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Chapter 46 - The Vesuos Return

Tony Stark, Lance and Pepper all sat in the helicopter across from Karen and Samuel. They flew to the Expo. Tony, finally in his tux, had a glass of scotch in his hand.

"Oh, I needed that all day." He groaned.

Karen held Samuel's hand. The feeling of comfort seemed to move through both of them. He smiled at her. "Have you ever been in a helicopter before?"

She giggled. "Never one this quiet."

Tony poured himself another scotch. "This is the same sort that Howie has."

"Where have you been in a helicopter?" Pepper asked.

"My Dad is in the Navy." Karen smiled proudly.

Tony sipped his scotch. "Lieutenant John Bennett of the United States Navy."

"How do you know that?" Karen insisted.

"I've met him." Tony nodded. "Although, I'm sorry to say that I don't really remember a lot of it."

Samuel smiled, "Drinking?"

"I don't know how I was still standing. Those were the days…."

Pepper took the scotch away from him. "And that's enough of that."

"What? Soli isn't here-"

"You are so much easier to handle when you are sober."

He smiled at her. "Planning on handling me?"

She grinned, "Maybe."

He clapped his hands together. "Yes! This night is only getting better. Sammy, your Dad and this damn tux superstition-"

"Yeah, all the same. I'll feel better once I'm out of it."

"Have you ever worn one before?" Tony asked.

"First one." Samuel admitted.

Pepper pointed at him, "There's nothing to that."

Tony looked back at her. "There could be-"

"There's not! I'm not going to entertain that."

Tony looked back at Sam. "Remind me of that later, when it all goes to shit."

Sam laughed under his breath as he gripped Karen's hand tighter.

The helicopter landed. After they were all escorted to a dressing room, Karen began to hear roaring noise that she couldn't describe. Samuel sat down on the sofa next to her as Tony and Pepper were occupied with about eight different people who were informing them of arrangements, how things were ready for them, and making last minute changes.

Samuel rose Karen's hand to his mouth and kissed it. A burst of comfort seemed to rush into her. She smiled back at him. "Is that what you normally would be doing?"

He looked back at the crowd around Tony and Pepper. "Yeah. They are going over the last bits of everything."

She continued to hold his hand. "Samuel. I want to tell you that I understand, why you were so hesitate to tell me who you really were."

He smiled. "Still love me?"

"Of course I do. But, I worry."

"That the press will start annoying us?"

"Is that crazy to think that?" She asked.

"No. Dad has told me that they will do everything to keep us quiet, but….Karen, I'll be honest with you. It's something we probably just need to expect." He told her as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and took her hand.

She smiled back at him. "We."

His face spread into a wide smile. "We. We'll do it together."

Tony called from across the room. "Sam? Do you want to sing?"

"Ugh." Samuel considered. "I'm a firm, maybe."

"Alright." Tony returned to his conversation with the crowd of people.

Karen threaded her fingers through his. The sensation of comfort washed through him. He rose her hand to his mouth to kiss again.

"Samuel. When we return tomorrow…."

"We need to study Latin, again." He nodded.

"That's not what I was thinking." She smiled. "I was thinking, that I would like you to stay with me."

He nodded, "For the night? Sure."

"No. I mean….move in with me."

"At your flat?" He smiled.

"Is that crazy? I just can't imagine being without you. I don't want to be without you-"

"Neither do I." He looked into her eyes.

They both smiled right before their lips met one another.

Tony looked back, "Ah. Get a room!"

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Karen and Samuel stood next to Pepper and Lance as Tony waved and walked out on the stage of the Expo. He waved at the crowd that Karen realized was the roar she had been hearing since they had arrived.

The crowd was cheering loudly as a song played. Tony clapped and turned to the band that was on the stage with him.

Karen laughed. "I've never been to a concert before. This is amazing!"

He held her around the waist and kissed her cheek. "This is how I always have seen a concert. Right on the side."

"Never in the crowd?"

"Never." He told her.

Tony started his speech as the band stopped playing. "And it's good to be back!"

The crowd cheered loudly.

Tony continued. "And for the closing night! Last evening of the Expo. Has everyone had a good time?"

The crowd went crazy again.

Tony put his hands in his pockets. "Well, I know that I've had a great time. Science has had a huge step up because of this. And that's not me. That's not you. That's all of us. How about that?"

The crowd applauded again.

"But, remember….even though this is the last night, keep working on those ideas! SST Technologies has openings in many major cities and we'll be able to get all of those ideas heard. Pepper has been working around the clock and can begin seeing people as early as…" He turned to look back at Pepper. "When."

She rolled her eyes. "Next week."

He snapped his fingers. "I think she said next week. I should have asked before I came out here."

Karen and Samuel looked back just in time to see Pepper laughing and groaning at the same time. "I told you that."

Tony continued. "Anyway. Enough of all of the speeches, we came here to party! Last night! Let's get this music started!"

The crowd began to cheer as Tony walked back over to the lead singer. The band started to play again. Tony pointed at Samuel and motioned for him to come out to sing.

Karen looked up at him. "Go ahead."

"Everyone will know me then." He reasoned.

Pepper shook her head. "I've already told him not to tell them your name. So if you want to go."

Lance stood next to Samuel. "I'll stay here with Karen. Personal shielding?"

Samuel laid his forehead on Karen's head. "Oh, I want to…and I don't want to."

The band continued to play.

Karen smiled. "Go and sing. Just once."

He kissed her and then jogged out on stage.

Pepper took Karen's hand and laughed, "He's so much braver than me."

"Me too." Karen laughed. "I don't sing. Especially to a crowd of a million people."

Tony pat Samuel's back and they both sang "Good Times" that had been sung originally by INXS, to kick off the concert. The crowd went crazy.

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Later that evening, Samuel and Karen walked back into the penthouse hotel room that they had stayed in for the past few days. It was very late in the evening, but they were both still wide awake from the concert that had gone on for hours. Karen took off her heels. She turned to Samuel and rubbed his chest.

"You are so handsome." She smiled at him. "I can't believe you sang in front of all of those people."

"I love doing that." He grinned. "Arles and Genie tell me I'm completely mental."

He held her in his arms and smiled at her.

"It's not something I would ever want to do. I don't even like to get up and speak in front of class."

He held his forehead to hers and took a deep breath. "You smell, so good."

"I am cold."

He rubbed her back. "Want to change then? Grab one of my jumpers if you need it."

She smiled at him. "Okay."

"Want to dance some more?"

She smiled up at him. "I can't say no to a man in a tux."

"Really?" He kissed her. "I should wear one more often then."

She giggled and disappeared into the bedroom.

Samuel busied himself getting some music to play through his phone.

His Dad had sent him a message. 'Yeah, she looks human to me.'

He threw his hand out. "I told you that! Ugh!"

Samuel took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa as he looked over his messages. He untied his bowtie.

Karen arrived back in the sitting room wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt of Samuel's. She wrapped her arms around him. "How is this?"

He sat his phone on the table and wrapped his arms around her again. "You look warm."

"We could have stayed-"

"No." Samuel insisted. "I was ready to leave, too. How are your ears?"

She smiled. "Like I've been to a concert. Oh, Samuel. I've had the best time."

"Tony didn't frighten you-"

She laughed, "No. I grew up with military guys barking. He will have to do a lot better than that to scare me off."

Samuel smiled at her. "Do you know how amazing you are?"

She held him tighter. "Just in general, or…"

"With everything. I love you, more than I can even say."

She kissed him, "Samuel. I love you. And I want you to know, that I love you as you. Not as…Samuel. Does that make sense?"

He couldn't have smiled any larger. "Complete sense."

She giggled. "Good."

He turned and flipped through his phone. "My Dad says that the first time a couple dances to a song, it will become their song."

She nodded. "Yes."

"So, I want to submit this one to be our song. Alright?"

She laughed as he sat down the phone and they started to dance to "Madness" by Muse. Their dancing turned to snogging as they moved together.

The electrical current that always moved between them began to grow as they kissed. Samuel laid his head on her forehead and asked quietly, "Do you really want me to move in with you?"

She smiled, "Yes. Would you like to?"

"I would love to." He returned her smile.

"I don't want to push you-"

He shook his head and smiled. "You're not. I think it's a great idea. You could live at the school with me if you wanted to. I'd have to talk to Arles about getting his own flat."

"Whatever you would prefer. Ugh. Traveling back and forth to school though."

"I might have an idea on that." He smiled.

"You and a fast car, huh?"

"Something even faster." He smiled and began to kiss her again.

The electrical current was interrupted by what felt like someone throwing someone to the ground, meters away. Samuel stopped their snogging and turned down the music. He could feel a struggle happening in the hallway outside of where they were.

Karen, hadn't felt anything odd, asked quietly, "Samuel, what's wrong?"

Samuel put his thumb to his bracelet and said, "Remove. Samuel Alistair Peter Tyler-Smith."

Karen could sense the urgency as he put the bracelet quickly on her wrist.

"Begin Program Silent 445." He spoke and the bracelet lit up and tightened around her wrist.

"Samuel? What's-"

The door to the room was kicked in. Samuel stood in front of Karen and held both of her hands in his own, behind his back.

Three Vesuos walked in. Samuel's heart sunk. "Oh, well. We weren't expecting you lot. I would have made some tea."

One of the Vesuos smiled and pointed at him. "You have taken that same sense of humor from your Tony, Khrele."

Samuel let go of one of Karen's hands and touched the bracelet. A display went across Karen's arm. She watched as he seemed to be programming it to do something without looking, with it behind his back.

"Samuel." She whispered. There was no denying that she was terrified. She had no idea who these men were.

"Oh, you've sorted out that I'm the Khrele." Samuel nodded. "Ah. Damn. I thought I would have thought to have been able to keep that secret just a bit longer."

One of the Vesuos threw a table over as they continued to walk slowly over to them.

Samuel continued to speak. "Umm. Well, I'm curious. How did you work that out?"

"Let me see your hands, Khrele!" One demanded.

Samuel tapped Karen's bracelet, causing the display to disappear, and held his hands above his head. "I'm not charged. I can't fire."

"Keep your hands where I can see them." One of the Vesuos insisted.

Samuel sighed. "Okay. Well, forgive me if I…" He shouted, "Speak a bit loudly!"

Karen hid behind him and tried not to cry.

Samuel grinned, "I've been at a concert and…" He shouted, "Return Program Silent T-10 to Arles." He returned to speaking normally. "I've been drinking and I'm not completely certain what I might say."

Karen noticed the bracelet flashed a red light and then it turned white. "Located" displayed across her arm. A circle spun around the number 10 and started to count down, silently.

The Vesuos stood in front of Samuel and crossed his arms. "We have Tony. He'll be happy to see you."

Samuel's stomach dropped. "You have Tony?"

The Vesuos shook his head. "I thought you were younger-"

"Nope!" Samuel insisted. "I'm Soler. Soler of Chaomlean, son of Mageer. You've found me. And you are Vesuos. Karen, tell Arles that he's One. And Legate is Two. And Karen…"

Karen, crying silently, looked at the bracelet and noticed it had begun to glow white. What was about to happen? She looked up just in time to see Samuel turn his head and look back at her. "Everything will be alright. I love you too much for this to be the end."

A white light flashed and Karen disappeared.

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Lartius, Legate and Arles were wrapping up playing a song together. Martiea and Genie sat next to one another and clapped for them.

"See, that's wonderful!" Martiea insisted as Lartius put the guitar he played back down.

"I still know how, my dear!" He laughed. "I should play more often!"

Arles and Legate began to play together what sounded like the beginning of the "Interstate Love Song" by the Stone Temple Pilots. Arles rolled his beat across the drums just as a loud pop was heard and Karen appeared in front of the drum set. She looked around, completely confused.

Both Arles and Legate stopped playing immediately and rushed to her with the rest of the room. Overwhelmed, she covered her face and began to cry. Arles wrapped his arms around her. "Shhh….you're safe."

Genie asked, "Where is Sam?"

Legate tapped a number into his bracelet. "Everything is quiet. I better go see what's happened."

Genie started to speak, "Lega-"

He popped away.

Arles held Karen tightly, "You're safe Karen. Tell me what happened."

Karen continued to cry, stood back, and looked at Arles. "There were three men. He called them Ves…something?"

"Vesuos?" Lartius asked.

Genie and Martiea both gasped.

Karen wiped her tears and nodded. "I think that's-"

Lartius snapped his fingers. "Lewis needs the number where Legate has popped to, Arles."

Arles tapped the bracelet that Karen wore and it displayed a series of numbers. He looked back at Lartius and saw that he nodded. "Got it."

Karen looked up at Arles and began to cry again. "How did I get here?"

He held her tightly. "I'll explain everything. It's alright. You're completely safe, Karen."

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