Chapter 21: Para
A WEEK LATER:
Mick and Axel were finally deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital, Mick being picked up by Len while the Mardon brothers picked up Axel to transport them home. To celebrate the occasion, Barry had baked brownies and even made dinner for the four of them. Seating themselves in the living room, Lisa and Barry awaited the Verdehile and Vulksrin's return. Little sparks were jumping off the newborn's body in his excitement, his body unable to keep still as he attempt to sit on the couch and watch TV. "Calm down, Barry. Everything is fine. We had guards stationed at the door while they stayed, and we visited them every day. Everything is fine." Lisa assured him, passing him a brownie. The newborn gratefully accepted it, turning his attention to the television as Chopped finally came on. Barry was excited not only because Mick was coming home, but also because he was testing a new dish he'd seen on the show. 'Pork chop skillet dinner. Should I have made something else?' the newborn wondered as he nervously nibbled his brownie. 'Did I put the right amount of pepper in it? What about salt? I didn't forget the salt, did I? The pork chops were perfect, right? I did it correctly, I think.' he obsessed, eyes lazily watching the TV with glazed surfaces. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, turning to see Lisa smiling at him. "Calm down, kiddo. Everything is good, okay? You're cooking is amazing. Remember, I tasted it? It's awesome, so don't freak out. Mick will love it, too." the Aurum pleaded, still smiling at him. "Okay. I'm okay. Why is it taking so freaking long?" the newborn cried, throwing himself to the floor and rolling around restlessly. Lisa laughed hysterically at his impatience, a click at the door making them both pause. Followed by a sliding sound, Barry jumped up and did a lap around the house, darting back to the couch. The front door opened almost silently before someone laughed, most likely Mick, and footsteps were heard approaching the living room. "We're home!" the Verdehile shouted happily, his voice echoing through the house. Barry launched off the sofa and wrapped the man in a hug, taking him to the floor as well. "I missed you!" he cried, Mick patting him on the back. "You're getting better with that speed, kiddo. Good to be home." Mick replied, sitting up as Len helped him back to his feet. Lisa greeted the big man with a comforting hug and a smooch on the cheek, leading the duo into the dining room. "Barry cooked everything for us. And I mean everything." she laughed as they seated themselves. They poured a bottle of wine and started talking, leaving Barry to handle things in the kitchen. The newborn quickly pulled the pork chops from the oven, retested them for perfection, and began dishing them out onto plates. He added extra sauteed potatoes to Mick's plate, assuming the Verdehile hadn't been able to eat much besides jello or pudding. He was just thankful the man's leg didn't get infected, given the device that had injured it. Walking expertly into the dining room, he carefully settled a plate in front of everyone, seating himself at the table. Len picked up his wine glass, giving a smile. "A toast to Mick, for his quick return and wonderful recovery." he said, Lisa and Mick clinking glasses with him. Barry picked up his wine glass, filled with water since he doesn't like to drink, and clinked it softly with the trio. "Cheers!" Lisa laughed, taking a large swing of her wine. Mick copied her, smiling at the wonderful taste of the alcohol as it doused his taste buds. "Alright, let's see what kind of a creation chef Barry managed to make this time." the Verdehile said, excitedly picking up his fork and cutting into the pork chop. Len and Lisa copied him, eagerly taking a bite of the food. Barry took a bite himself, smiling at the perfect taste before looking to Lisa, Len and Mick for their response. Each sat with their forks in their mouths, making strange faces at each other. Feeling unsure, Barry buried his face in his hands, trying to hide his blush. "It's bad, isn't it? You don't like it?" he asked, three heads turning to stare him down. "Are you fucking kidding me? It's wonderful!" Mick suddenly shouted, throwing his hands up in enthusiasm. Len smiled happily, still appearing to be savoring the flavor with blue dusted cheeks. "I've never tasted pork this good, Barry. Great job, seriously." the Vulksrin complemented. Lisa turned her attention to furiously cutting the rest of the meat, then effectively gobbling the vegetables. "Seriously, Barry, you've got to become a chef. This is awesome." she replied while stuffing a sauteed potato in her mouth. The newborn's eyes lit up and he grinned happily, taking another bite of his meat. They weren't kidding. It was good. "Who taught you to cook?" Mick asked excitedly. "My adoptive father, Joe West. His daughter and his son would also teach me stuff about spices and ingredients. They….were awesome people." Barry replied, his face falling a bit. Len paused, appearing to be looking at the ceiling for some unknown reason. "Wait, Detective Joe West? His son's Walter West, the engineer, and his daughter, Iris West, the reporter, right?" he asked, Barry's eyes going wide. "You know them?" the newborn asked, shocked. "Know them, Barry? Joe's one of my closest advisors. He's also a Territory Leader here in the city. I can't believe you haven't known about him." Len replied, casually leaning back in his chair. Barry abruptly dropped his fork. "Joe….is one of...us? What about Iris, and Wally?" Barry asked, trying to recover himself. Mick leaned forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. "All of them, Barry, all of them. Even their mother was one of us." Mick replied. "What-what are they?" Barry asked, shakily taking a sip of water from his glass. "They're Lares, Barry. It's a kind of like a guardian that stemmed from Roman culture. Very powerful in the ways of luck and influence. If you wished for anything in their space, it would happen, almost miraculously, and you couldn't explain it. If it could happen, it would. That's what they do." Lisa explained. "Hey, since Joe's a Territory Leader, you're going to see him tomorrow, so why not talk to him? Say something you meant to say a long time ago?" Mick offered, Barry nodding. "Hopefully this meeting goes well. I really want these leaders to meet you and respect you, Barry." Len stated, the newborn nodding as he finally took another bite of pork. Feeling unease build up in the room, Len and Mick began to steer the conversation in other directions. While they ate, they talked about cooking, plans for the future, meetings and friends Barry could engage with sometime soon. After dinner, the topic quickly flicked back to the council meeting scheduled for tomorrow evening. Len sat Barry down on the couch, surrounded closely by Lisa and Mick on either side. His expression was serious, and stern. "Barry, these people are like nothing you've ever seen before. They like to think of themselves as royalty in a way, and usually come off as rude or blunt. Most of them, anyway. Anyhow, I've made a list of the leaders that will be there tomorrow. They're mostly border territories, who will have the responsibility of passing the information on to the next leader set. About ten should show up at the meeting tomorrow, and I want you familiar with their names and faces. Here, look at these." Len said, handing Barry a set of images with names printed on the front to match. Flipping quickly through them, the newborn nodded. "Got it." he said, Lisa's eyes going wide. "He does everything fast, remember?" Mick asked, cracking a smile. The Aurum nodded, handing him a list of rules. "What are these for?" Barry asked, looking over the list as if it were a hand grenade. "These are for you to study. Rules are a big part of our community, wherever it might be on this planet. However, some rules can be bent or even broken without penalty, depending on the person and situation." Mick explained. "Oh, and I bought you some more clothes for the meeting tomorrow." Lisa said, handing him a bag. Barry nodded, eyes ghosting over the list again as his stomach did a flip of nervousness. 'Just breathe, Barry. Breathe.' he told himself, slowly feeling the nervousness begin to fade. "What'd you get me to wear?" he asked, turning to Lisa. "Something good, I promise." she said, avoiding the question with a smile. Len gained his attention by clearing his throat. Placing a small map on the counter, he pointed to a large room labeled "Council Headquarters". "The council meets in here on a monthly basis. The room is big and spacious, but don't think you can run around without tripping over someone's tail. It's on the twenty seventh floor, so try to keep from throwing up, okay?" Len asked, Barry nodding. Len moved his finger to rest against a small hallway that led to the room, then dragged it over a much tinier room on the end. "This is the entrance hallway. A receptionist sits here, at the desk, and directs people inside the room whenever the council is ready. And back here, is the room where you'll be sitting until we bring you in." Len explained. "Mick will be with you, as a precaution, and so will I, just for luck." Lisa added with a smirk. "Okay. Will there be cameras in there?" Barry asked, foot tapping nervously against the floor. "Yeah, one. Only in the far corner. Why?" Len asked. "I have a feeling they're going to be watching me." Barry replied, causing all three vampires to laugh loudly. "Obviously. You're a newborn. Someone will be keeping an eye on you the whole time." Mick chuckled. "You'll see the bathroom on the way in, and you can leave the room anytime you need. But, you have to tell the receptionist where you're going, okay?" Lisa asked, Barry nodding. "Okay. I've got it. You said there's ten tomorrow. Can I bring stuff to the council, as a present?" Barry asked in his best puppy voice. "Depends, what did you want to bring?" Len asked. Barry launched off the couch and snatched the huge tray of brownies he'd baked, holding them out to Len. "Yeah, that could work." the Vulksrin replied with a soft smile. Barry replaced the brownies back in the kitchen, wrapped them expertly, and settled himself against Mick while the Verdehile sat on the sofa watching TV. To his surprise, Len curled into Mick's other side, planting a kiss on the Verdehile's cheek while he snuggled into his massive body. Mick gave a purr of approval, the sound rumbling through his chest and into Barry's body. The newborn gave a shudder at the vibration, watching as Lisa scooted her way beside him, tucking her head into his shoulder slyly. The newborn smiled at the memory of his family gathering on the couch for Friday TV Night, his mind comparing the two scenes automatically. The crew watched Chopped, Law and Order: SVU, and Zombieland for a solid five hours, tiring the newborn long into the night. Len stirred to the feeling of Mick shifting beside him, opening his eyes briefly to watch the Verdehile reach up to turn the lamp beside them off, and yank a blanket over the top of the quartet, managing to cover them all with the blanket's massiveness. Len tilted his head and nuzzled into Mick's shoulder, hearing the Verdehile purr happily with the attention as he tilted his head to lean against Len's own. "It's going to be one hell of a day tomorrow." Len whispered softly. "Yeah. We're ready for it, though. We've got this." Mick assured him, making the Vulksrin smile at his partner's positivity. "I hope we can get through the meeting calmly this time." Len whispered back. "When has it ever gone calmly?" Mick joked, Len replying with a soft laugh. His laughter jostled Barry on his lap, the newborn stretching his long body across their laps. "Hey, Len?" Mick asked, Len turning to him curiously. "What?" Len asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Look where his face is." Mick said, barely managing to contain his loud laughter. Len looked down at Barry's face, then at Mick's body. With his mouth curling upwards in a smirk, he gently kissed Mick again before settling himself against the humanoid heater. "Very funny." he whispered as Mick smooched him back. They readjusted themselves against each other before settling down to sleep, arms wrapped around each other in a loving embrace.