Sister, Sister.....

[Ashla Marr]

Kira had finished her lunch that Simon had made for them. It wasn't the best that he had made in the past, but it was still very tasty. She smiled as she ran her hand over her belly rubbing it, 'ugh he is determined to make me fat' she thought noting her full belly while dismissing her small frame. Just as the thought entered her mind, she glanced over at where Richard had been sitting during that stressful meeting. In that moment fear entered her mind as she questioned if those thoughts were being spied upon. slowly her thoughts became filled with concern. She couldn't deny the helpless feelings when it came to his intrusions. She hated the idea that he had so easily, so without care, invaded her mind. 'What more could he do to me,' she wondered. That hopelessness and anger fueled one word as she reflected on him, 'Dick!'

Kira turned to continue walking from the kitchen. As she turned down the hall, her thoughts flashed back to the pain and shame written across Simon's face. Rebecca had tried to help Richard in dealing with his brother's bad influence over him. Richard had told both of them back at the hospital that it was Simon who convinced him to use terrorists as a reason behind the attack on their show. But to everyone's surprise that turned out to be a lie. A big one that seemed to hurt Simon so much that he got up and almost left altogether. Kira had always found Simon to be this silly goof ball that had made her laugh. Despite any issues that Simon and Rebecca had between each other, Kira thought highly of Simon. He had been nice to her and even offered to help with her familiar. It actually pained her to see Simon hurt like that. Once more her face curled as she thought of Richard's actions.

She walked towards Rebecca's room as she took in a deep breath. She knew that the past couple of days had been so hard on Rebecca. No one realized that in the span of one day so much had happened to her sister. First she was nearly killed by that magic eating creature. Next, came Richard's groping of Rebecca's chest. Then just a few hours later, she shot herself in the leg and nearly died again. Kira knew that these three events would have been so stressful to anyone. But it was on the flight from Denver that Rebecca finally opened up with the last thing that upset her the most. Rebecca confessed that she was stressed going in to the show, but it was the thought of losing Kira that caused Rebecca the most stress. This was the reason why Rebecca was acting so off.

Rebecca's tear filled words echoed in Kira's memory, "I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you, Kira. I was just so scared that you were going to be hurt."

Came to a stop at Rebecca's door. She wanted to make sure that her sister was okay. No one else knew Rebecca like she did. Rebecca didn't have to tell her how Richard's actions had effected her, Kira knew. She saw the horror on her sister's face. She understood what memories were invoked. Rebecca acted tough and strong, but Kira knew that her sister was just like anyone else. Rebecca had her own breaking points where willpower and resolve gives away to fear and anger. To Kira, it seemed like no one seemed to care that Rebecca had blown passed more than one breaking point. But Kira knew and she wanted to make sure that her sister was okay. Kira softly knocked on the door, "Rebecca?" she said softly and in a lowered voiced. "Its me, Kira. May I come in?"

[Akirapryde]

Rebecca set on her bed typing away on her computer. Her mind raced with the events from the past couple of days. She didn't even know where to begin on her reports back home, but she knew that she had to remain focused on the task at hand. Just like any other stressful task she had to deal with in the past, Rebecca simply refused to think of those things that caused her stress. Instead she drove herself in to the tasks at hand. Before her was her complete report back home to the Silver Ladder. She knew that if they were going to survive she had to keep them informed. On the flight home, Kira had told Rebecca about what she saw with their truck. Rebecca knew that the Silver Ladder had their back. She had to show the same level of loyalty. She made her report as factual as possible. From time to time she went back to her notes and her video recordings when she doubted her memory. She typed away at her computer putting all things behind her. It wasn't a healthy way of dealing with issues but it was her way.

She didn't want to think about how she almost died at the hands, well tentacles, of that monster. She hated to admit it that she was foolish in her blind action of jumping off that cliff. Everyone had to right to be anger at her cause she acted foolishly. As she typed away reciting the encounter, she even felt so ashamed of her daring yet completely foolish action. "What was I thinking" she mumbled as she read her passage about how she leaped off the cliff in nothing but her underwear hoping to find a master of magic. "Really?" she said in disbelief. As shamefully as her actions were, she didn't remove them from the report. The Silver Ladder had long earned her loyalty and she owned them her honesty.

A smile slowly grew on her face as she continued to type about her encounters. As she explained about how she was told that Richard, from the Free Council, had risked his life to save her. She left out the fact that she had a small degree of attraction towards the man. After all, he was so good looking. While she was a good God fearing woman, but that didn't change that he was so good looking. Nor did it change her shame for being taken so much as a fool by him. She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose as she closed her eyes, "How could I be so blind" she mumbled. Once more, she hated to admit how foolish she was. This time, to ever think he was more than what he appeared to be. Nothing more than a pervert who only desired passions of the flesh. And to her sadness, that is all he would ever be. With a heavy sigh, she moved the pointer to a section of her report and included the details of Richard, her feelings towards him and how he crossed the line.

He had no right to touch her like that, nor did he have any right to regularly cast spells on her or Kira. She couldn't bare to continue typing her report. She leaned back till she was fully laid out on her bed as she let out a deep sigh. She fought back the tears as she remembered the emotions that his touch ripped from the darkest parts of her mind. She thought back to all the times he invaded her mind. The worse fear that haunted her mind now was if her emotions towards him were her own or induced by him. She hated how he had played games with her emotions. "He had no right" she said softly as she rose back up and looked down at her computer. She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't help herself. She continued to type out her report, including how she was fearful of what emotions were hers and what emotions were induced. A question that she simply didn't know the answers to. As she typed, her report turned to Simon.

She referenced his past actions, as foot notes then started her official report on these latest actions. She explained how heroically he stood there on that stage in defense of her during their stand off with 'Meatball'. She attempted to go in to detail as it was explained to her about how his run in with the Vampires had unfolded. She tried not to leave out any details but admitted in her report that this information was all second hand from Richard and then later from Simon. She even questioned some of the details. However the end result was all that mattered to her. Simon's life was in danger with the Denver Vampires. She would make all possible attempts to smooth over relations between her Cabal and these Vampires. Her words rang out in her mind as she typed them, "I can not, nor will not condemn him for only attempting to protect his own life and property. I wont allow Simon to suffer due to this attack. I will do everything in my power to protect this member of my Cabal."

It wasn't that she forgave him for how he treated her in the past. She made this point clear in her report. She would never forget that he had threaten his life on two separate occasions. First, it was through his familiar. His words ripped through her with such force that it resonated even today. As she typed those words, she still was in disbelief over it. But it did happen, and it was something that both would have to deal with. Then the second time was in the cavern with the spirit. Once more, he became anger and threaten to kill her over some imagined wrong doing. It was clear to her, that he had misunderstood her intentions. Much like over the phone last night, when he became anger over her intention to help him in this situation with the Vampires.

She shook her head as she looked down at the words on her computer screen. The new file contained two new pictures, one of Simon and of Richard. She felt no further loyalty to either of them after the past events. But still, Simon and Richard were part of her Cabal. She leaned back on her bed and wondered of other Cabals. Her brothers all belonged to Cabals, and in fact were leaders within each. 'Were they so willing to save members of their own Cabals,' she wondered. What would they think of her, if she allowed Simon to stand alone. She shook her head once more as she felt that since of belonging to a Cabal. A Cabal that she was tasked with serving by her own faction leader. She reached down and removed the images from the file. Instead, she added the words, "While there are deep rifts between us. If we are unwilling to stand for each other, then these rifts will ultimately led this Cabal to ruin. Despite my feelings, serving my Cabal must come first."

She went in to detail about her plan to work with Mr. Black to help over come this latest crisis. As she typed, she couldn't help but include how she knew that within this plan came great risks. But for her, Simon was worth the risks. She even hated to admit it to herself let alone in her report that she would do the same for Richard. But then came the big news. As she continued to type, she started to include the latest on the man that brought her Cabal together. She used a code word for him knowing that only those meant to read it would know what she was talking about. Rebecca didn't trust her memory alone on this one. She pulled out her notes and typed everything she could remember. She knew that even though a simple detail might seem unimportant to her, it might be a key piece of information that her faction needs to help put things together. She left nothing out of her report as she double checked each details carefully.

As Rebecca typed on her laptop, she heard the knock at the door and Kira's voice shortly after. Rebecca smiled as she got up from her bed. She walked over to the door and unlocked it. With a smile on her face Rebecca greeted Kira, "yes, come in" she said side stepping to allow Kira to walk in to the room. Just as Kira slipped through the door, Rebecca closed and locked the door behind her. Before Kira could say anything, Rebecca held up her hand to silence her. Before doing anything else, Rebecca placed a Magical Shield on herself. Then using sign language, Rebecca asked if Kira minded if she placed a shield on her. Once Kira nodded her approval, Rebecca cast Magical Shield on Kira. Rebecca led Kira over to the bed and then using her control over sound through Forces, she ensured that their voices would not drift from where they were on the bed.

It was clear that Rebecca was not feeling completely sure about their safety. Rebecca activated her magical sights to ensure that no other magic was attempting to breech her room while they talked. With her shield and sights up, Rebecca felt safe for the moment. "I think this will be enough to ensure that we are not spied upon" Rebecca said in a soft whisper.

[Ashla Marr]

Kira smiled when she saw her closest of friends, but the actions to protect them gave her reason for alarm. Watching Rebecca casting the protection spells only reaffirmed her own concerns and forced that question they had last night. 'Are we still safe here?' Following Rebecca's lead, Kira invoked her own sights to ensure that no one was attempting to spy on their conversation.

Once Rebecca was finished and Kira was sure it was safe to continue she spoke softly, "I just wanted to make sure that you were okay" she said holding back a tear when she saw the redness from the bullet wound on Rebecca's leg. They had been forced to flee the Hospital once Simon's issue with the Vampires had occurred. Mr. Black had warned them that they were not safe in the hospital.

[Akirapryde]

Rebecca nodded, "I am fine, Kira" she said softly. It was no secret between them that Kira was more like an older sister to Rebecca. Because of this, Kira often tended to act more motherly over Rebecca during times like this. "Its no different then when I broke my leg in Houston." Rebecca was talking about when she had broken her leg during a performance in Houston. She had the leg reset and put in a cast, just in time for their second show the following night. "I'll be fine," Rebecca reassured.

[Ashla Marr]

Kira didn't buy Rebecca's answer. This was not just a broken leg. Rebecca looked like hell and now she had a hole in her leg. She opened her mouth to protest, but Rebecca raised an open hand between them to silence the coming protest. She sighed in defeat and asked in a whispered voice, "I thought we were leaving?"

[Akirapryde]

"I didn't fully buy that make shift apology letter that Richard read," Rebecca said with a heavy sigh. Like Kira, she too kept her voice low as she continued, "Did you hear his voice. He didn't mean any of it." Rebecca paused for a moment then continued, "but you were right about Simon," Rebecca admitted. Sometimes admitting when she was wrong could be painful. However this was not one of those time. "Simon's effort seemed sincere," she said softly. "So I think we should at the very least give him the benefit of the doubt before blowing out of here."

[Ashla Marr]

Kira nodded as she listened. She too had heard it in Richard's voice that he didn't mean a word of that apology. There was sarcasm that dripped from his voice when talking to them. But Simon wasn't Richard and she hoped Rebecca would see that. "Do you trust them?"

[Akirapryde]

Rebecca shook her head, "No" she said softly looking down. Her voice now betrayed her sadness. "There has been one too many lies tossed around. Too many spells cast against us." She paused almost as if by an after thought. "I know he is only being mischief with those spells, but he simple doesn't understand. Too much anger between them and directed at us. I don't know who to believe. So I don't know if I can trust either of them."

[Ashla Marr]

Glancing at the computer Kira asked softly, "what are you going to do?"

[Akirapryde]

Rebecca turned to her computer and thought for a moment before answering. "I know we were brought here for a reason. I don't have to trust them to trust our purpose together." On that note Rebecca turned back to Kira, "this is our Cabal and Simon is in trouble. I will do what ever I must to protect a member of my Cabal. Simon has taught me this much" she whispered with a smile. "I owe him this much."