That morning when they got to the training barracks Beth bolted for the bathroom again, she didn't come out for twenty minutes. Winry asked when she came out, "Do you want me to do a scan?"
"Why? So you can tell me I'm pregnant? I already know that." Beth laughed at the shocked expressions on her details faces. "Is Winry the only one who guessed? Why do you think I went back to yoga, instead of continuing with martial arts. I was due that third morning back from the trip and I've never been more than five days late I didn't want to hurt the baby so…"
"What? When?" Roy sputtered.
"When is the baby due around the beginning of August. I just wish I could get hold of Sirius."
"I'd still like to do a scan Beth, just to make sure you're healthy."
"I'll be fine. Time's up I'm supposed to meet with Charles and go over the NATO meeting notes from last month."
The rest of the day the team did it's best to run interference with Beth's family and anyone else Beth didn't want to see. Riza and Roy brought her home from work and were met at the door by Walter and Radar. "This package arrived today but the contents don't make sense to me." Radar said. Beth took the box and headed to her suite. The entire team had gathered for the evening meeting as Beth opened the box. "Cell Phones?"
"Why would an unnamed someone send you eight cell phones? They wouldn't work here and wizards short out cell phones?" Radar asked.
"I don't know." Beth noticed one of the phones had a case that had a turquoise color tropical flower made with rhinestones with a silver rhinestone stamen. She picked it up out of the box. Suddenly the box changed it was bigger and had more than phones in it. The team jumped.
Several "What the.." were heard. Suddenly the phone in her hand rang.
.....
December 14,1988 Baltimore, MD evening
Beth lifted the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hello beautiful. Like your present?"
"Sirius?" she practically squealed.
"Always about you."
"How did you? How is this even possible? It's wonderful but how?"
"This has been a side project of mine for five years or so. I took stuff I learned in doing the wards at my house for Harry. The ways the goblins grow these crystals to store energy any I combined it with muggle engineering and voila cell phones for wizards. I got the actual calling contract organized via Bromley's bank there in DC it's with AT&T. Bromley's is also how they got shipped to the Castle too. They don't need charging like a regular cell phone because they feed off the crystal's stored energy which it absorbs from the surroundings or from the wizard himself. Anyway your phone is one for the first dozen off the assembly line I appropriated them I sent one for you, one for Andy, one for Amelia, one for Remus, one for Harry his magic is starting to grow he's gone through two normal cell phones in the last five months shorting them out, and the other seven are gifts to your team. I wanted them to have them for two reasons one as a Thank you for all the research which will eventually clear me and two to keep you safe. There are instruction manuals in the box. Harry sent the engagement photos and the ones he took of us that night he set us up the little sneak. He's practically jumping here he wants to talk to you.."
"Beth, Beth amies-tu foto?
"Harry I haven't had a chance to look at the photographs yet and if you speak English, French German or Spanish I'll understand you but if you start Indonesian I won't have a clue. Take a deep breath and focus on one language please."
"Beth why haven't you been taking our calls we've tried for days." Harry's excited voice practically wailed.
"My father blocked them Harry, it was not my choice."
"Doesn't he like us?"
"Kiddo he doesn't know you and he's afraid of Sirius' big bad rep. He hasn't even really sat down with me since I got back." Beth's detail caught the wistful note in her voice. "How do you like being home?"
"It's great. I got a letter from each of my pen pals, the scout troop went camping, football's going well, and tomorrow I test for the next level in eskrima. Tonight's going to be so much fun! Liana's grandson finally is big and healthy enough to leave the Hospital Sri gave him the potion last night so tonight the whole village is having a party to welcome him. I can't wait. Sirius says that's enough for now so I'll talk to you tomorrow I hope you liked the design I picked for your phone case. I saw it and thought of you. Bye.
"Bye rugrat." after a few seconds Sirius was back on"He's certainly excited."
"I know he's been helping Liana set up the party. It's been the only thing keeping him distracted from missing you., but as wired as he is we may wind up coming back early because he'll be to tired to stay. So what's been happening there?"
"I decided to move out. My step-father is being totally unreasonable and my mother isn't much better. I used to do whatever they wanted because I didn't want them to be unhappy with me, mostly due to my empathy I guess. But since I got back I've stood up for myself and as result we've been fighting lots. I haven't been feeling well and the stress is getting to me . I decided I'm thirty two I can leave and not have to put up their manipulating crap, I know they do it because they love me and want what's best but it's past time for me to be my own person."
"I suppose I can understand that, how goes work on a trial there?"
.....
Read the next chapter on my p@treon for free.
Paid members can get more than 60 chapters.
Link: [email protected]/GalaxyWonder