Theron's Hope (Brides of Theron)

by Pond, Rebecca Lorino

  Michael said to Grace and Zane, “Lunch is on me. We can go as soon as I check in with Beth. While I am in my office, I will have her make some reservations.” They all walked to his office and greeted Beth. He said to Beth, “Make a reservation for four people at Del Frisco’s for thirty minutes from now.” He looked to Grace and added. “I am going to call Emily and tell her to meet us.”

  Gracie sent a text to William to let him know that they were about ready to leave and quickly received a response that he was on his way. Michael came out of his office after checking his messages. All of them could wait. “Change in plans, we will swing by and pick Emily up on the way.”

  Beth said to her boss. “I just spoke to the reservation desk. They are full at present, but if a table is unavailable, they will put you in one of the private dining rooms.”

  “Thank you Beth. How is Friday looking?” He asked her.

  “You are going to have a very busy day, Mr. Jameson.” Beth said as she looked up his schedule in case he had any immediate questions. “I have linked it to your Outlook calendar and you should be able to access it from your phone. Have a nice lunch.”

  “Thank you Beth. I will see you on Friday.” Michael said as they left his office.

  They passed by Michael and Emily’s house which was on the way to the restaurant and picked Emily up. William opened the door and Emily slid in sitting next to Grace. “Where are we off to?” She asked. “Hi Grace, hi Zane.”

  Michael answered his wife from the front seat as he was checking his schedule for Friday, shaking his head at the prospect of all the meetings that were rescheduled for that day. “We are taking Grace and Zane to Del Frisco’s.”

  Em smiled sweetly, “Great, I love that place.”

  Grace took this opportunity to speak to Emily. “Emily, I was wondering if maybe Zane and I could take the kids for a night so that you guys could say, go on a date? I feel so bad taking up much of Michael’s time over the past few days that I would love to do this for you both.”

  Em looked at Michael with the knowledge that the man sitting next to Grace was from outer space and he was taking her best friend away. Should they trust him with their kids as well? Michael spoke up, “We haven’t been on a date in ages Em, what do you say? The kids would love it too. Heavens knows when they will see their Auntie again,” he said as he nodded to her.

  Emily was a bit apprehensive. It was not due to the fact that Zane was an alien. She knew that the kids would be perfectly safe with them. It was the fact that she never left them the whole night with anyone before. Sure, the children would sleep at Grace’s house but Emily would share the bed with Grace if Michael was out of town or even sleep with Michael in one of the guest bedrooms if he was with them. She took a deep breath and knew that it would be best if the children had some time alone with Grace and Zane before they were gone for however long they would be gone. Michael assured her that even Zane didn’t know how long the time difference would be when he was told her about everything that had happened last night. “Sure, that would be great. When do you want them?”

  “How about we keep them tomorrow night?” Grace looked at Zane excitedly. She knew that Emily was never far from the kids. This must have been very hard for her to agree to, pressure from Michael or not.

  Lunch was wonderful. Zane tried his first German dark beer. It was so much better than the “horse piss” Grace referred to when he pointed out the can he had tried on the ship several days ago. The steaks were delicious as well as the sides that Grace ordered for them. Earth food was surprisingly good. He could see what Grace found lacking in the food he had in his quarters. There were so many flavors he could savor. There were so many different varieties of food that were influenced by the many ethnicities on the planet. He knew that her leaving with him would be as much of as an adjustment as it was for him to be living on this planet for the past several days.

  As they walked into the Grace’s apartment building, Michael and Emily excused themselves for the evening. They spent several hours at the restaurant which was longer than they intended and needed to get home before Jillian had to leave for the day. Emily admired the suit that Zane was wearing. “You look good in these clothes. Michael’s tailor is the best.” She gave Grace a kiss on the cheek and a hug as they left to get Michael’s car.

  Zane and Grace were once again alone, except for Jo. She would be leaving soon as well though and then they would be truly alone. Jo was stepping out into the hallway as Zane and Grace came out of the elevator. “I was just leaving. I didn’t hear from you so I did not cook this evening but there is the casserole and the leftovers from last night. So, how did it go today?”

  “It went great. Aunt Marion left Aggie speechless.” She giggled with delight. “I am stuffed right now, but if we get hungry we can just order pizza. Thanks, Jo.” She gave the little woman a hug before she left.

  “Pizza? Is that what you and Avery were talking about on the ship?” Zane wondered.

  “Yes, it is. I will probably order pizza tomorrow when the kids come over. They love pizza. Are you hungry?” She asked.

  She popped a bag of microwave popcorn to snack on and they put on the movie “Avatar”. Zane was telling her how the Na’vi people looked like a civilization that they traded with regularly and that the only difference was the body color. It was more of a purple than a blue. He was telling her some of the odd behaviors and things that they did. He liked the idea of the Home Tree and said that the Theron’s did something similar with the trees on their planet.

  When the movie was over, Zane said, “It is about time for me to go back up to the ship. I am going to call Ceran down to the apartment while I am gone.” She looked a bit disappointed at the prospect of not being with him for the next several hours.

  “I need to write up the evidence section of the trust tonight anyway. I have been putting it off for far too long. It will give me time to focus without the constant distraction of your overwhelmingly desirable presence in my vicinity. How long will you be gone?” She asked.

  “I will most likely be gone a couple of hours. I am sure that with my extended leave from the ship, there will be many things that I will need to attend to personally. Jeeka is an asset to the clinic and I know that I have left the clinic in very capable hands but I am still ultimately responsible for my staff.” He kissed Grace with an uninhibited passion. He wanted her now. However, now was not the time. He moved into an area that was not obstructed by furniture and took the transmitter from his pocket, pushed the button and said, “This is Dr. Zane. I am ready for Ceran to come down to the surface.”

  Brylon answered him and said, “Ceran is right here and I will beam him down now. I will beam him two feet from your position. Is the area around you clear?”

  “Yes Brylon, go ahead and send him down,” Zane answered. A moment later, she saw the warrior Ceran become visible in her apartment.

  Ceran looked at Zane and said, “It is nice to see you Dr. Zane. I was wondering if you could spare a few minutes of your time before you return to the ship so that I may talk with you. It is in regard to my mate, Laura.”

  Zane was curious as he answered, “Sure, but make it fast. I want to return as soon as possible to Grace. What can I help you with Ceran?”

  “I did not know if you were aware of this, but my mate Laura has finished medical school on earth. She was six months into her residency in emergency medicine when I brought her to the ship. I think that you would find her to be a valuable asset to your clinic staff. She is really bored sitting in our quarters and I know that she would love the opportunity to continue her training under your mentorship,” Ceran said enthusiastically.

  “Sure, I would love to meet her. We will set up a meeting as soon as I am back on board the ship.” Zane replied. Having a doctor familiar with the ways of the human bodies of earth would indeed be an asset to his clinic.

  “I also wanted to add that Jeeka came to Laura first to obtain the cheek swabs. Laura has worked with
law enforcement in the past to collect evidence from rape victims that were admitted through the emergency room. She had some insight on the expectations and the collection of evidence required by the courts of law on this planet. Brylon was able to send her to the planet to gather the necessary supplies to complete your request. She also helped Jeeka collect all the samples and package them. She is in the clinic now.” Ceran said praising his mate.

  “I will speak to her when I get up there then. Thank you, Ceran.” He spoke into his transmitter. “This is Dr. Zane. I am ready to beam up,” and just like that, he was gone. Grace introduced herself and showed Ceran to the living room and asked if he wanted anything to eat or drink, showing him where to find everything when he did. She also showed him where the bathroom was. It looked as if he had brought a book of some kind to keep him busy. She excused herself and went into her study to get her laptop. It was time to write her part of the trust for Michael to review when he came in tomorrow morning. She settled herself on her bed and set up her computer in front of her as she began typing. It was nice to be writing again. It wasn’t a story and it definitely was not a subject that spoke to her, but it was necessary.

  Zane was transported directly to the clinic and Jeeka and Laura were waiting for him. Jeeka introduced him to Laura and spoke her accolades. Not only had she collected all the supplies necessary for them to proceed with the task assigned to them but, Laura was instrumental in collecting the samples from the earth women on the ship.

  “It is nice to meet you Laura. I must say that I am thrilled to have someone with your experience in medicine on board the ship. I would like to formally offer you an opportunity to continue your training on board with us. Understand that your knowledge of the human bodies of earth is a great asset to us, but you will also be introduced to individuals of many different civilizations. Some of them have very different body structures and even organs when compared to individuals that are similar in make to us,” Zane said.

  Laura looked immediately excited, elated even. “Great! When can I start?”

  “Well, why don’t we have you start when I return?” He said, reviewing the charts of the patients that came into the clinic while he was away. “This way I can relieve Jeeka of many of my duties that have fallen into her very capable hands. She will work with you most of the time and you will work with me when I am available. I am glad to have you with us, Laura. Welcome to our team.”

  “This is an excellent opportunity. Thank you for offering it to me. I will do my best.” Laura looked at box in front of her. It contained bags with tubes in them containing the cheek swabs taken from each earth woman and their mate. Each bag was labeled with the individual’s full name, date of birth, and social security number as well as where they were living when they were abducted.

  She only had one more couple to collect, Avery and Zeb. However, due to the recent threats from Lars, Zeb was not willing to let Avery leave their quarters without him, nor was she to receive visitors without Zeb being there. She showed him how to collect the samples, three swabs in three tubes for each person, and how to package them when she collected his sample. She labeled each of the tubes and the bag with his name and wrote, mate of Grace Abernathy under each of them. It seemed the simplest way to label the men’s specimens since she had no clue about how they documented birth date or if they were given a government assigned number for identification. She put the tubes inside the zipper bag, covered the opening with red evidence tape and placed it in the box. “Did you get all that. I have already begun labeling the tubes with the names, but I don’t know Avery’s birth date, social security number, or where she is from. You will have to have her add that.” She gave him the indelible ink marker as well as everything he would need to collect the samples.

  “I think I’ve got it.” He turned to Jeeka and said, “I will return shortly to check on everything and answer any questions you have about anything I have assigned for you to do in my stead. I am going to find Commander Zeb.” Zane made his way to the command deck, he knew that his friend would be there planning the route home and sure enough that is where he found him.

  “Hey, how are you doing Zeb?” Zane said as he approached his friend concentrating on his work. “I hate to disturb you but I need to collect a sample from you and Avery to use as evidence for the trust.”

  “Sure Zane. Just give me a minute.” Zane stood by patiently waiting for his friend to finish up what he was doing. “I am really glad that you are going to do it. I didn’t want to expose Avery to any potential danger from Lars. I know he is up to something, I can feel it.” They made their way to Zeb’s quarters. Zane was filling his commander in on what happened at the board meeting today. Zeb opened the door and they saw Avery curled up on the sofa reading a book with two animals sitting on her lap.

  “Dr. Zane, I didn’t think I would see you here today.” Avery said as she saw the men approach her. “Can I help you with anything?”

  Zeb sat down next to her moving Books to the side of him. “Avery, we need to collect some cheek swab samples from you for DNA. Zane is going to collect them and bring them to the clinic.”

  She looked at Zeb wanting to question the reasoning of this unusual request but decided that since Zane was with him maybe it was related to the longevity research he was doing. “Sure, I am willing to do whatever you ask.”

  “I promise that this will not hurt Avery. It will only tickle a bit.” He chuckled as he remembered placing the translation disks into her ears. He opened the sterile packet containing four swabs and he took three out and gently rubbed them against the inside of her cheek several times to ensure a good sample. He broke them off into several tubes and handed her the marker asking her to check her name and write her birth date, social security, and where she was taken from on the white area printed on the tube. He asked her to provide the same information on the bag he intended to place them in. She did as he asked then picked up her book and resumed her reading.

  Zane turned to Zeb and said, “I will need a sample from you as well.” He repeated the process and placed the tubes inside the labeled bag and sealed them both with evidence tape. Avery was not paying attention to the men. She was clearly lost in her book as the cat resumed his position on her lap, snuggling in next to Knox. She stretched and asked Zeb, “I am tired. I think that am going to bed. Are you staying?”

  “No, I have to get back to the command center. I will be a couple of hours.” Zeb bent down to kiss his mate and left the room with Zane.

  As they walked back to the command center, it seemed as if Zeb was hiding something from Avery. Zane had a feeling he knew what it was. He decided to bite the bullet and tell him what he thought was going on. “Zeb, you have got to tell her. You have no choice. The ship is leaving in less than a week and she will find out one way or another.” He was concerned about why Zeb would withhold this information from his mate.

  Zeb drew in a long breath and held it for a moment before he slowly released it and replied, “I know, I know, but she is going to be so upset. I told her once before that we would be traveling back to our home planet but I hadn’t expected it to happen this soon.”

  As Zane left the ship’s main control deck, he slapped his friend on the shoulder on his way out, “Just tell her and get it over with. There is not much she can do. It will be easier for her to hear that we are leaving from you. Good luck my friend.” With that Zane left Zeb standing in the middle of the control deck looking out at the planet earth.

  Zane spent several hours working in the clinic. He tackled the things that Jeeka would not be able to do. He met with his staff and praised their efforts while he was away. He also pulled Jeeka aside and let her know how much he appreciated her dedication over the past few days. She was doing a great job and he wanted her to know that he was glad she was his second in command of the infirmary. He wanted to check on Zeb one more time before he left, so he made his way to the command center finding his friend in his office.

  Zane kno
cked on the door and walked in without waiting for a reply, closing the door behind him and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of Zeb’s desk. “How are things going? Did you tell Avery?” Zane leaned forward in the chair, elbows on his knees as he looked at Zeb.

  “Do you really have to ask? It went horribly. She totally freaked.” He replied with a shake of his head and a scowl on his face.

  “That bad, huh? When I told Grace, she was alright with it. What do you think went wrong when you told her?” Zane felt responsible for this. It was his suggestion that he tell Avery they were leaving shortly.

  Before Zeb could reply, the door to his office opened again without a knock this time. His ship’s engineer came walking in quickly with an excited look upon his face. “Zeb, go get your mate. I figured out a solution to your problem. Meet me in the conference room 4 in twenty minutes.” He turned around and walked out the room, leaving the two men in stunned silence.

  Zane was the first to recover, “What in Gods names was that about?” He wasn’t expecting to see Brylon barging in.