the mission (ella)

[* JAQI]

"Thanks," Cici said softly in her younger sister's ear, grateful for the second hug. She didn't care if this was going to be her and Liam's only child, all she had wanted was to become pregnant and have a baby, and this looked like it was going to be her dream finally come true. She broke their embrace, and then set a gentle pace for a walk. It was a gorgeous day outside, she wanted to enjoy the sunshine.

[italia]

Ella walked beside her sister, perfectly content with their gentle, lazy pace through the knee-high, yellowed grass. The farm was so picturesque, it almost didn't look real. Never had the sky seemed so blue, the leaves on the trees so green. Perhaps she had been accustomed to the gloomy, muted look of where she lived in England. "Have you and Liam thought about names yet?" Ella asked, making light conversation.

[* JAQI]

Cici nodded once lightly. "We decided them on a long time ago; if it's a boy he will be Ransom Liam, if it's a girl she will be Avice Eleanora Leah." Cici replied. She knew that this wasn't taking into account the variable if she was expecting multiples, but she had figured that she had a singleton this time. Twins were not in the history of her genes, nor Liam's.

[italia]

"Oh, how lovely," said Ella, positively beaming. She would have never guessed that Cici would middle-name her daughter after her, it was touching. She made a mental note that if she and Devon ever had a girl that she would middle-name her after her elder sister. Ella was grateful that the conversation had not turned onto their parents, she had not spoke with them once since eloping with Devon, they never understood her love for him.

[* JAQI]

Cici smiled softly at her sister's obvious pleasure at her pick for the name if she was expecting a girl. She supposed that she would find out through either her orb or through a vision toward the end of the pregnancy, but she almost wished that she wouldn't, be just like everyone else and find out when he or she was born. She did not have the option of a visit to the healer, it would be too dangerous for her to leave the farm right then. "How ever did you talk Liam into taking you here?" Cici asked curiously.

[italia]

Ella felt her stomach sink at the mention of the conditions of her visit. She was still in a slight bit of denial that she was actually going to be one of the people going in this mission, especially since she had been so firm on it before. "I'm going to Liam to Antarctica," said Ella. "I told him the only way he'd get me there was if I got to see you first."

[* JAQI]

Cici lightly bit her lip, she did not like the idea of Ella going in her place. She was not only her closest friend in the world, but her younger sister. She didn't want to put her in harm's way for a second. But dark, terrible times called for desperate measures, and Cici was confident that Liam could not have found a more capable witch to accompany him. "At least he's not going by himself," said Cici. "And you cast the strongest Patronus I know." She gave forth a small smile.

[italia]

The corners of Ella's lips turned upward slightly, but then went back into a frown again. She grasped herself by her upper arms, as if she were cold at the mere thought of dementors. She looked down for a moment before returning her gaze to Cici. "I'm scared," said Ella, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She was almost ashamed to admit it, but it was the truth, and that was what her sister needed to know.

[* JAQI]

Cici placed her arm around her sister's shoulders, a comforting gesture. She had had to step up as to as close a maternal figure as possible since Ella had become estranged from their parents. She had tried subtle things throughout the years in attempts to get them to reconcile, but they had failed. Their parents simply would not budge on the fact that they would rather their daughter not be romantically involved with a black man. "I would consider you a fool if you weren't," Cici said softly, "but you must remain strong, the fate of the world as we know it may depend on success."

[italia]

But no pressure, Ella mentally added to her sister's comment, but she was at least, a bit consoled by this. Her elder sister had always seemed so solid, so sure of herself, barely frightened of anything. Well, if she was, she hid it very well, as Ella never heard anything about it. "I've never really been sure of myself, I don't want to bungle something this important," said Ella.

[* JAQI]

"You mustn't think so lowly of yourself," said Cici with a frown. She had nothing but the utmost confidence that her sister would be the one that brought success on this matter. While her husband was a wonderful man, he could not focus on a Patronus with that many dementors around while negotiating with them. Cici just hoped that none of them would get hurt. Ella and Liam were her closest friends, if anything happened to them...

[italia]

Ella looked up at her older sister, a thin film of tears covering her eyes. Now was the time when she was perhaps the most vulnerable, she very seldom let her guard down, except around Devon or Cici. She didn't want to be perceived as weak, in spite of how insecure she might be on the inside. "It's hard not to, look what I had to compete against when I was growing up!" said Ella quietly. "And still do."

[* JAQI]

Cici frowned a bit, she knew that Ella was not the favoured child of their small family. And that she had overshadowed her for much of her life, and probably always would be seen as the "better daughter" in their parents' eyes. She hated this, and hoped that sometime soon her parents would come to terms with what true love was, and love Ella like they loved her. For once, she wasn't entirely sure what to say. "Look at what you can do, Ells," said Cici. "Not many can produce a full-bodied Patronus in their second year, or take every possible subject and get all Outstandings in both the OWL and NEWT."

[italia]

Ella blinked forcefully, now was not the time for an emotional breakdown. She needed her wits about her if she was going to be around thousands of dementors in less than twenty-four hours. The very thought of that made her feel nauseous. "No, not many can," Ella agreed quietly, gently wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. She was weak, and she knew it. She bit her lip lightly.

[* JAQI]

"But you did," said Cici, trying to think of other ways that she might be able to encourage her sister. She had known that Ella had struggled with low self-esteem for the majority of her life, and it pained Cici that there was nothing that she could do about it. Ella was an amazing person, and Cici wanted her to see that, it was important for her to be able to do that. "You'll do wonderfully," said Cici. "Even if things turn foul, there isn't a spell that you ca't do to fix it."