[ussbansheec] "Cradle Snatching" - Attempt 3 (last and final)
- From: Elizabeth Bethell <ejbethell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:53:39 +0000 (GMT)
After her meetings Emma wanted nothing more then an evening alone with her
family. She chuckled to herself as she entered the penthouse. Emma Frost the
White Queen, whose whole life had been spent chasing power, was her most
content and happy being a wife and mother. Those people in Hell must really be
enjoying the snow cones and iced tea.
"Alexandria?" She called out as she headed towards the bedrooms.
Alexandria stepped out of the nursery with Johari in her arms.
Emma wrapped her arms around her lover and their youngest daughter. "Lets take
the girls shopping."
The taller woman laughed as the little girl in her arms wrapped her own little
arms around Emma's neck. "You're in a good mood."
"Yes I am," Emma kissed her love and took their youngest daughter. "I'll get
Jo-jo ready, you got up and get Briar."
Alexandria nodded, and chuckled all the way up to the greenhouse. She loved
Briar's greenhouse. It had such a sense of wholeness. It was her daughter's
home and it was literately a apart of the girl. It had touched her and her own
mother deeply when they child had asked to include flowers from their own
gardens. "Child," she called out, "your mother wishes to on a family shopping
spree. Which is personally think is a good idea since you and your sister both
are absolutely harsh on clothes."
There was no reply.
"Briar's not in her greenhouse," Alexandria told her lover when she came back
down. "I know she'd wanted to go to the park, but I thought I'd heard her
return." There was a concerned frown on the dark skinned woman's face.
Something about the greenhouse felt wrong, as if something were missing.
Emma didn't like the look on Alexandria face so she opened her connection to
their daughter a little more then she normally did. Briar was an adult now and
Emma wanted to give her some privacy. The connection between them was stretched
almost as thin as her connection to Alexandria when she was serving on a ship.
"She's not here."
"What?" Alexandria asked.
Anger and fear flooded icy blue eyes. "I can't sense her clearly. She's no
where close." Emma handed Johari back to Alexandria and then went to her
office to look for her child.
Briar held Anela's hand as she waited for the ferry. "Will Sorenson be pleased
that we drop in unannounced?"
Anela shrugged. "He's a friendly enough sort I suppose," he said as he waved
to a passer by. "He never minded before."
"You go to him often then?" she mused.
"My mother does and, every now and then, I've gone with her. Each time, we've
found him home but not necessarily ready for guests. He was always gracious
about it." Anela hugged her then rubbed her shoulder. "Don't worry. I've only
ever seen him mad at cruelty."
"Oh?" she asked softly, her eyes wider. "Not mutants?"
"No, Briar, not mutants. He's like me and part Vulcan. He accepts people as
people," he said gently. "Meanness gets him mad."
"I'm not mean," she said quickly. "I'm not much of anything."
"No, you're very sweet and a bit silly but you are definitely not mean." He
settled his hands on either side of her face. "And you are hardly not much of
anything, eh? Beautiful lady like you who makes me so happy? Not a think to
think."
It took longer then she would have liked to find out that a Starfleet
transporter beam had pieced the greenhouse. That did nothing to ease Emma's
fears after watching her daughter get on the elevator with a strange man. As
soon as she had a general idea where the beam could have taken Briar, Emma
stormed out of her office. She was a prowling white tight by the time Ororo
showed up to watch the baby. As soon as she was sure at least one of her
children was safe she and Alexandria beamed to Hawaii.
"Silly and sweet?" she giggled a little. "When I can work up courage to, my
mothers will be very angry with me."
Anela raised one slightly pointed brow, the left one which made his facial
tattoo look even stranger. "`Oia `ea? Why's that? You're an adult aren't
you?"
"I'm impetuous and foolish," Briar corrected. "And young. I sometimes scare
them when I do things so far outside of my normal behaviour."
"Mine always just says to not get myself killed," he said with a chuckle. "And
I'm relatively young for her people, too. I won't hurt you, Briar. I
couldn't."
"I know that but my mothers don't," she whispered.
"I'll dazzle 'em with my natural Hawaiian charm," Anela said with a grin.
"Then we overwhelm them with the rest of the Maluhias and Anoias."
As soon as Emma was solid she could feel Briar's presence strongly. Closing her
eyes she focused in on orchid pink that her daughter appeared as in her
telepathic mind. "They're near the docks."
Taking her cue Alexandria wrapped an arm around Emma's waist as her eyes went
pure white. A warm tropical wind eased them off the ground and towards the
docks. The clouds that had started to gather when she appeared on the island
became greyer with her increasing fear. She knew that transporting made Briar
ill. What if her child was truly hurt? What if she were in pain, unable to
reconnect with the earth? Worse what if she had and she was now bound here.
Grey clouds became thick and dark all around them. A sure sign a storm was
coming, or at least her daughter.
Anela frowned up at the sky. "He'...! What gives?" he wondered. "The reports
were for clear skies."
Briar looked up at the sky as the clouds gathered and frowned. "They're
coming."
"Who? The storm clouds?" Anela asked.
"My mothers."
Emma didn't waste time. When she saw her daughter and the man standing beside
her she entered the man's mind and forced him away from her daughter.
"That was a little rash don't you think, Sweetheart?" Alexandria asked as they
began to descend.
"No," Emma replied. Once they were on the ground she went to Briar quickly.
"Are you alright?"
"Anela?" Briar whispered, her eyes wide with shock. "Mommy?"
Emma looked her daughter over carefully for any small change, a scratch, a
blotch, anything that shouldn't be there. She let go of the mental grip she had
on the man, preferring to deal with him physically if she had too. "Are you
alright, Briar Rose? Was Briar damaged in the transport? Did he hurt you baby?"
Anela nearly tripped from whatever force had pushed him away but he regained
his balance and stared open mouthed. First he was simply surprised and then he
was annoyed. "He aha n´ l kou `ano? That's not very nice," he began.
"I'm fine, Mommy," she whispered softly. "I... Briar was okay once she could
bond with the earth."
Relief and sadness flooded Alexandria's now blue eyes. "Oh, Child, what did you
do?"
Emma looked at the man as if he were a snail and held a bag of salt. She held
her daughter protectively as she replied, "Neither is abducting a young woman
from her home."
"I'd agree with you if somebody did that but ain't nobody has, `Ea?" Anela
replied steadily, settling his hands at his waist. "You ought t'ask what's
goin' on before you jump to conclusions like jumpin' off a cliff."
"I come home to find my child missing, evidence of a transporter beam in my
home, and security video of a strange man riding in the elevator with my
daughter moments before she disappears," Emma warned, applying pressure to the
man's head again. "Tell me how I'm not supposed to jump to conclusions."
Anela shook his head and gave Emma a none too friendly glare. Pushing back his
hair to display his slightly pointed ears, he said, "Whatever it is you're
doing, I don't appreciate it. Like I said, ask her and don't assault me."
~~Emma, leave the man alone.~~ Alexandria stepped up to stand with her wife and
daughter. "We have a right to be concerned here, Mister?"
"Sure but y'know, I'm not that sort you must run into a lot. I'm a Maluhia
and, if y'ask half the people just kinda starin' at us right now, they'll tell
you what that makes me. You wanna go ask my parents?" he asked wryly. "It was
my mother who got the Fleet beam for me."
"We'd rather you give us a moment with our daughter," The tall African replied.
His gruffness reminded her of her father, but in this man is was a quality she
didn't like.
"Be my guest. I'll be over there," he said with an easy shrug, smiling softly
at Briar before strolling over to a local bench. He sat down and was
immediately pounced upon by one of the children.
"That your ipo, Anela?" a little girl asked. "She's pretty!"
"I thought so," Anela murmured to the child as he lifted up onto his knee.
When the man was gone, Emma looked at her daughter, keeping the girl safely in
her arms but pulling away enough to see her face. "Briar Rose?"
Briar Rose kept her eyes on Anela, not willing to look away in case he
disappeared or decided this was too much effort for him. "He awoke something
in Briar," she admitted quietly. "I didn't understand at first but she found
him so fascinating, attractive. I let her lead for a while and she showed me
what she saw. We love him. We never thought the beam would do this. It's
never poisoned Briar before..." One of her vines snaked out in the direction
of where Anela sat, stretched out then fell away as she turned and buried her
face in Emma's shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she gasped as she started crying.
It about broke Anela's heart to see Briar in her mothers' arms. He wasn't
close enough to hear, not even with hearing enhanced by Vulcan genese, but he
was sure she was crying. The little girl sitting on his lap saw where he was
looking and hugged him.
"Those ladies look mad, kahu. Are you still going to sing for us and help
bring ke kaiku`ana Andy home?" she asked.
"Are you kidding? Of course, Elika. All this aloha here and with Uncle Pila
and Kini out there..."
Emma wasn't sure which was more painful. Her daughter's weeping or the fact she
knew what she said was true. She loved him. She held Briar tightly, the way she
did when she was small and frightened. Why couldn't she have stayed small? How
was it fair to be given such a gift only to lose her to her own heart? No
wonder Ororo didn't like her much. It wasn't so long ago that she'd been in
this man's shoes. ~~She loves him.~~ Emma once again helped herself to the
man's mind. She didn't hurt him, she only wanted the truth. Her shoulders
sagged when she found it. He loved her. He would take her away. ~~He loves
her.~~
~~I know.~~ Alexandria replied as she squeezed Emma's shoulder while stroking
Briar's hair. "There is nothing to be sorry for, Child, at least not for
falling in love. We shall however need to talk about you leaving without word
and scaring us half to death."
All Briar did was nod and cry quietly. She'd once told them she was a wicked
child but they hadn't believed her. Now they knew... Now they all knew.
When Emma moved away enough for Alexandria to take her turn at holding their
daughter, the taller woman brushed tears from the girl's face. "Call your love
back over, Child. I promise to make Mommy behave and not turn his brain to
goo."
Emma huffed and crossed her arms over her white clad chest. She was making no
such promises.
Briar shook her head. "If I'm going, take me home. Don't tease him. We'll
go. He'll move on."
"Despite the fact that removing Briar from this place after she's merged with
it would dangerous for her, you my precious rose are a grown woman who can make
her own choices." Alexandria replied as she cuddled her girl. "We won't force
you to come home if this is where you choose to be."
"I'm a wicked child," Briar whispered as she stared at Anela, willing him
closer but not wanting to go to him. "I told you. I warned you."
In that moment Alexandria looked ever inch her mother's daughter. She pulled
her own child away so she could look at her and fixed bright blues eyes on eyes
the color of a soft elegant violet. "You are no such thing." She scolding
lightly, lovingly. "You have been a blessing to our lives, Briar Rose. From the
moment we first saw you."
"And even before." Emma added with a soft smile. "You were a treasure the
moment I touched your mind that day in the orphanage."
"Treasures don't fall in love with strange men and make their mothers sad,"
Briar whispered. "Take me home. Don't toy with him, just take me home."
Emma titled the girl's head up a little. "Every child leaves home, every mother
feels sad when they do. It's apart of growing up, baby. Do you truly want to
come home or do you want to make a home here as well?"
"I want to stay with Anela," Briar told them sadly. "I don't want you to hate
him. Please?"
"He must be a special man to have earned your love." Alexandria replied before
kissing her daughter's forehead. "Call him over, Child."
"Anela!" Briar called as loudly as she could without sounding desperate. "Come
and meet my mothers?"
The little girl on Anela's knee hopped down from her perch and waved as she ran
off. "Bye, kahu! See ya later." Then she stopped. "Uh oh...somebody's in
trouble because here comes a ka m'ka`i!"
Anela turned toward where the girl was looking and shrugged. It's only Israel,
he told himself as he walked back over to Briar and her family. He held out
his hand. "Can we try this again please?"
Alexandria was the one to accept. "For our daughter's sake I think that would
be best. Alexandria Munroe-Frost, and this is my wife Emma."
With his other hand reaching for Briar, he said, "Anela Kapeliela Maluhia. E
komo mai Kauai . Welcome to Kauai ."
"Thank you," Alexandria replied as she let go of his hand.
His face was tattooed, Emma thought as she watched the man. What kind of person
tattoos their face? "So what is it you do here, Mr. Maluhia?"
"I'm a physician," he said easily. "My father and I run the island clinic and
hospital. I'm also our family's...eh, I guess the Standard word's inadequate
but you could say witch doctor."
This peeked Alexandria's interest. "A tribal shaman, that would explain the
tattoo?"
"This isn't the only one," Anela said with a grin as he tapped his cheek bone.
"Down both arms and legs and across my chest. too. The facial one is for that,
though. My great grandfather did them all himself and he said he wanted me to
be his successor." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his cousin still
approaching. Nosy cuss, he thought.
"The men and women of my tribe do similar markings." Alexandria replied, hoping
that she'd ease some of Emma's concerns. "My eldest brother is a village elder
and has an amazing cheetah across his back." She pushed up the sleeve of her
blouse to show the lightening blot on the underside of her wrist.
Anela leaned closer for a better look. "That's a fine job by whoever did it,"
he said with a grin. "I learned the modern healing arts at school but the
traditional ones from the old man and, now, from the other elders. I treat
anybody who'll let me."
"Have you ever treated a mutant, Mr. Maluhia?" Emma asked. "Would you be
prepared if my daughter became ill?"
Anela smiled softly at Briar, brushing her cheek before he answered. "She's a
bit of a special case but, other than that, as I understand anything I've ever
read, mutants are Humans just like other Humans and don't require anything
extraordinary," he replied, looking Emma clearly in the eye. "And, if I
weren't sure, my father's got connections to a man named Mc Coy."
"You know Uncle Hank?" Briar asked softly.
"No but my dad does. Remember he was laughing over how he sounded before?"
Anela grinned as he slipped his arm around Briar. "Dad's like the mayor of the
world here. He knows a heck of a lot of people. Ah, gee, now he comes my
cousin Israel." He pointed toward the uniformed man now closing in on their
group. "He looks a bit cranky."
For her daughter's sake, Emma didn't huff aloud. Nothing extraordinary indeed.
Turning to look at the new comer she scanned him, still in overprotective mode.
"Oh for goodness sake how can a person possibly invoke a no fly zone when it's
a person doing the flying."
Alexandria lifted a snow white brow.
Anela's cousin Israel was his height but thinner and definitely lacking a
facial tattoo. As he approached he nodded at Anela, offering Briar a wide
smile but then he turned to Alexandria with a more severe expression.
"Ma'am, there's a no fly zone within five hundred yards of the ferry docks," he
said in his best professional tone.
She couldn't help it, Alexandria laughed. "Fly zones refer to air craft, not
human beings. Besides, it's really more air gliding then flying."
"Uh uh, ma'am, not in this case. Section three five six, subsection a, of the
island municipal code specifically refers to both mechanical constructs and
sentient life forms," Israel said dead pan.
"They, ah, kinda had t'amend that subsection part when some of the avian aliens
started coming by," Anela added with total innocence. "Iz Friday here saw to
that."
This is why Emma liked New York. At least their stupid laws didn't effect them.
"Unbelievable." She was irritated.
Alexandria just found it funny. "Laws have no control over the elements. Plus,
I was not aware of the law, and given that, at the time, I thought my daughter
to be in danger I would have done it anyway. So whatever fine there is I'll see
it gets paid."
"It was just going t'be a warning anyway, 'specially since you're with my
second favorite cousin here," Israel said with an easy smirk.
"Ladies, this is one of my Anoia cousins, Israel. Iz, this is my beautiful
wahine Briar Frost and her mothers," Anela said with a grin.
Big family, coming from the home she did Alexandria approved. "Wahine?"
"It means lady," Anela explained. "I should really have said wahine nani to
make it beautiful lady. All of us speak the native island language."
Alexandria nodded. It had been important to her mother that she learn the
languages of Kenya, and she in turn taught her daughters.
"And, if you take belief in names giving power, my own is a dream name, meaning
it came to my mother before I was born. It all translates as Angel Gabriel of
Peace," he said with a grin.
"Names are an important thing to our tribe." Alexandria told him. "Especially
to our line." She wondered how much her daughter had told him about the
Munroes. "We are tribal princesses and priestess through the maternal line. My
mother is the eldest of our line, her name means Beautiful. I get mine from the
city in which I was conceived and born, Briar Rose, though she was named before
we were blessed with her, is strong and beautiful, and as my oldest daughter my
heir to title and place in our tribe."
"Not to mention Frost Industries," Emma added. "I suppose you will tell us you
were unaware of these facts?"
Anela shrugged easily, biting back a retort to Israel as the man walked away,
muttering under his breath about newcomers. "As a matter of fact, you'd be
about right. I haven't got cause or reason t'know about such."
"You have no cause or reason to know what goes on in her life?" Emma asked.
"Is she to drop everything from her world to be a part of yours?"
Alexandria sighed inwardly. ~~Emma please. Unless you wish us to be in the same
boat as Betsy and my sister, you'll tone down the snit.~~
~~How can you stand there and allow...~~
~~I have been in her place and you my love in his, or much I remind you of my
mother's feeling about our union?~~ Alexandria cut in.
Emma cast a side long glare at her before agreeing to chill.
"Ma'am, you are once again speaking of the woman as if she isn't standing right
here," Anela said, using one of his mother's very calm tones. "And I want
t'give you something t'think 'bout. My parents've both met Briar. My dad
smiled and held his hand out to her. My mother--well, she pretty much hardly
ever smiles-- held her hands out to her and so did my cousin Awa. Iz--y'know,
the guy who just left--never saw her before or had any idea what was going on
but not once did he bat a lash at Briar. In fact, he smiled at her. I can't
say as it'd be that easy for her anywhere else or that I'd've gotten the same
from you."
"They like me here," Briar admitted quietly. "Not even in New York do people
accept me without question or comment. Mostly they put up with me because I'm
the heir of the Frost empire."
Alexandria reached out and caressed her daughter's cheek. "We can see that,
child. You are welcomed here and loved."
"Mommy?" Briar asked nervously as she glanced at Emma.
She would save her tears for when she was alone, for now Emma remained almost
icy to all who didn't know her. ~~All I wish is for you to be happy.~~ She
replied carefully, knowing her daughter never really liked this form of
communication. ~~If that happiness is here, then here is where you should be.~~
Inside she was weeping, a part of her heart soaring, another breaking.
Briar flinched but nodded, taking Emma's hand and holding it tightly. "I'm so
sorry I made you sad."
Emma pulled her girl into her arms and held her close. "My beautiful girl."
Relaxing against her mother, Briar let out the sigh she'd been holding. "Thank
you..."
The little girl who'd been sitting on Anela's knee ran up to him and grabbed
his hand. Pulling on it slightly, she said,'"Kahu, look! Dolphins!" as she
pointed off toward the horizon.
"Be happy, baby," Emma whispered.
"Don't forsake me," Briar almost begged as she held tighter to her mother.
Emma nearly lost the control over her tears as she held a little more tightly
to her child. "You will always been my baby, Briar Rose, always."
"Those're a good omen, ma'am," Anela said softly. "They're the `aum`kua of my
family, the personal guardians."
Alexandria nodded at the young man and smiled as she watched the pod and then
turned to her watch her wife and child. "She'll get use to you, though she may
never show she likes you." She confided in him. "And if you hurt my child she
will not be the one you have to worry about. I am not known as a witch for
nothing."
"I don't expect miracles, ma'am, just life. I can only live as I ought to and
let you see my examples," Anela told her. "If you could meet my big cousin, I
think you'd be happier--both of you. He'd put everything right."
"As long as my child is happy, I'll be happy, as will Emma." The tall white
haired woman replied. "As will all of her family, she's a rather large one. I'd
beware of her Grandfather and Aunt Laura if I were you."
"They can come on over," Anela said easily. "We've never tossed anybody out
but my grandmother and that was because she pissed off my dad. That's awful
hard t'do."
Alexandria laughed. "You've never met anyone like my father. When she was
small, Briar called him Scary Pointy Man."
"Mom!" Briar gasped in horror. "That was a very long time ago and Grandfather
was very scary back then. He had," she waved vaguely at her hand, "knives and
hair and... scary pointiness."
"He has yet to live down the name." Emma smirked.
Alexandria laughed as she brushed at her daughter`s hair. Life would be so very
different without her at home, but she saw life in her eyes and it was worth
it. "That is hardly the worst thing I could have told him, Child."
"Oh please don't," Briar begged. "I'm sure he'll learn how embarassing I am
without being told all the stories. Most of them are BB's fault anyway!"
Emma exchanged a glance with her wife for a moment. They hadn`t been able to
tell her about Beatrice`s situation yet.
"Then we shall save the stories for when you both came be around to blush and
throw things at us for telling them." Alexandria replied.
"Why wouldn't we both be around?" Briar frowned. "I can go home. Or she could
come here. I don't understand, I'm not quarantined here."
Alexandria nodded in understanding, "Of course your not, Child. It`s just you
both have some settling in to do. We`ll explain, but not now. Now we would like
to see your new home."
Anela had been snickering at the gentle teasing going on then he wrapped an
arm around Briar. "Scary pointy men can come here and, when my cousin and the
others come home, we can see who's scarier. The enarrain's a bit larger than
life."
"So is my father despite his size." Alexandria grinned proudly.
"Great, we'll set the two of them on Mano then," Anela chuckled, his arm still
on Briar.
"Mano?" Alexandria asked.
"Brother shark's been about for longer than I can remember. He's got an
ongoing feud with my great uncle," Anela said with a mild snort.
Emma gave a half smirk. "A shark, sounds perfect for Logan."
"I can't do it" never accomplished anything;
"I will try" has performed miracles.
- George P. Burnham
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