After the Second Fall Pt. 01.2

"I know: I just wanted to make it clear that this is a 'no strings attached' offer. You are welcome to accept or not. You are free to talk to others, get advice, say whatever you want about me, my colleagues, or the Complex in general. There are no conditions for accepting, nor reprisals for declining."

"And the other families from Danny's team?"

"The same," stated Pip. "Your husband was part of a team and they deserve to be treated with the same respect."

"And the other teams?"

"Fortunately, the man from the other Second Quarter team will make a recovery, so we'll help, but the scope will be more limited," answered Lilith. When it became obvious that she had said all she would on that topic, Bonnie leaned back in her seat, trying to digest the information.

When the silence had lingered a little too long, Maggie sat forward. "Mrs. Madison, speaking for Rosie and I, it gives us peace of mind to know that if something awful happens to Pip, we won't have to worry about housing, or food, or money. It means that we can have children without being afraid of --"

"Wait," interrupted Bonnie. "You're both his wives?"

Rosie blushed and looked down, clearly embarrassed, but Maggie wasn't flustered at all. "Not exactly, but we are his official partners. The Adams, that is, the fighters in the Complex, don't marry. We take care of him, and he... well, he does the same for us," Maggie finished with a wink and a smirk.

Bonnie looked down and reddened. "Is that usual?" she asked softly, not looking up.

Maggie laughed good naturedly and moved her chair over next to Bonnie, gesturing Rosie to do the same. The three women were soon engaged in a whispered conversation, their heads near one another in a conspiratorial manner. As time passed, Lilith looked to Pip, who shrugged and mouthed 'No idea.'

After more than a quarter bell, during which there were both tears and short bursts of quiet laughter, the trio broke apart with hugs. Bonnie didn't trust herself to speak, so she looked to Lilith and nodded, and although tears were slowly moving down her cheeks, she was smiling.

"Now wait a minute!" shouted the old man.

This time it was Bonnie who responded, yelling back through her tears. "Shut your mouth, Roger! This is my decision, and you will say nothing more about it, or so help me you will never see your grandchildren again."

The old man's eyes went wide, shocked. Once again put in his place, he closed his mouth and sat down.

Turning back to Lilith, she motioned politely to the door and walked outside with her visitors. Now under better control, she shook Lilith's hand. "Thank you, Director Collins. It means a lot to me that the future isn't quite as bleak as it seemed this morning." She turned to Pip, looking up as he towered above her. "And thank you... Pip... for making this possible. I can't tell you how grateful I am for your intervention." Pip smiled warmly and her hand disappeared in his as they shook.

Walking back to the transport, Lilith was pleased. "Nice job, ladies. You did a wonderful job comforting her."

"It wasn't actually that hard," replied Maggie. "It turns out that her husband wasn't all that great a guy. Lots of alcohol, some drugs, not much intimacy. She was mostly scared of what would happen to her kids if they grow up around the Complex. She doesn't want them to be fighting and playing violent games like their father did while he was young. For what it's worth, that's what would have happened if they moved in with the old crankpot, which was their only choice before we showed up. So we just reassured her that life at the Complex isn't all violence and gore.

Maggie looked up at Pip. "It didn't hurt that she's had a thing for Pip since she saw him shirtless on his bike."

"Really?" asked John.

"Um huh," replied Maggie laughing. "She asked if there are more like him." Pip let out an exasperated sigh while John smacked his forehead and Lilith grinned.

Rosie sidled up to Pip and rested her head on his side, fortunately below the level of his injured ribs. "She'll be disappointed," said Rosie, "there's no one in the world like Pip."

By the end of the week, the five of them had visited the others on their list. Fortunately, two of the hospitalized men were released and the third would survive, although his departure would be some time coming. In total, ten different families would be receiving assistance of some sort. Unfortunately, the meeting with the final one did not go as intended, diverging sharply from the start. After Lilith knocked, the door was opened by a large, gruff man in late middle age, who barged out immediately, followed by three equally large men. They had similar features, especially a broad, pronounced nose, making it evident they were related. Lilith quickly moved behind John while Pip gently pulled Maggie and Rosie behind him, stepping forward himself.

Although the men were well above statistical norm for the city, none of them were within two hand spans of John's height, so that they were all momentarily stunned by the two massive newcomers. Undeterred, the first man out, probably the dead man's father, soon began shouting obscenities, accusing Pip of cowardice, deceit, dishonesty, and a host of other things.

Lilith, knowing that such a scene was a possibility, had prepared the others to leave on quick notice. She gave Pip the signal to depart and turned, but he shook his head and motioned through the doorway with his chin, fully ignoring the vitriol being directed his way. Sitting in the first room was a woman, filthy and crying softly, with a deep bruise on one eye and second on the opposite cheek. Her shirt was torn at the shoulder and she was barefoot.

Seeing that he was not being heard, the man shouting stepped forward to push Pip with both hands, something that probably worked to intimated smaller men; he didn't see John move and was lying on his back before either of his hands made contact. With the wind knocked out of him, the diatribe momentarily ceased and Pip seized the moment, pointing to the closest of the younger men. "You -- is that the widow of Matthew Frazier?" The man clearly didn't want to answer, but his courage only held for a few heartbeats before he nodded. While still looking at the man, Pip addressed the women behind him. "Director Collins, ladies, please go speak with Mrs. Frazier. Mr. Rogers and I will stay outside." Lilith, Rosie, and Maggie quickly followed Pip's instructions, trusting his intuition.

Meanwhile, the older man picked himself up and resumed his tirade. This time, however, he did it from a greater distance.

Although this was a Second Quarter neighborhood, it was on the border with the Third Quarter, and the standard of living was not as high as the others they had visited. Trash was present on the sidewalks and in the gutters, graffiti adorned many surfaces, and people loitered on the street. Not surprisingly, a small crowd had soon gathered around the men. Once the crowd was sufficiently large, the older man started pandering to them, trying to rile them up. John and Pip, once again dressed in black, continued to stare at the Frazier men, taking no other action. This only further enraged the oldest, whose volume increased while the coherence of his arguments did the opposite.

After nearly a full bell, Lilith emerged to see a large crowd had gathered. Some looked angry, but most seemed intent to see a spectacle of some kind, so long as it provided entertainment. Ignoring them for the moment, Lilith walked to Pip and spoke directly into his ear. Understanding that something had changed, the crowd quieted. This surprised the older man, whose stream of hate finally trailed off.

When Lilith finished what she had to say, Pip looked to John, who nodded. Lilith herself turned to the door and gave a short whistle. Shortly thereafter, Rosie and Maggie emerged, each carrying a small bag. Between them was Mrs. Frazier, now wrapped in a blanket. The woman kept her head down as she exited, not making eye contact with the four men that had come from the house, nor her neighbors. Upon seeing her, the older man exploded, surging forward, only to be harshly checked a second time by John's hand in his sternum. This time, the younger men also reacted, each producing a baton from somewhere under their shirts and moving forward threateningly. John didn't flinch at the pending conflict, standing his ground and looking at the men without expression.

Pip tapped John on the shoulder and motioned for him to step aside with a flick of his head. "I didn't come here for a fight," Pip said, addressing the men, "but what I've seen here today from you four disgusts me. If Matthew Frazier was of the same stock, then the city is better off without him." The older man shouted in rage, pulling a knife from his pocket and charging forward, followed closely by the other three. The entire altercation lasted exactly long enough for Pip to take one step, throw three punches, and then a final kick. Turning away, Pip and John joined the women and walked back to their transportation. Not surprisingly, the encircling crowd quickly parted to let them pass.

As the group of six travelled to the Complex, Lilith introduced Rachel Frazier to John and Pip. The woman was sitting between Rosie and Maggie, who were each holding one of her hands. She didn't say anything, but did make eye contact -- using her unswollen eye -- with both of the men briefly before returning it to the floor, allowing her unwashed brown hair to hide her face. Looking around the interior of the transport vehicle, Pip received a 'well done' nod from Lilith and a bright smile from Maggie; Rosie was focusing on her charge, whispering encouragement in the woman's ear.

As soon as they arrived, the three young women disembarked without conversation. When they were out of hearing, John looked to Lilith. "I can guess some of it, but what's the story?"

Lilith nodded. "Matthew was apparently the golden boy of the family: bigger, stronger, meaner than the rest, and you saw what they were like. My guess is that Rachel got involved with him when they were too young and ended up trapped. When her husband was killed the brothers took it out on her, although I can't think of a single reason why that makes sense.

"Regardless, if we would have walked away, that poor girl would still be with them. I don't think it would have turned out well for her." John shook his head sadly.

"We have a place for her, same as Bonnie Madison?" Pip asked.

"We will," Lilith replied. "Let's give her a day or two to get cleaned up and acclimated a bit, then we'll see what she wants to do. My guess is that she is tougher than she looks, given that she survived that family of thugs. I can think of a couple places that could work well here."

"What did you have in mind?" John asked curiously.

"Well, not PET: probably too much past trauma to be around guys getting beat up all the time, but maybe with Logistics or Purchasing: tenacity plays really well there. If not, she may be good with kids, or have talent in research. We'll make it work."

"What about the men today?" Pip asked. "I didn't hit any of them hard enough to kill, but none of them are going be what they were again. Is that a problem?"

Lilith shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"What about the crowd?" John questioned. "Any concerns?"

"Not really. When the constables come by, I expect they'll get a more or less accurate account of Pip defending himself from a group of four armed men. With that many witnesses, the truth almost always comes out. I'll give the Meister's Office another heads up, but that's it."

"Okay," replied Pip. "I'm glad we're done with this: it was more difficult than I expected."

"Sure it was, Pip. This is about peoples' lives, and that always makes it harder. Unfortunately, there's really no way to learn how trauma and tragedy affect people except by seeing the aftermath." Lilith paused, considering. "I will tell you one thing that I learned..." Pip raised his eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. "You have exceptional taste in women. Rosie and Maggie are something special."

Pip smiled broadly, turning to head into the Complex himself. "You're absolutely right, Director Collins, but I already knew that."

Lilith and John watched him go, standing in companionable silence. Looking down, he found that she was already looking up at him, so he held out his hand, which she quickly took. "I'm really proud of him. It shouldn't be possible for him to surprise me anymore, but the way he handles himself, he's just..."

"I know, John," Lilith replied, squeezing his hand. "You love him like a son."

John took a breath and nodded. "That shouldn't be a revelation. I've spent more time with him during his life than most fathers with their kids."

"Yeah, but..." Lilith prompted.

John smiled indulgently. "Yes, but other handlers don't have the same relationship with the Adams. I know, Lilith. Do you think he'd be better off if I stepped back and gave him some space? He's got the girls now, and like you said, they're really good for him."

Lilith shook her head, replying, "No, Honey. I'm not going to argue that the Effect is a result of your relationship, but I think Pip's empathy came from you. Maybe his perseverance as well. He'll be better off with Rosie and Maggie in his life, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still need your guidance."

John squeezed her hand and let out the breath he had been holding.

"Thinking about Pip and the girls," John paused dramatically and raised an eyebrow, "how are you doing after last night?"

Lilith snorted and shook her head. "Lord help me, I don't know how I'm still standing. Everything from my shoulders down is sore. I think I strained a muscle in my back, and if you so much as suggest touching me again tonight I'm going to go get Max to pull your arms off."

John smirked, feeling very proud of himself. "So... good?"

Lilith smiled back fondly. "Um huh, but I really do need to recover before we do any more experimenting." She turned and walked toward the Complex. "So, tonight it's my turn to play." John grinned broadly. "I just need to go by my suite to pick up a few things to help me take care of you properly."

"Wait, what?"

Chapter 14

Within a week, routine had returned for Pip: training, sparring, spending time with the girls. The only significant change from the time before his adventure on the pitch was that he began to see Bonnie Madison and Rachel Frazier around the Complex with increasing frequency, almost always together.

This was a bit odd, given that neither had specific reasons to be near the Adams' dormitories or training facilities. Upon being asked, Rosie and Maggie immediately assumed their 'caught red handed' looks: Rosie looked down and reddened while Maggie folded her arms, looking smug.

"Okay, spill it," Pip said, looking at Maggie.

Maggie's smirk widened as she shook her head. "Uh uh, it wasn't me this time. Ask Ms. Innocent over there."

Rosie gave Maggie a dirty look, then sat up and looked at Pip. "It's not really anything worth talking about." Pip raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Really. You're the one that brought them here, so they're both grateful, and seeing you gives them something they can hold onto when everything else is new."

"And this was their idea? Both of them?"

Rosie sighed and slouched back down in her chair. "Sorta, I guess. They already knew each other, at least a little bit, so they've spent a lot of time together since Bonnie and her kids arrived. I guess it was a couple days after Rachel? Anyway, I had a meal with them the other day and they started asking me questions about life here. That led to talking about you, and I may have given them a few more details than I maybe should have..." said Rosie, trailing off.

"Like what?" asked Pip

Rosie shrugged. "Nothing too bad, I promise. I told them about how kind you are, and how good you are to Maggie and me. I explained some about the program; the little bit I know anyway. I described your days, how you're always training, and then how Maggie and I cheer you up." Pip's eyebrows shot up. "That's not what I meant," corrected Rosie quickly. "I just meant that I told them we spend time with you, fix up your scrapes and scratches, that kind of thing."

"And you didn't talk about, uh, the more intimate parts of our relationship?"

"Not on purpose. I mean, Bonnie asked, but all I told her was that you treated us very well."

Pip looked over to Maggie, who was smiling, enjoying seeing her friend on the hot seat. Even so, she decided to intervene. "Come on, Pip, ease up on her. Those ladies think a lot of you, and I'm pretty sure Bonnie would be your Third in a heartbeat."

"Is that a thing?" asked Pip, shocked.

"Not that I know of," replied Maggie, "but there's a first time for everything."

Pip narrowed his eyes, then stuck out his tongue, which looked especially ridiculous given his size. Maggie just smiled back.

Pip shook his head, then looked back to Rosie. "Okay, so maybe a little bit of hero worship. Is that all?"

Rosie nodded. "I think Bonnie will be fine. She seems resilient, and she's already asked Madame Bower if she can join us in PET." Rosie forestalled Pip's objection with her hand. "She won't be working with us, so you're safe from her. Actually, she has a wonderful heart, and also wants some adventure in her life, so I think it's a good fit. What do you think, Mags?"

The other woman nodded her agreement. "If there's room, she'll do well. We have to work on her expectations a bit, but we already talked with Ruth and gave her a heads up about her fixation on you. She didn't think it would be a big problem, given that you haven't really spent any time with her, so it's more the idea of you than anything else."

"Gee, thanks," Pip replied, but without malice.

"No problem," replied Maggie brightly with a wink.

"And Rachel Frazier?"

"Well, she's not so simple..." started Maggie.

"Actually, Pip, I am kind of glad you brought this whole thing up," said Rosie. "I'm worried about Rachel. When we've gotten together, she is very quiet and only really speaks when somebody asks her a question. She doesn't volunteer information, and it's like pulling teeth to actually learn anything about her.

"She hasn't found a job here yet, and so as far as I know, she just kinda wanders around."

"Agreed," added Maggie. "She needs something constructive to fill her time, but I don't know what to suggest."

Pip nodded. "Alright, I'll talk with John and see if he can help."

Unfortunately, John didn't have any more luck getting Mrs. Frazier to open up than the girls, despite his best efforts. Another week passed and Pip continued to see her around the complex, almost always alone. Thinking about it, he had only seen Bonnie once more, dressed in the blue and tan PET uniform, which probably meant she was exceedingly busy learning her new role while also taking care of her children.

The next time Pip saw Rachel, he was eating alone at the edge of the main Courtyard, as usual. When their eyes met, he motioned her over and gestured for her to sit.

She moved over quickly and sat gracefully, setting her own food on the grass next to her. "Thank you. I was trying to work up the courage to ask if I could join you."

"Oh yeah?" responded Pip, surprised. "Am I that scary?" he asked with a smile.

"No," she said quietly, holding eye contact. "I just wanted to make a good impression, and hadn't come up with a way to say hello without seeming awkward. It's been two weeks and I haven't said anything to you since you brought me here. I didn't know where to start."

"Well, no need to worry anymore. So, now that you're here, is there anything specific you wanted to talk about?"