Sixteen Years Ago...
I nervously walked to Mr. Hargreeves office and stood outside the sliding door. I've been with the Academy for a year now and have been training really hard to be on par with the others. I've even been training a little extra to be so. My academic studies have taken off to the point that my intelligence was on the same level as Five's, who was easily the smartest. My combat skills were coming along as well but I felt I was still coming up a little short and I think that's why Mr. Hargreeves wanted to talk to me.
I've been trying my hardest ever since I got here because I wanted to be worthy of the generosity that Mr. Hargreeves has bestowed. I felt if I wasn't good enough, he would send me back to the alley and I didn't want to go back. Despite his cold attitude towards us children and the blatant dislike displayed by Diego, I liked it here. I got along with everyone else wonderfully and I felt like I had a family again. I did not want that to go away.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door and fidgeted as I waited to be called in. I waited a moment or two and when I received no answer, I went to knock again. Before my knuckles could make contact however, I heard Mr. Hargreeves finally speak.
"You may enter." He said gruffly.
I slid the door open and stepped inside, standing at attention in front of his desk, "You wanted to see me sir?"
"Yes." He said, not looking up from what he was writing, "You've been excelling in all areas of study far more quickly than I anticipated for someone who hasn't attended any formal education. Although your combat skills still require extra attention, I'm not disappointed in the progress."
"Thank you, sir." That was as close to a compliment as any of us have really gotten from him.
"I wasn't finished." He said tersely, looking up from his notes. I refrained from saying 'sorry' knowing he wouldn't appreciate it. "I think it will be worth your while to add in another area of study. Therefore, starting tomorrow you will be training with Grace in medical treatment from 1pm to 2pm every day. Is that acceptable to you?"
He was asking as a courtesy but I knew there was only one right answer, "Yes sir."
"Good. You may go." He said and then looked down at his papers to continue his work.
The dismissal was so abrupt it left me a little jilted as I exited the office, closing the door behind me. I stood there, looking at the fringe of the Egyptian style rug, contemplating what just happened. Essentially, he said I was doing so well he wanted to give me more responsibility but we had Grace to deliver advanced first-aid if needed so why did I need to learn? More importantly, I didn't even know if I wanted to learn. If it came down to my medical skills to save someone, what if I failed?
"Did he kick you out yet?" Diego asked as he walked by.
I flitted my eyes to him and glared, "Sorry to disappoint but you're stuck with me."
--*--
"Stay with me Diego. You can't die on me." I said as I started to drag him toward the car with a lot of effort. I grunted as I managed to drag him one more foot before needing a break, "You're going on a diet if you live. I can't save your ass if I can't carry you." I muttered as I applied more pressure to his wound.
"Malia?" I looked up and saw Lila. She looked scared when she saw me kneeling over Diego.
"Lila! What are you doing here?! Did you follow us?"
"Is he..." She started, not answering my question.
I looked back down at my bloody hands that were covering the knife wound, "He's not dead. Not yet at least but I can't move him by myself and I don't have any medical supplies with me."
"I'll help you." Lila said.
I was tiny but Lila was definitely thinner than me so I had her take Diego's legs as I took his arms. We struggled as we got him to the car but at least we managed and I got into the back seat with Diego.
"I don't know where Five is but we can't wait around for him. Do you know how to drive?" I asked, gesturing for her to get in the driver's seat.
"On it." Lila got into the driver's seat and took off out of the parking lot, "Don't you know how to drive?"
"No, I never found it necessary to learn when a taxi could take me anywhere I wanted." I said as I shrugged off my trench coat and pulled my shirt off.
I was past being modest; I needed something to help staunch the bleeding and the only thing I had handy was my shirt. I told Lila to drive faster and she picked up speed. At least she could follow directions, Five would have slowed down just to piss me off.
"You really love him, don't you?" It was a rhetorical question but I answered anyway.
"I do. Of course, it wasn't always like this. Diego and I were at each other's throats most of the time growing up. Then when we both left home, we barely had any contact with each other. I didn't find out until recently that he loved me all this time."
"You're lucky to have found someone that loves you so unconditionally. You both are." Lila said quietly.
"I don't know about unconditional... I'm going to fucking kill him if he dies." I said tersely, still trying to slow the bleeding.
When I received silence in return, I glanced at her through the review mirror. She had such a far-off glint in her eye and I wondered what she was thinking about. Maybe she's lost someone. Or maybe she's never had someone mean to her, what Diego means to me. She was in a sanitarium for who knows how long, after all. It was sad to think about how alone she must be. It's what might have compelled her to tag along with Diego in the first place.
"Did you have any friends before you met Diego?" I asked.
My question seemed to snap her out of her daze, "No, not really. I knew a lot of people growing up but aside from my mum, I wasn't close to anyone. She's the only one I've ever had."
"Is that why you followed us?" I asked.
"I thought you were taking off on me... that's what people do." She murmured.
"Lila... I'm sorry we made you feel that way. We had every intention of returning, I promise you."
I said softly and looked back down to Diego to make sure he was still stable and still breathing, "You know... I struggle with some serious abandonment issues too, it's what generally keeps me from making connections with anyone outside my family. So, if you ever need to talk, I'm here."
She was silent for a moment or two before she started speaking, "It's not just abandonment. When I saw Diego back there... I thought he was dead. That's how I found my parents – lying in a pool of their own blood." Lila said quietly, "It was a home invasion. I was four."
The sorrow that poured from her was evident, "That's awful, especially for a child... Have you talked to someone?"
"I haven't talked about it with anyone."
"Well, you have Diego and I now." I said, "And you can stay with us for as long as you like."
"Thank you." Lila said quietly, "That means so much."
We got back to Elliott's place and struggled to get Diego up the stairs. I knocked his head against the wall once and as I repositioned his body weight so it wouldn't happen again, smacked his head off the banister. I winced but kept going. He'll wake up with a headache but at least he won't be dead.
Lila and I managed to deposit him on the sofa with a heave and I grabbed a shirt before getting to work right away. One thing Elliott was not short on was medical supplies and that was because his dad was a dentist. I thought about sewing Diego up but after brief deliberation, decided to cauterize his wound instead. It would fuse the skin back together more effectively and keep him from internally bleeding as well.
I took Diego's clothes off as I got Lila to give me the long curved medical tweezers and the medical gun. The medical gun had a long tip that gets extremely hot which is perfect for cauterizing a large gash like this. I pinched the skin together with the tweezers and as soon as the gun was hot enough, got to work. At first contact, Diego woke up screaming in pain.
"What are you doing!" He screamed, trying to sit up but Lila pushed him back down by the shoulders.
"Lila, I need you to wipe up some of the blood around the wound as I fuse it back together. I can't see what I'm doing if you don't."
"What happened?" Diego said hoarsely, staring at the ceiling.
"We saved your stupid life." Lila said as she did what I asked.
"You followed us?"
"Shut up idiot. If she hadn't, you'd be dead because I couldn't lift you on my own." I said.
"That's twice I saved your life by the way." Lila said snarkily.
Diego lifted his head and looked down at himself, only seeing the sheet covering his bottom half, "Malia, where are my clothes?"
"They were in the way... and bloody." I said.
"But Lila is in here." Diego complained.
"You've seen a penis before, haven't you Lila?" I asked.
"Quite a few actually."
"See, no need to be modest. We've both seen it all before." I said, waving the medical gun around, "Okay Lila, you can pull back now."
"Screw that. I need my clothes." Diego said, trying to get up.
"Don't move idiot!" I snapped.
Lila held his shoulders back down as I set the gun on this incision again. Cauterizing is excruciatingly painful and it had him passing out in seconds. I smirked as he went limp and continued my work. Lila soaked up some of the blood again with the gauze and sat down on the table, watching me work.
"You're really good at that." She said.
"I've been trained in advanced first-aid since I was twelve years old." I replied, not taking my eyes off what I was doing.
"Did you want to be a doctor?" Lila asked.
"No... Not a medical doctor anyway. I actually have my PhD in psychology. That's where my real interest was but Mr. Hargreeves needed someone in the field that knew how to heal." I said, "I was a quick study, so I was chosen... not that it mattered in the end." I finished quietly, thinking of Ben.
I heard the swooshing of Five's power and then quiet footsteps as he walked into the living room, "So he isn't dead."
"Disappointed?" Lila asked from her perch on the table.
"Oh, to see you?" Five asked as he picked up a piece of gauze. "Always."
"Why so much hostility in such a tiny package?" Lila asked and then changed her question, "Did you cut yourself shaving? I can teach you to shave like a big boy."
I glanced to Five who was leaning against the doorway now, holding gauze on his neck, "What did you do now?"
"Just ran into an old family friend." Five sighed.
He took the gauze away and I saw the claw marks, "Was it Pogo?" I asked, returning my eyes to my current patient, "He would have been just an infant..."
"Hence the scratch." Five said and turned to look into the kitchen, "You didn't untie him?"
"Malia told me not too." Lila shrugged.
"Why?" Five asked.
"I didn't need the distraction." I said, sealing the last little bit together and then bandaging it up. "Care to move him to the bed now?" I asked, glancing at Five.
Five did as asked and then untied Elliott. I left Diego to rest as I made us all some food. Elliott didn't have anything fancy in his cupboards, not that I was willing to make anything complicated.
Spaghetti was all I had in me to make. They all seemed to like it enough at least. Even Elliott who got a second helping before going to his work bench to study some photo's he took.
I just finished my own second helping and put my dishes in the sink. I was going to wash them but Lila said she would do them so I could sit with Diego. She was mean to him most of the time but I liked her just fine. I took a step toward the bedroom as an alarm on Elliott's work bench went off.
"What is that?" I asked, covering my ears.
"One of those machines your brother asked for is going crazy." Elliott said.
"Machines, for what?" I asked.
"More importantly, which one is it?" Five asked, coming to look.
"The atmospheric radar." Elliott replied, "I don't get it though. What are you tracking?"
"Sound waves." Five grinned and turned to me.
"Vanya." I whispered.
"I'll be back."
"Wait! Five-" He was already gone. "I'm going to kill that kid one of these days."
I shook my head and walked through the kitchen. I patted Lila's back as she continued to wash the dishes and then went into the bedroom. Diego was still out cold but he was snoring slightly which was nice to hear rather than the grunts of pain. I took out my pony and laid down beside him, resting my hand on his chest. The feel of his heartbeat and the sound of his quiet snoring lulled me to sleep.
I woke up to a tickling sensation along my cheek and neck and smiled in content. The sensation came from calloused finger tips and I knew exactly who they belonged too. I dreamed for so long to be able to wake up next him again. I blinked my eyes open and saw Diego smiling back at me.
"The first time I woke up next to you, you were doing that." I said quietly, "I thought about it often these past few months without you. I think I was annoyed then but now I'd take all your annoyances and idiocies if it meant you stayed with me."
He chuckled and kissed my forehead, "I can't tell if that was an insult or a declaration of love."
"Can't it be both?" I asked, smiling as I ran my fingers through his shaggy hair, "You're much scruffier now. I didn't get a chance to tell you but I think it's rather sexy."
He swept his fingers lightly across my bangs, "I love what you've done with your hair as well. It suits you."
"I love you."
"I love you too." He said, kissing me quickly before sitting up.
He tried to maneuver around me but paused when Lila stepped in, "Are you two hungry?" She asked, "Elliott has made moldy tuna."
"It's a tuna mold!" Elliott called out, clearly annoyed. Regardless, it sounded unappealing.
"I'll pass. Now where's my clothes?" Diego asked, "Malia, pass me my pants."
"No, and where do you think you're going anyway? I just patched you up and you need rest." I said, blocking him from moving past me.
"I'll leave you two lovers to quarrel this out." Lila said cautiously, stepping out of the room.
"Malia, move out of the way. All of this has something to do with JFK and dad is right in the middle of it. I think that's why he att-"
I punched him in the stab wound and he gasped in pain while falling back onto the bed, "Shut up and rest alright?" I demanded.
"What is wrong with you? I thought you loved me!" He cried.
"Yeah, well love hurts sometimes." I said and laid back down beside him, "Just rest for a little bit please?" I pleaded.
"Fine." He said in defeat and then let a breath, "I can't believe he shanked me."
"He doesn't know who you are remember? We don't exist to him yet." I reasoned.
"Still... it was a cheap shot and in a fair fight, man to man, that son of a bitch wouldn't stand a chance." Diego grumbled angrily.
"Are you sure? You looked like you were getting your ass kicked until you grabbed that iron rod." I said, resting my head on my hand to prop myself up a bit.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
I brought my hand to his cheek and turned him to look at me, "I have endless confidence in your abilities Diego. Even when I didn't like you, I did. I hope you know that."
"I know that now." He said and placed his hand on my neck, tracing my jaw with his thumb, "You know what I also know?"
"What?"
"We haven't been alone like this since before the world ended."
"Elliott and Lila are right in the other room..." I said with a raised eyebrow.
"They don't count."
I leaned over him and kissed him hard but he yelped and pushed me away a bit. I giggled when I realized I hit his wound and said sorry as I went gentler this time. I wanted to hurry and get our clothes off so we could be as close and intimate as fast as possible but it would be wrong to rush this. He was as good at this as I remember and somehow knew exactly what I liked despite us only doing this two other times, several months ago.
We fell asleep shortly after we finished and I didn't wake up until the early hours of the morning. It was still dark but I smiled as I just laid there and watched him sleep. It should be impossible to fall this hard for someone in just a short amount of time but then again, my family was full of the impossible. I could stay there all morning with him in bed and I was going too but I heard the phone ring and shortly after Elliot knocked on the frosted window separating the bedroom from the kitchen.
I shifted from the bed and quickly put on my pants and shirt. I entered the kitchen and Elliott did
not look happy as he pointed to the phone receiver. I looked at him in confusion as I picked it up and held it to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Malia, where the hell are you?" Agent Cross shouted through the phone, "First I try your motel room only to find out you're squatting in the store of the back alley I found you in?"
"Would you calm down Will? You sound like a crazy person!" I whispered harshly into the phone, "Now what did you want? I told you not to contact me for a few days."
"This is something that shouldn't be said over the phone. Can we meet?"
"Look, now's not a good time Will. I found my family... well some of it anyway. It's only a matter of time before I find the rest." I said quietly.
"Did you find... him?" He asked.
I smiled softly, "Yeah, I did. Turns out he's been here all this time and couldn't find me either." I didn't have to say WHY he couldn't find me.
"That's...great." He didn't sound like he meant it, "Can we please meet? I promise it won't take long."
I bit my lip as I looked to Elliott who was eyeing me wearily and then toward the bedroom where Diego was sleeping, "Alright fine. I'll give you thirty minutes. Where did you want to meet?"
"Kelso's Coffee. It's not far from you."
"I know where it is. See you in ten." I hung up the phone and turned to Elliott, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You have the Feds calling here for you and I don't like it. They're onto us, aren't they?"
He was a paranoid man, that was for sure. If I said this had nothing to do with him, he wouldn't buy it, despite it being true. So, I mulled over what I would say before deciding on vagueness as the best option.
"I'll handle it alright?" I said as I grabbed a hair tie from my bag and put my hair up in its usual high pony.
I went back into the bedroom, kissed Diego on the cheek and told him I'd be right back even though I knew he wasn't listening. I left the bedroom and put on my trench coat, grabbing a pistol just in case, and turned back to Elliott.
"If Diego wakes up, tell him I'll be back in an hour." I said and looked around, "Wait, where is Lila?"
"She left about an hour ago." Elliott said with a shrug.
Weird but okay. It's not like she was a hostage or anything, she could come and go as she pleased. I left and walked the few short blocks to the coffee shop and saw Agent Cross already sitting in a booth that was tucked into the corner. I motioned for the barista to bring me a black coffee and sat down across from him in the booth.
"Now what is it you wanted?"
"Hello to you too."
"Cut the bullshit. I told you I was taking a few days." I scowled.
"And I wanted to give it to you, believe me but I answer to higher authority and they have a job for you to do."
The barista placed my coffee down and walked away and I took a much-needed sip.
"Well you're going to have to tell them I'm out." I said.
"Out? What do you mean out? Don't you want to hear the job first?" He asked disbelievingly.
"No actually, I don't. I said I would do this job until I found my family – until I found Diego. I did that." I said. I took another gulp of coffee and stood up to leave, "I'm sure you'll find someone else to do your dirty work Will. "
He dropped some money on the table and followed me out onto the empty street, "Don't leave! That Diego guy doesn't even appreciate you the way I do. He was better off stuck in there!"
I whipped around to glare angrily at him, "What are you talking about? I never said anything about him being stuck anywhere." He didn't speak and that's when I knew, "You knew where he was this whole time, didn't you? You probably knew where everyone was! Why wouldn't you tell me?"
"I was going to tell you eventually but you were too good an asset to lose. Not to mention what a lunatic your boyfriend is. You're better off with someone like me." He said.
My glare intensified as I stepped closer to him. I stepped even closer so I could whisper in his ear, "That 'lunatic' is twice the man you'll ever be."
I turned to walk away, "You can walk away if you want, but you'll never truly be able to leave – you know too many of our secrets. We'll always find you!"
I didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction, I just kept walking. What he said did rattle me though. What did he mean that he'll always find me? I thought back to the conversation we had on the phone. He said he went to my motel room but there was nothing that would have led him to find me at Morty's. In fact, there was nothing anywhere that would have led him to the store, so how did he track me down?
Now that I think about it, he always seemed to be nearby when he wanted to meet with me. Have I really been so distracted with finding my family and doing the FBI's dirty work, that I couldn't tell I was being tracked? Fuck! I'm such an idiot!
I ran all the way back to Morty's and up the stairs. I grabbed my bag and ripped out all my things, checking it all carefully before tossing it behind me. I heard Diego come into the living room and watch me rip apart my stuff. He even managed to catch a gun that I threw behind me. When my bag was empty, I inspected it before turning to Diego.
"Give me a knife."
"Okay, but what are you doing?" He asked as he handed me one of his knives.
I cut into the seams and felt around but I couldn't find anything. I huffed as I sat back on my feet
and thought about where else a tracking chip might be placed. I checked my things because anyone could have snuck into my motel room when I wasn't there and placed one. The problem with that theory is that my bag wasn't always with me on assignments. My trench coat was though!
"Malia! What's wrong?" Diego asked again as I tore of my jacket.
"I'm being tracked and I want to know how." I said and searched my jacket thoroughly.
I ran my hand along the seams, felt under the liner, flipped the collar up but nothing. Where the fuck could that tracker be?
"Wait, why are you being tracked?" Diego asked.
"My badge!" I exclaimed and looked through all my stuff that was thrown around the room. Lila and then Five came into the room shortly after and watched me frantically search through my things. "Where is it? Where is it?"
I couldn't find my badge anywhere but it was with my bag when I left this morning.
"What is up with you?" Five asked.
"I can't find my badge!"
"You mean this?" Elliott asked, holding up a tiny black folder. It flipped open and revealed a picture of me with my name and FBI in big bold letters, "You brought a Fed into my house!" Elliott accused Five who rolled his eyes.
"You work for the FBI?!" Diego was shocked.
"You took it! What is wrong with you!" I snapped as I jumped to my feet and snatched it from him. I tore the little plastic cover off and whipped my ID into the corner and then I saw it. I took the chip out and held it in front of my face, "Little fucker."
"What is that?" Lila asked, plopping down on the sofa.
"A tracking chip."
"Hold on!" Diego said loudly, "Why didn't you tell me you were working for the FBI?"
"Worked. Past tense. I just quite." I said and crushed the chip beneath my feet, "And good riddance. They lied to me for months, telling me they had no idea where you were. And Will was getting too handsy."
"He what?" Diego pulled out a knife.
"Put that away Diego, I handled it." I said and then fell into the sofa beside Lila, "I can't believe they were tracking me."
"But if you worked for them, why were they tracking you?" Lila asked.
"Because she wasn't really working for them. She was more like a mercenary. I'm assuming they wanted to keep tabs on you in case you ever went rogue." Five explained.
"Well fuck them." I said, crossing my arms, "Where were you anyway? Did you find Vanya?"
I motioned for Diego to come sit beside me so I could change his bandages as we listen to Five
retell his story up until he came back. I wish he brought her with him but I understand why he didn't force her.
"So you just let her go?" Diego asked.
"Yeah, she had a lot to process. She'll come around."
"It's mending nicely. Thank god for super healing." I said as I placed another bandage over the bright red line.
Diego kissed my cheek and then followed Five with his eyes, "What about the guys who went after her? How do you know they won't go after her again?"
"We don't."
"Any idea who sent them?" Lila asked as Elliott gave us all coffee. He was still eyeing me with distrust.
"Oh, I have my suspicions." Five said to Lila, "But right now, our priority is finding dad and getting answers."
"Which for the record, I found him already." Diego started.
"And then let him go." Five said, taking a seat.
"That's hardly fair. He was dying in a pool of his own blood." I defended.
"But you weren't."
"Excuse me, you little prick!" I snapped and went to launch myself at him but Diego put his arm across my chest to keep me in place.
"Calm down. I have another idea." He handed us an invitation.
Diego took it from him and held it up in front of me so Lila and I could read it too, "And this is where he's going to be?" I asked.
"Where did you find this?" Diego asked.
"I found it in his office while he was busy stabbing you."
"Ha ha." Diego said and read it out loud.
"Wait, did you say Hillencolter?" Elliott asked, "He's one of the Majestic 12."
"Can I go? It says there is going to be a seafood tower." Lila said, excited.
"We'll go shopping for dresses." I told her with a smile.
"What the hell is the Majestic 12?" Diego asked.
"It's a secret committee. Scientists, military, deep state. No one knows what they really do." Elliott said as he started ruffling through papers on his desk.
"Wait, I've heard of them. My boss wanted me to track them down to make sure they weren't Soviet spies." I said.
"The one who got handsy with you?" Diego muttered and I pushed his face away from mine.
"They're like some sort of government." I continued.
"Shadow government. Kennedy was the first president to try and push them into the light but they are NOT to be trifled with." Elliott came over with a picture and pointed to Hillencolter, "That's him right there."
"Huh... looks like your conspiracy theories aren't total bullshit after all." I said as I leaned over to get a better look, "Wait, I took this picture nine weeks ago. How did you get it?"
"Why do I only count eleven?" Lila asked.
"Because they've only been able to identify eleven." Elliott said.
"Do you know who the twelfth is?" Diego asked me.
"No but if I could take a guess..." I left the sentence unfinished because I knew both Five and Diego were thinking the same thing.
"Looks like we're going to a party." Five said.
"Which means we'll need proper attire." I said and stood up, "Come on Lila, we'll leave the boys to their own devices. We need to find pretty dresses."
"Alright but I don't have any money."
"Don't worry about it. I've built up quite the savings working for the FBI." I said.