Chapter Six #2
Jenaki stiffened then smiled at the casual phrase that preceded her sleeping soundly.
When he had met her at the checkup, he had been struck by her presence.
Her calm. It took that kind of control to manage a serious activation, and that is what she had.
He smiled and stroked her hair and the downy side of her cheek.
His partner had met him, and he had known in one minute that they would match very well.
Until he worked through the origins of her pregnancy, he thought he would have someone to fight.
He kissed her forehead. No fight with a male would be necessary, but he was betting that Diena would be fun at a live range, but only if there was a need.
He guessed that Torun was going over Alody’s files as he lay there.
* * * *
Torun sat at a terminal and watched clips of Alody running toward wounded defenders and team members, flying, swimming, and speeding. There were thousands of records of her, and she looked exactly like Diena. Her files showed samples being taken for secondary creation, and then, Alody disappeared.
There was no record of her leaving; she just simply ceased to exist. He scrolled forward, and there were no occurrences of her before she rescued the bus, looking the same as the day she was last seen.
He looked her up and blinked as her address was listed in the Askalla directory. Her status was as a citizen, and that took some doing.
He paused and checked the security cameras at the maternity centre. She had left after one with a sleeping child. He would seek her out in the morning.
Zera asked, “Did you find her?”
“I don’t know where she went, but I found her.” He turned to his love and smiled. “She was my first medic when I entered the program.”
She blinked. “She was?”
“She was. She was the team medic for every team out of the capitol and several international teams on request.”
Zera frowned. “What happened?”
“She just disappeared. One day, she was just gone. We got a new medic, and that was that.”
“Where did she go?”
“I am going to find out.” He smiled and reached for her. “In the morning, after her son gets some rest.”
“Son?”
“Son.” He kissed her and carried her to their bedroom. No sense wasting the pre-dawn light.
* * * *
Diena ignored the astonished looks of the nurses as she left the maternity centre. Her body had pulled in a dramatic amount, and she only had a slight roundness to her figure that was going to require a gym to work off. She had enjoyed taste-testing at the playpark a little too much.
Jenaki came with her and transformed into his action-look outside. He smiled and lifted her, moving just as carefully now as he had when he brought her in.
She looked out over the city as it was waking and coming to life.
“You did very well, Diena. Even dealing with the family last night.”
She snorted. “The reason we work on need is that if we work with our own impulses, that kid would have been an orphan. Their lack of respect for my moments of quiet was infuriating, and I had enough of a hormone load to splat them flat.”
“Well, I am glad you didn’t. It would have put a dent in my record as a responsible OB.”
She laughed. “You were cuddling with a patient.”
“I was cuddling with my intended. There is a difference.”
She snorted softly. “Oh, I am going to be so happy to get into normal clothing again. I have really missed my feet.”
He grinned. “You are going to continue to work at Z-Corp?”
“No. Once I get the final all clear from... you, I guess, I am going to focus my efforts on the playpark.”
He nodded. “Does your supervisor know?”
“They have an idea, but I haven’t formalized it yet. I needed the maternity coverage, and it was in the contract that I would remain on site and as an employee until the child was delivered.”
He cocked his head. “I think I understand. They were watching you.”
“Yup. I am fairly sure Kritz knew who I was.”
He descended to the drive outside her house and walked toward the door. Ithal flung the door open. “We are making waffles!”
Diena laughed. She looked at Jenaki. “Do you have a full day ahead?”
He shook his head. “Not until afternoon.”
He walked into the house with her, and she said, “Do you like waffles?”
Alody called out, “We have strawberries.”
He carried her to see the flour explosion and the eight-year-old wearing batter on his cheekbones.
Jenaki looked at her. “I love waffles.”
He set her down on a chair near the counter.
Alody smirked. “Everything smooth after we left?”
Diena reached forward and stole a strawberry. “Just what I expected. Tycho tracked me from my scent on the baby, and they all came in to thank me. I think hugs were about to happen. Torun and Zera came by, and that is where it went to heck.”
Alody paused. “I used to know Torun.”
“Oh, that was clear. He locked up when he saw me.”
Alody looked at Ithal. “Can someone supervise the great strawberry massacre?”
Jenaki was still in battle gear, but he walked around. “Got it.”
Alody walked into the next room, and Diena could hear her talking quietly in an amused tone that paused and got tense. “What is he doing here?”
There was a pause, and then she said, “He was a teen getting training. No, I didn’t do anything creepy. Stop laughing, you purple moron!”
Diena nodded. “Torun.”
Jenaki laughed. “He will be over here soon.”
Diena got to her feet, walked to the wall next to the front door, and smacked the bug zapper.
A knock at the door made her wrinkle her nose.
She opened it and saw the excitement then confusion on the silver male’s face.
His hair was silver, his suit was silver, and he looked to be in his mid-forties.
Diena looked over her shoulder. “Mom. You have a gentleman caller.”
Alody cursed. “Who is it?”
“Based on newsreels, the Silver Storm.” She grinned. “Come on in. Oh, and I just caught Torun in the bug zapper.”
Alody grinned as she approached the door. “Well, there is a bright spot. How long does it hold him?”
“Five minutes. If you want to let him go, that panel by the wall is the activator.”
Alody edged around Silver Storm and went outside to look up. She aimed her com and took a picture.
Diena called out, “Can you send that to me? Keska is collecting a scrapbook of the fliers getting stuck in it. She thinks it’s a selling point.”
Alody chortled as she came back inside and hit the release. There was a thud, and then the purple menace was in the doorway, his chest heaving.
Diena powered up her hand. “Calm down or fuck off, Torun. You came to my house. Have some fucking manners.”
He looked at the energy around her fingers. “What can you do with that?”
“Whatever is needed.”
He looked at Alody and said, “Your daughter?”
“In every way.”
Silver Storm smiled. “It is good to see you.”
Alody blushed. “You seem to have finished growing.”
He grinned. “Thank you for noticing.”
Ithal walked out with his hands covered with slaughtered strawberry juice and looked at the defender. “Mister, can you work in Aksalla?”
“I am on the training team. I can work anywhere. Why?”
Ithal smiled. “Just checking.”
He was grinning as he headed back to the kitchen, where Jenaki had taken over the fruit prep. He got back on the step stool, and Ithal took over. He was chortling.
Diena looked at him. “What did you see?”
“If I tell you, Mom is going to make me do everybody’s homework.”
Diena walked over and crouched. “Whisper it in my ear.”
She listened and belted out a “Hah!”
Alody whipped around the corner. “What was that?”
Diena straightened. “Saw a funny-looking strawberry, but it’s dead now.”
Ithal whispered, “I thought we don’t lie.”
Diena found an odd strawberry and smashed it with her palm. “There. Now, not a lie.”
Ithal laughed, and Alody gave her a dark look. “How funny-looking was it?”
“It had three boobs.” Diena licked it from her palm.
Alody continued the dark look.
Diena smirked. “Looks like you get a shiny one, too.”
Jenaki snorted and started making the waffles.
Alody glared. “You, too?”
“Flour up my nose. So sorry.”
Silver Storm and Torun walked in, and Torun looked hopeful. “Waffles?”
Diena snorted. “Alody, do we have enough stuff?”
“Yup, but you eat first. Then Dr. Jenaki and Ithal. Then me, and the flying twits get what’s leftover.”
Silver Storm nodded. “Just happy to be included. May I make coffee?”
Diena’s hands shot into the air. “Yes! My best friend is back on the menu.”
Jenaki laughed, and the Silver Storm raided her cupboards in a blur and then got her coffeemaker chugging away.
Torun watched the two and a half men working in the kitchen and looked at Alody. “You are getting what you always wanted. Your family.”
“Shut up, you grape idiot.”
Torun walked over and hugged her. “I missed you, too, Katta.”
She shoved at him. “It’s Alody. You giant goof.”
He squeezed carefully and whispered, “It is so good to see you alive.”
“Yeah, yeah. Save it for the escorts.”
He laughed and straightened. “Where did you go?”
“Oh, the program sold me to the Lorn emperor for some minerals. They had Diena already and thought that she would evolve my activation.” Alody chuckled. “They had no idea how stubborn she could be.”
Diena snickered. “I resemble that remark.”
Ithal grinned. “She’s my role model.”
“After only a day?” Diena grinned.
“I am a quick study.” He focused and finished slicing the fruit.
Jenaki was quietly stacking waffle after waffle. He murmured, “Ithal, perhaps setting the table would be next.”
Ithal nodded and went to grab the plates.
Silver Storm got the mugs ready and brought them to the table, finding the cutlery and bringing it along. Diena and Alody stood with Torun and watched things move.
Torun grinned. “This is fun. It reminds me of old times between missions.”
Silver Storm looked over and bowed. “Ladies? Please have a seat.”
He held the chair for Alody, but she snorted and held the chair for Diena. “It is her home, and she gave birth in the early hours of the night.”
Diena laughed and took the seat. “Thanks, Mom.”
Jenaki settled the waffles in front of her and kissed the top of her head again. “Eat, Diena.”