Lana did a mental calculation and realized she had to get cooking, though noone made it her job. She's been mothering Dobin for 9 years now. It was a hard habit to break, mothering others. Yeah. Today they turned 17.
"I just realized I need to get to work on dinner. I'm sure Edward is not used to cooking and the others are all used to using the canteen or having another do it for them."
Leo nodded, "What's for dinner?"
"Well, I need to go grow food. I also need to see if there is any meat in the kitchen."
She spoke up a bit, "Edward, is there any meat in the castle for me to cook for dinner?"
He responded, "there is but not much. You can send Timmy to the market with your request. I can give him crystals for the purchase." Lana nodded. She stood and went to climb the stairs to the lab, grabbing all her books.
"I'll accompany you if you don't mind. There are a lot of people to cook for. I'll help you to carry the food in once it's been grown."
She smiled, "Thank you Leo. Back home, Kattie helps me. I hope they are okay."
She put her books in her room then they went to the lab. Timmy agreed to go and Fex decided to join him to help carry it all. Edward gave Shalt a break while he went to get crystals to purchase the food. It didn't take long and the training resumed. Lana and Leo got crates from the kitchen. She checked to see what was left from her last harvest so she could decide what she needed to grow.
"You look like you know your way around this kitchen." Leo said.
She chuckled, "while food pills are useful, it feels like they cheat your taste buds of the pleasure nutrients in food can provide."
With a mental note, they went off to the back yard. She then needed to remind herself of how many for each diet; Human diet: Vorden, Logan, Lana, Borden (he could eat human food as well as beasts), Cia, and Layla. Erin could eat human food only around other humans when her body behaved as a human. Vampire Diet: Erin, Leo, Edward, Timmy, Fex, Quinn, and Shalt. So the final tally was produce for 7 and meat for 13.
Leo watched as these qi-infused plants rose from the ground one after the other. He smiled, "Do you always grow food that way?"
She nodded, "It was one of the studies I had published. I learned about this energy through some really old tomes I found in a corner in the library once. I learned the meditation for this energy as well as the chakra energy and I mediate on them both each day. They help me. In my study, I compared the produce grown by the military for the students and soldiers in those hydroponic pods and the food that I grew. I looked at nutrient composition and I conducted surveys of those who consumed my cooking to determine which was more desirable. My food was superior in both categories. We always ate breakfast in the canteen and dinner with me but lunch was a toss-up based on my schedule." They spoke as she harvested the food and placed it in the crates.
"I have to admit I found your cooking superior as well."
Lana smiled, "I'm glad." She finished gathering the last of what was just grown. "This will last a few days." She withered the plants down then started growing more. Strawberries, wheat and a few other things.
"I thought you had enough?"
She chuckled, "Well, I wasn't going to say anything because it's the biggest reason I'm sad. Today is my birthday. I have never been away from my brother for more than a few hours prior to this trip. I have always made him strawberry shortcake for his birthday. But I can't make it for him today. Instead, everyone else will have some. I just hope they like it." A tear fell from her eyes as she spoke and her voice cracked a little.
Leo couldn't see the tears but he could hear the emotion. "I'm sure they will."
She gathered together the rest of her harvest and they returned to the kitchen. Leo impressed Lana with his ability to chop vegetables. He was even better at it than she was. They made a bean stew, stir-fried vegetables, and a salad. The boys brought the meat in and soon the food was ready to be served. Leo and the boys left shortly before it was done as there was nothing to do at that point. She pulled the shortcake out of the oven. Usually she used a biscuit form of short cake but this castle had different things for cooking and she just had to go with it.
She was about to start plating when the girls came in and offered to help. Lana did the plating and they pretended to be waitresses. They told her as they entered the castle, they started drooling. Lana got the strawberries done really quick, stealing a few whole ones for herself. Then set it aside to serve after the meal was finished.
She walked into the dining room and this was the first time everyone was there when she cooked. She was shocked for a second but then found her seat. They placed her between Shalt and Vorden. Caser was confused because he could not sit on her other side so he resolved to sit on her feet.
Quinn raised his glass of water. There were no blood packs left in the castle's store room but there would be a new delivery in the morning and Quinn didn't drink it every other day any more anyway. They had been doing the same with the others as well. "I want to thank you, Lana for taking such good care of us."
She smiled, "you're welcome." She looked around and told everyone to enjoy and they did. Once she was finished, she went to get up and Vorden asked where she was going. She told him desert was needed and headed back to the kitchen. She took her plate back with her. She got out 7 bowls and Vorden sliced the cake. She put the strawberries on the cake then the extra went on hers. She got out a serving tray and placed all the bowls on it. She went to grab it and Vorden stopped her. He put his hands on her shoulders. He looked in her eyes, "I'm sorry." Her eyes teared up again.
"Can we talk later?"
He nodded then took her bowl out of her hands and made her leave the kitchen empty-handed. He served her first then the rest that ate human food.
She took her first bite and savored the flavor. Their birthday was the only day she made this even though it was easy to make. For her, it kept the dish special. She was hearing a lot of complimentary sounds around the table. She felt a little self-conscious but was proud as well. Her smile was beaming as she watched all the appreciative faces around the table. She then focused on her own desert thinking even though Dobin wasn't there, it could still be a good day. She hoped he was having a good day where he was as well.
Edward came in and handed something to Quinn. She didn't notice. She had strawberry shortcake and a beautiful man next to her even though he was not in control at the moment.
"Lana," she looked up to Quinn not expecting her tantalizing her taste buds to be paused, "I know you didn't want a big deal made of this but not many good things have happened lately. Since you still have your plans in mind, I wanted to give you something." Quinn passed a small package to her. She looked confused. Did she just get a birthday present? Her hands were shaking and she wanted to cry. Inside the box was an exquisite necklace, bracelet and earring set with diamonds and sapphires. The setting showed it was extremely old. Then she did cry.
Quinn though it strange that females cried so much. When she got control of herself, she thanked him profusely. "This actually goes with my blue dress. Thank you so much! This is the first time I ever got a birthday present…" she said as she stared at her gift. Vorden heard that and felt bad. Sil was trapped between being furious for her being neglected and sad they were not prepared. They never once asked. "Quinn, when is your birthday?"
"Nine days ago."
"Wow. And we didn't celebrate Fex's birthday, either."
Fex chimed in, "Whoa, my present was getting to live and getting my friends back!"
"And mine was getting Fex and Peter back. There is nothing more important than my family." He waved his hand out toward everyone, "This is the best family a man could ever ask for."
Lana's smile was practically glowing. She had always thought of her team as her family but she felt like an outsider the entire time she was here. Tonight, she felt included.