Kihonne: Hello friends! Welcome back for Season 3 of Legacies! It's going to be a fun season, or at least for some of the heroes. But before we get started, just a quick couple of shoutouts to do:
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Guest: I have to say, I missed writing Dani as a fighter. She, Kaz, and Oliver were so new with their powers when Power of Seven was written that I didn't have the opportunity to write them as badass as I wanted to, and this was a nice opportunity to do so. Nyssa and Kira's history is complicated, to say the least. Killing off characters is never fun, but like you said, it adds realism. At least I only beat Kaz up a bit. Dani's reaction to the kids is frankly one of the more in-character moments that she's had as a parent and I approve, lol. I'm glad you liked the scenes with Sere and Jillian. I knew from the start that the season's success/failure was always going to hinge on their relationship with one another and Seraphina's whole perspective, so I'm glad that it seems to have been received the way I wanted it to. Seriously though, that was the toughest part of the chapter to write. The kids really are growing up, even if they are still making their mistakes. It'll be interesting to see how this affects their actions this season. Ben will never live this down, ever, whether he wants to or not. Yes, the baby is here! She's cute, I'll say that! Good guesses at the usernames. You're pretty on-point about every one of them, including the birth year (the twins and Nyssa were all born in 2023). If you're really stuck, check out my profile – there's some details about the kids that aren't mentioned yet in story that might give you an idea. I hope you have a great couple of weeks until we hear back from you! Enjoy the chapter!
SzymonS: Their world is a lot greener than ours, I agree. Ours needs to figure itself out, because at this point, it's ridiculous how bad climate change has gotten without people becoming properly concerned with our affect on the planet. Donald III, I felt like someone should bring him back at some point. Plus, I went through my master list of the students and I needed someone with a blast wave ability. Some Venusians have abilities, others do not. Frank is Adam and Rio's boy (only mentioned by name in End of an Era, though, like a few of the other heroes' kids). Nyssa is fun, I like having her around, Ah, Dani and Kaz. Most of the time, if I'm nearly killing anyone, it's some on the Davenport side of things. Figured it was about time I nearly murder one of them. Dani doesn't always think things through, in regards to the door. But it definitely worked as a threat. Emily is not a soldier. Tech genius, definitely. Slowly become her parents' worst nightmare? Possibly. But being able to handle a well-trained soldier in hand-to-hand combat? Yeah, not quite. I'm glad you liked the ending! I was worried about it. The whole no-contact rule…some would argue that it is an overreaction, others might argue that the kids were well-behaved before being placed in each other's vicinity. The parents are really just trying to navigate a challenging situation, and sometimes they're going to make good choices with that, and other times not so much. Season 3 is going to have a very interesting plot, and I think some of the choices are going to be surprises. That's all I'm going to say for now! I hope you like the chapter and the season!
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Kihonne: And anyway we go! Chase, take it away!
Chase: 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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Charlotte's POV
I bounced my knee up and down anxiously as I stared out the car window, the skyscraper-filled skyline passing by in a blur. Emily was in the backseat next to me, messaging someone from her Davenwatch, with a tired frown on her face. Neither one of us had gotten much sleep, between the really late night and the super early wake-up, but whereas I typically got a strange energy buzz from not sleeping enough, Emily was just left grumpy. Then again, she'd been that way since we returned from Caldera, over 3 months ago now.
We'd been grounded from the very moment our boots touched Earth's soil. For three months, I had basically done nothing but hang out in my room or living room. All electronics were banned except for school work, including our Davenwatches, holo-computers, and video games. Extracurriculars had been banned as well, as were any type of after-school activity. That meant no dinners at each other's place, no going to Calla's baby shower, and even no going to Grandpa's birthday party in Mission Creek (though, according to Frank and Valerie, it had totally sucked, so I wasn't as upset about that one). The worst part of all, though, was not being able to see Kameron, Kira, Seraphina, or Noah. It had been decided by our parents that although we were 'good kids', we weren't 'bringing out the best in each other' right now and so, a separation clause had been implemented in all our homes. No talking, no messaging, no hanging out, and certainly no missions of any kind, not until our parents decided otherwise.
That last rule was still in effect, despite us no longer being grounded. After 3 straight months of being able to do absolutely nothing fun of any kind, my parents released me from my punishment. I would have been over the moon about it had the timing not coincided perfectly with the start of my exam period. I went from having nothing I was allowed to do to being so busy I couldn't do anything I wanted. Between studying, and working on final projects, then prom and graduation, there had barely been any time to so much as go for a coffee, let alone properly enjoy my freedom.
But now, it was over. Our graduation had been Friday night. Our high school days were behind us, and summer had finally begun.
"We're here." Papa whistled as we pulled into the airport parking lot. Even Emily perked up at the announcement, glancing over at me so we could share an excited smile.
xxx
"You two have everything, right? Passports, wallets, emergency phone numbers?" Papa questioned, giving both Emily and I an appraising look as we stood outside the airport. With our suitcases in hand, we were ready to go, even if he wasn't as on board.
"Yeah, Uncle Leo." "Yes, Papa." Emily and I assured him. He chuckled, amused by the impatience in our tones.
"Okay, yeah. I'm starting to sound like your grandma." He admitted, much to my amusement. Emily rolled her eyes and looked back at the gate officers.
"We're going to be late." She told me, taking a step towards the line. Papa looked at his Davenwatch.
"We're three hours early." He pointed out, exasperated. Emily made a face and took another step away. Papa rolled his eyes. "I will tell your parents that you gave a long speech about how much you'll miss them and how well-behaved you promise you'll be in your study abroad program."
Emily grinned. "Thanks, Uncle Leo! See you later!" She exclaimed, practically racing into the airport.
"Well, she's eager to get out of town," Papa commented, shaking his head. I shrugged.
"I mean, the alternative is staying in the penthouse with a new baby for the summer." I pointed out. It was hardly the real reason - she and Calla were on rocky terms right now, had been ever since our little intergalactic adventure and both had pretty much needed a break from each other - but it was the one we were all pretending to accept.
"Yeah, I don't blame her on that one." He commented before giving me a more stern look. "Alright, don't let her drag you into trouble. Be careful, don't take stupid risks. Call us if you need anything."
"I won't, I promise," I assured him. "Papa, it's four weeks at a British university. The only real threat we'll be facing is not understanding people's accents."
"Yeah, I know. But call if you need anything." He insisted. I nodded.
"I will. Anything happens, we call." I swore. "But Papa, c'mon, what's the worst that can happen?"
Chase's POV
"Chase?" A hand waved in front of my face, startling me out of my thoughts. "Earth to Chase?"
"What?" I blinked tiredly. Naomi stared at me, amused, from across the counter. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
"I asked when Emily left." She replied, smirking at me. I sighed.
"Uh, yeah, Leo picked her up just before six." I rubbed my eyes, yawning. "He offered to drive the girls for us."
"That was nice," Naomi commented. I nodded, resting my cheek on my hand and yawning again. "Wow, you are TIRED. How much sleep are you getting?"
"Uh..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to think. "I got four hours? About three weeks ago?"
"Geez." She shook her head. "How did you guys manage with Emily?"
"Are you kidding? The whole team was living here for the first couple of weeks, plus Nyx and Geminus. And by the time Oliver and Skylar moved out, AJ had moved in." I pointed out, biting back a yawn. "We had help."
"Hey, I've helped." She protested. I nodded.
"And you are probably the only reason Calla and I are still standing," I told her gratefully. She nodded, a guilty smile on her face.
"Oh no." She murmured. "You're not going to like what I wanted to tell you, then."
Upstairs, I could hear Eliza starting to cry. Calla was on it before I could even get up, her soft murmurs to our daughter just barely loud enough for my heightened senses to pick up. I turned back to Naomi. "Please tell me you're not moving out," I told her. She grimaced, not answering, but confirming my theory altogether. "Damn it."
"I told you we were looking." She reminded me. I nodded.
"It's just...you and Ben have only been dating a few months. Don't you think it's a little early?" I pointed out. She gave me a look. "I'm just saying."
"It's Ben, Chase." She reasoned. "It's not like he's some new guy I met on a dating app. And we've been going out for 6 months now."
"I still think it's early," I replied. She rolled her eyes. "I'm just looking out for you, Naomi."
"Either that or you just don't want to lose your free babysitter." She teased. I opened my mouth to object, but she stopped me with a raised hand first. "I'll still be in town, I'll still be able to help. But I always planned on moving out before I finished school anyway, and with these summer courses I'm doing, I'll be done school by December. It's time."
"If you insist." I sighed. Upstairs, I heard the door to the nursery slide open and Eliza's cries got louder. Naomi winced sympathetically as Calla made her way down the stairs, desperately bouncing our baby against her chest. I immediately slid out of my seat. "Do you want me to feed her? I think there's another bottle in the fridge."
"No, she's not hungry. Her diaper is fine, she's not hot, she's not cold." Calla replied in a falsely sweet tone. I sighed, already knowing where this was going. "Naomi, do you want to know why my baby is screaming at me?"
"Calla..." I murmured. My wife gave Naomi a sarcastically bright smile, then turned to me and carefully handed Eliza over to me. As soon as she was in my arms, our five-week-old stopped crying, her wails softening to whimpers for a minute before she quieted down altogether. Calla turned back to Naomi, annoyance leaking through her plastered-on smile.
"She's crying because I'm not him," Calla replied before pushing past Naomi to make herself a cup of coffee. I adjusted my hold on Eliza, our youngest swaddled comfortably in a white blanket with balloons on it, a gift from Calla's mom.
"You're being ridiculous," I told her. She narrowed her eyes at me, scowling, before turning back to the coffee machine. "Honey, she can't even see a foot in front of her face yet. She does not have a favorite."
"Easy to claim when you are the favorite." My wife grumbled, pouring herself a mug. She took a long drink of her coffee, tipping her head back with an exhausted sigh. "I'm going to dedicate my next invention to the guy who invented coffee."
"You did that with your..." I strained to remember which invention it was. Man, this baby brain thing was no joke. "...first holophone? Not the prototype, the one that made it to market."
"And I'll do it again and again, but that man is my hero." She sighed deeply. Suddenly, my watch started to beep. I glanced at the time, biting back a curse when I realized what time it was. Calla sighed again, placing her mug down before holding her hands out. "Hand her over."
"You have work?" Naomi guessed as I carefully placed Eliza in Calla's waiting arms. We both held our breath, unsure of how she was going to react. When she didn't seem to notice, I smiled smugly at Calla.
"See? She doesn't..." Eliza began to whimper, waking from the light doze she'd slipped into. Calla sighed and raised her eyebrows at me. "I..."
"Go to work." She told me, tone soft and resigned.
"Calla..." I sighed. She shook her head, giving me a small smile.
"Go. You have a meeting." She raised up on the tips of her toes to give me a quick kiss. "I'll see you when you get home. Love you."
"Love you too," I replied, still frowning. Calla looked down at Eliza, a fake smile on her face.
"Alright, Pumpkin, let's try some tummy time." She told her with a level of enthusiasm I didn't think she was capable of after so little sleep. I sighed, grabbing my briefcase on my way out.
Charlotte's POV
"Okay, next time, we're not stopping for coffee!" I exclaimed as Emily and I ran through the airport, darting between different passengers as we desperately tried to reach our gate on time. We'd had just a 1-hour layover in New York, not enough time to
"How is this my fault?" My cousin demanded, just a step behind me. "You're the one who got us lost! Now, which way?"
We both skidded to a halt in front of a big departure board. I scanned the board for the name of our flight, hyper-aware that we did not have time for this. Then, I spotted it, down near the bottom. Gate 14: JFK to LHR...Gate 15: JFK to FCO...Gate 16: JFK to FAO... "Gate 15, c'mon!"
I didn't waste time waiting to see if Emily was following, instead tearing off in the direction of our gate. It was a good thing I did; by the time we reached the gate, most of the plane had boarded, the two of us just barely getting in before the doors closed. I sighed in relief as Emily and I started to climb onto the plane, my heart racing. "Okay, nobody needs to know that we nearly missed our flight."
"Agreed." Emily nodded, glancing at her ticket for the seat number. "Mom and Dad would never let me live it down. I'd get some lecture on being responsible or something."
"I mean, I don't think that would be their biggest issue," I commented, following her through the plane's aisles. She chuckled a bit at that.
"Yeah, but-hey!" She exclaimed, suddenly angry. She glanced at her ticket, scowled, and then ran ahead to another seat. I shook my head at her, following shortly behind. "No, no, no! I paid extra for preferential seating, and I did not do that just so you could steal my window seat!"
I smiled, shaking my head as I approached. "Oh, c'mon, Em." Kameron chuckled, leaning back in Emily's seat with his hands behind his head. Kira sat next to him, beaming up at us, while Noah watched in amusement from the otherwise empty row on our left. "I thought you missed us!"
"Not enough to give you my seat." Emily retorted. Kameron smirked, exchanged an amused look with Kira, then launched himself out of the seat. He sidestepped Emily to let her sneak in, then grabbed me by the waist and pulled me towards him. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck, beaming at him.
"Hi," I said. He matched my smile with his own.
"Hi." He replied before leaning in to kiss me. I pressed my lips excitedly to his, my heart racing.
"We're going to have to listen to them be gooey and lovey-duvvy all summer, aren't we?" I heard Emily comment in the background. I sighed, pulling away from Kameron with a roll of my eyes.
"Hush, it's cute." Kira scolded her. Kameron chuckled, shaking his head, cheeks reddening slightly. I leaned in again, our noses nearly touching.
"Best vacation ever," I murmured.
xxx
"How on Earth did you guys manage to get here?" I laughed in amazement, tucking my legs in from where I was sitting next to Kameron. The two of has joined Noah on the left side of the plane, while Kira and Emily had the right (and an empty seat in their row, which meant we could switch around as much as we wanted on our 8-hour flight). Right now, Emily was nose-deep in her holo-computer, typing code faster than I'd ever seen her type before, while the rest of us caught up.
"Well, Mom and Dad decided we weren't allowed to do training this year, which, by the way, not fair," Kira complained. Kameron sighed.
"I thought we agreed we weren't going to spend the entire summer complaining about it." He commented. She scowled but didn't push the issue. "Anyway, we told them we didn't want to spend the summer watching Nyssa and James train together. We asked if there was anywhere else we could be for the summer."
"We were hoping they'd send us to spend the summer with one of Dad's siblings, like maybe Uncle Kyle." Kira continued, nodding. "Mom came up with summer camp instead."
"So that's where they think you are right now?" I questioned. They both nodded, grinning.
"We're supposed to be at Camp Lakewood for the next 6 weeks." Kameron shrugged. I grinned, shaking my head and leaning into his arms. Then, something occurred to me.
"Wait, won't the camp call when you guys don't show up?" I asked, frowning. I heard Noah chuckle from behind Kameron and I.
"Not anymore." My cousin announced, but not in his own voice. I turned to look at him in shock. He continued to speak using Dani Broadman's voice, sounding pretty smug about the whole thing. "Not since I called and canceled their spots."
"No way, when did you get vocal manipulation?" I demanded, staring at him.
"Since I sent him an update for his chip two weeks ago," Emily replied for him, smirking proudly. She glanced up at us. "Also, just so everyone is on the same page, we don't have to worry about our parents tracking Noah or Char's chips."
"Why not?" Kira asked, frowning at her.
"Might have made my own VPN, connected their chips to it, then created a mimic signal for both of them on Mom's network." She answered, smirking. "I'm moving our Davenwatches onto my network as well, just a precaution. So long as we don't give our parents a reason to be suspicious, they won't ever have reason to worry."
"Where do Bree and Jaden think you are?" I asked Noah, looking back at him over Kameron's shoulder.
"Dorms. I told them that I was taking a summer semester at the film school in New York. They dropped me off on Tuesday." He explained. He nodded at the twins. "Then I just made sure I was waiting with a car near the camp entrance for when Kaz and Dani dropped these two off."
"We've been chilling in his dorm ever since," Kira replied, screwing her nose up. "And by the way, boy's dorms smell weird."
"We'll keep that in mind," Emily commented, eyes back on her holocomputer. I narrowed my eyes at Noah.
"Is it a good idea to be lying to your parents about going to school, again?" I questioned. "Won't they be mad?"
Noah grimaced. "I'm...not lying, actually." He admitted. "I am taking a couple of summer courses. They just don't need to know the courses are online."
"Summer school sucks," Kira told him, shaking her head. She glanced at Emily and I. "How did you guys convince your parents to let you go to England?"
"Yeah, what is that?" Kameron questioned, scowling. "We've been under house arrest since Caldera, and our parents are the chill ones."
"We've been grounded too," Emily grumbled, turning her attention back to her holo-computer. "If Mom wasn't watching me, it was Dad. At least Dad let me use my tech."
"For school work." I pointed out, frowning. Emily shrugged.
"Inquiry-based learning is proven to be very effective in developing critical thinking, building creativity, and creating a positive mindset towards education." She replied. We all stopped and looked at her. She caught our stares, then rolled her eyes. "Some of it was homework, the rest...not so much. I was learning stuff, that's all he needed to know."
We all exchanged looks. "Is this one of those things where we're better off not knowing?" Kira asked, frowning at Emily. My cousin nodded, smirking a little but not taking her eyes off the holoscreen.
"Probably." She admitted. I grimaced, raising my eyebrows in an alrighty-then type of look. Emily had probably found a new scientific chat room or done some weird deep dive on a quantum field theory study or something. She was always doing some strange internet research - I liked to tease her that she just wanted to sound smarter than everyone else, though I knew she was just curious. The early weeks of our grounding had been rather boring, so it was good that she found a way to distract herself.
"Um, Em and I were always planning on going to Europe after graduation. We've taken summer jobs at Davenport Industries every year to save up." I explained to the others. "England was always the plan, but we don't mind changing it to work with everyone else."
"I mean, we could still take a side trip. Just saying." Emily mentioned. I rolled my eyes.
"Ignore her. She didn't have a strong enough coffee this morning." I teased her. She smirked a little, continuing to type. "Anyway, we worked our butts off for school and were otherwise very responsible and adult-like," I emphasized the words that I'd been repeating to Emily ever since Kira had told us her idea at the beginning of May. For two months now, those words had been our mantra, repeated almost as a greeting every morning to keep us on track for our goals. I'd been careful not to make a single complaint about the grounding, to advertise every good grade I'd received, and had even volunteered to help Mrs. Murphy on the 95th floor carry her groceries up every week. Emily, for her part, had been as friendly as a cranky Emily could be; she'd been volunteering on her Dad's campaign team, she hadn't complained even on nights when Eliza kept the entire house awake with her cries, and she'd even managed to stop picking fights with Calla (for the most part). "Now, they think we're on a school trip as part of an early admissions thing, so that helped, but I think they would have gone for it either way. It's our money, after all, and we're moving to Boston in August anyway."
"Your parents might have been cool with it. Mine not so much." Emily commented, typing faster and sitting up. I shrugged, not quite disagreeing with her. My parents hadn't been so on board with the whole separation thing - Papa had thought it was a bad idea but had been outnumbered by the other adults, and it had been Mama who convinced Kaz and Dani to let Kameron come to prom with me. But Calla and Chase had seemed pretty upset with all of us after Caldera that if they hadn't been distracted by Eliza, they might not have let Emily come on this trip at all, even under the guise of it being a learning opportunity.
"Hey, I thought Fun Emily was coming on the trip," Kameron commented off-handedly. Kira, Noah, and I all froze. Emily, caught off guard by his comment, stopped as well and turned to stare at him, eyebrows raised. Kameron, to his credit, met her gaze without flinching, maintaining a relaxed position behind me. "Em, rule number one was to have fun. Is complaining making this more fun for you?"
"No..." She muttered. He nodded but didn't say anything else. Emily sighed. "Fine. I'll have fun."
"Good." He grinned brightly at her, all tension disappearing immediately. "Because at some point, we're gonna find a trivia night, and we're gonna need you to win."
Emily rolled her eyes, smiling a little. "Okay. Just let me finish here..." She went back to typing on her computer. I turned to look at Kameron, who was smirking proudly. I had to admit, I was impressed. Usually, if Emily was in one of her moods, most people either let her have her way or ignored her. It wasn't often that someone called her out on it, or managed to do so without causing a fight. After a moment, Emily made a satisfied noise and closed her holo-computer. "Okay, mimic signals are in place for the Davenwatches. As far as anyone is concerned, Kam and Key are getting eaten alive by mosquitos and Noah's holing himself up in his dorm all summer."
"Awesome." Noah grinned, shaking his head at her. "You are a god with that thing."
"Goddess. But thank you." Emily smiled arrogantly. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.
"Alright, folks." I rubbed my hands together, eager to begin. "There's just one more thing to do before our summer of fun begins."
Seraphina's POV
I sighed deeply, taking in the scents of Earth's air. It had been months since I'd been on the blue and green planet, and although this was no Centium City, I'd deeply missed this world. I could hear people talking in strange accents, could taste fresh vegetables in the air. It was all more alive, more vibrant than Caldera. There was just one thing missing...well, five things missing. Five people, to be specific.
Unfortunately, seeing the others wasn't an option. I was on Earth for one reason and one reason only: the 'Superhero Pilgrimage' that Geminus had implemented a couple of years after forming the New League of Heroes. It was basically a tour of different places important to the history of the original League of Heroes. Honestly, it sounded a bit boring - museums and walking tours weren't really my thing - but it was a mandatory step I had to take if I wanted to join the New League of Heroes.
"Wait until you're older." Dad had insisted when I'd told him I wanted to take Geminus up on her offer to begin my training. "Enjoy being a kid."
He and Mom hadn't been overly thrilled when I told them I was going to join anyway, but to my surprise, they hadn't stood in my way either. Ever since we'd begun making peace with Venusia, things had been...different. They weren't as strict, weren't as protective as they used to be. Part of it had to do with my newfound popularity with the other Calderans, I was sure. There was almost an expectation by my people that I would join the League and represent them. But I also hoped that it was about them realizing that I was growing up and that I was ready for something more than my lessons with Hapax or cavern walls.
"Are you coming?" A voice dragged me out of my thoughts. I turned and gave Nyssa a look, the younger girl leaning against the outer wall of the hotel, her duffle bag lying at her feet. "C'mon, I wanna check in."
"Coming." I heaved my own bag over my shoulder and followed Nyssa into the hotel. My parents' one condition had been that I couldn't go on the trip alone. Nyssa's training had started earlier in the year, so accompanying her and doing the Pilgrimage together had made sense, even if I'd been disappointed to learn that Kameron and Kira's training had been pushed back a year.
Nyssa handled the concierge for us, much to my relief. This hotel chain had been used often enough by members of both the Bionic Academy and the New League of Heroes that all we had to do was show the girl at the front desk our NLH ID cards (still shiny and new, in my case) and she handed us a pair of room keys. A call would be made to Geminus to confirm our arrival and we'd likely receive more instructions in the morning, but for right now, we were left to our devices.
"Do you want to grab dinner?" I asked as we walked through the halls, looking for room 502. "We could get sushi."
Nyssa stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me. "Sushi?"
"...Yeah?" I replied, confused. She frowned.
"Seraphina, we're in Italy." She pointed out. I nodded, still confused. "Why would we get sushi in Italy?"
"Look, I don't know where food is from. Calla would hand me a takeout menu and I'd pick based on the pictures." I shrugged. "I don't care what we eat."
"I mean, you should." Nyssa continued walking, keeping her dark eyes peeled for our room. "Isn't it your birthday or something?"
"That was yesterday," I replied. Mom and Dad had gone all out, with cake and soft pretzels. Unfortunately, Felix had gone home after the war had ended, so I couldn't hang out with him like we usually did on my birthday, but it had been a nice birthday otherwise. Something occurred to me just then. "Wait, how'd you know when my birthday was?"
Nyssa didn't answer, instead stopping in front of one of the hotel rooms. I glanced at the number, then at the little envelope, the room keys had come in. "That's not our room," I told her before she could waste her time swiping it.
She smirked and nodded. "I know." She replied before rapping the door with her fist in a quick pattern. There was some noise behind the door for a moment - whispers too quiet to comprehend, shuffling - and then the door swung open.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Kira was the first one out the door, pulling me into a tight hug before I could properly comprehend what I was saying. She pulled away just as fast, grinning. "Did we surprise you? Tell me we surprised you!"
"I..." I was speechless. Behind Kira stood Noah, a warm smile on his face, and Charlotte, smirking with pride. From the room, I could hear Kameron and Emily bickering quietly about whether or not they were supposed to bring gifts. "Wha...what are you guys doing here?"
"They're tagging along for the trip," Nyssa smirked at me before pushing her way past Kira and into the room. "The birthday girl wants sushi, of all things!"
I laughed in disbelief, absolutely stunned. Noah chuckled, sweeping me into a gentle hug as soon as Kira had moved to follow Nyssa. "I hope it's a happy birthday surprise," He commented. I nodded, smiling as I hugged him back. This was going to be an amazing summer.
Chase's POV
It was late when I got home, later than I'd wanted it to be. I hadn't meant for things to take me this long, but there'd just been meeting after meeting, then statistics and research to pour over, and the time had gotten away from me. I tried texting Calla to let her know I'd be a bit late but received no response whatsoever, which is why, when I finally did get home, I made sure to have a bag of her favorite take-out tucked under one arm.
To my surprise, the penthouse was quiet when I unlocked the door. The lights were dimmed, the holo-TV glowing brightly in the living room. Calla was passed out on the couch, one arm hanging off the side of it, mouth ajar, and snoring slightly. At some point during the day, she must have brought the spare bassinet up from Mission Command, because Eliza was sleeping peacefully in it a foot away from Calla's foot.
Chuckling quietly, I carefully placed our dinner and my briefcase down on the coffee table. I carefully stepped past my wife to the bassinet and gently lifted our daughter into my arms, incredibly grateful when Eliza stayed quiet for me. "Wha..." I glanced behind me briefly as Calla started to come to, blinking in confusion. "What time is it?"
"Nearly six. Sorry, things got busy." I murmured.
"What?" Calla hissed, sitting up properly. "It's only..." She trailed off when she saw the time. "Oh my god, it's only been twenty minutes."
She dropped her face into her hands. I grimaced sympathetically. "Let me put her down, alright?" I leaned down to press my lips to the top of Calla's head. "I'll come back and we'll have dinner."
She didn't respond but didn't argue with me either. I quickly made my way up to Eliza's bedroom, just across from ours and next to Emily's, and put her to bed. With MISS acting as the world's most attentive baby monitor, I went back downstairs only to find that Calla had not moved from her spot on the couch. I walked over to her, frowning a little when she still didn't move. "I got Mario's. Do you want to eat here or at the counter?" I asked, briefly wondering if she'd fallen asleep in that position.
"Here." She muttered, voice somewhat muffled by her hands. I sighed, more out of exhaustion than anything else, dropping onto the couch next to her without any hesitation. I tipped my head back against the cushions, internally debating whether my desire for hot food was more important than the pull of sleep. "You're so good at this."
I raised my head to find Calla looking at me, her expression halfway between a glare and a pout. "Can you be more specific?" I waved my hand vaguely, not really having the energy to try and work out what Calla was upset about.
"This." Calla waved her hand at the room around us. "All of it." She insisted. I frowned, sitting up. She, meanwhile, leaned back on the couch, twisting so that she was facing me with her face resting on her open palm. "You're perfect with Eliza, and you're running a campaign on top of it, and then you're coming home with food from my favorite restaurant. Even after I was cranky with you all morning for no good reason." She sighed, looking at me. "I'm sorry, by the way."
"It's okay. We're both tired." I assured her. She shook her head. "Hey." I waited until she looked at me. "We're both tired. It's okay."
"No, it's not." She sighed, sitting up and looking back at me. "They hate me, Chase."
"They?" I repeated, sitting up myself.
"Emily, Eliza." She clarified with a deep sigh. She gestured upstairs. "What are you doing that I'm not? Am I holding her wrong? Does she not like my voice?"
"You're not...Calla, you're great with her." I assured her. She gave me a look.
"I was left alone with her for 6 hours, and she has spit up on me twice, cried for 45 minutes straight, and somehow I've managed to lose her favorite pacifier, the blanket Rio sent her, and my Davenwatch!" She exclaimed.
"That explains why you didn't text me back," I muttered, half to myself. She frowned at me, not quite catching what I said. "Hey, you remember how you sent me to get milk the other day? It took me a few hours?"
"That was the day with the really bad traffic, right?" She asked, frowning. I pressed my lips together.
"Actually, it was the day I fell asleep in the parking garage," I replied. Her eyebrows shot up, surprised. "Katherine found me and gave me the carton from their fridge."
Calla eased herself back into the pillows beside me. "She's not going to let you live that one down." She warned me, sounding more amazed than teasing.
"Oh, she's already told Adam." He'd left a pretty long voicemail while I was in a meeting today, teasing me about it. I gave Calla a small smile. "Trust me, I'm right there with you. I'm just hiding it slightly better."
"Yeah. Sorry..." She muttered. I shook my head. She heaved a heavy sigh again. "I still think the girls hate me."
"Yeah..." I agreed. She stared at me, betrayed. "But give it a week, and it'll be me they hate next."
"I'm serious." She scolded me, smacking my shoulder lightly. I nodded.
"So am I. Remember how Emily was? She'd lose her mind if anyone other than you fed her for the first month, and then the next month, she only wanted me to. The month after that, you were the only one she'd stop crying for." I reasoned. "You're a good mom. It's a phase. Eliza loves you."
"Maybe..." She muttered. I sighed; she'd believe it when she saw it, I supposed. But Emily had truly been the same way, always reacting strongly either to or against one of us at any given time.
"Yes, not maybe," I promised her. She sighed, rolling her head over onto my shoulder. "Our kids don't hate you."
"Emily hates me." She pointed out.
"Emily hates everything that doesn't run on electricity." I retorted. I didn't quite get the laugh I'd been hoping for, but she smirked a little at least. I looked over at her. "Do you really think they hate you? Or are you just frustrated?"
She sighed and didn't answer for a minute. I sat up a little, not wanting to move her if she was comfortable, but wanting a better look at her. "Frustrated, I think..." She admitted after a long moment. I nodded, frowning. "I'm okay, I just...I'm tired, Chase."
"I know." I pressed my lips to her forehead. She sighed, leaning into my touch. "What if I take more time off work? I technically have a few more weeks of leave..."
"No." She immediately sat up and gave me a look. "No, the campaign's important to you."
"You, Eliza, and Emily are important to me," I argued softly. She smiled slightly, rolling her eyes.
"Obviously, yes. But Chase, we talked about this. You're already behind in the polls because of Venusia. If you take any more time off, you'll have no chance of winning, and it's important to you." She reasoned. I sighed and gestured at the clock. "What? The time? Babe, you were twenty minutes late. One time. The only time in Eliza's lifetime, in fact. I think you get a pass every once in a while."
"Are you sure?" I'd honestly considered dropping out of the race already. I'd missed a huge chunk of campaign time because of the Calderan-Venusian conflict, so I was already fighting an uphill battle even before you took Eliza into account. It was...well, it was a lot if I was being honest. I could handle it, I thought, but not at Calla's expense. She nodded, rubbing my arm reassuringly.
"Yes. Besides, I want you to defeat that Cooper prick. He was so smug when he beat you last time." She insisted, looking annoyed at the very thought of Jason Cooper beating me in the polls again.
"Then what do you want to do?" I asked, sighing. "We could foster another 15-year-old to help babysit?"
That earned a real smile from her. "I mean, I'd adopt Kira and Kameron if I thought Kaz and Dani would agree." She commented. I chuckled. "I should call AJ when I find my Davenwatch though."
"You're Davenwatch is currently on the top shelf of the fridge," MISS informed her. Calla paused, then sighed.
"I don't even remember going in the fridge!" She exclaimed in frustration, dropping back onto the couch, head resting on my shoulder once more. I smirked a little in amusement.
"I'll get it." I offered, starting to get up. She grabbed my arm though, stopping me.
"No. You're comfy." She admitted, snuggling in a bit closer. I smiled, dropping my chin onto her head. "Babies are tough."
"Babies are tough." I agreed as the news came on the TV. I looked down at Calla, noticing how her eyelids were starting to droop now that she was more comfortable. "Dinner's gonna get cold." I reminded her gently. She sighed and reluctantly pushed herself up.
"What did you get me?" She reached for the bag and opened it to see. There was a soft gasp, and I watched a smile spread on her face. She sent me a little smile. "You are perfect."
"So are you," I told her. She rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face. "Look, I'll talk to Em when she and Char get back from the UK. It's not fair that she's only annoyed with you for grounding her when it was a joint decision."
"Maybe the trip will be good for her." Properly awake now that the smell of bolognese sauce was in the air, Calla sat up and began to distribute the containers. "Do you think? A break might be good?"
"It might help," I admitted, hoping that it would. Emily had been less frustrated the last few weeks before her graduation, though I couldn't tell if it was because she was actually starting to see reason, or if she was just distracted by exams and her upcoming study trip with Charlotte. I hoped it was the former; though rebellious streaks tended to be few and far between with her, the ones we did experience had always been long, stubborn. The still-muted TV continued to run in the background, the news anchor, Dylan, moving away from the weather to traffic. "It can't make things worse, at least."
"I hope you're right." Calla handed me a container of pasta before settling next to me with her own. "The rest will be fine, we just need to ride it out, right? We'll be okay."
"We'll be okay," I promised her. She nodded, then sat up suddenly.
"Polling numbers." She patted around the couch with her hands. "Shoot, where's the remote?"
"Also in the refrigerator," MISS informed her.
"Really?" My wife muttered, more at herself than anything else. I shook my head in amusement.
"MISS, can you unmute it?" I asked patiently. The volume on the TV suddenly sprung upwards, just as the report started discussing the numbers.
"With just under two months before-I'm sorry, I have to interrupt this message with breaking news." Dylan stopped midway through his segment, a red banner appearing at the bottom of the hologram. "This just in from California. There's been a massive fire at a government facility." The hologram changed to show live footage of the fire. Firefighters were on the scene, as were law enforcement and paramedics, by the looks of things. "The cause of the fire is currently unknown at this time, but according to-"
"Pause the footage," I ordered. Instantly, the hologram froze, MISS, awaiting further instructions. I stared at the hologram for a moment, then turned to Calla. "Please tell me that's not an UPSEI prison. Because it looks like an UPSEI prison."
"Okay, I won't tell you that." She replied, keeping her eyes locked on the screen. "But, uh...one of us is going to want to give Agent DeCook a call."
I sighed, rubbing my eyes. Just when I thought we had enough on our plate.
Xxx
Kihonne: Okay folks! It's going to be a fun summer for us, with quite a few twists and surprises planned. Tell me what you all thought!
Anyway, the update schedule for July will continue as follows:
Monday, July 8th: Season 3, Chapter 2
Monday, July 15th: Season 3, Chapter 3
Monday, July 22nd: Season 3, Chapter 4
Monday, July 29th: NO UPDATE (I'm on vacay and won't have internet access)
I hope you guys liked the chapter. Like I said, there's going to be some twists, there's going to be some unexpected characters and cameos, and maybe the answer to one of the questions people have been wondering for a very long time. Who knows? Have a great week folks, and I'll see you on Monday!