Earth Mars Love (The Marsikons)

Chapter 24

Regina suppressed the smile looking at them and cleared her throat, "Dad is inside? Maybe we all can go to him now?"

"Sure, he said that he was waiting for you," Clare went to the door and led everyone inside.

Regina took a deep breath and stepped inside to her father.

***

Her dad stood up and went around his table to hug her and kiss her on the cheek. "My baby, here you are! I'm so glad to see you, it's been ages since you visited us. We missed you so much! Come in, come in."

Ever since that fateful night when she was fourteen, it was a bittersweet emotion to see her dad. She wanted to believe in his words, that he genuinely missed her and loved her, but his eyes in the interrogation room were haunting her, reminding her that she was a disappointment, that she ruined his career. He never told her that and never would, but she just knew it.

She told herself that she was doing them a favor by living as far as possible from them, that she doesn't need them, but now she realized she missed her family, missed those days before the night when nothing marred their relationship. And she didn't know if they would ever restore their relationship like it was before.

She hugged her dad, praying she didn't bring on his doorstep more problems with her guests.

"Hey, dad. I missed you too," she lingered in a hug for a moment more, and stepping back she said, "Dad, I'd like to introduce you to my friends."

"Mr. Arthur Morgan, my name is Marcus of Marsikons," Marcus said in his accented voice, power and steel behind his tone. He reminded her of some kind of leader right at that moment. No cowering, no shyness, no stray emotions. Confidence of the man who talks with his equal.

"My pleasure to meet you," they shook hands, and when everyone was seated behind a round table in the corner of the office, dad asked, his face serious and tone all businesslike, "What can I do for you, Marcus of Marsikons?"

"We would like to ask you to arrange a meeting with the President."

"Okay, Marcus. Why do you want to meet the president?"

"We came from Mars and we want to share our knowledge and our new formula of the fuel in exchange for the supplies." Marcus' spine was straight in his seat and his hands were neatly folded on the table. Darius and Kos were silent sentinels on either side of him, while Regina with her dad and sister were sitting opposite them.

Hearing that, Dad turned to Regina with a startled expression.

"Yes, dad, they really are from Mars. I saw their spaceship," she dared a glance at Marcus, but he was looking straight at her dad.

And her dad? He was looking at her. He raised his eyebrows, asking her not so much whether he should believe Marcus, but whether she believed Marcus enough for him to see where this led.

She could shake her head once, just slightly, and this would all be over. But then she would never get to kiss Marcus again. Oh yeah, and the fate of two planets could be at stake.

She nodded and waited to see what they would say next.

***

Marcus inwardly exhaled in relief when Arthur Morgan didn't kick them out of his office right the second when he heard that they came from Mars. On the outside he remained unmoving, even unblinking, the years of training kicked right back in when it was time for business. But it didn't help, that Regina was sitting in front of him, her gorgeous eyes searching his. He did everything he could not to glance at her. He needed to direct all of his attention to her father to persuade him to arrange the meeting. Their goal was so close, and he didn't want to let his emotions jeopardize their only chance.