Over the next week, I got dressed for school and left the house nearly an hour early each day in hopes of not running into either Madara or Masumi. Hanabi's bike was already gone each time, so I assumed she was doing the same thing.

Over the past few days, I'd overheard illogical conversations from the two adults in the house. They talked about my father, of course, and both my sister and I, but they also talked about some kind of Summer camp.

They referred to it as "The Program" and talked about it daily. I couldn't catch every single word they said because I didn't want to get closer and potentially be spotted, but what I did hear confused the hell out of me.

Madara spoke of aliens, which wasn't unusual for him given his line of work, but he spoke of them like their existence is a fact and not a hypothesis. He must be crazier than I thought he was, which is quite a bit. You have to be at least a little messed up in the head to immediately move in on a widow just days after her husband's death.

The fact that both of them acted so nonchalant about their relationship made me suspicious that they somehow had something to do with the lab accident. How would I ever be able to prove it, though?

On Friday, in the evening just before bed, Masumi called both Hanabi and I downstairs. We hadn't sat down for dinner as a family since the funeral and everyone's been sort of fending for themselves for food, so it was the first time since the big fight with her and Madara that we were all together.

To my utter disdain, the man in question was waiting next to her. She gestured for us to take a seat at the dining table and we both did without argument. It seems she'd realized that I wouldn't argue much when her new boyfriend was around after he'd grabbed me and was using it to take control of the situation.

My step-mother spoke once my sister and I were seated, "I wanted to talk to you both about what happened."

I felt Hanabi's hand slip into mine under the table and gave her a small, supportive squeeze as the older woman continued.

"Madara and I were having an affair before your father's death, I admit, and I am deeply regretful that we didn't get the chance to come clean about it before…"

She pretended to get choked up, but her acting was subpar. When both my sister and I didn't try to console her, she pulled herself together and continued, "We were planning on telling him and I was going to file for divorce. I don't want you two to see me in the terrible light that you do now. Yes, I made a huge mistake, but I'm just a human being. I'm sorry!"

Masumi was speaking as though she cared what we both thought of her, but really she was just pleading with Hanabi and included me to try and make her case more believable in her daughter's eyes.

My sister spoke up for the first time, her voice wavering as she tried to keep control of her emotions, "How could you do this to Dad? I thought you loved him!"

Madara was simply watching the scene unfold in silence. It was probably the best thing he could do because if he tried to join the conversation as of now, both Hanabi and I would most likely lose our tempers.

"I did love your father, baby, and I still do, but when you're older you'll realize that sometimes that's just not enough. Relationships are hard and sometimes it's for the best to let someone go rather than let your love turn into hate."

Tears fell down my sister's cheeks and her voice cracked when she replied. "Why couldn't you wait until…until we've had a chance to mourn before…" Her voice trailed off as she started to sob.

The hand I was holding slid out of my grasp and she covered her face. I grit my teeth to keep myself from chiming in with a disrespectful comment toward her mother, knowing well that it wouldn't be helpful to her right now.

"Like I told your sister, everyone mourns differently and Madara being around has helped me cope. I know it's selfish, but I needed him with me in order to keep myself sane this past week."

Hanabi peered through a few of her fingers to look up at her mom and my heart sank as I realized she was actually falling for this bullshit excuse of an apology.

I rose from my seat, intent on going back to my room rather than watch this unfold, but Masumi put a hand out from her side to stop me, "Please sit back down, Hinata. I also have some news to share before you go."

Hesitantly, I sank back down to my seat, looking in between her and her new beau. It was silent for a moment, the only sound being Hanabi's sniffles as she tried to stop her tears.

"I'm pregnant."

Tears of my own rose to my eyes and I could feel the blood leave my face in disbelief, but Hanabi nearly yelled at her mother, "What! …Who's baby is it!?"

My self-control went out the window as I struggled to keep myself from jumping across the table to strangle the apparently pregnant woman. She looked over at Madara before returning her gaze to my sister and I, "I…I don't know for sure if it's your father's or Madara's. I can't get a paternity test until I'm at least three months along and I'm only a few weeks in right now."

I scoffed, pulling the attention of the room over to me, "Were you trying to get pregnant? It's odd that you already know for sure if you are when you're just a few weeks in. Don't most women find out around the one or two months mark?"

Madara spoke up for the first time, "I suggest you watch how you speak to your mother."

My face burnt bright red as rage seeped through my veins, "She's not my mother and you know that."

Masumi suddenly burst into tears, burying her face in her hands and leaning into her boyfriend's comforting arms. I rolled my eyes at her terrible acting. The woman has never cared about my opinion of her before so why would she start now? Of course I feel like an ass for talking down to a pregnant woman, but when I think about how terrible she's treated me and how she's betrayed my dad, the guilt very quickly takes a back-burner.

I rose to my feet again, this time with an exasperated sigh, "Is that all? I want to go to bed."

Hanabi looked up at me in disbelief, but didn't say anything as Madara spoke before she could, "The new house will be finished two weeks from today and we'll all be moving in immediately, so start packing your belongings."

My eyes narrowed, "What do you mean we'll all be moving in?"

Masumi's sobs cleared up in an instant and she nodded, "Madara will be moving in with us."

Hanabi rose to her feet this time, her jaw dropped in surprise. We shared a look before wordlessly leaving the dining room and heading upstairs to our separate bedrooms.

Just as we'd been told, two weeks later we were in the newly constructed house unpacking the boxes the moving company had delivered for us. My room was much smaller than before, a fact I'm sure my step-mother was to blame for.

Father had shown both Hanabi and I the plans for the house when he was still alive and they barely resembled the finished product. Masumi and Madara must be to blame for that, as well.

Days passed and things were awkward the entire time. I tiptoed around the house to avoid run-ins with either of the adults living there. One night when I was getting a snack from the kitchen after skipping dinner, I noticed a tablet had been left on the counter. I glanced around to make sure no one would see before clicking it on and searching through some of the files it held.

Surprise had my eyebrows rising as I realized that this Summer camp the two had been talking about was to be held in this house, or underneath it. The updated house plans were on there and it showed that there were large rooms underneath the house and tunnels leading who knows where.

Before I could find out how to access the basement, I heard someone clear their throat. The tablet slid through my fingers, but a hand shot out and caught it before it could slam onto the granite counter-top.

Madara's eyes were narrowed as he stared down at me, "I never thought you'd be the nosy type, Hinata."

I gestured to the tablet in his hands, too confused about what I'd read to care about his opinion of me, "What is all of this? What's "The Program"?"

He studied my face in silence for a few moments before giving in and speaking as though he were giving a presentation, "The Program is a training camp, of sorts, for young adults to learn how to defend themselves both mentally and physically from a variety of attacks."

I was becoming only more confused, which he could obviously tell because he continued with his explanation.

"I believe that our government will soon be struggling to stay afloat and I want to prepare as many people as I can for when that time comes."

I temporarily forgot about my hate for the man before me and narrowed my eyes quizzically, mind reeling as I tried to make the puzzle pieces fit, "What makes you think that?"

To my surprise, he started speaking about a new technology that allowed divers to explore previously untouched parts of the ocean, continuing further to explain that these inventions would lead to the fall of mankind if we're not prepared.

Everything he was saying only proved to confuse me further. When he realized that I wasn't making sense of his words, he let out a sigh, "Let me say this as clearly as I can so you'll understand: My studies started to show years ago that aliens don't just come from outer space. I believe they reside in the deepest parts of the ocean and maybe even in the Earth's core."

My mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He sounds like some sort of heretic! He really is crazy!

A humorless laugh slipped from my mouth and his eyes narrowed, "I'm not surprised by your reaction. Almost everyone I've tried to convince of this theory has the same one, but you're going to see that I'm right and you're going to wish you took me more seriously."

With that, he turned on his heel and headed in the direction of his and Masumi's bedroom, leaving me shell-shocked in the dimly-lit kitchen.

What the hell? How would he ever convince anyone to attend this camp of his when his ideals are so far-fetched? Surely, he'll come up with some sort of ruse to trick people into signing up.

With a sigh, I turned back to the cabinet to search for a snack. Whatever he does is not my concern. After I graduate next month, I'm out of here.