During the time Isla, her father, and stepsiblings (if that would be the correct term) were gone, CJ got to know Aja a little more. From what Aja told about herself, she came from a nice Mexican-American family, which, in a cultural sense, made CJ warm up to her a little. Isla's and CJ's mother, Arya, came from a large Mexican family, but since the sisters didn't share the same father, there were some differences between them. CJ's father, Ashton, was Puerto Rican; from what little knowledge CJ had on Isla's father, he was (and CJ is just guessing on the matter) from a large Irish-American family. But she was ready to admit if she got it wrong.

"My parents would take my brothers and I down to Mexico every year to visit our grandparents," Aja said. "My grandmother was ill and my grandfather refused to leave her. He couldn't. So we'd visit them every year and give them presents and spend a little time with them..." Aja trailed off for a moment, her eyes looking almost distant. "Then my grandma died, and my grandpa couldn't deal with her being gone."

"I'm sorry." CJ grimaced a little. She knew that apologizing wouldn't ease up the pain Aja felt for her grandparents, but it was the best she could come up with.

"It's no one's fault," she sighed. "My grandmother, Irma, was in her late nineties. She had kids late in life. She sent my father up to America so he could have a better life, and he felt that he owed her that much."

CJ nodded wordlessly.

"What about your parents?" Aja asked.

"Oh, well...Vince isn't my father," she stammered. "Isla and I have the same mother, though." Aja's mouth formed an 'O' in understanding. "My parents were never married—they hardly even liked each other. But, uh...I don't know. It wasn't good, but it wasn't bad, ya know?"

"I get it." Aja's gaze lowered for a moment. "I know I have no right to be asking, but how old were you when you had your kids?"

CJ tensed a little. Anyone who'd realized that she had had her twins at such a young age wouldn't hold back in the pitied looks they gave her; the sneers they threw her way; or the lectures on how she could've done so much more in her life. So a question like that made CJ feel not only a little uncomfortable, but very defensive.

"Seventeen." CJ's tone was clipped and almost harsh sounding.

"I don't mean to get you upset," Aja exclaimed. "I was just wondering. My eldest brother got his girlfriend pregnant at sixteen. They're not together now, but they have joint custody of their daughter. They're probably the friendliest ex-couple I've ever seen."

CJ looked at Aja for a long moment. While part of her seemed to have warmed up to the similarities when it came to the same Mexican heritages, there was another part of CJ that just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else about Aja she didn't quite like. It wasn't that Aja wasn't nice or welcoming, it was something CJ couldn't quite identify.

"What're the names of your daughters?" CJ asked, trying to keep her tone from sounding emotionless.

"Jasmine is the oldest, Alondra is the youngest." Aja's face shone at the mention of her kids.

"Is their father still around?"

Aja shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "He divorced me for a younger woman," she said, laughing sharply. "Apparently, he'd been having an affair with this girl for over a year and ended up getting her pregnant." Rolling her eyes, Aja let out a scoff. "I guess he felt more obligated to be with her than with us."

CJ noticed the way Aja spat out the word girl—it was almost as if she were saying something disgusting.

"I've got sole custody, though, thank God." Aja brushed some of her hair out of her face. "I wouldn't be able to take it if my girls had to see their father and his..." She cut herself off before she could say anything else. CJ's eyes darted to Sage and Rosie, who were happily drawing on some paper Aja provided. "I'm sorry," she sighed. "It's a touchy subject for me."

CJ nodded. "My kids' father took out on me before they were born," she murmured, leaning in a little so the twins wouldn't overhear. "I understand—sort of—how you feel."

Aja nodded wordlessly.

-0-0-0-0-

After about an hour and a half, Isla came home. Since then, CJ and Aja got to know each other a little more. There was still a little warming up to do, but they got the basics of introductions and a little backstory out of the way. When Isla saw CJ and the twins in the kitchen, she let out an ecstatic squeal before nearly knocking her half-sister out of her chair.

"I'm so happy you're here!" she cried. "I was wondering when you'd get here!"

CJ let out a laugh and returned her sister's embrace. "I told you I'd be here today."

"Whatever." When the embrace ended, Isla's gaze went to Sage and Rosie. She gushed at how adorable they were, despite the twins' shyness at the sight of their aunt.

"I'm Vince." The man who was Isla's father stepped forward, a warm smile on his face.

"CJ."

The two shook hands, trying be respectful of each other.

"What does CJ stand for?" A young girl with sandy blonde curls and freckles dotting her nose looked up at CJ curiously. Clearly she was the younger sister, with her older sibling standing a little farther behind Vince.

"Christiane Justine," CJ answered. "But I like CJ better. What's your name?"

"Alondra," she responded. "But I like Onnie better."

CJ couldn't help but smile at that. "You must be Jasmine then," she said, looking at the other little girl. She had the same curly hair as Onnie, but instead of sandy brown it was a pale brown color. Her striking brown eyes studied CJ carefully. She nodded. "Do you like being called Jasmine, or is there another name you'd like me to call you?"

"Jazz," she said, her voice sounding small.

"Well that is a lovely name—you both have beautiful names." Onnie's and Jazz's faces lit up at that.

"CJ's still got some luggage she needs to bring in," Aja put in.

"Do you need any help?" Vince asked.

"I've got it."

"I'll help," Isla exclaimed. Isla threw CJ a look before she had a chance to answer.

"Well, Onnie, Jazz, why don't you guys play with Rosie and Sage?" CJ suggested. "They're my kids. You guys could draw or do whatever, OK? Just be careful."

The sisters nodded.

-0-0-0-0-

"I think they like you." Isla nudged CJ's shoulder as they got her luggage out of the rental car.

"What makes you say that?"

"Onnie isn't that direct about nicknames so early on," Isla exclaimed. "She has to really like you for her to let you call her that."

"I've got kids, Izzy. I know how they work." Izzy had been the nickname only CJ seemed to be allowed to call Isla—out of all their half-siblings, Isla refused to let any of them, even their mother, call her "Izzy".

A silence fell between them before Isla started talking again. "You've heard about that virus, right?" she said. "The one that's got everyone worried?"

"Why're we talking about this?" CJ sighed.

"It's important—especially with the kids." Isla's face let CJ know she didn't want to argue on the matter. "I've heard news reports saying that it's coming here, there's already been a case."

"Izzy..."

"My health teacher says it might be some mutated form of the flu," Isla went on. "But I don't think so. It's not even flu season anymore. No one knows if it's bacterial or fungal or if it came from animals..."

"Isla." CJ threw a sharp look her sister's way. "I know about the virus, OK? I don't want to think about it, it's been on my mind too much already."

"But I'm just saying, if you don't keep up with things like this, you'll never know if it gets better or worse."

"How can it possibly get any worse?" CJ exclaimed.

"There's no known cure for it." CJ looked at her sister with furrowed brows. "I have a friend who's a total germ-a-phobe. He keeps up with any new diseases that come out. He's good with finding things out, and he found out that whatever this is, whoever contracts it can't be cured 'cause there is no cure."

Sighing, CJ looked down at her luggage.

It couldn't get any worse? CJ had no idea how worse it could get. And she wasn't sure she was ready to find out.

(A/N):

Sorry I haven't updated in a bit, but hopefully you guys are still interested in this story. If you've got any suggestions or whatever, let me know! PM me or review whatever ideas or suggestions you have.

Do I own anything in TWD? No. No I don't.

Let me know if there's anything I can improve on,

Many blessings,

Indigo Callahan