For a second, Marie was convinced she didn't hear it right. "What do you mean you aren't Arthur's real mother?" she said, frowning.

"No no no. Back off." Daisy groaned. "That's not the right place to start!" She paced up and down the room, her fingers combing through her hair. Then she came to a halt. "Okay, let's start over." She turned to Marie. "The truth is, Arthur is not a boy. He is actually a girl."

Marie gave an even more incredulous look. "What?!"

"Listen, I know all this sounds crazy so just hear me out. Okay?" Daisy said.

Marie frowned. "Okay."

Daisy took a deep breath before she began. "So her real name is Aaria. I met her on the port of the city of Bayren. She was incredibly frail and seemed scared. When I first asked her if she was lost, the girl barely even spoke. I offered her a sandwich. A bottle of water. She was still very scared, still very silent for about an hour or so before she got more comfortable. She told me she snuck on a cargo ship coming from Arkan city. She was on a run."

Marie's frown deepened. "Run from whom?"

"The steel heads."

"Why were the steel heads chasing a child?"

Daisy bit her lip before settling down on the sofa. "She told me they'd been holding her hostage."

#

By the time Clint returned to the v.i.p room Warren Astor had already left. Eli Hodges lay alone in his bed.

"I assume you were done telling everything you had to tell Astor?" Clint said.

Eli shrugged. "Pretty much. Even gave him my personal cell number, just in case. You know what, you should take it too." The old man grabbed a card from his silver plated wallet from the side table and handed one to Clint.

"Um, what am I supposed to do with this?" Clint said, eyeing the card rather nervously.

"Who knows? Your kid might need admission in a prestigious university some day. Ringing me up might do wonders." Eli smirked.

"My son is just twelve. He has got a fair bit of schooling to do before college." Clint raised an eyebrow. "But still, why the generosity?"

Eli shrugged again. "I don't know. Maybe I like your eyes. Just take it, you doofus. It's always a benefit to have powerful friends."

Still rather reluctant, Clint took the card. "Friends huh?" he said as he pocketed it.

"Yeah, friends. I don't have many people whom I can call by that word anymore." Eli stared down at his wrinkled hands after passing the card to Clint. "You have a son, eh?" he said. "I presume you have a wife too."

"Yes."

Eli smiled a surprisingly genuine smile. "A rebel spy living with a family? How did that crook Astor even get you on board for this thing?"

"It wasn't him in particular who did it," Clint said. "I was given an offer. To let my kid breathe clean air, not be in a threat of getting attacked by the infected, go to school and make friends, have a normal life. Back in the sector, it was like getting a chance to enter heaven."

Eli nodded. "So you come from the sectors, huh? How is it working then? Your family having fun?"

Clint winced. He didn't really want to talk about it. "You are very chatty today, aren't you?"

Eli shook his head and looked out the window. "Nah, was just curious as to why a guy like you is getting dirty in the mud with the rest of us."

"I'm not too much of a saint," Clint said. "If you had woken up a second later I would've shot all that EpiFreeze into you."

"You had the chance to shoot that thing into me even when I was awake. You didn't," Eli said. "I'm just an old man after all, not like I could've done much physically. An actual mercenary would've been more ruthless and stuck to the task, would've carried out his mission as he was told. You hesitated. Cuz you actually give a damn. You're too much of a doctor no matter where they put you."

Now Clint was frowning deeply. Before he could say anything Eli spoke again. "Allow me to give you a piece of elderly wisdom," the old man said. "When the opportunity presents itself, just grab your family and kiss this whole operation goodbye."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Cuz this isn't a place for a man with a family," Eli said. "A man like you doesn't belong on the battlefield, doc. This is a war of mercenaries. Let them tear each other apart like animals. You do what's right for your family and leave."

#

"But again," Marie leaned towards Daisy. "Why were the steel heads holding the girl hostage?"

"It wasn't just her. She was being held hostage along with her parents. They sacrificed themselves to let her escape." Daisy's face had gone pale now. She gazed at the woman. "She told me it was because of her grandfather."

"What did her grandfather do?"

Daisy shook her head. "I don't know. I only know what Aaria told me. And she told me she was kept in a place where the steel heads were constantly prowling around. They came to pick her up from school five years ago and she was put on a boat to some city along with her parents. They were kept in some sort of cottage in the woods that was under the constant surveillance of the steel heads."

"The steel heads are involved and to such an extreme degree, that means her grandfather had something to do with the current politics," Marie said.

"Not just something to do with it. He is an important part of it," Daisy said. "Aaria's full name is Aaria Hodges. She is Eli Hodges' granddaughter."

#

Clint was frowning even more at the old man. "Thanks for the word of wisdom but I am curious. Why are you telling me this specific thing?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Eli looked at the doctor. "I used to be like you. A committed, hard working man in a business that bends people like me out of shape. There was a time when I had a son, a daughter in law, a precious granddaughter. And then it was all gone."

Clint's face softened. "Was it...was it because of the First Leader that you lost your family? Is that the old score you talked about settling with him?"

Eli looked down at his wrinkled old hands again and simply said, "Yes."

The frown had completely left Clint's face now. Without a warning, his mind wandered over to the memory of another man who lost his family. Richard Neville. Another good man in a business he wasn't meant for. A man who'd died while looking out for his family. A man Clint shot with his own hands.

What the Watcher's men would've done to Eli remained an ominous mystery to Clint. But he would've been the one lead the old man to that fate had he been just slightly more dedicated to the mission.

He felt his heart grow heavy with a surprising amount of sympathy for Hodges. He took a step closer to the old man. "I think I'll take my chance to go when it arrives. But what about you?" he asked.

Eli looked at him, puzzled. "What about me?"

"These are dangerous waters you are descending into. If something happens to you–"

"I'll get to be with my family at last. And then no one will be able to separate me from them," Eli said, his face became stern with resolve. And then just as quickly, the resolve seemed to wither like a flower in winter. "But I won't die. If anything all these long years of my life have taught me is that the men who don't deserve to live are always immortal. So don't worry about me, doctor. I'll outlive this war. I'll see this country become what it used to be a decade ago. I'll be alive to spit on the First Leader's grave myself."

#

Daisy was pulling at her own hair, shaking her head. "I'm the worst human being." Her knuckles were turning white as they clutched the locks of her hair. "I made that poor girl be a boy. I kept her from being a girl that she was. Kept her from wearing dresses, kept her from growing out her hair. Kept her from being pretty. Kept her from being friends with other girls. Only to keep her identity secret. Everyday I kept telling myself that I was doing this for her safety. To keep her out of the reach of the steel heads. But all I ever did was rob her of a childhood she deserved. I'm no different than whoever was holding her hostage."

Marie's chest tightened at the sight of Daisy breaking down. She sat next to the woman and put her hand on her back. "Don't blame yourself," she said gently. "You know it would've been more dangerous for Aaria if you hadn't been that careful."

"But I feel so broken," Daisy said, teary eyed. "Whenever she asks me if she could put on her dress, when she tells me she wished she had longer hair. I feel my heart break each time I hear those innocent words of hers. For a child who has been through all that she has been through and I can't even let her be herself--it kills me. It kills me each time she calls me "mom". I feel so unworthy of the title. Even though I'm just pretending to be her mother. I just wish...I could do better for her."

Now Marie had gently wrapped her arm around Daisy's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Daisy. You just happen to be in a terrible situation. If things had been different, I know you would've done all that you regret you can't do right now."

Daisy sniffled. "You think so?"

Marie nodded. "Of course! You've already done such a great job of keeping the girl safe in this dangerous situation." She smiled at the woman. "I'm proud of you, Daisy."

Daisy looked like she was about to cry harder but instead she took a deep breath. "Actually, my real intention of coming to see you was way different." She wiped her tears.

"Oh?" Marie raised an eyebrow.

Daisy nodded. "Regardless of how safe I've kept her, the guilt of being so restrictive towards Aaria has been killing me." She paused. "So this morning I decided to come see you right away when I found out that your husband works at the same hospital Eli Hodges is being treated at."

Marie guessed where this was going. And immediately spoke up. "Daisy, do you know how tight the security is at the hospital?"

Daisy put both her hands on Marie's arm. "We can get in with the excuse of you wanting to visit your husband," she said.

"Fine, then we'll visit my husband. How do you expect to visit Eli Hodges in his high security hospital room?" Marie raised an eyebrow.

"Gloria, please, can't we find a way?" Daisy leaned closer. "This is my chance to actually do something for the girl. Please, I want to let her at least meet her grandfather while she has a chance. We don't know what might happen. He already had an attempt of assassination on him. Please Gloria, do something!"

#

"Don't turn around!" Aaria called out from the hallway.

"I won't." Zack rolled his eyes. There was a pause and then he heard light footsteps moving closer.

"Now you can look!" Aaria giggled.

Zack turned to look at her. He smiled.

She had put on the dress from the trunk. She twirled her hips side to side, making the skirt ripple. "How does it look?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

"Looks perfect on you," Zack said, returning the smile.

Another smile lit up Aaria's face. And then a more somber look overcame her features. "I-I wish I could go out like this." She idly traced a line of embroidery on her dress.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "Who's stopping you?"

"I already told you," she said quietly. "The steel heads–"

Zack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so in another city far from here the steel heads were looking for you." He crossed his arms. "Back when you hadn't dyed your hair and they were longer. You still think someone is going to recognize you here?"

"B-But, I still feel scared around them."

"So was I until now." Zack stepped close to her. "You know why? Cuz my mom told me the same thing. That the steel heads will get me. They made me be someone else. They wouldn't even call me by my real name. I wanna be myself, Aaria. At least for one day, I wanna be who I am."

Her heart skipped a beat when he said her name. Her face flushed a bit. "Y-You know...this is the first time in a long time someone has called me by my name."

Zack leaned closer. "Aaria," he said with a small smile. "That's what I'll call you today. I'm tired of pretending."

The smile wasn't ready to leave Aaria's face now. "I'm tired of pretending too...Zack." 

(to be continued...)