Chapter 63

Let's Go

To Miami

Part 2

Disclaimer: Time for more! Some changes are included.

After a short stretch of shocked silence, Rita finally found her voice. "I'm afraid that's not possible because Perry died not long after I gave birth to him. Now, please leave!" She told Lance coldly and attempted to close the door.

But Lance was quick to keep it from happening. "Wait, please! I have proof in this folder! I promise you this is not some sick joke." He told her imploringly while showing her the folder.

Rita stared at him and the folder before hesitantly grabbing it and looking at what's inside, making her eyes widen as she absent mindedly moved away from the door. Lance wisely stayed where he was at the front door since he and Betsy weren't invited in just yet. But it did still allow for the two to meet young Cody after he came out of his room for a snack. "Whoa, you're Superheroes!" Cried out the boy and catching Lance more than Betsy off guard while Rita paid the interaction little attention thanks to where her focus was at at the moment.

"Uhh, wow, I've never been called that before. Thanks, kid." Genuinely replied Lance while still feeling shocked at being called a Superhero of all things.

Sure, get called a Hero but a Superhero? Was kind of on a different level in his mind! "Many thanks for the compliment." Added in Betsy with a smile.

"I… This, this is impossible. The Doctors and my mother both told me you died from complications a few hours after you were born." Declared Rita with glistening eyes as she looked from the folder to where Lance, Betsy, and Cody were.

Preventing more from being said between the trio. "But… I guess maybe part of me shouldn't be surprised where my mother is concerned… She's never been all that approving of my choices over the years." She said somewhat bitterly as she recalled those instances.

And getting married to John while they were still teenagers was among the number of disapproving instances by her mother. But even with the proof in the folder and the emotional fall out, Rita was going to need some time to deal with this and even said as much as she came up to the trio. "I understand. I know better than to expect instant acceptance and given the circumstances, only an idiot would think that would happen." Lance told her without any bitterness in his voice.

As the woman in front of him had long believed him dead for years after all and he couldn't begrudge her the time needed to deal with it. He handed her a small card with his number and the hotel he and Betsy are staying at. "I'll uhh, I'll be at this hotel until you feel ready to come and see me." Figuring that asking for Xi to show up would be a little much at this point.

Perhaps even a little unbelievable since he figured his biological mother would need more than Xi's DNA skills as proof of everything. Rita gave him a small nod and the two made their leave, making for Cody to wonder what was going on. "The nice man just needed to tell me something is all and I need to think on it for a bit is all, sweetheart."

"But he's not just a nice man, mom! Both of them are Superheroes! Avalanche and Psylocke!" Gushed Cody.

Causing his mom to look at him. "What do you mean by that?" She wondered.

Not really knowing a lot that went on in Miami and even outside of it for one reason or another unless it directly impacted her or someone she was close with like Dexter. "Well, They are members of GI Joe as part of their Misfits team of Mutants! They helped fight Cobra when they tried to invade Illinois! There's even a rumor Avalanche faced the Hulk!"

"Oh. I see."

I think I'm definitely gonna need the time to get my head around all this.

And do some research it seems…

A Week Later

A few days later would see Rita approach Lance after taking the time she needed to deal with everything before moving forward. Plus a talk or two with Dexter as well even if he was out of his depth but still supportive regardless in his own way. Lance was surprised and cautious but happy to see her after she showed up at his and Betsy's hotel room but was all too willing to go along with what she wanted by doing a DNA test just to have further proof with the beautiful Betsy providing her support all through out. Doing this would take an additional two days where the results were concerned as that took some time even though he could've reached out to Xi. But again, Lance figured that would've been too much for Rita to deal with. And once she got the results sent to her, Rita immediately headed over to the hotel room the couple are in. "Well, this is it." She murmured as she held the sealed envelope in her hands.

Both of them being highly nervous and you think Lance wouldn't be given all he'd been through over the years but yet he was as Betsy held on to his hand and sent him Telepathic reassurances. Cautiously, Rita carefully opened the envelope and took out the results from within and when she read it, she began to tear up and then wrapped Lance up in a hug. "Oh, my baby boy!" Cried the mother and Lance couldn't help but get emotional himself.

Feeling like a piece of himself was finally regained after years of not having it as Betsy looked on with tears of her own in her eyes. "I still can't believe my real name's Perry." He mumbled as he cried himself in the emotional hug.

His words causing her to laugh. A little bit later would see Lance and Betsy coming with his mother to her house where his Siblings and Dexter were waiting for them. Now what neither of them knew is that Dexter had done a little research of his own the past few days on Lance to make sure he wasn't a threat to Rita and the kids after his girlfriend had told him of what was going on. And like with her brother, Astor had a good idea of who Lance is thanks to being aware of what was going on in the world unlike their mother. "Everyone, I, I have an announcement to make." Began Rita with a wide smile on her lips.

Though inside, part of her was seething where her mother was concerned and wondered if John had been aware of what she had done where making her believe her little baby had died from complications. Even wanting to threaten a lawsuit as well on the Hospital for their own involvement of that whole thing. "What's up, mom?" Wondered Cody curiously.

"Well… A long time ago I had another baby before the two of you and I thought he was lost. But I recently found out that wasn't the case."

"Is that why Mr. Avalanche and Ms. Psylocke are here?" The young boy wondered ever curiously as Astor started to narrow her eyes in a suspicious matter.

Lance chuckled. "Whoa, buddy, 'Mr.' does not describe me at all. Shipwr-No, not him either. Now General Hawk, yeah, that fits." He said and Betsy chuckled some herself in amusement.

"You're the baby mom thought she lost, aren't you?" Astor asked, cutting through everything.

Rita would've reprimanded her but Lance spoke up before she could as Dexter and Betsy both watched on quietly, and in Dexter's case, wondering how, if it all, this would impact him any. Especially given the Military status of the two and trying NOT to think too much about certain things given one of the two is a Telepath and all. "I am, how do you feel about that?"

"COOL!"

Astor said nothing and walked off for her and Cody's room, ignoring her mother entirely to come back. "Its okay, she's clearly gonna need some time to get used to me."

Lord knows he'd need the time himself in a situation like this. Cody however, was just ecstatic about having such an awesomely cool big brother! "Nice to finally meet you, Lance." Dexter told him as he came up to the two boys as Rita and Betsy both watched on with a smile on their lips.

Deciding to leave Astor be for now until she cooled off. "You too, Mr. Morgan."

A little later would see him make a call to Hawk at the Joe Base with a request for some more time off and getting a whole month much to his surprise with Betsy getting the same. But both would take it as it would allow him plenty of time to get to really know his mom, his siblings, Dexter, and the others in their lives. Debra, Dexter's sister, as the happy couple would find out, had a pretty foul mouth and Astor would slowly get used to him being around. By the end of the month, Lance would end up making a decision to buy a Loft in the Miami area he could stay in whenever he visited after a discussion with his mom and Betsy over it despite his mother's insistence he could just stay with them when visiting, and a similar discussion had been had with Spirit, Hawk, Roadblock, Cover Girl, the Blind Master, Low Light, and Shipwreck. Around this time would also be when Lance had finally graduated from his College courses in Auto Mechanics and Engineering as well.

In addition to this, he and the rest of the original Misfits had officially graduated from 'Joe High' as well with Todd, Althea, and Xi soon set to begin more advanced training in Japan as well in order to become full fledged members of the Arashikage. Though Lance would begin to consider perhaps leaving the team altogether to be around his new found family more often.

Author's Notes: And that's that, for this chapter, folks! Next chapter we go back to the present where things are about to get wild thanks to Cobra!