...Learn To...

THIRTY

Pip scrambled upright and helped her cousin to his feet. "Sorry. Come on!"

She grabbed his hand and started running down the sidewalk. Perisa charged after them, and in the end, it was Pip who had to stop when they reached her street. She braced herself against her knees and held up a finger.

"One... Sec..." she requested in Farsi. "Man you guys are in shape!"

"Kinda have to be when you've got hellhounds and elites hunting you down for ten years," Perisa pointed out. "Tends to tone you down and build up your muscle."

Pip half-smiled, her eyes betraying her thoughts of guilt for bringing the subject up.

Perisa grinned. "Don't worry about it, Pippin," she assured her. "I'm kinda in a dream right now, so I'm not going to go all PTSD on you."

Pip smiled genuinely and dashed ahead to clatter up the steps of the house before bursting the door open."

"Vati! Muti!" she called. "Will! Khris!" She started spouting random words in Greenlandic that caused the twins to bang their heads for forgetting the language. At one time they had been fluent in many languages, including Italian and Greenlandic. It was fun to slip in and out of random languages with their family and friends.

"What's going on here?" Inallika demanded, but stopped and smiled at the site of Perisa and Preuss. "Well. You two make yourselves at home like always. You've grown into fine young adults!"

Perisa smiled. "Thanks, Aunt Nali. Where's Uncle Luddy? I didn't get to see him yesterday."

"Oh, he's out in the backyard with his dogs," Inallika smiled. "As always."

Preuss smirked but maneuvered his way up the stairs where he figured Will and Khris would be.

"Aunt Nali?" Perisa asked. "Do you think this all is a dream?"

Inallika halted her washing of the dishes. "Well..." she started, thinking carefully. "To be honest, yes, I did, at first. Your mother broke my heart years ago, and I'm grateful I can punch her for it. She doesn't remember that she caused grief for all of us, but, well, she did. I couldn't believe the news that she was back until I had seen her with my own eyes. After that, though... I did wonder if it was a dream this morning." She resumed her chore. "If Pip hadn't brought you here I'm not sure what I would have done to convince myself otherwise."

Perisa smiled, sitting next to her best friend at the bar. "What did Maman do?"

Nali shook her head. "I can't tell you, I'm afraid. Kadi's orders. If you want to know more, go bug her."

Perisa frowned and Pip shook her head with a finger to her lips. She gestured for them to go up to her room, and Perisa gladly accepted. Once in the room and the door shut, Pip explained.

"I don't know exactly what happened," she started, "but something happened to make even Dad cry."

Isa placed a hand to cover her mouth. "Oh my goodness..."

Pip nodded. "All I know is that sometimes, when I get up for water, I find Mom crying, and Dad just... Holding her. And crying silently himself. I know it was about Auntie Ana, but I don't know..."

Isa sat on Pip's bed. "Do you think... Do you think they didn't know where she was? That something happened? Or that... Or that Maman did something really bad?"

Pip shrugged, joining her on the bed. "I have no idea. I tried asking Mom in a nonchalant way, but she either didn't catch the hint, or ignored it."

Isa looked towards the door. "Probably ignored it. She's like Maman that way."

All of a sudden, a loud, consistent banging sounded against the door. The two girls shrieked and scrambled back away on the bed, only to hear three laughing voices outside. Pip got up and stalked over to the door and flung it back, allowing the brothers to topple over themselves and onto her carpet in laughter.

"I never thought of trying this!" Will snickered.

"And you won't think about it again!" Perisa declared, grabbing a pillow off the bed to beat him up with. "Take that! And that! And that! And--!!"

Will shielded himself from the blows and kept laughing can calling out protests in mixed German, Greenlandic, and Farsi, along with the other two boys. They were finally saved when the tall blond entered the scene and demanded order.

"Uncle Luddy!" Perisa giggled while Pip gleefully called out, "Daddy!"

The German sighed but hugged the two girls when they flung themselves at him. "So it wasn't a dream..." he murmured.

"I think we're all worried it is, Uncle," Perisa told him, stepping away. Pip still rested against her father. "Like, if we blink really long we'll be back to our normal lives."

Pip reached out to touch her hand, remembering the horrors of That Place. Perisa smiled.

"But you're here, and not a figment of my imagination," Ludwig smiled. It was rare to see him smile, and everyone found themselves copying him.

"Hey, let's go get some coffee," Pip proposed.

"Sure," Perisa grinned. "I haven't had that for ages!"

"We're coming too!" the boy's chorused, scrambling up and after the girls.

Ludwig shook his head softly. They were precious, and he loved them.

"If this is a dream..." he murmured to no one. "Please don't wake me up for a long, long time."

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TA-DAAAAA!!!