Kihonne: Hey guys, so sorry for the late update. Between being half-knocked out by flu medicine and preparing for the holiday weekend and an upcoming trip of mine, last week wasn't as productive as I'd hoped it would be. But I'm feeling a lot better now, and I have the chapter done. So, I won't waste too much of your time with the author note babble. Let's just move onto shoutouts, shall we?
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LabGirl2001: Yeah, I've basically realized that this is going to be the season you all want/try to kill me. I'm not being very nice to our characters, am I? I'm glad you liked the chapter and the creative cure I made for Ben. Honestly, I've had a lot of fun doing the research about what Mighty Medicine would look like – it's led me down a lot of interesting Wikipedia rabbit holes, that's for sure. Anyway, I guess we will see whether or not your theory is correct or not. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
SzymonS: I have to admit, regardless of whether or not the Ava & Aaron theory is correct, it's definitely a well thought out one. And really? That's something you want to learn? Calla doesn't scare easy, so anything that can really shake her would terrify me. You're right about one thing though: prior to Legacies (and maybe including it) we've only ever met one male Calderan, so it is either Experion or a newbie. I guess we'll see which one I've given you. As for Ben and Naomi, I would say that she hasn't been pining for Ben or anything. That's not to say how she actually feels though – she'll get her chance to say her piece soon enough. I think that would be very interesting take on things, if they didn't end up together, and very realistic. Not every love is requited. Though, I make no promises or revelations on what I plan to do with them. Maybe I will have them together, maybe I won't. As for Kira's little mistletoe plan, well…I think you'll like what I do with it. But I think that you'll like how Ben and Naomi's relationship ends up and where they'll be in it by time the story ends. I'm glad you liked the theme and atmosphere of the chapter, by the way. Honestly, I loved the way I did that Emily and Calla scene. Emily is so against the idea of Darius just being evil, and Calla is so overprotective in a way that makes so much sense for everything they've been through. Darius should definitely watch out though – good or evil, Calla is not his friend. As for Darius' patronage, I'm not quite confirming anything just yet, as the characters will want to confirm or disprove this information themselves. But if Sebastian is the father, those are good questions to ask, and questions that may or may not be answered in the future. Possibly. Given the very complicated character and story arcs that I have planned, it's hard to comment too much on a lot of stuff. Yes, Kameron saved the day (you're right, Kaz and Dani would not love the comment, though I find it amusing). As for Ben, you're right – he's lucky to be alive and it's something he should be happy with. At the same time, not having his full power is something that's going to take time to get used to. And figures – the next time I'm late with a chapter is when you compliment my punctuality. That's my luck for you. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Guest: Yes, it's Katherine's turn to take a swing at him. And don't you worry – Saturn's got something real fun coming his way.
Aftershockfan: Yeah, he is certainly public enemy number 1 these days. The entire fandom is on a hunt! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Ladybugoflove: Honestly? It's a little fun. But who knows? Maybe it wasn't a total waste of a romantic moment. After all, at least one of them remembers that kiss…
BroadmansRulez: I'm so glad you liked it, and Kameron's genius way of saving the day. It was one hell of a time to pull out his genius card, wasn't it? I'm glad you liked it.
Guest: Hopefully this chapter will rebuild your world at least a little…
Crybaby: You're not the only one feeling like that. I definitely messed with the heartstrings of a lot of readers this week, that's for sure. I'm so glad you liked the chapter though, including the part with the kids studying old school without a complaint. They really do care about Ben. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter too.
Guest: I'm so glad you liked the nickname, and her coffee addiction that she definition learnt from her aunt. I'm really glad you like the chapter and I hope you like this one too.
Guest: While I am glad that I gave you the chance to die in peace, you might want to hang around a little longer to see what else I've got in store for those two, lol. I think you're really going to like this chapter!
Labassistantfan: Well, the two of them did bury the hatchet when Skylar came to work for Calla (it was in the End of an Era, in case you missed it). I'm glad you liked it though. I always thought the two of them could do wonders if they were just on the same side. I hope you like this chapter too!
Bennyboo: I'm glad you liked it, aside from me destroying your window of hope. Though, maybe the shards can still be put back together? The way I see it, so long as they're both still breathing, there's always hope. Christmas and New Years are going to be some fun chapters for everyone, that's for sure. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!
LadyLove: It is a classic, true, but one I just had to use. Don't worry – secrets never stay secret for too long in the Davenport Penthouse. As for the pairing name, no one's officially given one, though I'm partial to BeNaomi. Though I admit, I wasn't totally thinking of pairing names when I came up with the characters' names and there aren't any that totally work.
Guest: Think lots and lots of toppings and syrup and enough ice cream to fill a building. I'm so glad you liked the chapter, and I hope you like this one too.
Guest: It is a little too bad. Ben's just going to have to get used to dealing with this.
Guest: I'm glad you're okay with slow-burn romances, since it's kinda my thing (none of the main couples from my original series even got together in the first season of their shows). But don't worry, I know where to draw the line. When things happen between any of the couples in the story, it'll feel like just the right time. I'm so glad you're excited for the future chapters!
Heartsofgold: I'm really glad you liked all the different elements I put into the chapter, especially the Ben/Naomi friendzone theme. I know some people didn't enjoy that bit all that much, but I think it worked for the time being. Fingers crossed about the name. The gender reveal will be before the end of the season, that's for sure.
Sadiethenormo: I do think Kaz and Dani will be very proud of their son when they find out how things went. Kam clearly has some tricks up his sleeve that'll certainly help the team out in the future. As for the gold, I'm afraid that's something that Ben is going to have to live with, and learn to fight with. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
MightyMedNerd: Yes, you were right! That was a pretty good guess as to what will happen. You have interesting ideas for how to deal with the gold, but unfortunately, the shrink ray was destroyed in the original Mighty Med, and no one has built a new one yet. Maybe one day they'll be able to remove the gold from Ben's system, but for the time being, he's going to have to figure out how to make this work for him. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
BlueitfulYou: Thank you so much! I really appreciate the compliment. I do understand how frustrating it can be to waste a "perfectly dramatic romantic moment" (good quote, by the way), but don't worry. I wouldn't say it's a total waste ;)
Guest: I'm so glad you like it. As for your request, it's actually very similar to a chapter I've already got planned for the second season, so I think you'll like what I've got planned. You're definitely going to see a fair bit of the strength of the twins relationship in future chapters of the story.
LALALAGIRL: That is so very, very true, on both points. I guess we'll see how things go for them, won't we? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
BingeReader9: I'm really glad you liked the chapter, with all the Ben/Naomi love and the team building themes. It was a nice chapter to write. I hope you like this chapter too!
Guest: Kameron is certainly not the anti-academic his parents were, that's for sure.
Guest: I have to agree with you there. I liked Tecton a lot, but Ben's just got this whole sweet guy thing going on that makes it so interesting to torment. And I think the fact that he is half-human, that he was raised by a human mother, definitely made him a much more relatable character than the almighty Tecton. As for who'd play him, I always imagined someone like Logan Shroyer or Lucas Till as his actor (I didn't design him with an actor in mind though, so if you have a better suggestion, I'd love to hear it. I just chose an actor since the question of who would play them tends to come up sooner or later).
SummerSunShine: I'm o glad you loved it so much, and that you enjoyed my shattering of every shipper's hopes and dreams. I do have a plan though, so don't you worry. I think you're all going to at least appreciate the path their characters take. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter.
thoughtsofEarth: That's not exactly what happened. Most medicines, particularly antibiotics and vaccines, are made from bacteria and archaea. I'm not a biologist, so I don't know the exact process of how this is done, but I do know that this is how your average antibiotic is made. So, just think of it as them giving him an antibiotic made from something that's naturally resistant to what was poisoning him. They don't have to worry about getting it out of him as it'll eventually just wear off like most medicines.
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Kihonne: Alright folks! It's time for the chapter!
Kira: Kihonne doesn't own Lab Rats, Mighty Med, or the Elite Force. She only owns this story, any and all OCs, and anything else you don't recognize!
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Kira's POV
"Your turn." I announced, placing one of my cards down on the bedspread. Kameron nodded and drew a card before looking over his hand. "I'm just saying, it's weird."
"It's not weird. You just don't like it." He said patiently, looking over his hand one more time before drawing another card.
"It is weird." I insisted, drawing a card myself as I began my turn. "Everyone is acting weird."
"No, they're not." Kameron gave me a look. I nodded insistently.
"Emily's been working on her schoolwork all week." I pointed out before scowling and drawing another card. I just needed the right one to win.
"She's an honors student." Kameron reminded me as he picked up a card.
"She's up until like 2AM every night! We have to be up by seven." I argued. He smirked proudly and placed down a card next to his other five. Shit. He was one away from winning now. "And I heard Charlotte trying to convince Katherine to let her skip school tomorrow."
"I don't exactly blame her. Now, draw." He gestured at the pile of cards sitting on top of Josh's cage. The tarantula was hiding in the small, hollow log on Kameron's side of the cage, though I suspected that he would be out and about soon, given how close it was to feeding time.
"Okay, well, what about Ben and Naomi? They're acting weird." I pointed out, drawing a card. Kameron gave me a look.
"Ben got shot." He said in exasperation. "If he wants to be quiet and cranky, he gets to. He's earned it."
"So you've noticed it too!" I announced, discarding a card. "And are he and Naomi fighting? Like, I figured she'd be glued to his side; they're barely hanging out at all."
"She's got her own school to worry about, and he's probably getting frustrated with everyone fussing over him." Kameron reasoned. I gave him a look. "Alright, it's a little weird."
"And what about Calla? She nearly forgot to feed us last night." I pointed out. He shook his head as he drew a card. He looked up at me, giving me a look. "What? She did."
"She did order pizza." He reminded me. I nodded.
"At, like, 9. After Sera went downstairs to remind her of how late it was." I pointed out. He rolled his eyes.
"It was one time, and she apologized. You're overreacting." He told me. I crossed my arms.
"I think everyone is acting weird." I insisted. He gave me a smirk.
"So you've mentioned." He replied. I scowled at him. "It's been a rough couple of weeks, Kira."
"I know, but still." I frowned. He rolled his eyes. "I'm serious!"
"So am I." He said exasperatedly. He gave me a tired look. "Hey, listen, I am really glad that nothing can pierce your bubble of…bubbliness, but not everyone has that. Just because you can bounce back quickly from things doesn't mean they can, and you shouldn't be complaining that they're struggling with it."
I looked at Kameron for a long moment. I knew he was right about that, but it still didn't sit right with me. Everyone was upset and acting hurt, and yeah, they had a right to, but that didn't mean I just had to accept it. "We should cheer everyone up." I decided, changing tactics.
He frowned. "How?" He questioned. I shrugged.
"Haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'll brainstorm ideas after I beat you." I decided. He chuckled. "What?"
"I hate to break it to you…" He took a card from his hand and placed it down next to his other six. I stared at the display of seven unicorn cards, realizing that he'd been playing me the entire time. "But I just won."
"I…I want a rematch!" I protested just as Noah walked into the room, wearing nothing but sweat pants as he dried his hair with a towel.
"What are you playing?" He questioned, dropping down onto his own bed.
"Unstable Unicorns. It's an archaic card game our mom showed us over the summer." Kameron explained. He looked at me. "Can we have that rematch tomorrow? I kinda want to go to bed."
"Fine." I climbed off his bed. "I'll just figure out how to cheer everyone up on my own."
"Do I want to know?" Noah questioned, crumpling his towel up into a ball. He tossed it towards the closet, smirking when it rebounded off the wall into the laundry bin below.
"Not yet. I'll let you know." I replied. "Night Noah, night Kameron. Night Josh-y." I patted the cage affectionately before walking across the hall towards my own room. Naomi was at the desk near her bed, one headphone in as she watched something on her holocomputer.
"Hey." She greeted, glancing over at me before going back to her show. I grabbed my Little Mermaid themed PJ top off the bed and started to get changed.
"Hey, question for you." I called over my shoulder before pulling the PJ top over my head.
"Shoot." She hummed.
"Calla and the dinner thing, is that normal, or is it weird?" I asked. "Because it makes sense for, like, Charlotte and Emily to be acting weird, but she's the adult."
Naomi chuckled and paused her show. "I think she's working on some new project or something. She tends to lose track of everything else when she's working on a project or when she's worried about something." She explained, shrugging. "It's not on purpose, and knowing her, she'll have MISS remind her to cook dinner on time for a bit. But honestly, if it weren't for Chase, I think she'd probably survive on coffee and granola bars for weeks on end when she's working on something."
"Oh." I hummed. Naomi gave me a gentle smile.
"She feels bad about forgetting last night." She told me. "I guarantee that she'll be more on top of it now."
"Yeah, I know. She's got a lot on her plate." I nodded in agreement. "I just didn't realize how much."
"She's fine, Kira." Naomi promised. I nodded again, lying down on the bed. Then, it hit me.
"I have an idea." I announced dramatically, sitting up for good measure. Naomi cocked her head to the side, eyeing me curiously, and I grinned back at her. Oh, this was going to be good.
Kameron's POV
"But everyone's going to ask where I've been and what happened." Charlotte was protesting as I came down the stairs. Leo, Calla, and Katherine were at the front door, trying to persuade Charlotte to go to school without an argument. She'd been avoiding it since the attack, but after a week of letting her stay home, her parents were finally putting their feet down about it.
Meanwhile, Sera was kneeling by the couch, where Ben was lying, getting him to look over her history homework. Emily was in the kitchen, poking disinterestedly at her oatmeal while Kira spoke to her excitedly in whispers, eyeing the adults carefully to make sure she wasn't being overheard. Naomi was missing, probably having already left for an early class or something, while Noah was helping Calla out by filling lunch bags.
"No, they won't." Leo assured her. "We had Perry tell people you got lost in the woods. As far as everyone is concerned, you just had a rough night and that you're taking a break."
"A lot of students took some time off after the attack last Friday, you're not the only one." Calla added. She caught sight of me coming down the stairs. "Kameron, weren't you telling me that only a handful of students showed up to your homeroom on Tuesday?"
"Uh, yeah. The teacher basically gave us a free period because of it." I replied, remembering how boring that day had been. "Char, no one is going to notice."
"I...fine. But can I come home early if I'm not feeling well?" She begged. Katherine and Leo exchanged glances. "Please?"
"Try to make it through half the day, alright?" Katherine agreed reluctantly. Charlotte nodded.
"Alright, anyone who wants a drive to school, I'm leaving in five." Leo announced. Emily frowned.
"I thought you were going to drive us again." She commented, glancing at her mom. Calla sent her an apologetic look.
"Sorry, sweetie, but I have some things to get done at the office." She apologized, walking away from the entrance to grab her holocomputer off the table. She glanced over at Ben, frowning. "You're going to be okay on your own for a few hours, right? Naomi should be back around 1 or so."
"I'll be fine. Go." Ben waved her off with a frustrated sigh. I grimaced sympathetically; Ben was supposed to be on bed rest for a few more days, and was clearly going stir-crazy. He wasn't much enjoying everyone fussing over him either. "Seriously, go. I'm good. I'll just...nap or something."
"If you're sure." Calla shrugged, already distracted by something on her Davenwatch. "Alright, time for school, guys."
xxx
"Wow, things are quiet around here." Charlotte commented as we walked into the school's lobby. She was right - instead of the usual morning buzz that we'd seen almost every day since transferring here, few students were even hanging out in the hallway before class. "Where is everyone?"
"Well, a bunch of kids transferred out. Their parents pulled them out because of how dangerous things have been around here." Seraphina explained. Charlotte nodded and glanced at Emily.
"Anyone we like?" She questioned. Emily shrugged, stopping when we reached her and Charlotte's lockers.
"Nathan Davis, Kiara Lee, that 9th grader that keeps pulling pranks on the librarian..." She listed.
"And Darius Moore and Matt Ward." Ava interrupted, skipping over to us, her cousin Aaron right behind her. She immediately pulled Charlotte into a hug, though the bionic girl didn't seem quite as comfortable with it as she normally would be. "Oh, I can't believe you got lost in the woods. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Ava." Charlotte squirmed out of the hug. Ava nodded, smiling.
"Yeah, the two cutest seniors must have gotten pulled out by their parents. At least that's what we think - they didn't say anything to anyone. You still haven't heard from Darius?" Ava looked at Emily questioningly. Emily shook her head, turning to face her locker.
"No. I haven't." She said shortly as she began to unload her bag into the locker. Ava nodded, then looked sympathetically at Charlotte.
"I'm sorry, hon. I know you had a thing for Matt." She apologized. Charlotte shrugged and turned to open her locker.
"It's fine. I was kinda over him." She lied. Ava frowned at that, and looked like she was about to press the issue.
"Ava," I interrupted before she could. "You had Mrs. Bruins last year for English, right?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?" She looked slightly peeved at being interrupted, but brushed it off.
"Well, we have her now, and our term papers are due next week, and I was kinda hoping you could take a look at my first draft? I mean, it's probably shit, but I would really like your take on it. You know what she's looking for, right? Since you've had her before."
"I...yeah, I suppose. Emily was in that class too though, why don't you ask her?" She inquired. I shrugged.
"Em said you did better than her in the class." I explained. Ava raised an eyebrow.
"By, like, a percent." She replied.
"A single percent could be the difference between a pass and a fail." I pointed out. "So, do you think we can take a look at it before class? We all have stuff to do after school."
"Yeah, sure. C'mon - we might as well go to your locker." She commented. I nodded.
"Sweet. Thanks." I replied before starting to walk away. I shot a glance over my shoulder as we walked and saw Charlotte mouth 'thank you' at me. I smiled back in return, then started to show Ava to my locker.
Naomi's POV
"Hi, Spencer." I greeted, walking up to the receptionist's desk outside of Calla's office. He smiled up at me.
"Hey, Naomi. I didn't see you on the books." He commented. I shrugged.
"I didn't call first. She's on lunch though, right? It's not a problem if I drop in?" I asked, concerned. I didn't want to have to come back later. Spencer shook his head.
"She's on lunch, but I'm pretty sure she's working through it. But you, Ben, and Mr. Dooley are all allowed in without appointments so long as she's not in a meeting. Go on in." He gestured at the door. I smiled.
"Thanks, Spence." I told him before walking up to the door. I knocked briefly before stepping inside.
"Naomi!" Calla exclaimed, startled by my sudden arrival. She quickly shut down her holo-projector, but not before I caught sight of the star system she was looking at.
"Were those satellite photos? What're you looking at?" I asked, curious. She shook her head.
"It's nothing." She snapped. I paused, a little caught off guard by her tone. "Sorry, it's just...work stuff."
"If you're sure." I commented hesitantly. She nodded.
"Sorry." She said again before smiling at me. "What're you doing here?"
"I...I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something, but if you're busy..." I trailed off. She saw the look on my face, then glanced at her holo-projector. "I can come back."
"No. It's fine. I could use a break." She decided, though she didn't seem so sure that she wanted to abandon her work like this. She sat down on the edge of her desk, then gestured at the couch near the main holo-screens. "What's up?"
"I...I think I made a mistake." I admitted, dropping down onto the couch. She crossed her legs, raising her chin.
"What kind of mistake?" She asked curiously. I sighed.
"I might have...kissed Ben." I admitted. Calla stared at me for a long moment, then reached behind her and touched the button on her intercom.
"Hey, Spencer?" She asked. "I'm going to need to extend my lunch by an hour."
"Got it, Mrs. Davenport." He replied. She nodded, then turned to face me with wide eyes.
"You kissed Ben." She repeated. I nodded. "And how do we feel about this decision?"
"I don't know." I sighed, dropping my face into my hands. She waited patiently for me to continue, and eventually I looked up. "I mean, he doesn't remember it, so..."
"What do you mean 'he doesn't remember it'?" She asked, frowning. "I'm pretty sure that's not something he'd forget."
"It was when he was hurt." I explained. She nodded in understanding. "When he was out of it and stuff, he said...well, he said that he liked me...or, he implied it, anyway. And I didn't know how to respond, and then I thought that he might die, and..."
"And you kissed him." She finished. I nodded.
"And now he doesn't remember it, but I can't really forget it, and I don't know what to do."
"Well...do you like him? Like, the way you think he likes you?" Calla asked, leaning back on the desk. I bit my lip. "You don't."
"I don't know." I admitted, clasping my hands together as I felt them start to shake a little. "I know I care about him, a lot. But...I don't know if I care about him as a friend, or if it's something more." Calla nodded thoughtfully. "How did you figure out that you liked Chase as more than a friend?"
"That is a...good question." Calla acknowledged. She stood up then and moved to sit down next to me. "There was this moment, god, so many years ago..." She smiled at the memory. "I'd just caught my boyfriend, or my ex-boyfriend, cheating on me at a party. Well, trying to cheat on me – it didn't go the way he planned. And with Bree of all people."
"Ouch." I winced sympathetically. She nodded.
"So, there I was, crying my heart out in the bathroom over a boy who never deserved it, and Chase comes walking in, and he doesn't even say anything, he just holds me." She continued. "And trust me, he could have said I-told-you-so. He'd warned me about Caleb, and you know how much he likes to say that he was right."
"Those are some of his favorite words." I agreed. She nodded.
"But he didn't. He just held me and told me it wasn't my fault." She smiled sweetly. "I'd never had a guy treat me like that before. I'd never had someone be so genuinely kind. That's when I knew."
"Yeah...I don't think I've ever had a moment like that with Ben." I admitted. She shrugged.
"Everyone's different. Some have moments like me and Chase, others just...know. There's no right way or wrong way to tell." She told me. I sighed.
"What do I do?" I asked her. "I feel like no matter what I do, things aren't going to go back to normal between us."
She bit her lip. "I don't know. But I do know you need to talk to him about it." She told me. I nodded; I knew she was right; I just didn't know what to say.
Kameron's POV
"Okay, so we're all good to go after school, right?" Kira questioned, coming to my side as soon as class had ended. I chuckled; once she had an idea, my sister could be really determined to follow it through.
"Yes. Noah's going to pick Emily, Charlotte, Sera, and I up after school and drive us to the mall."
"Great. I'm gonna go home since it's lunch and get things ready there." She clapped her hands together, grinning to herself. "I have third period free, so I don't have to be back for a couple of hours."
"Yeah, okay." I wasn't totally paying attention to her anymore. Down the hall, near my locker, I could see Charlotte talking to the captain of the football team, Kirk Buchanan. Kirk was basically the most popular guy in school, and, if I remembered correctly, he'd just broken up with his girlfriend last week. Great.
"Well, she moves on fast." Kira observed. She glanced at me. "I'm sorry, Kam."
"It's fine...actually, I'm going to catch up with you later." I told her before walking down the hall towards my locker. I opened it up, then glanced back at Charlotte and Kirk, wondering what they were talking about. I paused, noticing how tense Charlotte looked. Her arms were crossed almost protectively around herself, and I could see her biting her lip nervously.
"C'mon, I know you and that Matt loser weren't working out, and the winter formal is in a few weeks. Going with me has got to be better than going alone."
"I wasn't really going to go..." Charlotte mumbled. She was leaning against a set of lockers, with Kirk leaning against them with one hand over Charlotte's head.
"C'mon, baby. You're one of the hottest girls in school, I'm definitely the best option left in this trash-hole. What's the problem?"
"I'm really not interested, Kirk." Charlotte insisted, but it was pretty obvious that Kirk wasn't taking no for an answer.
"C'mon, honey. Why not?" He pressed.
"Hey, Charlotte!" I interrupted, running up to them. "Oh, hey Dirk."
"It's Kirk." He growled. I frowned.
"Are you sure?" I asked. Charlotte looked at me and seemed to relax a little. Kirk, on the other hand, decided that he did not like me at all.
"What do you want, sophomore?" He questioned in annoyance.
"Well, Charlotte here promised to help me with my English paper. Right?" I looked at her, eyebrows raised. She could tell me no if she wanted, if I'd misread the situation, but at least it gave her an escape if she really wanted it.
"Yes, right. We should...go do that." She agreed. I grinned and offered her my hand, which she took with a grateful smile.
"See ya, Dirk." I called over my shoulder as I led her away. We stopped in the adjacent hallway, where Charlotte leaned back against the wall with a breath of relief. "You okay?"
"I...it's just, after Matt...Marcus..." She shook her head, biting her lip. "And then Kirk..."
"Dirk." I corrected with a smirk. She gave me a vaguely amused look. "Hey, I get it. The last thing you need is some dude hitting on your when you're obviously not interested."
"Yeah." She nodded halfheartedly. I looked around, then back at her.
"Do you want to call your mom or dad? They did say you only had to make it through half the day." I suggested. She bit her lip, thinking about it, then, to my surprise, shook her head.
"No, I...I think I'm good." She decided. I nodded, smiling at her. "So, do you actually have an English paper due, or is it just your default excuse?"
"I do, actually." I laughed a little. "And Ava wasn't all that helpful, if I'm being honest. But you don't have to help me out with it if you don't want to."
"No." She shook her head. "I want to. It'd be a good distraction."
"In that case, please help. I'm screwed otherwise." I told her. She cracked a smile at that. "Wanna work over lunch?"
"Sure." She agreed. She stood up from the wall, adjusted her backpack and raised her chin. "Let's go."
I smiled to myself, following her towards the cafeteria.
Kira's POV
"Hey MISS, what do you know anything about-Ben?" I stopped short as I walked into Mission Command from the tunnels. To my surprise, Ben was in the middle of mission command, laying into a punching bag as hard as he could, breathing heavy. "Hey!"
He stopped mid-punch, clearly surprised for anyone to be home at this point in the day. "What are you doing here?" He questioned, leaning heavily against the bag. I could see his muscle shirt soaked with sweat.
"What are you doing?" I demanded, dropping my bag at the entrance. "Horace said you weren't allowed to do any training until Saturday!"
"I'm fine, Kira." He shot at me. I frowned, taking in his exhausted appearance, and how one hand was subconsciously wrapped around his mid-section.
"But you're not." I pointed out. He let out a frustrated sigh and turned around to face me. His hair was soaked with sweat; clearly, he'd been at this for a while.
"You should be in school." He told me, annoyed. I crossed my arms.
"Actually, I have lunch and then spare. I don't have to be back at school until 1:30. You, on the other hand, should be resting." I commented. He opened his mouth to argue with me, but I raised my hand to stop him. "And don't think that just because you and Naomi have been having issues doesn't mean you can take it out on me...or that bag."
"We're not..." I stared him down and he sighed before restarting. "I'm sorry you felt like I was taking something out on you. I didn't mean to be mean."
I frowned. "I'll accept your apology if you stop beating up the punching bag." I decided. He glanced at me, bemused.
"You do know that it's meant for people to beat it up, right?" He asked me. I rolled my eyes.
"Just because I don't use it much myself doesn't mean I don't know what it's for. But you're hurt, so you should stop." I argued. He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to stop arguing with you until you listen to me."
"Fine, fine." He raised his hands in surrender before dropping heavily into one of the chairs by the cyber computers. He looked up at me. "But for the record, Naomi and I aren't having problems."
"Yes, you are." I frowned, wondering if he'd somehow missed that. He gave me a look. "Oh, c'mon, it's obvious. You're barely talking; that'd be like me and Kameron barely talking. Have you ever seen us go more than a few hours without talking?"
"No." He admitted. I nodded before sitting down at the seat across from him, flattening my skirt with my hands once I was sitting.
"So?" I looked at him, resting my chin on my hand. He looked at me blankly and I sighed. "Are you going to tell me what's going on between you two? Or why you're beating up that innocent punching bag?" To my disappointment, he shook his head. "C'mon. You were basically destroying that bag. There must be a reason. Is it because of what's up with you and Naomi?"
He gave me a look. "It's not exactly something you'd understand."
I leaned back, fully offended. "Try me." I insisted. He looked like he was about to refuse, so I shook my head. "Fine, whatever. Don't tell me. Just wait for Noah or Emily or Sera to come home and tell them. They'd probably understand."
I got up in a huff and started for the hyper lift.
"Kira, wait!" There was a sudden clang, and then a curse. I turned to see Ben on his knees, having apparently fallen when trying to rush after me.
"This wouldn't have happened if you'd stayed on the couch like you were told." I muttered, walking back over to him. He didn't answer as he climbed back up to his feet. His teeth were gritted in pain, his arm wrapped around his side. "Okay, you're lying down. Can you walk?"
"I'm fine." He pushed himself forward and I instantly ducked under the arm that wasn't clutching his side, giving him a bit of support. I slowly helped him over to the hyperlift, then, once it had shot us up to the main floor, back to the couch. Helix, who must have sensed Ben's discomfort, climbed off of the couch so that I could lie the older boy back onto it, then jumped back up and laid his head on Ben's legs.
"Good boy, Helix." I scratched the dog's head, raising an eyebrow when I noticed that he was wearing his old, space-themed collar again. Emily must have thrown out the helix-themed one that Darius had given her. "Are you okay?"
"Not really." He rested his right arm over his eyes, the other one lying on his stomach. I looked him over, concerned.
"Should I call Naomi? or Calla? Or Horace?" I asked, raising my hand to look at the numbers in my Davenwatch. He shook his head.
"I was basically destroying it." He muttered, not answering my question. I frowned, hand hovering over the Davenwatch.
"Excuse me?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about. He sighed.
"You said I was basically destroying the punching bag. And I was, basically destroying it." He commented, moving his hand. He looked at me with eyes clouded by frustration and sadness. "I used to be able to actually destroy one. Now, I can't even put a hole in it. It's pathetic."
"You do know that those bags are reinforced with titanium and carbon steel fibers, right? Adam Davenport uses those punching bags." I pointed out, sitting on the coffee table. I knew Calla didn't like it when we did that, but she wasn't home and the stools were too far away. "It's not pathetic."
"I'm supposed to be stronger than Adam Davenport. Or at least as strong. My father was that strong. I used to be that strong." He muttered the last sentence, shaking his head.
"You're injured. You can't expect yourself to be at 100% yet." I reasoned.
"Yeah, well, according to Horace, I'm never going to be at 100% again." He sighed. I bit my lip, not having an argument with that. He let out a long breath. "I need to get rid of these gold shards."
"Horace said that's not possible, that even if he had tools that could open you back up again, they were too small and there were too many of them." I reminded him. He nodded, scowling in annoyance. "He also said that you'd almost completely recover."
"But almost isn't good enough." He looked at me. "I'm supposed to be a hero, Kira. How am I supposed to do that now?"
"You're still strong, stronger than any of us. And you can still fly-" I listed.
"Not nearly as fast." He mumbled.
"But that's still pretty impressive. And you're still mostly invulnerable, right?" I questioned. He nodded begrudgingly. "See? You're still a badass."
"It's not enough." He sighed. I put my hands on my hips.
"And why not? Naomi doesn't have powers, and she's still a hero. She's leading the team, even." I pointed out.
"Naomi is Naomi. She's...special. She's a badass." He replied. I bit back a smile at that. "I'm different."
"Why?" I pressed.
"Because I'm Tecton's son!" He snapped. I stopped, and he sighed. "I just...he was the greatest superhero of his generation. I'm supposed to be his legacy, the next Tecton, and now..." He rubbed one hand over his eyes. "If he could see me now..."
"If it means anything, I think he'd be proud of you." I commented. He looked at me.
"You weren't even born until 8 years after he died." He pointed out, semi-annoyed. I nodded.
"I know, but Mom and Dad knew him. And they told me stories about him." He looked surprised at that, but it was true; Mom and Dad had told me and Kameron all the stories of the friends they'd lost when Roddiseus' children had attacked Mighty Med. "They told me how amazing he was and how good he was, but they also told me that he was really nervous about being a dad."
"Really?" Ben looked surprised. I frowned.
"Didn't your mom tell you about him?" I asked, surprised. He shook his head.
"Not really. They weren't...I wasn't planned." He waved his hand vaguely. "She just told me he wasn't around much because he was busy with the superhero world."
"Well, Mom and Dad said he'd bring you by Mighty Med a lot, that they used to play with you when he was doing stuff. Oh, and that Uncle Ollie was afraid of babies, so he wanted nothing to do with you." I added cheerfully. He chuckled a little at that. "And that he kept asking Clone Master for advice about kids, and that he kept asking Horace about if you'd get his powers and stuff. They told me other stuff to, about how he was one of the only superheroes who didn't look down on Normos. It sounds like he was a pretty cool guy, and I think he'd be pretty proud that you're helping Naomi lead a team of newbies. Even if you're not as strong as his anymore."
Ben didn't respond to that, frowning as he thought over what I'd said. "And for the record, we're all pretty proud of you too. And we don't think you're any less of a hero because you're hurt." I added.
He looked over at me for a full minute. "Thank you." He said after a bit. I shrugged.
"So," I licked my lips. "Why am I giving you the pep talk instead of Naomi? And don't tell me I won't understand." I told him. He sighed, dropping his head back onto the couch. I waited patiently, scratching Helix behind the ears.
"I told her I wanted to be more than friends." He said eventually. I raised my eyebrows at that. I wasn't totally surprised - I was basically on-point for figuring out all the relationships and crushes on this team - but at the same time, it wasn't what I expected him to say.
"How did she react?" I asked gently. He chuckled darkly. "That bad?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure she kissed me." He admitted. I hummed. "I think. Someone definitely kissed me. I think it was her; I hope it was her."
"You think?" I questioned. He looked over at me.
"It was when I was in the hospital." He explained. I nodded.
"You said you didn't remember anything after saving Charlotte? That the fever must have messed with your head?" I remembered. He nodded. "Why'd you lie?"
"Because I saw her face." He sighed, sitting up with a wince. He placed his hand on Helix's back, rubbing it gently. He shook his head. "She looked so...scared, all of a sudden. Like what I'd said was the most terrifying thing I could have told him, and she was terrified of having that conversation. So I gave her an out."
"I see." I sucked a breath in through my teeth. "That's...complicated."
"Understatement, but yes. It's complicated." He agreed. "And now she's acting weird about it, because why wouldn't she, and I can't even talk to her about it without having to tell her that I lied, and it's a huge mess I don't know how to get out of."
"Yeah, okay. That's, that's rough." I admitted. He nodded.
"I didn't mean to upset you when I said you wouldn't understand," he told me, "but unless you've somehow managed to ruin a lifelong friendship with a single sentence, I really don't see how you could."
"Okay, that's fair." I admitted. He nodded. "I do know what it's like for someone you like not to feel the same way. It sucks."
"What did you do?" He looked back at me. I grimaced at the memory, not wanting to relive it. "Oh, it went that bad?"
"Yeah, she, um, had a boyfriend." I shook my head. "Can we change the topic? I really don't feel like going into it."
"Sure, we can, because I understand boundaries." He agreed, half-joking.
"I understand boundaries, I just..." I trailed off, then sighed. He frowned.
"What's wrong?" He asked. I shook my head and got up. "Okay, no. What's eating you?"
I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to figure out how to phrase it right. "I just...Naomi and you are the bosses, and Seraphina's a badass, and everyone else on this team are genius...including Kameron, apparently, and I'm just...Look." I clasped my hands together. "I know everyone thinks I'm kind of a bubbly-ditz sometimes and that I don't see what everyone else is going through, but I do. I just don't think being sad or upset or angry or negative about it is going to help the situation. Which is why I push about things and try to cheer everyone up, and I know it can be annoying, but-"
"Whoa." Ben raised her hands to stop me. "Easy, firefly. Slow down for a sec and take a breath."
I did as I was told, taking a deep, slightly exaggerated breath. "Okay, I'm calm."
"No one thinks you're a ditz." He told me. I shrugged. "I'm serious."
"Look, I'm not a genius or as smart as some of the others. It's okay. I'm okay with it. I can be cool without being a genius. But being nice and making people happy is my thing, so let me have it."
"Alright." He chuckled, knowing better than to argue with me. I nodded, rubbing my hands together. Time to focus on why I'd come home for lunch instead of eating with the others. "Now, since you're done with your workout, you can help me set up."
"Set what up?" He questioned carefully. I grinned.
Naomi
"I would go with La Rose Rouge. They have much better steak." I was telling Jerry, the doorman, leaning against the counter.
"Yeah? That's some good advice. Thanks." He smiled at me before nodding at someone behind me. "Hello Mrs. Davenport."
"Hi Jerry." Calla greeted in response, though her tone clearly said her mind was somewhere else. She was looking over something on her Davenwatch with a deep, worried frown.
"What's wrong?" I questioned, walking over to meet her. She stopped, a little surprised to find me waiting for her in the lobby.
"What're you doing down here?" She questioned suspiciously, putting her Davenwatch away. I shrugged, hands behind my back as I subtly messaged Kira to let her know that Calla was home.
"I wanted to walk you up." I replied with a falsely cheerful smile on my face. She studied my face for a minute, frowning.
"They broke something, didn't they? They destroyed something, right?" She shook her head, stalking towards the elevator. I waved in goodbye to Jerry before racing after her. "Just the cherry on the sundae. I swear..."
"Hey, no, wait." I grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop. "Nothing is broken, nothing is wrong, I swear." I assured her. I gave her a look. "Now, seriously, what's wrong? And don't say work stuff - I already asked Noah what you're working on."
"I don't tell Noah everything I'm working on." She argued. I raised an eyebrow at that. "Let it go, Naomi."
"That's not exactly my specialty, letting things go." I reminded her as she started back towards the elevator. I followed her inside, hitting the button for our floor before she had to. "Now, are you going to tell me what's going on, or aren't you?"
"I'm not." She insisted. I started to argue with her, but then saw her expression. She looked exhausted and genuinely upset. "Please, Naomi, just stop."
I nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll drop it. But...you do know you can talk to me, right? Or at least Leo."
"Yeah, I know." She squeezed my arm gratefully. I nodded again.
"Okay." I said as we reached our floor. I turned to her as the doors opened up right in front of the entrance to our penthouse. "By the way, you might want to put a smile on your face before the kids see you."
"Why?" Calla questioned suspiciously. I smirked and walked towards the door, jerking my head at it as if to say 'you'll just have to find out'. She sighed, smiled, and pushed past me into the apartment.
"SURPRISE!" Kira, Sera, Kameron, and Charlotte jumped out from behind the couch excitedly. The kitchen area was decorated with pink and blue streamers, with blue and pink boxes on the table surrounding a white cake with blue and pink flowers on it.
Emily, Ben, and Noah looked back at the other kids, a little confused, while Calla just stared at the scene before her, absolutely stunned. "What's going on?" She demanded. Noah frowned, looking at Kira, Kameron, Seraphina, and Charlotte in bewilderment.
"Well, it's supposed to be a baby shower, but apparently we've turned it into a surprise party?" He said questioningly. Charlotte shrugged.
"When an opportunity to jump out and scream at people presents itself, always take advantage of it, Noah." She told him, dead serious. Calla raised her hands to stop everyone from talking.
"Who's idea was this?" She asked, her voice oddly quiet. Kira glanced at the others, nervous by Calla's reaction, but cleared her throat.
"It was mine." She said quietly. Calla's gaze locked on her. "I just thought, well, Mom and Dad are probably going to make us go back to New York when they get back, and the baby's not due until after that, so we're not going to be here when he or she is born, and I felt we should still get a chance to celebrate the baby. And everyone was kinda upset after last week, so I thought...why not cheer everyone up with an impromptu baby shower?"
Calla didn't say anything, but I could see her eyes watering. "We can put everything away if you want." Emily offered uneasily. Calla shook her head and raised her arms.
"No. Hugs, Kira first." She decided. Kira beamed and immediately went to hug Calla, quickly followed by Emily, Charlotte, Kameron, Noah, and finally Sera. "I love you kids." I heard Calla mumble to them as I walked past her to sit on the couch with Ben.
"Hey, you." I shouldered him gently. He looked over at me.
"Hey yourself." He replied, shouldering me in return. "Listen, Naomi-"
"Ben, I-" I started at the same time. We both stopped, and chuckled.
"Sorry." He apologized, motioning for me to go first. I sighed.
"I know I've been acting a little weird lately." I admitted. He looked like he disagreed, so I continued quickly. "I know I have. And I'm sorry. I just, after everything..." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. "You nearly died and I...I can't imagine my life without you. And I guess it's made me act a little distant while I got my head straight."
"Well, I haven't exactly helped. My own head's been a little messed up since then too." He admitted. I nodded, having noticed that he'd been distant too. "But I think I'm ready to go back to normal if you are?"
I smiled. "That's exactly what I want." I agreed. He smiled.
"Alright then. That's what we'll do." He agreed. I nodded, rethinking my earlier conversation with Calla. Maybe it was what I wanted. But maybe it wasn't.
Xxx
Kihonne: Alright, so that was a lot, wasn't it? Did you like it? Did you hate it? I'd really like to know your opinions on it. Anyway, since it's been a pretty heavy few weeks on Legacies, I thought I'd cheer everyone up with a few holiday themed chapters. So, here is the update schedule for the rest of the season:
October 18th OR October 31st: Jingle Bells
October 31st: New Year's Resolutions and Revelations
November 8th: The Eleventh Hour
November 15th: Stormfall
Okay, so here's the deal with Jingle Bell's update date. I plan to update on the 18th. That is my every intention. HOWEVER, due to the delay in this chapter, midterms, and general life and writing delays, that may not happen. I am going on a vacation on the 19th though, and while I will be able to write during this time, I will NOT have access to WIFI. So, if the chapter is late, I will be posting it as part of a special, double update on Halloween Night. Again, I am hoping to update on the 18th, but if it's not up around the same time I usually update Friday nights, you can expect the chapter, along with the New Year's special, on October 31st.
Hopefully, I'll see you guys Friday! Until then, don't forget to review, and enjoy your week!