Her hearing was the first thing that came back. She could hear shuffling, and a voice. A deep voice. She recognized that voice. Then a fuzzy female voice, like someone yelling from far away, uncared her mind.

"Alex...?"

She recognized it...her head was buzzing but this time it sent a wave of pain everywhere through her body, like hot wires sparking. She let out a whimper of pain. She sensed movement beside her, it seemed frantic.

A...le..x..?

The female voice sounded like it was screaming under water. Another spark of intense pain, like fire in her brain and hot lava in her veins. She let out a sharp cry. This time she felt a hand on her forehead and one holding her hand. The hand on her forehead disappeared followed by something cool. That soothed the fire in her head. Her mind was still buzzing.

"..A...l..e..."

This was the worst explosion of pain. Every nerve in her mind felt like it was on fire, being ripped apart. She screamed. She could feel her back arching from the excruciating pain. The voices beside her were frantic now and she could make out a few words.

"Was she stung?"

The buzzing in her head slowly faded, and as it did the white hot pain faded. Like the aftermath of a fire, her mind still felt like it had hot embers floating around and full of smoke.

What happened? Why am I here? Where is here?

She forced her body to relax, her eyes weren't working, but if she forced her ears to work, maybe she could figure out what was going on around her. There was definitely more than one person. The cool sensation was back on her forehead. She sighed in relief, feeling her muscles unclench.

"Well this seems to help!"

"Okay...but was she stung?"

"As far as I can see no. I don't know what's going on!"

Alex struggled to open her eyes. They were so heavy. She tried again, but still couldn't open them. The third time she used everything in her to just open her eyes. She was hit by blinding light. Alex shut them again quickly. She opened them a second time. And then a third. By the fifth she groaned, it was so bright it hurt.

"SHE'S AWAKE!!" a voice boomed right beside her.

"Shhhh! Quiet shuck face. Everything hurts!" She moaned. She heard a relieved chuckle

"She nearly dies, and then has some weird mind glitch and still manages to sweet talk me!" She peeked an eye open, sitting on her bed, right beside her was Minho. He looked tired, and a little pale, his hair wasn't as spiky as it usually is.

"You look like klunk." Alex groaned. This time he threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"You should see yourself!"

"Well that was rude. Lets see how you look after fighting 2 grievers!" Alex huffed quietly. Minho leaned over her, all the playfulness gone, his face was serious, scared almost.

"You scared me so shuckin bad!" He whispered, "I thought I lost you! I told you! I told you, Alex, don't be a martyr!" He was getting louder, anger twisting his face, "Thomas, Fry and Jeff had to hold me back. I had to watch you take on 2 shuckin Grievers alone! Don't ever do that again! Alex! Please, don't ever, EVER, do that to me again!"

Alex scrunched her forehead. She was confused.

"What happened? The last thing I remembered was being grabbed..."

She looked up into Minho's dark worried eyes. They softened, "Ya, you threw the knife, the other claw grabbed you and flung you around like a shuck rag doll, but then it looked like you pulled the claws apart...like somehow you had, like, superhuman Viking warrior strength and pulled it apart, you dropped and they...just left..."

He sat back, his eyes wouldn't meet hers now. She turned her sore head to look at him better.

"What aren't you telling me Minho?" She asked quietly. Grabbing his hand, he wouldn't look at her and didn't say anything.

"They were a bloody distraction" said a British voice from the door. He limped into the room and sat down on the empty chair. He had a white bloody bandage around his head. Alex was even more confused.

"What the shuck happened to you?" She tried to sit up but hissed at the sharp pain in her side. Her hand flew to her side. She pulled the blanket back and her ripped blood soaked shirt up, wrapped around her waist was a white bandage with a big blood soaked section.

"Great another bloody shucking scare." She muttered. Minho leaned over her, and gently kissed her, "you mean Valkyrie battle scars. Also, they're hot." She blushed a little as he kissed her nose.

"Guys? Still here!" Newt whined. Minho laughed at his awkwardness. "How unfortunate. You should leave then, Shank."

Alex and Newt rolled their eyes, She slowly rose to her elbows, and the boys helped her sit up. "Okay. From the beginning. Explain."

Newt gave a heavy sad sigh, he leaned his elbows on his knees, "It wasn't until after Minho got to you, did we realize those 2 shucking things were just a distraction!" Alex was silent, waiting for more.

"While you took on two by yourself... and like the whole homestead watching what a badass you are, another one snuck in from a different door and took someone. When it had the kid, all 3 of them took off. That was the same time it dropped you, they took off." Minho added.

"It was like they bloody KNEW you would fight. Like it was planned." Newt added sadly.

Alex's heart sunk into her stomach. Everything she did wasn't enough. She failed. She felt her eyes prickle with tears.

Minho grabbed her hand, "Hey, it's not your fault Alex!"

"But ...it is! I failed. I was supposed to keep everyone safe!" She looked away, blinking rapidly. She had balled the blanket in her fists.

"That's a big bloody commitment to place solely on your own shuck shoulders Alex. It's not only your job. We are a family, a team." Newt said softly, but firmly. His eyes were kind, but his face was stern. Minho nodded.

"You gave us a fighting chance. You also gave..no GIVE, you give everyone courage." Minho said with all sincerity, "Even me." His eyes never left hers, he unclenched her hands, holding them in his. She swallowed hard. She still felt like it was her fault, she failed.

"Who?" She asked quietly, "who did it take?"

Newt looked at the floor, "Adam."

A pang of guilt stabbed her heart. She knew the name and his face, and that he was a track hoe, but that was about it. She hardly knew some of these boys. Alex took a shaky breath, trying to keep her tears in check. Alex's eyes flicked to Newt. "What happened?"

There was a knock at the door. The three looked to see Jeff, Clint, Teresa, Frypan, Chuck, Matt and Thomas in the doorway.

"Everyone wanted to come see our hero." Jeff said as he waved a hand, indicating the group behind the two MedJacs. Alex smiled sadly at them. Everyone pushed in. Teresa came to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"How are you?" She asked, her eyes taking in every detail. Alex shrugged. "As good as taking on two biomechanical monsters could feel." Teresa eyed her up, but cracked a small half smile.

Jeff folded his arms, and nodded at Teresa, "She's a good MedJack. She helped patch you up."

Alex beamed at her "That's awesome Tes!"

"She also patched your brother." Alex turned back to Newt.

"Okay, you were about to tell me what happened." Gesturing to his head.

Newt cleared his throat, "Gally is what happened. He was jacked. Came running into the room a few minutes after you left, yelling about Grievers coming once a night until we're all dead, how it's all 'Alex and Thomas and the new girls fault'. He tried to rip the boards off the window, the ones he nailed up! Slint head. He tried to swing one at Teresa. Hit me instead. Tommy and Minho managed to subdue him, he was jacked! I was out."

Minho picked up the story, "Newt's on the ground, Teresa jumps over to try stop the bleeding, that's when I see out the window arrows flying at shuckin Grievers! I can hear screaming and a dog barkin'. I run down the stairs, but was stopped and held back by.." he gave some very angry glares at a few people., "When you dropped and those things were leaving, we saw a third one and a boy screaming. I ran to you, I thought you were dead! Brought you to Jeff."

When Minho finished, Chuck said quietly from the back of the room. "We didn't even hear the other one!"

"Chuck, Bud, come here." Alex said, waving him over. She patted the other side of her bed, he came and plunked down, making Alex wince a little. "Okay, Bud, tell me." She took his chubby little hand in both of hers.

"Matt and me...were in the back room, with some of the other guys. And I guess while the other 2 were fighting with you, another one crept up, and smashed the window and grabbed Adam and dragged him off." Chuck sniffed, he was trying very hard not to cry. "We tried to get him back.."

Alex let tears slide down her face. When Chuck saw her tears his wall broke and he let out a sob. She pulled him gently into her chest and hugged him tight, letting him cry. Alex saw Matt trying to hold it together, she waved him over. Matt plunked down, making Alex wince. She held his hand and he broke down crying.

They're just children! A shucking CHILD! They shouldn't be seeing klunk like this! This isn't right! This is sick and needs to end.

She looked up at the other boys, wiped her tears. She saw a few other damp eyes.

"How did Gally know about Grievers coming and taking a kid every night?" she asked, thinking out loud, but no answers came.

The boys all shrugged, lost for answers too. She looked back up to the people around her, determination on her face and fire in her eyes.

"This needs to end." She whispered. They all nodded in agreement.

There was another knock on the door, everyone turned to look, there standing in the door was Winston. He had his arms full with something black and fuzzy.

"Bark!" Alex whimpered. Winston came over to the bed, with some difficulty, the room was very full. He laid the dog at the end of the bed. Alex looked up at Winston, tears still in her eyes.

"She's not..?" She couldn't even say the word.

Winston shook his head, "But I don't know what else to do. She took a pretty hard hit." He replied, looking at the floor. Alex put a hand to her mouth trying and failing to hold back a sob.

"Hey, she's tough. Just like you. She'll pull through! It'll take more than. Griever to take her down!" Minho said as he scooted closer to her, trying to hold her while she still held Chuck and Matt.

"I can't lose her! I had her as a puppy from before!" Her voice was weak and shaking.

"You did? How do you know?" Minho asked quietly, stroking her hair.

"I had a memory dream of finding her in some dessert place...but I had her from before! She was my buddy, my partner...she was the first one they took to punish me!" Tears poured down her face.

"Would explain the connection you two had right from the start...hey, hey Sunshine, she's a fighter just like you. She'll pull through!"

I can't lose you! Please Bark! We have been through so much!

She heard a soft whimper. She pulled away, Bark was stirring, she lifted her head.

"BARK!" she squealed. Bark gave a very soft woof. She reached out an arm to pet her beloved dog. Bark gave her hand a little lick and crawled over onto Alex's lap. Chuck and Matt scooting back. Teresa wrapped an arm around Chuck. Alex's stomach settled, and relief washed over her. The fire back in her, she sat up straight.

No more time for boo hooing, we gotta get out of here, we need a plan!

She closed her eyes for a moment, counted four deep breaths, when she was done it was time to stop crying and do something. She opened her eyes, and looked around at everyone, meeting everyone's eyes. She packed her emotions away. For now. With the palm of her hand she wiped the tears away.

"All right. We need to get out of this room and get to work. Min? Are you and Tommy still good to go back to the door? I guess I won't be able to come with you today, but I can help Newt and Tes with those maps." Thomas looked at Minho who nodded.

"Ya we got it, we'll suit up right away, and then Tommy Boy, we run."

Tes was nodding as well.

"Good that. Jeff, Clint? I guess you can restock the first aid bags, make sure we take inventory of what we have left." Both boys nodded.

"Fry...we need to start rationing what we have left, Winston...same with the animals." Both boys looked nervous, but nodded in agreement.

"Wait! Winston!" She called before he left the room. He paused at the door, looking over his shoulder.

"Ya, She-Bean?"

"Thank you. For looking after Bark for me. I appreciate your help. Thank you." She said quietly, giving him a smile.

"No problem. Anytime." He nodded and left to find help to start rationing what was left of their food supplies.

Alex continued, taking control of the current situation from her sick bed, "Good that. Zart needs to harvest everything we can, and that's the last of our supplies. Matt, can you go tell him? See if he needs any help with that?"

Matt jumped off the bed, his eyes still red from crying, but he saluted her. "On it boss!" And he scampered out the door.

"Now, what was done with Gally? And has anyone seen Alby?"

Newt rubbed his bottom lip, thinking. "No, I actually haven't seen Alby since he left with you. I'm such a bloody idiot, I should go check on him!"

Minho stood up, and placed a hand on Newt's shoulder, "Thomas and I have to go there anyways. I'll check."

Before Minho left he leaned over and as his lips made contact with Alex's lips, his eyes snapped to Newt, just to mess with him. Newt huffed and rolled his eyes. Alex giggled quietly, against Minho's warm lips. Her brother's constant frustration with their PDA was very amusing and so easy to tease him with. She reached a hand up to the back of Minho's neck and pulled him closer and kissed him again, harder this time. Minho's eyes lowered to Alex and then closed.

"We get it ya shanks!" Newt whined as he pulled Minho away and shoved him towards the door.

"Bye babe, see ya soon. Come on there Tommy Boy!" And they left. Alex sighed, she missed that shuck face already.

"Alright back to business." Alex sighed, "Gally?" she asked.

"Oh ya, right. Thomas and Minho knocked him out, and tied him up, and some baggers took him to the Slammer once we knew the Grievers were gone." Newt answered. Alex nodded.

"Okay, I need to change and we need to get on those maps." She looked down at Chuck who was now snuggled into Teresa, she was rubbing his back. She reached over and gently lifted his chin and wiped a tear, "Chuck. I know this is scary. I'm scared too. But right now, we need to be brave. Do you know what that means?" He shook his head, his curls bouncing.

She could  hear that deep male voice again, it was oddly soft, but it was unmistakably his, "Brave means doing what we have to, what's right even when we're scared. Be Brave Solider. You can do this."

Alex smiled down at him, his big eyes searching for any kind of hope. "Being brave means doing the right thing, even when we are scared. Alby always said, if you ain't scared, ya ain't human. So, I'm going to need you to be brave."

Chuck nodded, "okay...I think I can do that."

"Good that! Can I ask you a big favor?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Chuck hesitated. "I need someone I trust to watch over my trusted four legged friend here. Think you could do that?" She asked very seriously. Chuck broke into a big smile, nodding making his curls bounce again. Alex smiled too, "Good that!"

She looked at Teresa, "Can you help me change? This shirt is disgusting." She gingerly slid to the edge of the bed, "Hey Jeff, can you toss me the bottle of pain reliever?" He grabbed it off the shelf and tossed it over. Newt held out a hand and Alex accepted gratefully. The girls made their way to their room to change.

Teresa helped take the shirt off and helped her get into a clean one. Once she was cleaned and Teresa rebraided her hair, the girls went downstairs to help.