Chapter I - Above Reality. 

 

My brother always liked airports. He said they were wonderful, because one is free to look at people without having to directly interact with them. Though we both preferred solitude, even after spending our entires lives together, airports weren't awkward for either of us. And once the clock struck midnight, we'd only have an hour left before we boarded the plane. 

 

We had been at JFK for two hours now, and it was growing boring fast to me. I followed Orion's lead and came past customs to passport check. Apparently, we were the only ones who travel this late at night, considering even the one of the busiest airport in the nation was near empty before midnight. We met with a woman behind a glass counter, with a chubby face and kind eyes hidden by thick glasses. 

 

"Passports please." 

 

Orion and I both thrusts our passports in her face simultaneously. 

 

"Oh, one at a time, please." she chuckled, and pushed her glasses down to the tip of her nose. "Rue Strife?" 

 

"That's me."

 

"And Orion Strife?"

 

"Mhm."

 

She opened our passports, one per hand, and compared and contrasted their information.

 

"Both born August 19th. You're twins?"

 

We nodded.

 

"And you guys have been all over..." she searched for an empty place to stamp. "Where are you heading?" 

 

"Rome." I replied.

 

"Ooh, I hear it's beautiful there." 

 

"We wouldn't know." I smiled. 

 

"And you're coming in from... Ottawa?" 

 

"Yes, we had family up there."

 

"Had?" 

 

Orion shot me a glare. Twins supposedly could speak telepathically; I'm not sure of how true that is, but right now, I'm sure he'd be saying something along the lines of, "stop talking, now."

 

"Well, they're still there. We're not." I said as Orion held his hand out, silently asking for our passports back. 

 

"Aren't you awful young to be traveling alone?"

 

"No," Orion's voice was strong, as our passports were returned. "We have each other." 

 

"Alright, well, you two have a nice trip. And you better get some rest." she indicated to my brother. "You look kind of pale."

 

"He always looks like that." I commented with a laugh, but Orion grabbed my arm and began to pull me away. 

 

"Are you sick, sweetie?" she continued.

 

"Ectodermal Dysplasia." Orion returned under his breathe as he drug me towards our gate. "Thank you."

 

"You're welcome." she warmly waved at us, but I was the only one to see it. 

 

Orion was silent and focused on the path to our gate. I stared at the pale skin on his arm that drug my own. We were so pale and probably looked ill. 

 

"Was that necessary, Rue?" he asked once we had arrived and settled at Gate 23-B. 

 

"Is it necessary that you be such a douche all the time?" 

 

When he looked at me, his eyes looked like sinkholes that threatened to engulf that I was. 

 

I sighed, "She was really friendly. I don't see what your problem was."

 

"It's that you find it necessary to nearly inform every person we meet of our secret." 

 

I rolled my eyes, making sure he was able to see, and looked at my watch. "We've got another two and a half hours."

 

"I know."

 

"Then I'm taking a nap." I found a comfortable spot in the junction between his neck and shoulder and lay my head there. 

 

"Not on me," he protested and I pretended not to hear. "My shoulder'll fall asleep." He moved my head to the arm of the chair. 

 

I crossed my arms and moments after making myself comfortable, I felt his possessive arm drape around me. 

 

 

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I figured I slept there for around an hour before Orion woke me up and we began to board the flight. 

 

I placed my arms on the arms of the chairs and pushed myself forward into a stretch as I stood. Orion hardly allowed me time to regain composure over my weary muscles before slumping a book bag over a shoulder, shooting me a look over that shoulder and nodding towards the gate. My carry on rested at my elbow's joint and I followed him as swiftly as my tired body would let me. 

 

"I'm cold." I stated, after we had successful entered the terminal tunnel and were heading for the plane.

 

"You wouldn't be cold if you had worn a jacket," he retorted like he was my father and abruptly stopped in the middle of the tunnel. 

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Take this." he threw the hoodie he had been wearing. "Haven't you learned that planes are cold yet?" 

 

"Thanks." I smiled and put it on. He and I were both slender for our age and gender; if we wanted to, we probably could share clothes but he was never one for fashion. "I have just asked for a blanket." I commented, once we entered the plane proper and were greeted by the pilot and an array of stewardesses. 

 

"I doubt it," he commented looking at our tickets. "We're probably gonna get coach." 

 

Orion suddenly stopped in the middle of the aisle. Two large seats, covered in soft blue fabric, sat to our left and right. 

"What?" 

 

"We're sitting here."

 

"In first class?" I looked around, as if two crappy seats labeled with our numbers would suddenly appear among the nice ones.  

 

"Apparently," he shrugged and threw his book bag in the over head compartment. "Want the window seat?" 

 

"Uh, sure." I said once I realized I was holding up the line and put my carry on beside my twin's book bag. 

 

We made ourselves comfortable in a matter of seconds and I yawned. "This is awesome." 

 

"Wonder what this aunt of ours is like?" It was the first time either of us had mentioned her since we heard this was the new relative we'd be shipped off to. 

 

"Loaded!" I exclaimed, then paused. "Do you think she knows?" 

 

"If she's mom's sister, I'm sure she would." 

 

"Do you think she's...?"

 

"She'd have to be. Like I said, she's mom's sister. How could she not be?"

 

"Have we even met her?"

 

"Apparently, we have. In the letter she sent us, she said she hadn't seen us since we were really young." He pulled a folded piece of thick paper from the depths of his pocket and showed it to me.

 

She hadn't sent us a letter, but a post card instead with the Vatican City on the front. 

 

"Orion and Rue - It's been forever since I last saw you two! I bet you don't remember me, but I'm your aunt Angela and you'll be staying with me in Rome. I'll explain more when I see you at the airport in two weeks. -With Love Aunt Angela." 

 

Her handwriting was large and in perfect cursive. 

 

"Long-winded, huh?" 

 

Orion shrugged. "I guess it'll be a surprise."

 

"Fun." I tossed the postcard back at him. "Can't wait."

 

"You don't sound enthusiastic." he leaned closer to look at my eyes. "What's wrong?"

 

"Are we ever gonna have a home?" I asked, averting my stare to the window so I wouldn't have to look at him. 

 

He slumped back into his chair, stretching out his legs across the floor and his arms over his head. "I guess we're just gypsies, Rue Bella."

 

I hated that nickname. 

 

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The flight was nine hours long, not the longest or shortest flight either of us had experienced. After we were fed a late night dinner, Orion occupied himself with a movie while I napped again. He refused to fall asleep in public places, even in situations like this when it meant staying awake for over twenty-four hours.

 

He woke me up before sunrise, so we could watch it from the view from the cockpit. Television like screen were embedded into the backs of the chairs we were facing. The flight was still an hour long and though it seemed awkward, I found myself simply staring at my brother. He was engulfed in watching the sky surrounding us from the screen, and I took note of his familiar features. 

 

We were a light and pale pair. As twins, it was expected that we look alike. Our eyes, hair and skin matched perfectly- gray blue eyes, hair so blonde it was almost white, and skin so pale that it was nearly translucent skin. We share bone structure, high cheekbones and lanky limbs, making us seem taller and thinner than we probably were. Either way, I thought we made an attractive pair, even if we were somewhat odd looking. 

 

The remainder of the flight went smoothly, more so than we could remember since this was our first time in first class. We stayed on the plane itself for at least an hour longer, and spent another hour before we got to baggage claim. Once they saw we had North American passports, customs became much easier. 

"I remember when if you were from the Americas, you got strange looks instead of catered to." Orion commented, as we started looking for a face that was even vaguely familiar amongst the crowd of people. 

 

"You sound like a grandfather." 

 

Orion stopped suddenly and didn't respond with something snide. 

 

"What?" 

 

He cocked his head and nodded towards the left when my eyes caught what his had.

 

A nun was standing calmly amidst the crowd. Just the nun herself wouldn't seem abnormal to me, particularly since outside the Da Vinci airport was not only Rome, but the Vatican too. But all the stranger, was the fact that she held a handmade sign that read, "ORION and RUE STRIFE."

 

No way.