"Why didn't you just say that from the beginning?"asked Ma.Eugenia.

"Sissy told us not to. However, it isn't us you should be mad at. It's not our fault. It should be someone else you're mad at. But you still have to pretend you don't know anything. We hate to see people of the same blood holding grudges against each other. That's just why we decided to tell you. You should be able to do something about it."

"About what?"

"About him."

"You see, they don't get along very well, and this one is in prison."

"For what?"

"I'm not sure. Sissy said it really wasn't anything too serious, because it's not 'regular' prison."

"Then what kind of prison is it?"

"Let's just say a different kind."

"That really answers the question."

"Well, Sissy said we must take you over there. However, it must be in a way in which nobody suspects anything. You know Sissy loves to keep secrets. That's just what makes Sissy so lovely and so innocent, and so cute. And so...Sissy-like."

"Arthur was right. You guys are stupid about your cat."

"Well, people can get a bit, what am I saying a bit, very stupid about their pets. We're stupid about Sissy. We just want Sissy to be the happiest kitty on the face of this earth."

"Uh-huh. Well, if you have anything else to tell me later, let me know."

Ma.Eugenia got up and walked away, leaving the dectuplets sitting, thinking about goodness knows what. On her way up the stairs, she saw Scott hurrying down.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"she asked him, picking up her skirt out of his way, so his shadow wouldn't fall upon it.

"That's none of your business!"

"What an attitude! It was only a question, you know."

"Well, then, don't ask questions."

"If I have to ask you, don't worry, I won't. Chachi was right about you in every way. I never thought I'd live to see the day when I would agree with her."

Sissy was guarding the stairs, on her favorite chair, pretending to be taking a nap. She saw that Scott was heading to where Pietro and Jean were. She told the dectuplets. They looked out the window, and signaled Pietro that he must go back to the fields, and leave Jean. Pietro noticed.

"Well, I have to go. I'm very busy, and I can't spend too much time away, you know, just one second, something could happen, and I'm fired. Bye."

Pietro mounted his horse, and rode towards the fields. Sissy was watching from one of the windows. Good, she thought, things are going just as planned. She began to groom herself.

Jean took out her book, sat down, and began to read. Scott came from the house.

"So that's who send you those flowers!"

"What? Of course not. I don't know who that was."

"Then why were you talking to him. I was watching you. You looked like you were enjoying it. Besides, Rogue told me you both kept shooting glances at each other yesterday during dinner."

"What's wrong in talking to him, or to anyone? And did you ever consider that Rogue might be lying?"

"It wasn't just Rogue. Kurt and Evan told me, too. So now, basically everyone is lying?"

"They probably misinterpreted things."

"I don't think so many people could have made the same misinterpretation."he said, angrily.

Jean began to get angry.

"Look, I think I can talk to whomever I please. And if I choose to talk to Pietro or anybody it's none of your business! I suppose that you still hold that stupid prejudice against him, because he hangs out with the Brotherhood? That, on your part, is immature."

And she walked away. Sissy, and the dectuplets were delighted, at seeing how Jean had just spoken to Scott, and left him standing dumbstruck, probably thinking that his suspicions were confirmed.

"That's just great, Sissy."

"Yes, it is. Now, it's time to begin training."

"Can't we just skip one day of training, Sissy?"

"No. It is important that all of you keep training, and getting stronger."

"But Cuzzy said that we really don't need to train any more."

"You must still practice so you don't forget, or grow weaker."

"We guess so. But what's the whole point, Sissy?"

"The whole point is that it's for your own good. And with your training, we could solve that riddle of Rogue's."

The girls complained, but they couldn't say no to Sissy. Sissy had been the one who had taught them how to use and control their powers in the first place. Sissy always insisted that they stay on track, she never told them why, though. They just accepted it, because they thought Sissy was worried that something might happen to them.

Later, Ma.Xacinta was telling Rogue that she and her sisters had seen Jean and Scott arguing.

"Well, you see,"Ma.Xacinta was saying. "You see, he just asked her, and well, Jean said some very terrible things to Scott. They stood there for about, I think, it was, twenty minutes. She was saying that, kind of like, it was his fault that there were so many problems, you know, with the fact that Chachi and my mother don't like him around, while Pietro, he knew how to control himself very well, and Scott couldn't, you know. She was calling him things, like that he was just too lazy, and all that."

"How terrible!"

"It is terrible, but some people are just like that. What are we going to do about it?"

"I am going to do something about it! This minute!"

Rogue got up, but Ma.Xacinta grabbed her arm.

"You're not going to do anything. You are just going to stay right here, because you know my mother would have a heart attack, if she ever found out anyone left these babies alone, and I have to go and tell Juanita what I want to eat today. It's getting late, and I have to ask for mole, and frijoles charros, you know. You just stay right here, and don't worry about a thing."

Rogue couldn't stay there, and not worry, however, Ma.Xacinta was right, if Francisca found out that Rogue had left the girls by themselves, she would probably end up, being pulled out of the house, without even getting her belongings.

"So, it's kind of simple."Sissy was saying.

"It is, Sissy?"asked Ana Patricia.

"Yes. It's kind of like your aunts, and now you. Of course, it will probably mean more hours of sitting there, and training someone else, but that's all right. The more, the better, you see."

"Why are more better, Sissy?"

"I'll tell you some other time."

"What will you tell us, Sissy?"asked all eight girls at once.

"You must not be so impatient."

"You must tell us, please, Sissy. We'll do anything."

"Of course you will."Sissy said to herself, out loud, she said something else. "It will be something fun. You'll see."

The girls imagined a lot of things, and asked Sissy if they were right. Sissy didn't answer yes or no. Ana Patricia thought that Sissy meant they would be actresses, just like the ones their aunts, and their dad told them about. She thought about how she had seen Mama Teta pinch Guillermo when he wouldn't behave. She had thought that was very funny. Guillermo had been trying to move her and her sister, when Mama Teta pinched his arm, and pulled him away from them.

In the parlor, Ma.Xamila sat in drowsily, in her favorite chair, rocking. Suddenly, she stopped, and started laughing.

"What's so funny?"asked Kitty.

"Nothing."she answered.

"Then why are you laughing? Is there something on my face?"

"No. You're face is fine."she said, trying to stop giggling. "I was just...laughing, that's all."

"About what? There is something on my face, isn't there?"she ran upstairs, to see what was on her face.

Ma.Xamila just smiled to herself. Later, she told her sisters and Sissy about it.

"That was nothing."Sissy told her.

"Yes, that happens quite often to us, doesn't it. We just remember something dumb, and we start laughing for no reason. Like when Mama Teta kept on getting those phone calls from the phone company, and one day, she just answered the phone, and said that Petra Mares, viuda de Altamira, had gone away to Cd.Juarez the night before, and that she was jus the housekeeper there. They never called again."

"That wasn't what happened here."Sissy told her.

"Then what was."

"Ana Patricia remembered something that she found...pleasant."

"What does that have to do with this?"

"That all of you are connected."

"Oh. Why didn't you tell us before, Sissy? Why?"

"You are connected because it is necessary."

"For what?"

"You're destiny."

"What is our destiny, Sissy? You've never really told us. And you know it's not good to keep secrets like that. Just look at what happened to Cruz, Prof.Dumbledore, and even Lucrecia, for keeping secrets to protect people they loved."

Sissy decided to change the subject.

"That won't happen. I assure you. And now, I suppose you are much more interested in Rogue. Am I correct? Look, she just has to learn to close her mind. That way, the other person's thoughts, won't enter her mind, and they won't be harmed by her. Just like you and the octuplets have your mind protected against external penetration. Rogue must learn to protect her mind from that. That is the difference between you, the octuplets, and other people, where Rogue's powers are concerned."

"That's good, Sissy. So then when should you start teaching her?"

"You just have to choose when."

Rogue couldn't believe what Ma.Xacinta was telling her. It was beyond her wildest dreams. Finally, she would be able to touch another person. She loved it here, at Piedras Grandes, but knew that she could never fit in, because the people here set such a big store by touching. They kissed and hugged constantly. She couldn't do any of that. And if you shook hands wearing gloves, they thought you were insulting them.

"Well, if that's so, then when can we start? Why didn't anybody see that before?"

"I guess it's because Sissy's smarter."

"I'm glad that you have a cat."Rogue said. Even though she hated cats, she had a feeling, she was going to like this one very much.

"Yes, we are, too."

"If it's possible, I would like to start right now."

"We just have to get Sissy."

Rogue nodded.