CHAPTER TWELVE
“Hey, Gabi, Riley. What’s up?” asked Eric. Their medical team was the most advanced, innovative, and experienced of any in the world. He would stack them up against any team.
“We just finished doing all the blood work, scans, and biopsies for our new friends. It was quite a task. Fortunately, Adam had all their medical records, and we were able to compare everything to what he’d originally found.”
“Anything odd?” he asked.
“We won’t know anything on the biopsies for a few days, maybe even weeks. Their blood work looks very similar to those that we have here. Elevated enzymes and proteins, just interesting spikes here and there,” said Riley.
“Yes. Except for one oddity,” said Gabi.
“Oh, shit,” frowned Hex. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t think either of them know it. It’s not a bad thing, just something we need to be careful about how we speak to it. I know she doesn’t know,” said Riley.
“She? What are we talking about?” asked Eric.
“Griffin.”
“No. Do not fucking tell us he and Marilisa are linked,” said Hex, shaking his head. “Saint will fucking flip out.”
“They’re not linked. Not like that,” said Gabi.
“Then how?” asked Eric.
“Griffin is her father.”
It was so quiet in the room no one said anything, afraid that something might break. Their spirit, their hope, their minds. Something was going to fracture with all this information.
“Her father.” Eric looked at Hex. “Her parents left her at that school. She remembers that. They were a waitress and carpenter or something. She remembers them.”
“Eric, we know that they could have planted those memories for her. Those images in her mind might not actually exist. Griffin said he’s never fathered children. The woman he was designed to be with, both romantically and through his skills, was a woman who committed suicide. Her name was Caroline Shui. I think when he was at The Depot and exposed, they knew that his skills might be exceptional. He was injured fairly significantly in the military, twice. I think while he was under one of those times, they used his sperm, and possibly the other males in the group, to father children.”
“Wait.”
“No. No,” said Riley, shaking her head. “None of the others match DNA to our little brainiacs. Just Griffin and Marilisa. That’s why he felt the nightmare so strongly, and that’s why he felt her fear and danger on the island. He’s her father.”
“Who’s going to tell them?” asked Hex.
“Who’s going to tell them what?” asked Luke, walking into the room. They all turned to stare at him and read their faces. “What the fuck now?”
“Have I done something wrong?” asked Griffin. “I’m sorry that I showed up at Saint and Marilisa’s the other night. I just heard her cries. I felt them.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong, Griffin,” said Luke.
“Then have I?” asked Marilisa. Saint clutched her hand, holding her close to his side.
“Listen, no one has done anything wrong. Please, take a seat,” said Luke. Riley, Gabi, and Adam walked in. They wanted to be sure that the two of them knew before they divulged it to the others.
“God, am I sick?” asked Griffin.
“Just tell us, for fuck’s sake!” yelled Marilisa. Griffin smirked at the young girl, admiring her fierceness.
“Sorry,” said Luke, chuckling. He nodded to Eric.
“Earlier today, all of our new teammates were put through a myriad of tests. We don’t know some of the results, but one something did pop up that was unusual and involves Griffin and Marilisa.”
“She doesn’t belong to him,” growled Saint.
“Saint, son, just hold on,” said Hex. “She doesn’t belong to him in the way you’re thinking. Griffin is Marilisa’s father.” The silence was once again deafening.
“B-but I met my parents. They were normal. They were average,” she whispered.
“Honey, we think you met two people that they wanted you to believe were your parents, or they implanted that memory for you from photographs. DNA doesn’t lie,” said Riley. “Griffin is your father.”
“But I’ve never had children,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve never been in a romantic relationship where I didn’t use a condom.”
“Griffin, you’re a smart man,” said Luke. “You were injured in the military and placed under anesthesia twice. They could have easily taken your sperm when that happened.”
He looked at Marilisa and shook his head.
“I-I don’t know what to say. I had no idea. I mean, I heard you calling for help on the island and then the other night with the nightmare, but I thought that might have just been because you’re like us.”
“I told Saint that I felt like I knew you. I know we never met, but I could feel some sort of connection,” she smiled. Trevor and Ashley smiled at her. “You’re still my parents. You’ll always be my parents.”
“Sweetie, there is enough space for more than one set of parents. It’s happened before, and it looks very much like it could happen again. We will always feel blessed to have been your parents,” smiled Trevor, hugging his daughter.
“I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been a father before,” said Griffin. The others all laughed, nodding.
“Every father is a first-time father, Griffin. Lucky for you, there are no late-night feedings, diaper changes, fevers, measles, or terrible twos. You two will figure this out.” Hex and Eric laughed at the man, giving him a wink.
“What about my mother?” asked Marilisa. “Is there any way to know who it could have been?”
“Well, it’s quite possible that she was a normal woman. No powers,” said Adam. “You have exceptional intelligence, but that by itself doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gifted. I mean, you are.”
“I know what you’re trying to say,” she said, smiling at him. “But they found you all once before. More than once. What if they find you again?”
“They won’t,” said Hiro. “Our own security features will ensure that anything they’re picking up on will be blocked or diverted using Thomas’s technology. Even Spook is learning that the onslaught of constant communication for him is significantly lessened since he’s been here.”
“Okay. So, now what do we do?” she asked.
Griffin looked at Saint, then stood walking toward his newfound daughter. She stood as well, waiting for him.
“Hello, Marilisa. My name is Griffin, and I believe I may be your biological father.”
“Hello, Griffin,” she smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you.”