End of Line...

[James Cross]

"Of course... I mean Jason and Kassie for all intents and purposes going to be my brother and sister in law someday." Jason said with a half smile. "Mackenzie's my girlfriend..." he told Orlaith. "And like I told dad... once we're 18 and kinda got our stuff figured out, I already have a ring picked out and I'm already saving up credits for a place for us to live. Hey I'm organized and good at planning and managing projects..." he chuckled. "Dad already knows I'm sorta after a Directorship when I get older. Maybe not Naval Intel, simply because I don't know if I want to serve in the Navy, but maybe SHIELD since they absorbed Alpha Section."

[Órlaith]

"I do not care to be an imposition, and you cannot trust me anyway. I would understand and expect a jail."

[Cece Ryder]

"Hey, I'm the daughter of your big brother Jackson who was an utter sadist mad scientist and his former slave who was also a sadistic psychopathic manipulator. I was raised to be a weapon, hell that's why they put me in the care of Selene in the first place, so I could learn to be a cold blooded killer and because my genetic parents had the parenting instincts of snakes. I really should introduce you to my younger counterpart, you two would probably hit it off. I can only speak of my experience, it took until I was an adult to truly deal with my early childhood. But it's possible. You are not that far gone little Aunt." Cece said and crouched down in front of her. "You may have been trained to be an Ajem'dasis killer, but you're old enough to make your own choices and you already made one coming here. And you're young enough that you can still have a normal... well normalish life. What IS normal anyway?" she glanced at Liara. "You've already softened the heart of an assassin and she's only met you a couple times now. That kind of says something."

[Órlaith]

"I'm not a child," she rebuked, "please don't treat me as such." Holding out her left hand a ball of fire appeared flickering as it burned an unknown fuel. "Mama says that this is the mark of a true heir to the Ajem'dasis. An order I believe you would consider evil, and I'm not inclined to argue with you over."

She absorbed the flame into her hand and balled it into a fist. "So, where does that leave me? If I'm too young to fight, but too old to stay in my room and play with toys, what do I do? I can be useful, and fighting the forces of my parents is something I can do, and in doing so keeps me safe."

As an after thought she drew her kliden and extended it in offering to Clint, Liara, and Cece with it resting on the palm of her open hand.

[Clint Cross]

"Well the fire thing is just a Ryder family thing. As for the Ajem'dasis... that I ain't super qualified on, other than seeing what your big sister did to my wife before she could even react. But I have seen and had my bacon saved by Jase'dasis enough times to know there's two sides of every coin. Although I do know that both your orders value things like meditation and contemplation right? So... I'll tell you what, until you've discerned what you really want to do, fight with us, stay out of it completely, hell... I got no problem with you just playin' with stuff in your room. I got a couple of gigantic LEGO crates up in the attic, James and I were going to do some father-son LEGO build off thing, but they cancelled it at the last minute."

"Yeah because Nick Ryder was running it... it'll still happen." James said with a wink of his eye.

"Point is... you can still reclaim some of your lost childhood, it's healthy. I'm still a little new to this dad thing, but like Bella has told me a couple of times, the paternal instinct kicks in and I latch on. Some guys take in stray dogs or cats... I take in people." Clint gestured. "Liara, James, Cece they all have some pretty fucked up backstories and hell so do I. I've seen jail. I've experienced juvenile detention. It's not fun. But I was given a chance to do some good in exchange for getting my record wiped so I could actually live without the effects of youth and a criminal father. I want to give that same chance to you. No strings, other than hey... don't hurt my family here. Who knows, maybe I'll end up formally adopting you and be your sponsor. Can be a Cross instead of a... whatever Dominus and Bellatrix call their family. Because they certainly ain't Ryders or Sandovals."

[Liara]

“For the first time you have the chance to choose. It’s hard at first but it gets easier.” Liara said as she pulled down some bowls and scooped in some ice cream. “It wasn’t that long ago that I led a very different life and then I made a choice and it brought me here. To these people that I would have normally killed. Now I’m sitting here eating ice cream with them and you. Here try this.” Liara handed her a bowl filled with strawberry ice cream.

[James Cross]

"I was birthed in a tube and aged up kinda like you... had all the more... rebellious parts of my Kirk genome taken out, although I was intended to just be one of Empress Julie Lei's many servants. I didn't even have a real name until Kinsey nicknamed me Half Round and then Clint and Selene took me in officially." he crossed his arms and smiled. "Now I'm a teenager who works in the most powerful office in the Quadrant with my adopted sister and her husband and my future sister in law."

"I'm glad you enjoy it James, I do kinda miss working there, but... I can't." Cece said softly. "Still, at least you're still there to keep it together."

"That I am." James said and reached into his jacket pocket that was hanging near the door. "Orlaith... Liara gives you Ice Cream... I'm giving you a communicator. Need something just call me... or any of us, we're all programmed in. I may not be telepathic like Cece or Mac, but I know a kindred spirit when I see one. Anyone asks, you're my sister. Not entirely a lie."

[Bellatrix]

- Later

Bellitrix was seated at the dining table with a glass of wine in her left hand, as Ian entered. He stood shaking, still not fully recovered. He wore a patch over what had been his right eye, and there was an still angry red scar where Órlaith's kliden and cut diagonally disfiguring his once handsome face. The doctors had fashioned a new nose, but it didn't look natural, and the left corner of his mouth was pulled up into a permanent snarl.

"You look ridiculous," Bellitrix said flatly.

"Yes mother," he replied sheepishly.

"Though, I suppose you learned a valuable lesson today. One you likely won't soon forget. You failed me, you know that?"

"Yes mother."

"And now your treasonous sister is in the hands of the enemy, and she's still a problem. A problem I intended to have eliminated. Your affection for her was nearly your downfall." She set her wine glass down and stabbed her fork into a pile of lettuce and spinach and delicately slid the fork into her mouth.

Chewing and then swallowing Bellatrix sighed, "Oh for heaven's sake son sit and eat."

"Yes mother."

[Ophelia]

Ophelia walked into the dining room, clad in shiny black leather with matching gloves and a long skirt. "Hello mother... Ian." she said with a slight curl to her lips as she saw her disfigured brother. "Well, you will be happy to know that the Jase'dasis prisoner I captured gave me some very... interesting intelligence. They were in the process of building a new enclave on Terra Alpha." she pulled off her long glove and looked at her fingernails. "Might be months before it's ready, I particularly enjoyed setting fire to their library as I let some of their librarians watch it burn. Limbless of course, the pain and hopelessness they exuded... it was delicious. One of them turned to our side, I've got some new bionics being installed, after a little... brain surgery should be ready to go as a hunter." she sat down and crossed her legs. "Ian, we have the technology to simply rebuild you and you insist on keeping that... meat pieced together. Or do you like being reminded of abject failure?"

[Bellatrix]

"It was my decision," Bellatrix said coldly. "There is no greater shame than failure of this magnitude. When he has earned the privilege it will be his decision. Until then, it stays."

Bellatrix sighed and set down her fork, "Alas I too share some of that burden. I underestimated your sister. I thought she was a liability because she was weak. Everything you two are not. But, she isn't weak is she? Despite my best efforts she's a Ryder and a Sandoval." She said those names as if she was spitting out poison. "Don't forget that when you next meet. Do not let your guard down. No villainous speeches, or idiotic displays of your dominance. Kill her, and kill her without hesitation or mercy."