1.18 Family Time

The big spouse reveal will be in the next chapter. The poll ends the 13th so if you haven't voted yet, it's on the side of the blog. Thank you for reading :)

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"Are you sure you're ready to go to Riverview?" Emit asked.

"Honestly, I'm a little nervous. I feel like vomiting. My head is in all different places, but at this point, I don't think I'll be any more ready. So fire up the portal." Athena let out a breath. She was going to face Mason, her brother and who knows what else on the other side of the portal.

"You have nothing to worry about, Athena. I'll protect you." Levi leaned over the glowing blue aura of the time portal.

Athena looked away, embarrassed. She still hadn't made up her mind on the whole brother's conflict situation. It was the last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment.

 Within a few minutes, the trio was in Riverview.

"So, this is it?" Athena looked around. There were no craters anywhere. The houses all seemed to be in the same structure, with no deviations. The foliage lacked the fantastical appearances of those in Lunar Lakes.

"Not what you expected, was it?" Levi asked.

"I just wasn't expecting it to be so...different than Lunar Lakes." Athena was in complete awe.

"It's pretty late, I hope they're not sleeping." 

"This is my brother's house? Are you sure?" Athena's eyes lit up, but at the same time her anxieties grew. What would he look like? Would he like her? What about Caleb?

"Emit programmed it. This isn't the house we grew up in." Levi said as he reached the door. Athena's breath quickened. This was it. It was really happening. Levi moved back and allowed Athena to take control of the situation.

The man who answered the door was elderly. When he saw her, he instantly invited her inside.

"Could it be? I've been waiting for this day forever. You look just like your mother." Athena was shocked. This man, was Bruce Gray, her biological father. She was happy, confused, frightened all at the same time.

"Dad?" Athena whispered.

He grabbed onto her and pulled her into a hug. "I knew you would come back here one day. Elliot, he didn't believe you or your mother were alive but I always believed." 

"We need to talk about that, Bruce." Levi casually strode into the room.

"Levi? You're all grown up!" he clasped him into the same hug. "Please come in and sit down."

Athena introduced him to Caleb who he held lovingly. "Finally a grandchild!" He turned to Levi."You and Elliot, you both look so very young. How is that possible, if I'm aging so ungracefully?"

"I've been time traveling and it's slowed down my aging process quite a bit. As for Elliot, I'd have to see him to be the judge. Where is the brat?" It wasn't a malicious pet name at all. It sounded endearing to Athena's ears.

"Elliot is on his way home from the gym, he should be home shortly but time traveling? I always knew you were a strange one, Levi."

"It's true!" Athena piped up. "We've been through this time portal and-"

"I know Sweetheart, I believe you. I never knew where Levi came from honestly. He just popped up one day, and your mother she never told anyone about where he came from, not even me. One day Elliot came home talking about this time traveling nonsense when Levi disappeared but at the time it seemed pretty ridiculous." 

"About Mom. Uhm." She paused, she had no idea how to break the news.

"She's dead isn't she?" He sighed. "I knew it, but I held on for so long. I didn't want it to be true. I had hoped my intuition was wrong."

Levi turned to Bruce and in the most heart wrenching fifteen minutes, he explained everything as he had to me. Bruce didn't cry as she expected him to. Instead, he looked up at Levi with the most vacant eyes and said, "My tear ducts have dried. I've spent too many years crying over my beloved Sierra. She wouldn't have wanted me to dwell in the past but-- Athena, you and Elliot, and even you Levi, you all have to make her proud with your own families."

Athena's heart hurt. She wished he could have known her amazing mother as she was in Lunar Lakes. Bruce seemed like the perfect gentlemen and she could tell he really loved Sierra. She wasn't going to let him down, or the future. She was going to advance through the generations, save the future, and make her parents proud.

"Yo! Dad! I'm home!" A young man with pink hair called out as he entered the room. "This must be Elliot." Athena thought. She looked at him and noticed the striking similarities to her features. They were no doubt related.

"He has hair just like you and your mother. The other kids, they used to make fun of him for having that kind of pigmentation, but it never really bothered him." Bruce gloated about his son and it made Athena's heart swell the amount of love he held for Elliot and even Levi after all of these years.

"Dad, who are you talking to this late? Especially about my business?" Elliot walked in and only then noticed the pinkette seated on the couch.

"That pink hair..did you dye it? It looks awesome!" Elliot grinned.

"Uhmm no, this is my natural hair color actually..." Athena said.

"Elliot, this is your sister, you idiot." Levi spoke up, trying to avoid any unnecessary miscommunications.

Elliot walked towards the center of the living room. "Who are you calling an idiot, flamehead?"

Levi stood up and matched Elliot's gaze. "Your comebacks have gotten worse piglet!'"

Athena watched the two argue. She must have looked worried because Bruce gave her a smile and a short nod.

Suddenly the two boys were hugging. "What are you doing back here, Levi, have you found your brother?" 

"I'm here on important business actually. Damn, Bruce is right, you have aged well."

"I heard that time travelers don't age as fast as others, and I couldn't have you younger than me so I've been taking this elixir I got down at the consignment shop. Its doing wonders. The ladies love me."

"You should really share that Elixir with Bruce." Levi joked.

"No no. My heart is ready to go and see Sierra. This old man can't live any longer without her." It was sickeningly sweet. Athena's heart ached but also felt happy that he loved her mother so much.

Elliot sat down and stared at Athena. He seemed at a loss for words. "You're really her, aren't you? My little sister..." 

"Well, I look a lot older than you." Athena sighed.

"I think you look beautiful! The pink hair, the guys must be flocking over you right? My little sister the talk of the town." Elliot talked enthusiastically. "I mean, you already have a son right? So you must be popular."

"I uh...do have my fair share of attention." She thought back to Martin the creep, Mason her husband and now Levi who already had the adoration of her family. Who was she going to pick? "Yeah, my little Caleb has the same pink hair as us!"

They talked for a little longer and Levi filled in Elliot on the situation. He wished he would have came in sooner so he didn't have to explain it again. Bruce ushered them to all go to bed. Despite his old age, he still had work at the hospital the next day. He offered his room to Athena who had declined politely.

Elliot had fished out his old crib and brought it downstairs in the living room. He said Bruce had kept it all those years because he tried to hold onto the memory of the golden days when his wife was with him.Athena was exhausted and had slept with no problem.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Levi and Elliot had crashed together.

"So tell me, who is the father of Caleb? She isn't a single parent is she?" Elliot's curiosity was justified, having only just met his little sister. "We can help her out if she is."

"Caleb's father is missing right now..uhmm." Levi tried to avoid the truth but Elliot was his best friend and he was having none of it. "My brother is Athena's husband," he finally mumbled.

"So you found him then? Why don't you seem happy?" 

"It's really complicated, Elliot. It'd take so long to explain it and I want to go to bed." Levi tried to shoo the boy away.

"Alright man. But you've got to tell me because it involves your brother and my sister." Elliot closed his eyes and spoke again. "He makes her happy right?"

Levi thought it over. Mason did make Athena smile and laugh. "He does make her happy, but I know someone who could make her even happier."

Elliot raised his brow. He could tell from his's companion's tone exactly what he meant. "It's a lot more complicated then I thought. Goodnight Levi."

The next morning, Bruce had left early for work. He made his "children" breakfast before he left though.

"Much better than your waffles Athena!" Levi laughed.

"Hey!"

"Little sis, is he bothering you?" Elliot had accepted Athena as his sister just as fast as Bruce had welcomed her into the family. She was worried that he'd mistrust her or even hate her.

Elliot spent the morning getting to know his nephew Caleb.

Caleb was a little distrustful at first.

But it didn't take long for him to bond with Elliot. Elliot was having so much fun with Caleb that he suggested they all go see the new children's movie at the theater.

"Are you sure you don't want an excuse to go and see the movie yourself?" Athena joked.

"That was Levi and my favorite movie growing up, its a classic! We have to take Caleb, he'd love it."

Levi coughed in embarassment, "I'm a young adult, I don't watch movies like that."

"Come one Levi! It'll be nice for Caleb." Athena coaxed.

They all went to the theater, forgetting what was waiting for them.