When Elaura was six, she loved tagging around with Thom, who was three years older, then her. Thom didn't mind her company; it kept him off the fact that the little girl wasn't really his sister.
Thom watched his mother ride down to another battle through a window, face sad. Elaura came behind him and tugged on his sleeve. The boy looked down, his hazel-green eyes meeting Elaura's pale honey ones.
"She'll come back." She whispered to her brother. "She always does."
"I know." Thom answered, voice emotionless. He squatted so he and she were eye-to-eye. "Why don't you go play with Aly or Alan?" "They've got more interesting things to do then me."
The girl shook her head, "Nope. You do."
"Staring out a window all day?"
Elaura laughed, "No!" "C'mon Thom let's go play knights and dragon!" she yanked on her brother's sleeve again and Thom fell forward. Elaura laughed, "You can't catch me now!" she ran into another room, black braid flying behind her.
Thom grinned and picked himself up from the floor, hearing Elaura's giggling coming from the other room. It didn't matter that she wasn't his sister, hell, not even that she was even adopted. She was still a Cooper like him and his brother and sister.
" 'Laura!" Thom called, searching for her.
He heard a scream from the other room and hurried to the sound. When he got to Aly's room he burst out laughing, as did his father who picked up a pouting Aly. "She messed up my drawings!"
Elaura and her clothes were splattered in ink.
George helped Elaura with a bath and left Aly and Thom to play.
"Elaura is different then us." Aly whispered as they cleaned up Aly's papers.
Thom shot his sister a warning look, "Don't tell her that!"
"Why?"
"Becauseā¦I don't know, just don't."
"Alright." Alianne nodded, putting her papers in a small desk.
Alan came in, hiding laughter.
"What's so funny?" Thom demanded.
"Maude's having a fit over Elaura. She said that Elaura was very stubborn like ma." Alan grinned.
Thom smiled but his smile was quickly replaced by a worried look. Aly saw it first.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." He lied.
Aly frowned, "I know your lying."
Alan cuffed him on the back of the head.
"Ow!" Thom rubbed his head, "Didn't ma tell you not to hit me before she left?"
"That's to help you spit it out." His brother explained with a smirk.
Thom rolled his eyes, "It's Elaura. Is she realizing that she's different?" "Does she know?"
Alan and Aly exchanged a glance.
"Maybe she does." Whispered Aly.
"We don't know for sure." Alan replied.
"She's still a Cooper. She's still our sister." Thom murmured, willing to believe his words.
His siblings nodded.
"We won't let anyone else take her." Alan said, fiercly.
"Even through she's different from us she's still one of us, right Thom?" Aly questioned.
Thom nodded.
