The Quaranteam Universe is the creation of CorruptingPower, used with permission.
Thanks to BreakTheBar, AgathonWrites, RonanJWilkerson, The_Licentious_Laureate, BronanTheLibrarian, OtterlyMindblowing, SilverRyden, BirchesLoveBooks, Reader737b, and the other QT Writers for their feedback and contributions to this work. Be sure to check out their work
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Chapter 13
All Characters depicted in sexual situations in this story are over the age of 18.
**** Mount Pleasant Cemetery - Gainesville, FL - 1000, Sunday, August 16, 2020****
Sean and Ellie helped Miles transport the markers from the back of the Beast to the nearby headstone for Beth Davies, Miles' first wife. Using a post driver, he pounded metal T-posts into the earth just to the right of Beth's grave, and then affixed each marker to the posts using screw-on brackets. A quick application of Loctite ensured the fasteners would not be easily removed. They drove the posts deep into the sand until they'd met tougher resistance of actual soil, making it unlikely that anything other than a determined person with a post-pulling tool would disturb the markers.
Standing back to observe their handiwork, Miles was satisfied that each of the three markers was level and properly spaced from one another. Penny took hold of his hand as they stood together silently. Sean and Ellie went back to the beast, returning a few moments later with four bouquets, handing one to Miles and another to Penny.
Miles stepped forward and knelt before Beth's headstone, gently placing the bouquet just before it, then saying, "I've been a bit busy of late, dear, but I'm finally here. I've brought company, some to stay, I'm afraid. Hope you don't mind," he uttered, his voice cracking at the last as he forced a sad little chuckle. "I miss you so much! I love you." Having said his piece, he stood upright and stepped back.
Sean stepped forward and bent down at Marcus' marker, placing the flowers beneath it, then reached into his pocket and withdrew a small object, which he placed next to the flowers. It took Miles a moment to recognize that the object was a small diecast X-wing toy. Sean spoke softly to Marcus for a moment, then stood and stepped back next to his father, reaching for his free hand.
Ellie went next, stepping up to her sister's marker, laying the flowers before it, then knelt and spoke briefly to Mary Beth before standing and stepping back next to Penny, wiping at her tears.
Penny went last, placing her flowers at the base of Raul's marker, and just stood there silently for a few moments, quietly weeping. Finally, she reached into her purse and withdrew a tissue to wipe her face. Standing there another moment, she composed herself before returning to stand beside her younger daughter, reaching for her hand.
The four of them stood there silently for quite a while, until finally, Sean spoke up.
"We'll be having our first Den Meeting of the new year Tuesday night," he began, with only a slight waver in his voice. "I'm going to do my best to beat your record, Marcus, and earn my overachiever patch. I'm going to make you proud, I promise! And then I'll go on to do all those things we talked about - earn my Eagle, do well in school, and earn an appointment to the Naval Academy!"
Miles put his arm around his son's shoulders, hugging him as he silently communed with his dead wife and son.
Ellie spoke to Mary Beth next, "I don't know about the Naval Academy, but I plan to match Sean in the overachiever department, and I will earn my Eagle rank, just as I know you'd have done, EmBee. I'll make you and Daddy proud!"
Penny hugged her daughter silently, tears filling her eyes as she struggled to keep her composure.
Just then, thunder rumbled in the cloudy skies, and the rain began to fall. Florida rain was not cold, but the wetness combined with the oppressive humidity could be uncomfortable, so they all headed quickly to get into the Beast. Miles started the engine and put the vehicle in gear, taking them home to be with the rest of their new family.
**** Gainesville, FL - 1530, Sunday, August 16, 2020****
The front doorbell rang, and Sophia went to answer it. Miles had just stepped outside to take another load from his old office over to their newly designated workspace - formerly his hobby room in the Outhouse.
"Daddy!" she exclaimed in mild surprise, then nodded to her new... stepmother? No, that wasn't going to be her title. His newest partner and her former classmate, Brandi Dickson. "S'up, Brandi," she nodded cooly to the girl. "Come in, you two. We're just in the process of relocating the home office to the Outhouse. You can help me carry boxes over, if you don't mind."
Shutting the front door, she turned and stepped into the office, picking up one of the lighter boxes and handing it to her bemused father, then grabbing another to hand to Brandi, before grabbing a pair of monitors and heading toward the nearest French doors to the lanai.
Peeking out of the kitchen to see who was at the door, Penny waved an oven-mittened hand in their direction, "Oh, hello, David. Hi, Brandi," before she ducked back in to continue what she'd been doing.
"Penny and Jan are working on a birthday cake for tomorrow night - it's Ava's 22
nd
Birthday tomorrow," Sophia explained as she led them between the pool and the outdoor dining area to the back door of the pool enclosure.
"Why are you moving the office to the Outhouse, darling?" David asked between huffs as they walked.
"Oh, we're planning to turn the den into a nursery," Sophia explained, causing her father to halt for just a moment in surprise before he continued walking, albeit a bit more slowly.
"Is that so... is someone expecting, already?" he asked tentatively.
Glancing back at him, she saw the paleness in his face, and couldn't resist the temptation. "Well, I was going to tell you eventually..."
David came to a full stop, nearly dropping the box.
Unable to maintain a straight face any longer, she burst out in laughter, then confessed, "I'm sorry, Daddy, but you should've seen your face! No, no one is expecting just yet. Not for lack of trying!" She opened the door to the Outhouse and held it for them.
David gulped in a breath, regaining his composure, then stepped through the doorway, followed by Brandi, who was smirking at Sophia.
"Still the tease, Soph," Brandi admonished as she walked past her former classmate, shaking her head.
"Oh, like you're not trying to get me a half-sibling?" Sophie rebuked before following them inside.
Miles stepped out of the new office across the woodshop from them, waving a greeting as he came over to take the boxes from David and Brandi. "Hi David, hi.. err... Brandi," he stammered, struggling to recall the young woman's name as he turned and carried the boxes to the office. "What brings you two into my domain this fine Sunday?"
"Miles, we were discussing your program after we got home last night," David began enthusiastically, "and I think we'd like to pitch in somehow, if we can. As a Civil Engineer, I can help design the take-offs of the poly-pod developments - the roadways, the drainage, that sort of thing, and Brandi is interested in working on this effort as well, as it aligns with her chosen major."
"I assume you've vetted this idea with Martha already?" Miles asked.
"Of course," David assured him. "She told us it's your show, and she wasn't about to interfere with your process. Instead, she sent us over here to ask you ourselves," he admitted good-humoredly.
"Well, we're certainly going to need the help," Miles admitted. "It'll take me a few days to get the paperwork pushed through and get you set up with the necessary access. Why don't we plan on you two starting this coming Thursday?"
"Sounds good, Miles. You sure you're okay with this?" David asked. "I don't want you uncomfortable or feeling like my wife has a spy in your midst..."
"David," Miles reassured the man, "never mind the fact that her daughter is on my team, as far as I know, Martha and I are on the same page. So, yes, I'm sure I am okay with this."
"Oh, and I was thinking that - once we can be out in the open about Endure, and the entire pandemic response is public knowledge - Angelina might be able to help us out a bit," David suggested. "She's a social media consultant and an influencer, so she might be able to help us spin Endure, help us evangelize its importance to the Millennials and surviving Gen Z'ers."
"That's a great idea, actually," Miles admitted. "The whole idea of Teams and their next-level living requirements is going to take some getting used to, and it would certainly be helpful to get some buy-in early on."
**** Gainesville, FL - 0645, Monday, August 17, 2020****
Miles stepped into the shower enclosure behind Ava and wrapped his arms around her, bending down to kiss her on the cheek and whisper, "Happy Birthday, sweetheart."