Revelations: Meeting the Parents

[Electra]

Stesha jumped in hastily, knowing that Derrick was a terrible liar, when he could even bring himself to dissemble at all. "Do we need more of a reason than that?" she asked teasingly. "And maybe the fact that the weather finally got nice out here? I've been watching the weather channel and I thought it would never get warm out here. How are you teaching botany when the ground is frozen till May?" That was an exaggeration, but it distracted her dad a little at least.

"I can teach just fine in the greenhouse," Paul reminded her, "and Freedom City is hardly warmer than Chicago most of the year, despite all those crazy weather superheroes flying around out here. Maybe you're just getting soft, punkin."

Rolling her eyes, Stesha grinned anyway. "Yeah, right. Anyway, you know I can't resist your grilling. How could I miss the biggest barbecue of the year? We're just about to go outside with the rest of this food."

[Cyroa]

Derrick almost breathed a sigh of relief when Stesha spoke up. This was her family and he was just doing his best not to trip up, socially speaking. Man he was bad at this. Instead he just smiled, and tried not to speak up. Mostly. "Oh, it isn't that bad. But yes, food sounds good," he said, happy to move the conversation along to something more safe. Not that he needed to eat of course. Still, he'd happily try it out if Stesha's family were good cooks as she let on.

[Avenger Assembled]

Between one thing and another, and with a lot of teasing for the new guy, soon they were all out in the backyard, where soon the paterfamilias was on the grill, the kids were playing in the yard, and everyone had questions for Derrick. They were all loud and boisterous, but certainly not unfriendly, and they were all trying to make Derrick feel welcome. He even got to be part of the friendly call from Boris, the sibling away in California, who'd at least gotten a phone presence for the big family get-together.

[Electra]

Stesha introduced Derrick to more people than he could possibly remember, not just her immediate family and their families, but assorted aunts, uncles, extended relatives, and neighbors who'd come for the barbecue. Derrick was the subject of a lot of friendly curiosity, but Stesha was there to step in whenever anyone asked too closely about what brought them back to Chicago for a weekend barbecue. He received several invitations as well, to swim in the backyard pool with the kids, to join in the next touch football game forming up in the side yard, to have a seat with the scientific crowd from Northwestern hanging out with beers in lawn chairs. There was plenty to do.

[Cyroa]

Derrick smiled and nodded and shook hands and said hi to ...a lot of people. This was so bizarre in its own way. His own family experiences were radically different from this. His tiny family had never been this...boisterous. Still, he did his best to go with the flow. He wasn't likely to remember all the names so he tried to focus on the more 'important' ones. Despite the various offers, he chose to stay near Stesha. Not just to keep him from revealing things he shouldn't but because this was her family and her vacation. He was here supporting her in any way that he could. He did his very best to participate in as much going on nearby as he could of course.

[Avenger Assembled]

Eventually Annie busted out the bottles of dandelion wine, a home-brewed vintage that she was immensely proud of, and soon most of the adults were at least a little tipsy. They were responsible, though, with so many kids around, and the evening just got more lubricated rather than anyone actually getting sloppy. The wine got pressed on both of them, though of course no one actually made them drink. Annie got the kids singing an old Russian drinking ballad, something that was evidently a family private joke that soon had everyone singing at the top of their lungs. It was a happy afternoon.

[Electra]

As the sun began to set, some fireworks were set off from a nearby backyard, the noise and color putting the punctuation on the end of the day. Gradually the yard began to empty out, people packing up leftovers and kids and heading home, leaving behind flattened grass and the smell of cooked meat in the air. Stesha and Derrick pitched in with the rest of the family to help out with the cleanup, which took until the sun was entirely down. Derrick was bunking with Stesha's brother David in one of the third floor bedrooms, while Stesha was crammed into Chloe's bedroom for the evening. She was strongly tempted to pop home for the night once everyone had gone to bed, but there was something important to do first.

With Derrick there to back her up, she loitered in the kitchen doorway until her sisters and brothers had cleared out. "Mom? I need to talk to you and Dad about something. In private."

[Cyroa]

Derrick had never been much of a drinker, but he participated just enough to be polite. He was more than happy to help do his part in cleanup of course. That was only fair. Despite the hectic insanity of such a large family, it had been a fun (if radically different from his own experiences) day with the family. Cleanup of such a large event took quite a while and soon enough the sun had dipped below the horizon.

He could practically feel Stesha tensing up as she prepared to broach the topic of their visit. He stood behind her, hand resting lightly on her back, letting her know he was here for moral support if nothing else.

[Avenger Assembled]

"I...yes, yes, we can!" A big grin blossomed across Annie's face, one she quickly and badly stifled as she hurried over to grab Paul by the hand and whisper in his ear. Within a second, Stesha's parents were leading them into Paul's study, the walls decorated with lush images drawn from 19th century botanical texts. "Won't you two have a seat?" Paul suggested, going for the wet bar to pour everyone a drink. Annie was already sitting, still repressing a big, knowing smile. "I had a feeling you had your own reasons for this visit..."

[Electra]

It wasn't too hard to see where her parents' minds were, which just made things doubly uncomfortable. Stesha took a seat, then stood up just as quickly, clasping and unclasping her hands the way she had when she was a kid and had been called on the carpet for some infraction. "Mom, Dad... I... well, there were a lot of reasons I decided to move last summer," she began awkwardly. "I wanted to go places and see new things, but that wasn't all. You see..." Stesha hesitated for a long moment, then blurted it out. "I have superpowers, and I went to Freedom City to be a superhero. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I didn't want you to worry, and then I realized it wasn't fair to keep a secret like this from my own parents and that I had to tell you, so here I am!" she blurted, all in one breath.

[Cyroa]

Even Derrick, who wasn't the most astute social fellow, could tell what her parents were thinking. He really did want to be able to tell her parents that they were getting married. But he hadn't even ask her father for permission yet! And now was certainly not the time.

He blinked at Stesha's sudden outburst of truth. Certainly hadn't been exactly how he'd figured that would come out. The truth must have been eaten at her a while now. Well, it was out now. He stood and moved next to her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, supporting her silently.

[Avenger Assembled]

Annie's smile twisted a little as she looked from Stesha to Derrick, her eyes widening. "Wait, what? You're not getting married?" For his part, Paul put his hand on Annie's shoulder, surprise on his face. "I don't understand, Stesha. What do you mean, you're a superhero? How long has this been going on?" He looked worried on her behalf, as did her mother.

[Electra]

Stesha looked once to Derrick for support, squeezing his fingers before launching into a better explanation. "I got powers last year when I was working in Chicago," she began. "But it took awhile to learn how to use them. I moved to Freedom City because there are all sorts of heroes there, and I could learn things. Now, um, well... I got pretty good at it. I can control plants." She extended a hand towards her mom's bank of African violets, and they all began to bloom at once. "You probably haven't heard of my other, ah, identity. I go by Fleur de Joie when I'm doing that sort of work." She fell silent, resisting the urge to hide behind her boyfriend like a teenager caught out after curfew.

[Cyroa]

He held her hand, standing by her side and doing his best to be a reassuring presence. He wasn't the best at this but he was trying his best. He nodded along with her, agreeing with her words. He added his own sentiment, solidifying her worth. "She has done great things. She has helped to save many lives, innocents as well as other heroes. Not to mention the hope and positive presence she helps instill throughout the city with her regular activities. She is a great heroine," he said honestly. The fact that he loved her more than anything didn't color that assessment at all. It was definitely there though.

[Avenger Assembled]

"You've been a superhero for a year and you haven't told us?" Annie's eyes were wide, and her hands almost over her mouth. For his part, Paul was watching the plants his daughter had moved with fascination, half-listening to the conversation. "You've been getting into fights, and risking your life? Oh, honey!" She got up and crossed over to Stesha, hugging her tight. "Why would you do that?"

"How did you do that?" interjected Paul, taking out his glasses to peer at the plants. "Are you a chlorokinetic, like Nathan Grovemont? How did this happen?"

[Electra]

"Because it's important, Mom," Stesha replied, hugging her mom and patting her back, sort of awkwardly. "I got these powers, and it didn't seem right not to do something good with them. Other people with powers go out and become heroes, it seemed like it would be selfish not to. But I was afraid you'd worry, and I never really meant to start fighting villains and things, that just sort of happened..."

She seized on her father's question with some relief. "Yes, Dad, pretty much, I can grow them or kill them, travel through them, make them move, stuff like that. I can't do everything he can, but a lot. I had to fight him once, luckily I had friends with me. But it's not all dangerous," she reiterated, mostly for her mom's benefit. "A lot of what I do is stuff like park beautification, helping community gardens, putting flowers in cemeteries. I try and make the city beautiful."

[Cyroa]

Derrick stayed silent, standing on the edge of the conversation. He was here for Stesha and supporting her, but this was her family after all. He didn't want to but in or say anything that would make this harder on her folks than it already was. Though in truth, it seemed more like her mother was having a harder time than her father. He seemed more fascinated than anything else. Derrick watched and nodded along with Stesha, agree with her wholeheartedly.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Have you had your powers tested?" Paul asked, listening to his daughter with fascination. "By Archetech, or the Albright Institute? If there's a strain of chlorokinesis in the family, it might be worth it to get your nieces and nephews tested now before puberty..." He hmmed, a scientist caught in a fascinating moment. "If they can't make it out to Freedom City, I might be able to get an appointment with the Untouchable here in Chicago..."

"I'm sorry, baby," said Annie, pulling back and giving her daughter a sympathetic look. "I...I think it's wonderful that you're doing something good for people. Especially something that big! It's just...it's just a lot for a mother to absorb." She smiled, looking at Derrick, and jokingly asked, "Are you a superhero too, Derrick?"

[Cyroa]

Derrick breathed a little sigh of relief. Stesha's parents, well her mom anyway, seemed to quickly adjust and accept the news. No panicking or trying to convince her to stop. Her dad of course made Derrick smile. A fellow scientist could appreciate the line of reasoning.

At Annie's question, he hesitated a moment before answering. He didn't really want to make this about him but he couldn't very well lie. "Well, yes ma'am. That's not really important at the moment though. We're up here for her," he said with a smile and a nod towards his love. "Stesha has been wanting to talk to you about this for a long time but one thing or another has kept her a bit busy."

[Electra]

"Derrick and I met through our hero work," Stesha said, growing a little more comfortable now that things seemed to be going well. She smiled at Derrick and squeezed his hand lightly. "We work together often, it's safer and easier to work in pairs and groups, rather than alone. I try my best to keep safe," she assured her mom with a grin.

"But I don't think it's a genetic thing," she told her dad, turning to him. "You remember when I was working in Chicago, and we got that weird plant in at the shop, the hundred year bloomer? When it opened, it sort of exploded all over me, knocked me unconscious for a minute, remember? You had me go to the doctor afterwards? It was after that when I started getting powers." She rounded her shoulders, looking like a guilty little girl for a minute. "I know that was a long time ago. I wanted to try and understand it myself first, and then I didn't want you to worry..."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Oh my God!" Annie clapped her hand to the side of her face, evidently not expecting that answer. "Oh, I can't believe my little tulip bulb is a superhero and she's in love with another superhero! It's like something out of your brother's comic books!" She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm, as her husband came over to pat her on the back reassuringly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said, a little abashedly. "I had too much dandelion, I think. Oh, honey!" She gave Stesha a huge hug, pulling Derrick in too.

"We're both happy for you," Paul clarified, giving Derrick a sizing-up look, smiling a little. "This is a lot to absorb, for all of us. How long are you staying in town?"

[Cyroa]

"That's not entirely true," he said in response to Stesha. "A mutual friend of our set us up on a blind date. We just hit it off," he said with a smile. It was definitely one of his favorite memories and he considered it to probably be the best thing that ever happened to him. He nodded in agreement with her words. "I work with quite a few people as well. Here anyway," he said, meaning Earth, not that it would matter to them.

James blinked at the new sudden shift in her attitude. He got pulled into the hug, somewhat awkwardly, unsure exactly what to do. He awkwardly patted Anne on the back, trying to 'fit in'. He looked over at Stesha's father as the hug broke up and he was released. "I'm not sure. Up to Stesha really. I believe we planned to stay at the very least until tomorrow, right? I'll need to pop out briefly while people are sleeping of course to check a few things but it won't disturb anyone," he said. He was too dedicated to simply NOT go out and check to make sure there were no problems where he was needed. His sense of obligation and duty were too strong for that.

[Electra]

"We don't need a lot of sleep," Stesha explained, "and we don't really need the car for traveling," she admitted, a little abashed. "It only takes a few moments to get here from Freedom City. Now that you know what's going on, I can visit more often!" Stesha was honestly very pleased with that idea. "We might go back to Freedom City tonight, let Chloe and David have their rooms to themselves, and come back first thing in the morning. I don't have to be back at work until Tuesday, so I was thinking we'd spend the long weekend. Unless something happens so that we have to go back early."

[Avenger Assembled]

It was all a lot for Stesha's parents to absorb, but they were evidently trying to do their best. "Are you going to tell everyone tomorrow?" Annie asked them. "I'm not sure if we can keep this a secret from everyone," she admitted. "You remember how good we were about Basil, so I'm sure everyone will understand. If they go visit you and you're busy doing hero things, that way you can explain to them what's really going on."

[Cyroa]

Derrick didn't reply to that one. This was Stesha's family and she knew them best. He had no idea who she intended to reveal this to outside of her immediate family. He knew that she loved them all quite dearly so might tell them all for all he knew. He did raise an eye at the Basil comment, but didn't ask just yet.