A loud banging at the door brought them from their reverie, and Joel barged in. 

"Where have you been? You're supposed to be training..." His eyes shifted to Theo and his mouth dropped open slightly in realisation. 

"Oh."

 His tone stirred something in Hera. Guilt? She cleared her throat and went to get changed into sports gear. When she returned, the house was empty, and she looked around, confused, before Joel's voice assaulted her ears again. 

"Hurry. I've got some new moves I want to test on you." She jogged out the door and over to a sparring square. More had cropped up as she slept. He went to stand in one corner as she stretched when another surprising voice spoke up. 

"Not today Joel. I believe it's my turn." 

Hera's nose crinkled, looking at her father in very different attire than she was used to. 

"You want to fight me?" She couldn't help the smile from beaming at him. He put on a mask of seriousness as he squared up with her. She shook out the nerves and lowered her stance, watching how he moved. He was graceful, agile, and lithe. She remembered their conversation months earlier about how he became director after training everyone. She knew she mustn't underestimate him, nor believe he would go easy on her. 

She was right.

 He sprinted, feigned left, and dropped low, sweeping her legs from under her. She fell with a thud before rolling from his downward kick. Her energy fizzled excitedly, wanting to play. Hera jumped to her feet and raised her hands beside her face. He threw a few punches, which she easily blocked before landing a surprise palm strike to her torso. She flew across the square, her lungs sucking in air painfully. 

"Juno, what the hell?" 

An embarrassed, Sorry... was all Hera heard before she had to roll from another advance from her father. Fuck this, she thought stubbornly before grabbing his foot and yanking it with all her strength. He fell hard on his leg and Hera winced as they both stood. She needed to remember he was old. 

She heard a chuckle behind her and realized Theo had turned up dressed in sparring gear of his own. A look of pride flashed across Joseph's face as he approached, Hera was wary circling out of reach when he used his power to pull her across the square close enough to land a punch to her jaw. 

She saw stars and shook her head to clear them, releasing the energy of her own. She sent dust into his eyes to blind him and attempted the flying triangle hold she had learned a few times with Jean. The hold worked for a few moments before a huge weight wrapped around her body and she was pulled off and held a foot above the ground. 

"Tap out," Joseph suggested while wiping the dirt from his face into his shirt.

"No way." She breathed out. The constriction felt tighter by the second and she sent out her energy to meet his. A glowing orb pulsed within him and she tinkered with it only slightly. She certainly didn't want to take anything from him, nor hurt him. 

Much. 

His eyes widened when he felt the contact and a slight nudge from Hera had him buckling. The telekinetic hold didn't relent however so Hera wrapped her energy around his and squeezed, ever so slightly. She immediately dropped to the ground, onto her now bruised knees, gasping for a full breath while her father looked mildly dazed. She released her grip around his power immediately and searched herself to make sure she hadn't accidentally taken any and she didn't, much to her relief.

He shook his head and went to start another round with her. 

"Seriously?" She panted out. "Can we not call that a win?" 

His look of pride was evident, which he tried to mask with faux disappointment.

"It's not over until the other person can't get up, Hera, you know this." She rolled her eyes knowing she could have done that if she wanted to.

"How about I have a turn?" Theo spoke up, then a glimmer in his eyes. "I haven't had a challenge in a while."

When Hera met his eyes she saw pride too, and a strong dose of desire. Her stomach flipped excitedly and she moved closer to him before she was pulled back by that invisible force again. 

"Ugh, dad!" She closed her eyes and Juno took an opportunity to finally show up. A burst of power shimmered around Hera as she turned on her heel to face her father. She snaked her energy out a final time, clasping onto his and staring him down. The threat was evident in her eyes and she gripped his evolution a little tighter this time. His face drained of colour at the sensation and he nodded in defeat. She released him with a smile and let Juno rest. 

"You might have just the ability to take down Azrail." Her father commented, rubbing the back of his neck as he approached.

"I know." She replied solemnly. "We just need to make a plan."

Theo stepped in closer. A gesture that was not missed by Joseph and the conversation shifted.   "I see you're back. Where's Monroe?"

"He still had a few things to finish, but he should be back by tomorrow."

Joseph's nod was curt before he drew Theo into a big hug. "Are you here to stay now son?"

Theo looked surprised and a little guilty while nodding at Hera's father. "I'd like to if that's okay with you." The double meaning was again not missed by an annoyingly astute Joseph and he nodded, clapping Theo on the back twice. A little hard Hera thought, but her dad's face softened as he looked between them and he nodded.

He went to leave and walked past Theo, murmuring something in his ear that Hera couldn't hear. Theo responded with a nod and a genuinely sincere expression that melted her heart.

She frowned after her secretive dad and searched Theos eyes. "What was that about?"

He smiled down at her, "Nothing my love." He leaned down to rest his chin on her head when a disgusted voice spoke up. "If I'm going to have to see this all the time I'm going to pluck my eyes out."

Hera turned on Jean and raised a brow, "I thought you wanted this to happen."

"Wanted, no. Expected? Yes." Her answer was still tinged in half-hearted disgust forcing another eye roll from Hera.

"I'll meet you at the house," Theo murmured in her ear as he turned for the cottage. The girls stood watching after him when Hera spoke, "what do you mean, expected?"

Jean scrunched her face incredulously, "The first moment he saw you it's like he was changed. I don't know how to explain it but it's like you were made for each other. Literally."

Hera was now incredulous. "He didn't like me at all when we first met." Jean scoffed at her statement.

"You were basically asleep when you first met. You didn't see how he carried you to the van. Brushed your hair from your face or stared at you with the most awful, awestruck face I have ever seen. It was sick!"

Hera blushed a lovely shade of pink remembering their first meeting. She thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. At least it was mutual, she thought.

"Well, what does it mean?" Jean shrugged in response but had a strange expression on her face. "Spill it," Hera demanded nervously.

"It's never been like, scientifically proven or anything but I know a few Evolved who would have this 'connection' or whatever and they got together and lived happily ever after." Jean looked rather dubious but Hera thought back about her father describing his relationship with her mother. He said it had felt like a missing piece had come home, she recalled.

"Like a soulmate or something?" She mused.

Jean nodded and looked forlorn. "Must be nice." 

She spoke so quietly, Hera hardly heard. She pulled Jean into a rather unreciprocated embrace and smiled at her. 

"You are going to make someone so happy Jeanie. You are like the coolest friend I've ever had." She was being truthful of course but Jean was probably one of the only friends Hera had too. She heard a sniffle before Jean wrenched herself from Hera's grip and smoothed down her clothes. 

"Alright, enough of this crybaby stuff. Go get changed and meet at the Director's place. We need to get ready for war." 

She sauntered off to her house leaving Hera smirking in the late morning sun.