"Well, not create because that would suggest I made something that was new when, in truth, I was fixing something that already existed. Something that was...broken. So, I resurrected you or whatever."
Sierra said it simply as if it was something simple, but it shattered the brunette's world. Emma laughed, but she sensed no dishonesty or humour in what Sierra said. Finally, she responded, her voice sounding nothing like it usually did. "That's impossible!"
"Anything is possible with science."
"No." Emma stood, pacing the small area between the two couches. Her eyes were distant as she tried to recall what Sierra was saying. Tried to recall anything at all. She spent almost an hour going through everything she knew about the human anatomy: evolution. What she knew about genetics. She didn't know much, but she knew it was impossible to raise the dead.
She blinked, coming to a halt, her eyes refocusing to take in Sierra's face. "It is not possible. The human brain cannot be replicated or revived. Once it's dead, it's dead. It is not possible."
"But what if it was? What if you made it possible?"
"Sierra, scientists since the beginning of time have tried and failed repeatedly. Why on earth would I achieve that? The unachievable. What would make me that special? If it were possible, I'm sure it would be all over the news, and the wealthy would spend their lots trying to get immortality."
"So... You're calling me a liar?"
"I never said that."
"Emma," Sierra walked to her, taking Emma's hand between hers. They were cold and slightly shivering. She ignored it, meeting Emma's amber eyes. "I know this is a lot to digest."
Emma scuffed. "It's impossible, Sierra."
"There is something called a Spirit Orb. It unlocks a lot of what we know as impossible. Nothing is impossible anymore."
"Why is it I can't remember anything, then? I can't remember who you say I am-"
Sierra sighed. "These things always have a side effect."
"Memory loss? How convenient."
Sierra swallowed. "Inconvenient, really."
Emma found the couch, her legs going weak beneath her. She didn't know what to make of this new information. She knew she didn't believe it. She couldn't. She wasn't just some kid's science experiment, and she'd be damned if she let Sierra convince her she was. Life didn't work that way. People didn't just go around raising people from the dead because they could. There had to be laws to prevent something as morally wrong as that.
"Emma?"
Emma's eyes found Sierra's face and she could see the hurt in Sierra's eyes. Sadness filled the room. It was all they felt, all they breathed, and it lingered in the pit of Emma's stomach, making her nauseous.
"No." Emma shook her head.
Sierra reached for her, but Emma was faster, crossing the room to the kitchen.
She went after her. "Emma, let me explain."
"Explain is what you would do when you cheat on your girlfriend or rec someone's car. There is nothing you can say to me right now, Sierra."
"Emma, please just listen for a minute..."
She swivelled around to face Sierra, hiding her emotions behind a stoic posture. "Okay."
"Oh," Sierra spluttered, her words caught in her throat. "I didn't actually think you would listen."
"Well, I did, and you know what I heard? Nothing. You told me my entire life is a lie. That I'm not even real..." Though she wasn't crying on the outside, she felt as if she was drowning on the inside. Her tears burnt her, clawing at her eyes to be released as she thought about the loneliness she felt since she woke up to Harvey. She had no family anymore, no place to call home. There was no recollection of herself. She'd been lost and confused in this already confusing world. She bit her lip and fought hard to stop her tears from spilling.
"You are real, and I wish you were open-minded enough to see things as you used to."
"I used to be dead!" She glared at Sierra, her voice poisonous. "So sorry for disappointing you. You wanted to bring back your dead friend. Well, this is what you got. I'm not some super smart scientist. I don't have all the answers. I'm a lonely, lost soul driven by nothing, having no purpose. I'm an abomination-"
"You are a miracle!"
"-and as soon as I finish this mission, I'm taking myself out."
Sierra flinched, terror paralysing her. She'd expected an outburst, some backlash, but not this. She'd never expected she'd have to go through the pain of losing her again. Not when she fought so hard to keep her alive.
"You can't-"
The words were barely higher than a whisper, but in the deafening silence, they rang like choruses.
"Do not dare me, Sierra." Emma took a step to Sierra, the floorboards creaking from the weight of her boots. "If you know me, like you claim, you should know that I will do it."
Sierra's lips trembled, her shoulders and chest convulsing with every strangled breath. She knew Emma wasn't bluffing, and that's what terrified her the most. "I loved you," she breathed.
She couldn't see Emma's face through the pools in her eyes, yet she knew it wasn't painful anymore. Silence swallowed them, dragging on forever until Sierra feared she'd gone deaf.
The stillness, along with her aching heart and inability to breathe, almost committed her until Emma closed the distance between them. All of Emma's sadness faded, replaced by confusion and curiosity. She sighed, her hands reaching out to cup Sierra's cheek, tilting her face upward until their eyes met. She tried to ignore the way her heart pounded or the way she instantly noticed how soft and warm Sierra's skin was. Her eyes stayed glued to those shimmering ocean eyes, the only place she'd willingly drown. "Loved or love?"
Sierra's eyes fluttered closed, forcing the pools in her eyes to spill as she welcomed Emma's touch. When she reopened her eyes, they met Emma's loving ones. The look brought a fresh set of tears to her eyes. "Please don't make me go through the pain of losing you again. I- I don't think I will survive it."
Emma took a steadying breath. "C'mere."
With gentle movements, she coaxed Sierra into her arms. She felt the tears soak through her shirt, hitting her skin immediately, and she didn't mind them. Her fingers found Sierra's hair and buried themselves in the silky texture, combing through the length of it softly. Sierra held her, too, as if their lives depended on this moment.
"Sierra..."
Sierra's hand closed tighter around Emma's shoulders in a desperate embrace. She was bracing herself for the worst. If she were prepared, maybe it would hurt less, whatever it was.
"Tell me about her."
Sierra relaxed, the tension in her shoulders ironing out. "Her name was Emilie Delphine Miranda LaRue." She cleared her throat as if to make way for the memories. "She was a scientist, the best there was. She specialised in bioengineering, working with the FBI under my father's command. The FBI thought us too dangerous to have out in the world. "
"Dangerous, how?"
"Emilie was hell-bent that human cloning, and anti-ageing was possible. She discovered an element called the Spirit orbs that made the human cells replicate and repair themselves astonishingly. We spent years researching and experimenting until we finally figured it out. The government preferred that as a part of their team rather than against it."
"Keep your enemies close." Emma chuckled at her own response. "How did she... I die?"
Sierra stilled, her mouth going dry. "It was the day before our wedding-"
"Our what? WE WERE GETTING MARRIED?" Emma asked, surprised. Though she'd never given much thought to the idea, she didn't see herself ever getting married.
Emma's eyes fell on Sierra's hand. On her right ring finger, she wore both their wedding rings, Emilie's first, then hers. The gold bonds were cold when Emma ran her finger along them.
"You were my fiancée for almost a year. We couldn't decide on a wedding date because you couldn't decide on a destination for our honeymoon. You just knew you wanted to go somewhere tropical, with lots of beaches."
Emma chuckled. That sounded exactly like her. She knew how indecisive she could get about things, especially ones she deemed as important. "What happened the day before our wedding?"
Their black Mercedes crept down the busy streets of New York and away from the church they'd all gathered in celebration in less than twenty-four hours. They chose the city that never slept to be closer to Emilie's family. Harvey was flying out to join them sometime before the night ended.
"Marc, can you please tell your sister to calm down and that everything will go absolutely perfectly tomorrow?" Sierra spoke to the young man in the driver's seat.
Marc chuckled. "I think she heard you, Sierra."
Sierra glared at Emilie. "Yes, but she's not listening."
Emilie groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I don't know. I'm just so scared that something will go wrong. I just have that feeling, you know? Is your dad on a plane yet? What about the cake? We know Amelia and Isabelle are procrastinators."
Sierra put her hand on Emilie's, shutting her up immediately. She stared into her eyes with nothing but adoration. Emilie wanted their wedding day to be perfect. Sierra knew that, and she wanted that, too. She knew that it was going to be spectacular, she just needed her soon-to-be wife to believe that, too.
"Come here," Sierra told her, coaxing her forward by the hand.
Emilie gave in, coming face to face with Sierra. Sierra smiled the whole time, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Emilie's ear. Her hand lingered against Emilie's cheek, calming the whirlwind of doubts in her mind.
"Do you trust me?" Sierra asked her calmly.
Emilie nodded with a sigh. "With my life."
She held Emilie's face between both her hands and peered into her eyes. "Tomorrow is going to be perfect." She convinced one last time and watched Emilie nod. Smiling, she leaned in and pressed a kiss against her lips. It was slow and reassuring.
Emilie sighed again when they pulled back. "I think back to that day in the lab a lot." She started tucking her hair away again. "That day when Harvey first brought you in and said, Emilie, this is my baby, who I'm leaving in your care. Do not sleep with my daughter."
Sierra laughed, remembering, too. "You disobeyed direct orders, Ms LaRue."
"And I'd do it over and over and over..." She clasped Sierra's hand between hers. "You are my anchor, Sierra, in this sea called life. You're my shelter from the raging wind of troubles out there. Everything is better because of you. So, if I don't get to tell you tomorrow because I can't shake this feeling, Sierra, know that I'm so glad Harvey gave you to me, and, for better or worse, I'll always, always love you."
Sierra swallowed against the emotions rising in her throat. Her heart felt so full to hear Emilie's confession and know she reciprocated her love. Sierra tried to smile, though it faltered, as she reached in again. Before their lips touched, the car window shattered and splatters of red decorated the car.
Sierra's scream caught in her throat, and her heart very literally missed a couple of beats as she gazed at her fiancée's body on the seat beside her. Limp, Emilie lay against the seat with her eyes void of life and a gunshot trying to make its exit through her forehead.
Emma didn't know how to feel after what Sierra told her. They shot her in the head on the night before her wedding.
"Why did they kill us?"
"The FBI is convinced it's because of the spirit orbs and because you found a way to bring people back from the dead. You were powerful Emil-- Emma, and people wanted you dead for that reason. Even more so when you had the cure for cancer and the key to immortality."
Emma pulled Sierra close again until Sierra lay on her chest. Her arm wrapped around Emma's waist as Emma stroked her hair. The surrounding atmosphere was tense, and they were both painfully hanging on by a thin thread. Emma tried swallowing the needles in her throat and ignored the way her body was shivering from fear.
She was terrified for the first time in her life. Her second life. Every word that Sierra repeated was carved in her mind. Somebody killed her once because she knew too much. Did that mean her life was still in danger? Did that mean she had a new aim to protect herself as well as Sierra? Why didn't Harvey tell her?
She squeezed Sierra tighter as the emotions rocked her body. Her lips were quivering, and her breathing was laden. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming the chaos in her mind.
"It's okay," she said, trying to convince them both. "Everything is okay."
"I missed you so much," Sierra revealed, lifting her head to look up into Emma's face. Her eyes met Emma's amber ones and searched them. She could see the hurt, the unspoken questions, the confusion.
"I know," Emma answered in a low tone, stroking Sierra's hair while looking into her eyes. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. Maybe something to tell her that this was all a dream, or a sense of familiarity to confirm that this was real. It was there, though, and had been there all along. From the very first time they met; Emma's soul longed for Sierra. She didn't understand why at the time. Now she understood. Her soul remembered its mate, even when her mind couldn't.
She let a tear slip down her cheek. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Sierra. I-I..."
Sierra shook her head. "Don't do that, Em. It's not your fault. You know it's not."
"I just feel like I've caused you so much pain," her voice cracked. "By leaving."
"Emma,"
"I loved you too, Sierra." She said, another tear slipping down her cheek. "Love. I can feel it. I could always feel it." She cupped Sierra's cheek.
"You can? You said nothing." Sierra's face held shock, but her eyes searched Emma's.
Emma chuckled, her gaze falling to Sierra's lips momentarily before they met her blue eyes again. "Yeah, well, what was I supposed to say? As far as I know, you were a stranger. I couldn't just walk up to you and be like, hey, Sierra, do you feel that feeling that I can't explain? Like we belong together? I would sound like a looney. Hell, I already sound like a looney."
Sierra managed a smile that faded as quickly as it appeared as she moved in closer. Her heart went a mile faster with every inch she closed until she could barely breathe anymore. "You could've said that, yes."
Emma chuckled again, but this time, it was from being nervous. She was well aware of their positioning, well aware that Sierra was being tightly pressed to her. So much so that she could feel Sierra's heartbeat competing with her own and her warm breath against her cheek.
Her eyes fell to Sierra's lips again, and she drew a breath. There was this overwhelming urge to kiss Sierra that Emma didn't understand. Nothing should be that strong. Nothing should be strong enough to make even the most logical person forget logic and rational thinking to do something purely impulsive.
"You can," Sierra reassured her after seeing the brunette's struggle.
Oh, thank God.
Emma gave in, closing the distance between them and bringing them into a kiss. At first, it was slow and pained, both of them feeling the hurt the other kept hidden. It was much like their first kiss in the coffee shop, but this time, Sierra wasn't the only one who didn't want to let go.
Her hands move up Sierra's back in a caress, unintentionally taking her blouse, too. Yet, instead of letting it fall back into place, Emma gripped it, lifting it even higher until it forced them apart on its way off.
Their lips found each other's again, and so did Emma's hands as they found Sierra's body. Her skin was soft and warm with all her desires. Emma could feel it radiating from the woman like the heat from a raging fire, and she knew she was the match.
Every caress made Sierra feel more alive, yet while making her feel like she would go up in flames. It hadn't been that long since she'd been with someone. Grace had been making sure of that, but it's been a while since she'd been with Emma, and her body craved the woman.
She didn't feel bad about losing her clothes or allowing Emma's hands to roam her bare skin. Each touch was electrifying and made her feel more alive than she'd been in years. Sure, she knew she wanted Emma badly. Yearned for her. But she didn't realise how badly until she was getting her. Until they were entangled with their desires, burning like a fiery furnace.
"Sierra," Emma spoke between kisses. She was nervous, and the feeling in her stomach was back, making her queasy.
Sierra drew back, her hooded eyes fixating on the brunette's. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go too fast."
Emma shook her head, absentmindedly caressing Sierra's stomach. She didn't know what she was doing. Maybe she had years of practice before and was good at all of this, but now she had nothing to work with, and that thought was daunting. What if she wasn't as good as Grace? What even encompasses sex between two women? Surely, it had to be different than that between a woman and a man, and it is unclear how far is too far for someone who didn't want to go all the way. What if Sierra didn't want to go all the way? What even was all the way with a woman?
Sierra found Emma's hands and held them between hers. "You don't need to worry about it, Baby. It's just me."
Emma nodded, trusting the blonde. Without wasting another minute, her lips were back on Sierra's, and she was right. It all came back to her, naturally.
~~~
"So, since you have all the answers, can we do that biography thing again, but in reverse?" Emma asked, her fingers raking through Sierra's hair slowly.
Sierra lifted her head from Emma's chest to look into her eyes. She still had one hand wrapped around Emma's naked body while the other one outlined the muscles in her stomach. 'In reverse? Like you ask me questions instead?"
Emma nodded. "Yeah. I want to know about myself and about us, and I was hoping you could tell me."
"Yes, of course. Let me get my tools." Sierra got up, pulling out of their embrace, but Emma stopped her.
Her hand locked around Sierra's waist, holding her against her as if she'd shrivel up and die without the warmth the blonde provided. She rolled onto her side, so that she was chest to chest with Sierra, their breast fitting together like two gear pieces. "I just want to hold you for a while longer, please. Can we do it without the book?"
Sierra blushed, pressing a gentle kiss on Emma's lips. "As you wish."
Emma let out a soft moan as she recaptured Sierra's lips. Her hand slipped down to Sierra's ass, groping and squeezing. Sierra could feel her fire rekindling. "We'll never get anything done today if we don't stop."
"I can't stop," Emma confessed, holding Sierra's gaze. "I've made a new discovery, and I love it."
Her hand roamed Sierra's body until they were slipping between her legs. She smiled after discovering how badly Sierra wanted her again and lowered her head to press a teasing kiss on Sierra's neck.
"Oh God, Emma. Don't tell me you're about to be addicted. I'm your first, aren't I?" she said, but her words were more of a moan. A sexy one.
"As far as I know. Now, I'd like it if you call me by my name." Emma commanded. Her hazel eyes were already burning with her desires.
Sierra held her gaze, her breath faltering and her body shivering from Emma's words. Her stomach rose and fell with every shaking breath she took, and her legs shook from every stroke she received. She closed her eyes and reached for Emma, pulling her face close as she tried desperately to hold on. But she was becoming undone. She could feel it. She was close, really close.
"Emma!" she moaned, her lips grazing the brunette's.
Suddenly, Emma wasn't there anymore. Her lips were no longer on Sierra's, and her hand was missing from between Sierra's legs. Sierra's eyes flew open; the confusion was evident in them.
Emma glared at Sierra from where she lay. She could see the confusion that quickly turned into frustration. "It's rude to get somebody worked up and then leave them hanging."
Emma rolled her eyes, her hand finding Sierra's face, outlining her lips. "It's rude to call me by a name that is not mine."
Sierra scuffed. "I call you Emilie, you have a problem. I call you Emma. You still have a problem. You're impossible to please."
"No." Emma disagreed, a smirk tugging the edge of her lips as she pushed Sierra onto her back, climbing over her. "Difficult but not impossible."
She kissed Sierra's stomach, forcing a moan out of the woman. Sierra gripped the sheets and offered herself to Emma to please. But Emma had different intentions. Instead of kissing Sierra where she knew Sierra wanted it most, she kissed her way up Sierra's stomach again. She reached her breast and suck softly on one bud before continuing upward.
"You are driving me crazy!"
"Which is my intention." Her lips dragged along Sierra's throat, biting at that soft spot at the side of Sierra's neck. The spot she learnt made Sierra go wild.
"Oh God, Emma!"
Emma bit her again, ignoring the way Sierra growled through gritted teeth or the pool it was creating between her own legs. "Call me by my name, Sierra. Only then will I give you what you desire."
"In my defence, Emma is your nickname, so technically--"
Emma's hand met the bare flesh of her ass with a stinging slap. On impact, her grip tightened, allowing her nails to prick the blonde's skin. Sierra's face showed her surprise. For both the pain she felt as well as the pleasure.
Emma smirked, satisfied. "You were saying."
"You haven't changed one bit. You're still a fucking sadist." She opened her legs, making Emma fall between them onto her before closing them around her again. "But okay, Emilie, I'll call you by your name if you're going to be so gruff about it. Now, finish what you've started."
~~~
It was early compared to when they got out of bed the last two days. Sierra didn't even bother to put any clothes on since Emma was bound to take her out of them again. Her hair was messy as she stood by the stove, toasting their grilled cheese sandwiches in the frying pan.
She jumped when she felt a pair of hands close around her waist. Emma chuckled at Sierra's reaction, planting a kiss on her shoulder. "Good morning, baby."
"Morning? It's already noon, Emma."
"So, we're back to Emma now, huh?" Her head rested on Sierra's shoulder as she embraced her.
"I'm sorry. I'm used to using them interchanging." Sierra said, resting down the spatula and turning to face Emma. Their nipples brushed against each other, the action already sparking that flame between them. Sierra smiled and kissed Emma on the lips. "But I promise to call you by your name when you're doing bad things to me."
Emma chuckled, rolling her eyes. She gripped Sierra's ass and pressed the blonde into her. "I can work with that."
Before Sierra could respond, Emma's lips were on hers. The kiss was slow but passionate. "Hmm," Sierra pulled away, turning back to her sandwiches. "I need to finish these. I'm starving."
Emma's lips found the sweet spot at Sierra's neck. "I can take care of that."
As swiftly as the shivers ran down her spine, she flipped off the heat and grabbed the plate of sandwiches, heading over to the kitchen table. "Stay away from me." She threw over her shoulder at Emma.
Emma followed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If you wanted me to stay away from you, why'd you wear that?"
"I'm not wearing anything!"
"That's my point." She sat at the table and watched Sierra, her thoughts stirring slowly. "So, My Name is Emily Delphine Miranda LaRue?"
Sierra looked up, meeting the brunette's eyes and noting the confusion in them. "That is correct."
"Delphine is so old, though. Why didn't my mother name me, perhaps, Danielle or Diana?" Emma wondered, finally reaching for something to eat. She paused, her hand barely touching the surface of a sandwich. "Did you know her? My mother?"
Sierra finished a bite of her sandwich before nodding. "I've met your mother a few times. She named you Delphine after your grandmother."
Emma's eyes twinkled with excitement. "What was she like?"
Sierra leaned over the counter, engaged in the conversation. "She's the sweetest, gentlest person I've ever met. Your polar opposite. I still think you're adopted."
Emma laughed lightly. "She sounds amazing. I would love to meet her."
Silence followed Emma's response. Sierra wasn't sure what to say to that. She could feel Emma's sadness dampened the air and she would've done anything to make it better, but she wasn't sure what she could do. She couldn't promise that she'll meet her mother. No parent wanted to bury their child, but that would still be easier than seeing that buried child again. Especially when two years had passed. That would kill her mother.
Sierra reached for Emma's hand, rubbing the back of it in a comforting gesture. Emma sighed. "Did I have any siblings?"
"A lot of them. You have an older brother named Marc. You're actually a triplet and a younger sister who died when you were twelve."
Emma's jaw dropped. "I'm a triplet?!?! What...the...fuck..."
"I know. Scared the shit out of me, too." Sierra ate again. "You guys used to pull pranks a lot. I don't miss it."
"Wait," Emma rubbed her temples. "Identical?" Sierra nodded. "TWO OTHER PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND WITH MY FACE!"
"You're the youngest. It's you and Isabelle who are walking around with Amelia's face."
Emma chuckled, falling back in her chair. "Well, this sucks. Tell me about my sister who died. What was her name?"
Sierra thought. The death of her younger sister wasn't something Emilie spoke about much. In fact, it was Emilie's mother and sisters who'd told Sierra what happened and not Emilie herself. The topic was a touchy one, but for Emilie, it was like poison.
She cleared her throat, clearing away the sudden gloom. "Her name was Leia. She was ten."
Sierra's eyes blurred as she recalled the story.
It was almost fall. The trees around their family home were trading their greens for orange and maroon leaves. Emilie perched on the swing hanging from the thick branch of a tree that stood yards away from the house. Her elbows slacked around the rough old rope, her feet swinging in motions too weak to send her moving.
Her eyes took in the scenery before her, but she saw none of it, sipping absentmindedly at the sweet tea in her hands. The echo of the school bus' engine roared until it was in view, the bright yellow of it glistening with the fading sun.
With a jolt, it stopped, the door flying open with a sound as if it was releasing air. Emilie's eyes regained focus, trained on the opened door as a dark-haired girl descended the steps. She held the straps of her backpack as she stomped towards the house, her brows knitting and her face hard with frustration.
Emilie's hands fell away from the rope as she rose, her eyes following her sister.
"Leia!"
The girl stopped and turned, her eyes landing on Emilie below the shadows of the tree. In an instant, excitement replaced the frustration on her face as she dashed towards the tree. Her dark hair flew in the wind as she went, then fell flat on her back as she stopped before Emilie.
With a smile, she reached for the sweet tea in Emilie's hand, but being a foot taller, Emilie held it up, peering at the miniature human with scrutiny. Leia frowned, her head turning down with her lips, hiding the tiny bruises on her face.
Emilie caught them. "What happened?"
Leia remembered her anger. Her face hardened with it as she turned away. "Nothing."
"Are you being bullied?"
Leia stopped, gazing up at her sister. "I fell."
"Leia,"
"I said I fell, Emilie."
Emilie nodded, though she was unconvinced, and stretched the sweet tea towards her sister. She shrugged when Leia raised a brow at her. "Don't tell anyone I shared with you and don't make it a habit."
Leia smiled, dropping her backpack on the grass to take the beverage. "Emilie?"
"What does it feel like to fly?"
Emilie was taken aback by the question, a question she'd never given much thought to. "I don't know. I wasn't blessed with wings, but I imagine it feels freeing."
Leia nodded, her eyes squinting at the sky. "I wish I could fly. Maybe then I wouldn't have to go to school."
Emilie studied her sister, seeing the frown on her face and catching the sadness in her voice. "I thought you liked school?"
Leia shrugged and reached for the swing. Emilie held on to the ropes, holding it steady so her sister could sit. She nuzzled it. "Is something going on at school?"
Leia ignored Emilie's question. " you think I could touch the sky if you push me hard enough?"
Emilie did some quick calculations. "No, you'd go approximately 7 feet off the ground, but you won't touch the sky. The sky is vast and-"
"Push me. I want to go seven feet then."
Emilie shook her head, her polished hair ruffling with the movement. "No. You could fall. You're accident-prone."
"I'm holding on tight, I promise." She shoved the sweet tea to Emilie and gripped the rope until her knuckles were white.
Emilie hesitated. "Leia, I'm not pushing you that high. If anything happens to you, Mom and Dad are going to beat my ass."
"I'll tell them I did it to myself."
"No." She had a bad feeling about this.
Leia sulked. "You know, you're the only one who ever treated me like a person. Everyone else just treats me like I'm something. They talk to me like I'm stupid or don't talk to me at all. You're the only one who cares." She didn't look at Emilie as she spoke. Emilie listened. "I am getting bullied at school."
"By who?"
"I'm handling it."
Emilie nodded and continued her gentle push, but she didn't push her sister for more information.
"See what I mean. Mom and Dad would've forced me to tell them, but you respect I can handle it on my own. It's my choice to share if I want to."
"They're just trying to protect you."
"I know." Leia shrunk. "It's just stifling, you know. I'm growing up. I can handle things too, and I will ask for help when I need it."
Emma nodded. "I trust you."
"I know you do."
"Okay. Just this once." Emilie assured her sister. She held the rope and pulled it back, her eyes noting how Leia's hands tightened.
With all the strength she could muster, she pushed and watched her sister fly. Her hair ran after her, trying to catch up despite the wind's restraint. Leia's laughter danced in the wind, but it was brief, replaced by the intruding shout of her mother's voice.
"Leia, get off right now!"
Both girls' heads snapped towards the house, seeing their mother power walk towards them. Emilie swallowed, reaching out to catch the swing, her movements faltering with nerves. Leia shifted, trying to slow her motion. Agitated, the old rope snapped.
Leia flew the swing along with her, but freedom wasn't what she felt. Fear stricken, she turned, her eyes holding everything she still had to tell her sister before she crashed on the rocky ground. There was blood everywhere.
Sierra watched for Emma's reaction, but she received impassivity. The sound of the chair's feet scraped her eardrums as it did the floor. Emma stood, her movements rigid. "May I be excused?"
She didn't wait for Sierra's response as she fled to their only bedroom and shut the door. Sierra sighed, guilt filling her, as she slouched back against the chair.
Leia has always been a heavyweight. It smothered Emilie since she was twelve. Never allowing her freedom no matter how far she ran. A different country, a different continent. It followed her in shadows of guilt. Plaguing her mind, stopping her from living yet being her only source of living.
Sierra wished she could spare Emma that weight, but she couldn't. A lot of who Emilie was was because of that accident. The reason she became a scientist. The reason she chose bioengineer, why she dedicated her life to preserving human life.
She'd wanted her sister back with no way of getting her, so she created one.
Sierra wasn't sure how much time passed before she'd entered the room too. Emma's eyes found her tears brimming in them. She blinked them back before they fell.
"It was my fault."
"It wasn't." Sierra made her way towards the dresser, reaching for her duffle bag beside it. "I have some things for you."
She pulled out a tiny chest and made her way to Emma. She handed it over.
Emma took it after a moment of hesitation. "What's this?"
"Open it." Sierra urged.
After a lingering look at Sierra, Emma removed the lid, coming in contact with a photo frame. It faced down, hiding what it held. She removed it and studied the photograph. It was a picture of her and Sierra. They looked to be at a park. Emma could see the water overflowing the fountain they sat on. Emma had her hair down, and it looked perfect, as if the wind itself was afraid to ruin it while Sierra's untamable hair undoubtedly framed her face. Sierra was laughing, holding Emma's hand, but Emma only smiled and gazed at Sierra. Her eyes said it all by how she looked at the younger blonde. She loved her.
She put the picture frame to the side and reached for a silver charmed bracelet. It had a little charm on it in the shape of a heart with the letter E engraved on it. "That's a sisterly bracelet you share with your triplet. Each of you had one." Sierra explained.
Emma rested the box on the bed beside her to close the bracelet around her wrist. She reached for another picture, the age of it showing in the fading colours. She stared in silence, familiarising herself with the face of her sister, a face she had no recollection of, yet instilled so much pain within her.
Her eyes flickered to Sierra as she replaced the picture and the picture frame, just how she saw them, and closed the box again. She crawled to Sierra, her head finding Sierra's lap. "It's all too much."
Sierra found her hair, running her fingers through it effortlessly. "I know it's a lot, so take your time."
From the nightstand, Sierra's phone chimed, startling them. Sierra sighed at it. She knew it was Grace calling, but she couldn't pick up. Guilt consumed her without reason. She and Grace weren't committed to each other; they were friends with benefits. Emilie, on the other hand, she was committed to. Heart and soul. Still, a part of her knew that was a lie. Not the part about her and Emilie. Grace wasn't just a hook-up for her anymore. It might've started that way, but it wasn't that way anymore. Why else would Sierra feel this aching pain in her body every time she rejected the woman's calls? Why did pushing Grace away feel like she was sawing off her own arm?
Maybe it was guilt for the impolite and rude way she was trying to end things. By ignoring it and hoping it would go away. She knew that wasn't the best way to go about things, but she couldn't bring herself to talk to Grace about a potential end. Was ending it even a smart thing to do?
Yes, Emma was here now, and their old firesticks had caught flames again, but what was going to happen when Emma was gone? When her father and the FBI retrieve their prized possession after a successful mission? She would end up alone, without either of the brunettes, if she were to blow off Grace.
It posed impossible for Sierra to withdraw from the entanglement she unwisely involved herself in.
"Aren't you going to get that?" Emma asked without a glance. At first, she was envious of Grace. She was bitter that Grace got to see sides of Sierra that Emma herself couldn't seem to reach, regardless of how hard she tried. Now that they addressed the elephant in the room, things were better. Sierra was much more open, and Emma felt like she was connecting with the blonde in ways she hadn't imagined. She wasn't jealous of Grace anymore because there was nothing Grace had that Emma didn't do either.
If anything, she felt bad. Sierra had been ignoring Grace's calls since. Emma didn't need to see the caller ID to guess that. It was all in the way she hesitated when her phone rang or the tension that would stiffen her body.
Sierra rejected the call, not to anyone's surprise, and reassured her embrace. "It can wait. How about a movie?"
Emma watched Sierra, noticing the practised poker face. She disagreed with Sierra ghosting the other brunette, but she understood that this must be hard for her, so she would allow her to talk to Grace whenever she felt she was ready. In the meantime, she would enjoy their solace. "What do you have in mind?"
Sierra smirked. "Forrest Gump."