For new readers, this story is a continuation of one of my previous stories and is tied into several others. If you're not sure where to start, I'd suggest reading Bioshock Infinite: Unbroken, as well as its prequel Unbroken: Song of Sorrow. Thanks for checking it out.

Forward: So this chapter took a while to get finished, let's just say that the events of the past two weeks haven't been the best for writing. Don't know how much time I'll have this coming week, but I'll make my best effort to get something done.


May 19, 1897, 7:10 AM

"Damn Lutece…"

Grumbling quietly to himself, Booker heaves an exasperated sigh, his features fixed firmly in an irritated scowl. To say that he's unhappy would be a gross understatement, but Booker can do little to change that or his situation at the moment. So he continues scowling from his place behind his desk, little Anna sitting on a chair beside him with a bowl of shredded wheat cereal and a spoon, Booker's four-year-old daughter happily eating her breakfast.

Anna's good mood stands in sharp contrast to Booker's ill temper, his little girl wearing one of her blue ribbons in her dark hair with a plain white dress. Lucky sits on the floor between the two of them, staring up at Anna and giving her the most pleading expression Booker's ever seen from the Beagle, despite the puppy having just eaten a hearty helping of kibble.

And Booker doesn't have a thing to take his mind off of his irritation and worry, he not even having a newspaper to read. "Hmph… those insane twins have too much damn time on their hands, don't see why they couldn't have watched Anna…"

He should be out there looking for Elizabeth and Eleanor, that's what every instinct is telling Booker, but the Luteces had vanished after an all too brief explanation of what could have panicked Elizabeth enough to react that way. While hearing that Eleanor and Ms. Pearl are heading into Brooklyn without knowing of the danger and that Elizabeth is chasing after them on her own had shaken Booker some from sleep's pleasant embrace, he can't just leave Anna at home with only Lucky for company; he's got more sense than that.

"Guess I'll just have to trust that Elizabeth and Eleanor can handle themselves..." Sighing, Booker rests his elbows on the desk and rubs his face with both hands, trying to shake what little hold sleep still has on him, "Elizabeth's got a good head on her shoulders, and she's gotten to know her way around a brawl. Eleanor ain't likely to get overpowered, either, but…" But even as he mutters to himself, Booker's mind starts picturing what could go wrong all on its own; Splicers could grab Ms. Pearl or take her hostage, Eleanor could have another memory-related episode, or those lunatics could get a jump on Elizabeth. And with such thoughts plaguing him, Booker can only scowl again and look up to watch the door, waiting for some news or someone to come through while Anna enjoys her breakfast.

The waiting doesn't get any easier as the minutes tick by, the passage of time marked by the silver pocket watch that Booker had carried through Rapture. It's been well over an hour since Elizabeth ran out of the apartment, she should be back by now. But a tug on his sleeve and a quiet voice interrupts Booker's brooding and thoughts of throttling Robert Lutece should something happen, "Daddy?"

"Anna?" Turning in his seat to face his little girl, Booker finds Anna staring up at him with those big, deep blue eyes, her brow furrowed and a worried look on her face. Anna's cereal is only half finished, the spoon left in the bowl and sinking into a swampy mix of milk and softening shredded wheat. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Where did big sister and Eleanor go?" Anna glances towards the door to the bedrooms quickly before looking back to Booker, "It feels lonely without everyone…"

"You got that right…" Booker nods, his voice low and quiet as he agreed with his little girl, "Anna, Elizabeth went to find Eleanor and Ms. Pearl. They went somewhere, and she's worried."

"Why?" Booker blinks as Anna quickly asks, she still staring up at him questioningly. And now he's stuck; Booker doesn't much care for the idea of explaining that there's dangerous sorts in Brooklyn, that'll just worry Anna even more. But he can also see stubbornness in Anna's eyes, Booker's daughter in a mood where she wants an answer and will not be denied; just like her father and big sister.

"Uh... guess she wanted all of us to have breakfast together…" He can see the next 'why' coming before he even finishes, and Booker sighs while scratching his head, all his experiences in life proving worthless in the face of his precocious little Anna.

Luckily, he's saved before Anna can get too far with her 'why's' by a voice from the front door, Booker snapping around in an instant just as it swings opens, "We're home." The voice belongs to Elizabeth, she, Eleanor and Ms. Pearl standing in the open doorway, the three of them looking no worse for wear. And Booker's just relieved that all three made it back safely, falling back into his chair as Elizabeth steps inside, his daughter clad in the mismatched dark green coat and black and white dress.

And while Booker's not about to show how relieved he is, Anna's a different story; she's jumping off her chair and running to the door the moment she lays eyes on Elizabeth, Eleanor and Ms. Pearl, the worry replaced by a happy, beaming smile, and Lucky's following close on her heels while barking playfully.

Booker decides to hang back, watching his daughter's welcome home from where he sits; Ms. Pearl looks to be feeling melancholy and listless, at least by the expression she wears and the way she moves, but she does seem somewhat less reserved as Anna gives her a hug. Eleanor seems to be suffering a touch of the same as Ms. Pearl. Not hard to figure roughly what happened between the two of them, between their manner and where they'd gone.

It takes a short while for Elizabeth to slip away from the others, stepping over to Booker's desk while removing her coat, weapon and shoulder holsters, a sheepish grin teasing at her lips. "Umm… we're back. I asked Ms. Pearl to join us for breakfast, do you… ah." Elizabeth's gaze shifts to where Anna's forgotten cereal bowl rests on the desk, "So… you already ate?"

"Not yet." Shrugging, Booker climbs to his feet and picks up Anna's half-finished bowl, "Suppose I could make up something simple for the five of us… c'mon, it'll get done quick if you help, Elizabeth." She nods quickly, father and daughter moving to the kitchen while an excitable Anna and Lucky stay with Eleanor and Ms. Pearl.

"Umm…" The moment the door closes behind them, Elizabeth stops and hesitantly speaks up, Booker glancing back over his shoulder; she's looking away and playing with her ponytail, something he'd figured back in Columbia to mean she's worried or nervous. "Booker, I'm sorry… I was panicking, scared of what might happen, so I bolted after them without saying anything…"

"Don't worry about it. The Luteces explained." Shrugging again, Booker steps over to their makeshift larder, really just a cupboard in the back right corner of the room so as to keep the sun off of it as much as possible and keep the contents cool. "I ain't angry, Elizabeth. You just worried the hell out of me."

"Sorry…" Looking away, Elizabeth lets go of her ponytail and takes a deep breath before looking to Booker again, "What did the Luteces say? Are they still here?"

Booker scoffs at that, shaking his head slowly, "If they were, I'd have been out the door chasing after you. What were they here for, anyway?"

"Ah… Robert and Rosalind were warning me of where Eleanor was going…"

"Well, they're helpful." Frowning, Booker peers suspiciously back at Elizabeth over her shoulder before opening the larder and picking out some eggs; that doesn't explain why the Luteces warned her and not the both of them, or their vanishing once giving Booker a brief and entirely too short explanation. Then again, it's not unlike Robert and Rosalind to keep some information to themselves when it suited their purpose, and Booker still contends that the Luteces are insane. "Alright... here, take the croissants."

It takes the two of them a good twenty minutes to prepare breakfast, Booker scrambling some eggs on an old frying pan that barely fits into their wood burning stove while Elizabeth splits the remainder of the croissants from yesterday's breakfast, she placing them on each of the five plates along with some butter and jam. Needless to say, she's finished well before Booker, Elizabeth retrieving several small cups for coffee.

Once all the plates are finished, Booker picks up three and makes for the door, Elizabeth following after him with the last two. "Alright, breakfast's ready." Speaking up while awkwardly pulling open the kitchen door, Booker finds Anna, Eleanor and Ms. Pearl already taking their seats at the dinner table. Lucky jumps up onto the last chair at the table and looking back at Booker and Elizabeth expectantly, the Beagle's tail wagging slowly.

The puppy's antics draw a quiet chuckle from Booker, he setting his plates down before everyone at the table, giving Lucky a quick pet on the head instead. Of course, Lucky lets out a quiet whine, his brown eyes focusing on Anna and her plate once it's clear Booker's not giving him any.

"Oh, thank you, Booker dear." Ms. Pearl grins up at Booker as she picks up her croissant. "Oh… would you rather sit with us?" Her blue eyes look past him as she asks, Booker glancing back and spying Elizabeth setting her plates down on his desk.

"Don't mind us, Ms. Pearl." Giving the elderly woman a lopsided grin, Booker steps away and heads back towards the kitchen, intent on getting the coffee, sugar and milk. "Elizabeth, you mind lending a hand?"

Once everyone has their coffee, Anna's 'coffee' really just vanilla milk despite her fancying it as such, Booker takes a seat behind his desk and looks into his cup; Elizabeth had wanted to serve vanilla milk to everyone, but Booker usually only makes that for her and Anna, and lately Eleanor's taken a liking to the drink as well. But the slightly sweetened, mellow drink isn't exactly to his liking. And while there are times when it does him good, Booker taking a pull from his coffee.

The meal seems to lift everyone's mood a touch, Ms. Pearl, Eleanor and Elizabeth chatting while Anna teases Lucky with apiece of scrambled egg before slipping the puppy a bite beneath the table; the Beagle happily gobbles up what Anna offers, the puppy and Anna's antics drawing a grin from Booker. And he has to chuckle when Lucky near gets into Anna's milk, Booker's little girl puling it away just in time with a giggle.

Turning back to his plate, Booker spots a small grin of her own on Elizabeth's lips. "Never get tired of watching them, huh?" Elizabeth stiffens in surprise, a blush touching her cheeks as she realizes that Booker had noticed.

"Not at all." Grinning sheepishly, Elizabeth sets her ford down on her plate and climbs to her feet, and Booker's surprised that there's little of her breakfast left, "I'm going to get cleaned up, Booker… excuse me."

Nodding as Elizabeth disappears into the kitchen, Booker focuses on finding his meal before the eggs grow cold, he only half listening to the conversation from the dinner table. But something does catch his ear as Eleanor and Ms. Pearl talk, Booker looking up slowly form his plate. "Eleanor, dear, thank you for accompanying me… I know it must not have been what you were expecting."

"Not at all," Eleanor nods, her slightly accented voice still sounding a touch downcast, "please, I'm fine…"

"No… I must thank you, dearie. I can't imagine how folks who have no one to talk to manage, not after…" Ms. Pearl falters, though Booker doesn't need to hear what she left unsaid to understand, and he doubts Eleanor needs to, either. When she manages to speak again, a small, lopsided smile touches her weathered features, "In any case… I'm grateful for you and Elizabeth. I've… heard tell of someone who listens to the problems folk have and can help them, but… I don't think it proper to share something of this nature with a stranger…"

Eleanor nods slowly, and she and Ms. Pearl turn back to their meal. But that gets Booker thinking, and he has a hunch that he's onto something.


7:05 PM

The sound of Elizabeth's boots on the wooden floor fills the quiet apartment as she paces back and forth, her brow furrowed, arms crossed and lips drawn in a tight line, a surefire sign that she's not happy. "They're late… where are they?" By 'they', Elizabeth means the Robert and Rosalind Lutece.

When Elizabeth had excused herself to wash up after breakfast, she found Robert and Rosalind waiting for her in the middle of the kitchen when she stepped out of the washroom. "I suppose I should be grateful they had the sense not to be waiting for me in the bathroom…" That would surely have given her one hell of a fright, Elizabeth only able to imagine how Booker would react to a shout from her and finding the Luteces there.

Robert had asked bluntly for her answer, not making any attempt at keeping quiet despite Booker and the others being in the next room. And she'd answered yes after a moment, though Elizabeth added that she wanted to hear their plan for this transmission in its entirety before starting.

Rosalind agreed, stating simply for the time beign that the pair in Rapture will have an encounter with some of Atlas' Splicers. Should the other Elizabeth be unprepared, the encounter would only result in disaster; either Elizabeth and Comstock will be captured or killed by the Splicers, or they'll get the upper hand on Atlas' thugs, but one or more of the attackers will escape to inform their psychotic leader. That can't be allowed to happen, the odds already stacked against the other Elizabeth enough as is.

So now she waits, pacing back and forth between Booker's bed and his desk with her arms crossed. While the Luteces hadn't given an exact time that they would return, Robert had suggested it would be sometime in the afternoon or evening and when they wouldn't be interrupted. Trouble is, the past couple of hours have been exactly that, the crimson, orange and purple colors that had painted the sky fading as the sun sets. Elizabeth had hoped to get to it while they still have some measure of privacy.

Booker had left the apartment several hours ago to follow up on a hunch, though he hadn't planned on going alone; Elizabeth's father figured she'd be coming along as well, and he'd planned to ask Ms. Pearl to look after Anna and Eleanor while they were out. That's when she'd stopped him and said she meant to stay home, Booker giving her another strange look until Elizabeth managed a half-decent excuse. He'd shrugged and accepted it, though Elizabeth had a feeling he was suspicious. Booker called back as he stepped out the door that he'd be back late and fix supper when he gets home.

A little over an hour after that, a knock came from the front door, and Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised to find Ms. Pearl on the other side. Ms. Pearl came to invite the three of them over, she having just brewed some sweet tea and set out some cookies to go with it. And despite having spent most of the day with Ms. Pearl, Anna had jumped off the couch and ran up to the door, Elizabeth's little sister beaming and looking more than happy with the idea. Of course, Elizabeth suspects the offered cookies had a small part in her eagerness to go, despite the sandwiches Anna had for a late lunch.

"Wouldn't surprise me if Ms. Pearl didn't want to be alone, either…" Though she wasn't privy to what had transpired between Eleanor and their elderly neighbor, Elizabeth imagines that it must have been a sorrowful, heartbreaking exchange. Eleanor had also decided to join Ms. Pearl for tea and cookies, the two of them seeming closer to Elizabeth. And although visiting Ms. Pearl and tea sounded inviting to Elizabeth, she had to decline her kind offer. So Anna and Eleanor left with Ms. Pearl, the trio chatting once out the door and Elizabeth's little sister giggling when the older girl called the cookies 'biscuits'.

Now Elizabeth's practically alone in her family's home, changed into her white blouse and blue skirt ensemble and with only Lucky to keep her company as she waits for the Lutece twins. Unfortunately, her puppy's fast asleep on the couch, leaving Elizabeth to her thoughts and pacing.

"Suppose you've had a full day already…" Taking a break from her pacing, Elizabeth moves around the plain gray couch and takes a seat beside her slumbering Beagle, Lucky on his side on the middle cushion so his head hangs a touch over the side. His upwards facing ear twitches some at her approach, but Lucky shows no sign of waking as Elizabeth takes as eat and starts gently petting him. "You were running around and playful all morning, you're due a rest."

Sitting on the couch and idly petting her puppy, Elizabeth's mind begins to drift, but that only brings her thoughts back around to the matter at hand. The reasoning Elizabeth had given Booker as he was making ready to leave was that she should stay home to look after Anna and keep Eleanor company; at the time, she'd thought Ms. Pearl would likely want some time to herself, and that she was certainly worn down after her visit to Green-Wood and spending the rest of the morning with the DeWitts. "A sound enough reason, Booker did accept it…" A frown touches Elizabeth's lips, the odd look Booker had given her before disappearing out the front door troubling her.

But it had been at least in part a lie, Elizabeth's true purpose for staying at home being her business with the Luteces and the other her in Rapture. The same is true of her excuses when she'd declined Ms. Pearl's invitation. And Elizabeth hated lying to her friends and family, regardless of how important her role in the Luteces' plan is.

"Everyone's gone, but if Robert and Rosalind take much longer, Booker's likely to return home at the wrong time… the same of Anna and Eleanor, too…" Sighing, Elizabeth shakes her head as she continues petting Lucky, "They've been visiting with Ms. Pearl for a good while now, they could be saying their goodbyes at any time now…"

Muttering quietly to herself, Elizabeth spends the next several minutes just petting Lucky, the ticking of the silver pocket watch the only measure of the passage of time. Elizabeth only half hears the ticking, her focus on the feel of Lucky's brown, white and black coat beneath her fingers, her puppy's fur pleasantly soft and silky smooth.

It's not until Lucky suddenly rolls onto his belly and looks around that Elizabeth realizes she can hear something aside from the pocket watch; quiet voices and the sound of chalk on a blackboard, coming from the open door that leads to the bedrooms.

"Oh, that best not be…" Climbing to her feet, Lucky nudging at her hand with his noes before she's out of reach, Elizabeth shushes her puppy before stepping quietly towards the bedrooms. There's no reason for her to hurry, Elizabeth more than a little exasperated.

Easing the door to her bedroom open, Elizabeth finds the Luteces standing past Eleanor's bed with their back to her, Rosalind holding up a lantern while Robert scribbles something on a standing blackboard, the formula-covered surface a new and hopefully temporary addition to the rapidly darkening room. The formulas Robert works with seem to be a proof of some sort, and a complex one at that; Elizabeth recognizes some parts here and there, and can follow the proof for a short while, but after that she can't make heads or tails of it.

The sound of chalk scraping against the blackboard abruptly stops, and Robert steps aside so as to stand with Rosalind. "I trust you are satisfied, sister?"

"Not in the least, brother." Rosalind retorts quickly, and Elizabeth can imagine the physicist's pale blue gaze roaming across the chalkboard. "I find your argument dubious, at best; you have a number of errors here, dear brother. For example, this bit here is being used incorrectly."

"Isn't."

"Is."

Staring at the twins as they bicker from her place at the doorway, Elizabeth heaves a long, exasperated sigh, the Luteces' 'is, isn't' back-and-forth not letting up; this will never change, this part of the strangle, bewildering mess that is the Luteces. At least her exasperated sigh catches their ear and puts a stop to their argument, such as it is, Robert and Rosalind turning to face Elizabeth. And she just peers back at the implacable twins, asking even though she knows she won't get an answer, "… why?"

"Simply settling a point of contention." Robert answers first, nodding towards the board.

"Though it is far from put to rest, my brother's insistence notwithstanding." Rosalind shoots right back, Robert glancing to her for a moment, "Shall we begin? There's no need to hurry; perhaps a change of venue would be more agreeable?"

"No need…?!" Elizabeth gives Rosalind a cross look; she's been anxious about the time for most of the day. But the Luteces seem unperturbed by her glare, and Elizabeth scoffs quietly before reluctantly nodding, "I suppose we should move to the living room…"

Hesitantly turning away after a moment and starting back towards the living room, Elizabeth notes that Robert and Rosalind are following after her rather than vanishing in their usual manner. Surprising, if only slightly, though the Luteces still have plenty of opportunity to do so until she's back in the other room. But it's not important, Elizabeth shrugging and turning her thoughts back to the business at hand. "I suppose we'll be talking for a time, going over their plan… huh? When did they have time to…?"

A shortwave radio sits on Booker's desk, Elizabeth stepping slowly towards the device she'd used the last time she contacted the her in Rapture; it had only been a couple seconds between her leaving the living room and laying eyes on the Luteces. And Elizabeth picks up the radio as she comes up to the desk, staring into the speaker for a moment before looking back at the Luteces, "Alright… what do I need to tell her?"

The Luteces spend several minutes explaining exactly how the other Elizabeth and Comstock arrived in Neptune's Bounty and what they are about to face, as well as the solution that the Luteces have come up with, the twins handing her some notecards. And Elizabeth isn't entirely happy with their plan, the thought of starting the other her on Plasmids and possibly on the path to ADAM addiction giving her plenty to worry, but she can't see another way out of this situation. "So she's to rely on Comstock to save her, or become a killer…" Looking away while muttering quietly to herself, Elizabeth takes a deep breath before turning back to the Luteces, "Alright… I suppose we best get started."

A small Tear opens on the far side of the desk as Elizabeth turns on the radio, she turning to face it and bringing the shortwave up. But she hesitates for a moment, closing her eyes and focusing; her role is that of a figment, just as the Booker that had been guiding her in Rapture had been, and it isn't an easy part to play. "Still easier than what she's going through…" Whispering as she opens her eyes, Elizabeth spots a handful of shapes outside the window in the dying light, dancing around the flowers in her windowsill planter; butterflies, black swallowtails and the odd blue butterflies she'd seen on occasion. The sight brings a touch of a smile to her lips, Elizabeth looking back to the radio after a brief moment, "Seems they survived the winter…"

But Elizabeth can't afford to be distracted, looking to the Luteces' notecards before speaking into the radio; the first card doesn't tell her exactly what she needs to say, but rather what the other Elizabeth is doing and what may be on her mind. This one states she's been worrying about Lamb and the trio who'd attacked her, and Elizabeth has an idea of what to say, "You already know the answer to that question, Elizabeth. No need to ask in the first place."

"It's… it's good to hear from you." The relief is palpable in the voice that comes back through the radio, Elizabeth grinning slightly as she takes a seat on her father's desk. It still takes effort on her part to stay in the role of 'the figment', but hearing the weariness in the other Elizabeth's voice is motivation enough. She tells the other Elizabeth that the attackers work for Lamb in the same manner as she and Comstock, as well as a little of their employer's personality, and everything seems according to plan. But the moment Elizabeth thinks that is when the other her throws her off, a quiet chuckle coming from the radio, something about the sound worrying Elizabeth.

"Oh… sorry, I just came to a realization of sorts… that you're the only person I can really talk to… and you don't likely even exist!" The other her sounds incredulous, but the underlying tone still worries Elizabeth, though she can't quite place why.

"Elizabeth…"

"Who in this entire sunken, insane city can I confide in? Comstock?! Not very well likely. I haven't been able to talk to anyone like this, not since…" The other her trails off, Elizabeth hearing plenty of frustration in her counterpart's voice. She can hear the other her breaking down and becoming emotional, and Elizabeth can only sit there and stare at the radio helplessly. But there's little she can do, Elizabeth having to keep to her role as a figment; the Booker figment had only a few words of comfort for her, but Elizabeth doesn't know what to say to this other her.

"Elizabeth… I'm not really…" Offering something the Booker figment had, Elizabeth falters, finding she can't go through with it. So she tries another sentiment, "You'll get through this. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for; you survived Columbia, even with the odds stacked so heavily against you and Booker…"

"That wasn't me!" Now there's anger in the other girl's voice, and Elizabeth can plainly hear the sorrow and hopeless despair now that had been barely suppressed. It's something she knows all too well, her own time in Rapture seeming an endless nightmare with no end in sight, only more pain and suffering awaiting her.

"I remember all of it… but that wasn't really me; that was the other Elizabeth! The real Elizabeth, the one Booker came for and brought home… I'm just a… just a genetic duplicate." A dry, humorless laugh comes through the radio as the other Elizabeth falters, "I'm a fake… fitting, I suppose, a fake Elizabeth to go with a fake Booker…"

"Son of a…" Cursing once she's sure the radio isn't transmitting, Elizabeth glares back at the Luteces, the twins standing by the door to the bedrooms and Rosalind still holding her flickering lamp; the other Elizabeth's sorrows are getting to her, and she desperately wants to comfort the grief-stricken girl, "I'm not made of stone, dammit!"

"You understood that she could become emotional." Robert replies quietly, "Understandably so, but if you are to respond in kind, you may very well jeopardize her chances."

"Something may slip, something that she should not know." Now Rosalind, continuing her brother's statement, "Something which may put in risk the course of events that have led to now."

"I know all that…" Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth looks back to the radio; she's still emotional, and she'll be damned if she doesn't try to do something for the other Elizabeth. Calming herself as best she can, Elizabeth speaks into the radio again, "That's not true... you might be her copy, but that doesn't make you any less real." In a way, this Elizabeth's existence is her fault, yet more suffering caused by her quest to kill Comstock. She can hear the other girl sniffle quietly, and Elizabeth can imagine that she must be nearly in tears, if not crying already.

"Thank you for saying that, but… it's the truth. I… we, the real Elizabeth and I had hoped to find Booker once our business in Rapture was finished, but… but I can't go home, not anymore…" That Elizabeth doesn't have an answer to, though she wishes she had one. "If this is just some cosmic joke, then the universe really does have a sense of humor… and it's a terrible one, at that."

The other her falls silent, and Elizabeth looks back to the Luteces; she'd tossed aside the notecards some time ago already, and is about ready to just say to hell with their plan. But the Luteces don't say a word, Robert and Rosalind staring back at her with the same impassive look they always wear. "Ah, hell…" Shaking her head, Elizabeth holds the radio up to her lips while staring at the Luteces.

"Elizabeth… I'm not really here, but… I know that the… 'real' Elizabeth would have faith in you. That Booker would too, and they'd be proud of you. You know that, as well as I." Waiting for a second to let what she said sink in, Elizabeth grins at the silence coming from the radio; she must've shocked her other self, but Elizabeth knows she needed to hear that. "But… Elizabeth, you don't have time for this."

"Huh? What…?"

"Trouble." A crash comes through the radio, distant but close enough to be danger, "Like that." Quickly explaining what's happening and what will be if she doesn't act, Elizabeth gives her the instructions the Luteces provided, as well as the warning of the choice the other her will have to make.

"I'll… I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Room 5, right?"

"Yes. And… good luck, Elizabeth." With that, Elizabeth turns off the radio and the Luteces close the miniscule Tear, her task done and hopefully enough to keep the girl in Rapture safe. "Alright… it's done." The exchange had taken a toll on Elizabeth, and she listlessly walks over to the Luteces, handing the radio to Robert, "I hope the Plasmid helps…" But that strikes Elizabeth as odd, she looking back and forth between the Luteces, "Doesn't that seem an odd coincidence? A Plasmid waiting for her behind an easily picked door?"

"An acquaintance of ours placed it there." Rosalind answers, though she's being as evasive as possible. "Your father has returned; it would be best if we make ourselves scarce."

"But-" Elizabeth's objection falls on deaf ears, Rosalind's lamp going out and the twins vanishing in the moments it takes for her eyes to adjust to the sudden gloom. There's enough light filtering in through the windows for Elizabeth to realize that she's alone, aside from a very groggy puppy, Lucky having woken up and is sleepily trudging over to her from the couch. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised…"

The Luteces prove correct a moment later, the front door swinging open and Booker stepping through, just as Elizabeth's lighting a lamp and setting it on his desk. "I'm home… where's Anna and Eleanor?" Her father's carrying a couple bags from a nearby grocer, and he sets them down on the coffee table as he asks.

"With Ms. Pearl… turns out, she wanted some company… and I needed some time to think." She gives Booker a small, weak smile; it's been a long day, and Elizabeth doesn't have the energy or inclination to try to lie to her father again; she's genuinely distressed by the other Elizabeth's plight, what the other her had confided on Elizabeth's mind.

And it must show, Booker seeming to notice and slowing as he rounds the couch, "Elizabeth? Haven't seen you this down in…"

"I'm fine, Booker..." Letting the grin fade, Elizabeth breathes a quiet sigh, hoping to get to another topic quickly, "Did… did your hunch turn up anything?" Booker nods slowly, clearly more interested in what's happened than anything involving their case, at least judging by the skeptical look he's giving her. "I'm alright, really… just… a little hungry is all. You said you'd make dinner?"

"Yeah…" Relenting, Booker retrieves his groceries and heads into the kitchen, giving her once last glance before disappearing through the door, "Mind retrieving Anna and Eleanor?"

"Sure thing…" As it turns out, Anna had fallen fast asleep in Ms. Pearl's armchair, neither their elderly neighbor or Eleanor keen on disturbing her. The sight of her sleeping little sister as she dozes in the oversized chair with a smattering of crumbs on her lips drew a chuckle from Elizabeth, and she'd left when Eleanor promised to wake Anna and come home in five minutes. Booker's still in the kitchen when she steps back into their apartment, leaving Elizabeth with nothing to do but wait.

So Elizabeth started around the room, trying to keep from thinking on what she'd heard today and keeping her mind occupied, inspecting whatever she comes across; Booker's medals, the contents of a trunk, the violin she still plays on occasion, her books on the bookshelf. But as she puts down the deep indigo Jungle Book, Elizabeth's gaze settles on something else entirely; Booker's guitar case, left resting against the wall beside the bookshelf.

"Feel like a song?"

Booker's voice causes Elizabeth to jump, she whirling around to find him in the doorway to the kitchen, "I thought you were…?! How… how long were you watching?"

"Long enough, and it's plain you're distracted." Moving out of the doorway and letting the door swing shut, Booker puts both hands on her shoulders, "There something I can do to help?"

Staring up into Booker's green eyes, Elizabeth wishes she could just tell him everything. But this is her problem and her job; the other her is there because of Elizabeth, one more casualty of her quest for vengeance. "No… no, but thank you, Booker…" Looking away, Elizabeth heaves a deep, heartfelt sigh, "But there is something you can do for me…" Her gaze settles on the guitar case again, Booker grinning as he gets her meaning.

"Sure thing. Dinner can wait… been a while since we played together."

It takes a moment for Booker to get his guitar and take a seat on the desk, Elizabeth warming up her voice as he gives it a few, slow strums. With the low light from the oil lamp beside Booker and she wearing this outfit, Elizabeth's thoughts turn to the song she'd sung in part in Shantytown, and she can't help but feel it fitting. And Booker starts playing the moment she begins.

"There are loved ones… in the glory, whose dear forms you often miss…"

It feels good to sing like this again, Elizabeth feeling a touch better before they get through the first verse. And as it turns out, father and daughter have an audience; Anna and Eleanor have come home, quietly opening the door just a touch and watching through the crack. That brings a smile to her lips, Elizabeth putting everything she has into her song; despite everything that's weighing on her, right here and now, Elizabeth's alright playing with her father.


Author's Note: It's been a rough day for Elizabeth, at least it ended on a high note. So that's the end of this segment, Ms. Pearl's relationship with the Dewitts seeming to normalize while Elizabeth has difficulty with staying in the shadows of her other self's journey. And with all that, it's still unclear exactly what Booker had a hunch about or what it was he found out, the case involving the disappearances still very much up in the air. As I mentioned above, there've been a number of difficulties these past couple weeks which delayed the chapter, so I'm not quite sure how regular my updates will be in the foreseeable future.

I'll give the chapter another onceover at a later date, but I've given it the usual quick check for errors, so I'd like to think there are only small errors that need to be found. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Note: The chapter titles for this and the two chapters before it were meant to flow as one sentence, but I don't know how well that worked out while keeping with the contents of the chapters.