"Oh Jennifer you'll love it, we have a pretty pink room and you can have all the dolls and toys you want...."

"I want DeeDee." IDC mumbled, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Jennifer, don't pout that's not good for ladies." Carol sniffed. "And your brother will be fine, George is in Washington where he belongs!"

"I'm going to be the government too!" IDC argued.

"Quiet Jennifer you're going to wake up your cousin!" Carol ordered gesturing towards the baby in the carseat who didn't even look like he was about to wake up. "And besides, you don't want one of those stuffy government jobs. They're not proper places for ladies."

"Please IDC, Texas really wants you there." DC begged following his sister around the halls of their government building.

"Whose bright idea was it to family Sunday dinner anyway?" IDC asked hoping her brother would drop it.

"It was Georgia's, but it's a really good idea! Besides Gov already agreed to go." DC pointed out.

"That's because Austin will be there." IDC added raising her eyebrow. "I have too much to do Sunday anyway, I can't go."

"For one dinner though?" DC whined.

"Enough DeeDee." IDC ordered glaring at her brother. "Let's get to work."

IDC hated the lacy dress her aunt wore, she hated her hairstyle, she hated everything. All the ladies at Carol's dinner party kept squeezing her cheeks or saying how beautiful she'd be when she grew up, and all IDC wanted was to go back into her room.

"I can't believe Confederation would do that to this poor girl." Carol had said in a flourish retelling the story of how she saved the twins from his abuse. "If I had known..."

"Liar. You knew." IDC thought trying not to glare at her aunt. "You knew and did nothing."

"Where's this sweet young things brother?" A party guest asked.

"Poor George had to go away for a while, we're hoping he'll be well around Christmas." Carol lied before jumping at the sound of a chair clattering on the ground.

"YOU LIAR. YOU JUST WANTED ONE OF US." IDC yelled, tears in her eyes.

"You going to this party would make you admit that DC has a home in Orlando and you can't do that to yourself."

"Did you come to sign bills with me or psychoanalyze me?" IDC asked, glaring at her cousin.

"I mean, am I wrong?" Gov asked.

"Is it so wrong that I don't like him living in Orlando? Have you seen the news over there?" IDC pointed out.

"While I admit hearing the Florida Man stories makes me die inside, you know deep down that's not why you don't like him living there." Gov argued.

"I accepted his boyfriends, isn't that enough?" IDC hissed.

"Of course it is! But accepting that your brother has a home and is surrounded by people who love him away from you should be your next step." Gov explained. IDC huffed and grabbed another pile of bills, furiously beginning to sign off on them. What did her cousin know anyway?

IDC furiously threw some clothes in her bag and zipped it up, trying to get the timing right when this, Maryland boy, would show up to her aunt's house. She couldn't take it anymore, a month away from her brother was too much and she had to go see him. It didn't help that Carol was actively trying to fill her schedule with mundane activities and lessons, in a way trying to get her to forget about DC and accept her new life.

Fat chance.

The little girl jumped when she saw a light in the window and quickly threw the shades open.

"Hey hon! Nice to meet ya!" Maryland greeted.

"SHHH. These walls are paper thin, she'll hear you." IDC ordered opening up the window and tossing her bag at Maryland. With the small states help, the little girl climbed onto the grate outside of her window and climbed down, sighing in relief as her feet touched grass.

"Where too?" Maryland whispered. IDC grabbed her bag and threw it back on her back.

"Washington."

IDC tried not to listen as DC gave Washington his marching orders for the next few days, signaling he was ready to go back home. She pressed her pen deep into her paper hearing her brother talk.

'Probably won't get much done, Tex will see to that.'

'Yeah well, if Dia doesn't blow up the kitchen.'

IDC quickly wiped her eyes as her office door opened and DC stepped in with his bags ready to go.

"Hey, I'm heading out." DC announced.

"Let me know when you get home." IDC ordered.

"Will you please reconsider Sunday?" DC begged. IDC looked up and gave him a glare, making DC sigh.

"Alright then. I love you sissy." DC said softly before closing the door. IDC threw her pen down and finally let herself cry.

"I love you too DeeDee."

"Wait IDC we need to be careful--" IDC didn't head the young state's warning, instead dashing right into the small building right next to the mall, security or guardians be damned. At one point she lost her backpack as she hurried down the hallways of the bunks, trying to listen for any sign of where her brother was. She paused at some sniffling coming from the end of the hallway and dashed down, coming across a small bundle of blankets lying next to the door, shaking and sniffling from tears. In an instant, she knew who was inside.

"DeeDee?" IDC whispered, removing one of the blankets. Instantly her twin brother shot up, still as thin and as small as he was when they were separated, face wet with tears.

"SISSY!" DC cried latching onto his twin with all the force in the world. IDC held DC tight, rocking him back and forth as he cried, DC clutching onto her as if she'd float away.

"Don't worry DeeDee, I'm not leaving you again." IDC whispered. "Nothing will make me."

IDC sat back in her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She had already gotten a text from Gov saying if she'd want it, he had an extra ticket to Orlando so they could fly together, and was wondering how she should respond. One side of her said that she should tell him to fuck off, but the other side, the more logical one, told her that she should go.

The international branch of the government flopped over and picked up a picture from her bedside table, of herself and DC in the aftermath of the Biden victory speech. She didn't know who took the picture, it was probably Gov, but it was from behind and DC had his arm around IDC's shoulders and she had hers around DC's back and they looked like the perfect figure of the government. She sighed again and put the frame down, picking up her phone and quickly dialing Washington's number.

"Hey, clear my schedule for today." IDC ordered.

"You....you didn't have anything." Washington pointed out.

"Well clear it!" IDC hissed before hanging up the phone and going into her text messages.

IDC: Hey. You still got that ticket to Orlando?

"This is unacceptable! She's a young lady, she can't stay here!" Carol shrieked the next day. IDC held DC close to her listening to her aunt shriek, praying the politicians wouldn't bend to her demands.

"Why don't you take her brother then?" The politician said with a sigh.

"I already have a son and I wanted a daughter. I just want Jennifer." Carol announced. DC whined in distress and IDC held him tighter.

"Maybe we should let them decide." The politician pointed out turning to the twins.

"They can't decide, they're nine! They don't know what's best." Carol argued.

"What would you two like to do?" The politician asked.

"Sissy." DC mumbled not picking up his head.

"I wanna stay with DeeDee." IDC announced.

"Jennifer, sweetie, you don't want to be here. I can give you a better life." Carol said smiling sweetly.

"I. Want. To. Stay. With. DeeDee." IDC affirmed.

"You heard the kids Carol." The politician said with a smirk as Carol growled. IDC smiled then looked back at her twin who was still clutching her tight.

Nothing separated the government twins.

"So I see Florida hasn't done much lawn maintenance...." IDC mumbled as she and Gov trudged up to the house.

"Could've sworn that was Kentucky's job." Gov muttered. He smiled as his cousin and patted her on the back. "Proud of you for coming by the way."

"I'm only here for DC." IDC huffed making Gov laugh.

"Sure." Gov smiled before the two got to the front door. Before Gov could knock, the door was flung open.

"GOV. So glad you're here, do you know how to put out a grease fire?" California asked.

"Wouldn't you, of all states, know how to do that?" IDC asked.

"OH. IDC! I didn't think you were coming!" California said smiling as Gov pushed past him to put out the fire. "ROSIE YOUR SISTERS HERE." With a crash, DC dashed out of the kitchen, covered in god knows what, and looked at his sister in shock.

"IDC!" DC gasped before running over and hugging her.

"Oof DC, you're going to get that crap on my clothes!" IDC playfully whined, not letting the smile fall from her face.

"Don't care, I'm so happy you came!" DC said with a smile breaking the hug. IDC laughed and playfully punched DC.

"C'mon now, nothing separates the government twins." IDC said with a grin.

Maybe IDC would always hate herself for encouraging DC to start the meetings, and would secretly wish the pandemic would be over so he'd come back to Washington.

But the main five made DC happy, and that's all she ever wanted was to see her brother happy, after the years of abuse.

She just wasn't ready to let go.