Gen One- Chapter Twenty Five

I had dreaded its coming. I had wished it would never come, but, alas, winter did come. I wondered what would happen this year. It was nice that I had made it to the Holiday break without coming down with something other than those random colds one gets, but that hardly meant I was out of the woods yet. The snow and the cold would be around for another two and a half months. Would it be the flu? A small infection? In the end, it didn't matter too much what it was. The end result would be the same; I would end up in the hospital again. Such an event truly did happen every year. Normally, it wouldn't be so bad. My stay would be a few days or so. It was only rarely that I became incredibly sick like I did last year. I hoped as I sipped on my fresh hot chocolate that such a bad experience then meant I was in for a lighter ride this time. It helped that Eden let me be lazy during the cold months. I could even wear my warm pajamas all day if I wanted.

And I had been incredibly lazy that morning. In fact, making my mug of hot chocolate had been the most productive thing I had done. When I heard Eden coming down the stairs, I worried for a moment that he would prompt me to do a little something better with my time. He actually sat himself down in the seat next to mine with a big smile instead. It was the kind of smile he wore when he was planning something.

     "How's your day going?" he asked cheerfully.

     "Fine. I woke up, took a bath, half ignored the television show I was watching by playing games on my phone, made this hot chocolate, breathed- the usual."

     "Good, good," he said too suspiciously, "But are you in the mood to be a bit more active?"
     "Perhaps." I answered indecisively.
     "No need to be so wary," Eden laughed, "What I've got in mind is nothing like whatever you're imagining, I'm sure."
     "What do you have in mind?"
     "Want to go on a vacation?"

I had a sudden mood change at hearing that beautiful "V" word. My lethargic state was replaced with something more energetic.

     "You're planning a vacation? To where?"
     "To tell the truth, I've already completely finished planned it. Asking if you wanted to go was just a formality. You don't have a choice as to whether you're coming or not. We're heading to Painted Plains. Tomorrow."
     "What?" I asked in amusement and confusion.
     "I got the idea last night and simply went ahead and worked with it. It's been forever since the two of us have spent a long period of time together, not counting when you were white and stuck to the house which made us get on each other's nerves, of course. I know you're going to be busy doing all sorts of things with your friends soon, so I figured I would snatch up the chance to monopolize you while I could. As to why I picked Painted Plains, well, I've always wanted to go there. I think you'll have a good time there since you love riding horses, and the weather there will be much better to you than the weather here. From what I've heard, it still feels like early autumn down there." Eden explained with a shrug.
     "That sounds great. All of it does."
     "There is one thing that you probably won't like though. Our flight leaves tomorrow morning at eight, which means we need to leave by about six, which means we'll need to wake up by five-thirty at the latest."

Eden laughed at me when I frowned. I definitely didn't like that part, but I wasn't going to complain about it. Once I packed, I had the whole rest of the day to relax and prepare for the early wake-up time.

Even so, I was still an absolute mess. My plan of being ridiculously lazy backfired on me. I hadn't done nearly enough to make me sleepy by the time I should have gone off to bed. So there I lay awake as the hours grew later and later, wholly unable to get the rest I actually needed. I didn't end up drifting off until two-thirty, and naturally when my alarm went off at five-thirty I was crazy exhausted. I couldn't fall asleep on the drive to the airport, and there was no chance of me catching any winks while waiting for our flight. The airplane was even worse despite it not being anywhere as terrible as my last flight had been. I was stumbling on my feet when we reached our hotel room. So exhausted, I dropped my luggage in front of Eden the second we walked in so I could leap and collapse on the closest bed.

     "Meadow." Eden chastised, it having already been decided we would still call me by my fake name even in our hotel room.

When I didn't move or answer, Eden sighed in reluctant amusement.

     "Why do I always end up having to deal with your luggage?" he asked as he moved my stuff out of the way before getting his own where it should before further putting mine in its place.
     "It's because I know you'll do it anyway no matter how much you complain or say you won't." I mumbled with a tiny smile.

That got Eden chuckling at himself. He moved about the room getting a few things set up- eventually coming over to me.

     "Is a nap really the first thing we're going to be doing on our vacation?" he questioned teasingly.

I nodded sleepily.

     "Fine. I suppose I could use one myself." he was forced to accept.

Our nap turned into a two-hour snooze since Eden accidentally slept through the alarm he set. It took Allium calling my phone to get us up. He had only just gotten my text about mine and Eden's spur of the moment adventure, and in typical Allium fashion he teased me about missing his chance to come along so he could get in some quality brotherly bonding time with Eden too. I kept our conversation quiet so I could give Eden the break he deserved from Allium winding him up. The conversation also didn't last long since Eden told me we had to move out soon to keep our claim on the two horses he had rented for us. Painted Plains was a heavy ranching area filled with all sorts of creatures, so I wasn't worried about finding some other place to get horses. Eden, however, was determined to not have to go through that trouble. We got a taxi to take us to the stables where we were led to our companions for the next several hours.

     "Have you ever ridden a horse before?" I wondered, noticing that Eden approached Bean with slight hesitancy despite his otherwise confident air.
     "Once," he responded as he pet the friendly stallion, "Some organization had put together an event that allowed all us poor kids at the Home to ride a horse for a day. I did decently well, but that was back when I was seven, so it has been quite a long time. That's why I wanted to make sure we stuck with these horses. I was assured that Bean is a perfect horse for beginners, and that Dusty would be excellent for an experienced rider like you."
     "I see." I said, interested and mildly surprised that Eden had mentioned something of his time growing up in the adoption system.

He normally avoided talking about it with all his might.

Since I was so experienced with horses, the workers at the stable were content with letting me saddle Dusty and helping Eden saddle Bean. Eden was a total mixture of forced determination and absolute nerves. As he led Bean out the door and into the sunlight, he kept glancing back and jolting when he realized the horse was right behind him like he should be. It was if Eden was afraid Bean was going to keep walking right over him. Watching him try to get into the saddle was a right challenge for me because it was incredibly difficult not to laugh. Of course, I went through how to properly mount a horse and showed him how to do it. However, it hardly seemed to make a difference. Bean naturally shifted as Eden started climbing up, which terrified Eden and had him leaping back down to the ground. Then there was the fact that my brother continued to be an absolute klutz. His foot slipped out of the stirrup time and time again, and he wouldn't pull himself up with sufficient force.

     "Do you need me to throw you up there? Or do I have to get a stool?" I queried.
     "No, no, I got it." Eden replied uncertainly.
     "You sure? I don't want to spend all our riding time waiting for you to get into the saddle."
     "I got it." Eden pouted.

With the pressure on him, he forced himself to mount Bean. I worried for a second because in his still timid state he spent just a little too long half-mounted against Bean's side, which wasn't the best for the horse, but Eden thankfully was up and sitting in the saddle by the next time I blinked.

With him settled, I gave Dusty a pat before easily swinging myself up. That earned me a friendly glare from Eden, which had me rolling his eyes. I was just getting on my horse. I wasn't showing off or anything. Eden's attitude quickly morphed as he nervously shifted and held the reins.

     "So, how does this work? I don't remember anything."
     "First, you need to have the right posture." I started.

I got Dusty aligned next to Bean so I could show Eden how to straighten his back, where to put his feet, and those kind of things. He had naturally good posture, so that part of the explanation didn't take long. However, I spent a lot of time repeating the basics of how to stop before I went ahead and began telling how to get Bean walk. I had a feeling Eden would be so afraid once the horse got moving that he would pull back on the reins far too sharply.

The poor guy was so nervous though that he refused to move Bean an inch until he saw me take Dusty around for a while. Sighing mentally at his reluctance, I found I didn't mind so much once I got moving. Spice wasn't very fond of the snow, and that meant we didn't get a lot of riding done in the winter. Itching for a good run, getting to gallop Dusty around the track and even over the jumps was a much welcomed relief. He was clearly a horse perfect for someone at my skill level with how easy he handled. I daresay he was even a notch or two above Spice.

It was a good thing Eden had been so adamant about wanting not to lose our riding period with Dusty and Bean. Eden definitely needed a beginner horse like Bean. Getting my brother riding was exactly what I expected to be. Uncoordinated and fidgety, he kept giving Bean mixed signals that often caused the pace to be sped up faster than he could handle. The constant starting and stopping drove me crazy. I was thankful when one of the workers took pity on us. He was an actual instructor unlike myself. Eden was able to get the truly experienced teaching he needed while I was freed up to ride Dusty at the rapid pace we both wanted to go. I had to stop and watch though when the instructor somehow felt Eden was good enough to try the training jumps. Eden bounced up and down like a doll, but he managed to get over all of them. Surprisingly, it even looked like he was enjoying himself.

It was two hours we spent there at the stables. Eden had the basics mostly down when it was time to take a break, although keeping the good posture he had when Bean wasn't moving was the big thing he struggled with. I'm sure he had to be sore with all the jostling around he was doing. However, Eden showed no discomfort as he merrily came over to chat for a moment before we took that break.

     "Enjoying your choice of vacation?" I asked with a smile.
     "Quite. I know I look like a fool on this horse, but I'm having the time of my life." he spoke enthusiastically.
     "Good."

My light sarcastic tone disappeared. How could I tease him when he looked like the happiest person on the planet? It was if he was a little kid being given the best present ever, even if he had given that present to himself.

The stables had a small outside eating area attached to it, so Eden and I had our lunch there. It was clear Eden was indeed very sore by how he kept shifting. We took the comfiest seats we could find, and I forced him to do some stretching afterwards. We never would have survived our ride otherwise. Eden had progressed enough to obtain permission to take Bean out of the confines of the stable's lot. Painted Plains and all its calm, winding trails were open to us. After taking random paths whenever we reached a fork, Eden and I stuck to a lovely route that had us following the river and mountain edge that gave the town its name.

Further down that path about an hour into our ride, we came across a perfect patch of grass near the water's edge. It was my idea that we take another break to enjoy the serenity of that peaceful moment. Eden was eager to agree. Bean and Dusty were content to romp, laze about, and socialize with each other behind us while Eden and I lay down against the comfy ground.

     "Which day are you enjoying better? Your very first time riding a horse, or this day?" I eventually asked into the silence.
     "This day for sure. There's no comparing riding on your own to pretty much just sitting in the saddle while an adult leads you around in a circle. The company is much better this time around as well. I actually have company, for one." Eden flashed me a grin.
     "Was it really that bad?" I asked with slight concern.
     "Well, I suppose not," Eden conceded, "I have a habit of making it sound like I was totally ignored and neglected, but, in all honesty, I was always meeting kids who had actually lived through hell. I had nothing on them when it came to having a horrible childhood, and I probably shouldn't complain as much as I do. In terms of me bring friends with the other kids in the Home, it was more that I kept a guard up and didn't let others get close more than them not liking me. It was hard, you see- becoming friends with someone only to watch them be adopted instead of me and having next to no resources to contact them frequently once they left. It made more sense to be alone than constantly set myself up for disappointment."
     "Oh." I said quietly.

A mixture of feelings was spinning in my chest. I liked that Eden was suddenly more willing to talk about the things he would never dare to mention before. There was a whole part to him I had no idea about, and it was relieving he was finally letting me have a peak at that hidden person. It made me see him in a totally different way. However, then there was the fact that it all made me understood why Eden didn't talk about his time growing up often. If it made me feel sad for him, I could only imagine how it made him feel.

     "There was this one kid I got along great with," Eden continued with more cheer, most likely sensing the drop in my mood, "He was green and purple. Mantis was his name, although everyone called him Mant. He was one of those ones who came from a horrible home where he was abused and beaten. I had recently started to hate my own situation, and him meeting me and deciding I was his best friend showed me that I had it pretty good. Being a few years younger, Mant clung to me like a little puppy. He claimed I was the reason he was able to overcome the behavioral issues his parents his parents forced him to have, and that I was the reason he was able to be adopted. The day he left, he came up to me absolutely bawling and apologizing like crazy that he had been adopted before me. That was the one time I didn't care in the slightest that I hadn't been chosen- that I was happy to see someone leave."
     "Do you know what happened to him afterwards?" I wondered.
     "I did my best to keep in contact, but you know how it goes. Time passed and both our letters slowed until they stopped. I gave finding him a go again after I turned eighteen, but I became somewhat preoccupied then," Eden said, giving me another smile, "Perhaps once our troubles are over, I might try again though. I'd like to see how he's doing."
     "I think you should. I'd like to meet him."

Eden opened up to me more after that. I heard about the antics he and Mantis created as well as more about the other kids Eden knew growing up. It was nice to discover Eden's childhood wasn't simply the lonely, abandoned situation he sometimes made it out to be. We eventually drifted away from those topics though, and it was when we were chatting about something that had us both laughing like idiots when an unexpected voice from behind us alerted us to the presence of another person.

     "Eden?" the voice questioned in amazement.

When Eden jumped up to his feet and turned around in a flash, I half anticipated it to be Mantis who was there. I quickly realized that wasn't the case as the guy was all purple.

     "Holy shit dude, it is you," the guy continued on with a big grin, "Your voice still sounds the same, but I wouldn't have recognized you at first take if I passed you on the street. You're definitely not that skinny little bookworm anymore."
     "Grape. What are you doing here?" Eden asked back lightheartedly.
     "I live here, you goof!" Grape laughed, "Heather got a job here after graduation, and you know how crazy protective our parents are of my dear sister. They were adamant about her not moving so far away, so I decided to move along with her to shut them up. I figured I'd only stay until they calmed down, but little did I know this would be the place that I would want to call home! It was Heather who ended up moving someplace else ten years ago."
     "Doesn't sound like you've stuck to your resolution of never being tied down." Eden teased.
     "Nah," Grape said with an amused shake of his head, "I've been totally roped. Got a solid nine-to-five job, a wife, a twelve-year-old son, a dog and a cat, and even a white picket fence. Not the life of traveling and partying I told everyone I would have. The fact that I came across you of all people while on my walk is the biggest adventure I've had in years. What brings you out here anyway? I highly doubt you've moved here without me knowing about it, and I doubt even more you've popped by to say hi to ol' Grape."
     "Yeeeah. We're just here on vacation."

At the end of that sentence, Eden remembered my existence and motioned me over.

     "Meadow, this is Grape Jolly. He was one of my buddies back in high school. He's kinda like Blaze, but tamer."
     "I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a complement." Grape chuckled.
     "I think it works as both," Eden shrugged, "Anyway, Grape, this is Meadow, my little sister."
     "Little sister?" Grape frowned.

I shifted nervously under his studious glance.

     "Forgive me if I've got something screwed up here, but I thought you grew up in care, Eden? How can you have a little sister?" Grape asked.

Eden hesitated for only a second, which was good because I began to panic inwardly.

     "I was able to contact my birth mother after I turned eighteen. She had had a daughter, so, voila, little sister!" Eden lied while motioning to me.
     "Oh, duh. Didn't think about that." Grape accepted.
     "It's okay. The whole situation is confusing enough as it is."
     "So, you said you two are here on vacation?"
     "Yup. Meadow is off on winter break. I decided to swipe her for a bit so her parents could go on a vacation for just the two of them. Meadow's amazing at riding horses, and I've always wanted to come here, so here we are." Eden continued to lie his explanation.

I let myself fall to the back of the conversation, mostly so I didn't mess anything up. As Eden and Grape talked about the past and the present, my brother had to spout out lie after to lie to keep everything consistent and believable. The last thing I wanted to do was arose suspicion, especially since as the minutes passed I sensed Eden was getting nervous himself. It wasn't so much because Grape himself was a danger, but I assumed Eden thought reconnecting with anyone from his past life wasn't the best for two people in hiding like us. I could tell Eden was trying to cut off the conversation when Grape dropped some sort of bomb. I didn't know exactly what had happened at the time, but I could see Eden truly freaking out under his calm outside exterior.

     "You mentioned something about possibly moving to a new job?" Eden asked about something Grape had indeed mentioned.
     "Yeah, although I'm still not too sure," Grape began, rubbing the back of his neck, "This new organization, the Torch Research & Experimentation Expedition, has recently moved to town. Apparently, it's the newest franchise of this organization to be set up around the country. They say they're highly interested in my skill set, and they're offering me double what I'm being paid now. It all seems a little too good to be true though. Even though this organization is supposed to be massive and pretty important, the research I've done on it has brought up next to nothing. Even their website is practically blank. I can't find out what kind of work I'll be expected to do or what the environment is like. It seems like you have to sign all these confidentiality contracts, and the secrecy makes me feel like I'd be jumping into water way over my head.
     "And you would be," Eden responded so firmly and determinedly that it tensed me up, "You're right to be wary, and if my words have any weight with you then you're going to want to listen when I say to stay the hell away from that organization. I have a friend who used to work for them, and he hated it from the moment he stepped foot in their building. He couldn't tell me much because they were so big on secrets, but he was constantly going on about how he felt as if he'd joined the mafia or something. They lure employees in with the prospect of big money. However, then they get tangled in with the contracts and forced silence. Saying anything you're not supposed to say gets you in big trouble. It's like walking on eggshells. My friend practically had to run away to get out of the job, and even then he felt like they were always watching him."
     "Really?" Grape questioned in horrified awe.
     "Really. How awful the organization is is why you couldn't find out anything about them in your research. Everyone's too tied up and scared to say anything, and of the the organization isn't going to put up anything about how they really work so as not to frighten off potential employees for them to get their grubby hands on."
     "Well, damn. I'm glad I bumped into you then. I was leaning towards taking their offer, but I definitely trust you more than I trust them. I'll be sure to stay away."
     "Thanks, Grape." Eden forced a smile.

Our encounter with Eden's old buddy didn't last much longer. Eden made the excuse we needed to return the horses in order to get out of further conversation, and he told the truth that we had a reservation at one of the local restaurants when Grape extended the offer for us to have dinner at his house. Our time with Bean and Dusty wasn't technically up yet, but we still returned them to the stables before Eden practically rushed us back to our hotel room. He took out his laptop and madly typed away on it. I laid on my bed and watched television until I had calmed down and was confident enough to ask the question I needed to ask.

     "Does that organization you were talking about have anything to do with The Company?" I wondered.

A wry grin spread across Eden's lips.

     "I figured you had figured that much out," he spoke as he kept typing, "Yes, it does. To make matters worse, the Torch Research & Experimentation Expedition or T.R.E.E, is the section of The Company that I joined- the one that is responsible for making you. Of course, it wasn't this particular franchise here that had anything to do with that, but even so we're now at great risk being in Painted Plains. I don't want to have to call off our vacation so soon, but I'm getting input from my friends to see if that's what we have to do."

I frowned heavily. That was just wonderful news!

Growing too anxious to focus on the show I was watching, I moved over to Eden. I wasn't purposely trying to read what he was writing, but I accidentally managed to catch a tiny piece of information that sparked my interest.

     "Oh, your 'friend's' name is U like the letter, not like the word. I always thought it was the word."

Did that give Eden a jolt! He jumped in his seat and half slammed the laptop screen closed.

     "Meadow! How many times have I told you that I don't want you to have anything to do with...with what I'm doing?!" Eden reprimanded loudly.
     "Sorry. I wasn't trying to sneak a peek. Promise."
     "What did you read?" Eden demanded, although he did it more calmly most likely to avoid being heard through the walls.
     "I found out that your codename is B, which is a really lame one to be honest. You could have done better."
     "It wasn't me who picked it." Eden revealed with slight amusement.
     "Was it U?"
     "Yes, it was U."

I backed away and let Eden finish writing his email to his mysterious friend. However, after several minutes passed I couldn't help ask the questions I needed answers to.

     "You definitely think this T.R.E.E. was trying to lure Grape into a job like yours? Is that why you were so adamant he stay away?"
     "Perhaps not a job exactly like mine, but certainly on that same level." Eden admitted.
     "Level?"
     "Some Company programs are pure illegal ones. However, most operate with legitimate organizations as fronts. There's the general employees that run the legitimate part of that particular organization who are wholly oblivious to what's going on behind closed doors. That's the first 'level'. Then there are those that run the illegal operations- the second 'level'. Normally, Company leaders watch those on the first level and promote the employees they think are a good fit and who they can trust to the second level when needed. However, they sometimes recruit outsiders straight to the second level. From what Grape was saying, that sounds like what they were trying to do with him. Like I said earlier, they lure them in with the money and quickly force them so deep into the secrets that it's next to impossible to get out without serious consequences."
     "I take it that's what happened to you?"

Eden sighed heavily.

     "It's exactly what happened to me. My years at university were paid for with all the scholarships and grants I received, but of course as soon as I graduated no one was going to give me money anymore. It wasn't like I had parents or family to turn to for help. I had to crash with Coal and Blaze for a few months because I had nowhere to go once I couldn't go back to the Home. When all of a sudden this supposedly influential organization offered me a starting salary higher than what most people earn after twenty years of work, who was I to turn them down? Especially when they made it seem like all I would be doing was helping them analyze the mental health of their customers? Unfortunately, that wasn't an accurate explanation of what they wanted me to do at all! It should have been obvious that was the case, but even if I was considered a genius I was still an eighteen-year-old teenager."

Eden scoffed and shook his head as he glared once more.

     "So they wanted you to monitor me." I thought I clarified.
     "Well, that's not actually why they brought me in. They only grabbed me for your project when their other psychologist chose to drop out of it. I was doing something else before I met you, and once you got old enough where I didn't have to watch you 24-7 anymore they got me right back to it."
     "Oh, I had no idea," I said quietly, "I guess I always just assumed you did nothing else during all those hours when you weren't visiting me."
     "I wish that was how it was. I could have handled that. I might not have..."
     "What?"
     "Nothing," Eden shook his head before rapidly changing the subject, "U got back to me right away. He's thinking what I'm thinking in that we need to leave as soon as possible. With it being T.R.E.E. that's moved here, the danger is a lot higher than what we can risk."

I folded my arms, stared down at the ground, and held back sudden tears. Here was another happy thing The Company was ruining.

     "I know," Eden said empathetically as he placed a hand on my shoulder, "I'm disappointed too, but we'll have plenty of time to go on another vacation in the future. And, I think we should be alright to still make our dinner reservation tonight. We won't be able to get a flight until tomorrow morning anyway, and I think as long as we don't stay in Painted Plains for an extended period of time we shouldn't bring any unwanted attention to ourselves."

That cheered me up. The restaurant was only a quick walk away from the hotel, and it sure beat ordering pizza to the room. It seemed the best way to give our short-lived vacation the proper sendoff we could give it. Eden and I both splurged on what we got since we had lost those extra days. I almost even forgot the paranoia I felt thanks to our merry chatting.

     "You know, you still have time to sign up to be one of the chaperones for our class trip to Wonder Light over spring break if you want to squeeze that in as another vacation." I prompted.
     "And be in constant close quarters with your boyfriend for five days? I think not."
     "Oh, come on," I giggled, "Al is getting better at not winding you up."
     "What planet are you living on? Are you not aware that he sent me a text this morning saying he was 'going to have go down with you with his love' in order to cleanse you of my brotherly taint once you got back from vacation?"

I found it hard to respond I was laughing so hard.

     "You didn't say anything about it, so, no, I didn't know. Did he really send you a text like that?" I asked in amusement.
     "Yes! And this isn't the first time either. Just look at what the rest of my text log with him is." Eden remarked as he shoved his phone near my face.

I have to admit, I was a mess of furious giggles as I read all the texts full of innuendos about me and Allium that Allium had sent to Eden.

     "You never respond back." I noted when I was able to breathe.
     "Of course not. That would only make him do it more."

I had fun flicking through the rest of the texts, and I even sent a flirty one back to Allium from Eden's phone when Eden wasn't looking. I nonchalantly gave it back before he noticed, and our conversation carried on. Dinner continued to go smoothly, and it appeared like it was going to finish smoothly. Sadly, Eden and I went through a bigger scare than the one we had already gone through. Eden's reassuring belief that having a meal outside would be a harmless affair wasn't true in the slightest. He and I had finished eating and were waiting for the check when a man passed by our table. The color drained out of Eden's face instantly, and he tensed up like a statue. Quickly realizing what was most likely going on, I sat still and almost stopped breathing. And, naturally, the man chose to sit down at the seat right behind mine. He pulled out his phone, sat down, and made a call.

     "Jac?" he said.

That was when Eden froze further. I was trying to keep myself appearing unfazed, but it was difficult when he looked like that.

     "Yeah, I just got here. How long until you arrive?" the man spoke, "Just a few minutes? Good. I'll make sure to have the waitress get you a glass of your favorite wine."

The man and Jac exchanged several more words before the call was ended. Calming my beating heart was pointless. I couldn't help but think of how everything could go wrong. Eden was doing his best to return his expression to normal, but there was no way either of us were going to be able to start talking again. What if the man turned around when he realized we were sitting there in dead silence? What if he chose to start up a casual conversation out of boredom while he waited? Eden's eyes were constantly shifting between the back of the man's head, the door where our waitress would come out of, and down the road. A stiff minute passed while his eyes traveled that triangle, but he soon shook his head. He hurriedly placed down fifty dollars on the table and motioned for me to leave with him. Giving the waitress a bit of a hassle was not worth the risk of staying around a second longer.

I didn't say anything as Eden grabbed my hand as we hurriedly made our way back down the road to the hotel. His glances and mine were dashing about every which way. We passed a few people, but I was going to wait to react until Eden reacted for he seemed to know who to look out for. He confirmed that suspicion when we were almost at the hotel and no one was around.

     "I don't know that man's name, but he's another one who works on the second level- voluntarily. He came to our building once for some meeting that involved T.R.E.E and the organization he's in. I remember him, but thankfully I was a nobody back then in terms of rank for The Company. He clearly doesn't know me. However, Jac most certainly will."
     "Who is Jac?"
     "I don't know his full name, and I don't know if 'Jac' is just an alias or not. All I know is that he's powerful. In order to minimize the damage done if any secrets get out, almost everyone is only told the barest essentials of what they need to know. Even the majority of workers in the second level don't know that The Company is this conglomeration of all the organizations and programs secretly working together. There are, however, a few who know so much more than everyone else. Jac is one of those people. He's not a leader, but he's that influential. He's probably come to Painted Plains to help the T.R.E.E. here get set up. I've only had a passing glimpse at him once, but with what I've done in stealing you and running away I can guarantee you that he's been told my name and shown my face. With him here, we might as well be strolling you right back into The Company's arms."

My hand gripped Eden's much tighter. He gave it a comforting squeeze and continued to lead me back to the hotel room.

Eden locked the door and stacked our luggage in front of it the second we were inside. He let me use the bathroom first so I could splash cold water onto my face. I was in there for longer than I intended forcing myself to get a grip. Danger was scarily close by. The threat that had been distant for so long was breathing down our necks. However, we hadn't been caught yet. This Jac had no idea we were around, and we were the ones with knowledge to be the ones to come out ahead in this situation. I managed to stop my slight shaking, and I was distracted from my fear further when I found Eden had moved the dresser between the beds out of the way so he could move the two beds together.

     "What are you doing? Isn't that going to get us in trouble?" I asked nervously.
     "Only if I don't move them back, which I will. I just figured you would need a good cuddle, and with the beds apart that would be difficult."

My lips cracked into a smile. There was Eden being the big brother I adored with all my heart. As we picked a movie to watch and I lay against him like I had done so often when I was a child, I understood then that in many ways I remained a child. Despite me feeling as if I had grown more independent with age, I depended entirely on Eden for everything. It wasn't just that he provided me with food, clothes, and a house. He diligently and unfailingly bore the stress of tangling himself further and further into the web in order to keep me out of it. He stopped danger from falling on me by leaping in its way. Every little thing he did was for my sake. Eden was surely scared too, but I was the lone one being comforted. I was the one leaning against him. I had been told to pick the movie that I liked. His generosity and love was nearly driving me to tears again, and I had a troublesome time pushing back the feelings that told me I didn't deserved to be loved so intently even though I knew Eden hated me feeling that way.

I wanted to say something, to thank him somehow, but the words wouldn't come out. Another movie began when the first one ended, but exhaustion and worry had us both asleep within the beginning act. I never even noticed when Eden woke up halfway through, slipped out from under me gently so I wouldn't stir, and turned on his laptop to book us the plane tickets that would take us back home to Berrybrook and safety.