A/N: Sorry it's taken so long. I hit a block and couldn't think of what to write next. Let me know what you think, and thanks for the fabulous reviews! You guys are what keeps me writing.
Alex watched as they drove past groves of trees and wide, sprawling acres of farmland in New Hampshire. They had landed fifteen minutes prior and were heading to the ranch. Zoey chattered away with Charlie, who had become her latest love interest. Alex rolled her eyes, knowing her father was silently fuming, but glad at the same time.
She could feel her mother's eyes on her and kept her own eyes focused on the passing scenery. They turned right onto a gravel road, passing through a security point. She sighed at the sight of the guards and their guns. She should have known better than to think that there wouldn't be any security out here.
The Suburban pulled to a stop outside of the large farmhouse with a wrap around porch. "We're here," Abbey said softly. Alex nodded and climbed out of the car once the door had been opened for her.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she studied the two story home with red brick and white trim. A cold front had come in that morning, and the air was crisp with the smell of autumn. "Let's get inside before you catch cold," Abbey said, ushering her and Zoey inside.
Alex stepped over the threshold, her boots echoing on the hard wood floor. "C'me on," Zoey said, "Our rooms are upstairs."
Alex nodded and followed her sister up the stairs. She found her room across from Zoey's, with a wooden 'A' on the door. She pushed it open and saw the bag she had brought with her on the bed. Her room smelled of fresh paint; she guessed that Abbey had hired someone to redecorate her room. The walls were an olive green color, with a quilt that matched.
"So, what'd you think? I helped Mom pick out the colors," Zoey said, walking into her room.
"It's great," Alex said with a soft smile. She walked around, looking at some of the pictures. She picked up one of the pictures of her and Zoey- she recognized it as one of the ones on Air Force One. They were sitting on a couch, laughing as they talked. "There aren't too many of us yet," Zoey said, noticing her sister's look.
"I've been home for a month," Alex said, crossing her arms.
"But you were in the hospital for one of those weeks," Zoey countered. Alex nodded, setting the picture back down. "I was going to go feed the horses. You want to come?"
"Yeah," Alex nodded, zipping up the sweater she wore.
Their feet crunched on the freshly fallen snow as they walked across the sprawling land towards the corrals. "My horse's name is Shadow," Zoey said. "I've had him since I was seven."
"That's great," Alex said, smiling as they approached the corral. She climbed up the wooden fence, holding her hand out with the sugar cubes she and Zoey had stolen from the kitchen on their way out.
Zoey smiled as she petted her horse's nose, while Alex ran her hands through her mane.
"So, do you still have the nightmares," Zoey asked, climbing up to sit on the top of the wooden fence.
"Mom put you up to this," Alex asked, looking over at her.
"Yeah, but I want to know. I am your twin, you know," Zoey said.
"Yeah, I still have the nightmares. She seems to think that things will get better if I keep seeing Charlotte," Alex said, turning her attention back to the horse.
"Maybe it will," Zoey said, shrugging her shoulders.
"It won't," Alex insisted. "I can't remember what happened and I don't really want to remember what happened."
"Were you scared," Zoey asked.
Alex stopped petting Shadow's mane and looked up, her brown eyes meeting Zoey's. No one had asked her that before. "Yeah," Alex said. "I was."
"You seemed happy before. What happened?"
"It was so easy to pretend that I was fine, that everything was alright. So what if I had a few nightmares? I just wanted Mom and Dad to stop hounding me; making sure that I was alright," Alex said. "So, I began to lie and pretend that everything was fine."
"But everything fell apart last weekend," Zoey said. Alex nodded, not taking her eyes of the horse. "What did you remember?"
"Being taken, the drugs, gunshots," Alex said, "It's like…I was in a dream that I couldn't wake up from. Everything is so…distorted, like a blurred mirror or something."
"Oh," Zoey said. Things had become awkward between them. She just wasn't sure of what to say. She couldn't even relate to her own twin.
Alex sat on the bed in her room, her knees pulled to her chest. She heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Ellie poking her head in. "Ellie," Alex said, smiling and hugging her older sister.
"Hey," Ellie said, hugging Alex tightly. Alex had only seen their middle sister a few times, but missed having another sibling to talk to. "How've you been?"
"Fine," Alex said, sitting back down on the bed. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and pulled her leg up on the bed with her. "How's med school going?"
"It's going," Ellie said with a shrug. "Liz'll be here this afternoon."
"Great," Alex said, "Anyone else?"
"Just Doug, Gus, Annie, and Grandma and Grandpa" Ellie said, "Mom wanted this visit to be low key."
"Don't you people have to work," Alex asked softly.
"Everyone's got off until Thanksgiving. It's only a few days away," Ellie said.
"Guess I forgot," Alex said. "It's been a little crazy recently."
"Tell me about it," Ellie said with a snort.
"Ellie, can I ask you something," Alex asked. Ellie nodded, raising her blue eyes up to meet her sister's brown ones. "Why don't you and Dad get along?"
"We got along," Ellie said, "He's just never understood me like he does you, Zoey and Liz. Why?" Ellie studied Alex, seeing the wear the White House had had on her. She know understood why their mother had pulled her to the ranch, had called them all home for Thanksgiving.
"I just wanted to know. I feel like I hardly know you and Liz," Alex said with a shrug. "I've gotten the Cliff's Notes version of you and Liz. Why'd you go into medicine? To make mom proud?"
"Straight to the point, aren't you," Ellie said, "That was part of it. Liz was the politician of the three of us. Zoey was mom and dad's little girl. I had to fit in somewhere."
"I know what you mean," Alex said.
"You're going into pre-law at Harvard," Ellie said, "You'll fit in just fine. Mom made some apple cider. You want to go get some?"
"Sure," Alex said, getting off the bed.
They took the hot mugs of outside, walking through the freshly fallen leaves. "It's beautiful up here," Alex said, looking around.
"Yeah," Ellie said, "Autumn was always my favorite time of year up here."
"So, tell me about our family," Alex said, climbing up on the fence.
"Where to begin," Ellie said, smiling softly. "Mom and Dad met in college, Notre Dame, of course. They married young, Grandma wasn't too happy about it. Mom got pregnant with Liz on their honeymoon. They waited a little bit and had me while Mom was in med school, then Zoey and you came along four years later. Dad was already governor at the time."
"So, Zoey was born into this whole political thing," Alex said. Ellie nodded, then continued.
"After you 'died', Dad buried himself in work, Mom busied herself with me and Zoey, while Liz was in school. Then, things slowly came back together. Dad decided to run for president while Zoey was in her last year of high school and we wound up here," Ellie said.
"And we're catholic," Alex asked.
"Yes, we're catholic," Ellie said.
"Oh," Alex said. "When do you graduate?"
"In another three years," Ellie replied.
Alex fell silent, her soft brown eyes, watching the leaves fall from the trees. "Did you have a choice," she finally asked.
"What do you mean," Ellie asked.
"About having this life. Did you have a choice?"
"Somewhat. I was three when he decided to run. Liz and I were taken into consideration," Ellie said. "Tired of this already?"
"You and Liz had a choice. Zoey was born into it and I was thrown into it," Alex said.
"You sound upset."
"Just a statement." Alex shrugged and turned eyes back to the trees.
"Alex, why are you really so angry," Ellie asked. "For the past few months, you were fine. What happened?"
"I'm not angry," Alex said honestly, "I'm…scared. We have all of these people I'm related to, but have never met coming and I'm not sure where I'll fit in, or if they'll even accept me. It seems to be the running theme in my life." She snorted, rubbing her hands on her jeans as she looked up at the trees.
"Alex, the people that are coming here have loved you your entire life. Grandma's great…she was just as torn up as Mom when you had 'died'. And Grandpa is amazing. He's the only person that can beat Dad at chess," Ellie said.
"Are they on Mom or Dad's side," Alex asked.
"Mom's," she replied, "Dad's mom is more…austere. She usually spends Thanksgiving with our uncles."
"We have uncles?"
"Yeah," Ellie replied, "One…Noah . Dad's the youngest."
"Did Grandpa Bartlet die?"
"Yes. He and Dad never really got along."
"Why not?"
"Because Dad was smarter and he didn't like that," Ellie replied truthfully.
"What about Mom's side?"
"Only child."
"Oh," Alex said.
They heard a car door slam in the distance and Alex looked over at her sister. "Sounds like Liz is here," Ellie said.
"Yeah,"Alex replied, hopping off the fence.
"Alex! Ellie," Liz called with a smile as she saw two of her sister's walking up.
"Hey Liz," Ellie said, hugging her sister. "How was the drive?"
"It was good," Liz replied. "Alex, how've you been?" She reached out and hugged her youngest sister tightly.
"Not bad," Alex replied, "Zoey's upstairs."
"You look good," Liz said.
"Thanks," Alex said, "I'm going to go see if Mom needs any help." Liz and Ellie watched as she ran inside the house.
"She looks good," Liz said, grabbing Gus and Doug's bag out of the back of the car.
"Yeah, she does," Ellie said.
"So, why are we really here," Liz asked, slamming the door shut.
"Mom thought Alex needed a break," Ellie said, taking Gus' bag from her sister.
"She remember anything else," Liz asked.
"A little," Ellie replied, opening the door to the house. Liz sighed and followed her younger sister in. She had been told about the panic attack and Alex collapsing on the front lawn. She had hoped that Alex remembered more, but she now knew that it would take her family encouraging her to remember the rest.