EPILOGUE - ONE MONTH LATER

The limousine takes another turn deeper into downtown Capitala. I squirm in my seat nervously but Keith takes my hand and squeezes affectionately.

“What are you so worried about?” he asks with a smile. “You’re only having dinner with the Saviors of Arcathia at the most prestigious restaurant in town.”

“Don’t do that. I’m already sweating bullets thanks to this tightass suit.” I reply, glaring at him and tugging at the collar of my dress shirt.

“You are going to be fine,” Keith chuckles. He shifts over slightly and undoes the topmost button on my shirt. “I’m sure the Saviors are going to be excited to see you. Right, Jen?”

“Hm?” says Doctor Hsu, glancing up from her holo-phone.

“The Saviors?” repeats Keith.

“Oh, yes,” she replies half attentively. “They’re meeting us at the Rae Café for dinner. They should already be there.”

“You seem distracted,” I comment. “Everything alright?”

“Sorry. I was reading a bunch of emails from my colleagues and whatnot. Doctor Polo also updated me on Veronica and the baby’s condition. There’s a lot damage to be undone. He doesn’t expect to be finished anytime soon. ”

“Well I glad she is getting the help she needs…” I say, trying to make light of the situation.

“You should take a break tonight, Jen. Don’t worry about them.”

Doctor Hsu sighs then puts her holo-phone into her purse. “I suppose you’re right. Ugh, who knew being CEO of EvGeni would be this troublesome?”

My cybernetic lights up and I roll my sleeve to access the display.

“Elnora messaged me. She says they cannot make it to dinner tonight since the Fleet Admiral arranged a dinner date with her, Pyrrha and Jorge.”

“Oh, boy. I’m sure he’s gonna try and recruit them.” says Doctor Hsu.

“That’s a good thing, right?” asks Keith.

“Of course. He feels bad for them. Plus, Luke is still out there roaming free and the Admiral is going to need a trustworthy team to track him down.”

“Well, I couldn’t think of anyone else to better suited for the job than those three.” I say.

Doctor Hsu smiles. “There’s nothing that will convince you to enroll in the DSSO as a Gifted operative?”

Keith and I turn to one another.

“No,” I reply. “I’m happy right now and I don’t want to compromise that.”

The limo pulls up to the curb in front of the restaurant where a crowd of media moguls and news anchors await around the entrance.

“Was our dinner date made public or something?” I ask Doctor Hsu. She replies with a shrug. I survey the crowd briefly before exiting. They turn to me with their camera-bots ready and recording. The onslaught of interview questions commence. I try to answer the best I could but all their words muttle with each other making it near impossible to understand each question. Doctor Hsu ushers me from behind and escorts me into the restaurant along with Keith. The door shuts behind us, snuffing out the exterior city noise and replacing it with the gentle ambiance of piano music. I look around the elegant setting and ritzy people eating bisques from fine China and silver utensils.

“I’ll take my chances outside,” I say, unable to withstand the culture shock of fine dining. Doctor Hsu snatches me up by the collar and pulls me back to the front. I spot a familiar figure dressed in a gorgeous pink cocktail dress flagging us down with her hand.

“Is that your mom?” I ask Keith with disbelief. “I thought we were meeting the Saviors?”

“We are,” replies Keith. “Just follow her.”

Just when I thought my heart could race anymore, it does. I slowly make my way down to aisles to Kimberly who greets me with a tender hug.

“Hello, Ayden! How are you?” asks Kimberly.

“I’m good,” I reply. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Yeah, you look a little out of the loop,” she says, glaring over to her son. “But I’m glad you're here now. The Saviors are waiting for you in the private dining room.”

“So do you own this place, Kim?” I ask as she escorts us to the back of the restaurant.

“No, my parents do.” Kim replies. “It’s a family run business that’s been passed down for generations. I would be next to take over but I travel far too much to dedicate my time here.”

We come to an arch entryway covered by artificial vines subtly illuminated by little golden light bulbs. Through the archway is a long six seater table where an older couple sits at the far end. My racing heart skips a beat from shock as I identify the couple to be Keith’s grandparents.

“Hey, G-ma! Hey, G-pa!” Keith says excitedly. I turn to him, hoping this isn’t some elaborate prank but the wide grin across his face confirms my suspicions.

“Hi, baby,” says Keith’s grandmother affectionately. Her hair is long and dark and held together by a pearl studded brooch. Like Kimberly, she is also wearing a cocktail dress, a purple one however and a black embroidered shawl to cover her exposed shoulders. To describe her face is easy, since she simply looked like and older Kimberly minus the green eyes. Hers were dark brown. Keith’s grandfather has the iconic green hue and looking into his face offers an eerie glimpse into of what Keith will look like in the future.

“Hello, Ayden. My name is Amber, and my husband, Kyle.”

She takes me by the hand, her touch is soft and gentle yet slightly rough from years in combat. I tremble in my own skin, unsure what to say.

“There’s no need to be so nervous,” she says with a slight chuckle. “I don’t bite.” She opens her arms into a hug. I turn to Keith, still unable to articulate thoughts into words. Keith’s grandfather approaches me, staring me down with a dense, green-eyed gaze.

“So you’re the young man who stole my grandson’s heart?”

“Yes, sir.” I reply with a awkward stammer. He grins proudly then extends his hand out for a handshake.

“You’re one helluva catch!” he laughs. As I shake his hand he pulls me in for a hug and slaps my back with his large palms. I hear Keith and Doctor Hsu snicker behind me.

“So, what d'ya think? Are they anything like you imagined?” asks Doctor Hsu.

“No. I’m absolutely floored,” I reply. “I never suspected the Saviors to be related to Keith.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you,” Says Keith apologetically. “Trust me I wanted to, but we all took an oath to protect their privacy.”

“Don’t worry, I get it.” I reply.

“We let's take our seats and we can all get to know each other better.” suggests Kim. We take our seats. I sit across from Kyle and Amber with Keith beside me while Doctor Hsu and Kimberly take the ends. I find myself helplessly staring at the Saviors. I couldn’t believe it. For ages I would look up to the bronze statue in front of EvGeni with hope of meeting them in the flesh. Now, here I am about to have dinner at a luxurious restaurant they own. It’s a dream come true.

“So tell us about yourself, Ayden.” asks Kyle. “Keith’s told us a lot about you but I’d like to hear it from the source.”

“I’d much rather hear about you two.”

“Well, what would you like to know?” asks Amber.

“Everything.”