"How are you?", I asked.
Trouble huffed as she answered as she wrestled with my brother.
"As good as new."
I said nothing.
She was burning with fervor as she and Jung were practising hand wrestling. I knew she was much comfortable with my Jung that me. As I watched them practice, I felt like am unknown entity. Without sharing much I went down the pool to cool down my nerves. After taking few laps, I headed to the shower. As I changed my clothes Ruby passed by informing dinner's ready.
When I went there only Lee was sitting at the head and Ruby was getting the dishes ready.
Soon Jung and Trouble sat across from each other and Ruby took the chair beside me. There were lamb chops, fried tomatoes, garlic bread, kebab rolls and chicken soup. Ruby always goes all the way when it comes to food. According to her these are the fules we must add to our body before we went out to fight the entities. All of us were munching silently without sharing a single word.
Suddenly Trouble spoke up.
"Whose turn is it today?", she asked.
"I and bro will go out tonight", Jung replied as he smiled and nudged me.
A pang of something poke me in my gut, something I am not used to.
"Am I jealous?", I asked myself. "But why?" She and him always had a good relationship, I was the one who always gave her a cold shoulder then why this feeling. What changed?
Trouble again spoke up as she chew her bread, "I am joining you guys."
Lee replied, "Florida don't make me repeat twice. I have..."
She shook her head and said, 'Either I am joining them like I have been or I am leaving."
All of us looked at her at once stunned. What has been thinking blowing the candles like these.
She again spoke up, "This is my sole life goal if you take away my purpose what's the need of me staying here. That's why allow me to join them Uncle, but I promise if I cause you any more trouble, I will be out. But please don't take away my purpose from me. I could have snucked out easily, but I respect you a lot almost like a father so please don't force me into something which might turn into a regret."
Lee huffed.
"No point stopping I can see, you are too stubborn. But stop blackmailing with these walking out threats. Don't I or these guys mean nothing to you? Why do you think I am stopping you or why do you think if you face any sort of crisis we will turn our back? Child you're family, have you seen me treating you something else? "
" I apologise, it was very rude of me."
"No it's fine , relationships are not so easy to break and join, remember that Florida. The moment your father trusted you in my hands from that very day you became my daughter and not a liability or our relationship is not of a caretaker and a babysitter. Your father don't pay me for that, I hope you are aware."
Trouble's eye softened. " I know Uncle and I am very sorry. You see from my childhood I have been treated that way outside of home, hence I thought it would be the same here as well. "
"No absolutely not", Jung said as he took the empty chair beside her and rubbed her shoulder with a warm gaze.
Lee again spoke, "you can join them. I was worried you understand right? What will happen if you again get hurt?"
"If I do, I will heal and again join the fight. You know I will and there's no stopping here", she replied strongly.
"That's what I am afraid of the most. You know ghouls number have decreased. We came across a very few of them when we went hunting this week and I don't think I need to remind you the reason", Lee answered.
"That gives me the very reason to join the ground soon", she replied as she munched back into her bread.
The tension had died.
Lee asked, "so what's the plan?"
I was about the speak but she cut me off and said, "there's none. We attack! That's the only plan."
Trouble wiped off her face witg the napkin, saluted Lee as she pushed back her chair, and took off, to gear up for tonight.
As the two of us, got up to get ready, Lee passed me a warning look, which only meant, "look after her, don't let her into any sort of trouble." I shook my head and took the elevator to the Weaponery.
After getting the necessary equipments, I headed to the garage, at the back of our house to take out the beasts.
I drove a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4R and my brother drove a Bullet. There were few other cars that were lined up, but these were our beasts during hunting nights. As I was getting my beast ready, Trouble and Jung joined me.
He asked, "same location?"
I nodded.
He started the engine, Trouble jumped behind him.
"Meeting you there", he signalled me through the mirror and took off into the night.