- Ch. 17 - 1 Week Later (Part 3 of ?)

{3:00 PM}

In the dining room, things were slowly dying down. Most of the kids and the teens were already finished with lunch and were just hanging out and chatting. The only ones not part of this were Kim, Isabella, and a few of their assistants who were back at Kim's Workshop and continuing their own projects.

When Dinah and Nuit entered through the doors, they were greeted by their Familia. Panacea waved at them while she rocked the sleeping Conner side to side near the warmth of the fireplace.

Jillian and Sam; the twin Chienthropes, gained their attention and led them towards a table with untouched food still on them. And what a delectable spread of food it was. The smell alone was enough to make her mouth water.

Dinah and Nuit sat down and started partaking in the delicious spread of jasmine rice, halibut, herbal sauces, salads, and fresh lemon juice mixed with raw sugar, water, and a spritz of zest. 'They figured out how to make lemonade and added a twist to it?!', thought Dinah in wonder.

While they ate, the twin cooks regaled them in what they were eating and how it was prepared in their own playful way with matching grins on their faces. After their detailed explanation, they left to go continue with their clean up with Lianne trailing behind them; wanting to help out in her own way.

As she ate, she enjoyed the ambiance within the room. There was soft chatter all around, some lighthearted teasing, joyful laughter, and the pitter patter of feet against the dining room floors. To Dinah, this house was definitely starting to feel more and more like a home. And she loved it.

"Hey tsis, Ms. Lance iss over tthhere... let'ss ask her for more thips and and for thhat...", said a young voice with a slight lisp.

Dinah met Nuit's raised brow and they turned their heads to see two young girls heading for their table.

The oldest of the two is a girl that's 8 years old with long pink hair the color of bubblegum. Her name is Jayne and she's the responsible sort who grew up way too fast for her own good. She can always be found next to little Camille who she's always taken care of.

Dinah still felt her heart clench when she remembered what Panacea and Faith told her about the duo's history and how they ended up being part of the Panacea Familia.

Jayne is another Chienthrope of the Familia, but Jillian and Sam thinks that she has a bit of Werewolf ancestry in her blood. Jayne's dog ears are more pointed while her tail is more bushy and shorter than average. The pink hair was probably a mutation from somewhere along her bloodline. Jayne has fair skin, startling amber eyes, and a cute nose. Her lips are almost always set in a thin neutral line, but Dinah's seen her smile when around the other kids.

The youngest of the duo is little Camille who was only 5 years old. Interestingly enough, Camille is a Cait Sithe; also known as a cat person. She's part of the Demi-Human race of Cait Sithes; which are humans with the racial traits of a cat. Camille; with her adorable lisp, can always be found with Jayne right beside her.

Camille is a fair skinned girl with adorable chubby cheeks, grey teal eyes, straight auburn hair; that's cut short, and she always has a bounce in her step. Next to Conner, Camille is probably the most energetic kid that Dinah's ever dealt with.

The two young girls were wearing matching sundresses with what looks like sunflowers, daisies, and tulips in a black background. 'It looks like little Camille roped Jayne into wearing matching outfits again.'

"Whatever you want, Camille.", Jayne said with quiet aplomb. "But Ms. Lance and big sister Nuit are currently eating right now, so we'll have to be patient."

"Otay.", replied Camille with a bright grin.

When the two young girls reached their table, they greeted Dinah and Nuit and asked if they could sit next to them. The Canary and the Dark Elf didn't mind at all, so they let Jayne and Camille join them.

After a while, Dinah asked them, "So girls, what're you here for?"

"Camille and I wanted to ask something of you.", Jayne answered while gesturing towards the happily bouncing cait sithe next to her.

"Yeah, it'ss something pretty fwun. And Jayne thsings the besst lullabies.", she said excitedly while she clung onto Jayne's abdomen like a barnacle.

Jayne; with a growing blush blossoming her face, coughed into her hand while she held Camille to herself with her other arm. 'Did she really need to mention that?', Jayne thought to herself while she tousled Camille's short auburn hair gently.

Nuit; who already finished eating her own food, was silently sipping her cup of jasmine tea as she watched the by-play between Dinah the singing teacher and two of her prized apprentice singers with silent amusement.

Dinah finished her food and washed it down with her own lemonade before she continued talking to her apprentices.

"What kind of tips did you want?", she asked the two young girls with a smile.

"I wanted more tips to learn how to project my voice more while little Camille wanted to listen to your singing voice again.", answered Jayne with a slight blush still dusting her cheeks.

"Nyahaha, yeah!", the little cat girl agreed exuberantly.

"Well then, why don't we do a duet, Jayne.", Dinah suggested encouragingly. "After the duet, I can give you more tips and tricks to help you project. Camille can get her song and you can get your tips, how about it?"

With a slight smile, Jayne agreed with a nod. "That would be lovely."

"Yay! I geth to thear you thsings again."

Dinah didn't know how, but Camille somehow clung even more to Jayne. And Jayne; bless her heart, didn't even flinch or complain. 'How sweet...'

"So, what song did you want to sing?", Dinah asked while trying not to stare at what she's starting to call little Camille's cuddle attacks.

Nuit; who was still across the table, was still observing the scene with hidden intrigue. 'Hnnn... another beautiful rendition of a song no one's heard of before. Thankfully, Dinah hasn't sung outside since her meeting with Mother Panacea. These songs are too beautiful and unique to not attract the attention of the Muses themselves. I wonder what Mother thinks about this...?'

"Can we sing the first duet we've been practicing in class?", replied Jayne with a bit of confidence.

"Yes, sure. That would be excellent.", Dinah answered. "Do you want to start?"

"Yes, please.", Jayne said a little more quietly while she steeled her resolve. After a few seconds, the young girl started the song with a low pitch. But as she got more comfortable, her voice resonated.

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~~ For all those times you stood by me ~

~ For all the truth ~ that you made me see ~

For all the joy ~ you brought to my life ~

~ For all the wrong ~ that you made right ~

For every dream ~ you made come true

For all the love ~~ I found in you ~

I'll ~ be forever thankful~, baby

You're the one who held me up ~

Never let me fall ~~~

~ You're the one who saw me through ~~ it all

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When Dinah heard Jayne's beginning rendition of the ballad, she smiled gently at the emotion Jayne tried to convey. 'She's got moxy and potential. I wonder how good she'll be in a few more years?'

As her apprentice finished the first part of the song, Dinah took over the ballad. With a joyful smile, Dinah followed through.

——————————————————————————————

~ You were my strength when I was weak ~

~ You were my voice when I couldn't speak ~

You were my eyes ~ when I couldn't see ~

You saw the best ~ there was in me ~

Lifted me up ~ when I couldn't reach ~

~ You gave me faith ~ 'cause you believed ~~

I'm everything I am ~

Because you ~ loved me ~~

——————————————————————————————

After her turn, Jayne took over. As Jayne continued from where Dinah left off, Camille just watched them with a transfixed look of awe and joy.

——————————————————————————————

You gave me wings and made me fly ~

You touched my hand, I could touch the sky ~

I lost my faith, you gave it back to me ~

You said no star ~ was out of reach ~

You stood by me ~ and I stood tall ~~

I had your love ~~ I had it all ~

I'm grateful for each day you gave me

Maybe I don't know ~~ that much

But I know this much is true ~~

I was blessed because ~ I was loved by you ~~~

——————————————————————————————

When the ballad reached this point, Dinah joined Jayne by harmonizing with her vocals without taking over. And besides, Jayne's vocals were getting stronger as the song carried on. The Canary just added her voice in to further support her apprentice in her performance.

——————————————————————————————

~ You were my strength when I was weak ~

~ You were my voice when I couldn't speak ~

You were my eyes ~ when I couldn't see ~

You saw the best ~ there was in me ~

Lifted me up ~ when I couldn't reach ~

~ You gave me faith ~ 'cause you believed ~~

I'm everything I am ~

Because you ~ loved me ~~

You were always ~ there for me

The tender wind that carried ~~ me

A light in the dark shining your love into my life ~

You've been my inspiration ~

Through the lies ~ you were the truth ~~

My world is a better place because ~~ of you ~~~

~ You were my strength when I was weak ~

~ You were my voice when I couldn't speak ~

~ You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best ~ there was in me ~~

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach ~

You gave me faith ~ 'cause you believed ~

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me ~

~ You were my strength when I was weak ~

~ You were my voice when I couldn't speak ~

~ You were my eyes when I couldn't see ~

You saw the best ~ there was in me ~~

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach ~

You gave me faith ~ 'cause you believed ~~

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me ~~

I'm everything I am ~~~

Because you loved me ~~~~

——————————————————————————————

When the song ended, everyone in the room applauded. Dinah; with an even brighter smile on her face, started complimenting Jayne on her vocal performance while she gave her even more tips and tricks for the young girl to use to further enhance her growing talent. Nuit just sat quietly to the side with a subtly impressed look on her face. Camille on the other hand was just clapping along happily with a glimmer of subtle moisture in her eyes.

While this was going on, Panacea; with Conner now asleep and holding onto her tightly, just looked on with fondness while she whispered to Jillian and Sam who were sitting nearby.

"Beautiful, wasn't it girls?"

"Oh, yes. Just like always.", replied Jillian with a light tittering giggle escaping her.

"She's such a good teacher, that one.", confirmed Sam with a glimmer of something in her purple eyes.

With a careful glance, Panacea watched Sam and observed her face with gentle eyes. "Are you alright, Sam?"

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just.. something got in my eyes, is all.", she replied unconvincingly while she wiped her face with the sleeve of her yukata.

Jillian; seeing what occurred, scooted closer to her twin and gave her a side hug while she laid her head down on her sister's shoulder. *Sigh* "It reminded you of someone, didn't it?"

"No...", Sam said quietly.

"I see...", said Jillian neutrally while she met Panacea's understanding eyes.

With her gentle smile never leaving her face, Panacea excused herself to let the twins comfort each other by the fire. She carried Conner over to where Lianne sat with her younger brothers and sisters and waved at them. 'Oh my children, such tragic pasts you have. Faith, Kim, and I have tried our best to help you heal. I'm thankful that our Songbird and her son came to our lives. It looks like Dinah's unique presence is slowly helping you all to recover. I guess where words fail, music speaks.'

——————————————————————————————

{4:27 PM}

In the front courtyard of the Panacea Familia, we can find only a single person out and about, resting his back against the single tree. This person was none other than Desmond Custos; a.k.a. Des, of the Panacea Familia.

The 14 year old chienthrope was currently resting after a tiring day of marking the Panacea Familia grounds, laying down distance markers, measuring certain areas, and taking note of them on a journal he was given by his Familia Captain.

'I wonder what Captain Faith just had me do, but I'm glad that I finally got it done. The grounds around our home aren't that large, but the exact measurements are what took most of my time.'

*Grunt* With an exhale, Des got up and started towards the front entrance of the Familia home. 'I need a shower and some grub. I'm starving.'

He didn't know it at the time, but Faith was expecting him to have been finished after a couple more days. He finished the work within the span of 6 - 7 hours. And when Faith comes to check up on his measurements, she would be pleasantly surprised to note that they are exact down to the centimeter.

This amazing job inadvertently led Des to become Faith's go-to landscaper, land marker, and official measurement specialist.

——————————————————————————————

{4:27 PM... Same time}

After the late lunch, the singing session with Jayne, and a few more familial pleasantries, Dinah; with Conner held to her bosom, was back at the playroom. She sat next to Panacea, Nuit, and Lianne. Walter; a.k.a. Wall, was currently reading a book to the younger kids that were around with a very engaging voice that grabbed their attention.

Panacea was currently stroking little Conner's blond locks alongside Lianne while Nuit watched with silent amusement.

"So Dinah, any interesting finds today with your research on Runes?", Panacea asked softly.

With a smile, Dinah happily explained what she found out earlier about the new Rune she was researching.

■ - This Runic symbol represents weight, numbers, it multiplies certain effects, and by itself it represents the element of earth. It symbolizes the earth's many elements and nature.

"Hmmm..., so this Rune could be the key to how your satchel holds as much as it does?", asked the Goddess of Cures and Universal Medicine with further intrigue.

"It could be, but I'd like some more time to research. I still don't know how I'll write or even put a Runic symbol on another object, but if we do find out how to, then it could be a game changer.", said Dinah excitedly.

"Hnnn.. fascinating~, it could help our Familia..~ with certain things, but~ would you be willing..~ to have this knowledge..~ out in the open~?", questioned Nuit with a raised brow.

*Sigh* Panacea exhaled and nodded to her Dark Elven daughter's words. "She's right Songbird, this knowledge has so many ways that it can be and will be abused. Smuggling dangerous objects, artifacts, and even smuggling in people could be made easier with this new and esoteric knowledge that you've just discovered. Runes, Sigils, and Symbols of Power aren't a new concept, but these Runes that Dr. Fate left you are real game changers."

Dinah nodded with a slight frown marring her features. "That's true. As sad as I am to admit it, this knowledge is too dangerous for anyone else outside our Familia to know about. This knowledge will have to be kept within our Familia. It's the most responsible thing to do."

"Hnnn.. very.", Nuit agreed with a slight nod. "I'll talk to the Captain~ about an idea.. I've got cooking up..~ It could help us..~ to camouflage the Runes..~"

'How can Nuit speak with such a beautiful Welsh accent and still sound slightly superior without even meaning to?'

After that thought crossed her mind, Dinah swiftly stomped on it and erased it.

"Whatever it is, I'll let you and our Captain have at it. I'll be busy for a couple of months or so trying to decipher all these Runes the good Doctor left me. I'm surprised that he left me all of these things, to be honest."

"Oh silly Songbird, you've said it yourself. Kent Nelson is a good friend of yours. I doubt he would've left you and Conner here without security.", said Panacea with a knowing smile.

"Huh?", Dinah asked with a confused look in her eyes.

Nuit just rolled her eyes in amusement. Lianne was still petting Conner's blond locks in fascination while a look of the utmost concentration was set firmly on her face. 'Big sis Sensei's son is my little brother. You are small, and I am big. That means I must protect you. You are so adorable. I will become strong enough to protect you and everyone.', this was the current thought process of Lianne; the 10 year old, Hume Bunny girl of the Panacea Familia. It was also the start of a spark. An idea that will become known as the Conner-Watch. Who knows when it'll start, but Lianne would be one of it's founding members.

Panacea didn't answer Dinah's confusion, but a mischievous smile did appear on her face. 'I'll let you figure it out Songbird. You're pretty smart.. It's just that you sometimes miss the details. I don't think it was a coincidence that I met you in that park.'

'You were given a satchel with an unknown number of Runes that this world has never seen before, your son's invisible protection necklace, a bottle of never-ending water, a bottle of perfect baby temperature milk, enough food to last a month, money, two Development Abilities that have never been seen or heard of before, your locked Magic, the knowledge of the languages of this world, and one of your Abilities happened to be the ability to interpret and understand the very Runes that Dr. Fate left for you. I'm lucky I got to you first. However, I was kind of wondering why I was the first one that was able to reach you first after you finished singing that song of yours back in the park...'