Prompt #22:A well planned mischief...maybe.

Summer 2025

The plan had worked. Everybody was sleeping. Like...everybody. She got off her bed and tiptoed away from her room. When she was a kid she had chosen to share it with her brother,but he was a deep sleeper,and he wouldn't have noticed. Out of the room,straight towards her mothers. She rubbed hands and smiled. Head into their room,asleep too. She went towards where would usually put the wheelchair and sat on it. Ever since she could remember her mother had been on a wheelchair. She had often gotten to sit on her lap,but she had never taken a race on it,and being a child,this seemed to be like the greatest idea of fun to her 8 years old mind. Had it had been good?She had no idea. Was she to have fun?Sure. Was it dangerous?If you considered they were on second floor,but on the other side she could fly,then it could be done.

It took a bit,before she could put it in motion,but eventually it moved,and moved till picking up speed.

A couple of tricks later,she was running up and down the whole hallway,still trying to be quiet.

She didn't eventually notice the door opening. But as soon as Lexie did,she stopped,eyes wide open,as if he had caught her stealing those cookies she like so much.

"Carter"

He stood there,frowning for a bit,before asking.

"What the hell are you doing,kiddo?"

"Racing mama's chair"

"Do you realize they might hear you?"

"Oh c'mon you wanna do it too."

"No I don't,and we should be in bed sleeping right now,rather than racing ma's chair. C'mon come back to bed,before they find out,I'll put it back in place"

He said it trying to sound convincing,but Lexie spotted the slight doubt in his voice right away.

Carter wanted to do it too,but he was being a massive coward,because he had to be the mature big brother,who kept her from trouble.

"C'mon Cartie,you're no fun."

He would've said no. But what could he do?She was pouting that pout she used to put up when she was little,and begging him with wide,misty eyes. Now he could understand what aunt Alex had been through when lookin into ma's eyes. Lexie had inherited the talent,that according to mom.

"Alright. Alright,kid. Let me try this out too"

"You want me to push?"

"No way. You're too tiny"he laughed out.

She put her arms on her hips,like Cat did,and stomped her foot on the floor,slowly up and down,with a frown on her face.

He sat on it,and smiled at her before takin a couple of laps around the hallway.

It was indeed quite the fun.

She rolled up to the landing of the stairs and turned back to look at her big brother.

"Straight down,floating?"

"I can't fly and you're not going down with that. Absolutely,not. No way"

"Watch it"

She took a run up from some steps behind,for a couple of meters,then run,trying to float the chair with herself on it,the way her mama did sometimes .

Evidently it didn't work out the way it should've and maybe though she could fly just great she still wasn't capable of lifting such heavy things yet,because as soon as she tried,the wh fell down caught a step of the stairs and turned.

Carter's heart shot up in his throath and for a moment,the moment which seemed to halt time,it stopped beating. He feared the worst,as his hand caught thin air,inches far from Lexie's pj shirt.

He only managed to grab the wheelchair and set it back on the landing,as Lex floated,tumbled for down the steps of the stairs.

"Lexieee"

He run down skipping every two steps to get to his sister,and eventually got there,kneeing by her side.

Lights came on upstairs and voices could be heard.

"Carter,Lexie"

"Ma,mom,we're down here"

Back to his sister,he went to check her out.

"How are you kiddo?"

"I'm made of steel,Cartie. Ouch"

"Don't be a smartass. What hurts?"

"I think my hankle"

He spotted their mothers coming to them,and some calls being made,but he couldn't avoid spacing out,and feeling guilty. He had said yes. He had let her take ma's wheelchair,and played with her.

The doc got there quickly and went for testing Lexie right away,while Kara noticed Carter was still sitting on the last step of the stairs,hands to his face,and rolled in front of him,trying to shake him awake from his trance.

"Carter. Carter"

Somebody was shocking him,and calling his name.

"Carter"Ma.

"We have called the doc,but you know she has the genes,I'm sure she's fine. Me and mom checked her out,and asides from a sprained ankle she seems to be fine. We'll make sure,there's nothing else to worry about"

He let his hands fall.

"I thought she was done for"

"Nah,you know it's gonna take more to bring our little one down"

"I almost got her killed"

"Carter,look at me"

He dared to look up at her.

"She's gonna be ok. Hamilton is doing all the tests. This is one of the times in which we can thank my heritage."

"I still feel guilty. I don't think I'll ever stop if something happens to her"

"You don't know how right you're,Carter. When she was born,you swore you would've taken care of her,no matter what. It hurts when you can't do anything,about that. One of the last things my sister did before dying was savin me from a world which wasn't possible,anymore. And if I had chosen to stay…"

"She would've stayed with you. She was willing to die for you."

"And so was I. Every scar and wound she ever got because of me would've me wishing I could've taken them for her. I don't know what it's like to be a big sister. My whole life ever since I got here was spent being the little one,and I feel thankful for it. I didn't have a mission anymore,I felt lost at first,but also without such a big burden to carry. I think it gave me a different,better path to take. All I know is that I had her and all she did for me counted and then one day I woke up,and expected her to come barging into my apartment. Then I realized I was in Midvale,and she couldn't come to me anymore."

"I could never stand losing her"

"All I hope for you is that you'll never have to know Carter,not you,nor Lexie. Even if you're willing to die for each other,I pray there will never be such a die that you roads have to part so abruptly."

He stood up,and bent,huggin her.

"I'm so sorry,ma"

"I could be here screaming at you. Maybe mom will,after all,you both deserve it. But if we play the blame game,we'll keep on going in circles. Things happen. I spent so long blaming myself over what happened. Then your mom taught me...that there are things we can't stop,even if we wish we could. Love,that goes beyond everything. We have to learn how to forgive ourselves. If you go in there,she won't blame you for her fall,and if she does,which is unthinkable,she'll forgive you sooner or later. But first,you need to learn how to forgive yourself,Carter".