Needledrop

30

Twisted

Wynnona

"Send a small team to check it out if you find them and keep watch over them. Contact me immediately." I say sharply. Out of the corner of my eye I see Giovanni smiling. I probably don't seem that intimidating with a baby strapped to my chest, playing with the ends of my crimson hair. The bandage over the left side of my face probably didn't help either. Florence and Gunther have both disappeared, we haven't been able to find them. I will kill both for what they've done, I promised I would.

Over the past two months Athena and I have been adjusting to being mothers while simultaneously accepting the loss of the two people who were the heart of the team. Keith misses her real parents but seems to have accepted that they are no longer coming back. I cried every night, having felt the true loss of my family. The only other time I've felt this empty was when my parents died.

Athena comes into the room, pulling me from my dark thoughts. She smiles tiredly at me, forcing her expression to change the moment she sees Keith. Keith's little arms reach out for her, grasping at her long hair the moment she gets close enough. She wraps her arm around my waist, the other around Keith. The man on the screen makes a strange face and noise at the display of affection.

"Is there anything else?" I ask harshly.

"No commander." His eyes widen in shock, instantly he hangs up. I grumble incoherently to myself, wrapping my arm delicately around Athena and kissing her forehead softly still harshly glaring and grumbling. She giggles, poking me cheek. Keith begins to do the same, aggressively digging her baby finger into my jaw, the only spot she can reach thankfully.

"We are going to find them Wynnona." Athena tells me softly, cupping the side of my face that isn't bandaged. I place my forehead to hers, letting her calming energy flow over me. I sigh, accepting her warmth as she makes faces and noises at Keith.

"Thena!" Keith cries, reaching out and almost falling out of the sling on my chest. Athena catches her, laughing slightly. The laugh and smile doesn't reach her eyes, however.

"Not every ounce of my attention is meant for you darling." She coos at Keith, swinging her about with tender skill. I pull the sling off, tossing it on a seat close by. Star hops onto my shoulder, wrapping himself around my neck and flopping down. He huffs, nuzzling into my left shoulder. Giovanni laughs softly at the display of the fox, coming to scratch his head. I rest my tired forehead against his collarbone, closing my eyes and letting the love of my brother ease my agitation. He kisses the back of my head, rubbing my arms up and down.

"You need to sleep Wyatt." He tells me softly, brotherly worry leaking I to his deep voice.

"I can't." I sigh, rubbing my tired eyes. "Every time I try, all these images flash through my mind." Nightmares. They plagued my sleep stopping me from resting properly. Athena often stayed up with me until I could fall asleep again. There was a loud bang from outside, pulling me from my thoughts and making my headache worse. I leave the control room, going to the hanger and leaving it to enter the rebel base. The twins stare at a large piece of metal they had dropped.

"Sorry." Zelanna says as she looks at us. Rochet has already swooped down to start putting it back in place.

"This teleported thing is really starting to become a hassle." He grumbles softly.

"If Athena says we need it I trust her." I sigh, rubbing my temples as my head pounds. I look at the watch on my wrist, one I made myself to keep time on earth. "It is too late for this. It's Keith's bedtime." I don't say that Keith's bedtime is also my bedtime, I'm apparently too old to have a bedtime. Giovanni goes to give the twins a hand after kissing my forehead. I head back into the ship, looking for Athena and Keith. I find them in our room, Athena humming a soft lullaby to Keith.