The next day passed slowly for Calli. The children were being allowed time to adjust to Arhome, especially Rina who seemed entranced with the slowly moving river running through its middle. The water was pure, good for drinking or bathing, and all the children of Arhome were taught to swim. The twins' foster mother Mattie was looking after the kids while Aileen recuperated. She and Joe were with Calli when she told the twins about their father.

Calli tried to hug Rose. The little girl was stiff in her arms, pushing away. James glared at her, his fists clenched, his honey brown eyes accusing.

"It's your fault!", he shouted. "If it wasn't for you Dad would be alive." He ran from the room to hide his tears. Calli released Rose who ran sobbing after him.

"James! Rose!", Mattie called, starting after them, but Calli caught her arm.

"Let them go. They have each other.", she choked, her voice tight with her pain.

The twins shunned their mother, clinging to each other and their foster family. Calli didn't try to approach them again. They were only 10 and had adored their father. They always looked forward to the time he spent in Arhome or their trips to Baton Rouge to visit their relatives and friends there. They were confused, hurt and angry. Calli didn't know how to handle grief and was glad for Mattie and Joe and Lori and Joel, who had always been family to them and comforted the twins. She didn't know how.

Calli was in her room in Arhome with nothing to do. She had promised Aileen she would get some rest but tomorrow she would return to the hotel. Aileen and the children were safe. The large household had all retired hours ago. The night was hot with a sultry wind blowing in her window. She brooded over Jack's death, lying in the bed they had shared so many times, finally falling into an exhausted sleep.

Calli stirred, mumbling, agitated, dreaming. "No", she mutterd. "No, Jack…." Jack stood with his back to her. "Jack", she said imploringly. "I'm sorry, please.." He turned to look at her, his skin falling off, his beautiful bronze hair hanging in dead clumps, a ghoul grimace on his ghoul features. Only his golden cat eyes were the same, staring, accusing, the mouth grimacing, opening, 'your fault' the apparition said.

The scream tore through the still night air. "No-o-o-o-o". Aileen leapt from her bed, snapping open the door to the adjoining room. Calli was storming wild-eyed about the room, hurling objects at random, screaming hysterically. Aileen knew the little warrior well. She knew she could break her in two without effort. She didn't hesitate. Stepping into the room she grabbed the small woman.

"Calli', she yelled as the wild eyes turned on her. "Stop it! Calli!" She shook the small figure then pulled her roughly to her extended abdomen.

Calli collapsed into the embrace of her sister wife. "I couldn't", she sobbed. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't. I should have saved him. He was GECK, Aileen, he shouldn't have died. He would have healed! I didn't get to him in time, I couldn't stop the bleeders. That stupid doctor, that stupid, stupid doctor, he should have tried to help him."

"I know. It's all right, Calli. I know you did everything you could. You can't blame yourself. Calli, listen, Jack knew the risks. He knew you had powerful enemies. He decided to take that risk. He did Calli, not you. He had powerful enemies too you know. None of this is your fault." Calli sniffled, holding tight to Aileen.

"I had to bring you here.", she babbled. "I couldn't bear it if I lost you too. He wanted me to keep you safe. I had to keep you safe, Aileen." Aileen gently stroked the shiny silver hair.

"I know", she said softly. "you did what you had to do. It's going to be all right. You'll see." Her tears fell to mix with those of her warrior sister wife, her heart breaking for herself and the small woman holding onto her as if she were holding onto life itself.

Calli had said goodbye to the children up at the house, promising to return as soon as she could. James refused to come see her and Rose, torn between her loyalty to her brother and her love for the woman who came and went in their lives so abruptly, stayed with James. Calli didn't remark on their absence. Aileen had come with her to the shuttle.

"I wish you could stay at least until after the birth.", Aileen said. Calli shook her head.

"I have to get back. There're things I need to take care of. Dr. Wilson is an excellent physician. He'll take good care of you."

"I know." Aileen's voice was soft but deadly cold. "I just wish I could go with you." Calli took her hands in her gloved ones.

"Don't worry" she said quietly. "I'll avenge him for both of us. There's no one I'd rather have with me but you belong here now. You're dead to the wasteland. But I promise you, someday I'll take you to where he lies, and we'll take his bones to the ocean. He doesn't really belong in the wasteland."

Aileen smiled crookedly. "I'll keep you to that, sister.", she said.

Without the burden of the pregnant woman and children Calli made the return trip to Tenpenny Hotel in less than a day. She had signaled Hawk from the hill next to the Hotel that she was back, then slipped into the tunnels. At the agreed time he would replace the suite guard's wine with drugged wine, being careful not to be seen. He would then take the elevator down and wait for the disturbance at the front gate that Calli would orchestrate. Once the guard went to see what was happening he would slip into the tunnels while Calli came out and made her way to the suite. They wouldn't even know she had been gone. It was risky, but she had done riskier things and as it happened it worked to perfection.

Hawk activated the intercom and was admitted without incident.

"What's going on?" he grumbled, looking around at the flurry of activity.

"Some damn fool lobbed smoke grenades over the wall. We couldn't catch em, though. The boss is pretty ticked.", Frank snickered. Hawk just grunted.

"Are you going up to your suite?", Frank asked.

"Yes" Hawk answered. "Why?"

"They're all pretty sick up there.", Frank warned. Hawk grunted.

"Then I'd better check on them.", he growled and went into the lobby.

"Hey, Hawk." the Commander greeted him."You going up there? You better tell me what's going on. The suite's locked, and Calli doesn't answer the com. If she doesn't answer soon we're gonna break in. We were just waiting for you to come back since she did pay for 3 weeks."

Hawk frowned at him. "Frank says they're all sick. I gotta go check on them."

"Ya, well, just let me know." he said, returning to his paperwork.

Hawk hurried to the elevator before anyone else could stop him. He stopped by the guard and injected him with a stimulant. He began to show signs of waking. Hawk waited until he was sure the guard was awake and then knocked on the door of their suite, making sure the guard noticed. He wasn't likely to admit he'd fallen asleep if he valued his life.

Calli opened the door and peered out. "Oh, Hawk, I'm so glad you're back", she wailed. "It's just awful…" she closed the door behind him.

"How did it go?" he asked the no longer distraught looking woman.

"About as planned," she said, returning to her task of stuffing a bundle to make it look like a small child was in it. She considered the result and sighed. She added some decomposing meat Hawk had saved from his meals as it was unlikely all of them had died at the same time. "We won't add any meat to the large bundle as supposedly Aileen just dies tonight, so she won't smell yet. Help me finish the bundles, will you?" They worked diligently until they had two small and two large bundles, looking very much as though they contained human remains, and smelling of death.

The next morning Calli called down to the Commander.

"They've all died" she reported. "Aileen went this morning. I've finished bundling them up, so they won't spread the illness while I bring them out. You're going to have to keep people out of the lobby while we take them away."

The Commander listened grimly. "I'll take care of it."

Calli picked up a small bundle and carried it to the elevator. The Commander wasn't afraid Calli or Hawk would spread the disease since the resident doctor had told him mutants didn't get it.

The lobby was empty of all but the Commander. Hawk was carrying the largest bundle. They strode determinedly to the front gate and placed the bundles on the ground outside. Calli stood guard over them, ostensibly to keep anyone from approaching and getting contaminated, while Hawk made the trips to bring out the remaining bundles.

She went back to the Commander, though keeping her distance.

"The room will need decontaminated with lots of soap and hot water.", she said. "I've left 500 caps up there to pay for it, but be sure you wash them before you touch them with bare hands. I'll watch over the bodies and make sure no one comes near them while Hawk finds a cart to take them away. We'll burn them out in the wasteland."

The Commander nodded. "Oh, and Calli," he said. "Don't hurry back."

They stood watching the pyre containing the 'bodies'. It had contained enough foul meat to make the smell seem appropriate, and they piled sufficient brush on top as well as underneath to hide the true nature of the bundles. They stood watch, taking turns guarding the pyre, until it had burned to ashes, and had then scattered the ashes, ostensibly removing bone as they picked items from the debris and placed them in small baskets they took with them. They would take them to the river and scatter them on the water, efficiently keeping the Enclave from becoming suspicious when no bones could be found.

They had noticed the Enclave spies hovering nearby to watch the spectacle and had no doubt they would inform their superiors Jack's family was dead and gone. That made them even more dangerous to the partners, but they figured the Enclave wouldn't take any direct action just yet. The wasteland had reacted badly to the debacle of Jack's kidnapping and the death of his family. The Enclave superiors would try to lie low for a bit.

It took several days to make it back to Rivet City since they got waylaid by a band of raiders, then attacked by a trio of mercs who had come across their trail. They had heard about her husband's family and thought maybe she would be easier to take if she was overwhelmed by grief. They thought wrong. By the time they got there they had a good supply of weapons to unload from various unlucky creatures, human and otherwise, who hadn't had the good sense to not attack the heavily armed duo.

After a good afternoon of trading in the market they spent several hours drinking in the bar, gossiping and visiting with old friends, accepting condolences on the deaths of Calli's husband's family. Rumor was rife about Jack but no one had any hard facts. Other than a brief statement Calli made to a resident in public, where she was sure to be overheard, she simply refused to talk about him. The 'slip' would inform the wasteland Jack had been severely injured which the Enclave already knew, and would never walk again. She merely said he was being taken care of when questioned then changed the subject. As far as the wasteland was concerned all her loved ones were gone. She knew that the Enclave would eventually find her hidden city but the longer she could keep that from happening the more time Arhome had to build and grow and prepare to defend herself.