The girl walked into the room. A nice, neat, clean room with dark grey walls. A bay window with clean white curtains and a pile of stuffed animals sat right next to the clear window. The bed appeared to be a bunk bed with the bottom taken out and replaced by a desk. The chair next to the desk was black with a metal bow back. Sitting on the desk was a golden bunny lamp, a journal, and a photo. A photo of the man that now rested peacefully under the Weeping Willow, a woman with deep black hair and a single green stipe in the front, then there was a little boy with blonde hair, one yellow eye, and one dark green eye. Next to him stood an older boy, dressed in a doctor's coat with pure blonde hair and dark green eyes. Finally, a girl much like the one standing at the door. She was wearing a black fighting uniform, and white hair that was tied up on her head as a messy bun, finally her pure bright yellow eyes. Above the desk was a bed that had a black cover dressed in deep red roses. All of this seeming to circle perfectly back to the girl who had turned away from the room after a quick look. Tracing her fingers along the name on the door. Then closing it softly and slowly, with a final turn back to the dimly lit room.

"Come on boy," She said as soft as she closed the door. Then she began to whistle a song she knew since she was three. No response until she spoke again. This time in a voice clenched by authority. "Beta. Front and Center for Mariana. I'm your Alpha and I'm not going to shout. Out here. Now." Suddenly a large German shepherd jumps from behind the mass of stuffed animals and throws color to the lifeless room. Their back legs stretch out as if they're a human standing on their feet once they bounce up to Mariana and begin to lick her face. "D-Down boy," She begins to mumble, "Down. They might still be here. Not many but few, some at most." Beta growled his teeth as he jumped down. With haste Mariana threw herself down and clammed her hands down around the dog's mouth like an iron chained muzzle. She removed a hand holding a finger up to her mouth as large, more commanding voices struck the floor below her.

"And you're positive you didn't shoot him there?" One voice said. Deep, and darkly toned, but yet, scratchy at the throat.

"Yes Sir," Another said. This one, much lighter than the first. Much softer and calmer as well. "We had shot him down on the carpet. The bullets right here and you can see the sink in."

"The others could they have moved him before you grabbed them?" The first voice said again.

"No. Once he was shot they crowded around. Quickly we moved the woman and the two boys," The lighter voice spoke.

"Profile Match this!" The first demanded with a screech, "Her profile said one husband, two boys, and one daughter! Where is the girl?"

"We're not that-" The second voice started before another came right back up behind him.

"I shot her," Another voice said. Commanding but calming. Striking a straight fear into Mariana's body as she stood above them. "She got into the weeds. I kept shooting. Lost my whole round and did more with my back up. She got away till the end but I did an extra check on the girl. A cute one at that. But aside from that she's been in and out of the hospital. Heart problems. She's had and undetermined disease in her heart since she was about ten. With as many times as I shot. She might have missed a few of my shots, but the rest got her. I'll have my man scout the area for her. She wouldn't have gotten far."

"No! Those are my men, not yours! You look yourself! If you find her! Shoot her on contact! And I want evidence! Photographic so people don't think anything of it! You leave no trace! Understand!" The first voice seemed mad to no level or end coming to this point. Suddenly there was a door slam and there it came. A sigh, face to face with an empty house. At least left to thoughts. The door to Mariana's room slipped open and remained that way until a shadow of a figure appeared up the stairs.

"Get ready Beta," Mariana said and took a step back. Her hand held ready for him to attack, and once the full figure appeared. Beta ignored all commands. He ran, tackling the man to the ground-causing Mariana to hide-but instead of attacking he licked the man's face. This man laughed in joy as Beta moved and lead him down to the room where Mariana lay under the desk hidden.

"Mari?" The man said, "Beta's here. I know you wouldn't leave him alone." Mariana stayed where she was, afraid that once more this man would betray her. The man then walked over to the corner, where a single chair sat facing a wall covered in magnificent works of art. "We use to work on this corner all the time. Then I left with your Father. To this day I've always regretted that decision." He turned towards the desk catching a glimpse of the pale, white haired, yellow eyed survivor hiding away. The man caught Mariana's eyes-finally. Dark skin covered the parts of his body revealed to her, camo army clothes covered his body. Deep green eyes and a burnt brown shade of chocolate hair met his lightly freckled face. His smile was pierced from eye to eye as he turned his gun to the floor and helped Mariana out from under the desk. "You always hide there. I told you, go to Mason's room. They wouldn't think of looking for you there."

"No," Mariana said as she held her hand out for Beta to come over, "I don't know Mason's room. And the smart way to think-In my room. The first place they look. Less careful then the rest." She motioned two fingers from her head to the man's as he smiled.

"So that's how you always won hide and seek when we were kids?" He said as picked up his gun again. He began to load another round into it as Mariana backed for the door. "It's just to shoot. So, they don't know I'm helping you."

"I know Marcus..." She said and closed her eyes, "I just wish they believed it was true... at the least, enough to know themselves." Marcus took five shots out the window, then turned back towards his long know childhood friend.

"Believe me," Marcus said taking Mariana's thin but strongly built shoulders in his tough hands, "If it were me-I wouldn't believe it either. Now, do you have it?" Marcus released his hands once she nodded. "Good. Now we need to get you out of here. Easier to do that at night. When they think you're dead?"

"Here. Use this," Mariana said handing him a box of old photos, "In here should be a photo of on Halloween when we pretended to be dead. It looks just like me now so it should work."

"You're a lifesaver Mari!" Marcus shouted as he embraced Mariana. Mariana quickly pulled away and threw her hand over his mouth, holding one finger up to her lips to shush him. He nodded and pulled away, preparing himself to fire out the window once more. While Marcus did this, Mariana waited in silence. Packing things in a small bag. About five lunches for her all wrapped in old, easily ripped, brown bags. Next went some water, about three regular bottles and three smaller ones. After that came money and valuables she could sell. Finally, the photo of the family sitting on the desk, which she could use to identify her brothers if they were found. She took from under her bed a box of dog treats and a leash. Walking quietly downstairs with Beta, Mariana placed the box in a single bag with sown on letters reading Marcus. She then leashed Beta and tied him to the front door, leaving a note she had kept in her pocket for such a time since she knew of this situation. She opened it and read it to herself once more before leaving it taped to the treats and walking out the back door down a path in which no one but herself and the brother she known to her as Carter knew existed.

Dear Marcus,

Keep this one safe.

I can't wait for you.

I won't wait for you.

It's only me on this.

By this time, you know~

You've lost my trust.

~M'N'M