Allison took us to the security room that Dad used to monitor us all when we were children, it was a small room in the house - which held tons of tapes and small TVs. Luther and I sat on the chairs in front of the TV we were watching. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing at this moment in time. I swear we rewatched it about a thousand times, as Luther himself couldn't believe it.

"Play it again," Luther wanted to figure out why our Mom just watched our Father die on the bed.

"We've watched it over and over, Luther. It's the same every time," Allison states as he lets out a sigh. The VCR whirls as it was starting the tape over again, I see Luther blink as he watches closely again.

"Er... What is she doing?" Luther stammers the words out, his head cocked to Allison as his hand held out to the small screen. Allison only could shake her head, as she had no clue. "The tea. Did she poison him?" Luther began to speculate, as I couldn't keep watching it. I pushed the chair back and faced Luther and not watched the screen.

"Uh -" Allison began but stopped as she took a deep sigh. "I don't know," she lets out as she had no clue, none of us did.

"Where did you find this?" I asked, turning my head to look at Allison wondering where she got the tape.

"I was looking at old footage of us as kids, and I saw the tape just sitting there," Allison spoke leaning up from the side and came to stand beside my chair.

"Yeah, Dad must have started using the security system again," Luther states, declaring his suspicions to be true. "He was getting more and more paranoid. He thought people were out to get him. Well... I guess maybe he was right," Luther told us what he knew.

"But Mom?" I asked wildly as my eyes met with Luther. "I don't think she's capable of..." I waved my hand to the screen as I was gesturing to watching our Father die or murdering him.

"Is she?" Allison was also in doubt that our Mom would do this, we didn't want to believe it. But the best course of action was to go ask her ourselves. But I needed a change of clothes.

"You two see what you can find out. I'm off to change," I announced to them as I lifted up from the chair. "See if I have anything that fits me," they nod to me as I walk from the room and down the hallway, heading back to our bedrooms. Praying that I had an outfit that still fits...

..................

After a rummage through my old closet, I found a grey long sleeved jumper, some plain black jeans, and some black strapped boots. It was a look my sixteen year old self wore, and a bit strange it still fits, maybe a bit tight around the waist, but it fits nevertheless. Though it took longer than I thought as I had to pick out different outs before I found this one. I shrugged at the grey valet material jacket and stared at myself in the full length mirror. I tug the jacket feeling myself in it. I left my room, finding my way to the living area of the main house. As I reached the living room I saw Luther slightly pacing and Allison lent against the left hand side of the couch.

"How did it go?" I asked as I came to a stop in between them, cocking my eyes between my siblings. But their expression said it all. "Not good then," I state coming to the couch Allison was sitting on, as I sat to the left of her.

"I don't like this any more than you do, but she's hiding something," Luther announces, his eyes on Allison.

"Hiding?" Allison wasn't convinced that she was hiding something. "To me, she just sounded confused," Allison spoke as they talked to her earlier.

"Well, uh... You saw the tape. Grace knew what she was doing," Luther was really sure that our own Mother had a hand in our Father's dead.

"Grace?" Allison questioned. "This morning, she was Mom," she states her arms still crossed.

"She's a machine, Allison," Luther's tone sounded cold.

"She's our Mother, Luther," I popped up, his eyes flicked to me. "She read to us, cleaned up after us, put us to bed for God sake," I announce with passion as I was defending her.

"Then we left her here, alone, in this house for thirteen years," Allison spoke up, defending her as well. "I mean, no wonder she lost her mind. To be away from your kids?" Allison was getting a bit upset, because she knows how it feels to be away from your child.

"Hey, what happened with... Claire? With Patrick? You never told me," Luther changes the subject as he knew Allison more than anyone. He walks towards the couch I was sat on.

"Yeah, I don't wanna talk about it," Allison replied, stopping her leaning on the couch, and walking to the other side.

"It just... When we were kids, we used to sit in here and tell each other everything," Luther spoke up, sitting down on the couch to my left. I remember the time they would take some time to sit in here and then tell each other everything, even if I sat in on a few.

"Yeah, and then we grew up," Allison snaps at him, turning to stare, but we remain quiet as she sighs, knowing she shouldn't raise her voice.

"Allison, you can tell us anything," I spoke gently to her as my voice was genuine.

"Things got ugly between Patrick and me. Now the court says I have to do this mandatory therapy thing before I can have visitation," Allison explained to us, but she didn't meet our gazes.

"What for?" Luther asks but Allison gives us a side glance, and we knew what she meant, before looking away and tilting her head down.

"You used your power on her?" I asked my expression in slight disbelief.

"I mean, there were days where she had these epic meltdowns and no matter what I said, she wouldn't stop," Allison began to explain turning to face us properly. "She was three then, and I-" She sat down on the opposite couch from us. "I know that's what three-years olds are supposed to do... So I said I would do it that one time. Only it wasn't just that one time," Allison was clearly upset and in distress about her actions. "I told myself any parent with my power would do the same," Allison eyes met with us as she was holding back tears as she scoffed. "That it wasn't wrong. I just had an advantage. I mean, from the time I was little, I used it to get everything I wanted... With Dad, with my career," she got lost in her words, before sighing shaking her head slightly. "But now, I know nothing in my life was real. So I'm starting over... I just didn't think it would be so hard," Allison was kind of depressed right now.

"It'll get easier," Luther spoke, being a supportive brother. "Some things just take time," Luther's voice was soft and gentle.

"Yeah... And some things stay broken" Allison replied, making me look at her with sad eyes. We were all broken in a way, we all had our own problems to deal with, even after we left the academy. Life always threw hard things at us all and some more than others...

"Be grateful you have a daughter," I snapped at Allison out of nowhere, making her shoot her gaze at me with a shocked expression. "Some of us don't have the privilege," I spat once again as I was letting my emotions out. But before they could speak I stood from the couch and walked off and through the archway to the entrance, going straight for the door. I needed time away from this house...

................

I walked through the streets, finding it familiar as children we would walk them sometimes. My boots clicked against the stone pavement as people passed, without a care in the world as they had their own lives to deal with, their own problems. My hands were in my jacket pocket, as I aimlessly wondered, trying to ease my mind.

I shouldn't have snapped at Allison she deserves better, she deserves to be with her daughter. But something came over me like a flash of anger and sadness just took over. I push my hands deeper into my pockets as far as they would go as I felt so bad. My eyes wandered up from the pavement, to see a coffee shop not far, as I could do with something warm in my system. After walking a few more steps, I entered the plain little coffee shop, nothing fancy. Once at the counter, the brown hair female barista turns to me with a warm smile.

"What can I get you?" She asks, waiting for an answer from me.

"A hot chocolate, to stay in, please," I replied, though time and coffee were fine, I wanted some sweet. She needed her head at me as she began to make my drink. My eyes scanned the shop, tables were spread out, few were taken with people. After a moment or two of waiting, the barista brings the warm drink over to me in a cup with whip cream on top and some chocolate flakes sprinkled on.

"Two-ninety-five," she spoke softly, as I reached into my jean pocket and got a Five dollar bill out, and handed it to her.

"Keep the change," I smiled sweetly to her. The barista's smile grew as she was happy with getting extra change. I grabbed the plain white cup by it's handle, and headed over to the window table that was available, placing the cup on the surface of the table, and sat in the seat. It was more like a small couch, black leathery texture. Once comfy, I stared out of the window as people walked by with their children, pets. They all had a normal life, maybe not a happy one, but they got by and dealt with it.

I wished I had a somewhat normal life...

********