Redeemers

Chapter 10: the Reunion

Malcalm steps toward their father, ready to speak, but her father, her father, only holds up a hand to silence him.

"Strom, should I go get Mirah?" Degen asks gently, tension lining his shoulders as his eyes survey his friend's face.

Annora's father only shakes his head, mumbling a gruff "No, I don't want to give her false hope."

Malcalm opens his mouth to speak once more, and is once again silenced by that outstretched hand.

Annora slowly gets to her feet, even as the dog protests from over top her feet, and she waits. She waits for him to say the words, the words that would prove that she is his daughter, that this man really is her father.

"Et mens mea salute." There they are.

Annora answers without hesitation this time, "Meae salus mea."

Her father doesn't smile, he doesn't sigh in relief, he only asks another question, "What were the last words you spoke to me?"

The question strikes Annora deep in her core. Those harsh words she said the last time she saw him. Her resolve seems to melt with the question. How could she ever forget what she said?

"I never want to see you again." The words crack on her lips as she says them, and a tear slides down her cheek, "Those are the words I said, but I never meant for them to be true."

Her father stares at her his own eyes welling with tears.

"Mirah!" He shouts, and Annora jerks in shock.

Footsteps sound from behind the door, a voice following, "You kids had better not be making me come down there!" Annora stares at the door. She knows that voice.

A woman enters the room. Her chestnut hair curling down her back, graying slightly at the roots. Her blue eyes narrow as she takes in the scene, small winkles etch the corners of her eyes, signifying a time in which smiles were freely given.

No smile lights her face as she looks at her son, oblivious to the arrival of Annora, "You never should have gone out today." Her eyes narrow into a signature glare that would send anyone packing.

Annora only watches as her father steps toward his wife, his eyes never leaving Annora, almost as though he can't believe what he sees. Annora's mother only shifts the focus of her glare on him. She opens her mouth to retort only to close it again at the sight of her husband's face.

Her eyes follow his gaze until they too land on Annora, who remains slightly obstructed by her brother.

A shuddering breath shocks Annora's lungs as her eyes meet those of her mother. She can almost feel herself relaxing as she once again looks into the calming blue of her mother's eyes.

Her mother asks no questions as her eyes well up with tears. She doesn't hesitate for a second longer, and neither does Annora. The mother and daughter meet in a crushing hug, tears streaming freely. Annora buries her head in her mother's shoulder, at a loss for any words.

"My baby." Her mother mumbles into her shoulder, repeating it over and over to herself.

Another pair of arms joins the tangle of limbs, the sound of choked tears echoing through Annora's ears. She missed them, and she hadn't realize just how much until this hug. Annora couldn't even remember the last true hug she shared with anyone.

A set of cold metal arms surrounds them, and Annora laughs.

Her mother pulls away gently, wiping tears from her eyes, "You kids need to take your suits off." She mumbles, and the entire room starts to move.

Her father lets go, and his eyes immediately survey her, widening as he sees all the burns and scrapes. Her mother seems to notice at the same time when she reaches out to grip Annora's arm, one with a particularly nasty burn. It was the arm that had held the gun that she had fired.

Annora can almost feel the anger rolling off her parents. As her mother continues her examination, her father looks to the Redeemers with rage in his eyes, "What happened?"

All the Redeemers that were in the process of removing their suits freeze. Fransix, who had taken to typing on one of the computers in the corner looks to him nervously, "Uh...long story actually."

Her father abruptly stands, but Degen cuts him off, "People you rescue are not supposed to come back looking like they were just put through hell!"

Fransix clenches his hand, and his eyes narrow. He was the only one that wasn't there in person. He mumbles under his breath, just loud enough to hear, "She was already pretty messed up when we found her."

"Don't you start that with me, Fransix! You weren't even out there!"

"I still saw everything..." One look from Annora's angry father and concerned mother has him shutting up.

Fuchsia is the next to speak up, "I wasn't a typical rescue, Mr. Degen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annora's father admonishes, scoffing as he moves closer.

Fuchsia opens her mouth to respond, but Blue beats her to it, "It means Axtin was hunting her." His voice is flat with anger, and by the way they all tense, Annora can't help but think that it could have ended much worse than it did.

Her mothers eyes momentarily leave the burn on her daughters arm to look at him, eyes wide, "What?"

"We don't just go around picking fights with Axtin, if that's what you thought." Blue comments, and Annora looks at him. No one else seems to listen to what he said.

Her father's voice turns horrified, "That means..." He can't seem to finish the statement.

"Vandrin is hunting her." Degen finishes looking at Annora. His green eyes land on her own and she can see the hate there. Not directed at her, but hate for the man who caused this mess.

He walks toward her kneeling beside her, and he too surveys her wounds. When his eyes return to her, there is a question in them. He opens his mouth to voice it, but before he can Annora's mother cuts him off, "Not now, Degen."

The man glances at her, eyes narrowing, so much like Fransix that they seem like mirror images. But he nods once, "We need to get her to Lesia."

Everyone seems to come to agreement, she will go to Lesia. Whoever that is. The Redeemers go back to removing their suits, and placing them carefully in their places. Her mother helps Annora to her feet, supporting her as Annora realizes that the days events have finally taken their toll on her. She hadn't realized how weak, how tired, she really is. She takes a few stumbling  steps forward, and wonders if she could even make it to where they want her to go.

So tired. She is so tired.

Her father seems to realize that she can't possibly make it, no matter how much she wants to. He merely scoops her up, like he did when she was a child and she had fallen asleep on the couch watching holograms. He cradles her close to his chest, and she can hear his heart beat. Vibrant and alive.

"You're safe, Annora, you're safe." His voice calms her tense body, allowing her to relax into her father's embrace.

A shuddering breath escapes her lungs and for once, she lets her mind slip away, lets the voice of reason speak to itself. She doesn't count or watch where he's going. She only closes her eyes and listens to that heartbeat, and his feet pounding on the ground. For once, in what seems like forever, she lets herself trust another person.

Her father reaches his destination, and a voice fills the room shrouded with concern, "Mr. Vella! I was just about to make my way down to see what was going on, but I..." The sweet voice of a girl drifts off as she takes in the girl wrapped in her father's arms. "Put her down here, and I'll see what I can do."

The world shifts as her father sets her on a warm soft pallet. He moves to leave, but she keeps her hand tightly wound in his. She can hear the murmurings of a conversation, but she doesn't put any effort into listening, she only lets herself drift off to sleep.