Chapter 22: Teenager in Love

  Kit sighed wearily, and stretched his protesting muscles.  He didn't know why he kept up this grueling pace.  He didn't even really believe what Chaine was telling him, anyway.  And yet, every night, month after month,  he still subjected himself to being thrown, punched, and kicked.  He was getting faster though, not very many of Chaine's attacks were getting through.  "Good, good!" Chaine praised him.  "You learn so fast!"

  "Not fast enough!" Kit grumbled.

  "Now, we add on."

  "Add on?"  Kit wasn't sure he could take one more of Chaine's add ons.

  "Alchemy and Chemistry, my dear boy.  You must study.  Are you studying those codes and blueprints?"

  "More studying?  I think you enjoy torturing me!  Just kill me and be done with it!"

  Chaine chuckled.  "We have not yet begun!  There is still so much to teach you!  Now," Chaine handed Kit some more books.  "Add these to your study list.  I have procured a small chemistry lab, so that you can experiment, and an alchemy table, as well.  Now those codes?  How you are doing with those?"

  "You are a slave driver, do you know that?  I don't get the importance of all those numbers.  They make zero sense."

  Chaine frowned.  "Well, all I know about them, is they are coordinates, to certain places in certain Whens.  There is meaning in those numbers."

  "Not to me.  Maybe if I saw a Portal, then I would understand the codes a little better."

  Chaine was shaking his head.  "As soon as you have a Portal, you will have Nephilium.  You must know your coordinates ahead of time."

  "Coordinates to Where?"

  "Camulodunum of course."

  Kit stared at Chaine.  "Camulodunum?  You actually expect me to get into one of those things?  And go somewhere?"

  "But of course.  How else do you take back the crown and free our people?"

  "How else?  My mistake."

  Kit has a sympathetic ear in his little brother, Rylan.  "I am so tired, Ry.  I don't know how much longer I can keep this pace up!"

  "Tell him no."

  "It's really complicated Ry.  Whenever I try to, I just, can't.  This is so important to him, and he says it is what my father would have wanted.  I don't want to let any of them down."

  

  Rylan left his brother to fret over his alchemy and chemistry studies, he thought Kit was nuts.  Rylan was feeling a bit bored, and then he got an idea on what he could do for a little bit of excitement.  Rylan loved the rush that came from playing with fire.   He headed for the living room, the only room in the house that had a fireplace.

"You're crazy Ry, you know that right?" Nira, his twin asked him as she walked into the room about half an hour after he did.

  "It's fun, Nira, you should give it a try.  The fire, it acts like it's alive, the way it dances and moves."

  Nira picked at an imaginary speck on her shirt.  "I prefer a fire of a different kind."

 

   Rylan straightened up and looked at his sister.  "That sounds like Kit and I need to have a talk with someone.  Who is he?"

  Nira faked innocence.  "He?  I have no idea what you are talking about."  But the act didn't last long.  She flopped into a nearby chair.  "But I have to say, he is absolutely dreamy! " she sighed.  Then she gave her twin a hard look, "Under no circumstances are you to chase him off!  You or Kit!  Do you know how long it has taken me to get his attention?"

  "Tell me what school boy it is so I can kick his ass and make sure he treats you right."

  "He's not a school boy Ry."

  "Not a boy from school?" Rylan asked.   Nira shook her head no.  "Nira, what have you done?"

  She shrugged her shoulders carelessly.  "I met him at the theater several weeks ago.  I could have died, he was so handsome!  He didn't even notice me, though.  He was with a group of friends, some of which were female.  I quickly checked them off of my competition list though, they are way leagues under me."

  Rylan stared at his sister in a horrified fascination.  "Competition?  What is he?  Some prize bull?"

  "Oh definitely!  He is so worth the effort.  I arranged to, er, bump into him, so that he could meet me, his future."

  "I am actually starting to feel sorry for this poor sap.  Whatever he did to make him your target!  You are quite frightening Nira!"

  Nira threw a chair pillow at her brother.  "Anyway, I spent the next few days getting to know his schedule.."

  Rylan interrupted her.  "You mean you stalked the poor fellow as well?"

  Nira glared at Rylan.  "I was getting to know his schedule, so that I could give him more opportunities to get to know me.  And, may I say, he is not complaining in the least little bit.  It took me a while to wear down his defenses, but I was finally able to seduce him..."

  "I cannot believe I am hearing this.  Are you mad?  You slept with him!  I think I need to kill him!"  Rylan started to move to closer to her, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand.

  "Will you just listen!" she hissed.  "I have a problem of sorts, that I need your help with, if you'll ever let me get to it!"

  Rylan sat in a chair next to her instead.  He crossed his arms.  "Fine.  I'm listening, but I am not liking what I am hearing!"

  Nira sighed, and shook her head at him again.  "You don't have to like it, you just have to help me!"  Rylan grunted in response.  "Anyway, we've been sleeping together for about a month now, " She ignored the groans from her brother, "But, I'm late."  She was quiet, and looked at Rylan expectantly.

  He looked back at her, puzzled.  "Late for what?" he finally asked her.

  "My period you dope!  I'm late, I think I'm pregnant."

  "Are you telling me some guy knocked my sister up?"  Rylan's voice was loud.

  Nira hit him.  "Would you shut up!  I don't want Daddy to hear!  Daddy already dislikes him!  This is where you come in..."

  "Where I come in?  Nira..."

  "Yes!  I need you to talk to Daddy and ..."

  Rylan stood up fast.  "Oh no!  You are not getting me involved in one of your schemes!  How many times did I get in trouble from listening to you and your plans?  No way.  Not this time!  Give me this guy's name, and Kit and I will definitely go have a little talk with him.  Knocking my sister up!"

  Nira stood up and put her hand on his sleeve.  "Please Ry!  I need your help!  I love him, desperately, and I love this baby.  You're the first person I've told, he doesn't even know yet.  This is the life of your niece or nephew we are talking about here!  I don't know how to tell him, or Daddy, or, or even Mama.  Daddy's going to kill him!  I at least need some advice!"

  "Advice Nira?  You need some sense!"  Tears sparkled in his sister's eyes,  and even though he knew it was probably just a show she was putting on for his benefit, he still felt like a heel.  He sighed heavily.  "I am so going to regret this!"

  Nira squealed and threw her arms around him.  "I knew I could count on you!"

  Rylan grumbled.  "I'm still going to, talk, to this guy."  Then Rylan got all practical.  "You need to tell Mama first, get her on your side.  She'll keep a lid on Dad.  Dad, that'll be tricky, no way around that.  You're his little girl, spoiled princess."  Nira blew a raspberry at him.  "You'd better do all that happy tears thing that you do, and that look that makes him melt like butter.  I cannot believe I am helping you out at all.  I must be insane."

  Nira kissed his cheek.  "I appreciate all of your help Rylan.  Mama first then."

  The next day, Nira was just a little bit nervous on approaching her mother.  Her mother was always, so larger than life, that Nira always felt a bit intimidated by her.  She also was not as easy for Nira to manipulate as her Dad was.  "Mama?  Can I talk to you for a moment?"

  "Sure Nira, what do you need?"   Kei's voice was always a bit abrupt, it was just who she was.  Nira bit her lip, and prayed hard that her mother would not freak out.

  "Well, Mama, I met this boy, and I just love him so much, I think I'll die without him."

  Kei just raised her eyebrow at her daughter's declaration.  Then she said calmly, "Really?  That serious is it?  I had wondered, you have been acting a bit strange lately."

  Nira was aware of the how quiet the kitchen got, even Kit was listening in, though he had his girlfriend over.  Rylan stood behind their mother, and Nira was thankful for his presence.  "Yeah, I want to be with him forever!  And, well, I'm pregnant.  I took a pregnancy test last night to confirm it, and then I told him about the baby."  She ignored the sound of Kit's cursing behind her, she ignored Rylan's "I told you so." as well, and just concentrated on her mother's reaction.

  

  Kei stared at her daughter for a moment, then briefly turned her attention to Kit.  "Kit, stop that!  Nira, a baby?" she sighed.  "I'm not old enough to be a grandmother you know.  Well, then, it's been a while since we've had a wee one in the house!  Nira, you invite your young man over so we can meet him properly.  It appears he is going to be one of the family now."

  "Yeah, invite him over Nira!"  Kit snarled.

  "Mama, how can I invite him over, if they are just going to kill him?  I love him!  I don't want anyone to hurt him!"

  Kei gave her oldest son a hard look.  "No one will be hurting anyone.  Is that clear?  Kit?"

  "I'd rather kill him."  Kit answered.  "How dare he!"

  "I am the last person that could judge Nira, I was younger than her, when I begin to run around with your Father.  And we were lovers from the beginning, it is a miracle I didn't get pregnant as a teen!"

  Kit made a face.  "I don't want to hear about you and Dad."

  "Kit, you will behave yourself!"  Kei warned him.

  Kit reluctantly agreed, but his eyes met Rylan's, and Rylan nodded his head slightly.  They were in agreement.

  "Now, call your young man Nira, and then you'd best talk to your father.  Then I'll talk to your father."

  Mina managed to snag Kit's attention for one small moment.  Long enough to tell him that she had arranged for some Pro-football league coaches to come and check him out at his next big game, the final one before Graduation.

  

  "Whatever you say, Mina" Kit said distractedly, his mind elsewhere.

   That was music to Mina's ears.


  Nira called Tristan, and explained everything to him.  He couldn't come over this night because he was at work, but he agreed to come over the next day.  Nira steeled her courage up for the talk with her father.   He was just coming down the stairs, yawning.  Nira came up and gave him a hug.  "Daddy?"

  "Yes Pumpkin?" Chaine said absentmindedly.

  "I have terrific news Daddy!  I'm in love with Tristan, and we're having a baby!  Isn't that the greatest news ever!"  She said with a huge smile on her face.

 
  Chaine stared at his daughter.  "What did you say?"

  "Dad-dy.  I said, Tristan and I are in love, and we're going to have a baby.  You're going to be a Grandpa!"

  "I'm going to rip him to pieces!"  Chaine roared.  "Getting my baby pregnant!  I'll kill him!"

  "Daddy!" Nira yelped.  "You can't do that!  I love him!  He's the father to my baby!"

   Chaine transformed into a raging beast before Nira's very eyes.  "Where is he?  Where is he?"

  "Oh!" Nira said suddenly.  "I don't feel so good!"

  Chaine stopped his raging.  "Nira?"

 
 Nira gracefully and dramatically passed out at her father's feet.  "Nira!" he hollared.

 

  He sank down to his knees beside her and shook her slightly.  "Nira?" he said urgently.  "Nira!"

  Nira pretended to start coming to, she moaned slightly to add to the effect.  "Daddy?" she said weakly.  "Wwa, what happened?"

  "You passed out.  Are you okay?  The baby?  Is the baby okay?"

  "I think so.  The stress just got to me, the whole idea that Tristan, and, " Nira started to cry, " and you, and I just couldn't..."

  "Hush, now Nira.  I won't kill him.  You just go on upstairs and get some rest.  Take care of that baby of yours."

  "Promise Daddy?" she asked, adding a little hitch to her voice.

  "I promise Pumpkin." He kissed her forehead and helped her up off the floor.  Nira smiled tearfully at him and went upstairs to her bedroom.  Chaine turned to find his wife watching him.  "I didn't mean to upset her." he told his wife worriedly.

  Kei chuckled.  "You Chaine, you know so much, and yet so little!  I had my speech all planned out, but I see that it is not needed.  I think it is time to retire, I am exhausted after watching that little scene."

  Chaine followed her to bed, but he was puzzled.  He had a feeling he missed something, somewhere, but he couldn't figure it out.  In the end, he shrugged it off, and reached for his wife instead.

  Nira passed by Rylan on her way to her room.  "Masterful performance."  Rylan commented.  He started clapping.  "Really, I stand in awe of your skill."

  Nira winked at him, as she made her way to her room, whistling all the way.


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So---Kei has completed the Property Mogul challenge, and really the only thing left is for her to make it to Empress of Evil.  She's at level 9, so that will be completed any time now.

  I am definitely shifting gears----just a couple more days and Generation 3 will be in charge.

  Nira---that girl!  One risky, and Baam!  She's preggers, with Tristan's baby.  I have risky set pretty low---3 %---too.  So Generation 4 is on its way already, even though I wasn't ready!  lol  Teach me to leave Nira to her own devices while I work on getting Kit prepared to take over.

  My revamped Tristan:

 
 
  

    A very big Thank You to Reya, for sharing her Rio Sari sim, as Tristan now has his genetics.  lol  I can't blame Nira for chasing after this version!  I am excited to see what their baby will look like!

 
  

  Next: Chapter 23: Welcome to the Family