Home Again

The guards immediately checked the roof to confirm Noble's words. 

Fort blocked his wife with his body. "Your dress," he whispered. 

Noble looked down. While the bodice of the gown had remained intact under her armor, the skirt was ruined. Dresses and suits of armor did not mix.

'I really liked this outfit.'

Noble summoned the [Loyal Tabard]. The cloth worked as a tunic and laid gently over what was left of her gown. 

"Better?" she asked her husband with a weary smile. 

"Depends. Are you alright?" With his wife's wardrobe malfunction fixed, Fort began to check her body for injury. 

"I am fine. How is everyone else?" The professor needed to make sure that Nickel's assertion was accurate. 

"Everyone was alive when I left. Are you sure that you aren't hurt?" The man's examination became more intense. Noble pulled her arm away gently.

"All is well. You don't need to worry about me." She reassured him.

"I always worry about you, and don't you try to stop me," Fort said sharply, startling her. His tone softened. "You just disappeared. What was I supposed to think?" 

"I'm sorry. That must have been terrifying. I'm glad you didn't come barreling back here by yourself." The professor looked around at the Awakened guards of Valor. He had brought a considerable amount of muscle with him. 

"I tried. I abandoned the others and ran this way. But I couldn't get into the building until Valor arrived." 

"Fort!" Noble wanted to protect her husband, and the foolish man had put himself right back into danger!

"You ran off, so can I," he countered, shutting her argument off at the head. 

She looked down, ashamed. "Next time, I will let you know what I am doing and not just vanish." 

"Let's hope there isn't a next time!" Fort pulled the woman close. His frustration and fear were overwhelmed by his relief. 

"Ma'am, can you tell us what they looked like?" One of the guards asked. 

"He was clad in black and had a face covered with a cloth. I did not see which way he ran. But I think he had an accomplice, our female driver. Master Kenz can give you a better description of her, I believe." Noble rattled off the details to the soldier of Valor. All of it was true though it wasn't particularly helpful.

Seeing he would get no more information, the guard motioned to one of his companions. "Take them back to manor."

By the time the couple arrived back at the main house, a healer was waiting to check Noble for injury. After the professor was given a clean bill of health, she was offered fresh clothing and given the family's deepest apologies. 

"I am glad you are well," Whispering Blade's wife said as she handed over some of her personal garments for Noble to wear. "The guards say the confrontation cracked the roof. It must have been quite a fight!" 

"It was." Noble accepted the clothing with a dip of her head. 

"We will get to the bottom of this," the stately woman nodded. 

Noble could feel the anger inside her that something had happened in her house.

'A war is coming.' Nickel's words came back to her. Was the woman before her part of that war or just another victim like herself? 

"Thank you for the dress." Noble excused herself to change. 

Their original PTV driver was eventually found. After returning from dropping off Awakened Ty and Awakened Shelbi, he had been drugged. 

The government officials were given a ride home by Clan Valor's personal chauffeurs. Alone in the back of one of the cars, Fort took his wife's hand. There was so much he wanted to say, but could not when the others were around. Even in the PTV, the driver would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation. 

Understanding Fort's desire, Noble called forth [The Other's Voice] and covertly handed one half to her husband. She then tucked her hair behind her ear, simultaneously putting the small Memory in place.

'Can you hear me?' She asked through the Memory.

'How does this work? Do I have to think it towards you?' Fort's voice entered her head. He glanced toward the driver, but the man did not seem to be aware that anything had changed.

'If you want the thought to remain private, it will. Otherwise, I can hear it. To be honest, I am not exactly sure how it decides what thoughts to send.' All Noble knew was that it worked. 

'I am glad you are ok. What happened back there?' Fort had noticed his wife was very tight-lipped with Valor around. 

'I fought the attacker and won. But then I let him go.' Noble closed her eyes as the reply came into her mind like a scream.

'WHAT?!' Fort did everything he could to keep his face neutral, but his lips still parted in a stifled gasp. 'How could you let him go?'

'Valor would never have let him leave with us. They would have tortured and killed him before the night was over. We never would have gotten answers on who was behind the attack.' The professor squeezed her husband's hand.

Fort shook his head slowly. 'How will we get answers now? You said you let him go.' 

'Nickel promised he is going to find you and speak to you.' Noble braced herself for another outburst. 

But the response this time was eerily calm. 'Nickel? The Librarian who is also a Dreamscape duelist? Yeah, that makes sense...' 

'Wait, you are taking that news better than I expected.' The professor could feel her husband was still very emotional, but the fact that she knew the attacker had quieted some of his fears.

'If we know who it is, that makes things much easier,' he answered simply. 

'Don't do anything crazy.' It was Noble's turn to be alarmed.

The Deputy Director looked deep into his wife's eyes. 'If he comes to me on his own, I won't have to.' 

Noble hoped things would go peacefully between them, but it was out of her hands. She glance out the window. 'There's more. Nickel said there is a war coming between the Clans.'

'Song and Valor are usually at odds...' Fort began.

'This sounds like more than that. Much more...If Nic is right and they are fighting each other, then they won't have time to fight against the real problem: the Gates in Antarctica. If they are going to be useless, then Awakwened like myself have to step up to...'

'We can talk about that in the morning. I don't have the strength to consider losing you again tonight.' Fort suddenly looked a dozen years older.

The words were a bucket of cold water on the flames she was fanning.

'I love you.' She laid her head on his shoulder. 'I am glad you are alright.'

'I love you too,' he put his arm around her. They rode the rest of the way home in silence. 

They entered their home just as the first light was peeking over the horizon. Thankfully, the house was still quiet. None of the kids were awake.

On the living room couch, a woman was slumped over, having fallen asleep watching something on her communicator. 

She was startled awake when the door shut. 

"Mom?" Noble was surprised to see Lena in her house. "Are the kids alright? Did something happen?" 

"Everythin is fine. I just dozed off waiting for you to get home. Fort called me because he wasn't sure when you would be back. He didn't want the kids to worry." Lena explained. 

"I see. I just didn't realize you would be coming over." Noble remembered asking Fort to message her mother while she was being examined.

Apparently, the two had decided it would be best for the grandmother to go and check on her grandkids. Neither of the adults had wanted to wake Honey and upset her. 

"Now that you are back, I can go home," Lena stretched. 

The stretch made Noble yawn. "No, I am glad you are here."

"You need to go to sleep, my love," Fort could see all the warning signs. "I'll take over for now."

"You need sleep too," she protested. Wasn't her body more resilient than his mundane one?

"He wasn't the one fighting a killer," Lena looked sharply at her daughter. "Now, go to bed. Fort and I will handle things." The older woman held up her hand to stall the professor's argument. 

Noble sighed. "Yes, mother." 

Now that she was home again, it turned out Noble was more tired than even she realized. The moment the pod closed, she was already fast asleep.