Enjoy the chapter everyone ^^

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

They had said that we’d be contacted in a few days but it seems like they had made some kind of mistake. Already one week had passed and we still hadn’t received any new orders from Karen or anyone. But it did not bother me for now, I was still getting used to the life outside of the constant training and company of A3.

Sighing I proceed with the work in the garden Liam had assigned me to. When we had arrived here the few square meters of grass we had where completely unusable so Liam had spontaneously decided that it could be a good thing if people saw me working outside. In my thoughts I once more swore at my superior for making me do these things but I get interrupted by a voice from beyond the small wooden fence that boxed our property in.

>>Oh hello Miss Mercer, how is the garden coming along?

During the last week I had also spend multiple hours a day trying to get the German language into my head while only earning mediocre results, as such I was able to communicate but most of our neighbors had already accepted the fact that I was simply an American cousin with German roots.

I turn around to face the voice and get greeted by the sight of a woman in her late 40ties with two children clinging to her hands, while the woman herself had short brown hair her kids where both blonde.

Glad for some distraction I put the dirt shovel away I had used to get rid the garden of harmful weed. Wiping some of my hairs out of my vision I send them a genuine smile and lean over the fence.

>>Hello Mrs Paulsen. Walking to park I see?

The older one of the children, a boy of only 12 years pointed at me.

>>She’s talking like Laura, that’s weird.

Instantly his mother lightly taps his head while rebuking him.

>>Now really Tim, that was not a very nice thing to say towards Miss Mercer, apologize!

One short laugh escapes my throat as I wave at them and answer in my broken German.

>>No worry, I know language is not well.

Slightly embarrassed Mrs Paulsen still slightly bows towards me but before she can say anything more her four year old daughter gives me a happy smile and waves back.

>>Hello? Play with toy?

Instantly softened up by someone like her I bow forward and feint interest towards the dirty Frisbee in her hands.

>>Oh. Awesome toy! Mother will be glad to play I bet.

Clearly amused her mother laughs and nods towards her child.

>>Yes, come Laura, Miss Mercer still seems to have work to do, how about the two of us play with your Frisbee? Hmm?

With delight in her eyes the small girl claps her hands before slowly walking towards the park. Grabbing the hand of her second child Miss Paulsen gives me another warm smile.

>>I hope you can finish your work in a satisfying manner, good luck.

Then she was gone, walking behind her daughter while simultaneously shouting.

>>Laura, wait up, Mama can only walk that fast.

Smiling to myself I bow down once more to keep ridding the garden of harmful plant life. I quite liked the neighborhood at the moment every second home housed at least one small child and the entire community seemed very nice.

While I didn’t forget what Liam had told me on the first day in Germany I still could not help but be drawn in by my surroundings. It had simply been too long since I’ve last had normal human contact. I had realized that if I never had been changed by the Event then this neighborhood would be the perfect place for me to live in. Laughing I proceed with my work.

A woman can dream can’t she?

It took me three hours to finally finish cleaning up the garden and by the time I was finally done Liam had already arrived back at the house. He had only been joking with the sitting around at home part and was actually heading to one of the Clans facilities for a few hours a day to not wake up any suspicion about us.

Walking out into the garden he simply gave me an impressed look and nodded.

"Good job on cleaning up Alexis, wouldn’t have thought that you’d do it so throughout. Any news from Karen?"

I shook my head while cleaning up the remaining tools into a small cupboard.

“Have talked with no one safe for the neighbors and shouldn’t you be the one that would be contacted? After all you’re the one who’s allowed to stay in one of their buildings.”

For a short moment Liams face twists into disdain though instantly returning to normal afterwards.

“You overestimate my role there, they simply allow me to stay in a few rooms to either train or read but there is not a lot of information anyone gives me, after all I am still an outsider to the Clan. I simply had hoped that Karen would contact us directly somehow.”

I agreed, simply by taking into account how Radical had treated us while driving us from the airport we had already known that the members of the Clan where not to keen on having us here.

After putting away the tools we both head back inside and Liam instantly sat down in the living room opening up his laptop. I didn’t know what exactly he was doing on it but I also quite frankly wasn’t interested. Whatever he did, it was to pass time.

As for me, I didn’t know what to do to keep myself occupied. The work Liam had given me had been a welcome distraction to be honest and now that the garden was finished I stood in the living room with a tilted head. Looking up to me Liam noticed this.

“You ok?”

Since I didn’t want to bother him I simply bit my lip and shook my head.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

He clearly didn’t fall for the lie but also kept quiet about it. Sighing I put on my other shoes and a jacked before turning towards Liam again.

“I’m going to take a walk, is there anything we need? I might head to the market afterwards.”

Looking at me from behind the cover of his laptop Liam thought about it for one second before shaking his head.

“Nothing I got in mind right now. Take care.”

As soon as I opened the front door I was greeted by the shouts of 3 boys and a girl playing with two German Shepards on the streets. Since it was Saturday I should probably have expected this to happen. I looked around and quickly noticed the parents of said kids, one of them was the pair living directly next door. They were talking with the mothers of the other two and waved at me as they noticed me.

>>Oh, hello Miss Mercer out for a walk?

I walked past the hyperactive children and joined the four of them. The sole male in the group was currently as unemployed as my fake personality and his appearance had suffered because of it. I knew he was barely 36 years old but his short dark hair already had a multitude of grey streaks in them. His wife had a short blonde haircut and was slightly overweight though she did not let this hinder her from chasing her children through the park.

>>Hello Mrs and Mr Wagner. Good day is not?

An awkward silence appeared due to my broken sentence. My German seemed to confuse them for one second but then one of the women next to them, Mrs Lenan came to my rescue. Her pitch black hair hung from her head in short curls and she held onto an infant I had not noticed earlier.

>>Yes indeed, the weather is great isn’t it neighbors?

Her eyes mustered me in amusement but were soon distracted by her baby which started playing with her hair.

“Nein, das darfst du nicht essen Tamara.”

I did not fully understand what she had said but was happy for her help. Mr Wagner smiled at me and nodded.

>>Indeed, the weather is quite nice today, Tom and Patrick have been running around out here for an hour straight already, I have no idea where they’re getting that much energy from.

Before I could answer the final member of the small circle Mrs Schwartz opened her mouth, she was the mother of the girl and owner of the two dogs running around us.

>>If your sons had any more energy I would have to put them on leashes instead of my dogs so they don’t run anyone over.

Chuckling she waves at her daughter who instantly runs towards her extending her open palm.

>>Can I give them a treat?

Her lively voice made me smile as she jumped up and down in front of her mother who sighed and gave her a small metal container containing sweets for the dogs. Before she could say anything else the girl had already run off to show the three boys how to make the animals perform tricks.

>>If this keeps up they’ll be fat and lazy in no time.

Sighing she shakes her head and turns towards me.

>>Anyways, how do you like neighborhood so far Miss Mercer? I’ve heard from your cousin that you worked in a daycare in the United States? It’s sad that you are now unemployed.

Come again?

I hid my surprise behind an expression of someone who did not exactly know what she had said. Me working in a daycare? Because I did not know what to answer I gave them a smile and nodded.

>>Everyone here very nice. Yes I worked there, Liam takes care now.

They nodded and accepted my broken words Mrs Wagner even patted me on the shoulder with a reassuring look.

>>It’s good to have a reliable family to back you up.

Mrs Lenan had freed her hair from her daughters grasp and joined the conversation once more.

>>There is a daycare quite near from here, it would probably be too sudden but they might need helpers at some point.

Now it started to come together, Liam had probably figured out that the daycare was close to the houses and had simply forgotten to tell me what he had told the parents of the neighborhood. Finally understanding I nodded smiling.

>>I would love work there.

I did not have high hopes that I would instantly be integrated there but it would be a start if they at least knew of me there. If given time they would most certainly come back to me.

Afterwards we started talking about different topics concerning some building that was being constructed in the city center, thought I was only barely able to follow the conversation. During this time Mr and Mrs Wagner took their sons and went back home, telling us that they would eat dinner now. With only me and the two remaining parents left we simply joined in the game with the dogs, throwing drool soaked toys from one to the other to let the Shepherds and to be frank the children as well chase them. I did not know why but it was one of the more relaxing things I had done in a long time. While the dogs slightly seemed to avoid my immediate contact they still came running as soon as I held their toy. Surprisingly this kept going until evening where the animals barely moved at all and the children had found other things to satisfy their curiosity on.

I was about to excuse myself from the round and head back home when Mrs Schwartz greeted someone behind me.

>>Oh hello Marie, heading back home I see?

While I had never heard that name before it did not mean anything, there were a lot of first names that I still had to find out. Before I turn around I can hear the voice of a woman talking in a serious tone to Mrs Schwartz.

>>Who’s the new one, haven’t seen her around here.

The voice seemed eerily familiar although I could not pinpoint why exactly.

>>Oh, she moved here a few days back. Hey Miss Mercer, this is Marie Schried, she works part time at the day care as a nurse.

Ah, someone I have to leave a good impression on.

Putting on a winning smile I face the person behind me but as soon as I realize who was looking at me I freeze immediately and was only barely able to stop myself from jumping away.

Impossible!

In front of me stood a woman with the height of barely 1.6 meters and wearing quite simple clothes. With blue eyes she mustered me while simultaneously pulling a hand through her dark brown hair that ended in a strict pony tail.

>>Hello, it seems that we haven’t met yet. It’s nice to see someone new every now and then.

Her words were formulated nicely but I could not decrypt the look in her eyes. I did not know what to answer and simply stared at her while desperately trying to appear calm on the outside.

In front of me, barely 2 meters away stood . One of Arthus most trusted and competent subordinates.