"I have a lot to tell you and not a lot time to do it in." Anne said sitting on Kim's bed.
"So a bad time mom." Kim said.
"I know Kimmie but I have no choice so you're going to have to suck it up." Anne said plainly. Kim looked at her mother like she'd been slapped.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"You're special, you always have been." Anne said face softening.
"Yeah…"Kim replied.
"You're about to hear something that may make you hate me forever, but you have a right to know. Your father, well, he isn't your father." Anne said hesitantly. She took out a battered photograph.
"Who's this?" Kim asked.
"Your father, his name is Alex."
"I have his eyes." Kim said.
"You sure do." Anne said sadly.
"That's why dad was so weird about Ron!" Kim exclaimed.
"Yes, he didn't want to see history repeat itself." Anne said.
"Ron, wouldn't have ran out on me, he would've manned-up, you know that." Kim said.
"Yes I did and I knew Josh was trouble from day one. Secretly we all hoped you and Ronald would have started dating." Anne said gently.
"Dad had an odd way of showing it, besides we'd known each other too long, it would've been like dating a sibling." Kim said shaking her head, that's when the headache began. She pinched her nose bridge between her thumb and index finger.
"Kimmie, are you alright?" Anne asked.
"My head hurts…" She said.
"Oh no, it's starting already. Lay down sweetie, relax as best you can." Anne said.
"What's starting?" Kim whimpered.
"You're manifesting." Anne said.
"Manifesting what?" Kim asked, the pain getting worse.
"We'll find out soon enough…" Anne said soothingly.
"Why didn't you tell me until now?" Kim asked.
"Your father has and always will love you Kimmie." Anne said.
"You're being evasive." Kim said.
"Because you had no need to know, you could have stayed blissfully unaware and had a normal life." Anne said.
"And now?"
"Now, sadly your life will be anything but. I worked on a government project shortly after college, a secret government project, I wanted out. The man you met today introduced me to your father, we hit it off and he married me despite being pregnant out of wedlock." Anne said.
"Uh huh, so the drama." Kim said.
"Yes, quite." Anne agreed.
"So what was he like?" Kim asked weakly.
"Alex?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he was very handsome as you can see. He was dashing; he'd been places and done things I'd only dreamed about in my sheltered little academic life. He was a swashbuckling hero come to life." Anne said with a sad smile at the recollection.
"When was the last time you saw him?" Kim asked.
"The day after you were conceived." Anne said.
"Did he bail on you?" Kim asked.
"He had to ship out to another war zone." Anne said.
"And you never heard from him again?" Kim asked.
"No, then I met your father." Anne replied.
"You do love dad, right?" Kim asked.
"Of course I do." Anne said.
"Good." Kim said falling asleep.
"Good night, Bubble-butt." Anne said tucking her daughter in for the last time.
Anne walked down stairs and went to the liquor cabinet. Poured herself some scotch and went and sat in the easy chair, the shotgun resting on the arm rests.
"Twenty years and I'm still living in fear." Anne said resentfully taking a sip from her glass.
Morning came all too soon as the sun through the blinds woke Anne, she'd called the hospital earlier and cashed in some vacation time, so unless it was an emergency she couldn't be reached.
Kim thrashed in her sleep, sweating bullets.
Everyone wanted her time, cheer practice, yearbook, kung fu, family time, her studies, Josh; and Ron was dead and died hating her because there wasn't enough of her to go around. They swirled around her in a maelstrom their voices blending together in a cacophony of noise.
"Alright, alright fine I'll do it!" she pleaded trying to appease them all, all at once. She got an idea… Painfully she tore herself in half and another Kim grew from it and went to cheer practice. She did it again and sent that Kim to do yearbook, and another to kung-fu, and another to hit the books and another to spend time with the folks. She kicked josh in the nuts. Slowly but surely, one by one the noise died down as each got their pound of flesh. Only Ron remained.
Check it out KP you're your own sidekick." He chuckled walking off into the light.
She awoke crying.
"Hey, don't cry we'll get through this. We can do anything remember?" she heard herself say and felt someone stroking her hair soothingly. She opened her eyes and saw herself staring back at her.
"Yeah, get a grip." Another Kim said sitting at the foot of her bed.
"Group hug!" yet another Kim said behind her wrapping her arms around her.
"Come on get dressed." A Kim said coming from the closet with an outfit.
"Where did you all come from?" Kim asked scarcely believing her eyes,
"From you." They all answered in unison.
"Can you go back?" She asked.
"Duh, we live in your head the rest of the time." The one at the foot of the bed said.
Kim concentrated and they all faded from view.
"I have a superpower." Kim said.
"Kim, are you ok?" Her mother asked through the door.
"Fine feeling better now." She said nervously.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure." Kim replied as Anne came in.
"Headache gone?"
"Yeah." Kim replied.
"So, what happened?" Anne asked.
"I got a superpower." Kim said flatly.
"Well, can I see it?" Anne asked.
"Promise not to freak out?"
"Ok, I promise." Anne said hoping it wasn't too strange.
Kim concentrated and another Kim slid out of her as an after image at first then solidifying into a person.
"Hi." The duplicate said.
"Oh dear god…" Anne said hand going to her mouth.
"I think I'm a clone now…" the duplicate sang off key as another one came into view.
"That's enough of that." The other one said.
"Sorry." The first one said sheepishly. Kim pulled them back in.
"At least I'll never be lonely." Kim shrugged.
"Kim there are people who would exploit you for your abilities…"
"Like Global Justice?" Kim asked.
"Worse. You'd be a cannon fodder factory." Anne replied.
"So what are we going to do?" Kim asked not liking the look in her mother's eyes.
"I'm going to send you to live with a friend." Anne replied.
"Wait, what?" Kim asked.
I have a friend from the old days, his name is John Lynch, and he'll teach you to use your powers." Anne said.
"My power is pretty cut and dry, mom." Kim said.
"He's going to keep you safe, no more arguments, this isn't open to debate, you're going." Anne said arms crossed. Kim stepped back, she'd never seen her mother like this.
"Where am I going?" Kim resigned.
"La Jolla California." Anne said simply.
"Oh, so I guess this is it." Kim said.
"Sadly yes." Anne replied hugging her daughter. Just then a noise came from the back yard.
"Kimmie, get to packing." Anne said hefting the shotgun.
"Mom?"
"Do it, if you hear gunshots escape out the window." Anne replied heading down to the sliding door. She opened it to find a short teenage boy built like a fire plug checking in windows.
"Can I help you?" Anne asked holding the shotgun to the back of his head.
"Whoa chill out lady, I'm a friend." He said hands up.
"Fuck you; I don't know you, inside now." Anne replied icily walking him inside.
"Ok, Ok! I'm goin'!" the boy said on the edge of panic. Just then the door bell rang. Anne swore under her breath and went to the door.
"Not one word long-hair." Anne threatened. The boy nodded and she opened the door after hiding the shotgun out of view. Anne came face to cleavage with a buxom redhead.
"Hello, my name is Caitlin Fairchild; I'm here on behalf of John Lynch." She said pleasantly.
"Oh of course come in." Anne said. Caitlin walked past her, Anne shut the door hefted the shotgun and stuck it in her back.
"My deal was with John, not some strumpet and a long hair." Anne said plainly.
"I take exception to that remark. Do you know how hard it is to find clothes in my size?" Caitlin replied.
"Are you any relation to Alex Fairchild?" Anne said.
"Yes ma'am he's my absentee father." Caitlin said plainly.
"Oh dear, so he makes a habit of jilting women?" Anne asked a trace of bitterness entering her voice.
"I have another sister in the car." Caitlin said hands up.
"Can't wait to meet her." Anne said.
"Certainly not with you waving a gun around!"Caitlin said turning and taking a hold of the barrel and bending it down with one hand.
"Maybe now we can talk like civilized people?" Caitlin asked with a small smile at Anne's shocked reaction.
"John Lynch, where is he?" Anne asked.
"Right behind you, Anne." An older man with thinning brown hair and a scarred cybernetic eye said.
"John, I hate it when you do that." Anne said putting a hand to her chest.
"Meet the rest of the children." He said gesturing to the others.
"Hey, I'm Roxy." A shorter girl with black hair and bright pink bangs said.
"Bobby, a guy said with short blond hair said.
"Sarah Rainmaker, a native american girl with long black hair said.
"Just call me Grunge. The short boy said.
"And you've already met Caitlin." Lynch said.
"Where's Kimberly?" Lynch asked.
"Getting packed." Anne said simply.
"I'm sorry Anne but sooner we get away the better, has she manifested yet?"
"Yes."
"What can she do?" Grunge asked.
"You have to see it to believe it." Anne said.
"Ok mom, I'm ready." Km said coming down stairs with a suit case.
"Kimmie, you want to show Mr. Lynch your super power?" Anne asked.
"Do I have to?"
"Please?" Anne asked with a perfectly executed puppy dog pout.
"Ok, ok." Kim said as the after images slid from her body and solidified into clones.
"Happy?" the five of them said in unison.
"Oh, that's creepy." Roxy said.
"The gen-factor never ceases to amaze me." Caitlin said.
"Check it out we're a chorus line." One of Kim's duplicates said.
"They're self aware?" Lynch asked.
"Is that unusual?" Kim asked.
"The genetic coding that gives you your abilities is far from an exact science." Lynch replied.
"You said you had another sister?" Anne asked Caitlin.
"Yes, Roxy here." Caitlin said.
"Come on Kim, join the club, hell, we almost have enough for a support group at this rate." Roxy said flippantly.
"What club?" Kim asked.
"The mom was ditched by Alex Fairchild club, no offense." Roxy said turning to Anne.
"None taken, I've met a wonderful man since." Anne said.
Kim pulled her duplicates back.
"Say your goodbyes we need to go." Lynch said plainly rounding up the rest of them up and ushering them out the door.
"Well, I guess I'll see ya when I see ya." Kim said hugging her mother.
"I'm so sorry, Kimmie." Anne said.
"For what?"
"All of this." Anne said.
"Just another sitch, I'll get through it. I always do. Goodbye mom. " Kim replied, heading out the door with her suitcase barely holding tears at bay.