– Chapter Twenty-Two –
"What the HELL is your problem?"
Aila couldn't help but glare down at Katja as the German ignored her, lying on the inflatable bed with her back to the doctor. The room was just large enough for the three clones to share while they had to. It was cramped, but nobody minded since it was a temporary arrangement.
"How on Earth could you be so cold towards your own sister?" Aila continued on, not about to let Katja have her way. "Especially when she's only been back five minutes! How can you possibly see fit to go and hurt her like that when you've spent every single night at the hospital for the last several weeks? What happened to actually showing you care, because I know you do!"
She couldn't help feeling angry. Katja was acting like a child throwing a tantrum, and Rat didn't deserve it after everything she'd been through.
"I am tired," Katja repeated for what must have been the tenth time. "Vee discuss zis later."
"We'll discuss this NOW!" Aila ordered. She made to slam shut the bedroom door, but it bounced back open quickly by a puzzled Leigh and almost smacked Aila in the face. "Shit!"
"Sorry," Leigh said sincerely. "Erm..." She wasn't sure what to say. Seeing and hearing Aila lose her cool was as strange as Katja's irrational behaviour. Leigh stepped into the room and gently closed the door.
Katja still did not budge. "Go avay," she told them both.
"We're not going anywhere until we sort this out," Aila told her. "Go and talk to your sister!"
"She's really upset, Katja," Leigh tried to reason. "You don't honestly believe Leekie over her, do you?"
"I never said I did!" Katja shouted now. She jumped from the bed and rounded on the other clones, her hands balled into fists. Leigh instinctively took a step back, but Aila stayed put. "Of course I believe Rat!"
"Then what's the problem?" Leigh asked.
"Nothing," Katja insisted. "I vill talk to her later."
Aila stubbornly folded her arms and raised her eyebrows. "So you're gonna be a hypocrite now, are you?"
"Vat?"
"You're always moaning at the rest of us not to be stubborn and be open about things," Aila continued. "And now you're doing exactly the opposite."
"Rat needs to know you believe her, Katja," Leigh said, trying to maintain a calm tone of voice. "Do you think she needs this after what she's been through?"
"Do you think I need ANY of zis?" Katja bellowed suddenly. She showed them her hand briefly, which was smothered in blood. Aila's expression softened. Katja must have coughed it up when she left the room. "I am trying...so very hard..."
"We know," Aila whispered.
Katja was on her knees in an instant. She sobbed into her hands. "I am dying," she cried, unable to control it. "I cannot do zat to Rat..."
Leigh trembled a bit to see Katja like this. She willed herself to approach and drop to the ground in front of Katja, pulling her into a tight hug. It was hard not to cry herself. Aila knelt down beside them, tightly hugging Katja as well. It broke her heart to see the German woman so defeated and distraught. Guilt hit her for shouting at Katja.
The two clones continued to hold and comfort Katja as she cried, unable to stop now the floodgates had opened. Even the dogs wandered over and pressed themselves against the group, both seeming to understand that something was wrong. Eventually, the German calmed down a bit, and Aila quietly handed her a tissue.
"I am sor-"
"Don't," Aila said gently but firmly. "You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm sorry for pushing you. I wasn't thinking about how hard this must be for you. I didn't stop to realise even for a minute how much you've been dealing with lately, with the sickness and us running all over Europe...I can't imagine how you've held it together this long..."
Leigh nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
Katja closed her eyes. "I am not afraid of dying...not really...everybody dies eventually, so zere is no point vorrying about ven it vill happen. I'm afraid of vat vill happen to Ratty ven I am gone. She vill be all alone vith no family left. I am vorried about vat zis vill do to her. Ven vee met, she vas a mess. I do not vant her to become like zat again. Becoming angry vas not zee right thing to do, I know, but...I zought maybe pushing her avay vould make it easier on her in zee long run, but I only hurt her in trying zis. I vill apologise and explain."
"Katja..." Aila began, but stopped quickly. She waited until the German looked at her before continuing. "I noticed before we left Switzerland the two of you were being more distant with each other, and I can't imagine how hard this must be for you both, but...wouldn't it be better to make the most of the time you have together rather than isolating yourselves?"
Katja nodded. "Ja, you are right. Vee have both been being daft because vee are both scared, but I do not vant to lose her. I do not vant to leave her all alone, but I know enough about zis to know vat is going to happen...though I do not vant us to part on bad terms, so I vill make sure to make zis right."
Leigh frowned, looking around. She realised suddenly that Rat was nowhere around. She hoped the hacker hadn't gone outside. She was still worried about Helena coming back to attack again.
"Shit," Leigh breathed. She let go of Katja and stood up shakily. "I'll be back...I just..."
She left Aila and Katja alone, walking numbly along the halls of the apartment for a sign of Rat. The hacker's laptop caught Leigh's eye for a second. Suddenly, she remembered what she and Aila discussed moments before Leekie and Rachel turned up. If DYAD couldn't help, perhaps visiting Beth's scientist friend directly was their best bet...
But Danielle still had to be warned. "Shit," Leigh whispered again. Katja wasn't going to last much longer like this...and Leigh refused to let her die. Katja needed help.
Would the four of them have to split up to make sure Danielle was still warned? Leigh was sure the others wouldn't even consider it.
The hairdresser left the apartment quickly to look for Rat. It surprised her to find the Swiss clone on the roof, quietly crying to herself in the shadows. She looked freezing.
"H-hey," Leigh began anxiously. "You shouldn't be out here. Will you come inside?"
Rat jumped slightly and glanced over at Leigh, surprised to see her. She considered staying put, but she had to admit she was rather cold. The hacker sighed quietly and stood as she wiped her eyes, deciding to follow Leigh numbly.
When the two re-entered the room, Katja wasted no time rushing over and enveloping Rat in a tight hug, making the hacker squeak slightly in surprise at the sudden turn of events.
"I am sorry, schwester."
Rat returned the gesture, wondering what had happened while she was out of the room. Katja led her over to the sofa to sit and quietly explained what she told Aila and Leigh. Rat frowned and pulled Katja into another tight hug, silently letting her know her apology was accepted.
Aila watched the two for a moment before walking into the kitchen, allowing the sisters a few minutes to themselves. The doctor put on the kettle to make tea and coffee. She glanced over her shoulder to see Leigh behind her.
"Hey," Aila greeted her with a nod.
"Hey," Leigh responded tiredly. "Hopefully they're gonna be OK..."
"I think they will be," Aila told her with a small smile. "Something on your mind?" she asked after a moment, seeing the troubled look on Leigh's face.
Leigh sighed softly as she sat down at the table. "I'm worried about Katja's health. I don't think she can put up with the stress of running around for much longer. She needs help, but the only one who possibly could help her is Beth's scientist friend. At the same time, we still need to warn Danielle..."
Aila frowned. "Yeah...I'm worried as well. There really isn't a lot I can do to help polyps forming on her lungs. We don't have the right equipment here to deal with it, but what can we do? You know she'll never agree to go see the scientist while we're dealing with Danielle. We can ask her and Rat about it tomorrow...maybe come up with some kind of plan. After everyone's had a good rest and is hopefully feeling better, that is..."
That night was a restless one. Leigh and Aila had agreed to move into the living room and sleep on the sofas to make more space in the bedroom for Rat and Katja. Bianca and Charles wandered the apartment as they pleased, occasionally creeping into the living room for a drink of water, and settling down to sleep wherever they felt comfortable.
Leigh did not sleep. She had been sitting on the edge of her sofa for almost an hour, while Aila appeared fast asleep opposite her. The photo album Janet had given Leigh sat in her hands, though the hairdresser couldn't decide if she wanted to look through it again or not.
A creaking sound caught Leigh's attention, followed by the figure of Katja shuffling into view from the door frame. The light from the lamp Leigh had left on lit up Katja's tired features.
"Can't sleep either?" Leigh asked quietly enough as to not disturb Aila.
Katja shrugged. "Coughing fit. I am getting vater."
Leigh watched Katja enter the kitchen area to find a glass from the cupboard. She filled it up with water from the tap and took a few sips. Katja then wandered over to Leigh and stared at Aila for a moment.
"She sleeps easy," she commented.
Leigh hesitated. "Sheer exhaustion, most likely," she offered.
"She has bad dreams," Katja added. "I hear her sometimes."
Leigh nodded. "Me too," she admitted.
They were both silent while Katja drank her water. When she was finished, she headed back to the kitchen to set the glass down on the kitchen counter, and then made her way over to Leigh again.
"I am sorry for earlier," she said.
Leigh frowned. "No, don't be. You're bound to have bad days. You put up with our bullshit often enough. You and Aila."
Katja managed a small smile. She glanced at Aila again and nodded. Just as she turned to go back to her bedroom, Leigh looked around at her quickly.
"Katja..."
"Hm?"
Leigh hesitated, clenching her fists together tightly. "Do you ever think about Cecile?"
A pause followed. Katja nodded. "Often," she admitted.
"Do you ever wish..."
"Ja," Katja answered, guessing what Leigh wanted to ask before she even asked it. "DYAD separated us. I never knew her because of it, and I could be angry...but there is no point. Rat is angry enough for both of us."
Leigh nodded sadly. She averted her gaze and stared down at the photo album again. "Rat's lucky to have found you. You're both lucky to have that bond."
A pause followed. Katja reluctantly shuffled around to sit beside Leigh, frowning a bit. "Leigh," she said after a moment. "Are you serious zat you do not care much for Rachel? Zat you have never been close?"
Leigh resisted a sigh as she stared at the floor. "She's always been difficult and a pain in the arse, ever since we were tiny...but there was a time when we were very close," she explained slowly and quietly. "I just...have a hard time admitting that, even to myself."
"Vhy?"
Leigh shrugged. "Because I forget," she whispered. She didn't meet Katja's gaze as she sat back slightly and rolled up her top to reveal her stomach. A long, thin scar was present on the right side of Leigh's abdomen.
Katja hesitated. "Appendicitis?" she guessed. Leigh nodded, and so did Katja. "I see. My adopted brother had zis also."
"Did he? Happened to me when I was sixteen," Leigh told Katja. She pulled her top back down to cover her stomach. "Rachel was with me at the time, and it got really bad...she got me to the hospital...practically saved my life." Leigh couldn't help grinning rather sadly at the memory. "She was so scared, Katja...even more than I was. After that, whenever I saw her...well, we'd never been that close before, ever. It was like I really did have a sister, almost...but she started to change when DYAD recruited her, and I started to forget." She opened up the photo album to gaze at one of the pictures. "She's not that girl anymore."
Katja gave a brief nod, but she took the album from Leigh and gently closed it. "She can be, if you show her how. She still cares." Katja held Leigh's gaze for a while before handing the album back to her. Leigh took it and gave an appreciative smile. "DYAD did to you vat zey did to me and Rat," Katja added when she stood up. "But it is only too late for you and your sister if you let it be. There ez still a chance. It vould be a shame to let DYAD take zat avay too."
Leigh couldn't respond. She wasn't sure what to think. She wanted to tell Katja to hold on, never give up, and keep the hope that she could get better; she wanted to explain her plan about splitting up to find Beth's scientist friend...but Katja was wandering back down the hallway towards the bedroom before Leigh knew it. Sighing to herself, Leigh decided to bring it up in the morning instead.
She put the photo album in her bag, and lay down to attempt to sleep.
The following morning, everyone seemed relatively calmer than they had been the last several days. Aila and Rat sat on the sofa in the pale light of the window. Aila was removed the bandages on Rat's throat in order to have a look at the wound, clean it, and re-wrap it.
"This actually isn't looking too bad," Aila commented, carefully inspecting the area to detect any sign of infection. "I don't know if you'll need to wear bandages all the time anymore. It might heal faster if we start exposing it to the air, as long as you're careful."
The skin on Rat's throat had fused back together and was healing nicely, even though it was still pink and tender-looking. Aila suspected the thin dark line marked on her skin would become a permanent scar, but she didn't tell Rat that just yet. There was always a chance it would fade as it healed.
The doctor applied the medicine they'd been given by the hospital, and decided to leave the bandages off for a bit to let the skin get some air. Rat gently touched the area, feeling the tender skin to be very sensitive still. She'd be sure to be careful and not let anything touch the area while it was unprotected.
"Thanks, doc," she told Aila quietly.
"No problem."
Leigh rushed into the room all of a sudden, gathering her belongings and packing them all away. "You sure you're up for travelling, Rat?" she asked.
"For the thousandth time, yes," Rat insisted.
"Good," Leigh said. "Where's Katja – I need to talk to you all – Katja!" she called loudly.
Katja entered looking confused. "Vat? I am trying to pack."
"Leave it for a minute," Leigh told her. "Everyone, just...shush - I need to say something."
Aila remained silent, knowing what Leigh was going to say. The hairdresser explained her concerns about going to Canada to track down Beth's scientist friend, earning a surprised look from Rat.
"Zat vill not go down vell vith Beth," Katja said instantly.
"But you're getting worse by the day," Leigh told her seriously. "I just thought-"
"Vee are so close," Katja interrupted. "Vee get Danielle's samples and zen vee vill go meet Beth in person; how's zat? Vee can give zem to her personally. Zere is no use in us splitting up now."
Leigh felt tense, but she nodded in agreement. The last thing she wanted was to cause another argument. She looked at Aila for confirmation, who also nodded to signal she agreed.
"In that case," Rat spoke, getting to her feet, "let's finish packing and leave this place. The sooner we get to France, the sooner this is over with."
"Dress shopping? Dress shopping? Are you serious?"
Rat stared in disbelief at Aila and Leigh as they headed for their hotel in France. The journey there had been relatively easy, much to their relief, and now the clones were walking through the streets with the dogs at their side.
"Shouldn't we be focusing on buying a place to live?" Rat spoke again when the others said nothing.
It seemed Leigh and Aila were too distracted by their phones to pay much attention to the hacker. Aila was searching for the best shops near to them, and Leigh was speaking enthusiastically about the dresses themselves.
Katja, who was walking next to Rat, raised her eyebrows. "Ratty has a point," she insisted. "Vee need to find a place and get out of hotel sooner razer zan later."
"Yes, yes, we will," Aila assured her, dismissing Katja's comment with a wave of her hand. "But honestly, this party is important. If we're going to meet Danielle there, we need to make sure we blend in."
"We're four women sharing Danielle's face," Rat said bluntly. "Sure, we're going to blend in perfectly."
"Maybe we can get some of those masquerade masks or something," Leigh suggested thoughtfully. "Or would that make us stand out even more?"
"It'd be better than us showing our faces," Aila responded, shrugging. "Or maybe it's better if only one of us goes."
"And have the rest miss out on the party?" Leigh complained. Aila giggled, but Rat rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Does anyone even know how the heck we're meant to get in? Don't we need tickets or something?"
"Well... maybe you can get us in? Like change the guest list or something?" Aila suggested.
Rat rolled her eyes. "Yes, lovely plan. What if the list is on paper? You people can't always expect me to do everything for you," she grumbled, though Aila and Leigh had gone back to giggling like schoolgirls.
Katja could only shake her head as she glanced at Rat. "These two are such girly girls," she commented.
"Pains, more like," Rat muttered back to her.
"Oh lighten up. We'll get everything sorted when we get to the hotel," Leigh said, glancing back at the others.
"Oh look, they do listen occasionally," Rat said dryly.
Leigh smirked slightly, shaking her head as she turned her attention back to her phone. "Hey Rat, how do you say 'dress shop' in French?"
Rat stared at her. "Oh taire vous stupide d'un paysan."
Leigh blinked. "How do you spell that?"
Rat glared and said nothing, unwilling to play along with these stupid games. She had a feeling Leigh was just winding her up at this point. She spotted the hotel at the end of the street, looking forward to sitting down for a bit and looking into properties for sale in the area. She had a feeling they'd be expensive, though. Paris wasn't known for being a cheap city to live in after, all.
The clones' stay in Paris was rather laid back. It wasn't long before they found a place to move into, which was big enough to accommodate them and the dogs properly. They couldn't deny their funds were beginning to run low, though. It was hardly surprising with how far they'd traveled and how many places they'd paid to stay in over the last few months.
"Let's a rob a bank," Katja suggested one morning a few days after arriving.
"Yeeeeah, good luck with that," Aila responded. She was once again on Katja's laptop, browsing for dress shops nearby. "Seriously though, I'll be glad when this is over. Maybe we can stay in Canada permanently when we get there. Get a friggin' job or something, if it's safe to..."
"Mhm," Leigh mumbled, barely listening. "We have just enough for dresses and things if we're all gonna go to this party. Hell knows how we're even gonna get in..."
"Use your ninja skills," Aila teased. Leigh rolled her eyes. "I'm sure we'll figure it out once we're there."
The three of them spent the afternoon shopping for dresses, while Rat stayed behind to update Beth and work on a plan to get close to Danielle. She refused to join in with their discussions on hair and make-up, and she rolled her eyes in disapproval to see they'd all purchased masks to wear as well.
"I hope you lot remember we're not going there for fun," she reminded them.
"Lighten up, Rat," Katja told her. "Vee got you a mask also."
"Won't look right without a dress though," Aila commented, smirking. "Really, are you just gonna sneak in there dressed in your casual clothes?"
"I have a dress already; that's why I didn't go shopping with you loonies," Rat snapped. "Someone had to talk to Beth, anyway. She wasn't impressed with our latest plan, but she seems a bit more relaxed now we're finally in France."
Leigh raised an eyebrow. "Woah, woah, back up. You have a dress? When did you get a dress?" she asked.
Rat ignored her wholly, instead bringing up something on her laptop to show them. "We'll be able to get in through the front door anyways. I managed to work some magic and get false names on the guest list for us all. Just don't forget to keep an eye out for Danielle. Maybe try to get her away from the crowds if possible, to talk to her. We probably shouldn't approach her right out in case she freaks."
"Yeah, that's true," Aila agreed.
She was also curious about Rat's dress too, but she didn't say anything about it. The party would take place the following evening. Even though she knew they had to stay on task and keep an eye out for Helena, the doctor couldn't help looking forward to the event, and hoped they all could at least have a little bit of fun before they had to get back to life.
The following afternoon, Leigh set up a mirror and bought a large make-up kit in order to do up all of her sisters, and Aila couldn't help feeling amused at how giddy the English clone was over it. If she thought Leigh was enthusiastic just talking about it, it was nothing compared to her excitement at the prospect of actually doing them all up.
"I'm doing my roots, too," Leigh chatted away as she pulled things from the make-up bag. "Might give myself a bit of a trim, while I'm at it – last time I cut it, I was in such a hurry to meet Aila that I effed it right up, but I have a bit more time now, so I can make it look better – hey Katja, didn't you buy hair dye too?"
"Ja," Katja answered, shrugging. "I vant my hair red. I figured vhy not, since you are doing yours."
"We're not supposed to be attracting attention to ourselves though," Rat groaned tiredly. She was lying lazily on the sofa with Bianca sitting on top of her. "And you want to dye your hair bright red?"
"It's not zat strange," Katja told her. "Besides, I fancy a change. It needs cutting also. I am starting to look like Leigh."
Leigh stuck her tongue out at Katja, who smirked a bit. It was true; the two of them had had similar hair from the day they met, and Katja's had grown a lot over the last few months. Looking back, it was easy to see how Lucas had mistaken Leigh for Katja the first time he saw her.
"OK, who's first? Aila, get over here; I'll do you first. Katja, go do your hair while you wait, and I'll cut it in a bit."
"Yes boss," Katja told Leigh. She got to her feet and hurried to the bathroom, locating her hair dye product as she went. Aila shifted towards Leigh and sat down in front of her.
"Since we're going to be wearing masks, is make-up that important?" Rat asked lazily.
"Oh shush," Aila and Leigh told her. Rat just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"OK, so I'm not gonna go over the top with the make-up," Leigh began enthusiastically, "mainly because I couldn't afford to buy so much, and sometimes less is more – and no, you're NOT having pink eye shadow, so don't even ask; it won't look right with your complexion; not bright pink anyway...I could do a very subtle pink, if you really want, but you have to consider how it goes with your dress too-"
Leigh was quite sure neither Aila nor Rat were listening as she rambled on, but she couldn't help herself. She instinctively played with Aila's hair, thinking of ways to style it, or even cut it. "What about your hair? Any ideas? You have such long hair. I could do so much with it-"
"I can't believe how excited you are over this!" Rat interrupted, looking vaguely amused now.
"Hey, I've missed this!" Leigh told her defensively. "OK, so Aila...any ideas?"
Aila smirked, more than amused. "I don't know the first thing about hair, love. I usually just wash it and leave it at that. I trust ya, so just do whatever, though no going crazy with the cutting. I like having it long."
Rat watched in amusement as Leigh fiddled with Aila's hair, looking every bit like a kid in a candy store. The hacker relaxed back on the sofa and hugged Bianca. She supposed she really couldn't blame the other clones for looking forward to the party.
Still, she knew she should start getting ready as well. Bianca whined in protest as Rat sat up slowly, clearly not wanting to move. Rat smirked slightly, giving the fluffy dog another hug before moving her away. The hacker stretched and made her way upstairs to shower, before taking her dress out of the closet where it'd been hanging up. While the other clones were out buying their dresses, she'd taken hers to a local dry-cleaners after contacting Beth to make sure it was presentable.
Rat approached the mirror and lightly touched the scar on her throat. While the area was far less tender now, the thin line where she'd been cut showed no signs of getting any lighter. Rat frowned, the sight of the scar forcing images of Helena to flash before her mind's eye. She shuddered slightly. Helena was one clone she'd never be able to forget. The blonde's feral eyes would be forever burned into her memory.
Rat wondered if there was anything she could use to make the scar less noticeable, though she knew finding that answer would involve consulting the internet, which she really didn't have time for...or consulting Leigh.
Rat grumbled slightly to herself, knowing which option would probably be more effective. Throwing on a clean pair of street clothes for now, the hacker left her dress lying across her bed and went downstairs. She reluctantly approached Leigh, who was sweeping up bits of hair off of the floor. Aila and Katja were nowhere around, and Rat figured they were getting ready in their own rooms.
"Got a minute?" she asked.
"Yeah, what is it?" Leigh asked. She continued sweeping and binned the stray hairs while Rat watched her uncomfortably. Leigh raised her eyebrows when Rat still didn't say anything. "What is it?" she asked again.
"I'd like your opinion on something," Rat managed in spite of herself.
Leigh froze for a split second. "Right..." she responded, apparently unconvinced. She watched as Rat's hand found its way to her throat of its own accord, her fingers lightly touching the scar.
"How's best to cover this up?"
Leigh stared. Rat stared back, refusing to appear fazed or self conscience in any way. She tried to make the question sound casual, and for a moment, Leigh believed her...but she was sure she saw a glint of nervousness on the hacker's face, if only for a second.
"It really doesn't look that bad, Rat," Leigh tried to assure her.
"That's not what I asked," Rat told her.
Leigh sighed, set down the brush and dustpan, and stood up straight. "There are various creams and ointments you can get to help with scars," she explained reluctantly. "Some are better than others, but then everyone is different. It's not easy to say what'd work best without you trying a few of them, although if you're wanting to cover it tonight, cream won't work anyway. You could use concealer...but I'm not sure I'd advise it so soon."
"Why not?" Rat asked.
"It's still healing," Leigh said with a shrug. "I don't think make-up would mess with it too much, but you can never be too careful. If you really want to cover it, I'd wear a scarf or something, just for tonight. I have hundreds. You can borrow one if you want. I'm bound to have one that'll go with your dress, so it's up to you."
Rat stared at her for a moment before turning away. "That won't be necessary. Thanks anyway."
Leigh watched Rat disappear from the room with a frown. She put her make-up away before heading to her own room to get ready. While out shopping, she'd found a dark blue evening gown which was simple in its design, but very pretty and not too expensive. After putting the dress on, Leigh found that she couldn't help feeling giddy again as she applied her own make-up in the mirror.
Aila was more or less ready to go as well. The doctor had selected an elegant black dress as well as a shiny golden necklace, and surprisingly wasn't wearing any pink at all. Leigh grinned at her when she returned to the living room. "Holy shit. Never thought I'd see the day when you weren't wearing any pink. It's a bit odd," she teased.
Aila laughed and stuck her tongue out. "Hush you," she said with a light shove. "Where are Rat and Katja? It's almost time to go."
"Hell knows," Leigh shrugged, before grinning again. "Still don't think Rat's gonna actually wear a dress, do you?"
Aila smirked. "Guess we'll see."
Katja appeared at the staircase, wearing a long, dark red dress. It matched up well with her new hair. Close behind her was Rat, who was in fact wearing a dress. Hers was white silk with a gold trim. It looked fairly old, but well-maintained. Somehow the white colour made Rat appear less pale.
"Woah...that's so pretty!" Aila exclaimed.
Rat nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. She looked at the clock instead. "We should probably head out soon."
"Vait von moment," Katja spoke up. She lifted up her laptop lid and began searching for something. Rat stared, bewildered, wondering what on earth Katja wanted the laptop for at a time like this. "Vee must take a picture."
A pause followed.
"Are you serious?" Rat groaned, but Leigh and Aila smiled a bit.
"Oh come on, vhy not? Vee look vonderful."
Rat found she didn't have the heart to argue with her sister. Anything to give her one night with any sense of normality...
Leigh and Aila gathered around the laptop when Katja gestured for them to do so. She started up the webcam, which wouldn't produce a perfect quality photograph, but nobody had a camera. They were happy enough to let Katja capture the memory.
"Rat," Katja said, beckoning her sister forward. Rat resisted the urge to roll her eyes and shuffled in awkwardly next to Katja, who held the laptop out at arm's length to fit everyone on the screen. "Smile!"
Katja took the photo and grinned proudly at it. "I vill cherish it forever," she teased, causing Rat to shake her head in defeat and the others to laugh.
"Let's go already," Rat insisted. "No more wasting time."
With that, the Swiss clone walked outside and flagged down a taxi. She hoped this situation with Danielle would be an easy one...but then again, she knew that very few things in their lives were easy.