There was no response for a few moments before she suddenly felt a kick. "Are you sure?", Rebecca asked; not exactly sure herself if that was a kick in response or just one of those natural ones.
A firm kick responded back, and Rebecca felt it more clearly as she winced momentarily before chuckling softly..."Me too, little one...He is sweet...so considerate...he listened to me...he made me feel like I could be myself again...And he even made me laugh a few times while being cute in his fumbling...Do you think I should see him again?".
Another eager kick came, and she smiled, "Yeah...I think I got a new friend...I think he likes me too...", and another kick came, and she chuckled, "I know...It has been ages since I really made a new friend close to my age...Now, it's getting very late...We better get to sleep, and that includes you, little one...".
A soft kick came, and she smiled, "Good night, little one...", before singing a lullaby while stroking her baby bump as she got comfortable in her bed, and soon, she felt motions and little fluttering as she whispered, "Sweet dreams...I...I love you...", feeling somehow not scared anymore, but a bit more positive and happier as she went to sleep too.
Rebecca visited the gardens many times, talking and slowly getting more comfortable with Dazis when he came at the end of his patrol...often guided by him in exploring the city when he's off duty, and enjoyed a few meals with him as a month came by, while Rebecca fell in love with her baby, joy and happiness filling her heart as she experienced milestones, becoming seven months along.
Meanwhile, Bucky tried on a different prosthetic or two every week, but to his disappointment, they were too stiff, too heavy, too light, too painful, too powerful, and even too flimsy. Abraham frowned in concern, looking at the stump, "I don't get it...It's almost like it's refusing those prosthetics, and even with the Atlantean runes to help Atlantean energy power them, they don't move exactly or flawlessly like a real arm...Let me get this correct, Bucky, the only one you were perfectly fit, it was that energy arm of Atlantean crystal you were temporarily given in Paris for the night?".
"So far...", Bucky sighed. "I really don't know what the deal is with that... and I have no idea how to get it back and have it stay at least. That way, we could just get something over it and problem solved.".
Manuel replied, "And we worked on the last two prosthetics too!", with a disgruntled sigh, as Audrey replied, "Maybe it needs something special to work together with the energy arm...I wouldn't want the arm to get thrown off by explosives or something...to absorb or rebound the gunshots and such at least like Steve's shield...", with a nod and a sigh.
Abraham widened his eyes, "Wait, what did you say? Say the last part again, Audrey.", looking over at Audrey who looked confused for a second as she repeated it again before widening her eyes as she realized what Abrahm was indicating at.
"Vibranium? Do you think that would work?", Audrey asked hopefully, and Abraham replied, "It makes sense...I mean, no one really knows where the Heart came from, and the latest evidence from the history scrolls said that it came from the heavens...So, if the Heart came here from outer space, then Vibranium must have come from outer space as well, as it's the rarest substance, and I only have heard it from Howard Stark.".
"But we don't have Vibranium, and I ain't borrowing Steve's shield either...", Bucky frowned, and Abraham replied, "Indeed, but I still have the blueprints of the job upon the shield, as some of it had to be shaped and carved slightly...If I show the blueprints of the Vibranium to the Heart, then maybe it would help us find more Vibranium as Howard Stark vaguely had said that when I got it from him that it was originally in Africa, on the East shore somewhere.", with a growing excited, hopeful smile.
"You think it'll work?", Bucky asked him as he raised an eyebrow as Abraham chuckled, "Hey, only one way to find out...", as he got up and practically started to move with quite a hurry in his step. "Whoa, hand on a sec, don't we need to ask Kida first?!", Audrey chased right after him.
Abraham replied, "When we were notified of Bucky's situation in that note, Kida ordered that if there's anything possible, it would be made for the prosthetic, hence why those prosthetics that the people in the healer center made is different from one another. This is the same thing, Audrey, and I know Vibranium is possible because I had people forging the work art into that shield for Steven!".
Audrey had never thought she'd see a glint of excitement and hope in Abraham's eyes in the time she knew him, yet she knew that he's not lying. After all, Steve's shield is proof.
She replied, "Alright, but I'll go get Kida and the others as they need to see this!", splitting away from Abraham who smiled, nodding, and he got to his and Thaddeus's house, trying to remember where he put away his old papers and such.
"Tad, do you know where I put the old papers and all?", Abraham asked urgently as he came into the living room where he and Whitmore was having tea, watching the twins play ball as they sat on their rumps, looking up to see their daddy looking excited and frantic.
Thaddeus was a bit bewildered but answered, "In the attic spot above our office, Abram.", and Abraham kissed him on the lips suddenly yet happily, "Thank you, my love!", sprinting to their office, to use the clever hide-away ladder for the attic.
"Guessing that he finally got some inspiration?", Whitmore suggested. "Looks to be that way; I haven't seen him that excited and in a rush for quite some time. Probably something finally clicked in regard to the Barnes situation, it would seem.", Thaddeus replied.
Whitmore sipped the last of his tea with a smile, "Even if it has been a month already, I still cannot believe that you two truly get each other beyond measure, and seeing you so happy, it certainly brings something new every day, and of course, the twins count as well...".
Thaddeus chuckled, "Indeed, every milestone, little or big, it's incredible...Sometimes we wish we had stolen Packard's camera, but you know she's like...an iron trap when it comes to her, and even if she's old and sarcastic, she's scary when she gets mad, which is rare...", with a shiver.
"I had that experience one time...Yikes.", Whitmore winced, and Thaddeus chuckled, "Indeed, Preston.", before seeing Abraham come out of the office with a large roll of a blueprint, sipping the last of his tea, "Abram?".
Abraham looked up with a smile, "Intact and perfect. Wanna come and watch? Audrey's getting the others. Bucky's at the healer center with Manuel.", and Whitmore replied, "I'm heck as curious to hear your idea, eh, Thaddeus?", as he got up, picking up Rachel who squealed happily in his arms, excited.
Thaddeus nodded, "I'm very curious.", placing his empty teacup on the table, getting up from his chair, picking up Klaus who dropped the ball with a pout for a moment before cooing as he snuggled into Thaddeus's shoulder, and Abraham chuckled warmly, "I know you are...This is the blueprint for the shield, along with the Vibranium.", as they exited the house, almost walking quickly to match Abraham's urgent pace.
"Vibranium?", Thaddeus asked. "That was the solution you came up with? Where on Earth do we find any more of that stuff?", with a frown. "Well, if my theory might be right... we might be able to find it thanks to the Heart.", Abraham explained.
Whitmore looked surprised yet confused, "I thought Vibranium is the rarest mineral/metal.", and Abraham replied, "Oh, it is, but since it's relatively new, and since it does not exist anywhere else, except in East Africa, I figured that the Vibranium came from outer space, like the stories of the Heart in the latest scrolls we could find is said to come from the heavens...So, they might have crossed by each other a time or two back in the beginning of time and space.".
Thaddeus widened his eyes as it clicked for him, "The Heart would know the essence of Vibranium, and vice versa...", and Abraham nodded, "Exactly.", with a smile.
"But isn't the Heart like a few millennia of years old now, if Vibranium is young compared to it?", Whitmore asked, and Abraham chuckled, "The Heart is sentient and conscious. I'm sure they remember the Vibranium.", before looking ahead, "Ah, look at that, everybody is here!", as the newfound gathering of the families within Kida and Bucky at front, is standing on the patio courtyard before the healer center around a courtyard table.
They can see that Milo is holding Toki, with Sia and Jacques holding Kory and Jen, and Nola is supported by Sweet, while Rebecca is standing between Audrey and Dazis.
Kida replied, "Do you have it?", and Abraham nodded, "Yep.", as he unrolled it, flattening it out on the stone carved picnic table, with Manuel holding into a corner, and Jerika holding into another corner, with Audrey holding into the third corner, and Abraham holding into the last corner.
"Looks good. Bucky, put your crystal on the blueprint of the Vibranium, and I'll join you aside.", Kida commanded, and Bucky nodded, bending over, putting his new crystal he has been given a few days in after they arrived, resting on the side of the Vibranium blueprint, and Kida bent over to rest her crystal, the Queens' Crystal on the other side of the Vibranium blueprint.
Taking a deep breath, Kida then asked, "Great Kings of the Past, to the Heart of Atlantis, we ask you to give us a path to find the needed Vibranium to restore Warrior Bucky's limb in a prosthetic, thus, in my name as Queen Kidagaskash Thatch, and so let it mote be!".
Her crystal glowed brighter, a beam flashing to Bucky's crystal, as the Heart glowed brighter, humming as it rumbled a bit louder, but not into protection mode like back with the volcano, but almost like the Great Kings are talking.
It took a few minutes, but no one dared to speak, respecting the Great Kings, and then the Heart then beamed into the Vibranium blueprint, becoming a golden-violet transparent path with a magical compass sketch right below the Vibranium blueprint, like a cracking line of a map from the Vibranium blueprint, across the table, down into the stone floor, across the city, a bridge, through the water, down the waterfalls, across the crumbled hills of solidified lava fields, up a cliffside, and through an occasional hunting tunnel path, clearly showing to be south of the outer borders of Atlantis for now, but the group has a feeling that the magical compass is bound to direct the way easier if the scroll is brought along, as the tunnel would need to be dug further on or something beyond the limits it is at.
"Was that it?", Bucky asked as Kida took a deep breath. "I believe so... this... this isn't something that I've normally done before so even I can't be so sure, but it appears to have worked. Or at the very least, it's guiding us to where we perhaps can find some of that material you're looking for.", Kida explained.
Milo replied, "It's possible that there are deposit pockets of Vibranium that people couldn't find easily, since this clearly leads underground from here...", with a hum.
Thaddeus smiled, "Which means I can map and explore this out!", looking excited and happy much like Abraham was previously about his theory.
"I can understand that the narwhal can fit through that hunting tunnel we use occasionally, but since it's heavy and a bit slower in a way than the Ketaks and Martags, this requires efficiency and speed, so, it's a small group for safety. Six people at best. Milo and Thaddeus for their exploring and mapping skills, plus, the small possible window of something happening for politics, which I can't see happening, since it's way too deep for surface technology to reach pockets, two warrior/hunters for the group's protection and hunting skills, and since I know you need Sweet with you right now, Nola, I trust you'll choose one of your best trusted healers to go with them, along with a mechanic/digger, and I know it can't be you, Audrey, since you want to be around for Rebecca and Bucky, so, I hope you'll accept the offer, Mechanic Manuel?", Kida explained, looking around at the group, and glanced at Manuel as she finished the orders.
Manuel nodded. "Well, it's been a while since I've been on a bit of an adventure since Iceland... guess I've got nothing better to do...", he chuckled as Audrey hugged him.
"Don't do anything stupid and get yourself killed, alright?", Audrey warned him as he nodded, "Of course. Hopefully, there won't be much trouble.".
"Shouldn't really be.", Milo said. "Even if we have any 'wildlife' issues; the narwhal should easily get away.". Kida replied, glancing at her husband, "Not the narwhal...I suppose I didn't explain it right. You and the group are to ride the Ketaks and Martags of your choice. Good thing that they seat two people. But first, packing food and portable equipment like sleeping bags.".
Milo exhaled, "Oh! Now I see why you mean by efficiency and speed...Yes, the Ketaks and Martags can use the beams to scare off any dangerous wildlife besides the ones I pick for the hunting/protection to hunt slightly better wildlife if we are to ration our food in our bags and such.".
Kida smiled, "Precisely. But some hours to pack things and such, and you all need to eat lunch as well in a couple of hours. Best to take off in the afternoon.", and Milo nodded.
Thaddeus widened his eyes, glancing at Abraham who smiled sadly, and Thaddeus exhaled, rolling up the sentient map, as the path still shimmered through Atlantis to the tunnel, "We'll get on packing and other things, Your Majesty.", with a nod, and Kida smiled sadly, "Dismissed.".
The group of the three families split up, with Audrey going to help her father pack and such, with Nola sighing as she glanced at Sweet and Moses and Jerika, "Well, looks like you're going to help me pick one of my best healers.", unknowing that when the path came through the table and down to the stone floor, it was under her feet, and a shimmer of energy touched her, boosting the advancing pregnancy of one of the triplets over the incoming two hours to full term, unknowing that she's going to be in labor just for one time, making it easier on her to carry the remaining duo.
"Shouldn't be too difficult, right?", Sweet chuckled. "After all, if they all answer to you, I'm sure you've gotten them well into line in regard to healing.".
Nola smiled, "Indeed.", and Jerika suggested, "Perhaps you could make a speech of this opportunity, and after telling the details of the mission, it would narrow the healers into a small number of healers, since after all, they'd have their own families and such that they need to stay behind, along with being needed on emergency call with some of their patients.".
"That actually seems fair enough.", Nola surmised, and Moses replied, "And if it's more than one, perhaps have them do a test, a verbal and mental test. After all, they have been here for centuries, young and old.".
Nola nodded, "And the one with the most answers and the best chance of taking this mission would go with the group, then. Thank you, Ma, Poppa.", with a smile. It took a while for her to become so fond of her parents-in-law, and when she did, she then was comfortable with the family names for Moses and Jerika.
The elderly couple smiled as they grew to love their new daughter, and they got excited every time when Nola gives them the chance to feel their grandchildren kicking and all, with the two full names chosen already for two of them, and Sweet replied, "Then let's get to it.".
Indeed, it took two hours as Nola had to take a lot of breaks to rest as even if she's six months along, the triplets are taking a lot out of her at times, but luckily, she's used to exercise, and she knew that exercise is important for her.
Either way, the suggestions and advice worked as Nola got a dedicated healer who is quite experienced, and now, the family is heading back to the palace for lunch 10 minutes in the 20 minutes' walk. Sweet held an arm around his wife, "Are you alright, Nola?".
"I'm okay...They are getting heavy these days now...I think I must tell Her Majesty that it's due for me to take maternity leave...At least if I take exercise in the royal gardens and just walk around the palace, I will have more time to rest...I hate that it's still 3 months off, but better to be safe than nothing...", Nola sighed.
Sweet looked relieved when he heard her, as she has been stubborn and hormonal, and smiled, kissing her on the forehead, "Don't worry...I'll take over our healer duties with Poppa...if you're okay with Ma staying with you...I'd feel better that way...".