i don't own them, i don't claim to.  it's all for fun.

Reprocussions

by stephanie meyer

She was a smart one, their docter.  He would have to be careful.  She was a different

animal, this blonde scientist.  She smelled different.  She was not a visionary or a worker. 

She smelled of power.  He rather like that.  Prehaps he could still get his reveange on

those who had imprisoned him.  Oh yes, the pretty little doctor smelled of power.  Of

secret power.  Prehaps he had some use for her yet.

Julia Heller lifted Ulesses Adair off the black mare.  The little boy was glowing.  She

turned to the other child watching her.

"True, would you like to ride?"

the little girl bit her lip.  "I can by myself."

JUlia raised an eyebrow.  "Have you ever ridden before?"

"At the arcade.."

"Have you ever ridden a real horse before?"

"No, but I don't need to be lead around."

"I'll make you a deal.  if you prove to me tht you can ride we'll see if you can do it by

yourself."

"how?"

Julia swung up onto the horse and reached down to the little girl.  "You ride in front of

me.  If I don't have to help you control the horse, then you've proved yourself."

"How do you know how to ride a real horse?"

"My mother knew people."  True put her hand in Julia's.  The doctor hauled her up

infront of her.

"We can't really go very far wiht this stupid bracelet on."  True held her wrist in front of

her.

"Uly," Julia called down to the boy who was watching with curious eyes," hand me my

gear please."

Uly handed the gear to Julia.  He want to see if Ture could ride.  If she could, it would be

cool.  If she couln't, he would have someting to tease her about.  Besides, maybe he could

convience Julia t teach him how to ride too.  If hismom would let him.

Julia put the gear around her neck.  Then she tapped several commands into True's

bracelet.  "There, now it will only go off if you get more than twenty feet from me, ok?"

Thre nodded, her practicality assuring her, horse aside, that Julia possesed skills that

would be useful to the inquizitive little girl.

Julia and True trotted off astride Peguses.

"Devon," John leaned into the communication tent, "Have you seen True?"

"No, is she missing?"

"She couldn't have gone too far or her bracelet would have gone off."

"She's with Julia," Uly piped up.  "She and True went rideing.  Trues's going to try to

prove to JUlia that she knows how to ride."

"How does JUlia know how to ride?" Devon quired.

"She said her mother know people.  Then she reprogrammed True's braceltet so it would

only go off if True got so far away from Julia's gear."

Devon and DAnzgier Looked at each other.  "I'll contact them," Devon said, reaching for

her own gear.

Julia and True were sitting astride Peguses, looking out off the side of the mesa.  Julia

slid off the horse, and True followed her.

"So did I do good?"

"Yes, you did very well True."

"Do I get to ride bymyself?"

"We'll see."

"So impatient, poppet."

Both whirled around to seeGaul standing behind them.

"Gaul, you scared us," Julia reproached.

"I'm sorry, milady."  Gaul bosed.  "But your journey intreged me."

"We should be heading back."

"Please, Julia!  You said I could ride bymyself."

"Tell you what.  I'll walk with Gaul and you can ride.  But remember, stay in sight.  If

your bracelet goes off, it can spook the horse."

"But I'll hardly get to ride!"

Julia considered this.  KNowing True and her lieage, she would pushthe horse to the

limit.  She didn't want to risk the little girl spooking the horse and getting thrown.  She'd

at least break an arm.

"All right.  I'll give you my gear, but if you get out of sight, the deal is off, all right?"

"All right."

JUlia handed True the gear and the little girl clammered up onto the horse.  She loped

off, and JUlia nad Gaul began walking behind the her.

"She's certianly is a scamp."

"She's definatly independent."  Julia agreed.

"Too bad she's so controled."

"I think John oes a fine job with her."

"Are you controlled doctor?"

"Excuse me?" JUlia stopped and stared at the man.

He ran a finger over her cheek bone.  "Where are your loyalties?"

She jerked away form him.  His hand gripped her upper arm.  "Careful, Doctor.  You

don't want me as an enemy."

"Listen, Doc, all i'm saying is that I don't apperciate you taking True off without my

knowledge, especially when you reprogram her bracelt."

"I was with her the entire time."

"That's not the point, Doc."

"If your so worried about the vcompany she keeps, I'd pay attention to our new arrival. 

He seems quite taken with her."

Julia left a glowering Danziner standing in the middle of camp.  She headed for the med

tent but was waylaid by Yale.

"Julia, I was wondering, how far does your clearnce go?"

"As far as I need, so far."  Julia smiled although she was internally hitting the panic

button.

"Do you know anything about a program dealing with waste extraction named E2?"

Julia mind said yes buer her mount said, "No.  Why?"

"Something I saw tattooed on Gaul."

"On Gaul, are you sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing."  Julia smiled shaking her head.

Yale exited the tent.  JUlia let down her mask, worry plain on her features.  They had an

E2 member in their mist.

Gaul sensed her hightened apperehension of him.  She knows, he thought.  Pity.  No it

was time to play his Ace in the hole.  It was time to let the pretty little Doctor know that

he knew who a Heller was.

"Doctor, May I have a minute?"

Julia looked up from her work bench where she was buried in indigounous plant life

samples to see the ragged sillohet of Gaul looming over her.

"GAul!"

"I wa wondering, prehaps we could have a conversation?"

"I was wondering, prehaps we cold have a convertqation?"

"I have a lot of work, these samples..."

"Are all poisnous, except the five an the end."

Julia slid off her diaglove.  No excused.  "All right.  What seems to be teh problem?"

"Not here.  Why don't we go for a walk?  I can point out useful vegitation along the way

so we can be useful."

Julia reluctenly agreed, not wanting to arouse the man's suspesions.  "All right."

they began walking away from camp slowly as possible on Julia's part.  Once tehy were

out of sight form the rest of Eden project, Gaul began his agenda.

"Do you know that we all have deep dark secrets, Doctor?"

Julia paused to examin a plant.  "I'm sure we all do..."

"Like waht we do, who we are.  Do you know who you are?  I do."

Julia confronted the man.  "you see my dear, I've had a lot of time to think about the

people who sent me here.  I know those members of the council by name.  Can you

imagine my suprise when after all these uears, one of those names reappears in front of

me."

"Excuse me?"

"How old is your mother?"

"In her late fiftes, why?"

"She was barely twenty when she was on the cmmittee that sentenced me to this hell

hole.  You see doctor, thes fools may not reconize a Heller for all the name emplies, but I

do."  He stepped closer to the frightened woman.  He grabbed Julia by tht back of the

neck and hissed into her ear, "I know you know about E2.  If the others are informed rest

asured that I will divalge your heritage in the most unflattering light."

Julia spit in his face.  "Don't you dare threaten me.  I can be just as cunning as you can."

"Some how I doubt that."  Gaul's sadistical grin taunted her.  He drew her closer.  He

brought his face centimeters away from hers.  She felt his breath on her lips as he

whispered.  "Do not underestimate my willingness to kill.  I would think nothing of

snapping your neck and blaming it on a grendler."

"You killed ONiel."  Julia's lips trembled.

"Clever girl."  Then, with a menaical gleam in his eye, Gaul forced his lips roughly onto

hers.  Julia pushed away from him, falling to the ground.  She scrambled away from hiim,

his laughter following her back to camp.

Julia's encounter with Gaul did not go unnoticed.  True went looking for Gaul and came

upon the llittle scene. She was too far away to hear the dialoge, but she could see q2uite

clearly.  And interpretate it quite differently too.

She watched them talking.  To the little girl, it looked more friendly than not.  She saw

then kiss and turned away in anger.  She felt betrayed.  Gaul was her friedn!  She didn't

see Julia push away.  But she did hear Gaul's laughter carried on the wind as she ran back

to camp.

"True-girl, run this scanner over to JUlia will you?"

True scuffed her feet in the dirt and grumbled at her father.  "I don't want to.  I don't like

her."

John raised an eyebrow at his puting offspring.  "I thought you and Julia were thick as

theives."

"That wa before I found out she was a back stabbing lair."

Danziger took his small daughter by the shoulders.  "True, that's a very seroius charge. 

What makes you say that?"

"Gaul is my friend!  She had no right to make him like her better!"

"True I don't think Julia did anything like that.  Besides, I don't like you spending so

much time with Gaul."

True side stepped her father's second point.  "But I saw them kidding."

"Gaul and Julia."

"Yes."

"Now True, you're not fibbing to me are you?"

True shook her head.

"Why don't we go talk to JUlia.  You two can hash this out ok?"

JUlia looked up to see both Danzigers enter the med tent.

"Hey, Doc."

"Danzinger.  What can I do for you?"

"True has a little problem she'd like to talk to you about."

Julia smiled at the pouting child.  True was scoffing her feet and staring at them.

"What's the matter True?"

"I saw you."

"Excuse me?"

"you and Gaul."

Panic briefly flared across Julia's features. "What did you see?"

"You kissing."

"Did you hear anything?"

"No, I didn't need to."

Julia crouched down in front of the child.  She took True gently by the arms.  "True,

sometimes when you see something, you only see part of it.  But I'm going to tell you

something.  It doesn't have anything to do with what you saw betwenn Gaul and me,

alright?"  True knodded.  "I want you to stay away from Gaul.  He's dangerous, True."

"But.."

"True, have I ever lied to you?"

"No."

"Have I ever hurt you?"

"No."

"So I'm asking you to trust me."  Julia internally grimaced.  "Please True.  It's a very

grown up thing I'm asking you to do."

The little girl grummbled and complied.

"Get to bed, True-girl."  John ruffled his daughter's hair.  Then he turned to the doctor. 

"Share?"

Julia turned back to her work bench.  One hand mervously swept up her hair and pinned

it.  She didn't realized the bruises her encounter with Gaul had left her with untill John

pointed it out.  "He's dangerous."

"he give you that bruise?"

Julia's fingers flew to the back of her neck.  "He's dangerous, John.  Keep a close eye on

True.  Don't let him manipulate her."

"Did he do anything moere that bruise you?"

"No, and get that look off your face, Danzinger.  I don't need protection."

"Julia, if he hurt you, we need to take care of it at the least tell Devon."

Julia sank onto the med cot.  She rubbed her temples.  "We can't for alot of reasons."

"Such as?"

"It's complicated."

"What's he got hanging over your head?"

"Nothing!"

"Juila, I know that look.  YOu're scared."

"John, if I told you, you'd want to kill me."

"Doc...trust me."  Danzinger squatted infront of the woman.  "No matter how horrible you

think it is............"

"I don't think.  I know.  I"m poisen John.  I may as well be the death warrent for this

entire group!"

Gaul noticed the way his little True shied away from him.  Her father kept a hawk's eye

on her.  So the doctor had been busy.  Well, there were ways to silence loose lips.

How it happened, she just didn't know.  She must have been distracted' she got sloppy. 

She had been trained better than that.  She didn't hear Gaul untill he clamped an iron

hand over her mouth.  Foolishly, she was away from camp, alone.  No one would hear her

scream even if she could.

"You've been talking to strangers.  Naughty, naughty."  His grip tightened.  "I'm afraid

you've outlived your usefulness.  You have one chance.  They must have given you some

kind of communication device.  Give it to me and I"ll let you live. "  He loosened his

hand.

"Go to hell."

"We are both already there."  He pushed her forward, her head striking a rock as she fell

to the ground.  "Good night, sweet doctor.  parting is such sweet sorrow."  Gaul's manical

laughter floated up upon the breeze.

Walman found her.  Scared the hell out of him.  He'd been looking for her.  The whole

camp was.  He'd heard her gear.  Then he saw her.  "Jesus."

"Walman, whqat is it?"  He'd forgotten Ylae was on gear.

"I found her.  Yale, do you know how to use that diaglove?"

"Rudemently."

"You better grab it and get out here quick.  I don't think I should move ehr."

Devon hovered in the med tent as Yale checked Julia.  "Is she going to be ok?"

"She has a concusion.  She should be fine.  Aas soon as shge awakens, I can have

confermation on my diagnoies.  That's odd."

"What?"

"She has some sort of metallic object lodged in her stomache lining."

"What is it?"

"I don't know.  However.  I"m sure julia can enlighten us."

Their dialog was interupted by Danzinger's arrival.  "She awake yet?"

"No."

"Gaul's gone."

Devon looked at him.  "Are you suggesting Gaul attacked her?"

"Look at the brusies.  He's done it before."

"You knew..."

"Yeah.  She was scared.  Said she could handle it.  He was holding something over her

head."

"What could he possibly black mail her with?"

"She wouldn't say.  Adair, I don't think it's any of our busniess."

Julia slowly opened her eyes.  She slowly focused on the small faces hovering over her.

"Mom," Uly screached as he dashed out of hte tent.  "She's awake!"

True flung her arms around the doctor.  "Julia, are you alright?"

"I think so True."  JUlia slowly sat up, True still entangled in her arms.  By the time JUlia

had reached an upright position, Devon, Yale, and Danzinger had bustled into the tent.

"Julia," Yale brought the dia glove t the doctor.  "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy."  Julia gently exxtracted herself from True and took the diaglove form the old

tutor.  "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us,"  Devon replied.

Julia was exhamining her own readings.  "Hmm, sorry right now I'm drawing a blank. 

Head injury's are tricky that way."  Seh looked up form her glove.  "Ther doesn't seem to

be any perminate damage,"  she smiled her cheery doctor there's nothing wrong with you

that can't be fixed smile.  "I'm sure it will cme back to me."

Devon sighed.  "True, why don't you go outside and find Uly, ok?"

True rolled her eyes.  She knew when she was being dismissed.

As soon as the little gilr had left the tent, Devon carefully approached the other reading

Ylae had found.  "Yale also found that you have a metalic coumpound logded in your

stomache lining."

"Oh,that.  It's a tracking device, from when I was younger.  It's beinin now.  My mother

was paranoid about my safety.  It lets off a bio chmical signal that could be traced if I

ever went missing."

"Your mother sounds a little like me," Devon smiled.

"not really Devon.  What you do out of love she did out of politics."

Devon was momentalry stunned by Julia's matter of fact tome.  Yale posed a question. 

"So it isnot a danger to you?"

"No.  Eventually, my stomach acid will break down it's seal and it will come back up." 

Julia climed to her feet quickly only to find that the room suddenly became unstable. 

John reached out and caught her.

"Easy there, Doc.  We wouln't want you to open your head up again."

"Point noted."  Julia replied shakely.

"you want to tell me where those bruises came from?"

"I guess I got them when I fell."

"Doc..."

"I got them when I fell."

Later that evening, Devon sat in the comm tent quietly talking with Yale.  Gaul had

dissapeared but no one was looking for him.

"Yale, you still have the bios on file don't you?"

"Of course."

"How old is Julia?"

"Let's see," Yale pulled up the record, "according to ther file, twenty."

"Twenty!  She still so young!"

"She's capable though.  Chromotilting allows the repicpent to start early and go faster.:

"But what kind of childhood is that Yale?"

"One that you can not change now."

Julia rubbed her temples.  The headache from her concussion was almost gone.  That

didn't stop the images in her head.  She'd lied when she'd said she didn't remember the

attack.  She remembered it all.  Every bit.  The memory made her feel dirty, unclean. 

She should probalby tell someone.  But as long as the man was gone, why bother.  She'd

tell if he came back.  Besides, the signs must be minisqual if her diaglove didn't pick

them up.  And even if she wanted to tell, who would she trust.

She relieved it every night in her dreams.  After she fell, the realization that his body was

crushing down upon her.  The feel of his rough, tearing hands on body and his putrid

mouth clamped over hers.  The pain and humilation only cought up with her in her sleep. 

For three weeks the nightmares haunted her.  Then they got stranger.

It was the same dream tourouring her when suddenly, she entered the dreamplane.  A

Terrian swam up form the earth and vanquished the dream Gaul.  tehn it stared at her.  I

thought one sentence to her. "You are mother."  Then it vanished.

JUlia awoke with a start to find it was early morning.  Her stomace lurched.  Oh God, no,

she thought, that can't be what they meant. Please no.  It didn't do any good.  Julia

stumbled out of the med tent to vomit in the bushes.

She heard someone behind her.  "Hey Doc, you alright?"  Baines. 

She waved him away.  She heard him walk away and someone else approach.  A cup of

water appeared in her perifial vison.  "Thanks."  She took it , rinsed and spit.

She turned around and sat on the ground to find a concerned Dannzinger crouached by

her.

"Head bothering you?"

"My heads not hte reason.  It's more likemy hormones."

Danzinger raised an eyebrow.  "Doc?"

Julia looked at the ground and bit her lip.  "I didn't even check, John.  How can I be so

stupid!  It's not even supposed to be a possibliltiy with me."

"Julia?"

"I'm pregnant."

Dangzinger sat back on his heels.  His muth was set in a grim line.  "I'll kill him."

"There's nothin you can do now."

"I know.  I just feel better saying it.  Let's get you back to camp."

"Can we keep this to ourselves?"

"For as long as possible.  But there's only so long you can hid it."

Devon noticed John's odd behavior.  He was watching Julia like a hawk.  He was also

ging out of his was not to let her do any heavy lifting.  He stuck her in the transrover

durning the day.  To Dvon's suprise, the normally selfreliant doctor went along with it. 

She slept almost the entire morning and when they stopped for a quick mea, Devon

noticed True almost forcing the young woman to eat.

Later that evening, Devon confronted Julia.  "Julia, what's wrong?"

Julia smiled hesitantly, looking all the world like a scared rabbit.  "Nothing."

"John is watching you closer than True these days."

"Devon, really everythin's fine."  Julia moved to push past the other woman but Devon

grabbed her arm.  "Julia the group..."

Julia got angry.  "This has nothing to do with the group Devon!  Despite what you would

like t believe, we are still individuals!  And what that means is that some things arent' the

groups are your damn bisnesss!"  Her voice carried over the now still camp.  The woman

stared at each other.  John slipped in between the two, diffusing the situation.

"Now let's not get ansy ladies.  Why don't we just settle down."

JUlia clenched and unclenched her fist.  "I'm just so tired." Her whispered words were

barely loud enough for Devon to hear Julia turned heal and left before anyone could see

the tears form ing in her eyes.

John found her later in the med tent.  "We have to tell them soon."

"I don't want anyone to knew how it happened.  I don't want their pity."

"You should at least tell Devon."

Julia knodded.  "Would you go get her?"

Devon's eyes were filled with compassion as she listened to Julia's halting tail.  Every

maternal instinct was kicked into hyperdrive.  For all practical purposes, the doctor was

still a child in her eyes.

Julia lost the pregnancy quietly.  It happened in the middle of the night, quietly.  Seh

hadn't made a sound.  the only aknowledgement was Devon's quick hug when she found

the doctor washing out bloody garments in a near by stream.  It was never talked about. 

But it was remembered.

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