Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 695: Mean grandpa.
As the squad climbed back into the Dragonfly, the wealthy elites watched with a mix of jealousy and fear. Some wanted to request that they be taken along. Others wanted to make the same request, just in a more demanding way.
Some wished the aircraft would be attacked by mutants, just because it did not belong to them. The wise ones were already planning how to restart business or prepare to move to the West after the darkness ended.
The problem was that Moon Raine, and those apocalypse brochures predicted a volcanic storm after the darkness. The air would be too dangerous around that time. How would they travel if they could not breathe?
The engines began to roar, and the aircraft lifted off, the cloaking field slowly shimmering back into place until the sky looked empty once again.
Inside the cockpit, Hades leaned back in his seat. He wasn’t thinking about the trade deals or the former President or the bloody machete. He was thinking about a woman with a bright smile back home who would be so proud of him.
Sunshine is going to be so proud of me, he thought. Things went much better than we thought, hopefully it stays that way.
Then, it struck him that he had not bothered to look around New Eden at all. He sat up, slightly panicked. But he recalled the drones they had left behind, and he relaxed again.
**********
Sunshine stepped out of the space feeling like she had been run over by a semi-truck and then backed over for good measure. Her hand muscles were screaming, and her brain felt like fried eggs. She immediately grabbed a Vita E drink from the fridge.
"Foreman, should I get your bath ready?" Tank asked.
"Yes, I would really appreciate that, add some ice cubes in there because my body is on fire." She had not felt any kind of heat for a very long time. Apparently, storm binding was like a six-hour workout that left the body sore.
The Vita E hit her system, and within seconds, her energy levels surged back up. It was like someone had plugged her into a wall socket.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, feeling the effect of the drink in her veins. "Now, I feel like a human again."
She took a slow shower, scrubbing away the exhaustion. Once she was dry, she grabbed her favorite bottle of caramel fresh Mist. It was a scent that smelled like vanilla, rain, and expensive happiness. She sprayed it everywhere. She wanted Hades to come home and find her smelling like a snack_ a gourmet snack, not a sweaty woman.
Just as she was finishing her hair, the door slid open and Castiel flew in.
"Mom! You look like a princess!" Castiel shouted, running up to her. He had already mastered the art of being a professional flatterer, especially when he wanted something. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Sunshine laughed, kneeling to catch him. "An exhausted princess but thank you sweetheart."
"Can I eat some strawberry sorbet before dinner?" He whispered.
Sunshine rolled her eyes.
They moved to the living room, unlike every other chaotic day, Sunshine noticed her older sons were not running into her embrace. They were scanning the living room like tiny detectives at a crime scene. Their eyes darted to the kitchen, the hallway, and the balcony.
"Mom," Earl said, his voice unusually serious. "Where is Grandpa? Where’s Mr. Dustin?"
Ariel stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he read the hesitation on his mother’s face. "Did something happen? Is he back at the medic bay? Did he get sick again?"
Sunshine felt a pang in her chest. She had hoped to put this off, but the Quinn kids weren’t like normal kids, they were extremely sharp and inquisitive. She motioned for them to gather on the large, plush couch.
"Sit down, guys. We need to talk about the man who was here in the morning," she said, her voice soft but steady.
Once they were settled_ with Castiel practically sitting in her lap_ Sunshine took a deep breath. "Listen, sometimes people aren’t who they pretend to be. Dustin Raine... he isn’t a good man. He was very mean to me for a long time. He didn’t come here because he wanted to be a grandpa. He came here for other selfish reasons. He doesn’t qualify to be part of this family or be your grandpa."
The change in the room was instant. The boys didn’t cry, they got angry.
"He pretended to be nice!" Earl said, his voice cracking with disbelief. "Is he like Amber?"
Sunshine nodded. "Exactly, like Amber."
"I don’t like anyone who is mean to my mommy," Castiel declared, turning around and giving Sunshine a hug so tight she actually started to choke. "I’ll kick his butt!"
From the corner of the room, White, let out a low, vibrating growl that shook the floorboards. It was like he understood the talk and he was denouncing Dustin as well.
Earl nodded, interpreting the beast. "White says that the next time he sees Dustin, he’s going to smash him into a pancake with his paw. A flat, dusty pancake."
Ariel, the most protective of the bunch, crossed his arms. "I am usually good at reading people and he fooled me. Dustin Raine is canceled. Permanently. He won’t be missed. But if he ever tries to mess with you again, Mom, he’s going to see the worst side of me. And we have some pretty dangerous sides."
Sunshine pulled them all into a massive group hug, her heart swelling. "Thank you, guys. That means the world to me."
Earl looked up at her, his eyes suddenly turning sad. "Mom... does that mean you really have no family left? Like, no cousins or aunts or anyone?"
Sunshine felt a wave of old loneliness try to wash over her. She took a breath and forced a bright, genuine smile. "Are you kidding? I have you three. I have White. I have your dad. I have this whole Fortress. I don’t need a single other blood relative. You guys are my entire world."
She pulled them into a hug. Even White came over and leaned against the human pile, groaning sadly.
The kids hugged her back, but they weren’t fooled. They could smell the faint scent of her sadness underneath the vanilla mist. They stayed close, leaning their weight against her, trying to be the anchors she needed.
