It looked like trouble would be piling up today.
Helena had finally made the call to tell Sonny in detail of her progressing illness, wich had taken a turn for the worse since Shiloh was born.
And yet, she would not have it any other way.
Her daughter by Sonny was a blessing in disguise, it allowed Sonny to get to be a parent from the very start, all the things he had missed out on with their son.
But it came at a price.
Her health was declining, and faster than she was letting on.
Pain had also started to become a factor now, not too bad, but still, it was growing, and Helena could still remember how sore she had felt after D'Jok's birth.
It was all coming back now.
If Sonny had any idea what pains she suffered because of her choice to have Shiloh, she knew he would feel guilty and, having his credentials and knowledge, would have terminated the pregnancy if he knew the consequenses of her actions.
But more than this, she worried for her son.
She knew Sonny had dispatched some of his pirates to try to locate their son.
Since he was no longer living with the snow kids at their villa, at least not for this tournament, a tournament that saw all teams having to mix players, making it so that even the pirates now had players with flux on their team, a first ever for them, increasing their chances to climb higher in the competition.
There was still no sign of D 'Jok.
The pirates had checked the list of hotel guests where they thought he might have lodged, but no luck.
It had made Sonny realizeLord Phoenix might have something to do with his son now seemingly disappearing.
And he still could not shake the thought that he had met Lord Phoenix somewhere before, but where?
Corso had noticed how thoughtful Sonny seemed, and it didn't take him much to figure where Sonny's thoughts trailed off to.
"He can't stay hidden forever Sonny. If not before, we will either see him on holo tv, promoting his new team, or if that fails, we will see him at his matches. I made sure to get you and Helena season tickets, and an extra one for me. This is still Paradisia and there is a bounty on your head. Just cause Technoid isnt breathing down your neck doesn't mean they can't arrest you on sight, should you cross paths with them " Corso reminded him.
Sonny let out a sigh.
"I can't help it Corso. It's not like him to act like this. Now that he is team captain, I thought he liked the snow kids. It's not like Rocket challenged him after he returned from Netherball for the position, and Clamp told me, that's what Aarch was aiming for. But Rocket seemed to think he had to earn the spot , D 'Jok is still their captain or was. The snow kids were good for him, I am not sure he is ready to be a captain for a new and unproven team " Sonny admitted.
Corso nodded.
"He will grow with the role Sonny. We had pirates that joined us that were the same way once, remember? As far as I can tell, they turned out ok. He is a young man Sonny, finding his own way in life. The shock of losing Mei, and to Sinedd of everyone, might have caused him to lose his footing if he is anything like you, he will bounce back at the right time. Give him some space to breathe. Take Helena and Shiloh to the beach for the day, spend time with your family. We will find your son, as soon as he emerges from wherever he is hiding. But don't forget your wife and daughter, they are both giving up a lot to be with you full time, enjoy being anonymous as a tourist, and play with Shiloh in the sand while you can. There is no telling how long this will last. Leave the worries to me for once " Corso suggested.
That made Sonny smile.
"Thanks Corso, I can always rely on you to put my thoughts straight " he said.
Corso lifted two fingers to the brim of his hat.
"Been around you long enough to know how you look just before you derail. And now, get your hide off to said wife and child. All work and no play make Sonny a very dull boss " Corso teased.
Sonny wasn't bothered.
"You hold the fort here on the ship Corso, I will play tourist with Helena and Shiloh "
He had hurt every friend he had.
All for this carrer opourtunity.
And now that he knew, he was far from sure this all girl, cyborg team was the right way to go about it.
But his pride, as always, would refuse him to go back to the snow kids now.
That, and the fact that Rocket had brought Artegor Nexus on board.
D 'Jok respected Aarch as a coach,Artegor challenged his ego, an ego that had grown increasingly fragile with Mei gone.
No, going back to the snow kids was not an option that was appealing to him right now.
Lord Phoenix had set him up in a nice accommodation.
Not really a hotel, but an apartment, run with robot chef and all.
His dad should have seen this.
But then again, D 'Jok knew all about the pirates skepsism towards robots they had not constructed themselves.
He had heard stories of robot cams, hiding a droid inside, all to capture and imprison Sonny.
Sonny... his infamous dad... sometimes he felt like he screwed up, not making Sonny particularly proud with the way he handled things.
Maybe he should have sought his dad for advice at this time?
His dad always came across as having a solution to every problem.
How would things have been if he had not turned pirate?
D 'Jok sometimes wondered how his life would have been, if his parents had stayed married and lived a normal life.
But then he recalled the night he had asked Sonny just that question.
He remembered how his father's eyes had narrowed, when his thoughts seemed to drift off to something he didn't look like he wanted to remember.
His mind also remembered the moment when Bleylock had his droids lead him away, with the threat that if he didn't do as he ordered, Sonny would pay the ultimate price, his life, for that disobedience.
He recalled the days that followed, how he had to act as if all was ok in front of his friends, when he worried for the father,he had just found.
Wondering if he would see him again.
He had only heard of the drama in the reservoirs after it was all over.
Corso had told him just how close to death Sonny had been, how he had seen the air in the bubble sucked out, Sonny not being able to breathe, and how he had somehow, in an act of desperation, managed to tear a hole in the bubble, freeing Sonny from his confinement, and getting him out of the tank.
It had been chilling to hear about, making him realize how fortunate he was to still have his dad.
Then, he thought about his mom.
Would things have been better if he had not orchestrated the reunion of his parents?
Would his mom eventually have found someone new?
Those thoughts haunted him.
But it was not the reason why Mei left.
He could still hear her words ring in the back of his mind.
And he came to realize,she was right.I
t was all about the next cup, the next big win for him.
All his teammates had projects on the side, except him.
Mei was a famous model, Thran and Ahito had their own company and made computer ads, Rocket had his flower business, Tia was an ambassador's daughter, even Micro Ice had his own brand of sodas to sell.
What did he have to show for his hard work, except two cup championships and a sweaty jersey?
Did he want to start a business of his own maybe? With his contacts, that should not be too hard to do, he would need some sponsors though.
Not Technoid as a partner off course, Sonny would not like that one bit, and he would be sure to have his business swarmed by pirates, making sure it was legit and above all safe.
What was he even good at?
Not much really, except for playing football.
It started to dawn on him what his future held.
t would involve football somehow.
Maybe he could investigate being an assistant or something to one of the bigger teams?
He was famous in his own right now, his name would make any team he worked with shine, right?
With that thought in his mind, he packed a small bag, getting ready for the days practice sessions.
Shiloh squealed as she set her feet in the water.
"Easy Shiloh, I got you, daddy's right here " Sonny said, bending down to make sure he could support her as one of the waves washed in over the beach.
Helena had stayed on shore, wanting to use this rare chance to sunbathe.
It was a woman thing, he knew.
But she had seemed tired, so he didn't object.
Besides, here she blended right in.
No one knew she was the wife of the most wanted pirate of the galaxy, and no one knew that would be him.
Corso had made sure he had no identifying marks that would single him out as a pirate, be visible to the naked eye.
And Sonny knew, he had a very visible mark of his connection to the pirates.
He had a tattoo of the black manta, covering much of his back, a tattoo all leaders of their organization had in the same spot.
Normally, this would not be a problem at all, he would not be out in the open like this, and no one really got to have a good look at him.
But now, Corso had come to their cabin before they left, with a special kind of water and smear proof concealer.
Helena had helped Corso apply it, to cover up the tattoo on his back.
Now, Sonny felt comfortable to walk around without a t shirt on, not standing out.
It felt good to be just a normal person, if just for a little while.
She should have told him.
But Helena knew, the moment she had spoken the words, Sonny would have called off all plans of going to the beach.
He still thought her to be in good health, and that she would enjoy this.
If he knew of the pains, Helena knew he would restrict everything that reminded of a joyous holiday.
This was paradisia and she wanted to enjoy the luxury of the sun and being like a normal person for a little longer.
Pirate life would be back to normal soon enough, and they would be back in Shiloh City, hiding from Technoid.
Did he know she worried about his future?
Sonny could be hard to read at times, but since they arrived, he seemed to have lowered his shoulders some, enjoying time with her and Shiloh.
But he worried for their son, that much she knew.
Shilohs screams of joy pulled her from her thoughts.
Sonny had lifted her, so her little toes just skimmed the surface of the waves, and it clearly tickled.
Sonny was still wearing sunglasses and a black hat, but other than that, he looked like a tourist.
A very handsome tourist, she admitted.
His flat abs, toned torso, the blue jeans shorts, held up by a belt, and typical tourist flip flops, made him look quite hot.
She did notice other women give him a look over too.
She could never be certain if they had recognized him and planned to turn him in to cash in his bounty.
Or if they just saw a very fit specimen of a male that they found attractive.
While he played in the water with Shiloh, She soaked up all the sun she could get.
It made her hurt less.
And it made her want to bring some take away back to the ship.
Sonny loved shrimps, and that's what she wanted to bring.
As Sonny and Shiloh returned to her rented sun bed, Sonny looked at the sky.
"Lets not stay for too long Honey. These sunbeams might not be artifical, and we don't need over exposure now do we? " he asked with a smile as he put a towel around Shiloh.
"Mommy, I saw fishies" Shiloh exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes pumpkin, and what more? "Sonny challenged his daughter, clearly helping her expand her vocabulary.
"Starfiiiish...uhm..crabby..." Shiloh continued.
Sonny as he handed her to Helena, he glanced up at the market stalls.
And Helena could see him freeze.
Was it technoid?
Had they been spotted, and made ready to make a run for it?
But when she followed the direction of his gaze, she too saw what Sonny had seen.
That red hair was unmistakable.
Why didn't he come over to them?
Helena looked at Sonny.
"It is him, right? "She asked, feeling unsure if she had seen right.
Sonny nodded,without losing sight of their son.
"You take Shiloh I will go find him. This kind of behaviour is unnacceptable, and beyond all, rude. We have never done anything to embarrass him, so I want to know why he is acting as if we don't exist. I am sure he saw us, and yet, he stayed back " Sonny said as he got up to approach his son.
"Don't be too hard on him honey, I am sure he has his reasons, whatever they are " she said.
Sonny gave a quick nod, before he started to approach his son, from behind.
Helena collected Shiloh, and their things, before she found a stall to wash off all the sand.
"Helena? "She heard a familiar voice she turned around, she saw Maia, her savior, standing there.
"Maia, it's so good to see you " she exclaimed, trying to conceal how painful it was to lift Shiloh.
Maia didn't say anything, just picked up her stuff.
"Where is your charming husband? By rights, this really is his job as a man to carry all the heavy things, that includes little Shiloh " she said.
Helena sighed.
"He thought we saw D 'Jok, so he went to see why he didn't come over to see us " Helena responded somewhat confused.
Maia just nodded.
"He is very confused right now and struggling with the decisions he made. That ego of his will lead to a very humbling experience one day, unless Sonny gets a hold of him right now. It might be too soon; he needs some space to think " she explained.
Helena was even more confused.
"But we are his parents, his very concerned parents. He should not fear speaking to us at this time, we only want what's best for him " she argued.
Maia remained calm.
"I know you do. But you got other things to worry about Helena. I am asking you to please let Sonny know how bad things have progressed. Sonny might appear strong on the outside, but I am not sure that projection reflects what he truly feels. You hold that man's very heart in your hands Helena. Please, tell him how things look, while there is still time to reverse things. Both your son and your daughter deserve to have their mom here as long as it's possible " she said.
That made Helena feel guilty.
"I will tell him, at the right time "she said.
Maia looked at her.
"There might never be a right time,Helena. Trust him. Sonny has credentials as a doctor, he has been involved with some heavy-duty research before. I have looked him up, under his given name. If he knew, he would do anything in his power to get you the needed help. But unless you tell him, he will never know " she said.
Helena nodded.
It would mean the end of her days outside the ship on her own, but Maia was right.
Sonny needed to know, maybe he had something that could stall the process long enough for someone to find something that helped her disease at her stage.
"He has so many things to worry about, I really don't want to add to his stress right now " she said.
It was true for the most part.
Sonny was still seeking family members of other pirates, lost in the technoid system,and trying to get to the bottom of what Bleylock had once planed.
Sonny took this very seriously, and she knew he often worked through the night, to make sure he had all the data he needed to make Duke Maddox listen.
She suspected it had to do with her, more than for himself.
Sonny put everyone else's wellbeing before his own.
What happened to him, didn't seem to matter all that much.
Could it be that he suspected something was up, and tried to prepare ground to get needed help for her?
Maia looked like she had read her mind.
"He senses something isnt right Helena, but he is too much of a gentleman to ask up front. But in case it is bad news, he is taking steps in silence to make sure you will get the medical attention needed. He is suspicious, I can see he has seen something from your medical records, but I can't see clearly what it is. He is a fantastic man,Helena;he really deserves better than for you to treat him like this " Maia said.
Helena nodded."I will tell him tonight then, after we have dealt with our son.
D'Jok is the footballer, Sonny is the pirate and an outright bloodhound when it comes to tracking people down. I feel confident Sonny will know more once he returns "
He had tried to slip away the moment he saw them.
He had no idea his parents and Shiloh were here.
Once he had turned his transmitter back on, he felt a pang of guilt, seeing the list of missed calls from his mother.
No texts, such were the family rules, only calls, as they could not be traced.
But when he saw the one text with no name or contact code to it, he knew whom it was from.
"I heard about you leaving the snow kids son. We need to talk. Sonny ".
Simple and straight forward.
His father wasted no time getting sentimental.
But he didn't feel ready to talk to him yet.
He wanted something to show for himself, something to prove to his father that there was another way in life for him than becoming a pirate himself.
He had started to make a plan, he just didn't have all the details in place yet.
Until he did, he had decided to avoid his parents.
This time, he wanted to do it on his own, make them proud of him.
As he kept walking away, he forgot to look around properly.
As a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, he nearly jumped out of his skin.
"You are an excellent footballer son, but you are still outmatched when it comes to urban camouflage " Sonny said, still not letting go of his son's shoulder.
D 'Jok sighed.
"Dad, I know you don't agree with my choice right now, but I got to do this, to prove to myself that I can do something on my own, without you or mom holding my hand " he said.
Sonny looked as if he had hit him square in the face.
"What's gotten into you Son? To my knowledge, nor your mother or I have ever led you by the hand like that in any choice you have made about your future. On the contrary, I would say we have supported you in your choices, even in a choice that made our family split up for you to have the opourtunity to choose for yourself. I was worried that the knowledge that you are my son would be of hinderance to you. But to say what you said, is not fair son. Your mother is worried after you left the snow kids. And so am I. I think you need to tell me about this new team you joined son, or I will find out other wise.I am trusting you son, please, don't make me regret that " Sonny said as he let go of his sons shoulder.
D 'Joks posture told him all he needed to know.
His son was angry at something, and he needed to take it out on someone, or something.
And right now, he was the one that had provoked his anger, so he was going to be the punching bag.
Instead, D 'Jok just shook his head.
"I will be fine Dad, really. You got to trust me;I know what Im doing " he tried.
Sonny did not look impressed.
"You may think you do son, but this man, Lord Phoenix... I don't know where, but I have met him some place before. I would not trust him just like that " he said.
D 'Jok was getting frustrated.
"Dad, he is giving me the chance of a lifetime, a chance to be a pioneer, just like you, with a totally unknown team. I want to do this, prove that I can. Or are you here to drag me back to the ship and Shiloh, because I left the snow kids? " He asked, staring his father straight in the eye.
Sonny was shocked at the aggression in his son'svoice and invertedly took a step back.
"No, I am not here for that. Your mother wants to see you, so does your sister. We tried to get a hold of you, since we will be laying low here for some time, while things wind down with Technoid "he explained.
That made D 'Jok smirk.
" Things got too hot out in the galaxy and Duke Maddox huh? " he asked.
Sonny smirked back.
" Not really, but we hoped for some family time while here. Think that's possible to fit into your busy schedule son? " he asked.
D 'Jok pretended to think.
"How bout Dinner, tomorrow? On you, since you are the one inviting " he suggested.
Sonny nodded.
"Deal. Then you can tell us more about this new team of yours " he father and son went their separate ways, they had no way of knowing just how tense the next weeks was to become.
