Chapter 19: The Turning Point
Alexia Ashford…
Why was she here?
Or was that just a dream?
"Aw, crap."
Carlos opened his eyes. The large man to his left carrying the even larger rifle was enough to confirm his suspicions. It wasn't a dream, after all.
It was a nightmare.
The young mercenary propped himself up on his left arm, wincing at the pain his movement caused. He touched the back of his head, feeling a lump the size of a baseball.
"You'd be smarter to stay down."
Carlos looked up at the guard and flashed a grin. "If I was smarter, I wouldn't be here."
The guard's smile was almost imperceptible, but Carlos noticed it. That helped him to relax a bit. If the guy could smile at his joke, then he probably wasn't about to kill him. At least that's what Carlos hoped.
He decided to better acquaint himself with his new surroundings. If any opportunity arose for him to take action, he wanted to be ready. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to look at. His temporary jail cell appeared to be a locker room. The walls were lined with metal cabinets, and there were benches on either side of the small room.
There wasn't anything he could use as a weapon. He thought it remotely possible that one of the lockers might contain something useful, but he doubted the guard would leave him alone to investigate that option. At this point, he had to be content to sit and wait.
His thoughts wandered back to Alexia Ashford. He had recognized her immediately, which was probably the reason that asshole had whacked him on the head. He didn't understand what her connection was to HCF, when you stopped to consider that they were supposed to be Umbrella's competition.
There were other pieces to this puzzle, as well. What had happened to Leon? Why wasn't he locked up in here with him? Did he know Alexia? And why did Alexia have her Umbrella goons grab Jill in New York, only to allow her to be snatched up by Larry's people and brought to L.A.? What the hell was going on?
Carlos fixed his gaze on the guard. He had sized the man up in the first few seconds after he regained consciousness, and was relatively certain he could take him out without too much trouble, if he were given the right opportunity. For now, he would just try to pump him for information.
"How long was I out?"
The guard gave him a somewhat bored expression. "I don't know."
Carlos frowned at him. "Well, how long have you been guarding me?"
"A couple of hours," came the brief response.
"Have you seen Wallace?" He crossed his fingers, knowing it would be better if no one knew he was awake yet.
"No."
He was about to ask another question when someone began shouting on the other side of the door. The guard did a quick half-turn and raised his gun, taking his eyes off of his prisoner as he reached for the door handle.
Carlos reacted immediately and jumped to his feet. He moved with incredible speed, slamming his body into the guard and bringing them both to the floor. The two men began wrestling for the rifle, but Carlos quickly gained the upper hand. In one swift motion, he brought the butt of the gun down against the side of the guard's head, effectively knocking him unconscious.
He pushed the limp form aside and scrambled to his feet. With a quick check of the weapon in his hands, he grabbed the door and yanked it open. As he emerged, a guard passed by him, apparently in pursuit of someone else.
Carlos glanced down the hall, just in time to see two small figures turning the corner and disappearing from view.
They looked like children.
"What the hell?" Carlos muttered. He shrugged his shoulders and ran up behind the guard as she was closing in on her quarry. He swung the rifle in a viscous arc, smacking her on the back of the head. She fell to the floor and didn't move. After a quick look behind him revealed an empty corridor, he stepped over the body and started after them himself.
The two figures were halfway down the next corridor when Carlos spotted them. He realized they were two young girls. "Hey…wait!"
One of them looked over her shoulder, nearly falling as she came to a halt. "Carlos?"
Carlos peered at her, closely. "Sherry?" He could see the relief wash over her.
"Thank God!" She called back to the other girl. "Christina!" The other child stopped running and turned to look back. Sherry pointed to Carlos. "He's here to help."
Carlos regarded the young blonde with a look of surprise. "I am?"
Sherry tilted her head, slightly, noticing his confused expression. "Didn't you come to rescue me…er…us?" She held a hand out toward the younger girl, who came forward to stand beside her.
As Carlos approached, Christina eyed him with a look of mistrust, while ignoring Sherry's offered hand. She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her chin out. "Who are you?"
"Carlos Oliveira, at your service." He bowed lavishly, eliciting a giggle from the dark haired girl.
"Your funny," Christina remarked.
"Carlos, what are you doing here?" Sherry interjected.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing."
The young girl frowned. "I was kidnapped by some woman."
"A blonde?" he questioned.
Sherry nodded. "Do you know if Claire is alright?"
"Claire? Was she with you?"
"No." Sherry could feel her eyes growing moist. "We were at the hotel together. She left the room for a moment and…" She paused to take a deep breath, wanting to stay in control of her emotions. She didn't know Carlos that well, and she didn't want to start blubbering like a child. "I…I opened the door…I thought it was Claire." The tears threatened to fall, so she stopped speaking.
After a few seconds, Carlos placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." For a moment, he considered telling her about Leon, but without even knowing if the guy was still alive, it didn't make sense to add to her worries. He looked over at Christina. "And who might you be, little chica?"
"Christina." She held a hand out to him and he gave it a firm shake.
"We better get the heck out of here." As he stepped between them, Sherry grabbed his arm.
"What about Claire?" she pleaded. "We can't just leave her."
Carlos looked down at her. "We don't even know if she's here." He picked his head up as the sound of footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway. "And right now, we need to worry about finding a way out first."
"I know the way," Christina stated. "My mom showed me."
Sherry stared at the other girl with wide eyes. "Oh, yeah. What about your mom?"
Christina shrugged her shoulders. "I'll show you guys how to get out, then I'll go find her."
"But, you can't stay here!" Sherry declared.
"Whose your mother?" Carlos questioned.
"Ellen Ross. She works here."
Carlos stared down at the child as his gut began to churn. The girl's mother was dead, and she didn't even know it. How the hell was he supposed to tell her something like that? And what was he going to do with her?
He could hear the footfalls getting closer. They had to move. The truth would have to wait. He needed to get them out first, then he would deal with the rest of it.
"We'll have to take this a step at a time, ladies. Right now, we need to beat feet." Carlos leaned down to the younger girl. "Which way?"
"That way." She pointed at a door to their left. "There's an elevator in that hall."
"What about stairs?" Carlos asked, knowing the elevator would be a bit too conspicuous.
Christina shook her head. "There aren't any."
Carlos sighed, heavily. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."
***
"I just wanted to see if I could do it."
Dick Valentine regarded his daughter with a look of skepticism. "You mean you wanted to see if you could get away with it."
"Same thing," Jill muttered.
"No, it's not the same thing," Dick corrected. "Trying something new is one thing, Jilly, but you've committed a felony! Do you understand what that means?"
Jill lifted her dark, troubled gaze from the dingy floor of her jail cell, and looked her father squarely in the eyes. "It means I'm just like you."
"I never wanted you to be like me," Dick muttered to himself.
"What was that?"
Dick glanced over at Rebecca Chambers, shaking his head slightly as his thoughts returned to the present. "Just talking to myself. Sorry."
Rebecca smiled at him. "I do, too, sometimes." She looked back at the parking lot they had just exited and shifted her body slightly, sinking deeper into the leather seat. "You sure can pick 'em."
Dick grinned. "I just wanted to make sure we had something fast." He kept an eye on the rearview mirror, wondering how long it would take the owner of the car he was driving to realize it was missing. Despite what his daughter believed, he was never one for stealing automobiles. They were difficult to get rid of, at least in his opinion, and they were much too conspicuous. "It's been awhile since I've done something like this."
The young brunette unzipped the duffel bag she held in her lap, taking a mental inventory as she rummaged through its contents. "I've never done anything like this." She let out a long sigh. "I've found myself doing a lot of things in the past year that I could never have imagined doing before…" Her voice trailed off as her fingers brushed against something resting at the bottom of the bag. She closed her hand around the object and pulled it out, holding it up to examine it.
"What have you got there?" Dick questioned.
"Jill's hat," Rebecca answered, moving it closer to him. "She used to wear it on every mission."
"Really?"
Rebecca nodded. "She told me once that it brought her good luck." She brushed the old wool beret with her fingertips. "Of course, she doesn't wear it anymore."
Dick glanced over at his traveling companion. "Why is that?"
"She hasn't worn it since the Spencer estate."
"Oh."
Rebecca tucked the hat away and continued with her assessment of their weaponry. "I think we have enough firepower in here to take on a small army."
"Hopefully, it won't come to that," Dick offered.
"We really should have waited for Barry," Rebecca commented.
"I told you I could handle this alone."
"And I told you that was not a good idea," the young woman remarked. "I may not have been an Alpha, but I can still handle myself."
Dick smiled to himself. "I'm sure you can. And by the way, what's an Alpha?"
"Didn't Jill tell you anything about her work?" Rebecca blurted out before realizing how callous she sounded. "I mean…"
"It's okay, Rebecca," the man soothed. "Unfortunately, I don't know very much about my daughter's life these days." He gave her a sidelong glance. "I've been out of commission for a while."
"Sorry."
"Don't be," he told her. "I wish I did know more, but she tends to keep things to herself."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Rebecca agreed. "I feel close to Jill, but truthfully I don't really know her all that well." She shook her head. "I guess it's just this whole mess. We've all been so dependent on each other these last few months."
"Speaking of which, what's the story with Barry, anyway?" Dick questioned.
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked as she began separating clips. There were some that belonged to the others, so they were useless to her and Dick. She tucked them away in another pocket of the bag.
"Well, he seems a bit over-protective of my daughter." Dick held his hand up. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad she has people to depend on, but I thought I picked up on something, so I guess I'm a bit curious."
Rebecca cleared her throat as she tried to decide how much to tell Dick about what happened between Jill and Barry. It would be difficult for him to understand the way things were, then. Hell, it was tough enough for her and she was there. The type of duress Barry was under, his friends murdered, his family being threatened, the insanity of the whole situation would have been more than most people could handle. He was caught in a terrible trap at Wesker's hands, and forced to do things he didn't want to do. After it was over, everyone had been very understanding. Jill told Barry she didn't blame him for what happened. They all did. But, somehow Rebecca didn't think Dick would be grateful that Barry had saved Jill's life, considering he was the one that put her in danger in the first place.
"They went through a difficult time together," she replied cryptically.
"I know that," Dick responded. "But, I think there's more to it."
The young woman kept her gaze forward. "There is." She rested her arms on the duffel bag and began to fidget with an empty clip.
"Well?"
"I wouldn't want you to think that Barry is a bad person, or anything," Rebecca said softly. "Because he isn't."
The older man reached over and squeezed her forearm. "In case you didn't notice, I'm no saint." He pulled his hand away and placed it back on the stick shift. "I've done a few things I'm not very proud of, or have you forgotten that I'm supposed to be in prison right now?"
Rebecca turned to look at him. "No, I haven't." She took a moment to study Dick's profile. Even with most of his face covered in shadow, she could still appreciate his handsome features. He had a slightly rounded face, with high cheekbones and a strong jaw line. There was a small dimple in his tanned cheek. She wondered how he managed to get that way since he had been spending most of his time indoors. His eyes were a rich dark brown, just like Jill's. They even had the same hair color, although Dick's temples were showing a touch of gray. In fact, looking at him up close, she realized how much Jill resembled her father…in so many ways. She turned her gaze back to her hands. "But, betrayal is a hell of a lot worse than stealing."
"How did Barry betray you, exactly?"
Rebecca was unsure of how much to tell Dick since it was obvious his daughter had said nothing about it. Jill probably had her reasons for keeping it from him. And it certainly wasn't Rebecca's place to divulge any details if her friend had chosen not to. But, Dick was as much involved now as the rest of them, so perhaps she could be honest without giving away too much. "Wesker blackmailed Barry into helping him when we were at the Spencer Estate."
"Blackmailed him?"
"He threatened to kill his family if he didn't cooperate."
Dick narrowed his eyes as he continued to watch the road. "Cooperate with what?"
Rebecca expelled a heavy sigh. "Wesker was trying to cover up Umbrella's secrets. The labs we discovered underground were full of records about their experiments. He was working for them, so his job was to get rid of the evidence."
"And he forced Barry to help him do that," Dick finished for her.
"Right." She decided to leave the rest of the story untold…for now.
"Well, it sounds like he didn't have much of a choice," Dick stated, matter of factly. "I guess I can understand that."
The conversation ended as Rebecca opened a box of bullets and began to load them into the empty clip. The hum of the car's engine, along with the soft clicking sound each bullet made as Rebecca slipped them into the casing was beginning to lull Dick's frayed nerves.
He glanced over at the brunette out of the corner of his eye, still a bit stunned at how young she really was. It was difficult for him to imagine the things she had witnessed, although she certainly handled it well. Dick realized that her ability to bounce back from such tragedy was probably a testament to her youth.
Jill told him some of what Umbrella had done, although he was certain she left quite a bit unsaid. That was just her way. But, there were times when he would look at his daughter, catching her in a brief moment, when she was unaware that she was being watched. There was something lurking in the dark depths of her eyes, and for a split second, he could see her emotions breaking the surface. Some of them were easy to read…fear, sadness, even anger. He had seen them all before.
But once in a while, he would catch a glimpse of something he couldn't identify, an emotion he didn't recognize in the dark gaze of his only child. There was only one word he found to describe it. She looked…haunted.
Dick couldn't help but wonder how Rebecca's experiences with Umbrella differed from Jill's own. He knew they had all separated at some point, as each team member went off to handle other situations. It seemed as though the younger girl had an easier time talking about what happened to her, where as Jill could hardly even discuss it. Maybe it was just their personalities. Rebecca definitely seemed to be more open and easy going by nature. His daughter, on the other hand, was far more reserved and intense. And something in Jill's demeanor had always made her seem much older than she really was. That was probably due to losing her mother at such a young age.
Jill had gone through a series of stages after her mother's death. Each one seemed to leave her personality somewhat altered, as if her grief was slowly changing her from the inside out. Initially, she had been depressed and withdrawn. After a few months had gone by, she began going through more changes. They were subtle at first, and Dick was so glad to see her coming out of her shell that he had hardly taken notice of her increasingly reckless behavior.
When the fighting began, he thought she was just working through her anger. He had been in more than his share of fights when he was younger, so he chalked it up to heredity. As the bruises and scrapes mounted, however, it became more and more difficult for him to ignore. The school was calling him on almost a daily basis. Their frustration was reaching a breaking point, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they threw her out for good. He found himself facing a situation that he wasn't sure he could handle.
Without Liz around, Dick's inadequacies as a father were becoming more obvious to him. Not that he didn't already know he was a less than ideal father, but after her death it didn't take long for the line between parent and child to became blurred. And considering Dick's occupation, he couldn't argue the fact that he was in no position to be anybody's role model.
Initially, his daughter slipped into the role of caretaker. She would insist that they eat a cooked meal every night, even if it was only take-out from a restaurant. And she took charge of the household duties. Dick understood her need to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Somehow, a clean house and normal routine made them both feel Liz's presence, even though she was no longer there. Unfortunately, that period of transition didn't last long.
Shortly after Dick began teaching Jill a few of his 'skills', she spent less and less time at home. He had always kept a rather peculiar schedule, and without someone to watch over Jill, he had left her to her own devices. She thought she was too old for a babysitter, and he really didn't want to risk anyone finding out how he spent his evenings. So, after much discussion, he had allowed Jill to be responsible for herself. That had turned out to be the first of many mistakes he would make in regards to raising his daughter.
It didn't take very long before Dick Valentine found himself at the local police station late one evening. But, he wasn't the one in trouble with the law. He was there to bail out his fourteen-year-old daughter, who had been arrested for stealing a car.
After much explaining to the judge about Liz's death and its effect on his teenage daughter, the court agreed to community service despite the severity of the charge. They also set up a series of visits to a grief counselor. Fortunately, Jill was still a minor, which meant her juvenile record would be sealed.
To her credit, she had done her penance without complaint, and Dick took this as a sign that she understood the enormity of what she had done. He also hoped the counseling sessions would give her an opportunity to release her pent up feelings about her mother's untimely passing.
Several months went by without incident. Even Jill's problems in school seemed to be subsiding, and Dick decided that the worst was over.
That, of course, had been his second mistake.
"You're awfully quiet."
Dick sighed, heavily. "I was just thinking about Jill."
Rebecca placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it firmly. "I'm sure she's fine."
His gaze lingered on her for a moment, taking in the pleasant feel of her warm hand as it rested on his. It had been quite a while since he had spent any time in the company of a woman. Of course, Rebecca was young enough to be his daughter. In fact, she was younger than his daughter. Still, he didn't see the harm in enjoying her companionship, at least.
"She knows how to take care of herself," the brunette added as she removed her hand.
Dick felt a twinge of disappointment as she broke contact. He shook his head, mentally, in an attempt to derail his current train of thought. "I know. But, it doesn't change the fact that I worry about her." Rebecca smiled in response and returned to filling their empty clips. He stole a quick glance at the young woman, watching with interest as she deftly loaded a handgun. The image of her innocent young face, coupled with the menacing weapon in her hands was an image he knew he would not soon forget. "And, by the way, you never did answer my question."
Rebecca focused her gaze on him. "What question?"
"What's an 'Alpha'?
***
Jill moved silently, keeping her back to the wall as she made her way further into the warehouse. She spotted a stack of boxes and machinery piled near a side door and immediately made her way toward it, deciding it would provide her with the best cover to conceal her presence, while still giving her an opportunity to see what was going on nearby. As she moved into position, she crouched down and peered around a large crate, focusing her dark eyes on three men.
The only one facing in her direction was Chris. Even in the shadowy darkness of the old building, she could see the tension in his face. His expression was grim as he stared, defiantly, at the two figures standing opposite him.
Fortunately, she managed to follow Chris without too much difficulty. He stayed within the speed limit for most of the drive, probably to avoid being pulled over by the police, and Jill was grateful for that. She weaved in and out of traffic in an attempt to tail him unnoticed, fully expecting to see flashing lights come up behind her at any minute. Obviously, stealing the motorcycle from the motel was not the best way to keep a low profile, but she had been desperate.
After a relatively quick drive, Chris headed into a rundown area. When he pulled the van into the parking lot of the warehouse, Jill parked her own ride about a block away and headed toward the place on foot. Judging from the neighborhood, she doubted the bike would still be there when she got back.
She listened carefully, as Chris began to speak. Although his tone was soft, there was no mistaking the anger in it.
"Where is she?"
"Not far from here." The response came from the taller man to Chris' left. "I'll take you to her."
Jill furrowed her brow. The voice seemed familiar. At that moment, a sudden movement caught her eye. As she turned her head, her gun was already in motion. A large hand came up and seized her wrist, while another clamped tightly over her mouth.
"It's me, " Barry whispered softly in her ear. He relaxed his grip when he saw the recognition on her face.
Jill lowered her weapon and took a deep breath as she wiped the palm of her other hand on the leg of her jeans. She gave Barry a questioning look before shifting her attention back to Chris and the two men.
"I can't believe you're doing this to them," Chris stated. Jill and Barry exchanged a knowing look. Obviously, these were the people who had taken Claire and Sherry.
Jill leaned in close to Barry and whispered, "Do you know who they are?"
"That's Leon," he responded, pointing to the man on Chris' left. "The other guy is probably just one of Wesker's goons."
Jill stared at Barry with wide eyes. "Leon?" She turned her gaze back to the man in question, still not fully comprehending what his role was in this whole mess. None of them wanted to believe he was involved in the girls' abduction, but here was the proof standing in front of her.
It was certainly possible that he had just been using Sherry in an attempt to get close to Claire, somehow hoping she would lead him to the rest of them. His concern for everyone's safety, along with his willingness to help them when they needed it, could have all been an act. Underneath it all, he could be just like Wesker. But for some reason, Jill didn't really think Leon was that good of an actor.
And he was definitely no Albert Wesker.
Of course, the fact that Wesker had deceived them all was not that surprising. No one on the team knew him very well. He was their commanding officer. He kept his relationships strictly professional. And his cool demeanor kept everyone at arms length, something Jill did herself.
She enjoyed working for him, and she had respected him. Like her, he had a no nonsense approach to some of the more hazardous situations they encountered, and Jill learned a great deal from him during her brief time in the squad. Not to mention the fact that he had saved her bacon on more than one occasion.
She hadn't been entirely shocked by his betrayal, but it still hit her hard. Of course, by the time Jill realized the truth about him, she had already seen things she couldn't have imagined even existed. And although she had some experience with violent crime, the horrors she witnessed during that time in the Spencer Estate, along with her nightmarish encounters in Raccoon City, had given her a completely different perspective on life. She had to forget everything she thought she knew about human decency.
In retrospect, the most difficult thing she had been faced with during that time was Barry's duplicity in Wesker's plans. Later on, she found out the real reason behind his treachery, but for those first few moments, as she stood there helpless while Barry disarmed her, there had been a feeling of utter despair.
She loved Barry. He was like a surrogate father to her. He was the first person Jill met after joining the team. She preferred to feign indifference to her colleagues, remaining distant and aloof, much like her superior. Barry was the only one who managed to see past her act. She certainly hadn't made it easy for him, but that only made him more determined to bring her into the fold. He took her under his wing and showed her the ropes. If it hadn't been for Barry, Jill wasn't even sure she would have stuck around.
Thinking he had turned on her was unimaginable. Fortunately, she found out the truth. If it hadn't been for Wesker's arrogance, as well as his big mouth, Jill would have died that day believing the worst.
She could only hope that Claire wasn't going through the same experience.
"I have to put these on." Leon's voice broke into Jill's musing. She watched as he held out a pair of handcuffs to Chris, who dutifully turned his back on them and presented his hands.
"You know I'm gonna kill you for this," Chris warned. "And if anyone has harmed a hair on their heads—"
"Like I told you before, they'll be okay", Leon stated firmly. "Let's just do this and go."
Jill noticed Barry moving out into the open with his gun raised. She clutched his arm and hissed, "What are you doing?"
Barry's expression was deadly serious. "I'm putting a stop to this."
"Wait a minute," Jill ordered. "We still need to know where the girls are."
"I've got a pretty good idea."
She could feel his arm pulling away from her, so she tightened her grip. "Barry, no."
"Why?" He stared at her angrily.
"Because we need to be sure," she explained. "If we're wrong, we'll lose our chance to get to them."
Barry returned to his original position as Jill released her hold on him. He moved in close until they were cheek to cheek. "Wesker's still kicking, Jill. He must have off'd the guy who rescued you. I saw him and Leon together just before he came here. I followed him from the HCF building."
"Shit." Jill felt a pang of guilt over Jeffrey Horowitz. The man had saved her life, by sacrificing his own. He had no idea who he was dealing with, and it had cost him dearly.
But, she had known. And now, Claire and Sherry were paying the price for her mistake.
Barry leaned back to look her in the eye. "That's got to be where they're headed." He studied his friend for a moment, noting the dark expression forming on her face. He knew that look. He had seen it staring back at him in the mirror.
Jill was blaming herself. For all of it.
He could almost see her demeanor shift as she compartmentalized her emotions. In mere seconds she was back to her usual professional detachment. "Then we follow them."
Barry nodded in agreement. It was the smartest thing to do. He was proud of her. He knew how she felt about Chris, and he also knew how difficult it was for her to make that decision. He watched as the two men led Chris outside before turning back to Jill. "Let's move."
***
"What the hell are you?"
"You mean, who am I."
"No."
"Yes."
"You're just something that looks like me. A thing made in a lab."
"Does that mean I'm not human?"
"It means you're an abomination. An insult to humanity."
"I may have been conceived in a lab, but I am most certainly human."
Claire shook her head as she backed away from the tube. Her look-alike took another step toward her.
"Stay back," Claire warned. "If you're human, then I can kick your ass."
Her doppelganger smiled, coldly. "You can try."
The sound of grinding metal distracted Claire as she turned to focus on the source. A panel of the wall slid back to reveal a figure standing on the other side. The person's identity was slowly exposed as they stepped into the room.
"Alexia."
Claire rushed forward without hesitation, fully intending to get her hands around the woman's throat. Her tormentor remained perfectly still, unfazed by her rapid approach. As she got closer, Claire could see a grin spreading slowly across Alexia's face.
Only a few feet separated the two women, when something solid hit Claire in the back. The impact was enough to make her stumble, and she dropped to knees, landing at Alexia's feet. The young brunette reached a hand over her shoulder, her fingers coming into contact with an object protruding from her back. She barely had enough time to pull it out before she hit the floor.
"Poor Claire." Alexia knelt down over Claire's prone form. "So close…" She smoothed the girl's furrowed brow with the tips of her fingers. "But, don't worry. It's almost over."
Alexia glanced up as her creation approached them, the weapon still clutched tightly in her hand. "Bring her." She stood up and walked out of the room without another word.
The young woman leaned down and grabbed Claire's arms, slowly hoisting her twin's body over her shoulder. She stood up and wrapped her arms around the girl's legs, as she adjusted her passenger to a more comfortable position.
"It's Showtime."
***
Yay!!! My muses have returned! I have to tell you, I was afraid they had abandoned me, but I guess they just took a long vacation. God, that was just about the worst case of writer's block I've ever had.
I hope everyone is still interested in this story. I know it's tough to wait so long for updates (not to mention annoying, frustrating, etc.), but I hope the end result will be worth it.
I also decided to change the rating to PG13. I wasn't sure how everything would turn out when I started, but I don't think the R is warranted, even though there is some mild violence and moderate language. I find it annoying that R rated stories don't show up when you pull up the 1st page. Maybe it's just me, but I sometimes forget to search new entries under the 'All' category.
Thanks to everyone who left a review (especially the more recent ones, and the comments left regarding my other story). It definitely gives me incentive to push myself when I know someone is enjoying the fruits of my labor.
I think I've pissed on long enough! On to chapter 20!!
I'm really into exclamation points, right now!!!
Later, folks!