Perfect School

Once back inside I took a quick shower, then with Kyra's help we made lunch.  And as everyone else shuffled in from training I was sitting on the couch with my food while Kyra was just coming down from her shower.  I didn't look up at the others, choosing instead to focus on my food and just telling them that there was plenty made for everyone.

Jonah:

I could tell that Kira was annoyed. She was showing it more now than she ever had before. I sat down at the table with Evelyn for lunch. my lips twitched with unpleasantness at the first bit. From then I picked out what green peppers and mushrooms I could. Normally I wouldn't have thought they had done it on purpose, but now I figured they had. It was an interesting development.

The next couple practices I paid little attention to Kira. She made zero mistakes. I knew I had to do something else to get a rise out of her. I had to be careful with Evelyn though, she was beginning to be less agreeable. She had questioned me about Kira once, and why I ignored her. She took my explanation, but I knew she didn’t entirely believe me. It was simply a matter of seducing her under the right circumstances.

I got my chance a few nights later and it couldn’t have played out better. We were in the bathroom together undressing each other for a shower after messing around in the gym late at night. She was naked and I was nearly so when I pulled her into a kiss. That was when the bathroom door opened.

My plan had been to be somewhat loud in the shower, but this was better. The light in the bathroom was off, but we were backlit by the light in Eve’s room. We broke apart. My gaze met Kira’s for a split second before she hastily closed the door.

She didn’t look at us during the next practice. It was clear that she hadn’t slept well. Even so she made few mistakes, but the first time she made one significant enough to mention. I called her out.

“Kira, we need to talk about your abilities lately,” I said after I walked up to her. The other’s watched us, Kyra with fire in her eyes but this time she held her tongue. It was the first time in a long time that I had been this close to Kira and actually looked her in the face while speaking to her.

I panted softly and stared up at him. I was tired, beyond tired actually. "Fine. Where?" Over the course of the next few days I worked harder to be perfect, pushing through the exhaustion but it came at a price. I slept more, and during the breaks between lessons I dozed on the couch as best I could or in the rare moments Jonah wasn't with Evelyn I dozed in my room. But it wasn't restful sleep and in the mirror in the morning I could see bags slowly forming under my eyes.

And this training session I had been trying to give my all once more. There wasn't joy in my face at being close to him. There was tiredness, disappointment, and a few shards of cold anger.

Jonah:

I took her out of the training building and around the corner outside. There were no cameras out here. I realized as lead her out that for anyone else, this was an incredibly dangerous situation. You weren't supposed to antagonize a deadly animal. Marie had called my attitude arrogance, but it was confidence. Confidence that I could handle Kira should she strike out. I knew her movements too well to be caught off guard.

"You're slipping, Kira," I told her. I looked at her without kindness. The memory of our last private conversation swam through my thoughts. I had been so close. I had kissed her on the neck, and she had liked it. It felt like it had been years ago now.

"I wonder whose obsession is making me slip." The snap slipped out even as I pressed a hand to my temple and rested the other one on my hip. I would have had better control over my tongue but his words got to me. It was his fault, he was doing it, and he knew he was doing it but still he tried turning it around on me. It was infuriating, it was dangerous, and for perhaps the first time I was beginning to think about what would happen if I seriously tried to attack him.

Jonah:

I was surprised for a split second that she had gathered that much. I had all but ignored her before today. I looked down at her, perfectly calm. I knew it would infuriate her more than anything, that I was handling this better than her.

"It's childish to blame someone else for your mistakes. Do you think Marie would accept that answer? You should be able to perform at your best no matter the situation. You’re slipping because you’re letting yourself be effected. I’m disappointed in you,” I told her. There was something so satisfying about being close to her like this, even if she was angry. I didn’t care how she felt. I only cared why she felt that way

“The question it, why is it bothering you? You never cared about anything else I’ve done.” I knew it wasn’t true, I had gotten reactions from her before, particularly the weeks leading up before she left. “Being treated well isn’t want gets you. Ignoring you, putting a strain on you, that’s what it is. That’s what bothers you. Maybe I would get a better result if I treated you like the guy in the suit did.” It was a sickening, cheap shot. I hated the man. I wanted to kill him myself for what he had done. But if it gat a reaction from her to feed my addiction, it was enough.

"Childish?" I settled a cold glare at him. He wasn't wrong, Marie wouldn't have tolerated such a thing from me. I should have adapted better. "This coming from the guy who has had two relationships just to get a reaction from me. Who goes out of his way to not acknowledge my presence, gets pettily jealous when I communicate with others. And I am being the child? Jonah you are obsessed with me." A bit of a snarl entered my voice halfway through.

"I care when it effects me Jonah. I don't care if you want to ignore me, sleep with whomever, keep me up at night, whatever. But when you do all those things to get a rise out of me and then throw the blame on me as if it was my fault. Perhaps if you controlled yourself you'd be a better leader." My hands clenched into fists and my gaze was blazing with rage as I glared up at him.

And then just as quickly as my temper flared up it was doused. Him mentioning the man in the suit had me flinch, look away, and take an involuntary slight step back. As hot as my temper had burned just a moment ago it returned the other way into an icy fury with a deadly sharpness. "Is that a threat Jonah?" I asked softly.

Jonah:

“No. It is not a threat, Kira. It’s an observation. I would never touch you under unequal circumstances,” I said, my eyes narrowing. It was true, I wouldn’t touch her in any situation when I knew it was unwelcome. During our last conversation when I had held her, I had backed off when she shoved me. I didn’t like that she flinched now. She had never looked at me in that way before.

“Not everything is about you. I wasn’t with Emily or Evelyn because of you. They offered something you can’t. You say I’m obsessed? Kira, I don’t care about you anymore. I did, for a long time, but you threw that in my face. I put years’ worth of effort to unravel you. But I’ve heard you loud and clear now. This isn’t about you.

“You can’t handle the inconvenience of people living life around you? Then leave. Go back to Marie. Explain to her why you left. Explain to her that you were too weak to stand it. Tell her how my lack of attention to you, my being with someone else, tell her how that bothered you. In this situation, who do you really think she would be disappointed in?” It was one of the rare occasions where I was speaking without carefully considering my words. I was fed up with her. I was angry at her. And it was all coming out.

“You got yourself here. I’m doing what Marie wants me to. She said not to look at you. She said not to touch you. That’s a job for someone else. I won’t be punished for you again. But if you’re really that fragile then run back to Marie like you did last time.”

I kept the distance between us. He had seen what the man had done to me, and yet he'd chosen to bring the man in the suit into it. Even though I was glaring at him coldly my posture was defensive. "You don't care? Then you wouldn't have pulled me away like this over a minor mistake. I'm not infallable. If I was I would never have been brought to the school in the first place. Expecting a higher standard? Bullshit." My eyes narrowed at him and I laughed suddenly.

"You're enjoying this." My head cocked to the side a bit, "You really are...but it's no one's job to touch me."

Jonah:

"No? Really?" I said in a mocking tone, choosing to ignore the comment about enjoying it. She wasn't wrong. There was an odd pleasure to being here hot and angry at each other. It was another form of passion.

"So was Marie lying then? She just fabricated the pictures I saw? Man, you have one close look-alike." It was all sarcastic, but it was the first time it had occurred to me. Was there a possibility that she had a look-alike pose for pictures simply to dissuade me? I wanted it to be true.

I paused, confusion flickering across my eyes before understanding hit me. "What? They took pictures?" Confusion gave way to shock, cold anger into embarrassment. She looked away from him, eyes searching the empty air as if it might hold answers. She found she wasn't surprised that Marie had wanted proof of some sort. But them being shared? Pictures? Her cheeks burned in shame and embarrassment.

Who else could have been shown? What had Jonah seen? Her stomach gave a painful lurch as adrenaline coursed through her. Her brain was in too much shock and so she was reduced to instincts. Fight or flight. With no real cause for her to fight, nothing cornering her. Her body did the last option availible to it. She ran. Not far simply into the woods until she was out of view of the building, our of view of cameras. It was there she found a tree, and it was there that her stomach protested having anything inside of it even as her body trembled.

Jonah:

Her reaction confirmed it for me. It was true. But then something interesting happened. I saw emotions cross her face that had never been there before, not that I had seen at least, and I had seen a lot of her. My mind instantly went into analyzation mode. What had she thought? What had she felt? Why did she run?

She had been overwhelmed, trapped. Like she had been when I tried to convince her to be with me. Like she had when she met her parents. She was breaking. Did I want that? Only if it meant that I would be able to open her. But like last time, she would run to Marie.

Except one of the micro expressions had been betrayal, and it wasn't toward me. Marie had pushed her little weapon to the breaking point. I couldn't let her shatter, not until I could meld her into the shape that I wanted.

So I went after her. I followed her into the woods. "Kira?" I asked my tone not as antagonizing as before. "You didn't know?" It was clear that she hadn't, but what wasn't clear was why she cared.

I held myself against the tree, partially bent over as my arms kept me braced. My eyes were closed and rather than answer I shook my head. After a few moments I found my voice, raspy as it was. "I knew about...being given to someone to take care of...but...not about pictures...Not...them being shared....

I took a moment to spit, the taste of bile having rolled across my tongue though nothing yet had come out. "I've never cared about people seeing my body...never mattered....it's just a body there are countless like it. Some better developed....some less....never had a time for it to come up but wouldn't have cared if I changed in front of any of you..." I swallowed then and shook my head the words dying out in my throat for a moment.

"I left because I couldn't hold my mask anymore...couldn't be the emotionless machine Marie wanted...I left to have it put back...not....not to be given away to someone paid to deal with physical needs..." Sucking in a breath I struggled to control my emotions, control myself. This wasn't what I wanted, wasn't what I ever could have imagined.

Jonah:

My blood ran cold and bubbled with fury. Not the pleasurable kind, but the kind that made me want to murder someone. I thought the issue had been with the pictures, not the act itself. I thought she had gone to Marie for that very reason.

"You didn't want to?" I asked carefully. That was a new atrocity. Marie had gone too far. I had wanted her dead for messing with my mind, possibly permanently, but this was something even more. I wanted her to suffer now.

I shook my head once again. "No...I wanted to be fixed....not....." I gestured for a moment then spit again to clear my mouth fully of the taste. A humorless laugh escaped me then, "All this time and you could have spent thirty seconds asking a question in the beginning. But why would you do that, you are always so sure you are right. That what you believe has to be the truth." I turned to look at him, attempting a glare but it was a pitiful one. "You could even have lied about wanting to know as concern for a friend. Maybe Marie faked the photos. But what friends do you have Jonah. All you have around you are pawns. I'm not any different."

Jonah:

A sick feeling twisted my insides. "Kira," I said and stepped closer. I sighed. "I'm sorry..." I could see it now. All this time I had blamed her for what had happened to me. I hadn't thought that my actions would bring repercussions on her. And for it to be something like that... It sickened me.

An apology wasn't new, but it was rare enough that my anger subsided for a moment and I looked away. "What's done is done...go back to the others. Training isn't over." It was the best dismissal I could offer though I did straighten up. It was also not forgiveness, but the best comment for us to move beyond what had been happening.

Jonah:

I treated Kira better over the next few weeks while we trained for our upcoming mission. I didn’t try to provoke her anymore. My actions with Evelyn were now based simply on the two of us, though I did wonder if Kira had been telling the truth when she said she didn’t care.

There was also a degree of guilt. I was not someone who often was guilty, but I felt that what had happened with Kira was my fault. The whole situation with Marie was sticky. Neither of us could act without bringing trouble to the other. The best thing really was to stay away. So I kept the distance between us, but without the harshness.

Kyra seemed to be slowly getting closer to her. It bothered me that I couldn’t be in her place, but it was best for now. I focused my attention on Evelyn and what she could offer me. I waited until we were packing for the trip to inform the group that the two of us would be leaving after we had accomplished the mission and the four of them would head back here alone. She would only be gone an extra two days, for a side mission

The change was easy to see, and it could be felt. But I was still not sleeping. Though Jonah did better at keeping noise levels down I was already waking up to the slightest noise coming from Evelyn's room and simply resumed going downstairs to sleep on the couch. I kept my contact with Kyra, using her as something of a crutch as I dealt with the onset of emotions my talk with Jonah had brought up. But not once did I bring up the event to Kyra, choosing to bury it within me even if she asked about it.

After another rather sleepless night I yawned as an answer to Jonah's remark of him and Eve heading away for a few days after our mission. Turning from the group I went to gather up the medicine I'd need for the trip as well as extra doses should we take longer than expected. Sealing it within a thermos I was going to pack it with our medical supplies as the others knew it was meant for me. But instead I placed it atop the pile and went into the car to claim the very back seats as my napping place.

Jonah:

Once everyone was packed we drove nearly an hour to get to the train station.  We had a private cart and I used a device that Zero had sent to ensure that the cart was not bugged in any way.  I went over the plans with the team, how things go after Evelyn and I left.  The four of them would be on clean up duty, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.  

Evelyn would be taking me to meet some of her contacts so I could build up my network.  I couldn't tell any of my team back for concern that the news would reach Marie.  I had no doubt that she would react as strongly to this as she had to me making a move on Kira.

Kira:

The first night on the train I checked the medical bag for my medicine, but after searching it, and the rest of our gear I was unable to locate my thermos. Tapping my hand on my thigh I glanced towards the others for a moment before choosing to not bring it up. It was only a vitamin drink, something tailor made for me. I could go a few days without it.

The next day I felt...off. I couldn't quite place what was happening within me as to why I was feeling so strange. The day after was discomfort, I had issues sitting still as a sense of something wrong kept itching at me. The third day however I really felt like something was wrong, I felt pain, full body aches. Lethargy struck me and the team noticed. I brushed it off, tried to turn it into a pointed remark that I was finally catching up on sleep and to leave me alone. The next day was our kill day.

Even waking up I felt like something was more wrong. I felt dizzy, my entire body was in sharp pain. Like I was being eaten alive and stabbed from the inside out. I should have called myself out of the game. Let them do the hit without me. But the plan Jonah had made, put me in the kill seat. I'd be taking him out from a distance. A three story building from the rooftops. We'd scouted it all out the day before. Jonah and Evelyn would be leaving while we did the hit, going off together to take care of something.

It was a chore for me to simply climb the buildings stairs to get into position, fighting off vertigo and nausia.

"Kira are you sure you are up for this?" I heard in my headset. I wasn't sure who it was. I couldn't tell. I was far too out of it.

"We are still a go. I'm fine. Just a headache." I growled back. "Focus on the mission."

Reaching the third floor I moved into position, settled in, and waited. Everyone else had the job of getting the target to the location and Jonah was set up with Evelyn to leave shortly after the hit was done as well as a contingency of killing the target in the chance I missed. My vision kept blurring in and out and even though it was a cool day I was sweating and shivering. Shivers were a snipers worst nightmare. They made the body lock up, made fingers twitch to heartbeats. It meant the gun and bullet could miss by inches or feet depending on the degree of movement and error. I had to account for it as through the scope I saw the target's vehicle move down the street. Through the scope and front window of the vehicle I could see the target was sitting in the back seat in the middle. I took aim. And then my vision went dark, my body seized up, shivers wracked my form, and unintentionally my finger squeezed the trigger. When I came back, when my vision cleared I checked what had happened. I'd done it, the shot tearing through the mans heart at four hundred yards.

"Target down. Hit complete." I called into the mic quietly. A frown curved my lips as I slowly shifted from a prone position to a kneeling one. I'd gotten lucky. Incredibly lucky. That shot hadn't been about skill but about luck. Disassembling the gun I packed it away in its bag, and picked up the casing of my shot. But I frowned as a wave of dizziness hit me. Touching my forehead I frowned, hearing chatter in my ears but unable to make out the words. Little snippets came through.

Congratulations. Did. See. Fun. Train. Zero. Kyra. Kyra...kyra.... I stood slowly and swayed, keying my talk button though I didn't say anything at first. As everything went black, as I began to tip forward, before I passed out and fell three stories onto a car below, I managed to get out three words. "Kyra somethings wrong."

Kyra:

Jonah and Evylyn left as soon as the hit was complete. He said not to contact them unless something was wrong. It ten minutes after the hit that it happened. “Kyra, something’s wrong.” I heard ffrom Kira. It was such an odd thing to hear, it froze me for a second.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. “Kira?” no answer. I spoke quickly to Paublo and Andrew to carry on with clean up ensureing that we wouldn’t be traced back to this. I tried to call Kira again with no response. I was only a couple blocks away.

I took off running. It would take to long to get back to the car and drive there. I heard sirens in the distance. I assumed they were for the car crash caused by the hit.

I rounded the corner, my heart racing. I was going to take the stairs up to the roof, but I saw her before I hade it there. With a string of curses I rushed to her. “Kira? Kira?” I climbed the hood of the car to get to her. My chest ached with fear and adrenalin

“An ambulance is on the way!” I heard someone shout from a window. Fuck. I murmured into my mic frantically for the boys to drop what they were doing and get here now. I told them to retrieve the equipment from the roof before anyone else found it. The sirens got louder. I asked Zero to do anything she could to have the suspicion taken off of us, including having people at the hospital waiting for us. I did all of this while checking Kira’s vitals. She was hot, but she was breathing and she wasn’t bleeding too badly.

I patted her down as best I could without moving her body. I was afraid that her spine might be damaged. I found pocket knife in her jacket, and another knife in her boot. I took the transmitter and the mic and stuffed it all in my jacket pocket.

I heard cars rounding the corner. I was able to pull my hair down and conjure up some tears before they pulled up. I went into full hysterical girl mode when the EMT’s and the police officers came up. Fueled by my own panic and dared, I was more than convincing. While they moved her onto a stretcher I explained through my half fake sobs that we had been on the roof together when she stumbled off and fell.

I rode in the ambulance with her to the hospital. I pulled out my cell phone and called my brother. I couldn’t use the mic while in front of the EMT’s. “Holly fell off the roof. I’m in the ambulance with her now. Meet us at the hospital. Please contact Dad,” I told him. By “Dad” I meant Jonah.

I was left in the waiting room while they took her in to scan her for injuries. Andrew and Paublo joined me nearly an hour later. And, I learned, that my Father was on his way, not Jonah. I called him but he didn’t answer, then I called my dad. He said he would be getting here late tonight.

Next I spoke to Zero to see what she could do for us regarding the authorities. It was a short time later that a couple came in. The police spoke to them, then me again, and eventually they left us alone and the actors went with them.

Zero got Kira transferred to private care so we wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone else and we could actually see her. The doctors told me that she had fallen because she was delirious with a fever, but they couldn’t diagnose what was wrong with her. They treated her wounds and gave her medicine and an IV.

The three of us stayed with her all day. I tried to call Jonah again with no result. I was relieved when my dad showed up, then angry when I saw who was with him.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded of Krissy. She explained that she had been with my father when he got the news. I did not like it, but Krissy seemed unassuming and she stayed back as long as I was with Kira.

My dad got us all rooms and insisted that we take the night to rest. I was reluctant to Leave Kira but the doctors said they would be watching her. I was exhausted from the day and let my family convince me to come back in the morning instead of staying here sleeping on a couch for the night.


Krissy:

I stayed when everyone else left. Kyle saw me do it and he nodded in approval while he took the kids out. I sat in the chair in the corner farthest from the bed for a couple hours. Then when nurses came in to refill her IV bag, I moved up to the bed and took a seat.

When Kyle had told me what happened I went numb. I didn’t know how to process the information that my daughter had fallen from a building and that she was in the hospital. Kyle had been trying to get me used to the idea that I had a daughter. Apparently that was the purpose of this trip. I didn’t expect to actually face her.

Now I was alone with her. My daughter. Her face, while scratched up, was peaceful. She looked like Michael. I inched my chair closer to the bed. My heart hurt, and I had a deep crease between my brows. How could this being exist? Why?

My baby. I never wanted her to exist. But then, miraculously she did, out of impossible odds. I nearly ended the pregnancy when I found out. For weeks I had wanted rid of her but I slowly changed my mind. She was Michael’s child too and that was what really did it. I wanted his baby. I wanted a life with him, including our child.

My chest shuddered. My life had been changed forever by this girl multiple times. I didn’t even know her. I hadn’t even touched her… Not since we had been separated…

I reached out and carefully brushed aside her black hair from her face. She looked young. I cupped her face gently. Droplets fell onto the sheets as I leaned in and kissed her forehead. I wiped away a tear I had left on her cheek and sat back on my chair.

I called Michael, now hopelessly, quietly sobbing. My hand rested over her small arm, the undamaged one. I couldn’t let her go now.

Michael:

I sat on the porch, running my hands over Angel’s fur, picking out burrs she’d picked up on her walk. Cerberus dozed on my feet while Fluffy was up and watching over the herd. A buzzing drew my gaze to my side and switching to rubbing Angel’s head I picked up the phone and after reading who it was I answered it immediately. "Hey sweetheart, you alright?"

"No..." Her voice broke into a sob over the phone.

Worry began to prick through me and gently I nudged Angel off my lap so I could stand, drawing the gaze of all three dogs. "Krissy? What's wrong? What happened?”

"I'm here alone with her."

"Is she okay? Tell me love."

"She's asleep” Her voice was soft, quiet. Quieter than I was ever used to hearing her.

"What did the doctors say?"

"She's not badly hurt. Banged up a bit... And she's sick, but they don't know why..." She paused and I heard her shifting. "She's really warm."

Frowning I went inside, my pack of dogs following along with me as I went into my office and quickly began typing in the password to my computer. "What were the kids...nevermind likely on a job. Do you think it could be cause from foul play?”

"Possibly... Though wouldn't they have hade sure she was dead? Kyra said that she had been acting weird. They think she just passed out.... Michael..." I could hear her sniffling. "She looks like you."

"She had your eyes Krissy...she's our daughter. There is no doubt about that." My heart broke at her sniffles, at her tears. It hurt me to know she was hurting over this. But at the same time it gave me hope, hope that Kira might get to live with us.

“I know… Michael, I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t know how to do this.”

“Neither do I. If it comes down to it. If you decide….if you choose her, want her. We can learn together.”

“She’s practically an adult. There’s no time left to be parents…”

“But she’s not an adult yet. And there are still ways we can help her. We can give her a home. Something she probably doesn’t have. I looked into the school she goes too. On breaks many of the students leave for home, but I bet she remains at the school.”

There was a long pause. “When can you be here? I can’t face her alone when she’s awake. Not after what I said… She probably hates me.”

“Annabeth is able to come tomorrow, I was going to leave the day after as I wanted to make sure and buy all the things she might want or need while she stays at our place. But I can leave sooner, I’ll call her right now. And Krissy...It’s okay to be scared, but she’s still our daughter. We should do something.”

“Please hurry. I can’t stand being here without you. Next time you’re coming on the same flight as me. I don’t want to do this again.”

After saying our goodbyes I focused on the computer, ordering a flight for first thing in the morning. Once that was done I was on the phone with Annabeth, telling her that something had happened and she worked with me to get everything set up so I could go off the next day.

Kira:

I wasn't sure what I noticed first, the lack of pain or the floating feeling. I liked the feeling, and even though I became aware of a quiet beeping of a heart monitor and the general presence of someone else in the room I didn't want to come out of it. It reminded me of floating in a pool. I could just float, float without thinking. But before long other needs had me stirring. I was hungry. Slowly I blinked my eyes open, waiting for the blurriness to fade away and as I turned my head I froze.

Krissy? Why was she here? I didn't want her here. She didn't want to be here I was sure. But she was dozing in her chair against the bed, laying partially on the bed. And it was only then that I noticed her hand on mine, my hand in her other hand. My heart picked up the pace and as the beeping grew quicker she stirred. And as she raised her head I asked softly in a whisper, "Why are you here?"

Krissy:

I woke up when the rhythmic beeping sped up. I blinked rapidly then focused in on her eyes, my eyes. I almost took my hands back, but she hadn't moved hers. It was warm and small in mine. "The twins called Kyle. I came with him," I explained awkwardly, my heart jumping spastically. I didn't know how to be with her. She hated me, didn't she? This was the first time I had ever been alone with my daughter while she was conscious and I had no idea how I was supposed to be a parent for her.

I blinked at her then turned my head up at the ceiling with a little frown. "But you hate me...so maybe I'm dreaming? Dumb dream to be in a hospital." There was no buffer from my head to my lips, a thing I found funny. Briefly my lips curved into a smile before it fell away. "If this is a dream it's pretty bad. But...I remember everything hurting...and blacking out. I was close to the edge...."

Another frown settled on my face and I gazed at the woman sitting beside me. My tone returned to being soft, but it gained an acusitory almost scathing cast to it as I said, "If this is real. Then it took me getting seriously hurt to even want to be around me...." The frown shifted from upset to simply sad. "But you said you didn't want me...so this has to be a dream."