Title: Finding Family Lost

Author: Neeritai

Everything Else: See chapter 1.

To all reviewers: Tusen Takk! (norwegian for 'thousand thanks') You rule! And here is chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Rysh looked at her, frowning. "Y'never said nothin' 'bout a cousin. S'pecially not one with a name like that."

Siobhan shrugged. "So?"

"So, how d'you know that this Seamus somethin' or other is yer cousin? How d'you know this lady ain't lyin' er somethin'?" She spoke quiely, so that Rommie wouldn't hear. If Rommie had been a human, she wouldn't have. As it was, she listened interestedly.

Siobhan shrugged again. "I don't. What could she get out of lyin' to me, though? I'll be careful, but if my cousin is here, I'm gonna find 'im." Rysh raised her eyebrows somwhat skeptically. "'M not stupid, you know that," Siobhan said. She might have been insulted if she didn't know that Rysh was always like this.

"Whatever. Do what ya want, but if yeh don't get back 'ere tomorrow, I'm gonna be dockin' yer pay," she said, tapping Siobhan's head lightly.

Siobhan shook off the hand, and grinned briefly. "I can't 'ave that happen, can I? See you." She turned to Rommie and spoke at a normal volume. "Let's go find Seamus."

-

Rommie looked at the girl walking beside her, and thought. She knew that Harper had told Beka that his cousin Siobhan and her twin Declan had been infested by the magog, and that their parents, Herper's aunt and uncle, had to kill them to stop the magog eggs from hatching and killing everyone else as well. But here was a woman, approximately the correct age to be Harper's cousin, who looked quite a bit like him, claming to be 'Siobhan'.

Rommie had watched the girl's heart and respiration rates when she had clamed to be Siobhan, and while both were racing, it was not because she was lying. Therefore, either she believed for some reason that she was Harper's cousin, or, she was actually Siobhan, and she Harper was mistaken somehow, and she did not die.

Siobhan turned, as if she felt Rommie's eyes on her. "What?" she asked, still not entirely sure that she trusted this woman. She wondered again if the name the woman gave, "Rommie", was her real name. Probably not, she decided.

"I was wondering how you were alive when Harper was almost certain you were dead," Rommie answered carefully, her eyes on Siobhan as she navigated her way through the throng of people at the open market. Of course, Harper was more that 'almost certain'.

"Yeah, well, I was 'almost certain' that he'd be dead by now too." Siobhan shrugged. "After so long, and with the magog 'n everything-" she broke off, her face dark as she remembered.

Rommie decided not to tell her that Harper thought she had been killed by her own parents because of a magog infestation. She would leave that much to Harper himself.

A/N: 'Fraid this chapter does not have much content (sorry!), but the next chapter will be longer (a lot longer), and yes, Harper will be in it. All and any reviews are greatly appreciated, as always. - Neeritai