The Navigator

9. To Catch and Throw

Addy realized she shouldn't have been surprised by Gemma taking to ZeroG like a natural, space was bred into her. This was part of her history, it was the first thing her parents did that could be done in public. Her father doing exactly what her mother was now. Bouncing back and forth from obstacle to obstacle, intercepting at the last moment to spare any injury. Using practiced strategy to catch and throw, sharing something personally sacred. The product of their affection now leaving globes of eager slobber floating in the air, refracting the light of the sun making beauty of the gross.

Before the time ran out totally, Addy let her daughter hang in the air with a very slow spin, the little girl upside down and watching the people outside. Addy took the moment of distraction and flew as fast and precisely as she could, trying to sharpen her skills before she had to wait a whole other year to do so. Earning her certification would have been impossible if she could only practice one day out of the year, but Jax knew she enjoyed it. He also knew she wanted her own license, and made it a priority whenever he was home, and was required to do his own 'training', that she was invited along.

The countdown began, and Addy slowed herself on a square before catching her little rotating star and pushing them towards the door. As she swung through it, she felt the gravity turn on behind her and heard the little drops of spit Gemma left behind fall to the ground. She grimaced, but the attendant just winked at her and waved at the child who was still all smiles. Addy was always grateful for her daughter but just now she was glad she was so universally adorable.

They left the building, met by mixed applause and whoops for Gemma who was chewing on her fingers with a goofy grin in place. They reached Darren who met them with arms wide. Brooke had told Addy she would need to leave before the girls were done for her own appointment with the 'magic travelling masseuse' that she waited all year to see.

Darren brought his girls into a hug with his long arms pressing kisses on both foreheads.

"Was that fun?!" He asked them both, but before Addy could answer, Gemma gave her own particularly toddler style response by promptly throwing up all over both of them.

Addy took the brunt of it and was glad she hadn't let the baby eat a huge breakfast because she had been concerned this would happen in ZeroG. She had forgotten that it was once the stomach settled back to normal gravity that these problems seemed to crop up. Dang it!

She closed her eyes, feeling the warm sick soaking into her bra and tried very hard to remain calm. This happened sometimes, she never enjoyed it, but it was motherhood. Darren however, with a bit of splash over on the left breast of his shirt was frozen in disgust.

"Oh my God! Addison! What have you done to my shirt!"

He wasn't yelling, but it was clear to anyone nearby that he wasn't pleased. Addy didn't have time to answer as he fled to the nearest restroom, his idiosyncrasy regarding neatness getting the better of him. Leaving Addy alone with a now crying and vomit covered toddler in the middle of a throng of people.

She sighed and pulled up her communicator, going over the festival map and of course the one family bathroom was all the way on the other side of the grounds. Why only one was allowed Addy couldn't possibly imagine, but it was a problem she was used to.

She resettled her daughter on her hip and started the trek to the desired unit, knowing it would be larger and have a safe place to set Gemma down while she cleaned them both up. She was grateful for the bag on her shoulder that was becoming second nature since she wore it so often. It possessed a change of clothes for Gemma and if she was lucky maybe something for Addy. Surely at one point in her past she had thought of this contingency and prepared for it. Right?

Ignoring the horrified glances, she found the line of temporary restrooms and walked down to the very end and was so thankful to find it unoccupied. One of those everyday miracles. Another had been that yes, past Addy had included a crumpled shirt for herself to change into.

It was with this piece of foresight that Addy managed to emerge victorious from the bathroom. Feeling like an old time hero, her tattered but clean undershirt that did nothing to hide her bralessness was her battered armor. Her now less disgusting toddler was a loyal steed that had bucked her off in the final charge. A win was a win, and in parenthood, you took what you could get.

She set Gemma down as they walked away from the toilets, letting her toddle on her own aimlessly letting Addy stretch out her sore shoulders. It was uncomfortable, the way her thin shirt pulled against her bare nipples hardening them. She had never been as brave as Brooke, wandering around with tit's bouncing freely. She admired it, wished she could be so confident but she just wasn't and had decided that was OK. She was allowed to be comfortable in her own skin, even if that required the constraint of a boob trap.

As she brought her arms down out of the stretch, she became aware of an unwanted gaze.

"Oh darlin', don't stop on my account." 

____________________________________________________________

Author's Note: Eeek! 

You wanna fly through air in my ZeroG machine? Is that a dream or a nightmare for you? Anyone else not totally cool with Darren just bailing on our girl? Just me? K.

Thank you for reading! Be sure to leave a vote and comment and give me a follow!

To infinity and beyond!-Buzz, via Ginger