Fiona flew through the night with the four Marines, Nora, and Blinne; the night had cooled dramatically along the west coast of Ireland, bringing chilling winds that swept the biting February weather inland.

The environment didn’t affect Fiona in the least due to her having extremely high elemental resistances, and Nora appeared to have Above Average Cold Resistance, but the rest of the group had little to no protection. Blinne started to shiver even inside Wind Shield, which blocked the strong winds.

Fiona cast Fireball I: Inferno to provide a constant source of heat on the flight home, and she began to notice her sugar reserves falling quicker than expected.

She was becoming more aware of how demanding her spells were while using Wind Shield at its maximum three-meter radius, channeling Fireball, even at Rank 1, for an extended time, and the most demanding, Levitation on six targets for longer than thirty minutes all combined to drain her energy pool by 60%, bringing her to 71% of her total 149% when starting the journey.

The trip took a bit longer due to Blinne’s upset stomach with g-forces placed on their bodies upon any correction in their course, causing Fiona to take a more casual pace.

Nora took a deep breath as they slowly descended to their front yard. “I wish I could hold your hand, Fi,” she whispered.

“Mmh, I know,” Fiona groaned, brushing back her hair, “being this small really sucks sometimes … especially when you want to hold someone.”

Blinne offered her own with a smile. “Allow me to be a proxy!”

“Aww,” Annie cooed, “you’re so awesome, Ms. Blinne.”

“I’m no such thing!” She chuckled. “No, I believe it is Nora that deserves the praise for being so strong during this trying time.”

“I don’t feel strong … I feel like throwing up,” she mumbled, legs wobbling as they touched ground.

“It will pass, Dearie!”

“I feel like a jacket,” Greg grumbled. “It’s cold as hell out here…”

Theo slapped his shoulder with the back of his closed fist. “Heh, he’s a Southern Cali boy to the root! It could be seventy-degrees, and you’d be complaining.”

“Shut-up,” he growled, rubbing his arms. “I don’t want to hear shit from a dude that grew up in Canada … y’all ain’t normal.”

“Baker’s Lake, NU, baby … dude, my Uncle said it’s -34°C three days ago up there. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

Greg just shook his head with a no written across his face.

Dale sucked in a chilling breath before letting it puff out in a stream of condensation as a light rain began to fall. “Yo, it’s gettin’ near freezing right now, and I’m from New York, but damn if that wind came through…”

Fiona gave them a forced smile as they slowly moved to the front door. “Actually, from the looks of it, it’s been a bit warm this week, but this should turn to snow. We usually have like two or three days of snow in February.”

“Great…” Greg’s grumbling trailed off as the door swung open.

Their parents rushed out to meet them, Tori and Felix standing behind them.

““Nora!””

Their father hesitated as the inside light fell across them, illuminating the group, but her mother plowed forward, smashing right into Fiona’s Wind Shield.

“Ack…”

“Mom!” Nora and Fiona cried, dropping all her spells in a panic as they darted forward.

Aislinn was tossed two feet to the left, tumbling across the ground; the wind took Fiona by shock as a sharp gust pushed her a few meters toward the house. Catching herself, Fiona applied a shell to combat the force, allowing her to rush unhindered to Aislinn’s side, but Nora was already there, brushing her thick red hair away from their stunned face.

“What—just happened?” She mumbled, the world probably still spinning in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Mom!” Fiona cried, hovering beside her with worry. “I—I umm, I didn’t get my spell down fast enough.”

“Spell?”

“Oof,” Annie winced, and the soldiers jogged over in case they needed help.

Her father was quickly by their side, utterly confused as he stared at Nora, helping Aislinn back to her feet. “Nora? What … happened…”

“I’m okay—I’m okay,” Aislinn coughed, catching her breath while standing up and composing herself. “Wow … that’s was, umm—a shock,” she mumbled, brushing her hair back.

“Dear, Dear,” Blinne whispered, taking her hand and guiding her toward the door with a shiver. “Let’s get you inside and on a couch!”

“No, I’m—I’m fine … who are you?” Aislinn asked, vision centering on the elderly woman as she guided everyone toward the door.

“Ah, my name’s Blinne Ní Suaird, Ms. White, and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting your lovely daughters,” she explained, patting her hand as they entered the house.

Everyone filed in behind them, her father still too stunned to speak as he glanced between them; Theo was the last to enter, closing the door behind him.

The group filed to the left, sitting on couches as the warmth of the lit fireplace radiated heat, combating the cool air that had entered, and the howl of the wind outside played dully in the background.

Their father sat in an armchair, concerned wide eyes still locked on Nora. “Nora … is that really you?”

Blinne guided Aislinn to a couch, fussing over her to see if there was any damage done as everyone got situated; Nora was the only one that didn’t sit, nervous yellow irises glancing between her parents while rubbing her left arm. “Umm—yeah, Dad … it’s me…” Her words slowly died as her hands slid down her arms, hugging herself and averting her eyes.

Water gathered in their father’s eyes as he took a shuddering breath, releasing it in short bursts; his body began to quake, and lurching forward, he wrapped her in his arms, sobbing while repeating her name. “... Nora … where did—I looked everywhere…”

“I’m sorry, Daddy … I’m sorry…”

“Caolán,” Aislinn whispered, focus shifting to her family. Her lower lip tucking under as she regained her bearings, and after a moment, she rose to join them.

The three collapsed to the floor, knees unable to support them as they held each other, frames quivering with emotion.

An empty feeling opened in Fiona’s gut as she hovered above her family and a sad tear fell down her cheek.

… I want a hug … if only I was a little bigger…

Unable to bear it any longer, she hovered down to latch onto Nora’s neck.

Blinne and the soldiers watched them with soft smiles while watching the reunited family work through their emotions.

After a few minutes, they all took deep breaths, calming their raging emotions. After a few sniffs and squeezed hands, they returned to the couch, Blinne moving to an armchair to allow them to sit together.

“What happened?” Caolán asked, trying to clean up his puffy red face with the rest of his family. “Your mother said Fiona was smaller, but … and you have—cat ears and a tail, Nora?”

“It was The Oscillation,” Fiona whispered, drawing everyone’s eye, and she told the tale.

After she’d finished, everyone was silent, waiting for Aislinn and Caolán to absorb all the information.

Caolán held Nora’s left hand, her right was taken by Aislinn. The concern had lessened a bit, but their parents’ foreheads were still creased, questions no doubt flooding their brains.

“I’m sorry we didn’t notice,” Aislinn replied, sad eyes on her lap.

Nora shook her head, gripping her hands. “No … it’s not your fault. You aren’t bad parents—that’s why I blamed myself. Fiona’s not a bad sister … I just didn’t stand out, and—and I didn’t know why … I was just so frustrated, angry … bitter, but now—I’m just happy to be home.”

Nora’s chest fluttered. “Thanks for not abandoning me, Mom, Dad…”

Tears gathered in everyone’s eyes as Caolán shook his head. “No, no, Honey, we—we could never let you go.”

“You’re the beat of my heart,” Aislinn cried, leaning in to hug her against her breast.

“Mom … even if … I’m not—not human?”

“You’re still our daughter,” Caolán whispered, fingers tightening around her hand. “Nothing’s going to change that, and Fiona—that goes for you, too … come here…”

Fiona tried to hold back her shakes, floating in to hug his neck as he gently held her; the stiff bristles of his stubble were rough against her body, but the warmth in her heart overpowered the discomfort.

“What can we do?” Caolán asked, the vibrations in his throat transferring up Fiona’s body.

Blinne cleared her throat. “If I may, Mr. and Ms. White … I believe they just need your love. I’ve seen some horrible stories from London and the EU—we just need a little more compassion, and it looks like that shouldn’t be a problem. See, Nora? You have wonderful parents.”

“What about this body,” Nora softly asked, bringing her mother’s hand up to press against her chest, “Iuchra Nic Céin … I stole her body.”

Dale cleared his throat, glancing at Felix and Tori that had remained silent for most of the exchange. “Felix, get on the phone with the local police and let them know that we’ll be in at noon to discuss the case with the missing corpse.”

He nodded, moving to the kitchen to use their landline, and the Lieutenant turned his focus to Aislinn and Caolán. “If you’ll excuse me, I know this is a touching and meaningful moment for your family, but there will be a lot of things we need to set in order.

“I don’t know if Fiona’s told you both yet, but the main reason we’re here is to escort you back to the States where your family has been granted asylum during this turbulent time. There are accommodations for some of your extended family if that’s a concern with possible job placement if needed.

“So, with that being said, I suggest we get some rest while we can and handle all these details once we’ve had the chance to rest.”

Fiona hovered back, clearing her throat as they thought on the Marine’s words. “Umm, Mom, Dad, uh—I’d feel a lot better if you were—well nearby with what, mmh,” she groaned, sliding her fingers through her hair, “this is harder to say than I thought…”

“What, Fi?” Nora asked.

“Well … umm, I’ve kind of got enemies…”

““Enemies?””

“Eh…” Fiona gave her parents a forced smile. “I was kind of, umm—kidnapped after I changed…”

Aislinn and Caolán’s eyes blanked as they reconciled with the information.

“What…” Her father muttered, features twisting between emotions. “By who—did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine, and umm … almost all of them are dead, but there’s this Sorceress Legendkin that … she’s not that good of a person, to say the least, and … I don’t know,” she moaned. “I’m just nervous with you guys being a whole ocean away from me when all this stuff is happening around the world, and … there’s stuff that I know—classified government stuff.”

A forced smile lifted her mother’s face. “I understand, Fi … we’ll need to set some things in order, but if you’re this concerned, of course, we’ll return with you. Umm … some family can join, right?” She asked, directing the question at Dale.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Caolán’s brow furrowed, mind clearing to start questioning the whole situation as his green eyes moved between the soldiers in his house. “Fi … why is the U.S. government doing all of this for you?”

Fiona rubbed her elbow, floating back a little so they could see her better. “Umm—you know how I told you Mythickin are pretty rare when I told you about The Oscillation, right?”

“Yes?”

“Well … it’s like, super rare, and well—I’m friends with a few other Mythickin and we kind of did some big things for the government…”

“In short,” Dale cleared his throat, “your daughter is seen as a valuable asset to the U.S. government, and has prevented a potentially world-ending crisis.”

Fiona twisted in the air. “Can you tell them that?” She asked in shock. “Wait … you don’t know what happened in there, so how…”

Dale lifted a hand as the soldiers gave her eager looks for more detail. “You’re right, Fiona, we don’t, but General Dallas gave me that information to give your parents in this very circumstance.”

“Oh … well, I guess it would be a pretty obvious question,” Fiona mumbled.

“World-ending?” Nora whispered. “You saved the world, Fi?”

“Really?” Annie asked, rubbing her chin while giving her an impressed look. “Man, I really want to know what went on … gah, this is all such a tease!”

Her parents were more concerned than dazzled.

“Will you need to do something like that again?” Aislinn asked.

Caolán’s tone dropped a little, and he scooted forward on the couch. “How dangerous was it?”

Fiona held up her hand, looking away from her parents’ hounding eyes. “Umm—so … I think there might be some kind of deal in the works so you guys can learn exactly what I did, but I can’t really say anything about it right now.”

“World-ending, though?” Nora pushed.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Yeah—it probably would have been, to be honest,” Fiona shrugged. “It was—oh, umm … I did it with my friends, Rachel, Maria, and Scarlet. They’re off with their own families, but we’re going to meet up when we get back.”

“I—don’t remember those names,” Aislinn mumbled. “Did you talk about them when you visited earlier this week?”

Nora shook her head. “I don’t remember them, either … you haven’t talked about them in your streams, either.”

“No, no,” Fiona shook her head. “They were the ones that rescued me when I was kidnapped … both me and Erica.”

“Erica was kidnapped, too?” Her father asked with worry. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine!”

Felix re-entered the room, giving Dale a thumbs up to indicate he’d handled his assignment.

Aislinn’s hand pressed against her heart. “Thank goodness … my heart’s beating so fast; how can the whole world change so drastically in only a few days?”

“As I said,” Dale interjected, “I think it’s best we call it a night and tackle this in the morning. I’m sure you four have a lot to talk about.”

“That might be best…” Caolán sighed. “Fiona, Nora … would you two sleep in our room tonight? We can bring your mattresses in.”

Annie jumped in with a giggle. “Oh, Fiona’s got her own mansion she sleeps in!”

They gave her a questioning look as she dropped down to reveal the dollhouse, wrapped in a plastic bag.

Fiona forced a chuckle. “Yeah … sleeping with things that are roughly normal size to me is just … kind of comforting.” A shiver ran down her frame. “I had this nightmare that woke me up yesterday on the plane—I was sleeping by someone, and they rolled over on me. I’m like … super, super weak—I’d probably die if someone smacked me with a towel—yeah … it’s depressing.”

“How can we keep you safe, then?” Aislinn cried. “What if someone opens a door too quickly and smacks you, or—or a cat sneaks up on you…”

“Mom … Mom!” Fiona frantically waved. “I have magic—a Wind Shield spell, remember … you kind of ran into it.”

“It’ll protect you?”

“Well … it’s an Active and Reactive spell.”

“Which means?” Nora mumbled.

“Oh … umm, it means if I’m using it, then it’ll automatically use as much energy as needed to defend me from something—well … unless it reaches the damage cap,” she whispered under her breath.

Her father’s shoulders slumped. “You’re so fragile now … how do we protect you?”

“I’m fine!” Fiona reassured. “Geez, Mom, Dad, I’m totally a powerhouse!” She grinned, flexing her nonexistent muscles.

“More like a glass cannon,” Nora sighed with a furrowed brow.

“Nora, I’m fine … FINE!”

“Alright,” her father groaned, rising to his feet before frowning at Blinne. “Umm, Ms. Blinne, was it?”

“Blinne’s fine, Dearie!” The old woman beamed.

He cleared his throat, giving her a warm smile. “Blinne … thank you for everything you did for Nora; really … thank you.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“How will you get back home?” Aislinn asked. “If I remember correctly, you brought Nora from Roundstone Harbour Village … Caolán could drive you back.”

Fiona piped up. “I’ll bring her back! I’m still wide awake, and I need to wind down a bit. My schedule’s kind of off, too, since Rachel and Scarlet are nocturnal. Maria … she manages,” she chuckled.

Blinne nodded, bones creaking as she rose, stretching out her back with a low moan. “Mmh … I agree, Fiona. I think Nora needs both of you here.”

“N-No, I’m … I’m fine,” Nora stammered, putting on a brave face that wasn’t convincing anyone.

Aislinn gave her youngest daughter a warm smile while pulling her up. “Okay, my little kitten, let’s get ready for bed.”

“Mom … little kitten?” Nora blushed, glancing at their company.

“Yeah,” she teased, reaching up to scratch behind her left ear and causing it to crease as a low purr escaped her throat before she caught herself. Her face turned beet-red as she broke away. “Mom!”

Everyone chuckled as she Aislinn took her hand, guiding her into the hallway. “I don’t care if you’re a cat or slime or whatever … you’re my cute little girl,” she giggled.

Fiona gave a start, flying to her mother to whisper in Nora’s ear. “What was the name—the one you mentioned when we talked?”

“Oh,” Nora’s features fell, ears pulling back upon muttering the name, “Finghin Ó Cuilinn.”

She broke away, her mother giving them a curious smirk, probably thinking they were doing something silly. Returning to Dale, she hovered close to his head, explaining what happened to Iuchra.

He popped his tongue a few times, motioning over Felix to relay the information to the station. “Tell them that it might be good to act sooner than later,” he muttered, tapping his shoulder.

Felix nodded with a dark expression. “Got it.”

Fiona watched Felix go with a slight frown, vision shifting to Tori, and she diverted eye contact; she still hadn’t fully forgiven them for doubting her, but her attention soon went to Blinne as she hobbled over.

“I’m ready whenever you are … Mr. White…”

Her father’s focus moved from the soldiers to the elderly woman, frown turning into a thankful smile. “Call me Caolán. What can I do for you?”

She licked her lips, shooting a worried glance at the hallway. “I’ve never met the Céin family, but I heard of them … their home in Roundstone Harbour Village is their second home; they come for vacations. Of course, I heard the news—it’s a small village, and I connected the dots after a bit. Would you like me to explain things to them before Nora gets there? It might help smooth things over … she’s been through a lot already, and this isn’t her fault.”

Her father looked conflicted. “If I reverse the roles … it would be hard … seemingly impossible to reconcile with it, but … maybe that might help. Thank you for all your help, Blinne … you’ve helped my—I can’t express how thankful I am.”

“Mmh … your little girl reminds me a little of myself when I was younger … struggling with who I really was,” Blinne whispered. “I’m happy to support you and your wife … you really have a special family.”

She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I’ll see what I can do about Mr. and Ms. Céin.”

Dale stepped closer, drawing both adults’ attention. “If you’ll excuse me, it might be worth noting that Nora’s identified the murderer.”

“Murder,” her father muttered. “It wasn’t an accidental death?”

He shook his head, and Fiona’s ears fell a little as she empathized with the dead girl. “No … Nora told me it was one of the family’s closest friends.”

Blinne’s brow furrowed. “Closest friends … it isn’t—was it Finghin Ó Cuilinn?” She gasped, hand pressing against her mouth in disbelief.

Dale breathed out a groan. “You know the guy?”

The elderly woman’s eyes went out of focus. “It is … I would have never guessed. He’s … there have been missing persons in the National Park for years … could all of that…”

“We’ll let the local authorities handle it, but as Nora is the most solid witness you could have … it goes without saying … in this new world, the dead can tell their stories.”

Blinne’s shoulders sagged. “That’s horrifying … I’ve known him since he was a boy.”

Her father bit his lower lip, shaking his head with disgust. “Taking away a man’s daughter … nothing could satisfy that … those poor parents.”

They stood in silence, contemplating what they’d found themselves in the middle of and the monster The Oscillation had revealed.

After a time, her father gave the soldiers permission to bunker down in the front room while keeping watch, and retired to bed, kissing Fiona on the forehead.

Fiona topped off with sugar before returning the elderly woman to her car. Ignoring her protests, she followed her back to her house to ensure she was safe, giving her a Wind Shield to support her upon getting out.

Her journey back home was quick; Nora and her mother had set up her dollhouse with Annie’s help. Nora and Aislinn laughed while helping her prepare for bed.

“Man … clean the sink of hair, Mom!” Fiona mumbled, looking down at the red strands in her warm pool. “Are you going bald or something?” She giggled, and without warning, a handful of water drenched her; the weight sent her tumbling into the pool, floundering.

The dampened noise increased as hands reached in to pull her out, Nora’s soft laughter following.

“N-Nora! I could have drowned!” She sputtered. “I can’t breathe underwater…”

“It wasn’t me!”

Her mother’s impish tittering made Fiona’s mouth drop open. “Mom … you did that?”

Aislinn smirked, glancing left. “Hey … I had to retaliate; my pride was on the line!”

“Aww … my clothes are soaked now,” Fiona mumbled, peeling her hair out of her face.

“No magic to help you?” Nora pestered with a grin.

“Oh, I’ve got plenty of magic!” Fiona said, hair and irises flashing deep blue as she created a ten-gallon glob of water over her mother’s head, water still dripping off Fiona’s feet. “Muhahaha!”

“Fiona…” Her mother warned, stepping back with a raised eye.

“I got you, Mom!” Nora called, jumping into the air while turning into a gelatinous blob to swallow the water before returning to her human form with a wink.

Fiona’s mouth dropped open with disbelief as her sister winked, giving her a victory sign. “Team Mom wins!”

“Not fair! Who’s on my side?”

“Dad, duh,” Nora replied, rolling her eyes.

“Wha—he’s not even here!”

Their dad appeared by the open door. “What’s up?”

They all turned to him, Fiona’s cheeks puffing up. “Dad, get Mom!”

“Wait—what?”

His eyes widened as Aislinn’s smile widened, darting forward to tackle him. He stumbled back in shock, falling upon the bed as she pinned his arms down, sitting atop his chest. “We win again, Nora!”

“You’re awesome, Mom!”

“Dad! Fight back … we’re losing!” Fiona growled, using Levitate to lift her mother up.

“Wha … I’m floating?” Their mother questioned, spinning in the air as she tried keeping her night-shirt from falling down.

“Fi, that’s cheating!” Nora growled.

Her father’s grin turned curious. “Oh, is that what we’re doing? A little lower, Fi!”

“Oh?” Aislinn giggled as Caolán caught her in a princess carry.

Their father gave her the smolder. “Well, my Queen, would you consider joining my side?”

“Hey, cheap, cheap, you can’t do that!” Nora called, face turning red as she darted to their side, Fiona hovering on the opposite shoulder, still dripping wet. “Mom, you can’t…”

“Yes,” Fiona cackled maniacally. “Join the dark side, Mother; we have sugar and chocolates!”

“Oh, dear,” Aislinn laughed. “I’m sorry, Nora … you know I’m a sucker for chocolate and princess carries.”

“No, fight, fight!” Nora encouraged.

“Would you like a massage, my lady?” Caolán asked with a questioning hum.

Aislinn’s green eyes sparkled. “Oh, yes, please, take me! I’m so sorry, Dear, but I’ve been converted!”

“Nooo…” Nora cried, calling to her knees. “We were so close to winning!”

They all burst into laughter.

Their father made true with his promise, playing their mother like a violin as she moaned with pleasure, strong hands working out the knots in her back and neck while Nora helped Fiona finish washing up.

Sleep soon followed, allowing them to rest as a family for the first time in two years.

Fiona stretched on her small bed, throwing off her sheets. She put on a robe and exited her dollhouse to check on her family; she was the first awake.

“Aww, cute..:” A smile brightened her lips. Her mother was holding Nora with their father’s arms wrapped around their mother’s waist.

They’d prepped the night before, allowing Fiona to use her parents’ bathroom to get ready for the afternoon; it was 1 P.M.

She put on a navy blue and white striped skirt, sleeveless-shirt, blue undergarments, and completed the outfit with strap-heels. She spent the next thirty minutes watching her family, pondering on all the crazy things that had happened over the past week.

Her father stirred first, causing the others to slowly wake, but Fiona half-felt like Nora was faking it to stay in their mother’s arms.

Aislinn yawned, adjusting her bound hair while getting up. “Oh, Nora … you’re so warm. I felt like I had a heating blanket on me. It was so nice.”

Nora giggled. “It’s this fur,” she stated, showing them she could retract and grow it at will.

“No shedding around the house, then?” Fiona baited with a devilish grin. “Brion sheds enough!”

Nora smirked, not taking the snare. “Oh? How is Brion? I haven’t seen him since he was a kitten.”

“Haven’t seen him? I post pictures all the time! He even has a stream window of his own … he has like twelve subscriptions,” she giggled. “People want him to have the expensive food—he’s a spoiled boy.”

“As he should be,” Aislinn chuckled. “Okay—up I go,” she grunted, scooting out from between her husband and daughter. “Shoot,” she groaned, rubbing her shoulders. “Is it just me, Dear, or are we getting old?”

“You certainly don’t look it, Mom!” Fiona chimed.

Caolán snapped his fingers, pointing at her, “You can say that again!”

“Gorgeous, right, Dad?” Fiona winked.

“Dazzling!”

“Lovely!”

Nora’s ears twitched, getting in on the game. “Elegant!”

“Beautiful…” Caolán whispered, crawling to the edge of the bed to kiss her.

Aislinn returned a kiss, getting up while spinning in a circle. “You three make me feel twenty again.”

““Love you!”” Fiona and Nora called as their parents entered the bathroom together to get ready.

They went to the Garda station to give their statements; it had snowed a few inches through the night, layering the town with a soft blanket of white, but thankfully, the wind had died down.

When they arrived, they found out that the Gardai made the arrest the night before with the information provided by the Marines, and Nora identified the man behind tinted glass, detailing the event to a state psychologist in the area.

Nora was nervous, but with some support, she managed to make it through the session, and the report of her transformation, fears, and what she’d learned was sent to the government. A State official contacted her soon after, hoping to talk about staying in Ireland, but Nora quickly rejected it, wanting to stay with her family, promptly ending that discussion.

Due to the strange circumstances, it took a bit of explaining to get the District Court Judge to issue a warrant, but the Gardai managed it instead with the Peace Commissioner.

The raid on his house started as Fiona, Nora, and her parents flew to meet the Céin family; they’d been given the information by the Gardai after confirming with the Céin that it was alright to give their address.

They landed in front of the house, Nora holding onto her father’s arm.

“You okay?” Caolán asked, and her grip tightened.

“Kind of … it’s just—I could act like their daughter, and they probably couldn’t tell the difference … I just feel a little—it’s just strange.”

They’d talked about what would happen if they refused to consent to her using their daughter’s appearance; the U.S. Military would provide a person that had donated their body for science.

The family took a deep breath, releasing a long stream of condensation before knocking on the door.

A haggard-looking man and woman opened the door, wearing forced smiles; their eyes didn’t leave Nora, making her ears twitch.

Mr. Céin licked his dry lips, and Ms. Céin’s body started to quiver, chest convulsing, but she managed to keep herself from breaking down as her husband welcomed them in.

They entered the guest sitting room to the left; there weren’t many words exchanged, causing the tense atmosphere to press in on them, and Fiona didn’t want to push the clearly hurting couple.

Smacking his dry lips, Mr. Céin gave a short laugh, tears falling down his cheek. “I don’t want to lie … I feel like I’m losing my mind … you sure you aren’t our Iuchra?”

“Please,” Ms. Céin choked, clearing her throat as her face turned blue.

“Breathe,” her husband prompted. “Just breathe…”

“What happened to our girl?” She cried, tears falling down her cheeks. “I—she was supposed to—I was going to watch her run today … so much I wanted to say…”

“Left unsaid,” Mr. Céin mumbled, chest fluttering. “You look just like her … even with all those changes she—her face … why did this happen? We were told … Finghin did this to our daughter,” she shook his head.

Tears were in Nora’s own eyes. “I’m sorry … I’m not really Iuchra. My name’s Nora White, and umm—I’m just so sorry. She loved you—she loved you so much.”

Their faces turned red, unable to take their eyes off Nora as Caolán and Aislinn held her hand.

“Why can you hold your daughter’s hand, but—but we can’t?” Ms. Céin cried. “Did he hate us … was it about money—why would he take our daughter from us?”

Nora shook her head. “I—I don’t know … I know Iuchra would be confused and hurt, too.”

Mr. Céin took several deep breaths, using a handkerchief to clean his cheeks. “Just so—so we can be certain … could you please show us that—that you aren’t Iuchra, and explain—we just want an explanation.”

Nora looked down at her lap; Fiona, Caolán, and Aislinn helped her through the experience as she recounted everything she’d gone through since The Oscillation, much of it spilling out in a jumbled mess, but once she finished, everyone was in tears.

The broken parents across from them seemed numb, defeated.

“I hoped … just a little…” Mr. Céin mumbled, and after some silence, he took an audible breath, face hardening. “Thank you, Nora White…” His puffy red cold eyes moved between their parents, “Ms. White, Mr. White … keep your daughters close … can I ask you a question, Nora?”

A lump dropped down Nora’s throat, but she nodded.

“You know our daughter … inside and out because of this change, correct?”

Nora nervously licked her lips. “Not perfectly—but a lot about her, yes.”

“Then—would she be willing to allow you to use her body?”

Fiona’s arms tightened under her chest, biting her lower lip as she held her breath.

Nora’s sad yellow eyes lifted, moving between the grieving couple across from her. “I … don’t think she’d be fully on-board with it … she’d want to live—to run.”

The Céin’s vision fell to the table between them, and a tortured smile lifted their lips.

“She would, wouldn’t she?”

Ms. Céin’s lips were tight, having been almost entirely silent for the conversation. Lifting her eyes, she gave her a warm smile. “Please do that for her … live on and—run … maybe I’m not thinking straight, but … I feel like she might have liked you, Nora … please treat her body well—we loved our daughter.”

“So much…”

They shared in tears, and the Céin shared stories about their past, Nora chipping in to help ease their pains with what memories she’d absorbed.

It was eleven P.M. when they left; the couple’s grief had been dealt with, and now they sought to find justice for their daughter.

Aislinn shivered, but not from the cold as they returned home. “I can’t imagine…”

Their father just shook his head, eyes still puffy and red from the whole experience. “I love you three.”

“I love you, too, Daddy,” Nora whispered, and Fiona moved her parents and sister toward each other to embrace.

“Just count my fairy hug,” Fiona replied, choking back her tears. “Oh, no … don’t get emotional, you stupid Fairy … don’t lose control of the magic.”

They chuckled through the flaring emotions, and Fiona carried them back home to make preparations to move the following day; the Military Moving Company would be arriving, and they made plans to bring both pairs of grandparents and their mother’s sister and her son.