Chapter 9

Night

Dollhouse

Adelle DeWitt's Office

Delicately pouring tea from a small green Japanese kettle, Adelle calmly and gracefully tries to explain the mix-up while avoiding anything that might jeopardize the safety of her favorite active, Echo.

"24 years ago, your mother, Elise Davies, got pregnant with twin girls." Adelle explains.

"That's impossible." Interrupts Tru.

"During her pregnancy, a secret arrangement was made so that one of the twins is adopted by a family living in Los Angeles immediately after birth."

Sinking in her seat, Tru is still in a state of shock.

"Caroline Davies was born in New York on December 12th, 1980, weighed 5 lbs and 9 oz, given directly to her new foster parents, the Farrells. No official papers were issued of the adoption. In her birth certificate, she's registered as Caroline Farrell."

"No…" Tru says with a choked voice, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Ten minutes later, her twin sister was born, and kept... you."

"You're lying..." Dumbstruck, Tru cannot comprehend all that she is hearing. "My mom would never have given her daughter away for adoption… never!" She emphasizes stressing her teeth against each other in anger.

"You're right, she never would have, and she never did." Reassures Adelle. "She was told that the first baby was born dead. Besides the birth certificate, there are no existent public records of Caroline's connecting her to her biological parents except a fake death certificate."

With disordered thoughts, Tru stutters: "But… why?… I mean… who would do that?"

"Your father." Concludes Jack.

"Correct." States Adelle.

"Dad?!"

"It all makes sense to me now." Jack continues.

With tears now falling heavily down her red cheeks, Tru turns to face Jack, with a desire to knock him unconscious and a hope that he would explain to her what is going on, she angrily says: "Care to enlighten me?"

"Your mother did not just pass on her ability to relive days to you. She passed it on to you and your twin sister Caroline. The two of you would've been invincible and the balance of the universe would have been severely corrupted. Your father could not allow that, so splitting you at birth was the only way to stop that from happening."

"But why? Why would dad do that?"

"Because your dad was your mother's rival… he was her opposite." Jack finally reveals. Tru's face falls with the avalanche of bad news. Waves of emotion continue to wash over her as Jack explains: "Like me, his job was to preserve the balance of the universe, make sure your mother didn't alter destiny."

"But splitting the two at birth was not enough..." says Adelle. " Richard Davies is a very smart man; one who does not take risks. He kept an eye on Caroline, and when he found out that she and Tru started reliving days simultaneously almost two years ago, Richard facilitated Caroline's recruitment into the Dollhouse in exchange for the release of a male active who would be imprinted with Richard's beliefs and abilities to be your rival."

"You!" Tru tells Jack with apparent bitterness.

"Yes!" Jack sadly admits.

"Caroline on the other hand was no longer a threat. She's wiped. She is now Echo." Says Adelle.

"But how come I was never told about Echo… um...Caroline?" Wonders Jack.

"Probably for the same reason I was never told about Tru!" Answers Adelle. "Richard is a gambler, a very good one may I say. Bluffing is a gambler's biggest strength. He played us all I suppose."

"Then how did you find out about all this?"

"He phoned me today before the two of you arrived, and filled me in on both of your agendas, concerning, and therefore jeopardizing, Boyd's life, and probably yours and Echo's. I cannot have that; not in my House. So Richard and I made a deal. The Dollhouse will do no harm to Echo if you agree to spare Boyd's life and take the next flight back home."

"Harm? What do you mean harm?" Shouts Tru.

"I can have her sent to the Attic." Says Adelle.

"What's the Attic?" Asks Tru.

"Dolls Hell." Answers Jack.

"She's already shown some quite alarming signs of evolvement and self-awareness, something the Dollhouse cannot afford to tolerate. It was only a matter of time. But if you agree to our terms, she will be safe… you have my word."

"Can I see her?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Please!"

Even Jack couldn't stay quiet; he jumps in to help Tru. "Oh come on Adelle, it's painful enough that Caroline was sacrificed twice, even without her knowing, and Tru was cheated and lied to without her knowing either. Couldn't you at least just give them the chance to meet each other? They're sisters, it's their birth right. I personally guarantee you that Tru and I are on the next flight to New York, while Boyd and Echo are both safe and sound here at the Dollhouse."

Adelle considers it for a moment then agrees "Very well, you have ten minutes; then you and Jack are leaving, for good."

"Oh we're leaving; but this isn't over. You and I will meet again, and the next time I'm here, I'm not leaving without my sister." Tru threatens.

Adelle laughs "You're just like your sister, Tru; dedicated and driven but lacking all sorts of wisdom."

FBI Office

Interrogation Room

Paul slams the table in front of Harrison so hard that all the papers scatter. His eyes are narrow and fixed; his body language is screaming fury and tension. The pitch of his voice is high enough to set Harrison's pulse rate to a speed of 200 beats per minute.

"I'll tell you what… maybe if I punch your ugly face so hard that it pops out of the back of your head it would jog your thick memory."

"Dude, I told you I don't remember," Harrison says with a very dry mouth, "I was only 9 years old when mom died; and soon after that our dad left us. I don't remember anything about the murder, and I certainly don't know a thing about a long lost sister. Where did you even get that? That's total bull."

"Bull? And what do you call all the stories you've made up from the moment we met up until now? Lies, more lies and nothing but lies."

Harrison exhales heavily with frustration and fear. He tries his last resort and is surprised that he never thought of it before "Man, I told you everything I know. If you have anything against me then why don't you just save us both the time and nerves and arrest me right now and get me a lawyer; otherwise, you just back the hell off and let me get out of here." He stands up and initiates to leave the room when Paul catches him from his shoulder and forces him to sit down again.

"Who murdered your mother?"

"I told you I don't know. The man who murdered mom was never caught." Harrison fires back.

"How did you find out about the Dollhouse?"

"I'm not answering any more questions without a lawyer." Harrison finally states.

Their conversation is interrupted by the ringing in Paul's jacket. He picks up the phone, it's Tru.

Dollhouse

Walking gently down the stairs to the main area of the Dollhouse, Tru is on her way to meet Echo but decides to call Paul so she could fill him and her brother in on the latest discovery.

"Marco!" Answers Paul.

"Polo!" Tru replies. "Don't worry, my head is still intact."

"What's going on over there, are you OK?"

"Mentally yes, emotionally a wreck. Listen… I need to speak to my brother."

"Tru, there's something I need to tell you that I don't think you're gonna like."

"Something happened with Harrison?"

"No, your brother's fine."

"Speak for yourself, hotshot!" Shouts Harrison.

"It's about your sister."

"Caroline!" Tru says with a nod.

"Yes! It took extreme search methods to find out about her existence. How did you find out?"

"Extreme shock." Says Tru. "I found myself standing 4 feet away from a twin sister I never knew I had. Then the person who runs this place, Adelle DeWitt, explained everything." She says as she reaches the last step down the stairs. She notices Jack lost in thought while peeking through a glass door in front of the stairs.

"See, that's what I don't understand," says Paul, "if you had never known about or met Caroline, then how come you pretended to be her today and gave me minute information about the Dollhouse?"

Jack is looking through a glass door into Dr Saunders office. She notices him peeking.

"Can I help you?" She asks politely.

Jack walks into her office looking concerned. "Whiskey, what happened to your face? Are you waiting for Dr Saunders?"

She looks at him, shocked.