Greer looked at the newly returned Blake. “Chonos said to drink it to calm down. By the way, that's my mom and I need the number from your book”
Mrs Smith was confused but offered her hand. “Hello... you aren’t Cronos? Ah it is good to meet you then.”
"It's good to meet you too. I won't be Cronos until...." Blake turned to the others. "How much older was he this time?"
"My guess is five years or so...."
"Right, I'll be the person you met earlier in about five years. So what's the special occasion for your first visit to our humble home?"
Mrs Smith smiled. “Dr. Holmes brought me here for super fry day. People used to think she made more luck happen those days. So I would keep her home and we would do things to keep the luck away. Good and bad”
Blake nodded. "Ah, makes sense. Our powers can be influenced by some really odd things.... I only figured out a few years ago that my power isn't a random as I thought, it chooses a time that fits what I want or need, like missing my Dewdrop here and going to a time when he's not on a business trip. Greer's powers could have been stronger those days just because others thought they were...."
Her mother shrugged. “She has them but people are quick to blame. So we did things like cook loud and say everything that made us mad so we’d scare the bad luck off, then eat good food to send away the good luck so it would be just us. And oh there are songs and dances... there are so many parts.”
Greer smiled a bit. “Yeah but there’s no way you guys could keep up.”
Blake noticed the look in Dewi's eye. "Not again, Dew! We've got downstairs neighbors now."
Dewi waved his hand, looking to Greer. "Then Sato can make us a special room. I accept your challenge, Greer!"
"Hmmm I dunno. I mean maybe you, Dewi. But Luce and Sato? I don't think they have the skills to pull off the parts where you need a partner." Greer grinned a bit.
Mrs Smith looked to Blake. "Oh dear, she gets along with that one like her father and uncle do. I can tell. Should I be sending some things to make up for their behavior?"
"It's okay, things get like this alot where Dewi's involved. My boyfriend really invites mischief, so we're used to it."
Dewi grabbed Blake. "Babe, Greer says I need a partner. Please join us, for me?"
"He will. There's the part where you pick the person up and toss them into the air. We can probably use the gym for it. Come on guys! Luce if you do this and I somehow lose then I'll do all the dishes and kitchen cleaning for a month. And isn't the oven going to need a scrub soon?"
Greer grins and gets the gym amulet out and puts it on the pantry door. Her mother looks curious. "Oh! how....?"
Luce smiled. Greer really looked better than she did earlier and that’s all that mattered. "Well, I did say all the traditions. Come on, Shi-shi, time for some partner dancing. You put a dance studio in the gym, right?" With a confirming nod from Satoshi, the roommates all followed Greer. Dewi seemed to be the most excited.
The dance session went crazy. All sorts of medley’s about good luck, bad luck, luck in romance played while they danced. The only rule seemed to be you were to somehow match the dance to the song. Dewi and Blake were doing fine, but Luce and Sato kept having trouble as Sato kept trying to find a way to work a foxtrot or waltz into it. After 20 minutes Dewi called a foul, saying they had an unfair advantage and gave poor Luce and Sato both a 15 minute break as Dewi went looking for songs to play. After what could only be called an insane dance party contest, Greer and Dewi were finally too tired to move- much to everyone’s relief. Mrs. Smith simply smiled.
“Well… I win… I am the only one still standing. And in heels no less.” She smiled and carefully walked to a chair and sat down.
Luce looked at her. “….HOW…?”
Mrs. Smith smiled as she checked her nails, debating redoing them. “I had to follow after her and her father for YEARS. You cannot do that at my size without outlasting them. Why do you think she runs so fast.”
Greer laughed a bit. “Always said you cheated Ma.”
Mrs. Smith looked to Sato. “Dr. Holmes, I certainly did not cheat did I? I am the only one here with no powers. Surely I could not cheat amongst all of you.”
Sato nodded. “I do not see how she could have cheated… Heels are not easy to dance in either and would give her a handicap.”
Dewi looked at Sato. “Greer is trying to get out of cleaning the kitchen Sato.”
Greer laid there closing her eyes. “No I’m not, I just say Ma cheats. She always cheats.”
Her mother turned to Luce. “Do not worry, she will do her part. She hasn’t been slacking has she? She’s been paying her dues and such? We taught her never to let kindness go unpaid. You always repay double when you can.”
Blake, with his feet in the pool at this point, muttered softly. “That explains a lot.”
Mrs. Smith glanced at Blake then back to Luce who cleared his throat, “Don’t worry ma’am. She’s done her share. Sometimes she tries to do more than she needs, but it’s ok.”
She nodded, reasonably happy with what she heard. “Good. Now Dr Holmes, I’ll need to get home and get a new phone. Greer you will send me their phone numbers later- Oh and Greer I want you to send the information on your powers and that drink. We’ll keep granny’s tea on stock for you. And your friends can visit as well. I can do their hair, we do men’s styles now at my salon.”
Greer nodded. “Right Ma.”
She went over to Blake and looked at him. “And Dear, I guess you time travel? Greer got mad at future you. She’ll probably remember to punch you later? Let me know if she does.”
Blakes eyes went wide. “What? What did he do this time?”
Greer looked at him. “Be a jerk while delivering wisdom and I guess telling me I can take your drinks now.”
Mrs. Smith went off with Sato to go home.
“Don’t worry ma’am, I’ll make sure your phones are replaced quickly. I already called ahead to the center in your town.”
She pinched his cheek a little and smiled. “Don’t worry, I know dear man. You are the organized one. I know you are taking good care of her.” She looked back a moment. “Is she happy?”
Sato looked in the same direction. “She is struggling, but she seems happier than when I met her. She is learning, and this is the safest place for her to learn. I’ll be happy to help her get the drinks so she can visit.”
She started walking towards the gateway. “You know… I knew. When she was little. I thought I saw something like today, but I wasn’t sure if I had dreamed it. When people claimed and she said no, I decided to keep quiet. What was the harm? A little luck here and there. She was a good girl. Her father was furious when I told him after you called. He calmed down when he realized no one helped her before you anyway. I worry I did the wrong thing…”
Sato thought a moment. He didn’t think what he wanted to say was the best, and instead tried to think what Luce would say. “I think… you tried your best. It sounds like you didn’t know anyone with powers. You had no way to know. Luck abilities are particularly difficult to prove normally. And being the first in the family to have powers, the glow is faint. She also seems to use them when she is stressed, and she has a habit of closing her eyes or covering her face. And it’s obvious that you tried your best, given the circumstances. You should tell her I think.”
Mrs. Smith nodded. “I was going to talk to her today, but she got so upset. I suppose she’s still accepting being wrong. She hates being wrong, particularly when it makes it look like she lied.”
She let out a breath. Sato had already figured out why Cronos pushed Greer’s button’s so much. Obviously, the blow up would have been at her mother rather than the pictures and being called ‘Baby Girl’. Possibly if she had been told today, the bad luck and good luck reaction might have been far worse. Greer must have a poor reaction later and Blake/Cronos must have realized how much worse it would have been earlier and saw a chance to delay things. While teaching her a lesson, no doubt.
“Perhaps it would be best to wait until later. Greer’s abilities are unstable. Her being aware of them I believe has made them more difficult to control- like being told not to think about a pink elephant. And I will be happy to assist with telling her. Luce can as well. He’s very good with that sort of thing.”
Mrs. Smith nodded again. “Alright. Her father will want to come by. She hadn’t told us she was staying with so many men. It’ll make him nervous. But thank you. For being her family when… we failed. Hopefully, we can make it up to her.”
She finished walking through to get home and waved goodbye before going to her kitchen to make dinner. Sato headed back, wondering if he should keep the information to himself or talk to Luce so he could formulate a better plan. Right now, he was leaning to the latter.
Later that evening, Greer had gone to her room swearing she’d clean up the kitchen after she got changed, and passed out on her bed. From what Dewi had claimed, it was one of her more restful and happy looking spans of sleep.
“I’ll help her out tonight Luce. You and Sato go relax.”
Luce went over to Sato and sat down. “Well, I think the pots and pans survived. Still it was fun. Guess we can let Greer do it again hm? Maybe you and I can practice our two step for next time.” He started to snuggle up to Sato and noticed he seemed off. “What’s up Shi-shi?”
Sato sighed. “Her mother knew and was going to tell Greer.”
Luce looked. “Well yeah, her parents signed the paperwork.”
Sato shook his head. “No, she knew when she was a child. She didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Luce sighed. “Well, that would have caused a mess. You aren’t going to ask me to-“
Sato shook his head. “No, I learned my lesson. But I think we’ll need to help break it to her later. I’m just not certain how. Why she gets mad still makes no sense.”
Luce smiled and kissed his head. “Don’t worry Shi-shi. First step is to help her get her emotions under control, but we all had our rough spots. And we mostly have things sorted, I’m sure we can help her out. One way or another.”
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