Kala's heart tore as she understood the shame, the fear, the resigned loss, and the betrayal of the ex-friends and boss in the memory of the few days Nena accidently outed herself, realizing why she had to contain her true self in her career, and how she had worked so hard to be the expected woman of near independence yet dependence of her family's reputation and all.
"Nena...", Kala whispered, looking at Nena with more love and understanding than ever. "Did... did I just see...?", Nena started to stammer, as Kala nodded at her question.
"I guess they forgot to mention that part about you when it comes to soulmates around here... about practically a merging of the minds at a point.", Kala gave a wry chuckle with a shrug.
Nena smiled softly, "You were so cute as a child...", and Kala blushed, smiling, giggling as she replied, "You were literally a chatting bird, asking millions of questions as a child, adorable...".
"Oh, lord!", Nena flushed, "How was I supposed to know that I was bold to ask the birds and bees question that young?", with an embarrassed smile, and Kala giggled, "Better to know from your parents than strangers, either way. At least they were good about it.".
Nena chuckled, "True...I...He was a good man...No wonder why you looked up to him...He will be so proud of you for coming so far with your faced fears of the water and all...".
Kala smiled gently, "Thank you...And it makes me even happier to actually see your mother instead of hearing about her...Seeing her give her blessings...Gods, this is actually coming true for us...I love you, Nena...".
"I love you too, Kala...I...", Nena replied with a loving smile before searching something of Kala's given memories in her mind, and whispered, "I hope Papi wouldn't be upset, but...I...I don't want to go back to face those people while they are still living...I...I forgive them for what they did to me with resigned acceptance, but I wouldn't forget what they did to me...I worked so hard for that career...to be Nena 'Firebolt' Ramirez...I...I want a new name...I don't want people to find me, if they are going to hurt my family through the rumors about me...You have seen the few rare times of paparazzi, yes?".
Kala nodded, having seen one memory about those strange paparazzi people, almost like they are vultures...Nena took a deep breath, "The way you call me a raven...Crafty and sassy...As I am staying with you forever, with brief visits to Papi and my family, of course, yet, my siren, I hope you don't mind, but one of the Atlantean names I saw in your memories...Nerissa, as it sounds like it's a resourceful and clever person which is me...".
"Nerissa...", Kala muttered before she smiled. "I think that would work just fine...". The two of them kissed once more before Kala moved her hips again and caused Nena to loudly moan with pleasure as she felt Kala moving inside of her, starting to work up a slow rhythm.
"Please...say it again...", Kala's lover whispered in a plea, wanting to hear it again, and Kala widened her eyes as she realized her mate wanted it to be heard, for Nerissa has part of her past in the name, 'Ne', while 'Rissa' is the new part of the future...her future with Kala...
Kala whispered in a purr into her ear, "Nerissa...my beautiful raven...You want more, mi amor?", as she held her mate closer as she worked up her rhythm, and Nerissa's heart raced as she shivered at the use of her new name, "Yes! Kala, please...", as her legs tightened her grip around her newfound mate.
"So perfect, Nerissa...I love your damn good ass...I love the way your beautiful black hair feels...I love your flawless skin, like the sun-touched dark sand...I want to take you so good, Nerissa..Let me ravish you, and make you ask for me to not hold back when you're ready to take so much passion...I waited so long for this, my Nerissa.", Kala huskily groaned as she caressed her mate's body and listened to her mate's loud cries of pleasure.
"More, Kala, more!", Nerissa cried out as Kala was more than happy to answer as she really started to make some hard thrusts, causing waves upon waves of pleasure to hit both of them.
Nerissa was in heaven, crying out in pleasure as Kala found the G-spot, making her core getting closer and closer to the edge, and Kala grunted as she thrusted hard, their breasts bouncing and grazing against their chests in sweat and friction, moaning and gasping in pleasure as she can feel both her female and male hormones mixing together as one, as her penis became even tighter and warmer, and her vagina slamming against Nerissa's vagina at the same time.
Kala gritted out, "I'm so close to cumming, Nerissa...", and Nerissa pleaded as her arms also tightened around her, "Fuck me, Kala, fuck me so good, please!".
"So eager!", Kala gasped in pleasure as she increased her pace, holding Nerissa even tighter as she came just a bit more, grunts, moans, cries, and shouts of pleasure filling the room as minutes passed, and then finally, they screamed out in pleasure as they both came, "KALA, NERISSA!", as Kala's penis gave hearty loads of her sperm into whitewashing Nerissa's womb, while they both became wet with orgasms.
Kala collapsed gently into Nerissa's hold as they laid in each other's arms as they panted deeply, and Nerissa gave her mate a blissful, happy smile, "I love you, Kala...", and Kala smiled lovingly and warmly, "I love you too, Nerissa...", sharing a tender, loving kiss.
The newfound mates almost didn't take long breaks as Kala was still having sexual tension thanks to her male hormones, taking up two more rounds with Nerissa riding Kala to oblivion, and with Kala taking Nerissa dog style against the bathroom wall as they were having a shower.
They went to sleep together after new sheets were flipped over and all, and it was quiet and peaceful, and then in the middle of the night, Kala couldn't sleep after realizing with an awed smile that she isn't dreaming, gazing upon Nerissa, ever so softly moving her hand to trace lightly of her mate's body, mainly over the belly.
Kala smiled, imagining that Nerissa would even be more gorgeous with a baby bump, all because of her...She then sighed softly, frowning as she wished that she could've ended up pregnant too...She carefully left the bed, heading to the window, not caring of her state of appearance as she's nude.
She gazed upon the western view of Atlantis, hearing the faint sound of crickets chirping, the rustles of lizard-birds, and the occasional sound of the thrum of the Heart and the Great Kings watching over Atlantis, relishing into the soft, slightly cool, comfortable breeze as she was lost in thought.
Warm, soft arms wrapped around her from behind as Nerissa towered over her, whispering, "What has gotten you up in the middle of the night?", and Kala rested back with a relishing sigh, murmuring, "Just thinking...I...I can't believe that I am not actually dreaming when we literally made love three times...I would be over the moon if we truly had conceived within you...".
"But...?", Nerissa asked gently, and Kala murmured, "You know, I'm the only and first one so far that I know of being a sort of transgender, for I'm happy being a red-blooded male within my soul of both genders, and I'd never change completely as I love being a woman...Yet being bigender is different than intersex...I wasn't born like this...Intersex people has successful chances of getting pregnant, but...my cousin wasn't sure if I would be even able to get pregnant...which he warned me ahead of time before he did everything to help me...Before it all, I would have success of getting pregnant if it was a surrogate or artificial insemination which is a whole new level now...", referring to the rediscovered history of the healer center, returning back to its prime it was in the past before the flood.
Nerissa replied, "Yet he didn't take everything...You have the womb, one of the ovaries to help make an egg, and then a baby, and your breasts for nursing, and you do have your monthly bleedings which means that you are fertile...", with a tender kiss to her mate's cheek.
Kala gave a little smile, "I know...But fertile is one thing...What if...what if I never have the chance to have your baby?...I...I always wanted to be a mother, and I wouldn't ever be jealous of you because you would still have my baby since it's still the same...It's just...".
Nerissa turned her around gently, "Kala, look at me, you can be a mother, because you can raise a baby together with me, and they will call you mama or whatever...And didn't I see in your memories that most Atlantean women still have long pregnancies of 18 months? If I'm pregnant from tonight, 9 months of it all, and you could have an idea of being a mother in practice, and I can then be by your side as you discover that you're pregnant then, hmm?", with a confident grin...
"You really think...?", Kala whispered as Nerissa laughed. "Of course! I mean, if Thaddeus and Abraham; those two that went with my sister could do it, why not you through me?", Nerissa told her as Kala blushed. That was true... somehow, probably the Heart's doing, would make that possible, surely.
Kala smiled, "Those people who exiled you for just being your true self, they are unfortunately unlucky to know that the woman I have fallen in love with is more than a passionate, family-oriented, kind-hearted person...They will never know what they have wasted and lost in you, but I have gained everything in you...I'm so joyful that you're my mate...".
"And I'll never leave you if I have anything to say about it, my siren of a mate...Now, can you please come back to bed? I'm starting to realize that sleeping with you in my arms is a wonderful experience than I've imagined...", Nerissa smiled.
Kala giggled, "Alright, alright, let's head back to our bed...", before glancing at Nerissa, "That is, if you don't mind?". Nerissa chuckled, "Are you kidding? This is a total upgrade compared to my place, and besides, even if I enjoyed Papi sleeping next door, and having talks with him, he will understand...I want to wake up to your beautiful eyes every morning, to our amazing view of the city, and heck, maybe with my given skills of stamina, strength and such, I'd look into actual training with the warriors or take up underwater hunting and foraging, and best of all, I don't have to actually have to worry about saving money, since everything is of trading and bartering around here.", with a grin.
"Indeed.", Kala chuckled, and they went into the bed, cuddling and holding each other, and Nerissa murmured, "I love you, Kala...", with a content smile, and Kala smiled, "I love you too, Nerissa.", and so, they went to sleep again, with no anxious thoughts anymore.
Of course, by the next day, the makeshift family were mildly surprised by the fact that they had finally became mates as they were so close already over the two months and a week timeline, since they weren't blind to the love between the women, yet they were a bit more surprised to hear the new change of name for Nerissa, especially Manuel.
"Papi, I hope you aren't upset...I know Mami named me Nena when I was born while you did name Audrey when she was born, but it's...I'd always visit the relatives and our family house in Durango, and help out occasionally in the Detroit shop, but I...I just don't want any slight chance of paparazzi hearing of me in Durango or something since they knew my old name, my fame, my career, and the rumors of why or what caused me to leave and quit, and I don't want them to...to swarm everyone, causing harm or such...", Nerissa bit her lip as she glanced at her father while she and Kala was visiting Nerissa's place to see Manuel.
"Well, I still haven't heard anything about you from others the way you're fearing. There are whispers that perhaps you suffered some injury and decided not to risk your life fighting anymore, which... I say is a good out from things. Better to have the story being simply injuries and taking a step back from things rather than... you know.", Manuel said as Nerissa nodded.
"Well, that's good to hear at least...", Nerissa sighed in relief. "And as for the name... please, dear, know that you'll always be my daughter no matter what name you choose.", Manuel told her as he took her into a hug.
Nerissa gave a sob of relief and happiness as she wrapped her arms around her father, "Thank you, Papi...", and Manuel rubbed her back, "And your mami is proud of you, I know it...After all, Nerissa is a fine good name, and with it having part of your past in the 'Ne' part of the name, it means that you are still the wonderful daughter I've raised with love, along with your sister. So, don't ever think that you need to do expectations because they're not exactly greener on the other side, understand?".
Nerissa sniffed, nodding as she pulled back, "I understand, Papi...", and Manuel smiled, "Good. And besides, the paparazzi would have trouble since there are actually lots of unrelated Ramirez families, since Mexico is a big place, perhaps not as huge as the United States per sec, but it would keep Durango safe, though I may not be as sure with the future if technology then helps with searching the right Ramirez family, but again, they will not know the actual you since they would assume that Nena 'Firebolt' Ramirez would be old or dead in the 21st century, which is fair enough.".
"When you put it like that...", Nerissa chuckled, "No wonder why you're the patriarch of the Durango Ramirez family.", and Manuel smirked, "Why, thank you, Nerissa. Why don't you pack your stuff from your old room to fill your new home? I'd like to talk with Kala.".
Nerissa nodded, "Yes, Papi. Please don't be too hard on Kala.", with a kiss on her father's cheek, and then left the porch of the Atlantean home, heading to her old room. Manuel looked at Kala who took a deep breath, "Audrey knows already, and she trusts me to take care of Nerissa...I would never, ever dream of leaving her or cheating on her...I waited centuries for her before finding her, sir...I never tarried into immoral sins...I love her more than anything...And I understand if you are rightfully upset in case that we are perhaps having a child or two out of wedlock as it was one thing with Audrey since it was wartimes and all, but with now being peace, and the world wrenching back into traditions and rules...If anything, I'd marry her in an instant the minute we find out the news. Just please don't be mad at Nerissa, she consented with me while we became mates.", with a nervous look.
"I'd be quite the hypocrite if I was fine with Audrey's situation but not with yours.", Manuel told her. "Just... if she is... don't try to wait too long to do the marriage and all.", he said as Kala smiled, "Thank you very much, sir... I promise I will.". She then took him into a hug which after a few moments of surprise, he slowly reciprocated himself.
And so, the new couple of Nerissa and Kala settled down happily, with Kala's chambers wonderfully decorated and filled with Nerissa's clothes and such, making it theirs forever.
By the next month to the Day of the Dead, Bucky and Audrey was excited to find out that they are having a boy, which Marina is happy and excited to have after having little conversations of toddler language with some of the other little ones, understanding the happiness of her parents.
After that, into a couple of weeks, Steve and Peggy were invited to the White House, with their little ones, finding out that the President wanted to meet Asher and Avery, along with reuniting with Brookyln to see if she remembers him, and that he has something more important to ask of Steve and Peggy.
"I'm surprised that he has time, considering that he would want to focus on helping the impacted places recover and getting all the Americans home. I wonder if he's going to keep breaking tradition by going for another term in 1948, since he had been president for four terms already, through right now, it's the midterms...", Peggy commented as she nursed Asher and Avery in their private car on the train, with Brookyln watching the scenery go by with wide eyes as she sat by the window, next to Steve across from Peggy and the little boys, as they headed for Washington, not in any rush to ask Bebinn or Preston for a portal, plus it would make people a bit suspicious in a way by the timing of the invitation and all.