Nyla's past

‘Hey, Roza… I don’t want to sound too demanding, especially when you’re pregnant, but… Is Nyla definitely safe?’

‘Yes, of course she is. I’m doing my best.’

‘I know you are. But you’ve got a lot on your plate too, and this whole thing with Austin being in Sunset Valley has me worried.’

‘Nyla got a restraining order against the prick. Stanley is living here so he can protect her. And if I see him try anything, I will rip his dick off myself.’

‘Always the genital mutilation, huh?’

‘Yes. Why not? The whole reason we brought her here in the first place was to get away from him. If I can’t do that, I have failed.’

‘Oh Roza, it’s a nightmare.’

‘Why? What’s wrong?’

‘It’s Nyla. She’s pregnant.’

‘Oh, shit… With that prick’s baby?’

‘Yep. Christ… I don’t want to sound awful, but this isn’t good news.’

‘I don’t disagree, not when she’s having a baby with him. I know it myself. Babies don’t improve abusive relationships. Is she keeping it?’

‘Yeah, she wants to.’

‘If that’s what she really wants… There is no shame in having an abortion.’

‘I know. She says she’s really going to leave him this time. I pray to God she does. I’ve seen this play out before, Roza. Women having babies with violent men, the babies getting taken away and given to me once the abuse is noticed and reported… Then the kids go back to their mums, and the mums get sucked back into that relationship. Or the kids don’t go back at all. It’s all a mess.’

‘Then she needs to stay away from him, permanently. What if we get my sister to help? She knows how to put an end to this kind of thing.’

‘…That sounds ominous, hon.’

‘Yeah… it is.’

‘…I can’t see Nyla being on board with that. I don’t even know if I am. Much as I’d like to inflict great pain on that man, threatening him hasn’t helped so far, and doing worse than that… isn’t a line I’d like to cross.’

‘That is fair. In that case, what if I help her? She should not stay in Bridgeport.’

‘You’re right. I don’t want to bundle her off somewhere else while she’s pregnant, but if she isn’t here, he can’t worm his way back in again.’

‘Exactly. Let’s bring her to Sunset Valley, with me. I can give her a job. Just a driving job, nothing that will get her into trouble.’

‘Are you sure? That really sounds like a perfect solution, if we can pull it off.’

‘Ask her what she thinks. I know, it’s scary to move to a whole new place, but I could watch over her.’

‘Thank you so much. I hope she agrees.’

‘I hope I didn’t sound too cruel… I’ll support her 100% in having this baby. I’m sure she’ll be a great mum. I just don’t want Austin anywhere near either of them.’

‘Of course. You’re not a cruel person, Lib. You just want to save her from any more pain.’

‘Yeah, and God only knows how much that fucker’s put her through over the past few years.’

‘Well, it ends now.’

‘Roza, you’ve done a great job for the past nine years. I just thought we were rid of that asshole for good. Why is he here, anyway?’

‘Horrible coincidence, I think. Seth told me Austin had a friend already in the gang.’

‘…And what’s this Seth like, anyway?’

‘Oh, he’s fine. We’re technically enemies, but we go back a long way.’

‘I suppose it’s good to have one friend in the gang, if only to keep tabs on Austin.’

‘Oh yes. Seth has been on our side ever since we explained the situation to him. He has a special hatred for woman beaters, just like I do.’

‘I’m glad. So… are you sure you’re doing okay?’

‘You fuss too much, Liberty. Honestly. I’m fine.’

‘But the situation with Nari can’t be easy. Do you still want to kill him?’

‘Who said I wanted to kill him?’

‘Nyla said you made a few threats.’

‘You know what I’m like. I’m not going to literally hurt or injure him. He’d probably enjoy it, anyway.’

‘…What?’

‘He is one of the kinkiest men I’ve ever-’

‘Okay, you know what? You can stop there. I don’t need to hear any more.’

‘Sorry. But no, I’ll get over it. We need to co-parent. He seems keen to be a good father.’

‘That’s good to hear.’

Mum knows best

AN: Warning for one homophobic slur.

'It was nice of you to offer to babysit for your friends while they're at the wedding.'

'Well, why not. After you said you were gonna visit, I thought it'd be a good chance for Mattie to meet Kolya. And then Edward asked if Vin could come over, too. We're pretty busy now...'

'Ah, I trust the kids to play nicely. I'm sure we can treat them with McDonald's or something  later.'

'I know, I'm such a responsible parent.'

'You are! So what if they have something unhealthy once in a while. It won't kill them. You've raised how many kids now? And you've got a pretty good success rate. You moulded Saik into a model citizen, after all.'

'I wouldn't go quite that far, but I see what you mean.'

'I'm looking forward to you spending more time with Stan once he's home, anyway.'

'Me too. I'll admit, he seems quite a character. And Feli speaks so highly of him! Well, much as I dislike the criminal stuff, I can't fault him as a person, and the way he is with you.'

'Aww. I mean, you dislike the criminal stuff about Roza too, but you still like her.'

'Very true.'

*knock knock*

'Oh, speak of the devil! That'll be her.'

'Hello, Nyla.'

'Hey, hon. How're you?'

'Not bad, thank you.'

'Roza!'

'Ah, Lib! It has been too long.'

'I knew I was gonna make time to see you while I was here. Just looking after the kids, for now. Parental duties calling, and all that.'

'It's fine. I don't mind coming to the mummy meeting. I'll have to get used to those kinds of things, after all. All those mother and baby clubs.'

'You don't have to. It's just nice for women who might want a little support, or to make new friends.'

'I will see. I already have friends here, after all.'

'Mmm, but the likes of Stan or Seth probably won't have much to offer in the way of motherhood.'

'True. Unless we try to hook them up with some aliens, then perhaps they might have a clue.'

'That'd be one way to do it! Though I can't say I know how anal birth compares to vaginal. You'd think it'd be worse, right? Vaginas are at least designed for that kind of thing. Still... Ellis did explain it to me once. There's something in the technology that releases some kind of pain relief... and quick-acting healing afterwards.'

'That's good. I would hate to imagine the state of your asshole afterwards, if not.'

'...Rozalina, there are kids here. Maybe now isn't the best time to discuss the effects of anal childbirth, especially if you're going to use the non-technical terms for it.'

'...This does not bode well for me as a mother.'

'Oh, it's fine. You've got time to learn yet. She's not out for another couple of months, is she?'

'Right. Hey Lib, did you know Nari was at the wedding too? He's even taken his equally-pregnant girlfriend.'

'Ah... Yeah, I heard Stanley's family were going to be there. Do you think you'll meet her, at some point?'

'I'm sure I will. I wonder if she also finds him to be an idiot.'

'I think most people who know him find him to be an idiot, Roza, especially his family. Two women pregnant at once is Tate-level stuff. Who, of course, is the reason I'm not at the wedding...'

'What a shame that meteor didn't kill him. Oh well. I hope the Gallos can give him a good scare today.'

'I hope he shits himself in front of everyone. Whoops, language again... I'm getting just as bad.'

'Let's change the subject, shall we? How are you doing in general, Roza? Coping fine?'

'Oh, I'm good. You know me. I'm tough.'

'Of course you are, but don't be afraid to reach out for help if you need it, okay? You'll make a great mum, I don't doubt it, it's just single motherhood is hard. You've got me and Nyla.'

'Thanks, Liberty. I'll call on you if I need it. Until then, Nyla and I can keep corrupting the children.'

'Hey, honey. Can I have a word?'

'Sure. What's wrong?'

'Well, your brothers are a little bit concerned about you at the moment. And I'll admit, I am too. So I just want to help reassure you about a few things.'

'Oh... It's not necessary. I got a bit on my soap box and ranted a bit, that's all.'

'But still, I think it's best if we talk these feelings over, hm?'

'...Alright.'

'Look, sweetie... You were worried the reason I'm not dating men again is because of your father, right?'

'It is, isn't it? After all that, you're gonna be ultra cautious, right? And want some time to recover.'

'Yeah, the second part's true. But while I don't see myself dating men again... it's not because I think they're all dangerous. It's because they're not my only option... and I've spent a lot of my life lying to myself.'

'Carmella. I've identified as bisexual for a long time... But as you've seen with Zeus, being bi doesn't mean it's a 50-50 split between the sexes. It's also true that over time, people's preferences and desires can change. Especially if you never allowed yourself to acknowledge that part of yourself to be legitimate.'

'Oh, Mum...'

'I know I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I want you to understand how things happened. See, when I was fifteen, I was close to this girl in school. But your abuelos caught me with her, and they banned the relationship. They were relieved I wasn't a total dyke – their words, not mine – but they demanded I started being “normal”, and stick solely to men.'

'That's horrible! They really said that to you?'

'Mmm. And you know how it went after that, me marrying your dad. So what I'm trying to tell you is... I'm really gay these days. Deep down, I've always wanted to be with women. It's not like I'm repulsed by men altogether now – I just don't want it as an option now. Because I was never allowed to see lesbian relationships as a legitimate choice.'

'Ugh... They really suck. Just how much of this is their fault?'

'A lot, which brings me to my next point. The fact is, I can't lie – I have been soured on men. Mainly because of your grandfather... He's a disgusting person, to put it bluntly. He set the foundation for me to not expect any better. But he's wrong. And I was wrong to ever express anti-male sentiments in front of you. Things that were just coming from a place of anger, things I didn't mean... I underestimated how much words hurt. I never meant to make you cynical.'

'It's not your fault, Mum. I say those things because I'm angry, too. I'm angry Dad treated you that way, I'm angry Dad treated me that way, and I'm angry that people stood by and let him do it!'

'So you should be, sweetie. Damn right, I never want you to be mistreated ever again.'

'Doesn't it make sense, then, for me to not take the risk?'

'No. It makes sense for you to be wary. You shouldn't write them all off, though. Give people a chance to prove themselves to you. Men aren't the enemy. Bad men are. I've got three boys and I'm making damn sure they're going to be good ones.'

'Aw, Mum, they will. They are. I'm sure Julius will grow up to treat girls right, as well.'

'I am so proud of your brothers for the fine young men they are now. Tristan with a girlfriend, Zeus with a boyfriend. They're responsible. I think having you around helps!'

'I think it's you more than anything! But thanks. I do my best.'

'I'm sure they already offered to fight off any creeps, right?'

'Yeah. So did Jude, once.'

'Good! You can add me to that list. If I can punch your dad, I can sure punch any slimeball that tries to hurt you!'

'Oh, wow. I wouldn't mess with you... They don't know what's coming to them!'

'I just hope it won't be necessary. Please, have an open mind, though? I don't want you to regret turning someone away because you were scared. Talk about it in therapy, okay?'

'Alright, Mum. I will.'

'Good girl. You're gonna be fine. I won't allow it to be any different.'

Zeus and Amos

‘This is a nice bar. I'm surprised we haven't come here before.’

‘Yeah, it’s a good place to sit outside. And the drinks aren’t too expensive.’

‘God, that reminds me of this really crappy pub back home. People just go because it's cheap and they serve underage people… At least young people here have better options!’

‘I bet you're glad not to be underage any more.’

‘I know. I’m supposed to be an adult now! It doesn’t feel like it.’

‘No, it doesn’t. But it’s hard to when you’re still in school, no?’

‘Yeah, definitely. At least going out for a drink like this makes me feel more of an adult.’

‘…Though it’s hard to enjoy it properly.’

‘Why?’

‘My family back home are… well, going through some tough things.’

‘Oh? But they had fun visiting here, right?’

‘They did, but… On the last day, my brother-in-law got a call from home. Someone had set their house on fire.’

‘Damn, what the fuck?’

‘It was deliberate arson. And the worst bit, well… I really don't wanna admit this, but we think it was my dad.’

‘Your dad? Why would he do something like that?’

‘Because he’s evil. Amos, the reason we moved here so abruptly… well, we’d been planning our escape for a while but had to postpone the move when Tristan was attacked. But we left in a hurry, because my dad hit me during an argument.’

‘Oh man. I’m sorry.’

‘Thanks. We got into a fight because he discovered I was the one running the anti-Tiberium group. It got really heated and he lashed out at me. Mum went mad over it and punched him.’

‘Wow, go Roxxi!’

‘Yeah, she’s a good mum. It all escalated really badly though, and we weren’t safe. We never were. That’s why we had to run away. Dad’s a really dangerous man.’

‘I had no idea. That’s awful. You really think he’s bad enough to set his kid’s house on fire, though?’

‘Nobody else has a grudge against Saraya. She’s a lovely person. Nobody’d want to hurt her. He was sending a message, because she was once burned in a fire…’

‘Holy shit! That’s sick!’

‘That’s Dad… and he was already mad at her because… Oh God, you must think my family’s so messed up.’

‘It’s okay. It’s not your fault your dad is a jerk.’

‘Doesn’t look good, though. Because my auntie Brie is living with him right now. She was having an affair with him behind Mum’s back and after we left, she moved in.’

‘…Wow.’

‘It was revenge over that. My sister went to go warn Brie about Dad and what he’d done. He found out and he was pissed, so…’

‘And she still stayed? Why the hell would she do that?’

‘My family is a mess, Amos. That’s why I didn’t tell you much before. It’s humiliating.’

‘Hey, I’m not judging you. Okay, I didn’t expect any of this, but it doesn’t make me think any different of you.’

‘Are you sure? It’s far from normal.’

‘Maybe, but I don’t care. Those people doing those things is nothing to do with the way you act. You don’t have anything to do with them for a reason.’

‘Yep… We wanted a fresh start. At least to put some distance between us…’

‘I don’t blame you.’

‘I like it here, though. I feel more like I’m settled in now. Though I do miss my family. It sucked to have their visit end on such a sour note but it’s nothing new for us, I guess. Anyway… Sorry to go on about it. I hope I haven’t made a bad impression.’

‘No, don’t worry. I feel bad for you having to go through all that. At least you’re safe here. What about your sister? What's she gonna do?’

‘I don’t know, yet. They’ve got security measures and stuff so I really hope they’re protected.’ 

‘Yeah… let’s hope so.’

‘Thanks for understanding.’

‘It’s fine. You can talk to me about it any time. It sounds like it’s been pretty stressful for you.’

‘Oh man, yeah. It’s not fun at all. I’m prone to worrying a lot anyway, so things like this don’t help… But some of us being safe is better than none of us, y’know?’

‘Yeah! And your mum is great for leaving and taking you along. That must have been hard for her to do.’

‘Very. So… We’re still adapting. It’s a whole new life. Least of all I, uh, don’t have to hide my sexuality any more…’

‘Good for you.’

‘Well, I-I’m bi, not gay, but still…’

‘Me too.’

‘Ah, cool… That’s awesome.’

‘It feels good to be honest, doesn’t it?’

‘Exactly. Dad never would’ve accepted it, but he’s just not my problem any more! He can’t get to me!’

‘And that’s something to drink to!’