Chapter 98: B3 — 40. The Mystery Of The Ring

AuthorSME

News:  I'm in the process of writing the 2nd draft of TO; I'm trying to do a chapter a day on Monday-Thursday (not ATM days), and Saturday if I can swing it.  Link to them here:

The Oscillation 2nd Draft (Explicit)

The Oscillation 2nd Draft (Clean)

POV:  Rachel Sung Park (Our scheming girl has been doing her thing but has someone challenged her at her own game?!)

Recap:  Rachel met with David and gave an update on the human and demitrafficking incident before going into several points of interest that David asked her advice on.  The topics ranged from safety measures to mental-type abilities to Demi needing a way to release aggression to mentally preparing him for the info on the Crystals.  Finally, Rachel told him about her gut feelings with Relica's plan.

Everything was looking up until Maëlle came into the picture, snatching Scarlet up and sending Anthony to her parents to distract her ... and distract her it did!  How will Rachel's 'legendary' mother respond to the Legendkin, and how will our Lunar Hare handle this ticking time-bomb?

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Rachel’s clothes pressed against her body, ears lying back as she dashed through the hallways, leaving her FBI escort in a daze.  Mom, don’t ruin everything!

Her thoughts were jumbled, trying to sort through what action she should take, split between Maëlle and her mother.  She didn’t know exactly why her mother meeting Anthony petrified her, but the fact she wasn’t there to even direct anything terrified her.

Luckily, the building was mostly empty, allowing her to run without much concern; sharp gusts of wind were generated from her passing, in some cases even shifting chairs.  She used the walls as supports when turning and leaped down an open balcony instead of the stairs to skip a floor.  By the time it took Anthony to fully grasp what her mother had said, Rachel was already closing in.

“I—umm, Rachel’s mom?  So, you’re,” he paused, glancing between her family members as Nam and Alexa waved.  However, Rachel heard his muscles move quickly into action as she landed on the first level, and the sound of cutting wind drew her attention as she continued.

His spear?  No, it sounds too long to be a spearhead.  He must have sensed me coming and thought I could be a threat.

Slowing to a casual walk before rounding the corner, she saw the scene in slow motion.  Her mother was backing up, eyes widening; Anthony held a glowing golden short sword in his left hand, right shoving Duncan back as he pointed the blade in her direction.

The crowd had yet to notice her arrival, and the moment she turned the corner, Anthony relaxed, short sword dispersing in light, but the MPs and Duncan were more than a little tense.

“Huh?”  Molly squeaked, stumbling back as her father jumped forward with her brother to pull her back.

“Woah, woah, shit, Anthony!”  Duncan shouted.

“Put it down,” several of the MPs ordered, surrounding Anthony.

Rachel added an amused smile, doing her best to not gasp for air; for some reason, she was feeling a little lightheaded, and her heart was beating way faster than it should have been.  

Anthony reached up to ruffle his fire-red hair with a weak chuckle.  “Ah, Rachel, it’s just you … ugh,” he glanced back at the shocked group as she entered their field of vision.  “I didn’t mean to scare anyone.”

“Rachel?”  Molly mumbled, and everyone but the MPs breathed a sigh of relief as she rounded the corner.

“Hey,” she giggled, waving at her family.  “Sorry, I just spooked Anthony.”

“You’re telling me,” he said, giving her a half-smile before turning to her parents.  “I’m sorry for the scare.  I sensed someone running down the halls at a really fast pace, and thought someone was coming to attack us.”

Everyone seemed speechless as Rachel butted into the conversation, coming between the MPs and Anthony while keeping her back to them.  Her heart wouldn’t slow down, and she assumed her cheeks would flush soon if it continued.  “Umm, yeah, but a sword?”  She chuckled, noticing she sounded slightly breathless.

C’mon!  Get a grip!

However, her wide field of vision was connected to her over-analytical brain, and right now, it was taking in every inch of Anthony’s body.  She brushed back a few locks of her white hair that had been swept forward with her quick deceleration.  Everything was still moving in slow motion as her mind worked through every thought that randomly pounced on her heart; for whatever reason, her parents meeting Anthony had made everything inside it explode.

She understood her mother’s earlier statement.  Before, Anthony had been wearing pants, a plaid shirt, and a medical overcoat.  Now, he was in black shorts and a tank top, showing a physique fit for a Spartan, and the stretched fabric only emphasized his hardened chest and core.

Her mind was on overload, measuring his sculpted calves, balanced posture, and grooming.  He’d used an electric razor to quickly shave before stepping out, and everything from his eyebrows to his tapered hair was perfect.

Control!  Control!  She took deliberate breaths, but her heart wouldn’t stop thumping.  Why is this so hard right now?  It didn’t help that her mother’s brown eyes were flicking between them, and she could see the wheels turning in her mind.

Breathing in through his teeth, Anthony placed his hands on his hips, swiveling to give her a small smile.  “Hey, Rachel, long time no see—eh, pretty awkward situation, huh?”

“Yeah,” Rachel replied.  A lump dropped down her throat, and she clasped her hands behind her back, pressing down on her stiff tail.  “Sorry for…”

“Hey,” Anthony’s flaming eyebrows drew together, glowing green irises flashing with concern, and everyone silently followed his gaze as he leaned forward a bit.  “You okay?  Your face is getting a little red, and did you bite your…”

No more!  She activated Emotional Detachment and felt her chaotic body calm.  Okay, okay … get things under control, and then slip away for a moment to deactivate it in private.  Yeah, I like him.  I do.  This, though?  C’mon, it wasn’t like this before … it’s mom being here.  It has to be…

Rachel exhaled, pressing her hand against her chest, donning her trademark innocent smile.  “Me?  I’m perfect.  Oh, eh, mom, dad,” she turned to her stunned parents, “could we sit down?  I’m just a little out of breath.”

Anthony’s tongue pressed against his lower lip.  “You, out of breath?”

“Yeah,” she giggled, fanning her face a little before plucking at her sports bra.  “Ooh, just feeling a little hot after that run.  So, umm,” she turned her red eyes on the MPs, “ah, that’s right.”  Walking over to the MP she assumed was in charge, she held out a hand.  “Thank you so much for escorting my family here.  I hope you boys have a lovely night.”

“Eh,” the man hesitantly offered his own, grip weaker than she expected, “okay—you sure?”  He muttered, brown eyes darting to Anthony with distrust.  After a second, his focus moved to her ears, and she gave them a slight twitch to straighten them.

“Of course!  Thank you so much for responding so quickly.  I’ll let General Dallas know how helpful you were.”

“Okay, umm—thanks,” he said, awkwardly moving a few steps away, turning to stare at them, and then motioned for his men to follow him.

Nam and Alexa watched them walk back toward the front entrance, and the FBI agent that David had assigned to work overtime at the desk followed their exit with a raised eyebrow, not being in sight to see what had transpired.

“So,” Nam cleared his throat, turning to give Anthony an unsure smile.  “Uh—should we give this introduction thing another go?”

“I’d like that,” Anthony laughed, rubbing his neck as Duncan groaned.

“Dude, Anthony, you’re going to give me a heart attack, man.  I swear.  How do you even function with so little sleep?”

Anthony patted the man on the back, nudging his head toward the front entrance waiting area.  “I’m cool with sittin’ down; everyone chill with that?”

Her father popped his tongue a few times before stepping aside to stop shielding Molly, fingers finding her hand to intertwine.  “Um, yeah, I’d like that.  To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

“Oh, why’s that?”  Anthony questioned as they all moved to find a seat.

Great … now’s the moment Anthony knows I’ve been talking about him.  Well, Scarlet was the one that opened that floodgate, and now … what?  What’s he going to think if he finds out I have been talking about him?

When Rachel was the only one that didn’t move, they turned to stare at her.  “Give me a moment,” she chuckled, jogging around the corner again; the confused stares they gave each other were basically audible, but her perfect form and demeanor were protected by Emotional Detachment.

Hiding beyond their sight, Rachel quickly took in the hallways, they were empty.  Leaning against the wall, she closed her eyes.

Okay, Emotional Detachment bubbles my emotions, but it’s not like they’ll just go away … they’ll only grow if I don’t address it, and I haven’t felt something like this … ever.  I have to deal with it before it grows into an elephant.  I can handle minor things in the moment if I can just regain control.

Taking a deep breath, she released the skill.  Immediately, a blow struck her in the stomach, air freezing in her lungs as hot and cold chills skittered up and down her body, causing her ears and tail to go stiff.  Her heart went from zero to a thousand, forcing her to press her left fist against her soft breast while her thighs tightened, trembling slightly, and it took some effort not to fall to her knees.

This … is way too powerful!  That’s what I get for bottling up all my frustration, embarrassment, and how attracted I really am to him.  Dammit…

Her breathing became erratic, doing her best to calm down.  Forty-five seconds passed before she managed to walk back down the hallway, going through a door with a bathroom sign on it.

Anthony, Duncan, and her family were still on the topic of his sword, and Alexa was shyly leading to question if she could hold it.  Good, just buy me a little time, step-sis … just a little more geek talk.

Rachel looked into the mirror, noticing sweat on her brow, and her whole body felt hot as if she’d just finished a long workout, fingers tingling.  Her lips drew together as she lifted her arms.  I’m sweating more than when I fought Anthony; this is ridiculous!

She closed her eyes, ears drooping a little, but it only lasted a moment, her mind returning to Anthony’s strong grip when he’d helped her up, followed by the image of his muscular arms held against his hips.  Seconds later she was shaking her head, hair flinging around the instant her imagination put those firm hands on her own hips.

What’s wrong with me?  Relica, it has to be Relica!  Why else, huh?  Did she follow us here?  Does she have eyes on us?  No, wait … Maëlle?

She exhaled, wiping her forehead with a paper towel; her lips felt a bit dry, but she refrained from licking them, knowing it was only in her mind.  Am I just being paranoid?  Is this what it really feels like to have a crush?  I mean, yeah, I’ve thought guys were cute before, but this is a whole ‘nother level.  You see it in dramas and TV shows, but … you can actually feel like this?  Dammit!  Why is it so hard to control my heart?  Stop beating so fast!

She groaned while turning on the sink faucet to splash cold water on her face.  I have temperature resistances that are pretty potent, but they don’t do shit against my own body.  Is it because it’s in my mind?  “Gah.”  It can’t be Relica or Maëlle, or my Reactive Skill would have triggered.

Rachel ran her hand through her hair, tucking her bottom lip under.  Stepping back, she held her arms against her tight abdomen, studying her unusually flustered appearance.  Anthony can’t see me like this … especially mom … definitely not.

She moved to a stall, dropping the toilet lid to sit.  Leaning against the back, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, folding her hands across her lap.

Involuntary twitches occasionally cascaded down her ears as she listened to Anthony talk to her family, fits disrupting and dampening their words.

Alexa finished examining the golden sword and handed it back.  “That’s so cool!  You can just store it in some kind of pocket dimension?”

“Something like that,” he chuckled, but he sounded a little distracted.  “Umm—is Rachel okay?  She just seems a little off from what I remember.”

Great … I’m off now; one cousin removed from weird and odd.  Get a grip!  Relax…

Molly hummed with concern.  “I noticed that, too.  She—umm, I hope I didn’t make her angry.”

Her dad breathed out a long sigh.  “Don’t worry about Rachel; she’s always been very independent and responsible.  She probably had something else to take care of before sitting down.”

Alexa giggled sheepishly.  “Ehm—she ran here, right?  Umm—yeah, I think we should just give her a little time.  She’ll come back.”

How is she the one that gets it?  Alexa’s way more observant than I thought.

“What do you mean?”  Nam asked, crossing his legs while shifting to face his wife.  “Is she struggling with something.”

“No, no,” Alexa hurriedly responded, brushing back her blonde bangs.  “I mean—umm, she’ll be back in a bit.  Let’s just get to know each other!  By the way, Anthony,” she leaned forward with a bright tone, “I noticed that ring on your finger.”

Rachel’s legs stiffened.

“Yeah…”  Anthony’s tone fell a few notes as he shifted in his seat, fingers twisting the metal around.  “I, umm…”

“Oh,” Alexa quickly cut in with feigned horror.  “I don’t mean to be pushy; I’m sorry—if you don’t want to talk about it, then…”

“No—it’s fine,” Anthony muttered, sitting back in his seat.  There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence as he collected his thoughts, but to Rachel, every muscle twitch was a story written in loss and grief.

He cleared his throat, rubbing his mouth with his left hand before letting it fall to his lap.  “I had a fiancé.”

Had…

“She developed a rare type of cancer called chordoma when she was eighteen; it’s a malignant bone tumor.”

Both her mother and Alexa’s hands shot to their mouths.  “That’s horrible,” Molly whispered.

“Yeah,” his muscles sagged.  “I don’t normally like to talk about it.”

“I’m so sorry,” Alexa swallowed, leaning forward a little more.  “Please, you don’t have to talk about it.”

Anthony shook his head, Duncan, Nam, and Sam remaining silent as they listened.  “It’s fine.  Today’s actually her birthday—would have been her birthday.  The treatments weren’t working, so—it required surgery, and it didn’t go well.  She passed away four months ago.”

The conversation died, leaving the room in silence; Molly and Alexa looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Rachel inhaled, the small of her back pressing against the porcelain seat as her head rested against the wall, releasing the air; the revealed mystery had calmed her racing heart.

So, he’s free.  Wow, way to have some tact.  Yeah, it would be kind of rough having a relationship after that.  He’d gone all-in with the girl, and now she’s gone … just like that.  No wonder he becomes depressed when his ring is brought up.

Her dad was the first to speak in the uncomfortable silence, hand moving to grasp her mother’s; Molly took it, likely giving him a concerned look.  “What was her name?”  

Anthony’s tone became distant as he folded his arms across his chest and crossed his legs.  “Amelia.”  His head fell a little.  “She got me this ring … you know, she kept it with her for two months—bring it around every day in the hopes I’d propose, and she’d get the chance to counter propose.”

“That’s so cute,” Alexa mumbled.

A low chuckle moved Anthony’s chest.  “Yeah, she was a hopeless romantic, but you should have seen how flustered she was when I finally did propose.  She dropped the ring in the grass trying to get it out; she was so embarrassed … she wanted to be a Fall bride.  I knew about the cancer going in … didn’t know how hard it would be going forward, though.”

“Mmh,” Nam grunted, nodding slowly.  “I can’t imagine.”

Alexa scooted closer to Nam on the couch, leaning into his shoulder while placing her hand on his left thigh.  “Yeah…”

Duncan shot a puff of air through his teeth, rubbing underneath his nose.  “Damn, man … first time I heard you talk about it.  Eh—got any plans?  You know, for—umm, no the funeral’s already done with, right?”  He cut off, clicking his tongue.  “Shit, my bad…”

Anthony shook his head, scratching his scalp before swallowing.  “No, umm—my mind’s kind of numb, you know.  I—you think that makes me bad?  Not having something thought out for her birthday?”

“No, not at all!”  Alexa replied.

Her mother quickly jumped in after.  “You’re still mourning; it’ll take time.  Just be patient with yourself … I—we lost—my little niece just after we came back from a trip overseas.”

Her father shifted uncomfortable, taking a breath as she continued.  “There was a drunk driver, and—I could have seen it, I know I could have—should have, but I didn’t.  He hit us, and everyone was alright—except for little Seo.  It took months … before I could even get in a car,” she chuckled, choking as tears came to her eyes.  “It’s hard—losing people you love, and we’ve grown further—no, never mind.  Sorry.”

“No,” Anthony leaned forward, voice going hoarse.  “Yeah, it’s hard … they’re there and—and then they’re not, and you have this hole... “  He licked his lips.  “You didn’t know how much of a piece they were in your life—then it’s gone, and you’re just trying to find a way to fix it—but you can’t.”

Rachel’s legs pressed against each other as she listened, bending over while clutching her stomach.  Listening to her mother talk about Seo brought back old memories, and now that she mentioned it, she did remember her mother withdrawing inside the house for months after, many times locked in her room for days.

His next revelation more than sent a shiver down her spine.  “And after coming here—meeting Rachel and her friends—when I found out how powerful Maria’s healing was, it just kind of felt like a slap in the face.  Why’d she have to die only months before there was a potential cure?”

No wonder he was down after meeting the others.

“Damn … yeah, that, uh—that sucks.”  Duncan scooted forward a bit in his chair, bending over slightly while crossing his arms.  “I haven’t lost anyone—my grandparents, but I didn’t really know them.  However, I had a partner murdered in a drug trafficking sting three years ago … knew his wife; she was a bit haughty, but a good woman.  It broke my heart, telling her.”

Inhaling deeply, Rachel stretched her fingers, getting to her feet to bend right and left.  She walked out of the bathroom, returning to the group.  Each of them had drawn inward, pulling out of their glum stupor to give her a forced smile.

She swept her butt-length pink-hued white hair over her shoulder to sit on an armchair across from Anthony, her parents beside her.  Crossing her legs, she gave the Legendkin a compassionate smile.   “Some heavy topics you’re all discussing; I’m sorry to hear about Amelia.”

A rueful grin touched Anthony’s cheeks.  “Always listening, huh?”

“A curse, really,” Rachel replied, smile turning forced.  “David said you were asking about me?”  She said, redirecting the conversation.

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Recomposing himself, Anthony plucked at his tight tank top, which might have been the proper size, but Rachel could have sworn it was probably a little too small for his muscular frame.

She literally couldn’t stop herself from noticing every bulge, especially the deep valleys of his eight-pack, large pecs, well-defined shoulders, and clear-cut collar bone.  Honestly, she didn’t mind having a front-row seat; muscles were meant to be admired, and best of all, no one could tell where she was truly looking.

Her ears shifted forward slightly as she heard Alexa and her mother tense at her question, thighs tightening against each other as their elbows pressed against their sides with anticipation.  

These two…

In contrast, her father and brother’s lips fell a little, but they relaxed their posture while waiting for his answer.  Duncan seemed utterly neutral, trying his best to be invisible.

Anthony scratched his temple.  “Yeah, let’s see…”  A half-smile moved his lips.  “Really, I just wanted to see if you’d come back around to spar.  When you asked me, I was a little surprised, but I haven’t felt that good in a while.  It was nice training with you.”

“Training—right…”  Rachel mused with a small smirk, and even if she was slightly disappointed, there was a growing fire lighting in her breast.  “Hmm, that reminds me, I told Scarlet I’d save her from Maëlle.  We should probably go meet up with them soon.”

Rachel turned a forced smile to her mother as she grew puppy-dog eyes.  “Aww, but—but you just got here!”

Her dad’s eyebrows drew together.  “You said…”

“Yeah, I’ll address that real fast,” Rachel interrupted.  She turned to face her mother; cheeks puffed out as she exhaled.  “Mom.”

“Yes?”  Her mother slowly replied, vision darting between her and Sam.

“The reason I arranged for the military to escort you to the FBI is because there’s a terrorist that has her eye on me.”

“Terrorist?”  Molly repeated, clearly not processing the information.  “Okay…”

To Rachel’s surprise, Anthony jumped in before any of her family had time to formulate a question, but it quickly occurred to her that he must have a similar ability to Mental Acceleration.  “Her eyes on you?  So, this terrorist wants to kill you and knows where your family lives?”

“Wait, huh?”  Alexa and Molly’s backs straightened, eyes widening.

“No,” Rachel quickly answered.  “Her name is Relica, and she is dangerous…”

“To both you and Scarlet?”  Molly pressed, fingers turning white as she pressed them against her thighs.

“Yes … I can’t get into all the details,” Rachel mumbled, rubbing her neck while looking to the right to show she didn’t like it.  “I’m going to try to get you all into a military NDA, so I can explain everything, but until then, let me explain … and let me do it without being interrupted,” she pressed as her mother opened her mouth again.

Molly’s jaw snapped shut, and she nodded, face creased with concern.

Rachel licked her lips and scratched her neck as an itch appeared.  “Relica was one of the hired help for the gang my friends and I dismantled.  Due to some events, Relica became obsessed with Scarlet, and thereby Fiona, Maria, and I drew her notice.  She’s a Legendkin that can use a lot of spells—magic,” she muttered, absently combing through her hair.

“She’s not interested in killing us, but she’s a fine mix between a sociopath and a psychopath; so, who can really say what her goals are, but she has them and makes very carefully thought-out plans to achieve them.  From everything I’ve learned about her, Relica’s main focus is on Scarlet, but there’s a big plan that involves her provoking the U.S. government to some serious conflict.”

“Legendkin,” Anthony repeated.  “What kind?”

“The Legend of Medea.”

“I can’t say I’ve heard of it.”

“Like—a real terrorist?”  Alexa asked, still too stunned to wrap her hand around it.  “Medea…”

Nam cut past her question.  “What’s the plan, then?”

“Right now, there isn’t one,” Rachel sighed.  “Relica has gathered a group together, and she’s crafty.  I have no clue what her real goals are, but what I do know is that there is a very low probability any of you are on her radar.  The information she stole from the military only gave my general location for my hometown, that being Miami, and doesn’t mention if I have any family here.”

Anthony’s glowing green irises had fallen to the arm of his chair as they talked, and once an opportunity arose, he asked, “Relica—it’s a pretty unique name.  She’s a pretty black-haired woman, in her twenties, can make fireballs and light?  Does she have light hazel eyes and talks kind of high-classish?”

Rachel’s eyebrows came together.  “You met her?”

Everyone turned their attention to him, and even Duncan gave Anthony a puzzled look.  “When?  Dude, I’ve been with you like … all week.”

Anthony slowly shook his head.  “It was when you were asleep, and now that I think about it, she might have had a hand in that.  She knocked on the door out of nowhere three days ago, and Maëlle showed up with her handler shortly after; I don’t think Relica was expecting her.  I thought it was a little strange that Maëlle’s handler so easily took Relica’s request to allow us to speak alone.”

“She has mind-control abilities,” Rachel confirmed, causing her family to swallow.

“Figures,” Anthony muttered, sweeping back his hair with a sigh.  “To be honest, the moment Maëlle showed up, I became a third-wheel.  The two of them were dancing around each other’s French words, phrases, and topics I’m not that familiar with.  After a few minutes, Relica was getting a little frustrated.”

“How so?”  Rachel pressed, stomach tightening with the knowledge that Relica had already made a move on Anthony.

“Relica wanted us to join some kind of group she was forming, and it didn’t sound that bad.  It was like she wanted to make a non-profit support group of individuals to help people in need, having a quick response network to address minor issues in small areas—a community first responder-type group of Mythickin and Legendkin.

“However, Maëlle did her normal thing, twisting and flipping a conversation to disarm a person, tugging them along to her tune.  It soon became apparent that Relica was a little irritated with some of the points Maëlle made about her comments on relationships, which Maëlle kept poking and prodding in different ways until things started getting real personal about her choices in men, and in Maëlle’s words, poor flavor.”

“Poor flavor … okay, like?”  Rachel asked, resting her forearms against her crossed legs.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Anthony sighed.  “It was getting a bit too much for me.  I left shortly after that, and Maëlle started poking holes in her sad childhood story like a kid popping balloons at a fair dart game.

“Maëlle’s not someone I like getting into a debate with; I learned that lesson the second day I was here; it’s best to either avoid her entirely or stay on surface-level topics.  She can turn almost anything into a sexual innuendo while looking utterly innocent.  It’s like she enjoys making you feel guilty thinking about it when by all appearances, it looks like she wasn’t hinting to sex at all, and then she’ll flip it, stating something totally sexual with a mischievous grin on her face.”

Rachel sat back, lips pressing to the side for a moment.  “Hmh, good to know.”

I wouldn’t expect anything less from Maëlle with how she manipulated me into this whole fiasco.  She does have some kind of radar that tells her things about people.  Not only that, but she could easily pick up on Relica’s intentions and presence.

It’s more shocking that Relica didn’t flip out and attack Maëlle, but that Succubus is too crafty to allow that.  She knows how to escalate a situation to the needle’s point of breaking before de-escalating it in an instant.

Of course, this could all be an elaborate trick, and if Relica was already here … Anthony could have been brainwashed already.  It’s not impossible, but I’d put more money on Maëlle being the manipulator than Relica, and she seems more than capable of forcing a situation to go her way without her Succubus abilities.

Maëlle’s extremely intelligent, and knows exactly what she wants … food.  She’s a high-class glutton for sexual tension, and whatever Relica had planned didn’t fit that vision.  Maëlle gets her fun out of playing little sexual games with people, not the random sadistic torture and death type of manipulation Relica is into.  It’s just as Anthony repeated, Maëlle thinks Relica has poor taste.

“So … what?”  Alexa asked, glancing between them in the ensuing silence.

Rachel smiled.  “Everything’s fine.  You’ll stay here for the next few days, and we can all hang out.”  She forced a chuckle.  “I’d rather none of you meet Maëlle or Kyle, honestly.  That being said, I don’t think I can really keep you from bumping into them; I’d feel a lot better if Maria were here, but she’s not.  She’ll be back soon, though.”

Molly’s features brightened slightly, and she clapped with excitement.  “I can’t wait to meet more of your friends!”

Sam cleared his throat.  “So, Sung, from everything I’ve been hearing, you can take care of yourself; I’m glad all those Muay Thai lessons helped shape you into the independent woman I see before me.  That being said, both your mother and I urge you not to take risks that would jeopardize your life.”

Her mother nodded emphatically.  “Mhm, mhm!  Please, dear, don’t do anything too dangerous.”

“Mom, dad,” Nam chuckled.  “I don’t think Sung’s going to run into a suicide dive off a cliff.  She’s smart; give her some credit.”

“I’m your mother,” Molly chided with a heated scowl.  “I’m allowed to worry!  From everything I’ve heard, you two almost died this week … think about that!  My two only children—you almost died…”  Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes as she took a shuddering breath.

Her father reached over to pull her into a hug, voice soft as he rubbed her shoulder.  “She’s right, Sung, Nam, please don’t make your parents’ hearts break; you’re the world to us.”

Guilt flooded Rachel’s chest.  “Mom, dad,” she hesitated, “I love you both, too.  I don’t want to die; I’m just starting to live!”  She chuckled.

Her mother sniffed, getting up to walk over and hug her; Molly’s trembling arms encircled her neck, pulling her into her soft and caring embrace.

“Mom?”  Rachel questioned, feeling the wire in her mother’s bra pressing against her cheek through her red night-shirt.

Releasing her, Molly combed back a lock of her hair and rubbed the base of her left ear for a moment.  “You’re my little girl … I’ll always worry about you.”

Breathing a short sigh, Rachel got up to hug her mother, lifting her off the ground a few inches.  “I’ll worry about you, too, mom,” she whispered in her ear.  “I love you.”

Setting her back down, Molly beamed up at her, clearing her throat.  “Alright, alright—I think it’s time for us to head to bed.  You get running along to save my sweet Scarlet from this Maëlle character, kay?”

“Will do,” Rachel grinned.

“Okay, Sam, Nam, Alexa, these air mattresses aren’t going to inflate themselves without a bit of attention.  Let’s get some sleep so we can be rested to hang out with Rachel tomorrow!”

“Yeah!”  Alexa cheered, pulling Nam to his feet as she rose.  “We’ll go get the last few bags from the back.”

Nam gave her a warm smile while holding up a hand.  “Alright, sis, I’ll talk to you later.”

“No drinking,” Molly stated, giving her a critical eye before turning to Duncan.  “So, can you show me to our room?”

A hiss passed through his teeth, glancing at Anthony.

“It’s cool, man,” Anthony chuckled.  “Rachel and I will wait out front until you finish with them.  Sound good?”

“Eh,” Duncan scratched his scalp, catching Molly’s sparkling eyes as she turned to stare between Anthony and Rachel.  “Yeah … okay, it shouldn’t take that long.  There’s another office they can use for the day; I know a pair of agents called out of State.”

Her mother and father picked up the bags they’d brought on their first trip inside, following Duncan to the nearest entrance while they glanced back to give them encouraging smiles.

Geez, could they be any more embarrassing?  Why do I feel that way … well, dad’s cool, but mom’s a freakin’ mess!  Yeah … the crystals and now Cuba.  Things are going to get messy if this keeps up.

She groaned softly, making Anthony give her a curious smile as he followed her out of the building.  “Your parents are great … a lot better than mine,” he mumbled softly.

“Oh?”

The soft sea breeze hit them with the salted air as they exited the building, entering the cool mid-sixty-degree weather.  Nam and Alexa whispered about Anthony and how nice of a guy he seemed, Alexa making a few teasing remarks about their possible night out that made Rachel’s heart skip a beat.

Is everyone a degenerate, and I was just too innocent?  I mean, I guess she’s just talking about kissing, but even that seems like much; it’s our first time going on a walk, and it’s not like we’re dating.

She tuned them out the moment Alexa began to question if she might be in threat of being the rebound-girl after his recent loss, choosing to focus on Anthony as much as possible.

“Yeah … they were a bit strict—English upper-class strict.”

“You’re from England?”

“Originally, yeah, but I’ve lived far longer in the States than over there,” Anthony muttered.

“Huh, the more you know,” Rachel mused.  “You don’t have an accent, though?”

“Never liked it much.  Anyways, so, what’s up with the whole rescue Scarlet operation?”

A soft sigh blew past her lips.  “Maëlle’s a great white shark smelling blood, and Scarlet’s a little guppy cowering in fear; she’s got no defense against people like Maëlle.”

“Oof, we better hurry then,” Anthony chuckled.

“I can hear them a mile and a half away at some club,” Rachel said with a frown.  “Let’s just say … Maëlle’s the most intelligent predator I’ve ever seen; to her, a club is a restaurant filled with raw ingredients, and she’s the master chief creating a dish fit for an Empress.”

Her ears twitched as she heard her ditched DDA agents still searching for her; they’d just called David.

The Assistant Director picked up his phone, doing his best to keep the fatigue out of his voice, and upon hearing their dilemma asked, “Did you check the front?”

“Umm—no, she ran down the left hallway, not right to the elevators.”

“Ugh,” David released a long sigh.  “Left of the elevators … to the balcony?”

“Yeah?”

“Where she likely jumped down?”

“Oh…”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry, Sir.”

David hung up, releasing a low moan before getting back to work.

Poor guys … they’ll catch up, though.  They should run into Duncan before he finishes up with my parents … hopefully.

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