Jhondie

We were in luck that Justin had some strawberries in the freezer. He had managed to score a flat of them from some guy with a greenhouse a couple of months ago and froze the majority of them for future Dink use. Dink usually cost about a pint depending on the information we wanted. It was that or I would meet him alone at Fiesta's for a couple of hours and we would have a couple of drinks and chat for a while. All things considering, telling Justin to hang out at the apartment while I took care of this was just not a good thing to even try that night.

Funny thing about Dink. In the beginning, Justin didn't understand his obsession with fruit. He knew that it got information and that was what counted. About six months ago, we learned what the deal was with the guy. Justin had to have a meeting with a couple of the bankers who babysat his money and Justin saw Dink wander by. A few "innocent" questions later and Justin learned that Dink came from some serious family money. He didn't have to peddle information for money. What was money to a guy that had tons of it to blow? What he loved was his computers. He loved the thrill of the hack. He also loved fresh fruit.

Getting fruit in this city was a pain in the butt, no matter how much disposable cash you had. You had to track some down, order it and then wait for it. Or you had to go to the market and fight off a hundred other people all seeking the same goal. And trust me, the open market was one of the most cutthroat places anyone can imagine. I once saw two old ladies beating each other with their purses over a bag of lemons. As I said, it's not pretty. Especially to a guy that doesn't want to leave his beloved computers for the hours it would take to acquire such things. Hence the trade. He got all of the fruit he wanted without the hassle, plus he got to do the hacking he loved so much. Strange, yes, but it beat looking for dead birds for that other contact Justin liked to use so much.

We got the berries and met Dink at his place to give him what we knew and see what he could find out. As much as Justin didn't like me hanging out with Dink alone, he liked it when I accompanied him to Dink's apartment. Dink wore pants when I was there. For that, I was eternally grateful. Dink isn't an ugly guy, but he's not the type you want to see half-naked. Dink also normally liked to be called at least a day in advance when someone was going to come over. With me, I had an invitation to drop by anytime. I guess it gave him something to brag about when he was in chat rooms on the computer. He had a web camera and it irritated him that I refused to step into its sights, but I had my own reasons for not wanting my image to be broadcasted all over the Internet. I didn't know how accurate computerized aging really looked, but I didn't want to take the chance on Dink chatting with some lonely lab tech back at Manticore. A remote possibility, I know, but still anything could happen.

I called Dink and told him we were on our way. I could tell he was a little disappointed when I said "we" but he perked up when I mentioned the strawberries. If there was ever a man in desperate need of a girlfriend, it was him. He was dressed when we got there and Justin explained what we were looking for. Another good thing about Dink was that he never questioned why we wanted that kind of information. He nibbled a strawberry and thought for a minute.

"If they're trying to be quiet, then they're not going to be using flight plans and the usual things like that," he said casually. "But chances are that they are flying the same flight path until they get to LA."

"But they are going to different airports," Justin said.

Dink shook his head and sat down at the computer. "Doesn't matter," he said, tapping the keys. A minute later a map of Southern California came up. He pointed to the screen. "Small planes still use the VOR system to navigate. There're not as many VOR stations now, so they're going to have to stick with what we got. They change around once they get close enough to LA that they can visually know where they are going, but the majority of it is probably going to be a single path. I bet I can find if there's a regular hitting those stations in the same pattern. It's going to take a couple of days though. Maybe a week."

Justin and I glanced at each other. We had no idea what he was talking about, but that was why he was the man with the strawberries. A week. Boss wasn't going to like that, but there were only so many ways to get things done. Some took more time than others. "Thanks a lot, Dink. We knew that if anyone could help us, it was you," I said with a smile. He blushed.

"Not a problem," he replied with a smile. "And you know, if you should find out a plane is coming in for sure, let me know and I could use their transponder to track them so you'll know exactly where they landed at."

I smiled wider, knowing what it was doing to the poor guy. Justin rolled his eyes, but Dink didn't notice. "You're the best." Dink's blush turned scarlet. On that note, it was time to leave.

"One day he's going to notice that you do that little flirt thing just to get a little more out of him," Justin commented as soon as we got in the car and left. I noticed that he wasn't driving in the direction of my house.

"He already knows," I replied. "He likes it anyways."

"Yeah, but..."

I couldn't help a laugh. "I think I know who doesn't like it now." I grinned. "Coming from someone that has been spending a lot of time with a certain redhead, I don't think you have room to talk. Do I have anything to be jealous over?" I teased.

For just a second, Justin looked very uncomfortable. That startled me. As much as I had thought that if I stepped out, that he would probably hook up with Nikki, I didn't think anything had already happened. I know that I was encouraging it in a way with the way I had been acting, but I didn't think Justin would have been so determined to get me back if there was someone else. I hoped that uncomfortable look wasn't because she hadn't made a move on him. Justin really liked her and I would hate to have to rip her spine out.

"Do you really think that oh, the third or fourth time would have happened today if you had a reason to be jealous?" he asked lightly. I had to laugh at that. God, it felt so good to laugh again. I was feeling like part of the human race again. Everything that had been in grayscale was now color. And I wasn't honestly worried about Nikki. Justin was many things, but he wasn't a cheater.

"Considering the direction we're going in, I guess a fifth time to drive the point home?"

He looked around exaggeratedly and pretended to look shocked. "Are we going the wrong way? Well, too late to try and turn around now, you know." He gave a mock sigh. "And to think I had plans to spend the night cybering with some hot blonde and now I got to spend it with a real live...OW!"

I pulled back my fist that had just punched his upper arm. "Ow is right," I said sharply.

He grinned and put his arm around me and pulled me as closer. "Jhondie, my love, would you allow me the extreme pleasure of your company this fine night?"

"I think I could reschedule a few things and fit you in," I replied airily. I leaned over the armrest and let my head rest against him.

"How about scheduling tomorrow as well?"

"Don't push your luck, buddy," I grinned. He laughed and kissed the top of my head. I dug out his cell phone. "But I should let Mom know."

I dialed the house and got through for once. I swear, that woman was going to grow a phone out of her ear with all of the time she had spent on it lately. She was worse than a teenager with a new boyfriend. And I knew she wasn't seeing anyone at the moment, so it wasn't that. She answered the phone and sounded a little annoyed at me when I said hello. "Jhondie, did you tell Katrina that she was polluting the house?" I loved being greeted like that. Always made for a pleasant start to a conversation.

"After she hit on me and then hiked her shirt up to show Justin the tattoo on her chest, yeah, that was the sentiment," I replied flatly. "You should ask to see that one. It's a real beaut."

Mom sighed. "You know, as my youngest would say, I am not going to go there. I thought you were going to be home tonight."

"I was, but some stuff came up and I wanted to check it out." She had finally started to get a little suspicious of the weird hours and odd things that Justin and I tended to be doing together. I wasn't ready to tell her about Eyes Only. Instead I told her that I had decided to start looking for the other escapees. I wasn't sure how she felt about that, but it made sense to her. "I'm just going to spend the night with Justin."

"What about tomorrow?"

"School."

"I know that much. Would you be able to pick Kayla up from ballet or are you going to be too busy?" Initial reaction: claim to be way too busy. Kayla and I had been alone for no more than thirty seconds at a stretch since I had busted her. And that was too long of a time for me. We would be in a car together for twenty minutes. Nothing good could come of that.

"I wouldn't ask, you know that," Mom continued, "But I'm going to be working late and I can trust that you'll take her home and nowhere else. Katrina did offer though."

"I can do it," I said quickly, knowing she was holding back a laugh. That was so on the verge of blackmail. Moms are evil sometimes. Pure evilness.

"Thank you, honey. I owe you a big one." Damn straight she did, and I was going to call that one due when she least expected it.

"But if she says that I duct taped her and tossed her in the trunk, it's all a lie, you have to believe that now." Mom laughed. We said our goodbyes and hung up.

Justin laughed when I complained about what Mom had just done to me. "You know I'm going to remind you of this when we have teenagers," he commented playfully. I almost laughed, but then it hit me what he had so casually said. To have teenagers you would have to have babies. And I knew Justin. He was not going to be the every other weekend and two weeks in the summer kind of father. After all I had put him through and he was still planning on us having a life together. How did I manage along the way to go from a genetically engineered chimera to a person that could inspire that kind of love and devotion in another human being? I didn't want to question it anymore. I was tired of trying to convince myself that I wasn't good enough. It was time to accept what was and enjoy it and not try to analyze and pick things apart.

We did enjoy the night together. It was sweet just to snuggle while watching TV and not sit on opposite ends of the couch. I made dinner and we were able to talk. I hadn't realized how much I had missed out on over the last few weeks. Justin was almost done writing a story that he had still been researching for a month ago. I promised myself that I would never again get caught up in self-pity and despair to the point of pushing away the person that meant the most to me in the world.

I really wished I didn't have classes the next day. But unfortunately, I did. If it had been Women's Studies, I might have skipped it and convinced Justin that he didn't need to go to school either. But he did and then he had to meet Nikki to discuss an informant that she wanted to get her hands on and then he had promised to have dinner with his family that night. Looked like I was kind of stuck at home with the psycho sister. Maybe that would be a good thing. Kayla and I needed some time together. Maybe if we talked a little, we could work some of this out. Maybe I would just stay in my room and start studying for the MCAT.

Kayla had started taking ballet classes late last summer. At first it was more because there was a really cute guy who was a senior student there. I think that meant he helped with the newer dancers. Whatever the reason, Mom thought it would be a good influence on Kayla. She was really starting to hang out with a bad crowd by then and this was something that wouldn't lead to probation. The boy Kayla was in lust with was hired by a dance company and moved to Italy that Fall. Much to our surprise, Kayla didn't drop out. She had started to enjoy dancing for dancing's sake, not just a hot guy in tights.

I had only seen Kayla doing dance steps in the living room and she seemed to be doing pretty well. That's what Mom said at least. Kayla didn't really have the body to be a professional dancer, but she was talented. Most dancers are very long and lean. Kayla had the most adorable blue eyes and long blonde hair, but she was always going to be short and curvy. She wasn't fat, but at fourteen she already was wearing the same size bra as me and the rest of her body was contoured to match. She had always been a little irritated that I could eat anything I wanted (and in large quantities) and she had to watch her weight. That was another thing she liked about dancing. It had helped tone her up and keep extra pounds off. I wasn't surprised that older boys were so interested in her. My little sister was blossoming into a beautiful young woman.

I went to the studio and went inside. According to Mom, she had talked to Miss Genevieve, Kayla's dance teacher and Kayla wasn't going to be outside, hanging out with friends like she usually was when I picked her up. When Mom grounded you, she made sure all bases were covered. I was the one with evasion training and I had a hard time getting around my mother.

Classes appeared to be over for the day. There were a couple of older girls that were still in leotards, stretching against the bar on the wall. They looked like they were doing cool down routines. Two other girls walked out from the back in street clothes, but their hair was pulled up in a bun. The place was so polished looking. I couldn't believe that it could survive in an economy like this one, but I guess there were enough regulars to keep her in business.

"May I help you?" a voice asked from behind me. I turned quickly, a little surprised when there wasn't anyone there. Then I realized that I was looking at my eyelevel. The person speaking to me was in a wheelchair. She was a rather pretty woman, maybe in her early thirties and she was in leotards.

"I'm, um, looking for Kayla Harris," I said.

"And you are?" Her expression was pleasant enough, but there was a hint of steel under there.

"Her sister, Jhondie. I'm supposed to pick her up today."

Now the pleasant expression came on for real. "I'm Miss Genevieve," she introduced. "Kayla is getting changed right now. She'll be out in just a few minutes."

I know I looked like an idiot for a minute. Nobody had ever mentioned to me that Kayla's dance instructor was in a wheelchair. I guess Miss Genevieve was used to the initial shock when someone met her like this. She smiled a little wider. "You know, one good thing about being in a wheelchair is that nobody asks why I retired at such a young age," she said teasingly. "I was in a car accident about five years ago."

That broke the ice. I laughed. "I'm sorry," I said, "Kayla just never mentioned it before." Neither had my mother. I was so going to kill her for embarrassing me like that.

Miss. Genevieve kept her lovely smile. "That makes me feel better actually. It means they don't even notice." She looked at me up and down. "Have you ever danced before?"

I shook my head. "No. Never was really into it. But now that I've seen some of what Kayla's done, I kind of wish I had asked." That wasn't really true. I would have liked to have been in dance classes when I was a kid, but there was no way I could wear my hair up all of the time.

She sighed sadly. "That is too bad. I saw you walk in. You obviously have a very natural sense of grace and balance. You know, it's never too late."

Natural grace. She had no idea. I pretended to be a little embarrassed. "It is for me. Medicine got to me first." I was starting to realize why Mom and Kay had never mentioned that Miss Genevieve was handicapped. She was so animated and alive that it was hard to think that she was stuck in that chair. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn that she was just resting for a moment.

"Science," she gasped melodramatically, the back of her hand going to her forehead. "The bane of the art world." Now I really wished I could take instructions under this woman. No wonder Kayla loved coming here so much. "So," she continued in a normal tone, "have you seen much dance? What's your favorite?"

"I haven't seen any real ballets," I replied. "But there was this one thing that Kayla was doing that I thought was amazing. She was kind of..." I wasn't sure how to describe it, so I just did it. I wasn't wearing ballet slippers so I couldn't stand on my toes, but I went up on the ball of my foot and extended one leg out behind me so that it was at a ninety degree angle to my body and then raised it up higher while keeping my back straight, shoulders square and arms out. I dropped back down to normal. "Kind of like that." That was when I realized she was practically gaping at me.

"You've never taken formal training?" she asked suspiciously. I shook my head. She still looked disbelievingly. "You never had training and you have the sheer strength not to mention the balance and limberness to do an arabesque?"

I blinked. I didn't think it was that hard to do. "I, um, I still work out a lot. My boyfriend is really into getting all buff and doctors have to have high endurance and all that you know." God, that sounded lame even to me.

"But..."

"But Jhondie's perfect, so she can do anything," Kayla snapped from behind us. From the way that Miss Genevieve looked at her, I was willing to bet that she had heard quite a bit lately about how Mom thought I was so wonderful and Kayla was being so mistreated. Oh, poor baby. Kayla adjusted the bag on her shoulder and glared at me some more. What had I done this time?

"Get in the car," I said tiredly. I smiled at Miss Genevieve. "Good evening. Hope to see you again soon."

She gave me a small smile back, still trying to figure out how I had pulled off that move. Damn it. I did not like making such careless mistakes. I left quickly and got into the car. Kayla had her arms crossed and was staring straight ahead. We drove for a while until I couldn't take the tension anymore.

"What?" I snapped.

Her blue eyes shot twin fire at me. "Do you have to show me up at *everything*? It's like you the only thing you live for."

"Well now you know my goal in life," I said sarcastically. "Even way back at Manticore that was the goal. Lydecker said every day that we were there to show up Kayla Susan Harris. It was the unit motto even."

"I spend months learning how to do things and you just look at a picture and can do it," she said bitterly. I heard the tears that she was determined to keep back. It softened my anger a little. I guess it would be hard to have an older sister that you thought you could never live up to. I never intentionally tried to be better than her. I couldn't help what I was. But I was also older and a lot more mature. I could see things that Kayla couldn't yet.

We got home and she immediately headed to the stairs. And then I realized what I wanted to say. "Kayla," I called out.

She stopped and turned, her lips pressed together tightly. "What?"

"I can't help being better physically. That's never going to change. I was made to be better than any human being could ever hope to be. But if you want to do something that I can't, then put your hair in a ponytail and go outside." She blinked and I realized that had gotten to her in some small way. I shrugged. "You have freedom, Kay. That's one thing I'll never have."

I left her on the stairs and went inside to start dinner. Mom was going to be hungry when she got home. I was tired of the fighting and arguing going on all the time here. I hoped Kayla would see that I was trying to make peace. I wanted her to accept me for who and what I was and then we could be a family again. I loved the little brat despite herself.

I wanted to call Justin just to say hi and, well, it was good to simply hear his voice. I know, we had spent all night and morning together, but I wished that I were making dinner for us in our apartment. Our anniversary was coming up in a matter of days. I hadn't been in a mood to plan anything special for that day, but it was time to talk about it. It wasn't going to be a night for big decisions though. There were enough changes that were on the verge of happening and I didn't want to make more complications by telling him that I wanted us to move in together. After the way I had acted over the last few weeks, I knew Justin would probably want to slow things down a little and make sure that he was willing to risk living with someone as unstable as I could get. I wasn't upset at that thought. I mean, I was, but I had brought it all on myself. I was going to have to deal with the consequences of being stupid.

I knew he was going to have dinner with his family that night. Maybe I would give him a call later that night. Or maybe he could come home to a nice little surprise waiting for him. No matter what, I was simply glad to have him stick with me. No matter how long it took to get back to where we had been a month ago, I was willing to stick it out and make it work. And maybe that was the most important thing of all.