Rain or Shine | Soulmate AU 1.5 |

2

I make plans to meet up with an old teammate the day after Bella presents with powers. She wasn't able to meet me until today so I've spent the last few days strategically avoiding the rest of the team. It's not my normal behavior, but the aching sadness that's settled back onto my shoulders feels like it should count as an excuse.

The League transferred my old teammate, Vanessa, to a team in Massachusetts after ours was disbanded. It's been a long few years since we've spoken, let alone met in person, so I'm definitely not under the impression that she didn't think something was up when I called and asked to meet up for lunch.

She agreed to meet me at a small place a few blocks from the tower since she's in town this week. Lucky for me. I really wasn't looking forward to a trip to Boston to see her.

We exchange some basic pleasantries once I join her at the table she picked out, something we never really did back when we were still teammates. Vanessa was the one I was closest to on the team aside from Damien.

She catches me up a bit on her teammates on the only League team in Massachusetts, team, Zenith. The names assigned to League teams are admittedly kind of stupid, but just going by the first letters has caused multiple miscommunications in the past. It's safer to just swallow the cringe that clenches around my chest every time I have to say I'm on team "Nebula" instead of the simple "N" I write on any of my official League documents.

She eventually asks the question I've been getting for the past year from agents outside of my team.

"So how's the kiddo on that team of yours?" she says casually. "He settling in nicely?"

I suppress the automatic sigh I always want to give when someone asks. I normally give my standard "he's good," response before changing the subject. It's mostly because the people who ask typically aren't inquiring with good intentions. I've known Vanessa for ages, though, and I don't plan on telling her anything too personal without asking Lake first, anyway.

"The adjustment period was pretty long. He didn't fall asleep on the common floor on his own until, like, November. He doesn't trust easy, but I think he's finally warming up."

"Was it like that will all the others?"

"No, actually. Lake's had it rough for basically his whole life. He's never explicitly said that to anyone, but it's not hard to draw conclusions from the horrifying stuff he just casually lets slip out like they're nothing."

"Well, I think I can imagine. Maybe. I, uh, had this feeling..." she begins, shifting uncomfortably in her seat across from me before continuing, "he doesn't happen to be Christen Blackwell's kid, does he?"

I stiffen, sitting up straighter in my seat in preparation for the possibility of an argument or fight. Being connected to the Blackwell line isn't something anyone wants anymore. The Blackwells are one of the original six bloodlines connected directly to the first team that ever existed in the League. That fact meant a lot until two of their descendants lost their minds and went on killing sprees.

"Would it be a problem if he was?" I say tightly.

"No, no," she replies, throwing two placating hands up, "I was just curious. There's been talk with some of the older agents, like, retired old. They see her in his face, apparently."

"Julien Moon in our tower mentioned that to Lake, too," I agree.

"So it's true?" she presses, auburn eyebrows raised.

"Yes," I say grudgingly. "You can't tell anyone, though. Nobody. It's not something he deserves to be tied to any more than he already is."

"I get it," she agrees. "I won't tell anyone. It's not my place to, anyway."