A/N: Yay, it's finally done! I've been working on this chapter since March. I don't say it was hard one to be written, I started with Marie's point of view as usual, but it ended up being written with Oliver's point of view. I don't blame you for not remembering who he is, he made appearance like once, in chapter two, he was Marie's classmate the Kraang tried to kidnap. Yeah, no working on with Marie and Raph situation this time, I just wanted Marie to be doing something with her friends. Next chapter continues Raph/Marie storyline. In this chapter we learn about both Oliver's and Marie's backgrounds and we have a cameo by my favorite character in TMNT who's not a turtle.

Besides writing this I've been writing on another TMNT story which is again about one of my OC's. This OC is actually going to be in Marie's story just not yet. Oh and I'm also planning on third story – these all three stories are connected, I call them sister stories. One of the OC's I'm using on the third one makes a cameo appearance in this chapter as well.

I hope this chapter doesn't bore you to dead or that Oliver's point of view doesn't do that or seem too angsty.

Update: Corrected ton of typos.


Chapter 7 – Doppelganger on the street

Life sucks and then you die. At least my dad hopes so, or I think he does. When me and my sis moved to our uncle's, he swore our dad would stay away from us, but if this was his second visit within short time, I don't think my uncle swearing to keep him out of our lives worked at all. And I'm not liking this one bit because it would always end up in the same situation. Expect for today, because this time I'm hiding in my room before I could be pushed against the wall or to be hit on my face. But they had their loud fight anyway. I sat in front of my door, listening to it, all those insults, mainly thrown for my uncle who was taking care of me, a freak. I had heard it before, all those accusations, as if it was my fault mom got sick and died soon after. Or how I was an alien child who had no place among his family, soon it would come to it where he would accuse me for not being his son. Wise guy would've left, but I stayed. Where would I go? There was no place for me to go to.

They say guys don't cry, I don't know about the rest, but I do. I hate hearing grownups fighting, especially when I'm the reason why they are doing so. I missed my mom, lot of things have been happening lately, new school, new city, new country and those things at school in the other day. And then there was Marie. And Gargie too, but mainly Marie. She's someone I can't figure out, she's kind, but she's feisty, she knows how to handle things, but sometimes, she speaks in riddles I don't get. But at least when she's around I don't have to think about mom, or dad or all those accusations. She's a lot of fun to be around with. We should meet today, go to sleep over at Gargie's place. It was very the first time I've been invited to a friend's house while living in New York. But I wasn't feeling like I wanted to go, I mean what would they say if I kept moping all evening?

I doubt they never notice if I don't show up. I heard the doorbell ringing.
"What?" My dad yelled after him probably opening the door. He would try to scare whoever was on the door.
"Who the fuck are you?" The voice belonged to Marie, and she didn't sound scared, not one bit. I doubt she never was scared.
I heard the dog bark.
"We aren't buying anything!" My dad raged.
She coughed. "Well, I'm not selling anything, but if I was I would sell you some pastilles."
No good, she'll only get him mad by acting like that.
"Trying to be funny?" I could imagine my dad spitting on her face while yelling at her. Maybe he'd be so mad he would hit her, what could I do? That man just froze me up, I couldn't do anything while he was around, and I couldn't say anything. I know, I know. Pitiful.
"Erik, what is going on here?" My uncle asked. His voice sounded annoyed, but it changed into pleasant – his most regular one while he noticed who was on the door.
"It's so good to see you, Marie."
Come on Oliver, stand up, go to the door, half of me was thinking but that cowardly half was saying Marie doesn't want to – or need to see you like this. If she does, she'll just think you're a wimp! Needless to say the cowardly Oliver won.

I heard a knock on my door, it caused me to startle because I didn't expect Marie to be coming in my room but instead my uncle calling me. I stood up quickly and hit my head on the door handle, of course I stumbled on something and fell on my face. I was just like that, I was so clumsy that my sis sometimes teased me if I were to grow long hair no one would notice I was a guy, because according to her I was girlish clumsy and shy, I guess all the guys should be this brave macho type to be good enough of guy.
The door opened and Marie peeked inside the room, her eyes looked at me bit confused.
"What are you doing?" She asked slowly.
"Nothing!" I squeaked for reply. "I-I didn't know you were coming just yet..."
I was going to say I haven't started packing yet, but Marie's dog, big hairy white one wanted to eat me. It jumped on me – no, actually it just walked on me, sat there and started to lick my face.
"Roy, stop it." Marie said firmly. "I don't think you're making Oliver very comfortable here." She giggled, probably because I looked funny to her. The dog however returned to her.
"Do you mind if I come in?" She asked smirking at me because she was pretty much inside of my room already, at least half of her – upper half was.
"Sure." I stuttered. Marie stepped inside my room, today she looked bit different than usual. I looked at her for a moment, was it her hair, had she done something to her hair? No, that wasn't it. It took a moment for me to realize what it was, I had never seen Marie outside of school, where she wore a school uniform. Now she wore baggy black pants and white jumper with black stripes that were made of furry material.
"What?" She asked, still smirking.
"It's just... You look different." I stuttered.
Her eyebrow rose. "Well did you expect me to wear a school uniform during my free hours?"
"N-No, actually I've never thought of it..." I stuttered.
"Nah, that's fine." She smiled at me. "Just messing with you a bit." And it worked. Of course she couldn't have known how well, Marie always did the trick, whenever I had these things on my mind, Marie would talk or do something random, and they would wash away for good – for a while.

"Are you alright?" She asked, I could hear a tone of concern from her voice. Well I couldn't blame her, after all she saw my dad and witnessed what he was like most of the time.
"Yeah." I said, I turned my back on her, starting to pack my things. I couldn't talk about it, not to anyone. Even thinking about talking about it, about him raised a piece of something I couldn't seem to swallow in my throat. I was afraid of breaking into tears in front of someone I liked, she would just think I'm a stupid weak fool.
"You are lying." She said calmly. I turned around to see her, she was smiling at me. It wasn't a happy smile, she smiled but only with her mouth, her eyes stared at me strangely. I had seen this look only few times, it was a distant gaze, as if she would see something the rest of us couldn't. But there was something else... Was it sympathy? For what? She didn't really know me and even if she did she couldn't have suffered the same fate in the way I did. She was too tough, too cheerful for that. If there was something wrong with her life it would show somehow.

"It's that garbage man guarding the vestibule?" She said, again calmly.
"It's... Why are you calling him a garbage man?" I asked confused.
"He smelled like he had emptied a liquor store or something." Marie stated. "That was located in garbage bin."
I smiled forcefully. Marie probably was trying to cheer me up by making a joke.
"Look, it's not your business or any..." I started.
"I'm not asking you to tell me." Marie said. "Let me do that for you."
So I waited.
"Your dad doesn't seem like a nice person, he seems like an average drunk to me." Marie talked while looking at me. "He has a bad temper, and I mean really bad. Considering that cut or bruise you had the other day when – you remember don't you?"
How could I forget? It was probably most frightening day of my life and one I still didn't know what to think of. That day those creatures chased after me, I didn't know why, I just knew they wanted me. Marie tried to protect me and they tried to shot her dead, that's pretty clear isn't it? And my dad had said day before that, that maybe something would come and get me. Those things scared me as much as much my dad's words did.

"Look it might have been an accident. Maybe you just didn't get out of the way too fast or something." Marie said, now seriously.
I looked at her, amazed did she come up with that by herself? That's pretty much what had happened.
"But as I said, you don't have to tell me." She was back with her regular cheerful voice. I sat on my bed and Marie's dog took that as an invitation and it jumped on my bed next to me, and started to lick my face. I didn't find it nice at all, I tried to push it away, but as hard as I tried it just got more excited. However Marie pulled it easily away and sat next to me.
"Sorry, Roy is kind of puppy." She said. "But he means well."
"He's been like that ever since my mom..." I still couldn't say it aloud. When she died, even though it was three years since it happened.
Marie looked at the bookshelf on top of it I had two framed photos. One was taken in front of the grill, there was me and Gargie Marie was standing between us holding her hands on our shoulders. Another one had me and my sister in it with our mom. I was lot younger in that photo, but mom was as I remember her, lively, blonde haired woman with a peachy skin.
"She looks like you." Marie noted.
I was going to reply something like "I guess" but she never heard it because my uncle probably told dad to leave and he exploded. Marie looked at the door.
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" She asked.
"Well..." I shivered at the thought of leaving my room and facing my dad, when he was that angry who knew what he would do to me.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Marie said.
"But Marie he's a grown man..." I argued against her. "He'd hurt you if you got under his skin." But Marie just rolled her eyes.
"Your uncle is there, is he not?"
"He is but..." I mumbled. I couldn't just say I was scared, she would think I was a coward which I guess I was but she didn't need to know that.
"You're scared." She said. "I get it, but you can't hide here forever, besides we have this sharp teethed dog if he tries something."
I looked at Marie's dog, who was now sitting or lying beside her and licking her face. He didn't seem at least bit threatening.
"Do you really want to stay here?" Marie asked.
"Well no but..." I started but then she grabbed my wrist, it wasn't that firm kind of grab, just loose one.
"We are going, Oliver." She said with a simple tone. "Grab your bag."
"Is Gargie expecting us this early?" I asked.
"We are not going to Gargie's just yet." Marie said. "I'm ordering you a burger."

I felt like there was nothing I could do to hide in this room, I mean, I don't think Marie would've listened to me even if I tried to tell her we shouldn't. Marie put the leash she was walking her dog with on her right hand while she walked me with her left hand.
My dad was still quarreling with my uncle but as we came to the picture they stopped. Dad looked at me with cold, hateful eyes, his lips went up for a glib smile. He turned his gaze to Marie.
"Has our little Oliver gotten himself a girlfriend?" He meant to sound nice but both of us could hear it was just pretended. "I wouldn't get too attached to a little creep, sweet heart."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Marie asked slightly annoyed.
"Oh nothing." Dad continued sounding gleeful. "He won't be here much longer." That was when Marie let go of my wrist, she went straight to my dad, her eyes narrowed, her lips pursed down, she looked slightly scary when she went and literally stepped on his toes. For a moment it looked like she hasn't thought what she should say, so she just growled:
"Don't fucking call me sweet heart!" Her dog growled at him, as a warning, I bet it understood what he was about to do. You see being a drunk with anger management issues, he didn't like someone – especially if that someone was a teenager, telling him what he should or shouldn't do. I saw him raising his hand, and Marie's eyes suddenly toughen as if she was ready to kick him to the ground, but nothing happened all thanks to my uncle.
He had grabbed my dad's wrist before he could hit her.
"Erik, stop it!" My uncle yelled.
Marie's dog barked at him, I bet it wanted to jump on the man and bite the crap out of him. But Marie stepped back, slowly, without turning her back on them.
"It was nice seeing you, Marie!" My uncle yelled as the both of left the apartment.
"Yeah, I hope that garbage man stays out next time!" Marie yelled back. I heard my dad starting to yell something, I care not to repeat.

"What was that about?" I asked nervously.
"Well, I don't like to be called sweet heart." Marie replied as we walked away from the block I lived with my weird family.
"I get that, but you were acting like he was going to stab you in the back or something." I said.
"Well, I've been taught it's dangerous to turn your back to the person who attacked you." Marie said. "I mean, he was going to slap me."
"He's like that." I sighed. "You shouldn't have pissed him."
"Sorry, I guess I'm that kind of person." Marie smirked. "I can never shut my mouth, that's what they say."
"Who?" I asked.
"My dad and Kiriko." Marie answered still grinning. "I never believed them, but I guess they are right."
"Who's Kiriko?" I asked, because I didn't know what I could say on Marie's behavior, I didn't know her that well so I could be a judging her behavior.
"She's kind of baby-sitter of me." Marie said. "Not my mom, obviously but I guess she's close to being one."
"Your dad's spouse?" I asked.
"Hell, no." Marie started giggling. "They can barely stand being in the same room with each other."

As I suspected Marie took me to Rawst the grill, it was her favorite place to eat. She claimed they had the best bacon-cheese burgers in New York. But I bet Marie went there because the place itself wasn't huge, it was more of a cozy type of place. Large man with tan skin and jet black hair greeted her behind the counter.
"Did you come to grab a burger again, Marie?"
"Yup." Marie answered. Then the man turned his head to look at the kid eating on the table nearest to the counter.
"Come on Dahlia, eating vegetables won't kill you."
"Aww, Dad!" Girl sighed. "Do I have to?"
"They have that argument pretty much every day." Marie whispered to me as I tried to decide what to eat, to be honest I wasn't even hungry, but I guess this was Marie's way to show her support or whatever it was.
"I just have the same as you." I said.
"Okay!" Marie said, happily. "We have two bacon-cheese burgers, please."
I was going to buy my own, but as soon I took out my wallet she looked at me for long while, as if I had done something unbelievable.
"I got this." She said.
"But..." I started to protest.
"Just buy me a burger sometime I really need one." She smiled, and I felt something melting inside, it always happened when she smiled directly at me.

We sat on the back, I found myself watching the brown haired kid who didn't want to eat her vegetables, because I couldn't think of anything to say. She had a turtle sitting on her shoulder. It jumped on her plate and took a bite of a small round tomato. However tomato didn't want to be eaten so it rolled away from the turtle. It continued doing so every time that tiny turtle would try to have a bite from it.
I laughed a bit.
"She tries to have her turtle eating the vegetables every time." Marie grinned.
"That was such a carefree time, wasn't it?" I asked. "Childhood."
"I guess it was." Marie said distantly. "Now everything is keeping us busy, school, free time activities."
"And family." I added.
"Say, has he always been like that?" Marie asked.
"No." I sighed. "It started when my mom got sick and died only few weeks later."
Marie looked at me for a moment, I guess she was figuring out what to say.
"Was it something like cancer or..."
"We don't know what it was." I sighed again. "First it seemed to be just an ordinary cold, with high fever, after a week she was so sick she couldn't stand up anymore, then she just..."
Marie nodded, then she smiled, reached her hand out for me, and pressed her hand against mine.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what that is like." She said with a gentle voice I had never heard from her mouth. "My mom died before I was even old enough to remember her."
"Oh..." I said awkwardly. "I'm so..."
"Sorry?" Marie asked sounding amused. "I guess that's ok, it just feels weird to hear it. I mean I don't really know who to be sorry for, I don't even know what she looked like."
"Don't you have any pictures?" I asked.
"No." Marie said as if it was as simple as that.
"Well, can't your dad tell you?" I asked.
Marie snorted. "No. I guess Kiriko could tell me something, but she doesn't like talking about it. We only speak of my mom when something bad has happened. She'd just grow worried if I were to ask."
"She's that type of person?" I guessed.
"Yup. And she's awfully bossy too." Marie said.

We got our burgers delivered to us and we started to eat. I asked Marie about her hobby, since she seemed to be really into it. I mean she was practically living in that ballet studio. She told me she had been dancing for ten years, and she loved it. Then she asked about my hobbies, I didn't have any, school was enough for me.
"So you're lazy kind of guy?" Marie asked, grinning.
"Yup." I answered. "Sometimes I go watch my uncle coaching some our hockey team, you know our school's own hockey team."
"Our school has their own hockey team?" Marie asked, surprised. "I've only seen Hannes training with the high school team."
"They do that sometimes." I told her. "My uncle has told me."
"I haven't been interested at after school activities." Marie said. "I have too much going on already, with the ballet and trying to fit in this freaking town... City."
"I know what you mean." I said. "I hate this town! It's filled with nasty things like..."
Shiver went down to my spine.
"I know." Marie said silently, rubbing her right hand. "I wonder what those things are anyway..."
"I don't want to know." I said quickly. "All I know that they tried to grab me and that they scare me like hell."
Marie looked thoughtful for a while.
"Marie, tell me you aren't going to find out." I said.
"What?" She asked.
"About those things, it's dangerous!" I tried to warn her.
"No. I was thinking what your dad said." Marie said.
"Yeah." Another shiver went down to my spine. "He's being saying that ever since I moved here."
"Maybe he knows something." Marie suggested. I couldn't believe that he would, I mean he was a drunk, he could mean anything, that I would be hit by a car, mugged or something. But the feeling I had, told me otherwise, maybe he knew something.
"He's a drunk you know." I said doubtfully. "It doesn't mean he knows anything."
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Marie asked. "I remember what you said on that day, you said he'd knew they would come for you."

"Dahlia, those aren't for your turtle." My attention got distracted from the subject.
"But dad, I don't like them, Dio does!" That kid said. "He might as well eat them!"
Marie turned her gaze towards the table where that kid sat and smiled, for a moment we sat there, eating, quietly, if that was even possible, I just felt like it was quiet.
"Hey, Oliver." Marie said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, I know it isn't easy for you. I just would like to know why those creeps are after you." She said slowly.
"I guess that's natural." I said silently. "I just don't feel like doing it. I..."
"You're scared, aren't you?" She spoke the words I couldn't. "I am too."
"Why? It's not you they wanted." I told her. "Remember?"
"I guess you're right." Marie sighed.

Apart from that conversation we had fun time together, Marie took me to the park, where we would play with her dog, Roy. He was a silly dog, always finding stuff some random Joe had dropped and bringing it to us. At one point he found a stick from the ground and we ended up throwing the stick for him.
"Let's just hope he doesn't jump on random people." Marie laughed.
"Does he do that a lot?" I asked.
"Yup. He also loves mud." Marie grinned. "It's such a pain try to wash it though. That dog just doesn't like to stay still."
When we were talking, Marie's words made perfect sense, since her dog had just run away while we didn't pay attention.
"For fuck's sake." Marie sighed. She did curse a lot. "Roy!"
We spent a good while looking for him, asking around, but no one didn't seem to notice rather big dog with long white fur. I think a dog like that would stand out, but maybe these American people didn't care for a lost pet, or pay much attention to these things.
Marie went ahead to look, she said Roy enjoyed hiding, so he probably was doing it right now. I felt stupid just standing there, I didn't want to annoy people asking about the dog, I felt nervous talking to people I didn't know.

Then I heard Marie screaming. I got bit scared, what if it was those creeps Marie had ran into? But as I got there I found Marie lying on the ground, with Roy licking her face.
"I told you so." Marie sighed. I was about to reply:
"So you did." But the dog turned his head around and started to bark very loudly. It looked as he was waiting for someone to come out from hiding. I looked at the direction the dog did and I thought I saw something standing there and looking at us. No, not us, at Marie. I looked at the figure, it didn't look like one of those robots – from what I could see, it wasn't as tall as those robot men were. I blinked my eyes and what I thought I saw being there, standing with the trees was gone.
"Roy, shut it!" Marie yelled at the dog as she pushed him away, so she could stand up. Roy kept staring at the trees and then at Marie anxiously while barking. Marie put the leash back to his collar and sighed.
"What's wrong with you, huh?"
The dog squeaked at her.
"Anyway, I think we should go." Marie told me. "Hello, Oliver?"
"What?" I asked quickly, noticing myself staring at the trees.
"What, looking for Slender man are you?" Marie asked, this time she sounded sarcastic.
"N-No, of course not!" I denied. "Just lost in my thoughts, you know."
"We should go. G is waiting for us at the DVD rental shop, you know." Marie pointed out.

"You guys are late!" Gargie pointed out when we saw him standing in front of the store. Roy tried to jump on him, but Gargie avoided it by stepping far enough from him. "Sorry not today, fur ball!" He laughed.
"Roy decided to run away when we were playing." I said.
"And then Oliver looked for old Slendy."
"Really?" Gargie sounded interested. "Did you find anything?"
"N-No." I blushed.
"So what kind of movies you want to watch tonight?" Marie asked as she left Roy in front of the store.
"Alien movies?" Gargie suggested. "Anyone?"
I guess he saw my awkward face.
"Geez, Gargie." Marie sighed as we entered the store. "If you wanted some aliens you could've asked me to bring Aunt Mina's old tapes."
"Besides, we always watch alien films." She added moments later.
"Okay." Gargie agreed. "Anyone for pirate films?"
"Sounds good." I said. I really didn't care what we would watch unless there would be aliens in it. I think I've had too much of those for a day. Or for a whole life.

Marie and Gargie started to quarrel over what kind of candy they wanted to buy. I really didn't mind what kind of snacks we would eat, I wasn't into eating sweets anyway. I just stood there like moron. I watched all the shelfs filled with DVDs and then out of the window. My gaze wandered along the busy street, looking at the people walking by the store. Among those people no one seemed interesting, everyone seemed to be in hurry. I guess it was what the city was all about.
Then on the opposite street, I saw something, or someone just leaning on the building wall and standing there, her arms crossed around her chest. She just stood there, looking straight in front of her. Her gaze seemed to be so focused for some reason. I couldn't see what she looked like exactly. She had dark, short hair and her face shape reminded me of Marie. I turned my head around to look at Marie, there she was smiling and putting some pick 'n' mix candies to a paper bag. I turned my head again to see if that random girl was still there and she was, she probably noticed me looking at her direction because she left her place and walked away.
"Come on, Oliver." Marie said. "Pick something you like." She smiled and handed me an empty bag.
I sighed. Calm down Oliver, you're just being paranoid.
"What's with your hand?" Gargie asked.
"Oh, this?" Marie said looking at her right hand. I hadn't noticed it before but there was a nasty looking wound between her index and middle finger.
"I was playing with Roy and there was an accident." Marie explained.
"It looks pretty bad, you might want my dad looking at it." Gargie said.
"Your dad?" I asked.
"He's a doctor." Gargie said. "And Hogatha is a vet."
"Who's Hogatha?" I asked.
"Gargie's stepmom." Marie told me.
"That's nice." I said.
"You wish." Gargie sighed.
"Come on, give her a change." Marie said. "She's not that bad." Gargie glared at Marie who kept smirking at him.
"Is Hogatha her real name?" I asked. "It sounds bit weird..."
"Nah, I just call her that." Gargie said.
He seemed like he wanted to say something more about the subject, but then we heard barking.
"Roy." Marie mumbled. "What is he up to now?"

We paid for the candy and movies, Marie hurried outside. Roy kept barking and staring at the opposite direction of the street.
"What's wrong?" She asked. Dog squeaked at her but kept staring at the other direction.
"Maybe he saw one of those scary squirrels." Gargie suggested.
Marie laughed. "Roy was scared of squirrels when he was little."
"Oh..."
"Shall we go then?" Gargie asked. We both agreed we should go to Gargie's place. He lived in a house around Manhattan. It was this quite idyllic house you could see on TV show with a family, mom, dad and children living in it.
"I can see what you're thinking, pal." Gargie said. "Just like on the TV, huh?"
"I... I guess..." I didn't want to be rude, or ask questions, it was pretty clear he didn't want to talk about it.
"Don't be shy, I thought the same thing. You know, idyllic house straight from TV."
"I guess it's pretty perfect..." Marie said.
"You bet it is!" Gargie sighed. "Well it beats the company of my mom. Really charming woman, you'd like him, Ol."
"Yeah. I'd appreciated if you didn't call me that..." I mumbled. Marie giggled.
"Here we go again."
"What? My nicknames are awesome!" Gargie said.
"Well, at least you're not calling me mama." Marie smirked. I couldn't help but smile, I knew she was talking about Nils, who tried to irritate Marie by calling her mama.
"True. I call you frost bite." Gargie noted.
"Valdemar, aren't you and your friends getting in?" It was a cheerful woman's voice. Red haired woman had just stepped outside of the house. She smiled at us, just the same way my aunt smiled when I first brought Marie over to our place.
"Yeah, sure." Gargie said, with slightly colder tone I've never heard him using. "You stalker."
"Come on, she's just trying to be nice." Marie whispered to him. Gargie didn't seem to like his stepmother very much. Sure I had heard stepmoms could be horrible, but Gargie's stepmom seemed really nice. I mean when we got inside she greeted Marie with a smile.
"It's so nice to see you Marie." She said. "Thorin has waited for you a quite some time."
"I hope he didn't bother you." Marie said.
"Oh, no. He's been really quiet." Gargie's stepmom said. "And Storm has mainly slept. She really likes the place I made for her in living room."
"Well she's starting to be old..." Marie said.
"I'd say she still has many years left as I told you when I last checked her on my consulting hours."
"I hope so. She means lot to me." Marie said while stroking Roy's fur.
"You must be Oliver." Gargie's stepmom said as she turned her gaze on me. "I'm Irene, I'm Valdemar's stepmother."
"Yeah, I thought you would be." Which was probably foolish thing to say, but I couldn't figure out what else to say.
"Where's dad?" Gargie asked.
"He's at work." Irene said. "Why? Do you need something?" She started to look worried.
"No. I was just asking." Gargie said coldly. "Come on guys, let's go to my room."

Gargie wasn't pleased to find one of Marie's dogs sleeping on his bed.
"Hey, who told you, you can sleep on my bed?" It was huge black and white Spitz and he sure didn't want to hear any complains, he jumped down from the bed and walked towards us, he completely ignored me and Gargie, he walked straight to Marie and looked at her. Marie stroked his fur and smiled at the dog.
"You shouldn't make Gargie angry you know."
"Are you kidding me? He loves to make me angry." Gargie said, he sounded amused though.

Gargie's dad joined us on dinner, he looked a lot like his son with his black hair and light green eyes. He said hi to us, and then he kissed his wife on the cheek. Gargie rolled his eyes on it.
"Someday you'll find someone too." His dad pointed out.
"Like that's going to happen." Gargie said. "We are forever single, me and Marie." They smirked at each other.
"Say Marie, what happened to your hand?" Gargie's dad asked, when Marie was pouring some milk from the bottle into her glass. Marie raised her healthy hand up.
"Nothing wrong here."
"I meant your other hand." Gargie's dad specified.
"Oh this?" Marie said as she quickly showed her so called injured hand. "It's nothing. I just played with Roy and there was an accident."
"Well, I'd like to take a look at it, if you don't mind." Gargie's dad suggested.
"Could we do that after the meal?" Marie asked. "This is delicious!"
"Why thank you." Irene smiled at her. "Have you ever had mac and cheese before?"
"No. I've never heard of it before." Marie said.
"Stop kissing her ass, will you." Gargie said annoyed.
"Valdemar!" His dad raised his voice.
"Well excuse me for enjoying first home made meal for I've had weeks." Marie mumbled so loud everyone could hear it.

"So, why do you call Marie frost bite?" I asked after meal when we were in Gargie's room while Marie had gone to the office where Gargie's dad worked.
"There's two reasons." Gargie said smiling. "First one is because Marie was found in Russia, she almost froze to death, so first thing I asked about it, was, if she was frostbitten or what."
"Wait, what do you mean by she was found?" I asked.
"She hasn't told you?" Gargie asked. "Well it's not a secret or anything. Marie's dad would always go hunting trips to Russia. One of his dogs caught her scent and led him to Marie who was almost buried under the snow."
"How did she end up in Russia?" I asked.
"She doesn't remember." Gargie said while shaking his head. "Anyway, Mathias took Marie under his wing and brought her with him to Finland."
"So Marie's... Adopted?" I asked slowly.
"Does it matter?" Gargie asked.
"No, of course not." I said quickly. "She just never spokes of it."
"I guess there's nothing to speak about it." Gargie sighed. "She's happy with her family and life she has."
"I always thought her dad or mom was Asian..." I said.
"Nope." Gargie said.
"So what's the other reason?" I asked.
"Well that's what you have to ask from Marie." Gargie grinned. Marie entered the room and sighed.
"G, your dad is asking me some weird questions."
"Like what? Is he bringing out some kind alien theories?" Gargie asked amused.
"Almost. He was like, these are not dog's biting marks and started to ask what I've been doing of late."
"Oh boy. I think he needs taking a break from work." Gargie said eyes wide.
"So, should we start watching the movies?" Marie suggested.

It was 3 am. Marie was sleeping soundly, but I couldn't stop thinking about what Gargie had told me about her. It wasn't the story that got to me, it was the things we didn't know about her past. Maybe something bad had happened, maybe that was the reason she could guess what happened between me and my dad. Maybe she had to go through something like that too.
"You saw her too, didn't you?" Gargie asked.
"What?" I asked, heck I thought he was sleeping too.
"That girl on the street, when we were at the DVD store." Gargie said. "The one who just stood there and stared at us."
"You can't know if she was staring at us." I pointed out.
"You saw who she looked like." Gargie said.
"Not really, I mean she was kind of far away." I said.
"And the next thing you're going to say is that all Asians looks a like." Gargie sighed. "Save it, I've heard it from my mom, and so has Marie."
"I wasn't going to." I said. "I just noticed they had a similar face." I was silent for a moment.
"Did Marie had a family before she was adopted?" I asked.
"I think so." Gargie yawned. "She just doesn't like speaking about them." He yawned again
"I bet Liisi would know..."
"Who's she?" I asked, but I didn't get answer to that. I guess he fell asleep. I turned my head around to see Marie. She looked so peaceful. I decided to throw away my thoughts I had moments before. Maybe nothing bad had never happened to this girl, maybe she just knew how to read people or something. Maybe I was just being paranoid.