Author's note – So I'm sure you've all noticed that my updates are getting a little sporadic. I've been losing my writer's focus a lot, and that's why I've been concentrating on shorter stories as of late. I've now reread through Chapter 35 to recall what exactly happened in it, so I'm going to attempt to write a somewhat consistent Chapter 36 here. Besides, I left poor Jr. in really bad shape, didn't I?
Allen rushed onto the bridge and hurried to contact the Dämmerung. He realized luck must have been with him when the call was answered immediately. MOMO's image appeared, and she knew from Allen's expression that something was seriously wrong. "Allen, what is it?" she cried. "The look on your face is scaring me!"
"MOMO, is Charles around?" Allen asked, his terror over Jr.'s condition and the adrenaline pumping from the battle with the creature making his voice sound rough. "If so, you've got to get him, now!"
MOMO didn't stay to question why. She knew Allen well enough to understand that it was imperative for her to find Charles because Allen simply never sounded like he just had. She spun around and flew out of the room. Amazingly enough, she returned with Charles in tow a mere few minutes later. "Allen, what seems to be the problem?" Charles asked quickly.
"I don't know what you can really do, but since you're a doctor, maybe you can give some advice." Allen went over what had just happened, his words sometimes jumbling together in his need to get them out. "So, Jr.'s in really bad shape, Charles. As bad as Mary was before, nothing was punctured when she was attacked. This thing ripped a hole in Jr.'s stomach before it threw him into the wall! I don't know that the nanomachines will be able to keep up!"
Charles glanced at MOMO, who nodded and left without saying a word. "As luck would have it, Allen, the ship initiated a jump not that long ago. So we're not even that far from you. I'll be there as soon as I possibly can. Please do your best to keep Shion and Shelley as calm as possible. Stress will adversely affect their unborn children. Now go!" The authority in Charles' voice caused Allen to calm slightly, and he gave a quick nod of his head before he ended the transmission and left the bridge to let the Elsa's occupants know what was going on.
Within the room Jr. and Shion shared, Mary was busily attempting to keep both Shion and Ayame as calm as possible. Ayame had demanded to be brought to her father after he'd been settled in the room, but Mary had refused to allow her near the Little Master while he was being taken care of. "Lil' one, your daddy needs lookin' after right now, so how 'bout we see how your mommy's doin'?" she'd begged Ayame, and the tiny redhead had given in with a pout. Shelley had asked Shion to stay back while she tended to the Little Master, and Ayame had given a squeak of surprise when Shion pulled her into her arms and squeezed her close. So now Mary was left with the rather large task of keeping the Little Master's family mentally occupied. Seizing the opportunity to ask about something that had had her wondering from the moment Ayame had appeared in the doorway to stop the creature, she said, "So how'd ya know what was goin' on, lil' one?"
Ayame's emerald eyes swung toward her as she twisted Shion's long hair between her fingers. "Unca Alby," she said simply.
Shion managed to tear her attention away from the furor surrounding her husband, though it was obvious she didn't do it easily. She caught sight of Mary's confused expression and sighed, but she didn't seem obliged to elaborate. She didn't want to break an unspoken standing promise she had with Jr. that no one know about the awakened Albedo beyond his actual family. Setting Ayame down, she tried to move closer to the bed Jr. had been placed upon, but Tony stepped in her path. "Hey, I know you're worried, Shion, but let Shelley do her thing. If ya go and get in her way, you'll just be distracting her." He saw a tear start to work its way down her cheek, and he slid an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "He's gonna be okay. I know it looks bad, but Shelley's taking good care of him. Mary, maybe you should take her to the lounge…"
Shion shook her head fiercely. "I'm not leaving this room! Most of all, I'm not leaving Jr.!"
Mary took a gentle hold of her arm. "Then how 'bout ya come on over and sit down at the table with me? Ya know I ain't lettin' this 'Unca Alby' thing just lie, so I'm hopin' ya can explain what the lil' cutie's talkin' about." A silent Shion took Ayame by the hand, and they both trailed after Mary to the table within the room.
Before Shion could find a way to divert Mary's attention from the subject she seemed intent upon learning about, Allen hurried into the room with the news that Charles was on his way. He quickly explained about the Dämmerung making some kind of jump that had put it near the Elsa. The news that an actual doctor would be making an appearance seemed to relieve Shelley immensely, and she slumped against Allen. "It is very fortunate that this has happened. I do not have enough medical knowledge to aid the Little Master for much longer. I am trying as best I can, but his injuries are extremely severe." She kept her voice low so only he could hear her. She didn't wish to upset Shion or Ayame with the grim situation the Little Master was facing.
"The way he talked, it won't take him long to get here. Do you think you can handle things for a little bit longer?" he asked her, and she bit her lip.
"He is bleeding heavily, Allen, and I am not a surgeon. I have attempted to staunch the flow, and it does seem to have helped enough for the moment. Beyond that, I cannot do much, and neither can the nanomachines. They are working diligently to do what they can, but Charles is needed to bring the situation under control. Can I count on your assistance until he arrives?"
"You know I'll do what I can. Shion and Ayame can't lose Jr., and he's also a friend of mine. Just tell me what you need me to do." He squeezed her hand, and with a quick, gentle smile, they set about doing what they could for Jr. until Charles arrived.
Hearing that Charles was on his way had somehow managed to both calm and agitate Shion at the same time. The thought that an actual doctor would be aboard the Elsa was comforting, but then the realization came that Jr.'s situation was far more critical than anyone had said. She got to her feet and, waving away Mary's protests, slipped past Tony and Matthews to be at her husband's side. The tears began to flow freely as she saw just what Shelley had tried to keep from her. Jr.'s face was white from the loss of blood he'd suffered so far, and there was no hint of motion from him. Almost afraid to touch him, she forced herself to take his limp hand in hers and then lifted it to her cheek. "Jr.," she whispered, "I'm right here. I'm not leaving your side unless I absolutely have to. Please hang on, because I'll be lost without you!"
She felt a small hand slip into her other hand. "Daddy will be okay, Mommy," Ayame said softly. "Unca Alby promised, and Aya believes him." Unable to say anything in return, Shion could only give her daughter a teary smile while Ayame pressed close to her.
Deep within himself, Jr. felt as though he was fighting a losing battle. He'd been struggling to open his eyes, but it felt as though they were weighted down. As difficult as it was to admit, he was terrified that he might not be able to return to his family. Are my injuries that damn bad? Jesus, I can't leave Shion and Aya! Plus we've got the new baby on the way, and I sure as hell can't let Shion raise two kids on her own! But what if I don't have a choice in this?
Albedo responded to his inner turmoil. Well, it does appear that you're in quite the situation, Rubedo. Despite my numerous warnings that your body is not invincible, it seems you wished to test that theory. I do believe it's safe to say that I wasn't being presumptuous in my declaration that it could only withstand so much. Will you never learn that sometimes it's wise to listen to me?
Albedo, I don't have time for this! I need to get back to Shion! Why the hell can't I open my eyes?! Jr.'s mental roar had Albedo tsking impatiently.
From what I've gathered, you've lost enough blood that it's near miraculous you're still alive. Have you not been paying attention to what's going on around you? When there was no reply from his twin, Albedo realized Rubedo had been lost to the stress his body was placing upon him. I will not allow you to die if it can be averted. I did promise the little princess, and I'm not in the habit of breaking promises. I'm not you, after all. Poking at Rubedo didn't have quite the same flair when he was unable to give a scathing response, and so Albedo decided it was best to simply listen to what was going on around Rubedo then.
Hammer, who had returned to the bridge after Allen had spoken of Charles coming to the ship, entered the room to announce that Charles had arrived. "It looks like MOMO's with him, too," he added.
Allen and Shelley glanced toward Shion. Both realized she wasn't in any shape to go to the lower level and bring Charles to Jr. "Allen, could I ask you to meet Charles? I am afraid to leave the Little Master's side at this point."
Allen nodded quickly. "I'll be right back with him." He hurried from the room and headed into the elevator. He met Charles and MOMO just inside the door to the old E.S. hangar. "I really hate to be short, but Jr. needs you, Charles. Shelley's scared she's losing him, and she doesn't know what else to do." He explained what he could along the way, Charles nodding and commenting where he needed to and MOMO listening silently to the conversation. They arrived outside the room Jr. and Shion shared, and Allen allowed Charles and MOMO to enter first.
"Charles," Shelley said, relieved, "I cannot say how happy I am to see you here. I have done everything I can, but I simply do not possess anywhere near the knowledge needed."
"I would have preferred someone else to deal with this situation, Shelley, due to your pregnancy. It obviously couldn't be helped, though. Now if you all don't mind, I'd like you to leave the room so I can work without disruption. MOMO will be staying to assist me." The room began to empty out, but Charles noticed that Shion had yet to leave her post at Jr.'s side. He nodded to MOMO, who moved toward her old friend.
There was no time for reunions; all that mattered was making sure Jr. survived. It was with that in mind that MOMO gently took Shion's hand and told her, "Shion, I promise that we'll take care of him. As hard as it is, though, you have to leave him for a little while. The instant I can, I'll come to you and let you know how he is."
Shion leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Jr.'s forehead. "I'm only going because I have to. I love you. Don't forget that." She took Ayame's hand in hers and led her from the room.
After what felt like ages later to everyone waiting in the lounge, MOMO finally appeared to update them on Jr.'s progress. She stopped in front of the booth Shion was seated at and saw that Ayame slept peacefully, her head resting on Shion's legs. "It was a little touch and go for a while, but Charles was able to stop the bleeding. Jr. suffered a lot of internal damage, but thankfully he didn't need any organ transplants. He's resting now, so you can go in to see him, Shion."
Shion eased out from under her daughter's head gently. Ayame gave a tiny yawn, but she didn't awaken. "Could you all please keep an eye on her while I'm gone? It's rare that she takes a nap like this, so I'm going to let her sleep." After Mary had agreed to keep watch over the small redhead, Shion left to check on Jr.
Keeping the noise level low due to the presence of the sleeping Ayame, Mary pulled MOMO into a warm embrace. "It's so good to see ya again! Ya ain't changed a bit, neither. How ya been?"
MOMO pulled back slightly to smile at the effervescent blond. "I've actually been pretty busy aboard the Dämmerung. I help Doctus out a lot, and I've made a really good friend in someone from the Foundation. I also help Charles out when he needs it. I haven't had much free time lately, so I should apologize to Shion that we haven't been able to talk much when she gets back."
Mary shook her head in a maternal fashion. "I don't think Shion's expectin' an apology. Same, ol' MOMO. Always worryin' about everyone else and how they're feelin'."
After everyone within the lounge had given the small, pink-haired Realian a hug, she spoke of her intent to return to Charles and make sure nothing else needed to be done. It was as she was headed toward the door of the lounge that she heard a small voice say very clearly, "Aya doesn't like you." She spun around to see the tiny redhead Shion had left within Mary's care sitting up and glaring at her with eyes exactly like Shion's. MOMO had only caught brief glimpses of Ayame since she'd spoken to Jr. and Shion about wanting to forgive them and move on, so she was a bit unprepared to see such an obvious mixture of Jr. and Shion looking back at her. It made her heart ache slightly when she thought about the daydreams she'd had of having a family with Jr. someday. It was the look of open dislike that Ayame wore that was hurting her the most, though. She didn't understand what she could have done to earn such an expression.
There was silence from everyone else in the lounge, as none of them knew quite to say. MOMO looked to Mary for support, but even she appeared to have lost the ability to speak. Ayame had gotten to her feet, and she made her way over to the shocked Realian, looking up at her with fierce green eyes. "I don't understand," MOMO said, hurt causing her lower lip to tremble as she spoke.
Ayame's eyes began to narrow. "Aya doesn't want you in her home. You don't belong here, and she wants you out," she hissed.
A tear slid over MOMO's cheek, and she turned away sadly. She didn't know Ayame well enough to try to reason with the child about why she was aboard the ship. She heard the door to the lounge slide open, but because her head was lowered, MOMO didn't know who had just entered until she heard the person speak. "Ayame Kiku Kukai, I want you to apologize this instant!" Shion demanded, and Ayame shook her head angrily. MOMO lifted her chin, and she met her friend's eyes.
"No, Shion, please don't force her to. It'll just upset her, and I don't want that to happen. It's all right. I'm just going to go and see if Charles needs anything." MOMO tried to smile at Shion, but her heart was too bruised to truly summon one. She made her way to the door and found herself stopped by Shion's hand on her shoulder.
"Then please let me apologize for her. She's only ever known what's here on the Elsa, and that's why she thinks you don't belong. That doesn't excuse her behavior toward you, and I'm sorry for it, MOMO." Shion attempted to hug MOMO, and a realization came to MOMO that hadn't struck her before.
"You're having another baby…" she said softly, pulling away to glance over Shion. She hadn't thought her heart could break into any more pieces than it already had, but the thought of Jr. and Shion sharing another child did indeed cause her another wave of grief. She'd come to terms with Jr. and Shion's relationship, but the hurt Ayame had wrought in her was wrapping itself around her and threatening to overwhelm her. With a small cry, she hurried from the lounge, not wanting anyone to see her tears.
Forcing herself not to follow after MOMO, Shion folded her arms across her chest and looked down at Ayame sternly. The tiny redhead stuck her chin out and glared back at her mother mutinously. "You will be apologizing when we see MOMO again. You can't talk like that to people, young lady. I hope she's all right. I thought we'd told her we were expecting another baby, though I don't understand why it upset her like it did…"
Mary, wanting to defuse the tension in the room Ayame's encounter with MOMO had caused, stepped forward. "Ya still gotta tell us how ya knew the Little Mastah was in trouble," she told Ayame, and Shion loosed a sigh at the change in subject. "Ain't no sense in lingerin' over it, Shion. The lil' one ain't changin' her mind any time soon, and ya know it. So out with it, lil' missy."
Ayame glanced up at Shion, and Shion sent up a silent apology to Jr. His secret was about to be told to all. She couldn't see a way to keep Albedo's awakening quiet any longer. I can't think of a way to keep them from knowing any longer, so I hope you forgive me. There's just no way around it now. "It's okay, sweetie. I guess we can't keep it a secret any longer…"
Mary's eyes narrowed speculatively, but she stayed quiet while Ayame told her story. "Unca Alby called to Aya. He told her that Daddy needed her, and she listened to him. She knows she can trust Unca Alby, so she went to the door. She saw that Daddy was lying on the floor, and she got mad. She didn't know what to do, but Unca Alby told her to join her powers with his and he would link with Daddy's. So that's what she did, and because Daddy was asleep, Aya had to be the one to tell the mean, old monster to stop. And it did." Ayame drew herself up to her full, petite size and looked rather proud of herself.
"Unca Alby? So ya mean Albedo woke up or somethin'?" Mary questioned.
Shion took Ayame's hand in hers. "He's been awake for a long time, but Jr. didn't want anyone to know. He doesn't want people looking at him like he's crazy. So I'd like to ask of you all a very important favor. Please don't let on that you know. At least not right now. Charles told me that Jr.'s going to have to remain in bed until he's completely healed, which is going to take a few days due to the extent of his injuries. He's going to be a bear because of that, so you know he'll be spoiling for a fight when he's able to get out and about. Can I trust you to not say anything?" She looked at them all a little desperately, and, seeing that, everyone agreed to keep their newfound knowledge to themselves. Tony grumbled a bit about the loss of picking on the Little Master, which caused Mary to hit him in the shoulder. With a relieved smile, Shion led Ayame out of the lounge because she was demanding to see her father.
--- A few days later ---
Shion entered the workroom, looking harried. As she'd expected, life with a Jr. forced into bed rest wasn't simple. The day before, she'd left the room for a while to see if her help was needed with KOS-MOS' repairs. The Professor and Scott had continued working on KOS-MOS diligently through all of the chaos, and Allen had joined them once receiving the assurance Jr. would recover. Shion had also had more of an ulterior motive for leaving the cabin. She'd wanted to give Jr. some time to move about within the room, knowing he was becoming fiercely impatient with being babied. She'd returned after being told that KOS-MOS' repairs were nearly complete, convincing Ayame to sing a favorite song of hers loudly to alert Jr. it was time to get back in bed. Though he'd seemed slightly better when his wife and daughter came into the room, Shion was looking forward to Charles giving him a clean bill of health.
"Hey, Shion," Allen greeted. "It looks like we're almost done with her repairs. Did you want to check everything over, see if we missed anything?"
She waved a hand at him with a smile. "Allen, we both worked closely with KOS-MOS. I've got faith in your abilities. If you don't mind, though, I would like to scan to see if her functions have begun to recover yet. She hasn't seemed aware or conscious yet, has she?"
Scott broke in as he handed the scanner to Shion. "We've been monitoring her, but so far nothing seems to have awakened within her. As you can see, we've finished fixing her frame, and we also managed to create a black box that seems compatible. We installed another Erde Kaiser generator to give her an extra power boost, and Allen worked on fixing any programming that seemed scrambled from her time in space."
"Yes, yes," the Professor grumbled, "Assistant #2 does know what he's about when it comes to the lovely Assistant #3. Still, she's not cooperating when it comes to being functional, so it seems he's not needed anymore here. It would appear it's up to you now, girly. If we've got to put you in some sort of danger to wake our girl up, we could have you test our newest version of Erde Kaiser. We call this one Erde Kaiser Gamma, but its strength has yet to be verified…"
Before Shion could answer, a voice growled, "Do you think you could actually dress her normally this time? That little skirt thing you stuck on her when you fixed her up before didn't exactly scream 'battle android that can kick all sorts of ass.'"
Spinning around, Shion found herself looking up into her husband's annoyed blue-eyed gaze. "Jr., are you supposed to be up and around like this?"
"I feel fine, Shion," he told her, his tone combative. "I'm tired of being told to stay in bed. I'm not freakin' fragile, and I think Charles is getting some kind of perverse pleasure from telling MOMO to keep me laid up like that."
"He saved your life," she pointed out quietly.
"Yeah, and I appreciate that, but I'm not gonna stay in bed forever just because he says so. I'm good, and it's time I got back in the action. I told MOMO as much when she tried to keep me from leaving the room. So let's move on to something else, okay?" He tossed a question off at the Professor. "Do you think you guys can make KOS-MOS look a little more threatening this time? Actually, I kinda liked how the Second Division made her look when you dropped her off there after the Proto Merkabah thing, sweetheart." Jr. peered down at KOS-MOS' closed containment unit, and Shion slipped her arm into his with a small sigh. "Hey, where's my little one?"
"She wanted to see Mary and the others on the bridge. Mary said she'd bring her down shortly. I've tried to keep her separated from MOMO as much as possible. I got her to apologize to MOMO, but it wasn't easy." Shion shook her head at the memory of her daughter biting out a very bitter apology to the Realian, who'd looked as though she wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. Jr. lifted an eyebrow, asking silently what she was going on about. She'd forgotten that she hadn't made him aware of Ayame's irrational dislike of MOMO, so she quickly filled him in on what had happened in the lounge between the two of them. Mary had informed her of what had transpired while she was gone, though she'd been able to piece it together from the bit of interaction she'd caught at the end.
"Hell, I wouldn't have forced her to apologize, sweetheart. All you did right there was make Aya hate MOMO worse. You know how damn stubborn she is, what with her being a combination of the two of us. If you'd just let it go, she would have gotten over it." Jr. held up a hand to bring Shion's angry protest to a halt. "I know why you made her, but I'm telling you it's not going to solve the damn problem. Hey, there's my girl!" He bent down to swing the red-haired whirlwind flying toward him up into his arms. He nodded to Mary, who motioned that she wasn't able to stay before she headed back the way she'd come from.
"Daddy, you're all better?" Ayame questioned, hugging him around the neck.
"Yeah, I'm feeling just fine, little one. Staying out of trouble?" he teased, and she shot him a mischievous smile that reminded Shion strongly of her husband's own playful grin. "So, is KOS-MOS waking up any time soon or what?" He turned his attention to Allen, Scott, and the Professor.
"We've got her fixed up, don't we?" the Professor blustered. "We did our parts, sonny, and now the rest is up to Assistant #3. She'll wake when she's good and ready, and not because you're telling her she has to." He stabbed a finger in Jr.'s direction, and Jr. aimed a scorching glare at him.
"It's not like I was freakin' ordering her to wake up," Jr. snapped. He set Ayame down on the floor and pulled Shion close, causing her to shake her head at the usual amount of tension flowing between the two men. "If anything happens, make sure Shion knows about it. Come on, sweetheart, let's head up top and talk to Matthews." He slid an arm around Shion's less than slim waistline and tilted her chin up for a kiss. An alarm began to blare, and Jr. parted from Shion reluctantly to see what the problem was. "What the hell is that alarm for?"
"It's KOS-MOS," Allen breathed, turning to look at her containment unit. "Something caused her to initiate start-up mode!"
Everything was quiet, except for Ayame's small voice demanding to know what was going on as she pulled at Jr.'s maroon long-sleeved tee. The containment unit opened slowly, and two black-gloved hands rested upon the sides. Slowly, KOS-MOS rose into a sitting position, and then her eyes blinked open. "I must protect Shion," she said without preamble.
Shion pulled away from Jr. and stepped forward. "KOS-MOS, I'm right here. I'm not in any danger," she said softly.
"Someone had taken hold of you, Shion, and my sensors perceived it as being of an offensive nature. My wish is to protect you from harm, and so I awakened to do so. You are in no danger, however?" KOS-MOS exited her containment unit gracefully, glancing around at the people surrounding her. Her unblinking red eyes fell upon the small redhead peering out from behind the tall red-haired man's jeaned leg. "Shion, the man standing there is the one I felt the threat from, but preliminary scans indicate that he is Jr. I do not understand why Jr. would make any attempt to harm you. I am also trying to determine why the child appears to be a mixture of both your genetics and Jr.'s. I wish to be informed of what has happened while I was asleep."
"What the hell does that mean?!" Jr. demanded, insulted. "I wouldn't hurt Shion. All I did was freakin' pull her close and kiss her! Jesus, you can't mean you took that as a threat, KOS-MOS!" Ayame, sensing that her father was getting upset, refrained from pointing out his use of forbidden words. Instead, she continued to glance over the newly awakened stranger silently as her father's expression darkened. "Offensive nature, my ass..." he muttered.
Allen spoke up, his eyes showing the grin he refused to allow upon his face. He didn't like to find others' misfortune amusing, considering he'd often been in that spot himself, but Jr.'s sulking was causing most of the occupants in the room some form of hilarity. "KOS-MOS wouldn't have known that since she was asleep. All she would have sensed was Shion being put in a potentially threatening position. I don't think it means she thinks you're capable of hurting Shion or anything. Well, there was that one time…" he mused jokingly, and Jr. glared at him.
"She was headed off with Kevin, so I did what I thought I had to! Shut up, Allen, since you're not goddamn helping. Anyway, could we move past this since KOS-MOS knows I wasn't going to hurt Shion now?!" Jr. was looking distinctly furious, and Shion laid a hand upon his arm to try to calm him.
"Do you think we could tell KOS-MOS what she's missed?" Jr. seemed somewhat mollified, and he and Shion took each of Ayame's hands and brought her forward.
KOS-MOS studied the small child in front of her. "When we parted, Shion, it seemed your heart rested with Allen. May I ask why it appears that this child is offspring you have had with Jr.? People who are merely friends do not often have children, do they?" She placed a hand beneath Ayame's chin to tilt it up so she could run an analytical gaze over the little girl. Ayame cocked her head haughtily and did the same, disliking how the stranger was looking at her.
Shion could almost hear Jr.'s teeth clench in response to KOS-MOS' question, so she pressed his arm with her hand to keep him silent. "A lot of things changed while we were apart, KOS-MOS. Jr. and I are married now. The little girl giving you the evil eye is our daughter, Ayame Kiku Kukai. We've also got another child on the way."
"I do not understand this development," KOS-MOS fretted. While it was somewhat strange to see the android reacting as she was, it had to be remembered that her awakening into Mary had changed her on a very important level. "It was my belief that you and Allen would be forever linked. What has Allen to say about this?"
Allen blinked at being put on the spot and began to back away, hands held out. "Shion and I…we'll always be cl-cl-close friends, KOS-MOS," he replied, stammering a little. "We both managed to move on, though. I'm married to Shelley now…" He trailed off when he saw KOS-MOS had turned away.
"I wish to cease speaking of this subject for now," the blue-haired android declared. Her heels made a tapping sound as she began to pace, and Jr. took that time to take in what changes the Professor, Scott, and Allen had wrought in her exterior. While he would never say it aloud, he believed Shion's lack of influence had been a blessing. KOS-MOS' new look seemed reminiscent of the V2 version Vector's Second Division had given her. He'd never understood all of the bulky headgear Shion had insisted she needed; he preferred the sleeker and more stylish KOS-MOS standing before him. "Would I be correct in believing we are in close proximity to Lost Jerusalem?"
"We are," Shion confirmed. "We could have actually attempted to set the ship down, but we didn't want to do that while Jr. was still unable to come out with us. He would have never forgiven us for doing that." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it when he rolled his eyes. "KOS-MOS, I've been wondering about something. Do you have any idea where chaos is? I think I believed that we'd find the two of you together, if we actually found you at all…"
KOS-MOS was silent for a time, as though she was lost in thought. Her voice was quiet when she finally answered. "My body sheltered both my will and that of chaos before he spoke to me of sleeping until I was needed to awaken again. I do not feel his will within this body now, so I am unsure of what has happened to him. I am certain he still exists, however, and that we will meet with him when it is time. I believe it is time for us to see what awaits us on Lost Jerusalem." Typical of KOS-MOS, she strode away without awaiting replies from the other occupants within the room.
Ayame announced, an obvious pout in her voice, "Aya didn't like that lady touching her." Everyone looked down to see she was standing with her arms folded and her lower lip stuck out.
Shion laid a gentle hand on her daughter's head. "KOS-MOS wasn't really trying to be rude, sweetie. She's just a little confused right now. How about we follow her and see what she's up to? She's likely heading for the bridge," she told Jr., and he nodded.
"Knowing KOS-MOS, she's about to demand we set down on Lost Jerusalem. Even with her awakened into Mary, she's still definitely our KOS-MOS," he said, heaving an exaggerated sigh. Shion arched an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. "What? Just stating a simple truth. We'd better try and catch up to her." He picked Ayame up, stowed her against his shoulder, and took Shion's hand in his to lead her out of the room. Slightly unsure as to what he was supposed to do, Allen made his way after them.
They arrived somewhat after KOS-MOS had made her appearance on the bridge, but there was more an air of joviality than exasperation there. Obviously, the original Elsa crew, Mary, and Shelley had been overjoyed to see her up and about, despite her demand that they land the ship immediately. "Well, now that we got our blue-haired girl back and Little Master's done lying on his back," Matthews began, earning himself a venomous look from Jr., "we got the chance to do what we're here for. Take her on down, Tony, but be gentle about it. She ain't in the best of shape after all the crap she's been through."
As Tony began the Elsa's descent, Jr. glanced down at Shion, who was rubbing a still petulant Ayame's back comfortingly. "What with KOS-MOS waking up, I forgot to ask. Where's MOMO been? Did she head back to the Dämmerung? Who the hell would have brought her back?"
Shion said quietly, aware Ayame was listening intently, "I asked Mary, and she said a friend of MOMO's came to get her in one of the shuttles. I think she said his name was Damien. I don't think the atmosphere here was helping her…" She gave Ayame a stern look, and Ayame returned the look with an angelic smile.
"Hey, Captain, where am I gonna set her down?" Tony questioned. "Just anywhere that looks good or what? We're goin' in blind, ya know."
"Then what are ya askin' me for?" Matthews roared. "Just pick a damn spot that looks like it won't hurt her worse! You're the damn pilot, aren't you?" He'd lifted his seat into the air to get a better view of their surroundings as Tony brought the ship into Lost Jerusalem's atmosphere. Everyone except Hammer, Mary, and Shelley, who were occupied with assisting in Tony's landing the Elsa, crowded behind Tony's seat to watch as everything grew clearer.
"Wow, knowing we're…home makes it look even more amazing," Allen breathed, his blue eyes wide. The Elsa set down gently, and the entire group got their first unmoving look at the peaceful, serene beauty that was Lost Jerusalem. An awed hush fell over them, and even Ayame remained quiet in Jr.'s arms. "Do…do you think we can go out there?" Allen whispered, not wanting to break the silence but feeling an innate need to be outside the ship in that peaceful serenity.
"Damn straight we're going out there," Jr. answered, wincing when Ayame's fingers twisted hard in the hair at the nape of his neck. "Sorry, little one. But yeah, we're going to check things out. We sure as he-heck," he corrected quickly before Ayame could give his hair another tug, "didn't come all way to Lost Jerusalem to just gawk from inside the Elsa!"
Everyone followed him out to the cargo door, and that was where Ayame balked ferociously in his arms. She started demanding loudly to be let down, and he nearly dropped her as she moved her arms and legs in a desperate bid to be away from him. "Aya doesn't want to leave, Daddy! Put her down!"
Jr. moved out of the way to allow everyone past while he fought against dropping the little terror his daughter had become. "Go ahead, I'll bring up the rear," he said shortly.
Shion was by his side, attempting to reason with a sobbing Ayame. "Sweetie, listen to me," she cajoled, and Ayame's tear-filled emerald eyes focused on her. "We're not going to just forget about the Elsa. It's still going to be home, at least until we all know what's going to happen here."
"But-but we're not…going to stay here!" Ayame whimpered, dashing her small fists at her cheeks. Being the rough-and-tumble child that she was, she wasn't one for crying. While she had a penchant for tantrums, they rarely ever included true tears. She'd nearly lost her daddy, however, and now her parents wanted her to leave behind the only place she'd ever known as home. "Aya wants to stay on the Elsa forever!"
"We can't stay on it forever, little one," Jr. said reasonably, kissing her forehead and wiping away her tears. "We came here because this is going to be home. The Elsa's always going to be the home you knew first, but don't you want to be with me and Mommy?"
Ayame hiccupped and gave a small nod, burying her face in Jr.'s neck. Shion said softly, "I know it's hard to take that first step off the Elsa, sweetie, but Daddy and I will be right there with you. Do you think you can try? You'll get to see what being out in the fresh air is like, and maybe even get a tan," she said teasingly, tickling Ayame's sides and causing her to giggle against her will.
"Well, I don't know about tans, sweetheart. Redheads aren't really known for that," Jr. tossed at his wife, understanding what she was doing. If they could get Ayame to see the fun she could have by moving outside the ship, then they would be able to convince her to stop fighting them. "But hey, you'd have better places to hide on me, Aya," he told his daughter, and her eyes narrowed. He knew hide-and-seek was one of her favorite games, and by pointing out the game could be more enjoyable outside the ship, he'd hit upon one of her weaknesses.
"Aya will try then," Ayame said in a long-suffering voice, causing Jr. and Shion to smile at one another. "Can you let her down, Daddy? She wants to hold hands with you and Mommy, because she's still a little scared…"
Jr. did as she asked, and he and Shion took each of their small daughter's hands in theirs. Shion nodded to him to lead the way, since the three of them couldn't fit through the door together. They moved down the small ramp that was used when there was no dock for the crew to step out onto. The family of three stopped at the bottom of it, and Jr. and Shion looked down to gauge Ayame's reaction. She was blinking owlishly, her eyes struggling to adjust to the bright sunlight. "You okay, little one?" Jr. asked her, resting a hand on her head.
"Aya didn't know the sun would be so bright," she complained, rubbing at her eyes. "She can't see, Daddy."
"Your eyes just need to get used to it, Aya. It's different than being on the Elsa, huh? Let's catch up to everyone else and see what they all think." Jr. hoisted Ayame up into the air, the skirt of her lavender dress flying about as he did so. She looped an arm about his neck and hugged her ever-present red dragon plushie close. "Come on, sweetheart." He put his free hand out for Shion to take, and she smiled as she took it.
"No one could tell you're excited to be here," she teased, her gaze taking in their surroundings as they headed toward the other Elsa occupants.
"And like you're not," he returned. "Hey, you guys weren't supposed to ditch us!" They'd caught up to the others, and they all turned around to face the stragglers, identical expressions of awe on their faces.
"Sorry, Jr.," Allen apologized, squeezing Shelley's hand as she continued to look around in quiet amazement. "It's just…we're home. I didn't think we'd ever really get to see Lost Jerusalem like this."
Hammer and Tony had linked arms and were dancing around happily while Mary looked on, obviously debating whether she should join in. With a giggle, she put her arm through Tony's free one and he grinned. "Damn, it feels good to be home," he announced.
Matthews growled, though he couldn't hide his pleased expression, "Maybe now we can fix my baby, since we shouldn't have to deal with those damn things anymore. We don't even know what the hell they were."
KOS-MOS was busily scanning the environment for any traces of danger or other life-forms. Nothing had appeared on her scanner, and the entire forest they were standing in had been part of the complex scan she'd set up. "I do not sense anyone else as of this moment. I do not know what to make of that information, unfortunately." She turned to face everyone, her eyes moving over each face in turn. "What are you speaking of, Captain Matthews?"
"If I knew, I woulda said!" he snapped. "They looked like some kinda monster, and they were always around whenever you were. You got any clues?"
"Without more information, I do not. I will speak of this with Shion later, and perhaps then I will have an answer for you. I believe our main priority at this time is to find -" She cut herself off abruptly and lifted her head to the sky. Following her lead, everyone else looked up to see what appeared to be a lone shuttle heading toward them.
"What the hell…?" Jr. said wonderingly. It didn't seem to take the shuttle long to land, and the Elsa group moved backward uncertainly. The door of the shuttle lifted up, and a small group of four exited the shuttle. Jr. was the first to step forward, and his stance was aggressive as his gaze met that of Ziggy's. "Didn't realize you guys would be coming down, too," he said, eyes narrowed.
A young man broke from the shuttle group and moved forward, hand outstretched. "Before things get too tense, I'll just introduce myself. I'm Damien, MOMO's friend." After speaking to everyone, he gave a lopsided smile. "I'm hoping you don't expect me to remember everyone right off. It's good to meet you all, though." He headed back toward MOMO, and she hid behind him partially.
Juli and Ziggy glanced at one another before Juli spoke up. "We wished to see what it looked like as well," she said formally. "We didn't expect to run into you all quite so soon." She nodded toward the group, but the look she gave Jr. and Shion was cool. Despite MOMO's forgiveness, Juli and Ziggy hadn't wished to speak to the two they felt had handled MOMO's feelings so indelicately. Feet shuffled uncomfortably as the tension rose between the four adults.
Ziggy said sternly, "So this child would be the one who made MOMO feel unwelcome aboard the Elsa then?" His eyes met Ayame's, since she'd been looking him over with something akin to frightened uncertainty. "I would have hoped for her to be raised better than that."
Ayame's lower lip began to tremble, and her quiet plea was heard by all in the silence. "Daddy, don't let Aya down! If you do, she's afraid that mean-looking man will smoosh her with one of his metal feet!" She buried her face in Jr.'s neck, unable to hold back the tears of fright the cyborg had induced in her.
Much to everyone's surprise, Juli let out a laugh and a small smile appeared on Ziggy's face. "I don't wish for you to fear me," he told Ayame gently, and she lifted her head to stare at him, tears clinging to her eyelashes. "As your father would be upset to hear someone disliked you, I was unhappy to hear of how MOMO was treated. I promise there will be no…smooshing of anyone, however."
"No, he does indeed try to keep his feet from committing mass damage," Juli said, smiling at Ayame. She stepped closer to Jr., who chose to stay silent as he waited to see what would happen next. "Seeing your daughter has convinced me that it's time to let bygones be bygones. Are you willing to do the same, Rubedo?"
Jr. winced. "I can, if you'll stop calling me by that damn name."
"I'm sorry…" Shion trailed off when Ziggy held up a hand.
"There is no need for further apologies." He gave Ayame another small smile. "I am called Ziggy. Your name is Ayame, is it not?" She nodded quickly, her green eyes wide. "I would greatly appreciate it if you would give me the opportunity to show that my feet are not destructive." Despite herself, Ayame loosed a tiny giggle, and the tension cleared almost magically.
"Now that we've got all that taken care of, maybe it'd be a good thing to actually start checking things out," Jr. pointed out, letting Ayame down. She still kept a close eye on Ziggy, and though he was pretending not to notice, the lifted corner of his mouth said he was well-aware of the scrutiny. "And I've got a damn question for everyone. Where the hell is chaos?" Only silence greeted the question.
Author's note 2 – I know it's been a long time since I updated, and I'm seriously sorry for it. I wasn't sure what I was doing when Lost Jerusalem was reached, and I had some computer troubles, too. Then I had to figure out how to write KOS-MOS! All in all, this chapter took much longer than I planned on. Hopefully, the next one won't take anywhere near as long…