Denny: "What? What do you mean, 'it's not a priority to save us'? Are you insane??? No! Don't hang up! Dang it!!!"

The police didn't care about Denny's safety. That was the first indicator that something was very wrong in Dirbine and Viron's law enforcement.



Noticing that Denny was back outside, Gunner quickly became distracted. He had set out to assassinate Denny and get the information! He was not about to be denied a second time!

Gunner: "It's over for you, Mr. Levens!!!"



He lowered the gun, quickly attempting to take aim at his literally helpless target below...but the split second he took his eyes off of Candi was all she needed!



In an instant, he was all wrapped up, and was being stung even more! He was not about to let the pain of the stings stop him! He could feel her venom making him slower, but he wasn't a quitter! Still, she quickly threw him with a slam to the ground! The gun soon flying out of his hand and firing in the distance, he knew that she had beaten him!



Candi: "It's over, Gunner!"



Gunner: "Are you really so foolish? It's over all right...but only for me!"

He quickly grabbed something from out of his trench coat pocket--a vat of something - but what?



Denny: "Gunner, nooooooo!!!!"



Candi needed only hear Denny shout in horror, and she already knew what the deal was: the vat was suicide!

She desperately jumped to get out of the way of the blast, but the sheer heat of the flame could be felt through her entire body anyway! She'd not felt a fire that hot since the Stolly's building was burned down!



When she got back up, most of her clothes had been fried right off of her! Miraculously, her hair wasn't gone...though she could tell it had been singed!

She felt burned all over her body, but she was all right. She was thankful that she had healing powers...or else she may not have made it very far after that blast!



Denny: "Candi! You're..."

Candi: "I'll be all right! It'll hurt for a few hours, and then I'll get better!"

Denny: "Are you sure? You got badly burned, you need to be in the hospital!"



Candi: "No...positive! I'll be fine! Just...stay here, for the night...I'll explain in the morning...okay?"

Denny: "I came here to get away from Gunner! I didn't want him to know where I really live, but I thought I'd out-run him by coming here! He found me anyway! And...where were the police?"



Candi: "Dear...the police won't come! If you told them it was a Meethlite, they probably told Merle! He's not going to send in troops for his own bosses! Your life doesn't matter that much to them. Besides, if they found out about me..."

Denny: "You're right! You'd have to change the details of the story! That vat was intended as a signal that the Gifted One is in that location! Gunner's suicide is a clue to our whereabouts!"



Candi: "What???"

Denny: "Tidy yourself up in the shower. I'll go put out what's left of those flames! We have to start working together more...or we're both dead!"

Candi: "And if you cannot completely remove the evidence?"



Denny knew it was the last thing she wanted to hear, unless it came with a marriage proposal, but he let it out anyway...

Denny: (sighing) "Then...I'm afraid you'll...have to move in with me." *



Candi was glad to be in that shower...a brief period of time to escape the insanity of the outside world! Her hair was thankfully only mildly singed, something which could be prepared. And while her skin hurt a lot under the water at first, the burns quickly healed.

Would marrying Denny help her to win the security she sought? His plans were clear: after she graduated, they would run away together to another state; and away forever from the madness and bloodshed!

Candi was still horrified by the nightmare, but was convinced now that she had to move on with her life. She could always choose another town to fulfill her destiny, couldn't she? She could also find work in another town. Why this one?



Denny: "You need to graduate...that's for certain."

Candi: "And then...where to?"

Denny: "I don't know. Any place but this God-forsaken town! Any place where they can't find us!"



Candi: "We could go anywhere, I suppose. I don't suspect with your job that we could fairly be traveling like Miriam plans to. But as long as we're both safe and happy. But I would like some reassurance of something..."



Denny: "You want to marry me first? But of course! Silly me, I forgot in all my running scared..."

Candi felt flattered by his words, but she knew to expect it. As the times passed, they both knew things were headed in that direction. But how could they have become so mild-mannered about it?

Candi felt for certain that she had to do something to put the charm back into the moment, in spite the fact that they both knew it was coming.

Candi: "Hun!"

Denny: "Yes?"

Candi: "I'll be right back! I've gotta get something!"



As she left, he had no idea what she was up to, though he suspected it was something to impress him with. Rejected by his family and barely avoiding being an outlaw, Denny had much to atone for in life.

He also knew that unless he and Candi kept running, the Meethlites would eventually catch up. He loved her, but he was afraid of letting her fulfill her destiny. He wanted to have a normal life; and realized that his past activities would make it extremely difficult for either him or Candi to enjoy such.

* The idea of cohabiting offends Candi's morals.