Discovery (21 page)

“Between Boca and Montana? You mean — ?” Grace grinned.

“Yep,” Petra replied. “That woman has been playing those two men against each other for years. She goes back and forth between them with the whim of her mood swings.”

Ben laughed. “Grace wouldn't know anything about mood swings.”

Grace elbowed Ben playfully. “Anyway … what happened? Why didn't it work? Why are the Powers still in hiding?”

“I honestly don't know,” sighed Dave. “The advent of video games, faster technology replacing comic books, who knows? And, of course, having to deal with the Anti-Powers didn't help either. But here we are, still freaks in the human world.”

Grace squeezed Ben's knee under the table. “Well, you're not freaks to me,” she said to him.

“Thanks.” Ben gently patted Grace's hand, which still rested on his knee. Their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds but not without being noticed by both Dave and Petra.

Grace turned back to Dave. “So, the Council really is congress for comic book characters.”

Dave let out a deep cackle. “Oh, Miss Grace! I'd never thought of it that way. That is absolutely priceless!”

“But accurate,” Petra giggled.

Just then, there was a knock on the cabin's screen door.

“Anybody home?” a voice called out.

“Hey, DJ!” Dave yelled at the voice. “Come on in. We're in the kitchen.”

DJ opened the screen door and entered the cabin with sweat pouring from his brow. He had long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and high, sharply cut cheekbones. He was spaghetti skinny and extremely tall, at least seven feet, and based on his sports attire, must have just finished playing in the Powers ballgame.

“Who won?” asked Dave.

“The Mentals this time.” DJ grinned. “But we'll get them tomorrow.”

“Dave,” Petra prompted. “Where are your manners?”

“Oh, yeah.” Dave turned to Grace. “Miss Grace, this is DJ.”

Grace slowly stood up and held out her hand. “It's very nice to meet you.”

DJ bowed and lightly kissed the top of Grace's extended hand. “Your Highness. Welcome.”

Grace's puzzled look was now permanently etched onto her face.

“And you remember Ben?” Petra said.

DJ's smile widened. “Of course. I haven't seen you in a while. You've gotten … bigger. Maybe you could join our team for the game tomorrow.

Ben laughed. “We'll see.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “Now, DJ, I don't think it would be fair to have a full-fledged Guardian Power on your team, even if he is a Physical. Odds wouldn't be quite balanced then, would they?”

“No. You're right. Maybe some other time.”

“Where's Rebecca?” asked Petra.

“She's right behind me with Vector and a couple of others. I saw your lights on and noticed you weren't at the game so wanted to make sure everything was okay. Obviously I got here first.” DJ glanced at Grace. “We had no idea she would be here.”

Ben leaned into Grace and said, “DJ's power is speed.”

DJ smiled at her. “Well, most of the time it is. It's more like intermittent speed. You know, short bursts that prematurely pop. It's not really the most dependable of powers.”

“Oh, sweet DJ,” said Petra. “Around here, nobody's power is exactly dependable. If they were, we wouldn't be here.”

Grace returned DJ's smile without saying anything. Hearing about someone's power was still foreign to her.

Just then, the cabin door flew wide open and in walked five people excitedly talking and giggling about the ballgame. At the sight of Grace, they stopped cold, looking from Grace to Dave to DJ with questioning eyes.

“Hey everyone!” laughed Dave. “Guess who's here!”

Ben stood, pulling a reluctant Grace up by her arm. He whispered in her ear, “Don't hate me for this,” before he faced the newcomers and boldly stated, “Everyone, this is Grace MacKay. Grace, this is … well … everyone.”

All eyes focused on Grace who now stood a little closer to Ben, grabbing for his hand until she found it behind her back. It was warm and soft and comforting. Nothing like Gregory's electric grip. Feeling Ben's touch eased her anxiety of being the center of the room's attention, even if only slightly.

A tall, slender woman with short jet–black hair and powder blue eyes so pale they were almost white stepped forward and held out her hand. “Hello, I'm Rebecca, DJ's girlfriend. It's such a pleasure to meet you, my lady.” She reverently nodded her head slightly before stepping back.

Dave stood up and turned to Grace. “Rebecca is a shape shifter, a very, very slow shape shifter,” he laughed. “Unlike her boyfriend, speed is not one of Rebecca's virtues.”

Grace looked back at Rebecca who smiled and shrugged her shoulders. Without saying a word, Rebecca started to transform. Slowly, over the course of more than a few minutes, Rebecca's tall slender body shortened and filled out, her smile widened and her short black hair lengthened to a thick, glistening brown. When the transformation was finally complete, it was as if Grace was staring into a mirror.

“Wow,” breathed Grace.

“I'll say!” exclaimed DJ. “You filled out in all the right places, sweetie.”

“DJ!” yelled Petra. “Watch your tongue.”

DJ glanced over at Grace. “Oh, Your Highness. I am so very sorry. It … it just came out.” He sheepishly hung his head.

“No problem. I kind of think those places actually look better on her.” Grace softly smiled, still confused over the royal greetings.

Dave tossed his head back and laughed. “Oh, my lady, in this crowd, it's a good thing you have a sense of humor.” He glanced at Ben with a knowing smile. “You are definitely a keeper, Miss Grace, definitely a keeper.”

Ben was suddenly very uncomfortable under Dave's perceptive eyes. He looked away from his host and quickly changed the subject. “And this older but distinguished gentleman is Vector,” Ben said, pointing to the oldest man in the crowd. Vector was balding, slightly stooped, and wore perfectly round wire-rimmed glasses, a sweater vest, and tweed sport coat. His blue eyes twinkled against his dark brown skin and he reminded Grace of her eighth grade science teacher except Vector walked with a cane and smelled of motor oil.

“At your service, my dear,” Vector said. He attempted to bow but was already so stooped over, his bow ended up being only a slight head nod.

“Vector is the local mechanic, mad scientist, and all-around Mr. Fix-it around here,” Ben continued.

“Vector is a Mental and his powers are mechanical. He can build or fix anything, and I do mean anything,” Dave said. “He's the reason our little community stays hidden. His contraption hides us here in the middle of a National Forest and no one, not even the United States Federal Government, knows we are here.”

“Oh, it's really nothing.” Vector modestly smiled. “But perhaps Miss Grace and Master Ben would like to see my shop while they're here.”

“That would be nice, thank you,” said Grace without looking at Ben.

“Oh, what are we all doing standing around here?” asked Petra. “Let's move out on the front porch for coffee and dessert.” She herded her guests outside before returning to the kitchen to load a tray.

On the porch, there were more people than rocking chairs, and, despite protests of formality and offers of seating from the other guests, Grace sat down on the front stairs next to Ben. As Petra passed around the coffee and apple pie, the remaining three guests introduced themselves to Grace. Ben already knew them all and he and Dave helped fill Grace in on the guests' powers for those who were too shy to reveal them.

In between bites of apple pie, Grace met Lofty, who could fly but only when the sun was shining; Numbers, a first-rate mathematician who worked closely with Vector; and Star, whose entire body could glow upon demand. Star was the only one of the group who seemed to be more interested in Ben than Grace. She kept reminding him of experiences they shared when they were younger, sitting closer and closer to him with each story told. Grace wasn't sure she cared for Star much.

The impromptu gathering turned into a party on the front porch. The group ate and talked and laughed until midnight had closed in on them and the yawns finally outnumbered the laughs.

“Well, folks,” said DJ rising from one of the rockers. “It has truly been a pleasure but I need my sleep if I am going to kick some Mental butt tomorrow on the ball field.”

“In your dreams,” laughed Numbers. He then turned to Grace and bowed. “Sweet dreams, Your Majesty.”

One by one, the guests said their regal goodbyes to Grace and headed down the hill toward the main road with Star glowing in the lead. As Star's glow glided through the woods and away from Dave's cabin, she resembled Tinkerbell from Disney's Peter Pan and Grace's pleasant evening was momentarily interrupted with a vision of the twinkling lights from her birthday party. A vision that would have been lovely by anyone else's standards, but now only evoked a sick feeling in Grace's stomach.

She turned to Ben and impulsively said, “You are sleeping with me tonight, right?”

“Uh … uh,” Ben stammered with raised eyebrows.

“I'd feel safer with you next to me.”

“Of course.” Ben only halfway smiled.

They headed back into the cabin where Petra met Grace and took her hand, “Here, sweetie, follow me. I have you set up right back here in our guest room. It has a private bath and I've laid out some towels and clothes for you to use while you are with us.” Petra walked as she talked and did not notice Ben following them.

“Where are you going, son?” Dave followed them down the hall.

Ben flipped his head around and stopped in the guest room doorway. “I'm staying with Grace … protecting her. I'm her Guardian, remember?”

Dave smiled at Ben. “Oh, I remember. I'm just making sure you do,” he said matter-of-factly before turning around and heading up the stairs to his room.

Petra scooted past Ben to follow Dave. “You just let us know if you all need anything. We'll see you in the morning.” She waved back before leaving the pair alone.

Ben stood in the doorway and stared into the room. Grace had already gone into the bathroom to change into Petra's old pajamas and he was glad she was not there to see his face.

Because the guest room no longer housed the twin beds Ben remembered from his youth.

Now the guest room was filled with one very large, overstuffed, king-size bed.

Grace emerged from the bathroom and got into the bed without looking at Ben. She pulled the covers up to her chin, rolled over away from him and mumbled, “Aren't you sleeping tonight?”

Ben swallowed hard before he hoarsely said, “I'm going to try.”

And like in the Stardust Motel the night before, Ben, still in his jeans, tee shirt and tennis shoes, lay down on top of the bedcovers. This time he was able to strategically leave plenty of space between himself and Grace on the king-size bed. He folded his hands over his chest and stared up at the ceiling. He could try, but sleep was not going to come easily tonight.

Without turning over, Grace reached behind her back and pulled Ben's arm up and over her body, wrapping his body around her and nuzzling his hand under her cheek like a security blanket. Ben's breathing deepened as he slowly turned his body toward Grace with a move that now totally eliminated any space between them on the bed.

“Ben,” Grace whispered without opening her eyes. “Thank you. You feel good next to me.”

“You feel good too, Gracie,” Ben sighed, allowing the position of his arm around her body to become less of a protective hold and more of an embrace.

Grace woke to the warm smell of bacon. Sunlight streamed through the room's only window and Grace turned over to find the other half of the bed empty. The bedcovers weren't even wrinkled.

“Ben!” Grace bolted straight up.

“Yeah,” his voice filtered in from the other room. Within seconds he appeared in the guestroom's doorway, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “I'm here, sleepy head. What do you need?”

“Nothing. I just didn't know where you were and wanted to make sure you were still here.”

Ben shook his head and crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed next to Grace. “Of course, I'm still here, silly. Where else would I be?”

“I … I don't know. I just didn't like waking up without you.” Grace looked down, pretending to study the wooden slats of the floor beside the bed.

Ben's hand gently tilted her chin up to face him, their eyes now inches apart. “Grace MacKay,” he said intently. “I promise I am not going anywhere without you. Okay?”

“Okay,” Grace exhaled.

“So get up and get dressed.” Ben was now grinning. “Dave and I have cooked a huge breakfast and we need you to eat it. Now.”

At that moment Petra's head peeked around the doorway. “Good, you're up,” she said in her singsong voice. “Please let me know if you need anything, Your Highness.”

“Uh … no … I'm good.” Grace half-smiled at her hostess.

“Well, okay then. Breakfast is ready when you are,” Petra called back to Grace as she returned to the kitchen.

Grace turned to Ben. “Why do they do that?”

“Do what?”

“Say ‘Your Highness' and ‘my lady' and all that stuff to me. It's weird.”

“You've been attacked by Anti-Powers, met invisible triplets, and seen your best friend throw a car, and you think my friends referring to you as royalty is weird?” Ben chuckled.

“Well, yeah, kind of.” Grace grinned.

“Okay,” Ben paused. “Well, in their world … my world, the Family, your family, has always been thought of as royalty, granted it's been a secret royalty, but a kind of royalty just the same. We don't have kings or queens or any of that stuff since we're governed by the Council, but without the Family, none of us would exist, none of us would be … special. So to us, your family is our own unique brand of royalty that's been passed down through generations of Powers. I don't know why. That's just the way it's always been.”