Location: Somewhere in Europe
Year: 2020
Time: 18:15

"Where is subject twenty-four?" The man in charge asked the lab rat. The little worker was sitting at his desk and turned in confusion by his superior's question. With a quick and swift swing of his hand he pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose. The motion looked like it was one of habit, nothing the worker was aware that he was doing.

The man sighed and inhaled deeply, feeling extremely frustrated. Nothing with this project could go wrong, then all of their efforts and all the time, and the money the investors had spent would be for nothing.

"Number twenty-four." The man repeated himself. "The girl I gave you clearance to put under yesterday."

The worker's eyes widened as he realized what the man was talking about. He fumbled with some papers on his desk.

"Where is her chart?" He asked and sighed loudly on purpose so the worker would hear that he had about one minute to find it for him.

"My bad, sir." The worker stammered with something that sounded like a French accent. The sound of paper being crinkled and thrown around echoed softly in the dim room.

The only light in there was at the moment the worker's own desk lamp. The rest of them had one home a while ago. Only one of the lamps in the ceiling was lit, but the man didn't care. He just needed to check the subjects' charts before leaving himself.

"Here! Here it is!" The worker gasped and ran over to the man and handed it to him. "Subject twenty-four." He stated and breathed out in relief that he had found it.

The man ripped the paper from the worker's hand and let his eyes fall on the girl's vitals and what procedures and tests the lab rats had done on her.

She's vaccinated... her vitals look good... The man though contently as he read his way through the only thing that tied the girl to this world. The rest they had destroyed. Her memory has been erased and wiped out... good... What is this? He thought and woke up from the routine check. It was rare that there were any mistakes in the charts, if there were, the procedures had been done all the same. The workers had just forgotten to get it onto the chart. They almost never missed anything. Yet here he was, reading a word that had never been an issue befire: Contraceptives... None?

His eyes glided to the right side of the paper, to the box that should be ticked, but there was no tick. The box was empty. This meant that the girl was able to get pregnant, and therefore also running a big chance of becoming pregnant in a period of time where women died left and right due to complications in child labor.

"What the fuck is this?" He breathed out, turned the paper and pushed it into the worker's face, whom with shaking hands took the paper and searched for the error his superior had pointed out.

"Excuse me, sir?" The worker stammered.

"She hasn't been given any form of contraceptive?" he breathed out and felt the rage surge through his whole body. "Or have you given her one but just forgotten to tick the box?"

The girl was perfect for the project they were all here for. They could not risk her life for something so simple as pregnancy! She was the perfect age, size and she had no one that would come looking for her. The research department had informed him that she had no family left after an accident a couple of years back. The whole family except for her died, of what he hadn't cared to listen to, he just wanted to get her to the lab as quickly as possible so they could start with the preparations.

We cannot risk her getting pregnant... Women, where she is right now, dies all the time due to complications in childbirth... He thought and an image of himself having to explain himself in front of the Board flashed before his eyes. Nothing would be more humiliating than having to admit to a mistake... or worse: incompetence. He had been given this position since he never failed with what he did and his ruthless ways of getting things done. His track record was flawless.

The worker's eyes skimmed the paper and when he saw that the box hadn't been ticked the color in his face faded and he was quickly pale.

"Uhm... This is strange... She..."

"Are you telling me, that you sent that girl to the 1300-th century and you didn't double check that she had been given some sort of protection against becoming pregnant?" He basically hissed out every single word.

The thin, and now very pale, man in front of him inhaled. His hands was shaking and it showed from the way the piece of paper in his hand that he had indeed done what the man had just said.

"Ger her back. Now!" The man growled and locked eyes with the inferior man in front of him.

"But sir-"

"NOW! GET HER BACK NOW!" He roared.

"Merde! But sir, please, hear me out. If we bring her back it will weaken her-"

"I do not care. If she gets raped or gets pregnant in any other way, she might risk dying in labor since they have about no medical knowledge where she is! She is the best candidate by far, and if she dies because of your incompetence... I do not know what I will do to you." He kept his voice down but made sure that his anger shone through.

"Yes, sir." The worker stammered. "I will alert the others to bring her back to The Door." He continued. "She should be here within the hour."

"You better hurry..." Were the last words the man said to him before executing.

-The Girl-

The girl woke up the next morning feeling something wet on her face. Her right cheek was all of a sudden covered in something that was wet and moist. She grimaced and opened her eyes.

A pair of dark kind eyes stared at her. It was the dog. It sat completely still next to her and stared at her with eyes dripping with anticipation. Anticipation that she would get out of bed.

"Hi boy! Good morning." She said and laughed quietly. Carefully she reached out and petted the dog on the side of his neck. He tilted his head to the side and breathed with his mouth open, causing his tongue to fall out and hang on the side of this mouth. She could hear how his tail swept across the floor from side to side when he realized that she was awake.

The black furry beast in front of her seemed to enjoy the attention very much and crept closer.

"Thank you for the kiss..." she chuckled and wiped her cheek with her free hand when she realized that the dog had licked her so that she would wake up.

The dog placed his large head on the mattress and whined quietly for more cuddles as soon as she stopped.

From nowhere the door creaked and suddenly Keegan stood in the door frame.

"Blackie!" he gasped and snapped his fingers twice. The dog looked at his owner with curious eyes, wondering what the fuss was all about. "Get away!" He snapped at the dog, who did not move an inch.

Even though the girl didn't understand a word of what he said it was obvious that the dog wasn't listening. He simply stared at his owner for a second or two before turning to her again and begging for more cuddles.

The sound of a puff of air being released, in surprise, erupted from Keegan. Something told the girl that he wasn't used to being ignored by his furry friend.

"Blackie." He repeated with a much sterner voice. The dog growled playfully to convey that he didn't want to go. "That's fine. I will just have a bath prepared for you then..." Keegan said something in a teasing tone and the dog's ears immediately pointed backwards.

He said something that the poor dog really doesn't like... The girl thought and couldn't hold the smile back.

Suddenly Blackie was on his way out of the room.

-Keegan-

The girl sat up in his bed and placed her arms around her legs. She looked better than she had done yesterday... The paleness in her face was gone and her eyes didn't exude panic, which they had the day before. Her dark long hair was hung down over her shoulders and he had to keep himself from imaging what it would be like to run his hands through it.

Focus! What the fuck Keegan? He thought and was surprised by how quickly his mind wandered off.

"I am sorry. I think he... Why am I talking to you?" he said the first words out loud before realizing that she did not understand him.

This is so frustrating. I can't even apologize for Blackie waking her up... He thought. The dog usually woke him up in the morning and must have done it out of habit on the girl. Blackie probably didn't care who was in the bed, as long as someone would get up and keep him company...

"Blackie?" The girl said and pointed at the direction where the dog had disappeared. Keegan smiled faintly.

At least she tries... He thought as he looked out at Blackie who was sitting quite near the door.

"Don't worry, you won't miss anything..." chuckled Keegan and winked at the dog. "She is still there..." He said and then looked at the girl again. Her blue eyes were fixed at him and for a second it felt like she had studied him, closely, when he hadn't been looking. Her eyes quickly dived to her knees when he met her gaze. "Yes. Blackie." He repeated and nodded affirmatively at her and then at the dog.

Did she...? Was she looking at me? He wondered and felt a strange feeling spread from his stomach up to his face.

A very faint smile planted itself on his lips. He felt how the corners of his mouth rose without him being able to control it as the girl met his gaze again.

To his surprise she smiled as well...

I can't believe how beautiful she is... He thought and leaned against the door frame. She must think I am such an idiot for just standing here... smiling from ear to ear.

"He is adorable." The girl said something and nodded at Keegan's knees. He felt his brows knit in confusion from her foreign words, and then looked down. By his knees a black and furry head was peeping in. Blackie had crawled closer and stuck his head in between the door and Keegan's leg.

The girl laughed in a heart-warming way. Keegan could feel her laughter spread in his body like... He couldn't put words to the feeling... Her laughter was almost contagious in some sort of way.

This is so strange... He thought as he nudged Blackie's head with his knee to gain his attention. The dog immediately knew that he had done something wrong but stayed put, which was also very strange.

He is never this... disobedient... Either he really likes her... or there is something wrong with him.

-The Girl-

Keegan and the dog shared a very cute look and the black head slowly disappeared. Her eyes continued to study the man in front of her and she took her time.

Keegan was very nicely built... He looked like he was somewhere in between twenty-five or twenty-eight years of age. There were no boyish marks left on him... His jawline was sharp, the cheekbones soft but still noticeable. He looked kind of hard when he didn't smile. However, the one he had given her a second ago had made her heart skip a beat. It had surprised her immensely and she could feel her whole body become warm as those emerald green eyes rested on her.

Keegan's arms, from what she could see from his loose fitted shirt, were very well defined and told her that he was used to work with them and probably with quite heavy things.

Not to mention how he just picked me up like I was a piece of paper... She thought as she continued studying him.

She bit her lip unconsciously as she studied his neck and clavicles. Afterwards her eyes traveled down south...

Arh! Stop me, someone! Why am I staring at him? She thought when her heart did what it had done earlier. She could feel her cheeks turn red. Why is he still standing in the door? Another voice in her wondered. A normal person would have left by now... He wants something.

"KEEGAN!"

The girl covered her mouth to keep her laughter from coming out. Miriam's scream had caused Keegan to jerk violently and turn around. His right hand almost immediately appeared in his neck, making him look very innocent but simultaneously very guilty.

"What are you doing?" Miriam appeared in front of Keegan, but the girl could only see some parts of her. For example; her hands firmly placed on her hips.

"I just went to get Blackie." Keegan answered. "He snuck in there and woke her up!"

"You know what? I don't believe you. Ever since you brought that poor girl home, you haven't taken your eyes off her!" Miriam continued what sounded like a scolding while her index finger waved in front of her son.

From where she was sitting, the girl could see how Keegan's body went stiff and the hand in his neck reached for something to his right. A quick whistle signaled to his furry little friend that something was happening, and the dog was by their side in no time.

"Oh, I have I?" He scoffed at his mother and walked towards the front door of the house. "I will just leave then! Then my eyes will be off her!" He shouted and the door slammed as he exited with Blackie.

Miriam didn't shout anything back at him, instead the girl heard her laugh to herself.

"It would be better if you just realized what I already know..." she chuckled. "My dear Keegan... has someone finally gotten to you?" She sighed before entering the room the girl was in. A soft smile rested on her lips.

Later...

After breakfast the family went different ways and the girl was left with Orla and Miriam. Georg and Flynn had left the house shortly after everyone was done with their food.

"I think you should take her for a nice walk, Orla." Miriam told her daughter as she cleaned the table.

"Where should I take her?" Orla asked something back.

"I don't know."

"Would it not be better if we try to find a way to communicate with her?" Orla sounded like she suggested something. The girl was standing close to Keegan's bedroom door with her arms crossed. Waiting for directions of what to do with herself.

Do you know the feeling when you were at someone else's house as a child while they spoke to their mother about things that did not concern you and so on? That was how the girl felt right now. Awkward and sort of a burden.

"I am not sure how we are going to do that..." Miriam sighed. She turned around and leaned against the counter as she brushed her hands off on her apron. "I mean... we don't even know what language she speaks."

"There has to be some way of teaching her to speak the common tongue." Orla sighed and looked at the girl quickly. "Someone have to be able to teach her..."

"Oh!" Miriam suddenly gasped and her hands went up in the air, like her epiphany was from a higher power. "The old man down the road! He spent many years in the cities south of our kingdom, I also think he went further up north as well..." Miriam's mind started to drift. The girl smiled to herself.

"Mother! Focus! Orla snapped her fingers twice. This earned her a very stern and not so pleasant look from Miriam.

"Take her to the old man down the road, maybe he will be able to tell us something about her!"

"Mother-" Orla began but was interrupted. Whatever they had been talking about, Miriam had made up her mind and was not open for suggestions.

"Get a move on! And after that you can take her to market and buy her some clothes that will fit her, the poor soul." Miriam said as she walked up to the girl. She looked into her eyes for a second or two and then stroked her cheek gently. "She needs a name..."

"A name?" Orla asked out loud and she sounded confused.

"Yes... We need to call her something, and I think that she would like to have one as well..."

There was silence and the girl just stood there. Not knowing what to say or do.

"How about Cara?" Orla suddenly said and walked up beside Miriam and the girl. Her green eyes glistened as she looked the girl up and down. "She looks like a Cara to me."

"I agree. She looks like a friend." Miriam said quietly. "Cara." She said and pinched the girl's cheeks. After that she placed a hand on the girls chest and said the word 'Cara' again.

The girl tilted her head to the side, slightly puzzled.

Did they just give me a name? She wondered.

"Cara?" She asked and placed a hand on her chest when Miriam's hand disappeared.

The women in front of her nodded and smiled at her. She kind of liked it. The name sounded a bit hard to the tone, but she liked it.

"Cara." She repeated herself.

----------------------------

So... Now that our lead woman has gotten her name, I thought I'd explain some of the names that I have given the characters (Not all of them are inspired by something lol). The spelling of some them is different from their original form (Gaelic) but I used the names and spellings of how they sound so it would be easier to read! I am not Irish or Gaelic, I just love the culture and the history, that of which I know of it, there will most certainly be mistakes, and that will solely be because I tend to get carried away when I choose names for the main characters lol. So... Here they are:

Keegan: Fiery

Flynn: Reddish

Orla (Orlaith): Golden Princess

Cara (Caragh): Friend and beloved

The family's name is Ember (for those who'd like to know) and it means Small pieces of burning coal. (For us not native speakers of English, it can be fun with some actual explanations to the names, or it might just be me who is such a linguistics nerd LOL)

Either way!

I hope you liked this chapter!

Please vote to let me know!

Love Jenny