Disclaimer: This original story is not authorized or endorsed by Warner Bros, ABC, Lors Thornwald Inc, Edelson Productions, William Schmidt, or anyone else having rights to "Prey". It is not intended infringe on any rights or copyright and is not written for profit. Any characters not recognizable from the series "Prey" belong to the author.
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Sloan stretched out her aching body and realized she had slept in the chair the whole night. Well, maybe 'slept' wasn't the right word to use, unless tossing and turning coupled with snatches of bad dreams was now a new definition for sleep. And, for a night that seemed to drag on endlessly, how did it get to be morning so soon?
She stood up slowly, trying to work out the rest of the kinks from her muscles and walked into the kitchen. It look strangely barren as she looked around. No coffee. No bag of fresh donuts on the counter. No quizzical look from Tom as to why she looked like she had a hangover. No Tom. Well, if there was any doubt in her mind that last night had happened, this just removed it.
As Sloan started to make a pot of coffee, her mind began to run over their argument. She could still hear Tom pleading with her to drop the subject of his mental condition. But she couldn't stop ... and neither of them would give in to the other. The result was that nothing had changed, except that Tom was separated from her once again.
Sloan didn't want to go to that meeting today. What had promised to be something hopeful for their cause, ended up with such regret on her part. She felt that Tom was sacrificing his life for them and she couldn't bear it. She would've preferred giving up her own life than to see Tom lose his. No, she didn't want to be a part of that meeting. But, ... at the same time, she knew she couldn't stay away. Tom would be there. He had committed himself to this assignment and she knew he wouldn't quit until he had completed it. After all, it was who he was - a soldier, a protector ... a chameleon.
And she knew he had been right - who else could have screened a member of the new species better than him and then travel with that one on an undercover assignment? He really was the only one. But being right about that, still didn't make it the right decision.
Tom wasn't himself yet and all Sloan could think about was the danger. He had a hard time just dealing with everyday life since he'd gotten out of the cage. How was he going to handle these new experiences?
"Enough, Sloan," she said to herself. She just wanted to put the events of last night out of her mind. It was wearing her out. But when she tried, the walls felt like they were closing in on her and the silence became too much to bear. Maybe she needed to hear another voice besides the one arguing in her head.
Ed. She would call Ed.
Hearing his voice would restore her balance. She never quite realized how much she relied on his constancy - until now. It's not that she wanted to tell him everything that happened between her and Tom, but it was comforting just to know that he was there if she needed him. After all, that was what best friends were for, wasn't it?
She looked at her watch. It was 7:00 AM. Ed might still be at Gencorp - in the lab. She picked up her phone, tapped in the number and waited, hoping she hadn't missed him.
"Lab." It was Ed's voice.
"Ed .... it's Sloan."
"Sloan? Isn't this a little early for you? What's the matter?"
"Could you pick me up on the way to Walter's this morning?"
"Uh, ... sure. But, where's Tom? I thought you'd be driving over with him."
Sloan hesitated for a moment. "Tom's at his place .... getting ready." It was probably the truth, she thought. "I didn't feel like going in alone."
"His place? I thought he lived at your place? You know, you two have the strangest relationship I've ... ."
"Ed!" Sloan cut Ed off before he said something she would make him regret.
"You're right ... none of my business."
"So ... can you pick me up?"
"Sure. I'll be finishing up here in a few minutes. I just need to run home and change before I get you ... 8:30 sound OK?"
"Yes, that would be great, Ed. Ed, I ..." Sloan bit her tongue. She had no idea how overwhelming the urge to talk about last night had become. " ...I'll see you around 8:30."
"OK Sloan, what's the matter - and don't tell me nothing. I know you too well. I can almost hear you biting your tongue over the phone. Did you and Tom have a fight or something?"
Well, something did happen ... " Sloan sighed, realizing she was too tired to deny it, "Yes, ... Tom and I had an argument last night."
"About his leaving?"
"Yes, ... but how did you ... ?"
"Walter called me after he left your place. He sorta intimated that you weren't too happy over the whole thing. Knowing you and putting two-and-two together, I figured you weren't going to drop the subject just because Walter and Tom felt that it was settled."
"Well, you're right. It wasn't settled for me. Tom just isn't himself yet and this assignment could be too dangerous for him. It's too soon after ... ."
"Sloan, I realize that you may be closer to him than the rest of us but I think I know Tom pretty well myself. To be honest, I just don't think he's as vulnerable as you think he is. And he probably knows what he needs."
"What do you mean?"
"Look at me, for example. When I had the Spanish flu, I thought I'd die of boredom just sitting around doing nothing but watching videos. I could hardly wait to get back to work again. I wasn't completely well when I came back but I thought I'd lose my sanity if I stayed home another day. As I remember, you weren't totally pleased with me jumping right back in, but you backed off and let me do it, despite what you felt. Well, you've got to do the same for Tom. You do know I'm right about this, don't you, Sloan?"
"Well ..."
"Don't you."
"Yes-s ... Maybe I did push a little too much."
"A 'little' too much ...?"
"Alright, I get the point. He did say he was tired of hanging around the apartment watching TV and videos. He wanted to be productive again."
"See, just like me. I know just how he feels. Besides, Tom's a big boy now. Give him a little credit for knowing what he needs. And who knows, Sloan. If he does have issues to work out, as you seem to feel, doing what he's been trained to do could actually be therapy for him."
"And if it proves more than he can handle, it could cost him his life." Sloan felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes.
"I don't think Tom has a death wish, especially after meeting you. Believe me, he'll take care of himself. If anyone knows how to watch his back, it's Tom Daniels. And I'm sure he's been in tougher spots than this and come through them. You just need to let him know that you believe in him."
"That's going to be hard, Ed."
"I didn't say it would be easy but I know you - and you can do this. Hey, I gotta go. I think I hear the morning shift arriving. I have to clean up my mess before they get up here. But, you think about what I've said and I'll see you in a little bit. OK?"
"OK - and Ed, ... thanks."
"No problem. That's what I'm here for. See ya'."
Sloan hung up the phone and thought about what Ed had said. He was probably right. Getting back to work might be what Tom needed, even if she couldn't see it. And how was she going to be supportive of him? Tom would still know how she felt - after all, she had no way of blocking her emotions from him. Well, maybe just knowing that she was willing to trust his judgment, in spite of her feelings, would mean a lot to him.
She also wanted him to know that even though her bedroom door had been closed last night, the door to their relationship was still open. Knowing he still had a relationship to come back to, would give him another good reason to come back safe. Ed was right. Tom had every reason to live. He wouldn't give that up willingly. She just hoped that his chameleon training and survival instincts would be enough to protect him ... . And she hoped she would be convincing enough to Tom when she saw him later that morning.
With that thought in mind, Sloan walked back into the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee, and began the process of preparing herself for the long day that laid ahead of her.
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Tom sat alone in the conference room at Walter's offices patiently waiting for the others to arrive. He had already checked out the place and it appeared to be secure. When he heard the 'click' of a doorknob being turned, he knew that Walter had arrived. Then he realized Walter had someone else with him. He couldn't believe it ... what was Walter thinking? Tom felt his anger begin to rise and he was out of his chair and through the door in an instant. By the time Walter had gotten inside the front door, Tom was already waiting for him.
"You shouldn't have brought him ... ," Tom said as his eyes blazed at Attwood, "it's not safe. He hasn't been cleared."
Walter wasn't sure what stunned him more - seeing Tom appear out of nowhere in his locked offices, or being practically threatened by him.
"I had no choice." he said as he tried to walk past Tom.
"You always have a choice." snapped Tom, still blocking the hallway.
"Plans have changed and the location I planned to meet at was no longer ... available." Tom narrowed his eyes at Walter. "Alright," confessed Walter, "the location was discovered. This was the only other place I could think to bring him. I know you haven't officially met yet but ..."
"I know who he is." replied Tom cutting Walter off sharply, "I want to talk to him ... alone." Before Walter could finish his explanation, Tom cut him off again. "Now!"
"You can use my private office if you ..." Walter's voice trailed off as Tom headed for it, practically shoving the other dominant ahead of him into the room.
"When I'm through, I'll meet you in the conference room." Before following Stephen Hart into the office, Tom turned his head slightly toward the front door, then back at Walter, "The rest of them are here. Start your meeting without me." He gave Walter one more sharp look, then closed the door.
Walter just stared at his office door and slowly let out his breath. He wasn't used to anyone cutting him off mid-sentence and especially not Tom Daniels. Tom must be in full chameleon mode right now. He'd never seen him quite so ... intense. Well, Tom must know what he's doing and actually, now that he thought about it, a show of strength wouldn't hurt their position. This was certainly going to be an interesting day to say the least, he thought, as he headed down the hall to the empty conference room.
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Once he was alone with Stephen, Tom confronted him with a glare that would have intimated even Lewis himself. Stephen stepped back from Tom but then held his ground.
"Why did you deliberately put this mission at risk by coming here? You know better. You should've insisted on being cleared first before any of our locations were revealed to you. You may have just put all our lives in jeopardy."
"It wasn't my idea - or Mark's. It was Attwood's." replied Stephen returning Tom's glaring look. "Besides, this office will probably be moved after today anyway."
Tom studied Stephen for a moment. He could sense that the other dominant was telling the truth. After today, nothing would probably be the same for any of them. Besides, the deed was done and he couldn't change that. No sense wasting more time. If this location was already compromised, as he suspected it was, clearing Stephen was now a priority. He would have to do it quickly, right here in Walter's office. He looked at Stephen and they both knew what was coming.
"You know the terms I asked for?"
"Yes .... a Level One clearance, ... right?"
Tom nodded. "Ever been through one?"
"No. I hear they are rather ... unpleasant."
"Yes. And more so if you resist."
"Well, then, let's get this over with. What do you want me to do?"
"Sit down." Tom motioned to one of the chairs in front of Walter's desk. Stephen sat down, never taking his eyes off Tom. "I want you to drop your shielding as far as you can."
Stephen took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head in concentration. As he did so, Tom took the opportunity to walk around him, noting his appearance. He was very much like Tom himself in build, maybe a little heavier, short sandy hair, sharp blue eyes and possibly a few years older. Tom could sense that Stephen was tense - but not intimidated - by the close scrutiny. Good. Fear would only make this harder. Once Tom had completed the circle around him, he leaned back on Walter's desk, folded his arms, and gazed down at Stephen. It was time to begin.
Tom focused his attention on the dominant sitting in front of him. He slowly began to cut into the outer layers of Stephen's consciousness with all the precision of a surgeon's scalpel. On the surface, Tom found exactly what he expected - Stephen Hart appeared to be a person who believed in coexistence, enough to give his life for it. No surprise there. Slicing a little deeper, Tom could sense apprehension - he was nervous about the meeting with the UN aide. Yes, that was understandable. But, there was more - a little more hidden.
Tom gently pried at it, as though with the tip of the scalpel, until it loosened. There it was. The thing Stephen was even more apprehensive about than the UN meeting. It was ... Tom. He was nervous about working with Tom. Tom smiled to himself when he felt that - he had wanted Stephen to feel uneasy with him, at least for the time being. It would help Tom to control the situation. But what Tom now needed was to find out why Stephen felt that way.
"So why do I make you uncomfortable?"
Stephen looked up briefly, then lowered his head. No sense in lying. Tom would know.
"How do I know your defection is genuine? Lewis has been known to plant his people anywhere ... and what better place than in the coexistence faction itself. Despite what you've done to help the humans, you could still be a spy."
Yes, that was it. Tom's probing just confirmed it. A spy ... Tom laughed to himself. That was the very thing he wondered about Stephen. Well, at least they thought alike. And if he were Stephen, he would probably wonder too about Tom's genuineness. After all, no chameleon had ever left the program before. No one even thought it was possible. Wouldn't it be just like Lewis to infiltrate the coexistence underground with an "ex-chameleon" who everyone trusted and destroy it from within. And even if this wasn't planned by Lewis, Tom's own reputation as one of Lewis' best chameleons would be enough to unnerve anyone. Yes, Stephen had reason to be suspicious of his motives.
Tom pondered these feelings for a while and then decided that it took a great deal of courage on Stephen's part to feel that way and still submit himself to this intense scanning at his hands. Tom admired that. But he wasn't finished yet.
Tom leaned forward and told Stephen to open his eyes. He then placed his hands on both arms of Stephen's chair and looked him directly in the eyes. "This is the most difficult part. Don't struggle and it will be easier."
Stephen nodded his head and took a breath.
Then Tom began to peel away the last layers from Stephen's shields just as one would peel the skin from a ripe plum exposing the fragile pulp beneath. Here was everything that defined Stephen Hart as a person - every motivation and thought process, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, ... all laid bare for Tom to explore and Stephen powerless to prevent it.
As Tom examined each facet of the other dominant's personality, he decided that he liked what he found. He found honesty and compassion in this man, accompanied by a love for people and for life. Here was someone who was sick of killing and yearned for a better world - one where all people, regardless of race or species, could live together in harmony and peace. In other words, Tom realized, a man very much like himself. For the first time in a long while, Tom was actually happy to meet one of his own species.
Tom finished the rest of the scan as quickly as he could, knowing how painful this was for Stephen. Not painful in a physical sense, but rather in the sense of being made totally vulnerable, with no secret treated as private or sacred. It would be hard on anybody, of any species, to have their deepest feelings and motives, their most inner self, exposed and held up for review. And yet, that is what Stephen consented to, enduring it for as long as Tom felt was necessary. Well, Tom had learned enough and was satisfied that this one could be trusted.
Tom brought up the layers of shielding he had peeled away and allowed Stephen to finish the process.
"You did well." Tom said, offering Stephen his handkerchief to wipe his brow.
Stephen was perspiring from the ordeal but managed a brief smile. "Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."
In return, to show Stephen that he trusted him, Tom allowed Stephen to scan him as well, although not with the same depth. He would not allow his deepest, darkest shields to be probed. Behind them resided the cage, and his mother, and all his memories that he couldn't understand or remember. But he knew Stephen understood. Most dominants knew that chameleons had some part of their personalities erased or hidden in order to do the kind of work they did. So Stephen did not even attempt to scan Tom as deeply as he had been and Tom took it as a gesture of trust on Stephen's part.
That day Tom felt that a bond had been forged between him and Stephen. Had he finally found a friend among his own species? Maybe he wasn't going to be alone after all ... .
"We're done here, Stephen. Time to go meet the others. Ready?"
"Yes, ... and Tom, my friends call me Steve."
"And what do you want me to call you?"
"Whatever you're comfortable with." replied Stephen.
"I think it's time to join the others, .... Steve."
Tom's smile was genuine as he extended his hand to Stephen to help him out of the chair. The two dominants looked at each other for a brief moment and then solemnly shook hands realizing that their lives were now bound up with each other, possibly for a very long time.