As soon as the siblings walked back into their apartment the air between Juni and Keahi was thick and precarious. One wrong breath from Keahi would tip Juni over the edge.
"Go clean yourself up properly."
Keahi looked as if he was going to say something but clearly thought better of it and went to the bathroom. Juni's voice was dangerous and threatening. She walked over to the huge windows and watched as tiny lights went off. Makis and Themi were alone in the hallway by the front door watching but not interfering. They could hear the running water from the bathroom and the deep breathing of Juni. Themi felt another wave of sadness pushing the at ready tears back to her eyes but she was well aware she could not cry now. Not with Juni so close and Makis who had already been so patient with her. Wide eyed she looked up to Makis who just smiled at her.
"Get to bed Themi."
His voice was barely a whisper. Juni didn't notice the siblings at all.
"Thank you Makis."
"For what?"
"Understanding, I guess."
She walked quietly but quickly to her room. She shut the door and leaned up against it. While her hand hunted down her pendant her eyes finally released their hold and tears fell onto her cheeks once more. She could cry more freely but the sobs she held back choked her. Makis took his jacket off and went into the kitchen. He filled a slim glass with water and stood silent. She had thanked him for understanding, but he didn't. Not in the way she needed. He felt the fear of everyone there while he knew the injustice of only a few of them screamed at his sister. What he felt should have overwhelmed him like it did her but he was older and knew how to lessen the blow. He shook his head as if trying to disagree with a thought. The thought being maybe justice, injustice, and hope were a bigger thing than fear. Suddenly Juni's head flicked up and she narrowed her eyes towards the hallway leading to the bedrooms and then the kitchen.
Christopher was shaken awake, he judged it was Ruth but only from the tut that came after his startled body jerked awake.
"Honestly you'd think you were a teenager the way you sleep not a man of 34."
She rolled her eyes had he stretched.
"Yeah? Well sleeping in a chair is a tad awkward wouldn't you say?"
She looked at some paper on her clipboard. At first Christopher didn't think she had heard him until a full three, long, awkward beats later she replied sharply.
"Well you have a perfectly good bed somewhere going to waste."
Finally after unwinding the muscles in his painful neck he stood. He was alot taller than Ruth but she scared the shit out of him.
"How is he?"
"Hmm?"
"Bran. Or has something else happened while I've been asleep?"
He rolled his eyes. He hoped he had got away with that little remark until she smacked him with the clipboard.
"Are you sure you're 34? Sarcasm like that comes from the youth here not the men. Now I know why you sleep alone if you're like this after you wake up!"
"Just, is Bran okay?"
"He is fine. A few scars are coming his way but hopefully they won't be anything too major. As I said early. He has been asleep for a while and I have practically had to ban Diamond from the wing. I'm surprised you didn't hear her."
"Bad was she?"
"Oh you know practically breaking the door down. As I said I am surprised you stayed asleep."
She looked him up and down then gave a small tut.
"You'd be great in an emergency."
He put his hand behind his neck and rubbed it gently.
"Yeah, I guess it was a eventful night, I must have fell deeper asleep than I wanted to."
"So go to sleep, in your bed. I bet it's the only thing around here that's missed you."
She winked...she actually winked at him.
"Are you making jokes now?"
"Well I am often in a good mood when I have a success. Bran will be fine, as long as Diamond stays away for a bit. I don't know about that girl. She is a tad melodramatic."
"Hey she's young with a crush. You remember what that's like right?"
She thought for a moment.
"No."
And walked back into her office awaiting the next casualty that should come through her door. He stood there until his thoughts calmed. Bran would be okay. He smiled to himself. Diamond and Bran along with Ruth making jokes had decidedly cheered him up. His thoughts of Themi and her siblings had seemed to have left him for now. He could remember them but they didn't scare him as much as they did last night. They were just there like elevator music. Only there in the background but not the centre of his attention. He walked back into the general area that housed the garden. He could smell the roses and walked towards the scent. Beautiful roses greeted him. They had combined their colour over the years. They were red and blue, creating stunning patterns. Not one flower was the same as the other. This normally wouldn't happen, he knew that, cross breeding in flowers didn't usually hold this long. He also knew this was no longer the real world. This was a battle ground. He touched the smooth velvet of the petals and smiled.
"Oi, stop feeling up the flora!"
"Hello David."
"How's our man?"
"He's asleep but he is going to be okay."
He finally turned to look at David. He looked sort of shifty.
"What's up?"
"The big E wants to see you. He has already talked to Lewis and I about, well you know, now he wants to talk to you. I said you were busy with Bran and tending his wounds and all that bullshit but he sent me with a message."
"A message?"
"Yeah."
"What message?"
"Get your fucking arse there now."
"Ah, he has such a way with words doesn't he."
"Yeah, now go leave the poor plant in peace!"
Elijah wasn't really their leader but he was the guy who gave the jobs out so that kind of made him their leader. They didn't hide him away like many underground groups would have done with their 'leader' in fact Elijah loved getting involved. The walk to Elijah took less time than Christopher had wanted. He didn't knock, Elijah had summoned him so what was the point of knocking if he was expected. As soon as his foot crossed the threshold.
"What the fuck happened!"
