Catherine looked up from her meal. "Vincent has Taja in our room and is requesting that you meet them there. She is prepared to heat what you have to say but you may not have a large window of opportunity so I suggest you hurry. Follow me please."

They left their breakfast where it was and turned onto the main hallway. Moving down past Father's library, they took a right and entered a chamber.

Maria noticed right away that unlike hers and Michael's rooms, this chamber opened into a sitting room then branched off to the bedroom. There was a heavy cloth covering the entrance to the bedroom whereas the chamber door was rather light and airy.

Catherine directed them to a cluster of chairs fashioned around a bookshelf practically weighed down with the girth of the literature it contained. Leaving the room for a moment, she lit a privacy lantern and hung it on the rack on the wall. Glancing down the pathway, she saw Vincent and Taja traveling towards her.

Taja was coughing more frequently now. Vincent had informed her a few days ago. He had asked that Taja get looked over by Father but she adamantly refused treatment of any kind. The Tunnel folk had been doing their best to push her down the road to recovery. Forcing all types of teas and soups down the poor girl's throat were only the beginning. They had refrained from assigning her any duties that would include strenuous work or long exposure to children; she was still sick after all; and eventually she ended up down in the Painted Tunnels with Elizabeth. Taja had been fascinated by the art and had rapidly taken to it.

They began to leave down there with Elizabeth, as she seemed the happiest there. She would still sleep in her chamber and eat with the community, but her desire to paint often drew her back down to the lower Tunnels.

Father had warned against leaving her in the damp lower tunnels as her cough got worse as it had in the last few weeks her health took on a mind of its own, fighting back then disappearing all together for a day. When help had arrived, they had all silently prayed that they would bring a cure with them.

Taja coughed again, bulleting Catherine back to the present. She held out a hand and let the frightened yet determined girl in.

*****

They had taken over her friends; Taja could tell by the way Vincent that kept his body turned slightly towards Michael. Somehow whatever answers they brought with them had convinced Vincent these people were true.

Turning her face to the boy who had caught her gaze in the breakfast room she felt the same instant connection that had made it known earlier. Despite her fear and distrust of them, Taja knew Michael was different from the others. None of her stalkers had ever gone straight into her heart and reawakened longings that were long buried and distant memories delicately repressed. Maybe she should give them a chance to weave their story before she cast final judgement on them.

"Okay, who the hell are you and what do you want with me?"

"My name is Michael Guerin and this is my girlfriend, Maria. We've traveled al the way from Roswell, New Mexico to find you because I have reason to think that you are my twin sister."

"What on Earth could possibly make you think that some strange tunnel-dwelling orphan girl in New York could possibly be your sister? Vincent already gave me a short play-by-play but I want to hear your reasons from you. What is so special about me?" Her face had taken on an unhealthy glow and she began to cough.

Michael started forward but Catherine held a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes beckoned him to continue without acknowledging Taja's illness. "Taja, when I was about seven years old I was found wandering out in the desert naked. I couldn't speak any language on this planet and I could 'do' things. Things people only believe happen in circuses and on t.v. shows. Now the things I can do are a lot stronger. I've found two others like me, orphans found naked in the desert totally mute. We can all 'do' things. I had a dream/vision that that you were the missing one. You complete the square, two sets of twins. You see the two others I found were twins, boy and girl; Max and Isabel Evans. Together we learned about our origins. We're aliens, Taja. All four of us."

Maria looked around the room to gauge the reactions. Even though Vincent and Catherine had heard the news once before, the blunt tone in Michael's voice was enough to shock even the most seasoned veteran. Because his eyes were intently focused upon his sister, Maria was being his eyes for all other purposes. She noticed that Vincent and Catherine were communicating through their Bond, all the while tuning their attention to the girl.

"What!!! Aliens? How? How is that possible? How are you sure I'm your sister, much less an alien?" She began talking with her hands, as most girls were intent to do when another coughing fit struck her.

Again Michael reached for her and again Catherine stopped him. He continued his explanation. "Because of your powers. I know you have them. I have them, so do Max and Izzy. You can go into other people's dreams without them knowing it. You can change the molecular structure of things. You are telekinetic. We all have individual powers as well. Isabel is the best out of all of us to dreamwalk. Maxwell can heal anything or anyone who isn't dead. I can heat up objects until they burst into flames or explode."

"What can I do that's so special? If I'm your sister, wouldn't you know?" She began to sneer, a classic Michael move.

Maria smiled, drawn even more to the girl who was her beloved's blood relation. "It's not like that. Don't go all psychoanalytical on us and try to trip us up. It won't work 'cause we're telling the truth! You'll have to work more on developing your powers to find out what your talent is. It will probably have something to do with your mind, though. Both Michael and Max have powers that are based on using their hands. Isabel and Tess can do things involving their minds."

"Wait! Who's Tess? You said there are only three of you? I don't understand how you claim to need me to complete your 'square' when you already have another girl!"

Suddenly a shimmer of light began to grow from the center of the room. It began to glow profusely, spilling light as it expanded into the form of a young girl. As the shape became more clearly defined, Michael and Maria recognized the girl as Tess.

"Oh my God…"