Quaranteam - AU Ch. 06

Zoe looked a little relieved at Ty's words and gave him a sheepish smile. "I was wondering why they hadn't come to see me. I...I thought they might be mad at me since I didn't talk to them while I..." The smile dropped away and the tears slid down her cheeks. "Ty...I was so scared. I felt so alone..."

Standing from his seat beside her bed, Ty enveloped the young woman in a hug. The pair stayed like that for a few minutes, Zoe just weeping softly. Rubbing her back gently, Tiberius spoke. His voice didn't waver, but his anxiety was clear. "Zoe, sweetheart, we couldn't reach you. I guess your phone was cut off, so we had no way of getting in touch if you didn't reach out first. Otherwise, we would have moved heaven and earth to get to you. We came so close to losing you..."

"Was it really that bad? I mean, I get that it was bad, but after I woke up, it really doesn't feel like it." She pulled away from him, searching his expression. She had felt powerless and scared, but she still had no real grasp of how close she had come to death that day.

"Zoe, you were mere hours from dying. It was a fucking miracle that we got to you when we did, and that Dr. Rai was able to help. That woman is amazing and I'll never be able to repay her. Not that I'll stop trying."

Zoe grinned at Ty, giving the older man a sly look. "It also doesn't hurt that Dr. Rai is like, crazy hot, huh? Short but stacked? Like, seriously. Oh. Em. Gee. I'm definitely straight, but she always makes me do a double take."

Ty's grin matched Zoe's watt for watt. "You should see her outside of work. The scrubs are seriously unflattering. So much so, the word 'Goddess' just isn't sufficient."

Zoe's smile faltered. She hadn't expected that. "You're dating her? What about Charlotte or Leticia? You clearly know their feelings for you."

Ty scratched at his head for a moment, considering how to broach the subject. His playful demeanour had vanished, giving way to the soldier again. "I guess it's something that's going to come up sooner or later. Zoe, before I can actually talk about a lot of this in detail though, there's red tape to sort out, so I'll have to give you the sanitised version until then. Long story short, I'm with four different women, including Alice and the twins. Before you ask, I'm not cheating; they're all aware and accepting of the situation. Hell, Alice actually was with Lottie for a while before I even met her."

Zoe was leaning back, studying Ty carefully. "Can you swear that? That they all agreed to the situation and are actually willing?"

"Absolutely. Ask Alice yourself. She's bound to come check in on you very soon. And you can ask the twins and Talia when they arrive. There was no sneaking around." He paused, flashing a crooked grin. "Ok, maybe there was a little sneaky business."

Zoe gave him a glare and he laughed. "Lottie knew that I'd run afoul of Alice and semi-engineered the encounter between us. It's not an exaggeration to say sparks flew. But that was the sneakiest we got, sweetheart. I wouldn't lie about this. Even if there was any merit in it, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Then why did you say you were giving me a 'sanitised' version? What aren't you telling me and why?"

Tiberius' smile was wry as he placed a hand on her head. "I'm giving you the sanitised version because the rest is stuff I actually can't tell you until you sign a bunch of paperwork and promise not to talk about it anywhere. It's embargoed information. Government and military stuff. There are a lot of decisions to be made, and a lot of it hinges on what you plan to do from here on out."

The young woman's expression went from consternation to unease in a blink. "What...What should I do? What's going to happen to me?"

Tiberius sat there, stroking Zoe's head gently as he contemplated his next words. Zoe, deep in her own thoughts, absently took his hand and held it, drawing comfort as she processed.

Eventually, Ty spoke, his words hesitant as his eyes met hers. "If you want, you can come live with us. You'll need to agree to sign the documents and that means that you can't talk to anyone who isn't also subject to those documents about what you learn. But that aside, I want you somewhere I can be sure you're safe. I won't baby you, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd stay somewhat close for my peace of mind, if not your own."

Alice chose that moment to walk into the room, smiling at the sight before her. "How are you feeling, Zoe?" When the young woman blushed and turned her head down, she gave Ty a stern look and swatted him gently on the arm. "Don't push her too hard, Tiberius. She needs to rest."

Ty grabbed her arm as she drew away and kissed the tips of her fingers. "I know, beautiful. I was asking her to live with us. For both our sakes."

Alice's expression went through a range before she addressed Tiberius again. "Ty...are you planning to -"

"No. That's not what this is about. But I want her safe. And if I can do that by keeping her close, then the rest is superfluous. As for...as for that, we'll deal with it when it becomes relevant. There's just too much of a gap for that to be realistic."

There was a moment of silence as Alice took in his words, and she nodded, brushing a hand across his cheek in a clear display of intimacy. Zoe, watching the exchange with a complicated expression on her face, seemed to accept that there was something between Ty and the beautiful doctor. Still, she said nothing. Judgement would be reserved for when the twins and this mysterious 'Talia' arrived.

Alice fussed over Zoe for a while, taking readings and asking a few questions of the younger woman. She was just wrapping up, scribbling notes onto the chart as the twins and Talia knocked on the door.

"Zoe, honey, can we come in?" Lettie's voice carried a note of trepidation.

Lettie and Zoe had always gotten along, the pair being similar in their outgoing natures. Zoe had even learned martial arts from Lettie; both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It had also been Lettie who was most saddened when Zoe left for university and the most worried when they had lost contact with her after the advent of DuoHalo.

Zoe had frozen up, her eyes fixed on the open doorway and the nervous redhead standing on the other side. "Come in..." Her voice quivered, cracking into a sob and Lettie ran to the bedside, throwing her arms around Zoe. Lottie followed, hugging both Zoe and her sister.

"Hi kiddo. I'm sorry we weren't here sooner. We had to do some very delicate negotiations, and you know full well that your 'uncle' is about as diplomatic as a hammer. But that's not important now. How are you? We missed you."

"I'm ok now, Lettie. I was scared that you were mad at me for staying away and didn't want to see me..."

Lettie's tears were flowing freely, and she pulled away slightly to meet Zoe's gaze. "Never, kiddo. That will never happen. We were terrified for you, honey. We couldn't reach you, and it was impossible for us to just go running around searching all of Sydney for you. So, we had to pray you were ok and would reach out if you needed us."

Lottie ruffled the young woman's hair and smiled. "You really worried us, Zoe. I know it can feel like you're alone, but we've got your back, ok?" She paused as Zoe nodded, not meeting Lottie's gaze. Planting a soft kiss on the young woman's forehead, Lottie continued. "Just get better for now and we'll sort out the rest after. And please, love, don't run from us. Nothing would break our hearts more."

"Okay, Lottie. I...I'll try to lean on you guys more. I just wanted to prove that I could do it. That I was strong and independent. That I don't need to rely on others. But Ty already lambasted me over that."

Lettie chuckled at that, finally standing up and releasing Zoe from her embrace. "Did he now? Well, he would certainly know. That big hairball is hopeless without us." She ignored the outraged 'Oy!' from the side of the room as her grin widened. "The point is, he's fully aware of his shortcomings and he relies on us to help him. Before, it was just me and Lots, but now there's two more of us for the big guy to lean on."

Zoe jumped, not expecting one of the topics she'd intended to ask about to be breached in such a manner. "So, it's true then? Ty's dating four women? The two of you, Dr. Rai, and that other person near Ty?" She realised at that moment that she had been ignoring the fourth woman. "I'm sorry. I've been rude. Um. My name is Zoe Evans. You must be Talia. It's nice to meet you."

Talia, who had gone to Tiberius' side as she entered the room smiled and approached the bed now. "Likewise, and it is good to see you awake, young lady. We were worried for you. And yes, the four of us are together with Tiberius."

The young woman continued; the disquiet clear in her expression. "And...you're just ok with it? That he has multiple girlfriends? Isn't it cheating?"

"Is it cheating when all of us have approved? He did nothing behind our backs. Every one of us went into this with our eyes wide open, and if we're being fair, we were the instigators. And while I can say little right now, there are other circumstances too."

Zoe frowned. "Are those the same circumstances Ty was talking about? Where I have to sign a bunch of paperwork or I can't know?"

Lettie, sensing that Zoe would become increasingly recalcitrant if they didn't explain themselves fully, took over. "The very same. We'll be able to explain it to you eventually even if you don't sign, but it will make things very complicated in the short term for very little reason. Just remember that we're not keeping things from you because we want to or don't trust you with the knowledge, but because we legally cannot, Zoe."

Zoe was silent for almost a minute before she responded. "So, what, you can tell me if I sign this paperwork? What is it?"

"Yes, an NDA. A non-disclosure agreement. Frankly, all it says is that you won't talk about this outside of people who already know until you're told that you can, or the law will come after you."

"What else can you tell me? It's really hard to judge with just that."

"The best I can do is say that it was what provided the spark for us to get together, honey. I admit, it wasn't the most pleasant of circumstances, but the details of that are inextricably linked to things I can't tell you right now."

"So, if I were to say no, I won't sign, how long would I have to wait?"

"Probably in a couple of weeks. Was it the tenth of November?"

Tiberius interrupted, looking somewhat chagrined. "Actually, it won't happen until the 21st. Grace gave me an earful this morning about some timeline the Americans have going. First I'd heard of it, but what can you do? Well, at the very least we can push contingency plans into place. I'm still going ahead on the 15th to get people set up on Oracle."

He turned towards Zoe now. "If you do sign the paperwork, know that the revelations from what you learn do not mean you're stuck here with me. Your life is your own, but I ask only that you don't cut me out entirely. I will do my best for you, no matter your choice, Seamstress."

She smiled as he called her by that nickname. Her university major was fashion design. Ty had given her the nickname when she was young, after she'd made her first dress on his mother's sewing machine. A machine his mother had soon gifted the little artisan.

"Ok, Ty. I'll sign. I just don't want to be alone again."

"Zoe, even if you didn't sign we would never let you be alone. This just means we won't have to choose our words as carefully around you. Which will be a relief in and of itself. It'd be a pain in the ass to have to move rooms just to have a work conversation. Not to mention it'd feel horrible to be excluding you. But once you're home, we'll see about getting you back into making clothes. I bet you and Alice would have loads of fun designing and making things. Her fashion sense is right up your alley. We'll also get you back into fighting trim, sweetheart."

Zoe blushed. "I've been a bit slack with my martial arts, but it's hard without Lettie to help. Now that I'm home I hope I can ask for a partner again."

Lettie beamed and glanced over at Talia, who nodded, a small smile on her own face. "We can do you better than that, honey. We'll brush up on our skills together, but on top of that, Talia here has offered to teach us Krav Maga, a martial art from her homeland. I think it's a good idea for all of us to get at least the basics down."

Brightening up at the idea, the young woman nodded. "That would be awesome! Thank you, Talia!"

"It will be my pleasure." The Israeli woman's smile grew broader as she reached out, placing a hand on Zoe's shoulder. "But before any of that, you must recover and put some weight back on. So, for now, get some rest and eat what you are given. Alice and the other doctors are wonderful practitioners and will do their best for you, but you must cooperate. Understood?"

Zoe nodded, suddenly feeling the fatigue that she'd been suppressing. Though she tried, she couldn't stifle the yawn, and now it was Alice that cut in, shooing everyone away from the bed.

"Enough. We've clearly worn the poor girl out. Let her rest. Zoe, you know where the call button is, and I'll come back to check on you before I leave for the afternoon. Apart from that, you have a phone on the side table, so you can call Tiberius or myself any time."

"Thanks, Dr. Rai. I might have some questions to ask you later. I'm still a bit...well, I'll ask about it all later."

Alice gave her acknowledgement as she herded the others out of the room. "Just let me know when, dear. We'll talk on your terms. As for signing the paperwork, I'm sure Tiberius or Charlotte will come by with it either later today or tomorrow morning."

Lettie pitched in next. "Once you've signed everything, honey, us ladies will have a nice long chat. Then we can explain everything and make sure you understand there's no pressure on you."

Zoe felt a stab of apprehension at the word 'pressure'. For a brief moment, there seemed to be a weight to the word, but she figured it was just her anxiety. "That doesn't make it sound ominous at all."

"It's not, honey. It just has to do with our relationship with the big guy. We want you to understand there's no pressure for you to accept it. But we'll talk more about it later. Rest for now and don't worry about it."

As they filed out, Zoe watched them intently. Tiberius glanced back at her as he left and gave her a wink. She could feel her face heating up as she considered him being the centre of that relationship. The four women were chatting animatedly, seemingly completely at ease with one another. No smile seemed forced. No interaction seemed contrived.

No jealousy. No awkwardness. That's so...nice.

She wondered if she was just overthinking things. If they were happy, what business was it of hers to interfere?

Maybe I can think of it as my family growing again, instead of just Ty and the twins. I think...I think I'd like that.

--

Park Near Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia - October 27, 2020 - 5:15 PM AEDT

--

"Lettie, love, let's not worry about work and just enjoy our time together, ok?" Tiberius tried to keep the exasperation from his voice, but he was almost at his wits' end. Lettie was the doer of the family; the one who struggled with the 'hurry up and wait' mentality that was the backbone of the world's armed forces.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what your plan is for the call later. You know the French are going to want something from us to get our people home and I don't want you to promise anything insane."

"I plan to take it as it comes, Lettie. We don't have much negotiating room, but I did already speak to Colonel Anderson and Lt. General Hoffmann. I can promise to share what we know and provide access to our serum."

"Have you planned for other requests? As in, what if they -"

Ty grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "Love, we have maybe two and a half hours before we have to be on that call, and that's going to be a headache in and of itself. Right now, I'd like to just spend the moment with you." Seeing as her head was buried in his chest, the best she could respond with was a pinch to his sides and a dissatisfied whine. "I fully expect that you'll be riding shotgun on the call at any rate, so you'll know what's happening in real time. So, for now, don't worry about it."

"Ok, big guy. I just don't want this to get out of control. We've got enough to worry about."

The morning after he had placed his collar on Lottie and Alice, Ty had insisted on everyone getting some alone time with him at regular intervals. Everyone had their own ideas, but Lettie had simply wanted to go for a walk in their favourite park. Since it was an easily fulfilled request, they had departed as soon as they returned from the hospital, with Ty only taking a small detour to get a little something from his room.

As he released the lovely redhead from his embrace, he took her hand and they continued walking, chatting idly until they were deep in a secluded area. The park had been empty, but while that had been sad, it wasn't surprising. Lettie took the lead from that point, pulling Tiberius towards a particular tree in a small clearing.

As they came to a stop, Lettie wrapped her arms around the big man and spoke softly as she enjoyed his warmth, her cheek pressed to his chest. "Do you know what this place is, big guy?"

"I can only assume that this is the tree. I've heard you and Lots mention it before, but I've never known the significance of this place." He had wondered about it, but the twins had never been willing to explain when he'd asked, and so he'd eventually let it be. They'd either eventually explain, or not. He wouldn't begrudge them a secret.

Reaching up, Lettie pulled Ty's head down and kissed him fiercely. "The tree indeed. I know we've always avoided telling you of its significance, but that time is gone now. This place, under this tree, was where Lottie and I first came to realise that we were in love with you. After we had learned what you did to those asshole brothers..."

Ty chuckled. "The brothers dim, yes."

"Yeah, them. After we discovered what you'd done, we came here to talk about it. This became our regular conference room when it came to you. It was here that we first worried about how we noticed your feelings for us were changing, and where we came to the conclusion that you wouldn't act on it because of our friendship." She was stroking his cheek again, smiling gently as she stared into his eyes. "It was in this place that Lottie and I let our own feelings for you come to the forefront, and where we did the same as you and suppressed them. We couldn't risk hurting you. We wouldn't risk driving you away by forcing you to choose. Between us, we knew we could share, but we didn't know how you would feel about that. Honestly, I struggled with the idea of keeping quiet. You know me; I can't sit still. But Lottie convinced me that we needed to slowly get you used to the idea. Eventually, I agreed."

A lot of things suddenly came into perspective as she spoke. Gestures and words that Ty had thought were spoken carelessly, said in a manner that, while open to interpretations, hinted towards the very thing Lettie was now admitting to. He smiled at her, feeling the smile curl into a cheeky grin.

"And then all of this happened and derailed your carefully wrought plans, huh."

She smiled back and pinched his cheek. "Well, it just meant we no longer needed to use subtlety as our method of delivery, big guy. We could hit you with our feelings without worry of what society would think. Two women sharing a man, while more common, was still looked at with scrutiny. Two sisters sharing a man...well that was another story entirely. But here and now, I don't care. We don't care. We knew our goal. You were, are, it. You know we dated a lot. Man or woman, we were looking for someone even half as good as the one already beside us. But no knockoff would ever come close to the original. We were actually pretty close to breaking the news to you anyway when everything came to a head. We were just scared."