rush already?
I look away, guilt gnawing at me.
***
"So what didn't you tell us?" Noelle asks that night.
"It's lights out again," I say, staring at the ceiling rather than looking at her. "We're supposed to be asleep."
"I only have a little bit of time in this time," she says. "Do you really think I want to waste it sleeping? What's going on? Does it have to do with Cold Steel--Jack? Did he say something to you?"
"Jack?" I say, trying to figure out where he even came into this. Oh, right. She saw me and him talking/arguing/whatever earlier. "Not really. It's... family business." I finally look over at her, Nico's comments about her being an assassin playing in my mind. "Why DID you come to this time?" I ask her.
"I... it's REAL family business," she says snottily before turning so her back is to me. "It's lights out. Go to sleep."
Real family business? Is she trying to say mine is fake family business? That little brat! I glare at her in the dark for a moment before rolling over so my back is to her, as well.
***
"Do you really think this is a smart idea?" Ken asks as Nico steps out of his apartment, ready to go to school. Nico looks over at the twins, then back at Ken.
"How about we discuss this later?" he asks mildly. "I need to get to work."
"You can be late," Ken says. "I've already sent the boys down, your kids will be perfectly fine going without you. We need to talk."
"Fine. Go on, guys, I'll be there soon enough," Nico says. Zoe hesitates and he can already see what she's thinking. "Go, Zoe," he repeats more firmly. Zoe is still far too nosy for her own good.
Reluctantly the twins start down the stairs and Nico silently mutters a curse as the door opens again. Summer comes out, looking at them for a moment before holding the door open wider. "I think we can discuss this inside?" she offers. "Is Jeanie joining us?"
"She has cape business this morning," Ken says. "She's being interviewed."
"Fine, then let's get this over with," Nico says as he goes inside. Ken follows him, closing the door behind him.
"Bringing a teenage girl that's had a difficult past into the Cape Cells is NOT a good idea," Ken starts out. "The only close ties she has are kids that have the same sort of problems as she does. It'll be far too easy for her father to manipulate her--"
"Wait," Nico says, holding up a hand. "Take a deep breath. A thirty minute visit with Double M on one side and me on the other isn't going to give him the chance to try and talk her into something. He'll be able to ask her how she's doing, what she's been doing since he last saw her, things like that."
"You're underestimating the desire for love, Nico," Ken says seriously. "For family. I would be happy to reunite her with her father if I knew he was mentally stable, but from the reports I've seen, he is absolutely not."
"He's a little strange, sure, but I wouldn't call him unstable," Nico says, frowning at the thought. "I've talked to him a few times, he's just a bit strange is all. It's to be expected from a cape that powerful."
"No, Nico, YOU are a little strange. Shawn Matkey is a certified sociopath," Ken says, bluntly.
"Thanks for that evaluation," Nico drawls. He looks at Summer. "You're being remarkably silent," he complains. "Don't you have something to say in this argument?"
"I... see both angles," Summer admits. "I would have wanted my children to see you while you were in the cells, they grew up not knowing their own father, but at the same time... if Mimic is a sociopath with those abilities, I'm not sure... perhaps a one time thing?" she says. "To reassure Morgan. It's too late to take back the offer, she'd be heartbroken. You understand, don't you, Ken?"
Ken hesitates, running a hand over his face. "I want to believe that everyone can be saved," he says quietly, looking at them with a serious expression. "That there's hope
I look away, guilt gnawing at me.
***
"So what didn't you tell us?" Noelle asks that night.
"It's lights out again," I say, staring at the ceiling rather than looking at her. "We're supposed to be asleep."
"I only have a little bit of time in this time," she says. "Do you really think I want to waste it sleeping? What's going on? Does it have to do with Cold Steel--Jack? Did he say something to you?"
"Jack?" I say, trying to figure out where he even came into this. Oh, right. She saw me and him talking/arguing/whatever earlier. "Not really. It's... family business." I finally look over at her, Nico's comments about her being an assassin playing in my mind. "Why DID you come to this time?" I ask her.
"I... it's REAL family business," she says snottily before turning so her back is to me. "It's lights out. Go to sleep."
Real family business? Is she trying to say mine is fake family business? That little brat! I glare at her in the dark for a moment before rolling over so my back is to her, as well.
***
"Do you really think this is a smart idea?" Ken asks as Nico steps out of his apartment, ready to go to school. Nico looks over at the twins, then back at Ken.
"How about we discuss this later?" he asks mildly. "I need to get to work."
"You can be late," Ken says. "I've already sent the boys down, your kids will be perfectly fine going without you. We need to talk."
"Fine. Go on, guys, I'll be there soon enough," Nico says. Zoe hesitates and he can already see what she's thinking. "Go, Zoe," he repeats more firmly. Zoe is still far too nosy for her own good.
Reluctantly the twins start down the stairs and Nico silently mutters a curse as the door opens again. Summer comes out, looking at them for a moment before holding the door open wider. "I think we can discuss this inside?" she offers. "Is Jeanie joining us?"
"She has cape business this morning," Ken says. "She's being interviewed."
"Fine, then let's get this over with," Nico says as he goes inside. Ken follows him, closing the door behind him.
"Bringing a teenage girl that's had a difficult past into the Cape Cells is NOT a good idea," Ken starts out. "The only close ties she has are kids that have the same sort of problems as she does. It'll be far too easy for her father to manipulate her--"
"Wait," Nico says, holding up a hand. "Take a deep breath. A thirty minute visit with Double M on one side and me on the other isn't going to give him the chance to try and talk her into something. He'll be able to ask her how she's doing, what she's been doing since he last saw her, things like that."
"You're underestimating the desire for love, Nico," Ken says seriously. "For family. I would be happy to reunite her with her father if I knew he was mentally stable, but from the reports I've seen, he is absolutely not."
"He's a little strange, sure, but I wouldn't call him unstable," Nico says, frowning at the thought. "I've talked to him a few times, he's just a bit strange is all. It's to be expected from a cape that powerful."
"No, Nico, YOU are a little strange. Shawn Matkey is a certified sociopath," Ken says, bluntly.
"Thanks for that evaluation," Nico drawls. He looks at Summer. "You're being remarkably silent," he complains. "Don't you have something to say in this argument?"
"I... see both angles," Summer admits. "I would have wanted my children to see you while you were in the cells, they grew up not knowing their own father, but at the same time... if Mimic is a sociopath with those abilities, I'm not sure... perhaps a one time thing?" she says. "To reassure Morgan. It's too late to take back the offer, she'd be heartbroken. You understand, don't you, Ken?"
Ken hesitates, running a hand over his face. "I want to believe that everyone can be saved," he says quietly, looking at them with a serious expression. "That there's hope
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