Blissful Ignorance

Isa nodded, smiling slightly through her tears to her mother. She turned back to Oneil and clung to him. ?How could I have been so stupid?! I should have checked it!?

?It?s alright. Everything will be alright. You?ll do everything you ever dreamed still, and it will be even better because you did it blind. Plus, I?ll know you love me for my brains, not brawn.? He grinned as she slapped his naked chest. His british accent stood out even more when he was acting all concerned for her, not that it was sexy enough. ?How about we go see how your sister and Adriano are?? He kissed her cheek and lifted her up into his arms, carrying her to the living room without letting her answer.

?Put me down! I can walk you know?? She grumbled. She loved being in his arms, but she would have to learn to walk without his help some time!

?Nope! Your ankle is sprained and your other leg is broken. Your not walking anywhere. Besides, we?re here.? He ploped down on the couch, keeping her in his lap with his arms. ?Hello Adriano, Orla. What?s up??

Orla and Adriano both looked as Oneil carried Isa into the living room. Orla shot Adriano a false glare. "Now why wasn't I carried Addy?" Adriano just shook his head, eyes rolling back as he tightened his arm around Orla's waist, deciding not to verbally answer her.

Orla smiled as Oneil sat down on the couch with Isa in his lap.

"Nothing much Oneil, nothing much. Got a game next week against South-central. I can't believe they beat us last year!"

"That's because those stupid cheerleaders were in the way! I swear, cheerleaders are more of a hindrance than a help." Orla snorted and looked calmly at Isa, mild concern on her features for her little sister, while she ignored the look Adriano was giving her. "How you doing sis?"

?I?m blind, can?t walk on my own according to Oneil and I can?t see my work ever again. I?m just peachy.?

?You can walk? When those casts come off! Until then, its me carrying you and the wheel chair.? He turned back to Adriano. ?Their swim team beat us too! I swear they have them on some form of steroids! Unfortunately, we can?t blame the loss on Cheerleaders for us?.?

Orla smiled softly at her sister, putting a hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"As bad as it may seem Isa, you still have to make the best of the situation. Besides, Oneil, mother, and myself will all be there to help you." Adriano smiled at Orla, since it was rare to hear the young woman sound so compassionate and caring. But Adriano decided to continue talking with Oneil.

"It wouldn't surprise me. They are, like, the wealthiest school in this district! What with the fact we beat them in basketball, volleyball, soccer, and water polo I guess they supped up their swim and football teams so that they can at least keep SOME good in their name." Adriano quite uncharacteristically snarled. "We can blame it on cheerleaders, and knowing Orla she will, but that's not the problem." Adriano just shrugged softly. "I think coach works us too hard."

?I guess there is a good part. No gym for me! But still, I won?t be able to see my work, I?ll have to have everything done orally, and I won?t be able to fix anything so this never happens again. I just wanted to see his face once. Just once. Now I?ll never get the chance. I?ll never see my dad. Never??

?They won?t beat us again. I?ve been practicing so much, I?ve become the number one swimmer on the team. Besides, You?ll do good. Just don?t let Orla miss any more practices.?

Orla gave her sister a short hug, still smiling softly, and ruffled her chestnut hair like any older sister would do to her younger siblings. "Hey, I want to meet dad too and, whether you're blind or not, I can help rebuild the time machine. Think about it sis, with your smarts leading us we could build it to work." There was clear hope in her voice, but her eyes snapped into a glare that was directed at Oneil after his comment. She cleared her throat, eyes narrowed and aflame.

"Now, now Orla?no need to be giving Oneil your glare." Adriano put a hand over her eyes as though to spare Oneil her "masochistic killer" look. But Orla quickly pulled Adriano's hand away and bit him on the wrist, smirking as he yelped.

"Nobody covers my eyes or mouth, because I must be able to speak and see evil." A dark grin curled her features and you could almost picture her hair curling into devil horns.

"Well we've been having practicing three times a week for the last month and a half and Orla has missed only one. We're ready, I know we are, I can feel it, but, like you said, I swear South-Central's team is on steroids. Those guys are huge! They look like over-grown Neanderthals!" Adriano removed his arm from around Orla, making a motion to show they were broad and making a face like some ape-man brute. Orla just laughed and Adriano replaced his arm around her waist.

Isa swiped at her hand, missing by a mile, but didn?t try again. ?I should have worked?? Isa mumbled to herself and snuggled into Oneil?s chest. ?No glaring at Oneil, Orla. He just meant that you should try not to piss off any other teachers. We?ll need you in that game. Adriano can?t pull off a miricle all by himself after all.?

?That?s just as bad as the swimmers! Their times are better, and they should be way less! I swear they are paying off officials?. How else would they get away with this?? His arms surrounded Isa and kissed her forehead. ?I?ll fix your hair for you later.? He whispered into her ear.

Orla snorted at both her sister and her sister's beau, leaning against Adriano a little bit more.

"I only pissed her off 'cause she pissed me off. Tit for tat." Orla snorted again, Adriano giving her a little swat in the arm.

"Snorting does not become you Orla, unless you are a pig." Orla turned her glare on Adriano, who just quirked a rather thick black eyebrow, his black eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Is the entire room against me?!" Orla spoke with exasperation, throwing her arms in the air dramatically. She decided to join in on the football conversation a little more avidly. "Adriano can pull off miracles, it's just unfortunate that his little puppy-dog look can't help him get to the end zone any better." She smirked, glancing at the Spaniard out of the corner of her eye, the young man just shaking his head.

"One day I'm going to catch them in the act and maybe South-Central could get booted out of the league!! Then we'd have one less school to worry about!" Adriano grinned rather darkly, something he had picked up from Orla. "But until then I'll just make sure I keep a path clear for little Speedy here."

He yelped as he got a smack upside the head from Orla, who hated that pet name, at least when it was used in public.

"You know I hate that name!" She snarled at him, Adriano deciding to be Mr. Thrill Seeker and chuckle, grabbing her wrist to keep her from hitting him again. "Don't-make-me-bite-you?"

"I bite back?" Orla gave Adriano a rather taken aback look and Adriano just chuckled.

?Would you rather be called Shinigami?? Isa asked, her voice teasing.

?Half of the football team is on the swim team, so that would be great for us too! I?ll help. We should hack into their security cameras and see what we can get. Can you handle that, Isa?? He asked that before he realized how much that would hurt her.

?Of course not! I can?t read a damn thing on the screen! How would I be able to hack into their systems, undetected and set up anything?! I?d be so slow, they?d catch me in minutes! So no, I can?t!? She screamed, trying to get up and away from him. She managed to get out of his arms, but fell on the floor, having stepped on her broken leg. She screamed and started to cry. ?Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!? The tears poured from her eyes. Oneil tried to help her, but she swatted at him, deciding to crawl out of the room instead.

"Actually, yes I would." Orla turned her nose up slightly like some prissy cheerleader but, realizing her little folly, quickly just snorted at her sister. "It's much better than being called Speedy. Speedy is just so degrading?" She rolled her eyes as she spoke, tempted to poke her sister in the arm.

"Yeah!" Adriano seemed excited, and so he should be since getting back at any school that had beaten them was one of his favourite past times (and many guys had the bruises and scars to prove this). But even Adriano knew when Oneil had said the wrong thing. Orla even cringed a bit, huddling slightly against Adriano's warm, sweater-covered torso. Orla decided to remain quiet, either let Isa pour her heart and tears out or let Oneil handle it. Orla sighed softly as concerned blue-violet eyes watched her little sister crawl from the room.

"I don't know what we can do to help her?if she keeps going like this?who knows what she may start to think?" Orla unconsciously put a hand to her throat while she flexed her opposite wrist.

She had an idea, but wasn't sure if it would help or just make matters worse. She felt Adriano's warmth breath against her cheek and it made her smile softly, but she was still staring at the place where Isa had disappeared from the room.

Oneil sighed and placed his head in his hands. ?I?m such an idiot. She?s probably already thinking about how much of failure she is. Which she isn?t. I just wish I could help her. I?ve known her almost as long as Orla! I should be able to help her! Why does she have to be so complicated?? Oneil leaned back and started to pound his head into the couch. Unfortunately, it was a overstuffed and that didn't hurt much.

Orla looked at Oneil, mild pity in her gaze, though it wasn't highly visible. "She as complicated as I am Oneil, if not more so since she is the brainy one." Orla smiled softly, giving Oneil a hearty pat on the shoulder. "I don't even understand her sometimes and she's my sister!" Orla tried to add some comedy to the situation, but was, of course, failing miserably.

"You really shouldn't be beating yourself up Oneil. 'Taint your fault after all. The most we can do is give her as much independence as possible and, since I know exactly what you're thinking up in that brain of yours Orla, perhaps we can figure out what went wrong with her last machine and maybe start work on a new one if anybody can get hands on her blue prints"

Orla gave Adriano one of those, you-really-are-amazing-you-know, looks and Adriano chuckled.

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe going back in time would save Isa's eyes as well. Personally, I'd rather help my sister than spy on South-Central."

"I think she keeps them in her computer. Which was in the room during the explosion..." Oneil said, wishing there was something else he could do for her at that momment. But he knew that if he went to her right now, he'd be screamed at and have things thrown in his general direction.

"Hmm..." Orla paused in thought. Okay, she wasn't a computer whizz, but Isa had taught her a thing or two. "I could make an attempt to hack into her files from a different school computer...hmm..." Orla stayed in thought for a minute, Adriano seeming rather concerned, mostly because, as Orla said, she wasn't a computer whizz. But he remained silent, knowing any words like, "But Orla..." would get him a good solid smack.

"When has Isa ever used the school computers for her special projects? It was her laptop. She might have a back up,but I have no idea where she would keep it. We'd have to ask her, and she wouldn't give us it in her current condition." He stopped hitting his head, but kept his head on the back of the couch.

Orla shot Adriano a glare, since she knew he was giving her that I-told-you-so look. "Damn that girl." Orla sighed, running a hand through her loose dark chestnut hair, pulling at her bright red bangs. "There's got to be somebody or something that can get us access to her files...I know she's never even let me even touch her laptop, let alone look at her files."

"Why don't we just stay out of this? Ever think of that Orla?" Orla looked at Adriano, cocking her head to the side. "I really don't think we should be medling."

"Personally. I think meddling is the only way she'll get out of depression. She's already well on her way into it. How about you guys figure out a way to help her and I'll go see what I can do for her." Oneil got up and left the room, only to find Isa had been sitting on the other side of the doorway. He sighed and knelt by her, hugging her before lifting her carefully and taking her back into the other room, laying her carefully on the couch before cradling her head in his lap, gently smoothing her hair back.

"You don't need to help me. I'll get it on my own. I'm almost sure the angle of the mirror was off."

Both Adriano and Orla nodded in agreement with Oneil and watched as he left the room, looking at each other before falling into thought. But after only a few short moments, Oneil was back with Isa in his arms. Orla looked at her sister, trying to smile.

"If you're sure Isa, we'll leave you and Oneil to handle it. Unless you want or require the aid of Adriano and myself." Orla did smile, but softly and only for a brief moment.

"And if you don't need us we'll see what those South-Central jerks are up to." Orla shook her head softly at Adriano, kissing his cheek with a mild grin.

"We're all here for you Isa." You could almost hear Orla's smile, and a good thing too since Isa couldn't see it. Unlike most siblings, Orla and Isa got along quite well.