Hi guys! Glad you're enjoying the story so far. Really quick, I just want to say thank you for all the positive reviews and feedback; I really appreciate it. But I just want to say one thing quickly before the chapter. You should read this; it's important - it'll help you understand why I'm going to write some things in the future of this story.

So basically, Virals is my favorite series ever (why wouldn't it be) but there is one thing I've always had a problem with in the series - and that's how little everything that happens affects Tory. Yes, she's incredibly strong, but no one can go through what she has - her mother's death, being shot at, being kidnapped twice, watching people die, and being lied to by the person she trusts most, and, you know, having super powers that need to be kept hidden or else - and walk out of it the same. So that's basically the one thing that's always bothered me about the books. And also, I feel like we don't really know much about what her life was like before she moved to Morris Island. I don't know, maybe you disagree, but it's what I think. I just wanted you guys to understand this so you understand why I'm writing some of the things I'm going to (don't worry I'm not going to make her crazy or anything I promise, just make her have some issues to work through). Anyway, here's the next chapter!

We all gave off a cheer as Ben opened bright blue eyes.

He'd tried flaring again this morning, and much to his dismay, hadn't been able to. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to. The three of us had reassured him that wasn't the case, but he'd left silently without even a goodbye, so I knew he was taking it harder than he was showing.

It was late, and we were all sitting down on the dock. I'd had a soccer game after school, so Ben had come to watch and driven me home since he was staying at his father's house tonight. Hi and Shelton had met us down on the dock; apparently they'd been practicing and experimenting with the new flares.

I forced my mind back to the present and smiled at Ben as he looked around him with awe.

"I told you it was amazing," I said.

"It is."

We sat there for a few more minutes while he looked around. Finally he suggested, "We should all flare and see if we can connect minds."

"I wouldn't know if I should be happy or disappointed if we can't," Shelton said.

"Only one way to find out."

I closed my eyes and reached for my flare. It came easier than ever before. I inhaled deeply, taking in the smells of the night. Across the harbor, I could see the lights almost clearly. The sound of my heartbeat rushed through my ears, and next to me, I could hear the guys' with perfect clarity. I reached over and grabbed Ben's hand, and blushed when both our hearts stuttered when our fingers curled around each other's. Hi snickered, and we both shot him a glare.

Closing my eyes, I reached inward, searching for the threads that tethered the four of us. I found them, and gasped as I reached out to grab them. They were a brilliant, dancing gold, and if I were actually looking at them they'd be as bright and blinding as the sun.

I squeezed Ben's hand as I mentally reached out to grab the threads. I pulled them close, opened my mind to theirs and-

-I'm hiding in the closet in my room. My parents are yelling. I don't like when they yell at each other. I listen as their argument escalates, and I listen when my mom says, "I'm leaving!" Tears fall down my cheeks as the door slams and a car speeds out the driveway, and they keep falling when Dad comes into my room, picks me up and holds me as we both cry-

-I'm looking down at a woman. I don't know her. She's in a wooden box, and isn't moving. It's scary. She looks like Mom, and Mom says she was her mom, which makes her kind of like my mom, so I try talking to her but she doesn't answer. Everyone around me whispers, but their words are strange, like Mom's are on the phone sometimes, and sound nothing like mine. I can't understand them. Dad said we were going to a far away place, and it would be very different, and we went on a big plane to get here, but I don't like it. I want to go home-

-I'm waiting for Mom to come home with the pizza. They must have lots of orders to fill; she's been gone too long. Sirens blare in the distance, unusual in such a small town, but I dismiss it and turn my attention back to my phone. TV's on a commercial break, so I'm on Twitter scrolling through my feed when the doorbell rings. I'm a little surprised; it's late and we don't really know our neighbors, but I get up and answer the door. It's a police officer, and my heart starts to beat a little bit faster. She asks if I'm Colleen Brennan's daughter, and asks if my father's home and asks to come in when I tell her I don't have a father. I let her in, my heart now pounding, and ask her what's happening, what's going on, is my mom okay. And when she tells me she's dead, car accident, dead on arrival, didn't see it coming, drunk driver, my vision narrows, I can't breathe, can't speak, can't think, can't think anything other than I'm alone; she's dead and I'm all alone-

-I sit next to my mom in the waiting room. We're waiting for my dad to get test results; what kind of results, I'm not sure. But they said that he was very sick, and if he didn't get medicine, he would have to leave forever. I cried and said I don't want him to leave forever. My mom made him stop smoking because the sickness was in his lungs, and he went to get medicine at the hospital a lot. A man walks into the waiting room, the doctor, and tells my mom that everything is negative, that there's no sign of cancer, and then Dad is here and he's hugging me and mom and she's hugging him and they're crying and I ask if this means he's staying, he's not leaving forever, and he laughs and says that yes, yes he's staying, and then I'm crying too-

-I suddenly took a deep breath as my mind was flung back to the present, and opened my eyes to realize my flare was gone. I was sprawled on the dock, with the guys in pretty much the same position.

My mind whirled trying to figure out what the hell, exactly, just happened. All I know is that I opened up my mind to the others, and what can only be described as a tidal wave flung me around from mind to mind.

The others sat up too, and looked around as if they were surprised to find themselves on this dock.

I can only guess that was some sort of… memory exchange. I sorted through them, determining which came from who- the first had to be Ben's, and how his parents split up, the second was Shelton's; he'd told us the story of the first time he went to Japan, and the last had to be Hi's since I remember him mentioning his father had cancer when he was younger.

Looking out into the harbor, I hoped that they didn't see them; that it was only me. That night, the one Mom died… it's still too hard for me to think about most of the time. It'd been weeks since I thought about her, and then three times in the past week - when Kit and Whitney announced their engagement, talking with Ella yesterday, and now.

I heard movement behind me as the guys pulled themselves together. I couldn't look at them now; if I did I'd cry.

"Tory," Ben said, softly. I ignored him, staring out across the harbor, forcing away the wetness that threatened to spill over from the corners of my eyes. No. I will not cry here.

"Tory. Look at me." Shelton and Hi were muttering to each other under their breath.

I took a deep breath, and turned to look at him. "I'm fine," I forced out. "Really."

Ben gave me the I-don't-believe-you look, but let it drop.

"So..." Shelton said, "What are we even supposed to do now?"

"First, we have to figure out what happened," I said.

"You did your freaky mind stuff. We were hit by a tsunami. Saw inside each other's heads," Hi muttered. "Because you guys really needed to be in my head. Again."

"Not like I could help it," I snapped. "I had as little control over that as you did."

"You're the one who started it!" Shelton said.

"Whoa! Stop. We are not going to start pointing fingers and accusing each other," Ben snapped. "And-" he glanced at me quickly "-we aren't going to talk about what each of us saw yet."

Hi opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it. "We aren't going to try to connect minds again. I promise."

Ben quickly added,"It'd be better to focus on the abilities of this new flare that don't relate to connecting minds."

I was going to respond, but my phone buzzed a new text. A quick glance told me it was time for dinner, and Kit wanted me home. "I have to go. Dinner."

Saying goodbye, I quickly hopped up and jogged toward my townhouse. All I wanted was to eat and then fall into bed.

Okay, chapter done. Sorry it's kind of short. Not my best I know but I really wanted to get this up for you guys because it's been so long. Sorry this took so long to happen; I've actually been working on it for haven't had the motivation. Anyway, I just started my senior year, so I'm going to be pretty busy. Oh! One more thing. I'm thinking about maybe doing another Virals crossover. I have an idea with what, but I'm not gonna say yet, but I think (hope?) that you'll like it. I'll announce it with the next chapter if I decide to do it and haven't posted the story yet.