^One of my fav songs of all time :)

"Your phone's ringing!" Marie shouted from the kitchen.

"Mine?!" Em shouted back. 

"No! Natalie's!" 

I jumped up from my spot on the floor beside Em and ran into the kitchen where the phone was buzzing silently across the bench. I grabbed it and slid the button to accept without checking the Caller ID, "Hello?"

"Is this Miss... Natalie Ann Roberts?"

I furrowed my eyes at the deep, formal man's voice. I sat on a kitchen stool and replied, "Yes, it is. May I ask who's speaking?"

"Hello, Miss Roberts, how are you?" the man asked, not answering my own question.

I'll take it as a 'no', then?

"I am doing okay?" I squeaked and it ended up more as a question.

"Good," the man said firmly and then continued, "My name is Mr Daniels. You won't need to remember my name, however. I'm not as important at Daring Inc. as some are. I'm just the message man."

"How may I help you, Mr Daniels?" I winced. He was kind of babbling on.

"Have you heard of Daring Inc. before?"

"Of course, sir," I replied, confused to where this was going. Daring Inc. had about twice the money and technology as Apple did and were practically taking the world over... not literally, of course, though.

"Good," he responded, "Were you aware they owned The Facility? That includes your current experiment?"

I froze and forced between my teeth, "No. I was not."

Daring Inc. owned The Facility? So... Daring Inc. was in charge of Alto Emus then? Whatever had happened inside of me had been made by Daring Inc.? They didn't just control technology or our social lives... but also two humans - me and Christian. 

There was a very long pause that I felt the need to say, "Hello? Mr Daniels?"

I heard dim voices on the other end and then a new, familiar voice, "Hello, Natalie, long time, no talk."

"Dr Demonico..."

***

The next day, instead of being on the beach with Emily and Principal Wednesday, I found myself stepping onto the carpeted terminal in the Australian Capital Territory... by myself. 

I looked around, hoping to see either Dr Demonico or a large sign with my name written on it. However, the sign thing only really ever happens in movies. 

I took a seat when I didn't see anyone recognisable. I fidgeted slightly around in my seat whilst people from the same plane I'd been on went straight to hugging their loved ones or shaking the hands of their business partners. It seemed everyone else knew exactly who they were supposed to be meeting. 

Why hadn't Dr Demonico told me who I was meeting on the phone? 

She'd told me what - a person from Daring Inc. - where - Canberra Airport - when - twelve p.m. sharp - why - to discuss Alto Emus or 'Soulmate'... 

But not who exactly. I didn't get given a name, appearance or even jacket colour... 

I pulled out my phone. 11:58am. 

When she said twelve p.m. sharp, she probably meant twelve p.m. sharp. To buy time I walked to the vending machine on the wall and bought a packet of Starbursts. What can I say; I was hungry?

I sat back down and munched through a few before checking the time again. 11:59am. I swallowed another Starburst snake. For a moment, I stared at the packet. How was I ever afraid of something so delicious? Actually, how was I ever afraid of food in general?

It took me another moment to realise the terminal had gone quiet. People were still there, of course, but everyone was staring in one direction; silent. 

I followed everyone's gazes and my eyes widened. 

It looked like this 'person' wasn't just one person...

There were probably about a dozen men and women in business suits - not something too out of place - but one of the men off to the side had a large camera resting on his shoulder. A woman had a clipboard and pen and was furiously jotting down notes as she walked. Those parts were a little unsettling... including the fact that they didn't have any bags with them. I straightened up on instinct, watching as they made a sharp turn into the terminal. 

Slowly, I moved to put my Starbursts' away into my bag. 

The large group stopped just a few feet from me - well done Daring Inc. and Alto Emus. 

The group parted into two and I gasped slightly. The first person my eyes landed on was the prime minister. 

Yes.

I repeat; the prime minister. The one for Australia. Mr Simon Lisbon. 

He nodded his head at me, "Miss Roberts? Correct?"

I nodded numbly. Next, my gaze moved to the boy next to him. My gasp was louder this time. 

There, in the flesh, was the boy I'd fallen for. 

"Christian," I murmured.

"Nat," he grinned brightly. 

I ran to him and tucked my head into the crook of his neck, wrapping my arms around his neck. I cried out quietly, "I missed you so much..."

One of his hands rested on my back and the other stroked my hair as Christian chuckled, "I missed you too, Dove."

He kissed my hair and it was then that I remembered we were in an airport with the prime minister. 

We took a quick step back from each other - him realising the same thing - and smiled gently at each other. 

Gradually, I moved my gaze to Mr Lisbon, "Prime Minister, it's a great honour."

He extended a hand to me, "I'd like to say the same to you, Miss Roberts. From this moment forward, you can consider yourself more important than me. Therefore, please, call me Simon."

I shook his hand, confused. How was I supposed to feel superior to the prime minister of my country?

"Sirs, Miss, we must be moving if we wish to make it back to the Parliament House in time," a blonde woman said who had an iPad in her arms. 

Christian already had my bag over his shoulder and winked at me as he slid an arm across my back to get me to move along with the large group. 

***

We moved out of the airport in silence and stopped to find a line of limos against the valet. Men and women dispersed into several, two men and the prime minister moved into another with darker windows and left Christian and me with another limo and two men in black suits. 

Christian gestured for me to head to the limo and I quickly slid in. It obviously wasn't my first time in a limo but it was my first time in one where I'd been escorted out of an airport with the prime minister...

Christian sat next to me and the other two guys in. The last guy's jacket flap opened as he slid in and I caught a glimmer of something. I tensed as I realised what it was. 

A gun. 

Though, somehow, I couldn't tear my gaze away from the business jacket. 

The man let out a hearty laugh and I jumped in my seat, "Miss, I am your personal bodyguard. This gun is for your protection, not your execution. I can show you my license if you would prefer?"

I shook my head slowly and sank back into the seat with a blush.

Just how important was this Alto Emus?

I rested my head on Christian's shoulder, letting out a soft yawn at the same time he did. 

"I need some sleep," we said in time and then we laughed softly together, before zoning out on the world.

***

I closed my door behind me and stepped across the hall. Shawn's room was directly across from mine. My twin pushed the door open, "Hey, Chris? You decent?"

"Yeah, man," replied that same husky voice.

I stepped towards the door frame and peered in. He was right - everything was black, except the ceiling and carpet. There was hardly any light in there, actually...

That was the first thing I noticed.

The second thing was, "You've already trashed your room, Shawn."

He shrugged at the clothes all across his bed, "They aren't mine. They're Christian's. He's a messy packer."

"No, I'm not," the voice said, with slight amusement.

The boy was the last thing I noticed before I ran away.

Perfect brown hair styled into a quiff, tanned lean muscle across his arms, gorgeous reddish-brown eyes and a ghost of a smile on his face. He noticed me at the same time I noticed him.

He was literally the guy from my dreams.

I murmured, "No way."

At the same time, he murmured, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Our eyes both widened in recognition and I spun around, running right for my bathroom before I vomited in the toilet bowl.

He was there.

Christian Park.

"Park...ah," I muttered.

The guy I'd never seen before but had been dreaming about for the last few years.

And it seemed he knew me too.

***

I woke and found myself in a soft, comforting bed in an unknown room. It was a massive suite, in fact, on further inspection. White bedsheets, furniture, dark walls and carpet. A flat-screen TV on the wall, a door that presumably led to a bathroom and a tiny kitchen in the corner. I slid out of the bed onto the plush carpet. I was still in my jeans and simple t-shirt from earlier but my shoes had been taken off. I can't believe I'd reunited with Christian in this. Or that I'd met the prime minister in this. 

I let my gaze wander across the room again and it ended in the kitchen. On the bench was a glass of water, a muesli bar and... a napkin? I squinted my eyes and walked across to it before realising it was a note. I gulped down the water and then read the note:

Miss Natalie Ann Roberts,

Once you wake up, the prime minister requests you change into one of the business suits in the wardrobe. They should be fit for your size. Then, proceed to the downstairs foyer to meet with your personal escort to the Parliament House. 

Dr Alisha Demonico. 

I put the note down and picked up the muesli bar to eat. I turned and found the wardrobe on the far side of the room. Gobbling down the rest of the muesli bar, I opened the wardrobe doors to find dresses, business suits and casual wear. Pulling out a jacket and skirt suit, I grinned. This should be perfect. It was a white button-up blouse with a crisp light grey blazer and pinstripe pleated skirt. I rummaged through the drawers for some dark stockings and pulled those on too with some light grey strappy heels. 

It was my first time choosing a business suit out so it would have to do. 

I slipped my phone into one of the blazer's pockets and then proceeded out of the suite, barely remembering the keycard. I slipped it into my pocket and then closed the door behind me, hearing the lock. I walked to the elevator and pressed the button to go down to the floor marked LOBBY. 

The guy from the limo was waiting on the lounge with his head buried in his phone. Slowly, I approached him with a small smile. 

He looked up at me and then back to his phone and then back to me, "S-sorry, it's my sister."

"There's no problem," I assured him. 

"According to everyone else, it is," he said, tucking his phone into his pants' pocket, "Ready to go?"

"I'll never be, so let's go anyway," I gave the guy a timid smile. 

***

Song: Hotel California - Eagles.

Guess who's back, back, back, back again-gain-gain, Christian's back, tell a friend! :)

Only eight or so chapters left before the sequel begins :) I've had a few PMs about the sequel so I'll outline a bit of it. The main characters won't be Nat and Park (sorry to disappoint) but instead will be focused a few generations into the future. However, there will be plenty of mention of Nat and Park, not to worry *\(^0^)/*.

xx Sharky.