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sllaw

Walls

Ding Dong.

Richard answered the door quickly as if he were waiting right by it. "Almost ready," he announced. "Come in!"

Beta, Hershey, and Matrix did, scanning the area. Many of the family's bags were packed and pushed into the living room, including the baby in the stroller.

"Looks like you lot are ready," Beta commented.

Richard nodded. "Min is, Ah still needs a few minutes. She's packing up a few...relics."

"I'll go help her," Matrix replied quickly, stalking out of the room.

"I...I'm going to be honest," Richard said. "I don't like the idea of Ah leaving after Min and I do, especially with three strangers."

Beta's mouth opened, but for some reason, Hershey sensed what he was going to say wouldn't be comforting. "Well don't think of her as innocent, then," Hershey said, jumping in quickly. "She has Beema and Talon. Think of it as her having two angels watching over her shoulder...and protecting her no matter what." Hershey fidgeted. "Not to mention you've got us doing whatever we have to to keep her safe."

Richard nodded, looking down at his feet and scratching his neck. "I appreciate that," he said. "I really do."

"Ah?"

Matrix continued his descent into the basement. "Woah," he muttered. The basement was cold, but it wasn't worn out like he expected. There was a long couch in the center of the room facing a flat screen T.V. connected to the wall. A light fixture was embedded into the ceiling and a stereo sat on a desk pushed against the wall. It wasn't much, but it was better than the basement Matrix had growing up. Once he got to the bottom of the stairs, he walked around the corner and saw Ah huddling over some boxes.

A lot of boxes.

Too many boxes.

"Are we taking all of these?" Matrix asked.

Ah didn't turn around, looking down at something in her hand. Matrix walked closer, sitting down next to her. He glanced over at the picture frame in her lap.

It was a picture of her, Richard, and Min when she was first born at the hospital. Ah looked worn out and in pain, but in a way so did Richard. Both smiled through the hurt. "You know I was pregnant with her when they got me." Matrix looked at her face now, watching her expression. "I mean, of course Richard nor I knew that at the time. He would've never let me travel alone, but it was the early process of it. When you're vomiting and don't know why...well, of course, I thought it was because of the operation Walker did on me." Ah let out a short laugh, and then let it fade out. Her smile started to dwindle until her face fell neutral. "I...I live every day afraid that Walker did something to her...to Min." Ah took in a sharp breath, hanging her head. "I don't want her to be a part of this...I can't let her be."

"Hey," Matrix said, putting a hand on her arm. "There's absolutely no way we're going to let that happen." Matrix tried to catch her eye. "Even if she's got hair growing out of her eyes...we won't let the Syncs get to her."

Ah sniffed, turning to look at him with tears in her eyes. "I want to say thank you..." She sniffed again. "But the hairy eye thing was too far."

"Okay okay," Matrix said as she started to full-on cry. "Sorry. No eyes, no hair, just a beautiful baby; a wonderful child..." Matrix got Ah to calm down a little. "I mean you birthed her; did she feel evil to you?"

Ah's mouth twitched, a smile blooming. "No...she was perfect."

"Then she still is," Matrix confirmed. Ah leaned on his shoulder, sniffing some more before taking her glasses off and wiping her eyes. Matrix sat there for a few seconds before coming up with the question he really wanted to ask.