Chapter 2: Double Trouble

Around 11 Years Before Storm Front, ~1989

There was something wrong with this family, thought the yet again young girl.

Frankly, she had been suspicious ever since her awareness properly developed, because things had seemed too good to be true. The Raith family was most certainly rich, given their large estate near Chicago, where land was assuredly far from cheap. Given the frequency at which her new relatives seemed to travel, it likely wasn't even the only property they owned either. Born into wealth and in the modern era? There had to be a catch, that Bastard Being X would never let her off so easily!

"Why 'Anya sad?" A little girl pushed into her personal space, blue eyes innocently wide and filled with worry.

They had quite a few relatives, but why aren't there any older ones? No grandparents? Or more children? Of course, her mother had died in childbirth, how stereotypical.

"I'm no' sad!" She tried pushing the limpet away, but she was no longer Tanya von Degurechaff, the Devil of the Rhine. No, Tania Raith was again a small child and thus did not possess enough strength to bat this annoyance away.

"No sad!" Unperturbed by her twin's reluctance, Inari Raith glomped her gloomy sister. Tania struggled and the two rolled around on the floor.

This was just humiliating! Curse you Being X!

Inari giggled, easily amused by such childish antics (because she was a child, obviously). "Wuv 'Anya, no sad!" She hugged her reluctant twin again.

Well… at least there was nothing wrong with this family member.

Around 10 years before Storm Front, ~1990

Inari was adorable, and Tania would kill anyone or anything that hurt her–Wait, that was not conducive to a peaceful life! On second thought, in this enlightened modern era, she would probably just have to sue any such vile offender into oblivion. Yes, violence should be blissfully limited in this life.

"Tanya! Papa wants to talk with us!" Her twin had somehow managed to pronounce her new name to sound like her old name, and she had responded enough to it that Inari refused to call her by anything else.

"Come on, Tanya!" Inari pulled her arm insistently, forcing Tania to set down her picture book with a sigh. English was such a strange language.

The twins (they actually weren't the only set in the family) bounced out of their room and down the hall, Inari nearly vibrating with infectious anticipation, Tania doing her best to mimic her toddling enthusiasm.

Inari, in her innocence, did not realize how odd their father's dull-eyed bodyguards were. While it made sense that a rich man could afford such private security, the doll-like twins didn't seem to have any life outside of following their father around, and barely seemed capable of independent thought. Just where did Being X put her this time?

Her twin, lacking context for how weird she was, waved cheerfully at their female guard, "Hi Jane!" Jane Doe (that couldn't possibly be her real name), nodded slightly.

"Hello Miss Raith, Miss Raith." She gestured down the hall. "Come, Lord Raith is waiting." See, that was another red flag! Aristocracy was Unconstitutional! Tania was also pretty sure the gun concealed at Jane's shoulder wasn't legal, then again, this was America, not to mention near Chicago, one of more dangerous cities in the country. They were also near the University of Chicago!

She didn't have definitive proof, but she might have been born into a mafia family. Her father and big sister Lara looked vaguely Italian, and so did quite a few of her other relatives. From some of what she had overheard, the family was involved in quite a bit of the more salacious kinds of business, as well as seeming to possess significant weaponry. Now, the latter may just be a matter of practicality, given that this was the criminal hub that was Chicago, where any law-abiding citizen would probably be better off able to defend themselves, but all together, it seemed a tad suspicious.

Jane Doe led them to a study room. Inside, they found their father sitting in an armchair next to a crackling fireplace. The shadowy firelight cast his disturbingly handsome face in a both sinister and alluring glow. This was another one of the strange things about the family. 'Lord' Raith did not look much older than big sister Lara, and yet he was apparently their father, both of the clearly adult Lara and the two toddling twins. As if that were not enough, he also looked unnaturally attractive (like all their family members, really), and Tania was fairly certain none of the mothers of her and her various siblings were his wife (except maybe Lara's). They were also all deceased.

"Hello, dear children," he spoke in a silky seductive voice that was probably entirely inappropriate for talking to children.

"Hi, Papa!" cheered Inari. "Hello, Father," Tania added, smiling (because of her twin, not their father).

He laughed, and while Tania was still too young physically to tell just how dangerous that was, she was not surprised at all that father had managed to seduce so many women.

"Now girls," he continued, eying them appraisingly, "do you know what Love is?" His eyes flashed.

A strange question, and one usually not asked in this way. He said the word like it was something distasteful. Inari bounced excitedly, "Love is what family feels about each other!" What a family should feel, maybe. Tania noted a distinct lack of it in the Raith family, so why was Father trying to teach them about it?

'Lord' Raith picked up a nondescript book with a thick black cover, holding it carefully like it was some kind of poison. He gingerly turned the pages, making sure to touch them as little as possible, finally opening it to a section in the back half of the book.

"Love suffereth long, and is kind," he read, jaw clenching as if tasting something foul, "love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, it is not puffed up." Inari listened intently with wide-eyed curiosity, but Tania could tell she didn't really understand. Their Father might not actually expect them to. Seriously, what was the point of reading such archaic language to children?

"Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." Tania watched her father carefully as he smoothly ground out the words as if each one physically hurt him. This was a religious text, damn that Bastard! As if being raised in an orphanage run by nuns wasn't enough, now she was born into some weird religious mafia family!

"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Father paused and glanced up, trapping her eyes with his. She saw a glimmer of surprise at her apparent understanding, and then a calculating gleam.

A shiver ran down her spine at his scrutiny, but she didn't look away. He did not seem like someone whose attention was pleasant, and Tania much preferred being left to her own devices, but showing she understood that Father was dangerous seemed like an even worse idea, so she didn't look away.

"Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."

Inari nodded along, happy for attention from their father, not picking up on some of the strange undertones. Tania tried to follow suit, though she couldn't muster the same level of childish enthusiasm; her previous life weighed too heavily on her. At least she hasn't been malnourished in this life yet.

"Do you understand why this is important?" Father drawled questioningly. The twins glanced at each other, Inari understood some of what he read, but looked unsure how to answer. She was a child, but smart enough to sense that Father had a different meaning than the exact words. Tania angled her head slightly. Inari had answered previously, she would answer now.

"Love is important because it keeps people working together through difficult things," she replied.

Father smiled; it was not fake, but Tania forced down another shiver at the predatory look. His eyes scanned over her, and she really hoped that answer wouldn't anger him too much.

"Hmm…true enough. Love binds us together in one united family. It can be beautiful." He sounded insincere

Her theory that the Raiths were a mafia family was looking more and more likely. Father seemed to emphasize love from such a young age so they always stuck by family, even against their best interests. Love did make people act very irrationally, but she remembered instances of how resilient that kind of mutual agreement could be. Sometimes lasting beyond the death of one person involved.

Inari nodded seriously. Even at her early age, Tania could tell her twin was the type that preferred everyone around her be happy, so the spiel about love made sense to her. Inari glanced at her curiously. Tania looked back reassuringly. For now, it was best to play along with whatever charade Father wanted to sell, at least until she was old enough to strike out on her own.

The two sisters turned back to their Father, and Tania felt her heart drop at his satisfied smile. She couldn't leave Inari though, not with him. Damn him!

"Remember, dears: Abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is Love."

Tania had not been the most affectionate person in any of her lives, so why did seeing her sister staring adoringly at their father rankle her so? Parents didn't have to have some sappy "Selfless Love" nonsense for their kids, as long as they took their responsibilities seriously. Father provided for their needs and education, even carving out time in his doubtless busy schedule for this little lesson, all marks of a reasonably responsible father.

Why, then, did it all feel so wrong?

♤♤♤♤

She should have kept her mouth shut. After their father had begun reading religious texts to them, Tania had assumed the family was the Catholic Italian mafia type, or at least putting on the image, so she had once off handedly asked when they would be attending mass. For some reason, this made elder sister Lara laugh, and now Tania was stuck attending mass again. At least it was nothing too difficult to deal with.

The church Lara brought them to, St. Mary of the Angels, was fine enough, Tania supposed. The building was actually quite beautiful, from an architectural standpoint, and the typical iconography, usual messaging and the musically pleasant songs were actually quite tasteful, even if she found the lyrics annoying. She supposed that it wasn't too different from kissing up to one's boss, at its core. At least the image on the Crucifix didn't resemble that bastard Being X (as if that lazy layabout would sacrifice himself for mankind, hah!).

This world seemed more similar to that of Tania's first life, though he had never paid much attention to the details of Catholicism the first time around to tell for sure. It was nice not having to see that Bastard's face everywhere. As a rational person, she should be skeptical of any real power in the religious rituals, but after being forcibly reincarnated into a painful life of war and starvation (she was going to eat a better diet in this life, lest it kill her)...she could not completely dismiss the possibility, especially since her father in this life seemed to believe that "Love" was something with power, even though he also seemed to despise it.

Inari seemed to be sort of awed by the occasion. On second thought, they did not leave the manor often, so it made some sense it seemed exciting to her. Tania had imagined that her twin would find the proceedings boring, and then maybe they wouldn't have to sit through them again. Given that neither Father nor Lara had actually joined them, it had looked like this might be a one time thing. Unfortunately, Inari was listening intently to the priest, who, as it so happened, was talking about love, something the younger (in spirit) twin had been a bit fixated on since their lesson with father.

As much as Tania would like to tune out the priest as she had typically done in Germania, the graying man could not be described as droning, nor was he one of the excessively enthusiastic "end is nigh" types. He spoke with sincerity and confidence, and Tania found herself actually listening, damn her impressionable child brain!

"Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends," declared the priest solemnly. Tania shivered. It did make some sense, being willing to die for another person was largely irrational, asides perhaps for the protective instincts parents had for their children, but such a sacrifice certainly required a great deal of devotion. Inari listened attentively, and she glanced at her twin. Tania chose not to respond, instead staring ahead.

In a flash, the faces of her comrades passed through her mind. Weis, Visha, Glanz…had they all been willing to die for her? Tanya von Degurechaff had originally been happy to have more bodies between her and her enemies, and that was most certainly not love. And yet…how many times had she dove straight into fire coming to their aid? No, that had been out of fear, fear that anything less than an undaunted display of courage would have gotten her shot for cowardice. It was perfectly rational! No, she didn't "love", she was logical! So why did it feel wrong? Damn her young, emotional mind! She did not miss them–no that wasn't true, they were capable subordinates, good employees. But she didn't need "love" or "friendship", such things were not as dependable as mutual self-interest!

But would she die for Inari?

…No, she found her twin very endearing, and she would hurt anyone who hurt her adorable little sister, but would she risk her life to do so? Tania remembered her father's unnerving reading about love, and his lesson about family sticking together, in the organized crime sort of way. Damn! If she didn't show proper familial "love", she might end up disowned! She was too young for that right now!

Tania's gaze flicked over to her twin, who was staring at a family seated further down the pew. It was one of the few times Tania had seen her twin so morose, the others being times when she had been told their father was too busy to spend time with them. She did not like seeing her twin sad, it seemed almost like a violation of the natural order.

In the interest of familial solidarity, Tania slipped an arm around her twin. Inari twitched in surprise, before leaning into Tania. Had she really not initiated hugs before? Guilt welled up in Tania's chest, and she quashed it by giving Inari a squeeze. Curse her childish instincts!

Tania glanced over the people who seemed to have caused her sister's state. It was a family of four: A solid man and woman, with two small children between them, a daughter and a son, each looking like they would take after their respective parent. The father of the family turned to look at her, somehow feeling her gaze. His similarly blue eyes met her scrutiny, and he smiled encouragingly at the sight of sibling affection. She despaired at her immature delight at adult approval, she should be too old in spirit for that! The twins' bodyguard tensed, for some reason. He was quite young, maybe he also still sought adult approval?

"Tania," Inari whispered through her sniffling, "do you think mom loved us?" The question snapped her attention back to her twin, and a flash of shame passed through her as Tania realized that their mother had hardly ever crossed her mind. In his first life, his mother had not been very affectionate, but had cared for him well enough. She never knew her mother in her second life, nor in this one, so maybe it had not seemed all that important. But it must mean the world to Inari.

Her twin's eyes dimmed at her silence, so Tania tried to assuage her. "I think so, she did give birth to us." That wasn't always something all women bothered to do. Inari's face scrunched up in confusion, a glint of tears in her eyes. Right, explaining abortion to children was not usually helpful. "I don't know though, since we can't really ask her."

…Dammit.

Inari tilted her head thoughtfully. "She died for us?"

Wait, since when did Inari understand death? "Yes," Tania replied absently, trying to reconcile her sister's cheerful demeanor and her current morbid contemplation.

Inari's face lit up, eyes widening excitedly, "Oh! So she did love us!"

Huh?

"Dying for friends is love right?" her twin mumbled in relief, "So dying for your family must be love too!"

Tania wasn't sure whether or not their mother had been willing to die in childbirth, or if it had just happened. Either way, she just hummed in agreement with her sister, who smiled through teary eyes. Inari was quite bright for her age, but she was still a child. Also, this lesson did not seem appropriate for their age range.

The rest of mass was not too dissimilar from what Tania remembered of life in Germania, except that they actually used English rather than Latin for close to the whole thing. She did not pay too much attention, and the Raith twins were too young to be involved in any of the ceremonies (speaking of which, had Father had them baptized when they were born?). Inari still seemed enamored with the proceedings, but was mostly interested in the happy family next to them. Their impromptu bodyguard for the day, Antonio, watched the family carefully, but eventually relaxed when nothing more happened.

Once the mass ended, Antonio began hurrying them out the door, seemingly a bit nervous to be chaperoning his boss' kids. It was far out of the realm of his usual duties; he was part of the security team for the Manor grounds. Tania noted several church goers giving him odd looks, though none of them were hostile. Unfortunately, Inari padded over to the other family, oblivious to his unease and walking straight towards the younger girl. So much for getting out of here quickly.

"Hello! My name is Inari, what's yours?" The other small blonde girl stared back wide-eyed, probably still too young to properly communicate. On that note, Inari's communication skills were rather advanced for someone as young as she was. This other girl was probably also the first child their age Inari had seen, aside from Tania, obviously.

"Mmm?" mumbled the confused toddler as she hid behind her father's leg. Inari looked disappointed, so Tania went to nudge her shoulder.

"She might be too young to talk much," Tania explained, which seemed to cheer Inari up slightly, her face lighting up in understanding.

The large man chuckled, letting out a rumbling laugh that put Tania's child brain at ease. "She's just a little shy," he replied in his daughter's stead, voice gentle, but Tania could hear hidden strength beneath it. She eyed him carefully as he coaxed his daughter out from behind him. "Come on, Molly, you can say 'hi', can't you?"

The young girl, apparently named Molly, peaked around her father's leg, one fist clutching the fabric of his dress pants. She glanced furtively up at her smiling father, then back at the twins. Her eyes widened in confusion, flicking between the two identical twins (dressed identically too), face scrunching up in thought. "...Hi, hi?" she squeaked, once at Inari, then once at Tania.

Inari grinned, and Tania nodded. "Hello little one." The large man smiled fondly, while his wife laughed slightly in between cooing at her other child, who she held in her arms.

Molly frowned, moving forward around her father's leg. "I nawt 'dat liddle!" She pointed at the twins accusingly, "You liddle too!" Her eyes scrunched up in concentration "two?...too?...to?". Inari giggled excitedly.

"Tutu!" the little Raith replied, bouncing slightly in place.

"Also, likewise, similarly," Tania added helpfully.

Molly slid forward in a mix of curiosity and childish outrage. "Was'sat mean?!"

Tania stared seriously at the smaller toddler. "Too."

Molly let out a growl of frustration, which reminded Tania of a kitten, more than anything else.

The mother of the family shushed her daughter chidingly, but the young girl did not seem cowed. Instead, her father patted her on the head with a chuckle–Tania was not jealous. Molly relaxed, but stared up at him, shocked at his betrayal.

"Too, also, likewise, and similarly all mean the same thing, Molly."

The little girl's eyes lit up in realization, and Tania felt a bolt of satisfaction. Teaching had been quite satisfying, from what she remembered.

"Wha'about Tutu?" Molly asked, trying to push her father's hand off her head.

"A Tutu is a skirt," explained Tania, "it is pretty useless."

"But Tanya, they're cute!" interjected Inari.

"As I said, pretty useless."

Great, now both her sister and the smaller child were pouting at her. Can they go home now?

The adults let out slight sounds of amusement, while Antonio let out a burst of nervous laughter. Tania turned and eyed their bodyguard curiously. He had been twitchy ever since the two of them had been dropped in his lap, metaphorically speaking, even more so now that he was subject to some scrutiny.

Inari began chattering about colors and candy with Molly, who's earlier shyness had disappeared. Her father watched the three of them with a fond smile, meeting Tania's curious gaze affably.

"I didn't know you had kids, Antonio," the mother commented to the twins' bodyguard. He choked, waving his hands wildly in front of him in denial.

"Don't get the wrong idea! These are my boss' kids, Mrs. Carpenter! He suddenly wanted them to attend mass." It was a little amusing to see the normally serious looking man so flustered.

The Carpenters shared a quizzical glance. On closer inspection, Mr. Carpenter's hands were calloused, which would make sense if he was ironically a carpenter, but that would be a pretty silly assumption...though, given his build, he likely did do some physical labor for a living. On the other hand, Tania recognized his stance; he stood relaxed, but alert, eyes periodically flicking over his family and the room. It reminded her a lot of how her Germanian comrades acted once they had enough time away from the front. Mrs. Carpenter was not so alert, but she looked stronger than most women her size. Perhaps a military family?

Mr. Carpenter smiled at her, oh no! He caught her staring. "I am Michael Carpenter," he said, crouching down to eye level, "and who might you be, young lady?" His blue eyes were kind and open, but Tania sensed that he was not a man to cross lightly. She gulped, hoping that her nervousness (curse her youth!) looked to be more due to meeting a new adult.

"My name is Tania Raith, Mr. Carpenter."

A shadow passed over his face and his gaze passed swiftly over his daughter attentively listening to Inari chatter on like the children they were. He turned back to Tania, eyes hard. She shivered, her child body betraying her yet again, but held his gaze. Tania shrugged her shoulders, she couldn't choose her parents. Mr. Carpenter's eyes softened, and he sighed, before smiling sadly. Whatever the deal with her family, Mr. Carpenter seemed to have some suspicions.

"And your twin?" he asked gently, shelving whatever concerns he might have had regarding her family.

"Inari Raith," the two watched as Molly attempted to chatter back, stumbling over her child mouth and vocabulary while Inari egged her on. Was this the first time Inari made a friend? Oh…

Tania and Mr. Carpenter shared a look, a mix of fond amusement and exasperation. Had she not been off balance about this whole adventure, she would have tried to seem a little less mature, but fortunately Mr. Carpenter didn't make anything of it, instead choosing to sit in solidarity as they both realized they would likely see each other fairly often in the future.

Inari and Molly became fast friends. So of course, they ended up attending mass there regularly.

Curses.

At least the janitor turned out to be surprisingly insightful. Leave it to a proper working man to understand the value of the Freedom of Choice, not a priest.

Around 7 years before Storm Front, ~1993

"Tanya, let's play tag!"

"Hold on Inari, I'm working."

Tania tried her best to ignore her twin sister's pout. To be honest, she didn't have a great excuse not to join her, given that they had both finished their homework. But Tania had finally convinced eldest sister Lara to let her help with some accounting!

"Tanya, you're too young to work!" Inari whined, tugging on her twin's arm gently, but insistently. Tania sighed, looking up from the checkbook. Eldest sister Lara sat at her desk, supremely put together and picture perfect even at home, her slight smile fit for a painting. But Tania could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. Maybe she wished she had a twin? Or was this a case of an adult pining for the innocence of youth?

Lara seemed to take Tania's look as asking for permission, and she smiled radiantly at her young sibling. "You should go play, Tania, there will be far too much time for you to work in the future."

But she wanted to do accounting!

"Yeah!" Inari cheered, "you don't want to get big sis arrested for child labor, do you?"

Lara chuckled huskily, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

But she wasn't getting paid, so it wasn't…actually, that made it worse. Damn it, Inari! She always seemed to know exactly how to prod Tania into going along with her childish whims.

Lara's chuckling became full blown laughter at Tania's betrayed expression, and she waved her hand in a good-natured shooing motion. Inari whooped excitedly and began dragging Tania out of the room.

But! But…Accounting! Life Skills!

Under assault by two sisters, Tania was forced to give ground, following the altogether too excited Inari out of the room.

"Hey! Hey, Tomas!" she shouted, "I got Tania, now we have to play tag!" She was mispronouncing their brother Thomas' name again. The only one of their siblings whose name Inari didn't mispronounce or shorten was Lara, though that was probably more to do with "Lara" being a short and simple name to begin with.

Well, if Tania had to play tag, she was going to play tag. Time for physical training.

♤♤♤♤

Lara Raith allowed herself a few more moments of levity before shaking her head and continuing her work. Her little sisters were just adorable! She shook her head slightly, before returning to the family finances. It was not exactly entertaining work, but it was something that had to be done, and unfortunately, much of it fell to her, though there were certainly benefits of being in charge of the family purse strings. Father did not like to bother with such trivial matters, and the majority of Lara's sisters were not of exactly sound mind most of the time. Father did not trust Thomas, and little Inari and Tania were too young.

Oh, the young twins were very bright: Inari was already wrapping her family (and some mortal friends) around her pudgy little finger, and Tania must have swallowed an abacus when she was younger. Well, no, that obviously didn't happen, because Lara would have brutally killed whoever dared hurt her little sister! Whatever the reason, Tania picked up skills very quickly, and Lara already had some of her tutors suggesting she enter school early. From what she saw of her little sister, Tania would jump at the chance, but Lara was hesitant to split the twins up, they depended on each other too much.

She glanced over the "work" done by her industrious little sister and blinked. The chart was neatly, and correctly filled out. The speed at which Tania learned these things was frankly a little unnerving; she was still such a cute little thing.

Lara shook her head sadly, lustrous black hair shifting alluring, before focusing back onto her work. Once she finished counting, her night should be much more fulfilling. Maybe she should actually have Tania helping her so they could be done quicker. In the future, of course.

A couple hours later, an exhausted looking Inari shuffled into the room. Her little sister was covered in grass and dirt stains, her hair mussed up into a disheveled mess. Lara tsk'ed quietly in reflex, before raising an eyebrow questioningly. "Shouldn't you be in the baths?" she asked archly, not ungrateful for the interruption, but merely slightly bemused.

Inari looked speculatively at the papers on Lara's desk. "Can you teach me to do A counting?" she asked, bleary eyes blinking innocently up at her eldest sister.

Lara cocked her head curiously, "Oh, and what brought this on?"

Her youngest sister (Tania was born a few minutes earlier) shuffled her feet awkwardly, eyes focused down onto the desk.

"Come now, stand properly, elder sister won't be mad." Lara smiled encouragingly–she was so cute!.

Inari looked up at her sister, swaying on her feet slightly as she stood to her full diminutive height. A strand of her now messy hair fell in front of her face, and she puffed irritably at it, blowing it up out of her face, only for it to fall right back over her eye. Did Lara mention her little sisters were adorable?

Deciding to ignore the rebellious bang, Inari pursed her lips seriously. "Tanya needs to have more fun!" she declared with certainty. Her eyes again dropped to her feet as she shuffled them awkwardly. "I thought she needed to play more games, but I don't think she had fun." The youngest Raith looked back up at her eldest sisters, eyes narrowed. "She gave me homework for tag!" she exclaimed in outrage.

Lara burst out laughing. Oh, her little sisters were just so precious! Inari's betrayed expression only made her laugh harder. But even in her mirth, she felt a part of herself die. Her sisters would not stay this small forever, and soon, Father would push their Hungers to wake. They would have a decade of innocence, two, at most. Lara did not enjoy the thought of their loss.

The eldest daughter of Raith blinked as Inari impacted her side in a sort of tackle hug. Lara patted her youngest sister on the head tenderly. "What's wrong, Inari?"

The littlest Raith pulled back slightly, craning her neck to look up at the eldest Raith child. "You looked sad, so I hugged you so you would stop being sad!" Inari grinned smugly at her sister. Lara smiled widely, even as she felt her heart ache as if a knife had been driven through it.

"Thank you, Inari," she stroked her sister's filthy hair, "I am fine now."

Lara had not been fine in centuries.

But, seeing Inari's bright grin, Lara could pretend she was fine, at least for a while.

She would probably have to change clothes–bah! They would get soiled anyways, given what the plans were for tonight.

"Back to your reason for coming here rather than taking a bath," Lara poked Inari's cute little nose, smiling as her little sister scrunched up her face in indignation at the slight against her maturity. "Why do you want to learn the numbers if you want Tania to have fun?"

Inari smoothed her face out, and the identical nature of the young twins became apparent.

"Tanya thinks A Counting is fun, right?"

"Hmm…it would seem so."

"And Tanya needs to have more fun, right?"

"Quite."

"Then I have to learn A Counting so we can have fun together!"

Looking at her littlest sister's self-satisfied grin, Lara swore that she would do whatever she could to keep them out from under Father's thrall as long as possible.

"Hmm…I suppose that makes sense."

Inari whooped in triumph, but Lara gave her a chiding look.

"But be warned, this will involve plenty of mathematics."

The littlest Raith gasped in childish horror, eyes wide in disbelief.

Lara arched her brow imperiously, "You do want Tania to have fun, do you not?"

Inari pursed her lips determinedly. "Hmm!" she nodded in resolution.

It probably should not have been surprising, but Inari, while not nearly as single-minded as Tania, still tore into any task set before her with gusto. When Tania did end up skipping several class levels, Inari went right along with her.

Lara hoped their bond would endure.

2 months before Grave Peril, August 2001

Margaret Carpenter, who had tried to eschew being called "Molly" ever since she entered highschool two years early, looked like she needed a lot more sleep. Carefully placed make-up obscured a good deal of the signs, but that could not hide the slump in her shoulders or how she had almost swayed on her feet.

"Molls! Why haven't you gotten more sleep? It's summer!" Inari rushed over to her first friend and began her typical fussing, leaving Tania to greet their hosts and introduce the other guests with her. Margaret must be very tired indeed, as she let Inari frog march to a table with only a half-hearted glare.

Tania curtsied primly to Michael Carpenter and his very much pregnant wife Charity. "Thank you for having us over, Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter." She gestured to the roguishly handsome man behind her, "I believe you have already met my brother, Thomas." She pointed to their more normal companion, "and you most certainly know Antonio."

Thomas smiled winsomely, in a way that usually made women behave irrationally, but Charity Carpenter was unfazed, merely nodding slightly in acknowledgement. Antonio smiled, now much more comfortable in his role as Tania and Inari's dedicated bodyguard, moving forward and shaking hands with their hosts. Charity enthusiastically congratulated him on getting married, while Michael patted him encouragingly on the shoulder.

"Congratulations on being accepted to UChicago, Tania," Michael greeted, offering to shake her hand with a proud smile, "at the young age of 15 no less!". She took the hand, smiling back, and trying to squash the childish glee at parental approval. She was far too old for this!

"Thank you, sir."

Michael patted her on the head before pulling back, causing her to huff indignantly; she was not a child!

"Thomas," he nodded in greeting.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Carpenter," Thomas answered with a smooth grin. Neither man made any motion to shake hands.

Tania eyed her brother curiously. In most cases, he would be quite eager to touch hands, often kissing the back of women's hands and sending them into blushing fits. But he always avoided contact with the Carpenters. Tania supposed she understood, to an extent, as while Michael was a very forgiving man, he would not tolerate anyone messing with his family. On the other hand, she had not known Thomas could be that considerate, or that he had enough self preservation.

"Tanya! Come on, what are you waiting for?" Inari appeared by her side and began dragging her towards a gaggle of children, a mix of the Carpenter children and school friends (mostly Inari's). The split was more even than one might expect, as there were six Carpenter children, soon to be seven, all about two years apart. Charity Carpenter was nothing if not determined.

Tania greeted each person in turn, doing her best to ignore the mildly infatuated grins from Daniel and Matthew Carpenter (the second and third eldest). She was way too old for this. Margaret waved mildly, but her eyes were wide, looking for help to distract Inari from her gentle tirade.

"Seriously Molls! You're already gonna be a Junior at 13! You don't have to study so hard, especially not during break!"

"Oh, don't give me that," Margaret snapped back, "I know you two study a lot during break!"

"Margaret," interrupted Tania, silencing the bickering blondes, "sleep is necessary for proper function. Not allocating enough time for rest is a sign of poor time management, not dedication." Margaret sighed and dropped her head onto the table in front of her. Why were the other Carpenter children looking at her adoringly? What did she do?

"Damn it, Tania," –"Language, Margaret!"

Margaret grumbled angrily in the direction of her mother. Tania raised an eyebrow at her and Margaret stopped. "Come on, Tania, I know you two don't sleep all that much either," she whined.

"Eh, it's not your fault, Molls," Inari consoled, patting Margaret on the head, "we actually don't need that much sleep–we even got tested!" It was quite convenient, honestly, feeling rested after only five hours of sleep. Not only did that give her three more hours of activity, it also meant more peace and quiet!

"So unfair," complained Connor Sharp, also slouched over the table, huddling his skinny frame in a hoodie. The others at the table made various noises of agreement.

"Connor," chided Tania, "being on summer break does not change the fact that pulling all-nighters on your computer is unhealthy." Her eyes flicked over her school acquaintances—definitely not minions, whatever eldest sister Lara might imply. She suppressed a sigh. Jayden Dawles and Karolina Ostrów both looked tired, not to mention the sheepish shuffling. "Must I repeat myself in perpetuity?" complained Tania to no one in particular.

"You know, Margaret," prodded Daniel Carpenter, "you would probably be less tired if you weren't trying to study under your covers." What kind of stereotypical teenage life was this?

"Shut up, Daniel!" Margaret's head shot up off the table and she pointed her hand accusingly at her younger brother. "Don't pretend you don't get up at the crack of dawn to practice with Dad!"

"Why would he need to pretend?" asked Matthew guilelessly, "You do that too, sis." Margaret spluttered in indignation while a few others laughed.

"Oh come one, you two always take Tania's side!"

Wait, what did she have to do with this?

"Oh, don't be too hard on them," drawled Karolina, her noticeable Polish accent heightening the sly tone of her voice, "I haven't met any boy who could say no to Tania!" She eyed the two Carpenter boys meaningfully while sticking an elbow into Jayden's ribs. That was inaccurate, there were plenty of people who disagreed with her.

Tania hummed thoughtfully, folding her hands under her chin. The others at the table turned back to look at her. "I suppose I can forgive early morning practice with Mr. Carpenter." Karolina laughed, while the Carpenter kids grinned.

"Mr. Carpenter is so cool!" exclaimed Inari, making slashing motions with her hands.

"Totally!" grunted Jayden. "He swings a sword and looks good," he punched Connor lightly in the shoulder, "and not like a dweeb."

"Not everyone's built like a brick wall," moaned the skinnier boy.

"It is less about size," corrected Tania, "and more about technique. Though size has its uses."

Karolina snickered uncontrollably, while Jayden's face scrunched up in his attempt to bite down a laugh. Margaret snorted and Daniel glared at Karolina. What did she say?

"It probably helps that he has a real sword and not a toy lightsaber," added Inari reassuringly. Connor just planted his face into his arms down on the table.

"You are all insane," he groused, voice muffled by his pullover.

"Dude, you like math," Jayden accused. Tania did not understand why children seemed to dislike mathematics so much.

"Tania likes math, why aren't you b–complaining at her?" Even Connor learned not to curse within earshot of Charity Carpenter, though it took him longer than most.

"That's because Tania makes math her bitch!" Karolina, on the other hand, never did learn.

"Language!"

"Aw shut up, Danny boy! You know it's true."

"Math is hard~" Inari whined, pouting petulantly.

"Ugh, don't remind me," grumbled Margaret, "I hate matrices."

"They are very useful for organizing data–"

"Shut up, Tania! We're on break!"

"Hey, stop being rude, Molls."

"Oh shove it, Danny, she's never going out with you!"

Who's going out where?

"Molls! Molls! Geez," Inari hooked her arm around her friend, "you really need some sleep."

"You're not you when you're sleep-deprived," muttered Connor, "oh wait, you're always a…" he paused as several others glared at him, "...crank."

Maybe the students at UChicago will be more mature.

"Aren't parties s'pposed to be fun?" chirped Alicia Carpenter innocently, bringing the bickering to a halt. Tania did not understand why her siblings sometimes called her "Leech"; all children were, in some ways, parasitic to their parents, so it was hardly fair to call one child out specifically.

Margaret grunted out an apology, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sorry guys, it should be a big day for a bunch of you. I shouldn't ruin it by complaining."

"No, no, tell us how you really feel," grumbled Daniel, arms crossed, it seemed Margaret had annoyed him more than he had let on.

"Are you weirdos done posturing?" simpered one of Inari's brainless friends, "I thought we were going to celebrate going off to college!"

"That's just rude, Marlene!" responded Tania's intelligent, if tiresomely social twin, "but yeah, we should be having some fun!" Her eyes flicked over to the serious Raith twin. "Not your kind of fun, Tania!"

Tania indulged in her teenage impulses and rolled her eyes. "As you say, Inari."

Her twin's other friends were not particularly useful aside from dubious information gathering, which sometimes produced worthwhile news, though that required sifting through a mountain of meaningless drivel. Inari insisted it was fun though, so Tania could stand to stomach their presence as long as her twin was there as well.

Naturally, the "fun" Inari and her minion (Marlene, was it?) involved chattering about inane things. While keeping track of their social network had its uses, Tania still, after all this time, had trouble understanding what was fun about discussing fashion and cosmetics. Instead, she turned back to the much more practical Carpenters.

"Since we have touched on the topic, how has training with your father gone?" Daniel and Matthew, who looked completely lost when the conversation turned to clothes, snapped their attention to her immediately. They were going to hurt their necks if they kept doing that.

"It's going well!" exclaimed Daniel, with all the enthusiasm young boys had for sports. "Father says we're making good progress."

"Though he still says we're too young to practice with real swords," added Matthew, looking a bit disappointed. His brother deflated slightly at the reminder.

While the second and third eldest Carpenters were more mature than typical middle schoolers, even if they had also skipped a year, it was probably still not wise to let them handle live steel. "I am sure your father's judgment is good." The two boys looked mulish, but nodded reluctantly–they always seemed to listen to her. "Not to mention that his sword is about as long as you are tall, so you probably will have to grow into it." Tania had been rather surprised to learn that Charity Carpenter was a blacksmith of no small skill, given her frequent motherhood and the age in which they lived. On the other hand, the Carpenters often seemed unconcerned with appearing odd, and yet they were upstanding members of the community nonetheless.

"But I can lift it though," grumbled Daniel, with a slight questioning lilt to his voice. Matthew bobbed in solidarity.

"That may be so, but you most likely have problems balancing yourselves if you do, no?" The two boys nodded sheepishly. "Training takes time, don't try jumping ahead too quickly." The brothers exchanged a glance, before looking back at her questioningly. "I'm sure your father will explain things in greater depth if you ask him." Daniel and Matthew nodded again, and Tania squashed a flash of childish envy.

In none of her lives had her father been so understanding, or even present. True, Michael Carpenter was often away on business, but he never let it follow him home, somehow managing to make time for all of his children as well as her and her twin. He was a remarkable man, she reminded herself, one-of-a-kind really, and she should not begrudge the Carpenter children their good fortune. She cursed her immature instincts for the thousandth time.

The two older Carpenter boys chattered on about their excursions, before shifting over to discussing the competitive sports leagues Americans tended to be so fond of. Naturally, Jayden began espousing the virtues of the local teams, who apparently had won three consecutive national championship titles a few years ago. Despite his usual disinterest in such matters, it seemed that Connor had enough hometown pride to grunt in agreement occasionally.

Karolina was right at home in the gossip circle, but Margaret plunked her head on her arms with a groan. Tania was about to suggest that their younger host go inside to sleep, before she noticed fresh scrapes and bruises on her friend's arms. They were not from training.

She gently prodded a sickly green bruise, causing Margaret to hiss and pull away. The younger blond sat up suddenly, glaring at the offending appendage, before stopping short at Tania's disapproving gaze. "I didn't start it this time!" Margaret hissed emphatically.

Tania cocked her head curiously. "Of course not," she replied incredulously. Margaret did not pick fights for no reason, but the scraps she got into were rarely entirely necessary. Inari's first friend was not a delinquent, per se, but she tended to try inserting herself into conflicts she did not need to be involved in. Margaret scowled at Tania's disbelieving tone.

"I'm serious! Some creepy bitch accused me of stealing her boyfriend and then attacked me!"

"Did you, in fact, steal her boyfriend?" Even if she did that did not mean assault was justifiable.

Margaret scrunched up her face in disgust. "No, of course not, I've never even talked to the guy!"

It seemed to Tania that her protestations were a little much. Margaret would not stoop to such things, but most likely did leave an impression somehow. "Did you at least make it obvious that they were the aggressor?"

"Well, duh! What part of 'attacked me' randomly makes me look like the bad guy?" Margaret shot back.

"Good."

Margaret grumbled mulishly, "Stupid no-tolerance policy."

Ah. "Is your mother keeping an even closer eye on you now?" It always seemed odd that school officials never bothered to more closely examine student altercations.

The fight-happy girl sighed into her arms. "Tell me about it, she thinks I'm reading weird stuff at night or something, then getting into fights at school. She's really pissed at me again."

Charity Carpenter loved her children, but Tania could tell she seemed to have some trouble properly expressing it in a way Margaret could understand. "Your mother is angry because she cares about you," she chided softly, "she is likely worried you may get hurt worse in the future."

Margaret scoffed, "She just doesn't want us to make her look bad."

Tania quirked an eyebrow, "Do you really think your mother is the type of person who cares overmuch what other people think?" Charity Carpenter was not afraid to harry any person she found to be deficient, except maybe her husband.

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, Margaret propped her chin on her forearms sullenly. "No."

Tania reached over and patted Margaret on the arm. "What you have is, most likely, a breakdown in communications, combined with both of you being very emotionally invested." Why was Margaret looking at her like she was crazy? This was clearly the problem! "I am sure your mother will understand trying to study ahead, though she will probably tell you not to do so with the lights out."

"Pfft! Right, I'm the one failing to communicate. Definitely." Margaret eyed her skeptically.

Clearly she was if the shouting matches were any indication!

Tania frowned, "Believe me or not, your relationship with your mother isn't going to improve if you keep talking past each other."

"Ah, h—heck," Margaret cradled her head in her hands, "I know you're trying to be nice, Tania, but this isn't something you can understand."

The motherless Raith pursed her lips, quashing the surge of anger (Curse you puberty!). "You are quite right, Margaret, I most certainly do not understand what it is like to feud with my mother."

Margaret flinched at the ice in Tania's voice, cringing apologetically.

"Just…don't take a good thing for granted," Tania finished softly.

Her first friend in this life stared at her uncomfortably. That was unusually vulnerable of her, and Tania wasn't sure she could blame her hormones for these emotions.

"Do you…need to hit something?" asked Daniel awkwardly. Oh, this was too embarrassing! How could she have forgotten they were in public?! A quick glance revealed that Inari's gaggle of gossips hadn't noticed, but a worried look from her twin promised questions in the near future.

"Sounds great, you volunteering?" Margaret growled. To which Daniel responded with a scowl.

"Yes, I think I do need to hit something." Tania interjected before the siblings could start arguing again.

Despite having lived two other lives, one into proper adulthood and the other through a world war, there was still something cathartic about hitting people with toy swords.

♤♤♤♤

Thomas Raith stood awkwardly in the middle of the Carpenter's living room. Love was poison to their family, and the Carpenters were very much in Love. Normally, that wouldn't be too big of a problem as long as he didn't touch Michael or Charity, but Michael was somewhat of a literal carpenter, and he had personally put together some of the furniture. After Natalie had gotten sick the one time she sat in a chair while waiting for the twins, Thomas was not going to take any chances.

Though, danger aside, Thomas could see why Inari and even Tania liked it here. Raith manor was much bigger and far more opulent, but the Carpenter house was cozy and well-lived in. That was not to say it was worn down or messy, since the parents of the household spent a great deal of effort keeping things clean, but any normal house with six (soon to be seven) children would show signs of its inhabitants.

He shivered. On one hand, he was glad his younger siblings had managed to make friends, as well as largely remaining outside their father's direct influence. On the other, if they got toointimate with the Carpenter children…that would likely be a disaster. The Carpenters would not forgive them, and most likely, neither Tania or even Inari would ever forgive themselves—Thomas himself had not. Then again, if there was any family that could help his little sisters truly escape, it would be this one.

Fortunately, Tania and Inari had not shown any romantic inclinations towards the Carpenter kids. They had instead sort of adopted Molly as a little sister, and had been sort of adopted in turn. Well, they were like normalish siblings; relationships between Raith family members were mostly unhealthy and pretty weird. It was a vain hope, he knew, but maybe Tania and Inari could avoid the backstabbing relationship he had with his elder siblings.

Michael Carpenter entered the room and Thomas turned to face him. "Sorry for making you wait inside, Thomas, but I think you understand why it would be for the best." Thomas nodded, it was probably for the best if he stayed away from kids in general, especially teenagers. His host fetched a plastic cup, filled it with some lemonade, and offered it to his guest. Thomas nodded in thanks and took them cup.

The two of them had a strange relationship. Thomas knew Michael disapproved of his lifestyle and what his nature drove him to do, but the older man still treated him with more courtesy than most of his family–actually, all of his family except for Tania; Inari was cute, but not that formal. If Thomas felt that way, it was not really surprising Inari and Tania liked spending time here for similar reasons.

But adults had other concerns. "Thank you for having my little sisters over."

Michael smiled, "Our house is always open to them." But not to their siblings.

"Even if they become like us?" Thomas asked hesitantly. That was a question he had avoided asking before, but Inari and Tania would not be children for much longer.

The older man sighed, "Even then." He frowned, "I will not like it, if they harm my children, unintentionally or not. But, as with all things, this is not truly my house, and Tania and Inari's fate is not yet decided."

Thomas swallowed uncomfortably. Michael was not a liar, but Thomas wasn't sure if that answer would change, if the worst should happen. He, of all people, knew that Emotions were powerful things, capable of overpowering even the most rational people.

"It may be best if they grow apart, once Inari and Tania go off to university." And wasn't that something? His little sisters were attending college way earlier than any of them had expected. Which meant that they might really become one of them earlier than expected, given what often happens when young adults are away from adult supervision, often for the first time. As cruel as it was, it was probably safer for all involved if they were not around their childhood friends when that happened.

Michael shook his head sadly. "You may be right, but having true friends at hand would be good for them too. Maybe keep them grounded." He turned his cool blue eyes to Thomas. "You feel that way as well, don't you?"

Thomas frowned. Did he? He didn't really have anyone to call friend. His family wasn't really trustworthy, no matter how much Lara did seem to actually care for him, and he couldn't really make friends with the people working for and under him. It had been lonely, until he met Justine, which was not a completely healthy relationship either…he could see the point.

"That could just mean it ends up even more messy," Thomas countered, "you know some of your kids are crushing on my sisters."

Michael sighed, "I know, and you may be right, but it isn't truly our decision, is it?" He fixed Thomas with a disappointed look. "I know why your sire keeps them in the dark, and it is wrong, but that secret is not mine to tell."

It had felt wrong to Thomas too. But he couldn't afford to defy his father too much, not when his own neck was on the line. His face twisted in a grimace, "I don't really have a choice." Not when he had his own secrets to protect.

The older man shook his head, "we always have a choice, Thomas."

Thomas flinched, "not much of one, not if I want to live."

"Then that is the choice you made."

Michael sounded disappointed, but not surprised, or even that angry. He sipped at his own cup of lemonade, frowning slightly at the sour taste.

"Thomas," he added gently, "Tania and Inari are bright young girls, and I can tell they have already figured out something is off." He eyed the Raith searchingly. "It is no coincidence they have not invited any of their friends to your home."

Thomas shifted stance uncomfortably, sipping at his drink to cover his expression (it was pretty good, actually). He had missed that, and now he cursed himself for it. Everyone knew the little twins were smart, but he hadn't really expected them to catch on. Was their attachment to the Carpenters some sort of surrogate family? What exactly did they actually know?

Apparently guessing some of his questions, Michael shook his head slightly, "If I'm not mistaken, Tania seems to think you are part of the mafia." A short laugh forced its way out of Thomas. That sounded like something Tania would come up with, and it was even sort of true.

The two stood in silence for a minute, mulling over the unfortunate plight the blissfully unaware twins were in. Father kept them ignorant so their nature would be a shock, and Lara seemed determined to keep them out of the more dangerous game as long as she could. But it was probably only a matter of time, Thomas hoped they didn't hate him afterwards.

Michael blinked, then set his empty cup down on the counter. "I do not know what you have faith in, Thomas, but I will pray that the Lord watches over them." He sighed, "And as much as I want to keep them safe, I know that my children are not likely to cut them off just on our say so." He smiled sadly, "They are all too stubborn for that, like us."

"So what, you're not going to try at all?" Thomas voiced his skepticism.

"No, I have already cautioned my older children against starting premature relationships. I have also told them that your family has dangerous enemies and some dangerous business. I will ask that they always bring a chaperone when they inevitably want to meet."

"Huh," Thomas nodded in surprise, "given that they aren't legal adults, that might work."

"Not forever," cautioned Michael.

"No, not forever."

"In the end, their fate isn't really in our hands; we will have to trust in God."

Thomas knew the first part was true, they couldn't make them fall in Love; he wasn't so sure about the second part.

Michael smiled, "But enough talk of doom. Let's not let tomorrow's storm cloud completely ruin today's sun."

"But bring an umbrella?"

"Of course."

Thomas moved to head out to the backyard, then paused. "So, I am going to have to worry about getting burned by those tables?"

His host laughed, "I think you should be fine, we bought those tables at the store."

♤♤♤♤

"Thank you again for having us over, Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter," Tania curtsied to their hosts, while Inari ran the gamut of hugs in farewell. Thomas stood a ways off, by his car, looking strangely uncomfortable at the attention he was getting from Inari's vapid friends. The parents of the household smiled and nodded obligingly. She was not sure why the atmosphere seemed so somber. It was true that she and Inari would be attending university in the fall, but they were both attending schools in Chicago, so they would still be nearby.

Mrs. Carpenter wrapped Inari in a crushing hug, spurred on by whatever hormones pregnancy brought on. Tania exchanged a brief hug with a slightly more bruised Margaret. "Perhaps I shall see you on campus in a couple years," she offered in lieu of goodbye.

Margaret rolled her eyes, "Yeah, there's no way we could afford that, unless I manage to score a scholarship. Not that we have the connections for that anyways." She thumped Tania on the back in farewell.

"I'm sure you will do fine, assuming you don't burn yourself out." Tania pulled back and eyed Margaret meaningfully. Unfazed, she just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, mom, I'll make sure to get enough sleep, eat healthy and exercise."

As if summoned, Charity wrapped the two of them in one hug.

"Oh, you're both growing up so fast!" Tania and Margaret shared commiserating winces as the pregnant woman gripped them uncomfortably tightly. "Make sure not to wear yourself out, Tania." Margaret snickered, Tania shot back an unimpressed stare.

Charity rounded on Margarent, who stopped laughing immediately. Michael strode over and clapped a hand on Tania's shoulder. She let him pull her into a quick hug. Her own fathers never had time for such things.

"Stay safe, Tania, that part of the city can be dangerous."

She nodded as they pulled apart. "I am aware, I've taken some self-defense courses, and I can run pretty quickly." It was a far cry from the dangers of war, but a small part of her refused to completely accept the peaceful life she had.

Micheal smiled sadly. Why were the adults making such a big fuss about this? They weren't going to be that far away, and university campuses were generally pretty safe. "Just know that you'll always be welcome at our home, and at St. Mary's." Why were they talking as if she would not see them again? Inari would never forget to visit, and Tania would get dragged along too.

"Thank you, Michael, for everything." Tania felt a smile creep up her face. She waved goodbye to the rest of the Carpenters, receiving heartfelt goodbyes in return. Inari finally pulled away and latched onto her twin, sniffling into her shoulder.

"Come on, Inari, we'll be back here on our first break, and it will be like nothing changed."