One Of The 4400 Part 1 & 2

Chapter 3

"Y-You..." I said in shock. No words were coming out. I struggled with trying to say my words. Vance and Holly looked at me with vivid concern, their daughter, Laney, was looking at me like I'm crazy.

Finally, something in me deflated. I got down on my knees and looked at Laney. I smiled cheerfully as I can and said, "Hi, Laney. It's... nice to meet you." I extended my hand.

"Hi," Laney said, smiling shyly. She shook my hand. Then her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "How come I never met you before?" She asked.

I could see Holly wanting to say something but Vance stopped her with a small nudge to her shoulder. It was up to me to answer for years I've been gone, never seeing my own niece for all of her seven years of age.

"I...had a trip to go to around the time you were born. Couldn't come back. It was in India. I spent the rest of the years helping people with food." I lied.

India was the place I wanted to go before I was abducted. I had wanted to join the corps helping the people there when Vance was supposed to came back from the military.

Now that those years were gone, I had no idea what I wanted to do...

"That's cool, did you see any elephants?" Laney asked me. I nodded my head. "Are they like the ones I see in the cartoons?" She asked me.

"Pretty much but way bigger..." I answered.

"I have a pet elephant in my room, want to go see it?" Laney asked, once again smiling shyly.

"Oh honey, that may not be g--" Holly started to say. I knew she wanted me to catch up on everyone's years without me.

Laney looked at her mother and back at me. Her hazel eyes huge. "You look like mommy, Aunt Vera." She commented.

'I could've been your mother, Laney.' I thought.

"Mommy, can I please show Aunt Vera my pet elephant?" Laney resolutely asked Holly.

"Sure," she said weakly. Tears were threatening to come out of her eyes.

Laney grabbed my hand and started leading me past Holly and Vance, we were walking up the stairs.