Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She was strong.

She could do this.

But it hurt that she even had to.

Kali looked over to Seven, who was crying, hands shaking as they pitifully flickered with a warm gold light. The gold light that was being pressed against the bloody wound on Nine.

"Seven. We have to go," she whispered, her voice catching at the end.

So many things had gone wrong. The plan was careful, they were careful- they just, they weren't strong enough.

Seven shook his head, gritting his teeth in determination, despite how much blood had already come out of his nose, how he swayed in his kneeled position.

"Seven," Kali tried again, her voice a touch softer, hating that she couldn't protect him from this. "You can't help him anymore. We have to go."

He took in a rattling breath, breaking his gaze from the corpse in his hands to look up at her, searching her face. She held onto her fierce expression, even as it threatened to crumble at the sight of her brother's grief. He didn't deserve this, neither of them did.

"Let him go."

Kali watched as Seven took another rattling breath in before he lowered his hands, the glow dying as he stopped pushing the limits of his powers. She slowly slipped her hand in his bloody one, giving it a hard squeeze, their code for I'm here, before she tugged him away from Nine's corpse.

They were lucky that this exit had no cameras, grateful that she and Seven had at least a few moments to grieve their brother. Kali tugged Seven out the back exit, carefully looking both ways before the two superpowered siblings hauled ass to the edge of the property where the woods started.

She didn't stop running, holding her illusion of camoflage until they couldn't hear anything but the sounds of the woods around them. Seven stumbled on a branch, almost taking her down with him, and the two halted. Kali looked around, the fresh spring luckily being warm enough that snow was not on the ground, but still cold enough that she felt a shiver wrack her body as the adrenaline wore off.

Seven swayed in his spot before slowly sinking down to a crouch, Kali following as she pulled him close, trying to share body heat. These hospital gowns were so thin, she wondered how they would survive the night.

"Sleep?" Seven croaked out, his eyes red as he met hers, and her heart clenched in grief. He was so small. They both were. They all were.

"Okay. Let's go find a warm spot."

He struggled to get up from the crouch and she snuck a hand under his arms, helping him up before they shuffled together towards the nearest dense area to set up for the time being. She slowly helped him lower himself to the ground, watching as he curled up all tight and small at the base of the tree. Kali felt a pang of sadness, tears threatening to spill as she remembered how little he was. That he had just watched their sibling die before them, his blood still on their hands, rusting and staining their palms a dark red. They had already failed in finding Ten and Eleven to take with them, losing precious time and energy as Nine had to hold their forcefield longer, she had to hold her illusions and then for Seven to fail in healing Nine, when they both knew he was too young to have a complete grasp of his powers. It was too much.

She sunk down next to him, pulling him onto her lap, slowly rubbing circles on his back as she let her silent tears fall. Kali felt so hopeless. About Nine. About Ten and Eleven. About Seven who had to witness all this when he was so young, barely above her hip. About how they had no plan on where to go, where they were, what to eat. And as the oldest and one with the most familiarity with life outside the Lab,  she had to protect him.

Her lip trembled as she thought helplessly about her parents, her family, the ones she could barely remember. Were they out looking for her? Were they dead or alive? Would they even want her back, after seeing what she could do now? Who she was? She remembered her amma, the faint smell of cinnamon when she was hugged, or her appa, whose laugh jostled her in a good way. They had no idea where she was, that she had been taken but was alive. They would never know.

But, as she looked down at Seven, curled up in her arms, clinging to her for warmth and comfort, she made a vow to herself and him, that they would be a family, and she would protect him until her last breath.

She promised.

Chapter Text

"Wake up."

The urgency of the hushed voice snapped Seven's eyes open and he looked up groggily to see Eight's head tilted to the side, listening and alert. He tensed, knowing what that look was for, that there were Bad Men nearby, which meant they had to go.

He slowly unraveled himself, feeling sharp pins and needles flood his legs, a numbness spreading from his legs and feet and well, his whole body. Seven bit his lip to hold in the pain as he crouched on sore legs and feet, looking to Eight for the plan, the signal.

Her head snapped to the side as they both heard the footfalls of a group in the quiet forest, a ways back. Heavy footfalls, which meant bigger people, adults looking for them. The siblings met eyes and she nodded to him, eyebrows raised in question and he nodded back. He was okay, he could move.

She squeezed his hand before getting into a crouched position herself, and then leading the way in the opposite direction of the footfalls, being careful of sticks or bushes that would alert the Bad Men and the rest of the forest where they were.

Seven stayed quiet as they moved through the trees, following his sister's silhouette as they stayed low to the ground, walking toe heel atop cold leaves and grass. Though if they were being honest, Seven couldn't feel anything other than the grip held between them. His feet felt like heavy blocks, his breathing short and fast, watching the puffs of air in front of him that formed. He didn't like the cold. He didn't like how it made his stomach clench, his teeth ache or as if every breath was freezing his insides.

The cold also reminded him of his room in the Lab, alone he'd shiver through the night curled under his thin sheet. It was always a bone deep cold, no matter how heated the rooms were, Seven always felt it. He wondered if now that they had escaped if they would be able to reach that warmth.

After they had passed numerous trees and bushes that quite frankly looked the same, Eight slowed them down to a slow walking pace. Which meant while he still avoided big sticks and loud noises under his feet, he could use less energy. His shoulders sagged in relief, letting his sister pull him along. He wondered if she was just as lost as he was in this forest or if she was better at finding her way in the Outside.

They walked and walked and walked, despite how cold they both were or how their stomachs rumbled or how Seven could feel his body fighting the sleep that threatened to drag him down with every step. Finally, Eight seemed to spot an appropriate area for the night, a few fallen over trees with enough overlap to sort of create a little cave thing. Seven knew he was small enough to fit within it and knew that if Eight curled up next to him they'd still fit comfortably underneath.

Eight paused at the entrance of their shelter for the night, warily looking through the trees around them as if the Bad Men were lurking there.

"Safe?" He croaked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her face pulled to the side, doing another long look in each direction before looking down to him with that look in her eyes. "For now." She mumbled back before she was crouching next to him.

The two siblings slowly curled up underneath the canopy, sharing what little body heat they had together, though the fresh spring wind threatened to freeze them. Seven felt his eyes flutter shut as he clung to Eight, his body wound so tight in attempts to shield his core from the cold. He barely felt sleep as he laid there, stuck in that weird limbo between being too cold to sleep and being too exhausted to stay awake.

It was too short before he was being jostled awake, Eight's face close to his, her eyes not as frantic as the hours before when they first escaped. Seven made a noise of confusion, not sure why he was being taken from the lull of his not-sleep.

"Gotta move. We need food and water."

As if brought back to the front of his mind by her words, his stomach growled and struck him so deep that he curled even tighter into himself to try and soothe it. But his sister simply clucked her tongue at him and gently but firmly tore his limbs from where they were clenched, rubbing gentle circles on his cold skin.

"Go now?" He asked before his chest seized and he erupted into a tiny fit of coughs.

When he was done he looked back over to her, watching her nod. "Should be close by."

Trusting her, he took her outstretched hand and shakily got to his feet, a little worried that he couldn't feel much else, making it worse than before. Could you die from being too cold, he wondered?

Eight led them slowly through the trees, somehow knowing the way to go get food and water, though Seven himself was even more lost than before. At some point his eyes must have drifted to watching the soil beneath them, mentally counting their steps as they walked. 4, 5, 6...

He slowly blinked, before blinking harder to try and get rid of the fuzziness in the edge of his eyes. 16, 17, 18...

The forest came in snapshots, in between lulls almost like flashes of light. One second he saw a big branch in front of them, the next, a brighter green color mixed with dark browns came into his view.

35, 36, 37...

Eight shook his shoulder roughly and he blearily blinked at her, confused. Wait, when did they stop?

"No sleeping. Look, food." She tugged him close under her arm, pointing through the edge of the trees where there was a square of dirt ahead.

His eyes scanned the dirt and leaf patch before letting his eyes get drawn to the tan building nearby the dirt, standing ominously by a big body of water. Do people take baths in the open in the Outside?

"Food?"

"Yes. It grows from the ground, the soil. Here," she explained as she looked both ways before tugging them from the woods to the dirt square.

Still holding onto him, she kneeled, her hand hovering over the leaves before stopping under one and reaching out to dig her hand in the thawing soil. Seven made a weak noise of protest, which she gently squeezed his hand in response before she ripped out a brown mound from the ground. He watched fascinated as she rubbed the soil off with her hand, then the edge of her dress before showing him the mound.

"Food?" He croaked confused.

She nodded with a gentle smile that wavered as his knees collapsed and he fell next to her, looking closer at what she dug up.

"It's a potato." Eight said, tugging him closer under her arm as she wiggled it in front of him. "See-" She took a bite, wincing at its hard exterior before nodding to him. "A little harder than usual but that's because it's still cold."

"Cold...p'tato?"

"No, poe-tay-toe." She offered the food to him to try, watching as he eyed it skeptically.

"Poetaytoe?"

"Eat." She urged, looking at him worriedly.

Seven shakily reached out, whimpering as it hurt him to open his hand to accept this new food before he was bringing it to his lips. He experimentally sniffed at it, smelling nothing but dirt before he gnawed at it, tearing off a chunk in a way that made his teeth ache afterwards. As he chewed, though the taste was bland, it was still a lot better than what they'd had so far since they escaped. Which was nothing.

He took another bite before handing it back to Eight for her to finish off, giving her a nod when she tried to push it back towards him.

"Okay, okay." She smiled softly at him, bumping their shoulders together as she finished chewing the potato.

She reached back into the dirt again, letting go of his hand slowly so she could dig faster. "I'm going to get us some more that should last us a bit longer, think you can carry it?" Eight looked back towards him.

He nodded fast, opening and closing his hands slowly to try and get them warm enough to open so he could grip the cold food. Seven watched as she dug around, pulling out a few more potatoes, some orange stick thing and some circular green things. He pointed to them with a look on his face.

"Those?" She smiled playfully at him, wiggling them at him. "These are carrots and-"

A slam of something interrupted her, both siblings tensing and heads whipping up to look at where it came from. An old lady stood just within the house, looking angry as she stared them down. Her hair was white like Papa's but it was a curly mess on her head, her olive skin all wrinkly and droopy from what they could see of it. The lady was dressed in a big fluffy pink robe that matched her fuzzy looking shoes- socks? His own toes ached for a pair for himself.

"Hey you-!"

Eight scrambled up in a flash, grabbing Seven's arm and pulling him behind her as she stood tall to face the woman, ready to bolt and blocking his vision. He clutched the dirt food tighter to him as he touched his forehead to her back.

This was bad. Eight said they were to avoid people, especially adults because if they saw them, they'd alert the Bad Men and they would have to go back. He didn't want to go back. He couldn't go back.

He couldn't see the old lady, trying to keep his breathing quiet like Eight had taught him, heart beating painfully in his chest.

"Are you lost?" The lady called out, her voice now way less angry and more confused.

Seven doesn't know what happens, just that suddenly Eight is stepping back fast, Seven almost tripping over his wobbly legs. When they pause, he peeks around her side to look up at his sister. She's staring dead ahead, her eyes focused on, he follows her gaze to, the old lady who is a lot closer than before, now stopped at the edge of the outside bath. Her eyes are now on him, freezing him in place.

Was she from the Lab? Would she call them? Eight said if people didn't take them back, they likely would separate them from each other. He didn't think he could survive without her, she helped him and kept him warm and safe and most importantly she was his sister. And family always stuck together. . . at least that's what the stories they were told in the Lab said. He tightened his grip fearfully, hiding his face again behind her,  tugging on Eight to leave, to escape.

The lady must have tried coming closer again because Eight was pushing and Seven was stumbling back fast, dropping a carrot in the process.

"Okay. Okay, I won't come any closer." The lady pleaded but he could tell they weren't safe yet, as both he and Eight's shoulders were high and tense.

"You both must be hungry, huh?"

Seven nodded slowly, warily against Eight, his eyes darting around to look around them, scared that the Lab guards and Bad Men were circling close by.

"I got much better food inside than what's in the garden here. A lot warmer too. How does that sound?" The lady crooned sweeter, speaking slow sometimes like Eight does to him.

Eight shifted, jostling him ever so slightly and Seven poked his body out more, to assess the lady properly before looking to Eight. She broke her stare on the woman, looking to him, seeing the plead in his eyes before looking back to the lady with a tentative nod.

She smiled softly, slowly walking back to the house, keeping her body turned towards them. "I might even have some cherry pie left for you two to share."

Eight hesitated, probably still wary but Seven tugged at her again, pleading to go get the warm food. Anything in order to feel his toes again. To stop shaking and coughing.

She must have gotten that message through his face as she nodded and gently led them towards the building where the old lady stood in between the glass door. Did all doors on the Outside have glass, he wondered as Eight kept herself always in between him and the old lady as they slowly walked into the building.

The second his feet touched the smooth surface, he felt his body give an involuntary shiver. It was so warm! It was like being inside a fire, it felt so nice! Seven squeezed Eight's gown tighter, wiggling his numb toes as best as he could against the smooth surface.

The old lady carefully moved, closing the door behind them before she led the way further into the warm rooms. "How long have you two been out there?" Her voice wasn't loud like outside, much more soft and had a weird accent he never heard of in the Lab.

He looked up to Eight as they followed, not sure how to respond. His sister seemed to know a lot about the Outside so Seven had no way of knowing how long they had escaped for. He glanced down at the pile of dirty food in his arms, as if they held the answer.

"Oh, sweetie, you can set those down on the table, I have some already cooked food just right here." The old lady directed towards him, pointing at the large wooden table in the room they just came from.

Taking her words as an order, he glanced at Eight to double check, satisfied as she nodded before he let go of her gown and slowly wobbled to the table. His arms shook as he raised them, unceremoniously dumping his pile right on the table before he nodded to himself and walked back to Eight, ignoring the old lady's eyes on him.

"Are you kids allergic to anything?"

Eight shook her head no for the both of them.

"Do you have names?"

Eight stared at the old lady who simply  blinked before moving to prepare the two plates for them. "Alright. Two warm plates of food for you both," she said, setting the plates on the mini table that was near the cooking stuff. It was a pretty high chair and Seven wondered if this mini table is where Outside people really ate.

He looked over to Eight who was eyeing the lady warily before turning to him with a gentle smile. Nodding to her, Eight helped him up the chair, holding it still as he wiggled into a comfortable spot before letting go and getting on her own chair herself. Seven looked down to his plate, his eyes growing in size as he saw how much food was there.

It was so much! The whole plate was filled, the foods all merged together, looking nothing like the meals they would get in the Lab where everything had a section on the plate and it was practically empty. He didn't even know what this food was, just that it smelled good and he could feel the warmth wafting up to his face like a fire.

"My name is Ruth, and you two are..?" The old lady tried again.

The pair stared at her, Seven more confused than anything before he went back to staring at his wonderful food. What kind of number was a Ruth?

"You gotta help me out here, kids. I can't just call you kid one and kid two. Do you have names?"

Again, Seven broke his stare to look up at his sister who had her fists clenched in her lap, staring hard at Ruth.

"Kali." She admitted softly, defensive. Seven wondered where she had gotten that from. She was called Eight, just as he was called Seven. Whatever a Kali was must not be a number as well.

"Is that your name?"

She nodded, straightening up in her seat.

"And him?" Ruth nodded to him, fixing her judging look on him that reminded him of the scientists at the Lab.

Seven sunk in his seat, hiding as much as he could behind his plate before Kali/Eight placed a fisted hand on the table protectively. "No."

Ruth blinked back, shocked. "No?"

"No name."

She scoffed in disbelief. "He has no name?"

Seven went to open his mouth but Kali/Eight stopped him. "No name. " She snapped, a challenge in her eyes as she watched Ruth.

Ruth seemed to back down. "Okay. Kali and her brother.." she trailed off uncertainly before resuming at Kali/Eight's nod. "Right. Well, dig in, eat as much as you like. I got leftover pie if this doesn't fill you up."

Seven waited until his sister picked up her fork before he did the same, immediately shoveling the food in. WARM! His tastebuds erupted in flavor and warmth, making a noise come out of him he had never made before. It was so good! How could the Lab never give them warm good food like this before?

This seemed to satisfy Ruth as she smiled at him before seeming to clean the room around them as they ate, giving them space. Seven ate as fast as he could, loving the feeling of the warm food sitting in him, warming him up from the inside.

"Do you two have a place to stay?"

The siblings shook their head no in sync.

Ruth nodded like she assumed that was the case. "Well how about you two stay here for the night and in the morning we can come up with a better arrangement, how does that sound?"

Kali/Eight nodded for both of them and the pair went back to finishing their plates. As much as Seven wanted to try this pie thing, he could barely think about eating another bite, his stomach hurt so bad, but in a fuller way than before. It seemed Kali/Eight felt the same way as she pushed their plates away from them and got down before helping him do the same.

"All finished?" Ruth asked, pausing in her steps as she looked to them.

Kali/Eight nodded for them and soon both siblings were following Ruth through rooms and up the stairs to another room that was painted a light blue, a big bed in the middle of it with comfy looking pillows and thick blankets. Squares hung on the walls and big boxes stood around the room for some reason. His room at the Lab didn't have brown boxes like this.

"You two can share this room tonight and I'll just be the room down at the end of the hall, okay? If you need anything just let me know."

"Thank you." Kali/Eight said and Seven perked up, knowing that one.

"Thank you." He repeated, nodding to Ruth.

The lady watched them before nodding with a gentle smile and closing the door as she walked out, leaving them alone. Seven shared a look with his sister before he was rushing to the bed, jumping into it excitedly.

How soft! There was no way he could get cold with blankets like this!

Seven wiggled his way beneath the covers, shivering again as his body adjusted to the new sensation and temperature. He looked over to Kali/Eight who was much more calm about slipping in next to him. She clicked off the lights next to the bed, plunging the room in darkness. He felt himself relax as she reached out and pulled him close to her like they did in the forest, feeling safe again as she held him.

"Eight?" He whispered lowly, not daring to wake up Ruth.

She hummed to him, her hand gently rubbing over his shaved head like normal.

"Safe here?" He asked in the darkness, staring up at the wall.

He felt her hand pause on his head briefly before she resumed, pulling him closer.

"As long as we're together, we'll be safe."

Chapter Text

When Kali woke up the next morning feeling warm blankets rather than a cold, crinkley sheet, her eyes shot wide open in panic. She pawed at the empty bed next to her, seeing that Seven was gone.

Where was he? Did the old lady take him away? Did he escape himself? If so, why didn't he wake her up?

Throwing the blankets to the side, she fumbled to get out of the comfy bed, before finding her footing on the hardwood floor and making her way to the downstairs area.

Ruth had better be home, she thought, as she practically flew down the stairs, seeing the living room empty but the kitchen light on. Or she was-

Her panic immediately settled as she saw Seven awake at the little kitchen island counter, chewing on some breakfast with a blanket over his shoulders.

He perked up when he saw her, making a delighted sound with a stuffed mouth that made her own smile quirk up.

She walked over to him and gently rubbed his matching shaved head like she would ruffle his hair if he had any. "Morning to you too," she squeezed his shoulder in lieu of a hug before her eyes moved over to Ruth.

Now that it was a new day, Kali could pick up more on her; her white hair seemed to be naturally curly, her green eyes piercing through gold wired rims that sat perched on her olive skinned face. Her outfit screamed farmer's wife, what with the floral blouse and worn out jeans, which was ironic considering the only farming that looked like this house held was the small garden they raided yesterday.

"Good morning to you too, Kali." Ruth started, smiling gently at her before nodding to the stove at her side. "I got some pancakes here if you'd like some? Your brother's been eating them faster than I can make them," she joked.

She stared at the pan, then at Seven's plate and pleading eyes before she nodded sharply, finding herself to the seat beside her brother at the counter.

Ruth dished out a plate for her and set it on the counter, before leaning on her elbows on the counter between them.

"So, your brother tells me you two are trying to stay away from some bad people?"

Kali's head whipped over to his, watching as his shoulders curled in and he faced away as he shoveled in another bite of pancake. That traitor-

"He didn't say much," Ruth reassured, stealing Kali's attention off of Seven. "Just that you two have been living outside while you've been running. He says you two don't have parents but you have a Papa?"

"No." She sharply slammed her fork down, making both Ruth and Seven jump. She glared at Ruth, trying to get her point across. "No, we don't."

Ruth's eyes flickered between them before she nodded, her voice gentle. "I understand you not wanting to trust me. It must have been hard out there on your own, not knowing who to trust, depending on each other. But I promise you both," she looked to both of them deeply in the eyes. "I want to help you, if you'd let me."

"Why?"

The two women looked over to Seven, who had spoken, and who watched Ruth with a confused face. "Why help us?"

Ruth's face dropped for a split second before she cleared her throat. "Well, I used to have a daughter, but a few years ago she passed and so it gets a little lonely with just me in this house. You two look like you need a nice home and well, if it's okay with both of you, I'd like to be that for you. What do you think?"

Seven looked to Kali, who stared back before looking around the kitchen and dining area. Was this promise, this proposal, too good to be true? If they declined, Kali wasn't so sure they would make it very far on their own, especially not with Seven who was much younger than her and couldn't control his powers completely. But it seemed just too convienient, too easy.

"What would you need from us?" Ruth's brow creased as she looked to Kali.

"Need from you? What do you mean, sweetie?"

Kali sat up straighter, trying to seem older. "We don't have money. So how would we pay you back for staying here?"

The older lady's eyes widened before looking between them. "Oh, heavens no, I don't- what kind of-. Okay, okay both of you, listen to me very closely. " She leaned forward. "I don't know where you came from, how you were raised, but adults don't and shouldn't expect some sort of payment or anything from a child just to live somewhere. Your job is just to exist and be children, for heaven's sake! I wouldn't expect anything out of you two except that you stay honest and talk to me. If you choose to live here, that is."

"Eat this all day?" Seven piped up, holding his plate to her.

Ruth chuckled, "Yes, well I mean I'd hope I can sneak some good veggies and fruits in you too, but yes, I can make sure you have pancakes frequently."

Seven turned to Kali with his big pleading eyes, the same ones he gave her yesterday outside. Their bond was simple like that; ever since they had met, all they needed was a simple glance or gesture and the other almost intuitively knew exactly what the other needed. Sometimes Kali wondered if it was her powers or Seven's powers that played a role in that, but she was grateful for it either way.

She sighed, giving in. "Alright," Seven made a noise of excitement, squeezing her wrist. She held up a finger. "But, we have conditions."

Ruth nodded. "Of course, we can work through that."

"One: No questions if we say it's off limits." She hardened her stare at her pointedly, one finger still in the air as she listed the conditions.

The older lady nodded. "That seems fair, but if it puts any of us in danger of being hurt it's not off limits," she challenged.

Kali nodded. "Fair. Second: We share a room."

Seven squeezed her wrist again, nodding beside her, resolute. "Yes."

Ruth's forehead creased, looking between them. "You mean you want to share a room? What about when you get older?"

"Share," Seven piped up, trying his best to mimic Kali's stare on the lady.

She still seemed unsure. "I mean, I have two separate bedrooms upstairs that are connected by a bathroom if you both would rather prefer that? You're able to have your own rooms but you can walk freely through the connected bathroom right into the other one."

"Maybe later. For now, we share." Kali said, unwilling to budge, her shoulders tensed for a fight she wasn't sure would happen. But Kali would never be unprepared again.

Ruth nodded, still confused, but willing to concede. "Alright, if that makes you both comfortable. Just know that the offer still stands." She unfolded her arms from the counter, looking between them. "Anything else?"

Kali held up a third finger. "No guests unless we agree first."

"Guests? Like you two need a heads up on who's coming over or something?"

"Yes. Also, no guests that we don't know."

Ruth laughed uncertainly, confused. "Well,  honey, I don't think you know any of my usual friends, but you know what, until you two are comfortable, I can make it work. You're welcome to meet them whenever you're ready, okay?"

Kali nodded before looking to Seven, who was already preoccupied staring at the rooms with a better look now that the sun was out and shining through the windows.

"Anything else?" She probed again, her voice softer.

Kali shrugged and Seven did the same before Ruth smiled big once more and stood back up. "Then that's settled. We'll all be living together from now on, so that means I should probably give you two a tour, huh?" She winked at Seven, who immediately started to try and mimic the gesture, only to rapidly blink both eyes rather than one.

Kali nodded, nudging Seven to knock it off and pay attention as Ruth walked around the counter and lead the way through the house.

As she explained each room, Kali held Seven's hand and trailed a little behind the two, her own memories of her past home popping up.

Memories of dark yellow and brown walls, of loud chatterings of conversations in a language she used to be familiar with overhead. Of the smells of fresh vegetables and spices, of black haired stubble against her cheek and a protective grip. Of gentle kisses to her forehead and memories of blurred faces of people who were related by blood and not tattoos. It made tears well up in her eyes that she would likely never get to ever see them again, if they were still alive.

She was different. She had changed. And they probably did too.

Because how could they be the same family she used to know and love if they couldn't find her again?

"-and finally this is the main upstairs bathroom you two can share." Ruth concluded the tour, snapping Kali back into the present. "Now, I still have some old clothes of my daughter's that could fit you,  Kali, but for your brother, well, I might have to go into town and find some that are better suited for you."

Seven looked up at her, lost. "No gowns?"

Ruth seemed to struggle to keep her face composed. "Yes, no more hospital gowns, honey. Is that okay?"

Seven looked up to her, searching her face for the usual okay sign that she would give him to ease his worries. But Kali was just as nervous as he was. "You'll get us other clothes?"

She nodded, looking between them with a heartbroken expression. "Of course. Just general pants, shirts, pajamas for now until we can figure out your styles and sizes that better fit you, but yes. You two deserve to get out of those gowns and get cleaned into new warmer clothes."

Her brother perked up at the tail end of her words. "Warm!"

The two women chuckled at his enthusiasm before Ruth was going off into other rooms to grab clothes so they could get washed up and changed.

Seven turned to her once Ruth had left, his eyes searching hers. "Clean like Bath?" His voice wobbled, his big hazel eyes welling up in terrified tears.

Kali immediately crouched down to his level, pulling him close to her, rubbing his upper back gently. "No! No, of course not. You'll never have to take another Bath again, okay? Not while I'm here, yeah?"

He sniffled with a small nod, taking big gulping breaths before pulling away, standing closer to her than before, his gaze trained on the door to the bathroom.

Ruth returned, arms laden with towels and piles of clothes, with a smile that faltered as she saw the two siblings. "What happened?"

"He'd like to shower please. No Baths."

Seven involuntarily flinched at the word baths, squeezing himself closer to her. Ruth watched this, her eyes dawning in sympathy and understanding. "Of course. That's completely fine, if that's what you both want."

Ruth led them into the bathroom, gently setting the supplies down on the closed toilet seat before explaining how the shower worked.

"-then you pull this and the water will come out of the top here. When you're done, you just press this down again and turn it to the left. Make sense?"

Kali nodded, looking down to Seven who still looked worried at the shower/tub, but who also nodded nonetheless.

Ruth offered a sympathetic smile. "I'll be right outside in the living room if you need anything, alright?"

"Thank you," Kali spoke softly, placing a gentle hand on Seven's shoulders, watching as they relaxed at her touch.

Once Ruth had left, Kali shut the door enough to only leave a small crack -both siblings still a bit sensitive to the whole closed door thing- and Kali turned to Seven, crouching to his level.

Kali kept her voice gentle, knowing that if she was his age, that he must still be very scared. She had gotten used to the Baths- she had to, otherwise life in the Lab got worse, and she didn't like the dark punishment cell. But for Seven, who was still so young, had only been doing the Lab Baths for a year or so, and it was especially brutal for him as his powers still weren't fully developed.

"Would you like to go first?"

His lip threatened to wobble as he looked at her with big worried eyes. "Stay?"

She nodded, placing their foreheads together as she held his hands in hers. "Of course."

The rest of the tension seemed to melt from his frame and he now pulled away from her to look at the shower with curious eyes. "All Outside people... shower?" He tried the new word out carefully.

Kali shrugged. "I think so." Of course, she'd been little when she still lived outside the Lab, but as far as she knew, it was common.

He nodded, satisfied with that answer before turning to her, a question in his eyes.

She nodded, scooting forward a bit to reach the fasteners on his gown better, carefully undoing them before she helped him step out of the stained gown. She noted that his small frame was too skinny for a kid his age (was he eight? nine years old?); she'd have to ask Ruth if he could get more food than usual, at least until his ribs weren't poking through his skin like they were now.

Kali placed her hands in her lap, looking to him with a weighty stare. "Would you like to turn it on?"

Seven's eyes widened and he looked from his discarded hospital gown to the shower controls, then to her. He gave a hesitant nod before he was taking careful steps forward, bracing himself as he slowly turned the knob like Ruth demonstrated.

Water poured out fast, causing Seven to jump and Kali to tense before relaxing easily. He turned pleading eyes at her and she nodded, simply turning her back to the shower, sitting just at the wall where the curtain met the wall.

He wanted her to stay and she meant it.

She heard the rustle of his undergarments being shoved off before he was climbing in, and pulling up on the controls, letting out a soft yelp of surprise as the water spray likely hit him in the face.

Smiling to herself, she looked down to her own skin, noting the red tint of Nine's blood had mostly washed away. Under her nails, however, was a different story.

With the sounds of the shower, she let herself close her eyes and tears fall, burning with emotion and grief.

They were so close. They all three, no, all five could've made it. If only she had been strong enough.

And now it was only her and Seven, who really needed an actual human name soon, with this lady Ruth who Kali hoped was actually a good adult for once. She had been let down and failed before from countless adults, Papa included, and she wasn't confident that she'd be strong enough this time around.

Taking in a shuddery breath, she wiped her face, hoping the swelling would go down enough that Seven wouldn't question anything.

It was pointless to try and fix what had already broken- the best thing the siblings could do was to move forward one day at a time.

She took a long deep breath in.

They were alive. They were in shelter.

They were safe.

--

Gently toweling herself down, she carefully grabbed at the clothes Ruth had brought.

It's always the little things you never know you missed until they're gone- like wearing pants.

Gripping the clothes delicately, she brought them up to her face, gently feeling the soft fabric against her skin. It wasn't thin, or crinkly, or rough. It was soft, and delicate, sturdy and warm.

First, she put the pants on, as she was the most excited about it, and she only had to roll the waistband once for it to stay on before she was hurriedly putting her arms through the shirt as well. With a big smile on her face, she turned to see her reflection-

-and her smile faltered, taking herself in. What was she thinking? That she'd look like herself again? That fully showered and clean Kali would magically have her hair back long enough to braid once more?

Her eyes glared at her reflection. She wished she could storm back into the Lab, demand they give her her hair back (her family, her life back) but she knew the world didn't work that way.

She had to be strong.

If not for herself, then for Seven.

Walking out of the bathroom and into the hall, she heard Ruth's voice as she got closer and closer to the main living room.

"-at all? How about this one?"

Kali stopped in the doorway, watching as Ruth seemed to be pointing at something in a book and looking at Seven earnestly, who just sat there looking lost and confused.

She points to it again. "Can you tell me what that says?"

Seven stares blankly and shrugs.

Her feet moving, she walked past Ruth and sat next to Seven, who immediately leaned into her side, relaxing in comfort. She looks to Ruth. "They didn't teach them. "

Ruth's eyes turned concerned again. "Do you know how to read?"

"I only made it up to third grade before they-," she stopped herself.

Her old life flashed through her mind: Colorful walls of her old classroom the day she was taken, someone who said they were a family friend, someone she didn't know, gripping her arm forcefully before shoving her into a van, a cloth pressed against her no matter how much she kicked and screamed-

Ruth frowned before sighing. "Well," she huffed, "then I guess it's up to me to catch you two up now, huh?" She winked at them, an inside smile directed to them.

"Catch?" Seven piped up, looking up at the ceiling confused, earning a laugh from Ruth.

"You two are gonna give me a run for my money." She smiled at them, her eyes softening at how Seven had leaned back further into Kali, likely tired from the shower.

Kali just hoped that Ruth stayed long enough to actually see her efforts pay off.