Lab Rats: The New Addition 2: Lost

Monster

  "All right, everyone," says Uncle Donny. "I think we're ready." Everyone stops what they are doing and right at that moment, all of the glass in the house shatters. Everybody ducks and Chase wraps his arms around me protectively. "And just in time, too," Bree says, looking up as everyone else does. I start to shake and my teeth chatter with fear. Chase gently brushes my hair behind my ear and puts his lips to my ear. "Shh," he whispers, softly. "It's okay." I sigh and bury my face in his chest, calming down.

  Suddenly, we hear an evil cackle. "So you think that you're all prepared," says a distinct voice. It's Tanya. I press my body closer to Chase's. "Yes," says Auntie Tasha. "We're prepared." "Ah, hello, sister," Tanya says, menacingly. My heart jumps into my throat as Tanya walks up to Tasha. Uncle Donny wraps his arms around Auntie Tasha. Tanya smirks and moves closer and closer to them. I start to get nervous and angry. "Hey," I shout. "Leave them alone!" Tanya glares at me. She starts walking toward me, but she doesn't get very far at all because Chase shoves her away hard, sending her flying against the wall. This startles me. Chase isn't that strong! Suddenly, Chase screams, in a disturbingly familiar voice, "Lay one finger on her and I'll rip out your kneecaps and use 'em as hockey pucks!"

  I suddenly realize that Chase is no longer Chase anymore. "Uh oh," I whimper. "Either Chase does a spot-on angry truck driver impression or Spike is back." Chase uses his molecular kinesis to pick Tanya up and choke her. He throws her on the ground and screams, "You mess with Spike 's lady, you feel Spike 's wrath!" "Yup, that's Spike," I say. "You have got to be kidding me," Bree groans. "Spike is back!? Now!?" "Appearantly," I answer. "Nobody panic," Leo shouts. "Maybe Spike coming back is a good thing!" Suddenly, Chase, I mean, Spike, screams, "SPIKE SMASH!!!"

  I cringe as a punching bag goes flying through the air and hits the wall. "Wow," I say, amazed. "I'm dating the Hulk! I don't know whether to be scared or excited!" Suddenly, Spike screams, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" I jump and look at him. "Are you talking to me," I ask. There is no time for him to answer because an electric green ball starts hurtling toward me. My heart jumps into my throat. There is no time for me to run. Then, much to my shock, Spike shoves me out of the way and Tanya 's electric ball ends up burning the wall. The way Spike shoved me hurt pretty bad. So bad that I ended up with my back up against the wall, but I know that he just saved my life. No, scratch that. Chase saved my life. Again.

  Everyone else starts fighting Tanya while Spike runs to me, sits down by my side, and puts his arm around my waist. I hold my side and groan in pain, realizing that Spike must have accidentally given me a bruise when he shoved me out of the way. Suddenly, Spike 's expression softens. "Lyrica," he says, his voice no longer sounding like Spike 's anymore. "Are you okay?" Chase is back. "I don't know," I reply, honestly. "My side really hurts." His expression saddens, "Spike showed up. Didn't he?" I nod reluctantly. "And he hurt you," Chase continues. I nod.

  His eyes fill with tears and run down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he says. I wipe his tears away with my thumbs. "It's okay," I say, softly. "It wasn't your fault." He closes his eyes as if he is in pain and looks away from me. I put my hand on his cheek. "Hey," I say, gently. "Look at me." He doesn't move.
All he does is gently rub the bruise on my side. "Lyrica, Spike," Bree calls as she fights one of Tanya ' s minions. "I could sure use some backup!" "Lyrica can't fight," Chase calls back. "She's...hurt." "Well, looks like Chase is back," says Bree, kicking a minion from behind. The fight gets more chaotic. "Chase," I whimper. "I'm scared." "You should be scared of me," Chase says, sadly, looking down at his hands. He twisted my words and made them his own. He thinks that I should be scared of him.

  "I'm not," I say. "I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of losing you." He smiles softly, "That'll never happen." I smile and snuggle into his chest, trying to block out the awful fighting noises. "Chase, take Lyrica somewhere safe from all of the fighting and stay with her to protect her," Daddy calls out. Chase nods, picks me up gently in his arms, and sprints out of the training room and soon, outside of the house. Eventually, he begins to run out of breath. "You can stop running now," I say. He stops running, practically gasping for air, and slowly carries me to a tree. He sits down under the tree, cradling me in his arms, and looks down, crying. My heart sinks. Why is he crying? "Little Genius," I say, softly. "Look at me." He still doesn't look at me. "I'm starting to think that I'm not good for you," he says, sniffling. "That I don't deserve you. That I'm a...monster."

  I feel like I can hardly breathe. He thinks that he's no good for me. That he doesn't deserve me. That he's a monster. But it's just the opposite in my eyes. If I didn't have him, I would lose myself. He is everything to me. He is not a monster. He is a hero. My hero. I put my finger under his chin and gently lift his head up so that his eyes meet mine and our lips are just inches away from meeting. I cup his face in my hands, wiping away his tears. "I need you," I whisper. He starts to protest, but I close the gap between our lips before he can speak, and kiss him with more passion than I ever have before. It is as if his lips are air and I can't breathe. I move my hands from his face to his neck. He puts his hand on my back and pulls me closer to him.

  We continue kissing until we can barely breathe, but he is the one who stops. I pull him in for more, and he kisses me back, but it's rough and it doesn't feel right. He grips my waist with unusual strength and hurts my bruise. This time, I pull away and wince, holding my side. I look at Chase. He smirks and speaks in an all too familiar deep, scruffy voice, "How d'ya like me now....sweet cheeks!?" My heart jumps into my throat. Spike is back. How!? Why!? "Chase," I whimper. "What happened to you?" His expression softens. "Lyrica," he asks, gently. "What happened?" Chase is back again. I close my eyes. "Spike happened," I reply, sadly. "No," he whimpers. "No!" He starts to hyperventilate. "It's okay," I say, cupping his face in my hands. "It's okay! I'm okay!"

  He moves my hands away from his face and backs away from me. "Stay away from me," he says. I don't know what to think of this. "But...I-I wanna stay with you," I stutter. "I'm dangerous," he shouts. "Lyrica...j-just stay away from me! Stay away!" He runs away. "Chase," I scream, running after him. "Chase, wait! You're not dangerous!" After a few miles of non - stop running, I find myself in the middle of nowhere. What's even worse is that Chase is nowhere to be found. "Chase," I yell. "Chase! Chase, it's me! Chase, where are you!? Come back! Chase!" There is no answer.

  I slump down with my back against a tree and start to cry. "Chase," I whimper. "Come back. Please." I bury my face in my knees and sob. "Chase, please," I sob. After a few moments, I hear his voice, "Hey, Princess." My spirits rise. I lift my head up and look to my left where I heard his voice. There he stands, smiling, yet looking afraid and guilty at the same time. I smile through my tears at the sight of him. I run to him and open up my arms to hug him, but he puts his arms out in front of him and stops me. "I can't be too close to you," he says. "If we get too close, Spike will get excited, I won't be able to control him, and everything will go downhill." I stand completely still. "Why now," I ask. "You controlled him perfectly fine before." Chase sighs, "He's gotten stronger. I don't know how, but he has, and I've become a monster. If I get near anyone, I could kill them." "Even me," I ask. "Esspecially you," he replies, crying now.

  He clenches his fists and says, through tears, "Look, I was getting along with everything great...and then you happened!" Tears are streaming down his cheeks. My eyes sting with tears, but I keep a straight face and try to keep the tears from flowing. There is silence. Suddenly, Chase says, "I'm leaving." My heart is practically beating out of my chest. My whole body is aching. He's leaving!? No! This can't be happening! "Chase," I say, trying to keep my voice calm. "What do you mean by 'leaving?'" "I'm running away," he replies. "Somewhere where neither me nor Spike can hurt you or anyone else. Somewhere far away." My head feels like it's swirling.

  "N-no," I whimper. "No!" He slowly walks toward me. "I'm sorry, but I have to," he says, softly. "But before I go, I wanna try one thing and I want you to be very still. Okay?" I nod, curious as to what he is gonna do. I stand as still as a statue. He moves closer to me and puts his hand on my cheek. He moves even closer to me. I get excited and try to move in, but he pulls away slightly. "Don't move," he warns. I try to stand still as he moves in again, but I can't and he stops. "Don't move," he warns again.

  I stand as still as I possibly can. Then, ever so slowly and carefully, he kisses my lips once, gentle and loving, and let's it linger. When he pulls away, I'm not fully satisfied. I try to kiss him, but he puts his pointer finger to my lips. "Don't move," he warns once again in a soft voice. "Then don't leave," I retort. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave for your safety and everyone else's safety," says Chase. "Tell my family that I love them." He hugs me tightly and I hug him tightly back. I'm definitely not planning on letting go anytime soon.

  He takes me somewhere close to home and hugs me. I hug him back tightly. "Lyrica," Chase whispers. "I have to go." I just hug him tighter. He kisses my hair and whispers into my ear, "I love you." "I love you, too," I whisper back. He lets go of me and I try to grab at him, but before I know it, he's gone. My body grows weak with fear. "Chase," I call. There is no reply but the soft howling of the wind.