The Broken Crystal

Chapter Seven

Dean's eyes were burning a hole in Crystal's soul. Why did he look so scared? She had no idea that in his mind the guards' bodies were being ripped apart all over again; that the horrible smell of death was filling his nostrils; that there was blood everywhere. Blood, suffering and corpses. And now he was most likely going to become one of them. Yes, Dean Morris would soon end up as just another name added to the collection of Crystal's killings. When he thought of it, he cursed himself for not leaving her behind when he had the chance.

Crystal opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but stopped once she realized she couldn't. And, for some strange reason, she really didn't care of Dean's distress. She had no idea why she suddenly felt that way. Her mind went back to the institution, which now seemed so much simpler, so much better than the outside world. Maybe she had just been overreacting? The thought made her realize she wanted to go back. Badly. Go back to the place that had brought her so much pain. Was she really that stupid?

Drawing back her paw, that had been taking a step towards the institution, she forced herself to relive all the bad things the scientists had done to her. The mutation, the wounds, the scars that would forever be proof of what she had had to go through. No, she decided. I'm never going back.

Angel, who had been silent during the ordeal, finally spoke up. "You're safer there than here, Crystal." The girl almost laughed. "Oh really? I'm safer in a place where I am locked inside and getting experimented on? Wow, I'm completely convinced, count me in!" Immediately after she said it, Crystal's body filled with regret. "I apologize Angel, I don't know what came over me." But her wolf was chuckling, seemingly not bothered by her outburst.

"It's affecting you isn't it?" she said and Crystal frowned; what was she talking about? "You and I are basically the same person now. More than before. I can't believe how perfectly everything worked out. I mean, there was so much room for complications!"

Crystal still didn't understand a thing. "Angel, what are you talking about?" As she spoke, dread filled her stomach. Whatever it was, it didn't sound too good.

"The experiment, Crystal, don't you remember?" And as Angel said it, everything clicked into place. "The screaming I heard... It was you, wasn't it?" In her head, Angel nodded. "But I don't understand. What did they do?"

Angel smiled. "They made us better. Stronger, faster than ever before. Now that we are one, completely emerged into each other, we're finally at our most powerful." There was a little pause as Crystal struggled to wrap her head around it all. Then: "You killed those guards. But why?"

Again Angel smiled, making the knot in Crystal's stomach tighten. "We killed them. Together. And we did it because, even though it would've been best for us to stay at the institution, keeping you out of harm's way was my biggest priority. They shot you, remember?" Crystal nodded, silently urging her to continue. "And so I got mad. The only way to protect you was take over."

Silence spread between them. There was nothing more to say.

♢♢♢

They had been running for some time now. The knowledge that they were just a few miles away from Colorado was the only thing that kept them from collapsing on the ground. To pass the time, and fight the boredom, Crystal found herself counting the meters in her head. One, *jump* Two, *jump*

She came all the way to hundred before she lost count. Once that happened the only thought that could keep her mind off the exhaustion was Dean. Even after she had told him about Angel, he had seemed unsure whether to trust her or not. Still, she considered herself lucky that he had decided to keep his promise and take her to his pack.