Earth Mars Love (The Marsikons)

Chapter 25

"When I was the suspect, and you sat with me there looking like you do now. With distrust and pity, like you love me as your daughter but don't believe I'll ever be good for anything else. You believed that with my temper, I could shoot someone. Then later, when I was fired from the police, I've heard you talk with someone over the phone, that because of me you can't proceed with your career and become the VP of the President. I ruined it for you." The words were flying from her mouth like sharp knives.

"Baby, please, stop," his arms were stretching to her, trying to hug her, but she made a step back. "You've had everything wrong," there was a sheen of tears in his eyes, and his face contorted in pain like he was physically suffering.

But she continued.

"And then you've finally got rid of me when you've sent me to work for ROTOR. I understand why you did it, dad, I really do. I'm the disappointment, the disgrace of the family. I only bring problems and suffering to your step, and I'm sorry for that. I just ask for you to trust me one more time, to help these people, so they can help us. I trust them and I have a gut feeling, that what they're talking about is true. Please help them."

She deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled, feeling lighter somehow, like a massive burden on her shoulders vanished.

"Regi," her dad croaked, his shoulders sagged, "I'm sorry that for all these years you were thinking like that. Now I understand that it's my fault, but you had it all wrong. I would never think about you as a burden."

"Dad, I don't want to talk about it now, it's not about me, but about them. We must help them to get supplies, so they can go home."

He exhaled and shook his head as if clearing it.

"It still could be very dangerous to arrange such a meeting."

"They've told me one more thing, that Clare is adopted, is that true?"

Finally, she got the chance to ask that question. Maybe this would persuade him to believe them. Because if they didn't lie about adoption, they wouldn't be lying about anything else.

He raised his head and there was a look in his eyes, that confirmed that it was true. He was silent for a moment, and Regina replied for him, "So it's true then."

"How did they found out?" he asked in a stifled voice.

"It seems they have their way. Even on Mars," she folded her arms.

"But it still doesn't mean that they're from Mars, probably they somehow managed to hack this information, because with Clare was a paper trail, but with you, there wasn't, and—" Dad stopped talking abruptly, and his eyes widened with horror.

Regina slowly unfolded her arms, and made a step back, her heart was pounding in her ears. Surely she didn't hear him right. "What did you just say?" she whispered.

She saw him audibly gulping and brushing his hand through his hair. He looked around the room, searching for something nonexistent. It looked like he said more than he wanted to reveal and looked for a way back.

When his gaze stopped on hers, those familiar dad eyes, the color of the storm, were full of remorse, "You were adopted too," he said quietly.

***

Regina felt like her world turned upside down, her brain was about to explode and fury was slowly rising from the depths of her marrow. The serenity which she felt when she opened to him her heart and insecurities evaporated in a second.

"WHAT?" she shouted at the top of her lungs, "What are you talking about?"

Was it his way of the payback for what she said to him earlier? Was he so cruel as to kill her with his words? Was he so disgusted with her, that now he decided to disown her as his daughter? Of all times, why now?

It was hard to breathe. She felt she had no air, and she was wheezing. Oh, she was so furious she saw red. She wanted to shout and rage, but couldn't even take a tiny breath.

Dad, or that man, she didn't know what to call him now, made a step to her, trying to comfort her, but she put her palm in his chest, the other palm on her sternum, trying to put some air in her lungs.

The door opened with a bang and Marcus ran to her, hugging her gently and shaking, his voice came as if he was miles away. She saw him opening his mouth, but only a tiny sound cut through the rush of blood in her ears.

"Regina, are you okay?" he was looking into her eyes, worry marred his brow.

"She has a panic attack," the other voice from far away reached her. She felt someone pushing her down to sit on a chair, and she felt two palms closed on her nose and mouth. She struggled, trying to push away from them, but then she saw Marcus' face in front of her.

He was mouthing, 'Breathe, Regina.'

She managed to gulp some air, and her heart rate slowed a bit. Sounds were returning, and she heard everyone fussing around her. But her eyes were only on Marcus, he continued to hold his palms on her face, folded like a tiny boat. Her ears were focused on his voice on repeat, "Breathe, Regina, I'm here with you."

She didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually, her breathing normalized and her heartbeat slowed. She still was royally pissed, but at least she wasn't dying.

Marcus stroked his palms on the sides of her head, and she leaned into his touch.

She felt Clare putting her palm on her shoulder and felt a lingering kiss on the top of her head, "You scared me, sister. What happened?"

Sister? Shit, the panic attack threatened to start all over, but she quickly focused on the blue gaze of Marcus, who was kneeling in front of her.

Did Clare know about her own adoption? But about Regina's?

"Dad, what happened?"

She heard Clare asking again, and Regina forced her eyes away from Marcus', to glance at not-dad.

He was standing on the other side of Regina, very close but not touching, looking down at her with worry in his eyes. Probably afraid to become a trigger again. Would he tell Clare the truth?

"Your sister just found out what you have revealed a couple of months ago."

Regina heard Clare's deep inhale. Interesting choice of words her not-dad used. It didn't tell her if Clare knew about Regina, maybe Clare thought Regina had found out about her adoption. And he mentioned your sister, so maybe they are blood sisters, and they adopted two of them at once.

But it didn't really matter, because her pseudo-parents were lying to her for all her life. She would help Marsikons to reach the President, and after their meeting, she would be free again. She'll just go back to LA and will try to forget about this conversation and continue to live without so-called family. She would be on her own like she did for the past years.

Finally, she's got what she wanted for all of her life. To be alone.

Regina glanced back at Marcus, she could see questions in his eyes, but he remained silent. She was grateful for him not to ask anything now. It was hard to think, the headache was starting to bloom in the center of her forehead. At the same time, Kos put a glass of water under her nose, "Drink it, small gulps."

With a shaking hand, she took the glass and drank it all as he said.

"I think after everything we discussed here, dad—" Regina said the D-word with sarcasm "—you will help the Marsikons to reach the President. It's the least you can do now."

She put down the glass, slowly stood up, and went to the bigger office.

Only to stop dead in her tracks.

Hope and joy had filled her veins for a moment until she saw the gun trained at her.

The Boss was sitting behind Arthur Morgan's desk.