Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. - Chapter 410

Chapter 410: Ariel has a therapist!
Dinner at Sunshine and Hades’ place was rarely a quiet affair. The adults had long surrendered to the chaos of three boys and one bear cub with occasional tips from a robot. Every night, there was something to address about how the day had been spent, what troubles they had been involved in and how they planned to fix them.

Like this night, with Earl’s black eye which he got from a fight with another boy on the base over a difference of opinions.

He did not want to talk about it and Sunshine had been forbidden from going out to seek truth or revenge.

Out of the blue, Tank slammed some paperwork on the desk without warning. White jumped into Sunshine’s arms, while the humans winced.

“My apologies, I failed to control my strength.” The robot said before walking away.

Sunshine and Hades reached out to see what the robot had delivered.

“Let me save you all some time.” Ariel declared. He got on his feet and distributed a document to everyone at the table, including White.

As the bear cub could not read, it licked the paper and spluttered, disdaining the taste.

“We are here to discuss something that is an elephant in the room in this family. The abandonment issue some people here have.” Ariel started.

Sunshine raised an eyebrow as she fed White a fish cracker lathered in honey. “Some people. Ariel sweetie, I am pretty sure that you are on that list.”

Hades squinted at the document with the seriousness of a CEO reading a contract that could make him lose millions. “I did not know that you were in therapy.” He looked away from the paper briefly.

“It was something aunt Neems recommended after the snake incident.” Ariel replied, adjusting the ridiculous tie he had decided to wear to dinner. “I think I like it. I finally found a place where I can dissect the shortcomings of all the people on this base without judgement.”

Some people at the table blinked, some turned to their food. Castiel decided to bring his crayons and do some coloring on the contracts.

“I also did not know he was seeing a therapist.” Sunshine whispered to Hades.

White squeaked, as if to say “me too.”

Ariel cleared his throat. “Dr. Flora said that one way to deal with such issues is to sign contracts promising never to abandon each other. Not even if someone gets drunk and steals my cookies.”

Hades chuckled, reaching for a cookie, ironically.

“One time, Ariel,” Sunshine said in her defense, “I got drunk and ate your cookies one time and I ended up with a criminal record as a petty thief in your books.”

“More like a robber.” Earl giggled.

“That is a bold promise son.” Hades nodded solemnly. “You are saying that no matter how your brothers break your things and bother you. Or your mother eats the last almond raisin cookie in your secret stash, you won’t abandon any of them.”

Sunshine rolled her eyes. “For the record, almond raisin cookies are not that delicious. Give me chocolate chip any day.”

“What if mom eats an entire box of your cookies?” Earl asked curiously.

“Then she has committed treason and we can execute her with water guns.” Hades replied.

Earl chuckled. Sunshine glared at her husband.

Ariel sighed, already exasperated. This was why he needed a therapist, because nobody in his family took anything seriously.

“This feels like the signing of a medieval treaty.” Sunshine said. She raised one of her hands and one of White’s paws. “I Lady Sunshine Quinn of the Quinn dynasty swear never to abandon Sir Ariel Quinn of the stick up his tushy kingdom.”

Hades burst into laughter.

Earl clapped his hands. “Nice one mummy, I will use it a school the next time….”

Ariel slapped the table. “Will everyone be serious for a moment? If I hear one more joke, I will take charge of the kitchen from now on.”

That made them shut up very fast. The crayon even fell out of Castiel’s small hand. His bottom lip trembled and his eyes welled up.

Nobody wanted Ariel-tight-on-supplies anywhere near the home kitchen.

Ariel smiled. “I will be adding a clause about cookie theft in the contract. The point of this exercise is to physically express our loyalty to each other. We are family. We stick together.”

Earl raised his hand, requesting for permission to speak. “What about White?”

The bear cub blinked innocently. He gnawed in his crackers lightly, looking around curiously.

“White is family too.” Ariel said with the patience of a saint. “I gave him a copy of the contract which is on the floor right now. Anyway, no one abandons the bear.”

“And the little ghost girl with red hair.” Castiel mentioned.

Ariel patted his chest. “She is not a ghost and she is Mr. and Mrs. Steward’s daughter. So, not our family.”

“But she slept in our house, I saw her.” Castiel argued.

Ariel twitched.

Sunshine jumped in to save her eldest son from breaking down. “Not everyone that sleeps over at our house is family. Some are friends.”

“Ghost friends.” Earl whispered in a spooky voice.

Castiel scrambled out of his chair and rushed to Sunshine’s side. She found herself carrying a bear and little boy suddenly. It made her sigh. Meanwhile, Hades was giving Earl the “do better” stare every parent gave the older sibling that was always pranking or scaring the younger one.

Ariel, having recovered some of his calm moved on to the most important task, the signing of the contracts. He gestured at the papers, even picking up the one White had dropped. “Everyone is probably tired and it is already late. I suggest that we sign the contracts and go to bed. Each person must sign. Everyone has to make the promise.”

Earl waved his contract in the air. “Why does this say that everyone must be loyal to me even if sometimes I smell bad.”

By some coincidence, White sneezed and covered his nose with his paw. It sent almost everyone into giggles.

“Well son, you often come home smelling like blood or antiseptic.” Hades pointed out slowly. “It does not mean you smell bad. It just means that your mother should buy some nice scented soap, sanitizer and hospital cleaning liquids and powders.”

Sunshine pinched her face. The spendthrift was striking again. He wanted to waste more gold, throwing it at the system for something useless.

What was wrong with someone smelling of antiseptic? It meant they had not brought home germs, infections and whatever else could be found in hospitals.

She had more to say, but they heard an explosion outside, far off in the distance. Everyone rushed to the a window.

The radio at the table came to life and Elio’s familiar voice filled the room. “Sir, Ma’am, there is a mutated gorilla outside.”