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3 and 4 were… it was hard to explain it. It was like they were hers, somehow, even though they couldn’t any more belong to her than they belonged to 9.No, that wasn’t accurate either… She’d been the one who took care of 3 and 4. 9 had only just gotten to know them. She wasn’t sure he could even tell them apart.3 and 4 were surprisingly touchy. Not touchy like grouchy, but they needed to feel things, know they were there. This was why they curled up against her body in the night, eyes flashing every so often as they thought of things they’d learned that day.Their fingers were smaller than hers, she’d once noted. They click-clacked against hers and each other’s like morse code. Yes, 3 and 4 were hers, moreso than they had ever been anyone else’s.So when she woke up with only 3 curled up into her side, worry started to peck at her brain. “Where’s 4?”3 blinked, raising his hands in a shrug gesture. He began to look more thoroughly, face turning to scan the entire area.7 looked too. Only 9, slumped on an old book and clearly in slumber, was visible anywhere.She decided she didn’t want to bother him, and said to 3, gesturing forwards, “Let’s go find 4. He can’t be that far away.”Out of the library they went, walking around cans and stepping through bicycle spokes. There seemed to be a lot of bicycles near the library; she only even knew what they were because 3 and 4 had played old reels of film with people pedalling around on them. They were far too big any of the stitchpunks to ride, however.It was in early morning haze that she thought she saw rapidly blinking light. That was not likely to be a good sign, and she grabbed 3’s hand, pulling him along with her.As they got closer, the source became apparent: 4 was tangled in a broken bicycle wheel. His fabric had been torn, showing the inner workings of his body. His lights in his eyes were flashing frantically, as he would try to pull free.“Hold on,” 7 was quick to say, running over with 3 close on her heels. She ducked through another wheel, and was by 4 in an instant. “Hold still, hold still,” she said, putting a hand on the side of his face, as he moved and tried to ease himself out.3’s eyes were flashing, looking straight into 4’s. He seemed sort of horrified, but able to do something to help. He looked to 7 with a distressed expression on his face.“Now, stay still, 4, both of you, it’s going to be okay,” 7 said, trying to bend the spokes of the wheel out from where it held 4 like a kebab.He went still. He clearly trusted her implicitly.It was a sturdy piece. It had been broken a long time ago, and was like a spear that had impaled 4. Trying to bend it was very hard.3 was holding onto 4’s hand, fingers clicking together as he flashed the lights in his eyes into his. He was trying to calm him down, and he clearly was succeeding.When 4 began to kick, 7 put a hand on his back, saying, “It’s all right, you’re okay, it’s going to be fine… I’ve almost got you off.”4 sagged rather suddenly, and 7 felt alarm bells going off in her head. She managed to pull him off, but he was still. 3 was clearly panicking. He grabbed 4’s head, flashing his lights in his eyes, with no flashing in return. 7 was quick to examine his body, and where something had bent his frame. “It’s okay, stop, 3!”3 pulled away, hands clasped to his chest.There. A spot was loose. 7 pushed it back in, and very suddenly, 4 jerked awake. His eyes were wide, and his hands seemed to tremble. 7 pulled him close, rubbing his back with her hand. “It’s all right. I told it would be all right.”3 pushed his way into the hug, obviously needing to be near his twin.7 held them very tightly.No one and nothing would take 3 and 4 from her.