The Phoenix Ghost

The Dinner - Part I - Treaties & Warfare

To the back right of the kitchen was an area with floor partitions acting as a break in visibility hiding the work out/gym area. Bjorne could just make out that there was a door off the gym area which Iris had already informed him housed a reasonable arsenal of weapons the team employed as required - mostly courtesy of the tattooed Russian - and a weapons maintenance area that she liked very much. Although she had asked him to bring the rest of her personal weapons she'd left behind with him today, along with a couple of additions she felt were necessary to the general armoury.

The individual bedroom and bathroom doors were visible along the four spaced area side walls. It was a nice place. But Bjorne's main attention was focused on the centre of the space, the kitchen, where the twins were finishing the food preparation for their meal, their faces popped up in interest at those of us coming through the door. His chest tightened with emotion, despite the emotionless face he presented, as he saw the girls together in the flesh for the very first time. They truly were identical. If not for their individual style and different speaking cadences, Bjorne wasn't sure even he would be able to tell them apart. Although the slight baby bump on Sang was presently the obvious identifier. Fan! (Fuck!) How he wished Alena was here! This was a sight she had often wished for when Iris was young. It had grieved her that she could only adopt one of the two babies. Her gut had told her that Iris' twin would suffer living with her biological father and his family and it had made her feel irrationally guilty. Bjorne was glad Alena had not been there when he and Iris had first discovered just how bad Sang's life had been before she'd joined the Academy... the fact her step mother had abused and tortured her. That day was the first time Bjorne had felt guilt himself over something neither of them could have controlled along with a strong urge to hunt down all who'd had a position of trust and betrayed it by hurting Sang.

'Dad!' Iris' face lit up on seeing him and dashed over to give him a proper hug as a greeting, 'Det är bra att se dig pappa,' (It's good to see you, papa) She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward Sang, 'Jag vill att du ska träffa Sang' (I want you to meet Sang.)

'Jag har sett fram emot att träffa dig, Mr. Makinen,' (I've been looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Makinen.) Sang said managing to shock the emotion of surprise onto his face, 'Iris didn't tell me you knew Swedish, Sang. And call me Mak, älskling (sweetheart). You're too much like Iris for me not to see you as part of our family. Sorry in advance, but you will be treated as my daughter too, protective instinct and club protection will come with the territory.' Sang smiled sweetly at him, giggling. It was a bell like sound that had more than just Mak softening... to his annoyance,

'Yes, Iris warned me that would likely be the case,' Iris smirked at her father. He hadn't needed to tell her for her to know the truth. Hmmm... He reminded himself that he needed to keep how well his daughter knew him in mind to avoid spilling secrets that he wasn't yet ready to reveal. Iris raised her eyebrow at him in question. Yea he needed to keep a much tighter reign on his thoughts. His nonchalant shrug relaxed Iris, making her think he just wasn't prepared to air his emotions in front of present company and she let the thought go. Thank fuck.

'Sang, Iris,' Phil Roberts went into introductions mode, 'This is Kevin, returning to the Toma team and also to be inducted into the Ghost team,' A tall, leanly muscled, mocha coloured boy of 20 stepped out of the mass of people entering the apartment, he smiled in a sexy manner at the twin beauties in the kitchen,

'It is definitely my pleasure to meet my new team members. You are certainly a visual improvement on the boys on the team,' His slightly lust filled gaze roved over both ladies causing four very different reactions in the room. Both Mak and Phil Roberts grunted and gave Kevin warning glares; his Toma team mates were greatly surprised as Kevin was always wary of women as a first response; Iris was amused and flirtatious back and Sang was amused but wary. Kevin ignored all the males in the room and strutted over to the twins, reaching for their hands over the counter. Iris offered hers to him first and he pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, looking up into her eyes intensely. Mak growled causing Iris to reluctantly withdraw her hand. Sang reached over the counter next taking both his other hand and control by giving Kevin's hand a definitive shake before dropping it pointedly while raising her eyebrow at him as a directive to behave himself,

'Too forward, Sunshine. Be a good boy, won't you?' the Toma boys burst out laughing at Sang's cheekiness and the elder men relaxed at her deft handling of what could've been an awkward situation. Kevin just gave Sang a panty dropping grin.

'Where's the fun it that, Star-shine?'

'Dinner is ready,' Sang ignored Kevin's response with an eye roll before she and Iris exited the kitchen carrying two large bowls of cheesy nachos topped with clouds of guacamole and sour cream and crunchy taco shells,

'Take a seat wherever you like,' Phil and Mak beat the boys to the seats either side of the twins who sat side by side. This did not annoy either Raven or Axel who sat opposite the girls, as had always been their intention. The rest of the team was less pleased with the seating arrangements, their eyes showing their dissatisfaction.

'We know there is a lot to discuss,' Iris' matter of fact tone got everyone's attention once they were all seated, 'But let's eat dinner first and just get to know each other a bit,'

'Please,' Sang finished. The men all nodded in acquiescence. Dinner was surprisingly comfortable and conversation flowed freely. After dinner had been consumed, Mak complimented Sang,

'You cook very well, älskling,' Sang blushed a pretty pink colour, 'I love cooking and baking, it's one of my favourite hobbies,' Phil smiled at her indulgently, 'Be sure to ask her to bake her Chocolate lava cake, Mak. Everyone loves her cake at the Academy.'

Kevin and Brandon smirked, Axel and Raven held blank faces although their eyes were twinkling wickedly,

'I'll just bet,' Kevin drawled. Corey and Marc blushed but grinned at the double entendre,

'For fuck sake!' Phil roared only to be cut off by Mak, who was intensely looking into Kevin's eyes while baring his teeth at him, 'May I take the training course tomorrow for Iris and Kevin, Phil?' Mak's tone of voice was quiet, at odds with his facial expression, but seemed like a gunshot in the space of the apartment.

Phil sat back chuckling deviously to himself, 'I don't see why not. In fact, I think it'd be a good idea for all the Toma team to join Iris and Kevin tomorrow, as a team bonding exercise, if you will... Sang and I will join for the afternoon session just to make the experience complete,' Mak and Phil shared a look of understanding and intention. Axel knew his team was in for the ass kicking of their lives and sighed in resignation of the inevitable, but maintained his dignity,

'Wouldn't miss it, old man,' Iris grinned hughly at her father, Sexy pants, Axel would be eating those words tomorrow night along with a big slice of humble pie! Sang and Iris smirked at each other before Mak gave them both smiles of pride. Yea he would enjoying kicking their fan pojke åsnor (fuck boy asses)... In fact he would take pleasure in letting his girls take them down another peg by lining them up to defeat them as well.

Sang and Iris asked everyone to clear their plates into the kitchen, scrape them and put them in the dishwasher for washing while they put the finishing touches on the dessert and brought it to the table.

Once everyone had dessert in front of them, Phil opened the discussion of a liaison between the Academy and the Valhalla MC. Kevin's face lost its colour on realising who he'd just tweaked the nose of... shit! Ok, he was definitely gonna be hurting tomorrow night. Oh well. It didn't change his mind one bit about pursuing the twins. Anything worth having came at a cost. His fellow Toma team mates grinned at him in agreement. Mak did not miss the interaction. He'd see if they still felt the same tomorrow night, he thought in grim satisfaction.

Mak made it clear to Phil Roberts that for now the MC would join the Academy on a jointly run Volto assignment only, but, depending on that outcome, they could discuss a liaison in the future. Phil accepted Mak's position but he knew as long as the twins stayed with the Academy, he'd get his liaison eventually. In fact, this discussion was only a preliminary talk. The real negotiations would not be in front of the twins or the Tomas but with the board of the Academy.

Phil then turned the discussion toward wrapping up the cases the Blackbourne and Toma teams were currently engaged in. Blackbourne assignments - the new Russian case would've handed over to the Anderson team, Volto handled by the Toma/Ghost team jointly with the Valhalla MC; Toma assignment - Coaltar would be finished off by the Toma team with assists from Sang and Iris now that Kayli was out.

Finishing up dessert, Mak reached into his cut to pull out an envelope with Iris and Sang's names written on the front. Iris stiffened up immediately recognising the hand writing as her mother's,

'Yea, flicka (baby girl), this is the letter your mother left you for when you found your sister.'