Purpose of Family

“Why did you not tell them?” she asked when she spotted Talon in his study.

“Because I want a chance to speak with your father first. That is why they were brought here,” he said.

“What!? You knew they were coming.”

“No, Wren.” Talon let out a sigh and walked around the desk.

“I did not know they were coming, but I do know the director, and once my intentions to marry you became clear, he would want me to at least ask your family for your hand. That is why I did not want you to say anything. I want to have a chance first.”

“Oh…I see.”

“Is that all right?” Talon asked, pulling her close.

“I guess.”

“Are you all right? You seem tense.”

“My family makes me tense. We have a certain way we are to act, and we cannot change the script.”

She changed the subject. “I did not realize you could be such a gentleman. I was impressed.”

Talon moved toward the bedroom, stripping off his shirt as he went.

“What? Just because I grew up in an orphanage and the gutter does not mean I do not know what or how to use manners.”

Wren could tell she had ruffled Talon’s feathers with her comment.

“I am not implying that. I did witness your manners the other day, you know. I was merely saying I was impressed you were able to read my family and compose yourself so well. You knew just what to say and what to omit.”

“Part of my job is to read people. If I could not, I would be dead.”

He patted the bed next to him. “Come to bed. I will not do anything else to you tonight, what with your family here,” he grumbled.

There went his night of sex.

Wren nodded and crawled into bed next to him, letting him wrap her up in his arms.

Within minutes, she was sleeping soundly as Talon watched her sleep, wondering how to approach her father.

^SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER^

~“Lisa!” Wren collapsed into her only friend’s arms. She had asked her to meet at a local coffee shop. This particular place was out of the way and very rarely occupied, so her wounds would not draw the eyes of many.~

~“Oh. My. Gawd.” Lisa pulled back, taking in Wren’s body. “That is it. I will not stand by any longer. You are not going back.”~

~“Agreed.” Wren felt the tears that had welled up spill over. “I was such a fool,” she cried.~

~“No, honey,” Lisa let her friend cry. “You just wanted someone to love you and a place you felt you belonged.”~

~“I have nothing.”~

~“And I have everything.” Lisa gathered up the bag next to Wren. “Now, let’s get out of here. I have had the apartment ready for you for the last year.”~

^PRESENT^

Wren woke the next morning to Talon already gone. It had been a long time since she had dreamed about Lisa.

She missed her friend so much right now. She wished she was here to talk to, to share the joy and the fears Wren was feeling.

***

Wren greeted Emerald and Evan as they walked into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes. “Good morning.”

They had gotten in around three in the morning and were exhausted.

Evan nudged Emerald and gestured to the table before she could speak.

“May I introduce my family to you? Mr. Jon Hintz, Mrs. Claire Hintz, and Lucy Hintz.”

“Good morning.” Evan and Emerald nodded and took their seats.

“My, what lovely hair. Were you born with it?” Claire asked Emerald.

“Afraid so.”

Lucy giggled, causing Emerald to smile.

“Lucy!” her mother scolded. “Mind your manners.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Talon entered the kitchen and nodded to everyone before sitting as well. “Good morning.”

Wren finished breakfast and sat. “Here you go.”

“Do you cook every day?” her mother asked.

“Most days,” Wren admitted. “I like to help out around the house. We all pitch in.”

“Do you not have help for this?” Claire asked, disdain dripping from her voice.

She had never liked Wren working for others. In her eyes, Wren should be giving the orders, and others should be doing the work.

Unless she was with them. Then no one was allowed to wait on them except her.

Her mother did enjoy reminding Wren where her true place was. She may have their name, but she would never have their status.

“We could if we wanted to,” Evan spoke up, “but we like to live as normally as possible.”

“I see,” Jon said.

“Shall we?” Emerald asked, feeling the tension.

***

After breakfast, Talon, Emerald, and Evan excused themselves and left.

“Shall we tour the grounds?” Wren asked.

“Yes. I would like to see how you live now.”

Wren showed them the compound, explaining how things were set up.

“So, where do you normally sleep then?”

“In the rooms you slept in last night.” She could not tell them she was currently sharing a room with Talon.

They would drag her out of here so fast if they found out.

“I did not see any of your stuff.”

“That is because they had to repair a few things, so I moved into other rooms temporarily. They had just finished yesterday before you came.” Wren sent a prayer that God would not strike her dead for lying.

“That is nice.” That was all the reply she got as she showed them the outdoor tub.

“Do you bathe here?” her sister asked when she explained what it was.

“No.”

“Good. It would be indecent,” her father commented.

So typical, she thought. It was a good thing the director had called and given them a warning, or else they would have caught her and Talon in that very tub, doing indecent things last night.

She moved on. She took them to the garden next.

Then she led them to the different hand-to-hand combat training rooms. She stopped to speak with Emerald and Evan as they did their training.

She finished the tour at the control room.

“This is Shorty. He runs all of the training programs here.”

“If you want to step up to the glass, you can watch Mr. Talon. He is training right now,” Shorty told them, his usual vibrant self subdued with their visitors there.

They stepped up and watched Talon for a few minutes.

“This is what you do?” Jon asked his daughter.

“Yes.”

“Are you any good?” Claire asked.

“She is almost as good as Talon. You should see them work together. It is like they are dancing,” Shorty said, coming up next to them. “It is a rare sight to see a couple so in tune with each other.”

“Could we see you?” Lucy asked.

“Lucy!” her mother reprimanded her.

“But Mother!”

“I would not mind myself.” Jon overruled his wife, looking at his daughter. “Would you mind giving us a demonstration? I want to see just how well you work with that man.”

~Crap. There is no way this is going to end well.~

“If you would, Shorty.”

“Yes, Ms. Wren.” Shorty grinned and opened the door.

***

Talon looked at the beast in front of him. He moved in to attack and took off its left arm, but missed the speed of its right, his mind on other things.

Just as he braced for the impact of the creature’s weapon, the arm fell lifelessly to the floor.

“You need to watch your timing. Duh,” Wren stood before him, a grin on her face. “That was payback for last time.”

“What are you doing here?” Talon finished off the creature and stepped back. He signaled for Shorty to pause the program.

“They want a demonstration.” She inclined her head to the window where her family was watching.

“I see.” Talon looked up and nodded toward the family. “Shall we then?”

“Oh yes, let’s,” Wren replied, unenthusiastically.

They spent the next ten minutes going through various exercises. First, they demonstrated hand-to-hand combat with each other.

Then Shorty ramped up his program, and they demonstrated the various individual and combined combinations they used to take down the Zentiths.

They ended with a demonstration of their Elemental abilities before calling it quits.

***

“Separately, they are fabulous, but together… They are unstoppable.”

“I see.” Jon looked at the short man running the computer. “Do they always train like this?”

“Every day. Sometimes multiple times a day.”

“Does he take care of her?”

“Oh yes. He would die for her,” Shorty commented, shutting down the program, and they waited as Wren and Talon headed their way.

“Is she happy?”

“I think so.”

“Well?” Wren asked as they left the combat room.

“Not bad,” Claire replied, not at all happy with what she saw or heard. “You need a shower.”

“I know. If you will give us a few minutes, we will clean up a bit and meet you in the dining room for some lunch.”

“Agreed.”

***

Talon and Wren headed up the stairs, and Wren walked toward her rooms.

“Where are you going?” Talon asked softly. “They are watching.”

Wren entered her old rooms and headed for the shower. She would have to figure out a way to get her clothes.

She stepped out of the shower five minutes later to see a neat pile of clothes on the counter with a note.

~I thought you might need these.~

~Take your time. T.~

Wren smiled. That was nice of him. He really was good to her.

She came down to everyone assembled, and they had polite chit-chat for the duration of lunch.

Wren’s teeth were on edge by the time they decided they wanted to take one last stroll around the garden before they left.

She glanced at her mother. “-Why are you here?-” Wren wondered as they finished up lunch.

She would never feel at ease in this house again if they stayed much longer. There had to be a reason they made the trip.

She looked at her mother again. “-What do you want from me, mother?-”

***

Claire had watched Wren and Talon all morning, and she did not like what she saw.

It was obvious they were more than partners. She scowled.

“-Damn it all to Hell, the girl is going to ruin us yet.-”

Claire made a mental note to arrange for Don’s transportation. It seemed they would need to make sure Wren attended the wedding after all.