Part I – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1082356.html
Part II – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1082751.html
Part III – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1091513.html
Part IV – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/1095923.html

Regine pulled up the computer program that kept all of her student data, glad once again that she had upgraded her machines just before the catastrophe. You could still buy computer parts in a few select enclaves, but their methods left something to be desired and they almost always included as much spyware as actual computer.

She performed a search on extant and incoming students into the school, and then performed the search two more times. “That…” She stared at the screen with a decidedly unpleasant feeling before finally raising her voice. “Hayley!”

“Yes, Director Regine?”

“Call in Luca Hunting Hawk and Michael VanderLinden. Now.”

~
Regine was gone, the door was closed, and her footsteps had faded away. Slowly, Cya let herself grin.

“That took her longer than I’d expected,” she admitted to Leo. She turned to look at him, a little concerned about his reaction. After all, they were his children too.

He was still watching the door, looking thoughtful and uncharacteristically somber. “This was the thing you told me about a while ago, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she agreed quietly. ”Twenty, thirty years ago would have been nice. But now… well…” Her grin had faded in the face of Leo’s solemnity. ”I wish we could do more, but I still haven’t found a way to break the oath.”

“It’ll help.” He looked over at her and smiled. “More than I could’ve managed.”

“There’s a bonus, too.” She felt her smile coming back. “As of five years ago… every student entering Addergoole is descended from Boom.”

Leo stared at her for a moment. Cya didn’t let the smile slip from her face, just watched him. She saw the surprise on his face slowly give way to amusement, and that give way to outright laughter.

“Of course they are.”

Cya let herself laugh when he laughed. ”It took a bit of doing and, uh, quite a bit of being pushy with some descendants,” she admitted. ”But Aunt Cya – grandma Cya – can always pay back favors.”

“Great Ancestor Doomsday.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She felt heat coming to her face. All these years, and she still felt a blush coming on every time he did that.

She grinned widely. She’d been a little worried he’d be angry… ”It was a long shot… but it worked. I wish I could be a fly on the wall when she finds out.” Which she would, and soon.

“Mm. I think I can come up with an excuse to go see my old Mentor.”

“…brilliant.” Cya’s grin grew even wider. ”Yes. I want to see how this falls out.”

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