Three Square Meals Ch. 088

Maria glanced at Calara's swollen belly and a hint of a smile crossed her lips. "I think I'll leave out that little titbit. It also might be wise not to discuss your... relationships... with all these girls. Aside from that, I don't like keeping secrets from my husband, so I'll probably tell him the rest."

"As I said, I'll leave that up to you," John replied, releasing her hand and sitting back in his chair.

"Could I just ask one more question?" she asked, her expression one of burning curiosity.

He nodded meeting her brown-eyed gaze. "Sure, fire away."

"Why did you decide to tell me everything?"

The room was silent as he thought about how to answer her question for a moment. "I've never lied to you, but I didn't like having to be economical with the truth. I love your daughter and I know how close the two of you are. Now you know all about us, Calara doesn't have to keep anything from you either."

"Thank you," Maria said, her voice throbbing with emotion.

John smiled at her, meeting her grateful gaze. "You're welcome. I should be the one thanking you though, you've been incredibly understanding." He glanced at the Maliri girls and then gave the older Latina a look of regret.

"I know that look," she murmured sadly. "It's time for you to go, isn't it?"

He rose from his chair, the girls following his lead a moment later. "I'm afraid so, we've got a very busy week ahead of us."

"Before we leave, there is one last thing, Maria," Alyssa said as they left the dining room, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "As we're getting everything out in the open, do you have any medical conditions you'd like us to heal before we go?"

Maria looked at John, her eyes widening as she blushed furiously. "I'm a married woman! You can't possibly be suggesting we..."

Rachel took pity on the shocked Latina and placed a soothing hand on her arm. "Relax, Alyssa's just being a tease. Is there anything troubling you though? I'm a very good doctor and I might be able to help."

Hesitating for a moment, Maria glanced down at her leg. "Back when I was in the military I had a bad fall. It was a stupid accident during a diplomatic mission to Trankara; I slipped and fell off a bridge, breaking my leg in seven places. The doctors did their best, giving me nearly all my mobility back, but it does ache sometimes, especially during the winter." She smiled at the brunette. "I appreciate your kind offer, but I've seen lots of specialists and they all said the same thing: there's nothing anyone can do to fix it."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that..." Rachel murmured, her eyes starting to shine with a bright inner light.

"Your eyes are glowing!" Maria exclaimed, flinching backwards in alarm.

Calara wrapped her arms around her mother, holding her still. "Relax, Mom, let Rachel take care of you."

Maria calmed in her daughter's soothing embrace, then watched in fascination as the misty aura rolled down Rachel's arm and slowly enveloped her body.

"You're right, it was a severe compound fracture. The surgeons did well to save the leg," Rachel said quietly, frowning slightly in concentration. "Let me just clean up after them and you'll feel as good as new..."

"That feels so strange! It tickles!" Maria murmured, as she tried to stifle a laugh.

Rachel's psychic surgery only took a couple of minutes, punctuated by the occasional gasp from Maria as the young doctor regenerated damaged bone and repaired scarred flesh. The glowing grey shroud eventually faded away and Rachel patted her on the shoulder. "There, all done!"

Calara let her mother go, then watched her mother's reaction with a smile on her face.

Maria hitched up the hem of her dress to stare at her shapely left leg. "The scars! You've got rid of them all!" she exclaimed, sounding truly astounded.

"Any numbness or aching now?" Rachel enquired politely.

Laughing in delight, Maria bounced experimentally on the balls of her feet. "You were right! I haven't felt this good in twenty-five years!" She flung her arms around the teenager, hugging her fiercely. "You wonderful girl! I can't thank you enough for this!"

Rachel glanced past the overwhelmed woman at John. "You should be thanking your future son-in-law really. He was the one that gave me this ability..."

When Maria turned to look at him in astonishment, John gave her a magnanimous smile. "I had to do something, my own method of healing is quite a bit more... intimate."

"It's a lot more fun though," Alyssa interjected, grinning at Maria. "I guarantee the two of you would have enjoyed it far more..."

Doing her best to maintain a demure expression, Maria smiled at John and Rachel. "Well, you both have my sincere thanks. That injury bothered me for so long, I can't believe it's gone."

"Now you know how I felt," Dana said, touching her face where the burn scars had been and giving John a look of adoration.

The attractive Latina paused for a moment as her eyes met John's, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "I just might at that."

John returned her smile, but tactfully chose not to reply. He glanced out into the garden where Faye was waiting for them in the Raptor. "It was lovely to see you again, Maria, but we'd better get going. We have a tight schedule to meet before we meet up with Edraele."

Calara hugged her mother and said, "I promise I'll let you know as soon as we make any more decisions about the wedding."

"I want daily updates!" Maria insisted, a broad smile on her face as they embraced.

The two Fernandez women shared warm words as they said their farewells, before Maria said goodbye to the rest of the girls too. She glanced at John then said to the rest of the girls, "Would you ladies mind me having a quiet word with John before you leave?"

Alyssa patted him on the shoulder. "We'll meet you on the Raptor."

The girls crossed the lawn and walked towards the parked gunship, leaving John and Maria standing on the patio.

"I'm really sorry for the shocks we gave you today, I hope you can forgive me," John said, with an embarrassed smile. "I wanted to be honest with you, but not give you a heart attack."

Maria laughed and gave him a look of understanding. "There's nothing to apologise for, I promise." Her eyes followed her daughter's impressively curvy figure as she walked up the ramp into the Raptor. "Some were a little more shocking than others, but I know Calara instigated that particular one to teach me a lesson. I did goad her into it, so I only have myself to blame."

"And all the rest?" John asked, meeting the attractive woman's gaze when she turned back to look at him.

"It's odd isn't it..." Maria replied, a wry smile on her face. "You tell me you're trying to unite the galaxy to fight some dreadful alien threat and what shocked me the most was seeing Calara looking like she was nine months pregnant!" Shaking her head in wonder, she added, "A mother's concern for her child... we like to think we've come a long way, but we're still helpless in the face of genetics and instincts, aren't we?"

John let out a heavy sigh. "I sincerely hope not."

A look of concern crossed her face as she gasped, "I'm so sorry! I wasn't trying to imply-"

"It's quite alright, you have every right to be worried," John said, waving a hand to dismiss her apology. "Calara's with me and I've explained what Progenitors are like; it's perfectly natural to be concerned about her safety."

Maria placed a hand on his arm and looked him square in the eye. "I trust you with her, I mean it. Your situation with those girls is... unconventional, but I can see how much you all love each other. I couldn't hope for a better life for my daughter."

"That's very reassuring," John said, relaxing a little and smiling at her.

"I also know how much guilt you feel, about the changes you made to Calara, to all those girls..." She saw the look of shock on his face and smiled as she glanced back at the gunship, where a certain statuesque blonde was watching them from the ramp. "Alyssa told me while you were with Calara. It really troubles her to see you carrying that guilt around."

John opened his mouth to offer her a heartfelt apology, but Maria surprised him by standing on tiptoe and giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "What was that for?!" he asked, looking at her in amazement.

"To say thank you," she replied, her words ringing with gratitude.

"You already did," he said, giving her a self-conscious smile.

She shook her head. "We've talked about all the really big things, like saving Calara's life, rescuing Mateo, intervening to protect Jack, saving Terra, but not about this. I wanted to say thank you for helping to bring Calara out of her shell. She was always so single-mindedly obsessed with her career in the military, that everything else got pushed aside. You've helped her confidence grow in leaps and bounds! The Calara that I knew before you met her would never have pulled that prank this afternoon."

He frowned as he remembered the look of shock on the older Latina's face. "I'm not sure that's a good thing."

"Oh, it is!" Maria protested, her voice absolutely sincere. "She was such a reserved girl before the two of you got together. I was worried she'd go through life missing out on all the fun."

"I think that might be Alyssa's influence more than mine," John said, looking at his youthful Matriarch and sensing her amusement over their bond.

Maria studied him for a long moment, then said softly, "I picked up on the comments Irillith made about Edraele. You're... with her... too, aren't you?" She saw the startled look on his face at the unexpected question and smiled at him in satisfaction. "I thought so. The sudden dramatic personality shift Irillith mentioned all fit into place."

"I guess there were a few things I still wasn't entirely honest with you about," John murmured, blushing in embarrassment.

"The subject of mothers and daughters was a little too close to home?" she asked innocently, her smile broadening as he reddened further. "Alyssa's right, teasing you is so much fun!"

John's eyes narrowed as he glared at the blonde on the ramp, watching as she doubled over with laughter. "I'll have to have a chat with her about that. A severe tickling might be in order..."

Maria gently turned his face so he was looking at her again and gave him a reassuring smile. "I won't torment you any further, I promise."

Putting aside his embarrassment, John met her perceptive gaze. "Edraele was a monster before her mind was wiped and she was effectively killed. I built her a new personality so that she could help undo some of the terrible things she'd done to her people... and her daughters. She's nothing like the evil woman she was before."

"I was in two minds about mentioning Edraele, but I'm glad I did," Maria said, looking thoughtful. "I just realised that I'm in rather a unique position. Aside from Calara, every single one of those girls has lost their mother, haven't they?"

"Essentially, yes," John replied.

She looked him in the eye, a riot of emotions in her intense gaze. "It might be a bit presumptuous, but I'd like to speak on behalf of all of those mothers that can't be here today: Thank you for what you've done for those girls. They're cared for and deeply loved. Any mother would be overjoyed to see how happy their daughter is with you. You know how much I love Calara and I certainly feel that way about you two being together."

"But what about-" John started to reply, but Maria shushed him with another chaste kiss on the cheek.

"That one was on behalf of those mothers for the rest of the girls. I saw what happened to Sakura before you saved her and it's obvious to me that you've helped each of them as much as you have Calara. They definitely aren't in love with you because you forced them to be! Life's too short for regrets, especially when you've been nothing but a wonderful influence on those girls," she told him earnestly.

He was quiet for a moment as he thought about what she was saying, then gave her a grateful smile. "That means a lot actually, coming from you. Thank you."

Maria stepped closer then gave him a warm hug. She turned slightly and whispered in his ear, "You're under enough pressure as it is, don't make it worse for yourself for no reason. My family is the most precious thing in the world to me and I'm entrusting Calara to you, knowing everything about who and what you are. Concentrate on the fight to come, and protect those special girls. Speaking on behalf of their mothers, that's all I ask."

"I won't let you down," John said, hugging her back fiercely.

He could sense the burden of guilt lifting from his shoulders and he stood taller, feeling better than he had in months.

When they separated, Maria could see the change in him and smiled at him in satisfaction. "Take care of yourself too, okay?"

"I'll do my best," John replied, returning her smile.

He left her then, striding across the lawn to the gunship, where Alyssa and Calara were waiting patiently at the top of the ramp. They turned and waved Maria goodbye, before walking arm-in-arm into the Raptor as the ramp closed and the gunship lifted from the ground.

Calara hugged John, a bright smile on her face. "Thank you for this trip. It was lovely to see my mom again."

"I enjoyed it too," he agreed, hugging her back. "It was nice to be honest with her and I'm relieved she didn't react badly to anything."

"She's an amazing woman," Alyssa said, slipping her arms around them both.

They enjoyed a three-way hug for a few moments, before heading up to the cockpit where the rest of the crew were waiting. John glanced through the cockpit at the darkening sky above as the Raptor ascended through the atmosphere. He could see the Invictus ahead of them, still small at the moment, but distinctive with its gleaming white hull.

"How's the refit progressing, Faye?" he asked the purple sprite, who was sitting in the pilot's chair and watching him with an excited sparkle in her big eyes.

"We're all done!" she exclaimed, bubbling with enthusiasm. "My boys have swapped out all the old Beam Lasers, replacing them with Photon Lasers and the improved heatsinks!"

"Nice work, honey," John said, giving her an appreciative smile.

Calara grinned at the diminutive pilot. "That's a huge upgrade to our firepower! We'll be hitting about one-hundred-and-fifty-percent harder with our primary guns!"

"We just need to upgrade the heatsinks on the rest of the Invictus' weapons now," Dana said, looking out the window at their ship. She turned back to share a look with Calara. "We talked it over and I've tuned the heatsinks in the Photon Lasers so they do more damage, but we'll tweak the Pulse Cannons to fire faster."

John looked at the two girls with interest. "Why the difference?"

"The Pulse Cannons will be able to fire continuously once they've been fitted with the new heatsinks," Calara explained. "Overall the firepower will be roughly the same as if we'd gone for more damage, but it'll be significantly easier for Faye and Sakura to hit missiles and fighters."

"Ah, good call," he replied, nodding thoughtfully as he glanced at Sakura. "You've only got two Pulse Cannons on the Valkyrie, so the easier we can make it for you the better."

She laughed as she met his gaze. "I need all the help I can get! I've no idea how Calara makes it look so easy!"

"I'm happy to give you some pointers," the Latina volunteered with a smile.

Sakura gave her a grateful look, but her expression suddenly darkened with a worried frown. "I had been hoping to get lots of practice in the Valkyrie during our vacation."

"Actually, I was thinking about that," Dana interjected. "We've got tons of space in the Primary Hangar. You won't be able to do any target practice, but you'll be able to get used to manoeuvring in the mech. I could even turn off the artificial gravity and let you get a feel for what it'll be like in space."

"That's a great idea!" Sakura exclaimed, looking delighted.

John rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If we move the mech before we leave, that'll give you a couple of days to practice before we reach Trankaran Space. While I'm meeting with Chancellor Niskera, we could find you a deserted asteroid field so you can get in a bit of target practice as well."

The Asian girl gave him an exuberant hug. "I'll train really hard so that I'm ready!"

He smiled at her, then turned to look at the rest of the group. "It looks like this has turned into a team meeting. What are the rest of you ladies up to for the next few days?"

The girls glanced at each other, unsure who should go first until Alyssa stepped in. "I need to repair our damaged body armour and I'll reshape them while I'm at it." She winked at John and added, "I'll also be thinking of fun ways to keep you entertained, but that goes without saying..."

Calara rubbed her hand over her swollen tummy. "Speaking of which, I was planning on feeding Tashana, then starting my investigation into what happened to the Nymphs."

The Maliri twins were standing together, but the one on the right licked her lips, identifying her as Tashana. She darted a glance at John and asked tentatively, "Are we still going to be...?"

"Of course," he replied, smiling as he beckoned her over. Tashana came to him immediately, sliding her arm around his waist. "I'll still be focusing on you, that hasn't changed."

"In that case, I'm looking forward to an amazing week!" she said with a cheerful grin that made everyone laugh. "In-between having a full tummy, I'd like to get plenty more psychic training in with Alyssa."

"I'm sure I can accommodate you there," the blonde replied with a playful wink. "That goes for you too, Irillith."

The second twin nodded, a spark of excitement in her violet eyes. "I'll fit in the psychic training around a couple of other tasks I'm working on. I've nearly finished organising the Mikaboshi reparations, so I was planning on writing the new software for Faye's chassis next."

"I'll be working on her body too," Dana said, before playfully nudging Jade. "If you're free, I could use your help on the construction while I work on the designs."

The Nymph gave Faye an affectionate smile. "I'd love to help!"

The sprite clapped her hands together in delight, her wings thrumming too fast to clearly see. "I can't believe it's nearly time!" she gasped, her luminous eyes wide with excitement. Faye blinked a moment then said in a more serious voice. "I'll put the boys to work on building more heatsinks and installing the Raptor's Pulse Cannon turret if you can provide me the parts I need."

"I'll start the Mass Fabricators as soon as we land," Dana said, giving the sprite a grateful smile. "Once that batch is run, I'll start creating the cybernetics we need for your body."

"Do you need my assistance with the construction?" Rachel asked her girlfriend.

Dana shook her head. "I've taken enough of your time already, babes. Jade will be more than enough help, I know you've got important stuff you've been putting off for me."

Rachel gave her a grateful smile, then turned to John and said, "In that case, I'll be continuing my research into incurable diseases."

"Sounds like you're all going to be busy," John said sounding impressed, before turning to look at Dana. "I'll make the Pulse Cannon barrels for you, but I've got a few important calls to make when we arrive on the Invictus. Do you need me to contact Luna as well and request the schematics for the Maliri cybernetics?"

Dana shook her head and gave him a broad grin. "Alyssa asked for them already! Luna had a few words with the cyberneticists Edraele captured and she transmitted everything I needed while we were visiting Calara's mom."

"I keep forgetting that you're connected to all the Maliri," John said, smiling at the blonde.