2003 cont.
"Lyn, where are you going?" Kate asked, following her older sister to the doorway as Lyn shrugged on a coat.
Lyn turned, glaring at her sister. "Searching, Kate. You know that."
"You just got out of bed!" Kate protested, grabbing her arm. "Lyn, stay, eat something. At least have a cup of tea."
"Tea?" Lyn repeated, as if the word was foreign to her.
"Just one cup. That's all I'm asking."
"Alright, but I 'm not staying any longer."
They walked back from the front doorway through the living room. Bianca was lining her dolls up on the couch so that they were all facing the television. Lastly she picked up a Bananas in Pyjamas doll and sat with it on the floor, her legs crossed and the doll in her lap as she stared at the screen. Lyn took a seat at the table in the kitchen as Kate went back to the kettle.
"You know it's afternoon now," Kate commented as the kettle boiled and she began pouring.
"It is?" Lyn responded, glancing out the window.
"See, Lyn, you don't even know what time of the day it is." Kate returned with two mugs in her hands, handing one over to Lyn as she took a seat across from her. "You're spending so much time going on vengeance missions that you can't even function in the real world anymore."
"I can function in the real world," Lyn argued.
"Really?" Kate said disbelievingly. "Well you seem to have forgotten that half your family survived that ordeal. I'm not raising your daughter for you."
"I never asked you to," Lyn said. She looked through the doorway at the television. Bianca was watching Bananas in Pyjamas. She shuddered upon hearing the theme. "I can't believe she's watching that. I thought it would give her nightmares."
"It's a kid's show. It's harmless. You're overreacting, Lyn."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Try to prove me wrong. Take responsibility for yourself and your daughter." Kate spun the mug in front of her. "You can't stay here forever. You're going to start interrupting my life as well."
Lyn placed her elbow on the table, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. "Well, you won't have to worry about that. Abe is setting us up in a little apartment close to home base – fully furnished. We don't have to worry about a thing. They're going to keep an eye on us. They just want me to play happy housewife and look after the Grimoire."
"With a little work on the side?"
"Yes."
"I hate to say this, Lyn, but I think they really just want you more under their thumb."
"If it's going to guarantee safety, then I don't particularly care."
"Well who am I to get in the way of you and the big guns?" Kate said, annoyed, pressing her hands against the table as she stood and collected their empty mugs. "The least you could do is say goodbye to your daughter before you go."
Lyn stood slowly, glancing at Bianca through the doorway. Kate was completely ignoring her now, her back turned as she washed up their dishes. She wanted to say something to her sister, anything, but she got the impression that if she tried to explain any of what she was thinking or feeling her younger sister still wouldn't get it, would still think she was making up every excuse to avoid the issue at hand.
She walked into the living room, scooting some of Bianca's toys aside to sit on the couch. Bianca stopped playing with the Bananas in Pyjamas doll and looked up at her mother, smiling warmly. Quickly Lyn averted her eyes, staring at the television screen as she played with the earring in her left ear.
"Mommy, will you play with me?" Bianca asked from the floor.
Lyn stopped fidgeting, her gaze moving down to stare at her expectant daughter. "No honey, mommy has to go out."
Her smile faded as she looked up at her mother sadly. "Can I come?"
"Not now," Lyn said quickly, watching Bianca's head drop, her small hands straightening the collar around the banana's neck. "Later, sweetie. We're going to get a new home. Would you like that? You can sleep in your own bed again."
"We didn't pack that," Bianca stated. Lyn laughed.
"It's okay, honey. We're getting newer and better things. I'll come pick you up later. Now give mommy a hug and kiss before she goes," Lyn said. Bianca's gaze shifted upwards, but she didn't move, just stared at her mother with disdain. "Bianca," her mother scolded.
Reluctantly Bianca got to her feet, walking over to her mother and wrapping her arms around her neck. She pulled back without kissing her. Lyn grabbed her hand and she turned back, pushing her mother's away. Lyn let go and she went and sat back on the floor, picking up the stuffed banana again and returning her attention to the television.
"Don't be angry with me," Lyn said as she stood, leaning over to kiss the top of her daughter's head. "Mommy will be back soon, promise."
True to her word, Lyn returned for Bianca much later, helping her pack her things before they walked down to the black car waiting for them out the front of Kate's place. Lyn pulled open the door handle, guiding Bianca around to the back door. She froze upon seeing the dark-skinned man already sitting inside.
"Bianca, honey," Lyn encouraged, trying to push her in. She stood her ground, shaking her head. Lyn sighed heavily, rolling her eyes away. She moved around Bianca so that she slid onto the backseat herself, then grabbed her daughter around the waist and pulled her in. "C'mon, honey, you can sit on my lap."
Bianca looked over at the man seated next to them, eyeing him suspiciously. The car moved away from the kerb, driving down along the street, turning this way and that until they reached another block full of apartment buildings. They stopped outside one that was twenty storeys high, made entirely of sandstone.
"Here we are," the man next to them said. He climbed out of the car, staring up at the building from the kerb as Lyn and Bianca joined him.
"Abe, it looks wonderful," Lyn said, smiling.
She took hold of Bianca's hand. Bianca clutched her doll in the other, looking around at the streets and the people around them. She lifted the doll's hand to her lips then felt her mother gently pull her forward as they began moving into the apartment complex.
"You're on the fourteenth floor," Abe informed them.
As they reached the door to their apartment he pulled the keys from his pocket, fumbling through them before finding the right one. He slipped it into the keyhole and turned his hand, the door clicking open. His large hand wrapping around the doorknob, he turned it and pushed the door wide to let them inside. Turning to the right they walked into the living room. Lyn smiled at the bright light that shone through two perfectly positioned windows – one on the right and one just ahead of them. Oriental rugs lay on the timber floors, padded furniture was set neatly about the room, a single stone pillar sat in the corner, and there were a collection of wooden cabinets on opposite ends of the room.
"Wow," Lyn said, breathing in the piny scent, walking over to one of the chairs and lifting the floral pillow into her hand. "It's just… perfect, Abe."
"Would you like to see Bianca's room?" he asked.
"Yes!" she cried, beaming. She couldn't wipe the smile from her face even if she tried. "C'mon, darling."
Bianca hugged the doll close to her as she followed her mother into the living room, looking around at the grey-lined walls. It didn't look like her old home. It didn't even feel comfortable to her. She saw her mother reaching out to take her hand, and she took it, following her mother into another room.
"This is your room, sweetie," Lyn said, leaning over to look at her daughter and gripping her hand enthusiastically.
"Not mine," Bianca said, shaking her head.
"Those zebra cut-outs we brought all the way back from Africa," Abe explained, gesturing towards the mobile that was constructed on the other side of the small white framed bed.
"The lamp as well?" Lyn questioned. Abe nodded. Lyn looked back to Bianca. "Say thank you, honey."
Bianca didn't say anything, just clutched her hand and stared at Abe. For the first time he actually turned his attention towards her, a brief smile flitting across his face. He nodded towards the rocking horse in the corner.
"You want to try that out? It's fun. It's yours now," he said.
She followed his gaze to the horse. She thought it would be fun. Carefully she put the doll on the pink bedspread and walked over to the rocker. He followed her over, leaning down with his hands outstretched to lift her up. She wouldn't let him touch her, pulling away aversively and climbing onto the rocking horse by herself. She gripped the handles, looking down at her feet as she tried to position them properly on the bottom rungs at the sides. Abe walked around to the front of the rocker, pushing down on the nose of the horse to start it rocking. Bianca moved forward as the horse rocked forward then leaned back and pulled it back to rock in the other direction. The more she eased it into the gentle rocking motion, the happier she became.
"See, you can play on that all you like now," Lyn said encouragingly, her hands positioned on the front of her thighs as she leant down towards her daughter.
By the time Abe decided to wander away from the rocking horse, Bianca started to enjoy herself, almost forgetting he was there. She looked at the white wallpaper with the pretty roses and the strip of ocean that ran through the middle. She looked at the duck on the bedside table and the stripy pink colours on her bed. She was starting to like this room more and more.
Abe picked up the doll from the bed, smoothing out the pink dress. "Now this is a pretty doll."
"That's mine!" Bianca snapped, her face darkening when she saw the doll in the strange man's hands.
"Abe, I think you better put that down," Lyn said softly. His face expressed nothing but confusion as he looked towards her. "Jerry gave her that doll. It's very precious to her. I don't think she wants anyone to be touching it. Not after… well, you know."
Abe looked down at the small doll in his large hands, glancing back up to Lyn and raising an eyebrow. Ever so cautiously he lowered it back to the bed, as if he'd just picked up a dangerous animal's dinner. Bianca watched him closely, gripping the handles. She sat completely still on the horse until the doll was safely back on the bed and the strange man away from it before she started up the rocking motion again.
"You shouldn't let her get so attached to things," Abe warned. Lyn plastered a fake smile onto her face, one that looked natural because she was so used to doing it.
"Honey, why don't you unpack while Abe shows me the rest of the place?" she suggested, guiding the hefty man out the door, watching as her daughter carefully climbed off the rocking horse and went over to the bed.
Bianca turned the backpack around, pulling open the zip and letting the contents spill out. One by one she pulled each object out, piling them onto the bed without regard of what it was or where it should be.
Lyn closed the door silently, following Abe back into the living room. He took a step to the side, his hand fastening around the knob of a tall wooden cabinet and pulling it open slightly.
"Of course there are cabinets here to store any… secret belongings," he explained. He closed the door again, his attention turning towards the copious metal shelves set against the wall. "Also shelving for books, family photos, whatever you wish to store or display there. Additionally we provided you with a toy basket packed with more toys to keep your space in order and your daughter entertained."
For the first time Lyn noticed the toys in the corner, piled high in a little red square basket. Her gaze travelling up to the exquisite paintings that adorned the walls, she took time to get a second analysis of the room, picking up on what she'd missed the first time. She looked around in wonder as she saw it was definitely ornately furnished, even if the walls were a dreary grey.
"This is certainly more that enough. Thank you, Abe."
"There're locks on all the doors for security, but of course we shall be keeping an eye on you if you need any additional assistance."
"Greatly appreciated. Did you want to stay for anything?" she asked, looking around. The thought occurred to her she would need to get groceries at some point. "Not that we have anything."
Abe chuckled. "It's fine. I have jobs to get to anyway. Keep in touch."
"I will. Thank you."
Looking around again she was satisfied that this was a place she could easily get used to living in. It was just the right size for her and Bianca. She followed Abe back to the door, locking it behind him as he left and saw the door to her room on the other side. She pushed it open, smiling at the floral bed sheet. It looked fluffy and comfy. She moved towards it, sitting down then lying down, closing her eyes and listening to the noises of the neighbours through the wall, and the rustle of wind outside her window. It felt good to be in her own home again.
"Oh, Bianca! Do I have to keep cleaning up after you?" Lyn shouted in frustration, leaning to pick up the books off the floor and placing them into the little red basket.
Bianca glanced up as her mother stopped next to her, barely batting an eyelid before she turned her attention back to the pink table in front of her and picked up the teapot, pouring more imaginary tea for the stuffed rabbit and bear that were seated in chairs across from each other for her tea party.
"I think you're missing a guest," Lyn commented. Bianca looked down, seeing her lap empty.
"Oh, dolly!" she cried. She climbed to her feet and went back into her bedroom to find her most treasured doll.
Lyn scooped up the Bananas in Pyjamas doll from the floor, pausing halfway as she heard a light rapping at the front door. Straightening the rest of the way, she casually laid the doll on the armchair and headed for the front door, opening it to find two women standing before her – a brunette and a redhead. She didn't recognise either of them. She was even a little surprised to find complete strangers rocking up on her doorstep after only living there for a few months.
"Hi! How's it going?" Piper said, smiling from ear to ear.
"Can I help you?" Lyn asked quizzically, looking them both over.
"Hopefully," Piper said, nodding. Lyn eyed the brunette suspiciously. She seemed a little too overly happy.
"Yeah, see, we just moved in from out of state, and we wanted to get to know our neighbours," Paige picked up from where Piper left off. Lyn watched her form. She seemed a lot more friendlier and natural of the pair.
"Oh, well, welcome," Lyn said pleasantly. "Where did you move from?"
"Phoenix," Piper said chirpily.
"Really?" Lyn said, eyeing her suspiciously. She really didn't trust this one. Faced with the decision of being the polite housewife or shutting the door in their faces, she thought it better to play safe than sorry. She didn't want to think the worst if they really were only neighbours. They were both beaming back at her. "Please," she said, motioning towards the living room, "come in, come in!"
"Thank you," Paige said politely, following Piper inside. Lyn closed the door and turned the lock.
"Wow, nice place," Piper commented, holding her hand to her chest. Lyn smiled, seeing that she was really in awe. It was the first authentic expression she had seen on her face since their arrival.
"Yeah, real nice," Paige agreed, her tone caught somewhere between appreciation and a low resentful grumble.
"Thank you," Lyn said, strolling back into the room behind them. She turned to face them, ready to drop all the acting and start questioning them about their real reason for being there. She couldn't handle all the fake pleasantries. She was beginning to wonder when she was meant to offer them milk and cookies.
"Mommy, mommy!" Bianca cried, running out with her doll in her arms and grabbing her mother's sleeve, tugging on it gently. "Mommy! Mommy, can I play with—"
"Oh, Bianca sweetie," Lyn said, turning and grabbing her daughters hand in both of hers. "Can you give mommy a minute? Okay?"
"Okay," Bianca agreed.
Lyn turned her head to the side and saw that the brunette was staring strangely at her daughter now. The redhead had a bizarre look on her face also, but it was the brunette whose attention was suddenly fixated on the young girl. Becoming even more concerned that the intentions of these two so-called neighbours were not good, Lyn began ushering Bianca back towards her room.
"Go and play with your toys. I'll be right in, okay?" Lyn said.
"Okay," Bianca repeated. Lyn closed the door behind her.
"Now what?" she heard the redhead mumble.
It was enough to convince Lyn that they had intended more than just a friendly stopover. She turned, powering up an energy ball and throwing it at them. The two parted like the red sea, the blue ball smashing into the glass vase on the cupboard behind them, the flowers falling away at the destruction. Seeing she had missed, she powered up another. The redhead cowered, but the brunette stepped back into place raising her own hands. The energy ball in her hand spread out like lightning, exploding in her hands as piece by piece she fell apart as well.
The air circled speedily as she reformed, stopping by Bianca in her bedroom. She leant to pick the small girl up from behind the bed as she stood staring at the door, clutching the doll to her chest. She heard the door open as she picked her up in her arms, swinging her small frame around and seeing the two standing in the doorway.
"Hurry Bianca!" she said hastily, the girl almost flying over her shoulder in the eager effort to get her away.
Lyn shimmered out with Bianca, leaving the two stunned witches looking on into the empty room. She shimmered into Kate's place with Bianca and placed her on the ground, Bianca taking an unsteady step back so she wouldn't fall with the sudden descent.
"Lyn? What's wrong?" Kate asked worriedly as she ran towards them. She dropped to her knees in front of Bianca, brushing aside the long strands of dark hair that stuck to her frightened face.
"We just got attacked," Lyn stated.
"Attacked? How? Where? Who?"
"At home. Two women showed up on my doorstep. One of them thought it was a nice idea to blow me up."
"Oh my god! Lyn! Are you okay now?"
"Yes. I'm quite capable of handling myself in those kinds of situations."
"I know that. I wasn't trying to be offensive." Kate glanced at Bianca as she climbed into her lap. "What did they want? Were they after the book?"
"No, I don't think so. I think…" Lyn looked down at the two of them, Bianca shifting slightly in Kate's lap as she tried to get comfortable. "I think they were after Bianca."
Kate pulled down the hem of Bianca's white top, flattening it as Bianca lifted the doll towards her, resting it on her lap as she curled her legs up more.
"Why on earth would they want Bianca? What could they need a little girl for?"
"I don't know, and I don't care to find out," Lyn said. She knelt next to the two of them taking Bianca's left hand turning it so her wrist faced up. She gently traced over the birthmark and Bianca looked up to her. "Honey, you listen to me. You don't talk to any strangers. You don't trust anyone unless they have this mark, you understand me? And if you're ever in trouble you come find me or Aunt Kate."
"Yes mommy," Bianca said obediently.
"Good girl." Lyn pushed herself back to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Kate queried.
"I'm going to talk to Abe. There has to be some reason behind this. Somehow they got past the others, I want to know why."
Kate watched her sister shimmer out again, turning her attention back to Bianca and lifting the doll. Bianca kept her hands fastened to the other side, watching it rise before her.
"Is dolly okay?" Kate asked.
"Yep," Bianca said, turning her head to grin at her.
Kate ran her hand over Bianca's hair, pulling her forward and planting a kiss on her forehead. After all the child had been through, to still be able to smile at the end of all things, Kate knew she was truly a strong soul.