Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 557: How to raise an alien child!

Alena responded before Arwin, "You would never guess how many we were when the journey started. Or how many vehicles we had and all the supplies we carried. It was hell." In the back of her mind, she thought, ’I don’t even know if it was worth it.’

Arwin, in the meantime, pressed his hands together as if in prayer before letting out a long, shuddering breath. "Thank the heavens. Thank the lucky stars. She’s a stubborn one but smart. She knew that if she tried to make the journey back to the Drift Lands on her own, she’d not make it back alive. Paula always makes the right choice."

’For Paula.’ Alena thought. Paula was good at looking out for herself and her brother Arwin. In the apocalypse, that was not such a bad thing. Bleeding hearts like her, on the other hand, they suffered more than others.

Others could not hear her thoughts, and they continued on with their communication.

"She has been very helpful," Hades said, clapping Arwin on the shoulder. "She re-arranged the library, and she is teaching history and art to the prisoners. Although, I am not sure if those things are helpful."

Sunshine turned to one of their trusted men standing nearby. "Owen, take Arwin and his group down to the prison base. Make sure the transition goes smoothly. It seems like they are here to take her home."

Eric stepped forward and shook his head in disbelief. "Thank you both. For everything. For keeping my people safe and for keeping my wife and children fed. I was prepared for a funeral yesterday, not a reunion. You have gone above and beyond. You should see my wife, she has gained three pounds since I last saw her."

"It’s days like this that keep me from retiring," Sunshine joked, though her eyes stayed warm.

They said a few last words, perfunctory ones, before shaking hands. Sunshine asked Eric to make an appointment with Carson and Major Elio. The information he had gathered from everything he had seen outside would be of help in their expansion.

After Arwin’s group headed off_ practically jogging in their excitement_ Hades and Sunshine gathered their younger children.

As always, Castiel preferred to be carried by her. Today, his hands held her neck tighter than usual. "Mommy, I am sad."

"That’s okay baby, you are allowed to be sad." She kissed him on the cheek.

"I will miss Old Simon." He told her. "Did you know that he once wrestled a snow tiger and won? He was the coolest person in the world."

Sunshine and Hades laughed. The odds of that being true were slim. Unless, it was a baby snow tiger!

"What else did he wrestle?" She asked, curious about the wild tales the old man had spun.

"A shark." Castiel bounced in her arms. "It was as big as a boat and he punched it. He had two shark teeth and he promised to give me one." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ariel rolled his eyes. He would have told Castiel the truth but he did not have the heart to do so.

Sunshine and Hades dropped the kids off at their grandparents’ house a few minutes later. Castiel was in a hurry to tell others about the coolest man in the world. Earl was eager for cookies. Ariel wanted to change out of the stuffy black suit and get back to work.

From there, the couple visited the Steward house. The tension started forming as soon as Day parked the car in the Steward driveway.

Sunshine rook in a deep calculated breath.

Hades lightly squeezed her shoulders, "Remember honey, use the leadership approach. Do not let Leah manipulate you."

She nodded once, smoothed her t-shirt for the third time_ a nervous habit she’d never admit to_ and they stepped out of the car, walking up to door of the house a bit stiffly. Before her finger could even graze the plastic of the doorbell, the door swung inward.

Leah stood there, looking like she’d been expecting a storm and wasn’t quite sure if the roof of her house would hold up.

The two women locked eyes. No smiles. No "hey girl" energy. Just the heavy silence of two people about to deal with a massive headache.

Sunshine was wearing a shirt with the words. ’We don’t care who comes, we are kicking ass.’ A gift from Nimo, two years ago and perhaps, not the best choice for this day.

"I see you are not here for brunch," Leah said, her voice dry.

She stepped back, opening the door wider and jerking her head toward the living room. "Come on in, then."

Sunshine walked in first, unresponsive.

Hades brushed past Leah with his usual brooding flair. "This regards the security of this base. And we just came from a funeral of our people, my appetite is nonexistent."

Once inside, Sunshine didn’t waste time with small talk. She paced the length of the rug, her words coming out like rapid-fire. She laid out everything Zulu had shared.

"It’s more serious than it looks, Leah," Sunshine said, stopping to face her friend. "These devices aren’t toys. If Ala knows something_ and we both know she does_ it’s high time she spilled, it. All of it."

Leah leaned against the kitchen island, rubbing her temples. "I get it. I really do. I know the gravity here. But Sunshine, she’s a child. If you talk to her like a drill sergeant, she’ll clam up tighter than an oyster. Force doesn’t work on her; it just makes her blink out of the room. As her mom, I know this better than anyone."

Sunshine threw her hands up. "And ’babying’ her is working? Leah, she teleported children into the middle of a forest during a battle! How are you not more livid about it more than me? What if next time she decides the moon looks like a nice place for a play date? What then?"

Leah winced. "I am angry. I’m disappointed, and honestly, I’m still exhausted after yesterday’s fight. Ala is my child but she’s an alien, Sunshine. I don’t have a manual for ’How to Raise a Kid from Boulder Creek.’ I’m learning on the fly here, and believe me, it’s not a piece of cake. It’s more like a piece of dry toast that someone dropped in the dirt."

Sunshine let out a long breath, her shoulders finally dropping an inch. She thought about the complexities of just raising a human kid_ the tantrums, the endless fights, the childish sass. Add teleportation to that mix, and she realized Leah was basically living in a permanent state of high-alert panic. "Fair point," Sunshine conceded with a small, weary smile. "I can barely get Ariel to do as I say sometimes. I can’t imagine trying to discipline a kid who can literally disappear when she’s grounded."

"Exactly," Leah sighed. "But you’re right. We need answers. I’ll go get her and we can try this together."

Leah disappeared into the back hallway and returned a minute later, leading Ala by the hand. The girl looked small, her eyes darting between Hades’ scowl and Sunshine’s determined face.

"Hi, Ala," Sunshine said, softening her voice but keeping it firm. "We need to have a little chat. And this time, no magic tricks, okay?"

The room was heavy with silence, the kind that pressed against the walls like a storm waiting to break.

They all looked at her, Ala seemed strong-willed beyond her years, she stood with her fists clenched.

"You have to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Quinn sweetheart, they only want to protect this place where we live, or else those giant birds may destroy our home." Leah said to her. "You like our home, don’t you?"

Ala looked up at Leah, pondering for a minute.

The adults held their breath.

"Okay mama." Ala finally said and turned to Sunshine. "I will tell aunt Suni all she wants to know, but my condition stands."