Family

[Nick Ryder]

Leo's Blues and Rock Club --

Nick walked over to the long 'family' table in the back of the Club with a platter. He placed it on the table and looked at Angel, Becca and his sisters Natalia and Jenny. He glanced at his mother's younger, alternate Teri who was behind him with a tray of drinks.

"Alright ladies... " Nick said as he took the cover off the platters. "No diets today, Teri and I spent all day working on this. We are finally FINALLY getting the fucking family recipe book recreated."

Jenny laughed and shook her head. "Hey, I tried but mom forgot a lot of it."

"Which is why he asked me... since I'm younger and my memory is way better. Besides... to me I just made most of this last Christmas." Teri said and poured the drinks. "I had no idea that you guys like... lost all these recipes. You think with all this tech someone would have made copies."

"Well, there was a massive explosion at the old clinic and the old family home was destroyed in a fire. There was one copy in mom's possession but it was lost when the Hope took a torpedo hit." Jenny replied.

"Such a violent reality." Teri sighed and shook her head. "Anyway... glad I could help. Now seriously dig in, you're all too damn skinny."

"Hah!" Natalia said as she took a swig of her drink and sighed. "That is the first drink I have had in nearly a year. Noonian and I gave up alcohol while I was pregnant, said that he didn't really want to drink if I couldn't. The penthouse is pretty much dry lately. I don't miss it, but... oh this is good."

"Glad you liked it." Teri said and took a seat and looked at Becca. "You know you look so much like family here. You and Natalia could have been sisters."

"Oh they aren't. Trust me." Nick chuckled and started serving the girls. "I think it's the chin and the hair."

"Ah." Teri smiled and took a sip of her drink. "So why DID you only invite the girls?"

"Because my brother Dom is still 'out there' and Tony is being a massive dick." Nick sighed. "And... this is the first time in years that both my sisters have been on the same city. Speaking of... where's Olivia?"

"Vin's having a tooth extracted, she'll be here later." Angel said as she glanced at her communicator. "Poor kid, he was eating an apple and broke a baby tooth, but the adult tooth under it was growing sideways, brave kid didn't say anything until his mouth swole up like he went ten rounds in the ring."

"Ouch." Nick winced.

"And Trinity is on her way... with Kat Donovan's duplicate I might add." Angel said and glanced at Becca. "I invited her. Had to get a sense of just what she IS... but... if my daughter trusts her, that's enough for me, but even so..."

"I still find all this alternate stuff fascinating." Jenny said and took a home made polish sausage and cut into it. "Shocked I haven't found a version of myself yet."

"Oh there is one... she's in an acting troupe... playing Xena Warrior Princess." Nick teased.

"I hope you're joking." Jenny deadpanned.

"I'm not." Nick grinned.

[Trinity Talon]

"I so need to see that" Trinity said as she walked in. "We're getting tickets."

"I may not be able to do no any harm... but I can inflict as much pain as I like." Jenny teased.

"Bring it Auntie." Trinity said as she gestured and made her mug float.

"Show off." Jenny rolled her eyes.

[Kat Donovan]

Kat had hung back, but followed Trinity cautiously. Her eyes immediately fell upon Nick, and instinctively her hand fell to her hip searching for the kliden that wasn't there.

Reason seized her and she reaxed. That wasn't Dominus, nor was the red haired woman seated at the table Bellatrix, but they were so alike. Their voices the same. Even their mannerisms were mostly the same.

Rebecca stood and approached Kat. She didn't move like Bellatrix. Both of them had that catlike grace, but Bellatrix always moved like she was stalking her prey. Rebecca didn't. It was casual and without menace.

Rebecca laid her right hand on her shoulder and the two stared at each other. Their emerald green eyes locked. After an awkward moment Becca spoke, "You aren't Raven."

"I was," Kat said logically.

Rebecca shook her head, "You never were. You were only trying to survive in a reality that didn't value kindness."

Kat cocked her head at her in question. "An how do ya bloody ken that?"

Rebecca smiled, "Come. Sit down." She smiled at Trinity, "Welcome home."

[Trinity Talon]

"It feels so good to be home." Trinity said, a slight twinge of panic when she saw Becca, but that subsided just as quickly as it came on. This was the Becca Sandoval she knew and loved. "I really thought I'd never make it back, survived as best I could but everyone wanted to take me out at some point. Kat's training and guidance was pretty much the only thing that saved my life." she looked at her friend.

"Well Miz Donovan, on behalf of the family, I want to say... thank you. And welcome to the clan as it were." Nick said warmly as he looked at Kat. "I know how my counterpart is and I assure you, I'm nothing like him. I actually respect and fear the women in my life. They are much more capable than Dominus would give them credit for, which, I suspect, is why he likes to treat them the way he does."

"My thought exactly. Other than Bellatrix. She's one of the few if not the only one he treats like an equal. It was like watching a dark twisted version of you two, except they are clearly sleeping with each other." Trinity said with a slight wince.

"Yeah that's not happening with us. We tried decades ago and it got really weird, really fast." Nick said with a slight blush. "Still, Becca's my sister. As much as Nat and Jen are. Which is why she's at the family table. And why we invited you Donovan. Trinity considers you a sister now, that's good enough for me. We'll keep you protected. Past is past. Future is all that matters."

"My grandpa likes to make speeches... can take the man out of the Presidency but can't take the Presidency out of the man." Trinity whispered.

[Rebecca Talon]

"I don't," Rebecca said. "Thank you for bringing my daughter-in-law home. We shall have much to discuss later, but for now I believe this to be a festive occasion."

Kat nodded, "Aye well... you are welcome I suppose. I this is all a wee bit surreal ya ken. From my perspective the two of you were huddling together with yer wee plots."

Rebecca grinned, "Well, somethings apparently transcend realities. We've been plotting things since the Academy. Though, I'm not a sadistic bitch, and Nicholas is a teddy bear at heart."

[Nick Ryder]

"Yeah, she's only a sadistic bitch when she's breaking in a new starship, 'oh c'mon you pussies, you can go warp 9 on a new engine... just do it!' and I'm watching a dozen engineers cringe and wince and look at me like i have any power over her." Nick teased and chuckled. "We're actually decent human beings. And we're accepting of those with checkered pasts."

"Where do you think I got it from." Trinity said with a smile and looked at her mother.

"Every time I think that I failed, I'm proven wrong." Nick said as he lifted his glass. "Angel you certainly raised a survivor in whatever reality she came from."

"Well, I like to think she gets it from your side of the family. And from Becca's influence." Angel replied.

"So is the rumor true, that you're taking some leave mom?" Trinity inquired.

"Yeah, Nathan and I are going to try and give you some siblings. I need the break and I think dad and Becca need me around." Angel said as she sipped her drink. "We've got... a few things in mind."

"If you need the help... count me in." Trinity said softly. "I'm kind of thinking of taking a little leave as well... Ethan and I are certainly going to take a shot at having a family too."

"Hey, I'm entirely fine with being a great-grandfather. Now that Gale's getting a little older, I think Alice wouldn't mind taking care of a little one now and again. We did miss out on months of his life. Guess we both have that in common kid." Nick said as he gave Trinity a hug.

"Not something I wanted to share but yeah... so hey... all this food? You do realize none of us really eat that much for lunch..." Trinity raised an eyebrow.

"Oh please... this is just family, no cameras, no one going 'omg look how much she's putting away!' ending up in the media. And Donovan, anyone asks you're the 'other' Kat Donovan's sister... or cousin or whatever. Like Natalia's baby sister is named Natasha. Sometimes people just have no originality." Nick said with a smirk.

"Dad wanted to name me Eva. Like he was going to name you Evo..." Natalia replied. "Or did you forget that story?"

"I try to block it out." Nick deadpanned.

[Rebecca Talon]

Rebecca gasped in mock offense, "I would never say that!
You... you beastly brute!"

[Nick Ryder]

"Oh! You wound me!" Nick said as he clutched his heart and laughed. "Seriously though... I remember that so well because it was SO out of the normal for you. We all were like 'the fu... she just say that?' But I think at the time you were seriously caffeine deprived and over tired and over stressed. You know I love ya Becca."

"See what I mean... total dorks." Trinity whispered to Kat. "Now you know where I get it from."

"Where we all get it from." Nick said with a grin. "And that was my old man... and my ma. Don't go hiding your face Teri... I know you spend hours playing D&D with the kids from the University on Friday nights."

"I'm just being social. I'm already a level 8 mage." Teri said proudly.

"I totally would have had you pegged for healer." Angel shook her head.

"That's my day job... well, was my day job. These days I'm keeping my options open. Besides, if I do somehow return to my timeline, then I'll probably go back and do what I was doing, at least here... I can give new things a shot. At least while I'm young and energetic enough."

"Mom's like in her 90s... even before regression she was still doing stuff, trust me... you're going to be perky for-ever." Natalia said and yawned. "Until you pop out a baby and then your perky ass is dragging like 80% of the time."

"Angel's wasn't." Nick chimed in.

"Angel's is always dragging... I'm just heavily caffeinated and a good actress." Angel said with a wink. "That and I was also commanding battles and a Fleet and oh yeah... running a design house and still finding a few hours here and there to be a mom and a wife."

"She is woman hear her roar." Nick said and shook his head. "I stand chastised... that's why I love having you ladies around. Some men have ONE strong woman behind him, I've got all of you."

[Rebecca Talon]

"Well, someone has to take a pin and pop that ego of yours every few hours," Rebecca deadpanned. "Otherwise, you might start thinking you are God."

[Nick Ryder]

"Hah, too much work." Nick said as he pointed to the large window. "That city out there, I have no idea how it got so developed in less than five years. Old campaign manager said I should take credit for it, but really none of my doing. So yeah, totally not a god."