Chapter 1
Reinstating myself back into the world as a person and not a shadow was harder than it looked. I had gone my whole life without emotion that to express it now was alien. To be a part of a normal family and not a mass killing was alien.
S-7 instead of terminating us gave us to our families if they still existed. The us referred to the experiments – all 20 of the remaining 24- the other four were lucky enough to escape the torture.
So coming home to a family with parents who assumed you were dead and two siblings that utterly despise you, joy isn't it. My name went from being First Aid to Valentine St. Cross. The long lost daughter that finally found her way home.
My scanner alerted me to the presence of the newest member of our family, Alice. The small one year old child had not shown the signs of spite that her elder brother and sister showed towards me. Then again Alice never had to live under the shadow of a dead nine year old. Something that Clara and Austin had the unfortunate experience of doing.
Brushing back my pink hair I gazed at the small child as she approached hesitantly and with curious eyes. She crossed the well-furnished living room clumsily on her two legs, one arm wrapped around a black rabbit and the other out stretched towards me.
The front door slammed shut and flirtatious giggles assaulted the air. Clara was home. Getting up I scooped Alice into my arms and walked towards the noise.
"Claratine" I said and she froze.
Standing in front straddling her was a boy I had never seen before and from the hormone readings I was getting was ready to jump into my sister's pants. Clara, herself was not any better and had at least the audacity to look ashamed. Turning my silver gray eyes onto the boy, I simply stated.
"Please leave"
"Uh…Nuh"
"Rory just go. Besides my parents are coming home early"
Clara's desperation got him to shut up and give her a quick peek on the lip before he vanished through our front door.
"Must you ruin everything?"
Alice stuck her tongue out at her and Clara flipped her off.
"Do that again and you will have one less finger to worry about"
She blanked and ran upstairs to her room, like a dog with its tail between its legs. Just like the coward she was. Alice bit on her fingers while sniffling holding back tears in her eyes. My free hand rubbed gentle soothing circles in her back slowly calming her down but the damage was done; not to her but to me. Sure I was missing for ten years and proclaimed dead after two years but to think that my own sister would not think twice in disrespecting me stung and it hurt to know that the hate for me ran that deep.
I remembered with perfect clarity the day I returned, the day Sector Seven brought me back.
"Come on Aid, I'll be fine you'll get to see your family again"
Melissa my new 'handler' had cooed, I glared but sank into the leather seats of the SUV. Absentmindedly playing with the coral necklace that was around my neck, the file on my life sat dejectedly on my lap as I scowled at it. Wanting nothing more than for it to disappear, I didn't understand why I was returning to a family I barely even remembered and I know assumed I as dead.
"N.E.S.T. has ordered the termination of all S-7 projects"
"I didn't know you cared" I sneered at the brunette.
"You should acquaint yourself with the file" she ignored the previous remark.
Smart, she was learning shooting her a look I opened the file.
Name: Valentine Aubrey St. Cross
Family: Justine St. Cross (mother) Max St. Cross (father) Claratine 'Clara' St. Cross (sister younger) Austin St. Cross (brother younger) Alice St. Cross (sister younger)
I snapped the file shut, I had stomached my fair share and Melissa pursed her lips unimpressed by my attitude. She turned away muttering something about unbecoming of a lady. I had to snort at that, please as if I had time to be a lady.
After a four hour drive we pulled to a stop, just in front of a typical family house with toys lying around on the front lawn. As we walked up the steps to the front door I turned and stared at Melissa and with an endearing smile written on my face.
"Let's see exactly how good you are at ruining people's lives" I said tucking a strand of my pink hair behind an ear.
The door opened revealing a woman with curious gray eyes and long black hair with a toddler in her arms, Melissa drew herself to her full height and stared at the woman.
"Mrs. St. Cross my name is Melissa Branch and I work for a sector of the government called Sector Seven and I am here pertaining to your daughter… a Miss Valentine St. Cross."