"Laoich!"

The yell echoed through the house and quite literally shook her awake. Sheridan lurched forward, panting heavily and her ears ringing. The room was dark and silent, but she swore she could still hear the water pounding against the cliffside. If she closed her eyes, she could still see the boulders crashing into the ocean all around her.

She could still see that cage she spent two years of her life in.

The door crashed open and suddenly the room was filled with people. "Miss Sheridan!"

She launched herself at the nearest one, who happened to be Tao. Not one to ever push someone away, he acted on instinct: his arms curled around her shoulders. When she began to cry, his embrace grew tighter. "Miss Sheridan?" he questioned.

She continued to sob and shake her head. "I won't go back…I'll never ever be caged again," she sobbed," No more. No more."

Takeo paled at her words. "What…is she talking about?"

With a grim face, M-21 was the only one who could answer that. "Crombel…" That one word was all the explanation they needed.

'I suppose I'm lucky enough to not remember…'

Regis paled even more than Takeo. "Is he really this terrible?" he stammered, referring to Sheridan's nightmare.

M-21 nodded. "Yes."

Finally, Frankenstein took control of the situation, realizing that too many people weren't good for Sheridan. "Okay everyone, let's give Miss Sheridan some privacy. Everyone but Tao, go back to bed."

There were a few grumbles, and one stubborn M-21, but eventually he succeeded in ushering everyone out. By then, Tao had accomplished calming Sheridan down. For a rather rambunctious person, Frankenstein was impressed by how he was able to coax her into sitting back and getting her breathing under control.

Frankenstein sat on her other side. "Do you wish to talk about it?" he asked her.

At first, she didn't respond to him or his question. Yet he noticed that she did not let go of Tao's hand. Tao noticed as well, and being a genius, he noticed something else as well…

"Miss Sheridan…" He leaned forward slightly and tipped his head. "Who's Laoich?"

Just as he thought, the name affected her greatly. She curled up into a ball and ducked her head into her knees to hide the tears. "It's Gaelic for 'my hero'," she whispered.

Tao glanced up at Frankenstein and saw the same dismal look as on his own face.

"M-21."

…

"He told us to go back to bed," Regis told him with an air of exasperation. M-21 guessed it was because Regis knew it was futile to tell him otherwise. He wasn't going to move or go anywhere.

Regis sighed. "I doubt there's anything you'll be able to do," he said honestly," Principal Lee will make sure she's fine, and Tao will be able to comfort her."

But that was just it… "I should be able to comfort her!" M-21 snapped back at him.

If the situation wasn't so serious, Regis might've laughed at how emotional M-21 was being. He knew if he spoke the wrong thing here, it could easily send M-21 flying into a rage. Why, that is what confused Regis the most. It's been less than 48 hours that they've even known Sheridan, but M-21's protective streak was beyond compare. It ran deeper than just owing her a dept; deeper than an 'understanding'.

It was instinct.

So instead of pointing this out, he said," She'll be okay. She's survived worse."

"How would I know?" M-21 grumbled, turning back to the closed door," I don't even remember what it was like. Sure, it was bad being part of the M-series, but before those…two years…"

Regis did not know how to respond.

…

An hour later found M-21 sitting in the hallway, nearly asleep. He woke up the instant the door opened. Mostly because he was leaning against it, and fell back when it came out from underneath him.

Frankenstein smiled down at him. "I figured you wouldn't listen." M-21 grumbled at Frankenstein's wry smile, and stood up when Tao exited. He gently closed

the door behind him, then glanced at M-21. "She's fine. She fell back asleep."

"And no you may not check on her," Frankenstein added.

He didn't like it, but M-21 had to admit that his boss pretty much always knew what was best. But in the morning, if she didn't get up, not even Frankenstein could stop him from going in there.

"Will she be okay?" he asked, hoping the answer would hold him over until then.

Both men smiled gently, like sharing an inside secret. "I can see why she chose 'Laoich'," Tao mused.

"Laoich?"

Frankenstein nodded, but gestured towards the living room. "Come, let's talk outside. I don't want our voices to wake her up."

So outside on the balcony is where they went. M-21 leaned against the railing and stared at the two men before him, demanding answers. Tao and Frankenstein decided it best to tell him everything that Sheridan had told them. After all, it all pertained to him.

"Laoich was your nickname," Tao spoke first," You remember when Miss Sheridan said neither of you spoke the same language? Well, she used to call you Laoich."

M-21's eyebrows furrowed in thought as he regarded Tao's words. He had a nickname: Laoich? What an odd name. Worse yet, it did not invoke any sense of familiarity with him. It may not be his real name, but it was a nickname. It should at least sound familiar to him. But…nothing.

"What does it mean?"

Frankenstein smiled. "Hero." Both he and Tao greatly enjoyed the shocked expression of M-21's at hearing that. His mouth opened, ready to list reasons not to be called hero, but nothing came out. 'Would you look at that?' Tao grinned,' He's actually speechless.'

"When you got Devlin's heart, you certainly lived up to the name," he continued.

"I…" M-21 paused, his eyebrows furrowing even deeper,"…don't understand."

"Well, good news: you were a badass werewolf," Tao grinned widely," Bad news: what you did really pissed Crombel off and that's why you're part of the M-series."

"Tao…" he growled at him," Try to make some sense."

"What he's trying to say is," Frankenstein took over the explanation, giving Tao a hard look," it wasn't the operation that took your memories. Crombel did that purposefully. In fact, you mastered your new werewolf heart almost instantly."

"What?! How? I can barely transform now," M-21 argued," If it wasn't for Rai, I never would've-"

"We're not sure, either," Frankenstein stopped him before he got on a roll," Miss Sheridan suspects that you have a natural affinity. It turned out well for you, but in the end, Crombel made a grave mistake. He gave you Devlin's heart."

"You destroyed an entire lab!~" Tao yelped excitedly," Single-handedly!"

"Ahem." The principal gave him another hard look. "As I was saying, Crombel believed Miss Sheridan to be the more powerful werewolf, being that he couldn't replicate her powers. While he realized it all relied on the heart, he mistakenly used Devlin's heart…as a prototype."

"So…" That didn't exactly sound too encouraging… He was just a prototype? Then how was he lucky?

"He was wrong. As Miss Sheridan already told you, you were fortunate to get Devlin's heart, not hers. As Beta of the wolf pack, Devlin had power and authority second to the Alpha. In turn, you have that power."

"If I had that much power," M-21 frowned," Then why can't I control it now? Why did I stay with the Union? And what do you mean-" he gazed at Tao," –I single-handedly destroyed a lab?"

"Because, that lab…" he was told," is where Miss Sheridan was being held. You destroyed it, and then…you sacrificed yourself to gain her freedom."

…

Sheridan's Dream

The day had been sunny; she remembered that. 'And unbearably hot,'she remembered also. So two men wearing trench coats meant for colder weather were quite noticeable. But that was not why she followed them.

It was the scent. A scent she had not smelled in over six months. A scent she believed to be gone forever. She recognized the smell of wolf instantly and could not believe that he had walked right past her.

'Laoich!' She had whirled on the toes of her feet so suddenly that it nearly sent a bystander to the ground. The stranger yelled at her, but Sheridan ignored him completely. Not even glancing at the stranger to see who it was, she ran towards the two heavily cloaked men. She did not know, nor did she care to know who the larger one was. She had eyes only for Laoich.

"Laoich!" she called out, reaching for him. Her slender fingers just caught the end of his cloak. "Laoich, it's me!" At last, he paused and half turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye. His companion turned to face her fully, but she did not recognize him. Her attention was solely one Laoich.

She smiled brightly at him, so relieved to see him alive and well. He was alive. That was enough to make her spirits soar; was there nothing Crombel could throw at him that he wouldn't survive? "You're…you're okay. And-" she tried to remember the little korean she had managed to learn in these six months," I'm learning korean. We can talk."

But he said nothing. He just stared at her with those grey eyes. Her smile faded. "Laoich?"

It was not him who replied. It was his comrade. "M-21, do you know this girl?" the big man asked, glancing at Laoich.

"No." Laoich, or was it now M-21?, turned more fully to look at her, but it was not with kindness. Instead, he glared at her, as if she was some annoying stranger. There was not a hint of recognition in his cold grey eyes.

"Who are you?"

Just like that, the world fell out from under her. Her stomach went right along with it, and she honestly thought she was going to be sick. He…he didn't remember her?

Some part of her brain, whichever part that wasn't scrambling in full panic mode, supplied the name 'Crombel' but she wouldn't fully realize it until later. At the moment, anything and everything she knew was in total disarray.

"P-pardon me," she stammered," I thought…no, not right person…" Dear God, every bit of korean she knew was going to hell! "My mistake," that she at least knew.

She had to get out of there. Away from this person who was not Laoich. Away from this person who didn't even recognize her. "I'm sorry," she gasped out, then turned tail and ran.

"And promises to keep."

Why did he have to say that line? Of all poems, of all lines, why would he choose that line to be the last one he said to her? Sheridan ranted and raved in her head, cursing both Laoich and M-21, all the while holding a little poetry book. She had been surprised to see it here, in English even, and couldn't resist taking it. She doubted the owner would miss it that much; they had hundreds more.

She turned it to the correct page, and that poem lay before her. Most of it, she didn't care about, but the last stanza mattered a lot to her. She knew a lot about making promises, about keeping them…and about breaking them…

Unbidden, her hand rested lightly on her stomach. 'I made a lot of promises.' Had she kept any of them? The promises she made and broke cost her everything she knew. What more did she have left?

She read the rest of the poem. 'And miles to go before I sleep…' This guilt would follow her for the rest of her life, but there was one thing she still had left. Laoich was alive, even if he was not Laoich anymore.

He was M-21 now, but she would get Laoich back someday. If only he continued to survive until that day; if only he survived Dr. Crombel until that day.

'And miles to go before I sleep,' she bit her lip and made another promise. This was one promise she would keep, or she would die trying. 'He will survive, may hell take my soul.'

…..

Frankenstein's House

By the time Sheridan woke up, Master Raizel, Seira, and Regis were gone. They had decided to bring food to the children ("-in the hospital," Takeo helpfully told her," and recovering well.") and most surprising of all, Rael went with them.

Sheridan blinked "That…will be interesting…"

Then she realized that Takeo was wearing blue coveralls. "What are you wearing?" she eyed him warily," New fashion statement?" He chuckled at that," No, the boss is making us repair the school."

Her eyes widened. "By yourselves?"

Tao walked up behind Takeo, also donned in blue coveralls. He grinned at her and made a comment on how much better she seemed to be. "And well, we did kind of destroy it," he said in regards to the school.

"So did I," she protested," I'll help with the repairs too." She made to go retrieve her coat, but then M-21 appeared around the corner and literally hauled her right back to the kitchen.

"No, you are not," he said simply," You are staying here and resting. You'll only hurt yourself trying to help."

It was so…unlike M-21 to directly worry for her health, especially given her recent encounters with him. Didn't he not like her? Tao and Takeo laughed at the stunned expression on her face. They forgot that Sheridan was unconscious most of the time M-21 underwent his acclimation. He now understood just how much she did for him, and how much their pasts interlinked, and his former protectiveness was bleeding over into the present M-21. So to show such blatant regard for her safety was completely new to Miss Sheridan.

M-21 smirked at her confused face and total silence. Then, knowing she wouldn't follow them, he turned and the three of them left. Even after the door shut, Sheridan could hear Tao laughing.

Eventually, she snapped out of it and looked around to see who was left. It was just her and Rajak, the Noble clan leader.

He's the quiet one, she remembered, and Rael's big brother. Currently, he was sitting on the couch and sipping on some hot tea. Sheridan had only met him once, very shortly, but she liked him. He was quiet and easy to get along with. She hoped he did not have to leave as well; the house would be so unbearably empty otherwise.

"I suppose you have plans today," she mused, walking around the kitchen. To her pleasure, Rajak shook his head in a no.

"I have no pressing matters," he told her," So we shall stay and look over the house." She thought it awfully nice of him to not say that he was her babysitter for the day.

"I feel bad that they have to fix the school while I stay here," she frowned, but knew she really had no choice in the matter. She had lost strength considerably in Crombel's care and she was barely into the process of regaining her original prowess. Her regenerative abilities were all but shot.

Rajak shrugged," They will be fine by themselves."

"I suppose it's for the best. I know nothing of construction."

At a thought, he smiled. "I doubt they know either." He glanced up at her and then asked," What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Good question, what was she doing? She then realized that as she walked around, she had been pulling things out of the cupboards. By the time she stopped to look at the counter, she had flour, sugar, cocoa and other familiar baking stuff. "I guess…I'm reverting back to my old ways," she admitted, recognized exactly what she was doing, "Baking is how I deal with stress. I used to do it all the time."

He raised an eyebrow, but did not stop her from retrieving the rest of the ingredients. Instead, he watched her get to work.

…

In the late afternoon, the Nobles and Frankenstein returned from the hospital. It was a strange sight that greeted them however. While the scent of something wondrous floated in the air, Rajak sat peacefully on the couch. He was reading a worn out book, the one that Sheridan owned. She herself was curled up next to Rajak, fast asleep.

Understandably, Rael overreacted. "What is this?" he demanded," How dare this mongrel behave so disrespectfully?" 'Inconceivable! To fall asleep so close to my brother's presence?'

Rajak held a finger to his lips to hush his brother. "Quieten your voice, Rael. Miss Sheridan is trying to recover the last of her strength." In turn, Rael nearly imploded and opened his mouth to argue, but out of respect for his brother, he stayed his words.

Luckily, Regis distracted him by calling out," Where did this cake come from?" For there on the kitchen counter sat a chocolate frosted, triple layered cake. Freshly baked by the looks of it.

Rajak told them. "Miss Sheridan made it."

"I didn't realize we had any cake mix," Frankenstein mused while instructing Regis to get out plates and cutlery.

"She didn't use any mix," Rajak informed him.

"Really now?" Frankenstein appeared fascinated, staring thoughtfully at the innocent cake. Truly, it smelled delicious. "How…unexpected."

Rajak agreed with him; having taste tested the batter, he knew it to be good. "She even taught me how to make the frosting." And he was quite proud at how well it turned out.

Rael, who had been watching Regis serve the cake, looked up and splutter wildly," What?! She made you cook?"

His brother made a gesture again to keep his voice down. "She offered and I accepted. It was…interesting to learn."

"Even my own brother…cooking…" Rael mumbled under his breath, too shell shocked to even yell and complain. Regis took this opportunity to push a plate into his hands. "This place is madness…" he continued to mutter.

No one took a bite until Rai did so. All watched like hawks as he lifted the fork to his mouth; Frankenstein especially worried. Ever since that fiasco with the ramen as Rai's first modern meal, he only wanted the best for his master.

He sighed with relief when Rai nodded approvingly. As the others bit into their own pieces of cake, he smiled," We'll have to thank Miss Sheridan when she wakes."

….