My house had been carefully scouted for ways to breach security. No one, not even the X5's, should have been able to enter my room without massive advanced warning. I had even cleared all the climbable trees away from my house for 20 feet in every direction. So there was no way I could be seeing what I thought I was seeing.
My visitor seemed unaware of such reasoned logic. She very definitely was an X5, and she very definitely came in through my window. My slow senses finally adjusted, and I dropped into a fighting stance. She hadn't escaped with us, therefor I had to assume she was an enemy. Even if she had gotten herself shot trying to save me when we were only nine.
"Eva." I said softly, for there was no mistaking her clear purple eyes. Her long, light brown hair was clipped up tight to her head. And her face, so much like Syl's, looked at me warily. She, too, dropped into fighting pose.
"Hey, baby sister. I hear you took the bitch down." He low, husky voice surprised me. I knew that this could still be a trap, so I did not let my guard down. Instead, I called to Original Cindy.
"Go tell the people who we had dinner with tonight that Eva is here. Tell them to hurry." She nodded, and ran down the stairs.
As far as I know in the real world, very few people ever come face to face with their dead siblings. I think I must be the only one to have to do it twice. Eva was relaxed, and I knew that if she had been in Manticore all this time she could probably kick my ass. Even if I wasn't three months pregnant and trying to protect my baby. It didn't make sense, somehow. If she had been at Manticore all this time, then I know I would have seen her while they had me back there. I know the certainly kept Brin close to me all the time. So how could she be from there? And yet, since she's alive, how could she not? Coupled with the fact that she seemed to make it into my window with no troubles at all, her as an enemy seemed all too likely.
"I know you can't trust me. But I want to explain what happened after you broke out. And how I got away soon after. Believe it or not, Lydecker got me out."
I snort. I'm almost positive she's lying. Like he would let her go, and then spend the next ten tears hunting the rest of us down. When I didn't say anything else, she went on.
"After he shot me, I was taken down to the infirmary. The used this big machine that encased my whole body to keep me alive. When three X5's were killed from another unit, they transplanted me. And then I spent three months in the torture chamber." The stark sentences remind me of my discussion with Zane, not so long ago. In spite of myself, I am inclined to believe her. There is too much sincerity in that violet gaze, and too much pain in her voice, to fake. Eva never could fake anything anyway.
Zane and Tinga chose that moment to come crashing through the same window Eva had used. When they saw that there was no fight going on, they backed off. Both of them drank in the sight of her, and I could feel their trepidation warring with the joy of having her returned to us. She cleared her throat, and continued with her story.
"One night, when my mind was about to crack and my body was beaten almost beyond repair, Lydecker came to get me out of the torture chamber. I thought it was another trick, another way of trying to break the spirit they had decided was too dangerous for a soldier to have. I was wrong. He put me into his jeep, drove me into Seattle. And then he dropped me off at an orphanage, without a word, and drove away. I've spent the last few months looking for you guys. They told me that you had all been killed. They never admitted that you had escaped. Not to any of us who were left behind, anyway. Then that Eyes-Only guy broadcast that you were alive, and that Manticore had been taken down. I knew I had to find you."
"Bar-code!" Tinga barks, hiding the emotions that shine in her eyes. Eva turns without a word; the irrevocable truth is branded on her neck. X5-457. Eva.
Our innate caution still makes us wary, but slowly, we walk up to our sister. I can see that Tinga is still having a hard time believing. She and Eva were as close as Jondy and I am. They hug, and laughing and crying, we are a whole unit again- or almost.
"Uh, Uh, boo. You ain't getting outta my question that easy! Nothing so little as a long dead sister is going to stop this one from getting out. So, inquiring minds wanna know! When is the little boo due?!"
Oops. In all the whooping and hollering going on between the X5's, I had forgotten about OC. Not like she was going to let me forget about her for very long. All of a sudden, I had four intensely curious siblings looking at me. Man, were Jondy and Syl going to kill us when they got off guard duty. They're missing everything that's happening tonight.
Or maybe not. They picked that moment to come bounding up the stairs and through the door.
"We hear things are getting interes...EVA?" Syl looks very much how I did when I saw Eva standing inside my bedroom window. She and Jondy are across the room so fast that I didn't see them move, and are hugging and crying all over Eva's black denim outfit.
"Logan said that Eva was here...but we assumed that he had screwed up and actually meant Brin. Oh, Eva!" Jondy is still sniffling.
"Now, girls, you just interrupted what could prove to be a very interesting conversation. Max?" Zane is grinning. I could smack him. Damn it, I guess I'd better get this over with. I'd have to tell them soon, anyway. You know, before I look like I swallowed a beach ball.
"All right, ALL RIGHT, already. I'll tell. God, you'd think that there was more going on then there actually is." I pretend to be really steamed, so my family won't notice how embarrassed I am. It's not like it's any of their business, anyway. "In about six months, you all will have a niece or nephew to add to your family tree. Or maybe both," I say, as I remember how Logan once told me that twins tend to run is his family.
My siblings look at each other, and then all start to grin. Big, cheesy grins of absolute mirth. Logan walks up behind me, puts his arms around me, and says, "So, I guess now would be a good time to decide what we'll call her. Seeing as you've told the family and all." I look up at him, and see that he isn't mad. He's teasing me. Just like everyone else. Damn them all.
"What's so funny? I ask, grumpy that they all seem to find the fact that I'm pregnant funny, and daring them to deny it.
"Oh, I was just trying to picture you with one of your hot little leather outfits in a couple of months." Tinga gave me an evil grin. I knew how much she missed her tight little leather outfits when she was pregnant with Case. She'd told me.
"I guess you would know better then I would, wouldn't you, Tinga dear?" I say, as sarcastic as I can manage. I succeed in attaining a tone that could strip paint of a tank.
"Ooo, Testy!" She replied. My face was turning an interesting shade of purple, and Logan took one look and ushered everyone outside except for Original Cindy. He left, too, and I was back to where I started from before our private conversation became an X5 party.
Original Cindy took one look at my face and laughed.
"I know what'll return those pearly whites-and I just happened to bring the tools ready."
I look at her, nervous. The way she's smiling, it can only mean one thing.
"Makeover! I brought it all with me boo. So get ready."
I hate being right.
My visitor seemed unaware of such reasoned logic. She very definitely was an X5, and she very definitely came in through my window. My slow senses finally adjusted, and I dropped into a fighting stance. She hadn't escaped with us, therefor I had to assume she was an enemy. Even if she had gotten herself shot trying to save me when we were only nine.
"Eva." I said softly, for there was no mistaking her clear purple eyes. Her long, light brown hair was clipped up tight to her head. And her face, so much like Syl's, looked at me warily. She, too, dropped into fighting pose.
"Hey, baby sister. I hear you took the bitch down." He low, husky voice surprised me. I knew that this could still be a trap, so I did not let my guard down. Instead, I called to Original Cindy.
"Go tell the people who we had dinner with tonight that Eva is here. Tell them to hurry." She nodded, and ran down the stairs.
As far as I know in the real world, very few people ever come face to face with their dead siblings. I think I must be the only one to have to do it twice. Eva was relaxed, and I knew that if she had been in Manticore all this time she could probably kick my ass. Even if I wasn't three months pregnant and trying to protect my baby. It didn't make sense, somehow. If she had been at Manticore all this time, then I know I would have seen her while they had me back there. I know the certainly kept Brin close to me all the time. So how could she be from there? And yet, since she's alive, how could she not? Coupled with the fact that she seemed to make it into my window with no troubles at all, her as an enemy seemed all too likely.
"I know you can't trust me. But I want to explain what happened after you broke out. And how I got away soon after. Believe it or not, Lydecker got me out."
I snort. I'm almost positive she's lying. Like he would let her go, and then spend the next ten tears hunting the rest of us down. When I didn't say anything else, she went on.
"After he shot me, I was taken down to the infirmary. The used this big machine that encased my whole body to keep me alive. When three X5's were killed from another unit, they transplanted me. And then I spent three months in the torture chamber." The stark sentences remind me of my discussion with Zane, not so long ago. In spite of myself, I am inclined to believe her. There is too much sincerity in that violet gaze, and too much pain in her voice, to fake. Eva never could fake anything anyway.
Zane and Tinga chose that moment to come crashing through the same window Eva had used. When they saw that there was no fight going on, they backed off. Both of them drank in the sight of her, and I could feel their trepidation warring with the joy of having her returned to us. She cleared her throat, and continued with her story.
"One night, when my mind was about to crack and my body was beaten almost beyond repair, Lydecker came to get me out of the torture chamber. I thought it was another trick, another way of trying to break the spirit they had decided was too dangerous for a soldier to have. I was wrong. He put me into his jeep, drove me into Seattle. And then he dropped me off at an orphanage, without a word, and drove away. I've spent the last few months looking for you guys. They told me that you had all been killed. They never admitted that you had escaped. Not to any of us who were left behind, anyway. Then that Eyes-Only guy broadcast that you were alive, and that Manticore had been taken down. I knew I had to find you."
"Bar-code!" Tinga barks, hiding the emotions that shine in her eyes. Eva turns without a word; the irrevocable truth is branded on her neck. X5-457. Eva.
Our innate caution still makes us wary, but slowly, we walk up to our sister. I can see that Tinga is still having a hard time believing. She and Eva were as close as Jondy and I am. They hug, and laughing and crying, we are a whole unit again- or almost.
"Uh, Uh, boo. You ain't getting outta my question that easy! Nothing so little as a long dead sister is going to stop this one from getting out. So, inquiring minds wanna know! When is the little boo due?!"
Oops. In all the whooping and hollering going on between the X5's, I had forgotten about OC. Not like she was going to let me forget about her for very long. All of a sudden, I had four intensely curious siblings looking at me. Man, were Jondy and Syl going to kill us when they got off guard duty. They're missing everything that's happening tonight.
Or maybe not. They picked that moment to come bounding up the stairs and through the door.
"We hear things are getting interes...EVA?" Syl looks very much how I did when I saw Eva standing inside my bedroom window. She and Jondy are across the room so fast that I didn't see them move, and are hugging and crying all over Eva's black denim outfit.
"Logan said that Eva was here...but we assumed that he had screwed up and actually meant Brin. Oh, Eva!" Jondy is still sniffling.
"Now, girls, you just interrupted what could prove to be a very interesting conversation. Max?" Zane is grinning. I could smack him. Damn it, I guess I'd better get this over with. I'd have to tell them soon, anyway. You know, before I look like I swallowed a beach ball.
"All right, ALL RIGHT, already. I'll tell. God, you'd think that there was more going on then there actually is." I pretend to be really steamed, so my family won't notice how embarrassed I am. It's not like it's any of their business, anyway. "In about six months, you all will have a niece or nephew to add to your family tree. Or maybe both," I say, as I remember how Logan once told me that twins tend to run is his family.
My siblings look at each other, and then all start to grin. Big, cheesy grins of absolute mirth. Logan walks up behind me, puts his arms around me, and says, "So, I guess now would be a good time to decide what we'll call her. Seeing as you've told the family and all." I look up at him, and see that he isn't mad. He's teasing me. Just like everyone else. Damn them all.
"What's so funny? I ask, grumpy that they all seem to find the fact that I'm pregnant funny, and daring them to deny it.
"Oh, I was just trying to picture you with one of your hot little leather outfits in a couple of months." Tinga gave me an evil grin. I knew how much she missed her tight little leather outfits when she was pregnant with Case. She'd told me.
"I guess you would know better then I would, wouldn't you, Tinga dear?" I say, as sarcastic as I can manage. I succeed in attaining a tone that could strip paint of a tank.
"Ooo, Testy!" She replied. My face was turning an interesting shade of purple, and Logan took one look and ushered everyone outside except for Original Cindy. He left, too, and I was back to where I started from before our private conversation became an X5 party.
Original Cindy took one look at my face and laughed.
"I know what'll return those pearly whites-and I just happened to bring the tools ready."
I look at her, nervous. The way she's smiling, it can only mean one thing.
"Makeover! I brought it all with me boo. So get ready."
I hate being right.