1.18 Family Part 7

“You know more than one AI?” Bree asks Joan and Joan sighs in annoyance.

Gonna have to tell Bree about Jaylyn now. Just great Mum, just great. I wonder how Bree will react to finding out that she is an aunt now.

“Well,” says Joan slowly, drawing out the word in her reluctance, “When Leo first got his powers, they were overcharged. Because of that, he sort of built an AI. She is basically a little girl and her name is Jaylyn Geary because she considers Leo to be her father because he is her creator.”

“Wow,” says Bree blankly, once again catch off-guard by a revelation, “Just wow.”

“Why don’t you tell your sister about Jaylyn’s mother Joan,” says Mum with an innocent face as Joan glares at her.

“Wait, this AI has a mum?” asks Bree, “I thought it was built by Leo.”

At Bree calling her daughter an it, Jaylyn stiffens in annoyance at the insult to Jaylyn’s humanity, frowning at her sister silently.

“Well Breanne,” says their mother as she continues to keep a straight face about the whole affair, “Let’s just say that my expectations about you being the one to make me a grandparent were wrong.”

“What the £$%@!” exclaims Bree as she snaps around to face Joan superhumanly fast and grabs her sister using inhumanly quick reflexes, “You’re the mother of an AI?”

“Hey!” protests Joan in response to the violent motion that Bree grabbing her put her through.

“Sorry,” apologises Bree in a quieter voice before raising it again, “But that thing thinks you’re its mother?”

Joan slaps Bree.

“Don’t call her an it,” says Joan in a quiet, but angry voice as Bree stumbles backwards, clutching her face more out of shock rather than any actual pain, “Jaylyn might be an AI, but she is also my daughter and I will treat her as such. And I shall expect the same of you Bree.”

“Umm, sorry?” replies Bree as she takes another step away from Joan before turning and leaving the room.

Still furious with her older sister, Joan looks away from Bree as she leaves the room before stamping angrily as she lets out a wordless noise of rage.

Mum just sighs as she gets out of her seat.

“Hold this dear,” says Mum as she hands her empty cup of tea to Joan as she walks past her, “I’ll speak to Bree. I’ll explain the situation to her so she’ll understand it better.”

“Okay,” mutters Joan quietly as her mother walks out of the way using the same exit as Bree.

With a weary and angry sigh, Joan decides to head to kitchen to wash up the teacup in her hand.

It isn’t like I have anything better to do.

***

“Bye!” says Joan before logging out of Eldrim Online.

With a sigh, she removes the virtual reality helmet from her head and places down beside her. Joan sits upright from where she is lying on her bed and glances at the time.

Leo and his family should be getting here anytime now.

“Hey Joan,” says Bree and Joan looks up to see her older sister in the doorway to her room, leaning against the frame, “Can we talk?”

Joan hesitates. She really doesn’t want to talk with Bree after their incident earlier in the day, but at the same time, she also wishes to resolve things with her sister.

“Sure,” replies Joan after a moment and Bree swiftly strides into the room and sits down on the bed next to Joan, moving so fast that Joan can barely see her even with her own inhumanly good senses.

“So, Joan, I’m-I’ve spoken to Mum about Jaylyn after our falling out,” says Bree as she fidgets, not looking at Joan, “I’ve also spoken with Jaylyn herself. Plus I had a chat with Alison and Abby. Dad as well and well, I sorted of realised that I was wrong. You know, about calling Jaylyn an it and not treating as a real person. Something I particularly realised after actually speaking with her. In her case at least, Jaylyn is actually a person. Which makes senses when you remember that she was built due to Gadgeteer powers. So, you know, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t worry sis,” says Joan as she wraps her arms around Bree, relieved to have the situation sorted out so quickly and easily, “I forgive you! Will you forgive me for slapping you?”

“Of course Joan,” replies Bree as she hugs Joan back, “You didn’t really hurt me anyway. I was more stunned by what you did more than anything else.”

“I know,” mutters Joan under her breath, “You have no idea how annoying it is. I know I shouldn’t complain given my state a few months ago, especially since I now outmatch any normal person. But it is still super frustrating that while I am superior to any normal person, I am still helpless when compared against my family. I am even the only one without a famous and successful career in addition to not having any superpowers! Heh.”

“Yeah, I can see how that is frustrating,” says Bree soothingly as she gives Joan a friendly squeeze, “On the bright side, you are probably better set up for a happy and successful life than any of us were at your age.”

“True,” whispers Joan in agreement, “I do have Leo and Jaylyn.”

“That’s the spirit!” says Bree encouragingly as she gets up, hauling Joan to her feet, “Now let’s go and get ready for the Gearys. They’ll be arriving anytime now.”