The Others

20

"I recognized her from when she saved me and my family. She and your father had been undercover on the Estate where we were enslaved.

"The scar on her neck was from a half breed that was able to get behind her while your father was busy fighting off ten others. Your mother was able to kill the man that garroted her but the damage was done.

"Fortunately the fight helped her with her story. Your father posed as her slave and the Other was impressed by his loyalty to your mother and so saved his life. The problem came when he wanted to use your father as a stud with his slaves.

"Your parents were already married at that time and the bond formed. It's physically painful for bond-mates to cheat. At least that's what I understand. I didn't have a bond with my wife, she wasn't high enough Other blood to form it.

"A slave was sent to serve your mother while your father was serving the slave. They used that time to tell the slaves about the next attack and tell us to prepare to leave. Your mother didn't cheat but your father had no choice. 

"Your father came to warn your mother that the planes were on the way and they needed to leave but my Master was there. He gave your mother the scar on her face and the nasty one on her arm. Reese told me that she sewed that one up herself.

"Your mother was one very tough woman.

"She sacrificed nearly everything for HC knowing that they were going to kill her. But when she miscarried that child everything changed. She almost died and I thought and told her that she would never have children because of it.

"I think she knew then that I would likely be wrong but she didn't say a word. She just got that smile, that secretive smile. When your father saw it he stopped short and said, 'oh, shit.'"

Reese looks at his sister and she looks back at him, "Why?"

"Because your mother only ever got that look when she was going to cause mischief. And she did. She had Reese contact Command. She worked out a deal with them. They help her out and she would take out HC. Reese refused to let her go against HC alone and so she took him.

"She posed as his prisoner so that he wouldn't be killed as a traitor. Your mother didn't tell me everything that went on after that, just that she found out that her mother was the one that ordered her torture for all those years.

"They were leaving HQ when she and a bunch of guards found them. Reese shot at her and she shot at Betsy. The body guard for the commander died taking the bullet for her and your father was fatally wounded.

"Your mother went crazy, she killed all the HC she could see before taking Reese to the helicopter. She said that he died in her arms but not before he made her make a promise. He made her promise to finish the fight that she started and destroy the HC. He knew that would keep her from dying.

"Or at least dying for a reason.

"It took her three years, but she hunted down and destroyed every last base HC had. By the time she finished HC personnel called her a ghost and were abandoning the bases.

"She went back to Command and took your father's body and brought it here to bury.

"To keep her from dying your father used all his strength and took a physical form once more. That night he gave your mother his final gift, you two.

"It was enough to keep her fighting for life and she came here to live it.

"She did the best she could, not having a proper role model, but she could never bring herself to date another man."

The three sit in silence, the two younger trying to absorb the fact that their parents were in fact the heroes they'd always heard about. No wonder their mother was able to teach about the wars so completely.