Is it who you think? [CLOSED]

With the school year fast approaching, Mackenzie had already decided she would dedicate as much time as possible to being around the town. While usually, she would be spending her time here anyways, the scheduling of classes meant that it would be taken up almost completely. Between courses and her narcolepsy, it left her little time. So, naturally, she was wandering about. The bright sunshine was one she'd soak up enthusiastically, her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail so as to not be completely scorched by the bright sun. Familiar neighbors and brick walls lined the streets, and her fingers absent-mindedly ran along them as she continued down her path towards the center of town. It wasn't a route she normally took, but something was pulling her that way...

The past few months had been the hardest of Shepard's life. Every day was littered with thoughts of home, his family, his friends, Joanna. He couldn't find peace. The guys at the fire station had a bad habit of keeping alcohol there, and Shepard had a bad habit of having a drink after work. Not a lot, of course. What kept him going was little Micha's doleful eyes looking up at him. She often asked where mom and dad were--"mama" and "papa". How did he comfort a small toddler when even he didn't know?

Shepard took the time during his days off to take her on a walk around town. Some stores were exactly the same as they left it. But the starkest contrast was the lack of the skyscrapers that he once knew. Pushing the stroller along, a slight thud resounded as Micha's plastic bottle hit the sidewalk. "Micha, you can't drop your bottle when you are done." He reminded her quietly, pausing to pick it up.

Continuing down her path, Mackenzie's eyes wandered around. It was home as she knew it, and there wasn't anything she would want to change about it for the world. The familiarity was exceedingly comforting to her. Even if she lived with her single mother, even if she was somewhat restricted on what she could do for fear of Mackenzie spiraling into alcoholism like her mother once had. She understood why, but of course, as she got older, the freedom to explore further opened up to her. Alongside with it, her gift.

A 'guardian angel' was what her mother always called her, and evidently, it was true. A strong, protective nature had always accompanied the teen, but that one day her mom had almost gotten in a car accident... It was almost as if she had predicted it. Shaking the dark thoughts from her mind, she kept going. That inner 'tug' to keep walking forward in the direction she was going... it was almost becoming closer to a shove as she simply followed it. Mackenzie couldn't explain just what was keeping her going. Eventually, though, she was abruptly stopped by a voice.

"...when you are done."

Something about it froze her in place, her blue gaze immediately searching for the source. Upon finding it, being an unfamiliar face up ahead, she took a moment to blink. And blink. And blink once more, before finally gaining the courage to walk up to the stranger. He looked so... familiar. Exceedingly familiar. Kenzie couldn't help herself as she approached, studying the features more and more. It reminded her vaguely of the pictures of her dad...

"Ah, excuse me. I... don't think I've seen you around here before," She started, a puzzled hesitation conflicting with her words.

Shepard held out the bottle for Micha to take, sitting on his heels to get to her level. "Huh--" He glanced over and his eyes widened. He hadn't seen her since this new world. He hadn't seen either of them in his dreams, and could only assume it was because the two of them saved him with whatever happened that day. The blinding light and following boom...

Shepard shook his head. "Yeah. I'm one of those...world hoppers that you've been hearing about. I'm sure." He answered, standing up as he realized Micha would refuse to take the bottle. Should he tell her? How freaked out would she be? Shepard gave a little wave with his hand. "I'm Shepard Herman." He introduced himself as he looked to her left, unable to meet her eyes. Would Annabelle be alive too? Would they all be together? A blossom of hope crossed his chest.

Upon hearing his voice a second time, she froze. It was undeniably him. It... couldn't have been. No, there was no way. But upon his mentioning of the world hoppers... her mind went racing. If Shepard was here... could her dad be here too? Could he be back? A thousand thoughts went through her mind. Taking a mild step back, she simply nodded at first. But she still had her doubts if it was actually him...

...Until he said his name. In which case, Mackenzie didn't know what to think. Sure, her mom had told her about the world hoppers. Nobody knew who they were or where they were from... just that they came from a place that was basically the same as here. It opened up so many questions and had sent a several good number of people back to Keirsta's rehab facility. But that wasn't the point right now. Tears welled behind her eyes as Mackenzie could only breathe out the following words. "Mackenzie Herman..." At the same time, her power was tugging at her to protect him. Embrace him in a hug, hold him tightly... promise to him that she wouldn't fail him again. Not after what happened last time. While she so desperately wanted to, and every inch of her being was just screaming that it was the brother she had lost... she had to double check.

"I'm... sorry if this is intrusive... but... are you the son of Leo Herman and... K-Keirsta Chree?" It was hard to not get mildly choked up. She was practically biting on her tongue to keep back the tears at this point. If it wasn't him, she was about to be destroyed. But... there was absolutely no possible way it couldn't be... unless the world was playing some cruel trick on her and grief was striking yet again.

Both his hands were on the plastic bottle as he finally found it in himself to watch her face. He could tell she was on the verge of tears. What had happened to him, if she was reacting this way? He couldn't reason that he was in her dreams too, merely because he felt more in shock than--grief? Shepard slowly responded a small; "Yes...?" The sound of his father's name made him deflate, and he looked away once again. "He isn't here. I haven't seen him. I haven't seen mom, or anyone so--"

Is it possible she was the same Kenzie from his mind? "I'm sorry, Kenzie. It's just me and Micha..." No, she would have recognized him. She wouldn't have asked. Shepard felt the stroller move as Micha turned in her seat, her brown hair pulled into a tiny ponytail.

"I'm sorry Kenzie, it's just me and Micha."

Those words alone confirmed her suspicions and broke her heart at the same time. It was her Shep... but her dad wasn't back. Her own eyes widened and she had to look away. Hearing his words about her-no, their parents, Kenzie couldn't tell if she wanted to be deflated or perk up. "Mom is...mom is here, if... you'd want to see her..." She offered. Kenzie half looked as if she had seen a ghost, but half as if she had just gotten the best news of her life.

But that name was one she hadn't heard before. Micha. Looking at the little girl, she couldn't help the smile blossoming on her face. It didn't help the tears sitting in her eyes, a single one rolling down her cheek. A couple of assumptions went through her head as to just who Micha was, but she wasn't about to assume anything. Not now, anyways. Her mind was... too confused. "Who is this sweetheart, though? Kenzie asked, smiling to the little girl. Maybe it'd be a distraction for her while she processed it all.

Shepard hesitated. He never knew Kenzie in life. He only knew her in the few minutes that they were given in their dreams. If he tried hard enough, he could acknowledge that they were strangers. He didn't know this Kenzie. Though, it didn't make it any less of a tempting offer to take up. "Y-yeah. I think I need that." He admitted slowly, glancing back at Micha. Whom he realized--would be Kenzie's half-sister as well. But how would she take the information that in his world, their parents didn't stay together? Where was their dad now? Were his parents still together?

He turned and pulled Micha from her seat, who let out a whine of protest, but didn't argue further as she spotted Kenzie. The toddler stuck a thumb in her mouth and rested her head on her brother's shoulder. "This is Micha, my little sister. Uh, our half-sister I guess. I was babysitting her when everything happened." The smile he held when he looked at the toddler dropped. "I thought it would just be the two of us from now on...but--" He stopped himself, feeling the tears well up. He never wanted to cry in front of Micha. What kind of brother would he be then?

Their parents hadn't stayed together, even in this world. With everything they had gone through, they were raised separately... but still stayed as close as any other pair of triplets-turned-twins ever would have been. Constant time together, playdates, vacations... it was just simply that they lived in different houses. Right across the street from each other...

Giving a flash of a smile and a nod at his request, she turned to be facing back towards home. Listening to his explanation as to who she was, she curiously studied the young girl. Of course, she did her best to remain friendly the entire time. Half sister. "Hi, Micha. You're really pretty." Kenzie spoke in a friendly, almost motherly, warm tone. She had known her dad was starting to open up to seeing other people, but if he was a world-hopper... perhaps her father had found love elsewhere. That was the only explanation for it she could conjure. After all, her mom had sworn off of having any more children after what it had done to her body. Kenzie couldn't blame her. "I thought it'd be just me and mom..." She trailed off herself, shaking her head once more as the memories of the phone call once more swarmed her mind. "Home is... this way. Mom's home all day for the weekend." Kenzie nodded. "Could I... help with anything?" She asked shyly. Her mind didn't know what to think. But, this was her brother. She'd be just as helpful to him now as she had ever been.

Shepard shook his head. "I'm fine. I can do this." He told her, placing Micha back into the stroller and buckling her in. He had been doing it for the past few months. 'It' being taking care of Micha on his own. He hadn't been home enough to learn her quirks as he had been with the twins. So it was a learning process for both of them. Turns out, Micha loves broccoli but hates the stems of them, so she just eats the top. Or she needs to be read a story before bed, but only in the goofy voice that his dad often did.

"Lead the way?" He asked, getting behind the stroller and offering Kenzie a small smile. It would be nice to see his mom. Even if it wasn't exactly his mother. He needed anything he could get right now.

Kenzie nodded, allowing Shepard to do what he needed to do with Micha. It was... really interesting to her, seeing him so mature and responsible. He had to be older than her... after all, he definitely hadn't hit that height before he had... passed away. Once they were ready to go though, she gave a brighter smile, motioning the general direction they had to go. Leading them, it was hard not to let her instinctive quirks once more take hold - trace the brick walls as they showed up, dancing along the texture they created. They were her tour guide. If she ever got lost, she simply would find her way back from how the walls felt between her fingertips. It was a really odd tactic she had developed, but it was something she had done for years.

It was only about a two minute walk before they had gotten to home. During the walk, Kenzie just couldn't bring herself to talk. She was processing it all, trying to sort through the grief she had slowly pushed to the back of her mind. If he was alive... but her father wasn't... It tore at her. The grief once more rippled through her mind. Would... he ever forgive her if she ever told him what had happened? It was her fault they had died... she couldn't protect them. Aside from navigating, it took all of her strength not to start crying. Kenzie had to be strong for her brother. She wouldn't fail him this time. No... she couldn't fail him this time. But it hit her like a brick - what would Mom think? How would she react to seeing her son again... much less with a young child?

"Well... this is home." Kenzie said, pausing outside of the entrance. "I... really don't know how mom is going to react. But... come on in," She called, opening the door wide enough for Shepard and the stroller to fit inside. Once they were, she followed in, closing the door behind her and locking the bottom lock out of pure habit. It was always unlocked for when she was out, but once she was home, they locked it. A sleep-walking narcoleptic wasn't the best thing to leave doors unlocked for. "Mom? I'm back a bit early... and.. there's someone here you'll want to meet!" She shouted. It was more likely than not that her mother was upstairs, deep into researching something for the newest rehab patients.

"I'll be right down, Kenz!" Keirsta shouted from upstairs, right where Kenzie had believed she was. "Give her just a moment... Please, make yourself... at... home." It felt really odd saying the courteous words of a guest to her brother. She'd get over it though, hopefully soon.

Shepard didn't speak either, confused, and...was it relief he felt? It was grief too he knew for sure. The people that he knew and loved were gone. But he had people who were here. Who he could likely lean on. The thought was nice, but it always led back to what he lost. The people he missed. What would Jo have thought? Seeing him alone just after work, stealing a few beers from the fridge. If he didn't have to take care of Micha, how far in would he be? Shep wondered this until they got to the house. When he finally let go of the stroller inside, his hands were sore, and the rubber from the handles were melted into the indents of his grasp.

Shepard scowled to himself, berating himself mentally for letting his powers slip. Kenzie and Micha could have gotten exposed to the radiation if that was the result. He glanced over towards both of his sisters. "Yeah. Okay..." He glanced around the room and unbuckled Micha from the stroller. The girl bolted from her seat and began investigating everything in the house. Shepard stood awkwardly by the door, wondering if he should take his shoes off. "She isn't going to ground me, is she?" Shepard did his best to joke, though his amusement didn't reach very far.[/color]

Kenzie watched the young girl go running around, which she couldn't help but smile at. The adventurous spirit... ah, it reminded her so much of the two of them running around and getting into trouble for climbing on the counter tops... At his question, she gave a smile. "Noo, she'd only ground us for missing curfew." Kenzie joked back. It felt... so natural, bantering with Shepard once again. Of course, after that, she heard the signature clicking of the stairs as her mother came down.

"Hey mom, I'm back and I brought-"

"-Shepard!" Her mother breathed. It cut off Mackenzie, but the pink-haired woman had tears almost instantly rolling down her face as her hand clasped over her mouth in shock. Her own memories came flooding back. Having to bury her highschool sweetheart and another child... but here he was. Keirsta couldn't hold herself back as she slowly walked over to him, almost unable to walk straight from the shock. Without even thinking, she wrapped her son in a hug. How he was alive... she had buried his body. There was no way he could have been alive... unless...

Hearing a bang behind her, along with a loud yelp of a dog, the woman turned her head to see the golden retriever Axel jumping away from the source. It took her a bit to puzzle things together, and her mind was racing, and the only thing she could think of was back to her rehab center. "How... are you here?" She sniffled, the tears stinging in her eyes. "I'm not seeing ghosts, am I?"

Meanwhile, in the background, Kenzie had jumped to go take care of Axel. But at the same time... her mother's crying set out her own. Tears ran down her face, but she tried to hide them as best she could.

Shepard blinked owlishly as his mother stood at the stairs. Her tears causing the lump in Shepard's throat to swell. "I--" He began through his strained voice. He stood there for a long moment, feeling like he was made out of stone. "I'm not from--" His voice failed him again. He didn't realize how comforting it would be to see her again. Fighting back a sob, Shepard slowly approached until he was able to wrap his arms around her and cried into the crook of her neck.

He had been holding it in for a long time, and letting it all out felt amazing. She smelt just like she did at home, warm and comforting. It only brought more tears. For this brief moment, he felt like a kid again. It's all he needed at the moment. "Mom..."

Keirsta was still shocked, trying to piece things together. The one piece of the trail that she had was picked up on at the broken sentence, but she couldn't care at the moment. Her son was back... she just now prayed that he wouldn't leave. But her motherly instincts kicked in the moment she felt his arms around her again, the hug of her son one that she never thought she would once more get. Immediately, her own arms wrapped around him, one hand resting on his back and the other on his head. She hugged him tighter to her, a gentle motherly "Shh..." humming from her.

While her tears had somewhat stopped, her own floodgates once more opened as he said that one word. Mom. This was her son... this was her son. Her son was back. "Shep... I'm here, sweetie. I'm here." Every part of her was telling her to comfort him. And she would do every single thing she could. It had been a hard time for all of them. She knew how the world hoppers were handling the insanity... but she never pictured her own son would be suffering the consequences of such a mind-shattering occurence.

Shepard sunk into her arms. For a long moment, all that was heard from him was hiccups and sniffles. It was only the sound of a crash that brought Shepard from his trance. He stiffened and pulled himself from his mother's arms. "Micha, please don't get into anything." He called out, brushing the tears and snot away with his sleeve.

The toddler's footsteps rounded the corner, holding up a picture frame victoriously. "Look, look! It daddy!" She called holding up the picture to Shepard and pointed excitedly at the person in the corner of the frame. A photo of Shepard of Leo.

Keirsta held her son close until he pulled away from her, the crash also making her jump. The name was unfamiliar to her ears, but as she saw the little girl waddling over with a picture frame, her eyes widened. It was a young face she didn't recognize... but here she was, pointing to Leo's picture. Her jaw opened slightly, her head tilting somewhat in confusion. But at the same time.. she melted. "Micha?" She questioned for a moment, before going over to the little girl and kneeling.

From another room, Mackenzie shouted. "That'd be my half-sister! ... I think!"

To which, Keirsta's head turned to Shepard for a moment. It definitely quelled an instant anxiety that he had followed in her footsteps, but no... she was already the size and age of a toddler. There was no way. But she still was near the little girl, to which she took part of the picture frame and pointed to the exact same spot she had. "Yes, that's Leo." Her heart ached saying his name again, and especially studying his face. She hadn't actually looked at the picture in ages. But, she put up a front for the young child, much like she had put up the same front to stay strong for Mackenzie.

The young girl made a face and looked back at the picture. "No. That Shep. That Daddy." The young girl corrected, then held the photo to her chest. "Where is daddy? Where is mommy?" She asked, blinking up at Keirsta with big blue eyes. Shepard sighed and picked up Micha and balanced her on his hip.

"Mommy and Daddy had to say bye-bye." Shepard explained, offering a sad smile. "They love you very much, but we may not see them again." He looked at the two-year-old in the eyes. He couldn't tell her they were dead. Shepard didn't know if they were truly dead. He hoped not, but until he knew for sure--Shepard didn't want to confuse her more. Micha fell silent and looked at the picture in her arms. With the toddler occupied, Shepard turned back to his own mother. "I was taking care of her when whatever happened--happened. I've been dropping her at the daycare while I work. The city is similar enough to where I don't think she notices she is in a different world at all." Shepard continued, voice quiet.

"You recognize me, but I haven't seen myself. And you were sad...what happened to me in this world?"

Her lips parted to offer an explanation, but Shepard beat her to it. And honestly, she was thankful that he did. Keirsta couldn't have done it even if she tried. The sting of tears burned her eyes as she fought to bite them down. Seeing the toddler with the picture, she gave a gentle smile. "She can keep the picture." Keirsta decided. It hurt her too much to look at it... and it wasn't the one from the memorial she kept upstairs on her desk. The pink-haired woman knew that her daughter didn't look at it much, either. Without hesitation, Keirsta extended an offer. "Depending on your schedule I could watch her, or Kenz even." She knew Kenzie loved smaller children, even if she ended up napping with them half of the time.

The pang of dread and hurt hit her in the chest at his question. Sitting down on the nearby couch, she motioned to the other couch for him to also have a seat. Swallowing her words a bit, she let her motherly shell crack as a few tears ran down her face. "You... you and Leo..." The words were extremely hard for her to say. She still denied it to herself, even to this day. "You both died in a car accident..." Keirsta had to force herself to say the words. The shattered heart that it had left her in was on full display, the haunted look appearing on her face. "Kenzie and I would've died too... but... her gift saved me... saved us. It was like she was my guardian angel..." The hurt, the grief, the love... it all shone through her words. Her nails dug into her hands as she wrung them together, trying to still her mind and bite back her tears. "We were going on vacation... you with your father, because you stayed with him, and me and Mackenzie, since she lived with me... but she had me take another route since we were behind you guys... and then we got there..." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't finish her words. It hurt her heart terribly. But, despite all the hurt and tears, she was able to look up at Shepard. "I'm so... so glad I get to see you again... my son..."

Shepard offered Keirsta a small smile. "I might take you up on that." He followed with Micha in his arms, letting her sit on the couch next to him. Though, it didn't take too long before she was up and away, getting into the stroller in order to pull out her blanket. Shepard tore his gaze away from his little sister and watched his mother talk. Well, she wasn't his mom. That thought kept digging into his mind, reminding him. Maybe--if his own mother was alive in the world he left, would she be dealing with the same loss that this Keirsta was?

If they found a way to go back home, Shepard wouldn't stay here. Is it fair to get this attached if they were able to go home in the future? Would it break their hearts even more? He frowned as he listened, absentmindedly picking up Micha from where she stood with her blanket and pulled her onto his lap. The two-year-old could read the room, and she quietly tucked her chin into the soft blue blanket. "I'm here. I don't know what the future holds, but for the foreseeable future, I'll be here." He showed her a smile. "Do you do the rehab work here too?" Shepard asked, brushing his hand through Micha's messy hair. In response earning him a slap on the arm from the toddler who wasn't having it.

Keirsta nodded, a warm smile slowly returning to her lips. She had to be strong. For Kenz, and well... now for the two children before her. Even if they weren't hers in this world... that motherly bond wasn't going anywhere. She'd offer them sanctuary and a home if they ever needed it. "Yeah, I do." Her gaze studied him for a moment, and her arms crossed. "Don't tell me I'm going to have to add you to the roster." Keirsta's voice momentarily turned stern, the pointed look staring daggers at him. She had gone down the alcoholic path and had given it up when Leo found out about her habit, and was so thankful she had. The worry that ran in the back of her mind if she had continued drinking, how much worse it would've affected her children... It was one she had to dismiss quickly.

With Axel taken care of, Mackenzie came back with a glass of water in her hand. Of course, the dog now followed too, taking a moment before zipping over to Shepard and full-on body wiggling with excitement. "Axel! Come!" Mackenzie instantly called, but while he usually did, this time the canine seemed fully intent on getting attention from Shepard. "Oh good lord, Axel... Can I get you anything, Shep? Does Micha need anything?" Ever the host, Kenzie would put herself to work while they all talked. She could easily hear and reply from the kitchen, or just about anywhere in the house. Naturally, it was her way of staying busy before her narcolepsy kicked in and she'd be out for the rest of the evening... only to be up all night.

Shepard blinked and quickly moved Micha aside so she didn't get overwhelmed seeing a large dog charging toward them. She, of course, looked away from the picture to see the dog, and a large smile crossed her face. "Doggie!" She cried, wiggling out of Shepard's grasp and to the floor, where she began to pet the dog as best as she could. "Shep! It doggie!"

He couldn't help but smile, and node. "It is a dog, be sure to use your nice hands." Shepard reminded her, causing the young girl to pause for a moment, then begin to pet the dog softer all the while muttering 'soft hands, soft hands' repeatedly. He looked back toward his mom. "No, I don't think I'll need it. I'm fine." He assured her. Shepard's drinking wasn't that bad anyway. Right? "We are fine, thanks Kenzie!" Shepard called back, taking a moment to marvel at the fact he used her name in real life.

"I work during the week, and I'm on call sometimes on the weekends for the fire department." Shepard informed his mother, sitting upright on the couch. "My power keeps me from getting hurt from fire. Figured it would be a good fit."

Keirsta could only give a gentle chuckle watching Micah interact with Axel, the dog instantly soaking up all of the attention and flopping onto the floor so the little girl could adore him. "Someone's getting spoiled." She commented, smiling. Turning back to Shepard, Keirsta honed in on a few of his words. Think he'll need it? The alarm bells in her brain once more went off, but she had to dismiss it. After all, there was no way her son drank. Especially since he had to be underage. "Brilliant use, actually..." She trailed off, thinking for a moment. "Do you still have stellar manipulation? Or another fire-related power?" She wondered. It would be interesting to see just how similar the world-hoppers were. From what she had come to learn, they had kept their powers. But, of course, her son now showing up threw a good number of things into question for Keirsta.

With Kenzie being satisfied that everybody was taken care of, she grabbed one of the loose blankets and took a spot on the couch next to Shepard. If one were to look at them, it was almost like seeing double - just, one of them having faint whiskers and being male. "I think he's still star boy, mom." She noted, giving a large yawn and resting her head on her hand immediately. The feeling of having all her energy zapped and thrown out the window at once had hit her like a truck.

Shepard unconsciously leaned into Kenzie as she sat on the couch. "Yeah, I'm still star boy." He laughed, though the smile faded pretty fast. "I pretty much had my power mastered back home, but now that I've traveled between worlds, I have very little control over it again. As if I'm back to when I got my powers in the first place." The thought troubled him. "I'm assuming me of this world had Stellar Manipulation then too?"

The rather sleepy teen nodded, a gentle "Mhmm," being the only sound heard from her as she drifted half asleep. Shaking her head and trying to wake herself up a little bit, Kenzie couldn't help but notice a bit of the warmth radiating from her brother. "Yep. Mom and I both have a couple of burn scars from it... but..." She paused to yawn, "Dad had the most of them."

Keirsta on the other hand was rather relieved by the thought that it was the same. "Yep. Stellar manipulation. Leo having angel physiology, and myself having lunar energy manipulation... it was so bad when you ended up being just as nocturnal as me after a few weeks you had to stay here." She couldn't help but chuckle at the memory, and the long talk that she had with Leo afterwards about not turning Shepard into a complete night owl. "Took us awhile to figure out Kenzie's... but the only way I can think of it is Guardian Angel physiology."