ALEXiThymiA: Chapter 37: Start to a long Weekend

Chapter 37

Start to a long Weekend

The rest of the week flew by. As it turned out Mr. Mackie was as good as his word. On Friday after healing everyone who came down with a sports related injury, and a few classroom related injuries, Alexa received a dungeon pass. This meant the three girls started their road trip the minute they were released on Friday night.

Of course, Alexa and Julie both had personal ultimatums, one they could not resist. Namely the two had check in with their parents before going to the dungeon. Given that they were both on the way, this did little to bother the girls. In fact, Gina was looking forward to the prospect of meeting Alexa’s parents. Though, she would admit she was a little flustered by the possible encounter.

The girls all had travel bags with enough food, water, and necessary gear to make their lives easier.

Since Alexa was slightly further out, being in central, her house was the first one visited.

Ding dong.

At that a fit, albeit slightly older version of Alexa answered the door. This woman had a few gray hairs but could otherwise be seen as Alexa’s older sister.

“Jim, come quick. Alexa’s brought her friends over.” The mom called out for Alexa’s dad. “Where are my manners. I am Judy Thyme, and please come in and make yourselves at home.”

With that Judy smiled a radiant smile. The smile was so radiant, that Julie who had felt something was off, suddenly felt nervous, very nervous, about entering the house.

Pat.

Alexa feeling the emotions through the Pack Link, patted Julie enough to distract her. “Come on.”

“Right,” Julie said, before her eyes went wide as she looked at Alexa.

“Pl, pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.” Gina said, as she stammered at meeting Judy, though her reaction was more related to meeting Alexa’s mother and setting a good impression, than Julie’s reason.

“None of that. You two are my little girl’s friends, so you call me Judy or momma. Okay?” Judy said, enveloping the girl in a hug. Gina struggled for a moment, but then relaxed.

Only once she was relaxed, did Judy let her go. Then it was her turn to meet Jim.

Jim was a large muscular man who wore loose fitting clothes that did little to hide his rippling muscles. Even with the obfuscated size his proportions were exactly what Julie’s eyes would have put for…

“Oh, she didn’t tell? Of course, she wouldn’t warn you. No worries. We are officially retired now anyways.” Judy said, enveloping Judy in her own hug, as a way of greeting.

“From the plant?” Gina asked.

Laughter.

With that both parents laughed.

“Oh yeah, you can call it the plant.” Jim said.

“Though, to be fair, we can’t tell you until you guess.” Judy said.

Gina of course did not have much to go from. Both the parent’s minds were complete blanks. If Gina didn’t know any better, she would swear they both had artifacts that counteracted her powers. The only reason she went with artifacts, rather than powers, was that there was a slight buzzing sensation in her mind, when she tried to read the parents. That was not something she got with Alexa who clearly had a power related to the stopping of mind reading.

“I know you all are super busy.” Jim began, “but could we interest you all in perhaps staying a little longer and seeing embarrassing photos of Alexa?”

Squeak.

Yes, Gina squeaked with excitement at the idea. “I would love to. I want to know everything about her.”

“Careful with this one, she is already attached.” Judy said, to Alexa, but in a tone that was loud enough for Gina to hear.

At that Gina’s face went red. “It’s not that. It’s just that I…”

“So, you are not attracted to my daughter?” Judy asked.

“No, well yes. I mean who wouldn’t be, and that was it solely at first, but then I got to know her. And now I…” Gina trailed off. “I am really making a bad impression here, when I wanted this to go so well.”

At that Judy went over to hug the energetic girl.

“It’s okay, I’m only teasing. Besides, we needed to see how committed you were to this, to see what photo album you got.”

“What?”

“Jim, pull out the gold edition photo album.”

“But she just got here. What about bronze, and silver?” Jim said, his voice clearly joking.

“Nope, Gina seems serious. Meaning she gets upgraded.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

Gina for her part just looked confused. She looked to Alexa, only to see that she was still as stoic as ever.

The golden album that Jim produced was simply called.

The Twins: Years 1-5.

What Gina got to see next were photos of a bright girl who absolutely glowed on every picture. Her face and most importantly her smile was infectious. When she frowned, Gina and Julie both ‘awed’in response. To put it lightly, Alexa was an amazing child, who looked normal. No, she looked more than normal.

It was also clear from the photos that she set the emotional tone for Luke as well.

“Yes, Luke used to follow her around like a little lost puppy.”

“Still does.” Julie chimed in.

“That is only because of that school you all are in. Give them time and a chance to be away and Luke will avoid her at all costs now.” Judy said, a twinge of sadness in her voice.

Then there was a newspaper clipping with Alexa front and center, as she was in the arms of Judge, while Warder was seen apprehending someone. There were other girls in the picture, but only one that was in the arms of Judge. A vacant eyed girl who looked almost nothing like the spark of life she was before.

“Oh, what happened?” Gina asked, seeing the page about the article. Then flipping to the last page where Luke looked bright and happy as usual, while Alexa just stared off vacantly.

“Oh, yeah.” Judy said, a slight tremble to her voice as she closed the gold album. “I forgot that was part of why this was the gold album.”

“Yeah, that is… I’m going to put this back.” Jim said, as he grabbed the album like it was one of the most precious things in the world. Only once the album was secured, did Judy let go her iron like grip.

Tears were beginning to form in Judy’s eyes. “Wow, look at the time. I’m sure you three had more than stopping here on your minds, before you left.” Judy said, clearly giving everyone the out.

“Oh yeah, we still have to see my parents tonight before we enter the dungeon.” Julie said to the rescue.

Gina for her part had so many questions, but one look at the normally bright smiling face of Judy caused her to pause.

“Right, thank you so much for having us, mom.” Gina said.

At the word mom, Judy’s entire face lit up with excitement. Gina then reached out to hug Judy, who seemed to tremble as if holding back tears.

“Thank you. You have no idea how much you have done for my daughter.” Judy whispered into Gina’s ear.

There were a few awkward goodbyes, and Judy even got to hug Alexa. Alexa for her part didn’t look nearly as awkward as she normally did during these situations.

Vroom.

As if by some unspoken agreement, all the girls remained silent until they pulled away from the Thyme residence and were two turns away in the suburban sprawl of a subdivision.

“Wow, that got dark quick.” Gina said.

“I know.” Julie added. “Alexa, why didn’t you warn us? Give us something to go off of, at least.”

Alexa turned her head to look away from the window and to her two, friends.

“What should I have told you?”

“Well first of all, that we were not supposed to see the gold album.” Gina said, as a slight shiver went down her spine.

“Yeah, what happened?” Julie asked.

Alexa turned, “not much to tell. Luke and I were playing on our bicycles at grandma’s house. Then a guy came. I pushed Luke into the woods and tried to lead the guy away. I got caught. Then I was strapped down. Experiments were performed. Then I was rescued.”

A heavy silence filled the car.

“Yeah, I remember that the crazed vampire case. The mother vampire who went rogue and started abducting children, trying to infect them with the vampyre disease. I remembered doing a report on it back in middle school. Judge and Warder had been fighting as part of the resistance up along the border when they dropped everything to come back here and solve the case. You sure were lucky they did that.” Gina said.

Scoff.

With that last remark Julie scoffed.

“What? It’s true, had they just stayed, who knows what would have happened. Besides now I can say I have a friend who met Judge and Warder personally.” Gina continued.

Laughing.

“Oh, that is too good. I thought it was an act, but you clearly don’t know do you?” Julie asked.

Gina for her part looked in the rear-view mirror to look at Julie. “What?”

“Why say you know someone who met Judge and Warder, when you could just say you met them yourselves.” Julie answered.

SCREECH!

Gina screeched the car to a sudden stop, then realizing where she was she pulled over and parked. Fortunately it was late enough at night that no one was around to notice such an act, but Gina felt flustered all the same. Shifting the car into park, she undid her seatbelt so she could turn around and face Julie.

“Just what are you talking about. When did I meet Judge and Warder?” Gina asked.

At this a big smile formed on Julie’s lips. “Oh this is too good. You literally hugged Judge three times. Then when she was clearly using her Truth Compulsion gaze on you, and you started blabbering on about Alexa, I thought it would be obvious.”

“Truth Compulsion?” Gina asked. Then thought back to earlier when she had been blabbering on about her feelings for Alexa, to her mom no less. “Wait, that was a power wasn’t it, she used a power on me?”

“Not technically.” Alexa cut in.

“What?”

“It is not technically a power as she has it so high that it is effectively active all the time. Making it a passive effect, meaning she didn’t use the power on you. It is a legal distinction that has been made and held up in court.” Alexa offered.

Julie paused, then looked at Alexa. “Wait, is that why you are so brutally honest?”

Alexa nodded.

“Dang. I could only imagine growing up in a house like that.” Julie said.

“Growing up in a house like what? Also, what was this about Judge and…” Gina trailed off as the pieces finally fell into place. “Holy shizza!”

Gina slammed her hand against the steering wheel. “Your parents are Judge and Warder.”

It was said as more of a statement than anything. Alexa still nodded in agreement.

At that bombshell, Gina was glad she had already pulled over as she let the gravity of that one statement alone kick in.

Gina then turned to Julie and asked, “how did you know?”

Julie just smiled at that, “it was obvious from the start. From the way she smiled. I’m surprised more people didn’t notice.”

There was a slight pause, as Gina mulled over a few things. “So that was why Judge and Warder left the front lines of the war, to come back early.”

“Of course, do you think they would let their daughter be abducted and not do anything about it?” Julie shot back.

“So that means, the other twelve girls? Were just what, lucky to be part of the same batch?” Gina asked a question that seemed to wrinkle her understanding of history. At the time it had been a feel-good story, a rogue vampyre who was abducting children had been apprehended. At the time everyone thought highly of the fact that Judge and Warder left the national level conflict, to help their community as a whole.

But this caused Gina to wonder about other cases and stories related not just to Judge and Warder, but to other supers as well. How many of them also occurred solely because of familial happenstance? This started a whole trail of events going off in Gina’s now over clocked mind. Not only was the girl she was interested in damaged, but she was effectively a form of super royalty. Royalty that didn’t seem to change her at all.

But then just looking at her, it was clear that being a child of super royalty had in fact changed her. As she thought back to the glowing smile of the girl who seemed to shine brightly through the pages of the photo album.

“I will say, my parents are not going to be anywhere near as interesting as Alexa’s.” Julie said.

With that statement, it was a not-so-subtle reminder that they still had at least one more stop to make before this weekend long camping trip could begin.

“Right.” Gina said, as she turned on her phone to make sure the directions were still in. Then she began driving to Julie’s house in North.