The Tides That Bind Us [AfroFuturism]

Merry Christmas [Epilogue]

Zaharah pressed the small square chip into Jade's hand. "You should do it."

Jade shook her head. We both do it. And she held the chip for Zaharah to grab the other half. When Zaharah took it, they both turned to the android laid out on the bed.

Uncle Cam had performed nothing short of a miracle to get one made with custom specs so quickly. He'd taken all the photos they had of Markus, sent them oversees, probably paid a small fortune to have the build expedited.

Two months later, on Christmas Day, there they were. And there he was, laid out on the bed, peaceful, like he'd been asleep this whole time, waiting for them to wake him up. The opened slot in his temple ruined the illusion a bit, but still. It was him, Markus. Same chiseled features, same cropped dreadlocks, the same small cleft in his chin.

Uncle Cam, Roddi, and Pharah stood near the door, still in their festive PJs. Gifts waited for them downstairs and the Elliots were finishing prep for breakfast in the kitchen. The main house would be theirs for the morning, and they'd go for a ride on the Icarus in the afternoon. And after weeks of dealing with the media circus surrounding their reappearance, Zaharah needed a break.

When she and Jade stepped up to the bed, Skorpi jumped down from her head, scurried up her arm and put his claw on the chip. Together, they pushed it into the slot.

Zaharah swallowed and held her breath as the slot closed. One heartbeat passed, and nothing happened. Then another and another. And still nothing happened. She bit the inside of her cheek and toyed with the baubles hanging from her pyjama top.

Markus' hand twitched, and his brow furrowed. He rubbed his face and finally his eyes opened. They roamed the ceiling, the room, the bedding, his own hands, then finally landed on Zaharah and Jade. His eyes widened at the sight of them, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Zaharah? Jade? What the—" His words turned into a grunt when Jade tackled him.

A flashed lit up the room and Zaharah looked towards uncle Cam. He held a camera up to eye level like some kind of paparazzi.

"I'm sorry, It was such a beautiful moment. I had to." And he put his hands up.

Markus didn't seem to notice or care. He wrapped Jade up in a hug and smiled.

Zaharah stood off to the side, her eyes on the dagger tightly fisted her hands. All she could think of were the awful words she'd spewed at him the morning they'd left Denden. He was just as much a victim as her and Jade, yet she'd treated him as though he was no better than the Director.

Skorpi climbed on Markus' head and spun in circles, beeping like crazy. Uncle Cam had upgraded his AI, to make him more responsive, more able to recognize emotional cues, but, thank god, didn't make him able to talk again.

"Zaharah?" Markus' voice cut into her thoughts. He held a hand out, palm up. "Get in here."

Zaharah looked up, then down again. "I'm s—"

"There will be plenty of time for that later." He took her hand and pulled her into the hug, squeezing her tight.

Zaharah leaned into him and held back her tears. She owed him everything. He'd sacrificed himself to get them out of Denden and preserved Jade's memories on top of taking care of them for the last two years. Even though four of them had been living together on Uncle Cam's estate, the house had felt empty without him.

A barrage of flashes lit up the room, and Zaharah glared over her shoulder at uncle Cam. "Could you not?"

Uncle Cam lowered the camera. "You're going to thank me for these when you're sixty and looking back at these memories." A valid sentiment, but it was hard to take him seriously while he was not only dressed in festive footie pyjamas but wearing a reindeer antler bopper.

"Who's this?" Markus asked.

"Cameron Sanders." Uncle Cam approached the bed and extended a hand.

Markus eyed the hand, his lips flattening. "Any relation to Aleesha Sanders?"

It's okay, Markus, Jade signed. Uncle Cam's been a godsend since we left Denden.

"Well, in that case." Markus shook Uncle Cam's hand. "Thanks for looking out for my girls."

Uncle Cam's eyebrows shot up, but Zaharah shot him a look before he could say something snide. "Well, introductions are out of the way. Time for presents." He left the room with Pharah and Roddi in tow.

"Oh, here." Zaharah pressed Markus' dagger into his hand. "We can talk about all this another time. I just want to enjoy Christmas."

Markus nodded. "I think we'll have plenty of time." He hopped off the bed and followed them down the steps to the festive Victorian dream of a living room.

Strings of lights adorned the banister and walls , and garlands framed the paintings. The Christmas tree night brushed the ceiling and gifts stood like little monoliths around it. They'd done all their shopping online, partly because the media wouldn't leave them alone and partly because they had schoolwork to catch up on. Pharah and Roddi were busy working on music for her comeback in the New Year, and Uncle Cam was doing whatever Uncle Cam does.

"Hey, look who's awake," Elliot said. He held a tray of what looked like eggnog, which he laid on the coffee table while the other Elliot—uncle Cam's Elliot—brought out a tray of cookies. "The ones with the dark chocolate shavings are spiked."

"I'll take one of those." Zaharah plucked one from the tray and savoured the rich creaminess, followed by the kick of bourbon. "Thanks, Elliot."

"Come, come. Gather round." Uncle Cam sat near the tree and raised his glass. "A toast, to family."

"Her, here," they chimed in unison.

Zaharah knelt by the tree and fished up the present she and Jade had picked out for Markus. "Merry Christmas."

He grinned and tore the wrapper open. Nestled inside was a T-shirt with Best Android Dad emblazoned on the front. He stared at it, his grin slowly dissipating and blue rings forming around his irises. "I don't know what to say."

Don't say anything. Jade hugged him again and put a snowman bopper on his head. Merry Christmas.

Zaharah sat back and watched the festivities unfold. Jade opened a new pair of those slick skates she'd been eyeing in the cybernetics tower, courtesy of uncle Cam. Pharah got some acoustic foam for the setup she was putting together in her closet. Roddi got a new housing for Shala. She took in the scene, everyone talking, laughing.

Skorpi chased Shala around the room, a bow poised on his claw that he was intent on sticking on the cat's head. Jade hovered after them on her skates. Meanwhile Pharah and Roddi were laughing at whatever bad joke uncle Cam had told them and Markus chatted with the Elliots.

For the first time in two years, Zaharah's heart warmed. This moment felt right. It felt like home.