Heritage

Heritage (Chapter 15)

Chapter 15 - Elena

I can feel Ethan stirring restlessly next to me as we're lying warm under the blankets in our bed. He does this sometimes, tossing and turning, not getting much sleep at all.

It's usually due to old memories, dreams and nightmares from our time trapped on the XR3-Hercules ship, him remembering the disfigured mutants and his infection for a brief time during the early stages of my pregnancy with Leon. I do what I can to comfort him, but I know that nothing can erase those images from his mind.

"Memories coming back again?" I ask, after I slide over closer to him and drape my arm around his middle, placing my head on his chest.

"Yeah. They've been coming and going more often lately," he replies quietly.

"You remember way too much, Ethan. Sometimes the memories just aren't your responsibility to carry," I tell him, trying to lighten his burden a little.

"If no one else remembers, then everyone who died on that station will disappear. If no one else wants to bear the responsibility, then I will Elena,"

"I know...I just wish they didn't bring you so much suffering," I say to him softly.

A moment later the door to our HabMod bursts open and in bounds Leon, an erratic expression on his face. For a moment I'm startled and worry swirls my brain, until I see the grin on his face.

I bet this has something to do with him and Stella. They've been hanging out a lot recently and I haven t heard of any arguments. But why is he here so late?

"Mom! Dad! You are not gonna believe what just happened!" he exclaims, approaching the side of our bed, almost bouncing with enthusiasm and turning on the light, momentarily blinding both Ethan and myself.

"Leon...I swear to you this better be good or I'm confining you to your Habmod for a week," Ethan states, squinting in the glare of the overhead lights.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. You're gonna love this!"

"Leon..."

I need to borrow..."

"Leon..."

"The Hydra because..."

"Leon!" Ethan yells, finally getting his attention and putting a stop to his excited rambling. "Calm...down."

"Okay, Dad...I'm calm, Leon says taking a deep breath,"

"Good. Now what's this about needing to borrow the Hydra?"

"Well...I asked Stella to my party, as well as asked her to be my date for the party. Plus, I asked her on a date tomorrow...well...today. And I need to borrow the Hydra since there's no other way of transportation there," he says hurriedly.

Ethan turns to me as if waiting for my approval, and I smile brightly, my Mothering instincts kicking in yet again. I nod at him and he continues.

"Alright Leon," Ethan says to him, grabbing his TAPs from the bedside table and keying Leon s device into the ignition programming of the Hyrdra.

"You wreck it though, and I'm literally going to take it out of your ass."

"I know, Dad. Thanks!" he says, exiting the room with a bounce in his step.

"I swear to God, our kid is one major piece of work," Ethan says to me, shaking his head with a smile.

"Kinda reminds me of his father," I reply with a smirk. He gives a brief chuckle and looks at me amusedly.