She feels as if her body's been riddled with bullets. It's certainly painful to breathe. God, why is it so loud in her head?

There's two dead bodies. Get rid of it. Throw it in the river. No, cut it up into pieces first and then separate them into multiple bags. No, just burn it like you should have done with all the others. Use the petroleum from the car. No, there's no time. Run. Run now!

God... when she thinks the ruckus can't get any worse... it does. All the goddamn voices in her head. Is this the consequence of ing with the system? it. everything.

She is too tired to move. She is too tired to bring herself back... bleeding and cut all over with her back jammed into a hard unidentified object. Gradually, she comes to an understanding with her latest palette of memories and emotions... the feeling of being alone but not lonely. She smiles, appreciating the difference. Nothing dares to define her anymore. She is free to define herself. Even if it is just for a moment. She closes her eyes to sleep. Serene, silent, and dreamless... if not for the muffling voices and the unpleasant beating of her heart.

Wanting to sleep. Oh, you'll have your sleep, baby... the irony that is to come.

• • • • • • •

"Looks like we're too late." DCI Young turns to the off duty officer and dismisses him. "Thank you. My partner and I will take it from here." 

"Yes, sir." The officer nods his head and makes the long difficult trip back to his car.

DCI Young looks back to see Jaejoong embracing one of the victims. 

"Xin..." He gives her a little shake before checking for a pulse. He feels his legs go soft beneath him. His blood is bubbling and bursting forth inside his veins. He gathers her to his chest and breathes out a sigh of relief. She is alive.

The sudden shift sends a sharp pain up her spine. The throbbing invades her head and mutes the voices. She remembers him. The comfort in his scent. The warmth in his touch.

She is not free. With him here, her alone is filled with loneliness. A single tear rolls down her cheek, stinging the raw wounds on her face. She recalls it. All of it.

• • • • • • •

Xinling knew something was up. She felt it. They were spending way too much time together, he and his new work partner, Liam. Some nights he wouldn't even come home to her. And she just knew... knew he was with that other guy.

The way Xinling acted around Liam, others would have thought she was jealous. Maybe. Maybe not. The others weren't as observant as she was when it came to her best friend in all the world.

There was no denying the attraction between Jaejoong and Liam. He'd often come over for dinner and she'd observe. The way he moved, the way he talked... the way he held the spoon between his fingers. It was different. Different than Jaejoong. After a while, it wasn't so different anymore. Quite the opposite. Liam no longer looked clean and neat. He looked more ragged like Jaejoong. Liam no longer stood with his back straight. He stood a little slouched over like Jaejoong. The way he held the spoon was like Jaejoong. The way spoke her name was like Jaejoong. So much so... that it gave her the warm tingly sensation. Even Jaejoong's habit of curling his fingers against the table top didn't escape him.

Just the look in Liam's eyes... the manner in which he touches her shoulder when making his offer to help with the dishes. It really gave her the creeps. How was it possible? How could a person imitate another person so flawlessly? Unless... it wasn't a person at all.

One night, Jaejoong came home to her, depressed. His work partner, Liam, had died in a fire... while working on the same case. Though he was down, Xinling couldn't bring herself to comfort him. Not because she disliked Liam. No, not at all. She couldn't bring herself to comfort him because it wasn't him. He may look like Jaejoong... sound like Jaejoong... treat her like Jaejoong, but she knew. He wasn't her Jaejoong.

He was the impersonator.

To go through with the wedding with an impersonator... she couldn't. She couldn't do it. Where was he now? Where was the real Jaejoong?

• • • • • • •

"She thought the real one was still alive. She wanted to go find him... what a poor naive little girl." Every time she says the word 'she,' it sounds like the word 'I.'

"Her heart has yet to break. Her faith is still strong. Despite everything, her best friend in all the world is still her best friend in all the world." Every time she says the word 'her,' it sounds like the world 'my.'

"You took him away from her like I have done from so many others. How do we live? How do we go on? When all this guilt constantly bombards us?"

"It's your own fault for letting the emotions control you."

"You love me, don't you? You love Xinling and constantly think about her... don't you?"

"That's different."

"No it's not..."

"You're not her. You're not my Xinling."

"And you're not him, either... you ing bastard."

"Then there is no reason why we couldn't be together now. From now on, I'll watch over you, protect you, and make sure you don't cause any more trouble."

"It's too late. She's made contact with them. They're coming. For you. For me. For all of us."

"For 's sake! Kill her already. She can't cause anymore trouble for us if she's dead. We need to—"

One down.

"Xin, listen to me. You've let emotions overrun you. You need to remember your true—"

Two.

Xinling laughs. "It's too late..."

Three.

Nex: Allies for the Strange