We were to leave at dawn, when the darkness in the skies was tainted by traces of lights, streaks of red and orange slicing the night apart. There was no time to waste, and the days seemed shorter and shorter.

Everyone had fallen asleep at Jupiter, one by one. Silas, Maya, and then Oliver. Everyone but me.

While my body was resting, restoring its energy, my mind was more awake than ever before. Countless questions stole my sleep from me, yet I did not feel tired when it was time to leave in the morning.

My mind was in overdrive, and rest was not an option until I got the answers I needed.

We decided that at this point, splitting up was our best option. Maya and Oliver were gone before us, deciding they'd get as much information as possible about the Alliance.

When Silas and I stepped outside into the foggy morning, we navigated our way out of the forest and onto the spacious dirt road. My car was missing, but concealed beneath some trees was a motorcycle.

Oliver's motorcycle.

Silas looked confused as I approached it, noting the two helmets sitting on top of the seats. A smile conquered my lips; it had been a while since I had ridden one. And Oliver knew how much I loved them.

I swung my leg over the seat, adjusting one of the helmets onto my head. The handlebars felt natural underneath my hands, and for the first time in a while, I felt powerful, so much so that I'd forgotten that a bewildered Silas was staring at me, his mouth agape.

"There's no way I'm getting on that..."

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his stance stubborn. His hair was a mess from not having groomed it, and the bruise on his cheek was fading, now barely visible.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Stay here, then."

Inserting the keys Oliver had left me, I started the bike, exhilarated when the engine roared to life. I drove a few feet past Silas before he spoke.

"Wait!" He yelled, his eyes darting around the forest. Reluctantly, he walked over, grabbing the helmet that had fallen on the floor. It took him a few minutes to get it to fit correctly before he swung his leg over the seat behind me.

While he was adjusting himself on the seat, I decided it'd be amusing to mess with him. I revved the engine, causing him to nearly fall off. I was still upset with him for leaving the safehouse, and wasn't afraid to let it seep through my attitude.

An unexpected laugh escaped my mouth, and to my surprise, he began laughing, too. Something about his reaction made me feel calmer. And the slightest big guilty.

Sighing, I tightened my fingers around the handles and looked at him over my shoulder.

"Just hold on."

He nodded, his breathing much steadier than before as his gaze met mine. He trusted me. It was evident in his eyes. Something about that was unsettling.

His arms snaked around my waist and he complied, holding on so tightly that at one point it was uncomfortable to breathe, but gradually, his grip loosened.

He leaned back a little, enjoying the cold wind as we ripped through it, driving faster than most people on the road. We were supposed to meet his uncle at the airport, but I had a loose end to tie up first.

When we came to a stop in front of Julia Knight's house, Silas jumped off the bike, his eyes wide with recognition.

"You're leaving me here again?"

He looked at me incredulously, running his hands through his wild hair.

I took the helmet off my head, tossing it at him. He caught effortlessly, which came as a surprise.

"Relax." I rolled my eyes, glancing at her house. "I just need to talk to her. Stay here."

He looked nervous, but complied nonetheless, taking a seat against the motorcycle. It was strange seeing him with it; he seemed out of place.

Before I could knock on Julia's door, it swung open, revealing her graceful smile. She greeted me with an embrace, a knowing expression on her face.

We skipped the small talk. I could tell that she knew I was a little bit irritated, but most of all, confused. I trusted her with a task that should've been beyond easy, and was let down.

She placed a hand on my arm.

"I thought you'd stop by."

"Julia," I took a deep breath, "how did he get away from you?"

She peered over my shoulder at Silas before meeting my gaze.

"Can you step in for a bit?"

I nodded, glancing at my watch.

"I have about five minutes."

She smiled warmly.

"That's more than enough."

Her house was different from when I'd last seen it. Sprawled across the coffee table were papers upon papers, and the place was messy. It was unlike her.

Her voice snatched me from my thoughts.

"A friend of ours brought you and Rose to me when you were a little over a year old. I was to keep both of you safe, for reasons they did not tell me."

I listened closely, trying to recall whether or not Mother had ever told me this story. She hadn't.

"Zara, we protect only those who want to be protected. When you came with Silas, he spoke to me. He said he didn't want to stay, and that he wanted to help you."

Not quite comprehending her words, I shook my head. So that's what they spoke about when he made the excuse to go to the restroom.

"We protect. We do not keep prisoners."

"I was doing it for his own safety—"

"If I'm not mistaken, he's old enough to make his own decisions. You should maybe give him a chance. He may not have the skill or experience that you do, but the boy has drive. And passion. That can go a long way."

A part of me knew that she was right, but I didn't have it in my stubborn self to admit it. I nodded slowly, standing up as I smiled at her.

Even though my mother's absence haunted me every second of the day, Julia's presence made it less painful.

»»————-　　————-««

Silas's uncle was... well, just what I imagined Silas's uncle to be like. Leo Bridges was tall and lanky. He was dressed slightly better than Silas, but I could see traces of his features in Leo's face. They shared a dimple in their right cheek, framing their lips.

There was a slight difference: his uncle had hints of a Greek accent laced into his deep voice.

"Silas!" Leo shouted, wrapping his arms around him and picking him up off the ground. I stifled a laugh as he continued to gush. "To glykó mou gio!"

My sweet son.

They had a strong bond. I could tell. Silas reluctantly hugged him back, his cheeks becoming red. From embarrassment or from being squeezed so hard— it was hard to figure out.

Silas smiled meekly as his uncle finally pulled away.

"Geia theíos," his smile became genuine, as he glanced at me. His uncle followed his gaze as it landed on me, and his eyes widened with shock.

Hi uncle, Silas had said. I saw it coming. As Leo approached me, he opened his arms wide, and I suppressed my instincts to bend his arm and snap at as he wrapped his arms around me. He smelled of musk and for some reason, a hint of gasoline. I held my breath, telling myself to calm down as he held on. Finally, he pulled away, the smile on his lips comically huge.

"Hello my love!"

I feigned a smile.

"Chárika gia ti gnorimía..."

Nice to meet you.

My pronunciation was slightly off since I hadn't spoken Greek in a while, but I could tell it wasn't terrible by the way that Leo's face lit up. Silas seemed just as surprised, his mouth slightly agape.

Leo then took my arm and Silas's and made us stand side by side, and I swear I thought I saw his eyes well up with tears. Confused, I was about to speak when he beat me to it.

"Not only did my sweet nephew finally find a girlfriend, she's beautiful and she can speak Greek! O Theós na evlogeí!" God Bless.

It took me a second to digest his words. Anger began to poison my mind and I narrowed my eyes, about to protest, but I saw that Leo looked proud of Silas. He seemed to be the jolliest man I'd ever met, and telling him the truth would probably just kill his happiness.

Suppressing a sigh, I interlaced my fingers with Silas's, the warmth of his larger hand sort of comforting as it engulfed mine. He squeezed my hand once, as if he was thanking me, and stood a little straighter. I felt his shoulders relax.

Leo's smile grew impossibly bigger at the sight of our intertwined hands as he turned around and led us into the private airport. When we fell a few steps behind him, I moved away from Silas and dropped my hand back to my side, rendering it cold and alone once again.

Through gritted teeth, I muttered, "You told him I was your girlfriend?"

Silas nodded sheepishly, not meeting my gaze.

"It was the only way he'd fly us to Rome. He didn't approve of me skipping my classes unless it was for a good reason. And lucky for us, he's a hopeless romantic."

He babbled on, knowing too well that I'd be annoyed with what he'd done. I processed his words slowly and his uncle turned around to see if we were keeping up. Immediately, Silas and I grabbed each other's hands and forced smiles for show. Well, mine was forced.

"Silas..." I trailed off, "What have you been telling your entire family about your absence?"

The thought had crossed my mind a few times before, and I meant to ask, but our conversations usually ended in me being annoyed of him, so I never got a chance. I braced myself for his answer.

"I told them I'm on an adventure with my friend."

I squeezed his hand, a bit too tight, and he gave in.

"Girlfriend."

Having had enough, I groaned and brushed past him, walking a few feet ahead.

"Unbelievable!"

He ignored me, catching up and falling into step with me.

"Listen, it's the only way they'd understand. I've never really had... a romantic relationship before."

I'd figured. But something about the way he admitted it, sadness in his eyes, made me want to be easier on him. I sighed, convincing myself that it wasn't the worst thing he could've told them.

"I didn't know you speak Greek." His face contorted with confusion as he stared down at me, finally meeting my eyes. Snatching my gaze away, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and kept walking.

"I didn't know you speak Greek, either."

In Academy, I chose a language concentration, in which we were required to learn at least five languages. Greek happened to be one of the seven I'd learned.

Our conversation was cut short when we finally reached a private airplane, one that looked much bigger close up. It resembled the jets at G.O.L.D., making my stomach twist with nostalgia.

Leo spun around, throwing his arms in the air, and placing a pilot cap on his head. I had no idea where that came from.

"To Rome we go!"

»»————-　　————-««

I'd been to Rome only once before. Among the countless cities I'd visited, it had always been one of my favorites. Perhaps because my memories of Rome were not comprised of violent missions and operations, but of a field trip I'd taken with the Academy when I was ten years old.

As we flew over the beautiful city, memories flooded my mind. It made me wonder how many people from that trip were still alive after the rebellion. And how many people were on our side? We soared above the clouds, streaks of white surrounding us as we approached our fate. I hugged my backpack tighter to my chest, feeling the shape of my mother's journal through the fabric.

Silas was sound asleep next to me, quiet and gentle snores vibrating his body. His head fell onto my shoulder, and for some reason, I let it stay there.

How long we were to stay in Rome depended on how our meeting with Jeremiah was going to go. Leo, having never been there, decided he wanted to stay a few days as well, which worked out well since we would be able to head back to New York with him. It was also possible that Rome might lead us to another country other than the United States.

Before we parted at the airport, Leo placed a piece of paper in Silas's hands. He looked at him lovingly as he spoke, glancing at me.

"I took the liberty of booking a hotel room for the two of you. Don't protest, let me take care of you."

Silas nodded, staying quiet as we said our goodbyes and I received another longing hug from Leo. I wondered what it was like to have a family other than just a mother, but I realized not too long after that families came in different forms. Mine just happened to be the people I'd fought with, and the few people who genuinely cared for me. Not just because I was the daughter of Rose Dubois, but because I was me.

When we arrived at the address that Mother had given me, I was surprised. The destination was not a home, but a shop. A bakery to be exact. Silas's face lit up at the sight of it as he raced in front of me. Realizing that it probably wasn't a good idea, he came to a stop and waited for me to walk past him.

A bell chimed as we walked in, the aroma of cookies and vanilla dancing in the air. The bakery was small and empty, with cute decorations scattered across the interior. I watched as Silas walked to a cupcake tray, picking one up and staring at it longingly. Ignoring him, I studied the bakery, scrutinizing the posters and desserts laid out. The place was calm. Not what I'd imagined.

The sharp sound of pots clattering to the ground and a woman groaning startled both of us. From the kitchen appeared a small woman, her hair pulled up into a bun. She seemed to be middle-aged, her face and apron dusted with flour.

She seemed surprised to see us, her face lighting up with delight. She clasped her hands together, rushing to the counter. Silas and I smiled at her. She seemed as sweet as the desserts surrounding us.

"Oh hello!" She spoke as she pulled a tray of cookies out of the oven and set it behind her. "What brings you in today? We have a special on cupcakes and you can sample anything you'd like..."

She trailed on and on, and judging from her accent and demeanor, she was a native. I smiled at her, interrupting when I found an appropriate pause in her speech.

"Actually, we're here to see Jeremiah Watkins."

I was unsure about whether or not this was the right place to be, realizing that maybe I should've double-checked the address. But the way that her sweet smile faltered the slighted bit told me that she recognized the name.

It was then that her sweet demeanor subsided. She became tense, her eyes narrowed, studying Silas and I. Scrutinizing us. There was a solemn look in her previously bright eyes. Her gaze landed on the necklace around my neck, eyes widening. My mother's necklace. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

"Follow me."

Silas and I shared a nervous look as we walked through the little door that separated us from the kitchen. I don't know what drove him to do it, but without saying a word, he took my hand into his. I froze. He looked down at me reassuringly, his emerald eyes speaking words unsaid.

I was breathing again. Calm. And in a state of serenity as we followed the woman up the stairs, hands still intertwined.

We finally reached what seemed to be a floor of residence. The door to the only room was ajar, and the subtle sound of jazz music was swimming in the air. Realizing that I was still hand in hand with Silas, I snatched my hand away, feeling uncomfortable. I thought I heard a sigh escape his lips, but he remained silent.

The woman knocked on the door, and the music stopped. She pushed it slightly so that it swung open, and in front of us was a room with musical posters plastered across the walls. The smell of coffee was strong, and there was a chilly breeze blowing across the room through an open window. In the corner of the room sat a man in a wheelchair, absorbed in reading a book.

He lifted his gaze when he heard us walk in, his expression endearing when he saw the woman who'd led us to his room. His smooth ebony skin became wrinkled near his caramel eyes as he studied me, recognition slowly encompassing his features. His eyes landed on the necklace I'd unknowingly been playing with, and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Zara Dubois. We meet again."

(A/N)

Writing this chapter was actually really fun for me. I hope you enjoy it was much as I did! Please VOTE and leave your thoughts below! It's quite a long one. Oops. But their adventure in Rome is going to be very interesting, so stay tuned! ;)

Also if anyone knows Greek, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CORRECT THE DIALOGUE! I used Google translate and I know it isn't always reliable. 

As always, thank you for reading. Means the world.