Foreword: This chapter's not quite as long as my last few, but it felt like a good stopping point where I left it. Something else to note, fixed a small error in chapter 27, where I described Xiang as wearing overalls; meant suspenders.
April 21, 1896, 8:40 PM
A quiet sigh parts Elizabeth's lips as she lays back in her cushioned seat on the sofa, taking a break from packing the brown leather bag that rests beside her and holding a warm cup of tea in both hands. And sitting on the sofa next to her is Xiang, sipping at her own cup of tea as she languishes there, the Chinese girl having stopped by in the afternoon and stayed for a light dinner at Elizabeth's request.
"Wonder what possessed her to come by, today of all days?" Closing her eyes and breathing in the flowery scent of her drink, Elizabeth finds a smile teasing at her lips; it's been a while, but she'd asked her elderly neighbor for some linden tea, and imbibing the sweet, bracing tea puts Elizabeth at ease and reminds her of the first time she'd tasted it. Fitting, given where she and Booker will be going.
"So, Elizabeth…" Xiang turns to her after placing the cup on the coffee table, "I'm still not quite following… why there?"
"Huh?" Taking another sip of her tea, Elizabeth gives Xiang a sideways glance; the pickpocket has come by their place three times over the past week, the first being the day after the case that saw Booker and Elizabeth heading deep into the Tenderloin to find and rescue Slate's 'friend'. Xiang had been waiting by the apartment building's front door for them the next morning; she'd somehow heard some of the details of how the case ended, and said she'd wanted to make sure that they were alright.
"Booker and I are going upstate for a couple of days, that's all." Truth be told, Elizabeth enjoys Xiang's company; the tomboy's friendly, easygoing, and not at all concerned with 'proper' behavior. But she still hadn't invited the pickpocket into her family's home right away; while she'd never been exactly suspicious of the Chinese girl or her motives, Elizabeth's been through enough that she treats everyone she meets cautiously at first. "But…" Thinking to herself, Elizabeth takes another sip, "Booker invited her in himself today… maybe he's warming up to her?"
"Okay… but why aren't you bringing your little sister on this vacation? And why there? Why not someplace more… interesting? It's mostly just small towns, farms and a few cities up there…"
"Heh… well," chuckling, Elizabeth just shakes her head; it's not so much a matter of where they're going as it is of when and how, "I think I'll be just fine with some peace and quiet, Xiang. And who knows? Maybe Booker will finally teach me how to ride."
"Ride? You mean… on a horse?" Xiang shrugs at that, the dark-haired girl scratching her head for a second, and Elizabeth gives her friend a furtive, sideways glance as she brings her cup to her lips; Xiang's still unsure of herself when Booker's around, her manner timid and deferential. It's enough to make Elizabeth wonder about her new friend's family. "But...why not take Anna with you, rather than leave her with your neighbor?"
Elizabeth feels another smile teasing at her lips as Xiang asks; Anna knows exactly what's going on and where her family's going, though she's not happy about being left behind. Ms. Pearl has already agreed to watch the little three year old, as always, and Booker's currently delivering the apartment's key to the older woman. She'll be staying here for the duration of Booker and Elizabeth's trip.
"Well, we're being put up by a friend of Booker's and mine. But there's always a chance that this could end up a job, so…" That part's also technically true, from a certain point of view, though Elizabeth truly hopes that their trip won't turn into a case.
"Oh." Xiang nods slowly, "Don't want your little sister getting hurt."
"Yes…" Elizabeth has to fight to keep a grimace from her face, just nodding instead. Truth of the matter is, their destination is anything but mundane; Elizabeth had finally decided to take Jack up on his offer to visit with him and the five Little Sisters, her curiosity about them and the city sixty years ahead of her time finally getting the better of her. So she and Booker will be spending two days as guests of Jack Ryan and his adopted daughters.
Jack's home is in the suburbs just north of New York City, a place called Yonkers, his 'inheritance' from his father enough to afford a nice home with enough room for the Little Sisters. And that's another reason she's willing to step through the Tear, to see for herself how Sally and the other Little Sisters are getting along.
"Okay…" Climbing to her feet, Elizabeth steps over to Booker's desk and retrieves the last of her belongings bound for the bag; she's not sure how well it'll be received, but Elizabeth just feels more comfortable with the thought of having her 'old' dress when they return to the world that's home to Rapture, ADAM, Plasmids and Splicers.
"We're home!" The apartment's front door swings open just as Elizabeth slips her folded blue velvet bolero jacket and skirt into her bag, and a smile spreads across her face as her father and little sister step inside.
"Welcome home, sweetheart."
Anna's all smiles herself, the goofy grin on her face drawing a chuckle from Elizabeth as the three year old runs up to her big sister, something clutched in her little hand. "Look, look, big sister; I got a cookie!" Even Xiang cracks a smile at that, Anna holding up the sugary treat for all to see.
"Good for you; did you say thank you to Ms. Pearl?"
"Uh-huh. She's making more, too!" Still grinning from ear to ear, Anna turns her attention to Xiang, "Do you like cookies, lady?"
"Ah…" A timid smile touches Xiang's lips; she's only met Anna today, but Elizabeth's little sister had taken an instant liking to the Chinese girl. Of course, Anna's yet to dislike anyone she's met, and her friendliness seemed to take Xiang aback. "Of course I do, Anna." Nodding, Xiang's gaze darts over to Booker for a second as she answers.
"Huh… she's still timid around Booker, alright." Breathing a sigh at the thought, Elizabeth takes her seat on the sofa again, gently touching Anna on the head and drawing her little sister close for a quick peck on the forehead. "Anna, why're you asking if Xiang likes cookies?"
"Cause Ms. Pearl says it's nice to share." Anna's grin reappears, and Elizabeth only now notices the flecks of crumbs all around her sister's mouth. Taking hold of her prize with both hands, Anna's little fingers tighten around what Elizabeth can only guess is a sugar cookie and breaks it into two noticeably uneven parts. "Aww…"
The disappointment in Anna's voice causes Elizabeth and Xiang to share an amused look, the latter leaning close to the little girl and whispering loudly enough to be plainly heard, "It's alright, Anna; I'll take the smaller piece. It'll be our secret."
"Okay." Handing the smaller piece of Xiang slowly, Anna takes a tentative bite into her cookie. Then another, the piece already half gone as a smile appears on her face again. "Hey, big sister's friend? Why do you wear clothes like my daddy does?"
"Wha-?" Little Anna's question startles Xiang as she bites into her half of the cookie, the brown-eyed girl starting in surprise only to begin choking on the crumbly treat; Xiang pounds on her chest as she desperately reaches for her tea with her other hand and coughing loudly. It only lasts for a couple seconds, Xiang recovering before Elizabeth can do much more than hand the tea to her friend.
"Easy now… deep breaths… there you go." Breathing a sigh of relief, Elizabeth touches a hand to her chest, her heart beating a touch louder from the momentary scare. "You alright, Xiang?"
"I'm… I'm okay." Xiang slowly takes a deep breath as she answers, releasing it slowly and taking another as she slumps back against the sofa's cushions. "I… ah, Anna…" A hint of a blush colors the Chinese girl's cheeks, Elizabeth wondering whether it's due to her coughing fit or Anna's question. "I… it's not as if I'm meaning to pretend, or anything of the sort…"
"Why?" Anna steps closer again, the three year old having backed away at the onset of Xiang's coughing fit.
"Umm… well, I suppose being mistaken for a fella isn't the worst thing, at least for me…" The blush creeps clear across Xiang's face as she tries to explain to Anna, even touching her ears, "They're… these clothe are easier to move around in, and…"
"Anna," Booker's voice cuts in when Xiang falters again, Elizabeth looking up to see her father stepping away from the door, "you're pestering her; the girl's choice of dress is none of our business."
"Aww…" Pouting as Booker steps past her, Elizabeth and Xiang, Anna pops the last of her cookie into her mouth and climbs up onto the sofa beside her big sister, the three year old munching quietly and letting the matter drop.
"Thank you, sir…" A sigh comes from the direction Booker went as Xiang thanks him, the pickpocket's blush slowly fading.
"It's Booker, Xiang."
"I know Booker's not sure about Xiang yet…" muttering to herself and glancing over her shoulder at Booker as he takes a seat behind his desk, a wry grin tugs at Elizabeth's lips, "and I know he's not trying to intimidate her, but that's just how she seems to react…" Turning her attention back to Xiang as she idly strokes Anna's hair, Elizabeth finds her friend sitting quietly beside her and keeping her gaze firmly on her lap. "I've got to do something about these two…" A sigh escapes Elizabeth as she mutters again, softer this time.
Still, given how the Chinese girl lives, it's no wonder she wears men's clothing; Booker hadn't been comfortable with her going out on her own in their neighborhood for a long while, and Elizabeth can't imagine Xiang living out there on her own. Especially if Xiang's 'home' is as Elizabeth suspects, some abandoned building in the poorer parts of the Bowery.
"Might not be a bad idea, actually…" Pushing herself to her feet from the sofa as the thought causes a hint of a smile to tug at her lips, Elizabeth glances between Xiang and Booker, and the mental image of her trying on one of her father's outfits draws the smile clear across her face; it'd be the too large raincoat all over again, but even more pronounced
Shaking her head, Elizabeth pushes the thought aside and makes for the trunk that holds her possessions, the battered blue box still kept beneath the left window. "There you are… it's been a while since I wore you last." Lifting the lid slowly as the sound of Xiang and Anna chatting reaches her ears, Elizabeth smiles as she spots what she's looking for; her dark blue, felt fedora. Over the fall and winter, the weather had been a little too blustery for her to wear her hat, and the oppressive heat lately had kept the fedora from use as well. "Least it's cooled down some…"
Then a thought occurs to her, Elizabeth looking up slowly from the trunk as it does; her dresses are going to stand out like a sore thumb, aren't they? The notion draws a quiet groan from Elizabeth, she lowering the lid a moment later and closing it with a 'click'.
"Anna," Booker's voice catches Elizabeth's ear, she rising slowly from where she'd been crouched with fedora in hand, "it's time for bed."
"Aww… but I'm not sleepy…" Anna's quiet protest elicits a small chuckle from Xiang, but the little girl hops off the sofa as Booker climbs out of his chair, Elizabeth's father leading her little sister to bed.
Grinning a little herself as Anna disappears into the bedroom hallway, Elizabeth slowly steps back to the sofa and Xiang, dropping her fedora atop her bag once she's taken a seat beside her friend again. "Sorry, Xiang... but I suppose it's about time I went to bed myself. Booker and I are leaving first thing in the morning…"
"Huh?" Xiang blinks, the dark-haired girl turning about in her seat and gazing out the window. The blank expression on her face quickly turns into a look of surprise, "I… uh, I didn't realize how late it's gotten…" A brief, troubled look flashes across Xiang's features, her brow furrowing and a touch of a scowl tugging at her features.
"Will you be alright, heading home at this hour?" Recalling what little Xiang's said of her 'home, Elizabeth's not at all surprised that a worried frown appears; after dark, the Bowery can be more than a little rough.
"I think…" a small smile teases at Xiang's lips, "I think I'll be fine, don't worry about me; you have a good time, Elizabeth, alright?"
"Sure thing." Elizabeth manages to flash her cocky, lopsided grin for a moment as Xiang's own turns mischievous, the Chinese girl's show of confidence giving her a touch of comfort; Xiang's not helpless, though she'd been able to do little against Booker during their first meeting. "Goodnight, Xiang. Stay safe."
Waving goodbye as Xiang steps out the front door, Elizabeth turns and trudges towards the door to the bedrooms once she can no longer hear the sound of her friend's footfalls, snuffing out the lamps that cast the room in a cheerful glow as she goes. She's fairly exhausted, packing all day and worrying about the trip before Xiang even showed up having taken it out of her.
Once the lamps are out and Elizabeth's stepped into the short hall between bedrooms, the young brunette finds the door to Anna's room open and her little sister already fast asleep, despite her earlier protests. The peaceful look on her sister's face draws a chuckle from Elizabeth, and she steps back from Anna's door as quietly as a cat before turning to hers and Booker's bedroom; she can almost hear her bed calling to her, Elizabeth trying to fight off sleep's embrace long enough to actually get there.
"You ready for this, Elizabeth?" Stepping into the bedroom, Elizabeth blinks as she finds Booker still sitting on the edge of his mattress, her father rubbing his eyes before turning to look her way. "You've been nervous about this ever since Jack offered, and I can't imagine what might've changed your sense about visiting them."
Nodding, Elizabeth moves from the door and to the dresser on her side of the room, resting a hand on it as she whispers, "I am… and I'm a little nervous, true, but… I'm sort of looking forward to it. Visiting Sally, Jack and the others, getting to know them... seeing the New York I only read about while in Rapture…" She trails off for a moment, a lopsided grin appearing as she continues, "I took an interest in the city… for obvious reasons." She pulls open one of the drawers as she finishes, quietly as she can.
"So long as we're going because you want to." Shrugging, Booker climbs into bed proper.
"Ah, Booker? Could you stay like that for a little longer?" Elizabeth grins as she glances back at Booker, "I, ah… don't think you want to be looking this way when I start changing." Her father's groan draws a quiet chuckle from Elizabeth, despite her weariness.
April 22, 12:05 AM
"Booker… Booker. Wake up."
Elizabeth's voice and a hand shaking his shoulder rouses Booker from his restless sleep, the detective groaning and rubbing his face as begrudgingly opens his eyes; far as he knows, Booker got maybe a couple hours of sleep. "What is it, Elizabeth…?"
"It's time to go; the twins are here."
"Ugh…" Booker grunts grumpily, slowly sitting up in bed with a little help from his daughter, Elizabeth tugging on his arm. The grogginess that grips him doesn't help any, either; Booker feels like his mind's stuck in a thick fog, all but the simplest of thoughts and actions proving difficult. "Alright… where's my bag?"
"Right where you left it; by your desk." Elizabeth leads Booker out the door, and he can't help but wonder how his daughter's got so much energy. He barely even notices the Luteces standing by the front door as he stumbles into the living room after Elizabeth.
"Okay… c'mon, get it together." Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs from his mind as Elizabeth steps away, Booker heaves a long, tired sigh, making his way to his desk and retrieving his bag; he'd packed mostly what he considers essentials, a change of clothes, his tooth brush, tooth powder, and even his revolver and plenty of ammo. Elizabeth and Xiang had looked at him askance when he'd stuffed the weapon between his spare trousers and shirt, but Booker's not willing to go anywhere near Rapture without being armed.
As such, his bag is only about half full and rather light, unlike Elizabeth's; his daughter's bag looks to be bursting at the seams, though he can't imagine how much of that is taken up by her dresses. "Why can't Elizabeth have changed while I was still asleep, huh?" Covering his eyes with his free hand, Booker heaves another quiet sigh; he'd turned over and kept his back to Elizabeth the entire time, the detective none too comfortable with the thought of his daughter changing not ten feet behind him.
She wears her sleeveless white dress with the band of blue about her midsection, the dark green, flower embroidered coat slung beneath her right arm as she talks with the Luteces and her fedora hanging from her left. Aside from her dress and coat, Elizabeth looks no different from when she'd been sitting with Xiang; she's still wearing her brown, high laced boots, her blue ribbon holding her hair back and a white choker with the bird brooch adorns her neck.
"Why can't we just get this over with…?" Grumbling to himself, Booker leans against his desk and cradles his head in his left hand, rubbing his temples with thumb and middle fingers. The whole point to waking at this hour is to arrive in Jack and the Little Sisters' world near the end of the day, though the insane twins hadn't given them any explanation for why; just that the day they'd agreed on with Jack had to be a late arrival. "Still don't explain why we had to wake after midnight…"
"I trust you've said your farewells and made all the necessary arrangements?" Rosalind turns her attention to Booker as she speaks, the redhead's pale blue eyes staring at him unflinchingly.
"Ms. Pearl will be watching Anna for us. And yeah, we said our goodbyes last night." Booker nods curtly, taking his hand from his eyes.
"She even agreed to tend to my flowers." Elizabeth grins as she glances past Booker and to the window planters, and he can't help but chuckle despite his exhaustion; Elizabeth's 'flowers' are really just a bunch of sprouts poking through the soil right now.
"Very well. Then let us be off." Robert takes a step away from his sister, Rosalind doing the same, and a Tear bursts into existence between them without fanfare. The shimmering door between worlds lights up the room with washed out colors, Booker rising to his feet slowly as the scene on the other side takes shape; beyond is a dimly lit room, a screen of some sort visible on the left and the wall before them a bright orange-yellow.
Stepping over to Elizabeth with his bag hanging from his right, Booker puts his free hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Ready?" She doesn't answer right away, instead pulling on her fedora and kneeling to heft her own overloaded travel bag.
"I am…" Taking a long, deep breath to steady herself, Elizabeth nods quickly, "… alright. Here we go." She takes a tentative step towards the Tear, Booker following only half a step behind, the gruff ex-Pinkerton breathing a sigh of his own as his mind slowly wakes up; he's got his own worries about this venture. The last time Elizabeth had come to this world, it was to be a one-way trip.
Stepping through the Tear, Booker grimaces as the shimmering hole in reality winks out of existence behind them, the weak light cast by the Tear disappearing and casing their surroundings in shadows. What little light that makes it into the spacious room comes from curtained windows, three of them set into the wall father and daughter face, each rectangular in shape and the curtains bearing a white on beige polka dot pattern. A white-painted door is set into the wall between the middle and rightmost windows, and Booker notices a variety of footwear scattered on the brown carpet near it.
Looking around, Booker scratches his head as he slowly glances back at the twins; where is everybody? When Booker and Elizabeth had stepped through, there was a brief moment when he could make out the Luteces on both sides of the Tear, in two different places at once. Not that it surprised Booker, but the thought of more of Robert and Rosalind makes his head ache. And turning as he does, the ex-Pinkerton spies three additional doors, one in each direction, the one behind the sofa standing at the foot of a staircase that disappears into the ceiling. A clock hangs above the door, the hands showing 6:20.
The Tear had deposited them in a comfortable living room, a large, four cushion sofa, a glass-topped coffee table and a pair of armchairs sitting behind them and in the center of the room; the sofa and armchair are positioned around the low table, upholstered in leather a few shades lighter than the orange-yellow walls. The screen Booker had spied before stepping through rests against the far wall between the leftmost and middle window and across the coffee table from the sofa, looking for all the world like a box with a pair of thick metal wires sticking out of the top.
"Where…?"
Voices coming from outside interrupt Booker, muffled by distance and rapidly growing closer, and a smile teases at Elizabeth's lips almost immediately. It's plain to see why; the voices belong to little girls, some laughing, others just talking or sounding like they're playing. The sound of a key turning a lock precedes the front door swinging open, late afternoon sunlight streaming into the room.
The first to step through the open door is the dark-haired Little Sister, Caroline, the girl running into the room while looking over her shoulder and giggling. And she almost runs into Booker's legs before she turns her gaze forward and skids to a halt in surprise, her mouth hanging agape and her light brown eyes wide as she stares up at them.
Next in is Sally and the redheaded Rose, the former being chased by the latter until she looks up to see Booker and Elizabeth, the little blonde girl's face lighting up with a delighted smile, "Elizabeth!" She doesn't even stop, instead barreling into Elizabeth and hugging her tight.
"Sally!" Dropping to her knees the moment Sally's within arm's reach, Elizabeth returns the embrace just as fiercely. Elizabeth's smile blossoms across her face as she hugs Sally.
"Huh?" Jack's voice comes from the open door, Booker taking his gaze from Sally and Elizabeth only to see the girl's adoptive father himself step inside, Masha and Leta following close behind. Surprise crosses the former Ace in the Hole's face as he lays eyes on Booker and Elizabeth, but a grin replaces it in a second.
"Daddy said you'd be coming!" Sally's practically bouncing as she eases up on Elizabeth, Booker grinning as his daughter chuckles at the little girl's enthusiasm.
"Did he now?" Elizabeth's smile shrinks into an amused smirk, picking herself up and taking a seat on the leather sofa. "What else did he tell you, Sally?" The rest of the former Little Sisters cluster around Elizabeth, Booker stepping aside so one of the brunettes can climb up onto the couch beside his daughter.
"Hey." Jack's voice draws Booker's attention from Elizabeth and the girls, and he finds himself face to face with the 'man in the sweater', as he used to call him, "Good to finally meet you in person, Booker." The younger man offers Booker his hand, the chain tattoo catching his eye.
"Likewise, pal." Dropping his leather bag on the nearby armchair, Booker takes the offered hand as he looks Jack up and down, the two men shaking, "Much obliged for having us." Jack's still wearing the off-white sweater and blue trousers Booker's familiar with.
"My pleasure… uh, I don't mean to sound rude, but you look exhausted." Jack nods, and Booker has to agree; though he's mostly awake now, Booker's still plenty tired.
"I'm fine. You, ah…" A yawn interrupts Booker, Elizabeth covering her mouth with a hand as she shakes her head; looks like she's got less energy than Booker thought. The Little Sisters all smile up at her, the girls' flurry of questions falling silent till she's done. "Guess maybe we should lie down for a while, first…"
"Heh, okay." Jack chuckles a little, turning to his adopted daughters, "Girls? Our guests need to rest, alright? I'll get dinner ready soon; go set the table, alright?"
"Yes, sir." The little girls all answer in unison as Jack steps towards the staircase, all five of them begrudgingly backing away from Elizabeth and starting for the door on the left, Sally lingering the longest before scurrying off.
"The bedrooms are upstairs, this way." Jack waves for Booker and Elizabeth to follow as he comes up to the foot of the stairs, "We only have one extra room… hope you don't mind sharing."
Laughing softly, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before climbing to her feet, leaving her deep green jacket and fedora on the sofa, retrieving her heavy leather bag instead, "That's perfectly alright."
Following Jack upstairs, Booker finds the upstairs a little more cramped than the living room they'd just come from; the stairs end in a hallway, several doors lining the wall on the other side of the banister as well as one at the top of the staircase and another on the opposite side. Five in total, Jack leading them to the door in the back while pointing out each room. "The first one's mine. That's Sally, Rose and Caroline's bedroom, the bathroom, and finally Masha and Leta's room… theirs is a little smaller than the other girls'." Shrugging, Jack pushes open the last door, Booker and Elizabeth following him in.
The room is fairly bare, a double bed sitting against the back wall and a closet off to the left. A single window is set into the wall opposite the closet. But as they look around, Booker notices a small smile teasing at Elizabeth's lips; she's peering at the wall next to the door. "What is it, Elizabeth… oh."
An assortment of drawings are taped to the wall, including the one Sally had shown them through the Tear on Christmas. "Heh… the girls have been really taken with you two and Anna." Jack crosses his arms as he steps up beside Elizabeth, a grin on his face. "I need to get dinner started." Turning to leave a moment later, Jack stops at the door, "Uh… if you'd like to clean up first, there's a tub and shower in the bathroom."
"Tub?" Elizabeth seems to perk up at that. "Umm… thanks, Jack. I might take you up on that…" Jack just nods before disappearing out the door, and Booker turns to his daughter the moment he's gone. But Elizabeth's already digging through her bag, pulling out her own tooth brush and powder. "Be right back, Booker!"
"Umm…" Booker's left standing alone in the bedroom, Elizabeth hurrying out the door and towards the promised tub. "… the hell?" Scratching his head, Booker backs away from the drawings on the wall of him, Elizabeth and Anna, instead stepping up to the window and staring out across the landscape. "So this is what living up in Yonkers is like… nice place." There are plenty of trees dotting the landscape, the sun approaching the horizon and casting everything in shades of red and gold. But something else catches his eye; a black vehicle, looking sort of like the Ford Model series automobiles Booker remembers being popular in 1912, is parked on the side of the road across from Jack's home. The glare of the sun makes it difficult for Booker to make out anything else, the ex-Pinkerton squinting in an effort to get a better look.
"Aww… we're having fish, again?!" A little voice comes from downstairs, Booker looking up when he recognizes it as belonging to Sally. "But it always tastes funny, Mr. Bubbles!"
"Huh…" Booker steps away from the window and out the bedroom door, another yawn escaping him as he makes for the stairs, "Guess I should see what's going on down there…"
Author's Note: Well, it's been mentioned over the past few chapters, and here it is; Booker and Elizabeth visiting Jack and the five Little Sisters. I was trying to describe Jack's home while keeping in mind that he lives in the 60s, without making it sound too much in that vein; despite his age, I didn't feel that Jack would buy into a lot of the trends of the time period. And, yes, I was trying to describe a television without saying it outright; while there were displays in Columbia, there are only projectors in Booker's day and age. Hopefully Booker's perspective didn't come off as too clunky.
As usual, I'll be making another check at a later date, and I welcome any and all feedback you might have. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
