A Helping Hand

Disclaimer

I do not own Race to Witch Mountain or it's characters. The only things that I can claim as my own are LIX and the additions and changes that occur to the story's plot because of her presence.

Chapter One

Jack Bruno let out a small sigh of relief as he drove away from the taxi yard. He centered his thoughts on the day ahead, pushing his latest encounter with Wolfe's men out of his mind. His eyes glanced at his rearview mirror, checking the distance of the car behind him. At the sight of two blonde teenagers sitting in his back seat his foot stomped down on the brake causing the entire taxi to jerk to a halt.

Jack twisted around in his seat so that he could face the two teenagers directly. He stared at them; his eyes moved from one to the other and then back again before he was able to demand, "Where'd you come from?"

"Outside," said the blonde boy.

"Yeah, I figured that part out on my own," said Jack "How'd you get in the car?"

"Through that portal." As the girl spoke both teenagers pointed to the boy's door.

For a moment Jack simply looked at the two. Their simple, yet obviously true answers had caught him off guard.

Taking advantage of his silence the boy quickly introduced them, "I'm Seth. This is my sister Sara. We require your transportation services immediately."

"Really?" asked Jack. Without pausing he continued, "We I require-"

"Currency transaction," interrupted the girl, Sara.

As his sister spoke, Seth pulled a neatly folded wad of cash from his pocket. Holding it out to Jack for inspection he asked, "Will this amount suffice?"

"What'd you two rob a bank?" asked Jack as he realized that the large wad of bills was entirely made up of $100s.

Ignoring Jack's statement Sara asked, "Is this acceptable Jack Bruno?"

"How'd you know my name?" asked Jack becoming slightly suspicious about the two.

Sara simply raised her finger and pointed to the driver's license that was attached to his dashboard for inspection, making Jack feel rather embarrassed.

"If we have a deal for your services we must move forward rapidly," said Seth, his entire body leaning forward as if trying to demonstrate the urgency of the situation with more than just words. "It's urgent we get to our destination without delay."

Hearing the numerous honking horns behind him, Jack turned back to the front and decided. "Alright, alright I'm going." Glancing over his shoulder at his two passengers he asked, "Where to?" At his words the boy pulled some sort of handheld device out of his pocket and began pressing buttons on it. Growing impatient Jack said, "I need an address."

"We must travel in that direction," said Sara while pointing to the right and out the front window.

"Well, I'm gonna need something a little more specific than just 'that direction'," said Jack, his annoyance at the oddness of his passengers making him a little more snappish than usual.

Speaking up from his seat, Seth began giving Jack a more specific address. "We must locate latitude four-o-point-five-four, cross-intersecting longitude-"

Deciding it didn't really matter where he took the two teenagers as long as they didn't talk like that, Jack cut the boy off with a wave of his hand and said, "We're just gonna stick with that direction."

The many neon signs advertising the UFO convention that was being held at Planet Hollywood flashed by the taxi. Jack shook his head slightly and his eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, checking on his strange passengers again. They flicked away again just as quickly when he saw that the boy, Seth, was staring intently at him.

'Weird kid,' he thought before turning his attention back to the busy Los Vegas road in front of him.

The utter silence of the car was completely shattered a few minutes later when Jack's cell phone rang. Out of the corner of his eye Jack saw the two blondes jump in surprise at the sound but ignored it in favor of splitting his attention between the road and answering the phone. Ignoring the normal cab policy of simply turning his cell phone off while on duty, Jack kept his on, knowing that the only people who had his number would only call him in emergencies.

"Hello, this is Jack Bruno," answered Jack his worry showing on his face.

In the backseat Sara glanced at Seth causing him to look at her in return. Once she was sure she had his attention, she shook her head slightly and her eyes flickered from Seth to Jack and then back again.

Seth gave his sister a serious look and shook his head back at her before resuming his intense stare at Jack in the rearview mirror. Sara fought the urge to roll her eyes at her older brother's antics and let her eyes wander over the different signs that covered the sides of the streets as her thoughts wandered.

"Calm down, I'm coming. Don't worry I'll be there in five minutes." Jack's rushed and concerned voice brought Sara's attention back to the present. Snapping the phone shut, Jack began to put his taxi driving skills to good use. Within seconds they had left behind the overly crowded main streets and were speeding along back streets.

Realizing that they were now going in the wrong direction, Seth leaned forward and said, "This detour is unacceptable. We must get to our destination without delay."

His voice betraying his worry, Jack snapped back at him, "Yeah, well this detour is just something you're going to have to accept."

Seeing that her brother was not going to accept it quietly and that nothing would change Jack's new course, Sara calmly asked, "Where are we going Jack Bruno?"

Jack didn't bother to answer as he avoided another taxi that was traveling a good deal slower than theirs was. Barely making it through an intersection, Jack sent the cab careening around the street corner. The sheer speed of the turn sent Sara tumbling into Seth, who fell against his door.

Sitting up, Seth irately opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jack stomping on the brake. The sudden loss of speed made Seth fall forward and hit his head on the back of Jack's seat.

As her brother pushed himself upright in his seat and rubbed his sore forehead, Sara asked, "Jack Bruno, why have we-" Sara abruptly stopped talking as the front passenger door opened and a girl who looked to be Seth's age climbed into the cab.

Sara's observant eyes scanned her immediately and memorized her face. Both the girl's hair and eyes were a brown so dark that they were almost black. She was wearing a red hoodie with a superman symbol on the pocket and a pair of dark blue jeans. Over her shoulder she carried a small black backpack, which she threw to the floor by her feet as she slammed the door shut.

The girl's skin, which looked like it was normally the same color as Jack's, was pale and Sara could tell from the way that the girl was holding her stomach, that she was most likely ill. Sara's eyes easily picked up on how the girl's shoulders trembled slightly and the worried look that Jack shot at her as he pulled back into mainstream traffic, this time heading in the direction they wanted.

Seth's eyes narrowed at the taxi's new passenger, while he was pleased that they were once again heading in the correct direction, he was not pleased with the fact that they had picked up another passenger. Leaning forward he opened his mouth, but closed it silently when he felt his sister's hand on his arm. Meeting his sister's eyes, he saw her shake her head as she gently applied pressure to his arm. Annoyed, but accepting his sister's judgment, Seth crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat.

The taxi drove in silence for a few minutes before Jack finally asked, "So what happened this time?"

Refusing to look at him the girl replied, "I just couldn't be around people anymore today."

"LIX," started Jack, his worry giving way slightly to annoyance as the events of the day started to catch up to him, "you can't keep doing this." Glancing at the girl, LIX, from the corner of his eye he continued, "If you keep giving up like this you'll never conquer it."

Her own ire growing but unable to think of anything to say, LIX simply glared at Jack. A second later she noticed the two sitting in the backseat and for a moment she just blinked in confusion at them.

"Who are you?" she asked her head tilted to the side as she twisted around in her seat so that she could face them.

Sara, seeing that this time her brother didn't seem to be in any hurry to introduce them, did it herself. "I am Sara. This is my brother Seth. We have arranged a deal for the use of Jack Bruno's transportation services."

Nodding her head slightly as she processed Sara's odd way of talking, LIX asked, "Really? Where're you guys going?"

"We must travel in that direction." As in the first time she said that, Sara pointed in the direction they wanted to go.

From beside her Jack mumbled under his breath, "Crazy teenagers and their ridiculous directions."

Laughing a little at Jack's obvious annoyance and his two passengers apparent obliviousness to it, LIX continued the conversation, "So how old are you two?"

Seeing that her brother was still unwilling to join in and busy glaring at the back of Jack's head, Sara said, "I am sixteen years old. Seth turned eighteen a month ago." Leaning forward slightly Sara asked in confusion, "Your name is Licks?"

"What? Oh, no." said LIX as she turned around so that she was kneeling in the front seat with her back to the dashboard. "My name's Alexia but everyone calls me LIX. Capital l, capital i, capital x; LIX."

Giving up on his glaring Seth finally joined in, "Your friends have given you the nickname '59' in Roman numerals?"

Startled by the fact that the silent blonde boy had actually been paying attention and was now talking to her, LIX simply stared at him for a good minute or so. Her attempt to formulate a reply wasn't helped by the fact that he had managed to figure out LIX meant '59' so quickly.

Sensing that an uncomfortable silence was about to descend, Jack decided to at least set one thing straight before it settled. "LIX, sit down properly and face forward." Ignoring her annoyed eye roll that hid the thankful smile he continued, "We'll be out of Los Vegas in a few minutes." Looking at Seth and Sara in his rearview mirror he asked, "Are we heading in the right direction?"

"Yes," said Seth his mind once again completely focused on reaching their destination. "We should reach our destination a little after nightfall."

"Alright," said Jack. He paused before adding, "We'll have to make a stop or two between here and there though."

Cutting her brother off before he could say anything Sara asked, "Will the stops be because LIX is ill?"

Silence seemed to utterly fill the cab, as both Jack and LIX appeared to freeze. They passed out of Los Vegas and the signs fell away into the bright sands of Nevada. Sara and Seth exchanged a glance and then turned their attention back to the two in front of them. Seth continuing his previous glaring at Jack's head and Sara observing every twitch that LIX made.

They drove for over an hour in utter and complete silence. In that time Seth's eyes never left Jack's reflection in the rearview mirror and Sara's continued to watch the girl in the seat in front of her. It was almost noon when LIX suddenly doubled over and started breathing heavily.

"Jack Bruno," Sara began, but she found it was unneeded as Jack had stopped the cab and was rubbing LIX's back in soothing circles with his hand.

Continuing to rub LIX's back in soothing circles, Jack gently nudged her towards the door. "Go on, I'll pick you up whenever you want," he said making her look up at him through her hair.

LIX gave him a small nod before turning and opening the door. As she was climbing out Jack called after her, "You should really leave your shoes behind this time."

LIX laughed at him, but kicked her shoes and socks off. "I'll catch up later." Turning to Seth and Sara she smiled and, tilting her head to the side slightly, added, "You two smell nice. I hope your still with Jack when I come back." Giving them all a happy little wave she turned around and took off running into the desert.

Jack reached across the passenger seat and pulled the door shut. Without a glance in the direction that LIX had gone, he started the cab back up and sped off down the highway.

"Jack Bruno," Sara's worried voice made Jack glance in the rearview mirror. The sight of Seth's disturbingly blue eyes staring at him greeted him since Sara was still staring out the window at the place where LIX had simply vanished into the glare of the sand. "Why did LIX leave in such a manner?" continued Sara, her eyes eventually turning to look at Jack's reflection.

With a shrug of his shoulders Jack replied, "LIX has some issues. She likes to run them off in the desert. Everybody's got their own form of stress relief, that's hers."

"Why did you have her leave her shoes behind?" asked Seth confusion making his brow crinkle.

"She ruins her shoes running in the sand with them." Trying to avoid the direction the conversation was headed down, Jack asked, "Your parents gonna be okay with you guys spending all this money?"

Leaning as far forward as his seatbelt would allow him Seth promptly said, "We had previously agreed upon our financial deal, if your concern is with regarding your compensation-"

"My concern is the fact that I got a couple of kids in the back of my cab and a big wad of cash with a drop off location that's pretty much in the middle of no where," said Jack rather pleased with himself that he'd successfully made the discussion head in a way that might get some of his questions answered. As he continued he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sara for emphasis, "Now in my book that's a little chapter called running away."

In the back seat Seth sat back again and caught his sister's eye.

The taxi radio suddenly crackled to life and a man's voice spilled out of the small speaker. "Jack you better be getting desert miles on that fair. And they better be able to pay. And you better get me a-"

Whatever the man was going to say was cut off by Jack pressing the transmit button and saying, "There's interference Dominick."

"Jack, Jack?" called the man's voice before Jack switched the radio off altogether.

The two in the back seat looked at each other with expressions of fear on their faces before whirling around to look out the back window.

"Jack Bruno, the vehicles behind us are indicating a pattern of pursuit," said Sara, her normally calm voice giving way to a slightly more frantic one.

"There's no vehicles following-" started Jack, but he quickly fell silent at the sight of a black SUV in his rearview mirror.

In a tone that seemed oddly calm compared to his sister's yet still held a sense of urgency, Seth focused his gaze on Jack and said, "At your current rate of speed versus theirs they will overtake our vehicle in less than-"

"Relax kid," said Jack as he waved his hand dismissively hoping to ease the two teenagers' obvious fears, "I'm just going to let them pass."

With mixtures of both apprehension and fear on their faces Sara and Seth could only glance at each other before turning their attention back to the quickly gaining SUVs.

Jack slowly applied pressure to the brake pedal and the cab rapidly dropped from 60 mph to 30mph. The SUV quickly caught up but didn't make any move to pass. Seeing this, Jack rolled his window down and, sticking his arm out it, yelled, "Open road people. All yours." Seeing the SUV speed up and drive by him, Jack rolled his window back up.

As the SUV passed by, Seth tried to see through the dark tinted glass of the windows, but all he saw was his reflection.

Laying one of his arms across the back of the passenger seat, Jack confidently said, "See what'd I tell you, nobody's following us. I'm the king of these roads."

As soon as he finished speaking Sara pointed through the front window in warning, "Jack Bruno."

Biting back a curse, Jack put both of his hands on the wheel and quickly spun the car as he applied the brake so that they wouldn't ram head first into the now parked SUV. Glancing in the rearview mirror his urge to curse grew even more when he saw two more black SUVs behind and to either side of him. In his wild attempt to avoid ramming the parked SUV the cab was sent into a dizzying spin that took him a few minutes to stop. As soon as he had managed to straighten them out he took off around the parked SUV as fast as possible.

"I said I was out and I meant it," yelled Jack in frustration as he tried to make the small cab go even faster.

After glancing back at the still gaining SUVs, Sara asked very seriously, "Who is Victor Wolfe, Jack Bruno?"

"How do you know that?" asked Jack but he quickly forgot about receiving an answer as one of the SUVs rammed them in the rear bumper. Looking back at both the SUVs and the two teenagers Jack yelled, "Get down now!"

With only a quick glance at each other, the two obeyed immediately.

Jack's attention became focused completely on the road after that point as two of the SUVs pulled up alongside them and boxed them in. The two bigger cars pushed them back and forth across the road, squishing them. Attempting to get rid of at least one of them, Jack executed a maneuver that would most definitely have LIX berating him about being suicidal for a week or two.

But Jack figured she'd forgive him since they'd survived and the maneuver had gotten rid of not only one, but two of the SUVs.

"Jack Bruno it would appear that we have not eluded them," said Sara after she and Seth had sat upright once again and looked out the back window to see one SUV still following them.

Looking in the rearview mirror to confirm what Sara had said, Jack angrily shook his head. "I am so over this. Stay down. Stay down!"

The two obediently hunched back down in their seats but the feel of Seth's eyes on her made Sara concentrate on him instead of the situation they were in. Realizing what he planned to do her eyes widened and she whispered, "Seth no. It's not a good idea."

Shaking his head slightly Seth whispered back, "I have to try."

"It's too dangerous," whispered Sara, her eyes almost pleading for Seth to give up his idea. Before she could say anything else he was gone. Melting through the seat as if it wasn't even there.

As the taxi continued moving, it left a kneeling Seth in the middle of the road. Turning around slowly as he stood up, he placed himself directly in the path of the speeding SUV. Standing as straight and as tall as he could, he took a deep breath and the SUV smashed into him.

Pieces of shrapnel went flying everywhere as the entire front of the vehicle crumpled in on itself from the force of the impact. In the middle of the small hurricane of debris, stood Seth. He hadn't moved an inch from where he'd been standing. The SUVs momentum sent it up into the air, flipping over Seth's head to land in a broken heap behind him.

Watching from her seat in the taxi, Sara saw the SUV crash and land broken in a heap. Turning back to the front she took control of the cab from Jack and, placing it in reverse, made it drive all the way up to the crashed SUV. Jack cursing his malfunctioning cab the whole way.

As soon as they had stopped Jack glanced around, slightly disconcerted by the taxi's behavior. Without looking at them Jack asked, "You two okay?"

Sara answered, "We are-" but was cut off by Seth melting through the cab door and back into his seat.

Out of breath he panted, "We should…just… keep…moving."

His sister's worried glare on his back made Seth focus his attention on her for a moment, but Jack's sudden departure from the cab made him break eye contact.

"Stay here," said Jack as he grabbed a tire iron from under his seat. The two teenagers watched him walk to the broken window of the SUV, but couldn't hear what was said.

Climbing back into the cab, Jack took no time in speeding away. He was quite happy to put some distance between them and those SUVs. Once he thought they were a safe distance away he asked, "How you two holding up back there?"

Glancing at her still heavily breathing brother Sara responded, "We're fine."

"Sorry I dragged you two into all this," said Jack. He figured that the SUVs were either after them because of him or LIX.

Jack glanced up into the rearview mirror at the two. His eyes lingered on Sara for only a moment, while they rested on Seth with barely concealed worry for a much longer period of time. The blonde boy was leaning back against his seat and he was breathing hard as if he was trying to catch his breath after a long run.

Jack's worried starring was only stopped when Sara suddenly pointed to the road in front of them and said, "Jack Bruno, you must brake immediately."

Jack returned his eyes to the road and did exactly as Sara had told him to. The speed of the cab's stop once again sent Sara and Seth falling forward, only their seatbelts keeping them from getting hurt.

Only ten feet in front of the now parked taxi stood the barefoot LIX. Her clothes were covered in dust and she had pulled her dark brown hair up into a ponytail. She gave them a tired smile and began trudging towards them.

"Jack Bruno," began Sara, her eyes following LIX's progress around the hood of the cab, "how is it that LIX has reached this location before us?"

Smiling to himself slightly he replied, "She's just special like that."

Sara saw LIX yawn as she approached the door, one of her hands rubbing her eyes tiredly. Glancing over at her still slightly panting brother, Sara unbuckled and opened her door, startling everyone. Smiling at LIX she said, "LIX, you may sit in my seat and rest."

LIX blinked at her for a moment, her tired mind processing the words a little slower than usual. "Um, thanks." Stepping past Sara she slid into the backseat next to Seth and buckled herself in. Sara closed the door for her and sat down in the front beside Jack.

Shaking her head a little as she yawned, LIX looked at Jack in the rearview mirror and with her head tilted to the side asked, "What happened to the cab? It looks like you got in a fight with another vehicle."

Smirking at her in the mirror as he restarted the cab, Jack replied, "We kind of did." Growing more serious he continued, "It was probably my fault." Glancing at Sara sitting beside him he added, "Sorry you guys."

"There's no need for you to apologize Jack Bruno," said Sara. "You are not always the one to blame."

"But the urgency of our trip has not decreased," added Seth as he leaned forward, his breathing much more regular now.

"Don't worry I'll get you two where you need to go," said Jack. Glancing back at Seth he added, "You've earned it." His eyes flicking to LIX he said, "LIX you should take a nap or something. You look like you're about to fall over."

"I'm fine," said LIX unconvincingly and she covered her mouth as another yawn escaped her.

"You should rest if you are tired LIX," said Sara. She had turned in her seat slightly so that she could see the backseat. Her eyes were focused on LIX, ignoring her brother who was glaring at her.

LIX looked like she was going to argue, but she simply gave Sara a smile and nodded. Without another word she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the seat.

Seth glanced at the girl beside him and then turned to look at his sister. The small smile she was giving him made goose bumps appear on his arms and a shiver run down his spine. Seth quickly looked away from the overly innocent smile that always indicated his sister knew something he did not.

"LIX?" called Jack, but the teenager didn't respond.

"Quiet Jack Bruno," said Sara softly with a smile as she turned to face forward again. "She is sleeping."

In the backseat Seth resumed his previous glaring, this time at the back of his sister's head. A hole in the road shook the entire cab and made Seth bounce in his seat.

"Seth, catch her," ordered Sara, drawing her brother's attention to the sleeping LIX. The bump in the road had dislodged her from her place against the seat and she was rapidly sliding sideways towards Seth.

Completely caught off guard, Seth sat frozen as LIX fell over. He let out a soft "Ah!" as her head landed in his lap.

In the front seat Sara could only giggle at the fact that her brother was blushing. When he made to move LIX off of his lap, Sara stopped him saying, "Oh, leave her Seth. She looks so comfortable there." She had to really work to suppress her giggles as; Seth obeyed her order, but blushed even more.

Jack let out a small chuckle of his own when he glanced in the rearview mirror. He found the image of LIX lying in a blushing Seth's lap both cute and amusing. Though the fact that the boy was blushing made him extremely aware of the fact that he was, in fact, a teenaged boy. After all, in the few hours since he had met the blonde boy, he'd only ever seen him with a serious expression on his face. It was rather easy to forget the boy's age.

As the cab continued down the lonely highway, Jack decided he'd simply watch the boy for now. No reason to jump to conclusions and become overly protective just because of a little blushing.