Standing Up, Together

Fiona had made it all sound so reasonable. Almost selfless even. But her words shook you to the core. You knew in your bones there was something seriously wrong with her way of thinking.

Your voice low but grave you reach out and take Elsie’s hand. “Come away from her El.”

“Huh?” Elsie looks back at you and, seeing the look in her eyes, her happy smile evaporates. Her head snaps back to Fiona and she immediately backs away from her sister. “What’s going on?”

Fiona looks deeply disappointed, though not surprised. “Jesse…I thought you of all people would understand.”

“I’m not going to just go along with anything you say.” You reply. “I’m not meek little Jesse anymore. No more.”

Instinctively Elsie shifts to just beside and behind you, holding to you and peeking around your shoulder at her big sister. She didn’t know what was happening but she knew whose side she was on. Since yesterday you’d been feeling more confident and more courageous, but with Elsie behind you…you felt invincible!

“Look, you scared El.” Fiona gripes.

“She’s right to be scared.” You shoot right back. “You scared me!”

“Elsie…” Fiona tries to assuage her sister’s fear.

“No.” You raise a finger. “NO! You don’t get to talk right now.” The mood in the room was suddenly a powder keg as Fiona bristles at your tone. “It’s my turn! It is our turn!” You feel your little sister tense up beside you. With you there to protect her she was as ready for this fight as you were.

“El, Jesse…” Fiona starts.

“I told you to be quiet.” You warn her.

Elsie then shocks both of you by adding. “Shut up Fiona.”

Fiona’s eyes dart back and forth between you. She was outnumbered and alone. On another day she might have stormed out of the room but the pair of you had her cornered against the kitchen counters.

“Thank you for being honest with me Fiona. You’re right, it’s better this way even if it isn’t comfortable.” You start. “But what you just told me…I can’t just let that drop. It’s not right.”

“Jesse…”

“Shut up!” El snaps.

Clenching her jaw Fiona glowers at you.

“You might have convinced yourself that you’re doing something noble. Some dirty deed to benefit the rest of us. But we know you too well. It’s all about power and strength and dominance with you. Always has been. It’s just how you think.” You say, shifting every so subtly to make it clear you weren’t going to let her escape this room. “You say we’ll look down on you. You’re wrong about that. I told you, we love you. We’ll always love you. Seeing YOU down brings US down. No, we won’t look down on you sister…we’ll lift you up.”

Fiona’s eyes narrow. “Don’t try to fix me Jesse. I’m not looking for salvation.” Her gaze flits to Elsie. “I am beyond forgiveness. I’ve made my peace with that.”

“You…selfish…BITCH!” Elsie shouts. “I told you that isn’t your decision to make. YOU don’t get to decide that! YOU don’t have that power! You gave me that power over you when you did what you did.”

Fiona’s left eye twitches and she whispers. “Elsie…”

“Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth!” El snarls. “Jesse was talking.” She hands it back to you.

Turning your head you and Elsie lock eyes and you find your thoughts were one. This was it. It wasn’t how you imagined it would be but you could see the need in your normally kind hearted little sister to hit back at the person who had hurt her so badly. It was old school eye for an eye stuff, but you weren’t about to judge her for it.

You look back to Fiona. “I grant you, our family is pretty damned special. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here. But not for the reasons you think. It’s not our bodies or our genes that make us special. It’s fucking corny as hell, but it’s love.”

Fiona lets out a groan and rolls her eyes but you carry on.

“We Bailey’s are more than some group of mutants. We aren’t just a bunch of chicks with dicks and their pet boy. We are a family! We are a group of unique people with their own fucked up flaws and gifts and their own inherent value. We touch and are touched by other people too, all equally special. It doesn’t matter what their bodies look like.” You declare. “Chloe’s Daddy. Can you imagine where she’d be right now without him helping her out? She drives him crazy yet he’d be miserable without her. They complete each other. Grandpa. Do you think Grandma sees him as anything but a soul mate? The life they’ve built together isn’t about who has the power, it is a partnership. Zoey. Elsie’s best friend and a hell of nice girl. With or without babies, do think she’ll do anything but make this home a warmer more caring place? We help her unconditionally, because we’re good people, not for some far out agenda.” Elsie gives a firm nod to punctuate the point as you go on. “Your ‘nighttime friends’, as you called them. They provide you a good living and feed that ravenous ego of yours, unless I am mistaken. Casey!” You say passionately. “Oh Fiona, you should meet her. She makes me…ohhhh. She makes me happy. She isn’t a them. She isn’t some other thing. Some other species. I’m not competing with her, I want to be with her! She can’t give me a child but I don’t give a shit about that. Life isn’t about winners and losers, them and us, it’s about finding the connections that give you purpose and holding them precious.”

Fiona goes to speak but you cut her off, finishing your list with the knock out blow.

“And what about Dad?” You say solemnly.

There is a moment of tense silence.

“What about Dad?” She growls.

“He was just a human. Just a normal man. He didn’t have our gift. We got that from Mom.”

“He was NOT a normal man!” Fiona cries out. “He was…perfect!”

“He wasn’t one of us. Not genetically.” You press. “Is he just a breeder to you? Is he inferior to us?”

“No. No, of course not.” She stammers. “Daddy was…Daddy was different!” You had her reeling. It was time.

“Is Elsie?” You ask softly.

With that your sister steps out from behind you and lifts her skirt.