Hello, clone club. This is my first OB fic so all comments and reviews are welcome. I stopped all my other projects to plan ahead with this one because I got excited, so please let me know what you think. A big thanks to my new beta Kathryn (bethschild on tumblr).
Beth opened her eyes. Bright light caused her to immediately close them again. The soft hum of the radio slowly crept back into her ears as her mind began to wake up. What time was it? Her eyes jolted open once more, unaware that then had closed again, to find the car radio: 5:40 PM. There were currently no active cases under her supervision and the last call she had heard on the police radio had been for a noise disturbance. It was a slow day, so she took the opportunity to stake out a personal case she was investigating. Beth wasn't sure when she had drifted asleep, but it was bound to happen at some point with the late hours she was working. The driveway across the street still remained empty. She had been awake during the time the husband had pulled up and parked in the one car garage at about 5:02 PM.
Another dispatch came through on the police radio and she turned it up to listen. It was a residential robbery about 30 minutes from where she was. Someone else would have to respond to it. Beth switched the radio off and began fidgeting with her shirt. There were a few spots of white fuzz on her black long sleeve shirt, probably left by the dryer. She swept her long hair aside to get the rest of the white particles dotting her arms and chest. The sound of a car caught her attention and she quickly shut off her own engine to avoid drawing suspicion. A red minivan driving a little over the speed limit headed in her direction. Beth took a deep breath. It was the car she had looked at on her computer screen for days. Hours of research went into learning everything she could about this woman without actually meeting her or tailing her. But this was it. She was the only one who lived close enough, ironically close.
Beth flattened her hair out as the van turned into the driveway across the street. She put on the black pair of sunglasses hanging from her visor. Hopefully, the glasses alone would conceal enough of her face. Fast fingers double checked that her gun was secure and her wallet was in her pocket. Beth watched as a woman got out of the driver's seat to open the side door of the van that had just pulled into the driveway moments ago. Two kids exited the van laughing and screaming. A small pain shot through Beth's chest: jealousy? If this was the woman she thought it was, then Beth knew it was jealousy. She remembered holding Paul's hand tight and listening to the doctor tell her she was unable to have children. Were these children Alison's by birth? They ran to the front of the house and Beth opened her car door and got out.
"Alison Hendrix?" Beth's voice was stern and steady as she crossed the street, despite the ball of nerves flying around her stomach. The woman turned and Beth felt her breath catch. It was like looking at a photograph of herself, but not like a mirror. She saw herself and did not see herself. It was her, but it was someone else entirely. Alison Hendrix: clone? Beth pulled out her wallet and opened it quickly, flashing her badge, careful not to show her ID photo, before shoving it back in her pocket. "Police. Do you have a minute, Mrs. Hendrix?"
"Mom, what's going on?" The boy was standing on the doorstep in front of his sister with the door half-open.
Alison turned quickly to them. "Go inside. Mom will be inside in a minute. Nothing to worry about." She smiled at them as they nodded and went inside, shutting the door behind them. Beth heard fast footsteps and caught movement from the blinds in the front window. "What is this about? Did you have to do that in front of my children?"
"Sorry, Mrs. Hendrix. Nothing is wrong. I just needed to know if you had a moment to talk, privately." Beth nudged her head towards the window and the woman turned to see two heads pop back inside. She turned back and motioned for Beth to follow. Alison quickly opened her car door and hit the button attached to her visor. The garage door rose with a groan and Alison hurried inside. Beth followed her in and watched as she locked the door into the house and hit the button inside for the garage door to close again. They were alone.
"Okay. What do you want?" Beth watched a different version of herself cross her arms and glare.
"I'm Detective Childs." She took a deep breath. The only thing to do was to get to the point. Beth had been waiting for this day. "I think you are a cloned experiment."
Beth watched her own face contort into a look of shock and surprise and then Alison laughed. "Excuse me, detective?"
She remembered when she would have reacted the same way a few weeks ago. That was until she had received an anonymous note with Alison's name on it and the words 'save yourselves, and find the rest' taped to her police car. It was written on a piece of stationary with a fish stamped at the bottom, but she had yet to identify the marking.
"Human cloning. I think you may have been a subject."
"This is absolutely ridiculous. Police or not I want you out of my house right now." The woman walked toward the button for the garage door.
"Wait." Beth grabbed Alison's arm and pulled her away from the button. She had hoped that the woman would be able to provide answer's willingly. "Look, I know you must know something. Someone tipped me off."
"I literally have no idea what you are talking about." She raised her free arm and brought it down against Beth's hand holding tight to her other arm. "Let. Go. Of. Me. I took a defense class. Stay away from me."
Beth withdrew quickly, shaking off the recent pain in her hand. She sighed deeply, wondering if this whole thing was a big mistake. Without another thought she reached up and pulled off her glasses. Alison's mouth dropped open and a small gasp slipped out.
"Mrs. Hendrix, I believe we are both subject's in a human cloning trial and I think something might be happening. I received a tip with your name which is how I discovered everything and I think we both may be in some type of danger." She waited for the momentary shock to pass over Alison's face and waited for a reply.
"Y-you look just like me."
There was a quick knocking on the garage door. "Honey? Are you in there? The kids said the police were here.
"Just a minute, Donnie!"
Beth quickly pushed her glasses back onto her face and rushed towards Alison, grabbing her hands. "Alison, I need to know if you know anything ." Alison shook her head, still staring at Beth in amazement. There was a slight click as the garage door was unlocked and Beth pushed herself around from Alison as a man walked into the room.
"What's going on here? Ali, are you all right?" He rushed over to her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Hendrix." Beth reached into her pocket and pulled out her wallet again. She addressed the man Alison had called Donnie. "I was just asking your wife if she knew anything about some robberies that have taken place in the neighborhood."
"I haven't heard anything about robberies. Why couldn't you just ask the both-"
"I got all the information I needed, thank you for cooperation." She opened her wallet and pulled out one of her business cards and shoved it back into her back pocket. Beth handed it to Alison, trying to keep most of her face hidden behind her hair from Donnie. "Please keep what we discussed to yourself and call me if you notice anything suspicious in the area. Mr. Hendrix, I'm sure your wife will fill you in on the robberies and just phone me if you have anymore information on the robberies than your wife did."
Beth leaned forward and hit the button on the wall to open the garage. Alison sat in stunned silence, with Beth's business card in her hand. "I am available 24/7 and I'm sorry for the intrusion. Have a nice night."
With that she turned and ducked under the rising garage door and headed back to her car without looking back. The door opened easily and she remembered that she had forgotten to lock it. The cop got in and shut the door. Her engine started quickly and she pulled off as fast as possible without bothering to buckle up. The car clock read 6:04 PM. Her life would never be the same.
