Author's Note: I own nothing.
12 Good For You
They made it back to Earth in about half the time they had taken to get there in the harvester. They were both pretty quiet on their way. When they reached Earth they set down next to the Proto-Truck which Rook took back to the base. Jen followed in the skiff. She landed and frowned waving to Rook who was heading off to make his report. Jen made her way deep into the base.
The Bellwood base was a bit complicated. Most terrestrial Plumber bases were simple, with quarters and other basic necessities of the resident Plumbers. This base was more complex, it was technically two bases, the original having never been fully decommissioned after the new one was built. The Hole still rested under Ed's mechanic shop though almost no one went to this section of the base. No one had bothered to update the hardware here since it wasn't going to be used. But Jen was surprised to find that she wasn't alone down here. Pierce Wheels sat at the console fiddling with something. He looked up when the door opened.
"Oh hey Jen, you and Rook made it back ok then." Jen nodded sitting down next to him.
"Yeah we did. Bit worried about what the Incursions are planning but we made it back in one piece." Pierce grinned glancing down at his data pad. "Everything ok?" Pierce nodded.
"Yeah just got a message from Hellen and the Max Force." Jen grinned. She hadn't heard from anyone on the Max Force, except of course Cooper and Pierce, in ages.
"What are they up to these days?" Pierce grinned.
"Allen is working rescue in extreme heat." Jen laughed. Allen hadn't been much for picking fights, he'd do well at rescue work. "Manny and Hellen are being assigned to Khoros Five."
"Tetramand home world?" Jen asked and Pierce nodded.
"They're good at violence, Tetramands respect that." Jen nodded.
"That they do, just make sure they know to be careful before challenging anyone to a fight, they might end up with a fiancé they might not want." Pierce laughed, Jen poked him in the chest. "I'm serious and speak from personal experience." Pierce choked on his laughter.
"I know you are that's why it's funny." Jen let out a chuckle as Pierce managed to control his laughter. "But they want me to come see them before they head off. It would be nice." Jen shrugged.
"You'll be getting off light duty soon. Go have some fun while you still can. I think there's a transport leaving for that sector day after tomorrow." Pierce tapped his data pad a few times and nodded.
"You're right." Then he frowned. "How do you know that? You haven't even been on planet for the last few days." Jen shrugged.
"Gotta keep an eye on things. I like to know when the scheduled comings and goings happen. That way if something is unscheduled I already know." She winked and Pierce laughed again.
"No wonder you're so good at this job." Jen shrugged.
"If only I was as good at school, maybe my history teacher would get off my back." Pierce frowned slightly.
"I mean technically you could drop out. Not like you wouldn't have a job." Jen gave an exaggerated gasp slapping her hand to her chest as though she was having a heart attack.
"Pierce Wheels! What kind of example would that set?" She laughed slightly. "I mean I'm already a menace in the eyes of a lot of adults, can you imagine the look on Harangue's face if I dropped out of school?"
"You'd be practically doing his job for him." Jen shook her head laughing. Pierce laughed for another moment too before shaking his head. "What are you doing in the Hole anyway." Jen shrugged.
"Don't know, craving when things were simpler I guess. Before I got famous. Back when the biggest thing I had to worry about was curfew." She sighed spinning her chair.
"Time moves on. We must too." Pierce said. Jen frowned at him.
"Is that a quote?" Pierce shrugged.
"No idea." Jen laughed and stood.
"I'm gonna head home for the night, spend it at home instead of the base." Pierce nodded to Jen. "You should go see your sister. It'll be good for you."
"Yeah I think I will." Jen smiled at her friend.
"Tell them I say hi." With that she left the base entirely, taking the elevator up to Ed's Mechanic shop and summoning her motorcycle. She rode it back to her parents house and let herself in. They had a nice dinner but it took a long time for Jen to fall asleep in her old room. It somehow didn't feel as much like home as it used to. She had gotten used to her room at the Base. She sighed and turned over. There was a soft knock on her door and she sat up. Her mother poked her head into the room.
"Oh good you're still awake. We hadn't gotten a chance to get this to you at the Base." She was holding a small box. Jen frowned.
"It's not my birthday for another three months." Sandra Tennyson nodded.
"I know that silly. It's from that little lilac far in France, the one your friend George left you." Jen blinked and took the box from her mother. She had completely forgotten about most of the things George had left her, the only things that had been important were the Bellwood house and the house in England, though she hadn't gotten the chance to go there yet. She pulled her dagger from the sheath on her calf and gently cut the box open, slipping the dagger back into its place as her mother rolled her eyes slightly. Inside the box was a note in carefully penned English.
"Dear Miss Tennyson, my name is Gabrielle Bardin and my family runs the lilac farm bequeathed to you by Mr. George Eternius. When we heard about the death of Mr. Eternius we were devastated. He was a very close friend of my great grandfathers. We are very grateful that you have decided to let us retain our way of doing things, as Mr. Eternius had done for years. My son Ryan is a big fan of yours and was pleased beyond words that he may someday get the chance to meet you. It was his idea to name a new perfume after you. We decided to not do it directly as we weren't sure how you would feel about it. Included in this package is a bottle of Juste Dix, roughly translated to just ten. We hope you enjoy it, thank you for your continued support." Jen read the note aloud as her father joined her mother in the doorway to her room. She pulled out a bubble wrapped container and unwrapped it to find a blown glass bottle in the shape of the Omnitrix symbol. She grinned, there was a short note here too.
'I have a friend who blows glass, he's a fan too. G.' She sniffed the perfume, lilac, which made sense. At the bottom of the box was a photo of the Bardin family, Jen pulled it out and studied it. She smiled slightly shaking her head. The resemblance to her friend George was uncanny. The youngest member of the family, a boy in a green jersey with a large white number ten on it, was George in miniature.
"You old scoundrel." She would bet good money that George had been their great grandfather, maybe a few greats really, and made it his mission to ensure that his family was well cared for no matter what happened to him. She had a suspicion that if she investigated the vineyard in Italy she would find it was a similar arrangement. If they knew the truth or not was anyone's guess but Jen set the perfume on her shelf and slipped the photo of her old friends family into her bookcase.
"Everything ok Jen?" Her father asked and she nodded, glancing over at her parents. They were both wearing the emergency teleporters. She nodded again.
"Yeah dad, everything's fine."