Yor reaches her foot out to shut the door, and Twilight 's instinct pushes him a step forward. 'Need the privacy? '

'Just in case. '

He smiles bitterly. 'It would be rude to let somebody walk in on that much blood. '

'You 're not fast enough to kill me, Loid, ' says Yor, voice soft. Her eyes look sorry. 'And I don 't know if I could kill you. '

He narrows his eyes. His lips thin. He takes another step closer. 'What were you discussing with your brother? '

Yor 's gaze grows round. 'How did you know? '

'I followed you. What did you discuss with your brother? '

'I ' I asked him about what you told me. '

'Don 't lie. '

'I 'm not. '

'Really? And what did he have to say? '

'He ' he doesn 't know about Garden ' '

'Don 't. Lie. '

'I 'm not, ' Yor begins to look stressed. 'I needed to know if he knew I was in Garden. But he didn 't even believe Garden was real. '

'I told you to stop lying to me! ' Twilight growls through his teeth, spanning the distance between them until his gun bumps up against her ribs and he has his other hand wrapped in her uniform.

Yor holds her knife out, the point of the blade pressing dead-center against his chest. Her expression is fierce, but also hurt. 'Why won 't you believe me? '

' 'Why won 't I believe you? ' ' he repeats, voice low and dark. 'Why

would

I believe you? Why should I? We 've lived together for four years, and I've had no idea that you're an assassin. Much less an assassin for an organization that stands as the antithesis to mine! '

'It's not ' '

'I never suspected for a second that you were corrupt in any way. I never second-guessed your goodness. I never even had a passing thought you were anything other than what I thought you were. I allowed you your secrets, not knowing that your secrets were

this.

"

'I ' ' Her eyes search his, brows canted in fear or shame, Twilight can 't tell. But the sight of it makes his anger boil over, like a pot that 's been sitting over an open flame for too long. She has no right to be afraid, and it 's too late to be sorry.

'For four years, you could have been up to anything! Sneaking around. Lying. Scheming. Manipulating. I have no idea what sort of info you may have on me, on WISE, on what I 've been working on. I don 't know if you were planted by Garden at the very beginning of my mission or if Ostania has been planning this long before I was even involved.

'Your brother is just as dangerous as you are, and yet you're defending him ' 'Yor 's face twists in confusion as she searches him for an answer, and he scoffs in disbelief at her act. She jerks away at the sharp sound, her head banging into the wall he 's backed her into. 'And I left you alone with my

daughter!

All this time! '

In this confrontation thus far, she's played the part of a tiny animal backed into a corner. Her gaze has been every shade between startled, frightened, defensive, and even guilty. But at the mention of Anya, her eyes flare, blood red burning crimson.

For a second, frustration feels like satisfaction. Her reaction feels like a win. 'So

forgive me, '

he snarls, sneering at her and digging his gun further into her side, 'if I don 't believe you. But I think it 's fair to say I have no reason to. '

'

Your

daughter, ' Yor hisses, ripping her arm out from the hold he 's taken on her wrist. The knife clatters dangerously to the floor between them. Twilight grabs for the collar of her uniform, but Yor blocks his attack, whacking his gun away like it was never a threat to begin with. Shoving him back so that they 're no longer nose-to-nose, she glares at him through heavy, threatening lids.

'

Your

daughter cries herself to sleep every night because you won 't talk to her. You won 't even look at her. And when you finally did, it was to trick her. You tricked her and then ran away. '

'I was looking for

you '"

'Yes, me! ' Her laugh is astonished, incredulous, exasperated. 'This is about me! This is about me and my lying and sneaking around and killing! Leave Anya out of it! Leave Yuri out of it! My brother is nothing but a government worker in the foreign ministry, how could he be dangerous? Yuri has never been dangerous, I watched him grow up! I picked Garden so that he would never have to do anything like that! Anything like what I've had to do! ' She steps into him again and again and again as she speaks, and Twilight is forced to retreat until his back hits the wall.

His lip curls, counter argument on the tip of his tongue, but she gives him no time. 'You have no idea the sacrifices I 've made or the way I 've had to live 'how

scared

I was! All the time! ' Her eyes well up, warring with the fury in her voice. 'When I met you, I was so relieved that anybody at all could want me, that maybe I could stop feeling so 'so ' '

Her breath catches. She blinks, and tears begin to slide down her face. His anger recoils at the sight, but his gut riots with confusion and frustration, unable to tell what is and isn 't an act, what 's real and what isn 't.

'But I was still so scared every day. I was so scared you would find out 'or Yuri would find out, and then later I was scared that Camilla or Millie or Sharon would find out. I was so scared that Anya would get hurt, but by

me!

If I did a job wrong and somebody came after me, if I vanished one day. The only thing that ever ' ' She hesitates, blinking rapidly, gaze caught in the space at her feet, tears falling to hardwood.

'The only thing that ever made me feel like everything would be okay was you, ' she whispers, voice tiny, the underbelly of it exposed. His mouth parts.

Yor steps away from him, head hanging, shoulders shaking. His hand reaches out without his permission 'perhaps a remnant of the habits he 's acquired over the past four years, this instinct to comfort her when she 's like this 'but she lifts the heels of her palms to her eyes, preventing any offers of solace as she tries to staunch the flow of tears.

'Do you think I asked for this? ' Her voice breaks. 'That I want to be this way? Half the time I don 't know what I 'm doing. I barely know how to interact with others, and I 'm no good at anything but killing people and hiding the evidence. '

Neither speaks. Little by little, her tears dry until all she is is trembling. After what feels like an eternity, she whispers, 'I guess it 's better you don 't trust me. I hardly trust myself. '

'Yor ' '

At the sound of her name, her face turns up. She looks as confused as he feels. 'But ' if

I

am so bad and so evil and so cruel, why am

I

the one telling Anya you still love her, and why am

I

the one telling her she 's good? I have never,

never

lied to Anya in my life, or you, or any of our friends except for that one single thing. But

you ' '

Like the dark that inches in before a storm, her gaze closes off again, deep red turning black. 'You aren 't at all who I thought you were. ' A muscle in her jaw works. Her eyes are hard. Something in Twilight stings. 'You

'

you 're ' you 're selfish, and ' and cruel. You ' ' She scoffs suddenly, disbelief and incredulity in one short sound. 'You 're a

coward.

How could you trick Anya like that? And to act like ' like you 're trying to protect her ' '

Yor closes in on him again, pressing him back, forcing him where he can 't go. 'How could you think Anya was ever trying to hurt you? What child wants to read minds? Children don 't even know that people lie! Or pretend! But Anya knew you were lying about who you were from the start, and she loved you, she still loves you, and the moment you find out her secret, you abandon her. '

His heart bleeds into his ears, the world ringing and pounding around him all at once. He looks down at her, as she holds him to the wall with her fists, eyes cold on his, and he swallows. 'I never meant ' '

'Maybe I 've done things I don 't understand, and maybe I 'I 'm scared, but 'but I never,

never

lied about loving Anya, or anybody, I never faked who I was, I just had one thing that I did to keep Yuri safe. And maybe all the people I 've killed make me a bad person, but if I am a bad person, you are worse by far! '

Like a slit to the throat, her proclamation leaves him speechless. Without the tinder of his rage, without his retaliation, the showdown bleeds out, growing cold. Lifeless. The silence that follows is made of stuttering, shaking breaths, of adrenaline and emotion. Her hands quiver against his chest as she pins him in place.

Her gaze bores into his, as if she 's still trying to unearth some kind of truth in him. Twilight doesn 't know if she finds what she 's looking for, but eventually, slowly, her face smooths, and the fight seems to leave her.

One by one, she uncurls her fingers, and he slides against the wall as he lands back on his feet. Her eyes drop, but he finds himself unable to look away. He 's seen her in a protective rage before, seen her violent with worry, even seen her deadly in pursuit of her goal 'but he's never seen her like this. Never like she desperately needs to protect her own self.

And somehow, her knife is on the floor, and his gun is on the ground. Weight like the entire ocean settles over him.

'Yor, I ' ' When she looks up at him, he can see every wet lash clinging to another, every trail down her cheeks that her tears have left behind. He can smell her shampoo. In four years, it's never changed once. Heat creeps through him. The urge to look away is crippling, but at the same time, he can 't. It 's impossible. 'I ' I 'm sorry. '

She steps away. Looks down. Shakes her head. 'It 's not me you need to be sorry to. It 's Anya. '

All he can do is stare at her. Her hands come together, wringing each other out. 'I ' I need to be alone. ' Her voice is faint.

'That 's fine. ' A beat. 'We ' we 'll probably have to discuss how we 're going to handle ' our missions. '

'Yes. '

'Later, though. '

'Yes. '

He pauses for some reason, waiting for something but unsure of what it might be. Eventually, he shakes his head. 'Good night, Yor. '

'Good night, Loid. '

It 's the saddest she 's ever sounded saying his name.

'

Twilight shuts the door gently, as though even the mildest of clicks might wake the entire building. Turning around, he nearly undoes all his effort when he trips right back into the door. Anya is staring up at him.

'Anya! '

'Papa. '

'What ' what are you doing up? And here? When did you ' when did Sylvia drop you off? '

'Before you and Mama started yelling. I saw the door closed so I went to bed by myself. I fell asleep. But then I woke up. '

'I 'm sorry. '

'It 's okay. '

Bond weaves between their legs, sitting on Anya 's feet and joining her in gazing up at Twilight. 'Hello, Bond. '

Bond huffs at him, mouth curling cheerfully. Twilight stares at Anya, who watches Bond peacefully, patting his head in the same repetitive motion. Yor 's reproach echoes in his ears. 'Anya, ' Twilight says. 'I 'll bring you to bed. '

Her face splits into a smile, and she takes his hand, but Twilight stoops to scoop her into his arms, squeezing. He can feel her grinning into the crook of his neck, even into the last second as he lays her down.

'It 's okay, Papa, ' says Anya, patting the hand he has splayed out on her bed as he sits on the edge of it. 'Everybody gets scared. '

'But I shouldn 't have tricked you. '

After a moment of hesitation, she nods. 'It was bad. '

'And I shouldn 't have ignored you. '

'It was mean. '

They grow quiet again. 'How is school going? '

'I have to read a book with Sy-On Boy, and I haven 't made any progress. '

Well, it 's good to hear some things never change. 'We can read it together. '

Anya looks suddenly very sheepish. 'Actually ' well, Sy-On Boy said we could read it together. He said ' he said he could come here. Sorry, Papa. But you 're useless to me now. '

Twilight 's hackles immediately rise. 'Damian Desmond? But he 's a boy. ' And the way Damian treats Anya isn 't lost on him.

Anya blinks at him. Cocks her head. 'So are you, Papa. '

He bites the inside of his cheek and squints his eyes. 'It 's not the same thing. '

'Well, it 's too late. I said it was okay. Sy-On Boy is coming. This is your fault, you know? '

Apparently, some things do change. 'You 'll read with him where I can see you. '

She gives him a weird look. 'Okay. '

Another bout of stillness. Then, Twilight asks, 'Anya, how much do you know? '

'Everything. '

'Everything? '

'Yes. '

'Don 't tell Yor that your uncle is an SSS officer, okay? I 'll figure out how and when to tell her. '

Anya shakes her head. 'I know. Uncle doesn 't know Mama kills people, either. I won 't tell. '

'Smart girl. ' She beams, and he smooths her hair back. Her eyes flutter shut. 'I 'm sorry I hurt you, Anya. '

'I know, Papa. '

He knows he should leave now. Should turn off her bedside lamp and excuse himself. But he sits there, hovering over her with his hand on her head. A surge of something he doesn't want to name overwhelms him, and he bites his tongue to keep it together. The feeling is almost painful in its intensity.

Anya continues to stare up at him with wide, green eyes. "Me too, Papa."

Twilight hesitates, but bites the bullet. "Did I ever make you doubt?"

She's quiet for a long time. Her eyes begin to water. "At first. At first I thought if I didn't help you succeed at your mission, you wouldn't want me anymore."

He remembers the moment she's referring to, the heist that followed 'and he remembers the moment everything changed.

He's been an idiot.

"It never occurred to me."

She nods. "I learned that. Four years is a long time to hear your thoughts, Papa. You think a lot. Too much."

He can't help the grin, but a tidal wave of shame usurps it when Anya shifts, and the moonlight bounces off her unshed tears. "You must have been very scared these past few weeks."

She nods again. "But it's okay now."

They lapse into silence again. He wants to tell her what this feeling is, he wishes he knew when she was reading his mind. He wants to tell her he'd keep this family if things were even slightly different, if he had been given the chance, the choice, the knowledge, but he knows life isn't that generous 'that it's never been to him especially 'and he doesn't want to lie.

So he presses his mouth to her forehead and when he pulls away, he says, "I won't let anything bad happen to you, Anya."

"I know."

'

The next morning is bright and sunny and made of eggs and sausages and toast buttered on both sides like there 's room to spare. Coffee brews on the stove top, bubbling and humming and sizzling. Yor smells all of it the second she opens her bedroom door.

She crosses the threshold between the hallway and the living room, stopping at the sight of Loid 's back through the pass-through window. It 's familiar and unfamiliar and new and old all at once. Her stomach twists.

Loid turns then, frying pan in one hand, spatula in the other. He freezes at the sight of her, face rouletting through several emotions before settling on a tentative smile. 'Good morning. '

Relief sighs through her. She returns with a similarly cautious smile. 'Good morning. '

'... Breakfast? '

'Yes, please. ' She slips into her seat at the dining table. Loid comes over with a plate in both hands, sliding one in her direction and setting down the other. The yolks are bright orange and the links are perfectly browned. The butter on her toast glistens up at her. Her insides warm. 'Thank you! '

He ducks his head in reply. 'Anya may be asleep for a while. We ' we woke her up last night with our volume. ' Yor feels heat flush through her body. It must be visible, because Loid corrects hastily, 'With our noise. ' Her body tenses, temperature rising with humiliation. 'Fighting! Our fighting. '

'Yes, ' she squeaks. 'That makes sense. '

He clears his throat, gaze flickering to hers apprehensively before settling on his coffee. 'On the topic of Anya ' I was thinking the house could be neutral territory. '

'Yes, I was thinking the same. Nothing in public spaces, either, which really only leaves Olif 's office. ' She can taste her heart on her tongue. 'If ' if we want to finish the other off, we 'll meet at Olif 's headquarters. '

Loid nods. 'It won 't be for a while though. I can 't keep up with you where I am now. ' He peers at her. 'You 're very talented, Yor. '

Stuttering back in surprise, she stares at him. He tips his head to one side, shrugging and offering her a small smile. Laughing shyly, Yor ducks her head. 'It 's just murder. Plenty of people do it by accident. '

She hears a chuckle, but can 't bring herself to look up. 'Ah, one last thing. ' Loid takes a deep breath in. 'No bringing Anya into it. '

'Yes. Of course not. '

His body wilts with relief. 'I 'm so sorry, Yor, ' he murmurs.

'It 's okay, ' she answers softly, patting the hand he has wrapped tightly around his fork. 'It 's good for it all to be out. Now you can be yourself. It 'll be easier on you. '

Loid 's mouth parts, and he looks at her like she 's a puzzle. Filled with self-consciousness, she shrinks into herself a little. After a beat, she asks the question that 's been lingering in the back of her head since the very beginning of it all. 'What will happen to Anya when this is all over? '

Loid stiffens, hand gripping his fork somehow tighter. 'I don 't know, ' he mutters. 'I haven 't been able to answer that myself, but ' 'he swallows ' 'I'll do whatever I can to make sure she has a good life. '

Yor nods, feeling the heat of his hand on her palm. Her heart is so heavy, a short drop would shatter it.

At that moment, Anya stumbles out of her bedroom, rubbing her eyes and blinking like a lizard. She stares zombie-like at the both of them for a second, then two. 'Mama and ' 'she yawns ' 'Papa ' 'yawns again, Bond scampering up behind her ' 'are flirting? '

Yawn.

Their hands fly apart.

'No! '

'

Once the dishes have been cleared and cleaned, Twilight rummages through the refrigerator. Earlier he 'd only needed a few things and hadn 't gotten a good look at the inventory, but now, stooping over the interior, he wonders how Yor and Anya got by in his absence. Nearly every shelf is bare.

'It looks like we should stop by the farmer 's market. '

Yor lights up the color of a stop sign, mouth wobbling. 'That would be good. We've been living off convenience food. '

'Should we go now? '

Anya leaps from her seat. 'Ice cream? You promised, Papa! '

'I remember saying 'maybe. ' '

Anya glowers at him, and that 's how he finds himself carrying two grocery bags and an ice cream cone in his hand. As he wrestles with his keys in his pockets at the building door, Yor takes the bags from him.

Bond and Anya zip past Twilight, racing up the stairs. Twilight gestures for Yor to take the lead, then he shuts the door behind them. Halfway up the third floor stairs, he overhears their neighbors chattering over the railing of the stairwell.

'It sounded like quite the row! '

'I think that 's good. Couples need to fight it out every so often. '

The first lady clucks her tongue. 'I don 't know about that. Poor communication, in my opinion. '

'What, you wouldn 't be suspicious of a couple that was perfectly happy all the time? That would give me the creeps.

They

were giving me the creeps! I never saw anything but smiles for four years. '

'Not perfectly happy, but fighting that loudly seems unadvisable. But you know, I still couldn 't catch any of it. Were you able to? '

'It sounded like a bunch of nonsense. I could have sworn I heard something about assassins. Whatever it was, it was passionate for sure. I wish I could fight like that with someone. ' Woman two sighs dreamily.

The first lady snorts. 'That 's ridiculous. '

Twilight purses his lips and taps Yor on the shoulder. She starts, but turns, and he takes half the bags from her, lest their downstairs neighbors berate him in secret for making her carry the load. When they finish the climb up to the third floor, both gossiping neighbors freeze, mouths still hanging open. They shut them immediately, watching as he and Yor stroll to the next flight of stairs.

'See? ' The second woman says once they start up to the fourth floor. 'They look fine now. Sometimes you just need to have it out. '

'Different strokes for different folks. '

Twilight bites back his amusement.

'

Sunday is just as idyllic, albeit much slower. There 's an awkwardness between him and Yor 'perhaps it 's the knowledge of the reality of their situation 'but Twilight supposes it will just take time. As long as their neighbors don 't find them suspicious, nothing is an immediate issue.

Well. Except for the matter of having to kill Yor. But ' he 'll think about that in the office. Probably with Sylvia. So, in fact, when Monday rolls around, Twilight knocks on his mentor 's door.

'It 's open. '

He enters. Her face, as usual, is unreadable. From the inside of his wool coat, he pulls out a handle of whiskey, and in a rare display of innocence, Sylvia 's face lights up with sparkling joy. 'Lagavulin! '

'That 's for looking after Anya. '

'Well, now I 'll do it any time! ' She smiles wryly, stashing the bottle immediately. 'She 's wonderful. '

'She 's a handful. '

'I can imagine, especially knowing she can read minds. '

Grimacing, Twilight replies, 'Yes, it 's an interesting power at the best of times and inconvenient at the ' 'he jerks back ' 'Pardon? '

Sylvia laces her fingers together, resting her chin on top of her knuckles. 'So I 'm right? '

'Well 'I ' '

'Don 't worry, I don 't intend on sharing with anybody. ' The possessive way she says it 'poorly concealed, in his opinion 'Twilight suspects she means more than just Anya 's hidden talent. 'How do you think that happened? '

Taking a seat, the gears in his brain begin to grind. His brows crease, fist coming to his mouth. 'I only just made the connection, but she 's terrified of doctors. '

A blaze of anger rips over Sylvia 's face, there one second, gone the next. 'I see. '

They lapse into silence. 'Bond, too. He occasionally sees the future. '

Sylvia 's mouth drops open. Twice in one sitting now, Twilight has seen the more elusive of her reactions. 'Good grief, Twilight. Have you thought about buying a lotto ticket? '

It 's reassuring to hear, like his recent frenzy and turmoil isn 't entirely unfounded. He chuckles, shaking his head.

Sylvia smirks. 'Well, it sounds like you and Yor have sorted through things as well. '

Twilight frowns. Has he become that easy to read? 'How can you tell? '

'Firstly, from the way you answered that, ' she guffaws when Twilight scowls at her. 'Really, Twilight, that's the oldest trick in the book. Anyhow, secondly, because you aren 't panicking anymore. '

'I was never panicking, ' he mumbles. Sylvia snickers, and a wave of nostalgia washes over Twilight. Like this 'his defensiveness and her mirth at his expense 'it feels like the days when he first fell under her tutelage. 'I did want to talk to you about her, though. '

'Oh? '

'I need to train. '

She sits up from her forward lean, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes. 'For what? ' The tightness in her voice suggests she already knows.

'I have to catch up to her, otherwise I 'll never complete the mission. '

Twilight can see her chewing at the inside of her cheek. Her gaze bores into the wall behind him as she mulls over what he 's just said. Finally, she turns her once-again indecipherable eyes on him. 'You care about her, don 't you? '

'Of course. I 've spent four years with her. '

She doesn't like his answer. He can tell by the steadfast coolness of her gaze. Threading his fingers together, he leans onto her desk, making up for the space she's given up. Hands clasped at his mouth, he loses himself in his thoughts, trying to figure out how best to word it, but it 's impossible. All he can do is meet Sylvia 's stony stare, lift his head, and say, 'It could 've been four years with anybody. '

Her mouth compresses, the line of it reminding him of a zipper. Maybe to hold back everything she wants to say. Unfortunately, some things still burst out the seams even with a zipper. 'I never took you for an idiot. '

'You can think whatever you 'd like. I just need to train. '

'Fine. Now get out. '

'Thank you. '

'I said get out. You make me want to weep into my Lagavulin. '