(After a day or so)

Olivia was still dazed by the word, fiancee. She had never known any other... girl or a boy.

"And then we have the Skipper's Bakery here. The owner, Skipper's mother, Rhonda had opened this bakery fifty years before the Bandits raided the city. The poor man lost everything, his family because of those scoundrels, and now he only has his granddaughter. Fate is so unfair to the just and good." Jasper stared at the display of the shop as she spoke, "Anyways, would you like, maybe, a lemon cronut? Skipper's is just amazing." Jasper said as she showed Olivia around the Facility. 

Jasper lived her entire life in the AEF because her parents were alive until the fire accident that was there two years ago. Her parents, Zhen Qing and Zhen Yu owned the, once famous, multicuisine restaurant called Zhēn Shì Bǎoshí which was Chinese for Zhen's Gemstones which would explain the brother-sister duo's names being related to precious stones.

"Okay," Olivia's was rather timid.

The crack in the bakery reminded Olivia of some familiar as if deja vu. Soon enough a stout and short man with wispy white hair walked over to the Bakery with a perplexed look and a bag clutched tightly in his grasp.

"Hi, Stevie!" Jasper waved as she called the man over.

"Evening, Jasper, who's your friend?" Stevie said as he tried to concentrate on the girls rather than the strange creature that ran after the girl in black in the sunrise.

"This is Lady Carabeth's friend, Stella Renee, she's here to get married to Inocencio. Anyways, what's with the face and the bag?" Jasper asked with concern and anticipation.

"Why does she seem familiar?" Stevie mused as he stared at Olivia and started fidgeting with his wispy salt-and-pepper beard.

"Who?" Jasper asked as she caught a glimpse of a graying matter shimmering near the fruit seller.

"I dunno, can we first go for some food at Berkeley's? Mari and Kari even want some of his chocolate cronuts and Danielle is craving some wildberry Spritzkuchen today, you how pregnancy works." Stevie said as he stared at Olivia's hand and noticed that she wore no ring or accessory.

"Let's go, then!" Jasper, being her cheerful self, led them to the bakery, and at the counter, Skipper was standing with his almost happy smile, watching his granddaughter gobble down a Canelé and smear chocolate syrup on her face and start giggling which caused Skipper to give a hearty laugh.

Jasper smiled as she reminisced the time Skipper was truly happy when his wife, Rosemary was alive along with his daughter, Cicely was in the hospital, and her little one, Rue, was on the way.

Now, Rue was a three-year-old with only her grandpa who was diagnosed with depression, and was waiting for a nightmare to be over.

"Hey, Mr. Berkeley. Hi, Rue!" Jasper bent to Rue's height and waved at her whereas the toddler squealed, "Hasper!" Little Rue had a lisp causing her Js to turn to H.

"Hello, Stevie, Jasper, new girl." Skipper regarded them with an indifferent nod in their direction.

"Hey, Skip, this is Inocencio's bride-to-be, Stella Renee." Stevie's face became even more perplexed than it was before, probably because he blurted out her 'identity' without being told of it.

"Stella, you say?" Skipper looked at the supposed girl briefly before concentrating again on his grandchild, "And Inocencio's betrothed at that? Whatever made you want to marry into that family; at the very least, I can only pray that you do not befall Nerida's Cursed Fate."

"Carabeth seemed nice enough, they can't be all that bad, now can they?" Even a confused person could answer that question.

"Don't be fooled by the glamorous facade, few of us know they're the reason we lost many medics, warriors, and community troopers. They made sure we wouldn't have any defense when we'd be attacked, therefore, even if we wanted to rebel, we wouldn't be able to. And so, little one, look beyond the facade and see the truth, like my wife, Rose would say." The old man said as he turned his gaze to two portraits of two beautiful women. 

The one on the left had a fluffy perm, an easy smile, and a fair complexion, her skin freckled, and violet eyes staring with mischief into the camera, whereas, the lady on the right had a queen's posture and a regal look and a smile so graceful, but her hair wasn't as fluffy as the other one, even her complexion was darker, and periwinkle eyes carrying out a stern message like Screw this up and I'll make you pay and no pastries for you.

"They were beautiful," Olivia said as she continued studying the ring on Cicely's index finger. The group followed Skipper as he picked Rue and escorted them to the open garden patio. He placed Rue on the ground and continued talking with his visitors.

"Cicely took up after me than Rosey," Skipper said as Rue started pulling on his huge hands to get his attention, and when he didn't give her any she stopped tugging and crawled off to the road where someone had leisurely thrown a gold bracelet, an uncommon discovery for a three-year-old, surely, her grandpa would have a bit of happiness, she thought.

Just as she bent to pick up the bracelet, a Peugeot sped with full power and Rue would have been dead if another lady hadn't grabbed the little girl and rolled to the other side of the road, during that moment a panicked and confused little shrieked causing the group to turn and see the lady and Rue on the road's other side and rush over to them.

"RUE!" Skipper yelled as he rushed to Rue's side and checked her for injuries, he wasn't ready for another loved one from under his eyes.

He cradled Rue and brought his eyes to the hooded lady who rescued the little one, "Thank you, miss-?" Skipper began.

"Chicago. Just Chicago. Keep an eye on her, her vitality is very potent," The girl, Chicago said as she started glancing at her sides for any intruders that might attack knowing she was an escapee from Camp.

"I see you're going on a trip, maybe, can I give you some food for your journey as thanks?" Skipper asked as he noticed her army green camo outfit and backpack.

"I don't have enough cash, or-" Chicago began but Skipper, being grateful and wanting to repay in a way or two, interrupted her and said "It'll be free of cost! And I'll even throw in some of my wife's things that might come in handy! What do you say?"

Chicago considered the pros and cons and decided how many times a kind old man might give you stuff for free and still thank you, she decided it was worth the risk. "Okay, thank you, Mr.-?" Chicago said and Skipper replied, "Skipper."

Skipper escorted Chicago into his Bakery's back where his house was also located, the rest were Stevie and Jasper had made themselves right at home, and Olivia was awkward with the entire situation.

"Jasper, can you clean Rue up?" Skipper's requests were always followed by Jasper and Onyx ever since the Raid, as after losing their respective families, they started to care for each other.

"Sure thing, Mr. Berkeley," Jasper said as she took a very shaken Rue from his arms and carried her to the spare bedroom to clean her up and put her to sleep.

"Who's this young lady, Skip?" Stevie asked eyeing Chicago as if he'd seen her somewhere before, again like deja vu.

Something was fishy, the people were forgetting almost everything like: who was Stella Renee? Where was the new girl from the AEF? Why did this girl, Chicago look so familiar?

"This is the girl, Chicago, who saved Rue from that car," Skipper said as he looked over to the room where his granddaughter was being cleaned up, melancholy curdling in his heart as he recollected Cicely and Rosey's memories before their deaths.

"Hi there, I am Stevie from Santiago Ranch, the best ranch in the city," Stevie said as he smiled and looked over to Skipper with concern, then turned to Olivia and said, "Stella, can you take him out for a bit, while I help the young lady."

Chicago's eyes scanned Olivia who was still confused and tried to be as timid, even though it wasn't in her blood. "You're Stella Renee?" Chicago said as she continued staring at Olivia.

"I am," Olivia said in a confident voice as she walked out of the room, leaving Chicago and Stevie in the same room with the hope that Chicago would agree with Stevie about any crappy things he'd say about Carabeth while he helped her pack up.

"I know you escaped from the camp." Stevie just nonchalantly said as if it were a normal thing to see escapees from camp and help and lend them his horses.

Chicago gripped the dagger dangling from her backpack tighter, the girls at CEF were taught self-defense as soon as possible because of the way the world had now become.

"How do you know that?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"My wife, Danielle had also escaped and I had sheltered her. I knew from the moment I saw her that she was my love and she wasn't ever going back there and being a toy for those men. We got married and had our kids and are expecting, and what I mean by that, is that I want to help you." Stevie said, but the girl got even more confused.

"What?" She just said, but her grip eased a bit.

"You're up against Carabeth and the Bandits, I know I want to help you. And that might also apply to almost everyone we know if you'd somehow drill some sense into their thick skulls." Stevie said and stuffed some ham into a bag, her stance and grip eased as she just nodded.

"Ok, but everything has a price, what's yours?" She asked as she stuffed four mosquito bottles of sprays along with a sanitizer, and other things for survival, whereas, Stevie packed food and drinks.

"Why are you against Carabeth, though?" Chicago asked in an attempt to make small talk.

"Two reasons, first, my wife. Second, Skipper's family. All the fighters and healers have gone because of the Raid." The man said, tears slightly glistening. "You see, before the Raid, everyone was connected in a way or two."

"I am sorry, I'll do my best to find Stella and the sole Scion." She said as she was now browsing some adventure gear to suit her situation.

"What do you mean? That girl was Stella, wasn't she?"

"Nope, I have been with Stella way before and there is no way she'd ever turn timid and domesticated unless something was wrong."

"You mean the other girl is lying to us?"

"No, Carabeth doesn't have many slaves on their knees unless she has something that might help her control them, which might also be the reason for that girl's timidness."

"Okay, whatever you do, make sure that we are free of those scums. And anything you'd need?"

"Yeah, keep an eye on the tyrants, the girl, and the camp. If anything is up, shoot me a text." Chicago said as she tucked in a pager and handed one to Stevie.

"Wait, take a horse, it's faster than on foot," Stevie said and guided her to his ranch and walked to the cubical on the farthest end. "This is Neptune, the fastest one in the entire ranch, but no one bothers to ride a real prize." Stevie pulled a titanium white mare and helped Chicago mount her.

"I'll see you soon," Chicago said and Stevie just repeated the same thing before she dashed off with Neptune.