{Earth}

“No one touch them,” Pablo warned as he checked Andrew and Kyle’s vitals.

Tameka and Lucas held the gathering crowd aloft. “It’s okay. We’ll take care of them.” She took the Icarus’ gray hand into her tawny one and squeezed.

Dr. Suarez appreciated her bedside manner. He also appreciated the space as he and Lynn looked over the two Progeny locked in some kind of messed up mind-meld.

Lynn whispered, “How are they doing?”

“Their vitals are fine.”

Green eyes stared unblinkingly into blue ones. Kyle stood over Andrew as if locked in place. Pablo murmured, “If anything, I wish we could get them in a relaxed position. Depending on how long this venture will take, they could cramp or something…”

Lynn snickered a bit with her eyes ducked away.

Tameka pushed the onlookers back into the hall and closed Lucas in with them. She rushed over to the bed. “Please tell me they’re all right.”

“Medically, they’re fine.” Pablo gestured to them. “Nacres seem to work and everything.”

“Kyle is guiding Andrew,” Lucas announced.

They turned to the exhausted Icarus.

Lynn wondered aloud, “Have you seen anything like this before?”

He shook his head gracefully. “No. But there’s no other cause for this.” He stared into Andrew’s eyes and smiled sadly. “I hope they’re successful.”

Pablo headed for the sink to wash up. “At first, I thought we had another disabled nacre on our hands. I’m sure Tumu will eventually take offense to all these donations. But…”

Tameka slumped against the wall and sank to the floor. She blew out a heavy sigh. “What a fucking mess.”

Lynn caught Pablo’s eyes in the mirror. She nodded her head in their direction and raised a questioning brow. “Now?” she mouthed.

Pablo beamed at her and nodded.

“We came upstairs from the lab to tell you…” Lynn smiled as Lucas and Tameka focused on them. “We decrypted the Imminent nacre.”

Both the Icarus and the Progeny’s eyes widened.

Pablo elaborated, “It took a combination of the research we put into both of our projects. We disabled the memory drive and reconstructed the material using the shields in the virus. Once Kyle is ready, we can check the memory bank.”

“That’s wonderful news.” Some of the age disappeared from the Icarus’ face. “You’re geniuses!” He hugged Lynn.

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Pablo tapped him on the shoulder with one eyebrow raised. “Ahem…”

The Icarus started, but immediately released the married woman in confusion. “Sorry, I—” And laughed heartily when Pablo threw himself into Lucas’ arms. Lynn piled on. Then Tameka hopped in.

They breathed deep of their family’s warmth and sighed in relief. One small break. The most important thing to remember about the Shadow was their ability to exploit a chink in their enemy’s armor. They needed this break to win.

A knock sounded from the door.

They separated, and Tameka answered. Silence stood outside, looking a little lost in the flowy t-shirt. She spied Kyle beyond them.

Awkwardly, she made to turn away. “I’ll be in the library—”

“You can stay,” Tameka offered with a hand on her arm. “You and Lucas can watch over them…? If that’s okay with you?” She looked back at the Icarus.

He smiled warmly. “I welcome the company.”

“Great.” Tameka let Silence in and lingered in the doorway. “I have to go see John and Caedes off. I guess Abresson, too. Tumu promised to stay until we resolve who or what is disabling our nacres. I… Elden, this will sound weird, but I wish Pax weren’t here with all this mess.”

“It’s perfectly understandable,” Lynn responded fiercely. “Protect that little boy above all else and don’t worry about us.”

A sadness filled Tameka’s eyes, and it broke Pablo’s heart. “That’s not what he would want. Anyway, I’ll see you later.” She left them for the lobby.

“Lynn, I’m heading over to check on John before he leaves.”

His wife hugged him and murmured against his ear, “I won’t take my eyes off her.” She kissed his cheek and saw him out.

He loved her so much for recognizing and understanding his suspicions of Silence without words.

In the lobby, John, Caedes, and Abresson waited for Sagan to Seamswalk them out. Tumu and Tameka came to say goodbye.

Climbing the stairs, Pablo overheard Abresson boast, “Fortunately, for you a Gargantuan Tritan was nearby.”

John grimaced. “No offense, Tumu, but your blood tastes pretty gross.”

The Tritan laughed with a pat on John’s back. “Imagine what everything else tastes like.”

The crowd paused and looked at him with various expressions of confusion and bewilderment. Maybe a little disgust.

“Your faces!” The tall blue alien snorted.

The rest of the group joined in the humor. Pablo shook his head, smiling as he approached. Caedes grumped and folded his arms.

This enormous family.

Except for Abresson. He stared upside Tumu’s head. “Would anyone here know the taste of those fluids?”

The cutting up cut off abruptly.

Something passed between the two Tritans. Serious. Terrifying.

The depth of Tumu’s voice resonated so hard in Pablo’s chest that his heart bounced. “No.”

Abresson relaxed. “Good.”

Weird tension. Pablo sliced through it by walking between the group to John. “Let’s look at you before you’re discharged.”

“Yes, Educator. What a scare you had.” Abresson turned his back on them and headed for the glass walls. “Fantastic location, Dr. Suarez, if I’ve never mentioned it before.”

“Thank you,” Pablo answered automatically as he palpated John’s throat and warmed the stethoscope.

Tumu asked across the lobby, “How are you with cosmetic surgery, doctor? Like scar removal…”

The tension came back. Abresson turned inch by inch and glared at the taller Tritan.

Yes. Everyone noticed the scars on Abresson’s deep blue skin. No one dared comment on it. Was Tumu looking for a fight?

The offended Tritan bristled and growled, “How. Dare—”

“Uncle Caeda! Don’t go, uncle Caeda.”

The gruff Icarus knelt with his arms out to sweep the boy from the floor. Tameka, distracted as everyone with the drama, kissed her son’s red curls.

“Sorry, I tried to keep him back.” Smith looked properly abashed. “He’s slippery.”

Pax gripped Caedes tightly. Near tears, he pleaded, “Don’t go.”

Across the room, a silence fell as everyone caught their breath. The toddler’s separation anxiety squeezed Pablo’s heart.

“Auntie Ray said stay with us…”

Okay, that changed the atmosphere a bit.

“Did she now?”Abresson’s cold tone frosted the glass behind him. Literally. It iced up.

Sagan Seamswalked into the middle of it and took in the scene. After a tense heartbeat or two, she folded her arms and asked, “So… what’d I miss this time?”