LOCATION: Alaska

Four ~ Learn

Madelyn

The next day was very special for Ky, since her parents came to visit. She woke up with high spirits as she went to the kitchenette. The thought of her parents coming made her so happy, she was singing and humming as she made breakfast.

She got up at 7:30, the same time I did, and so I remarked, "You look like you are very excited to see your parents, Ky."

"Oh yeah, they live all the way in Valdez, which is on the mainland, so I don't often see them," Kyris replied as she turned on the stove.

"Well, I look forward to meeting them."

Once I heard the knock on the door, Ky ran straight to the door, opening it with hardly-contained excitement. "Ma!" she crowed. "Dad!" She gave them a huge hug and then they introduced themselves to me.

"Hello there," her mom said, smiling widely at me. "I'm Joanna Volkov. This is my husband, Nikolaj." Joanna gestured to the man beside her, who nodded in greeting. He was very tall, and towered over his petite wife. I could see that Kyris took after her father more than her mother, since Nikolaj Volkov's eyes were dark gray like Ky's, but Joanna's were a pine green, and Kyris and her father both had raven black hair, while her mother's was a dirty blonde.

I introduced myself as well. "Hi, my name is Madelyn Harrison, and--"

I didn't get to finish because Mrs. Volkov interrupted me. "Wait, Madelyn Harrison?" she said excitedly. "Were your parents Angela and Steven?" My mind went flying out of the room; how could they have known my mom and dad? So I immediately asked her, "How do you know my parents?"

"Yeah, how do you know her mom and dad?" Kyris piped up, peering at her mom with curiosity. The last time I saw my parents was when I was 5 years old. I don't exactly have lots of memories of them, all I know is that they died when I was 5, and that they were really kind. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but the only question I wanted to know straight away was how in the world did these people know them?

"Well," Joanna began, "We worked with your parents in a secret organization called the Fieras against some shady people. We researched scientific ways to enhance the human body." I was still confused. A what organization? And what were the odds that these people worked with my parents? By that time, the others had woken up.

"They were part of a secret organization?!" I repeated, astounded.

Claire was the first to react to what I said. "Who was part of a spy organization?" she asked, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Finally, she saw Kyris' mom and dad. "Oh, sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Claire--"

"Your parents are Tina and Kyto LeBlanc, right?" Mrs. Volkov finished, her eyes twinkling with recognition.

"How did you. . ?"

"They were also associated with us and Madelyn's parents," Mrs. Volkov answered. She looked over Claire's shoulder at Parker, who had come up behind her with Richard in tow. "Is this your brother, Madelyn?" she asked me.

I answered, "Yeah, he is."

Mrs. Volkov then spoke to Richard. "You must be Richard MacKenzie, then, if these three are all here. Am I right?" Richard blinked at her, stunned. For once, he had no words, and only nodded. Mrs. Volkov continued, "Clara and Ivan were wonderful people, as were the rest of your parents. Weren't they, Niko?" The last part she said to her husband, who nodded in agreement.

"It's a shame what happened to them," he said. His voice was low and soft, so I had to strain my ears to hear him. He crossed his arms, then turned to Kyris. "Well, songbird, are you waiting for the game to come running through your door or what?" Kyris laughed sheepishly.