Seductress In White Chapter Eight: Listening Can Be Heartbreaking

"Here you go." Kaito said standing up and holding the book out to her. Angelica took it reluctantly.

"Who are you guys?" she asked.

"We're Monica's and Madison's families and friends. We saw them on their last mission." He replied. He introduced everybody and helped her stand up.

"So you're the ones who asked Claes to plant those listening devices." Angelica said. "I saw her."

"Can you tell us what goes on when you're out on missions?" Jimmy asked.

"Basically we just listen to our handlers." Angelica replied. "And protect them as well."

The guys talked to Angelica for a bit longer and then they parted ways when they saw the van return. Monica came out holding her arm and looking very sad. She quickly went into the building while Rico and Madison went toward their rooms. Being detectives Harley and Jimmy noticed that the girl named Triela wasn't with them.

About an hour or so later they say Monica come out of the building with a bag in her arms. She walked to the hallway where the rooms were and that's when they saw Triela come running up to her.

"Monica!" she called running up and stopping next to the girl. "Rico just told me. You flipped your lid out there today."

"I couldn't control it. I just snapped." Monica said looking down. "Triela…I don't know what to do." Triela smiled and put her arm around Monica's shoulder.

"Don't sweat it. Hey I know we can go have a drink in Claes's room."

"A drink?" Monica questioned.

"Yeah, she makes the best tea, and I swear she puts magic in her cakes." Triela answered leading Monica in the direction of Claes's room. Through the listening devices Jimmy heard the conversation. He could tell that most likely Monica and Triela were sitting on opposite sides of a table while Claes was laying on the top bunk of the bunk bed listening to music.

"You just wanted to make him proud of you." Triela said.

"Yeah…I guess so." Monica answered. Claes took out one ear bud and looked from her book to the other two.

"But Triela," she said. "Isn't that the only thing any of us can do? We all seek approval, and I were him that kind of devotion would make me feel uncomfortable." She saw Monica's gaze drop down to the table so she sat up hanging her feet over the edge of the bed. "Hey but it's ok. Have fun while you're still young, that's what I always say."

"Oh really? I thought that was from TV." Triela said turning in her chair to face her. She saw Claes turn to look out the window.

"No, those are my own words."

From what Jimmy heard it was easy for him to tell that Claes was the philosopher of the group and Triela was the big sister of the group. He guessed that Rico was the energetic curious one and Henrietta was the one who was unsure and was just trying to please her handler. The girls were just the newbies. Angelica was the sick kid and Elsa was the outcast by choice. He was glad that Monica had a girl like Triela to look up to.

"So Monica do you think Amedao will get you any presents for Christmas?" Triela asked.

"I don't know." Monica answered looking at the assortment of teddy bears Triela had lined up against the wall. "You have six bears. You know seven is a lucky number."

"Hurray for me." Triela said.

"What, do Helshire's presents not make you happy anymore?"

"He doesn't even care what I like. He just gives me the same boring thing every year. Sometimes I wonder is he gives me these gifts to please me, or to please himself." Triela said. Monica walked back over to her seat after gathering one of the bears in her arms.

She looked back over at Triela to see that she had her arms folded on the table and had set her chin on her arms. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?" Triela moved her arms so her face could rest on the table.

"Not really. It's that time of the month and it's irregular." Triela admitted moving her arm to her stomach. "The cramps have been killing me since yesterday."

"To bad they won't let us take any medicine." Monica said getting up and moving over to her friend.

"I shouldn't have said anything. Just thinking about it makes it worse. But this pain reminds me that I'm alive, so I'll endure it." Triela said. Monica put her hand on Triela's shoulder.

"That's the spirit. I'll never know what that feels like. They took my uterus out during conditioning." Monica said.

Outside Jimmy's eyes widened at this new information. Kyo's eyes saddened a bit. He knew now that there was no way of having a child with Yuki more or less a family.

"Oh I forgot. Sorry about that." Triela apologized as Rico came in with blood coming from her lower lip.

"Triela, Helshire's looking for you." Rico said.

"Rico did you know that you're bleeding?" Monica asked. Rico wiped at her lower lip and looked at the blood.

"Oh it's nothing. Jon scolded me during conditioning that's all." Rico replied.

"Well you have to wipe it off." Monica said going up to the girl taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and started wiping off the blood on Rico's face.

"Triela, he said to wait in the section 1 office." Rico said letting Monica wipe off the blood.

'Jose sees Henrietta as his little sister, and Jon sees Rico as his little work dog. That makes me….what does he want me to be?' she thought.