Christmas in ’02

The next day.

Early morning.

By the time Lake and Skye got out of the elevator, Cassel had already pulled the car around.

"Skye."

Alexis, who rolled down the rear window, waved at Skye and opened the car door. "Hurry up and get in, we’re going to be late."

"Thank you."

After getting into the car, Skye thanked Alexis. She had heard from Alexis yesterday while they were shopping that Alexis also attended Midtown High School, but was a year older than her.

Cassel started the car right after Lake got in.

Alexis, in the back seat, said, "Normally, the school bus stops at our building around 7:30. Tomorrow, we’ll meet downstairs."

Skye nodded.

Lake, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at Skye through the rearview mirror, feeling something was off.

Wait a minute…

Wasn’t Skye supposed to be fearless and carefree?

Could this be the butterfly effect?

Lake muttered to himself. If he had somehow erased the future world-destroyer who could break the Earth, Lake wouldn’t know if he deserved praise or punishment.

…Wait.

Right.

Didn’t Skye also become the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. at one point?

If Skye became the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., then what was he, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s adoptive father?

Lake began to ponder.

Half an hour later.

They arrived at Midtown High School.

Before Lake even got out of the car, he saw a familiar face at the school entrance. He looked at Cassel helplessly. "Did you tell George?"

Cassel shook his head. "I swear to God I didn’t. Beckett just found out."

Lake: "…"

What’s the difference between that and telling George?

Lake shook his head, feeling speechless, and pushed the car door open. George, who seemed to have been waiting for a while, immediately waved when he saw Lake.

Gwen, standing next to George, watched Skye, who was getting out of the back seat, with curiosity.

Gwen had met Alexis before. After all, both were academic stars and pretty girls. Moreover, Cassel often mingled with the NYPD, so it wasn’t strange for them to know each other.

This was Gwen’s first time meeting Skye.

Her father had mentioned a few days ago that Uncle Lake had adopted a girl and was trying to transfer her to Midtown High School. Lake had also asked George to tell Gwen to help Skye get familiar with the environment.

Lake hugged George. "No cases at the precinct?"

George checked his watch. "Nothing this morning."

Lake said "oh," his peripheral vision tracking the positions of the three young girls.

As a genius scholar, Gwen was not only a scholarship recipient at Midtown High School but was also selected as a student assistant for the ninth grade. Naturally, her interaction with Skye was perfect.

After just a short while.

Gwen said to George and the others, "Dad, I’ll take Skye to get her books and schedule first."

George nodded.

Alexis also waved goodbye to Cassel. She was in the first year of high school, but she still had time to accompany Skye to get her books and schedule.

Lake said to George, "How’s Joe doing lately?"

Lake had visited Joe when he was discharged from the hospital but hadn’t had time to go since. He had been busy with the paperwork for adopting Skye and transferring her school during these past few days.

George replied, "He’s doing okay, recovering. However, Montgomery still requires Joe to see a therapist weekly."

Lake nodded. "Some wounds take time to heal."

Cassel subtly took out a small notebook from his pocket.

Lake’s brow twitched. "What are you doing?"

Cassel replied without looking up, "Material. Classic quotes for the resident Department of Homeland Security agent in the Nikki Hit series."

Lake’s mouth twitched.

He wished he could pull out a gun right then and shoot the perverted crime novelist who habitually wrote him as a womanizer in his books.

Time flew by.

Soon.

Christmas of ’02 was fast approaching.

Lake hadn’t had much to do these past few months. Cases that threatened national security didn’t pop up every day, and Lake was happy to enjoy the peace and quiet. After all, it felt like he’d lived through several years’ worth of events this one year.

Just Langley alone, he’d clashed with twice.

This wouldn’t do.

If he offended Langley too badly, it would cause major problems.

If he clashed with S.H.I.E.L.D., so be it. It was an illegal enforcement organization that didn’t even deserve a name. He wouldn’t flinch even if it blew up.

As for interesting things?

There were some.

Lake had given a photo of Nick Fury to the NYPD, telling George to tell the patrol officers to find excuses to give him tickets whenever they had a chance. According to unofficial sources, Nick Fury no longer drove himself.

This was New York.

Lake had said he would slowly entertain Nick Fury, and the patrol officers were just the first course.

The remaining courses?

He couldn’t give them this year.

Lake had bought plane tickets for himself and Skye for that afternoon, returning to Washington. They were preparing to go home for Christmas. Next year, Lake promised to set aside a month to properly play with Nick Fury.

Starlight Tower.

Skye walked to the turn of the spiral staircase and, leaning on the stairs, said to Lake, who was by the sofa pulling her small backpack, "Are you sure I can’t stay in New York alone?"

Lake replied without turning his head, "No."

"Why?"

"That’s illegal."

"I can go be a nanny for Jason’s kids on the tenth floor."

"Because the duration you’d be looking after them is only three hours."

"…"

Lake pulled the backpack up, turned his head towards Skye on the stairs, and said, "You want to stay alone in New York for half a month? Wow, when I get back, I’ll be wanted by Child Protective Services and the Family Court."

Skye shrugged and walked upstairs, "Fine."

Lake watched Skye’s retreating back and said, "Hurry up, we’re going to miss our flight."

"Got it."

"…"

Listening to Skye’s reply from upstairs, Lake smiled. In the past few months, his interactions with Skye had progressed significantly. At the very least, Skye was no longer so reserved. She had reverted to her "stunt girl" mode, the one who dared to demand money from Lake the first time they met.

Washington Airport.

Betty was the one picking Lake up again.

"Bro!"

Betty hugged Lake, then her gaze fell on Skye, who was beside Lake. Betty reached out to Skye, "Hello, Skye, I’m Betty."

Skye shook hands with Betty.

Lake opened the trunk. When Skye’s suitcase was placed inside, he closed the trunk and walked directly towards the driver’s door.

Skye sat in the back seat.

Betty sat in the passenger seat.

Lake looked at a badge on the right side of the windshield and said to Betty in the passenger seat, "What, you’ve accepted fate’s arrangement for you?"

The badge was an access pass for the Quantico Biological Laboratory.

It was obvious.

Betty had indeed gone to work at the military’s biological laboratory.

"Ugh."

Betty made a pained expression and looked at Lake, "I prefer to think of this job as a trial from God. I won’t stay there long. I still need to date; I still need love."

Lake asked with some curiosity, "With so many people at Quantico, haven’t you found anyone you like?"

Betty tilted her head, "They’re all soldiers."

"What’s wrong with soldiers?"

"Heh."

Betty looked at Lake, "I already have Dad and you at home. No thanks, I don’t want to find a boyfriend like that for myself."

Lake wanted to pull over and give Betty a good smack.

What’s wrong with soldiers?

Without so many soldiers from the Federation, do you think you’d get any preferential treatment overseas?

Even in an inn somewhere in Europe, federal tourists seem to be the most popular.

Arlington County.

Karen, just as she did every time Lake returned, pushed open the door after hearing the horn and looked at the car driving up from not far away.

Lake, Skye, and Betty got out of the car.

Karen gave Skye, who had finally grown out her long hair and possessed a unique mixed-race beauty, a big hug as she stepped out of the car.

An adopted granddaughter is still a granddaughter.

Karen was very content with this.

Lake carried the luggage out of the trunk. After putting it in his room on the second floor and the newly prepared room for Skye, he went downstairs and saw the three women sitting on the sofa looking at a photo album.

"What are you guys doing?"

"Showing Skye your childhood photos."

"Aren’t I handsome?"

"…"

Betty was silent for a moment, then looked at Lake, who was walking towards the liquor cabinet, with a serious expression and said, "Brother, you’re just like you were as a kid, with the same inflated self-awareness."

Lake took out some Bourbon from the liquor cabinet. "Am I wrong? Who was it that couldn’t find a date for the elementary school graduation dance and insisted on dragging me along as a dance partner?"

Betty gritted her teeth. "Say that again, I wasn’t unable to find someone. That damn Frank got food poisoning and was hospitalized. If I had a choice, I would never have asked for your help."

Lake shrugged. "Too late, that’s your black history now, it can’t be erased."

Betty smiled. "Oh, black history, is it?"

Lake frowned and looked at Betty.

Betty directly said to Skye, "Skye, do you want to hear about Lake’s embarrassing first love story?"

Lake quickly called out, "I request a truce."

Betty said triumphantly, "Too late."

Lake helplessly requested backup. "Mom, Skye is only thirteen this year. I don’t think that story needs to be told."

Karen chuckled and stood up. "This is your business, I refuse to participate. Thirteen is old enough to hear some things, it can serve as a warning."

Lake was speechless.

Betty, however, burst into laughter and began telling Skye about Lake’s embarrassing first love story.

Actually, it wasn’t much of an embarrassing story.

It was simply that Lake’s first love was at thirteen, and then the girl came to their door, quite bewildered, and started asking Karen and Ross about how they educated Lake in certain areas, because their daughter, Lake’s first love, had learned about those things from Lake himself.