by Robin Roseau
"I knew what you meant," Audra said. "But I only have a couple of outfits like that."
"I'll take you shopping for more."
"So, I get to be a baby elephant and a shopping trip?"
"Yes."
"I'll do it!" she said. "I get to be a baby elephant!"
"Not so fast," Posey said. "I am not the Testing Center administrator. Mom is." And together they both turned to Bluebell.
"What am I offered?" Bluebell asked Audra.
"What?" screeched Audra. "I have to bribe you, too?"
"Well, maybe I want in on the tickling arrangement."
I snorted. Audra looked put out then cocked her head. "Are you serious?"
"What if I am?"
"How long do I get to be the baby elephant?"
"An hour," Posey said.
"Two," Audra countered.
"The program is only an hour long," Bluebell said.
"Then run it twice. And I want to know who is who."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh please," Audra said. "I had three big sisters and three mom's." But she glanced over at me. "I think one of them should have been a little sister."
"Maybe we should make one of them a runt," Bluebell suggested.
"Hey!" I complained. "I'm not a runt."
"I'll change their eye colors," Bluebell said. "So?"
"Twice."
"Twice," she agreed.
"Yes!" Audra said. "Baby elephant, here I come!"
"Well then," said Posey. "Unlimited hugging means you sit closer to me at the table." Posey's tentacles stretched down, and she pulled Audra's chair closer to hers. Audra giggled. And then Posey stretched tentacles around Audra, and my sister looked at her with clear adoration.
I looked over at Violet, but she said simply in Catseye, "Trust us."
And so I nodded, but it was hard.
* * * *
I barely woke when the two of them climbed from bed. They both returned barely in time for the family breakfast, and Audra was practically bouncing off the walls, she was so pleased. She thanked Posey and Bluebell a good half dozen times each.
"I wonder how long this euphoria will last when they start tickling the shit out of her," I said.
"I think tickling adds to euphoria," Azalea suggested. "So perhaps the entire visit."
Posey rubbed her tentacles together. "I may have lost a few hours of sleep, but it is going to so be worth it. I already got her for ten minutes in the chair."
"And she was mean," Audra complained. "She made the chair half swallow me but she left my feet exposed and went to town."
Posey smiled and said, "I sure did."
"That's fine," Audra said. "I butted her."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, I butted the elephant with her eyes. I suppose she didn't even notice."
Posey laughed. "That's why my ass hurt for a while."
Audra giggled.
"Whose shirt are you wearing?" I asked, sure I knew the answer.
"Um."
"That's what I thought. I think if you're going to borrow my clothing, that means I get to tickle you, too!"
"Nuh-uh!" said Audra. "You're my big sister. That means I'm obligated to swipe clothes from your closet. It's in the little sister rule handbook thingie."
"Oh, is it?" I asked. "But Posey and Violet were my friends long before they were yours. Who do you think they'll listen to when I tell them to hold you down so I can tickle you?"
"I bet if I suggest they should tickle you, they wouldn't hesitate even a microsecond," Audra responded.
"I didn't foolishly agree to be tickled mercilessly just so I could be a lumbering beast for a couple of hours."
"Like that little fact would stop them," Audra suggested. "Care to test it?"
"No."
Everyone laughed.
A half hour later we were on our way to Mount Holyoke. I was a little surprised, because everyone took the day off work to be with us. But I was touched as well.
We came to a stop in front of a small apartment building, the type of building that would only have a few apartments on each floor. It was an attractive brick building on an attractive lot, two or three blocks from campus.
"There's underground parking for the tenants," Bluebell explained. "But we'll go in the front door."
We all climbed from the car. Bluebell herded us to the front entrance. She then produced a security badge required to open the outer door. There was an airlock big enough for all of us, although Mom tried to hold the door open.
"I'm sorry, Carmen," said Bluebell. "The inner door won't open while the outer door is open."
"Oh, sorry," said Mom, letting the door close.
Once the outer door was locked, Bluebell moved to another security panel. This one required her badge, but she also had to step in front of the screen, and there was a biometric interface. I stared and grew suspicious. A moment later the door buzzed open.
We took the stairs to second floor, although Bluebell said, "There's an elevator, but for one flight, we can walk."
There were four apartments on the second floor, one in each corner. Bluebell led us to the front one on the left, and damn, but there was another biometric lock to get in. We stepped past her.
"There are eight apartments total," Bluebell said. "They are each decorated a little differently. Two on each floor are furnished. The other two are not. Skye, you may select from any of the second floor apartments. We can move furniture if you decide you prefer one in back."
This apartment was done in a very warm style, with lots of natural wood, including the floors. It was fully furnished with two comfortable bedrooms, a bath, a nice kitchen, and a living room. There was ample storage, and when I looked in the cupboards, there were even dishes and the other requirements of cooking.
Bluebell was watching me carefully. "I have a question. Who owns the building?"
"I do."
"You bought the building, had the security system added, and furnished some of the apartments. For me."
"That's not exactly how it worked," she said. "I bought the building, had the shell gutted, and rebuilt everything inside the outer walls. And the other apartments will rent for a great deal of money."
"Students don't have money for a place like this."
"Mount Holyoke is a prestigious, expensive school, and I think you will find the other rooms rent out. It will take a few years to pay for the renovation and, well, a few more than that to repay the initial investment. But there is a management company in town, and they will manage the entire building. I don't need to do a thing."
I walked over to her and pressed into a deep hug. "I can't believe you did this. I can't believe you keep doing things like this."
She held me for a while, but then she said, "I have a few more features to show you." She led me to a computer pad mounted in the wall near the front door. "You can control the entire apartment from here, and you can access this panel from your visor. This is where you program in visitors, but I get a report and will have a chat with you if I feel you are not managing security properly."
"I understand."
"You can control the lighting and environmental controls here," she said. "Also, the windows are smart. You can program them to be one way or two way, and you can also filter the amount of light they allow to pass."
"Alien technology?"
"No, actually. I will want you to leave the windows opaque from the outside."
"I understand."
She pointed to the door. "A human swat team would find that door challenging. Now that is alien technology, but only in the construction."
"Got it."
She led me to the bedroom. There was another of the control panels. She stepped to it, and a moment later, the mirror on the wall hinged to the side, revealing a safe behind it. "Biometric and combination," she said. "It's not big, but it can hold a few things, including your visor."
"You did all this so I could have a visor to study."
"No. T
hat was only part of the reason. I did this so you would be safe. I did this so when my other daughters come to visit you, they are safe to relax." I knew what that meant. "I did this because I think your sister is very likely to follow in your footsteps, and now we're prepared for her if I prove to be right."
"Hey!" said Audra. "No pressuring."
"I'm not pressuring," Bluebell said. "After all, there are excellent schools right in Boston, and you might prefer one of those."
Everyone snickered, including Audra.
Mom was wandering the apartment, not really following the tour. But at that point she wandered into the bedroom. Her expression was carefully blank, but when I tried to catch her eye to see what she thought, she pointedly looked away. Bluebell saw where I was looking and stepped to my side, whispering in Catseye, "I will handle that."
"But-"
"I said-"
"Got it."
"We should check out the others," Violet said.
"She's right," said Posey. "We must see which one we'll be most comfortable visiting."
"That's right," Violet said. "What do you think of this one, Audra?"
"I like this bedroom," my sister said.
"Too bad. Yours would be the other one," I replied.
"What happened to our slumber parties?"
"Not on school nights," I said.
I let Posey and Violet pull us from this apartment, leaving the older generation behind. Violet had the keys, so to speak, for each of the other apartments, so we checked them in turn.
The two in the front were furnished; the two in back were not. And the basic style was different from front to back. The front was wood and warm. The back apartments were more industrial. The quality was equally high in all of them. Then the four of us collected near the stairs.
"What do you think?"
"I want to know if I'm invited to visit," Audra asked.
"Of course you are, Squirt."
"Then I like them all," she replied. Violet and Posey agreed with her.
"You three seriously don't have a real opinion?"
"You're going to have to make a decision," Audra said. "I know that scares you."
"I can always uninvite you, you know."
At that she stuck her tongue out. "Fine. I can stay in Boston. There's more to do there, anyway."
"Violet, do you know if Bluebell showed us that one first for a reason?"
"I think she thought it fit your personality best."
I would have been happy with any of them. I smiled. "Which way is south?" Posey cocked her head and then pointed towards the front of the building. "Okay, if that's south, then that one gets the morning sun." I pointed to the apartment we'd first seen. "And that one gets afternoon sun. I think I want morning sun." And I walked to the door then waited for Violet to open it.
We found the adults waiting in the living room, all standing at the picture window and looking out at the quiet street. They turned as we entered.
"Well?" said Bluebell. "Have you picked?"
"You're really offering me the choice of one of these four apartments?"
"Does that seem difficult to believe?"
"Yes, but Mama always told me, never look a gift apartment in the mouth."
"Oh, she did, did she?" said Mom.
"Bluebell, I don't know how I can ever repay you for everything you're doing for me. I think I like this one the most, but it came down to the direction the sun rises."
"Then this one is yours," Bluebell said. "As soon as we get a new ID for you, you'll be all set."
"What happens if I lock myself out?"
"The biometric locks can be programmed to also accept a lengthy passcode in lieu of the ID, but it still requires a scan of your eyes."
"What happens if I've been out drinking all night long and my eyes are bloodshot?"
"Yes, because you do that a lot," she said with a laugh. "It will still work."
I smiled, crossed the room, and asked for a hug. A moment later, Violet, Posey, and Audra were at my back.
"We must christen the apartment," Posey said.
"I didn't bring champagne."
"We had something else in mind." Then she and Violet grabbed me and, while I kicked and squealed, dragged me backwards to the sofa. There they pinned me down, and the three of them began tickling me. Of course, Posey finally decided that tickling meant both human girls, so she grabbed Audra and tossed her onto the sofa next to me. They pinned us both there and tickled us until we couldn't take it anymore.
"Are they ever going to get over that?" Mom asked.
"It is only my dignity that keeps me from joining them," Bluebell said. But then she and Azalea glanced at each other before looking pointedly at Mom. "Tell us, Carmen, are you ticklish?"
"No," said Mom. Mom is such a liar sometimes.
* * * *
The term began, and I was busy, busy, busy. I studied my ass off, but having full access to the visor helped a great deal. What also helped was that my family -- that was how I now considered the Catseye -- were interested in what I was studying. Dinner conversations frequently addressed what I was studying, and so I had additional opportunities to become more completely versed in my course material.
This was actually consistent with how they treated each other. The Catseye didn't necessarily leave work at work. Problems to be solved were discussed by the entire family, and when you put those four minds on a problem, few problems remained problems for long. Adding my studies to the conversation mix came naturally, and while I usually had little to add to the work conversations, from time to time I would ask just the right question or make the right observation.
For a moment, I'm going to slip ahead a little and consolidate a portion of my story.
I spent the next several years living in the apartment that Bluebell bought, although I went home to Boston most weekends. Violet and Posey visited often, and until she finished high school herself, Audra spent a few days each year living with me and attending classes with me.
I spent summers working where Bluebell and Azalea arranged for me. That first summer was for Amaryllis, of course. The second was for Azalea, and while it was still at the United Nations, it was entirely different from what Amaryllis had me doing. The third summer I worked for a human company, but it was one that provided services to the ETs.
Jasmine Brighteyes handled the investigation into my kidnapping. In spite of the ruckus of two alien craft descending onto the safe house where I'd been held, the entire event and aftermath remained out of the press. Amaryllis told me flat out she wasn't going to tell me what was done with the people most directly responsible and threatened me with dire consequences if I bugged her about it.
But I never saw the individuals again, and I've not suffered that sort of attention again. Nor has anyone else, to the best of my knowledge, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.
Shortly before Thanksgiving that year, however, Gina Larkin resigned her position as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency "to spend more time with my family". And Amaryllis told me there was no evidence that President Singleton knew anything about the CIA's interest in me until the moment Amaryllis stood in her office, demanding I be released.
But I do want to talk just a little more about this before moving on to the more interesting parts of my story.
* * * *
Our party for the people who had helped rescue me was a little more than a week later. While I was the hostess, thanking the people who had helped me, I actually had to do very little. Amaryllis and Azalea handled scheduling and invitations. Bluebell and Violet saw to supplies: food and beverages for the diverse needs of the attendees.
Mom and Audra helped me prepare the apartment. There wasn't much to do, but we spruced it up a little with fresh flowers and a few potted plants. Bluebell arranged for two additional tables for the buffet, but we humans set them up and organized them. Posey helped to make signs to mark the food, and together we cautioned Mom and Audra.
"If something isn't marked as safe for humans, don't sample it."
We pointed out to Azalea and Bluebell that there would be too many guests whose names we didn't know, and the humans didn't have the same ability to remember names as the Catseye did. And so we obtained name badges everyone could wear.
While we made the apartment look nice to the point of white linen tablecloths and the like, we kept the event itself informal. For clothing, we wore what was considered upscale casual for our household. For both Audra and me, that meant skirt, blouse, and strappy sandals. Of course, the blouses were backless. This was a Catseye household, after all. But Mom surprised me. She eschewed skirts, and she didn't wear one that day but instead wore a nice pair of slacks and her own blouse. The surprise was her blouse wasn't entirely backless, but it did expose a great deal of bare skin. The Catseye considered that an invitation, and Mom seemed okay with it.
I was proud of her.
Our guests didn't arrive all at once, and because it was a casual event, we did not have formal introductions. Instead, Bluebell and Posey managed the front door. They greeted the new arrivals. Bluebell told me to stay in the living room, talking to the guests, but not to offer thanks quite yet. As new people arrived, Bluebell would bring them to me and provide introductions.
Violet spent the entire time glued to my side, her tentacles holding me quite possessively.
The first to arrive was a group of four warriors, three males and a female. They all spoke English, although with heavy, heavy accents. Bluebell brought them to me and performed introductions. They had alien names, but no names I could pronounce.
It was the female who said, speaking slowly and carefully, "We have not been on Earth long. We will be here one Earth year. But we should have names you can speak. Will you help us?"
"I would love to," I replied. I glanced at their name badges. They were written in an alien script, and it wasn't Catseye. That didn't help me at all. But there was room to add a human name. "Human names sometimes mean something."
"Yours means the sky above us," said one of the males.
"In a way," I said. "The spelling is wrong for that. As a name for girls, it is very new, only about 30 years old, and follows the name of a woman from a television show, actually. But there is an island in northern Scotland called the Island of Skye, and there appears to be a relationship. I do not think of it as the sky above us, but only a name. My sister's name is Audra, deriving from Old English words meaning noble strength. But that is very obscure, and now most people believe it is just a name without a particular meaning. But we have names such as Hope and Charity, and they definitely are a name with meaning."
