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“Yes,” came her breathless answer, wishing she could just pull him into her arms. Yet at the same time she feared his reaction and rejection. She couldn’t help wondering if chatting with him would help. “For many years..After your father and I sent you off, we escaped in our own pod except we lost track of you somewhere and I had no idea which planet you ended up on.”

Giving Stella one last pat on the head, Ithil straightened herself back up to be level with him though how he had grown. He was a few inches taller than she. “The sonar of your pod was lost and I had to search through several planets for you.. until I came upon Earth.”

She took another step closer to him though tried to keep her hands in check to not scare him off. “I know you must have your own life here but I would still at least love to chat with you..to learn about your life and how it is faring if I may? It was all I wished for – that you were safe and happy.”

… Oh, why of all times did she have to find him now?

Jack did want to talk to her. There were so many things he wanted to find out; it didn’t usually bother him, but there were times when he hated being the only one of the blue people (in his own mind, at least) who didn’t remember their homeworld.  And, like any orphan, he wanted to know where he had come from. Who had his parents been, back on their planet? Why hadn’t they sent a minion-fish with him, when all the other blue orphans seemed to have one? What had their world been like?

But, at the same time, Jack couldn’t help feeling a sting of resentment. Why couldn’t she have found him twenty years ago, when he was a bullied and frightened child who would have given anything for a family? Even ten years ago, he would have leaped at the chance. And now … why couldn’t she have come just a week ago, when Katelynn was still there?

He swallowed nervously again. “Y-yes, I’d like that. W-we can go back to my place.” Jack managed a shy smile. “I’ll tell you everything.”

Unknowing of his thoughts but mindful of his shy nature, Ithil just kept the grateful smile on her face though it widened with his invitation. “I would love that, dear,” she managed, swallowing the lump that threatened to push tears down her cheeks. How she just wanted to cry in happiness and gratitude but she kept the tears at bay and followed him back to his apartment.

Though still trying to get words out of him during the walk. “These are your lovely little ones?” she inquired, gesturing to the two dogs. “Is your Minion all right with them in the house?” She had no idea if dogs were partial to fish and wished to eat them after all.

Jack smiled at that. “Yes, these are m-my special girls. The black one is Roxy,” he jiggled the pug’s leash a little for emphasis, “and the one who insisted on smelling your shoes is Stella." 

The mention of a Minion, though, made the blue man hesitate. He might not remember much about his childhood, but he did remember that when he’d been placed in the pod, he’d been alone. When he’d learned that nearly all the other blue orphans had a talking fish as their companion, Jack had felt a deep sting of jealousy. Why had he been left to grow up without a best friend – without that special bond he could feel the others had? 

And the fact that this woman thought he did have one made his heart sink. If she’d given her son a minion-fish … then she must be an alternate. Not his true mother.

Jack bit his lip. "I, um, don’t have a Minion." 

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When eye contact was broken and deciding to peer down to see what the matter was, Ithil merely smiled. The shock was beginning to wear off with Jack’s words and she crouched down to coddle the little bulldog. “Well hello sweetie,” she greeted as Stella licked her cheek. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Still her eyes strayed back to Jack to take him in – to see what her child had become; a grown man. And how it sent her heart soaring. “Forgive me..for appearing so suddenly. I just..I’ve been searching for a long time for you – on many planets..the shock must be quite intense for you.”

She wasn’t as shy as people thought, her stare intense yet gentle on his features as her eyes roamed the contours of his face to soak up every little detail.

Under her gaze, Jack could only fidget in silence. Those green eyes, and that face … they brought only the faintest images to mind, like memories from a long-ago dream. The voice stirred something too, but he couldn’t remember what it might have said in the past.

He did remember her, but by images and feelings only. He didn’t know her name, and he barely associated the idea of “mother” with her. When he thought of that word, Bonnie Maple was the person who came to mind, just like Aloysius was who he always thought of as “father”. Meeting Vycter hadn’t changed that. 

“Y-you could say that,” he admitted, with a nervous chuckle. “But you … you’ve been looking for me?” 

He wasn’t sure how to feel about that. 

“Yes,” came her breathless answer, wishing she could just pull him into her arms. Yet at the same time she feared his reaction and rejection. She couldn’t help wondering if chatting with him would help. “For many years..After your father and I sent you off, we escaped in our own pod except we lost track of you somewhere and I had no idea which planet you ended up on.”

Giving Stella one last pat on the head, Ithil straightened herself back up to be level with him though how he had grown. He was a few inches taller than she. “The sonar of your pod was lost and I had to search through several planets for you.. until I came upon Earth.”

She took another step closer to him though tried to keep her hands in check to not scare him off. “I know you must have your own life here but I would still at least love to chat with you..to learn about your life and how it is faring if I may? It was all I wished for – that you were safe and happy.”

… Oh, why of all times did she have to find him now?

Jack did want to talk to her. There were so many things he wanted to find out; it didn’t usually bother him, but there were times when he hated being the only one of the blue people (in his own mind, at least) who didn’t remember their homeworld.  And, like any orphan, he wanted to know where he had come from. Who had his parents been, back on their planet? Why hadn’t they sent a minion-fish with him, when all the other blue orphans seemed to have one? What had their world been like?

But, at the same time, Jack couldn’t help feeling a sting of resentment. Why couldn’t she have found him twenty years ago, when he was a bullied and frightened child who would have given anything for a family? Even ten years ago, he would have leaped at the chance. And now … why couldn’t she have come just a week ago, when Katelynn was still there?

He swallowed nervously again. “Y-yes, I’d like that. W-we can go back to my place.” Jack managed a shy smile. “I’ll tell you everything.”

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Ithil’s eyes were trained on Jack’s seeing the familiar green that reflected in her own. With his pencil thin mustache and facial structure he reminded her so much of her husband that her eyes misted over slightly.

Had she found him at last?

Walking the streets aimlessly had finally paid off as she took a hesitant step forward. Her mouth wished to speak but it took her several attempts before she could even form words.

“My..My child..?”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Y-your … um …” 

For a moment, even his impressive brain couldn’t process that. Unlike many of the other blue people, the artist had almost no memories of his lost home planet. He remembered meeting Vycter, months ago, and how that had triggered a brief image of being placed in his pod as an infant. Now, as he looked at the green-eyed woman more closely …

“I …” Jack gulped. “… I th-think I might be.” 

As was his habit when he was unsure, he dropped eye contact and looked down at the ground – and saw the bulldog furiously sniffing the woman’s boots. “Stella, hey! Leave her alone!”

When eye contact was broken and deciding to peer down to see what the matter was, Ithil merely smiled. The shock was beginning to wear off with Jack’s words and she crouched down to coddle the little bulldog. “Well hello sweetie,” she greeted as Stella licked her cheek. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Still her eyes strayed back to Jack to take him in – to see what her child had become; a grown man. And how it sent her heart soaring. “Forgive me..for appearing so suddenly. I just..I’ve been searching for a long time for you – on many planets..the shock must be quite intense for you.”

She wasn’t as shy as people thought, her stare intense yet gentle on his features as her eyes roamed the contours of his face to soak up every little detail.

Under her gaze, Jack could only fidget in silence. Those green eyes, and that face … they brought only the faintest images to mind, like memories from a long-ago dream. The voice stirred something too, but he couldn’t remember what it might have said in the past.

He did remember her, but by images and feelings only. He didn’t know her name, and he barely associated the idea of “mother” with her. When he thought of that word, Bonnie Maple was the person who came to mind, just like Aloysius was who he always thought of as “father”. Meeting Vycter hadn’t changed that. 

“Y-you could say that,” he admitted, with a nervous chuckle. “But you … you’ve been looking for me?" 

He wasn’t sure how to feel about that.