Writing Challenge: It was 20 years ago today...

[Admin!]

It's writing challenge time! To enter, just post a ficlet (300-4000 words suggested) in this thread. When the voting for this month's OTM winners comes around, a voting poll will go up for this as well.

This February, we're gearing up for Hammel's second birthday!

The Challenge: Write a story set on the Hammel grounds, but at least twenty years into the past or the future. So 1992/earlier or 2032/later. Though the characters used do not have to be current Hammel characters, the setting must be the standard Hammel canon. You can make up characters, but this is not a crazy AU challenge.

The rules:

• The ficlets are not site canon unless expressly stated.
  
• Entries must be more than 300 words.
  
• You can enter no more than three ficlets. Any ficlets posted after the original 3 will not be considered for voting. If you want to post more, however, have fun.
  
• Ficlets must be titled.

[Lani Hunter]

The Face Within

April 2032

Isolade rolled her eyes as two guys took turns trying to out do each other. She glanced at the girl they were both trying to impress. She looked neither impressed, or even interested. She clapped her hands to demand attention.

“Hey-la! Yin, Yang, quit flexing your muscles you both look like overgrown chickens.” She said harshly and their faces reddened deeply. Their actual names were Tyler and Marcus, best friends, one with the power to control light and the other darkness. They were practically twins so Isolade just made up the nicknames. Everyone had nicknames, even if they didn’t know.

“Red,” she called to the girl who was causing the distraction, “Why don’t you show these boys what real strength is?”

“Gladly,” The girl grinned. Jenny was one of her favorites. She had invisibility and promptly disappeared from view.

Isolade had to use all of her self control not to laugh as identical exclamations of pain came from the pair of boys. Training practice, one of her favorite parts of the day. She was the ‘drill sergeant’ of Hammel’s pseudo-boot camp program. A bunch of misfits, she was training them for an inevitable war. It was a trial run, they had found it was easier to have metas in a separate boot camp and so they had added a little miniature facility onto Hammel. Where better to make sure that all metas were contained eh?

She showed no love, she was harder than most of the human drill sergeants just by the pure fact that her students had powers and she had to train them to use them to help, hurt, kill, and a myriad of other things as well as getting them prepared mentally and physically for what was waiting for them. She had heard the rumors. Isolade had a stone heart, her skin was iron cold. Isolade didn’t care about you she cared about your skill.

“Wingman,” she called, “Spar with Alex.”

“Aye, master,” Wingman, or rather Max, said taking off into the air. Alex a new student with aerokinesis moved off and took to the task of using his power to bring the soaring boy.

She heard mutterings behind her and without turning shouted, “Yin don’t do it unless you want laps.” There was an exclamation of protest but Yin soon moved into her line of vision his arms crossed and his face pouting. She didn’t have eyes in the back of her head but she could change into a cougar, sometimes she used her cougar ears to hear them. “If you two can’t think of anything better to do spar.” There was a muttered complaint and she turned on them harshly. “You chose this didn’t you? If it’s too much for you then get the hell off my training field.”

Yin and Yang took on meek expression and turned and engaged in a flashing battle of lightning and shadows. Red appeared at her shoulder. “What do you need me to do, Captain?”

“Keep those fools out of trouble,” Isolade answered. “Alex don’t let him get away, you control the air he flies in. Good. Now shoot him down!” Wingman plummeted in a downdraft and for a few moments Isolade’s heart stopped terrified he would get hurt. He beat his wings desperately and was able to get his feet under himself and folded his wings.

Alex ran forward and Max moved striking out with his wings, using them as clubs. Alex backed off and covered his face with his hands and Max took flight again. Isolade frowned and stalked over to Alex lifting the terrified boy to his feet.

“What the hell was that?”

“He… I…”

“Don’t talk back,” Isolade yelled, “How do you ever expect to go into war if you feint away from little feathers, huh? And your power is sloppy; if you kept the wind blowing he wouldn’t have been able to use his wings at all. You told me you were serious about this and you told me you had control.” She poked her finger at him, her eyes like stone.

Alex, whether it was out of fear or better judgment, chose to remain silent. Wingman dropped down next to him and she turned her fury onto him. “And what were you thinking? One good hit and you’re a goner. You’re wings aren’t made of the same kind of bone if Alex had half a brain to just flick you you’d be out of luck.” She delivered a smack to his wing for emphasis and Max recoiled with pain. “Flying, forget about it! You’d be about as good at hand to hand as Yang is at baking.”

“Hey,” Yang protested.

“You could kill a bear, Marcus.” She turned to them and crossed her arms. “Did I tell you to stop?”

They started up again and Isolade glared. She roared, her inner cougar coming through her voice and making it carry menacing and dangerous. Both boys froze.

“What are you doing?” She cried in frustration. “You have legs don’t you? Arms? Use them! Geez! You’re worse than the telekinetics, thinking you can just stand there.” She rubbed her forehead and shook her head. “Alright, four laps for everyone.” Isolade said and watched them go on their way.

Why the hell had she ever agreed to this? These kids had no idea what they were getting into but surprisingly out of the twenty that started she still had six. Rachel, the other girl was off training her astral projection and viewing.

These kids had no idea what war was like, and now it was her job to prepare them? She sighed and then started to run after them. “If I catch you, you have four more!” She went sprinting after them putting pressure on them. She caught Alex and Jenny before she stopped running.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She hates us,” Marcus said as they dragged themselves into the lounge. Tyler draped himself over a chair and Alex simply dropped cross legged on the floor.

“She hates you,” Jenny corrected pulling her red hair out of her tight bun.

Max shook out his wings and patted Alex on the head. “Don’t worry, she’s like that to everyone. Cold as ice.”

“That’s not fair,” Rachel said appearing from the shadows. “I mean think about it, she’s gotta prepare us to fight and she sees us make stupid mistakes. She’s afraid for us.”

“The Captain?” Marcus snorted, “No way. She goads us into rage and pain, she works us constantly despite the time or weariness. And then! And then she yells at us.”

“She doesn’t even care when people drop out,” Tyler added, “Like today. Well I’m going to prove her wrong.”

Jenny shook her head. “I’m not so sure. She has the job of fitting us for war. If she fails, we die, not her. Maybe she just doesn’t want to get so close.”

Rachel nodded in agreement and Alex spoke up. “I’m just sure she hates us.”

“Did you see we got our orders?” Marcus asked and after nods followed up. “Two weeks after graduation, we’ll be over there.”

Jenny nodded and they were all silent for a good while, everyone thinking it, but no one daring to voice how terrified they all were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isolade marched along side her small troop; they were going to go through their last tests. They had improved in leaps and bounds. A representative from the Army was there to observe and was writing down notes. She had her kids spar with each other. Yin in Alex, Rachel with Max, and Jenny with Yang.

She watched them next to the representative General Turlington. Grim they watched the now men and women fighting as if they were fighting to the death. Periodically one of them would pull their rifles and yell ‘bang!’

Turlington nodded in approval and wrote down notes. “You did well, Captain Grent.”

“Thank you, Sir,” she answered, “How are things looking on the front?”

“Not good,” he replied, “We need them over there as soon as they graduate. I have to say it was a brilliant idea to keep them here at Hammel and have their boot-camp here. Makes me feel safer.”

“What do you mean?” Isolade asked shifting not allowing her emotions to seep into her voice.

The general looked at her and frowned. “Metas make people nervous, I remember when you joined Captain, the other troops had to grow to trust you, here they can learn to work together and be their own force.”

She nodded her anger fading, there was nothing false about his statement and nothing bias against her children. “You said you needed them soon after graduation. You mean to send them out as soon as they graduate don’t you?”

“We need them,” the general said sadly. “And every platoon you send after them. Congratulations Captain I think you have found a permanent place here.”

“Yes sir,” Isolade replied a little saddened.

“What is it?”

“Sir, I had been hoping I could go with them.”

He smiled knowingly. “I keep forgetting you’re new at this. You’ve taught them well, you have to trust in their skill and what they’ve learned from you now. It’s hard, I know.” He marked a few things down then signed the form. “I’m going to fax this on, after graduation have them report to Fort Drum.”

Isolade looked at him. They’re not ready! she wanted to scream but instead just nodded. “Yes Sir.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2035

A knock on the door called her attention. “Come in,” she called.

“Captain Isolade?” Tyler pushed the door open.

“Ah Tyler come on in,” Isolade said rising. He did so and she winced inwardly. He hopped along using a crutch to support himself. His left leg was gone above the knee. The prosthetic was mostly hid beneath the pants of his uniform. “What do you think of the new recruits?”

“They’ve got guts that’s for certain.” He said with a feeble smile, “I think most of them will drop out. There are a few promising ones though. I just finished running them through their studies.”

“I suppose I should go out there and terrify them?” She asked with a smile.

He laughed. “If you do more than purr at them, you overgrown house cat.”

She grinned and changed into her cougar form. She roared and prepared to pounce. She changed back and smiled at her old student. “Don’t push me Yin, I will still chase you around the training field. I think it would be quite entertaining for the trainees, don’t you?”

He held up his hands in defeat. “Oh god no!” He laughed. Within the span of a few moments his face fell and he looked at her sadly. “Have you heard anything?”

Isolade’s mood plummeted. “No changes.”

He nodded and went back to the door. “I’m going to keep praying.”

“Good, Yin, you do that,” she said with a sad smile. She allowed herself to shed a few tears once Tyler left her office. She cried for her six, sick with worry and guilt. She cried for Jenny and Max, who were serving their third tour overseas in a warzone. She cried for Alex who had been killed by the same landmine that took Tyler’s leg. She cried for Tyler whose dream of serving his country was over only a few years after he entered the Army. She cried for Marcus who was still missing. And she cried for Rachel who was lost in the astral plane somewhere.

She leaned over her desk, the weight of her failure pushing her down like a physical force. She had to try harder, prepare them better. But for what? She had no idea what they would face; she just had to prepare them for everything. She had twenty graduates serving proudly and strongly today and everyday she checked to make sure they were still alive. There was no relief in seeing them alive, not so long as they were still over there. Every death cut her like a knife and she died a little inside with every man and woman who had fallen.

Isolade wiped her eyes and composed herself. Her eyes became stone and she marched out to the practice field and saw her students sitting idle. “What the hell are you doing?” She yelled. “No powers, go!” She said sending them across the obstacle course. “Go, go, go!” She added a roar for emphasis and a good twenty children started off. They would be men and women by the time she was through with them.

[JD Paerson]

Still My Little Girl

Jalen was helping Ashley do her hair while JD paced nervously outside the open door to the bathroom.

"And you call me if anything happens, all right?"

"Yes, Dad." Ashley rolled her eyes and looked up at her mother, who grinned and patted her shoulder.

"Be nice to him," Jalen said. "He's never done this before."

"It's just a dance!" the teenager sighed. "I don't get--"

"And remember, no matter what he says, he's just a guy. And guys are dumb, and they don't mean it. If he tries to kiss you, just knee him in the--"

"If he tries to kiss you," Jay interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her husband, "you can choose whether to kiss him back or take your father's suggestion. But more importantly, have a good time. There, what do you think?" She turned her daughter to face the mirror.

"Oh, it's perfect! You're the best, Mom!" Ashley turned and, on tiptoe, kissed her mom's cheek. "What do you think, Dad?" She twirled, throwing out her arms and grinning.

JD frowned. "Well, it could probably come up in the front," he muttered before he saw his wife's glare. "But I'd have to say that, in all, you look beautiful. Maybe even prettier than your mother."

Jalen gave him an eye roll, but Ashley just grinned.

"Thanks, Dad! I"m gonna go show Suze and Hannah." She ran slightly inelegantly down the hallway to her younger sisters' bedroom.

JD crossed his arms. Jalen came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"I don't think they should be letting 13-year-olds into a school dance," he gruffed. "Especially with all the older kids there."

"You'll make excuses for everything. Why not just admit you're sad to see her growing so fast?"

He sighed and sagged slightly. "Have I been a good father?"

"Yes." She let go and moved to follow Ashley. "But even if you hadn't been, I've been an amazing mother. So don't worry; she'll be fine." Jalen went in search of her oldest child to finish getting her ready.

JD stood in the hall for a moment. Then he turned away. "I wonder if I can find that old baseball bat..."

He did find it, but Jalen made him put it away before Ashley's date arrived. She couldn't, though, stop him from standing just by the door to wait for Ashley to answer it.

"And remember to stay away from LaRousse," he said, imparting some final words of wisdom.

Ashley wrinkled her nose. "That jerk?"

"Good girl," he said with a smile. Then the doorbell rang and his scowl returned.

"Now Dad," Ashley said, staring at him, "please be nice. I like David, and I don't want you scaring him."

"Yes, dear. I'll be nice."

After one more wary glance at her father, she opened the door. "Hey, David! Nice to see you let's go."

"Hold it!" JD interjected. "Where are your manners? Invite him in!"

Sulking, Ashley held the door open and gestured inside. A young teenager, all pimples and curly red hair, stepped inside. He was at least two inches shorter than Ashley. The poor boy gave a nervous smile to the man towering over him.

"Hello, Mr. Paerson," he said, extending a hand.

JD took it and shook it very slowly, not relinquishing his grip. "Hello, David. David Reynold, is that right?"

"Yes, sir."

"And one of your parents is driving you and Ashley up to the school?"

"My mother, yes."

"What kind of car does your mother drive?"

"Sorry?"

"What kind of car?"

"Um, it's just a mini-van. Sir."

"Do you know how fast it goes?"

"Well, the speedometer goes up to 120, but Mom never goes faster than 40, except on the interstate..."

"Do you know how fast I can run?"

"Dad!" Ashley had been watching this exchange with a small amount of hope that her father would not embarrass her, but that had now been completely extinguished. She began, eyes wide, to try to pull at his arm.

"I-I'm sorry?" David said nervously.

"I can run at speeds up to 115 miles per hour. But that's only the last time I was clocked, and I bet if I was really angry it would be a lot faster."

"Um..." the boy mostly looked stunned.

"Mom!" Ashley shouted. "Help me!"

Jalen came out of the kitchen, where she'd been making dinner with the twins. "What did he do this time?"

"Just...make...him...go!" Ashley was pulling at her father's arm, trying to send him into the back room.

"Dear," Jalen said, sugar-sweet, "please go help Hannah and Susan in the back. We're making omelets."

Slowly, JD left. Jalen embraced her daughter and saw the young couple off before returning to the kitchen. Her husband was attempting to crack an egg into a bowl while peering out the kitchen window.

"Dad, you're getting shell into it!" Susan said, pointing. Hannah stuck out her tongue in disgust as she looked into the bowl.

"Hey Superman, not all of us eat anything put on the plate. How about you stop hovering over your daughter and focus on the food?" Jalen walked forward and started picking out bits of eggshell.

"Is it wrong for me to wish for super-hearing right now?" he asked, turning away from the window and letting the curtain fall into place.

"Yes."

JD gave her a pleading look, knowing that she probably could hear exactly what was going on.

Jalen laughed and shook her head. "I'm not listening," she told him. "And I'm not about to start just because you give me puppy eyes."

He began to grumble under his breath as he added spices to the eggs.

Jalen grinned. "Also, yes, it's bad to wish for some sort of emergency so that she has to come early. And yes, it's bad to hope that she accidentally freezes his hand while they're dancing."

"I wouldn't wish for that," JD said, rapidly whisking the newly-deshelled egg mix. "Not unless...well, no. But still--"

"Jonah. Relax. It is her first dance, and she is still a little girl. Nothing is going to happen. And if it does, you have permission to deal with the situation. Until then, just hope for the best."

"I don't believe in hope."

"I know. Good thing you married me." She leaned over to kiss him.

"Ew, gross!" Susan said. Hannah stuck out her tongue again. "Is the food ready yet?"

JD smiled at his two youngest daughters. "Not yet. What do you two think? Should I add...the bones of an Englishman? Or puppy dog tails?"

"Dad!" Susan rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. "Don't be so silly."

"Yeah," Hannah added. "Always add both."

JD smiled. "Argh, I suppose yer right. One of ye hand me the pan, and we'll get this show on the road."

And no matter what happened, that night or any other night, he promised himself that they would always be his little girls.

[Elaine Tonaya]

Little Wonders

It was a good thing, Elaine reminded herself, that Cobalt had gone to college. He had been accepted to the University of Chicago, and even she knew enough to realize how prestigious it was. It was a great opportunity, something he could never pass up and she would never ask him to.

But on days like today, she missed having someone to lean on. She hadn’t even realized how much she had depended on him to provide decent conversation on a regular basis, or just to be supportive. How much she needed someone who understood the same things she was going through, at least partially, and could help.

She had to force herself not to call him up and ask him to come home, even just for a weekend. He was going to be bogged down with homework, and he couldn’t afford to be distracted by someone like her, with no future, no hopes…just problems.

So when Morgan woke her up at five o’clock in the morning to tell her he’d had an accident because of a bad dream, she got up with a smile and told him it would be okay, then went to run him a bath and change the sheets. And when he wouldn’t go back to sleep afterward but tried to cuddle, she held him close and tried to warm his frozen feet. When he helped her make breakfast and splattered pancake batter and flour all over the kitchen, they cleaned it up together without complaint.

At work she dropped a plate of dishes and messed up two checks. Her boss yelled, told her she needed to focus more. And when she got off work at the diner and went to pick up Morgan, she was informed he had been acting up in class. He was upset, and when she tried to take a nap he took a piece of paper and cut it into tiny triangles scattered all over the house. Then he went in to wake her up, showing her how he had painted his toy airplane so it would be better.

She got up, vacuumed the paper, dug around inside the vacuum when she accidentally vacuumed one of Morgan’s toys, apologized for mangling his army man, and cleaned up the paint on the table. She couldn’t find food in the refrigerator or the cabinets, so they went to the grocery store together. They got enough for spaghetti, even though Morgan really wanted a TV dinner. Why couldn’t they get good food like they ate with Uncle Coby? Why was she always so mean? Why, why why!

The temper tantrum was settled, they were back in the car on the way home, and Elaine was almost falling asleep at the wheel. Which, of course, explained why she was speeding. And why she was pulled over. And fined. And Morgan, hungry, began whining again in the backseat.

They got through dinner without any further disasters, and afterward Elaine crawled back into bed and began to cry. And wish for a friend again.

“Mommy?”

Elaine sniffed once and wiped her eyes before looking up. “Yes, dear?”

“I drew this for you in school today.” He held up a picture of some stick figures holding hands and started pointing. “This is you, and this is me. And this is our house, see? The one we’re going to have. And here’s Unca Coby. He’s sad because he can’t be with us anymore.” He held it out to her. “Do you like it?”

She smiled. “I love it, Morgy. Thank you.”

He grinned. “I also got you flowers.” And he drew his pudgy fist from behind his back, holding out a bunch of slightly wilted daisies and dandelions.

Her smile grew, and she stretched out her arms. He clambered onto the bed and sat with her. “Thank you, Morgan. They are perfect.” She kissed him on the head.

After a moment, she said, “Would you like to call Uncle Coby? We don’t want him to get too sad. We’ll keep it short, but I think maybe he’ll want to hear from us. What do you say?”

Morgan nodded his head vigorously. With a smile, Elaine picked up the phone and began to dial.

Families don’t have to split up just because someone goes away, and even in the bad days, it’s the little details, the tiny moments, that can make life wonderful.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy

Some folks' lives roll easy as a breeze
Drifting through a summer night
Heading for a sunny day
But most folks' lives, oh they stumble
Lord they fall
Through no fault of their own

For the entire day, various staff, and occasionally students, would come out to smile at, speak in patronizing tones to, or ask about the toddler in Sean’s company.

“What’s his name?” “How old is he?” “Does he talk?” “Is he trouble?” “Can I hold him?”

The boy loved the attention, and Sean didn’t mind talking about him. He loved having any access to him that was possible; even if it came awkwardly such that he had to take him to work at Hammel, because he couldn’t leave the child home alone.

Blocks littered the floor near the sofa, and a mat had been stretched out for when the boy needed to take his nap. Sippy cups filled with apple juice and bowls of Cheerios had been part of his snack. Now, however, he seemed content to try to build his own Tower of Babel and to let the telepath review his notes for later staff meetings and sessions further in the week. Every so often, the boy would say “Look” and point with pride at his building, and Sean would smile adoringly and encourage him, “You’re so good at this,” or, if he wanted to challenge him, “How many blocks have you used?” Then the boy would start to count, and Sean would smile wider.

A knock on the door interrupted his reading, and Sean called out “Come in,” while setting aside the paperwork. There would always be time for it later.

In stepped his white-haired mentor, and the psychiatrist offered him a smile. The older telepath returned the smile, and he immediately scanned the office, gaze falling on the child in the corner. “So the rumors are true.”

“It’s only been a day; I don’t see how there could be any rumors.” Sean rose from his chair, poised to help the older man get comfortable, but Robert waived off the assistance. Instead, the older man slowly made his way over to one of the chairs across from the desk and eased himself down.

“He’s adorable,” Robert remarked after a moment.

“Isn’t he?” Sean beamed with pride. “He mostly has his mother’s looks; when he’s older, he’ll be grateful.”

“And where is she?”

“Portland.” The psychiatrist sighed softly and shook his head. “They thought the change of scenery might help her conceive.”

Robert’s expression was sympathetic, and he nodded in understanding. “How long do you have him?”

“The whole week. I’m glad for the excuse to have him, but I don’t want her to be disappointed.” Sean sighed again. “I tried to caution her, but what do I know? I’m just a bachelor.”

“It can be difficult,” the older telepath reminded him. “To want children and to have any sort of impediment to that.”

“I know. I want her to have as many as she wants.”

“I know, but all you can do is to try to be there for her.”

The psychiatrist conceded that point, primarily because he acknowledged it. He did what little he could for Kathleen, which included offering a sympathetic ear and giving what medical advice he could, as well as babysitting her son when she and Colin needed time alone, and their parents were too busy. Sean was always glad to have his nephew in his case, so truly, that last service was more of a benefit to him than it was to her.

In the midst of the conversation, the little boy had toddled over to the two adults and now stood staring wide-eyed at the white-haired man. Sean smiled at him, as did Robert, who added, “Come here, Ryan, is it?”

“Yes,” the little boy said, shaking his head enthusiastically because he liked it when people said his name. He didn’t even wait for Sean’s assurance that the old man was safe; instead, he just held his arms out, asking to be lifted up. Robert leaned over and with an audible “oomf,” did just that, lifting the child and then settling him in his lap. Ryan smiled happily, and Robert bounced his right leg lightly, letting the boy bounce with the motion. That caused Ryan to giggle.

“You’re good with him,” Sean remarked, also smiling.

“Surely you aren’t surprised?”

“Never.”

Ryan continued to giggle, Sean continued to smile, and Robert continued to bounce his knee until he was too tired to keep doing so. The little boy pouted, and so Robert tousled his hair. “You should bring him by the house some night this week; I’m sure Beth would love to meet him.”

The younger telepath could see no reason not to do that, and thus he nodded in agreement. “I’m sure she would too. Which is a good night?”

The older telepath contemplated his schedule for a moment before replying, “How about Friday?”

“Friday’s fine. Kathleen and Colin won’t be back yet, and so he’ll still be here with me. Isn’t that right, Buddy?”

The question, nickname, and attention were met with a smile from his nephew.

A moment later, the child shifted in Robert’s lap and began to climb on the older man, tugging lightly on his thin, white hair. Sean chuckled and held his arms out; volunteering to take him back should he overstay his welcome on the elder telepath’s lap.

However, Robert waved off the request and simply let Ryan continue his tugging and exploration for a few minutes, before encouraging him to settle down in his lap again. “He’s energetic.”

“He is. I’m lucky I can keep up with him; it helps that his legs are still so short.” Sean laughed lightly at his own joke. “But he’ll make a good big brother. You should have seen him at the last family barbecue; a few of the cousins have children so he played with the other children, and he’s so engaging.”

“I can just tell that you’ll spoil him.”

Sean laughed again. “That’s what Kathleen said. Our parents disagreed, but that’s because they dote on him more than I do.”

“And are they still giving you subtle hints?”

The younger telepath spread his hands at that. “They want more grandchildren. They don’t say it explicitly, but we all know they do.” He sighed softly and then added, “I don’t know if it would be better or worse if I didn’t get their hopes up sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?”

Ryan shifted in Robert’s lap, making it apparent that he wanted to be put down. The old man carded his fingers through the boy’s hair a single time, before leaning forward and lowering him to the ground. Once his little feet were on the floor, he toddled off to the end of the office, back to his blocks to play again and to leave the adults to their discussion.

“I’m sure you can imagine not all of my relationships lend themselves to making my parents hopeful for grandchildren.”

That was met with a half-smile from Robert. “Granted, Orion wasn’t the fertile type, although he was a family man. But surely the twins-”

Sean cut him off with a shake of his head. “Kathleen doesn’t even know I was officially dating her, and my parents had some difficulty with the notion. I think they thought I was going back and forth on which one I wanted to date. I don’t think having twice the grandchildren ever even occurred to them.”

“I suppose that’s for the best,” Robert remarked, given that the relationship hadn’t culminated in marriage.

“I suppose. She’s doing well as of the last time we spoke. Seeing someone nice.” Sean cracked a self-deprecating smile. “Everyone seems to find someone nice after breaking up with me.”

“You’ll find someone.”

“Maybe.” The smile didn’t falter from his lips. “Did I tell you that Josh is dating someone now?”

“You didn’t,” Robert said, and his tone became slightly more concerned.

“Josh told me, but he didn’t say much about him. He’s a lawyer, and I think they’re the same age. He sounded nice.” Sean then shook his head to himself. “I hope it works out; this is the first person he’s dated since we broke up, and I think he’s been single for too long.”

Robert gave the younger man a curious look. “He didn’t say much about him?” Despite the fact that Robert had never met Joshua, it still sounded atypical for what he had heard about the young man turned attorney, coupled with the memories and thoughts he had perceived in Sean’s mind over the years. Joshua was a talker.

“No, but that’s all right. I’m sure I’ll get to meet him the next time I’m in New York.” The younger telepath shrugged his shoulders slightly while spreading his hands. “If he’s able to keep Josh’s interest, I’m sure he’s intelligent and passionate. And tall.” That was followed by a chuckle.

This was an area where, while Robert had great sympathy, he had little personal experience. He and Beth had met young, married sensibly, and had been married for decades without straying even once. While he and Sean had both merged before in relationships, only the psychiatrist had suffered a breaking afterward. It made a difference in perspective, surely.

However, any further discussion on the topic was interrupted by the door flying open and Eliza’s stern form in the doorway. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

All three occupants turned their heads; Robert and Sean with the vague interest due to their employer, and Ryan with wide-eyed wonder.

“Which one of us?” Robert was the one to ask the question; Sean was the one to think that it had to be Robert because otherwise Eliza had made a miserable job of looking all over for Sean since they were in his office.

“You, Robert. It’s Jerry.”

Sean frowned. Robert didn’t, although he did raise his mental shields a tad in anticipation of what this would entail. He pushed himself to his feet, turned to wave at Ryan in the corner, and then sent a thought to Sean. We’ll finish this later?

Anything you want. My last session is at 5:30p.m. so you can find me before or after. Good luck. The psychiatrist didn’t envy the older telepath for these tasks; it was one of the many reasons that Sean had never become a trainer.

“What did he get himself into?” Robert asked, as he walked to the door and then fell into step with Eliza.

“What does he ever do?” She replied, as they disappeared down the hall. “Someone needs to separate him and Max to prevent this nonsense.”

“You think they’ll behave better if they’re separated?”

“No, but this is why I wanted to institute corporal punishment...”

Fortunately, their conversation faded out of earshot with that remark. Sean had been at the staff conference when corporal punishment had come up as a topic and he’d spoken for ten minutes about his experiences at Catholic school and why he couldn’t in good conscience ever support such a proposal. Enough people had either agreed with him or been sick of listening to his voice and had voted to make him sit down and shut up.

He wasn’t too proud to count that as a victory.

Alone with his nephew now, he moved from behind the desk to the other side of his office to sit on the floor beside Ryan. “What do you think, Buddy?”

Ryan was quiet for a moment. Then he blurted out, “vampire.”

The telepath chuckled and reach out to tousle the boy’s hair. “I used to think the same thing.”