“Oh how you've changed since you first arrived here -,”
Catherine de Medici; Reign

It had been four weeks -a month- since Brie found out she had a twin and basically her whole life had been one big lie.

Something within had broken since. Maybe the metaphorical blindfold she had over her eyes had been removed or shifted that she could finally see now. But life feels different.

It felt different the second she was held by Roman and his minions, don't get her wrong, but this just felt different in a different way. Maybe because she had felt different about -well, everything.

So, she tried to be less naive. Try to observe, to truly see. Tried to see the world how she thinks normal people actually sees the world. She tried to think, logical not magical. Real and not nice. Because if she was going by what she learned and what people around her kept saying; niceness is rarity.

But as much as she tried, a person just doesn't become a new person, broken or not. It was still difficult. She was still naive. Still too respectful to truly stand up for herself. Still mannered. Still an angel in most people's eyes.

But she was growing stronger, both mentally and physically. Thanks to Paige, thanks to the mandatory training.

"Okay, now grab my fist," Paige said holding out her hand, Brie followed grabbing her fist with her right hand. "Good, now--," Paige's words fell short when Brie shifted her body into the length of Paige's arm, elbowing the crease between her upper and lower arm gently, folding it before turning pinning her arm inbetween the blades of her back, next one of her hand around Paige's neck.

"Look at you!" Paige praised her still in her hold, causing Brie to beam and let her go, smiling. Paige turned to face her with a proud smile. "Nice," the brit genuinely told with an impressed look. "Seeing that you are now doing that greatly, we shall move on next class."

Brie brilliantly smiled happily. Training had been one of the best things about her capturing. Paige had become everything to her, friend, mentor, therapist, guard, role model, everything. "Yay!" Brie clapped happily. Paige gave her a goofy smile before hugging her tightly.

"Okay, I got to so watch the football match between Chelsea and Arsenal..See you later babes." Paige then blew her a kiss and took off to watch her soccer game.

Brie smiled proudly to herself. "I see you've been kicking ass lately." A voice only slightly jumped her from behind before a cute grin came on her face, turning to meet the voice. She cringed less at curse words now. She hears it like every second of the day now. Still refuses to say it though. Again, people don't change over night.

"I -, Thank you. Paige is brilliant." Brie had to stop herself earlier from rejecting his compliments. Paige was teaching her that as well, but it was still super hard not to.

He jumped his brows, nodding. "She is many things alright," he said to her previous statement making them laugh. Brie felt her face burning up, under his gaze and his cute smile. She may have had developed a crush on him on her second week of training and it terrified her, seeing she knows nothing of dating.

"Yeah. I love her." Brie confessed her truth. She knew it was quick to love someone in that little of time but she had a big heart and loved easily. And Paige was extra easy to love with all the things she does for her and her wacky personality.

"If they don't hate her, almost everyone loves her. There is no in- between." He spoke again, Brie just kept blushing throughout, though she tried to act like she wasn't aware but it was clear she was and that just made her cuter to him.

"Which side are you on?" Brie questioned back.

He titled his head from side to side. "Uh, look at that, I guess there is an inbetween." He joke making brie giggle, flushed and happily. She was shining in his eyes as he was in hers.

"Must feel very special, Tye." Brie then replied, grabbing her water that was on the mat, opening it up but not drinking just yet.

"Nah, I feel like a cheat since I do love the wacko, only. Though I wish I was in the in between. " Tye confessed honestly and funnily, earning himself the cutest laughs from Brie.

"That is okay, I still think you're special." And she really does. Everyone  (good or bad) was special to her but something about Tye was just special special to her if that made sense.

Tye froze at her words, eyes wide and shining with something unknown but yet so known to Brie it made her look away under the guise of just drinking her water. When Tye finally regained himself he the spoke, "You're special to me too Brianna."

Brie blushed extra hard this time, smiling down to herself, when she looked back up at him she had realized, he too was a bit red from his blushes as well making them snicker between themselves.

√•••••••√

"Aw, she grows," Seth snickered, chewing his gum, entering Roman's office with Dean at his side. Roman looked up at the two with a cocked brow but said nothing.

"I wouldn't have believe it, if I didn't see it myself. Didn't even notice me there for a while." Dean smirked back a bit, looking at Seth who was looking at him with a grin before the two snickered with each other.

"Okay, if you two dumbasses are smirking and laughing about something in my office that I don't know about, you either leave or tell me." Roman leaned back in his chair after saying, eying the two.

Seth and Dean looked at each other, communicating with their facial expressions to each other before Seth shrugged and motioned with his hand for Dean to tell him.

"Nothing really. Just Brie developing a crush on Tye -Blushing and unknowingly flirting and all. It is pretty adorable actually." Dean let known. Seth nodded in agreement with Dean's last words in particular.

Roman lifted his chin slowly, eyes narrowing in what seemed to be thought. "Who the hell is Tye?" Roman couldn't remember a Tye.

"Dillenger?" Seth asked, hoping it jog his memory, brow lifted and all. Dean cracked up at the look on his two friend's faces at the moment.

Roman puckered his bottom lip in casual confusion. "Don't ring any bells." Seth just had roll his eyes and shake his head. He didn't get how he couldn't know who Tye was, the guy worked with them for like five years now and he even attends the staff parties at Christmas, the only staff party Roman takes part in. Dean burst into laughs at Seth's dramatic reaction and Roman's calm demeanor about it.

Seth opened his mouth to both agree and try and explain Tye to him but he knew that'd be a loss cause, so he settled with walking over to the sofa, throwing himself down on it. Roman looked at him amused by his dramatics before mentally asking himself why he is such good friends with idiots like them.

"It doesn't matter that you don't know who Tye is because Brie surely knows who is and she can't get enough of him." Dean shrugged causally after saying, walking closer to Roman's desk, corking his head when something grabbed his attention, he reached out and took it, reading it.

Roman didn't know how he felt about what Dean and Seth told him. It isn't like he should care about how she feels towards a bit once she can still perform her job she will soon be given. And 'Tye' shouldn't get in her way because if he works for him he should understand how the business works. And two, he should know better than to get in his way.

Roman knows all this and her that doesn't stop the unsettling feeling in him. That doesn't help the slight way his finger almost rolled into a balled fist. But he digressed and moved forward.

"Speaking of Brie, is her twin Nicole ready for the limelight for the time being? Did she grasp Brie's aura?" Roman asked and Dean still didn't take his eyes off of the paper he was reading, Roman eyes him bewildered about what could be on that paper that has Dean so invested. He had read it a while ago and it was of nothing of substance.

Roman then tore his eyes from Dean to Seth to find Seth looking at Dean the same way he himself was a few moments ago before turning to look at Roman.

"Yes actually. She had grown a lot less bitchy, has slapped less people recently. Her questions about why her supposed twin seems to be like such a fake freak alien for being so clueless and nice. But yeah, she can mimic Brie pretty great now. Of course no one can have Brie's aura but the public wouldn't know that arua, and when the real Brie is ready for the limelight that aura should already be gone and \ or just well hidden."

Roman eyed Seth idly after the other finished talking. He really wanted Nikki to have the same energy as Brie. He was certain Stephanie might figure out that Nicole isn't Brie. But then he had thought Stephanie's opinion was useless and her parents were clueless. The students of the school Brie had attended may not even a see it but if they did they'd just think that maybe kidnapping changed her and they won't be wrong.

"Good," Roman spoke after seconds, Seth nodded and shrugged. Roman then eyed Dean again. "What is it?"  He was curious to know.

"I think Stephanie herself had killed Mickie." Dean then told, finally peeling his eyes off the papers.

Roman and Seth the exchange looks at each other. They won't put it pass Stephanie to kill someone, but the times and stories doesn't add up. Plus, "This paper has nothing to do with Brie or Stephanie, this was the food arrangement that took place within the building for the past few months." Roman snatched back the file from Dean.

Seth just grew more confused as to what from that could have gave Dean the idea that he had to concentrate on the paper so hard for. Dean then let out a sheepish laugh. "Oh yeah, I know but I just find saying things you figure out looks much more smarter and bad ass when you do so after reading something." Dean boyishly grinned and nodded at his two friends .

Eye rolls. That was all he had received for his words. Eyes rolls and Roman sitting back down. "No, but for real Stephanie did it herself. She is damn good at lying, I'll tell you that. Se-," Dean's brows narrowed as he held up a finger to them, digging into his jean pocket, retrieving his phone, eying it and smiling. "Looks like I already got rewarded for figuring it out." Dean grinned at the phone. "Bye, Deano is going to collect his reward." He backed out of the room saying with a telling smile, tapping the wall before shutting had Roman's door.

Seth and Roman both turned to look at each other, equally as confused. "We should ship him to Antarctica," Seth suggested with a serious and thinking look.

Roman look at him in thought. "Pretty sure he'd find a way to return, riding a polar bear with a penguin named dog." He joked, a wide smile spreading across his face as he and Seth then cracked up. They would never. Dean is their brother.
√••••••••√

"Are you decent?!" Roman neglected knocking to just shout from behind the door. Brie looked up from the book she was reading, looking down at herself and yes she was.

"I am," she replied loud enough to be heard but not yell. Roman wasted no time opening her door, storming in, eyes looking around for signs of something she doesn't even know. "Is there a problem?" Brie asked a bit lost. He never visits her. She mostly see him around the house, seeing as she has privileg to roam most parts of the house, guarded like a hawk and once in the training centre.

"How is training?" Roman asked eyeing the room, in search of something he is sure he wouldn't find because he has no idea what he was looking for.

That just further her curiosity and confusion because she was told he had records of her improvement and must know how she is doing. He never seemed to care before. She wondered if it was time for her to do what she really came here to do what ever that may be. But then figured he wouldn't have ask and just told her.

"It is great." She smiled at the thought of Tye. "I really like it," she was grateful.

Roman noticed the blush on her face and figured she must be thinking of this Tye -whom ever he may be. He did not like it one bit but figured from his knowledge of Brie it would be a harmless little crush. It isn't like they'd get married or he would impregnate her. Yeah, Roman let his logic rule and not his anger.

"Huh," he replied after seconds had passed, taking in the room with one last look, heading back out. "Dinner would be ready in five." He then told walking out the door he had left opened.

Brie stood up way too confuse and anxious to just let him leave like that. "Roman," Brie hustled behind him before he had reached close to his room.

He continued walking, not even turning back to look at her. "Don't call me." He told coldly, back facing her.

Brie had heard Paige's voice screaming in her head to not let people dismiss her easily or be rude to her. She heard Paige mentally telling her to be more assertive and demand respect or at least their attention. And she wanted too but she feared those teachings did not apply to Roman and after all it was his home and she may be ruining his space.

His door slamming in her face she sighed and went back to the room she now calls hers.

(A\N: Merry late Christmas, hope you guys had a good one. But early happy New year. Hope you all enjoyed, Brie is about to start on new adventures and personalities and changes. So is Roman.....)