Powerless

I had hoped and prayed that it was anything than what I thought it was going to be. I had hoped it was just a chemical imbalance. Medication for the rest of her life… Nothing in life prepared me for this. Nothing. And I felt so helpless. All I could think about when I was telling her was… I just found her. I just found family and now I may lose her.

~8 months earlier~

He was dirty. Dirty and dusty and hungry and angry. He didn’t know how angry a person could get. But he thinks he was there. Only one thought in his head. Kill this bitch who took his aunt away. Kill this bitch before she gets his money. The money he deserved because he was there for everything. The coldness of Grandfather, the emotional distancing of his mother. The abuse of his father.. He deserved their money and he deserved his aunt’s money because she ran away and didn’t protect him. And now… now he finds out his aunt had a kid. A kid that supposedly looked just like her.

What a surprise it was to have one of the officers on the ship he was on come up and mention he saw this pretty hot red head on some rock dancing on some radioactive rock. When he saw the picture of my aunt on my desk, he asked if I knew the dancer. I was surprised to say the least. What did he mean by that? He claimed that the woman in my picture was the spitting image of the dancer. Which was impossible! That picture was taken when Aunt Genny was just 19.. mere months before she left with that no good doctor.

I asked him what rock and what bar. Then I put in my leave of absence and high tailed it to the coordinates. The bar was empty, and I found out from some locals the bar was closed but would be open the next day. So I went back to my transport and occupied my time. Wondering what I would do if it was true. What if my aunt had a bastard child with that no good witch doctor? What a laugh. He wasn’t even a doctor as far as he can tell. No Jonas Carver in the records as being a doctor anywhere in the verse. The family looked for all of 3 years before giving up. They could have been anywhere.

When the bar opened up, I picked a seat in the corner and in line with the stage. The music was good, the drinks better. The guy behind the bar with what looked like a talking ball of flesh seemed nice enough. Made a comment about liking redheads. He laughed and said that I was in luck. The dancer tonight was a redhead. So here I am… settled down, a cold beer in hand and Aunt Genny’s picture in the other.

When she stepped out on stage, I felt my lungs implode. She was the spitting image of Aunt Genny.

I watched her dance. Teasing and sultry. But classy and everyone seemed to love her. She interacted with everyone. Even coming over and kissing me on the cheek when I put some money in her jar. She had blue green eyes. And she smelled earthy. Not bad.

It was then and there I had to know about her. So I went back again and again and again. Watching and waiting and wondering.

Finally, I got up the nerve. Caught her walking towards her place, I suppose. I had heard her name... Belize Carver. Everyone called her Bel. I asked if we could talk. I needed to talk to her. She was nice enough, trusting enough to invite me in. We talked for awhile. She told me she was a medic; using the dancing to be able to get money to live off of. She was so sweet and kind, that I couldn’t help thinking about my aunt. Not only did she look like Aunt Genny, she acted like her. Trusting and gentle. I found myself warming to her. Liking her. Knowing this woman and I were the last of our family alive.

And I got this overwhelming sense of protection. She seemed so small and weak and sad. The saddest blue eyes I have ever seen. But strong. And the way she talked about her friends on this rock, I knew she would die for them. And I felt pride. And I knew, I couldn’t kill her. This link to my aunt and my only family left.

So I told her why I was there. Told her what I had in mind. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t even look scared. Then she told me something…

“You wont hurt me.”

And she was right. Because I found my reason and purpose. To be Bel’s last living relative and protect her. I loved Belize Mae Carver, my only living relative and I will do whatever it takes to make her happy and keep her safe. Even if it means laying my life on the line for her.

 

~Present~

When Maggie came running to my room and told me she intercepted waves from Blackburne and Bel was lost in the Wastes. I remembered her telling me about it. The dangers involved. But she knew how to steer clear of all the danger. This time… she didn’t have this… thing wrong with her. I nearly went down there myself. But they found her before I had a chance.

I was too harsh with her. But she has a chance dammit. The longer she waits, the more danger she is in. Then she pulls this!? I may have to bring her back to the ship. But gorram it… If I did that, things would never be the same with us.

I cant have her die on me… Not now.