Chapter 191:
One for Sharkie
The thing about fanatics is that they can arise from the most inane thing. In this case, it was Jace becoming a symbol and icon for the people of the streets. He was seen by many as someone who takes care of the people. A kind, charitable individual who wasn't afraid to kill if necessary.
Unfortunately, these fanatics took that to the extreme. Dictating for themselves who was and wasn't worthy of his help. Speaking for him and interpreting things in their own way. Lydia was horrified to hear that such people were within their organization and felt foolish for putting Catherine in charge of something so important.
Jace reassured her, stating that, just like the eco-terrorists they deal with, fanatics pop up when you least expect it. You can't always tell. So, he assured her that it wasn't her fault. This seemed to ease her worries, but the problem still existed.
However, Jace would soon handle that problem. In a very...intensive re-education, Jace made sure that everyone who thought the way that Catherine did were taught better. He himself lead this crusade. He wouldn't allow anyone to twist who he was and what he stood for.
Gathering them all together, he was greeted with reverence as they practically prostrated themselves before him if he didn't prevent them from doing so. He made it very clear what he stood for. He couldn't stop them from revering him, but he could hopefully change how they did so. Those who wouldn't and even began to get belligerent with him were made quick examples of.
Jace wasn't above using fear, but he hoped that he didn't have to. He showed them his generosity and what it truly meant to be a part of any future that he led. For those who understood, they quickly acknowledged their misunderstandings and relinquished any prejudice. He made it clear that if he heard of anything like this in the future, he would not be so lenient.
Catherine, in particular, showed great remorse. He spared her and suggested she try to live a little for herself. In the end, those that Catherine knew were culled and the remaining few saw the errors of their beliefs. It was an odd interaction that Jace never thought he'd ever have, but in his current position, he supposed it was inevitable.
Jace would be on the lookout for future groups like that, hopefully catching them before they did anything dangerous. Thankfully, things in South Canal went back on track. People were relocated temporarily into shelters and places provided by Agatha and her granddaughter Leslie. St.Claire Industries began construction on new and better buildings for people to live in while the dam was safely deconstructed, and the water collected properly.
It would still take time for the construction to be completed, but it was a start, and the people of South Canal were happy. Especially since they were provided jobs and their voices heard. Trust was slowly being restored.
Unfortunately, this meant that Jace didn't have a lot of time for his girls. He was missing them and was quick to return as soon as he could. Apologizing to each of them, he gathered everyone for a large dinner together, of which he helped make regardless of Liana's protests. It was time he was able to spend with her and he knew she appreciated it.
This allowed him to unwind as he spent time with each of them. He dove into the web with Kiera, embracing each other in their intimacy. Working the gardens with Liana was soothing for the both of them. Going for walks and entertaining Selene while she worked was much appreciated by her.
He of course didn't forget to spend time with his mothers, Delilah and Olivia. Having tea with them and talking about their days. His mother was settling in well and was getting stronger every day. It was heartwarming.
Rachel, he had spent almost a month with, but still took time to check in on her. The only one he didn't spend a lot of time with until now was Briana. That was going to chance. She deserved as much of his time as anyone else.
Jace adjusted his clothing and checked his hair. It wasn't much different from his normal clothing and hairstyle, but he wanted to make sure everything was in place. Casual, baggy beige pants cinched at the ankles and a light blue shirt with rolled up sleeves. He was a little self-conscious of them, but was growing to accept it.
Satisfied, he clenched the ring hidden beneath his shirt, feeling its cool metal against his skin. It gave him strength and reminded him of what was important. It was time to meet her for their day out together.
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Briana was happily humming to herself. Gloria and Gabriel helping her with her hair. She was having them tied in braided pigtails and secured with blue ribbons. Blue was her favorite color.
Kicking her feet in the chair, Gabriel and Gloria cast knowing, amused looks in her direction. She met each one of them with a wide smile. They were concerned at first for her, but quickly grew to be happy for her. They were like big sisters to her. Just wanting to protect their younger sister.
Briana thought it was touching. As they finished, she did a double take in the mirror, spinning around to check her outfit. It was the same one she bought when Jace helped her with the stalker. A nice, light blue summery dress with a Queen Anne neckline. She paired this with a light, flowery white cardigan and white stockings with blue shoes.
Gabriel and Gloria clapped in approval. Briana blushed, smiling happily at looking so cute. She was quick to thank them and rush out to meet Jace. She passed by Selene, who watched her go with an amused smile, wishing her luck. Waving to her, Briana wasted no more time.
"I'm going on a date with Jace!" Briana practically skipped to the tune of her happy heart. She had waited for this moment for what seemed like forever. As she exited onto the vehicle pad, she came to a slow walk before stopping.
A few feet away was Jace. He didn't seem to have noticed her yet. The sunlight illuminating his hair to make it appear like golden silk. He wore casual clothing, but it looked so natural and good on him. As she took him in, that's when she saw the scars.
Her heart sank a bit as she was reminded of his life. She knew he had scars, but this was the first time she ever really got a look at them. Steadying her heart, she shook her head and patted her face to focus. "Come on Briana! This is your time to shine!" She psyched herself up.
"Jace!" She called happily, skipping over to him, "Did you wait long?"
She took one of his hands in hers, entwining her fingers with his. She held his arm firmly to her, smiling up at him. Her free hand caressed his forearm, feeling his scars. She wanted him to feel secure about them, because even though he acted indifferent, she knew that it still bothered him a bit.
To her, they were amazing testaments of his determination to survive. How he persevered through everything he went through. He glanced down at her hands, raising an eyebrow as if curious, but smiled in a touching way before shaking his head.
"No, not long," Jace spoke softly with a fondness as he took her chin in his hand and tilted her face towards him, "Besides, for you, I'd wait an eternity."
Briana blushed bright red as he kissed her. "That was so cheesy, but...cute." Briana mused to herself, falling for his silliness. She was a sucker for his words and melted into his arms. Soon, the vehicle arrived to take them to their destination.
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There weren't a lot of places that you could take people after the first few times, Jace came to realize. He had agonized over what he could do with Briana that would be special for her, and not just something he's done before with the others. Thankfully, Jace had an idea, though Jace had originally intended it to be an outing for everyone.
However, the moment the girls heard of his suggestion, while they had been excited for it, they told him to just bring Briana. He wondered why, but as he saw the knowing glint in their eye, he could hardly refuse. The place he had planned to take them was the Neo City's Zoo and Aquarium. Also known as the Wildlife Observatory.
Apparently, Briana loved animals. A fact that Jace was ashamed to not have known while the girls did. He was reminded about how much he still had to learn about her. He looked forward to it as the vehicle took off.
Briana was all smiles, looking out of the window with a childlike wonder in anticipation for today's date. It was infectious as Jace found himself smiling as well while thinking about the Wildlife Observatory. It was owned by Azure Inc., which made it relatively easy to procure access. Not that Jace was worried about it regardless, considering the money he now had.
The Wildlife Observatory was a research and educational facility dedicate to understanding nature and its many lifeforms. While many considered these places to be inhumane, they were also a necessity for some species who would have otherwise gone extinct in the wild. Some of those species being the Rhino and Elephant, who had long since been hunted for their tusks and horns.
Particularly the Elephant for its ivory. Most ivory, however, like the hair pins Rachel wore to his birthday, were synthetic imitations. The quality varying. This was done with a lot of precious resources that were almost depleted or hunted too much by the greedy.
This was done for many animal species too. A way to preserve and educate while hoping to grow enough of a population to reintroduce to the wild one day. A unique biodiversity was needed for this, of which they provided in a large structure controlled by various technology to ensure a proper environment for every single species. They were extremely well taken care of.
As they descended upon the Observatory, Briana practically pressed her face to the window of the vehicle, looking out of it in excitement.
"Jace! Look! The aviary!" She proclaimed, pointing to a section of the large structure where it rose into a dome of windows and mesh.
Inside, there were birds flying around. Large trees grew into the area where some perches among their green leaves. The dome itself was massive with several smaller domes around it. If Jace had to guess, it took up several blocks just by itself.
"Just beautiful..." Jace smiled, his eyes taking her and the birds in.
"Isn't it!?" Briana smiled widely.
Jace chuckled, for his words were two-fold. Not only did he find the birds to be beautiful, but she herself was beautiful. Yet, she was completely oblivious in her excitement. The moment the vehicle landed, she was pulling him along enthusiastically towards the doors inside. He had to practically jog to keep up with her.
The entire experience seemed to fly by, with Jace wishing it could last longer. They were through the gates in quick succession, and he was willfully dragged along to all the exhibits and enclosures, many of which were shared among multiple species to allow them to be used to other animals. Though, predators and prey were kept separate, for obvious reasons.
The awe and wonder in her eyes were reflected in her smile and infected Jace. He was enchanted. Listening to her facts about animals and how every species was unique, yet some shared many similarities. She was a wealth of animal facts.
That's when he learned that she had gone to college for biology. She still had a bit of school left, which her mother had threatened her with not paying for. He reassured her when this was brought up that she wouldn't have to worry about that.
"I'm glad to have met you, Jace," Briana told him, kissing him by the elephant enclosure.
At the same time, one of the elephants roared and sprayed water into the area as if in celebration. Jace chuckled as some of the water splashed on them, with Briana giggling happily. They quickly moved on, with Jace following after Briana wherever she led. He was happy to do so.
She pointed and laughed at the otters playing. Gripped his arm and called his attention to the colorful birds. Clung to him as she gasped at the reptile exhibit. Marveled as several fish swam by in the aquarium, explaining to Jace what species they were.
"Briana, you're positively adorable," Jace told her once they had finally rested to get some food at the food court, "How can one person be just so...cute."
"S-Stop..." Briana's face lit up bright red, all while swaying slightly with a shy, coy smile, "Do you really think so?"
"Absolutely," Jace nodded affirmatively with a serious expression, "Don't tell the other's, but..."
Leaning in close and looking around as if he might be overheard, he held his hand up to the side of his mouth.
"You're the cutest," he said with a wink.
"Pfft, stop," Briana giggled, her face getting redder as she playfully smacked him, "They're adorable too, and I'm just...me."
"They are adorable and cute in their own ways, yes," Jace agreed as he sat back up, "As for you being you...that's all you need. Because you're perfect the way you are, Bri. My Sunflower."
"S-Sunflower?" Briana flustered, looking around nervously, "M-Me?"
"Yes, you," Jace chuckled, taking a sip of his drink while looking at her lovingly, "You're bright and cheerful. You're beautiful, and before you tell me sunflowers are weeds, you're right. However, much like how they take ahold in the wild, you've taken ahold of my heart."
Briana put her head into her hands, and he swore he could see the red come through even as she blocked her face. Peeking through, she glowered at him playfully.
"You're so cheesy," she stated, trying to sound angry but her amusement came through, "Honestly, how do you come up with such things?"
"I don't know, I just get lucky sometimes, I guess," he told her, smiling in adoration, "I mean every word I say, Bri. Do you not like the nickname I chose?"
"No..." Briana shook her head, slowly removing her hands to reveal a very embarrassed face, "It's not that I hate it, but...I really love it."
"I'm glad," Jace reached across the table and took her hands in his, "I know I haven't spent a lot of time with you, but you're just as precious as any of the others. I want you to know that."
"Mhm," she nodded with a smile, squeezing his hands, "I know, my darling."
Jace felt his cheeks heat up at her words and she giggled.
"You're adorable too," she told him, which only deepened his blush, "Not just that, but kind and loving. Thank you for taking me here."
"Of course," he replied with a smile, "I'm glad I took you. Seeing you enjoy yourself, while dangerous for my heart, has given me a lot of serotonin."
Briana giggled again and the two of them finished their food and continued their day at the Observatory. Before leaving, Jace made sure to buy her many gifts from the giftshop, including a large, adorable shark stuffie. It was blue with a white underbelly.
She hugged it to herself the entire ride home, and even as they arrived as the sun was setting, she still held onto it happily. Giving him a kiss and demanding he also give Sharkie, the humorous and apt name she gave the stuffed animal, a kiss.
She held them out to him, pouting defiantly until he gave in. Giggling, she then held Sharkie to her and thanked him for the day once more before running off to tell everyone all about it. As he watched her leave with a smile on his face, he spotted Selene from the corner of his eye, waiting for him.
"Welcome home, Dear," she said affectionately, embracing him as he walked over, "Bri looked to have enjoyed herself. I also see you got another lover?"
She teased him with a smirk, referring to Sharkie.
"Yeah, you better be careful," Jace teased back, wrapping his arms loving around her, "Sharkie might just steal me from all of you."
"Oh? Is that so?" She chuckled, holding him closer, "I might have to do something about that."
"Hmm, as long as it doesn't include harming Sharkie," Jace eyed her cautiously, "Bri seems to be quite attached to them."
"Ah! I would never!" Selene exclaimed in mock offense before smiling gently down at him, "If Bri is happy, then I'm happy. Allow me to show you, my appreciation."
Pulling him in close, she kissed him deeply and passionately, pulling him aside for a secret rendezvous just between them.
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