"Show me now for what? So I will advocate for and protect my sister to your expectations? So you are seen favorably in society? I am not the only child you turned your back on, I am only the longest that had to live with it." Liem said, his voice quivering.
Tears rolled down Liem's steeled face as he quietly turned away from his parents. Dorien embraced Allurai as her knees gave out, and she started to cry for the first time in years.
"I promise you." Allurai said again in a sob.
Dorien watched his son walk to his family. It seemed like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and another larger weight was put on. He did not beg or plead with his mother. As heartbroken Dorien was in this chaos, he remained proud of his son.
"Your promises mean nothing to me," Liem said.
Dorien's eyes widened. He never had the nerve to advocate for himself like that and speak the truth. Allurai sank to her knees as she sobbed. He made no effort to console her.
"Daddy was very brave," Sirona quietly said to him.
Liem approached his family. Sirona hugged his waist to console her Father. Liem stopped shaking.
"Thank you baby." Liem said. He looked into Sirona's red-rimmed scared eyes. The blue was so vibrant. He took a breath, at the moment focusing on her.
Sirona smiled bravely at him and gave him a fierce look.
"I was very brave, I protected my sisters well under the desk," Sirona said.
"It was my idea." Astra said from her mothers embrace, giving a fierce look.
Fiona and Ivy clung to their father, still very alarmed.
"It's okay." Cerez soothed them, inside he was pretty shocked, Liem shouting at his mother was pretty exhilarating.
He could not imagine doing this to Vida, other than then his gene editing. She was a pretty great mother to him. It was at this moment he understood, although he was changed against his own will, that she took the criticism and responsibility for her actions.
When he needed something, whether it was space or guidance, she never declined him. He could rely on her, Liem didn't have that security. Not even with his father.
"We should go, Flower," Cerez said, he softly stroked Nora's cheek with his thumb.
"Hey Astra, we will be going home, and we might go see Granny Solina soon. Yes?" Cerez said, addressing Astra, but he got a quick nod from Numas to confirm.
Their home was very secure, the Setton Compound was a fortress. Their other children were there, including some sensitive equipment carrying a very important payload.
The first Bitas daughters were gestating at Quill industries. Although fetal development was on track with their new daughter, another was growing alongside her.
This was the daughter of Monil and Janel, the first daughter born between two male parents on a rack, using a brand-new template ovum.
How the alliance would react, mainly Solina was bothering Nora. She had created a presentation, but she was reasonably nervous about explaining why she really was not affected with Morrits to her.
"Grammy Solina's has a pool and a beach. We can swim there, Daddy, and catch our dinner there. Let's go Daddy." Sirona said to her Father. She tugged him.
"We will wait until we go home to discuss this as a family. They are waiting there for us." Nora said over Allurai's wailing. She tried her best to keep her face neutral.
Cerez nodded. This could be a trap as well. There was too much at stake. The successful gestation of the two was now the most important protective measure that they had against the most powerful people in the world.
The announcement that they had found a possible cure for Morrits Syndrome if not released correctly could be as damaging to the children psychologically if girls we raised in mass. Birthing cured boys was just as important as the births of girls.
It was an ethical quandary. They would need experts and protection. For now, the work they were doing needed to remain secret. Setton would most likely send many men to protect them. However, updating Solina on their recent successes would definitely change things.
Bringing her into this would probably come closer to the end. She would probably feel incredibly shocked to see a Setton female growing on the rack.
Cerez was impressed with Kai's courage in being the first father. He had two daughters himself already to worry about himself. He wanted more time to focus on them. They had a lot of time.
Liem and Kadir planned on proceeding after the testing was completed as a show of faith as well.
Cerez looked at Liem, he felt proud of him for defending himself and his family. He had grown in the years since they had started this journey together.
It really was working out beyond his wildest dreams. He was finding new dreams to follow now that they had accomplished some of their goals.
"Are you alright with standing, Nora? You did fall." Cerez said. Liem was still too shaken, luckily Sirona was distracting him, more like clinging. The poor kid just wanted her dad around.
"I'm fine physically." Nora said, her face looking pale from anxiety. She was not hurt. She'd probably have nightmares about this. Sirona's jeering snapped her out of it.
"Yay. The bad men are going." Sirona said as she stuck her tongue out at them, looking out the big windows.
Liem scooped his daughter up into his arms and embraced her tightly with a laugh. Sirona snuggled him tightly and patted his back. He looked at his father with pity as he consoled his mother.
He did not feel badly for Allurai. He was long over vying for the affections of a person who only really loved herself. The crying still scratched at his soul.
"I think you gave me more strength, Sirona." Liem said as her embrace calmed him. He took a moment to calm himself and turned.
"Hugs are pretty powerful medicine," Sirona said. She grabbed his hand, understanding the situation. Her Matri was mean to her Daddy for all his life and did not protect her Mother well.
"We will talk again." Liem said in a calmer tone as he shifted his persona from being an injured son, into the father that he wanted to be for his children.
"Until then, we request you mind your words carefully. Matriarch Allari." Nora said, mustering her inner Matriarch.
he was still very shaken by what Allurai said. Her family stuck out like a literal sore thumb to society. She had to ellude outloud infront of the invading peacekeepers and Setton that she was not afflicted with Morrits.
It was just a matter of time, until the announcement, that woman couldn't keep her mouth shut. If it some how got out they'd probably invade Quill for the cure or her.
It wasn't safe yet, this was her 'hail mary' pass to protect her family. It was the reason why they were so careful. It was why they had to move like ghosts. Pardon her for being cruel?
Their employee's work was phenomenal. The countdown was coming. She was expecting a daughter. More importantly, Janel was expecting a daughter.
He was able to resurrect his own maternal line and repair it. The miracles did not stop there. Janel was able to replicate his own work with his fellow researchers' own maternal line. His work was able to be replicated. Twenty female embryos were awaiting the conclusion of the first trail.
Nora and Kai's decision to proceed with the test was a show of faith both to their employees, but to everyone around the world. Showing that it was safe, so it was adopted as practice.
She gripped Cerez's hand tightly as they walked to their transport. "It's okay Mommy." Astra squeezed her hand. She had the knack of calming people down like her father.
Cerez, Liem and Nora quietly walked outside, the anxiousness was clearly seen upon their faces. It had been a very close call today and Liem just wanted to get out of the building as fast as he possibly could.
Liem said what he always wanted to say. Saying it and confronting his mother, father and Leilanna with it, did not feel good.
Leilanna preached equality to her sons, once a male became important to her. Liem would never be that important to his mother.
Liem held Sirona in his arms and gave her a squeeze. His sweet girl. His forgiving daughter.
Sirona looked around with immense curiosity. The scene outside was busy, there were so many unconscious bodies strewn about, men were being loaded onto transports with their cuffs locked into place on the benches they sat down upon.
"So many soldiers, Daddy," Sirona said in an amazed voice.
"You were right, they were nothing compared to us, they all fell." Sirona said, unconsciously trying to break the tension.
"Yes, there are lots of them, and we beat them." Cerez said, cracking a smile at Sirona.
"Let me wave bye, Daddy." Sirona said, spotting Leilanna's family moving. Liem hoisted his daughter up in his arms and she giggled widely. Liem smiled at his daughter.
"Travel with care, arrive safely Aunty!" Sirona shouted.
Liem patted her head. He was seething with rage on the inside a moment ago. Now his daughter was the only thing that was keeping the tears away.
He stroked her hair as his eyes watered. Eyes on site all glanced at her and smiles spread among the adults and upon some of the Setton Guards around them.
"You too, Sirona." Leilanna looked at her brother with a sad and knowing gaze.
"Liem, I am sorry. I was trying to show you how I changed. I will find a proper time to do this in the future. You do not need to forgive me then, but please think of what I can do to learn," Leilanna said.
Leilanna turned away quickly. Tears cascaded down her face. Hurt was hard to let go of. She would spend her life proving that she had changed. She just could not expect to be forgiven for the unforgivable.
Janel said that contrition was the only way to show them. She boarded the Setton transport quickly, followed by her small family.
"I am proud of you," Grizz said as the transport departed. He handed her a wipe from the transports supplies. Leilanna cried cathartically. She had not had the chance to sit down and apologize to her brother, Kadir or Cerez for what she did.
Her mother had also wronged her brother on her behalf. She had only formally apologized to Nora when she had been forced to.
Leilanna wept hard as the Setton Transport sped away from the Allari building where she had spent all of her life. She would find the time to confront herself for what she did again and apologize to those whom she hurt. An apology would start the healing whether it was accepted or not.
Her brother's comments opened up the rift in his own heart, which was a wound she created. Healing began when the wound was the freshest.