AN: Warning, frank discussions and implications of past sexual abuse, miscarriage and force sterilization ahead. It's not graphic, but due to the subjects, just... fair warning.
"Dr. Sanders, thank you so, so much for seeing us on short notice." Jessica sincerely as a balding man in long white coat ushered Jessica and the girls inside the bright white, sterile clinic.
After the learning about Sophie's positive pregnancy test, Jessica made a few calls, finally got in touch with her Texas contact, then told the girls what she really did. That brokering was just a front and she was really sponsoring pets to organizations that had found ways to smuggle pets out of the country to Canada, or in pinch aeras who were refusing to enforce the law, specifically Texas, the last aera to give in. She also told them what actually became of Malcolm. The broad strokes, at least.
"For my best costumer it's no trouble." The doctor said, before glancing to the girls, "Ladies, pleasure to see you both again." He did an exaggerated bow before turning to Jessica, "And the young man I pratically had to sedate last time?"
"Coming on a later trip." Jessica told him, "Long story."
The man asked no more, as per there arrangement, nodding before he added, "Actually, I'd had assumed they'd all be going on a later trip, considering…" While he didn't know about the Novaks, or had any clue how Jessica got pets out of the country, again, per their arrangement, he had heard about what happened on the coast.
"Well, certain developments have forced me to get…creative." Jessica admitted before lowering her voice, "Speaking of which…"
Laying on the table in the bathroom, Sophie couldn't stop herself from trembling, hating herself for showing fear as her breathing started to quicken.
"Sophie, you don't have to be afraid, "Dr. Sanders assured her, pointing to a nurse clad in blue scrubs, her brown hair back in a ponytail, "Kessie here is going to be in the room the whole time watching me like a hawk and if I even so much as think about doing something insidious she's going to cut my hands off and gouge my eyes out."
In spite of herself, Sophie let out a little laugh at the hyperbole.
"She can do this, if you want." The doctor offered, putting gel on some kind of gray plastic tool. "She's gotten good at preforming examinations and procedures that aren't nerssacarily in her job description."
"No, it's fine." Sophie insisted, "Let's just get this over with."
"You're going to need to pull up your shirt." The doctor instructed, "This might be a bit cold."
Sophie unbuttoned the bottom of the white blouse she had been given before they left the townhouse, saying, "This is going to be a waste of time, the test must have been a false positive—ooh." He was right. It was cold.
"I did warn you." The doctor pointed out almost playfully, becoming more sober as he rubbed the modem around, peering at the screen, before he found it. "Right, there, there's a heartbeat." He told her soberly, his own heart plummeting into his chest. This should be a joyous occasion. But this wasn't a normal situation. "You're pregnant, Sophie. I'm sorry."
Sophie stared at the screen in shock. "But…but he had me spayed…"
That was when he realized either someone had lied to her, or there had been some serious miscommunication down the line. Possibility both. "I'm sorry…the last time you were here I thought you knew…"
"Knew what?" Sophie asked.
Dr. Sanders sat down across from her. "When Kessie examined you last time she asked about birth control and any operations, you said your master had you 'fixed'. I thought you were referring to the tubal ligation, what's also known as having your tubes tied. It's over 99 percent effective, but appears what we have here is the 1 percent where a woman manages to still conceive."
Sophie put a hand over her stomach, the cold goop getting on her fingers. Could she be pregnant? Really? "But my master said…Dr. Whitely…" The whole ordeal flashed before her eyes again, the part that hadn't been erased by sedatives, at least.
"I don't know if Dr. Whitely scammed your master, or if he originally did intend on removing the ovaries and something caused him to change plans, or what happened, but whatever the case, you weren't spayed, thought they certainly did try to have you fixed." The doctor spat out the last word like it was poison.
She kept the hand over her stomach, processing what she just heard when she realized. "Malcolm…"
"The boy that Miss Milton brought in a while ago?" Dr. Sanders asked, confused, then a possibility occurred to him. "Sophie, is Malcolm the father?" They didn't exactly teach sex ed at the kennel. And, in part due to that whole 'no questions' rule he really couldn't know for sure how well an eye Jessica was keeping on these kids, so two of them reproducing together wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
"No." Sophie said quickly, "No, he…he…" No. She was not getting into this. What had happened in Martin Whitley's clinic/ torture chamber was between her and Malcolm and no one else. Certainly not this…what even was he? She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't trust any of them as far as she could throw them. On the other hand, there were things she needed to know now, so she had to take a calculated risk. "Does having a baby with your tubes tied or whatever you call it, are there risks? To the baby? Could they be hurt?"
"Well, there's a must higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, "Dr. Sanders explained, "Basically what that means is the egg has implanted itself in a place where it can't grow—"
Another thrill of panic went through Sophie. "You mean, I might not be able to—"
"Now, clam down," Dr. Sanders assured her, "We don't know that's what happened right now. In fact, I'd like to do a more throughout examination to be sure, but it appears the little one is right where it's supposed to be." After a beat he altered coarse for a moment, "I take it from your reaction you'd like to keep the baby?"
"I don't care how I got it, it's mine." Sophie told him firmly, one arm wrapped protectively around her stomach, "The first time, when I started bleeding and they told me I was going to have a baby but it was gone…" Her voice trailed off. She didn't know how to explain it. The heartbreak, the aching hole. She hadn't been able to articulate it to anyone. Not even Malcolm.
Dr. Sanders reached out, covering her thin hand with his larger one. "I know. I know. My wife—we went through it, too. "He looked down, biting his lip for a moment. It was still painful to talk about. But this girl needed to know she wasn't alone.
It took Sophie a moment to realize what he was saying. Then she didn't even know what to say. So, for a moment they just looked at each other. "And then that bastard…" She got out finally. She felt like she should say something else, express some sort of sympathy but didn't know what to say. You'd think one of the Conversations classes would've covered grief in some form. And as it was, she was shoving her tongue against the roof of her mouth in an attempt to stop the tears from crying. Wiping her eyes, she finished, "So to answer your question, yes, yes I want to keep this baby."
Finally, Dr. Sanders removed his hand. "Well then, my lady Sophie, let's see what I can do to make sure you have the healthiest pregnancy possible under the circumstances, before we get to the main event."
After an hour and half's worth of questions, blood samples, another sonagram, everything the doctor could conceivably do from the back room of cosmetic surgery clinic for a patient he was never going to encounter again if all went to plan, Dr. Sanders was bending back Sophie's left ear, where a pea-sized lump was preciously placed under the skin under carta ledge.
"I've honestly never seen anything like this." Dr. Sanders admitted, "The placement I mean."
"He told them someone cut it out trying to steal me, but I don't think they actually bought it." Sophie told him, "I guess they wanted to make sure I wasn't 'stolen' again. I guess I should just be lucky they didn't put me down. Are you going to be able to get it out?"
"Yes." He said, preparing a needle of syringe, "Now, I'm going to give you a local. It's going to pinch, but it should be the only real pain you'll feel this entire operation. I honestly even hesitate to call it that."
"Trust me, it's an operation." Sophie told him, recalling the fear she felt cutting into her skin. As she felt the prick of the needle into her skin, she said, "You know, it actually didn't hurt, the way I thought it would, when I cut it out. It really just…stung more than anything else."
"In the future, I would advise you try to avoid any more self-surgery." Dr. Sanders quipped, picking up the scalpel.
"Fine by me." Sophie told him, letting him do his work.
"But-you could get in trouble for doing this, right?" Sophie asked, as if she wasn't still half convinced this was some kind of set up.
When Dr. Sanders finished the operation, they walked out into the hall where Jessica and Eve were waiting on them. "Is it true?" Eve asked, taking a step forward, "That you're going to have a baby?"
"Yeah, Eve." Sophie answered, nodding, "I'm going to have a baby."
"How—" Eve began.
"That's going to be a much longer conversation, so maybe we should wait." Dr. Sanders spoke up, "Eve, if you would follow me?"
Eve smiled shyly, walking towards the door when Sophie stepped up. "Wait. Can I stay in the room with her, please?" Everything was happening really fast, and she didn't want Eve to be alone and scared while they were removing the microchip.
"Sophie, I'll be fine." Eve assured her. If Sophie was really going to have a baby, she didn't need to be worrying about her right now.
Sophie reached out and took her hand. "Evie, I want to do this."
"Well, if that's out of the way," The doctor gestured grandly towards the room, "Ladies?"
They step in and Dr. Sanders gave them an exaggerated bow, causing Eve to giggle and even Sophie smirked in spite of herself.
"Now, Miss Eve, if you would just jump up here." Dr. Sanders gestured to the table.
"So, have you thought anymore about my proposal, since we last met?" Dr. Sanders asked as he prepared another local.
Sophie titled her head. "Proposal?" She was beginning to think she was right to be suspicious.
Eve smiled slyly. "He…asked me to marry him last time, but he was only joking. At least that's what he said."
"I was." The doctor admitted, "Don't worry, a charming girl like you will be beating the Adams off with a stick in Canada."
"Actually, I think she said something having to use her Texas people." Sophie said.
"Actually, it might be better if I don't know." Dr. Sanders said, beginning the operation.
"You really think we're going there?" Eve asked, like she could scarcely believe it. And reality, she was having trouble wrapping her head around everything that was happening.
"I wouldn't be involved in this if I thought otherwise." Dr. Sanders told her, "So, Sophie dodged this question when I asked her, but any thoughts to what the future might hold?"
"I don't -know." Eve admitted, "I mean, I was…" Her voice trailed off. She felt so guilty voicing her own petty fears when Sophie was sitting over there with the wait of the world—and a baby –on her shoulders.
Realizing what was going on in her head, Sophie said, "Eve, it's alright. Your feelings and concerns still matter to me. You can tell us. You can tell me."
"It's just…I was raised to be a pet." Eve said finally, "It's all I know how to be. I can't even read. Neither of us can. I don't know how to take care of myself."
Sophie reached out and put a hand Eve's. "I'll help you. We'll help each other."
"What about the baby?" Eve asked softly.
In truth, thinking of taking care of a baby when she already had Eve, not to mention what unknown trails were ahead, threatened to overwhelm her. "We'll—We'll figure it out."
"If you don't mind me asking, what's your talent, may I ask, my fair Eve?" Dr. Sanders asked, making the first incision, "I was of the under the impression that each kennel teach their pets one or two talents."
"I can sing and I can play piano." Eve said, "I'm not sure much you can actually use those things in the real world. I haven't even played the piano since the Blanchards sold me."
"Eve, did you know that parents will often pay people money to teach their children to play an instrument?" Dr. Sanders asked.
Eve's face lit up. "Really? So, I could work…teaching children to play?" The option did sound appealing. She actually loved the piano, and she thought she could manage to work with children. If she was going to help Sophie with the baby, she would have to.
"It likely won't be that simple, getting set up, I grant you, but yes, you could." Dr. Sanders confirmed, removing the microchip. "Ah, there we are."
Eve felt hope, even delight begin to surge through her. Smiling she asked Sophie, "What about you?"
"I don't…know." Sophie finally admitted. "I mean, I can dance, but I don't really…dance anymore."
"What are you talking about?" Eve asked, "I've watched you dance with Malcolm."
"It's…different with Malcolm." Sophie replied. Ever since her last two masters made her dance for them, dance in ways she hadn't learned at the kennel, she detested dancing, but with Malcolm…he made her like it again. She shook her head, suddenly realizing why people would wonder if he was the father. It had never been like that between them, if anything, he was more of a younger brother to her, but…what if circumstances had been different? Suddenly she couldn't help but wonder.
Dr. Sanders spoke up again. "Well, have you developed any other interest?" He knew pets weren't exactly encouraged to have interests, not ones that didn't serve to their role as a showpiece, but sometimes there was just a little spark.
"I guess, I've always kind of liked animals." Sophie said, not sure what to do with that.
"Well, there's a start." Dr. Sanders said, beginning to switch the suture.
"It's not much." Sophie told him softly.
He stopped to look at her. "But it's a start."
As Jessica nearly hit the curb for the third time, she decided that she needed to get more practice driving herself around.
Driving around the Jersey suburb, she nearly missed the house with the dark blue shutters, a mark that this was the house she was supposed to go to, before roughly pulling up into the driveway, slamming the breaks as she put it in park. "Everyone okay back there?" She asked, poking her head in the back.
"I'm okay." Sophie said, before looking at Eve, "Evie?"
"I'm fine." Eve said.
"Alright, I just need to do a quick check, then we'll go in." Jessica said, getting out and surveying the suburb. Satisfied, she gathered up the girls and walked to the front step, knocking three times, paused, then knocked again.
Suddenly the door was opened by a nicely dressed, coco dark skinned woman with smooth raven colored hair. She stepped back, ushering them inside. "Nice to see you, Jessica," She said in a British lilt, shutting and locking the girl, "It's a been a while. So, these the girls?"
"Yes," Jessica confirmed, "Sophie, Eve, this is Tiffany, she's going to see you the rest of the way, Tiffany, this is Sophie and Eve."
"It's very nice to meet you." Eve smiled.
"You, too." Tiffany replied, "If you'll just head in there, we have clothes we keep around for the girls. You," She gestured to Sophie, "Actually look okay, but you," She gestured to Eve, who was in a floor length light blue dress, "Are going to need to change. I'll just be discussing some business with Jessica here."
The girls hurried off, leaving the two women alone. "Come on. "Tiffany said, waving towards the kitchen, "Tea's ready."
This was their system; Jessica would stay the length of time it took drink a mug of tea, then leave. According to Tiffany, that way if for some reason someone did catch her coming and going, it wouldn't be fast enough to be suspicious.
As Jessica sipped on the first hot sips of the English Breakfast Tea in the plain white mug front of her, Tiffany's phone went off. She checked it, saying, "Would you mind holding on for a second while I take this?"
"Don't mind me." Jessica said before taking another sip.
Tiffany smiled in thanks before answering the call, her face contorting in a look of annoyance. "For the umpteenth bloody time, no. Now, listen, I don't know how you got this number but you better bloody lose it!" With that she hung up the phone. "Sorry about that."
"Having problems?" Jessica asked, trying to keep it light but actually concerned for serval reasons. While they didn't know each other that well, she was rather found of Tiffany and grateful for her help. On a colder, more practical level, she was worried about something in the young woman's personal life-or professional life even—gumming up the operations, or even leading to the pets coming to harm.
"It's just this—Ledge offshoot, that somehow got my number and have been trying to recruit my outfit ever since." Tiffany explained, "Say they're more organized, competent, but even if that's true, I don't trust anything that spawned off from those nutters." She walked over, sitting down at the table across from Jess, "So, what do I need to know about the brunette? Sophie, wasn't it?"
Jessica paused. "How did you—"
"Come on, Jess, you've brought me pets for what, four years now about?" Tiffany asked, "The only time you had a girl already in casual clothes when they got here was when…"
"She's pregnant, alright?" Jessica caved, "She's pregnant."
Tiffany didn't miss a beat, appearing a bit disturbed, sad even, but not surprised. "Her owner's?"
"I would assume." Jessica said.
"Ah, poor girl," Tiffany lamented, a weary look of her face, "I mean, I know not all the people buying these pets are perverts, but, selling beautiful teenage girls—boys, too—to a bunch of old men—"
"The women can be perverts too," Jessica said before adding in a lower voice, "I've certainly met my share of them." While many owners-save for the act of keeping a human being like they were cat or dog—treated their pets well, she had come across many unsavory types in her dealings to acquire pets.
"I know, I know, "Tiffany said, "The point is, what exactly did they think was going to happen?"
"You'd be surprised the human capacity for self-delusion, willful ignorance," Jessica said, before taking a slow sip of her tea, "The things that people don't even suspect." She wouldn't say that she had been willfully ignorant when it came to Martian, but looking back she couldn't believe that she hadn't suspected what he was doing. They had certainly been fighting about his work with the kennels enough—fighting about everything back then, really—but until that letter was left in the mailbox, she would have never suspected he was killing pets. After another long slow sip, she took a breath, asking. "Are you sure you can get them to Texas, with the fallout from what the Ledge did?"
"If I, couldn't I wouldn't have had you bring them over." Tiffany asserted.
In the room, Sophie was folding up the silky blue dress, while Eve examined herself in the vanity mirror attached to the dresser, smoothing the skirt of the long-sleeved, flowy black and pink paisley dress she was wearing. It was different from the simple cotton shifts they had worn at the kennel, but it was also the far cry from gowns she normally wore, the ones that made her feel like the pet she was reared to be, fair and innocent and beautiful. The creature looking back at her in the mirror was someone strange and foreign, someone she barely recognized as herself. But she was also someone that she thought she could get use to.
Suddenly, a door off the side that they had assumed was closet, began to open, causing both girls to startle slightly and turn around, Sophie stepping in front of Eve as the head of a woman with auburn hair falling in waves popped in. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." She stepped into the room from what appeared to be an adjoining room. She dressed more casually than Tiffany, jeans and white and green stripped shirt and lightweight green cardigan, neither of them hiding the blotchy red birthmark on her neck. "I'm Autumn, me and my husband are the ones who actually own the house, we work with Tiff. It sounded like you were about ready. So, from here I normally take some pictures and my husband will use them to make up some fake IDs for the trip. You guys ready?"
Sophie picked up the dress. "Actually," She said, "Would it be okay if I step out a minute to hand this back to Miss—" Her voice trailed off. She had heard Jessica called so many things today. "To Jessica. Someone would probably give this back and there's something I need to ask of her."
"Sure, honey." Autumn said, nodding.
Back in the kitchen, Jessica was standing to leave, rummaging through her purse before pulling out a neat, if somewhat rumpled roll of bills. "Here." She said, holding it out to Tiffany.
"Jessica, we've been through this." Tiffany told her, "We're a non…"
"A non-profit, I know." Jessica cut her off, "But this has to get expensive, so consider it a donation. Please."
Tiffany reluctantly took the money just as Sophie stepped out of the room. "You need something, darling?"
Sophie tentively stepped up to Jessica. "I just thought you might want this back." She handed the dress back to her. "Also…" Suddenly he mouths went dry, her lips sealing together, which gave her time to think. From what when she had gathered, this wasn't the route Jessica normally used, but her pregnancy had increased the urgency. If she used her other sources and they would up and different places…. they might never see him again. And he wouldn't see them again, either.
Finally, her lips opened. "Please don't tell Malcolm about the baby." She requested, subconsciously putting a hand on her stomach, "If he winds up somewhere else and we can't find each other…I don't want him to worry." I don't want him to spend the rest of his life worrying.
Jessica soberly nodded her understanding. "Of course." She wanted to offer more, to promise she'd get him to freedom safely, too, but was afraid too. "Well, if things go according to plan, this is goodbye. Good luck to both of you." She somewhat uncomfortably tapped the girl on the arm before turning around and heading for the door.
When Sophie waled into the room Autumn had come from, she found the woman using her phone to take picture of Eve who was standing somewhat awkwardly in front of white sheet, while a man of average height with thick dark brown hair stood in the corner.
"Sophie, that's my husband, we just call him the Gentleman." Autumn said, not looking from work, "Honey, this Sophie, she's the other pet I mentioned."
"Nice to meet you." The Gentleman said with a smile, "Any request for a last name."
Sophie didn't answer thinking. What did she want her last name to be?
"These IDs are just to get you all on the plane, "The Gentleman told her, "If you change your mind when it comes time for something more permeant, you can."
Sophie glanced over at her younger companion. "Did you pick out a name?"
"Blanchard," Ever answered, looking down, suddenly feeling embarrassed for using her old owners' last name, "It was all I could think of."
Well, he did say we could change it later. Sophie thought before saying, "I'll just use that one, too. If anyone notices we'll just say we're sisters.
"Works for me." Autumn agreed, gesturing for the girls to switch places, "Come on Sophie Blanchard, your turn."
Yeah, Sophie thought, I love you, Evie, but I'm going to need to work on the name.
Tiffany set up her laptop on the table, typing away, glancing at the girls on the old, cracked leather couch, in the living room where the girls sat with peanut butter sandwiches in their hands, the younger one finishing hers as the older girl handed another triangle to her. "Here."
"No, you need to eat." Eve said, "You're eating for another person now."
"I'll eat the other half; I don't think I can hold the rest down." Sophie insisted, "Take it, Evie. Please."
Finally, Eve took the sandwich half, beginning to eat.
Tiffany smiled, then looked back down at the tickets she was ordering. She could buy then being sisters.
Eve chewed the sandwich in her mouth. The sticky paste inside stuck to the roof of her mouth, causing her to wipe it off with her tongue. But it was good. "Have you ever had this before?" She asked.
"No, no I don't think so." Sophie said, fighting to keep her half of the sandwich down.
"Not—even when you ran away?" Eve asked tentively. She was always unsure about bringing up Sophie's escape of them.
"No," Sophie said with sad smile, "No, I didn't eat this good when I was on the run." When ran away she hadn't exactly had a plan beyond getting away from the master she now hated, leading to her aimlessly wondering the streets in an ill-fitting purloined maid's uniform, scrounging in trashcans for food. Thinking back on that time, she's lucky being tracked down was the worst thing that happened to her.
Finishing her half of the sandwich, Eve was silent for a minute, glancing over to the other girl. "Sophie, what did you ask Miss Whitely? When you came out here with the dress?"
Sophie's eyes darted around the room. Tiffany seemed engrossed in her work and hadn't heard what Eve had said, Autumn and her husband were nowhere to be found. It was as close to private as they were probably going to get. "I asked…I asked her not to tell Malcolm about the baby."
"What?" Eve balked, "Why? He's going to want to know!"
Closing her eyes, Sophie took a deep breath, exhaling. She wanted to shield Eve from the truth. She had since the minute Jessica brought her upstairs. But she couldn't. Finally, she opened her eyes. "Eve, I know this is going to hurt, but we have been prepared for the fact that we may never see Malcolm again."
Eve hadn't been expected that. "But we might not even stay in Texas. While you gone, Autumn said…"
"Even if we do wind up in Canada and he winds up in Canada, it's not a small country." Sophie cut her off, firmly, but as gently as she could, "We have no way of finding each other, no way of knowing if or when we even got here—" He might not even make it out of his situation alive. No. That was the one possibility she wouldn't let herself except. After the brutal treatment he had endured at the hands of his last master, Malcolm was a survivor. Whatever that cop needed him for, he would survive that, and he would get to Canada, and he would have a real life even if they never crossed paths again. "Anyway, if that's what happens, it's unfair to leave him worrying about us with the baby. "Her fingers went to her stomach, to the place she knew her child was now growing, "It's unfair to burden him with that."
Eve leaned back against the couch, her heart breaking again. She knew Sophie was right, that it was unfair to let Malcolm die of worry, it was just, when Jessica told them the truth, she had hoped, in the back of her mind at least, that it meant that eventually he would come back to them. And this time that no one was ever going to spilt them up.
She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, putting her tongue to the rook of her mouth and whipping at her face. No. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to break down when Sophie needed her. After all the older girl had done for her, she owed her that much.
"It's okay to be sad." Sophie told her, "I'm sad, too."
Not knowing what else to do, Eve threw her arms around Sophie, trying to comfort her. Sophie reciprocated the embrace, and they stayed like that.
That was when Autumn walked in, now dressed a white turtle neck sweater that covered her birthmark. Stopping when saw the touching scene, she said, "I'm sorry, do you two need a minute?"
The pair broke the embrace. "No, no, we're fine." Sophie said, standing up, "Um, are they ready?"
Autumn smiled, presenting each girl with a fake driver's license. "Tiff?"
"Tickets are ready." Tiffany declared, joining them, "Now, if anyone asks, we're a group of friends on holiday, you got that?"
They made it through security without incident, and soon they found themselves in the back of coach, Sophie sliding into the window seat, Eve taking the middle, Tiffany the aisle, while Autumn took the aisle seat in front of them. "Alright, just keep your heads down, enjoy the trip if you can, we'll be there in three and a half hours." Tiffany instructed. This was always the most nerve-racking part for her. Hiding pets in plain sight for a whole plane ride.
"Are you comfortable enough?" Eve asked Sophie, looking at her.
"As much I can be." Sophie told her, "You?"
"Oh, yes, I'm fine." Eve said, "This isn't my first time on a plane. "After a minute she suggested, "Maybe you should take the aisle seat. In case you have to go to the bathroom again…"
"The doctor gave me some morning sickness pills before we left." Sophie assured her, "I'll be fine."
With that everything was quiet. At least until Eve said, staring almost blankly ahead, "I think he'll understand. Why you asked them not to tell."
Sophie turned her head. "Huh?"
"I think Malcolm will find us." Eve declared firmly, "And he'll understand why you asked him not to tell."
Tiffany glanced over confused. "Who?"
"Long story." Sophie said, before the flight attendant came up front to give instructions.
Half an hour into the flight, Eve had fallen asleep, her head on Sophie's shoulder. She wasn't surprised; neither of them had slept the night before. She was fighting to stay awake herself. Even though they claimed to have good intentions, she didn't know these people. How could she expect them not to do who knew what to them while they were asleep?
As if reading her mind, Tiffany said, "It's okay to go to sleep, you know. Even if we wanted to hurt you, there's a plane full of witnesses and you look like a regular human. A regular human straight from central casting, I might add. "
Forcing her eyes to stay open, Sophie asked, "Why are you doing this? Helping us?" Maybe if they were talking, she could stay awake.
"That's a long story." Tiffany told her, "One no one needs in their head."
"Come on, give me something here." Sophie requested. Anything to stay awake.
"Short version?" Tiffany surrendered partially, "When I was kid, and they started letting them mess around with DNA in Nevada I didn't think that much of it. Just another weird story on the telly, what does that have to do with me? Then…I came to the state and something happened and suddenly it wasn't just a story anymore, and I actually lost myself in a bottle for a while. Then … I found this. "
"Well, that's spefic." Sophie snarked.
"So is that long story of yours." Tiffany pointed out.
"Touché." Sophie said, looking at the back of Autumn's head.
The air was tense, silent, then Sophie eyes darted over to the redhead hunched over in the seat across the aisle.
"Oh, Aut, she just believes in just God who's going to get us for them one day." Tiffany said, "So, do you think you can get to sleep now. No offense, but you look like hammered crap, and I doubt that can be good for the baby."
Sophie still didn't know how she could sleep. But her eyes disagreed, slowly dropping, and her head leaned back against the seat, arm protectively around her adopted sister, the other protectively around her stomach.
In a perfect world, Sophie would be able to sleep soundly, not worrying about what the next few hours would bring. In a perfect world, Malcolm would be along in a few months telling them of all that happened since he was taken from them, helping set up their new lives and when the time came fawning over his new niece or nephew. In a perfect world they could all be together, be happy, a family.
Of course, in a perfect world, none of this would have happened in the first place.
But, for a few minutes, as she drifted in state between sleep and consciousness, Sophie set her let herself believe that Eve was right. Hey, 24 hours ago, Sophie thought she couldn't never had a baby. If that miracle could happen, maybe another one could.
And maybe she shouldn't give up on it yet.
Meanwhile, Ainsely was sitting at the dinning room table with a messy pile of different papers and a decanter and glass of bourbon in front of her when Jessica walked in, physically and emotionally exhausted, declaring. "It's done. The girls should be on their way to Texas as we speak."
"Here's hopping they don't lose them in Arkansas." Ainsely murmured, standing up.
"Please, don't even joke like that." Jessica requested, taking the glass her daughter offered her.
Not responding, Ainsley changed the subject. "Miss Jackson called while you were gone. Apparently she was meeting a client and thinks the rose might be off the bloom his pet, but the intel's going to cost you."
Jessica sighed. No rest for the wicked. "When doesn't it cost me?" She asked, "I take it from the pile on the table that, that wasn't the only development?"
AN: RIP Prodigal Son. You died too young, and will be sorely missed.
Show of hands, who else intends on writing fic for this show long after it becomes the Firefly of crime thrillers. (Or Christ comes back, in which case, we won't care anymore.)