Ella was sitting at the bar a little over a month later, her hand resting on the small bump that had appeared on her usually perfectly flat stomach. As she sat, reflecting on how much her life had changed in the last two years, she heard a single piano key echo through the floor.
She hopped off her barstool and found Deckard, "Someone is here," she whispered as she saw him sitting on their bed pulling on his t-shirt.
He stood immediately and grabbed the blaster he'd threatened her with the day they met, "Stay behind me," he ordered as they made their way to the main area.
Ella stepped softly until they saw a young man, the intruder, "Don't give him your Treasure Island line," she stated causing him to look back and give her a small half grin.
"What do you want?" Deckard asked once they were close enough.
The young man turned, "I'm looking for some answers about a child born. Do you have those Detective Deckard?" he asked, his hands raised.
"I don't know what you're talking about but I'd go back down those stairs and back where you belong, if I were you," he replied, gesturing toward the stairs with his gun.
The young man saw Ella behind Deckard, "Detective Ella? Joshi told us you died on a mission."
"I did as far as anyone is concerned," she said as she recognized the man, "Why are looking into a mystery child, Joe?"
"It's Officer K," he corrected her, "But, if you must know. We found a skeleton of a woman and we revealed that she died giving birth and she was a replicant so you can imagine why everyone is on edge to find the child."
"To destroy it so the world will remain as it is?" Deckard asked, his tone scary, darker then Ella had ever heard.
Joe nodded, "Can you put the gun down and talk to me? I'm aware that it's two against one so I can appreciate my position here. I just want to ask some questions. My interests don't involve harming the child."
Deckard looked back at Ella briefly, "Can he be trusted?"
"He was always a great Detective but I can't tell you if he's found a reason to disagree with their position," she replied, "We should just hear him out and that way we can decide and maybe avoid a fight. I'm not sure I'm up to it since you won't let me train," she whispered.
He nodded and gestured for Joe to take a seat, "Ask your questions and then I'll decide what to do with you."
"What was the name of the mother of your child?" Joe asked, getting straight to the point of his visit.
Deckard closed his eyes for a moment, reliving the painful memories once more, before he replied, "Her name was Rachel and we hid the child after it was born. Rachel was gone but I turned to others to get the baby out of danger. The child was hidden so well that not even I could find it. I taught them how to scramble the records and then I disappeared, until Ella found me anyway. What else do you want to know?" he asked, his tone still dangerous but slightly lighter.
Joe looked at the pair, surprised to find Ella alive, "Ella, why did you leave? Besides myself, you were the best."
"There is only so long you can kill for a living and be alright with you," she replied as she moved from standing behind Deckard's chair to take a seat next to him, "I began to question why those people needed to die and then I came here for a routine check of the area and found Deckard. He gave me the out I needed so I faked my death and came back. Don't you get sick of what we do? We don't get to ask questions, we're just given a name and expected to eliminate that person without a reason."
Joe thought about what she said and knew he'd been questioning their work, himself, and nodded, "I do but I didn't think we had an option. We don't. Look what you've done to escape it. What happens when they find you?"
"I don't know but I couldn't do it anymore," she replied, "What else do you want to know? We can't help you find the child and it's only a matter of time before people follow you here if they know what you're searching for. You're putting us in danger," her voice was strong as she hid the worry she was feeling.
Deckard nodded, "You have to go, Kid or we'll force you out. They can't find us under any circumstances. Contact Freysa in the underground. She helped me hide the child and she is the only soul alive who might know where it is."
"Why would you give up that information with the chance that I would kill you child?" Joe asked, his face showing surprise.
Deckard looked at him, "I can see it in your eyes that you understand the shift the child could bring to this world for the better and I'm choosing to believe in that." He looked back at Ella for a brief moment before speaking again, "Do you want a drink before you leave? You look like you could use it," he sympathized.
Joe nodded, "I really could. Thanks."
"One drink and then you leave," Ella added as she watched them get up.
"Are you going to join us?" Joe asked, trying to give her mood some levity.
Ella shook her head, "I'm not in the mood for a drink. You two enjoy." Deckard gave her a supportive smile as he and Joe disappeared. Ella stood from her chair and moved to look out the window. She knew someone would come and she watched helplessly for the first sign of their end.