A/N: THANKS FOR REVIEWING GUYS. IM GLAD YOU LIKED CHAPTER THREE. I SO
THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO SUCK. HERE'S CHAPTER FOUR. IM FEELING GENEROUS.
When Max broke the news to Asha, she had expected the woman to fall apart. Instead, Asha just sat there and said nothing, her face grim and hard. Max saw hate and anger flicker in her eyes.
"I have to get my son and my husband back." She said firmly, standing up the best she could in her weakened condition. "What's the plan?"
Max saw strength and determination. She admired it.
"We have to rescue them of course." Alec said running his fingers through his blonde hair. Max and Asha could see how this affected him. They were all falling apart and Asha was the least to show it.
Max sighed. "He wants me for all four of them." She said. Alec didn't like the sound of that. Hell no. He wasn't about to let her give her life again. He was through with that. He has had enough with sacrifices. She was just anxiously waiting for White's call. It made all of them edgy.
Asha was sick with worry and she was scared to death but she had to keep her emotions in tact. Emotion is a sign of weakness. Weakness meant failure. Those were the colonel's words. She held them close to her. She didn't admire the man or look up to him for what he'd done in the past but it kept her strong. That was good enough in situations like this.
"We should call Zack." She said in barely a whisper. Max looked so startled. Alec seemed to like the idea best.
"No, I've done enough to force him to put his life on hold. I'm not going to ask him to do that again. I won't ask any of them." Max declared firmly.
Asha glared. "This isn't only about you Max!" She exclaimed furiously. "My husband, and son, along with your son and friend are captured. Their lives are in danger! We have to do the best we can and we can't do it alone!" She looked furious as hell. Max had never seen Asha lose her temper. The woman was so calm and collected and nice. It scared her a little to see this side of Asha.
"I'm not going to pull the martyr act and die trying to rescue my family. We're going to live through this and get them back." Asha heaved. "We're doing this right."
"Asha's has a point. We have to call them. We have to get help." Alec said and Max glared at him. He just had to take her side. It pissed her off but Max knew it wasn't time to argue over childish things. Their family was in danger. Time to kick some ass and get them back. She was going to make White pay for this.
Max's phone rang.
"Yeah." She said rigidly.
"Tomorrow, I want you to go and get my son." He said and hung up. Max stared into space. More blood on her hands. Another life was going to be ruined. She had no choice.
"Call him." Max said to Asha who nodded grimly. Max turned to Alec. He had heard what White said. He didn't like it. Too many people involved. A lot of them were going to be hurt.
"I need Zack's contact number." Asha said interrupting their thoughts.
Max handed it over to her. She still didn't know who the woman was but she trusted her. Asha had gained a lot of Max's trust over the few months since she got back.
"Hello, Zack?" Asha's voice was hushed. Someone was on the other line. Zack obviously. "It's me." Asha paused. "Jondy." It had taken a lot to muster her last words.
Max froze on her spot. Her heart felt like it stopped beating. Jondy? This was Jondy?
"Max gave me the contact number. We're in trouble. Come to Seattle. Zack, we need you. I need you." Her last words revealed how desperate she was. She needed her big brother again. She needed his strength and courage. She needed him, just as Max and their siblings always would. "I'll explain later." Asha whispered. "And Zack?" There was a pause. "I missed you. And I love you." Asha's words tore at Max's heart.
She had no idea what Asha went through but the pain in her voice was obvious. Asha shut the phone and turned to face Max and Alec. She had her back turned to them the whole time. They looked shocked beyond belief.
Max didn't know what to say. This was Jondy, her big sister with the sad eyes and startling determination. She was in front of her this whole time. Max had hated her once. She had hated her sister. She never knew.
Asha smiled wryly, understanding their reaction. She sat down on the couch, looking exhausted.
"I'm going to call Zane." Alec declared knowing very well that the two needed some alone time to talk things out.
"I missed you." Max whispered when Alec went into the other room. Asha looked up, her sad eyes reflecting the childhood that she went through. The one that was stolen from her. From all of them.
"I missed you too. I couldn't tell you." Asha explained. Max nodded. Asha or Jondy had her reason. She understood. "It was easier to look out for you when you didn't know I was around." Asha continued. Max was starting to tear up again. She hated to cry. It was a sign of weakness. Asha was better at keeping them than she was.
"Where have you been? I tried so hard to find you. I thought you were dead." Max's voice was breaking. She couldn't hold all of it in anymore.
"I was around. I tried to make a life for myself. Like the rest of us." Asha answered. She walked over to Max and held her sister. Max sobbed.
It felt the same. After all this time, more than a decade later, they still loved each other. They were still sisters. "Shh, it's okay." Jondy whispered stroking Max's back like she had done many years ago when they were still in Manticore.
"I missed you so much." Max repeated. Asha nodded kissing her baby sister in the hair. She missed her too. It was hard being there and not letting Max know that she was Jondy, that she was alive. It was even harder when their other siblings were around.
"I know." Jondy whispered. "I know. We're together now. We'll get through this. It's okay." She said trying to comfort her. She and Max had been best friends when they were younger and they stuck to each other like glue, always looking out for one another. It almost killed Jondy when they were separated.
Asha sighed. It felt better to tell the truth. To let it all out. The guilt was slowly leaving and the weight on her shoulders didn't feel as heavy as before. She had held this secret for so long that she almost believed that she was someone else. Someone other than Jondy. Just almost.
Max nodded. It was all too overwhelming. She was sad and happy and terrified and relief and shocked. She was in an emotional rollercoaster all day. At least she had Jondy back. That made it a little okay if not completely better.
Tomorrow, everything was going to be different. It either got better or worse. She was going to go and get White's son. She was going to ruin another life. One more step closer to hell.
At least she wasn't alone.
When Max broke the news to Asha, she had expected the woman to fall apart. Instead, Asha just sat there and said nothing, her face grim and hard. Max saw hate and anger flicker in her eyes.
"I have to get my son and my husband back." She said firmly, standing up the best she could in her weakened condition. "What's the plan?"
Max saw strength and determination. She admired it.
"We have to rescue them of course." Alec said running his fingers through his blonde hair. Max and Asha could see how this affected him. They were all falling apart and Asha was the least to show it.
Max sighed. "He wants me for all four of them." She said. Alec didn't like the sound of that. Hell no. He wasn't about to let her give her life again. He was through with that. He has had enough with sacrifices. She was just anxiously waiting for White's call. It made all of them edgy.
Asha was sick with worry and she was scared to death but she had to keep her emotions in tact. Emotion is a sign of weakness. Weakness meant failure. Those were the colonel's words. She held them close to her. She didn't admire the man or look up to him for what he'd done in the past but it kept her strong. That was good enough in situations like this.
"We should call Zack." She said in barely a whisper. Max looked so startled. Alec seemed to like the idea best.
"No, I've done enough to force him to put his life on hold. I'm not going to ask him to do that again. I won't ask any of them." Max declared firmly.
Asha glared. "This isn't only about you Max!" She exclaimed furiously. "My husband, and son, along with your son and friend are captured. Their lives are in danger! We have to do the best we can and we can't do it alone!" She looked furious as hell. Max had never seen Asha lose her temper. The woman was so calm and collected and nice. It scared her a little to see this side of Asha.
"I'm not going to pull the martyr act and die trying to rescue my family. We're going to live through this and get them back." Asha heaved. "We're doing this right."
"Asha's has a point. We have to call them. We have to get help." Alec said and Max glared at him. He just had to take her side. It pissed her off but Max knew it wasn't time to argue over childish things. Their family was in danger. Time to kick some ass and get them back. She was going to make White pay for this.
Max's phone rang.
"Yeah." She said rigidly.
"Tomorrow, I want you to go and get my son." He said and hung up. Max stared into space. More blood on her hands. Another life was going to be ruined. She had no choice.
"Call him." Max said to Asha who nodded grimly. Max turned to Alec. He had heard what White said. He didn't like it. Too many people involved. A lot of them were going to be hurt.
"I need Zack's contact number." Asha said interrupting their thoughts.
Max handed it over to her. She still didn't know who the woman was but she trusted her. Asha had gained a lot of Max's trust over the few months since she got back.
"Hello, Zack?" Asha's voice was hushed. Someone was on the other line. Zack obviously. "It's me." Asha paused. "Jondy." It had taken a lot to muster her last words.
Max froze on her spot. Her heart felt like it stopped beating. Jondy? This was Jondy?
"Max gave me the contact number. We're in trouble. Come to Seattle. Zack, we need you. I need you." Her last words revealed how desperate she was. She needed her big brother again. She needed his strength and courage. She needed him, just as Max and their siblings always would. "I'll explain later." Asha whispered. "And Zack?" There was a pause. "I missed you. And I love you." Asha's words tore at Max's heart.
She had no idea what Asha went through but the pain in her voice was obvious. Asha shut the phone and turned to face Max and Alec. She had her back turned to them the whole time. They looked shocked beyond belief.
Max didn't know what to say. This was Jondy, her big sister with the sad eyes and startling determination. She was in front of her this whole time. Max had hated her once. She had hated her sister. She never knew.
Asha smiled wryly, understanding their reaction. She sat down on the couch, looking exhausted.
"I'm going to call Zane." Alec declared knowing very well that the two needed some alone time to talk things out.
"I missed you." Max whispered when Alec went into the other room. Asha looked up, her sad eyes reflecting the childhood that she went through. The one that was stolen from her. From all of them.
"I missed you too. I couldn't tell you." Asha explained. Max nodded. Asha or Jondy had her reason. She understood. "It was easier to look out for you when you didn't know I was around." Asha continued. Max was starting to tear up again. She hated to cry. It was a sign of weakness. Asha was better at keeping them than she was.
"Where have you been? I tried so hard to find you. I thought you were dead." Max's voice was breaking. She couldn't hold all of it in anymore.
"I was around. I tried to make a life for myself. Like the rest of us." Asha answered. She walked over to Max and held her sister. Max sobbed.
It felt the same. After all this time, more than a decade later, they still loved each other. They were still sisters. "Shh, it's okay." Jondy whispered stroking Max's back like she had done many years ago when they were still in Manticore.
"I missed you so much." Max repeated. Asha nodded kissing her baby sister in the hair. She missed her too. It was hard being there and not letting Max know that she was Jondy, that she was alive. It was even harder when their other siblings were around.
"I know." Jondy whispered. "I know. We're together now. We'll get through this. It's okay." She said trying to comfort her. She and Max had been best friends when they were younger and they stuck to each other like glue, always looking out for one another. It almost killed Jondy when they were separated.
Asha sighed. It felt better to tell the truth. To let it all out. The guilt was slowly leaving and the weight on her shoulders didn't feel as heavy as before. She had held this secret for so long that she almost believed that she was someone else. Someone other than Jondy. Just almost.
Max nodded. It was all too overwhelming. She was sad and happy and terrified and relief and shocked. She was in an emotional rollercoaster all day. At least she had Jondy back. That made it a little okay if not completely better.
Tomorrow, everything was going to be different. It either got better or worse. She was going to go and get White's son. She was going to ruin another life. One more step closer to hell.
At least she wasn't alone.