Valor, Variant - 2: A Dark Genetic Manipulation Romance, page 11
“Because you’re not leaving me!” Valor bellowed.
Skylar moved to stand behind Becky’s leg and looked up at her daddy.
“You can stop talking to me like that right now. I’m trying to be patient. I’m trying to be understanding. This whole damn thing has turned my life upside down, too, you know! My husband died, then all of a sudden he didn’t die, he’s right here — but he’s not! And I’m trying, but you will not treat me like you just did. I’m not your damn prisoner, bud!” she said, poking him in the shoulder with her finger to emphasize each word she spoke. “You’re not going to lord it over me at any point in time. We clear?” she demanded. Becky shoved the clothes she was holding at Valor, turned away from him and took Skylar by the hand. She started for the door and didn’t look back even once as she walked out of the supply house and left him standing there holding the clothes she’d shoved at him.
Valor piled them on the shelf closest to him and started after her. “Hold on, Becky,” he said, rushing out of the store.
Becky didn’t turn back, she just kept walking.
“I’ll walk you back home,” he said, catching up with her.
“I don’t want you to walk us anywhere. I want you to go away,” she said, staring straight ahead as she crossed the green grasses of the park that separated Alliance into two sides.
“I don’t want to go away,” he said, still trying to get her to stop and talk to him. “Stop for a minute. Look at me.”
Becky stopped and glared at him. “Go. Away. I don’t want to talk to you right now. I don’t want to see you right now. Go do whatever it is you did before you decided I needed to be here. I’m not a prisoner, I’m not your pet, I’m not a novelty for you to decide you have a claim to. I’m a person with feelings and right now the feelings I’m having are telling me that I should give you a swift kick in the ass. So your best bet is to leave me alone. Go. Away,” she said again before she stepped around him and started walking again.
“Rebecca!” Valor shouted.
“Shut up, Valor,” she answered as she continued on her way.
Valor stood where he was and watched her as she approached her home, then extracted the key from her purse and opened the door. She and Skylar went inside and then closed the door. Not once did Becky look up at him.
“Screwed the pooch already?” Scorn asked from beside him.
Valor looked to his right and found Scorn standing there, in almost the same position, as he also watched Becky and Skylar close the door on Valor.
“Huh?” Valor asked.
“Already pissed her off?” Scorn said.
“Apparently,” Valor answered. Then he looked closer at Scorn. “Why do you look like you slept in your clothes?”
Scorn shrugged. “Because I did.”
“Why?”
“Haven’t been home yet. Had some things to work out.”
“Like?” Valor asked.
“None of your damn business,” Scorn retorted.
“Oh, but you can stand here and comment on mine…” Valor said.
Scorn grinned. “We make a pretty good pair, don’t we? You found your past, and she’s right in that little house over there. And I’m terrified to even consider mine, so much so that I ran out last night before she could say any more than my name.”
“Is that why you left?” Valor asked.
Scorn nodded.
“Athena was asking about you this morning. She said you showed up all freaked the hell out, then disappeared a little while later. She looked for you but couldn’t find you. Said you should let her know you’re okay when you turn up,” Valor said.
“Eventually,” Scorn said.
“Why’d you go to Athena? Of all the damn people here, why her? She’s cold as hell,” Valor said.
“Because she’s cold as hell. But she asked too many damn questions, so I left her place, too,” Scorn answered.
“Thought maybe ya’ll were friends or something,” Valor said.
Scorn scoffed. “Not hardly. You just said yourself she’s cold as hell. Her team keeps a few bottles around. I decided I needed a drink. That’s all it is.”
“I could use one myself,” Valor said, looking back toward the house Becky was staying in.
“No, what you need is patience. Ya’ll are both upset. Give her some space,” Scorn said.
“Says you that ran away because she happened to know your name!” Valor said, scowling at Scorn.
“This ain’t about me. It’s about you. What did she just tell you to do?”
“She said to go away and do whatever I did before I brought her here,” Valor said.
“Then go away. Leave her alone,” Scorn said.
“And do what?” Valor asked.
“I don’t know. What are you usually doing now?” Scorn answered.
“Training. Same as you.”
“Then let’s go train. This shit has got to get better, and we have got to be called out on mission again. Let’s be ready,” Scorn said.
“Alright,” Valor said. “Let me just go tell Becky….”
“No! You don’t just go do anything. Leave her alone. She’ll come to you when she’s ready,” Scorn said, physically steering Valor back to the front of the community. “And do me a favor… the next time you talk to her, tell her my name is Scorn. Do not call me anything else — it pisses me off.”
“If she ever talks to me again, I’ll tell her,” Valor said, allowing Scorn to turn him away from Becky’s house. He looked over his shoulder once more as they walked away but the door was still firmly closed and Becky and Skylar were nowhere to be seen.
~~~
A couple of hours later a knock sounded at the door.
Becky looked up from her place on the couch beside Skylar, then went back to watching the show.
“It might be Daddy,” Skylar said when whoever it was knocked again.
“Which is why I’m not answering it,” Becky said, smiling at Skylar.
Skylar shrugged and popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth. She was loving every minute of having a limitless amount of snacks and food in the house.
Whoever it was knocked again, but then called out. “It’s me, Becky!”
Becky rose from the couch and walked over to the door, unlocking it and opening it wide. “Sorry, Two. I thought you were Valor and I wasn’t even responding to his knock.”
“Already, huh?” Two asked.
“Already, what?” Becky asked.
“He’s already made you mad,” Two explained,
“Yes, he has,” she answered, closing the door behind Two as he entered their house.
“For what it’s worth, they can’t help it,” Two said. “Most of them don’t remember anything, not even how to be considerate. It’s like wanting a lion to behave like a kitty cat. Lions are the king, they see what they want, they take it and all the others around him, let him have what he wants and play by his rules. But a kitty cat will crawl up in your lap and let you love him and be your best friend. Even if he don’t like the rules, he’ll learn to live by them if he wants you to keep feeding him.”
“I know that, Two. I know that they’ve been changed or reprogrammed, or whatever it is you want to call it. But I won’t be dictated to. I’ve worked hard to put my life back together, no one has a right to barge into it and blast it apart like this!”
“Maybe he’s just trying to keep you safe,” Two said.
“No he’s not. He’s just being an ass. It’s just common sense, and he won’t listen to reason. It’s all his way or no way, and I’m about this far,” she said, holding up her finger and thumb, “from it being no way.”
“Come on now, you don’t mean that. You love him, or you wouldn’t be here.”
“Apparently, I would! I wasn’t actually given a choice… kidnapped and all, you know?” she said.
“But once you figured out who grabbed you, you weren’t scared anymore.”
“No, but I’m all kinds of conflicted,” she said, flopping down on the couch.
“I know. I’m sorry,” he said.
“What’s in the boxes?” Skylar asked.
“Oh! I ordered you some toys, and they came in,” Two said excitedly.
“Already?” Becky asked.
“Yeah. We get pretty good delivery times here. If it’s in stock you usually get it the next day.”
“I want to see, I want to see!” Skylar chanted, jumping up and down.
Two laughed and placed the boxes on the ground beside the coffee table. Then he squatted down and took out his pocket knife. “Here, let’s cut them open for you and you can see what all’s inside.”
Two cut the seals on the boxes then put the knife away and pushed the boxes toward Skylar while he grinned, waiting for her to open them.
Skylar’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open dramatically. “Mama! Look at all the stuff!” she said, pointing at the boxes.
“Well, take it out so I can see it,” Becky said.
Skylar reached into the box and took out a Nerf bow and arrow set. “What is this?” she asked.
“It’s a bow and arrow. I figured we could put a target on the fence in your backyard and I’ll teach you how to shoot the arrows at it,” Two said, making his description of it sound like the best thing ever.
“I will like that,” Skylar said, already setting it aside and reaching in the box again. “It’s a baby!” she cried.
Becky laughed as she cradled the large box the baby doll was packaged inside of. “I hope it’s not a real one!” Becky said.
“She will be, as soon as I can get her out of this box!” Skylar said.
“Let me get her out for you and you can keep unpacking the box,” Two said.
Skylar handed the doll to Two and kept unpacking. She had sidewalk chalk, and crayons and coloring books, a backpack and plastic baby bottles for the baby doll. She had a stuffed polar bear pillow, and a set of hard plastic bowling pins and ball to roll at them.
“Two, I can’t believe you bought all this. It’s too much,” Becky said.
Two just smiled and shook his head as he finally freed the doll from her confines. “No, it’s not enough. Kids need toys.” He reached for the backpack and stuck the baby doll in it, with her head sticking out of the top. “Here you go,” he said, holding the straps out so Skylar could put it on. After Skylar had the backpack on, Two adjusted the straps and sat back, grinning at her. “Now you can take her everywhere you go,” Two said.
“Look, Mama!” Skylar said, turning around so her mother could see the doll in the backpack.
“You are all set up,” Becky said.
“What’s in that box?” Skylar said, trying to move the empty box out of her way and get to the next one.
“That’s some stuff that you can do but only with an adult, okay?” Two said.
“What is it?” Skylar asked.
Two opened the flaps of the box and took out another box containing a pink B.B. gun. “It’s a B.B. gun. And I’ll teach you how to shoot it, but you can only ever shoot it if an adult is with you and when you’re not shooting it, Mama will keep it put away for you.”
“That’s cool,” Skylar said, grinning at Becky.
“Two, I’m not so sure about that,” Becky said.
“Little kids need to learn about self defense. If she learns early about gun safety and how to hold one and how to use one, she’ll be able to apply it later in life,” Two explained.
Becky didn’t object and Two didn’t press the issue. “We’ll see,” she finally said.
“And this,” Two said, “is a karate gi. I thought that you could wear this and we’ll have karate class.”
Becky was beginning to see a theme. “So you want to teach her karate, teach her to shoot a bow and arrow, and teach her to shoot a B.B. gun,” Becky said.
“Yes. She needs to know how to take care of herself and the earlier the better. Besides, it’s all fun stuff to do, right?” he asked, grinning at Skylar.
“Yep!” Skylar agreed.
“Can I go outside and draw with my chalk?” she asked.
Becky looked at Two.
Two nodded. “It’s safe here, Becky. Nobody will hurt her.”
“Okay, but leave the front door open so I can see you through the storm door while you’re outside and stay right on the walk in front of our door,” Becky said.
“Okay!” Skylar shouted and grabbed her bucket of sidewalk chalk. “Come on, Fiona!” she cried, talking to her baby doll. “Let’s go draw stuff!”
Becky waited until the storm door closed, then walked over and double checked to be sure Skylar had done what she’d been told to do. Sure enough Skylar was sitting just two feet from the front door as she selected a thick stick of chalk from the small bucket she’d put down beside herself. Becky looked back at Two. “Why all the defense types of things?”
Two got up off the floor and started cleaning up all the packaging. “Because there are evil people in the world. See how easy you and Skylar were snatched off the street? What if it hadn’t been Valor?”
“I understand that. But, she’s four.”
“Yeah, and then five, then six, then ten and fifteen and the earlier you start teaching them to defend themselves, the better. She’ll think it’s all fun right now, but if the time ever comes, she’s been raised to be self-reliant.”
Becky glanced back at Skylar and smiled as the child drew the beginning of a huge rainbow.
“If you don’t want me to teach her, I won’t. But I wish you would,” Two said.
Becky thought about it. “You and every man here were trained to fight and you were taken advantage of.”
“Yeah, we were. We followed orders and directives without question, and it got us screwed. There’s a certain amount of thinking for yourself that needs to be taught, too. But the reason we survived and others didn’t is because of the training we received before hand. I just don’t want her to ever have to wish she knew what to do. I think every kid should be taught to defend themselves, even if it only ever applies to the bully down the street.”
Becky finally nodded. “You’re right. But promise me, it’ll be a fun pastime for her. Don’t make it about danger and don’t make it about being afraid of everything and everyone because they could be bad. I don’t want her to fear life. Just make it all fun, and I’m fine with it.”
“I can do that. She’s still learning the skills and when she gets older she can decide if she wants to know more details and training,” Two said.
“Just remember she’s still a little girl and needs to be allowed to be a little girl,” Becky said.
“I won’t forget,” Two said, happy that Becky had allowed him to teach her some things he felt were important.
“So, what’d Valor do?” Two asked.
“He refuses to let me go home,” Becky answered.
“Well, yeah,” Two said. “He doesn’t want you to leave.”
“I wasn’t planning on leaving. Just going home to pick up a few things. I see no sense in buying new clothes and,” she gestured at the toys, “all new toys, when we have everything we need at home.”
“But this is home, now,” Two said.
“No, it’s not. It’s where we are for the moment, but I will not be treated as though I don’t have an opinion and a choice in what I can and can’t do.”
Two just stood there quietly and listened to Becky as she expressed her irritation.
“It’s only home if I decide it is, and while last night I was convinced I’d be here for the long haul, I’m thinking a little more clearly today. And I’m just not sure what’s best for us,” she confided.
“Time,” Two said.
“What?” she asked, turning her head to look at Two.
“You need time to figure things out. You both do.”
Becky nodded. “That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard since I got here,” Becky said.
“How can I help?” Two asked.
“I need a phone. Mine is no longer in my purse and I’m guessing it’ll be a while until I get it back. I need to call my job, and I need to call Skylar’s school,” Becky said.
“Okay. Here,” Two said, reaching into his back pocket and taking out his phone. “You can use mine.”
“Thank you, Two,” Becky said, taking the phone from him.
“I’ll go outside and play with Skylar while you make your calls so you can have some privacy,” Two said, smiling as he moved past her.
“You know?” Becky said. “You have singularly made this whole crazy, unbelievable development bearable. I’ll never forget that, Two. Thank you.”
Two grinned bashfully. “Aw, I didn’t do anything but be nice.”
“Thanks for being nice,” Becky said, then she walked over to the table in the kitchen and sat down, as Two went outside to draw with Skylar.
She dialed her work first and waited for someone to pickup.
“Dollar Store, please hold,” her boss said.
“It’s me!” Becky rushed out.
“Where are you? Do you know how busy we are? You’re late and I’m docking your pay!”
“I know. I’m going to be out for a few days. I’m so sorry, it’s unavoidable,” Becky said.
“It’s unacceptable. I can’t run this place alone!” her manager objected.
“I’m doing my best to get back there. I’ll explain everything when I do. I’m sorry, please understand. I’ll be in touch in a few days. Please,” Becky begged.
“I’ll tell corporate, but it’s up to them if they plan to hold your job or not,” her manager said. “If it was up to me, I’d fire you.”
“If I was there now, you’d keep me on and be glad I was there. Just please, give me the opportunity to explain when I get there,” Becky said.
“It better be a hell of an excuse,” her manager snapped and ended the call.
“Great. Thanks,” Becky said to herself.
She looked at the time on the phone and knew it was too late to speak to anyone at Skylar’s school, but she could leave a message. She dialed that number and when the answering machine picked up, she spoke clearly and gave only the necessary information. “Hi, this is Becky Conley. Skylar will be out for a few days due to unforeseen circumstances. We’ll see you soon. Thanks.” She ended the call and went back outside to give it back to Two.
