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"So, what did you find, so far?" Al asked while they sat in front of the computer.

Delilah shrugged. "Not that much ... there's one surprising thing, though: she's teaching."

Al gave her a thoughtful look. "What exactly? Computer applications? Would be fitting ... she's an expert and she could seize power..."

Delilah shook her head. "No, it's more ... historical. The Silk Road. And guess where? Athens. Can't be coincidence if you ask me but then I'm wondering why and what the Silk Road has to do with cloning."

Al scratched his nose. "I dunno, man ... perhaps she wants to improve her bombyx mori -"

"Sure, to produce more cocoons to sell as delicacy." Delilah grinned.

Scarlett's voice rang through the boxes: "Delilah come to the lab, please!"

Delilah rose from her seat at once.

"I missed it" she and Al said at the same time.

*
Check-in in Athens. "Back again!" Ursula said, falling down on her bed. They had exactly the same rooms they had had when Emmet had tried to steal the Acropolis. Dreamily she stared at the ceiling for a moment and curled up under the thin sheets.

Julius who had heard her came through the open door and knocked it. "Miss? We got an assignment, you can rest later."

Ursula murmured something. She didn't see Julius' rolling eyes, didn't see Emmet and Nosey standing next to him, looking at her.

"We have to wait for Delilah's research results ..." she said sleepily lying on her stomach and pressing the pillow over her head.

"This cheap pillow will not save you from doing your job - nor Delilah" Nosey said. He hadn't come to Athens to do nothing! So why was Ursula looking at them with that 'if you knew-look' on her face?

Emmet was used to her caprices and turned to leave. If he didn't want to be yelled at it was best to be on his own. Julius who felt his temper rising also thought it best to go and nodded over to Nosey.

He had however gone to her bed and wrested the sheets from her. She shrieked. He took Ursula by the shoulders and shook her. "You - will - come - along!" he yelled at her. "Delilah - is - doing - enough - for - us - she - doesn't - have - to - do - your - job - as - well!"

She had stopped crying out but Julius saw a tear ran down her cheek which she wiped quickly away when he finally managed with Emmet to get Nosey from her.

"What are you doing?" he asked him. "That's no solution! I know, we're all stressed and this situation is not really what everyone of us hoped it to be but that's no reason for fighting against each other! I know it's also my fault - but we've all made mistakes. So, this is the plan: Nosey, Emmet and me will go to that café - Ursula, you'll stay here, relax a bit and then write the reports. All in favour raise their hands!"

Emmet's hand darted into the air first, Nosey's shaking one was second and finally Ursula still shocked raised her hand.

Julius nodded. "Okay, let's go. If you need contact, call us, right?" He turned and left the room with Emmet. Timidly Nosey stepped forward. His eyes were full of desperation. Knowing none of his words could undo the past he said: "Ursula ... I didn't mean to ... I just cracked up. I dunno ... feelins or something -" He stopped when he saw a look in Ursula's face he didn't knew. He receded a little.

But it was only understanding. Ursula knew what her feelings did to her - why was she blackmailing Delilah? It was all about feelings. And a few seconds of shaking were less than bullying a friend in a very urgent mission. So she smiled as sign of forgiveness.

Nosey's eyes were wide. A soft smile from Ursula? Was she losing her mind? "So, I'll ... I'll better get going, won't I?" he said quickly and quit.

Ursula leant back. She had been 'good', trying to suit everybody but it was no use. Rolling over in her bed she decided to have a nap.

*
Delilah entered the lab. Scarlett was sitting at a table with her back to her. "Hi Scarlett", she said.

Scarlett didn't answer but pointed to a chair while finishing a complicated looking little apparatus. Delilah waited not saying a word. Finally Scarlett put it away and looked at her.

"So, what did you find out so far?"

"She's giving historical lessons about the Silk Road. As one of its stations is near Athens I suppose she also has a silk production going on there. Apart from breeding more productive caterpillars I don't see any point why she should have stolen something about cloning ..."

Scarlett nodded. "The problem about Miss Deeds is that she's got guts. Most probably she's got several projects at the moment."

"Could be an approach, for if we attack from different directions we might be able to confuse -"

Scarlett interrupted her: "Then we should smuggle someone in right away. Nosey for example, she doesn't really know him, does she?" Delilah nodded in approval. "We must talk to them immediately", Scarlett continued. "I'll do that, right?"

Delilah suddenly went pale. "No ... please, couldn't I..? It's just because of ..." Her voice died away. She couldn't tell her.

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I want to be in another place
I hate when you say you don't understand
(you'll see it's not meant to be)
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"Because of Julius? Well, okay, if you feel like it." Scarlett shrugged.

Delilah leant back in her chair, relieved. Quickly she wrote to Ursula what she had found out so far. When she had finished she asked: "What are you screwing together there, anyway?"

"Oh, just a try ... it's a molecular binder to -" she was cut off by two young girls storming into the lab. Scarlett closed her eyes, praying that her acids survived this sudden rush.

"Ana! Ashley!" Delilah couldn't believe it.

"Hey Delilah!" Ana said. "Nice hair ... the colour's good!"

Ashley looked at her for a short while. "Yeah, but what about cutting it a little? We could here ..." she said pulling around Delilah's hair. "No here and there and, oh, this would be perfect! Do you have a pair of good scissors?"

Delilah looked at her sceptically. "N... I suppose so."

Ana clapped her hands. "Gorgeous!"

*
But the academy wasn't the only one to see unexpected visitors. Julius, Nosey and Emmet were strolling down a side street when they saw someone sitting in a café ... who appeared to be ...

"Prosper!" Nosey ran over to her. "You here?"

"Hello!" Prosper hugged each of them. "Nice to see you! Delilah sent me here to help you."

Julius looked at the girl he cared for as if she was his own daughter. "You sure? It's most probably going to be dangerous."

But Prosper only laughed. "Why do you think I'm here?"

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yes, I know, these chapters are not very exciting ... but we're getting there, I promise!I got a little writer's block that weekend, but as I don't have any chance to update before the next the story had to go on, didn't it?
anyway, thanks to all the readers, and all the writers here, you're wonderful!