Chapter 13
Mrs Miller had arrived on Earth to visit her family. She appeared as a beautiful panther just like her daughters. The Miller girls phased so they could be with their mother. There was nuzzling, happy growling and periods of silence when the girls telepathed each other. The reactions of Quinn and Brittany were interesting. Quinn knew Barbara missed her mother and watched her with interest. Brittany wept openly as she tightly held my hand. I know she wished she could phase and join the girls. I must admit I do too. The reunion suddenly stopped when the girls noticed us watching them and phased back to talk to us.
"Ah, human pets, I believe introductions are in order!" said Mrs Miller.
"Mom, I would like you to meet Quinn, Brittany and Santana. Girls, this is our mother, Lana Miller," said Barbara.
I must describe Lana to you. She is tall, blonde, and has large yellow eyes. She has a killer stare like her daughters, and for now, has decided not to completely phase back. I like her look, it is so bad ass!
"Hello Quinn, it is a pleasure to meet you," said Lana.
"Hello Lana, Barbara has told me so much about you," said Quinn.
Lana turned to Brittany who nervously stepped back.
"Hello Brittany, you look lovely."
"Umm….hello, Mrs Panther." stuttered Brittany.
"Please take my hand and look into my eyes. I promise I won't hurt you."
Brittany found it difficult to follow Lana's request and was very uncomfortable. I was concerned and wanted her to stop. What happened next was interesting. Lana's stare started to lose its intensity and Brittany looked more relaxed.
"Do you feel better now?" asked Lana.
"Yes, thank you. I feel silly for being scared of you."
"There is no need to apologise; I am in the scaring business!"
Lana turned to me and looked at my hair with interest.
"Hello Santana, I see you've made friends with Grace."
"Never mind my hair, Puss-In-Boots; I don't appreciate you bullying my girlfriend!"
"Ooh feisty, you've definitely been spending time with Grace!" laughed Lana.
"I'm sorry, I'm at my worse when Auntie Snix takes over; her snix juice often gets me into trouble."
"Santana, it's okay; I am not easily offended. Is it safe to give you a hug?"
"Yes, I would like a hug. Please be gentle; I break easily."
Lana wrapped her long arms around me. I felt safe though was worried my ribs would crack. Now I know what it is like for Quinn when Barbara gets friendly. Brittany was fascinated by Lana's boots and couldn't contain herself any longer.
"Lord Tubbington would love your boots!"
"Friend of yours?" enquired Lana.
"No, he's a cat," said Brittany.
"You own a cat?"
"No, he owns me. He won me in as high stakes poker game."
I abruptly changed the subject before Lana responded.
"Would you like to see John? He is upstairs in the first room on the left."
"Yes, thank you. My daughters are preparing dinner for us and will be a little while."
We went upstairs to check on John's condition. Nothing had changed. John still looked lifeless and we were worried about him. Lana checked John's vital signs and smiled broadly.
"You have done very well. His condition is stable and is about to improve."
Lana produced a large red crystal from her medical bag and asked us to place our hands on it. She then placed one hand on John's forehead and the other on the crystal. The crystal continued to pulse for thirty seconds before emitting a bright red light which lit the room. The light went out after ten seconds leaving me feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.
"What did you do to us?" asked Quinn.
"You were all looking tired so I used the crystal to replenish your energy levels. John's condition has also improved and will soon regain consciousness."
"How long do you plan to stay on Earth?" I asked.
"I want to stay as long as possible though I know I have to return home soon. I have missed my children terribly. Now, I am missing my husband."
"I've heard that John looks like his father, is that true?" I asked.
"Yes, that's true. I have family photographs, would you like to see them?"
Lana didn't wait for our response. She produced a crystal which projected images on the wall like a slide show.
"This is my husband, Zane. He is a doctor and quite brilliant. He was the one who trained Alice in Quadran medicine. He is very handsome though I am biased," beamed Lana.
Oh yes, I can see the resemblance. Those blue/grey eyes and brown hair are a giveaway. John is handsome like his dad. Quinn smiled broadly when she saw the photo.
"This photo of the twins was taken when they were one month old. John is in the crib on the left and Glenda in the crib on the right. Family and friends came from all over Quadra to see them. I love my daughters though was desperate for a son. Male children are rare on Quadra. John's birth was a blessing," said Lana.
There were panthers everywhere. The only people in the photograph were Zane and a little girl looking into the cribs.
"Who is the little girl?" asked Brittany.
"That's Alice. She hadn't learned to phase yet," said Lana.
The photo was touching and made me think of my own family. The closeness of Lana's family and friends made me feel kind of sad.
"Santana, are you okay?" enquired Lana.
"I'm okay. I was just thinking about my relationship with Abuela. We were close until recently. I confessed that I was attracted to girls and was told to leave her house and never return. We haven't spoken since."
"Would you like me to talk to her? I can be very persuasive," said Lana with a growly voice.
"No thank you, Mom Cat. Your offer is tempting though I prefer to take care of my own business."
"As you wish, my pet; my number is "Hey Lana" if you change your mind. It's dinner time, let's join the others."
We went downstairs to the dining room to find the girls waiting for us. We were barely seated before Lana made an announcement.
"John will regain consciousness soon. When he does I want everyone, with the exception of Glenda, to remain seated. Once I have spent time with the twins, I will invite everyone upstairs."
While we were eating, I noticed Quinn looking intently at Lana. Lana picked up on this too.
"Quinn is anything the matter?" asked Lana.
"Yes, there is. Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"No, you can ask me anything," offered Lana.
"Do you often visit other planets when you are not at war?"
"No, this is my first time," said Lana.
"Okay, then why did you bring family photographs to Earth? Who were you expecting to meet?"
"Quinn, you are starting to irritate me. Would you please get to the point," hissed Grace.
"Grace, stay out of it!" growled Barbara.
"Quinn, you are very perceptive. I do have a secret agenda and the photographs are part of it," smiled Lana.
Glenda interrupted the discussion with an ear piercing scream and disappeared in a flash.
"Okay, wait here everyone. I won't be long," said Lana.
To be continued…..
