"Hey Maggie May."

Maggie Rourke turned when she heard the voice. Darien Fawkes was jogging down the hall. She stopped to let him catch up with her. "Hello, Agent Fawkes." She said with a smile.

He threw an arm around her shoulder. "Where you going?"

She shrugged off his arm. "To see the Keeper. Time for my shot. I'm a little jumpy right now." She peered at his wrist. "You too?"

He showed her the snake, all but two of its segments red. "Yup." They passed a staircase leading down and Darien stopped her. "I've been meaning to ask you something. You've been here longer than me. Do you know what's down there?"

Maggie looked down the stairs. "You know, I don't think I've ever been down there. Wanna take a look? It'll only take a second."

Darien shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "I should really get my shot first."

She pulled on his arm. "Come on. We'll just take a quick look and then go." He hesitated. "I promise, we'll be quick."

Finally, he relented. "Okay. As long as it's quick. The door's probably locked anyway."

The stairs made an abrupt turn left and ended at a door. Maggie looked over her shoulder at Darien.

"Go ahead." He told her.

She turned the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. Pushing the heavy metal door open, Maggie reached for a light switch. Dim light caused the metal shelves to cast shadows over most of the floor.

"What is this?" Darien stepped inside. Maggie headed down the stairs.

"I think it's the old archives." She told him. He followed her, letting the door shut behind him. "I remember them being moved in the mid-eighties after some water damage occurred. It's kinda cool."

Darien ran his hand over the surface of a shelf. It came away covered in dust and grime. "Yuck. Let's get out of here."

Something scurried across the floor and she shivered. "Yeah, let's go."

At the top of the stairs, Darien stopped short, causing Maggie to run into him. "Oh crap."

"What's wrong?" She tried to look over his shoulder but he was too tall.

"There's no doorknob on this side. It must have broken off."

She gently pushed him aside. "I might be able to open it." Kneeling next to the door, Maggie touched the lock and reached out telekinetically, trying to pick the lock. Her control was slipping and she couldn't make the cylinder turn She slouched back against the wall in defeat. "I can't get it to turn. It's probably rusted shut."

"Let me try something." He waved her aside and reached out, echoing her motions. Quicksilver flowed from his hand and covered the lock. He stood up and slammed his heel against the quicksilvered area, hoping to break it. Quicksilver flakes flew everywhere but the heavy metal door was still intact.

"It's a fire door. In case there was a fire in the building, it wouldn't spread into the archives. We'll never get through it." Maggie slid to the floor, leaning back against the wall. "Claire knows I was coming this morning. She'll start searching if we don't show up."

"Yeah, when we don't show up by quitting time. She's gonna figure we're busy this morning." He leaned back against the railing. It groaned and Darien jumped away. "I guess I shouldn't lean against that." He sat down next to her.

"This whole place is probably ready to collapse. What about Hobbes? He's going to wonder if he doesn't see you."

Darien snorted. "Probably think I ran off. Nah, he'd go to the Official."

"Who would start a search for us. So we should be found by mid morning." She looked back at the lock. "What were you trying to do with the quicksilver?"

"Quicksilver is so cold it can freeze things. I thought I might be able to break the lock if I froze it first. It works sometimes." He shrugged. "Didn't work this time. What were you doing?"

"Trying to pick the lock telekinetically. But my control is almost gone." Maggie rubbed her eyes, trying to make the thudding go away. "I hate when I get like this."

Darien leaned his head back against the wall, rubbing the back of his neck. "Like what?"

"Edgy, restless. Like my own skin doesn't fit right anymore. Is that how it is for you?"

He shook his head. "There's pain, sharp, searing at the back of my skull. And voices. Well, not really voices, more like whispering telling me it's okay to let go. To let the madness take over. I'm afraid one of these times I'm going to listen to them. Hurt somebody."

"When I was little and I got really bad Nick would wrap me up in a blanket and carry me around. I'd sit on his lap in the padded room and he would tell me stories until the inhibitor was ready."

"Sounds nice."

"Being wrapped in a blanket was the only way anyone could touch me when I was little and this would happen." She smiled wistfully. "Nick was a brother to me. I would give anything to have him back."

"I know what you mean. I didn't always get along with Kevin but now that he's gone I realize how much I miss him."

"Yeah." They sat there on the landing feeling morose.

Finally, Darien looked up. "They didn't tell you about the madness?"

"Only to mention it. I think it's one of those need to know things Bobby's always going on about. How're you doing?" She nodded at his wrist. He looked down and pushed his watchband aside. Only the head of the snake was still green.

He looked back up at her. His eyes were becoming bloodshot. "Not so good. We need to find- arggh!" He grabbed the back of his neck and bent over.

"Darien?" Maggie knelt next to him, her hands just hovering over him, not wanting to touch him.

"I'm okay for now but we need to get out of here. If I don't get the counteragent soon . . ." He took a deep breath and stood up. "We should check around. Maybe there's another way out."

"Yeah, there might be a air duct or something. This room can't be totally closed off from the rest of the building. People used to work down here."

They climbed down the stairs and separated, each taking a wall. Maggie let her hand trail down the wall, feeling for a door in the dark.

"This place is a lot bigger than it looks." She called to him.

"I guess it is. How far did these archives go back?" He sounded strained.

"The early sixties, I think. When they brought me in they were under the Department of Education. But we were still in the same building."

"And you said they moved them?"

"Yeah, in the mid-eighties they were moved off site. I guess this room has been empty ever since. You know, I don't think there's any other way out." She could feel her control slipping slowly from her grasp, memories from the people she had recently touched taunting her. She pressed her hands over her ears as the shelves next to her started rattling. Taking a deep breath, she came around the corner of a length of shelves. "Darien? Did you find something?"

There was no answer. "Darien." She crossed the meager light and sank back into the murky darkness on the other side of the room. "Answer me, Darien."

A hand brushed against her face and she spun around. There was no one there. "Darien, what's going on?"

He laughed, a slow evil sound that crawled over her skin and she felt her own insanity pressing to the surface to meet it. He brushed past her again and she turned to follow him. "Scared, Maggie?" He whispered in her ear.

"Why would I be scared of you Darien?" She reached out toward the sound of his voice and touched him, the quicksilver cold under her fingers. He grabbed her arm and pushed back to the wall. He was still invisible but she could feel his body pressing against her. He kissed her lightly, a mere brushing of lips before picking her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"You should be." He replied, cool breath against her cheek.

"Well, I'm not." Her voice sounded surprisingly steady, despite the fact that she could feel other people's thoughts starting to creep out of their prisons and into her head. The shelves behind them rattled against their bolts again.

Sliding a hand under her t-shirt, he ran his hand down her spine, causing her to shiver. "I wonder, Maggie, if you taste as sweet as you look." He leaned into her neck, licking a trail to the pulse in her neck. "Sweet enough to eat." He murmured against her neck. "You've never been fucked, have you Maggie?" Unable to speak, she shook her head. He laughed and the sound flowed over her skin. "Never had a man deep inside you? Do you want that?"

"Just let me go Darien." She whispered and he laughed again. He held her pinned against the wall, her legs around his waist, unable to move. "Please." She let her head fall forward against his chest, forcing him to take her full weight. "Now you're scaring me."

"Maggie?" Darien let her legs slide back to the ground. "Get away from me." He growled and pushed her. She stumbled before finding her footing and running up to the door.

Banging on the door, she screamed out for help. "SOMEBODY! HELP US! PLEASE!" She began to cry, her hands stinging from hitting the heavy door. "Please, somebody!" The door creaked on its heavy hinges but did not open.

"Yell all you want. No one can hear you down here."

She spun around. Darien was visible at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes red. Slowly, he stalked up the stairs, his eyes raking over her body. "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie." He called to her in a singsong voice.

She backed up to the railing, her mind flashing on scenes of rape. Shaking her head, she tried to duck around him but he was too quick. He grabbed her around the waist and threw her against the door. She fell against the door with a groan. Kicking him in the shin, she slid around him and started down the stairs. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back up, throwing her against the railing. It broke with the sickening tearing of overstressed metal and Maggie fell backwards. At the last moment she caught the lower rail.

"Darien, help me." She called to him, trying to get a better grip on the metal bar.

"Maggie!" Darien reached down and grabbed her wrist but didn't pull her up.

"What are you doing? Pull me up." She told him, trying to get her other hand onto the bar.

"I'm sorry Maggie."

"Darien? What-" She began. Darien smiled at her and let go. Maggie hit the floor hard, her leg bent at an odd angle. Darien sauntered down the stairs, listening to her harsh breathing.

"Aww, did Maggie get hurt?" He squatted next to her, running his hand over her leg, feeling the broken bone. He pushed her to the floor and dropped on top of her, causing her to cry out.

"Don't touch me." She told him as his hand grabbed hers and held them over her head. Feelings of lust and anger flowed into her. She saw flashes of what he wanted to do to her. A sob escaped her and he put his hand over her mouth gently.

"Shh, Maggie. Shh." The shushing noise turned into an evil chuckle. His smile was insane as he ripped open her t-shirt, his hands sliding over the smooth skin of her stomach up to the satin of her bra.

"Don't do this Darien." She whispered, hissing as his mouth found the sensitive spot under her ear.

"You really don't want me to stop." He breathed in her ear. "I can make you feel so good. Right before I kill you." His hand cupped her breast, fingers curling his fingers inside the lace trim of her bra.

The last vestiges of her control fell apart and the full brunt of his emotions flowed in her mind. She tossed her head trying to make it stop. He flew off her and hit the wall under the stairwell. Unable to stop the visions from coming, Maggie curled onto her side and began to cry.

Darien watched her with blood red eyes. He crawled back to her.

"Maggie?" His voice was strangled as he fought against the madness. She didn't answer him, only stared at the wall in front of her. He touched her shoulder, turning her to face him. "Maggie?" Her eyes looked right through him. Glaring up at the locked door, he shouted. "Somebody help us!" Looking around for something to make noise with, he noticed the shelves. They were metal and Maggie's unchecked telekinesis had caused them to loosen from their bolts.

Darien gave the first set of shelves a shove, ignoring the pain shooting through his shoulder. They toppled over, hitting the wall with a loud crash. The next set made an even louder noise when the sound reverberated off the other shelves. He kept pushing the shelves over, hoping the noise would draw help. The whispering quieted in the face of the destruction he was causing.

When all the shelves were on the ground, he turned and stalked back to the huddled figure. She was still, not seeing anything but what was in her mind. He reached down and took hold of her arm, pulling her up off the floor. There was no resistance from her, just silent passivity, not even a cry of pain. Her leaf green eyes stared straight ahead, as if she was seeing through him. The whispers told him to take her, right there and she wouldn't fight but he growled at the voice to shut up.

"Somebody's going to find us Maggie." He dropped to the floor, still holding her. "We're gonna get out of here." He tightened his grip on her, his arm around her waist. Her back was to him, her head lolling back against his shoulder. The madness threatened to take over again. Darien lightly stroked her neck, thinking how easy it would be to kill her, just put his hands around her throat and squeeze. He could break her neck even quicker. As he tightened his grip on her, he let out an anguished scream.

Hobbes wandered down the hallway toward the Keeper's lab. The door to the lab slid open and he ran directly into the Keeper, stumbling backwards.

"Oh Hobbes, good. Have you seen Darien or Maggie?"

He righted himself and smoothed his tie. "I was coming to see if they were here."

"They're both due for their shots and neither one showed up. I'm a little worried about them." She headed out of the lab and Hobbes followed. She held two syringes.

"That the counteragent?" He followed her down the hall.

Claire nodded. "And Maggie's inhibitor. I was heading to the Official's office. We have to find them. If they both head over the edge, it's going to be bad."

"Why?"

"You know what happens when Darien goes mad, but Maggie's almost the opposite. She loses total control of the telekinesis and then she shuts down, goes catatonic. God knows what Darien, under quicksilver madness, would do to her if she was unresponsive."

Hobbes stopped abruptly. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Claire stopped to listen.

"That. It sounds like someone yelling." He followed the sound down the hall, Claire creeping along behind him. He peered down the staircase. "It's coming from the old archives." He drew his gun and ran down the stairs.

Slowly, Hobbes opened the door and peered inside. "Don't let the door close. There's no handle on this side." He warned her in a hushed voice, as Claire followed him.

She propped the door open and followed him down the stairs. They found Darien holding Maggie. Her jewel green eyes were glowing, staring off into the distance, not seeing. He had her around the waist and was stroking her hair.

"I was wondering when you'd find me." He looked up at them and Claire bit back a gasp when she saw his eyes. They were a bright red. "Maggie here isn't much company anymore but she was pretty lively a little while ago."

"You better not have hurt her Fawkes." Hobbes glared at him, his gun pointed at his partner.

"What are you gonna do about it little man?" Hobbes started forward but Claire stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Darien, you have to let go of her. She needs my help. You need my help." She took the syringe of counteragent and approached the couple on the floor. "Please. Let me help you."

"Careful Claire." Hobbes moved so he had a clear shot at Darien if he tried anything. "Don't do anything stupid Fawkes. Doc's just tryin' t' help ya."

Darien glared at Hobbes but didn't say anything as Claire knelt on the floor beside them. His left arm was supporting Maggie so she took his right one and found the vein. Please let him let me do this. She prayed as she stuck the needle into his arm. The effect was almost instantaneous and Darien slumped over unconscious, pulling Maggie down with him. Claire set aside the counteragent needle and turned to Hobbes.

"Help me move Darien aside so I can examine Maggie." She and Hobbes pulled Darien away from Maggie. She knelt next to her and slid the needle into her arm. "Her leg's broken. We'll need to get the paramedics down here. She's going to have to go to the hospital. And Darien needs to get to the lab."

Hobbes pulled his cell phone out and called 911. Claire did the same, calling the Official to explain the situation.

A few days later, there was a knock on Maggie's hospital room door. She called out for them to come in.

"Hello Maggie." Claire came in, carrying a vase of flowers. Hobbes followed her with a bouquet of balloons.

"Hey Rourke."

"Hi guys." Maggie smiled, trying to sit up in bed. Claire set the flowers down and helped her up. "Thanks."

"How are you feeling today?" Claire sat down in the chair next to her bed.

"Better. It hurts."

Hobbes patted her hand. "We miss you at the office. The Official's been kinda cranky without you around."

"Docs said I should be able to go home next week." She looked at Claire. "How's Darien?"

"Recovering. He went back on active duty yest-" Hobbes waved his hand to cut her off. "He hasn't come to visit?" She shook her head. "I can't believe him."

Claire touched Maggie's hand. "I'm sure he still feels guilty about hurting you."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to see him. Anyway, it wasn't his fault." Shaking her head, she said, "Y'know, for an ex-thief, he's got one hell of a conscience. When you see him, tell him I want to see him."

"Sure, I'll tell him." Hobbes squeezed her hand. "You just get better."

"I will. Thanks for the flowers and stuff."

"Hey no problem. We'll see you tomorrow."

Darien pushed open the door slowly. The light inside was dim and he could just make out a figure asleep in the bed. He shed his quicksilver covering and crept over to the bed. Sitting in the chair next to her bed, Darien watched Maggie sleep. She was on her back, one arm curled under her pillow. He picked up her other hand, gently tracing the veins on the back. He touched the tape holding an IV to her hand and sighed. Leaning back, he found himself watching her breathe. Sleep made her look absurdly young. She made a small noise in her sleep and rubbed her face. Waking up, she turned those green eyes on him.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Hyde." She said softly.

"Hi Maggie."

"Did Hobbes threaten you?"

He nodded. "How'd you know?"

"He had that look on his face when he left yesterday." She looked at him. "You weren't going to come."

He looked down at the floor. "I didn't think you'd want to see me."

"Darien, you're my friend. Of course I'd want to see you."

"I could have killed you. Or worse." He tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling.

"I know. I'm empathic, remember?"

He looked at her. "You saw-?"

"Felt. I felt everything. My walls were so weak I couldn't control it." She reached out and traced the planes of his face with her fingertips. "But hey, I asked for you to come didn't I?"

He captured her hand, kissing her fingertips. "How's your leg?"

"It hurts. Docs gave me some pain meds. And I get this spanky cast, in my choice of fashionable colors." She moved the covers aside so he could see the heavy cast that encased her right leg from her toes to mid-thigh. "I picked green. You know, to match my eyes." Smiling, she batted her eyes exaggeratingly. A smile crept over his lips. "See, I knew I could get you to smile."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't throw me over that railing."

"But I didn't pull you back up either." The look in his eyes almost broke her heart. "And for what I said."

"Well, the next time I want to go exploring, we go after we get our shots. And you won't let me talk you into going without them. Okay?" She said lightly.

"Yeah."

She noticed then his right arm was in a sling. "You're hurt?"

"Just a sprained shoulder. No big deal."

"I did it." She had vague recollections of throwing him across the room.

"Yeah. But I'm okay. Couple days in a sling and I'll be good as new." Standing up, he brushed a lock of hair back from her face. "I should go. It's late."

"Stay. Just until I fall back asleep." She grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at her. "Please?"

Finally, he nodded. "Alright."

She yawned. "Good."

"How long do you have to stay in here?" He sat back down, still holding her hand.

Her eyes were only half open. "A week. Maybe less." She turned away from him. "What you said, during the madness, do you remember any of it?"

"Not usually. Why?"

"No reason."

"I'm sorry if I said anything-"

"I know, you said." They fell silent. When Darien looked up again, Maggie's eyes were closed.

Smiling at how peaceful she looked he leaned down, kissing her on the forehead. "Sleep well, Maggie." He whispered softly. He closed his eyes and quicksilver covered his body. Silently, he slipped out of her room and down the hall to the elevators.