Hi, everyone!

Is someone still out there reading Gen Rex fanfics? I hope so, you remember I said I had a few ideas? well, they died, but I saw someone added this to their alert list so I felt forced to write something else, so here you go~. It's similar to The First Time (which is why I'm uploading this as the second chapter), I based this on the song Sound the Bugle by Bryan Adams, I hope you like it and you don't find it too depressing, as for me, some of the feelings comes from the bottom of my heart, this weekend has been horrible.

Enjoy!

The first time, part II

"Doc, I'm scared" whispered the tan skinned boy as he was lying in a metallic bed, ready to start the horrifying process of overloaded nanites extraction.

By all response, Holiday inclined to kiss Rex's forehead.

"Don't worry, we will be here when you wake up." she promised to the kid, a sad smile across her lips and melancholy look on her eyes.

Rex believed in her words with all his heart and, seconds later, he was full asleep.

She let go a sigh of relief after seeing the kid asleep. She was too sad, too depressed to keep her emotions deep inside down like she used to do. The silent process of extraction wasn't her specialty, but considering Providence had just achieved this new weapon, as they called him, she had to do it; Providence was short of personal to treat Rex and, so far, she was who knew the most about him.

She checked every step twice, just in case, and once the process was over, all she had to do was wait for the extraction to complete. She took a blanket she had brought to the room and covered Rex with it. That way he wouldn't feel cold while asleep.

Holiday left the room, hoping that he would have nice dreams this time; the first time they had brought Rex it had been an emergency and when he woke up the kid had claimed to have a nightmare. Holiday would never forget his pale face and his horror expression as he almost jumped from the bed, fear running through his veins.

She walked through the corridors until she reached the last door. She opened it and took a quick glance to the inside, making sure that there was nobody else in there. It was the cafeteria, most probably, judging by the picnic tables. Holiday walked inside and closed the door behind her; she didn't want anyone to find her, though the only person aside of her and Rex in there was agent Six.

He was quite a mystery for her, and sometimes he even managed to become somehow intriguing to her eyes; yet, he was a man of really few words and he didn't seem like the affective or expressive type of guy, the only connection they shared was Rex, making their relationship be completely and extremely professional.

She sat on the bench next to the only window of the entire base and untied the bun at the top of her head; feeling her hair falling down to her shoulders released some of the tension she was carrying. She turned around to look to the outside through the window; it had to be pretty thick to not let the icy cold get inside, but she had to admit it had been a good idea; the view of the pale night as the snow was softly blowing was something relaxing. It reminded her of her happy days as a teenager with her sister, Beverly.

Though Holiday was older than Beverly by almost twelve years, she shared a special connection with her little sister; Holiday had protected her from every danger she could and, with time, Beverly became her best friend, her only real friend in fact.

She was a good girl back then, good grades at school, responsible, but she was too shy and her classmates didn't share her ideas of a future so she always remained alone during the entire high school. Yet, as any girl of her age, she had a certain crush during high school, and seeing how he invited to the Prom to the most popular girl broke her heart; good thing her little was waiting at home to cheer her up. Yup, they had a great time playing that night.

After that, Holiday had decided to do the military service for a year; considering her dad had started from a soldier to a general, she wanted to follow his steps and become stronger, since he always wanted to have a boy, all she wanted was to please her family and make them happy.

That year she found out what she really wanted to be, a doctor.

She learned how to protect herself, how to fire a gun, and how to remain in calm in dangerous situations, but seeing and thinking of the worst cases scenarios had convinced her that she didn't want to be the one who fired the gun but the doctor that would safe the life of the injured person. She didn't want to kill, no, she wanted to live, and let other people live too.

She hadn't been happier in her entire life the day she came back. Her sister was waiting her with a toothy grin and her eyes full of tears. That night, as they used to be before she left, they shared the entire night talking, catching up with each other's life.

For next year, Holiday entered into the med school, determined to be a doctor.

It took her time, sleep and lot of sacrifice but she made it; she was just twenty two when she was already going for her third PhD. Her family was proud of her, same her teachers, the entire school knew that she would be a great doctor, and that she would become famous in no time.

But that didn't happen.

The nanite event occurred, and with it, all her dreams and projects slowly started to vanish.

At first, it was her best chance to do a new discovery, and immediately she started to study the phenomenon. But then she realized something.

She had been so focused on her research that she hadn't noticed her sister's strange behavior. Beverly wasn't being the same, she was quieter, and she was spending more time in her room, with the curtains closed. It had been three months since the nanite event when Holiday noticed that her sister was mutating with those nanite things that had spread across the world.

"Rebecca... I must... tell you something..." Those had been her words, her voice trembling as Beverly had decided to confess to her sister what was happening with her.

Holiday wouldn't ever forget the sound of her voice and the tone she used to pronounce her name. She had been scared, of what? Of her? Maybe. Beverly was scared that she wouldn't love her anymore if she knew what was wrong with her, but Holiday hugged her sister tightly as tears were falling down her cheeks. That day, both packed her stuff and ran away from town. It was the only way to keep Beverly safe from this new organization: Providence.

They had a certain policy with mutants: contain or kill. Rebecca would rather die than let her sister be caged far from her, or worse, be killed. For three months, they remained safe, but then Providence finally cornered them.

Her sister was held captive, and Rebecca decided to make a deal. In exchange for her sister safety she would work with them. At first, this wasn't a worthy deal, but after the Committee found out of her excellent grades and her advances research, she was accepted as Dr. Fell's assistant.

Rebecca remained caged the facilities, meanwhile her sister was caged in a high security prison that was at the other end of what it looked like an arena. Holiday sneaked every night to her cage and both used to talk until dawn as they did before. At least they were caged together, and with the promise and the hope that Rebecca would find a cure for her sister.

But three years passed, and her sister's condition got worse. She could no longer go inside the cage, and there were some times in where Beverly wouldn't even recognize her. Those days were the worst for Rebecca, who was at edge of despair.

However, it is said that most important condition for a miracle to happen is faith in something that seems impossible. Well, a miracle just happened.

It had been Six. Well, to be specific, Six had brought Rex to Providence.

The kid was the cure for the EVOs, as she called them; he could cure them thanks to his ability to control the nanites. Her research wasn't entirely wrong, there was indeed a mechanism that could revert the process, and that mechanism was Rex.

Though her sister had proved to be incurable for him, Holiday hadn't lost all hope. The kid had been with them for already three months, but she had learned a lot about his nanites, and about him. Rex had made her smile in a week what she had smiled in those three years of loneliness. She cared about the boy more than anyone, by what it seemed, and she would gladly help him to escape or to ruin the walls of the entire Providence if her sister wasn't caged.

Yet, he had made her smile, and she finally felt that she could rely onto this cure, this light of hope that could heal her sister and let her be free once more.

And then, why did she feel so depressed?

The early soft blowing of the snowy wind had turned into a savage snow storm now and the sound of the wind cutting the silence of the place was enough to freeze someone, the sight wasn't lovely anymore.

She remembered her family had spent lots of winter vacations in Alaska, in a modest wooden house built by her parents when she hadn't even born. The Holiday sisters loved to go to there and ice skate during the afternoon, for night they would turn off all the lights of the house and sit next to the window to see the aurora borealis, both dreaming about touching the colors of the sky someday.

Rebecca wanted to stare at the pure sky with her sister again, at least just once.

The lights of the place started to blink, Holiday didn't bother on even look up at the lamps that were embedded to the roof, in a snow storm like this one it was normal for the light to cut, and the base was highly equipped to resist storm like these; besides, the only important thing was Rex, that's why the base had an emergency electricity source that connected with the chamber in where Rex was resting. The entire installation would be with no electricity, everything except Rex's room.

Now, with the lights off, Holiday had a better sight of the exterior; the sky had turned into a deep blue and a few stars could be seen in the distance, the white dots that were falling at high speed made the sight barely visible, but it was okay with her. Now that the lights were off, the only light she was receiving was the light of the pale moon that was coming inside through the window. It was an even more depressing view, but all she wanted was to let out that sadness, so it was okay.

Holiday was imagining her and her sister playing outside with the snow, a melancholic look in her eyes as her lips were curved into a sad smile, when she felt someone else's presence in the door, staring at her. She didn't bother in look at him; he used to do that often, though she never had the nerve to ask Six why he stared at her thinking that she didn't feel his presence.

The agent entered into the room and sat in front of her, in his right arm he was holding a cup of warm black coffee, as Holiday had understood he liked; for a moment none of them say a word, She was focused in her happy imagination, and he was busy trying to find the proper words to break the silence.

"You should rest, you look tired" said Six at last. His voice, deep and calm, though it made Rebecca's mind come back to earth, it didn't make her face him.

"I'm not tired" was her soft but cold reply. Her eyes were glittering thanks to the pale light of the moon, and, along with her loosened hair, she looked gorgeous.

Six's mind couldn't avoid but remember the first time he saw her, three years ago.

"Where did you get the coffee?" she asked, not really that interested about the answer.

"There's a coffee machine in the nursing room" he replied, staring at his coffee.

For another couple of minutes both remained in silence again. Why was he in there? She thought he didn't care that much about her problems... or anything non-work related, it was odd, not to mention that he had decided to be talkative (if you can say that) just when all she wanted was silence.

"Do you want some?" offered Six, in a way to break the silence.

"Is not the warmness I'm looking for" was her cold and heartless reply.

She didn't want to be rude with him; she knew she might regret it later. But he had caught her in a bad mood, in a terrible mood actually, and being there, interrupting her depressive line of thoughts, hadn't been the agent's best idea, though he hadn't done with that intention, or so she thought.

"What about your sister?" Six dared to say.

Holiday's eyes grew bigger for an instant before frowning, her eyes filled with melancholy changed into a furious look, but she didn't face him yet. The smile on her lips had erased, now he had just hit a nerve.

"Did your blood-thirsty partner told you about her?" she bitterly replied. The happy dream of her sister and her playing in the snow had vanished.

"Partially" was his stoic reply. He didn't feel offended for the insult about White, he had indeed acted like a blood-thirsty mercenary, at least until he became the only nanite-free person in the world.

"The rest I've seen it by my own" he added.

Holiday stood up, anger clearly all over her face. She slammed the table as hard as she could and stared at the agent, frowning. Her eyes were sparkling of anger and frustration; she was obviously hurt for his comment, and for its meaning.

"You have no right to see Beverly! You heard me!" She stared at him, hoping that he would argue about it so she could keep yelling at him until all her pain could go away but he didn't even flinch.

She kept the eye contact for a moment, though she wasn't sure if he was looking at her through those sunglasses he always was wearing, but the guy didn't move at all. She shut her eyes closed and took a deep breath to avoid the tears that wanted to come out. How could he be so heartless? What had she done to him that he seemed to be so cold towards her? Did he hate her for the incident that occurred the day he brought Rex? Did he hate for what happened to his partner? Did he-?

"I haven't seen her" he said at last, cutting down Rebecca's currently line of thoughts.

Her teary eyes opened in surprise and she sat again in front of him, wanting to hear what did he meant then.

"I've seen you going inside everyday" he said, this time facing her. He had to be looking at her, thought Holiday; why else would he face her? His expression was still calm, eyebrows half frowned and expressionless lips; it was hard to tell his emotions, but she could tell one thing, he was being honest.

"Why?" she asked, frowning.

"You're not the only one who wants that cure, doctor" he answered.

For a moment both remained in silence, looking at each other. Holiday lowered her gaze and realized just then that the day he brought Rex he had trusted in her for a reason, they were in the same situation.

"I'm... sorry" she managed to say, not looking at him as warm tears wanted to come out again.

She was a proud woman, she didn't want to anyone to see her crying like that. She had always tried to look strong in front of the world, with the hope that they would fear her and run away; but feeling Six's presence, feeling his eyes staring at her, made her feel even more vulnerable. She wanted to cry, and she couldn't because he was in there.

"What if... what if there's no cure?" she said, her voice trembling and her eyes focused again on the sight that the window offered. The storm had ceased, but the snow was still falling and the wind was still blowing strongly, at least now the sight was clearer, same as the sky.

Six didn't respond to her comment, but, if she had looked at him, she could have seen how his expression had slightly softened. It was a possibility, but hearing it from her, who had optimistically talked about a cure, was somehow distressing.

"I have managed myself to remain strong all these years but... I just can't take it any longer!" and with those last words she burst into tears.

All her efforts had been unsuccessful, and the only known cure couldn't do anything for her, how would she remain steady when the cure she had been waiting for had proved to be worthless for her sister? Rex was a good kid, and certainly would make happy to lots of people, but she wouldn't be between them, not at least in the way she wanted.

Six watched her cry, her face buried in her arms that were lying on the table. He understood her pain, during his first half year in Providence he had felt as desperate as her, those months had been the longest, but he had found a way keep the bad thoughts away; maybe it was time to share the secret with her, she seemed in need of it.

"I know a way" he said. His calm but deep sounding voice made Holiday raise her gaze to look at him. Her eyes were all teary and the traces of the previous tears were still marked on her checks, but she didn't care now, she was interested in what he had just said.

"What?" she asked, not sure that she had heard correctly.

"I know a way to make the wait bearable" he replied. Holiday straightened herself and stared at him, anxious for knowing the secret that could safe her from despair.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Find an escape route" was all he said. Holiday stared at him for a few seconds, not understanding the exactly meaning of what he had said. Six, on the other hand, broke the eye contact with her and took a sip of his already cold coffee. Holiday turned around again to think about the agent's words.

"You mean a distraction?" she said after a few minutes of hard reflection. She was facing at him again, but he was looking to the outside.

"Yes" he replied, not looking at her.

Holiday remained in silence, thinking about his words. Rex used to take half of her time, he made her laugh and worry about him at the same time, but it wasn't enough. She needed something else aside him, she need something, someone, who could make her smile and have nice dreams instead of those heartbreaking thoughts of a hopeless future as a permanent doctor of Providence.

"But don't let it confuse you" he warned her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, this was a side of him she never thought it existed, but was nice to have someone to talk; she didn't want to be alone anymore.

"Forget what you're fighting for and you're finished; bear that in mind" he said as he stood up to leave. Holiday looked at him in surprise, but he was right. She could use something to distract herself, but she couldn't afford herself to lose her objectivity, the cure had to be her top priority.

"Where are you going?" she asked, she still wanted to talk with him about so many other things... but maybe she shouldn't push him that hard, after all, he had come by his own to see her and even gave her an advice, she shouldn't be asking for more.

"I'm going to see Rex, you should rest, doctor" he told her as he started to walk towards the door.

"Rebecca" she said, as a signal to stop him that he understood perfectly, yet, he didn't turn around to face her.

"My father called me by my full name when I was being stubborn... I didn't realize I was being like that until now... thank you" she said the last, looking at him with her shinny green eyes and a smile across her lips. Now, that was more like herself.

Six remained at the door but he moved his head to see her expression through the corner of his eye. She was smiling like usual and that was a good signal.

"You're good, Rebecca" he said, "Don't give up so easily. You don't know who might be relying on you" and with those last words, he left the room.

Holiday remained in her seat, thinking about his comment. Had he give her a compliment or had he spoke from his heart? Did he really consider her good at her work? Holiday remained in silence, looking at the exterior, the snow was falling slowly and the wind was calm once more, the sky was clear and, far away, close to the mountains, it could be seen how the sun would arrive shortly. The few stars that were shinning were telling to her to keep doing her best, not everything was lost after all. She smiled to herself as she was looking at the clear sky.

Maybe she had been wrong about Six, he was still a man of few words and a bit expressionless, but he wasn't a cold person, just a bit distant. But he had proved to have a warm feeling inside his heart, and that was something Rebecca wasn't used to see in Providence soldiers. She couldn't call him a friend, not yet, but he was definitely something more than a partner; he used to go and see her, and sometimes he even dared to ask her a few things before leaving. He was a total mystery... well, what she needed now was a distraction, as Six himself suggested, right? He would become her escape route. He was quiet, and handsome, he was a good candidate to spend her free time thinking about, right?

Holiday stood up, a smile across her lips, she was determined to discover the mystery that agent Six kept. Well, she had something to start with; he had said he also needed the cure. Maybe she should start from there.

She looked at the sky a last time, still smiling, she would find the cure for her sister and for Six, and for whoever who needed. After all, a doctor's duty is to safe as many as they can.

She went to sleep to the nursing room, feeling better than in years that night. Though the blankets would barely cover her from the cold, it was better than nothing, she was trying to fall asleep when she felt footsteps outside the room. Quickly she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

She felt how the intruder opened the door and walked towards her bed; though she wanted to, she didn't open her eyes and kept her breath under control. The next thing she felt was how something warm was being placed on her. The footsteps started to sound in the contrary direction this time; she was about to open her eyes when she heard Six's voice from the door.

"Good night, Rebecca" said Six before closing the door.

"Good night, Six" she whispered as she covered with his coat that he had gently lent to her. He was a total gentleman, she had to admit. And, above all else, he had made her smile, and that was something that really few men in the world had managed to do.

-o-

Ever since then, both became quite closer, Six had started to call her 'Holiday' instead of doctor. And she had stopped calling him 'agent'. Though they were pretty much different in their way of think and act, the few but important things they shared in common were of great help every time they argued (mostly about Rex), a year passed, and Holiday didn't note until then that maybe the agent had become something more than a distraction for him. She had been in love before, but that had been in high school, nothing serious, nothing real. Was it, this time, really love? Or just her imagination in love of someone she had built to escape from reality? Time would tell, and certainly it did.

The End! well, what do you think? this is like The First Time Holiday thought of Six of something more than a co-worker in charge of Rex. Hope you review soon and if you want (just let me know) I can write The First Time for Rex, I already have an idea in mind and, if you like it, I will start writting it and you guys might see it in a few weeks (sorry, schools is keeping me busy).

See ya~!