Weeks had passed, and things were starting to fall into a routine at Callie's apartment.
Corso and Sonny had started to do the work involved with rebuilding strength in the muscle Sonny had torn. It had been painful to watch the first few times. Corso had helped Sonny with some exercises that looked extremely painful. Callie was always amazed at how the two read and communicated without words. Corso would push Sonny very close to the breaking point and hold him in a position that clearly put the muscle under tension for a designated number of seconds before he would help Sonny back into a position that took the strain off the muscle. After the exercises were done, Corso would use a Health Scanner to check Sonnys leg. So far, the results were encouraging.
Corso and Sonny had made the decision to take it further this evening by going on a jog together,outdoors. Callie and the others were holding their breath, fearing they would be seen. They were not sure Sonny could outrun them yet. But after roughly two hours they both returned, sweaty in their tracksuits.
"I swear Sonny, you're faking it. You're outrunning me and I am supposed to be the athletic one." Corso laughed as he downed a tall glass of water that Artie gave him. Sonny chuckled.
"I'm not faking anything Corso. You're just getting old." He teased. Corso grinned.
"I'll still kick your ass in hand to hand combat." He retaliated. Sonny laughed.
"You're not gonna throw me to the ground reacting that slow.I know all your moves. Pinning me to the floor will not be easy" Sonny teased back.
"How did things go? Any pain from your injury? Callie asked. Sonny shook his head.
"Nothing to speak of." He said. Callie nodded. That meant he had healed enough to return to safety. Perhaps it was for the best. For his own sake. and for some reason, that thought made her feel sad.
"Are you going to attempt to reach your ship?" She asked. Again, Sonny shook his head.
"Not yet. There are increased patrols in the area where we are hiding the ship." He said.
"We need a better overview before we make an attempt. Do you want the apartment to yourself again Callie?" He asked. "Because we can find another safehouse." he pointed out. Callie shook her head.
"No, I enjoy the company, I just try to prepare myself, in case I come home to an empty house." Callie answered. "It would be kind of scary after having company for so long." She explained. "Besides, I am curious how things will progress with the information my boss gave you. The reporter in me wants to know the outcome" she said. Sonny nodded. He and Corso had spent hours going through the files and now had a clear picture on the part that concerned General Bleylock, the pawn in this chess game.
It had become evident that Bleylock held more power than they first assumed within Technoid. Even if he was truly gone, there were still too many players that shared his insane lust for power and wanting to rule the Galaxy. Sonny and Corso had began looking at the list of the Board members to find a connection and Sonny was forming a plan to smoke them out. He made sure the claims he would make could be backed up by hard evidence. There was no room for mistakes, as he was negotiating a deal for an official pardon.
Sonny, knowing that an agreement not put in writing was something Duke Maddox would back out of at first chance, had the help of D'Jok and Micro Ice to deliver the agreement to Duke Maddox. According to D'Jok The Duke had been cooperative and signed it after having read it through. It had was clear to Duke Maddox that Sonny was going to hold him to his word this time.
The pardon Sonny had negotiated the terms for was becoming more important to him everyday and with a grandchild on the way, He was very motivated to get things done.
The thought of a grandchild put a soft smile on Sonny's face. He looked forward to this experience. He even had a few thoughts of what he would be doing with an official pardon.
The Pirates were criminals by the letter of the law but if pardoned, they would be free and return to be normal citizens. Many of them had severe trust issues and other traumas to deal with. Sonny had a plan to make sure they were all taken care of and receiving the medical and psychological help they would need.
He looked at his own main crew. All of them had their own, hidden problems, and issues.
Bennett, who always wore special glasses because of his hypersensitive eyes.
Sonny had the medical knowledge to help him but he needed to get his freedom to have access to the kind of equipment and help he needed to make it happen.
Artie was physically fine and acted the most jovial… but Sonny knew for a fact that young hacker and personal assistant of his hid some severe trauma. That would need time and patience.
Corso… Sonny knew the damage went far beyond the emotional and psychological traumas he endured. They never spoke of the fact that Corso's body continued to reject the cybernetic eye he had. Sonny had suggested to find another solution but Corso insisted, despite the damage to the surrounding tissue and even his own brain. Sonny was worried about the long term consequences and had come up with a temporary solution. A solution that contributed deeply to Corso being overly protective of him, seeing it as no one else knew how to produce the special formula Sonny had made. He could still remember the day Corso had asked him what it was.
Corso had taken his cybernetic eye out so Sonny could apply the salve. It was an odd feeling, going into the socket with his fingers.
"What's the secret to this formula Sonny? It doesn't burn like all the other things." Corso asked. Sonny smiled as he finished applying it before Corso reattached the cybernetic eye and sighing.
"That hit the spot. Now I don't have an itch inside of my skull anymore" He said with a smile. Sonny had sat down on a chair next to the examination bed in the infirmary.
"Corso, you need to know a few things about this formula." He started. "It will have a cooling effect and we will need to apply a new dosage regularly. I limit the amount made as it is biodegradable. Also, please don't ask about the donor for the biological components." he said. Corso looked at him.
"Donor? Are you keeping something from me Sonny?" He asked. Sonny could have bit his tongue at that reaction but he decided against it. Corso, of all people, deserved to know.
"Corso, are you sure you want to know?" Sonny asked. Corso nodded, looking at him suspiciously.
"What did you do Sonny?" he asked. Sonny sighed. He told Corso how he had created the formula; from of bone marrow, as is was regenerative. Corso listened attentively as Sonny explained the makeup of the formula. As he was done, Corso looked at him with tears in his real eye. Sonny didnt need to say who the donor was. He was looking at him. And that made him dependent on Sonny, to stay alive himself.
"I think I already know who the donor is… Thank you." He managed as Sonny nodded.
"Don't mention it. I do what it takes to help you." He said. Corso laid a hand on his neck.
"It also makes me dependent on you." Corso said. "If anything happens to you, that would be the end of everything. I may have a few months on the frozen down marrow, but ultimately, if you are gone, that is the end for both of us" he concluded. Sonny nodded.
"That is the downside. The bone marrow has to be harvested once a month for this. I got an extra supply for three months packed away. If anything happens to me, You will be given the information and contact code for the doctor that does this proceedure, Should something happen to me, harvest what you can from my remains, It will buy you some extra time" He said.
"Where do you go to have it done?" Corso asked. Sonny looked at him.
"You know how I always take off alone at the end of the month and I always go to the same place in Shiloh?" He asked. Corso nodded.
"Is this why?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"We only have one doctor qualified to do the kind of procedure needed. I meet with him in a secret location, so he can extract bone marrow from me to produce the formula." Sonny explained. Corso nodded.
"That is why you always stay for three days?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"It's necessary as the procedure is risky. He also keeps an extra supply at his lab in case something was to happen to me." Sonny said. He could see Corso was starting to get worried. "Relax Corso, it's completely safe." He said. Corso nodded.
"Where in your body is the marrow extracted from Sonny? Some places aren't really all that safe.I wont have you risk your own health for this" he said. Sonny knew he had to be honest with this.
"We extract it from my spinal cord. It is the strongest marrow there is." Sonny answered. "Don't worry. He makes sure I eat a diet that allows me to recuperate as fast as possible.I am safe when this is done" he assured Corso. Corso nodded.
"If I knew it took this much to keep me going, I might have refused… but thank you for what you are doing." He carefully said. "It gives me all the more reason to protect you."
Sonny shook his head. He had to focus on the here and now. Corso was checking the injured muscle.
"Looking good Sonny. It's over halfway healed by now. "Corso informed. Sonny nodded with a smile.
"We need a shower." He said. Corso grinned.
"You head out first Sonny and get cleaned up, I need to check up on a few things." Corso said as Sonny looked at him.
"Let me know when you are done with the shower Corso. It's time for our routine." He said. Callie looked confused.
"It's the cleansing of Corso's cybernetic eye. Sonny always helps him, no one else is allowed." Bennett explained. Callie nodded.
"I will get them some towels."
Duke Maddox had looked at all the reports of the old Sphere. Sonny had been down there with his men for a reason. So far, they had not been back to Shiloh. He knew that Sonny had gotten injured and was lying low while he was recovering. There was no sign of the pirates lately, so it was possible Sonny had managed to return to Shiloh without him noticing.
Duke Maddox studied the reports from the gauges placed around the Sphere. He was no scientist but he was aware of the destruction abuse of Flux could cause. Sonny, who had worked with Flux for a long time, had informed him in no uncertain terms, what a person that held even the smallest amount of Flux, was able to do with a weapon like the Sphere. Duke Maddox was aware that neither Clamp or Sonny could be blamed for the creation of Multi Flux.
Their invention had been the Metaflux which, in comparison, was much weaker and did not hold the same potential to cause harm.
Nonetheless, it had been powerful enough for Sonny to dispose of it. No one knew how or where this had been done except Sonny himself. Duke Maddox knew the Fluxes had been used for war and it was not all that long ago either.
It was less than fifty years ago. He remembered Ascaron, the planet that many who were now Pirates, had been living on. Many were settlers from Akillian. Ascaron was where the worst conflicts had broken out. The military had been called in an attempt to defuse the situation.
Duke Maddox closed his eyes. He had nothing to do with what happened there but his company, Technoid, was still to be blamed for the decimation of Ascaron and the attack on the military troops stationed there. To Duke Maddox' knowledge, only one of the soldiers survived and been scapegoated for the incident.
Duke Maddox raised his hand to his own cybernetic eye. An illness took his eye and he replaced it with cybernetics. The best of doctors had made it happen. A special formula had been used to make this an easy transition. He asked but the Doctor would not tell him who had created this formula, only that it was the most effective formula to keep rejection and tissue deterioration from setting in. The Doctor referred to the scientist that had created it as a valued friend whose identity had to remain a secret. The mix was different from person to person and the cells had to come from a matching donor to the Duke. They had found one after several blood tests so Duke Maddox had this done every three months.
Getting back to business, he could see that someone had started the same operation Bleylock had run all over again. Duke Maddox had no scientists that knew how to read Flux as well as Sonny did and Sonny was nowhere to be found. As Duke Maddox looked at the files, he gasped. There was a formula for an Anti Multiflux for the version Harris had created, but this one with a solid dose of smog and two unknown fluxes looked very potent. Duke Maddox started to sweat as he called Dame Simbai.
"Dame Simbai, this is Duke Maddox, I need to get in contact with Sonny Blackbones right this instant."
D'Jok was on his way home after having been to the doctors with Mei to check on the baby. Mei had taken their car, so D'Jok stopped by a baby store. He was tempted to buy a few things. As he turned the corner, a hand grasped his arm. D'Jok looked up.
"Corso? What are you doing here?" He asked his dad's friend and bodyguard. Corso grinned.
"Sonny sent me to ask if there is any news on Mei and the baby." He said. D'Jok nodded with a grin.
"Yes there is but I won't tell him yet. Instead, I got a challenge for him." He said as Corso raised an eyebrow.
"A challenge? Really?" He asked. D'Jok had a devious smile on his face.
"Tell him, I'll tell him what he wants to hear about the baby if he asks Callie out on a date." he suggested. Corso could not help himself from laughing.
"I'll be damned D'Jok, that is a great idea." He said. "He could certainly need a little push for that."Corso chuckled. This was a brazen move, but it might just be what Sonny needed. A date with a beautiful and intelligent woman like Callie..there was potensial he wouldnt get bored this time, that he would actually enjoy it. It had been too long since last time Sonny went on a date.
"What is that supposed to mean?" D'Jok asked. Corso looked at D'Jok, every passing day, the boy became more and more like his father, Sonny was rightfully proud of his son. Corso decided to fill D'Jok in on the kiss he had seen. D'Jok smiled as he heard that.
" That was news,Callie said she wasn't looking for a date." He said.
"Sonny's the same. And yet, I think it is just what they need. Two attractive adults, enjoying a night out, and relaxing. That is just what Sonny needs" Corso added. D'Jok smiled.
"They could use some help. You think there's anything we can do?" He asked. Corso was rubbing his chin while a smile formed.
"I think I know something. If this can be done with the new gadgets I know of, Sonny and Callie can have a normal date, with minimal protection." He said as D'Jok nodded. Corso looked at the younger man.
"Listen D'Jok, I've known Sonny for a long time. He's like a brother to me, he means the galaxy to me and for the first time in a long while, I see him happy. He jokes around with her, he laughs a lot more. But they're holding back so hard, both of them. Some alone time, just for them, doing something they would both enjoy, it would work wonders for the both of them." Corso explained as D'Jok looked at him, a sly grin forming on his face.
"Corso, you know Dad and what he likes and dislikes." He started. "Can you find out about Callie's likes and dislikes? We could orchestrate a date for them with something they both enjoy. Let's give them a night to take it easy for once." he suggested. Corso smiled.
"I like the way you think. Make him take steps towards this, to obtain the information he wants. I am all in" He said, looking down and smiling. "Should I tell him the gender of the baby or keep it to myself?" He asked.
"Keep it to yourself for now." D'Jok said with a smile. "I want him to make some steps with Callie, first. The information is the carrot, the goal is to make him take steps towards a date" D'Jok said. Corso laughed as he parted with him. This would be fun.
Dame Simbai was serious as she talked to Clamp.
"It's crucial that we speak to Sonny about this." She said. Clamp agreed after having seen the flux gauges. Duke Maddox and Dame Simbai looked at him.
"Could you turn away while I set up a private call? Sonny is a friend of mine and I'm not about to put him in any danger of being captured." Clamp said. Duke Maddox nodded. He turned around, as did Dame Simbai when Clamp made the call.
"Clamp,what is the emergency?" Sonny soon asked.
"Can you scramble the background? Duke Maddox sought me out to speak to you. We have a problem." Clamp said.
Sonny didn't say anything, just pressed the button that obscured the background behind him.
"All set, put him through" He said. Clamp looked uncomfortable.
"Uhm, he's already here in the room." He carefully said. Sonny nodded.
"Next time, let me know in advance. We don't want to expose our current location." He said. Clamp nodded.
"Still not back at the ship?" he asked. onny shook his head.
"No, Still trying to heal properly before we make the attempt. There are also some… other, happier things going on" Sonny said. Clamp grinned.
"I heard about that. It seems congratulations are in order." He laughed.
"It's a way to remind us of our real age. I am feeling happy about this" Sonny chuckled.
"What are you talking about? I'm still feeling like a youngster." Clamp joked. Sonny laughed.
"I'm still feeling twenty on a good day" he admitted. Both friends laughed until Duke Maddox coughed slightly.
"I hate to interrupt but I have some questions related to Flux and the sphere where you got injured. I need to ask your expertise on this." Duke Maddox said. Sonny nodded, this was an emergency. If there was produced flux of any kind, he and Clamp had to meet and fabricate an Antiflux specific to those Fluxes.
"Clamp, patch the information through, so I can see it" Sonny asked. As the graphs came up, Sonny had a worried expression on his face.
"Dame Simbai, we will need the flux society to get involved with this one. This is a very potent mix from what I can gather, and it's amplified as well. We will need to find who is running this operation and put an end to it right now" Sonny said. Clamp nodded.
"The mastermind may be hard to track." He said. Sonny rubbed his chin.
"It doesn't have to be that hard. Corso and I have discovered some things lately and we both reached the same conclusion, we got a starting point to work from. Now, we just need the correct bait to lure him out of hiding" Sonny said as he looked at Duke Maddox. "Your Excellency, for your own safety I will ask you not to reveal to your board of directors what you know. The Mastermind behind the loss of control you have within your company is at this board. We will smoke him out" Sonny informed.
Duke Maddox nodded.
"Who is it?" He asked. As he looked at Sonny, who shook his head.
"For the time being, it's better that you don't know. Your behaviour towards him may change if you knew, tipping him of that we are on to him. This man is very dangerous. I'm currently figuring out how this can be done without anyone getting hurt." He explained. Duke Maddox nodded.
"Are you going to try to bait him out?" He asked. Sonny nodded.
"Yes, I just need to find the bait that he will go for. As soon as I got something, I will get in contact again. For now, the number one priority is to deal with this new Flux. Clamp, I'm counting on you to create an Antiflux for this version. I will take care of disposing of it, as soon as I'm well enough."
Sonny said his goodbye and ended the call. He sat back in the chair, rubbing his chin. Corso looked at him.
"There isn't much we can do at the moment. We're still a few puzzle pieces short." He said. Sonny agreed. For now, there was other things to tend to. Like his grandchild to be.
"Did you see D'Jok today? Any news on the baby?" He asked. Corso grinned.
"Yes but he had some demands of his own before he gives you that information." He teased. Sonny raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? And those demands are… ?" He asked. Corso smiled and told him what D'Jok had said. Sonny was amused by this. His son was trying to play matchmaker. That was going to be something he could use as leverage later on. What he found more intriguing, was that Corso seemed to agree with his sons idea.
"And before you ask, We got a new gadget." Corso said, rummaging through his pockets, extracting a bracelet. "Wear this and the robots won't spot you. I also took the liberty to check her likes and dislikes against what I know about you. You two have lots in common. Step out of being the leader of the Pirates for one night, and just be a normal person. It will do you good" he said. Sonny listened to Corso. It sounded to him that he and D'Jok had planned this together.
"Let me guess, unless I do this, he's not going to reveal the baby's gender, right?" He said.
"Something along those lines." Corso admitted. Sonny rubbed his chin. He could do with a night out. It had been a long time since last. Mostly because the women bored him to death. He would prefeer someone he could talk to, whom would be able to challenge him, make things interesting. The more he thought about it, the more appealing it became. Callie had all these qualities, and she also intrigued him. He looked at Corso. Corso seemed to get that this would work in his favour as he was already on the laptop, looking for suitable resturants and places to go.
"Dinner and dance night?" Corso asked. "You both like seafood, and Callie's into dancing. As far as I know, you used to be into that yourself back in the days. the girls in Shiloh talk. I heard that you were a good dancer,and at some..other areas too. The last one not being something you do the first night" he said sternly. This made Sonny laugh.
"I haven't done that in a long while.I am rather rusty on that. " He admitted. Corso shook his head as he felt Sonny tried to back out.
"Oh come on Sonny. Stop beating around the bush. Or are you afraid you might actually enjoy yourself?" Corso teased. Sonny knew he was backed into a corner.
"Ok, Book a table at a classy place. I will make sure to disguise myself enough that I won't be recognized." He said. Corso giggled, and looked at him.
"You will need some new clothes." He said. "You can't be dressed like a Pirate for this." Sonny walked over to him, where he was on the laptop, checking out clothes.
"If I ever need a secretary Corso, you will fill that role." Sonny chuckled. He saw the selection of clothes. "The blue jeans, shoes, and a white polo shirt. That should look casual enough." He mused. As soon as Corso placed the order and paid, he asked Artie to go pick it up.
"Make sure to get something for the lady. Like some nice earrings or something" He said. Sonny looked at him.
"Take care of it Corso. If I am going to go on a date, I better make sure I'm clean and well groomed." He said. Corso could not hold back anymore and he laughed.
Later that evening, Sonny got a fresh pair of underwear, and T shirt, and new pants as he got ready.
"Don't forget to be courteous." Corso reminded him. Sonny picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
"Remind me to return that favour when its your turn." He said as he sent a text to Callie.
"Callie, it's Sonny. I wanted to thank you for all your help. Would you like to accompany me for a seafood dinner and dance tonight?" he typed.
Without second guessing, he sent the text. Then, he headed to the shower.
D'Jok smiled as he received an image from Corso, showing that his father sending Callie the invitation to the date. Mei looked at him.
"Wow, he asked her out on a date? Lucky Callie. Your Dad's is a very attractive man, I'm sure they will have a great time. They really deserve this. They will look good together" She said. D'Jok laughed.
"He must really want to know the kid's gender. Why havent we thought of this before?" He laughed. Mei looked at him seriously.
"What did you say?This is blackmail, And you didn't think that was mean?" She asked.
"It wasn't just me Mei, Corso helped out." D'Jok defended himself.
"Doesn't matter. It's still mean to use this as blackmail." Mei said. "You know how much he looks forwards to this. Not to mention, doing this is dangerous for him too" She looked cross at him.D'Jok nodded.
"But if this works, it will be so good for him. He can start having a normal life. This is what he wants more than anything else." he pointed out. Mei smiled.
"If there is any justice in the Galaxy, this will work out." she said.
Callie looked up as the message came in. She had shown the second segment to her boss, who was thrilled. Callie blushed as she saw who it was from. Her boss couldn't help but notice. Callie closed the doors before she showed him. Her boss smiled.
"This will be good for you, Callie. Go out on a date, talk with him, not as a pirate but as the person he is. From what I know, this is very rare for Sonny to do. Not to mention you need a break as well. From what I can see, you're attracted to him and it would not surprise me if he feels the same way. This will be good for the both of you. Just enjoy the time as two adults for once" He said. Callie smiled as she took her phone.
"I would love to go on a date with you Sonny"
She wrote. Her boss smiled.
"Take the rest of the day off and prepare for a nice night out with a truly amazing man."
"Wow, for someone who doesn't date regularly, you have excellent taste in restaurants." Callie said as she looked at her date. Sonny looked dashing in this new attire. No one would ever figure him for a Pirate, unless they knew.
As the evening passed, she found him to be a real entertaining conversation partner.
He would tell her small anecdotes, which would make her laugh as they ate some exquisite shellfish. They had ordered a plate with a combination of many dishes. Sonny had also ordered some Alarian oysters.
"Have you ever tried these before?" He asked with a smile.
"Can't say that I have." Callie answered as she looked at the food closely.
"Clearly a sceptic." Sonny chuckled as he had no problems with his. She could see him close his eyes for a second.
"Delicious, the cook knows what he's doing. I wonder if I should tell Corso to hire him for the Pirates." Sonny mused. Callie laughed.
"It's hard to let go of being a commander, isn't it? And this makes me curious as to who Sonny Blackbones really is when he is not a pirate or commander" She smiled. Sonny nodded with a smile.
"Or let go of always looking over your shoulder to see if you are being tailed. And to answer your question, A regular guy, whom tries to make the best of the hand that life dealt him" He admitted. Callie was so understanding. Sonny felt himself relax for the first time in many years. Corso was right, he needed this, for himself more than anything else. He looked at his date. She sparkled in her outfit tonight, complimenting him on every level. Her laugh was infectious. They had spoken of their co workers and their antics. Callie had told stories about Barry and Nork, wich made Sonny laugh heartfelt several times.
"I never would have figured Barry Rant was like that. He always comes across as somewhat nerdy" He admitted. Callie laughed as well.
"I'm having a hard time imagining Corso doing house cleaning, that must have been some sight." She said as Sonny hid a smile. Callie also hid her smile behind her hand but her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Later that night, their plates were all emptied out.
"That was really delicious but I don 't think I can have another bite." Callie said. Sonny smiled.
"Not even desert?" He teased.
"Well, maybe if it's nice and light." Callie said. Sonny smiled.
"They happen to have Crushed Paradise here, I was told it's delicious." He said.
"Supposedly it's a frozen fruit bar." Callie smiled. "Let's try it."
After finishing the dessert, Callie felt like taking a walk and Sonny agreed.
"The night isn't over yet. There's a place where we can dance if you like." He said.
"What a wonderful idea, how did you know that I love to dance?" Callie asked as she looked at him. Sonny raised his hands.
"You can thank Corso for that. Him and my Son set all of this up." He said.
"Really? I wonder why." Callie mused. Sonny shrugged. Callie smiled.
"Well, I'm not going to be mad at them for it. I had a wonderful night with an amazing man. No complaints there." She said. Sonny smiled as he offered her his arm.
"The pleasure's all mine. You made my first night off in a long time a very memorable one." Sonny said. Callie laughed and leaned in to give him a kiss. Sonny could see what was coming and didn't back away. Callie's lips felt warm on his, and he felt her hands caress his neck. Sonny let go of the last remnants of tension. This night was his night off, time for him to just be a normal person for once.
And he was going to enjoy it.
Corso smiled as he saw it happen on the surveillance cameras he had hacked. Sonny was enjoying his time with Callie. He couldn't remember when he had last seen Sonny laugh this much. And he finally started to let the tension go. This really was good for him. Callie seemed to enjoy it as well.
When he saw them on the traffic cam, he smiled even more. Sonny was the perfect gentleman, giving her an arm, if people didn't know, they would take them for a couple in love. When he saw Callie lean in to kiss him, he could tell how Sonny enjoyed it. He looked relaxed. Bennett came in.
"How is the Date night going?" He asked. Corso smiled.
"This is just what Sonny needed. He's finally starting to relax. Her too." he said.
Corso turned the laptop so Bennett could see.
"To be honest, I never thought he would agree to do it. It is good to see him like this." He said. Corso smiled as he saw that Sonny invited Callie to the dance floor. They looked like a couple in love the way they moved.
"Look at them, can you recall having seen Sonny this happy?" Corso said with a smile. Bennett also smiled.
"It's a most welcome sight. I am grateful to Callie for making him smile like that" He said before he got serious. "Can I speak openly with you?" Corso looked at him.
"Any time." He answered as Bennett sat down next to him.
"Corso, we're Pirates, we always will be, in one form or another. I always worry for Sonny, just like you do, do you think there is any chance this could develop into something more?" Bennett asked. Corso looked at him.
"What are you getting at?" He asked Bennett sighed.
"If this turns into a relationship, it will serve as more than just a powerful alliance. It literally could save Sonny from being killed, and finally make him safe. This could be the solution to save him from the same fate as other leaders before him" He said as Corso nodded.
"Keep this to yourself but that's exactly what I'm hoping for. To get him out of harm's way. I was hoping Callie could be the one to do it. He is clearly attracted to her. But he is veary. we might need to nugde him a little to make him act" He said." Bennett nodded as well.
"Count on me to do whatever it takes to help with that. Sonnys safety is the number one priority for us all, lets hope we can finally make it happen" He said.
At the Club, Sonny and Callie were having a great time dancing. They both were a bit rusty, but adjusted fine to each other. Callie felt like she was in her own little bubble tonight and didn't want the night to end. To be in Sonnys arms, feeling so safe, looking into his hazels, it was a dream date for sure. A slow dance called to them.
"May I have this dance?" Sonny asked and held out his hand to her. Callie smiled.
"My pleasure." She answered. She felt his arms embrace as he led her out on the dance floor again. It felt so natural to put her hands around his neck and lean towards him and he seemed to feel the same way. She had seen a different side to him tonight. This was not Sonny Blackbones the Pirate Chief, nor the father or even the scientist. This was who Sonny was when he stepped out of all his roles. He was someone that she would like to know more about. a truly facinating man.
Until this point, it had all been dreamy. But that was about to change.
As they exited the club, smiling, walking hand in hand, a flash went off in their faces.
"What a scoop! Callie is on a Date. Who's the lucky man?" Hush Sharky bounced around and tried to get a photo of Sonny, but that was not happening. Sonny pulled out his memory eraser, and took hold of him.
"You never saw us and you will be finding a new scoop." He said as he flashed his memory eraser. As soon as Hush Sharky was out, he erased the photos of him and Callie from his camera. He looked at Callie.
"Sorry you had to see that. I couldn't risk a story like that in the news." He said. Callie nodded.
"It's Okay. I understand" She said. Sonny sighed.
"This is, unfortunately, a part of my life that I can't escape." He said. Callie nodded.
"I know all about it. It's part of my life as well." She said. Sonny nodded it as he made sure to place Hush Sharky out of sight. There was no need to get charges thrown at him at this time.
"You want to go dance somewhere else?" He offered.
"Actually, I think it's time we headed back home. I still got work tomorrow and after this I think it's time we slip out of the spotlight, don't you agree? I know a place were we can be alone." She winked at him. Sonny looked at her with a smile.
"What did you have in mind?" He wondered. Callie smiled as she leaned over and whispered it to him. Sonny smiled.
"Are you sure we're not rushing things?" He asked.
"I'm sure. Remember who you are. and take a chance. You might enjoy it" She said, before she turned away and smiled shyly. "I have been thinking about it since we met. You facinate me, and I am curious about..that side of things too" she admitted. Sonny smiled.
"To be honest,so am I." He admitted. Callie smiled.
"There is a place here on Genesis, close to Genesis forest, where lovers go if things are crowded elsewhere. I think it suits our needs" She said. Sonny rubbed his chin for a moment. Then, Corso's words hit him.
"Live a little, go out and be just yourself for once."
Sonny made a decision.
"Lead the way." He said.
It was past Two AM before Sonny and Callie returned from their date night.
Corso had not been able to locate them on cameras so he had used the signal from Sonny's transmitter to find them.
"Genesis Forest, what the heck where they doing there?" Bennett asked, reading the question in Corso's eyes. Then he grinned.
"You know why they went there Corso. They had a car, and this place is a bit crowded right now. I would not be surprised if they wanted some special alone time."Bennett stopped, allowing Corso to draw his own conclusion. Corso grinned. If so, that was a good thing. One of the best stress relievers he ever found in his younger days himself.
"If that is the story,I'm happy for him." He said. Corso heard the balcony door open. "They're back." he said.
Sonny and Callie tried to be silent as they entered.
"Goodnight there. Had a good time?" Corso suddenly asked from the recliner. Callie jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Corso, you scared me." She said. Corso grimaced.
"Likewise Missy. I lost track of you two and had to track Sonny through his transmitter." He said. "Genesis forest?" He raised an eyebrow at Sonny, who smiled innocently back at him.
"You would have done the exact same thing if you were in my place." He said. Clearly not regretting anything that had gone on between the two of them.
"It depends on what you did in there." Corso said.
"That's a personal matter between Callie and me. you don't need to know." Sonny said. He could tell from Corso and Bennett's knowing looks at what they thought. Callie decided since they had seen them on the cams all night, she was not going to hide anything. She walked up to Sonny, put her arms around his neck and kissed him in front of the two other Pirates.
"Thank you for a wonderful night, Sonny. If you ever want to repeat it, give me a call." She said as she winked. Bennett sniggered. he had noticed something and that was a give away as to what had really happened in the forrest.
"That clears things up. Right, Corso?" He joked. Corso didn't say anything but the look he sent Sonny spoke volumes.
"You two need to get a life." Sonny said as he followed Callie to bed. Corso and Bennett smiled. They had both noticed the same. No need to ask what had gone on, they already knew.
Once in the bedroom, Sonny carefully undressed and chose his outfit for the next day. Callie smiled.
"Sonny, There's some leaves on your back." she said. Sonny grinned. That explained Corso and Bennetts looks. They had already made them.
"And you know how they got there. Good memories" He said. Callie grinned.
"Of course not, we were never there. It was all just a dream" She answered as Sonny laughed.
"Okay, it's late, and you have work tomorrow. Time to get to bed" He stated. Callie grinned.
"Actually, my boss told me I could be late. He sort of told me I needed to go out and have fun." She answered. Sonny laughed.
"I'm starting to wonder if your boss spoke to Corso and my men too. This is starting to feel like a conspiracy against us." Sonny said, but Callie could tell he found it amusing. Callie grinned as she leaned over to kiss him again.
"Don't think too much about it. If you don't feel like sleeping, I got a suggestion that may help." She winked at him. Sonny smiled.
"What did you have in mind?" He asked. Callie whispered it to him. Sonny grinned as he pulled the covers over both of them.
"I think that is a very good idea." He said. Callie smiled as she wrapped her arms around Sonny's neck, and pulled the covers around them.
A/N: Ending this one on a positive note, I wanted to try this kind of chapter for a while.
Some may disagree and say Corso would not encourage such behaviour on Sonny's side, but in this fic I explore if he went this way. To me, it seemed to work out just fine.
As for the pairing of Sonny and Callie, I have felt for a long time, if there would be anyone in the show that could match Sonny and be a potential partner, it was Callie.
As for the reason for Corso's overprotective nature, that is a well-known fact already. I decided to give my take on what could be a possible reason for this close bond.
I'm planning a chapter on Corso's, Bennett's and Artie's background as well, to get to know how they all joined the Pirates, and what they bring into the mix.
Hopefully, my readers are enjoying this.
Is there something else anyone would like me to address in this fic? It will be Pirates centered.
I can also reveal I'm planning characters down the line. This is just the first of several Pirates chronicles. This will take us deep into the real villains within Technoid and how they came to this power. Someone will soon start sweating once they realize Sonny and his men are on to them.
I also have something special planned for Callie Mystic down the line.
If you like what you've read so far, feel free to drop a review.
As always, big shoutout and thanks to Paranoidgirl, who has beta read this fic, having her to exchange ideas with is very helpful to my writing.