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Hannah stared out at the white snow dancing across her windowsill. The grounds of the facility seemed to be awash in ice. Tanks and trucks had snow past their tires.
It has been about a month since Hannah and Lex escaped. PEIP has been extremely kind to them so far. They never pushed, allowing Lex and Hannah to help on their own terms, at their own pace. Xander has been the kindest to them. Hannah has had a lot of father figures this past year. She would like to call Xander one too…
But she had a bad track record with father figures dying in her lifetime.
Hannah dropped down from her little window perch. The room around her was painted a flaming gray, with a matching bed spread. A few posters hung around, mostly album covers and old movie posters. Her room was quite monotone, but Hannah wanted it to look like that.
There was a little buzzing sound. A button on the panel by her door lit up.
Hannah pressed it.
“Hey Hannah! Would you like to join me downstairs in the lobby? I have a surprise for you and your sister.
———-
The lobby wasn’t what you would expect. Instead of sharp corners made of metals and stone, the lobby was a deep red. Lamps and chandeliers hung around the room, giving off a soft light. There were sofas and lounges set up around tables and fireplaces. A few arcade games were set up on the walls and a pool table sat near the back right corner.
In the middle was a large golden staircase that led up to a balcony facing the bottom floor. There were more couches, a TV, and a kitchen off to the side.
Hannah remembered first seeing this lobby. She had never seen anything this nice before. She had never stepped into a room and felt this much warmth and comfort. She had cried a little.
But there was something new in the lobby. In the center, on the bottom floor, was a massive Christmas tree. A group of agents were bringing down boxes and boxes of shiny ornaments, each of them the size of Hannah’s head.
Xander stood with his hands on his hips. Lex floated right next to him. Her completion was gray, more gray than it had been in Hatchetfield.
Lex hasn’t been the same since Ethan…. passed. She spends most of her time in her room across the hall from Hannah’s. She doesn’t join Hannah for meals (mostly cause she can’t eat). She barely talks anymore, only to Hannah. The spider has asked her multiple times if she was the problem, and Lex would always answer no.
Hannah knew she wasn’t lying about that. Lex has never lied to Hannah, only kept things unsaid.
So Hannah was surprised to see Lex down here.
“Oh, there you are! We’re just about to get started.” Xander ruffled the fluff on Hannah’s head.
Hannah chuckled. “Get started with what?”
“Well, PEIP has a tradition where each year we all decorate this big ass Christmas Tree and bake cookies and stuff. It’s kinda just like a normal Christmas, but it’s a fun way to spend the holidays, especially since most of us don’t have a place to go during the winter.”
Lex frowned. “So… you guys are all Catholic?”
Xander reared his head back with laughter. “After the shit I’ve seen? No.” He composed himself. “But, it’s a comfort. And…. John really loved celebrating it. He used to be in charge of the whole shabang. If one of us dropped an ornament, he would make us sing “Last Christmas” by WHAM.” Xander smiled, a soft, gentle smile.
There was a picture of Macnamera on a mantelpiece. Hannah likes to look at it. He looks so young in the photo. Hannah liked to imagine him as a new agent cutting up around the facility.
“So, would you guys like to put the first ornaments on?”
Lex furrowed her brow, leaning into herself. “I don’t know if you knew, but I’m kinda useless when it comes to, ya know, grabbing stuff.”
Xander raised an eyebrow. “I think there may be a way to fix that. Hannah, could you grab that box under the tree, please?”
Hannah did. She took off the red bow and opened the lid to reveal a pair of black gloves. They gleamed in the soft lights. The gloves seemed to be made out of some sort of plastic.
Xander picked up the pair and held them out to Lex.
Lex tentatively reached out and touched the gloves. She didn’t faze through them.
“You’re kidding me.”
“Merry Christmas, Lex.”
Lex pulled the gloves onto her hands. She flexed them.
Then she lunged at Hannah, wrapping her in a bear hug. She felt the soft hair on Hannah’s head.
And Lex began to cry.
And Hannah cried.
After all this time, Lex could finally hold her baby sister again.