JP - Special Tranquilizer

“Abraham is back too, hopefully he can make more of that tranquilizer.” Tzeitel said, trying to be hopeful but feeling terrible about seeing Ami so upset.

Ami glanced at the file and at first thought it was her picture on it, then remembered it was the picture in Tzeitel’s file, it was one of the few pages she had actually seen of the file when Cody looked in her old file alone that time.

Cody stared at the file with apprehension. “Why do you keep it?”

“I don’t know… I’ve been thinking about destroying it.” Tzeitel admitted. “At least most of it…” She wanted to keep the parts about her and Klaire’s escape attempts. She wished she could remember them.

Cody watched her expression for a moment, tilted his head and took in the details. “You need rest, Tzeitel. You look like you haven’t slept in days…” He explained.

Tzeitel felt exhausted. She picked up her file. “If I go to bed are you kids going to be plotting to go after that bastard?”

Ami's eyes flicked to the file. She shook her head, even though she still wanted to poison him.

“No,” Cody sighed heavily.

Klaire got up and left the room to go check on the twins.

Tzeitel hugged Cody and Ami. “I love you both. The things he did… I couldn't handle it if he ever hurt either of you.”

“He won’t,” Cody replied, hugging her back. “We love you too, mom…”

Ami hugged Tzeitel back, her eyes tearing.

Tzeitel somehow managed to kiss Cody and Ami on the tops of their heads. Riley was probably right about them all needing to talk, but tonight… She was so damned tired. “We’ll try talking tomorrow, okay?” She asked with a yawn.

Cody nodded and fell back onto his bed with a heavy sigh.

“Night Cody.” Tzeitel said. Ami waved to her brother as they left the room, Tzeitel had her file tucked under her arm. Tzeitel was exhausted, but she knew she needed to do something before she could sleep. While Ami was in the shower and getting ready for bed, Tzeitel looked for Abraham.

Abraham was in the kitchen with River, talking about all that he had missed and forgotten when he saw Tzeitel. “Yes? Can I help you, Miss Tzeitel?” He asked politely.

Tzeitel hunched up her shoulders guiltily. It was like when River got her collar, all Tzeitel could see were the bad things done with those collars instead of being happy for her. Canestone was back, but River got her father back too. And here was Tzeitel interrupting their reunion. “There was a special tranquilizer, which had its own delivery system, that was able to take out Canestone. I was wondering if you remembered it.”

“Hmmm, yes, I recall it.” Abraham replied, crossing his arms in thought as he tried to pull out the memories in his mind. “I’m assuming you wish for me to make some?”

“If so, I still have the notes we made on it!” River chimed.

“Please.” Tzeitel fidgeted with the bottle of pollen. She had already had two doses and it had done very little. “Canestone is back… he was cloned.”

“River mentioned that,” Abraham said as he got up and walked over to Tzeitel, gently setting a hand on her shoulder. “You’re safe here.” Releasing her, he went out of the kitchen to go find his supplies.

River smiled at Tzeitel. “It’s like he never died.”

Tzeitel smiled weakly at River. “I’m glad you got your father back.” Tzeitel remembered how much River loved him, how devastated she had been when he was murdered.

“Yeah…” River fidgeted with a small crown she’d made from flowers for Amber. “Hopefully the others will be back soon and we all can figure out what to do next.”

Tzeitel hugged her arms. She got a glass of water from the sink and added a dose of the pollen to it. “I never thought I’d be this scared again.” Tzeitel admitted.

“Why are you letting it scare you so much, Tzeitel?” River asked as she grew some plants and started to crush the leaves into a fine powder in a bowl. “You’re stronger than the girl you were back then. You’ve got all of us here to help. We look out for each other.”

“I didn’t care about anyone but myself when he got me, and I didn’t even care about myself that much back then.” Tzeitel realized, staring at the glass as she stirred the pollen into the water. “It was just me… Now I have people I care about. Ami and Cody…” Tzeitel trembled.