Chapter One

Olive Doyle brushed a lock of long golden hair out of her sparkling blue eyes. She smiled as she stared at the screen of her laptop. Scrolling through her emails, she scanned each and every one. It only took a glance to memorize each message. She couldn't help it. She memorized everything. That's just how she was. Of course, most of the emails weren't worth remembering. The majority was junk mail. From websites wanting traffic, or magazines wanting subscribers.

She went to her inbox and began deleting things when she reached one that caused her to freeze. Her eyes landed on a very familiar address. One she had never thought she would see again. Her mouse hovered over it, unsure what to do. She could delete it, and ignore the fact that he was finally contacting her, after all these years. Or... She could open it and accept the consequences that would come with reading it. Unfortunately, if she didn't read it, she would forever be plagued with curiosity. She would spend days mulling over what was in it. Contemplating what it could have said. She could end up pushing herself to the brink of madness. She couldn't do that. Not again. So, against her better judgment, she selected the email.

"Dear Olivia," She read silently. "I know it's been a long time and I know you must be extremely angry with me. But I really need you right now. The world has turned against me. Nothing went as planned. I knew I couldn't do it without you, yet I turned you away anyways. Now as a last resort, I'm contacting you again. I know how furious you must be. I abandoned you. But to tell the truth, I have never regretted anything more. You were completely right. I should've stuck with you. So this is me, desperately begging for your forgiveness. Talk to your brother. I need you guys, more than you know. Just think about it. You know where to find me. (If you do decide to come back, bring the others as well.)Olivia, please. You know I never say please, but I'm saying it now. I need you. Sincerely, Your Father."

She stared at it. Did he realize how long it had been since he had sent her out on her own? Since he had completely left her to fend for herself? She had had to completely relocate. To change everything. To find a new family. To create a new identity. A new life. And now he just expects her to come crawling back like the perfect daughter she had always tried to be? Not to mention how her older brother, Nick, would react. He had grown to despise their father, and wanted nothing to do with him. He told her that he was an evil man who only thought of himself. She knew how right he was, but at the same time... A part of her wanted to run back to him. The part of her that was thrilled that he still needed her. The part of her that still thought of him as her father.

"Olive, are you okay?" She jumped at the sudden interruption of her thoughts. She swiveled her head to see her best friend, Chyna, staring over her shoulder. Quickly, she shut her laptop, and stood up. Facing her best friend, she tried her best to muster a smile. "Chyna, you, uh, scared me."

"You've been staring at that computer for about fifteen minutes. Is everything okay?" Her eyes widened and she tried her hardest not to fidget.

"Whaaaat? Everything is... Fine. Absolutely perfect. Never been better. Haha." She chuckled nervously, trying not to glance at the laptop that was lying on the table.

Chyna frowned. "You seem really jumpy." She noted.

"Me? Jumpy? That's funny. I'm not jumpy! I'm perfectly normal! Perfectly normal!" She screamed the last part in Chyna's face, causing the girl to take a step back.

"Olive, I think-"

"Hey guys, I-"

"SHUT UP, FLETCHER!" Olive roared at the boy who had just entered the room.

He cowered in fright, seemingly terrified. "I-"

"SHUT UP!" For a second, he stopped looking terrified and studied her face. Something seemed to dawn on him for a second, before he went back to being afraid. "Olive, I, uh, think we should talk."

"There's nothing to talk about!" She yelled, her hands on her hips. "Nothing! NOTHING!"

Her eye began twitching, and Fletcher took that as a cue, to grab her arm and try to escort her out of the room. Bad idea.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

He gulped and stepped away. "I'm going to go over here."

"You seem more stressed than usual. Are you sure you're all right?" Chyna tried. "Are you overtired or-"

"I'M FINE! STOP BUTTING INTO MY PERSONAL LIFE!"

"Wait, personal life? Did you break up with-"

"NO!"

"Then why are you so upset?"

"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

Chyna stared at her for a few more seconds before giving up. "Okay, fine. But if you feel like talking, I'll be downstairs." She stepped into the elevator and pushed the button, still looking at her friend. The doors finally closed, and Olive let a relieved sigh escape.

"You're gliiiitching. You're gliiiitching." Fletcher sang, a smirk on his face.

"I AM NOT!" She yelled, invading his personal space.

"Yes you are." He then mock-frowned. "But you're in my bubble." She backed off a little, but crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"Whatever. I'm not glitching."

He raised his eyebrows. "Then what are you doing?"

She faltered. "I'm just getting a little worked up."

"Which causes you to-"

"I'M NOT GLITCHING!"

He was still smirking, and it was really ticking her off. "Sure."

She deflated a little, secretly knowing he was right. "You would be glitching too. Guess who sent me an email today?"

He looked guilty. "Pizza Palace? I know I shouldn't have given them your address, but I had already given them mine and all my coupons had expired so-"

"No!" She cut him short. "And stop giving out my email!" She scolded. "I got an email from my dad." She stated, a lot quieter that time.

Fletcher looked shocked. "He emailed you? But... He kicked us out."

"He wanted me to talk to Nick, and then come back to him. And take you and Angus too."

"But... He said he didn't need us anymore. He said we were useless... He said-"

"I KNOW WHAT HE SAID!"

He winced. "Man, you glitch a lot."

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to calm down. "Look, Fletcher. I'm going to go talk to Nick. If anyone asks, I'm up in my dorm, sick, okay?"

"I'll say you caught a bug." He stifled a laugh. "Get it? Bug? Because you keep glitching and if a computer gets a bug it glitches and-"

"SHUT UP, FLETCHER!" He clamped his mouth shut and nodded, obviously fearing for his life.

She glared at him for a second before walking over into the elevator and pushing the button for the bottom floor. For a second, she felt bad. She was leaving school for the first time in what felt like months. And she was lying to everyone about it. This was completely against her morals. Ditching, lying... But she just kept telling herself she had to.

She exited the school and closed her eyes. Nick was staying about ten blocks from here. He didn't live with the people she called her "parents". He hated pretending. So he had gotten his own apartment, as far away from them as possible. She ran all the way there, not caring how her lungs were on fire and her feet felt like they were going to fall off. She finally reached the building. Slowly, she entered it. What room was he in? It only took her a minute to recall. Floor 4, room 12. As she went to enter the elevator, she heard a sharp voice.

"Miss! Miss, do you live here?"

She turned to see a lady standing by the front desk. She was wearing a uniform, so she must've be the receptionist. "No, I'm visiting someone."

"Who?"

"Uh, Nicholas..." She hesitated. He refused to go by Doyle. As far as he was concerned, that wasn't his last name. She sighed. She hadn't had to say her real last name in years. She had hoped to never have to utter it again. "Davenport."

"And what's your name?"

"Olive..." She cringed before muttering, "Davenport."

"Are you two related?"

Was she serious? Olive had just said her last name was Davenport! (Even though she had given that up a long time ago.) "Yes, I'm his little sister."

"I see. I'll tell him you're coming up." She pressed a button and the noise of a speaker sounded out. "Mr. Davenport? A girl named Olive is here to see you. She claims to be your sister."

"She..." Olive could hear the shock in his voice. "Uh, yeah. Okay, send her up."

The lady nodded before turning off the intercom and giving Olive the okay. The girl stepped into the elevator and pushed the fourth button. She was nervous. It had been a long time.

She reached the fourth floor and then walked to the twelfth room. Knocking on the door, she prayed this wouldn't go too badly.

He opened the door, and she couldn't help but beam. He looked exactly the same as she remembered him. The same chiseled features, deep brown eyes, and dark curly hair. Before he could say anything, she darted forward and hugged him. "Nick!"

He hugged her back before letting go and studying her. "Olive. What are you doing here? I thought you joined that ANT program. You were trying to forget your past, were you not?"

"I was, but..." She glanced at the ceiling. "Can I come in before we get into this?"

"Yeah, of course." Letting her inside, he gestured to the couch. After he also took a seat, he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Okay. Now start talking."

She bit her lip. "I got an email today."

He squinted at her. "You came all the way here to tell me that you got an email?"

"From dad."

His face completely changed. His gaze hardened and he sat back angrily. "Really."

"Yes."

"And what did our father have to say?"

"Exact words?"

For a second, his eyes glimmered with amusement. "I would expect nothing less from the amazing Olive Davenport."

She laughed. "Okay. It said," She got a glassy look in her eye as she recited it. "Dear Olivia, I know it's been a long time. I know you must be angry with me. But I need you right now. The world has turned against me." She tried to read his stony expression before continuing. "Nothing went as planned. I knew I couldn't do it without you, yet I turned you away anyways. Now as a last resort, I'm contacting you again. I know how furious you must be. I abandoned you. I have never regretted anything more. You were completely right."

Nick interrupted with a cold, humorless laugh. "Wow, that's unlike him."

She waited a second before going on. "But I'm begging for your forgiveness right now. Talk to your brother. I need you guys, more than you know. Just think about it. You know where to find me. (If you do decide to come back, bring the others.) Olivia, please. You know I never say please, but I'm saying it now. I need you. Sincerely, Your Father."

Nick shook his head. "Just like him. Apologize when all else has failed. Pathetic."

"Are we going to help him?"

His eyes blazed. "Why would we do that?"

"Because he's our dad."

"Maybe so. But why are we suddenly important? We were never important before. Not when he used to keep us locked in our capsules for days, not when he kicked us out... Not when Uncle Donald was saving Adam, Bree, and Chase." Nick's eye twitched. "What makes THEM more important than US? Why don't WE matter? Why didn't he save US? Why were WE left behind?" His eyes glowed red and Olive barely managed to duck in time as the bright laser shot from them. It hit the couch, burning a hole in one of the cushions.

"Nicholas, you're glitching." She pointed out fearfully.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He growled. "I'm furious right now! How dare he ask us back? After all this time? Only after his plan has failed! And he asks us to drag Fletcher and Angus back into this? He didn't even bother using their names! I can not believe him. I knew he was selfish but this..."

"Nick... You're starting to scare me."

He sighed, and the color of his eyes returned to normal. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Olive. I just... He had the audacity to..."

"Nick, it's okay. You need to relax, otherwise your chip is going to short out."

He nodded. "You're right. Why don't you sit here? I'm going to go call our dear father."