CH23
It is now one month later and is late March:
Amanda is due to arrive tomorrow for her next visit. All of Rick's and Kate's naked guests in various places had been given another week's worth of MREs and some bottled water. They could stretch this out to two weeks if they were careful. And if they didn't, well Rick wasn't going to lose any sleep over it.
Michael Thornton had been strangely quiet. He had not made any phone calls to his brothers at the NSA or any to his son. Even phone calls between Ray and Debbie Bennett had been far and few between. Though to be honest both were still working with physical therapy to recover from Jim and Natalie's visit. According to Lucile, Ray's father was footing the bill for the two of them.
Alexis was doing wonders at the zoo. The staff was more than pleased with her. Her past experience as an administrator at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio is helping them out tremendously at a fraction of the cost and is making everyone very happy. Alexis resisting attempts at getting a raise and a new assignment. She wanted to stay with the elephants. Mostly because she and the elephants had become attached at the hip so to speak.
Jenn was going back to work in a week since this would be the end of her maternity leave. Rick had already offered to be the babysitter, which got him a surprise gift that night in bed. It would spare Don and Jenn the cost of daycare. They would be free to spend that money elsewhere.
L still had roughly another 4 weeks of maternity leave and then she would be back at work. Rick was going to have his hands full with 2 boys in first grade, 2 babies, one pregnant wife who was now three months along and beginning to show her baby bump. His only primary worry was finding the time to write. He didn't bat an eyelash about everything else.
It was eight months until the first prototype of the XF-400 fighter and the XB-100 bomber would be complete and ready for testing. In about a month, maybe two, the second prototype would be ready. After 6 months of testing they would go into production. About a year later, maybe a little longer and they would have their first flight wing of the two types.
Also in about eight months, construction would be complete on the first early warning satellite. About two months later it would be sitting on a rocket to get it into orbit.
At Lucile's request, Don, Natalie, Tom and Don (along with the girls) had been invited over to the Crystal house. Lucile had said she had something she wanted to show them and get some help on. Lucile was the first to admit that while she may be smart, she seemed to lack being able to see 'outside the box,' so to speak. Kate's idea about the problem is that Lucile is having a problem with real time communication from the satellites, for example.
This was going to be a very busy house. Kate really hoped that having the entire family here at the same time as Amanda did not overload the poor girl. All of them had had years to adjust to such a big get up and go family. Amanda had grown up basically all alone. She was afraid this would overload her.
Neither Kate nor the boys are in class today so they are all home when Rick and Alexis come back from the airport with Amanda. Guinness and Maggie go nuts and do their best to get petted. Kate wraps her arms around Amanda and kisses her cheek. "You are going to get everyone today. So if at any time you feel overloaded just say so and go down to the bedroom. No one will be offended." Kate tells her.
"I should be fine. It is kind of nice to have such a big group. I think I can handle it for a couple of days." Amanda tries to put on a brave front.
"Well just the same, you let us know when you've had enough." Kate assures her.
They were all eating lunch when Jim and Natalie showed up. "Jim, Natalie, this is Amanda. She's Alexis' friend she met on her trip. Amanda, this is Jim and Natalie. They are Don and Tom's parents who are married to our daughters Jenn and L." Kate makes introductions.
Natalie moves and gives Amanda a hug. "The girls have been talking about you since your last visit. It's good to meet you. You let us know if we get too rowdy for you. We are going to be a big bunch today."
Jim simply says hi and shakes her hand, trying not to give her too much to take in at once.
Suddenly Guinness and Maggie go nuts, heading for the front door where they are met at the top of the stairs by Caesar and Zoe. The four dogs are off chasing each other. They are soon followed by Don, Jenn with Alex, and Tom, L and Allie. And still more introductions are made.
Soon the boys come up, having seen the dogs down on the basketball court chasing each other. That means their sisters at least where here.
"Lunch will be in about an hour. That'll give Amanda time to unpack and take a shower if she wants." Rick tells everyone.
"Boys," Kate calls out to them.
"We'll watch him mom," they promise and draw an X on their chest. This gets a laugh from Amanda who finds it funny that a grown man is being watched by two kids instead of the other way around. But she heads for the bedroom anyway.
Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Larb Gai)
1/4 cup jasmine rice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken (both white and dark meat)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, sliced
One 1-inch piece galangal, peeled and finely grated
1 stalk lemongrass, green top discarded and lower pale yellow stalk finely minced
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 to 4 Thai bird chiles, minced
Suggested accompaniments: Butter lettuce leaves, red or green cabbage leaves, halved and thinly sliced English cucumbers, bean sprouts, sticky rice and lime wedges
Alexis goes with Amanda with the intention of taking a shower with her.
Meanwhile upstairs, Lucile shows herself since Amanda is gone and will be busy for at least an hour.
"I need to tell you all something, just not sure how to do it." Lucile sounds unsure of herself which is a first.
"Does this have anything to do with why you asked us all to come?" Natalie asks.
"No it doesn't. This is something I only just noticed. I did not do this last time since I thought it was a little rude. Even if she wouldn't notice." Lucile tries to explain.
"Who wouldn't notice? Amanda?" Kate is only guessing and a little shocked.
"I debated if I should do it this time even. But since she is going to be coming at least once a month for a little while still I thought it best to get it over with this time." Lucile again tries to explain. Lucile sounds embarrassed if that was even possible.
"What did you do Lucile?" Kate asks.
"I ran a scan on Amanda." Lucile actually kind of cringes at the response she thinks she is going to get.
"You're being protective of us. You're family. I can understand that. Not sure why you would think we would be mad." Kate assures her.
"Well it's not so much what I did but what I found." Lucile is still looking like she is in trouble.
"Is she sick? Pregnant? A Cylon? Has cancer? What?" Jenn is now interested, getting a smile from Rick at his daughter's theories.
"No it's none of those. Without hooking her up I can only monitor basics like heart beat or blood pressure. Little stuff." Lucile is still not answering the question.
Natalie has had enough. "Oh for heaven's sake, just tell us already."
"Amanda is wearing a bracer, just like the ones you are all wearing." Lucile finally spills the beans.
Everyone in the room stops breathing and drops their mouth to the floor. You couldn't hear a thing except for the wooden spoon the Rick drops on the kitchen floor. And they all turn to face the stairs that leads to the guest master suite where she is likely in the shower by now.
The women are trying mightily to get a word out but their mouths just open and close like a fish with no sound coming out. They guys just continue to stand there, slack jawed.
Finally Kate manages something. "Is she, … Is she, …. I mean did she come from, …."
"Come from Richard's planet on board the Evergreen?" Lucile guesses the question. Kate just nods.
"Without a more in depth scan and analysis, there is no way to tell. However it is just as likely that she is local and has undergone testing with the addition of nanites." Lucile answers.
"Well that might help explain why she is so shy and reserved around us." L offers up.
"Maybe, but she got involved with our sister pretty easily." Jenn counters.
"Well maybe sis didn't tell her about all of us before she went on that trip. And now she is in deep enough and not sure if she should or how to get back out without hurting Alexis?" L offers up again. She's not really sure.
"Okay, so we know but she doesn't. How do we approach her about it without scaring her?" Natalie is now involved.
"Deactivate the chameleon circuitry perhaps? Jim offers up. "That way she sees them and knows."
"We don't have one." James tells them.
"When she comes back we could all be speaking Eltaran. I think everyone including our brothers know it. Or at least enough to get by." L offers up. "Even if some of us are a little rusty." Meaning herself.
Everyone seems to agree to this one. "Lucile can you warn us once she starts coming up the stairs so we can switch from English to Eltaran?" Kate asks. Giving a nod, Lucile stays to talk with everyone.
"I wonder how long she has known? I can understand not telling us. I mean we didn't tell her for the same reason." Jenn wonders. "I wonder if sis knows?"
"If she doesn't this is going to be a shock." L answers. "I hope it doesn't change how she feels about her. Amanda seems good for her."
"Yea, it almost feels like I have my daughter back after what Ray did to her." Kate mentions.
"I almost wish you had pictures of what you did to Ray dad." L directs it towards Jim.
Jim just shakes his head. "It would be evidence against me and I couldn't have that. My wife would kill me."
"Damn straight!" Natalie tells him, getting a laugh from Jenn and L.
"You said her parents died in a car accident. I wonder who they were?" Tom questions softly.
"Lucile?" Kate asks.
"Processing, …. Amanda-Jeanne Labrosse. I have no parents with that name in Montreal. I'm expanding the parameters of the search. …. Nothing." Lucile tells them.
"Could she have changed her name after the accident?" Natalie wonders.
"Processing, ….. I have a Jessica Labrosse that married a Yannick Bisson. They had one daughter Amanda-Jeanne Bisson. Both parents died in a car crash when a semi-truck struck the side of their car. Both occupants died immediately on impact.
Jessica and Yannick Bisson built the 'Star Gen' company and it was passed down to their daughter. However she promptly sold the rights when she turned 21 to 'Laser Tech Enterprises'."
"That's the company that makes the Pulse Laser that was standard on the 'B' version fighter that Tom and Don were flying." Jim provides.
"The company was failing at the time of the sale. With the launch of the new fighter and bomber, Laser Tech is also starting to falter. Amanda made very little money off of the sale. It was enough, however, to get her a nice apartment in Montreal and help her get into veterinarian medical school where she graduated in the top 10% of her class.
She soon obtained a job at Granby Zoo where she is one of the assistant veterinarians. A scan of her records indicate that she is well liked by her superiors and may receive a promotion soon." Lucile provides.
"How long ago did her parents die?" Kate asks Lucile.
"Jessica and Yannick died 32 years and 2 months ago. She is officially 41 years and 8 months old." Lucile provides.
"That sounds nice. Sis is what, 45 years old officially?" Jenn comments. "That makes both of them look like they are what, 24 – 26 years old?"
"Do you know why her parents were selected?" Natalie asks.
"Those records are not available from the Evergreen. They are closely held by 'The Silence.'" Lucile is forced to tell them.
"We need to find a way to get her to stay mom. She's been on her own for far too long. If she stays with sis she'll have us now. She really needs a family and friends. You know what she is thinking mom." L wants to help and get everyone else to join her.
"We can't force her to do anything. It took Rick and Alexis months of trying to help me. I hope Alexis is up to the task to do it again, with all our help this time." Kate counters.
"If sis can reach you, she can reach Amanda. And she's not alone in this." Jenn agrees.
"Amanda and Alexis are starting for the stairs." Lucile informs them.
"Nae-saian-luume. Manke-naa-lye-omentien, Amin-n'rangwa-edanea." Kate starts as soon as Amanda clears the top of the stairs.
"Arwen-en-amin, Ireth-Elensar." L responds.
"Den'shrai, Kaldar-maaren, Nesh'tirai, Tanaii-ka." Natalie directs to Kate to add her 2 cents.
Everyone turns their head to look at Amanda when she shrieks and sucks in her breath. She is holding her hands over her mouth.
Amanda turns to look at Alexis and her face seems to say, "Explain please?"
Alexis is shocked at first but the words used have given her a hint of what to say. She places her hand on her chest. "Ann-thanath-Coranar." Meaning "My real name is."
The emotion of the moment is beginning to overcome Amanda as tears are forming in her eyes and starting to flow freely.
Kate steps over to her briskly and wraps her arms around her. She can feel Amanda collapse in her arms.