A/N: Sorry I was slow to posting this my amazing co-author had this ready for days. I have just been busy.

Enjoy!

Chapter 23

Adam was relieved of duty at about midnight by Feliss. "You're turn?" He yawned.

"Yes, get some sleep." She said kissing him.

"I will. I love you, Feliss."

"I love you, too."

He was about to leave when he heard his daughter's voice, "Mom, Dad, what are you doing out here?"

"Just watching," Adam said.

"Watching what?" She asked unaware that Vanessa was in the manor.

"Vanessa." Feliss said.

"She's here?" Roslyn asked wide eyed.

"Yes she is."

"Why?"

"Because it's the best place for her." Adam said.

"Are you sure about this, Daddy?"

"Yes, we all are. She is under guard for now." Adam said.

"Which is why we're out here." He added.

"Well okay." She said cautiously.

"Why are you up though?" Feliss asked.

"I could not sleep so I decided to night wonder." She shrugged.

"Are you okay?" Feliss asked.

"I'm just having trouble sleeping."

"Had this just been this night?"

"Well, no, not really."

"Since when then?"

"My little trip back in time." Roslyn admitted.

"Oh," she realized, pulling her into a hug.

"Sorry, you both had so much on your plate; I did not want to add to it."

"You still should have told us. You know we'd do anything for you, Roslyn."

"I know, I know." She said.

"We should have figured though."

"Well, as I say you were so busy."

"Not too much that we couldn't have helped with this."

"Well, I thought there was."

"Well, there isn't and wasn't."

"Okay, I am sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, I should have told you."

"Maybe but you can't change that now."

"Still stupid of me."

"Don't say that."

"It was though." Roslyn said.

"No, you were just being thoughtful."

"Still, I'm sorry."

"We forgive you."

"Okay." She said.

"With the issue though, just try to always remember that things worked out in the end."

"What do you mean?"

"We all ended up happy." Adam said.

"Well, I guess that is true."

"Exactly and now we have you."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"You make us happy." Feliss said.

"Well, I'm glad I could then."

"We are glad you're around, you can always come to us." Adam said.

"I'll try to remember that next time."

"Good. Does that help?" He asked.

"Yeah, it does."

"Good, glad we could."

"Now I should go to bed huh?"

"Yes you should. Goodnight, Roslyn."

"Goodnight." She said hugging them. With that, she headed back to her own room.

"We raised her right." Adam said.

"Yes we did." Feliss smiled.

"Goodnight." Adam said.

"Goodnight, Adam." He sped off.

He didn't really have any trouble sleeping through the night. Soon he was awake and ready to tell the kids the news. He headed out to find them of course starting with the library. A good bet to find anyone in the manor. They were there along with Roslyn who looked pretty well rested. "Guys," Adam said to get their attention.

"Yes, Uncle Adam?" Everyone but Roslyn asked.

"There's some news I have to share."

"Okay, so what is it?"

"You all of course know of Vanessa."

"Yeah?" They asked nervous.

"Well, she's alive and she's here."

"What?!"

"She needs help and all the adults agreed it was best."

"That's dangerous though." Slate said.

"We're taking every precaution. She will be kept under guard and away from any weapons and you guys."

"Well, there's nothing we can do is there?

"No there isn't."

"Well okay, but we do not like it."

"Well, as I said she's going to be kept away from you all."

"Okay, then." Eve sighed.

"That help?"

"A little," She admitted.

"What about the rest of you?"

"I say okay." Slate said. The others agreed as well.

"Good, you all know now. If any of you later decide later that you want to at least meet her we decided it could be allowed as long as both of your parents agree to it and at least one of them is present."

"Got it." They all nodded.

"Then that is it." They nodded and went back to reading.

He decided to go check on Vanessa. He went to find Gretchen now on guard. "Anything happen?" He asked her.

"No, nothing new, she has not left her room."

"Do you know if she's awake yet?"

"I think so."

He went over and knocked gently on the door, "Vanessa."

"Come in." He did finding her sitting on the bed still in her pajamas. "Hey there," she said.

"Hi, how are you feeling?"

"Less tired now."

"Yeah, sleep usually does do that."

"Good." She sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm bored."

"Well, there plenty of things to do here."

"I am not allowed around the kids though."

"They're all in the library."

"So, I can go?"

"Yeah, just stay away from there."

"Okay, so where can I go?"

"There's pretty much everything."

"Can you show me around?"

"Yeah, I'll show you where I can."

"Thank you." She said smiling.

"Let's get you changed first though."

"Right so the clothes floor?" She asked stretching.

"Exactly, come on."

They were there in seconds. "Pick out anything."

"Thanks." She said.

"It's really no problem."

"Well still."

"You're welcome." She dashed through the clothes and Adam waited. She settled on blue jeans with a black short sleeve shirt with a threaded ring on the front and a light purple camisole. "You look good." Adam said.

"Thank you, Adam."

"My pleasure so let's see the rest of the house."

"Right, where to start?"

"Well, I like outside." She said.

"Any particular type of setting or activity outside?"

"No, just generally outside."

"There's an amusement park in the forest."

"There is!?"

"Yes there is, we made it for Roslyn's 12th birthday."

"Impressive." She said.

"Yeah, you want to see it?"

"Of course, I do." She said.

"Follow me then."

He lead her out and too the park. To say she was impressed would be an understatement. "You guys built all this?"

"Me, and Isa, and...well all the adults yeah."

"That's amazing."

"Nah, it's just what we do."

"Well, I knew you guys we good but this."

"It's our best."

"How long did it take?"

"A few weeks." He said.

"Not bad at all."

"A little slow." Adam said.

"Maybe but still, look at it!"

"Yeah, I said it was slow not that I was not proud." Adam said.

"I assume she liked it?"

"She loved it." Adam said proudly.

"Hard to imagine why anyone wouldn't."

"Well, there are selfish rich kids."

"True, but yours clearly aren't like that."

"No, we tried to raise them well."

"Well, I say you succeeded."

"I think so as well."

"Hopefully, it will again." She said with a hand over her stomach.

"The baby will be fine."

"Okay, I trust you."

"Good, you always should."

"I'll remember that." She blushed and looked away from him. "We need to find you someone else." Adam sighed.

"Not likely." She sighed.

"I think we might be able to."

"I am not so sure."

"Well, we'll see then."

"Yes we will."

"You really would though?" She asked.

"Yeah I would."

"Thank you!" She hugged him suddenly. He hesitated but did return it. "Thank you." She said.

"You're welcome."

"Feliss is a lucky girl."

"She likes to think so."

"Well, I agree." Vanessa said.

"I guess you would."

"Of course I would."

"I don't think so though."

"Why not?" Vanessa asked.

"She's the most amazing girl in the world. To this day, I still don't understand how I even come close to deserving her."

"You deserve to be happy." Vanessa said.

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

"I'm nothing compared to her."

"I disagree and so does she."

"It doesn't make any sense though."

"Explain." She said.

"She pretty much perfect even without her powers: her personality, her brains, how she never fails to see the bright side in things even when everything seems hopeless."

"So? You are trustworthy, smart, funny, and have a personality that draws people."

"You're just saying that."

"No, Adam, I really mean it." She said.

"I guess." He sighed. "But I still don't see it."

"Well, you should."

"I've tried to."

"Clearly not hard enough."

"It's hard."

"Well then, talk to me, maybe I can help."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Of course not."

"You are an amazing guy though, Adam."

"Well, I guess you do have some points."

"Yeah, exactly."

"Would seem kind of arrogant though."

"Sometimes you need that."

"How so?"

"A healthy dose of arrogance gives confidence."

"I have some confidence."

"Then use it."

"I do when deserved."

"Well, I think you need it more often."

"It's fine the way it is."

"Says the man who thinks he does not deserve his wife."

"Well, I guess you have a point there."

"Exactly." She said.

"She always says she can never understand how I can be so confident yet so modest."

"Yeah, I can't either."

"It's an oxymoron though."

"It really is." Vanessa sighed. "Yet it describes you perfectly." She added.

"Is that good or bad?"

"It can be either."

"Great, so I am an enigma."

"That is good though."

"It is?"

"I think so."

"Well, maybe." He said.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"Hard to understand myself sometimes."

"I guess that is hard."

"You are in the same boat huh?" He asked.

"Almost all the time."

"How do you deal with it?" He asked.

"You just get used to it."

"Sounds rough."

"It can be, yes."

"Well then, I am sorry." Adam said.

"It's okay, really."

"Okay then rides?" He asked.

"The baby," she said, looking down.

"Right sorry." He said.

"Yeah, if only there was a way."

"Wait! I do have a way. I made it back when Feliss was pregnant with Roslyn."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's a special shirt that's gravitationally altered to keep the baby perfectly safe and stable."

"That would be amazing." She said.

"Then come on. Luckily it's on the clothing floor instead of an inventing room." She was already off.

So he of course blurred after her. She was already going through shirts. "It's this one." He said, getting the shirt.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." She changed and was away again.

He of course went after since she can't be alone. "Sorry I am excited." She said when he got there.

"Understandable, just pushing it."

"Sorry, I will stop."

"Good, thank you."

"So the rides?"

Adam nodded, "You can pick."

"Roller coaster."

"Good choice," He said, and took her there. She boarded and waited. Adam set it to a start timer and got in as well. "Ready?" He asked. She nodded, excitedly. The cart took off upwards,

It made the climb high above then dropped at high speed. It went through many turns, smaller hills, and loopy-loops before stopping back where they started. Vanessa was giggling madly. "You liked it I take it?" Adam chuckled.

"I loved it!"

"I'm glad then."

"Thanks for riding with me."

"You're welcome." He said getting out. She followed and they spent a few hours on rides.

Inevitably though, Isabella came out. She was a little surprised but did recognize the shirt, "You two having fun?"

"Yeah, we are. Is it your shift?" Adam asked.

"Yes it is."

"Okay." He shrugged.

"Any idea when she's supposed to meet with Dr. Baljeet?"

"Not until later."

"Okay,"

"You can go see Feliss; I got this." Isabella said.

"Thanks," he said, and blurred off to find his wife.

"So Isabella hey."

"Hey," Isabella said, very awkward.

"I don't think you and I have had any one-on-one time like ever."

"I don't think so either. Hasn't exactly been on my to do list."

"Well that makes this slightly less awkward."

"A little."

"Sorry for well... a lot of things."

"Well, I guess he's right about that not really being your fault."

"Still, I am sorry."

"That doesn't make it okay." Isabella stated.

"I know." She said looking down.

"So... you want to stay at the park?"

"No, I think I'm done."

"Okay, where then?"

"Is the library open?"

"Well, the kids might still be there but it's spread through all the floors so as long as we keep you on a different level..."

"Thank you I need a good book."

"That is pretty much everyone's favorite room."

"I can't wait to see it."

"Then follow me." Vanessa nodded getting to Isabella. "So... you were really on the Table?"

"Yeah, I really was."

"His own daughter." She muttered, glaring at the ground.

"Not father of the year."

"That's an understatement." Isabella said, thinking about how she could never even think about doing ANYTHING to hurt Slate MUCH less torture him.

"He was a bad man."

"Even worse than I thought."

"Hard to believe huh?"

"Very, that really is saying something."

"I can imagine."

"I'm really sorry you had to go through that."

"It's not like you caused it. It was so long ago anyways."

"Yeah, but to his own child."

"The Normbots were quickly proving too easy for you guys to beat so he wanted to make me into a weapon, a mindless, obedient weapon. It worked."

"Well, that is just sick. Can't blame you for giving in."

"Really?"

"Really, I am still shocked to this day, that Adam and Feliss did not."

"They had you guys and each other. Something worth fighting for."

"Feliss did not, back then."

"True, I don't know though."

"What do you mean?"

"How she never gave in. She did at least have Tempest, though."

"Yeah, that woman is a bit odd though."

"Yes she is… wait… how do you know her?"

"Oh, she lives here now, too."

"Oh… well, despite being odd they had both really cared about each other. They were best friends."

"Yeah, that probably helped."

Vanessa nodded, "Besides that short while in Miami I never really had anyone."

"That is terrible."

"It was yes."

"Well, things change."

"Hopefully that's right in this case."

"I'm sure it is."

"You seem confident."

"I am."

"What makes you guys so sure?"

"We are going to help you."

"Well, thank you for that."

"No problem."

"No one else would have ever done that."

"We are not others."

"That's always been clear."

"So, why compare us to them?"

"I guess that's true."

"Good."

"Why do you care though?"

"Should we not?"

"It's just unexpected."

"Well, we have mastered the unexpected."

"This is a different kind though."

"Not to us."

"How not?"

"You ended up needing help, we help people."

"Even people like me?"

"Yes, even people like you. We don't like blood on our hands so if there's another way to prevent it from going farther we're all for it."

"Then you are great."

"It's just who we are." She smiled at that, these were great people. "Here we are." Isabella said stopping at the door.

Vanessa was excited for this. Isabella pushed it open into… well… you know the library quite well. "This is enormous!"

"Yes it really is. It has pretty much every book and periodical but the Twilight series."

"You guys hate that series?"

"Everyone does."

"Not everyone."

"Why? Do you like it?"

"No, I tried to read it once or twice...it was painfully slow."

"Exactly."

"Well, when you put it that way."

"So why would we keep them?"

"Just to say you own every book."

"That's just bragging for the sake of bragging."

"So? It's good bragging that no one else can claim."

"I guess that's true."

"Just food for thought."

"I'll keep it in mind."

"So, am I free to look?"

"Just a second," Isabella said, and checked over the edge. At the moment the library was empty for once. "Yes you can. Anywhere in the collection."

"Thank you!" She said.

"It's no problem really."

"Books were my escape."

"They are good at that."

"Yeah they really are," She said selecting a few.

"Well, it's good you at least had that."

"It was really all I had."

"I know." Isabella sighed.

"Sorry, I am getting down again."

"It's okay."

"I just I have never talked to anyone about it."

"Well, I'm here if you want to."

"Y...you are."

"Yes I am."

"Well, thank you."

"You're welcome. It's no problem really."

"I do not want to burden you."

"You wouldn't be."

"You have already done so much though."

"I've done more." Isabella shrugged.

"You have?"

"Yeah, like I said, we help people."

"Wow, is there anything you do not do?"

"Not really."

"Incredible."

"We were good at that even before getting involved with Firestorm and the OWCA."

"You and Adam are rare in humanity."

"Both unfortunately and fortunately, that is true."

"You should be proud."

"I never said I wasn't."

"I know."

"Well, I am."

"There are so many choices."

"You are talking about the books again now or what?"

"Yeah, the books."

"Well, yes there really is."

"Is there a limit to what I can take?"

"Nope."

"I wish I had a shopping cart."

"I think we have something way better."

"Really?"

"Really. It's an unlimited storage cube. You can store as much as you want of anything without weighing you down and get it at the push of a button."

"That's impressive."

"Yeah, Phineas was extremely serious about getting it done."

"How serious?"

"He literally wouldn't do anything but work on it and only really even talk to anyone if they were helping him."

"Wow, that's a little creepy."

"It was awful." Isabella sighed. "Then when Adam I tried to confront him on it he ended up breaking up with me."

"Wow! That must have been rough."

"You have no idea. I was the definition of a mess."

"Who helped you?"

"Felicity, she was the only one I'd let anywhere near."

"Not even Adam?"

"Not even Adam."

"Wow, why not?"

"I'm not sure really I obviously wasn't thinking very clearly."

"Makes sense."

"I did find out that you hit me with a dart with enough of the chemicals from it though."

"I did, sorry."

"Well, over a million times better than the other way." Isabella shrugged. "I didn't really even notice."

"What made you notice?"

"When I finally came out of my room and Adam asked about it. Having heard of the state of my room and concluded that it should have been impossible."

"What did you do to that poor room?"

"You don't want to know."

"That bad huh?"

"Extremely."

"Well, at least you found someone else."

"Yeah, and now I'm almost glad things worked out that way. I'm very happy with Connor he's happy with Katie."

"Wait, he married Katie?"

"Oh yeah, that was a shocker for us too when they started dating."

"I'll bet it was."

"But as I said, they are very happy so it doesn't really matter."

"Yeah, gives me hope."

"Right, you don't have anyone do you?"

"No, I don't. Adam said he'd try to fix that though." Vanessa added.

"Then it's a good bet your safe."

"I hope so. My whole life Adam had been the only person I've ever dated."

"Ever?"

"Ever, my father always used to either banish or kill any boy who showed interest in me. That's actually the real reason you guys were targeted the first time."

Isabella froze and turned to her. "Wait, what!?"

"I really wish I was kidding." Vanessa sighed.

"He attacked us because of Adam?"

"Yeah, it was really him he was after."

"B...but that's so bad."

"I know that."

"You...and he..." She stammered.

"It's incredibly complicated."

"Yeah, it sounds like."

"I should have known that would have happened." Vanessa sighed.

"You just wanted to be happy."

"I still should have known better than that."

"You deserve to be happy too."

"I guess. While I was with him was the only time I was ever really happy."

"See, that's all you wanted."

"It was stupid of me though."

"To want to be happy?"

"To act on it when I knew what would happen."

"You just wanted things to be okay for you for once."

"Sounds selfish."

"Not really,"

"Why not?"

"Once in a while everyone needs to think of themselves."

"Not at that cost."

"It was not your fault."

"If I had just stayed away from him he and all of you guys would have been safe."

"We had still helped bring him down."

"You can't possibly be defending this, Isabella."

"I am defending you wanting to be happy."

"Well… I guess." Vanessa sighed. "Plus that was pretty much right after I had escaped the Table."

"When you met Adam you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Then it must have been doubly hard to go back, I have a question though."

"Ask away."

"Why didn't you just tell Adam after he killed your father?"

"I was just, I was scared that by knowing who I really was and what caused all that he would hate me."

"Well, he probably wouldn't have but I can see why you would think that."

"I wish I had known that back then," She said.

"I'd say back then you would have stood a good chance at getting back with him. With everything with Katie being such a mess and having not even met Feliss yet."

"Not helping." Vanessa said.

"Sorry, I'll just shut up now." Isabella said getting her the cube.

"You do not have to it's just depressing."

"Well, I didn't mean it to be." Isabella said handing her the cube.

"I know, but I hate that I missed the opportunity to be with him again."

"Yeah, that must not be good."

"No it's not."

"Most people would have thought that though in your situation."

"I don't think so."

"Well, I do."

"The chemicals mess with your mind for a while, Isabella."

"I know that."

"So then no I don't think most would have thought that."

"I still disagree."

"Why?"

"If you had any idea how often a completely normal girl would miss a blatant opportunity with a boy she likes…"

"You sound experienced."

"Well, I am."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Besides, it was a long time ago."

"Yeah, still though."

"Things worked out though."

"Lucky you."

"They will for you, too."

"Maybe." She said.

"I'm sure it will."

"Well, I guess we will have to wait and see. I can go to my room now."

"Alright." Isabella nodded and they headed there.

"Thank you, Isabella."

"You're welcome, Vanessa."

"I'll be in here reading if anyone needs me."

"I still can't leave you alone though."

"I know that."

"That's fine though."

"Thanks, I will let you know if something changes."

"Got it." Vanessa nodded and closed her room door.

A/N: Please leave a review if you like and see you next chapter! Thanks for reading!