I'm here because..." The words caught in her throat; she swallowed hard and tried again. "I'm here because my brother Simon is now after me. I left him back in Georgia; I abandoned the Dragit's mission. I was supposed to work with him to...to capture you."

Her ice-blue eyes focused on David.

David stared back at Sonia through his sunglasses, his face like a mask; completely unreadable.

"We know about that Sonia." Angie said. "But we also know how you left to save our lives, so I for one welcome you." She stuck out a hand to Sonia.

Sonia excepted her hand with a slight smile of relief.

Angie continued, "She saved our lives guys. We at least should welcome her in."

David slumped against the side of the now closed fire door, looking as if he would just turn around and go back in any minute. He crossed his arms. I need time to think....

Doc smiled warmly. "Well, who am I to turn down a lady?" Blue circled his feet, sniffed that air, and went to where David stood, leaning on the doorway.

Jim's practically jumping up and down.... David smiled at Jim's clumsy actions.

"Stark, lighten up." Angie poked him in the gut with her elbow.

"Uh...sorry." He said, almost as one huge sigh. "Welcome to our home." Stark extended his hand.

After some time Sonia shook it.

David turned back around and went inside the house with Blue.

Angie looked back to where David went. "I'm going to talk with him for a moment."

Doc scratched the back of his head and looked towards Sonia. "Why don't you come in and stay a while. It's kinda chilly out here." Sonia nodded and Doc lead her into the house with Stark, leaving Jim talking with his mother in the driveway.

Doc led Sonia upstairs to the family room and told her to wait on the couch for a moment.

----

"David?" Angie knocked on his bedroom door. "Open up or I'll--"

"Knock the door down?" David came up behind her.

She spun around. "I thought you were in your room." Angie grinned, "Well, let's go downstairs."

David raised a brow. "I rather not."

Angie stuck her arm in his, "I wasn't asking." She pulled him along. "Besides, something tells me she didn't come all this way for the others."

"Huh?"

"Your very dense ya know that?" Angie smiled and shoved him into the family room. David shot a "I'm going to get even with you for this" look, and proceeded to the couch and sat down next to Sonia.

Stark came in soon followed by Doc.

"Hmm..." Doc sat down on the other side of her. "I guess you should know that we're part of TFAO..."

Sonia heard of them, for she was still part of the Bounty Hunters. And she also knew they were enemies of TFAO...

"I guess what I'm trying to ask is: are you still part of the Bounty Hunters?"