Chapter
8
"No
way you're both together, that's amazing" Maybelle celebrated at the news
that Antonia and Luke where now a couple "and it only took you six months,
seriously what's up with that"
"Maybelle
will you keep your voice down" Antonia asked
"What
it's not like Fifi's here" Maybelle took a sip of her drink "So how
was training" she asked
"And
that she whispered about" Luke laughed
"It
went well, I've got so much control now, there is just heat I can't do. I
needed to be in some sort of simulator or something" Antonia said
"We
have something like that at base, it's just getting in to use it, we would risk
exposure if we did" Luke told them both
"I
really hope you learn to control it, it seems the only part not
controlled"
"It
is Maybelle, I really hope we can work on it soon, I don't want to hurt
anyone" Antonia looked worried, Luke took her hand.
In
the next few weeks Luke taught Antonia how to use her powers with in battle,
she also learnt skills in hand to hand combat which helped her jump out of the
way of oncoming attacks whether it was by weapons or powers.
"That
was so much fun" Antonia told Luke kissing him, he kissed her back,
"So
off to the bar" Luke asked
"Not
this week, Maybelle's not feeling well but you can come back to my place if you
like" Antonia offered
"What
about your Mother"
"She's
on that Galactic Spa trip to the planet Archstone with my Auntie Ida. She won't
be back till Wednesday night" Antonia told Luke as they got into his Hover
Craft
"Then
yours sounds good"
Luke parked down the side of Antonia's
building and she led him up to her apartment,
"It's
only a two bed, enough for me and Mum, so not much really" she told him as
he looked around. The kitchen and living room where all one room and there were
three doors that led off to the two bedrooms and a small bathroom,
"I
think it's cosy" Luke told her "have you always lived here or did you
use to live in a house" he asked
"We
use to live on the Rhinestone Estate till I was five, when my Dad died they
forced us to move here, to Centre City, Mum was relieved she didn't think she
could cope with the up keep of the house on what she earns" she looked at
Luke
"I
wish they didn't do that, it's not fair" he told her "just because
someone in your family who is in the military dies doesn't mean they have the
right to force families out of their homes, they should help support them"
"It's
ok Mum was planning on giving up the house anyway, the government just
unexpectedly helped us out" Antonia reassured Luke. He stepped towards her
took her in his arms kissed her,
"I
have something for you" he told her, he reached into his pocket and took
out what looked like a picture and handed it to Antonia, she looked at it, it
was a picture of a man stood with the desert in the background in military
uniform, at the bottom read the name 'Major Iford Birch'
"My
Dad" a tear rolled down her cheek "where did you get this" she
asked
"I
found it in the Archives the other day and snuck it out. I thought you might
like it" Luke told her
"Like
it, I love it" Antonia kissed Luke and hugged him tight "thank you
Luke, it's been a long time since I've seen my Dad. I'm very grateful, thank
you so much" they held each other tight. There was a knock at the door,
"Who
could that be at this time" Luke asked
"I
have no idea"
"Antonia
are you home yet" a muffled and drowsy voice came through the door
"It's
Maybelle" Antonia answered the door "Hi Maybelle"
"Do
you have any cough syrup we've ran out" Maybelle coughed into a tissue
"Of
course, come in" Maybelle wrapped in a duvet walked into Antonia's
apartment
"Hi
Luke" she said as she saw him, Luke pulled out a chair for Maybelle to sit
on, Antonia brought out the cough syrup
"Have
you Parent's gone to bed already" Antonia asked giving Maybelle the cough
syrup,
"No,
my Dad and brother have gone on a tour on the Senate Dome and my Mum went and
that Galactic Spa thing with your Mum and Auntie Ida" Maybelle coughed
again,
"OK
you're staying here tonight" Antonia told her friend
"No,
it's ok you have Luke round" Maybelle protested
"Belle
you ill and home alone, you can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep on the camp
bed"
"Ok,
but I'm going to bed now, I don't feel too good" Maybelle got up to go to
bed,
"Ok
hang on Belle" Antonia turned to Luke "Can you please get the camp
bed off the top of my wardrobe" she asked him
"Of
course, which one's your room" Luke asked
"That
one over there" Antonia pointed to the door in the corner of the room.
Luke set up the camp bed for Antonia and Maybelle went to bed straight away.
Luke and Antonia settled on to the sofa for an hour before Luke went home.
As he left a posh Hover Craft sat on the
other side of the road. Luke pulled out of the side of the building and left to
go home. The window of the posh Hover Craft rolled down to reveal Fifi sat in
the driver's seat, she looked angry, like she was ready to kill someone,
"What
the hell was Luke doing at her place" she said rudely to herself, she
rolled her window up as she looked up at Antonia's bedroom window and drove
home.
The
next Friday Fifi waited outside the department store Antonia worked at. As she
came out of the staff entrance Fifi started to follow her
"What
are you up to Antonia" Fifi said to herself. She stopped a few yards away
from the warehouse, she saw Luke greet Antonia with a kiss and take her into
the warehouse,
"That
bitch, I knew she liked him" Fifi got out of her Hover Craft and marched
towards the door. She found it locked and ran round the back to where there was
stairs leading to a fire escape. She climbed the stairs to the door to find it
also locked. She looked up to see a window just above her head. She stood on
her tiptoes to peer in and saw Antonia using her power,
"Oh,
she's gifted. How the hell did that happen?" Fifi ran back to her Hover
Craft and raced back up the road.
"That was a fun session, I really
enjoyed it" Antonia told Luke as they came out of the warehouse, arms
around each other,
"I'm
glad you enjoyed it and I know something else you will enjoy" he leaned in
to kiss her,
"So it's true you have a girlfriend"
"Father"
Luke and Antonia looked up to find President Homestead, General Alcatech, Fifi
(grinning immensely) and five members of the AMF standing in front of them,
Antonia knew she was busted
"Did
you really think you could hide your relationship from me" President
Homestead said
"No,
I was going to tell you but in my own time. You'll never split us up, no one
will" Luke replied
"I
don't want to split you up, but that's not why I'm here, apparently your
girlfriend is Gifted"
Luke
started at his father, he had no idea what to say,
"Well
is she" President Homestead asked
"Father
I..." Luke struggled to talk
"Don't
try and deny it, I saw that bitch with my own eyes" Fifi snarled. Luke
stepped towards her in anger but Antonia stopped him,
"Miss
Epson shut up" President Homestead shouted, he turned to Antonia
"Antonia Birch isn't it" he asked, Antonia nodded "Now be honest
with me, tell me, are you Gifted"
Antonia
sighed
"Yes
I am" she finally said. President Homestead looked at her whilst there was
chatter from the five soldiers who stood behind him, they couldn't believe there
was a Gifted woman among them,
"Please
don't hurt me" she pleaded
"Why
would I hurt you" President Homestead asked
"I
don't know, no one know what happens to a Gifted Woman these days" Antonia
replied
"The
same as any other Gifted person my dear"
"What!
you're not going to imprison or even kill her" Fifi interrupted
"You
bitch" Luke stepped forwards again, fireball in his hand,
"Luke
don't, she's not worth it" Antonia told him
"I
am too worth it"
"Enough"
President Homestead ordered "Luke control yourself, Mason escort Miss
Epson home make sure she stays there" President Homestead said to the
nearest soldier, he turned grabbed Fifi's arm and walked off with her.
"So
what will happen to me" Antonia asked once Fifi and Mason were out of
sight
"You
will join the Special Agents Unit at the AMF, if that's what you want, it's
been a very long time since we have had a Gifted woman upon us, over 5000
years. It was the president 3000 years ago that wanted all Gifted women
sectioned, said it was a man's job" General Alcatech said but before
Antonia could reply to anything he had said, Seraphina showed up with Crystal
"Arnold,
Arnold don't hurt her, don't hurt her" she ran up to her husband
"I'm
not going to hurt her, why would I hurt her" President Homestead said to
his wife
"Good,
it's not her fault she's Gifted" Crystal said
"I
know, it's not anyone's fault" President Homestead said
"Arnold
there is more to this woman that just being Gifted" Seraphina said
"How
do you know she's Gifted" Luke asked his Mother
"I
had Lieutenant Broderick spy on you" Seraphina confessed "I know it's
an intrusion of your privacy but I just wanted to know you were safe" she
told her son, Luke looked surprised but knew it was a one off
"Seffy
what is it you have to say" President Homestead asked
"Antonia
Birch is a descendant of Ludivine Hawthrow"
"What"
President Homestead looked shocked
"Definite"
Luke said
"Yes,
I know her powers are weather and nature, so were Ludivine's and the Definite
before that and the Definite before that one"
"How
do you know I'm a descendant of Ludivine Hawthrow, she lived 5000 years
ago" Antonia asked
"I
had the historian track your family tree and he triple checked. The evidence is
there" Seraphina told her
"But
I can't be Definite, I don't have wings like the others" Antonia told them
"Yes,
but they all developed them over time, by the age of 25 at the latest, some by
the age of 20" Luke informed her
"How
old are you my dear" Seraphina asked
"20,
I'm 21 tomorrow"
Well
you have plenty of time, you never know it could be any day now" President
Homestead told her "So what will it be, Joining the AMF or returning to
your normal job" he asked
"AMF
definitely" Antonia smiled
Luke
brought Antonia home to break the news to her Mother
"
I can't do it" she said standing outside her front door
"Yes
you can and I will be right there with you" Luke reassured her, he kissed
her and held her close
"Antonia,
are you ok, you said you where coming straight home. Hi Luke" Maybelle
came running up the stairs
"Fifi
saw me using my power, she told President Homestead" Antonia told her
friend, the door to her apartment opened
"Inside
now" Jasmine told her daughter, " Maybelle go home, you too" she
told Luke and Maybelle
"Luke's
not going anywhere" Antonia said to her Mother
"Don't
talk to me like that Antonia, I found this in your room, where did you get
it" Jasmine showed Antonia the picture of the father
"Luke
gave it to me" Antonia replied
"Where
do he get it"
"From
the Presidential Archives" Like told Jasmine
"That's
impossible, only authorised personnel can enter that place" she looked at Luke
"And
I'm one of them" Luke told her
"I
don't know who you think you are but pictures like this bring back some very
painful memories and I will not allow them in my home" Jasmine told Luke
"I
already know, Antonia told me everything" he looked at Jasmine who looked
like she was going to cry
"This
picture is going in the bin and I do not want to hear another word about it, it
is still very painful for the both of us" Jasmine turned to walk back into
the apartment
"No,
it's mine" Antonia snatched the picture out of her mother's hand "it
may still be very painful but I want to remember my Dad and what he looked
like, you act as if he never existed and for me that's the most painful
part" everything fell silent for a minute or two
"Now
I have something to tell you and I know you are not going to like it"
Antonia told her mother what had happened and that she would be joining the
AMF. She also told her about her relationship with Luke and who he really was
"I hope you understand Mum, this is something I really want and Luke will
be there to look after me and he won't let anything bad happen" Antonia
finished, Jasmine sat there not knowing what to say, she turned to face her
daughter and gave her a hug,
"Please
be careful, I don't want to lose you too and your right I don't like it, but of
it's what you want then so be it"
"I
knew you wouldn't and you won't lose me, I promise"
