-Jeremy-

Stairs.

That's what lays behind the door I run to after Michael and Chloe distract Al long enough for me to explore. Nothing but white walls and wood floors. A red plush carpet, modern furniture. All I can see of the kitchen is a chrome refrigerator, but Al waits in that direction.

That's why I open the door in the far corner of the room, thinking it was simply a closet (maybe they locked him up in a closet?). But dark wooden stairs awaited me, each sagging in the middle from years of wear.

Taking a deep breath, I dash down the stairs two at a time, arriving in the darkness. In the center (or what I think is the center) of the room lays a blueish glow, extremely dim but still visible. Two orbs of light, however dull.

"Squip?" I breathe.

I feel along the walls for a light switch, not hearing a response. I feel the switch, and flip on the lights.

His hands are chained above above his bowed head, and I can't help but blush. He is completely naked.

Squip looks up, eyes dull enough for me to see his lashes, the entire orb blue, without pupils or irises. I've never seen his eyes so clearly before. I walk closer to him as he groans, "Jeremy?"

I break into a run and fall to the cement floor next to him, cradling his head.

"Oh Squip, I'm so sorry. I didn't know! I was such an idiot and I acted like such a jerk! I'm so, so sorry!"

He leans his head into my touch, smiling a tiny bit. "As much as I'd love to have a heart to heart right now, I'm a little tied up at the moment, care to help?"

There's the sarcasm I love. I kiss his forehead, looking at the chain. "Have anything sharp?"

"Yes, let me pull out my conveniently placed pocket knife. I'm fucking naked, Jeremy! Where would I hide a knife?"

"I don't know! God I missed your sarcasm," I search my pockets, finding an old Swiss Army knife my dad gave me when I was a kid. Because that what good parents do, give their child a knife.

I honestly didn't know why I kept it, but right now I don't care, working on Squip's bonds. "I missed you," I whisper.

"I missed you too, now hurry up. And you do realize you can't cut a chain with a pocket knife? It's connected to the wall over there," he jerks his head in that direction.

I nod, kissing his forehead before getting up and to the hook in the wall. It looks like a pulley system and I quickly unhook him, hearing the clunk of the chain falling to the ground. I grab the key ring off the hook next to the chain.

I run back to Squip, who holds his handcuffs up for me to see, nodding his head towards the keys. I work on unlocking him and he rubs his cheek against my stomach, humming quietly. Al could be down here any moment, and I still have no clue how to defeat them.

"I know."

"What? " I ask.

"I know how to defeat them, don't worry about that, just get me free."

I nod, unlocking the handcuffs and tossing them to the side. Squip instantly leaped up, stretching his back and limbs, grinning at me. I smirk back and tackle him, my lips finding his immediately. He falls back to the hard ground but doesn't seem uncomfortable, kissing me back furiously. He laughs into my mouth, hands crawling up my back and to my face. He pulls back and nuzzles my face with his nose. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be it wasn't your fault."

He doesn't say anything, but stands up, "I need clothes," he says, looking around the unfinished room.

"I've seen you naked before," I say, wriggling my eyebrows.

"Shut up," he whacks me with a shirt he'd discovered, his face bright purple.

Once he finishes dressing, which he takes his sweet time doing by the way, I hug him. "I'm so glad you're back. And I, I forgive you."

I feel him shutter, and he leans down to kiss me. I want to stay like that forever, kissing the love of my fucking life, nothing but us. "Mmm," I hum his tongue slowly makes its way into my mouth. I wrap my hands around his neck and he pulls me by my waist until our hips touch.

"Ugh! Guys! You can make out later, right now we have to stop a very angry individual spouting random Japanese at us," Brooke yells, storming down the stairs

We quickly separate, following the fuming girl.

Brooke glares at Squip with unprecedented venom, as if he has something to do with why I broke up with her. After I think about it for a moment I realize he /does/ actually have something to do with why I broke up with her. I quickly shove those thoughts away as we step into Al's living space once more.

Al is pissed.

Their face covered in bruises, red liquid drips from their lipstick smeared mouth. They glare at Squip and I, acknowledging our interlocked fingers with a hiss. Squip leans into my ear, his breath tickling my face, "Let me handle this," he whispers.

I give him a quick good luck kiss, gazing at him worridly. What if Al captures him again? What if he can't over power them?

"Give up, Al," Squip says, grabbing my abandoned Mountain Dew Red off the ground and closing in on Al.

"And why would I do that?" they sneer, leaning towards my boyfriend.

"Because I'm about to fry all your circuits."

"You don't want to do that, darling. Loooook. We can work this out, okay?"

I think I catch something in their eye. A glint, is it fear? Or maybe it's just that hate that keeps them alive.

Squip steps closer to them, bending down and leaning towards their mouth. I catch my breathe but he doesn't go any closer, eyes flashing brighter than I've ever seen them. Al's match the intensity with their red glow. "You make me sick. You think this is emotion but it's not. You're a virus, Al. You know what people do with viruses?" he leans even closer, "we destroy them."

Al gasps as Squip shoves the Red down their throat, spluttering, "You don't realize what you're doing, Eric. You can't erase me. I'll come back. I'll follow the code, I'll find a new Host body and I will make your life a living hell. Consider this a warning! You can't kill me, creatures like us can't die, Project Intermingle will continue on. And I'll make sure you're their next experiment."

"It doesn't matter," Squip says, stepping back, "because I'll be ready for you. I'll be ready for anything you can throw at me. We will," he takes my hand, "the Project is all about emotions, and I never could have foreseen something like this," he grins at me and caresses my face, "falling in love with someone so amazing."

Squip lets go of my hand and marches toward Al again, Mountain Dew Red in hand. "Open wide."

Al laughs, maniacal and insane. They shake their head and close their eyes, falling limp in Chloe, Rich's, and Michael's grasp. Their red inner glow slowly disappears and their hair turns auburn, warm complexion coming back into their skin. Scars that I previously couldn't see mark their body, stitches and wiring now powered down. Al, or at least this form of them, is dead.

I turn to Squip who opens his arms. Running into them, I grab his face and smush our lips together, "I love you!"

And it doesn't matter that I'm a dork, it doesn't matter that I'm not special or extraordinary. I know Squip loves me for who I am, and nothing will ever to change that. And who knows, maybe one day I'll learn to stop trying to sell myself short. Maybe one day I'll realize that I'm fine just the way I am.

And that I am loved.



----

So this is it.

He knows that Squips shouldn't be able to leave their Host bodies, but somehow the Alpha had managed to escape.

Which means they are still out there somewhere, laying in wait...

A notification appears on the screen and he quickly opens the attached file.

A message to: Eric Morris

From: Lewis Daae

Deleted faulty "Alpha model" Squip, there was some difficulties, but I think I got rid of the nasty virus for good this time :)

Despite the... unfortunate results with it, they want you to continue on with the "Beta model" Squip, as it successfully passed the trails we threw at it.

After that they wish to begin the Host Motive. We just need to find a willing participant.

They will file the results of that test in the Project Intermingle folder.

They want me to check on the acid vats, I know how dangerous you think they are but it will be alright, I hope.

I pray that all goes well, but they did make you promise they wouldn't hurt me.

Love,Lewis

To be Continued in Project Intermingle...