Chapter 13
Days rolled into months
The threat of Reya’s return sent the OCS over the edge. New training workout routines created to fight Angelic attacks, under the advice of Michelle. The entire Tarask race searching the realms for Reya before she could return to earth. Yet despite the chaos and new threat rising over the dawn. The crew continued to live their lives inside Cats Cradle. Attending to frequent Wraith demon attacks,training dusk till dawn and raising Hanna.
“Well you look at that” Ava’s voice whispered to Bea. Awakening the ex-nun from her slumber. Bea looked to her lover, then followed her gaze to their daughter. Watching the child play around in circles in her new red and yellow baby walker. Happily racing around the room while bouncing her beloved Dusty on the table as she walked. Pretending he was bouncing around the room. “She’s going to be running soon enough”
“very soon” Bea sighed, watching her daughter content.
Hanna soon got bored with going in circles, she looked around, then picked the spot between the door and the bookshelf. Walking forward to the wall with great speed and phasing through the solid brick.
The couple’s eyes widen at their daughter’s sudden disappearance. Leaping from their bed cursing, Bea ran out the door while Ava phased through the wall to chase after her daughter.
“HANNA!” the couple screamed, calling out the child’s name over and over as they ran through the hall and rooms.
“HANNA WHERE ARE YOU!” Beatrice called.
“BEA I FOUND HER-NO WAIT HANNA!” Ava screamed beyond the solid brick wall, phasing suddenly in front of Beatrice as she stated “She’s just phased through the floor!”
“How is this possible?”
“I don’t know! Let’s just get her!” Ava crouched down and phased through the floorboards. Landing with a rather loud crash that echoed to the floor above. “SORRY!” Her voice yelled from below.
Bea groaned, then took off sprinting for the next floor.
Unfortunately Hanna managed to effectively evade both her mothers.
The baby phased through the doors, leading her to the outside cool air. She looked around intrigue. Her attention suddenly diverted to a white butterfly. She watched it flutter around her before diving off to the front gates. Which were unfortunately open and a lone figure in white robes stood beyond the wall. Hanna didn’t take notice of Reya. She was too focused on the butterfly and so gave chase. Following it across the front yard and straight for the Gates.
Hanna was halfway to the gates when the figure and the butterfly vanished mid-air.
Hanna paused, looking around for the butterfly, then began to cry.
The poor child’s wails were soon drowned out by Mary’s motorbike. The woman drove through the open gates and up to Hanna, pulling up beside her. Hanna turned to the motorbike, looked up at Mary and her wails slowed to silent cries. Mary threw off her helmet and raced to Hanna’s side. Falling onto her knees before the child. “Hey Captain what are you doing out here by yourself?”
Hanna sniffled, lifting her hands out to Mary. Mary obliged with no further encouragement. Taking Hanna into her arms and holding her close, upright against her frame.
“There there its okay, I got you” she walked back to the motorbike and hoped onto the seat. “Where’s your mammas?”
Hanna’s cries slowed to a stop, she looked up to Mary wide eyed.
Mary looked down at her and hummed “You don’t know? Well that’s okay I’m sure they are around here somewhere, but hey, do you want to have a ride on my bike in the meantime?”
Hanna’s smile broke out wide at the prospect. A giggle escaped the child when Mary revved the bike a little.
“Okay little one, I’ll take you for a spin” she promised, readjusting her grip on the child. The baby facing outward, still pressed back first against her chest with one hand, her other on the throttle. “just don’t tell mamma B okay, she’ll kill me for this”
The baby laughed.
At a gentle pace, Mary took Hanna for a spin around the yard. Her cries of joys echoed through the Cradle.
Meanwhile inside was another matter.
Bea and Ava searched high and low for their child. Nearly crashing into each other in the kitchen. Camila watched them confused from the stove while Lilith sat nearby with a mug of tea in her hand. Observing their frantic natures concerned.
“Anything?” Bea asked.
“Nothing”
“Dammit to hell”
“Hey its going to be okay” Ava reassured, massaging her lover’s arms. "We'll find her, she can't be too far"
“My love our child can phase through walls, how are we supposed to keep her safe within these walls if she can leave the moment you turn your back on her”
“SHE CAN DO WHAT?” Both Camila and Lilith shouted surprised.
The couple jumped, now noticing their friends in the room with them.
“Yes she can, we saw it happen” Bea explained.
“I would be really proud of her right now if I wasn’t terrified”
“Alright you two, there’s no need to panic!” Lilith stated, standing up on her feet. “Mary should be back any moment now, I’ll just contact her. Hanna’s probably with her. You know how much Hanna loves Mary’s bike” she pulled out her phone and started typing away.
“She does” Camila agreed. “She lights up everytime Mary starts that machine”
“I hope she hasn’t given Hanna a ride on that death trap” Bea groaned.
Lilith laughed, her eyes still diverted to her phone as she insisted “Excuse me, but didn’t you used to ride Death traps like Mary’s on Saturdays”
Bea glared at Lilith while Ava turned to her lover shocked.
“You, used to ride Motorcycles!”
“In another life” Bea sighed.
“How come you stopped?”
“Because I needed the money to get to Spain, now we really need to find Hanna-“
The front doors burst open and the soft distance laughter of a baby followed. The crew raced out of the kitchen in a flash. They didn’t stop until they found Mary walking through the inside training area with Hanna in her arms and Hanna’s walker in her other hand.
“See I told you we will find them” Mary comment as she carried Captain straight for the crew. Hanna turned to the approaching crew, giggled and raised her arms out to her mothers.
Ava scooped her daughter in her arms while Bea wrapped her arm around Ava’s waist and another around Hanna’s back. “Geez sweetpea you gave us quite the scare”
“Are you okay?” Bea asked her child. Immediately probing the girl for injuries.
The child looked between both parents and giggled.
Bea sighed, she shook her head, then leaned over and kissed her daughter’s temple. She pulled back and focused on Mary. “How did you find her?”
“She was outside crying near the front gates”
“How did she get out there that quickly?” Lilith asked concerned.
“She’s a baby, they move fast, but how did she get out there?” Mary asked.
“She can phase”
Mary snorted. “I’m sorry what?”
“She can phase” Bea explained. “Just like Ava, she can phase through solid brick. Not sure how many walls or floors she took to get out, but she was faster then Ava”
“Yeah evening using my powers I kept falling behind her every step of the way” Ava spoke. She turned to her daughter and grinned “Wonder what other powers you got, hey sweetpea” she kissed her daughter’s temple.
“So getting her a leash might be the solution” Camila comment.
“Yeah until she phases through the wall and pulls you through it” Mary chuckled.
“Well it won’t be a problem for most of us here” Ava pointed out.
Lilith wondered to Mary sighed leaned in and whispered “who’s going to face plant the wall first?”
“my money is on camila”
“I got bea”
“you’re on!” Mary grinned.
“What was that?” Bea asked.
“Nothing” the couple replied grinning.
Bea gave them a suspicious stare before it broke from Hanna’s giggles. She turned down at the child, seeing the child’s hands waving about to get her attention. Bea smiled softly at her daughter, picking her up and cradling her close to her chest. Ignoring the way Lilith and Mary exchanged bribe money under the notice of the crew.
The leash method went off without a hitch. Ava and Lilith could follow Hanna through the walls of Cats cradle. The other members of the Crew had a few struggles hear and there, but no successful wall face plants. When Beatrice was leading the training sessions, Hanna would watch her intrigue, praising her mother's movements with every chance given. Hanna never left Mary's side when the woman was tending to her motorbike. Most of the time she doesn't need to perform any mechanical care on the bike just to keep Hanna's attention. Camila struggled to keep the baby close to her on cooking duty, but the child will stop and bounce her rabbit to the beat of any song Camila played on the piano. The three matriarch girlfriends caught on the method. Michelle took the subtle approach, teaching Hanna how to phase and mastering control through childish games. Jillian almost slammed into the wall after Hanna decided to chase a bird. Superion had no problem escorting Hanna through the grounds. More often then not, you could find the pair standing watch over a training session with Superion explaining what was happening and what was supposed to happen.
Yet despite the bet made, unfortunately neither Lilith or Mary were able to collect the debt as it was Serita who was the official first to slam face first into the wall. Much to the couple’s demise for not collecting the winnings, they were incredibly pleased to be the ones to witness the embarrassment first hands.