DYAD'S FAVORITE PET

Nealon, followed by a nurse with the baby in her arms, returned to the bedside. “She’s perfect, ten fingers and ten toes. We’ll be back to clean you up in a few minutes.” Nodding to the nurse, the baby was laid in the crux of Arcadia’s arm, hand curling around her bottom to support her as the other hand squeezed Rachel’s once again. 

Tears fell freely over her cheeks as the infant seemed to quiet now that she was close to the wolf’s chest, lips pressing against the crown of their daughter’s head. As the room cleared, she tugged for Rachel to join her in the bed, mesmerized by the tiny life resting on her. “She’s a chip off the old block,” Arc added with a tired smile, releasing the other’s hand in favor of cupping Rachel’s cheek. “I love you. Both of you,” she stated quietly, shy eyes falling onto her wife now.

And then she said it. 

Her already rapid pulse  must  have  tripled and she felt her face grow hot, then her eyes start to burn.  Also the primal urge to flee was going all the more painful,    yet Rachel wrapped her fingers around Arcadia’s, swallow- ed dryly, and whispered:

There seemed to be no point in hiding her fear. In fact it would be impossible at this point.

"I already have,” Rachel replied. There was a small smile on her  face  that came when  Cosima began to sputter.     A few drops of  blood landed  on  the  carpet  and Rachel’s gaze turned down to eye them.   Strangely enough,   she thinks of Charlotte,   but her memory  is  just  as quickly  thrust  off  the  mind  and her stony  eyes boring back  on her sister. “Susan’s reign is over.

The gunshot stopped her, but Rachel didn’t shrink away as she might have before.   If Sarah wouldn’t shoot her after having a letter-opener shoved in her gut,        she  wouldn’t at all. Not if she wanted a cure. 

“It is secure. Just as Cosima will be in the case of your cooperation.”   Rachel drew another step closer, daring Sarah to fire  -- daring her to kill not just one sister, but all of them.    The cure, after all, would die with Rachel.  She had made sure of it.

       When there was the sound of Rachel leaving the room, Cosima let out a heavy breath, closing her eyes before she looked towards the vial that Rachel had placed in her hand. She clung to it lightly for a moment, before she stood and went towards the rest, taking the cap off, and then going to the corner of the room to where the drawers were, taking the syringe out and then silently going to prep the needle.

Quite frankly, Cosima wasn’t sure if she should be doing this, worried that Susan would dislike her decision to helping Rachel cure Charlotte, but even then – she was a little put off by the idea of annoying her sister. She knew what the woman was like, and she knew that she’d do anything to get what she wanted. That was what made her so dangerous in Cosima’s eyes. Whilst Sarah did the same thing, she knew that Sarah would never resort to any of the measures that Rachel would.

The door was opening,  but Rachel could scarcely see it. Flickering images of those  woods swallowed her vision. Then Cosima’s face was there,      and then swan’s head again cradled in a bed of dead leaves.  It wasn’t blinking away either.  It loomed in her eye and her head began to throb from it,  but when Rachel heard her sister’s voice, she knew she couldn’t afford to wait. 

She swung the knife,   intending on her stomach,    but,  sight compromised,    drove the blade down on her hip. It’s impact was enough  to  jar  Rachel  back to herself.  Her vision returned  her she  saw  the  blade stuck into her sister’s waist and her own shaky hand grasping the hilt,    but,    before she had the chance to appreciate it, she tore it back out.    That would give a chance for the blood to start flowing   --   not as much as the stomach would have, not enough to,  by itself,  kill  her,  but, per- haps,      enough to push the already withering Cosima  over the edge.

It was a risky question and it got Kira a long, frigid stare.     Then,  she blinked,  glanced away,        and exhaled quietly. “No.    I was not close to my father. He left me when I  was  young  and was a stranger when he returned.”

“And how are you planning to use the house? Are you going to make it another DYAD Institute office building? If you decide to make it your home, it will be quite lonely seeing as you have no husband and cannot have children.”

“This is not your house!”   Her voice trembled in anger,   which,    judging by her expression, was a surprise to even her.    She didn’t grant  him the  respite  it  would  have  taken  to  co- llect herself though.    She dropped her voice to a soft growl:       “This property was leased to Susan by Topside and  now that Susan no longer holds a position with them,  the house is being revoked.”    Then,  with more malice: “I’m...   stunned Susan didn’t tell you.     Your eviction has been in   motion since her retire- ment.”

@thexproclone

“Coming from the woman who has me wait on her at every beck and call. I’m starting to wonder if you can do anything for yourself.” Arcadia retorted, comfortable perched in the center of the sofa with both arms resting over the back. “Is that all you came for? To berate me?”

“Cosima’s work?” Rachel echoed in mock surprise. She drew a few paces closer to the doctor  --  an intimidation method,   perhaps.        The sight of the gun didn’t visibly shake Delphine as  much  as  Rachel  would have liked. She wanted to make this woman tremble.  “Cosima is a patented product of  the  Dyad  Institute  and Dyad is the project of Topside. 

Shocked into silence, Delphine’s lips part, gawking at Rachel as if she were a fish. No appropriate response forms in her mind. She’s no idea what to say. To essentially be KICKED OFF the project leaves her feeling nauseous. Without the doctor overseeing Rachel’s decisions, the clone is left to her own devices ( which will only prove to have dire consequences ). Heart sinking in her chest, nimble fingers run through her hair, and her gaze falls to the floor. With Rachel in charge, the LEDA girls no chance of finding an alternative option. By finished, the vile woman is certain to be referring to the demise of her sisters, an outcome Delphine is in fear of. Rachel, being the psychopath they all no her to be, will stop at nothing to make sure she’s rid of the other clones. The doctor wont allow it          she CAN’T. 

Rachel raised her brows. She pulled her lips into something like a grin, but the broader it was tugged, the more it resem- bled a snarl. Delphine made a serious mistake. Perhaps not intentionally, perhaps not even knowingly,        Delphine had challenged Rachel.

The gun was aimed,   yet Rachel smiled  –  ever· broader  as  the   bloody  stained   spread further  ·and further.      She stood taller,    smoothed the ·ruffles down on her dress,     and addressed Sa- rah ·almly (calmly except for that excited quiver of ·her voice): “You’re no army, Sarah.” 

Slowly, Rachel began to approach again.     Her  gaze fell warily on the gun a moment,         then  back to Sarah.    She grinned and spoke slowly,  as though to a child.    “Shooting me isn’t going to help you now.    And it isn’t going to help your sisters.”

Again, Rachel had nothing to say.   Rather, she stared across at Cosima, gauging, perhaps, if she could be further swayed. Evidently not for,   following a long,  patient sigh,   Rachel left without a word.   She closed the door as she did so,  sparing Cosima a cold regard over her shoulder.

She took ten minutes for what she have been a thirty second walk to Charlotte's room. But,  of course, she wasn't going to Charlotte's room.  She loomed at the top of the stairs, wrack- ing her brain for some alternative.

Cosima could have treated her,     Rachel thought to herself -- bitterly, yes, but not without some excitement.    Some joyous anticipation.   She blinked and there was the swan head again. Cosima could have just treated her.