Endless Spiral CC, Mature, Part 13 02/25/2016

[keepsmiling7]

This is an awesome part, however I have got to go back and do some review on earlier happenings.
Thank you,
Carolyn

[saori_1902]

Wow. Welcome back. Poor babies. Poor Jack who did not survive. What want Vittorio? Thanks.

[keepsmiling7]

Nice long part.....thank you!
Now, Liz is acting strange.
Thanks,
Carolyn

[begonia9508]

To say at least, it was for me a descent into hell, reading this part! And I had to shook myself by telling me its only a story... but that was really really hard to digest!

Thanks EVE

[saori_1902]

bummp

[xilaj]

I love this story and have been really happy to act as a beta for it. While we’re all waiting for a new part I wanted to stop by and leave some feedback. I’m so excited about reaching what seems to me to be one of the pivotal sections of the story.

I think this part is very powerful and also tough to read. I think that it has to be, to carry its weight in the story. The tension and horror of the constant mental and physical pain seems to me to be amazingly well-written and, as a result of what happens here, so many important things become clearer and so much is explained about why the humans become the people we meet later in the timeline. It’s fascinating to get a glimpse of the Royal 3 in action as well. We can perhaps assume that there’s more to the aliens’ actions than can be understood from what we see here but there’s no avoiding the simple fact that because they don’t come themselves or send anyone to save the humans, the resulting despair and sense of betrayal - and especially Jack’s murder - change everything.

The bitterness that the humans feel makes so much sense now that I’ve read this and the previous part. I think the tone of Max’s speech is just right – the humility and the call to arms - but then there are those three little devastating words...”nothing else matters”. Reading it, you feel just how much those words resonate with Liz and Kyle and eventually Maria. It’s so devastating when the humans realise that the aliens aren’t coming to save them, that they don’t matter seen against the importance of the royals’ war aims. After this Jack’s death underscores how alone they are, and that there will be no help coming to them from Antar. It’s the perfect moment for Vittorio to appear and offer them a different way out. A moment that Vittorio presumably picked for that reason. I’m very much looking forward to finding out more about him.

Oh Jack! I understand that he can’t have a future with Liz or the story isn’t going to go anywhere very interesting, but I got to care about him and believe that he represented a possible future. And Liz - she’s so broken by the end of this, how can she come back? She pays such a terrible price for opening up to someone new. I think one of the things that affected me the most about Jack being brought into this horrible situation is that Liz knows he’s there only because she allowed Nicholas to rifle through her most personal thoughts and feelings. Letting Nicholas in to distract him from torturing Maria and Kyle only led to him discovering Jack’s significance to her. It’s a horrible irony there that says so much about Liz: the lengths she’ll go to protect the people she loves, and the terrible cost to her when she’s not able to.

I can see that she’ll go on from here blaming herself and blaming Max and co for leaving them so vulnerable. In this part in particular, Liz’s bitterness feels justified and I understand why she, Kyle and Maria become closed off to everyone but each other and eventually Alex. I think this story is particularly good at evoking complex emotions. There’s bitterness and despair but there’s longing and love too and the way that they all feed off one another. It’s messy and complicated as it should be.

I was very happy to see that so much is explained about the Granolith and that we now have an idea of its significance to Liz. Somehow the way that she seems to be accessing her powers when we see her in the present time doesn’t give the impression that she’s exactly a dormant partner... and the Granolith is interestingly sentient

I can’t wait to see what will happen when the two sides, humans and aliens, come into contact in the present time as they must surely have to. I feel that this part is going to cast the longest shadow over everything that follows and I’m excited to read more as soon as the next part is ready!

[saori_1902]

I miss this one.

[TrueDetective305]

I'm really looking forward to see what happens when Max, Isabel, Tess, and Michael meet Liz, Kyle, Maria, and Alex. Especially now that Liz has Max and Tess' son. It is going to be intense.

[Comet]

11. The Babysitter’s Club

Present Day

When Kyle had woken up that morning, there were many signs that pointed out that it would be a bad day. He had missed his alarm, and overslept by an hour. When he had finally woken up, bleary eyed and swearing as he had tripped his way out of bed, his foot had caught on a discarded pair of jeans, and he had almost broken his neck as he flailed around to regain his balance. His regular sparring partner had been understandably pissed off at his lateness, and had made their displeasure clear by wiping the floor with him. Kyle had limped back to the compound, with his ego and various other parts of his body bruised, and had made it to breakfast just in time to catch Liz and Maria suiting up to meet a potential client, but not before reminding him that the day he had been dreading was finally here.


It was his turn to babysit the kid.


He had barely had time to protest, not that it would have made a dent really, given Liz’s unsympathetic expression and Maria’s knowing smirk, but he had given it his best shot, yelling his reservations about the arrangement even as the girls had soundly ignored him while they sailed out the door. When he was sure they were gone, he went to track down his last hope, a hope that seemed misplaced, given the way Alex was acting at the moment.


“ No.”


Kyle frowned. He had been anticipating that he would at least be able to get Alex to the negotiating phase, but it seemed like the other man was in no mood for it today. Still, he could at least try. Mustering up his best pleading look, perfected from years of watching Maria at work, Kyle hoped he merely sounded like he was asking for a favor, and not whiny. Men simply didn’t do whiny- especially not Valenti men.


“ Alex!”


“ No way.” Alex’s hazel eyes were steely, and he didn’t miss a beat as he continued his pull-ups.


“ But-”


Alex shook his head. “I traded my Friday so you could take my Monday. I gave up a seat at a very high stakes poker game, which I was the odds on favorite to win, mind you, so that you could go out to whatever it was you absolutely needed to go to. So, no.”


Infuriated, and seeing that he would get nowhere with his friend, Kyle crossed his arms and scowled.


“Well what the hell am I supposed to do with him?”


His set done, Alex dropped back to the ground and made for his desk, shuffling around until he found what it was he was looking for. He had apparently been prepared for Kyle’s exasperated question and promptly shoved a neatly written list into the shorter man’s chest.


“What is this?” Kyle had a sinking suspicion he already knew, but Alex’s smirk only confirmed it.


“ His schedule, courtesy of Liz. And word of advice...go to the bathroom BEFORE the kid starts his lessons with Vittorio. She found out I left the room for five minutes so I could tinkle, and she went ballistic. Apparently, when she says the old man’s not to be left alone with the Prince, she really, really means it.”


Kyle groaned, and looked through the list quickly. True to form, Liz had planned out the boy’s schedule to a T, and he was quite sure she had based it off what the kid would have been used to had he still been with his family. The morning seemed to be blocked off for lessons, and today, he would be learning history. There was a note from Liz to feel free to use force if Vittorio got a little too graphic in describing the bloody history of Antar, something that almost made him grin, but that was before he saw the afternoon schedule, and times blocked off for ‘Earth culture’, ‘Exercise (Playtime)’, ‘Mealtimes’- and his name neatly penciled in next to them.


“Earth culture? What is that? And…meal times…she doesn’t expect me to cook for him, does she?”


Alex sighed, and grabbed a towel, raising an eyebrow at Kyle. “What do you think, Valenti? That kid is set to inherit the throne that leads five planets. It’s probably a good idea for him to be exposed to as many other ways of living and thinking as possible,”


“ Really? Hatching and growing up here didn’t seem to have had any effect on his father.”


The words were snarky and bitter and Alex immediately shot him a warning look, which Kyle returned with a stubborn one of his own.


“ What? It’s true,” He defended.


Alex muttered to himself and then sighed again, looking like he wanted to be as far away from the current conversation as possible. This was Alex though, and Kyle had never known him to run from anything that needed doing, or someone who needed help, even if they didn’t know it.


“Look. I know that complicated doesn’t even begin to describe the history between his family and us...but he’s just a kid. He’s scared, and light years away from everything he’s ever known, with a bunch of strangers who weren’t exactly raring to have him here in the first place. That’s tough enough for anyone, never mind a five year old. So try to remember that he had nothing to do with what happened back then, and don’t make him pay for things he hasn’t done.”


With a last meaningful look, Alex left to go shower, and Kyle was left staring at the list and mulling over his words. The decision to bring the boy here had not been an easy one. Vittorio’s initial announcement that the situation in the Whirlwind Galaxy had reached a point where intervention was unavoidable had been met with disbelief at first- in the five years they had been working with the old man, they had stayed meticulously clear of anything to do with the House of Antar directly, to the extent of turning down countless lucrative jobs in the process.


That said, they still made it a point to know everything that went on within the five planets. It was necessary, given Liz’s ties to the Granolith, and by extension, Antar. Apparently, despite their efforts, it appeared that Vittorio was privy to even more information than they were. The hows and the whys were unimportant, he had told them. What they needed to focus on was that Khivar was making his move to snatch the heir to the throne, for reasons he could not yet disclose, but it was an act that would most certainly not end well for them. There was no other recourse: they had to get to the boy first.


So get him they did, and now, here he was- babysitting.


It just went to show that you could never really tell where life would take you.


Reluctantly, he found himself standing outside the kid’s door, which was cheerfully painted a bright red, with a motif of racing cars to complete it. Swallowing back his scowl, Kyle knocked shortly on the door, and waited for the soft acknowledgement before he poked his head inside. The room was typical for a little boy, messy piles of toys dotting the carpet, seemingly arranged by type, cars stacked together, soft toys grouped as one, building blocks in a jumbled mess. The bed was unmade, with several books peeking out of the covers. The child himself was sitting on the carpet, carefully constructing a structure from wooden blocks, looking freshly showered and ready to go, his tiny school bag right beside him.


Kyle fought the urge to wince when the kid finally looked up at him, because damn if he didn't look like a mini-replica of his former rival. Even weirder, he could easily pick out traces of the girl who'd once shared his home too, and he once again wondered how exactly he was supposed to get through this day without breaking something. Unbidden, Alex’s words came back to him, and though Kyle was far from capable of just forgetting who the child really was, he knew that the only way to end the day was to actually start it. So he took a deep breath, and raised an eyebrow at the boy.


“Time for lessons."


Mini-Max wavered for an instant, his gaze flickering down to the carpet, and Kyle sincerely hoped he wasn’t about to pitch a wailing tantrum. There hadn’t been anything on the schedule about that, and his current plan to deal with it should it happen was to get Alex. Thankfully, the boy seemed to recover in a few moments, looking back up at Kyle with a determined expression. He reached for his bag in silence and then got to his feet, moving to join the older man at the door.


Kyle shifted to the side to let the boy pass before him and as he did, he realized with some bemusement that while the kid may have been Max to the nth degree, his hair...was all Michael Guerin. For some irrational reason, this made the thought of spending the day with him slightly easier- the messy mop of hair a visible indication that this was NOT Max Evans...no matter how much he might look like him.


It was a slightly softer tone that colored his voice the next time he spoke.


" I'm Kyle, by the way. Kyle Valenti."


His introduction, like his earlier words, was in Antarian, for he had never heard the boy speak in anything else. The child paused, and then turned to look over his shoulder at him. After a moment, the wary look on his face broke out into a smile, small and hesitant, but a smile nonetheless.


"Hello, Kyle. It's nice to meet you." Solemnly, and with all the grace and precision expected from the heir to the throne, the kid bowed in greeting. Kyle blinked at the perfect, if halting English, and then he blinked even more as the boy proceeded to continue introducing himself with a long list of names and titles that seemed far too weighty for a five year old to bear. In fact, judging by the way the boy's brow had furrowed here and there, Kyle was willing to bet money he had forgotten a title or two along the way. At the end of this display, they were left staring at each other, man and boy, and Kyle was acutely aware that they were by now probably late for the boy's lesson, and that Liz would probably be throwing a fit about how her precious schedule was already being throw off kilter so early in the day.



“…Right. Well. That’s quite a mouthful of a name there. Do you have a nickname?” He eyed the confused look on the kid’s face and hastened to elaborate. “ Something shorter that Ev-your father or…Guerin maybe, calls you?”


There was a beat, and then a slow nod. “Kai.”


And there it was. Kyle could no longer keep referring to the boy as ‘the kid’ or ‘Mini-Max’, the knowledge of his name all but cementing his status as an entity that was separate from his father, and his mother and the events of the past that had irreversibly changed their lives. It was true, it would take more than just that to forget who his family was, but for now at least, it was enough so he could ignore this fact, and it was the start that he needed to make it through this day, and the next one and the next, for however long the boy was with them.


“So has anyone let you try pizza yet?” A headshake in the negative was his answer and Kyle muttered to himself in dismay. “ Of course they haven’t,” He squared his shoulders and nodded the kid through the classroom door. “ Well be good and try to get through your lesson without falling asleep, and you’ll be in for a real treat.”


Several hours later, Kyle was cursing softly under his breath, trying to bypass yet another security pad while making sure the boy in his arms remained asleep. The third wrong attempt initiated the weapons systems, and within 15 seconds Kyle was going to have to get very creative with the shields and the dodging-unless he put in the right code. The curses increased in vehemence, because, seriously, would it kill Maria to let him know that she was going to change the passwords again?


With five seconds left to spare, the door opened and Alex sighed, regarding him with a grin.


“ Easy on the bad words there, Valenti. Little ears present.” He cocked his head to the side and looked at Kai’s sleeping face as Kyle walked into the house. “ How’s he doing?”


“ Knocked out after the sugar rush from the third soda ran out.”


“ You gave him soda?” Alex chuckled. “ Maria’s going to kill you. She’s been keeping him on an all natural, organic diet since he got here.”


“ Jesus.” Kyle shook his head. “ No wonder Kai went crazy when he tried it, I didn’t know she was keeping him from all the good stuff. How freaked out is Liz right now?”


“ Well considering that she thinks you can’t stand Kai and that you completely went off the grid, and took the kid with you," Kyle didn’t miss the subtle emphasis Alex had placed on the boy’s nickname, and it seemed that Alex knew he had come to some sort of understanding with himself regarding the Prince. When Kyle met his gaze, Alex’s stare was tinged with pride and then he looked away. “ I’d say she’s at about level 8,”


“Fantastic.” Kyle changed course and headed towards the living room. “ Let’s get this over with, and let her see the kid’s all right. She’s probably itching to yell at me anyway.”


“ Oh she is.” Alex gazed fondly at the boy. “ Did he have fun though? What disguise did he pick?”


“ Programmed the disc so he was a little ginger raising hell everywhere. Picked up baseball in a snap too. Quick as a whip.”


“ Coulda told you that one.” They paused at the door, and Alex smirked as Kyle hesitated, trying to get a read on the situation by eavesdropping. Sure enough, his efforts were almost immediately rewarded, as Maria’s voice came loud and clear through the door.


“ Would you calm down, Liz? You haven’t snapped, crackled and popped like this in years. I told you, their vitals are normal. They’re fine. Here, smell this.”


“ If they are so fine, how come we can’t find them? I can’t hold that right now, I’m too worked up, the last time I blew up a bottle and you wouldn’t speak to me for two days.”


“ Kyle probably raised his blocks up a little higher as a precaution in case someone out there might be able to detect even our special brand of signal and brought the little guy under them as well. He’s just being careful. And I had a right to be snippy, do you know how much I had to haggle for that bottle? I almost had to give up one of my eye teeth to that Althurian before he would let me have it.”


“ He wouldn’t have to be careful at all if he had stayed at home and followed my schedule. Everyone else follows my schedule, why can’t he? And…when were you bargaining with Althurians?”


“ Lizzie, your schedule never said we had to stay home. And it was that time we were in Sector 2. You were busy, and I got bored.”


At this point, Kyle and Alex exchanged amused glances, and waited for Liz to cotton on. They didn’t have to wait long.


“ When we were in Sector 2, I was busy running for my life from those raiders. And you were haggling? Is that what made you take so long to meet me? And… I just assumed that staying at home was a given…are you telling me you took him out too?!”


“ Blame Alex, he gave me the idea.” Maria’s blithe response caused Kyle to chuckle and Alex to scowl, but the blonde wasn’t done. “ Look, I took every precaution, and so did Alex, and Kyle probably did too. We brought him back safe and sound and you wouldn’t even have been the wiser if my idiot step-brother would have gotten the kid back on time.” There was a pause, and Kyle was sure Liz was glaring, but Maria wasn’t done. “ We can’t just keep him locked up in here, Lizzie. He’s not a prisoner, and kids need sunlight and fresh air and all that crap. So let it go, forget about your schedule, and face the real reason you’re having a cow.”


“ Which is?”


“ You’re worried about the kid. And Kyle. But mostly the kid.”



“Is that so unreasonable? You were there today. You heard them. The Royal House of Antar is looking specifically for operatives that specialize in all the areas we play in, for an unspecified job. That means they’re trying to expand the search into this galaxy, or worse, they might try to get in contact with us to work a job for them again. Either way, it means they’re one step closer, and I don’t like it.” Outside the door, Kyle and Alex exchanged looks and saw mutual agreement that they would have to talk about that later, but for now, their concern melted into amusement when Liz’s next words were a mixture of frustration and petulance. “I’m just trying to keep us all safe, but no one will let me. Do you guys just like to make life difficult for me?”


“It’s out of love, besides having something to yell about helps you relieve your frustrations, and we all know you need that desperately with how you always insist on holding things in. Don’t give me that look, you know it’s true. Just…listen, we’re with each other, Liz, and he’s with us. This is literally the safest place he can be. Now come on. Sniff. I’ll even hold the bottle for you.”


“ Ugh fine. But next time, I’m bringing Alex with me to Sector 2!”


Maria gasped in outrage, and as the girls veered into less turbulent waters, Alex eyed Kyle and nodded towards the door. “ I’d say that’s your cue. No better time to do it.”


Kyle winked at him and grinned at the boy in his arms. “ One step ahead of you. Showtime. If you wouldn’t mind?”


Alex saw his game plan, for Kyle was counting on Liz refraining from yelling at him if only for the boy’s sake, and he chuckled and opened the door. “ Good luck.”


A cocky grin was his answer. “ Don’t need it.” Kyle stepped inside and there was silence for approximately half a minute, and then Maria was outside the door, beside him with Kai sleeping soundly in her arms, completely unaware of the transfer, just as they had planned.

When the yelling began, Alex and Maria were already halfway down the hall, headed to put the little Prince to bed.

“ He never learns does he?”

“ Valenti? Of course not.”

“ How long do you think before she comes to yell at you?”

“ About 20 minutes.” Hazel eyes sparkling, Alex grinned at Maria. “ How do you feel about French for dinner?”

Maria’s blue eyes sparkled back in kind. “ I feel like that’s a great idea. Let’s get junior squared away. There’s this adorable café in Paris I’ve been dying to bring you guys to. Once Liz stops pouting, I can bring her over as well.”

There was a crash and a small explosion from back down the hall, and Alex sighed. “Do you think that was the painting or the vase this time?”

Maria simply laughed and shrugged. “Does it matter? All it means is that we have to stop by a gallery while we’re over there too.”

“…I knew you were going to make this a shopping trip.”

“ Alex, when are you going to learn? Every trip is a shopping trip.”

FIN.

[saori_1902]

yay, a new part, finally! So he has a name "Kai" I feel bad for he and my favorite humans.