(OOC: I am so sorry. First I get slammed by Midterms, then by illness, and by the time I had time to look...it was gone...so I hope this'll do...really, really sorry!)

The plane ride had been long and boring. The adrenaline rush of finally doing something for herself had long ago tapered off. Once they'd reached New York, Ana's head was swiveling in every direction, trying to take it all in.

In the cab - it really was yellow, not just yellow - Ana had out an English phrasebook. She had decent English, but her accent was still thick and, if things were as sketchy as Alex had put across, she'd need to fit in better. She was silent most of the time, listening very carefully to the intonation of peoples' voices, and imitating them under her breath.

And when they reached Alex's apartment, Ana wondered why she'd not joined her sister earlier.

It was lovely - the chairs were overstuffed, gilted in elegant brocade, and the wood of the intables and coffee table was something polished, elegant - and hard to find in Romania. "How the hell did you land this gig, Alex?" Ana asked, her chocolate eyes wide in wonder, the word gig tasting funny on her tongue.

Alexandra glared at the window absently, watching the dawn with no particular interest as her sister looked around the living room. She couldn’t say this was home, just some house where she could stay in. A gift from Hunter she got when she joined the Kabal. The place was a bit dusty as the place was unoccupied for the last few months, but Ana wouldn’t be troubled by this. She would call a maid or something when she had the time.
She smiled hearing her sister’s question but preferred to shrug in response as she couldn’t tell her the truth.
“With the help of some friends.” she spoke, pausing, hoping that Ana will get the hint and stop questioning her about where she had the money.
"The bedrooms and bathroom is trough that door and the kitchen and dinning room is trough the other." Alexandra added, gesturing toward the doors on the sides of the large couch. "Shall we?" she asked, gesturing toward the wooden door that leaded to the kitchen and dinning room. She waited for Ana to accommodate with her surroundings before proceeding further.

Alex seemed distracted. Or maybe she'd just changed since...however long ago it was.

Ana nodded, moving to where her sister indicated. She moved into the kitchen, opening and closing some cupboards before pulling out a canister of shoestring potato chips with a smile. They'd had those a lot when they were kids. Her movements were slightly jerky - she was trying to be at ease here, but it was hard when Alex was so distant. If she couldn't ask any questions, how was she supposed to get to know her again?

Alexandra watched amused how Ana was opening and closing the cupboards before retrieving the potato chips with a smile. She smiled back at her, reassuringly. She wanted her sister to feel home here, but she couldn't help her. Ana was going to be fine without her being around all the time. Although she wished she could stay with her, she remembered that back when she first came to America she really didn't know anyone. And she managed to go further, without someone having her back.
"Come on. Let's see the bedrooms." she said as she got out of the kitchen/dinning room irea back into the living room. Going around the couch, she opened the other door. A small hallway opened there, doors on all of the sides. "To the right is the bathroom. Left it's my room. And, " she opened the door in front of her "this is your room." She hadn't spent much time changing this room, well, any of the rooms as she barely needed to be here but if Ana wanted, she's give her the money to buy anything she wanted. She stepped in and then moved to the right to let Ana see. "Hope you like it. If you want something changed, we'll see what we can do about it." she added with a wink.

"Woooah," Ana said openly, walking in, unable to keep her eyes in one place. "I can tell you one think, Alex - I'm not complaining. Not in the slightest. I think I can survive here." She flung herself onto the bed, grinning.

There was a pause, and Ana's smile had faded. "Thanks, Alex," she said quietly, looking at her hands. "I don't think I could've dealt with this at home."

Alexandra folded her arms and leaned against the door frame with a sincere smile on her lips. "Anytime, sis." She sighed as her smile disappeared. "I'm sorry I won't be able to be here but I'll come and check in once in a while."
She looked over her shoulder to her bedroom's door. "You can bring the laptop from my room here if you need it. Good Internet connection." she joked then bit her lip.
"An you can go shop and visit the city. You shouldn't get too bore around here."
Alexandra shrugged as she pulled out her wallet and took one of her credit cards out and tossed it to Ana.
"Take this, you're gonna need it. I think there are enough money for a couple of weeks." she added and placed her wallet back into her jeans' pocket.

Alexandra folded her arms and leaned against the door frame with a sincere smile on her lips. "Anytime, sis." She sighed as her smile disappeared. "I'm sorry I won't be able to be here but I'll come and check in once in a while."

"It's okay, Alex. You already told me you have a life here. I don't want to interrupt it." In truth, she did, but she wasn't a selfish sister - they were both grown up, their own mutant powers defining them more than their sisterhood did.

She looked over her shoulder to her bedroom's door. "You can bring the laptop from my room here if you need it. Good Internet connection." she joked then bit her lip.
"An you can go shop and visit the city. You shouldn't get too bored around here."

"I like shopping," Ana said with a grin. "With what, though, I don't know." She hated asking Alex for money, and didn't plan on it, but her sister had other ideas.

Alexandra shrugged as she pulled out her wallet and took one of her credit cards out and tossed it to Ana.
"Take this, you're gonna need it. I think there are enough money for a couple of weeks." she added and placed her wallet back into her jeans' pocket.

Ana looked at the card like it was magic. She was about to protest, but looked up at Alex, seeing her put her wallet away. She was right, she would need it. There was no way she could survive in New York with no money at all.

"Thanks, Alex," Ana said again, standing and moving to hug her sister, before pulling back a little awkwardly.

She hugged her sister back and then felt her pull back awkwardly. Alexandra frowned. "Something wrong, Ana?"
She scanned her sister's face, looking for a hint on what was going on in her head but found none.
"Hey, I'll come here as soon as I can. And I'll give you a phone number to call me in case of emergency. All you have to do is keep yourself out of trouble and decide on what do you want to do next. I'll take care of the rest." she paused as she thought about what her sister would need. "Oh, I have to enroll you in a new school. I'll do it in a week or so."
She sighed. "I think you're gonna like it here. Just... be carefull who you talk to. Especially if you run into mutants. Some are really dangerous. Don't go out at night, don't answer the door," Alexandra shrugged. She never had to take care of someone and now she felt more like a mother to Ana rather than a sister. Not a very good one, after all.
"Just take good care of you when I'm not around."
It was about the third time when she said that but Ana didn't know what she did about New York, about mutants. She hoped she wouldn't have to learn them the hard way.

She hugged her sister back and then felt her pull back awkwardly. Alexandra frowned. "Something wrong, Ana?"

"No, Alex - just, you know, thinking."

"Hey, I'll come here as soon as I can. And I'll give you a phone number to call me in case of emergency. All you have to do is keep yourself out of trouble and decide on what do you want to do next. I'll take care of the rest." she paused as she thought about what her sister would need. "Oh, I have to enroll you in a new school. I'll do it in a week or so."

Ana wrinkled her nose at that. "But American schools are slow. I'm nearly done in Romania, anyway. Can't you just fake a GED?" Ana asked, her tone bordering on whiny.

She sighed. "I think you're gonna like it here. Just... be carefull who you talk to. Especially if you run into mutants. Some are really dangerous. Don't go out at night, don't answer the door," {...} "Just take good care of you when I'm not around."

"I'll be fine, Alex, I promise. I won't get into trouble." She looked at her sister carefully. "You really don't need to worry so much about me."

"I see what I can do about it." Ana said with a wink. "And I trust your word that you'll be fine."
She tossed a set of keys at her sister and sighed. "Now, if you don't need me anymore, I really have to go... somewhere."
Oh, yeah, she felt a really bad sister right now.
"I'll call later to check on you." she said as she hugged her sister again.
"Be good." she warned as she waved and headed for the door. She looked at her watch. She hoped that no one at the mansion noticed she wasn't there for a while.

"Always am," Ana replied with a wave.

She watched her sister leave, and stayed standing there for a while after she left. There were so many emotions vying for her attention, she wasn't sure which one to tend to first.

Slowly, Ana moved around the couch, turned, and fell into it with a heavy sigh. "Home," she murmured, closing her eyes.

[fin]