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Ex Multus Familia

Chapter 7

Robin trotted down the apartment stairs and into the bare street. Alec was going to make sure Sidda didn't go anywhere, and Sidda was taking care of Taylor, which meant Robin had a night free of both roommate and baby. She loved both of them, but sometimes it was nice to get away and have time to herself. Even if it meant she had to take Seth along with her.

At night, this place really did look abandoned. There were no street lights or gleaming store fronts to light the street as she got farther away from Oak Street, the home of most of the X series. Transhumans lived the next street over, on Maple Street; the apartments there were bigger, and it was nearer to the command center. Nomalies took up wherever they saw fit, and Robin now knew, thanks to Seth and Dalton's tour, that some of them lived under the city in the tunnel system. A few transgenics were roaming around the city tonight, but most of them had gone to their apartments or were at HQ. The streets were deserted.

Robin sighed. She was heading toward the middle of their small city, where the main entrance to the tunnel system was. Seth was supposed to meet her there. He had wanted to come pick her up at her apartment, but she had promptly told him she was capable of finding her way to Sequoia Street without him. Why did he have to be so…nice?

When Robin had asked Max after lunch if it was okay to go raiding tonight, Max had said there wasn't a thieving party going out tonight and she didn't think it was safe for Sidda to go alone yet. Seth had automatically volunteered to go with her, saying that he wanted to pick up some gas for the generators and what not. Sure he did.

Of course, Max had said it was perfectly fine to go with Seth, and there had been no way to get out of it then. Robin wasn't so sure if it had been the smartest thing to tell Max that Seth was Taylor's father. Now the transgenic leader seemed incredibly determined to make them get together, throwing them into situations where they had to interact.

Speaking of the devil…Seth was already there, waiting for Robin. Robin sighed; why did he have to be so nice? Robin wondered if Sidda was right, if he might actually like Robin. But that was just ridiculous to think about. It was because of Max that Seth kept seeing Robin. It hadn't been Seth's choice.

"So what sort of decorator are you?" Seth asked as she approached. He had an easy grin on his face. Robin had to admit, he really was such a likable guy.

"I don't know," Robin said truthfully, "I'm still in the experimental stage…but I think I like earthy tones and subdued colors. Sidda likes blue, so we definitely have to include that."

Seth chuckled. "Sounds like a major shopping expedition."

"We can pick up anything else Terminal City might need on the way," Robin said defensively, "We were going to steal a truck to haul it all back anyways, weren't we?"

"Yup," Seth replied. He opened the door to the dilapidated building behind him. Like the rest of Terminal City, it seemed like it should have been bulldozed years ago. Robin eyed the building doubtfully. It didn't seem like the location of one of the most-used entryways into the city. But maybe that was the point.

She followed Seth down some creaky wooden steps into a damp basement, the odor of decay strong in her transgenic nose. There was a rusty iron door in one wall with several peeling caution signs taped to it, and several naked light bulbs illuminated the place.

"This place is on the list of projects-to-be-done," Seth said, as if reading her mind. He hauled back on the door; apparently the hinges weren't exactly in working order either.

They entered into the beginnings of the sewer system. Pipes were bare and easy to see, but nothing was obviously sewer-like until they climbed down a level into the true sewer system that ran beneath Seattle. Robin was fervently glad that she'd left Taylor behind with Sidda. She wasn't sure she wanted her young daughter exposed to all the nasty germs that were breeding down there, even if Taylor might be immune to almost everything. Robin just didn't know how much of her and Seth's transgenic immunities had carried over to the baby.

Robin looked at Seth curiously; he was a doctor, after all. He should know. "Seth?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he glanced at her, then looked ahead again, concentrating on their route.

"Do you guys know yet what transfers from adult transgenics to their children? Like immunities and stuff?"

Seth stared at her for a moment, surprised by the question. Then he realized why she must be asking it. "Well, pretty much everything seems to transfer to the babies of two transgenics, so Taylor should be fine," he said absently. Then he blushed, "I mean, unless Taylor…"

Robin decided to spare him; he had been fairly nice to her and Taylor, after all. "You're the father, Seth. I know you know it, but just in case there was any doubt, it's a fact."

"Oh, thanks." Seth's face was even redder.

"And you don't need to feel obligated to take care of us or anything," Robin added quickly. That had been the whole reason she'd avoided telling him Taylor was his in the first place. "Sidda and I take care of her just fine."

Seth hesitated, afraid to say the wrong words. "Robin, I don't mind…no, I want to help take care of Taylor. I'm excited about being a dad." He looked at Robin, trying to gauge her reaction. Her expression was tight, closed off from him; she was waiting for something more.

"I already love Taylor. She's adorable" he said quietly. He stopped and looked at her intently, "And I …I really like you too, Robin. A lot. I did the moment Manticore…" he shook his head, dismissing that reference, "but I want you to give me a chance to show you that, to prove it to you. That's all I'm asking. If you don't feel the same way about me, that's ok. Let's just try."

Robin stood there, stunned. She had felt something for him too when they'd been put together as breeding partners, but she hadn't really known what she was feeling. And then when she found out what it was, she had dismissed it as a natural attraction for her first sexual partner. She had assumed that Seth didn't have the same feelings for her. And now he was saying all along that he had. And that he still did. Robin wasn't sure how to respond; her feelings about him were so mixed-up right now.

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with trying," Robin said slowly, twisting her fingers in her leather jacket, "but I don't really know how trying works." She looked up at him. "How do we go about that?"

Seth grinned, relieved that she was at least giving him a chance. He'd been afraid telling her about how he felt so soon would come on a bit too strong. But he had decided that in order for Robin to allow him closer, he would have to say something.

"I'll take care of most of it," Seth promised, "but for now, let's just hang out. Like this shopping expedition tonight." He gave her an encouraging smile. "It should be fun."

Robin laughed. "Yes, if playing dangerous is fun, then this trip definitely will be."

Seth chuckled as he continued to lead her onwards. "Well, we transgenics must be living the ideal life right now then, getting to face danger every day."

"Of course," Robin murmured, following Seth's lead and ducking her head to avoid a pipe. "With our kind of genes, life without danger is an absolute bore."

"Too true."

Ten minutes later, they emerged into a shadowy alley, the backside to a series of stores. It was a windy day; the roar of the wind through the buildings almost sounded like a distant space shuttle taking off. Not that Robin or Seth had actually heard one live before, but they'd both seen the vids.

"Hmm, good night for thieving," Seth said, sharing a wide smile with Robin. She laughed and spread her arms, exhilarated at the feel of the open air rushing past her. The wildness of it gave her a thrill, making her feel more connected to the greater city than she would've supposed.

"Truck first?" she asked, turning to Seth.

"It'll be faster loading supplies that way," Seth said, nodding, "There's a good place I know of in Sector 6. It's not guarded really well, we should be able to slip the truck out with hardly any problems."

"Excellent," Robin replied.

---------------------------

Seth was right; there wasn't a whole lot of security. Just one guard shack, and the guard seemed to be taking a nap. His feet were propped up on a desk, his head was tilted back, and his mouth was hanging open. He probably didn't expect people to try and rob his junk yard.

"You think there's a workable truck here?" Robin asked Seth doubtfully.

Seth nodded as he led Robin purposefully toward the back of the junk yard. They passed cars with their hoods thrown open, cars without tires, rusty cars, old cars, and a few motorcycles that seemed like they had seen an accident or two.

"I was here a week or so ago looking for some spare parts, and I came across it in the back corner of the lot. The guy who owns the place probably forgot it was even there."

"Mmhmm," Robin said absently. Her attention was fixed on a black and silver street bike a few yards away. The longing on her face was obvious, and Seth turned to see what she was staring at.

He chuckled. "We could grab that too, if you want, and if it works. I don't mind driving the truck."

Robin tore her gaze away from the street bike. "No, it's okay," she said regretfully, "I don't need it right now. I'll come back some other time."

"Sure?" he asked, glancing at it again. It was a nice bike.

"Yes," Robin said, pulling at his sleeve and dragging him past it, "Let's keep going before I change my mind." She knew Sidda would kill her anyways if Robin brought back a bike for herself and didn't bring back one for Sidda. In fact, Sidda would probably steal it. Best to save that trip for when the two of them could go out together.

The truck was an old U-Haul truck, the bright orange fading, the seat cushions flat. But Robin loved it. "Seth, that's perfect!" she said, clapping her hands with pure delight. Though small, its design would make it great for stuffing things into.

Seth grinned. "Thought you'd like it," he said, holding the passenger door open for Robin. Robin was glad he was driving; she had no idea how to manage such a large vehicle. None of her undercover missions had required her to know how.

"So where do you want to go?" Seth asked after he'd climbed into the truck. Robin tapped her fingers on the window beside her, thinking.

"Hmmm…do they have a Pier 1 in town?" she asked, "I loved going to that store…"

Seth chuckled. "This is Seattle; they definitely have one of those. And I actually know where it is because it happens to be next to a hardware store."

"How convenient," Robin murmured, smiling at the mischievous gleam in Seth's eyes. Their truck was definitely going to be packed by the time they got back to Terminal City.

"Will it be hard to get the truck into the city?" she asked Seth as backed out of the space. With all the humans and sector cops patrolling the area, she thought it'd be rather obvious that any large truck heading that way would be carrying supplies to the city. And that sort of vehicle would seem like a good target if she didn't like transgenics.

"Well, it will be," Seth answered truthfully, "And normally I'd get a smaller vehicle, we'd park at a sewer entrance, and then we'd just enlist a few of those lazy bums who hang out at the command center all the time to help carry stuff."

"But?" Robin prompted.

"But I checked with Max before going out, and I told her I was thinking about using this truck. She really wants the truck, so she said to just give her a call when we're on our way back, and she'll send some people out to one of the smaller gates to help us. Hopefully if we get through quickly we can avoid any major trouble."

"Goodness," Robin said, sitting back in the seat as she watched Seth maneuver through the junk yard. "This is turning into quite an operation."

Seth nodded, then messed with the gears as they finally pulled up in front of the chain-link gate to the junk yard. "You'd think they'd learn by now not to use those." He looked at her, a smile flitting across his face. "Hold on."

He pumped on the gas, and Robin laughed as the truck surged forward and right through the gate. "That is way too much fun," she commented, looking out the window to watch as the lights came on in the guard shack. In all likelihood, by the time he got out there, they'd be gone. Poor guy, he probably wouldn't even be able to figure out what had been taken.

Robin sat back. "We're good," she told Seth, grinning at him. She was rather surprised; she'd sort of figured that as the medic type, Seth wouldn't be into random, slightly dangerous activities that weren't exactly necessary. But he seemed to enjoy breaking and entering and then stealing the truck as much as Robin did. Maybe Sidda and Max were right; maybe she should give Seth a chance.

"Hey, look at that," Seth said, nodding toward Robin's window as a red light stopped them. She peered outside; there was a medium-sized, pale pink hotel covered with a few layers of city grime sitting at the street corner.

She laughed as she saw the sign. "Hotel Max? Has Max gone into the real estate business?"

"I didn't think so," Seth said, "Maybe that's where she got her name from." He glanced out the front window at the red light and sighed; the light was taking forever to change.

"Hey Seth…" Robin frowned as she continued to watch the building. She saw several dark figures in the lobby, and they seemed to be upsetting the receptionist. And as she looked closer, she realized she saw several more of the dark figures on the outside of the building, all heading toward a window on the third floor.

"Yeah?"

Robin pointed. "There's something going on there…" she glanced uneasily at Seth, "Should we do something?" She felt bad, just sitting by and watching while a crime was happening when she and Seth could possibly help.

Seth looked out the window again and quickly did a mental calculation. Assuming that there were more of those people closing in on the hotel room from the inside, there had to at least be ten or fifteen people on the operation.

He hesitated; he didn't know if whoever was in that room deserved what was coming to him, but he probably did. Most people who had trained killers after them usually had done some pretty bad things in the course of their lives. And right now, Max was asking all the transgenics to lay low. If he and Robin got involved in a fight and it got media attention, they'd probably be portrayed badly, and Max would kill them if they weren't already dead from having been shot by Ordinaries or Familiars.

The light turned green, and Seth shook his head regretfully. "Better not," he said, pushing the gas, "Max wanted us to try not to attract any unnecessary attention."

Robin nodded; she'd learned from Dalton and Seth on the tour that right now, Terminal City's main focus was on not provoking humans, aiding transgenics, and building up the city and its supplies. They couldn't afford for residents to just go about doing whatever they felt like. Terminal City would never get itself organized and working if there weren't some guiding rules for the people who chose to live there.

A few blocks farther on and they finally turned onto the street where the stores were. They parked outside the rather well-off Pier 1 and surveyed it for a moment; someone was still closing up shop in there, but it looked like the nearby hardware store was deserted. In fact, the street itself was fairly empty of people; there wasn't much going on there at night when all the shops were closed.

"Let's go to the hardware store first," Robin suggested. Doing something would be better than just sitting around, waiting for the Pier 1 to empty out.

"I think they even have a side business of selling fuel here too," Seth said as he picked the lock, "It'd be nice, to manage and get all our shopping done at one stop."

Robin laughed. "Yeah, shopping."

Seth grinned. "Well, until Joshua becomes a more prolific artist…"

"Aren't there other artists in Terminal City?"

Seth nodded. "Artists, writers, scientists… if people would actually hire us, we could make quite a good income. We're pretty much all really good at what we like doing."

"But we're stuck in idleness, because Ordinaries are afraid of us," Robin said.

Seth opened the door a crack and reached up to disable the alarm before opening it the rest of the way, "Yeah, though we're actually working on that. We figured that the government made us for a reason, and probably doesn't really want to give us up. So we're working on bargaining with them, getting certain concessions and payments for services rendered."

"That'd be nice," Robin said, "Even if we're still working for the government like at Manticore, at least we'll have the freedom to choose to work for them."

Seth nodded. "There are a few who are determined not to work for the government ever again, but they don't have to. They can contribute to the rebuilding of Terminal City instead."

They moved into the dark interior of the store and Seth started murmuring to himself, browsing and picking up needed supplies as he saw them. Robin grabbed a basket from next to the register, and he murmured a grateful 'thanks' as he dumped an armload of nails, bolts, and screw into the basket.

They collected a few larger items along with the gas from a back room in the store, then Robin went behind the counter to grab some bags. "This feels so odd," she said, holding one open for Seth, "As if this store just sort of allows nighttime shopping."

"Ha," Seth remarked, "They wouldn't even let people like us shop here in the daytime if they knew who we were."

"Not everyone hates us," Robin said, grabbing a couple bags and following Seth out the door.

"Most people do," Seth said, "And not because they're hateful people or anything. All they know is what the media shows them, and the media likes making things look bad. It sells more."

"Yeah, I've noticed that," Robin said sourly. If she ever met up with a reporter or TV person in a dark alley… well, it just wouldn't be a good day for them. They weren't exactly her favorite people.

They checked the Pier 1 again, and were happy to see that the person closing up had finally left. "Good," Robin said, practically bouncing on her toes from excitement, "I'm going to have so much fun decorating…"

"Does Sidda stay out of the whole process?" Seth asked.

"Nope, she has no choice," Robin said, 'I usually make her paint or hang things."

Seth grinned. "I'm sure she loves you for that."

Robin winked at him. "Of course."