Welcome to Gaia! ::

C.T nodded at Esther's affirmation and willed herself too believe what Esther said as true, it made her feel more at ease as she let Esther take her hand and lead her too the door, the dog seemed too have calmed down a bit, though C.T didn't really sense any aggression maybe the dog just liked the bark. As it was, it was still watching them it's tongue lolling out of it's mouth absently.

Looking away from the dog, C.T decided too just swallow down her fear, raise her hand too the door and knock. Nothing happened for a moment, but then C.T heard voices, she couldn't quite make out what was being said, but it didn't quite sound like English.

Eventually the talking stopped and she heard footsteps and and then she heard the wooden door behind the bar door opening. C.T hadn't noticed that until now, in most areas she had been through, the homes had only a single door, the thick wooden door that led into the home. But those were quite obviously safer neighborhoods where residents didn't have too worry too much about strangers kicking their doors in.

The screen door's lock was clicked after a pause, the person behind it must not have found anything about them out of the norm, and the door was pushed open revealing a girl who had too be about 16 years old. She had on a large pair of headphones which she had decided to rest around her neck, and a phone in her hands, the phone was obviously doubling as her mp3 device seeing as the headphones were plugged into the device. C.T checked the girl out, she didn't look.... poor. Whatever that meant, and her phone looked too be new, C.T believed she'd seen it in commercials recently, so there was that, and there was also one more thing that caught C.T's eye. The girl looked like her.

Not like they were twins or anything, but they had some of the same features, and the girls eyes.. it was like C.T was standing in a mirror.

"Whoa..."

The girl sounded leaning against the door way. She must have realized the similarities. C.T opened her mouth too say something, but closed it again not knowing what too say.

"мама!" The girl called suddenly, startling C.T out of her trance again. Without waiting for a reply the girl continued shouting. "У вас есть сестра?" she asked, causing C.T's eyes too widen a bit, shaking her head rapidly.

"Нет, я не ее сестра" C.T forced out taking a step forward, the dog reacted to this and stood, barking protectively, but the girl in the door way, waved a hand at it. "Заткнись боло!" she yelled and the dog seemed too whimper in complaint before laying back down. "Так .. ты кто" The girl asked, raising a brow at C.T. Connie flinched at the question, not because it was offensive, but because C.T didn't know how too answer it. Did she just go out and say that she was the girls sister? C.T opened her mouth again too try and answer, but then another woman walked into view, C.T assumed it was the girls mother which would probably make the woman C.T's mother as well. C.T words caught in her throat as her eyes locked on the woman. They could have been twins, C.T looked just like her, the only difference was the age. Just the age.

"Kia то, что вы говорите?" The woman asked, before she turned too look at C.T and Esther. Well mostly C.T, she seemed to see the same things that Connie had, and that Kia had. She walked up too C.T slowly. "Connie?" She asked slowly, still moving towards C.T until she was face too face with the girl. C.T shrunk back a little bit suddenly very, very afraid. But still she nodded. The woman raised her hands too C.T's face and again she flinched, but didn't move other wise. It's really you? Мой ребенок?" the woman asked again and C.T nodded again, her vision suddenly becoming blurred and there was a lump in her throat. "мама." C.T whimpered she wanted too say more, but she couldn't so she just repeated herself. "мама."

"Shhhh, shhhhh It's ok." The woman, her mother spoke, pulling C.T's face into her shoulder and wrapping C.T into a huge hug. Connie clung too her, the familiar warmth of the embrace making her feel like she was at home.

"Мама , кто она?" Kia asked not entirely sure what too make of what she had just watched.

"Go inside Kia, get your brother and sisters and tell them too get ready for Dinner, and let them know we have a very important guest." The woman said, and Kia still a bit confused, nodded and went back inside.

"Connie dear, let's go inside," Her mother spoke, pulling away from the hug and resting her hands on C.T's shoulders. Briefly she turned towards Esther and gave her a warm welcoming smile. 'You of course are welcome as well. Please, come in."

C.T had tried her best too calm herself once her mother had told Kia too go gather up her siblings. She didn't want too greet them, a sobbing sniffling mess, that wasn't an ideal first impression, that would probably frighten them more than anything so C.T took the time too wipe her eyes and took a deep steadying breath, she couldn't do anything about how red her eyes and face had become but she hoped they would understand. As it was she wasn't met with any judgement only the purest out astonishment as the younger children all openly gabbed at her, her youngest brother a bit more open than the others but she didn't mind this, at least they were interested.

They all herded into the kitchen her family on one side of the table and her and Esther on the other. C.T didn't know what to do, or if she was supposed too actually do anything, she was afraid too talk, afraid that she might say the wrong thing and ruin the moment. But her mother spoke up for her, the warmness of her voice, making C.T feel calm once again, it was like something C.T knew a second nature that was returning too her. "Don't all just stare, go on introduce yourselves, you're scarring the poor girl." C.T would have protest that she didn't really mind the staring if she wasn't actually growing more and more nervous by the moment.

"My name is Katarina" One of them finally spoke up, it was the oldest girl who had already been in the kitchen when they had entered. She looked too only be a year or two younger than C.T's 21. "This is Kia." The girl gestured to Kia who raised her hand in a wave. "Yo" She sounded, cracking that same grin that C.T sometimes wore, very obviously feeling awkward. Katarina shook her head at her sister's greeting but moved on. "The two youngest are Leisha and Leon. Twins." The girl Leisha gave a timid smile and waved however Leon, looked down and sort of blushed. "He's shy" Leisha mouthed, and C.T's heart swelled, they were about the cutest thing she had ever seen. After their introductions they all looked too C.T expectantly, and Connie realized now that it was her turn too introduce herself. She suddenly felt very nervous again, all feeling of calm suddenly leaving her, she reached for Esther's hand and took it, gripping it tightly as she spoke. "My name is Connie. But everyone calls me by my initials, C.T. My last name is...." C.T paused, she shouldn't be telling them that, they would probably already know, she had heard Kia telling the younger ones that she was their older sister. "Tereshchenko" She finished.

"C.T?" Kia asked, tilting her head. Connie nodded, wondering if she had said something wrong. "Yes. C.T"

"That's a cool nickname, I wanted to be called K.T but it wouldn't stick cause Kia's already short enough. But we call Katarina Kat." Kia rambled on a bit, and C.T smiled now feeling more comfortable.

"They don't call me Kat" Kataruba spoke up shaking her head, C.T didn't really give much weight too her denial, because each of her other siblings were giving her nods that led her too believe that they did indeed call her Kat.

"So where have you been this whole time sis?" Kia asked, very suddenly addressing the elephant in the room and catching C.T off guard. Katarina, noticing her sisters mistake, took the time to smack her upside her head. Not hard or anything, but enough too make a loud pop.

"We'll save that question for later," Their mother spoke up with a warm smile. "My name, by the way is Katja dear, and would you mind introducing us too your friend?" Katja said gently, pointing out Esther who hadn't spoken since they exited the car. C.T had almost forgotten about her and was a bit ashamed too admit that. Though she still held the girls hand in her own so there was that. "Uh, yea.. This is Esther, she's my...my," Did she just out and say it, that she was in love with a woman? Wasn't that the sort of thing people hid from their families? Wouldn't Esther be offended if C.T lied? "Esther is my girlfriend." ******** it, these my be her mother, her brothers, and her sisters. But she didn't know them. But she knew Esther, and she wouldn't lose her so easily.

C.T was thankful too Esther for the save, even if it created a bit of an awkward moment it allowed her too attempt too hold on to one of the hardest secrets she would have too tell. For the time being at least. C.T allowed Katja and Esther too talk, glad that her girlfriend was being welcomed just as much as she was, that had been something that concerned her, but she was happy too see that her fears had been for not.

She had too admit that she had gotten a little nervous when Katja asked Esther how they had met, but Esther handled it well, "Car trouble." that was putting it lightly, but when Esther said C.T had been her rock, Connie couldn't help but smile at her girlfriend, a warm feeling washing over her.

"Ты так же красива , как я всегда представлял бы вы быть,"

Connie blushed when Katja spoke too her, she hadn't even notice that her mother had been looking at her, but she was. "Я смотрю только Лик вас"(I look just like you) C.T said a little shyly.

"Yes, you do, but you have your father nose and lashes, speaking of which, he should be home soon, he is picking your brother up from the local university." Katja said somehow seeming too brighten up even more. "I can't wait too see his reaction when he see's you." Katja said with a content sigh, as if all was suddenly right with her world.

"I have another brother?" C.T asked, a quick count told her that she was one of seven children, that was a lot. Especially for a family that was supposed to be poor. "Yes, he's only a year younger than yourself, the second oldest. But don't worry, there are no more, and there will be no more." Katja raised her finger's in a motion that mimicked scissors. "Oh..." C.T said, not sure if she should laugh or feel sorry for her father she had heard tales of men feeling emasculated by such a procedure.

Katja looked too Esther with a smile again, "Excuse me if I appear a bit too curious, but how long have you known Connie"

"I've been..." C.T started before trailing off, her eyes gazed around at the faces in the kitchen before settling on the two youngest children, she wasn't sure she could say all that she needed too say, not in front of them. "Leisha, why don't you and Leon go and play?' Katja suggested too her youngest children, with a pleasant smile. Leona seemed too hesitate, but his sister caught the hint and took his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen. "Bye Connie" Whispered the youngest girl on her way past, C.T gave her the best smile she could manage and waved. "Bye." Once they were gone C.T let out a small sigh, before looking back at her father who had asked her the question that she had began too answer.

"Does the name, Jacob Bradley mean anything too you." C.T asked and she could see the recognition flash on her parents face almost instantly.

"When we had you, we had only just moved into the country, we were very poor and had heard about government plans that would help immigrants with....special... children." Katja spoke, hanging her head a bit. "In reality, it was a plan too more or less, separate our child from us, we were promised financial stability, if we just signed you over too that man, Jacob Bradley." C.T nodded, gulping quietly, she looked around at the roomy home that now housed her family, it was easy too draw conclusion, and her father seemed too read her mind. "We told him no, that we would never give up our child for money. Please, you have too believe that we would never do something like that." Her father pleaded and C.T nodded. Her voice hoarse as she spoke. "I believe you, I saw the papers in his office, you never signed me over, he stole me away." C.T filled and Katja nodded. 'When you were taken from us, we started too recieve regular payments through the mail, at first we let the money pile up, but soon I became pregnant with you brother, and things became tight, so we had too use it. Your father just couldn't support us alone." Katja said, seeming ashamed for using the money of the man who kidnapped her daughter too support her family. "Of course we also searched for you, we hired investigators with the money, but every time it seemed someone got close, they told us that the trail had ran cold and that we should give up, but we didn't...not until one of them ended up dead." C.T paled at that. She had probably been responsible for the death of that investigator.

"I don't blame you for any of this. But. For most of my life I was in his possession. I was hist pet, but more than that I was his killer, he forced me too use my abilities too hurt people." Her mother covered her face and whimpered as soon as she heard that C.T had been made a murderer, her fathers face was grim, and C.T couldn't even bare too look at her siblings. "But eventually, I broke free, I made strong friends who supported me, and I met Esther." C.T said trying too lighten the mood a bit. "Your best friend?" Katja asked, moving her hands from her face and trying too take a cue from C.T. "Yea... C.T agreed softly. "We've worked together too see too it that Jacob pay for what he has done, he's been arrested recently for his actions and is facing trial, supernaturals are being allowed back into public slowly." C.T informed.

"Has that been on the news?" Kia asked suddenly speaking up for the first time in a while. C.T nodded. "Yes" Kia groaned. "Our tv's been busted for a week, and dad refuses too replace it, keeps trying too fix it himself, we've missed so much."

So the general public doesn't hate us anymore?"

C.T blushed as Esther told her parents all that had happened. C.T still wasn't really used too all the recognition, when Jennie had recognized she had just wanted to vanish, on the spot, it was embarrassing when it wasn't just flat out inconvenient, as their encounter at the gym has shown, that not all publicity was good publicity. "I'm not really famous, it was just an interview." C.T dismissed in what she hoped was a very casual fashion.

"Oh she's shy! You are indeed your father's daughter." Katja announced happily, causing her father to roll his eyes a bit "Yea, yea..."

Trying to get the subject off of her television debut, C.T reached back too something her mother had said. "When I told you that human no longer are so prejudice against supernaturals, you said "us". Are you also...?" C.T trailed off not sure how to pose the question.

"Like you? Yes we all retain the ability too use our blood for more than keeping our body functioning, even the little ones. Well all of us except for your father," Katja clarified for C.T who nodded. "So he's human?" C.T asked, just to be sure.

"Not exactly, your father is special, his ability is able to fly under the radar, he is able to see abilities within people, your father has sniffed quite a few of our kind who have thought themselves to be human otherwise." Katja said, C.T's nodded, she had heard stories of supernaturals who didn't know they had abilities until they were full grown adults. Her father's power could be very useful. "That's amazing." C.T said silently more speaking to herself really.

"But that's enough of that for now, dinner is almost ready and I'm sure you two must be hungry, Tell me have either of you ever eaten more traditional Russian cuisine?" Katja asked, getting up and moving around the kitchen. "No, I can't say I have." C.T admitted, Mag was a good chef, but she had been a nurse at first. Russian cuisine was not something that the woman had in her repertoire.

Although C.T had never seen the dishes that had been prepared before, they still oddly felt familiar. Maybe she was just being weird, but it just felt like home to her... ok yea, that sounded weird.

But it held her up a bit, kept her from digging into the meal while Esther took a bite and seemed to be loving it, C.T had to admit it did smell, and look delicious, and she wanted to taste it for herself, but she couldn't just help but look around the table at her family, and smile to herself faintly. "Your girlfriend seem to like the meal, we'll make a living breathing Russian out of her yet." Her father spoke up grinning proudly, obviously confident in his wife's cooking, however something he said caught C.T off guard. "My what?" C.T asked, surprised. "Your friend." her father said not missing a beat, nodding his head towards Esther and ducking his head to begin eating. C.T narrowed her eyes at him, he hadn't been here for the slip up before, so how could he know?

C.T shook her head, and decided to drop it for now, But, I'll be keeping my eye on you old man C.T took her first bite of her meal and she had to admit that it was delicious.

"You have to learn how to make this," C.T looked at Esther when she spoke up and rolled her eyes. "We'll talk to Mag, I can't cook." C.T said with a shrug, she was sure Mag could figure it out with an accurate description. "I can teach you," Katja offered seeming eager "Unless... How long are you planning on being here? Where do you live now?"

C.T frowned for a moment, not sure how to explain to her parents that she had been living in an abandoned warehouse without making it sound worse than it actually was. "I told you that I linked up with others who were like me, well we re-purposed this old factory in the woods, it became out home, and it's where Esther and I choose to live now, with a few other members of my family who haven't returned home." C.T, hoped she had did her home justice.

(grats, sorry if I didn't give you much to work with.)

(Happy belated Xmas and early New Year!)

"Please, I insist."

C.T's heart swelled, she wanted to stay, very badly in fact, but she had to keep at least a little bit of her old character in tact. "I don't want us to impose, I don't know where we would sleep." C.T said, looking around the table, her family was indeed very large, and while the house was surprisingly big, C.T didn't know if it could squeeze in two extra people.

"Nonsense, your room is still empty." Her father spoke up, wiping his hands on a napkin, his food seemingly to have been vacuumed from his plate. "I have a room?" C.T asked her eyes widening a bit. Her father nodded. "Yup, your mother insisted on keeping your old room open in case you ever came back, good thing we did." Her father commented."I knew you would come back to us one day, and that you would need a place to sleep. Please, Her mother started setting her pleading eyes on C.T "I'm not asking you to stay forever, but while you are in town, please stay here with us." Katja near begged, C.T just wanted to get up and hug her, seriously. How could she say no to that? C.T smiled faintly looking to Esther for a moment before speaking "Our bags are in the car." C.T said, making a move to stand but her mother shook her head. "You can get them later, let us talk more." Katja said smiling. C.T sat back down nodding, it did make sense to wait she supposed not like she needed to do any changing at the moment. "So Esther, you said my daughter found you when you were having car troubles? What made you stick around?" Katja asked, C.T blushed and averted her gaze, knowing the finer details made things a bit awkward, her father cleared his throat loudly sipping his water again. C.T shot him a look, and he winked at her, causing her face to deepen in it's color. "Forgive me again if I am prying, it just seems that our Connie lead a rough life, I want fully appreciate why you were brave enough to stay by her side." Katja clarified.