It had been years since I last saw Kate. We'd been texting on and off until finally after many failed attempts, we settled on a day to meet up. The only news I had was that she had recently left the border and was now somehow retired from that life. Which seemed odd to me because Kate was still young.

She lived in a complex destined for high-ranking people. The system had created whole new neighborhoods for all those who had played crucial roles in the system. I could end up there one day, just like all the Narval Officers and workers of the Nexus Court. So, it was cool to get a peek at what this place was all about.

Two big silver flags waved proudly welcoming the entrance to the complex along with a big painting on the pavement that said: "Technology now, for a new human tomorrow: Thank you"

Her house was number thirty-three, and thank God I had the number because seriously, they were all clones. But not any type of clone, luxurious crystal bubbles piled up in perfect harmony unfolded all along the street. All of them had their own spaceship parking and a big front garden.

When I finally got the number a swing sticking to the ground caught my attention. Odd. Was that the right house? I rang the bell and my fingers trembled. This meet-up meant more to me than what I wanted to admit. "Alright, calm down Grace," I mused to myself.

"Coming!" A voice said from the other side. Then hurried footsteps approached the door and suddenly a soft cheerful cry. The door opened, and there she was. Kate with a wide smile and... wait... on her arms...was that... a BABY?

"There you are, girl! My favorite Nexus Courter of the era!" she exclaimed. She looked much the same, still sporting her shaved hair and comfy clothes. However, she wore a new implant in her ears that emanated a soft flickering green light.

"What is this?!" I asked, looking at the baby. Her big blue eyes like two light bulbs analyzed me top down as I talked. Kate chuckled at my reaction.

"Alright, let me introduce you. This is Zoe, my daughter," Kate said, holding Zoe's hand and waving it at me. "Say hi, Zoe. This is our friend Grace."

"Oh my god. Like, yeah. Oh my god," I couldn't say much more.

"Get inside before you have a mental breakdown," she said, and we both stepped in.

We walked into the living room, which was filled with foam blocks and toys for kids, sitting on a large couch at the center. There were medals and other certificates of honor hanging proudly on the walls. Kate left Zoe next to a large box of toys, which immediately caught her attention.

"I know we've been talking on and off very little, but for God's sake, you could have mentioned you had a daughter!" I exclaimed.

"I could, but then I'd have missed that hilarious reaction you just had," she said, and we both laughed. "And that's not the only surprise I've got for you." She continued.

Before I could process her words, a figure emerged from the hallway. "Surprise!" Laura announced, stepping into the room.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug.

The last thing I knew about Laura was that she had ended up as a Ranger in the Mountain Camps. I had envied her, because man, who wouldn't want to be sent to the closest place to what we could call nature? It was a peaceful place, and Rangers there lived well. The only hindrance was timing because finding a day to meet was an impossible mission; our schedules seemed to be like opposite poles. But still, there she was, back from the mountains, looking brighter than ever, thanks to Kate.

She wore her hair longer, and her features were more pronounced, giving her a mature appearance in a good way. "The mountains have been kind to you, Ranger," I said.

"Hey, you don't look bad either. I've seen you on TV. How's life in the cream of the crop?" She asked.

"Not as creamy as you'd think." I joked

"Is that so? Well, at least I'm sure you get a five-star bed every night. Fancy trading with my tent? I promise you'll love it!" she teased.

Zoe looked at us as if watching an action movie full of twists, and Laura melted.

"Oh my god, I can't stand that face." Laura said and scooped Zoe up into her arms.

We settled on the sofa and Kate brought us some tea and pastries. Zoe wasted no time grabbing two of them, one in each hand.

"Looks like someone is hungry," Laura said.

"Oh yes, she has no boundaries when it comes to chocolate. I'm grateful she can't walk yet because I'm sure someday I'll need to put a padlock on the chocolate stash," Kate said, observing Zoe attempting to cram both cookies into her mouth simultaneously. Adorable doesn't even begin to describe her.

On the coffee table beside me, rested a photograph of Kate and another woman, her eyes large and green, and her hair a wild cascade of curls. "So, is this your lucky lady?" I asked.

"I'm the lucky one. But yes, that's Marian," Kate replied, her gaze drifting to the picture with a tender smile. "She'll be here soon; she's still at work." 

I stared at Kate trying to imagine all the things I had missed. Meeting Marian, falling for her, moving together, having... A BABY. A whole life.

"What" She said noticing my eyes on her.

"Nothing. It's just that you look happy." I said.

"Very happy" Laura added.

"I am. I got to admit it." Kate said.

"And to think I thought you would stay at the Narval House until you grew old." Laura said.

"What? Are you mad?" Kate said taken aback.

"What? You seemed to like it there!" Laura said.

"It felt like a home for a while, that's true. But after you all folks left, everything felt kind of pointless." Kate explained.

I'd completely lost touch with what happened at the Narval House after we all went our separate ways. Partly because I was swamped with things to do at the Nexus Court, but mostly because I needed a change of scenery, and looking back was just too painful. However now, I felt my curiosity awakening.

"What happened there?" I asked.

"Well, as you know, all the positions were taken by techno-humans, and well, they were nice and all but far from what I had with you guys." She said.

"You must have felt very lonely." Laura said.

"Very much. But that's not why I left. The transfers from the other side were reduced and they put a new rule. All the newcomers had to go through a reset memory treatment with no exceptions. Which in my opinion is barbarian." She said.

"What!? Are they still doing this? I said horrified.

"They are. They claim it's to weed out any potential moles, like what happened with Mark," She said.

Laura looked down uncomfortably at the mention of Mark.

"Do we know what happened with Mark?" I asked.

"As far as I know he's still in the Reg Prison. Phoenix soldiers are prime currency, so there he is," Kate said.

Laura did a quick sip of her tea, hiding her cloudy eyes.

"Are you ok?" I asked her.

"Yes, just thinking about Mark... It's hard. What about the others?" Laura asked changing the subject.

"Well, I know Lea's running the Energy Plant over in the city now. And who else? Oh, right, I caught up with Heath..." Kate's voice tapered off, and she glanced at me. Laura fell silent as if Kate had uttered a taboo word. She redirected her attention to Zoe, masking the tension that had arisen.

"Hey, girls. Don't do that, please. You can completely talk about it." I said but my stomach churned.

"Are you sure?" Kate said.

"Of course. It's been ages. I'm more than fine with the topic." I said.

"The topic?" Kate said and exchanged a glance with Laura.

"What?" I said confused.

"You don't even say her name, Grace." Laura said.

"We don't have to talk about her." Kate added. 

"Okey. Wait. Of course, we have. Laura asked, and you can answer. Come on." I insisted.

Kate looked at Laura and she shrugged as if giving her permission.

"Alright, girl," Kate began, "I saw Heather a month ago, she was slated for the Undercity Hub as a Scrap Wrangler. She wasn't exactly thrilled at the beginning, of course. But you know her, never settles for less. Fast forward five years, and guess who's calling the shots? Yep, she's the commander of the entire Hub."

Laura let out a long whistle "Wow, so Heather's got this rocket career, and here I am, still just a level-3 Ranger." Laura laughed at herself.

"Hey, that's not bad, girl." Kate cheered her up.

"Thanks, Kate. I don't really care about recognition anymore. I learned what matters is to live in peace." Laura explained.

"Cheers to that!" Kate said.

"Grace are you ok?" Laura asked me since my gaze was lost in an unfixed point of the living room.

"Oh, sorry. Yes. I am." I said trying to seem like I wasn't stuck on that piece of information they just let out about Heather. That was the first time I knew anything about her. At all. The first news since that night. Now millions of questions were arising inside me along with a huge urge for answers. But I didn't want to seem like I hadn't gotten over her. Because I had, right?

"Can I hold her?" I asked, eyeing Zoe, who had her mouth entirely coated in chocolate.

"Sure thing," Laura replied, easing Zoe onto my lap. I grabbed a napkin and began cleaning her mouth, earning a giggle from that cute face.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you," Kate said.

"And I to her. Plus, this is surprisingly therapeutic," I said. 

Kate chuckled. "Just wait until she's wailing at 3 am like her world's ending. We'll see if you're still singing to that therapy then." That earned a collective laugh.

It was nice to be the three of us together again. It made me realize how much I missed that part of Grace they knew. A part of me I had set aside because it was too hard to carry. 

In how many pieces could I break into? I mused to myself. Michael held one fragment, of course; the naive Grace oblivious to the storm brewing beyond the border. Brooke held another part; a Grace whose air escaped from her lungs every night. And in between, bridging the other two... there was a missing piece. And although Laura and Kate gave me the taste of the Grace that once served as a Narval Officer, I still felt incomplete. Only one person could fill this gap, a person who was both the crack and the bridge at the same time.

Author's Note:

Alright, lovely people! Quite a reunion in this chapter, wasn't it? I absolutely adored writing that encounter between them! And... we've uncovered some new information... Now, what do you think Grace should do with this newfound knowledge about Heather?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Love you all!

Ava 💫