Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 18

Pierce grew restless waiting to hear from Arthur. She had ordered everyone to stay put in the motel rooms, but now wished she hadn't; having nothing to do forced her to think about Grey. "Will you stop pacing?" Madigan scowled at her. The tiger hybrid was playing her seventeenth round of Uno with Elliot, and had grown more irritable each game.

"Sorry," Pierce mumbled, and tried to stand still.

Elliot set down his Uno cards. "Pierce, we're almost out of food. Let's go get some more," he suggested.

"Good idea," Pierce said, throwing the kid a grateful smile.

"No fair," Madigan sulked. "I'm just as bored as you are."

"You can come too," Pierce said, and Madigan's ears perked up.

The door to the adjoining room was open, and Pierce peeked her head in. There were two beds, and Knox was hanging upside down off of one, while Grey sat on the other, watching a soccer game on TV. "Madigan, Elliot, and I are going to restock our food supply," Pierce said.

Grey paused the TV, causing Knox to groan. "Are you sure that's the best idea?" Grey asked. "Maybe I should come along."

Pierce shook her head. "You and Knox should stay here in case Arthur sends someone by," she pointed out. "We'll be careful."

"All right," Grey agreed, though he looked like he wanted to protest further.

"See ya," Knox said.

When Pierce walked back into the other room Madigan was waiting impatiently by the front door. She and Elliot had covered their ears with hats, and Madigan had tucked in her tail. Pierce led the way out of the motel and down the street. She glanced at the black van they had parked out front, but walked past it. The nearest grocery store was within walking distance, and Pierce was willing to use any excuse to extend her time away from the motel.

Madigan walked a few feet ahead, so Pierce talked with Elliot. "How're you doing, kid?" she asked.

"Better than you'd think after all that's happened." Elliot smiled. "What about you?"

"Fine, I guess," Pierce said.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Pierce laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I-I just thought ... " he trailed off, embarrassed.

"What?" Pierce pressed.

He flushed. "I was worried that you might be upset, you know, after what happened with Grey?"

Pierce scowled at him. "How do you know about that?"

"He told me," Elliot replied. "He wanted my opinion. I told him to give you some time to think."

"I don't need time to think." She sighed. "Thinking is getting me nowhere. What I need is advice."

"Maybe I can help," Elliot offered. "I'm still young and inexperienced, but I can at least listen." Pierce realized he no longer acted timid. It was as if helping people calmed him. "I might even say something useful," he added with a small smile.

"You're very humble," Pierce murmured. "You're young, but I've noticed how wise you are. And if it is noticeable enough for me to see it, then it must be truer than I know. I'm not sure he would want me to tell you this." She hesitated. "But Grey grew up as a con man. Back at Project Starfall, before I knew any of you, I was given a file by Darius, though I didn't know it was from him until later. The file contained information about all of you. Most of it had to do with your abilities as hybrids along with general information such as height and weight. But it also included warnings, and under Grey's info it said he was a con man, and not to be trusted."

"Why did you keep it from us?" Elliot asked. There was no judgement in his tone, but he sounded hurt.

"Because of Grey," she whispered. "I didn't want him to know what I knew if he really was a con man."

"What's the other reason?" Elliot asked. His gaze bore into her as if she were transparent. Feeling suddenly vulnerable, Pierce twirled a strand of hair between her fingers.

Lying didn't even cross her mind. It was clear from Elliot's eyes that he would know if she tried to deceive him. "At first I didn't trust any of you," Pierce admitted. "I wanted any edge I could find. I hoped that if one of you tried to challenge my leadership, I could use what I had learned about your abilities to my advantage. But Grey worried me the most. Later, even after the scientists told you about your hybrid abilities, I was scared to admit I had held back information, and there was no real reason for me to tell you about the file."

Elliot nodded like he had expected as much. "How do you feel about Grey now?" he questioned.

"I'm not sure." Pierce sighed. "That's my problem. I want to trust him. I ... like him. More than a friend, I think," she admitted in a strained voice. "There is only one other time that I've felt this way. And this time the feeling is greater."

"What's stopping you from trusting him then?" Elliot asked. "Is it really his past? Yours can't be much better."

"It's not. Not at all," Pierce answered. Dark memories surfaced at the edge of her mind, but she pushed them away. "You know, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if it's the fact that he was a con man that makes me doubt him. It's an instinct, I guess," she said. "I know that there are people who I can trust, but I rarely risk it because I could be wrong. And choosing wrong could end in my death."

"But you can't let self-preservation keep you from really living," Elliot argued. "If you do, it will only lead to feeling regret in your old age."

"Maybe you're right." Pierce sighed again. "I'm curious. What do you think of Grey?"

"I liked him from the beginning," Elliot answered honestly. "His voice rarely rises in anger. He seems thoughtful and distant at times, then caring and present at others. I also think he may be the most intelligent among us."

"I don't doubt that," Pierce agreed. "He certainly outmatches me when it comes to understanding people. I've gotten better at sensing other's emotions, but often I have to rely their body language, which I studied the meaning of for years before I got accurate."

"Really?" Elliot's eyes widened. "You're pretty good at it, then."

Pierce smiled. "Do you think your opinion would change if you heard Grey's story?" she asked.

"No," Elliot answered. "Because I have heard it."

"Really?" Pierce exclaimed. "When?"

"He told us after you fell asleep last night. Said we deserved to know the truth, and that he had already told you. As he told the story I knew it wasn't a lie. His emotions were real."

"You're certain?" Pierce asked.

He nodded. "I have yet to meet a person who could fool me."

"Thank you for your help," Pierce said gratefully. A fondness for the kid welled up inside her. "You know," she added quietly. "I didn't realize it until now, but I've always trusted you. You're a good kid. I don't know what your crime was, but I do know that you don't deserve to be here. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Elliot argued. "I can tell you blame yourself for the misfortune that unfolds around you. The truth is, though, you don't deserve to be here either."

Pierce looked down at her feet. "Yes I do," she whispered.