Amelia, Ch 282- Danny
It's strange being able to go out in the beginning of March without even a jacket. It's also strange when the landscape is dominated by blue-green and the ocean is nowhere to be seen. But that was the reality on Avalon, and my new home on it. Our children had more or less decided to create a small neighborhood consisting of nothing but their parents, and we were left to our own devices moving in. Not that we had much unpacking to do.
Temporary homes, at least officially, but care had gone into their creation. I couldn't help but notice my house was almost identical, floor plan wise, to my old home. The loss of the house wasn't such a big deal, but I also lost all my mementos of Annette. Our wedding album, all the pictures of her with Taylor. Her wedding ring that I'd meant to give to Taylor when the time came. Even her grave. All of that was gone, now. All our years of history reduced to nothing but memories. Memories, and Taylor. Annette would be so proud of her.
"Hello there, neighbor," a man offered a half wave. He was probably a bit older than me. Or, if not, then he was certainly in worse shape. Shorter than me, and on the heavier side. Unlike most of us refugees, however, he was clearly wearing his own clothes instead of the donated supplies. "I've seen you on the news a couple times. You're Khepri's dad, right? Mister Hebert?"
"Yes," I confirmed, walking over. We were neighbors, now, after all. I also may have been a little impressed that he got my name right on the first try. "Call me Danny." I offered my hand.
"Paul," he responded. Firm handshake, confident enough.
"So, umm, which one's yours?" I asked. "I mean, you shouldn't to tell me if it's a secret, of course."
"Dinah," he answered without hesitation. I froze up for a second. I'd heard a lot about Dinah over the last few months. Whenever I could talk Taylor out of details about her life with the Undersiders, that little girl was always a big part of the conversation. Taylor blaming herself for the kidnapping, even though that really didn't make sense. Worrying about how much pain she caused Dinah and her family. A driving part of her life during the... bad times.
Paul seemed to pick up on my concern, though not the reason. "Yeah, that means the mayor is my brother in law. Hope you don't hold that against me too much."
"Sorry about that," I meant it, too. "I'm just. Well, there's a lot to think about."
"About losing your home and everything in it? Or having your daughter provide you with a new one? Or being parent to a child whose life is so different from everything you know that you're beginning to worry that you'll never be able to relate to them again?" He asked.
I blinked for a second. "Uh. Yes. All of the above, actually," I admitted. "Guess you've been there, huh?"
"Yeah," the man's smile faltered for a second. "I imagine everyone in this neighborhood has."
"The Protectorate probably has some kind of policy for that," I responded.
"Bet you that you go in, sign a nondisclosure agreement, a college student talks to the class for an hour about stuff so obvious that you could have figured it out on your own, and then you go home with nothing more than a pamphlet."
"Sucker's bet," I replied. "Know what? I got an idea. How about we throw together a barbeque?"
"That's a great idea," Paul agreed. "Man, it's been forever since I had a good pig roast. Last year was nothing but a nightmare, and the year before... eh, you don't need to hear about all that."
"You're in luck," I told him. "My buddy Kurt is an expert at the barbecue, and he'll kick anyone's ass who suggests otherwise. He'd be happy to help, at the low low cost of him and his wife getting their share."
"Now you're talking," Paul smiled. "I'll pitch in some money for the pig and brewskies. Anna would throw a fit if we told her I had a hand in this, though, so we're just going to tell her it was all your idea and I just accepted to be polite."
"Is that gonna work?" I asked.
"She'll see through it before I finish the sentence," he admitted proudly.
"We'll have to figure out all the details later, though," I told him. "I was just going over to Sarah's house."
"The blond at the other end of the road?" Paul smiled. "I don't blame you for a second for taking her company over mine."
I made sure to give him a wave as I started again. The roads were actual, honest, roads. Some trick with the super plant of theirs that it grew a sort of resin, not entirely different from tree sap or, probably, more like scabs. It was gross to think about like that, but it did form a pretty good approximation of asphalt.
Sarah opened the door a bit before I even got there. "I was beginning to think I'd need to send out a search party," she teasingly chided me for being late.
"Think they were trying to send us a message with the seating arrangement?" I joked back. We were on opposite sides of the neighborhood. Between us were three different homes. I'd seen the other neighbors moving in, but other than Paul hadn't had a chance to talk to them. The obviously youngest parent was a Hispanic woman, who had her five year old son with her. And then another a man and woman, plus an older teen, seventeen at the very least. Notably absent from this small neighborhood of Pantheon parents were Amelia's and Emma's.
I was glad not to be on the same planet as Alan, however, so that was a definite plus. Mark was also to be expected, since he already moved. I wasn't sure about Carol, and resolved to ask.
Sarah turned and walked into the house, and I followed. Her house was similarly modeled after her old home, with the dining room connected to the front door. A couple glasses and a bottle of wine were sitting there already. Somehow, Sarah's house was on the literal edge of the Endbringer's power. Half of it was caught, and the other half collapsed after. But her pantry, and a couple cheap bottles of wine, had survived.
"Clearly, of all the lessons in life that our children excel at, they're still failing miserably at subtlety," Sarah agreed, chuckling a little. It was true, the kids were about as blatant as it was going to get.
"Ah, to be young again, and smashing through life's problems with all the finesse of a monster truck," I sighed, smiling. It was one of those things that Annette and I had in common, way back when. Part of why she joined Lustrum's crew, and why she left it.
"I'll drink to that," Sarah poured us both a glass, handing me one of them. I clinked my glass against hers.
"Hear, hear," I agreed, and took a swallow, but honestly I was more interested in watching her mouth as she drank hers.
She caught me looking, of course. "What's with you?" she smiled.
"Just admiring your beauty," I answered.
"Liar," she retorted. "I don't even have my makeup on."
"Makeup is for clowns," I insisted. "Natural is better."
She gave me a look that roughly translated to 'I don't believe you for a second, but please keep saying it'. Possibly the only phrase in womanese that I actually knew.
"So," I changed the subject for a moment. "I noticed your sister doesn't have a home here."
"She's moved to Philly. In part to be with Vicky," Sarah informed me. "But really, she has big plans for representing the interests of the Case 53s. Something about PRT corruption in selecting cases based upon usefulness and likelihood to join the Protectorate, instead of the ones that need it the most."
"That's..." I sighed. "I was sorta trying to forget the ugly stuff today."
"If it makes you feel better," Sarah offered. "Words like 'slam dunk case' and 'heads are going to roll' were used a lot when she was talking to me about it. That's Carol for you. Give her a cause, and she's a force of nature. Next time we see her she'll be bragging about all the precedents she's set and how she taught the incompetent bureaucrats a lesson. Full on insufferable mode."
"I don't envy them in the slightest," I chuckled. One of Carol's more endearing features was her contempt for all things government. It had taken her a while to even tolerate my presence, and I wasn't sure she'd ever move beyond mere tolerance. She seemed more than a little resentful over me dating her sister, especially so soon after Neil's death.
She also seemed to blame Taylor for Amelia's acts of rebellion, and no matter how much good the pair of them achieved together, I doubted that would ever change. Oh well, if we Heberts were good at anything, it was telling the in-laws to go to hell.
So, really, I wasn't bothered by Carol's issues. As much as I never would have expected it, Taylor was happily in love with a wonderful young woman and they were busy creating a home for themselves. And however many more billion people they could fit on it. That was something I could take comfort in, no matter what. As for myself, well, life had its problems, but it had bright spots as well. I reached over and gently caressed Sarah's face. Case in point.
"Oh, I see how it is," she smiled mischievously. "Lure me inside, ply me with alcohol, and have your wicked way with me."
"But you're the one who invited me over to your house for a drink," I pointed out.
"You caught me," she admitted, leaning in. "Did it work?"
I kissed her.
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A/N- Meanwhile, in Taylor's subconscious, there is only suffering.
That's why she's still a virgin. Trauma. Lots and lots of trauma.
and the Avalonic united government has no say over the military.the royal family have control of it.
