Chapter 02.1
Cosmic
There suspended before him was his daughter; at least genetically, she was his daughter. Yet she was born from a man from another timeline, the very man that had sent him back to his own. His eyes ran down Jill's face noting the similarities between hers and his own. Glancing up when a panel in the ceiling opened up and dropped down a projector from an age long ago. Turning his head to the left as a white light flooded the wall. He had to assume it was Carol, given her advanced age when her face appeared on that very same wall.
"My dearest love, I know you may not know me, yet I've had the utmost pleasure in knowing you. To be your wife, to give you children I know you adored wholeheartedly. I know if you had survived your fight with the Red Scare, you would have loved your grandbabies too. That wasn't meant to be, not for us, but I still treasure every moment I had with you. That's why I took it upon myself to ensure this base, this home that you built, still stayed standing until you were born once again. You know you and I had a big laugh knowing that you were your own great-grandfather." Aron felt his face heating at that. "But anyway, the reason I left this message here in this room is because, if you're here, that means you've advanced enough to help our daughter.
I implore you, Aron?! My love, please do everything in your power to see that Jillian (Jill's given name) is finally freed from that device so she can live a normal life, or as normal as one can get being the child of Void." Aron felt his heart thump hard when Carol smiled into the camera like she was smiling at a lover. He knew she never got remarried, nor did she ever date again. At least, that's what his family had always told him when he would ask about her ever since he had returned from the past. "I know you can do it, Aron. I know you have the brains to figure this out. I didn't share your bed, your life, and not know that about you." Aron did feel for her as Carol broke down into a fit of coughing that lasted for minutes.
"I apologize for making you see me like that. You don't need to see this old woman dying on you. I know you, the present you, has no feelings for me. I get that, but I hope that there's enough familiarity between the Aron I know and you that you don't give up on our baby. Can you do that for the woman that's loved you all this time?"
"No wonder where they learned how to guilt trip me from," Aron grumbled as he crossed his arms. Peering down, lifting up the paper in his right hand, he knew he needed Aminah's eyes on this. Just to get a second opinion on what he suspected Jill's powers were powered by. Turning his gaze to Jill, then to the stack of papers, then back to the wall of the now still image of Carol. What they were asking him to do wasn't an easy thing to accomplish. He had no idea if it would work or not. For all he knew he could just end up fucking the whole thing up. Lowering his arms to his side, stepping up in front of the cryogenic tube as his eyes took in his daughter from another time. "Veil?" Aron spoke, never taking his eyes off of Jill as he waited for her to respond. His past self had created Veil (Virtual Empathetic Intelligent Lifeform) to run the base and his suit, now his suit. He had altered the original design when he made his new one to fit with his powers, whereas the original was designed for the past Aron, who didn't have any superpowers due to how he was thrown back into time.
"Yes, Void?"
"What are the readings on Jill? Is she dead?"
"No, father, she isn't dead."
"You mean she's been in suspended animation all this time?!"
"Your design hasn't once dropped her vital signs. I make sure Jill is still with us every day. I talk to her. I've told her a lot about you, so maybe when you find out what's wrong, she won't be so shocked when you bring her out."
"I told you to keep this a secret, didn't I? Even from me," Aron spoke, staring up at the camera Veil's only means of sensing the outside world... for now.
"Yes. The past you feared that if you knew before you were ready, you'd make some kind of blunder, and the past you wasn't willing to take that chance with Jill's life."
"Yeah," reaching up and scratching the back of his head, "I can understand that," Aron mumbled, thinking if it was either Henry or Nettie in that tube, he wouldn't take that chance either. "Has her mutation changed at all during her sleep?"
"No, father, Jill's readings have stayed steady."
"Huh, I wonder why," Aron mused as his right index finger stroked his chin. "Veil, do you have a list of the materials used in the tube's construction?"
"I do. I have the video of it as well if you'd like to watch it."
"I would," Aron nodded, knowing there had to be a clue in the way the tube was constructed to keep Jill's mutation from running amok.
"Would you like to watch it now?"
"No, send it up to my lab and put it on my partition of the mainframe. I don't want anyone catching wind of Jill just yet."
"I understand. I will reengage the safety measures once you leave the room."
"Veil?"
"Yes."
"I didn't tell you other things to keep from me, did I?" Aron asked with an arched eyebrow.
"No Void, you did not."
"I see," reaching up and wiping away the frost on the glass so he could take stock of his daughter, "keep an eye on her, will ya?"
"Of course, father."
Looking back as Veil sealed that hidden room once again when he had stepped out of the room. Noting how the normal lighting had been restored as all returned to normal the moment that room was sealed again. Chewing on his lip as he read down the printout as he walked towards the elevator. There was one person in his household that could possibly confirm what he was seeing. Hearing the voices of men, the pings of hammers, the hums of saws in the air as he stepped into his living room. He knew they were hard at work preparing to lay the foundations for the two new rooms that were being added to the addition. Nodding to the man who led the way into his home with a load of 2x4s beneath his arm as he headed towards that section of his home. Cocking an eyebrow when he caught Tazia checking out the man as he walked past him as he closed the living room door behind him to keep the secret entrance to their base hidden.
"What?!" Tazia stammered when Aron just simply shook his head and walked off. Leaving her standing there in the kitchen, rather confused, holding her coffee mug. "Aron?!" Tazia's voice called out to him as he continued his trek towards their bedroom, where the subject of his search was bound to be.
Seeing the crib mobile spinning on its own, knowing Nettie was showing off as Aminah laid there close to their daughter, currently reading a book. Her smile lifted the corners of her lips as her gaze lifted towards him. The moment she did, Nettie's mind entered his; he knew when she grew older, she was going to be one of the most powerful telepaths in the country. While she had some telekinetic skills, yet her powers were more focused on her telepathic one, or he could be completely wrong, and that's just the powers that have revealed themselves to him. The others were just waiting in the wings for the right time to show themselves.
"Oh, you do, do you?" Aron mused when Nettie whispered in his mind that she had a stinky butt. He knew Aminah would have taken care of it if it had happened earlier. Smiling down at his daughter as she gave him that gummy grin as he lightly tickled her stomach. "Then how about I change you, hmm?" Nettie threw up her tiny arms as to say: 'Yeah!'
"Aron?" Laying down her book, "What do you have in your hand?" Aminah inquired.
"Here," handing the printout to her as he held Nettie in his arms, "read it over and tell me if your conclusions are the same as mine," Aron said before leading Nettie over to the changing table.
"Aron?! Where exactly did you get this?" Aminah asked, examining the yellowed, aged paper.
"From down in the lab," Aron answered as he kept his back to her. A warm smile lifted his lips as Nettie squealed and giggled as he went about to unfasten Nettie's onesie. Slyly peeking over his shoulder, noting how Aminah's eyes were scanning down the paper then the next one that was attached to it. "Now, who's a clean girl?" Aron cooed down at his daughter.
"I am!" Nettie giggled in his mind.
"That you are." Hearing her laughing in his mind and aloud as he planted a raspberry on Nettie's stomach. Feeling Aminah's eyes on him as he lifted their daughter off the changing table before he turned around.
"This can't be real?!" Aminah exclaimed, shaking the papers at him.
"Afraid that it is," Aron muttered as he bounced Nettie against him. Feeling her breath against his skin as she yawned. Her tiny fingers held onto his shirt the best that they could, given her size. Her ear was pressed against his chest, slowly falling asleep by the sound of Aron's beating heart.
"But what this says is impossible?!"
"Oh, I totally agree with you, but it's not impossible," Aron said low after feeling Nettie nodding off.
"If what I'm reading, then whomever this person is should be dead," Aminah said, waving the papers through the air.
"Again, I agree with you, Aminah, but that's not what is happening."
"Explain," Aminah huffed, causing her 34D, due to the volume of milk she has been producing, she'd gone up a cup size, breasts to bounce as she crossed her arms.
"Aron, that was rather rude of you," Tazia said, appearing in the doorway of their bedroom with Henry in her arms.
"So was checking out the workman," Aron shot back.
"What, he's hot?!" Tazia waved Aron off. "You agree with me, don't you, Aminah?"
"Which one?"
"You know that cute, adorable man, the one with the brown hair," Tazia said, listing off the man's features.
"Oh, him?! Yeah, he is rather tasty," Aminah agreed.
"Don't get jealous," Tazia teased lightly, shoving Aron's arm as he rolled his eyes.
"You know I can go get him if the two of you would like some of what he has," Aron said, nodding towards the doorway.
"Nah," shaking her head, "I already have one brainiac and brute, I don't need another," Aminah said, flashing Aron a coy smirk.
"You know I was only looking; it didn't mean anything," Tazia said in an alluring voice as she moved closer to him. "You know you're the one I want, right?" she purred as she rose to the tips of her toes. Planting a kiss upon his lips as little Henry reached out and took hold of his father's shirt sleeve.
"I know," Aron mused, slapping Tazia on her ass, causing her organic metal skin to activate, covering her from the tips of her toes to the very ends of her hair.
"Aron?!" Tazia stammered. Blushing like mad beneath her metal skin. "Not when the kids are in the room," she hissed low, hiding her arousal from her voice.
"So, Aron, care to explain why whomever this is, isn't dead yet?" Aminah asked, tossing the papers down beside her. Knowing that amount of radiation would have killed off anyone within months.
"Don't know if I should tell you," Aron spoke, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he looked down his chest.
"Aron, just tell us," Tazia said lightly, placing a hand on Aron's right arm.
"Jill, your aunt, my daughter, is still alive," Aron said truthfully. Noting how it took them a minute or two to get over the shock of the bomb he had just dropped on them.
"Don't you fuck with us, Aron?!" Aminah growled low so as not to wake her daughter. "Jill's dead..."
"How did she die?" Aron cut in. Again, he was met with silence as they racked their brains to comb through so many years of memories.
"Didn't Dad say Jill died fighting a villain?" Tazia asked, turning to look at her sister.
"No," shaking her head, "Dad told us she had an accident when she was younger and died soon afterward," Aminah said, tilting her head back, her finger tapped against her chin as she thought back to those days.
"And you'd be wrong," Aron said, seeing the growing anger in their eyes. "The past me told that to Henry," brushing his hand along the back of Henry's head, thinking he was speaking to him, "so that no one would look for her."
"Why?!" Aminah and Tazia voiced as one.
"So you," pointing at the two of them, "don't do something stupid and kill her; who did you think the printout was for?" Aron asked, looking right at Aminah.
"What?!" Aminah yelled; her hand flew to her mouth, but it was too late as Nettie cried from being awakened so soon.
"We'll talk later," Aron said, walking out of the room to quiet down Nettie so she could return to her nap. He knew from experience that if she wasn't in bed by nine, they would be up until the wee hours just trying to get her to sleep.
Halfway across the city of Metaville...
Isabel sat on the examining table in a paper gown. Listening to how it crinkled every time she moved. Rubbing her hands together in anxiousness awaiting the test results she had performed, would tell her why she wasn't conceiving. She was still getting her period, yet none of her brothers' little swimmers were reaching their mark, and she wanted to know why?! She didn't fault her aunts for having their kids at an older age, given the life they had lived up to this point in time. With the number of enemies they had garnered during their time in Europe, Isabel understood why they held off. This is why she came to a doctor that specializes in those with superpowers.
"Good morning, Ms. Carter," her doctor walked in with a smile on her face.
"A smile is good, right?" Isabel asked herself. "Good morning Dr. Winter."
"Now I have your test results right here," her hand lightly patted the folder, "would you like to hear them?"
"Only if it's good news," Isabel joked, trying to lighten the tension she felt in the air.
"I assure you, it's very good news."
"Then lay it on me," Isabel said, preparing herself just in case it was bad news, and the doctor was trying to make her feel calm. Her green eyes followed after her doctor as her heels resounded off the tile floor. Watching how she lowered herself into the chair that had been tucked beneath the desk.
"As you know, we ran a lot of tests on you," Dr. Winter spoke, seeing Isabel nodding along. "I had the test double-checked to be sure that the results were correct."
"And?!" The suspense was killing her!
"I've found no reason why you aren't getting pregnant. You're healthy, fertile, are you overstressed?"
"No, I don't think so; why?"
"Stress can be a factor in why you aren't getting pregnant. Also, there is your powers."
"What about them?" Isabel asked, unsure why her powers would keep her from getting pregnant by Aron. She so wanted a baby! She didn't want to live out her golden years when her child was just then going off to college.
"You know we can't take a proper temperature from you because your so hot, on the inside, I mean."
"Yeah, I remember," Isabel nodded, remembering all the thermometers she had either melted or busted whenever she ran a high fever.
"Well, heat can kill sperm; that could be the cause of why you aren't getting pregnant."
"Y-you mean, my powers are what's keeping me from getting pregnant?!" Isabel asked in shock.
"Could be. What's the average temp you maintain in your core?"
"Maybe 120-130."
"Ah. That's why," Dr. Winter nodded her head thinking she had found the reason.
"Explain it to me, doctor, so I can explain it to him when I get home," Isabel said with a smile. Hoping that she could rely on her ever so smart brother and rig up something that would cool her body down long enough to become with child.
"There's a very narrow window of temperatures that sperm can live in. Any higher the sperm will start to die off. Given your internal temperature, what ejaculate that reaches your womb would have either been killed off or be in the process of dying."
"So... I am the problem," Isabel sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat.
"Indirectly. You couldn't have known. If you could lower your temperature to say 95 degrees, I guarantee you will get pregnant during your next ovulation. Or you get someone to make you a chilled suit you can wear to lower your core temp if that could be done."
"I think I might know the person," Isabel said with a wide smile. Determination set her resolve; she was going to get her little brother to help. That vast mind of his must surely have a solution for her problem.
"Oh?! I'm glad to hear that, now is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Isabel walked out of her doctor's office humming a happy tune. Knowing that with Aron's help and his swimmers, she was going to be pregnant before the start of summer. Stopping in her tracks as a swarm of police cruisers roared past her. Quickly pulling out her phone and punching in the secret combination that would tie her cell into their bases mainframe.
"Veil?!" Isabel spoke quickly as she raced to her car, where her spare suit was.
"Yes?"
"Is there something going on? I just saw five patrol cars flying by me."
"There is a robbery in progress, but Mariner and Morphic (Lyla's hero name) are already on the scene."
"Oh." Slowing her pace, knowing she wouldn't be needed with the two of them there.
"You sound disappointed."
"Just, well, I got some good news, and I was looking forward to showing my good fortune in apprehending some bad guys," Isabel spoke; it almost felt like talking to a real person when Veil was on her line.
"Oh?! I'm glad to hear it. I'm sorry the criminals decided to take a day off." Which got a snort out of Isabel as she approached her car.
"No, Veil, it's okay; I think today is just what I needed, a day off. Thanks for the update Veil, see you when I get home." The sound of her car door closing filled the interior.
"You drive safe, Isabel."
"Always."
"Aron?!" Isabel called out as she raced into their home. Stopping in her tracks when; she found her mother, aunts, and uncles in the living room staring intently at Aron, who was standing in front of the TV. "Mom? What's going on here?" she asked, stepping tentatively into the room.
"Trying to get your brother, my grandfather, to tell me why he thinks my aunt is still alive." Isabel took a hard swallow at the tone of her mother's voice. She had only heard that tone when she was rightly pissed off and about to tear down a building.
"Well, she is still alive in a manner of speaking," Aron grumbled, crossing his arms, staring down at his mother.
"Aron, I'm not saying I doubt you, yet our own father told us she passed away when he was younger. If she's alive, where has she been for all this time?" Neil asked; being the eldest of them all, he remembered that conversation very clearly. "Are you saying Dad lied to us?"
"In a sense, yes," Aron nodded.
"Dad would never lie to us!" Chery shouted as she surged from her seat. Earning her a round of nods from her siblings.
"Well... in Henry's defense, he didn't know it was a lie, to begin with," Aron stated, his eyes flickering over to his aunt.
"So then, Aron," Carl's voice took on a hard tone as he scooted to the edge of his seat. "Where exactly has our aunt been all this time?"
"Here," Aron said, pointing to the floor.
"Huh?!" The looks of confusion were all over their faces when Aron said that.
"Not in this room specifically, but here generally," Aron corrected his statement.
"Okay, hot shot, if she's been here all this time, why haven't we found her?" Chery asked, crossing her arms and standing her ground.
"Because no one has had access to the third level until now."
"Then I'm going to see her?!" Tazia growled, marching towards the hidden elevator.
"No, you will not!" Aron barked, causing everyone to jump at the sternness of his voice.
"You aren't going to keep me from her, Aron?!" Tazia yelled, growing red in the face.
"And I'm not about to give you the key; Veil isn't going to show you how to get to her, nor will I allow you to kill my daughter?! Have I not made that clear enough for you, Tazia?!" Aron hissed. His eyes narrowing at Tazia as her finger neared the call button for the elevator.
"Aron, son, grandpa, what do you mean you won't allow us to kill her?" Vera asked, eyeing her son.
"That printout was of her powers, wasn't it, Aron?" Aminah inquired, seeing Aron nod in response. "Oh?! Now I know why," she said sadly.
"Aminah, what do you mean?" Chery asked, peering down at her younger sister.
"If what I read is correct, Jill suffers from radiation sickness. I'm assuming she's in cold sleep," seeing Aron bop his nose, "that would explain why she could still be alive."
"What are you talking about?!" Neil grumbled.
"Something remarkable happened," her gaze fell on Aron as he just stood there, "the man we all get our powers from sparked a mutation that even I didn't think was possible. The radiation that's killing her is cosmic; I don't know how or why her cells began to absorb cosmic rays, but it has."
"That's what I thought, too," Aron nodded. Knowing something as mysterious as cosmic energy wasn't something he was eager to tangle with.
"So then, what are we going to do?!" Chery asked, looking at Aron for answers.
"Right now, nothing," holding up his hand when they all started talking at once except for Aminah, who had a smile on her face, "there's nothing Aminah or I can do for her right at this moment. If you try to force your way in there and break the seal on her cryo pod. Then you're going to have to get by me, and I won't hold back," Aron said with deathly undertones.
"You sure you can take all of us on?" Chery asked in a challenging tone.
"The question is can you survive when I'm pissed off?" Aron shot back.
"Alright, alright, let's all just simmer down a bit," Isabel said, cutting in when it appeared that Aron was really willing to battle his family to keep Jill safe. "Aron, let me ask, when did you learn this?"
"Like a few hours ago," Aron replied.
"Do you expect Aron to magically have the answers in what, a few hours, of him knowing about Jill?" Isabel asked, turning her gaze towards her family members.
"But he's a fucking genius!" Chery exclaimed, thrusting her arm out towards Aron. "He should at least have an idea of how to help her?!"
"Never said I didn't, I said: there was nothing Aminah, or I could do for her at this moment."
"Okay, Aron, what exactly is this idea of yours?" Vera intoned as she leaned on her elbows, peering at her son.
"Oh..." Rubbing his hand along the back of his head, "just something that's going to take one in a billion chance to find," Aron said vaguely.
"Then you write out what you need, and we'll scour the Earth to find it," Neil said, earning his siblings' nods of approval.
"You're thinking too small."
"Earth isn't a small place," Tazia huffed. Still a little mad at Aron that he would even think she would intentionally harm her aunt.
"Compared to the rest of the universe, it is," Aron stated offhandedly. "Now you understand why I didn't bring her out the moment I found her?" he asked with a very pointed look at Tazia.
"Nope!" Turning around and rapidly pushing the button for the elevator. "Let go of me?! I said, let go!" Her fist went sailing through the air as her metallic skin activated before landing on Aron's jaw, only to see that strike moving his head an inch to the left and a very pissed off look in Aron's eyes.
"I said no," Aron growled, bringing his right hand up and flicking his middle finger against Tazia's chest, sending her flying back into the wall. He knew she wouldn't be harmed, not when her powers were activated. "Anyone else want to try their luck?" he asked, peering at all of them who sat rather shocked at the sight. "Good," reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, "Veil?"
"Yes, Void?"
"Tie into the TV and patch the camera for Jill's room to it," Aron ordered, seeing Veil switching on the TV before the black 'no signal' screen switched over to the live feed of the room Jill's cryo pod was stored in. "Veil, give a read out of Jill's vitals." Holding out his phone once he had put it on speaker. "Thanks, Veil, you can cut the feed," he directed once Veil had finished.
"You're welcome, father."
"Now you've seen her, can we move on?" Aron asked the room, especially eyeing Tazia, who was fuming on the floor.
"Alright, Aron, we'll follow your lead for now," Vera said, getting to her feet. "But everything that deals with Jill we want to know and be a part of," she demanded, getting firm nods from her siblings.
"What, do you think I don't have the best intentions for my daughter?" Aron asked, shooting his mother a look.
"So, now she's your daughter?!" Vera huffed, crossing her arms. "What happened to the bit about you not being our grandfather, hmm? Did that suddenly fly out the window?"
"No, just stopped fighting the inevitable," Aron said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," he said, taking a step backward into the cab of the elevator and headed down to sublevel two.
Hours later...
"Aron, can we talk?" Isabel asked as she knocked on the doorframe of his lab.
"Sure, what about?" Aron muttered as he stood before the white erase board doing the math for the program he would use for the probes he was contemplating on sending to space.
"I was wondering if you'll help me," Isabel said shyly, stepping into the room. Brushing her dark crimson hair, like her mother's, behind her ear as she did.
"Help you with what?" Aron inquired when he turned his gaze towards his sister. Looking down when her fingers fiddled with the fabric of his t-shirt when she got to his side.
"I found out why I'm not getting pregnant," Isabel said in a small voice with her eyes cast down towards the floor.
"Oh?! Sis, I'm..."
"I'm not finished," her eyes flickered up when she cut him off, "I was wondering if you could make something for me."
"Like?" Rolling his hand for his sister to continue.
"A suit that I could wear to cool my core down enough so that your little swimmers can survive," Isabel said with a coy grin on her face at the look in Aron's eyes.
"I see," dropping his chin into his hand deep in thought, "you are a tad hotter than the others," Aron mused aloud.
"I know, but I can't push it any lower than what it already is at," Isabel stated, hoping that Aron could help her.
"You know there is someone in this house you don't need a suit for, right?" Aron spoke, peering over at her.
"I know, but you know how Troy is. He isn't ready, I am," Isabel said with firm determination. Hearing his sigh as he placed the cap back onto the marker.
"Strip and get in the booth," Aron directed as he walked over to the center island and placed his marker in his back pocket.
"Why?"
"Because I need an accurate reading on your core temp if I'm to do this," Aron spoke, bringing up the 3D display. He had no idea how his counterpart made it out of parts from the '30s, but it works, and he couldn't say a damn thing about it. Listening as Veil worked in the background in tandem with him. "This won't take long; just stay as still as you can." Seeing his sister nod in understanding as the glass door slid closed. "No wonder she can't get pregnant," Aron muttered aloud as he took note of his sister's core temperature. "You can step out now," he said once the door rolled open. "Give me a few days to figure out something."
"I trust that you'll keep me informed. Don't make me hunt you down," Isabel threatened as she redressed. Watching how he pushed the whiteboard, he had been working on out of the way and moved another into its place.
"Yes, yes, you'll burn me to a crisp," Aron teased.
"Don't you forget it," Isabel said, lightly punching her brother's arm, causing Aron to lean to the right. "Thanks for doing this," she uttered, placing a light kiss on Aron's cheek. Given what had been discussed a few hours ago, she knew he had a lot of stuff on his plate at the moment. "Don't stay down here for too long," Isabel said in a sisterly voice before leaving Aron to his work.
"I'm still mad at you," Tazia grumbled from the doorway to his lab twenty minutes after Isabel had left. Noticing how Aron glanced at her as his hand moved over the board.
"You weren't listening," Aron spoke, keeping his attention on his work.
"I wanted to see her. She's my family," Tazia huffed.
"And she's my daughter, as weird as that is to say," Aron retorted.
"Are you going to be this protective of Henry?" Tazia asked, trying to fight back her smile when Aron nodded. "Good," she spoke in a firm tone before stepping into the lab. "So, what are you working on?" Tazia inquired when she reached his side. Leaning her head against his arm as she snuggled against him as she struggled to understand what was before her.
"Math for the probes I'm going to build," Aron said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Probes for what?" Tazia asked, peering up at him.
"To detect the presence of a stellar core," Aron said, knowing that was the only thing that could absorb or neutralize the cosmic radiation that Jill's body was absorbing. He was going to have to run tests beforehand once they had located a piece of one before he brought Jill out of her slumber. However, the task before him was so daunting he didn't know if he would be able to find one in his lifetime due to the vastness of space.
"And you believe that will cure Aunt Jill?"
"It might, I'm not really sure, but I have to start somewhere," Aron muttered, pressing the tip of the marker with its cap on against the underside of his bottom lip.
"I know you'll find the answer, Aron; I have faith that you will," Tazia said lightly, rubbing his arm.
Mist Manufacturing Company, the next morning...
Aminah bounced Nettie in her arms as she and Aron, with the family members who chose to take him up on his offer, sat around the table as one of the contractors who had bid on the site detailed how the factory floor would look like after construction was complete. Noting how his aunts, mother, and uncles were slyly glancing at him when Aron leaned on his right hand, his eyes moved over the poster of the mockup of what the contractor's architect had drawn up.
"That's a rather pretty drawing, but let's get down to facts; how much?" Aron spoke with the authority of a business owner.
"Ten million," the man uttered.
Opening the folder that sat before him, eyeing the prices that the other companies had put out. Noting that they were the lowest bidder so far. His eyes glanced over to Henry as he sat on Tazia's lap, gumming his left hand as he looked around with a curious look in his eyes. "How soon can you start?" Aron had asked the other companies that had put bids in the same question, and he didn't like their answers.
"I can start moving equipment in by next week," the man said factually.
"And how long do you estimate it will take your company to complete this project?" Aron inquired, looking at the man.
"No more than six to ten months. Depending on what setbacks we encounter and how slow the city wants to move to get the permits stamped."
"Ah. Well then, I believe we have an agreement," Aron spoke, seeing the delight flooding the man's eyes when he spoke those words. "We'll have a contract ready for your company to sign by the beginning of next week," he said, holding out his hand to the man once he had approached him.
"I look forward to working with you all," the man said, nodding his head to those around the table and Aron after he had shaken Aron's hand.
"As are we, to see this old place brought back to life," Aron uttered, flashing the man a smile.
Walking back up the stairs to the office of that old warehouse after escorting the man and his companion to their car. Hearing his mother's voice as she detailed what day-to-day operations would be like once the factory was up and running. The other site where the main office would be wouldn't start for another two months. Seeing his mother's lips lifting into a smile as she noted how he was just standing there watching her. He had to admit in that clean, crisp grey skirt that hugged her hips. The way it showed off the curvature of her ass along with how her cream-colored blouse displayed her womanly curves, he had to wonder if she was trying to seduce the owner. Taking Henry into his arms when Henry held out his arms to him as he retook his seat. Playing with his son while he wouldn't be running the day-to-day operations, it was wise to listen and pick up things should the need arise. Grabbing the diaper bag when he felt a sudden heat on his legs and the fact that Henry started to whine at being soiled. Seeing Tazia blowing him a kiss as he got up and headed to his mother's office so he or Henry wouldn't distract his mother.
"Hey, Dad, no, it's over, changing Henry at the moment," Aron said, placing his phone on speaker and setting it off to the side after he had answered it.
"Ah. And how is he?"
"Grumpy, because someone has a poopy butt," Aron said, watching how Henry laughed when he said the last two words.
"I remember those days. So did the contractor live up to your expectations?"
"So far, let's see what the finished product is before I make a call on that," Aron said, cleaning his son's bottom with a wet wipe. "No more bananas for you," he cautioned, given the volume of scat within the diaper. "I need you to write up a contract for the construction company and me," Aron stated, listing off the things that he wanted in it and leaving the rest to his father, seeing how Noah had more experience with this sort of thing than he did.
"I can get that done easily. That's no problem, now let's talk about last night."
"What about it?" Aron spoke as he slid a clean diaper under his son.
"You know your mother and the others were very upset."
"Yeah, I can't help that. They were told the same day I found her, so it wasn't like I hid Jill from them. Just I'm not letting anyone near her at the moment until I can sort out the problem. As weird as it is to say, she is my daughter, and shouldn't a father protect his child even if it means protecting them from his or her own family?"
"I can understand that." Aron arched an eyebrow when he heard the pride in his father's voice. "Okay, I just wanted to call and check-in. I'll see you at home, son."
"Bye, Dad," Aron said before ending the call and pocketing his phone. Pulling the trash bag from the can, he wasn't about to allow it to sit there and let the smell fill the office. Handing Henry off to Tazia, and bounded down the stairs to the factory floor. Crossing its length and opening the rear door, tossing the bag into the dumpster. Looking around the empty dockyard, his mind picturing what it would look like in a few months.
"Aron?" Aminah's voice filled the car as he buckled Nettie into her car seat while Aminah sat in the front passenger seat as Tazia buckled in Henry on the other side. Leaving only room for him on the back seat behind Aminah.
"Yeah?!"
"How about we go out for dinner, just the five of us. We haven't had any time just for us," Aminah spoke, peering at her nephew in the vanity mirror she had installed in the SUV she had built.
Aron noted how Tazia had rather rosy cheeks when she fussed over Henry. Just so she could have extra time with him, even if it was just buckling in their kids. "This what you want, too?" Aron asked, seeing Tazia brushing her dark brown hair behind her ear.
"It would be nice, don't you think?" Tazia uttered in a shy tone. Her eyes glanced up with a rather sultry/love-filled light within their depths. "We've hadn't had a night off in a while; you're always in the lab; sis has been laid up for the past few weeks. And criminals don't seem to want to keep their heads down for a night." Smiling as that got a chuckle out of Aron; she did love it when he laughed.
"Okay, dinner it is," Aron uttered, seeing the sparkle in his aunt's eyes and how Aminah threw up her arms.
It was around seven that night when Aron, Aminah, Tazia, and their children arrived back at their home. Quickly moving the babys' carriers out of the way as his sisters came rushing down the stairs and into the living room. Soon his mother, father, and Troy followed along with the rest of his family.
"What's going on?" Tazia asked; the hair on the back of her neck stood on end at their frantic pace.
"No time, trouble in the city," Vera said, placing a kiss on her sister's left cheek.
"Go," Aron nodded towards the elevator when Tazia peered back at him.
"I promise I'll watch our babies when I get back," Tazia stated, blowing him a kiss before disappearing into the elevator.
"Aminah?!" Aron got a little worried as she got this hungry look in her eyes once she placed Nettie in her crib and Henry in his when it was just the two of them. His back hit the wall as Aminah pounced. Her lips tearing at his given the weeks she's hasn't been able to release that pent-up sexual frustration due to the operation she had over three weeks ago. He knew it would be another three until it was time. Groaning in bliss as his aunt used her mental powers to stroke him off while her tongue rolled in his mouth. He couldn't help it; his hand moved on its own. Feeling her hips rocking as his fingers rubbed gently upon her covered slit. Hearing her ravenous moans, full of need and want, as they both got each other off. Pressing the back of his head against the wall as Aminah wasted no time in taking his cock into her warm, inviting mouth. Seeing those blue eyes of hers peering up at him as her lips conformed to the shape of his rod. For those five long minutes, Aron was in Heaven as Aminah lavished his cock with that skillful tongue of hers. Feeling her swallowing every drop of his cum as it flooded her mouth.
"Aron? I know I can't have sex yet," Aron noted the annoyance on her face when it appeared to him that she really needed it, "but they never said anything about you tasting me, will you?" Aminah asked with pleading-filled eyes.
"Have I ever said no to you?"
"No," Aminah answered as her smile grew along her lips.
For the next twenty minutes, Aron made his aunt moan, howl into a pillow, writhe, squirm and quake as he licked, sucked, fingered, and downright teased the hell out of his aunt. Until she begged to cum, pleaded with him to get her off. An orgasm she so needed. Aron felt her skin heat as he kissed up her stomach after he had gotten her off three times. Seeing the bashful look on her face along with those rosy cheeks as she peered up at him as he did. Her thigh rubbed along his when his lips gently, ever so gently plucked upon her firm orbs. Her fingers weaved through strands of his auburn hair, coming to a rest on the back of his head. Pulling him down towards her lips, something he would never deprive himself of, however, like all great, wonderful moments, it was interrupted by the ringing of Aron's cell phone.
The condo of Agent Honeybell...
Sara stood before her open closet dressed in her light pink, thin bathrobe with a white towel wrapped around her head as her eyes moved over her selection of clothing. Looking for the right outfit to wear on her date she had with Aron in two nights time. She was so excited! Finally, she could be seen out in public with her obsession. She was going to do her damnedest to ensure that Aron fell for her. After all, who better to be his wife than the woman who knew all his little secrets. Instantly snatching her robe closed as her TV came on, which only happened when her boss used the secret line to relay her orders.