Trinity

"I don't whine, Alec, I simply state my concerns in a different tone of voice to better accent the conversation." Vanessa sweetly replied.

The pair took the bags down the hallway and entered the first door on their left, the library. Vanessa was not kidding about Alec's love to read. Bookshelves filled the room from floor to ceiling. There were lamps and comfortable leather chairs placed throughout the room. A few desks were also located in there in case either of them was actually working. They maneuvered their way through the bookcases and made it to the back wall of the library placing their bags on the floor in front of the massive bookcase that was there. As Vanessa reached out and pulled on a piece of molding on the case, it slid open to reveal a hidden compartment that contained two empty slots.

Vanessa and Alec each removed the pendants from around their necks. It was the only identification they had to prove their membership in the Covenant. Vanessa's pendant was three circles entwined together, a trinity. The trinity represented her greatest features: intelligence, agility, and strength. Many of her adversaries learned the hard way to never judge a book by its cover. Her beauty may lead some to think of her as quiet and soft, but that was not reality. Vanessa had been involved in so many gunfights, explosions, and dangerous situations, that nothing really surprised her anymore. She pressed the back of her pendant into its matching hole.

Alec's pendant was a single flame of fire that represented the mythical firebird of legend, the Phoenix. He was given this codename because he had the knack for getting out of any situation, no matter the danger. There were many times that Vanessa thought her brother was done for the count, but he always prevailed. She drew her strength from him all the time, not that he was aware of that. Vanessa realized at an early age that the only constant in her life was Alec. He was her rock and her touchstone. He was the one she always turned to. Alex pressed his pendant into its matching slot.

The bookcase slid apart into the wall revealing a hidden stairwell. It was just one of the many passageways that ran throughout the house. Vanessa and Alec took the bags down the stairs and into a wine cellar. It was not a large space, but wine racks filled every available wall space. They each grabbed a bottle of wine that had the year of their birth on the labels. Vanessa and Alec gently pulled on the bottles. As the bottle slid back into place they pushed on the wine rack. The wall swung backwards on hidden hinges. Nothing in this house was really as it seemed.

They entered into the heart of their operation headquarters. It was an expansive area. A large video screen, bigger than most movie theater screens, was placed against the back wall above the communication and computer center. Alec took his bag towards a bank of storage lockers setup against a sidewall. He entered a sequence of numbers on a security panel located in the center of the lockers. After a confirmation beep the sound of lockers opening echoed throughout the space. Alec began to unload their weapons and ammunition from their recent assignment. Vanessa carried her bag back towards the computer center. She began unloading their communication devices and other gadgets. The pair had more technology than NASA and an arsenal that could equip a few countries' armies. After making sure all of the equipment was put away and charging she sat back in a leather office chair.

"I am so glad to be home." Vanessa sighed with content. "This was our third mission in a row. I am totally ready for some down time."

"You're ready for some time off?" Alec asked, sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "Try being stuck on that damn fishing boat for a week. I had to make my cover believable and got stuck out there, acting like I was fishing."

"That had to better than what I went through during the Amsterdam assignment." Vanessa threw back at him.

"You mean you didn't have a good time wearing that rubber, one-piece dominatrix costume?" Alec asked with a laugh.

"It was either that or that old business man that wanted to wear a diaper and have me burp him." Vanessa's body shook at the memory. "Why can't all the assignments be as much fun as this last one? I'll take jumping out of an exploding plane any day."

"You realize we have a very unique family don't you?" Alec asked. "Most families are sitting down to Sunday dinner right now, but we're unloading guns and spy equipment. Other families take vacations to amusement parks, but we end up crawling through a war zone in Siberia on vacation."

"I wouldn't change it for anything in the world." Vanessa said with a grin.

Alec paused and looked at his sister. They weren't a traditional family, but what is considered traditional these days anyways.

"Me either, sis." He finally replied.

Vanessa stood up and stretched her lithe body. After getting a few muscle cramps out she went over to help Alec finish unloading the weapons. At least she started out helping him. It quickly turned into a competition to see who could clean and store the weapons the quickest. Their race came to a close finish. They each had one weapon left. Vanessa beat Alec but only because she gently nudged him out of the way at the last second.

"You realize I let you win, don't you?" Alec asked.

"You keep telling yourself that, tiger." Vanessa said with a smile.

* * *

Vanessa sat at the dining room table reading the morning's newspaper. The front-page story was about a small passenger plane that exploded over the weekend. The cause for the explosion was engine problems. She smiled as she took a sip of her orange juice. It was good having friends at most of the major newspapers and magazines. The Covenant was extremely resourceful. Vanessa glanced at the grandfather clock that stood in the corner of the room. It was almost ten o'clock in the morning, but it didn't surprise her that Alec still wasn't out of bed. They both tried to sleep in when they were at home. There were times during assignments when sleep just wasn't an option.

It was almost a half hour later when she heard fumbling around upstairs. She heard Alec stumble into the kitchen and pour a cup of coffee. He was definitely not a morning person. Vanessa knew better than to say anything to him until he had at least one full cup of coffee. Though most of the time that didn't stop her. Alec walked into the dining room with a major case of bed head and grumpiness.

"Morning, sunshine!" Vanessa cheerfully said. She didn't get much of a response. It was just a few grunts in reply. "Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

Alec glared at his sister and rolled his eyes. He set his coffee cup and plate down on the table. He stretched one more time and yawned before sitting down to breakfast. Alec sipped his coffee while buttering part of his bagel. He could see Vanessa eyeing up his bagel from across the table.

"Try it, and you'll lose a finger." He growled at her.

"You're bark is worse than your bite, tiger." Vanessa giggled. "Besides, I already ate my breakfast. Check this out. We made the front page again."

She slid the paper across the table to her brother. As he picked up the paper she deftly grabbed a piece of his bagel. Alec glared at her as she popped it into her mouth. Alec grumbled a few choice words under his breath and checked out the front page. It was rare for their assignments to reach the front page of the newspaper, but a small passenger plane exploding does get everyone's attention.

"How much time do you think we'll have off this time?" Alec asked. "We were on the road for almost all of the last four months."

"I hope at least a month, but that probably won't happen." Vanessa replied. "Then again, we might get bored with that much time on our hands."

"You might have the chance to get bored, but I've got plenty of work to keep me busy." Alec said. "This year's scholarship competition is really close."

"Is that why you slept in so late?" Vanessa asked her brother. Alec nodded his head. "How late were you up reading last night?"

"I think I finally crashed around three o'clock this morning." Alec could see the concern on his sister's face. "Don't give me that look. We really don't know when the next assignment will come in, so I have to take advantage of our free time."

Alec stood and took his plate into the kitchen. Vanessa picked up the discarded paper and flipped through it to her horoscope.

"Be wary of wolves in sheep's clothing." She read aloud.

"Why do you even bother with that crap? You know none of it is true." Alec said to her as he walked back into the dining room.

"Do you ever have any fun at all?" Vanessa questioned her brother. "You can be such a stick in the mud. Why don't you try going out with one of those girls that are left on our doorstep all the time? You are severely lacking a social life."

"And you're just the belle of the ball, Vanessa?" Alec snapped back at his sister.

"You know as well as I do that trying to date anyone outside of the Covenant is pointless. Besides, you aren't the social butterfly yourself, dear sister."

"At least I go out with friends when we have the time. You don't even do that. If we aren't on a mission you stay in the house and do nothing." Vanessa responded. She was concerned about her brother. "You need to get out more. I don't see the harm in taking one of those girls out for dinner. As long as you don't lead them on there shouldn't be any problems."

"Damn it, Vanessa, mind your own business!" Alec yelled across the dining room.

Vanessa moved so quickly Alec didn't have time to react. One moment he was standing there, the next moment Vanessa had him pinned against the wall.

"We really need to work on your reflexives, tiger, you're getting a bit slow." Vanessa said.

A low growl rumbled in Alec's throat. Vanessa was always interfering in his life, and normally he just went along with it. It was different this time. She was getting too close to the truth, and it made him uncomfortable. Vanessa was saying something to him, but he wasn't paying any attention. Alec was trying to calm his mind and focus his thoughts, but he wasn't able to.

"I'm gay." Alec quietly revealed.

"What?" Vanessa asked in shock, her fingers immediately loosening their hold on his shirt.

A large sigh shuddered through Alec's body. He wasn't ashamed of being gay; that wasn't the problem at all. Admitting to his sister that he was gay would most likely turn the conversation to men, possibly one man in particular. Alec did not want to rehash the painful memories. Alec had attempted to have a relationship one time, and it failed miserably. He did not want to admit his failure to Vanessa.

"I'm gay." He repeated. Vanessa's hand made contact right across his cheek. It was a forceful blow, but his head barely moved. "What the hell was that for?"

"You deserved that for lying to me these past few years and for making me force it out of you." Vanessa calmly said to him. She could tell that there was something more to the situation, but she would push more about that at a later time. Just getting Alec to admit this was a good first step. "I'm your family, Alec, your older sister, don't you think I would have figured something out. I'm not stupid, you know."

"I never thought you were stupid. I just hoped that things had been too busy for you to notice. I'm sorry." Alec mumbled.

It broke Vanessa's heart to see her brother like this. He was always the strong and tough one, and to see his armor crack a bit like this was unsettling. She reached out and pulled him to her. She ran her fingers through his hair and murmured in his ear. After a few moments Alec pulled back from his sister and smiled at her.

"Thanks, Nessa, I love you." He quietly said to her. "Let's go get our daily training over with. I've got to get back to that paperwork sometime today."

"You're such a slave driver." Vanessa said in an attempt to lighten the moment.

"The harder we train, the better the chance we survive." Alec said over his shoulder. He was headed towards the study. "So, move your lazy ass, sis."

They made their way back down into their headquarters, or the dungeon as Vanessa lovingly referred to it. Across from the weapons' storage area was their training and workout area. A large, thick mat covered the area and there were different kinds of exercise equipment set up all over the place. The pair went through their breathing and stretching exercises before smoothly moving into their yoga routines.

Yoga helped to keep their minds focused and their bodies centered. Concentration and focus were two of the most important qualities needed in their line of work. They had to be able to react and make lightening fast decisions. One slip of concentration or one moment of lost focus could be the difference between life and death. Yoga also helped their bodies' flexibility. Flexibility helped with their speed and agility.

Vanessa and Alec decided to work inside today, since they just returned from the field. Normally the pair worked out in the woods that were located on the back part of the property. It didn't matter what time of year it was, or what the weather was like. They had to be prepared to operate in any type of climate or circumstance. Living in the New England area was a great benefit for them. They were able to train in different temperatures and climates, though working out in two feet of snow was not high on their list of favorite things.

After thirty minutes of yoga Vanessa and Alec moved into their martial arts training. Their bodies moved with precision and beauty as they punched and kicked through their routines. As the routines were coming to an end Vanessa lashed out, kicking at her brother. Alec smoothly stepped to the side and went into a defensive crouch. Their sparring was always as close to full out fighting as possible. It didn't do their reflexes any good if they were holding back. Vanessa stepped forward again and attempted a roundhouse kick at Alec's head with her right foot.

Alec swiftly dropped down and swept his leg underneath Vanessa, successfully knocking her leg out from under her. She fell to the mat with a loud thump. Alec quickly kicked out with his left foot, but Vanessa somersaulted backwards and hopped to her feet. Alec stepped towards his sister, her left leg lashed out towards his head. This time Alec grabbed her ankle, stopping her forward motion.

Vanessa gave her brother a sweet smile. She leapt into the air, her right leg swung up and over her left leg, which was still in Alec's hand. Her foot made contact to Alec's head with a sickening crack. He immediately let go of her foot and fell to the ground.

Vanessa's body continued it's forward motion and she barely landed on the balls of her feet. Her body immediately sprung into a defensive mode, but the attack she expected never came. Alec still remained on the ground. Vanessa was not going to fall for this trick, well not again at least. She walked over and gave a swift, but easy, kick to his right side. Alec's body didn't move or react. He was sprawled out on his stomach Vanessa quickly shook her brother's shoulder.

"Alec!" She called out.

He didn't respond. She very carefully turned him over onto his back. A mistake she regretted almost as soon as she had done it. As soon as Alec was on his back his hands shot out and grabbed Vanessa's arms. He planted his feet into her stomach and flipped her over his body so they were almost laying head to head. Alec allowed his body to continue to roll backwards. He rolled back onto Vanessa's body, his knees pining her shoulders to the ground.

"I thought you said you always let me win?" Vanessa asked with a laugh.

"False sense of security there, sis." Alec smiled back at her.

Alec stood up and helped his sister to her feet. They both toweled the sweat off of their foreheads and had a drink of water. They continued working out for the rest of the afternoon, except they used the weight machines to build up their strength. There wasn't much conversation during their workouts. There really wasn't any need for it.

Life at the Romane home quickly fell back into its normal pattern. Alec took his time and was able to select the finalists for the scholarships after a few days. Vanessa met up with some old friends, and ran some errands for the Foundation. Vanessa tried to hook Alec up on some blind dates, but he always dug his heels in and refused. Their lives had begun to feel normal again, though they should have known it wouldn't last.

* * *

Vanessa lounged in the luxurious hot water that filled the bathtub. The foamy bubbles wrapped around her body, easing her tense, cramped muscles. It was quiet moments like that that she cherished the most, moments where she could let down her guards. Times where she could just be Vanessa, not Trinity.

She was able to allow her focus to drop and her thoughts could roam freely. During assignments she had to be on top of her game. She couldn't allow for any wandering thoughts or feelings to interrupt her concentration, but in her own home she could relax. Her thoughts focused on Alec, as they normally do. Alec seemed happy on the outside, but Vanessa knew her brother better than she knew herself. Something had been bothering him, and she hadn't been able to pin down exactly what it was right away. Vanessa kept a close eye on her brother, though not close enough that he would suspect something.

It wasn't until Alec was older that she suspected he might be gay. They were both too busy through high school, mainly due to training, to really date anyone. She thought things would pick up for Alec in the dating scene once they had more free time. Things never did pick up though. Numerous women came calling to the house trying to get Alec to date them, but none of them were ever successful. Once Vanessa started paying closer attention to him she realized that his gaze always slid past the women, but would sometimes linger on an attractive man. The longer he remained single, the more Vanessa felt that her suspicion was true.

She hadn't planned on confronting Alec the other day in the dining room. It just kind of happened, a total stroke of luck. Alec finally took her into his confidence and revealed his sexuality. She was happy that he could finally trust her with his secret. Vanessa didn't feel any remaining anger towards Alec for keeping it from her for so long. She had no idea what that had to feel like, and was just grateful to finally have that piece of the puzzle solved. Her new mission would be to help him find a man.

She relaxed in the hot water for a few more moments before her mind focused on other thoughts, thoughts she usually held at bay. Thoughts of her parents floated through her mind. Anna and Sam Romane were two of the most loving and compassionate people, and parents, in the world. Alec and Vanessa were the center of their universe. They did whatever was necessary to ensure their children's happiness. They were away on business from time to time, on assignments, but whenever they were at home all of their time was for their children.

Her mind took her back into time, a night almost seven years ago, the night her parents were taken away from her. She and Alec had been practicing their martial arts when there was a knock on the door. Thunder and lightning crashed through the sky, giving the knock on the door an ominous sound. Vanessa opened the door to find Mr. Clerick, from the Foundation, standing there. Their parents were away on assignment and an earthquake had totaled the city they were in. Anna and Sam Romane’s bodies were found within the rubble. Time seemed to stop completely that night for Vanessa. It wasn’t until months later that she began to feel alive again. Alec had kept a close watch over her almost every minute of the day.