"Daddy," came a soft little voice causing Brainiac 5 to turn from his project to face his project to his young daughter.
"Yes, Siri? What is it, princess?" he asked the little girl with their blond hair, waving and weaving slightly at the ends. Her blue eyes sparkled just like her mothers and he could see some stars in them though nowhere near as many stars and constellations as in Trina's.
"Daddy, Aleq needs you real quick. He is refusing help again but his fusion adapter needs some work. I tried to help but he won't let me near it. I thought you could help before he blows Legion Headquarters sky high," she said.
"I'll go check on him, can you keep an eye on those chemicals for me. Don't let them boil over, if they start to put a drop of this formula in there," he said handing her a vial.
"Okay Daddy," she said, floating from her little feet and sat on the counter. "I could stop time if you want," she said lightly. Siri had inherited her mother's power to bend time and space though she wasn't immortal like her mother, and her powers were only useful in small pockets of times.
He smiled and nodded, "Thanks sweetie." She smiled and turned back to the chemicals, her eyes started to glow as did the three circles on her forehead. The bubbling in the chemical slowed and stopped. Brainy smiled and made his way to his children's shared room.
When he got there he saw his son sitting on the bed, tongue poking out of one side of his mouth in concentration. His short wavy hair wove delicately like his sisters. One hand held the adapter and the other was holding a screwdriver.
"Need some help, son?" he asked.
"I have it," he said in his father's flat tone. His pale green skin had a hint of sweat on his brow.
"Alright, just let me watch so we make sure that you don't accidentally detonate the adapter. Don't want to explain to your mom why we are traveling through Mistianmar earlier than we should be." The boy lowered the screwdriver and his eyes.
"Father, why isn't Mother here anymore?" he asked. "I recall her always here when we were younger but I cannot recall why she went back to the world of Immortals."
The boy looked up sadness evident in his eyes, a rare sight as he was like Brainiac 5 when he was still an android, "Does she no longer love us?"
Brainy jerked back a little surprised at his son's words, "Of course she loves us but your mother is a princess and a heart of worlds, she has many things to attend to but I can promise you she wants to be here with us."
"How do you know?"
"Because I am a twelfth level intellect," he smirked, "and because your mother is bound by magic to her word. And she promised when she left that she would come back and always is thinking of us."
Aleq nodded and returned his focus to his project. Brainy smiled and watched as his son worked as diligently as he ever did on his projects. Definitely his son, not a doubt in his mind.
000
That night as Brainiac 5 lay in his bed he thought of his wife and yearned to see her. He flopped over to his back folding his hands on his stomach as he stared at the dark ceiling.
"Oh Trina, when are you coming home?" he sighed into the darkness before rolling over again. He had almost drifted off when a growing light drew his attention. The purple light grew white hot then vanished suddenly leaving him momentarily blinded.
"Who's there?" he asked, reaching for his force-field belt on the bedside table. His hand had just lighted on it when a soft feminine hand lighted on his.
"It's me, Querl," said a familiar voice, "I am finally home."
"Trina?" he muttered his vision clearing up to see the golden hair weaving, her sapphire starry eyes sparkling, and her gentle face smiling.
"Yes," she whispered happily, cupping his face and pulling his lips closer to hers. He reached behind her and pulled her lips into his. He missed her so much.
She pulled back lightly, their hands still on each other's faces, lightly as if they were trying to keep a ghost there with them, one they wanted to keep there forever.
"I can't believe you are really back," he whispered softly, his breath tickling her lips. His fingers ran through her hair lightly as she closed her eyes biting back tears. Suddenly the door to the children's room cracked open, the younger of the two children's silhouette stood in the dim light.
"Father?" the boy muttered sleepily. "Siri felt a time lapse."
"I know, son," Brainiac 5 said smiling, "It was your mother."
"Greetings, Aleq," she said smiling and kneeling, her silken skirts billowing out around her like her hair, like a gentle mist. They saw his eyes widen before he turned and ran back into his room. Trina looked up at Brainy sadly.
"Have I been away so long my own children distrust me?" she asked in her knowing way.
"Surely not," he said dropping and holding her close. Moments later the doors slid open once more and in flew two blurs, stopping inches in front of her. Her two children stared at her a moment before piling onto her. She wrapped her arms around both of them and smiled up at her husband who hugged his entire family.
When they finally parted and Aleq was seated in Trina's lap, Siri sitting curled into her side half on her mother half on her father, and Trina was stroking Aleq's hair softly, the half Coluan boy spoke up.
"Mother, are you staying with us this time?" he asked, sweetly. Trina's eyes widened in surprise at the question and Siri's big blue eyes darted up at her matching her brothers.
"I know not for how long but I am staying a while I can promise that," she said, knowing that her children had their father's mind and could understand more than most children their age.
Aleq dropped his head sadly, "Oh… okay." To him a while meant a week or a month. Such a short time with his mother.
"Aleq, my darling, what's wrong?"
"You will be leaving again…"
"Not for several decades, my son," she said, hugging him close.
"But you said-"
"Aleq, I am immortal," she said.
"Time moves different for your mother. She doesn't age like we do. She is OUTSIDE of time. She has seen everything since the beginning of time and can go to any place in the time stream. A While to her could be anywhere from 30 to 80 years," Querl stated.
At this the boy's face lit up and he turned to his mother wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her chest. She smiled stroking her son's hair back and kissing him on the head.
"I missed you, Mother," he whispered.
"Me,too!" cried Siri, "I missed you, too, momma."
"I know my darlings, every minute away was torture on me as well," she said hugging them into her arms. "But I will still be here in the morning and it is time two young heroes got to bed."
"But Mother!" they cried. Trina stood with Aleq in her arms and Siri in her father's.
"Children. I am certain that your Mother is exhausted traveling through time and space. Come now, off to bed," Querl said gently. The children gave a little pout.
"None of that," Trina said. Their young faces dropped but all protests stopped and the two allowed themselves to be put to bed.
000
"It is great to have you home again," Querl said wrapping his arms around her waist as they prepared for bed.
"I won't lie. It is absolutely wonderful being back. I didn't realize how much I missed you guys until I saw you again. I mean while I was gone it hurt so much it ached every day but when I saw you and Aleq and Siri…all grown up without me…I thought someone had just punched a hole in my chest."
He hugged her closer and buried his lips against her neck, "It's alright," he whispered. "You are with me again and you are with our children again."
"I am. And I don't plan on leaving for a long time…at least not in your years," she said smiling stroking his cheek. His green fingers ghosted over her pale cheek before brushing through her long golden hair.
"Trina," he breathed her name again before pulling her lips close to his. She melted into his kiss groaning as his hands slid down her waist. They had just wound their limbs in each other when a small voice came from the doorway.
"Daddy," the two pulled apart gasping for breath and turned to the girl in the doorway.
"What is it, honey?" he asked, trying to catch his breath and sound normal.
"I had a nightmare," she said in a soft voice. Brainy glanced at Ultimate Girl who smiled and sat up.
"Oh princess," Trina said sitting up and reaching for her daughter. "Tell Momma about it," she invited as the child curled up in her mother's protective arms.
The little girl looked up at her parents with sparkling blue eyes. Her father's hand lighted on her tiny arm and she was wrapped into her mother's warm embrace.
"I dreamed that a bad woman was threatening us and Momma was there. I dreamed that she had the Legion captured and that Daddy and Aleq and me were in danger but if Momma helped we would be killed so she had to leave and never come back and the bad lady took over, and after Momma had left she did away with us anyway…" tears rolled down the little girls eyes as she buried her face in her mother's chest.
"It's alright honey," Trina said hugging the girl. "It was just a nightmare."
"What if my dreams are like Dream Girls? I am the daughter of She Who is Outside of Time. Is it not possible that it is just a new manifestation of my powers? After all if Momma is immortal shouldn't some of that be genetically passed down perhaps through visions?" Siri asked looking at both of her parents.
Trina looked up at Querl, "That's you coming out in them isn't it?" she asked flatly.
"I believe that is most probable," he said.
"Momma, what about my nightmare," Siri asked pulling on her sleeve.
"Oh baby, your father and I will analyze it come morning and we will let you know but I am sure it was just a nightmare and everything will be alright," Trina said. With a kiss to the little girls head she hugged both her parents and went back to bed.
"Now," Querl turning back to her, "Where were we?" he asked rolling atop her.
"Mnn, I think I can guess," she said wrapping her arms around his neck and purring into his ear.
Oh look how they are so in love! AND THEIR KIDS ARE CUTE IN MY MIND!