Ismene

Henry stood up then, looking out at everyone. "That means acceptance of everyone, and loving each other! No more picking apart every little difference you see in another and inspecting everyone against your own standards! We have tenets, but there are some wide gaps that aren't covered! Those aren't for you to fill in in your own head and demand others adhere to! That means we all get to make personal choices in those areas! Who we love, how we love, everything! And if First sees that something needs to be addressed and changed to suit our tenets, then we all know that he knows what's best for us going forward! He was chosen for that reason! We don't fight it or resent it, we accept it! He's our first and we ALL have his back!"

"Here here!" dozens of voices yelled.

"Thank you, Brother Henry," Dante told him, putting a hand on his back and patting. "I am going to need all of you to step up and open your hearts and minds more. Don't imagine that you know everything, I know I don't. The tenets are broadstroke, they're that way for a reason. We're going to need room to adapt to our new world and there will be NO room in it for hate or anger or treating anyone as less! Especially not our vessels. We're here to nurture them the same as the earth! The whole reason we decided the world needed a restart! We take care of them, treat them well and they will in turn nurture us for the battle we have ahead of us! Same as we will give back to the earth so that it will provide for us. Taking is the way of the past, the way that's dead now! We serve, now. We didn't get placed here to become kings of the new world, but as servants. Servants to make sure that it never happens again that we take more than we give back! If you lied, if you faked it to make it this far... you need to change your ways right now. If I see it, if your brothers see it! We will intervene and you WILL be made to serve the greater good, even if it's just to repopulate. I sent word along to all of the bunkers to begin repopulation protocol, as well as what they need to teach our ways. It's going to be a lot harder to make them fall in line with only us here to regulate them, but I hope to have them well on their way before they discover that they now outnumber us 5 to 1."

"That includes their children, though, right?" Austin asked, sounding intimidated.

"No... that includes men over age 18. Not women or children. One of the close family bunkers has a lot of children, Blankenship? but also quite a few over the age of procreating. I put a halt on them and any others executing, or ejecting in their case, those who commit crimes. One of our rules was that they could have no weapons at all save for the single handgun we issued to whoever they put in charge and that no one else could have any sort of weapon at all. Once this is all done, we SHOULD be the only ones to have weapons outside of the city bunker. They had a biker gang come in with weapons there and take over, but I think I have them in hand. Their leader seems to agree with most all of our views."

"Most all?" someone asked.

Dante smirked. "Seems he's pretty much on the same page as far as women in their place... but he disagrees on letting them have positions of power. A woman runs the place alongside him."

"Like, his wife?"

"No... she's married to his friend, not him... but he says she's smart and clever and quick on her feet. He won't give on that, taking her out of a seat of power, even if he did let his friend claim her. Seems they all claimed women when they went in, that wasn't an issue. He just refuses to make her step down, claims she's made for the job. We'll have to see how things go once we all come together. She's an engineer, so it's not like there's going to be anything to do for her once we foam the bunkers and all tech is wiped out."

Ismene looked Dante over as he talked, then wished she could meet this engineer who was in charge. Maybe she could talk to her? Get word to her?

Did she want to?

She sort of agreed with everything the Dragons were trying to do... just not the being a lesser part. Couldn't it all be so much better if women stood next to the men and not under them?

Dante went on about what was going to be needed and the changes he was going to implement to make sure people didn't get into ruts. Ismene hardly listened as she looked out at everyone, looking over their faces.

Most of the hostility seemed to be gone, replaced with a bit of fear and a lot of pride and hope. She noticed the faces that were missing, too. People who would be brought back into circulation, now, faces she would have to learn to live with seeing again.

Like Henry.

Looking over at him, she still felt stress in seeing him, but she wasn't afraid of him like she had been. He wasn't that man anymore, not at all.

He was Dante's man now, through and through. And hers. She knew that as well, he was hers because she was Dante's and he would do anything to prove his devotion.

David would never have had the same sot of epiphany, she knew that. He was rabid and he would never come back from it. It was good that he was gone, he would have tried to poison people from his cell.

When Dante turned to her and pulled her to stand, she blinked and wondered what she had missed. Everyone was getting up, moving to the dining hall now and Dante pulled her along with him.

Terror filled her and she balked, tansing up.

"I'm right here," Henry promised, next to her in a heartbeat. "You're safe. Always."

Dante gave Henry a tight smile, then took her hand and looked over her face. "Do you want to go back to..."

"N-no! No, I I I'll go," she managed, still feeling terrified, but not wanting to go back to the tiny room with Henry again.

"I have you, Little One," Gavin grinned, taking her other hand. "We're right here," he promised, nodding at his wives who both huddled close as well.

When they sat at the table, they both sat so close to her that she actually felt safe as she looked around. Dante next to her on one chair, Gavin in the other side and Henry right on the other side of Gavin. They were all close. No one could get near her without coming through all of them.

Even Lydia sat close to her legs on the floor, smiling at her and stroking her ankle before eating her dinner.

Ismene listened as question after question came and Dante fielded them all.

At the end, he stood, swaying slightly. "I know everyone's going to have more questions, but the rest will wait. Breakfast will be soon enough and we'll handle the trials the day after tomorrow as well. I need some rest and some time with my wife," he told them. "I'm sure you'll all understand as well why there will be a new security detail, at least for a few weeks, with Ismene and I at all times. I will..."

"I volunteer to guard your door tonight!" Henry interrupted immediately.

"Thank you, Brother," Dante nodded, sounding grave. "It means a lot to me that you have stepped up and taken to heart her safety and mine. It has not gone unnoticed, not at all. It's meant everything knowing you've been with her these past few days. Tonight though, take Lydia... and your other vessels as well. You're granted them back from their temporary caretakers. Take them back to your room and celebrate coming together again, Greg has his shift tonight. I will have Austin put you on rotation since I know it means a lot to you to do this. Get some rest," he told him, then hugged him tightly. "And welcome back to the fold," he whispered, tearing up.

Henry let out a half sob as he hugged Dante back. "I won't let you down, First! Never again! I'll make you proud, I won't disappoint, I swear it!"

"I know you will!" Dante smiled, pulling back to look at him. "Now go get some rest. I'm going to bed too, I'll see you all in the morning," he called, pulling Ismene up to lead away.

Gavin and his wives followed close behind, closing the door as Greg took up station next to it outside.

Ismene hardly waited for it to close before hurrying to the bed and climbing up to stand on it so she could throw her arms around Dante's neck.

Dante chuckled and picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I've missed you too!" he promised, grinning ear to ear. "I love you, babe!"

"I I I love y-you too!" she cried, clinging to him with all her might.

He laughed again, falling into bed still holding her. "I need rest, Ismene," he rumbled, then kissed her. "But wake me up in the morning before breakfast and I promise you I'll take care of all your needs," he promised, his eyes sparkling.

"Y-you're all I I I n-need!" she told him fiercely, still clinging to him.

"Mmm, same, babe," he sighed happily, closing his eyes. "Sweet dreams," he whispered.

Gavin leaned in and kissed his temple, then Ismene's. "Goodnight, First. Get good rest. Doctors orders."

"First's orders, come to bed too and hold me," Dante demanded, scooting over.

Gavin laughed, but got into bed behind Dante and spooned him, holding him close as he stroked Ismene's hair back.

Savannah and Dom moved to the far corner with a light to read since it was still relatively early, but Ismene stayed where she was in Dante's arms, Gavin playing with her hair and holding both of them.

A new world was coming... but she could get used to this.

She was happy here.