Chapter 7 - The twins, part one

The twins are creatures of wonder; so far apart in personality that it leaves you feeling sucker punched. If it were not for their similar features, bright blue eyes and golden hair, Emilia could not think of them as siblings.

One is loud, and bright, the pure personification of excitement.

The other, subdued, with an invisible existence, and a smile so melancholy it has no right to be on the face of a 10-year-old child.

Victoria eats her food the way she takes to life - with gusto.

Jasper eats like a true gentleman - politely subdued.

It is disconcerting, especially when they sit on opposite sides of a table. It always feels like Emilia is staring into a double-sided mirror. Jasper's hair is long, pulled back in a low ponytail, similar to Victoria, who keeps all her hair on one side, loose.

Two weeks have passed since the children have come to live with her; at most it is as if she gained 5 new roommates, to whom she must cook.

Her time with Seth is an experience.

She hates it.

It comes as a surprise, while ruminating her life choices, that the children barge in her room, unannounced.

They fret and shuffle, eyes shifty and creased with worry lines. Jasper is being carried; cheeks tears streaked. Ruby is nowhere in sight, as expected. Victoria, on the other hand is pointedly missing. She never goes too far from Jasper.

"Have you seen Victoria?"

Arlo is abrupt and straight to the point.

"Victoria? No."

It is Seth who speaks, always the peacemaker among his siblings.

"We've searched the whole house, but she's nowhere, we thought she might be with you?"

Emilia shoots up, grabbing Arlo by his shoulders and shaking him.

"When did you see her last? Where? Why have you only come to me now?"

Seth laughs awkwardly, speaking up again. Emilia shifts her glare to him - Arlo subjugates himself to responsibility too much.

"We didn't notice, and the house is so big, we thought she was just hiding somewhere."

Emilia's lungs constrict, all air gone. She holds her forehead, sweat wetting her palm.

"Call, you go call Naomi. Arlo, you're the oldest, always keep Ruby and Jasper with you. I'll search the grounds," Emilia pushes them out of the room, keeping a steadying arm on Arlo's back.

"Whatever you do, no one separates. No one. You stay together and lock yourselves in my room. If anyone comes in and it's not me or Naomi, you push the bed, behind it there's a false wall that leads to a panic room."

"But - " Arlo begins, only to be shushed.

"No. You keep safe. You stay out of danger. That's the end of the conversation. Go."

She waits until Arlo grabs the phone, and they rush back up the stairs. Emilia takes a key from around her neck, opening the drawer and grabbing the gun.

Like hell she's letting that bastard take another child.

She begins from the rooms on the second floor, sweeping them and checking every hiding spot - Cassius' room too.

The second floor is empty, until she gets to her office.

The door creaks behind her.

Behind the curtain, someone is hiding, the window open and the material fluttering around their silhouette.

She gives up on sneaking up on them, yet she still cannot help the soft tread of her steps.

Emilia draws closer, her heart thundering a wild rhythm in her ears. It's hard to focus on anything besides the heavy breathing, and the swishing sound, or the wind howling. A sweat drop touches her lips.

The closer she gets, the higher her fear rises.

At last, Emilia stop behind them. With a careful hand, she holds the gun, and with the other she pulls the curtain back harshly. The material flutters and entangles around her. The sight behind it makes her flinch, heart lurching. It's a blasted toy, the big helium balloon cat boy.

Emilia curses, closing the window.

She keeps searching, the house is empty. Nothing seems to be disturbed and that worries her more. She's about to start searching outside, foot half out of the door when Naomi drives up. She leaves the car before it even stops, Nicolas following her.

"What happened?"

"Victoria is missing, I looked throughout the whole house twice. She's not - she's gone!!"

"I told you to look after the kids, just what the hell were you doing?" Naomi hisses through clenched teeth.

"I never wanted them."

Naomi steps back, eyes wide. She has that look on her face, the same one she had that first night back.

"I never asked to take responsibility for five souls, and now, one could be very well dead, laying in a ditch somewhere. Burned to ashes."

"She's not dead, the second you believe it, we lose her."

"I never believed he was dead! And he still came back to me in a body bag."

Naomi swallows.

"We can find her...outside, in the garden. She might be lost; we can find her."

"For their sake, I hope so."

Nicolas Quentin is a sombre shadow behind Naomi, as always.

They split up in three directions; the grounds behind the house are large, a few good acres of woods. It is all fenced. The light begins to fade, and the hope withers with it. She's been combing through the woods, screaming for Victoria, for hours. The longer she screams the more her fears confound. Emilia cannot begin to guess what keeps her going, but she does, holding onto the tiny bit of hope with claws.

Emilia trips over a branch, a sob rippling free. She beats her fists on the cold earth.

She hears a little whimper.

Emilia crawls on the ground towards it.

She finds Victoria, in a little hole by a towering tree, dirty, clothes ripped, hair filled with mud. She's shivering, curled up, the tears filling her eyes.

Emilia scrambles to lift the child out, tucking her to her chest. Her grip tightens, rocking them back and forth.

"It's alright, it's alright. I got you little one, I got you. You're safe."

"I'm sorry, I only wanted to be alone for a bit, the feelings... Seth was angry and I couldn't. I'm sorry. I saw a butterfly. I was so scared."

Emilia rocks them, comforting the distressed child. Eventually, she falls asleep in her arms. It is a challenge to carry the girl all the way back to the house, but Emilia pushes on nonetheless, stopping briefly to rest against a tree.

They are soaked by the time they get back.

Everyone is a bundle of nerves, relief, and worry when they see them get back. It's a not a short affair to get Victoria changed and settled under warm covers, or to sooth the other children. Naomi and Nicolas refuse to bend, making themselves busy entertaining the other kids and cooking.

Finding herself alone with the child again, Emilia finds the courage to finally ask.

"What happened, sweetie?"

Victoria shifts in bed, rolling over.

"I said something mean to Jasper, and Seth got angry at me - he didn't say but I could feel it. I didn't like it. Daddy always said to cool down for a bit, so I went in the garden. I saw a pretty butterfly and I followed it; I know I shouldn't have. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"That's alright sweetheart, just make sure it doesn't happen again. You have to apologies to Jasper and explain to Seth, ok?"

Victoria nods, burying her head under the blankets.

"I'm sorry for causing everyone so much trouble...but I'm glad. It felt really warm, when you found me, I mean, it was like when I'm with daddy."

Emilia pats her head.

She knows she's smiling, but she doesn't try to purposefully shut it down.

Kids really know how to create dilemmas, what should she do with them now?