Cheshire Chapter 6

by fhwrege

Trials of the first days of a young breakthrough.

"Home" coming

The four of us were too wrapped up in what we were doing to notice just how many people had shared our moment. Hope, Jacky and Shell still tease me about the audacity of the meek.

To this day I'm glad our extended families had our backs until we were truly ready to handle everything the world threw at us. We'd had no idea what we'd let ourselves in for. But in the end, would those who opposed us have really wanted us to know they were coming so we could be ready in advance?

From an interview with Rionnagh Cheshire Scott

Sometimes you don't want to fix crazy. You want to grab onto it and enjoy the ride.

Artemis

Cheshire

It wasn't long after we said our "oath" that Kim and Rachelle came to get us. After being introduced to Elspeth, Hana, Marion and their families they led us down a hallway to a small conference room where two figures were waiting. Kitsune, Astra and Shell followed behind.

The one barely had time to turn around before my arms were around her neck in a hug. "Ruth! You're back!"

As Kim did introductions behind me, Ruth wrapped her arms around me and squeezed back. "Chuckle. It's only been two days Cachorra." She nuzzled my forehead, "But I've missed you too." She gave me a thump on the back before setting me down. "I'm back, but not 100 percent yet, so I have maybe an hour before having to return to rest form. So we need to go back soon." She paused to brush a lock of hair back and tuck it behind my ear. "On that subject, Dr. Brock has something for you."

Dr. Brock smiled in greeting, "Hello again young lady. Ruth and Evelynne tell me you've been busy."

I smiled back, "It's mostly been a good busy." I bit down on a giggle as Shell rolled her eyes.

"Chuckle. Anyway." He said as he pulled a leather pouch from his pocket, "This is for you." Handing it to me he continued, "Other than myself you are the only one who can use it."

I could feel something solid inside the pouch as I turned it over in my hands. Reading the lettering I asked, "Little Yggdrasil? What is it?"

Dr. Brock had a twinkle in his eye, "Open it and tell me."

I gave him a wary look I pulled the pouch open and slipped what looked like a metal casting of a tree part way out of the pouch. "Looking" closer at it I could see a glowing framework within the metal. Pulling it the rest of the way out I found that the "roots" of the tree were the bars of a tuning fork. "OH!"

I closed my eyes and gently tapped the forks on the palm of my hand and listened to the tone it produced. Opening my eyes I could see a translucent image of a door with a bas relief of the tree on it. In a large arc in front of it were arches similar in size to the recessed alcoves in this room. Looking back at the door, just before the image faded, I caught sight of my crest.

I was in awe of the gift he'd given me. "A key. You finished it?" Looking around at the people gathered I asked, "How many people can we bring with us?"

Dr. Brock smiled, "To the first? Yes. To the second? Only the base features; Tokki is working on installing the flowerbeds, gardens, orchards and vineyards. To the third? We have 100 passes but only 20 tokens for breakthroughs."

Astra stepped forward, "Why the passes Dr. Brock?"

Dr. Brock nodded to her, "For security reasons, Ms. Corrigan-Miyamoto. As Ms. Scott has been informed, the world is doubly dangerous for those of us that can bridge locations at will. For me, my little corner of reality serves the same purpose as your Dome. I admit my passes allow me to track the wearer, but without them the security I have in place will throw out any intruder. If they are lucky they will end up someplace hospitable on Earth. If not they are thrown adrift to land where they may.

Astra's face was grim, "And the tokens for breakthroughs?"

Dr. Brock matched her look for look, "To provisionally allow those not connected to my collection of realms to use their abilities while there." Astra gave him a shocked look. "If you are thinking that means that any breakthrough without a token would be low jacked you would be correct." He frowned before continuing, "According to Dr. Harte I share at least one trait with Lady Ozma. I am good, but if you threaten those I care for, do not expect me to be nice."

Astra closed her mouth and shook her head as if gathering her thoughts, "Provisionally?"

Dr. Brock explained, "The tokens and passes can detect intent. If the wearer intends harm to my realm or one connected to it within its boundaries, they cease to function. Attempting to analyze it or copy it in any way results in the same. As does intending to provoke another wearer into a violent action. I include mental manipulation and coercion in this restriction. Sigh. It still needs fine tuning, but we can discuss the excuses used by those that think 'the rules shouldn't apply to them' later."

He took a look at Shell's belligerent expression and added, "Don't worry Ms. Boyer. Honest retaliation for tickle fights is permitted."

Despite the situation Astra smirked, and I had to smother a giggle at Shell's expression. She caught the twinkle in my eye and stuck her tongue out at us. She huffed when I returned it with a smile.

Dr. Brock clasped his hands together, "Now to better explain. I had an interest in learning about Ms. Scott's range of abilities so I solicited a contract with her guardians to create a place for her to stay." He turned to me and bowed. "And I apologize Rionnagh, I did use the opportunity to test how well the passes will work, so they will only function in the arboretum. Which reminds me. No one that intends to come is allergic to bee stings are they? No? Good." Looking back to me he nodded, "When you are ready young lady."

I picked an arch and was just about to tap the key on my hand when a thought occurred to me. The tone hadn't been a "sound". I could "hear" magic; could I "speak" it? If only for this? "Oh well. If it doesn't work I can pretend I was just hesitant."

Taking a deep breath I brought the tone to mind and "sang" it. The tone reached out and the image, of what I now realized was basically a courtyard, formed again. In a bizarre version of echolocation the tone fluoresced off of the alcove and produced an echo in a courtyard arch. When I willed them to line up the view into the alcove was simply replaced with one of a wood floored courtyard and facing me was the door that I was guessing led to my tree house. I blinked, just a slight "press" and I was holding open a portal to Dr. Brock's pocket reality as easily as I was breathing.

Without looking back I stepped through. Gazing left and right I realized how right I'd been. The door was set into the trunk of a very wide tree. A twenty meter wide ramp led up to my right and down to my left pausing every ten meters vertically to level out at a "deck" to grant access to a balcony, maybe four meters wide, before continuing on. Trunklike "posts" along the outside of the wider ramp held it up. Looking closer I realized that there was actually a channel next to the outer rail, sunken into the surface of the ramp, with a brook running in it linking cascades and small pools of water. "It looks like it runs the entire ramp!"

Floating up and turning around I could see that there were other trees here, the closest about a hundred meters away. Smaller than the one I was next to, they looked to be about fifty meters thick. Their ramps were smaller and the balconies were absent. Following the trunks up I saw a network of branches about two hundred meters above me that seemed to connect every trunk to every other. The scale of the space stunned me. You could fit a football field and a decent sized stadium between any four trunks here.

I was thinking the trees went beyond my visual horizon until I saw the figure next to a thicker trunk a mile away. She was wearing a blue dress, had flowing white hair and was floating above a set of arches. Lighting my wings and shifting position confirmed it. "Yep that's me." Paying attention to my "sight" I could make out that this "room" was a mile wide each way by two high. Outside of the trunks it was separated into sixteen "floors". Inside the trunks…. I lost count. I was in awe. Tokki Sif had designed what was basically a self contained arcology with twenty-five two mile high towers and Dr. Brock had crafted it in under three days. I could also see the Tokkis that were in the process of planting the garden areas. It was going to take them a while, until then most of what could be seen was dreamcrafted. Dr. Brock and Sif had included "flowers" that, in addition to providing variety to the visual landscape, would tide over the little glowing clouds of bees from the apiaries that Tokki had already placed until the real plants started blooming.

"UHumm-hum." Dr. Brock cleared his throat to get my attention. "All of our guest are here, Ms. Scott. Are you ready?"

Looking down I could see everyone had come through and were spaced around the courtyard. I returned the key to the pouch, carefully tucking it into my sash, before closing the gate as I descended to land in the space next to the "front door". Taking in the expressions of confusion and awe in front of me I had to suppress a giggle. Grandma Alice and Daddy just watched me and smiled at my delight and the joke we were sharing.

Letting my inner imp take control I stood straight and addressed the group. "Good evening everyone, thank you for joining us. I am Rionnagh Cheshire Scott and I will be your hostess. On behalf of New Underland I would like to welcome you to the extrareality pocket that is the Little Yggdrasil arcology." I gestured at the vista around us and bowed. "We hope you enjoy your visit."

Roars of laughter broke out around me, literally in Ruth's case as she involuntarily shifted back to her rest form. Elspeth and Marion ran up to hug me while Hana adopted a more dignified pace. Behind her, her Grandmother caught my eye and gave a slight nod of approval. Astra and Shell's jaws hung open.

Shell recovered first. "An extrareality forest?" Shaking her head she added. "This place is huge!"

I kept one eye on Dr. Brock while I replied, "An extrareality simulation of a mythical forest and, while large, it is not as big as it tries to appear." I gestured toward where I could see our group a mile away both directions. "As those of you with the vision to see detail at this distance can tell that is actually this group you see at the wider tree. The arcology measures a mile in each direction laterally and if the intervening floors weren't in the way you would see that it measures two miles vertically for slightly over five cubic kilometers in total volume. Exterior to the towers we have a total of 16 floors. The interior of the 24 smaller towers each have 640 floors while the main tower we are adjacent to has 320." I attempted to stay serious but my tails were betraying me by refusing to hold still.

Dr. Brock's eyes twinkled, "Well my dear, I believe it is time to show our guests inside."

"Of course, Dr. Brock." I nodded and turned to the door. Seeing the panel to the side with its arrangement of buttons I mentally shook my head. He had it set up so you could access every "tree" and floor separately. "I know I suggested it but I think he went overboard for the first attempt." Fortunately it was easy to deduce the floor designated as mine. I had to admit, it was so simple I may have made it look like I knew what I was doing the whole time.

Then I had to clamp down on a snort of laughter as the door opened by sliding to the side without a sound. Dr. Harte must have told Dr. Brock about the doors in the dome and he'd cheekily replicated the apparent function here. Then I stepped through and nearly forgot I wasn't alone. The door had opened into a den/bar/lounge area that was one of four large, equally sized spaces on this level. Measuring more than eighty feet each direction they all had overhanging loft/balconies that added half the space again to the floor area.

There had to be more than two acres of living space on this level alone and it included a circular, seventy foot diameter, pool in the center. An open shaft went up nineteen more levels to what I realized was the bottom of another pool. Only the first balcony of the shaft had decorative plants but as I looked around I realized they'd managed to furnish this floor, including some indoor plantings, to the point that it didn't feel sparse. Breathing deep I realized they had to have finished within the last hour or two. I could still smell dust that hadn't settled. Two groups of Tokki in professional uniforms stood to one side. One group was dressed as staff and was loosely spread around the lounge. The closer group looked to be guides and the one closest to me gave me a wink. The tablet she was holding was labeled Sif.

I'd managed to take all of this in quickly enough to turn and be ready as the last of the group entered. Swallowing past the lump in my throat I continued, "This is the point at which I admit to having reached the limit of my information. I will now turn you over to Sif and her design team. Please direct any questions pertaining to the arcology to them. Thank You."

Tokki Astrid

I had a sad smile on my face as I watched Cheshire. The poor fuzkin had nearly fainted at the sight of her "tree" house. I introduced myself smiled as she welcomed me to the table she and her friends had been settled at. She always made a point of addressing each of me by our chosen name.

Despite the fact that every me I had was at least slightly different in personality and interests than any other me, I was/we were a redux, and we were used to being addressed as Tokki or even "Hey you." and it would be understandable if she did as well. That she made the effort to "know" each one of me left me/us as feeling as warm and fuzzy inside as she was on the outside. As a result I/we on the design team may have overdone with our thanks.

"Well Rionnagh I take it from your expression that you didn't quite expect this?" I teased her as she sipped the drink Ginger brought her.

She shook her head, "I had hoped for something maybe the size of my rooms at The Dome, in a tree maybe fifty feet tall, next to a pool or pond with a gate to Tygeara's grotto. The whole thing wouldn't have been as big as the floor I have here."

I paused before taking a drink from the glass I'd brought with me. "The 'floor' you have here?" I watched as her eyes became saucers. "Rionnagh, we set aside everything from this floor up to just below the next pool for you and your guests." Yep we had definitely over done it.

Her voice was a squeak as she tried to grasp the information. "Why? How am I going to use so much space?"

I smiled, "For now? You and your friends are young why not use them as a place to further your education and training? With your ability to go nearly anywhere you want it would be no problem for you to do the less energetic things here and then hop out to designated firing ranges for when you go all out. "

I watched Cheshire relax as she got over the initial shock and started thinking again. "I wonder if Dr. Brock could set up a pocket to repair itself after it's been damaged. Kind of like Tygeara's larder, except instead of replacing the material consumed it would renew the features damaged by training. It would be even better if he could make it with variable weather and terrain."

She sighed, "I'm being terrible. As convenient as it would be to have our own danger room, I'm sure there are far better uses for the power it would take to set up something both big enough and with different permissions than are in effect here."

I swirled the ice in my glass as I responded, "I don't know that he couldn't do it. After all, until you came along with your suggestion, he'd balked at doing this for over a year. Now that his part in it is mostly finished we need a new project to bug him about."

A chuckle rumbled from behind me, "Heh. It wasn't enough to be the annoying older "sister". Now you've thrown in with Shell on being a bad influence." Ruth leaned over and nuzzled Cheshire's forehead. "Hey cachorra, I'm not as recovered as I thought and I need to go get a quick bite. I was wondering if you wanted to walk me out."

Cheshire frowned. "Oh okay." Her tone wasn't happy, no surprise there, but she set her drink down and stood, taking Ruth's hand when she offered it. I could see her struggling to keep her ears up... for the first few steps at least. At that point Ruth pulled her out of line with the door and began leading her a new direction. Suddenly her ears were perked forward and you could see the twitching start in her tails.

I smiled and looked at the youngsters at the table. Their eyes were all wide with curiosity. Catching the eye of Hana Ehara's grandmother, I made sure to pitch my voice so she could hear. "Would you three young ladies like to see where they are going?" Hana barely looked at her grandmother long enough to see her nod her approval before getting out of her chair. Elspeth and Marion had stood and taken a step before looking to their uncles and waiting for their permission as well.

While the parentals followed behind, Elspeth and Marion grabbed my hands to follow Hanna, who'd managed to get to Cheshire and take her hand while our backs were turned. Laughing I allowed them to hurry me along until we caught up to the trio in front of us.

Walking to the left we passed through an archway and a short series of planters and fountains that completely screened off the area we walked into. This was the "little" corner we'd set up as the fuzkin's private space. The two story "apartment" that took up half of the area was the size of a mansion. Private kitchen, dining room, living room and a gaming/movie area, open to the second level on the lower floor and bedrooms, library/study area and viewing balcony on the second floor.

The other half was a courtyard lit to make it look like a clearing hidden in the woods, including a woodland pond taking up the back corner, and several thermal soaking pools that drained into said pond. In a "nook" there was a futon bed big enough to make Ruth's rest form look small and it was piled high with pillows. One whole wall was actually a projection screen that could turn the nook into a private theater and even though it was in the part of the courtyard closest to the center of the "tree", it was separated by a floor to ceiling wall. The only open side was an arch facing the "pond".

The pond is what Ruth currently led us to. She put her hand on a post next to the pond and beneath the water a light shimmered, revealing a short tunnel that led down into the depths of her grotto. Bending down she nuzzled Cheshires ear again and murmured. "See lucecita, we did not forget." Cheshire gave her a quick hug making her chuckle. "Heh. I won't be long." Ruth stepped back into the pond before turning and diving down into the depths.

Cheshire watched Tygeara until she touched an underwater projection and the view of the tunnel disappeared, leaving just the pond. She gave a start as Hana spoke beside her, "You certainly have some amazing friends Rionnagh-chan."

Cheshire reached and took her hand, "Hai Hana-chan I do, and they all have their own special place in my heart." She reached her free hand to Elspeth and Marion, "Every one of them."

"Oh now that is just too darling for words." I could almost feel my teeth ache from the sweetness as the four of them wrapped each other in a hug.

The next hour was spent in negotiations as the munchkins tried and succeeded to get what turned out to be the first sleepover for all of them. It didn't take them long to figure out that we'd planned on the possibility. After all, despite the extravagance of Cheshire's new home, there weren't many reasons to keep a walk in closet stocked with a rainbow of yukatas in four different sizes. Given how many of me there were the end result was me getting a lot of hugs of my own.

Ruth returned in time to join the discussion and weigh in on the choice of chaperones. In the end Fuji Ehara would leave Kabe, Mizu and Hi no tori from her security detail to pull shifts, while Father Anderson and Father Hadid were satisfied that Ruth and I would provide support as needed.

Shell, Astra and Kitsune along with myself and Ruth played aunties and uncle to the munchkins for the next two hours as everyone relaxed before the adults not staying headed off to their hotels. Ruth stayed until the munchkins had fallen asleep before heading off for another feeding. When I checked in on them ten minutes later I sniffed the air, "That's funny. I swear I can smell cherry blossoms." I shook my head, "I must be more tired than I thought. I'd better 'call in' a replacement."

Dr. Adam Brock

As I reached the top of the hill the four children were following Kitsune around a bend in the path on their way to wherever the stream flowed. My hostess turned to greet me as I approached.

Her voice was warm as she spoke, "Welcome, young crafter. I have been watching you for some time."

I bowed deeply as I replied, "It was a great honor to receive your invitation. I could not refuse."

"Why not? You have many times before."

Her eyes danced as she watched me. A teacher teasing a student. She already knew the "why". I answered anyway. "You were not the only one watching. Kabukicho was none to pleased when I won the bet and escaped him the first time. Part of him has been lurking ever since. It is because of his obsession with my 'vision' that I stopped attending anything resembling a theater. Three times he almost had me but there are no glowing koi in your stream." I turned the business card, with its blossoming cherry tree and multi tailed fox logos, over in my hands. "Your Kitsune was more persuasive, and far more pleasant to converse with."

She laughed, "Wonderful. You have considered our proposal then? Are the terms acceptable?"

"I have considered it. Though I am reluctant to agree to the terms."

She raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Did you not find them generous enough?"

I smiled sadly, "My pardon, Lady Kannon. My reluctance stems from my questioning whether I am worthy of such generosity. Sigh, I will do my best to merely give them a positive learning environment. That is the only promise that I can make."

Kannon nodded. "Then we have a compact. I have been watching you, Adam the Crafter, longer than you realize. You were never one to take the easy way if it wasn't the right way." Her smile brightened the sunrise. "As your gift to Rionnagh exemplifies."

"Heh, point taken. Sif and her team had been bugging me for months to create an arboretum. One innocent little question from Rionnagh and over half of the logistics were solved. I wouldn't be surprised if something she said is behind the sketches I saw Sif's team playing with this evening." I shook my head. "If that is the case I should be getting back. But now that I know the path here I would like to return from time to time." Bowing, I continued, "With my lady's permission."

Kannon smiled, "Permission granted, for both your leave and your repeated returns." Handing me a jade case, she nodded her leave and turned to walk down the path the children had taken.

I did not need to open the case to know what I'd find. A silk cloth folded around petals from cherry blossoms. Together they contained enough power to complete the training area and leave just recruiting the needed instructors. What Tokki jokingly called the New Underland education system would be a reality.

I slipped it into my pocket as easily as I slipped back into the arboretum. Ruth looked back at me from the darkness behind the children where she'd curled protectively around them. I nodded to her before I stepped forward to brush a lock of Rionnagh's hair back from where it was tickling her nose. I only paused a moment to study the glow from the charms on her necklace. I found it was emanating from petals that had somehow found their way inside the sealed vials.

I smiled. "Sleep well, young dreamers. The future will be on your shoulders." In her own way Kannon had set me a challenge. Her protections were in place, now it was time to see what I could do to make sure they never needed to be used.

Leaving them to the care of their "Den mother" I prepared to do just that.

DSA Field Report: Agent Smith

Mama Bear Incident

Okay Boss our people have gone over the video and here's their best guess. We were moving on the information gathered by Galatea and Orb that indicated that the Oregon chapter of Humanity First had been infiltrated by a breakthrough-backed child porn ring when we got the word that the leaders, a husband and wife, were on the move and headed to the precinct where Mrs. Scott was being held. We were just entering when all hell broke loose.

Turns out Mrs. Scott had broken through just minutes earlier, while drinking tea of all things. Our local mentalist recognized the technique as one taught by a local meditative mixologist. Seriously boss. Meditation by drinking.

Anyway, when the cops brought Mrs. Scott out, she waited until she was two steps from the husband before dropping her restraints and performing a seven-ten crush on his privates. She then pulled an attending officer's nightstick from his belt and fractured the husband's skull before throwing it with enough force and accuracy to knock the wife senseless. The wife had been waiting in the car, but timestamps show her rushing into the building shortly after Mrs. Scott was thought to have broken through.

This is where things went freaky. The second the wife was stunned, half of the officers present jerked as if they'd been slapped. Luckily an agent recognized the effects of mental manipulation and had a somnolence cap handy to slip over the wife's head before she recovered. The officers affected staggered around for a few minutes before recovering.

Mrs. Scott, however, was making a beeline for an officer not affected. An officer that, instead of standing his ground, was trying to make his way out, along with several clerks and officials. I'll never forget it boss; there were multiple attempts to restrain her and to a one they failed. It didn't matter whether they tried to grapple her, cuff her or lock a door. She'd slip free, pop the cuffs or simply turn the handle.

Luckily someone managed to hit the lockdown and seal everyone in. The remaining suspects locked themselves in a conference room and attempted to flee out the window. Team two had caught up with Mrs. Scott and she considerately opened said locked door for them and remained in the hall as they rounded them up. Afterword she sat quietly in a holding room with an agent until we had things sorted out.

It was sick, Boss. It turns out the wife was the only breakthrough in the ring, an A class mentalist. It took repeated exposure over a day or two for her to get her hooks in but once she did she only needed to reset the hooks every four or five days. She got the cops at a local coffee shop where she worked. They'd happen to stop in for coffee two or three days in a row and she'd have them.

And she would do anything to please her pedophile husband and his brother, who just happens to be the cop that tried to flee. You heard right Boss; the husband was the pedophile. The wife broke through to make sure he had anyone he wanted and his brother got the mothers. Turns out several of the parents were willing accomplices as long as they could sample each others spouses. Damn it Boss this is just plain ugly. We have dozens of kids and good parents that are going to need years of therapy to recover from this. Hell half of us that made the bust are going to need a few weeks ourselves.

As far as the bust goes we ended up field testing Mrs. Scott's power, at her insistence. Boss it borders on Deus ex machina. If she wants to get somewhere no lock will stop her no automated system will target her, she'll miss every tripwire and she can walk through a minefield without stepping on a mine. Booby trap a door and she'll open it, pick up the explosive, and chuck it into your bunker where you and your buddies are hiding. If you just set a gun to fire randomly it will track around her or jam. But you can shoot her; the woman went through three vests before she started trying to avoid gunfire, but if it's not lethal she gets back up way faster than she should. One of the wives mistakenly thought her husband was innocent, tased Scott and had herself taken hostage for her loyalty. Scott grabbed the dropped taser, rammed it into the dirtbags groin and triggered it. I think she made a point of holding him up until fear showed in his eyes. We found out why when we searched his phone. The bastard had been stalking Scott's daughter at her school and taking pictures.

Since we finished up she's been cordial but she has asked to be transported to Chicago to apologize to her family in person. I've already scheduled a flight and an escort and if you want to tell her no, you can come here and do it. I for one don't want to see the look she had on her face that night directed at me.

Epilogue

Rionnagh

Malcom and I were sitting in the Young Sentinels common area, just being there for each other.

We'd come back from New Underland this morning to find an escort of DSA agents posted at one of the visitors lounges. We'd gone inside and found Seven guarding a woman sitting with her back to the door and watching news footage of us. When the door closed behind us the woman gave a start. She took a deep breath, stood up and turned to face us. It was our mother.

It was so long before any of us spoke I had time to notice the bruising, the nicks, the cuts, and taser burns?

She spoke before we did. "I'm sorry. So. So sorry. I abandoned you, both of you. I was so blind, so willing to only see the bad. Sy... Rionnagh I'm so sorry I hurt you."

Malcom's voice was shaking with anger, "Mother why are you here? And why are you being guarded by the DSA?"

Her expression turned sad and haunted, "I've been classified as a potential national asset and have been asked to undergo training." Her laugh had no humor in it, "The irony of it. All of my fear of uncontrolled breakthroughs and I end up dragging your sister into a situation where a 'human' controlled breakthrough caused suffering to dozens of people, most of them children."

She looked at Malcom with, was it pride? "What was it you said in one of your interviews? Powers are the same as a person winning a ton of money. If that person uses it to help people, great. If they decide to carve out their own kingdom at the expense of others, not so great. Not eloquent but accurate."

She turned to me, "And you, young lady. So young, but so strong, so caring. So beautiful, inside and out."

I looked at her, "Mother what happened? What do you mean potential asset?"

She turned to Seven and held out her arms toward him, "Young man if you would take the restraints you and my son have and use them on me please."

Seven glanced at Malcom and shrugged before pulling a set of standard cuffs out of his pocket and a set of blacklock thumb cuffs from Malcom, fastening them securely on mother's arms and stepping back.

She waited a moment before asking, "Are you sure you secured them properly?" Seven just raised an eyebrow at her. Just before his jaw dropped as mother pulled the restraints off as easily as she would loose jewelry and set them on the table. "Doors don't fare any better."

Malcom stammered, " You're, You're a breakthrough? Since when? And how did you get those injuries?"

"Since a little over a day ago." She touched the burn marks on her neck, "I got these making my first payment. The DSA is keeping it as quiet as possible and so far most of the details aren't known to the public."

She looked up at the sound of a knock at the door. "It is time for me to go. I have three years of mistakes to make up for." She looked at the footage still playing. "I have two children that have proven themselves to be the stuff true heroes are made of. The world had to kick your mother in the teeth to get her to see that."

She took a shuddering breath as tears streamed down her face, "I am proud of you both. All I can say is I'm sorry and hope one day I'll earn your forgiveness."

The knock sounded again, "They've promised I'll be able to call. Will, will you accept them?"

Malcom looked from the restraints on the table to her before answering. "We'll take them." I barely managed to nod but it was enough.

She gave us a tremorous smile as she walked to the door and then she was gone.

Malcom and I had made our way down to the common room and simply sat at the table saying nothing. Each of us processing what had just happened. One thing I held onto was a glimmer I'd caught when we'd both said yes to taking her calls. For one moment Malcom and I had had our Mommy back.