Chibi-Kari: I know it's been forever since I've updated. I'm quite sorry about that. I've gotten in a rut with school and where I want to go with my life. I'm graduating University in April and I have no idea what I'm going to do. Well I don't own Gunslinger Girl; if I did I wouldn't have a problem knowing what I was going to do. The next chapter is going to be where the two chapters really connect.

A Rose By Another Name

Chapter 2-Normalcy

Today was the best day of her life. Despite the fall of rain all around her. The cloudy sky couldn't ruin her day. She was normal. A normal girl. Just for today.

"Henrietta, be careful! You don't want your clothes to get wet!" A woman called out to the young brunette that was dancing her way towards the door.

She stopped abruptly. Standing on one foot, leaning close to the door, "Oh. Sorry, Elenora." Slowly she placed her other foot back on the ground, evening her balance. Looking down sadly, her brown hair rested slightly over her shoulders. It lightly grazed her face, hiding it from the world around her.

The older brunette tilted her head back and let a joyful laugh escape her body, "Henrietta, don't look so sad. I'm not angry with you."

Henrietta's head snapped up, "But…I almost got my new clothes wet." She stared at the woman in front of her. Wide-eyed. For a moment Henrietta thought that Elenora had gone crazy. "I…I don't understand." She admitted softly.

The woman behind her sighed as she moved forward and placed a hand on the back of the child in front of her. Sometimes it was hard. So hard to remember that she wasn't a normal girl. "Just…Just don't worry about it, Henrietta."

The girl in front of her let an unguarded smile, "Okay!"

"Let's go. I see another little shop across the street." Elenora responded taking the umbrella in her hand. All she got in response was a small curt nod. Something Henrietta would give to Giuseppe after an order. Elenora sighed as they walked across the street. It seemed impossible that Henrietta is or ever could have been a real girl. They were just so…so conditioned. It hurt to think that these children would not get the chance to grow up, to go to school dances, to date. They couldn't do anything that helped shape adolescents into adults and it almost killed Elenora to think of this.

"Are you alright?" Henrietta asked softly as she grabbed Elenora's hand. This had been happening all day. Elenora assumed it was some distant memory of Henrietta going out with her mother. It was subconscious, almost like when she responded about making dinner, the first time they met. It was moments like this that gave Elenora hope. There was a little girl in there, with a past and a future, no matter how limited. She smiled down at the girl as they proceeded to walk out into the rain.

Who was this little girl? Who was her mother? Elenora truly wanted to know. Why? She wasn't sure, but that would not stop her from finding out.

"What are you saying? The less conditioning the longer the girls will live?" Shock was written across Hilshire's face as he glanced over at Giuseppe. So Rico would be the first to go of the three. Hilshire felt relief wash over him. Triela and Henrietta were by far his favorite. Triela because she was his fratello and placing why he liked Henrietta was something that just could not be done.

Lorenzo glanced over at Dr. Bianchi as sign for him to continue. "It seems, after several tests on Angelica, that it was the conditioning that caused the deterioration of her body."

"I thought the deterioration from the conditioning was only to the extent of her mind." Jean said aloud. "That is what we were led to believe, at least."

Dr. Bianchi sighed as he brought his large hand up to rub his temples, "The deterioration of the mind caused a trigger. The mind reverted to a sense where it was simply controlling the body so that it would survive. The mind then sent the signal for the antibodies to start attacking the cybernetic implants. It's almost the same as when doctors didn't understand transplants and in turn something that was initially there to save a life ended up killing the person."

"So you're saying that their bodies will start attacking themselves?" Giuseppe asked as he looked hard at his brother. This was not what he signed up to do. He didn't sign up to watch a little girl die, a little girl he had come to believe in his heart was his sister.

"In layman's terms…yes." Dr. Bianchi turned to leave. This wasn't what he ever wanted to say to these men. He stopped short before the door, "We're working on a cure for this. If we can just allow one of these children to have a longer life-" He couldn't finish as he shook his head and walked out of the room.

"So should we lessen the conditioning?" Hilshire asked as he looked across the room.

"If you lessen the conditioning anymore, you won't be able to control her…or her memories." Jean said as he gestured towards Hilshire.

"So we're stuck between a rock and a hard place?" Hilshire laughed lightly to himself. "This is wonderful."

"These cyborgs will be replaced when they are no longer in fighting condition, you all knew that." Lorenzo stated from behind his desk.

"Yes, but now it's become a race against time." Giuseppe stood from his chair and walked out of the room. Henrietta didn't have much time anymore and what were they doing? Going on a mission tonight.

Chibi-Kari: I hope you all like the plot I'm setting up!