Hello! This is a blooming romance between Six/Rex. I do not own Generator Rex MOA does. If I DID own Generator Rex, it would go like this:
There was still no definitive answer as to whether or not Spirit was immortal. Her daddies had kept their promise though. They worried for her and she worried for them in return. Something finally gave when even White Knight saw how exhausted his two agents were...
So they were on temporary leave unless there was an emergency that absolutely no one else could deal with. Spirit sighed as she played with Magic Fluffball. There was nothing that that cat loved more than ripping the feathers out of his toys. Needless to say this cute little squeaky mouse with feathers on its butt for some odd reason was now naked.
Not only did her cat like to rip the feathers out but he liked to eat them as well. Magic Fluffball had incredibly colorful poop! Papa called them "magic bombs". Daddy just rolled his eyes and hid a slightly amused smile.
Tonight was date night and daddy had a huge surprise for them. Spirit wasn't quite certain why she was invited but she wasn't about to protest... She was just happy that everyone was getting better at pretending things were back to normal.
So she put on a pretty white dress with pale turquoise and coral flowers. She had her favorite cherry blossom hairpin, which was now joined by an aqua butterfly one. It was early fall and perfect sweater weather. She had a light yellow sweater draped over her shoulders like a cape.
Six had down another waterfall braid in her hair and wore the matching hairpin as on his lapel as he forwent the tie. Even Rex was dressed up in his crimson suit with an aqua butterfly on his lapel.
The agent couldn't help but smirk at the aqua butterflies…
Rex had wanted to be included in the daddy-daughter hair accessories bonding apparently. It was something that the older man found amusing and just a little bit adorable. Even he had felt that one day it would come full circle with the final link being closed by wedding rings…
At present, Spirit was eyeing the beautiful wild flowers that her daddy had purchased and Six was driving his emerald beauty in unusual silence. He glanced over to Rex who was quietly contemplating the big surprise that Six had planned for them. The Latino couldn't suffer in silence for much longer. It was only a matter of time before he cracked…
"So we're going to that Creole place you were talking about, right?" Rex asked.
Six nodded.
"Why did we need to pick up flowers?"
"It's a secret," Six said as he pulled into a parking spot.
Rex leaned into his ear and whispered, "Not to be mean or anything but why are we taking Spirit? I thought this was a date?"
The agent smirked, "You'll see…"
Rex pouted, "You're hiding something from me…"
Six smiled, "I thought you said that I still had that whole man of mystery thing going on…"
His young love blushed, "Doesn't mean you should act all mysterious…"
Six chuckled as he exited the car. Rex followed quickly with a frown. The place was usually packed whenever they drove by. Why was there only one other car? He opened the door for Spirit since it was her job to hold the flowers. The little girl shimmied out of the car and rushed to the door.
The young man seemed to almost fall into step with her. He was eager to learn this big secret of Six's. The older man strolled slowly after them so to prolong their insufferable curiosity. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to open.
"Alex!"
A plump woman in her late sixties with sky blue eyes and her gray hair in a bun came out of nowhere and hugged Six tightly. She wore a simple blue floral dress with a white apron over it and a pair of comfy shoes.
Rex gave him a surprised look, "She knows your real name?!"
He didn't think anyone outside the family did…
"Of course I do, dear boy! He is Alexander Michael Smith," the woman said with a smile.
Six blushed, "I go by Six now, Rosemary."
"Well you're still my Alex… Who is your friend? Is he your jeune amant?"
"Non, il est mon amour de jeunesse," Six said with a gentle smile, "His name is Rex Salazar."
"Ah! Qu'est-ce un beau jeune homme que vous avez! I am Rosemary Thyme. I am the woman who adopted Alex when his parents passed on."
"Nice to meet you," Rex said smiling.
Spirit shyly tugged on the lady's skirt and held up the flowers that she and Rex helped Six pick out earlier that day.
Rosemary gasped and took the flowers from the little girl, "Oh these are so lovely! Thank you sweetheart! You must be Spirit!"
Spirit nodded shyly despite the big smile that highlighted her rosy cheeks. She still half-hid behind her daddy. She had met her papa's family but this was the only person that her daddy had left that wasn't her or papa. Meeting this woman felt different. It felt monumental and for some reason Spirit felt incredibly shy…
"You're such a beautiful young lady! Let me get a look at you," Rosemary said with gentle enthusiasm.
The little girl stepped out from behind her daddy only to be pulled into a hug. Rosemary's hug felt like a granny's hug even more than Abuela's ever had. She smiled and reluctantly let go.
"Now then, I have the table all set with some of your favorites. I think it's about time that we all sit down like a family and get to know each other," the older woman stated with a smile.
It was quite a spread with crawfish, seafood gumbo, and Six's all-time favorite, a sweet potato cheesecake with a gingersnap and pecan crust. Rex was practically drooling yet at the same time he dreaded the feast. He knew that this would mean that he and Six would have to work it off.
While Six was fine with training 24/7, Rex preferred to have a bit of fun… Sex was fun. Sex was exercise. He'd just have to tempt him away from the dojo once they recover from their food coma…
"Please, sit a spell while I put these in some water," Rosemary said, gesturing to the table.
Rex sat on Six's right and Spirit sat to his left, which meant that Rosemary would sit across from him. It would give her the perfect advantage to be interrogated by her. He had seen how his family reacted to Six…
They were welcoming but a bit protective. Rex was dating an older man who used to be a hired "gun" after all… He wondered if Rosemary would be just as protective over the man who was the closest thing she ever had to a child of her own.
The older woman placed the flowers in a lovely vase and positioned them in the center of the table. She sat down across from Rex and stared into his eyes with her piercing baby blues. The young man fidgeted…
"Tell me about yourself, young man," Rosemary requested in an amicable tone.
Rex bit his lip, "Well my name is Rex Salazar. I have no memory of… Most of my life… My mother and father were scientists who worked on the Nanite project. So was my brother, César. They died. He lived. I think he has survivor's guilt but h-he couldn't save them. He tried… Six found me when I was ten and we've been partners in the "war" against EVOs ever since."
"Alex, what have you been up to?" Rosemary asked.
Rex was getting a distinctly different feeling around the woman now that he had begun to talk to her. She was hardly your typical "granny". She was a strong woman despite being a battered woman. She had to have been strong in order to have any hope in raising someone like Six…
The agent frowned…
Each time he came here she would ask him the same thing as though she was the homicide detective and Charles was the housewife. He knew that she was just curious and concerned. He didn't exactly radiate happiness…
"I… I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of. My two best decisions are taking Rex in and raising Spirit with him," Six replied after much consideration.
He did not want to tell this woman that he lived as thief, trained as a mercenary, and killed people for a living before switching to killing "monsters".
Rosemary gave him a look that suggested she knew he was hiding a lot but let it go. She was just relieved to have her boy back in her life.
Rex didn't particularly care for her line of questioning…
"What about you? What happened between you and Six? Why did he run?"
Rex knew exactly what happened. He wanted to hear it from her though. Part of him was incredibly bitter that Six's childhood was as far from happy as you could get. Not that his own was ideal, but still…
Six frowned at his young love, unable to believe that he had just asked such a thing! The past was painful enough to relive in his nightmares he didn't need to be reminded it of now. Not on what was supposed to be a happy occasion…
The older woman also regarded him with a frown before answering…
"When Alex ran away… It was heartbreakin'. There was nothin' left for me so I finally gained the courage to divorce Charles. I moved far away so he would neva find me," Rosemary said wiping away a tear, "I opened this restaurant, hopin' that the smells of home would draw my dear boy back… I never forgave myself for lettin' him hurt you…"
Six reached across the table and held Rosemary's hand. He gave her a sad smile, "It's alright. He would've hurt you much worse… Your plan worked though. That's all that matters."
Rex shook his head and sighed. He should've known that even as a child, Six was a protective individual. The man's stance screamed military but his alarmingly beautiful eyes shown with love… Despite the cold hearted façade Six's old beaten up soul had such warmth that would put the sun to shame.
Still, he couldn't help but to resent the woman across from him just a bit for remaining with an abusive old drunk for so long. He wondered how much better Six's life would've been if she had left that asshole with Six in tow.
'But then how different would my life be? How different would Spirit's life be? Would either of us even be alive right now?'
The Latino's attention snapped back to the conversation at hand…
"I showed up about eight years ago when I first joined Providence," Six said to Rex with a smile, "This is the best place in or out of Louisiana for Creole cuisine."
Rosemary blushed and jovially swatted at his arm, "Oh you…"
Rex stared at them, taking it all in. Regardless of all the pain the older man had endured, learning about his past felt amazing… Just the fact that his love trusted him with so much darkness and suffering… He leaned over and gave Six a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you for letting me in…" Rex whispered.
Six blushed and nearly jumped when Rosemary began talking again because he was so lost in his own little world. It felt so nice to be able to trust someone enough to really open up to them.
"Oh sweetheart what's wrong?" Rosemary asked.
Spirit was crying her eyes out, "That bad man hurt daddy!"
Six cringed internally, 'Though perhaps it was a mistake talking of such things in front of Spirit…'
The little girl was such an old soul that he sometimes had difficulty remembering that she was still just a little girl…
"Awww… Come to granny, dear," Rosemary said, with her arms wide open.
Spirit got out her chair and ran over to the old woman, hugging her tightly as she sobbed violently one her shoulder.
Six smoothed out Spirit's hair, "That was years ago baby… I'm fine now."
"Don't worry mija. That man's long gone," Rex said soothingly.
"There, there, dear. See? Charles isn't around to plague us anymore and yer daddy is just fine," Rosemary added.
Spirit's sobs quieted down to small hiccups.
Six realized early on that despite being exposed to suffering and people at their worst, Spirit still managed to hold onto so much hope. She had a very empathetic nature that enabled her to feel for even the most callous of villains. Hell, her heart even ached for Hunter Cain, a man who had temporarily paralyzed her and had even impaled her! Spirit felt such pain at his hands and yet she felt for him because of losing his wife, Caroline and son, Sean to the nanites.
Seriously though, Six was going to have a word with Conrí about Spirit's access to criminal files. There was no other way that his daughter would've known that Caroline went EVO and at her son in front of Hunter Cain…
Six shared a glance with Rex that had him believing that his chéri had been thinking along the same lines as him. Hunter Cain almost seemed harmless compared to the real monster that was after her…
Van Kleiss…
"She knows the difference between monsters and men, right?" Rex asked.
"…She still loves me…" Six muttered darkly.
Rex smacked his arm and hissed, "You are not a monster."
Rosemary watched the exchange with eyes were far too shrewd for a "granny". It made Rex wonder what she had given up when she married. If Charles was a homicide detective how did they meet? Was she also a police officer at one time? Did Six even know?
"Uh… Not to be rude but were you always a house wife?" Rex simply had to ask.
"I was a chef before settlin' down. Had I known that I was unable to have children I would've kept my restaurant," Rosemary answered.
"How big was your staff?"
"I had eight men working under me."
'Ah… That explains it…'
So she was your typical granny but she was also as tough as nails. Rosemary did indeed seem like the sort of woman that could handle a child like Six had been… As a boy the man had been rebellious and sullen, understandable considering he lost his family at an age where he was old enough to remember them and favor them over his foster parents.
'Not to mention the constant rejecting from other adults who wanted a younger child…' Rex reasoned with a frown.
Six placed a hand on his shoulder. The Latino sighed and closed his eyes as his cariño gently rubbed the back of his neck with his thumb. There was a tug on his sleeve and he looked down. Spirit stared up at him expectantly and began to gesture for her violin, which was in the back of the car.
Six fished around in his pocket for the keys, "Don't slam the door and be sure to lock her."
"Her?" Rex parroted.
"…"
He laughed, "Come on, Six! What did you name her?"
"…"
"Siiiiiiiix!" Rex whined and coaxed.
"I'm a bit young for a midlife crisis… I don't go around naming cars."
Rex rolled his eyes in a disbelieving gesture. He knew that Six wasn't some tired old man but he'd like to think that his love was a bit fanciful from time-to-time. Though that was generally only in regards to their daughter…
Spirit rushed back in and deposited the keys in her daddy's waiting hand. She quickly removed her violin from its case. Rex tried not to laugh at the look on Six's face when their little girl began to play Lana Del Rey's "Dark Paradise". Spirit was a little young for the likes of Lana Del Rey but Youtube didn't require her lyrics to be censored so the little girl had access to the world it would seem…
She then slipped from that to something very jazzy and energetic to a classical piece that was so somber and so beautiful that it brought a tear to Rosemary's eye. Spirit adored the violin. She practiced endlessly, often until her fingers began to bleed.
According to her therapist Spirit had two very real fears. One was that if she wasn't good enough she would no longer have her fathers' love. The other was not knowing everything, hence her obsession with reading and her reluctance to leave the library. In short, these fears are what contributed to her attempt to be the perfect daughter and should she one day snap from the pressure…
Well, it was selfish because Six very much wanted Spirit to be herself, but he didn't think he could handle a rebellious and supposedly immortal teen. It was hard enough raising Rex most days because he never knew his limits. Rex was always testing them. Spirit may very well have no limits… In other words, it wasn't a matter of worrying over her physical wellbeing but more of a concern for her emotional and psychological health.
In the mean time, Six decided to enjoy watching his little girl dance and play the violin like her latest musical obsession, Lindsey Sterling. The small yet blissful smile on her face was contagious…
Once she settled down long enough to take a bit of a breather, Six captured her and pulled her into his lap. Eleven-years-old or not, Spirit adored being cuddled as had to make up for five years worth of loneliness and isolation. Just thinking about it made Six cling to her just a little bit tighter.
"Yer such a talented young lady! I learned how to play the clarinet in school when I was a little girl," Rosemary said.
Spirit's eyes lit up dramatically, "Play with me?"
"Oh well… It was a long time ago and…"
Rosemary simply couldn't finish her sentence. Spirit had gone from hopeful to crestfallen in a blink of an eye.
"I tell you what… I'll dig the old girl out and get to practicin' and we'll see about makin' some beautiful music together."
"Promise?"
"I promise, baby."
Rosemary shared a look with her boy and the message was loud and clear. Six and Rex knew that they were in for a world of trouble should Spirit grow up to truly realize that she had her daddies wrapped around her little finger. The little girl was a sweetheart now and God knows they prayed that she would remain as sweet as she was now.
She was such a beautiful little girl too…
Six felt a lead weight make its home in the pit of his stomach again. He knew that he spoiled her and so far he had been incredibly lucky but…
'What will happen if my luck runs out?'
Rex noticed the look and quite frankly was a little offended that Six didn't have more faith in their combined parenting skills. Spirit wasn't going to grow up spoiled! Rex wondered what she would've grown up to be had this been an ideal world. She could be a ballerina, a violinist, a writer, a doctor…
But chances are she would have no choice in her destiny much like he had no choice in his. Spirit would become an agent. She would fight what was essentially her own kind until the day the war ended or she retired. If she'd retire… If Spirit were truly immortal she could spend her entire life fighting to protect those who may or may not deserve the beat down she'd dish out.
Rex tried desperately to shake off such depressing thoughts. He attempted to envision them living the peaceful life in sunny Southern France. Abuela and Rosemary would be working in the kitchen, charming people into buying food and wine. Spirit would play the violin or the piano for their customers. He and Six would be working the fields or even better, making love in the fields…
Rosemary sighed wistfully upon seeing the look on Rex's face, 'Oh to be young and in love…'
"Now just what are you daydreamin' about?" She teased.
Rex's face turned beet red, "Uh…"
Six raised an eyebrow to his inarticulation. A smirk spread across his face. He knew just what was on Rex's mind. It was nice to be desired and to be seen as being desirable. It was even nicer when it was someone who made him feel so at home in his own skin…
"Later," was all that the agent said.
It was all that Rex needed…
A smile crept across the Latino's face and he fidgeted a bit under Rosemary's scrutiny. Spirit slid out of Six's lap, which enabled him to intertwine his fingers with Rex, who returned his smirk with a smile.
Rosemary coughed to get their attention, "Before you go plannin' yer romantic liaisons, I'd like to hear about this vineyard yer plannin' to buy."
"You told her about that?" Rex asked.
"With our combined pay and our combined research… Provided that we live to see retirement, I'd say that it's a dream that will come true. I'm not exactly good at charming people so…" Six trailed off.
"Charmin' people," Rosemary cut in, "You just need a woman's touch and a bit of help in the kitchen. You can leave charmin' people to Rex and yer little girl!"
Six frowned, "The last thing I need is boys crowding around my daughter and women throwing themselves at my love."
Rex grinned at the compliment. He squeezed Six's hand and kissed the back of it. Spirit seemed to be rather fascinated by Rosemary's cat. It was a fluffy monster of a feline that weighed twenty pounds at least. She thought it was funny to watch the cat waddle around. The collar read "Sneakypie". The name was familiar to her but she couldn't remember why…
'Probably from a book…'
"Have you picked a location yet?"
"No. I'm ten years away from retiring. It would be impractical to scout out locations that may not be for sale in ten years, though I was thinking of calling it Prévoyance."
Rex knew that "Prévoyance" translated to Providence…
He made a face, "Why would you want to name our haven after such a miserable place?"
"Without Providence I would still be a killer and you would've starved on the streets or worse, been discovered sooner by Van Kliess… We wouldn't have our daughter. We certainly wouldn't have become amourex…"
The Latino was forced to agree on this. It was highly unlikely that he would've survived on his own. Not with much bigger and stronger EVOs on the loose… Six would still be killing for a living and he didn't dare think of what would've become of their daughter.
"We should actually go to France sometime though," Rex suggested as he was eager to change the subject.
Six had a feeling that it was more for the romance than for the location…
"Creole French is very different from France French. There might be a bit of a learning curve."
Rex rolled his eyes and reply, "We can figure it out!"
Six smirked, loving his confidence, "Yeah. We will…"
"Six," White barked.
The green clad agent stiffened and bit back a groan…
Rex knew exactly what happened. Six would always react that way when someone contacted him on his ear bud. They were on a mandatory vacation, dammit! Why did an emergency have to pop up now?!
"Sir?" Six deadpanned.
"Prisoner Q11HC6450 wants a word with your daughter. He's a pain in the ass but he may prove to be a powerful ally if we can convince him to take a low key position as a spy rather than a tank…"
"A spy," Six questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Rex looked over and mouthed, 'What's this about?'
"Hunter Cain wants to talk to Spirit. White Knight wants him as a spy, most likely against Van Kleiss."
"Who is this Hunter Cain?" Rosemary asked.
Rex was about to explain but Spirit cut it.
"He's a very sad man who lost his wife and son. He took a dark path and became a bad man," she signed.
"And he wants to talk to you? Don't you find that scary?"
"…He's done a lot of horrible things against us and our family… I'm not even too sure if I'd give him a second chance," Rex admitted much to Six's surprise.
Rex was one of the most forgiving people he had ever met… He would do just about anything to help guide people on the right path and brighten up their lives no matter how badly they wronged him. But fatherhood had had a sobering effect on the eager young man's outlook on life.
It was a sad fact that there were bad people in the world but he was one of them once upon a time. He still was at times…
"We'll be right there," Six reluctantly agreed, "I'm sorry, Rose, but we have to cut this short."
Rosemary frowned, "I don't like this boss of yers. What kind of a monster uses a little girl to aid in the interrogation of a criminal?"
"A naniteless human who is bitter because he is locked away in a glass box," Rex muttered darkly.
There were times where he had to remind himself that without White Knight there would be no Providence. Without Providence there would be no income let alone a home… That still didn't stop him from fantasizing about breaking through the glass and pulverizing the asshole!
Six gave his long lost foster mother a kiss on the cheek, "We'll visit soon. I promise."
"You had better," Rosemary agreed, "Come during normal business hours and have Spirit bring her violin. I would love to have the two of you play for my guests!"
Spirit fidgeted at this idea…
She had only ever played for family and friends before…
Six placed a hand on his little girl's shoulder, "We'll see."
Rex stood and was surprised to be pulled into a hug…
"You take care of my boy," the older woman demanded.
"I will," Rex promised whole heartedly.
Rosemary pulled her new granddaughter into a bone-crushing hug, "Remind yer daddies to come and visit. Be a good girl, but learn to have fun too, dear…"
Spirit nodded and kissed her cheek, "I will. It was lovely meeting you, granny."
She smiled, "It was a pleasure as well."
Spirit did not like the idea of having to talk to Hunter Cain. He seemed to dismiss her before so why was he so interested in talking to her now? Surely he didn't think that they would be speaking alone… Her daddies would be with her, right?
The drive back was surprisingly silent. Six had to place a hand on Rex's leg to keep it from bobbing up and down as the motion and the noise was driving him mad. His young love didn't protest the action; he simply held his hand with a contemplative frown.
Spirit headed to interrogation where Hunter Cain awaited her in chains in an orange prison uniform. He looked disgruntled to say the least. Six and Rex were standing on either side of their daughter.
Hunter Cain's eyes narrowed at the presence of the two men. He had nothing against gays, after all Sean had been gay… But a relationship between a human and an EVO was a bit much for him…
'How can you trust a monster?'
"Alright kid, convince me," the grumpy old man said.
Spirit signed two little words…
"Van Kleiss," Six deadpanned as he brought up a video feed of the devastation the mad man caused in New York when he posed as a diplomat three years ago.
"This man has the power to not only tear apart cities but change people into EVOs. He is convinced that I am immortal and that the key to his immortality lies within my DNA. Do you really think that it is wise to allow a megalomaniacal psychopath to achieve immortality?"
Hunter Cain raised an eyebrow to her description of the man that White Knight wanted him to spy on. He looked to Six and wondered if the man was using his own words and not hers. Not many children knew words like "megalomaniacal".
"Van Kleiss believes that humans are inferior and we're the next step in evolution, even if it is an artificial one. I don't know if he aims to change his unwilling victims to add to his small army or if he intends to wipe out humans all together. Most of my immediate family is human. I would rather not have either happen to them. Daddy was already a dragon EVO. Luckily, Papa can cure the ones that Van Kleiss makes. He really is our best defense and I am our greatest hindrance."
Hunter Cain didn't know which he was more unnerved by, the fact that White Knight wanted him as a spy or that the little girl sitting before him supposedly spoke better than most adults.
"Say I agree to do this, what's in it for me?" The old grump asked.
"Some degree of freedom and the knowledge that you are working to take down the only true threat to the human race…"
"Restrictions?"
"Each one of us has a chip at the base of our skulls. It's so we can be found anywhere in the world. It is a very useful thing to have should you need backup. It goes without saying that you cannot hunt and kill EVOs for no apparent reason. It would blow your cover."
"What do you need?"
"Information. We need to know what he's planning. We'll need pictures of the machines he's using. Blueprints if you could, though I don't think you'll find any. He has a photographic memory, which is why Uncle Conrí can't find anything truly useful. What is there has been planted to throw us off."
Rex found it ironic that Van Kleiss, his greatest enemy couldn't forget while he couldn't remember.
"You aren't giving me much in return, girly…"
"The knowledge that you are playing an integral role in preventing the "EVO apocalypse should be satisfactory enough. We have no real reason to trust you considering you tried to murder me and attacked my family. Yet we are placing our trust in you. If you want a reward you will have to earn it like everyone else. Just because you are an exceptional fighter doesn't mean that you are above the rest of us."
…Dammit, he was really beginning to hate this kid…
It was unnatural how intelligent and mature she was…
Still…
What she had to say was valid and interesting…
"…Alright, kid. You got a deal."
Spirit looked him in the eye and held out her hand for him to shake, silently challenging him. Hunter Cain gave her a dubious look before shaking her hand. There was no way that he was going to allow her to confuse disgust for fear…
Spirit and her fathers were escorted out of interrogation. Rex let out a sigh that had been on the tip of his tongue the entire time. Six had his head held high while Spirit seemed to be content to hold their hands. White Knight was now negotiating the terms of Hunter Cain's compliance.
"You did good, mija," Rex finally said.
"You have the makings of a good agent," Six agreed.
Though admittedly, his little girl growing up into a force to be reckoned with was the last thing he wanted to think about…
The agent glanced down at his daughter with a sigh, 'Why can't she just stay a little girl forever…'
Rex glanced over at him. Their eyes met and held the same troubled look. This would only solidify Spirit's desire to become an agent. Both men were at least grateful that she was willing instead of having the job dumped into her lap like her daddy or being dragged into it like her papa.
"I'm sleepy. Will you read me "Alice in Wonderland"," she requested.
Six couldn't help but smile, "Sure baby… We'll even do the voices."
Rex sighed, content in the knowledge that she was going to stay their little girl for just a little while longer…
Bet you didn't see this coming…XD