Chapter 11:

Mary was chipping at the paint on the car door with her finger nail. A habit she had picked up when waiting for Tenenbaum outside of a shop, the simple fact that she could do something helped pass the time. Now, it was all Mary could do not to find something heavy and throw it against the wall. When we find that... that thing, I'm going to wrench its fucking helmet off she thought, furiously scratching at the door.

Yesterday Jack had decided that the girls at the house she head into school, act normal and keep an ear out for any news. Beth had made a feeble attempt out of bed which prompted Marsha to shove her back down and bring more medicine for her headache. Amanda was oddly quiet about returning to school, Mary thought it was becuase of how she abruptly left the house without giving Simon a second glance.

Mary had volunteered to pick all the girls up, it wasn't much of a choice given that she was the only one with a license, but right now they needed each other and some sense of being a family. Mary reached out of the window and adjusted the mirror to get a better view of the school gates. She had arrived a bit early but Mary preferred her time alone to think.

The girls will be out in a few minutes, better work out what how I'm going to say my plan. She felt an odd fluttering in her stomach, Mary wasn't one to show anxiety but she would admit some hesitance to this plan. We can't just sit by and do nothing! Mary had seen Jack in his study, all the pictures and newspapers, if he thought he would face that monster alone, Mary had one big suprise for him.

Someone knocked on the other door causing her to jump. Turning she saw it was a middle aged blonde woman wearing glasses.

"Ms Mary Ryan? I'm Doctor Lamb, school councilor, may we speak?" she asked. Mary rolled down the window.

"This is going to be about the fire isn't it?" Mary said then sighed. "I won't lie things have been rough. But the hospital says things are looking good, Debbie might be out in a week or so-"

"Actually Mary, if I may call you that, I wish to talk about Amanda" Lamb said, her face very serious.

"What about her?"

Lamb tensed for a moment then relaxed. "I do believe the barn incident has shaken her terribly. I have made several calls to the house but no one picked up, until yesterday."

"Jack didn't want to have to angrily shout at reporters so he said to leave them alone... Amanda picked up didn't she?" Mary asked as concern grew. What did she say?

"Yes. I told her if there was anything she wished to talk she may call me at any time, then she turned up at my door today." Lamb said. "Amanda asked some... strange questions about relationships and what to do if you think it might turn bad".

"I know things have been hard but-"

"It is my opinion that Amanda is referring to her boyfriend, Simon Jones" Lamb said bluntly. "I was discrete in my questioning but Amanda revealed nothing else, I fear that Simon may have... taken advantage of her grief".

Mary's hand tightened on the steering wheel. Lamb tilted her head so she was looking at the gravel "There's nothing obvious to suggest but there are little things, how she behaved, the phrasing of her questions and if rumour is to be believed Amanda has avoided him as best she can. This girl was over the moon for him, then that night changed things".

Amanda has been refusing Simon's calls... Mary felt anger rise in her at the thought of another person threatening her family. "Thank you for informing me Dr Lamb, I will tell Jack and try and have a talk with my sister" Mary said.

Lamb nodded, then handed her a card. "Just in case".

Mary smiled and placed the card in her handbag which was under her seat. No sooner had Lamb left the side of the car the bell went and young students burst from the front doors. Marsha, Susan and Amanda walked out solemnly with everyone giving them a wide berth. Despite the initial cheer of the end of the day each teenager had stop to stare grimly at the trio, remembering only half had made it in.

They all climbed into the car without a word, but Mary's eyes fixed on Amanda's reflection in the rear view mirror. The more she thought about the more convinced Mary became of Simon having hurt her sister. Just then James came up to her side of the car.

"Its Mary right?" he said. "Any news?"

Mary felt a pang of sympathy for him. "Debbie is going to be fine. We're all still waiting on Hannah".

James merely nodded. "Debbie risked her life for my sister... I barely know her and she went and did something... something-"

"Brave, compassionate and stupid" Mary finished. Behind James, Simon started walking up. She noticed Amanda tense up from the corner of her eye.

"I'll let you know if anything changes" Mary said hastily and started the car. Simon had just reached them when they Mary hit the accelerate and sped away.

They continued for a while until they were about half way home, then Mary pulled over onto the grass away from the main road.

"What are you doing?" Marsha said "Is there a problem with car?". She began unbuckling her seat-belt.

"No" Mary grabbed Marsha's hand. "Nothing is wrong with the car. I just needed to say something to all of you". Two birds one stone, please get the other meaning Amanda. "We have a habit of not openly discussing our problems. You know why? Because of Rapture".

All the girls were quiet, their eyes fixed on Mary. "That place took away our humanity, took away our families and everything good and decent was twisted. Being up here on the surface... we couldn't accept any more bad things to happen to us so we either sweep them under the rug or say a few words and move on. Well, a few days ago the problems we ignored showed up and ripped our family apart".

"Mary-"

"Let me finish!" Mary felt angry tears fall down her face. "I know you hate Tenenbaum, but that night showed us all what would have happened to us if Tenenbaum had sat by and done nothing! She gave us this life! She risked everythign to put us normal... we owe her and Jack everything".

All the girls looked at each other, similar tears welling up. Mary took a deep breath "And because we owe them everything, and because we have denied reality for so long... its up to us to hunt down and kill the bitch who tried to kidnap Lisa, and put Hannah and Debbie in hospital".

Stunned silence. Marsha spluttered in confusion "But that's... h-how... what can we do? That thing brushed off everything in the barn and escaped with barely a scratch! We don't have that kind of power!".

Mary pulled out the pills Tenenbaum had given them all from her handbag. "Not as long as we keep taking these. Even off them we may not be in that thing's league but... off them and together... we can tear that bitch apart before she'd have time to turn".

"Think about this Mary!" Susan piped up. "Without the slugs in our bodies we could end up in the same state as Debbie and Hannah! We are physically incapable of coping with plasmids during a fight!".

Mary straightened a little more. "I stole some of Tenenbaum's notes. The formula in these-" she shook the bottle "-can be altered to promote ADAM growth instead of suppressing it. It would take all us but the playing field will be level".

Amanda was breathing heavily. "I'm not sure... maybe if we talk it over with Jack-"

Mary threw the bottle out of the window. "No! We can't behave like little girls anymore! If we have to fight whatever is coming out of that underwater hell we need to be able to stand on our own! As Little Sisters we were helpless as Tenenbaum risked her life time and again to save all she could. Same goes for Jack. We need to send a message that we are not vunerable." Mary looked at each of them. "And we need to send that message as a family".

She put her hand out in the air between all of them. "Are you with me sisters?"