Mama Knows (V:LD/ODaaT 2017 Crossover)

012. ChickLit

She wasn't expecting the phone call per say.

In fact, with the news that Lance Riera had disappeared with a few other students, she figured the next call would be the fact they found the kids, hopefully in one piece. She was, in fact, the closest relative outside of the garrison psychiatrist to the kid, and her niece had promised that she would get a call if Lance showed up.

"Aunt Penelope?"

"Mi sobrino pequeño!" Penelope let out a sigh. "Estás a salvo."

"My darling grandson at the garrison's been found?" Lydia piped up, a sparkle in her eye. Both Elena and Alex's heads shot up.

Alex smoothed back his hair. "So, cousin Lance is going to come and visit?"

His older sister, however, shushed him very quickly.

"Yes, yes. I'm safe auntie." Lance took a deep breath. "And I'm not small!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing worrying us like that, niño! You take off with a bunch of your friends, disappearing for months! The garrison's not even giving me details, so..." The typical 'Cuban' lecture in the Alvarez family started up.

"We were out being defenders of the universe."

"What?" Penelope startled. "What does being defenders of the universe mean?"

Elena began to laugh into her morning breakfast, while one of Alex's eyebrows shot up. The younger Alvarez turned to his sister. "Hey, is our primo in trouble?"

"Probably."

"More importantly, do you remember when you talked to me about, oh, say PTSD..."

"You said you were okay! That's not okay!"

"No! Not me. A friend. I have a friend who..." Lance took a deep breath on the other side of the phone. "¿Tía hablas a él?"

Penelope took a deep breath. "How bad is it?"

"What is wrong with my Lance?" Lydia piped up, sniffing as she did.

"No. A friend of his."

"Pretty bad. He managed to almost make Keith of all people cry."

"Keith isn't he..."

"The kid Lance really, really hates." Elena piped up.

"You mean his rival." Alex spooned some food into his mouth. "The one that never acknowledges him for his achievements."

"I think your cousin is exaggerating the truth on that," Penelope spoke to her children aside.

"Um. I'm not exaggerating. Keith still looks like he's going to cry, and has left the room they've given him. In fact, he's sulking in the middle of his bed, acting all pissed off with the world again. Actually, that's kind of normal for him, but it's more along the lines of being pissed off with the universe. Which I really can't blame him, what with his mother... or maybe it's father... being an alien, and not just any alien, but the alien species that wishes to wipe out the entire galaxy? Yeah..."

"What do you mean aliens?" Penelope took a deep breath. "May I please speak with your sister?"

Alex's eyes went wide, while Elena's eyebrow shot up. The older of the two continued to laugh. "I knew our cousin was el loco."

"Was the reason Lance away because he was helping refugees enter our country?"

"No abuela, she means the other kind of aliens." When Lydia simply stared at her granddaughter, Elena pointed up to the sky.