Sota was in her's and Wash's room.  She was on her bed in her armor with her helmet on her pillow.  She had just come from the Director's office and too say the very least, she was completely oblivious to what the Director thought she knew.

She didn't have a clue to what he was talking about.  Now she barely trusted him... but she couldn't deny that he had a point... she needed to get to know her team.  She felt bad.  They all had seen her match with Wash, they all had congratulated her. 

And what did she do?  She ignored them.  She didn't even know all of their names by heart!  She knew Penn, Del, and... Georgia was it?  She knew there was one more.  She swallowed guiltily.  She decided she'd stop by the classroom so she could look up some of them.

She opened the door to the classroom and peeked in.  Nobody was in.  She stepped in and went to the nearest desk.  She scrolled through the files until she found the Freelancers. 

First up was Agent Pennsylvania.  She couldn't help but think back to their last mission.  She subconsciously rubbed the scar on her leg.  Agent Pennsylvania.  Evan McClellin.  Male.  16 years old.  Son of Agent North Dakota and Agent Michigan.  Twin brother to Agent Delaware.  Cousin to Agent Missouri and Agent Georgia.  That was the last one!  Missouri!

She saw his picture.  He looked younger in the picture but she still cracked a smile.  He saved her life.  She got a tingling feeling inside, so she clear her throat and exited the file.

Next was Agent Delaware.  She hung out with her and Wash sometimes because she was the only girl in the little family group.  She was... nice.  Agent Delaware.  Ophelia McClellin.  Female.  16 years old.  Daughter of Agent North Dakota and Agent Michigan.  Twin sister to Agent Pennsylvania.  Cousin to Agent Missouri and Agent Georgia.  She did remind Sota a lot of Michigan.

Then Agent Missouri.  Dang he had the widest, flirtatious smirk in his picture.  Sota rolled her eyes.  Agent Missouri.  Leo Lewis.  Male.  17 years old.  Son of Agent New York and Agent Virginia.  Cousin to Agent Pennsylvania and Agent Delaware.  She'd have to try harder to get to know him... hopefully he wouldn't be as hard to get close to as she thought.  He might surprise her.

And lastly, Agent Georgia.  He looked so cheerful in his picture!  She couldn't help but smile.  Agent Georgia.  Oliver Lewis.  Male.  15 years old.  Son of Agent New York and Agent Virginia.  Cousin to Agent Pennsylvania and Agent Delaware.  He looked so adorable!

When she exited his file, she decided to look at Wash's file.  Agent Washington.  Sage Moor.  Female.  16 years old.  Adopted daughter of Agent Rhode Island.  No other known relations.  She looked very confused in her picture. 

Then... she realized she was an agent... she was the number one agent.  She had a file.  Maybe... her family would be on there.  She exited Washington's file and scrolled until she found hers.  She swallowed.  She pressed on her file and read it carefully.

Agent Minnesota.  Joy Kelly.  Female.  15 years old.  Daughter of [ERROR] and [ERROR].  No other known relations. 

She gulped, tears starting to form.  she shook her head.  "No! No no nonononono!"  She refreshed the file.  Daughter of [ERROR] and [ERROR].  She refreshed it again, and again.  "NO!  I MUST HAVE PARENTS!"  She cried, pounding on the screen.

After a while of trying to contain her sobs, she wiped her tears away and exited the file.  She grabbed her helmet and put it on, walking out briskly and stomping hard in frustration.  Why was everything about her a secret?!

She walked down the hallway, intending to go to her dorm, but as she passed a door, she heard a loud, "UNO!" then several groans of frustration.  "Come on, Leo!"  "Are you serious?!"  "Leo!"

Sota couldn't help but smile.  Maybe this was her chance to spend time with the rest of her team.  She knocked on the door, and her confidence slowly ebbed away when silence fell.  She heard footsteps coming towards the door and she subconsciously held her breath.

The door opened to Penn.  "Oh!  Hey, Sota.  What's up?"  He smiled at her which made her tingle again.  She cleared her throat to get rid of the feeling.

"Probably another mission..."  Missouri mumbled. 

Sota shook her head.  "Not this time.  What're you playing?"

Missouri frowned.  "Why?  Is Uno also not allowed in Project Freelancer?"  He sneered.

"Leo!  Stop!"  Georgia snapped then turned to her.  "We're just playing Uno."

Sota felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.  "No... I just... want to play too?"

There was silence again.  "Really?"  Georgia asked happily, but also in surprise.  "Yeah... I think it'd be fun."

"Well come on over, we'll deal you in!"  Penn beckoned her with a wave of his hand and they sat down.  She was given seven cards.  A blue eight, a three, and a one, a yellow reverse and draw two, a green five, and a wild card.  Okay hand, she guessed.  The starting card was a green five.

"You go first this time, Ophelia."  Penn suggested and she nodded, setting down a blue five.  "Changing the color already?"  Georgia whined, drawing a card.

Sota put down her blue eight, Penn skipped Missouri, and Del reversed the game, to which Missouri reversed it again, not wanting Penn to have another turn so soon.

"So, Sota, I heard you got shot in the leg on your mission with Evan, is it alright?"  Del asked.  "Yeah.  It's fine now."  She felt a little awkward.  They were all calling each other by their real names... then they called her Sota.  "You know, my real name is Joy... when we're not around the Director and stuff, you can call me that."

Georgia piped up.  "Really?  Awesome!  Thanks, Joy!" 

"Ollie, it's your turn."  Missouri huffed and Georgia quickly put down a blue draw two.  "Sorry, Joy,"

Sota giggled.  "No problem Geor-"  She stopped and thought back to the files.  "Um, Oliver."  "Just Ollie is fine!"  Sota went to draw two cards.

"Do you have another draw two, Joy?"  Penn asked.  Sota nodded.  "Well you can play that one on top of Ollie's and then I have draw four.."

Sota frowned.  "That's a thing?  I never played that way with Mary."  Missouri made a fake gasp.  "Maryland played games??"

Sota, not immediately understanding his sarcasm, nodded.  "Yeah, we used to play card games all the time until-"  She broke off, looking at her cards.  "Um... I'm good, I'll just draw two.  She picked up two more cards.  A yellow skip and a green two. 

Penn looked at her sympathetically.  "Yeah.  Lia and I used to play card games with mom and dad."  Del nodded slowly.

Missouri sighed.  "Enough with the sob stories!"  Penn rolled his eyes.  "We're just trying to help Joy feel better, Leo, have a heart!"  Missouri went quiet. 

Sota took a deep breath.  "Thanks, Evan, but it's honestly okay.  It's your turn."  Penn gave her a reassuring smile then put down another skip.  "Come on, man!"  Missouri complained.

Del giggled as she put down a wild card.  "Let's dooooo.... yellow."  She decided.  Georgia whined and drew another card. 

They played for a good few hours, and it was nice to just talk and play with her teammates.  They all seemed so close.  As close as her and Mary.  They were like family.  Well... they were family she guessed. 

"I'm dropping out.  I don't know how Evan gets all those skips but here's no way I'm winning."  Missouri grumbled.  "Yeah, I think I'm about done as well."  Del agreed, setting down her hand. 

The once very proud Georgia frowned.  "Oh, so I now just win and you all decide to quit?"  He sighed.  Penn patted him on the back.  "Sorry but they're right, we've been playing for a while."  He stood up, as did Sota.

"Good games, guys.  Thanks a lot."  Sota nodded gratefully and the other kids chuckled and nodded back.  "No problem!"  "Fun playing with you too!"

Penn put a hand on her shoulder.  "Anytime, Joy, anytime."  He told her genuinely.  "You're not all bad." Missouri joked.

Sota smiled and looked down.  "It was great to get to know all of you..."  she put some of her hair behind her ear.  "...to get some quality time with my frie-"  she stopped and swallowed hard.

And again that weight rested on her shoulders.  She glanced up at the faces of the freelancers.  They all depended on her.  If she slipped up again like she did with Penn, she could get bumped down and they wouldn't look all her the same!  However much of a jerk the Director was, he had a lot more power over her.  Over them.

"With my teammates."  She corrected, and she could see some smiles faltering.  She turned to Penn and couldn't bare to see his expression so she turned to leave.  "Thanks for everything."  She murmured and closed the door behind her.