Coeus?

“

[674:40011]: Fast Cruiser Tallagan departs. Destination: Forbidden Sector.

”

-Galactic History

***Sol, Aether***

***Melan***

I and my husband enter the sickroom where I find Gideon and Galia in their beds. The room is big and for two persons. At the wall is a table with four chairs for visitors and a big vision screen above it.

They are watching one of Gideon's old movies. It's been just two days since he broke her and a whole bunch of wild mages out of that hellhole on Earth.

Our news networks are going wild since then, asking who was responsible for sanctioning such an operation. Bombarding Earth with asteroids is a serious breach of our policy, no matter how you look at it.

Strangely enough the elders kept absolutely quiet about Gideon's actions. They even went so far as to hide his involvement in the entire matter, blurring out the close up images of his face.

“Grandma!” Galia waves at us with a tired smile. Gideon just smiles and nods, returning his attention to the movie.

“How are you doing. Do the doctors already have a diagnosis?” I ask and take her hand.

Galia nods and smiles. “They think that they can fix my back.”

“That's good to hear. What about the others?” I stroke her hair.

She shakes her head. “Most of them are fine in the physical department, but mentally it doesn't look so good. The doctors are considering to erase the memories of five of them, since they were imprisoned for the longest time.”

I try to smile. “You know that you can always come to me if you want to talk about it.”

“Maybe later.” She answers.

My attention turns to Gideon. “And you. We have to talk.” I grab one of the chairs and sit down next to him.

“Don't worry.” He shrugs his shoulders. “I don't even know why I am here. I've never felt better than now in my entire life. Those doctors are overreacting about a few minor changes.”

I smile and draw him closer to hug him. “Thank you for saving Galia. But at least tell me what you are planning to do the next time you simply run off without explaining yourself.”

Then I let go. “And don't take magic inflicted mutations on the light shoulder.” I cup his head between my hands to take a look at his eyes. When he returned with Galia his eyes looked like flash-lights.

At least they returned back to a slightly normal appearance after the excess energy was drained from his body. The iris and the rest of his eyes have their normal colours back, but there is a blue shimmer coming from inside his pupils where they should be black.

What separates normals from mages is our mutated and highly adaptive DNA. If our bodies get exposed to stress, they change their genetic make-up to guarantee survival. Sometimes in really drastic ways which aren't always pleasant or desirable to the individual who is trapped in such a body.

I sigh. “I am just glad that you don't have lightning rods sprouting from your forehead.”

“Hey!” Hedeon reaches for the horns on his forehead. “I told you, they aren't lightning rods!”

I roll my eyes and ignore him. “Another point. You forgot to tell me about your little adventure, Gideon.”

Gideon raises an eyebrow. “Didn't I send you mails all the time?”

I lick over my lips. “I am not entirely sure if those one-liners, which can be hardly called coherent sentences, classify as mail.”

“Oh, sorry. There was so much to do. I admit that I was a little lazy. And when I returned home I had better things to do than sit down and add to a bad time.” He starts telling me an adventurous tale about finding his origins and being sent on a mission to a planet over a hundred light-years away.

What halts my breath is what Sadina did to him. When he is done I just sit there with the greatest shock I've ever received in my life. “I would've never thought that I would want to kill my own blood. It's good that she doesn't dare to contact us.”

Gideon's expression turns troubled. That's when I realize what I've just said. “Of course I didn't mean you. You'll always be a son to us.” I take his hand and squeeze it to reassure him.

In that moment the door opens and Saden steps into the room. “Let's party!” She wields two expensive looking bottles in her hands, but freezes upon seeing us. “Why are you guys looking like someone died in front of you? Didn't we just get my sister back from the dead?”

I laugh and gesture for Saden to take a seat. “It's nothing important. It can wait. Let's just be glad that we are together.”

“Mmm. Kay. If you are sure that there is no problem?” Her eyes wander to the screen with Gideon's old movie. “That doesn't look like one of the movies Gideon is normally watching. And I am pretty sure that it isn't one of his games either.”

My attention changes to the movie for the first time. Normally I am really not interested in his strange hobby, but the movie looks really different. There are no explosions, no guns, no strange technologies. Just a man and a woman flirting with each other.

“Yes. Please spare me. He is watching these toe-curling romance stories since we got appointed to this room.” Galia starts bitching and raises her hand, showing two fingers. “Two days! Can you imagine that. Normally I am not against bad love stories, but too much is too much. If he doesn't stop soon I'll get up and walk out of here without treatment.”

“You can't walk.” Gideon points out the obvious. “And I need someone who explains their reasons for doing strange stuff.” His eyes wander back to the movie. “Why are they feeding each other? They are grown people. Can't they eat themselves? Only small children have to be fed.” His expression turns disgusted.

“I already explained that! Listen for once. It's supposed to be romantic and shows affection! That's why they are doing it!” Galia shakes her fist. “Grandma! Get him out of here or I'll strangle him. I know he saved my life, but I've gotten only four hours of sleep last night!”

“Are you sick, Gideon? It's a total breach of your usual behaviour to be interested in this genre.” I ask while wondering if grabbing the power line fried something important up there.

“Nah.” Gideon makes a dismissive gesture. “I am just studying.”

“Studying?” I ask with a blank expression.

“For the date.” Gideon's eyes remain on the screen.

“Date?” I know, it's not fair of me to want to strangle him right now. But if it continues that I have to pull every piece of information out of his nose, I'll kill him. I'll simply kill him.

“Yes, with my co-pilot. We made an arrangement to meet this weekend. I was tasked with arranging the location.” Gideon answers, oblivious of the atmosphere inside the room.

I force myself to smile. It can't be that Gideon is gay! It can't be! I haven't made that big of a blunder in my education! First I completely failed my responsibilities with Sadina and now I've done it to another child!

“You are going on a date? With a guy?”

“When did I say that Cyla is a guy?” Gideon's expression turns perplexed, but his attention stays on the screen.

I draw in a deep breath and let out a long sigh of relief. His co-pilot is a girl. “No. I guess I simply assumed that your co-pilot is male because you managed to tell your entire story while calling her always just co-pilot.”

“I did?” Gideon furrows his forehead, searching his memory for his wording, but he simply gives up and returns his attention to the screen.

Enough is enough! I connect to the hospital's network and search for the video screen in this room, then I forcefully switch it off.

“Hey!” Finally Gideon turns his attention towards us.

My expression must have betrayed me somehow. Upon looking into my eyes he flinches backwards and places the cushion protectively between himself and me. Not that I've ever had to hit him, but right now I really feel like it.

I take his hand and start stroking it slowly, gently. “So from what I gathered the co-pilot, whom you shared that small cabin of yours with, is female? You two have been together for two months and she is still willing to go on a date with you?” Either she's hit her head somewhere or those two are soulmates. “Your relationship with that girl developed to the point of taking her on a date? On a real date? There wasn't some kind of misunderstanding?”

Gideon nods slowly, like realizing that he just walked into a mine field. Then he answers with a questioning undertone. “Yes?”

“And apparently you care enough about this person to plan this date of yours?” I ask, still stroking his hand.

He nods once more.

My interrogation continues. “And you are doing this by watching those romance movies? Memorizing lines from brain-dead authors?” I point at the empty screen.

“Not good?” He asks.

I shake my head. “Probably you'll place an unfitting line during an important part of your conversation, freaking her out or making her very uncomfortable at the very least.”

“Not good.” He confirms with a sour expression.

“Let me help you in planning the date.” I pull him out of the bed.

“Wait. The doctors said that I've to stay here until tomorrow.” He blurts out.

“You are discharged.” I decide.

***Sol, Aether***

***Saden***

I watch Grandma as she pulls the fool out of the room. “Gideon and a girl? Is it possible?”

Galia bends over and wrings the bottle of venusian bourbon out of my limp fingers. “I hope that's alcohol! I am the oldest of us and yet the only one who isn't in a relationship. Even that dense dolt was faster than me! If only I had just died down on that dirt planet!”

Seconds later Grandfather Hedeon and I have to try our best in stopping Galia from drinking the whole bottle in one go.

***Sol, Aether***

***Cyla***

“It was really nice.” I comment, taking in our surroundings once more. It seems like Gideon invited me into one of Aether's most expensive restaurants. And he gave me a necklace with a healing circuit. He made it himself, so it's not like he simply used his money for this present. I guess he is really trying hard.

I let my eyes wander across his neat, black dinner jacket and to his smiling eyes. Luckily he warned me about the locality, so I could get myself a proper dress. In the end I chose a tight black dress which shows a little leg. He didn't even fail to compliment me on my appearance.

Which is strange? Not what I expected from him at all. I mean, I was expecting that he'd try his best, but I was anticipating more mistakes which could spoil the mood? “This evening is going surprisingly well.”

“Thanks.” He smiles and refills my cup with orange juice. “So how was your week on Mars?”

“Oh, really stressful thanks to you. I had to do my best to stop my family and friends from assuming that I experienced a trauma. They assumed that I was trying to drown myself in work right after my return.” I beam a smile at him to ensure that he got the hint. “How much did this cost?”

He shrugs his shoulders. “Peanuts.”

If anyone else had said that I would have questioned his sanity. But Gideon is holding the most profitable patent in the solar system. To him a visit in a restaurant like this must be cheap.

“I see.” He takes a sip and smiles. “So what do you think about taking a walk?”

“Sure?” We already had a sightseeing tour across Aether and watched a movie. Strangely enough it wasn't even a bad one. Though it didn't fit Gideon's taste at all.

I empty the cup and take the hand which is offered to me. He pays and guides me to the exit. Then I let Gideon escort me out of the restaurant and across the street.

For a while we walk in silence with linked arms. I've to fight a few dirty thoughts which are coming to my mind. I can't help myself. It has been two weeks since we last saw each other.

I take his hand and intertwine his fingers with mine. “So, what's afterwards. Do we rent a room?”

Gideon smiles and leads me around a corner. “I've a room ready, though I would like to introduce you to someone.”

“Introduce?” I ask dumbfounded and realize that we are on an access walkway towards a mansion.

“Yes. I want to introduce you to my family. Don't worry, they already know about you.” He pulls me towards the staircase which leads to the mansion's entrance.

I almost stumble as my mind blanks out. “W- w- w- ait! That's too sudden! Don't you realize that the whole introduction to family business is the same as sealing a contract!? Once we've done that we are an official couple!”

“Yes. That much I gathered from my grandmother's explanation. Don't you want to be official?” He asks, opening the door.

My mind blanks out. “No. Er. Yes! It's just so sudden.” Though the date was great. “Nooo, wait! Now I know. You had help! You told your grandmother beforehand!”

“Is that a problem?” He asks, closing the door behind him in a manner which tells me that I already stepped over the point of no return.

Well, Fuck! Or Glorious? I am not sure how to feel about being set up like this. But him being on the offensive for a change is a nice feeling. On one side I am sure that he wouldn't do this if I was just a sex-partner. On the other his modus operandi is very aggressive today.

Since I am already inside the house I guess I have no other choice than meeting his family.

.