"It feels really heavy" Ria complains a bit. She holds the pistol and looks down the range. 

"It should It's a serious weapon."

Ria looks over at Spark.

Reaches out. They are focused, calm. Not malicious. 

Ria breaths. Then aims down the scope. 

"Breath in, then let out half way. Then hold."

Ria breathed in. Release. Hold. Fire. 

She clipped the shoulder of the target. The gun hurt in her hand. 

"Ouch." 

"Yeah, that's recoil. You need to be braced for it. Here, let me show you a shooting stance, and how to hold your arms."

---------

Ria sits with Apa. Apa feels guilty. Worried. A lot of things really. 

The house was full of new emotions to Ria's newly awakened sense. 

"Apa. You took me... From the Biogenetics?" 

Apa is sad. 

"From a lab. It was hard. I thought I got away with it. I carved a hole where my stomach usually was. Then I gave you a drug to keep you quiet, and put you in. I did some ... other things to hide it."

Ria knew it was true. She always knew that she was... That she came into the family.... That she was different. 

She had more questions ... But it was too much.

"How..."

Ria's voice breaks.

"... Did you know what I could do?"

Apa frowns.

"I suspected. I knew that you needed... different foods, nutrients for it to grow. So I kept that from you. Hoping it would stay under wraps. Until you were old enough to hide it... But it seems we were found."

Ria tears up. She stops being able to speaks.

Apa notices.

"Ria.. Alexandria, sweethearts, it's okay. I'm so sorry. I wish I could have protected you better. Know that I did this because I love you. I wanted you to have a full life."

Apa tears up as they take Ria in their arms. An action they have done many times in the 9 years since they stole her away and gave her a name and a family. 

"Shhh. It's okay love. You're safe. You are my daughter, and we love you."