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Spoilers for the whole series! But by this point, you're probably familiar with how it ends already :)

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~~~KYLA OSSLAND~~~

“No family is perfect… we argue, we fight. We even stop talking to each other, but in the end, family is family… the love will always be there" - Unknown

~Tuesday July 23rd, 2013 - 2:21pm~

It was a warm summer day in the post-apocalypse. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the ambient background sounds of a country slowly rebuilding itself were clear and vibrant. My husband and I were the only occupants of the only functional car on the road, driving towards one of the numerous survival shelters that many survivors and travelers still called home. Off to the sides, there were many people working on repairing buildings and portions of the street that were riddled with sprouting weeds and potholes.

It was funny; throughout most of my life I'd hated the loud, annoying sounds of construction work going on for seemingly entire days on end, but hearing and seeing everyone at work today was very refreshing. I watched them intently as we drove by; mostly big, strong men doing the heavy lifting and working the large machines, but there were quite a few women working just as hard out there. There were even a few hybrids, HAC and/or OGD volunteers, helping out the humans and using their enhanced strength and abilities to all kinds of industrial advantages. Some workers were going strong, though most looked exhausted. But I could tell that all of them were equally determined to get civilization back on track.

It's so easy to assume the world would descend into total anarchy like everyone would think, but every time I see things working out like this… I still can't believe how fortunate we are.

“Nervous?" Greg asked as the jeep unceremoniously ran over a large pothole in the road, jarring me from my thoughts and immediately making me remember just how anxious I actually was about the upcoming events of the day.

“I think the word you're looking for is anxious… Anxious in both the good way AND the bad way…"

“Oh come on, 'Ky, don't be nervous," Greg chuckled as the car hit another bump. “This is gonna be a GREAT day! For you, and for your little sister, whom I can't wait to meet, myself. Now I have a sister-in-law, and to be honest… I've kind of always wanted to be a big brother-figure to someone."

“Well… I should warn you that sometimes it can be a tough job catering to younger siblings, Mr. Only-Child, especially given our situation" I responded truthfully. “But for the most part, it's a ton of fun and it's really rewarding, too. And it'll be such good practice for you in particular… after all, we're gonna be having kids of our own someday, right?"

The jeep suddenly ran over another bump in the road, though this time it was clearly intentional on the driver's part. “Hey hey, now… let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here, love. I'm ready to be a big brother, but I am NOT ready for all the crying, pooping, and millions of new responsibilities just yet. Being a dad is something that's gonna take a LOT more to prepare for than this."

Too easy.

I couldn't resist. “Well, you may not be waiting for very much longer, stud. 'Cause I did have a fairly large piece of news that I was going to reveal in front of everyone later on…"

Greg's head snapped to mine, with a clear look of panic on his face. “K-K-Kyla, are you---?"

“Pregnant? Nope! I just like messing with you" I jeered, sticking my tongue out at his adorably confused face. “Oh, and turn your head back to the road, because you're about to run a sign over."

“WOAH SHIT---!"

Just as quickly, Greg's eyes snapped back to the road in front of us as he veered to the right, narrowly avoiding hitting a rusted yellow sign. The impact wouldn't have deterred the jeep at all, but it would've definitely given a shock to our systems.

“Wheee! Do that again!" I laughed.

“Ugh…I thought I married Kyla Briggs, not Harry Greenlaw…" Greg mumbled as he returned to the middle of the wide highway. “That actually… I dunno, it still feels so weird to say his 'new' name out loud, for some reason…"

I scoffed at that. “Nonsense! I think it's really sweet that he took Cali's last name instead of it being the other way around or hyphenating both names. YOU just think it's weird because you're a guy, but I choose to see the beauty of these things."

“Well, all that aside," Greg continued with a smirk, “today is all about the beauty sitting right next to me. And I say that because according to that sign I almost ran over, I think we're almost there."

“Assuming you don't get us killed on the way over, Greggy?" I teased further. I could've fawned over his sweet comment about me, but this was just more fun.

“Hey, that would've been on YOU, not me," he laughed. “But I worked on this jeep myself, so I think I'd be able to fix it. I may not have done as good of a job as, say, a real, actual mechanic, but I tried my hardest, and that's the important thing. So HA."

We both had that certain tone in our voices as the witty bantering went on… that tone that so perfectly bridged the gap between sarcasm, playfulness, and seriousness. It was literally a fusion of both of our normal personalities that had become so much stronger and more prevalent ever since we met each other. I had become a little bit like Greg, he had become a little bit like me… and I loved it.

I'm still so anxious about today… but just talking with him makes me so happy I can ease some of that anxiety away…

And sure enough, as the final minutes trickled on by as we got closer and closer to our destination, the main building itself slowly came more and more into view. According to my watch, the entire trip had taken just over twelve hours, including refueling and several short breaks.

“Hey, look, I can see it!" I shouted, suddenly feeling much less anxious in knowing that I was less than five minutes from seeing my sister again!

It would've taken significantly less time if we had flown by helicopter instead of driving, of course… but despite my husband's 'extreme discomfort' with heights being a deciding factor in itself, we had both agreed that a traditional road trip was something long overdue. With all the rebuilding and huge projects going on at home, nearly every day felt like two days instead. Technically, this was our first of hopefully many family vacations.

“Man oh man, they really jazzed this place up," Greg replied, once he got his own view of the sights. “I've gotta wonder how many man-hours went into doing all this…"

First there was the tall main building we had already seen, and then over the horizon we could see several other buildings, a large airfield with several helicopters and jets, and what looked like a massive vegetable garden. The garden didn't surprise me, but a whole field of wheat growing right next to it most certainly did. The only other two things I could make out were a jury-rigged above-ground swimming pool and a neglected-looking firing range. And predictably, the entire thing, from end to end, was sealed off from the outside world by tall fences with barbed wire on the top. For being a military base, this facility certainly hit every nail over the head, but for being a military base-turned-shelter for survivors of the zombie apocalypse, it seemed to look very inviting, very homey. A good enough environment for a child, all things considered.

She really is still just a kid… But I know she hasn't been messed up by this ever-changing world of ours. I know it in my heart… that she's still the same little sister I remember…

In the recent months since we learned of Susie's location, she and I had been in constant contact thanks to couriers sending our messages to each other. The internet, unfortunately, was still out of the question and would continue to be so for years to come. It was a fairly unanimous decision among survivors that restoring something mostly used for wasting time shouldn't be a priority.

But for someone old-fashioned like me, who still kept a written diary and always preferred hand-written letters to emails, it wasn't such a big deal. For the geeky crowd like Greg and Harry, however, not being able to access any and all information at the click of a button was still a nightmare. No more Facebook, no more PlayStation Network, and no more YouTube or Netflix.

Which means there's no excuse for those boys to not spend all their free time with their wives~

Rather than writing letters to each other and unable to communicate over any kind of phone or Skype, I thought it would be a fun idea to instead record vocal messages on tapes and send them back and forth to Susie. It was a callback to the times it was just me and her, home together at night, watching old spy movies where leaving dead drop messages on tapes and microfilm was commonplace. Our mother usually worked late hours more often than none, so that was arguably our normal routine as it was. But I didn't mind, I cherished the quality time with Susie. Especially considering my relationship with our mother had begun to falter after our father…

No. Don't mull on that now…

Neither mom nor dad were what today was about – today was about the Briggs sisters happily reuniting!

Or speaking of last names, one Briggs sister… and one Ossland sister~

My first package contained a nearly pristine tape recorder I had happened to scavenge from a Radio Shack during a supply run, as well as several packages of blank tapes and spare AA batteries. I recorded my initial message on a single tape and left it inside the recorder, with instructions for Susie to play it first and then create her own to send back to me.

“Um… This is Kyla. Oh God, I don't even know where to start… So… so I think I'm just gonna shout HEEEY SIS! I miss you so much! How are you, how have you been!? I thought this would be fun for us; sending little taped messages back and forth, just like in those movies we always watched! I could've written, but… I want to hear your voice. And I want you to hear mine. I love you so much… and I miss you more…"

And in no time at all, the first of many responses came.

“KYLA!!! Big sis! I miss you tooooo! So much! Omigod, I'm so excited and I got so much to tell you! I got bigger! They made a school for us, and I got all A's! And I got tons of new friends, too!"

It was a lot of fun for both of us, like I had hoped. But it wasn't, of course, the only reason why I had decided it would be our method of communication until a visit could be arranged… The other reason was because I didn't want my little sister to see the 'new' me just yet. Instead, I decided to gradually ease into that little plot twist throughout my recorded messages over the months. After all, it was possible Susie had never even seen another hybrid before, let alone knew that they existed at all. And whether she had or hadn't, it was still highly likely that she had seen enough even stranger things in the world by this point. It seemed like a good enough idea; my body may have gone through plenty of changes, but my voice was still the same as it always was.

“But as happy I am to finally get in touch with you again… I first and foremost need to apologize for just handing you off to a random soldier in a helicopter those three-ish years ago… That look on your face… I'm so, so sorry I had to do that to you, Susie. But I knew I _had to. It was either just you getting to safety or neither of us, and I knew those soldiers would keep you safe. In the end, I guess I was right."_

It was true… I was inconsolable for weeks after having to make that impossible choice. And it was only because of meeting Evan and Ross and becoming something resembling a family together that I had managed to fill the void Susie left. Knowing that she was out there, somewhere, alive and well was the only real reassurance I needed. But I knew that at my core, I was a family person, and needed some kind of family in my life to truly be happy.

Though now in the present, of course, that little factor had definitively been taken care of…

“Things are going pretty well over where I am; we're basically just like a bunch of college kids all living together and working together. I've made some wonderful new friends here, and I think you'll love them if you ever meet them. One of them's kind of annoying, but another is actually a lot like me; I think you'll like her the most. But best of all, little sis, is that big sis got herself a--- EEK! HEY, quit it!"

“Sounds like that's my cue! Hi, Kyla's sister! I'm Greg~"

“S-Stahp thaaat! I'm ticklish th-there!~ Don't make me freeze--- never mind. Hehe, sorry Susie… I was GOING to say, the best part of all was that I actually found a boyfriend! We loved each other so much and had so much in common that after the first year we spent with each other, we got married! Dah-dun-dun-duuun, dah-dun-dun-duuun! And when he's not sneaking up on people while they're recording stuff to send to their siblings, he's the awesomest, sweetest guy ever."

“I try. I'll leave you two alone for now, but this impromptu sneak attack is NOT over yet, my dear."

I decided not to edit that part out. It was too hilariously perfect.

As the conversations went on over the months, the subject eventually shifted to hybrids, like I had been hoping it would. I found out that while there weren't any of us living at Susie's base, the rumors of half-human, half-animal creatures were strong enough that everyone over there was convinced we were real. And upon eventually receiving a few hybrid visitors from the certain other facility that makes them, the rumors had become confirmed. I actually thought it was better that way; Susie's first exposure to something out of a bad sci-fi story once being her sister might've made it harder for her to accept. It brought to mind Greg's retelling of how Cali first reacted to seeing a familiar person suddenly transformed into something different, so I took that into consideration as well.

“So… I'm glad you already know all about these human-animal hybrid people. Because… well, there's no easy way to say it, so I'm just going to blurt it out: I'm… also one of them now. Let's just say that after you got flown away to a survivor shelter, I also got picked up soon after, but I went to a very _different place. If you switch over to the iPad I sent along with this tape, I left a video so you can see your new-and-improved big sis in person. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all this until just now or send any pictures like you've been doing… but I just didn't want to freak you out. And I'm sorry if I am at this very moment."_

Brilliant choice of words…

“Just… please remember; whatever you see, it's still ME. I'm still the same Kyla on the inside. You remember those books I had from when I was younger, before you were born? The 'Animorphs' books? Remember how they had one of the characters turning from a person into an animal on the cover in different stages? I'm kind of like that now; one of those stages in the middle. But if I'm being honest, I look WAY better than those pictures do. I still look like a PERSON, just with fur and a tail and… Well, if you choose to watch the video, you'll see."

And as I mentioned, that particular package of mine also included an iPad with nothing on it but a special video message appropriately entitled 'LISTEN TO THE TAPE FIRST BEFORE WATCHING THIS VIDEO.' And upon pressing play, whether they had listened to the tape first or not, the viewer would finally get a face-to-digital-face look at one of the rumored human-animal hybrids running loose in the country.

“Hey, sis. If you're watching this, well… this is the 'new-and-improved' me. Ta-daaa. The people that did this to me… did this _for me, actually let me pick what animal I wanted them to use. So of course, I had my DNA mixed with my *favorite* animal. So now I'm a snow leopard-girl."_

I felt so… awkward recording that video message. Camera-shy wasn't something I had ever considered myself, but this was a very, very big exception. It took so many takes to create a satisfactory video that my eight-year old sister would be able to comprehend, especially when it came to the vocabulary. Several times I caught myself using big words that I knew she wouldn't understand, or went into slightly too explicit detail behind the process in which I was transformed. Ultimately, I decided to just omit that part entirely.

“But it's not just the looks; I got superpowers out of it, too! Wow… that felt so weird saying it out loud like that… but it's true! Now I have ice powers, just like that cute guy from those bad X-Men movies. I can't turn INTO ice but I can shoot it from my hands to attack, and from my feet to launch into the air."

As such, I gave a quick demonstration of some of those abilities while the camera rolled. Nothing too fancy, just the basics; making an ice ball in my hand, hitting a target I had set up with an ice beam…

“And what else… Oh yeah; I can walk outside on a cold day and it won't bother me, and ice attacks from other hybrids with ice powers won't affect me as much. I'm about five times stronger than I was, too. I could carry you in one hand for an entire day if I wanted! Last but not least, if I ever get bitten by… one of those _things, the bite won't, uh… it won't make me sick. And that's it."_

I didn't want to record that part, either… since it reminded me of our mother and I was worried it would remind Susie of her, too. By this point, she HAD to know about the nature of the zombie virus and what it did to people. Childhood innocence aside, there were some harsh facts of the world that were unavoidable.

“So yeah… I guess you can call me 'Super Sis,' or “Mrs. Freeze,' hehe. But again… as different as I am on the outside, I'm still the same person on the inside. So now that you've seen the new me and there are no more surprises, maybe now we can work on a visit…?"

Waiting to hear my sister's response to all of that felt like the longest week of my life, barring the week-long events of the previous two years. To my relief, however, she took all this news in stride and reacted to it a LOT better than I was thinking she would.

“OMG Kyla, you look so FLUFFY! Like, you turned into that snow leopard you had a poster of in your room! And c'mon, I'm not scared of you, you're my sister! And you look so pretty like that! I just wanna HUG you and feel that fur all over! And you got ice powers!? That's so cool, too! Haha, cool, get it? Wait, you know what that means? You can make ALL THE SNOW CONES YOU WANT! FOREVER!!!"

She was right, actually. I COULD have as many snow cones as I wanted…

I loved my sister so, so much.

~~~

“All righty then… Just have to log this real quick. Time is 2:47pm, date is July 23rd, 2013… one male visitor, one female, uh… I guess for 'nationality' I'll just put 'hybrid,' if that's okay…"

I thought it over for a second. “Uh sure, I don't really mind. We're both past the point where whatever nationality we were would be an issue, anyway."

“Th-thank you, ma'am" the soldier at the front entrance replied, constantly darting quick glances at us as he scribbled our information on his clipboard. “Uh, probably a few other categories I can leave blank in that case, too…"

He wasn't hiding it very well, but his eyes had that look of pure awe in them; the look that I assumed an everyday person would have if they got to meet their favorite celebrity for the first time. The desire to just gaze at their hero for as long as they could without it becoming too creepy.

The look in your OWN eyes when you met George Clooney on the street that one time…

It was very flattering, actually. It was obvious that none of us did what we did for the glamor and glory of it, but once word of our accomplishments got out, the inevitable fame that came with it followed very quickly. And it wasn't just that; the simple fact that Greg and I were walking, talking furry science experiments was also quite a lot to take in, especially for someone who had probably only heard rumors of our existence before.

“Dude, if you want an autograph, just say the word" Greg joked, trying to ease a little of the poor guy's tension.

The soldier chuckled nervously. “Uh, haha, no… No, that's not necessary. Wouldn't be professional, either… But at any rate, now that you're both signed in, I can have someone tell Miss---"

The three of us paused as we heard a huge gasp from behind.

“K-KYLA! BIG SIS!"

My heart skipped a beat.

Oh my God… this is it…

Greg was the first to turn around and see her. He turned back to me and smiled, gently placing his hand on my shoulder. “I know the feeling… I went through almost this exact same thing with you that one time" he whispered. “Go get her, dearest. It's been long enough."

Slowly, oh so slowly, with a stomach full of butterflies and a heart ready to pop, I turned around… and there she was. She had grown… but she was still the same Susan Briggs I knew and loved.

“S-Susie… Oh God, SUSIE!"

She was smiling so widely… that huge, infectious smile of hers… I dropped any and all inhibitions right then and there and sprinted over to my sister, almost tripping over my own two feet as I slid onto the ground and embraced her in a hug that was nearly three years overdue.

“Oh God oh God oh God… I missed you so much… I've waited for this for so long" I moaned with tears in my eyes as I held my sister as tightly as I could without crushing her, determined to never let her go ever again. Falling in love and getting married was one thing… but this was undoubtedly also one of the happiest moments of my life. “Am I… am I as fluffy and huggable as you hoped I was?"

It was a stupid question, but I was so ecstatic that my mind was in another place entirely.

“Uh, YEAH!" Susie shouted as she hugged me as hard as she could while furiously nuzzling her head into my neck. “So warm… So furry… I love you like this so much, big sis! I missed you toooo…" I could feel my neck and shoulders getting wet as she spoke… there wasn't a dry eye between either of us.

I heard Greg clapping and chuckling as he made his way over to Susie and I. “Don't you two start crying, now… 'Cause if you cry, you're gonna make ME cry…"

He was being his usual sarcastic self, I could tell. But I knew he was as happy for me as I was for myself.

“Come over and say hi!" I beckoned to my husband as I slowly let go of my sister so we could both catch our breath. “Susie, this is Greg. He's, uh… well, he's someone just like me. After everything I told you about being a hybrid, I think you've got the gist of it, right?"

“I think I do, yeah" Susie replied as she took a turn gazing at Greg in awe. I realized that she could've watched that video of me a hundred times before we showed up, but being able to see a different hybrid in the flesh must've been quite an experience, too. “Wow… your muscles are HUGE!" she commented.

Yes… yes they are~

“What kind of hybrid are you?" she asked him with the purest curiosity a child could manage. “And if Kyla has ice powers, what can YOU do, big guy?"

Greg laughed, looking like he was feeling glad he'd already made such a good first impression on his new family. “I'm a hyena hybrid. They're almost like a mix of cats and dogs and live in the African desert. They can run fast, bite hard enough to break bones, and they can laugh… kinda. That's all I really know about 'em, though. I admit I'm useless without Wikipedia…"

“Oooh, I remember now - you're like the bad guys from The Lion King" Susie replied.

“Heh, I guess you can say that" Greg said. “But trust me, I'm a good guy. And with my superpowers, I can control metal things by touching them. I can turn everyday objects into swords and armor and fight with them, and my other power lets me run really fast. When you put them together, it's a great combination."

“He's a real handyman around our home base, too" I added with a smile. “His powers are really useful for building and fixing things, big or small… Especially with the small things, actually." I slipped off my glistening wedding ring and showed it to my sister. She gasped in amazement at its tiny details and nearly flawless design. “He made this himself when he proposed, right in front of my eyes. Better than you'd ever find at a jewelry store… Your new brother-in-law is a great guy."

“I try" he replied with a bigger smile than mine.

Handing the ring back to me, Susie gently pulled both of us in for a group hug. “I know I'm still just a kid and everything… But I'm so glad that my grown-up big sis still got to BE a grown-up and enjoy the grown-up life. There's a lot of people here who---" She suddenly pulled away from our grip with another large gasp. “WAIT, Kyla! I almost forgot! There's someone ELSE here who really wants to see you! 'An he's been waiting LONGER than I have!"

“Uh, wha…?" I slurred, momentarily confused. “Who else could possibly be here that wants to see me…?"

“Oh, you'll see! You can come out, now!" Susie yelled over her shoulder. No sooner after that a door off to the side slowly opened and a man stepped out. And everything around me came to a screeching halt.

“THERE she is!" he happily exclaimed upon seeing me.

He was a tall man, maybe six feet exactly. Shaved head, olive skin tone, a lean, athletic build. Very casually dressed in a polo shirt and slacks. Handsome, professional-looking. But…

You… Y-You're---!

“My God… Kyla! Look at you! You're so different, yet… I can still tell it's you. Your hair is in the same style and you have almost that same exact, adorable face… You have no idea how good it is to see you after all these years, sweetheart."

I don't… I can't… I… I…

My knees shook and the happy butterflies in my stomach turned into a nest of writhing, angry snakes. Nearly all of the positive emotions I had been enjoying from seeing my sister again were quickly turning into a much, much different emotion at the sight of the man before me.

I put you away… I buried you in the past…

Greg nudged me in the shoulder, momentarily snapping me out of my stupor. “Uh, babe? Who IS that guy…?"

New, sorrowful tears began to form in my eyes. “His name is Jordan Briggs._ He… He's my father…"_

~~~

Sunday February 19th, 2006

Dear Diary,

_ Mom said she's pregnant again! I can't believe it, even as I'm writing this! I'm going to be a big sister! It's going to change a lot of things, I know… But I think everything's going to be better because of it. Both mom and dad are as excited as I am, and I can't wait to tell all my friends, too! They'll probably get all dramatic and say things like 'Oh, you don't know what you're getting into! I've got a little brother that annoys the snot out of me! You don't want the responsibility!' But they're wrong… I know I'm going to be the best big sister that there ever was. I promise that, right here, on this page of this book. No matter what happens down the road, I'm going to always be there for him or her._

Monday July 10th, 2006

Dear Diary,

_ It's a girl! Or at least it WILL be a girl, lol._

Dad took me with mom to her ultrasound today, and the three of us agreed that we'd like to know if the baby would be a boy or a girl in advance. They told me that when mom was pregnant with me, they wanted to keep it a surprise, but this time it'd just be easier to know. At least this way we can start working on everything early, and mom conveniently saved all my old baby stuff for a situation like this anyway.

I wonder what we're going to name her… Mom and dad each have a few ideas, but so do I. I plan on sharing those with them later at dinner. So far, my top three names are Kathryn, Susan, and Gwendolyn. I'm not sure why, but I've just always liked those names… And plus, you can shorten each of them into a smaller nickname that'd be perfect for a baby to have. I guess we'll see how mom and dad like these?

Wednesday, November 1st, 2006

Dear Diary,

_ It's a girl! Again! And this time, it's for real!_

I think it was around 2:20 this afternoon or so, but I forget since I was as caught up in the moment as mom and dad were. She's perfectly healthy and just right for a newborn, and Dad even told me that she looks EXACTLY like I did when I was born.

She's my sister… I have a sister now.

And guess what? They kept their final decision quiet until right after she was born, but mom and dad both said they liked my suggestions for a name. They even let me announce it to the doctor that signed the birth certificate; my new sister's name is SUSAN BRIGGS.

This is the happiest day of my life!

Wednesday November 15th, 2006

Dad left. He's gone. He just… left. Mom hasn't said anything. Susie keeps crying, but mom just ignores her. Mom just ignores… everything. I don't know what's going on. I don't know why he left. I know he's not missing or he wasn't arrested, since he left mom a letter… But she won't let me read it. I never thought this would happen to us… I thought we were all happy…

Diary… did I do something wrong? Is this all my fault…?

~~~

Throughout my entire life, as a human and as a hybrid, I always kept a journal of the most significant things that've ever happened to me. And of all the journal entries I've written as a human, those four always remained permanently engraved into my mind, word for word, even long after most of those old notebooks were probably rotting away in my old home.

And now, as the four of us sat in an otherwise empty conference room in the middle of a retrofitted military base in the middle of an otherwise abandoned countryside, those words I had carefully recorded long ago came flashing back to me, right in front of my eyes.

All I had wanted out of today was to find my missing sister… NOT my missing father…

…my father that was missing because he WANTED to be missing!

He sat next to Susie, across the table from Greg and I. From his 'dramatic reveal' up until now, Susie had stayed by his side, looking at me like I was suddenly a completely different person. Or not that… it was more like she had gotten a harsh reminder of what my angry side was like after not seeing it for so long. Clearly, she didn't like it very much. But how could it have been my fault for feeling the way I did? I wasn't angry at myself for being angry, I was angry at HIM for suddenly sucking the happiness and joy right out of me!

Just like he had done to me and my mother all those years ago… And now, history seemed to be repeating itself by having him ruin everything upon me meeting my sister, whether for the first time or for the first time in a long time.

Why now… Why today? I wasn't PREPARED for this! I don't want to DEAL with this; with HIM! I WANT HIM GONE! Out of this building, and out of my life! Out of OUR LIVES!

He himself still looked happy to see me on the outside, but I could tell that underneath that was a layer of solemnity. Because all things considered, at LEAST he expected me to be reacting the way I was.

Amidst all the awkward staring, Greg cleared his throat and generously decided to break the ice. Someone had to, after all. “So, uh… Jordan--- Sorry; Mr. Briggs. You're Kyla's father. Uh… Well, I'm Greg. Greg Ossland. I'm… your daughter's husband. Can't really beat that around the bush, I guess…"

Greg was as nervous now as I was on the way over here, and for good reason. My own issues aside, he was still the man who had married Jordan Briggs' daughter and needed to endure the sizing-up that came with it. But to his and my own surprise, Jordan apparently wasn't surprised. “You don't have to try and impress me, son. Believe me, you've already done that. I know all about the incredible feat you, my daughter, and your friends pulled off last year, and to say I'm impressed is an understatement. My organization always had a feeling OGD was dirty, but we never infiltrated it deeply enough to find anything conclusive…"

There was one thing he said just then that stuck out in my mind. Greg and I shared a quick look; he had definitely heard it, too.

His 'organization?' What does that mean…?

“…But once the zombies showed up… well, I guess the time for subtlety had passed. If we weren't so caught up in trying to discover the source of the outbreak, we might've been right there with you all, fighting side by side. In the open, for a change."

Fighting in the open? Wait a minute… Oh my God…

The sudden realization hit me like a train. The only piece of information in the entire world that could shake me to my core even more than knowing that my father was still alive and suddenly wanted to become a part of my life again… was suddenly figuring out why he had even left us in the first place all those years ago. In a split-second, the question that had kept me up night after night, almost consuming my entire teenage mind at the time, had been unceremoniously answered. It was true what they said; you never get what you want until you don't want it anymore, and by the time I had reached adulthood I certainly had given up on ever finding an answer.

And yet… now I had it.

I was caught so far off-guard that I couldn't even talk without stuttering my words. “Y-You mean to t-tell me that---"

But Susie was the one to actually say it out loud. “That's right, Kyla! Dad's a spy!"

Jordan chuckled at her innocent little interruption. “Well… 'Intelligence Operative' was my official title, but, uh, yeah… I was a spy. Still am, actually, just not in the same capacity as before."

Silence. A long, long silence followed. Greg looked at him, then at me, then did a double-take at us both, trying just as hard as I was to process this. He simply looked surprised… but I was upset and angry.

My sister spent most of her life without a father… because of his job?

My mother spiraled into depression and alienation… because of her husband's job?

You left us… You left ME… because of your JOB…?

“I… You… What? WHAT!?" I had meant to ask several pertinent questions, but my words completely failed me. Instead it all came out as jumbled rasping.

Jordan clearly expected all of this, however, and seemed to already have selected his words carefully. “Look, Kyla… I know you're upset with me. I know you want answers for why I did what I did all those years ago. And yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm the last person you thought you'd be seeing today…"

It felt like that was my cue to say something in reply, but I could only sit and glare at the man.

“Right…" he continued with a sad sigh. “Kyla, I know I did something bad by leaving you two and your mother, right when you all needed me the most. It was the single worst decision I've ever made in my life, and it haunts me every single day. But… it wasn't without reason. There was a higher calling that, like it or not, I HAD to answer. Your sister already knows all this, but I've waited years and years for the day I'd see you again so I could explain myself. I've got a lot of apologies to make, but first and foremost let me at least tell you my side of the story."

“He's telling the truth, big sis!" Susie suddenly added, jarring the three of us. “Dad made a mistake, but he's really not a bad guy! He's actually a really GOOD guy! Please listen to him, Kyla, he just wants to be our dad again!"

Even my own sister was telling me these things…

Susie… I don't know what he told you, but… you ARE still just a kid. You just… can't fully understand this kind of stuff, no matter how older this world has forced you to become!

But… for you, I'll give him a chance to explain himself. For YOU.

“…Fine…" I muttered. “Say what you have to say, Jordan."

I was very clearly mad, and he very clearly knew it. But my father kept his composure and began spilling all the secrets that would ultimately lead him to abandon his family. “I guess it all really started after I graduated high school. College wasn't where I saw myself, so I instead enlisted into the Army. I did ROTC in high school, so taking it one step further just seemed natural. It went very well, actually; I had several successful tours of duty under my belt by the time I hit my late twenties. No serious injuries, thank God, since my field of expertise was mostly recon. But believe me, when the time came, I wasn't afraid to go out into the open and do what I had to."

“Geez, Francis would've loved this guy…" Greg muttered. “Could've taken notes and everything."

Yeah… Ross would've, too… I miss you, Mr. Tough Guy…

“By the time I was training for what would eventually become Operation Desert Shield," Jordan continued, “I was approached by a representative of a certain intelligence agency. They were just starting up, didn't even have a real name yet, but they had researched me and my combat record, and decided that I'd be an ideal candidate for their line of work. And, well… they were right. For a while, I absolutely loved my new job. No two missions were the same; gather intelligence on this guy, falsify the record of that guy, et cetera. And you'll never hear about it on the internet or in a book, but I also managed to stop some very bad people from doing very bad things by taking more… _direct measures _from time to time."

“Just like James Bond!" Susie shouted with the kind of pure, innocent vigor that only a child could have. I wasn't sure what our father had told her when he had initially arrived here, but for whatever reason she seemed as keen on trying to win me over as he was.

Jordan continued his revelation with a question aimed at Greg and I. “In all the work you two have done, have you ever set out for a mission and felt that tense feeling of buildup and dread the entire time? The feeling that makes you think, 'this mission is going to be the single most important one of my career, maybe even of my entire life, though there's a very high possibility it'll also be the last?'"

“You KNOW we have" I answered harshly.

“I'm just trying to paint a picture" he replied. “Because that's the same feeling I had when I was assigned my most dangerous mission. I was to infiltrate a group of domestic terrorists, the 'Neo Sons of Liberty,' with the wonderful little self-proclaimed goal of 'kick-starting the second American Revolution, by any means necessary.' Exactly the kind of people you'd imagine when you hear their name and goal, but definitely not the kinds of people you'd like to be involved with… which was exactly what I had to do. Mind you, this wasn't some small group of people angry that the government took their jobs, oh no. This was literally a small army we were dealing with. Numerous, organized, armed to the teeth… the technical term is 'militia,' but considering there were more than a few disgruntled Marine and Navy veterans among them, 'army' seemed more appropriate. And they were smart… but not smart enough to see through my cover story and phony identifications. Once I showed off my skills, I was welcomed with open arms. For the next ten months, these people were the only ones in my life."

“My God…" Greg said, seemingly already being drawn over to my father's side himself, much to my displeasure. “I know a thing or two about infiltrating the enemy camp myself, but… Well, that was only for a few hours. Ten months… how the hell did you do it?"

For Christ's sake, please stop fanboying right now and remember WHY we're sitting here, Greg…

Jordan saw the look in my eyes, however, and resumed the main story instead of going into unnecessary detail. “Very, VERY carefully. Long story short, we/they were making the final preparations for their initial wave of attacks, when suddenly everything kind of… fell apart. And by 'fell apart,' I mean I made my move and brought the entire operation down through careful sabotage and manipulation." He sounded so proud of himself as he spoke; a quick though annoyingly blatant verbal pat on the back. “In the end, once the Sons' home base was stormed, I was told to fake my death to avoid having my cover blown during extraction. Extraction in a body bag, more like it… There weren't many survivors, but my organization didn't want to take any chances. God forbid I start my next mission infiltrating another group and have a surviving Son recognize me, right? Once all was said and done, I was given some time off and, well… then I met your mother, Samantha."

Every muscle in my body suddenly clenched at the mention of my mother's name. My eyes widened and my heart began to beat faster than it already was.

Oh no. Oh please God, no… Please don't let this conversation go where I'm thinking it's going…

“Everything suddenly changed for me, and I knew from the get-go there'd be complications with my professional life. Except… there really weren't. The agency actually commended my relationship with Samantha and… encouraged me to stay with her and pursue something more intimate. They wanted me to continue hiding in plain sight, and I wanted a chance to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. In that regard, we all got what we wanted."

Son of a… I'm not hearing this! I AM NOT HEARING THIS!

I opened my mouth to speak, or scream rather, but Jordan silenced me before I could. “No. I know what you're going to say, and it wasn't like that. Don't think this was one of those 'I was ordered to get close to someone and eventually fell in love with them anyway' situations, Kyla. My feelings for your mother were completely genuine before the agency interjected itself into it, and well after. But they warned me of one thing. They warned me that eventually, the day could come that a choice would have to be made; my family or my mission… which brings us to November 2006. Until then, I had been working on significantly smaller, less dangerous missions. Happily married to the woman of my dreams, had a wonderful teenage daughter, and just recently brought a new baby girl into the world… But my and the agency's enemies did not care. None of us thought that the Sons would ever resurface, but through some secret underground network we were completely unaware of, they did just that. And there I was; the one agent who was more qualified than any other to take them down. The dreadful choice came, just like I was warned that it could, and it was the hardest one I'd ever had to make. But I made it. I made it because I KNEW what those terrorists would do if they weren't stopped. They literally told me themselves, back when they thought I was one of them."

He went silent for a few minutes, giving me time to process everything he had said. “So that's what it was…" I nearly whispered. “You left our family without so much as a 'goodbye' to go fight a tiny, insignificant group of bad people."

Taking a final deep breath, Jordan launched into what felt like the conclusion of his long, twisted story. “I left our family, Kyla, because I felt I needed to answer the higher calling. I made the conscious decision to put other people's lives ahead of yours, Susie's, and your mother's. It was the right decision, but it was also the wrong decision… And I'm not proud of it, but I am proud at what I accomplished because of it. I've spent years and years trying to rationalize it all, and it never gets any easier. It just… is."

It just… is? That's all you can say?

“So… what happened to the terrorists in the end?" Greg asked, jarring me from my thoughts. “Did you guys get them all? I mean, I know it's kind of a stupid question at this point, but I feel like the answer's important."

“No no, son, you're right to ask that," Jordan answered. “Because in the end, yes, we DID get them all. There was one final battle we had with them; only possible because they made the fatal mistake of all congregating in the same location for a rally, everyone from the top of the pecking order to the bottom. They weren't taking any prisoners that day and, well… neither were we. It was the only time I had ever fought them openly, and their surprise at seeing a former trusted ally come back from the dead made for great psychological warfare. At the end of that day, absolutely none of the Neo Sons of Liberty remained. The mission I had spent almost half my life on had finally been completed."

He turned his attention back to me. “So you see, Kyla, whether the choice I made was morally right or wrong and no matter how bad both of us feel about it, it wasn't for nothing. Because we had to chase these people all over the country for years, everything finally ended only a few months before the zombie outbreak began. But if we hadn't done what we had did; if I hadn't spent years sharing old information while simultaneously gathering new information on these people that would lead to their downfall, then just imagine what they'd do in a post apocalyptic world. With the collapse of any and all social and legislative structures across the country, they'd be free to grow larger than they ever had before to 'make America great again' while using the fight against the zombies as just another excuse to further their cause. I doubt they'd be creating human-animal hybrid super soldiers or anything like that, but you all could've had way more than just OGD on your plate to deal with."

“But why didn't you ever TELL me any of this before you left!?" I asked, my voice getting increasingly louder as I kept speaking. “You TOLD mom, I DISTINCTLY remember her having some kind of farewell note from you right after you left, so why couldn't you tell me, too? I was fifteen, I could've handled the truth!"

“Kyla… with all due respect, I don't think you could've handled the truth" Jordan replied solemnly. “Besides the fact that telling you what I did for work would be a breach of national security, I didn't… exactly tell your mother I was a secret agent in that letter I left her. I only said that I had to leave to finish something I started a long time ago, something of grave importance. That I intended to return home once this task was complete and explain everything, but there'd also be a good chance I wouldn't return at all. And that even if I did, there'd be secrets I would reveal about myself that might've been hard to swallow. I closed with telling her how much I loved her and my two girls and always would, no matter what would happen. Even if I could've told the entire truth, I didn't want to in the first place. Not only would that information have had the three of you asking questions that shouldn't be asked, but I honestly felt that it'd be better for you all to be angry with me instead of constantly worrying about me…"

With every single word, I only got angrier. “Well WHOOP-de-freaking-DOO, you told mom a half-truth to 'protect' her and your girls. Except, do you wanna know what happened because of that? Mom never said ANYTHING! My God, I think she thought you were cheating on her and wanted to leave for another family! Or that you were a criminal or working for the mafia or something! Either way, she never, ever told me what you wrote and how you tried to justify leaving us. And that made for a very, VERY bad relationship between me and her. She knew something and wouldn't share it, for whatever reason, and I knew that SHE knew something about what happened to my father, except I really DID want to know, whatever it could've been! For the next FIVE YEARS I held that against her, growing more and more hostile towards her, only to find out NOW, after she's gone, that it was all a stupid misunderstanding. Do you get it? You didn't just leave our family, you DESTROYED it, too!"

His breath caught in his throat, Jordan finally looked like he genuinely didn't know what to say next. No prepared speech, no 'big-picture' justifications, nothing.

“I… I had no idea. That's not what I wanted to happen, I just thought---"

“I mean… what the hell ELSE could there be after hearing that!? Is 'Jordan Briggs' even your REAL NAME!?" I shouted.

I didn't even actually MEAN to ask that; it was just a crazy question that popped into my mind and exploded out of my lips. And yet, the look on my father's face growing more and more glum already seemed to answer the question for me. “Well… as long as I'm being honest… no, it isn't. I mean, just not my surname. My birth name was actually 'Jordan Locke,' not 'Briggs.' The agency felt the need to change it, among other things once I started my line of deep-cover work."

Not… even… your… NAME… was… real…?

No. No, this is just… No.

NO!

“Okay. Screw this, I've heard enough" I spat as I stood up from my chair. I did it so quickly that the chair itself fell backwards and crashed into the wall. “I am NOT going to sit here and listen to you saying that every single part of my life--- hell, my life and probably the best years of my mother's life--- were all based on a freaking LIE. My God, I exist AT ALL just because someone ORDERED you to settle down and start a family!? How the HELL do you expect me to respond to that!?"

I stormed towards the conference room's door and threw it open, wanting nothing more than to disappear. Just as quickly as I had scrambled out of my own seat, Jordan leapt up and tried to follow me.

“Kyla, WAIT! Please, just let me explain th---"

He said something… but I couldn't hear it over the sound of the door slamming right in his face.

~~~

“Mooooom, I'm home from school!"

“…Mom? Where are you…?"

“In the kitchen, Kyla."

“Oh, hey. Guess what!? I got a 100% on my History test! Oh God, I was so nervous, but after Dad spent all of last night helping me study, I knew I'd pull through in the end! I mean, I ACTUALLY got a 95%, but getting the extra credit question right made up for it. Where's Dad? I've gotta show him! The man knows America's history even better than Mr. Donovan does."

“Your father is gone, Kyla."

“Gone like… at work? I thought he wasn't working today. And what's that letter in your hand…?"

“Yes… 'Gone at work' is right. Gone at work for a long, long time…"

“Mom, you… you're scaring me. Where is Dad?"

“Listen to me and listen well, Kyla. You don't HAVE a father anymore. I'm not even sure if you ever had one at all, or if I ever had a husband at all. But wherever he actually is, he's gone, and I don't think he's coming back."

“W-W-What do you mean!?"

~~~

That was how it all started.

I had come home from school that day as a normal teenage girl, but I had no way of knowing I would be forced to become an adult once I stepped through that front door. Only after writing that last diary entry several hours afterwards, curled up in my bed, did the full weight of my mother's words slap me right across the face. I cried. I screamed… I kept asking myself how this could be happening. I kept asking myself WHO would force this to happen, because I knew my father would never leave us of his own free will. I knew, even then, that someone had forced him to leave. And sadly, the blame ultimately fell on my mother. She had a letter from Jordan in her hands that offered just a tiny explanation, but that information never slipped past her lips. The letter itself was thrown away before I could see it.

That was how that started, too – the beginning of the decline of my relationship with my other parent. She KNEW something, but never shared it. I thought it was because she'd never be able to face me and my sister and admit she was the thing that made our father leave. Only today did I learn that it was all a giant misunderstanding on my and her part, but the damage had been done.

Back in the present, I had been lying in a guest room bed for hours; mind completely ablaze with emotional turmoil. As much as I wanted to try and sleep everything off, the TV in my head kept broadcasting that home movie… that memory too vividly to allow me to have any rest at all. My happy day with my not-so-long-lost little sister had been completely shattered by the sudden reemergence of my actually-long-lost father; over before it even really started.

After all these years, he honestly feels like he can just waltz back into my life? Into OUR lives!? All of a sudden he's a secret agent and not the man my mother thought she was marrying, but still thought it'd be a good idea to raise a family knowing that someday he might have to leave it all behind without so much as a goodbye to his daughter?

He RUINED our mother's life. He changed her… he sucked the soul right out of her, right out of our family itself! And because of all this, because I kept thinking this was all HER fault, he ruined my relationship with my mother, too!

If he had stayed, he could've even prevented her from becoming a zombie and trying to EAT MY SISTER! He could've saved the Chapmans! He could've saved ALL OF US!

And after ALL THAT… all he can say is that he's sorry…

He's sorry.

He's SORRY!?

My mind was on a roll. Whether it was actually true or not, everything seemed to link back to my father. Every bad event in me and my sister's lives since his disappearance seemed to be entirely his fault.

And all he can say… is that he's sorry…

As the hours passed my stomach growled and reminded me how hungry I was getting for dinner, though leaving my room and possibly encountering Jordan was motivation enough to keep me sitting in place. But as if sensing my thoughts, Susie eventually came in with some food for us both to share.

“Remember how I always said I wanted to cook? I've been working with the chef here and he's been teaching me all kinds of things! I wanted to make this for tonight so we could share it – vegetable soup with rice and a few spices. You know… just like mommy used to make for us. I hope I did a good job…"

She went on to explain how all the children at the base, in addition to getting a basic grade school education, were required to learn at least one other skill in the meantime. Some chose building and some chose farming, but my sister stayed true to her childhood dream and chose cooking. And as I took my first spoonful of her aromatic culinary concoction, my eyes went wide and I could see that all her hard work definitely showed.

“Susie, it… it's _perfect. It's EXACTLY like mom's."_

“Yaaay! I'm so glad!"

As the evening went on and the two of us sipped our soup, we continued talking. Thankfully, Susie seemed to be completely aware that the LAST thing I wanted to talk about was our father, so instead we swapped stories about ourselves and what we had been up to during our time apart. She told me all about her own adventures, starting right from when she had been flown away in that helicopter and leading into several encounters with the undead of her own. She had to grow up considerably, metaphorically speaking, but it had been worth it. At least over here, within these secure walls, she still often got to be a kid.

“They raided an abandoned Party City store so they could throw you a surprise birthday party? Aww, that was so sweet of them! I'm so glad you've made some great friends over here, Susie."

In turn, I told my sister about some of my own feats since our separation. I described the intense training me and the other hybrids had to undergo to get accustomed to our new bodies, as well as talking about some of my most significant battles against the zombies with my teammates. Ultimately I got to the big events; meeting Greg and trying to mend his broken heart, the initial ambush by OGD and the destruction of our home base, the tearful reunion with Greg and almost simultaneous emergence of the love-triangle with his old girlfriend-turned-bad guy-turned-hybrid… explaining all that to a child wasn't exactly easy, but Susie seemed to get the gist of it.

And finally came the biggest events. Going on the offensive against OGD… Having to deal with yet another one of Greg's friends becoming an adversary… and the severe consequences that came with it… All leading up to a climactic battle ripe with more bloodshed, more betrayal, and more tears. It had all worked out in the end, though, and that was all that mattered to Susie. She listened with rapt attention throughout, never missing a single detail.

“So you and this 'Cali' girl became best friends, even when you both wanted the same guy AND she tried to kill you twice? Oh man, you guys are cra-a-zy!"

Eventually, she fell asleep with her head in my lap and my fingers idly running through her hair, another small custom that the two of us shared in our former lives. I may have become partially feline, but my loving touch still had a way of making Susie purr like a little kitten herself.

This is all wrong… This is how the day was supposed to end; me and my sister cuddling up all cute and warm for the first time in forever, but not… not with this enormous emotional weight on my chest. Right on my heart…

And after all this time, where the hell was Gre---

“Knock-knock-knock Kyla? Knock-knock-knock Kyla? Knock-knock-knock Kylaaa?"

Well, that answered my question. “It's open" I replied.

Seemingly already aware that my sister was asleep, Greg quietly opened the door and walked in, taking care to close it behind him just as quietly. “So… this has been quite a day, huh?" he asked. “I'm sorry I've been gone for a while; I've actually been talking with your dad all this time. I, uh… I just wanted to hear his side of everything, since I guess somebody should've. Eventually we actually just started chatting about other things; he was REALLY keen on listening to how we took down OGD. But as for everything pertaining to you and your sister… I admit I can kind of see where he's coming from. Why he did what he did."

“You're taking HIS side!?" I almost yelled, only stopping myself at the last second for fear of startling Susie.

“Wha--- no, of course not!" Greg defended. “He and I were just TALKING. I only wanted to hear his side of the story, not take it. But to be honest, I don't really feel like it's my place to take a side at all…"

I sighed deeply. “I'm sorry. And no… no it isn't. I guess it's easy to assume that, as your wife, you'd immediately be obligated to take my side. But I understand your feelings towards all this and I don't want to make things awkward for you."

“Which is why Jordan and I spent all that time talking; I just want the complete picture" Greg concluded. “It goes without saying that he feels as bad about all this as you do, though. But he's not giving up on you, even if you did kind of give him the… cold shoulder back there." He muttered that last bit with a sheepish smile.

I felt my eye twitch. “…really, Greg? Ice puns? I thought Cali was the one that married Harry, not me…"

He chuckled nervously, unsure if his little strategy was working or not. “Eh… I guess you're not the only one who's rubbed off on me after all this time. If I ever make a joke that bad ever again, please feel free to banish me to the couch for a night."

No… I wouldn't do that. I know you're just helping in the best way you can, and I love you for that.

I kept silent for a minute, until another sudden revelation hit me. “Actually… you wanna know something else, Greg? Something I realized as you made that terrible joke?"

“Ummm… sure?" he answered shakily as he sat down on the bed next to me and placed his arm around my shoulder, holding us close together. It was sweet of him to be comforting me in a time like this, even when my trembling voice probably suggested I was going to either burst into tears or just completely snap at any moment.

And the thought of either IS tempting…

I took a deep breath and gently reached for his hand on my arm. “Remember when we were talking about our friends in the car earlier? I just now realized… even my own name was a lie. 'Briggs' was never real… It was always 'Locke.' Same for Susie. Someone, somewhere in some secret office, thought that that random name would be good enough for a fake identity for their precious field agent… And that's what it was. All just another huge LIE… And who could've proven it? He worked for the government; the SAME government who kept track of that stuff! It's all just one cover up after another and another and ANOTHER and… and…"

I couldn't keep going without sniffling loudly to hold back a fresh flood of tears. “Of the few different names in my life I've had, the only one I didn't like was 'Theta Twelve.' I didn't like my HAC codename because it just felt… dehumanizing. But this… Greg, I had no 'real' last name. I had no real identity… I was just another one of the 'Kyla's' in the world."

“Well… I mean, you've got a real last name now, don't you?" Greg muttered.

“I know, I know… I'm sorry" I replied. “I'm not--- you know, I just meant…"

He smiled, not actually offended by my comment. “It's okay, love. I'm just reminding you that even though things have gotten pretty messed up today, it doesn't detract from the fact that you pretty much already won the 'game of life,' as it was. You've got a home, you've got loving friends and a very loving hubby, and now you've got your little sister back, too. And even if you don't see eye-to-eye with your father, at least the man who raised you is still alive and well."

Despite his best efforts, those facts didn't really help the situation. “Even so, though… This entire situation is messing with my mind so much. I must've looked like a completely different person in that room… I'm so sorry, Greggy. That angry, spiteful girl, she--- she's not ME. That is NOT the kind of person I am and that's NOT the person you married. I just… became her for a moment. So now I guess you've seen my bad side… And unfortunately, so did Susie…"

Greg, however, remained unperturbed as he gently laid his head on my shoulder. “As someone who used to be a VERY different person himself; almost completely consumed by anger and grief, I understand what you're going through. But you already know that story. What I'm trying to say is, you've kept all this resentment for your father bottled up for so long that, yes, it's not unreasonable that you'd explode a little. I think that's way better than keeping it all bottled up forever, though. Once you and him get everything out into the open like that, then maybe the healing can start."

“That's… that's what I'm the most afraid of, though" I admitted. “It's like… a small part of me genuinely doesn't WANT to forgive him. It wants to keep things as they are and hang on to that anger and sadness because it's all I've associated with my father for so many years, and because of that he shouldn't even deserve any forgiveness. Almost like all the good memories of him are gone or don't mean anything anymore. It's irrational, it's stupid… but it's how a good part of me feels…"

It was stupid to think about, and it sounded even stupider when saying out loud. And yet, Greg held me close and seemed to understand my point.

“Kyla, nobody expects you to figure all this out in an instant. You, especially, shouldn't expect yourself to come to a decision so quickly either." He turned my head to face his own and brushed a loose lock of hair from my face. “But no matter what happens or however you choose to act in this situation, we're a team now, and I'll always be right by your side. Because I love you."

He kissed me, softly and gently. And just for those few, wonderful seconds, my unhappiness and worries vanished completely.

Thank you, Greg. For all of this…

Slowly pulling apart from the kiss with a loving smile, Greg stared deeply into my eyes. “You know, he showed me a picture of you from when you were fifteen; one he'd been carrying with him all these years… You never told me you used to wear glasses."

What…Oh yeah…

“Heh, yeah… I did" I replied, instantly feeling that tiny, familiar weight on the bridge of my nose and the sides of my ears for the first time in years. Which was weird, considering how much my face and head had changed since the last time I'd worn my glasses. Apparently some muscle memories never really went away.

“It's funny, all this time since I met you, I wondered what you used to look like as a human," Greg continued, “and I never thought I'd finally get my answer here, today. It's almost too bad the hybrid process permanently fixed your eyes because… I actually really like glasses on girls. Not ALL types of glasses, but you nailed it completely with your little thin, hipster-y ones."

“They weren't hipster glasses! They were… were… okay yeah, they were hipster glasses" I admitted with a blush.

“You AND mom wore 'em, which means I'll 'prolly need a pair in a couple years, too."

The two of us snapped our attention down at the sleeping girl in my lap, who clearly wasn't asleep anymore. “Oh, Susie… I'm so sorry, did we wake you up?" I asked.

“Y-Yeah, but I'm kinda glad you did." She slowly moved off my lap and leaned into my side instead, wrapping her arms around my torso in a loose hug. But while her expressions were as carefree and childish as they'd been all day, her tone was serious. “Kyla… I know I'm not an adult and everything, so I'm not as smart as you guys are. But I still had something I wanted to say about dad. Can I say it?"

It was true that earlier I did think that, as a kid, Susie just didn't understand the situation like I did. But after talking with Greg for the past hour or so and after spending longer than that today trying to allocate my thoughts, I realized that any and all input on this situation was exactly what I needed.

How quickly you forget, Kyla; she's Jordan's daughter, too…

“Of course you can!" I exclaimed. “Adult or not, you're still my sister and I'll always respect your opinions."

Grateful, she broke the embrace off and looked me in the eyes, sister to sister. “It's just… 'member what he said earlier? How he only lied to us 'cause the truth was really bad and really dangerous? Like… I get it, I guess. I think Dad did what he had to 'cause he just wanted to do the right thing, but the truth would hurt us, you know? Maybe it was wrong of him, but he only did it because he loves us. I mean, didn't you do the same thing to me back when we had to run away from home? When mom got turned into a zombie and tried to eat me, you lied to me to protect me from the really bad truth."

My mind instantly flashed back to that horrible day, the one we've all so callously referred to as 'Z-Day' for years. Sitting in a college lecture hall and the PA suddenly imploring everyone to return to their dorms or homes as quickly as possible before abruptly getting cut off… A fresh zombie, the first of many I'd see in my life barging through the door and attacking my professor… Fighting through a crowd of people, both clean and infected to get out of the building… And running all the way home but once again completely unaware I would learn of the demise of another parent as soon as I opened the door…

“EEEK! Nononono mommy, stop it! STOP IT! P-P-PLEASE!!!"

…And saw my zombified mother hunched over a crying, kicking and screaming Susie. If I didn't react immediately and shove her back against the wall, she would've bitten Susie right in the leg, dooming my sister to the same fate.

“K-K-KYLA! What… What's wrong with mommy!?"

Then I helped Susie stand up, grabbed her hand… and we ran.

“I told you, Susie, that wasn't mommy. It only _looked like her because it was a monster in disguise. I don't know where mommy is right now, but I know she wants us to be safe. And that's what we're gonna do, okay?"_

I had completely forgotten I told her that white lie. Even so, it seemed I was correct in guessing that Susie had learned the harsh truth about our mother by now.

She's right, though… Oh God, I did exactly the same thing to her that I'm so angry about with him…

My breath caught in my throat. “Susie, I…"

“No, no, Kyla, it's okay" Susie proclaimed. “I mean… I'm only eight years old, but after me and the other kids spent a while here they taught us what happens to people who get bit. But what I'm tryin' to say is, I know mom's gone and it made me sad when I figured it all out. I still am, too. But… I'm okay. I'm not angry at you at all for not being honest with me; I'm STILL really happy you're here! And once dad came here and told me everything he told you, I forgave him. You've been angry at dad for leaving, and that's okay! It just means you cared so much and that you must miss him a lot, too!"

She took my hands in hers and stared right into my eyes. “All I want, big sis, is for us to just be a family again…"

Her words… they were starting to resonate with me.

Is that what I want deep down, too? Just to have as much of my family back as possible? I know I'm a family girl at my core, I KNOW it. I've already started a family of my own with Greg, but… I could have the new _and the old…_

They want me to forgive him, they both do. Two against one…

Maybe… Maybe I AM wrong. Or at the very least just over-thinking everything…

“Your sister's a smart kid, 'Ky. Must run in the family" Greg said, halting my train of thought for the moment.

After all was said and done, I was so mentally and emotionally worn that I could only think of a single response for my husband and my sister.

“I think… I think I just need to sleep on it. Maybe by tomorrow morning I'll be able to make a decision…"

~The next morning~

And sleep on it I did… until nearly noon.

The three of us continued to talk for a little while longer before we all fell asleep in the same bed; Greg spooning me from behind and Susie cuddling into my front. Neither of them were still there when I awoke, but I was grateful for them not waking me up and allowing me a few extra hours of sleep instead. After yesterday's events, I certainly needed it. Having Greg sleep with me was nothing new, although I always loved each and every moment of it, but cuddling up with my little sister after all this time was a soothing, relieving experience.

No matter how things will end up between my father and I, at least I still have my Susie.

I sat up in the bed and stretched my arms, feeling my joints pop. My fur never took very much time to smooth out after waking up, but I could practically feel the messiness in my hair that demanded my attention. Grabbing my hairbrush and a few items from Greg and mine's duffel bag, as well as one of the clean sets of clothes I brought, I slowly opened the bedroom door and peered into the hallway, checking to see if there was anyone there. Not necessarily because I didn't want to interact with anybody, but more because I just didn't want to chance running into my father, specifically. Not until I figured out what I was going to say.

But the coast was clear, allowing me to find the ladies' room and fix myself up. I went through each of the motions almost robotically as I cleaned up and made myself presentable, since my mind was on such a roll. Every sentence, every paragraph, every individual word exchanged between my father and I came rushing back to me all at once. So many renewed hurt feelings, but also so many apologies…

He lied to us… to protect us.

He abandoned us… to go help others.

He couldn't save my mother… but he DID save countless others instead…

I splashed some cold water on my face and stared into the mirror in front of me, watching the little droplets on my reflection's face fall back into the sink. The blue-haired leopardess staring back at me certainly looked like she'd been through quite a lot of emotional turmoil in the last near-twenty four hours.

“What would you have said to him?" I absent-mindedly asked her. “If he came into your bedroom on that night, woke you up and flat-out told you he was a secret agent and had to disappear for more than half a decade to fight some very bad people, what would you have said to him? That he should leave us and do it, since it's for the greater good? That he shouldn't leave us, especially now when he has another, newborn daughter to raise? Would you be proud of him for wanting to be a hero, or angry at him for lying to his family all this time to allow it to happen…?"

It was silly of me. But it did help me articulate my thoughts just a little.

What it he was still a soldier and was deploying to Iraq or somewhere? It's almost the same circumstance…

Now I realize… I don't think I'm as mad at him for leaving as much as not saying why…

I smiled wearily at my reflection as I walked out the door. “Good chat, Kyla."

Upon returning back to the bedroom, Greg was waiting for me with a tray of food. Only when I saw and smelled it did it suddenly dawn on me how hungry I was. “Hey, you. Sleep well?" he asked with a smile, motioning me to sit down next to him on the bed. I happily obliged, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for a wet smooch on the cheek. “All things considered, yeah, I did" I answered truthfully. “Maybe a little too much, though. When did you and my sister wake up?"

“Much earlier, around nine maybe" Greg replied. “We both decided it'd be a good idea to let you sleep in a little. She offered to show me around the base a little, which I really wanted to do since we arrived yesterday. Right now she's helping a friend with something, I think. This place is AMAZING, though. Has some things even HAC didn't have, like a small movie theater and a firing range. I'll tell you, when we get back home, I've got some new ideas to recommend to everyone."

“I don't know about a firing range, but DEFINITELY a movie theater" I said.

The two of us ate while idly chatting, side by side. Though after we were both finished, Greg once again dropped the charade and resumed the conversation that was on everyone's mind since yesterday afternoon. “So… What now? The next time you see him, what're you going to tell him? Unless you don't even really know, yet…"

I shook my head in disagreement. “I think I do know what I'm going to say, actually. I took everything he told me to heart, including what you and Susie told me as well. It all seems to want to point me in one distinct direction… but I need to put my foot down."

“Kyla…"

There was a knock at the door.

“I think it might be for you…" Greg murmured.

I think you may be right. Speak of the devil---

“Um, Kyla? May I please come in?" I heard Jordan say from the other side of the door.

---and he shall appear…

I slowly stood up and walked over to the door, opening it after taking a deep breath. While I may have somehow managed to obtain a good night's sleep, my father looked like he hadn't slept at all in comparison. There were slight bags under his eyes and even before opening the door I could hear the tiredness in his voice.

“Agent Briggs…" I greeted, somewhat sarcastically. It WAS his official title after all, right?

“Wait. Please let me just say one thing, and then I'll leave you in peace" he blurted almost desperately. “I'll go somewhere else while you're here so you can spend the rest of your time with your sister. But I just need to tell you a few more things. Please…"

I guess it's now or never. Might as well be now.

I turned to Greg, smiling lightly. “Do you mind giving us the room, babe? This is kind of a personal thing."

I saw the quick flash of confusion in his eyes at me not calling him by his usual little nickname, but calling him 'stud' in front of my father would have been a little weird. Nevertheless, he got the message and walked towards the door, motioning for Jordan to enter and take a seat on the bed opposite to mine. “I'll find you guys later, I wanna walk around this facility some more and see whatever else they've got here" he announced before exiting and closing the door behind him.

Now it was just me and my father.

The human-animal hybrid super-soldier and the highly-trained secret agent.

'Theta Twelve' and Jordan 'Briggs…'

“You know," he began after taking a moment to compose himself, “speaking as a father, I couldn't be happier with the choice of man you've married. He and I spent hours talking last night, mostly about you, but also about himself. I was very keen on learning more about him. And after hearing everything he's done for you and everything you've done for him, especially with you two constantly saving each other's lives, I can say with certainty that I'm proud to have him as a son-in-law. You two complete each other and I'm really glad you're both so happy together."

Huh… We really DO save each other's lives back and forth, don't we?

“Well speaking as a daughter, thank you" I replied calmly. “That means a lot to me and I'm sure it means even more to him. Susie immediately took a liking to him, too."

“Your mother would've loved him, too" Jordan added. “And from what he told me, his own folks would've loved you as well."

I truly was grateful to hear nice sentiments like those, but I didn't want either of us to beat around the bush any longer. “Look---"

I tried to initiate, but he stopped me before I could say anything further. “Kyla… I know you're upset with me. Hell, 'upset' probably isn't even a strong enough word… But I completely understand your feelings. I knew, from minute one all those years ago, that if I ever saw my girls again, then there'd be a lot of explaining to do and a lot of well-deserved hostility. I knew it was a very real possibility that one or both of you would never be able to forgive me for doing what I did. Maybe your sister was so quick to accept me back into her life because I was never really in her life to begin with, especially considering she lost your mother and then lost you on that fateful day, making having a 'new' family member in her life ideal. Samantha, the love of my life… she's not here with us today, and I never got a chance to go back and apologize to her then or now. She left this world with anger and bitterness towards me, and that's something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. I deserve that…"

Mom…

“You're right to feel the way you do about me, you truly are. Honestly, most of my life has been built on secrets and lies. Even when I kept reminding myself that everything I did was for the greater good, it still felt like one step forward and two steps back. Orders were orders, though that's no excuse… And when I settled down with your mother and started a family, I was still undercover and I KNEW it would come back to bite me one day… which it did. Hard. I heeded the call to duty and knowingly tore our family apart; it's nobody's fault but mine. Not the agency, not even those terrorists. But in a life of deception, the love I had for my family was NEVER a lie. You and your sister… my children… you two are the things that kept me going. You two were the things that kept me smiling while my entire world went to hell."

“Jordan…" I started.

“I'm not asking you to forgive me, Kyla. I'm not even asking you to understand. I just want you to know. You're an adult now; I've given you the facts and you need to draw your own conclusions. Whatever decision you come to make about me, I will accept it. But all that aside, I DO want you to understand just how proud I am of you and your accomplishments. Knowing that my daughter helped save the country--- and maybe even the world--- from evil… it helps me sleep just a little better at night."

His eyes… I can see it in his eyes; he sincerely means every single word of that…

But now it was my turn to speak. I took a deep breath and said what my heart had been telling me.

“Jordan… Dad… I DO understand. I either couldn't understand yesterday or simply didn't want to, but right now I do. The truth is, I'm not sure whether I should forgive you or not. I'm still hurt, and that's not going to go away anytime soon. I think that leaving us the way you did was wrong, and it seems like you do, too. But the fact is that regardless of what I think, you did do everything you did for a noble purpose. I won't deny that, especially as someone who's been trying to fix this broken world herself. But now I'm rambling… The bottom line is; I don't know if I should forgive you…"

Jordan closed his eyes, preparing to solemnly accept my condemnation.

“…but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to."

And just as quickly, his eyes snapped back open in surprise. “Do… Do you mean that, Kyla?" he asked.

“I do" I replied honestly. “I was angry and sad, but I was also being selfish. It was Susie who made me realize that. I can blame you for leaving us, but I can't blame you for trying to do the right thing, then and now. I guess deep down I felt so strongly about this because I missed you so much…"

He was silent for a long time, most likely expecting me to say the complete opposite but instead hearing me say that there was hope for our relationship after all. His hands were trembling in his lap and his lower lip quivered. It concerned me for a brief second, wanting him to just say something, but eventually he found his words. “In all the time I spent away, there actually was one day where I was able to break away from everything and come see you. I couldn't associate with you, but I was there."

“W-What day was that?" I asked.

He smiled fondly, as if replaying the event over in his head. “June 14th, 2009… The day you graduated high school. You didn't know it, but I was standing in that auditorium, all the way in the back. Never took my eyes off of you the entire time, especially since those lights you decorated your cap with made it easy to spot you out. But when I saw you walking across that stage and receive that diploma, graduating magna cum laude… I was so proud of you that I started crying. You have no idea how badly I wanted to just run over and hug you."

Oh God… the LED's I put on my cap, I remember that!

He had to have been there… that's the only way he'd have known I did that…

He really does care…

I stood and opened my arms wide with a fond smile of my own. “Well… here's your chance."

My father wasted no time at all. In one swift motion he leapt up from the bed and right into my arms, holding me as softly and tenderly as when I was a little girl. He trembled in my grip, as I trembled in his. He had been hoping this moment would come for years, and as I felt teardrops falling onto my head, I realized I had been waiting for this moment myself.

This… This feels right. This is right. All the anger's melting away…

I wanted my sister back, but now I have my father back, too.

I felt my own eyes beginning to leak. “I'm sorry, dad… I've been such a jerk to you and even moreso to mom… All these years, I just… just…"

“No, no, no, don't say that, Kyla" he shushed me. “I'm the one who owes all the apologies. But if your mother could be here right now, this would be all she'd ever ask for. She would be so proud of you after everything you've done, she'd be as proud of you as I am."

I'm not just forgiving my father… I'm apologizing to you, mom. I miss you, too…

His words suddenly reminded me of one more thing. “Y-You know, speaking of high school," I said, “do you remember that giant US History test you helped me study for, the night before you left? I just realized I've been waiting years to tell you… I got an A+ on it. I wasn't magna cum laude for nothing."

Sniffling loudly, Jordan kissed the top of my head and held me tighter in his arms. “That's my girl…"

~~~

“All right, everyone, get closer together! We're losing daylight!" the guard at the gate shouted as the four of us posed for a commemorative picture. The three of us adults stood in a row; Jordan, myself, and then Greg, while Susie sat on my shoulders. The guard taking the photo suggested she stand in front of us so more of the background scenery would fit, but Susie refused to disembark.

“Nooo! Kyla said she could carry me ALL day with that leopard-power of hers!"

I frankly wouldn't have had it any other way. After my father and I had tearfully resolved everything, us, Susie and Greg had spent the next couple of days together at the base, taking part in plenty of activities and continuing to make up for lost time. It all led up to right now, as Greg and I prepared to leave and head back home, though we all knew the next visit would be imminent.

As much as I want them to come with us, they DO have duties and responsibilities here… But that's okay, I can tell we'll be back sooner than later. Maybe they can even come visit u---

“Hey, stop rubbing my ears, that tickles!" I giggled, trying in vain to wiggle them around my head to escape Susie's wandering hands.

“Nu-uh, they're so fun to rub!" she laughed in response.

“Oh, my kids… you two are so adorable together. Like a little girl playing with a giant stuffed animal" my father joked as he ruffled my hair himself.

“Gee, thaaanks, dad" I replied sarcastically. But the smile on my face proved it was playful sarcasm.

“She's MY giant stuffed animal" Greg teased further as he wrapped his arm around my back, holding me close. My father did the same, bringing the four of us as close as we could possibly be.

The guard readied the digital camera. “All right, ready on three! One… two… three!"

The accompanying FLASH! came and went in the blink of an eye, though I sincerely hoped nobody actually DID blink their eyes.

But they didn't. It was a perfect picture.

Me, my husband, my sister, and my father.

Me and my family.

~~~

~~

~

And with that, the last(?) LATA story is DONE! This one was kind of a doozy to write, since I kept going back and forth between different ideas for Jordan's character. This story was supposed to be the second one in the LATA series, but eventually I took a break from this and hammered out Isaac's story to refresh myself. Coming back to this, though… I really missed getting inside Kyla's head! And setting a new record of 15.5K words, while I was at it ^^

Let's be honest – if they had brought Harry along with them, he'd probably be chanting “JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!" the entire time :D

Fun fact – I'm actually not afraid of heights, I LOVE them. I love flying, especially since I've been doing it quite more often these days. I only really made Greg acrophobic because I thought it'd be funny to work into a few situations, and it's still one of the few things that make me and him different.