Chapter 32
Martian Consulate
Washington DC
They made it as far as the Consulate before Spencer thought to turn his phone back on. "Where have you been?!" Penelope screeched.
"Talking to Mom." Spencer replied. "I'm sorry, I needed to focus for a bit."
"We thought you could be dead again! Hotch was concerned, which you know is as good as freaking out."
Sin pulled the phone closer. "Got the dead part covered." He said. He tugged Spencer on to the property. "Called in a favor. Don't think the Bureau is going to like it though."
"Hotch and Emily are on their way there." Penelope said.
Sin stopped a moment. "Uh oh."
A moment later a car pulled up to the curb, "Where the hell have you been?" Emily asked as she and Hotch got out of the car.
"I had to go talk to my…"
Spencer did not get to finish his thought. Two Mrr'tani warriors stepped out of the bushes that lined the property. One got in behind Hotch and Emily, the other stepped between them and Spencer. "Who are you?" The one between them asked, not bothering to hide his fangs. Or his rifle.
"No, it's okay guys." Sin stepped up. He introduced Hotch and Emily first. "These are Sure Foot and Mighty Leap. We served together, Battle of Baku. Glad you guys could make it."
"Wished to see new planet." Mighty Leap said.
"Keeper said to guard new Noble until he comes into powers." Sure Foot said. "Storm Caller say he has hunters."
"Yeah, we'll talk about it once we're inside." Sin looked at Hotch and Emily. "Come brief the security team?"
"Come into powers?" Emily asked.
"I'll explain later." Spencer replied. He said something in Arabic that had her nodding.
As soon as they were inside Cass accosted Sin. "Dude! Tonight! Fur orgy!"
"Yeah, no." Sin replied. "Next time. I'm trying to bond here."
"I don't think I want any of that translated." Spencer said.
They got translator dots for Hotch and Emily and then the whole staff gathered in the briefing room. More had come down now, it wasn't just Lira and Essa, Cass and Nar. They had eight other Q working there in one capacity or another and now nine Mrr'tani as a security staff. They collectively listened intently, asked some good questions, took notes, and were generally willing to work with the FBI on keeping Spencer safe. "Are you sure they can handle it?" Emily asked. "I mean, I know the Mrr'tani can, but…"
"Everyone else here has combat training and experience, except Essa." Sin replied. Don't worry, when he's not with the team we'll take good care of him."
"Hotch, you left some tuff out of that briefing." Spencer said. "I don't know what but I know your briefing style, there were holes in your narrative."
"That's still classified." Hotch replied. "If it becomes need to know…"
"Understood. Can we put security on my Mom? I don't think Mrr'tani guards would go well in senior housing."
"Of course."
"The bad news is your apartment is a crime scene." Emily said. "You're going to be out of it for a while. WeI packed a few things."
"Thank you."
While a couple of the Mrr'tani went down with Emily and Hotch to bring in the boxes Sin waved Essa and Lira over. "Lady Garon told him everything." He said.
"Oh." Essa said. He turned to Spencer with a smiled. "Good. Talk later?"
Later was better than now. Much better than now. "Please."
"All right, Where am I sleeping?"
"Third floor."
"Thanks."
Third floor, Back of the house. A very nice small bedroom suite. Bathroom, sitting area, bookshelves, built-in desk. Big bed. "Where do you sleep?" Spencer asked.
Sin pointed down the hall. "Next door."
"Oh that works."
"Yeah."
Spencer went down to help carry things up. The first thing Hotch handed him was a familiar wicker basket. "I saw the name on the top envelope." He said.
Spencer smiled at that. His letters from Maeve. "Thank you." At least she was moving with him
He thought she'd be fascinated by all this.
And she would want him to find love.
As soon as Spencer stepped out of the bedroom upstairs Cass and Nar stepped in. "So has he got the local religion or what?" Cass asked as they started pulling everything out of the drawers and closet.
"Not a clue." Sin replied. He'd never moved out of anywhere so fast before. "I just hope it doesn't last. Thanks for the place to sleep."
"Not a problem." Cass replied. "Essa's in with Lira tonight, and we're down in the fur pile. You'll have the bed to yourself."
Sin rolled his eyes. "Great."
"What did Spencer say in Arabic?" Hotch asked when they had a moment alone.
"He said it was better discussed in a SCIF." Emily replied.
The older man considered this a moment, "I hate loose ends." He said.
"What wasn't in your briefing?" She replied.
"Good point."
Hotch and Emily did not stay for dinner. Spencer, of course, did. The Mrr'tani and Q cooked side-by-side, and made what turned out to be an enormous buffet. They put some exotic music on the house speakers, people changed into civilian clothes, and a case of apple cider was opened. It slowly morphed into a party. They told all kinds of stories that Spencer would never have believed if a third of the group did not have fur and tails and a few that were hard to believe even then It was like living in a sci-fi movie.
Then he showed them how to put the rinse agent in the dishwasher and set up the coffee pot that had been sitting in the box because they had a drink replicator. A very practical sci-fi movie.
But eventually the discussion could not be avoided any longer. He found himself sitting in a lounge chair next to a little creek style fountain in one of the courtyards, on his third bottle of cider, looking up at the sky. "That's Mars." He said, tipping his bottle to the light in the sky.
"We've always said that Quadris was home, even if we've never been there." Essa replied. "Not going to be too much longer before that is. We'll be Martians." He took another sip of his cider. "That's weird."
Spencer was quiet a long moment. "Mom told me what has to happen."
"So Sin said."
"Can we do this any other way?"
"Possibly. I can tell you right now you wouldn't enjoy it. Why, though? I mean, we like to say pleasure is our birthright."
"And love is our destiny?"
"Well, yes. So why?"
Spencer took a long pull on his cider. "I'm too human to be a Martian. I always believed that should wait for love. Romantic love, Partnership love."
Essa chuckled. "But you want your powers now."
"I admit, I'm curious. I mean, super powers. Who wouldn't be?"
"It's not that easy. There's a lot of responsibility involved. It's not just learning how to use them, it's when. Look at me for example."
"What's your power?"
"Cutting and sealing flesh."
"Hmmm?"
Essa reached over and pulled Spencer's arm across the gam between the chairs, shoving his sleeve up and out of the way. Then he lightly traced a line, hovering just over skin.
Where he traced a cut appeared.
Too fine to even hurt, but the blood welled up and started to drip. Then, as easily as he had cut Essa traced over the line and the cut sealed up as if it had never been. But the blood remained on the patio below. Spencer lifted his arm to look. "How?" He asked.
"I can feel the bond between the cells." Essa replied. "Like a sweater. I can cut the threads and re-knit them." He took a pull on his cider again. "And those gifts are a one-way ticket to medical school, do not spin the board, do not argue with the Crown. Not that I'm complaining, it kept me out of the worst of the war."
"That makes sense. I still want to know what mine are."
"If you want to we will. I'll help. But it doesn't have to be tomorrow. Give yourself some time."
"All right."
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Because I think Oppenheimer and I might have a lot in common.
How are you feeling?
—
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
Better, thank you.
I'm sorry. That must be a very difficult burden to carry.
—
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Thank you.
—
To: SR .mp
From: SReid
For what?
—
To: SReid
From: SR .mp
Being the first one to understand.
