Authors Notes: Here we are a brand new chapter :D
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Golden Fields
Fractured Code
Chapter 16
Curry
The smell of something baking filled the tiny apartment. Pork, veggies, in a light bronze sauce sat on the stove with a rice cooker on a small table. Inky stood in front of the stove. She had seen Zane and Mindroid cook this many times so knew what she was doing. She was still iffy about the concoction.
"Hold still." Dareths voice called from the lower bed. Inky turned from stirring the pork curry to see her father trying to fix Zanes knee joint. Luckily they had some strut parts hidden in the apartment. With heavy lifting at the stockyards Zanes struts always seemed to go out before anything else.
The broken part fell to the floor covered in oil. Dareths fingers were covered in the gunk too. Under the bed could just barely be made out a brown and bronze suitcase. Said suitcase had a very irreplaceable thing inside. Inky turned as the arguing started again. She was beginning to lose hope that she'd ever see her mother again.
"There all done you stupid i…" Dareth popped Zanes arm, the act coaxed the melding and there sat Zareth looking around the room. Inky turned to see him sitting there. She smiled and waved at him. She pointed to the food.
"You hungry?" Zareths face broke into a smile. He propped his arm up on the foot board.
"When did you get tall enough to cook?" He asked. Inky blushed and turned around looking back at the food that had been left to simmer.
"Well I am 14 now Uncle Zareth. Uncle Zane taught me how." Of course not mentioning the other who taught her. She heard Zareths large shoes clicking the floor as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
"They hurt you, and there's no excuse, Smudge." He put his cheek on her head.
Zareth stepped back then forward again putting his hand to her head then his chest and gasped.
"You're taller than your mother!" Zareth said. Inky turned around fast slinging hot curry everywhere as she did.
"No...no I'm not!" She threw her shoes off. "See…" There wasn't much difference.
"Inky spot...you are taller than your mother...and you can't deny it. I know how tall Danny is. I've hugged her many times. She fits right under my chin. Scans say your 5'2." He kissed her forehead.
They heard the soft click of the rice cooker. Inky picked up a few plates loading them down with food. The only ate during breakfast and that was just a crust of bread, cheese, and grapes. She was starving, but this was what they could afford. Which meant the curry had to last at least two days. Meaning breakfast and dinner. She sighed as she sat back in her chair. Zareth actually using the toothpick for what it was intended for.
"Wow Inky you've gotten really good with your cooking." He looked around the room and narrowed his eyes. "This is where you've been staying Inkspot? With these two? This is...so small."
"Its fine. Better than the places I've stayed in the past." She picked her plate up and brought it over to the sink.
"Its alright for the moment but…" He jumped up looking around the room. This caused Inky to look concerned for a second. She looked around for a threat. "Where's my Dannygirl?" Inky sighed putting her hand on her chest.
"Oh she's pushed under the bed there Uncle Z." She yawned and pushed her shoes off. She hadn't eaten this good in close to a week. All she really wanted to do now was sleep.
Zareth pulled the suitcase out and opened it. Inside Danny was in a soft cloth dress, and soft socks. It seemed warmer then the cloths she was in last he saw her.
"Is it winter?" He asked. Inky nodded her head and pulled the blanket up.
"Yeah...and it's cold. You might want to get some sleep Uncle Z. I gotta wake…"
"We'll leave in the morning." Zareth interrupted her. Inky rolled over and nodded her head. Having been used to jumping up and leaving in the past.
"Any idea where we're going?" Inky asked. Zareth crawled into the bed above hers.
"Back...to the observatory."