Ninovan (Hypernaturals 10)

X-Raying Jessica

Jessica, Helen, Rachel, Morgan, Angel, Vera, Danny, Lori, and I are the last ones standing. We sat in a circle in the living room, the excitement of the evening having wound down.

Tomorrow we load the RV up and return to Ninovan. Helen and Rachel will remain here and work at the Command Center, and in particular, Helen is buying more land around us. We need more houses, more places to put houses, and more buffer zone between New Ninovan and the rest of Austin.

Ginger and Wyatt went home after a grueling day of meeting new people and talking about what things the Sirens could contribute. I paid it scant attention because I am focused on being there again. The Ninovan's still do not know they need to move. Alexander is there, and I thought he was in Jessica's review mirror.

That idea of needing to face unpleasantness made this evening a pleasant distraction. Lori and Danny needed such an evening. They have not caught, again. When all this is over, that is going to be a priority for Mom and Jessica to figure out. Mom is already researching fertility. Like so many things these days, fertility is not her or Jessica's specialty, but with the changes coming outside and all the probable issues with cross-species fertility, and the need to help our friends, it is going to be a new specialty soon.

I am not sure 'cross-species' is the right thing to call it. We always were of the opinion we Vampires are a different species because we could not have children with anyone. Not even each other! We all started, one way or another, as humans, and it seems that our genome is close enough despite our differences that perhaps Vampire, Astral, and Siren is like an ethnic group. That seems to be true in light of the revelations of Ninovan.

"So, will you two pick a common last name after you are married?" Helen asked Angel and Vera.

"We talked about that. It was one of the first things that came up after she took me to bed." Angel looked at her hand. "When I found out that this design is something we could have, and I bought them so I could propose, I already had an answer to that question."

"You are going to be Angel and Vera Sagan?" Morgan asked, but it came out more of a statement too. Morgan knew the answer.

"We are. With your permission, of course." Angel said, slightly anxious.

"Of course!" I said

"Absolutely" Jessica agreed.

"That is a perfect choice. I hope Nakoma will join in that change as well." Morgan pointed out.

"It's a free country." Helen said seriously, then laughed at Angel's stricken look. "Don't be silly, girl. You are family. It is the only choice. We are all Sagan here." Helen pointed at Vera, "I have not always been your biggest fan, but now YOU are family too, so we need to just figure it out."

"I would love to be able to figure it out. You know what? Adrian described you all to me once. He said Morgan is the brains of the family, and Jessica is the heart, and that you are the bedrock. The foundation that everyone else builds on. I see what he means now."

"That I am rock-like?" Helen teased.

"He said your nipples are pebble-like, but that was a different context in a different conversation." Vera teased right back. I never actually said that, but that is too good to undercut.

"We really are a little Ninovan now. Vampires, Siren, and Astral." Jessica said.

"Kevin will not be happy about this tomorrow." I said

"Why?" Angel asked. I realized I made a really human and dumb assumption. I scrambled mentally. "Well, you are newly engaged. I assumed you would monopolize her time for a while."