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  Celia stood frozen in the middle of the floor.

  Vanessa raised her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment.

  ‘Those big brown eyes! They are just the same. I never could resist Marissa’s big brown eyes, neither could her daddy. You’ve certainly got her eyes, Celia!’ she said quietly and then stepped forward slowly. Celia felt a tremor as they shook hands.

  ‘I’m … I’m so glad you came! That you all came!’ she whispered.

  ‘Hey, we’ve been looking forward to meeting you.’ the older boy said, holding his hand out. ‘I’m Tom. We spoke on the phone.’

  ‘Eddy; pleased to meet you. And you too, sir,’ the second boy said.

  ‘Bill; pleased to make your acquaintance.’ Vanessa’s husband held out his hand.

  ‘Well, if we’re done with all the introductions,’ Vince said, moving forward and smiling at Celia, ‘let’s adjourn to our rooms. My suite is the biggest – that’s the one good thing about being stuck in a wheelchair, you get the best suites. I was hoping to get to know you guys a bit better. Maybe we could wait in there while you two ladies have a bit of a chat in your suite, Vanessa.’

  ‘Honey, you OK with that?’ Bill gave her a questioning look.

  Isaac squeezed Celia’s arm as both women nodded.

  Vince swivelled his chair around and headed to the lifts with the others following him.

  Soon the two women sat facing each other. ‘Do you fancy some coffee? I could ring for room service.’ Vanessa suggested. Celia nodded.

  They both remained silent as a maid placed a tray with two coffee cups on the table between them.

  Celia watched as Vanessa picked up the pot with trembling hands and poured two cups. Taking a deep breath she said, ‘Thank you so much for coming to see me. And I must say, I’m just so sorry you lost your little girl. So, so sorry!’

  Vanessa swallowed hard and looked down. ‘Thank you. But you mustn’t apologise. None of this, any of it, was your fault. It’s just taken me longer than I thought it would to come to terms with it all.’ She held out her hand and pressed Celia’s. ‘You poor thing! It’s taken me a long time to realise how unfair I have been to … to resent your life because I lost my little girl.’

  ‘It must have been very hard for you to … to know I was still here when the news of the Centre became known …’ Celia faltered.

  Vanessa stood up and came to sit next to her. Putting her arms around her she hugged the younger woman. ‘I’m so sorry! Sorry for not being here for you sooner. But I’m here now. And we can all be a family, if you like the idea. Your two, well … brothers, really, are very keen on getting to know you.’

  Celia said softly. ‘Hey, I have a family!’

  ‘Yes, you have! You’ll have to tell me all about yourself. What work do you do? Vince said you’re even better with computers than he is.’

  Celia smiled and told her about some of the work she did. ‘It’s mainly with the Labs. Sorting things out for them.’

  ‘You still live on the Compound, don’t you? Maybe on our next trip I could get to know some of your friends at the Compound. Vince said they’re like family to you.’

  ‘They would all love to meet you, too!’ Celia smiled. ‘On your next trip.’

  She asked Vanessa about her life in America and they compared photos of homes and friends.

  After an hour had passed, Vanessa squeezed her arm, smiling as she stood up, ‘Let’s go and join the others, shall we? We can all get to know each other a little bit better this weekend.’

  She linked her arm through Celia’s as they made their way to the larger suite.

  Isaac was pleased to see Celia visibly relax over the next few days. The two women chatted easily, seeming so much like mother and daughter.

  As they said their goodbyes at the airport, Vanessa hugged Celia and looked across at him. ‘You look after our girl now, Isaac.’

  ‘There’s nothing I’d like to do better.’ he smiled.

  There was a companionable silence as they drove back to the Compound later that day.

  ‘The weekend went really well,’ Isaac said.

  Celia looked at him, a smile on her lips. ‘Yes. I never thought I would feel like this! I have a family!’

  ‘I meant what I said when I promised Vanessa that I’d look after you.’

  She smiled again and squeezed his hand. ‘I know, Isaac.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  Four-year-old Ness ran across the stage and gave a lopsided curtsey as she accepted the certificate from the dance teacher, followed by Ginny, and gave a little wave to her mother, father, and baby brother Zac as she ran back to her seat clutching her certificate. After the speeches and prize giving, both girls hurried to show their parents.

  ‘My little Sugar Plum Fairy!’ Abel scooped up the delighted Ness.

  ‘Look, Mummy! I passed my exam,’ she cried excitedly, holding out her certificate.

  ‘You danced beautifully! You too, Ginny.’ Ruby told her.

  ‘Look, Mummy!’ Ginny pushed the certificate into her mother’s hands.

  The ballet teacher stood beside her, ‘Yes, she’s done so well, ninety-two per cent for her first exam! Not many other four-year-olds do so well. You must be proud of her, Mum.’

  Amanda frowned. ‘Only ninety-two? In which areas does she need to improve?’

  The ballet teacher looked taken aback. ‘But … but she’s really done well, for such a little one … Of course, all the children find the timing and smooth transition of movements difficult at first, but with practise …’

  ‘So that’s what we’ll work on, Ginny. Well, we had better get off; we’ll be late for your tennis lesson.’

  ‘But, Ms Harrison …’ the teacher began.

  Abel and Ruby exchanged glances as they watched Ginny’s shoulders slump as she followed her mother.

  Two hours later Amanda flung open the front door as Adam arrived.

  ‘Adam! Thank God you’re here. Just get your daughter out of my sight!’

  ‘What has happened?’ he asked.

  ‘Well, not only does she let herself down at the ballet exam, but she wastes my time and that of her tennis coach for the next hour!’

  Adam stepped into the lounge to see a stony-faced Ginny sitting on the sofa.

  ‘Why don’t you let us have a little chat, Amanda,’ he said. Adam and his daughter both listened as Amanda stamped up the stairs and slammed the bedroom door.

  Adam picked up the ballet certificate and looked at his daughter. ‘Did you try your best for this exam?’

  Ginny nodded.

  ‘And the tennis?’

  ‘No! She said I was as useless as any old Non-Lab child, so I showed her how useless I could be!’ Suddenly she burst into tears. ‘And now you’ll think I’m as useless as any old Non-Lab child, too!’

  Adam sat down beside her and pulled her to him.

  ‘No, I don’t, my love. I know how clever you are - after all, I’m a Lab. We know things your mother doesn’t know, don’t we? After all, she’s only a Non-Lab at the end of the day.’ He gave her a wink. ‘How about I arrange for us to spend a whole weekend together, instead of just Saturday afternoon? We could relax, be ourselves.’

  Ginny looked up. ‘Oh, Daddy! I’d love that!’

  ‘But you are going to have to work really hard for your mother for the next few weeks. Make sure you keep her happy, then I’ll see what I can do, OK?’

  Ginny nodded her head solemnly.

  ‘And, Daddy …’ she frowned, ‘I do love Mummy, even though she’s a Non-Lab.’

  ‘Of course you do, my love. I chose the best Non-Lab woman to be your mother.’ He smiled. ‘Now see how good you can be for her for the next two weeks.’

  Two weeks later Ginny ran down to let her father into the house.

  ‘I’ve been really good!’ she shouted.

  ‘Yes, she has,’ Amanda appeared behind her. ‘She was quicker than Ness and Martha in Maths today and she has been completing h
er homework and dance practise every evening without complaining once.’ Adam ruffled his daughter’s hair.

  ‘A father’s influence is certainly worth having, Adam. I don’t know what you said to her, but she’s been the perfect child these last two weeks.’

  Adam smiled back. ‘She really has been working hard. And you, too – rushing around, taking her here and there. You could do with a break yourself, Amanda. A bit of “me” time. How about I take Ginny for the whole weekend instead of just Saturday and you catch up with some friends, pamper yourself?’ After some hesitation, Amanda agreed to Adam’s plans.

  Ginny bounced up and down with excitement as she waited by the window for her father’s car to appear on the Friday evening.

  ‘He’s here!’ she shouted, running to open the front door.

  Amanda handed a bag to Adam.

  ‘She has her maths to finish and she must practise her new ballet steps for Monday,’ she said.

  ‘I’ll make sure she does everything.’

  With a brief wave to her mother, Ginny turned to her father and asked him what he had planned for the weekend.

  ‘Well, first of all we’re going to a beautiful house in the country instead of my flat. I think you’ll like it.’ He smiled at her.

  ‘Is it your house?’ she asked.

  ‘Mine and yours, if you like it,’ he replied.

  ‘I will love it!’ she replied eagerly.

  ‘Wait until you see it.’ her father chuckled.

  ‘Is it big? Does it have lots of books in, like Mummy’s house? Is the garden big? Can we play hide and seek in it?’ The questions tumbled out of her mouth.

  ‘All I will say is that it’s a very special house.’ he laughed in reply.

  After an hour the car headed up a steep, tree-lined hillside and turned into a winding track. The track ended at a pair of tall metal gates which opened automatically. Inside there was an expanse of lawn bordered by tall pampas grasses. Adam followed a long driveway and stopped beside a marble staircase.

  ‘This is no ordinary house.’ he said as he helped Ginny out of the car. ‘Wait until I show you around.’

  He smiled at her excitement in each room of the computer-controlled house. Ginny screamed with delight as she waved a hand to turn on and off the lights and control the music and TV systems. She drew a deep breath as doors silently opened and closed as they walked through them.

  ‘They’re like magic!’ she whispered, slipping her hand in to her father’s.

  ‘No, just modern technology.’ he answered.

  In the ultra-modern kitchen, she watched in amazement as Adam placed the items for lunch in a container and a voice analysed the food and gave the cooking time required. A cooking hood came down from the ceiling and covered the dish.

  ‘It will signal when it’s ready,’ Adam said, ‘let’s go downstairs, shall we?’

  He led them down to the basement to a large, well-furnished gymnasium. Through the doorway they came to an indoor swimming pool linked by a glass tunnel to an outdoor pool.

  ‘As you know, exercising your body is as important as exercising your mind.’ Adam told her.

  ‘This looks like a fun place!’ Ginny squealed.

  As they walked back to the house she pointed to a large conservatory.

  ‘What’s in there?’ she asked.

  ‘We’ll take a look around there after lunch,’ Adam told her.

  After finishing her meal, Ginny sat back with a satisfied sigh. ‘That was the best meal I have ever had! And a pudding, too! We only have puddings as a special treat at home.’

  Adam looked at Ginny and smiled. ‘Your mother is right to keep you healthy. She knows you’re a special child.’

  ‘Because I’m a Hybrid,’ his daughter nodded. ‘And I have to work really hard at everything! Mummy says I have to work harder than ordinary children because I’m talented. I should be really proud of my Lab blood.’

  ‘She’s right, Ginny. People of our race can do great things.’ Adam nodded.

  ‘What can we do?’ she asked.

  ‘We can learn more about Labs and Hybrids and find out how to produce the best people so we can prepare for a great future for our kind.’

  ‘What about the Non-Labs? People like Mummy and our friends?’ she asked.

  ‘The Non-Labs have been looking after themselves for long enough. They don’t need any help. We must concentrate on our own kind now,’ he answered.

  He stood up. ‘Come with me!’

  He led her to the conservatory. ‘Inside this room are the latest developments in technology to help me with my research on our future people,’ he told her as he opened the door. ‘Perhaps you will want to join me here when you’re a bit older?’

  ‘Wow!’ Ginny said as she gazed around at the equipment set up around the room.

  Her father smiled, touching a screen which immediately jumped to life. With a few touches it displayed an array of data.

  ‘A few facts about our brains, Labs, and Hybrids and a comparison chart with Non-Labs.’

  He touched the screen to bring up a series of graphs. ‘Non-Labs don’t compare too well, do they?’ he said with a wry smile.

  ‘Mummy is clever,’ Ginny insisted.

  Adam brought a 3D image of a head onto the screen, ‘Yes, she comes out pretty favourably compared to data on the other Non-Labs I collected.’ ‘That’s Mummy?’ Ginny’s eyes widened.

  ‘A virtual version of your mother, yes.’ Adam smiled.

  ‘I wish I could come and work here with you now, Daddy!’ Ginny sighed.

  ‘I don’t think it will be that long before you can, young lady, if you work your hardest at your school subjects,’ he replied.

  ‘I will, I promise!’ she said eagerly. ‘And I’m going to start to do some extra work now. I’m going to find out all I can about brains. If we’re going to make great future Hybrids and Labs we need to know a lot about brains.’

  ‘That’s a great idea, Ginny. How about we make a start today?’ He smiled as he saw her face fall. ‘With a trip to the zoo to observe the animals there – and the people.’

  ‘I’m going to love working here with you, Daddy!’ Ginny jumped up and hugged her father. ‘I’m going to work hard so I can come soon!’

  ‘Shhh! I’m trying to concentrate!’ Ginny frowned at Frankie during lunch break later that week.

  ‘What are you reading, Ginny?’ he asked, closing the book over to see its cover. ‘Research on the Human Brain. Wow, Ginny, that’s pretty heavy stuff for a kid your age!’

  ‘I’m not a kid!’ she said snatching the book back, ‘I’m a Hybrid! We have to think about our future.’

  ‘So you’re going to be a brain surgeon, are you?’ Frankie grinned.

  Ginny turned her back on him as he sat down beside her.

  ‘No, I’m going to do research and … stuff.’

  ‘By analysing the molecular structure of the average adult brain as demonstrated by the above statistics …’ he read aloud. ‘Phew! A little light reading!’

  Ginny scowled at him. ‘Sometimes you act like a stupid Non-Lab.’

  Frankie glared at her. ‘Watch your language! And you know something? I think the Non-Lab kids I know seem to have much more fun than some of the brainy Hybrids.’

  He turned away and shouted to Grace and Ryan as they headed for the basketball court. ‘Hey, I’ll join you guys!’

  Ginny frowned as she looked down at the book in her hands. She sighed as Hugo, a Hybrid a few months younger than Frankie, sat down beside her. He took the book from her hands.

  ‘Hey, I’m impressed! You don’t waste your free time, do you? Are you planning on university early, too?’

  ‘My mum says I should go as soon as I can. Frankie and Ness say we should enjoy being kids as long as we can.’

  ‘Yes, but we’re not just kids, are we? We’re Hybrids. We need to think about the future.’ Hugo said.

  ‘That’s what my dad says,’ Ginny told him excitedly. ‘He
has a big house and lots of rooms for research and …’ she put her hand to her mouth. ‘But I’m not supposed to tell anyone. Not even Mummy!’

  ‘Your mum’s Amanda Harrison, isn’t she?’ Hugo asked.

  Ginny nodded.

  ‘It must be great having parents so interested in your future.’ Hugo looked wistful.

  ‘Your dad’s a Lab, isn’t he?’ Ginny asked.

  ‘Yeah, an architect, more interested in buildings than people. I hardly ever see him.’

  ‘And your mother?’

  Hugo shrugged his shoulders disdainfully. ‘Just a regular Non-Lab. Not very inspiring. But I’m going to make a great future for myself. I’m going to make my mark on the world!’

  ‘Me, too!’ Ginny nodded. ‘My Dad says Hybrids can do anything they put their minds to.’

  ‘Listen to your father, Ginny. He’s so right!’

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘I had hoped I could take you with me on this trip to New York and Washington, with Suzette to care for you while I was lecturing, but my schedule is too hectic,’ Amanda told her daughter. ‘So your father said he was quite willing for you to stay with him while I am away.’

  ‘So I can stay with Daddy for all the holiday?’ Ginny beamed.

  ‘Yes. You won’t have any ballet or tennis lessons but Adam has promised to make sure you keep up with your homework. You’ll have extra over the holiday, of course,’ Amanda continued.

  ‘A whole two weeks with Daddy!’ Ginny repeated. ‘I must try to finish reading my book by Friday.’

  That night as she tucked her daughter into bed Amanda removed the book which had fallen from Ginny’s hand. She smiled as she read the title. Research on the Human Brain. How proud she was of her wonderful Hybrid child.

  ‘How about tonight we relax and have a pizza and watch a film?’ Adam suggested as they drove away from Amanda’s house at the start of the holiday.

  Ginny glanced back guiltily, ‘Mummy has a very low opinion of pizza and she doesn’t think many films are suitable for children; most of them are mind-numbing rubbish.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. We all need a bit of junk food now and again and I’m sure we can find you a film that isn’t absolutely mind-numbing rubbish,’ Adam assured her. ‘Later in the week I thought we could spend the day in London. There is an exhibition at the Science Museum that I think you’ll find interesting, one I’m sure your mother would approve of.’